White Sox to sign Darin Erstad: Darin Erstad will sign a one-year deal with the White Sox, MLB.com reports. An option for 2008 is included. Erstad is set to battle Brian Anderson and Ryan Sweeney for the center field job this spring. He could also play some left if Scott Podsednik isn't going to be ready for the beginning of the season. Ideally, he'd be a fourth outfielder. However, there's a good chance he'll play over Anderson against right-handers until he gets hurt again. Jan. 23 - 5:48 pm et Source: WhiteSox.mlb.com
I like the addition - we definitely needed an extra left handed bat, and if he's healthy we can surely get production from him off the bench, or spot-starting to give Murton a break.
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070127/ALERT01/70127001 Red Sox eyeing Rockies slugger TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF DENVER— The Denver Post is reporting that the Colorado Rockies are in discussions with the Boston Red Sox involving a trade for first baseman Todd Helton, according to multiple baseball sources. Nothing is imminent, but negotiations are expected to resume Monday or Tuesday when Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd returns to work after tending to a family matter, the Post reported. Helton, 33, has a complete no-trade clause, but has said he would consider Boston. A source said Helton is aware of the current Red Sox talks. Click Here Helton's future became a central issue this week after owner Charlie Monfort told The Denver Post the franchise remains open to dealing the most accomplished player in the Rockies' history. Helton has six years and $90.1 million remaining on his contract, and the Red Sox could face luxury-tax penalties if they acquire the first baseman, issues that would have to be resolved. The Rockies, however, have shown a willingness to eat a portion of Helton's remaining salary in any deal, which, depending on the amount, would have an impact on the type of players they would receive in return. Colorado's first priority has been to add young pitchers, which Boston possesses. The Rockies have asked about reliever Manny Delcarmen, 24, in previous talks regarding other players and considered selecting pitcher Craig Hansen in the first round of the 2005 draft. The Rockies explored trading Helton to the Los Angeles Angels at the winter meetings last month, a move motivated by Colorado's desire to fill multiple holes and spread out Helton's salary. Said Helton at that time, "I know they want to get rid of my contract. It's not something I am going to get upset about. They know if something comes up they can call me." The first baseman will make $16.6 million of the Rockies' projected $55 million payroll, a business model Monfort said is problematic for the future. Helton is a career .333 hitter, but has not hit more than 20 home runs since the 2004 season. "We realize that it's not wise to have that much tied up into one player on a payroll. It's tough to be successful that way," Monfort told the Post. Monfort added team officials have spoken with Helton numerous times this winter, including as recently as two weeks ago, as trade talk surfaced. "Todd's a big boy. He knows that it's a business, that we have to do what's best for the team, and he has to take care of what's best for him," Monfort said. "It would be great if we could win with him, but if we can free up some salary and use it to address other areas, then you have to explore it." Helton has been bothered periodically by a back injury the past five years, and last season he landed on the disabled list because of a serious stomach ailment. Helton's age, back and contract caused the Angels to cool on a deal.
The new rumor from ESPN.com is MUCH more attractive to me. The deal centers on Tavarez and Lowell plus prospects, who are NOT named Delcarmen or Hansen. Now that I could live with.
Should I try to get tickets to the Dodgers-Giants game on July 13 or do those sell out right away like Mets-Yankees tickets?
Rockies say the deal is dead. I know that Helton's numbers have declined but I really dont want this trade to happen. Helton on the Sox scares the shit out of me. His glove is still one of the best and I wouldnt be suprised to see a resurgance in his offensive numbers hitting in front of Manny, Papi, & Drew. It might cost the Sox a lot in the long term but the short term value would be tremendous.
They say the deal is dead but I'm sure they're still talking though probably not as much as they did yesterday. Red Sox line-up if they get Helton(Lowell & Tavarez are the ones traded) 1. SS Julio Lugo 2. 3B Kevin Youkilis 3. DH David Ortiz 4. LF Manny Ramirez 5. RF J.D. Drew 6. 1B Todd Helton 7. C Jason Varitek 8. 2B Dustin Pedoria 9. CF Coco Crisp
I was originally really hoping the Helton trade would go down. But since the Rockies were only asking for ONE of the Sox's top prospects, I'm glad it's not.
If the Rockies could get anything for Helton at this point, let alone a top prospect you'd think they'd jump on it. His contract is an abomination, he's making 17m a year for the next 4 years and then 19m in '11 and he's gone from being an all time great hitter at Coors and a great hitter on the road to about all star level at Coors and bad on the road.
Well that's why the Rockies won't be making the playoffs anytime soon since they want to keep the debt instead of slashing it in half which dooms most franchises that go down this route.
