2008 MLB Season

[See Red]

And stop complaining about Alex Cora. Sorry that the Red Sox backups aren't All Stars.

Can you actually name a single thing he brings to the table? He can't hit and he's a statue in the field. Not to mention Lowrie being the far better option.

[speedy]

Come on GBM...

Tejada: 11 HR's 50 RBI's - .286 /.323/.430 - .982 Fielding %

Lugo: 1 HR's 22 RBI's - .268/.355/.330 - .945 Fielding %

Again, it is outlandish to say Tejada is worse than Lugo.

I can't say I've followed much of Bowden's career, but with the F.O.'s willingness to move him, with the way they treat their prospects than I have full confidence this is the right move if done.

As for the Manny talk, YES he is the better hitter right now. In 3 years? No. But right now, this season, in a hostile situation like Boston, he absolutely is the better hitter. All those charts show is that in most categories Hanley is progressing exactly like Manny did.

[Brass]

And stop complaining about Alex Cora. Sorry that the Red Sox backups aren't All Stars.

Can you actually name a single thing he brings to the table? He can't hit and he's a statue in the field. Not to mention Lowrie being the far better option.

I understand that, but at this point if your #1 priority to find a replacement for Alex Cora? I agree that Lowrie brings more to the table, but not every single player on the team can be hitting over .300 and stopping every ball thats hit into play. I'd still have Cora over Lugo, but Lowrie over both.

[infrared41]

I'll repeat again, why would the blue jays trade away roy halladay?

They're not going to. I was just trying to be nice to Will Morris in my original response to the rumor. This all stemmed from a conversation Rob Dibble and Kevin Kennedy were having on their show on XM. Apparently some people thought it was a legitimate story. Look at it as what it is, 33rd hand information. One talk show host says it, the next one repeats it with a few embellishments and before you know it, a "what if" exchange becomes a full fledged rumor. In short it's a bunch of fools repeating nonsense as fact. J.P. Riccardi would have to be a complete moron to trade away the best pitcher in the game. It could happen and the Nationals could go undefeated the rest of the way to take the NL Pennant. While both are possible neither is even in the ballpark of probable.

[Brass]

Wow. Speaking of the Red Sox, this 6th inning is just awful.

[infrared41]

In a shocking development, ESPN is accidentally showing the wrong game on Wednesday Night Baseball. Somehow the Cubs-Brewers game is on ESPN. Did someone hit the wrong switch or something? Or is the Red Sox-Angels game in a rain delay?

[NJTank]

Dear Nationals,

You suck, you honestly do.

Just firggen try is that too much to ask when you play the :censored:ing Phillies? You try like hell when you play the Mets. Thats all I ask give the same effort. I know its a tradition for DC Baseball teams to utterly suck, but its a new milenium, and its a new league. First in War, First in Peace and Last in the American League. I get that it was a cool tradition, but come on give us a break and stop rolling over and playing dead when the Phillies come to town.

Yours Trully,

NJTank

[gingerbreadmann]

Come on GBM...

Tejada: 11 HR's 50 RBI's - .286 /.323/.430 - .982 Fielding %

Lugo: 1 HR's 22 RBI's - .268/.355/.330 - .945 Fielding %

Again, it is outlandish to say Tejada is worse than Lugo.

I can't say I've followed much of Bowden's career, but with the F.O.'s willingness to move him, with the way they treat their prospects than I have full confidence this is the right move if done.

As for the Manny talk, YES he is the better hitter right now. In 3 years? No. But right now, this season, in a hostile situation like Boston, he absolutely is the better hitter. All those charts show is that in most categories Hanley is progressing exactly like Manny did.

Well, Tejada's April really inflated those stats. So while Tejada may suck a few ounces less than Lugo, you actually want to trade for him? Is it worth it to have 3 crappy shortstops? And theo would never trade a guy like Bowden for Tejada. He'd be more likely to include him in a deal for a stud.

I absolutely agree with what you said about Manny. I'd love if we could get something good for him after this year, but as I told ITE, I definitely want him for the rest of this year.

And stop complaining about Alex Cora. Sorry that the Red Sox backups aren't All Stars.

