beck72

Phi would likely add cash to a deal, if the sox added talent. How do you bench Everett making $4 mill?! I don't see him around come ST. But a guy who can play 3 positions well could make less than $4 mill

Easy wet dream boy. I haven't been a "Polanco lover". Yet he could be had at less than market value, and be a big improvement over Harris at 2b, and be insurance at SS and 3b in case of injury

Lieberthal would be harder to move though. Doesn't he have one more yr at over $7 mill? At least Polanco is younger and more productive. But they can't have him sitting on the bench making $5 mill [not that the sox can have Everett sitting on the bench w/ his $4 mill salary]

If last yr showed anything w/ the injuries to Maggs and frank, is that the Sox need to have backups in case of season ending injuries. Going into 2005 w/o a backup for Uribe at SS makes no sense. Which the sox must think Valdez is, even if he's at AAA for the yr. They can't keep Valdez on the roster, and get a 2B man. Unless that 2b man can play SS or 3B as well. Crede has no backup either now. I wouldn't want Uribe moved from SS to 3b in that case.

With Polanco accepting Phi's arb offer [which they didn't think he'd accept, and have Chase Utley for 2b this yr] Phi. prob. has to trade him. He'd likely get $5 + mill in arb, as he made $3.95 mill in 2004. The key is Phi. would prob. want to unload his salary, and not take on salary in return. Then they could pay a little of his salary for young cheap talent. I think Polanco would be a FA after this yr, so any team trading for him would go into it seeing him as a 1 yr rental [which means teams won't give a lot for him via trade] If Phi, pays some of his salary--the Sox could offer pitching, maybe a bullpen arm [adkins or Munoz and Borchard], Polanco could be backup for 3b, SS and 2b. Polanco didn't make sense to sign as a FA to a 2, 3 yr deal. The sox are waiting to see if Willie Harris shows more upside in 2005. Yet as a yr rental to provide some stability to the sox young IF, makes sense.

I did read Iguchi switched from SS to 2b after he hurt his arm/ shoulder? and hasn't played there since [2000, 2001?]. My guess is he could play a few games there but would hurt the club too much if he had to play a ee or longer there. Same with Cairo, though I haven't seen him play SS. I'm just going by the fact that 2b is considered Cairo's best position. that's why I'm thinking the sox must be convinced Valdez can play SS if Uribe went down. If they didn't the sox would have a huge hole at SS if Uribe got hurt for a while

I agree that the 2b guy the sox get should play SS. My point is that Valdez would likely be better defensively at SS than either of those two for playing there everyday.

Except AZ doesn't have a lot of good prospects in the minors for Pitt.

From CBS sportline: Arizona Diamondbacks Updated:12/21/2004 Their blockbuster deal with the Dodgers and Yankees fell through, but the Diamondbacks are talking to the Mets about outfielder Cliff Floyd, says the New York Post. New York is looking for infielder Shea Hillenbrand in return. ---------------------------------------------------------- If AZ would be interested in the oft-injured and expensive Floyd, wouldn't Carl Everett be a decent guy to p/u? Maybe it's the Mets who are interested. But IMO I'd rather have Everett than Floyd.

If the Sox were interested in Alex Cora, don't you think they could have had a deal hammered out by now?! It leads me to believe they don't want another LH hitter for 2b. Which means a guy like Iguchi or Cairo may be targeted first.

The sox must be sold on Valdez's defense at SS, or else they'd be looking for a guy who could play SS on a long term basis. He might hug the mendoza line but he'd be the sox 1st option if Uribe went down for a long time. IMO, Valdez could hit close to .250 and handle the bat well enough to prevent the sox from having to trade for a replacement SS. These 2b guys being mentioned couldn't play SS if Uribe went down for the season. But could play a game or two. The sox seem to have a backup plan for most spots [not really 3b in case Crede got hurt, or SS, which made me think of Valdez being part of the sox 2005 plans, even if he's at AAA]

I like Zaun as well. He seems more than capable of giving the sox 90 games with above avg offense. He would be a safer bet, even for a 2 yr deal, as the sox don't have any prospects near being ready. But getting a AAA guy [who may start the yr in AAA but prob. could be ready ealry in the yr to be called up] who has upside isn't a bad idea. Even if the Sox had to trade a top 10 prospect for another teams top C prospect, the sox need some options at this spot. Lucy and Hernandez are a few yrs away if at all.

