Time To Get This Stove Workin'

A cheesy Rocky quote is coming to mind.
(619sports.dreamhosters.com)

The Hot Stove has been about as warm as Anchorage so far, but that doesn't stop my mind from thinking that I am the GM, with my brain on overdrive concocting the next blockbuster for my Boston Red Sox. And I'm not talking about that coveted long relief pitcher we need. This year, I would be willing to go the extra mile, especially with all the expiring contracts (Lowell, Ortiz, Beckett) and having the Yankees around the corner threatening to re-emerge as the next baseball dynasty. In fact, other than V-Mart, Pedroia, Youk, Lester and maaaaybe Jacoby Ellsbury, I would trade absolutely anybody on this team. Beckett, yup. Drew, if anyone will take the contact, then yippee. Buchholz, you know my stance. I would even trade Papelbon, which extends to reasons far beyond his blowup in the ALDS a month ago. Like it or not, we are heading into a new era with this club, an Extreme Makeover Boston style. So we must let go of images of those duck boat parades in '04 and '07, because that won't help us get to the promised land in future seasons. Only Ortiz, Wakefield and Varitek are the remaining guys from the '04 team, the latter being probably the biggest shock return this offseason. I guess 'Tek finally got smart and realized his value and actually got a deal by accepting his option for next season. I mean, where else in this league would a backup catcher make $3 million? Here are some of the burning questions that I have been trying to wrap my head around as this offseason progresses. Let's whip out the Hot Stove monkey wrenches and thinking caps!

He doesn't fit in a stocking, but I hope he fits in Red Sox!
(eastlakedirectory.blogspot.com)

1. What should be the Sox's top priority?
Does the word, "Adriiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaan" emphasize it enough? Other words that come to mind is, 'Lars Anderson, it was nice to know ya." The Sox need a bat, a fear of God bat, and bad. The Sox currently are filled with a bunch of number 2, 3 and 5 slot bats like Youk, Pedroia, Drew, Lowell and maybe on a good day, Big Papi. A good lineup, but they don't have that cleanup masher to base the lineup around since the departure of Ramirez. As good as Bay and Holliday are, they are not that fear of God guy. Maybe they could be the second part of a fear of God combo, but they are not the kind of player Adrian Gonzalez is. To hit 40 homers and to have a .407 OBP in San Diego's canyon of a ballpark with the likes of Will Venable and Chase Headley protecting you in the lineup is probably the biggest feat in the sport. With all that said, it's gonna take a lot to get him, an abundance of prospects that Theo has been oh so reluctant to part with. Complicating the potential deal even more is that Theo's former assistant (Jed Hoyer) is now the head honcho in the wheeling and dealing department for the Pads, and he won't be duped into thinking that Michael Bowden is a top notch prospect either. Hoyer and Theo are practically the same guy, and he knows which young players it will take to not only rebuild his team, but knows which prospects will leave a sour taste in Theo's mouth with just a slight mention. Not to mention that the arrival of Gonzalez would create a positional logjam for the Sox. Youk would have to be at third, considering you do now want to waste away Gonzo's Gold Glove capabilities at first by putting him in the DH slot. That puts the expiring contracts of Lowell and Ortiz on the bubble, which the Padres don't want any of, even if the Sox were willing to they pay off the salaries. The Pads already have a young defensive whiz at third in Kouzmanoff (.990 percentage in '09, NL record) and I'm sure that the rebuilding program doesn't call for an injury-riddled, 36 year old with an 8 figure salary manning 3rd, or a 34 year old injury-riddled career DH playing 1st everyday. Can't forget the fact the San Diego native Gonzalez will be making less money in the next 2 years ($10.25 million) than Mike Lowell will make next year, which is convenient for a small market team like the Padres. So the spotlight shines on the Lars Andersons, Casey Kellys, and Ryan Kalishes of the world, and I would give them away in a tick. Gotta give up something to get something, right? Especially for a guy like Gonzalez, who could be a franchise player on a better team. He would be the best Christmas present, well besides a lucky lottery ticket.

Time to call a Doc to patch up the Sox?
(bloodsox.blogspot.com)

