Two guys you won't see at the All-Star Game : Josh Paul, Simon Pond.

Craig beat me to it while I was trying to formulate some terrible line about either Al Levine or Doyle Alexander.

Uh! Griffin drives me insane!
He lists the payroll of all the teams in his article, then seems to ignore it in his recap!

And I'm pretty sure I'd rather have a Toyota Prius than an Insight.

So does anyone think there's a chance that JP will make a deal over the break?
I think it's unlikely, but I would like to speculate. :)

He's not going to trade an injured player (I'm not sure if you can do that), so Cat's out of the question. Which doesn't leave much. Adams wouldn't appear to have much value. What about Cash? I know Zaun is the one people talk about, but I'd imagine he could get more for Cash, then use Zaun and Estrella for the rest of this year, and Zaun and Quiroz for next year.

The Twins think Batista's salary will fit within their budget. They would have to pay him a third of what remains on his $3.6 million US contract this season. He will earn $4.75 million in 2005 and $4.75 million in 2006. At those numbers even if Batista or the Twins' run for post-season do not work out, the Twins feel that they could move him elsewhere next season.

The Jays have talked to the Twins. Would they want first baseman Justin Morneau?

Um, you think?

If the Jays are going to get offers like that you have to consider moving Batista.

I didn't get the lyrics off the top of my head, but it was similar enough to another song's intro ("Steve walks warily down the streen ...") that now I have Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" in my head. Thanks, Moffatt.

("Steve walks warily down the street ...")

Thanks, Mick. I have been mumbling that lyric in my head for years. I will continue to mumble the next line, which usually comes out something like "weechaweyano".

As one of the biggest Freddie Mercury fans on the planet, I'd like to point out the next lyric is "With the brim pulled way down low". Mind you, I can't be too offended, as the song was written by bass player John Deacon. :)

Good work Craig on the Paul Simon reference. I'm way behind on the prizes, but Brent is helping me find some great ones. Until then, here's a picture of Freddie Mercury:



RIP Mr. Mercury.

My guess is that is the Jays want Morneau for Batista they will have to include Phelps to the Twins. But then they would also get back a second player, maybe Cuddyer, Restovich or a pitcher (Crain?).

I'm way behind on the prizes, but Brent is helping me find some great ones.

Let me tease all of you: there are some superstar pictures coming up. The internet is a beautiful, beautiful place.

http://me.woot.net
Aargh. The first time in history I recognized a song and I wake up an hour too late. The life of a student is trying, I tell you...

http://me.woot.net
And what's worse, I can't even buy the song yet, because the iTunes Music Store isn't available in Canada.

By the way, if you're on Windows and want a REALLY good music organizing program, get iTunes. It's free and it's ridiculously good.

http://www.dunedinbluejays.com
I don't know whether to post this here or in the minor league update thread, but I figured that the true nerds were here :-] It's "Magic The Gathering" night in Dunedin. COMN. I guess that there's something appropriate about a bunch of nerds going on to the field at Knology Park after a baseball game, and pulling out a deck of cards.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=1838194
Some Aaron Hill content at ESPN, COMN

"Pretty cool," said Hill, who was drafted last year and is now in Double-A. "One hit, and I get the MVP. Hopefully, I'll make MVP in the major-league All-Star Game some day and win a Lexus. Actually, they've got one [Lexus] out in the lobby. I asked if that was mine. But they said, 'Nope. Trophy.' "

Doesn't hurt to ask....

Interesting, that was the exact quote I was going to paste from espn...

A thought came to me in regards to the whole "Batista to the Twins" rumor.

How about adding Delgado to the deal? Think for a second.

Ricciardi, from what I remember reading, is willing to pay the rest of Delgado's salary or close to it. To get Delgado would be a major coupe for the Twins and would instantly increase Minny's World Series chances. Santana-Radke-Batista-Lohse, a strong bullpen, and Delgado in the middle of their young lineup. That sounds great for them.

So consider a deal like Batista and Delgado, and we get back Morneau, Crain, Adam Johnson, and maybe an additional prospect. Crain can come in and close, Johnson's future is likely in relief (or bottom end starter), and Mourneau can be Delgado's replacement. Consider now we have an additional +/- $4.5 mil to spend in the off-season (Batista no longer on the books), cheap potential relievers (from the Twins deal), and hopefully enough money to either get an established closer, or be a darkhorse in the Matt Clement sweepstakes. Get rid of Ligterfluid (you owe us a favor Beane!), and that's even more dough.

