I hope Craig Wilson is non-tendered so we can grab him

I think Miller will either be signed to some kind of incentivized deal or cut loose. I know he's coming of a low base salary and someone (his agent?) put out a story he's be ready in May or something, but how often does a pitcher coming off shoulder surgery really get tendered a contract?

I'd like to see the Sox pick up Carlos Pena if he's cut loose. He's no great shakes, but he is a local kid and could be useful as part of a 1B platoon, ideally with Wilson.

Given the choice between Pena or Choi... I'd irrationally take Choi because he's Asian. But Craig Wilson I'd really like to see, he DEFINITLY helps us as Trot's platoon partner.

Choi/Youkilis at 1B
Graffs at 2B
O-Cab/Gonzalez at SS
Loretta at 3B
Wilson/Trot at RF

C'mon heterosexual life partners/GM dudes. Do it!

You and me both, brotha.

But more to the point, Choi still has never been given a solid season to prove himself whereas Pena has had several in a low-pressure environment and has only proven to be a reincarnation of Travis Lee. Choi still has the potential to become Derrek Lee.

I'd be happy with any three of those 1B options, in a cost-appropriate situation. Wilson makes a heck of a lot of sense though, considering he's a righty who can play a passable RF.

Choi vs. RHP, career: .250/.353/.455
Wilson vs. RHP, career: .256/.346/.462

Wilson's just as capable of being your starting 1B as Choi is. In the best case for you guys, he'd probably bounce between first and right, depending on whether a LHP or RHP is starting.

Choi's played in tougher parks, is a better fielder, and is younger ... but, yeah, your point still stands, Vlad.

Is Wilson going to be non-tendered?

Is Wilson going to be non-tendered?

David Littlefield has done dumber things, but not very many. I'd guess he will NOT be non-tendered (he will be tendered?).

The Pirates do not have enough requisite faith in Eldred, McLouth, and Gerut to non-tender Wilson.

This is a tidbit from the story about Nomar signing:

The club is not expected to tender a contract to catcher Jason Phillips and could choose the same route with first baseman Hee-Seop Choi.

Garciaparra's arrival makes Choi expendable, but because of his power and youth, the Dodgers are trying to sign him to a salary considerably below what he could earn through arbitration. If he does not agree, Choi would probably non-tender him and make him a free agent.

Why on earth would he sign for far less than he would get through arb (which I'm guessing is in the $1 mil to $1.5 mil range)? To be 'considerably below' that, they'd have to be offering around 500K or so. Wouldn't he at least choose to become a free agent to see if he could top that?

Phillips might also be an interesting player for backup C. PrOPS put him at 0.267 0.314 0.402 last year and I believe it had him as pretty good in 04. He's a pretty good defender as well, IIRC. (Is he just the unluckiest guy in the world?)

ZIPS projects Phillips to hit .252 .318 .383 in LA. So even if it isn't bad luck, it might be worth trying him for backup catcher. It also follows my theory of signing or trading for people that DePodedsta acquired. (Watch the smart people, do what they do.)

I like Phillips a lot as a backup catcher, provided that he can throw out people, like he could before last season. Does anyone know the story there?

Does anyone know the story there?

It was that his release got REALLLLLLY slow, wasn't it?

I'm sure Ryan Freel would love to get a few more cracks at him...

"Is Wilson going to be non-tendered?"

I certainly hope not, but with these bozos, you never know.

the pitt local states that wilson will be tendered

One does (P-G), but the other's ambiguous (BCT), and that's the one with the best track record of the bunch.

Speaking of first base options, San Diego just traded Eaton and others for a package that includes Adrian Gonzalez.

Since the Red Sox were rumored to be interested in getting Gonzalez from Texas, and San Diego's been the top potential destination for Wells, anybody else think this could be the first step to a Boston-San Diego swap?

And if it does happen, how much do we like him for this season? He's lefty, so he would work well with Youkilis, and he mashed the ball at Oklahoma last year. But he hasn't hit a lick in the majors yet. Of course, he'll only be 24 in May.

The other question is whether or not the Padres would trade Gonzalez straight up for Wells or would the Red Sox have to kick in more (or would the Padres kick in more). I have no idea how much they value him.

Choi was signed, so he'll be out. Though for the right trade offer . . .

Would I be the only Therapudlian interested in Byrnes as 4th OF? At least he plays RF vs. lefties, or could play a serviceable CF in Fenway against lefties if Reed comes over, and picks up for Manny defensively in LF whenever possible. And he'd be shaggy as hell, too; there's now a void in that area.

Doesn't UZR say Byrnes is terrible even in the corners?

I'd like to see a Varitek vs. Byrnes Pushing Rematch.

Eric Byrnes is quite possibly the single dumbest player in MLB right now. Can't field to save his life. Nasty, stupid temper.

On the other hand, he would be endlessly entertaining. I think one of the A's fans compared the Byrnes experience to watching a developmentally impaired labrador retriever - all the enthusiasm in the world, and apparent athleticism, but completely unable to complete even the simplest tasks.

we dont' call Eric Byrnes "??" for nothing