The West is the Best

The power shifted to West Coast teams at the trade deadline today. Players with a big impact have moved to teams in the Western divisions. It was an entertaining trade deadline and plenty of teams made changes. Lets cover all of them in chronological order.

 The Rangers acquired catcher Giovanni Soto from the Chicago Cubs for minor league pitcher Jake Brigham. That wasn't the only move the Rangers would make before the deadline.

The Braves we're a very sneaky team after they were out of the Ryan Dempster trade talks. They acquired outfielder Reed Johnson and and starting pitcher Paul Maholm. Maholm has a 3.74 ERA in 120.1 innings this year and Johnson has a .307/.361/.452 slashline this season. The Braves only gave up pitchers Jaye Chapman and Arodys Vizcaino.

The Blue Jays and Pirates swap outfielder Travis Snider and reliever Brad Lincoln. Snider hasn't performed well this year in his short time in the big leagues and hasn't been great in his career. Lincoln has a 2.73 ERA this season out of the bullpen for the Pirates.

The Dodgers traded for right handed reliever Brandon League of the Mariners. League will take his 3.63 ERA to the Dodgers in exchange for prospects Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom.

The Dodgers weren't done there. They woke up in the morning and acquired gold glove outfielder Shane Victorino. Victorino is 31 years old and is in the last year of his contract. Victorino will help the Dodgers at the top of the lineup and be on base for when Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier come up to bat. Victorino brings his speed and .324 on base percentage to the Dodgers in exchange for pitching prospect Ethan Martin and major league reliever Matt Lindbolm.

To counteract the trade for Victorino and to boost their own lineup the Giants traded for right fielder Hunter Pence. Pence is still under team control for next year and has been effective for the Phillies, but will bring his talents to the Giants. Pence is 29 years old and in 2012 he has a .336 on base percentage and 17 home runs. Nate Schierholtz, minor league pitcher Seth Rosin and catcher Tommy Joeseph will go to Philadelphia.

The Cardinals will bolster their bullpen with Edward Mujica. Mujica has a 4.38 ERA in 2012 with the Marlins. He will be a definite help down the line. Third base prospect Zack Cox will go to the Marlins.

The Red Sox showed that they are not out of competition for the American League Wild Card. They held onto all aspects of their team and added a reliever. Lefty Craig Breslow will go to Boston in exchange for pitcher Matt Albers and outfielder Scott Podsednik. Breslow has a 2.70 ERA this season with the Arizona Diamond Backs.

After getting Snider the Pirates were not done. They added struggling first baseman Gaby Sanchez from the Miami Marlins. Sanchez lost his job due to the acquisition of Carlos Lee. Sanchez is hitting just .202/.250/.306 this season, but he has done much better in his career. Pitcher Kaminska will also go to Pittsburgh in exchange for Gorkys Hernandez and a future draft pick.

The Reds were unsuccessful in getting a lead off hitter, but they did strengthen their already fantastic bullpen. They added Jonathon Broxton. Broxton will head to Cincinatti for pitchers Donnie Joseph and J.C. Sulbaran. Broxton has a 2.27 ERA this season with the Kansas City Royals and will set up for Aroldis Chapman.

Back to the Rangers. They traded for starting pitcher Ryan Dempster. Dempster was the biggest fish on the market coming into the last day before the deadline. He has pitched 104 innings with a 2.25 ERA in 2012. The Rangers gave up minor league third baseman Christian Villanueva and pitcher Kyle Kendricks. The deal was completed with seconds remaining before the deadline.

The final acquisition of the day was completed by the New York Yankees. With Alex Rodriguez heading to the DL the Yankees needed a part time third baseman. The two teams exchanged reliever Chad Qualls and third baseman Casey McGehee. McGehee has history of success and will have a chance to prove it in New York. The Yankees won't miss Qualls because Joba Chamerlain is back on the team from an injury.

Teams can still make trades with players who pass through waivers. Possible players to move are bench players, relievers, and players with big salaries.