2. Should the Sox go after Roy Halladay/King Felix?

Intriguing. Mighty intriguing. Almost approaching Lady Gaga intriguing. A Beckett-Lester-Halladay rotation is making me dizzy just thinking about it. What makes this more of a possibility is that new Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is opening the door wider on a potential deal for the ace than his predecessor did, and he's not afraid to trade within the division to improve his beaten franchise. The same declaration worries me, considering that if he is not afraid to trade to the Sox, he isn't afraid to make a deal with the Yanks either. On the other end, we have an annual Cy Young candidate in the making in 23 year old Felix Hernandez, who the Sox inquired about in the last trading deadline. But in the end, I think we only have room for one blockbuster this offseason. With the diminishing number of allegedly MLB ready prospects the Sox have (see Bowden's 8.14 ERA, Lowrie's wrist), I believe the Sox have enough ammo only for one blockbuster, unless another team gets involved and infuses more players/prospects to sweeten the offer in either a potential Gonzo/Doc/King Felix deal. Out of the two pitchers, King Felix (1st in wins, 2nd in ERA in '09) would definitely be the arm I would deal for because of his youth and limitless upside, but again it will be difficult, considering he is the central piece of what the Mariners are building around. So when it's all said and done, I would ultimately go for Gonzalez not only because we need a bat more, but he is more of a long term option as a 27 year old that we can re-sign in two years rather than a pitcher who will be 33 when he enters free agency at the end of next year with a lot of innings on him. So what do we do with pitching, especially if Buchholz is included in a deal (and there's a chance he will be) for a big time player? Could we can sneak in a shrewd deal for a swing and miss pitcher like Javy Vazquez? Investigating the Lackey situation is another feasible option for another starter, although I don't think he will be affordable in the end. With all the commotion, I think the Beckett-Lester duo will be effective if they are together, and that Dice-K will have his best overall year in the majors (mark my words) with his new outlook on training and conditioning. The focus may have to go to getting a strong fourth or fifth starter (Jon Garland?), and unfortunately towards the clunker shop, also known as the "low risk-high reward" bargain bin for guys like Rich Harden, which I sense coming, hence my need to vomit right now. But hey, Smoltz and Penny are available again. Just kidding! I almost vomited there, too.

You can go with this......
(espn.com)

.....or you can go with that.
(espn.com)

3. Bay or Holliday?
Probably the hardest decision the Sox will have to make this offseason, considering they are about the same player. Reading this Jeremy Lundblad comparison piece will only make your head hurt even more. It is probably the mostly painful decision in dollars and cents because I think we are going to overpay for whoever we get. The bottom line is that we have to get one of these two, or else there will be a huge red wine stain on our offseason, and possibly the future of the team. Before I get into the nitty grit, here are the 2009 season numbers from these two left fielders.

Holliday: .313 24 HR 109 RBI .394 OBP .515 SLG
Bay: .267 36 HR 119 RBI .384 OBP .537 SLG

So who will occupy the position that has been filled with the likes of Williams, Yaz, Jim Ed and Manny? Bay has been nothing short of a model citizen and a productive performer since we snagged him from the Bucs at the '08 trading deadline, even providing some clutch moments that has delighted the bleacher bums at Fenway. However, if you walked up to every Sox fan, they will all tell you how to get Bay out: Throw him a breaking ball away. So in the moment of truth, every pitcher has that line in the scouting report etched in his brain, which explains the .267 average, 162 strikeouts and his 1 hit in the playoffs in '09. To be honest, I'm leaning towards Matt Holliday. I think his numbers, especially those of power, will improve by playing half of his games in Fenway just like it did in his days in Coors Field. I also don't have the concerns many have about him playing in the AL. The 24 homers can be easily attributed to him playing a huge bulk of his season in Yellowstone.....I mean the Oakland Coliseum, in which he hit .299 from May until his ship-off day to St. Louis. The thing that is bugging me with Holliday is his agent, El Diablo himself in Scott Boras, who is making it very well known that a team has to dial nine digits in the salary range to even get in the discussion, and that doesn't include the hardcore negotiating ploys. Which brings me back to Bay. Simply put, I don't think he is a $15 million/year player (annual salary of the 4 year deal he just rejected). But on the whole, he might cost us under $100 million, which added with his experience playing in Boston may make him the desirable target in the end. As far as the low-cost options, Bobby Abreu is already out of the picture, and forget Johnny Damon folks. Damon would be stupid if he signed anywhere other than the Yankees, which has built a ballpark just for his swing and a DH position he can occupy part-time. To say something that the world already knows, we screwed up in the Teixeira bidding last year, and it's putting added pressure on the organization in these costly negotiations for a player of a slightly lesser caliber. In the end, I hope whoever we get will get the necessary offensive help, fingers crossed! (ADRIIIIIIIIIIIIIAN!)

Chuck's Wishful Thinking 2010 Red Sox Lineup When It's All Said And Done:

1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury
2. 2B Dustin Pedroia
3. C Victor Martinez
4. 1B Adrian Gonzalez (PLEEEASE!)
5. LF Matt Holliday
6. 3B Kevin Youkilis
7. DH David Ortiz (hardest out of the Lowell/Ortiz duo to get rid of)
8. RF J.D. Drew
9. SS Alex Gonzalez

Hopefully not the only A-Gon we bring to the team.
(espn.com)

4. What do we do at shortstop?
Alex Gonzalez, if the price is right. Plain and simple. Theo even stated at the end of the season that the defense wasn't where he thought it should be this past season. So why not bring back a guy who has only impressed with his glove every time he has donned a Sox uni? In the option department is another Venezuelan, Marco Scutaro, who put up the same fielding percentage at short last year in 143 games as Gonzalez did in 112 games. The 34 year old Scutaro also posted a .379 OBP and a .282 average with Toronto last year, which will make him a formidable hitter in the bottom of the order. But as a Type A free agent (really?), signing Scutaro will cost us two picks, which will not thrill Theo one bit. The return of Hanley Ramirez you ask? As enticing as that is, that is not gonna happen. Just don't see it. We already have limited prospect ammo as it is, and as you can tell from my second paragraph, you know which player I think we should get with our prized prospects. Plus, I don't see Jed Lowrie being a strong candidate for the job anymore, especially hearing the news that the franchise wants to have him garner some playing time in Pawtucket next year added with a balky wrist that has continued to plague him. With all those evident factors, and with Gonzalez's stellar defensive history, a Gonzo return would be the desired choice in the end. It just has to be a choice that costs us less than the $6 million that he made last season. If not, Alex Cora is available, ladies and gents!

