Dojji

Don't rule it out, the kid's definitely got all the talent he'd need, I just don't know if he's developed well enough yet that the consistency will be there.

That's... an optimistic projection. But not really insanely so, he did put up pretty fair numbers this year for a rookie of his age (.700 OPS that's only as bad as it is due to a late slump). 20 HR's, a .340 OBP and some speed on the basepaths is a pretty exciting combination.

I like the idea of Reynolds, many of the objections to him applied to Beltre as well (bad year, poor OBP, etc). And when he gets hold of the ball it goes a very long way. Basically there's a Carlos Pena like aspect to Reynolds that I really endorse looking into. The strikeouts are the only really alarming thing, he's going to be facing some fairly decent pitching in the AL East after all. But as long as he can keep his BA somewhere in Jacko's range, I'm for taking a look.

You're reading too much into that last handful of at bats in Chicago IMHO. On the season he still hit .298/.409/.460, which is respectable power and a fantastic plate approach.

Mountain out of a molehill. If Theo hadn't contacted Boras at least once that would have been the news item. Let's see if anything comes of it.

In my very cursory investigation I see some superficial stimilarities between Werth and Jermaine Dye. I wouldn't take him past 35 given the choice.

I didn't see Buck among the list of FA's or I might have suggested him. Olivo benefitted too much from the altitude at Coors for me to be happy about trying to bring him in. As for "can't hit to safe his life" that's a bit of an oversell, the guy maintains a half decent OBP for a catcher, the only reason he looks bad is because we've been spoiled by a healthy Tek and V-Mart for so many years. Looking at the list of available options at catcher Schneider actually stands up fairly well. He isn't outstanding but he'd only be there as a stopgap starter in case Salty spit the bit, you're not going to sign a superstar catcher to play that role.

How's about bringing in Brian Schnieder to support Salty and let Tek go? I could stand him as a fulltime catcher if it came to that -- not a worldbeater, but respectable and with a sterling defensive reputation. Sort of a poor man's Yadier Molina.

I'd look at him for the bullpen, I wouldn't ask him to start.

It's not impossible, but it became more difficult when the Padres gave themselves a fighting chance at winning a playoff spot last year and came one epic late season collapse away from beating out the eventual Series winner to a playoff spot ( you know, and I know, that there's some extra emotionality in the World Series coming to the team who got the spot you were fighting for) Basically, the Padres are at best hopeful enough, at worst deluded eonugh, to think they might have a shot next year and having a shot is good for the bottom line. Trading Adgon is hard to justify under that circumstance and it may be bad at the ticket window as a result. I predict he'll move in the end, but only in midseason, the Padres FO will give their squad the first half of the year to establish whether they think can get to the playoffs or not. If there's a reasonable chance (which my WAG defines as "The Padres are within 2-3 games of the division at the deadline") I think they go out and buy talent, GFIN and settle for the pick -- a gamble, yes, but one small markets take from time to time. Only if the Padres are well out of the playoff picture is Adgon to Boston a significant possibility.

No problem with that, Atchison was a pleasant surprise.

They just made a radical change to the nature and character of their team, I don't think even BB should be reasonably expected to rewrite/restore the old playbook in 3 games, so what he's done in quickly getting them back to the old Patriots way well enough to win games against decent teams is fairly impressive.

Yeah, I was wanting to try to make the Cy Young reference too but Emmz beat me to it fair and square.

OK, read that wrong. Is that based on yards or points? Cuz one matters and the other one doesn't.

You realize you just made my point for me, don't you? You're arguing about a season in retrospect once we already knew the aftermath and trying to say there's no chance that the current squad can emulate it, even though we don't know which if any of our current defense might turn out to have great careers like those all-pros did. OK now the question becomes, why do you feel he can't do that with this crop of players? They've shown they can hold some solid offenses to reasonable numbers and they can make big plays defensively, why do you seem to be so very convinced that they won't round into shape as the season wears on? Top 10 in total defense and playing the by-the-book bend and don't break Pats D, looks just fine to me. That was a very good offense they held under 20 points last night with a lot of tools in the toolbox. Seems to me that the Patriot D is a lot better than you're prepared to give it credit for.

I didn't say what I said to disparage Belichick. But even Belichick needs to have something to work with. That's the point I'm trying to get through to Emmz. Yeah, Belichick's schemes are playing a more prominent role than the name players, but that doesn't mean the coach is bigger than the team, it just means that he's getting solid performances from guys we haven't learned to appreciate yet.

