a700hitter

Thank goodness for Mark Teahen. If he didn't strike out twice in the 6th inning the Sox would have blown the game. That was some play by Drew on the play at the plate.

You bastard!

Get away from there. Do you want to cause Smoltz to hang up his spikes for good, you jinx. I have to call my daughter and beg her to go to the game to counter your negative vibes and your hex.

I do know that the way is being paved for Lars Anderson who plays the same position as Bates. I think you would agree with me on that. There's no room for him on this club, now or in the future, so he is nothing more than a trading chip IMO. What can you get for a AA who has stunk during a short stint at AAA? Probably not much. That's why I picked Bates. Maybe if he goes back to AAA and puts up some #'s he'll increase his value. If you could get Nomar for something less than Bates that would be fine. I was just using Bates as an example of a prospect that had no future with the Red Sox and will probably have very limited opportunities at the major league level. How do I know this? Well, I don't know for sure, but he is 25 years old, he has not done anything above AA yet, and there isn't much buzz about him other than what I have created on this forum. He should send me a Thank You note. It's my best guess that he is a nobody going nowhere, but you are free to disagree. I encourage you to take a flier on him during next years Fantasy Draft. As for the "Bag of Balls" reference, I didn't call him a bag of balls until you said that he could be the 4th or 5th piece of a trade package. That denigrated him probably as much as anything I had said about him. When is the last time that a 4th or 5th trade piece has amounted to more than a bag of balls?

Neither is Bates.

6 Years of Bates? Your humor is sick and perverse. In 6 years, he'll be working for his second insurance company. Lol! If he is going to be the 4th or 5th piece in a big deal, he could essentially be replaced by a bag of balls.

SO, we should hold onto this 25 year old lumbering guy Bates until he washes out of the minors and takes a job selling insurance?

Glad to help

Why should I bother to refute any assertions in a pointless conversation?

Agreed, which is why I would not part with a valuable prospect to get him. If you could get him for something less valuable than Bates, I don't see how you could go wrong. Getting Nomar cheap would not preclude a second deal. Health is definitely a concern.

I disagree strongly with your evaluation of Nomar vs. Bailey.

Do you think he has a future with the Red Sox?

I think they are desperate to win now.

In case you haven't noticed, Anderson is ahead of Bates on the Red Sox prospect list. He is not going to get the opportunity to play 1st for the Sox before Anderson.

Youkilis was not blocked by the best prospect in the organization who plays the same postion.

I also realize that he is 25 years old and has no future with the Red Sox. Do you think he has a future with the Red Sox?

That's a valid concern, but I still think he is worth sacrificing Aaron 'the Natural" Bates.