Two minor league players to be named or cash considerations
It's been obvious for some time now that the Padres, sitting in last place, had no chance of contending and that Maddux would be dealt to a contender. With this deal the Padres could pick up some good prospects to help them rebuild, while the Dodgers get a veteran boost on and off the field as they race the Arizona Diamondbacks to the postseason. The 42-year-old Maddux played for the Dodgers late in the 2006 season, and went 6-3 with a 3.30 ERA in 12 starts to help them win a wild-card berth. So far this season, Maddux is 6-9 with a 3.99 ERA.
In the thick of a pennant race, the Mets bullpen needed help, and fast. Ayala has been with the Expos/Nationals franchise since 2003 and was pretty solid through 2007. However, this season he has struggled. With a career ERA of 3.32, he has pitched 58.1 innings this season with a skyrocketing 5.71 ERA (6.75 since the All-Star break). He is healthy so a change of scenery could do him well. Hernandez has seen a few call-ups with the Mets and in just over 90 major league at bats, he has a .165 batting career average in the majors. More impressive his his defense in the infield.
The Red Sox picked up Byrd to help fill in the back end of an ailing rotation. With Curt Schilling done for the season and Tim Wakefield on the DL, the Red Sox needed another arm. Byrd struggled the first half of the season, but has been red hot since the All-Star break winning all five of his starts, throwing a complete game and tallying a 1.98 ERA. If he keeps it up, he could help the Red Sox catch up to the Rays.
RHP Dallas Buck (minor leaguer) and two players to be named
It's no shocker the Diamondbacks made a move to stay in the NL West pennant race after the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez and continue to close in on the division lead. The hope is that Dunn, who is tied for the lead in homers, will boost Arizona's sluggish offense. Dunn has 40 or more homers in the last four seasons and will help fill some holes on Arizona's injury-plagued roster. Currently on the DL -- 2B Orlando Hudson (out for the season), LF Eric Byrnes (likely out for the rest of the regular season) and RF Justin Upton, 15-day DL. Initially Dunn will replace Upton in the outfield but when he returns, Bob Melvin will have some shuffling to do. Heading to Cincinnati is Buck, a 23-year old righty who was 1-4 with a 3.94 ERA at Class A South Bend. Cincinnati goes into official revamp mode with Dunn and Griffey gone and several free-agents to be on the roster.
While the deal to send Manny to the Dodgers was initially a surprise, the Dodgers needed a slugger if they wanted to stay in the NL West race. At the time of the trade, the Dodgers were one game behind Arizona but could've lost ground quickly as they were struggling to bring in runs (second to last in the NL in homers, fourth from the bottom in RBI and runs). Ramirez will likely take over in left field and it is not yet known how the Dodgers will shuffle the rest of the outfielders. The Dodgers also waived Manny's options for the next two years so he becomes a rental player until the season is over and tests the free agent market.
For Boston, they rid themselves of the outfielder and replace him with Bay, a two-time All-Star with stats similar to Ramirez (.282 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI). He was the NL rookie of the year in 2004 and should be a nice fit at Fenway Park.
Andy LaRoche joins his brother, Adam, in Pittsburgh and will see time at third and could eventually take over the spot. He played in 27 games this season for the Dodgers, hitting .319 with 2 homers and 6 RBI. Also joining the roster are Moss and Hansen, while Morris will go straight to Class A Hickory. Hansen was Boston's first-round pick in the 2005 draft and has a 6.15 ERA over three major league seasons. He'll likely be a middle reliever and has the potential to be a closer. Moss spent time in the majors and Triple-A Pawtucket this season. With Boston, he hit .295 with five doubles and two homers in 78 at-bats. He could see some at-bats in left field to replace Bay.
The Cincinnati fan favorite is headed to Chicago after accepting the deal to the White Sox. The Sox, needed to do something as the Twins continue to close in on the division race. With outfielder Nick Swisher and infielder Paul Konerko badly slumping, the Sox hope Griffey can add a jolt to the lineup. It's likely that Konerko will get benched, Swisher moved to first and Griffey will fill Swisher's spot in centerfield, where he hasn't played since 2006. Cincinnati, along with Richar and Masset, will also pay the remaining $4 million on Griffey's contract. Richar, 25, lost the second base job to Alexei Ramirez and has not played in the majors yet this season. However, he is major-league ready after appearing in 56 games last season hitting .230 with six home runs and 15 RBI. He is blocked by Brandon Phillips at second but Richar can still contribute as an everyday player if one of them can make a move to shortstop. Masset has logged 32 games this season as a reliever and has a a 4.63 ERA. He could head straight to the Reds' bullpen however, he does have some minor-league experience as a starter and Cincy could switch him back.
