Gom

None of us were there, so you can never really know what happened with negotiations. However, I do remember reading how Cashman polled his staff about whether they'd rather go after Manny short-term or Tex long-term, and Tex won by a slim margin. Remember, Manny was coming off a f***ing monster post-season, and we didn't know about the PED suspension to come. I think the Sox dragged it out, pussy-footed around, and let the Yankees in the game. The Sox f***ed up when Henry went down there, and had they been aggressive enough, they probably would have gotten him. I'll tell you this...the longer s*** drags out, the more the Yankees will probably get involved. It was probably the most expensive block in history, but one that gave them a championship. The Yankees have a slew of bad contracts coming off the books, and at the perfect time. A downturn in the economy has helped them out as most of their high-end contracts are expiring, and they can get comparable players for less money. The Yankees shed Abreu and Giambi last year, Damon and Matsui this year...and none of the players are going to make what they made before. In the case of Damon and Matsui, they'll come back for less or the Yankees will replace their production for less money. It's a win for the Yankees. They can improve their team AND spend less money in payroll and luxury tax. When teams complain about payroll, I can honestly understand their gripe. However, I am sorry when I say it loses a lot of steam when I read about how the Pirates turned a $14 million profit, and that the owner using this profit to help his struggling hotel/spa franchise. He ended up with 75 million from revenue sharing and the tax, and instead of using that $14 million profit, he put it in his pocket. Kind of ********, isn't it? Don't turn this into a Yankee payroll thing. Fine, we acknowledge it. However, don't you think it's ******** what the Pirates are doing? Cry in one hand, while pocketing the money in the other?

Dude, Arod wouldn't see a strike in the post-season. They would pitch to Cano all day, and he's not disciplined enough to lay off. You need a bat behind Arod or he's going to be basically rendered ineffective. Matsui on a one year deal. If he finally shits the bed, you would be able to go get a bat with the stuff you've compiled in the minors. He will come cheap, he brings money to the Yankees from Japan...I don't see why not. Matsui is ten times the hitter Posada is, and if you wanna give him a day off, catch Molina. Arod can get a day off as well, rest Matsui. The versatility the Yankees had was amazing. Why f*** with it? Keep these older players until they show they can't perform on one year deals. It's not much of an investment.

Longer than that. I don't expect any of the big names to go before January. Tough economic times.

The Yankees are having said to be willing to trade Hughes or Chamberlain in a deal for Halladay. This is pretty much a given, that if you were to trade Halladay, to get a young stud in return. I'm curious, for those of you that understand baseball [those don't know, please don't bother replying]... If you were the Blue Jays, who would you rather have? Buchholz Hughes Chamberlain Assume the rest of the package is equal. Who would you take if you were the Blue Jays GM? Please discuss, and why.

I see....so if I lie and make up stats, I'll be credible. Got it. Guess I'll never be credible.

First of all, you have ZERO credibility...for lying and misrepresenting stats. That much is a given. I don't call anyone out for their opinions. You have your opinion on Holliday, I have mine. We both think the other is wrong. Everyone else thinks you're wrong, with one or two exceptions. When you start misrepresenting numbers and then calling other people for lying about their numbers, then...well....you're finished when it comes to being credible. You still don't see that. People bust Jacko, or me, or Kilo, or ORS, and others...but everyone respects the work they put into their posts, and no one EVER questions their numbers, just their opinions and occasionally, their sanity. You don't belong in this group....or any other, except with maybe BOY. The difference is you misrepresented stats, and lied. That's why I can't buy anything you say, and I'm sure more than a few here would feel the same way. Secondly, I choose not to follow the minor leagues. As for what I know about baseball, I've forgotten more than you'll ever know. So have the majority of the posters here. It's not me, it's you. If you followed your own advice about knowing something before you post, you would still be waiting to write your own post. Unlike you, even though a700 and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things, there is a mutual respect for opinions. Try it some time. Telling the truth that is. We are grown up to admit we may not know as much, nor care to know, about the minors. Have you ever admitted you didn't know...ANYTHING? Try again, dude. You'd be welcome at most of the Yankee sites I don't post at anymore. The only difference is that you support different teams. Going back to the point...I doubt any of you have seen more than 1% of any minor league players. You read the reports that others give you. Then you quote it as the truth and swear by it. Have any of you seen Westemoreland, or whatever his name is, or Lars, or any of these others?

Someone explain this to me. Why would a team trade a 23 year old Cy Young runner up and one of the top 5 pitchers in baseball right now, for a 25 year old with a lower ceiling who has been pedestrian so far? No matter how much money this guy commands, barring injury, you can throw him in your rotation for a decade and forget about it. This is the guy you build on, not trade.

