How about this trade?

[Yankyfan]

With the Marlins in the hunt in the NL East why not try this one on for size?We eat half of Hitchs contract and trade him to the Marlins for AJ Burnett who can't pitch for 15 months.Sort of along the lines of Lieber.The Marlins were rumored to have intrest in Hitch before the injury to AJ.Boy a staff of Burnett,Contrareas,Weaver,Mussina,and Lieber would look good for next year.Don't look now but Hitch has a 2.23 era.

[Michaels07]

Originally posted by Yankyfan
With the Marlins in the hunt in the NL East why not try this one on for size?We eat half of Hitchs contract and trade him to the Marlins for AJ Burnett who can't pitch for 15 months.Sort of along the lines of Lieber.The Marlins were rumored to have intrest in Hitch before the injury to AJ.Boy a staff of Burnett,Contrareas,Weaver,Mussina,and Lieber would look good for next year.Don't look now but Hitch has a 2.23 era.

Always liked AJ, Yanky fan you are a thinker.But Hitch, is good he has more stuff then Hammond, at least he throws harder, maybe we should keep him for the year.

[Big_E]

Burnett won't pitch next year. And why are you assuming Pettitte won't be back? I look at:

Pettitte
Mussina
Weaver
Contreras
Leiber

as being our rotation next year...though don't put it past George as to signing another free agent.

[25Giambi25]

Hmmm, looks good on paper, but I wouldn't be crazy about having two pitchers coming off of extended DL stints in the same year without knowing how they are going to pitch after recovery. And we may need Hitchcock this year for some long relief.

Thanks for the thoughts!

[Yankyfan]

I didn't forget Pettite but with Clemmens gone next year and Andy looking for big money I could see him pitching for the Rangers .As far as coming off an injury your right but most of these TJ surgeries come back even stronger then before.As far as Hitch goes if the offer is right he's a gonner IMO.

[CommerceComet]

Originally posted by Big_E
though don't put it past George as to signing another free agent.

If Contreras hasn't proven that he belongs in big leagues, this is almost a certainty.

[Big_E]

Originally posted by Yankyfan
I didn't forget Pettite but with Clemmens gone next year and Andy looking for big money I could see him pitching for the Rangers .As far as coming off an injury your right but most of these TJ surgeries come back even stronger then before.As far as Hitch goes if the offer is right he's a gonner IMO.

If Clemens and Wells retire, as expected, I don't think there's any way George lets Andy leave.

Just my $0.02

[Saxmania]

Actually, not at all a bad idea. I doubt it would happen, because Burnett still has a great deal of potential value (although not to my fantasy team this year ), but something along these lines is definitely good. However, with Lieber already a long-term steal, I would expect another team (like Boston with Casey Fossum, for example) to make a move, with an offer of a younger pitcher who can remain a Marlin for several years.

Interesting thought, though. And I disagree that we need Hitch for long relief. Long relievers are failed starters, and there's always plenty of them around. Since they almost always pitch in blowouts, they are almost never the difference between a win and a loss, so having a long man with a 4.5 ERA is almost no different to having a long man with a 3.5 ERA. It just changes how much you win/get beat by, which means nothing in the standings. Hitchcock has no real value in the pen unless he suddenly becomes an ace set-up man.

And if Hitchcock were better than Hammond then we'd use him in close games, not to mop up after we've scored ten. Hammond is many times more valuable to this team than Hitchcock, and at a third of the price to boot.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[Michaels07]

If Hitch arm is sound, he`s a starter in reserve in case one of our aged entries goes down. he`s done in in the past.

[Yankyfan]

I think that Eric Milton is a FA this year and I if so i think he would be a Yankee target.Getting Burnet would have nothing to do with that anyway.As far as Hitch goes Mo7 I agree with Sax if they planned on keeping him they would have expanded his role a little by now.I mean they put in Reyes over Hitch the other night for Middle relief.Also if some one goes down Contrereas is your guy in reserve.

[Saxmania]

Originally posted by Michaels07
If Hitch arm is sound, he`s a starter in reserve in case one of our aged entries goes down. he`s done in in the past.

Frankly, I'd rather have an AAA starter go for us, or Contreras. Hitchcock isn't an asset unless we lose two starters long-term, and that's very unlikely. He's worth far more in a trade to a team that actually needs a new starter, and therefore he's worth far more to the Yankees in terms of what he can bring to us.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[Hitman23]

Originally posted by Big_E
If Clemens and Wells retire, as expected, I don't think there's any way George lets Andy leave.

Just my $0.02

That's my thought as well, but that will be dictated by the level of talent in the free agent pool this fall.

Can anyone post the FAs after this season?

[Yankyfan]

If the need arises we have Willie Banks at AAA also.

[junkman73]

I also think Pettitte gives the Yankees a discount to stay....

[Mr. Mxylsplk]

Originally posted by Saxmania
Interesting thought, though. And I disagree that we need Hitch for long relief. Long relievers are failed starters, and there's always plenty of them around. Since they almost always pitch in blowouts, they are almost never the difference between a win and a loss, so having a long man with a 4.5 ERA is almost no different to having a long man with a 3.5 ERA. It just changes how much you win/get beat by, which means nothing in the standings. Hitchcock has no real value in the pen unless he suddenly becomes an ace set-up man.

