beck72

I think each situation is different. Clev had all young guys, many younger than Bradley. Most players will steer clear of a guy with an "explosive" personality, who could "go off" at any minute. No one will challenge him. In LA, they have older guys. No problems there. Maybe no one will challenge him. But if they sense Bradley has his heart in the right place, isn't a freak, just has some things to work out, they'll cut him some slack. What I'm saying is the Sox seem like they'd be a good fit. Would Everett, KW, and Frank [who should retire with the sox, play another 3, 4 yrs] challenge a young, explosive African american male and help him work through his problems? As long as Bradley isn't a thug, but just a guy who has some issues and is willing to work on them, then these veterans would take care of him. I know enough about Frank and Carl and not only would they challenge Bradley, but would protect him and help him grow into the player and the man he could be. Carl has been in the same position as Milton, and Frank has taken enough shots. They won't tolerate other people bashing him unfairly, or Bradley "going off" and doing something stupid. I've worked with enough "castoffs" and "misfits" to know that not every person is crazy and should be discarded just because they got into trouble. It's the people who are willing to change, willing to work, and put in situations where they can succeed that ultimately can turn things around. And a person who comes through struggles and finds success, is stronger for it. In this case, not only Bradley would be stronger, but the Sox would be as well. Give me an all out effort type of guy over a player who mocks fans, blames teammates for failures, doesn't think he needs to change a thing about his game and could care less about winning. [Many people seem to forget Garland's troubles last year. IMO, his are worse, and will take far more time than Bradleys, and bring down a team even more] My point is the Sox could be a good situation for Bradley [with the right people on the sox] if Bradley is the type who's willing to work. Whether Bradley is or not, that's the key.

Maybe my monitor isn't working and I can't see that you're post is really in green The sox need to make trades to fill holes, and use the free agent market. Few teams trade pitching for pitching. Garland's name has been mentioned as trade bait. Why not fill a hole or two [like I said in the 1st post, i'm not going to repeat myself] this way, and get the SP filled another way? BTW-Hasn't Jose V's name been banned from this site?

I'd agree if Bradley was making $5 mill a yr and signed long term. He made less than $2 mill last yr and is ARB eligible this yr. I'd also agree if it was a Jose Guillen type, who many on here talked about getting though he was advertised as a "clubhouse cancer". Bradley hasn't been talked about that way. He might just need a Dr Phil makeover rather than a lobotomy like Artest. Put another way, do the Sox have more confidence in Garland fulfilling his potential than they do that Bradley's problems [whatever they are, fans don't know what the real issues are] could be solved? I don;t know. It's up to the sox to ask those questions

Carl Everett squeaky clean? Roberto alomar? The sox have been known to take chances on guys. I agree there's some risk involved. But with guys like Everett, Frank, Willie and KW around, the Sox would seem to be a good environment to help a young African-American man to overcome some problems that are not baseball related [by all accounts, his effort on the field and relations w/ teammates hsan't been questioned]. I just think LA might not be the place for him, by going by the fans reactions to his incidents. Chi. could be. I'm sure Joey Cora could talk to his bro over the holidays to get a sense of what Bradley's all about. One thing is for sure, the sox need young impact players [or potential impact players] in their everyday lineup. Soon. With Minn. and Clev. stocked full of young talent, the sox are getting closer to KC and Det. than them. I know Choi isn't the answer at 1B for them. Pk would be good insurance in case Beltre leaves town.

Weren't you one of the Garland for Kendall backers? I was. So weren't you advocating trading a SP for a position player. C'mon Man The sox need to fill a bigger hole at the top of their lineup [and get bullpen help, as Garland has performed better in his career w/ no problems and should get a higher return than just Milton] more than they need to keep a solid 5th starter. But the sox offense is not fine as it is. BTW- Last time I checked there were more than a few SP's better than Garland still available via free agency [Pavano, Perez, Clement, Ortiz, Pedro, Jaret Wright, etc etc]

Hasn't Garland been mentioned a lot in possible trades? Haven't the Sox talked about getting a SP better than Jon? the Sox will upgrade their pitching. BTW- Bradley should make less than Garland's $3.4 mill in ARB as well. [so the cost of a CFer with his tools makes it very possible to upgrade in other areas] My point is if Arthur Rhodes' name can be mentioned in a deal for Bradley, the Sox could get at least a bullpen arm with Bradley for Garland.

The sox need a position player or two. Even more than a SP and a guy for the bullpen. If you look at the lineup the sox are putting out now, its a 3rd or 4th place team. And a top of the order guy is paramount. I think a trade will address this need. If not for Bradley then for someone

By all accounts Artest is a freak. Bradley, I don't think so.

