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Ya and the Sox haven't let anyone wear #21 since Roger left town. The number doesn't mean anything. He will either take the money from NYY, or he will go for the legendary story of returning to Boston and all the frenzy that would cause. Remember he did except a trade to Boston last year at the deadline that the Houston owner vetoed. So he is willing to go to Boston. NYY where trying to trade for him too, but I never heard anything about him excepting a deal to send him to NY. It will be interesting to see if he goes for the Money or whatever you would call it if he returned to Boston to end his legendary career.

Thought this was a good read, and a pretty fair judgement on these guys. Whats everyone else think? This winter's round of signings and trades are, for the most part, over and done with. So the time for assessment has arrived. It's not hard to find opinions on how each team's general manager has fared throughout the most recent Hot Stove season, but we're going to widen the scope a bit. What follows are the "GM Rankings" for MLB's current crop of top executives. The rankings are, of course, highly subjective, and they're based mostly on each GM's tenure with his current team (although, for those GMs who have toiled elsewhere we'll give minor consideration to their entire bodies of work). So let's light this candle … 1. John Schuerholz, Braves On the job since … October 1990 Playoff appearances: 14 The peerless GM running the peerless organization, so there's really no argument here. Schuerholz has, of course, won consistently and convincingly, and he's also managed to maintain a generally strong farm system over the years. 2. Walt Jocketty, Cardinals On the job since … October 1994 Playoff appearances: 7 No GM is better at pulling off the big trade. Since coming to St. Louis, Jocketty has executed one-sided deals for players like Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Edgar Renteria, Woody Williams, Mike Timlin, Darryl Kile, Larry Walker, Dennis Eckersley, Fernandos Vina and Tatis and Chuck Finley, among others. 3. Terry Ryan, Twins On the job since … September 1994 Playoff appearances: 4 Billy Beane gets most of the ink when it comes to small-market success stories, but Ryan's work has been even more impressive. Under Ryan, the Twins have cultivated a tremendous eye for amateur talent and knack for identifying (and nabbing) projectable prospects in other organizations. 4. Billy Beane, A's On the job since …October 1997 Playoff appearances: 5 Tight budget, much success. Now he's done it without two-thirds of the "Big Three" in the rotation, and the A's have finally won a playoff series. 5. Theo Epstein, Red Sox On the job since … November 2002 Playoff appearances: 3 Epstein works with tremendous payroll flexibility, but he also does a fine job of vetting the "freely available talent" markets (see: Papi, Big). Under Epstein, the Sox have the occasional weakness for conspicuous consumption, but on the whole they've been quite successful since he took over. 6. Dave Dombrowski, Tigers On the job since … October 2002 Playoff appearances: 1 Under Dombrowski, the Tigers have become one of most daring teams in baseball when the amateur draft comes around. They won the pennant last season, and with all those power arms in the system they're not going anywhere. 7. Kevin Towers, Padres On the job since … November 1995 Playoff appearances: 4 He's in a class with Beane and Ryan in terms of succeeding without loosened purse strings. The difference is that Towers has been doing it for years. For the first time in franchise history, the Pads have reeled off three straight winning seasons. 8. Kenny Williams, White Sox On the job since … October 2000 Playoff appearances: 1 Five years ago, Williams would've been near the bottom of this list. No exec in recent memory has evolved to such a degree. He identifies weaknesses and addresses them efficiently, and he often deals from a position of strength on the trade market. The Mets' Omar Minaya and the Braves' John Schuerholz are trying to one-up each other in the NL East. (Rich Pilling/MLB / Getty Images) 9. Omar Minaya, Mets On the job since …September 2004 Playoff appearances: 1 Minaya trusts his youngsters and does well in terms of identifying premium talent and filling holes on the roster. He's also made the Mets the destination for Latin talent. Let's also not forget the solid work he did under impossible circumstances with Montreal. 10. Larry Beinfest, Marlins On the job since … February 2002 Playoff appearances: 1 Perhaps the most underrated operator in the game today. Beinfest has a World Series ring, and he did a tremendous job of trading off vets for young talent at the behest of Jeffrey Loria. 11. Brian Cashman, Yankees On the job since … February 1998 Playoff appearances: 9 It's difficult to know which decisions Cashman is making and which are dictated to him from on high. The Yankees have won and won often on his watch, but those limitless coffers have more than a little to do with that. 12. Bill Stoneman, Angels On the job since … November 1999 Playoff appearances: 3 Stoneman makes seriously questionable contract decisions from time to time (e.g., Darin Erstad, Gary Matthews Jr.), but there's no questioning the overall success he's had. 13. Mark Shapiro, Guardians On the job since … November 2001 Playoff appearances: 0 Outstanding job assembling the young talent that's now in place. Occasionally gets desperate in the search for relievers and is overly loyal to Eric Wedge. Still, the Tribe's poised for a nice run in the brutal AL Central. 14. Doug Melvin, Brewers On the job since …September 2002 Playoff appearances: 0 Never deserved to be fired at Texas. Brewers farm system improved under Melvin, and they're now darkhorse contenders in the NL Central. 