Old Friend(s).

by Allen Chace on Dec 27, 2006 10:36 AM EST in News

This is not particularly good news. I'm sure we're pretty split on whether or not we liked Keith Foulke, but I think we can all mostly agree that he would've made our bullpen corps stronger for next season. Congratulations to the Indians, who seem just about set to pick up a guy who's entirely qualified and due for a rebound year. Fantastic backup, or dare I say primary option at closer next season for the Tribe.

In hilarious news, the Angels believe that this: .277/.313/.451 (BA/OBP/SLG) will be able to replace this: .310/.362/.525 next season. First, my condolences to Angels fans on two seperate counts. Juan Rivera had a career year, but one not so ridiculous as to be impossible to replicate. This is a youngish player on the rise, not to mention the fact that he's a former Yankee farmhand who went on to success in another organization.

Second point is this. Juan Rivera is an OF. Shea Hillenbrand is a corner IF sort of. Does Stoneman know something that I don't? The Angels promised their fans a big splash in the 2006/2007 offseason. They've got time, but I'm not going to count Shea or this guy as such a splash. Either way, I'm sure Cuban prospect Kendry Morales could hit better than Hillenbrand while playing just as atrocious defense at third and first. Angels fans should be and are pissed. (Link from Halos Heaven, possibly NSFW). They say it better than I can, but I'll try. Dallas McPherson + Kendry Morales + Casey Kotchman + a dash of Chone Figgins > subtracting any of the first three for Hillenbrand. It's that simple. The Angels should certainly consult the oracle before making any more "improvements" this offseason.

I'm starting to feel like no news is bad news as far as J.D. Drew is concerned. The good part is that it means Wily Mo or Coco aren't going anywhere in exchange for a closer. The bad part is that it means Wily Mo or Coco aren't going anywhere in exchange for a closer.

On a side note, I'm obviously back from vacation, looking forward to the new year, and to more Red Sox news to come. Thanks to Randy for running this place and to all of you for reading.

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Re: Old Friend(s).

Wow. I should've been more specific, in case anyone didn't click on the link to the Hillenbrand signing on mlb.com. Juan Rivera broke his left tibia playing winter ball. I left that dangling, which could've left interpretations ranging from severe hangnail to death. Neither of those things ended up being the truth, thank goodness.

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't cut it Melissa, I want an apology."-Jason Penopolis, Home Movies

by Allen Chace on Dec 27, 2006 11:29 AM EST 0 recs

Name Recognition.

I'm absolutely baffled by the idea that players, in this day and age of new baseball knowledge, get by on simply having a recognizable name! There is no good reason for the Angels to even consider adding a guy like Hillenbrand... And to think that they were linked to, and in prime position to acquire, either Manny and Andruw Jones, but instead ended up with Gary Matthews Jr and Shea Hillenbrand.

by ejruiz on Dec 27, 2006 12:16 PM EST 0 recs

Re: Name Recognition.

You bring up Gary Matthews Jr. Can he continue what he did in 2006? I don't think so. They spent a lot of money on him and he could be a huge, pre-2006 bust.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Dec 27, 2006 12:24 PM EST up 0 recs

Closers to Boston...

It appears as though the RedSox are still interested in adding a proven closer (even if it is one who struggled in 2006) into the fold via trade this offseason. The most commonly mentioned names remain the Pirates' Mike Gonzalez, the Nationals' Chad Cordero and the Astros' Brad Lidge. I've seen Coco Crisp mentioned in possible deals for Gonzalez and Wily Mo Pena in those for Cordero, but I have no idea what the trade value of Lidge is at the moment. Considering the apparent availability of the first two, I doubt they go with the later.

That said, the possibility of shoulder damage to JD Drew should give the Sox pause when thinking of trading away their OF depth. Sure, Ellsbury will almost certainly be ready by the start of 2008, but there can be no off-years in Boston, let alone two of them consecutively.

So, what do you think the likelihood of one of these deals going down is? Furthermore, do you think they would be wise moves? I'd have to say that Pena/Crisp and change for Cordero/Gonzalez sounds like a solid trade for the Red Sox and I could definitely see Theo pulling the trigger on one of them as soon as they resolve things with Drew.

by ejruiz on Dec 27, 2006 4:46 PM EST 0 recs

Re: Closers to Boston...

