I know you’re all dying to hear exactly what I think about the flurry of activity on the trade market recently, so I’m only too happy to oblige—even if it means only half paying attention to Battlestar Galactica in the background (and it’s the awesome two-part Pegasus episode that split season 2). Seriously, I’m all about the people over here. You complete me.
So yeah, big week: Mark Teixeira goes to Anaheim for Casey Kotchman and a minor leaguer, Ron Artest (what the hell does the back of his head say here?) goes to Houston for Bobby Jackson, Donte Green, a first-rounder and $1 million, Pudge Rodriguez goes to the Yankees for Kyle Farnsworth, and Manny Ramirez may be on his way to the Marlins, with Jeremy Hermida and a shitton of prospects going to Pittsburgh, and Jason Bay becoming a Red Sock. Thoughts on all of this plus the Canadian Junior Baseball team after the jump!
Okay, we’ll start easy: Pudge to the Yankees. Fuck the Yankees. But this deal, while making sense for both the Yankees and Tigers, is less significant than the names (or, I guess, name) would make it seems. It’s basically two teams unloading their underperforming, overpaid garbage on one another. Seriously, Pudge’s world class defence has dropped a little in the past couple of seasons (you never used to run on Pudge, now, you do), and he hasn’t been a difference-making hitter since 2004. In fact, he’s been kind of useless at the plate in ‘05 and ‘07, and decidedly mediocrein ‘06 and ‘08. Farnsworth throws hard, but hasn’t been much in his first two seasons with the Yankees. He’s doing well this year with a 3.65 ERA, but his 1.35 WHIP is a little high for a reliever, and his 2.5 K/BB rate a little low.
Next, we have Mark Teixeira, a player I love both because he’s a switch-hitting gold-glove 1B who can hit 40 homers and because he’s a double exception to the “I before E” rule. But as much as I love Mark Teixeira I don’t really love this deal from Anaheim’s perspective. They give up an .850 OPS 1B in Casey Kotchman who is cheap and udner their control for a long time, for two months of Tex, who will absolutely be gone as a free agent this offseason (so I guess they also get two first rounders). Anyways, unless they win the World Series, it’s not really worth it to them. As an aside, I’d love to see Toronto sign Teixeira in the offseason to be their DH or 1B, if they can find a taker for Overbay (which would let them sign Adam Dunn as the DH, another player I love).
Next is the Manny deal. It’s clear he needs to get out of Boston as they are clearly sick of each other. I don’t really like giving up Hermida from Florida’s perspective because I’m sure Manny won’t be there long, while Hermida is one of the best young pilots outfielders (subconscious proof I’m watching BSG) in the game. In fact, I’m not really sure what Florida is doing in this at all, what with Manny making more money than Florida’s entire lineup (only a slight exaggeration: Manny makes $20 million this year; Florida’s entire team makes $21.8 million). The only other thing to mention here is my undying love for Jason Bay and how sad I am he’s going to Boston. In fact, it makes me sad that three players I really like have been/are going to be dealt, and none of them is going to Toronto.
Finally, on to Ron Artest. Artest has never really recovered from the Malice at the Palace, and he never fully became the type of player he looked like he was becoming before the brawl (when he shot the lights out, averaged 24 points and 6.4 rebounds a game and was the best defensive player in the league). But he’s still pretty good, and he should bring a nice third option to Houston for the 25 games he, T-Mac and Yao will play together. And using him and Shane Battier together will make for a ridiculously good peremiter defence.
On the flip side, I think that getting rid of him could have been good for Sacremento, had they actually gotten something for him. Instead, they get an aging and ineffective Bobby Jackson, who isn’t the same swingman who won the 6th Man of the Year award in his first stint in Sacremento, the draft rights to Donte Green (whoopee!), a late first round pick, and a million bucks. Did they really need the money? This team is owned by a pair of Vegas casino-owning brothers, and they needed $1 million to make this trade happen? I don’t get it.
Finally, Team Canada’s star catcher Brett Lawrie is having a ridiculously easy time of the World Junior Baseball Championships in Edmonton this week. The Milwaukee first rounder is hitting .529 with 4 triples, 2 homers, 3 walks and 11 RBIs in four games. And with an early-morning start against the Czech Republic, he’s going to expand on those numbers even more. I really wish he had fallen one more spot in the draft. I love David Cooper and how amazingly he’s raking in Lansing, but Brett Lawrie is going to be a ridiculous hitter.
UPDATE
So Manny ends up going to the Dodgers, which makes a hell of a lot more sense than the Marlins, in what amounts to almost the same deal.
