2008 MLB Season

[RyanMcD29]

Great game tonight for the Mets. Should be a fun end of the regular season up ahead

[NJTank]

The firing of Willie Randolph saved the Mets season, this team has transformed back into a team that cares and plays with heart and now finally playing to their full potential, and will be a team to reckon with the rest of the way.

[Cujo]

The firing of Willie Randolph saved the Mets season, this team has transformed back into a team that cares and plays with heart and now finally playing to their full potential, and will be a team to reckon with the rest of the way.

Or maybe it's because they haven't been playing front of those obnoxious, unloyal a**holes who call themselves Mets fans .... or do you backstabbers still hang out at Shea?

[Lee.]

The firing of Willie Randolph saved the Mets season, this team has transformed back into a team that cares and plays with heart and now finally playing to their full potential, and will be a team to reckon with the rest of the way.

I must admit MOD EDIT you certainly flip-flop around MOD EDIT.

Now, now... there's no reason to get personal. Let's play nice, gang.

[See Red]

Back to the Blanton trade real quick... as I understand it, the Phillies gave up their #2 and #4 prospects in the deal. In fact, Cardenas "just missed the cut" for Baseball America's 25 best prospects at the midseason point, and Outman's had a solid year at AA Reading.

Me thinks the Phillies got fleeced in this deal.

[philly97flyer]

With Milwaukee taking Sabathia off the market, it appears that the Cubs have shifted their attention to Oakland's Rich Harden. Chicago Sun Times

Deep down, I don't believe Chicago will be able to pull it off, but it's assuring to know the Cubs are trying to upgrade their starting rotation. I would imagine Toronto's overpaid and often injured starter, A.J. Burnett, will be the player the Cubs end up settling for. I suppose Burnett would be a decent addition for the Cubs' stretch run, but he's not a pitcher the Cubs would turn for the playoffs with Zambrano, Dempster and Lilly ahead of him in the rotation, so if they go after him, I hope they dont give up much.

On the flipside, Harden would be an instant #2 starter in Chicago. With Oakland pretty much out of the AL West race, and their well-known history of dealing players before the reach their absolute prime, I can definitely see the A's shopping Harden to a contender. I fear that it could boil down to what the Cubs have to offer from their farm system, which I hear isn't all that much. But really, who knows how Chicago will react to the Sabathia deal, so it is plausible. I guess we'll just see how it plays out between now and July 31st.

As I told you, if Oakland is gonna deal away one of their starters it's gonna be whoever is foolish enough to invest a chunk of their future for a possible playoff push (and probably collapse) when they deal a top prospect or two for Joe "Jelly Roll" Blanton. I still feel though that the team to do that will most likely be Philadelphia.

And who called it from a mile away?

I do believe I did

Damn I'm good (just ignore all that Harden stuff)

C'mon Bucfan, anyone can predict how an Oakland Athletics deal will look...

"I bet the A's trade away [insert best remaining player] for [insert number] of prospects."

I will give you props for getting Philly right. Nice call.

Except you failed to land any of our 3 top prospects, all garbage. Thanks Oakland.

You got a pitcher with an ERA around 5 in one of the best pitchers parks in baseball. Oakland's pretty good at this trading thing... chances are, if you did get the better end of this one, it's not by a whole heck of a lot.

Trust me on this one. Anyone who gets Joe Blanton and expects anything big from him is delusional.

And trust me on this, them running anyone out there other than Adam Eaton is damn sure fine with me. Cardenas is a nice Single-A prospect now, but he's a 2nd baseman, and is blocked by Utley.

[BBTV]

Back to the Blanton trade real quick... as I understand it, the Phillies gave up their #2 and #4 prospects in the deal. In fact, Cardenas "just missed the cut" for Baseball America's 25 best prospects at the midseason point, and Outman's had a solid year at AA Reading.

Me thinks the Phillies got fleeced in this deal.

I don't know - I've never heard these guys discussed at all when talk of the organization's top prospects comes up. There's Carasco, Lou Marson, and Greg Golson. Cardenas is still far away from being a major leager (though we're talking about prospects here, so nobody really knows for sure.)

[See Red]

That's true, but he is pretty highly touted from what I've read about him in the past day or so, a lot of potential as a hitter, nobody's really sure of what position he'll play as he's not great defensively at second base, doesn't have the range to play shortstop. He should be a good enough bat to where he could play 3B or LF. I'm not sure what other pitchers are out there, but I think they could've done a lot better than they did for the prospects they gave up. If Joe Blanton is the Phillies answer to the Mets catching fire and suddenly having a race on their hands... it's not a good one. I guess they had to do something.

I respect the trades Billy Beane makes... he makes great ones, but Pythag suggests the A's should've be winning the AL West by about 5 games when they made this deal, which suggests they've been a bit unlucky. Sometimes you just have to go for it... he seems unwilling to do it anymore. Blanton sucks though and their season was over when they dealt Harden but still...

