That’s because there Red Sox to telegraph their moves.  Rumor has been that they have had their eyes on him for years are are willing to overspend to get him.

Rumor has been that they have had their eyes on him for years are are willing to overspend to get him.

When did Kenny Williams become the Red Sox GM?

Matsuzaka?

What about him?

The Red Sox perceived his value high above what other people thought he would be worth so they didn’t mind “over paying” based on what everyone else thought he was worth.

My point is this isn’t unprecedented with the Red Sox.  If they feel Teix is undervalued by most teams you can bet they will sign him and not worry that others think they overpaid.

In our discussions of this, SSF pointed out that the play for Texeira is based on moving Yucky to the outfield.

Which is why I find it really hard to take seriously.

the play for Texeira is based on moving Yucky to the outfield

Or trading Lowell.  Coming off an injury at 35 with 2/$24M left on his contract.

Yeah but if they have Teix they can also trade Lars Anderson which would bring them a very good return.

good point

Or have Lars ready to go as a DH/1B when Ortiz breaks down. It’d be a nice position for them to be in, no doubt.

By the by, anyone notice the Brewers’ rumored counter offer? It was very smart, I think. Six years/$120 million, plus an opt-out clause after three years.

I think that might be a better offer right now than six years/$140 million to go to the American League.

The Brewers can’t compete on the dollar level, so they’re trying to compete on perquisites. Very shrewd by Melvin.

For whoever was asking about Posada’s rehab, PeteAbe checks in:

In addition to everybody else, the teams all have their trainers here for their annual meetings.

According to the Yankee trainers, Jorge Posada is a week into his throwing program down in Tampa and doing well.

Posada had extensive shoulder surgery in July. Brian Cashman has maintained for months that Posada will be his catcher. But obviously the Yankees will be closely monitoring how Posada is doing with his rehab.

But the early indications are positive. Posada is a very proud guy and did not take well to the disabled list last season. He’ll get after it with the rehab.

And yeah, the Red Sox know that it rarely is a bad idea to go after the cream of the crop free agents, as they’re usually quite rare sightings.

Oh, I see.  I wasn’t sure they knew that.  Is that supposed to mean that they’ll sign all of them?  Or some of them?  Or Texeira, but not the others that fit that very same parameter?

Like the Yanks, they’re going to be in the hunt for all the top of the line free agents (with common sense exceptions, like the Red Sox are not going to look at Manny Ramirez, of course).

One of the biggest recent mistakes by the Yankees was to NOT pursue a top of the market free agent because they thought their team was basically good enough without him (Beltran).

In our discussions of this, SSF pointed out that the play for Texeira is based on moving Yucky to the outfield.

The hell! I’m pretty sure I said Youkilis was aching to go back to third. And since “I think” is usually just “I wish,” I’m quite sure I never said anything about the OF. Sometimes my 2-y.o. bangs on the keyboard, although “o” and “f” are not adjacent, so that also seems unlikely.

Or have Lars ready to go as a DH/1B when Ortiz breaks down. It’d be a nice position for them to be in, no doubt.

Exactly, I don’t think they want to rush Lars. And I do think they’re realistic about Papi’s body.

The Red Sox perceived his value high above what other people thought he would be worth so they didn’t mind “over paying” based on what everyone else thought he was worth.

Not an unfair point, though I think Matsuzaka’s value was the subject of much less agreement than Teixeira’s. Every team values players somewhat differently (i.e., what’s the revenue return?), but in general I’d think the few teams ready to pay up for him are likely to be thinking along the same lines.

I’m a huge supporter of the Matsuzaka deal, BTW, which I won’t bore Yankee fans with. At least until Tazawa gets the callup.

Sorry, SSF.  Someone said that - I was so sure it was you.  I remember the response was - really?  Upon which we were assured that the RS were sure that he could play just about anywhere on the diamond.  (Come to think of it, he’d have made a great resolution of the catching issue.)

Yeah, it’s come up in places like Sons of Sam Horn, though nobody takes it too seriously. I mean, what’s the problem, that 35-y.o. Mike Lowell will make 162 starts at third? Personally something closer to 62 seems realistic.

I don’t think we are getting CC if the ESPN blog is accurate. CC supposedly told Coletti he wants to be a Dodger and the 2.5 hour long meeting with cashman was about “what its like to be a Yankee and play in NY.” To me that seems like a long time to talk about that. Now the yankees are stepping up their efforts to sign Burnett supposedly. Seems like Cashman did not get the enthusiasm he expected from the biggest FA pitcher contract ever.

