The Washington Post speculates that Nationals GM Jim Bowden is loading up on outfielders in anticipation of a Terrmel Sledge deal. As if Bowden needed an excuse to acquire outfielders. Ryan Church does make Sledge redundant, and if the Nationals are going to keep playing Endy Chavez regularly, they might as well part with Sledge while his value is at its highest. The Rangers, Royals and Pirates might have some interest.

Sheets will sign a 1 yr deal for 6M. Meeting the Brewers 1/2 way on their arbitration amounts to avoid arbitration. He is still open to a multi-year deal.

 

This is about winning & losing. If the Sox could win the division this year they could become a favorite to land Sheets. They can certainly offer as much as the Brewers can.

I don't know if this is true or not but Phil Rogers seems to believe the Maggs contract is not like the IROD one. With IROD the Tigs have protection each yr of the contract. If in any year IROD is on the DL for 5+ weeks they can void the rest of the contract.

 

Rogers feels that the Maggs deal only provides protection for 2005. If Maggs is able to avoid the DL for less than 25 days the contract is guaranteed otherwise the Tigs have the right to void it. Again I don't know if this is true. The Detroit Free Press seemd to suggest it was structured like IRODs where the 25 day stipulation applied every year of the contract.

But if Phil is correct then this deal is assenine & borders on Hicks like insanity.

 

Hicks may have spent 252M on AROD but he did so when AROD was at the top of his game & healthy as can be. That meant AROD maintained his trade value. Hicks took a gamble on AROD getting hurt in those first few years but was lucky the NYY's helped him escape it. Illich is spending betw 75-105M on a player who is neither at the top of his game or healthy.

Maggs has no trade value with this contract.

When the Sox trained in Sarasota I would go down there, and often saw Vitale in seats near the 3rd base dugout. So one game I heard Vitale tell this usher (an old guy - older than me! - volunteer usher) as he tipped him a few bucks, "Listen, I don't mind signing autographs between innings, but keep them away from me when their playing" and the old guy says to him, "Who are you?"

 

 

Robb Nen suffers another set back

 

"He's had some setbacks. He's just shut it down, pretty much," said Lachemann. "He's just going to shut it down, let his arm see how it feels. He's tried everything. He's rested, done everything else. He was going along pretty good, then it started bothering him again."

Chone Figgins will challenge Adam Kennedy for time at second base with rookie Dallas McPherson taking over as the Angels' third baseman. Figgins or Kennedy could wind up being traded. . . .

Tiggies still going with that win now mentality;

 

"Look for it to package closer Ugueth Urbina and an outfielder -- either Rondell White or Bobby Higginson -- for a starting pitcher. Urbina is expendable because the Tigers signed Troy Percival."

Phil Rogers must be getting senile. Kennedy is recovering from knee surgery and Figgins will take over 2b until he's ready. Ana likes Figgins too much as he can play all 3 IF spots. Kennedy only plays 2b. Neither guy is moving any time soon

Phil Rogers must be getting senile. Kennedy is recovering from knee surgery and Figgins will take over 2b until he's ready. Ana likes Figgins too much as he can play all 3 IF spots. Kennedy only plays 2b. Neither guy is moving any time soon

That's exactly what I thought, I'd be stoked if we could get Figgins, but it ain't gonna happen at all.

Tiggies still going with that win now mentality;

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"Look for it to package closer Ugueth Urbina and an outfielder -- either Rondell White or Bobby Higginson -- for a starting pitcher. Urbina is expendable because the Tigers signed Troy Percival."

Wow, too bad the Flubs stupidly signed Burnitz. They could have traded for both Urbina and Higginson and filled both their needs. I doubt the Tigers will ask much for both those guys. They mainly just want to dump their salaries.

Edited February 20, 200521 yr by Jabroni

Wow, too bad the Flubs stupidly signed Burnitz.  They could have traded for both Urbina and Higginson and filled both their needs.  I doubt the Tigers will ask much for both those guys.  They mainly just want to dump their salaries.

Cubs can still do it, they have the Hollandsworth/DuBois/Harriston platoon in left still, I think White or Higginson will probably be an upgrade

from Roger Brown in the Cle. Plain Dealer:

"WTAM AM/1100 sportscaster David Kelly drew a firestorm from Indians fans Friday when, during a station talk show, he said sources told him some Indians players have used illegal, performance-enhancing drugs. But Kelly is sticking by his comments. "I won't name names," Kelly said. "But I've been told there are four or five [indians] whose play should be watched very closely this season."

