trade deadline deals

Hello? Is anyone still reading this?

You know the trade deadline passed today?

Did you also know that the Phils are one game back in the Wild Card standings?

Weird.

In SoCal, the big news (not really) is that the Angels did nothing. Despite the Mariners creeping up like it's 1995, despite an abundance of young talent, despite a glaring need for a bat, the Angels stood pat. Their G.M., Bill Stoneman, is less active and more in love with his own farm system than the guys who used to run the Phils. They could have easily been a contender, but no, they like their team too much.

They'll like it when Boston or Detroit crushes them, if they even make the playoffs.

Also, them not going for Mark Texiera made it easier for the Braves to get him. Dammit. Now the Phils have to worry about them too.

The Red Sox have gumption. The Angels don't. The Phils made a few nice moves but I'm not going to jinx anything.

Nice job, Stoneman. I've been paying attention to the Angels for three months and I'm already convinced that you are merely a hologram.

Oh, those O's

The Orioles just fired their manager, Sam Perlazzo, but it's not like he had much to work with. This is creating a debate amongst sportswriters everywhere: is this a dead job? Can the Orioles ever win again? Most say no. I would like to pose this question to Mr. Perseghin, but it seems he has fled from humanity in a remote Rhode Island camping colony. I didn't know Rhode Island was big enough to be lost in, frankly. Whenever you come back to the world, Louis, perhaps you can weigh in on this.

I'm interested in this case for a few reasons. Number one, I used to have split allegiances with the Phillies and Orioles. The Orioles were my favorite AL team until I started seeing the abosolute pain the Red Sox fans held. It was easy to get to Baltimore from my house in Lancaster, so they were on the news as much as the Phils. During the mid 90's, when the Phils were awful and the O's were in the playoffs all the time, we needed it. Number two, it might help show people why basbeall needs some sort of salary cap. Number three, I like Baltimore; they have a good stadium and good fans, traditionally. They deserve better.

Are they really dead? Is there no hope for them in the AL East? Let us consider the pros and cons.

THE BAD NEWS

Peter Angelos is..... well, some have called him the worst owner ever. Is there anyone who doesn't hate this guy? Have you ever heard him described as less than despicable?

The AL East is loaded and it's never going to get any easier because the Yankees and Red Sox will always have the cash to spend. Sometimes, the Blue Jays too.

They now have to share the area with the Nationals.

Since the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry heated up again, no national sources have paid any attention to them and they haven't gottten close to the playoffs.

They haven't had a good pitcher in years.

Their big-name signings did nothing.

None of the managers since Davey Johnson did anything... and even he got fired.

THE GOOD

Andy MacPhail has done good work before in other front offices.

They claim to have a lot of young pitchers, and they managed to bring in former Braves svengali Leo Mazzone to help.

At least they did spend for a while. Their payroll is larger than a lot of the bad teams... they haven't gone completely cheap on everyone.

They're getting a lot of money from a new TV deal.

Despite the addition of the Nationals, it should be noted that the Beltway is one of the richest and most prosperous areas of the country. The area is full of people with cash and corporate sponsors.

Camden Yards is still nice.

THE VERDICT

Honestly? I don't know. I think anyone in that division has trouble... you might get a year when one of the powerhouses is down, but then the rest of the AL is tough. I hope we can get a deabte here, if anyone still reads this. I'd hate to see all the hope run out in Baltimore.

one night at Chavez Ravine

So I made my first trip to Dodger Stadium on Monday night. The Boys in Blue (sorry, Pierre Robeire, it actually works for them) lost big to the Cards. I managed to harass Scott Rolen, grab a few Dodger Dogs, and take in most of the game. My rating for the stadium? I'd say a solid B.

The atmosphere is good and the stadium is classically simple. Yes, there are too many rich people who come in late and don't make enough noise, but even most of the fans in the good sections appreciate the game. They weren't falsely excited, either, like those bizarre Angel fans. Good for them. It's not as intense as the Vet, and not as fancy as PNC, but it's a nice mix.

whoa

It's opening day already?

I'm in no shape for a season preview.

