by Ian TassoThe 2009 MLB Trade Deadline has come and gone, and with a few names on the move, the dust has finally settled. Guys like Lee, Martinez, and Washburn found themselves new homes, meanwhile some names that had figured to be packing were in fact staying put.
But after all is said and done, like every Trade Deadline, this one had some big winners, and some big losers.
WINNERS:
Philadelphia Phillies
In the beginning, the rumors had perennial Cy Young candidate Roy Halladay headed to the city of brotherly love. But as it turned out, Toronto wanted far too much for their ace, and arguably rightfully so. In the end, that was fine by the Phillies, who jumped ship and opened up the trading wires with the Cleveland Indians, eventually landing 2008 AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee. So far in 2009, Lee has an irrelevant win-loss record, a shiny 3.14 ERA and a very nice 1.30 WHIP. He’s no Roy Halladay, but Lee will undoubtedly make a difference in the NL Pennant run.
But perhaps the biggest reason why the Philadelphia Phillies head the list of 2009 Deadline Winners is because of what they gave up for Lee. Each of the four names the Phillies refused to surrender for Halladay (Taylor, Happ, Drabek and Brown) are staying put in the Phillie minor league system. Talk about a bargain. Not only do the Phillies land a Cy Young winner and at least four-five more wins then they ever would have gotten with a roster that ranks 20th in Major League Baseball with a 4.40 team ERA, they hold on to every single one of their prized young talents.
If the Phillies had any hope of winning a World Series, they had to make a move – and they did. Look for them to appear very late in the MLB Playoffs, and quite possibly in the 2009 World Series.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals have plenty of pitching. And they also have plenty of Pujols. But before the Trade Deadline, they didn’t have much else. Grabbing Julio Lugo (Red Sox) and Mark DeRosa (Indians) helped aleviate the pain, but there was still something missing.
Enter: Matt Holliday. In what is a terrific problem solving more, the St. Louis Cardinals landed right handed slugger Matt Holliday, who is only one season removed from a .340 season with 36 HR and 137 RBI, not to mention a World Series berth. A slight down year in 2008 (.321/25/88) led to his departure to Oakland, where in 2009 he batted .286 with only 11 HR and 54 RBI through 93 games. Needless to say, his apparent value is slightly diminished. But make no mistake about it, the man can still rake.
And if he could rake before, imagine how he’ll do with the best protection in baseball, Albert Pujols, batting in front of him. So far in seven games with the Cardinals, Holliday has posted a .520 average with one home run and 12 RBI to boot.
Look for that type of production to continue into what will be a very deep playoff run for the Cardinals, who now have a productive offense to go along with their 5th ranked 3.76 team ERA.
Boston Red Sox
After all the speculation, the Sox finally pulled it off. In landing catcher Victor Martinez from the Indians, the Sox clear up a lot of issues. One, they make sure they have flexibility to rest Jason Varitek who is currently banged up and needs more time off then he’s getting. Two, they also ensure they have a solid backstop for the next five to six years, assuming they resign Martinez after his player option is up in 2010. And three, with his experience at first base, Martinez will allow Mike Lowell days off as well, shifting Youkilis over to third and allowing the aging Lowell time to rest.
As if those three reasons weren’t big enough, the Sox also didn’t have to part with Bucholz, Bard, or any of the other top young talent that has been floating around the airwaves. They lose a decent arm in the bullpen in Justin Masterson, but what they gain from the switch-hitting Martinez is a very strong bat, flexibility at four major positions, and a consistency at catcher that was uncertain after 2009. All in all, a great move by Boston not only for 2009 but beyond.
Detroit Tigers
A winner more because of what they gave up then what they got. Still, in dealing for Jarrod Washburn the Tigers get a very nice two/three starter who so far in 2009 has a very nice 2.64 ERA, and an excellent 1.07 WHIP. Washburn is a very solid left handed arm who dominates left handed bats (.168 BAA) and has finally figured out how to deal with right handed ones (.244 BAA). While he’s not a blockbuster name, Washburn definitely helps pad Detroit’s Major League ranked 10th team ERA, furthering the notion that pitching wins championships, and the Tigers are after just that.
