posted on Sunday, December 02, 2007 11:15 PM
by
Jim
Free association before the winter meetings
The winter meetings set to begin in Nashville Monday morning, hopefully turning some of our speculation into actual news items. Some thoughts on names that will be floated throughout the week:
Kosuke Fukudome. There's going to be
a bidding war for his services, but if the Sox were willing to enter the fray for Torii Hunter, they shouldn't back down from a guy who fits their needs in a far more fulfilling fashion. The fact that he wants only a three-year contract also blends in with the current roster, which is set to change shape dramatically between 2010 and 2011.
Tadahito Iguchi. I never thought I'd see
Kaz Matsui get a three-year deal. Even with the Coors effect, he only managed a .747 OPS. Iguchi, who's superor at second, could get a pretty sweet deal out of it... or he could be the guy who falls through the cracks and has to settle for a one-year deal somewhere, and then give the market a shot once again.
Luke Scott. The addition of Matsui in Houston means that Scott and Chris Burke may be forced off the roster. I don't see the Sox and Astros matching well as trade partners, because they both have lousy farm systems. But I'd rather see the Sox swing a deal for the outfielder as long as Juan Uribe's on the roster. Worth noting:
Scott's OPS was 210 points lower at home, perhaps because Minute Maid Park is not all that friendly to lefties. The Cell, on the other hand...
Xavier Nady. Same deal as Scott, except right-handed. He's productive enough and hits from the correct side of the plate in order to form a platoon with either Ryan Sweeney or Jerry Owens. He's not somebody they should seriously invest in, but if
the Pirates get caught in a desperate moment, why not fork over a AAAA starter?
Jason Bay. The
Indians are kicking the tires, and if it would cost them only a backup catcher and/or their disappointing second baseman or third baseman, why wouldn't they do it? Barring gigantic health issues, of course.
Miguel Cabrera. The Sox
are still in the hunt for him, but that has to be smoke. If the Sox were serious about going balls-to-the-wall for a playoff run this year, they wouldn't have only two reliable starters right now. They know how they won it all, and they know that they'd be lucky to equal the offensive output of the 2005 team, as it's currently constructed.
Johan Santana. Why can't a National League team get involved in the rumors?
Juan Uribe and Joe Crede. Which one would return more in a trade? When healthy, Crede is the superior player, but even he's finished on the wrong side of a .300 OBP. Considering they're in the same position as Iguchi was last year, contractually speaking, I'm guessing an A-ball reliever is on the way.
Feel free to add any ones I've missed.