I was going to pick the Cubs, but that's not going to help them any. So I pick Yankees over Braves. Because I have terrible, terrible karma. (Although I picked that the Phils would narrowly miss the wild card last year as a semi-joke and that happened. Again.)

Phils.... finish above the Pirates. Safe enough? Watch them lose 90 now.

uhhhhh no......

I was listening to the radio out here for traffic tips, as I always am during the hours of 6-8 in the morning, when the quick sports blurb came up about a major league team that was planning on having a promotion that included bringing sewing projects to the park. I figured they really meant a minor league team, or perhaps maybe the Devil Rays, as they would have lots of old people. But when they came back from commercial, they confirmed it: that's right, the Phils.

I doubted it, but it's even on the official website for the night of June 26:

http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/schedule/promotions.jsp?c_id=phi

STITCH & PITCH!!!!!

Now, I know that the Phils' front office is trying here to reach out to new demographics. This is likely aimed at bringing women / elderly fans to the park. Sewing seems like such a warm, fuzzy activity that it couldn't possibly lead to anything bloody or riotous.

Too bad they forgot where they are.

I went to the last three or four opening day games at the Vet. I saw what people could do with objects they no longer needed to carry on their person. Some kid had the - gall? stupidity? cojones? a cross between all three? - to wear a Kobe jersey to the very last one. Within seconds, he was being bombarded by empty bottles, free hats and towels, and anything else that could be thrown without back damage. Let's not forget the greatest moment in the history of Veterans Stadium: the infamous J. D. Drew game, where people were so upset that it wasn't winter and they couldn't throw snowballs with batteries hidden inside (as had been the practice at Eagles games for quite some time) that they just openly brought used batteries and chucked them, nearly causing a forfeit. Hell, they don't even need weapons. I once saw a guy pull another sucker down twelve rows of bleachers.... both got up and kept punching. This stitch and pitch business could be worse than 10 cent beer night.

I know that the people behind this will say that they will allow only plastic needles and keep the knitting to grandmas. Again, they seem to forget who they're dealing with. Plastic needles can still poke an eye out if used with such force, and in Philly, even the grandmas can get in on the action. That mitten probably has some jagged rocks in it.

Anyone in for an over/under on the eye injuries that night?

(Speaking of the Phightin's, I recently discovered that wanted pirate / was once a man / of Boston divided loyalty / war mongerer Mikael Mulllller is part of a group blog just for the Phils:
http://driventodeepcenter.blogspot.com/ . Perhaps we shall connect with them to provide baseball snarkiness in all corners. As the only person left on this blog who cares about the Phils, I say welcome.)

<3 Tito

Many notes already on the Red Sox Spring Training Media Extravaganza™. Manny shows up three days early bucking everyone's expectations. Of course, he could decide to pull a Bonds and just sit around the locker room in his leather easy chair. Sources report his dreads look "less Predator-like" this year.

Dice-K threw batting practice; Tito compares him to Michael Jordan, except the former Seibu Lions star "can't dunk." He said the comparison was mostly due to K's fondness for "gambling and white women."

Tito was not at practice Friday due to flu-like symptoms. He told the press he was at home watching the Anna Nicole Smith court proceedings on television. "I wanted to see if Manny [Ramirez] would show up there."

I didn't even have to make that last one up. And I don't even think I could have come up with a better punchline. Damn you, Tito!

Stepping out of character

Ok, I know this is a baseball blog. I set it up. I know. And this post is about football, sure, but it is inextricably linked to baseball. I promise.

It won't be hard to follow, since I have neither the wherewithal nor attention span to make a J Leo-sized post. I just don't have it in me.

Now, I know I get no sympathy for liking the Pats. I don't. The Patriots, in an ironic and horrifying twist of fate, are the Yankees of football. No one but Patriots fans ever want them to win. We find Belichick's eccentricity to be a sure sign of genius, and his cut-off, ratty-ass sweatshirt the calling card of a mind that is on another ethereal plane. We worship the ground Tom Brady graces with his Adonis-like form, and find owner Bob Kraft repulsive but a born winner who accepts nothing less than perfection.

