Romero

[yankeessuck013]

may be a new deal now:

 

red sox get: romero, mays

twins get: mueller, millar

 

http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=94706

[bigpapi349]

y would we want mays?? hes not better than any1 already in the rotation

[soxie thefangirl]

The Globe says they would then flip Mays and Arroyo to the Marlins for Burnett.

[bigpapi349]

Florida Marlins pitcher A.J. Burnett, praised by Curt Schilling as having the best pure stuff in the majors, may still wind up with the Baltimore Orioles. But with talks stalled because the Marlins are insisting that the Orioles take third baseman Mike Lowell as part of the deal, the Red Sox are still attempting to interest Florida in a package of players headed by pitcher Bronson Arroyo.

 

League sources confirmed yesterday that the Sox have discussed a scenario in which they pair their efforts to obtain Twins lefthanded setup man J.C. Romero with their attempt to acquire Burnett. Under that scenario, the Sox would trade third baseman Bill Mueller and prospects to the Twins, who need a third baseman, for Romero and righthanded starter Joe Mays.

 

The Sox would then flip Arroyo and Mays to the Marlins for Burnett. But that proposal has a couple of obstacles, perhaps insurmountable. While the Marlins like Arroyo, they supposedly would prefer Twins starter Kyle Lohse to Mays, and the Twins aren't interested in moving Lohse. And the Sox are balking for the same reason the Orioles are: The Marlins are insisting that the struggling Lowell be included in the deal, and Lowell is owed close to $21 million for the balance of his contract -- roughly $3 million for this season and $9 million in each of the next two years.

 

That's a lot of money for a third baseman who will be 32 at the beginning of the 2006 season, and whose performance has mysteriously plummeted this season: Lowell, who hit 83 home runs over the previous three seasons and has averaged 90 RBIs a year in that span, entered last night with four homers and 38 RBIs.

 

The Sox, who have a young (and cheap) alternative at third base for 2006 in Kevin Youkilis, are reluctant to spend money on Lowell that could be used to re-sign Johnny Damon, as well as address needs at first base and pitching.

 

On the other hand, Burnett, despite a mediocre record (37-38 entering this season, 6-6 in 2005), is clearly the best starting pitcher available in a thin market, and has long been admired by Sox owner John W. Henry, who knows him from his days as owner of the Marlins. Don't be surprised if Henry, who enjoys a friendship with Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, who bought the team from the Sox owner, is involved in trade talks at the ownership level.

 

Arroyo is taking the trade rumors in stride. ''I'm pretty sure, seeing the way the team is going now, I'm not going anywhere unless something really huge happens," he said.

 

The Orioles' offer for Burnett includes reliever Jorge Julio, who would address the Marlins' most pressing need; rookie pitcher Hayden Penn; and outfielder Larry Bigbie, who would allow the Marlins to move young superstar Miguel Cabrera from the outfield to third base, his best position. According to published reports, the Orioles asked the Marlins to pay at least $10 million of Lowell's salary; the Marlins to date have balked.

It is expected that any team that trades for Burnett, a free agent after this season, will ask commissioner Bud Selig for a 72-hour window to negotiate a contract extension, much as the Sox did two winters ago when they acquired Schilling from Arizona. Selig grants such a window only when teams have struck a deal.

 

The Sox are believed to be exploring other three-team scenarios and could do the Romero-Mueller deal independent of other moves. But one league source said yesterday that nothing was imminent. The White Sox and Blue Jays also are believed to be talking with the Marlins; the Yankees have interest but don't appear to be a match.

 

As a sidelight, in 2002 the Marlins proposed to send Lowell and Kevin Millar to the Sox for Trot Nixon and Shea Hillenbrand. The Sox turned it down, only to place a waiver claim on Millar after the season.

 

globe

[soxie thefangirl]

Yeah that's what I was talking about.