I'd stay the hell away from the Twins' free agents, especially since their market is going to shoot through the roof tomorrow, when agents can discuss dollars and cents.

Torii Hunter and Carlos Silva are looking to cash in, Hunter by reputation, Silva by scarcity, and both will be overpaid greatly and will likely be looked at in the same way we look at the Jason Giambi/Carl Pavano deals.

Hunter is coming off of a career year and will be picked up by a team making a splash and wanting Hunter's mix of attitude and charisma on their team. 

But he's not an elite centerfielder anymore.  He's never hit for a lot of power and he's not a run producer in the heart of the lineup.  And worse, his defense is center is beginnng to degrade, thanks to the numerous injuries and surgeries he's had on his legs.  Baseball Prospectus' PETCOA system has Hunter becoming a part time player by 2010.  That's not a great idea for the amount of dollars Hunter is looking for. 

As for Silva, he's a groundball pitcher that is young and entering a market that is lacking in decent pitching.  He'll have takers needing a innings eating starter, such as the Mets, Tigers, Reds and Dodgers, just to name a few.  But he's going to get Number Two starter money for a guy that's been a Number Three at best and a Number Four for his career.

Plus, to compound the reasons on Hunter, he's a Type A free agent and unless your pick is draft protected, he's going to cost you your Number One pick, not a wise idea unless you have a Type A on your team that won't be back, allowing you to recoup the pick.

Both guys are going to get ridiculously overpaid and both will likely put up decent numbers in the beginning of the deal.  But in the long run, both are like to disappoint and will break someone's heart.

The Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees both have problems.

For the Bravos, they just lost Mike Hampton for a month, maybe more.

For the Yankees, they've got no catcher.

Yes, I know, Jorge Posada is still on the roster.

But how much longer do you think he'll be effective.  He's in his late thirties and he's clearly entering the decline stage of his career.

Worse, the Yankees have no heir apparent ready.

The Braves, on the other hand, have Jarrod Saltalamacchia, a stud catching prospect, roadblocked in the minors.  There is some doubt whether he'll remain at the position, but he can hack it in the majors for a few years until the Yankees can draft or trade for someone else.

Plus, the Braves had someone watching Pavano's last start in Spring Training.

Here's what I would do.  I would offer the Braves Pavano, with a good deal of his contract paid for, something the Yankees can swing, in exchange for Saltalamacchia, who I would groom in the minors for this year.

In the meantime, I would stick with Posada in the majors this year and possibly next year, with Saltalamacchia entering the majors next year as a part timer, where he would be groomed into the successor for the Yankees.

It could happen if the Yankees and Braves are willing to pull the trigger.

Plus, it's not like Phil Hughes can't provide Pavano-like production for this year.

Just a thought.  The next team preview will be up shortly.

Another solid trade by New York as the Yankees deal one of their more disappointing parts for a nifty bullpen arm.  I firmly believe that had Jaret Wright had a solid showing in the post-season, this trade would not have happened.  Take note that the deal is still pending commissioner approval, but it'll likely be granted.  Let's take a look at the implications this trade has on both teams:

New York Side Of The Trade

The Yankees deal Wright, who was rather affordable, to be honest, to the Orioles for Chris Britton.  Britton is a BIG guy (6'3, 280) that throws strikes and has good enough stuff that he can succeed as a middle reliever, aka Ron Villone's roll.  So, oddly enough, the Yankees acquired a promising middle relief guy instead of overpaying for bullpen help.  Solid trade.

Yankee Grade: A-

Baltimore Side Of The Trade

Many view this trade as questionable, but I see the rationale behind it.  Baltimore is gambling that Wright willl rediscover any sort of dominance that he had during his single season under Leo Mazzone.  However, this deal leaves the Orioles with six starters in Eric Bedard, Wright, Rodrigo Lopez, Kris Benson, and Adam Loewen, all of whom have had trouble lasting for six innings before turning it over to one of the shittiest bullpens in the majors.  I do think that the trade has some upside, as I think Wright may be a servicable innings eater under the right circumstances (no pun intended), but on the brightside, the Orioles only gave up a bullpen arm and not a cornerstone of the franchise like Hayden Penn or Nick Markakis.

