Wednesday, August 25, 2010 |
Meta: Back, After A Fashion
- Their odd rental of Ted Lilly was a deal that got them older, more expensive, worse defensively at second base (swapping out almost-25-year-old Blake DeWitt for 30-year-old Ryan Theriot). It also didn't help my feelings about this deal that they shipped minor-league pitchers Kyle Smit and Brett Wallach to the Cubs. The good news is that Lilly, whose deal expires at the end of the year (and to whom the Dodgers certainly won't grant arbitration, so kiss off any possible draft picks), has been lights out in his five starts as a Dodger.
- Not that this matters, because the Dodgers' offense has utterly stalled in the second half. One reason why has been Manny Ramirez' extended absence. Shortly after his second trip to the DL, the Dodgers removed the Mannywood sign from left field. After much speculation, the late rumor has been that Manny was finally placed on waivers as I write this, his likely destinations the Chisox or Boston.
- The Dodgers also picked up Rod Barajas for cash from the Mets, which is somehow an upgrade.
- The team's best acquisition turned out to be, not a player, but Vin Scully, who will return on a one-year deal for 2011 under the same conditions he's working now (NL West opponents and home games only).
- The list of players placed on waivers has only gotten longer in the brief time I've been looking at it, as Dylan Hernandez tweets that Scott Podsednik — himself only picked up on July 28 — Jay Gibbons, and Casey Blake have all hit the waiver wire, too.
The Angels haven't been quite as nutsy (and frankly counterproductive) as the Dodgers, though it's probably closer than I'd like to admit (speaking as a season ticket holder). The big acquisition was Dan Haren from Arizona for Joe Saunders, minor league pitchers Rafael Rodriguez and southpaw Patrick Corbin, and a PTBNL. I'm running a bit short of time at the moment, so I haven't heard the identity of the PTBNL yet, but the fact that Haren has another year on his contract is a net positive. But at ten games out of the division and three games under .500, the Angels just aren't going anywhere this year, and they needed something for next year, too. It's nice to see them recognize this, but at the same time, the offense is going to be a disaster next year, too.
Anyway, I inadvertently picked up a copy of Doug Glanville's The Game From Where I Stand, which looks to be an interesting book. I probably won't be writing much in this space for the balance of the season, unless something juicy comes up, such as news about the McCourts' divorce. Hope you all have a fine end of the season, and for me, I'm rooting for a Padres/Rays World Series.
Labels: angels, dodgers, mccourts, stupid ideas, trades, transactions
I just got Glanville's book too, and I'm looking forward to reading it. I never met the man, but we were at the same University at the same time, and a buddy of mine got to pitch against him while trying out for the team one year.
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