Bradley would provide the Sox what they are sorely lacking--a top of the order hitter, who plays above avg d at multiple positions, has speed, high OBP, and is a switch hitter. Maybe Garland might be too high a price. But a SP could be more easily found than a guy of Bradleys ability. But Bradley would do nothing for the Sox?! Hardly

LA's CF Milton Bradley for Garland. A SF chroncile writer [via ben maller] mentioned that Pittsburgh wanted to get Bradley, and use Arthur Rhodes in a deal. A straight swap sounded stupid. But it got me thinking maybe he was available. I checked out LA's MLB message board, and it sounds like he could be. Most people were supportive of Bradley [though people did like him did think he was a "pyscho"], saying he was a good teammate and played the game with a passion. Yet a few were adamant about getting rid of him. Seeing how LA fans have reacted to him this yr, [after getting into it w/ STL fans, and another incident in LA] and at the end of the yr getting booed a lot, it doesn't seem like next yr will get any easier for him. The question would be what are his problems. And would the sox help him. Seeing how Everett and Frank are two guys who have experienced similar questions about them, they would seem to be good guys for Bradley to be around. Willie Harris as well. And the questions surrounding him seem anger related, personal stuff and issues, not related to baseball at all--by all accounts, he's a gamer. [Though Cle's manager got fed up over not running out a pop up in ST] He certainly has potential. In 2003 his .321/.421/.501 numbers in 101 games speaks to that. His ability to hit at the top of the lineup [has hit 1, 2 and 3 the last 2 yrs], can switch hit, solid OBP, has SB speed, and hit for power. His career numbers are down a bit [.267/.350/.416], but came into the league young. And is coming into his own, power wise and OBP wise. LA needs to bolster their SP 1st and foremost. Garland would seem a good fit. He's healthy [as LA's guys have been injured a lot], can eat innings, a good pick to have his numbers go down in their park, and affordable. The question is would Bradley be on the block. They don't have CF who can take his place now. Finley could be re-signed but iffy. And they could lose Beltre to free agency. Unless Bradley would be part of a bigger deal [say involving PK for Shawn Green + pitching--which could give LA some salary relief] or if they got an additional bat from another team or a FA signing, I wouldn't think LA would trade Bradley first. Yet judging by the fans reaction to Bradley, I don't see how he stays in LA in 2005.

I agree, Nomar could be signed to a decent 1 yr deal, as he needs to show he's worth more than Renteria and Cabrera [which he definitely is when healthy] His wrist injury occured in 2001. He played 150 games in 2002 and 2003 with over a 300 avg with solid OBP and SLg numbers. If his achilles and groin injuries are healed, he's worth $8, 9 mill for a yr. If signed, he'd make Lee tradeable. As he's a #3 hitter, Frank would hit 4. Lee has more trade value, and could help fill a few spots w/ young, exciting talent [or get an all star type player] I've said all along that Pk and Garland by themselves as trade bait won't turn the sox into playoff / world series contenders. But Lee could bring about the young talent the sox need to compete with the Twins and Cle in the next few years

I think a few SP's will turn out to be big steals, Perez among them. It's kind of amazing how much of an effect only one or two games can have on people's perceptions of a players worth. Like Perez, his 2 playoff games matter more than his other 30 starts, and the promise he showed in other years. Perez certainly wouldn't be a bad "fall back" option

I'm not sure if it was this article or another but KW was quoted as saying something along the lines that Willie "knows what he needs to commit himself to doing in order to be the player he can be". It's promising that the sox can tell Willie to work on "A", and he could get much better. OTOH, it's a risk going into the season knowing a key part of your club is a question mark. I wish I knew what the issues were w/ Willie.

With a Nomar signing, a SP like Clement might still be possible. Though cheaper guys like Odalis Perez, and Russ Ortiz would be more likely. Having Nomar hit #2 wouldn't be the worst of options for the sox. Or, if the Sox are really interested in revamping their lineup, Carlos Lee could be traded for another talented player or two. With Nomar's avg and power, Lee would be expendable. Who Lee could be traded for remains to be seen. But his worth is much greater than PK, and could change the Sox lineup the most with the players he could bring in return

The Mets [along with Bos and the Yanks] always seem to be targeting every player, and the favorite to land them. The Mets are a horrible franchise. Why a FA would willingly go there [besides the money] is beyond me-though Minaya has to be an upgrade over the GM's of the past there. Mostly though, Clement doesn't strike me as NY kind of guy. Esp if he likes the city of Chi.

"Yet, Harris didn't take full advantage of his speed and couldn't sustain that particular offensive success. His struggles led to prolonged stretches on the bench, which led to funks both on and off the field." This comment by Merkin, though a statement not a fact, is the most telling of all. If Harris went into a "funk" off the field, it must mean a big lack of maturity. Ozzie and the team see a guy with all the talent in the world [yes JimH, he's got more tools than most sox players, even if he can't bunt to save his soul] pissing it away by not being responsible and committing himself to the game. It's no wonder he sat the bench when he slumped at the plate. His actions off the field prob. didn't warrant him playing ahead of another guy with less talent, who was trying hard and doing the little things right. I'm up in the air on Willie. The sox season could sink or swim on whether he matures as a player and a man. The sox were worried enough they tried to get Vizquel as a top priority. The challenge is out there for willie. We'll see how he responds

