Gom

This isn't any different than the Red Sox letting players walk they never wanted for a draft pick. The Yankees have NO intention of keeping Sheffield. To tell you the truth, most teams that are interested in Sheffield are happy the Yankees signed him. I don't think you want to risk a 3 year deal on him, but a one-year rental can't be that bad.

I have to admit, I didn't see this coming, but a great move by my Yankees. Now we get a chance to shut out the AL competitors, and considering what is on the market, A one year rental for Sheffield for the Dodgers/Astros etc., should bring back a decent player. Score one for Cashman and the Yanks front office. It's a no-brainer. Since I am on a Brad Lidge kick, I can easily see a Lidge for Sheffield deal. Makes so much sense for both sides.

Who know who is an interesting free agent for both the Yankees and the Sox? Nick Johnson. I sure hope we get him back, and put Giambi in the DH spot.

I believe it was Dave Parker, but I'm not sure.

It feels strange quoting myself, but here is what I said before: Every team, for the most part [the Angels being probably the only real exception], will stay within 10% of their payroll. Given that, and with the contracts the Red Sox already have, can they realistically get better than the other teams in the AL? That said, I think you can forget about Tek as a serious offensive contributor. Both him and Posada are on the wrong side of 30, and I believe both are headed for a steady decline. Crisp may rebound, but I daresay that Tek's seasons of a major offensive force in that lineup are finished.

Whats bad about Arod is that he no longer can hit the high octane fastball. His swing has slowed a bit, and this season, more than any other, I have seen him swing right through fastballs. He has slider bat speed now, and it's only going to get worse.

Arte Moreno, owner of the Angels, has gone on record saying that the Angels will be big spenders this offseason. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/angels/ci_4365287

It's more the 97 wins that makes me feel like they will win the division again. Maybe if you guys get to $150 million, you can make the playoffs. See how silly this sounds? Money helps, but doesn't ensure a World Series title. Look at Yanks, Mets, Red Sox. My whole point in this thread, which is actually to stimulate some conversation, is this: Every team, for the most part [the Angels being probably the only real exception], will stay within 10% of their payroll. Given that, and with the contracts the Red Sox already have, can they realistically get better than the other teams in the AL?

The point I was trying to bring up was exactly how the Red Sox planned to close the gap between them and the other teams. Good point. I think the Jays rotation is every bit as good as the Sox and Yankees. With the exception of Wang, Halladay and Burnett are better than anything either team has [schilling may still be in that category, but he isn't a spring chicken]. That changes if Papelbon is anywhere near as good a starter as he was last year as a reliever. Come to my senses? You try dealing with watching A-Rod all season, and try seeing how that wrecks your sensibilities.

Why not ask the question right now? It's not like either one of us has a game to watch tonight. As for catching the Yankees, I think that it is a remote possibility at this point. The Red Sox took a much worse turn for wear than the Yankees did this year. I think that irrespective of what happens this year, the Sox and Yanks will be much closer to each other in 2008, but thats with the teams as they are now. The Yankees will not cut payroll, but they will keep it where it is. That being said, the Yankees will save approximately $22 million by letting Sheffield go, reworking Mussina, and buying out/trading Jaret Wright. That should get two starting pitchers, which is the huge achilles heel of the team. I'm just stirring up some talk, it's going to be a long 4 months for all of us. At least you have the Patriots. Jets and Giants suck, Knicks are horrible, and who the hell are the Metrostars? Hockey is no longer a sport. It's like barroom darts now. As for the rotation of the Sox and Yankees, there is only one really good pitcher on either team, and that's Wang. Schilling and Mussina are getting up there, only going to get worse, Beckett is a head case, Randy Johnson should be put to pasture and shot along with Clement, and Wakefield is getting up there and coming off injuries. You guys have a few unproven young 'uns who may or may not pan out, but the truth is, at this point, there is only one good starting pitcher on either team. Also, in the pen, outside of Papelbon [who is a question mark only due to health] and Rivera, no one on either staff is an eye-opener. Just how do you like your staff that much? Tell you the truth, the best staff in the AL is probably the Blue Jays. No one touches the Halliday, and B.J. Ryan had an awesome season. They have better young pitching than we do at this point IMHO. Just wanting to know how the Red Sox plan to make up the difference between them and the front-runners. Even the most ardent Sox fan has to realize that they have slipped out of the top 3-5 teams of the AL.

Here is a question for the Nation. Do you think that next year you will seriously contend [i.e. win] for the Wild Card? Truthfully, I put you guys 6th in the AL right now, after [in no real order] the Yankees, Tigers, Twins, A's, White Sox. What do you think, and why?

As a Yankee fan, let me tell you this...Arod hasn't "earned" the right to be protected. Secondly, why should anyone at all protect anyone? These are all men. Grow up. I have season tickets to the Yankees, and let me tell you, the crowd cheers everything Arod does positive. We as fans, like you Red Sox fans, are very knowledgeable. We know that an Arod on fire is the BEST chance we have to win. Typically, Arod comes up, tying runs on base, and he gets a rousing cheer. He strikes out, and then gets a resounding boo. If Arod comes up big in the clutch, NY will cheer him. The reason he gets booed is he never does.

