I don't want the world and Minnesota fans to think that Kyle was in any way pushing this situation. He was willing to settle. |
I haven't talked to Greg about it, and he drives the train here. |
I haven't talked to Greg about it, and he drives the train here. I'm meeting with him after tonight's game. He has the arm slot back, and the deception is there. He was poetic [Monday]. It was really beautiful. He was pitching like Greg Maddux. |
I heard some very serious things today that made me think there are going to be some clubs that are going to be very aggressive in the free-agent process. |
I talk to whoever the club wants me to negotiate with. But I do think that's the longest period I've gone without ever talking to a GM. |
I'll have to say it's very much in the air where Johnny Damon's going to be next year. |
I'll have to say it's very much it's very much in the air where Johnny Damon's going to be next year. |
I'm biased, but I think Johnny was tremendously valuable to the Red Sox, from a couple of standpoints. The first one being what he did for their team and the second one being what he could do to their team if he played for somebody else -- particularly the Yankees. |
I'm not often surprised by numbers, ... I was surprised by some of what we came up with in regard to Johnny. |
If [the Yankees] didn't have to pay the luxury tax, it might have been a different story, ... As it was, for them to pay [Beltran] $17 million a year, it's actually more like $24 million. I would say it certainly was a parameter that created an issue in their pursuit of the player. |
If [the Yankees] didn't have to pay the luxury tax, it might have been a different story. As it was, for them to pay [Beltran] $17 million a year, it's actually more like $24 million. I would say it certainly was a parameter that created an issue in their pursuit of the player. |
It was basically not a raise. It was something that really changed his feelings about Boston. In his mind, that offer put him in a position that was difficult for him. He was surprised by it. |
It was just something that was very difficult to work out. |
It was something that really changed his feelings about Boston. |
It wasn't just economics that went into this decision. It was really about winning. With his skills and the skills of the Yankees, it was really a good fit. |