Bedard Deal Finally Done

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Erik Bedard will finally make his way to Seattle to pass a physical and put an end to another grueling trade. The return for Bedard is expected to be Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Kam Mickolio, and Tony Butler.

By including Jones [a top 10 prospect in baseball] and Tillman [a top five prospect in their farm system] the Mariners certainly gave up enough to acquire Bedard. However, waiting the Orioles out a bit allowed the M's to lessen the demand. In doing so, Seattle was able to remove top shortstop prospect Carlos Triunfel and powerhitting outfielder Wladimir Balentien from their package.

According to the report, the deal is believed to be announced on Friday.

McNamee Has Physical Evidence

Brian McNamee has physical evidence against Roger Clemens, according to The New York Daily News. Should the samples contain traces of PEDs and a DNA test proves the sample came from Clemens, the smoking gun will have finally made an appearance.

Brian McNamee has turned over physical evidence to federal investigators that he believes will show Roger Clemens used performance-enhancing drugs, according to McNamee's lawyers.

"This is evidence the government has that we believe will corroborate Brian in every significant way," said McNamee lawyer Earl Ward.

McNamee's attorneys would not discuss the details of the evidence, but according to a source close to the former Yankee strength and conditioning coach, McNamee gave the Justice Department's BALCO investigators vials with traces of steroids and growth hormone, as well as blood-stained syringes and gauze pads that may contain the Rocket's DNA.

Justice Department officials have sent the evidence to a lab for testing, and if the materials do indeed contain traces of drugs and blood, prosecutors may attempt to get a court order for a DNA sample from Clemens.

And the band played on, even though nobody was listening.

Melky's Sigh Of Relief,A Visitor To Thurman's Locker

Brian Heyman of the Journal News caught up with Yankees centerfielder Melky Cabrera and was able pull some quotes regarding his inclusion in a trade package which would have sent him to Minnesota in exchange for Johan Santana.

"I was a little worried about getting traded because I wanted to stay with my teammates," Cabrera said through an interpreter last night at the Marriott Marquis, where he was among the honorees at the 28th annual Thurman Munson Awards, a dinner that benefits the AHRC NYC, which works with the developmentally disabled. "I'm really happy the trade didn't go through."

As a footnote, Heyman described a special visitor making her first trip to the hallowed locker kept empty in honor of Thurman Munson following his tragic passing.

Diana Munson has never seen her late husband's locker at Yankee Stadium. It has been kept empty with the No. 15 over it since his death in 1979. But she hopes to come this year on a day when no one is around to take a look, since this is the ballpark's final year of existence.

"To me, it's very touching," she said. "I want this to be a private moment in my life and in the lives of my children."

The article also has some updates on stories which broke yesterday afternoon, including a resolution to Derek Jeter's tax predicament:

According to The Associated Press, Derek Jeter has settled his problems with the state's Department of Taxation and Finance, although the numbers weren't released. The tax people believed Jeter should have paid taxes for 2001-03 as a resident of the state because he had an apartment he owned in Manhattan. Jeter said he was a resident of Florida.

As well as Don Mattingly's bizarre encounter with his drunken estranged ex-wife:

An AP report stated that Don Mattingly's estranged 45-year-old wife, Kim, was arrested on Saturday at his home in Evansville, Ind., and charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Police said she wouldn't leave the premises. She posted $50 bond and appeared in court on Monday, the same day the ex-Yankees player and coach was granted a protective order.

Deveney: Can Tribe Keep Sabathia?

Sean Deveney of The Sporting News offers his insights on the future of CC Sabathia, ultimately concluding the Indians lack the financial dedication to keep him.

According to the article, Cleveland's 2007 payroll was approximately $62 million, which ranked 23rd in Major League Baseball. Their payroll was largely held down due to bargain deals made for (then) budding stars Victor Martinez [5 years, $15 million] and Grady Sizemore [6 years, $23.5 million].

However, these rising stars will soon reach free agency and require the big bucks which goes along with it. Travis Hafner, for example, received a four year extension worth $57 million last year. Sabathia will likely require a contract that doubles Hafner's deal, leaving several baseball experts skeptical that Cleveland can keep the 2007 AL Cy Young winner.

