GreenSox

I think you need both. I will point out that the Astros, who MADE the playoffs, had far more devastating starting pitching injuries than either the cubs or Oakland- lost 2/4 top starters for most of the year, including the stretch. I will also point out that if Oakland's pen is anchored by Dotel, and if they actually had to trade for that piece of crap in midseason, it points out major pen problems.

Teams need a good bench to win world series'---he's all we have worth a damn on it.

Sometimes players actually take a few years to learn how to hit. Two third basemen, Ken Camminit and Phil Nevin come to mind.

Just what we need; an over rated over-the-hill clubhouse cancer for 12 million. Well, the good news is that he's injured so much that he may not have much time to whine and complain.

Just what we need- another player with a sub 320 career OBP. How about getting some good players onto the White Sox

At this point, we have 3 power hitters for next year: Konerko, Lee and Frank. The problem with trading Konerko, is that it takes us down to two, which is marginal. Somebody has to drive runs in. Frank Cat's a good hitter: but Frank Cat has no power at all and RF is a power position (so is 3B and we have obvious offensive problems there as well). Further, he is the epitome of a "Beane school" hitter and Riccardi is from the Beane school, so I doubt he'd come cheap. Visquel is old (37) but would be nice for a year as he can get on base. A good SS (can he still field? don't know) would really help this team; let Willy and Uribe play 2nd and utility and if we have to keep Crede, so be it (at least he can catch and hit a few homers---offensive improvement sure would be nice though) I'd have to see the whole picture, but I think it will be hard to retool this team without scoring at least one big free agent bat. Because we have no depth and because the players who aren't producing offensively have no trade value, anything we give up creates a new hole.

Yall who are clammoring for Soriano must be really bumming that Valentin won't be back next year. Makes sense to me to trade valuable pitching for a bad fielding, poor OBP infielder.

Soriano can't field and he has no plate discipline. If that's an Ozzie player, we need a new manager. Oh, and he's also as expensive as Ray Durham, a far superior player who Williams couldn't wait to give away, is.

Including top propects? I wouldn't do it. I don't care much about losing Rowand. Garland is 24 years old and a pretty good pitcher right now. JOhnson is 40 and getting him would financially preclude us from signing some hitters that we desparately need.

Yep Everett would be okay but we shouldn't pay more than a mid range prospect.

Trade for Randa? A 36 year old career mediocrity who has NEVER hit 20 homers? His OBP is good- until this year (it stinks) And he's on the DL What's worse would be to trade rowand and garland and prospects for johnson I'd be more interested in trading rowand an an okay prospect for beltran (which is about what houston gave up to rent him)

No team better than us on this roadtrip Play ball!

Houston shouldn't expect to come out whole. Dotel was bogus anyway One prospect and someone bogus on our team.

If this disaster were true, it would probably include Crede and move JOse to 3rd. We really don't neeed to take a player the bosox have been desparately trying to dump. Besides, who needs Boston- we'd be paying Unit price in prospcts for NOmar. Let's take unit.

No reson that I can conceive. But I wondered the same thing last winter when by all reports we were completely willing to trade maggs for him.

I've seen Francisco pitch a couple of times, a hard thrower- to put it simply, I think he could outpitch Mike Jackson.

Could someone please explain why a 4. ERA national league pitcher who walks a batter every other inning is so compelling? Did we have one of those once- Todd Ritchie? We need players for the bullpen or for the top of the rotation- not at the bottom.

Except that we're really, really weak at LH hitting. We can't lose the one bat we have.

Jones offensive numbers have been in sharp decline in 3 of the last 4 seasons. No thank you.

Rowand for Estrada? I would guess Rauch and Borchard and Rowand and Marte for Estrada is closer to reality.

He got hurt after which he was never better than average. At least he pitched in the LCS which is more than can be said for McDowell or Fernandez

A team as strong as the braves??? They aren't strong this year and their prior strength has been largely in pitching. Further, if you count this year, 3 of his past 4 years have been below par, suggesting he may be getting worse. All this for only 13 mill per season- I'll pass. Do we really need Ortiz? He's a 4.00 pitcher (in the NL) who walks a lot of batters.

I'm not sure they can hack it this season. anyone have any Ben Davis info?

We would be stuck with Jones for 3.5 more years at a ridiculous salary of around $13 mill. That makes no sense.

On a team that won 100 games. An ERA of 3.81 with an average of 1 walk every other inning. He's had only 2 seasons with an ERA below 4, and those were closer to 4 than to 3.5. The worst team he pitched for won 86 games - the others won 97,90,95, 100 an 101 (full season). Pretty much the Ritchey credentials.