Deadline report: Braves have stood out by doing nothing
Yunel Escobar seems like he's looking at the standings, but he just got hit on the wrist by a pitch Thursday night.
Good morning. The Braves haven’t made a trade yet. Why do I get the feeling I’ll be able to type the same thing after breakfast?
Did something a little bit different last night, while switching between the Braves-Marlins and the “The Doors” movie on HBO (and by the way, it turns out Jim Morrison was kind of dark and had a drinking problem). I arranged all of the National League playoff contenders by winning percentage. The idea was to determine if only the best teams are being aggressive as they approached the trade deadline.
The maybe-not-so-shocking results: Yes.
As you go down the list, notice how as the winning percentages decrease, the lesser teams are napping. (This includes your Braves: No. 8 with a bullet.) Now, doing nothing isn’t surprising for a non-playoff contender, unless you’re the Pittsburgh Pirates and the idea is to see how much you can sell off your major organs for. But every team I’m listing below is at least a legitimate wild-card contender. Or is supposed to be.
The list:
♦ 1. Dodgers (.618): They just made a trade with Baltimore for All-Star reliever George Sherrill, who can close or be a set-up man. There’s the added bonus of Sherrill not having failed a drug test in 2003, which sets him apart in the Dodgers’ clubhouse.
♦ 2. Phillies (.580): The team the Braves have pretty much ceased chasing in the East tried to swing a deal for Toronto pitcher Roy Halladay but couldn’t get him. So they settled for Cleveland’s Cliff Lee, a Cy Young winner. Assuming we can call that settling.
♦ 3. Giants (.549) They’re one of the teams that has benefited most from the Pirates’ yard sale, acquiring All-Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez.
♦ 4. Cubs (.540): Not a huge move but a solid one, acquiring reliever John Grabow from Pittsburgh. Grabow is 3-0 with a 3.42 earned run average. Seems like he’s a guy who could have helped the Braves’ bullpen.
♦ 5. Rockies (.539): Nothing big this week but last week added set-up man Rafael Betancourt from Cleveland. Opponents were hitting .225 against him. So far he’s allowed one base runner in three appearances in Colorado.
♦ 6. Cardinals (.533): Acquired someone who potentially could’ve put the Braves over the top for a wild-card spot: Oakland outfielder/first baseman Matt Holliday, a legitimate home run hitter. (Correction from earlier reference to “40-home run hitter.”)
♦ 7. Marlins (.520): Nothing.
♦ 8. Braves (.510): Nothing.
♦ 9. Brewers (.500): Nothing.
♦ 10. Astros (.500): Nothing.
Does this disturb you? We’ve weighed in on the whole should-the-Braves-deal-or-stand-pat thing several times. But seeing them at the bottom of this list and doing nothing jumps out at me. Isn’t the idea to be aggressive in a pennant stretch? Or is this just about 2010?
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149 comments Add your comment
Oh Boy! Oh Boy! Oh Boy!
July 31st, 2009
11:40 am
It’s like playing poker and trying to draw to an inside straight. Can it be done? Sure it can. Is it likely? No it’s not.
So trying to draw to the elusive inside straight, do you throw gobs of money and assets at a hand that has little chance of winning? Not if you’re a smart poker player you don’t.
The wild card to the Braves is like trying to draw to that inside straight. Can it be done? Sure it can. Is it likely? No, it’s not.
So since the reality of actually winning the wild card is remote at best, will someone please remind me why in the world we would want to spend young talent for some marginal upgrade who isn’t likely to hang around the ATL very long anyway?
If the Braves can win with the talent they have this year, give them a big pat on the back. If not, look to next year and try to better your team in the off season so that this time next year, you’re not looking at the world from 8 games back trying to decide if you should make a deal or not!
myra
July 31st, 2009
11:43 am
Barbaro(not sure if this is his name or the horse)(lol) in AAA can pinch hit better than Naughtin.
I loved Barbaro. The HBO special always brings out my hanky.
Bravosss
July 31st, 2009
11:45 am
Adam Price. Well said at 8:00am.
Jeff – You replied to his comment by saying the ‘whys’ have been addressed but you’re missing the two biggest ones IMO 1. Infante and Hudson coming back and 2. record since the break.
Is your point in all this that those reasons do not satisfy you? They’re good enough for me.
Chris
July 31st, 2009
11:48 am
Curtis Jones is correct on every point. If you’re an honest Braves fan, you’ve got to agree with him.
