Free agents?

[bigruss]

If it makes your team better, then you should make the deal. Baseball is such a mystery sport, just look at the Tigers, that you jsut need to worry about yourself. Make the best trade that you feel helps your team compete.

 

I would love to have Garza come this way, but I dont think Dye would be enough for him, maybe a mid prospect to go along.

[witesoxfan]

If it makes your team better, then you should make the deal. Baseball is such a mystery sport, just look at the Tigers, that you jsut need to worry about yourself. Make the best trade that you feel helps your team compete.

 

I would love to have Garza come this way, but I dont think Dye would be enough for him, maybe a mid prospect to go along.

 

I'd agree, it's just a matter of how you do it to get the guys you want. Shelby or Allen would be guys they would consider, but if you would trade for Beltre or Hardy, you'd have to have enough ammo to get them as well, and the Sox don't have much of it as is.

 

Right now though I'd say that I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Brian Anderson ended up in Milwaukee.

[bigruss]

I'd agree, it's just a matter of how you do it to get the guys you want. Shelby or Allen would be guys they would consider, but if you would trade for Beltre or Hardy, you'd have to have enough ammo to get them as well, and the Sox don't have much of it as is.

 

Right now though I'd say that I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Brian Anderson ended up in Milwaukee.

Dotel, Vasquez are also big possibilities to end up there, you might have enough MLB talent to get Hardy, and enough to go after a Roberts with prospects then...

 

Not sure if I would want Hardy though, he's intriguing to me, but theres something about him that is making the back of mind say 'no' to him. I think its just that he was so awful early in his career, so I jsut have a sneaking suspicion that he wont hit well if we traded for him. I could be totally wrong, but I wouldnt give up as much as what might be required to acquire him, because there is such a need for shortstops right now that alot of teams will be offering packages to the Brewers.

 

I think that I would just prefer going after other guys first, Figgins, Roberts, Beltre, just off the top of my head. I trust those guys more. And jsut for comparison, I have the same feeling with McLouth, I like the guy alot, but he had two decent seasons in a row now, but hes on the Pirates, not alot of pressure there. Basically, I look at these guys as having large risks when trading for them, especially considering the talent that will be required to get them.

[caulfield12]

I don't know why, but I keep thinking KW will sign Edgar Renteria when the Tigers let him go...just a hunch.

[witesoxfan]

Dotel, Vasquez are also big possibilities to end up there, you might have enough MLB talent to get Hardy, and enough to go after a Roberts with prospects then...

 

I actually would see Dotel going to Milwaukee in a deal. Short-term, good arm, good pitcher when he's on. Something like Vazquez, Dotel, Anderson for Hardy and Villanueva. Milwaukee would atleast have to consider it...they're adding about $15 mill in such a deal, but they have an absolute ton coming off the books. It would also free up money for the Sox to either take on a contract or splurge a bit in free agency.

 

Not sure if I would want Hardy though, he's intriguing to me, but theres something about him that is making the back of mind say 'no' to him. I think its just that he was so awful early in his career, so I jsut have a sneaking suspicion that he wont hit well if we traded for him. I could be totally wrong, but I wouldnt give up as much as what might be required to acquire him, because there is such a need for shortstops right now that alot of teams will be offering packages to the Brewers.

 

I'm actually not afraid of Hardy at all. He's just developed as a hitter is really all. It takes some guys a couple years.

 

What's also really good to see with Hardy is that the past two seasons he's been an absolute stud in clutch situations. Most of his RISP, runners on, and high and medium leverage stats are good. He's actually a fantastic hitter in medium leverage spots.

 

I think that I would just prefer going after other guys first, Figgins, Roberts, Beltre, just off the top of my head. I trust those guys more. And jsut for comparison, I have the same feeling with McLouth, I like the guy alot, but he had two decent seasons in a row now, but hes on the Pirates, not alot of pressure there. Basically, I look at these guys as having large risks when trading for them, especially considering the talent that will be required to get them.

 

That's fine and dandy, but everyone always thinks the Rays will make Figgins available and I just don't necessarily understand why. I also think Roberts is going to be very expensive to trade for but I see the Sox in the race the whole time unless they strike a deal with someone of similar caliber before that.

