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To: JRI who wrote (210967)	12/20/2002 3:19:58 PM
From: reaper	Respond to of 436258

OT -- i frankly can't explain it at all. the Braves most glaring weaknesses are at 3B and 1B, and instead they got a 26-year-old backup catcher (read -- he's not that likely to get much better) for a front-line starter. Milwood is 27 or 28, and i don't think he was scheduled for a big raise anytime soon (he makes about $4mm per). i wonder if they called the Red Sox -- i'd be surprised if Epstein wouldn't have given up Hillebrand for Millwood, which it seems would have helped the Braves more. that said, never underestimate Shurholtz; he's the Warren Buffet of baseball (i.e. you THINK he's a dope all the time only to discover later that he was right all along). i can't believe the Phillies good fortune in this whole thing. instead of Glavine they get a guy 10 years younger, likely to be just as good (next year; i don't mean to imply that Millwood will have a CAREER like Glavine), for half the price. its gonna cost them a lot of money, but it looks to me like (barring Thome hurting his back again) the Phils are gonna run away w/ the NL next year. Cheers

To: JRI who wrote (210967)	12/20/2002 3:38:01 PM
From: reaper	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 436258

OT -- OK, now it makes a little more sense. Millwood is arbitration-eligible this season, and he projects to $10mm. there is nobody left in baseball who can take on a $10mm contract. frankly, i think its dumb to pay ANY pitcher (not named Pedro or Unit) that kind of money as pitchers are notoriously flaky (i.e. highly variable and un-predictable performance) relative to hitters. that said, an arbitration contract is only 1 year; you'd have thunk that maybe the Braves would have kept him and then tried to deal him over the summer to a borderline contender (the Red Sox, for example, have a pretty good 2B prospect, Freddy Sanchez, and the Braves sooooo need a second-baseman) and maybe have gotten something better then. man, the Phils better hope the economy gets better though, or there ain't no way they're gonna make payroll in 2 years. i'd also note that the lower highs in baseball salaries is registering for the 2nd straight year (as predicted by somebody around here <g>). ARod (& Manny) top-ticked the market in 2000, Giambi was a step down, and Thome a bigger step down this year. will be interesting to see the value of baseball FRANCHISES start to compress (and see what THAT does to salaries....) Cheers