Q.  What do you make of Baker's hypothetical on trading Felix?

A.  The usual sweet delivery out of da Bakery. 

There's a lot to calculate there.  More than could be "captured" with an algebraic equation.  :- )

The argument against?  Would begin with the fact that the 2010 season is important, more so than Geoffy allows for the sake of his argument (as he would tell you, also).  ML orgs don't trade Felixes (Felices?) in Y-3.

And why is that?

They care too much about the pennant races during.  2010 is big.  2011 is a long, loooooong ways away.

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

But!  Geoffy beckons us over and, mask shifting Rorschach-like in the dark of the alley, mutters sans-pronouns a jarring little factoid:  that Felix (like ARod) has no intention of missing out on the bidding war. 

THAT is a quasi-scoop.  It has not been remarked on much, but it becomes the important variable in this chess position.

IF that is the case, then Baker's argument gains a lot of traction.  Felix could be traded for a very good young SP right now, plus a good young SS/3B, plus a lot.  

I would indeed be inclined to tell Felix, nicely, that it's time to tango (with a very nice $$$$ offer) or he'll force my hand.  What could the Mariners have gotten for ARod with two years left on his deal?

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Q:  What kind of haul might you get back?

A.  Check the transactions section here on Danny Haren.   Beane had the guts to trade Haren with 2 full, or was it even 3, full years left before FA?

Maybe one of youse guys could do us the favor of analyzing those 6 prospects, then and now.

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

Felix is worth a lot more than Haren was, of course.   It's one thing to talk about flushing Bedard and Washburn just for the sake of flushing them.  But Felix could AND WOULD bring back three ML-ready young stars who would have very, very good chances to be pillars of the franchise.

Compare the packages being offered for Halladay -- Weaver, Wood, plus mucho ... Buccholz, Bowden, Westmoreland, plus ... Drabek, Happ, plus ...

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Q.  Any specific deals for which D-O-V has an inkling?

A.  If Felix is planning a PayRod, I'd be very tempted to go get two-three young stars for him.  Plus the FA who'd get Felix' salary.

If Tampa is in on Halladay, I'd be surprised if you couldn't get David Price, Reid Brignac, plus mucho, for the King. 

Price is a lefty power SP, cheap.  Brignac is a lefty bat-oriented SS, cheap.  You'd get that, plus a key FA with Felix' salary, plus minors talent.  That kinda thing.

Another awesome read from Baker, electrified by his understated little tipoff that Felix may be ready to pull an ARod on us.

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Q.  So how do you tie that in with your own desire to keep fighting in 2009?

A.  Alan Rickman said, not long ago, that what he liked about J.K. Rowling's writing was that it was so full of possibilities.  That the actors themselves had no idea whether their characters would turn out good or evil -- that Rowling's writing allowed for many options, even coherently.

Zduriencik, and yes Bavasi before him (as he did with the Angels), have created a rich position to play.

I'd like to get pointed with Felix, resolve that, and press for a 2009-11 contender with Felix.  But if I have to Danny Haren his keister to Houston, I'll build my 09-11 contender that way.

The M's have AAA and ML rosters that are, um, pregnant with possibilities.  Thath high-quality H20.

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Q.  Do you really expect to compete in 2009 without Felix?

A.  Don't forget that the Halladay rumors involve top young SP's going back to the Jays, such as Jered Weaver, Clay Buccholz, Clayton Kershaw (hm) and others.

You add a young ace, and fix one of the M's glaring holes in the IF, say with Weaver and Brandon Wood, and it's easy to imagine the 2009 M's holding their own w/r/t that trade, anyway.

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

But I'm not absolute about 2009.  Nothing's an absolute.

If the best package for Felix involved Kyle Drabek and three other hotshots, fine.  At that point the arguments for 2010-11 gain more and more weight.

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Q.  Would Zduriencik have the guts?

A.  If you don't believe anything else we ever tell ya, believe this one:  Zduriencik wouldn't make THAT decision.  At least, not alone.

In MOST ML orgs, such a huge win-now-or-later decision is an internal firefight between the player-development guys and the guys closest to the Friday night turnstiles.

So I wouldn't think that the M's are agile enough, yet, to surprise even if Capt Jack wanted to.

A dreamy little trip from the Bakery, tho.  :- )

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Q.  What's the latest on Scutaro?

A.  M's fans are falling in love with the little dude over the weekend series and Gordon Edes says that the Jays are "aggressively shopping" Marco Scutaro.

Here's one that D-O-V can get interested in.   As opposed to Jack Wilson, he loses some ephemeral defense but gains some very concrete offense -- and you can buy a second quality player with the salary difference.

Heatin' up this week,

Dr D