“We told him we certainly needed an answer by the latter part of this week. We don't want to be left out in the cold if we can't get Beltran. Moises Alou has moved on. Steve Finley has moved on.”
“We need some more shoes. Not only do I have to clean the mud, but I have to polish them. I wonder if [No.] 17 [Lance Berkman] is going to give us a tip. I'm working here. Want to see my technique?”
“He came here at an awkward time at the All-Star break last year. He made a huge difference this year. It took time with Andy Pettitte coming off (elbow) surgery and Lance Berkman coming off knee surgery.”
“Things came together through so much adversity this year. There were so many issues that it took time. But the character came out in them, and that was important when they lost Monday night. Two days later, we're champions.”
“In the original policy, (the insurance company) claims that he could not come to Spring Training. We're going to take all of the information we have and meet with them and see if there is any opportunity (for Bagwell to play in Spring Training). Jeff just wants the opportunity.”
“(Boras) updated me. He's still negotiating. We're still in it, but the time is getting short. They've given us no indication (Beltran is close to signing with the Mets). We're patiently waiting for some positive developments. We have three days to go, and in baseball, that's a long way to go. We did not change our offer in any way.”