But again, the Tigers are a big winner mostly because of what they gave up, or rather, didn’t give up. The two players they moved to receive Washburn from the Mariners were Luke French and Mauricio Robles, two prospects who weren’t even in the top 10 of prospects in the Detroit Tiger organization. Look for the move for Washburn to help push the Tigers to an AL Central win, and a 2009 playoff berth.
Honorable Mentions:
Minnesota Twins – While getting SS Orlando Cabrera from the Athletics helped out the Twins, it didn’t solve them. Minnesota looked the other way on their 23rd ranked 4.48 team ERA, and acquired a speedy defensive shortstop in Cabrera. Granted, he has some nice playoff experience, and is a very nice cog to throw into a team that’s looking to make a playoff run. But the reason the Twins aren’t a winner here is because they didn’t grab any arms to help out a struggling at best rotation, and look to have lost a step to Detroit when the 2009 Trade Deadline dust settles. Still, a nice move here, just not the best one.
Chicago White Sox – A lot of question marks here. Sure, Jake Peavy is a terrific pitcher, but he’s also very injured right now. Not only is it uncertain when he will return and how productive he will be, the White Sox also shipped off a lot to land him, including Aaron Poreda, a 22 year old pitcher who has a 2.45 ERA in 10 games for the Sox. Peavy is still a fantastic pitcher, and the White Sox did great to get him. But with the question of when he will return and more importantly how he will perform when he does, it’s uncertain how much of a winner Chicago truly is as far as the 2009 season goes.
San Fransisco Giants – They have pretty solid pitching in Lincecum and Cain, but their offense leaves a little bit to desire. That’s exactly why the Giants went shopping and got Ryan Garko from the Indians and Freddy Sanchez from the Pirates. In only 78 games with the Indians Garko batted .285 with 11 HR, and adds a little bit of extra pop to an otherwise lackluster Giant offense. Sanchez meanwhile is a perennial .300 hitter who will be a very nice asset at the top of the San Fransisco lineup. Do these acquisitions make the Giants an offensive powerhouse? Far from it. That’s why they aren’t an outright winner. But do they help? You bet.
LOSERS:
Toronto Blue Jays
Yes they have the best pitcher in baseball. And yes they should value him as such. But did they blow a big chance to land something for their ace? Again, yes.
It seems as if GM J.P. Ricciardi enjoyed sitting on his high horse with his golden prize a bit too much, letting teams pass him by without a deal being made. Look at the facts: Roy Halladay is a tremendous pitcher, and his value may never be higher than it is right now. In fact, it realistically can’t get any higher. He is 11-4 with a 2.68 ERA, and most importantly could alter not one but two pennant races – 2009, and 2010. This means that had a team landed Halladay, they would have him for two seasons before they even had to consider resigning him. That’s a very big playing chip, and it appears Ricciardi let it pass him by. Who knows what the 2010 market will look like. Maybe some more big arms will be out there, maybe Halladay won’t be 11-4 with a 2.68 ERA, or maybe he even gets hurt. We just don’t know. But what we do know is that in failing to pull the trigger on a 2009 deal involving Halladay the Blue Jays left a lot up to chance in 2010.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Complicated and unnecessary name aside, the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim)’s trade deadline mission was simple: get some pitching. The result? Not so much.
Before the season started, the Angels looked like they had a great pitching staff. John Lackey at the helm, followed by Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, and Jered Weaver. But things can change during the course of a season, and they absolutely have in the Angels case. Lackey hasn’t been Lackey, and the rest of the rotation quite frankly hasn’t really existed. Names such as Jarrod Washburn, Cliff Lee, Felix Hernandez, an even Roy Halladay swirled above the Angels’ front office. But the 2009 deadline came and went, and the Angels were left with nothing. With Vlad and Torii Hunter on the Disabled List, that Angels look depleted, and did very little to help themselves out. What’s worst is that it doesn’t even seem like they tried. Not only did they not walk away with any new players for their roster, their name didn’t even appear heavily in the pursuit of anyone.
