MLB Hot stove 2010

[Sunstroke]

Padres add a second veteran hitter to go along with Tejada, and even though the consensus seems to be that we got him for a song, one of the two minor league prospects we gave up was Corey Kluber, who is a decent righty who was leading the texas league in K's this season.

[bsfins]

I think Collettis Robbed Hendry....Lilly, and Theriot +2.5 Million, for Dewitt, and two minor league pitchers Brett Wallach, and Kyle Smit...

There was  a rumor the Cubs turned down Theriot,and James Russell for D'backs Kelly Johnson.....

[bsfins]

J. Hermida DFA by the Red Sox...Kerry Wood to the Yankees for Player to be named later....Cleveland kicking money To the Yanks....

Will Ohman to the Marlins....for Pitcher Rick Vandenhurk

Ankiel,and Farnsworth to the Braves...for  P Jesse Chavez, OF Gregor Blanco, and Tim Collins...

[StL FinFan]

Cardinals pick up Jake Westbrook and send Ryan Ludwick to San Diego in a 3 team deal.  I liked Ludwick but we are overrun with outfielders and Jon Jay has been hitting up a storm.  I hope Westbrook can help solidify the rotation.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Christ, the Yankees are getting checks this deadline. I think overhaul they did pretty well and stuck to their philosophy of protecting the farm and not going long term unless they are a superstar.

They also DFA'd Chan Ho Park, which helps the team immensely.

[MaineDolFan]

The Yankees didn't do anything to help them at the deadline.  Not a thing.

1 - Berkman would have been a good pick up four years ago.  He showed his liability in the field this weekend.  He is a .250 hitter at this point with marginal to not power.

2 - Kerry Wood?  Eeck.  21 innings pitched this year, 22 hits, 14 earned runs.  This, to go along with about six trips to the 15 day DL for issues from back spasms to (latest) finger blister.

Kearns, however, gives them some nice depth.

I was shocked by the Rays not doing anything outside of an awful piece to add to their bullpen (Qualls and his 8.00+ ERA).  This had to be a depth move only.  Rays starting rotation is very good.  Bullpen is very good.  Line up?  It's good, but they really needed another bat.  The Rays needed some thunder in that line up.

The Red Sox non-moves make sense to me in this regard:

Offense - They just got Victor back and saw immediate returns.  He came back just in time for the Angel series and the offense looked different in a second.  Ellsbury will be back today or tomorrow.  In his minor league rehab he's hitting over .350 and has four stolen bags.  His timing is looking okay.  I believe Boston is about this (-) close to placing Cameron on the 60 day DL and letting the guy get the surgery he needs, hence the Kalish call up.  Kalish is actually faster than Ellsbury but built like a bulldog.  He is quietly been Boston's most intriguing prospect for a couple of years.  AAA this year he's hitting .294 / 19 / 84 and amazing defense.  With Ellsbury back the Sox can afford to carry an outfield of him, Drew and a platoon of McDonald / Patterson / Kalish.

Bullpen - here is where Boston needed to upgrade.  Nothing out there, however.  Scott Downs?  Nice addition, too expensive.  The Sox have some in house help that they hope are ready to go.

Add to the list that Pedey is a couple weeks out and Boston's schedule (Cleveland, Seattle types) over the next three weeks - Boston could make a charge at this.

All that said, there is one team that quietly made a move that could tilt the entire balance of the Wild Card chase.  The Twins obtained Capps from Washington.  They are now sitting at 6.5 out of the wild card and have an amazingly easy August and September.  Won 8 in a row, 9-1 in last ten.  This move...this one little move...was huge.  Brilliant.  And could have either Boston, TB or NYY on the outside looking in come October.  Everyone's talking about the AL East, and they should.  White Sox and Twins are in a position where they could both creep up in that Wild Card.  They finish out the year with the likes of  Cleveland and Kansas City while Boston / New York / TB all have to play each other.

That one move, adding Capps to a already strong bullpen, could have tilted the entire power balance away from the AL East.

[EDGECRUSHER]

The Yankees helped themselves, just not dramatically. Berkman is still good against righties and would be an excellent DH platoon with Marcus Thames who kills lefties. In the field, they are collectively an atrocity. I didn't need to see yesterday's game to know how bad Fat Elvis was in the field. Words can't even describe his field play.

Kearns is just an upgrade over what they had. He has been pretty good the last 6 weeks too, so who knows?

Wood has been very unlucky with BABIP, but he is still Kerry Wood and I have no delusions about what he can bring. Best case scenario, is he stays healthy and gets motivated from a pennant race. The more likely scenario is he becomes the new Chan Ho Park.

The Red Sox didn't make moves because they have half their roster on the DL and you don't want to sacrifice too much of the farm system when you are 7 games back in August. Not insurmountable, but not too likely either.

[bsfins]

Maine,I'm curious what you'd think if the Red Sox had gotten Wood, and Berkman...The reason why I ask According to Buster Onley the Redsox and Rays were trying to acquired them both before the Yankees got them.....Would you feel different about them?
http://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/20021547430

I thought the Kerry Wood move probably shocked me the most,I thought he might get traded for a hill of beans in August... (The news someone was trying to get Manny, slight raise of the eyebrow)

[MaineDolFan]

^

No.  I also don't believe Boston ever wanted Berkman.  Where would he play?  He can't play 2nd effectively.  Even if he could, Boston has Lowrie / Hall platoon right now with Pedey back in two weeks.  He can't play third.  And, even if he could -- Beltre is not coming out for the rest of the year.  He can play 1st, however Boston has Youk there and Victor spots him at first.

Kerry Wood is a gas can and Boston already has too many of those in the bullpen...and shipped one (RamRam) to the Giants.  I don't think he's any better than what Boston could do internally to improve in that area (Bowden, Richardson, Dubront).  Adding Kerry Wood to an already shakey (at best) bullpen would be a massive fail.  Scott Downs?  Yes, would have loved him.  Adam Dunn?  Yes, would have loved him - for the pure power / thunder his bat brings.  Berkman and Wood?  Boston is a sinking ship right now and those guys would have just added weight to it.

[bsfins]

Thanks for the Clarification Mane, Sorry if it came off as Snarky....

It's kind of the same way I feel about the Dodger adding Lilly,and Theriot....

[MaineDolFan]

Thanks for the Clarification Mane, Sorry if it came off as Snarky....

Not snarky at all, valid question.  I think Kerry Wood pick up of 2010 is going to amount of Boston's pick up of Eric Gagne in 2007.  Yankees fans are going to regret this guy ever coming on board.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Kerry Wood has pitched 20.2 Innings as a Yankee and has a 0.40 ERA with the team.

It's a testament to how bad the rest of them have played that it hasn't mattered much, but have to credit Kerry here as well as Cashman. Putting him in the middle of a pennant race has lit a fire underneath him.