Jeff, any speculation on why the Braves are so reluctant to make a deal? Is Wren secretly thinking 2010 or later? Why are the Braves so complacent?
It feels like a long way from the 1990s.
zzzz at the deadline
July 31st, 2009
11:50 am
The Braves did make a move – they released Bennett!!!1
GTSteve
July 31st, 2009
11:50 am
Does anybody know the pitching matchups for this weekend
bry22
July 31st, 2009
11:51 am
The Braves could get a bat without giving up either of Freeman or Heyward. Although I would trade Freeman, Medlen and KJ for Padres Gonzalez in a heart beat. Church is not an upgrade over JF. We were tired of JF poor at bats and we will be tired of Churches poor hitting performance soon enough. I like his swing and he definitely works the pitchers better than JF. Who doesn’t. But he is not the bat we needed in the outfield to get past mediocrity!
All I'm Saying Is...
July 31st, 2009
11:52 am
First, what does it mean to add a ‘big bat’? Is it a slugger as in home run hitter? I think that is what Schultz was referring to by mistakenly citing Holliday and his mysterious 40 home runs. If that is true, then the Braves need for a big bat is over-rated. All you need to do is look at what adding Martin Prado (not a ‘big’ bat in terms of home runs) to the line-up did for the Braves.
The concern about middle relief is over-rated because of (a) roster expansion later this year immediately adds pitchers internally for the stretch run, (b) what has previously been posted about KK going to the bullpen during the playoffs, and (c) the fact that if our starters do their job, then middle relief is a non-issue.
Bottom line for the Braves is if we can continue to get consistent production at the plate to go with what our pitching has done all year, then we will be fine. And I hope we bring Brooks Conrad back up at the earliest opportunity (release Norton and let KJ be a pinch hitter, I say) and up for good when rosters expand.
As for Holliday, the Cardinals were desperate for someone, anyone to be a threat behind Pujols as he would (and probably still will) get intentionally walked every time. Believe it or not (and I know the Cardinals are 7 games over .500 and therefore better than us), the Braves don’t have that problem —- and if you don’t believe me just look at our average runs per game since Prado entered the line-up and since the All Star break (you will have to do your own research (or hope Schultz has a moment of inspiration) as I, unlike Schultz, don’t get paid for these pithy comments of mine).
LET’S GO BRAVES!
Don
July 31st, 2009
11:56 am
The point being missed is that all the moves the Braves made in preparation for this season and during this season and any they could possibly make are all pointless – wasted – As long as Bobby Cox is managing – It’s like pouring resources down the drain. With their Pitching talent, it is amazing that the Braves are not leading the Division. Cox does not even understand the first and most important fundamental of managing the offense – teaching/emphasizing/developing/demanding – working the count, making the opposing pitcher throw a lot of pitches. The Braves are next to last in all of baseball in average number of pitches seen per at bat – guaranteeing terrible run production. Baseball Writers either do not understand the significance of this or choose to protect Cox by ignoring it.
Don
July 31st, 2009
11:59 am
There is no mystery — The Braves do not need to “ADD” a bat, they need to “SUBTRACT” Bobby Cox.
NC Braves Fan
July 31st, 2009
12:00 pm
I think if you look at the McLouth trade as a template, you can kinda see why we haven’t made a deal here at the deadline. McLouth filled an immediate need on the roster, he came fairly cheap, and he’s still a few years away from free agency.
Those types of players are not widely available here in July – and the ones that may be are priced at a premium that the organization is not willing to pay.
It stinks in the short term because it most likely means the Braves are not going to the playoffs this year. But it also shows planning, discipline and commitment to the future that most likely will pay off not too far down the line.
Smooth
July 31st, 2009
12:05 pm
Jeff have you ever played any kind of Ball? If you dislike the Braves this bad, get out of town. Oh take Norton, Kelly Johnson, Acosta, and Jo Jo with you.
Toots
July 31st, 2009
12:06 pm
One of the best moves the Braves could make would be to cut Greg Norton loose and bring up Brooks Conrad. And I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t cost them very much either.
jfreak
July 31st, 2009
12:06 pm
We all need to relax and just wait and see how all this plays out. The Braves made a couple major moves in the offseason to better the club “Lowe” and a couple move during the season to further improve the club “Nate and Church”. We want to win now as all fans do but from a GM point of view the idea should be to build a team that can contend year after year and the way to do that is to keep your young prospects and sign quality free agents. Mid season trades require either giving up prospects for teams that a true chance at a world series to get impact players or for teams that have NO future they are generally sellers “pirates”.
