MLB 2008

[BERIGAN]

Perhaps you guys will get Andruw Jones!

That was the straight-up deal that the Dodgers offered.

Really???? So help me, I was kidding...heard nothing about that....I did think that if he had been traded last deadline, and could talk to everyone on your team, he might have been rescued somehow......

[Noj]

It's painful to think how much the Dodgers are paying that guy, or how much better the team would be if Andruw would play like he's worth it!

[Quincy]

Junior to the White Sox.

At the risk of making a post free of VORP & PECOTA, I'm happy for the guy at getting a shot at the playoffs. And at 39 he's still got a wee bit of pop against righties. So as a platoon player he could be very useful for 'em. So I go from being ambivalent about the ChiSox (as all people born in downstate IL are ) to kinda rooting for them, just for The Kid's sake.

Stick to VORP and PECOTA, he's only 38 til November!

Guh...age math is hard! He's still about 23 in my mind.

Dan, you are right, he looked terrible earlier this year, but I have seen some hits of late(And just checking his stats, he's got a 12 game hitting streak right now)and his swing looks better. He hit a 91-93 MPH fastball last night for a homer...

He's had a pretty good July (.271/.386/.541.) No, you don't want him in CF, and I agree, with Ozzie who knows how he'll be played. I imagine he'll play vs. Livan as he has 5 HR in 14 AB vs. him. The Kid has also homered off of Blyleven but I don't think that info is very useful anymore.

[zen archer]

They are trying to find Manny and he needs to sign off on this ???....now they are joking that Manny might not know

where LA is .

Manny doesn't even know about this yet.

Dodgers are having a press conference shortly to announce this .

[Dan Gould]

Did the Pirates accept only Dodger prospects? Then this deal is fine with me.

Funny that after trying to keep him down for so many years, now Joe Torre gets to pencil in Manny's name into what has been a pretty anemic lineup.

[zen archer]

Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen go to Pirates

Lou Merloni right now on NESN thinks this is a lot for just Jason Bay

Dodgers give up laroche and a prospect

Edited July 31, 2008 by zen archer

[J.A.W.]

(Meanwhile the Brewers are being routed by the Cubs, 11-1 top 9th )

[zen archer]

Hansen stinks thats fine with me and i like Moss , BUT Bay has to be better ?

[Noj]

...wow, I didn't see the Manny to the Dodgers thing until after my last post. Crazy! Hell of a risk, considering Manny's bizarre behavior--but it will be great to have a real home run threat in the lineup if it happens.

[zen archer]

Merloni just added on NESN that the Dodger clubhouse is a mess and he doesn't know how Manny will fit in ?

But Torre has handled some big egos ...BUT NOTHIN like MANNY Being MANNY

[BERIGAN]

Hansen stinks thats fine with me and i like Moss , BUT Bay has to be better ?

Better defensively at least...and I bet he runs it out every time. And that will help the other players no doubt, correct??? ESPN is talking about it finally.....Hansen and Moss also go to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh made up for the lousy trade to the Yankees(Unless that double A guy really turns into something)

[zen archer]

Hansen stinks thats fine with me and i like Moss , BUT Bay has to be better ?

Better defensively at least...and I bet he runs it out every time. And that will help the other players no doubt, correct??? ESPN is talking about it finally.....Hansen and Moss also go to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh made up for the lousy trade to the Yankees(Unless that double A guy really turns into something)

Brandon Moss is a very Solid player but really no room for him now in Boston . This is a good trade for the SOX!!!

[BERIGAN]

Merloni just added on NESN that the Dodger clubhouse is a mess and he doesn't know how Manny will fit in ?

But Torre has handled some big egos ...BUT NOTHIN like MANNY Being MANNY

Lets see, they have Juan Peirre, Matt Kemp, Andruw Jones, Andre Ethier already in the outfield...and all but Jones should start everyday. And Andruw is paid the most....weird how cheap the Dodgers have suddenly become!

[zen archer]

Merloni just added on NESN that the Dodger clubhouse is a mess and he doesn't know how Manny will fit in ?

