Races Coming Down To Wire

As of now, five of the six divisions in Major League Baseball have at least one team within 5 games of the division leader. The only team that has basically wrapped up a spot in the playoffs is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. So how will the divisions shake out? Here is how the National League West division will finish:

National League West- This division may have the tightest race the rest of the season, as the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers are currently tied for first place with records of 61-59. The Dodgers should hold an upperhand in the race. While both teams are young, the Dodgers have a little more experience and a manager by the name of Joe Torre, who won four World Series championships while managing the New York Yankees. The newest Dodger, Manny Ramirez, also won two World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox in the past 4 years, so he knows what it takes to get to the playoffs and succeed there.

Both of these teams own solid pitching staffs. The Diamondbacks are 4th in the NL in ERA (3.96) and BAA (.252), 2nd in OPS (.708), and 1st in WHIP (1.27) and quality starts (71). They have one of baseball's best pitchers in Brandon Webb, who currently leads the Majors in wins with 17. Overall, Webb is 17-4 with a 2.88 ERA and 3 complete games. The Diamondbacks also have gotten solid production in their starting rotation Dan Haren (12-6, 3.00 ERA) and Randy Johnson (10-8, 4.18 ERA). Arizona's rotation is very weak other than the three listed above. Their bullpen has done a solid job, however. Closer Brandon Lyon has racked up 25 saves to go with his 2-4 record and his 4.08 ERA. Set-up men Jon Rauch (4-3, 3.07 ERA), Chad Qualls (2-7, 3.50 ERA), and Juan Cruz (2-0, 3.06 ERA) have all been very reliable out of the bullpen.

Top-to-bottom, the Dodgers starting pitching has been better than Arizona's this season. The Dodgers have gotten good production from Chad Billingsley (11-9, 3.07 ERA), Hiroki Kuroda (6-8, 4.02 ERA), Derek Lowe (9-10, 4.11), and Clayton Kershaw (2-3, 3.78 ERA). If Brad Penny (6-9, 6.05 ERA) can turn his season around, the Dodgers will have a very formidable rotation for the rest of the season.

The Dodgers bullpen has also been very good. Closer Jonathan Broxton (3-3, 3.58 ERA, 8 saves) has done an adequate job of filling in for injured closer Takashi Saito (3-3, 2.18 ERA, 17 saves). The set-up men for Los Angeles have been very, very good. Chan Ho Park (4-3, 2.62 ERA), Hong-Chih Kuo (4-2, 1.70 ERA), Joe Beimel (3-0, 1.87 ERA), and Cory Wade (2-1, 2.56 ERA) give Joe Torre a multitude of options to choose from in the late innings. In fact, the Dodgers bullpen has helped give Los Angeles the National League's best team ERA (3.58) and OPS (.691). The Dodgers also have the NL's third-best WHIP, with a 1.30 mark.

Hitting-wise, both of these teams are little weak. Both teams made moves to improve their power, as Los Angeles acquired Ramirez (.317 BA, 25 HR, 84 RBI, .417 OBP, .566 SLG) and Arizona acquired Adam Dunn (.234 BA, 32 HR, 74 RBI, .373 OBP, .525 SLG), respectively. Both teams needed these acquisitions, as their offense ranks in the bottom half of the NL in all hitting categories. For the Diamondbacks, only Orlando Hudson (.305 BA, 8 HR, 41 RBI, .367 OBP, .450 SLG), Conor Jackson (.309 BA, 12 HR, 60 RBI, .390 OBP, .483 SLG), Stephen Drew (.281 BA, 14 HR, 49 RBI, .319 OBP, .481 SLG), and Mark Reynolds (.248 BA, 24 HR, 80 RBI, .326 OBP, .491 SLG) have been decent in their lineup. Everyone else for Arizona has struggled mightily.

