Old news.

Besides, the Reds won't give up Jay Bruce, so there won't be a deal.

That is a terrible idea. First of all, if you are in a win now mode, you don't trade ace pitching. Adding Bedard would do a lot for the Indians but if you trade CC you totally negate that gain. Also, CC is the better pitcher now and will be the better pitcher for years to come. CC is also 2 years younger.

Also, don't toss out the 'big game pitcher' crap. He has a total of 21 1/3 postseason innings. Half of which were against the Red Sox, who scored 99 runs in 14 postseason games (7.07 R/G). That kind of a sample size means nothing.

kutulu speaks the truth. You can't really hold a pitchers stats at too much value when they play against the Red Sox :D

I have this feeling that Cleveland may just end up without C.C. and Bedard. Well I'm 99% sure Bedard will go to Seattle, but I just don't know if C.C. is willing to give Cleveland a "home town discount" like Peavy and a few others have. Something tells me he's going to want at the very minimum a Zambrano deal and I just don't think the Indians can afford it.

This just in, Sox will have Casey at the bat. Sean Casey signs a 1 year deal with the Sox for a tad under 800k. Career .300 hitter, played 143 games last year, legendary nice guy. Should be a fantastic backup for Youk, and a good PH off the bench. In a clubhouse full of good guys I hope that this isn't like crossing the streams...

Casey will fit in good with that clubhouse. Take a look at the clubhouse and that's just another reason Francona should have won AL Manager of the year. My only doubts this year are really if Schill can perform and how healthy Wake can be. Tek has to do better this year or he may retire. However, when I look at the farm system I'm not *too* worried.

Looks like Bedard deal is all but finalized.

And.. my worries about Curt Schilling have come to fruition. I knew it was a bad idea to re-sign him. Damnit. This is where a Santana would certainly have helped. Especially since Wakefield's health is still a major issue. I can only imagine what a rotation of Beckett, Santana, Matsuzaka, Lester and Buckholtz would have been like ..

Boston is the new Evil Empire

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3237189

Done deal (FINALLY!!!)

Those five guys are all supposed to be good. I've heard Jones called a better version of Mike Cameron, Sherrill helps the bullpen (and could be flipped now, or later if he performs well), and the other three are quality pitching prospects.

Still feel bad losing Bedard though, no matter how much I tell myself the Orioles needed to do the deal.

jealousy must be a bitch.


Not really sure how Boston is the evil empire.. but ok.

Probably a lot like the rotation of Prior, Wood, Zambrano, Clement and Maddux. Overrated and injured a lot.

now Jazz.. you know that comparing my list against what you listed just isn't right..

friggin' Cubbies fans..

Bro, your list is a wish. It never happened and probably never will. I suffered through mine.

You'll continue to suffer until someone with a brain buys the team.

It isn't jealousy, as you can see, my own team has a great chance this year. We're doing it mostly through homegrown talent. Free Agent signings do make up most of our salary, but Boston looks like it shook down a bunch of small market GM's.

Please, I can't believe that we are going through this AGAIN. Boston's management has made smart decisions overall, and has made it a point to develop what Baseball America has called the number 2 farm system in the league. Their major league lineup is a mix of free agent signings and homegrown talent. This allows them to pay 400K for a rookie of the year second baseman and put more money toward a talented Japanese pitcher, for instance. Half their infield is homegrown (Pedroia, Youk), half their rotation is homegrown (Lester, Bucholtz) a third of their outfield is homegrown (Ellsbury) and they have a collection of other guys the no one else wanted but they were smart enough to see a future for (Ortiz, Varitek, Okijama, Wakefield). Don't make it seem like they ar out there fleecing other poor GM's. They gave up a no-hitter pitcher and a Rookie of the Year for Beckett and Lowell (and don't forget Lowell's contract was a salary dump and supposed to be an albatross) The only guy that they really outspent everyone for is Dice-K (and Drew, but no one else really wanted him). Of course Boston has significant resources, but so do the Dodgers, they just haven't figured out how to use them yet.