Can you actually name a single thing he brings to the table? He can't hit and he's a statue in the field. Not to mention Lowrie being the far better option.

I understand that, but at this point if your #1 priority to find a replacement for Alex Cora? I agree that Lowrie brings more to the table, but not every single player on the team can be hitting over .300 and stopping every ball thats hit into play. I'd still have Cora over Lugo, but Lowrie over both.

My #1 priority is to stop having Alex Cora start games.

Wow. Speaking of the Red Sox, this 6th inning is just awful.

It's like Little League, I swear. You have to wonder if it's some sort of hidden message for Theo.

[Brass]

^ Yes, I do realize that Hanley's not going anywhere (yankeesfan).

Hanleys bat better than Manny's!? No. Just no. There is not one person in the major leagues I would chose to get a hit in any situation if I need a hit than Manny Ramirez. Yikes.

This just in, Tejada as a one year gap type player until Lowrie is ready is exactly what the Red Sox need. Who cares if he's 34.. which like I said earlier he's probably 36-37. After going over the stats and thinking about it some more I would LOVE for the Sox to pull off a Tejada trade as long as Manny isn't involved. And he sucks worse than Lugo? PLEASE. That is, I think, the most outlandish statement I have ever read.

As for Bay, inconsistent? I think not. Besides, he's only 29.. I don't know why you're talking about waiting 3-4 years for him to be productive? Hmm. But anyway, let's take a closer look at his stats...

2004: 26 HR's / 82 RBI's - .282/.358/.550

2005: 32 HR's / 101 RBI's - .306/.402/.559

2006: 35 HR's / 109 RBI's - .286/.396/.532

2007: 21 HR's / 84 RBI's - .247/.327/.418 An off year.

2008: 22 HR's / 62 RBI's - .284/.377/.523 Through 105 games.

I think it's pretty clear what you're getting with Bay, who still has atleast 3/4 years left on this pace.. like I said earlier, a 30-35 HR Guy whos going to bat atleast .285, maybe even .295. Not much to complain about there.

Also, you seem not to realize we're talking about Theo here. He's not going to pull the trigger on the Manny deal UNLESS he has a 3rd option which would be the Bay deal. It's how he operates. So like I said, Bay/Hermida for Manny is a no brainer.

You are correct, I would never under any circumstances for Hanley to bat for Manny. But keep in mind Manny is declining, Hanley is 24, steadily improving, and super fast. Then look at this page and sift through the charts. Is Manny really that much better right now?

Outlandish, really? Let's do a little Player A/Player B action here.

Since May 1st,

Player A has hit .264/.302/.378/.680.

Player B has hit .260/.371/.340/.711.

Whowouldathunkit, Lugo's been out-hitting Tejada over the last 3 months. Tejada's obviously better at defense but this is essentially moot. Lugo even had one month (June) where he was an above-average hitter. Plus he is younger.

So you still want to trade Bowden for a one-year-overpaid filler player who sucks more than(or just as much as) Lugo? What's the point? (lol, and as I type this Crisp hits a 2-run shot)

I admit, I misread Bay's DOB and I thought he was 31. But the point remains, like you say Hanley is far worse than Manny, Bay is probably about the same. And I still don't want to wait a year for him to acclimate and take a chance he will have another 2007. It may be a small chance, but even if it doesn't happen there's no way he replaces Manny. I like him more than Hermida but he is no Manuel Ramirez. Neither of them are. Far, far, far from a no-brainer.

Edit: I'll respond to 20:36 here in a few minutes.

With the stats about the Bay situation, speedy already took you to school, so I won't even go there.

First, from your attitude, I highly doubt that you would want Hanley Ramirez to play left. First off, he's had experience at the SS position for a while and changing him now would just ruin his development. The second reason is because it's very hard to play left at Fenway. You need to have tremendous knowledge of the wall and at which directions in certain spots that the ball hits off of. Sure, you're calling for him to play LF, but I guarantee if this were to happen he started to make errors because of his lack of experience with the wall, you would be back posting in here and complaining about Francona. Simple as that.