The biggest winners of the day were the Giants and Dodgers. They will be in competition with each other down the line and both made moves to beat each other.

The South Side Strikes Back

After the Tigers acquired Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante it was clear that the White Sox needed to make another move. With an already strengthened bullpen and a legitimate starting lineup the White Sox needed to add a starting pitcher. Fransisco Liriano joined the pitching staff today after being traded from the Minnesota Twins for infielder Eduardo Escobar and pitcher Pedro Hernandez.

Liriano was the second choice for the White Sox, after they couldn't get Zach Greinke. Greinke was traded to the Angels, but the White Sox were heavily pursuing him. Liriano has a lot of success in the past, but in recent years he hasn't performed well. With a 5.31 ERA over 100 inning in 2012 Liriano has been struggling. Maybe with a new team the left hander can turn things around. Liriano will join a rotation anchored by Chris Sale and Jake Peavy.  


On an additional note the Arizona Diamond Backs have acquired third baseman Chris Johnson from the Astros in exchange for outfielders Marc Krauss and Bobby Borchering. The D-Backs recently traded their starting third baseman Ryan Roberts to the Rays.

Come and Get Your Halo

Zach Greinke will be pitching for the Angels for at least the rest of 2012. The Angels sent top infield prospect Jean Segura and pitchers Ariel Pena and John Hellweg to the Brewers in exchange for Greinke. The Angels will make the their rotation even stronger than it already was.

With the addition of Greinke the rotation for the Angels will look just like the following:

Weaver: 13-1, 2.26 ERA, 89 K, 115 IP
Wilson: 9-6, 2.89 ERA, 108 K, 131 IP
Greinke: 9-3, 3.44 ERA, 122 K, 123 IP
Haren: 7-8, 4.76 ERA, 89 K, 109 IP
Richards/Santana

Greinke has never pitched in a big market. The Royals and the Brewers don't pack stadiums and don't put too much pressure on the players. Greinke will be put on the spot and will have to perform. He may be working for a possible extension with the Angels if he performs well. He won't be the ace of the staff in Anaheim, so the pressure may not be all on him. With more run support and the excitement of a playoff race i expect Greinke to shine with the sun in Anaheim.

Moving On Up

Some players will get the chance to move up in baseball. Their teams were in last place, but now they have the chance to reach the playoffs.

Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate were part of a big trade last night. The Dodgers will receive the 2 players stated in exchange for Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough. Hanley Ramirez is hitting .246/.322/.430 this season with 47 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Randy Choate has been sporting a 2.49 ERA over 25.1 innings pitched. The lineup for the Dodgers when everyone is healthy would look like the following: Gordon SS, Abreu LF, Kemp CF, Ethier RF, Ramirez 3B, Loney 1B, M. Ellis 2B, A. Ellis C


Wandy Rodriguez will join playoff contention with the Pirates. He was acquired by the Pirates in exchange for the following minor league players: Rudy Owens, Robbie Grossman, and Colton Cain. Rodriguez will join a rotation with James McDonald, AJ Burnett, Eric Bedard and Kevin Correia. Rodriguez has a 3.79 ERA in 21 games started this season. Over his past 5 seasons Rodriguez has a 3.45 ERA and the Pirates will take that. Their next mission is to find a bat to add to their lineup. 


Cole Hamels is moving on up in the bank as he signed a contract extension for 144 million dollars over 6 years. That is the second most expensive contract given to a pitcher ever. Only CC Sabathias contract is greater. 

A Long Way to Travel

Ichiro had a really far way to travel last night when he heard he was traded to New York. He had to make a very long trip to the other dugout. Ichiro was acquired by the Yankees in exchange for the two minor league pitchers DJ Mitchell and Danny Farquhar. Ichiro will bring an aspect that the Yankees haven't had this year; speed. The injury to Brett Gardner has left the bases basically motionless. Ichiro is batting just .261/.288/.352 this season, but his defense is a definite upgrade over Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones.

Detroit and Miami completed a trade yesterday as well. Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez are going to Detroit in exchange for Jacob Turner, Rob Brantly, and Brian Flynn. Infante will make a big difference for the Tigers, because their production from second base has been terrible this season. Infrante is hitting .287/.312/.442 this season. Sanchez will make the pitching rotation more stable after Verlander. Sanchez has a 3.94 ERA with 5 wins, but that is result of the Marlins offense.

A trade for Dempster was leaked yesterday before it was official. The rumors say that Dempster will go to Atlanta for young pitcher Randall Delgado. Dempster tweeted that he had not yet been traded, but it is very likely. Dempster will be huge addition to the Braves and keep them in competition with the Nationals.

The South Side Strikes Again

After filling the hole at third base by trading for Kevin Youkilis the White Sox hope to power their bullpen with the addition of Brett Myers. Yesterday the White Sox sent Matt Heidenreich and Blair Walters to Houston in return for the 31 year old closer. Myers was named the closer of the Astros this season after spending multiple seasons as a starter.

With experience as a starter the White Sox can get multiple innings from Myers out of the bullpen. Myers also has been successful as a closer this year. He has recorded 19 saves in 30.2 innings with a 3.52 ERA. The White Sox were pushed into second place yesterday, they are fighting for the central and the wildcard.

Trading Places

Some trades took place today, no really big names were involved, but still exciting. One trade involved the Rockies and Royals. The two teams swap Jeremy Guthrie and Jonathan Sanchez. Perhaps a change of scenery will do well for these two struggling pitchers.

Guthrie traded for the second time this season

The Blue Jays and Astros conducted a 10 player deal that didn't involve any really big names as well. The Blue Jays will receive a trio of pitchers J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon, and David Carpenter. The Astros will receive  Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, and minor league players Joe Musgrove, Asher Wojciechowski, David Rollins and Carlos Perez, and a player to be named later. 


The Orioles acquire Omar Quintanilla from the Mets for later considerations. This was to clear space for the return of Jason Bay. 


We expect a trades of Ryan Dempster and possibly Cole Hamels and Zach Greinke. The latter two are less likely because the Phillies offered Hamels 130 million over 6 years and the Brewers offered Greinke 100+ million over 5 years. 

Flying Under the Radar

In a rotation with Stephan Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez it is easy to look over Jordan Zimmerman. National fans know that he is just as important as the previously mentioned starters. Strasburg has a 2.66 ERA, 10 wins, and 135 strikeouts in 2012. Gonzalez has 2.93 ERA, 12 wins, and 127 strikeouts. Zimmerman has a shockingly low 2.35 ERA, 7 wins, and 84 strikeouts.

Zimmerman is 26 years old and has been on the Nationals since 2009. In 2011 Zimmerman flashed what he could do with a 3.18 ERA over 161 innings. Zimmerman won't blow you away with his fastball or strike you out with his curve ball, but he will get you out. It doesn't matter how you get the guy out as long as he is out. He not only has the lowest ERA on the Nationals but also has the most innings pitched with 122.1.

Zimmerman is just icing on the cake for the Nationals. They have the best pitching rotation in all of baseball. Strasburg, Gonzalez, Zimmerman, Detwiler*, and Jackson sums up to be a dangerous combination of both the ability to go far into the game and being dominant throughout. These 5 guys combine for a 2.97 ERA over 527 innings pitched.

*Some of Detwiler's work was done out of the bullpen.

Injuries Galore !

Bautista after injuring his wrist

In multiple games that took place yesterday big stars sustained potential injuries. One of the really big ones is a potential injured achilles to the Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz. After Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford returned from injuries and a loss of David Ortiz would be a devastating blow.

Another potential big loss is to the already banged up Blue Jays. In last night's game Jose Bautista hurt his wrist and had to be taken out of the game. The Blue Jays are in last place in the American League East and without the league leader in home runs, their chances of making the playoffs are done.

