RockRaines

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 01:07 PM) The Angels should be all over Bonds and I think its just a matter of time before they or the Dodgers make a move (even though Coletti swears he won't). Bonds really is a no brainer and one of the few total bargains in this free agent crop. the dodgers apparently almost have the deal done for Manny, so I dont see them as players.

Jaque Jones?

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 11:51 AM) Yes, Haeger; whose presence in the bullpen is essential with McCarthy in the rotation. Unless we're willing to blow out his arm, Brandon shouldn't be expected to pitch above 170 innings. Any deal with Philadelphia I'd be asking for Hamels and Castro. Even if you believe Logan is capable of fulfilling the role of LOOGY, Castro could atleast give him another year out of Charlotte. I agree, on that list we dont really have a long reliever, and it is very essential to have that piece.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 11:30 AM) If we were getting Turnbow, Rollins and Rowand I'd do it. uh yeah. Another power pitcher, a lead off hitter and a 4th OF'er

Man lackey would fit good into this rotation nicely. But I would still love Santana, and then flip him or BMAC for a positional stud. Im getting to the point that Haeger is our 6th starter in case of an injury.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 10:11 AM) So his injuries are ligament and tendon injuries? That isn't good. Not to accuse anyone of anything, but aren't those typical steroid injuries? They are calling both freak accidents, but yeah it could be perceived that way. He also had some hamstring issues this year as well. I think at one point in his career TB was trying to make him a power hitter, and now have settled that Crawford has more power and Baldelli is more the lead off type.

QUOTE(KevHead0881 @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 10:05 AM) From Rotoworld... McCarthy might be on their list if they are indeed talking to us. I would gladly give them Broadway. Although with some of the hype that ESPN has been giving Haeger, im sure we could use him in the deal.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 10:05 AM) well, not really, i posted it, and then you edited your post rock! you bastage... now you have to give me Can Corn, just waive him... I would be ecstatic if Rocco were on the Sox next season... Tru already has his hands on him, you watch.

Scouts inc Hitting Baldelli has been balancing the somewhat conflicting directives of trying to accelerate the development of his power while also learning to be more disciplined at the plate. He tends to be too aggressive at times, and the Rays are preaching a happy medium as he becomes more comfortable with hitting breaking balls. His average figures to increase as he better learns the strike zone. Baldelli also has tremendous speed, which makes bunting and infield hits a key part of his game, though the knee injury could change that. Baserunning & Defense Baldelli had been considered one of the fastest righthanded hitters in the majors, though that probably won't be the case, at least initially, as he recovers from the November surgery to repair the ACL tear in his left knee. He is an instinctive and smart player who runs the bases well. His defense improved as he got more comfortable playing inside Tropicana Field, and his athleticism makes him an exciting defender. His arm is above-average. Heres the lowdown on his injuries http://www.sptimes.com/2005/06/16/Rays/Ray...or_Baldel.shtml

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 09:58 AM) as do I however, last season he batted .339 with a .368 OBP in the LEADOFF SPOT... beat cha to it Steve-o

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 09:55 AM) He had an OBP of .368 last season. I see it as .339 in 2006 .326 in 04 and 03 The .368 was in 183 AB's in the lead off spot. That was the first year he was a lead off hitter, spending most of his time in the middle of the order in 03 and 04

He was a great player when he was healthy. He would fill the lead off hole nicely as well as bring a good defensive presence. But everyone has to realize that he isnt this OBP monster that everyone has been clamoring for. You could expect something like .330 OBP for Baldelli.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 01:33 AM) I'll tell you what. I'm just going to walk away from this. It's not worth it. Some people just need to hate something. Also, as much as I like Anderson. For some reason I see Ryan Sweeney winning the CF job in ST this year.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 07:37 PM) Ozzie can go to hell. AND BRING THAT WORLD SERIES TROPHY WITH HIM!!!!

QUOTE(LVSoxFan @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 04:40 PM) I disagree with those who say A-Rod won't leave NY. IMO that guy can't WAIT to get out of NYC, where they have been BRUTAL to him this past season. Man, we're bad when our players suck, but they rode him every game. He comes here, he's an instant superstar and you know he'll get a royal welcome. AND we're a contender. It's not like he's going to KC. The question becomes, if this were to happen--where goes Uribe? Do you put him on third, or on the bench? A-rod plays 3B, Uribe plays SS.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 03:52 PM) The Phils don't have the prospects I'd want to make this deal plausible. If somehow we got Rollins instead of Rowand than I'd listen and be quite interested. Both Madsen and Floyd are relatively talented but neither can be considered top prospects at this point anymore, imo. mmm hmmm. Rowand wouldnt exactly fill a pressing need, but Rollins surely would.

QUOTE(SoxFan562004 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 03:03 PM) I'll join you with that statement. Why would the Sox trade a SP for a RP at this point? With Padilla getting 11m a year and Lily looking at around the same, even for one year our starters would be worth more than a Yankee RP. They arent, that was pure smokescreen. KW wouldnt want ANY of their relievers.

Now that I look at it from an outside perspective, this deal kinda sucks from the yankees POV.

Man, remember when Garland's extension was considered to be overpaying?

