Gom

Debate on trading prospects. Other people wanted to change it about RSN's favorite topic, money.

You know, I don't hate Carl Pavano anymore. This season is like a train wreck, might as well.

We all make mistakes, but I thought it was crazy for you to include Lester. Lester had a track record here, I thought Buchholz was a joke. Then again, I thought Kennedy was better then he was, so maybe, like you, I bought into the hype surrounding my players. As for both? Why not? Think about this. What do you figure the Twins spend? Or the Diamonbacks? Or the Marlins? Teams that do well in bringing up young players put a great majority of their money in the farm system and scouting. Why not spend the same, or even better, more? We still have money left over at the end of the day. Case in point with the Yankees. We have nearly 60 million coming off the books. So put 10 million in the draft, and 50 million in free agency. It's all about money anways, and when you realize the Yankees have no luxury tax this coming year, it's peanuts. If you logically think about it, there is ZERO reason to not do both. It's actually good business. A solid farm system that feeds the team with talent and is used as trade bait while spending money to plug in the holes that your system doesn't fill from within. You will not only be better overall, but you will cut payroll as it will be unnecessary. Think outside the box ORS. It makes sense for both organizations. Part of the problem I have in baseball is absolutes [which is the biggest thing I dispute with you and Jacko]. What I hate about Cashman is that he is so far skewed on the youth movement, he doesn't see that this isn't Franchise mode in MLB 08. There will be another "Kennedy" or "Hughes" at a much higher rate than a "Santana" or a "Sabathia". The old way of George in the 80's of buying aging free agents and poor scouting/development didn't go anywhere. The new way of Cashman in 2000's of eschewing veterans to hold onto below average prospects doesn't work. The Gene Michael way, of careful [and lucky] scouting/development, coupled with good free agents such as Key, and trades, such as O'Neill and Wells and Justice, etc., is the way to go. A happy medium. Think about it. Manny as a free agent. Same as Foulke. Beckett and Lowell in trades. Paps and Youk and Pedrioa and Lester. You copied what we did, and to a high level of success. When you fall in love with one facet, whether it is free agency, trading, or drafting, it doesn't work. You need all three in varying levels of success. Cashman, and it looks like Theo now as well, is falling in love way too much with player development. GM of the year? Brewers GM. Even if Laporta develops into a superstar, he traded for arguably the best pitcher in baseball this year. He gets two picks when he leaves. So he traded a prospect for two prospects, and the best pitcher in the NL for 3 months, and quite possibly, now, the most dangerous team in the playoffs this side of the Angels. He also signed Gagne. Can't win them all, but he's done a better job than both of our GM's put together.

Of course. No debating there. Saying that the idea is to get a good player with a small contract is like saying you want a hot girl who can cook. Kind of a no-brainer. The question remains...do you want a good player with a huge contract or a bad player with a small contract.

Jacko is lost, we all know that. The thing ORS, that you've never realized, which is ridiculously surprising is this: Why not do both? You can. You have money. We have more. I don't know your farm system, or ours in depth. Here are a few names I've heard Jacko talk about: Marquez, McCutchen, Austin Jackson, Betances, Melancon, Sanchez, Hilligoss. I really don't know much about them, nor do I really care. However, why not trade a few? That's what's great about the draft. You can replenish those guys. As much as he's an idiot, especially with not signing Cole, Cashman, according to the press, is doing a decent job of drafting young talent. Why not continue to draft according to plan [i know it's a crapshoot as well] while using the farm system to help you fill holes at the major league level? We are not the Minnesota Twins. We are the Yankees and Red Sox, respectively. No one has ever shown me a reason why neither team can do BOTH. Mike Mussina, Jason Isringhausen, Greg Maddux, Andy Pettitte, Bartolo Colon. These were long-term contracts that worked out. Your point? Here is what I don't understand about all of you guys, Sox and Yankee fans alike. You would rather have a crappy player with a small contract than a good player with a huge contract. I don't follow your Red Sox as in-depth as I do the Yankees, but here's what I mean. No is killing Jeter. He is one of the highest paid players in baseball, I believe 8th. However, because he's "Derek Jeter" and has, over the course of his career, gotten a big hit here or there, and is overall, an above average offensive player at his position, no one says anything. Would you rather have Reyes at 5.8 mil? Or Rollins at 7 mil? Or Hanley at 11.6 mil? Of course you would. However, I'd rather have Jeter at 18+ mil than Betemit at league minimum. That's what I don't get about you guys. You complain about the money like you're a small market team, both sides. You don't lose money in New York on a winner. I'm sure the same holds true in Boston. Buchholz, Ellsbury, Masterson, and Lowrie will never come close to being Santana. Same thing from our side. Young DOES NOT EQUATE to good. Good equates to good. Remember the debates during the off-season? Who was going to be better, Buchholz or Hughes? Kennedy was a Glavine-type clone. Who was the better CF, Melky or Jacoby? Instead, Santana is 11-7 with a 2.75 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP, while getting stronger over his last 10 starts. Rowand, a guy I advocated the Yankees signing, has a .797 OPS and is playing a great CF. He's also having an off year, and is still a better player than either of us have in CF. Fellas, don't believe the hype about young players. Joel Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus back in March, said this about Melky: "but he’s going to pop 80 extra-base hits and slug .500 in a season very, very soon." I laughed when I read this. He can't hit the changeup away as a righty, he has terrible baseball instincts, and he get's beat with fastballs away and up in the zone as a lefty. This is the part about watching the game I keep telling you. You have people like JHB and ORS here, among others, that believe it's an extreme. That watching the game is a useless endeavor in analysis. It's not. It's a package. Just watching the game is not enough. Analyzing the players statistically is not enough. Looking at both is the way to go. On another note, Tony Pena saw a flaw in Pudge's release point and how he was setting his feet in throwing, and this was the reason for the ball hooking to third on throws to second. He has made three great throws in a row. You don't see that in a stat sheet. Most of you aren't equipped to see this as you haven't played. I have, and I do. So does Thumper. Since he plays ball for a living, I assume he's much better at it than I could ever be. Baseball is a game of adjustments. I didn't see Melky adjusting, and now he's back in Scranton. His stats and his age predicted a completely different thing than what he ended up doing/being. Young doesn't translate into good tomorrow. In fact, most young players never go anywhere. I hope this season has taught both sides that, when given the opportunity, trading prospects for established veterans, like maybe, one of the best pitchers on the planet, is something you shouldn't pass up and will benefit your team, not only in the short run, but in the long run, the majority of the time.

