With the trade deadline upcoming, followed closely by the race for October, baseball talk is upon us. Below is my take:
Recap of Trades so Far:
White Sox acquire Brett Myers:
The Southside Sox haven't been poor in the bullpen, but they do have 7 rookies at that spot, adding a veteran of Myer's caliber and experience, as well as getting Jesse Crain, and John Danks back from injury are good moves.
Detroit Tigers Acquire Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante from Marlins:
The first of the Marlins firesale is a huge win for the Tigers. Their play at 2nd base has been atrocious so Infante is a definite upgrade there. Sanchez is a great addition to the rotation. I think they need one more starting pitcher to round out a rotation of Verlander,Fister,Sanchez,Scherzer, and a fifth option. I don't like Porcello in that fifth spot. An intriguing option is the Cubs' Paul Maholm, who would be a nice fit because his style of pitching is so different from the other 4 in this rotation. Good fit for both teams there I think.
Yankees acquire Ichiro Suzuki:
In one of the more "wait..what?" trades of this offseason the Yankees replace Brett Gardner with Ichiro. I couldn't think of a better fit for the end of Ichiro's career. He fits in the clubhouse, and on the field. Even though he's hitting only .261 this season his stats almost mirror what Gardner would have done, which helps the Yankees to rely less on the HR, which will help them in September. Great trade for them.
Rays acquire Ryan Roberts:
This trade makes no sense to me. I have no idea why the rays would trade for a poor-hitting third baseman, when they have many utility infielders already who are hitting as well or better than Roberts.
Pirates acquire Wandy Rodriguez:
Never been a big fan of Wandy, and I think the Pirates could do better. They have a great farm system so a trade for a Josh Johnson or Cole Hamels wasn't out of the question. I feel those would've been better moves. They also could use a bat, as their offense is much too reliant upon Andrew McCutchen.
Dodgers acquire Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate:
Absolutely great trade for the Dodgers. Instant upgrade offensively, as far from south Florida as Hanley can get and Choate is a help in the bullpen. If the Dodgers can pick up some pitching to go along with a lineup that now includes Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier, they will be heavy favorites to come out of the NL.
The Astros and Blue Jays ten-player trade:
The Astros obtain seven players from Toronto: right-hander Francisco Cordero, outfielder Ben Francisco, minor leaguers Joe Musgrove, Asher Wojciechowski, David Rollins and Carlos Perez, and a player to be named. The Astros send left-hander J.A. Happ (pictured) and right-handed relievers Brandon Lyon and David Carpenter to Toronto in the trade.- Equal for both teams. I don't see that it makes either one that much better and it just moves some contracts around. Ho-hum for me.
Trades I Expect:
Matt Garza to the Dodgers, Braves, or Rangers (Andrew is hoping Braves)
Bryan LaHair/Placido Polanco to the Orioles
Ryan Dempster goes nowhere!
Josh Johnson to Boston Red Sox- only if the Red Sox can make the trade without giving up Will Middlebrooks.
Greg
I do hope the Garza to Braves deal happens now that the Braves backed off Dempster.
ReplyDeleteI like the Pirates move for Wandy actually, although I agree they need to keep dealing.
I don't think Ichiro does much for the Yankess, but if fits with the aging stars theme they have there.
I like Myers to the White Sox, although I think they need to utilize him as a closer, not a set-up man.
Lastly, I think the Cubs need to stop looking for more and just deal Dempster. They need a lot of pieces to become competitive again and he is a free agent in a few months anyways!
Andrew
Couple things as the day has gone on: Garza looks like he will be dealt in the offseason now, not during the season.
ReplyDeleteWandy is worse than everyone on the Pirates' pitching staff now.
Ichiro is a perfect fit for the Yankees.
Myers very well could be used as a closer, but he's very versatile, and can be used in any role in the bullpen.
Lastly, if the cubs don't deal dempster, they can tender him at 12.5M next year, that way if he walks and goes somewhere else, they get a compensatory draft pick for him, which will likely be better than anything else they get, unless the atlanta trade goes through, which is still possible.
Greg