Compare these to Joe Torre (who, like Belichick, has been scrutinized for having a far superior team and has been accused of not being able to win elsewhere (look what happened to B in Cleveland)), Derek Jeter, and The Boss (Steinbrenner, not Springsteen). The Colts are the Red Sox - the lovable little scamps from the hick town who can just never quite pull off the upset.

But, like the Yankees, the Patriots have gotten old. They have not been able to replace "character guys with character guys," to steal a line from the Sports Guy. Without Rodney Harrison, the secondary couldn't help stop the run even if Rhodes and Addai had been running off to marry their moms. Backup linebacker Larry Alexander gave it his best, but they looked mushy in the middle. Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney gave it their best for a couple of Gators (still bitter about the Buckeyes getting raped), but Deion Branch and David Givens each had nearly what they combined for in the regular season.

True, they have up and comers - Lawrence Maroney looks like the back for the future, Tom will be around and dominant (if he gets his head out of his ass) for six or seven more years, Assante Samuel tied for the league lead in picks this year, and Vince Wilfork - well, dude's bigger than a Yugo.

What it comes down to, I guess, is that in baseball we're lucky to have several chances to prove ourselves. I feel like the Pats could have beaten the Colts in a best of five, or even best of three, series, but they just got the best of them that one game. In football, there are no down-three-games-to-none miracle comebacks, and that makes me sad.

What it comes down to, I guess, is that when I walked out of the bar on Sunday, my first thought was, "Hell, it's only like a month before Dice K shows up in Fort Myers for training camp, right? Life ain't so bad."

Now, I just have to stop thinking of myself as a Yankees fan.

Confessions of a Hall of Fame voter

I feel stupid.

I feel stupid because I didn't recognize the obvious signs. Perhaps I did, but I lied to myself. I didn't want to be the curmudgeon, the naysayer, the pundit, the guy everybody hates. I ignored the complete lack of logic during that magical season of 1998. I jumped on the train with everyone else and celebrated.

Now, since everyone realizes what was going on, I feel dumb. I feel dumb for fallign for it, for allowing myself to be blissfully ignorant. Of course, if the fans and other media weren't so concerned about this, I wouldn't be either. You can call me spineless. I can call myself a hall of fame voter.

You may be wondering why we're all ganging up on McGwire, a likable guy who's obvioulsy not the only great player during that era who was juiced. We're not saying anything right now about Clemens and Bonds and many, many others who have really ominous signs. Well, it's just that: we're sending a message to the public that we (now) care so much about steroids that we're willing to make a scapegoat out of the most popular guy in the past ten years. We'll deal with those other stars later.... and we'll see hwo the public reacts then.

Is this unfair? Of course it is! When have we been fair? I've ignored Andre Dawson and Jim Rice for years. Why? Because I'm a hall of fame voter. I like to think that with my priviledges, I can be a higher authority on baseball and not listen to common sense. I have my own rules, and I love the feeling of being better and smarter than everyone else, who doesn't get a vote. I don;t like feeling stupid.

And I feel stupid right now.

What the Eff? Who's running this shit show?

Breaking the silence on this beast because of Randy Johnson. What team in their right mind trades FOUR PLAYERS for a 43 year-old pitcher coming off of back surgery. Having done that, what team gives said pitcher an EXTENSION on an already over the top contract?

The guy is 43. Name a pitcher besides Phil Neikro (and possibly El Duque) who has had much success after that age. Jamie Moyer perhaps, depending what you consider successful to be.

All the same, this trade makes no sense. I hope this deal dies somewhere along the approval lines within the league office, because this is damn near the stupidest trade I've ever heard of. The guy is going to fall apart and the Yankees knows it. I can't see the motivation for this trade from the D-backs perspective at all, except maybe from a marketing standpoint.

Matsui who?

Josh Beckett will have a dominant year, and he'll be their number 3 starter. Ridiculous.

Now all eyes can turn to Barry Zito. Yawn. More Scott Boras in the news. At least he'll be talking to more than one team.

"I'd like to meet Curt Schilling," said Dice-K. Umm, pretty sure you'll get the chance dude. He's learning Japanese for you buddy. What a pal.

The whole Red Sox brass flying to California and lighting bags of feces on fire in front of Boras' house reminded me of the Thanksgiving dinner Schilling deal. I remember the excitement and palpable energy there was surrounding the team then, and look what happened the very next season...

