Holy Crap!

Three in a row! But barely! Rios boots one! Downs is hurt! And Wells cranks a grand salami! Holy!

Also

Seattle dangles Ibanez in front of JP's salivating maw at the deadline, then pulls back, only to maybe, probably trade him into our division. Crap!

Holy Crap! The National League Edition

Holy crap! Talk about runs -- didja see what the Cubbies did to the Bravies in today's day-night doubleheader? An aggregate of 18-2! Yowsa!

But then, the Cubs had better reel off some wins, what with the undefeated-as-a-Brewer CC Sabathia intent on dragging Milwaukee into the playoffs for the first time since I began my public school education! Holy crap!

Three Strikes

1) Ever the optimist, I guess I can be happy that the fact that the O's and M's have finally made the Bedard-for-Jones-etc. swap means one less formidible pitcher for Toronto to contend with in the East. Still, as somebody who also likes the Mariners (blame Ichiro), I can't say that watching them bet the future on a run in '08 or '09 feels all that good. But here's hoping Orleans' own wins 2o games and the M's outlast the Angels to take the West, only to fall before the Wild Card Jays in the ALDS.

2) I'm an idiot. Remember, way back when, when I called the idea of a Cubs-Jays interleague matchup "highly hypothetical"? Well, it wasn't until this morning that I really bothered to study the Jays' '08 schedule, and guess what I found? Right. June 13-15, the birds will entertain the Cubbies at Rogers Centre. Here's hoping Chicago has a sizeable lead in the NL Central by then, because I'm going to need them to drop all three of those games. Priorities. This idiot does have priorities.

3) Is it wrong of me to feel heartened by the shitstorm kicked up amongst the Blue Jays blogging family by the masterminds' decision to make tickets available to out-of-towners before homers? Because I do feel that way. No question it's a boneheaded move, even if it does make great business sense. In the alchemical equation that yields happy and loyal baseball fans, sometimes the buck counts for less than the heart. Or maybe it's a matter of optics. Whatever; the anger on display by the Drunk Jays Fans, The Tao and over at Hum & Chuck brings home the point that Toronto really does have a core of smart, passionate fans, and that pleases me. It also makes for some damn funny and indignant posts. I don't live in or near the 416, so the move doesn't directly effect me, but it does make the Rogers braintrust seem like a bush league organization.

Thoughts on Johan Santana

So this whole damn Johan Santana thing has finally shaken down, and now he's a Metropolitan, and a well-paid one at that. And the Twins get four guys nobody but Bill James has ever heard of, but to say they got fleeced is, of course, simplistic. They got prospects in exchange for one year of a pitcher's services. Oh, sorry - one year of the greatest pitcher on planet Earth's services. Who's a lefty.

If I'm a Brave or a Phillie, I'm very nervous right now.

But the greatest part of this whole deal is that it's finally done, because I'm sick to death of MLB Trade Rumor's daily "Johan Santana Rumors" post. And now, every deal that has been held up waiting to see where JS would go can finally proceed. The log jam has cleared, and normal life can resume for us all.

And regarding Santana, that means we can all get back to hoping he doesn't make like his namesake, enjoy several productive years, then withdraw from the limelight before mounting a return long after it was advisable, and teaming up with some pretty questionable talent.

You're better than that, Johan.

[Heavy sigh] Twelve days...

Bedard to Mariners?

MLB Trade Rumors is reporting that the Orioles and Mariners have pulled the trigger on the Erik Bedard-for-Adam Jones-and-change deal, much to the chagrin of the folks aboard the good ship USS Mariner.

Well, hmm... on the one hand, it's nice to see Bedard, a kid from my very own neck of the woods, have a chance to play on a team that figures to be in the mix come August and September. He's a lefthanded curveball artist and strikeout expert, and he makes the M's top 1-2 a scary proposition. Bedard then Felix? Crazy.

On the other hand, he's made no secret of his desire to test the free agency market after two seasons of service, meaning Seattle probably won't see him in 2010. That, in addition to the dear price paid, suggests the Mariners think a run is possible in the next two years. I mean, that must be what they're thinking, because otherwise, why would they sell the future for a starting pitcher? And by "the future," I mean Adam Jones.

Jones, by all accounts, is something special. His offensive numbers are nice, he's fast, plays strong corner outfield defence, and maybe best of all, came cheap, and was under contract with Seattle until 2013. He's the kind of player you allow to develop at his own pace, who you wait for, and who you ultimately build a team around. Imagine an outfield of a young star like Jones, a still-incredible Ichiro, and anybody you please to fill the left field spot. DE-FENSE.

Bedard makes the Mariners' rotation instantly better, there's no question about that. Is it as good as the Angels' starters? Erm, we'll see, I guess. The point is that, while I love to think a team I follow is showing signs of being aggressive in pursuit of wins, I hate to see them sacrifice the future to do so. But I guess that's the rub, right? I also hate to see somebody with Jones' potential banished to a place like Baltimore where, let's face it, there figure to be several more years of losing before anything changes. Given that the Rays are building a nice mix of youth and experience, the Orioles might be the East's designated bottom dwellers for most of the next decade. But hey, at least they have a nice park, right? Probably a very pleasant place to play outfield. Enjoy, Adam.

UPDATE: Now, of course, O's owner Peter Angelos is stalling the deal. So maybe Jones remains in Seattle? Who knows. Stay tuned.

In with the Old

Seems to me that the Cubs' signing of Jon Lieber means that Sean Marshall will be bumped from the rotation, which is too bad. Marshall (that's him above, with his toes pointed heavenward) turned in 125 innings in his rookie campaign back in '06, when he had a better first half than second. He was often thrilling, and showed flashes of brilliance, a rare thing on that '06 team (other than Maddux, that is). He only pitched 100 innings last season, but you had the sense the Cubs saw a place for him for some time to come. But here's the thing: since Lieber's only signed for a year, maybe they're just looking to season Marshy a little more?

Another question: does this make somebody expendable? Like, say, Ryan Dempster? I have no real reason to believe this, I'm just saying. And those Brian Roberts rumours persist; maybe the O's want an arm in the deal, and Lieber is the Cubbies' insurance policy?

Or maybe, as the Tribune suggests in that link, Marshall is to be part of the deal?

Trading Thirds: Glaus for Rolen

I like it.

I mean, finally, the Jays make a move, and at first, when MLB Trade Rumors broke it, I wasn't sure it made any sense. They're trading one injury-prone third baseman for another, with a longer contract. But if Rolen's healthy (I know: BIG if), he's a massive step up in defense. On days when Halladay is pitching, Johnny Mac figures to be the shortstop (and not Eckstein - what the hell is that all about, by the way?), and with Hill at second, that is an incredible infield. Will anything get through? And we're all counting on power from Wells, Thomas, Rios and Overbay, so a guy like Rolen who's more about getting on base will balance nicely.

January is all about optimism. Everybody's a contender, and every new face a potential all-star. But all considered, I think this trade has the chance to be a good move for Toronto. Here's hoping, anyway.