I remember that thread, lol. There are moronic fans from every team. Thanks Schillingouttheks. I try to bring a little humor. Although you are all hated Red Sox scum, this is by far the best forum I am a part of, Yankee or Red Sox based. It seems so far to have the highest intelligence level, both IQ-wise and baseball-wise. It is unfortunate you are degenerates, though, rooting for the putrid Sox. Seriously, I am glad you enjoy my humor, and considering that we have to watch two weeks of Jeff Weaver and Kenny Rogers makes me want to beat my dog, I have to vent here.

I truthfully don't understand why baseball did this. Irrespective of how the Red Sox exploited this loophole, or the fact that it costs my beloved Yankees countless picks, I don't get it. How does a move like this help the poorer teams? Someone please explain to me how this deletion is GOOD for baseball. The link above by One Red Seat states that it will be changed. Does anyone know how?

You can't really say the Mets were frauds. They lost two of their top three starters. How far you think the Red Sox can go without Schilling and Wakefield? Or the Yankees without Mussina and Wang? The fact that they made it a seven game series was amazing. There was no doubt in my mind that the Cards were the better team due to the Mets injuries. Do you think the Cards would have had a chance if Capenter AND Suppan were out with injuries? That being said....a note from our sponsor: A-Rod Light salutes you, Mr. Baseball Franchise guy. Come up to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th in game seven, World Series dreams of your team and city in your hands. So on an 0-2 pitch, just look at it as it crosses the heart of the plate, never even protecting the plate. Don't even give your team a chance by putting the ball in play. Just watch it, Mr. Baseball Franchise guy. We salute you. Brought to you by A-Rod Light, Evil Empire, Bronx, N.Y.

Umm....1986? 1978? 1967? This years 5 game series against the Yankees? Getting swept by the White Sox last year? In fact, every year since 1918 except for 2004? Hello? This is planet earth? Come in Shillingouttheks...

The truth is that I gained a lot of respect for Red Sox fans in 2003. I sat next to a Red Sox fan for the 9th and 10th innings of Game 7. One of the nicest guys I ever met who was a part of the Red Sox Nation. He told me that if they were to win it, he didn't want to win it any other way. I respected that at that point, with the outcome still not known. I can honestly say that as part of the Bleacher Creatures at Yankee stadium. I have been out there for 5 years with season tickets...we actually felt for you fans. We really did. We realized how close the teams were, and we could have been on the other side. We would never admit it at the time to you, but to each other, we felt bad for you. You had your moment in the sun, due to the Yankees completely s***ing the bed in 2004. Now..we both suck. f*** 'em. We should turn to another sport instead of the sorry collection in NY and Boston. I say bobsledding. All Yankee fans will cheer for the Jamaican Bobsledding team. Anyone that can get that stoned at that speed on ice they have never seen in their home country deserved to be cheered. By us. Find your own bobsled team to cheer, former Red Sox fans.

You guys at talksox are about the sharpest of all the fans on all the boards I am on. However, you guys actually believe this? It's never really an issue for most teams in the last year of their contract to have a bad player. Especially the Yankees and the Red Sox. Big deal. Cashman, who is not by any means perfect, didn't outmanuever the Red Sox on Damon. Your office completely and utterly dropped the ball. Then they tried to spin it as if Coco was a better investment. Maybe you guys bought it, but here in NY, we were laughing that you let a great part of your team go, part of the good "clubhouse" guys go for what? 1.5 million a year? Are you kidding me? Is it just plain dumb luck that Jeter may actually win the MVP with the best leadoff hitter he has had in his career in front of him? Keep in mind this, my hated Red Sox friends. Before you say anything about Johnny Damon's PROJECTED stats in the last year of his contract...and his projected stats are nothing more than a hopeful figment of the Red Sox FO...do any of you really believe it will be any WORSE than Crisp's first year of his contract? Do you really think that Damon in the last year of his contract will hit .264, have an OBP of .317, and a slugging of .385? For those that do, please contact me. I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. Real cheap.

This whole Arod stuff is garbage. The guy has a no-trade clause. It all comes down to this: A) Does he want to be loved? or Does he want to win a World Series? The Yankees, as you well know, are the ONLY team to make the post-season every year since the inception of the wild card. So, Arod is guaranteed yet another shot to go .091 in the post-season next year. He left Texas to go to a team to try to get a ring. The Yankees represent his best realistic chance to win a World Series. It all depends on his frame of mind, and probably the advice of his life skills coach. Win, or be loved. As a diehard Yankee fan, I believe he will stay because he wants to win. Which pretty much guarantees another first round exit for the Evil Empire. f***.

Being a Yankee fan, and on many Yankee forum sites, I have yet to find an intelligent Red Sox fan that posts. You guys seem on the ball, so as a part of the Evil Empire, I am curious to know what is the Red Sox game plan during the off-season. As you can see, I'm new here, so I look forward to being an active [although probably hated] member of TalkSox.

Just wanted to say hello to all you Red Sox sufferers... I look forward to what should be a busy offseason for both the Yankees and Red Sox.