jacksonianmarch

he hits well to RF? That is the biggest part of the park in fenway, how will he have a good yr if he does that with regularity? :dunno:

I have been away for a little bit, but I have kept in touch with the rumor mill. The latest "credible" rumor was about a three way deal. Now what I deem credible is something that in my mind I can see happening. If I hear a rumor about the sox offering Alex Cora for Albert Pujols, I wont post it because that is just a dumb rumor. So is the rumor of the Rangers dealing Young and Tex who both have a higher worth than Manny for Manny. Here is what I heard. The three way deal would be with the sox, rangers, and rockies. The rockies would be sent prospects from both Texas and Boston. The Red Sox would get Todd Helton and Akinori Otsuka. The Rangers would get Manny. That sounds like a credible rumor, because the sox really need a 1b and a closer and both of those guys fit the bill well. The left field spot opens for Wily Mo and the RF spot opens for JD Drew. The rockies are trying to get out from under the 4yrs and 17 mi per that Helton has gotten. And the Rangers have a plethora of young bullpen arms that can get the job done as closer, yet they really need a right handed power bat to replace Carlos Lee. ESPN seems to love to run interesting stories, but think before you post a rumor. Some are just dumb.

Dont throw your hopes into this one. They will need to throw a whole lot more than just Wily into this. Consider that Cordero is under 25 and is one of the best closers in baseball and swinging wily may not even have a place on the sox team. If the Nats are going to part with probably the best young closer in baseball, they will want a lot in return. Expect them wanting Wily, Hansen and one of those golden goose pitching prospects for them to budge.

stupifying stuff. Soriano going to Chicago opens up avenues for trade. Speier being signed by LAA is bad for the sox. Sounds like Joe Borowski is in the cards for Boston. Hmmm. Theo still cannot build a bullpen.

clemens as closer will NEVER happen. Clemens will undoubtedly want the same sweet deal he got last yr where he didnt have to go on many road trips and wasnt required to do many off the field responsibilities. This cannot happen with your closer, he needs to be at every game.

also the age difference is almost exactly 2 yrs as Drew will be 31 in 2 days and Damon just turned 33.

Damon >>>>>>> Drew. Damon had a better average, more HRs, and 23 more SB's. Drew had more RBI's and a higher OPS. The speed, plus the position in the order and on the field, and his durability. Damon has averaged 151 games played over his last 11 seasons. Drew has averaged 118 games played in his 8 full seasons in the bigs. That is a huge discrepancy.

http://www.listin.com.do/cuerpos/deporte/dep8.htm 1 yr 8 mil, it seems very close. This will kill any possibility of Manny to the Mets.

The O's and Braves are in serious negotiations about a deal for Tim Hudson. The deal would likely include lefty Adam Loewen and/or Hayden Penn. This is from Buster's blog. Hudson is a solid pitcher when he is healthy. That is a big if though. http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=olney_buster#20061118

who will be your team then?

He has 2 pitches with a show slider. That works great in relief. You need to have a3 pitches you have confidence in. If you want to see a guy with 2 elite pitches, take a look at RJ. His 95mph fastball and sick slider is not enough in the AL. He has a splitter that is a show me splitter and that was good enough for a 5era.

It is very different for a sinkerball pitcher. A sinkerballer essentially knows that he wont get taken out of the yard. This makes him very effective in that he limits the amounts of flyballs he will allow. This makes a pitcher like Wang capable of being a one pitch pitcher for a decent amount of innings. But, you need to have an elite sinker to do so and only a few guys can make that claim.

Of course you think Papelbon is a 1 or a 2. Thing is, right now, he has to be a huge ??? and the big questions are. Can he stay healthy for a whole yr? Can he develop something other than the fastball split combo? A two pitch pitcher in today's game will get slaughtered come the 4th or 5th inning.

batting average means nothing to a pitcher. It is all about run support. The red sox scored 50 more runs than the A's. That is what matters.

Bo and Paterno are one and the same as far as ambassadors to the game. Unfortunately, the younger generation can only rely on folklore when hearing abour ole Bo. But this guy was the epitome of a great coach and a great legend of the game. It is too bad he has retired from the ranks of living legend. RIP Bo.

Looks like the sox fans have adapted the mindset of the ownership. JD Drew at 15 mil a yr is a flat out mistake.

While I believe that Torre has worn out his welcome, I would NEVER say that he wasnt a major factor in winning WS. He knew how to coach a team that gave him options. He is an old small ball guy, and this team no longer suits his expertise. At the same time, I think he has gotten a little slower in the melon and a little fat and happy with his success. He no longer pushes the right buttons. He no longer forces the power hitter to bunt, he no longer pulls off the hit and run on a daily basis, which was his staple in the 90s. It is time for a change, but he is as much to praise for the dynasty as anyone.

they are saying 2yrs 30mil for Drew. That is a lot of cash for an injury prone guy.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2666497

agreed. Something is up. He is in need of two starting pitchers and a big fish is still available. Yet, he doesnt look to be pursuing him. I think something is afoot and nabbing Sanchez may have been a piece for a future deal.

Lugo is not worth it. 10 mil a yr for a guy who is on the wrong end of 31 and his speed is his best asset. That is not a good thing.

poor signing. They could have used someone who was younger and played for the minimum.