Oriole Side Of The Trade:  B

On a side note, this trade also has further implications for free agency.  Dealing Wright leaves the Yankees with a rotation of Wang, Johnson, (two #### slang terms already), Mussina, and Pavano.  So who will the fifth starter be?

The Yankees are rumored to be after Jeff Suppan, but acquiring him would be a mistake, as Suppan is strictly a National League Pitcher.  A more reasonable idea would be the Yankees allowing Darrel Rasner to enter the rotation as the fifth starter, with the possibility of promoting Philip Hughes later on in the season.

 Friday Morning Closer 

 Here is my two out outing for this week:

Bad Decisions Sunk Angels

Yes, the Angels run a quality ballclub, and yes they have talent in their farm system that will keep them competitive for years.

But you’ve got to admit, they’ve had some royal ####kups too.

Like letting Troy Glaus, one of the leaders of the 2002 World Series team, walk.

The Angels have released some of their more offensively potent players, like Glaus and David Eckstein, in the past few years, either because of health concerns or because of the rising price tag that they feared would be prohibitive in the future.  While not all of their cost cutting moves have been wrong (Jarrod Washburn anybody), a lot of these moves have come back to haunt the team as the players they did offer extensions to (Darin Erstad, Adam Kennedy, Garrett Anderson) are rapidly aging and will become no more than bench players as soon as next season.  While the pitching is going to be good, as deep drafts and talented young players have ensured that, the offense is a bit more iffy.  Juan Rivera is enjoying a breakout year, but it’s unknown if he can keep sustaining that production. 

Now, the Angels are suffering for their decisions.  The offense is lackluster, clearly suffering the losses of Glaus and others, and not helped by prospects that were supposed to step in flounder, with Dallas McPherson leading the bunch.  While their pitching keeps them competitive, the Angels are beginning to see that that and Vlad Guerrero does not deal a championship in the AL West anymore.

The sad thing is that there were options available had Bill Stoneman been willing to tap into their surplus of prospects to make a deal for a difference maker.  There was an offer to the Nationals for Alfonso Soriano (which they should have accepted.)  They tried, but failed to trade for Miguel Tejada, though this deal was blown up by Tejada refusing to play third base, even though it’s becoming more and more evident that he is no longer able to play the position.

In the short term, the Angels had better start finding a way to shore up their talent.  Otherwise, they could find themselves third in a division that is rapidly beginning to catch up to them. 

 Carl Pavano Had A Passenger

When Carl Pavano got into his accident that broke several ribs and left him unable to perform for the Yankees, there apparently was something else he didn’t mention to the Yankees.

He had a passenger.

Queens model Gia Allemand was ion the car at the time of the accident, but was spirited away by one of Pavano’s friends afterwards.

Hmm, which makes me wonder?

I wonder if it really was water on the road that made Pavano ‘lose control’ of his vehicle.

A picture if Ms. Allemand is below.  Pavano has good taste.

No, Random ####mp;A will not become a regular feature of this blog.

Enjoy the weekened.

On The Block:  How To Get Dontrelle Willis In Pinstripes

Continuing with the topic inspired by E Shamus O'Connor’, can the Yankees get Dontrelle Willis?

Actually, after much research, discussion, MVP Baseball 2005, alcohol, and KFC Buffalo Snackers, it’s not as impossibe as I thought it could be.  However, it will take some work.

The Yankees had an opportunity to exchange Carl Pavano to Seattle for Jeremy Reed, which would not only have given the Yankees a solid, inexpensive centerfielder, but would also have allowed the Yankees to avoid the inevitable decline of Johnny Damon (the last two years of the contract.)  Of the two pitchers, Pavano is still the more valuable one due to his one fluke year of success.

