Deadline Deals

Let’s take a look at the “deadline” deals. I use deadline loosely because I’m going to review trades that happened all the way back dating to July 1^st. The asterisk indicates the guy is a prospect with no ML experience.

Tigers receive: RP Jose Capellan

Brewers receive: LHSP Chris Cody*

Capellan never reached his potential with Milwaukee, so they figured he could use a change of scenery. He throws the ball really hard, so he’s going to keep getting chance after chance. He’s still pretty young, so if he ever gets it together, he could be a valuable part in someone’s bullpen. Cody was just drafted very recently, and he’s in High A now. He started this year in Low A, and he struggled in A+ before the trade. I don’t expect him to become much. Neither team gave up much, and neither team got much.

Cubs receive: C Jason Kendall

A’s receive: C Rob Bowen and LHRP Jerry Blevins*

Kendall was having an awful year, and his contract is even worse. Frankly, it’s amazing that Billy Beane actually got something for him. Rob Bowen is already on his third team this season, and he’s nothing special. Blevins was dominating AA before the trade, but he’s struggled a bit in his first few innings in Oakland’s organizations. The Cubs made a low risk trade. After trading Michael Barrett, they weren’t getting much production from catcher. Now, they have a guy that’s at least been okay before.

Pirates receive: SS Cesar Izturis

Cubs receive: PTBNL

I don’t get the Pirates’ logic here. What do you get from Cesar Izturis that you don’t get from Jack Wilson? Certainly not his bat, he’s even worse at the plate. He plays outstanding defense, but his offense doesn’t make his defense worth it. Not only that, but he actually gets paid a little bit of money. I doubt the Cubs’ acquisition ever becomes anything, but it was good for them to be able to rid themselves of Izturis and his salary.

Yankees receive: C Jose Molina

Angels receive: RHRP Jeff Kennard*

Backup catcher isn’t that important, but the Yankees had to get more out of the spot than Wil Nieves. Despite his ability to kill Casey Fossum and Brian Stokes, Nieves was bad. Molina gives them an experienced player with a strong arm and good defensive ability. The Angels got a guy who’s probably never going to make a difference for them. He’s a 26 year old reliever in AA, so obviously something is holding him up. He was decent in Trenton before being traded. Anaheim didn’t have much of a need for Molina with Napoli and Mathis healthy and in the majors, so they got what they could for him.

Brewers receive: RHRP Scott Linebrink

Padres receive: RHSP Will Inman*, LHRP Joe Thatcher and LHSP Steve Garrison*

Milwaukee was in 2005 or 2006 when they made this trade, because they gave up a lot for a guy who’s struggling right now. You have to give them credit though. They see they have a shot to do good things this season, so they took a chance on a pretty good reliever. The Padres have a deep bullpen, so they could afford to trade away one of their guys for some prospects, despite what Trevor Hoffman and Jake Peavy think. Inman was Milwaukee’s third best prospect, so there’s some potential there. Thatcher jumped to the majors with the Padres, so the jury’s out on him. Garrison is 20 years old and in High A, but he’s been pretty mediocre. Both teams made a good deal.

Indians receive: OF Kenny Lofton

Rangers receive: C Max Ramirez*

Believe it or not, Kenny Lofton is back with the Indians. It didn’t take much to get him either. Lofton will settle in to a platoon with former Phillie teammate Jason Michaels in LF. The Indians have a pretty deep outfield and bench now, and their offense is geared up for a postseason run. In Max Ramirez, they gave away an okay prospect who’s a bit old for his league. They got him for Wickman last year, but with three guys on the ML roster that can play catcher, there was just no future for him in the Indians organization. The Rangers have a bit more depth in the minors now.

Phillies receive: 2B Tadahito Iguchi

White Sox receive: RHRP Michael Dubee*

After the Chase Utley injury, Pat Gillick did well to not sit on his hands and let Abraham Nunez take over. Iguchi plays okay defense, and despite having a down year in Chicago, he has some nice pop in his bat. When Utley comes back, they could potentially experiment with Iguchi at 3^rd, and if it doesn’t work out, you’ve still got a nice righty bat off the bench. Ask a Phillies source, and there’s a good chance they tell you that Dubee was taken because his dad is the pitching coach. He wasn’t having a particularly outstanding year at Lakewood, and he’ll probably never end up as an ML player. The Phillies upgraded their ML club without really hurting the depth of the farm system, which is lacking as it is.

Padres receive: OF Scott Hairston

Diamondbacks receive: RHRP Leo Rosales*

First of all, Rosales is on the minor league DL, so I’m not even sure how the Padres traded him. There’s a reason no one talked about this trade: both guys are pretty irrelevant. Hairston has had a shot at a utility role in Arizona for a while now, and he’s never really come through. He’s not a good hitter, and San Diego’s bench has to be pretty bad for him to get a shot. Rosales hasn’t pitched since early June, and he was pretty average when doing so. He’s 26, so I see no reason for him to become a player to get excited about.

