Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the Cardinals will trade Chris Duncan to the Red Sox for Julio Lugo. Via Twitter Miklasz says the Red Sox will still pay Lugo's salary and Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald agrees. Duncan has a career .851 OPS against right-handers and is under team control through 2012. Reid Laymance of the Post-Dispatch says the Red Sox are expected to assign Duncan to Triple A Pawtucket. The deal was first reported by Viva El Birdos
So I'm assuming this is where the roster spot for LaRoche is coming from. Adding this from a Cardinals Beat writter twitter: Regardless, this kid seems like a career minor leaguer, maybe a last option bench player at best.
Anything with a pulse for Lugo is good in my mind. He's probably an upgrade over Bailey/Bates. I'll take it.
I don't know how much of the salary the Red Sox are picking up, but either way, this is a poor trade for St. Louis.
From what I've read, the Cardinals are only paying the prorated minimum for this year with the BoSox picking up the rest.
that's fine. if he starts in AAA and move him as necessary we'll be stocked off the bench. rather see him then bailey or bates.
Did anyone say you should be overwhelmed and cowering with fear? I went over the first page twice, and I still can't find anyone saying that this is the deal that will sew up the division for the Red Sox and that all their rivals should be terrified. Solid trade for the Red Sox. They gave up little to get a guy who can contribute. Exactly.
ually, getting shut out five times in 13 games as the trade deadline nears while falling ten games behind the division leader is a good excuse to get a team to waive the white flag. But the Mets are no ordinary team, with executives challenging minor leaguers to fights, having altercations with closer Francisco Rodriguez, and an injury a day- this one to Alex Cora, who has been filling in for the injured Jose Reyes. So it should come as no surprise that Mets GM Omar Minaya says New York will be buyers, not sellers at the trade deadline, according to the tireless Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. "Right now we do not envision [being a seller]," Minaya said. "If we're 6 ? [back] in the wild card with a couple of teams in front of us, we are still kind of trying to find out how we can improve this team, if we can improve it through trades." Not clear if Minaya also believes Lloyd Christmas should be a buyer at the trade deadline because he was told he has a "one in a million chance." LOLOLOLOLOL
I honestly sort of hope the Mets lose every game for the rest of the month, in a feeble attempt to back Minaya away from the ledge of doing something we can't take back.
Minaya may not last the week if he doesn't fire Bernazard so you might not have to worry about it. His first comments about that story would indicate he doesn't realize that. The very fact he said he is going to investigate it may have already sealed his fate. It isn't like these things haven't been know around the Mets for weeks now.
I don't think that's true. I happen to work in the same industry as one of the Wilpons. I actually interviewed for a position at his company a few years back (got the offer too, but didn't take it.) Anyway, the industry just has this sort of "family" feel to it. It's one of those things where we all congregate at conventions and everyone knows everyone. That sort of feeling permeates everything, including business relationships. People rarely get "fired" in this business. It just doesn't happen a lot. There's almost that feeling of "I can't fire him, he's my cousin." I have a feeling that's the problem with the Mets. It's hard for them to fire guys just due to personal philosophy.
The problem is the piranna are circling their feet. Every newspaper in NY is making them look like fools for keeping this guy. That will take its toll.
Peter Gammons says that the Sox turned down Buchholz for Martinez. http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blo...blog/index?entryID=4348814&name=gammons_peter On the other hand, Jon Heyman via twitter thinks it still might happen: http://twitter.com/SI_JonHeyman I'm really interested to see how management reacts to the current tailspin they are in. Being shut down like this over and over right around the deadline, when offense has been the biggest question mark all along, could make them really re-evaluate things. Or maybe nothing happens.
I think Theo should pull the trigger on Buch for Martinez. Our offense SUCKS. We have a surplus on pitching, especially when Wake and Dice-K come back. They can't be shit forever. Martinez is a good enough catcher that he can handle the staff in place of Varitek.
I wonder if not trading Buchholz is a indicator that they don't think Bowden is major league ready. Clearly Buchholz is, but next year when Penny and Smoltz are presumably gone and Wakefield is another year older they're going to need some young blood in that rotation. Of course they could just not want to trade Clay because he's a stud and young stud pitchers don't grow on trees but I think having another guy they think could step in would lessen the blow a bit.
