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No i'm not, which is why i didn't quote you. I believe it was jung who made the reference earlier.

Not even close. Huge chunks of missed time, did not manage a decade of dominance. Under 300 HR's, under 1,500 RBI. Won't make it.

How are Clay's injury issues "chronic"? He's had one serious injury (last year) and is currently pitching at full capacity. The injury-prone label is tossed too liberally around here.

What does this even mean? Where do you come up with this s***?

So you think he won't improve enough this year to get past those mistakes?

Realistically, Dempster. I'm factoring in not only possible performance, but also cost.

Predictably: Cherington says Youkilis trade reports innacurate

I don't see how Youkilis is a better defender than WMB at the moment.

I don't think he'd be a guy who'd rise under the pressures of a market like Boston. This is personal opinion, but from what i've read, he does have some headcase tendencies. That's the last thing the Red Sox need.

Defense needs to stop making stupid mistakes. Too many fundamentally un-sound throws and bad OF positioning.

I don't know about anyone else, but i'd be weary of making a major investment for Matt Garza.

Kenley Jansen for Youkilis is not going to happen. The Dodgers don't really have any other back-end BP options. They would make a hole to plug a hole.

Is WMB enough of a defensive upgrade to justify trading Youkilis? Because there's no way Middlebrooks sniffs Youkilis' on-base abilities. He probably has more present power and better contact skills right now, but is it worth it?

Yeah i just saw it.

Youkilis will probably be traded soon if these rumors are already circulating. Twitter is blowing up with it and they list the Dodgers and Cubs as potential trade partners

This is all probably moot, since the Red Sox are shopping Youk apparently: Red Sox are shopping Kevin Youkilis.

Do you know more than the opinion of every scout who has ever seen Salty catch? No you don't. Stop pretending that a single, flawed stat does. As mentioned in the post, a baseline similar to last year. If i was, i would be using adjectives such as "suck". I'm using his first complete, (and best) year as a baseline. Most of his rates just happen to be consistent with as a whole. A 4% increase in LD% over last year (his best season) is significant, specially on a small sample where luck can really magnify a player's rate stats. You either don't understand the rate or you're too much of a Salty lover to see it. the HR/FB rate is problematic for a small sample like this season because it inflates SLG, and OPS by association, while still ignoring the glaring inability to get on base. Because his main flaws (Tons of strikeouts, lack of patience, giving a bad target while catching) are all still present. He doesn't make enough contact to sustain a high batting average. If the K's improve and the walks start coming, i'll be the first to jump on the Salty bandwagon. Until then, i'm a Lavarnway believer. Defensive statistics are flawed: Each and every of them. Even more so for catchers. Trusting a single stat without trusting scouting reports is idiocy. Not, it wouldn't be. It all depends on the return.

W/L is one of the worst statistics imaginable. At least QS is consistent. Think about it: You can pitch a one-run complete game and lose, yet allow 8 runs in 5 IP and win.

Because the statistic is not accurate enough to present a clear picture. I'm sorry, it's just not. Not his career line, which is awful and i never mentioned. But rather a baseline similar to what he did last year. I'd agree with the "living up to his potential" hype if it wasn't for his inflated LD% and HR/FB%. A 4% increase on line drives for a guy who strikes out as much as Salty really impacts his rate stat. You're giving me all this stat talk yet ignoring the stats. Also, he is not an above-average receiver. He just isn't.