Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine
Breaking News ... Da Box has learned that the illegitimate love child of George Steinbrenner and Georgia Frontiere (named Georgie, of course) has been granted a new major league franchise that will be located in Alexandria, Va., and play part of its home schedule in Portland, Ore.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; and of course, San Juan, P.R.

To stock the roster of the new team, the blank-check-driven Georgie will sign the following roster of 25 non-tendered players. "I could've built an entire second team of 25 that'd win the freaking A.L. Central," said Frontbrenner. "But I'll leave that to the wise contributors to various baseball blogs around the Internet."

Here's the starting lineup ...

STARTING LINEUP
C Ivan Rodriguez
1B Rafael Palmeiro
2B Roberto Alomar
SS Rich Aurilia
3B Tony Batista
LF Jose Guillen
CF Mike Cameron
RF Vladimir Guerrero
DH Juan Gonzalez

As if that lineup needed any help -- well, the shortstop and DH are injury-prone, and some of the other guys are a bit long in the tooth, true -- how about the versatility of this bench?

BENCH
C Benito Santiago
IF Todd Walker
IF Mark McLemore
OF Jose Cruz Jr

You might think that such an offensive juggernaut would have no pitching. While this rotation isn't exactly the 1995 Braves, it has a hall of famer at the front, two lefties, and two of the most sought-after starters of the last year:

ROTATION
SP Greg Maddux
SP Sidney Ponson
SP Kenny Rogers
SP Miguel Batista
SP Darren Oliver

So the rotation is old in a way that makes the lineup look young. OK. But we only need five or six innings from each guy with this bullpen -- we even made room for a traditional "closer."

BULLPEN
RP Jeff Nelson
RP Arthur Rhodes
RP Kerry Ligtenberg
RP Scott Sullivan
RP Graeme Lloyd
CL Ugueth Urbina

Commissioner This Bud's For Me could not be reached for additional comment.
The All-Non-Tendered Team | 18 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
_Shrike - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 02:31 PM EST (#32640) #
Vlad being non-tendered makes me sick to my stomach. Well, I'm already feeling under the weather so to speak, but you get my point.
_Duane G - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 02:48 PM EST (#32641) #
Where's the love for Javy Lopez?
_Mick - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 02:51 PM EST (#32642) #
Well, Lopez wasn't on the list I was referencing. But good question. The answer is ... uhhmmm ... oh! See, Santiago will take to a bench role behind Pudge. Lopez never would.

Javy might be a better long-term option at 1B than Palmeiro, though!
Mike Green - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 02:52 PM EST (#32643) #
Javy's too young for this bunch of geezers. Any son of George and Georgette isn't interested until they turn 30.
Pistol - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 02:52 PM EST (#32644) #
I believe non-tendered is the incorrect term for these players (or at least in a baseball sense). They're just FAs not offered arbitration.
_Kyle S - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 02:53 PM EST (#32645) #
I think I'd replace Jose Guillen with Gary Sheffield. The Braves apparently believe that the Yankees talks with Sheffield were a trick to get them to offer Sheff arbitration. Oh no! How horrible it would be to get stuck with an AAA right fielder for 1 year at 11 to 12 million! (Yes, I'm (a) a Braves Fan (b) from Atlanta.)

Seriously, I still don't understand the logic behind nontendering Sheffield. Sure, Javy and Maddux I can understand, but Steinbrenner would be crucified if he didn't get Sheffield now, especially with the Sox closing in on ARod.
_Duane G - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 02:59 PM EST (#32646) #
Sheffield would also have to be considered too, correct? Though I have no idea what Atlanta is trying to accomplish with that decision. Seems like a silly fight to get into.
_Mick - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 03:11 PM EST (#32647) #
Yeah ... I didn't include Sheffield because it seems to me he's off the market. Hope I'm right about that!
Craig B - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 03:55 PM EST (#32648) #
I don't like it either that the Expos non-tendered Vlad, bu they couldn't afford to pay Vlad an arbitration settlement without breaking up the team. I think it had to be done.
_Chuck Van Den C - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 04:08 PM EST (#32649) #
Javy's too young for this bunch of geezers.

He's a year older than Ivan Rodriguez.
_Shrike - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 04:17 PM EST (#32650) #
Craig, I respectfully disagree. Given the conflict-of-interest problems the Expos have, it looks even worse by any rational standard.
_Shrike - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 04:18 PM EST (#32651) #
It's also inconceivable to me that Vlad wouldn't fetch something attractive in trade if he accepted arbitration.
Mike Green - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 04:27 PM EST (#32652) #
Jonah Keri has written a very funny article on espn.com on the Expos after Guerrero. Keri is of the view that it is inconceivable that Guerrero would not be signed by someone, so the Expos have blown off a draft pick for nothing.
_Kyle S - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 05:02 PM EST (#32653) #
Mike: sort of like the Braves did.
Coach - Monday, December 08 2003 @ 09:40 PM EST (#32654) #
That's a very good team, Mick. Frontbrenner might be the only owner with deep enough pockets to sign them all, but he'd have to be quick to beat J.P. -- it's interesting that the first guy to make a choice went to those penny-pinching Blue Jays.
_Jurgen - Tuesday, December 09 2003 @ 01:40 AM EST (#32655) #
....but Steinbrenner would be crucified if he didn't get Sheffield now, especially with the Sox closing in on ARod.

The only one who would crucify Big Stein is Big Stein.

It's interesting to compare the two...

A-Rod age/yr/EqA
27 2003 .326
26 2002 .328
25 2001 .334
24 2000 .340
23 1999 .310

Sheffield age/yr/EqA
34 2003 .340
33 2002 .315
32 2001 .337
31 2000 .347
30 1999 .315

It looks like the Yankees are getting the better player, although Sheff does tend to miss a lot of playing time. Maybe some DH-ing will help him play 150+ games.

Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if Cashman's low key "we're not interested in Guerrero" was a ploy to convince Minaya that Vlad had no serious bidders.

Guerrero age/yr/EqA
27 2003 .327
26 2002 .325
25 2001 .303
24 2000 .332
23 1999 .309

While my gut keeps telling me Seattle (it was a pre-Ibanez feeling that never really left), I still wouldn't be surprised to see Vlad in pinstripes.
_Jurgen - Tuesday, December 09 2003 @ 02:07 AM EST (#32656) #
It looks like the Yankees are getting the better player...

Sorry, that should read "better hitter". Pick your words carefully, Jurgen.
_Greg Os Fan - Tuesday, December 09 2003 @ 01:43 PM EST (#32657) #
Man, what a talent shortage at 3B. Tony B "the Deivi Cruz of thirdbasemen"
The All-Non-Tendered Team | 18 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.