iamshack

QUOTE(SoxFan76 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 02:25 PM) Tell me you did not just say MCab. I've heard a lot of bad "first initial, first part of last name"'s, (ok, they're all horrible), but that one is probably the worst! Sorry, I picked it up on other message boards....I guess it just happens when half of the all star team these days are named Cabrera, Ramirez, or Rodriguez...

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 02:22 PM) Nomo is by far the best comparison I've ever seen, that's the one I always love to use. 1 great year, another pretty good year after that about 5 or so ok years and then just utter crap. I really see Dontrelle going down this road. And you would have to think the Marlins are mindful of that. Yet, they are *refusing* to deal him.... I don't buy this "he's not available" bs...

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 01:34 PM) The question is where does Fields fit in? Obviously they have Cabrera. Would they move Fields or change the position of another guy. Or move MCab?

QUOTE(fathom @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 12:58 PM) Almost all of Upton's errors were when he was at SS. He makes every play look like a tough play. Agreed. Apparently he is getting better defensively at third.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 12:27 PM) Sorry, I don't want anything to do with the Mets if we're not getting a bullpen piece. What the fish would be the point of trading for second-tier prospects when we're in a playoff race? The only reason I can see us trading for prospects is to turn around and trade them for ML talent, but what the hell would we get for only second-tier prospects? The Mets don't seem like they really wanna do business. They're just posturing. Once they realize their crappy prospects won't get them anything, they will change their tune. They know that every AL contender mashed mediocre pitching, and they will get thumped in a hypothetical WS if they don't improve that rotation.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 10:44 AM) You didn't read Soxtalk's rules of conduct, did you? There are plenty of baseball sites where you can get away with acting like an obnoxious 13-year-old, but this isn't one of them. The risk of declining skills for a power pitcher in his 30's vs. that of a finesse pitcher of the same age is very different. I thought that everyone knew that, but apparently not. Therefore, your comparison of Freddy to Glavine and Pedro is a poor one. Let it die, man. You aren't seeing my argument. That was from 3 days ago. We differ widely on the worth of Garcia. We'll just wait and see what happens.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 10:45 AM) I gotta think the Rodrigo Lopez stuff is bunk. There's just noone who's so stupid. Maybe a really dumb attempt to make the Yanks think a trade was coming soon, so hurry up and give us Hughes. Yeah, you would think....the entire situation seems extremely odd to me. Since when does a FO member go on the radio and admit that a newspaper has a trade rumor spot-on, before the deadline is even over? I mean, Kenny has been known to vaguely confirm some rumors AFTER the deadline passes. But Duquette said something, in a not saracastic tone, to the effect of, "Yes, I have to give credit to the Sun, because that story is correct. I don't know who their sources are, but that story is accurate." Miguel Tejada and Melvin Mora both actually commented on how they would both love to have Abreu there in Baltimore as well. Umm, bizarre? That almost seems like tampering... Perhaps he was just f'ing with the Baltimore media...