[gingerbreadmann]

That's true, but he is pretty highly touted from what I've read about him in the past day or so, a lot of potential as a hitter, nobody's really sure of what position he'll play as he's not great defensively at second base, doesn't have the range to play shortstop. He should be a good enough bat to where he could play 3B or LF. I'm not sure what other pitchers are out there, but I think they could've done a lot better than they did for the prospects they gave up. If Joe Blanton is the Phillies answer to the Mets catching fire and suddenly having a race on their hands... it's not a good one. I guess they had to do something.

I respect the trades Billy Beane makes... he makes great ones, but Pythag suggests the A's should've be winning the AL West by about 5 games when they made this deal, which suggests they've been a bit unlucky. Sometimes you just have to go for it... he seems unwilling to do it anymore. Blanton sucks though and their season was over when they dealt Harden but still...

Not necessarily... he is projected to have a 3.82 FIP for the remainder of the season and a 2.12 K/BB, vast improvements over what he's done thus far.

[tp49]

The firing of Willie Randolph saved the Mets season, this team has transformed back into a team that cares and plays with heart and now finally playing to their full potential, and will be a team to reckon with the rest of the way.

Or maybe it's because they haven't been playing front of those obnoxious, unloyal a**holes who call themselves Mets fans .... or do you backstabbers still hang out at Shea?

Those who think that Jerry Manuel is going to be the savior of the Mets did not pay attention to his record in the playoffs with the White Sox. He might get the Mets there, but if history repeats itself they won't get far.

[HedleyLamarr]

As usual, you get the free weekend (or maybe a week) of MLB Extra Innings this weekend.

[Cujo]

Back to the Blanton trade real quick... as I understand it, the Phillies gave up their #2 and #4 prospects in the deal. In fact, Cardenas "just missed the cut" for Baseball America's 25 best prospects at the midseason point, and Outman's had a solid year at AA Reading.

Me thinks the Phillies got fleeced in this deal.

I don't know - I've never heard these guys discussed at all when talk of the organization's top prospects comes up. There's Carasco, Lou Marson, and Greg Golson. Cardenas is still far away from being a major leager (though we're talking about prospects here, so nobody really knows for sure.)

I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to farm players and all that, but if the prospects Oakland received in deal were really that good, I don't think they would have been dealt in exchange for Joe Schmo eerr Blanton. There's no way Philly can be that desperate for pitching!

[KDubK414]

Trade winds blowing around the Brewers now. Possibly involving an Oakland guy who's name is something like "Texas City" "City Road?" Just saying.

[Cujo]

Trade winds blowing around the Brewers now. Possibly involving an Oakland guy who's name is something like "Texas City" "City Road?" Just saying.

I figured Street was the next player to be a part of Oakland's neverending fire sale.

However, the question is: Does Milwaukee have any prospects left to give Oakland after the Sabathia trade? ... and if so, does the Oakland farm system have enough roster space for three more "nobodys"?

[NJTank]

Trade winds blowing around the Brewers now. Possibly involving an Oakland guy who's name is something like "Texas City" "City Road?" Just saying.

I figured Street was the next player to be a part of Oakland's neverending fire sale.

However, the question is: Does Milwaukee have any prospects left to give Oakland after the Sabathia trade? ... and if so, does the Oakland farm system have enough roster space for three more "nobodys"?

What is up with the A's they were in the race?

[KDubK414]

Trade winds blowing around the Brewers now. Possibly involving an Oakland guy who's name is something like "Texas City" "City Road?" Just saying.

I figured Street was the next player to be a part of Oakland's neverending fire sale.

However, the question is: Does Milwaukee have any prospects left to give Oakland after the Sabathia trade? ... and if so, does the Oakland farm system have enough roster space for three more "nobodys"?

What is up with the A's they were in the race?

I'm not sure if it is Street yet, but the first reports were for him, scouting reports have not been good on Huston lately, he blew another save against the Yankees today? Though things could change, it could be OF Matt Ford (+) for Street or Durham/Taschner from the Giants? Updates as they occur.

[Joshawaggie]

Trade winds blowing around the Brewers now. Possibly involving an Oakland guy who's name is something like "Texas City" "City Road?" Just saying.

It's not gonna be Street. It's gonna be a deal with the Giants involving Ray Durham and a reliever Jack Taschner. Brewers would give up Darren Ford and a couple other minor leaguers.

[HedleyLamarr]

The Reds have only had four sellouts this season, including tonight's game against the Mets?

Wow....

[Cujo]

It's gonna be a deal with the Giants involving Ray Durham and a reliever Jack Taschner. Brewers would give up Darren Ford and a couple other minor leaguers.

Good call.

Brewers deal for Giants second baseman Durham

[footballfiji]

It's gonna be a deal with the Giants involving Ray Durham and a reliever Jack Taschner. Brewers would give up Darren Ford and a couple other minor leaguers.

Good call.

Brewers deal for Giants second baseman Durham

But where is he going to play?

I thought Rickie Weeks had locked up 2B, Hardy is great at Short, and Hall, Dillon, and Branyan platoon at third.