OT- Indians trade Lee to the Phillies
At least the Tigers won't have to face him again this year.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4363553
From 22-3 last year to 7-9 this year. His team sucks though so that should equate for a few close loses...but still! Three years ago this Cleveland team was supposed to be the next big team to burst on the scene. Now they are in full sale mode.
This has been going on forever in Cleveland sports. Especially with the Indians. They are the favorite one year then after a bad year they trade their team for young talent. They are like other teams fucking triple a man. It's been like this for at least 10 years.
Hope they are all as good as Andy Marte.
Blow
It's the truth
so does Jerry Crasnick
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&pa…
He has a 3.14 ERA, and is in the top 10 in ERA in the AL -- he's still pitching very well. Don't use win/loss record to judge a pitcher, it depends as much on the offense as it does the pitcher, and even depends on the relief pitchers who follow you. His run support has been rotten: 10 out of 22 starts with 2 runs or fewer, 7 of those with one or zero runs scored.
I'd prefer to use FIP instead of ERA, but ERA is at least a decent look at it. Still depends on defense but at least is more under the control of the individual pitcher than wins and losses.
After starting poorly (gave up 7 runs in 5 innings in his first start and 4 in 5 innings in his second), he's given up more than 3 runs exactly twice in 20 starts. Four runs in one start, and the other was a start where the White Sox bitchslapped him all over. His ERA isn't deceiving either -- he has zero unearned runs allowed this year.
Add in that Lee costs about half of what Halladay does, AND they had to give up lesser prospects to get him, AND they got a backup outfielder in the deal too, and the trade looks pretty damn good.
had to give up starter J.A. Happ and minor leaguers Brown and Drabek for Halladay.
But they still need a relief pitcher. Lidge (0-4 with an ERA of 7.11 so far this year) just isn't coming close to getting it done (gave up 2 ER in 1 IP last night).
Lidge is a headcase. He was absolutely phenomenal for Houston early on, then he lost his edge and eventually found himself out of town. His first season as a Phil, he's absolutely unhittable, then finds himself one of the worse closers in baseball the next.
had the opportunity to take the job, but choked. They gotta be looking at Heath Bell or Sherril, don't they?
Phillies has interest in, but I am not sure which one.
Ryan Madson is good, and can really throw the ball hard, and has a decent mix of pitches, but his location wasn't so good when the had the opportunity.
Chad Qualls. Arizona is out of contention, and the D-Backs have a history of trading closers, so that would make sense.
Qualls may not be the best reliever around, but he is definitely a huge step up from the way Lidge is pitching.
I just don't think Madson (a rhp) is ready to be a closer, he is a good set-up man like Romero (lhp). And the way Lidge is pitching, the Phils just don't have a closer.
I am not sure what his problems are, but he does seem to have some similarities with Mitch "wild thing" Williams when Williams was serving up all kinds of gopher balls.
I have very little confidence Lidge will right the ship by the time the playoffs come around.
It sucks because I really like Lidge (despite the fact that he went to ND). He just seems like a really good guy, someone you could cheer for in good conscience (as opposed to, say, his teammate Brett Myers, who beat the hell out of his wife).
Anyways, his stuff is out of this world but he seems to have a pretty big mental block. When he's on, his slider is a goddamn thing of beauty.
On a side note, I wonder if that Pujols homer has landed yet.
As a Jays fan, I was hoping for the Drabek, Brown, Happ deal. It's looking more and more likely that the Doc is going to be traded to the BoSox. Oh dear.
They'd get immediate starts from Happ, who would not be that much of a drop-off from Halladay. Happ is also 25 (I think) so they would get a few more years from him.
Then throw in the top pitcher and top position player in the Phillies organization. Would have given the Jays something good to build on.
If the Phillies are able to deal those 3 players for a closer of Halladay's quality, then I think it be more tempting (but I still would be uncomfortable with it).
Happ is a high level prospect with the potential to maybe become a top of the rotation starter. Maybe is a highly important word here as he is completely unproven.
At any rate, he will almost certainly not be as good as Halladay, who has arguably been, and continues to be, the best pitcher in baseball, as he is consistantly dominant, even more so than more recent Cy Young winners Johan Santana, C.C. Sabathia, and Cliff Lee. Virtually every pitcher is a major dropoff from him, especially unproven prospects. Riccardi was right to set the price as high as he did, especially with a year left on his contract.
Happ's stats this year (W-L of 7-1, ERA of 2.97, WHIP of 1.18, OP BA .233) versus Halliday's (11-3, 2.62, 1.05, .243) compares fairly well.
Yes, Halliday is a proven commodity, he's 32 years old; whereas Happ is 26. No 26 year old is going to have a track record of a 32 year old; but the 26 year old have more seasons in his future. Where Happ is right now in his career bodes well for his future.
The Phillies didn't think Halladay was worth what the Jays were asking. I agree, you don't. That's OK; both teams can go elsewhere.
I think the Phillies did well to get Lee for what they gave up (some very good prospects, particularly p Knapp and catcher Marson). Their chances returning to the world series have definitely increased. Their starting 5 is now Hamels, Lee, Blanton, Happ and Moyer. (I really don't know what the plans for Pedro Martinez is right now) I assume that, although Rodrigo Lopez has pitched well in a limited role this year (3-0, 3.09 ERA), he will be the odd man out.
We'll see if any other team gives up a comparable package to the Jays for Halladay that they wanted from the Phillies.
Ricciardi overplayed his hand. It's like he completely forgot that the 2008 AL Cy Young winner, pitching well again this year, was also available.
He's probably gone after this season. We the fans, and especially the media are uber pissed. I just hope we can get Bucholz now.
I dont think Halladay gets traded this season.
As for Philly, man they are some monsters. Hamels and Lee make a solid 1-2 punch for the post season....oh and dont forget about that offense. Rollins, Victorino, Howard, Utley, Ibanez, and Werth...nice. I dont think Dodgers, Cubs, or anybody in the NL can compete.
It'll be the Phillies vs....hopefully the Tigers but as a realist I'm going to say the Yankees. Everyone loves Boston but they've fallen off past couple of months.
brawl. If it comes down to relief pitching (and it often does), the Phils are in trouble.
In the AL, I don't know much about, but don't forget about the Angels. I hope it will be the Tigers, because if the Phils make it there and lose to the Tigers, it certainly wont hurt so bad.
for the Phillies now. They won it all last year with just Hamels. Lee is now going to the NL after pitching well in the AL for the past couple years. That offense and then add the starting pitching. Yikes!!!
Only 3 players from the 8 position players that started on Opening Day remain:
N. Morgan lf - Traded
F. Sanchez 2b - Traded
N. McLouth cf - Traded
R. Doumit c - Still there
A. LaRoche 1b - Traded
A. LaRoche 3b - Still there
B. Moss rf - Still there
J. Wilson ss - Traded