 

Interesting. Some big boppers? You'd have to think a guy like Hafner would be suspect #1. But a guy like Blake? Victor Martinez? [He did go from 1 HR in 120+ Ab's in 2003 to 28 in over 500 last yr]

Edited February 21, 200521 yr by beck72

from Roger Brown in the Cle. Plain Dealer:

"WTAM AM/1100 sportscaster David Kelly drew a firestorm from Indians fans Friday when, during a station talk show, he said sources told him some Indians players have used illegal, performance-enhancing drugs. But Kelly is sticking by his comments. "I won't name names," Kelly said. "But I've been told there are four or five [indians] whose play should be watched very closely this season."

 

Interesting. Some big boppers? You'd have to think a guy like Hafner would be suspect #1. But a guy like Blake? Victor Martinez? [He did go from 1 HR in 120+  Ab's in 2003 to 28 in over 500 last yr]

 

No doubt Coco Crisp is the big name on the team

Now that's a story lurking under the radar. Oh wait. Cleveland is west of the Hudson River, so it's just not important.

Edited February 21, 200521 yr by YASNY

Now that's a story lurking under the radar.  Oh wait.  Cleveland is east of the Hudson River, so it's just not important.

East?

From a Q and A with GM Doug Melvin w/ the Milwaukee J/S:

Q:

The No. 1 trade rumor that has hovered over the franchise the past year or so has been the possibility of trading Ben Sheets in 2005. Can you envision any scenario in which you would trade Sheets this year?

 

A:

You hope not. We want Ben to be here and be a key building block for us. It really never crossed our mind. Our thoughts are to get a (multi-year) deal done where we can have him here for a length of time. You know in this game, things change. But at this point, it's not on our agenda, it's not in our plans."

 

Sounds like Sheets could be on the market this yr, if the right deal came along. Hopefully the sox won't be in a position where they'd need him. But you never know.

East?

 

 

Oh s***!

idk if anyone saw Sheets on Cold Pizza today. I think it was Sheets atleast, but he was hilarious. One of the questions he was asked about was how will Carlos Lee help the team. And he said that it'll relieve a lot of pressure off him while he's batting 3rd as a pitcher.

I think the rumors thread is finally coming to an end. Great run though. Gave me a lot to read over the offseason.

Don't know if it'd been posted or not, but per Ben Maller:

 

The Orioles are interested in signing Cuban exile Maels Rodriguez, who worked out for the club on Friday in Fort Lauderdale. Rodriguez, who reportedly is 25, was considered one of Cuba's best pitchers when he defected in late 2003. It was rumored that he threw a 100-mph fastball.

 

 

I wouldn't mind giving the guy a chance with two Cuban exports already. I am sure they're firmilar with the guys.

Looks like the demise of the Rumors thread is near.

 

We need a replacement... What should it be?

 

Something like Flying under the Radar in the sports bar where you can post minor things that happened in other games, (like Loaiza's 1-hitter ) but that don't necesarrily need their own thread... Anyway I didn't wanna be the one who killed the rumors thread, so I'm leaving it. But I'm anxiosly awaiting the new thread that rises from it's ashes.

Looks like the demise of the Rumors thread is near.

 

We need a replacement... What should it be?

 

Something like Flying under the Radar in the sports bar where you can post minor things that happened in other games, (like Loaiza's 1-hitter ) but that don't necesarrily need their own thread...  Anyway I didn't wanna be the one who killed the rumors thread, so I'm leaving it.  But I'm anxiosly awaiting the new thread that rises from it's ashes.

 

This thread shall never die. Tis my favorite thread on here.

Looks like the demise of the Rumors thread is near.

 

We need a replacement... What should it be?

 

Something like Flying under the Radar in the sports bar where you can post minor things that happened in other games, (like Loaiza's 1-hitter ) but that don't necesarrily need their own thread...  Anyway I didn't wanna be the one who killed the rumors thread, so I'm leaving it.  But I'm anxiosly awaiting the new thread that rises from it's ashes.

 

I'm thinking we can leave this thread up until the season starts, I'm sure as we get through camp, teams will make a few deals to fill holes.

Leave it up until opening day, and from now till then we can decide what to do, whether to keep it up, or create a new thread etc.

Yeah I'd like it to be left up for now. I already said the threads pretty much dead, but it's still cool to see that it's been viewed nearly 50,000 times.