This Week in Baseball 7/30 - 8/5

[Guest •]

Phililes v. Cubs on Monday

Mets v. Cubs on Sunday

[Bored 0]

I will not watch Czech break my record in person.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I'm boycotting this thread out of principle.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I will attend when not conflicted by my Hall of Fame commitments. That and the viewing of pornographic movies. Not involving Bobby Abreu.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I'm still ticked that a black player broke Babe Ruth's record.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

Fuck that Maris fucker for breaking Ruth's single season record. FUUUUCK HIM.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Roger Connor is the true Home Run King.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

The Teixeira to the Braves deal is all but done at this point.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The Teixeira to the Braves deal is all but done at this point.

 

 

Ken Rosenthal says it's done, pending review of medical records. Rangers will receive C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, SS Elvis Andrus, SP Matt Harrison (maybe) and another prospect.

 

Nice haul for 1.5 years of Tex.

 

EDIT: Atlanta is getting reliever Ron Mahay in the deal as well.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

Man I can't wait for Barry to break the HR record at Dodger Stadium. I'm sure a lot of fans will run on to the field to congratulate him.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Mutiple sources are now saying that Jermaine Dye to the Red Sox is imminent. Chicago will receive Wily Mo Pena and a pitching prospect (believed to be Justin Masterson or Manny Delcarmen). I'll give my comments on the deal if and when it becomes official.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I'm glad Mahay was included. Phil Rogers said he was hearing Mahay and Gerald Laird for Felix Pie before the latest development of the Tex deal. Pie can still go either way, but that'd be selling way too low on a guy who they've been building up for the last three seasons.

[sfaJack 0]

Bruiser, should I contain myself from getting too excited after the Cubs catch the Brewers tonight? I want to be absolutely pumped about it...but I can't shake the feeling that a crash is coming.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Rotoworld is speculating that 19-year-old fireballer Neftali Feliz is the other pitching prospect in the Teixeira deal. TINSTAAPP, as always, but he's striking out close to ten batters per nine in rookie ball so far this year and probably has as much upside as any other pitching prospect in their system.

 

I think it's a good deal for both clubs, though the Braves could have just as easily job-shared Saltalamacchia and McCann between C/1B and probably had a brighter long-term outlook. You can't really get better than Teixeira as a mid-season pickup in this market and Atlanta does have plenty of motivation for taking their shot this year, with Andruw on his way out and the rest of the core (Chipper and Smoltz, specifically) getting older.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Accordig to a few sources, Atlanta thinks they can re-sign him. I know that sounds unfathomable given his agent, but he went to college in the area and is not opposed to staying there long-term.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Bruiser, should I contain myself from getting too excited after the Cubs catch the Brewers tonight? I want to be absolutely pumped about it...but I can't shake the feeling that a crash is coming.

If it happens, it'll be amazing considering where this team was two months ago. I was ready to give up on the season, suggest they trade Zambrano, and even considered giving up on the team itself because of the embarrassment stemming from their play and the fight.

 

Who knows if a crash is coming. If history is any indication, it is, but it's time to stop using the Cubs' losing legacy as a reason why they can't win now. Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Zambrano are the only two guys left from that 2003 team. They've undergone a major revamping of the roster and coaching staff. The only real constant is the team name. I say let this team fail before writing them off. If they are playoff-bound, I'd have to think Lou is a no-brainer for MOTY.

[The Man in Blak 0]

And now Rosenthal's reporting that the Braves are closing in on Octavio Dotel in addition to the Teixeira deal. Good grief.

[Guest •]

Braves are playing to win. Cripes.

 

I don't want Jay Payton. I hear that he's statistically identical to Matt Murton, and we already have Matt Murton, whom we barely use.

 

EDIT: Kyle Lohse to the Phils?

 

EDIT 2: What? Aaron Rowand injured his shoulder "playing tag with the neighborhood kids"? Did he use the fire and the passion when he played?

[Brett Favre 0]

Kyle Lohse to Philly for Matt Maloney.

[Guest •]

"Tag! You're it!"

"Aw, spit! You got me."

"Hey, kids, let's grind!"

"WHOA! AARON ROWAND! NO WAY!"

 

[Dandy 0]

I approve of the Lohse/Maloney deal. Lohse is great when he's on, but sadly that is about 1/3 of the time. A lefty starter is always a good thing. Hopefully Maloney will develop into a decent starter in the bigs.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

The trade deadline has always been overhyped, but it's gotten progressively less interesting the last couple of seasons. I'd say 2004 was the last real exciting deadline. The market's just been too thin the last couple of years to generate much interest. Aside from Teixeira, there's really nothing this year. No one wants to run the risk of getting burned, so there's premium on prospects, whether it's deserved or not. We've got GM's either not wanting to relinquish anything but low-to-mid-level prospects and other GM's asking for the farm in exchange for decent, but non-marquee players.

[Brett Favre 0]

I heard that Gagne got traded to Boston. That sucks ass if this is true.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I heard that Gagne got traded to Boston. That sucks ass if this is true.

 

 

Supposedly it's true. SOSH crashed right after the announcement, so I don't have any other info yet.

 

EDIT: It's not confirmed. Rumored deal is Manny Delcarmen, Craig Breslow, PTBNL and cash for Gagne.

[The Man in Blak 0]

The trade deadline has always been overhyped, but it's gotten progressively less interesting the last couple of seasons. I'd say 2004 was the last real exciting deadline. The market's just been too thin the last couple of years to generate much interest. Aside from Teixeira, there's really nothing this year. No one wants to run the risk of getting burned, so there's premium on prospects, whether it's deserved or not. We've got GM's either not wanting to relinquish anything but low-to-mid-level prospects and other GM's asking for the farm in exchange for decent, but non-marquee players.

 

I think there's a general realization throughout baseball that:

 

1. There's a benefit of keeping your star players, even if you know you have no chance in hell of signing them when they become eligible for free agency, because of the draft pick compensation system.

 

2. The free agent market is absolutely insane, especially if you're a middle market club and, as a consequence of #1, there's no point in dishing out your prized All-Star for a couple of B-/C+ prospects if you can simply hold onto said star player and pull back some valuable (and cheap) draft picks.

 

A lot of traditionally-minded folks shower Moneyball with venom, but I don't think it's a coincidence that we've seen more of a focus around these points in recent years, since That Book was published.

[Boon 0]

I heard that Gagne got traded to Boston. That sucks ass if this is true.

 

 

Supposedly it's true. SOSH crashed right after the announcement, so I don't have any other info yet.

In the immortal words of Butch Stearns- "I'm not so sure about that..."

 

SOSH just deleted the post and closed the thread.

[Brett Favre 0]

The email he posted didn't seem real. Phew.

[milliondollarchamp 0]

So Atlanta manages to get Teixeira and the Phillies get Kyle Lohse.... This is what i hate about the Phils organization they are afraid to take a risk and sign somebody that can actually help them get to the playoffs.

[The Man in Blak 0]

I heard that Gagne got traded to Boston. That sucks ass if this is true.

 

 

Supposedly it's true. SOSH crashed right after the announcement, so I don't have any other info yet.

In the immortal words of Butch Stearns- "I'm not so sure about that..."

 

SOSH just deleted the post and closed the thread.

 

SOSH? What was it, Eric Gagne for Manny Delcarmen? Craig Hansen? Rich Garces?

[the pinjockey 0]

What is out there that can really help though? Sure there was Teixeira (Phils are kind of covered at 1st base), but after that then who is available. Do you want to give up Carrasco for Garland or Lidge? Then you have a system completely barren of A-list talent.

 

I just don't get the point of bringing in Lohse. I like the one guy on DNL saying "I looked at Lohse and he has been good in the past". Really?