Apparently, after Scheurholz had put all his eggs in the basket of trading for Javier Vazquez, MLB told the Expos that they couldn’t deal off any of their high-priced players. The Orioles apparently wanted major leaguers for Sidney Ponson, and the Braves weren’t willing to give up Horacio Ramirez. The Giants did give up Damian Moss instead.
As it happens, there’s a report that the Braves have re-acquired Kent Mercker as a lefty setup man, but no word as to what they’d give up or who would lose their job. (But I expect Jung Bong would be sent down.) And ESPN is saying that the Braves didn’t make any moves at all.
At this stage, the situation shifts and the burden is on AOL. There will be a lot of players available in August because nobody wants to pick up a big contract. But then AOL would have to agree to take those contracts on, and I don’t think they will. I think that the Braves will probably pick up one more bat — likely an outfielder who hits righthanded — but this is it for pitching. And there is the disturbing possibility that Shane Reynolds not only will stay in the rotation, but will get postseason starts.
If the Braves are actually sitting on some insurance money from Byrd – say, even $2m of his $3m contract – then that could buy someone in Augus. If only 25% of a guy’s salary is left to pay in late august, then that $2m could buy someone who was getting $8m for the season.
But, I don’t think that’s going to actually happen.
Great. At least now I won’t have to deal with the added stress of an exciting post-season.
This sucks.
I’m hoping that JS will pick up someone after the waiver deadline. I was really hoping ATL would pick up Ponson or Vazquez, but it especially hurts that the Giants got Ponson, a team which is a possible matchup with Atlanta in the NLCS. They could get the home field throughout the NL Playoffs, as it seems they already have the NL West all but won. It’s ironic they gave up Damian Moss, who pitched for Atlanta last year, is given up for a guy many thought Atlanta would get. But, we did get Russ Ortiz for Moss, so we didn’t come out too bad.
As for Selig, it would appear this is the drawback of having a team owned by all of baseball. Who knows; maybe Vazquez will be acquired in waviers? Although, I doubt that.
So at the end of the day the Giants traded Ortiz and Ainsworth for Ponson, which seems to me a pretty poor deal, essentially swapping starter’s in quality but also throwing in a top pitching prospect. We always like to gripe about Schuerholz but that was one deal that’s worked out pretty well so far.
Perhaps a deal for Escobar could still be done. The guys over at Batter’s Box, a great Toronto website, mention that Escobar may have already cleared waivers earlier in the year, making him available after the deadline. I don’t know if we can afford to do it, but it’s out there.
I should point out that the Astros didn’t do anything, the Cubs only managed to replace Patterson, the Phillies have mostly brought in bad relievers, and the Cards’ big move is to bring in Kevin “Shane Reynolds Lite” Appier. So it’s not like anyone in the NL other than the Giants did a whole lot. I’d be stunned if the Braves don’t make it to the NLCS, since they’ve pretty much dominated the Central and that’s probably who they’ll play.
I think that the advantage of trading Ortiz was that it allowed them to keep Schmidt, so that worked out pretty well.
I’m trying to remember — does the team with the best record play the wild card winner regardless of division? If so, I think I’d rather see the Braves NOT have the best record in the NL. I’d rather see Atlanta play the winner of the NL Middle as whomever comes out of St. Louis, Houston, or Chicago will very possibly been a worse club than the Phils or Fish.
And I am glad that the Braves passed on Ponson. If the cost higher than Ainsworth / Moss, we would have had to pony up at least Ramirez / Marquis. And for a rental with a checkered track record and questionable health, that’s not strengthening the club.
Gammons stated that Marquis is going to have to step up because he is going back. Does that mean he’s going to enter the rotation or what? What do you guys think?
The team with the best record doesn’t play the wildcard winner if that team is from its own division. The Braves (assuming they hold on) will play either the Central winner or a wildcard team from the Central or West. Since the Phillies and Marlins are the top wildcard candidates, the odds are that the Braves will play the Astros, Cubs, or Cards.
I think that the Braves would have needed to give up Ramirez and Wainwright to match the Giants. They gave up way too much for a rental unless they’re sure he can win them the league.
how can it be allowed that stupid bud runs a team, then gets to make other decisions that help/hurt other teams ??
Because of baseball’s antitrust exemption.
For all we can say about the Braves still having a month to make a move, remember we said the same crap last year and Atlanta did abso-f-ing-lutely nothing. Whenever the Braves make a stretch run move of late, it’s always at the July 31 deadline.
The Braves did make a few waiver deals early in their run (Alejandro Pena in 91, Jeff Reardon in 92, Devereaux and Polonia in 95), but have tended to shy away from such moves ever since they were burned (or not in retrospect) when they tried to deal for Randy Myers in 98 and the Padres claimed him.
If you want to nitpick, you could argue that the exhumation and re-animation of Julio Franco in 2001 constitutes a “major acquisition” but I doubt any of us (or John Schuerholz for that matter) figured Franco would still be around two years later.
We’re no worse off than we were yesterday. It sound like JS had a deal lined up for Vasquez, the prize among prizes, and a bitter frustrated Bud said “NO”. So we didn’t do anything else, big deal. The rumours that Baltimore wanted Wainright and Marquis & Betemit would explain no action on the Ponson front. Sad to say, but we may be stuck with our shallow rotation and pen, and forced to hope that Maddux’s inconsistent season will wind up with him “on” in the postseason.
Hoping that we get another arm before 8/31,
David
I am somewhat disappointed that we didn’t get any pitching help but I’m mostly glad that our future hasn’t been gutted for two months of Ponson. As Joe Simpson said last night, if the Giants don’t re-sign Ponson after this season that trade is a landslide for Baltimore. Unless the Bonds-men win the World Series, of course.
Well, Joe Simpson’s a spineless chump who always toes the party line. If Ponson pitches well and the Giants win the World Series, I’d make that trade every single day, regardless of whether Ponson re-signs or not.
The point of deadline deals for buyers like the Giants is not to build for the future, but to win NOW. It’s not like Barry Bonds is getting any younger.
Besides, San Francisco has several of the best young pitching prospects in the game (Williams, Bonser, Foppert), so it’s not like they’re going to miss Ainsworth and Moss.