DBAHO

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Nov 2, 2007 -> 09:03 AM) What a coincidence with the game just coming out... Yeah that was what I was thinking as well. The timing is certainly interesting. Detroit would certainly be getting annoyed at this though.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Nov 2, 2007 -> 06:19 AM) When dont you pick them to be one of the best teams in the east? Homer!!!! On another note, AI looked beyond impressive last night. If that teams clicks, they will be VERY dangerous. The East is actually very wide open this season. I saw Charles Barkley predict the Cavs won't even make the playoffs. And I actually think that could be a real possibility. Think about it, they go on a 6 game West Coast trip after their next home game, so say they end up being 1-7 or 2-6 to start off the season, even though it is very early, that's going to be hard to pull out of. They're just not very deep without Varejao and (I can't remember who else the other restricted FA is). A lot of teams such as Toronto, New Jersey, Washington, Miami etc. could either be top 4, or not even make the playoffs at all. And then teams such as Indiana and Philadelphia will be battling to sneak into the top 8 also. If Orlando plays the way they did last night with Dwight hitting his free throws, and Rashard and Hedo knocking down shots from the perimeter (basically it's a lineup of 4 perimeter guys and Dwight Howard inside in an up-tempo style of basketball), I can't see why the Magic couldn't finish top 4. Stan Van Gundy is a very good coach as well, probably top 10 in the NBA.

Maggs at least had a history of putting up good offensive numbers though. Crede's only really got 2006 and 4 months of 2005 where he's really produced well offensively, so a team that is going to acquire will have to think they can get him back to those kind of numbers, which with his back surgery is certainly a risk, because you saw with the likes of Dustin Hermanson after he had the surgery, he was never the same type of pitcher. Best case scenario I think is we hang onto Crede, he gets hot, and we trade him at the deadline for a nice package of young players.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Nov 2, 2007 -> 09:03 AM) I t'd basically be a salary swap, or did KW learn his lesson by building the BP by the radar gun? Ok so you'd be willing to swap Crede for Farnsworth? Because if Farnsworth can't get back to the form he showed for the Cubs, well we've basically lost on that trade already. So the Sox would have to be sure they could get him turned around, which considering their track record this season with hard throwing relievers, would be very, very risky, and could blow up in their faces. I'd rather try to sign a Japanese reliever and trade Crede for something else.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Nov 2, 2007 -> 08:31 AM) What about KW going after "The Farns" again? He's making about 4-5M this season isn't he? That's quite a lot to pay for a reliever who didn't have great numbers for the Yanks.

Yeah I'm not really as high on Melky Cabrera as others. To me, he's pretty much a better version of Jerry Owens, with a little better OBP, and better defensive skills. I'd like him to show a bit more power, but that may come in the future. So I suppose, if I'm the Sox I may try to ask for both (Betemit and Melky), but then we'd have to give up something else along with Crede, probably a reliever or a prospect at least.

QUOTE(MurcieOne @ Nov 2, 2007 -> 08:24 AM) The Mullet Speaks, Thus is Law. How about the Brown Suit he wore on SportsCenter last night? Now that's style.

If Jefferson can average 20-10, he'll be a borderline all - star. But we'll see how he handles being "the man" in Minny, and how he does without the tutelage of Clifford Ray (probably the best big man coach in the NBA). I do like him a lot though. Right now you'd almost take him over the likes of Emeka Okfaor who were drafted a lot earlier in that draft. Is he better than Deng? Very hard to say, since they'll both average similar numbers. If Jefferson can average 20/10 though, I'd probably just lean towards him, just because he's a young big, and good ones of those are just so hard to find.

The good news for me, the AUD/USD is up past 93c, and people down here think it'll hit 96c by the end of the year, and maybe parity some point into next year, and that's VERY good news for me. And since I last posted in here about how our market was "crashing" well it's gone back up 1200 points in about 2 and a half months. Some sort of recovery hey.

QUOTE(fathom @ Nov 1, 2007 -> 01:20 PM) Ben Wallace is the most useless, overpaid player in the history of the NBA. That contract was always going to hurt after the 1st season or 2. So I can see why the Bulls were trying to include him in the Kobe deal.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Nov 1, 2007 -> 12:12 PM) I'm calling it while it looks crazy--the Pacers are going to be in the playoffs. Ok well I'm picking Orlando to be top 4 in the East this season. The Dwight - Rashard combo looks good, very good. And Dwight's actually hitting his free throws now. That alone is worth an extra 4-5 points to the Magic from last season.

