TheMino007

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091115&content_id=7669428&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091115&content_id=7669432&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

well this is kind of buzz kill for Cabrera talks http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/20091118wait_and_see_again_for_mike_lowell/ The Tigers are nuts if they think that is a good starting point for talks

I wonder what V-Mart's future with the Red Sox will be, we have picked up his option for this year, and all I've heard are whisperings that the Sox want to extend him. Would it be feasible and smart to extended V-Mart long term? I don't think his long term future is as a catcher, as we have seen during his final couple of years in Cleveland, he was trending more to being converted to a 1stbaseman. He's one of the best hitting catchers in all of baseball, but his defensive skills aren't impressive and how many games can he be limited to catching to before it starts to effect his offense? 100? 110? 120? Anyway, he is a decent firstbaseman in terms of offensive production, good, nothing great. An everyday firstbaseman will usually put up around that .830 OPS number that V-Mart has. He loses all his value when you transition him to 1stbase. I'd much rather try and trade for Gonzalez or Cabrera then slide V-Mart over there full time and try and find another young catcher for the future. How long to Exposito is ready? Three years? Two at the earliest? That is how long I would consider giving a contract offer to V-Mart for.

ummm, no I never said that or intended to lead people to that conclusion. Just look at Clay, its all in the way he carries himself out on the mound when things are going bad. I said he will never get over this, I said when he gets over it is when he will become a great pitcher. And he better get his ass in gear, the guy is already 26.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/546236/546236 With Tek coming back as the backup, I knew he was all but gone. The Sox weren't going to carry three catchers. Brown is working his way up and Expositio is still a ways away, but I think the future is bright for him. Anyway, I think Kottras will end up as backup somewhere on a Major League roster.

Over a .300 career batting average, over 200 HR's and only 26? I'd take that in a heart beat. According to Bill James he is projected to put up 318 /.394/.569 next year, and his offensive numbers would get only better by playing in Fenway 91 games a year. Guys he is 26, not 36. He's locked up till he is 31, his weight shouldn't be that much of an issue. Could it be easier for the Sox to get Miggy if the took on Magglio Ordonez too? I know he is due 18 mill next year, but its only for one year, and he could be a nice stop gap solution in LF if we don't land Bay or Holliday. James thinks he'll put up 311/.376/.476. Or he is completely done...

Its not that amazing when you spend $450 million and have a payroll of 210 million that by blows away any other team. It kind of taints it. The fact that that Yankees have the highest payroll and don't win, then have to spend $450 million to win, is well... pathetic. I guess there is a price now on how much it takes to buy a championship

I just figured it would be better to make its own thread instead of having it buried in the zillion pages that is the Hot stove thread. Anyway, I guess there are some downsides to Miguel Cabrera, the fact that he might be a clubhouse cancer, his weight, hell he might even be an alcoholic, but I'll take him. He could be the next Manny Rameriz and the Sox will have him locked up in the prime of his career till he is 31.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/12530451

The Yanks could trade Jackson + a couple of lesser prospects for Granderson. Its interesting, there is a lot of good and bad for him. His numbers could be trending down, but if you put him in Yankee Stadium, his home run numbers will go way up I mean look at this: http://http://www.hittrackeronline.com/parks/Granderson_Curtis_2009_scatter.jpg He is already hitting about 30 home runs a year in Detroit, image him in Yankee Stadium? He's only owed $23.75 Million through 2012, with a $13M option for 2013. Problem is though the guy can't hit lefties, he hit .183 last year with a .245 OBP and a .485 OPS against lefties last year. You would have to bench him against lefties, but you could throw out Melky vs. lefties. Guy also can't hit offspeed stuff. He's a .300+ hitter facing fastballs but vs. curves/sliders he hovers around .200. He hits .240 vs. changeups. Once pitchers realize that he can't hit anything but fastballs, Granderson is in trouble.

