So What Now?
by Tyler Bleszinski on Dec 6, 2007 9:14 AM PST
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PrintAs many of you already know, the A's seem to be leaning towards keeping Haren and Blanton and making a run in 2008.
Now I wouldn't necessarily read too much into that just because I know that Beane often likes to build the foundation of a deal at the Winter Meetings and then letting the teams come to him after they sit on a potential deal for a while. The A's front office often doesn't make moves at the Winter Meetings. Mid-December usually seems like their time to get things done.
That being said, it wouldn't surprise me if the A's stuck with the team they have. The A's, as Zonis mentioned in his diary yesterday, could probably compete for the AL West in 2008 because the Angels haven't really accomplished anything to put them that far ahead of the A's (the major caveat being IF the A's are healthy). Obviously, as with every year with this recent version of the Athletics, a ton depends on the golden right arm of Rich Harden. If he's somehow healthy in 2008, the A's have a rotation that could match up with nearly any rotation in baseball.
I do believe the offense will be better this year, especially if the A's add someone like Barry Bonds (God help us all). I know that would probably mean watching Jack Cust displaying his defensive prowess in left field rather than just holding a stick, but the A's would actually have quite a bit of thunder in the order. And all Bonds would be doing would be swinging a bat. I really can't stand Barry Bonds and it won't be the most endearing move for me as an A's fan, but I can't deny that Bonds' presence would help this lineup score a ton more runs. Not to mention, Eric Chavez has always been in love with Bonds and I can imagine that if Barry decides that it's worth his time, he could actually help Chavez tap into some of Eric's endless potential. Bonds may be an asshole with few redeeming qualities, but the man understands hitting probably better than anyone since Ted Williams.
Now, I don't think that Beane is 100 percent sure that he is still going for it in 2008. He's probably 70 percent sure. Things could drastically change over the next few weeks, but I do think that it's going to take something like Santana winding up in Boston for Billy to do it because a big market club like the Yankees would probably panic and offer Beane what he's been looking for all along (and rightfully so considering Haren's quality and age). It's just funny, I've been glued to ESPNEWS all week and very little has happened. What's even better is watching Karl Ravech, Steve Phillips and Peter Gammons trying to fill the hours they've been allotted for coverage. There just isn't anything there.
Any way, we'll see where the A's go from here. I do believe that Beane is leaning towards going for it in 2008 because it seems like they only have one team bidding for Haren and that isn't going to bring you back the best package. In order for the A's to get something done, the Twins had to set the market and no one has been willing to do that. Course that could change in a heartbeat so stay tuned.
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The A's have a realistic shot in 2008.
I really thought the Angels were going to do more , especially with all the buzz earlier about Cabrera and even Santana.
I hate to do this ( I mean really hate to do this), but what if, just what if, the mystical Rich Harden actually was healthy (no, I have not been drinking this morning, thank you very much).
A 1 thru 4 rotation of Harden, Haren, Blanton, and Gaudin is pretty damned formidable and could easily keep the A's breathing down the Angels necks.
As for Barry Lamar Bonds, if he hadn't been indicted you can't help but think about how his bat would help, but man, I really can't think of any athlete - or person for that matter - who is a more disagreeable personality. I just find his whole act so disgusting that I would never feel comfortable pulling for the guy, even if he can knock in a bunch of runs.
Devil's Advocate
As far as Bonds goes, do you think he might be more bearable playing in a better environment? I mean, with the A's clubhouse, and the fact that he'd be playing for a better team. Plus he'd be playing in a new league with (some) new pitchers and ballparks he has seen little or none of before.
Ok, maybe not. Still, the lineup would be impressive. And an outfield of Buck, Swisher and Cust would be good for some laughs, I think. If nothing else, they'd get us more airtime on BBTN.
