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Toronto has to eat a large portion of Mondesi's contract - he actually came pretty cheap, and makes Spencer/VanderWhal looks like bush leaguers in the field. If he can hit .280 instead of .230 he's hot shit, because his arm is a bazooka, and he's got some pop in his bat. Plus he's a righty, and helps to balance the lineup.
I'd bet Clemons is done in pinstripes - and I'm not saying I like it. He's just getting old, and better to lose him 1-2 years too soon, than pay hi big money and get burned. Remember David Cone's last years? Clemons, El Duque, even Petite - I'll be surprised if they're back. Weaver will start, Moose will probably be kept around, maybe Wells comes back, and I think they are going for that young Cuban defector.
The only thing that bother me about the luxury tax is that the shitty teams that get the tax money have no payroll minimum to spend. So KC, Pittsburgh, and Miami can dump any payroll thay have left, fuck over their fans again, and then sit back and get a nice bonus from George, the Red Sox, and a few more guys who want to win.
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