I generally don't discuss prospect moves. I would hope so for the Nationals. However, paying someone that much money in my opinion, who hasn't pitched a day in the big leagues is ludicrous. That's just the system. Possibly. Except that the Yankees, with their financial resources, have done it this way for the better part of a century, and they've been the most successful team in the history of the sport. The Red Sox, the consensus second richest team, haven't done s*** until recently. I do think that both systems work, if implemented properly. For every aging veteran deal for prospects who turn out, I believe that there are many more deals when the prospects don't pan out. It's kind of a given. Sometimes you get burned, sometimes you don't. The logic of it all is that most prospects do NOT pan out. I honestly have no idea who any of the players in the Red Sox farm system are. Nor do I care. Personally, I don't care what the Sox do as long as they lose. Of course I wasn't saying that Lester wasn't going to be good..or bad. I just didn't know enough about him. I forgot....you know everything. My bad. By the way, why on earth would the Mariners trade for a much worse pitcher than Felix in Buchholz, who is also two years older than Felix? Sure. It's an analogy. Not a bad one either, I think. Probably beyond you, though. Thanks for clearing it up. I'm not saying they suck ass, although in frustration, I've said that about Hughes before. The comparison to Henderson was base-stealing. Hansen as a closer in waiting? Well, someone dropped the ball there, don't you think? Yes, I was exaggerating on Bard. I honestly don't know. You might. If anyone reads here, you'd think that the rest of the AL East should just pack up and close shop. I'm saying that the AL East, with the Yankees getting stronger in the minors, and the supposed prospect bonanza the Jays will get with Halladay, the Orioles with their young arms and catcher, and the Rays who have been solid the last decade...I think they will all kind of cancel each other out. I don't think any one team has such amazing prospects that they will dominate for years like the Yankees did with their run of players in the 90's, or even the Sox's mini-run from 04-07. That's all. Thank you.

This is funny. Believe the hype fellas. I don't. I don't buy it until they make it here. Buchholz? Not proven yet. Chamberlain? Not yet. Hughes? Million dollar arm, ten cent brain. I'm not saying these players can't be All-Stars. I'm just saying they haven't arrived yet, according to me. Lester's made it. So has Youk and Pedroia. Bard? Nope. Remember, this is me. I value consistency. The true stupidity here is that you guys continue to believe in what you haven't seen yet. In the Santana deal to Boston that was proposed, the great majority of you wanted to give up Lester instead of Buchholz. Remember? How would that have turned out? Lester's been every bit as good as Johan, and he's younger and healthier at this point. As for teams getting smarter...there are always some s*** teams. I don't know about the minors, admittedly, but the Jays have turned out some good young pitching in recent years, the Rays have been phenomenal, and the Orioles have some solid arms and Wieters. In the AL East at least, the gap between the Rays and Red Sox and the rest of the division has tightened up. I don't see how you guys can argue against that. I believe the Yankees have more home-grown players on their roster at the end of the season than the Red Sox did. If not, it was close. When was the last time that happened? I'm not valuating the prospects, which most of you have never seen before, but rather I'm looking at what they've done in recent years. Also, a quick search for prospects showed that the whole AL East is kind of bunched up in the number of prospects in the top 100. I think baseball prospects are the equivalent of spring training. Everyone has a shot, everyone can dream. When the real games begin, it's a different story a lot of times. I've listened to you guys on both sides, Jacko for the Yankees and a bunch of you guys for the Sox...and most of you were burying Pedroia when he couldn't hit for s*** when he came up, most of you were touting Buchholz as the next dominant pitcher, while willing to trade Lester, Ellsbury was a Henderson-like clone, Joba was the next Mariano or Clemens [sans steroids], Hughes was a four pitch marvel, Hansen was a closer in waiting, ditto Bard...so excuse me if I say most of you have been more miss than hit, yet you tout yourself as experts. Admittedly, the jury is still out on a lot of these guys. Most of you know that I put more faith in veterans than in prospects. How do things change if the Yankees get Chapman? Or the Red Sox. Too many variables. The best prospect in 2012 in the AL East may not have even been drafted yet. I'm not saying that the Red Sox prospects are s***, but most of you can't read and take it that way. I'm saying the talent level between the Sox prospects and the rest of the AL East probably won't be as big a gap as you guys want to believe in 2012 and beyond. Sorry Dipre, I'll listen to what others have to say. Not you. You're an outright liar, the boy who cried wolf. Even when you say something that might be true, I just can't believe it. Someone has to validate what you say for me to believe it...and even then I'd have to look it up.

