jacksonianmarch

First off, ARod is not going to crack and cry. Think about it. Yankee fans hated him when he first got here and sucked. He was getting booed at home worse than he was on the road. And he didnt crack up and cry. He got through it and won 2 MVPs. So I think he'll get through this. I would be surprised to see the names of the players on the rest of the list though. They are skewering ARod here, but there are 103 more names that will eventually leak out. I am expecting some big ones to make the list as well as ARod. So we'll see. Like I said, I have become numbed to the steroid issue and dont really care anymore. They all do it or have done it at some time IMO and nobody is clean. The chemists are always 2-3 yrs ahead of the testers and as long as big money awaits those who succeed and nothing awaits those who dont, then they'll keep injecting, swallowing and drinking roids.

ARS, the problem is, most players have that modicum of intelligence, but some do not. And eventually, a player or trainer or chemist will blab. And the new stuff will be found, the gov't will get involved and all samples retested. It is inevitable. Unfortunately, its a sign of the times

everybody is a suspected roid user. I have said before that I didnt think Arod used, but I wouldnt be surprised. I have a few former teammates who at least made a MLB debut. And it is RAMPANT. And it still is. We'll find out in 2012 what they're taking this yr. Nobody is clean IMO.

I didnt really like ARod that much to begin with. This makes me like him a little less. As far as we know, though, he's been clean since. And it wont have much of an impact on his performance IMO since most people dont like him anyway. Otherwise, I agree with 26 to 6 on this one. This is way more widespread than we thought.

.326 .340 and .321 the last 3 yrs. Not out of the realm of possibility.

I think Clay will have a solid career if he is allowed to get comfortable. Tinkering with his arm slot then tossing him into the MLB rotation wasnt a great plan and it left him vulnerable. If he is now comfortable with the arm slot or allowed to go back to his comfort zone, I expect him to have a solid impact at the MLB level. Otherwise, if he is always on the MLB/AAA rollercoaster until he has a Lester'esque breakthrough, then I dont see him making it in Boston

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/hot_stove/posts/47664 Sheets will have surgery

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090205&content_id=3801488&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp&partnerId=rss_mlb Looks like the Rangers and Sheets agreed to a two yr deal, but didnt announce it. In the physical, there was debate as to whether the rehab he did for the flexor tendon tear was sufficient.

couldnt even get the thread title right. Idiot

once the needle was taken out of Brad's hands, it was over for him

not sure if I want Holliday yet. His numbers outside Coors were good, but not great. And he's gonna want great player kind of coin. His yr in Oakland should be telling. If he puts up a .335 30HR 120RBI season in that park, then I'd hand him a blank contract and he can fill in the numbers

pre-nup

barely making it over 200IP is a solid feat in the ALE

Arroyo at 9 mil when you know you are getting 200+IP. or Penny at 5 mil base and Smoltz at 5.5 mil base without any guarantees. And the kicker, if one of them reaches 200IP, then that numbers jumps 3 mil in Penny's case and 5 mil in Smoltz's case. Your economic argument is not useful

how can you put Arroyo on that list? He's done exactly what everyone knew he would do when he went to Cincy. He isnt a top tier starter, but he eats innings. And in his 3 yrs in Cincy, he's thrown 651.1IP.

from the USA today Moving on to Smoltz, he did have a great yr in 07. But being over 40 and having shoulder reconstruction has a way of dampering your performance On to Lester, I agree that he has put himself into the ace discussion and a repetition of a yr ago would cement that status. That being said, an IP jump like he had is not a non-issue. Hell, all you sox fans continue to talk about how Joba's IP jump will be a big problem. Look at the 80+ IP that Lester jumped in one yr. And in regards of Pettitte to Lester, Jonboy's gonna need to do it a few yrs. Andy never really was an ace per se, but he was durable and he was effective. He was never a guy you'd flock to the park to see and hope he'd K 15 guys. In regards to penny, I agree, if all three were healthy, he'd be my "first cut" candidate. But the other two have major injuries to overcome. Penny just has to get over the fact that he isnt very good and that his shoulder aches from time to time

So if Bard is kept and Vtek stays at the starting spot, then we'll get to see Bard catch Wake again? Oh joy!

