I'm not sure on the rotation. I figured it would be one of three scenarios...

Scenario 1:
Gm1 - CC
Gm2 - AJ
OFF DAY
Gm3 - Andy
Gm4 - CC (3 days rest)
Gm5 - AJ (3 days rest)
OFF DAY
Gm6 - Andy (3 days rest)
Gm7 - CC (3 days rest)

Scenario 2:
Gm1 - CC
Gm2 - AJ
OFF DAY
Gm3 - Andy
Gm4 - Gaudin
Gm5 - CC (4 days rest)
OFF DAY
Gm6 - AJ (5 days rest)
Gm7 - Andy (4 days rest)

Scenario 3:
Gm1 - CC
Gm2 - AJ
OFF DAY
Gm3 - Andy
Gm4 -CC (3 days rest)
Gm5 - Gaudin
OFF DAY
Gm6 - AJ (5 days rest)
Gm7 - Andy (4 days rest)

Scenario 1 seems like it would be best, as CC goes 3 times in the series (if it goes that far), while AJ and Andy both get 2 starts. But can those two be counted on on short rest? I know Andy can go on 4 days, since he has before (and was going to on Saturday night). But 3?

Of course, we could drop Andy's 2nd start in Scenario 3, and use CC on 3 days instead.

I'd rather go Scenario 2. That would mean Gaudin takes a start, and CC only gets 2 starts. But AJ would get 5 days off, and Andy would get 4. And we know they can be 100% then. The 4th day off for CC would be nice. And CC would be available for Game 7, if for whatever reason Pettitte struggles.

Out of all the things you've heard and read regarding the poor umpiring, the one thing you haven't heard or read is to replace...or even fire...those umpires. Instead, a lot of people would rather give the umpires instant replay. Don't get better umpires...give them something that will cover up their ineptness. Don't you wish you could eff up at work, only to have some machine correct the mistake for you? And even better...when you do eff up, nobody says a single word about replacing you. Congratulations, MLB umpires! You make 6 figures, and you don't even have to be that good at your job. The American dream!

I have a part-time job as a mechanic at a bowling alley. And if I don't do my job well, do you think they will buy something that will do my job for me? Hell no. I'll get fired, and replaced by somebody that can do the job well. And unlike an MLB umpire that is making between $120,000 and $350,000 (source), I'm making a measly $9/hr.

One of the funniest things I've read recently was this. It turns out that MLB is not going to put the "best" umpires on the field in the World Series. No...they are going to use the "most experienced". Great!

One thing though...do you know what umpire, currently working in the ALCS, is one of the most experienced, with 26.5 years in MLB? I'll give you a hint...it's the same guy that not only missed the call at 3B in which Nick Swisher had apparently left the bag early on a tag play, but also missed the fact that both Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada were tagged out since neither one was touching a base. It was Tim McClelland. So much for the "most experienced" thing.

By the way, Phil Cuzzi and CB Bucknor, two other umpires that have made bone-headed calls/non-calls this postseason, both have 10 years experience in MLB. Which seems like a lot, especially considering that these guys umpire 10-12 years in the minors, and more than that in college and/or high school. However, I found a couple of umpires that have been in MLB for 30 (Derryl Cousins) and 32 years (Jerry Crawford). You can see the full roster of MLB umpires here.

I just read a good interview, from The Cleveland Plain Dealer in August 2005, with MLB Vice President of Umpiring, Mike Port. You can see it for yourself here. A few things really stood out to me.

PD: Is there a grading system for umpires?

MP: There is. It's more of a pass / fail situation. We have certain categories where they are graded in terms of exceeded / met / did not meet. It's not anything in terms of a numerical scale, but we do evaluate virtually everything related to umpiring.

Pass/Fail? Really? As a college student, is there anything better than taking a pass/fail course? Where you can get a 65, but instead of having to deal with a "D" on your record, you simply get a "Pass". But we all know that real college courses don't do that. Yet, in a job that makes a person up to $350,000 a year, they don't give "real" grades. But a simple "pass" or "fail". That's ludicrous. How do you look at the grades to determine who gets a postseason spot? From memory? Memory of all 68 MLB umpires? Yeah...right.

I'm glad that the umpires do get some sort of grading throughout the year. And some even get punished for really bad calls, or whatever. But do you think there's any college that gives out their Magna *** Laude based on what the professors remember? I'm pretty sure they actually look at student's GPAs. And remember...those GPAs are established using real grades, and aren't based on how many "pass/fails" the student received.