From the article:

I asked an NL executive to take a stab at how much Sabathia, who has had some waistline issues in his career, would get on the open market. "He seems to have put all the questions about his body and conditioning behind him," he said. "Still, I don't think anyone would go beyond five years. Maybe he could get to six with incentives. If it stretches to six years, you'd have to think $130 million."

There's no way to know what the Indians' price range on Sabathia is. But we can guess it is lower than $130 million. The hope is that Sabathia will take a lesser deal to stay put, which is what Carlos Zambrano (five years, $91 million) did last season with the Cubs. But even if Sabathia is willing to give the hometown discount (five years, $100 million?), that discount still might not be enough for Cleveland. If you get a half-price bargain on a Lamborghini, you still need to come up with $160,000.

The metaphor of a Lamborghini's cost is an exceptional one. And even with a hometown discount, there is little reason to believe Sabathia would accept a contract which does not top $100 million. Most likely, Sabathia will require a deal which comes closer to $125 million.

Considering the $62 million payroll from last season, Deveney goes on to theorize the impact a Sabathia megadeal would have on future payrolls:

The Indians' payroll figures to jump to north of $80 million this year. That's with Sabathia at $11 million. It just doesn't seem likely that the Indians can afford to jump to nearly twice that number. The team is not expected to pursue trades for Sabathia -- not yet, at least -- but if the Indians can't find a solution in the next week or so, then this problem will continue to loom.

A well-written piece with very valid points. I don't believe the Indians have any intention of trading Sabathia, realizing their current roster has a great chance at repeating as AL Central champs in 2008. Removing Sabathia from their rotation would erase that possibility, especially if top pitching prospect Adam Miller takes another step backward following an injury ridden 2007.

That said, many Yankees scouts, fans and front office people will wince at the idea of paying a 300 lbs pitcher $100+ million. Should the young starting trio of Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy even come close to living up to some outlandish expectations, the need for CC will not be so needy.

Tom Verducci Didn't Do His Homework

Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer and Joe Torre's chum, published an article today examining young major league pitchers whose 2007 season saw them increase their innings total to dangerous levels.

The "Rule of 30" contends that a pitcher below the age of 25 should never see his innings total for a particular year rise more than 30 innings per season. Large leaps in innings totals often times leads to injury or a ballooning ERA.

Within today's piece, Verducci listed Ian Kennedy as the #1 pitcher at risk, citing an increase of 61 innings from 2006 to 2007. Unfortunately for Tom, he forgot to do some research. Here's what Verducci wrote:

Kennedy sailed through three minor league levels and reached the big leagues last year, his first full season in professional baseball. The Yankees allowed him to ring up 165 1/3 innings at age 22, after he threw 101 2/3 innings at USC in 2006 and 2 2/3 innings at Staten Island after signing. Kennedy was shut down late in September and left off the postseason roster because of what was described as mild back soreness.

Kennedy's path may recall how the Angels pushed Jared Weaver, another college stud, by 56 innings in 2006. Weaver started 2007 on the DL with shoulder soreness and saw his ERA rise by 1.45.

As Pete Abe points out, however, Verducci mistakenly omitted Ian Kennedy's stint in the Hawaiian Winter League to close out his 2006 season. The 30.1 innings Kennedy threw in Hawaii brings his 2006 total to 134.2 innings, making his 2007 innings total of 165.1 exactly two outs over the proposed 30 inning increase cap.

Therefore, listing Kennedy as the #1 culprit of young pitchers in 2007 is completely unfounded and dead wrong. Kennedy is right on track to toss a minimum of 195 innings in 2008 and could easily eclipse the 200 innings plateau without becoming a major injury risk.

Verducci did add a correction following Kennedy's listing, but decided to keep Kennedy listed as the top injury risk for next season. Tom might want to scrap the article altogether, or at least omit Kennedy's name. After all, this is the internet. This isn't a daily newspaper incapable of hitting a delete key. This was Verducci's correction:

One caveat: Kennedy's jump is not as alarming as first blush indicates. The Yankees did give him an extra 30 1/3 "unofficial" innings of winter ball in 2006 (see Carmona below); not your high-stress big league innings, but still good incremental training. If you count that work, his jump of 30 2/3 innings barely pushes him into the danger zone.

One caveat? How about one completely inaccurate report.

Shapiro: Sabathia Won't Be Traded

According to GM Mark Shapiro, the Indians have no plans to trade CC Sabathia before or during the 2008 season.

