Rex Hudler

The player submits a salary figure as does the team. Both agree to binding arbitration, meaning one or the other will be chosen, nothing in between. The team then has to make their case as to why the player is not worth the money the player is requesting, often leading to ill feelings between the two. As you can imagine, the team cannot just give a glowing report on the player yet state he doesn't deserve the money. The team has to point out the players shortcomings, which is where the hard feelings often come in. Teams and players generally want to avoid an arbitration hearing at all costs for the above reasons. It is hard to keep a good relationship with a player in that situation. Very few actually go to arbitration anymore. They usually meet somewhere in the middle to avoid it. And for those keeping score at home, I do not have exact figures, but the teams have won something like 9 out of the last 10 or 11 cases against the players over the last 2-3 years.

Actually Maddux made $14.6 million last year and they would have no choice if that is all he is offered. Its called free agency.

Tommy Herr. I wouldn't call Tommy Herr a classic three hole hitter. Nor was he a career three hole hitter.

What???? I know what you are trying to say, but you aren't making sense. How many teams have players hit in the three hole that have low home run totals? For that matter, how many "RBI guys" have lots of RBI and not many home runs? If you are trying to say the Sox would be better with Maggs in the three hole and FT batting fourth, you can make that argument. But the way you put it, makes no sense.

This situation is a bit different than the Randy Myers situation or waivers that you hear about around the trade deadline. In that situation, the club that owns the players contract has the right to pull the player off waivers if claimed. Ramirez was placed on irrevocable waivers, which means that if a team claims him, they get him. Boston has no right to pull him back if claimed. If he is claimed (which he likely won't be) then club that places the claim on him inherits him and his current contract. If he is not claimed, his contract is still in place with Boston and nothing changes. This sounds like a big deal, but because of the size of Ramirez' contract, it really isn't. the likelihood of him being claimed is very small.

Not Carlos...He's on an upswing and is definitely a keeper for a while! Problem is his salary is going to start going up big time. He got paid $3.3 mil this year and is looking at least $5 this year, plus some big raises in the next couple years. If salaries at the highest levels continue to level off, eventually that will affect mid-range salaries as well. Could happen as soon as a year or two from now.

'rockin, it has nothing to do with how much Manny will demand, but how much he is under contract for. If he is claimed, his contract goes with him. You may have meant this, but I wasn't sure.

I may have started that rumor. I believe I have heard that before, but I am not positive. As far as I know, it has not been confirmed.

LOL Well other than attacking Josh and calling him names earlier in this thread when all he did was agree with me, I guess you are perfect. If you think I am going to waste any more of my time "finding one single post" of yours, then you are delusional in thinking how much this conversation means to me. The fact that because I don't respond to your challenges means I don't get them is comical in itself, showing just how much you think the world revolves around you. You have showed your ass, I no longer need to continue this conversation and will not. I have better things to do than being called a kid by you. If you had half a clue, you would know better. Guess that is too much to ask. Au Revoir

That is one of the most comical pieces of drivel I have ever read. Like I said before, the colors in your world are much different than that of reality. Call me what you want, I could care less. You are doing nothing but showing your lack of class every time you type to me. If you want to think you are better than me or anyone one else, go for it. It's your world corb, we just live it.

I think Buehrle knows that the Sox would talk multi-year deal with him again if they had interest. I just don't see the Sox budging much if any from their stance from last year. I would not be surprised if some kind of deal was struck to avoid arbitration, even if it was only a one-year deal.

Forkit, I agree with you completely.... I am just not sure that Bart is thinking of or trying to understand the economics of it. I am not sure even the agent does either. On the surface, getting all of the money up front sounds much better than deferring money. It makes the agent look better and gets him more money up front. I am not saying that the agent doesn't understand this, but that he probably doesn't care. As you say, it is all about the money most of the time anyway. Jim Thome was a prime example. They guy cried and said that he didn't want to leave Cleveland, yet they offered him more money than he will ever need for the rest of his life, but because that wasn't as much as someone else, he jumped ship. Some guys want to stay somewhere and may actually mean it when they say it, but somewhere in the process that gets lost. Whether it is listening to the wrong people or being "courted" by the new team or just the $$, no one knows. But very few players stick around for the "hometown discount" anymore because in the baseball world, happiness is money. to the Tony Gwynn's of the world that had some common sense about themselves and realized that they were getting all they needed and more wasn't necessary.