But Torre has handled some big egos ...BUT NOTHIN like MANNY Being MANNY

Lets see, they have Juan Peirre, Matt Kemp, Andruw Jones, Andre Ethier already in the outfield...and all but Jones should start everyday. And Andruw is paid the most....weird how cheap the Dodgers have suddenly become!

They shouldn't be cheap McCourt is from Boston and he is LOADED....real estate!

[Dan Gould]

Hansen stinks thats fine with me and i like Moss , BUT Bay has to be better ?

Better defensively at least...and I bet he runs it out every time. And that will help the other players no doubt, correct??? ESPN is talking about it finally.....Hansen and Moss also go to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh made up for the lousy trade to the Yankees(Unless that double A guy really turns into something)

Brandon Moss is a very Solid player but really no room for him now in Boston . This is a good trade for the SOX!!!

I am PISSED that they sent Moss away. There absolutely is room for him - Coco goes away next year and he is the fourth outfielder. Moss has big time upside, very solid defensively, he's the better player than the guy they sent to Texas for Gagne who ended up with near All-Star first half numbers. This flat out SUCKS to lose him!

And on top of that, to lose him for Bay when apparently he could have gone to the Royals for Mahay, a decent reliever? That makes it even worse - they give up an arm (OK, an arm everyone was tired of waiting for) and get nothing for the bullpen and lose Moss. This displeases me greatly.

How long before Bowden AND Bard are called up to help the bullpen? Because there's nothing else they can do now. The only other hope is that Oki has looked better lately, but I still don't trust him like I did before.

[BERIGAN]

Merloni just added on NESN that the Dodger clubhouse is a mess and he doesn't know how Manny will fit in ?

But Torre has handled some big egos ...BUT NOTHIN like MANNY Being MANNY

Lets see, they have Juan Peirre, Matt Kemp, Andruw Jones, Andre Ethier already in the outfield...and all but Jones should start everyday. And Andruw is paid the most....weird how cheap the Dodgers have suddenly become!

They shouldn't be cheap McCourt is from Boston and he is LOADED....real estate!

Well, that makes it even stranger! The Indians are paying the rest of Casey Blake's contract, for God's sake! Dodgers gave a better prospect for that....

[BERIGAN]

Hansen stinks thats fine with me and i like Moss , BUT Bay has to be better ?

Better defensively at least...and I bet he runs it out every time. And that will help the other players no doubt, correct??? ESPN is talking about it finally.....Hansen and Moss also go to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh made up for the lousy trade to the Yankees(Unless that double A guy really turns into something)

Brandon Moss is a very Solid player but really no room for him now in Boston . This is a good trade for the SOX!!!

I am PISSED that they sent Moss away. There absolutely is room for him - Coco goes away next year and he is the fourth outfielder. Moss has big time upside, very solid defensively, he's the better player than the guy they sent to Texas for Gagne who ended up with near All-Star first half numbers. This flat out SUCKS to lose him!

And on top of that, to lose him for Bay when apparently he could have gone to the Royals for Mahay, a decent reliever? That makes it even worse - they give up an arm (OK, an arm everyone was tired of waiting for) and get nothing for the bullpen and lose Moss. This displeases me greatly.

How long before Bowden AND Bard are called up to help the bullpen? Because there's nothing else they can do now. The only other hope is that Oki has looked better lately, but I still don't trust him like I did before.

Just focus your anger on Manny....if he had played hard, none of this would have been forced into happening.

Jason Bay had the most walks on the Pirates, and will play hard, I think you guys will find that so refreshing, it will make up for the lack of production(But, with guys on base all the time, I bet he goes back to being a 100+ RBI guy again)

[WorldB3]

Merloni just added on NESN that the Dodger clubhouse is a mess and he doesn't know how Manny will fit in ?

But Torre has handled some big egos ...BUT NOTHIN like MANNY Being MANNY

Jeff Kent and Manny.. that will be fun.

Considering how the bad the NL West its not a bad trade for the Dodgers.

There was talk of the A's trading for LaRoche, like they need another 203 hitter in the infield.