We could use some bullpen help and I hope Wren can find something out there but if not oh well. Remember the Mets fell apart late last year so anything is possible. In the end I trust Wren to do what’s best for the team over the long haul.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2009
12:06 pm
Stamper – Here’s the deal. Commenting passes through a few different filters. Sometimes, inexplicably, it gets caught in there and I have to go in periodically and approve the message, much like a SPAM filter. So I do that several times a day. If you sent your message multiple times, they all get released. But I can duplicate your original msg if you don’t want to read it twice. We cool?
Bvillebaron – Not saying Holliday is the end all/be all. But I’d be curious to know what it would’ve taken. Certainly not suggesting selling the farm.
Stamper (again): Hang in there, man. I’m just dealing with the software I’m given.
Midnite: Pretty funny. “Kawakami is like a tender, beautiful, fragile cut flower-nice at first but he wilts easily.” I missed that at his introductory press conference.
Chris (repeating): Money-2010-prospects (those are higher priorities).
ZZZZ: Lesson learned. It’s OK to punch a wall and break your hand, as long as you’re generally good enough to overcome your stupidity.
bry22
July 31st, 2009
12:11 pm
“Add a big bat means”, a player that will impact our team by increasing the runs per game averege! If the Braves could score more they would win more! Our pitching is far better than average but our hitting “runs scored” is not. Home run hitter? High average hitter? High RBI producer? All something Church is not!! KJ is not! To most degree Kotchman is not!
Chris
July 31st, 2009
12:15 pm
My bad on the repeat, Jeff – didn’t get to screen the hundreds of comments before I tossed in my questions.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2009
12:22 pm
Bry22: Stand firm! (I think “All I’m saying” is in the on-deck circle).
Chris — No issues. The thing is, mgmt. is never going to say, “We don’t care about 2009.” They do care about 2009. But it’s easy to get a sense of priorities by their actions.
Snydes
July 31st, 2009
12:23 pm
Jeff –
How do you know that the Braves did not make inquiries about Holliday, Dunn, or any other player and determined that the asking price was too high? I think that management determined early on that they were not going to risk the future for a quick fix. Let’s face it, IF the Braves had traded 3-4 prospects for holliday, would we be that much better of a team?? No. The fact is, we are building for the future and if a playoff chase develops from our current roster, that is only a bonus.
And please, do NOT forget that we traded 3 prospects to the Pirates for McClouth. Just because it didn’t happen at the trade deadline doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
Gov. Clinton Tyree
July 31st, 2009
12:23 pm
This whole premise that the Braves “didn’t do anything to improve the club at the deadline” is false.
Wren got McLouth, a huge move, and while dealing for Church wasn’t a huge move, removing Francoeur was. Both those moves were earlier. That doesn’t mean Wren “did nothing to improve the club”.
Mark
July 31st, 2009
12:25 pm
I don’t understand all the Norton bashing. The guy is a pinch hitter with a career OPS of .758. He has been injured and is now trying to come back from that injury. Conrad is a good player but for some reason he couldn’t make the majors over nine minor league seasons. What makes us think he would be good at a pinch hitting role?
The issue I see with the Braves is still their outfield. Anderson is shown he can hit but there are two other positions that aren’t.
Nativebird
July 31st, 2009
12:25 pm
If Frank Wren thinks he doesn’t need to do anything else with this squad, he IS in la la land.
Braves are awash in starting pitching (with Hudson returing).
Braves are in the sorest need of a big hitting right handed power producer that I’ve ever seen.
Hmmm…
enter GM now.
mike arnone
July 31st, 2009
12:26 pm
let’s all get together, have a beer and stop acting “stupidly”
randyarnold
July 31st, 2009
12:30 pm
Why not move Mike Gonazlez, a left-handed reliever who will be a free agent after the season, for some prospects? It might make sense to move Rafael Soriano if you can get a really good deal, since he’s a FA at the end of the season. Just make sure you get quality prospects for him.
