Plumpamania

Dipre is my hero!

With that chart you're looking at possibly an extra 8 to 14 HRs depending on the Monster.

Just like they absorbed Johan Santana? Just saying. An outdoor ballpark in April and May in MN is a horrible idea and will probably attract less paying customers during those months. Looking into attendance numbers.. MN was #14 in Overall Attendance and #15 in MLB in % of Seats Filled. That's while paying customers are inside a dome w/o the weather conditions battering them. Not to mention that again playing outside in April/May in MN would not attract top FA's... Def on Mauer, but I was talking about obtaining Morneau. Still a hit but no where near the hit from Mauer.. Agreed it would be, however obtaining a Clay Buccholtz and either a Lars Anderson or Ryan Kalish would help out the Twins immensely in terms of payroll flexability. Def a HUGE hit, but something that might entice them, while the richest owner in baseball continues to screw his fans. Agreed, but it is something to look into...

Excellent posts here and a wonderful discussion to read. But now by moving away from the Ryan Howard versus Albert Pujols argument and going back onto track... I believe a previous poster discussed Joe Mauer after the season/mid season as a pick up, which while being an excellent addition would never happen. However! Minnesota probably can't afford both Mauer and Morneau, what about looking into Morneau who is as productive as any of the 1B players mentioned in this thread. I'd imagine a Clay Buccholtz and Type B prospect(s) would be beneficial for the Twins who would look to repackage around Mauer with Delmon Young and company.

Of course Reyes and Mauer will be Yankees along with Bay, Cliff Lee and Jesus Christ.

If we do indeed take the Lackey signing and then spin off Buccholz and a prospect of great value to SD for Adrain Gonzalez, what if our trade of Mike Lowell with Texas doesn't go through as per a failed physical b/c of the need for surgery on his right thumb? What can we do w/Lowell at that point? As well it's now mentioned that the Yankees are in contact with Jason Bay. If they Yankees add both Bay and Granderson this offseason to replace Matsui and Damon, I'd say they upgraded on both players. Any thoughts ideas that are out of the box to bring in a quality bat to play 1B and what we can possibly do with Mike Lowell to offset some of the Evil Empire's advances? Or do we wait for 2010 when Pujols is a FA ?

Ellsbury is surely an interesting option to have taken a look at. Personally Ellsbury in the #9 slot as he continues to develop would be a much better idea IMO than trading him. He's the only speed we have in the line up and steals at a good rate as well, so for all the runs he's creating via SB, he's not losing as much as he made. If AGonz is going to happen Hoyer wants who he wants.

Granderson for Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy isn't nothing but it's surely better than giving up Hughes or Chamberlain.

Funny thing about the Yankees announcing they are unloading payroll only to add on another minimum $18 million/year player....good job with logic sir.

Agreed Gonazlez in Fenway and his ability to hit to all fields would be monsterous, but I'm also thinking and didn't really state that cost factor going forward in the future, Atkins/Uggla would be more cost effective...Beckett is FA after next year and if we want to resign him going Uggla/Atkins would be more cost effecitve IMHO. Also Pujols is a FA potentially after next season (I believe?) and I'd much prefer landing Pujols to Gonzalez, and I believe it all starts with if STL resigns Holliday or not. If he's not resigned Pujols IMHO is as good as gone. Basically I think there are potential better options available...

Thinking of my possible option(s) listed: 1. CF Ellsbury 2. 2B Pedroia 3. C Martinez 4. 1B Youkilis 5. DH Ortiz 6. LF Uggla 7. RF Drew 8. 3B Atkins 9. SS Scutaro Beckett - Lester - Lackey - Matzusaka - Buccholtz

While this trade seems like it sets up the Adrain Gonzalez trade perfectly, dealing with prospects with potential is a very touchy subject. No one knows. Sure Bucchy already pitched a no-no, but he came back the next year with zero command. My question is why not offer up Bucchy and Bowden for Gonzalez with a marginal prospect added in or even a Mike Lowell with us paying most of his salary as we were going to do with the Texas trade. I'm sure Hoyer wants what he wants, but ownership still runs the ship and netting back Bucchy and Bowden with even a Tazawa who, on the West Coast will net more fans from Japan/Asia for a team that could use the extra market desparetly. Just some interesting options moving forward, as it could also initiate a trade for something a little more serious in terms of trading besides the long shot (Gonzalez)...maybe something a little more accommodating such as a Grady Sizemore with Cleveland being another team cutting costs as usual and Grady coming off a hard year of injuries. Another option could be looking into Dan Uggly for Michael Bowden and something more B prospect and using Uggla in LF and signing Atkins for 3B at $4~ million which is reported could net him. Atkins and Uggla are both potent bats that would utilize the Monster moreso than Gonzalez. . .