If stories about him are true
He was an arrogant asshole since his college days.
by kaweahkaweah on Dec 6, 2007 11:36 AM PST up reply actions
Yea he is the classic case
Of a spoiled brat, kid of a major leaguer. Not all of them turn out that way, maybe most of them don't, but ole Barry sure did. "My daddy is a big leaguer, so I can get away with murder.... WAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
I venture to guess you've been thinking
about this before.
[Coughcrosbycough]
Well
Of course, Swisher and Kendall have MLB dads too
and Swish is teh awesome, while Kendall is Gritty McDietaryFiber.
Based on this highly scientific sample, I'm guessing 50% of all sons of major leaguers grow up to be moody introverts.
The Upside of Bonds in Green and Gold
If Bonds became an Athletic (Lord help us), he would at least be a kind of character test for us all.
I like to think that I (and we) would still consider him, despite his extraordinary (if faded) talent, to be a cheating SOB who deserves all the disdain he gets from most fans.
This will make us morally superior to Giants fans who seem to be, to a person, total Bonds apologists.
Of course, we already know we're morally superior to Giants fans. So Bonds is still just not worth it!
by GreenNGoldSooner on Dec 6, 2007 12:09 PM PST up reply actions
It Isn't...But I Am...
...this year, at least.
I'll be heading back to the Sooner State next July.
by GreenNGoldSooner on Dec 7, 2007 3:46 AM PST up reply actions
Newest Coliseum concession item:
by The Dogfather on Dec 6, 2007 5:23 PM PST up reply actions
you are tripping
If Harden is healthy? We still need to score some runs and a dh who strikes out atleast twice a game is not going to cut it.
by Scooter on Dec 6, 2007 11:59 AM PST up reply actions
2 DH K's a game
As long as he mixes in a hit and the occainsional HR in with those 2 K's we'll be fine.
by methodrampage on Dec 6, 2007 2:37 PM PST up reply actions
I've already made my preference clear
as a fan and season ticket holder (I already bought my 2008 tickets), I want to see the A's at least attempt to be competitive in 2008. As things stand right now (admittedly quite early), none of the A's division rivals should be considered to have a lock on the division championship based on their current rosters and near-ready prospects. (Anyway, the game is played on the field, not on paper.)
I really, really don't want the A's to trade Haren. Trading Blanton or Street should depend on whether the A's can improve their team in 2008, and/or help improve the system without really hurting teh 2008 team.
I'm fine with Bonds in the lineup if he helps the team win games and contend for the division championship (and beyond). I'm fine with ANY PLAYER as long as they do that.
is there anything in print that says
Beane is truly interested in Bonds, or that Bonds is interested in the A's? Or is this a story that has perpetuated only here at AN?
I have such a hard time believing that Bonds could become an Athletic, separate from my personal disdain for him as a person - I don't take anything away from what he's done in his baseball career, and understand why so many A's fans would like to have him, but:
- even with his legal situation, would the A's pony up Bonds-level money for him? I don't think he would take a hometown discount - I think he wants top dollar first and foremost. Would he take an incentive-laden contract like Big Hurt did?
- with the A's notorious frat-house-style clubhouse, how would Bonds, Mr "I Need Two Lockers, Personal Lazy Boy, Widescreen TV, etc etc" , fit in with the team? Chemistry is important to the A's, and Bonds isn't exactly known for being (ahem) a "team guy" . . .
- With Cust at DH, you have a reliable, cheap DH who can put up the type of numbers any other AL DH could, outside of Big Papi or maybe Gary Sheffield. I don't see how Beane could let him go (or put him in the outfield) for a 41 year old Bonds; Cust is much more long-term at ten years younger, and I don't think the A's would accept the defensive liability he creates roaming around the outfield.
I spoke too soon
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...
"If Oakland does stay with the status quo, the next round of rumors involving the team are likely to center on free-agent outfielder/DH Barry Bonds, who was speaking to the A's about a possible contract last month before his indictment on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Bonds agent, Jeff Borris, reiterated Wednesday night that Bonds is healthy and plans to play in 2008.
