You can not give someone a dollar if you only have 50 cents."

Was Dye in right worse than Griffey was in center this year?

Kenny is thinking the market is going to stall (lets face it, its not going to be fun for the next few years, great time to graduate college) and is hoping these young guys develop?

From a recent trib story:

Another major-league source said talks linking Jenks and the New York Mets never progressed. Williams scouted Mets pitching prospect Bobby Parnell at an Arizona Fall League game last month, but New York is disinclined to trade Parnell, the source said.

Is this really suggesting the Mets would not trade Parnell for Bobby Jenks? Really? I just don’t get it — either this is bad reporting (I notice there’s no direct link made between scouting Parnell and Jenks, just an implication) or Jenks trade value is low beyond my imagining….

he’s trimming payroll in the 10s of millions and still talking about only having various amounts of change with which to buy things.

http://www.freep.com/article/20081207/SPORTS02/81207045/1048/SPORTS

kang, kodos & cash considerations for hank scorpio and a lenny to be named later

12/4/08

Atlanta Braves acquired RHP Javier Vazquez and LHP Boone Logan from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for C Tyler Flowers, INFs Jonathan Gilmore and Brent Lillibridge and LHP Santos Rodriguez.

This is a great move for the Braves. They add an innings-eater (eight years of over 200 innings pitched) who is only 32 despite 11 years of service. He can rack up the strikeouts, and despite his 4.67 ERA, his xFIP was 3.96, making this a potential bargain for the club. The 2009 Bill James Handbook projects him to pitch 214 innings of 3.80 ERA ball, whiffing 195. Keep in mind that this is with Vazquez pitching in The Cell, a hitter’s park, so he may do better at Turner Field. Also, don’t rule out peace of mind because he finally gets his wish to pitch closer to his native Puerto Rico, a fact that spurred him to request a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks three years ago. Logan is a young left-hander who hasn’t experienced success at the major league level yet and probably won’t win a bullpen job.

For the ChiSox, it opens the ability for the club to chase after a young pitcher via trade. Rumor has it they have their eye on Cincinatti Red Homer Bailey, possibly in exchange for outfielder Jermaine Dye. Flowers is the real prize here, as Kenny Williams reportedly salivated over him after seeing him play fall ball. He has questions defensively, but the ChiSox are hoping he is A.J. Pierzynski’s replacement. Gilmore is too far off to project while Lillibridge will compete with Jayson Nix and other retreads for the second base job. He can also fill in as a utility man off the bench and has excellent speed. He could be Williams’ answer to Chone Figgins, who he has coveted for a long time. Rodriguez, 20 and pitching in Rookie ball last year, could be the gem of the trade. He whiffed 49 in 25 innings while walking just 13, giving up nine earned runs and zero homers.

12/5/08

Chicago White Sox signed RHP John Van Benschoten to a minor league contract.

Van Benschoten won’t follow in the footsteps of Rick Ankiel and Adam Loewen, at least not yet. The former college slugger remains adamant as staying as a pitcher despite having baseball’s worst career ERA in at least 90 innings pitched. While his minor league track record suggests an ability to be a back of the rotation starter or capable middle reliever, he certainly hasn’t translated it to ability at the major league level. Perhaps White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper can spin another feel-good story.

I mean, seriously, ATL is closer to PR than Chicago but I’d be willing to be there is more PR culture and immigrants in CHI than ATL.

He has peace of mind because he went from one of the largest markets to one of the smaller ones and he isn’t pitching for Guillen anymore. Javy will do well in ATL because it’s the NL and a pitcher’s park. I wish him well and hope the package the Sox got for him turns into something decent.