Yea if I recall people where calling it the Lowell trade and saying Beckett was the throw in haha. People had a right to be upset though, the Sox traded their best prospect for a guy who gave up 35 homers runs and had a 5.30 ERA. As a side note, I wonder if that trade would have been made if Theo was in control of the team at that time. Remember, it was Ben and Jed running the team as co-GM's at that point when Theo left.

Yea, right now Clay is a head case and his ability is really affected by what is going on upstairs. Its not his stuff, his command, or his mechanics that worry me the most, its his head. Does he have the mental game? Will he learn to just let go of one bad inning or one bad start and just pitch?

It doesn't make sense that the Sox would have their 4th OF a lefty, when the Sox already have Ellsbury and Drew already being lefties that start. If the Red Sox sign Jason Bay or Matt Holliday, which seems very likely, then having a left handed hitting outfielder coming off the bench doesn't make a whole lot of sense. That would mean carrying two outfielders which makes even less sense because it pulls a guy out of a very full and talented bullpen. Now this is of course my best guess but I would expect to see him to get some reps at first base in the minors. That would allow him to take over the same position that Casey Kotchman has on the bench and allow the team to move Kotchman during the season or he'll get the reps at first during spring training. But who knows, the offseason hasn't even really started yet.

Agree. Can't disagree with trading Hanley and Sanchez for Beckett and Lowell

Since I hope the Sox don't do what they did last season and focus only one one player, if the Sox can't find that they trade for Adrian Gonzalez, why not trade for Miguel Cabrera? http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10374040/Trading-Cabrera-makes-financial-sense-for-Tigers It makes sense because the Tigers are trying to shed payroll. But Papelbon, Lowell, and a prospect will get it done. They are trying to cut payroll and get younger, not take on an expensive closer and an aging 3rd baseman. Could The Sox can swing Lars Anderson, Kelly, Bowden, Bard, for him? Would you do that?

Last year Buccholz made great strides in his developement. I think him having the confidence knowing that his spot is cemented in the starting rotation next year (wherever he plays) will give him a lot of confidence. Add to that he is coming off a strong second half of last season, he should have all the confidence in the world of his ability. Since Clay still seems to be a guy who is effected by his confidence or lack there of at times (he is gonna have to learn to get rid of that in the future in order to be a successfull pitcher, he can't be ratteled by one bad inninng and then have it snowball into stretches of bad starts) he should be pitching well to start next year. I still think the Sox should still invest in a legit number three just in case, but there is no reason why Clay shouldn't be anything less than a great number 4 option next year.

The luxury tax needs to be lowered and teams need to be punished more greatly for being over it. Every year the Yankees can't have a monoply over baseball by having all the power to spend on whomever ever they want while every other team has a budget.

Well, that is the idea lol. Thats 50-60 million dollars right there, but it would be well worth it. Realistically, the Sox should bring Gonzo back for 3 mil and re-sign Bay or sign Holliday. Then trade for a big name like Gonzalez or Cabrera or Halladay or Herndandez. Just keep the options open Theo

I'm gonna keep this blunt: Sox have no number three, sign Lackey. Bring back Gonzo for one year at SS. Trade for Miguel Cabrera or Adrian Gonzalez. Sign Bay/Holliday. Try to persuade Wanger to come back.

Yankee fans are just too deep in the forest and too biased to see where the rest of the country is coming from. 3 hired guns which the Yanks didn't have last year are the reason why the Yankees bought that championship. They blew away every other team in terms of spending and in a recession in which players weren't getting as much and teams where spending as much the Yankees spent $450 on 3 players.

Well, at least its still early

even if the Sox had a RHH 4th OF, Drew should still be out there vs. lefties.

Bays value increases by a little bit.

haha when a GM gives an answer like Oh God No lol you know a guy isn't going anywhere

Its not all on the starters. The pitchers make not attempt to hold the runners on, never mind throwing over or varying how long they hold the ball before delivery to home plate. It would be the end of the world as we know it if this coaching staff encouraged pitchers to use a slide step