Edited July 31, 2008 by WorldB3

[Dan Gould]

Hansen stinks thats fine with me and i like Moss , BUT Bay has to be better ?

Better defensively at least...and I bet he runs it out every time. And that will help the other players no doubt, correct??? ESPN is talking about it finally.....Hansen and Moss also go to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh made up for the lousy trade to the Yankees(Unless that double A guy really turns into something)

Brandon Moss is a very Solid player but really no room for him now in Boston . This is a good trade for the SOX!!!

I am PISSED that they sent Moss away. There absolutely is room for him - Coco goes away next year and he is the fourth outfielder. Moss has big time upside, very solid defensively, he's the better player than the guy they sent to Texas for Gagne who ended up with near All-Star first half numbers. This flat out SUCKS to lose him!

And on top of that, to lose him for Bay when apparently he could have gone to the Royals for Mahay, a decent reliever? That makes it even worse - they give up an arm (OK, an arm everyone was tired of waiting for) and get nothing for the bullpen and lose Moss. This displeases me greatly.

How long before Bowden AND Bard are called up to help the bullpen? Because there's nothing else they can do now. The only other hope is that Oki has looked better lately, but I still don't trust him like I did before.

Just focus your anger on Manny....if he had played hard, none of this would have been forced into happening.

Jason Bay had the most walks on the Pirates, and will play hard, I think you guys will find that so refreshing, it will make up for the lack of production(But, with guys on base all the time, I bet he goes back to being a 100+ RBI guy again)

The important thing is that now its settled, its done, its time to "turn the page" and concentrate on the task ahead. There are a lot of veteran guys who know what it takes, and a lot of good young players who only know how to play hard. If they miss the playoffs, they weren't good enough, and Manny wouldn't have made a difference - there are lots of other places to point the blame: bullpen, Varitek's decline, Ellsbury's struggles.

What will be interesting in the next few days is what kind of honest commentary the Boston media will get out of the players. I'm sure we'll hear more that more than a few said good fucking riddance, while a few others will say "we needed his bat".

[MartyJazz]

The important thing is that now its settled, its done, its time to "turn the page" and concentrate on the task ahead. There are a lot of veteran guys who know what it takes, and a lot of good young players who only know how to play hard. If they miss the playoffs, they weren't good enough, and Manny wouldn't have made a difference - there are lots of other places to point the blame: bullpen, Varitek's decline, Ellsbury's struggles.

What will be interesting in the next few days is what kind of honest commentary the Boston media will get out of the players. I'm sure we'll hear more that more than a few said good fucking riddance, while a few others will say "we needed his bat".

Well, you know for sure that Ortiz is not happy. Having Manny behind him in the order is what sluggers like DO love. I have to admit as an AL fan, I'm not all that familiar with Bay. But it just seems that the Yanks adding I-Rod while the Sox subtract ManRam, I have to like, offensively at least, how that changes the dynamic of future Yank-Sox matchups. Of course, our middle relief has to make up for the loss of Farnsworth, but truth be told, despite his evident improvement this year, I never did quite feel comfortable with KO as the premier setup man. Now of course, there's the TB Rays to consider, but all in all, I'm pumped for the rest of the season.

[Dan Gould]

Well the Rays stood pat, but they've got that Price guy to bring up in August or September, and he's a helluva pitcher. And no Washburn to the Yanks, so its Rasner and Ponson until they decide to give Kennedy another shot. And in the meantime, they've now acknowledged that Wang is unlikely for the start of September, he's still in a walking boot for a week or so. Best case may be middle of September to get his arm in shape and that is really running out of time. I saw in one of the tabs that even though Hughes threw a few innings, he's unlikely before September either.

[tkeith]

Yanks were stupid to give up Farnsworth -- that *will* come back to haunt them.

I'm okay with the Bay trade, even if they overpaid. Moss is a solid fourth outfielder, but I'd like to see what Carter can do (and he can play 1B). Also, Dan, check out the squad at www.seadogs.com -- there are plenty of solid players coming through the pipeline.