Every hour that goes by and CC is not a Yankee it strengthens my feeling that he is really holding out for the best west coast (most likely NL) offer.

I’d go back and search for that exchange, SSF, if I knew how to do it easily.
Does anyone recall it?

Pete, you can if you want, though I certainly take no umbrage with your thinking I said that. Youks in the OF has been talked about, and I might have even mentioned it, but I can say categorically that I don’t take it seriously as a major component of the deal. IIRC I may have said that they could move Lowell, or keep Lowell and use Youkilis at 3b, 1b, and sub in the OF if everyone is healthy. More than likely, between Lowell and Ortiz there’ll be plenty of injury time allowing everyone to get max ABs. But the starting OF is set for a couple years.

You can do “youkilis site:/www.replacementlevel.com” in google - it yields several recent discussions.

I believe you, I just want to see if I recall the conversation correctly.  & where that info came from.  Not really important, of course.

Ah… thanks.

Not really important, of course.

Honestly, anybody who says they know what Theo is thinking is lying.

True, SSF.  Except the Shadow.  The Shadow knows.

BTW, the Red Sox really, really, Really! want Teixeira. Right now. And they refuse to eat their dinner until Tex agrees.

Not only that, but they’re holding their breath, are turning blue, and are banging their heads on the floor.  Boras was heard to respond: “Call me when the brain damage starts to set in and we can throw some numbers back and forth.”

Yeah, I have no idea where I’m going with this, either.

If the Yankees really are going to miss out on C.C. then personally I hope they miss out on A.J. and get Lowe, Sheets, and Teix along with 1 year of Pettitte.

Except for the Lowe part, I agree.

Lohud says Cashman “believes Robinson Cano will be the Opening Day second baseman.”  Presumably he knows whether he’s building the team that way, so is this an opinion on the likelihood of Cano getting hit by a bus or struck by lightning?

Punto would be a nice utility infielder I think.

Sheets is in such an odd position. Can anyone recall a top of the line starter entering his free agency offseason with a major injury? And if so, what happened there?

The only guys I can think of offhand are Colon, Lieber and Garcia, and none of those guys are really in Sheets’ class, they’re just notable pitchers who entered free agency on an injury.

By the by, anyone notice the Brewers’ rumored counter offer? ... Very shrewd by Melvin.

Except of course that Melvin denies having made a counter offer.  And there’s so much deferred money in the original offer that’s it has a present day value close to $90M.

CC supposedly told Coletti he wants to be a Dodger…

I’m sure that the other 29 teams all think the game is over because somebody claims that somebody else told him that a player said something to a GM when they passed each other in the lobby of the Bellagio.  Folks need to chill.  Seriously.

And Sabathia met with Cashman again today.  Both meetings requested by CC.  At least according to Dan Graziano.

I know it’s really, really, really hard to ever take anything at face value, but couldn’t it just be that the guy is trying to be as careful as possible about what might be the biggest decision of his life?

... outside getting married, presumably.

Peavey to Phils would seem like an intriguing possibility, in terms of a radical shift in run support - except that, given his splits, doesn’t Phillies Stadium (no, I’m not going to use the “naming-rights name”) seem the worst possible place for him?

I can’t stop laughing at the image of Cashman putting a remote-controlled whoopie cushion under Pete Abe’s chair.

... outside getting married, presumably.

nah, divorce is legal. $160 million… that’s forever.

If you make $160 million, the alimony is forever.

For whoever was asking about Posada’s rehab, PeteAbe checks in:

Thanks ym!

I’m sure that the other 29 teams all think the game is over because somebody claims that somebody else told him that a player said something to a GM when they passed each other in the lobby of the Bellagio.  Folks need to chill.  Seriously.

Yeah, because #1 what’s CC supposed to say?  “Look, I really hate the Dodgers, and would like nothing better than the next time the Yankees play them, to be in LA throwing a shutout in a Yankees’ uniform.  But, I’m hoping to get a little more out of them, so could you offer me 6/135?”  And #2, I read this morning that Colletti is not confirming (though also not denying) the conversation, (I think in the NY Post, and it was something like, “we had a nice conversation”).  So it’s entirely possible that, “I really want to be a Dodger”, was, “hey, nice shirt!”.

If you make $160 million, the alimony is forever

If Boras writes your prenup, does he get another 10% bite? Or is that double-dipping?

And yeah, if Colletti is speaking publicly about some private admission from CC, it either didn’t have any meaning or Colletti is an idiot. Can’t rule out either, though in the latter case it might make actual negotiations tougher.