PD: Are they graded each game?

MP: Yes - from every game that is observed firsthand, which is just over 55 percent of them. In those games, we look not only at the pitch-evaluation system, but missed calls, ejections, other situations. We watch demeanor, hustle, form, concentration.

Good. But can we give them an actual grade on those things. Not simply a "pass" or "fail".

Okay...so the umpires actually get an "exceeded", "met", "did not meet". Not a "pass" or "fail". But honestly...is there really much of a difference? Out of 68 umpires, can you really see who's the best based on those 3 things? No...you can't. Moving on...

PD: Can an umpire, regardless of service time, get demoted to the minors because of too many mistakes or consistently poor ball-strike calls?

MP: In a word, no. The system is not set up that way. We believe the best point of evaluation comes when the umpire is added to the staff. These guys trained for a substantial amount of time to get where they are. You need to hire the right people.

What!?!? Umpires have tenure? WTF? That's complete bull. Do I really need to explain how messed up that is? I mean, you do know that as you get older your reaction time, and sight, tend to get worse? Right? So it's possible that you were one of the best after 10 years in the game, but once you were around for 20 years you just weren't able to do the job well because you're body failed you. Ugh.

Look. Keep the grading system. But instead of "exceed", "met", "did not meet". Start giving out real grades. Hell, make it a 1-10 system. And then, at the end of the regular season, you can make a true list of the best umpires...and put them into the postseason. And if an umpire's final grade is low enough, say "thanks, but we're letting you go". And then, after using the same system in the minors, promote the umpire with the highest grades to MLB.

Put the best umpires on the field....period. Because by not doing so, you're opening yourselves up to major scrutiny, or worse yet...getting replaced by cameras and/or robots.

As I see it, this is what the Active Roster will look like on Opening Day...

Starting Pitchers:
CC Sabathia
AJ Burnett
Joba Chamberlain
Phil Hughes
????????

Relief Pitchers:
Alfredo Aceves
Phil Coke
Ian Kennedy
Damaso Marte
David Robertson
????????

Closer:
Mariano "I Am a ******* God" Rivera

Starting Lineup:
C - Francisco Cervelli
1B - Mark Teixeira
2B - Robinson Cano
3B - Alex Rodriguez
SS - Derek Jeter
LF - ????????
CF - Melky Cabrera
RF - Nick Swisher
DH - Jorge Posada

Bench:
IF - Ramiro Pena
OF - Brett Gardner
C - ????????
UTIL - ????????

That leaves holes at Starting Pitcher, Left Field, Relief Pitcher, 3rd Catcher (Bench), Utility Man (Bench). So here are some options to fill those roles...

Starting Pitcher - Andy Pettitte. I'll go ahead and guess high on his 2010 salary and say $12 million.

Left Field - Matt Holliday. I think he'll get about $18 million.

3rd Catcher - Oh hell...I don't know. They could bring back Molina, but my guess is that a guy like Chris Stewart (played in Scranton last season) gets a shot. If they go with Stewart, I'd guess he only makes about $400,000.

Utility - Jerry Hairston Jr. I've heard that Girardi just loves this guy, and he's been great for this role. He plays the infield and outfield well, and can hit okay too. Now he made $2 million this year, so what the hell...give him a raise. $3 million.

Relief Pitcher - I don't see the Yankees signing a free agent to pitch in relief. With a strong core of Aceves, Coke, Kennedy (who I believe will replace Gaudin, and could see some starts in place of Phil), Marte, and Robertson they are pretty well set. Perhaps Mark Melancon works his way back in there.

That would add $33.40 million to the 2010 payroll, bringing the total now to $204.7875 million. And there would be 5 more spots free on the 40-Man Roster, which I expect to be filled by promoted minor leaguers that will make around $400,000 each (or another $2 million).

That would make the total for the Yankees 2010 Payroll $206.7875 million.

I had put Matt Holliday in there to show the possibility of adding him to the payroll, and not spending more than they already are. I'm not saying the Yankees should do that. But they probably can and still save.

But I'm not sold on bringing Damon back to man LF either. However, if they did that they could then go after a pitcher like Bedard or Harden.