On second thought, I will go to the Bay situation one more time. You say he's on the "tail of his prime." So was another current Red Sox third baseman and he turned out ok....

As for Tejada, I wouldn't trade Bowden, because I have a really good feeling about the kid, but if Houston wanted Crisp and someone like Daniel Bard, then I would do it in a heartbeat. Release or trade and eat a huge portion of Lugo's contract and just wait for Lowrie, who's a stud prospect.

As for Moss. You couldn't be farther from the truth. Moss is actually a great clutch hitter and has shown that on numerous occasions this year. He's useless to you because he's 5th on the Sox outfield depth chart right, when he could easily be playing everyday.

And stop complaining about Alex Cora. Sorry that the Red Sox backups aren't All Stars.

No he didn't take me to school, I admitted my mistake.

First, I'm not calling for Hanley to play left. I'm willing(and I'd rather) to put him at short and hope he gets a little better, but if that doesn't happen there is a big likelihood he will move to left. In that case, I wouldn't be ecstatic but it shouldn't take him more than a year to learn the Wall. Manny learned it soon enough. I think left at Fenway is easier to play than center or right because you only have to learn the Wall(which isn't too hard) and there is very little ground to cover, in center you have the Triangle and the wall and in right you have the Pesky Pole/corner and wicked sun. I'm relatively sure Hanley would do fine in a relatively short time, and I won't be complaining unless he can't play there for is life, which I think is highly unlikely because there is a much higher chance of that happening at short and OF isn't terribly difficult, and Terry fails to realize this and keeps him there for like a year. But like I said, that would never happen.

So now Mike Lowell is as good as Manny? I admit, like I said, Bay is still in his prime. But if we're trading Manny Ramirez for Mike Lowell, that's not gonna go down well.

Eh, I'm not willing to trade Bard even. I'd rather wait a minimum of 3 years to judge a 1st-round pick, especially one who could contribute in the bullpen, which is a rarity. Like I said above, for Tejada, that's still not worth it. David Pauley maybe. But I wouldn't go higher than Crisp straight-up. And also I disagree with you (what else is new ) on Lowrie. I see him as not a stud, but more a Matt Murton-type infielder who will always be a utilityman and maybe occasional starter, maybe even for a few years. I don't think he is the answer long-term here or anywhere, but I could be wrong (I'd still like to see more of him) and that would be fine, because it would certainly be helpful. Have you heard of Argenis Diaz? If that kid can learn to hit respectably, he is Gold-Glove-type defensively right now and I'd like to see him get a shot.

Moss is useless to me because he has no future here. What, he was a clutch hitter on Opening Day in Japan? One or two other times, max? He is not a bad player but isn't good enough to be a consistent starter here, ever. The fact is, he will never play a big role here because we have too many good veterans above him and youngsters above and below him. Tell me who he will play instead of in the short and long future. You're right, he could be playing more in KC. Do the trade, everyone wins, including Moss.

All I ask is that the Red Sox backups be better than average AAAA players. Come on, what does he bring to the table? He can't hit OR field. The fact that he ever starts ahead of Jed is flabbergasting.

Woah. Never said Lowell was similar to Manny. I was comparing Lowell and Bay. You say Bay is past his prime. Well, Lowell supposedly was too when the Red Sox acquired him and he revitalized his career. Why can't Bay do the same? Manny isn't even in this equation.

[gingerbreadmann]

Woah. Never said Lowell was similar to Manny. I was comparing Lowell and Bay. You say Bay is past his prime. Well, Lowell supposedly was too when the Red Sox acquired him and he revitalized his career. Why can't Bay do the same? Manny isn't even in this equation.

Yeah, I guess at first I thought you were Speedy who said Bay would be an acceptable replacement for Manny, so that's where that came from.

And I'm not suggesting this, but he could also on the other hand pull a Renteria.

[scarsofthumper]

In a shocking development, ESPN is accidentally showing the wrong game on Wednesday Night Baseball. Somehow the Cubs-Brewers game is on ESPN. Did someone hit the wrong switch or something? Or is the Red Sox-Angels game in a rain delay?

We have ESPNEWS HD

[See Red]

Here's the deal as of now, according to John Perotto of the Beaver County Times...

