Baseball season is ending -- at least in New England, where it actually was over before Labor Day -- but election season is in full, Big Papi-sized, swing.

In the spirit of the latter, and to bring an appropriate close to the former, you're invited to cast your ballot in a referendum on the job performance of The Boy Wonder, aka Theo Epstein, general manager of the Boston Red Sox, who have the second-highest payroll in baseball, but are struggling to finish above third place in the A.L. East.

What's worse, and also more telling of the talent level Epstein has assembled, the Red Sox entered last night with a losing record against American League teams -- a beyond disappointing, deep-into-dismal mark of 69-73 -- and have plummeted from World Series champions in 2004, to being swept out of the playoffs in the first round in 2005, to early elimination from the playoff chase in '06. Clearly, not a team headed in the right direction.

Since Theo's personnel moves have been a major factor in putting the Red Sox into the position they're in today -- that of A.L. also-ran -- you're being asked to vote on what you think is the, ahem, "best" of the following deals:

Josh Bard and Cla Meredith to San Diego for Doug Mirabelli.

In desperation to find a catcher who could handle the elusive knuckleballs sent fluttering to the plate by the 40-year-old Tim Wakefield, the Sox sent Bard and the 23-year old Meredith to the Padres for Mirabelli, who is about to become the first Boston hitter in more than 30 years to bat at least 150 times and fail to hit. 200. He's batting .191, while Bard is hitting .339 for the Padres.

Wakefield, after spending two months on the disabled list, entered last night at 7-11, with an E.R.A. of 4.63, while Meredith has a miniscule ERA of 0.91 and a 5-1 record in 44 relief appearances.

Edgar Renteria to Atlanta for Andy Marte, who then was traded to Cleveland for Bard and Coco Crisp.

Signed by Epstein to a 4-year, $40-million, free-agent deal following the 2004 season, Renteria lasted only one season in Boston, which had to agree to pay $11 million of his remaining contract in order to get the Braves to take him off their hands after he led the A.L. in errors with 30. Renteria has hit .292 for Atlanta. To replace him, the Sox obtained Alex Gonzalez, who has been superb defensively, but is hitting just .255.

Marte was considered the best prospect in the Atlanta organization. After spending most of the season with Triple-A Buffalo, he's hitting .223 in 48 games for the Indians.

Crisp was brought in to replace popular center fielder Johnny Damon, who signed with the Yankees when the Red Sox wouldn't meet his contract demands. Batting leadoff for the Bronx Bombers, Damon has hit .286, with 24 homers and 80 RBI. He also has scored 115 runs while playing a key role in helping New York win a record 10th consecutive A.L. East title. Crisp, on the other hand, has been a huge disappointment, struggling as a leadoff man, hitting just .264, with only 58 runs, 8 HR and 36 RBI.

Bronson Arroyo to Cincinnati for Wily Mo Pena

Feeling they had an abundance of starting pitchers, the Sox sent Arroyo to the Reds for the power-hitting Pena, targeting him to replace Trot Nixon in right field. Pena has hit well (.304, with 11 homers) when he's played, which isn't often. Plagued by injuries, he's had just 273 at-bats, and has struck out 89 times.

Arroyo got off to a hot start in Cincinnati and entered last night's start against Pittsburgh with a record of 14-10, with an E.R.A. of only 3.27, for the Reds. Part of the reason Epstein felt Arroyo was expendable was that the Sox had David Wells and Matt Clement. The 43-year-old Wells now is in San Diego, where he missed his latest start in the Padres' playoff drive because of the gout. Clement went on the DL early in the summer with a record of 5-5 and an embarrassing E.R.A. of 6.61.

Freddy Sanchez to Pittsburgh for Jeff Suppan

This one's a few years old, but it looms large this season, with Sanchez leading the N.L. in batting with a .345 mark and Suppan having won 12 games for St. Louis, giving him a total of 44 wins over the last three years for the Cardinals. He went 3-4 in his half-season with Boston in '03, with a 5.57 E.R.A., after which Epstein decided not to exercise the club's option to sign him for '04.

Anibal Sanchez and Hanley Ramirez to the Marlins for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell.

Eager to obtain the man they feel will replace 39-year-old Curt Schilling as the ace of the staff, the Sox sent two top prospects to Florida and later rewarded the 26-year-old Beckett with a $30-million contract extension through 2009. Although he is 16-11 for Boston, his E.R.A. isn't exactly ace-like -- 5.01 -- and he has given up league-high 36 homers. Lowell has bounced back nicely from a sub-par season in '05, batting .285 this year, with 19 homers and 77 RBI, in addition to playing excellent defense at third base.

The Marlins, however, are more than happy with their end of the deal. The 22-year-old Sanchez is 10-3, including a no-hitter against Arizona, and has an E.R.A. of 2.83. Ramirez is batting .294, with 17 HRs, in 156 games as Florida's shortstop.

Time now, after due consideration, to mark your ballot. As they said when I was growing up in Pawtucket: Vote early, and vote often. Even though, as seems to be the case in most elections these days, it may seem like you're choosing the lesser of two evils.

By the way, anybody notice that Derek Lowe is 16-8 for the Dodgers?

jdonalds@projo.com / (401) 277-7340