Here is what the roster for 2010 currently looks like. The number next to them are either their 2010 salary per their contracts, or their expected salary per arbitration. Now some of these arbitration raises are up for debate. But hell if I know what a normal raise would be like, so there's a lot of guesswork involved.

Alfredo Aceves ~$500,000
Jonathan Albaladejo ~$450,000
Andrew Brackman $1.1375 million
Brian Bruney ~$1.5 million
AJ Burnett $16.5 million
Joba Chamberlain ~$750,000
Phil Coke ~$500,000
Wilkin De La Rosa ~$450,000
Michael Dunn ~$450,000
Chris Garcia ~$450,000
Phil Hughes ~$750,000
Ian Kennedy ~500,000
Mark Melancon ~$500,000 (actual number not known)
Damaso Marte $4 million
Edwar Ramirez $450,000
Mariano Rivera $15 million
David Robertson $500,000
CC Sabathia $23 million

Francisco Cervelli $500,000
Jorge Posada $13.1 million

Robinson Cano $9 million
Derek Jeter $21 million
Juan Miranda $400,000 - no raise due to contract
Ramiro Pena ~$500,000
Alex Rodriguez $29 million (Texas will pay $3 million in deferred compensation from previous contract)
Mark Teixeira $20 million

Melky Cabrera $2 million
Shelley Duncan ~$500,000
Brett Gardner $750,000
Freddy Guzman ~$500,000
Nick Swisher $6.75 million

Total: $171.3875 million

Now this only makes 31. Those that are not included are Jose Molina, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Jerry Hairston Jr., Andy Pettitte, Chad Gaudin, Eric Hinske, Sergio Mitre, and Josh Towers. These players do not have a contract for 2010, nor are they arbitration eligible.

Major League Baseball, and all other professional sports organizations, are businesses. The day Harry Wright decided to pay people to play baseball (the Cincinnati Red Stockings), the game became a business. Sure, it was still a game to the children that played it without giving money a thought. But to the men of National Association of Base Ball Players up through today's Major League Baseball, it was about money (aka "business).

The words "fairness", "honesty", and "integrity" mean little to nothing in the business world. As long as you make money, and don't break any laws, then to put it bluntly...it's all good. And the fact is that MLB, and all 30 of the teams that are a part of MLB, are making money. You want "fairness", "honesty", and "integrity"? Start watching Little League baseball, Pop Warner football, Amateur Athletic Union basketball, or High School sports.

On top of that, players are making more money than ever before as well. The only thing that has slowed that down is a poor economy, which those in charge in MLB have no control over. If they did, you would have seen an uproar from the many players that were forced to take smaller contracts (in terms of years and money).

I know that it may not be the best defensive stat out there, nor is it particularly good for 1B, but stilll...quite a few people have been wondering why Mark Teixeira's UZR is so low this season. Because obviously Mark plays stellar defense. So why is one of the more respected defensive metrics saying Mark is slightly below average with a -0.8 UZR so far this season?

Well, I did a little bit of looking and found the following numbers regarding the defensve around Tex the last 3+ seasons...

2006 Rangers
2B Kinsler -11.5
SS Young -4.3
3B Blalock -12.8

2007 Rangers
2B Kinsler -13.1
SS Young -12.9
3B Vasquez -2.9

2007 Braves
2B Johnson -7.9
SS Renteria -3.0
3B Jones -2.7

2008 Angels
2B Kendrick -0.3
SS Aybar 10.1
3B Figgins 13.8

2008 Braves
2B Johnson -10.7
SS Escobar 1.9
3B Jones 7.5

2009 Yankees
2B Cano -3.4
SS Jeter 8.1
3B ARod -7.3

Now What about Tex's UZR the last 3+ years?...

Teixeira's UZR per season
2006 -1.8
2007 -5.2
2008 9.3
2009 -0.8

The only season Tex had an above average UZR was in 2008....when his infield counterparts were much better defenders. Tex hasn't gotten better or worse....his fellow infielders have. Mark is still a guy that will scoop up just about every ball thrown his way. He will knock down or cleanly field every ball hit his way...no matter how hard. And he's one of the best first basemen at starting the double play, instead of just taking 1 out by steppng on 1B.

