Im sure Pedro and his agents will be watching real closely to see what happends with Schilling and his extension. Nice potential rotation in Boston with Lowe, Wakefield, Pedro and Schilling. Hopefully Arizona got some decent prospects like Shoppach or Hanley Ramirez with Fossum.

Wow. The AL East just keeps getting tougher, and Baltimore hasn't started spending yet. I thought Curt would end up with the Phillies, but this is a fantastic deal for Boston if Theo can close it.

Plus we know that Big George and the Evil Empire will have to do something to combat this move by the Red Sox. Hello Bartolo Colon in a New York Yankee uniform.

More details -- the deal apparently would involve the Brewers. They would receive Fossum & Co. and would send Richie Sexson to the Diamondbacks, who apparently need to keep on stockpiling first basemen. Morons. The Red Sox' payroll is getting seriously swollen -- if they don't dump Manny, they're looking at a major salary tax hit.

http://economics.about.com
Speaking of rumors, I've got one I know coach is just *dying* to hear. From the Boston Globe:

"John Burkett is getting some interest from the Jays and Yankees, as well as the Giants, Angels, and Royals."

If the deal goes through, does it mean that the D'backs hang onto/offer Batista a new deal? The team saves $11M plus the buyout of $3M due to Schilling. The organization should know Batista's value better than anyone else so they could easily bid up any other team's offer with the savings from Schilling's deal.

Shame on you, Mike, for trying to raise an old man's blood pressure. Who knows how long that one's been around. Hopefully, that interest was at the level of "Burkett would be OK as a last resort," before they signed Hentgen and traded for Lilly.

Sexson-for-Schilling might be received much better in Phoenix than prospects-for-Schilling, but this could be a win for the Brewers long term. Boston gets by far the best player and a guy who (temporarily) gives them the balance of power in the AL. Damn, I wish the Jays were in a different division.

http://economics.about.com
Shame on you, Mike, for trying to raise an old man's blood pressure. Who knows how long that one's been around. Hopefully, that interest was at the level of "Burkett would be OK as a last resort," before they signed Hentgen and traded for Lilly.

It came out yesterday and specifically mentions the Lilly and Hentgen deals. Sorry. :)

I don't think we have to worry. I honestly don't see what Burkett would bring to the Jays. As far as pitching goes, they need a #2 and some relief pitching. Burkett doesn't fall into either camp.

Cheers,

Mike

As the Red Sox reconfigure their team and several dramatic moves are likely in store for the Yankees, it is increasingly clear, despite intelligent management by JP et al., that the Jays are going to need some good luck as well as some fine talent, to earn a postseason birth in the next 2-3 years.

Early prediction:
2004 is the season Schilling really starts to lose it. He's getting up there in years, and sometime soon it's going to fall apart.
It would just look a lot sweeter if it happened in a Red Sox uniform.

Any thoughts on who is going to the Brewers? The ESPN boards have Fossum, Shoppach, and Lyon. I can't see those three being enough. But if it is, does getting Fossum (who I assume will be starting, and possibly Lyon) impact on the Toronto/Ben Sheets rumours? Or does the salary the Brewers have moved mean it is more likely Sheets stays?

BTW, I believe that the Boston Globe also had the Jays interested in Sterling Hitchkock as well as Burkett.

I have a feeling Pedro might be more than a little muffed if Schilling gets a contract extension while he is still waiting....

I'm slightly surprised that Schilling, a lifetime NLer (except for his brief and unhappy Baltimore sojourn) would be interested in switching leagues at this point. He knows the National League and he knows he can dominate it; coming to the AL means learning a brand new collection of hitters (and not an opposing pitcher among them). But for a guy with his talent, it's probably not as big an issue. I wouldn't be happy to see him in Boston, certainly, but in the end, the Jays just have to look after themselves and not worry about things (like two rich, smart competitors) that they can't control. Expect the Richard Griffin column complaining about Rogers' miserliness in about 24 hours.

But even if the deal does go down and the Yankees respond by nabbing Colon and Vazquez, still, no championship has ever been won on paper or in December. Those two organizations are getting awfully top-heavy, and when they do fall, they'll fall hard.

Jayson Stark is reporting that the Brewers would be getting Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon (I have to believe Ash has something to do with this), Jorge De La Rosa and Michael Goss. The best prospect in that bunch is De La Rosa and is the guy who JP (reportedly) wanted back at the trade deadline for Escobar (along with Fossum). So maybe this does rekindle the trade rumours with the Brewers.

With the benefit of hindsight, what do you all think about J.P.'s decision to hold out for de la Rosa in an Escobar/Fossum deal? I'd prefer that the Red Sox be scrambling to re-sign free agents and saddled with an untradably bare prospect cupboard than for them to be in their current position -- which, frighteningly, resembles the catbird's seat.

I'm slightly surprised that Schilling, a lifetime NLer ...

Let's not forget that in addition to that stint with Baltimore, Schilling started his career ... with the Red Sox.

JP can't worry about what Boston might do the next off-season when he's trading at the deadline. He has to make the best trade he can make and I think dealing Escobar to a division rival was worth more than Casey Fossum. It's also not JP's fault that the D-Backs are dumb enough to make that trade. And on top of that dumb enough to possibly send a lot of those prospects to the Brewers for one year of Richie Sexson which suggests that it's not even so much of a salary dump. What happened to them getting someone like Nick Johnson?

If you had told me two months ago that having Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, and Jorge De La Rosa put the Red Sox in prime position to trade for Curt Schilling then I would have thought you crazy. I mean those were the names kicking around to acquire Kelvim Escobar or Jeff Suppan at the trade deadline.