The Dodgers lineup has not been much better. It has been a struggle to score runs besides the help they get from Ramirez, Matt Kemp (.299 BA, 13 HR, 61 RBI, .350 OBP, .467 SLG, 28 SB), James Loney (.295 BA, 9 HR, 68 RBI, .352 OBP, .445 SLG), Russell Martin (.289 BA, 10 HR, 53 RBI, .390 OBP, .410 SLG), Andre Ethier (.276 BA, 12 HR, 49 RBI, .342 OBP, .450 SLG), and Jeff Kent (.273 BA, 11 HR, 54 RBI, .325 OBP, .425 SLG). They will need Ramirez to continue to carry the offense if they want a shot at the playoffs.

Overall, the Dodgers look to be a little stronger and more experience, and that should give them a slight edge in this weak division. They have better depth in their starting rotation, a better bullpen, a slightly better offense, and a Manager that is very experienced in getting the most from his teams in Joe Torre. If the Dodgers play up to their potential they should win this division, but the race will likely go down to the final week of the season.

Races Coming Down To The Wire

As of now, five of the six divisions in Major League Baseball have at least one team within 5 games of the division leader. The only team that has basically wrapped up a spot in the playoffs is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. So how will the divisions shake out? Here is how the National League Central division will finish:

National League Central: As of now, the Chicago Cubs own a 3.5 game lead on the Milwaukee Brewers, and a 6.5 game lead on their archrivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs, although cursed, have to be the favorites to not only win the National League Central division, but also the World Series. The Cubs rank in the top 3 in every single statistical pitching and hitting category except quality starts, where they rank 4th with 63, and stolen bases, in which they rank 8th with 67 swipes. The Cubs have baseball's best bullpen, headed by closer Kerry Wood (4-2, 2.89 ERA, 24 saves 0.99 WHIP, 55 strikeouts in 46.2 innings), and set-up men Carlos Marmol (2-3, 2.95 ERA, 22 holds, 0.98 WHIP, 87 strikeouts in 64 innings) and Jeff Samardzija (1.54 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 12 strikeouts in 11.2 innings). The Cubs also own arguably baseball's best starting rotation, where they trot out Carlos Zambrano (12-5, 3.22 ERA), Rich Harden (6-2, 2.27 ERA), Ryan Dempster (13-5, 2.92 ERA), Ted Lilly (11-6, 4.26 ERA), and Jason Marquis (7-7, 4.73 ERA). Chicago's pitching is very tough to hit against through the entire game, as opponents may see a number of good pitchers.

The Cubs, however, are no slouches on offense either. Alfonso Soriano (.299 BA, 21 HR, 56 RBI, .344 OBP, .574 SLG), Aramis Ramirez (.278 BA, 19 HR, 75 RBI, .379 OBP, .493 SLG), Derrick Lee (.291 BA, 17 HR, 70 RBI, .356 OBP, .475 SLG), Kosuke Fukudome (.269 BA, 8 HR, 42 RBI, .369 OBP, .399 SLG), Geovany Soto (.281 BA, 17 HR, 63 RBI, .358 OBP, .490 SLG), Ryan Theriot (.314 BA, 1 HR, 31 RBI, .390 OBP, .372 SLG), and Mark DeRosa (.276 BA, 13 HR, 66 RBI, .369 OBP, .443 SLG) help pace a team that has scored the second-most runs in the majors, behind only the Texas Rangers. The Cubs have no weak out throughout their entire lineup. They should win this division and make a lot of noise in the postseason.

The Brewers are similar to the Chicago Cubs except for a few components component. Like Chicago, they have a solid middle of the order that features Ryan Braun (.300 BA, 30 HR, 84 RBI, .339 OBP, .586 SLG), Prince Fielder (.278 BA, 26 HR, 78 RBI, .375 OBP, .517 SLG), Corey Hart (.288 BA, 18 HR, 71 RBI, .326 OBP, .502 SLG), and JJ Hardy (.275 BA, 17 HR, 51 RBI, .336 OBP, .462 SLG). However, the Brewers do not have the same production throughout their entire lineup, evidenced by only a .254 team BA (10th in the NL), a .325 team OBP (7th in the NL), and 558 runs scored (7th in the NL).

