You guys have to realize that the money saved by trading Maggs isn't going to be spent. The Sox have some big salaries on the books for next year and they need to get rid of 1 or 2 of them to free up money to pay the rest. Unless JR decides to come out of LF and spend 65+M, the money saved in a trade that involves Maggs will go to players like Konerko, Koch, Thomas, Valentin, ect. in an attempt to maintain a payroll under 60M. You are really looking at things with your rosy glasses if you think the money saved by trading Maggs will be used to sign a big name FA, yet alone a starting pitcher, a reliever, an outfielder like Cameron, AND a MI like Tejada or Castillo.

Everything I'm saying is going on the Sox completing a deal with the Mets for Koch, which I think happens and Konerko getting shipped to Bmore, Seattle or LA. Don't know how likely this is, but I see all 3 guys getting moved (maggs, Koch, Konerko) and of course they will be paying some of the salary.

 

Recent rumblings seem to say the Sox will spend money if they can unload their big contracts. My guess is payroll hovers around 60 mill (A little higher then some expect).

The only problem is that few teams are willing to add salary, especially for overpaid players like Konerko and Koch. The 2 Koch trade purposals that the Mets shot down were:

 

Cedeno and cash for Koch

 

and

 

Weathers for Koch

 

In both cases the Sox would have gotten a good amount of salary back in return, and both deals were shot down by the Mets because they wanted an even salary dump, which helps show the market for players like Koch and Konerko. The simple fact is that the Sox aren't going to be able to get rid of Koch or Konerko without doing 1 of 2 things:

 

1) Paying a good portion of their contract

 

and/or

 

2) Receiving some bad contract players in return

 

Either way the financial relief that the Sox would get from trading Koch and Konerko would be minimal, and not enough for the Sox to be big spenders on the FA market.

 

The Seattle trade purposal would interest me. Maggs for Garcia, Lopez, and maybe Guillen would be a good deal. I think Garcia is a good pitcher and would be worth the risk. Lopez would give the Sox a top middle infield prospect in the upper minors who could be in the majors by possible 2005, which is something the Sox have very few of. Guillen would address the Sox middle infield needs and give them a solid top of the order hitter. The Sox would only save about 3M, but it would address a couple of major weaknesses in the present and the future. I have tried to speculate about this offseason, but it is so difficult, especailly since we have no clue what direction this organization is heading AND what the market is going to look like(wheather salaries are going to increase or decrease, ect).

And where do you think Jack would play for the Sox??  I don't think there is much doubt he can hit, but he can't do anything but DH.  The Sox already have one of those.

One of those? We have 3 or 4 guys who should be DHing somewhere and not playing the field.

If we made a trade with the Orioles, I would demand their closer, Jorge Julio, and Melvin Mora in return. I would also try to get Nick Markakis, a 19 year old OF prospect. I really liked Markakis coming into the 2003 MLB amateur draft, and I think he'll be a very good player. Many teams thought that Markakis could be either an OF'er or a pitcher, and the Orioles decided to make him an OF'er. If we wanted, we could probably switch him to pitcher, but I'd keep him as an OF'er.

 

If we traded with the Mariners, I would demand Freddy Garcia and Chris Snelling (OF) in return. Then, I would ask for either Rafael Soriano, Travis Blackley, or Clint Nageotte (all 3 are pitchers). I've liked Snelling for a couple of years now, and think he'll be a very good OF'er. I like all 3 pitchers; however, I think Soriano and Nageotte have the best chance to be very good major league pitchers.

The biggest problem is that the other teams KNOW that we need to dump payroll - and that Maggs makes a ton of money. Therefore, they will try to snooker us into a bad deal.

 

I would rather keep Maggs and eat his salary than trade him for a bunch of crap that won't improve the club this year, or any subsequent year.

 

If we can't find a suitable and acceptable offer in exchange for Maggs, then I would just tell the interested parties to cram it up their asses sideways.

both of these trades stink. Personally I would like to see some prospects in return. I don't mind freddie garcia but would need them to add two solid prospects in return. The idea of the sox giving up anymore than maggs is nuts. if I can't get that, then I am with the other guy who said to wait until july. People will be giving prospects away then.

To get a good return on Mags there is two things we could do. Trade Mags for cheap players who do not add up in Mags ability, yet we save alot of money. Or, we could trade Mags for equal salary, but several players with one being talented. Simple as that.