THE TRADE THAT MUST BE MADE
The defending champion Boston Red Sox are in trouble. There's simply no question in my mind that the Manny Ramirez situation is now beyond repair and he needs to be dealt immediately.
Popular opinion is that the Red Sox should hold onto Manny for what they hope is another spot in the post-season and a chance to grab their third World Series championship in the last five years. Or their third in the last 90 years for those who can't stand the Red Sox. I'm an unabashed fan of this team, so one might think I'd be all for keeping Ramirez until the season's over, in hopes that his production outweighs the other issues. After watching their last several games, I'm now convinced that the Red Sox will not make the playoffs if they fail to get Manny out of Boston as quickly as possible.
The Red Sox are completely devoid of their usual spirit right now. For all their talent, they're actually pretty lousy at this point. And there's no question that this all revolves around Manny Ramirez. He's been in the middle of every problem the team has had this season. The lowlights include a dugout row with the always intense Kevin Youkilis, an altercation with the team's 60+ year old traveling secretary over some comp tickets, and Manny's public comments regarding his future with the team that managed to offend the entire organization.
That's just the off the field stuff. On the field, he's flat out dogging it. He's been jogging to first base on ground balls and his play in the outfield has been pathetic. In the past, Manny could always rely on his teammates to defend him publicly. Now, even David Ortiz, his best friend on the team, has been reduced to saying all the right things, but it's apparent to anyone listening he's just offering require lip service.
Manny Ramirez is a great player. He's got Hall of Fame credentials if he never plays another game, and despite the advancing years and a not so athletic body, Manny can still rake with the best, especially when it counts. But he's outlived his usefulness with the Red Sox, and now he needs to go. Not at the end of the season, but right now.
I'm pretty sure Theo Epstein and the Red Sox brain trust feel the same way, and that's why I'll predict that if Ramirez will be wearing another uniform at this time next week.
DONE DEAL #1
First, the Yankees swap with the Pirates. The Yankees gave up a quartet of prospects for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. I don't think this deal is as awful for Pittsburgh as most believe, but it's still a clear win for the Yankees.
Nady has played over his head this season for the Pirates. He's just not this good and I fully expect his production to drop as he moves to the AL East. He'll be facing tougher pitching down the stretch. He's still a nice add for the Yankees, but I actually feel Marte is the more important acquisition. Marte can not only excel as a situational lefty, he's shown he's entirely capable of being a very strong seventh or eighth inning setup type, and he can also close in a pinch. The New York bullpen, a real concern when they moved Joba Chamberlain to the rotation, is now an unquestioned strength.
The Pirates got four players in this deal. Jose Tabata is the centerpiece. His stock has tumbled this year as he's shown some real immaturity playing in AA at Trenton. Tabata's numbers are lousy, his conditioning has been criticized and he's had at least two incidents that cast him in a bad light. The good news is that Tabata is still just 19 years old, and he's got talent. But he's not showing much pop in his bat and there are definite question marks now arising about Tabata that weren't previously there.
Jeffrey Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and Dan McCutchen are the three pitchers obtained by the Pirates in this trade. Ohlendorf probably has the highest ceiling of the three, with some legit potential as a late inning reliever. Karstens is a back of the rotation type, and I'll say McCutchen is probably about the same.
The consensus is that the Yankees made the Pirates the best offer, so they took it. They shouldn't have. The team sucks again, they don't have much in the way of high end prospects and they could have kept Nady through next season for a very reasonable salary. I don't think they got killed in this deal because I don't consider Nady a big star, but it's still an indication that the Pirates don't really care about winning.
DONE DEAL #2
What is up with Ned Colletti? The GM of the Dodgers has a thing for middle-aged veterans, doesn't he? The latest senior citizen to make the trek west is Casey Blake, who will turn 35 in August.
Unlike Colletti's inane big money off season signings that have actually hurt the team, this deal is actually not bad at all for the Dodgers. Blake's not a superstar, but he's a clutch performer and fills a big need at 3B. And he didn't cost much in terms of prospects.
Jon Meloan was rated the #8 Dodgers prospect by Baseball America prior to the season, but his stock has fallen substantially. Part of the problem is that the Dodgers decided to make him a starting pitcher despite the fact he clearly seems better suited to bullpen work. It hasn't worked. Meloan struggled all season here in Las Vegas, and his velocity also dropped. Meloan has a flawed delivery and he's an elbow injury waiting to happen pitching multiple innings. The Indians have already moved Meloan back to relief at Buffalo, so maybe he can regain his prospect status in the process.
Carlos Santana is intriguing. Coming into the season, he looked like a catcher with legit big league defensive ability, but a very questionable bat. A good season at Hi-A Inland Empire has changed that thinking somewhat. I'm taking his improvement with a grain of salt, as he put up the numbers in a very hitter-friendly league, but Santana is now a guy to keep an eye on.
I'd rate this as a good deal for both teams. The Dodgers get a 3B they can count on for the playoff drive, and the Indians get a couple of interesting prospects for a veteran who really didn't figure in their future.
DONE DEAL #3
Last but not least, the blockbuster. The Braves sent Mark Teixeira to the Angels for Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek.
First, a quick take on Marek. He was the #6 rated BA prospect in the highly regarded Angels organization, so he's got potential. It appears to be mostly as a bullpen set up type, but considering how valuable those components are these days, Marek is more than just a throw-in.
Kotchman is a terrific defender who will hit for average and his power is increasing. There's no reason Kotchman can't become a perennial .300, 20 HR performer. That's not All Star level, but it's sure solid.
Teixeira is the big bat the Halos have coveted to offer assistance and protection for Vlad Guerrero. At first glance, he's just what the doctor ordered for the Angels attack.
But I actually don't like this deal at all for the Angels and consider it a dumb gamble. Here's why. The Angels were a cinch to win the AL West before making this deal. There's no way anyone in that division even makes a run at them. Teixeira is a free agent at season's end and his asking price will be huge. I'm sure the Angels made this trade with the thought that they'll sign Tex. But what if they don't? If that's the case, they just dealt away a very productive 1B with his best years ahead of him for a guy who could, in effect, be an upgrade for as few as three games, depending on what happens to this team in the playoffs.
Sorry, but that makes no sense to me. I'm putting the check mark next to the Braves on this trade.