Is the Writing on the Wall?

Is the Writing on the Wall?

We're No. 3!... We're No. 3!...

"At the moment, the Red Sox look like a team that could finish third behind the Yankees and Blue Jays in the American League East. The White Sox, Indians, Athletics and Angels appear to have better chances of making the playoffs -- and the Twins, with their pitching potential, could contend if they can find a way to score runs." -- 1.3.06, Peter Gammons ESPN.com Insider

'Red Sox a Mess? Not Quite'

"The financial issues in the Epstein negotiations did not get resolved until nearly 48 hours before his old contract was to expire, which did not give the GM and CEO time to work out other issues -- most of which involved Lucchino loyalists, who the baseball-operations folks believe have undermined the situation, sourced countless leaks and (with their attempts to make Lucchino look good) roved over Epstein and the baseball staff."

"If Theo had been the GM, he likely would have gone to the club's ceiling of $45 million for four years the weekend of the winter meetings, and if Boras did not back off his (then) seven-year demand, would have called off the negotiations and done the Jeremy Reed deal with Seattle in Dallas when the Mariners thought they could get Juan Pierre from Florida."

"Epstein's view is that without a $200 million payroll, it is practically impossible in the American League East to win 95-100 games every year. The goal is to be in position to make that run seven or eight out of 10 years, which means that about once every five years they have to step back and, in Lucchino's words, 'retool. Not rebuild, retool.'"

"Trading Ramirez to Baltimore -- which would also include Matt Clement -- for Miguel Tejada could be determined later this week. It has long been fueled on the Tejada end by his close friend, David Ortiz. It does not in any way include a four-way creation of a Mets fan's Internet fantasy."

"'If I were to wager a guess today,' says an Oriole executive, 'it would be that Manny opens the season with the Red Sox and Tejada is with the Orioles. As far as I'm concerned, Tejada is one of the five best players in the game. His contract ($12 million annual average value) was signed in a down market, as opposed to Manny's ($20 million annual average value), which was signed in an inflationary market. If Tejada went on the market this winter, he'd probably get between $14 million and $16 million a year.'" -- 1.3.06, Peter Gammons ESPN.com Insider