15. Pat Gillick, Phillies On the job since … November 2005 Playoff appearances: 0 Since leaving Toronto, Gillick's success has mostly been a matter of good timing. Poor track record of building farm systems, but a capable "win now" exec. 16. Josh Byrnes, Diamondbacks On the job since … November 2005 Playoff appearances: 0 Too early to make any lasting judgments about Byrnes, but he's one of the brightest young GMs in the game today. Nice work seamlessly integrating the wealth of young talent. Javier Vazquez trade was a masterstoke. 17. Brian Sabean, Giants On the job since … September 1996 Playoff appearances: 4 The Giants have won a pennant and three division titles under Sabean, but his neglect of the farm system and his willingness to part with the few prospects the Giants have developed are not to his credit. Neither is his undying fondness for decline-phase veterans. 18. Tim Purpura, Astros On the job since …November 2004 Playoff appearances: 1 The ‘Stros have won a pennant under Purpura, but Gerry Hunsicker's fingerprints were all over that team. He's done little to distinguish himself, but he's kept Houston in the competitive fray. Purpura, like Towers, Epstein and Cashman, is skilled at blending statistical and traditional methods of evaluating talent. Long-term, he should become one of the game's best. 19. Dayton Moore, Royals On the job since … June 2006 Playoff appearances: 0 Moore has made some nifty additions during his brief tenure, but the trade of Andy Sisco for yet another DH/corner defender type was highly dubious. Lots of work ahead in a ruthlessly tough division, but elite talents like Alex Gordon and Billy Butler are on the way. 20. J.P. Ricciardi, Blue Jays On the job since … November 2001 Playoff appearances: 0 Last season, the Jays finished higher than third place for the first time 1993. He's made the organization more efficient, but the farm system has foundered badly under him, mostly because of his college-heavy drafts. Ricciardi's social skills and media savvy also leave much to be desired. 21. Ned Colletti, Dodgers On the job since … November 2005 Playoff appearances: 1 The Dodgers netted a playoff appearance in Colletti's first season, but in the process he traded away a number of high-ceiling prospects. He learned his craft under Sabean, so the "prospects are bargaining chits" mentality was heavily inculcated. 22. Andrew Friedman, Devil Rays On the job since … November 2005 Playoff appearances: 0 Very little track record to go on, but so far Friedman has failed where Chuck LaMar failed — in finding pitching. That's the challenge going forward. 23. Jon Daniels, Rangers On the job since … October 2005 Playoff appearances: Daniels has done some good things, but he's betrayed a questionable eye for pitching. The Rangers' front office needs to understand that groundball pitchers are a necessity, and chasing the likes of Barry Zito (thankfully for Texas he signed elsewhere) is not defensible. He also took the short end of the Alfonso Soriano trade with D.C. 24. Jim Bowden, Nationals On the job since … October 2004 Playoff appearances: 0 Bowden is the depth and breadth of inconsistency. He's occasionally brilliant on the trade market (see immediately above and below), but he's a poor evaluator when it comes to signing upper-tier free agents. 25. Jim Hendry, Cubs On the job since … July 2002 Playoff appearances: 1 Hendry was brilliant as a scouting director, but he's woefully overmatched as a GM. He's failed to identify pitchers well suited to work in Wrigley, and that trend continued this winter. Hendry's now operating with a high payroll, but it's not likely to make much of a difference. 26. Mike Flanagan, Orioles On the job since …December 2002 Playoff appearances: 0 The O's these days aren't as miserable as they're often made out to be, and the farm system is improving. However, the pointless — and expensive — patch job remains the hallmark of this once-proud organization. Flanagan has the smarts, but he lacks the autonomy to run the organization his way. 27. Dave Littlefield, Pirates On the job since … July 2001 Playoff appearances: 0 If you haven't had a winning season in almost 15 years, then you'd at least hope the farm system is brimming. That's not the case with Littlefield and the Pirates. In particular, he's done a poor job managing his 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 Draft. There's no discernible plan in Pittsburgh. 28. Wayne Krivsky, Reds On the job since … February 2006 Playoff appearances: 0 Krivsky hasn't been in Cincy for very long, but he's already done damage. In particular, the 2006 trade that sent Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez and Ryan Wagner to the Nationals in exchange for Bill Bray, Gary Majewski, Royce Clayton, Brandan Harris and Daryl Thompson was, from Cincy's perspective, one of the worst trades of the decade. Like a lot of GMs whose teams toil in hitter-friendly parks, Krivsky acts out of desperation when trying to find pitching. 29. Dan O'Dowd, Rockies On the job since … September 1999 Playoff appearances: 0 One of the modern world's great mysteries is how O'Dowd is still employed as a Major League GM. He discards prevailing strategies like used tissue, and the farm system has churned out precious little on his watch. He's the guy who gave Mike Hampton the 15th-largest contract in sports history and signed Todd Helton through 2011. ‘Nuff said. 30. Bill Bavasi, Mariners On the job since … November 2003 Playoff appearances: 0 No GM is worse when it comes to identifying free-agent targets, and on the trade market he's also played a little fast and loose with the organizational depth. He'll leave the M's as an organization that's in demonstrably worse shape than when he arrived.

