SCM33

nice moment there.....awesome

PEDRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BASEBALL 2010 WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Mo Vaughn, then Reggie Jefferson, then Pedro and Manny. Current, Youkilis and Pedey.

Im not even sure Jeter is at that level anymore, although last season says otherwise. Jeter is one of the best position players in the game, but this is probably personal preference when I say that I think of an elite player, I think of a player at the top of his game in the prime of his career. Jeter is still one of the best SS in the game, but he is at the end of his game. Current SS in their primes, I agree with Hanley, and also throw out Tulowitzki. The position has kind of gone the wayside. The last SS period I think that had "elite" SS was the era of Arod, Jeter, Tejada, and Nomar of the late 90's early 2000's. Also known as the steroid Era haha.

I think Branyan would be a valuable addition. I dont see the comparisons to David Ortiz. Branyan is a capable 1B/3B and Left Fielder (not a very good one (LF), but can fill in in a pinch), which could work if Cameron shits the bed, or Ortiz shits the bed, or Lowell is dealt, or Beltre is not providing what we need. There are a lot of IF'S heading into spring training.

I cant stand this "Boston is racist" ********. Ill go back to 1991 and list the major team contributers (in terms of appearances) of different race other than white (right around the time the Yawkeys ended their ownership, since they were believed to be racist): 1991: Tony Pena, Carlos Quintana, Luis Rivera, Ellis Burks 1992: Tony Pena, Mo Vaughn, Luis Rivera, Billy Hatcher 1993: Tony Pena, Mo Vaughn, Billy Hatcher, Carlos Quintana, Andre Dawson 1994: Mo Vaughn, Otis Nixon, Billy Hatcher, Andre Dawson 1995: Mo Vaughn, Luis Alicea, Lee Tinsley, Troy O'Leary, Jose Canseco, Willie Mcgee, Rick Aguilera 1996: Mo Vaughn, Lee Tinsley, Troy O'Leary, Jose Canseco, Reggie Jefferson, Tom Gordon, Heathcliff Slocumb, Rich Garces, Wil Cordero 1997: Mo Vaughn, Nomar, Cordero, O'Leary, Jefferson, Gordon, Slocumb 1998: Vaughn, Nomar, O'Leary, Darren Lewis, Jefferson, Damon Buford, Pedro Martinez, Gordon, Garces 1999: Jose Offerman, Nomar, O'Leary, Lewis, Jefferson, Buford, Butch Huskey, Martinez, Mark Portugal, Garces, Gordon 2000: Offerman, Nomar, Wilton Veras, O'Leary, Carl Everett, Lewis, Martinez, Ramon Martinez, Rolando Arrojo, Tomo Ohka, Garces, Hipolito Pichardo 2001: Offerman, O'Leary, Everett, Manny Ramirez, Hideo Nomo, Frank Castillo, Pedro, Ohka, Arrojo, Garces, Pichardo, Sun Woo Kim 2002: Tony Clark, Rey Sanchez, Nomar, Manny, Carlos Baerga, Offerman, Rickey Henderson, Cliff Floyd, Castillo, Ugeuth Urbina, Garces, Darren Oliver, Willie Banks 2003: Nomar, Manny, David Ortiz, Damian Jackson, Pedro, BK Kim, Ramiro Mendoza 2004: Pokey Reese, Manny, Ortiz, Orlando Cabrera, Nomar, Dave Roberts, Pedro, Mendoza, Kim 2005: Renterria, Manny, Ortiz, Jay Payton, Geremi Gonzalez 2006: Alex Gonzalez, Mike Lowell, Manny, Coco Crisp, Ortiz, Wily Mo Pena, Alex Cora, Julian Tavarez, Manny Delcarmen, Rudy Seanez 2007: Julio Lugo, Mike Lowell, Manny, Crisp, Ortiz, Cora, WM Pena, Dice-K, Tavarez, HIdeki Okijima, Delcarmen, Joel Pineiro 2008: Lugo, Lowell, Manny, Crisp, Ortiz, Cora, Dice-K, Delcarmen, Okijima, Javier Lopez 2009: Lowell, Ortiz, Victor Martinez, Alex Gonzalez, Lugo, Dice-K, Ramon Ramirez, Okijima, Delcarmen, Takashi Saito I dont see the problem here. If less than 9% of all major leaguers are black, how are we at fault for having so few? We have plenty of other races. Can we really be at fault for not having 100% of the 9% African American ballplayers available?

Since my original point (more of a question) has been lost in talk about prospects who will likely have little impact this season, I will go back to it, and move forward with another talksox members suggestion for possible acquisition of a bat during the year. Todd Helton: (my suggestion, prob a midseason guy) yay or nay......reasons for, against, keeping contract and years left in to perspective. Adrian Gonzalez: (someone elses suggestion, also a midseason guy) yay or nay, reasons for, against (other than them raping our farm system) and the prospective that we may have a chance of locking a probable perennial allstar up for a long time.

Just throwing this out there, I know the offseason is pretty much wrapped up, but if Ortiz struggles......do they revisit Todd Helton?

