25 Days and Counting

By this time last year C.C. Sabathia and Rich Harden had already been traded. So far this season here some of the blockbuster trades already completed...




Cool. The biggest deal to date has been Nate McClouth to the Braves or Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals. Not bad, they are both All-Star caliber players, it is just not the same as last year. Maybe it is because of how many teams are still in contention. Let's take a look.

Contenders/Buyers- Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, Dodgers, Phillies, Mets, Angels, Rangers, Tigers, Twins, Brewers, Cubs, Cardinals, Marlins, and Giants.

I'm not saying that all those teams will be buying (Florida will definitely not buy, but I think most teams on the list, which is 1/2 the teams in baseball, are going to be looking to add that missing piece. I don't think there is a team without a glaring weakness. There is still potential for a trade to be made that changes the complexion of any division. I also think that of the 8 playoff spots up for grabs, it is between these 15 teams to sort it out. Everyone else will be an also ran*.

*a note about the Mets. Yes, they suck, plain and simple. Their offense looks like a mid-level AAA lineup and their starting pitching is god-awful, but if Reyes, Delgado, and Beltran come back healthy are you going to tell me that they cannot make a run at it? They are only 4 games back.

Teams all mixed up- Colorado, Atlanta, Toronto, ChiSox, and Reds.

These are teams that are either a piece away from making a push, or are in a situation where they could sell and set up the future and still put up a respectable finish. None of these teams are far away from a playoff spot, but none seem ready to make an all out run for one. I think Atlanta is probably one or two pieces away from making the NL East very interesting and I think the ChiSox are probably right behind them. The Rockies, Jays, and Reds should probably sell if the deal is a good one as they are in divisions that do not look open for the taking at the moment.

Sellers-Orioles, D-Backs, Athletics, Nationals, Royals, Pirates, Indians, Astros, Padres, and Mariners.

Yes, the Mariners have a winning record. They also play in the AL West and have a negative run differential. This team is not equipped to win a playoff spot and that is why they are here. Everyone else speaks for themselves. The most interesting case are the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are in a tough situation, having a lot of young players who look promising, but have not lived up to the hype that 2007 helped create. A quick look at their roster leaves you with half-studs(Reynolds and Upton leading the field) and half-duds(Chris Young is a full-fledged dud). Did they simply over estimate the actual talent of their prospects or were they hoping that everyone would pan out and gel together? Either way, if this continues into next year, they may be a rebuilding project. I do not expect the Orioles to sell, unless it is Huff or maybe Mora, just because next year, they might be on the Contenders list with their line up.

I do not expect many big trades to be made this year just because 20 of the 30 teams seem to be in the hunt (21 if you include the Mariners). There is not CC this year, Peavy and Bedard are hurt, and Matt Holliday has been human when removed from the thin air of Denver. At the end of the day, unless something crazy happens, the swapping will be a bit dull this year.