I think all 3 of them should be untouchables for atleast the next year or so. Just to see what they have. But if I had to pick one to keep out of the three, I would take the chance on Bard. Yes he hasn't pitched any games of matter yet, but like even Jackson said he has the highest ceiling of the three. If I had to trade one it would probably be Bowen. With Bard having the highest ceiling and Bucholz being the teams Minor league pitcher of the year, and voted best curve ball I would find it hard to deal him. But I seriously would consider not trading any of them if there as good as most scouts seem to think. Let them come threw the system and be groomed, and if they turn out to be special then thats awesome, let alone cheaper then going and trying to get FA. The Sox have a good rotation now and a young one to boot, that gives them the option of letting these guys develop in the minors. Next season there will be 3/5 rotation spots filled, unless, I think if Bucholz has a great year at AA he will be given a shot to fill one of them, with the other being filled by a low cost FA. But my crystal ball is at the shop being fixed so I really have no clue.

Everyone thought the Burrell contract was a great one too LOL. No but hes a solid player, blue collar guy, fits good with Philly, good for him.

As far as the number 2 hitter goes, Ill bring my point up on Drew again, I think his numbers would be way better hitting in the 2 hole instead of the 5. With his decent speed and great OBP, he would likely score over 100 runs. He would see way better pitches too having Papi and Manny hitting behind him, and there doesn't get any better protection then that. Everyone is worried about the 5 hole hitter and someone protecting Manny, let me ask this, who has Manny had protecting him the hole time in Boston? No one, he has never had adequate protection behind him, that said he still hits .300 30+HRS and 120+ RBI's. He is going to most likely get those numbers if you took a guy off the street and put him at bat behind Manny. Yes it be nice to get more production out of the bottom half of the line up but I think you would get more out of Drew in the 2 spot. Here is what I would make for a line up, 1. SS Lugo 2. RF Drew 3. DH Papi 4. LF Manny 5. 3B Lowell 6. 1B Youk 7. C Tek 8. 2B Pedroia 9. CF Crisp The reason I put Crisp at 9th instead of 8th, is just for having speed at that spot, but you could flip flop 8 and 9, but that looks like a decent line up. 1-2 good OBP/speed/some power, 3-4 you got Power/ good OBP, 5th is a doubles guy, 6th is a OBP guy, 7th with Tek is kind of an unknown, 7-8 you got speed/ low pressure.

Helton still has a few years left on his deal. Texeria has said to be available, but he wants a big contract. I think there will be more options at 3rd.

I remember reading an article in our local newspaper when I was a kid, it was about Nixon and how he decided to play Baseball instead of Football. At this point in time he was thinking of playing both. I can't remember but where did he play football and what position? Just curious.

I like Youk, he's one of those dirt ball players, but I wouldn't shed any tears if they upgraded the position offensively. I still think they might once Lowell is gone, either Youk moves to 3rd and they get a more offensive 1B, or he stays at 1st and we go after a offensive 3rd basemen. No clue who they could get to play first but there might be aa couple of options at 3rd. Crede is a FA after this season and being a Boras client the CWS won't resign him. Also if Arod has another miserable summer in NY and finally comes to grip that he will never be liked in NY, he might opt out of his contract and be a FA. Most thought there was no way he would opt out and leave all that money on the table but the way the FA market is he could easily get a new 5 year deal worth 100M no problem, and what better way to stick it to the New Yorkers then to sign with BOS and get it together in the playoffs with them! I don't beleive this a likely scenario but just a fun one to think of.

I heard the news conference was for the Notre Dame WR that the cubs drafted, he has choosen to play baseball instead of entering the NFL draft. But I think that was yesterday, maybe it it Zambrano. Jackson it must be driving you nuts, that all the pitchers you thought might be available are re uping with there respective clubs, Zambrano, Santanna(NTC), Just giving you crap LOL

Ya but not being the everyday guy will give his body a chance to get nice and healthy. I would expect to see him have an impact on whatever team he signs with next year. But he was a good guy and I wish him the best of luck!

They do seem like a bunch of tards...