The fact that the A's haven't swung a deal here, Beane said, "doesn't really disappoint me. We had some calls, there was some interest in things, but if we did anything, it wasn't going to be a cheap dance for anyone.""
Slusser article last week ...
... said that "industry sources" told her that the A's were much closer (pre-indictment) to signing Bonds than anyone had suspected.
And there was a BBTF article last week that argued that Bonds mightn't go to trial until '09.
What now? How about ... Geoff Jenkins?
If possibly signing Geoff Jenkins = "going for it" in '08, I'll take "blow up the team," please.
(Caveat: from the context of the article, the "possibility" is 99.5% Jenkins' agent's spin.)
'zackly
Beane seems to have this weird thing for pursuing/acquiring marginal/platoony guys a couple years too late.
Jenkins glove is a major+
I like signing him if we're planning on moving an OF is a major trade, but he's not as good as other people currently on the roster.
We got through this every winter
The sportswriters/experts breathlessly tell us of all the trades that are going to be made, and then nothing, or almost nothing other than a big market team doing something silly, and then the same sportswriters/experts tell us to forget about the season because the Yankees, Bosox, Angels, Detroit or whoever has just locked up the World Series for the next 5/10/15 years. Then they fill the rest of the time telling us that a major trade is imminent, and then name players who have no chance of going anywhere.
BB is not going to trade Haren, never was, and won't until such time as he becomes too expensive. Remember last Summer where every day we were told Blanton was going to be traded, then Piazza, Stewart, and I forget all the other guys who were going to be traded within the day. I cannot remember a single thing BB has done that didn't surprise everyone. Bradley getting traded was a shock to all of us on AN, not to mention Kendall, or Loaiza, does anyone remember a rumor about that before it happened? BB does the unexpected, and will continue to do it that way. I imagine he will do something but it will surprise everyone on this site, it won't be leaked by some drunken sportswriter. BB is competitive and he always wants to win, he will not trade his ace with 4 years left on his contract at a very nice price. By the same token I doubt he will trade Blanton, BB understands the importance of health and starting pitching. If BB thinks Braden, Windsor, Simmons or someone else can be as effective as Blanton then all bets are off, I just don't happen to think he has anyone of that caliber on the farm.
by china bob on Dec 6, 2007 9:50 AM PST reply actions
No way
So, the idea here is that the A's have a chance to win the west assuming a healthy squad (in particular, a healthy Harden) and the signing of Barry Bonds???
Shudder.
First, I am so tired of people talking about Harden as if he's anything but a non-factor. Let's be clear: He is made of glass. He can't stay healthy. He will not be a factor as a starting pitcher. Any optimism related to the guy is unfounded and irrational. He has shown nothing over the last two years but the ability to get injured and stay injured.
Second, see above tirade for Eric Chavez (who, even when healthy, has lost a step or two in his hitting game) and Bobby Crosby (did he ever have a solid bat to begin with?).
Third, Barry Bonds??? Really? Aside from the fact that I might actually boycott my A's fanhood for whatever period of time that asshole roid-head is wearing green and gold, he is currently facing some pretty stiff legal charges. There is a good chance that he'll be thrown in the slammer before the season begins or, even worse for whatever fools are stupid enough to sign him, mid-season.
Not to mention that we were more than a few players away from competing with the Angels last year. With all our players healthy (which will never happen) we are still a step behind the Halos, in my opinion.
I'm not trying to be pessimistic, this all seems to be pretty clear to me. We have some awesome young talent that will be the future of this squad (Swish, Buck, Barton, Suzuki), a great pitcher (Haren), some good pitching (Blanton, Street), and some unproven pitchers who may or may not have played above themselves last year (Gaudin and others). We're coasting on fumes here. Its time to rebuild.
by ClutchSteinbach on Dec 6, 2007 10:03 AM PST reply actions
Agree on 1 and 3
As for #2: No, Bobby Crosby never had a solid bat to begin with, unless you mean in the most literal sense. But Chavez, we have no way of knowing that. The last time he was healthy (beginning of 2005) I seem to recall him absolutely destroying the ball for a month.
