Davidoff On Free Agents

Thomas to the sox

Meanwhile Ortiz has some phantom DL stint

Byrd may still have a little something left, but the rest of the guys are essentially washed up. Working out privately proves nothing; each of them needs to go to AAA ball and give a major league team a reason to find them a roster spot at the major league minimum.

The players will say they have proved themselves in the big leagues and should not have to go to AAA again.

Baloney! Guys at the tail end of their careers need to show that they are not finished by playing, not by "working out privately" while looking backwards at what they used to be.

Major league ball players who could not get major league deals anymore because they skills have eroded used to head back to AAA just to prove they could still hit/pitch. And, some of them would get back to the big leagues - at least for a while. But now, players are too proud or have made too much money to want to prove they can still contribute.

What does Byrd offer that Penny doesnt already give (or not give more). I'd rather the Red Sox utilize Buccholz, Bowden and Masterson over bringing in Byrd again. Seems like their potential will be the same as Byrd's.

This is how star careers end in 2009... not with a bang but with a whimper.

And by whimper, I mean silent, silent telephone.

Easler is a good guy for Frank Thomas, because of how he stresses a slightly more aggressive approach. At Frank's age, he probably needs to take a few more chances.

I wish Easler was still with the Dodgers in some capacity, because I think Mattingley's style is a negative for guys like Martin and Loney.