SSH2005

I prefer "Javy."

Ozzie needs to get Borchard more playing time so he can hopefully continue to raise his trade value. I love what we are seeing from Sweeney but we all know that he's not making the roster and I doubt he will be traded.

Jesus. I love seeing Borchard get that trade value up.

I think he was also learning to play some outfield but I don't see Ozzie ever using him there due to his desire for great defense.

My dream came true for some other bastard. :banghead

You are focused on that because it would make sense to trade Rogowski. We will have Konerko for the next 5 years and Thome for the next 3, possibly 4 years if he gets enough plate appearances in 2008 for his 2009 team option to be guaranteed. We have no need for Rogowski. He would only ever amount to a backup 1st baseman with us. May as well use him as trade-bait.

There's a reason the Sox gave up Morse, Reed, and Olivo for Garcia. Obviously, they wanted an established starter but they probably also thought that those three guys wouldn't have very high ceilings. That's also a part of scouting. The first time I can recall KW saying that he regretted trading away someone was Chris Young. He has never said that he regretted trading away anyone else and so far it doesn't look like he's been burned by losing any potential superstars. http://www.suntimes.com/output/sox/cst-spt-sox13.html

I don't see anything wrong with KW's method. He trades decent prospects or other players for other established players. He got Garcia, Contreras, and Vazquez for Morse, Olivo, Reed, Loaiza, El Duque, Vizcaino, and Young. Morse, Reed, and Young are three examples of players that our system produced that were apparently good enough to help us obtain a couple good pitchers. KW has been using this method for several years and both Garcia and Contreras helped us win a World Series. KW also traded Gio Gonzalez and Daniel Haigwood for Jim Thome -- two unproven pitchers used in a trade to obtain a proven slugger. This is all proof that our farm system does indeed produce. When you see good teams like the Twins fail to win the World Series, there's a reason. The Twins' GM Terry Ryan is afraid to take a big risk and go the extra mile of trading a top prospect to fill a need. Just look at who their projected starting 3rd baseman is this season -- Tony Batista. That's just a flat-out embarrassment. After offseason rumors of obtaining Hank Blalock, he settles for a washed-up bum in Batista because he didn't want to give up a good prospect or two for Blalock. They could have even gotten Corey Koskie back for next to nothing but they chose Batista. These are the types of moves (or lack thereof) that end in playoff dreams being shattered.

How do you think we got guys like Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Lee? Maggio Ordonez Carlos Lee We also got a damn good player in Iguchi from Japan in case you've forgotten. Shingo was only good for one season but the Sox also recruited him from Japan. I think you are being overly pessimistic.

I wonder what the hell these two were talking about. Willie playing CF...

I hope not. Then we would have two guys in our bullpen that could only [hopefully] get lefties out.

Help them defect from their home country.

I don't understand what you mean. Chris Getz tore it up in Single A as well. We probably could have gotten Romero for Getz but the Twins damn sure aren't going to trade a reliever to us. And we won the World Series last season. The Angels and Twins didn't. Would you rather we be the Twins and have a team with a crappy payroll, a s***hole stadium, and the risk of contraction? We won the World Series last year because KW wasn't afraid to trade highly rated prospects like Jeremy Reed, not because he horded unproven talent to show off an impressive farm system.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...ack=1&cset=true

His name is Chris Getz. And just because the Angels have a better farm system than us doesn't mean that Alexi Casilla is some sort of stud prospect. John Sickels didn't even have Casilla ranked on his Angels Top 20 Prospects list. Why? Because guys that break out in Single A are a dime a dozen.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...tesox-headlines

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...ack=1&cset=true

Okay, I'll give you another example... Alexi Casilla is no where near a top prospect and the Angels netted a decent lefty in J.C. Romero for him. The Royals claimed Joel Peralta on October 7th, 2005 after the Angels DFA'ed him. The Royals got him for the cost of a waiver claim. If they could turn a waiver claim into a power-hitting outfielder, I think they would be interested. But you were wrong, Tony82087!

Indeed, IIRC the Pirates were looking for a young power-hitting outfield before they signed Burnitz. Burnitz is ancient and is only signed for one season. The Royals were also looking for a young power-hitting outfielder as well. I would take a guy like Joel Peralta for Borchard in a second but I don't see a trade within the division happening.

I don't see KW trading Owens either. As much as some people may not like it, Owens fits too much with Ozzie's smallball. I think KW views Owens as Podsednik's replacement when he gets too expensive.

I doubt we would have to trade any of those guys for a decent reliever. Do you remember who we traded for Scott Sullivan back in 2003? Tim Hummel and some cash. Tim Hummel is back with the Sox now. I'm thinking more along the lines of Borchard + a mid-level prospect or two.

We don't have a ton of talent in the farm system but we have enough to net a decent reliever without having to trade Contreras.

Or dropping game-ending pop flies against the Twinkies.

Can I just get the clutch homers without the horrible strikeouts, AVG, OBP, and butchery on defense? If so, sign me up!

Nice.