When one does put together a hypothetical lineup there would be no cost certainty and would contain some underperforming/unproven players (Konerko, Reese, Graves, Petagine), unproven youngsters (Claussen, Acevedo, Harang), or injured players (Claussen not back from TJ surgery). Instead of being critical of what someone else hypothesizes, why not put your energy into saying something meaningful of your own? To do otherwise would ake you -- yes -- wrong again (number six).[/qoute] do a search for a thread by Krust called: "How much do the Reds need to Retool?" or something like that, and read Steel's response. and in a hypothetical line up, you can estimate price tags accurately. unless of course, it's Bowden writing the contract.
Now if you feel a lineup that includes Bret Boone, Austin Kearns, Junior Griffey, Scott Rolen and Paul Konerko is not formidable -- well I would be obliged to respect your opnion -- but would also see you as WRONG AGAIN (number seven)
for all you know, if Boone doesn't go to Seattle, he stays a very poor hitter. also, there is no way you could fit that group of people into a $50,000,000 payroll.
If you think a rotation anchored with Prior and Livan Hernandez and having Claussen as your number three guy -- with Wilson at four and Acevedo at five is not a vast improvement, well you know what you'd be -- wrong wrong wrong (number eight)
would be an improvement. except there's no way we could have drafted Prior (or Zito for that matter), Hernandez has been a trash pitcher until this year, and i think it's mostly because he's pitching in a pitcher's park and is playing for a contract. it would be an improvement, but an impossible one to achieve, especially at Hernandez' price.
[quoite]If you think the relief corp of Beck and Wagner as closers, with Graves, Reidling, Reistma and Harang is not deep and has vastly more capabilities than what we have now -- (number ten -- is what you'd be).