I did find it amusing that Buster Olney and Steve Phillips spent two hours on Sunday breaking down the trades that weren't made. Although I do have to say I enjoyed watching the Sunday night broadcast sans Joe Morgan, although I know it's only a one week reprieve. Jon Miller and Steve Stone would be a great pairing, but I know it'll never happen. For those unfamiliar with Stone, he used to do Cub games for WGN, and now he's doing ESPN broadcasts, usually for daygames. Hopefully he'll get better assignments in the future, for I think he's the best there is among color analysts.
When Matt Lawton is the biggest name dealt near the trading deadline, you know it's been a boring deadline. Interestingly enough, the Cubs dealt Jody Gerut to the Pirates in exchange for Lawton, forming a sort of three-way deal that's taken place over eight months (VORP in parenthesis):
Cleveland Gets:
LHP Arthur Rhodes (14.3)
OF Jason Dubois (4.4)*
Pittsburgh Gets:
Jody Gerut (2.6)*
Chicago Gets:
Matt Lawton (24.5)
*Combined between Cleveland and Chicago
Given that the Indians have Rhodes under contract for 2006, there's good chance they come out on the winning end of this deal. The opportunity cost remains though, as the Indians essentially replaced Lawton with Casey Blake (he of the -3.8 VORP). I guess it would have been funny if the Indians had dealt Dubois to Pittsburgh for Lawton, closing the cycle once and for all.
The Rangers did not deal Alfonso Soriano (much to Adam's chagrin), Manny Ramirez decided once and for all that he was a Boston "gangster," and the Devil Rays decided to sit on Julio Lugo and Danys Baez rather than get something for them. Hal Lebovitz reported that the Royals had demanded Fausto Carmona for Matt Stairs; if this "offer" is representative of the deliberations last week, then there's no wonder why almost nothing got done. I'm a bit disappointed that the Indians couldn't deal one of their relievers for an outfielder, but given what actually got traded, that disappointment is tempered somewhat.
VORP report as of August 1st (AL rank):
C Victor Martinez: 23.2 (4th)
1B Ben Broussard: 7.5 (13th)
2B Ron Belliard: 16.2 (8th)
3B Aaron Boone: -3.1 (24th)
CF Grady Sizemore: 26.7 (3rd)
DH Travis Hafner: 43.9 (2nd)
LF Coco Crisp: 17.6 (6th)
RF Casy Blake: -3.8 (24th)
SS Jhonny Peralta: 32.3 (5th)
As you can see, the Indians have great offensive numbers up the middle, but are getting little production from traditional offensive positions. Victor Martinez has carried the team since Travis Hafner went on the disabled list, and although Boone's numbers still look horrific, he's hit well in both June (.272/.341/.506) and July (.314/.362/.430). Coco Crisp continues to be a pleasant surprise in left, and Jhonny Peralta is 5th only because he's behind a stellar group of shortstops (and because he sat early in the season). You know the drill on the underachievers.
Next up: the Yankees. The Indians offense has to put the hurt on the Yankee starters, because New York's offense will get their six runs a game.
with two of the FC's obliterating the international league, along with good showings from Jake Robbins and Andrew Brown contributing nicely, shame on Shapiro for making us suffer through 2 more months of Bob Tubby McCantpitch Wickman. Retiring or not, he should not be on this team next year.
ReplyDeleteIt would have been poetic justice should he have come in and blown the save yesterday. Instead of course, he was handed the bottom half of an infant lineup of fresh call ups or new additions. when Ichiro came up, I think we all were expecting the worst. somehow, as usual, wickman escaped.
Even A-level prospects would have been fine if it meant opening a roster spot for a deserving young hurler.
If the Fausto Carmona for Matt Stairs trade was the best option for outfield help, then i'm fine with the indians staying pat on that front. Again, a quick shot in the arm could be found in Buffalo, even with 4A players like Ernie Young. The question that should always be asked should be "will he suck worse that casey blake?" to which the response will always be "how could he?"