GTSteve
July 31st, 2009
12:33 pm
Does anybody know who is pitching Sunday night?
lee
July 31st, 2009
12:51 pm
the braves say they need bats hu?? well wasnt Conrad and blonco hitting, and they sent them down???? am i the only one that thinks that was NUTS??? and as far as the bullpen goes, did anyone ever think to tell cox that he has more than 3 pichers down there. acosta came in the other night and actually said to myself for a second ” who is that?” i had forgot about him being down there!!!! stop and think about it for a second–the main pichers cox has been using has been having arm problems!!! i wonder why???
i have an new idea!!! i think the reast of the guys down there should wear sandwich-boards down there to let cox know that they are down there!!! hey they can use christmas lights around it for night games!!!
HEY SKIP!!!!
I’M DOWN HERE
PLEASE USE ME TONIGHT!!!!!!
Bravedawg
July 31st, 2009
12:53 pm
GTSteve – Billingsley/Jurrjens, via braves.com. Great matchup.
Nativebird – who do you suggest Wren go after? What deal do you suggest he makes? I’m starting to get a little tired of all of the people saying “Go get a big bat!!” but not giving any indication of who we should go after (except for guys we can’t afford), or who we should give up.
Bravedawg
July 31st, 2009
12:55 pm
As someone mentioned above (I’m too lazy to even scroll up and give credit where it’s due), how do we know that Wren hasn’t tried to get the “big bat” that everyone is screaming for, and determined the price was too high? What if the A’s wanted Heyward and Freeman for 2 months of Holliday? We’re all entitled to our opinion, certainly, but jeez, guys…let’s temper the anger a little.
bob
July 31st, 2009
12:56 pm
I’m not going to suggest what the Braves should do because, frankly, I don’t know what I’m talking about (just like a lot of posters on the AJC). I believe Wren knows what he’s doing, so I’ll trust him to make the right call. My view on trading is that whoever we trade, that position will just become another hole. We might need a bat right now, so we might trade a pitcher, but then we need a pitcher. Just trading someone away will create a hole there so just trading away a good player will not really help us at all.
teeFROMbenHILL
July 31st, 2009
12:57 pm
i was telling a friend how nutz the braves are for not going after adrian gonzalez and trading kj, kotchman, medlen, and say freeman and one other piece and he said something pretty smart. Besides F the braves, he mentioned whats the point when we just had TEX who is better and we never really made much effort to re-sign him. they would probably just let him go in offseason anyway. but dam, that would be awesome, why count on freeman when u can get a great first basemen now for the future. oh well…pie in sky
GTSteve
July 31st, 2009
1:00 pm
thanks bravedawg, that is who i figured, i didnt know with the braves having the day off this past monday, i have tickets, trying to decide whether or not to go…..since they moved it to a night game
Kentavo
July 31st, 2009
1:00 pm
Seems to me the Giants and Braves were similar – but Giants addressed their offensive weaknesses whereas Braves did not.
I was hoping for acquisition of Holliday even if it was a rental situation.
I don’t know how we’re going to afford a bat next year without shedding some salary.
Charlie M
July 31st, 2009
1:01 pm
2009 vs 2010, You can not sell off the future just to make the playoffs this year unless the trade will give you an even or better chance to win the World Series. A “bat” may add enough to get this team into the playoffs, but this team is not good enough to go very far in the PO’s with one more bat. The “bat” would cost the Braves their immediate future. The Tex deal is costing the Braves now. Not that those prospects are shining in the majors right now, but we could have gotten more players in seperate deals instead of spending them all on one player. I beleive Wren is doing the right thing by keeping his eye on 2010 and beyond.
Skeezix
July 31st, 2009
1:07 pm
I would love to see a trade to beef up the bullpen and/or the offense…but I don’t think it will happen. Anyway, unless it’s a blockbuster deal for a big time hitter, it is probably be too late to help this year (and what would we have to give up?). So we may be looking at another dull post season for Braves fans.
Joe Fan
July 31st, 2009
1:10 pm
The Braves are at least making the remaining months interesting as long as they stay incontention for the WC. Much better than last year. They have already added a couple of pieces and will add two more when Hudson and Infante are activated. No more trades needed this year. The next few years though should prove entertaining with Heyward and Freeman coming on board plus possibly adding Cody Johnson. Any word on extending Cox’s contract?
KT
July 31st, 2009
1:20 pm
The best thing the braves ciould do at this point is bring back Conrad and send Johnson and Norton back to the minors, and pick up a good middle reliever.
