ESPN.com's Buster Olney wonders if the new Rangers ownership will make a splash and go after Ben Sheets, a known favorite of Nolan Ryan. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman says the Yankees have not set any deadlines on their negotiations with Johnny Damon. Jon Heyman of SI.com reported yesterday that Damon had to make a decision within days, but that's not the case, according to the GM.
- Olney doesn't think it makes sense for the White Sox to give Jim Thome a roster spot.
- The Red Sox will look to replace David Ortiz if he struggles in the first half. They'll pursue a catcher and move Victor Martinez to DH if Big Papi starts this season as poorly as he started last season.
Could the Sox call up Expositio to take over the catching job?
link to soxprospects.com
Or would they go defense first with a Dusty Brown type?
Possibly Ryan Doumit? If Papi struggles I think Doumit would be a nice fit for the Sox.
Michael Bowden – Ryan Doumit?
Manny Delcarmen – Ryan Doumit?
I dont think Doumit would be any better than Martinez behind the plate. Would be better off going after a DH.
Russell Martin is interesting to me, but I dont think the teams could work out anything.
Probably depends on how well Doumit’s doing. If he’s on his way to repeating last season, then yeah – the Red Sox could probably get him for Bowden + one of their low-level, low-ceilinged catching prospects like Fedoriwicz. But if he’s reproducing his ’07 or ’08 season, it’s going to take a hell of a lot more. Boston doesn’t have much leverage if they’re in a position of looking for a catcher.
But I doubt Olney’s correct on this one. Why move Martinez to DH, where he’s much less valuable? Why not put Lowell there? Or why not wait for Ortiz to bounce back like he did last year?
“Why not put Lowell there?” < Good Point.
Doumit will have a great year and establish himself as an all star this season. Your going to need alot to get him.
I’m a yankee fan, but i dont think Doumit would be available, i’m telling you he’s special, and he’s going to have a great year and establish himself as an all star. Your going to need alot to get him.
Just lost a bit of respect for Olney…
I’m in the negatives for olney and heyman.. Especially heyman
Why?
Didn’t Heyman report the Mets turned down a trade for Halladay that never even happened?
no…
actually he did.. link to amazinavenue.com
It does make sense for ESPN to still give Olney a spot as a reporter, but they still do.
doesn’t**
I think the Sox should trade Ortiz instead of Lowell and have Lowell DH. Lowell has proven that he can still hit, but can’t play defensively. He is an upgrade over Ortiz at DH, if you ask me.
If Lowell gets hurt, the Red Sox still have a ton of flexibility, with Bill Hall and Hermedia, they have the other starters DH and keep everyone fresh without loosing bats.
Minor problem with that (aside from the obvious). Papi has full no trade protection being a 10-5 guy, Lowell does not.
The question is, what type of PED’s are the Red Sox feeding Ortiz to help avoid last years first half performance?
That’s an intelligent thing to say since everyone gets drug tested on a regular basis
Although I wouldn’t say it’s the TEAM feeding PED’s to a player, I wouldn’t be so quick to assume the testing program is all that far reaching – particularly between seasons. It’s one thing when the season is on, but once it’s over many players return to latinamerica, where you can get a lot of substances very easily without prescriptions – and with a lot less disapproval from the locals, whatever you may hear. You can’t send testers repeatedly to many of the places players live, so many probably do take their chances. The MLB doesn’t talk about this publicly but I doubt they can realistically compensate for that aspect. So without really effective scrutiny, who knows what players are choosing to do during all that that off-time?
Hmm maybe the twins weren’t wrong about David Ortiz. Roids!
Wouldn’t it be much easier to find a DH/1st baseman than a catcher if Ortiz struggles.
I agree with comment above. Mike Lowel seems perfect for DH, they could even platoon the two. Otherwise I agree with you, wouldn’t seem too difficult to find an all bat no glover like Jake Fox. Unless they really don’t like victor behind the plate.
I’m guessing the reason they’d be looking for a catcher is because they’re worried V-Mart is going to struggle through a whole season anyway, as well as his really weak arm. He always slumps in the second half, which is just shouting at everyone to move him to DH so that doesn’t happen.
what olney means is that if ortiz struggles and minnesota doesn’t resign mauer/are not in contention, then the sox will try to trade for mauer and move v-mart to DH…
but like it was said above for now they have lowell in case of injurues or struggles for beltre, youk, and ortiz, and i think only if all four are playing well then lowell will be traded at the deadline. and by that i mean if ortiz is playing like he did the last four months lowell will be traded midseason.
They still have Lowell who fits the DH role quite well. I don’t think they are that concerned with Martinez’s defense, not enough to go out and get another player that forces Lowell back on to the bench.
I fully expect Ortiz to be Big Papi this season. It was his torn wrist tendon sheath that started his dramatic slide, and the farther away he got from the injury the better he performed. At his age (real or imagined) it’s likely there’s gas in the tank for 30-40/100/100/.900+ for a year or two.
i totally agree! everyone said steroids, etc. he’s just a big guy that at the beginning of the year was still recovering from 2 injuries (wrist tendon sheath & his knee was giving him trouble then too), those are 2 big keys to a swing