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Headache in a Suitcase said:


not neccesarily...

there are many out there who feel that boston is going to tank this season, dump payroll and regroup for 2007 with a younger squad.

Where have you heard this?

I don't know if I see this ownership doing that right now. Though I could be wrong since there is no pitching to be had in free agency and that it is what the team needs most.
 
mostly it's been mike francesa who's been saying it... he usually doesn't make statements like that unless he's heard the grumblings from some pretty good sources.

it might not be the case... but it is a posibility, and it makes sense when you look at the crop of free agents availalble.

it would probably be a very good baseball move for them to capitalize on the still flowing euphoria from their first world series in 86 years by doing a quick rebuilding job to get younger... because they're not winning anything with the pitching they have, and there ain't no pitchin' out there this year for them to get.

they obviously wouldn't come out and say that they're dumping the season... they'd try to get some fill in parts... but it seems like they want to let damon go and trade manny... and if you do that, the writing's pretty much on the wall as to what your intentions for the 2006 season are.

:shrug: we'll see.
 
I agree with you on Damon being done. Based on the reports that they offered him 3 years at around 25 or 26 million and Boras wanting 84 mil over 7 years, he's as good as gone.

Manny I think is a more complicated issue. John Henry wants to keep him while Werner and Lucchino want him gone. It seems like there might be a power struggle over Manny, but then again not having a GM (with no one wanting the job) makes exploring trade options a tad more difficult.

Regardless, I think 2006 is going to be a rough season. Maybe it won't be a real shitfest with 60-70 wins, but I think a .500 record is in order. I see them trying to get younger - Papelbon should be a starter next year. Youkilis should start at either 3rd or 1st. I'd love to see Dustin Pedroia get the nod at 2nd, but he could be another year away. Who knows what will happen.
 
I think you are a bit pessimistic about how next season will go. Granted, if they lose Damon, that will leave a negative effect, no doubt. And the pitching will obviously be a problem still.

But I don't see Manny going anywhere, and that's still going to leave a fairly productive lineup that will win its share of games.

I certainly don't see them winning it again any time soon, but I don't necessarily think the AL East will be any different than it has been the last 8 years.
 
randhail said:
Manny I think is a more complicated issue. John Henry wants to keep him while Werner and Lucchino want him gone. It seems like there might be a power struggle over Manny, but then again not having a GM (with no one wanting the job) makes exploring trade options a tad more difficult.

which of course leads right into the true reasons for theo leaving...
 
I wouldn't write Damon off just yet.
Boras' assessment of market value is (as usual) vastly inflated. The Sox' initial offer is just to get the ball rolling. In the end, there may not be anyone else willing to pay any more than the Sox (reports are the Yanks have no interest and may pursue a trade for Torii "Spelling" Hunter), I think he's got a better than 50-50 shot at returning to Boston.


I for one would like to see the Sox (Red not White) retain Bill Mueller. If they're so anxious to let Youkilis play every day, give him a shot at 1B, they don't have anyone besides Ortiz under contract who plays the position currently.

Mueller's gonna get you around a .300 avg, some decent run production, and play 3B better than AFraud, all for 3-4Mil.
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:


relax... you'll get xavier nady in a package deal shortly. :wink:
For David Wells, who wants to return to San Diego.

Yes after the Padres realize Cameron's vision is at Stevie Wonder levels and rescind the trade, also alerting the Red Sox to stay away from Cameron and any shady Minaya deals. :wink:
 
The Red Sox have acquired Beckett and Lowell from the Florida Marlins for shortstop Hanley Ramirez, right-handed pitcher Anibal Sanchez and a player to be named, ESPN reported Monday.



I HATE this trade. I hope I'm wrong, but I think it is terrible. Beckett spends more of his time of the DL than being healthy. He's a very average pitcher outside of Pro Player Stadium or whatever it is called. That park is one of the most pitcher friendly parks in baseball. Great, just great. Five bucks says he spends time on the DL next season with a stiff neck from watching balls sail out of Fenway.

The only reason why this trade gets done is because of the PR hit the Red Sox front office is taking right now. There is no way Theo makes this move, giving away top young guys for an injury prone bag of shit. Sorry, I'm just a little heated and may go play in traffic.
 
You don't get a pitcher of Beckett's caliber everyday. I like this trade. Granted, Beckett has had his time on the DL, but the upside is tremendous. He's only 25, he's a proven pitcher, and he's great in the clutch. What he did against the Yankees in the World Series was incredible.

