a700hitter

Sure they could. Did you see the crap that we were rolling out in the 5th slot last year-- Pauley, Snyder and "the Ultimate Loser" Jason Johnson.

I'll carry his bags.

I'll say a liittle prayer tonight that Unit is a D-Back by ST.

I'll worry about Hughes when the Yanks bring him up. Maybe he will be special, but I'm not overly concerned with the Yankees gathering up trading chips for proven talent. I like the strategy. If the Red Sox were making these moves I'd be fuming. I'm glad you like this new direction. We can both agree on that. Don't count on another Dynasty so soon. As soon as Mo goes into decline, the playoffs will no longer be an every year occurrence.

I am so jealous that I'll probably have to hide my belt and shoelaces if they also trade the 39 year-old Moose for more prospects.

Huff is also a sub-par fielder.

Could the 72 hours be to let AZo over his extensive medical records and to give him a physical?

I can hardly wait for the Yankees to give up 16-17 wins and a guy who the Sox can't seem to beat even when they hit him for a minor league first baseman who can mash and two other prospects. That kid Carter will be mashing potatoes in a soup kitchen before he's mashing balls as the Yankee first baseman.

It's list like this that cause me to favor trades like Bucholz and Bowden for Cordero. This is a list of first round picks. The guys picked after these guys usually pump gas two or three years after they are drafted.

Batters seeing more of him no doubt led to a familiarity resulting in an increase in HRs.. His WHIP of 1.11 is still pretty good.

[Wild Card Week NFL Football - NFL Playoff Game Dates 1/6 - 1/7, 2007 Date & Time Favorite ............. Spread ................ Underdog 1/6 4:30 ET At Indianapolis .......... -6.5 ...................... Kansas City 1/6 8:00 ET At Seattle .................. -3 ............................... Dallas 1/7 1:00 ET At New England ......... -9 .............................. NY Jets 1/7 4:30 ET At Philadelphia .......... -6.5 ......................... NY Giants

I was referring to Clemens.

What increase in HR rates?

I didn't miss Sheffield last year either, and I think we beat Johnson only once in the last two years.

It's sound strategy, but the Yankees will need to blow the other teams out of the water to get him.

I'll be happy not to face Sheffield or Randy Johnson this year. I think I will miss Wright, although he wasn't too bad against us last year.

I don't pretend to know the prospects as well as many of the posters here. It's just so speculative that it doesn't interest me. It's such an inexact science evidenced by the large percentage of first round picks that never make the majors or that make little or no impact in the majors. I can't tell you how many times throughout the years that I have heard about can't miss prospects that have fallen away without so much as a major league cup of coffee. The people who wrote or spoke about those people were every bit as sincere and knowledgeable as you are. For every Nomar there are so many that go the other way. There are almost as many tragic stories l(ike the kid who severed the tendons in his pitching hand at a funeral) as there are success stories. I hope our FO does a better job than other FO's in this regard, because it is an essential function, but I rarely if ever get excited when I hear about drafts or prospects, especially if we trade proven talent to get them. I go to ST every year, and I enjoy watching the kids, but I am rarely impressed with any of them. I like Lowrie's bat. THe others...eh. I'll let you know in March. I am hoping to get a look at Ellsbury. I haven't seen him yet. I'd like to see Bard too, and you guys have me intrigued about Bulcholz and Bowden, but don't jump ugly all over me if I tell you that I think they are nothing special or not ready after seeing them. I am far from an expert, but special guys like Rice, Lynn, Nomar and Papelbon make an immediate impression even if they don't produce great results right away.

It's possible that the Yankees would blow everyone away with thier offer, but they had the chance to do so last year and they didn't do it. Last year they opted for Cory Lidle R.I.P. Why would Cashman go nuts with a blow out offer for a 44 year old when he had a 43-yr old under contract for the year at about $3-4 million less than Clemens will be asking. Also, Clemens might not want to pitch until June. It just doesn't add up. I could see this if they were unloading a long term contract by unloading the Unit, but he was a one-year commitment.

The upside potential of our prospects is that they will someday hold down a rotation spot in the major leagues. Cordero is a proven good major league closer-- that is not his upside potential. That already is. His upside potential is that he will regularly make All Star teams and win relief awards. If the FO decides to give up the potential for the proven quantity, I am not going to complain. It's their job to know which players will make it and which will fall by the wayside. Most of them fall by the wayside.

Cordero is not only a major league proven player, but he is very good and he has had a lot of success at a very young age.