meanwhile, from the chat over at BP:

A-Roth (NY): NY POST has been updated as of 15 minutes ago. Red Sox-Dodger discussions have progressed to the point where they're discussing either Kemp or Either for Manny and Cash. Red Sox will either get, and keep, Kemp or get Either and flip him with a pitching prospect or first base prospect (Lars Anderson?) for Teixeira. So it seems it's either Manny, Kemp or Teixeira for the Red Sox. Seems like a long shot still, but you never know.

Will Carroll: I'm not sure when this came in, but I am hearing very, very similar things, but that the Red Sox are more in the "if A then B" mode than turning this into a three-way deal. It's the second part, especially if it's Anderson, that makes it really tough for me to believe. I have some calls out on this one.

kevin (boston): apparently kotchman was pulled off the field during warm-ups and thought to be in a trade for texeira (according to espn)

Will Carroll: This is confirmed, but not sure what it means. Pause as I make calls.

http://tinyurl.com/6jcndy

I can't believe the Sox would trade Manny. They're not the same team without him.

Tony Reagins sure is a different sort of GM than Bill Stoneman was.

http://trades.mlblogs.com/

murraygd13 (MN): Casey Kotchman and a pitching prospect for Tex?

Will Carroll: and on that prospect, KG says: "I don't hate him, I kinda like him. They've move him to the bullpen this year, which is where most scouts thought he'd always end up in the first place. He's got that nice combination of being a big guy with above-average velo, but his secondary stuff isn't great, and it's a bit of a max-effort delivery. He's missing bats at Double-A, and I think he could miss bats all the way up.

Not a closer, but a big league bullpen arm, by mid-09 possibly."

not sure if i get why the braves did this.
seems like they would be better off with the draft picks.
kotchman's ops+ is 105 this year with a high of 122 in 05 and 119 last year and he looks to be arb eligible next year so you are going to have to pay him more than the 1.45M he's making this year.
and this pitcher sounds like a 7th/8th inning guy.

The Sox are scared to death that if Manny gets a hair across his ass, he won't play or pull some other shit. The Sox have ZERO leverage. Dopey ole Manny has the Sox by the balls, and the Sox don't like it.

Manny wants to be a FA AND he wants to hit HRs. He is looking at 600+. If I were the Sox, I would tell Manny that they WILL pick up his option (which Manny doesn't want) if he does anything other then give 100%.

Normally I root for the player in a situation like this, but I hope the Sox can fuck Manny. He might be a legendary bat, but he doesn't deserve what he has gotten. When Gammo jumps down the throat of a Red Sox, you know it's REALLY bad.

considering the 2 draft picks could cost several million dollars and take years (if ever) to make the majors, i'd say the solid certainty of the return was appropriate.

ESPN Radio reporting yanks are close to trading for Zach Grienke... apparantly the deal on the table is Coke, Melky + a B level prospect of the royals choice.

Anyone got any news?

He helps, but its not guarantee. They go from having 1 high OBP/high SLG hitter to 2. All the other contenders (ChiSox, RedSox, Yanks, TB, DET, even MIN) already had 2 (or more) such guys.

Still, I wouldn't complain! That kid is awesome.

2008 season Stats GM HR RBI R -OBP AVG
---- ------ ------- 100 14 69 43 .287 .260

Guillen feels the Royals have not kept the promises made when he signed for three years and $36 million during the offseason, said the source. But the main reason he is in "living hell in Kansas City" is a foul relationship with manager Trey Hillman.

"Guillen and Hillman are not on speaking terms, they don't talk," said the source. "Guillen is definitely not happy, he's not comfortable and he would do anything he can in economic terms to ease his way out of Kansas City."

Sound like something Cashman should jump on?

18 i guess i am sort of rooting for manny over the sox front office and ownership.
but don't forget last year when schilling accused gammons of being the mouthpiece of the sox front office.

I suppose there's Gardner. I think he's better than Melky on defense.

BTW, Mudhens won yesterday, at home, on a walkoff strikeout in the bottom of the twelfth. Man on third and the batter strikes out on a wild pitch, which allowed the batter to reach first. Never seen that before.

"UPDATE, 7:17 p.m.: The Charleston game that Hughes and some other guy - Karl Pagano or something - are supposed to pitch in is being delayed by rain."

The Universe really doesn't want Marl Pragano to pitch.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI200508030.shtml

Where is Ken Singleton to shut O'Neill up with this playing for 1 run garbage? Sheesh.

But c'mon, there is no way this would ever happen. Right?

At least they are getting guys on; the hits will come.

I didn't even know it was on until after he hit the ball, I screamed, "Yes!!" and then saw it wasn't to be.

He couldn't have poked one down the left field line?

The other day he rolled one through a vacant shortstop; why couldn't he do that now? Would have been two runs.

#)#$)$#*)($#)(@#$()#@()()#@ Millar. ARGH!

Tex to the Angels...good move for them

That, or that he's lazy, selfish, fundamantally unsound, and morally deficient.