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Not to rain on your parade Andy (well, OK, I guess I do mean to rain on it) but the guy is only 11 months off TJ surgery so I suspect you're going to see some inconsistency from Mr. Billy. I honestly can't fault Theo for taking a shot like this deal as I would have liked to see Cashmoney put this one together, but those were my fears about Wagner - so I thought I'd pass them over to you now. ;-)

Play Ball !

(By the way, I'd love to see the look on young Mr. Papelbon's face - and hear his first words - when Wagner first shows up in the locker room).

And I'll take a bet that the next closer for the Bombers comes from within, not from a FA signing of Papelbon. For dogs and a beer though, consumed please - not regurgitated.

The beer and dogs bet is on(consumed...not the other).

I think there is a decent chance the Yankees choose someone from within, but that is a tough position not to have nailed down and to hope a young guy can handle. It seems easier for them to buy that position vs. develope it (for any team for that matter).

Quite frankly, the Red Sox were very lucky Papelbon took to the position like he did.

Who is your money on, Melancon? Albaladejo?

OK, as long as we restrict the bet to coming from within as opposed to a FA signing ... I'll take a SWAG at it.

If Hughes can't make it as starter or if Melancon or Roberston or Kroenke can develop an easily repeatable motion (machine-like repeatable) then I'd say one of those four would be my best guesses. It honestly has to be a guy who can shutdown his brain and just throw nasty stuff for strikes - the key being the brain shutdown so it would never be someone like Kennedy who can't shut up or stop thinking while he's throwing. Melancon gets rattled fairly easily, Robertson is the nastiest of the bunch (excluding Hughes (who just throws very well located fastballs these days)) but Robertson needs to get much "stupider" and quit flirting with the strike zone.

I would have thought Bruney was a possibility back in April with his stuff, but he's WAY too spooked right now to even be trusted with a 5 run lead in the ninth. Albie? Have no idea just what happened to that guy but whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Fenway would be good - and no, I never wear the Bronx duds when I go there.

I can't see Papelbon coming to NY - at all. Nope, no way. Guy's nickname is Papelbum. He ain't loved by that town ...

Andy/Peter - can you guys check to see if a post I made in this one earlier today made it in, it was from work so it said it needed approval.

There have been a few lately that I have made from work that didn't seem to make it in.

Oh well, maybe you guys are censoring me... just to keep the odds in the NYY favor , right Andy?

I'm not betting, I'm threatening.

I think the candidate is either Melancon or to take a flier...Brackman or Betances.

BL- as of 9:25pm everything is approved so if you don't see it, it didn't make it.

bl, no sensorship here. It never showed up.

Unless your name is Ruben and you are offering phamaceutical deals.

Dear Ruben,

Thanks for the offer, much appreciated, but I'm all set with the drugs. There is something you can help me with though - bathtubs. I wanna get a pair of those matching tubs like you see on the Cialis commercials - and I'd like them on a beach someplace. Please get back to me here and let me know what you can offer? Thanks so much!

Go Yankees ...

The following is from The Kim Jones blog - great quote about the glaring doofus.

"The Red Sox GM claims that Jonathan Papelbon is looking forward to having Billy Wagner in the Boston bullpen, despite Papelbon's previous comments. "I think Pap feels like he was misunderstood," Epstein told the Boston media. "He's not a Rhodes Scholar to begin with, obviously. When I talked to him directly about it, he couldn't have been more excited about the prospect of adding Billy Wagner." Just had to pass that along. That might be one of the best quotes from a general manager about one of his own players. Ever."