jacksonianmarch

sigh. Apparently you have a one track mind kilo. I am not saying Melky is going to be Andruw. But the Braves know that Jones is leaving, so they need a CFer when he leaves. Apparently they like Melky in that role.

Agree 100%. But at the same time, the pirates have a hard on for Melky, have for a yr now. Whether it is for trade bait or for themselves, who knows. But they have been asking for him since June. And the braves want a replacement for Jones when he leaves, and I guess they think Melky would be a good guy to place there.

I admit when I am wrong most of the time. This time, I am not. The pirates wanted melky last yr. The braves want him now.

The pirates wanted him last season when the yankees talked about Wilson. They wanted him then, they will want him now. BUT, I think this season, the added caveat is that they want to get him to move him.

he is also a guy who gets worn out like a thrice pregnant 40 yr old when he faces the yankees.

cause this has passed one time rumor level and I figured I'd put it where it belongs, in the Yankee thread. Hope I am not annoying anyone.

http://mvn.com/mlb-yankees/ Have never used this source before, but why not. They say it isnt official yet, but is nearing completion. Sounds like Melky and a B level prospect. Nothing we didnt already know aside from the fact that it seems to be getting closer to happening.

finished the yr in 05 well and was really durable last yr.

Cabrera is 22 and can play all 3 OF positions. Plus he is a rookie. Hinske is declining.

this could be the best thing that happens to the sox in a long time. I have a feeling that the sox will be trying to dump drew halfway through his first yr in Boston. If this allows them to do that, then this signing isnt terrible after all.

right now, Thompson may have similar value. Cheaper and faster. Both cannot hit.

The Thompson for Marte rumor was urinated on as well.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20061219TDY24003.htm they finalized the deal today, 5yrs 20 mil.

This one baffles me. The guy is 32 and has been a rather solid lefty reliever since 2000. He will turn 33 next yr. He comes off a solid 2005 in StL but get sent to the pitcher's graveyard in Colorado and gets lit up. This guy would have been a much better sign than Romero. At least you can justify his ineffectiveness.

The DH has changed the game dramatically. Only good pitchers can succeed in the AL as the hitting is 9 deep rather than 8 and an easy out (or in the NL it is mosty 7 and 2 easy outs). That means the AL is drawing the better pitchers to them and allowing the crappy ones to wander. Any wonder why Jeff Suppan is an ace in the NL? How bout Weaver? Then, the teams needed to get hitting to battle the better pitching, so now the best hitting and pitching is in the AL.

rumors that have since been laughed at and urinated on. In all seriousness, Huff would be a good option. He will come cheap and has an axe to grind. I think he could return to his tampa days in Boston.

Wang was the most durable, most reliable pitcher on the team. In case you missed it, Wang started game 1 of the playoffs for a reason.

Other than in the playoffs or if the season started with Yankees-Sox those matchups will not apply.

I like you yeszir. You just sit there, monitoring and then occasionally throw a gem out there.

I dislike that as well. Thing is, last yr we had the relievers to handle it. As poor as Farnsworth looked, he really only hurt us twice taking over for Mo. And for the most part, our MR was good enough to essentially wait it out until the offense piled on (thanks ARod) enough to put the game out of reach. This is in part why I am harping on a team like the sox finishing the pen. You have what looks to be a pretty damn good rotation, one that has the POTENTIAL to be the best in the league. You have an offense that, while it isnt the 2003-2005 version, is still going to score a ton of runs. This is going to translate into a lot of leads getting handed over to your pen. But I have NO faith in that pen. Okajima is flat out unproven over here, and other than a plus curve, he screams lefty specialist in scouting report. Timlin exploded for the last 2-3 months. Donnelly has some very poor trends as you said. Romero was awful last yr. The kids proved that they are not ready. If you are going to have a team that will inherently have a ton of leads, you should have a bullpen built to hold onto them. If you get a closer, a good one, not some retread, then the pen goes from awful to serviceable. A good closer to a team like Boston is something that should be mandatory, unlike to teams like Pittsburgh or TB who may not have enough leads to keep their closers busy.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06352/746984-63.stm Here is something to clear up the whole Gonzalez talk. Sounds like the sox dont have a match so they have been trying to stir up 3 team talk with no luck at this point. The Braves are essentially out of the running, but the Pirates would love to add that lefty power. The Pirates LOVE Cabrera and that was essentially the topic of the talks that led to the Chacon for Whiffin Wilson trade. Their interest in Melky is said to be intense. The new rumor is that the pirates are looking at Melky plus a pitching prospect, potentially a mid level reliever like TJ Beam (this part is from another article). Nothing is stirring right now, but this guy thinks a deal gets done by the new yr. The winner though is unknown.

that is why you have Proctor, Bruney, or gulp...the Farns. The Yankees have the arms to handle the closers role in times when Mo needs a night off. If they add Gonzalez, then this wont be an issue at all.