The Dodgers do have a decent chance.. of making the playoffs.. and that's about it.

Boston has a great farm system.. a great variety of homegrown talent.. and a great front office. I guess llow already outlined it so there's really no need for me to do it again. If Boston was the evil empire, Santana would be in a Boston jersey right now. They would have the highest payroll.. but they don't.

Trade him..... get all you can for him before you lose him to FA... plan to win this year and beyond but get someone who WANTS to be here and is proud to be an Indian.

he's just looking for a Santana deal..

I think he was offered a good deal by the Indians...

The fact that he's not wearing a Boston jersey still makes me giddy inside. It doesn't erase the terrible memories of The Collapse, but it does help ease the pain. Maybe Willie learns to control the clubhouse this year. Just maybe.

That's crazy talk. The only other pitcher that deserves that kind of deal is Webb.

Speaking of the DBacks, they gave GM Josh Byrnes an 8 year extension. :eek:

No way does CC deserve a Santana deal, but he'll get one, last 1 or 2 good seasons and blow out.

There are only 3 pitchers I truly think are greats right now: Webb, Peavy and Oswalt. Those 3 are the next Ryan/Carlton/Seaver/Clemens/etc. Maybe Santana, but his stuff isn't as great as it was and after this season of NL teams getting that first glance... I wonder how "great" he'll be in he future.

This doesn't mean that there aren't some hellacious pitchers coming.... Harang, I think has great potential, Carmona, tremendous future: Willis can rebound or he could be the next Doc Gooden a couple big early years then nothing but problems (seems most players are getting that way after big contracts though).

I think owners need to look at track records and truly look at a player before they sign him to these huge ass contacts. Lok at how well they play under pressure, gauge how they will do in a "big city" like NY, etc.... in her words gauge the intangibles, because hose are what will make or break the player. Is 1 or 2 great years followed by 3 or 4 on/off/on the DL worth that 10+ million? Will that player put asses in seats, get tvs and radios turned on? If not then why sign them to the contract?

The only thing that truly gets asses into seats and so on.... aren't the players as individuals.... it's wins and the team as a whole.

no, if Boston was SMART they'd have Santana right now. none of the guys Boston refused to trade are worth more wins than Santana.

so I was watching Mike & Mike yesterday morning and they were calling out all the divisions and saying who Vegas liked. They're taking Detroit in the AL Central and the Red Sox in the East.

I can't say that I agree with the central. I actually like the Indians in that division because I just don't think Detroit's rotation will be able to hold up. Vegas also had the skanks at 93 wins. I think it will be more like 89. (Let's look back at this post when the season ends)

so I'm thinking we'll have another Indians/Red Sox matchup in the ALCS.. with the Sox winning again. :D

As far as the NL goes..there's really no clear cut winner in my book.

I'm just glad to see baseball again.

Oh and wtf is up with Bush's wanna-be joke about Manny Ramirez's grandmother.. what a fucking tool.

I think Boston played it smart and did only enough to keep the Yankees from getting Santana. It's not like they needed an ace like the Yankees or Mets (especially the Mets) did.

Boston's management shouldn't be faulted as much as Minnesota's management for thinking they can push for one more player on the table.
The Twins gambled and lost, can't fault Boston for staring them down and making them blink.

Of course, Santana putting them on a deadline didn't help things for Minnesota's management either.

Fortunately it was Buster Olney doing the predictions, because Golic and Greeny are far too intellegent to believe that the Orioles will only win 56 games this year, which is what the Yankee-loving fool said.

I don't see the Orioles winning more than 70 games.. I did agree with most of Olney's predictions though.. especially the part about Toronto being a huge sleeper team.

Fuck Sam Zell. Fuck him in his rich ass.

Rename Wrigley? Fuck him.

I wish him good luck on getting more night games and concerts now. The neighborhood association is already pissed at him over spliting the sale of the team and the stadium.

I gotta say that I'm liking the Cubs again this year to at least make the playoffs. The Central certainly isn't any stronger than it was last year, and it seems like every team has at least one major distraction. Not that we don't, but it could be a big help if we can keep our guys healthy and get a new owner announced before the break.

