It depends what the focus of this season is, Major. For most of the season, I would have agreed with you. But assuming Pettitte is ok, I feel very confident in saying this team can make a legitimate playoff push. However, I don't think you can contend for a championship (regardless of the pitching) with a corner OF bat like Burke's without any power. I don't think you can contend for a championship with a bat as weak as Adam Everett's in the 6 spot in the order. If we're still committed to trying to contend this season (and maybe we aren't), history shows us we desperately need another power bat in this lineup. And Burke isn't going to be it. He'll be a good hitter for a second baseman, a position that doesn't require much pop, but corner OF? Not for a playoff team. He can still get time. Biggio's 39 years old... give him two games off each week because he has a tendency to fade later in the season, likely from the wear and tear of 100+ games. Millar's not the most consistent of hitters either... give him one or two games off each week as well. In fact, Millar isn't hitting lefties at all this year, so perhaps we could even arrange a platoon system and let Burke start against lefties. It wouldn't be the same as starting every day, but there is a way to get him a significant amount of ABs without (likely) compromising your ability to contend in the process. But, if this is a season of development and gearing up for 2006, disregard what I said. There certainly is a positive to playing Burke every day. But if we feel we're in contention, we need another power bat in this lineup. Ideally, we could get someone producing more than Millar this season, but if we don't want to give up our better prospects, Millar's a great option for someone who won't cost much.
Gammons just came on ESPNEWS and said they is not market for Millar. By the way, Jay Payton was Designated for Assignment.
Yep. You don't want to deplete your minors unnecessarily. Ask Boston fans if they wish they had held onto Jeff Bagwell.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/print...305jul10,0,2968772.story?coll=ny-sports-print Mets special assistant Sandy Johnson is in Baltimore this weekend scouting the Red Sox, but team officials maintain they will keep Looper, believing they are in contention for at least the wild card. Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar is on the block, but he appears to be headed to the Astros in a deal for reliever Chad Qualls. I like Millar but hell no would I give up Qualls.
if pettite were to miss a start ? LOL how about something accidentally happens to wandy rodriguez? why on God's earth would you not want Nieve coming up for him? what have ya got to lose?
Doubt it. New York papers typically pass off rumors from the Yankees/Mets/Red Sox as facts because their world revolves around those three teams. They assume that whoever those teams want to acquire, they can get. This, however, would be silly, and I'm a Millar fan. Millar plays power positions and he has a slugging percentage worse than Adam Everett's. Do I think he'll turn it around? Yes. And if he does, there's no assurance you can have him more than three months because he's a rental... expiring contract. If he were signed cheap for a couple more years, or if his OPS was a little closer to .800, maybe he has some value... but I don't see how he has the trade value to acquire a promising young reliever like Qualls at this point. If that's what Boston wants, ignore them and hope they come around for something more reasonable. There are other hitters out there.
Please not Qualls! Ruin the chant I do at every game. Plus no way in hell is Millar worth anything of consequence..
I thought we were going to give up prospects; Qualls is not a prospect. he is an established major leaguer...and a good one too. If this deal goes thru, then Purpura is a bigger fool then I thought he was.
I'm normally the biggest defender of the front office, but if this goes down, I'll be the loudest critc. Ugh.
