Madiba felt they had to rebuild, fair enough, but the concept of trading away Victor Martinez, one of the premier building blocks in the league, is odd. If we assume that Mark Prior will eventually cancel out Rajah, 9 out of 10 dentists would certainly recommend their patients take Victor with the #2, if available. As such, it's not really that good a trade for Madiba, no matter how they want to reconfigure going forward.
Post-mortem: Bad trade for United, as Clemens won 24 games and Martinez hit .340. Greinke and Prior pitched for Madiba in 05, but both had subsequent health problems.
Greinke still compares favorably in terms of age and experience to the Zach Dukes and Matt Cains of this world, and he's probably worth this year's #2 overall despite his 5+ERA. That leaves Moises Alou for the #21, which is probably also intellectually correct. Despite his statuesque nature in the field and on the basepaths, Alou's VORP is better than anyone available save Felipe Lopez (who'll certainly be gone by #21); and, his VORP/100PA is better than anyone available save Tony Clark (who comes with his own warning labels). In short, it's a good deal for two teams heading in opposite directions.
Post-mortem: Good pickup for Madiba in Verlander. Blacks get Alou (.317/.403/.532) and a pick that enables them to add Jason Giambi (.260/.453/.488). A better trade for Dresden, especially given Greinke's health problems.
The conventional wisdom says this is a huge win for Mystic. The Sea Horses give up a still not yet fully proven young player (who wasn't going to start in front of Michael Young anyway) and an over-the-hill corner infielder for two established stars in and around their prime. But from the Dresden perspective it looks quite a bit different. Chavez is ably replaced by Randa for the year, Cordero can be replaced by any number of relievers, and it solves quite a huge hole for Dresden at SS. It also sets Dresden up with a DP combo of Peralta and Weeks for the rest of the decade.
In other words... if Dresden wasn't going to sign Cordero for 2006 - - not a given - - then a Chavez/Peralta swap looks pretty good for the Blacks. If Mystic was going to keep signing the Mahays and Takatsus of the world, this has to be an upgrade from their point of view.
Post-mortem: A keen trade for the Blacks. Chavez went .273/.370/.477 and Randa .282/.334/.481/112RBI, cancelling each other out. Peralta's season was all-star quality: .287/.383/.535, whereas Cordero had a good season... for a reliever. Cordero was signed in 2006 probably unwisely, while Chavez sat most of 2006 on the Mystic bench. Cordero's 2007 is a tribute to patience, still the Blacks are probably happier with Peralta.
Giambi wasn't ever going to play in Detroit again, given the acquisition of Mark Teixeira a year ago. Jason Lane might not be a long term answer, but he does fill a need for the Wheels, replacing the execrable Eric Byrnes. He can even help out in CF for Jeremy Reed in a pinch. And the #2 looks like Zach Duke, Jeff Francoeur, or leverage in another deal. On the Dresden side, moving down from the #2 to #8 pick is a lifestyle choice, while Jason Giambi is clearly better than anyone available at first base in the draft. (Do we really need to talk about Tony Clark again? ) After the three trades, the Blacks pick up Giambi-Peralta-Randa-Alou and send away Greinke-Lane-Chavez-Cordero, while moving up from the #21 to #8 pick in the draft. It's certainly more competitive for 2005, and the Peralta/#8 part of the equation may result in some super keepers.
Post-mortem: Giambi .260/.453/.488 and Lane .259/.301/.438 is a win for the Blacks despite Giambi's defensive shortcomings. Cain was a good pick, but there were lots of good picks in the draft, clear through to pick number 28.
The e-mail came through to me entitled "Floyd deal with Portland" which cleverly masked the fact that it was actually Luis Gonzalez who was bring traded. This one is a bit more even. Luis spent only one season in Hollywood, and wasn't that good. He's also 38 years old, so it's a one year pickup for the Crush.
Post-mortem: Luis had a passable .255/.368/.398 season, but Gordon and Riske were part of the reason for the Hollywood title.
Portland overpays. If this is a play for the future, let's remember that Reyes had a whopping .303 lifetime OB%, and that 2005 wasn't necessarily a step in the right direction. If this is a 2005 play, the Crush would be better off any number of available options at SS, some of them presumably available well into the next few rounds: Bill Hall, Rich Aurilia, Mark Ellis. The creative solution would have been to play A-Rod at SS and expand the net to Bill Mueller or Garrett Atkins, but that's not going to happen now, is it?
Post-mortem: I may have been wrong about this one.