Speaking of starting a double play, instead of just stepping on first and taking 1 sure out. Teixeira ranks 4th in the AL in starting double plays, behind Kendry Morales (12), Aubrey Huff and Lyle Overbay (9), and Billy Butler (8). And interstingly, only Morales has a truly better UZR (3.1). And I say "truly" because although Overbay's UZR is better, it's only at -0.7...hardly worth bragging about.

So to sum up...Teixeira is indeed a great first basemen. And although his UZR may show otherwise, a first basemen's fellow infielders can have a big effect on that. As shown by the numbers above.

I'm sure you've heard/read plenty of complaints in regards to Sergio Mitre, and the continued use of him as a starter. Well, I decided to take a look to see if I could figure out why he's still starting games for us.

Over the last 30 days the Yankees have scored 154 runs, in 28 games. That's an average of 5.5 runs per game.

Also, in the last 30 days, the bullpen has given up 33 runs in 80.5 innings. This comes out to an average of .41 runs per inning pitched.

So let's take a look at Sergio's 5 starts so far this season. And keep in mind that, unless noted, I'm using earned runs.

July 21st vs. Baltimore
Mitre threw 5.2 innings, giving up 3 earned runs. So if the bullpen had given up .41 runs per inning pitched, that would mean the Os would have ended up with 4.271 runs. Seeing as how the Yankees have scored 5.5 runs per game, Sergio gave them a chance to win that game (which they did). So for a #5 starter...gold star.

July 26th vs. Oakland
5 innings pitched, having given up 4 earned runs. That would leave the bullpen to give up about 1.64 runs, making the As total 5.64. Well, technically I wouldn't pencil this in as "mission accomplished" (although maybe George W. Bush would...I keed). But a difference of .14 runs between what the As would normally score and what the Yankees have averaged is not a whole hell of a lot. So I'm willing to give this one to Sergio. BTW...the Yanks did end up winning.

July 31st vs. Chicago
Only 3 innings, giving up 5 runs. Leaving the bullpen to throw 6 innings, and giving up about 2.46 runs. That's a total of 7.46 runs for the White Sox, which is almost 2 more runs than the Yankees have averaged. Unfortunately the Yankees couldn't have an above average game, and neither could the bullpen, leaving the Yanks as the losers of this contest. Anyway...Mitre did not get the job done this time.

August 5th vs. Toronto
Mitre threw 4.1 innings, giving up 3 runs. So the bullpen had to toss 4.2 innings, and in that time would average 1.722 runs. Giving the Jays a total of 4.722 runs, which is low enough to have given the Bombers a chance to win. Which they did...8-4. Giving Sergio another gold star for his effort.

August 10th vs. Toronto...again
Well Sergio went a bit deeper into this one, and gave up the same number of runs as well...5 innings with 3 ER. But 2 more unearned runs was too much. The bullpen would need to go 4 innings, which would mean another 1.64 runs for the Jays. Without the unearned runs, that's a total of 4.64 runs, and another gold star for Mr. Meat Tray. Well, the 'pen was great this game and gave up nothing. But the bats couldn't have an average day, and our Yanks took the "L" in this one.

So by looking at how much the Yankees offense has averaged run-wise, as well as how many runs the bullpen has averaged per inning pitched, Sergio has done enough to give the Yankees a chance to win in 3 out of his 5 starts. And that doesn't count the game vs. the As in which the offense only needed .15 runs more than they've averaged to win.

That would make 4 out of 5 starts in which the Yankees #5 pitcher had done enough to allow his team to win. Isn't that pretty good?

Now Sergio has made the bullpen work more than we'd like. So keeping him around would mean that CC, AJ, Andy, and Joba have to eat a lot of innings between them. But if they can keep up the way they're throwing, then Mitre isn't that big a problem. Or much of a problem at all.

I've never done a list before, and after dealing with two of the biggest tools in the internet recently, I figured I'd give it a shot...


1. The "We're Effed" Type

These are the guys that are constantly saying things like "Cano sucks with RISP...he'll get out again" or "Jeter's going to hit into a DP here". Look, you don't have to remind me that Robbie has not hit well with RISP. I know this. I love Robinson Cano, so I'm well aware of his pros and cons. And the fact is...he hits the ball well every time. I wish I could find his BABIP with RISP, because I'm 100% convinced that it's somewhere in the neighborhood of .100. So as a huge fan of the man named after Jackie Robinson, I really don't need to hear that.

