May, 2012
Lots of wheeling and dealing the past few sims with teams sorting out who are the contenders and who are the pretenders. Some big names changing teams -- and leagues! Let's take a look at who the movers and shakers were.
Cleveland Indians get (SP) Warren Spahn.
Colorado Rockies get (SS) Charles Malcolm, (SP) Mike Flanagan, (SP) Leo Andrews, 2013 #1 and a 2013 #2.Tribe GM Josh Dunlap must sense this is the year as he paid through the teeth for a bonafide #1 in Spahn. Warren is probably the best starting pitcher the Indians have ever had during their 13 year history and he instantly gives Cleveland the ace a team needs to play deep into October. With Boston and Toronto both struggling this year, Dunlap seized the moment and acquired Spahn in hopes of getting the Indians back to the World Series for the first time since 2005.
How many times does Red Sox GM Anna Delilah have to say it, "you never trade an ace starting pitcher"? Well, this is one time she may very well be wrong. Colorado owner Alan Thomas may have made the best trade in Rockies history with this one. The southpaw Flanagan looks like he has the ability to be every bit as good as Spahn, and is only one year away at AAA. He's been developed soundly and in four seasons of minor league pitching, he hasn't had an ERA over 2.30. Charles Malcolm has the talent to be a superstar shortstop in AWBL, and he hit 31 homers in his rookie season in 2011. While there are concerns about the fact Malcolm was rushed to the bigs, he wasn't rushed too, too badly and should be a very solid player for years to come. Andrews is a servicable major league starting pitcher, nothing spectacular but better than average. Add to that a #1 draft choice next year and Colorado made an exceptional rebuilding trade here.
One can look at this deal and say Cleveland gave up too much for Spahn. But if he helps get them back to the World Series, it's never too much to give up. This is a good, good deal for both teams, which had much different agendae at this point in time.
Boston Red Sox get (OF) Stephanie Eyce and (1b) Little Mo Vaughn.
Arizona Diamondbacks get (SP) Jose Colon.Goddessanna broke her own rules here, dealing away her opening day starter in Colon. Colon has a 156-44 record, spending his entire AWBL career with Boston and posting a 3.23 career ERA over that time. He won the Pedro Award in 2010, going 21-3 with a 1.98 ERA and last year was 19-4 with a 3.43 mark.
So why deal Colon?
Well the Diamondbacks certainly gave up some good young talent, dealing on base machine Stephanie Eyce to the Bosox along with young slugger Little Mo Vaughn. Dbacks GM Richard Keller set up this deal as his mark making move and putting his imprint of the Arizona club he took over during the offseason. In an extraordinarily tough division, Keller is hoping that Colon still has his good stuff and will be the #1 he needs. He paid a stiff price for Colon -- though not too stiff a price for an ace. How Jose pitches the rest of the way will determine whether this was a good deal for Arizona.
For Boston, this delivers more young talent -- but at what cost? Already struggling, the Sox now have to make up a 6.5 game deficit without their best pitcher of the post-Pedro era.
I guess we'll see.
San Francisco Giants get (SP) Buzz Garcia.
Houston Astros get (P) Jurriaan Lobbezoo, (P) Ella Holien, and a 2013 #2.The Astros gave up their best pitcher ever in Buzz Garcia
and it now looks all but official that Houston has already conceded the division to Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and/or St. Louis. Garcia bolsters a Giants pitching staff that came within a game of going to the World Series last year and has its sights set on winning it all in 2013.
Holien looks like she'll be a good major league starting pitcher, a little bit too prone at allowing extra base hits to be a star -- but she'll be more than servicable in a starting rotaion. Lobbezoo however, is the gem of this deal. The 24 year old looks set to make his AWBL debut in 2013, and if he pans out as we expect, he should surpass Buzz Garcia as the best Astros pitcher of all-time. Jurriaan should be an ace.
The Giants are playing to win and win it all in 2012 and the Astros aren't. This is win/win for both clubs.
Pittsburgh Pirates get (LF) Harry Fox. San Francisco Giants get (OF) Ji-hyun Byung and (P) Nap Rucker.Fox slides into the #5 hole for the Bucs and the 31 year older will be playing leftfield. He's a terrific offesive player with a career .392 OBP and coming off a 30 HR/142 RBI season. defensively he has very limited range, but more than makes up for that with his potent bat and great eye.
Bung is a 26 year old prospect who can't run, can't field, has a noodle for an arm, has little to no speed -- but is a very talented power hitting youngster. He should be set to join the big club next season, though, after a 48 HR year at AAA in 2011. The Giants also acquired (P) Nap Rucker, who looks like he could fit as a back of the rotation starter or key member of a major league bullpen. Rucker sometimes gets caught over-relying on his changeup which he has difficulty controlling -- and when he does control it, ofttimes gets sent packing for extra bases -- and that reduces his potential somewhat. The 22 year old may be ready in 2013, or the Giants could very well keep him at AAA for another year to gain some maturity.
This is the second outstanding outfielder the Giants have dealt away since April -- talk about a loaded lineup. The G-men look like they're simply reducing the number of FA eligibles and getting something now for what they would lose anyway at the end of 2012. The Bucs pick up yet another solid offensive player in their run at the NL Central crown.
St. Louis Cardinals get (RF) Jimmy Edmonds Jr.
Pittsburgh Pirates get (3b) Brooks Robinson, (P) Kenshin Kawakami and a 2013 #1.Edmonds should be a superstar, but that's not nearly as important as who he is. The acquisition of Jimmy Edmonds Jr. is a legacy trade, to bring the son of one of the original AWBL greats, Jim Edmonds, home to St. Louis.
The redbirds gave up their #1 draft pick as the centerpiece of this deal. Also going to steeltown is a passable young middle reliever in Kawakami and 32 year old Robinson. Robinson looks like he is on the downside of his career and Kawakami should be solid, but nothing spectacular. The cards got perhaps the single young player their fans wanted most and this looks like a good trade for St. Louis. Pittsburgh got a #1, and that's never anything to sneeze at.
Chicago Cubs get (P) Eric Show.
Boston Red Sox get (DH) Eddie Matthews, (P) Ila Borders, and (P) Joe Sambito.The Cubs get a very good young pitcher in Show, who is pretty decent all around and off to a fine start at Class A. The 19 year old is at least 5 years away from the bigs. The Cubbies, who got off to a disastrous year this season after their best year ever in 2011, are clearly rebuilding for the future now.
Boston, the victim of a surprisingly anemic offense this year, picked up some much needed power in Matthews, a one time Red Sox prospect. Matthews should see plenty of action -- at least against righties.
The Bosox also acquired 32 year old Ila Borders. Borders will attempt to help stabilize a Red Sox bullpen which has needed stabilization for, oh, 13 years. The only real questions surrounding Ila are whether she's on the downside of her career, and whether she has anything left. Sambito is a "AAAA" player who never really got a shot with Chicago, and may end up pitching some for Boston this year. At 29, he's not going to develop much more, if any.
That's all for this time, keep wheeling and dealing and check out what's behind Door #2.