Unusually Big Papi
July 31st, 2009
1:29 pm
I think Curtis Jones’ posting at 11:38 was the best so far – hit the nail square on the head.
this is way more than just July, 2009 or even 2010.
this is a fundamental – almost monumental – shift in how the current Atl Braves conduct business (yes – bidness), as opposed to the Braves of 10 or even 5 yrs ago.
standing pat (Mclouth is not a difference maker…not yet) in the midst of a pennant race would not have been an option in 2000 -much less a reality.
Schultz’s blog would have been entitled “of the 3 big moves Schuerholtz made, who do you think will help the Braves the most?”
it’s sad when the addition of a middle of the road reliever is all we can hope for.
and…why all the hype re 2010? Mgmt is really setting themselves up for disaster by putting all their “marbles” into 1 yr.
* Chipper will be 38, so he’ll be lucky to get 500 ab’s
* the league will learn not to pitch to Esco as he’s too dangerous
* GA’s legs will have fallen off & he’ll have to crawl to 1st
* the trio of Hudson, Javy & Lowe will be too expensive to keep, so at least 1 will be gone
* either Gonzo, Soriano or both will leave via FA
So, that leaves us w/Mac, Hanson & prado as the bright spots. the other guys everyone has mentioned (Heyward, Freeman, Schaefer?, etc) will get some PT but will still be too young to make a major impact.
I think 2011 is more realistic for the year of the Brave.
the only way to make 2010 much different than this yr is to make some major trades/changes in the offseason:
* adios to KJ, & put Prado at 2b F/T
* trade Huddy or KK (and maybe Medlen too) for a real outfield bat. Carlos Lee, Nelson Cruz, Carl Crawford (please!!), etc
* move CK for a 1B w/some pop….or
* move Mac to 1B & let Ross catch every day. dude can hit
* adios to Carlyle & Flaherty. we need power arms in the pen – not rubber arms
Good luck Frank – we’ll be watching.
Clay
July 31st, 2009
1:36 pm
I think the Braves are well positioned. If we can pick up a solid middle reliever, then great. But if not, I’ll bank on Hudson being able to contribute in someway when he comes back.
BrandonC
July 31st, 2009
1:45 pm
I think it’s all about 2010, any playoff birth this year is gravy in my opinion. I fully expect Wren to add a big bat come the offseason. This team is good enough to get the wildcard right now I believe, why make a major trade involving big prospects with the “hope” that we might catch the Phillies? I don’t think anybody is catching them this year. Heyward will be in the lineup in 2010 added with another big bat via trade and we are looking good, especially with the way our pitching staff is going to be built.
I hope they can make the playoffs, but we have all been saying that this team is being built for next year. Even Chipper has publicaly said that. It just doesn’t make any sense to make a major move right now…
Trainwreck
July 31st, 2009
1:56 pm
I like our team right now, and although I hope we make it to the playoffs, I would rather not make the playoffs and keep the remaining prospects we do have than to trade 3 top prospects for Holliday who if I’m not mistaked will be a free agent after this year ( but maybe I am mistaken) anyway, I am not disturbed by the lack of “deadline” deals because we have made some moves this year in acquiring McClouth and Church. Also, if we get into the playoffs some way, they say pitching wins WS and I’ll put our top 4 against anyone else’s anyday, especially if Huddy comes back strong. So, anything can happen
Bill Heller
July 31st, 2009
1:57 pm
This season’s been just another tease, it makes me sympathize with Charlie Brown – remember how many times Lucy yanked the football away from him right before he could kick it?
fieldofdreams
July 31st, 2009
1:57 pm
If Hudson comes back at full strength, you move KK to long relief. Replace KJ now with Brooks Conrad, and promote Heyward in September. You gotta shot at the wild card. It could happen.
Chipper Talks Like This
July 31st, 2009
2:01 pm
Uh, If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Uh, I guess Misery loves company and I hope that umpire gets a taste of his own medicine. He had Bobby caught between a rock and a hard place and then acted so Foot loose and fancy free. He better remember that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. I wouldn’t bump fists with an umpire for all the tea in China. When he comes to Atlanta he better not rock the boat. Uh,
KillerHohn
July 31st, 2009
2:18 pm
Mr. Schultz, it’s the second verse same as the first! Why make a trade just so you can say you made one. If the trades for players with any impact value whatsoever are a barometer to what is being asked, I wouldn’t make one either. I read this morning that what the Padres are asking for Adrian Gonzalez is more than what Toronto was asking for Roy Halladay. Gonzalez is the favorite name among Braves fans when it comes to proposed trades. So, you trade much of your future for hitter who does have a few roundtrippers but is either feast or famine and hits.240? Who are the other bats that are out there? Victor Martinez? They were asking for Jed Lowrie, Clay Buckholz and maybe Daniel Bard. So, we should trade Yunel Escobar, Tommy Hanson and Julio Teheran for Martinez? That’s a comparable trade. You see my point. Shaun pointed out in another blog that the Giants made two acquisitions in Ryan Garko and Freddy Sanchez and that they were both negligible moves. I concur. If those two moves mean the Giants win the Wild Card and the Braves don’t then Atlanta wasn’t as good as everyone thought they were in the first place. Adrian Gonzalez wouldn’t make that big of an impact IF the Giants are that much better. We tried the whole scenario of trading for a first baseman to carry this team to the playoffs and again I point out- I’m sure I’m not the only person who has lately- that it didn’t work out too good the first time.