Here are some of the thoughts Shapiro offered the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

The Indians, short of an early collapse this season, won't trade C.C. Sabathia.

Regardless of Johan Santana's contract with the Mets last week, General Manager Mark Shapiro believes it will be Sabathia's call on whether he stays in Cleveland after the 2008 season.

Shapiro thinks there are other contracts just as relevant to Sabathia's negotiations as Santana's record-setting, $137.5 million, six-year deal.

The five-year contract extension the Indians made to Sabathia at the end of December is not an ultimatum.

"I can't present you with a scenario where it's acceptable to us or to our relationship with our fans that involves trading C.C. or examining trading him," said Shapiro.

From the past week of Sabathia discussion, it seems as though the Indians will make their best offer - which many believe to be vastly inferior to what the Red Sox, Yankees and other big mark clubs can offer - and hope CC allows a hometown discount.

The Jake Peavy extension comes to mind when Shapiro implies other recent contracts given to high caliber pitchers, other than the Johan Santana's $150 million variety.


*Meanwhile . . The Telegraph Forum hopes believes the Indians should follow Minnesota's blueprint and trade Sabathia before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. This would probably bring back more than a couple of draft picks for the dominant lefthander.

Bedard Deal Only Needs A Bow

Erik Bedard will be a member of the Seattle Mariners come April. According to a Seattle Times report - the same writer who first reported an imminent deal over a week ago - both Adam Jones and George Sherrill have in fact traveled to Baltimore for their requisite physical exams. The post also confirms pitching prospect Chris Tillman will be a part of Seattle's package.

The deal may not be announced tomorrow, though it appears to be done now.

More Sabathia Implications

This will become a tiresome commentary, but Johan Santana's lucrative contract have ripple effects on the rest of the starting pitcher free agent crop, particularly fellow Cy Young lefthander CC Sabathia.

The AP published a story indicating how persuasive Santana's historic deal will become for Sabathia, his current general manager and the rest of baseball in general.

Some pieces from the article:

The mammoth [Santana] deal made headlines all around the country and rattled the Indians, who are attempting to sign C.C. Sabathia to a long-term contract. Now, they might have been priced out of any chance at doing so by the Mets' spending splurge.

The Indians recently offered an extension to Sabathia, the defending AL Cy Young Award winner who can become a free agent after the 2008 season. But that deal has now been dwarfed -- perhaps nearly doubled -- by Santana's record-setting package with New York.

"We recognize that the Santana deal is an added reference point in a contract discussion with C.C.," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said Monday. "Every deal that deals with a pitcher of C.C.'s ilk is relevant. But in the end, the only thing that matters is how relevant C.C. and his agents feel it is."

The 27-year-old Sabathia has maintained he wants to stay in Cleveland, where he began his career, got married and began raising a family. "It's my second home," he said while back in town last month. And there's no doubt that the Indians want to keep Sabathia, who went 19-7 last season and became the club's first Cy Young winner in 35 years.

"The only question that remains is can we find a business deal that is deemed to be equitable and fair by both parties?" he said. "Any deal like that we could arrive at will cause both parties to reach and stretch beyond past their point of comfort. The question is, can we reach and stretch and arrive at a point we both feel good about? That remains to be seen."

While preparing their initial offer to Sabathia, the Indians analyzed recent deals signed by pitchers such as Jake Peavy (three years, $52 million), Roy Halladay (three years, $40 million), Chris Carpenter (five years, $63.5 million) and Carlos Zambrano (five years, $91.5 million) for comparison.

"Recognizing the market we're operating in, we have to be aware of risk and we have to be careful," Shapiro said. "There are people like C.C. who will push the boundaries of our risk tolerance. C.C., because of who he is as a person, as a teammate, as a man and what he can do on the mound, will push the boundaries of our risk tolerance.

"Frankly, he already has."

Shapiro would not confirm or deny a rumor that Sabathia rejected Cleveland's initial offer but did state the Indians would not shy away from a bidding war should the talented southpaw test free agency. Shapiro declared "We're not going away" and said the Indians "will be there in October and November" along with a host of interested suitors.

