scenario

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jul 25, 2010 -> 08:02 PM) Those are potentially disasterous mistakes though. Not having a farm system to upgrade your team with, whether its through a trade or promotion, or not being able to replenish your team after making a trade, can keep a team stagnant and potentially losing ground or a division lead. Of course, part of the reason for us having a 'horrible' farm system is that we keep trading away talent for other players. Ex. Chris Carter was MiLB player of the year last year... would have made our farm system look much better if we had kept him, right? But then we wouldn't have Carlos Quentin... etc., etc.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 25, 2010 -> 04:28 PM) He gets a lot of swings and misses, but he desperately needs a 3rd pitch. He does have 3 quality pitches. He just looks like he's pressing and as a result failing to execute. Same reason his control has gone to hell after getting called up. I hope he can settle in quickly. Not sure how much longer we can settle for these types of performances while he gets MLB 'experience'. If we weren't in a race, we could put up with it but...

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 25, 2010 -> 01:40 PM) You should change your sig to say: (also known as Hot Fire by only one person in the entire world) Or better yet... (formerly called Hot Fire by only one person in the entire world)

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jul 25, 2010 -> 11:10 AM) The one good thing Maggs still has going for him is that he is an amazing hitter. Dye fell off offensively so hard last year that he couldnt find the job he wanted Actually Dye had only two really bad months last year... August and September. He was playing great before that. Should have made the all-star team. And over the last 5 years, Dye has been a very similar and probably more productive hitter than Maggs. Anyway... I'm not trying to make a Dye vs. Maggs argument... just suggesting that the market for Maggs could turn out to be very limited (and similar to Dye) next year.

Maggs' injury is the type of event that could functionally end his career. Think about it. He's the same age as Dye. And about just as mobile... before the injury. Pretty good chance he'll be relegated to DH duties from now on. So, what's the market going to be in 2011 for a 37 year old right-handed DH coming off a serious injury? If he's not willing to take a serious pay cut he could find himself in the same position as Dye next year.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 11:40 AM) We do need some kind of offense for the final 2 months. Also; the asking price for Haren supposedly is 3 big league ready ballplayers: 2 starting pitchers and a reliever. Nah... expensive but not that rich. "It would need to be, in our opinion, an A-plus deal," Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall said. "Ideally, what we would ask for is major-league ready pitching, be it starters and/or bullpen, and prospects." Haren's 4.60 ERA through 21 starts is about a run higher than his career average, but his strikeout and walk rates remain among the best in the league. From 2007-09, he threw the third-most innings (668) and posted the fifth-best ERA (3.18) in the majors. And with a relatively affordable contract that runs through 2012 with a team option for 2013, the Diamondbacks are looking for a sizeable haul. "If we can get back three or four pieces that bring value now and also are controllable for a number of years, then we'd have to consider," Hall said. He said that could mean getting a pitcher who already is in the major leagues or one considered to be big-league ready who hasn't yet gotten an opportunity. Hall says a trade of Haren wouldn't be a salary dump nor would it signal that the Diamondbacks are entering a rebuilding phase. He instead views it as an opportunity to plug other holes with the club, both in talent that it gets back via trade and by freeing up money to use in free agency, perhaps on a closer. "I think if we bring in the right pieces and explain ourselves, I think fans will understand it was a move to improve our team now," he said when asked how the trade might be viewed by fans. Haren is set to make $12.75 million each of the next two seasons - well short of what frontline starters like CC Sabathia and Roy Halladay will make - and his deal includes a $15.5 million team option for 2013.

QUOTE (ICP! @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 11:39 AM) Hell to the no... Yeah, it would be painful... but Q is pretty much a china doll and headcase... with equal chances of being an offensive stud, injured, or in a self-induced funk. And I'd love our chances against just about anybody in a short series with that rotation. Plus Haren has a reasonable contract that we'd control for the next 3 years. It would be easier to find another hitter than a top-quality pitcher. And it would allow us to dangle Hudson as the carrot to find one. Just a thought.

Anybody willing to trade Q if it would bring us back Haren?

Never thought I'd say this... But with the cost of options available out there... Jack Cust is looking pretty good. Having a nice year. Left-handed power. Good OBP. Dirt cheap. Short contract.

So when did this happen? He batted in the 8th inning of today's game.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Jul 21, 2010 -> 10:58 AM) I thought you had more class than that, Patrick. Sometimes.

I tried to imagine their names being announced in games. I like the name, TJ Large. He's a pitcher in the RedSox system. Just sets up so many possibilities... Ex. Picture his battery mate as Rob Johnson; etc. Yeah, I'm sick.

Link

Flowers' splits for the season are interesting. Can't hit worth squat in Charlotte? Strange. And had the May from hell it appears.

Javy Vazquez has quietly stepped it up for the Yankees. Now has 7 quality starts in his last 8 games.

Time for a Crain Wreck.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 02:42 PM) Pierre -- LF Ramirez -- SS Rios -- CF Konerko -- 1B Quentin -- DH AJ -- C Jones -- RF Viciedo -- 3B Beckham -- 2B Floyd -- RHP Whoever was guessing, nailed it. QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 02:48 PM) Not sure why, but when I first glanced at that, the way you posted it, I thought it was position followed by player. I was looking forward to Andruw Jones catching, Paul Koernko in CF and Gavin Floyd playing 2B. With Pierre pitching then? Do you think he can throw far enough to reach the plate?

Gotta love his attitude too... After the ESPYs Left-hander Mark Buehrle didn't win the ESPY award for ''Best Play'' on Wednesday night, but he didn't seem to mind losing out to the Minnesota Vikings' Brett Favre and Greg Lewis. Buehrle was nominated for his spectacular between-the-legs flip to first base during the Sox' victory on Opening Day. ''I didn't want to win because I didn't want to talk in front of that many people, but it could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win something like that,'' Buehrle said. ''In the long run, I would have liked to get out there and have that trophy in my house, just to put it up, but at least I got nominated and got beat by Brett Favre.''

According to the Orlando Sun Sentinel, DHoward really wanted Redick back. And what superman wants... superman gets.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 10:05 AM) Pierre will stay in there. Makes sense. Shouldn't sit someone when they're hot. btw... you're doing a great job on the SoxNet game summaries. Excellent work.

Liriano tonight? I guess we should expect Ozzie to pull out the all-righty lineup card. The only question I would have is whether Vizquel or Viciedo plays 3rd. Since Omar got a couple of hits last night, he'll probably be rewarded with another start.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jul 15, 2010 -> 08:27 PM) A lot of over reaction for 1 bad inning. Over reaction on SoxTalk??? Never.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jul 15, 2010 -> 04:43 PM) According to Garfien Morneau might land on the DL, TIFWIW. More on that from the Minneapolis Star Tribune... Twins first baseman Justin Morneau tried working out today and felt woozy. He said he's probably headed to the 15-day disabled list. Morneau said he has felt progressively better in recent days, so he's encouraged. He'll be eligible to come off the DL on July 23. The Twins plan to activate Matt Tolbert (bruised right middle finger) from the DL on Friday, so he'll likely swap spots with Morneau.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 15, 2010 -> 02:03 PM) How's their attendance been so far? 1.36M... about 200,000 ahead of us. (They're 13th in MLB. We're 18th.) I suspect we'll end up pretty close by year end if we stay in the race. And if Maggs' option vests, their payroll obligations for next year will be basically the same as ours.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 15, 2010 -> 01:26 PM) Yes, because they're getting a ton of salary off the books after this season (Bonderman, Willis, and Robertson) I've looked at the sheets. Yeah, they lose some baggage, but our payroll obligations for 2011 aren't significantly different than theirs.