I know that Major League Baseball is a business, but I also know that sometimes the game and the players in it have more at stake than just the bottom line.

I love the thought of having Mark Teixeira in the Red Sox lineup next year and with the winter meets right around the corner that might very well become a reality very soon. But at what cost?

When I say cost, I'm not referring to a dollar amount, but I'm speaking about the way the organization will be remembered for years to come. With the signing of Teixeira the Red Sox will most likely be shipping Mike Lowell off elsewhere as Youk makes the move to third. This is the same Mike Lowell who was the MVP of the 2007 World Series and signed with the Sox for $10 million less than he could have elsewhere.

Are we so fickle that we are willing to turn our back and end a relationship with a person who was our hero only a year ago and threw away $10 million to maintain this relationship? He said he stayed because of the teammates, the fans, and the town. He stayed because we are supposedly the best fans and organization in baseball, and if we want to prove that and earn the respect of players around the league so they might do the same as Lowell did, we shouldn't settle for throwing Lowell out the door.

Signing the best free agent out there doesn't make us a good team, having the right mix of guys that complete their roles perfectly is the formula for success, and Lowell is one of the pieces that helps the Red Sox succeed. Keeping that in mind, I'll leave you with Lowell's words from a year ago when he signed his 3 year $37 million deal with Boston:

"I have financial security so I'd like to believe I'm not all about money," Lowell said. "I feel like I'm more of a baseball player than a businessman. I kind of weighed where I felt comfortable, where I thought I could produce the best with the team that has a chance to win a world championship, and it was Boston. On top of that, we just won and I think I played with a set of teammates that are unparalleled and with a manager the same way and with a fan base that's unbelievable.

"I think all of those came into play. I really don't believe that everything should be about money. I've had teammates in the past that have gone to other places and sometimes they have second thoughts because they took more money elsewhere. I just didn't think my happiness should just be bought by dollars."

Doesn't that sound like a guy you want playing for your team?

Am I the only Red Sox fan who is going to be really upset if Boston ship off a bunch of their young tallent in order to aquire big bats or make room for free agent signings?

Don't get me wrong, I think Mark Teixeira is an amazing first baseman, both offensively and defensively, but I would be heart broken to see Kevin Youkilis starting at firstbase somewhere else next year after the numbers he put up in 2008. Youkilis could get moved to third, but then that means getting rid of Mike Lowell, a guy who is a year removed from being the World Series MVP...granted he had his fair share of injuries last year, but I'm not ready to give up on him yet.

I'm also hearing rumors swirling about possibly aquiring Khalil Greene from the Padres. I know he has played his entire career in a pitcher friendly ballpark and his numbers could improve by moving to Boston, but Jed Lowrie is one of these guys that offers more than just hitting statistics. He has an amazing glove, hustles, and hits for average from both sides of the plate...is it really necissary to go out and trade for a mediocre replacement?

Finally, and this may be the hardest decision the sox have to make all off-season: What to do about the Matt Holliday sweepstakes. The latest news has been that the Rockies would want Bay, Buchholz, and possibly another minor leaguer for the top five outfielder. I love Bay and giving up on Clay Buchholz is going to come back and haunt the Sox like a Hanley Ramirez-ish nightmare.

If there is anyone in Red Sox nation that isn't overwhelmed with enthusiasm by the prospect of watching Youkilis, Pedroia, Beckett, Lowrie, Lester, Papelbon, Ellsbury, Masterson, and all these other young studs play in Boston for the next 10 years, I don't know what is baseball is going to do it for you. I want to keep the youth of the Red Sox intact and show everyone in baseball that the Sox aren't one of these teams that has to go out and buy a championship, but that the strength of the organization is its ability to produce quality, home grown winners.