2012 MLB Season

[Kramerica Industries]

Yankees lose A-Rod 4-8 weeks to a broken hand. Thanks Felix....

I like Eric Chavez. He's been swinging the bat with power pretty well this year, but he's obviously no A-Rod.

He also breaks easier than glass does.

Either this means Eduardo Nunez returns from triple A, the fascinating comedian he is in the infield, or the Yankees swing a move for a 3B/UTIF. Who that is, I dunno. Not many teams have conceded their seasons by this point, and further yet, whether they have desirable pieces, and at what cost.

Knew from the second I saw that last night that ARod was facing significant DL time. I guess that's what big divisional leads are for, right?

The callup ended up being Ramiro Pena, though I'm not excatly sure why he's the callup. I'm hoping they don't make a move and that Chavez can hold up for four weeks. I really don't think we'll drop much, if at all, in the standings with the lead we have.

Nunez is still on the mend with a thumb injury, from what I read.

Barring either a total meltdown or an exceptional run by any of the other teams in the division, the Yankees should be in good position. And, honestly, the race for #1 in the AL overall doesn't have nearly the same appeal this season as it usually would. The biggest key is to hold serve in the remaining divisional games (and there are 41 in total remaining), going .500 or so in that stretch would probably seal it up. Bear in mind the Yankees did go on a nice run when both Pettitte and Sabathia were out - really, until they hit this west coast snag with the scorching A's.

As for a point I made above, I think the biggest crime about this year's hasty playoff format is how grossly unfair it could end up being towards the #1 teams in each league. I'll use my biased Yankee POV first, but it can be applied with the Rangers, and whoever the #1 team in the NL will be:

The play-in game for the postseason in each league is the day after the regular season ends. The playoffs themselves begin the day after the play-in games.

It's very possible that the AL play-in game could be between Baltimore/Boston/TB, and Anaheim/Oakland. I think the point there is pretty obvious - east coast vs. west coast.

Now, suppose Anaheim/Oakland wins that game. Now HOW in the world would a team like the Yankees be getting a "division winners", let alone a "#1 seed" benefit by having to fly 3,000 miles for a game the next night, with the playoffs beginning? This is only slightly allayed if ANA/OAK were on the east coast themselves and won, and had to make the same trip. But in that case, you're likely going to see some really, really poor baseball in a playoff setting, which is about the last thing MLB wants/needs.

As far as the Rangers are concerned, they aren't in the same kind of close-or-far scenario, but none of the teams in the wild card race are within 1000 miles of Arlington, so that's not exactly ideal either.

This really, to me, just shows why hastily implementing the format, effective 2012, was Bud Selig and MLB at its very worst. Playoff schedules had already been determined - to jam in the play-in games, to go with a 2-3 format that was discarded for a reason 15 years ago, and to, in a sense, create an advantage to being #2 over #1, almost contradicts what the entire premise is for the "two wild card" format in the first place, even if for only one season.

If something this significant couldn't be given it's final acceptance until March, when spring training had already started, then it should've been kept shelved until next season.

[infrared41]

In other news...

The Pirates get Wandy Rodriguez from the Astros in exchange for three minor leaguers.

They showed him shaking hands and smiling with his Astros teammates in the dugout during the broadcast last night when he heard the news. It's probably a great feeling to leave a team that's lost 21 of their last 23.

And get called up to the big leagues at the same time. OK, this may be the first time in...well...the history of these boards where being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates is considered a big step up.

[NJTank]

Its safe to say Astros have a problem

[crashcarson15]

What? That they're rebuilding...? Why hold on to Wandy when he's not going to be around if you ever do get good again?

[OnWis97]

In other news...

The Pirates get Wandy Rodriguez from the Astros in exchange for three minor leaguers.

They showed him shaking hands and smiling with his Astros teammates in the dugout during the broadcast last night when he heard the news. It's probably a great feeling to leave a team that's lost 21 of their last 23.

Side issue: The new stacked ads in Minute Maid Park up near the train track make that ballpark look even worse. I didn't think that was possible.

So someone is happy to be going from any team to the Pirates. That's a nice change.

Edit: Infra beat me to it...