Devil Rays receive: RHRP Grant Balfour

Brewers receive: RHRP Seth McClung

These teams exchanged relievers that just weren’t going to get a chance in their former organizations. McClung had stunk in Tampa, and after a spring in which he didn’t try hard because he thought he was out of options, it was discovered he had one more year left and got sent down. At AAA Durham, he had some ups and downs, but he walked too many guys. Balfour had surgery once. He also has a clever “Ballfour” moniker. Pretty even swap. Both pitched well at AAA this season.

Astros receive: 3B Ty Wigginton

Devil Rays receive: RHRP Dan Wheeler

The Astros pen has been a bit of a mess this year, and this trade doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for them. The offense is struggling and they just designated Ensberg for assignment, but Wigginton is only an upgrade for them because their offense is so bad. He’s a pretty good player, but good relievers should carry a premium price since there are so few of them, and for some reason to Houston, Wheeler didn’t. His ERA may be high, but his peripherals indicate that the number should be coming down pretty soon, assuming he doesn’t come down with Brian Stokes Strike Deficiency Syndrome.

Reds receive: 2B Jorge Cantu and OF Shaun Cumberland*

Devil Rays receive: RHRP Calvin Medlock* and LHRP Brian Shackelford

Cantu was pretty upset with being sent down again, and for good reason. He was hitting .207/.277/.224, so it’s hard to believe the Rays weren’t getting him his at bats. I don’t see him getting very far with Cincinnati either, since Brandon Phillips has second base locked up for the next few years. Looking at Cumberland’s stats, I can’t find a good thing to say about him. Medlock was overmatched at AAA Louisville after dominating AA for much of the season, and he’s already 25, so there’s not much of a ceiling for him. Shackelford is old and not very good, but I guess we’ll call them AAA bullpen depth guys.

Braves receive: 1B Mark Teixeira and LHRP Ron Mahay

Rangers receive: C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, SS Elvis Andrus*, LHSP Matt Harrison*, RHSP Neftali Perez* and LHRP Beau Jones*

Here’s the big deal that no one expected to happen. The Braves got the best player on the block at the deadline, and they really bolstered their offense. Teixeira makes them one of the most powerful lineups in the league, and when Andruw Jones walks after next year, they’ll just have him step up in the middle of the order. Mahay is a decent reliever. Although he’s left handed, he’s not a dominant guy against lefties, like what the Braves were hoping to get when Mike Gonzalez went down. Nevertheless, he’s a solid reliever and good addition to the bullpen. Texas really bolstered the farm with this trade; they added the Braves top three prospects, in addition to a couple others. Saltalamacchia gives them the franchise catcher they’ve been looking for, since Rod Barajas didn’t quite fit the bill. Andrus is another top prospect, and even though Texas’ middle infield looks to be set for a few years, they’ll find a way to make room for him. He has great defensive ability, and Texas is hoping he learns how to hit. Harrison was the 3^rd best Braves prospect who was having a decent year at AA before the trade. Perez is an interesting guy. He’s a Dominican teenager playing rookie ball this year. It’s too early to project him, but right now, he’s playing pretty well. Beau Jones probably won’t be much. He tried out High A this year and failed. He’s back in Low A where he’s older than most of his competition. Both teams made out well here. Texas knew they weren’t going to be able to re-sign Teixeira, so they got some help for the future. Atlanta understands that their core guys like Chipper and Smoltz are getting up there, and they need to make one last run before they lose these guys. They may have mortgaged the future, but this is how you build a team. The goal of every organization should be to win games at the major league level, not hang on to prospects for the sake of having a highly touted farm system.

Phillies receive: RHSP Kyle Lohse

Reds receive: LHSP Matt Maloney*

The Phillies went out to add rotation depth because you can’t count on Durbin, and to a lesser extent, Kendrick. You obviously can’t count on Eaton as well, but they can’t move him anywhere because of his contract. Lohse has been up and down all season, but lately, he’s been up. He becomes a free agent after this season, so he’ll probably be out the door over winter. Matt Maloney is like Randy Wolf, except not as good. And if you pitch like Randy Wolf and you’re not as good as him, you’re probably not going to have too much success. If he reaches his ceiling, he’ll be a back end of the rotation guy but not much more.

Mets receive: 2B Luis Castillo

Twins receive: OF Dustin Martin* and C Drew Butera*

The Mets got an average player in exchange for prospects that probably won’t see the light of day. Castillo isn’t the same guy NL East fans remember when he left the Marlins, and that doesn’t bode well for the Mets. He’s not as fast or as good defensively as he used to be, and those were huge parts of Castillo’s game. It’s a lateral move for the Mets, but it’s not like they had to give up much for him. Martin is old for his league, and he’s pretty above average. Butera isn’t even as good as Martin. He started the season in the FSL and struggled when he got bumped up to AA. The Twins just got what they could for him, and it wasn’t much.

