Garcia is on the decline and Garland is overrated. I think Williams did fine considering it's going to give McCarthy a chance to start.

Now Bill Bavasi....there's a guy that needs an ass kicking....gives up Soriano for a sub-par starter (in the NL mind you), is thinking of trading Sexson (we already need power....why get rid of what little you have) and adds a great clubhouse guy like Guillen. At least they didn't throw crazy money at these FA pitchers (yet)....watch the M's will throw 6 years $70 MIL at Suppan (if that happens i'll be on suicide watch).

For once, I agree with Matt. Floyd is a bust and has a reputation of being too fragile mentally. Phillies gave him several opportunities to stay in the major leagues and he never did. He was not in the Phillies' plans for 2007.

FWIW, the Sox brass see a way to correct Floyd's delivery. They say it's the same flaw Matt Thornton had and Cooper fixed that straightaway. Coop fixed Contreras and helped Garland reach a higher level. The guy was a #4 pick five years ago and is very young. I'll reserve judgment until Coop has a season to work with him.

I was bothered that we included Gio for Thome last year, now that's he back it's essentially Thome/Floyd for Rowand/Garcia. I still like it. They say the kid's a young Guidry.

Williams said he wanted young pitching for old pitching and he got it. I still think one of these guys will be sent off for Baldelli or someone similar.

Maybe, but from all reports, this was the best deal by far. Maybe we could have done something with the Jays for Vernon Wells, but his agents claim they're going to try for $20 million/yr when he's a free agent in 2008.

If Gil Meche can get $11 Mil/yr, Freddy will command around $14 million. Good as gone from Reinsdorf's book, besides players on their last year aren't going to garner as much as you'd hope via trade. Save the $10 million and try to ink Dye or Crede now.

Bonds will stay in S.F., signs one-year deal with Giants


Dec. 7, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports


NEW YORK -- Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants reached agreement on a $16 million, one-year contract Thursday night that will keep the controversial slugger in the Bay Area to take aim at baseball's home run record.

The deal includes four performance bonuses that could make the pact worth a total of $20 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because there had been no official announcement.

While Oakland, San Diego, St. Louis and other teams showed interest in signing the 42-year-old free agent, the Giants had been considered the front-runners to re-sign their star.

Bonds has 734 home runs and is 22 from breaking Hank Aaron's career record. He has played 14 seasons for the Giants and is coming off a $90 million, five-year contract.

Bonds missed nearly the entire 2005 season after three operations on his right knee, prompting speculation on whether he was almost done. But the left fielder bounced back this year to play 130 games, hitting .270 with 26 homers and 77 RBI.

Shadowed by allegations of steroid use and a target of boo-birds in many opposing parks, Bonds has remained a fan favorite in the Bay Area. He has been tied to the Giants by family and history -- his dad, Bobby, was a popular player with the team; his godfather, Willie Mays, is regarded as the greatest Giant of them all.

The Giants will host the All-Star game next year, and can certainly build the event around Bonds as he nears Aaron's mark.

A seven-time NL MVP, a 13-time All-Star and an eight-time Gold Glove winner, Bonds has stolen more than 500 bases and is baseball's all-time leaders in walks.

Bonds met Wednesday with his former Pirates manager and now-Detroit skipper Jim Leyland, who is close friends with St. Louis manager Tony La Russa.

The Giants have been busy since the season ended. They re-signed Ray Durham and Pedro Feliz and also signed free agents Dave Roberts, Rich Aurilia and Bengie Molina, hoping to boost their lineup.

San Francisco cut ties with manager Felipe Alou after going 76-85 this season, and saw his son, outfielder Moises Alou, sign a free-agent deal with the New York Mets. Pitcher Jason Schmidt is working to finalize an agreement with the Dodgers.

Bruce Bochy was hired away from San Diego to manage San Francisco. Among the first things Bochy did after joining the Giants was phone Bonds.

The day after this season ended, Giants owner Peter Magowan said Bonds would not be the team's main cog if he returned in 2007.

"I think we need to go in a new direction," Magowan said in early October.

"We have for a long time had a strategy that has worked well until the last two years, when it hasn't worked so well. The strategy has been one of having a great player -- maybe the greatest player in the game -- at the centerpiece and filling in with veteran players.

"For a long time that worked well. It caught up with us the past couple of years. Now we do need to get younger and healthier," he said.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Magowan called the Bonds camp to clarify his remarks and say he did not mean to offend the star.

When the Giants did not offer salary arbitration to Bonds last week, agent Jeff Borris was miffed.

Borris said it spoke "volumes of their true intentions to have him back in a Giants uniform for the 2007 season."

"It has been well documented that the Giants were trying to sign Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, Gary Matthews and Juan Pierre," Borris said. "And they have been working diligently in trying to trade for Manny Ramirez. The Giants' actions demonstrate that Barry obviously is not a priority to them."

Once the baseball winter meetings began, however, Borris and the Giants talked several times.

At this point in his career, only one thing is missing on Bonds' major league resume: a World Series ring.

Bonds has reached the postseason in seven different seasons, but made it to the World Series only in 2002 against the Anaheim Angels. With a chance to win the championship, the Giants blew a late 5-0 lead in Game 6 and lost, then lost Game 7.

Despite the defeat, Bonds hit .471 with four homers and had a .700 on-base percentage against the Angels. Overall, he is a .245 career hitter in the postseason.

AP

dumbasses. barroid had NOWHERE else to go so make the bitch wait it out and pay him less. the Giants are going to suck ass again next year.

They were forced to sign him. Did you get a look at their everyday line-up? The one thing I don't quite understand is why they would pay him $16+ mil when nobody else showed much interest.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Oh well, it's good news for the Padres as he is a big liability in left field. Hit a single to left and get a double out of it.

He'll end up being worth that and more in revenue....across MLB...that's why. Why make it acrimonious when you know you need him and you know he's worth the money (if somewhat healthy)....his legs were certainly stronger at the end of the year. I'm sure they negotiated to a middle ground.

I think i'd be more pissed about the signings of Roberts and Aurilia.

A shame about Jose Uribe.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/stor ... BHeadlines


And 14+ kids, too? Damn.

He's up in Heaven, looking down on us, with Falco.

Falco also died in an auto-accident in the Dominican. I don't think he had anywhere near 14 kids, though.

No doubt trying to avoid being pulled over by Der Kommissar.

Alles klar?

Der Kommissar was After the Fire, Bob. Don't turn around (Pettitte, you money hungry, Clemens-cock sucker). Hope you go to the Yankees and stay injured all year. "Wanted to come back home and win a championship." Right.

Rock me Amadeus.

Written by Falco....and i think even recorded.

After The Fire released their version of "Der Kommisar" without permission. Falco sued but by that time the song was already huge in North America. Don't remember the specifics of the suit, but Falco lost. Falco's version was big in Europe but not so big in North America.

He was cool, though, Falco was.

my bad and apologies to Bob, but certainly not Pettitte.

99 luftballoons

Good riddance to Pettite. He MASSIVELY underachieved while with the Astros. They didn't get their money's worth from him, so let him drag his overrated ass back to Big Stein.

Pettite's head's kinda big ain't it.

Everytime I see him talk I think "self-absorbed ninny."