Word is that Arod wants to stay on the East Coast to be closer to his home in Miami. I say just play in Florida. How awesome would it be for the ARod to sign with Tamp Bay. Plug him at SS and this is a team that might put a scare into the powers that be:
LF - Carl Crawford-all star
2nd - Iwamura
CF- BJ Upton-all star-MVP potential
SS - ARod-all star - MVP possiblities
1st - Carlos Pena
RF - Delmon Young-can he tap his power
3rd - Evan Longoria-all star potential
DH - Gomes/Joel Guzman
C - Navarro
That would free up Brignac, Baldelli, Desmond to trade for pitching but it is not like they are lite in pitching as we head into 2008.
Current Rotation:
Kazmir
Shields
JP Howel
Andy Sonnanstine
Neiman
E Jackson
Then it gets dicey. They have lots and lots of kids. The best are:
Price - 2008, 2009 probably the latest
McGee - Best LHP not named Kershaw or Price
Wade Davis - Top 10 RHP, maybe even the top RHP prospect not in the Boston/NY systems.
Chris Mason
They may not be fighting for the pennat in 2008 but if kids stay healthy I'd be taking that lineup in 2009 going forward.
At this point let's do a quick compare to the Yankee's if AROD went to Tampa and left the Yankees.
1st - Giambi/Minky or Carlos Pena - Advantage TB
2nd - Cano or Iwamura - Advantage NYY
SS - Jeter or Arod - Advantage TB
3rd - Betemit or Longoria Advantage TB
C - Posado or Navarro - Advantage NYY but expect 2008 to be as bad as 2007 was good.
RF - Abreu or D Young - I'd take D Young going forward
CF - M Cabrera/Damon or BJ Upton - I'd take BJ Upton going forward
LF - Matsui or Crawford - I'd take Crawford going forward
Pitching:
Wang or Kazmir - Advantage Push
Hughes or Shields - Advantage TB, but probably Hughes by 2009
Joba or JP Howell- Advantage NYY
Mussina or Sonnanstine - Push
Kennedy or Neiman/Jackson - Advantage NYY
However by 2009 I'd be taking Price/McGee/Davis over Kennedy with one of them matching Joba in potential.
Also in the Yankee's favor would be 30 Million they could buy other players for so expect them to upgrade in numerous places, while TB after signing Arod would have to count on the kids just getting better.
Any way it would never happen but it was fun to write about it.