If the purported offer is really the best one I'd be pretty surprised.

I'm guessing the Yankees are offering Cabrera and one of Kennedy or Hughes (I'd think they would keep Chamberlain). Maybe they are not willing to include an additional prospect?

I think the Sox would have to sweeten that a bit but cannot possibly include Ellsbury or Buchholz for the reasons you mention. Lowrie does seem to have a lot of fans outside of the Sox organization (who seemingly aren't too high on him?) I can't think of too many mid-level prospects the Sox have but my guess is they can include another couple of them in with what they're already offering and maybe get it done (thinking guys more on Masterson's level rather than Lowrie's).

I really think the Angels are the wild card in this. They can offer a couple of position players like Wood and Kendrick and probably a spare outfielder (Mathews?) now that Torii Hunter is in the fold.

What I would NOT like to see is a bidding war between the Sox and Yankees unless it's a war the Yankees ultimately "win" and end up giving up too many of their young guys. I think the Sox are smart enough not to give up more than Santana is worth. He *is* one of the dominant pitchers in baseball but remember that Dan Haren, Joe Blanton, and maybe even Erik Bedard will also be on the market. Are there enough suitors for all of them or will the availability of starters bring the cost for Santana down? The Twins get nothing if he walks as a free agent so at some point they have to jump at SOME deal.

Will be very interesting to watch.

It's simple Ted.

Yankee Prospects aren't held in as high regard as they used to be. How many times did the Yanks pawn off Drew Henson on some patsy??

Hughes has the stuff to be a very good #2 starter but so far he's proven to be Jaret Wright II, Flashes of brillance and imaturity, plus 2 months to heal from an ankle sprain?

Chaimberlain appears to be the closest to being ready to start right now and has 2 nasty pitches.

Kennedy's fastball is pin-straight and his breaking stuff is OK. He's a poor man's Mussina #3 starter at best. And that's a stretch, Baseball Prospectus didn't think much of him at all.

Melky.
Avg HR RBI Runs SB
.273 8 73 66 13

Not a CF, I've seen less scenic routes on the Kankamagus. No Power.
WAY OVER RATED

Cano would be tough to give up, although He's starting to Get Sorianos disease, JUST SWING BABY.

Yes Teddy. this deal would be a steal. Johan is a yankee killer and A-rod hasn't got a hit off him since 2004.

That reason alone is worth the Prospects.

DB

Love to read your stuff. But, As far as Oakland Pitchers go, We've seen what Hudson, Mulder and Zito have done after leaving the Grand Canyon-like Oakland Coliseum.

I also believe the Oriloes will lock Bedard up.

Kasmir will be the one the Yankees eventually get whether its next year or later.

Legend Killer,
Certainly wouldn't want to see either of the Oakland guys in Boston for the reasons you cite and I know the O's would never trade Bedard within the division but am also hearing the Jays may want to part with Burnett.

That's an awful lot of starting pitching flooding the market. Even though there are no good free agents out there I can imagine there are only so many suitors for these pitchers (seems to always come back to the Angels, Yankees, Sox, and maybe the Mets) so the laws of supply and demand may work in the Sox' favor and allow them to steal Johan which would make the Sox' rotation just sick.

Kazmir is a good target if you can put together a package the Rays like. He's certainly done well vs Boston in his career. Can't believe the Mets gave him up for peanuts. I think *THOSE* kind of deals are what make teams pause when being asked to give up multiple young arms that can really pitch...

You can't be paralyzed as an organization just because you made a bad trade. Yes, the Mets goofed in trading Kazmir, but the mistake wasn't necessarily in trading such a highly ranked prospect, but in trading him for a mediocre pitcher (at best) in Victor Zambrano.

Remember, to get something, you have to give up something. The Sox traded the NL Rookie of the year (Hanley) for Beckett. They traded Pavano and Armas Jr. for Pedro. Casey Fossum and Brandon Lyon for Schilling.

That's the key...if you're going to give up your top prospects, you'd better be getting a "Stud" in return. I think Santana fits that mold, even more so than Kazmir. I'd give up Buchholz in a heartbeat for him.

The thing is- I think anyone you'd ask around baseball, at the time the Kazmir trade was made, knew the Mets were getting a mediocre-to-poor pitcher for a guy with huge upside.

I agree that trading for Santana is more of an apples-and-oranges thing compared to that deal but I'd still try to hold on to Buchholz as he could be a starter for the next 6-8 years and bridge the gap between the Wakefield/Schilling at the back-to-middle of the rotation to Buchholz and whomever else over the next few years.

Also they need to have a few guys who are young on the team just to balance out the salaries of all of their highly-paid stars with a few "cheap" guys. A ticket to Fenway is already too expensive. What will happen if they add a $15+ mil a year pitcher and don't have some guys around who make closer to the minimum??

I guess the only real problem I'd have with a Santana deal in which you give up Clay would be - do the Sox really NEED Santana to win next year?? I look at him, on next year's team, as more of a "luxury item". Without Johan they would basically return the same team that won the World Series and so will the Yankees (unless THEY get Johan) and just about every team chasing the Sox except the Angels. I think you have to have some balance between going for the jugular right now and having prospects around to build from within. If they can get Santana without giving up too much of that future I'd do it. If not I'd prefer them to stand pat and have those millions (and prospects) in reserve next year to replace Schilling, Manny, and whomever else they need to replace.

Well, seeing as they've already raised ticket prices for '08 (and sent the bills out, BTW) I say go for Santana...guaranteed the Vegas line would favor Johan being a more productive pitcher over the next six years than Buchholz.

As for the Mets deal, you're dead on. Everyone in baseball knew what a horrible deal that was. The good news for them is that deal was the straw that broke the camel's back and got Steve Phillips fired and Omar Minaya hired. Can you imagine that team with Kazmir these last two years?

OK so it won't be until '09 that a family of four has to take out a 2nd mortgage on their home to go to Fenway?

And people wonder why Red Sox fans travel to see the Sox- I think it's cheaper to travel and pay for a hotel and game tickets at some other stadium than to try to go to Fenway...

Honestly I think I look at this as a WIN/WIN as long as it's NOT the Yankees who end up with Santana- if the Sox get him for a fair price their rotation should be set (at least the top 3) for years. If they don't get him they hang on to some exciting young players that they keep or they peddle for the next big name to hit the market. Pretty good position to be in, IMO.