Cambridge had 6 good starters and uses their 6th pitcher chit to get an upgrade at CF. New Jersey upgrades their pitching staff to pair Mulder with Joe Blanton, which might be the best 1-2 in the history of the franchise. (Let's remember nobody has ever won more than 14 games in eleven years of New Jersey history.) A good deal for both sides.
Post-mortem: Andruw hit 51 homers despite a sub .250 batting average; Mulder had a nice 13-12 season for a team that wouldn't hit. Hunter was awful but still had enough potential to be signed. However, Mulder and Hunter both got injured in 2005 giving the advantage to Cambridge.
Finally. Cabrera gathered dust last year on the Mystic bench when Michael Young came into his own, collecting 86 AB and hitting .163. Ironically, he's a little more use to the Sea Horses this year as a defensive replacement, and it's even money that's what they'll wind up with the number 83. In New Jersey, Christian Guzman gets confined to the outer darkness.
Post-mortem: Good pickup for New Jersey.
Pretty cheap for a dependable outfielder, but it's never been all that clear how good Trot has been. Cincinnati was able to turn the pick into most of a Joe Nathan (see below), so it works out pretty well from their standpoint.
Cincinnati Crush sends two 20th round picks (Scott Schoeneweiss and Chris Reitsma) Seoul Fighters send Xavier Nady and 22nd round pick (#211)
Nady has more hope at being signed than most players around that level.
Lou Landhuis takes
over Victoria Seacrest -> Jamaica Jammers
David Markowitz takes over New Orleans Pelicans
Avery Gardner takes over Swanee RiverWolves -> Binghamton Senators
Don Swearingen takes over Sedona Vortex -> Carolina Sandlappers
Dresden Blacks send pick #8 (Jeff Francoeur) Texas Lightning sends 13th and 16th round picks (#12 and Neal Cotts)
Francoeur probably chases Raul Ibanez to first base, and adds some power to a light hitting team. The outfield in Texas is youthful and athletic, which is a good start to a team that may still be a year away from competing. Francoeur didn't really fit the mould in Dresden anyway and the Blacks could use the extra pick to cover the signing mistakes of D'Angelo Jimenez and Jesse Foppert.
Post-mortem: Francoeur was over-invested in, despite his 15HRs for the Lightning. Cotts gave up only 28 hits in 50 innings and was certainly worth the difference in the picks.
Dresden Blacks send 13th round pick (#12 overall, Francisco Liriano) and Brandon Backe Madiba United sends Jarrod Washburn, Justin Duchscherer, and Ryan Freel
Instant team for the Blacks, who solve their pitching problems, their setup role, and provide a reasonable alternative for the defensive disaster that is Rickie Weeks.
Post-mortem: Washburn went 14-3, 3.02 for the Blacks, which is what Liriano (who managed 12 saves in 24 IP) will do one of these days. Duchscherer also had a great season for the Blacks, and Freel seems to have found a home. Had the pick not been Liriano, this would have been a huge steal for the Blacks.
Cambridge Longfellows sends Johnny Estrada Santa Clara Leopardos send Rafael Betancourt
Post-mortem: Traded again to Portland, Estrada was fairly awful (.242/.289/.363) and wasn't signed. Betancourt was probably the Longfellows best reliever.
Hollywood Heat send picks #22 (Prince Fielder) and #37 (Kyle Davies) Jamaica Jammers sends pick #10 (Chad Tracy)
With the #10 pick, Hollywood took Chad Tracy. Tracy, Todd Helton, Cliff Floyd, Aubrey Huff: the Heat have a gaggle of lefthanded cornermen. It's not clear whether this is good enough to chase Mystic for the division title
Post-mortem: Tracy was a cornerstone to the Heat's pennant, while Fielder and Davies were prospects on a team that just missed the playoffs.
Cincinnati Crush sends Eric Bedard and a 29th round pick (#368) Santa Clara Leopardos send Johnny Estrada and Jacque Jones
Bedard could be on the verge of breaking out and may justify the investment here. Of course, Santa Clara has a few of these "about to break out lefties" in the O. Perezes and Horacio Ramirez. For Cinci, someone has to catch (otherwise umpires become black and blue), and Estrada is as good a choice as any (well, Jason LaRue would have been a good pick if they hadn't a 1st rounder on Jose Reyes), and Jacque Jones probably goes into a platoon situation with Luis Matos is CF. Not an outstanding package for a potential ace, but the pickups have their charms.
Post-mortem: Estrada (see above) and Jones (.216/.290/.431) were both horrible, and neither were signed. Bedard threw a no-hitter against Cambridge early in the year, but was otherwise ineffective. Was signed, with some potential for the future. Advantage Santa Clara.