[BrySmalls]

Its safe to say Astros have a problem

[insert Happless joke here]

[NJTank]

Ahhhhhh the Flowers thy bloom in April and May and thats when the Mets cometh to play, come June starts the swoon as they die in July another season comes to pass they will soon be in last. Oh indeed being a Mets fan is like being waterboaded on a nightly basis hopefully football season will provided an oasis. Dial M for misery though I may not get any symptahty another season goes down in flames oh what a shame.

[pmoehrin]

Its safe to say Astros have a problem

[insert Happless joke here]

I really don't know what the plan is in Houston right now. I get they're in rebuliding mode, but you still have to put out a product at the major league level and its not like Wandy Rodriguez is this over the hill pitcher that can't be on your team two years from now and still be effective.

They're dead last in attendance right now and I don't blame Houston fans one bit for quitting on this team. They're not even playing for 2013, they're playing for 2014.

The deal might wind up working out, but at some point you have to playing to win today and if your an Astro fan I would be asking when is that day going to come?

[mania]

I really don't know what the plan is in Houston right now. I get they're in rebuliding mode, but you still have to put out a product at the major league level and its not like Wandy Rodriguez is this over the hill pitcher that can't be on your team two years from now and still be effective.

They're dead last in attendance right now and I don't blame Houston fans one bit for quitting on this team. They're not even playing for 2013, they're playing for 2014.

The deal might wind up working out, but at some point you have to playing to win today and if your an Astro fan I would be asking when is that day going to come?

Wandy's 33. Not a spring chicken, even as finesse lefties tend to age a little better than most, but his peripherals have been steadily decreasing. They keep him, and his value has nowhere to go but down.

I think Luhnow's a really smart guy, he just had an absolute :censored:ing mess of a situation to step into.

He's looked at how the Rays and Rangers have rebuilt their systems, and is looking at that as the template.

They were really smart this year in the draft, passing on Appel and his demands, and instead using the money they saved on getting Correa to go below slot to pick up some studs later on.

Some of their moves were just about getting out of a contract (see: Myers), but for Wandy, they got a really nice package. Owens is someone who can step in right away and not embarass himself, although his ceiling isn't very high. Cain is someone who's ceiling has taken a hit over the last year or two, but he's got a decent floor, as he's a big bodied lefty who throws strikes. Grossman could be something special, although there are concerns about him staying in CF.

They've made their developmental mistakes, but some of them have been out of a lack of better choices (like rushing Lyles and leaving him in the bigs to suffer. Still think he could bounce back as he matures.)

As they are about to get into the Rangers division, I don't want to say this, but the Astros are absolutely building something.

Jose Altuve, Jonathan Singleton, Jarred Cosart, Kevin Correa, Jordan Lyles, Lance McCullers... this is a group that you can build around in the years to come. They're probably 3-4 years away, still, and their hill's about to become a lot harder with a new division.

[pmoehrin]

I really don't know what the plan is in Houston right now. I get they're in rebuliding mode, but you still have to put out a product at the major league level and its not like Wandy Rodriguez is this over the hill pitcher that can't be on your team two years from now and still be effective.

They're dead last in attendance right now and I don't blame Houston fans one bit for quitting on this team. They're not even playing for 2013, they're playing for 2014.

The deal might wind up working out, but at some point you have to playing to win today and if your an Astro fan I would be asking when is that day going to come?

Wandy's 33. Not a spring chicken, even as finesse lefties tend to age a little better than most, but his peripherals have been steadily decreasing. They keep him, and his value has nowhere to go but down.

I think Luhnow's a really smart guy, he just had an absolute :censored:ing mess of a situation to step into.

He's looked at how the Rays and Rangers have rebuilt their systems, and is looking at that as the template.

They were really smart this year in the draft, passing on Appel and his demands, and instead using the money they saved on getting Correa to go below slot to pick up some studs later on.

Some of their moves were just about getting out of a contract (see: Myers), but for Wandy, they got a really nice package. Owens is someone who can step in right away and not embarass himself, although his ceiling isn't very high. Cain is someone who's ceiling has taken a hit over the last year or two, but he's got a decent floor, as he's a big bodied lefty who throws strikes. Grossman could be something special, although there are concerns about him staying in CF.

