Matt Breen

You could invite back Ohka (not the best thing, but just an idea). Or make a run at a guy like Jeff Suppan to fill your #4 slot in the rotation after Sheets, Cappy and Bush. Carlos V. could be #5. Again, just tossing out an idea.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think the Phillies need pitching. What about Davis for Burrell? Money is an issue, and depending on how much the Phils throw in, we might have to give something else back. Just a thought.

He is not a FA. He's signed through 2007. Story

The sad part about Krynzel is that if he could really contribute if he just learned to hit a lick. He can drive the ball, and if he could only hit .260 or so, he could be a servicable player. His defense would be awesome. DOn't know if you'd want him leading off, but he could certainly contribute.

Thanks much. As everyone says, we appreciate.

Colby, any info on Cole Gillespie? The BF.net site won't work now - too busy. Thanks.

For a type A FA like Damon, I'm pretty sure you get the other team's 1st rounder (assuming the pick isn't in the upper 15 picks), plus a supplemental 1st rounder.

I believe they got the yankees for signing Damon

If Hochevar would last until the Brewers' pick, any chance the team would consider him? Obviously they'd have to be willing to pay him ($3-4 million bonus). But if he drops, I assume he would be the top guy on the board. However, by paying the extra $1-2 million, you get a top 5-7 talent. Character and signability are, without question, issues with Hochevar. I mean, how wants to mess with a Boros client? But if you're looking for a guy who could within a couple years be in your rotation - do you risk it? And with the quick rise to the majors many of the top college pitchers have had in the past few years (Verlander, Craig Hansen, Weaver just called up after less than a year in the minors, it looks like Pelfrey will be up with the Mets in less than a year, Sowers looks ready to show up, etc.), might the Crew be influenced into taking a little more of a risk in getting a guy they think will fast track (and be dominant)? Or does being a Boros client pretty much negate any chance this will ever happen? Does anyone have a feel for what the Brewers think of Hochevar? Just kind of curious. Thanks.

I think Weeks has a better chance of being the CF than Hall. If Weeks keeps up his terrible play in the field for all of 2006, I think you'll see something done in the off season. CF seems the natural option for him. That puts Billy at 2B for the next few years.

Thanks, Jeff. Very nice.

Thanks, Russ.

I'm interested.

Jeff, thanks for the info. Nice work. I think the thing we have to be aware of is that players will fluctuate in stats - no way around it. The key is to use info like this and not be stuck with signing a FA or something for a guy who's bound to falter (or on the flip side, adding a player who is likely to rebound). I don't think anyone says to live and die by stats, but it's a useful tool.

DHonks, I think if Hart hit 15 HR and .275 the club would be content to let Lee walk, feeling Hart could sufficiently take over for him (at 1/30 of the price). And if Lee hits 285+ with 35 homers and 120 rbi, he's probably looking at $10+ million/year. All it takes is one team to get crazy with him. Still, I think a lot depends on how Hart, and perhaps Cruz, play this year. However, if Hart and Cruz look overmatched in the bigs, they might be forced to sign Lee.

Mixed. I'm leaning no, but not totally positive.

Bert Blyleven: 242 complete games. wow. 60 Shutouts. Nearly as many as Clemons and Pedro combined. 5th highest Ks in history. One of the best names in Chris Berman goofy name history: Bert Be-Home-Blyleven, Dude rocks. ESPN story on this

I wonder why Hardy only gets 340 ABs. Any clue? Do they just not expect him to play? Just curious.

What I liked was that he didn't talk down to the kid. It could have been 'Eat your veggies and never give up' type crap. Instead it was detailed and honest. Great answer.

Taylor Teagarden, the University of Texas catcher whom the Rangers selected in the third round in the 2005 draft, has undergone major elbow surgery and will likely miss most of the 2006 season. I liked Teagarden - Boros as an agent killed him. I was hoping the Crew took him in the 3rd round when they had the chance. Didn't know a thing about Inman. Happy ending for us.

gregmag, Nicely put. I voted yes, but really thought about it. But if you look at the numbers, he was great. If you look at the numbers of the era, he's awesome.

