Brad Wilkerson is actually pretty good when healthy, he was traded for Alfonso Soriano after all. Plus, back then many pundits (including myself, although I’m not sure I’m much of a pundit) thought the Rangers would end up with the better haul in the deal with the Nationals.
Brad Wilkerson could be a target of Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. Sounds good to me.
Wilkerson is a guy who could be a real asset, so long as the deal is short-term and not overly expensive. The former Expo, National, and Ranger will turn 31 in June, and if healthy could be a find. He’s always had great patience and solid to very good power at the plate, with at least passable defense in the outfield (he actually used to be quite a bit better than passable before his recent rash of injuries robbed him of some jump), where he has played all three positions extensively throughout his career. Additionally, and this is key for the Sox, Wilkerson has shown the ability to fill in at first base, where he has a .996 career fielding percentage in 229 games. His ability to spell Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell (by allowing Youk to slide over to third) would provide the team with the perfect left-handed bat off the bench to replace Eric Hinske’s role as corner outfielder and occassional first baseman, hopefully producing at a higher clip than Hinske did during his tenure with the club.
If Wilkerson decides to take less money and playing time for a chance at a ring, the move could pay off for all parties involved, with the Sox getting a solid contributor off the bench and Wilkerson hopefully managing to stay healthy with a lesser load on his ever-failing body.
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