Rosehaven River Dogs send Jason Isringhausen Detroit Wheels send Joe Crede and a 16th round pick (Kyle Lohse)
Crede is a good gamble for the River Dogs, as he may appreciate while Scott Rolen rehabilitates. While Isringhausen is a Class A reliever, there are a few of those around, and the Dogs still have Danny Baez to close. For Detroit, this is a major step forward. The Wheels in their franchise history have only had one pitcher who has recorded a save in more than one year (Kerry Ligtenberg: 3 in 2002, 6 in 2003); and the all time team leaders in saves is Dave Veres, who got 28 back in 2001.
Post-mortem: Izzy saved 29 games, more or less as expected. Trade turned out poorly for Rosehaven, as Crede had a bad year at the plate, Lohse went 4-16, and Izzy's replacement as closer, Danys Baez, went 1-12 with a 6.70 ERA.
Bellingham Pilots sends Matt Clement Cincinnati Crush send Maui 13th round pick (Bill Hall)
On a good day, or maybe not, Cincinnati could have gotten Josh Towers at #23; on a bad day it could have been more like Jason Johnson. Cincinnati may have had enough pitching anyway - - assuming you can stretch to see Dave Williams at the end of the rotation - - but starting pitchers seem to be just currency. Bellingham thought they had 6 pitchers, now they have 5 - - including the execrable Joe Kennedy. It seems Clement should have been good enough to go before #23, but maybe not.
Post-mortem: Clement, a pedestrian 9-10 season, while Bill Hall, picked 23rd, had a nice .308/.363/.434 season. Both signed, so there's still some play before we declare a winner.
Washington Grays send Orlando Hudson and Nick Swisher Santa Clara Leopardos send Carlos Silva
On the theory that two decent players are better than one, this has to work for the Leopardos. Washington gets the better player, and Silva may be the real deal, but 9 walks allowed in 188 innings screams fluke, and we'll have to give Silva a "jury's out" until he manages a regular season with, say, 29 walks. Hudson is at the stage in his career where the term "underperformer" is apt, and Swisher may get there yet, but as we started this thread, two underperformers are sometimes better than one, assuming you can manage the signings correctly.
Post-mortem: Hudson .275/.345/418 and Swisher .247/.375/.494 were two dependable players for a pitcher who went 9-10 and then wasn't signed. Good trade Santa Clara.
Carolina Sandlappers send Derek Lowe and Lew Ford Jamaica Jammers send Chris Young and Junior Spivey
Lowe compiled a 39-30 record over his four years with the Victoria/Jamaica franchise, though all of that was built into that marvellous 20-5 season back in 2002. Ford had a good season for the Seacrest, as they were known last year, compiling a 291/381/446 line after being taken #11 overall. Meanwhile, Young was taken 237th last year and Spivey is pretty much done (though he's had 1 1/2 pretty good seasons in IIBL after being taken 9th overall in 2002). The key is really whether Young becomes the premier player of the four, and giving up a little extra current value in Lowe and Ford probably won't hurt in the long run. He could put up really nice numbers pitching 2006 in Petco.
Post-mortem: Lowe 15-9, 2.99; Young 11-13, 3.84. Ford was useless, but Spivey contributed a little. Jamaica still a little behind.
Madiba United sends
Juan Rincon and Brett Tomko
Seoul Fighters send Alex Rios and 13th round pick (Anthony Reyes)
Division rivals are probably glad that Seoul only upgraded the 5th starter spot to Brett Tomko, since there were a number of better alternatives. Rincon, on the other hand, is much more worthwhile, and Rios wasn't going to fetch anything remotely comparable, even if they had gotten a draft pick. For Madiba, it's another young pitcher, and Rios is just a warm body, probably not worth keeping. Signing a lot of young pitchers follows the Sedona strategy of last year, but Sedona only won 48 games last year. Let's remember this is a team that started the top of the page with Roger Clemens, Victor Martinez, and Moises Alou.
Post-mortem: Tomko effectively filled the 5th starter role, and Rincon was a semi-closer, much as he had been in Madiba last year, but Reyes was a good pick and who'd a thunk Alex Rios would turn the corner that abruptly.
Cincinnati Crush send
14th and 19th round picks (Jon Papelbon and Todd Walker)
Nashua Nonames send Joe Nathan
A little on the expensive side, but we were all a little surprised that guys like Cordero and Turnbow went as high as they did. Nashua will be hard pressed to follow their record season with even a .500 one
Post-mortem: Good drafting for the Nonames with the picks, turning Walker into coverage at 2 positions.
