Red Sox in the middle of active day in trading

It's been a rather busy day for the Boston Red Sox, to say the least.

Early Wednesday morning the Sox acquired 1B Adam LaRoche from the Pirates for Double-A shortstop Argenis Diaz and Class-A right-hander Hunter Strickland, an 18th-round draft pick two years ago.

Later on in the afternoon, after much speculation, the Cardinals and Red Sox agreed on deal that sent struggling OF/1B Chris Duncan and a player to be named later to Boston for aging SS Julio Lugo.

Everyone knew the Red Sox were going to add a bat, it was just a question as to who it would be and when. Adrian Gonzalez was also mentioned as a candidate.

I like the LaRoche deal for the Sox. They get an everyday guy who can hit and play very solid defense. His average is struggling a little bit this year, hitting just .247, but he's hit 12 HR and 40 RBI. Mike Lowell is coming off an injury, so he can't be trusted everyday just yet. This move will allow Kevin Youkilis to spend some time at third base and LaRoche get some time at first base. Also, they now have a bat that can slip in to the DH hole if David Ortiz needs a day off.

It was also reported that the Red Sox are still scouting Victor Martinez. Cleveland has shown a great interest in pitching prospect Clay Buchholz, so keep your eyes on that situation as something may unfold in days to come.

However, I don't understand the Duncan/Lugo deal at all. I don't see what either of these two teams gain from it. Duncan has struggled all season and has seen his playing time decrease significantly from Opening Day and was designated for assignment just before this trade went down . He's hitting a measely .227 with just 5 HR and 32 RBI. That's not at all the kind of production Tony LaRussa and the Cardinals were expecting out of him this season.

Boston is more than happy to part ways with Lugo, but I don't understand why any team would be interested in him at all. He's struggled in just about every opportunity he got this year in Boston, and though his average is high, he doesn't hit for power and doesn't have much speed. Also, his defense has been a little suspect at times.

The thing that sticks out in my mind most of all is that the Cardinals already have two young shortstops that are playing very well. Brendan Ryan is slowly becoming one of the best defensive shortstops in the National League, and is also hitting near .300. Also, Tyler Greene has shown positive signs on the defensive end.

The Cardinals made it clear that they wanted to add another bat, but if they thing Lugo is the answer, my gut feeling is that they will be thoroughly disappointed.

If they were that eager to trade Duncan, it would have made more sense for their team to go after a LHP of some sort, be it a reliever, or a starter. Todd Wellemeyer has to be the next guy out given his constant inconsistency throughout the course of this season.