elsrbueno

Jacoby went 1-5 last night and stole 2 more bases. He's up to 8 SBs in 8 games. Nice! Good to get some speed in the system. Plus he doesn't strike out much, walks enough to get on base well over a .400 clip. For his first exposure to professional baseball, he's handling himself well.

And every indication is that the Sox have absolutely no intention of trading him. Theo has said time and time again that certain prospects are untouchable. I would add Manny Declarman to the list Crespo already provided, and that's the list of prospects that will still be in the organization on August 1st. The most tradable prospects are Kelly Shoppach, who's behind Varitek and Mirabelli, and Abe Alvarez, who's behind the beforementioned pitching prospects on the depth chart. The Sox like Alvarez a lot but he's never been projected as better than a #3 starter.

Do you have a source on that? Part of me wouldn't mind Miller going because he's less durable and because of the emotional attachment to Arroyo, but I believe in time Miller will be the better pitcher. That having been said, Arroyo translates better to the bullpen than Miller. Burnett could just take Wade's spot for now, and Arroyo could be demoted to the bullpen when Schilling is ready. Schilling, Wells, Clement, Burnett, Wakefield would be a pretty competitive rotation if you ask me.

Tom Glavine would be expensive cost wise, but would be an interesting option. He grew up in the Boston area, is a veteran pitcher with playoff experience (won game 6 of the 1995 WS for Atlanta) and historically has had success in hitter's parks. He's a groundball pitcherbut has never had overwhelming strikeout/9 or strikeout:walk ratios. Even though they were never GREAT, both of those ratios are down this year. It seems like Tom Glavine is a pitcher on the decline, and at $10 million per, not worth his contract. If he were DFA'd and the Red Sox could give up minimal talent and not have to pay a ton of money, he'd be worth a shot, but I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for Tom to come to Boston. I'd rank that as a long shot right now.

There haven't been any new developments to these rumors (that I know of) but there seems to be an overwhelming opinion around baseball analysts that AJ Burnett can be an ace with the proper coaching. His career has been riddled by injuries and he's been a .500 pitcher for a long time (ala Pavano and Clement). The question would be: Which one COULD he become if he came to the AL? I think he's closer to Clement than Pavano for sure because of his strikeout rates. If AJ can stay healthy, he'd be a fantastic addition to the Red Sox staff. I'm as big a Bronson Arroyo fan as there is out there. I love his no fear attitude, and the fact that he's already dueled the likes of Halladay and Johnson this season and held his own. However, if it takes Bronson to net a guy like Burnett, the Red Sox should do it without hesitation. I haven't heard a single scout predict Bronson as anything higher than a middle of the rotation starter. JC Romero is another guy this team needs to keep pushing the Twins to move. A lefty who throws hard and gets a lot of strikeouts is rare and very valuable. Without Embree on the staff and with Halama struggling, the team still could use another lefty arm. One VERY good point to keep in mind is that the biggest trades made last year were trades that were really never brought up in rumors. I never heard the names Dave Roberts, Orlando Cabrera, or Doug Mientkiewicz' names linked to the Red Sox before the deals went down. Prepare to be surprised

Yes yes yes yes yes. I agree with SITN here 100%. If taking on Lowell's contract is the ONLY stumbling block here, what are they waiting for? Mike Lowell was fantastic for Florida last year and is not only younger than Mueller but he's less injury prone and has higher potential. Certainly a suitable replacement for Billy in 2005 and could move over to first next year to replace fatass Millar. My preference would be to let Mueller play out the season in Boston, but if dealing him means getting Burnett AND Romero, plus replacing him with a guy like Mike Lowell? It's worth it. Just look at how going from Montreal to Boston impacted Orlando Cabrera last year. Lowell's a quality ballplayer and moving from Florida to Boston is a better atmosphere, better hitter's park, better protection.... he's bound to improve.

Doesn't make sense to me. I thought they traded Gerut to clear up playing time for Crisp, Sizemore, and Blake in the outfield. Dealing for a guy like Delucci only adds to that complication.