I just think that with the relative certainty that Delgado will not be offered arbitration, with the risk that he'd accept and we'd be on the hook for $16 mil or so next year, I think it's imperative we trade Delgado. Unless Ricciardi is sure he can re-sign him to a reasonable rate, and call me pessimistic, but I don't see Carlos taking a 50% pay cut, even though he has enough money already to buy Puerto Rico.

But if the Twins are willing to do Morneau for Batista straight up, you'd have to consider that as well. I'm just throwing out ideas.

Interesting little thing on the Jays official site. There is a poll asking which player has been the MVP of the first half with choices being Delgado, O-dog, Sparky, Wells or Zaun.

Of 1500 some votes cast, Sparky has 42%.

Delgado has a no-trade clause and he wouldn't waive it for the Twins.

Good grief, I had that song in my head all of yesterday (my sister made some dumb crack about a bodyguard; at least I didn't think of that movie...Oh, crap).

I love Richard Griffin. I heard a rumour that he been tabbed as the next Iraqi Information Minister before the invasion put a crimp in that plan. I bet even Muhammed Saeed al Sahaf would have mentioned the relative health of those other three teams compared to the Jays and the volatile pitching situations.

I would agree that Griffin is being unfair to J.P., but I still think it's remarkable what Bob Melvin has done in Milwaukee. Keeping a team with a payroll under $30 million above water and right in the thick of the wild card race is pretty amazing.

I still think it's remarkable what Bob Melvin has done in Milwaukee.

Got to be all the help he's getting from his incredibly talented and efficient Assistant GM ;)

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1089583809709&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154
Speaking of Diversions,

The Toronto Star today has a piece on "Internet's first Blood Sport", and links to a couple sites, such as scamorama.com where competitors play at stringing out scammers as long as possible.... (you know the I am in possesion of Millions in Nigeria, and all I need is for you to send me $5,000 to get it out)

what fun!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/polls/pollResults?vote=33432&id=26739&pollid=26739&answerid=&poll=GAMSports&save=_save&show_vote_always=no&hub=Sports&subhub=VoteResult
COMN for an interesting (yet, unscientific) poll being done on the G&M website regarding trading Carlos. The results, I thought, were interesting - almost 2:1 in favor of trading Carlos. I don't quite know what to make of the results - are people say trade him because of his salary and poor production to date (injury not withstanding) or trade him because it's probably in the best interests of the club in the long term or some other unknown reasons.

Darn, forgot about the no trade clause.

Oh well, just Batista for Morneau then. If not, keep Batista. Although I wonder if Batista will be able to keep this up at age 34 and 35, especially with his surprisingly poor K:BB ratio.

Griffin makes some interesting points - ie. that Ricciardi may not be head-and-shoulder above the other GM candidates - but he's way too arbitrary about it. I don't think he would have made the comparison after last year, when the Brewers, Tigers & Rangers were all horrible. And if, say, the Brewers tank in the second half (do they really have anyone dependable other than Sheets?) I doubt we'll be seeing the comparison again.

Also, Griffin flat-out lies: Ricciardi didn't "beat out" Hart & Dombrowski; both turned down the Jays to work elsewhere. IIRC, it was only after they & DePodesta turned down the job that the Jays even considered Ricciardi.

Interestingly, too, Griffin doesn't mention the Dodgers' 48-38, first-place record when glossing over Paul "Moneyball" DePodesta.

http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3055
Nice to see Griffin getting some BP love today (COMN):

"The last thing Boston GM Theo Epstein needs, other than for Richard Griffin to get a job at the Globe, is my advice."

Niles, do you know Carlos personally?

If not why are you so sure he would not waive the "no-trade"?

He may want to show off his skills in the post-season and play alongside Shannon Stewart. If Carlos has no plans to re-sign with the Jays then why would he be opposed to a trade to a contender?

mr predictor,

No offense but Minnesota is Minnesota regardless of whether it's an also ran contender. Before you jump in, yes the Twins look like a better team than the Jays. Carlos is traded only if the receiving team signs him to an extension. No way he'll jump at being a rental player. If he stays, he's been injured, sleepy backwater etc, he demands respect, and money, for past production. If he goes to the Yanks/Sox/Dodgers and doesn't deliver in the post season then it'll tarnish his worth. Why risk it?

I love that Bob Elliot is keeping this Batista trade rumor alive. Sure, the Jays would move anyone they could for great players but come on, they're talking about an AAA player here. As J.P. has said and others have noted, a reasonably priced, competent pitcher is hard to find.

If he goes to the Yanks/Sox/Dodgers and doesn't deliver in the post season then it'll tarnish his worth. Why risk it?