I'll concede that
Mainly because I love Chavez.
When healthy, he has shown some of his old brilliance from time to time. Though the fact that his last remembered hot streak was two seasons ago isn't all that comforting. He didn't show much of anything last year.
I guess my worry is that he is also getting a bit old. Even at his healthiest, what can we expect? He is still solid in the field, which shouldn't be disregarded, but I don't think he can be the solid bat we need for the next few seasons.
by ClutchSteinbach on Dec 6, 2007 10:23 AM PST up reply actions
...or was that '06?
You're right, two years ago, not three. He's only 30; I'm not as worried by the age as I am by the bizarre and not-very-treatable nature of his injuries. I'm not ready to assert that he WILL have a great season, I just think it's too early to decide that he can't!
Fair enough
But my argument regarding '08 remains. It seems like even the most optimistic among us are arguing that the team could, maybe, possibly compete with the Angels if everyone stays healthy (history says that's not going to happen), our young players step up and improve (rolling the dice on that one), and everyone plays up to their potential (never a likely scenario, for any team).
That doesn't seem like a championship formula to me. Even conceding that we have all the pieces in place to compete (I don't think we do), we have no room for error.
Again, in my opinion, its time to rebuild.
by ClutchSteinbach on Dec 6, 2007 11:08 AM PST up reply actions
Again, though
do you FORCE a rebuild by dealing Haren and Blanton for crap?
So far, everything that's been reported as possible offers has been crap.
Yeah, that's a fair point
Maybe the right deals just aren't out there. But I think Beane has the time and talent to get something done. We'll see. I'm just not confident in this squad going forward.
We need some young talent...let's take advantage of a team that thinks they have the stuff in '08 and raid their farm system.
by ClutchSteinbach on Dec 6, 2007 11:28 AM PST up reply actions
The problem is that most teams
are refusing to allow raids on their farms.
Look at how protracted the Santana trade talks have become.
Bobby Crosby
totally had a solid bat in AAA.
i'm not worried about the Bonds situation. he's too great to pass up. if he goes to jail his contract can be voided, no big deal. i think the A's should take that chance.
Not only should they take that chance
But it's EXACTLY the kind of chance that Beane takes. Bonds only becomes affordable and realistic because of his legal problems and the trouble circling him. Beane has said that the A's market requires him to take risks like that.
by Tyler Bleszinski on Dec 6, 2007 11:14 AM PST up reply actions
I just vomited in my mouth a little
Okay, okay, I'll not deny that (from a performance standpoint) he would probably be worth it. Lord knows he can still hit. But isn't there something to be said for fielding a team that you want to cheer for? I would feel sick to my stomach every time Bonds came to bat. I honestly don't think I could watch him in green and gold. His talent just is not worth it to me.
I understand that some people would be able to overlook what a reprehensible human being he is, I'm just not one of them. I think I'd rather lose than win with Bonds.
Note: insert the same tirade and change the names should the A's ever decide to reacquire Giambi or should the Niners ever decide to "take a chance" on a parolled Michael Vick.
by ClutchSteinbach on Dec 6, 2007 11:22 AM PST up reply actions
i can understand. that's up to you to decide.
me, i could care less about Bond's problem in particular.
Well see,
what has the A's attendance been over the last 10 years? The Giants?
Me, I don't care for Bonds, I don't like him. What I do care for is the A's to stop being a small market team that has to tarp off seats.
Problem: define "affordable"
Is it worth taking a 10 million dollar risk and taking on the circus act that Bonds will bring with him?
On the off chance that Bonds comes in with his "nice guy" act that he portrayed once or twice, I could possibly see it happening. That said, Bonds is still going to want huge money.