Holy moly, a lot of stuff here to weed through. Finally made it. Exciting developments. Seems the hangup on a deal is taking Lowell's contract? Do it. Mike Lowell was a great run producer as recently as last season and has the potential to be a better run producer yet again. Players don't just fall off the earth like that offensively. A change of scenery (to a playoff team) and the move to a hitters park could do the man wonders. He's no Scott Rolen with the glove, but he's solid and certainly wouldn't hurt the team in that way. I love Bill Mueller, but if the Red Sox play their cards right, they could easily be better off at the end of this 3-way deal: Burnett > Arroyo Romero > Halama+Embree Lowell >= Mueller With Mueller a potential free agent, the Red Sox could not only move him for immediate (and future) help, but acquire a man who CAN play that position regularly RIGHT NOW. In dealing Mueller the team keeps Youkilis, who can be a regular in 06 taking over for Kevin Millar at first, or playing at third with Lowell moving to first. This deal all depends on what the Sox have to give up in addition to Arroyo to make this happen. If they send Arroyo, Embree, and Shoppach to Florida for Burnett and Lowell, then send Mueller to the Twins for JC Romero, the rotation is stronger, the infield is very similar, and the bullpen is stronger. The team loses a prospect who didn't really fit in with their long term plan. Something LIKE this can only help the Red Sox IMO.

Here's a crazy idea: Why not Youk for Romero? I can't believe I'm saying this, because I believe Youk is the long term solution for the Red Sox at third, but hear me out: The Minnesota Twins love solid defensive, cheap young players. Youkilis is ALL these things. He's a decent hitter with a great eye, and would fit in well with the Twins overall scheme. He's blocked behind Mueller now, but we all know he's major league ready. Also, although a solid player, Kevin's not a superstar. He didn't stick with the club this time for two reasons: The club wants him to play everyday, and the man can't play second base (which was the biggest hole with Bellhorn on the DL). This is not exactly mortgaging the future. JC Romero is 29 years old and is a solid reliever. He's got a decent strikeout rate but more walks than you'd like to see but he's allowing a .216 average to opposing hitters. He dominates lefties but is also very good against righties. IF both Hanley Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia pan out, I don't see Youkilis being in the team's long term plans. Edgar Renteria has already said he'd change positions for Hanley, and even if he doesn't, these three guys will all occupy third, short, and second in some fasion down the road (my prediction would be Renteria at third, Ramirez at short, and Pedroia at second). This is a classic trade of trading from a strength area to help the weaker spot for both teams. Hanley won't be ready in 06, but he should be ready in 07. Sign a stopgap 3B (Bill freaking Mueller would be perfect) for the 2006 season and prepare either Edgar or Hanley for that position in 07. Thoughts? Mike Lowell just seems way to expensive for a team like the Twins to be interested in him IMO.

Griffey to the Yankees has been rumored since the man played in Seattle. Of course, back then he did say he didn't want to play for the Yankees, but has since changed his tune. The best thing that could happen to Ken Griffey JR would be to be traded to an AL team where he could rest his fragile body a few days a week by DHing. He's proven he can still hit when healthy, but if I'm the Reds, I flinch everytime he makes a diving play, or tries to take an extra base that he's going to get hurt. And that's a big contract for guy who's had a hard time staying on the field. The problem with Griffey to the Yankees is that's not really what the Yankees need right now. The LAST thing they should be after is an injury prone, aging slugger. The Yankees need a good defensive centerfielder and a true leadoff hitter (Anyone who knows me knows I praise Jeter regularly, but he's more of a #2 hitter to me). They'd be much better off persuing a guy like Randy Winn. He's cheaper, he's got a solid glove, he's more durable, and he's more what the Yankees need in terms of being able to hit atop the lineup.

We had both Kap and Roberts last year-- so it's doable. I agree with Soxie. Having Stern's speed on the bench is a dynamic the Red Sox desperately need, especially given how freaking slow this entire team is.

That's what Yankee fans do. Gloat. That having been said, the Yankees had no pitching last year and STILL won the division. They've proven they can slug their way to October.

Who wouldn't love that bullpen? That being said-- The Sox would have to mortgage the future to get a guy like Wagner. I know I'm always coming in here ad a buzz killer-- but I don't see that happening.

Mueller isn't exactly a seasoned vet at second base either. He's played there on occasion, but he's a third baseman. Has been his whole career, and should continue to be. He deserves that distinction. If you put Youk at third, you're playing a rookie third baseman (inexperience) and throwing Mueller into a place where he too is inexperienced. You're weaker at 2 infield positions instead of 1. Youkilis isn't exactly Johnny Damon with the legs, but he's good enough to do the job in a pinch-- which is where we're at right now.

