Stoking the Hot Stove

Well some guys didn't wait too long to get their papers in - and while the consensus is that this is a week FA class, both the Red Sox and the Yankees have a fair bit of work to do - both need pitching, while the Red Sox also have decisions to make on the hitting side.

We will both look out for trade rumors that impact our teams, but this is clearly the time of year when thoughts and rumors can run unfiltered by such boring things as facts. Neil M spotted this by way of the NYYfans forum - a Braves fan's view of what might be available for Andruw Jones.

From the Red Sox - he would like to add Beckett to the mix and add Hudson from the Braves, but you would have to think that is wishful thinking despite Beckett's inconsistency in his first year in Boston. The remainder of the 'deal' - Crisp, Hansen and Ellsbury. I don't see the Red Sox wanting any part of the Beckett / Hudson part, but given the reported interest in Jones at the trading deadline, is the rest interesting?

The starting point of the 'deal Jones now' article was Boras's comments in midweek that he will be looking for a $20m+ a year deal when he enters free agency next year. Is he serious? - well it is Boras, and with the new agreement in place between owners and players, the consensus is that there will be a lot of money in the game the next few years - but that seems a lot for a CF when the Yankees and Mets are set, and would still be a minimum 20% of any teams payroll that did take him... I struggle to see the Sox doing that, particularly given that it only moves out of the realm of the impossible if the Sox no longer have Manny on their payroll - why lose the payroll flexibility that comes from moving on Manny to replace it with Jones, even if you buy the argument that Jones defensive upside makes up for Manny's offensive edge (I am talking today, not trying to account for an age decline).

From the Yankees, the article asks for Hughes, Cabrera and Proctor - and as Neil M wouldn't trade Hughes for all the tea in China, then this is just wishful thinking, and ignores the reality of the Yankees already having one surplus OF earning more than a 4th OF ever should... what is his name again... oh yeh, Sheffield