Garza might help, but he is not going to catapult the Tigers direct to first place either. Outside of Fielder and Miggy, their offense has been wildly inconsistent. They are also not good at all on defense. This year's Tigers team reminds me a lot of the Sox last year. Just good enough to hang around, but not good enough to make a serious run at the playoffs.

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A note of caution on Youkilis: injuries. Good trade but can this guy stay healthy??

I think Morel gets this year to heal up the back and they give him another shot in 2013. With Youk added, you dont have to rush him back and perhaps if he has to go under the knife, you encourage him to do it now to have 8 months to get ready for next year. I think he's still capable and that the back was the reason for the horrible 2012. I might be in the minority on this but the end of last year showed what he can do.

They seem to be downplaying it, but Morel has had an alarming and pretty much unexplained weight loss. I've only read about this one time. The doctors weren't sure what was wrong with him. In the article Morel said it was a gluten issue, but it didn't seem as if that was a certainty. He may have problems beyond his back.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

One other note on Garza. In an era when quality starting pitching is absolutely prized more than ever and Garza is without question a high quality starting pitcher, he's moving on to his fourth team at the age of 28. You really have to ask why, don't you?

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Eh, kinda sorta. I get what you are saying but I think its a case of him being moved to better his old team. He was part of the Delmon Young trade, which was a big win for the Twins, and the Rays had a ton of starting pitching so 1 of their starters at the time expendable. The Rays also got a pretty good haul for Garza.

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Well, I think he's been disliked wherever he's been. Like I said, if you pitch well enough that doesn't matter. And it probably doesn't matter on a team with no expectations like the Cubs. I'm just saying, as a Sox fan, I don't mind seeing him on the Tigers. Do it.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Now that Kevin Youkilis has traded in one kind of Sox for the other, traded from the Red in Boston to the White in Chicago with IF/OF Brent Lillibridge & P Zach Stewart going to Boston, I actually like this trade from a White Sox standpoint. Our Sox had the lowest BA of any 3B, not just in the AL, but in Bud Selig's MLB for that matter.

Even before the Scott Bakula-looking Brent Morel went down with back issues, he and his other 3B in silver & black had an MLB low .168 BA with 1 homer. That includes Orlando Hudson, who is not a 3B by any means, Eduardo Escobar & even Lillibridge for that matter covering the not so "hot corner" since Morel went on the DL. Even though whitesox.com listed that Morel would be back, no pun intended, after the All-Star Break, I'm not so sure he'll be returning at all this season. I think that prompted this deal after the games yesterday.

I think what this deal also means is two-fold. I don't think you'll be seeing Escobar giving SS Alexei Ramirez and/or 2B Gordon Beckham a breather from the lineup. I think Escobar now becomes Lillibridge of sorts as a late-inning defensive replacement for any of the outfielders, not to mention a late-inning replacement at 3B, while Youkilis has also been known to shift from third to 1B in Boston in recent years. I also think Hudson will return to his more traditional second base & possibly even play a little shortstop to give Ramirez & Beckham breathers from the lineup.

As for where to bat Kevin, I think he'll ultimately end up batting 5th in RV's lineup. One last thing...I'll be curious to see if Jordan Danks has to relinquish #20 to Youkilis and ends up wearing a new number now that Youk is here starting tonight in Minnesota.

As a rookie, Danks should give up his number but who cares.

I wouldn't mess with the middle of the lineup. I'd bat Youk 7th to give the bottom of the order some pop, and if he really heats up them move him up. Rios has been hitting very very well so I hope they leave him alone.

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Is this someone you expect the Sox to re-sign? Or is he just a short term fix?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

That's how I see it. I'd like to see a guy like Youklis getting on in front of Dayan.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

He's due like $15MM next year but has a buyout. So he will not be back.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Then he'd hit 6th.

De Aza
Beckham
Dunn
Pauly
Rios
Youkilis
Viciedo
AJ
Alexei

Alexei has been pretty fucking bad himself with the bat this year.

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I see him as Diet Zambrano. He's a hot head but he maintains composure enough to not let it affect his performance.

He's fine.

Obviously, Im not saying he's the missing piece for the Tigers. I just dont think it would be a bad move.

Yeah, I would compare it to when the Sox got Tim Belcher.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Tim Belcher was an annoying hothead?

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I'm pretty sure Belcher was a guy who was disliked everywhere in his time. The Sox got him for the '93 pennant drive. I think he won three games. Garza's career seems to be tracking about the same way too.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

The camera man he assaulted after getting shelled would probably say so.

JORR, that didnt work out so well for the Pail Ho's. Id expect better than 3-5 from Garza. Maybe we'll get to see.

I also liked Lillibridge, but he's a utility player, and expendable.

I think Danks, assuming he can come back healthy around the end of July, serves as their pitching acquistion, but I do think they should be on the look-out for another stop-gap option since their top two starters, Sale and Peavy, have durablity concerns.

I wouldn't mind if they moved AJ to 6th and had either Youkalis or Rios in the 5 spot to break up the righties a bit in the lineup.

There have been many studies saying batting order doesn't matter much. That being said, 5th seem about right (between Dunn and AJ?). I might try him at #2, unless you think the Bacon semi-revival will go in the tank if Gordon is moved down to 8 or 9.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Semi-revival? In 44 games in the 2-hole Gordon is hitting .265/.315/.414 with 26 runs scored 7 HR's and 25 RBI. Leave him right where he is thank you very much.

I love the idea of putting him #2 because he does get on base (when he's healthy), but I don't think they will do it if Beckham continues to be solid in the #2 spot.

+1

.315 OBA is maybe, MLB average in this run environment. It remains to be seen if Youk can regain some of his power stroke. His hand injuries may have robbed him of his bat speed. I think he can remain a patient hitter, and the Cell is very friendly to RH power hitters. He will take a lot of pitches- perhaps put some pressure on the opposing starter before Konerko and Dunn. In the end batting order doesn't mean a whole lot- I do like a power /OBA guy in the 2 hole (see Carlos Beltran)

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Some of those Green Monster doubles may go over the fence

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Youklis hitting 2nd tonight. Beckham 9th.

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I don't like that. Bacon has been pretty damn good in the #2 spot, and Alexei should be hitting 9th.

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I agree.

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