I agree, and though I don't know that the Marlins would be interested in this trade, if we can get a guy who could help us, even if it's not until next year, I'd love to dump Hitch. Hitchcock pitched 39 innings for us last year and 59 innings the year before, and sucked while doing it. He adds nothing to this team, and we should take almost anything we might be able to get for him. A good pitcher who's a year away qualifies in my book.

[Timmer]

Originally posted by Yankyfan
I didn't forget Pettite but with Clemmens gone next year and Andy looking for big money I could see him pitching for the Rangers .

Remember that everybody assumed Bernie was gone, too.

[Michaels07]

Originally posted by Yankyfan
I think that Eric Milton is a FA this year and I if so i think he would be a Yankee target.Getting Burnet would have nothing to do with that anyway.As far as Hitch goes Mo7 I agree with Sax if they planned on keeping him they would have expanded his role a little by now.I mean they put in Reyes over Hitch the other night for Middle relief.Also if some one goes down Contrereas is your guy in reserve.

I know it was a Bummer move by Joe

[Rich]

Originally posted by Yankyfan
I think that Eric Milton is a FA this year and I if so i think he would be a Yankee target.Getting Burnet would have nothing to do with that anyway.As far as Hitch goes Mo7 I agree with Sax if they planned on keeping him they would have expanded his role a little by now.I mean they put in Reyes over Hitch the other night for Middle relief.Also if some one goes down Contrereas is your guy in reserve.

According to this site Milton is signed through 2004:

http://www.bluemanc.demon.co.uk/base...bcontracts.htm

(click on the letter "M" and scroll down)

[backstop20]

Originally posted by Hitman23


That's my thought as well, but that will be dictated by the level of talent in the free agent pool this fall.

Can anyone post the FAs after this season?

espn.com 11/27/02

Potential free agents at the end of the 2003 season
Kevin Milwood, Atl., RHP, 29*
Sidney Ponson, Bal., RHP, 27*
Bartolo Colon, Mon., RHP, 29*
Livan Hernandez, S.F., RHP, 29*
Kirk Rueter, S.F., LHP, 33*
Andy Pettitte, NYY, LHP, 32*
Pedro Astacio, NYM, RHP, 34*
Randy Johnson, Ari., LHP, 41*
Danny Graves, Cin., RHP, 31*
Keith Foulke, CWS, RHP, 31*
Kelvim Escobar, Tor., RHP, 28*
Scott Sullivan, Cin., RHP, 33*
Armando Benitez, NYM, RHP, 31*
Eddie Guardado, Min., LHP, 34*
Mike Williams, Pit., RHP, 34*
Javy Lopez, Atl., C, 33*
Luis Castillo, Fla., 2B, 29*
Fernando Vina, St. L., 2B, 35*
Craig Biggio, Hou., 2B, 38*
Miguel Tejada, Oak., SS, 28*
Rich Aurilia, S.F., SS, 33*
Roberto Alomar, NYM, 2B, 38*
Jose Cruz, Tor., 0F, 30*
Vladimir Guerrero, Mon., OF, 28*
Shannon Stewart, Tor., OF, 30*
Mike Cameron, Sea., 0F, 31*
* Opening Day age in 2004


Potential free agents at the end of the 2004 season
Kerry Wood, ChC, RHP, 28*
Matt Clement, ChC, RHP, 31*
Ryan Dempster, Cin., RHP, 28*
Odalis Perez, L.A., LHP, 27*
Javier Vazquez, Mon., RHP, 29*
Pedro Martinez, Bos., RHP, 34*
Derek Lowe, Bos., RHP, 31*
Curt Schilling, Ari., RHP, 38*
Matt Morris, St. L., RHP, 31*
Kris Benson, Pit., RHP, 30*
Russ Ortiz, S.F., RHP, 31*
Eric Milton, Min., LHP, 30*
Brad Radke, Min., RHP, 32*
Freddy Garcia, Sea., RHP, 29*
Scott Williamson, Cin., RHP, 29*
Bobby Howry, Bos., RHP, 32*
Jose Jimenez, Col., RHP, 32*
Braden Looper, Fla., RHP, 30*
Felix Rodriguez, S.F., RHP, 31*
Troy Percival, Ana., RHP, 36*
Robb Nen, S.F., RHP, 35*
Mariano Rivera, NYY, RHP, 35*
Jason Varitek, Bos., C, 33*
Paul Konerko, ChW, 1B, 29*
Derrek Lee, Fla., 1B, 30*
Richie Sexson, Mil., 1B, 30*
Carlos Delgado, Tor., 1B-DH, 32*
Jose Vidro, Mon., 2B, 31*
Mike Lowell, Fla., 3B, 31*
Corey Koskie, Min., 3B, 32*
Eric Chavez, Oak., 3B, 27*
Adrian Beltre, L.A., 3B, 26*
Aaron Boone, Cin., 3B, 32*
Troy Glaus, Ana., 3B, 28*
Cristian Guzman, Min., SS, 27*
Orlando Cabrera, Mon., SS, 30*
Nomar Garciaparra, Bos., SS, 32*
Trot Nixon, Bos., OF, 31*
Carlos Beltran, K.C., OF, 28*
J.D. Drew, St. L., OF, 29*
Magglio Ordonez, ChW, OF, 31*
Garret Anderson, Ana., OF, 33*
Geoff Jenkins, Mil., OF, 31*
* Opening Day age in 2005

Copyright ©2002 ESPN Internet Ventures.

[Saxmania]

I think Randy Johnson can be taken off the 2003 list. He signed a two-year extension a couple of weeks ago.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania