Mark DeRosa and Matt Holiday to St. Louis - Damn! I'm still sticking with the Cubs having a ridiculous second half and winning the division. I don't know how, but they're just going to do it. Watch!
Out of nowhere, Jake Peavy (who is on the DL) to the White Sox. Hmmm. Well, assuming he's fine for September it will be an interesting story line to follow.
Cliff Lee to the Phillies. Wow. Great move for Philadelphia, plus they still have J.A. Happ in their rotation who threw a nine inning shut out in his last start. Oh, and Pedro Martinez fanned 11 batters in his last minor league rehab start. I know it's the minor leagues, but pedro might yet prove to be an effective starter for Philadelphia or a nice long relief option (or, imagine him as a set up man? Interesting.). The Phillies are going to the World Series.
Victor Martinez to the Red Sox for Justin Masterson and prospects. The Sox need the bat and Martinez is already making the lineup better. Still, I'm nervous here - it feels like we should have let Buchholz go and stick with Masterson. Justin Masterson in our starting rotation right now would be the best option. Beyond Beckett and Lester, it's ugly. John Smoltz is nowhere near what we thought we would be getting. Brad Penny has won ONE game in his last eight starts. Clay Buchholz looks like a deer in headlights on the mound (Note to Theo Epstein: When you have a guy who looks like a pixie in your rotation, TRADE HIM!!). Oh, how I hope my own words come back to bite me one day as I watch Clay Buchholz dominate on the mound.
Speaking of the Red Sox, I hear they're playing a few ball games in New York City this weekend. Exciting! Well, exciting if I was a Yankee fan. Sadly, I see this being the weekend when the Red Sox 2009 season more or less comes to an end (actually, you could probably argue it ended against the Rays over the past two nights). It's going to be a bloodbath. Smoltz is going to be lucky to make it three innings. Buchholz might actually cry on national TV this Saturday. Beckett and Lester will pitch well, but the offense will flutter on those nights. All of this leads to the reversal of my previous AL east division results. No longer can I play the homer and look the other way. The division belongs to Yankees. The Sox MIGHT win the wild card. MIGHT. It all comes down to pitching and we all of a sudden don't have it. Last night the Red Sox signed Paul Byrd. PAUL BYRD. Not a good sign.
World Series prediction: Phillies vs. Yankees. This will actually be a hell of a World Series and honestly I'm not sure who would win. Easily 6 or 7 games.
Do I still have hope for the Sox? Yes. Believe me, I'm not rooting against my own team. I'm simply trying to view it realistically. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go light myself on fire.
(Side note: If I was a hard core Indians fan, my soul would be crying and in the fetal position. It must be terrible to watch Lee and Martinez go. I don't wish that feeling on anyone.)
