RINGOLSBY: Big deals not always worth it
By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Morry Gash/Associated Press
New Brewers starting pitcher CC Sabathia pitches against the Colorado Rockies in his first National League start on Tuesday.
MILE HIGH WATCH
With the deadline for nonwaiver trades looming July 31, a look at what's up with Rockies players whose names are being mentioned most:
* Garrett Atkins, third baseman: Atkins, who provides a run-producing bat, has declined to sign a long-term deal with a major hometown discount, although he has indicated a desire to remain with the Rockies. There is no hurry to move him. He doesn't have free-agency powers until after 2010, but if a team wanted to overpay to get a proven corner infield bat, the Rockies have options that include a third base time-share between Jeff Baker and Ian Stewart. Teams with interest include the Phillies, Angels and Yankees.
* Brian Fuentes, left-handed pitcher: A free agent after the season, Fuentes not only is left-handed but has success getting out right-handed hitters and is a three-time All-Star as a closer. The Rockies know if he leaves as a free agent they could be compensated with two draft choices that would be top-50 picks in June, so they will want at least that kind of quality to deal him. Teams with interest include the Rays, Phillies, Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Cardinals and Marlins.
* Matt Herges, right-handed pitcher: This veteran could help a contender down the stretch, and his departure would open a spot for the Rockies to look at the likes of right-handers Juan Morillo, Steven Register, Ryan Mattheus and Casey Weathers. Teams with interest include the Cardinals and Brewers.
* Matt Holliday, left fielder: The Rockies would love to have Holliday spend his career with them, but there has been no indication that $100 million over five years is even enticing. Colorado has him under contract for next season at $13.5 million, so there's no pressure to deal him. If a team is willing to give up two players ready to step in at the big-league level plus a legitimate prospect, the Rockies would listen. Teams with interest include the Angels, Dodgers, Rays, Braves, Diamondbacks, Mets and Cardinals.
* Scott Podsednik, Willy Taveras or Cory Sullivan, center fielders: The Rockies have surplus, including Sullivan, who is making $1 million at Triple-A Colorado Springs. Teams with interest include the Marlins and Rays.
* Yorvit Torrealba, catcher: Chris Iannetta has emerged as the primary receiver, and Torrealba would like a chance to play more regularly. The key will be a contender losing its catcher to an injury. Teams don't like Torrealba's $4 million guarantee for 2010, but the only other catchers on the market are the Reds' David Ross and Royals' Miguel Olivo. Team with interest is Florida.
NUMBERS GAME
3 pitchers who have started for American League All-Star teams at Yankee Stadium are enshrined in the Hall of Fame - Red Ruffing (1939 All-Star Game), Whitey Ford (1960) and Jim Palmer (1977).
WELL TRAVELED
Texas designated hitter/outfielder Milton Bradley is the first player selected for the All-Star Game after having played for six big-league teams. Bradley began his career with Montreal and also has played with Cleveland, the Dodgers, Oakland and San Diego.
HE SAID IT
"Let's hope we win (the All-Star Game). We (the Cubs) may have a chance to benefit from that later this year."
Kerry Wood, right-handed pitcher and one of seven Cubs on the NL All-Star team, on the result of the All-Star Game determining home-field advantage in the World Series.
Milwaukee's acquisition of left-hander CC Sabathia rekindled memories of the Brewers dealing for Don Sutton in late August 1982 and Sutton pitching them into the World Series, the last postseason appearance in franchise history.
In Chicago, the Cubs' addition of right-hander Rich Harden conjured up comparisons to the 1984 in-season trade that brought Rick Sutcliffe from Cleveland and helped the Cubs make their first postseason appearance since 1945.
Both memories, however, come with a warning.
As critical as the additions were to the teams advancing to the postseason, neither was able to deliver a world championship.