Isn't that, in a nutshell, the complaint so many have about Delgado? That he cares less about winning and more about his personal numbers, both on the field and in his bank account?

Though I'm frustrated by his disinclination to run out ground balls, I think that characterization of Delgado is generally uncharitable and false. However, if he really is concerned about the effect of a poor post-season on his market value, I will have to concede that he really is motivated only by self-interest.

But I have to think that if he really is trying to maximize his earning potential for next year, he'd want to make an impression on the grandest stage of all, the play-offs.

alsiem,

Carlos is traded only if the receiving team signs him to an extension. No way he'll jump at being a rental player.

How do you know this? The demand for the extension is an attempt to get a new contract based on his existing contract. If Carlos avoids the new 'tighter' player market by negotiating with one team with visions of post season glory clouding its eyes, he wins. However, no extension offers near his existing salary will come. Once he realizes this, he may consider a trade to showcase his skills on a contending team before going on the market.

If he stays, he's been injured, sleepy backwater etc, he demands respect, and money, for past production.

Is this so? Will the Jays pay for his past production? It seems to me, he's been paid handsomely for his past production. I'm sure smart GMs will focus on his future production rather than what he has done. The Jays are the only team that has reason to consider what Carlos has done for the team in the past and JP is much too smart to let this override his valuation of what Carlos will do in the future.

If he goes to the Yanks/Sox/Dodgers and doesn't deliver in the post season then it'll tarnish his worth. Why risk it?

No baseball player believes that he'll fail if given a chance to play. This is especially true for superstars who have a history of succeeding. As for tarnishing his worth, don't you think that being branded as someone who doesn't care about winning will tarnish his worth more? Just look at all the obloquy heaped on Juan Gonzalez for refusing to go to the Expos last year.

Beaten to the punch by Four Seamer

http://me.woot.net
Though I'm frustrated by his disinclination to run out ground balls

Maybe Carlos didn't run out ground balls in 1999, but that's all I've seen him do in recent memory. People seem to think of Delgado as lazy, and I can't explain that.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3064
From a BP Q&A with Terry Ryan (COMN):

With Rivas, there may be a question of RBIs, of run production. But watching these guys every day, even if they might not give you ideal run production all the time, they do it on the other side of the field, and they also do things that don't show up much in box scores. Believe me, we're hoping Rivas matures as a hitter, and he's only 24. I have to remind myself that at 24, 25, many guys are just getting to the big leagues, whereas with Luis he's always been a level or two above what you'd expect for his age.

Poor, poor Aaron Gleeman

First, I think that there's a lot more at stake than just what Carlos wants to do.

1) Arbitrition rules saying that he can only take a 20% pay cut.
2) Pressure from his agent.
3) Pressure from the player's union.

Second, Carlos has shown no interest in being a rental player. Could this happen before July 31, perhaps, but we haven't heard the "I'm getting older and I'd love a shot a the ring" speech yet. I think Carlos is a great player but he'll become a free agent at the end of the year. There's no real reason to rock the boat until that time. I'm not sure what the Jays would sell for the rest of season if they shipped out Delgado and Batista for more prospects.

Third, I was not trying to say Delgado was gutless, just that he's happy where he is and he'll get his money, though less of it, from someone over the winer. If you don't think some GM is willing to give him big bucks based on past performance then you respect them more than I do.

I'm pretty sure this has come up before, and I'm pretty sure the answer is that the 20% pay cut only applies to arbitration. You can resign a player for any amount you can agree on.

I don't think we BlueJays fans should feel too sympathetic towards Twins fans.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1837659
I may be the only one that missed this earlier this week, but if anyone else did, COMN. Everybody's favourite free-agent shortstop, Rich Aurilia, has been designated for assignment.

I was rather young at the time but I do recall Carlos suiting up in at least a couple games for the Jays in 1993. Would that mean he already has his WS Ring?

IIRC, Carlos mentioned in an off-season interview on the Score how never playing for a contender (not those exact words, but to that effect) was going to affect his decision regarding free-agency. He was a part of the WS team, but I don't know if that really counts in his mind.

Yep Delgado does have a ring but he might not have played in a play off game as a September call up. Does anyone remember his attempt at playing left field? I can remember only one game, but he made Junior Felix look like a very boring fielder. He did make a shoe top catch but that necessary because he got such a bad read on the ball.

I'm pretty sure this has come up before, and I'm pretty sure the answer is that the 20% pay cut only applies to arbitration. You can resign a player for any amount you can agree on.