To BOS: Bay, J Wilson

To FLA: Manny, Grabow

To PIT: Hermida, Lowrie, Hunter Jones, Ryan Tucker

Awful deal for the Sox. I'm all for trading Manny for Bay but don't give up Lowrie.

I'd actually very much like getting Hermida and some bullpen help for Manny.

[Brass]

Here's the deal as of now, according to John Perotto of the Beaver County Times...

To BOS: Bay, J Wilson

To FLA: Manny, Grabow

To PIT: Hermida, Lowrie, Hunter Jones, Ryan Tucker

Awful deal for the Sox. I'm all for trading Manny for Bay but don't give up Lowrie.

I'd actually very much like getting Hermida and some bullpen help for Manny.

Agreed. Lowrie is a stud prospect. What are they going to do with Lugo, Cora AND Wilson?

EDIT: According to Rotoworld, the deal has been agreed upon.

Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus says the Red Sox, Pirates and Marlins have agreed to a three-team Manny Ramirez deal, pending Ramirez waiving his no-trade clause and league approval.

Carroll, not normally one of our preferred sources, has the Red Sox getting Jason Bay and John Grabow; the Marlins acquiring Ramirez, cash and a prospect from the Red Sox and the Pirates picking up Jeremy Hermida, two prospects from the Marlins and one from Boston.

[Island_Style]

The Marlins won the series against the Mets! Add that with all the Manny talk and that makes all seven of us Florida fans very happy!

[See Red]

Here's the deal as of now, according to John Perotto of the Beaver County Times...

To BOS: Bay, J Wilson

To FLA: Manny, Grabow

To PIT: Hermida, Lowrie, Hunter Jones, Ryan Tucker

Awful deal for the Sox. I'm all for trading Manny for Bay but don't give up Lowrie.

I'd actually very much like getting Hermida and some bullpen help for Manny.

Agreed. Lowrie is a stud prospect. What are they going to do with Lugo, Cora AND Wilson?

EDIT: According to Rotoworld, the deal has been agreed upon.

Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus says the Red Sox, Pirates and Marlins have agreed to a three-team Manny Ramirez deal, pending Ramirez waiving his no-trade clause and league approval.

Carroll, not normally one of our preferred sources, has the Red Sox getting Jason Bay and John Grabow; the Marlins acquiring Ramirez, cash and a prospect from the Red Sox and the Pirates picking up Jeremy Hermida, two prospects from the Marlins and one from Boston.

Undecided. I'd have to see who the prospects the Sox would be giving up are. I like the idea of getting Bay and Grabow, though. Even if Bay can't fully replace Manny, which there's no reason to think he can't, it helps the bullpen immensely. I think Hunter Jones is a likely candidate to be one of the prospects..

[Brass]

Despite the reports, I think the Sox won't trade Manny, pick up his option and trade him in the offseason.

[BBTV]

Dear Nationals,

You suck, you honestly do.

Just firggen try is that too much to ask when you play the :censored:ing Phillies? You try like hell when you play the Mets. Thats all I ask give the same effort. I know its a tradition for DC Baseball teams to utterly suck, but its a new milenium, and its a new league. First in War, First in Peace and Last in the American League. I get that it was a cool tradition, but come on give us a break and stop rolling over and playing dead when the Phillies come to town.

Yours Trully,

NJTank

Most Phillies / Nationals games have been very close this season, and the Phillies haven't even been able to manage a run against tonight's Nationals' pitcher. I'd say the Nationals have played them pretty tough this year, so just shut up.

Here's the Mets' new logo:

[Epiphanic]

Dear Mets,

We know we suck. This year's been tougher than we expected, but we're still trying really hard.

Perhaps instead of bitchin' that we can't beat the Phillies (which we can, just not very often), maybe you should "try like hell" when you play us. Don't get us wrong though, watching another late season collapse would be pretty fun.

Best of luck,

Washington Nationals

[BBTV]

Dear Ed Wade,

Thanks!!! (you f'ing idiot)

Sincerely,

Phillies Fans

[BigEd76]

Shocking that Wade traded for LaTroy Hawkins