The way I see the Yankees getting Willis would to make a series of deals that would create a lot of player movement.  The Yankees’ greatest strength is their ability to take on payroll, but they should only do so if said player is going to be off the books within a year.  They’ll also need partners, mainly those with excess players and needs that can be satisfied.  So here’s my take on a trade that would result in Willis going to the Bronx, along with an attempt to get both Pavano and Wright off the books:

New York Yankees trade Carl Pavano to the Washington Nationals for Alfonso Soriano.  Yes, I know I said I would not trade for Soriano, but in this case, Soriano needs to get out of Washington as the situation there is becoming toxic.  Washington would be getting a pitcher that they sorely need, even if he is a tad overpriced.  Still, this is the best they could get for Soriano at this point.

New York Yankees Trade Alfonso Soriano to the New York Mets for John Maine and Brian Bannister.  The Yankees would give the Mets the second baseman they sorely need in exchange for a pitcher that is still young enough to improve and for one of their farm system pitchers.  Brian Bannister is a decent prospect, but he’s not going to start for the Mets for a while.

New York Yankees Trade Jared Wright to the Baltimore Orioles for Luis Ramirez, David Haehnel or Chris Britton and $5 million.  Wright is a Mizzone disciple and was eager to reunite with his old pitching coach when it looked like he was headed to the Yankees.  If the Yankees offer Wright along with cash to make a deal, the Orioles could jump on it.  If Wright did poorly, they could exercise his buyout option for 2007.  In return, they would be trading either Ramirez, who is 23 and has average stuff, Haenel, who isn’t overwhelming, but has a deceptive delivery and is projected to be a setup man or a closer, or Britton, who throws for strikes, but also is slated to be a setup man or closer.  More than likely, Ramirez will be offered, but the Yankees could offer a little more cash to the Orioles to include Haehnel as part of the deal.  Peter Angelos is stupid enough to go along with it.

New York Yankees trade John Maine, Luis Ramirez, David Haehnel, Brian Bannister, Miguel Cairo, Scott Proctor and Yankee Prospect Christian Garcia to the Florida Marlins for Dontrelle Willis.  A seven-player package to the Marlins would entice them to give up Willis.  They would be receiving the second baseman that they sorely need, who is also much cheaper than Tony Graffanino, a pair of starters, and developing prospects that will probably be ready for a call up by September of next year when rosters expand.  The Yankees will have given away prospects they will have had no use for and gained an extra starting pitcher that is experienced.  The only loss will be Christian Garcia, who has some promise to be a decent starting pitcher, but out of the current Yankee Farm Boys, he is the one that is the most expendable.  As for Cairo's place on the bench, he can easily be replaced from within the system.  Semi-Prospect Kevin Thompson hits about as well as Cairo and does well enough with a glove to be used as a utilityman.

It should be noted that this post read differently before the Red Sox dealt for Wily Mo Pena.  Inconsiderate ####s. 

On The Block:  Ichiro Suzuki

I feel like causing some discussion today, partially because I'm pissed off about the pathetic events last night in Anahiem.  So, let's do this thang!

Why He’s On The Block: It seems a little hard to believe that Seattle would even dream of trading their superstar, but the possibility isn’t unthinkable.  This winter, we found out that Ichiro is unhappy.  He’s not getting any younger and Ichiro has felt unmotivated as Seattle currently is near the bottom of the American League.  He has stated that he wants to play in a World Series and that judging by Seattle’s roster moves, his current team is nowhere closer to contending.  Seattle has no need to trade him.  But if this continues, Ichiro could continue to get more and more unhappy and the result would be a detriment to the team. 

Asking Price:  High.  Seattle is in no hurry to trade their most valuable asset, but Ichiro would bring in a boatload of young talent or a pair of established talent that would help now.

Negotiable:  No.  Seattle is in no obligation to trade him, but would probably be better off by silently shopping him.  If they really want to go with dumping salary, Ichiro would provide the perfect contract to package with the remainder of Adrian Beltre’s deal.

What He Offers:  Ichiro offers the following:

·          Plus:  Top leadoff hitter in the game.