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 10:26 AM) Some rumors from Gotham Baseball: http://www.gothambaseball.com/news/1153454862.php You know, this is funny, because supposedly, the Mets "refuse" to deal EVERYONE they have of any value whatsover. We have now heard the Mets will not deal Wright, Reyes, Milledge, Pelfrey, Sanchez, and now Heilman. Well something's got to give. They've got to trade SOMEONE to get a starter back.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 10:11 AM) I think at the end of the day Minaya WILL acquire a SP. You just can't go in with Steve Trachsel as your 3rd starter, when he hasn't been pitching well. The million dollar question here is however, if Minaya can get a Miguel Batista or Livan Hernandez cheaper than say Freddy Garcia (most likely Washington and the D-Backs would just ask for prospects and not a bullpen piece like Sanchez and Heilman), wouldn't Minaya be better off just doing that instead? Not like there's much difference b/w the 3 pitchers ATM anyways. Very interesting to hear on Willis though. Who would the Cards be giving up here? Maybe some pieces like Reyes and some stud prospects perhaps? According the mlbtraderumors, which has more or less taken the rumor off the message boards of Vivaelbirdos, which like Halosheaven, is a very solid site, as well as a writer of the Post-Dispatch who chimed in, the Cards would basically turn their entire system over to Florida. Actually, no, but they would give up Anthony Reyes, prized-prospect (and only real prospect in their system) Colby Rasmus, Chris Duncan (would Dave still whine if his kis was hit in Miami?), and 2-3 other prospects. You can't really blame Jocketty for doing this, because that team needs an infusion of youth as well as some pitching to rely on. Carpenter is nice, but they have little they can count on beyond him for the postseason. As for Miguel Bautista, he would be the one to be concerned with, because I'll tell you right now, Jim Bowden won't give up Livan cheaply. Fresh from his raping of Krivsky, he is in Chuck LaMar mode and is demanding THREE top prospects for Soriano, so I imagine the price is pretty high for Hernandez as well- said to be Pelfrey or Milledge- especially considering they are division rivals. I have also heard the Mets are looking at Juan Cruz of the DBacks. I agree Minyana will get a starter, it just depends on how desperate he gets. We aren't getting Sanchez though, that much is pretty clear.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 09:48 AM) If you can get away with a Broadway, Sweeney + more prospects deal for Crawford, by all means do it. Whether the D-Rays would do that, when they rejected Ervin Santana, unfortunately I don't think so. I agree with that last sentence. They wanted Santana + Wood. That's why I think we would need to cash in Garcia to add to anything we might offer. Still though, it's probably an offseason trade for TB, and Crawford's value keeps going up-up-up.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 09:58 AM) Minaya came out yesterday and said the only person he would consider trading Milledge for is Dontrelle Willis and he ain't available. And really considering how Cliff Floyd won't be a Met next season (think his contract is up), it never made sense from the start for them to give up a potential 10 year stud in Milledge for a guy in Garcia that they may only have for a season and a half and not even produce very well. Well, Minyana might start panicking a little, because supposedly the Cardinals are somewhat close to acquiring Dontrelle Willis. I was going to start a new thread in here about that, but I know what the reputation mlbtraderumors.com has around here, so I figure I will just mention it here. I think Minyana may panic were St Louis to acquire Dontrelle, as Omar might have to actually think about fortifying his rotation for an NLCS matchup. I continue to believe Freddy for Heilman and Humber may be more realistic than anyone here is willing to accept, especially if some other NL contenders (the few that actually exist) add a piece or two.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 09:41 AM) It shows how desperate Pat Gillick is to unload the salaries of Abreu and Burrell and re-invest that into pitching. That's always been the mould of his teams. I mentioned Rollins because yeah he offers you the speed, but he would also be a big upgrade at SS over Juan Uribe. Certainly is offensively, and he's fairly good defensively as well, not Uribe good, but better than an Alex Cintron. Just a question on his OBP which is subpar ATM, but would he get back to the way he was hitting a few seasons back if he moved here, just like Pods did? Plus it would allow you to move Josh Fields to LF right now, and get him to take over for Pods in 07. I don't dislike Jimmy Rollins, but as you said, that contract isn't club-friendly. As for his OBP, it has never been very good, as it is .327 for his career. Even with his 36 game hitting streak to end the season last year, he still only finished with an OBP of .338. He does show a bit more power than Pods, but he is on pace right now for a .740 OPS, which isn't any better than Podsednik. Additionally, I am happy with Uribe's healthy, although extremely inconsistent production right now at the plate. I know he has a sub-.700 OPS and that is a huge concern for some, but he is on pace for 20/86 right now despite his poor BA and bb rate. He currently has an OPS above .800 with RISP, and is one of the better players on our team in a man-on-third with less than 2 outs situation (despite what he did yesterday). That and what he does with the glove...well, I have no problems with Juan at his salary unless the Yankees start listening to Steve Phillips and decide to deal ARod.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 01:08 AM) Unless the Sox want to be stuck with a big 3 year contract (think it's 3 cos he has a no trade clause and would want his option picked up, whether it's for 08 or 09 can't remember for sure), I'd look elsewhere. Here's a suggestion from left field, Jimmy Rollins. Contract wise ain't great, but the Phils may be willin to throw in something else to get rid of that. The Abreu developments are pretty stunning to me, if no reason other than the fact that Jim Duquette admitted last night that the Baltimore Sun had correctly reported that the Phillies and Orioles were actually discussing a deal which would send Rodrigo Lopez to the Phils for Bobby Abreu. He claimed the deal was "unlikely" however, because Abreu likely wouldn't waive his no trade clause to go to Baltimore without having his $16 million option picked up for 08'. Then, you suddenly get wind that the Mets may be willing to part with Milledge for Abreu after all, which seems somewhat like offerring $1 million at an auction when the previous bidder bid $500. Strange. As for Rollins, he is intriguing, if none other than his speed, but alas, I think he would eventually be taken behind the shed by Sox fans just as Pods has conintually been.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 08:09 AM) I'm going to bump this thread a bit. Crawford's name has been mentioned by various teams, Ana in particular as teams look to upgrade this yr at the deadline. The sox may not be able to add the pitching. So why not look to upgrade the defense and offense? With Pods basically needing a platoon and even has been replaced in the field with MAck, a shakeup at the top could let the players know KW and Ozzie are serious. When Pods needs to share time with Pablo Ozuna, its time to upgrade in LF. Plus, Crawford plays with the intangibles Ozzie seems to love--speed, bunting [Carl's regarded as one of the best bunters in the game], stellar defense, avg. Getting Crawford would set the sox offense and defense up for yrs to come. Trading the top prospects in the system makes sense for a 24 yr old with Crawford's talent. TB needs starting pitching. But they also need some power bats. They don't need an ace with Kazmir. They need dependable SP for sure. The key is what would it take to get him. Few teams will part with a young "ace" to get Crawford. Most teams will hold onto those, and would rather deal a bat. The price may be steep--Fields [upton has been tried at 3b, but his power numbers aren't there; also, Fields could DH or play 1b; the key for TB is getting the best hitter available. Fields is one of those and plays a premium position]; Lance Broadway; Haeger; Phillips; and one of either Lucas Harrell or Adam Russell. If the sox unload top prospects, it shoudn't be for rental players. It should be for a guy who fits in with the long term makeup of the club, who can also help in the short term. Pods could be dealt once the Sox acquired Crawford, for a prospect or two. ATL needs both a LFer and a leadoff man, and could be a partner. Langerhans and Thorman aren't cutting it I love the idea of getting Crawford, but his name hasn't been mentioned as of late, and I think the DRays maybe rethinking the idea of dealing him since he is having a "breakout" season, and additionally because of the relative troublemaking habits of Delmon Young, Elijah Dukes, and even Josh Hamilton. From what I have read, they view Gomes as a DH type, and not an OF, and Baldelli obviously has injury concerns. With all that being said, Crawford alone won't get them where they want to go, and so I could understand them cashing in on him to get multiple solid pieces. Additionally, Scott Kazmir is slowly replacing CC as the face of that TB franchise. The question for me is can he be had without surrendering McCarthy? I don't particularly love McCarthy as much as some others do, but I view him as essential to our rotation for no reason other than we need a starter who isn't making $9 millon per. If we could somehow cash in Garcia for some pitching prospects of TB's liking, and then combine that bounty with Fields and perhaps any pitching prospect in our system not named Lumsden, I would be more than willing to part with that to acquire Crawford. Pods, then, as you said, could possibly be dealt to someone like the Giants or Cardinals for a few B level prospects. It's all a pipedream, but it's my pipedream, and I am damn entitled to it.