http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=2&id=2748114 While addressing the media last week in Charlotte, NASCAR team owner Jack Roush spoke as if the pending sale of a portion of his racing organization to Boston Red Sox owner John Henry, and Henry's Fenway Sports Group, was effectively complete. It isn't. In fact, it could be a while. It's one of the most elaborate transactions Roush Racing president Geoff Smith has ever seen. "The deal is not done," Smith told ESPN.com Tuesday. "It's a really complex transaction with more separate contracts than anything I've ever seen." More than 50, in fact, Smith said. "There are lawyers engaged around the clock, basically, trying to work through all the details of all these documents," Smith said. "So that's why nobody wants to talk exactly, because the deal's not done." Both parties remain committed, though, Smith said. "We both want it to be done and want to be in business together, and are hoping we can agree on everything necessary to close in a short period of time," Smith said. He doesn't have a timetable. "We've been saying that for two full months, maybe three full months now," he said. "That's how long it's been going on." Smith is uncertain how many individuals are working on the project of the Fenway Sports Group side, but said no less than seven Roush Racing employees, including a pair of lead lawyers and three senior financial executives, are working on Roush's behalf full time. Then there are multiple folks weighing in on a part-time basis, such as Smith. Smith also said the speculated dollar figure involved in the sale -- $50 million -- is inaccurate. And he isn't giving any hints as to what it is, either. "No, they are not accurate," Smith said. "I never comment one way or another about any numbers, any money, but I've read a couple different numbers and I'm like, 'Well, that's people hypothesizing.' "There are people making assumptions about what our revenue is and what our profitability is, and they're trying to figure out what [team owner] Richard Childress sold his interest [to a group of investors] for, or what someone else is looking for, then coming up with a number. "A well-run race team is a valuable little piece of business if it's run correctly, and it can also be a terrible business if it isn't. So people can guess all they want, but they won't get any number from me." Asked for comment on the status of the deal Monday, Fenway Sports Group chose instead to respond via e-mail statement from FSG president Mike Dee: "As we have previously stated, Fenway Sports Group is in discussions with Roush Racing. While we continue to explore this opportunity, there is nothing new to report at this time." So what do both sides stand to gain out of the partnership? Business-to-business relationships, partly. For Roush Racing, before the ink so much as congeals on John Henry's John Hancock, Roush will have unlocked doors for his Nextel Cup program that have largely been sealed to NASCAR team owners, namely those blocking sponsorship opportunities and fans in the Northeast. "The Boston Red Sox have 14 million dedicated fans to their brand alone across the country, and most of it in New England," Smith said. "Any penetration into either that fan base, or a baseball fan base in general, that aren't already NASCAR fans, would be a really huge boost to our brand. "The NASCAR fan base is scattered all over, and there is a particular fan base for each of our drivers and our team. When you're into the licensing transactions and how many of those occur, you realize that a small percentage of 14 million people could have a significant impact for some of our drivers or sponsors just in the licensing arena alone. "Having additional fans that you can say are your fans will help us in our search for and retention of sponsors. So that's a really big plus." And that's not all. Location, location, location. "The second big plus is their location, the New England area," Smith continued. "It's the first or second largest demographic base in the country. It has more corporate headquarters than anyone, and is also one of the weaker areas in terms of our demographic. "So being able to have a better connection to New England, we think will increase our access to some of those corporate prospects. And it will allow our sponsors, we think, to have a better chance of successful activation of their support marketing programs. "If more of New England is receptive, you'll see more promotions lasting for longer time in that marketplace. We think there's some really great personalities there, and good business practices, and a great brand that will help us." Makes sense. So what about the Fenway side? "They likewise see that the sponsor-base in NASCAR is broad and might give them some access for marketing activity," Smith said. "They do marketing activity for golf, for basketball, for colleges, for private clients and so forth, there's extra access to sponsorship. "They're also competitors. They're like us. They enjoy big-time competition. Of course, it has to make business sense, which it does. And so that makes it pretty cool. It makes business sense, you can make a profit, enjoy competition and can make my business better. So let's go." Are the Yankees going to buy Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon to counter this deal?
While Henry and co. are buying race cars, the Yankees are using their money to send baseball coaches, scouts, trainers, etc. to countries like China to help develop players who can come over and play in MLB.
No, they're not. But just this off-season they realized that Japan has some good baseball talent, so maybe in a few years they'll plant their flag in China like the Yankees did yesterday.
In none of our lifetimes will China produce a MLB player worth anything. It is marketing nothing more.
It would be more like... Lugo Helton Ortiz Ramirez Drew Varitek Youkilis Crisp Pedroia Even though Helton's power numbers have dropped off, he still gets on base at a decent rate, can work a pitcher, and would get some pitches to hit in front of Ortiz and Manny. He would do for this lineup what Abreu did last year for the Yankees. That said, if it's going to cost either Delcarmen or Hansen, I wouldn't do it. You mean like the scout who the Red Sox sent to watch and report on Matsuzaka and others since Koshien in 1998?
I certainly hope they sent scouts to Japan before 1998. Matsuzaka couldn't have been the first Japanese player they scouted, right?
They have had scouts and acadamies in Asia for years, going back to Duquette. Seung Song, Ohka, Sunny Kim, and another prospect whose name I forget were all Asian pitching prospects for the Sox in the late 90's. The Sox also do arguably the most scouting/development in the MUCH more talent rich Latin countries. For all intents and purposes they own the baseball market in the Dominican Republic. Take Asia (which isn't even true anyway, but whatever), I'd rather use the resources on Latin countries. You know, where there are good players.
So, they had scouts there before 1998, but just this offseason they realized there was some baseball talent in Japan? This makes no sense.
I'm sure people said the same thing about the Chinese and the NBA. Yao Ming is one of the best 3 centers in the game and Yi Jianlin will be a lottery pick next year. It might be marketing or it might be progressive thinking on their part. The bottom line is if the Chinese do have any MLB caliber players they now will almost certainly be Yankees.
