AO's Breakdown of Baseball's Trade Deadline

[AudiblyOffensive]

This can also be found at http://www.audiblyoffensive.com/?p=183

By: Patrick Swafford

In a week that’s already seen one blockbuster trade go down, the Red Sox, Dodgers and Pirates worked out a deal at the deadline that puts the Teixiera deal to shame.

Manny Ramirez is headed to Los Angeles.

Boston, who it seems finally had enough of the enigmatic slugger, sent the 500 homer club member to the Dodgers. Pittsburgh sent outfielder Jason Bay to the BoSox and both teams sent prospects to the Bucs.

LA sends third baseman Andy LaRoche and RHP Bryan Morris while Boston hands over LHP Craig Hansen and outfielder Brandon Moss, who started the season in the Majors.

That’s all the particulars in that one.

That trade, along with the Teixiera deal were the season’s two biggest deadline deals. Brian Fuentes wasn’t dealt. Neither was Raul Ibanez or Will Ohman (that one surprises me).

The biggest winner in all of this is the city of Los Angeles as a whole.

The Angels, who were already a threat to win the AL Pennant, now add a power hitter at first that, combined with Vlad Guerrero and Torii Hunter, makes the nastiest middle of the order in baseball.

The Dodgers win because they’re in the middle of a division race with the Diamondbacks and are in desperate need of a slugger. Come on, their leader in long balls is Matt Kemp’s 12.

With some of their bigger names, Nomar and Furcal, constantly on and off the DL as frequently as Mark Prior, the Dodgers needed some extra pop in their offense.

They’ve got it as long as everyone caters to Manny every whim.

Don’t get me wrong, Boston is a huge winner in this, as well.

They get rid of a guy that has systematically sabotaged his career in Boston with the statements he’s made over the last few days and bring in a guy that is having, statistically, a far better year than Man-Ram.

Bay’s been the only shining light left in The ‘Burgh since Xavier Nady was sent to the Empire.

Expect to Bay hitting third to provide better protection for Ortiz and Lowell.

Who lost on the deadline?

Try the Tampa Bay Rays.

Your lead isn’t that large, you have the scariest two teams in the history of baseball nipping at your heels, and you don’t make one decent deal?

Tampa desperately needed a slugger to take the heat off the young guys like Crawford and Longoria, but failed to pull the trigger on anything.

I know your organization is full of great prospects in Triple and Double A. God knows you drafted in the top three in each of the last ten Amateur Drafts. This is not a league that plays the “Wait Till Next Year” card.

This is not even a division that plays that way.

You have one owner in Hank Steinbrenner that wants to win at all costs. The other, John Henry, wants be the first to repeat as World Champs since the Yanks did it in 2000.

The Rays had a chance to land Bay, but let him get away and go to a division rival that isn’t far removed from winning it all.

It could be a decision that comes back to bite them.