According to Scott Miller of CBS Sportsline, the Red Sox have been kicking the tires on Tigers pitcher Dontrelle Willis, possibly in hopes of acquiring the lefty veteran for Julio Lugo. Honestly, the thought of Willis pitching in Fenway gives me cold sweats. He’d probably be the anti-Lester, coughing up home runs like Bert Blyleven. But the prospect of dumping Lugo (who has no upside) for Willis, who does, still sounds intriguing.

Mind you, Willis had an ERA of 9.38 in 8 starts for Detroit last year, and a 5.17 ERA for the Marlins in 2007. So he seems to be trending downward. But he’s only 26 years old. He was sent to the minors last season, basically to re-learn how to pitch. If the Red Sox like his raw skills (and think they can turn him back into the pitcher who won 22 games in 2005), then why not trade him for Lugo?

With the emergence of Jed Lowrie, Manny’s pet is now expendable. The salaries of the two players are more or less commensurate: Lugo is owed $18.5 million over the next two years; Willis, $22 million.

Sure, that’s a difference of $3.5 million. But if I had that kind of scratch, I’d definitely spend it to be rid of Julio Lugo and obtain Willis. I mean, if you’re gonna be stuck with a salary, wouldn’t you rather it be a young left-handed starting pitcher than a no-field, no-hit shortstop?