Odds and Ends: Santos, Blalock, Lo Duca

The Yanks could make him rich and happy, lol.

I think that Andy LaRoche's problems at the MLB level are the same things that were strengths in the minors. His batting eye that served him so well before doesn't mean as much in the majors where pitchers have much better command. He looks at lots of strikes and ends up in pitcher's counts. What LaRoche needs to do is start taking rips at close pitches to either foul them off or turn them into hits as opposed to strikes.

I do agree about his swing. It really isn't particularly pretty and seems to end up long and slow.

"The Yanks could make him rich and happy"

Sabathia is already rich and will be happier on the west coast. It really sounds like Sabathia cares about more than just money, as he understands he will be very rich no matter what.

Some players think that cities like New York and Philly aren't fun to play in, because if they do not play to their expectations, they will get boo-ed and blasted by the media. But please C.C. come to philly

If the Yanks steal Tex from us, I'm pretty sure the Angels will go hard after C.C.

"I'm pretty Sure he comes to the Giants. He wants to be here. The Giants new owner is wanna show the leauge he means buisness. He is gonna sign CC and trade Cain for Fielder, Hardy and another player"

Sounds like a lot to ask for especially with Zito's contract still on the books for pretty much forever. I think if it does happen, it will be one or the other but not both.

If he doesn't get some insane A-Rod deal from the Yankees, it's fair certainty he ends up on the West Coast.

"He is gonna sign CC and trade Cain for Fielder, Hardy and another player"

You're dreaming if you actually believe the Brewers would move Hardy AND Fielder for Cain. You can have one or the other, and probably a prospect or two, but you can't get both for just Cain. That's simply a lopsided move.

"I am going to go out on a limb and say (sadly for the Dodgers) Zito is going to return to some kind of reasonable form next year. Not worth the contract, but much improved."

I actually feel the same. I just think that if he can get his fastball back into the high 80's, he's totally capable of posting a 4.00ish ERA. The problem has never been his work ethic or commitment, he's trying his best, but physically he's just not the guy he was in 2003. I mean from here on out he'll always have games where his offspeed stuff isn't working and he gets pummeled, but I think that over the course of a season Zito can prove to be a solid 4/5 starter.

Obviously for $126M/7 thats just pitiful production, but there's been times when that contract could've been seen as a sunk cost.

"I just think that if he can get his fastball back into the high 80's, he's totally capable of posting a 4.00ish ERA."

Actually, if he can get his velocity back that high, I think Zito becomes the pitcher he was with the A's. I think his relative success as this season has progressed has come from the fact that he has learned to pitch without the velocity.

"The problem has never been his work ethic or commitment, he's trying his best, but physically he's just not the guy he was in 2003."

I think he is physically able to pitch the way he used to. I think it is more a mental thing than anything else, as shown by his constant need to tinker with his mechanics. I really think that if the Giants want any ROI on Zito, they should hire Rick Peterson as his personal coach and get his mechanics right.

Arod chose to stay. You know after the theatrical opt out during the world series. My bet is even if the yanks trade him within 5 years it'll require them to eat more than half his contract and even then he'll probably cost a lot more prospects than he's worth. He's 33, odds are pretty good after 5 more years he won't have the same numbers.

It's almost funny. One of the greatest hitters of all time and he's considered a perpetual disappointment.

As for suing Jones? What idiot came up with that idea? That lawsuit would be dismissed faster than the drop in Jones hitting abilities.

Joe505 wrote: "when Peter Gammons puts the trade Idea out there then I think I'll listen to him."

Peter Gammons makes up his own stories. Matt Cain is a good pitcher, but not worth 2 everyday players where one is a 24 year old 1B hitting .274/.372/.510 with 34 homers and 101 RBI AND a 26 year old SS hitting .288/.348/.486 with 24 homers and 73 RBI AND a prospect.

Cain for Fielder, Hardy, and a prospect

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHASAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA