Trade Alive-Line

Hello Fans,

The Milwaukee Brewers made a splash in the cannon ball wave that is the movement of players at this season’s Non-Waiver Trade Deadline of July 31st at 4 p.m. EST.  They considered offers from both the Texas Rangers and Anaheim Angels before selecting the Angels’ prospects as worthy of ‘losing’ former Cy Young Award Winner Zack Greinke for.  I say ‘losing’ because he is a free agent after the season and was likely to head West, South, or East of Cheese Country anyway.  With the season-ending injury to Ranger starter Colby Lewis and Greinke going to rival Anaheim, the only losers so far are the members of the Texas pitching staff who will need to pick it up a bit.  Don’t feel too bad for Texas though.  They still have that killer offensive lineup behind them.  If you can’t pitch with those guys (Hamilton, Cruz, Young, Kinsler, Beltre, Napoli, etc.) mashing for you, then you just plain old can’t pitch.

Rumor has it the Bosox would like to trade Josh Beckett.  Well, who wouldn’t want to trade away any guy who makes $15 mill per season for two more years, has a rough 4.57 ERA considering his talent level, and works slow on the mound while looking uninspired?  Good luck with that one.  Won’t happen.  Can’t happen.  Texas isn’t that desperate and Atlanta has too much wisdom.  Beckett used to have an edge out there on the hill just like the stereotypical over-sized, tobacco-chewing kids from Texas in the original Bad News Bears movie.  He was fun to watch.  The Sox should just roll the Dice-K and hope he picks it up down the stretch to climb back into the Wild Card race and then trade him on the up and up to get more value in return in the off-season.  I don’t think he pitches in Boston in ’13 at all.  He’s still only 32 and may find some needed inspiration if he did end up in his home state of Texas at some point.

As of 7/30, the Baltimore Orioles are only two games back of the AL Wild Card leaders, Angels and upstart Oakland Athletics.  They already booked future HOFer Jim Thome in the DH slot with a trade a few weeks ago with Philly and are now looking at another Phil, pitcher Joe Blanton.  It seems like Blanton has been on seven or eight teams and been in the playoffs every year for about twelve or fourteen years.  Truth is he’s only 31, was born on a great day (December 11th, same as yours truly) and has only played in Oakland and Phila.  However, he did hit a homer and grab a ‘W’ in six innings of work while giving up just two runs in the ’08 Series against Tampa Bay.  And he’s 6’3″ and 235 pounds and throws high pitch counts.  I’m sold!  Peter Angelos, make it happen and bring that big cat to Lord Baltimore’s city please.

If you ever get a chance, go to a game where Shin-Soo Choo is playing.  He’s currently in Cleveland where he’s been since ’06 after debuting in Seattle a year earlier.  I saw him play a couple games in May of ’09 as the Indians hosted the ChiSox.  Smooth.  Unheralded.  Multi-skilled.  And he’s probably on the move.  The ‘Mucho Moo’-L.A. Dodgers like him.  The Pirates like him.  Everyone likes him as he is a true five-tool player that can hit, has pop, speed, an arm, and range.  His 2012 line of a .291 ave., .378 OBP, and .862 OPS attests to that.  He led the league in outfield assists in ’10 with 14 and has four already this year despite everyone except the real speed guys not tempting that wing.

Choo could prove to be the everyday player that puts a team like Pittsburgh or the Dodgers over the top in the NL.  He will be expensive as Cleveland is still hanging in there themselves at just five games back from the W.C., but Choo would be worth it.  We all know that teams have to be smart both fiscally and in terms of the their long term depth and talent levels.  However, who says just because you’re good on paper now means your near-future major leaguers are going to put your club ‘over the top’ in terms of being a perennial contender?  If you’ve got a shot, you have to take it, especially if you’re not in one the biggest markets.

Just look at Billy Beane and the A’s.  It’s been a while and they never did get to the Classic.  Did you hear that Pittsburgh, Washington, and Baltimore?  Strike now.  Pull the trigger on a big bat or armed arm.  And if you’ve got big bats and arms already, use them.  Carl Crawford can’t play everyday because he might need surgery in the off-season?  Come on, get out there until you can’t.  You can’t play scared.  It doesn’t work.  I’m not saying a-buse, but use.  Why shut down a guy who is pitching great, feels even better, and could take your club to the promised land?  Yes, I am saying DON’T rest Stephen Strasburg.  We’ re all here.  The future is now.  Entertain us.  Nevermind the criticism, which by the way, will come no matter how you decide to handle Mr. Strasburg’s playing status.  Critics say, “Well, what if he gets hurt”?  That’s an easy answer.  The manager and G.M. get fired and find new jobs, he’ll have surgery, still play however long he can, and retire rich.  I say, “Well, what if you and him never even sniff the playoffs again, let alone go to the Series, if he goes home in late August?  Can you accept that forever?  Forever is a long time.  I’d think that regret would be much worse because you will never know what might have been.  Just ask Kerry Wood, who retired just a couple of short months ago.  He had the big arm, a big surgery, a big shot at the Classic, and still said he wouldn’t change a thing.  That’s ‘proof in the pitcher’ right there folks.

It’s called a Trade Deadline, but it should be viewed as a Trade Alive-Line.  It’s an opportunity to assess your club and seize a chance at what players, managers, and executives of all levels professionally live for, something that goes on forever: a ring.

Later Fans.