Pitching wins championships. Beckett is superior to AJ Burnett, who will be grossly overpayed by someone (perhaps Toronto) and looks to be this year's Carl Pavano.

Giving up Hanley Ramirez is tough, but in the end, if you have the opportunity to bolster your pitching staff, you have to do it.

And be ready for Lowell to have a huge season. I'm betting he does awesome here, although I think they should play him at first base instead of third and resign Bill Mueller.
 
Well initial reports were Hanley Ramirez and Jon Lester going, I'm a little more at ease with Anibel Sanchez departing instead of Lester, he has the potential to be a stud.

Lowell worries me. His drop off last year was precipitous. Some could say there's no coincedence it happened last year when a certain policy was instituted, but given his health history, I certainly hope that has nothing to do with his slump. A guy with a cancer history certainly shouldn't be stupid enough to mess with steroids.

If Beckett is healthy, its a good deal for the near future. How it turns out in the long run depends on how good Hanley Ramirez ends up being. It has the potential to be another Jeff Bagwell, but also the potential to be another Frankie Rodriguez.

Here's hoping for Frankie.
 
Agreed about Lester. Supposedly the Marlins tried to get either him or Craig Hansen, and the Sox wisely said no. Sanchez is decent, but he's definitely better to depart with than Lester or Hansen.

Lowell is way overpayed and had a terrible year last year, but I think in the Red Sox lineup at Fenway, he can do some damage. If they keep Mueller at third and move Lowell to first, he'd essentially replace Millar. And if we did a comparison between Millar and Lowell last year, we have very similar results:

Millar: .272 Avg., 9HR, 50 RBI
Lowell: .236 Avg., 8 HR, 58 RBI

And I don't think Lowell can get any worse than he did last year. His numbers should improve dramatically. If he was able to get close to what he used to be, perhaps 25 HR and 90 RBI, that would be a definite upgrade at first.
 
so much for the red sox shedding payroll... i think.

actually... now that i think of it, this really doesn't make anything about the red sox plans clear. beckett doesn't make much but lowell does. are they keeping him? do they plan on spinning him off to someone else? and where does manny fit into all of this?

the red sox are an enigma.
 
2006 Red Sox:

C Varitek
1B Youkilis
2B Pedroia
SS E Renteria
3B Lowell
RF Nixon
CF ???
LF Money

Rotation: Beckett, Schilling, Wakefield, Clement, Arroyo/Papelbon

So the question is do they re-sign Damon, or go in a different direction.

Lots of options. Could resign Damon, trade Manny and Youkilis in separate deals getting prospects from say theMets, including Milledge to play LF, and land a marquis 1B like a Delgado in another salary dump trade by the Marlins for Youkilis and some other prospect.

The back end of the bullpen needs to be addressed still, but it certainly appears the Sox have not decided to throw in the towel for 2006 by any means.
 
Hewson said:
2006 Red Sox:

C Varitek
1B Youkilis
2B Pedroia
SS E Renteria
3B Lowell
RF Nixon
CF ???
LF Money

I think Youkilis is a bit overrated. I don't know how good of an everyday player he would be, and he's certainly not what I'd call an upgrade at first.

Mueller probably isn't coming back since Lowell is a gold glove at third, but I don't see why Lowell wouldn't play first and the Sox keep Mueller, although that most likely isn't going to happen. That would take care of 1B and 3B and they would still have Youkilis as a backup.
 
I also don't see Youkilis as the answer at 1B necessarily, but they could be OK with him there if they retain Manny and Damon.
If not, I wouldn't be surprised if he's traded...lets not forget that the Sox plan to accomodate Wells and trade him west (SD for Dave Roberts if Damon isn't re-signed?), and Youk could go as part of a package deal with him.
There are endless possibilities, but the Sox have shown they are gonna continue to be major players and not dump salary as some here suggested. The key will be the Manny situation, if he is sincere (this time) about being traded, they have to get some real value in return which won't be easy.
 
Apparently Carlos Delgado is going to the Mets, according to Newsday...


Mets get Delgado

BY JON HEYMAN
STAFF WRITER

November 23, 2005, 8:13 AM EST


The Mets have reached an agreement for a trade to bring Carlos Delgado from the Marlins, Newsday has learned. The trade won't be finalized until medical examinations of the players involved are complete and commissioner Bud Selig signs off on the deal.