Also like the Cubs, the Brewers have a very strong starting rotation. C.C. Sabathia (12-8, 3.11 ERA), Ben Sheets (11-5, 2.95 ERA), Jeff Suppan (7-7, 4.70 ERA), and Manny Parra (9-5, 4.02 ERA) help make up a reliable starting rotation, one however, that does sorely lack a reliable 5th starter. The lack of a reliable 5th starter and the continued struggles of their bullpen will likely be the reasons Milwaukee will not win this division, and possibly not the NL Wildcard. Brewers manager has no one outside of closer Salomon Torres (5-3, 2.69 ERA, 22 saves) he can trust in his bullpen. That will continue to be a huge issue as the season presses onward.

The St. Louis Cardinals are likely out of the divisional race, yet they are only 3 games behind the Brewers for the NL Wildcard. Albert Pujols (.347 BA, 25 HR, 75 RBI, .460 OBP, .613 SLG), Rick Ankiel (.286 BA, 22 HR, 61 RBI, .354 OBP, .541 SLG), Skip Schumaker (.298 BA, 7 HR, 35 RBI, .360 OBP, .416 SLG), and Ryan Ludwick (.306 BA, 29 HR, 84 RBI, .383 OBP, .607 SLG) have helped give St. Louis a very good offense that ranks 2nd in the NL in BA (.276), 2nd in OBP (.348), 3rd in runs scored (578), and 2nd in OPS (.775).

Pitching-wise though, St. Louis has struggled mightily, especially in their bullpen. Kyle Lohse (13-4, 3.80 ERA), Braden Looper (10-9, 4.20 ERA), Todd Wellemeyer (9-4, 4.01 ERA), and Joel Pineiro (5-5, 4.82 ERA) have all done solid jobs making up for the loss of injured ace Adam Wainwright(6-3, 3.14 ERA), who should be back sometime in September. The Cardinals bullpen has been trouble for them this season. It is the main reason that St. Louis has slipped in the playoff race and may find themselves on the outside looking in when the playoffs begin. The Cardinals have yet to find a reliable closer, as Jason Isringhausen (1-5, 5.98 ERA, 7 blown saves) and Ryan Franklin (4-5, 3.65 ERA, 7 blown saves) have struggled in that role. Until they can find a reliable closer, the Cardinals playoff hopes will fly away.

Races Coming Down To The Wire

As of now, five of the six divisions in Major League Baseball have at least one team within 5 games of the division leader. The only team that has basically wrapped up a spot in the playoffs is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. So how will the divisions shake out? Here is how the ultra-competative National League East division will finish:

National League East: The Philadelphia Phillies currently hold a 1 game lead on the New York Mets and a 2.5 game lead on the Florida Marlins. The Phillies have to be the favorites to win the NL East. They are the defending division champions, and one of baseball's best bullpens, which features set-up men JC Romero (4-3, 2.16 ERA, 16 holds), Ryan Madsen (2-1, 3.36 ERA, 8 holds), and closer Brad Lidge (2-0, 2.19 ERA, 28 saves). The Phillies also have a tremendous lineup that features 2006 NL MVP Ryan Howard (.240 BA, 32 HR, 98 RBI, .327 OBP, .498 SLG), 2007 NL MVP Jimmy Rollins (.277, 8 HR, 40 RBI, .347 OBP, .449 SLG), and 2008 NL MVP hopeful Chase Utley (.286 BA, 28 HR, 78 RBI, .369 OBP, .559 SLG). Also, while the Phillies don't have baseball's strongest rotation top to bottom by any means, they can still trot out baseball's third-best lefty in Cole Hamels (9-8, 3.35 ERA) every fifth day. Look for Philadelphia to win their second consecutive NL East crown.

The closest challenger to the Phillies is the New York Mets. The Mets are very talented, yet very inconsistent. They have a good rotation that houses baseball's best pitcher in Johan Santana (9-7, 2.85), Mike Pelfrey (10-7, 3.85 ERA), Oliver Perez (8-7, 3.90), and John Maine (9-7, 4.13 ERA). The Mets also have a good lineup that features one of baseball's most exciting players in Jose Reyes (.301 BA, 12 HR, 49 RBI, .362 OBP, .487 SLG, 37 SB), Carlos Delgado (.264 BA, 25 HR, 73 RBI, .346 OBP, .501 SLG), David Wright (.292 BA, 22 HR, 89 RBI, .387 OBP, .517 SLG), and Carlos Beltran (.274 BA, 16 HR, 76 RBI, .369 OBP, .464 SLG). The Mets have a major weakness in their bullpen, which contributes to only the 7th best ERA in the NL, a 4.06 mark. They cannot win this division if their bullpen doesn't pitch well.

Meanwhile, the Marlins are the National League's surprise team. They own baseball's lowest payroll, yet are within striking distance of the Phillies for first place. The Marlins are somehow in this position despite ranking in the bottom half of the NL in every single pitching and hitting category. However, much of their success can be contributed to shortstop Hanley Ramirez (.294 BA, 25 HR, 51 RBI, .383 OBP, .529 SLG, 27 SB), second baseman Dan Uggla (.264 BA, 26 HR, 67 RBI, .353 OBP, .549 SLG), third baseman Jorge Cantu (.284 BA, 20 HR, 64 RBI, .331 OBP, .476 SLG), and starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco (11-7, 3.92 ERA). However, the Marlins rely too much on Ramirez, Cantu, and Uggla on offense, and do not have any pitchers that strike fear into opposing hitters, so look for them to fall off as the dog days of August roll onward.

Brett A Jet

Yesterday was the final day of Brett Favre's 16-year run with the Green Bay Packers. The Packers sent the future Hall of Fame quarterback to the New York Jets for a 4th round selection in next years NFL Draft. This trade makes the Jets instant playoff contenders, if not Super Bowl contenders.

New York added the final piece to an excellent offseason in which they also acquired talented linebacker Calvin Pace, and former Pro-Bowlers in guard Alan Faneca, fullback Tony Richardson, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, and offensive tackle Damien Woody. The Jets also spent two first round picks on exciting linebacker Vernon Gholston from Ohio State and tight end Dustin Keller from Purdue. Now, by adding Favre to the mix, the Jets have significantly improved their only major weakness on their team.

On Wednesday morning, the Jets were not a playoff team by any measure. However, by midnight on Wednesday, the Jets have put themselves in a position to challenge the New England Patriots for AFC East supremacy. The Patriots got significantly weaker in their secondary in the offseason by losing All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel in free agency to the Philadelphia Eagles. New England, however, was not concerned because they play in a division littered with young, unproven, and inconsistent starting quarterbacks in former New York starter Kellen Clemens, Buffalo Bills starter Trent Edwards, and likely Miami Dolphins starter John Beck.

Now, the Patriots have to feel a little uncomfortable. Brett Favre is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, a season where he threw for 4155 yards and 28 touchdowns, good for a 95.7 QB rating. Look for the Jets to try to pick apart New England's secondary with their newest weapon when the teams first meet on September 14th at Giants Stadium. Should the Jets win the game, it will send a chill through every teams spine in the AFC.

The Jets are much more talented on both sides of the ball this year because of their offseason moves. Jenkins and Pace should have immediate impacts on their new teams on defense, while Gholston should have an immediate impact as a rookie. Also, the Jets secondary should continue to get better as second-year cornerback Darrelle Revis and fourth-year safety Kerry Rhodes continue to grow as players in the NFL.

On offense, the Jets fixed their biggest problem of 2007 by signing Faneca, who should make three positions better. Young and talented players in tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and center Nick Mangold will really benefit from having Faneca playing in between them at guard. Now, with the acquisition of Favre, the Jets have a quarterback that can throw the ball deep and keep defenses from putting eight men in the box, which frees up running room for Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. The Jets will also benefit from an extra-motivated Favre, who has much to prove to Green Bay management that he can still play. The Jets final move of the offseason, the acquisition of Brett Favre, has made the Jets a team that can go deep in the playoffs in 2008.

