| | The squabble over minor-league prospects may be the thing holding up the Sammy Sosa to the Yankees trade and that minor leaguer may just be Nick Johnson, says ESPN.com's baseball writer Rob Neyer.
In his latest chat, Neyer says Johnson may be the one untouchable in the New York farm system and questions whether it is worth giving him up for Sosa. Neyer also talked about the Blue Jays' recent success, trouble in Boston and takes users on a trip in his way-back machine.
If you want to travel back in time, check out this edited transcript from Neyer's June 28 chat:
|  | | Yankee's prospect Nick Johnson may be headed to the Cubs. |
Huron Forever: Ed Sprague has been rumored to be on the block? Do you think San Diego will trade him? Does his
recent play in the outfield enhance his trade value?
Rob Neyer: The Padres have to trade Sprague, and the Red Sox are one team that could really use him. And
yeah, anytime a player proves he can play another position at least adequately, he increases his
value.
Josh: Can you explain what happened with the Braves' home plate situation? If the plate really was
smaller than the night before, isn't that overt cheating? But no one is making a stink about it other
than leaving some announcers off a flight.
Rob Neyer: For those who haven't been following the story, it seems that the Braves groundskeepers were
drawing the catcher's box too wide, which allowed the Braves catchers to set up further off the
plate than the rules allow. Worry not, Josh, the Commissioner's office is indeed looking into this,
but my guess is that the Braves will simply be told to stop this silliness. What should happen is
that umpires should measure everything before each game. But I suppose they can't be bothered.
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I think that ballplayers often exercise no-trade clauses for the same reason that dogs lick
themselves. Because they can. It's a power trip. ” |
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— Rob Neyer |
Joe Raza: Well, I give you credit for seeing the Blue Jays as contenders this year. I for one thought it would
just be a race between the Red Sox and Yankees. At the pace the Red Sox and Yankees are
playing, it might be a race between the Blue Jays and themselves!!
Rob Neyer:
Thanks. But the funny thing is, even the Blue Jays haven't played as well as I thought they would.
Last time I checked, they had been outscored on the season, which makes me wonder how good
they really are.
Interesting Report: The New York Daily News had a graphic showing that if Sammy Sosa had played for the Yankees in
1998 and 1999, half of all his home runs that he hit in Wrigley Field would NOT have been
home runs in Yankee Stadium.
Rob Neyer: I'm a bit skeptical of that graphic. That said, in my analysis (Tuesday) of Sammy-to-the-Yankees,
I neglected the park effects, and it's probably true that Yankee Stadium is not particularly suited
to Sosa's skills. Plus, his defensive range is not good anymore, which might also be a problem at
the Stadium.
BloodyManyana: What about the high pitch counts of some of the young Blue Jays' pitchers? Kelvim Escobar threw almost
130 pitches in his last game and consistently throws over a 110 pitches a game and same with
Chris Carpenter who is coming off elbow surgery.
Rob Neyer:
It's a concern. Jim Fregosi has shown little restraint with his young pitchers, and this might be
telling later in the season, especially. Joe Torre and Jimy Williams should be praying for high pitch
counts in Ontario.
Mark: I have seen the stats, and they show that the Jays have many more home runs at
SkyDome than on the road. I have also heard reports that they have a camera in centerfield. What
is your take on this?
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NEYER'S FILE
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ESPN.com's Rob Neyer writes a daily baseball column from March through October. His book "Baseball Dynasties," co-authored with Eddie Epstein, has just been published, and can be ordered from Amazon.com. |
Rob Neyer:
OK, just one more Blue Jays question.
Mark, I've got it on pretty good authority that the Jays
have not been helped by any such shenanigans. It's interesting, though, because SkyDome
actually hasn't been a great home-run park in recent years.
A's Fan in Seattle: Who do you like, the A's or M's in the West, and why?
Rob Neyer: Gosh, that's a tough one, all the more so because I have sentimental attachments to both clubs. I
suppose I'll have to say the M's, based on the depth of their starting pitching. If bad things happen
to the Oakland rotation, the A's are in big trouble. But honestly, I see both clubs contending into
late September.
Eric Hathaway: Alex Cabrera seems like Durazo part 2 only with more power and a little less hitting skills. How
do you see his future panning out and how would you rank in order of future major league
success: Lee, Durazo, and Cabrera?
Rob Neyer:
For those who don't know about Cabrera -- and I should already have written a column about him
-- this year at Double-A El Paso, he hit 35 home runs in 212 at-bats.
Wow.
To tell you the truth, I have no idea what to think about this guy. He's 28, and he played last
season in Taiwan ... and wasn't completely phenomenal there. So Cabrera's no sure thing, but I
still wish he played for my team.
Beau Haynes: Do you think Ryne Sandberg will be a first ballot Hall of Famer? I think he is eligible in 2001 or
2002. Where do you rank him all-time and why?
Rob Neyer:
First ballot? Gosh, I sure doubt it, though I do think he'll make it eventually.
Sandberg ranks in my top 10 or 15, but no better than that. He didn't draw a lot of walks, and
much of his power was due to Wrigley Field. A great player, but not as great as Alomar or
Morgan or Collins or a few other guys.
Denny Jacobson: What is the status of the Dodgers' suspensions from the brawl at Wrigley? I know the Dodgers
are appealing but I have not heard anything about it recently. When do you expect the
suspensions to be served if the appeals are denied?
Rob Neyer: The appeals were finally heard, last week in Houston. Paul Beeston has everything on his desk,
and a decision is expected in the next couple of days. I believe that Beeston will reduce the
suspensions, if only to keep the Dodger whining at a minimum.
Cub Fan: Thoughts on Sosa? I can't imagine selling baseball's biggest draw, regardless of prospects in
return. Overall philosophy indicates that Sosa is not much better than Ledee (6 games by your
count), so who really benefits here?
Rob Neyer:
Why not? The Cubs have traditionally drawn well, and they'll continue to draw whether Sammy's
there or not. Shouldn't the object be to construct a winning club? That said, there's certainly no
indication that Andy MacPhail or Don Baylor has the foggiest idea of how to do that.
Actually, I suggested that Sosa might improve the Yankees by five games. Might be a little high,
but even assuming it's only three or four, that could well make the difference between playing in
October and not playing in October.
David: This isn't really baseball related, but how did you get your job? I am a high school student from
Edmonton, Canada and I am very interested in the career field of journalism, and especially sports
journalism. What steps in your life did you have to take in order to be a sports journalist?
Rob Neyer:
You don't want to do what I did, David. For a lengthy answer to your question, though, check out
the FAQ at my web site, www.robneyer.com.
Mark: What do you make of Sean Casey? Back in March it looked like he was going to be a star.
Now it seems that left-handers have him figured out. Is he just another platoon first baseman?
Rob Neyer:
I still think he'll turn things around, and be a productive, everyday player in the major leagues. It's
funny, though, back in spring training everybody was raving about Sean Casey and Carlos Beltran.
John in Tampa: How good can Luis Castillo get? I was also at Pro Player Stadium last weekend, and when
he beat out the routine grounder to short, I had visions of Michael Johnson running the 100m in
Atlanta!
Rob Neyer:
I remember when Bo Jackson came up, everyone got excited when he would almost beat out
routine grounders. Well, Castillo actually does it. But what really impressed me Sunday was
another at-bat, when he ran the count to 3-0, then took two strikes before lacing a single to the
opposite field. Might be the best leadoff man of the next decade.
Secondbase: Who's your vote for most disappointing free agent signing? I have to think Juan Guzman reigns
supreme there.
Rob Neyer:
Guzman's a good candidate, but of course with pitchers you're always rolling the dice. Have you
looked at Vinny Castilla's stats lately? Jiminy Christmas.
Palm: With the Mariners losing Tom Lampkin for the rest of the season and Dan Wilson on the injured
list, do you see the Mariners making a play for a catcher, like Baltimore's Charles Johnson?
Rob Neyer:
I doubt it. The Mariners really like Wilson, so they'll probably try to hang on until he's back. They
certainly could use some depth at the position, but I can't see them paying the price for CJ.
John in Tampa: Is there any chance that the Cubs can extract Nick Johnson from the Yankees? I would
prefer them to get Johnson and someone else for Sosa, as opposed to five prospects.
Rob Neyer:
If there's an untouchable prospect in the Yankee organization, I suspect that it's Johnson, because
the Yanks have no depth at 1B/DH. Plus, he's been hurt all year, which makes him a risky
proposition for anybody.
Mickey: Why are the Indians' hitters having such a hard time this year compared to last year?
Rob Neyer:
Two salient points:
One, the Indians are fourth in scoring in the American League, which ain't too shabby. Two, as I have written too many times, a bunch of guys were over their heads last year.
Bruce: If time travel were possible, and you had the chance to travel back in time to enjoy one baseball
season, what year would you choose? Why?