Best thing since Cohiba?
(pictures.gi.zimbio.com)

5. Should the Sox try to win the bidding for Aroldis Chapman?

The most intriguing free agent in this year's market may not play left field. 21 year old Aroldis Chapman is the latest Cuban to to defect and become a hot commodity in the free agent pool. The 6'4'' Cuban has wowed international baseball scouts with #1 stuff, with a fastball that has reportedly been clocked at 102 MPH. Reports have been saying that the bid for the Cuban ace was going to be a two pony race between the Sox (who happen to have Jose Iglesias, a former teammate, in the minors) and Yanks (who can buy Warren Buffett). The thing is, is this bidding gonna be worth the cash? I'm kind of weary heading into this latest version of international cash burning. I mean, the verdict is still out on the aftermath of the Matsuzaka bidding, which has had its mix of sweet and sour moments. We must not forget that the adjustment will be less than easy, especially if he is under the microscope in Boston or New York (see Contreras, Irabu). Even with a few years under his belt, Dice-K is still adjusting to American baseball life. To top that, Chapman's WBC stats weren't indicative of the hype he has been receiving (0-1, 5.68 in two games started, 8 Ks, 4 BB, 6 1/3 IP), which is indicating that his raw talent hasn't exactly been refined. As I indicated in an earlier entry, I'm a huge supporter of putting international players like Chapman in the minors to develop. However, the price tag that he will probably command (which could reach $60 million) may add that unecessary pressure of putting him on major league diamonds when he may not be truly ready. In the big picture, this may not be worth the overall investment, due to the fact that we already have an on-going experiment in progress in Dice-K, and by avoiding more expensive surprises, we can be better position ourselves in the future free agent market, which will include players like Jayson Werth, Cliff Lee and Joe Mauer (Fan me down!).

Before I Peace: Hands On Henry

(img.thesun.co.uk)

So much for the luck of the Irish. On Wednesday, the Irish were denied entry to South Africa thanks to French Barcelona striker Thierry Henry's helping hand setting up the goal that would tie the game in extra time, and most notably became the key to a 2010 World Cup berth for the French. The question doesn't lie in whether the Irish got robbed, because the verdict is unanimous on that. Not only was the ball practically palmed, but there was a missed double off-sides on the play. The question is more in whether FIFA should order a replay of the game. As what Kurtis Blow would say, "these are the breaks." Henry shouldn't be blamed either, especially because he was brutally honest about it. After all, it is just like that saying, "don't hate the player, hate the ref"............or something like that. Do you think that the St. Louis Cardinals fans wanted to re-do the final inning of Game 6 of the 1985 World Series? You think the '72 U.S. basketball team would like to have erased that clock fiasco against the Soviets? How about the Orioles to replay the Jeff Maier game? Unfortunately, the human element is as much of a part of sports as sell-out crowds and game-winning plays. The game shouldn't be replayed, because it would be an injustice to all of those teams who had a botched call against them. Especially not in a sport where one of its crowning moments is called, "The Hand of God". As what the 2009 MLB playoffs taught us recently, it is in the hands of the powers that run these leagues to get the calls right (Blame is on you, Selig). Goes to show you, no replay, no getting it right. The victimized team and its fans will continue to suffer. Plain and simple. So let this moment the catalyst to help sports like soccer to solve the real issue, the transitioning of the minds and spirits of the higher-ups of sports into the 21st century.

Mochaman's Fantasy Football Report
- Boston Beersquad - 7-3 (2nd, Plax's Got a Gun, 1st in Division 2, 1191.20 Pts.)
Hit a bit of a rocky road as of late. All of Vernon Davis's talk and he got me an abundant 1.6 points last week. Now I virtually have no RBs with the injuries to Portis and Brown, who is out for the year. I'm sure the tandem of Mike Bell/Willis McGahee won't get me back to the top of the league, so it looks like some retooling will be done with the 'Squad. I'm smelling a blockbuster, considering the trade deadline is tomorrow.

- Killa' Beavaz - 7-3 (1st, Yahoo Public 179914, 1011.30 Pts.)
Been streakin' like Will Ferrell in 'Old School' lately with other-wordly performances from Brandon Marshall, Fitzgerald and Chris Johnson. Unfortunately, these Beavaz are another victim of the Ronnie Brown Injury Epidemic, however it shouldn't hurt me if the rest of my big names step up, especially McNabb. Hope to keep the roll going with a schedule that is arguably the easiest in the league the rest of the way.