Multiple sources say it's happening. Meanwhile, the Yankees are apparently saying both Joba (duh) and Cano are off limits. By the way, you said earlier you think the Mets would have to put Reyes or Wright out there...I really don't think so. Minaya knows he screwed up last year. I think he'll overpay for a big name at the winter meetings to divert everyone away from the collapse, weather it's Santana, Haren, or a name we haven't heard yet (if it's Blanton or Willis I'm going to be very, very sad). That being said, Hank "Party of Five" Steinbrenner is liable to do anything, and the fact that Cashman has been noticibly silent during all of this (and the A-Rod saga) is very telling.
Actually, none of this matters at all. What it really comes down to is how much somebody is willing to pay him. He feels, rightfully so, that he is worth significantly more the Barry Zito got last year from SF. Maybe in a bidding war he won't get that but right now he is in the drivers seat. For him to waive his no trade clause somebody will have to pay him big time money and he has already turned down 20 million a year from the Twins. He wants a 7 year deal which is much more then most baseball people want to give him. Steinbrenner said it right this week when he said if pitchers stayed healthy they would make more then Arod. They don't. So for any team to give up a lot of prospects and give him the kind of contract he wants is going to take a lot. The baseball writers are just bored right now and the rampant speculation will go on for another week. I agree with junc in hoping he goes to the NL. I also think the main reason the Yankees, Mets and Sox are even in this is because they don't want him going to one of the other two. At least that's true for the Yankees. For the Sox it's only the Yankees they care about and the Mets only care about the Yankees.
I dont agree that the yankees and met are only in it to try to up the price for whoever does get him....especially if Pettitte doesnt come back, the yankees desperately need a pitcher.....in my eyes we have wang and joba.....everything else including hughes we dont know yet
Not up the price. To keep him from going to the other team and making a big slash. BTW, it's really funny on how every team's local paper have articles on why their team will get him. Here's the Yankees http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/119631454758900.xml&coll=1 and here's Boston's http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1047765
I actually think Hughes is the more clear case in terms of starting pitching. We know Joba can throw shutdown ball for 3, maybe 6 outs. How will he do across 7-8 is the question. We know Phil has no-hitter for 7 innings potential. Personally, right now, my gut tells me Hughes and Joba will be the 1-2 going into 2009, with Wang as 3. Unless Santana is here, and then Wang is a #4. I'm not sure who, or if both the first two would get bumped down yet. We'll have to wait and see. Obviously, if Santana is here for '08, and we still have all three of our young guns, it's Santana, Wang, Hughes, Chamberlain, Moose as the Opening Day rotation. After that, who knows?
You can only go by what he did in the minors last year but Joba routinely lasted until the 7th inning and was still throwing in the high 90s in the games he started. He also has two additional pitches that we really haven't seen which he would use as a starter but had no need to use as a setup man. I'm sure that is why Steinbrenner is adamant that he be a starter this year even though he will still be on an inning count..as will Kennedy and maybe even Hughes too.
Im not woried about joba going 7...thats what hes always done. people are confusing last year with the prior 4 years of development......Hughes scares me a bit. I dont know why. I hope im wrong but I dont htink hes gonna be lights out. I think hes gonna be decent. Maybe I wish he threw harder, I dont know. I want Santana
Hughes showed some spark. If he can develop it this year he might be a great one. Depends on how he does this year and if he can stay healthy long enough to settle in. We can't forget that HE was the untouchable before Joba came along. Everybody in baseball wanted him for what he accomplished in the minors.
That's more along the lines of what I was saying. Hughes has the longer pedigree. Both are going to be stars though. That's why I steadfastly hold to my opinion that we should trade neither of them, for anyone. If Cashman were still in the forefront, I believe the Twins would already have been told that both were fully off-limits, under any circumstances. The Steinbrenners scare me. These brothers, well at least one of them, seem to be all that Dad was at the height of his reign.
Except he doesn't have his father's temper. I read an article about him yesterday. He has made it clear, though, that both Cano and Chamberlain are untouchable. If they want Santana they will have to give up something.
I think Boston will cave in and give Minny what they want (Ellsbury, an exciting young center fielder, and Buckholz, a young strong righty arm). For Boston, it keeps Santana away from the Yankees, and gives Boston a one,two of Santana, and Beckett. Its alot easier to replace a center fielder and you often don't get a chance to get a 28 year old ace.
They might. Then all it will take is a 150 million dollar contract to complete the deal. That's where it falls apart in my opinion. Not that they can't but that they won't. They really don't need Santana where as the Yankees probably do but even that is unknown right now.
I don't see that happening. But this isn't difficult, if you're the Twins. If the Yankees are taking Cano and Chamberlain off the table, and the Red Sox have taken Ellsbury and Pedroia off the table, the question then turns on which combination of PITCHERS plus which of either of Melky Cabrera or Coco Crisp you want more. Buckholz, Lester (Masterson) vs. Hughes, Kennedy (Clippard?) Fair minds would note how present value in that deal weighs toward Boston. So, the question goes back to (a) how much are each willing to put up, and (b) whether the Twins prefer Coco or Melky. Of course, I still think that the Mets are a wildcard in all this.
I agree. I never would have thought it possible but if Reyes does get offered it trumps all other offers.
From today's St. Paul Pioneer Press. I'm not real keen on the deal, but I like the part where we would keep Buckholz and Ellsbury.
Boston has quite a farm system. And they just gave up Hanley Ramirez, what two years ago for Josh Beckett, and he may very well be the best shortstop in the National League today.