In a very muddled way, I was trying to say that Delgado is unlikely to accept more than a 20% pay cut from anyone until he's a free agent. I think that pressure from his agent/player's union makes it unlikely that he'd be traded for example, to the Sox and sign a multi year $7 million offer because they were contenders. Obviously, if he's a free agent and that's what the market is offering then he's free to sign at any amount. I'm sure that in many ways Carlos feels as trapped by that contract as the Jays do. I have no inside information on this but that's my take.

There was an interview about a month or so back (sorry, don't remember the source) where either Delgado or his agent said he wouldn't waive the no-trade clause unless the team trading for him offered a contract extension.

http://www.aarongleeman.com/2004_07_04_baseballblog_archive.html
At the lunch/book signing on Saturday, conversation got to one of Aaron Gleeman's columns from last week on reader mail (I believe credit goes to Mike Green for mentioning it)...I just now got a chance to read it and it put me in stitches. If you haven't had the opportunity to read it yet, COMN and scroll down to Monday's article (last article on the page).

Yeah, Kid Gleeman cracks me up. That's probably the funniest thing I've read in a long time.

OK, I'm starting a pool (for bragging rights only) for the Home Run Derby. Rules the same as our All-Star MVP... pick a guy and you own him.

I'm going to start by taking Hank Blalock.

Berkman
Blalock - Craig B
Bonds
Ortiz
Palmeiro
Sosa
Tejada
Thome

Bonds please

I'll say Slammin' Sammy goes on a tear tonight.

Jim Thome

Cookie Monster Ortiz.

Only three spots left!

Berkman
Blalock - Craig B
Bonds - Jobu
Ortiz - Fawaz K
Palmeiro
Sosa - Four Seamer
Tejada
Thome - Thomas

COMN for an article describing the results survey given to major leaguers. Delgado rates highly as a teammate, as does Mike Bordick.

I think you gotta switch the URL from your email line to your homepage line Thomas.

http://www.nynewsday.com/sports/baseball/ny-spsunspec113888373jul11,0,4425578.story?coll=ny-baseball-headlines
I was just testing you, Jobu.

You pass.

Berkman, please.

Berkman

gah.........
Awful choice now..
Tejada

Who Wants The Man With The Wood In His Hand?

Berkman - Mike Green
Blalock - Craig B
Bonds - Jobu
Ortiz - Fawaz K
Palmeiro
Sosa - Four Seamer
Tejada - Tassle
Thome - Thomas

BTW, if someone wants to start a Barfield division, feel free.

K, I'll take Captain Viagra is he's still available

OK, the final list...

Berkman - Mike Green
Blalock - Craig B
Bonds - Jobu
Ortiz - Fawaz K
Palmeiro - Dan H
Sosa - Four Seamer
Tejada - Tassle
Thome - Thomas

Bragging rights are at stake! See you here after the show.

Man, if Palmeiro wins, all those terrible headlines from the commercials could become real. 'Raffy Gets Good Wood' etc.

Since there's no Jay game, is someone gonna start a Derby Game Thred?

Man, if Palmeiro wins

If Palmeiro wins, I'll claim I picked him from the start, and didn't get him because he was the only one left at the time :)

Man, if Palmeiro wins, all those terrible headlines from the commercials could become real. 'Raffy Gets Good Wood' etc.

Raffy goes deep over and over again.

Palmeiro gives Bonds a lesson on how to get it up!

Raffy pleases thousands on a Monday night in August.

Oops, got my month wrong ... the immense giggling was blocking any normal thought.

Just out of curiousity I tried to look up Justin Morneau's minor league numbers to see if trading for him was worthwhile. So, I checked the MLB site but couldn't get his stats.

Could someone point me to another site that would have minor league numbers and also perhaps where could I find his major league equivalents?

Thanks in advance.

Blue in SK: Try the Baseball Cube, Morneau's stats are here.

Thanks Rob.

If anyone wants a home run derby thread, let me know and I'll stick one up.

I intend to post to my Yahoo fantasy league tomorrow something like "WTF, Tejada hit 14 homers last night, why aren't they showing up?"

This really blows.

The HR Derby is on now, but I don't get to watch it until 8 my time. Why would sportsnet do that?

I've started a new thread for Delgado and Batista trade speculation.

fyi: in-context Jays stats at the All-Star Break (including former Jays, etc.)

bit of a hi-jack, not sure if this has been posted, but epsn has a list of the "Least Bang for the Buck" players. Kinda interesting. COMN

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=list/mlbmostoverpaid
Oops, too late at night. This outta work though COMN