Basically, the trade now looks like Garland for Cabrera and Linebrink.

I still can't believe Kenny spent that kind of money on a reliever, especially one with declining numbers.

Just because the cheap bullpen didn't work well last season doesn't mean it's not a good idea.

Welcome to the Baltimore of the Midwest. With a worse farm system.

Todd Jones: 7 million
Kobayashi: 3.25 million a year xs 2
Borowski: 4 million

So the yearly rate is about right considering Linebrink is either obviuosly better (Jones, Borowski) or much more of a proven commodity (Keyser Soze's boy) than those guys.

It's really the length of the contract that's concerning. 2 years? yeah. 3 years? maybe. But 4 years?.........

Also changing leagues shouldn't really be an issue (beyond the DH at least) as studies have shown that the major difference in leagues is the pitching and not the hitting. And even taking ballparks into consideration he does have a career ERA+ of 127.

Anyway the point is I would actually be praising this if it was for 2 years, and neutral if it was 3 years. But 4 years..... Maybe Levine got the years wrong (fingers crossed).

It is bothersome EVERYONE getting signed to long-term deals is over freaking 30.  And I generally like old guys - I are one!  Those peripherals quoted above could be seen from an airplane by Stevie Wonder - how can KW not see the decline and still want it on his team until 2012?

This is gonna be one fun offseason on this site.

One of the worst things you can do in any professional sport is overpay for a player that at best will mean the difference between a last place finish and a 2nd to last place finish.  The Sox aren't going to compete in 2008, not with major holes in the offense and pitching staffs.  So why sign an aging reliever who has been in decline for 4 years 19 million dollars?  Instead, throw 19 million dollars into the farm system, I guarantee it would help more than Linebrink.

I applauded the approach KW took to the bullpen last year, and thought it was one of few smart moves.  The bullpen didn't perform -- but such is the capriciousness of pitching at the Cell.  At least the Sox weren't spending big money for garbage.

Well now next year when the bullpen is garbage they will be spending big money.

Many of you are saying that we should hold back on criticism and that we don't know the big plan -- well that's right.  We can only view these moves as we see them, without any benefit of how the GM sees it all fitting together.  But we fans sure as hell can analyze these moves for what they are worth -- and it's hard to see how this move (for whatever plan KW has) makes sense.

Unless JR suddenly told KW he has 50 million to spend this off season this move makes zero sense.

The fact that the Sox will forfeit a pick for overpaying this bum makes it even worse.  It's hard to root for a team that makes such dumb and delusional decisions.

I'll forever thank KW for creating the Championship team, and I was a huge KW at that time, praising his cost effective moves like Dye and Iguchi and Jenks.

But now Erstad, Pods, Owens over Anderson, Garland for OCAB, Linebrink -- have soured me completely.

I don't agree with the length but I can see shelling out 4.5 mill for him this year. 4.5 mill isn't much more than other relievers with his past successes. 1-2 years maybe, but not 3 or 4.

Let's admit it, our bullpen needed fixing. What other free agents would fix it? Who would you trade for and send? This seemed to me to be the best way to compete in 2008.