Interesting things are afoot on the South Side. In two years, Kenny and Ozzie have gone from the greatest guys EVER to shithouse rats. I don't think that the Sox are even competitive for the wild card, let alone the division. hehe.

They have a lot against them, though.

They have to hope Thomas' power doesn't keep falling, Rolan has a year like 2006 instead of 2005 or 2007, they can survive with both Gregg Zaun and David Eckstein in the same lineup, the young starters in the back of the rotation come through, and Ryan doesn't get hurt again.

They could win 85 games, or they could win 75 games.

which is why they are called a "sleeper team" ;)

Jazz, poor poor Jazz

ya know I'm trying to come up with something consolable to say.. but.. it just isn't there.

Just to show you how sucky it is to be the Cubs fan version of me recently, I had 6 sweet seats for the Saturday Cubs/Sox game at Wrigley in the first row between the home dugout and home (closer to home), and I couldn't get the system to accept ANY of my credit cards. I even tried using one of my assistants' and that wouldn't even go through.

You still owe me a Fenway brew. Don't think I forgot.

But by that logic even the Orioles are a sleeper team.

If Adam Loewen is the next Erik Bedard...If Daniel Cabrera can withdraw some cash from his million-dollar arm and deposit it in his 10-cent head...If Adam Jones is the next Torii Hunter sooner rather then later...If they don't trade Brian Roberts...

Speaking of, that should cheer you up Jazz; you're going to get the best second-baseman in the National League not named Chase.

well... right now the Minn. GM isn't looking as stupid as he did just a little while ago. Gomez has surprised me so far. The kid could become a premier player.

And the poor poor cubbies. Z is hurt, Wood looks like shit again.. I had a feeling he wouldn't work out. It's one thing to be spectacular in spring training but once you go day to day.. it's a different story. I know it's early, but anyone who picked the cubbies to take the series should reconsider.

and fucking Eric Gagne.. oh man.. what a laugh.

You can tell that from one game, genius? It's a long season. Fukodome's homer was a thing of beauty. I got home just in time to see it. Z won't miss a start. He was pulled because of cramping; he just needs to drink more water. It was the warmest day in Chicago yet this year.

Gomez looked damn good, though.

Gagne's banker is having a laugh riot right now.

yes I can tell from one game..

mark it down.. Kerry Wood will suck ass. Z was just cramps? I heard it was tightness.. and they wanted to monitor it.. they wouldn't have said that if it were mere cramps. I could be wrong however. Yes Fuckinadome looked decent. He'll have to be damn good to make up for all the fuckups Soriano will have.. Let's see how he adjusts to American ball.. most Japanese players take a couple of years before they really hit their stride.. at least he's in a shitty division :p

and here's to hoping that the skanks look like shit tonight (if they play)

Minnesota did play surprisingly well. Seeing how poorly Atlanta's defense was in the opener, I don't see how they'll compete against New York or Philadelphia. I still think it was a mistake to trade away Lastings Milledge, and I'll have a real judgement on the Mets after I see how well Pedro pitches tonight.

Santana looked like his old self .. wish he was in a Boston Uni.

The Braves should be ok because they have their pitching back. I think the Mets will win out, but like you said.. I'll reserve full judgement on that until I see Pedro.

Pedro just pulled his hamstring. It's going to be a tough season for the Mets. At least their offense is pulling their weight so far.

*Update* They're reporting he'll be out for 4-6 weeks.

man..it's time for pedro to just hang it up. I'd hate to see him end up like all the others who just keep trying and look like shit.

Yeah, he's getting dangerously close to being lumped in the same category as Patrick Ewing and Vinny Testeverde.

Omar better be burning up the phones, because now they need a #4 AND #5 starter. Ron Darling was calling the game and threw up the suggestion that they put Jorge Sosa in the rotation, but they're just robbing Peter to pay Paul, and with the way that bullpen looked last year, I don't think that's a good idea.

I miss baseball.