FWIW, according to Mike and the Mad Dog out of NYC Schilling would be asking the Sox for a 2 year, $30 million extension after this season as a condition to accept the trade to Boston.

This is a good move for Arizona. Shilling is 37 and is a free agent next year. They are getting 4 prospects essentially, to let him declare free agency a year early instead of draft picks. They are doing it at a time when they have to cut salary and leaves them in a position to reup Batista, who they likely would have otherwise lost. Shilling gets to fleece Boston, which he no doubt will. In November 2006, this deal will look about as good for Boston as signing Kevin Brown did for LA after 3 years. Not good at all. Personally, I like the idea of Boston paying luxury tax next year along with the Yanks. Especially since they still wont win the WS.

This is good news for the Jays. It means that Boston's going to make a strong push this year before that gaggle of Red Sox becomes free agents in 2005. The more future the Sox give away now, the better for the Jays in 2005 and beyond. I'd much prefer for the Sox to be good now with Schilling, than in 2006 with Hanley Ramirez and Fossum.

This is good news for the Jays.

I suppose that there is some merit to the point, but I was just gettin' all jazzed up about this season. Let's respond... JP: call up the Brewers and get Sheet-faced.

Well, expect the Yankees to counter by signing Sheffield as soon as possible--even if it costs them a draft pick.

The real question is whether Big Stein go crazy and sign Colon for $15 M/ yr over 5 years? Or will Cashman keep him cool and keep working the Expos to bring Vazquez to the Big Apple.

I think it's a great deal for Boston, but if the rumours are true that they could have had Vazquez last year for Fossum then they missed an even better chance.

I like Nick G's optimism, but clubs like the Red Sox and Yankees won't stop spending money.

I agree they won't stop spending money, but I'd prefer that they be saddled with the salary of a 41 year old declining Schilling than a couple of good, pre arb players.

2006 will be Schilling's age 39 season, not his age 41 season. And he can fall a hell of a way and still be a very good pitcher. Although he was hurt this year, I'd be surprised if anyone could demonstrate that his inning by inning numbers were any worse than Roy Halladay's.

Schilling hasn't had an ERA+ below 121 since 1994, and he set a career high for ERA+ in 2003. He may very well start to decline over the next few years, but he hasn't started to decline yet, and I see no reason to expect the decline to be precipitous.

Interesting ... one of the reasons Schilling might be willing to come to Boston is the imminent hiring of Terry Francona as manager (who would ever have thought that would be a selling point?), since Francona managed Schilling in Philadelphia. Schilling made such unusually upfront comments because it was his "understanding that [Francona] was a slam-dunk for the job." Problem is, the Red Sox are still interviewing candidates, including Astros first-base coach DeMarlo Hale, with whom Theo Epstein seems mighty impressed.

Few successful clubs allow the stars to pick the manager. For Boston's sake, I hope they don't make that mistake with Schilling and Francona.

Epstein better sound "mighty impressed." Hale is the only minority candidate being interviewed. So when he doesn't get the job and Recycled White Guy Francona does, there has to be a relevant paper trail pointing to a "legitimate" interview per Czar Bud's poppycock rules.

Schilling is not the only top-flight pitcher being courted by the Sox. Frankly, I'm getting a little frustrated as a Jay's fan being stuck with an unbalanced schedule in the same division as these spending jugernaughts.I wonder how Godfrey and Roger's feel about being the sacraficial lambs of the AL East.

Whoops better fix that link

Epstein better sound "mighty impressed." Hale is the only minority candidate being interviewed. So when he doesn't get the job and Recycled White Guy Francona does, there has to be a relevant paper trail pointing to a "legitimate" interview per Czar Bud's poppycock rules.

Bud likes the Sox. He'd punish them as much as he did the Marlins for hiring their Recycled White Guy.

Few successful clubs allow the stars to pick the manager.

If Schilling and Francona appear to be coming in as a package deal, something tells me Pedro won't be too thrilled. A potential new ace with his hand-picked skipper? Unless they rewrite his deal too, it's quite possible that Martinez will demand a trade.

Again I'm impressed by how bold the Red Sox are. This could backfire in the public relations sense; fans will be very disappointed if Epstein and company can't close the deal. But if they do, and they somehow keep Pedro happy, they may have purchased a pennant.

A Pedro/Schilling front two would be every bit as intimidating as a Johnson/Schilling front two; only the Red Sox actually have an offence. The trade for Curt is looking a little better for you now isn't it Coach? ;)

purchased a pennant? I don't know about that. They have more money than the Jays, but almost everyone else does as well. They spend it. In the duquette days sometimes they spent well, sometimes frivolously. It looks like this set works more on the well side. Buying the penant exists further down on 95.

Time's running short for us at Batter's Box to keep Curt Schilling out of the AL East, thereby preventing the Red Sox from improving while increasing the likelihood of luring Miguel Batista.

With that in mind, here's an open e-letter to Mr. Schilling:
_____________________________________________

Curt, isn't Arizona grand? What with warm weather and the Grand Canyon?

And think of all the good times you've had with your neighbour.

Stay put! For the love of God, man, think of the children!

Sincerely,

A Blue Jays fan

Mike D,
I couldn't agree more. How about adding some negative advertising about Boston? It's no place to raise kids, Logan Airport is hell, you can't find a decent restaurant if you don't want to have fish, and if you're a ballplayer, Red Sox Nation is so desperate that one bad game and you're on the outs...

(Actually I like Boston, but I wouldn't want to raise a family there)