If all this talk about getting someone for 2b is true, the sox must think Wilson Valdez can fill in at SS fulltime in case Uribe gets injured. If Valdez can play above avg defense and hit close to .250, I guess he'd be more than capable if Uribe went down. All the guys talked about are not fulltime SS's [iguchi, Cora, Cairo] My guess is Valdez would be in AAA, ready in case he's needed. Esp if the sox get someone like Iguchi, Cairo or Cora who could play SS on a short term basis to give Uribe a day off. As it is, the sox have no SS backup. So Valdez would have to make the sox if no moves are made

Getting a AAA C with upside, who could actually make the team coming out of spring, should be done, if the sox don't make a trade for a vet or sign a FA. I just don't think Davis and Burke have the upside the sox need

BA's Prospect handbook also said Baker was a better defender than Brown [but that neither were gold glovers]

Burke does sound like a good 3rd Catcher. I give Ozzie some credit for calling Burke up when he was hitting below .230 in AAA. but I wouldn't count on him repeating his 2004 yr. Rex, I was wondering if you knew anything about two of the A's AA, AAA C's: Jeremy Brown and John Baker. With Kendall locked up, and Barton acquired, one of these guys could be available [if not then, A's back up Adam Melhuse traded and one of these guys could take his spot]. I know Brown was reach 1st round pick in 02, and Baker a later pick [4th maybe]. Seeing Baker's numbers [280/.355/.477 in AA, and some games in AAA] and LH hitting stick, he seems like a better fit than what the sox have in the upper levels

A few things: *The sox have put the emphasis on C because Ozzie likes having 3 C's, for the flexibility of pinch hitting and pinch running late in games. Plus, the sox have basically 2 decent backups now. Both Ozzie and KW don't seem exactly thrillled w/ what the sox have there, and shouldn't. *The 9th hitter [ideally] should be someone who can handle the bat and have some speed, so they can get a RISP for the top of the order. Harris seems well suited for this spot, not a slow C who doesn't make consistent contact *Neither Burke or Davis are studs defensively. They aren't big offensive weapons, either. So what the sox would have is below avg players at a key spot. The sox should get at least an average C, either who can hit or field above what the sox have now

It's obvious the Sox need to upgrade at C. Davis and Burke are both fine backups. But not everyday C's. So where do the sox go to upgrade? Only Zaun seems like an upgrade of the FA's left. Even he seems like a Davis clone. The trade route seems like a possible spot. Yet teams would only trade backups at this point, not guys with big upsides. [Maybe I'm missing someone, so if I have give me some names] Yet getting a young guy ready for the bigs would seem like a decent plan to get more from the C's spot. Two guys come to mind, possibly a third [though Bos.'s prospects always get overhyped, maybe Kelly Shoppach] NYY's-Dioner Navarro and ATL's-Brayan Pena. Both are switch hitting, young guys with solid defensive and offensive skills. We all know about Navarro, who will turn 21 in early 2005. He did play in AAA this yr, so he could be ready soon. Pena will be 23, and played in AA [the Sox would have a good sense of him, as ATL's AA plays in the southern league]. Pena hit .314/.349/.401 in 04. From his 2004 BA scouting report, he sounds like an Ozzie Guillen clone. He also only has k'd 128 times in 1088 ab's. As long as the Sox got a solid defender, with more offense than Big Ben can provide, the sox could do well going this route. I'm sure there are other names out there. Thoughts?

I've been thinking the same thing for C. Get a prospect w/ offensive upside / solid defense who can play in 2005. the Sox then would have Davis and Burke as defensive replacements for the later innings. I'd like to see the sox try and get C Dioneer Navarro from the Yanks, esp if the sox try to deal for Vazquez. It would be interesting what other names are out there. Kelly Shoppach from Bos comes to mind.

I didn't know this before but Cairo is Venezuelan.

True. I think the sox have shown reasonable restraint in signing the 3 FA's they have to decent contracts and deserve some credit for it [OK 4 FA's but I don't count Kevin Walker ]

If the sox plans are to bring in a veteran guy who can play a few IF positions and mostly play 2b vs LHP, they have a good sales pitch to sell Miguel Cairo on. Few other teams that are playoff contenders would be willing to give him that much playing time and a vital role. Harris' role is likely to be reduced no matter what his stats were last yr. The Sox have publicly stated they aren't satisfied with what Willie did last yr, and their actions this offseason reflect that. The sox aren't confident Willie can do the job they want in 2005, regardless of what we here at soxtalk think

The certainly aren't "relying" on Harris to carry them. With all the talk about getting in someone for SS or 2B to sit Willie on the bench, the sox seem to want Willie to surprise them at best--play solid vs RHP and pinch run rather than be a fulltime player. But if the sox have to rely on Willie for the entire yr, w/o having a sensible back up plan, you're right, they probably won't make or deserve to make the playoffs. Having an inexperienced middle IF would be a disaster waiting to happen

Wanting Eck as FA [w/o giving up a draft pick to sign him] is a lot different than trading players to get him. If KW traded to get him people would have roasted him for giving up too much talent for a SS who would play 2b for the sox As far as not getting Cora or Cairo, who knows. I think someone like Cairo should come to the sox. But KW has filled 3 holes via free agency, with solid players who were sougth after by other teams. He's done more than most people thought he'd be able to do. So I wouldn't count out the sox.

STL definitely overpaid. 3 yrs was too much. But they needed both a SS and a leadoff hitter.