He might want it...
but that doesn't mean he's going to get it.
by methodrampage on Dec 6, 2007 2:42 PM PST up reply actions
If Bond's won a world series with the A's
That would be Awesome if Bond's won a world series with the A's. The Giant's nation would never recover!
I agree that Harden is a non-issue
and the A's are going to need some breaks in 2008, either in the form of player development or in the form of health.
That said, I just don't see the market for the A's players having come together in the way it needed to. There's none of the competitive bidding that leads to deals like the Cabrera deal. It would be the height of folly to auction off Haren and Blanton for pennies on the dollar.
When and if Santana is traded, there may be an uptick in interest in Haren.
I'm still not sure why some of the second-tier markets like Cincy aren't going after Blanton.
disappointing
to hear that only one team was bidding for Haren.
OTOH, what does that say about how good Haren really is if only one team cares to make a bid? Overrated, perhaps?
by hollandcl on Dec 6, 2007 10:25 AM PST up reply actions
Blez's point about Chavy and Bonds
is the only thing I've seen or heard that would reconcile me to the idea of having that awful man wearing the green and gold. In fact, I'm enough of a sentimentalist to have a tiny sliver of hope that in addition to being the redemption of Chavez as a hitter, it could be the redemption of Bonds as a human being. To be humbled by his indictment, then given a shot at one more season without any of the trappings of stardom, where the focus would not be his individual record but the team's performance, working with a decent bunch of people who hadn't been poisoned by his sulky presence over a decade. It could be like....like.....
(cue dream sequence music)
(cue English country dance music)
AN Theater Presents
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Starring Barry Lamar Bonds as Ebenezer Scrooge
And Eric Chavez as Tiny Tim
With
Greg Anderson.....as the Ghost of Jacob Marley (On matinees and Sunday evening performances, Mr. Anderson's role will be performed by Victor Conte)
Lew Wolff......as Mr. Fezziwig
Jack Cust....as Scrooge's nephew Fred
David Forst.....as Bob Cratchit
Scott Hatteberg.....as the Spirit of Christmas Past
Mark Ellis.....as the Spirit of Christmas Present
and Billy Beane....as the Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come
Special appearance by Ignacio de la Fuente and Jerry Brown....as Ignorance and Want
(fade out dream sequence music)
Well, probably not. But anyway, I'll be very happy if we go for it in 2008, and if Bonds is part of the team, I won't boo him.
AN Theater, aka ...
... The Not-Ready-for-a-New-Stadium Players
Beane had a strategy all along
... the Marshall plan.
Wow, you're right
That's hilarious.
WAIVER FIGHT!!!1
Honestly, I'm semi-expecting it
given the way Rotoworld made fun of them at the time.
yeah, I remember
Probably the harshest Rotoworld criticism I've ever seen on the AN sidebar, and they save it for Jose Garcia...found that pretty humorous.
Woo hoo! The franchise is saved! A's in 6.
by BlameChannel53 on Dec 6, 2007 11:42 AM PST up reply actions
Repeating myself
This has nothing to do with "making a run in 2008" vs "rebuilding", and it certainly has nothing to do with responding to Anaheim's moves. Or at least it shouldn't.
Beane should trade Haren or Blanton (or anyone else, for that matter) if what he gets in return is even better for the team. This is true regardless of whether we expect to make the playoffs next year.
For a while it looked like good starting pitching might be so overpriced as to be worth it. Now that the frenzy has fizzled out, it looks like it's not.
For the most part this is right
but with the caveat that "what's better for the team" can depend on what relative values you place on short-term versus longer-term returns. It's unlikely that Beane will find a trade of Haren or Blanton for players who are more valuable immediately than they are.
So while I agree with you that there need not be a strict dichotomy between going for it now and rebuilding, as a practical matter any trade of Haren or Blanton will likely be one that aims to improve the team in future years at the slight expense of this year's.
