jacksonianmarch

wanna see an even worse set of deals? Brad Wilkerson and Termell Sledge for Alfonso Soriano Termell Sledge and Chris Young for Otsuka and Eaton Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero and Laynce Nix for Cruz and Lee. Lee and Eaton leave via FA. So in essence, they dealt Soriano, Chris Young, Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero and Laynce Nix for Brad Wilkerson, Nelson Cruz and Akinori Otsuka.

he was even losing it before he got hit. He has always been a first half pitcher.

he wasnt injured against the CWS in 05 when he got ripped on national TV to open the ALDS.

Right, but Pavano is on the mound right now and can help a team right now. Clement isnt expected to be MLB ready until August, putting him past the trade deadline. And since he is on a one yr deal this yr, dealing for him does nothing for next yr.

you wont be able to move him until he hits a mound.

it looks bad for a guy who wont pitch this season and if he does will completely suck.

I think Mike Hampton would disagree.

helton is signed for 5 more yrs. Manny for 2. If you want to get out from under contractual burden, this isnt the way.

I dont think Coco is going to improve all that much.

and this is the single reason why the sox will lose the east going away. Unless they get lucky out of the gate with Pineiro as the closer, they will be experimenting. Experimenting typically results in some failures before the success comes through. The yankees offense will murder teams, their starters will give them innings, and the pen will save the leads when they need saving. They wont outduel teams in the pitching category too often, they wont rely on 8 innings of shutout ball to win. They will mutilate bad pitching and hold the leads once they get past the 7th inning. With the sox, they will outduel teams if the balls bounce the right way and will have a good enough offense to have a lot of leads. But experimenting with the single most important inning of any game is an easy way to lose 3,4, or even 5 games that should be victories. That is a 6,8,10 game swing. You cannot do that when your competition is a team built for the regular season like the yankees are. And if Hughes turns out to be the second coming and Roger decides to relaunch in NY, the yankees will have the rotation to win it all come the playoffs. As of right now, they have a rotation that will win them the east, but I dont have a ton of faith in it to win a short series. If you land a quality closer, then the gap closes and it will be a dogfight to the finish.

I read your quote before wonderboy's and was wondering what the hell you were talking about. Then I saw wonderboy's quote. Oh brother.

I said they "love" to pick against the yankees. I didnt say they always do and I didnt specify what they are picking.

flat out wrong? How is that? The yankees will win the east by 5 or more games, my qualifications for "going away". They will do exactly what they do every yr. The sox will start out hot and fade.By August 1, the yankees will have the AL East lead, by Spet 1 they'll be counting down the magic number and by the end of the 3rd week of September, the champagne will be flowing. The sox are the enigma, though. If they make the WC that states that the sox starters came together and pitched well. Which means they will have at least a very tough 3 maybe 4 starters in a playoff series. They will be tough to beat in a playoff series. But in the regular season? Nope, it will be same old, same old. WOWZAH!

I still think they need to utilize faulk a little more. I liked what the saints had with McCallister and Bush when you had a little thunder and a little lightning. Out of the backfield, LBs or typically safeties cover the RB. Faulk would burn either. A 2 back set with a fake to Moroney and a pass out into the flats or down the field to Faulk could work 50-100 times a season.

its sad that it has come to that, but maybe we can finally move on.

given the track record of the AL East over the past 9 yrs, I think I'll be fine. And Gammons ALWAYS picks the yankees and then downgrades everything from their rotation to their offense to their bullpen to their prospects. Its his lone saving grace from being a complete homer.

hahahaha

for Hughes, the accomplishment will be the development of the changeup and the incorporation of it into his every day arsenal. That is my goal for him this yr, that and to stay healthy. Without the change he is a 4 pitch pitcher, if you count a 4 seamer and a 2 seamer separately. With it, he will have multiple looks that will bode well for his future.

The ESPN cronies love to pick against the yankees. When will they learn. The yankees will win the east going away, and will enter the playoffs as the favorites to win the WS. I think they are better equipped this yr than in yrs past for playoff runs, but the sox are better equipped for a short series. If I could get another Yankees-Sox ALCS, I may s*** myself in glee.

Both with the potential to finish the yr as the team's aces btw.

it just primes you for a letdown. Pedro is the best pitcher in a 4yr stretch in baseball history. Ever, as in nobody has walked this planet that was better than him. Clemens is considered to be the best pitcher of all time over a career. EVER, as in nobody has walked the planet who was better than them. Yeah, I heard what Schilling said (Matsuzaka reminds me of Pedro) and I heard what Giambi said (this kid's a young Rocket). For right now, both havent thrown one pitch and to put them up to those expectations is something crazy. Matsuzaka is a small framed, foreign player with a wide arsenal, a power heater and solid control. Hughes is a big bodied power pitcher with a wide arsenal, a power heater and solid control. Thats about it right now.