Yesterday brought us Major League Baseball’s annual non-waiver trading deadline, and it’s my job as WCF’s Sports Guru to break it down for you all to dissect, ingest, and regurgitate. Gross.
Although two huge moves came weeks ago, the biggest name dealt was Manny Ramirez at 3:59 yesterday afternoon, one minute before the proverbial buzzer went off. Before I proceed, let’s get the specifics on the three-way deal between Boston, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh:
Los Angeles Dodgers Get: OF Manny Ramirez (From BOS)
Boston Red Sox Get: OF Jason Bay (From PIT)
Pittsburgh Pirates Get: IF Andy LaRoche (From LAD), P Bryan Morris (From LAD), P Craig Hansen (From BOS), OF Brandon Moss (From BOS)
Alright. At first glance, it seems like the Red Sox got hosed. But, as someone who follows the team insanely close, let me give you the actual value of the pieces Boston traded away. Manny Ramirez, by far the biggest name moved, was an extremely disgrunted 37-year-old outfielder with a talented bat and a lazy mind. The man never hustled, never tried, and was a huge disruption to the Boston clubhouse. The entire league knew it, which meant Boston had to overpay to get him out of town. The Red Sox also gave up marginal Major Leaguers Craig Hansen (the biggest pitching bust of the last five years, given his potential), and Brandon Moss (a serviceable outfielder that didn’t stand a chance of starting on this Boston roster). Boston agreed to pay the remainder of Ramirez’s 2008 salary — approximately seven million dollars — as part of the deal with Los Angeles. If you know anything about Boston’s checkbook, seven million dollars is basically pocket change.
In return, they received Pittsburgh outfielder Jason Bay. Bay, a 29-year-old two-time All-Star, played for the Canadian team in 2006’s World Baseball Classic. And, contrary to popular outrage, has outperformed Ramirez’s offensive numbers over the past four seasons. His presence does not give you the same “slugger” mentality that Ramirez gave, but it provides more agility, speed and defensive capability that Manny never provided. I’m eager to see how he acclimates himself to his new team and city.
Two other huge names — and starting aces, for that matter — were moved weeks prior to the deadline. Oakland moved fireballer Rich Harden to the Chicago Cubs, and Cleveland sent lefty powerhouse C.C. Sabathia north to Milwaukee. American League hitters rejoiced shortly thereafter. With these two Aces moving to the National League Central, we’re sure to see a fantastic race to the finish, as the Cubs and Brewers will no doubt finish one and two in the standings, regardless of the order.
As we sit here today, Major League Baseball is going through a new phase as it hits the stretch run of the 2008 season. The Tampa Bay Rays are sitting atop the A.L. East, easily having the best season in franchise history. The Florida Marlins are buyers, not sellers, at the trading deadline for once. Neither the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees are leading their division. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have turned into a slugging team. The Chicago Cubs look poised to break their century-long drought without a championship. The most exciting names around the sport aren’t Clemens, Bonds or Jeter; instead, we find Hanley Ramirez, Chase Utley and Ian Kinsler.
This seems like a transitional year for baseball. It is a youth movement, a shift in power, and a shake-up, the likes of which the sport hasn’t seen in decades. And I don’t think there could be a better time for it to happen.
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