Hansen -- good fucking riddance! Pirates did pretty well on this one, their typical get players, develop them, then trade them because we're broke strategy. Dodgers did well for a piece that doesn't really fit. Man Ram can hit and will to try to prove something, now that he's playing for a contract (had to drop his options). I'm pissed that the Sox are *paying* for that, but it's worth it to be rid of his ass. I'd have liked to see Wilson included, but, c'est la vie.

I'll second that Sox fans, if they shut up and watch the games, will appreciate Bay -- he's a ballplayer. Unfortunately, the bean-brains in the bleachers will make it difficult if he doesn't bat .450 with 3 2-homerun games the first week. Nothing to be done about that -- comes with the territory. I can only imagine what sort of revenue would be generated by Boston's workforce if WEEI went of the air and those idiots (hosts, callers, listeners) all got jobs.

[Quincy]

Jason Bay had the most walks on the Pirates, and will play hard, I think you guys will find that so refreshing, it will make up for the lack of production(But, with guys on base all the time, I bet he goes back to being a 100+ RBI guy again)

Yup, he's a solid citizen and player. He didn't complain about playing in Pittsburgh nor did he demand a trade to winner. He's got a good eye and his power is coming back in his first year back after his knee injury (even his modest speed is coming back.) I would think his numbers have been hurt playing for a losing Pirate team. He's a solid sort, and for the money & team defense I think he's be a much better fit for the BoSox than Teix would have been.

[zen archer]

Hansen stinks thats fine with me and i like Moss , BUT Bay has to be better ?

Better defensively at least...and I bet he runs it out every time. And that will help the other players no doubt, correct??? ESPN is talking about it finally.....Hansen and Moss also go to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh made up for the lousy trade to the Yankees(Unless that double A guy really turns into something)

Brandon Moss is a very Solid player but really no room for him now in Boston . This is a good trade for the SOX!!!

I am PISSED that they sent Moss away. There absolutely is room for him - Coco goes away next year and he is the fourth outfielder. Moss has big time upside, very solid defensively, he's the better player than the guy they sent to Texas for Gagne who ended up with near All-Star first half numbers. This flat out SUCKS to lose him!

And on top of that, to lose him for Bay when apparently he could have gone to the Royals for Mahay, a decent reliever? That makes it even worse - they give up an arm (OK, an arm everyone was tired of waiting for) and get nothing for the bullpen and lose Moss. This displeases me greatly.

How long before Bowden AND Bard are called up to help the bullpen? Because there's nothing else they can do now. The only other hope is that Oki has looked better lately, but I still don't trust him like I did before.

Just focus your anger on Manny....if he had played hard, none of this would have been forced into happening.

Jason Bay had the most walks on the Pirates, and will play hard, I think you guys will find that so refreshing, it will make up for the lack of production(But, with guys on base all the time, I bet he goes back to being a 100+ RBI guy again)

The important thing is that now its settled, its done, its time to "turn the page" and concentrate on the task ahead. There are a lot of veteran guys who know what it takes, and a lot of good young players who only know how to play hard. If they miss the playoffs, they weren't good enough, and Manny wouldn't have made a difference - there are lots of other places to point the blame: bullpen, Varitek's decline, Ellsbury's struggles.

What will be interesting in the next few days is what kind of honest commentary the Boston media will get out of the players. I'm sure we'll hear more that more than a few said good fucking riddance, while a few others will say "we needed his bat".

Dan ,

You should have heard Schilling this morning on EEI. Schill said he had a number of run ins with Manny, some of them smiled at and some of them frowned upon.

This trade will help the clubhouse big time!

Edited July 31, 2008 by zen archer

[Dan Gould]

Here's something to wonder about - who adjusts to different, unfamiliar pitchers quicker? If the AL throws more offspeed stuff and the NL is the fastball league - well I don't know if Bay hits or takes some time to adjust, but I know that Manny got beat more and more on fastballs, and as one report had it this week, he very noticeably sat when power pitchers were on the mound, like King Felix and Joba. Manny may not excel in the NL - and that will make me smile.

If he's lucky, I'll have forgiven him by the time he's inducted into the Hall in a Sox cap.