If you guys don't get out of the first round, I would blame Theo if I was you.

Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Clay Buchholz are 2-17 with a 7.52 ERA. They’ve thrown only 137.2 innings. If either of our teams were willing to give up just ONE of these guys in a package, one of us would have Johan. Thank you Cashman for costing us a playoff spot with your stupidity. Red Sox fans can thank Theo for NOT winning the division and having to face the Angels in a best of 5.

U.S. wins beach volleyball Gold, men and women. Treanor is a doll, and Daulhauser is a beast.

SOTK...I can't believe you actually posted that.

Insensitive, yes. Hysterical? Absolutely.

CC has said he likes Anaheim, and is building a house in the OC. Tex would be looking at a huge payday in New York, and with the Mets having Delgado coming off the books, look to make a splash. Sheets is a perfect fit for Boston. The injury bug hasn't really hit him this year, and he'd be great insurance if Beckett bolts. I'd love to see one, two, or all three, but Cashman isn't going to be happy until he builds a team with a $19.99 payroll.

In a way, yes, in a way, no. I am a lot more flexible in my process. If by some miracle, he gets all three, I will commend him on the great job he's done. Since him and I are fans for the same team but we differ on team philosophy. Unlike a lot of people, I am interested in opposing views, so he will see things more objectively in a differing position. Somewhere in the middle, the truth usually lies.

Yes. Add scoring for everything.

Ok...I do enjoy these "Attention Jacko" posts.... Jacko...since you are willing to watch Cashman sleep with your sister and videotape it, and I would rather beat him to death with a raw herring than let him spend one more day in the Yankees employ, I pose to you this question: If the Yankees fail in acquiring a bona-fide free agent pitcher during the off-season, will your opinion of him change and then you will advocate his removal? The way I see it, CC will end up in Anaheim. Sheets will end up in Boston Teixeira will end up in Shea. I firmly believe that Tex is by far the least important of the trio, but we'll include him for fun. Now...if he strikes out with all three, will you then advocate for his removal? If not, when?

You're nuts Crunchy.

For the intelligent Red Sox fan, would you make the deal for Santana at this point? The one that included Buchholz, Ellsbury, and Masterson, I believe? You guys all know how I stand on the Yankee side, curious to know from your side your thoughts.

LOL! I think the Red Sox are correct in being cautious here. You have a sufficient lead in the wild card to shut him down for a start or two.

No way dude...I'm trading. f*** it. Everyone is available.

I like picking last/first. That way you can do some research during the draft. I have no idea who the first pick should be, lol. This is all so new to me, but I promise to trade like crazy.

I seriously laughed at that for a full five minutes.

You have no idea.

Sooner or later....I'll hit the funny.

This sucks. I can't trade anymore. f***. Is it too early to start trading in fantasy football?

I have a complaint to make here. The Dodgers get Manny AND the Red Sox pay his salary for the rest of the year? Then they go get Maddux for two players to be named later? THEREFORE, THERE IS INEXPLICABLE PROOF THAT MLB WANTS THE DODGERS TO WIN AND IS IN ESSENCE CHEATING TO HELP THE DODGERS WIN. THERE MUST BE SIDE DEALS GOING ON. I HAVE PROOF. IF TWO PLUS TWO EQUALS FOUR, THEN THE DODGERS ARE CHEATING.