I'm also aware that Derek Jeter hit into a few too many DPs last season, so it's not outlandish to believe he may hit into another one whenever he's up in a DP situation. In fact...I'm willing to bet that any of the above things I said about myself can probably be said about the vast majority of intelligent Yankee fans.

The last thing we need during a tense time in a ballgame is to here these wastes of oxygen remind us all of a player's downfalls.
 
2. The "I've been a Yankee fan for 50 years" Type

I'm well aware of the fact that some "older" people don't just know about a thing called the World Wide Web, but have actually used it too. But I really don't believe there are that many people visiting message boards on ESPN.com or at DailySportsPages.com that are pushing 60 years old. So I tend to yell "********" a lot when I hear that. But you know what...that's only part of the issue here.

It doesn't matter how long you've been a fan of a team. A 60 year old idiot is no different than a 12 year old idiot. Idiots are idiots. You saw Mickey Mantle play? Really? First of all...congratulations. I would have loved to have seen the Mick play. But guess what? Just because you saw Mantle play, doesn't mean you are more knowledgeable about the Yankees or baseball in general. It simply means you've been a tool for a long time. And in that case, you should hide the fact you've been watching so long. Because at least a 12 year old that says something dumb has an excuse...HE'S ONLY 12!

3. The "I'm Never Wrong" Type

Have you ever had a conversation with somebody who said something obviously wrong, but when you pointed out that what they said wasn't true they didn't say "my bad" or whatever...they simply twisted things in order to make it sound like they actually were not wrong? Like when somebody told me that Jeter would not reach 3000 hits. I pointed out that he's currently just under 2700 and is only 35 years old, therefore he would most likely get there in around 2 years. Did he take back what he said? No. He pointed out that Jeter only had 1 more year left on his contract, and he could retire. Or he could suffer a career ending injury tomorrow. Oh...I'm sorry, I'm the ******* for not assuming he'd retire early or suffer a career ending injury. Those things are so obvious *rolls eyes*.

4. The "X is Awesome...no...X is Garbage" Type

This is the guy who's opinion of a player, or an entire team, is based solely off of what was the last thing they did. "Did he just get a hit? Well this guy's a future HOFer!". "Did he just make an error? Well he's the worst effin' defender in the history of organized sports!". "They lost? Well that's because they suck and need to fire everybody and start from scratch".

I understand that some of this can be attributed to knee-jerk reactions that we all are guilty of now and then. But see...I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about people that say those things ALL THE TIME.  And they don't have any evidence, other than what just happened, to back up their opinions. You can point out the fact that Nick Swisher gets on base quite a bit, and in fact...it's the main reason he has a job in baseball. But since Nick just struck out, and therefore didn't get on base, that means Swish should be DFAd immediately because he's a waste of a roster spot.

5. The "I Have Tickets, But Don't Deserve Them" Type

These are any of the above 4 guys, that get to actually attend a game. I live in Columbus, OH. So it's not exactly a short commute to Yankee Stadium. This means I don't get to see Yankee games in person often. So when I hear one of those 4 types say they were at the game Friday night, and saw ARod hit that 2-run walk-off HR...I want to break ****. I watched the game on my freakin' computer on MLB.tv, and this **** was freakin' there? Die!!!

I have nothing against a "good" fan that got to go to the game. Congratulations to you. I'm jealous. And honestly, it doesn't even have to be a classic like Friday's game. I'm jealous of any "good" fan that gets to go to any Yankee game.

So there you go...my first list post. And I didn't even talk numbers until I had to take a break and get some Advil. Feel free to add your "favorites" in the comments section. Think of this as your chance to vent about some of the cretins you run across in the sports world.

Okay..."release" is not the right word. But thanks to our friends at the Miller Brewing Company, that headline sounds better than "Trade the Beast?".

Before the 2009 season even began, I felt pretty confident of what the 2010 Starting Pitching Rotation was going to look like...

1. CC Sabathia
2. Chien-Ming Wang
3. AJ Burnett
4. Joba Chamberlain
5. Phil Hughes

Now, maybe the order of those 5 would look different. But I was like 99.99% sure of this. In fact, if you had made a bet with me, right now you would be a richer person. Although I don't have that much money, or nice possessions, so you wouldn't feel all that better. But you get the point. I was wrong.

