Trade Deadline Evaluations: The big moves in the days leading up to the Deadline and how each team made out

(1) ITS OVER ITS OVER MANNY RAMIREZ IS GOOONE, PRAISE THE LAWD!!!! TORRE AND MANNY TOGETHER AGAIN! BUT I DON'T CARE CAUSE MANNY IS OUTTTA HERE. Manny to the Dodgers, Jason Bay to Redsox, more random garbage to Buccos-


Dodgers A+- Wow. I should not be allowed to be this excited over a deal that does not involve the Yankees. I am sky high right now. The best right handed hitter of my lifetime, a Yankee killer and a truly great offensive player is now out of the Al East and into the AL West.

Red Sox D- Jason Bay? Reallllllly???? Wow. Jason Bay is an above average to good player. Manny Ramirez is a legend. This is one of the more lopsided exchanges by a contending team I have ever come across. If you think any Yankee pitcher is going to be scared to pitch to Jason Bay backing up Big Papi, you are smoking the good stuff. I cannot wait to intentionally walk Papi and pitch to Bay. Thank you Boston for insuring the Yankees will make the postseason this year.

Pirates C+- I am going to re-write this section because we now know the 4 players that are going to the Buccos- I do not think that reliever and St. Johns standout Craig Hansen will ever become more than a solid middle reliever and Brandon Moss seems destined for utility status. However, I hear good things about the two dodgers in the deal including Adam Larouche's brother and now infield mate Andy Larouche. So I guess I give the Dodgers group an A but the Redsox Group a D or so.

(2) Mark Texiera to Angels and Casey Kotchman to Braves-

Angels- A-- This is a very good move for the team that was already the hands down favorite to win it all. The Angels just added a very potent bat to an already solid but not dominant lineup. Now they're 3-5 looks like this 3) Guerrero 4) Texiera 5) Hunter. Wow. It already has an excellent rotation and an even better bullpen stewarded by dominant closer Fransisco "K-rod" Rodriguez. The only slight issue I have with this move is that Anaheim already had a solid all around 1b in Casey Kotchman and Mark Texiera is a free agent after the 2008 season. Unless the Angels win it all this year and/or resign the slugger and gold glove caliber 1b; this move may come back to bite them. However, it makes the Angels the hands down favorite to win it all this season.

(3) Yankees acquire Pudge Rodriguez for Kyle Farnsworth:

(A) Yankees B+- This was another very solid move by the much maligned (by me especially) Brian Cashman. The Yanks filled a glaring need in acquiring a respectable bat at the catcher position while still not losing much defensively when comparing Pudge to the now backup catcher Jose Molina. Pudge brings championship pedigree and most importantly lengthens the Yankee lineup as now it possesses only 1 easy out (Melky) in its starting 9.

(B) Tigers- B- This move is also a logical one for Dave Dambroski and the Tigers. Apparently Pudge has worn out his welcome in Detroit by, amongst other things, not attending pitcher meetings before the games. The Tigers acquire one of baseball's hottest pitchers in Kyle Farnsworth who has not allowed and earned run in over a month. However, the recent acquisition of Marte and the dominant pitching of change up specialist Edwar Ramirez makes Farnsworth and his expiring contract expendable.


(4) Ken Griffey Junior to the Chisox for Righty reliever Nick Masset and 2b Danny Richar-

WhiteSox- C- The Whitesox are returning to their 2005 form this season. They are getting solid starting pitching and have an excellent lineup featuring a career season from Carlos Quentin and the big 3 of Thome, Dye and Konerko. Nick Swisher, despite his poor batting average has a near 400 OBP and Yankee killer SS Orlando Cabrera (This guy seems to win every where he goes doesn't he?). The Sox acquisition of future first ballot Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Junior seems a bit curious to this blogger. They upgraded an area that did not need an upgrade and gave up talented young fire-baller Nick Masset and 2nd Danny Richar to do so. Seems to me they took away from an area they needed to at least stay the course with if not bolster (pitching) so that they could add to something that already was a strength for the team.