Sweeney is fixing his swing

And for those who pine for Adam Dunn, look at his numbers (-29).  Ack.  I'm still glad we don't have him.

(Anything that saves us from trading Garland for "relief help" is perfect in my eyes.)

Plus, I'd like to have another guy with a built-in nickname on the team, and Mayday Meloan is right up my alley.

That would include us. So KW's got detailed PBP which I assume he's using to either A) determine their own fielding ratings or he's using Dewan's fielding ratings. Either way the White Sox PBP source is Dewan's company. Interesting. It's nice to know we are utilizing advanced defensive metrics.

Fielding Bible likes Andruw Jones more than Hunter or Rowand defensively. And all of the systems think Eckstein was bad this past year. Maybe that's what kept us away from him?

LF  Lastings Milledge
2B  Danny Richar
DH  Jim Thome
1B  Paul Konerko
CF  Andruw Jones
RF  Jermaine Dye
3B  Josh Fields
C   A.J. Pierzynski
SS  Juan Uribe

You also add a bit more speed for those speed-nuts out there (not me) and it definitely doesn't make our lineup any older.  Then, all Kenny has to do is improve the bullpen by signing a couple relievers.  Go with a rotation of Buehrle, Vazquez, Contreras, and the best two of Floyd, Gio, Danks, Egbert, etc.

Let the rumors of Crede and Garland to the Brewers for Bill Hall and a prospect restart...

I won't link it here but if you want to see the video (NSFW), go to www.deadspin.com and search for "Huff".  The article is named "Aubrey Huff Admires Works Of Art".  Melissa Midwest is one fine piece of @$$.

"Alex Rodriguez Gets
A Surprise Assist
From Fan in Omaha
As Yankee Slugger Whiffed
On Contract, He Turned
To Buffett and Goldman
By KATE KELLY and DANA CIMILLUCA
November 17, 2007; Page A1

In the public imagination, sports negotiations unfold along the lines of "Jerry Maguire" and other fictional portrayals -- fast-talking, bare-knuckled agents going to head-to-head with cigar-smoking team owners in a game of "Show Me the Money."

But when New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez stumbled in his efforts to ink a stratospheric new contract, he turned to a different set of characters: Omaha investor Warren Buffett and two executives from Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Thanks to their assist, Mr. Rodriguez, one of the most talented but also one of the most controversial players in the game, is finalizing a 10-year deal with the Yankees which could reach $275 million over its duration, according to people familiar with the situation. The deal, if it comes together, would represent a high-water mark for any professional sports franchise. Mr. Rodriguez's previous contract, set to expire in 2010, was for $252 million over 10 years.

While Wall Street often lurks in the background of big-money sports, this was a rare occasion when financial titans played an intimate role in contract discussions for a professional athlete. Their involvement effectively sidelined the third baseman's longtime agent, Scott Boras, the aggressive dealmaker who first turned Mr. Rodriguez into the highest-paid man in baseball.

The Goldman executives helped reopen a dialogue that had been severed dramatically more than two weeks ago, when, at Mr. Boras's urging, the third baseman had declared free agency, spurning the $72 million he stood to make in the final three years of his contract and opening himself to offers from other teams. Mr. Rodriguez's move, leaked during the fourth game of the World Series, upstaged baseball's premier event, angering the Yankees, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and many baseball fans. It also infuriated the player's critics, who had long grumbled about Mr. Rodriguez's post-season performance and voiced doubts about his loyalties to New York.

As a free agent, Mr. Rodriguez -- who left the Seattle Mariners for a bigger pay day -- was available to all 30 Major League Baseball teams. But interest was tepid, according to published reports, spurring speculation that Mr. Rodriguez and his agent may have overreached.

Discussions between Mr. Rodriguez and Yankee executives occurred over a frenetic three-week period that included a worried phone call the third basement placed to Mr. Buffett late last week.

As money managers for the Steinbrenner family, which controls the Yankees, and significant investors in the team's Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network cable network, Goldman's ties to the organization run deep. By sidestepping Mr. Boras, Mr. Rodriguez was not only breaking tradition, but ran the risk of alienating the baseball player's union. But it appears the risk paid off: Though the deal has not yet been finalized and could still fall apart, people familiar with the matter say it is coming together.

The agent "has represented his clients well and has gotten them precedent-setting contracts," says Lon Babby, a sports lawyer at Williams & Connolly. But "it's the player that creates value, not the agent."

