Trade deadline winners and losers

[realmofotalk]

In a sense there are many losers in this year's trade deadline, with most contending teams and would-be sellers standing pat. Nonetheless, among the most talked about teams here are the winners and losers.

Winners:
Atlanta Braves - The bockbuster acquisition of Mark Teixeira gives them the slugging first baseman they haven't had since they traded Adam LaRoche during the last offseason. Re-signing Teixeira to a long term contract is a priority but the Braves have plenty of time to make that happen. Acquiring Octavio Dotel for disappointing pitcher Kyle Davies was a steal.

Boston Red Sox - The addition of Eric Gagne to the best bullpen in the league (2.74 ERA) will have its biggest impact come playoff time when opposing batters have to face Gagne, Hideki Okajima, and Jonathan Papelbon consecutively.

New York Mets - Picking up Luis Castillo fills the hole at second base left by injured regular Jose Valentin.

Losers:
Los Angeles Angels - Once again General Manager Bill Stoneman does nothing to improve the team, especially on offense. It's a wonder teams still pitch to Vladimir Guerrero.

Los Angeles Dodgers - Bullpen arms Eric Gagne, Octavio Dotel, Al Reyes, Dan Wheeler were available, but they opted for embattled Yankees reliever Scott Proctor.

San Diego Padres - The Padres bolstered their bench but are still lacking a feared hitter in the lineup.

Kansas City Royals - Dotel was on the trading block for weeks and all they can get is Kyle Davies?

The jury is still out:
Texas Rangers - Jarrod Saltalamacchia may or may not be a future All-Star catcher, but by all accounts should become a solid major league player. Trading Gagne for a few mediocre prospects, however, appears to be a bonehead move.

[love_that_reefer]

Add Detroit and Cleveland to the list of losers. They did nothing to take them over the top. I would also put the Giants up as a winner. Freed up $9.5 mil for next year.

[browntown653]

Good post, but are the Mets really winners when the Braves got Teixeira and Dotel and all they did was make a minor upgrade with Luis Castillo? Reportedly they were pretty serious about Chad Cordero but then again, Jim Bowden's demands are ridiculous.

[Slyder]

I'd like to admend to the Losers:

Cincinnati Reds:
You have 23 yr old Joey Votto sitting at AAA hitting .305, 14 HR, 64 RBI, .400 OBP, .469 slug and you cant find someone to take Jeff Conine hitting .276 this year in platoon work, or Scott Hatteberg hitting .310, 8 HRs, 34 RBIs this year mostly vs RHP. Big Mistake.

Also this team is 19 games under .500, seeing San Diego getting 3 spects for Scott Linebrink largely on reputation and don't cash something for David Weathers (38) whos been the best pitcher (outside of Harang) in the entire pitching staff? Big Loss.

We aren't 1 or 2 pieces away, were 1 or 2 major pieces and a couple minor pieces away. Trading these guys might not have brought that major piece in return but it would at least allow the Reds to look and see if maybe Bill Bray could close or give Joey Votto an oppertunity for near everyday at bats to see if they could be part of the solution in 08.

[brewersfan19]

WINNERS:


Atlanta and Boston top the charts.



Texas did a nice job of getting prospects.


San Diego got 3 "potentially" good pitchers from the Brewers.

HONORABLE MENTION:

PHILADELPHIA: gettting Iguchi, Mateo, and Loshe

PITTSBURGH: getting Matt Morris

N.Y. METS: getting Castillo


LOSERS:

Pretty much every one else.

[HollywoodLeo]

I definitely wouldn't label the Padres "winners" but I find it hard to label them "losers" when they didn't really have feasible talent to trade for any "feared bat"

I mean, I'd equate it to giving someone 5 bucks and sending him to the grocery store and then calling him a loser when he doesn't bring home much for dinner.

Of course, that analogy only fits if you focus specifically on the 2007 trade deadline time frame since it is Kevin Towers' own fault that he doesn't have the right tools to make any significant trades.

[HollywoodLeo]

Of course, this is also only if you focus on today.

I mean, the Padres are looking pretty damn good with the Milton Bradley pick up right now.

[brewersfan19]

true. I feel that if Bradley is inspired or interested he is talented and you can NOT eliminate the fact that he is an intense, hard-nosed player.

[browntown653]

How can Pittsburgh possibly be considered a winner? They traded for Izturis which most assumed was a precursor to a Jack Wilson deal - that never materialized. And why would they add Morris and his salary?

[DravenX]

I have a bad feeling about the Braves trade which I have stated already. For the past few season the trades they have made have not panned out. I forgot who it was but the pitcher they aquired after Hampton got hurt in SP and they released him. Wilson=Released. Aybar=Suspended. The pitcher that came along with Aybar also gone and I'm sure there are more. This is why I'm not happy about it. We shall see how things will pan out.

[realmofotalk]

I mean, I'd equate it to giving someone 5 bucks and sending him to the grocery store and then calling him a loser when he doesn't bring home much for dinner.

If you gave someone 5 bucks to buy food and all he comes back home from the store with is a Parker Brothers game, then he is a loser.

[brewersfan19]

I just put them in as H.M. because I feel Morris will give them some quality starts and innings. It is just a hunch.

[Halladay_is_God]

call the Jays losers

didn't trade off Josh Towers when given an offer, didn't get rid of Clayton, didn't address the SS situation (JP thinks John McDonald is the answer right now), and just doesn't want to improve the team with a big hole especially at SS. Reed Johnson going to be come a FA after this season and could have been used as bait.

Injuries have hurt the team a lot this season but still no excuse for not improving the team in some way.

big thumbs down for J.P. Ricciardi

[realmofotalk]

Who did you want to solve the SS issue? Jack Wilson? Cesar Izturis?

[Halladay_is_God]

I would gladly take either of them over McDonald or Clayton.

I loved watching Izturis when he started with the Jays but J.P. took over the GM job soon after that and J.P.got heavily burned trading Izturis so I doubt J.P. would have got after any trade for him.

Wilson would have solved a long-term problem at SS, his contract shouldn't have been a problem with how J.P. loves to spend the money. J.P. has tried to draft for a SS but messed up with Russ Adams, who looking like a big bust, turned Hill into a 2nd basemen without getting a chance at SS thanks to J.P. and his man-love for Russ Adams. Now Adams is a 2nd basemen now, nice going J.P.