Chombi

I am curious as to what happened to the Cuban SS who was supposedly defecting to the Dominican so he could play baseball here. Alexi Ramirez is his name I believe. I remember watching him in the WBC once they announced he was coming here and described which guy it was. He was like 25. I could probably look it up but my satelite is going so slow with this weather. Anyways, just a random thought as to what happened to him because I have heard 0. I thought we'd be players for him before the Cabrera deal. Anyone got anything on him???

IMO you are 100% correct. I was hoping we'd be the team making big moves, not the Twins. The Twins to me were contenders w/ Garza, Johan, Liriano, etc...Them selling off all these pieces isn't shocking but I thought'd they'd at least try to make a run. The Sox on the other hand are going the opposite direction and losing out in every direction we turn. We go after big fish and seem to fail. It paints the picture to fans, and other teams even, that we have a weaker system then percieved. We are very old and our lack of scouting doesn't show significant help anytime soon. We don't go all-in money for free agents or in trades. We refuse to do business with the douchebag who just so happens to be employed by most of the good players in baseball and we refuse to do little things in the organization...like scouting! The Twins are dumping guys and revamping. They do it more often then I am saying we should but we definately should've done it this year or even last season. We have a chance to have a very good draft. We have a shot to make some huge moves with our vets and just don't. IMO guys like PK, JV, JD, Crede, Jenks*, and several others should go. *Watch what the Twins get for Nathan and tell me how dumb we will look at seasons end when we finish in last place with a 100+ mil payroll. Jenks could command probably one more 4-5 star prospect then Nathan, maybe more. We won't deal him though. Why deal the guy with weight concerns every year and a screw in his elbow. It'd be stupid to deal it before anyone else starts to have concerns. To me, this season has nothing to do with winning the WS. It has everything to do with EGO. KW is so into his moves and his "plans" that he wants to prove that 05 wasnt a fluke and that some of his moves can actually pay off. He put this baby together and will ride until the end with it (which is hopefully at seasons end). It's going to be a loooooooong season if things don't start shaping up soon.

Bedard + Tejada will cost a King's ransom. I am 100% shocked that the Angels have gone that direction. They seem itchy to make a move and have openings for both of those guys. A deal of Santana, Maicer Izturis, and perhaps kendrick or Adenhart would be well worth it for a team appearing to be putting its chips all-in for the next couple seasons. I can't see the Sox willing to do a move for an aging SS and a 28 year old pitcher that will cost us more then MB. If their is anyone on that team I wouldn't be surprised to see us land it is someone like Hayden Penn. Just cuz he was once such a highly regarded prospect and the Orioles/baseball has all but lost hope in him. Now I could see us dealing the world to land him, not guys like Bedard and Tejada.

Yea BCS is in some trouble. KU gets a game over MU it appears (MU alum). Ohio State gets in again and hopefully has to play LSU, not Georgia. If it's Georgia, what a joke for the NCAA. LSU will mop the floor with the continually overrated big ten champion. It's just a shame. I was really hoping Mizzou could've pulled it out but they just aren't there yet. Both talent wise and coaching. Some of the calls tonight were pathetic. Red Zone and defensively. Sad they don't even get a bcs game.

Good package. Marlins must be hoping for the world. Outside of DLS being involved in the deal, I'd imagine the best way to land him is by dealing Kong. A potential moving of him has swirled around this offseason so KW may need to ship him in order to land other prospects for a deal. Perhaps a 3-way is the only way this gets done for us. 2 seperate deals may take too long with how KW has been moving.

How were we not in on Milledge. You mean to tell me we couldn't have put a younger, better package then that without giving up our top 3 guys? come on.

lol ^ There are several guys who look good in this crop, not just the guy Baseball America put on the front page.

Glad to see Garza go...Hopefully Delmon will throw another bat and get booted from the league. If he doesn't, he will haunt our dreams for years. I already sense it.

Yes they will be better. We don't look good.

Don't see us outbidding anyone else who may want to take the risk on him. I'd like to give him a shot. It'd probably be better then some of our options but I just can't see us being able or willing to do so.

I am a beer or wine guy. I love Stella, Dap, Peroni, Morretti, Boddington's, Corona and Amstel light. Wine, I prefer red. Barolo's or Brunello's are the favorite there. Hard liqour has has basically gone out the door once I started drinking beer my sophomore year of college. Can't really do it anymore. If I do, it's usually a vodka/tonic or jack/coke. Can't do Gin cuz I fight and Tequila is a rare thing anymore. I love Di Saronno (Sicilian Kiss or Stone Sours work) and Grappa if I am with the family and feel like dying. One thing I loved in college was "Poppers"...If you are unfamiliar, try it. Go grab a twelve pack of Corona. Drink out the neck, put in a lime and pour in a shot or two of Vodka. Shake it up a little and drink. Get's you goin quick and feelin good. Great for summer and better when they were 2 dollar's on Wednesday nights at a bar in the downtown.