I've been away so a few observations: 1] I agree w/ Quickman. The sox are a 3rd place team as it stands now. With Cle. and Minn. having young, exciting talent, and the sox look like they're aging fast, they can't afford to wait too long for things to shake themselves out. It's even more imperative that KW be more aggressive pursuing the guys who will help us surpass both Cle. and Minn. 2] A trade of PK alone won't make the Sox playoff contenders. Teams like the NYY, NYM, Sea. WA, don't have guys who would put us over the talent level of Cle. and Minn. The "best" scenario out there would have the sox getting RJ for PK and Garland. AZ would be fools to pass this up, unless a team like Ana. throws a lot of young guys at them. Yet even getting RJ is a stop gap plan, that doesn't solve the poor lineup the Sox have [too few OBP guys, no leadoff hitter, holes at C, RF, questions at all the IF spots] 3] There are few scenarios where the sox only trade Pk and Garland [and sign a FA or two] that would put the sox near the top of the AL central, let alone be in the position to win the world series. A wildcard should also be available via trade, that could get the sox young exciting talent with leadership abilities to build around. the only guy on the Sox with the value to be a "wildcard" is Carlos Lee. Call me crazy, but the Sox just replacing Jose V, Garland and Pk [and replacing them w/ guys slightly different than them--Uribe and Gload, which is a step down let's face it; even if the sox got RJ, he'd only throw every 5th day--the lineup is the biggest part of the sox in need of an overhaul], while losing Maggs, doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence heading into the season. 4] the trade market is slow now, with teams trying to fill spots via free agency. So it puts the sox in a precarious position, having to sit by while potential trading partners fill their needs by signings, while they HAVE to make big changes.

It doesn't sound stupid at all. The yanks always are looking to upgrade

Konerko is mentioned as the Sox player being moved this offseason. Yet only Ariz. has been mentioned as possbily wanting him [with the caveat that he's sign an extension, seeing how he lives in AZ in the offseason]. But what other teams may want the slugging 1B? What teams also have players that could help the Sox. I've come up with one: Washington. I saw Ken Rosenthal's piece on 11-22 mentioning that CF Endy Chavez may be the next player moved by WASH. And Nick Johnson's name has been out there. With WASH. wanting to make a splash, and short on power, they could deal for PK. He's also a 1 yr deal. They signed Guzman and Castillo to multiyr deals and a one yr guy who'd be off the payroll in 2006 could give them flexibility yet good production for 2005. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get a # 3 SP signed to a 3 yr deal for them, as they could be decent. Instead of getting another position player locked up long term, get a SP signed. Also. Wilkerson could stay in the OF While Gload is often mentioned as PK's replacement, he's a risk for starting 1B. How about a deal along the lines of Johnson, SP Tony Armas, Jr, and a reliever [one of Francis Beltran, Chad Cordero, or Luis Ayala [he's prob not available] Both Johnson and Armas have injury risks to them. Though Johnson doesn't have anything that should hold him back, GLoad could still be around in case an injury pops up. Armas also came back at the end of 2004 to be semi-effective [he looked rusty, and struggled with his control at times] Yet the Sox need to fill multiple holes. Armas could easily fill the 5th spot, and be possibly much more. He was talked about having more upside than Vazquez before getting injured in 2003. A strong arm like Beltran or Cordero could be had [both struggle with control at times but both are young and throw heat]. Thoughts? Any other teams? I know things will shake themselves out once free agents sign like Delgado and Sexton. But it doesn't hurt to speculate.

I can't see a team offering a 5 yr deal, beating the Red Sox offer. Even though Boras has said a team offered a 5 yr deal.

Benson did have a "breakout year"---for him anyway. He was one of the biggest SP's out there teams wanted to get at the deadline [who knows why, but he was wanted by a lot of teams]. My point was Garland could post an ERA under 4.00 and teams would drool over him like they did Benson if Pitt. put him on the block to get a return on their investment if they couldn't or wouldn't sign him to a long term contract

I must have skipped over this. Say Garland is traded and has a good year in Pitt. If he's a FA after the yr [i don't know if this is true or not] and Pitt. probably can't afford what his agent is asking for. Around the deadline, and the Bucs are out of it, they can put Garland on the block, like they did with Benson. Teams will overpay for a guy having a breakout yr, with a lower NL ERA coming from the AL and his higher ERA. But would they overpay for a Redman having an average yr in the 4.70 era range? Not likely.

He's capable of that ERA in the NL but not the AL

He'll make over $4 mill a yr in 05 and 06

A team like Pitt. needs all the players they can get to have "breakout" yrs in order for them to make the playoffs [which I'm supposing they want to]. Garland would be one such SP, but also provides stability and dependability. I get where you're coming from. Pitt. would eat Redman's salary to help offset the cost of Kendall. But the talent factor and possible upside of a GArland or a prospect also has to be measured. Pitt would eat less salary for Redman and Rhodes. Yet they have minimal upside. Pitt has to decide about paying another team more of Kendall's salary in order to get some potential upside. With the Oliver Perez deal and the like, Pitt. would prob. go w/ the Garland + deal over the Redman one. JMHO