Red Sox Acquire Paul Byrd

Credit goes to that guy in the chat, haha.

Thats a pretty big downgrade from Wake. I would just assume go with Zink and some of the other AAA pitchers. At least the league hasn't seen them three thousand times.

Byrd has been brilliant in his last 4 starts.

Hmmm ... wonder why the White Sox passed on this one at clearance price.

They probably got him to replace Buckholz in the rotation. I see Zink making some spot starts while Wake is out.

Questions is, why didn't the Yankees pick him up?

Yankees have officially conceded.

Forget Byrd. The Yankees haven't done squat to improve themselves because they know that the team is old and over-matched. They'll just try to buy themselves a championship next year.

It makes more sense then Garcia did, although its still a shock. Atleast you know what youll be getting, when you could be getting anything from Garcia, who knows what he will be like.

bottom line, solid trade, getting a vet arm for almost nothing and if worst comes to worst, our long relief problems are now solved for peanuts

If Byrd is the same pitcher he's been in his last four starts, bravo Theo for picking him up. If he's the pitcher prior to his last four starts, then we have an issue.

I still think it's a decent move. Acquiring a veteran pitcher to help push for a playoff spot. With Wakefield on the DL, Schilling hasn't pitched all season, and Colon's rehab taking longer than expected, why not?? He's a rental. I don't think we'll be seeing a repeat of the Gagne travesty. Byrd is a career 4.37 pitcher. Can't do any more damage than Clay has in his last few starts...

And to those of you who think we need bullpen help, who says Byrd wouldn't mind being in the pen for the last month of the season when Wake comes back?

It will be a salary dump. The Indians won't be getting anything of value back.

Good move on both sides.

Pretty nice move for the Red Sox. Not that significant, but nice nonetheless.

The Yankees have NOT conceded. As crazy as it sounds (and to type this), Byrd is NOT better than Ponson whom has pitched relatively well for the Yanks except for his one start in Boston on a Sunday night. Now, obviously, Byrd is better than Kennedy-Rasner-Igawa-Wade Taylor-Dave LaPoint-everyone else who's taken a turn in the 5th spot this season...

However, Phil Hughes and Carl Pavano (I just barfed in my mouth) are on the way. It makes more sense for the Yankees to at least give Hughes a chance to develop at the major league level so 2009 isn't his Rookie Year Part III.

any word on who the player to be named later is?

Yankfan1: i was going to avoid reading any other posts and just focus on this decent move by the sox but are you out of your #@%#$@^ mind? what is it at 260 million? Now they are going to chase CC and Teix in the offseason (we know thats true). Besides that, what kind of contracts do you think guys like Joba Chaimberlain and Phil Hughes are going to command? The Sox are dumping space for guys like Lester, Youk, Pedroia, Ellsbury ect. Even if the yanks drop all of Giambi, Abreau, moose, pavano, and pettite, They are still the highest paying roster in baseball! Chances are abreau will see another deal, as will pettite and maybe even moose. Giambi 20 mil drops and pavano 10 mil drops. Thats 255 or whatever down to 225. WOW! HUGE DROP. especially if they sign Teix OR sabathia let alone the possibility of both.

do some research before posting next time. please.

Now for the byrd signing. I think they went a little overboard especially considering you really only use 3-4 max pitchers in the playoffs, and i agree they could use their AAA guys to fill these spots.

But look at it from another angle. Buchholz is struggling, Wake's on the DL, the bullpen (especially okajima with inherited runners) is struggling a bit.

WHY NOT? if the moneys there, they drop some salary for next year knowing they are not signing manny, why not sign a guy who can eat some innings. Buchholz has been AWFUL all year at the majors level. Lets face the facts, he's either not ready yet, or like I have thought all along about ian kennedy, doesn't have the stuff to make it at the majors. Now i think buchholz is a whole lot better than kennedy but his jerky delivery is going to cause alot of location problems and he's learning that. John Farrell could use another year to fine tune that delivery and get him back on track to being the dominant starter that the sox think he is capable of.

So i dont think they are thinking why, but why not.

As far as this being a sign the yankees are throwing in the towel... i'm not sure i'd go there just yet. they have 6 more games vs boston and 6 more vs rays with no crawford and maybe no longoria depending on if he's healthy sept 1st as they are expecting. If the yankees drop to 10 back (they are losing today so thats not far off as that would be 9 if rays win), then i'd say the seaons over. But two quick series wins 2-1 2-1 and they are right back in the wild card and two series sweeps, and they are right back in the fight to win the division. So yes even as a sox fan i say AL east needs to watch its back.

The Rays are not slowing down. The Yankees are 9 back. That's the smae amount as the Astros for the Wild Card. That's more games back than the Rangers and Blue Jays are out of the Wild Card. Face it Yankee fans: You will not catch the Rays. There is a slight chance you catch the Red Sox, but they are just a better team than the Yanks. I know they have been injured all year and have stayed in the race, but many of the injured guys are put for the season. (e.g. Wang, Matsui, Posada) The guys you are getting back are just slight improvements over Kennedy and Rasner. Hughes has been terrible this year, and Pavano is always hurt. I would be shoked if he didn't get hurt before the season ended, after he comes back. So face it, baring some huge losing streak by the Red Sox, the Yankees are done. (They might still be even if the Red Sox start slipping because the White Sox and Twins are both better teams than them)