Quote:
Originally posted by TonyWillLive:
Lets start with Statman. You act like just because teams have minor league players they will automatically be able to get a good player. You think the Yankees have prospects to get a Zito or Willis? well live up to your nick name plawrence show me some STATS that proves the Marlins or the A's would trade their guys.
I don't have to show you any "STATS" to make my point here, which you seemingly are missing.

It's not a question of which team has the best prospects.

The Yankees may have the best, they may have the second best, they may have the 15th best, or they may have the worst.

Same thing for Boston, but it doesn't make any difference.

The question is "Which team is willing to offer the most for a pitcher like Zito or Willis?"

If the Marlins are determined to get rid of Willis in a salary dump, it doesn't matter if the Yankees have better prospects in their system or if the Red Sox do.

If the Red Sox don't offer prospects who are as good as those that the Yankees are offering, then Florida will make a deal with the Yankees, or whichever team is making them the best offer.

If the Red Sox have the best prospects in the world but aren't offering them, and the Yankees have the 20th best prospects in the world but are offering them, and those prospects are better than those being offered by any other team, then if Florida is determined to dump Willis they are gonna make a deal with the Yankees.

I'm not arguing which team has the better prospects here - that's not the issue. All teams have players in their system who are considered bona fide major league caliber prospects.

The issue is what are they willing to give up.

Look at the Mets. There was speculation about them trading Lastings Milledge for Zito.

I have a feeling that Oakland would grab that deal in a second, but I don't think that the Mets are gonna offer them Lastings Milledge for Zito.

Milledge may very well be a better prospect than anyone the Yankees or the Red Sox have, but what difference does that make if the Mets aren't offering him?

The Yankees have shown historically that they are not afraid to deal players who are considered their top prospects for players who can help them win now.

If the prospects that the Yankees offer are better than those that the Red Sox are offering, then if the Red Sox have better prospects that they are NOT offering, it doesn't matter.

"Difficult....not impossible"