Sutton did outpitch Jim Palmer in Game No. 163 at Baltimore as the Brewers won the American League East. And he did play a key role in the AL Championship Series against the Angels as he won Game 3 and the Brewers recovered from losses in the first two games of the best-of-five series to win three in a row.
St. Louis, however, beat Milwaukee in seven games in the World Series, the Brewers losing both games started by Sutton, who allowed nine earned runs in 101/3 innings.
As brilliant as Sutcliffe was with the Cubs - he went 16-1 and won the NL Cy Young - they didn't even get to the World Series, losing to San Diego in the NLCS. Sutcliffe won Game 1 against the Padres but was the losing pitcher in the fifth and final game.
Sabathia and Harden both should help their new teams, but they do not come with guarantees.
Consider: Since Mike Torrez won the final game of the 1977 World Series for the Yankees, the only starting pitcher acquired in midseason who has won a World Series game was Jeff Weaver, who, after losing Game 2 of the 2006 Series for St. Louis, won the Game 5 clincher against Detroit by allowing two runs, one earned, in eight innings.
And it's not like Weaver was one of those headline-grabbing additions. The Angels were looking for a way to unload him after he had opened the season 3-10 with a 6.29 ERA and an $8,325,000 salary.
Infield chatter
* While they had internal discussions about both players, the Diamondbacks have indicated they won't pursue free agent Barry Bonds, nor will they check into possibilities of a trade for Milton Bradley, despite growing problems in the outfield, where Eric Byrnes is likely out for the season and Justin Upton could be sidelined with a pulled muscle in his side.
* The Phillies are looking for help in the bullpen and rotation but believe they have enough depth to make only one major move. Which way they decide to go could hinge on whether Brett Myers can get things back in line in the minor leagues and rejoin the rotation after the All-Star break.
* Dodgers owner Frank McCourt killed a deal that would have brought Sabathia to Los Angeles along with third baseman Casey Blake and infielder Jamey Carroll, although McCourt denies finances played a role in the decision.
The rotation
Five in-season deals for high- profile pitchers that didn't pay off:
* 2002: Montreal acquired right-handed pitcher Bartolo Colon from Cleveland for left-hander Cliff Lee, outfielder Grady Sizemore and second baseman Brandon Phillips. Colon went 10-4 for the second-place Expos.
* 1998: Houston acquired left-hander Randy Johnson from Seattle for right-hander Freddy Garcia, shortstop Carlos Guillen and left-hander John Halama. Johnson was 10-1 in 11 regular- season starts but 0-2 against San Diego in the first round of the postseason.
* 1989: Montreal acquired left-hander Mark Langston from Seattle for Johnson and right- handers Gene Harris and Brian Holman. Langston was 12-9 for an Expos team that finished 81-81.
* 1989: The New York Mets acquired left-hander Frank Viola from Minnesota for right-handers Rick Aguilera and Kevin Tapani. Viola went 5-5, the Mets finished six games behind the Cubs in the NL East, and two years later, Aguilera and Tapani helped pitch the Twins to a world championship.
* 1987: Detroit acquired right-hander Doyle Alexander from Atlanta for right-hander John Smoltz. Alexander went 9-0 in 11 regular-season starts, but the Tigers lost both his starts to Minnesota in the ALCS.
Out in left field
Baltimore won its first Sunday game of the season - 3-2 against Seattle at Camden Yards on April 6. The Orioles have since lost 13 in a row on Sunday and been outscored 76-41. But that's not a record. The longest losing streak for a single day of the week, according to info guru Bill Arnold, is 21 in a row by the 1890 Pirates on Fridays and the 1939 Browns on Tuesdays.
Closing statement
After announcing the acquisition of Sabathia from Cleveland, the Brewers announced that Sabathia no longer wanted periods used after his initials. When Sabathia met with the media later in the day, he was asked about the use of periods and said it didn't matter to him.
"When I sign my name I don't use the initials," he said. "I sign Carsten."
Turns out, it was a marketing agent who believed there was more bling to not having the periods.
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