·          Plus:  An excellent fielder.

·          Plus:  Superstar appeal.

·          Plus:  Can contribute immediately.

·          Plus:  High On Base Percentage

·          Minus: Large contract.

·          Minus:  Is not a young player.

·          Minus:  Not a power hitter

Long Term Future:  Not good.  Ichiro is quietly getting more and more discouraged.  He’s two years into a four million dollar extension, signed in 2004.  However, the Mariners aren’t the same team that they were when he signed in 2004.  He doesn’t have a no trade clause, so he could be shipped anywhere if the price is right.  Again, while the Mariners have no need to trade, if his performance in the WBC results in a increasing desire to go somewhere competitive, he could be trouble. 

He Stay Or Will He Go:  30%-70% on him staying.  However, if the right offer comes along, the Mariners would be stupid not to listen.  But here’s who will make a pitch:

·          Boston Red Sox – 50%.  Boston could make an inquiry about Ichiro if Coco Crisp fails to produce as a lead off hitter.  Ichiro would slide into the leadoff spot with Crisp behind him and the New Millennium’s version of the Bash Brothers (Ramirez and Ortiz) behind him.  They would likely package Trot Nixon along with a couple of promising minor leaguers for him. 

·          New York Yankees – 26%.  The Yankees did discuss a trade with Seattle during the off-season, hoping to move Ichiro to Centerfield.  Even though Damon now patrols center, adding Ichiro would the dual effect of improving the outfield defense and improving the lineup further by allowing Gary Sheffield to move to the DH, a role he prefers.  The problem with this deal is that adding Ichiro would kick Damon from leadoff to eighth.  Also, the Yankees have no prospects on the verge of immediately helping Seattle to make a trade, though if Seattle inquiries about Carl Pavano, I’d be immediately accommodating.

·          New York Mets – 24%.   The Mets could make a run for him if Xavier Nady dies as the left fielder.  They would likely have to part ways with top prospect Lastings Milledge, but Ichiro would make the Mets an instant contender.

End Result – Ichiro will likely stay.  However, Boston could make an inquiry if they suddenly find themselves in the hunt. 

Friday Morning Closer

Here are my thoughts on Major League Baseball this week:

If I were in Beantown, I’d be very very afraid.  Keith Foulke looks good physically, but he’s still walking around getting artifical fluid injected into his knees, Mike Lowell looks like he’s done, but the Red Sox don’t want to move Kevin Youkilis because JT Snow is even worse, plus there is a large backup at second base that doesn’t look like it’s going to be solved anytime soon.  Along with questions about Manny Ramirez’s mood of the week and that Curt Schilling isn’t what he used to be, it looks like the Yankees and the Blue Jays will be fighting it out for the division title this year.  The lone bright spot:  Alex Gonzalez should be lots of fun to watch on the field this year.

I know that Spring Training is meant to be just that, but the Brewers looked really bad when I saw them play. 

How in Gods Name Did Team USA lose the WBC?!?!?!?!   I think the next time this comes around, we really have to evaluate who exactly is the best fit to form a competitive team.  We can just rely on stars to just volunteer and take the field.  We need to make the best fit available, even if it means telling legends like A-Rod or Griffey that they can’t take the field.  Sorry, but a USA Basketball approach needs to be taken on this to ensure that in 2009, the title goes to the United States, where it rightfully belongs.

Still, despite this, The WBC looks like it’ll be a success after all.  Interest is good in the US and high worldwide.  I think this little event will make it after all.

Here’s one more WBC nugget to ponder over:  Now that the action is moving stateside, how many members of the Cuban National Team do you think are planning of defecting?  Is it possible that we could see two players sprint off the field and jump into the stands asking for asylum?

Bobby Jenks has apparently lost 10 mph on his fastball.  10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  How much does Chicago’s chances of repeating drop if their lights out closer isn’t lights out.

Another Barry Bonds book coming out?  At this rate, Rachael Ray from the Food Network will be releasing a book by May.