You're talking about people being psycho and putting more of an emphasis on your own ego about a team you root for. With your comparisons you're failing to utilize any proper metric, and I see nothing has changed since 2007 Jackson. All I see is comparisions drenched in personal opinions on players. I see that defensive metrics aren't utilized in any opinion and there are players being listed that currently either are free agents or do belong to other teams. In the future if you do find it perinent to subscribe a comparsion of players between two teams please use viable metrics such as something as simple as RC, RC/27, OPS, VORP, UZR, RF or something along those lines to your prove your point. Thank you.

Very true on the Cooper/Bagwell point, however at least we aren't talking for a mid 30's MR, we are talking about a stud 1B who hit 30+ HRs in Petco..

And has JD Drew panned out as the OBP force mashing 30 HR's that he was when we signed him? While Bay was a monster offensively, he also disappeared in July and much of August. Also Bay is a defensive liability. If I'm paying $17/$18 million per, I'd rather go after Holliday rather than Bay primarily due to the 3 year age difference.

Max Ramirez was a top rated prospect in the Texas system, but much like Martinez much moreso a bat than a defensive back stop. Personally I'd have loved obtaining Taylor Teargarden but for Mike Lowell in his current condition, could we have asked for better? Agreed though no major acquisition has been made and w/o replacing Bay's production a third place finish next year is entirely possible. Adrain Beltre is a wash up scrub who slugged under .400 last year. Sure he's a defensive wiz and would probably be better than Youk defenisvely at 3B but he'd hit for less than Jed Lowrie...He's on the wrong side of 30 and looking for $14 million a year according to reports at rotoworld. No thanks, I'd take Kotchman who is great defensively at 1B and a good OBP producer.

Hey guys long time to no see....with that being said this thread is TL;DR. From what I hear as being available and the "possible" Red Sox options that are being looked into is either resigning Jason Bay, bidding for Matt Holliday or possible trade opportunites or FA options such as Nick Johnson, Adrain Beltre and such. Neither of those players put a "wow" factor in for me. Mark DeRosa at age 34 is probably the best free agent option available but at 34, I'm not sure of a 3 year contract at $9 million/year that is being reported he's seeking. If Mr. Johnson could just stay healthy... The in house option is to get Youk to 3B and Casey Kotchman (at possibly $5 million via arbitration) at first. That option doesn't entice as much as it may have 3 years ago. Another option is with the trade of Mike Lowell to Texas for Max Ramirez, is to place Martinez at 1B and Youk to 3B with Ramirez catching... The popular idea is trading for Adrain Gonzalez, which of course would be amazing with what (?) 2 or 3 years of control left over before free agency...I'm sure San Diego doesn't want to give up their hometown hero so to speak and I'm sure would be demanding either/or both Clay Buccholtz and/or Casey Kelly...with Justin Masterson and Nick Hagadone gone for Victor Martinez, a supply of prospects is growing thinner. With the Yankees addition of Curtis Granderson, surely helps them as a 30/20 guy over the course of the immediate future, they gave up a possible future Curtis Granderson in Austin Jackson and the dreadful Ian Kennedy, along with lefty specialist Phil Coke. Our obvious contention for next season is the Yankees and while it seems as though w/a dreadful FA class, overbidding on a guy like Matt Holliday just seems like another JD Drew experience all over again (at least this Boras' client is on the right side of 30). Holliday, like Bay before him, could have a wonderful way with the Monstah. Other possible options via trade could include but not limited to Dan Uggla and switching Mr. Uggla to third base. We could look into adding on a player like Josh Willingham, who is a cheap 20 HR guy to LF. Best possible option is to resign Mr. Jason Bay when he realizes no other team wants to take a waiver on him that has a shot at a winning season next year, and if he wants his best shot at a ring, being 31 and almost exiting his prime is to resign with the Red Sox. But then again if he wants to go back to a Pittsburgh situation that's his decision. Cheers on a failed offseason.

Absolutely. But for me I was never highly impressed with Igawa. His control would worry me as a Yankee fan, and the fact he's been a fringe starter since they bid on him. Wang coming off an injury (did he get any rehab starts?) could show game rust or be hittable his first few appearances as he works his way back in after missing most of spring training. In Toronto we are throwing Pettitte to start, who should give us a quality start vs a righty depleted lineup (no Glaus, no Johnson who OWNS us). The question mark is Karstens who could bounce back against their crappy lineup. So in all, I will assume that out of Pettitte, Wang, and Igawa, we get 19IP and from Karstens, at least 5. So we should average 6IP going into your series meaning that for 4 games, we will start getting some players rested prior to your series. Even without Johnson or Glaus, and a slumping Thomas, I'd be afraid to call that line up crappy. Overbay, Rios, Wells and Hill are still solid hitters. And if Thomas breaks out versus the Yankees like Ramirez and Varitek did from their season long slumps it could be a long couple of days. And remember you split the opening series versus TB. That was with everyone healthy.

That didn't include career stats, or anything after 2003.

15 HRs and a pathetic SLG, sure. I'd still rather have Adam Dunn.