caulfield12

Tillman must have pitched a masterful game for the Orioles. Two outs from a shutout over the Braves, 2-0 in the 9th.

The crazy thing is that the Giants will pass the Dodgers tonight for first place if LA loses. Between LA/Houston and LA/SF, will go down to the wire. Yankees and Dodgers are reportedly the two hottest suitors for Cole Hamels right now. Using logic, it probably means they're sending Wood and pieces to the Phillies...can the Yankees beat the Dodgers in prospects? Don't think so...

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 07:42 PM) Ship AR out while he is hot. If they're not going to trade Shark, they're definitely not going to trade Alexei. Do we really want Micah, Sanchez and Saladino as the infield (3 rookies) for the next 50 something games? Ramirez and Sanchez really have a nice partnership going right now and have a feel for each other around the bag on DP balls.

Conor Gillaspie has been en fuego this week. 5 for 13, 2 doubles, 3 RBI's and walk, .385 BAA Pulls his regular season OPS up to .680. Funny how joining a playoff team and fighting for your MLB career will inspire you...same happened with DeAza. 24 XB hits for the White Sox in just 3 games. Crazy. Doesn't seem like Alexei has 19 doubles this year.

This is getting to be like that situation when enterprising net researchers are tracking private planes whenever there are big name football and basketball coaches rumored to be on the move to these smaller college down regional airports. Anything happens with a top minor league prospect (goes out of the game or not in the starting line-up) and it's quickly assumed he's being traded. Ah, the trade deadline.

So the only drama left tonight (hopefully) is cheering for the Braves to somehow beat Baltimore in the next two innings. Weird how it feels like the end of September but it's only July.

So Flores is going to start at SS for the Brewers? Or Segura? Or has Jean been playing 2B?

Saladino's first career stolen base and then he erases himself.....poor Vince Coleman. That's one thing we actually can clearly blame on KW, since they were good friends from their playing days.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 07:19 PM) Trading Wood and Peraza for a guy they got outbid on seems like a terrible trade for the Braves Maybe the Dodgers are paying all of his salary, for both guys?

QUOTE (Baron @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 07:18 PM) I was watching Sports Talk on CSN. The guy they talked to from MLBN said he could see us buying and get a .....RH Reliever One, Nate Jones might not be as close to MLB-ready as they had once projected. Two, the lack of real quality options in the 7th and 8th has pretty much been limited to Putnam, Petricka and Duke. You wouldn't say it's the most pressing need compared to a RH companion for LaRoche (or a possible RF replacement for Avi), but you definitely had a feeling Monday night in the late innings they were quickly running out of options there. When you look at the Yankees with Betances/Miller (.100 and .118 BAA) or the Royals, the model is more and more becoming to lock down at least the last three innings with "go to" or close to automatic guys. Problem is that there aren't many arms like that just growing on trees. Would actually feel more comfortable with a better LH option than Jennings, someone mentioned Thatcher in another thread.

Think Alexei doesn't hear the footsteps with Saladino and Sanchez around? They're all seemingly pushing each other now to make better and better plays, not unlike when Omar Vizquel was playing 3B in 2010. Maybe that's the one thing Alexei needs the most, some competition around him. Because when Micah was playing 2B, it seems to infect the rest of the team like a virus but all of a sudden the whole team's playing much more focused baseball. Maybe it's the pressure of the deadline, of losing Samardzija as a teammate, but there's definitely a new dynamic at play recently.

That makes a lot more sense, Atlanta has to be getting someone more helpful than Morse when they move Wood. Olivera's on the OKC DL, but this is clearly a long-term move for them at 3B. It's crazy how the Dodgers can just go out and stockpile all these Cubans like Olivera, Guerrera and Arruebarrena and then use them as trade chips right and left.

So Cashner/Ross/Shields are the big pitching names right now, other than Price/Hamels? The Yankees could really use Hamels to solidify their playoff chances, but do they have the minor league pieces? Cardinals one of the few teams in baseball that can survive so many injuries...due to their farm system. Red Sox were really interested in Zach Wheeler, fwiw. Boston also hoping to deal Napoli...who's an 805 OPS guy against LHP. From 2012-2014, an 851 OPS against LHP. Good match for the White Sox there?