Waiting for FA is insane IMO. We won't throw the same money at him as everyone else. So to suggest it is crazy. The only way we'd pay him is if he is already here and signs the deal during the season. If he doesn't, you deal him for prospects (I bet they will be better then what we give away). If you can get this kid. You get him now. The team is going nowhere. He is a young HOF caliber player. Something the Sox don't have anywhere in the near future. I am sick of seeing these rumors about the Sox that have weird players in the deal. I see deals like Gio, Fields, and Sweeney??? Every other team has their top prospects involved. Idk if it's the media or us but it just seems stupid that we would have less to offer obviously and then remain ignorant to the situation by offering guys like Sweeney and not DLS.. Our offers always seem like we are trying to keep certain guys. Crazy. DLS, Gio, Fields and something else should be enough. They may not be the elite caliber of Kershaw/Kemp or Adenhart/Wood but they are damn close especially with more guys involved from our end. GM meetings are coming soon and I had heard Cabrera would be moved by the end of them. Let's get him.

Please "No" to Rowand. I don't mind making the big pushes for guys like Miggy/Crawford. Don't think any more money is needed to be spent on overrated, aging players. I think the Hunter thing turned into somewhat of a blessing for us b/c as much as I wouldn't have minded him, I didn't quite find myself convinced he would be worth the money. We ARE NOT GOING TO COMPETE unless this old team gets a makeover. Even then, I am skeptical. We have 2 of the best teams in baseball (Cleveland, Detroit), another talented .500+ ballclub in Minnesota and a very young talented Royals team. Why are we trying to throw money at a division that is completely hopeless with how much work our team needs??? I've said it several times in these threads that I would love nothing more then a firesale. It appears very unlikely because "God Forbid we let our fans down and not spend 100 million on mediocrity." Ego's need to be put aside on KW's part and even JR's, and what they need to do is realize they put together a team that won. It's hard to do. It's even harder in today's game to win with the same team or one built around the same core. We took our shot, won. Had a chance at round 2 in 06' and blew it. That's it, time to blow it up and start from scratch. Not think you are some all powerful genius that can make moves and think he can fix the problem. Cleveland, Detroit, and even the Royals (early stages) are taking/took the sacrifice of building for the future. We can do that and take over this division when these teams need to let their guys go in a couple years. If you're going to try and fix it though, then as much as I hate to admit it...Marrioti was right, you can't be cheap in doing so. You can't be gun shy and not overload prospects for a guy like Miggy. You can't not offer players long term deals because of one bad apple. We claim we have this master plan and as much as it makes sense on paper, it needs to work on the field. It's a different world in baseball today. It's gotta be all in on the financial standpoint while building a farm, and if you don't spend you better make damn sure you scout. We hardly scout well and we damn sure don't spend enough money for being a large-market team that doesnt have that farm to fill holes. Damn I am angry tonight. Sorry everyone for the rant.

Javy is out of the question and I think Omar knows it. If he is willing to settle on some combination of a reliever we are willing to dump and a young arm, maybe there is an outside shot. Unlikely sure, but I can't see Omar not being tempted to land a Danks/Sisco combination or something along those lines. Maybe I am crazy but I just get a feeling that Omar would do a deal like that... That said, very very slim chance we can compete for Milledge. Other rumors like Crawford/Cabrera are more likely to happen for us because Milledge is just vastly overrated in the trade market that includes other names like Santana, Cabrera, Tejada, Crawford, Haren etc.

Miggy, Crawford, Crisp (please no though). That's the order I would prefer to attack this situation. I don't even want Rowand. I think it'd be a mistake.

Man this deal worries me. Guy hasn't seen the AL for a whole season. I'd like to say I trust our front office, but I don't. God I hope this doesnt backfire.

I agree closers are overrated but the reality of it all is...today's game loves them. The contracts for guys lately have been ridiculous and guys like Jenks will command good return. Cano is a tough play but straight up I think it could happen. I will say this...Jenks is someone who I would love to move. I have serious concerns about that screw in his arm and I am just waiting for something to go wrong for him. Sad, i know, but it is the way our luck would have it. To me, I would deal him because I think he is our most valuable chip. If you can dump him for some quality young guys, go for it. If it's a young star (like Cano), I think you do it.

still wouldve prefered the first two options over "your ideas"

It's a lesser of two evils IMO. I go back and forth with it all the time. I wanted nothing more then a firesale. I thought it was the best approach for an aging team like ours in a division of young loaded teams. Since that is looking to be unlikely judging by the move today and the article released in the Sun Times saying Hunter is expected to sign here with the week...I don't see a firesale happening. As far as Hunter goes though, it's either play a bum out there (since we won't deal for a young stud) or sign Hunter and try and get younger elsewhere...which I am out with if it works out.

Found this in an article...I posted it in each thread where it applied. The whole article can be found at Rotoworld.com Wouldnt mind Ethier but I'd prefer Kemp first I guess.

per rotoworld... I like the first two options a lot but think we may get a little more personally.

per rotoworld.com I posted this in a few threads depending on the player discussed. Found it interesting that there is minimal difference in what they think we'd deal for Miggy to Jason Bay in it. Danks is swapped for Sweeney? I figure more is needed for Miggy and less for Bay but who knows.

per rotoworld.com

Wow. No one told me we drafted the new "finger of god"

I gotcha. I thought u meant u didnt find his statline at all for those years and I was a little shocked.