No player is untradeable? How about Bagwell? Really though, Bagwell seems to be the key to me and not Clemens. If we had Bagwell's $17 mill off the books then you can go out and fill the holes in the BO and make Clemens decision both moot and also difficult for him not to come back. McLane did this to himself when he signed Bags and Hidalgo in an "ARod" inflated market year. Now he has to either pony up to fill the holes and hope that Bags retires or that he miraculously is reborn and would actually be wrth the money. I think they should go ahead and spend the money to fill some holes, hope Clemens can return AND CONTRIBUTE and just eat Bagwell's salary. McLane had to make a boatload of $$$ this year. He can afford it. Even if Clemens does not return we had five guys finish in the Cy Young voting. That does not happen often and you can't waste that hoping to catch lightning in a bottle again next year with the same team as last.
Well, it looks like it's already starting...another one of our possible targets gone to a division rival..... http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2227664 I really hope this theme doesn't continue through the whole offseason.
I think we need to start hitting the free agent market as if Clemens is not coming back. Go get a bat...maybe 2. Get another starter....if not Burnett, then perhaps a 3rd or 4th starter-type. THEN, if Roger decides to come back, Drayton can spend some of the money he has made over the past 2 years on Clemens. If we back into the free agent market while we wait for Clemens and Bags to decide what they are doing, we will get hosed. We need to be on the offensive (no pun intended) this year....and if he has to end up paying Bags and Roger on top of it, then that is what he has to do.
I would think we are not looking for pitching at all. This does not hurt us. Cubs have a lot of pitching holes to fill B4 they worry me. We had one of the top 3 pitching staffs in the game last season, maybe the best. If Hernandez can pitch like he did late in the year then Astacio goes to the pen and O, Petitte, Backe, Hernandez and Rodriguez are not too shabby to go with a very deep pen. If Clemens comes back so much the better. We are probably going to trade pitching and guys like Lane and Everett to get a bat or two anyway. Sign or trade for a stud hitting SS and/or left fielder and this team is golden.
hope you're not talking about Carlos. His velocity is down too far for his pitching style, imo.. i think he's done due to injuries. Call him Michael Dickerson.
That WAS true. I read an interview with Purpura recently, can't remember where, in which he said that Hernandez had his velocity up near 89 from mid eighties and was their best pitcher late in the season. I am basing my opinion on that bit of news. If he is still sub par by next spring then you may be right and he may be released.
In October, Hernandez was removed from the 40 man roster and "outrighted" to AAA. Hernandez refused the assignment and is a free agent.
With the Bo Sox trading for Beckett Wade Mill will more than likley become aviable via either trade or Free Agency would yall want him back, because i would
You obviously haven't watched him pitch since early 2004... his shoulder is more than messed up. He might be able to re-start his career as a bullpen guy, but there's no way his arm can withstand an entire season of starting pitching.
I dont think he can be signed via free agency. The Red Sox still have control of his rights.. they will either trade him or have to give him his outright release....But I would take him back... but I think the Red Sox have every intention of bringing him back because he finally got surgery on the shoulder...which should help. But if he does become available I would def give him a look
Konerko and Giles are going back to their respective teams. I don't think the Astros should have necessarily spent a ton of money on either of these guys, but it would be nice to have heard that they at least inquired about them to know that we are trying. Yet we are still here wondering whether or not we are going to have Clemens and Bagwell using up over 35 million dollars of payroll. Purpura is going to send this team into a severe downward spiral next year if he expects to rely on streaky hitting and rely on another dominant pitching performance by our rotation all year. Hell, even the world champions are adding more pieces.
Dotel, anyone??? http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2243810 The 32-year-old right-hander said Houston, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota, the New York Mets and Texas have inquired about his availability.
If he's up for being a 7th or 8th inning guy again, I'd do it. Makes moving Qualls or Lidge (promoting Qualls) much easier if Dotel is anywhere near what he was before.
Yes, he did... after repeatedly being told that the shoulder would not just magically "heal" with rest. If he had gotten the surgery when he first originally got injured (middle of 2004), he would have probably been back at full strength some time in late 2005, had enough appearences to prove himself... and he may have set himself up for a multi-year deal. Instead, he chose not to have the surgery (for the fear that he wouldn't get his arbitration-induced big pay increase the following season), signed a 1 year 1.6 million dollar contract, pitched with a bum shoulder, and alas... he's right where he would have ended up, except he's a year older, he's got his $1.6 million... but he's now got to prove himself over an entire season (rather than half a season) before he gets his coveted multi-year deal.
True... he will injure it again eventually... but he got 5 years out of it pre-injury, and I'm sure he'd settle for another 3+ post-injury.