Shapiro does not seem resigned to the belief that the Indians cannot afford Sabathia, but many remain skeptical due to owner Larry Dolan's propensity for shying away from big ticket items once big market bullies throw their hat into the ring. Signing Sabathia to a megadeal which approaches Santana's extension - in the $110-125 million neighborhood - would be a huge departure for Dolan.

Hughes To Wear #34

Fortunately for Yankee fans - who have not yet bought his #65 jersey - Phil Hughes decided against wearing Carl Pavano's #45 and instead plans to purchase #34 from Sean Henn. Hughes went on to explain his mom's favorite number was 7 (which 34 adds up to) and more importantly, 34 was the number Nolan Ryan - Hughes' idol growing up - wore.

Mariners, Bedard Inch Closer

Considering the biblical nature of the Johan Santana trade talks, the Erik Bedard saga is making its way as a close second this offseason. However, a deal is reportedly inching forward and could be completed very soon. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Mariners outfielder Adam Jones traveled to Baltimore on Sunday, presumably to undergo a physical."

From the article:

A clean bill of health would be the last hurdle standing between the Mariners and Orioles and one of the most significant trades in franchise history.

The Mariners would get left-handed starting pitcher Erik Bedard in exchange for five players, highlighted by Jones and left-handed reliever George Sherrill. The Mariners also would send three minor league pitchers to the Orioles to complete the deal.

Bedard would give the Mariners a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher to complement burgeoning star Felix Hernandez. Bedard was 13-5 and struck out 221 batters in 182 innings last season, losing a month because of an oblique injury.

With the additions of Bedard and free-agent signee Carlos Silva, the Mariners will have replaced the bottom end of their rotation, Jeff Weaver and Horacio Ramirez, presumably giving them deeper and much stronger starting pitching.

Sabathia Rumors Supplant Santana

Unfortunately for the strong corps of die-hard Cleveland fans, it appears as though they will now have the honor of being this month's version of the Twins fanbase - as they must deal with the prospect of losing a Cy Young winning lefthander to free agency because their franchise won't pony up the money to keep him.

According to several reports, Cleveland offered CC Sabathia a four year extension worth about $70 million on top of the $11.25 million he will make in 2008. A contract of $80+ million will not hold last year's AL Cy Young winner, particularly after witnessing Santana bank over $150 million last week.

Some locals address the Sabathia issue:

· Cleveland Plain Dealer says Indians need to up their offer to Sabathia.

· The Akron Beacon Journal ponders whether or not Sabathia will stick around.

· The Chicago Tribune believes the Johan Santana deal puts Sabathia's future on deck.

Congrats G-Men

The Patriots didn't beat themselves. The Giants outperformed them physically and mentally by outcoaching and outclassing their opponent. Looks like karma came back to haunt a Patriots team whose season started with cheating and ended with catastrophe.

18-1

Unbelievable game and my congratulations to the New York Giants.

Raissman Accuses Hughes, Looks Moronic

Bob Raissman, NY Times media critic and often times uninformed blowhard [with less credible contributions than Phil Mushnick's "Equal Time" column], accused Phil Hughes of sounding complicit in some capacity - and/or rebellious toward the Mitchell Report's findings. This accusation came after Hughes applauded Roger Clemens for his work ethic and ability to dominate at the major league level during a piece aired on YES Netork's "Yankees Hot Stove."

So, Bob, was Hughes supposed to bombard Clemens with righteous indignation, even though any proof has yet to surface? Anyone who reads this blog once in a while understands my stance on Clemens, but how does Rocket's alleged transgressions become the fault of Hughes or anyone else who's complimentary of a pitcher once regarded as the best of his generation?

Read from the article and see how you feel about Raissman's absurdity assessment:

Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network suits have already cast aspersions on George Mitchell's report on steroids in baseball.

After watching YES' "Hot Stove" feature on Phil Hughes, it appears, according to YES, certain allegations made about Roger Clemens don't really exist. They are imaginary - just like the Tooth Fairy.

Much of the Hughes piece shows the pitcher going through his daily offseason workout regimen (lifting weights, etc.) at the Yankees' Tampa facility.

At one point in the story, Hughes says: "God-given ability can only get you so far, then it's up to you to maximize that. Even if I can just take a little bit of what Roger did for us last year, (to) see the way he works out ... see the way he goes about his business, it kind of gives you an idea of what you need to do to stay in this game as long as he did."

