LorfTVP

What do you see happened to the Sox starting rotation come 2007? Schilling has made it clear that he'll retire at the end of the year at the end of his contract and he seems like the type that will stick to his word unlike a Mr. RC. Beckett, Lester, and Wakefield are pretty much sure things to be in the starting rotation with Papelbon likely going in there as well. Clement is also an option though he has to prove himself once again. I'm pretty sure the Red Sox will pursue a number one starter like Barry Zito, Daisuke Matsuzaka, or Jason Schmidt to lead the rotation followed by Beckett, Papelbon, Lester, and Wakefield in no particular order. Come to think of it, what'll the Yankees rotation be like? The turnover could be huge.

Oh, that's bullshit, the fact that Jeter bunts people over is because he's a complementary player and not a slugger who drives runs in. He bunts because Alex Rodriguez hits behind him, and as we all know, Alex Rodriguez is arguably the best player in all of baseball. Jeter is doing his job at the top of the order to help drive in runs, doesn't say crap about his character that he's "willingly" doing so.

Wow, what an impact player to receive. Granted the Rangers still need pitching, but adding that good a player to your team is amazing, especially for a relatively weak package.

If he shaves off his mustache, will he still be Sal Fasano? There's no way he'll be allowed to keep it.

But note that Derek Jeter has 392 playoff at bats compared to A-rod's 118.

Ortiz knows how to get the big hits in nationally televised games. He gets a lot of opportunities though and usually gets a game winning hit compared to a complementary single to extend the inning and get replaced by a pinch runner.

Are you even considering age? You want not only a premiere perennial All Star but you want someone young who will keep up the production. Jeter is getting old, as are Manny and Ortiz. A-rod is still a viable choice, as is Beltran (though he is more of a complementary player as evidenced by his stats with and without Delgado in the lineup). In my opinion it's a no brainer for Pujols, but if not Pujols, it has to be either Cabrera or Wright with nods to young pitching studs such as Santana, Liriano, Peavy (usually), etc.

No matter what, it's gonna bea great series. Lester vs. Soler won't be the greatest, though it should be a game to watch whenever lester is pitching. Next up, Pedro vs. Beckett, one ace beyond all aces returning to Fenway Park and another entirely different type of pitcher hoping he can even scratch what Pedro had in Boston. And then ending it, the possible All Star starting pitchers, Curt Schilling and Tom Glavine. If Pedro gets booed, I admit I'll lose a lot of respect for my fellow fans. Worst part, I have the red hot Reyes and Wright and also Beltran on my fantasy team, talk about dilemmas.

Though Thome's gonna give it a run. But Ortiz has gotten to the point where we're not even surprised anymore when he wins a game. That's an MVP.

I don't think that at any point in his career, Zimmerman will be better than David Wright. David Wright is an amazing player, and granted Zimmerman's good too, but Zimmerman will probably not get the 30-40 HR power that Wright has. Undoubtedly, Zimmerman will be the best defensive third baseman since Scott Rolen but he is not a huge power threat. David Wright's ceiling is just so much higher.

David Wright > Ryan Zimmerman

SoCal is right, Sheffield won't be back, unless he takes a severe paycut. There's not much in offseason outfield talent, though don't rule out Carlos Lee or Torii Hunter or any of the high priced options the Yankees are known to get.

Red Sox fell victim to common thinking and went for the prototypical leadoff hitter with speed in Crisp. Thing is, Crisp was coming off of an injury so they sent him back down in the order to take the pressure off and Youkilis has flourished as a leadoff hitter. I wouldn't be surprised to see things stay this way. He may not steal, but as a leadoff hitter he's batting .326 with an OBP of .436, letting the guys behind him see plenty of pitches...which Damon did so well. Sox are known to do things unconventionally, and even though it didn't work with that bullpen by committee, I think the Sox should stick with the lineup they have now and hope Coco gets hot down in the bottom of the order. It also gives Coco more of a chance to steal, batting in front of Gonzalez.

