beck72

I could see Jose playing SS for someone and improving on his 2004 yr. But for 3B? Not a chance for that money

I forgot about LA picking up Jose V for 3B at $3.5 mill. DePodesta must be on drugs with the deals and decisions he's been making.

The sox are looking for guys who can get them to the playoffs first. If they aren't cutting it by the break, a trade could fill a hole. Cora was doing fine at 2b for LA, a playoff team. DePodesta is looking for more offense w/ Kent. I think he's messing up a decent team, with guys like LoDuca, Mota gone. He's making a lot of mistakes and Cora could be another mistake BTW-WS teams pick up spare parts all the time. Womack was a scrap heap p/u and led STL to the best record in the NL. SP's like Chris Carpenter, or bullpen arms. It happens a lot, esp. if your team isn't Bos. or the yankees

Going by that logic, cora led LA to the playoffs, so would he lead the sox to the playoffs too? I'm not going just by speed. But what the sox said they also needed---contact hitters, guys who can handle the bat. SB speed is overrated. But having guys who can "first and third" an opposing team to death is important. Having guys who can run the bases on hit and runs, and having guys who can put the ball in play [AJ, Cora, etc] is a part of building a more consistent offense.

Did the Sox say they were going after the top FA SP's this offseason? The only one I heard mentioned was clement. I did hear names like RJ, Vazquez and Hudson [though the A's didn't want to trade him to AL teams]. They still like Vazquez, who should also be on the market after LA gets him. The Sox prob. will put together a trade offer along the lines they did for Freddy Garcia, a "we'll top any offer" for him. But the only bottom of the barrel type SP's being talked about getting are coming from us fans and writers, not the Sox

My bad. I get the feeling that those guys would be great to fill the hole in the 4th or 5th spots. Yet with Garland and Jose C both big question marks, getting a #1 or a #2 is foremost in their minds instead of adding another question mark [which Perez [makeup, durability], Miller [injury] and El Duque [health] are all. Vazquez is still probably the sox target, even if it means Garland leaving. The 5th spot is easier to fill than a SP at the top of the rotation. I can see Schoeneweis trying the market to get a spot on someone's rotation for the same money the sox offered, not finding any takers, and coming back.

I bet KW could come up with anybody to plug the hole in the 5th SP spot. But getting a #1-3 is harder to come by. But what exactly is your plan to fill the hole in the rotation?

I could see Ana wanting him and having the pitching to match up. Whether LA would trade w/ their interstate rival is another question

No help pitching wise.

Do the Sox have interest in Milton at $6 mill? Yes. At $9 mill which is closer to what he'll likely get? Hell no.

He made $1.3 mill in 2004. LA was worried he could get double that in ARB. So, something along the lines of $2.0 mill would be OK. The sox could make a higher 1 yr offer with an option for a 2nd yr, or go w/ a lower per yr figure and give a 2 yr deal.

A key thing to consider: These were not just "cheap" pick ups. Pods and Vizcaino are arguably two of the best values at their respective positions [a $500 k leadoff man, and a proven set up/ possible future closer who'll make under $1 mill] available. that the sox got added payroll, in addition to filling holes w/ 2, key, solid players and prob. a decent prospect as the PTBNL, is a bonus.

The brewers seemed intent on trading Pods and Kolb. Kolb was traded days before Pods. My bet is Pods was one of the key guys to get, along with Vizcaino. the salary dump was secondary to getting a leadoff type hitter, and getting a power arm for the pen. There prob was a much smaller window to get Pods and the sox had to act Any GM though who's worried about bad PR in Dec. instead of worrying about putting the best team on the field in april isn't doing their jobs. Look at Beane and DePodesta. They should be tarred and feathered. KW looks like a savant compared to those 2 right now. Let's be patient and see how the roster looks come Feb and March

Cora would improve the sox defense [as Uribe would stay at ss], Eck wouldn't [as he'd move Uribe to 2b]. The fact that Cora can play SS and 2b is huge, so Uribe can play 3b for Crede at times. Eck hasn't played 2b in years if at all in the majors. He's strictly a SS The sox don't need Sb guys. Pods alone is fine, along w/ Rowand. They need guys who can run the bases and make contact for hit and runs. Guys like Cora and AJ don't strike out much [cora only 41 times in 405 ab's and AJ 27 times in 471 ab's]. I know Eck's offense is fine and would be ok there. But IMO, the middle defense is more important to what the sox plans are, and Cora would improve the sox in that dept. Add in the fact that Eck has no ties to this org, and prob won't sign w/ the Sox, and Cora is a more likely addition

cora seems like a very good fit, with is defense, OBP, ability to handle the bat, make contact [more BB's than K's]. He can play 2b and SS [played over 200 games from 2001-03 there], so Uribe can move over and play 3b for Crede at times. Say good bye to Willie

AJ should come in around $3 mill. If everett is traded Vazquez'll fit

Looks like many guys talked about here have been offered contracts-Armas, Ohka. A few interesting names avail--Eckstein, Wade Miller http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=1950407

The score said today five teams were after him. How they'd know that, unless the sox were seriously considering him, I don't know. Boston wouldn't be involved yet as they want Varitek. TB is supposedly another. Coming back to the AL and the AL Central in particular has to have some attraction. And that the sox are always in the hunt for 1st place. Who knows, we'll see soon enough