Rob Neyer:
I would pick 1908, because baseball was so different back then, and there were two wonderful
pennant races. I fantasize about a time machine quite often.
Joe: What's the latest on Pedro Martinez? I heard he may be hurt again?
Rob Neyer:
The bad word from here in Boston is that Pedro has some shoulder stiffness and might be put on
the DL. We probably won't know for sure for a few days, because there's no reason for the Sox
to make a move before Saturday.
Joe: That is terrible news for Boston fans. With Pedro having all sorts of problems in the injury
department this year, who do you think will win the AL Cy Young? I believe it will be David
Wells.
Rob Neyer:
If Pedro goes on the DL, Wells is the obvious favorite, with James Baldwin not far behind. But
there's plenty of baseball left, and I suspect an A's or M's pitcher will wind up winning 20 games.
PiLe: Are the Red Sox going to make a move? If you were Dan Duquette, who would you go for --
pitching, hitting, or is it time to pack it in this year and retool certain parts of the roster?
Rob Neyer:
I'm sure everybody thinks that being a GM is a ton of fun, but I wouldn't want to be Dan
Duquette right now. He needs pitching, and he needs lots of hitting, and he doesn't have any way
to get everything he needs. It's too early to pack it in, but a month from now the Sox may be
non-contenders.
Piazza Is God: Do you just hate the Mets or hate answering the questions that Mets fans ask?
Rob Neyer: Both.
But seriously, folks ... here's a general comment on the Mets. Yes, I'm surprised at their recent
success, still can't quite understand how they're scoring enough runs to contend. And their bullpen
-- as I predicted -- has suffered a significant decline. But the starters have been very good, even
with Mike Hampton's struggles, and Piazza, Alfonzo and Ventura have played wonderfully. I still
think the Mets are an 86-90 win team. But I could be wrong.
Keith: What's the deal with Moises Alou? He seems bent on exercising his no trade clause. Why would
he want to stay in Houston? If Houston can't convince him to move on, are there any other
Astros rumors floating around?
Rob Neyer:
I think that ballplayers often exercise no-trade clauses for the same reason that dogs lick
themselves. Because they can. It's a power trip. And really, can you blame them? Can you
imagine what a hassle getting traded must be?
Edgarestacaliente: How long do you think Cal Ripken is going to keep playing, especially with the O's in dire need of a
complete overhaul?
Rob Neyer:
I can't see him playing past this year, what with the injuries and the horrible performance. On a
happier note, his arrival today on the disabled list will open up a spot on the All-Star roster for a
better player.
BlackSox: If you were Ron Schueler, would you trade away some prospects for temporary starting
pitching help, or would you play out the season as is and not mortgage the future?
Rob Neyer:
Remember that old saying, if it ain't broke, don't fix it? The Sox are in a great position, because
the big lead over the Indians gives them the luxury of letting the young pitchers develop in a
relatively stress-free situation.
Frank: I heard Peter Gammons say (Tuesday) night that the Yankees have talked to Oakland about Ben
Grieve. What would it take to get Grieve from Oakland?
Rob Neyer:
I have trouble seeing that one. Yes, Grieve certainly has his limitations, especially in the field. But
he's young and he's still relatively cheap, so why deal him? Now, Matt Stairs is another story, and
the Yanks could probably get him for one good prospect and one mid-range prospect.
JM: No question really, just a comment: It seems to just make you sportswriters writhe in pain when
confronted every year by the fact that the icky PUBLIC gets to vote on who goes to the All-Star
Game. Good.
Rob Neyer:
I'm not sure what you mean. It doesn't bother me that fans vote for the All-Stars. What bothers
me is that the voting system is something less than equitable, and ballot-stuffing is encouraged. My
point has always been, if the All-Star team is meaningful -- and most of you, I suspect, think that
it is -- then shouldn't the system for selecting the All-Star team make sense? And right now, it
doesn't.
George: Do you think Jose Vidro's performance this season is indicative of his true abilities, or has he been
a fluke?
Rob Neyer:
Well, I'm certainly not sure that he's really this good, but last year Vidro hit 45 doubles in 140
games, and that's a solid indicator of quality. I had concerns about his plate discipline, but he
seems to have improved in that area, and it looks like he'll be a pretty good player for a few years.
Kevin Harlow: Do you autograph your books for fans?
Rob Neyer:
Yes, I do. For fans, I use my hands. For non-fans, I use my feet.
Thanks for all the questions, I'll be back in two weeks, or perhaps a bit earlier with a special
All-Star chat from Atlanta.
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ALSO SEE
Rob Neyer chat archive
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