One, Chien-Ming Wang is going to miss half...if not more than half...of the 2010 season. And after the 9 starts, and 4 more appearances, this season...I'm not sure I even want him back. And actually...neither do the Yankees. Well, to be fair, nobody from the organization has come out and said Wang may not be back. But honestly...how much are you willing to bet CMW will be wearing a Yankee uniform ever again? So Mr. Wang is out.

Next we come to Phil Hughes. Now, he could still be in the rotation next season. However, I'm not willing to bet anything on whether or not he'll be there by the end of the 2010 season. Phil has started only 7 games, amassing 34.2 innings. But since June 8th Philthy has thrown 27.2 innings as a reliever. And he's done so well in that role, that Joe Girardi himself has said that Phil could very well be there for the rest of the season. This could change due to the fact that Joba's days as a starter this season could be coming to and end in the next few weeks. Not to mention that Sergio Mitre or Al Aceves may not be able to handle a spot in the rotation from here on out as well. So although I'm far from 100% certain that Hughes won't be able to fill a spot in the 2010 rotation the entire season, I'm willing to keep my eyes and ears open to alternatives.

That makes it so there is at least 1 spot that needs to be filled, and another that could be taken by somebody other than who'll be there on Opening Day. So what do we do about this problem? Cross our fingers, and hope that Aceves becomes a solid to great starter? Pray that the Yankees pick up Sergio Mitre's option for 2010, and plug him into the 4 or 5 spot? What about the free agents that will be available? Guys like Erik Bedard, Doug Davis, Rich Harden, John Lackey, Jarrod Washburn, or Todd Wellemeyer. Maybe hope that the options won't be exercised on Josh Beckett, Jon Garland, Tim Hudson, Cliff Lee, Kevin Millwood, and Brandon Webb. Nah. I say, make a trade. "But who can we trade for a guy better than any of those that you just mentioned?"

There is this guy in AA, that's 19 years old. Now he's got a big stick, and could be a beast in MLB in about 3 years. Imagine...a 22 year old that would have a huge impact on the Yankees. Wouldn't that be great? Hell! This is a guy that could be wearing pinstripes, and winning awards, for like 15 years. And he even plays a position that isn't known for having a ton of great bats. But...he may not play that position long. At least not with the Yankees. The team already has a number of guys that could be the Yankee catcher for a long time once Jorge Posada's days behind the dish are up. He could play 1B, but what about Mark Teixeira? Kind of a roadblock, don't ya think? I suppose he could play a corner OF position. But that's not a very shallow position to fill, so this guy's value there wouldn't be as high. And that's assuming this guy, with iffy footwork behind the plate, could even manage to get it done out there in the first place.

Okay...I think I can stop the "Who is he talking about?" game. Jesus Montero. And I challenge anybody to tell me that everything I said in that last paragraph is not true. I'm not doubting this kid's ability to become an all-star in MLB...multiple times throughout his career. Not one bit. In fact, I'd love to have a spot for him to enter into for 2011. But honestly...it's not there. He's either blocked, or possibly just can't do it. So I say...trade Jesus "The Beast" Montero.

This inevitably is going to lead to the following question...for who? Well I already pointed out what is the biggest hole in the Yankees lineup for 2010, and possibly beyond (I'm not going to start holding my breath for either Andrew Brackman or Dellin Betances quite yet). So how about a young starting pitcher, that when put next to CC, AJ, and Joba next year would send shivers down the spines of every single team. Not just the players of those teams, but the executives, coaches, fans, peanut vendors, and even the player's wives.

So what if the Giants are willing to take a chance on Montero becoming their future LFer? And by throwing in a few other pieces with Jesus, they would be willing to give up either Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum?

Perhaps the Marlins, seeing that they don't have a sure thing to take over 1B for them in the future, are willing to part with a young pitcher like Josh Johnson or Ricky Nolasco.

How about Arizona? I'm sure they'd like to have a slugging 1B in their future. Enough that they'll see the salary for Dan Haren in 2011 and 2012 (not to mention his option for 2013) and decide keeping him wouldn't be the best thing to do.

I could possibly see the Mariners be interested in acquiring Montero's services for the next 8 years or so (meaning at least until he were eligible for free agency...which is a guess). Enough so that they'd be willing to part with Felix Hernandez. They did just trade for a couple of pitching prospects in the Washburn deal.

I may be singing a totally different tune by even next week. But I honestly do not think it would be a bad idea to see what Jesus Montero could get in a trade.