The Astros tried to land Hawkins during the offseason but lost out to the Yankees. This time around, the Astros landed the reliever just a few days after the Yankees designated him for assignment. The Astros needed help in the back end of the rotation and the club hopes the experienced reliever can come through and bridge the gap to closer Jose Valverde. Hawkins was 1-1 with a 5.71 ERA in 33 relief appearances for the Yankees but has shown improvement each month and the Astros hope he can turn his season around. Cusick was drafted in the 10th round of the draft and plays second and third base. In his first full season, he played in 94 games, batting a .285, with nine home runs, 38 RBI and 40 walks.
With Jorge Posada out for six months after shoulder surgery, the Yankees were desperate to fill the void. Rodriguez, a 14-time All-Star and 13-time Gold Glove winner is batting a .295 with five homers in 82 games this season and can file for free agency after the season. With Rodriguez gone, Brandon Inge will take over in Detroit. Inge has been in 23 games as catcher already this season. Farnsworth struggled with the Yankees over the past three seasons , and with the addition of Damaso Marte, Farnsworth was dealt. Since Todd Jones was pulled from the closer role, and Fernando Rodney taking over, the Detroit 'pen was in need of another arm. Farnsworth pitched 44.1 innings and had a 3.65 ERA this season.
With all the injuries to the roster, the struggling Braves knew it was time to deal Teixeira. The slugger is batting .283 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI and is the power bat the Angels have been searching for to compliment Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter. With a sizable lead in the AL West, Teixeira is an insurance policy to get to the postseason. Teixeira could be in Los Angeles for a while, considering the slugger is a free agent after the season and the Angels are interested in giving him a new contract. Kotchman, on the other hand, is not eligible for free agency until 2011 so the Braves can hold on to the inexpensive first baseman for a while. While Kotchman doesn't have the power of Teixeira, he can still hit -- batting a .287 with 12 homers and 54 RBI. As for Marek, he has no major league experience and was almost exclusively a starter in four minor league seasons but the Angels converted him to a reliever at AA-Arkansas in 2008.
The Dodgers are still contending in the NL West and they needed to acquire a player to step in for slumping infielders Blake DeWitt and Andy LaRoche. After the trade, DeWitt was optioned to Triple-A and it is still not known exactly what combination they'll use at third with Blake and LaRoche, who maintained only a .182 average in the first half. Blake's versitility and his bat will help the Dodgers down the stretch. He is batting .293 with 11 homers and 58 RBI. The Indians get Meloan, who was a reliever last season but the Dodgers converted him to a starter. GM Mark Shapiro said Meloan could get a call up at some point this season. As a starter, Meloan was 5-10 with a 4.97 ERA at Triple-A Las Vegas. Santana will report to Class-A Kinston but he could rise quickly. He's a switch hitter batting .323 with 14 HR and 96 RBI at Class-A Inland Empire.
This trade comes just as the Yankees are on a seven-game win streak and are within a few games of first place in the AL East. The Yankees needed an outfielder to take the spot left by Hideki Matsui. Nady is hitting a career-best .330, with 13 homers and 57 RBI and will likely be in the lineup everyday even when Matsui returns. Marte is a much-needed lefty addition for the bullpen. He won't be stealing many closer opportunities from Mariano Rivera, but Marte will be a primary setup man and can step in for the veteran closer when needed. For the Pirates, the center of the trade is Tabata. The 19-year-old Venezuelan has a .248 average with three homers and 36 RBI in 79 games at AA-Trenton. With Marte gone, the Pirates will turn to either RHP Tyler Yates or LHP John Grabow to close. Originally, the deal was to include LHP Phil Coke and RHP George Kontos but instead the Pirates ended up with Karstens and McCutchen along with Ohlendorf, all of whom help replenish the Pirates empty farm system. Karstens is major-league ready and will step into the rotation to replace John Van Benschoten. Karstens, 25, has nine combined major league starts (15 appearances) in 2006 and 2007 with a 3-5 record and a 5.65 ERA. Ohlendorf has appeared in 25 games this season and is 1-1 with a 6.53 ERA. McCutchen has not yet pitched in the minors.
