A-rod traded

[NJTank]

Just wait until 2005 when teh Yankees buy Nomar and put him at 2nd Base.

[STL FANATIC]

Just wait until 2005 when teh Yankees buy Nomar and put him at 2nd Base.

I really want there to be a cap by then, but there won't. When does the current agreement end?

[NJTank]

There will never be acap Players Association will fight it and so will George $tienbrenner

[STL FANATIC]

There will never be acap Players Association will fight it and so will George $tienbrenner

The Players Association is gonna fight it in the NHL too, but which side do you think will win?

[NJTank]

The NHLPA is historically weak the MLBPA is historically strong. So its a different story.

[NJTank]

Yankees Line Up with A-Rod

1. Kenny Lofton CF

2. Derek Jeter SS

3. Alex Rodriguez 3B

4. Jason Giambi 1B

5. Gary Sheffield RF

6. Bernie Williams DH

7. Hidecki Matsui LF

8. Jorge Posada C

9. TBA

How would you like to face that line up if you are a starting pitcher.

[STL FANATIC]

The NHLPA is historically weak the MLBPA is historically strong. So its a different story.

Your right, but they still NEED a cap.

[NJTank]

Need a cap and getting a cap are two differnt things

[STL FANATIC]

Need a cap and getting a cap are two differnt things

Maybe the owners should lock them out.

[NJTank]

Thats been tried before and Geogre Stienbrenner weilds allot of power there and will always hurt the owners from being a titally united front.

[Roger Clemente]

MLB salaries are ridiculous.  It's possibly to get paid $200,000 a game for doing nothing.  Strike out 4 at bats and go play center field and not have the ball come to you.  (Then again, if you keep doing that, you won't be getting paid that much for long.)

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[RyanB06]

Just wait until 2005 when teh Yankees buy Nomar and put him at 2nd Base.

Nope...the Sox will have him signed long-term way before then.

Go read the Sons of Sam Horn message board (www.sonsofsamhorn.com). Most of the folks aren't scared in the least of the MFY (their term, you can infer what it means).

But remember one thing: this is not a done deal. Only when A-Rod is holding up a #15 jersey or whatever two-digit number he's getting, remember #3's retired (somebody named Ruth, I heard he was good back in the day), can we panic.

But this is further proof that the phrase "competitive balance" means jack squat in baseball.

[STL FANATIC]

Just wait until 2005 when teh Yankees buy Nomar and put him at 2nd Base.

Nope...the Sox will have him signed long-term way before then.

Go read the Sons of Sam Horn message board (www.sonsofsamhorn.com). Most of the folks aren't scared in the least of the MFY (their term, you can infer what it means).

But remember one thing: this is not a done deal. Only when A-Rod is holding up a #15 jersey or whatever two-digit number he's getting, remember #3's retired (somebody named Ruth, I heard he was good back in the day), can we panic.

But this is further proof that the phrase "competitive balance" means jack squat in baseball.

It most definatley does. If the Cards could afford Maddux, we could maybe jump up over the hump, and we're only talking about 7 mil a year. The Cards are an under 90 mil team IIRC too.

[NJTank]

Well I cant see why the Crads cant they always sell out. If I was tem Id certainly go for Maddux.

[CZzyzx41]

OK I was happy to see the Orioles and Mets spend away and lose every year (barring the Mets WS appearance in 2000). Now the Yankees and Red Sox are spending freely and winning. If there's no cap and they can afford it, so be it.

I doubt it's having a huge effect. The Angels won in 2002 and the Marlins won last year. San Diego, Toronto, Kansas City, and Oakland will all be competitive this year (if not for their division, at least for the wild card). I wouldn't be surprised if any of them won the World Championship this year. Of the top 10 spenders this year, only the Dodgers and Mets look to be non-contenders. Even St. Louis, Arizona, and Seattle may find themselves shut out in tight divisions.

I think there's still a competitive balance in baseball. I can think of only 8 of the 30 teams that have no real chance of reaching 81 wins in 2004: Texas, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincy, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and the Mets. Tampa and Baltimore may not just because of the competitive nature of their division. Same goes with LA and Colorado, though I think Colorado could well win 90 and Arizona could lose 90. Who knows. That's why I'm so excited this year. Almost anyone has a chance.

[RyanB06]

That's because the O's and Mets have, in the past, spent freely but foolishly. Spending freely and doing it wisely is how the Yanks and Sox have turned it into success.

But like Czzyzx said, it doesn't translate into World Series success. The Yanks have had the biggest payroll by far the last three seasons, and here's the result:

2001 - World Series loss

2002 - First-round loss

2003 - World Series loss

Even if the Yanks get A-Rod, they still have major pitching problems - especially with an AL-unproven Javier Vasquez, an injury-prone Kevin Brown, and an iffy Jon Lieber.

We can wring our hands all we want over this in the short-term, but let's not give the Yankees the WS trophy just yet. There's still 29 other teams out there. (OK, maybe only eight have a serious shot, but you get the point.)

[Brass]

Yeah now the Yanks can ruin the game of baseball even more. I mean, I realize that Steinbrunner is a businessman and will do anything to win, but c'mon. $190 million payroll when some teams have a $30-$40 mill???

[jkrdevil]

Well, Steinbrenner is paying the other teams money. Maybe those teams should spend it instead of pocketing it.

[Brass]

Well the Red Sox are finally spending money. And Steinbrunner probably cares less about the luxary tax because he has the money to pay it.

As I mentioned, the Sox are finally spending money (Sox are only team I follow). They've picked up one of the best starters in Schilling, and possibly on of the Top 3 closers in Foulk. And with re-signings of Nixon, Ortiz, and Varitek, I think that Sox have some of the most under-rated players in the MLB. Mueller batted .350 or something like that and I never heard his name on ESPN?

[NJTank]

I think this is all sour grapes and anti New York. The Lakers add Karl Malone and Gary Payton and its exicting and wonderful the Yankees add A-Rod and its horrible.

If the Red Sox spent like Stienbrenner there would not be nearly as much whinning.