I really don't think this changes the balance of power in the AL East at all. Baltimore still needs to be worrying about their starting rotation. The offense will be pretty good though. With Sosa in right, where is Gibbons going to play? I know his star dropped a lot with them this past season. Hopefully he won't play much against the Jays, I remember Gibbons always killed Toronto.

As far as if the Cubs got enough for Sosa, well, who the hell are the minor leaguers they are getting? If Harriston stays healthy for them he could be a pretty decent leadoff man, plus if Garciaparra stays healthy all year they wont be that power deprived.

You mean what... third amongst people who have played for all three teams? Am I too eager to find out? Do I have too much zeal?

So what bats have joined AL East rivals this year? Sammy Sosa, Edgar Renteria, Danny Bautista, Roberto Alomar...

That's not nearly as bad as last year: Miguel Tejada, Javy Lopez, Gary Sheffield...

Very good Magpie. Your prize is a Virtual Hot Toddie (the drink, that is).

What, it wan't Jeff Huson?

Did anyone catch this tidbit that was tucked away in a "Who will sign Magglio" piece on MLB?

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news.jsp?ymd=20050128&content_id=936334&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp

Apparently, the Tigers, Mets, Cubs and Blue Jays are among the teams interested in his services.

It strikes me as being extremely unlikely that T.O. will acquire Magglio -- esepcially if Detroit has already offered a multiyear deal for his services.

But the thing I was wondering was if anyone had read any rumours on this subject already.

The offense will be pretty good though. With Sosa in right, where is Gibbons going to play?

If Palmeiro DHs (as was the plan when he signed, I believe), Gibbons could play 1B. Or they could alternate. I'm assuming that Bigbie is the incumbent in LF and that Newhan starts the year on the bench, even after his over-his-head 800 OPS in 2004. I have seen projections with Newhan as the DH, but I can't believe that would be their first choice.

Last time the Cubs came to town, the Cheer Club was denied a chance to taunt Mr. Sosa because, if I recall correctly, he was suspended. We did bring a banner that read Where's Corky?, but it wasn't the same.

I envision a Corky, Corky, Corky chant rippling through SkyDome. If O-Ver-Ra-Ted can catch on, anything can.

Apparently, the Tigers, Mets, Cubs and Blue Jays are among the teams interested in his services.

I'm interested in his services for my company softball team but that doesn't mean I have the $ to sign him.

I'm interested in his services for my company softball team but that doesn't mean I have the $ to sign him.

LOL. So it's pretty much akin to Gleeman's interest in Jessica Alba, then? :)

Anyone else think the Cubs got a great deal? This guy HAD to be traded, or the Cubs falter because of his attitude. He should be better in Baltimore with friends Tejada and Palmeiro but he's a selfish guy who was hated by a lot of Cubs. They covered PART of his salary and made away with hairston(who was expendable because of Roberts), Fontenot and at least another prospect. Steal for the CUbs. I don't think the balance of power changes at all, but it will be fun to see the Orioles power lineup vs the Jays newly designed scratch out the runs line-up.

So it's pretty much akin to Gleeman's interest in Jessica Alba, then?

I'm thinking I like Gleeman's chances better...

Getting rid of Sosa may be addition by subtraction for the Cubs, given the bad attitude he had apparently acquired. Considering Sosa's downward spiral at the plate, I don't think they're going to miss out on a whole lot. That said, it's not a bad deal for Baltimore either, who didn't give up a whole lot, aren't paying the majority of Sosa's salary, and would stand to benefit greatly if Sosa does regain his form, although I somehow don't see that happening.

Baltimore benefits some from having some extra firepower in the lineup. Sosa had a VORP 0f 27 in a down year, while Hairston had a VORP of 13 in an up year.

The only benefit to the Cubs is in "intangibles"; how disruptive was Sammy to the club? We don't know but you are losing some offense and are $10 mil poorer if you are the Cubs. The rest of the players have to pick up the slack, and I don't think Jeromy Burnitz is the answer.

http://www.canadasdebate.com
According to ESPN signing Burnitz would bump promising rookie Jason Dubois out of LF... Is this the same Jason Dubois we grabbed via Rule 5 a couple of years ago?

If he's their best LF option then that team needs Maggs or Burnitz more than it does a clubhouse malcontent.

According to ESPN signing Burnitz would bump promising rookie Jason Dubois out of LF... Is this the same Jason Dubois we grabbed via Rule 5 a couple of years ago?

Yeah, in the 2003 Rule 5 draft, the Jays took Aquilino Lopez and Jason Dubois. They couldn't find space on the roster to keep Dubois, so they offered him back to the Cubs.

The rest of the players have to pick up the slack, and I don't think Jeromy Burnitz is the answer.

No, but Burnitz plus the continued development of Corey Patterson, a full, healthy year from Nomar, and the returns of Derek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Todd Walker should provide the Cubs with a solid offense, don't you think? If their pitching staff can stay healthy, the Cubs should easily have enough offense to make the playoffs and contend seriously in the postseason.