I understand the difference...... I was just being a smartass. I have said this before and will say it again however. The difference between $18 million and $32 million is basically nothing. Either way, you can have anything and everything you want, as long as you aren't stupid with your money.

Yeah, I know I sure couldn't live on $18 million over the next 3 years.

Putting him on waivers, may just be a ploy by Boston to see if they can get the Yankees to bite.

Corb, you are living in your own world if you believe that. You have attacked Josh several times and every time it comes across as being based on his "illiteracy" as you put it. I certainly read everything that you wrote to Josh. I don't always agree with Josh myself, but you won't see me bashing him because he spelled a word wrong or didn't phrase things in a way you or I would have. If you want to attack Josh for his positions, go for it. I am even sure that you have at last partially targeted the attacks for that reason. But your attacks on Josh have gone way beyond that and I am not talking about just today. Lastly, I am no cocky kid, nor do I post like one. Sure, from time to time, I will fire one off at someone that I probably shouldn't but I can still live with myself at the end of the day. Your world is certainly different than mine if you see your posts as adult-like all the time. You talk down to anyone who disagrees with you and it is obvious to everyone here except you. If you don't intend that to be your tone, then perhaps you should think twice about what you type, because it comes across as very condescending. You can try and one up me all you want. You haven't yet, nor will you ever. You can act like your intelligence level is superior than mine (who knows, maybe your IQ is higher) all you want. That does not bother me, because I am confident in my own smarts and baseball knowledge. But if you continue to come across as a pompous know-it-all, then I will challenge you. I have no problem with you personally, but you have to understand how you come across. I'm sorry if you don't like to hear this, but I am not the only one that feels this way. As you said, if you want to debate in an adult-like manner, I am here. But until you made your previous post and admitted not knowing for sure what is going on, I didn't get anything from your posts other than the desire to defend Frank, JR and stick by your story that KW is gone. The last post you made was perhaps your best, because it was honest and informative. I enjoyed reading it. Let's hope there are more like that to come.

I am not a big Frank fan, but I wouldn't go that far, Past... Don't let Shoe see that post or all hell will break loose. LOL

The only way I could see Maddux on the south side is if the free agent market dried up on him like it did last year and he would take say $5-$6 million, but I just don't see that happening. I think the Padres would pay him that in a heartbeat and I would think Maddux would prefer to be there, closer to home (Vegas) and in a new stadium, than in Chicago, if the money were the same. That said, having Maddux get win # 300 for the Sox would certainly be interesting.

Ncorgbl, I don't mind if you agree or disagree with me on issues. You can even call my reply inane because I did not read all of your post. I can live with that. However, I find it interesting that anytime Josh posts something you don't like, you immediately call him illiterate or stupid or an idiot. My question is this..... Is a guy stupid or an idiot because he doesn't have as good of a command of the English language that you do? Does that apply to someone living in Puerto Rico or another Latin country where spanish is the primary language and not English? Since they don't know or type English as well, I guess that automatically qualifies them as stupid. It's funny, if you are friends with JR like you say you are, I would think that you would be able to show a little more class. Josh agreed with me. If you have a problem with me, bring it on. But to attack him and his use of the English language is completely classless and that should surprise me. Somehow, however, it does not.

I agree and have previously referred to Miles as an Eckstein type. I am not saying he can't have a good year or two in the Majors, but I do not think you will see long term success from him unless it is as a backup. His ability to play 3B will help him in that regard, but he still gives you less flexibility than a Graffy or even a guy who can play OF as well.

I thought I saw somewhere that KW said the payroll would be between $55-$60 million, up from $52 million this year.

Thanks................. I think. LOL

If I went to the trouble to type it, the least you could do is read it all, or sing it all in this instance, before you make an inane comment like that. Sorry, corb, I don't have the time, nor patience to read all of that. If you can't make a point in a more concise manner, I guess I'll continue to be apt to make more inane comments. Guess I just don't appreciate your creative side.

Problem is......... It IS broken..... If Gordon signs elsewhere, who is your closer? If Koch bounces back, then problem solved, but there is no guarantee that will happen and no one will know until the season gets going. Damaso may end up closing because it IS broken.

Seriously, ask him if he got wind of any rumors or saw anything to make him think that KW was not or isn't still in charge?