Hangover-Monday Round Up

Following Boston's failure to get the Helton deal done, several MLB officials threw their opinions into the pot.

Four baseball officials who were asked were baffled that the Todd Helton deal did not take place last week. The majority agreed the Rockies and Red Sox would rekindle talks in spring training. "Manny Delcarmen [one of the players Colorado asked for] has a very good arm and he could be a very good middle reliever, but you take your chances there. You don't have very many chances to obtain a hitter like Helton," said one National League GM. An American League West GM said, "The last thing you want is for that Red Sox lineup to get better. I was crossing my fingers that it wouldn't get done. Thank God."

As the article decrees, there is always the off-chance that the two teams will rekindle discussions during Spring training. Unfortunately, Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd and Helton himself may not be as receptive as the other MLB sources believe. From the Denver Post:

Todd Helton has told the Rockies he is prepared to veto all future trades for the next five years. O'Dowd said he was "never overly optimistic that the Red Sox deal was going to get done" because neither side could find a match on a young prospect.

The crossroads with the Rockies and Helton could come at this time next year, when Triple-A corner fielders Joe Koshansky and Ian Stewart should be ready for big-league jobs.

Since they initiated the trade talks, the Rox are probably putting up a united front to discourage teams from thinking Helton is "on the block." But, maybe Colorado is genuine in their stubbornness to keep Helton as long as the return is not up to par. One thing seems certain, with the emergence of young hitting prospects, Helton will be a hot trade topic during Spring and thereafter. Whether he will end up in Fenway is anybody's guess.


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Philly.com has already begun the discussion on whether the Phillies should bring Curt Schilling back to the city of brotherly love. In a free-agent market which yielded Gil Meche $11 million a season, the Red Sox will probably bring Schilling back in 2008 for his desired $13 million per.


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The New York Post reports that Joe Girardi will return as an analyst with the Yes Network. As everybody knows, he will return to managing ASAP, but Kevin Kernan believes the Bronx may be a fit.


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Juan Gonzalez wants to come back to MLB now that all of those steroids have been flushed from his bloodstream.

"I still can play and I couldn't before because I was hurt," said Gonzalez, who will be 38 in September. "I can't do anything about that anymore because that is history. I have a goal and that is I want to hit 500 home runs and maybe then I will retire. Maybe. We'll see what God has planned for me."

Gonzalez said at least four Major League teams are interested in signing him for the 2007 season, and he is looking forward to reporting to a club for Spring Training in a few weeks. According to published reports in Puerto Rico, the Angels, Tigers and Orioles have all expressed interest in signing the former two-time American League Most Valuable Player.

Five years ago Jon Heyman had a good perspective on Juan Gonzalez and what would become a habit of vetoing trades, contracts, and steroid laws.

Juan Gonzalez, Tigers outfielder. If he wouldn't take their bid for more than $140 million, what should they offer him, General Motors? Barring a miracle comeback, the Tigers have almost no choice but to move him. On the plus side, he may be unhappy enough to waive a clause giving him veto rights on deals to the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays, Phillies, Dodgers, Angels and Braves. Boston and Atlanta are likely landing spots.

Just another fallen angel of the steroid era.