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 06:58 PM) Kalapse had a good idea in the post-game thread. As far as my fantasy GMing... I would try to shop Garcia/Vazquez and try to get the best reliever possible: Gordon (most unlikely) or Sanchez (unlikely) or Heilman (most likely). This opens the door for McCarthy and, at worst, provides only a slight downgrade in the pen. Then try to put a package of Uribe + Fields + Broadway + B prospects for Tejada and see if the Orioles bite. Improve the lineup, improve the rotation, and keep the bullpen at a decent level. I want no part of Tejada. We have seen how much these pitchers struggle with with bad defense, and I don't want to add to that problem by substituting Tejada for Uribe, who is probably the best defensive ss in the league. This offense is strong enough- we should try to add to our weaker areas before our areas of strength.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 07:40 PM) Torrealba would be ideal, because IIRC the Rockies have a catcher who's just raking down at AAA, so hence it would probably be a good time for them to move him. That seems strange to me though, because they have been one of the few teams that has been willing to actually talk to the Orioles about Javy Lopez. I suppose you never know though... Toby Hall or Sandy Alomar may be available from LA also.

In the "Kenny, Make A Move" thread, I suggested going after Zaun. He would be an excellent addition. Also, the Orioles are DYING to get rid of Javy Lopez. A decent pitching prospect probably get him and the O's to eat half his contract.

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 04:39 PM) I agree with the vast majority here who believe that Chris Widger blows, but the idea that a backup catcher has a profound affect on a penant race is absurd. Let's add to our regular lineup or improve the starting pitching first. I held the exact same position as you did until about 3 o'clock this afternoon when Widger failed to even come close to throwing out IRod at second.

QUOTE(JimH @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 04:26 PM) Well I don't know if you're serious or not but I do think after seeing these last 10 or so games, the clubhouse has gotten a little too comfy. Actually I thought launching Politte might spur the team on a bit because sometimes a small change in the dynamic will do that. It hasn't. There was a poster at the end of today's game thread who said KW is more pissed off about this than we are, he was right I believe. If a major move isn't out there, then maybe a minor move is necessary from a shake up standpoint. I do think KW will wait and see how the Sox play this weekend at home, and see how they bounce back from losing ground to Detroit. I was absolutely serious. We need to replace Widger, pronto.

My first contribution to this thread is: I hear Greg Zaun is available.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 10:26 AM) So... you guys want Anderson to play 162 games a year, then? Who is his sub if not Mack? I am not saying Mack should play every other day out there, but he'll need to spell Anderson on occasion, unless you want Gload or Ozuna or Pods out there. Anderson is 24 years old and beginning to develop nicely. He has already sat plenty of days. Miguel Tejada has played over 1000 straight games. Before being injured, Hideki Matsui had played around 700 or so. I think Brian could play 70.

Nice play, Wilie Mays Hays...

No Hawk, MACK COST US FOUR RUNS. Uribe could have turned the damn double play to end the inning if Mack isn't picking his ass out there.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 07:50 PM) How about we just get better outfield defense all around? Umm, one of the top 5 center fielders is sitting ON THE BENCH. I want Mack dealt if for no other reason that he won't take away Brian's playing time.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 07:46 PM) No. He is not THAT much faster than Mack. ANd Mack got a solid jump. Mack got a crap jump. And Brian plays as shallow as anyone in the league. Please, someone get off Scottie's ass and start talking about Mack's.