KillerHohn
July 31st, 2009
2:22 pm
Unusually Big Papi, you really think that ANY of those “big” outfield bats are available? Carlos Lee is on a team that contends not just for the Wild Card, but for its division. Nelson Cruz the same thing. Reckon Tampa Bay will let go of Carl Crawford without demanding several top prospects? Nope.
All I'm Saying Is...
July 31st, 2009
2:25 pm
Hi Jeff. I’m back from lunch. Hmmm, hmmm, let’s see, from reading this Braves blog, blah, blah, blah…NOTHING’S CHANGED! 60 games to go, 7 back of the Phillies and 4 back in the wild card—-plenty of time to make the playoffs. We don’t need no stinkin’ big bat: we just need to keep scoring runs at the pace we have since the All Star break.
And you still haven’t done any additional research to back up your misguided position.
(By the way, I was impressed by your Roddy White posting — love it when sportswriters encourage athletes to dis-honor their contract and hold out for more bucks)
LET’S GO BRAVES!
Michael
July 31st, 2009
2:29 pm
Umm – the Braves did make a big move, they just did it months ago which has had a bigger impact that if they had waited until now.
It’s fine to be critical, but the Braves have acquired two top notch players in the less than a year that other GM’s didn’t even know were available. We’re not a big market anymore and we cannot make deals like Boston and NY.
Schultz sthinks
July 31st, 2009
2:37 pm
The Braves have put at least as much effort into the trading deadline as this boob puts into this blog.
“Hey, I know- pound out two paragraphs and then yet another list!
Hardly the content king.
Jason
July 31st, 2009
2:38 pm
Jeff, The problem, often times, with aquiring a veteran bullpen arm is the number of innings they have amassed already during the course of the season. It is often benenfial to go with a fresh arm from within your own system instead. Those innings and appearances tend to catch up eventually!
I am still puzzled as to why Kelly Johnson continues to get semi-regular playing time and Brooks Conrad labors in the minors! That makes no sense whatsoever.
I may be alone in this but im fine with the Braves not making a trade and waiting on future development of players.
Unusually Big Papi
July 31st, 2009
2:47 pm
Mr. Hohn –
yes, all 3 of those bats would be something of a longshot, but consider the following:
* Lee makes $19 mil, so it’s highly unlikely ATL would take him on w/out Hou eating some of that $. If they miss the PO’s this yr, then it’s not out of the realm that they’d listen to offers in order to shed payroll in the off-season. Plus, they need pitching, like virtually everyone else. So, something like Hudson, Medlen & Brandon Jones for Lee & a bullpen arm (and some $) ain’t that crazy
* Crawford makes “only” $8.2 million. As w/the Stros, the Rays need pitching (hell – they’re rumored to be in the mix for Halladay). We could offer them Huddy & Schaefer for CC & a prospect. You’d be a fool not to do that trade. For them to keep up w/the Sox & Yanks, they need pitching.
* Cruz is the wild-card. He only makes $400k – a steal for his production- but he’s unproven. only 3.5 yrs in the bigs, & this is by far his best yr. But, the Rangers have a glutton of offense & outfielders (Hamilton, Byrd, Blalock, Andruw, etc) & a major need for pitchers. So, I can see us giving them Huddy, some cash & maybe Blanco or Jones for Cruz & reliever CJ Wilson.
none of the above is close to a reality – yet.
I’m simply saying that w/the right teams & the right parts, you’re wrong to simply assume that all 3 are untouchable.
Crawford would be the crown jewel, IMO, b/c of his salary, his age, & especially his numerous other skills.