I never said they did. However, getting one impact player a year from your farm system is considered good, in my opinion. The Blue Jays, assuming they trade Holliday, will get at least two bonafide prospects, and probably 3-4. The Orioles will have Wieters, Jones, and some good young pitching. The Yankees system is improving. Now, admittedly, I don't know much about minor league baseball. I did do some researching, and I'd love it if someone can IM me a top 100 list of current prospects. Here is a link: http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/top-100-prospects/2009/267800.html Here is the teams with the top prospects by number of prospects in the top 100. 7 Athletics, Rangers 6 Marlins 5 Braves, Rays 4 Orioles, White Sox, Guardians, Brewers, Mets, Phillies, Giants, Mariners 3 Red Sox, Rockies, Royals, Twins, Yankees, Pirates, Cardinals, Blue Jays 2 Diamondbacks, Cubs, Reds, Angels, Dodgers 1 Tigers, Astros, Padres, Nationals Now, this is an older link from this past year, it has Price and Adenheart and Porcello, etc. If anyone can post a current one with the numerical rankings, great. However, even the prospects that made it will just be hitting their stride in 2012, for the most part. Just from looking at this, the Rays seem to have a decent farm system. So do the Orioles. The Yankees, Blue Jays, and Red Sox are all lumped together. This doesn't jive with a bumper crop of players who will suddenly fuel a Red Sox dominant run starting in 2012. All teams are getting smarter. Baseball is a copy-cat business. Once one team finds success with a mode, other teams start to copy it. This is what I mean the gap is shrinking. As for payroll limitations, we all know what they are, and in what order in the AL, from least to first. 1. Yankees 2. Red Sox 3a. Orioles 3b. Toronto 5. Tampa Contractual obligations? Here they are for 2012 [in millions] Yankees: $99.634 Red Sox: $30.833 Blue Jays: $36.643 [Vernon Wells kills them] Orioles: $22.350 Tampa: $11.430 Objectivity, my taco-eating friend. Funny. You're like a hooker preaching about abstinence before marriage. I've noticed something here on my few years on this board, since I basically joined this board to get a differing point of view. You guys are turning into Yankee fans. What do I mean by this? 1) You believe that other teams are their to restock your team. The quality of trade proposals I have seen offered here is getting continually worse. 2) You believe in a never-ending supply of great talent. We did that. Got Jeter, Posada, Bernie, Mariano, Pettitte. A lot of us thought it would continue indefinitely. Why not? We have money, players want to sign with us, etc. It's not the exact science a lot of you guys think it is. Case in point? Tommy Hansen, 22nd round draft pick. 3) You believe your own press clippings. The Yankees are phenomenal at PR. There is an industry quote that the Yankees like their prospects less the closer they are to the big leagues. The Yankees convince their fans, and more importantly, other organizations, that they have a bevy of 16-18 year old talent that is the next coming of Pujols and King Felix. A lot of idiot Yankee fans believe it. A lot of you guys are falling into the same ignorant hole Yankee fans have lived in for years. 4) The more actively involved a team is in the free agent market, the harder it is for them to stockpile talent. Due to the loss of draft picks. Now these are generalizations, not directed to any one person, rather to the group, as a whole. Dipre is an *******. [i just couldn't help it, the last two lines just rhymed.] I'm not saying that your farm system sucks. I simply don't know enough about minor league baseball to feel anything more than a trend about it, or a general leaning one way or the other. If I don't know about something, I'll admit it, instead of making s*** up. I'm not Dipre. I just don't think it's as rosy as you guys are being told, or led to believe.

You put Ankiel over Damon?

It works fine enough considering this is a free site. It would be nice if it looked better, I must admit.

Go back to sleep. You're an idiot.

In other news, Arnoldis Chapman dropped API and is going with the Hendricks brothers. For Yankee fans, this is great news. The Hendricks have a great relationship with Cashman.

I love how the Red Sox are primed for a big run in 2012. Funny s***. Considering that the Yankees are stockpiling talent, and have ceased for the most part trading blue chip talent for fading veterans...the Blue Jays will probably trade Holliday and be primed to make a run in a few years...Baltimore can really only go up... It's always sunny in Red Sox Nation...until October, at least 95% of the time. Useless drivel.

What I've been saying for years.

How about we get Cabrera to DH, and you get Granderson to play CF? Who knows...but Swisher is the typical player who can get you to the post-season, but do nothing once you get there. See Cano if you need more of an example.

I wouldn't be upset if they got rid of him. Overrated.

I didn't check the stats...I admit it. Whatever. I dropped the debate when I realized that he had a monster year...he just always seems to kill us. At least I didn't LIE about them, or accuse others of lying. Go away. You are nothing but trash.

I will...just I have to get back to work, something you don't know much about. Later today or tomorrow. There is a difference between opinion, and facts. Apparently, you don't know this difference. I'll be sure to point out to you in a day or so. You can have an opinion that can be wrong. However, when you lie and call out other people lying when they are quoting numbers from legit sites like baseball reference or ESPN....well...go outdoors and open your outhouse and look in the toilet. That's where your can find your ensuing credibility.

Valid points. Dipre could learn a lot from you.

Would you like me to embarrass you further by posting proof? You know exactly what I'm talking about. Run along, little boy. Let the men talk.