Just throwing a name out there, but if Lowell is somehow not in Boston....could Jim Thome be a useful addition? He said he would not mind going back to Chicago, and if he did, his playing time would be cut. Could he be useful in a Ortiz, Youkilis, Beltre, Thome rotation between 1B, 3b, DH??? ( I know Ortiz is not a 1B, and Thome isnt a 1B all that much, and he hasnt played 3B in over 10 years).

[table]Topic|Player Leaves|Team|Content Prospect|Yankees|The player in question is made of 150% pure awesomeness. Fear us. Prospect|Sox|He could be good, but this is why he won't be. Signing|Yankees|This is the missing piece. We'll win 160 games, and the umps will screw us out of 2. Signing|Sox|Risky move, overpaid here, they'll regret this. Injury|Yankees|They don't get hurt. Hypothetically, if they did, the recovery will be speedy with no impact to ability. Injury|Sox|Everyone is a ticking time bomb. Once hurt, they'll never heal right. Player Leaves|Yankees|They are better off without him, he was hurt/too old/sucked Player Leaves|Redsox|They are really gunna regret it, he wasnt all that hurt/hes still young/He has a lot left in the tank.[/table] New add on for the chart.

I understand that, I guess I was speaking more along the lines of before they signed Lackey (not that I dont like the signing).

Ive been expecting the Yankees to regress for like 5 years. Somehow, they still get it done. I expect more of the same....95+ wins with a postseason birth.

The Sox offered Holliday 5 years, 82 Million. 16 Million per year. If he didnt want to take that deal, then go kick rocks. Why not just offer Bay the same deal? Im sure Bay takes that deal, for probably a total amount of 75 Million, as long as the 5th year is there. Im not a huge Bay fan, but why are the Sox just standing with their hands in their pockets? The biggest names in the market are still out there to be had, and it doesnt look like they are competing with anybody at this point.

"Buchholz was arrested shortly before the 2005 draft after he and a friend stole 29 laptop computers from his high school to sell them. Buchholz admits it was a mistake, but stated "I was hanging out with the wrong person. But I think it helped me out in the long run." [15][16]

Not to toot my own horn, but on EEI today, at around 215pm, it was rumored that the current deal on the table is: Laptop Lowrie Ellsbury (I didnt include him in my original) Esposito ( I included him later in the thread) Kotchman Westmoreland and Kelly are untouchables.

Omar Infante? Played 6 positions last year (mostly 2b). Craig Counsell is also available, and a pretty valuable player to have on a bench. Nomar is still available, I dont think he has retired. Jamey Carroll prob the best bet.

If Lowell stays, whats the possibility of Lowell playing 1B, Youkilis at 3B?

The Sox best prospect is already included in the deal. MLB ready Clay Bucholz. Kelly is not going anywhere, and Westmoreland most likely isnt. You could argue that Laptop is as valuable as Joba/Hughes.....so why would adding Montero blow away my offer? Nobody even knows what Joba is, he is a risk. Not a bad risk, but you dont know if he is a SP or RP. Hughes was lights out outta the bullpen, but was pretty bad as a SP. Who is to say Laptop couldnt have done as well in the bullpen? All three are very good. Does Montero really make the deal better than Ramirez, Lowrie and Bowden, with the possibility of someone like Luis Esposito © thrown in?

1. Overvalue his defense? If Bay doesnt come back, the Sox significantly improved their OF defense. 2. It doesnt keep them from improving their Offense in other areas. They already have from last season, with a full year of Martinez at C, and a new SS (although I originally hated the signing, it looks better now). The team has already bettered itself defensively, and I think there is another brick to drop, and if it is Gonzalez, then are are significantly better offensively, defensively, and pitching with the signing of Lackey.

That is how you value them as a Yankees fan, because you would hate to see Gonzalez in a Boston uniform. Ramirez is not garbage, he is unproven and was hurt last year. Same with Lowrie, who has shown some promise. Bowden dominated in AAA. NL is looked at as a inferior league. He could do well there, and hes young. Kotchman is a short term player, who also is not garbage. He is a servicable player on a team like SD. If those players are a starting point, and they want someone else, so be it as most of those players no longer have an opportunity to play in Boston. I still think deal that at least begins with those players is possible, with the hopefulness that the Lowell deal goes through. We dont know how Jed Hoyer values those players, remember......he has risen through the ranks watching those players on a daily basis.

I think all the moves this offseason are starting to build a picture when I think about them. Call me crazy, but this is what I see: Laptop Max Ramirez Lowrie Bowden Kotchman + $$ to cover Kotchmans salary for Adrian Gonzalez Explanation for SD to make the deal: 1. Top flight starting pitcher who has a chance to dominate in the NL. 2. Max Ramirez gives them their long term solution to replacing Adrian Gonzalez. 3. Jed Lowrie gives them the opportunity to trade Kouzmanoff (which has been rumored). Jed Lowrie will be given the opportunity to play 3B. 4. Bowden gives them another prospect who has dropped off, but may fare well in the NL. 5. Kotchman gives them their 1B for this season, with Ramirez in the wings. San Diegos new GM is very familiar with all of the players involved (Ramirez excluded). I think its a deal that an NL team, especially the small payroll Padres would have to consider, especially considering the ages and MLB experience of the prospects/players included.