They've made their developmental mistakes, but some of them have been out of a lack of better choices (like rushing Lyles and leaving him in the bigs to suffer. Still think he could bounce back as he matures.)

As they are about to get into the Rangers division, I don't want to say this, but the Astros are absolutely building something.

Jose Altuve, Jonathan Singleton, Jarred Cosart, Kevin Correa, Jordan Lyles, Lance McCullers... this is a group that you can build around in the years to come. They're probably 3-4 years away, still, and their hill's about to become a lot harder with a new division.

Is there an argument the deal made could be a good one? Certainly. Wandy's best years are behind him. And at least two of those guys will make a big league roster. But what you going to put out there in his place in the meantime? Some 22 year old kid who's at least two years away from being an effective major leaguer or some 30 year old AAAA pitcher? Because that's all Houston really has at this point and if they had more they wouldn't be on pace to win 55 games.

I guess where I'm coming from is that I'm not believer in the theory of rebuilding mode meaning we don't give a crap about winning games today and that's clearly the message being sent with this move, because Wandy Rodriguez can still pitch and will be able to do so barring injury for another two to three years at a high level in the majors.

Granted way more blame can be placed on Ed Wade for the Astros current situation then Luhnow, who I think pretty much destroyed whatever reputation he built up in Philadelphia as a competent GM. I'm still waiting to hear on the rational on why trading away Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence was a good idea. The Astros came into the season in probably the worst position of any of the 30 major league teams in terms of their ability to win now or in the immediate future, so I can only be so hard on anyone in that position.

In short I would say is it a good baseball deal? Maybe. You just never know with prospects. But is it a good deal for people who have season tickets though? No. They might as well just start giving away seats for the rest of the season because that's the only way they're selling out games now.

[Kramerica Industries]

Another day, another win for the Washington Nationals.

58-39 now on the season. And finally they've been getting some offense out of Zimmerman, Morse, and Espinosa. That's a really, really good team on both sides of the ball now.

[Funky Bunky]

Ahhhhhh the Flowers thy bloom in April and May and thats when the Mets cometh to play, come June starts the swoon as they die in July another season comes to pass they will soon be in last. Oh indeed being a Mets fan is like being waterboaded on a nightly basis hopefully football season will provided an oasis. Dial M for misery though I may not get any symptahty another season goes down in flames oh what a shame.

Shuts! Be happy bro, yo Devs just made da finals and dey look good fo nex yo. Even wit no Zacky p

Be thankful you're not a Cubs or Royals fan.

[BigBubba]

Ricky Romero is getting blown up for the sixth start in a row and hasn't really played consistently well since, oh, about April.

Get well soon, Morrow.

[NEW.ERA]

Bi-Polar Jays back at again.

What can be said about Ricky? This is worse than a slump, maybe he's holding back an injury.

[BigBubba]

...aaaaaaaand now Arencibia is out 6-8 weeks with a broken hand. At least they can call up d'Arnaud.

Oh wait - he's out for the year with knee surgery. Now we'll have Jeff Mathis leading the ship for the rest of the year.

[NEW.ERA]

Soon as I saw JP get hit, I knew he was done. How much more worse can it get?

[Shumway]

...aaaaaaaand now Arencibia is out 6-8 weeks with a broken hand. At least they can call up d'Arnaud.

Oh wait - he's out for the year with knee surgery. Now we'll have Jeff Mathis leading the ship for the rest of the year.

*shudders*

[NJTank]

...aaaaaaaand now Arencibia is out 6-8 weeks with a broken hand. At least they can call up d'Arnaud.

Oh wait - he's out for the year with knee surgery. Now we'll have Jeff Mathis leading the ship for the rest of the year.

The Jays should take the field to Suicide is Painless (theme from MASH)

[The_Admiral]

Be thankful you're not a Cubs or Royals fan.

I wear my Cubs hat most proudly right after they get their asses kicked. Show everyone I'm hangin' in there forever.

[sportstar1212]

...aaaaaaaand now Arencibia is out 6-8 weeks with a broken hand. At least they can call up d'Arnaud.

Oh wait - he's out for the year with knee surgery. Now we'll have Jeff Mathis leading the ship for the rest of the year.

I think it's safe to say the Jays are :censored:ed.