The Dodgers must be paying all of Morse's salary, because the rebuilding Braves with Freeman at 1B don't have much need for Morse in the OF obviously. Doubt Puig would be going anywhere without Teheran, because Wood's given up quite a few more hits than IP and has a relatively pedestrian 3.54 ERA in the NL. LA surely thought about Price/Hamels/Samardzija and decided to go with packages that would protect their Top 3-4 prospects instead...while solidifying their bullpen with some additional experience. It's not a "hey world, look at me" move like the Jays for Tulo, but it's giving you two innings eaters and reliable arms for the back end. Wood's only 24 years old.

But A. Garcia is leading the AL in outfield assists!

Three hits again today (another homer) after being the hero for the White Sox last night. We should send him a playoff share if we make it, along with one for A-Rod (KW would be happy to deliver that personally). Fwiw, the Pirates have been really shrewd with budget-conscious acquisitions like Russell/Volquez/Liriano two years ago, then Cervelli and Kang as well this year.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 02:12 PM) Montas is ready to be the Brandon McCarthy 2005 version ten years later. Brandon really saved the Sox with a handful of starts that year, especially memorable was one against the Red Sox.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 02:09 PM) Or they just want him to keep getting regular AB's. Well, there's no compelling need to bring him up if he's just going to sit on the bench and there's one more month of games left at Charlotte. He'll obviously get called up in September, and playing time will depend on Saladino/Alexei (if they feel the need to try out Sanchez or Saladino at SS for awhile) and where we are at in the race.

They're seemingly determined not to have Micah Johnson set foot anywhere near the MLB defense for now. And/or they're looking to trade him, but who knows with KW and his penchant for dealing prospects...

Apparently word is going out that the Tigers are now again willing to listen on Price, Cespedes, Soria, Rajai Davis and Avila. Not sure about Kinsler...he hasn't had that great of a season, so probably if the right offer came along for him as well.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 01:52 PM) Bowden says the Tigers are now listening to offers on Cespedes and the Twins are a possible destination. If they're willing to trade in division that could be something to look at, maybe. Supposedly the Twins are looking to deal Arcia for relief help...not sure if the Tigers would still perceive Oswaldo as a potential starter or not.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 01:49 PM) Yeah you'd really have to be going for it to go after him. He'd take a package a step above Bruce's and two steps above Cargo's. All you have to do is undo the Sergio Santos deal for Molina...that would probably be easier.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 01:43 PM) Cespedes from Detroit in a three way deal maybe like the Peavy one. I've thrown out Chris Davis as another name maybe even Nelson Cruz if Seattle eats his contract. Unfortunately the Tigers won't trade Cespedes to us and the Orioles are in the same situation leading us for the WC. Rajai Davis or Avila at least would have been worth considering, especially with McCann obviously the heir-apparent at catcher for next year. Rusney Castillo was essentially just given two months to win the 2016 RF job with the trading of Victorino. Who's left? Holt, Nava, Allen Craig? If we can't come up with something better than Craig, ouch.

It's amusing that for the last week the talk about the White Sox has been as if Rick Hahn didn't even exist. Like he's lower than Jed Hoyer now and there's no pretending he's calling the shots anymore. All of these NL names like Puig, CarGo, Bruce, Kemp, Carlos Gomez keep coming up...isn't there an AL version of those names? Still think if you're going to take the risk of hamstringing our future payrolls you need to find players who can defend as well as hit...there's not thing worse than a bad contract on a veteran (see Hanley Ramirez) who can't at least offset his hitting with solid defense.

So are we happy that Verlander's actually starting to pitch as well as he has in the last two years? That start might have been enough to give them confidence that Verlander and Price can hold them in it...it's three consecutive pretty good starts, the velocity's a lot better, the curveball wasn't as strong but that's always a feel pitch and will return eventually as long as he's got the crispness on his hard stuff.