Julio Lugo was one of the most underachieving Red Sox players of recent memory, batting a combined .262 over the past two-plus seasons in Boston while making about $9 million per year.
Apparently, all he needed was a simple uniform change.
Lugo is tearing the cover off the ball in St. Louis’ lineup since being traded (with cash) to the Cardinals for Chris Duncan on July 22. Lugo is batting .372 and slugging .674 with four doubles, three triples and a home run in just 10 games. He slugged .349 and .330 in his two years as the Sox’ starting shortstop.
Hindsight is 20-20 and sometimes people simply can’t succeed in Boston — the name Edgar Renteria comes to mind. But with Nick Green batting .238 and Jed Lowrie at the .140 mark for the season, those .393 and .674 numbers look pretty good for Lugo, considering the Sox are still paying his contract.
Granted, it has been against National League pitching. And 43 at-bats isn’t exactly a fair sample size. But it would have been nice if Lugo had produced like that in Boston.
