Sources say a LOT of payroll.

Like, depending on the return, maybe 80-90%.

our starting outfield is set with Cruz, Borbon and Hamilton…Murphy is fine as a 4th outfielder, and we will have Bradley as a DH/emergency 5th OF and Boggs, Golson, etc. coming up as other potential 5th outfielders on the cheap.

I’d much rather pay Milton 6 mil a year to DH for 2 more years than Byrd. I understand the leadership role he plays, but the leadership of this team pissed away the past 2 weeks when we could’ve been in the hunt. Young was gone for those 2 weeks, Hamilton, so who was the leader on the field? Byrd. And we didn’t get it done. So he’s not going to get 6 mil of my money, if I have a say, to be the leader of this clubhouse after such a horrid tank. Not blaming him personally, but if you’re going to throw that label on him, he’s gotta lead. They have to come through as a team.

Last year, with Milton’s bat protecting Hamilton and setting up the rest of the lineup, our offense was much more patient and productive. This year, with Byrd’s “leadership,” his approach was “get a hit to get on base or not at all.” He set the tone along with Kinsler and Hamilton. And we failed. I think with Bradley on this team, we don’t repeat this kind of performance. He’s exactly what we were missing.

Bradley’s off field issues should be considered by the front office. He isn’t a trivial player – there are many pros and many cons with MB. If Byrd has a lot of value in teaching Andrus and Borbon how to play the game the right way, then by all means keep him. If the Rangers recognize that MB’s OBP is the missing piece to this offense, in spite of his issues, then go get him.

But that isn’t my point. My point is that threats of “clubhouse insurrection,” as EG puts it, is nonsense. Not one of those Rangers players has earned any right to demand anything. Outside of Michael Young, the key position players being relied upon coming into the year have played inconsistently and frankly are the principal cause of missing the playoffs. They should be focused on being the players they should be instead of trying to judge whether it is fair that Byrd is let go blah blah blah. I hate to go to cliche’s, but you didn’t see Jeter telling Steinbrenner how to run the Yankees, or Pujols telling the Cardinals what to do.

will be eating almost all of his contract.

It’s either that, or he stays in Chicago.

with defensive value.

They need someone who can hit and get on base like Board Game. He can DH everyday.

most people just assume the A’s offense sucks without looking at their numbers lately. .687 OPS 1st half, but .771 in the second half.

Holland will mature. He doesn’t need to add a thing, just get a handle on what he’s got. Maybe 2010, maybe 2011, but he’ll get there.

injury issues or 10+ spring training ERA aside. He’s here to stay.

Can’t Hunter’s dramatic turnaround basically be attributed to two things – 1) getting healthy and 2) getting his cut fastball? Holland has better stuff, and if he can figure out whatever he needs to figure out and put it all together consistently, there’s no way he’s not better than Hunter. He’s just not there right now.

I’m as excited about him as anybody, but felt like he was rushed this year, and I think it hurt him down the line. With us having a bit of a roster crunch (McCarthy’s out of options next spring, isn’t he?), letting him develop a little bit, to me, wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

2 years ago. Before last season they changed him to his current delivery and he had success last year. All before Maddux was hired.

I keep comparing this to the Manny/Bay deal. Boston made out pretty good in that one, Dodgers had to send some pieces to Pitt. But MB isn’t Manny.

I will take 120 games of his production vs. 160 games of Hank’s production

Can players actually do that? Why didn’t JD force him onto the DL at the time?

I’ve agreed wholeheartedly with Josey’s posts. Nail? Meet hammer.

After the fiasco that CD has been this year, I think patience with Smoak is warranted. While he is tearing it up at the WCB, he wasn’t that good, and doesn’t to be rushed to MLB.

Nelson Cruz batting 7th is moronic.

Yes, the team won the game. And Blalock and Byrd had good games.

But that doesn’t make it a sound decision. They could start Pudge in LF every game the rest of the way, and they might even win a couple of those games. But that wouldn’t mean putting Pudge in LF was a good decision.

Cruz has been either the best or 2nd best offensive player on this team. Banishing him to the bottom third of the order behind guys like Blalock and Kinsler is iditioic.

but you’d fail when it comes to Feldman in the pen; which is the same as sticking with Benson (even though i understand WHY they wanted to see if Benson could provide anything)

as far as Byrd playing every day, I fail to see how the guy with arguably the 2nd best line of production shouldn’t play every day, especially when your star OF is hurt half the year and unproductive the other half; and Byrd hit cleanup primarily when Hamilton was out.

as far as Borbon not being good enough to play the OF, if we had defenders that were more aware and better prepared, I do agree with his decision not to just insert him into CF, while we’ve had such great defensive chemistry this year leading to better pitching

as far as Kinsler leading off and Cruz batting eight, you are going to the opposite ends of the spectrum. Cruz hit 4th and 5th for us, too; Kinsler hit 6th and 5th for us, too; they both moved around after struggling. Maybe Kinsler moved out of the leadoff spot too late, but Ron didn’t trust anybody else there, and I don’t blame him, until Borbon arrived and Kinsler was injured, proving he could handle it.