Out of Lidge, Gonzalez and Cordero, I want to see Gonzalez be our closer in 2007 and beyond. Cordero has had some good years but I don't trust him in Boston. Lidge had a bad 2006 and may just keep falling -- ala Keith Foulke.

Instead of giving up Coco or Wily, I'd rather trade one of our 2006 draft picks arms to get Gonzalez. Cox, Masterson, Papelbon, etc. to get Gonzalez. I wouldn't part with Ellsbury, Bowden or Buchholz.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Dec 27, 2006 4:56 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Old Friend(s).

Yea, I definitely would't trade Ellsbury. That would just be another Freddy Sanchez mistake that I wouldn't want to see. In case anybody doesn't remember what Sanchez did this year. He batted led the league with a .344 batting average. What is that, two good infield prospects we've given up in the past two years that had great years last season? Hanley Ramirez the other. We need to stop dealing all these good prospects out.

I'm glad to see we're staying with Youk and Pedroia and that's how it should be. We need to stick with youth as best we can.

And btw, can we go Moneyball on Wily Mo and stick him at 1B?

Ramirez= 35 HR
Ortiz= 55
Pena= 40.. at least

Come on. Tell me you wouldn't want that in the heart of our lineup. Then we could stick drew in the No. 6 hole. Now that would be a deadly lineup.

Oh, we also have to move Youk back to third and trade Lowell for a closer.

Who's with me on this?

by bmoseley07 on Dec 27, 2006 10:56 PM EST 0 recs

Re: Old Friend(s).

Pena at 1B is a good idea in theory, but I've said this a couple times on this site (not for a while though so you may not have heard it), they tried him at first during his rehab assignment in the Minors and he was a disaster, 10 times worse then he is in OF. He was creating errors on simple ground outs thrown to him. We would be much better off having Ortiz at 1B and Pena DH then a scenerio that had Pena playing 1B. For a position that sees more balls thrown to them for outs then any other, you don't want someone who absolutely sucks at it and is an error waiting to happen every inning

by Realistic on Dec 28, 2006 10:10 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Old Friend(s).

True. And as the 2004 World Series proved, Papi can actually play in the field. So yea, I would actually much rather see Ortiz at first and then Pena could DH.

by bmoseley07 on Dec 28, 2006 11:11 PM EST 0 recs

Re: Old Friend(s).

It may be moot anyway. If the Drew deal falls through, Pena is going to have to play right. In any case, any scenario with Ortiz playing first means Youk goes back to third, and then we need to trade Lowell, and I don't know that we'd get much value for him right now. If Ortiz is going to play first, it might be better to wait until 2008, after Lowell's contract is up, or at least until July when we can trade Lowell to a NL contender.

by RSNexile on Dec 29, 2006 2:29 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Old Friend(s).

Oh yeah, definitely, I was just saying of the two I'd rather have Ortiz at 1B, but realistically I don't think either will be there this year. I'd love to see him there in 2008, then he can finally shut up the voters about not playing defense and finally get his MVP, and we could let Lowell go and really not have to pick up any FA (as in Drew in OF, Pena to DH, Youk to 3B)

by Realistic on Dec 29, 2006 9:20 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Old Friend(s).

I have to wonder, though, what happens if Drew can't play and Pedroia doesn't work out this year at second base. Can Youk play there? Then Lowell could stay at third this year (at least until the trading deadline), Youk could play second, Ortiz first, and Pena right.

by RSNexile on Dec 29, 2006 2:50 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Old Friend(s).

I think Youkilis could (and has IIRC) play 2B in a pinch...but I don't think he's a long-term option over there. Think Bill Mueller with that. Mueller was not a butcher by any means as a 2B, but I think he was public about not being comfortable with it, and he certainly wasn't a GG-calibre 2B like he was at 3B.

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't cut it Melissa, I want an apology."-Jason Penopolis, Home Movies

by Allen Chace on Dec 29, 2006 11:08 PM EST up 0 recs