rician blast

I don't know about this one. Defensively, stat-wise, Schneider had a similar 2007 to IRod, Tek and Victor Martinez. He's not much with the stick, though. Church hit .272 with 15 HRs, 70 RBIs, .813 OPS...not outstanding...not horrible. He is 29 and likely has little upside, though. Milledge still has a big upside, IMO, although his 2007 #'s, if projected out to say 155 games, come to just about 18 hrs, 76 RBIs, 100Ks with only 34 BBs. For a 22 yr old, those numbers would be decent...but his performance to date, combined with the fact that he can be a douchebag, and I'm of the mind that no one really got fleeced here.

What does "definitive treatment of what HAD been a chronic problem" mean exactly? He had a wrist injury, correct? I'd imagine some in the organization are very concerned that it could remain a long-term, nagging injury that saps his power. In 2007 he hit a respectable .307 but had only 5 dingers and 23 total extra-base hits...that's only 18% of his hits going for xtra bases. I don't see how this kid is a huge issue in any Santana deal and if I'm the Twins I'm chasing one of the Sox minor league pitchers before I take the leap that this kid will pan out.

Let's not all forget that the Red Sox FO ALREADY knows what lengths they're willing to go to in order to acquire and extend Santana. That being said, even if the negotiations exceed...or maybe have already exceeded...the Sox comfort zone, they'll still remain in the negotiations in order to drive up the price of Santana. Could this be a bluff on the Sox part in an effort to get the Yankees to "overpay" (I use that term from the perspective of any team other than the Yankees) either in contract extension length/$ or in value of players given up? Edit: Ultimately, it may not be Santana the Sox are after...could be Haren.

lowrie is not a power bat. Nope. For one, if Fenway gives hitters an edge, don't BOTH offenses benefit? Secondly, IIRC, prior to Schilling coming to Boston, he had a concern, did some statistical research and found that Fenway was not the pitcher's enemy as many had thought previously.

Brief article from 2002 regarding Bill James being hired. http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/2002/1105/1456563.html I do not dispute Epstein's ability to utilize the analysis prepared by James, clearly the sox FO has done so with much success. However I do think it is important to note that (1) Lucchino and Henry admired and coveted James and were responsible for that hiring (particularly since James' hiring preceeded Theo's start as GM), (2) Lucchino was one of the first MLB execs to utilize sabermetrics and (3) throughout Theo's tenure we've learned/read/or it has been inferred that he does not operate autonomously and that Lucchino has a great deal of clout when it comes to acquisitions, departures and the $ that are spent. All this being said, I am of the mind that Epstein being hired as Sox GM was largely due to his being a believer in sabermetrics as opposed to the idea that he was the primary driving force behind the Sox use of such statistical analysis. Bottom line? Sox have great resources and an excellent FO, scouting system, etc, and have parlayed these attributes into success on the field. Could another GM have succeeded as Theo has. Perhaps, I don't know. But Esptein, IMO, is just one part of the puzzle. Best? Who knows...and does it matter?

Many teams would have, and have, hired Bill James or a reasonable facsimile thereof. Easy on giving Theo the credit for Bill James. Lucchino used a similar consultant as far back as 1988 when he was Pres of the Orioles and both he and Henry were big Bill James fans since the early '80s. From what I recall it was Henry/Lucchino that hired James, and I think Theo was just the assistant GM at that time.

My thoughts exactly.

Darryl Strawberry thought they were coke and tried to snort them one time.

This is the wooba gooba with the green teeth. I can hear the the Yankees FO now..."here is the deal, Minny, we'll give you X, y and z for Santana, and this is our only offer...if you do not accept, we're not going to negotiate further.!" Week later..."well we didn't really mean we wouldn't EVER discuss a deal again, just not that particular day, blah, blah, blah." After the turnabout on ARod, IMO, the Yanks FO has little credibility. Would like to see this used against them.

IMO, the Yankees would win this war. Desperation is a strong motive.

They can contend. I do feel their pitching, especially the BP, is overrated.

s***, can't you just feel the balance in the AL East tip in the Yanks favor? kidding, Jacks

Continuing off-topic to some extent, FTR, when I brought up Clinton's illicit actions involving a certain chubster in a blue dress and his denial of those actions (which was directed at over 100 million Americans), I hope all understand that this not only (1) far outweighs any of the other indescretions mentioned in this thread but also (2) only scratches the surface regarding the depravity of the former President in question. To be more precise, I mentioned the Lewinsky Afffair as a means of pointing out that, at least IMO, things like Jeter's tax evasion, Bonds 'roid use, etc. pale in terms of severity to even the "slightest" misconduct that occurs in the White House, because of the responsibility of that position. As far as Kosovo, I could hear some folks now...."But Talie, don't you know that the invasion of Kosovo was a policy consciously based on a mix of moral values and security interests with the parallel goals of halting a humanitarian tragedy and ensuring NATO's credibility as an effective force for regional stability?" Wrong. What the Kosovo conflict DID do was generate some really good press for a Prez in need of a pick-me-up, but, of course, it was at the expense of innocent lives. Talk about disgusting and vial. Coming full circle...Jetesy, pay your taxes, admit you were wrong, say you are sorry and let the media do what it does best, i.e. make more of the story than it is and continue to ignore or distort what is really important.

