After thinking about it, I agree with Scott Barzilla's comment in the last thread - we don't need to trade for Sweeney. Even with him, we're not a contending team this year. What we do need is to sign or trade for free agents in positions that we are weak at - currently, it looks like catcher and shortstop fit the bill. Ramon Hernandez is certainly the best FA catcher available this offseason (Jason LaRue a distant 2nd), and Rafael Furcal and my dark-horse favorite Placido Polanco (yes, he can play SS) are free agents at SS. Maybe insurance will cover some of Bagwell's contract if he can't come back, and we could sign one or two of those guys. Perhaps the ideal situation is this: I've read that the Phillies are interested in trading Placido Polanco and Ryan Howard as a packaged deal (they should be; they have Chase Utley and Jim Thome at 2B and 1B). It would probably take quite a bit to trade for that package, but that's a hell of a bounty - one of the more underrated players in baseball in Polanco, and one of the best 1B prospects in the game in Ryan Howard. I'm not exactly sure what the Phillies need (bullpen help? Starting pitching?), but we should be on the phone trying to find out.
Tonight's lineup:
Taveras / Lamb / Biggio / Berkman / Ensberg / Lane / Everett / Chavez / Oswalt
I guess Lamb is a decent fit at the #2 spot - he rips fastballs, and he might see a few more hitting 2nd. I really hope Jason Lane gets it going soon - we need a 850 OPS from him.
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PALANCO, PALANCO, YOU MUST HAVE HIM CONFUSED WITH CAL RIPKEN. PITCHING AND DEFENSE WIN GAMES. WE CAN GO WITH EVERETT. AS FOR A CATCHER WE HAD A GREAT PROSPECT IN BUCK. I THINK YOU GET YOUNG PLAYERS AND REBUILD. TRADE CLEMENS AND BIGGIO TO THE YANKS. BRING UP BURKE. MOVE LANCE TO FIRST.LIKE SCOTT SAID YESTERDAY GETTING KENT WAS NOT A GREAT MOVE, ALL IT DID WAS MAKE US WEAK IN THE OUTFIELD. THATS WHY WE HAD TO GET BELTRAN(WHICH COST US JOHN BUCK). I UNDERSTAND THAT JASON BAY , JOHANN SANTANA, FREDDIE GARCIA, CARLOS GUILLEN AND BOBBY ABREU WERE ASTRO FARM HANDS. AND IF YOU THINK RYAN HOWARD IS GOOD THAT A LOOK AT PRINCE FIELDER AND SOME OF THE BREWER PROSPECTS. TRY TO TRADE FOR AUSTIN KEARNS OR RYAN LANGERHANS BEFORE ATLANTA OR THE REDS KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE.
Everett is good defensively, but you cannot afford to have two anvils on your offense. Right now, Taveras is not ripping it up, but he is giving you enough on the basepaths and in centerfield to get by. The problem is that gives you three sub .700 OPS guys in a lineup that isn't loaded with .900 OPS guys. You can afford to keep one of those guys. Taveras brings more the table and will be cheaper next year. I'd keep him.
I realize this is a darkhorse wild idea, but how much can Nomar command on the open market? If he's willing to take a third of what he is making now (2-4 million) he might be a good one year flyer kind of guy. If he's healthy he can put up an 800 OPS in his sleep. Health is obviously a concern, but if you pair him up with a Ramon Hernandez you have an eight man lineup again for about ten million dollars. That leaves a ton of jack for the last spot in the rotation and the bullpen.
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