This column originally ran in The Standard-Times on Aug. 5, 2006.

By Nick Tavares

This season, the Red Sox have been relatively quiet in dealing with injury turmoil. Kyle Snyder and Jason Johnson have emerged as possibly solid pitchers to fill in the staff, while Wily Mo Pena has performed well in subbing first for Coco Crisp and now Trot Nixon.

Starting catcher and captain Jason Varitek is the latest to fall under the surgeon's knife, though. So, from Baltimore's land of exile, Javy Lopez arrives to fill in behind the plate.

So what will the Red Sox find in their new starting catcher?

At 35 years old, Lopez finds himself on the wrong end of his career. While just three years removed from a 43-home-run campaign in Atlanta, the last 21/2 seasons in Baltimore have seen a steady decline in his production and ability behind the plate. The Orioles experimented with Lopez at first base last season (playing all of one game at the bag), and this season he has been used primarily as a designated hitter.

But, even with limited playing time, the numbers haven't been so bad for Lopez. In 78 games, Lopez is hitting .265 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs, with an OPS (on-base-plus-slugging) percentage of .726.

Compare that with Varitek's own numbers (.243, 11 HR, 50 RBIs, .742 OPS), and the offensive drop-off isn't nearly as drastic as it would be with Doug Mirabelli (.184, — HR, 14 RBIs, .585 OPS).

With Lopez motivated by being handed the keys to the Sox battery, the numbers could improve as well. Lopez, as with seemingly all of the Orioles, has been incredibly unhappy since signing with Baltimore, and the change of scenery couldn't be a bad thing.

"I've got no position on this team. I don't see why (the Orioles) really need me," Lopez said earlier this week. "I'm not meant to play once a week. ... I cannot be happy in this situation. They probably have their plan, and I don't think they're going to keep me like this until the end of the season. They're probably going to do something sooner or later."

Coming to Boston, he finds a team that is already strapped by injuries. Likely settling into the 6 or 7 slot in the lineup, he'll have the same freedom Mike Lowell discovered this season batting behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. He'll see more pitches to hit than any of those three batters, and as of next week, Jason Varitek will be back to help Lopez in pitchers meetings.

At the trade deadline, the silence from the Boston camp, save for their acquisition of Texas reliever Bryan Corey, was more due to the high price for mid-level players than a position of standing pat. The best pitchers available didn't get better than Cory Lidle or Kip Wells, while big name position players — Andruw Jones, for example — would have come with the hefty price tag of young hotshots Craig Hansen and Jon Lester.

So here, the Sox find a deal that makes sense. Boston sends a player to be named — reportedly Adam Stern — to Baltimore in exchange for the disgruntled catcher and some cash to help pay the remainder of Lopez' salary.

And, should Varitek come back in time for the postseason push and the playoffs, the Sox have themselves a strong right-handed bat off the bench that could give Varitek an extra day off (in addition to the day Mirabelli catches Wakefield) and, if he's able, possibly give Kevin Youkilis a day off at first base.

And at the end of the season, his salary is off the books, so he'll want to use this two-month stretch as a chance to audition for a starting job elsewhere.

It's not an ideal situation, to be sure, but it's hard to believe they're not better today than they were Thursday.

And Lopez will do his best to prove Baltimore was wrong in letting him go.

Nick Tavares is a columnist for The Standard-Times. Contact him at ntavares@s-t.com

Date of Publication August 05, 2006 on Page C05