Not a prediction, just a thought.

The real prediction? Royals v. Cubs in the series, but they only make it to two games and the world as we know it implodes on itself.

Now, votes on who the hell is going to anchor that (still) travesty of a bullpen for the Sox come '07? Tavares?

People I intensely dislike may or may not look like insidious members of a sci-fi classic

Scott Boras is going to be the reason that the Sox don't sign Matsuzaka (if indeed they end up not signing him.) That pisses me off so much, but not as much as it irks Mike.

Clock's ticking down to the end on this one, and all the rumors swirling around don't sound too good. I'm hoping for the best. This business with Schilling learning Japanese is such a transparent PR ploy (although he may indeed be doing it with good intentions) it makes me ill.

Jim Allen on ESPN (from where I got the picture at left) makes some good points in this article. Namely, that it will ultimately be up to Matsuzaka to decide whether he signs or not. No, and he goes back to Japan for another two seasons and the Lions get jack. Boras can finagle all he wants, says Allen, but ultimately the prospect of earning the most money he's ever earned in his life and the chance to bring pride to his old club and home country will be the deciding factors for Matsuzaka.

We'll see how that goes very soon.

Coming up later: Why signing Juan Pierre was a great investment for the Dodgers: Definitive proof courtesy of MVP Baseball '05.

Yay for Sense!

After all that chatter, Barry Bonds is not going anywhere. That's probably the most logical move. No other team would offer him that cash, and no other fan base would likely support him. 16 million is too much, but whatever. At least we can focus our rancor in the same place.

And, ho, Pat Gillick! I wanted a top starter and we got one in Freddy Garcia. That's a good deal. Yeah, Gavin Floyd might be great down the road and we could end up regretting all this in the future, but as I've been saying for a while, the Phils can't keep waiting with the farm system and young pitchers who may or may not pan out. They still have Hamels and Myers, who have looked good, and now they have their ace. Add them into a rotation with solid vets Lieber and Moyer (or maybe Madson, who knows how they'll move people), and now their rotation is solid... in fact, one of the best in the NL. I can't think fo anyone hugely better for now.

See how nice it is when people make deals that make sense?

Collusion part 2, electric boogaloo.

I'm hoping that the whole Barry Bonds issue is a big conspiracy. Back in the days of collusion, owners got together and decided that, in order to cut back player salaries, they would work together despite their equal desires to spend money and sign the best players. This, of course, was illegal and tainted MLB for a long time.

Now in the days of throwing money around and player salaries that are nearly unfathomable, I find it odd that the best baseball player ever is a free agent, spurned by his former employer and still jobless. This, of course, could have a little something to do with the fact that a. he is almost certainly guilty of taking steroids and b. he is a consummate asshole.

Never the less, I can't see how an AL team desperate for wins like the Indians or Rangers don't throw a contract with performance bonuses at this guy. Sure, he says he wants to go to a playoff-bound team, but money talks. Now he's gone to the winter meetings personally to bully around teams. Wonderful.

His agent says there are plenty of interested teams and that "their first question is always about Bonds." It seems if that were the case he would have reached a deal with someone by now. The best player ever is just flapping in the wind, a free agent that nobody wants to take on.

Is this some sort of big conspiracy among owners, GM's, managers, etc. to finally rid baseball of this media centerpiece/freak show? It just seems odd that he's not signed yet, and that the only one talking about him is Jeff Borris, his agent. All I've read is vague, PR type quotes from Borris; none from GM's, nothing from anyone. Are GM's just getting together to say 'hey, this guy is a catastrophe' and not signing him? Do they even have to get together? Anyone could really come to that conclusion on their own with a few simple google searches.

I, for one, and hoping that Bonds gets signed somewhere. True, he may have taken steroids, and he may be an asshole, but the fact remains that he is the best player ever to play the game, and watching him hit, despite the fact that his power may be derived from something outside of the gym, is a thing of pure beauty. Of course, I hope he doesn't get signed to a team I like.

