Here are the winners and losers from the most exciting trade deadline in a decade:
Winners
Dodgers- Of course I am starting with my boys in blue. Casey Blake and Manny Ramirez (see my previous post) add playoff experience to a young team.
Brewers- Traded for CC Sabathia (above) 3 weeks ago, and all he has done is go 4-0 with 3 shutouts and a 1-something ERA. Milwaukee loving baseball for the first time since Molitor and Yount.
White Sox- This move is getting bashed by some, but adding Ken Griffey Jr to their lineup is an immediate upgrade. And Griffey getting a chance on a contender is fantastic as well.
Yankees- Once again this year, the Yanks give up nothing and get everything they want. The idiot teams who agree to this are the ones to blame. Damaso Marte, Xavier Nady and an HGH-free Ivan Rodriguez are not marquee names, but should fill the holes the Yankees needed.
Check Back In October
Red Sox- Addition by subtraction, as they say. Manny was mailing it in, but Jason Bay is not an upgrade, and Big Papi may not get pitched to the rest of the year. Boston may just be good enough to get past this.
Cubs- Rich Harden is a great pitcher if he stays healthy for more than a month. A curious move for a team that has dealt with the Prior and Wood injuries for 5 years. So far so good for the Cubbies, but will he last till October?
Angels- Why do people love this move? Mark Teixiera adds great offense, but the Angels are up by a zillion games in the AL West. Supposedly picked up for the postseason, Teixiera has never played a postseason game, and pitching, not hitting, wins in October.
Rays- Did nothing, and that was they should have done. Will it pay off? If they continue their magical season, it should be with the chemistry and youth that got them here.
Phils- Joe Blanton may be the kind of quiet deal that makes the difference is the NL East.
Losers
Braves- Gave up 4 top prospects last year for Teixiera. This year, got serviceable Casey Kotchman and 1 prospect for Teixiera. Yikes.
Astros- Traded prospects for LaTroy Hawkins. They are currently 14 games out in the best division in baseball.
Pirates- Traded their 3 best players for alot of prosects, but none that stand out. Sound like the last 15 years for the Pirates? That's because it is.
Nationals- Worst team in baseball should have traded for more prospects. Instead, did nothing and then released 3 veterans (LoDuca, Lopez, and Estrada) immediately after the deadline. You couldn't get anybody back for those guys? Anybody??
Mets, D-Backs, Twins- All in hotly contested races and made no moves of note. Could be the reason none of them make the playoffs.
My baseball comrade Lazardus has returned from a hiatus that would make Tony Kornheiser proud. Check out his thoughts here.
2 comments:
I agree on the Dodgers. Will they take the option for next year on Manny? I am not sure about Jr. Can he still play centerfield effectively? The Red Sox were smart in getting a guy like Bay. While he will never be Manny, at least he probably wants to be there and is much younger. The Angels needed pop, like your Dodgers, it is a similar move. This move becomes questionable when you crunch the numbers and think about who they will be able to sign after the season. The Joe Blanton pick-up is not even worth mentioning. He has given up 7 earned runs in 8 innings (over two appearances) and his ERA is over 5.00. The Nationals are the first last place team that did not have one player anyone wanted at the deadline (they did part with Rauch, but no one else?). This team is a disaster.
grumble grumble - most of the trades sucked!
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