QUOTE(tonyho7476 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 12:08 PM) I realize this...but how AROD was discussed, was my question. But obviously he is the only player we would be interested in. So I am a moron, thanks for pointing it out. Ah, I think you already knew that you were, I didnt need to point it out. Im sure that someone may have leaked that info.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 11:49 AM) There is a difference between commanding a high price, and being flat-out unreasonable. For years, the Devil Rays were demanding the moon for some of their players, and teams eventually just said the hell with them and the Rays got nothing. Then Bowden tried to hold the league hostage with his ridiculous demands for Soriano and now has some draft picks to show for it, when that team desperately needs some mlb-ready players now. Simply because the price of pitching is extraordinary right now does not mean you can ask for whatever you want; while we are one of the few teams with a surplus, we still would be better served by dealing at least one starter for an impact player or some quality prospects. The market wasnt what it is right now. Gil Meche, who basically is a 5th starter and has never sniffed 200 innings is going to get a 4 year deal for 10-12 a year. Thats about as inflated as the market gets. Also, why would we be better suited to deal one of our pitchers? I cant see why we should settle for a deal, just because making a move is the best thing we can do. As it stands right now, we most likely still have one of the best rotations in the AL, with one of the most potent lineups. If the deal does not favor us, we are better off standing pat until something catches our attention. I will say this again. If we take the team we took into last year, or something of equal value, the team wins 95+ games 7 out of 10 times. We got pretty unlucky last year and had a year that was disappointing, but also somewhat uncharacteristic of the talent on our team. I think many people on here have xbox or fantasy syndrome where you think that any deal will improve the team, as long as we move pieces. Prospects are also so overvalued on this board. We really arent a small market team, and as good as acquiring a stable of spects to bolster our minor league system would be, I would rather have an establish Ace like Mark Buehrle and sign him to an extension.

hehehe.

QUOTE(tonyho7476 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 10:58 AM) How do they know this? i don't buy it. But it gets me all excited. Gross. Because they have people at the meetings. How do you think they know this?

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 10:45 AM) I think Milledge and Pelfrey would be a great deal if Williams could pull it off -- you're talking about getting the Mets equivalent of McCarthy and Chris Young for one year of a starter who had a 5 ERA last season(Buehrle). That package is more than what the Diamondbacks got for Vazquez and Javy had 2 years left on his contract. In fact, I doubt the Mets will move Pelfrey, since they are still stung by the decision to trade Kazmir and Pelfrey is probably one of the top 5 starting pitching prospects in baseball. I agree that Williams should hold out to get the best possible deal (considering the state of the farm system). But if people think Milledge and Pelfrey wouldn't be enough for Freddy or Mark, I have a feeling they are going to be disappointed in whatever trade KW finally makes. It doesnt matter if he had a down year last year IMO, Buehrle has been our Ace now for several years and should demand the highest price. If we do not get a huge package for him, it benefits our team more in the short term to keep Buehrle, and I bet thats what KW is thinking. QUOTE(iamshack @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 10:58 AM) Yes, I remember: Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips. However, you can't compare the two situations. That was when he was in Montreal, where he had no payroll to sign FA's with. The only chance of getting impact players was through trades, and he consistently raped that farm system in order to do so. Simply because he got desperate then does not mean he will do that now. Currently, he has at his disposal one of the largest piggybanks in baseball to utilize, and he will undoubtedly empty that out, rather than the Mets system. Trading one of those guys for Mark, sure. Trading two of them for Mark, probably not. Trading all three for Mark, not a chance. This isn't Montreal anymore. So if the Mets do not want Buehrle at our price, they dont get him, and they have to either overpay or settle for something else. We do not have to make a deal to make a deal right now. There is so much of a market for pitching its ridiculous. Buehrle will make less money than Ted Lilly and Gil Meche this upcoming year, thats flat out ridiculous.

http://www.fmft.net/archives/BBC_NEWS.htm Lion Mutilates 42 Midgets in Cambodian Ring-Fight Skulls of victims of the Khmer Rouge regime An African Lion much like this is responsible for the death of 28 Cambodian Midgets Spectators cheered as entire Cambodian Midget Fighting League squared off against African Lion Tickets had been sold-out three weeks before the much anticipated fight, which took place in the city of Kâmpóng Chhnãng. The fight was slated when an angry fan contested Yang Sihamoni, President of the CMFL, claiming that one lion could defeat his entire league of 42 fighters. Sihamoni takes great pride in the league he helped create, as was conveyed in his recent advertising campaign for the CMFL that stated his midgets will "... take on anything; man, beast, or machine." This campaign is believed to be what sparked the undisclosed fan to challenge the entire league to fight a lion; a challenge that Sihamoni readily accepted. An African Lion (Panthera Leo) was shipped to centrally located Kâmpóng Chhnãng especially for the event, which took place last Saturday, April 30, 2005 in the city’s coliseum. The Cambodian Government allowed the fight to take place, under the condition that they receive a 50% commission on each ticket sold, and that no cameras would be allowed in the arena. The fight was called in only 12 minutes, after which 28 fighters were declared dead, while the other 14 suffered severe injuries including broken bones and lost limbs, rendering them unable to fight back. Sihamoni was quoted before the fight stating that he felt since his fighters out-numbered the lion 42 to 1, that they “… could out-wit and out-muscle [it].” Unfortunately, he was wrong.