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Johnson hitting second, and Francoeur hitting sixth makes me very happy - I see that as an upgrade both offensively and defensively. Soriano for the bullpen also makes me smile, that works a lot better for me than overpaying a guy who just happens to be at the end of his prior contract. Overall, I really like the deal, but would the Brewers have enough starting pitching if it went down?

MLB.com has it now. Lowell signs

"Outside the box." You know, this was once a fine phrase, with a clear, identifiable meaning, now though, it's been said so often that I believe telling someone to think outside the box may in fact be inside the box. Perhaps it's time to think "Beyond the Pentagon", or maybe think "On the dry side of the aqueduct." I don't know.

If the team does not use Gross in a platoon in LF, right now, the only left-handed bats in the lineup are Prince, and Estrada vs right-handers. With Gross, Counsell, and maybe Gwynn on the bench, there are left-handed pinch-hitting options, but it seems as though the starting lineup would be a bit to the right of Rush Limbaugh. If the target is either a new LF, or a new 3B, it looks to me as though that player needs to have the OBP Melvin has stated he wants, and it needs to come from the left side. Thoughts?

When it comes to taxes, apparently no on is above the law. Not a Florida resident

story From MLB.com, O's prefer to extend Bedard, but have discussed him in trades. The Baltimore Sun named the Dodgers as the most aggressive bidder, citing a package that could include outfielder Matt Kemp, reliever Jonathan Broxton and Minor League starter Clayton Kershaw. Kemp and Broxton, both 23, have enjoyed marked success in the Majors over the past two seasons, while Kershaw, 19, is largely considered one of the top starting pitching prospects in the game.

story One less free agent catcher, I guess LoDuca is in play now.

I'd have voted for Sabathia too, although Beckett would have a worthy choice too. It's just like Braun-Tulowitzki - two worthy choices for one award.

Todd Jones also today, staying with Detroit.

6000 posts....what a gamer!

The return of NCAA basketball. I almost never watch the NBA anymore, but I'll watch the Badgers every time.

I see San Diego 3B prospect Chase Headley listed among the most improved players, who projects better, Headley, or current Padre, Kevin Kouzmanoff?

For those who live in perpetual fear of the Cubs - meet Geovany Soto... link

I can't post a link, because it's an ESPN Insider piece, but Keith Law is ripping Houston for giving Lidge away in this deal.

Yes, it says in the article that the intent is to move Myers back to the rotation.

Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary and Mike Costanzo for Brad Lidge and Eric Bruntlett. link Thoughts?

I agree Mass, and it's not just here, every fan site always has "Three AAAA guys for All-Star and bench player" ideas on it.

I agree Brian, I got stuck taking my kids to that movie, they just loved it, but I had to do my best to stay awake.

Baseball-reference.com has launched a minor league sub-site, with info dating back 16 years. This was launched in September, but I haven't seen it here yet. Have fun, junkies, I'll tell your families you're ok. minors

Doctors, and health insurance companies, absolutely bugging me.

Good point, foamboy. Having all of the names leaked correctly almost never happens in a 4-player deal, I can't imagine someone getting a scoop like this, and having every fine detail like that.

This is an interesting article, pointing out the evolution of the DH, and how a lot of 'em are impact hitters now, instead of fading stars. It also looks at the impact the DH has on payroll, which is a point that often gets overlooked in these discussions. When the Brewers switched leagues, I thought I'd absolutely hate the loss of the DH, but the opposite has been true. I absolutely prefer the NL style of play now. I know the players will never OK ditching the DH now, but I think it's silly to see the two leagues working under different sets of rules. My vote would be to ban the DH, but since I know that's wasted effort, I think I'd vote to add the DH to the NL, just for conformity's sake. The current system makes as much sense as if the NBA allowed 3 pt shots in half the arenas. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2007/columns/story?columnist=bryant_howard&id=3081587

I've been in sales and marketing for a long time....congratulations, you built some great relationships with your accounts, that will carry you if you can keep your head up. See if one of them will hire you, or at least refer you to your next job. I got into my current position by helping my old accounts....one of them wound up making me a partner in his business. Believe in you, this other guy is just a motivator - keep moving.

For the love of Money.

Fans getting hurt in the stands, and outsourcing were just plain stupid, I thought, but overall I thought this touched on some good points. No, it isn't groundbreaking information to informed baseball fans, but the article wasn't distributed to guys like us either, it went to the masses. Baseball is doing great, with soaring attendance and huge revenues, but they have made things more difficult for fans, which I do think has had a negative impact in some areas. No marketing professional would ever advise the late night playoff games, or the moves that have made it hard to watch your team if you don't live right next door. The reason TV ratings are way down for the post-season is because, unless you're a diehard, you don't watch anymore unless your team is in it. This is because baseball adopted the philosophy of pushing the largest markets...at all costs. They've stopped selling the World Series, and instead they sell the Red Sox, then if the Sox aren't in, the story has been removed, leaving only those who have followed the Indians and Rockies to give a darn. We complain all day about all the New York, Boston, and Chicago coverage on ESPN, etc, but obviously its been done by design. It's lazy, and it's foolish, they're taking the easy viewers, by showing the largest markets, while simultaneously narrowing the scope for all but the most passionate of fans. While the NFL will show any market on Monday Night Football, if they think that particular team is going to be worth watching, MLB keeps feeding the world the same few teams. They've created a self-fulfilling prophecy, in which more people will watch simply because New York is on, which means the casual fan was given almost no opportunity to take interest in the Rockies, the Diamondbacks, the Indians, etc. How about sharing ALL of baseball with the casual viewer, and then giving them games that begin at 7 PM? I think they'd be shocked, people used to watch when the Royals played the Cardinals in the World Series, because they had been engaged enough to know George Brett and Ozzie Smith. Now, if you don't live in Denver, you have to play fantasy baseball, or be a lifer to know who these guys are. It's like a manufacturer who gets 80% of their sales volume from Wal-Mart....what do you do next year if their buyer says no? You get Rockies-Indians, ratings crumble, and guys write articles about how your game clearly isn't what it used to be.