Why bother trying to add a guy like Vazquez? Because Vazquez is a #1 or a #2 when pitching like he did in the 1st half of last yr. Garland and Perez on their best days can be solid #3's or 4's. What is pretty clear is Vazquez wouldn't be a good fit for LA if they sign Drew and Lowe [which they sound like they want to do. Hence if Vazquez was put on the market, the Sox would be a good bet to go after him. Is Vazquez "marginally" better than Garland or an $8 mill / yr Odalis Perez? No question. Perez scares me, and isn't a sure thing [a guy who can go 6, 7 IP's everytime out there] for the rotation and looks like his price will shoot threw the roof as teams scramble to fill holes in their rotations. Yet Vazquez's all star 1st half is more in line with what he's capable of doing, as he's shown steady progress. The 2nd half looks more like an aberation, with a change is his motion/ bad mechanics. And he's been a workhorse in previous yrs. Looking at the Mulder and Hudson deals, Vazquez could be had for a decent price. The trade market has been set, and Vazquez will come cheaper in terms of talent than both of them. The sox can add a #5 through the non-tender route, or sign Schoeneweis [he was solid as the #4 last yr before he got hurt] SS as the #5 can allow him to pitch in the bullpen when off days allow. The bullpen can absorb Marte's loss, with the additions of Vizcaino and Hermanson, and Cotts and Adkins being used better. Or the sox can add another bullepn arm who was non-tendered. As far as salary goes, Everett wouldn't stay anyway. PK can DH when Frank is injured and Gload plays 1B. A team in need of a bat could use him and the Sox could get some prospects equal to Rauch and Majewski.

Perez at 6 + mill is OK. But more than that, I'd pass. I don't think KW will or should get in a bidding war over Odalis. I want a workhorse/ stopper type, and those will probably only come via trade. Is Perez at $8 mill >> than Vazquez at $10 mill? Not in my book But a 5th starter via the non-tender route, coupled with getting a top SP, makes sense. Say the sox go after Armas, Jr, who made $2.1 mill in 2004, or Tomo Ohka who made $2.34 mill. They might only get $2 mill. Is Garland at $3.4 mill >>> than Armas / Ohka at $2 mill. A little. Overall, I'd take a Vazquez + Armas or Ohka combo over Perez + Garland, [and factoring in the hit to the bullpen w/o Marte]

With LA seemingly after JD Drew and Derek Lowe, trading Vazquez makes a lot of sense. Then a deal around Garland and Marte could happen. What other teams would likely be after Vazquez as hard as the Sox have been? Not many http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,20...2608448,00.html

He was hurt in 2003 and the start of 2004. He has very good stuff and was progressing well before he got hurt. A good bet to turn it around in 2005

Who? You didn't say the Sox should look at either Ohka or Armas Jr. Both should come in at less than Garland's $3.4 mill. I could see the Sox reuniting Armas and Vazquez

The dodgers wanted to clear salary, esp Greens $16 mill. Then they can get a few other players [like JD Drew, etc], in addition to getting the prospects. It's very likely Vazquez will be traded by LA to fill other holes. They've been burned by big SP contracts and aren't likely to take on another one in Vazquez [esp as his 2nd half of 2004 was poor which could raise some red flags] IMO, the Sox can get Vazquez for even less than the talent of CLee + Garland, more like Marte + Garland

December 19, 2004 LA times DePodesta Tries to Set Next Move Before Trade Like an enormous glacier, the three-team blockbuster trade that would shed more than $10 million in Dodger payroll and send Arizona Diamondback left-hander Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees inched along Saturday. Dodger General Manager Paul DePodesta is thought to be holding up completion of the deal, although he is privately optimistic that it will get done. He just wants to make sure that the next move he plans to make, either on the free agent or trade market, is in place first. Signing free-agent outfielder J.D. Drew to a multiyear deal worth more than $10 million a year is the top priority. Drew, 29, batted .305 with 31 home runs with the Atlanta Braves last season. He also walked 118 times and had an impressive .436 on-base percentage. Another reason DePodesta might not be in a hurry is that the trade seems to get better for the Dodgers every day it lingers in limbo. One day after inconsistent left-handed pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii was included along with right fielder Shawn Green and pitchers Brad Penny and Yhency Brazoban in the package that would go to the Arizona Diamondbacks, it was reported that Diamondback reliever Mike Koplove would come to the Dodgers along with Yankee pitcher Javier Vazquez and two top minor leaguers. Koplove, 28, was 4-4 with a 4.05 earned-run average in 76 appearances last season and could replace Brazoban as the primary setup man for closer Eric Gagne. The Diamondbacks would get from the Dodgers minor league pitcher Brandon Weeden, who was the Yankees' top draft pick in 2002 and was traded to Los Angeles with Jeff Weaver in last winter's trade that sent Kevin Brown to New York. DePodesta also might package Vazquez or either of the two prospects — catcher Dioner Navarro and third baseman Eric Duncan — in a trade for more pitching. The Dodgers came to agreement on a one-year deal for $3.5 million with free agent Jose Valentin, who is expected to play third base against right-handed pitching. Valentin, 35, still must pass a physical.