I think we need to rebuild
Last year was painful. Swisher declined, no Thomas, no Harden, too much Crosby--we need to rebuild.
I felt like we had a good night if we got one run.
We need much more talent. Kotsay is done after his back problems and Chavez has got serious issues. I mean people think our best player was Ellis, we would never beat the Angels with a team like this. I am shocked that people are saying we can compete with the Angels with our current team. Tripping big time.
by Scooter on Dec 6, 2007 11:54 AM PST reply actions
Bonds
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/s...
"Borris doesn't think any legal proceedings would prohibit Bonds from taking the field next season."
looks like detroit is on his radar... (i bet anaheim and oakland are too)
not Detroit
He and Leland are buddies from Pittsburgh, that's why they were talking. Leland said "not a good fit."
Oakland is really looking like the only option
By aquiring Hunter and still having Willits, the Angels are pretty much making Vlad a full time DH.
Detroit just plain doesn't need Bonds after the Cabrera trade.
SF has cut ties already.
Dodgers picked up Andruw with a U and have like 84 outfielders already.
Really, all signs are pointing to Bonds in Oakland if he plays next year.
trying to fill winter meetings airtime
Kenny Mayne saw that boredom coming: "Hey guys, have fun at the winter meetings."
What amazes me about this offseason
is the total change in the behavior of the free-agent market "Moneyball" (if you want to call it that) has caused. Only one team sold the farm to win now (Detroit), and the two richest franchises in the sport have been unwilling to do so. Never has young, cheap talent been more highly valued.
If only the A's had a decent farm system
They could have traded their young talent for premium major league talent at (somewhat) of a discount.
I hope Beane guesses right if we go for it
Really, at this point all he can do is guess at the health of Chavez and Buck and Harden. If the play is to go for it in '08 than I look forward to some winning A's baseball.
But make no mistake, if Beane guesses wrong and the A's falter next year we will have missed our best chance to rebuild for the future. If the A's falter it will be because Chavez continues to crumble, Harden hiccups himself into a coma and Crosby... well, we know what's going to happen there. Going for it in 2008 looks like an all-or-nothing gamble to me. If the A's lose they lose big and it will take at least 2 years to tear out the foundation and rebuild.
I don't see the argument here
I mean, looked at objectively, teams are valuing Bedard and Haren similarly despite the difference in service time. And I simply don't see the teams lining up the armored cars outside the Coliseum full of solid gold prospects. 4 days of meetings, and I haven't seen one proposal that excites me in the slightest. Everything I've seen is "oh, well, obviously he's not that good," or "here's our list of 927 prospects you can't have because they're untouchable."
Beane could get very good deals
on Blanton and Haren right now. He's waiting to see if the market will up tick once Santana gets traded. It's like he has a million dollar home and he's holding out for $1.5 million when the highest bid is $1.25 million. He could turn a profit today but he wants more then the market will bear.
The facts controvert your claims
You yourself concede that the AZ package is junk and we haven't heard anything else. (Well, actually, we have. We've heard some crap Mets packages bandied about as well, and we've heard the Yankees publicly claim that he's less valuable than Santana, thus giving the inference that their packages are likely to be crap as well. We also know the Tigers wouldn't pony up Miller and Maybin. We haven't heard thing one out of Boston, but we know their packages for Santana are crap.)
Meanwhile, on Blanton, what we know is that the D-Backs aren't interested and the A's and Dodgers are approximately 240,000 miles apart.
I am unable to divine where you are deriving the notion that the A's could turn a profit today.
I was about to say...
"Well, aside from the Huddy trade" but the I thought about Kendall and a couple other moves and you know what, Beane has blown a few moves in his time. Perhaps I do have too much faith in Beane's abilities as GM. He should be able to turn a profit as I suggest because he has the most precious commodity in all of baseball: young, proven cost controlled starting pitching.
