Rex Hudler

Your pennance (sp?) is to watch Bull Durham 3-5 times over the next month. If you can't give me at least 6 great quotes from the movie by Oct. 15, then you need to give up on the baseball business. Bull Durham is one of the most quotable movies and a MUST for any baseball fan, especially one with any interest in the minor leagues.

Jason, Jason Jason........ what the hell am I going to do with you kids??? Nuke LaLoosh is the pitcher in Bull Durham, played by Tim Robbins. Work with me here!!!!!!

The only knock I have ever heard on Cabrera is he has a tendency to be lazy and not hustle. My guess is he is like a lot of latin players that play hard if you keep them interested, but once you start losing or things don't go well for them, their effort drops or becomes inconsistent. That knock came from within the Expos, so it seems to fit, because I don't think Boston is complaining about him right now.

Remember Nuke LaLoosh?? Million dollar arm, five cent head!

Not that I am your grammar teacher or anything, but keep such phrases out of your future sox pieces. I am not sure if you have done that or not, but just make sure you differentiate between casual posting and site articles. And if you have funds, I'd be happy to take some of the workload off your hand. I have some free time these days. LOL

Aren't most of the Braves reclamation projects veteran guys, though? I was thinking about that before so I am not asking directly because of your post. It just sparked a previous thought.

Looking for an open-minded answer here....... open to all. Is Uribe good enough defensively to play SS full time. I have reservations that he can be the man at SS offensively, but I haven't seen enough of him defensively. Honest, unbiased opinions please........

Crede won't bring anything by himself at this point. The only way he goes is if it is in a bigger deal. Book it.

I have seen nothing more than speculation that Borchard could have been included in the Garcia deal. I think the speculation came from KW telling Borchard personally that he wasn't going anywhere and would not be traded. He told Borch that a few weeks before the Garcia deal. So based on the concept that Borchard was "untouchable" some infer that Seattle wanted him. I don't think there is any documented basis for that.

I don't see there being the budget for either of those players..... see different thread about next year running at the moment. If they start to make trades and do a complete overhaul then anythying is possible. I'll believe that when I see it.

SSI, I didn't argue with him getting Garcia, I just think he gave up too much. Now perhaps he had to, but if I recall, Seattle put a deadline on the deal or they said they would move on. I think KW gave in to get the player he wanted. That's a gamble. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. He didn't win this year, but it remains to be seen how it will work out long term. I just feel like he was in a tough position because he ws dealing with Seattle who you could argue knew more about the Sox farm system than he did, via Bob Fontaine. I know for a fact that Fontaine had input into that trade and he made sure that Seattle got the right players. I don't blame KW for giving in and making the deal, but it is one he will have to answer to if it doesn't work out long term. Gambling on deals is part of being a GM. I just have a hunch that the Sox will lose in the long run on this one. If we would have made the playoffs this year, then the long term would have been much less important. Guess we'll see what happens in the next few years.

Hey Jas, just out of curiosity............ where in the hell did you pick up the phrase "and what not"?? You have been using that the last month or two in every other post.

I know there is a possibility I could get hit by a bus tomorrow too, but what if Garcia goes 9-14 next year with a 4.87 ERA?? Would you be changing your tune then? I don't know the odds of that scenario but I am confident the odds are better than me getting hit by a bus.

I am pretty sure they asked for Olivo and Crede, but KW didn't want to give up two starters. So KW offered Reed and then Seattle wanted a third player. KW said he would give them the 3rd player if they could have a window to negotiate an extension with Garcia. Whether Seattle refused or KW just changed his mind, I am not sure, but he went ahead and included Morse because he felt confident that he could get Garcia locked up, which he did. You can choose to believe me or not, but I am pretty positive this is how things went down. I am sure they discussed other scenarios too, but this is how it was widely reported at the time. I am not going to take the time to look it all up, so it is your choice to believe me or not.

I don't see Crede going anywhere........ unless he goes in a bigger trade. The Sox won't just give up on him.

Very few players take pay cuts........ Don't expect it here if the Sox plan to keep him. Now, if they non-tender him and allow him to become a free agent, then he very well may get less. But that won't happen if he stays with the Sox.

You're right the extra half million doesn't hit this year's books, but it is a real cost associated with the option exercised this year. If Carl exercises his option, you can look at it as paying him $4.5 million or $4 million this year and then layiung a half million dollars on the ground and then just pissing on it next year.

This is very arbitrary, but guys like Cotts, Adkins, etc. will make more than $300k. They will likely be in the $3325-$350k range. Adkins could be slightly higher. Davis made $1.4 mil, so I'd expect him to get $1.5-$2 mil. Crede will be closer to $400k. I had Rowand at $1.2 mil, but it could be higher. I didn't include Timo because I really don't think that he will be back. I know trades may be made, but I can't see them coming back with Timo, ARow, Everett and Lee in the OF. My guess is you will see two new OF's next year, along with one starter, one bullpen guy and one infielder. I figured 20 players at $63.2 mil, so we are in the same neighborhood regardless. I know the extra 15 guys on the 40-man roster don't add that much, but they can't be forgotten. It may add an extra 1-2 million. The question is........ Is it realistic for the payroll to be higher than $70 million, not counting taxes, insurance, etc? What about deferred money from any previous contracts? Is Frank due any deferred money from the past?

Right, that says exactly what I did.

Note that Everett's option is actually $4.5 million, because a 2006 team option is activated when he exercises the 2005 option. The 2006 option is for $5 million or a $500k buyout.

Going back to the original post in this thread....... No, I am not excited about this offseason. I truly think that it is going to get worse before it gets better. I see the Sox in a transition period. Unfortunately, you won't see a complete overhaul and trying to improve via patchwork will once again fail in my opinion. I really think next year will be a longer year than this one.

I watch the Braves a lot and I am not seeing the "declining defensive abilities" some speak of. He is still by far better than anyone the Sox have had in the last 20 years, if not ever. The only problem I have with Andruw is that he is RH. He does strike out a lot, but he also walks a fair amount. I think he would be a huge asset to the Sox and to USCF.

I don't see Ulacia as a prospect. Yes, he pitched pretty well this year, but I just don't see him being successsful at a higher level.

Might the Sox sub Phillips for BMac?? I heard Philly was playing winter ball, but that may just have been a term used loosely when the person meant the AFL.

I don't see the Sox being any better off now than before KW took the job. Not necessarily any worse, but no better.