I love the photo. Smokin' a cigerette and juggling -- all in a baseball uniform. Don't think they'd let that one fly today. He was a heck of a player. I was too young to remember him other than toward the end of his career, but I've got a friend who talks about seeing him in his hey day, and how amazing he was. As for his short career, it's not a problem for me. Better that than bounce around without passion for the game. I give him credit for getting out when he wasn't happy.

Someone mentioned this earlier - in this or another thread, but isn't anyone worried about Carlos' conditioning? He looks like he could shed some weight, which, you would think, would help him. Many younger guys can carry the extra weight, but when a guy gets around 30, it can affect him more - slower afoot, slower at bat. It kind of worries me because Carlos has a lot of 'old player skills' (here's a quote from John Sickels about this: "Old player skills are power and walks, combined with lack of speed, and/or mediocre defense, and mediocre or poor overall athleticism.") These guys tend to decline rather quickly - frequently around 30 or shortly thereafter. Not always, but often quicker than other players - especially premium blue chip type stars. It's not as if he's going to tip over and die any moment, but it makes you wonder about beyond 2006. As we debate this, I think the thing to perhaps do is let 2006 play out and see how Carlos does - then make a decision. We could trade him this off season, but I wouldn't do it just to get rid of him -- only if the club felt a deal made us better. Losing a 30 HR guy is tough for this team - even if he's not the .900 OPS guy we'd like him to be.

Regarding the turning 30 and becoming an old fart thing. Just for fun, I grabbed the names of players from 3 years ago (2002 season), who had 100 RBI or more (why RBI - just used it since it's been discussed a lot lately - no other reason. You could do this with any metric). Since we're talking about offering Carlos a contract starting in 2007, when he'll end the season at 31, I figured I'd include only players near his age as a comparison (players who were 29-33 in 2002). Here it is: 29 Nomar Garciaparra 29 Shawn Green 29 Todd Helton 30 Garret Anderson 30 Carlos Delgado 30 Manny Ramirez 30 Raul Ibanez 30 Chipper Jones 31 Jason Giambi 31 Brian Giles 32 Jim Thome 33 Sammy Sosa 33 Bret Boone It's only 13 guys, so it's not really scientific, but I think the thing that this sample shows is that very few of these guys are better now (in 2005), than they were in 2002. Injuries are all too common of a theme - even for younger folks on the list. Probably 1/2 of the guys have missed significant time due to injuries. Perhaps that's not very different than guys age 25-28 - don't know. The most scary thing about this group is that only a handful of these guys have never gotten through their contracts without that 'overpaid and looking to dump' talk associated with older, fading guys. Also, most of these guys are suffering from diminished fielding skills. Even gold glovers, like Chipper, are far less capable defenders than they used to be. Important note: most of the players - with the exception of the oldest guys - are still serviceable players. Some are great - like Manny and Delgado. But most aren't better or as good. I'm not sold on moving Carlos or whatever. This isn't a ploy to try and convince others it's a good idea to rid ourselves of him. But, adding three years - 2007-2009 - seems a bit risky. I guess it's all in the money and years. The key is probably what the club feels about Hart and Cruz. Like with Hardy, they just felt he could do the job. Do they feel that way about Hart or Cruz? Sometimes that pays off to take that risk. If they feel Hart can replace him with a .800 OPS or whatever, and they get a good trade for Carlos, they'll probably move him. If they're not sold on Hart or Cruz, it's probably best to keep Carlos, let the season go, have the young guys get some PT, and see how they develop. Injuries to Jenks or Clark or Carlos might make the point moot.

Jenkins was hurt in August of 2003. He hit pretty well all year that season, hitting .275 and 20 HRs before the break. He hit .360 and 7 HR in August to surge his OBP and BA stats.