In mid September the Red Sox sent Mike Aviles to the Blue Jays as compensation for manager John Farrell. Today, the Red Sox acquired free agent shortstop, Stephen Drew, to take the starting position it had been assumed Jose Iglesias would fill.

Iglesias appears headed back to Triple A where he’ll be under the tutelage of newly hired boss Gary DiSarcina and recently promoted hitting coach Dave Joppie.

Drew meanwhile, signed to a one year deal worth $9.5 million, appears to be the stop gap to Iglesias or Xander Bogaerts in 2014.

For Iglesias to play it appears he has to figure it out at the plate and add a reasonable batting output to his ‘gold glove calibre’ defence. If General Manager Ben Cherington doesn’t see an improvement from the Cuban defector, who the Red Sox invested so heavily into in 2009, it will clearly be a major disappointment.

While the Red Sox continue to say that they have faith in Bogaerts at shortstop most evaluators believe he won’t have the quick feet required, once he ‘fills out’, to play the position in the Major Leagues, speculating instead that a transition to third base or right field is inevitable.

With third base blocked by Will Middlebrooks, a move to right field seems the more likely. Assuming current center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury departs through free agency after the 2013 season, new signing Shane Victorino would move back to his favoured position therefore opening the possibility for Bogaerts to make the switch.

It may not be as clear cut as that however, as outfielders Bryce Brentz, Brandon Jacobs and Jackie Bradley will all be knocking on the door of the Major Leagues very soon.

Tags: Ben Cherington, Boston Red Sox, José Iglesias (baseball), Stephen Drew