I should add, I would trade Sweeney for either DeJesus or Crisp. But with his value being low right now, that probably won't be the case. But I'm not trading one of the big 4 "DLS, Gio, Carter and Eggy" (and I think Poreda will join that group this time next year), in order to fill an OF need, that we can probably do in FA possibly. A guy that I brought up yesterday in the SSR Chat Room was Luke Scott. IIRC, the Astros are going to make a push for Rowand and Hunter, and if they sign 1, they'll have them in CF, with Carlos Lee in LF and Hunter Pence (who was the Garland deal breaker last off-season) in RF. Scott has an OPS of about .860 in over 650 AB's since he's been in the majors. So I mean if you could acquire him on the cheap, I think he would be an excellent option to look at.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Nov 1, 2007 -> 09:14 AM) .350/.360? He's never posted an OBP above .345 but now after 2 seasons with a combined .324 OBP he's going to shoot up over .350? My bad, I thought when he hit .310 - .315 for the Indians that season he would have had an OBP around that range. Still the main thing for him would be to get healthy and to make sure his wrists are 100%. So the Sox need to do their homework and check out everything with him. Because I think he's capable of those numbers in a good hitting ballpark, if he's at his best and completely healthy.

IF healthy, and that's the big if with acquiring Crisp, he would probably be the perfect #2 hitter for us. He could hit .280/.300 with an OBP around the .350/.360 which is exactly what this lineup is. I wouldn't trade Carter for him. But I'd probably trade any prospects outside of our top 5 or so to get a deal done. And I would try to include Brian Anderson in a deal if Boston were interested.

Hmmm, would people prefer trading Hinrich and Gordon, or Gordon, Thomas and Noah for Kobe?

Question, would you take Deron Williams if you were building a team as your PG right now, over say a Chris Paul? Personally, I'd would LOVE Deron on the Magic. He's got the size to handle anyone defensively, yet he's atheltic enough to create his own shot and dish off the rock. Amazing how Williams and Paul went 3 and 4, and the 2 guys in front of them in Bogut and Williams really haven't done anything.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Oct 31, 2007 -> 12:34 PM) Andrew its late notice, but we are going to hit up the FutureSox segment next week. I think I made mention of it somewhere hoping you'd read it but don't know if you saw the post or not. I actually can't do it next week, as I'll be back at full time work unfortunately. So we might have to give it a miss.

Ya the link's not workin for me either. Both. Currently off air it says. EDIT: Cos of daylight savings. Silly me.

I still think the Celtics would certainly give you a run for your money though. The big advantage you would have though, Scott Skiles >>> Doc Rivers.

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Oct 30, 2007 -> 05:02 PM) So how would this work money-wise?? Personally, I'm all for trading any and all of Gordon, Tyrus, Noah, Noc, Griffin, and however many first- and second-rounders can reasonably be traded to get Kobe. Pick up a guy like Juwan Howard. The Bulls would have to re-sign Gordon to a new deal I presume, and then it would work capwise. Right now I don't know if the Bulls could win the East. They were close last season, but Boston will be up there, Detroit is always there, and even teams such as Orlando could make a run this season. I think if the Bulls traded for Kobe they would win the East over Boston. Don't know if Skiles would allow for Nocioni to be traded either.

Haha wow. It's basically gotten untenable for Kobe over there now. My guess is, Kobe to the Bulls for Gordon, Thomas and Noah plus a future 1st. A starting lineup of Hinrich, Kobe, Deng, Joe Smith? and Wallace, should be enough for the Bulls to make the Eastern Conference Finals.

QUOTE(BFirebird @ Oct 30, 2007 -> 03:36 PM) Wow...great move by the Dodgers. What would it take..if they get A Rod...to get a Furcal or Hu do you think? Garland and a minor leaguer? I'm not giving up Garland just for Hu, the Dodgers would have to throw something else in for mine, otherwise Garland can head to the likes of Seattle for a better package. Furcal maybe a different story though, although he is coming off a down season, but both guys will be in contract years in 2008.

QUOTE(3E8 @ Oct 30, 2007 -> 03:18 PM) 2nd entry Yep that worked. Thanks 3E8.

Wow that's a fantastic move by the Dodgers if they're able to do this. And I agree, the Dodgers are absolutely a suitor for A-Rod right now. And it could make some of their youngsters more available. I'd imagine one of Hu or Furcak will certainly be dealt this off-season. Gotta feel a bit for Grady Little though.

I'm actually hoping there's some way we could nab Betemit, although the chances of that are probably lower now (unless the Yanks say signed Mike Lowell). Rocco Baldelli would be an interesting buy low candidate if all we had to give up was say a couple of relievers. Coco Crisp is another option obviously with the emergence of Ellsbury. I don't think Crede's going to be dealt until the deadline next season, and he'll have to raise his value by putting up good numbers to do so.