MLB Power Rankings:Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.
Sorry for the delay, kiddos, on the Power Rankings. I'm sure you spent the entirety of Wednesday wondering "WHERE IN GOD'S NAME ARE THEY??? WITHOUT THEM I'LL HAVE NOTHING TO BANTER SENSELESSLY ABOUT TO MY CO-WORKERS!!!1" Or something like that. Either way, it's time to debate the worthlessness of your favorite baseball team in numerical form once again. Do enjoy.
From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.
With the recent news that Mark DeRosa is on the trade block and the White Sox have possibly landed Jake Peavy, junkies of major league baseball trade rumors got an early glimpse at what promises to be a very interesting July. It's far to0 early to know exactly who will be in the market for what -- or who can afford to take on temporary payroll in this economy -- but it's certainly fun to speculate. Let's do it.
From the Windup is FanHouse's extended look at a particular portion of America's pastime.
Michael Young's time with the Texas Rangers has been punctuated by him making personal sacrifices to help better the team. After years as a good second baseman for the team with both the stick and the glove, he didn't have a problem when he was asked to move to shortstop in the wake of the Alex Rodriguez trade and the subsequent arrival of Alfonso Soriano. Sure, Young's offensive numbers didn't quite stand out at short quite like they did at second base, but it was about the team, not Michael Young
Since his move he's won a Gold Glove and has been named to the AL All-Star team five times. Well, now the Rangers would like him to make another sacrifice and move from shortstop to third base so they can make room for prospect Elvis Andrus. Only this time Young isn't down, and he's told the Rangers he's stood all he can stand and that he can't stand no more. He wants to be traded.
It's been over a week since FanHouse last updated you on the newest "Derek Lowe is going to ..." rumor, and since we don't like to see you all going into convulsions over the withdrawal, we feel it's necessary to give you the latest updates on the situation. After initially being insulted by the Mets' offer of "Carlos Silva money" it seems that Derek has finally found a team that appreciates him.
MLB.com is reporting that the Braves have signed Lowe to a four-year deal worth $60 million, and that Derek is likely going to sign the deal shortly. Apparently the terms of the deal have been agreed upon -- with the deciding factor most likely being the fourth year -- and the whole thing will be finalized once Lowe passes a physical.
When the Braves learned they'd have to put Tim Hudson and Chipper Jones on the disabled list, it pretty much put an end to any hopes of winning the NL East this season, so they went ahead and traded Mark Teixeira to the Angels to make sure of it. Little did they know at the time that they would already be behind in the 2009 season as well.
That's because Tim Hudson has finally given in to reality and knows he has to undergo Tommy John surgery, which of course will end his season.
The veteran will have the surgery late next week. Dr. James Andrews will do the procedure, and Hudson faces a 12-month rehabilitation period.
"I just needed to convince myself," said Hudson, who on Wednesday was advised by two orthopedists - Andrews and Dr. Xavier Duralde - to have the surgery. "I needed to throw one more time, to convince myself of what needed to be done."
If there's any good news for Hudson, and there isn't much, it's that he's got plenty of teammates who have already had Tommy John surgery so they'll be able to prepare him for what he's going to go through. Of course, the bad news is that 12-month rehabilitation period.
Maybe the Braves can call the Angels and see if they want Casey Kotchman back in exchange for a starting pitcher.
It has been a long, long season for the Atlanta Braves. What started as a legitimate World Series campaign has suddenly become an injury riddled nightmare for first year GM Frank Wren.
Yet, he refused to give up on the season and trade the team's biggest soon-to-be free agent asset, Mark Teixeira. Until now.
On Monday afternoon, the Braves officially glued a ribbon on Teixeira's head and stationed him in their main display window. After gathering their chief decision-makers in Atlanta for a meeting Monday, they then began the process of informing other teams that they plan to trade Teixeira if they get the right deal.
The feeling of clubs that have spoken with Braves GM Frank Wren is that he hasn't seen anything lately that would convince him his team has a 41-17 run in it (which is what it would take to get to 90 wins). And neither has anyone else.
Wren followed his team to Philadelphia over the weekend, to try to get "a feel" for which way it was headed, he said. What he witnessed was almost incomprehensible -- a weekend in which the Braves blew leads of five-plus runs to the same team in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history.
Well, it was a decent run for the Braves this year. I mean, not actually "decent" but they at the very least hung in there given the nature of all the injuries they have sustained. And, it has to seem pretty obvious that the injuries to Chipper Jones and Tim Hudson are the final straw for the season.
I am reasonably convinced that every single member of the 2008 Atlanta Braves roster has been heavily injured at some point this season. It might not be true -- in fact, it's definitely not true -- but it sure feels that way, doesn't it?
"It's been that kind of year," Jones said. "We can't sustain the injuries we've sustained to key people and expect to stay competitive, at or near the top of the division. It's impossible, especially when you're replacing guys like myself, Smoltz, Glavine, [Rafael] Soriano and [Peter] Moylan with minor-league guys."
Yup. That says it pretty well. And it's pretty obvious that all three moves are kind of a "sigh" move towards 2008. The Mets and Phils are both reasonably surging, the Marlins are still alive and frankly, the Braves don't have a ton to play for unless you're really big on false hope.
In other words, it's probably about time to kick up the firesale that hasn't been happening at all a notch or two.
Mark Teixeira, Braves Buzz: Though Atlanta has denied a willingness to trade Teixeira over the last few weeks, the club appears to be moving toward becoming a seller. How the Braves play over the next week will likely determine whether or not the team moves the slugger.
Jeff Zelevansky, Getty Images
A.J. Burnett, Blue Jays Buzz: Though several teams have scouted Burnett, trade movement remains slow as teams balk at the right-hander's uncertain contract status. He has great stuff and would be a quality No. 2 starter for a contender down the stretch.
Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images
Brian Fuentes, Rockies Buzz: The closer has reportedly been scouted by seven different clubs over the last few days, but Colorado's asking price -- rumored to be a top pitching prospect -- might be scaring potential suitors off. Florida will not deal Chris Volstad for Fuentes, but is still pursuing a deal for the southpaw.
Doug Pensinger, Getty Images
George Sherrill, Orioles Buzz: The Cardinals and Angels are among the teams who have asked about the closer, while the Brewers are not. Baltimore's rumored asking price is said to be two or three prospects.
Otto Greule Jr, Getty Images
Barry Bonds, Giants Buzz: The Yankees are the latest team to say they won't rule out pursuing the all-time home run king now that Hideki Matsui could miss the rest of the season. Hank Steinbrenner has admitted that the team will discuss Bonds in the next few days as they go over their options.
Lisa Blumenfeld, Getty Images
Jarrod Washburn, Mariners Buzz: The Seattle left-hander is drawing interest from the Yankees, who could use him to bolster their rotation. While not an ace, Washburn is a reliable innings-eater.
Otto Greule Jr, Getty Images
Huston Street, Athletics Buzz: Though some teams are worried about the recent drop in his arm angle and velocity, Oakland's closer seems to have no shortage of suitors. The Reds are the latest team believed to have expressed interest in Street. The Brewers have also made inquiries about his availability.
Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images
Greg Maddux, Padres Buzz: San Diego would ideally like to move the future Hall of Famer, but he has a full no-trade clause and is rumored to only be willing to accept a deal to a West Coast team.
Marc Serota, Getty Images
Brian Giles, Padres Buzz: Giles is an on-base machine and a solid defender who could give a contender looking for a corner bat a boost. Getting out of pitcher-friendly Petco Park could lead to a power spike.
Doug Pensinger, Getty Images
Andy LaRoche, Dodgers Buzz: LaRoche, L.A.'s No. 2 prospect entering the season according to Baseball America, is reportedly being showcased for a potential deadline deal.
Christian Petersen, Getty Images
If ever there was an omen that it might be time to let go of this season, wouldn't injuries to the team's best pitcher and hitter on the same night be it? Teixeira is certain to leave this winter and if Atlanta holds on to him all it will get is a pair of early draft picks. They stand to get much better talent in a deadline deal, even considering Teixeira's rental status.
- I got a chance to see A.J. Burnett's rain-shortened start last night in Baltimore. There were plenty of scouts in attendance, though some of them were probably there in hopes of seeing Orioles closer George Sherrill. Burnett has good raw stuff -- a fastball he gets to 95 mph with ease and a tough curveball in the low-80s. Still, Orioles hitters made good contact on him. He's a very good, but fragile No. 2 starter, who could help a number of contenders, but his uncertain contract status continues to make potential suitors cautious. Don't put too much stock into the Roy Halladay rumors, Burnett is still the most likely to get moved of any of Toronto's pitchers.
July 31 is rapidly approaching. Buy or Sell lets each team know where they stand.
The Braves are stuck in one of the most interesting trade deadline conundrums I think I have seen in awhile. They have the talent to win this year, yet have gotten not justunlucky but also injured. The ability to win now is enhanced by a division that does not appear as strong as it did at the beginning of the season, what with the Braves only seven games back despite a 44-50 record.
We also don't know how new GM Frank Wren thinks, although if his trade deadline maneuvering is as aggressive as his early and midseason moves, I don't expect to see a whole lot. Wren has, for the most part, seemed content to let the roster play out as it stands, rather than attempt to make an early play to help out the pitching rotation.
For that reason, I think the Braves are/should/need to become sellers. I hate giving up on a season at the All-Star break, but as noted by the link to SOSG above, the Braves had the potential to be an elite team this year and just haven't caught any breaks.
In recent weeks there had been plenty of teams who were interested in the services of 16-year old Dominican pitcher Michael Inoa. The 6'7 prospect has had scout salivating for a while now, and organizations were lining up for the chance to add him to their team. Well, when it was all said and done and Inoa was allowed to sign with somebody, he ended up choosing the Oakland Athletics.
As details came out about the signing, other teams (like the Rangers and Reds) found out that even though they offered Inoa more money, he still chose the Athletics over them. This didn't make sense to these other teams, so in their minds, the only logical explanation is that Oakland cheated and signed Inoa before the deadline. Now it looks like MLB will be taking a look into the deal.
Adam Katz, Inoa's agent, would not discuss the offer from Texas (or a reportedly larger offer from Cincinnati), but he said the A's did not sign Inoa until the 12:01 a.m. EDT deadline Wednesday.
"There was no contract before the deadline," Katz told The Chronicle on Sunday. "Absolutely not. Billy (Beane) and the team followed all the rules carefully. Billy and I were both very aware how high profile (Inoa) is."
Personally, I don't think Oakland did anything wrong here. I mean, maybe Inoa and his agent chose a smaller offer from the A's because they've seen the success Oakland has had in developing young pitchers. You know, guys like Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, Barry Zito (he used to be good Giants fans, I swear), Dan Haren, and now Rich Harden and Justin Duchscherer.
Needless to say, the Rangers and Reds don't have the same kind of history. Well, the Rangers can develop good pitching, they just trade it all away before it's ready for the bigs. Just ask John Danks and Edinson Volquez.
MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.
It's been over a week since FanHouse last updated you on the newest "
When the Braves learned they'd have to put 
It has been a long, long season for the Atlanta Braves. What started as a legitimate World Series campaign has suddenly become an injury riddled nightmare for first year GM 
July 31 is rapidly approaching. 
In recent weeks there had been plenty of teams who were interested in the services of 16-year old Dominican pitcher 