Looks like the Sox are going to be "stuck" with Manny's 35+ homers and 120+ RBI's (barring injury) again next year. Oh well. I think their trying to "trade" him every year is all a front. Unless they traded for Pujols, Howard or A-Rod, there is no way they're getting value from the deal. And none of those trades are going to happen. That said, the Sox lineup looks to be shaping up for next season. I hope Lugo does well, or else the revolving door shortstop charade will continue.

It unnerves me that I haven’t heard anything about Matsuzaka recently. I know the negotiations are confidential, but at writing, there is only a little over 8 days left to sign this guy. I haven’t heard anything at all, save for the fact that the team and Dice-K are ‘far apart’ concerning the terms they are each seeking. I know I said bidding that much for him was a mistake, and I hold to that, but not signing him makes the Sox look horrible. He seems like a good pitcher from the scouting reports, so if you’re willing to put up that sort of money, why not go for broke (hopefully not literally.) Again, hopefully this is not some clever, shady backdoor deal to keep Dice-K out of Steinbrenner’s hands for one more season.g

Jason Schmidt, whose head looks like a fake goatee affixed to a pumpkin, signed with the Dodgers. I like that for one of the better pitchers out there this year, I didn't hear too much about him. All I've heard is where will Ted Lily come to rest? What about Gil Meche? Who cares. I think tonight or tomorrow I will make a photoshop of Schmidt's head as a pumpkin. And why not, right? Expect that.

The arms race, part laaaame

In an off-season already being hailed by critics as the most freewheeling in ages, one team is taking the bidding war and frustration with the pitching drought to a new level.

The New Y0rk Yankees offered Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn $7.5 million a year to shore up their bullpen. When reached for comment, GM Brian Cashman said that they were most worried about his control, though he had shown promise in the California Penal League.

Cashman also added that in such a dry market, having a fictional character as your setup man isn't necessarily the worst thing.

"I mean, it's not like we signed Vicente Padilla for 11.3 [million] a year," he said. "That would just be stupid."

Actor Charlie Sheen, who portrayed Vaughn in the 1989 film "Major League," said he was excited by the opportunity.

"It's been a while since I slipped on those horn rims," said Sheen. "It's also been a while since I had a free pass to start seeing those hookers in Cleveland again."

"Cleveland rocks, indeed," he added.

Cashman also said that Yankees owner George Steinbrenner might be willing to give Steve Nebraska another chance.

"Maybe we bailed on him too soon," said Cashman. "That funny little man with the hat who reminded me of Woody Allen seemed pretty convinced he was something special."

"Besides, let's face it - who are we going to sign, Ted Lilly for 10 [million] a year? Give me a break."

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills or something

John Lester is in remission. Here's hoping he'll be at spring training.

In a right and just world, there is no way that Gil Meche gets $10 million per season from anyone. He's good (Beat Jason Schmidt back in June) but he's not $10 million good.

Vincente Padilla would, in a normal world, never think of making $11.3 million per season. Yeah, he won 15 games, but he lost 10 to the tune of a 4.50 ERA.

Jayson Stark has a great article about the lunacy of this offseason's pitching scramble on ESPN.

The headline should be "Welcome to Bizarro World."

You know something is wrong when the thought "Gee, the Orioles rotation looks decent this year, but how 'bout that bullpen. Boy Howdy they look sharp" creeps into your head. That and when Omar Minaya keeps balking at dela because the price is "too high."

My favorite part is where he points out that in 2002, Zambrano was a 4th starter behind Kerry Wood, Prior and Clement. Now the Cubs are looking for two starters. Alas.

what did i just say last week

Dear Albert Pujols:

85 is more than 83.

I would LOVE to have the Phils playing in the same division as the Pirates, Cubs, and Brewers. They might've won 90 with those clowns.

Wait! You have a ring and MVP trophy already. You have no reason to complain. Ever. Again.

In conclusion, shut the fuck up.

Passing the torch?

Buster Olney is slowly replacing Peter Gammons as the go-to guy for baseball insider information. He's broken a lot more stories such as all the dirt on the Japanese imports this off-season.

The Cubs and Dodgers are spending like the Mets did last year, which is kind of depressing. I love when a team gets good players right from their farm system, a la Papelbon. Looking at the deal Soriano got, I kind of hate the world.

