Bf, no one is saying it's time to enshrine Garcia but you have to admit the off-season surgery he had to fix a middle-ear balance problem has made a big difference.

Just wait until he has a penis enlargement procedure.....Can you say 'Cy Young'? Or will they rename the award in his honor?

 

Garcia was a great pick-up, it could misfire but at this point Sox are in NO position to play it safe. That part goes without saying.

 

I just wish there was another way, without having to give up Olivo.

I once again point to Brandon Inge - if Seattle was THAT bent on getting a promising catcher, do you honestly think they couldn't pry him away from the Kitties with hardly a prospect given up in return?

 

Oh oh, turns out Seattle DID try to get him.

Bf, no one is saying it's time to enshrine Garcia but you have to admit the off-season surgery he had to fix a middle-ear balance problem has made a big difference.

 

He's arguably the 3rd best pitcher in the AL right now.  He wasn't that in the off-season & if the SOX were willing to part with 7 million they could have gotten he much cheaper in trade talent.  But again his numbers before the surgery didn't really warrant that price.  So all I'm saying is for his present value at the time the SOX need him the most (with SS on the DL) I don't think they SOX could have gotten him for less.

The 20-20 hindsight thing is pretty pointless at this stage. We got the guy now & I think he's gonna be worth everything we paid to get him and then some. We needed another "go-to" guy for the playoff run and I give KW props for getting a quality starter, not just a 5th starter.

The 20-20 hindsight thing is pretty pointless at this stage.

Why?

 

Nobody is suggesting Sox send Freddy back - I am personally happy with Garcia.

 

However, it is important to know why Garcia wasn't pursued (read: made a good prospect offer for, not just "inquired about availability" crap) back, say, around Cleveland series in mid-May.

 

Was it because Bavasi notified the league that he won't deal until almost July? Was it because Sox arrogantly thought both Judy and Schoenweiss would continue to sizzle and therefore there was no "immediate need" Freddy? Or that Sox simply didn't want to pay an extra 1.5 Mill worth of salary? I sure as hell hope it wasn't the latter 2.

 

Despite all the newspaper articles and rumors in the world, noone can answer these questions with any kind of certainty. I wish Olivo didn't have to be a part of it - IMO around mid-May, Rauch-Reed-Morse offer was more than fair - given that our former talent guy who now works for the Mariners was fairly high on at least 2 of them.

 

When did the Dodgers and Yankees formulate their respective catcher-happy offers?

Why? 

 

Nobody is suggesting Sox send Freddy back - I am personally happy with Garcia.

 

However, it is important to know why Garcia wasn't pursued (read: made a good prospect offer for, not just "inquired about availability") back, say, around Clleveland series.  Was it because Bavasu said he won't deal until almost July? Was it because Sox arrogantly thought both Judy and Schoenweiss would continue to sizzle? Or that Sox simply didn't want to pay an extra 1.5 Mill worth of salary? 

 

Despite all the newspaper articles and rumors in the world, noone can anwesr these quations with any kind of certainty. I wish Olivo didn't have to be a part of it - IMO around mid-May, Rauch-Reed-Morse offer was more than fair - given that our former talent guy who now works for the Mariners was fairly high on at least 2 of them.

 

When did the Dodgers and Yankees formulate their catcher-happy offers?

I totally agree that we should have gotten Garcia in the off season and I have derided KW for trying to take the cheap way out again. It obviously didn't work & it cost us about 4-5 games in the standings. Maybe this will serve as a lesson learned but it probably won't.

I totally agree that we should have gotten Garcia in the off season and I have derided KW for trying to take the cheap way out again.  It obviously didn't work & it cost us about 4-5 games in the standings.  Maybe this will serve as a lesson learned but it probably won't.

Is it Kenny or JR, though?

 

Hopefully Freddy goes on a streak of a lifetime in the next 3-4 weeks, and Sox experience an attendance boom and try to get Randy Johnson as a final piece of the World Series puzzle?

Is it Kenny or JR, though?

 

Hopefully Freddy goes on a streak of a lifetime in the next 3-4 weeks, and Sox experience an attendance boom and try to get Randy Johnson as final piece of the puzzle?

That would be ideal.

 

I want Randy Johnson.

 

Johnson

Garcia

Buerhle

Loaiza

Garland

 

Garland as a 5th starter itself is something to be happy about. I would love it if we got Johnson...

Is it Kenny or JR, though?

 

Hopefully Freddy goes on a streak of a lifetime in the next 3-4 weeks, and Sox experience an attendance boom and try to get Randy Johnson as a final piece of the World Series puzzle? 