Races Coming Down To The Wire

As of now, five of the six divisions in Major League Baseball have at least one team within 5 games of the division leader. The only team that has basically wrapped up a spot in the playoffs is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. So how will the divisions shake out? Here is how the ultra-competative American League divisions will finish:

American League East: As of now, baseball's best story has been the Tampa Bay Rays, who somehow own a 3 game lead on the defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox and a 6.5 game lead on the New York Yankees. Either way, it looks like the American League Wildcard team will come out of this division as well, although the Minnesota Twins are just 2.5 games behind Boston in that category. However, it would be hard to pick against Tampa Bay and Boston. The Yankees own a weak pitching staff, and pending the seriousness of Joba Chamberlain's injury, would have no go-to guy on a pitching staff that ranks in the bottom half of the American League in every single pitching category. New York needs Chamberlain if they want any kind of shot at going to the playoffs for the 14th consective year.

On the other hand, Tampa Bay ranks in the top 3 in the American League in every pitching category except quality starts, where they rank 6th. And although they are young, the Rays are not going away anytime soon. This team is for real and has a legitimate shot at a World Series title this season. They should win the AL Wildcard in a worst-case scenario. The Rays have a great chance to win their first ever division title because of the way they pitch and play defense. This team makes very few mistakes in the field, they have made the fewest errors in baseball, which is frustrating for opposing teams that get little to hit against an excellent pitching staff. In order for the Rays to complete their fairytale season the way they want it to, they need some of their slumping bats to come around, BJ Upton's and Carl Crawford's specifically.

As the dog days of August roll on and September gets closer, the experience and balance of the Boston Red Sox will pay off. The Red Sox rank in the top 4 in the AL in every pitching and hitting category except for WHIP, where they rank 6th. Now that Manny Ramirez is in Los Angeles, this team has no distractions and has the look of the same focused team that first won the AL East in September, and then the World Series in October. So in the East, look for Tampa Bay and Boston to make the playoffs, with the Red Sox winning the division crown for the second consecutive season.

American League Central: The AL Central has two teams perched atop the division that most experts picked to finish third and fourth, respectively, in the division at the beginning of the year. The Chicago White Sox currently have a 1 game lead on the Minnesota Twins. The question is, how are the Twins in this position? They traded baseball's best pitcher in Johan Santana in the offseason, and currently rank in the bottom half of the AL in every pitching and hitting category except batting average (3rd), runs (5th), on-base percentage (6th), quality starts (5th), and saves (6th). The Twins are a young team, and were supposed to be a few years away from contending in what was supposed to be a division dominated by the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. The Twins are in striking distance of the division crown because of timely hitting. They lead the Major Leagues in batting average with runners in scoring position with a .313 mark. This young team is proving they can handle the pressure of a division race and are giving the White Sox a run for their money.

Meanwhile, the White Sox are tough to pick against. They just acquired Ken Griffey Jr to play center field for them. The surprise player of the American League, Carlos Quentin, currently leads the league with 29 home runs. In fact, Chicago has hit the ball very well and this is a team just three years removed from a World Series title. The White Sox rank in the top half of the AL in every hitting category except stolen bases. However, their achilles heel lies in their pitching staff. The White Sox rank 5th or worse in every pitching category except for quality starts, where they rank second. For right now though, it is tough to choose against Chicago, the team more experienced for the rigours of the dog days of August and the pennant run. Look for the White Sox to win the AL Central crown.

Favorites?

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim already owned baseball's best record when they acquired two-time Silver Slugger and Gold Glove first baseman Mark Teixeira on July 30th. The trade puts the Angels, currently 69-41, as the favorites to win the 2008 World Series. They Angels are baseball's most balanced team. They have one of baseball's best bullpens and starting rotations, great defense, speed in their lineup, and now with the addition of Teixeira, a power hitter besides Vladimir Guerrero. However, can this team bring home what would be the second World Series championship in franchise history?

