FanHouse ChadReineke

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
The New York Yankees started the season 0-8 against their despised rival Boston Red Sox. After a 5-0 win Saturday, the Yankees have now won three straight against Boston and six straight overall. They have built a commanding 5-1/2 game lead in the vaunted AL East. As much as the games count, the mental gain made this series for the Bronx Bombers has to be immense.

As for the Red Sox, talk about a role reversal. They went from owning the Yanks to not being able to score a run. In fact, they've now gone 24 innings without crossing the plate.

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There are good trades, there are bad trades, there are in-between trades, and then there are trades that just don't make a lick of sense. The Astros traded for Randy Wolf today to strengthen their rotation for their intense battle for last place in the NL Central with the Pittsburgh Pirates. If you're uncertain, this trade falls into the last category. Ed Wade, however, seems pretty freaking excited about his pointless acquisition. From the Houston Chronicle:

"Randy is an experienced starter and a great competitor," said Astros general manager Ed Wade, who was with the Phillies while Wolf was there from 1999-2006. "We tried to sign him as a free agent during the offseason, but the chance for him to pitch close to home prevailed.

"I've known Randy since the day he signed his first professional contract, and I can say without hesitation that he brings every quality that you'd want in a member of your team, both on and off the field."

Don't get me wrong here, the Astros aren't giving up a lot for Wolf (they're giving up Chad Reineke, a middling AAA starter). The trade itself isn't the problem. The problem is that for some insane reason, Ed Wade looks at his terrible team and can't think of anything to do other than adding a fifth starter to his rotation. The minor league cupboard is bare, the team is full of overpriced veterans, and Wade's adding Randy Wolf. The Astros are going to be very bad for a very long time if this is the way Wade is going to run the team.