Article:Trade Deadline Winners & Losers

Winners

1) New York Yankees    Let's face it, the Yankees needed to add some offense, hard to believe but true.  They added a productive bat in Xavier Nady, a quality veteran lefthanded relief pitcher in Marte and an everyday catcher in Rodriguez. The Yankees didn't give up anything that cannot be replaced. Ross Ohlendorf has really good stuff but no command, at the moment.  He is still young enough that he might be good.  McCutcheon and Tabata are solid prospects.  Tabata was once referred to as a Manny Ramirez without power.  Now he's tossed aside because of disciplinary problems?  He's only 19 so giving him up was a gamble. Jeff Karstens had no future with the Yankees.  Kyle Farnsworth is not to be trusted in a big spot.  Plus, if Posada has any setbacks, don't rule out the Yanks resigning Pudge and making Posada a first basemen (Giambi's contract is up next year).

2) LA Dodgers    C'mon how can you not love this trade?  They get Manny Ramirez, don't have to pay him and give up two prospects.  Sometimes one big bat like Manny can reconstruct an entire lineup. Really, the Dodges have quality bats in Kemp, Martin, Ethier, Kent, Loney, but they lacked the straw to stir the drink.  Manny's presence might make this a potent linuep, I still think the Dodgers are a little thin on pitching, but this is a weak division so perhaps they can pull it out.

3) Cubs

Granted it wasn't at the deadline, but I still love the Cubs getting Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin. The Cubs showed you that you can never have enough pitching. Harden is a no. 1 starter when healthy and Gaudin is good in middle relief. Plus, I don't like Matt Murton or Patterson. They showed nothing in their stints with the Cubs. Gallagher has good stuff but he's too young to rely on this year for a World Series run. The Cubs have given themselves a legitimate shot to win it all this year.

Arizona Diamonbacks

What did they do you ask? Well, quietly they added Tony Clark to their bench and Jon Rauch to their bullpen. Clark is a power bat off the bench and a veteran presence which this young Diamondback team can use more of. They also, obviously, have trouble scoring runs so Clark should help. However getting Rauch was a steal. This guy is as durable as they come and has excellent stuff. Adding him to an already solid bullpen (Chad Qualls, Pena, Valverde) was quietly a really solid move.

Neutral

The White Sox

I don't know that the White Sox needed another guy who hits .240 and hits home runs (see Nick Swisher, Paul Konerko and Jim Thome). I also don't know that Griffey can play centerfield anymore or not get hurt doing it. He has to play center with Carlos Quentin and Dye manning the corner spots. I don't think the White Sox needed offense and Nick Masset was important in the bullpen. Kenny Williams sounded as though he made this trade so that Griffey had a chance to play in a world series. Nice sentiment, but I don't think it helps the White Sox at all.

The Angels

Not quite sure this trade was necessary either. Casey Kotchman is younger, still under arbitration and is having a breakout year. Only 11 homers but that should improve with age. He has been hitting close to .300 all year and driving in runs behind Guerrero and Hunter. Texiera has better power numbers and RBIs, but he also was hitting third in Atlanta. Plus he is a free agent at the end of the year, meaning that the Angels will really overpay to keep him or they end up without a first basemen next year. I just don't think this team needed more power and Kotchman was a nice compliment in the lineup.

The Pirates

Really what difference does anything that this team does make? Now they have a million prospects, some of which will become good major league players. When that happens they will trade them for prospects. This team should be blown up.

Phillies

I don't know, I just don't get the whole Joe Blanton fascination. He's just not that good and he's not a difference maker for the Phillies. In fact they have plenty of starting pitchers who are just like him.

Losers

Red Sox

I like Jason Bay, but give me a break. The Red Sox give up one of the best hitters I've ever seen, pay the rest of his contract and give up two solid prospects (Hansen and Moss) for Jason Bay. Bay is basically slightly better than J.D. Drew, a .280 career hitter who will hit 30 homers and drive in 100 RBIs. Nice player but he can never put fear in an opponent like Ramirez and cannot protect Ortiz to the same degree either. Boston already has some problems offensively and this trade won't help. Nor did they improve their bullpen.

The Braves Atlanta gave up 5 prospects including Saltalamacchia and Andrus (SS) for Mark Texeira last season, failed to make the playoffs and then trade him for Casey Kotchman and a prospect this year because they didn't want to pay Texeira. Kotchman may turn out to be good, but they traded a lot to get Texiera and they needed to resign him.

The Mets

I don't know what Omar Minaya is smoking but this team has holes in the outfield, in the rotation and in the bullpen and the Mets stand pat. John Maine has shoulder problems, Pedro is a shell of his former self, they have gotten way more than they could have ever thought out of Fernando Tatis, and the bullpen needed a shot in the arm. I don't think the Mets will have enough to make the playoffs this season.

Seattle Mariners

This team has shown no guts all year and had pieces to trade in Jarrod Washburn and Raul Ibanez. Make the trade! They should have given Washburn to the Yanks for a bunch of bats if they were going to take his $11 million contract for next season. Jarrod Washburn has been awful since they signed him. Plus, Raul Ibanez, a rather average outfielder was also in demand.

Oakland A's

Don't get it at all. Someone explain to me why the A's are fielding a team? To continue to beat the small market mantra is understandable, but when you trade Danny Haren, who was signed to a reasonable contract beyond this year and Rich Harden, who was signed to a reasonable contract beyond this year, and you trade Harden when you are only 5 games out of first before the All-Star break, then you aren't even trying. Like the Pirates, the A's give their fans no reason to root for them. Take them off the map.

Detroit Tigers

Should have been sellers because they aren't making a run at anything this year. They have a lot of tradeable pieces too.