Pitching and defense win championships. The Angels have the defense part of that equation. However, history tells us that power arms dominate the postseason. Almost every single one of the greatest postseason pitchers were all power-pitchers. Carl Hubbell, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Josh Beckett, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, and Mariano Rivera all are power pitchers that are almost unhittable once the playoffs roll around. The Angels on the other hand, are loaded with finesse pitchers in their starting rotation. John Lackey (0-2, 5.07 ERA in last 4 playoff starts), Jon Garland (1-0, 2.25 ERA in 2 playoff starts), and Joe Saunders (no playoff experience) are three finesse pitchers in the Angel rotation that will likely struggle when the playoffs begin. One more side note: even though Garland pitched well in the 2005 playoffs, he had a career year that year, as his ERA was almost a full run lower than his career mark. His second stint in the playoffs, like Lackey's, likely won't be as fruitful.

The advantage the Angels have lies in their bullpen, which houses an abundance of power arms, including baseball's best closer this year in Francisco Rodriguez. K-Rod owns a 5-3 playoff record with a 2.76 ERA, 3 saves, and 39 strikeouts in 29.1 innings (11.98 K/9). By the way, K-Rod is having the best season for any closer all-time, as he is on pace to shatter Bobby Thigpen's record for saves of 57 this year. There is only one closer more feared come October, the greatest of all-time, Mariano Rivera.

Scot Shields, the Angels set-up man has been equally as effective in the playoffs. Shields is 1-1 with a 2.75 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 19.1 innings (8.39 K/9). The Angels will also be breaking in a rookie that has been absolutely lights out this season. Jose Arredondo is 4-0 with a 1.16 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, 11 holds, and 29 punchouts in 31 innings (8.42 K/9). Shields and Arredondo give the Angels likely the best pair of set-up men in the American League, a pair that uses pure power to dominate hitters. Shields will likely continue to be very successful in the playoffs while Arredondo follows his lead.

Another problem in the Angels quest for a World Championship lies in their offense. The Angels have very little beyond Teixeira, Guerrero, Torii Hunter, and Howie Kendrick. Hunter is the only proven playoff performer in that group. Teixeira has never played in a playoff game so there is no telling if he can live up to the pressure. Kendrick hit .200 in his only playoff series last season against Boston. Guerrero owns a .183 batting average, a .269 OBP, just 1 home runs, and only 7 RBIs, in 16 postseason contests. The Angels will not be able to win a World Series if their only offensive production comes from Hunter and Teixeira while all their other bats are silent. They need their table-setter Kendrick, and their big bopper in Guerrero to perform when it matters most.

While the Angels are a very, very balanced and talented team, they are not built for the postseason. Parts of their bullpen are the only part of their team proven to handle the playoffs, but that is only including two of their pitchers. Jose Arredondo, who figures to play a huge role in the playoffs, is unproven and has zero playoff experience. As does starter Joe Saunders and first baseman, who also will play major roles in the playoffs for Los Angeles. Those Angels that do have playoff experience have struggled, and they are the most important parts of the team. The Angels cannot win a World Series if Vladimir Guerrero, John Lackey, and Howie Kendrick do not perform. As of now, those three have yet to prove they can handle the postseason. Until they do, the Angels have little hope of a World Series title.

Who Got The Best of the Manny Deal?

In one of yesterday's most shocking trades, the Boston Red Sox sent enigmatic left fielder Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-way trade that also involved the Pittsburgh Pirates. Boston also sent reliever Craig Hansen and outfielder Brandon Moss to Pittsburgh, who, in return, traded left fielder Jason Bay to Boston. The Dodgers gave up third baseman Andy Laroche and pitcher Bryan Morris to the Pirates. This is how the Manny trade will impact each of the three teams:

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers have instantly vaulted themselves to be the favorite to win the weak National League West. Manny Ramirez is one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all-time, and is turning in a fabulous offensive season even at the age of 36. Ramirez hit .299 with 20 home runs, and 68 RBIs for the Red Sox this season. He had a .398 OBP and a .529 SLG. He should instantly make a huge impact in a lineup that ranks 9th in the NL in batting average (.256), 13th in runs (450), 13th in OBP (.321), 15th in SLG (.376), and 14th in OPS (.697).

