The news from Atlanta on Trading Day is not nearly as exciting as the Cincinnati-Chicago or Boston-Los Angeles blockbusters. Braves news is the deal that almost was.GM Frank Wren admitted that he thought the Braves had Pittsburgh's Jason Bay for four minor leaguers, including the light-hitting Brent Lillibridge and outfielder Brandon Jones.
Instead of Atlanta, Bay is off to Boston as part of the biggest trade of the day to try to replace Manny Ramirez. (I can't wait to hear Maximum Jack's thoughts on the deal that sent his dog's namesake to Joe Torre).
No doubt, Jason Bay is exactly the kind of player the Braves need. There might not be a team in the majors that gets less out of its left-fielder than Atlanta. Jason Bay would have been a big bat in the middle of the Atlanta order through next season. As miserable as this year has been in Georgia, the prospect of a Chipper-Bay-McCann middle of the order next year would have been a promising one.
Instead, Atlanta looks to be saving its pennies for a run at a primo free agent in the off-season. Who that will be...I don't feel like looking it up right now. Instead, I'm going to continue to wallow in my own "getting Bay would have been fun" funk for a few sentences longer. At the least, it would have taken the sting off today's Hudson needs Tommy John surgery news.
The silver lining - at least the Braves are not the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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I tried to leave a comment earlier under "Adios, Tex" but it wouldn't let me. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will work now.
Anywho, I don't know how I feel. Once again, I'm left scratching my head and Theo's mid summer moves. Last year it was Gagme (we actually needed a bat). And of course we all remember '04-- I felt like I had been punched in the gut when I heard Nomah had been traded, but that trade panned out. I don't really feel bad this time around. I mean, there have been Manny-trade rumors nearly every year since we acquired him. I can't believe he went to a national league team. He's a pretty good defender at the Fens, but AWFUL anywhere else. I thought he'd spend his last days as a DH, oh well. Jason Bay should do fine in Boston, although I just hope he adjusts to the American league pitchers quickly.
I love to watch Manny hit the ball, but I don't know how the Sox could have kept him around when he was sitting out games and not running out ground balls. Unless Bay is better than I think, I'm afraid the Yanks are going to grab the wild card and the Sox will be on the outside of the post-season. And the Dodgers ought to win the N.L. Worst...I mean West now that they can score runs.
I agree. The Yanks mid-summer moves were aggressive. I've really been spoiled over the last few years, so I really don't care if the Red Sox make the playoffs (I'll get more sleep in October if they don't), but it still burns me that the Yanks might win the division.
And yeah, hopefully the NL West will actually have a team above .500 win the race, although Zona's looking pretty good again. I think they go head to head this weekend.
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