Andyu

http://rotoworld.com/content/home_MLB.aspx

Reds signed 1B Andy Phillips, RHP Jim Brower, LHP Adam Pettyjohn, INF Andy Green and INF Jolbert Cabrera to minor league contracts and invited them to spring training.
No one here should make the team. Green is back in the U.S. after flopping in Japan last year. It's surprising Phillips couldn't find a better fit. The Reds have indicated that they're going with Jeff Keppinger as their first baseman against left-handers. Unless an Edwin Encarnacion trade opens up third base for Keppinger to play regularly, then there's not going to be any room for Phillips on the bench.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/features/265385.html

BA- TOP TEN
PROSPECTS
1. Clay Buchholz, rhp
2. Jacoby Ellsbury, of
3. Lars Anderson, 1b
4. Justin Masterson, rhp
5. Jed Lowrie, ss
6. Ryan Kalish, of
7. Michael Bowden, rhp
8. Nick Hagadone, lhp
9. Oscar Tejeda, ss
10. Josh Reddick, of





BEST
TOOLS
Best Hitter for Average Lars Anderson
Best Power Hitter Lars Anderson
Best Strike-Zone Discipline Jeff Natale
Fastest Baserunner Jacoby Ellsbury
Best Athlete Jacoby Ellsbury
Best Fastball Justin Masterson
Best Curveball Clay Buchholz
Best Slider Nick Hagadone
Best Changeup Clay Buchholz
Best Control Michael Bowden
Best Defensive Catcher Mark Wagner
Best Defensive Infielder Argenis Diaz
Best Infield Arm Will Middlebrooks
Best Defensive Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury
Best Outfield Arm Che-Hsuan Lin




PROJECTED 2011
LINEUP
Catcher Mark Wagner
First Base Lars Anderson
Second Base Dustin Pedroia
Third Base Kevin Youkilis
Shortstop Jed Lowrie
Left Field Ryan Kalish
Center Field Jacoby Ellsbury
Right Field Josh Reddick
Designated Hitter David Ortiz
No. 1 Starter Josh Beckett
No. 2 Starter Clay Buchholz
No. 3 Starter Daisuke Matsuzaka
No. 4 Starter Jon Lester
No. 5 Starter Michael Bowden
Closer Jonathan Papelbon

When the Red Sox introduced Theo Epstein as their general manager in November 2002, he talked of building a "$100 million player-development machine." Epstein may have come in low on his estimate for big league payroll—Boston's constant warring with the Yankees helped push that figure to $143 million by Opening Day last year—but otherwise consider his goal a mission accomplished.

The Red Sox' first World Series championship of Epstein's tenure—and their first in 86 years—came in 2004. Just one fully homegrown player, Trot Nixon, was on the roster for all three rounds of the postseason. By contrast, the club that swept the Rockies in the 2007 World Series highlighted Boston's scouting and development aptitude. Rookies Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia batted atop the lineup in the last two games, and the only reason second-year starter Kevin Youkilis wasn't in the heart of the order was that David Ortiz moved to first with the DH out at Coors Field.

Second-year pitchers Jon Lester, Manny Delcarmen and Jonathan Papelbon did most of the pitching in the clincher. Clay Buchholz, who no-hit the Orioles in his second big league start in September, wasn't even needed. He sat out the playoffs with a tired arm.

The Red Sox' aggressive pursuit of talent on both the free-agent and amateur markets has them poised to be a World Series favorite for at least the next few years. Their deep, balanced farm system offers both position players and pitchers, with talent spread through the upper and lower levels. Though cracking the Boston roster will be difficult, righthanders Justin Masterson and Michael Bowden, shortstop Jed Lowrie and outfielder Brandon Moss are just about ready for prime-time duty. Deeper down, first baseman Lars Anderson, outfielder Ryan Kalish, lefty Nick Hagadone and shortstop Oscar Tejeda are loaded with promise.

The Red Sox aren't afraid to buck Major League Baseball and spend what they deem necessary on the draft. That's an advantage, to be sure, but it still can't take away from the success scouting director Jason McLeod has had running drafts from 2005-07. McLeod's first draft included Ellsbury, Buchholz, Lowrie and Bowden. Boston signed Masterson, Kalish, outfielder Josh Reddick and Anderson all after the first round in 2006. Last June, the Sox lacked a true first-rounder but still had an impressive haul that included Hagadone and middle infielder Ryan Dent in the sandwich round and Will Middlebrooks in the fifth.