Cardinals receive: Joel Pineiro

Red Sox receive: PTBNL

Pineiro is a unique guy in that he got worse every year of his career. Boston was pretty close to making him their closer this season, but fortunately, common sense prevailed and Papelbon stayed the closer after a brief stint in the starting rotation. He struggled all year for Boston, and the experiment didn’t work, so they designated him for assignment. The Cardinals, looking to add anything to their pitching staff, acquired him. Dave Duncan has worked well with reclamation projects before, so let’s see if he can do it again.

Dodgers receive: RHRP Scott Proctor

Yankees receive: 3B Wilson Betemit

This trade doesn’t make sense for the Yankees. The bullpen was a weak point for them, and then they trade one of their better relievers. I know Torre wears Proctor out and he’s going to become ineffective soon, but it’s almost like they made this move to appease the fans who didn’t like Proctor. Not only that, but they acquired an infielder, one of the last things they needed. What are they going to do with Betemit? Can he play first base? I’m interested to find out if this move was actually made because Cashman is worried about A-Rod leaving. If that’s the case, Betemit has some pretty big shoes to fill.

Braves receive: RHRP Octavio Dotel

Royals receive: RHSP Kyle Davies

The Braves made another good trade here. They bolster their bullpen even more by getting Dotel. He’s struggled a bit lately, but otherwise, he’s had a good year returning from injury. Although Wickman is inconsistent, taking a lead back from Atlanta in the 7^th inning or later is going to be tough now. Davies wasn’t ever going to be anything with Atlanta. He was a pretty highly-regarded prospect in previous years, but after his first few ML starts a couple years ago, he hasn’t regained his confidence and stopped walking guys. Maybe things will work out on a new team.

Padres receive: OF Rob Mackowiak

White Sox receive: RHRP Jon Link*

The Padres need offensive help in the worst way, and adding a guy like Mackowiak to your bench can only help. He’s not a bad utility guy, and at the very least, the Padres got a guy that’s not a bad pinch hitter. The White Sox will probably consider sending Link to their AA team. He was in High A for San Diego, but he’s old for the league, and he was dominating a hitter’s league. Not much else to say here. The Padres improved their big club without giving up much.

Red Sox receive: RHRP Eric Gagne

Rangers receive: LHSP Kason Gabbard, OF David Murphy and OF Engel Beltre*

This was probably the second biggest deadline deal, and the Red Sox made a great trade. Eric Gagne makes an already tough bullpen that much better, and you can forget about beating these guys if they have a lead after six. They’re deep, and they have top end talent in Papelbon and Gagne. They had to pay him a couple million to convince him to waive his no trade clause, but they can afford to do that. Gabbard was having a nice couple weeks for Boston, but he’s never going to be more than a back end of the rotation guy, and the Red Sox have no problems filling that role elsewhere in the organization. Murphy is a 4^th or 5^th OF at best, and Beltre’s a guy to watch. He’s not very projectible right now because he’s 17 years old and in the rookie league, so only time will tell if Texas actually got anyone of worth here.

Padres receive: 3B Morgan Ensberg

Astros receive: PTBNL

Morgan Ensberg had that one good year, and for the rest of his career, he’s been disappointing. He plays good defense, but the Astros were hoping for him to hit the ball a lot better. The Padres are desperate to improve their lineup, and they haven’t gotten anything out of 3B this year, so they’re hoping they can do something to fix Ensberg’s swing. They didn’t give up much, so it’s a no-risk trade for San Diego.

Phillies receive: RHRP Julio Mateo

Mariners receive: IF Jesus Merchan*

You can’t beat this move for Julio Mateo. He abuses batters with his fastball, and his breaking ball has some nice bite. Now that I’m finished making light of domestic abuse, this was a good move by Gillick. Mateo has contributed at the ML level before, and he could help this bullpen down the stretch. Merchan is organizational filler, and even though he’s having a very good year, he’s not going to be an ML player. The Phillies could afford to lose him to try and upgrade the bullpen.

Braves receive: LHRP Royce Ring

Padres receive: LHP Wilfredo Ledezma and LHRP Will Startup

I don’t know what the Braves plan on doing with Ring, but it was a pretty nice move to get him, considering they only had to trade a guy they didn’t want anyway. He’s having a decent year, and he can be a good middle relief guy in a deep bullpen. Ledezma has struggled since the Braves picked him up from Detroit, and Atlanta can’t afford to lose games down the stretch because of him. Startup’s credentials start and end with his cool name. He’s actually having a decent year in AAA.

Pirates receive: RHSP Matt Morris

Giants receive: OF Rajai Davis* and a PTBNL

The last trade of the day was the most hilarious one. The Pirates of all teams are the ones taking on Morris and his entire contract. Just last week, the Morris talk was about which contending team he’s going to. This doesn’t make any sense for Pittsburgh. Their payroll is pathetically low and they should be rebuilding, not getting significantly older. The Giants were lucky to get anything for Morris with the way he pitched lately. I can’t believe someone is actually taking on his contract.