 

I'm also a bit scared of McLouth, though I do think he'd be fine; regardless, I don't think that has to be dealt with. It was stated on rotoworld a couple of days ago that the Pirates would only deal McLouth if someone wanted to overpay for him.

[sox1844]

OK, just for fun... seriously? Furcal is like a million years old and has a busted back. BUSTED. Who wants to pay a guy with no guarantee he can play 160, or even 100, or even 50 games??! Just because he's trying to make a push right now to look like he's all set, he hasn't proven anything. I don't buy it.

[caulfield12]

I actually would see Dotel going to Milwaukee in a deal. Short-term, good arm, good pitcher when he's on. Something like Vazquez, Dotel, Anderson for Hardy and Villanueva. Milwaukee would atleast have to consider it...they're adding about $15 mill in such a deal, but they have an absolute ton coming off the books. It would also free up money for the Sox to either take on a contract or splurge a bit in free agency.

 

 

 

I'm actually not afraid of Hardy at all. He's just developed as a hitter is really all. It takes some guys a couple years.

 

What's also really good to see with Hardy is that the past two seasons he's been an absolute stud in clutch situations. Most of his RISP, runners on, and high and medium leverage stats are good. He's actually a fantastic hitter in medium leverage spots.

 

 

 

That's fine and dandy, but everyone always thinks the Rays will make Figgins available and I just don't necessarily understand why. I also think Roberts is going to be very expensive to trade for but I see the Sox in the race the whole time unless they strike a deal with someone of similar caliber before that.

 

I'm also a bit scared of McLouth, though I do think he'd be fine; regardless, I don't think that has to be dealt with. It was stated on rotoworld a couple of days ago that the Pirates would only deal McLouth if someone wanted to overpay for him.

 

What are "medium leverage" spots? Starting to sound like the whole derivatives/CDO "leverage" language that got us into this whole banking mess.

 

Well, Villanueva would be another candidate for the 5th spot and long reliever role. I don't know much about him, he seems to have a good arm, but giving up more hits than IP scares me a little in the NL.

 

I do like the idea of turning over the roster and getting younger. Swisher was the first step in that direction, he's 27. Ramirez just turned 27. Quentin's 26. Then we have Danks, Floyd, Buehrle, Jenks and Thornton (a young 32!). I don't worry about Thornton breaking down at all with that motion. Knock on wood. 27-30 is the prime for most players (not on steroids), so we're setting ourselves up well for an extended run if we can find four more high impact players like KW unearthed over the last 12-24 months in the offseason.

 

Konerko is 32 and is finally admitting his body and time are catching up with him (Trib article tonight) and he has to be better conditioned physically/athletically during the offseason, instead of just concentrating on swing mechanics. That's a positive revelation from Paulie. I think we'll be fine with AJ for at least 2 more seasons as well. Thome is Thome...we'll have him for one more year I am sure.

 

It really does point to a move with Dye, from a logic standpoint, although moving Konerko wouldn't surprise me either...well, just a bit.

 

 

 

[witesoxfan]

Leverage spots merely have to do with the importance of the situation. It takes into consideration things such as what inning it is, how close the score is, and how many runners are on base (as far as I'm aware...there may be more or less to it than that though).

 

I also wouldn't view Villanueva as a starting pitcher. As a starter, he got absolutely crushed this past season - 6.43 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and more than 2 homers allowed per 9. As a reliever, his ERA was 2.12, WHIP of 1.04, K/9 of better than 9, and fewer hits than innings pitched. He seems like a perfect 7th inning filler for the Sox, and I really wonder if Milwaukee isn't considering using him as a closer next year.

[caulfield12]

So basically, a younger, cheaper, more reliable version of Dotel? I wouldn't mind losing Dotel's $6.5 million and putting it somewhere more productive, IF IF IF Milwaukee will bite. That's not a sure thing at all...especially with their sour experience with Gagne and realizing a castoff (the pitching equivalent of Carlos Pena) can get the job done more or less in Salomon Torres.