jacksonianmarch

Every great bullpen is built from within. You build from a core and then fill in when needed. The Yankees had a dominant pen in the late 90s by building around guys like Mendoza and Rivera and adding in guys like Nelson and Stanton. We had a rough run from 01 to a couple years back when we kept dealing live armed kids and signing veterans who fell through the cracks (Steve Karsay anyone?). And we got back to pen prosperity by growing a solid pen. In 09, it was Hughes and Robertson setting up for Mo. In 2010, it was Chamberlain, Robertson and a couple others contributing in front of Mo. This yr, it was Robertson, Soriano, and Chamberlain with Boone Logan stepping up. Logan was a journeyman who was effectively groomed and retrained in the Yankee system and is now a viable lefty setup man. This is how you go about it. If I were the sox, I'd see do this.... Promote Ranaudo to AA, if he dominates, convert him to the pen for the stretch run and see if he can give you a shot in the arm in September. Have Doubront be a lefty swing man. Keep Bard, re-sign Papelbon, keep Aceves in the pen.Keep Morales as well, as he seemed to turn a corner, and see how Weiland and Bowden might fare out of the big league pen. If one of them clicks, so be it, if not, you can deal for a reliever at the deadline. You're just as likely to hit with a kid you groomed out there as you will with an older, defined reliever who will be many times more expensive

I'd want to see Bard come back from his first taste of big league adversity. People are saying it is mechanical or mental or whatever. I am interested in seeing if he can rebound from a sorry ass September, something he couldnt do in the minors as a starter. And I am also interested in seeing if he has an injury that we'll find out about in late February, early March

Never got to see you live, obviously, but a champ nonetheless. I always found it ridiculous that that sham of a city in Philly would put up a statue to a fictional character instead of the black, real version of Rocky. It's a disgrace that this guy goes to the grave with

You're looking at 4 yrs $50 mil as a starting point, now. Likely in the $52-56 mil range.

It was, it was just posted in the article on ESPN

Well, Papelbon isnt under contract right now, so he's currently the second highest paid closer in baseball

4yrs, $44 mil with a 5th yr $13 mil vesting option. The AAV makes him the second highest paid closer in baseball behind Rivera. Papelbon is absolutely salivating at this. Expect a 4 yr or more contract for Paps

So, ready to take that back, or what?

EXPECTED WIN %. Not actual win percentage

It's like banging your head against a wall. So now, if you suck 60% of the time, you still played well. It's mindboggling

Completely and totally wrong. Wins have no part in the equation. http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2010/2/14/1308722/viva-el-war-pitchers-part-1

I was pointing out that for 60% of his contract, he was a below average player. If you look at the numbers, his actual production, you know, the objective portion here, he was below average in 3 of his 5 years. That is indisputable. How can you then defend his on field production when 60% of his seasons in Boston were below average? It is mind boggling

Last I checked you guys were the only ones to lose a 9 game lead in September. The Yankees choked, there is no doubt. The sox gagged on a gaggle of dicks, and imploded, there is no doubt about that either.

CJ Wilson is a better bet than Lackey to hold value, but I do not think his contract demands and his value will be equal through his contract. I'd rather see what Darvish or a trade could net you

It's the length and the competition that hand this off to the sox, big time. The Yankees lost to the Sox. The Sox gave away their wild card lead by losing to the Orioles. That is way more embarassing. Way more

Really? 4 games in a row against a better team is a bigger debachle than losing 20 of 27 down the stretch, blowing a 9 game lead and losing 5 of 7 games to the worst team in the AL East isnt a bigger choke? Really? Cmon man.

Wait, what? You mustnt know what the term backpedaling is. You must just be making s*** up, as usual, to defend your defenseless posts.

Apparently 40% is what constitutes "most" on here

Okay, let me break it down for you so you can understand it.... What did you expect from him coming in? He was paid like a .900OPS player at the time. The expectation should have been that he average near .900 for the 5 yrs. Maybe you say, okay, he'll start out as a .900OPS player then fall gracefully in his final 2 seasons. But he started out sub .800, then met expectations twice, then slipped significantly in 2010 and fell off a cliff in 2011. Excusing the last 2 seasons of a 5 yr contract is absolutely assinine.

WAR converted to dollars is the most overrated stat of all time. Going by that, Lackey was worth $7 mil this yr. Does that sound right to you?

You guys are delusional. "But he had a .825OPS over his contract!!!" Seriously, the fact that his average is that low, yet he had 2 seasons where it was over .900 is telling. He was a complete bust 60% of the time.

Well, you arent acting in reality here. Year 5 was his year to try and justify the contract and shed the label of bust. He was a bust, there is no way around it.