Dojji

Agreed. I'd trade a good package for either Beltran or Santana. For both, I blow the bank.

Exposito was promoted to AA in mid July and has killed the ball since. If he's ready, Wagner and Kottaras will not stand in his way. Tazawa has reached the big leagues in his first professional season, has good offspeed stuff and a low 90's fastball, and has showed good poise and faced down good lineups, although not without struggling (which again for a rookie is not surprising). He was considered the equivalent to a first round talent when the Sox signed him and has done little to dispel that notion. I conaiswe the underdeveloped command he's shown in a couple of his outings to simply being a rookie and not having the reps to perfect his mechanics. That should improve with a good pitching coach. He's by no means ready to dominate the big leagues yet, but that doesn't mean he never will. Bowden's upside is nearly as high as Buchholz or Lester, both of whom also struggled from time to time in their first exposures to the big leagues. With a mid 90's fastball, a plus changeup and an average or better breaking ball, Michael Bowden has as good a chance as anyone else to be an effective middle of the rotation starter, and at age 22 he has many years to figure it out before he risks bust status. Kalish is a speedy CF type who rivals Ellsbury for speed. He's flashed legitimate 5-tool potential and has hit for power both at A+ and AA this year despite his wrist injury. Between the two levels he's got a combined .806 OPS and a .444 SLG. Struggling in AA at age 21 doesn't cause me to panic and it shouldn't panic you either. Besides, this speedy CF is only "struggling" to the tune of a .755 OPS in AA and has stolen 12 bases. A speedster CF can endure having a .755 OPS in age 21 at AA I think. If he works out as a defensive CF this guy is going to go a long ways. Actually Kalish makes me a lot less nervous than Reddick, who has a comp to the underwhelming Jeff Francoeur because of his lack of walks. Reddick is another one who would benefit from working out successfully as a CF. The salaries are the only reason that two players who are the faces of their franchise are even potentially available. And getting players of this caliber is why you have and spend money.

American League pitchers who are beyond a reasonable doubt better than Burnett (in no particular order) Greinke Beckett Halladay Sabathia Hernandez Verlander Edwin Jackson Lester Shields Garza

D'oh! I keep getting him and Danks mixed up for some reason.

Beltran is more of a Red Sox type player than Ellsbury. Hmm... Adding a few finishing touches and... Sign JJ Putz (Mets won't pick up his option) Sign Miguel Tejada (downside is a solid utility man, and we need help at SS) Prospect for JJ Hardy (same concept as Tejada) If you can swing it, get Adam Dunn from the Nationals (I'm not sure if we have the prospects left for this, but if we do that's one loaded lineup) Pedroia, 2B Drew, RF Beltran, CF Youkilis, 1B Dunn, DH Bay, LF Martinez, C Lowell, 3B Hardy/Tejada, SS Kotchman,1B Baldelli/Kapler, OF Tejada/Hardy, IF Wagner, C Beckett Santana Lester Daisuke Buchholz Papelbon Bard Oki Delcarmen Ramirez Putz Wakefield Umm... whoa...

Hate to lose Bard, but we have enough other quality relievers that I'd probably pull the trigger on that deal, considering that if Beltran and Santana hit their career averages in Boston it sets us up to be instant favorites for World Series contention for at least the next 2 seasons. That's one of the reasons you develop prospects in the first place after all. Westmoreland is a legit blue chip prospect but just too far away to stop a franchise-altering deal like that from going down.

Kalish and Reddick aren't elite prospects? For that matter, Exposito is on the cusp of elite status as well, especially defensively. If you'd have to throw in Anderson, I certainly don't balk at that, except that I'd rather sub in Rizzo because trading Anderson right now is selling low and the Mets might be more impressed with Rizzo anyway..

They'd be foolish to take 5 of a team's top 10 prospects? From one of the best farm systems in the league? All of which are within 2 years of the big leagues? In a situation where they need to save money? If they got a haul like that, I have no doubt at all that the Mets could spin it positively. And it'd set us up for years.

I kinda feel the same way. I really expect a short outing from wake tonight. We've slugged our way back into ballgames each of the last 2 nights though so I think the bats bail him out. Especially against a lefty where we don't lack for righthanded power. If Lowell, Youkilis, Martinez, and Bay are all in the lineup I think we win this. Especially if Ortiz is not.

I'd do it. Play Beltran in right field, Ellsbury in center, Drew in left, a rotation of Beckett-Santana-Lester-Daisuke-Buchholz, I think that puts us right back at the top of baseball for the next couple years. We'd be in a bit of trouble if a starter went down though since we'd have burnt our replacements and we'd be at risk of a Charlie Zink start. That's remedied by holding onto Wake as the long man -- if VMart checks out with the knuckler that option should be on the table again.

How many of you would give up a package of Bowden, Tazawa, Kalish, Exposito and Reddick for Santana and Beltran?

A hat. Bright red, and sporting that "well loved" shape. Birthday present from 2 years ago. Not all of us go in for gaudy displays of their pinkhattishness.

if I had to pick for J_E here's what I'd do Ryan Rowland-Smith, P John Maine, P Ryan Garko, 1B, Bench Both of those pitchers are under 30 and while they have struggled recently both maintain a good WHIP, and Garko is one of the remaining power hitting 1B, a position he needed to fill off the bench.

And a young, cost-controlled SP (Bowden perhaps?)

If they acquire a cost controlled SP in return then use the freed up money to sign Lackey and Bedard, they might be better off.

http://www.inmowetrust.com/img/cc-sabathia.jpg Something tells me that isn't the problem.

http://celebriosity.today.com/files/2009/02/catfight.jpg

http://www.cbc.ca/whatodds/sibling%20rivalry.jpg

Nice pic. Looks like Wakes used his Just For Men that day.

Starter needs 3 pitches at least. Penny has the potential to be a dominant reliever with the heater and hook. His problem is that he insists he's a starter..

Someone might get a bargain on JJ Putz too for that matter. Minaya might be wise to simply turn the roster over and "blow it up," swapping veterans for cheaper, younger contracts where he can. He's had the kind of year, and if you believe the rumors he's got the kind of financial situation, where teams sometimes decide to do that. He's got a bloated roster but there's enough value there that he should be able to come down with something that's relevant in that division.

Actually BSN07 is right. They can be put on but then they cannot be taken back off unless they clear.

I do not require your permission to dream. Santana and Beltran are two contracts that are very likely to be inquired about with the Mets giving money-conscious signals. It'll be up to their leadership to decide whether finances require them to take a step backward or not, but there's logic to the move.