When it's all said and done, the Mets, Cubs and Dodgers will be spinning their wheels going into the post season in '07 because the AL is simply a better league. The Cardinals won the World Series this year, yes, but that's not going to become a trend.

Tuesday's coming...

I realize that his contract is huge, and that he did give up during the last third of the season in '06, but there is no real trade involving Manny Ramirez that would make me happy. There isn't anyone the Sox could get in trade who could replace his productivity, and there is hardly a batter in baseball that can hit good pitching as consistently and with as much power as Manny.

I sincerely hope all these trade rumors and hearsay involving the Predator look-alike fall through, and that he's back in the shadow of the green monster in '07. As much as I don't like his personality, he's the best thing the Sox have on offense, and while the guys at baseball prospectus tend to disagree with me, Ortiz needs that protection.

Years in the left field at Fenway have honed his skill at playing balls off the monster. Watching Willy Mo struggle in right on the days he filled in for Trot made me realize just how quirky the Fenway outfield can be, and with the defense heading the way of the buffalo this off-season, it's important to make damn sure that whoever is in left can play the monster.

I like Manny, and as long as he puts up 100+ RBI’s and 30+ HR’s a year, I don’t give a crap who he is (Manny or otherwise), or what he’s like in the clubhouse.

Speaking of teams in the AL East, the Orioles sure are going at their bullpen with a chainsaw, which is great. Their pen was crap last season (and has been for a long time.)

I haven’t heard a damn thing about Barry Zito or Jason Schmidt yet this off-season. Strange.

A note: When I said the Phils should sign Adam Eaton in a comment a few posts ago, someone listened. Now if they had retained Randy Wolf, I would have said they had great odds to have the best rotation in the NL East. May still be true, but I digress.

well fancy that

I had a rant planned today for how Ryan Howard should've won the MVP over Albert Pujols, regardless of the Series, for doing great in the second half with Jeff Conine as his only protection, for belting almost 60 in the post-steroids era, for lifting a team that had dumped players and given up into the playoff race, and how it's not his fault his team played in a division with a good team (85 wins is more than 83, morons). But then something funny happened... he won.

Good for you, writers. You escape my wrath today.

Just a thought (edited)

I am glad the Sox didn't bid $42 million on Matsuzaka. HOWEVER, they did bid an inconceivable $51.1 million. I can't even imagine throwing that amount of money away to just TALK to someone. They could have signed Barry Zito for that and been done with it, and still have had all the money they're going to throw at Matsuzaka left to get another pitcher. What a gyp. He'd better be the business or I'm going to be pissed all of next season. Look at that picture. He might as well be holding a chalice filled with diamonds and blow for as much as he's going to rake in.

I really hope the Red Sox didn't bid $42 million on Matsuzaka. Sure, the guy will give you near
200 innings per year, but he's not going to give them the stability that solid defensive player with some pop could. Just thinking about who they have in the docket currently for next season, it seems that they don't need more bullpen help than anything else. I mean, if Lester makes a comeback, then there is also Papelbon, Beckett (who should do infinitely well in his second season in Boston after getting over the Renteria hump) and Schilling. I'd rather see the Sox get a starter that doesn't have the potential to turn into Hideki Irabu part deux.

If they did bid $42 million on him, this is kind of silly for several reasons
1. That doesn't guarantee that the two will even agree to a contract
2. If they wanted to trade negotiating rights to another team, they would want some of if not most of that money back. If teams wanted to pony up for Matsuzaka they would have done so at the bidding.
3. He's going to play in 30+ games a year perhaps. However, a position player is going to play in 100+ games.

I guess we'll find out very soon what's up. It's like buying a hooker from Craigslist. She might be amazing, or she might be male. and a cop. And angry. Oh well. I'm sure they did bid that much, I'm sure they'll sign him, and he'll more than likely have a stellar season. If that happens, check back for my 'buy high/sell high' post.

In an April 7 story on Page 2 which I remember reading and enjoying thoroughly, Nate Silver says that Matsuzaka is the 50th most valuable player in baseball. He's ahead of both Zito and Schmidt, who aren't on the list. Interesting.