Perhaps the biggest blow of the day was Joey Votto's knee injury. Votto will undergo arthroscopic surgery and be out for 3-4 weeks. The Reds are in a very tight race with the Cardinals and Pirates. Without the Reds' top slugger these 3-4 weeks could be a drag.

Andrew McCutchen

Andrew McCutchen is the best player in the Major Leagues at the moment. He doesn't get much publicity playing in Pittsburgh but he has a multitude of tools that he can use to help win the game. McCutchen is one of the many reasons the Pirates are contending for the National League Central.

First off McCutchen plays a stellar center field, it seems like there isn't a ball he can't get to. The combination of skill and speed makes him one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball. That defense is overlooked often because of his amazing offensive statistics.

In previous years McCutchen's offensive production has been nothing but average. In 2011 his batting average dropped and his on base percentage remained the same, but his power numbers took a tremendous increase. McCutchen has finally put all of the numbers together in 2012. The combination of power, speed, and consistency can be very dangerous for opposing teams.

In the 2012 season McCutchen has a .371/.423/.651 slashline. The slugging percentage is high due to 21 home runs, 5 triples, and 17 doubles. Lets not forget about his speed, McCutchen also has 14 stolen bases in 18 attempts. That is a 78%  success rate on the base pads, anything over 70% is beneficial to an offense.

In 2011 McCutchen hit a total of 23 home runs and it looks like he may eclipse that number soon in the 2012 season. When McCutchen makes contact, 25% of the time that contact results in a line drive which is most likely for a hit and 8% of the time it is home run. In 2011 when McCutchen made contacted it was just a 5% chance of a home run.

If you put speed, power, fielding, contact, and a powerful throwing arm you get Andrew McCutchen. Also you cant overlook his leadership on the Pirates and his ability to be consistent. 

Memorable Moments From the 2012 All Star Game

Chipper Jones started the game with an unprepared speech to the National League All Stars. He stated that no matter how well, how bad, how old, or how young just enjoy the game because you deserve to be there. The future Hall of Fame candidate also said this is his last All Star Game and he is not going to lose.

In the first inning the National League pounded Justin Verlander and put 5 runs on the board. The big blow came off of a bases clearing triple by Pablo Sandoval. The irony is many people said David Wright deserved the start instead of Sandoval. 3 triples total were hit by the National League, one by Sandoval, Furcal, and Braun.

Melky Cabrera hit the only home run of the game and earned him the MVP of the game. It was just another thing to add on to an already great season.

Chipper Jones had one at bat in the game and was able to make the most out of his at bat. He got a single through the 3.5 hole. His final All Star Game was worth it. His speech probably made a big impact on the players and they won this game for him.

The final score was 8-0 in favor of the National League. The National League team in the World Series will now have home field advantage. This is also the third consecutive year the National League has won the All Star Game.

All Star Break

Prince Fielder won the Home Run Derby last night and 615 thousand dollars was donated to charity. Today the All Star Game will get going at 8 PM EST and will be able to be viewed on FOX. We are at the non official half way point of the season, so who would win the awards as of now?

American League

MVP:

Josh Hamilton: 27 HR, .308 AVG, .380 OBP, 75 RBI. Hamilton has carried the Rangers in first place the entire season.

Cy Young:


Jered Weaver: 10 Wins, 1.98 ERA, 73 K, 96.2 IP, .900 WHIP. Weaver missed some time with an injury, but has still been able to give the Angels phenomenal performances every fifth day. 


Rookie of the Year: 


Mike Trout: 12 HR, .341 AVG, .397 OBP, 40 RBI, 26 SB. Trout has surprised many by how great he has been. His tremendous fielding, speed and power are all indications of the great player he will be in years to come. 


National League: 


MVP:


Andrew McCutchen: 18 HR, .362 AVG, .412 OBP, 60 RBI. McCutchen is the main reason why the Pirates are in first place. 


Cy Young: 


RA Dickey: 12 Wins, 2.40 ERA, 123 K, 120.0 IP, .933 WHIP. Dickey has been the story of 2012, tossing back to back 1 hitters just topped it off. 