The A's and Dodgers almost pulled off a Blanton trade last July. If they're truly that far apart now it must mean Beane has upped his demands. I know you don't think much of the Mets farm system but they have, IMO, more than enough to justify a Blanton trade.
To be honest, I really haven't thought about what I'd want for Haren, I'd prefer he stick around Oakland until he retires.
I should mention
That the only real info we've seen is the Arizona package for Haren and I agree with you, it doesn't entice.
Don't know if this is posted elsewhere but
it's interesting:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...
Hey, if the A's can do "9 Hattebergs,"
then certainly they can do "9 outfielders".
Psssh - How important are CFers?
Carl Everett doesn't even believe they EXIST.
No, you're confused
The A's center fielders may LOOK like dinosaurs, but other teams actually have fast people in the outfield.
3 IF and 4 OF
I think we're just going to cut Crosby out of our infield equation and replace him with an additional OF. There's only 3 bases anyways, SS is totally over rated.
by methodrampage on Dec 7, 2007 7:24 AM PST up reply actions
Yet one more reason for me to hate Slusser!
She seriously pisses me off!
"one major-league executive said Thursday as the winter meetings wound down."
Give me a freaking break!
The A's will NEVER sign Bonds!
by BobbyCrosbysGirl on Dec 6, 2007 10:56 PM PST up reply actions
I don't like the news either,
but how does this make you hate Slusser? It's not her fault the executive said that. She's just reporting.
Long time ago she used to write good game recaps.
Don't know what happened to those days.
Anyways, she's writing for the Giants newspaper. It's all coming from the Chronicle, it's all unnamed 'sources', and it's all b.s.
Barry Bonds will never play for the A's.
by NewPosterMojo on Dec 7, 2007 12:56 AM PST up reply actions
if he's never gonna play for the a's
care to lay me 1000000:1 that he will? I mean it's free money right?
by awesomer @ Athletics Nation on Dec 7, 2007 12:11 PM PST up reply actions
Huston Street for Ian Kennedy
You heard it here first
And what -
Duke to the closer's role instead of the rotation? Harden to the closer's role? Harden to Dr. Jobe's office, close with Embree / Brown and go with Haren, Blanton, Kennedy, Gaudin, Duke?
for the a's
we've currently got bigger problems than just our pitching, but kennedy looks to me like another blanton. put him in the rotation:
1 Haren
2 Blanton
3 Gaudin
4 Kennedy
5 Duchsherer, gives him some days off
Bullpen looks like this:
Closer: Harden gets to use his less stressful pitches until his arm breaks
Embree backs up closer
Brown
Calero
whoever else we come up with, (the rule 5 guy, Blevins, Ziggy, Casilla there's always someone,
Sign Blanton to a long term deal, five years if we're lucky, and our starting rotation looks decent for several years.
What's in it for the Yankees? Huston Street is no slouch, this frees up Joba to Start
While at it, I'd trade DJ for one or two lower level prospects.
I proposed that at the end of the regular season
but based on Rivera leaving
A-Rod May Never Be a True Yankee...
...but apparently he's a true slumlord.
by GreenNGoldSooner on Dec 7, 2007 3:52 AM PST reply actions
Barry
Am I the only one here who would rather commit suicide than see Barry Bonds in the Green and Gold. I understand that he would make our offense much better - but so what. The thought of Barry wearing the Green and Gold makes me sick to the stomach. I honestly would rather have the A's not contend this year than win a world series with Barry on the team. Ugh.
by franzy on Dec 7, 2007 8:19 AM PST reply actions
Agree completely
I honestly won't watch them.
by ClutchSteinbach on Dec 7, 2007 9:40 AM PST up reply actions
franzy and ClutchSteinbach,
how dare you punish me this way?
Lamar
I never realized Billy and Barry share the same middle name... Could it be fate? Naahh...
by PortlandPachyderm on Dec 7, 2007 3:27 PM PST up reply actions
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