Texsox

Thank you YASNY. Once I looked at CWSGuy's profile, I realized how much sense losing Maggs must seem like. Think we will retire his number on the way out of town?

Kind of like we were with Buerhle at the start of last season. Quite a few wanted to grant him his wish to play for the Cardinals.

So what is everyone doing with their share of the extra money? Colon was replaced by Wright. Last year 6 wins out of the #5 starter wins the division. Colon is gone, we now have zero wins from Wright, Diaz, Rauch, Cotts. 3 or 4 wins would have us with a lead in the division.

I was reminded that it wasn't that long ago that we did the exact same thing with Robin Ventura and before that, Harold Baines. Watch them move to other teams, gather a few cheaper prospects, make room for can't miss prospects and life will be better. I guess the kids need to go through it as well. They can watch the process with Maggs. Funny, are we hoping one of these guys develops into a player who is as good as Maggs is now? Let other teams have the superstars, we'll survive with the Valentins of the world and their 4 to 5 million dollar salaries. Someday Sox fans will be able to keep their superstars, until then, at a $2.4 million dollar per player average, I guess a $6 or $7 million (taking just over 10% of this payroll) will be it. Let other teams keep their superstars, we're not worthy. I know CWSGuy and his buddy have extensive experience in running businesses and that they know the salary "cap" was based on projected income and that a business can take a conservative or an aggressive stance on those numbers. The Sox income projection could easily vary by several million dollars. I guess in their experience, taking a conservative estimate on advertising, viewership, attendance, etc. is the way to go. Some businesses find it limits their growth.

You left in the 9th? Damn, that's a dedicated beer drinker

I just wonder how many games Frankie can play a year at first. It is still amazing to me how much better he hits when playing the field. Anyone knows how well Paulie is at DHing? I don't want to lose his bat.

And my point is it royals sucks that the team cannot keep it's best player because of a self imposed salary cap. That it can't build on this team, it must take a step back and try to replace a star player again. What three pitchers are you getting for $4,000,000 each? And for how long? I guess we can hope for another Esteban. I'm tired, very tired, of 40 years of trading a proven player for prospects and hoped for free agents. We never seem to win the FA game, we always seem to lose. If Maggs was playing for the Expos, wouldn't we be clammering for him? I guess y'all are young and still believe in next year, still believe in this ownership. They've had 20 years, a couple playoff appearances. Let's hope this year works out. If not y'all will go through another cycle of signing some good young players, get all so close, then watch as economic drives them away. You have the promise and enthusiasm of youth, I have 40 years of waiting for a World Series. Youth is all about the future, death is all about the past.

Who was the Nixon cabinet member who ate a rat to get over the fear of rats? John somethingorother

You are saying two things Lock up your pitchers first and to short term contracts. Why would a pitcher sign a 3 year deal here when other teams will offer 5? I'm not saying it is the right thing to do, but if you want to compete for pitchers, that's the market.

f***, no edge of the seat excitement, no f***ing walks, stolen bases I love it

1-2-3 Frank!! Zero!! A star is born

Everybody up at the Cell

My God a lead off hitter is out

Atlanta announcers are not bad. They just called Frank a HoF

Damn, I lost my mlb conection

I'm not certain at what point he can exercise the option. Usually it is before any FA negotiations. It would be interesting how they structured Frank's. Wasn't it Roberto Alomar who refused our offer and signed for less? I'm glad he did.

OK, I should say it rarely works. Why else would we be desperate for a 5th starter? That was our deepest position. Checking the Braves roster back then. not many position players were Braves draft picks. JR has almost always refused 5 year deals for pitchers, I do not see us developing a pitching dynasty. I think if Mark had a great 1st half last year, he would have been looking for bigger dollars and possibly have left at the end of his previous contract.

I thought you were advocating the team taking their option. Because of his contribution to the club, I would like to see a new deal at close to $8 with incentives above that. I think it will be ugly if Frank has to take his option. But no way I would take the $11 option.

No, prospects are great chips at the poker table. You dream of a Dontrell Willis coming out of nowhere. I really hoped Rauch would have been it. I've been pulling for him since I met him. Damn, he's the second biggest human I've ever met, behind Keith Van Horn. If you try and build a team from the ground up, it doesn't work. That is why hanging onto your top two or three players is key. We will never have a laten 1990s Braves rotation because JR has all but refused pitchers more than a 4 year contract.

Look at it from a purely numbers perspective. We just drafted close to 50 players, may sign 35-40 by the time it is over. This year, ike most years, we've called up and kept on the 25 man roster only 2 players. There never is enough room for more than a couple making the grade. For that reason alone, prospects are a dime a dozen. This isn't disparaging our drafting or our players, that's just the math. An outstanding draft class for a team would be 4 players advancing to their 40 man roster.

LMAO I wonder what JM is doing today,

You would extend Frank at $11 million?! Do you think another team would sign him at more than $8 million? I wouldn't and I expect him to exercise his option at $8 million.

I'm not calling them busts, yet. I do not believe I mentioned Borchard at all. Rauch is looking less and less likely. As I said sarcastically before, when you were 11 they drafted Rauch and he was a can't miss prospect, a certain Cy Young winner. Injuries, maturity, etc. so far as kept him from realizing his potential. See, injuries are another way prospects do not turn out. Look over the Sox drafts over the past 15 years and see how many 1-2-3 rounders are playing for the Sox.

And how do you know this? How about the Valentin and Koch savings? How about an increase in payroll? Frank's option is plus or minus 3 million depending on who excercises their option. $11 million is the team does, $8 million if Frank does. Are you planning on exercising Frank's option at $11 million? or saving some mney there?

habit, pacing