A few cryptic paragraphs...from the Houston Chronicle's John Lopez:
Roger Clemens will be wearing a different hat in 2006. While it might seem the Astros would not expand the budget now that their biggest-ticket item is gone, I would suspect otherwise.
I believe a blockbuster deal is on the way and it might include more than one team and involve the Astros having to expand their budget in order to make it work Brad Lidge is on the trading block, is my hunch. He has been and will be offered, because he is the best commodity -- and would bring the most in return. The Astros also feel strongly about Chad Qualls and Dan Wheeler perhaps sharing time as the 2006 closer, relieving each of some closer pressure, until one distinguishes himself.
Mark it down.
They're dangling Lidge and another player (not Jason Lane) and dealing for an outfielder. The magnitude of this deal could shock you and make you feel a bit better about losing an icon ...
My guess?
He's talking about a three-way deal between Boston, Baltimore and Houston.
Lidge and Ensberg go to Baltimore. Baltimore gets a replacement for B.J. Ryan, and a third baseman to allow them to move Melvin Mora back to the outfield (where he's better suited). Although it could be Everett instead of Ensberg, Everett wouldn't seem to have much trade value.
Boston gets Miguel Tejada and his very reasonable contract ($50 million owed over the next four years), and sends Manny Ramirez to Houston.
There may need to be something else going to Baltimore in this deal to make it work, given that Boston is shedding a bunch of money with Ramirez and getting someone in Tejada who, really, is probably more valuable than Ramirez right now. Maybe Andy Marte goes to Baltimore, maybe Brandon Moss (Kelly Shoppach would be an obvious choice, but the Ramon Hernandez signing makes him unnecessary in Baltimore).
Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong, or maybe this is just b.s. from Lopez.
But if you look at it, it seems to make a hell of a lot of sense for all invovled.
Update [2005-12-11 0:52:13 by Adam J. Morris]: -- One other possibility occurs to me...Philly is supposedly dangling Bobby Abreu, and has lost their closer, Billy Wagner. Lidge and Ensberg for Abreu, perhaps?