If he so proven, why did ATL get Soriano and Gonzalez? Doesn't look like there to trusting in this guy. They have gone and gotten two younger harder throwing guys because with old fat relievers they may pull out a couple nice seasons but they fall off very quickly. If they trade him they def. will be selling hi. he's hit his peak and will not fair better in the AL East. He is not the solution. And yes I realize the junk that is left ont he market, but I would rather them go with what they got and see where it goes then to give up a prospect or two for a guy who will not do well in the AL East.

I wish people would stop making such retarded threads.

Yes but its all in what the market is like too. They signed Ortiz before it blew up, just like Houston rapped up Oswalt before s*** hit the fan, and now hes signed under market value. Arroyo might have gotten a little bit more money on the open market if he had hit it a couple years ago( would have made out nicely this year if he was a FA) but he took a little less on a hometown discount, but you know the risks going in to this hole deal unless oyu have a NTC, Unless you have a NTC then at any point you could be shipped out. Thats just the game. With Matsuzaka,Beckett,Papelbon and the youngsters waiting in the wings, Arroyo had a couple years left here at best before he was pushed to the bullpen of moved out for a young power arm, they sold on Arroyo when his value was about as hi as it was going to get, if anything they should have asked for a little more in the trade.

But i'm not in favor of trading him unless we get something very nice in return, I don't want them to sell low on him.

Maybe a mid level to a low prospect for him, but nothing of much quality.

Ya it does at some points, but we took the less proven player, but WMP does have the bigger upside, Arroyo has hit his peak and WMP is coming into his prime, if they can ever find a spot in the filed to play him he might end up being the better player in this deal.

Thanks Hoke, I think most of us have had drunken posts before! But I for one am grateful for your apology, and look forwad to you further posts:thumbsup:

He's running and has been doing baseball activities for like 3 weeks now. And he just started jumping. Might be a good idea to platoon him, but we either need to give Youk the chance to prove he can be solid for a full year or get someone who can.

In no way do I want to see the Sox send more prospects to the NL East for an aging over weight NL closer.

Thye hole Drew saga has me teetering on the top of the fence daily. I would love to see him come to Boston and flurish and finally have a competent hitter in the 5 hole. But with his price tag and shaky history makes me teeter the other way. Either way I would just like them to either sign him or move on to the next option if Boras won't let them protect themselves. WMP is a good talent that looked to get better last season seeing the ball at the plate, like the article said. His D needs alot of improvement, if not Drew or WMP the Tornonto is looking to move Rios, he might be a decent player. Not that I ever expect Toronto to deal him to us, but it was just an idea for conversation sake.

Wily Mo Pena is eligible for arbitration, and the Red Sox are dealing with that. They are also dealing with the reality that Pena, an extraordinary talent who cannot improve if he doesn't get some at-bats, won't have a clear avenue to get at-bats consistently this year. David Ortiz is locked in at designated hitter, and the starting outfield is set, with Manny Ramirez, Coco Crisp and J.D. Drew. The chance for Pena to play is a little better as a backup to this group than it would be if he were a member of another team, because of the injury history of Drew and because of Ramirez's habit of occasionally checking out for a few days at a time. But if Ramirez, Crisp and Drew stay healthy, that won't allow for enough at-bats for Pena, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Red Sox ask Pena to take some ground balls at first base this spring, just to see what they see. Maybe he would be adequate, decent enough for manager Terry Francona to use him as a fill-in for Kevin Youkilis, or for third baseman Mike Lowell, with Youkilis moving over to third base on the days that Lowell sits. A gut instinct after watching Pena play the outfield for years is that it would not work out; Pena is so big and wouldn't seem to have the kind of agility required by the position, and he might struggle to throw the ball at all. But it never hurts to try, and maybe he'll be a surprise. The Red Sox investment in his talent was theoretically long-term when they traded Bronson Arroyo to Cincinnati for him last spring. His birthday is this month, and he'll be just 25 years old. His at-bats improved over the course of last season; gradually, it seems, he's learning how to identify pitches, to lay off the breaking ball away. He looks terrible some days, but there were a lot of at-bats when he'd only flinch a little when he saw a good 1-ball, 2-strike breaking ball. Look at his numbers hitting in various counts: I'd love to see WMP at 1st or 3rd, should be entertaining at the very least!:thumbsup:

Henry says the Soxs will go after Rocket. Would make a great baseball story, the one we got robbed of last year when the Astro's owner vetoed a trade that would have sent him back to Boston that the Rocket had agreed to. I still think it's a two team race between NYY and BOS.

To be honest, I wouldnt mind seeing Drew hit 2nd( if he signs), I think he will be better stat wise if he has the protection of Papi and Manny behind him. Manny has never had great protection behind him, but still puts up great numbers. Just an idea that probably won't happen.