It's Friday and I Need Some Beer

Just as everyone cries fowl on a potential Benson trade, it seems that Omar might receive some more attractive offers from other teams. Since he already got rid of his best trading chip in Mike Cameron, Kris Benson now represents his best option to upgrade the team via trade. One target that should be visited in the coming week would be Orlando Hudson who the Blue Jays are willing to trade and might bite for if they feel they cannot land AJ Burnett. They have some extra capital to spend and are in the market for starting pitching so there is a potential, though unlikely, deal there. Hudson just won his first Gold Glove last season and had a solid year at the plate and would provide possibly the best up the middle defense in the league with Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran.

Of course, Omar still has his eye on the prize. He is still dreaming sugar plum dreams of one Manny Ramirez smashing homeruns at Shea Stadium. The Phillies are seeming less and less likely due to the fact that they need starting pitching, but there is potential for a three way deal involving the Mets, Red Sox, and Phillies in theory since the Sox are also looking to possibly move Matt Clement and the Mets are looking to move Benson. Benson or Clement for Abreu straight up does not necessarily work since I think Abreu is worth more, but I would leave that to the powers that be to figure out how to make it all work. The Phillies are reluctant to add too much salary over Abreu, so it actually still gives them financial wiggle room for other moves since it saves them about $5 million in 2006.

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Furcal is drawing significant interested from the Dodgers and that is just fine and dandy with me. Both the Cubs and the Dodgers are dangling five year offers close to $50 million and that is too rich for the Braves' blood at this point. One of these days, the Braves will finish below first and I just hope I'm alive to see it.

In part II of good news in the NL East, the Phillies closed a deal with Tom Gordon for three years, $18 million.

In part III of good news in the NL East, the Marlins are still looking to deal Luis Castillo and the Twins appear to be hot for him.

In part IV of the good news in the NL East, the Marlins are looking to deal Juan Pierre to the Yankees and the Marlins asked for Sean Henn and Scott Proctor and that deal was not rejected. Of course if not the Yankees, the Rangers are also in the mix for Pierre's services. Basically, he'll have a new home either way you shake it.

I know you have to actually play the games, but the NL East is looking weaker than it did last season with one team head and shoulders above the rest.

Farnsworth is close to a deal with the Yankees, but not quite done yet. It seems the Yankees could be dealing in a bit of funny business in an effort to save a draft pick. It's been done before and who doubts the most hated franchise in baseball would be out to screw the little guy again.

What to do with Aaron. What to do indeed. I vote bullpen. I think he can be a good starter, but he was absolutely devastating in the bullpen.

The Mets are interested in Dotel and that is fine by me. The Mets need to start using their money on risky stuff like this since they can absorb the risk. The article also echoes the idea that the Mets are interested in Javier Vazquez and Barry Zito.