Shawn Green hit 42 home runs in 2002 but hasn't reached the 30 mark since. AP
	MAILBAG Tom Verducci will answer select questions from SI.com users in his Baseball Mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Shawn Green is having another awful year and is getting paid a ton of money, and the D'backs have him signed him two more years. What's this about? What will he get in '06 and '07 and does he have to split it with former-agent-turned-owner Jeff Moorad?
-- J. Vinocur, Paris

It does make you wonder if any other team would have made that kind of commitment to Green, but Moorad is surrounding himself with people who he knows well. Green gets $32 million over 2005-07 ($2 million bonus; salaries of $10.5 million, $8 million and $9.5 million; and a $2 million buyout for a 2008 option.) Here's one way to judge a contract: Is the guy tradeable with the money due him? I don't see that other teams would take Green and that contract.

I keep hearing the National League East being referred to as a weak division. But other than the Cardinals, I'd feel comfortable matching any team in the East with any team from the West or Central in an NLCS showdown. Any division that can put a team (Marlins) with Dontrelle Willis, A.J. Burnett and Josh Beckett in the cellar in June can't be all bad. Why the lack of respect?
-- David Van Horne Jr., Washington D.C.

Hey, I'm with you on the East. It's better than many people think. I look at the Marlins as the best team on paper, the Braves the best team as far as knowing how to get it done (even with their Class AAA Richmond roster) and the Mets, Phillies and Nationals all capable of winning it with one hot month. Any time you have a division in which any team can win it, I consider that a strong division.

Do you think the Phillies traded for Ugueth Urbina with intentions of trading Billy Wagner? Wagner is at the end of his contract and Urbina is a proven closer.
-- Kevin, Philadelphia

No, the Phillies will keep Wagner through this season, unless they totally fall off the cliff in the next five weeks. They needed help getting to Wagner, and Urbina was a solid pickup. I like when GMs are pro-active instead of waiting for the July shopping season. Give GM Ed Wade credit for addressing a need early.

As we approach the halfway point in this season, if there is any way to show if Peter Angelos' argument has held any water. Have the O's suffered financially by the relocation of the Expos to D.C.?
-- Steve Fowler, Manassas, Va.

It's too soon to tell. Attendance in Washington and Baltimore is nearly identical. Baltimore's run in first place has helped it at the gate. But I have to believe that there is some effect. You can't just drop a major league team in another team's backyard and think it won't have even a little impact. Not to worry, though. Angelos did just fine in the MASN TV deal he cut with the Nationals and MLB and he has that franchise value guarantee from MLB, a very generous insurance policy.

Do you think Fred McGriff will make the Hall of Fame? With all the talk of steroids, you know McGriff's numbers are not tainted. He's been the same size and build since he got into the league. He put up some good numbers especially when you consider he never really had anybody hitting behind him most of his career outside of David Justice when he played in Atlanta.
-- Brendan, Kingston, Ontario

Fred's a classic borderline candidate. I agree that his numbers (and body) may look small compared to The Steroid Era. But he did hit almost 500 homers, was a very good postseason player and a solid middle-of-the-order hitter for championship teams. McGriff looks to me like a guy who will get in after seven or eight ballots as voters gain appreciation for his understated career.

Why do you describe Jason Giambi's current situation as "bad karma"? I don't think too many people are called in front of a grand jury over Zen crimes. What will it take for you, as a sports writer, to stop using codespeak for steroid abuse (or lack thereof)?
-- Steven Yi, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Actually, I didn't mean to imply his steroid use with that line. No need to couch anything there. It's just that he's a real non-person in that clubhouse. This was a guy who was the heart and soul of the A's, a free spirit who set the tone on those clubs. In New York, he's been a totally different guy and has had trouble making any impact on the team. He doesn't make anybody around him better.