It seems the "idea" of what Clemens needed to do "to stay in this game as long as he did" is contained in Mitchell's report. Or, at least, allegations of what Clemens did. In the report, Clemens' former trainer, Brian McNamee, alleges that the seven-time Cy Young Award winner had been juicing since 1998.

If the Hughes feature was shot before the Mitchell Report came out, it would have been a good idea for YES - perhaps through "Hot Stove" host Bob Lorenz - to mention that fact. And if the Hughes interview was shot after the report was released, well, YES made the young pitcher look like a fool.

Someone should have edited the Clemens line out of the story. Unless, of course, it was left in on purpose to further discredit Mitchell's report.

"Grasping at straws" would be an accurate description of the Raissman column. Well, that or "jumping the shark."

Hoch On Spring Training

Bryan Hoch of Yankees.com offered some thoughts on Spring training, including the rotation, the bullpen and Joe Girardi. From the article:

Projected rotation:

1. Chien-Ming Wang, 19-7, 3.70 ERA in 2007
2. Andy Pettitte, 15-9, 4.05 ERA in 2007
3. Joba Chamberlain, 2-0, 0.38 ERA, 1 SV in 2007
4. Phil Hughes, 5-3, 4.46 ERA in 2007
5. Mike Mussina, 11-10, 5.15 ERA in 2007

The Yankees' plan all along has been to develop Chamberlain as a starter, where they believe he has ace-type stuff and can be what Josh Beckett has been to the Red Sox. Hitters barely even saw the changeup and curveball in Chamberlain's repertoire in 2007. If you think he was dominant for one inning, the Yankees feel he can be that good over six or seven frames.

He may love his 1980s movie T-shirts, but there's no DeLorean waiting to transport Mussina back to regain his velocity from years past. A rough spring could put Kennedy in the rotation and relegate Mussina to long relief

He goes on to rattle off some prospects to watch next season, including Humberto Sanchez, Alan Horne, Jose Tabata, Jesus Montero. Peculiarly, Hoch omits Hideki Matsui from his projected 2008 lineup, deciding to insert Giambi at DH and Shelley Duncan at 1B in his stead.

The Enemy: Manny & Red Light

· Manny Ramirez wants to be like Julio Franco:

“Every year is the same,” Ramirez added when asked if he was excited about heading to spring training. “I look forward to ’08, ’09 and maybe move on.”

Ramirez, who has been working out at API since early December, is clearly focused on making the Red Sox [team stats]’ decision whether or not to pick up his $20 million team option for ’09 a difficult one. Another thing that is certain is that Manny has no intention of drifting off into the sunset after the completion of his current contract, which also includes a $20 million team option for 2010.

“I want to be like Julio Franco and play until I’m 48,” said Ramirez, who is planning on leaving Arizona early next week. “And if you want to do it, this is the right place to come."

48 huh? Let's get ourselves to Spring trainings and through full seasons without phantom "injuries" at 38 years old first.

· Curt Schilling loves himself some Sean Casey:

I heard yesterday that we signed Sean Casey. To have someone of his talent come here as a potential platoon player and role filler is huge.

I’ve known Sean and competed against him for a long time. I think he’s gotten the best of me more than I on him.

I have never had him as a teamate until now but I can assure you this guy is pretty much one of the classiest and most respected players in all of baseball.

In addition to being as likable as anyone I’ve ever met, I’ve never heard anyone have anything to say other than what a fantastic teammate and person he and his wife are.

This is a huge piece, even though it might not appear so on the surface. Theo continues to show extraordinary ability to bring players here that most likely could play everyday somewhere else to fill vital and important roles on this club.

Awww. Looks like somebody's making peace with Red Sox management. Maybe his Sean-love will translate into a less belt busting version of a the Red Light come this Spring training.

That's A Lotta If's

Jim Souhan, Twins columnist and resident optimist believes 2010 will be the year for Twins fans. He lists all the reasons why Minnesota will make major steps forward during that season, and even if the stars align, there's always the possibility of Cleveland and Detroit outpacing them two years from now.

This is the year Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young and Francisco Liriano will all be under contract. This is the year you can expect to see the Twins' squadron of young pitchers and center fielder Carlos Gomez grow up and contend.

“This" year is not 2008. It’s 2010, the realistic target season for the Twins to take a run at another division title.