Frankly in the early part of that run, those defenders were not all-pro. Or at least were not considered to be all-pro. They used the same clever coach and made some great plays and made a championship or two happen and eventually the league recognized that the performance of those players played a role in what the coach was able to do. Much like people are starting to realize that guys like Jarrod Mayo are pretty danged good right now. THe Bill Belichick effect is overrated. A coach is not a wizard -- he needs talent to work with to get the job done. No one can win a Superbowl with a practice squad. If a coach is getting the job done, then he's found a way to get some extra talent out of the guys he has or a scheme that takes advantage of the existing talent of a set of underappreciated players. Point is that if even a great coach is getting the job done that mean the team he's getting it done WITH is at least good.

Lord yes. Maine isn't as bad as the upper midwest, but I do have a story of a nasty little cold snap where I walked out of my college dorm wearing a scarf that redirected my breath up into my glasses, fogging them up as I walked. It was irritating, but I managed to feel my way to the building I had my class in, then I pulled off my specs to polish off the... Frost. It was frost, like that kind you scrape off your windshield in the morning. The droplets had frozen in the like 5 minutes it took me to walk from one building to another even with my breath supplying a bit of extra warmth. I kept my glasses in my pocket anytime I wanted to go outside after that. That was the year I got brain-freeze if I went anywhere without a warm hat and walking into a wind made my vision all blurry until I was afraid my eyes were freezing. I've had better months than that particular January. Basically the cold generally isn't all that dangerous, but there are exceptions to that rule and you had better take a few precautions to make sure you're properly equipped. I found a warm hat and a 1 foot by 8 foot 2-ply scarf indispensible that winter. And I ain't exactly skin and bones here, I pity anyone trying to last too long in a northern winter without adequate ballast. Weight provides a natural core warmth reserve that really helps if you have to be out in the wind any length of time.

Three really excellent lefthanded starting potentials in Montgomery, Lamb and Duffy, especially the first two. Three potential impact sluggers in Moustakas, Hosmer and Myers, the last of which is being tried in earnest as a catcher Along with a really very nice SS and 2B prospect each within 18 months of big league readiness (Christian Colon at SS and Johnny Giavotella at 2B.) That's 8 guys with solid to great potential, all of which should have MLB service time under their belts by season after next. They're a little light in the outfield, but since Myers and/or Moustakas may need to move out there that might not be the huge problem it appears to be. They're a great trade fit for anyone who's willing to part with a potential impact CF prospect since that's probably their one really big weakness right now. A MI to help provide some insurance in case Johnny G or CC busts out would be helpful but not something you swap a franchise ace you may have the money to resign for.

SCM, the Royals minor league system is extremely highly regarded, much like the Rays' system was in 2007 or so with at least 7-8 potential impact talents coming up in the very near future (next 2-3 years). That's at minimum by the way, I can't see most of these guys not at least making the bigs. I imagine you probably even wrote posts like this that the Rays would never be contenders in 2007 so you are at least consistent. Even a team that's never gotten it right before can figure out a formula that works, and what Moore is doing in KC with revamping their international scouting and player development and being just behind the Sox as one of the most aggressive draft spenders is a move in the right direction at the very least. How he talked his largely absentee owners into that aggressive a draft budget I have no idea, but he did it and when his draftees start percolating up into the bigs in a serious way the Royals' fortunes should change dramatically for the better.

Uhh guys? This is Greinke we're talking about, not Joe Schlubmore. You're not going to get anywhere trying to hold our potential impact guys out of any Greinke deal. It's BECAUSE Kalish is a potential impact guy that the deal is possible mostly with him in it. Frankly no matter who you wanna try to trade for, it's going to be an effort to keep Kalish out of the deal, exactly because he's a potential 5 tool impact rookie that looks like he's nearly ready to serve as at least a solid leadoff type with a ceiling of far more than that. You think Hoyer isn't going to harp on getting Kalish in the deal for Gonzo? You think Milwaukee didn't scout Kalish and won't demand him in a Fielder trade? He's our most valuable commodity right now, and other GM's are going to ask.

If I had to identify one player we had that the Royals would be most interested in it would easily be Ryan Kalish. Their vaunted farm system is rather short on outfielders and centerfielders in particular, and so is their big league squad (Gregor Blanco isn't half bad, but there isn't a lot of ceiling there). Kalish is a legit 5-tool CF prospect that came up last year, played in the majors and while he did not set the world on fire he also did not embarrass himself, demonstrating his abilities both as a power hitter and a baserunner. He as close to a true centerpiece to a Greinke deal as we have and I'm sure that any Greinke deal we propose would almost have to center around him..