The phrase "aggressive in Pawtucket" will for me always bring to mind Izzy Alcantara.

I hope Mel figures it out. It's easy to be aggressive in the minors, though, when you can blow a 94 MPH fastball by people.

Still, if this season ends with Aceves and Melancon holding down the back of the Sox pen for little to no money while Soriano is getting lit up for $12 million, man that will make me angry.

BTW, cutting Aceves is Cashman's worst move ever. Unlike the Montero trade, it didn't make any sense even at the time.

It's easy to be aggressive in the minors, though, when you can blow a 94 MPH fastball by people.

Is that really true? My impression was always that AAA (especially "veteran" AAA) guys could hit the FB but struggle with breaking and off-speed pitches. That's why you get the low velocity control freaks putting up gaudy numbers, and then getting torched in the bigs.

BTW, cutting Aceves is Cashman's worst move ever. Unlike the Montero trade, it didn't make any sense even at the time.

Injured fungible reliever blows off rehab and is insubordinate to boot? Made perfect sense to me.

Also, Melancon has been dominant at AAA before, and Soriano is not getting lit up.

Soriano is not getting lit up.

Death and Taxes, my friend...just give it time.

Injured fungible reliever

Fungible? Not based on his performance.

Fungible enough to get rid of him for being a complete #######. That stuff counts, and its not like the Yanks have a shortage of bullpen arms. Have you seen the army coming up through the system?

Fungible enough to get rid of him for being a complete #######.

Exactly. Why do people think "fungible" is a synonym for "lousy"?

Take a look at Soriano's career.

He was not great (and was mostly injured) last year. He does have health issues, and the contract is certainly not great.

But since 2006, he has not been actually bad in any season.

And yes, he's a sourpuss. (Shrug)

Exactly. Why do people think "fungible" is a synonym for "lousy"?

I thought it meant something was a suitable substrate for fungal growth. You know, like "Josh Beckett's chin is clearly fungible."

Exactly. Why do people think "fungible" is a synonym for "lousy"?

That's better than some other people's definition of fungible.

So "fungible" doesn't mean "I'd hit it"?