The Mets have agreed to send righthanded pitching prospect Yusmeiro Petit and young first baseman Mike Jacobs to the Marlins for Delgado, according to someone familiar with the deal. As part of the deal, the Marlins will send $7 million back to the Mets to cover part of the $48 million remaining on Delgado's contract.

Delgado, 33, does not have veto powers over a trade. The lefthanded-hitting first baseman batted .301 with 33 home runs and 115 RBIs last year with the Marlins.

Acquiring a player with Delgado's credentials could also help the Mets sign closer Billy Wagner, who has told the team that winning a championship is his first priority. The Mets offered Wagner a three-year, $30-million deal yesterday after taking him on a tour of the New York suburbs earlier this week, but the Phillies are expected to counter.

Jacobs, 25, batted .310 with 11 homers in 100 at bats with the Mets after being called up in mid-August.

Petit, who turned 21 yesterday, is considered the Mets' top pitching prospect. He was 9-3 with a 2.92 ERA last year at Double-A Binghamton.



I can't see the Mets affording Manny now, but stranger things have happened.

So what do you think Headache?
 
Why are the Marlins seemibgly having a fire sale of their team? Are they convinced that's how you win every six or seven years? Blow things up and piece them back together with little continuity between titles?

I don't get why you would sign a guy to a long term deal and then trade him away after next season. The team trades away Beckett, threatens to move by 2008 if they don't get a new stadium, and now is trading away Delgado...I just don't get them. Baseball in Florida just seems doomed to fail.
 
Delgado:drool: :drool:

Viva lost Mets 2006 !!

1. Reyes
2. Beltran
3.Wright
4. Delgado
5. Floyd
6. Nady
7. V Diaz
8. Catcher

not bad at all.
 
phanan said:
So what do you think Headache?

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let me tell ya about mike jacobs from having watched him almost every day... yes, he hit .301 with 11 homers in just 100 at bats last year... 4 of those homeruns came in his first 16 at bats. he set a major league record with a homerun in each of his first 4 games... hitting like .500 for his first two weeks. tailed off considerably after that. he has potential, but for now is a pure fastball hitter... you throw any type of offspeed pitch or breaking ball, he's toast.

giving up petit wories me a little... but the best thing about it is that if he's really good in 5 years? the marlins are just gonna get rid of him anyways and the mets can pick him up again.

i do indeed like this move. it fills two needs with one move... first base and a cleanup hitter. pro player/joe robbie/dolphins/headache stadium in florida is not a hitter's park... it's like 420 to centerfield. the skydome is not a hitter's park, either. that's what makes this all the better... shea is notorious for being a bad hitters park... but delgado's put up numbers in other poor hitters parks, so the drop off shouldn't be significant if any.

and i wouldn't completely shut out the chances of getting ramirez as well. remember, the mets are shedding the contracts of mike cameron, mike piazza, braiden looper and felix heredia... that's a good 25 million dollars right there alone. if they include a cliff floyd in a deal for ramirez, they could concievably add ramirez, delgado AND billy wagner for less than 10 million more per year than they paid last year... cameron + piazza + looper + heredia + floyd = approx. 33 million in payroll. ramirez + delgado + wagner = 40 million in payroll.

if they can then figure out how to shed kaz matsui's 8 million per year pay check, they can add all three of these guys without spending a penny more than they did last year.

and remember... the mets have a new network starting this year... which if it's even half of what the YES network did for the yankees, will be a gold mine.
 
listening to met fans talk on WFAN right now makes me wonder why i'm a mets fan.

so whiney... nothing's good enough for them.

i've got a name for it... ARSFS (accelerated red sox fan syndrome)

it's only been 19 years since the last world series... a long time for a major market team, sure... but not nearly long enough to be compared with the red sox or white sox or cubs.

but how come mets fans whine, just like red sox fans always did, while cubs and white sox fans don't seem to whine at all?

yankee fans.

the yankees success is what made things worse for red sox fans... having to deal with that would make anyone whiney. met fans have to deal with yankee fans every single day, 365 days a year. so while their suffering isn't nearly as big as it was in boston by any stretch, our whining has caught up.

cub and white sox fans have never had to worry about that because the other team that they were geographic rivals were sucked, too. now that the white sox have won the world series, if cub fans start getting all whiney and bitchey, then i believe i should be given the nobel prize for my theory.









i need help :reject:
 
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