The thing for me is Teahan has some value for his versatility, and as you said, could man third base at an adequate level... so he gets flipped for a less valuable utility player like Getz and a dead bat in Fields. I'd think the Royals could do better and, given their history, put themselves in a bad position where a hot month from Fields or Getz could lead to an overpaid extension.

Shame on me, I totally left off saying anything about Kotsay. The money's seemingly the current standard for a veteran of this caliber, and it's better than having Darin Erstad, I guess. Like most stick-wielding bipeds who put balls in the air with their sticks, he liked hitting in the Cell, smiting three of his four homers there in 60 PAs. On a team where at least Carlos Quentin's right-handed, Paul Konerko's right-handed, and--if he makes the team--Tyler Flowers is right-handed, there might be at-bats and spot starts to go around as far as playing time at first, DH, and left field are concerned. Perhaps best of all, there's no cult of pointless adulation around Kotsay the way there is with Podzilla, and he's apparently comfortable in a bench role. This isn't cause for handstands or raspberries.

Do you know if the Cubs can offer arbitration to Harden and receive picks if he declines? There does not seem to be any mention of this possibility in any of the coverage of his impending status. I still can't figure out why they want to discard him so quickly when he was nearly their most effective pitcher at various times the last two years. Will he ever be a workhorse? I doubt it but he certainly has value that should warrant considering retention.

"their older, more conservative, college-oriented draft strategy that produced so little in the way of worthwhile talent, and which they broke with sharply in 2007 when they picked Aaron Poreda"...
Christina, I'm a little confused. I know Poreda was more noted for upside than the high-inducing Broadway specials the blanc-sox had previously drafted, but Poreda still was a bona-fide collegian. So are you being sarcastic, or am I missing something here? I swear I've seen that line (or a derivative thereof before.

Did you really quote the Second Law of Thermodynamics in a baseball article? Phew! Thank goodness for my bachelors in mechanical engineering. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the slightest clue as to what you were talking about. "Celestial mystery", "reflexively answering", "Royals entropy". Note to self... make sure to bring my textbook collection and dictionary to the next Kahrl article. Then maybe I won't feel so stupid for being talked down to.

I like the laws of Thermodynamics and appreciated their application to a baseball comment. As a Chisox fan, I fear that Teahen is moving towards the entropy side too quickly because he does not lift the ball. Perhaps a good hitting instructor can get him to swing for flyballs, which is a way to be rewarded with homeruns at the Cell?

Of course Teahen should play third and bop Gordo over to second! The Sox would be idiotic not to make that move. I was assuming that is why they were ready to dump Getz? Beckham and The Missile will make a good keystone combo for years to come. If the Sox intended to keep Gordon at third they surely would not have made this move, right? *Fingers crossed*

Hey, Kenny Williams, do you read this? Hello?

Aw, no "Tempest in a Teahen" line?