Also, let's be fair to Wade Miller. Last night he only gave up 3 runs. If you do that, you give your team a chance to win. If Miller gave up 3 runs through 6 innings every time, he'd win more games than he lost with this offense. He's been inconsistent this year that's for sure, but the one thing about Wade Miller is that he battles. He was in a jam early and got out of it unscathed. He was in another jam in the second and gave up just the 1 run. The blame for last night's game comes down to the offense, not Wade Miller.

I'd rather see Mueller at third and Youk at second than the other way around. Here's why: Bill Mueller is the veteran, he's earned his spot at third. He's solid defensively there, and that's what he's used to. Youkilis on the other hand is the rookie. He has yet to establish himself as an everyday third baseman (like Mueller has), so force him to earn his spot at a new position. Have him take extra grounders over there before the game and on off days. He's solid with the glove. He probably doesn't have the range to play there every day, but we're basically looking at a two week fill in job. If he can catch everything he gets to, that would be a tremendous start. He's better offensively than Cora or Bellhorn, so why not give him a shot? This is the perfect opportunity.

Add me to the Hudson fan list. I think he's got that Pokey Reese type energy and defensive ability. However, is he right for this team? He really is limited to second base (unlike Pokey) and would serve as a backup at only one position. He'd be a phenominal devensive replacement late in games for Bellhorn, but to my knowledge he's not experienced at the other positions. It would be better to have a guy like Pokey (man I miss him) who can play more than one position, and play it well. Having that versatility allows you to make more moves late in close games (ahem, Olerud for Cora). We're better off with Cora on the bench IMO.

I agree with the masses here, I like Mueller a little too much to pull the trigger on this deal. He's very solid with the glove and the bat, he battles, he plays hard, he puts the team first, he's everything you want in a player. Kevin Millar on the other hand (quoted from above) I'd part with for Romero in a heartbeat.

Well, I think if you're looking for a guy to play for you everyday, Belliard is probably a better option. He's got more offense and is OK with the glove. However, if you're looking for someone to make the bench a bit deeper, Graffanino's the man. He's able to play all infield and outfield positions-- basically everything EXCEPT catcher and pitcher. Much more valuable as a bench option. Plus, Graffanino is clearly better with the glove, and neither one of these guys will be the second baseman of the future so age is not an issue. Personally, I'd rather go after Tony G. He'd be cheaper, he's more versatile (and it keeps Mueller from having to play second, which he obviously doesn't have to do), and he'd make the bench that much stronger for when Bellhorn does come back (and you know he's coming back folks).

ElGuapo and myself both have names that start with "El." I believe that too makes me a pimp.

This guy was very good last year, and pretty bad this year. The rumor of him being sent to Arizona has been around a little while, but I'd imagine they might get a few takers. He still has a very high strikeout rate (10 per 9 innings) and a 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio. I'd be hesitant to make a trade for him and pay him this year (ESPN says he's making $2.5 million this year) but if he could come as a free agent for the MLB minimum he'd be worth it. Of course, with Arizona seemingly very interested, it seems like he may not make it that far. He really is a mystery. He could be in need of a change of scenery, but he could be on the decline. Despite making his Major League debut last year, this guy is a 36 year old veteran of the Japanese league.

Soriano is an interesting option, but that offer of Hanley Ramirez + is pretty rediculous. Theo Epstein has said about 1,000 times that Hanley's not going anywhere, and why would he? He's a dynomite talent who's at least 2 years from the big leagues. With Renteria in town, there's no reason to rush Hanley and he can get the development time he needs. Renteria has already offered to switch positions for Hanley down the road.

A solid player who's very versatile. Graffanino would be one of those pickups that wouldn't get a lot of press, but could help the team depth wise. From an ESPN article: Not on the same level as a Nomar Garciaparra/Orlando Cabrera type deal, but seems like something the Sox should look into.

I have to agree here. I completely trust that Theo will do what's RIGHT for this club. If a move comes along that makes us better, he'll do it. If nothing comes along, he'll stay with the current group.

Cora went down on a high and tight one too. It's absolutely pathetic that this team had the bases loaded with nobody out with the 4-5-6 batters coming up and scored exactly 1 run... Scott Kazmir gave them a chance to bury him in the first inning and they let him out of it. With a guy like him, that was just the emotional boost he needed. I blame Kevin Millar.... (gotta blame someone, and since I hate his worthless ass... he seemed a perfect fit)