Rookie of the Year: 


Bryce Harper: 8 HR, .282 AVG, .354 OBP, 25 RBI, 10 SB. Harper is a 19 year old sensation that everyone loves to watch. 

Lee is Headed to Miami

Yesterday the news broke out that Carlos Lee will be traded to the Miami Marlins for two prospects. Previously Lee refused a trade to the Dodgers. The Marlins have been getting very little production from first base. Gaby Sanchez is their primary starter at first and has just a .202/.250/.306 slash line. For a first baseman let alone any player that is horrendous. Lee has a .285/.336/.411 slash line which is slightly better than league average. Lee can also play left and right field, so he can give some guys a day off.

El Caballo (Carlos Lee)

When Emilio Bonifacio returns from injury after the All Star Break the Marlins' lineup should look something like the following:

Emilio Bonifacio   CF
Jose Reyes           SS
Hanley Ramirez    3B
Gaincarlo Stanton RF
Carlos Lee           1B
Omar Infante        2B
Logan Morrison    LF
John Buck            C
Pitcher                  P

This Marlins team is very right hand dominant. The top of the lineup features speed while the heart of the lineup flashes power. Everyone is expecting big things from this team; it is just a matter of time until they break out in the National League East.

All Star Snubs

Every year there are a few players that really deserved to make the all star team, but don't. This year it is the same. Fans continue to elect the players on their favorite team rather than selecting the best players. Some of the blame can be placed on the managers of the All Star Game. The managers of the two teams who made it to the World Series the previous year get to manage the All Star Game and get to select the pitchers and reserve players.

Johnny Cueto

The biggest All Star Game snub is Johnny Cueto. The manager of the All Star Game for the National League this year is Tony LaRussa. LaRussa managed the Cardinals in 2011, but the Cardinals and the Reds had some turmoil in years previous to 2012; one incedent including a bench clearing brawl. Cueto is on the Reds and wasn't selected by LaRussa to pitch, but yet Lance Lynn was selected, and 'coincidentally Lynn is on the Cardinals. Lynn is 10-4 with a 3.62 ERA over 97 innings pitched. Cueto is 9-5 with a 2.35 ERA over 114 innings pitched. It is without a question that Cueto is the better pitcher of the two, but will not be in the 2012 All Star Game.

 The fans did a terrible job of selecting the players. Ryan Braun, Carlos Gonzalez, and Andrew McCutchen weren't selected by the fans, but the injured Matt Kemp did. Also Dan Uggla made it to the All Star Game batting .230 with 11 home runs. I would rather have the defense of Brandon Phillips who is hitting .283 with 10 home runs.

The thing that made me the most disappointing in the selections by the fans was Pablo Sandoval over David Wright. Wright is playing a gold glove third base and hitting .351. Sandoval is no where as good defensively and is hitting 49 batting average points lower at .302.

The voting for the American League and Ron Washington did a pretty good job putting together their team. A few players had the stats to make it, but there are other players were just a little better. You also have to remember that every team needs to have a representative. Edwin Encarnacion could have easily been chosen over Billy Butler, but the Royals didn't have a representative.

Thome Will Fly Like an Oriole

The future hall of fame first baseman Jim Thome was traded to the Orioles for two minor league players yesterday afternoon. In 2012 Thome has 71 at bats and has 5 home runs, a .242 average and a .338 on base percentage. Thome will be a good fit in at the DH spot for the Orioles. In Camden Yards the right field wall is pretty close, so this may be beneficial to Thome. The Orioles lineup may now look something like the following:

1. Roberts    2B
2. Avery       LF
3. Hardy      SS
4. Jones       CF
5. Thome     DH
6. Davis       RF
7. Weiters    C
8. Reynolds 1B
9. Betemit    3B

When Markakis returns in a few days Reynolds will move to third base, Davis will move to first base and Markakis will take his position in right field and third in the lineup. Even if Thome doesnt perform great, his veteran presence will have an effect on the rest of the team.