The Hot Stove League

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/01/04/johnson.trade/index.html


don't know what they're thinking.

this leaves them with only 3 reliable starters: Wang, Mussina and Pettitte Kei Igawa is an unknown.
Pavano has been a disaster.
they can only get 1/2 a season out of Clemens...

Restocking their farm system, I gather. Could they be writing off next season? Not likely.

Not writing off the season. He's not going into the season healthy, and probably won't pitch the first month. They're getting prospects, and shedding some of his $$. Plus...there's a shot they're getting Clemens.

i heard Theo on the radio this morning talking about the possibility of the sawx converting newly-acquired joel piniero into a closer.

he's had arm troubles, but when healthy he could throw 95 mph.

they must've noticed him when he pitched a gem for seattle @ fenway last season...

more sawx stuff --

they finally formally signed JD Drew, getting all the legalese into the contract...

now they're trying to pry Todd Helton from colorado...

and Schilling says this will NOT be his final season...

Helton still can hit, no?

Yes he can....his last two years have both been declines in performance, but having him on the team would make for a pretty scary lineup.

he's had a couple off-years (for him).

his best year was 2000: .372 BA, 216 hits, 138 runs, 59 doubles, 42 HR, 147 RBI...

they could hit him second, in front of papi, or 5th, and drop drew down to 6th...

Red Sox will send Papelbon back to bullpen
Updated: March 22, 2007, 3:10 PM ET
ESPN.com news services

The Boston Red Sox didn't have to search long for Mike Timlin's replacement as closer.

Two days after announcing that the 41-year-old Timlin will start the season on the disabled list, multiple team sources told ESPN's Erin Andrews that the Red Sox have decided Jonathan Papelbon has regained the closer's job.

Papelbon had 35 saves and a 0.92 ERA last season as a closer in his rookie year, but a shoulder problem detected late in the season led the team to decide he would move to the starting rotation in 2007.

Because of Papelbon's shoulder issues, there will be restrictions on how he is used: He won't throw when he is tired and he won't appear in more than three games in a row, Andrews reports.

The news comes after manager Terry Francona announced that Timlin, who has been bothered by a strained oblique, will start the season on the DL.
(more here)

Nice...hopefully his shoulder holds up. As of today, it looks like Julian Tavarez, who looks like Freddy Kruger will fill the 5th rotation spot.

yeah he was much better as a starter last year...

And who knows, if he sucks, and Lester does well in AAA, that's a possibility as well.

I'm actually looking forward to seeing how Kyle Snyder pans out. Definitely has talent, and has looked pretty good at times. I heard he was the opposite of Tavarez at the end of last season; was stronger as a relief person.

Looking forward to Coco too...guy's hand was hurt all last year. Hopefully there will be some good surprises.

consensus in the media is the move back to closer single-handedly elevated the sawx in the standings...