Balta1701

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 12:12 PM) this is about 1 year too late. Anderson, do good next year so we don't have to see Mack in the outfield. Mack in the Outfield is fine. Mack in CF is not.

There's just something about this, not sure what it is, that makes me smile. And one more worthwhile note... In other words, one of those hate amendments that the right has used for years to try to pump up election turnout among the base may deny Mary Cheney's partner many of the rights of a normal parent.

QUOTE(redandwhite @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 11:13 AM) Wily Mo Pena is still available, if no Ramirez deal is struck contrary to ESPN Deportes' belief, I could see him being moved for Chad Cordero. Afterall, Jim Bowden loves him. With the people in the Red Sox outfield (J.D. Drew), I'd make sure I kept a backup right handed outfield bat sitting around there, just in case, if I were theo.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 11:02 AM) I meant in addition to that. They need to find a closer and could still use another pitcher. I wonder if Matt Clement will somehow show up this year. They may very well wind up with Hansen closing for them surprisingly soon.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 10:04 AM) KW said in a Trib interview that "any rumor you see about us adding a big bat is false." Well I guess that is about as clear as it gets. There was none of the usual ambiguity in that statement. So then, which big bat is he going to get?

I like this move from the Royals perspective too. Burgos is going to be hitting arbitration before that team really has a shot at competing, so why not try to set yourself up so that you have a better shot a few years from now, same as they did with MMac.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 08:57 AM) Boston's defense got worse up the middle since Gonzalez is a stud there and Lugo is not (defensively speaking). I really don't understand why they are spending all this money on offense cause they need to upgrade the pitching staff. Matz says hi.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 10:54 AM) The Dodgers seem dead set on winning that division now. Well, they did just guarantee that the Giants and Padres wouldn't be able to pick him up, and replaced Maddux as well. But that division is still going to shape up as a dogfight unless the Dodgers to something to replace J.D. Drew's bat (Kemp + Billingsly for Dye )

QUOTE(kevo880 @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 10:41 AM) well, one top pitcher down. hopefully zito will sign with someone soon and we can get a trade accomplished. Either the Mets or the Rangers now will officially be looking for a top-of-the-rotation sort of guy, with the Cubs, Mariners, Angels, Padres, and a bunch of others on the outside. Either you deal with Boras, or you deal with KW. Me Likey.

I'd prefer Santana out of the 2.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 11:10 PM) The history of baseball might have been altered in terms of the 2006 playoffs had this decision been made LAST offseason when we acquired him. Yes, I would contest his defense cost us half a dozen games last year. And Shoota's comment is 100 percent right, and re-stirred my anti-Ozzie feelings I haven't had since the season ended. You are 100% correct. If this move were made in June/July when Anderson started to hit, the White Sox would have been in the playoffs last year. QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 07:57 AM) Anderson can have Ozuna back him up NO. QUOTE(ChiSox9 @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 06:12 AM) Regardless of everything, I dont feel that there is room for mack and his $2M plus salary on this team. We have a solid option with Sweeny in AAA to fill in in the outfield. Our Bench would look more attractive with: Ozuna (in/of), Cintron (in), Gload (in/of), Sweeny (of), Backup Catcher IMHO. While that would make our bench better, it's not necessarily the best thing for the organization. Ryan Sweeney should be at AAA for one more year. He needs at bats to keep working, keep growing up, and maybe work on hitting with more power. He is not going to do that getting 100-150 at bats off the bench in the big leagues. Furthermore, his arbitration clock has not yet been started, so if we manage to keep our outfield healthy so that he doesn't need to be brought up at midseason, it delays arbitration/FA on him by another year. QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 05:39 AM) Which might very well have been true, especially once the offense overall started to sputter and he has to make the choice between a guy hovering around .300 versus a man around the Mendoza Line. The only problem with that...during August and September, when the offense actually was sputtering, Anderson was just as good of a hitter, if not better, than Mackowiak.

The last 5 years, J.D. Drew has averaged 119.6 games per year. Trot Nixon has averaged 114. Since the start of 1999, J.D. Drew has averaged 118.25 games per year. That's over 9 seasons. And he's signing this deal while he's 31. $14 million a year for 3/4 of a season on average every year.

QUOTE(BobDylan @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 05:58 PM) Maybe it was a landslide. Maybe the first place vote getter got 1.234 billion votes. Stephen Colbert was running?

QUOTE(spataro51 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 05:12 PM) 5/65 mil sounds great but correct me if i am wrong but doesn't jr and the whole sox organization shy away from giving pitchers no more then 3 year deals? if that is the case a 3/39-40 mil a year with a couple of team options sounds good to me. Yes, the organization does tend to try to go for a 3 year deal. But Mark Buehrle has absolutely zero reason to accept a 3 year deal when all he has to do is stay healthy and have an average Mark Buehrle season next year to be looking at scoring 5-6 years at $15 mil or more per year (depending on what Zito gets) if he hits the FA market.

QUOTE(Soxman72 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 04:56 PM) J.D. Drew to the Red Sox - 5 Year Deal per ESPNEWS Pending a physical, per SI.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 04:52 PM) JD Drew to Red Sox for 5 years, 70 million? Anyone got further confirmation on this yet? SI says it's done pending physical.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 04:46 PM) WGN Radio had a clip of Ozzie running his mouth about how Brandon is going to AAA, because he doesnt want to pitch out of the pen and he has no right to ask to pitch in the rotation. Ozzie needs to learn how to keep his top lip and his bottom lip together more. Ozzie must be getting twitchy now that KW might trade his relative.

Linkity. Other link, with the rest of the ballot.

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 04:29 PM) They'll have a great rotation in that average division. That division does not look like it will be "average" for long. The D-Backs and Dodgers are loaded with young talent, the Padres have a solid young pitching staff and some talent on the field, the Rockies are slowly but surely building a pitching staff.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 04:19 PM) He is 21 right now, and 2007 will be his third year. I understand the Royals aren't really close at all right now to being competitive, but there comes a point when you need to have some sort of blocks to build on, and Burgos certainly has the stuff to be that sort of block. I think a starting rotation consisting of Hochevar, Lumsden, and Bannister may be a better foundation.

One of the best deals the Padres could possibly make. Jake Peavy and Chris Young will suddenly look 3x smarter.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 04:05 PM) I love Burgos, and the Royals would be idiots to let him go. That depends entirely on what they get back. Burgos has been up for a couple years now, so he's only what, a year or two away from hitting arbitration and having his cost go up? With what the Twins, White Sox, Indians, and Tigers have, what are the odds the Royals will be able to be competitive in this division in either 2007 or 2008? If I'm building the Royals, I target as many people as I can who are hanging around AA or so right now, so that they'll be hitting the big leagues in 2008/2009 (which just happens to be when their current draft picks might be ready also) Burgos maybe improves my team by a couple wins next year, but if I find quality minor leaguers now (like they did in the MMac deal), then maybe they can put together a complete team in a few years.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 03:27 PM) I would like to participate in the strategy making of a two party election. If it is as a candidate, that's fine, if we think that Rex versus someone else would be more interesting or entertaining, which is what this is, then I will step aside. I want to see what happens when you put the 2 options on an electronic voting machine as "Rex" and "Tex".

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 02:34 PM) I think we should do an Election with VPs.... that would be fun. Does anyone have a gay daughter that we could mention during the debates?

QUOTE(DrunkBomber @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 01:13 PM) I heard he was seen out on the town with Merriman. You're thinking of Hollis Thomas.