In 2010, the Twins will enter their new stadium. They should be willing to expand their payroll. Most of their best young pitchers will have three or four years of big-league experience. Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer and Young should have sorted themselves into the middle of a dynamic lineup.

Raw youngsters such as Alexi Casilla and Gomez might have turned into star-quality everyday players. And the teams currently ruling the AL Central—Detroit and Cleveland—might have come back to earth, because of the Tigers’ aging position players and Cleveland’s imminent payroll problems.

"This year" sounds great. Too bad Souhan's crystal ball doesn't include lotto numbers, innings caps or Iraqi exit strategies.

Santana Passes Physical

It's officially a done deal. Mets fans can now move forward in exorcising last September's demons and begin celebrating the arrival of Johan Santana as the pitcher passed his physical today.

From Rotoworld:

Johan Santana passed his physical Saturday, the Mets said, and his trade to New York is expected to be announced later in the day.

The Twins will receive Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Kevin Mulvey and Philip Humber.

Up next: Erik Bedard. Orioles lone shining light or Seattle superstar? And who really cares either way?

Santana Is A Done Deal

According to SI.com, the Mets and Johan Santana have agreed to a contract worth $150+ million over the next seven years. The last year on Santana's current contract is worth $13.75 million so the Mets extension is worth $137.50 million and he is expected to receive $7 million in a signing bonus.

Heyman: Santana Deal Imminent

Update 5:00 pm:

The Mets and Twins have been granted a two hour extension until 7 pm to conclude contract talks which would lock up Johan Santana into his mid-30s.

---

Jon Heyman of SI.com is reporting the Mets are closing in on a deal of six years at about $22 million per season:

Johan Santana and the Mets continue to make progress on a record-setting contract that is expected to make the two-time Cy Young winner a $150-million man, SI.com has learned. People with knowledge of the talks say they expect a deal to be completed by the 5 p.m. EST deadline.

Santana and the Mets are discussing a contract extension for six years that is expected to pay Santana close to $22 million a year, according to sources familiar with the talks. In addition, it is believed the Mets may add about $7 million to Santana's $13.25 million salary for 2008.

That expected new $20 million salary for '08, and the six additional years at $22 million, could bring Santana's total haul to $152 million. The previous record for a pitcher was Barry Zito's $126-million, seven-year deal signed last winter with the San Francisco Giants.

Some reports say the Mets are holding strong to a deal of five years and a sixth year as a vested option, but if Heyman's report is accurate, Omar Minaya cannot be blamed for trying. They are throwing the kitchen sink at Santana, and a deal will therefore get done soon, if it hasn't already.

I know plenty of Mets fans, and though we like to take shots at each other from time to time, I have to offer a kudos on picking up the best pitcher in baseball. With the NL and that stadium, Johan will be an absolute stud for them. Citi Field and not Fenway Park is all the Yankees care about.

Friday Linx: Santana, Bedard, & Joba

· The Johan Santana contract is expected to be completed by the 5:00 pm deadline. The NY Post says Santana is looking for a contract of at least $150 million and the sticking point seems to be whether or not the final year is guaranteed. The negotiations could come right down to the wire, but it should get done.

· Similarly, the Baltimore Sun reports the Erik Bedard story should be wrapped up "soon." Both the Mariners and Orioles believe a resolution will come within the next couple days; which does not rule out Bedard staying in Baltimore. Supposedly, as was rumored yesterday, the hold up is linked to procedural red tape involving physical exams.

· In the wake of the Santana sweepstakes, RLYW examines the top twenty offensive seasons in Yankee history.

· The Minor League Baseball site released its list of the top 50 prospects who are rookie eligible in 2008. Not surprisingly, Joba Chamberlain and Clay Buchholz are in the top ten. However, Clayton Kershaw, who has yet to throw a major league pitch, and probably will not until a September call-up or not at all until 2009, is ranked above both AL East pitching phenoms.

I understand there is a consensus from scouts that Kershaw is an uber prospect and lefthanded, but it seems inaccurate to rank a pitcher never above AA over two prospects who flew through the minors before flashing dominance at the big league level. Ian Kennedy came in at #26 and Austin Jackson #49.

· Nolan Ryan is considering a job with the Texas Rangers and no, it does not require putting Robin Ventura in a headlock.