i'd like to see a lefty bat. if konerko keeps hitting i say we trade him while his value is climbing. maybe for a sean casey type player, or for a stellar defensive 1b(lefty of course). i think our offense is good enough to downgrade a bit to balance the lineup.

 

someone mentioned a while ago about konerko's lack of being able to stretch to catch throws. i've been watching him closely since then and i agree 100%. he gets no stretch at all and i think it costs the team on close plays at first. i think pauly is a good guy and a good player but if i'm choosing between lee, thomas, konerko to trade, i trade pauly.

I'm happy with the Harris, Uribe, Valentin, Crede infield situation. I do not think we need to add, unless something unusual comes along.

 

Lefty off the bench? Maybe but we have a pretty good DH on the team now.

 

CF could be upgraded, but it may be too soon to tell.

 

That leaves every teams quest for the magic arm. #5 starter of closer. My vote is for a closer. The #5 at the break may get 12 starts, the closer may get 40 appearances. Sounds like an easy decision.

 

The problem is everyone knows what we need and no one has a surplus of closers. The best trades are surplus for needs.

Danny Wright has 4 losses, the rest of the team 5.

 

Other starters 3 losses.

 

Bullpen 2 losses.

 

Danny Wright 4 losses.

 

Now then I think another starter could make this team better. I believe the bullpen has more than enough to keep us in this thing as long as we do not give away roughly 20% of our games. A good number five will allow the off day to be an off day and not force the starters to pitch every fifth day. I think this will wear a staff down. It is true we could skip the fifth starter with every off day but don't you think the pitchers could use five days rest once in a while???? Also, if the fifth starter is skipped and not used as a reliever on his skipped day, he can go 10 days without pitching. Is this good for keeping him sharp???? Could this be the reason why our fifth starters are never successful????

I would like to see a center fielder acquired before the deadline. I just don't trust Rowand as an everyday player. You definately need more offensive production out of that position.

Nothing right now, we are 16-9.

I wouldn't mind us going after Joe Kennedy. Young (24 yrs.) knows how to pitch, inexpensive, and his era is very low in away games and in Coors Field! (hitter's paradise) But I believe we need a closer if anything. I could see us looking at Baj, or going after someone else.

I wouldn't mind us going after Joe Kennedy. Young (24 yrs.) knows how to pitch, inexpensive, and his era is very low in away games and in Coors Field! (hitter's paradise) But I believe we need a closer if anything. I could see us looking at Baj, or going after someone else.

Im a big Joe Kennedy fan aswell. It sucks KW didnt go after him this summer as all it took the Rockies to offer the Rays was Mark Hendrickson or in other words Danny Wright to get him...

we've got reed, sweeny, and anderson... why waste money on a CF??? I say pick up a quality pitcher to secure our rotation. Our offense is so far one of the best in the game?? why worry about hitting when pitching's our weakness??

The voting really surprised me. I say you shop for what you don't have in the organization, and I think we have a 5th starter somewhere. Diaz seems to be the flavor of the month. But I have been watching our games closely,and I discern a weakness in the closer job. Maybe it's just me. You know how you sometimes say "the Orioles (or whoever) are down to their final strike"? I never say that with Billy K. There's always plenty of strikes and balls left against Koch.

As the year progresses someone will have bullpen help on the market.

We have a 5th starter, but if we can pick up an elite starter we may have a team with a chance to win in the playoffs.

 

The A's have Zito, Mulder, and Hudson, Gammons (who is not an authority, but has better knowledge than me) suggested Zito might be the one they trade eventhough he just signed an extension.

 

We have what it takes to get an elite pitcher who can help our staff for the next few years, thats why I want to trade for a 5th starter, eventhough id hope hed be our #1 or 2.

 

SB

I know we missed out on Brian Giles once, why don't we go for him again? He's havin major power problems at PETCO Park now, and it's goin to be very hard for him to hit homers over that right field wall as a LH bat. If we offer a package of Konerko or Carlos Lee along with 2 pitching prospects say Diaz and Munoz, would you go for that deal?

I would love to have Giles, but he is NOT having problems because of PETCO -- he's the kind a guy who when he gets a hold of the ball can hit it 450 feet. His problem is that he is not connecting with the ball, pariod.

 

Delgado was the same way up until he a week ago. Bobby Abreu was batting .150 in the new ballpark. Frank Thomas was hitting 150 through first 10 days. Etc.

 

Giiles will be a 950 OPS hitter in the next 2-3 years.