The first thing that comes to mind is we might have dodged a bullet of losing Scott. This guy has got quite a track record.

You've got to be open-minded, but it is an open-ended situation. You have to see him on the field performing for the Giants first to help us win, and ... knowing what that means against records or him retiring as a Giant. But I think you've got to be open-minded, given who it is.

You've got to get this guy closer to game action, fast-twitch action. Anything he's doing right now is under quote-unquote control. It's not as if he's being presented into the game. Until he does that and Dr. Yocum sees how the knee responds, you can't go to the next step.

I do know he has interest. We've pursued him as much as any player we possibly could, of recent note. We hope it comes to a head in the next day or so.

I don't want to be too hard-line about it, but the more we see of the old Jason Schmidt, the more you want to sign him.

I don't see either route to be a surefire way to accomplish what we want to do. We're going to be challenged in the market and challenged in terms of trades. But as I step back and review our situation, the division, the league and the rest of baseball, we're in a heck of a lot better shape than some other teams.

He's the prototype. He has been and will be a dominant force at the end of the game. ... He's a guy we had our eye on.

Hopefully, it won't ruin a friendship. Obviously, he's in hated Dodger blue. I'm sure he'll be having a lot of pasta dinners with Tommy (Lasorda). Levity aside, it is an interesting flip of fate. You guys know how close we are personally, how hard we worked professionally.

Hopefully, it won't ruin a friendship. Obviously, he's in hated Dodger Blue now. It is an interesting twist of fate.

He's probably done as much as he can down here. Now, he'll be in a baseball domain. I'd like to see him in a simulated game, but that's probably difficult to do. And there's a lot going on you can't simulate.