There are too many teams, err.. the Dodgers and Angels, with top talent willing to deal for both.

My opinion - Miggy is going to LA. One team will get Miggy the other will sign A-Rod.

Clay Buchholz is most likely "not in trade talks" like Joba Chamberlain, which, probably in the long run, is smart.

Sox will not resign Schilling unless he is willing to take a Wakefield type contract, mainly bc he really is not worth the money any longer and also the Sox are LOADED with young arms that need innings. It would make much more sense to find someone who can fill in the rotation but can also work out of the pen, like Tavarez.

Again, I know I keep repeating myself, but A-Rod should not be an option for the Sox.  The guy is cancer.

Look at A-Rod's stats v. Miggy C. over the past three years. Who would you rather have?

Everyone is trying to find a way to NOT pay A-Rod, now with Miggy being on the market, the Marlins will ask for whatever they want and they will probably get it.  

There is a reason why everyone hates A-Rod.  A potential Miggy trade just took someone off the market and probably made their lives much easier knowing they wont have to waste $30 million a year on a clubhouse cancer.

We have Beckett and Dice-K locked up for a few years, but after that where do we go? At this point, you can't count on Schilling or Wakefield in the rotation.

Having a rotation of Beckett, Dice-K, Lester, and Buchholz in '09 (skipping '08) sounds pretty good to me.

Bowden and Masterson could be moved in the right trade, but Starting Pitching is the currency of the game right now.

The one thing we know about Free Agent pitchers is that their cost nearly always outpaces their worth. And trades are a tricky proposition at best.

2) Do not trade Jacoby Ellsbury

This kid is part of our future in the OF. He's hit well at every level, runs the bases well, and fields well. The only thing he doesn't really do is hit for power. How many established CFers would you rather have right now? Maybe 1 of 10 guys? 1 of 10 (from 30 teams) is pretty damn good for a kid just starting out his career.

I'd rather not trade Pedroia, either.

In fact, trading for established super-stars is not good business, in general. The Sox don't need to generate more interest in the team (we're slavish already), so it's all about cost vs. performance in the short-term and long-term.

The Sox made a good, even deal with the Marlins for Beckett. The Marlins got future super-star Hanley Ramirez, a future #3 in Anibal Sanchez, and the Sox got an ace the Marlins couldn't afford. I'm not even including Lowell in the debate, because he was a throw-in. As someone previously noted, it's extremely difficult to project future performance as a GM. People thought Lowell's bat speed had slowed to the point where he'd be ineffective.

The fact is, the Sox stole Beckett in a fire-sale for two top prospects, two high-ceiling kids, and not one established player. It hurt, but it was a fair deal. Trading away the farm for one player is not a good idea, and teams are going to try to screw the Sox because of our wealth of prospects.

If we could secure Miguel Cabrera for Crisp, Bowden, Place, and Wagner, I'd make that deal. But trading more than one of Lester, Buchholz, or Ellsbury would be a horrific mistake for the Sox.

If anything, the Sox should consider trading away some of their established superstars for emerging superstars-to-be. Although our lineup would be significantly diminished with the loss of a player like Manny (my personal favorite, btw), think of the potential returns a few years down the line. We have the pitching to still contend, even with a diminished line up.

Take a look at what studs like Troy Tulowitzski and Ryan Braun have done this year. Or, if you're a bigger history buff, the Sox are only where they are today because someone named Dan Duquette traded an established pitching star, Closer Heathcliff Slocumb, to Seattle for two kids named Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe. Need I go on?

Although Colorado seems to have its heart set on trading Atkins to play Ian Stewart, how about trying to pry Stewart away? Or Brandon Wood from the Angels. There are plenty of kids we could target for Coco Crisp and one medium-high prospect.

Keep a steady course, Theo.

BTW, A-Rod = $350 million to start negotiations.  Boras will not even talk to anyone who is unwilling to go $35mil/10 years.

Everyone still A-Rod is worth the money?

As for who can pay him that, Sox, Yanks, W. Sox, Cubs, both LA teams, maybe the Mariners, Mets, possibly the Phillies or Braves.

Mike Lowell cannot get resigned fast enough.