I can't say I rule out anything this year. Attendance is already way up from last season and it'll only get better with this move. Plus there's a buzz around this team which is even stronger, I think, than the 2000 team. Add to all that that Jerry has already given KW more money to work with. Anything is still possible.

Is it Kenny or JR, though?

 

Hopefully Freddy goes on a streak of a lifetime in the next 3-4 weeks, and Sox experience an attendance boom and try to get Randy Johnson as a final piece of the World Series puzzle? 

We can only hope.

 

If you thought Garcia in the last year of his contract on a team that had to give him up cost a lot, can you imagine what Arizona COULD for RJ knowing that they do not have to give him up and that he has another year left(whether that's a good or bad thing, I don't know)?

 

Crede would be apart of the trade for sure, one of Harris and Uribe could be apart of it, I would assume that potentially both Rauch and Diaz could go, or Cotts or Honel, and then probably one of Sweeney, Borchard, and Anderson too...or a package consisting of those players at the very least. Not all would go, but most would.

 

With the way KW has hurt our future in giving up Olivo and Reed along with Morse, he cannot stop at Garcia. He simply cannot. He has to go for it all. He offers that package to Arizona, and if they accept, we talk RJ into coming. Simple as that.

 

Then of course, if RJ does not want to come, we have to look to Milwaukee...as much as they do not want to give up Sheets, if we offered them a big package, they wouldn't be able to refuse.

 

 

 

Personally, I say go for RJ...if you can't get him(be it Arizona's unwillingness to trade him, RJ not wanting to go, or both), then go for Sheets. We need another playoff arm.

 

Along with that arm, we could use a reliever or two, and a very good contact hitter as well. If the right trade were to come up, I'd almost say trade Paulie and then go and get Randall Simon for that contact hitter...but maybe that's too risky.

I can't say I rule out anything this year.  Attendance is already way up from last season and it'll only get better with this move.  Plus there's a buzz around this team which is even stronger, I think, than the 2000 team.  Add to all that that Jerry has already given KW more money to work with.  Anything is still possible.

I think as long as Sox keep Unit fresh with 5-day rests, he can still give them one hell of a run in 2004 and 2005.

 

Get Unit. Maybe a RHP Jose Mesa to challenge Politte's job. And you're set for the playoffs - let the chips fall where they may.

 

And you're right about attendance - it's 20+ % from where it was last year. And that WITH raised ticket prices.

 

I just wish stupederinos running this org would have done this kind of a thing earlier so we would have been spared the 2003 "winning on a tight budget" debacle.

We can only hope.

 

If you thought Garcia in the last year of his contract on a team that had to give him up cost a lot, can you imagine what Arizona COULD for RJ knowing that they do not have to give him up and that he has another year left(whether that's a good or bad thing, I don't know)?

 

Crede would be apart of the trade for sure, one of Harris and Uribe could be apart of it, I would assume that potentially both Rauch and Diaz could go, or Cotts or Honel, and then probably one of Sweeney, Borchard, and Anderson too...or a package consisting of those players at the very least.  Not all would go, but most would.

 

With the way KW has hurt our future in giving up Olivo and Reed along with Morse, he cannot stop at Garcia.  He simply cannot.  He has to go for it all.  He offers that package to Arizona, and if they accept, we talk RJ into coming. Simple as that.

 

Then of course, if RJ does not want to come, we have to look to Milwaukee...as much as they do not want to give up Sheets, if we offered them a big package, they wouldn't be able to refuse. 

 

 

 

Personally, I say go for RJ...if you can't get him(be it Arizona's unwillingness to trade him, RJ not wanting to go, or both), then go for Sheets.  We need another playoff arm. 

 

Along with that arm, we could use a reliever or two, and a very good contact hitter as well.  If the right trade were to come up, I'd almost say trade Paulie and then go and get Randall Simon for that contact hitter...but maybe that's too risky.

The difference between Seattle and Arizona:

 

1. Seattle is making money. Arizona is losing big-time.

2. Garcia was making 6.9. Unit - 30 over the next 2

3. Garcia just entered his prime. Unit is 40.

4. Garcia is healthy as a bull. Unit - knee cartilage.

5. Seattle will compete next year. Arizona won't.

 

Crede stays. Give them a few of our overrated Minor Leaguers and Arizona should STFU and be grateful.

I'm sorry, but I still don't want Randall Simon.

Charles Johnson II? (OPS: LH 1003, RH 821, 10HR, 28RBI)

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,3...2245262,00.html

Johnson sits at $9 million each year, but can veto any trade this season. The Yankees have inquired about Wilson as a means of shedding Kenny Lofton's contract.

The Rockies' willingness to eat a few million could facilitate a Johnson deal.