It isnt much rebound as it is stay healthy. If you look at his numbers, his 2008 performance is more in line with his career. His 07 numbers were actually career numbers. Most wins, lowest WHIP AND lowest OPS against. I expect his 09 numbers to be similar in terms of peripherals to his 08 numbers. The question is, does he get hurt 3 separate times again? He spent time on the DL to start the yr with the back, at the end of August with the elbow and was neutralized in the playoffs with the oblique. Thats the question. I dont think DiceK was all that "good" in 08. His predilection for staying out of the zone cost his bullpen valuable innings. And the job of a #2 starter, which he was for most of the yr, is to go deep into games. He pitched like a #5 starter. Good performance, few innings. And while his ERA was solid, his BB/9 was ridiculous, something that cost him baserunners and innings. He cannot continue to walk 5 guys per 9 innings and get away with it. His incredibly low BABIP will catch up to him eventually. If I was John Farrel, I'd be telling him that allowing a hit with nobody on base and 2 outs is actually okay. He doesnt need to walk the sacks packed and then get the out. I wouldnt call it a hangover. I think the better question is, can he continue his dominating performance at the end of the yr? As good as Lester was from May on, his Sept and Oct. were ridiculous. Another question would be, how will he handle his jump in innings from a yr ago. He jumped from 153IP in 2007 to 237IP in 2008. Thats a pretty big jump for a kid who isnt accustomed to a MLB workload. I think Penny is the only guy capable of doing so. Saito's elbow is torn, so much so that a large market team like the dodgers wouldnt even gamble 4 mil on their all star closer. That should tell you something. And Smoltz, who is 41, is coming off reconstructive shoulder surgery, something that pitchers rarely come back from unscathed. Penny, OTOH, doesnt have a structural defect thus far from the MRIs he has had, so it has to be assumed that its only inflamed. So he has the best chance of recovering his average to above average baseline. If they stop f***ing with him then yes. The guy I saw at the end of 2007 was not the same guy who took the mound in 08. The tweak to his mechanics took away Buchholz' confidence in his stuff and his performance suffered. I understand they wanted to take some strain off, and that all well and good. But if they were gonna be changing something as significant as arm slot, its best to do that in the minors. If Buchholz gets used to the arm slot or goes back to his prior ways, I see no reason why he cant slot into the #4 slot vacated by Smoltz and Penny if they fail. If they continue to tinker with him, then I think he's dealt. He doesnt seem to be a kid who deals with change all that well Hold up is a relative term. I do not think he can play 140-160 games at his level on that hip. I also dont think a redux of 2007 is possible. So you have a guy who you hope can get back to his .280/20/80 baseline on a bad wheel at an advancing age. Its gonna be a wing and a prayer season for the sox 3b. I may be the first one to do this here, but I think Lars sees MLB time this yr now that Tex is in the Bronx. If that hip hampers him enough to be a non factor, I could see Lars coming up to 1b and Youk being moved to 3rd. Lars doesnt have much left to prove. I also think there is a caveat with this one. Will Ortiz get back to the quick bat baseline that he was in 07 and before. By the end of the yr, his bat was as slow as I have ever seen it. If he doesnt recover that bat speed, then he will not produce like the Papi you all know and love, no matter who hits behind him. If he does fully recover, then it all depends on how well the #4 hitter performs. If its Youks and he plays like he did in 08, then I dont see much of a choice but to pitch to big fatty. If youks goes back to his baseline and he stays in the 4 hole, then I wouldnt pitch to Papi ever. He regressed significantly as the yr went on last yr. His biggest job should be to get on base. And he did that job well in April and May. He had a .385OBP for the first 2 months with an IsoPatience of near .100. He subsequently walked only 14 more times through the rest of the yr. If he doesnt adjust to the pitchers, he's gonna be an offensive liability. He needs to understand that his job isnt to hit homers or EBH. His job is to get on first base. He forgot that from June on. Also, I think pitchers kinda figured him out too. Go right after him and he really wont burn you. We'll see. But I am skeptical that he can maintain a .350+ OBP in 09. Thats his marker for success Yes he did. The question should be, can he repeat it. His baseline says no. He's been a pro baseball player since 2001 and his baseline is a mid .800s OPS. Suddenly, his SLG and OPS jump 100 points. I think he can do it, but going by his baseline, I find it hard to believe that he'll maintain this elevated level of play Prediction, he'll hit the DL at one time during 2009. Its a right of the season

as always, thanks for doing this man

And the ownership is right Bosox. The Jays just got set back about 2-3 yrs with these injuries. Halladay will be mid 30s in 3 yrs. He's 31 right now, turns 32 in May. If he is dealt mid season, the bidding war would be fierce. I still dont see either NY or Boston being bidders though. I dont see them dealing in division