Odds and Ends: Steinbrenner, Burnett, Sabathia

I also see the Braves as being big-time bidders for CC, even if they don't land him. They have the payroll coming off the books and NEED starting pitching. Here's my predictions:

1. Dodgers - counteracts Webb/Haren of DBacks, Dodgers have the cash, and aren't that reluctant to give out big pitching contracts

2. Yankees- Money, winning a ring, new stadium, etc.

3. Angels- Again with the West Coast, need another pitcher, although if I were the Halos, I'd focus on holding on to Teixeira for my offense over the pitching and get someone midline to take Garland's spot.

4. Braves- Need pitching, have money to spend, in the NL. Also not a high-media environment as opposed to NY/BOS.

5.Mets- They need another starter. They have the money, and that shiny new stadium. But, they really shouldn't have two pitchers signed to 100MM++ contracts. If one gets hurt/starts putting up 5++ ERAs, things get ugly.

my top 5 predictions to where burnett will land.

1. detriot tigers- they got the lineup, and all they need is a A+ pitcher, and some b/c picters and there back into the race next year (and a bullpen redo)

2. dodgers- only if they dont sign lowe, to match up with the dbacks.

3. yankees- they got money and the lineup. i really dont know if they need him if mussina is 2/3 of what he was last year, joba, wang (my cy young next year), hughes will be in the rotation at some point and why not next year.

4- blue jays- he likes it thbere, the jays have already put off figures.

5- cubs/braves/giants. if the cubs go after him its likely dempster has left. the braves well they like pitching but there offfense is just okay. the giants, if they get him ur looking at a 1-2 punch of tim lim and burnett.

I really hope the Dodgers have nothing to do with Burnett. He has never been as good as everyone says (stuff is there, execution isn't) and his injury history just screams Jason Schmidt all over again.

Would take Kerry Wood over Burnett in the injury class candidates. Wood would be a devastating middle reliever on a real playoff contending team like Philly/Boston/Angels/TB that would/could advance past the teams fans own hyper fears next season if he would just leave the Cubs.

Boston last year made him like a 2 million 1 year offer and he went back to Chicago anyway due to loyalty.

Wood is too fragile to be counted on as a closer, just like Troy Percival in TB, but either just as a middle reliever can be just that extra, now and then shot in the arm that can be counted on to win those extra 2-3 games per season. Wood is wrecking his chances of that ring by hanging around in Cubbie land.

I have not heard what colletti (or mccourt) would like to get the payroll up to, but i dont think it would be a problem to get get to 140 mill or so.

We have Penny, Nomar, Loaiza, Lowe, Furcal all coming off of the payroll, which should be able to get us both manny and CC, if we were to really try.

Realistically, though, we should get manny (1st option), if not him, then get CC (2nd option).

"Don't know much about the Dodgers so I am asking Dodger fans. Do they have enough to sign Manny and Burnett or CC?"

Again, Burnett is a huge mistake waiting to happen for the Dodgers. That said, the Dodgers can likely sign both Manny and CC, resign Furcal and not dent the payroll that much.

"Not a Dodgers fan... but just looking at it, they have Garciaparra, Kent, Lowe, and Furcal (and maybe Penny) all coming off the books, total 40.5M. But 15M in raises, maybe more. Sadly $8M in raises go to Pierre and Jones combined."

"We have Penny, Nomar, Loaiza, Lowe, Furcal all coming off of the payroll, which should be able to get us both manny and CC, if we were to really try."

You both seem to miss that the Dodgers are highly likely to resign Furcal. Also, you each missed one big payroll issue in Loaiza and Kent, respectively. Additionally, there is a ton of money coming off the books for 2010, which means the bump in payroll may be temporary.

That said, the Dodgers are facing arbitration raises to Martin, Ethier and Broxton. Martin figures to get $5 million, Ethier around $3 million and Broxton probably gets around $2 million. That is $10 million.

"BucSox
yes, kent, penny, lowe, nomar, furcal= 54m
manny wants 17m, quoting earlier reports on this site, cc gets around 20-22= 39m. furcal prob loses a little(back surgery, but gets around 12m, =51m. that 3m can go towards resigning blake(to start, will prob get around 6m). i did the math earlier, and they have another 3m coming off, i forgot from where, so the 3+3, and u have blakes salary. they can have manny, cc, blake, furcal w/o a raise of payroll. i hope that they raise it to get lowe back. but nothing else is prob needed"

The problem is that you left out arbitration raises, which will be due to Martin, Ethier and Broxton. As stated before, that eats up upwards of $10 million.