FORT MYERS, Fla. – When the Red Sox picked up Marco Scutaro’s option in October, it appeared they would be set at shortstop for 2012.

Until a deal popped up that they couldn’t refuse.

In a rare salary dump for Boston, the Red Sox sent Scutaro in January to Colorado for right-hander Clayton Mortensen.

All of a sudden an uncharacteristic hole in the infield.

As a result, new manager Bobby Valentine must decide between Nick Punto, Mike Aviles and Jose Iglesias for the job.

Neither Punto, who joined the team as a free agent in December, nor Aviles, who was acquired at the trade deadline, has played a full season at shortstop. And Iglesias just turned 22.

Indeed, this race will be one of the more interesting over the next few weeks.

Punto played a career-high 61 games at short in 2008.

Aviles, who also played his career-high 91 games there in 2008, was sent to Puerto Rico this offseason to become more familiar with playing right field.

And Iglesias, who is entering his third season in the United States after defecting from Cuba, is considered a defensive whiz, but not on offense.

While he made his big league debut last season, he hit just .235 with one home run and 31 RBI in 101 games in Triple-A.

So there’s work ahead, especially when you consider the sure hands of Scutaro. With little fanfare, he performed admirably for two seasons, batting a combined .284, with a .343 on-base percentage and a .401 slugging percentage. He also posted a .969 fielding percentage.

And so it’s back to the grind for Boston at a position that has become the organization’s albatross for almost a decade. Since 2003, when Nomar Garciaparra took the field, the Red Sox have had seven opening-day shortstops. In addition to Scutaro, the Red Sox also traded backup Jed Lowrie to Houston.

So, what’s Valentine to do? Well, he’ll work these three out and if a new option presents itself soon, he’ll give that a look.

“At shortstop, we feel like we have a couple of very capable guys in Aviles and Punto,” General Manager Ben Cherington said. “Iglesias is on the roster and we feel he has a chance to be a really good major league shortstop down the road. So we feel good about the mix we have, and we’ll certainly keep our eyes open if there are ways to improve that.

“But right now we’re focused on the guys we have.”

Punto, who is entering his 12th big league season, joins the Red Sox after winning a World Series with the Cardinals.

“It’s exciting. (I’m) here to compete, here to do the best I can, and get ready for the 2012 season,” he said. “I prepare the same way in the offseason. I prepare to play baseball. You don’t prepare to sit on the bench. If that’s the case, I know that was going to be my role coming in here, and that’s OK. I’ll embrace it if that’s what it is. But I’m here to try to play every day.”

As is Aviles.

“I come into camp as I do every year,” he said. “I prepare to play every day and then pretty much fall in accordingly. If it turns out to be every day at short, then that’s the case. If not, and it’s more of a super-utility role, that’s fine also. I prepare myself to play 162 and beyond.”

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who will turn double plays with one of them, or perhaps all of them at some point, is unconcerned about the uncertainty.

“It’s going to be fine,” Pedroia said. “(Scutaro) did a great job, but we have Mike and Nick step up and play good ball for us. We’ll be fine.”

Third baseman Kevin Youkilis concurs.

“With Nick and Mike, I think both of them are very qualified,” he said. “And they’re going to not just play short. They’re going to fill in for Dustin, myself some days and play all over. And that’s what’s so great is we have guys that are versatile shortstops, second and third basemen. They played everywhere.

“So if there is one day when one of them has to play somewhere else, they can play a different position.”

 

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