I like Playing with Monkeys

Kevin Millar вЂ" Great ’03, 0kay ’04, mediocre ’05 and same stats in ’06 2.1 million this year вЂ" not the answer

Bruce Chen вЂ" w/Bos in ’03 had good year in ’05 13-10 32 starts 3.83 era

3.8 million this year 0-7 W-L era of almost 7 .not the answer

Chi вЂ"a

David Riske вЂ" Sox got RP Javier Lopez for him in trade in June of this year 1.8 mil salary. Last five years had an era under 4.00 Right handed batters hit .224 off him this year (.241 overall). Numbers are good if he can handle pressure. Could have used him.

Dustin Hemanson вЂ" 3 million this year for 6 innings horrible for us in ’02. Great ’05 in Whitesox bullpen 2.04 era. Not the answer

Cle

Andy Marte вЂ" hit .226 in 164 ab’s this year. Only 22 years old. Tremendous upside and a potential all star. .261 with 15 homers and 46 RBI in 96 games at Buffalo. Marte and Shoppach for Crisp

Kelly Shoppach вЂ" hit .245 in 110 abs this year. Back up catcher. Marte and Shoppach for Crisp. Had we gone in another direction other than the trade for Coco then the sox might still have Cla Meredith.

Det

Todd Jones вЂ" 5.8 million this year. Heart attack closer yet has saved 37 of 42 chances this year. 40 of 45 last year with the Marlins. ’03 with us had an era of 5 and a Ð'Ð..... era of 7.00 in ’03, 4.15 in ’04, 2.10 in ’05 and 3.94 this year. Unpredictable expectations and not a sure bet. A couple of nice years but at 38 years old don’t expect a repeat performance for next year especially with the young guns in the Tigers Bullpen (read Zumaya and Rodney)

Mike Moroth - Jul 31, 1999: Boston Red Sox traded Mike Maroth to the Detroit Tigers for Bryce Florie. Hurt this year 14-14 4.74 era in ’05. 29 years old and ready to turn the corner. Will be a solid number 2 or 3 starter for the next five years if healthy. Dropped the ball

LA Ana

Orlando Cabrera вЂ" SS. Loved Boston, only player for Sox to get a hit in every post season game in World Series win. Could handle the pressure and was the handshake king and high energy guy. 7.5 million this year after four-year 26 million dollar deal. Mildly overpriced. 95 runs this year with 27 steals, hit .282.In hindsight would have been a better signing than Edgar Renteria. Less of an automatic out than Alex Gonzalez. Would have solidified short for two more years and been a viable two-hole hitter.

Min

Lew Ford вЂ" had great minor league batting stats for red sox minor league. 30 years old now but a career .275 hitter. Originally might have been a Jeff Bagwell trade but hasn’t reached his potential. a promising rookie outfielder whom the Sox traded to the Twins in 2000 for reliever Hector Carrasco. Not the answer

NY вЂ"a

Johnny Damon - Sure Johnny would have been great this year .285 avg. 24 homers and 80 rbi’s from the leadoff spot would have made a difference this year and probably next year as well. However, one only needs to look at the other baseball team in New York to see why the Sox let one the most popular players in franchise history leave for nothing (See Pedro’s Rotator cuff). No one would be surprised to see Johnny run into the centerfield wall in Yankee stadium and miss half the season with a bum knee. Two names: Sheffield and Matsui. Time will straighten this one out but this 35 вЂ" year old center fielder making 13 million a year on the final year of his contract could possible make the Yanks sign Bernie Williams to be Damon’s defensive replacement.

Mike Myers вЂ" The Yankees sign this left handed specialist with the sole purpose of getting David Ortiz out. Or perhaps it was only to prevent him from re-signing with Boston in order that the heavy left handed hitting Yankee lineup would no longer be tormentmented by this submariner. However, after not have any lefty to speak of in the Boston bullpen, perhaps Myers’ situational help and 3.23 era over 30 innings (almost identical with Myers numbers last year with Boston) might have been a wise investment for a little over 1 million. (see Chad Bradford)

Carl Pavano вЂ" Let’s see… Pavano was the key chip in the deal to land Pedro in Boston from the Expos. That worked out nice. And later we lost the bidding war with the Yankees for the right to have Pavano’s 17 starts and 4.77 era LAST YEAR be for Boston. At 8 million dollars this year he’s pitched in as many games this year as I did….zero. Beautiful. I still think that Brian Rose guy might be better, wherever he is.

Oak

Jay Payton вЂ" 4 million this year. Multi-tooled outfielder has given the A’s a steady bat in their lineup to go along with above-average defense. Has had a productive year batting almost .300 while scoring almost 80 runs for a weak hitting A’s team. A player somewhat similar to a healthy Coco Crisp. Would have been a valuable part-time/full-time outfielder who doesn’t break the bank. Boston received Jay Payton, Ramon Vazquez, minor league righthander David Pauley and $2.65 million to help pay for the remainder of Payton's contract in exchange for Dave Roberts in вЂ?04. Perhaps the sox should have just kept the man who had “THE STEAL.”

Scott Sauerbeck вЂ" 1.2 million this year. Released by Indians earlier this year signed by Oakland. Great in ’02 horrible for us in ’03 and has barely been serviceable since then. Not the answer

TB

Casey Fossum- Some trades aren’t funny. Does anyone remember Curt Schilling to the Red Sox for LHP Casey Fossum, RHP Brandon Lyon, LHP Jorge De La Rosa, and OF Michael Goss. While Brandon Lyon has pitched well for Arizona, Tampa Bay’s Casey Fossum hasn’t lived up to expectations and has been a serviceable pitcher at best. Goss has long disappeared and Jorge De La Rosa has started a few games in KC to no one’s great excitement.