Scott Miller of CBS Sports baseball details the busy trade deadline as MLB’s playoff chase begins with several trades:
WINNERS
State of California: Last year was the first time since 1999 that none of the five California teams played in the postseason. This July, with the Dodgers, Giants, Angels and Athletics contending, it was as if someone tilted the country so the best trade chips could roll west. Zack Greinke (Angels), Hanley Ramirez (Dodgers), Shane Victorino(Dodgers), Hunter Pence (Giants) all rolled into the Land of Fruits and Nuts and Playoff Potentials.
Angels: First-year GM Jerry Dipoto hit it out of the park again, as he did with Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson last winter: Greinke was the biggest single impact player available, and the Angels boxed out AL West rival Texas to get him.
Dodgers: Aiming for “spectacular,” the Dodgers landed at simply “great” at the trade deadline. They didn’t get the starting pitcher they wanted when the Ryan Dempster Trade Circus failed to make a tour stop at Dodger Stadium, but GM Ned Colletti adding Ramirez to Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier in the middle of the lineup was stellar. Victorino isn’t the player he used to be, but with Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu clomping around in left field like a herd of elephants, his athleticism makes the Dodgers better. Brandon League adds bullpen depth. Now, having failed to land a starter,Chad Billingsley must step up. Where have we heard that one before?
Giants: They addressed their biggest issue, adding a hitter, in acquiring Hunter Pence from the Phillies. Marco Scutaro will help the infield. Brian Sabean doesn’t get the national props he should because he isn’t out there schmoozing with the media, but there is a reason he’s got more seniority than any other NL GM. Pence this year, Carlos Beltran last July, grabbing Cody Ross off of waivers in August, 2010 … the guy can deal.
White Sox: They addressed three significant issues in adding third baseman Kevin Youkilis just before the All-Star break, reliever Brett Myers and starter Francisco Liriano.Kenny Williams has developed deep trust from his players … and this year, they from him.
Tigers: It’s on in the AL Central. Question is, does Anibal Sanchez become this year’s Doug Fister in Detroit? Two years in a row Dave Dombrowski has acquired rotation help for the stretch run. Though the Tigers didn’t add the hitter they hoped to get, they did improve their club in two areas — rotation, and second base (Omar Infante).
Mariners: Dealing Ichiro Suzuki before his free agency this winter was like a pocket of crystal clean air moving in off of Puget Sound. Ichiro no longer fit, but he was going to dominate the offseason. And, GM Jack Zduriencik hung onto Felix Hernadnez after approximately 2,300 more rumors that The King might be traded. Good for him.
Astros: Trader Jeff Luhnow is an absolute maniac on the telephone, we’ve sure learned that (and we mean it in the best way). Has to be, he did something the Astros of the past couple of years couldn’t to, addressing a situation that had them paralyzed: He dealt Wandy Rodriguez … and Brett Myers … and Carlos Lee … and J.A. Happ … and Brandon Lyon. Not one of them, all of ’em. Then he dealt third baseman Chris Johnson. And he got 13 prospects in return, plus two players to be named later. The Astros are so awful you can barely look at them. But mark it down: The turnaround began in earnest in July, 2012.
Pirates: The treasure map led to two hitters who will help down the stretch in Travis Snider and Gaby Sanchez plus a starting pitcher in Wandy Rodriguez, and the Bucs were able to hold tight to all of their top prospects.
Padres: New ownership is on deck (the Ron Fowler group), which led to the re-signing of Carlos Quentin and closerHuston Street and the retaining of third baseman Chase Headley. They still need far better players. But hey, it looks like the days of being sabotaged by their own owner are a thing of the past. Don’t let the Petco Park door hit you on the way out, John Moores.
LOSERS
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