moving hidalgo is the very definition of dumping salary. he and wagner are probably, unofficially at this point, available.
GERRY AT THE WINTER MEETINGS: "Hey Theo! Good to see you... As a new GM, you might be under intense pressure NOT to make a bad trade. However, if you let this pressure build up, it will consume you and cloud your judgment. What you really need to do is make a bad trade NOW and get it over with. Bam! No more pressure. Then, you can go on with your dealings without worry. So, I ask that you let that bad trade be with ME. After all, our two clubs do have history together. You might remember Jeff Bagwell, right? (What's Larry Andersen up to these days?) Here's what I propose: You give me Nomar, and I'll give you Richard Hidalgo and Daryl Ward. Heck, I'll throw in Carlos Hernandez, Tim Redding, and some front row Britney Spears tickets (you kids just love that hip-hop, don't you?). Let ME help YOU, Mr. Epstein. That's what friends are for, right?"
Wrong. dumping salary implies that you have given up a very valuable, high dollar player for prospects a la the Marlins. Trading Hidalgo is the definition of dumping your problems.
Epstein isn't the one to fleece. Allan Baird would be, but he's Billy Beane's personal property. Williams, the White Sox GM - that guy is a dunce and a half. Got to hurry though, before he trades off that entire farm system for peanuts, but there are some tantalizing players there.
Hunsicker seems very high on Victor Hall from the Rule V draft. If he doesn't work out, there are a couple of guys from A ball, Jimerson and Rodriguez, who might turn into players. Too early to tell.
Greg, he mentioned Ken Williams, the stupid gm of the Whitesox, I thought of the players the astros would want from them.
you're splitting hairs... hidalgo's "problem" is that he makes too much money based on his production the past two years. therefore, the only justification for trading a 27-year old who two years ago slammed 44 HRs is to dump the salary he no longer justifies. unless they trade hidalgo for another overpaid, out of shape player, it's a salary dump.
The Marlins trading Moises Alou for a pizza and 3 bottles of soda was a salary dump. Trading Hidalgo would be getting rid of deadweight. That's not splitting hairs...it's accurate.
OK. The previous post was pretty incomprehensible. Ordonez is not available. That's well documented and I doubt they'd give up any of their young pitching. Right now, Gerry's going to have to find a cheap starter through FA or go to war with what the team has. Hopefully he can pry a decent left-handed reliever from some team. Jesus Sanchez is most probably not the answer.
Greg, relax, I mentioned who we would want, not whether its logical or not. I know my baseball. Magglio Ordonez is a super player. I just mentioned the 3 players we would really want, Borchard-cf with potential, and their obvious two, Buerhle and Magglio.
