Spitball

I am betting we see very few trades for the big names. Some years it is a sellers' market and some years a buyers' market. This year it appears to be a sellers' market...except with cautious buyers. Why? Because there isn't a CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, or anyone close to a true pennant race changer. The Rockies are asking far more for Jiminez than the Guardians got for Cliff Lee a few years ago. They want to get the kind of haul the Rangers pulled in for Teixiera a few years ago. They were asking the Reds for Aroldis (105 mph) Chapman, Devin Mesoraco, Billy Hamilton, and Yonder Alonso. The first two guys are top 50 prospects and the other two are in the Reds' top five prospects. There are also reports that Travis Wood (Cliff Lee's neighbor) or Homer Bailey was part of their demands. I am betting Jimenez is not traded. I bet Beltran gets traded unless the Mets are too greedy and misread the market. I remember Jim Bowden, then Washington's GM, had Alfonso Soriano having an incredible career year, and Bowden should have pulled in a great haul of prospects from someone. Bowden was too greedy and ended up with a draft pick. Anyway, I would not be surprised to see the Mets being too greedy and end up failing to move Beltran.

Hmmm...exactly...

I appreciate the responses. Some of the posters I admire most have responded. I just have an issue with "we." I was at a class reunion once when someone refered to the football team. "We had tenacity despite our record." WTF! The guy was in the band! He was not a "we." How does a guy in the band show tenacity? Anyway...when I say "they," I hope everyone understands.

The Yankees prospects are always over rated and I believe that is universally understood.

In my opinion, if you are on the field and being judged by non-players, it matters.

I have noticed several of us say "we" when refering to the Red Sox? This will probably ruffle some feathers, but is this the correct reference??? I know when I played sports, it really, really irked me to hear non-players/management refer to the team as "we." It might be Red Sox Nation, but I doubt if any of us are actually in the real "we" catagory. I am probably alone in this belief, but I have been wondering about this since joining the board. Any thoughts on this subject?

Kuroda seems to be a five inning pitcher. His OPS against in the sixth inning is .940 and .945 in the seventh. I'd like to see the Sox get him but don't see him as anything more than a number four starter. I wonder about old friend Derek Lowe from Atlanta. He apparently is available.

I suggest we ignore the jerk. If you roll in the mud with a pig, you get nasty and he has fun. Ellsbury is developing into a five tool superstar/MVP candidate type player. I hope the Sox look into extending him before he becomes all-Carl Crawford on them. Actually, I have long felt he had a higher ceiling than CC.

As much as I'd love to see the Sox get Jimenez, I don't think they match up well with the Rockies. They don't need Iglesias because they have the best shortstop in baseball withTroy Tulowitzki...and he is locked up long term. They don't need Reddick or Kalish because they have Carlos Gonzalez, Seth Smith, Dexter Fowler, and Ryan Spilborgh depth in the outfield. To get Jimenez, I believe they'd have to get a third team involved, and that is difficult.

The Phillie offense scored five runs against Beckett in six innings.

He is under control for a couple of more years, and he is not expensive. I'd say he'd cost some major prospects. I'd take a chance on Bedard at a lesser price. The three most effective pitchers start in the playoffs. It would be an excellent, excellent problem to have. With the Sox' line-up, I'd say they can fill right with Reddick or Kalish. Pitching will be the Sox downfall.

If Ubaldo Jiminez is indeed available, the Sox need to get into the bidding. I do find it suspicious that a TOR pitcher who under control through 2013 could be available. Apparently his radar readings are down about 3 mph but his SO/9 are about the same. The Sox can't count on Lester, Beckett, and Buccholz all being healthy for the playoffs. They need another pitcher.

I have been a fan since 1964 when I was in fifth grade. Tony Conigliaro, Carl Yastzremski, Dick Stuart, Dick Radatz, and Felix Mantilla were among my favorites. I think I can still remember each player's number.

I don't think I posted anything misleading, and I did check the numbers. Versus left handers, the slugging percentage is .436. Against right handers, it is .458. Much of the difference is because Gonzalez has a huge split because of his monsterous .706 slugging against right handers. David Ortiz is actually slugging better this year against lefties (.591 compared to .576). But they still see more than twice as many right handers as left handers.