Currently the Angels sit at three games ahead of the Texas Rangers in an up for grabs NL West. But the one thing that worries me more than the lack of Angel activity at the deadline is that the Texas Ranger’s best player, Josh Hamilton, is yet to start swinging a hot bat. When that starts, and believe me it will, the Angels will find themselves in a world of trouble.
Tampa Bay Rays
Right now the Rays sit at seven games back in the AL East, and 4.5 back in the Wild Card. It’s apparent that their current roster just isn’t enough to make another playoff run. That should open the door for a nice Trade Deadline move, right?
Wrong. The Rays did absolutely nothing before the deadline, posing the question – how serious did they take themselves as the 2009 season approaches its end? The answer appears to be simple: not very. The Rays could have used a variety of names, starting with Jarrod Washburn and ending all the way over to Victor Martinez. But in the end, they failed to pull off any moves with any kind of significance, and with that close the door on their 2009 season.
Pittsburgh Pirates
This one was an easy one. Everybody is gone. Literally, no exaggeration, everybody is gone. Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Ian Snell, Adam Laroche, John Grabow, Tom Gorzelanny, Nyjer Morgan, Nate McClouth, Eric Hinske, and even dipping back to 2008, Jason Bay as well. They have traded nine players since May, and have only three batters who started on Opening Day still on their roster. Three.
The Pirates got a boatload of young talent for all their wheeling and dealing, but they’re called prospects for a reason, and only time will tell how they turn out. The bottom line with Pittsburgh is this – with everything their fans have been through, the Pirate’s front office is right now giving Pittsburgh fans very little to watch. Any reason that fans once had to buy tickets is now gone, and the Pirates have depleted their team from the inside out. Regardless of how this works out in the future, Pittsburgh continues to disappoint their fans, and doesn’t look like they’re stopping any time soon.
Honorable Mentions:
New York Yankees – Granted, they right now sit at 2.5 games up in the East, and appear solid enough to make a World Series run as is. But with the Red Sox wheeling and dealing, grabbing arguably one of the best bats available in Victor Martinez, you begin to wonder about the Yankees. Do they really have enough pitching to pull off a deep playoff run? What about the aging offense, are they one injury away from a catastrophic fail? Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain, in not making any type of move at the deadline the Yankees appear content to wait it out. Only question is, was it the right move?
Los Angeles Dodgers – George Sherrill is a tremendous arm in the bullpen, and will undoubtedly help out Los Angeles as they look to make a run at the World Series. But while the Dodgers grabbed a bullpen arm, the Phillies grabbed a Cy Young winner, and the Cardinals grabbed a Silver Slugger. In the grand scheme of things, Sherrill looks to be a miniscule acquisition when you consider what the Dodgers’ NL opposition pulled off. Barring a deal for Heath Bell, it appears L.A. lost a step when all is said and done.
Milwaukee Brewers – Yet another team that should have made a move because of where they sit in the standings, but didn’t. Much like the Rockies, the brewers are on the verge of making a strong playoff run. With bats like Braun, Fielder, Weeks, and Hart, the Brewer offense is very potent, meanwhile Yovani Gallardo holds down that rotation. But they needed something else to be able to compete with the Cardinals and Cubs of the world. Unfortunately, a depleted minor league system and lethargic front office didn’t allow them to pull anything off, leaving them in the proverbial 2009 dust.
New York Mets - They had to do something. If they wanted any chance at making the playoffs in 2009, they had to make a move. And they didn’t. It’s as simple as that. Beltran might be on the way back. Reyes too. But they’re 9.5 games back in the NL East and 6.5 back in the Wild Card. Meanwhile, the Phillies landed Cliff Lee, Cardinals grabbed Matt Holliday, and even Florida snatched Nick Johnson. What did the Mets do? Absolutely nothing. It’s obvious that the Mets felt they didn’t need to trade for anyone because though 2009 may be dead, they still have a terrific team heading into 2010. They may be right, but while NL rivals like the Phillies and Cardinals improved their teams dramatically, the Mets simply sat there and watched their playoff hopes sail away. A disappointing season for Met fans just keeps getting worse.
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