Mr. Boras did not return calls for comment, and the Yankees declined to make Mr. Rodriguez available for comment.

Mr. Rodriguez's initial defection happened in late October, a tense period for the team during which its beloved manager Joe Torre was effectively ousted after the Yankees were eliminated in the playoffs. Hoping to net a richer contract elsewhere, Mr. Boras advised his client to exercise his opt-out clause, a move reported Oct. 29. The player reluctantly took his agent's advice, say people familiar with his thinking, even though he and his wife Cynthia were eager to stay in New York and have him continue to play for the Yankees.

Amid deafening criticism by sports writers and on talk radio, a worried Mr. Rodriguez called Mr. Buffett, say people familiar with the matter. The two had become friends a few years ago, after the slugger flew to Omaha to meet with the investing guru and rabid baseball fan. After that, the two met socially several more times, say the people familiar with the matter. Signifying their mutual admiration, an autographed Rodriguez jersey hangs at Berkshire Hathaway's Omaha headquarters.

Mr. Buffett's advice was simple, says a person familiar with the matter: approach the Yankees solo, without Mr. Boras. "A-Rod really loves being a Yankee," says Mr. Buffett. He declined to comment on the substance of any conversation with Mr. Rodriguez, saying he doesn't discuss private talks.

The day after his opt-out was publicized, Mr. Rodriguez contacted Goldman wealth manager John Mallory, whom he had met through family in Miami. Although Mr. Mallory had moved to Los Angeles, Calif. about a year ago, where he now manages Goldman's southwest wealth-management division, the third baseman had stayed in touch, say these people, and the Goldman executive continued handling the Steinbrenner family's wealth-management account, giving him a close link to the team's owners.

During the call, Mr. Rodriguez appeared to be "beside himself" that he was on the outs with the Yankees and eager to extend an olive branch, say people with knowledge of the matter. Mr. Mallory promised to see what he could do, this person adds.

Mr. Mallory called Gerry Cardinale, the Goldman partner who handles media and telecommunications investments for the firm's private-equity unit. "You're not going to believe this," said Mr. Mallory, according to people with knowledge of the matter. He explained that Mr. Rodriguez had called, and that the player wanted to "reestablish a dialogue" with the Steinbrenners.

Mr. Cardinale, 40, was confident he could do something. He had been well acquainted with the family since 2001, when Goldman invested in YES. He immediately called Yankees president Randy Levine and told him of Mr. Rodriguez's remorse. "He's genuine," Mr. Cardinale said, according to the person with knowledge of the matter. "I think you guys should hear him out." Shortly thereafter, Mr. Mallory flew to Miami to help Mr. Rodriguez strategize.

Mr. Levine got in touch with Hank and Hal Steinbrenner, the sons of Yankee organization Chairman George Steinbrenner. Their response: They would talk, but only if Mr. Boras weren't involved.

Over the next several days, Messrs. Cardinale and Mallory acted as the go-betweens for the player and the team, say people familiar with the matter. While the Rodriguezes huddled with Mr. Mallory in Miami, Mr. Cardinale kept in touch from New York, these people say. Once the player had made contact with the Steinbrenner brothers, the Goldman executives stepped aside, leaving the parties largely on their own to talk.

One reason the Goldman executives recused themselves is baseball's Collective Bargaining Agreement. According to the regulations, the agent of record is the only person besides the player himself who can negotiate on the player's behalf.

If the deal goes through, it's a happy ending for most everyone involved. The 32-year-old Mr. Rodriguez gets a richer pay package, which includes incentives if he manages to reach goals like breaking the home-run record set by Barry Bonds. The Yankees and Goldman get to keep Mr. Rodriguez's star power, which helps sell tickets and attract cable viewers.

And Mr. Boras still gets his commission.

--Russell Adams and Karen Richardson contributed
to this article"

See, we're all fans who want signed jerseys of our heroes hanging in our offices.  Cheat, can you sign a post or two for us?  I'll buy.

Most likely Ethier gets the nod in RF, which makes Kemp available.  So, if the chips do fall like that, Jon Garland makes perfect sense for L.A.  Kemp solves our problem in LF and makes us younger.  He is the type of player that KW could start a young nucleus around.

Also, in a minor trade, the Blue Jays acquired infielder Marco Scutaro from the Athletics RHP Graham Godfrey and RHP Kristian Bell.