Now that Jacoby Ellsbury has won his, the Sox are 2-for-2 with Gold Glove outfielders in Ellsbury and Carl Crawford. With J.D. Drew‘s contract expiring after the 2011 season, the Boston Herald is reporting that the Red Sox could have interest in signing Sizemore, who won two Gold Gloves in his time with the Cleveland Indians.
While Sizemore has played his entire career in center, his agent declared that “[Sizemore] would not rule out playing a corner outfield spot if it was the best opportunity to show he’s healthy and an elite player.”
The “healthy” part is the biggest knock against the talented center fielder. Previously regarded as one of the top players in the league, Sizemore has battled injuries for the last three seasons, missing 276 games over that span.
Drew, in comparison, missed 129 games during that time, with 81 of the missed games coming in 2011.
The Herald notes that the Red Sox have not yet contacted Sizemore, but emphasizes that a possible short-term, incentive-laden contract for Sizemore would make sense. It would allow Sizemore an opportunity to play his way into a big contract after a year or two of staying healthy, similar to how Adrian Beltre parlayed a one-year deal with the Sox into a six-year, $96 million contract with the Texas Rangers.