"As is often the case when it comes to the Yankees and young players, Melky Cabrera was the talk of New York after hitting .318 in May. His spotty minor league track record and lack of power were being overlooked by optimistic fans, and after going 0-for-5 Monday, he's now hitting .169 in June. Cabrera's overall batting average has plummeted to .244, and he has one homer and 15 RBIs in 36 games despite playing in one of baseball's most productive lineups and often hitting behind on-base machine Derek Jeter. He was lighting up Triple-A when the Yankees called him up last month, but his struggles shouldn't be a surprise when he came into this season with a measly .748 OPS in 326 career minor league games." - FOXSports "Melky Cabrera, OF, Yankees 0-for-5, 3 K's; 4-for-29 during interleague play Normally, a player like Cabrera, who had never topped 13 homers or 77 RBI in four previous professional seasons and is all of 21 years old, wouldn't warrant all that much fantasy appeal, especially not in mixed leagues. But he's a Yankee, a member of the great hype machine under the spotlight of New York, and his manager, Joe Torre, has only increased the attention on the rookie by batting him second in the lineup 13 times. Watch Cabrera play and it's clear he's a gritty, hard-working kid, the kind who brings great enthusiasm to the game. In his first 24 games after being promoted on May 9 to take the injured Gary Sheffield's spot on the roster, Cabrera batted .295, drove in 12 runs, scored 16 runs, drew 12 walks and played reliable defense from both corner outfield spots. However, in 12 games since, Cabrera has batted .140 (6-for-43) with only one extra-base hit, that being his first major-league homer last Thursday against the Indians. He's doing a decent job getting on base, which is probably why Torre has him batting so high in the lineup, but Cabrera isn't quite the kind of player who should be in as prominent role as he is. He's really a Ricky Ledee fourth-outfielder type at this stage, except with a little more grittiness and more consistent playing time. The latter, incidentally, might not be the case forever, especially if Cabrera doesn't improve his batting average (now .244). These Yankees won't stick with that kind of player forever, so enjoy the ride while it lasts, if it does much longer." - ESPN

And to think it took this long for them to give this kid a full time job. Silly Kevin Millar. Some numbers to brag about: .318 BA - 13th in AL 45 walks - 5th in AL, 11th in Majors 47 Runs - 13th in AL .432 OBP - 5th in AL, 8th in Majors

What will go down as one of the most lopsided trades in history (AJ Pierzynski for Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano, and Boof Bonser), and with a success rate of 2/3, you have to think that Bonser will do well. Minnesota treats their pitching prospects well so expect decent #2-3 starter stuff from Bonser for years to come.

I think fans like Giants 2 SB XLI entirely disprove your argument. We both have annoying fans who know nothing and completely spout bullshit. For as many people who say Papelbon is the next Cy Young there are as many saying that Wang will win it. I respect smart Yankee fans and hate unintelligent bandwagoners. Same for Sox fans.

Out at least ten days, at worst, 4-6 weeks. In his absence the Sox will either platoon Stern and Pena.

On the bright side, we got to see Wily Mo Pena.

And so it begins.

The Indians are a damn smart team...For years to come they'll have a core of Victor Martinez, Jhonny Peralta, Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, C.C. Sabathia...and if things work out...possibly Andy Marte.

Right side of the infield is strong but Lugo isn't as good as last year (he'll still be decent) and your OF isn't as strong as it could be. Greene doesn't deserve mention offensively, especially in San Diego, but I understand that he's backup. You're pitching has an amazing 1-2 but after that it's getting towards league average. You have one closer, either get another or scrap saves alltogether, one closer won't win you anything. Decent job mixing power and speed though you won't excel in either.

He's gonna start the season in the minors and will only make the ballclub if there's an injury or Lowell fails and Youkilis is forced to move over to third.

Pokey Reese

In the minors who probably won't make the big league team. You have one starting in RF and at 1st base. that, bitch!