In this trade the Nationals look ahead to 2009, while the Diamondbacks hope to stay in the 2008 NL West pennant race. The D-backs get a proven closer in Rauch, but media reports speculate he'll mostly be used in a setup role to help the struggling bullpen down the stretch. Rauch converted 17 of his 22 save opportunities and is under contract through 2010. In Washington, Joel Hanrahan will step in as the closer for the rest of the season. Bonifacio, one of the Diamondbacks top prospects, will emerge next season as the everyday second baseman and leadoff hitter. He has speed, huge stolen base potential and maintained a .284 average in the minors. He will start at Class AAA Columbus (Ohio).
A long shot in the NL Central race, the Astros needed help in the rotation especially since Roy Oswalt went on the DL. Wolf, an All-Star in 2003, has struggled this season (6-10 with a 4.74 ERA in 21 starts) but will step right into the rotation in Houston. Wolf signed a one-year deal with the Padres, which makes him a free agent after the season. Reineke, 26, was 5-9 with a 4.41 ERA in 20 games for Class AAA Round Rock and will head straight to Class AAA Portland.
The Brewers are going for it. Durham will likely platoon with Rickie Weeks at second. The 36-year-old veteran was in his sixth season in San Francisco and is in the final year of his contract. Durham had a .293 average at SF this season and is a viable option at second if Weeks' production declines in the second half. This is a sign of the changing of the guard in San Francisco. Emmanuel Burriss and Eugenio Velez will take over Durham's vacated spot.
The Orioles have been searching for a permanent solution at shortstop ever since trading Miguel Tejada to the Astros during the offseason. The 11-year veteran started the season with the Reds, was released in early April and wound up signing a minor league deal with the Rockies. He had a .300 average in 18 games in Triple-A.
1B Tony Clark heads back to Arizona where he played from 2005-07. He will likely end up as their top pinch hitter but more importantly, he'll continue to provide veteran leadership in the clubhouse. He will also get more playing time at first in Arizona. To make the move, Clark agreed to waive a $500,000 trade bonus. RHP Evan Scribner was a 28th round selection in last year's draft and is far off from pitching in the majors.
If the Phillies wanted to stay in the NL East race, they needed a boost to the rotation. After losing out on CC Sabathia and Rich Harden, they landed Joe Blanton. Even with a slow start, 5-12 and 4.96 ERA, Blanton could still boost the Phillies as a solid innings-eater for the middle of the rotation. He is under contract through the 2010 season. Adrian Cardenas is a top prospect and as a second baseman, he had to wait behind All-Star Chase Utley in Philly. Josh Outman has the most experience and would likely be the first to get a call-up, but the A's are expected to keep all players in the minors for now.
The race in the NL Central just got more interesting. As the midseason mark neared, the Cubs sat at the top of the division trying to close in on ending the 100-year drought without a World Series title. Harden can be a force on the mound when healthy, but he has been plagued by injuries. He spent one month on the DL in April and has had very limited starts the past two seasons. Gaudin reconnects with Piniella, who were together back in Tampa. For Oakland, the key player is RHP Sean Gallagher. He had 10 starts for the Cubs with a 4.45 ERA and will head straight to the A's rotation. The rest of Oakland's acquisitions in this trade could surprise and add depth as the A's rebuild.
RHP Yovani Gallardo was expected to be atop the Brewers rotation along with Ben Sheets, but after only three starts he tore his ACL and was out for the season. Since then, the Brewers were left with a spot for another power pitcher and that's where C.C. Sabathia fits. With Sheets and Sabathia, the Brewers will try to make the first playoff appearance since 1982. The Indians have battled injuries and underperformances, so the club decided to focus on prospects to fill holes. LaPorta plays first base and left field and those spots were filled in Milwaukee. He had a great run in 2008 at Double-A Huntsville and could even be called up this season.
Other deals:
Aug. 12: The Boston Red Sox acquired RHP Paul Byrd from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later.
Aug. 9: The Kansas City Royals acquired minor league OF Paulo Orlando from the Chicago White Sox for LHP Horacio Ramirez.
Aug. 7: The Philadelphia Phillies acquired LHP Scott Eyre from the Chicago Cubs for RHP Brian Schlitter.
The Tampa Bay Rays acquired RHP Chad Bradford from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for a player to be named later.
July 31: The Washington Nationals get SS Alberto Gonalez from the Yankees for RHP Jhonny Nunez