Jason Dubois would be a good pick up for the Jays right now, if the Cubs have to trade him.

On a very off note, does anyone know the exact date Billy Beane was hired as GM of the A's? I can't seem to find it online.

I think the Sosa deal is a great example of a team potentialy cutting their losses. Good deal for the Cubbies.

The guy is poison. He's a cheat and if I'm on the MLB anti-doping squad, Sammy is person a person of interest.

Rotoworld is reporting that Baltimore is prepared to discuss a two year extention prior to the season opener. Are they nuts?

What will Sosa's final home run total and place on the home run list be?

Below Bonds' total right now. Lets say 4 more years of kicking around nad futher decline and estimate 25 hr per... that gives him about 675.

The more exciting race is to see if he can get to #1 on the career strikeout list. 4 yrs @ 123 K will do it.

Rotoworld is reporting that Baltimore is prepared to discuss a two year extention prior to the season opener. Are they nuts?

No more nuts than the Tigers, who are talking about giving Maggs a 5 year, 55M dollar contract. That's insane, Jane!

In a sane, rational world, Ordonez should be offered a deal similar to the one the Richard Hidalgo got -- a 1 year deal for around 5MM. Until he proves that his knee is ok, it's insanity to offer anything more than 1 year.

Hopefully (for the sake of the Tigers) these rumours of a 5-year deal are just Scott Boras fabrications.

http://www.bluejayscheerclub.com
So sparky's dropping the cool hand luke and just going with 3? Phew, glad I didn't get my jersey printed last year. Maybe the Jays are ready to retire their first number ever and asked Sparky to give it back on Stieb's behalf.

I heard Boras counterproposed 7 years to Detroit's offer of 5, but who knows what to believe? I imagine the $55 mil/5 year offer from Detroit is similar to their Pudge deal with lots of incentives (which make it reach $55 million and with the last couple of years contingent on number of games played in the first few seasons).

I think the Cubs got all they likely could and will be better without the baggage and an extra $7 million. For Baltimore this is about satisfying the fans but it is a bad baseball deal and will not improve the team. If Baltimore does more than a year they are crazy. Sammy is on his way down. Older, smaller, richer, more brittle, and more selfish. He is not likely to improve on last year - especially adjusting to new pitchers and away from Wrigley.

Last year he hit .231/.304/.474 on the road and had an OBP of .315 vs. righties. $7 million a season for that? Yuck.

Once you look past the homers, his numbers are ugly. So is his attitude. It ought to take a bunch of season ticket holders in Baltimore about 4 months to get tired of watching Sammy flail weakly at sliders away.

Sosa is in steroid widthdrawal. 14-day DL for severe sneeze. Corking bats. Diminishing numbers. The guy is finished. That makes him a good fit for the Orioles (aka "the Viagara club").

Detroit is doing their usual stunt of overpaying free agents, it's the only way they'll get anyone to play there.

as a jays fan I'm extatic to hear the Orioles are gonna sign Sosa to a 2 year extension, that's wonderful news!

Not only does it mean they'll have his declining performance stuck on their hands, it shakes any notion the the Angelos/Beattie/Flannagan brainstust has a clue about rebuilding a ballclub.

If I were an Orioles fan today, I'd quit

I am pretty disappointed in the Sammy trade personally. I believe that a change of venue will do him good and he should be traded, however, I don't believe that they got enough for him. I live closer to Detroit and I will probably go to Comerica when the O's are in town.

I don't believe that this will upset the balance of power in the East too much. I believe that the Red Sox and Yankees will still be the two super powers, but with Palmerio, Tejada and Sosa now, it makes for a pretty scary line up. Now if the O's had some pitching, that might upset things a little.

Rotoworld is reporting that Baltimore is prepared to discuss a two year extention prior to the season opener. Are they nuts?

Do you really have to ask if Peter Angelos is nuts? ;-)

The way I see it, I believe the Cubs made a terrible mistake. You know, the past 2 years Sosa has had terrible seasons, my question is what about before? he did good, right? well, Sosa is going to bounce back, yes he's old, yes he's had 2 terrible seasons, BUT, there's still 4 years of power and who knows maybe even more!, If you don't believe me, then look at Julio Franco from the Atlanta Braves, How old is that guy? that guy is gonna be 47 years old soon, and is he doing bad NO, exactly my point. If this old guy can do good, Sosa can and will definitely bounce back, and OH, WON'T THE CUBS BE SORRY THEY TRADED HIM!

Oh and another thing, people are criticizing Sosa's poor performance last year, but they fail to realize that in part that was because of the fans' poor support given to him.

I Bet that if the fans do the same to Barry Bonds, whom by the way I like to call Mr. Steroid 2005, he will perform just as badly or even worse