yup. millwood is leaving. that's $7M off the books right there. 9.5-7=2.5. Um, it's not like they're trading away Millwood, who had three years left on his contract. That's 7 mil off last year's books, but 0 off 2006's, since he's not under contract. Your point is fallacious. nope, considering they made the offer to him for over 7M next year. they have the room for his salary. And that has what, exactly, to do with '07 and '08? the offer was multi-year. dude, come on. Really? because doesn't exactly imply a three-year contract. And really, it's pretty much still irrelevant--just because they wanted to spend the money to preserve their pitching staff doesn't mean it's smart to use that same money to replace a 22 year old fine all-around player who's likely to keep improving at league minimum or thereabout, with an expensive, defensively indifferent, aging superstar who costs at least 18-20 times more. He may be better, but I'm pretty sure he won't be pitching 200 innings for the Indians. So, you're getting an attitude because I haven't followed Cleveland/Millwood contract talks to exact detail. And then you say: ...is this a joke? "You can spend money any way you wish?" You start off saying that not trading Sizemore and then some for Manny is "stupid," and turn around saying "you can spend money any way you wish?" How absurd. So to go from young and good to old, great, and several times more expensive without helping the pitching staff, which is what that money would have otherwise gone to, at all. How is this smart? Moreover, how is this SO smart as to render not doing it "stupid," as you claim? Sure, you can spend money however you want, but what does that have to do with anything? I hope you don't apply that princiiple to your everyday life. "Hey, I should upgrade from this Benz to a Rolls--if I refinance the mobile home, I just may be able to swing it." great analogy.