Boston also is becoming a leader on the international front. Besides signing Japanese big leaguers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima, the Sox have bolstered the farm system the last two years with the likes of Tejeda, outfielder Engel Beltre (sent to the Rangers in the Eric Gagne trade) and infielder Michael Almanzar from the Dominican Republic and outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin from Taiwan.

Besides restocking the big league club, the depth also provides Boston with plenty of trade fodder. The Red Sox gave up Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez in a November 2005 swap that landed ace Josh Beckett and World Series MVP Mike Lowell. They also appear to be in as good a position as any club to acquire Johan Santana if the Twins decide to deal the best pitcher in baseball.

Poster -Idiot left coast bosox fan

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http://redsoxprospects57174.yuku.com/topic/2401?page=2


Hank Steinbrenner:

"We're going to have the best pitching by far in baseball in two or three years, and we'll be tough this year," Steinbrenner said. "We obviously already have position players."

Looking down the road 2-3 years here's what they have to work with.


I guess the Yankees have already figured out how to stop aging while their young pitchers develop

Pitching:

Hughes
Wang
Chamberlain
Rivera ( at age 41-42 )

Musina is unlikely to be there because of age and already full steamed age related regression both statistically and in actual "stuff".
Pettitte is unlikely because he keeps saying he will retire. One of these years he will. I believe that will happen if his "stuff" begins normal regression.
None of the other current relievers will be there in 2-3 years and none is elite now.

That leaves 8 slots from:

Kennedy (**** from KG)
Horne (**** from KG)
Betances (*** from KG)
Brackman (*** from KG)(out until 2009 per amfox1)
Ramirez (*** from KG)
Sanchez (** from KG)

hmmmmm seems to be a gap there. Ahhhh wait a minute, free agents. Hank will have unlimited money to spend. Wait one, weren't they talking about the need to dump Matsui's contract to sign Santana ? Could it be that Georgie gave Hank a limited allowance ?

OK let's look at the position players behind this "best staff in baseball"

Here are the old players and their ages 2-3 years from now Matsui (36-37) , Damon (36-37), Abreau (36-37), Jeter (35-36), Giambi (38-39) & Posada (38-39 ). Of those, I believe only Matsui and Giambi are not signed for the next three years (But plz don't assume it to be true, it's a minor point). That leaves ARod, Cano, Cabrera and a bunch of below average first basemen.

Here's a list of the top position players (ratings courtesy of KG) coming through the minors and some notes again, stolen from Amfox1:

Austin Jackson, OF **** (21/AA)
Jose Tabata, OF **** (19/AA)
Jesus Montero, C *** (18/A)
Kelvin DeLeon, OF *** (17/R)

That's a pretty young group and certainly not likely to reach the past production of the old group.

Now, in terms of the Santana trade, add Santana and remove any reasonable trade proposal, the situation isn't a whole lot better in the near future and definitely not better in the long run. Getting Santana isn't going to turn this team around all by himself.

Sorry Hank, the run is over. I only hope that you realize it a few years too late, like the White Sox.

http://rotoworld.com/content/home_MLB.aspx
Phillies designated LHP Matt Smith for assignment.
The move clears a 40-man roster spot for So Taguchi. We would have dropped John Ennis or Anderson Garcia before Smith, but it's probably not going to make much of a difference. Smith is recovering from Tommy John surgery and figures to miss the first half of the season.

http://riveraveblues.com/


Some minor transactions:

* Mighty Matt DeSalvo, the Yanks’ 2005 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, signed with the Braves. This is a sad, sad day in Mike A. land. Almost as sad as when Mike Richter announced his retirement.
* Andy Phillips inked a deal with the Reds. Kinda shocked it wasn’t the Dodgers.
* The Yanks signed RHP Scott Strickland, LHP Heath Phillips, LHP Billy Traber, C Jason Brown and IF Nick Green to minor league deals.

Brown and Green have spent time with the organization before. Strickland is a career journeyman, last pitching in the bigs with Houston back in 2005. The Padres released him in Spring Training last year just before his $550k salary was to be guaranteed. Traber was a first round pick way back in 2000, but has bounced from club to club and got pounded with the Nats last year (39.2 IP, 50 H, 21 ER, 13 BB, 27 K). I figure he’ll at least get a look-see in Spring Training to see if he can be an effective lefty specialist.

Heath Phillips is actually a halfway decent arm, and part of me was hoping the Yanks would take a flier on him after the ChiSox choose not to tender him a contract in December. He’s a barrel chested soon-to-be 26 year old workhorse with a high-80’s sinker and a rainbow curve. He can get into trouble by leaving pitches up in the zone, but he limits the damage because he keeps his walks down. This, ladies and gentlemen, is your LOOGY sleep