this is great news. not being on the hook through an injury-prone pitcher’s 37th birthday? this is a deal only the yankees should make, and even they will regret it. i’m ecstatic.

i think we should make a big push for Ben Sheets now that we lost out on AJ, and even though we stopped the Peavy deal, we pulled out on the right time, and what happened because of it? NOTHING. Jake is still within our reach and i’m pretty sure we will explore both of these options and make atleast one of them work

really i would rather have either or both of these guys rather than AJ
if we get Sheets first Jake would very easily wave his no trade clause

How much is Zack Greinke set to make in 09?

What’s their payroll going to be, $1.5 billion? I hope they finish dead last.

We should give Sheets a look. If the Yankees want him, then we can drive up the price. If they pass on him, we can get him for a reasonable two-year contract. If he performs well for two years, then it worked out and we can either re-sign him or let him walk for more money. If he’s an injury bust, its only two years and before we’ll be making a serious run with our current youth in 2011.

Put none of the above on the list and it might just top the leaderboard. I’d rather have Brandon Webb in 2010 than any of these guys from 2009 on.

We need at least one lefty and Randy Wolf might come cheap, but give those starts to JoJo and we could have ourselves a pitcher by the end of the season.

Garland? A pure innings eater with a career 769 OPS against. If him, why not Paul Byrd?

Lowe is way overpriced for a guy his age, and will remain so due to Red Sox interest.

Sheets had a good year, and has a spectacular K/BB ratio. He last pitched 200 innings in 2004 when he was 25. His last serious injury, to his elbow, happened on Sept. 27, 2008. “That’s it,” Sheets said. “That’s all I have. I’ve got a broke arm.”

Peavy has very expensive terms at the end of his contract (he’d want that final year guaranteed, which we definitely shouldn’t do.) Wren has already admitted he offered too much, and has pulled Escobar off the table.

The best value of the group, Greinke, would cost us top prospects and players. Dayton Moore is no fool. At second thought, he just signed Horacio Ramirez. Maybe we can do business there.

If it were the case that any money we didn’t spend this year could be used down the road for a biggest payroll, then by all means start Jo-Jo, Jorge, and Charlie. But I’ve never seen that be the case in sports. So if we have money to spend and just need a stop gap, let’s go with someone with a higher potential pay-off in Ben Sheets. But, I’d be happy with Smoltz, Jurrjens, Vazquez, Glavine, Reyes, Campillo, and Morton as starters throughout the season.

1.) Trade for the Royal’s Zack Greinke, but only if it doesn’t involve Escobar.

2.) Sign Ben Sheets to a 3yr deal as long as it’s for less than $40 million.

3.) Then with whatever money is left, try to resign Smoltz, Norton, and Ohman in that order.

4.) If Guillen isn’t involved in the Greinke deal, go out and sign one of the lower tier corner outfielders like Juan Rivera. Now if the price for Bradley is reasonable and Wren can fit him in the budget, then I would definitely go with him instead.

Any trade with KC should include our prospect Kala Ka’aihue. (Ka-la Ka-i-a-who-ee).

That way the Royals could eventually platoon him at first base with his very talented lefty hitting brother, Kila Ka’aihue, from Kailua, HI.

Say fast: Kala and Kila Ka’aihue, from Kailua.

It seems Wren has no interest in Sheets, whys that? Injuries obviously, but Burnett also has a history of injuries and it didnt stop the Braves from offering him the moon. Maybe the Brave scouting has red-flagged Sheets as a major health risk and not Burnett?

Personally I think its worth the risk in signing Sheets for 2-3 years. In my book, when healthy, Sheets is a better pitcher that Burnett. Also, a big plus is that we dont have to give up any players in signing Sheets (do we even give up a 2nd round draft pic?). I like Greinke but we’d have to give up some good talent to get him. Same with Peavy.

As for Wolf, Lowe and Garland, forget it, there all just also-rans. We need to get a #1 guy.
My drathers are: 1) Sheets, 2)Greinke and 3) Peavy. Forget the others

As for as obtaining Greinke, we may as well get Jose Guillen in the deal. He’d fill our cleanup hole. Am sure the Royals wouldnt mind parting ways with Guillen since he and the KC org had issues last year.

Also, someone mentioned in another post why not wait and use the $ for next years free-agents… well, the list of prospective 2009 FA’s doesnt look to inviting to me. Infact I didnt see a pitcher worth spending any $ on. Maybe I missed somebody but the point being why wait and possibly (probably) get outbid or worse, overpay. In my book Ben Sheets is worth the risk of a 2-3 year contract at 11-13 million a year.

Lastly, I think Wren is doing fine. He stole Jurries and Gorkys from Detroit last year. Last weeks Javier Vasquez move was a good deal. According to a source Wren was supposed to be the most prepared GM in Vegas this last week. He can’t force players to sign or other GMs to make deals.

While these guys aren’t the answer to our problems, wouldn’t it make sense to kick the tires and see how much they would cost us as a reclamation project. They both have some talent, and we could see what McDowell can do with them. I would rather take our chances with what we have then give a significant contract to the other free agent pitchers we have talked about. Unless the Peavy thing turns around, I think we should take our chances with the young guys, and the old men (smoltz, glavine) if they can pitch. I know it has been said before by one of you, but we can wait and use the money next year. Wren would be smart to save the money rather than waste it on someone who will surely disappoint us and eat up cap room.

I’m not saying Greinke isn’t good. But he’s no where close to Peavy. It’s arguable whether or not the Royals want to trade Greinke. Regardless, he’s put up decent stats twice in five years. That makes him inconsistent at best

greinke has put up good stats 3 years(and one year he only pitched 6 innings). so, he has put up good numbers 3 of his first 4 FULL years in the majors for a team that doesnt hit, doesnt field, and he’s in the AL where pitcher’s era’s are inflated by almost a 1/2 run. he hasnt been inconsistent. the kansas city royals have sucked. if your looking at win/loss and your debating a kansas city royals pitcher, then you’re extremely mistaken.

now peavy, on the other hand, plays in the nl and has spent 80 games/year for 7 years in the most pitcher friendly ballpark in the majors for 3 years running (and top 2 or 3 for its existence). jake peavy’s career era away from petco park is 3.80 (over a full run’s difference). when put in the same situation, these guys could be very similar pitchers.

good one. hopefully they will be soon.

As long as he’s affordable via trade, get Grienke as he is young and can grow with our youngsters that are on their way. As long as we only give up a K. Johnson (Prado should be able to take over while doing an adequate job) and perhaps a lower teired top prospect. like Hernandez and/or Medlen? As long as Heyward, Hanson, Schafer, Freeman, Rohrbough, and Locke remain untouchables.

Convince John Smoltz to stay.

Try for a cheap starter or two. Such as R Johnson or J Garland?

Try for a cheap project starter like D Cabrera? When healthy, C Capuano?

Grab a cheap Ty Wiggington to man left field, and perhaps a Willy Taveres as insurance for Blanco and to use as a 4th outfielder/defensive replacement.

Use the money we saved to resign/extend Chipper and other veterans?

A few thoughts.

The injury pattern concerns me the most. I think Texas will take a shot on him.

nl vs. al. dh vs. no dh. weak division vs. stronger division. offensive stats are inflated in the al. lefties are better.

point being, there is no telling how peavy will respond away from petco. at least we know, in a somewhat neutral park, that greinke will give 3.50 era baseball in the nl for a much cheaper price. peavy will probably provide the same but cost more in prospects and cash. i will admit, peavy is a better player, but not that much better.