However, the acquisition of Manny also brings about so major question marks for the Dodgers. There are now five outfielders on the Dodgers roster that expect to be starting. Joe Torre has to find playing time for Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre without sacrificing playing time for young and talented Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Also, Torre must handle Ramirez well, as there is no gurantee that Manny will play hard at all. If he handles Manny wrong, the Dodgers could be in for a long last 2 months of the season. However, if Ramirez plays hard, the Dodgers have likely vaulted themselves into the playoffs.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates received four players from this trade. However, they did not receive an impact player that a team normally would acquire when the trade a player the caliber of Jason Bay. Sure, Andy Laroche will end up being a very good third baseman. But other than Laroche, the Pirates did not acquire any players that they can plug in the middle of their lineup or at the top of their rotation.

Instead, the Pirates acquired players that have very uncertain futures. Bryan Morris is a former first round pick, but is just a year removed from Tommy John Surgery. He is just 21 years old and has the potential to be a number 1 starter, but as he has already had Tommy John Surgery, there are no gurantees he will be able to stay healthy. This season in Single-A, Morris is 2-4 with 72 strikeouts in 81.2 innings, a 1.29 WHIP, and a 3.20 ERA. He could end up being a key member of the Pirates rotation in a few years, but he has just as good a chance of never living up to his potential. He has plenty of upside, but is a very risky prospect.

Craig Hansen is also a former number 1 pick that has struggled in his time in the Major Leagues. This season, Hansen is 1-3 with a 5.58 ERA, a 1.70 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts in 30.2 innings. When he was drafted, he was supposed to be the closer of the future for the Red Sox. He has never lived up to those expectations, but will be given another chance in Pittsburgh. He could end up being their closer if all goes well, but those chances are very slim.

The final player Pittsburgh acquired was outfielder Brandon Moss. Moss could be an average starting outfielder in the Major Leagues. In part-time duty this season, Moss was hitting .295 with a .337 OBP, a .462 SLG, 2 home runs, and 11 RBIs. He is not the type of player that can replace Jason Bay, and likely will end up being a fourth outfielder in Pittsburgh.

Overall, the Pirates likely acquired a solid starting third baseman, a future starter, a fourth outfielder, and an average reliever. They did not receive any sure-fire impact players to replace their only star, Jason Bay. In this trade, they went for quantity instead of quality in an effort to add depth to their farm system.

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox gave up a lot to get Jason Bay. Jason Bay is a really good player, but he is no Manny Ramirez. The Red Sox will sorely miss Manny's presence in the lineup. He was a game-changer, and provided protection for David Ortiz as part of baseball best 3-4 combination. Now, teams can afford to pitch around Ortiz more because there is no hitter behind him that is of the same caliber as that of Manny Ramirez.

On the other hand, this trade is addition by subtraction for Boston. The Red Sox get rid of his awful attitude in an otherwise united clubhouse. The Red Sox improve themselves defensively as well. And even though Jason Bay doesn't make pitchers sick to their stomach when he steps up to the plate like Manny Ramirez does, he is still a solid hitter and will always give 110%. Bay hit .282 with a .375 OBP, a .519 SLG, 22 home runs, and 64 RBI.

This trade is similar to the one made by Red Sox GM Theo Epstein in 2004 when he traded away a popular icon in Nomar Garciaparra. Garciaparra was a cancer in another united clubhouse and trading him away allowed the Red Sox to focus on their goal and win the team's first World Series championship since 1918. This year's Red Sox are hoping that trading away Ramirez, who was very detrimental to the team's attitude, will allow them to focus on their goal of defending their World Series Championship. They have good reason to believe they will be playing for a lot in October.