The non-waiver trade deadline has passed with very few moves being made. Think that says most teams don't have a whole lot of spare parts that will make a difference for someone else to give up valuable prospects. The biggest trade was the Red Sox getting starting pitcher Jake Peavy in a three way deal with the White Sox and Tigers. Boston gives up promising shortstop Jose Iglesias to the Tigers as insurance if Jhonny Peralta is suspended later this week.
The Orioles continue to make an effort trading prospects for Astros 28 year old righthanded pitcher Bud Norris. Can't quite figure out why Houston will get rid of someone who is under contract for another year and really isn't expensive, but maybe they thought the prospects were better than Norris.
The Diamondbacks Ian Kennedy was the third big pitcher to switch teams and he went to a non-contender. San Diego looking to the future took the righthander that involved in the beanball/brushback fracas with the Dodgers earlier in the season. Arizona got a lefty reliever in Joe Thatcher. Kennedy is under Padres control through 2015.
Another pitcher, maybe the best of the bunch, Matt Garza went from the Cubs to the Rangers and has already won a game.
Now just because trades weren't made doesn't mean that trades won't be made in August. It is just more difficult as waivers must be cleared. Sometimes teams will put in a waiver claim to block a deal to a higher rated team. But the problem is if a player is claimed, the claiming team could actually be stuck with him for their full salary. That's why a lot of higher priced talent goes through in August. Teams don't want to take a chance that the other team will actually let the player go.
It was the quietest deadline day that I can remember and I've followed baseball a long time. Most teams stood pat. We'll see in September and October who should have made that one key move.
As we head in to August, I'll give you my re-picks.
In the American League things are much more wide open. Eight teams are still alive in my opinion. Your AL division winners will be Tampa Bay, Detroit, and Oakland. Your AL wild cards will be Texas and Boston. Baltimore, Cleveland and the Yankees didn't do enough to help themselves.
The National League is almost set. I see only six teams alive – Atlanta, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Cincinnati, LA, and Arizona. I think Arizona will be the odd team out. They actually substracted trading Kennedy to San Diego. To me the only senior circuit question is who wins the Central and which two Central teams meet in the one game wild card playoff.
After watching the last three Pirate wins over St. Louis, the Pirates look like a team of destiny. The Cardinals are usually the steadiest team in baseball. And I can't understand why the Reds aren't winning the division, as I think they have the most talent. Think I still lean to St. Louis in the Central…but I'd love to see the Pirates bring the Central crown home.
As Boise State football camp opens Monday, I know I won't be hanging on every pitch as much as I did last year when the Giants were battling their way to a World Series title.
