So, save this shtick for Thursday morning. :- ) This is Hiro Nakamura Time-Travel week.

..................

Q. What do you think of the idea of signing Daniel Cabrera and using him as a closer?

A. I think you all are going to be shocked at the contract that Daniel Cabrera commands. Are you still in the game if it's 4/$40 for Cabrera to close? Considering that he's never done it? Thought not.

And it could go considerably higher than 4/$40.

Cabrera has Randy Johnson-esque potential -- well, almost -- and one or two teams are likely to pay for the upside as though it had already been achieved.

Still and all, if you could somehow parlay this idea into a situation in which both Brandon Morrow and Aaron Heilman start, then it could be worth the outlay. What would Heilman want in an extension?

Supposing you could talk Heilman into a 3-year extension at reasonable money, and supposing you could offload Washburn in some kind of scheme, and supposing D-Cab was willing to close ... it might all net out well for you.

All that's about as likely as finding one of the first three parking slots to the door in a Wal-Mart lot.

Cabrera's healthy, you say? I take it for granted that he'd be lights-out. He's the next Gossage or Mesa or take your pick. The risk isn't likely to be anywhere near worth it, IMHO.

.............

Q. What about Saito, then?

A. Dr. Naka, as usual, noticed something that nobody else did:

Interesting note is that closer Saito is on the [WBC] roster.
Manager Hara mentioned that he took 34 players whose condition are good.
So perhaps Saito has a good recovery.

Hm. Is it likely that Hara has more information than me, as to Saito's arm? I suppose, in a longshot, he could...

Takashi Saito last year had a 60/16 control ratio with 1 -- count it -- homer allowed in 47 innings' relief pitching. It's been a long time since I wrote baseball, but I distinctly remember 60-16-1 being good.

As you know, he was hurt the 2nd half, so you're looking at having the doctors image the elbow tissue. What is interesting here is that apparently Hara & co. have done that.

Gimme a good MRI on the lad, and I'm in.

.

Q. Then what do you do in the bullpen?

A. If they want out of the Morrow/Heilman Two-Face Coin, they've got to add one or two legit relief guns, either in FA or in trade. It's not an act of Congress to do so. But it's obviously much *easier* to just figure that one of your two thoroughbred swing men is going to close.

..........

Q. What do you do about RRS?

A. Like we just said, swing man. Probably Bedard isn't ready in April, so RRS starts then, and the moment that he is, RRS pulls the old Ramiro Mendoza flip to the pen. If and when you can deal Washburn, RRS can get back to the rotation by then. If Phillippe Aumont isn't yet the best pitcher in the organization by that time.

All clubs need 6 starters, never mind those with David Cone, Pedro Martinez or Erik Bedard. Call RRS the 6.

..........

Q. When is Jamie Moyer going to hit the wall?

A. He's already hit about four of them. He keeps reinventing himself each time.

Right now, he's a rawhide-tough, (barely) league-average lefty who uses command and intelligence. Can a guy in his late 40's gear up enough muscle power to finesse the ball into an area the size of an almond can (4-oz size)?

James always says on guys like this, "common sense tells you to let him find his own limits." Stop trying to apply rules to Jamie Moyer. He's a special class of baseball pitcher (a class of which there is one member).

Tommy John stopped pitching at 46, probably more from injuries than lack of ability to pitch. And Tommy wasn't in anything like the physical condition that Moyer is.

I suspect that Jamie will be able to trick them for another two or three years.

................

Q. Would Moyer get the HOF if he gets 300 wins?

A. Everybody with 300 wins gets the HOF. Don't be silly. But that's undoubtedly his only route to the Hall. Writers will, IMHO, remember Moyer as a classy pitcher who wasn't nearly HOF-caliber.

It is the year 2009, and Pat Gillick is still supposedly doing dumb shtick as we speak, and Pat Gillick is still better than the next generation. Ain't love grand.

BABVA,

jemanji

...................

image: http://www.bevnet.com/images/reviews/tazo-juiced/tazo-tazoberry.jpg