I guess Hansen remains an enigma. 8 K's in 5 innings of work, only 1 walk, but a nearly 6 era, with 2 HRs given up? A couple other notes: Bard...15 Ks and 15 walks in 16+ IP...5 hit batters...but only a .136 BAA. Guess they can't hit you when they're afraid of losing their heads. Oh, and Jed Lowrie hit like s***.

The order I listed them originally is exactly the opposite of the order I'd rank them in terms of there severity. Clinton first...not for the act itself, but going on TV,voluntarily, looking the camera in the eye, and lying to 100+ million people...only to come back months later and say "I had an improper relaitonship." AGain, not the fact that he cheated, but the fact that OUR PRESIDENT took the stage and lied to every one of us right up until he knew he was caught. f***ing cowardly and despicable. Vick. Disgusting and cruel, but he didn't kill anyone (that we know of!) and he's clearly a stupid f***ing person to risk all he had for this "thrill"...clearly not dealing with a full deck and that needs to be taken into consideration. Then Jeter...yeah I know "everyone cheats on their taxes.," blah f***ing blah. The point is simple...you violated the code, time to pay up. Period. Admit you did wrong, or made a mistake, and say you'll pay your debt. Lastly Bonds. He did 'roids. He hit a lot of HRs. So did, probably, 50-75% of his teammates and opponents. He was just the best already and got more out of his gains than the others so he's the target? This offense does not even compare to the others.

What the State does with the tax revenue is irrelevant. There is a tax code...he allegedly violated it. Time to pay the consequences. Corrupt: characterized by improper conduct By the above definition, Jeter is corrupt.

Look at it from the Twins FO point of view. They can't come out of the blocks with a huge offer because any player/agent is going to only go up...significantly..from there. As a first offer, I hardly consider it an insult. Of course, if the player goes to the media afterward and says it was an insult then he likely wanted out anyway...and that's the way he's chosen to get out. Its a business and the offer reflects that reality.

A first offer of $18.6m per year for 5 years is an insult? Let's see...if he "should command $150-200m" if and when he becomes a FA, what does that work out to? Somewhere between $22m per for 7 years to $25m/yr for 8 years? Best pitcher in MLB notwithstanding, that's a lotta coin and a lotta years. One injury and the dude could be done. Personally, I don't think that the rumored first offer by the Twins is that far off.

Good analysis, Scaff, but I've heard that Mailman tends to deliver more.

Would tend not to agree...you could make a case that his reputation should be emboldened in that when it looks most dire for his clients (dire=ARod wouldn't get 10/$350 within the 1st couple of days of FA) somehow things appear to be getting done, resulting in the most lucrative contract in history.

What's more deplorable... Bonds allegedly using PEDs and lieing about it under oath? Jeter cheating on his taxes? Mike Vick's recent actions involving dog fights? Former President Clinton cheating on his wife while in office then looking the American people in the eye and saying "I did not have sex with that woman" then only admitting the affair after the evidence was absolutely clear against him? IMO, the LEAST offensive to the masses is Bonds...and he potentially could do 30 years? Jeter f***ed not only the government out of tax revenue but his actions, directly or not, potentially impact the "balance" (as if there is any) of the tax system and thus John Q. Public as well. Vick's actions were disgraceful on so many levels, but you know what? They're animals and that needs to be kept in perspective...disgusting and worthy of punishment, but must be kept in perspective. Clinton's actions and his lieing to the American public are perhaps the most heinous. Yeah I know, who cares who someone f***s right? I do when its the President of the U.S. and you're supposed to be at the helm of the country's best interests. Yet he got what...nothing?

sorry bro, just bustin'.

A fact that they're apparently ok with...I guess you get used to it after a while.

The good: Johnson is a decent fielder if I recall and a very solid OBP guy. In 2006 he was second in the NL in pitches seen per AB. The Bad: Still hasn't recovered from a broken femur suffered in Sept. 2006. Assuming he recovers from the serious injury he suffered there still will be questions of his ability to stay healthy...I think he's been on the DL 5 times already. Not a current solution.