Cincinnati Crush send
21st, 22nd and 23rd round pick (Chad Orvella, Amborix Burgos, JD Closser)
Nashua Nonames send Mike Lieberthal
Three players for an aging mediocre catcher! Can't be wrong for the Nonames. Even if they took three scrub catchers with the picks, they have to be worth more than Lieberthal. Lieberthal is a marginal improvement on Johnny Estrada against left handed pitching, but that's about it. But for Noname fans he will always remembered for his 10th inning walkoff homer which forced game 7 and enabled the champs to get by Dresden.
Post-mortem: Nashua knew when to bail out on Lieberthal, though the picks that the Nonames got weren't anything special.
Dresden Blacks send
Shannon Stewart, Phil Nevin, and 23rd round pick (Seth McClung)
Nashua Nonames send Todd Walker (picked #121) and Mike Hampton
Dresden then sent Hampton to Cincinnati Crush for pick #194 (Matt Guerrier)
Two transformations are complete. It was always going to be difficult for the Nonames to repeat given the injuries to Bonds, Schilling, and J.D. Drew. As such, the trades of Stewart and Nevin should be seen as nothing but postional coverage while the Nonames evaluate today's rookies that will be part of the next 100 win team.
In Dresden, only Brian Giles, Vernon Wells, and Greg Zaun return from the offense that took the Blacks to the playoffs and nearly a 1st round upset over the eventual champs. Walker takes over at 2b, provides defensive cover for Jason Giambi, and fills a useful spot as a lefthanded hitter. Meanwhile, it liberates Ryan Freel to play some third and some outfield without burdening Rickie Weeks to flash his leather. Guerrier provides some bullpen depth as well.
Remembering the contributions, Stewart and Nevin did well in Dresden. Nevin drove in 121 runs for the Blacks in 2004 after coming over with Brian Giles for Randy Johnson. Stewart hit .296/.367/.429 in 2003 and .342/.423/.504 in 440 plate appearances last year. Walker and Guerrier aren't likely going to contribute that much, but this is Giles, Peralta, and Giambi's team now.
Hampton goes somewhere in the depth chart on the starting rotation of the Crush, certainly ahead of Chan Ho Park, and probably behind Paul Byrd and Matt Clement, but there are about 4 or 5 others around as well. It could mean that Shawn Chacon heads to the long relief role.
Post-mortem: Stewart hit .291/.331/.401 in a complete season for the Nonames. Nevin pretended he was a good defensive catcher, actually throwing out 33% of baserunners, but hitting like one at .232/.297/.410. Walker was a key component for the playoff bound Blacks at .301/.347.427 which isn't all that better than Stewart, aside from the fact that the Blacks needed help at 1B and 2B.
Washington Grays send
Brian Schneider and Mike Cameron (picked #142)
Madiba United sends Geoff Jenkins and 22nd round pick (Todd Pratt)
It's not clear what this accomplishes in Washington, otherwise to reduce the number of lefthanded hitting catchers named Brian to one. When you draft McCann fourth overall, you need to be very committed to him, but it might be a year early, since the Grays will need to go back to the draft for a lot more catching. Jenkins is an upgrade over Austin Kearns, to be sure, and might slide him over to left, moving Lance Berkman to 1b and Justin Morneau to the bench. It's probably more of a 2006 move, but asking Jenkins to repeat this season might be asking a little much. Good deal for Madiba though, since Cameron isn't really all that bad, and Schneider fills a void that would have required United to spend most of the rest of the draft to fill.
Post-mortem: Jenkins went .283/.370/.471 in a full season while Cameron went .288/.338/.512 in half a season. Schneider was a good catcher and made up for more than the difference, and all were signed. Slight advantage Madiba.
Madiba United
sends Matt LeCroy (picked #160)
Cambridge Longfellows sends Robert Fick (picked #183) and 24th round pick (Wandy
Rodriguez)
LeCroy provides a useful platoon partner with Andy LaRoche, but it's not like anyone was ever going to throw a lefty against Vladdy and David Wright anyway. Fick will catch some along with Brian Schneider, but they're still looking for a catcher to face lefties. Good trade on both ends.
The Marlinization of United is now complete, unless they think they can get prospects for Loretta or Guillen.
Post-mortem: LeCroy .304/17/39, Fick .264/2/20, but caught. Wandy Rodriguez (3-9, 6.05) was signed after compiling 100 so-so innings. Maybe it will work out for Madiba
A lot of noise here, but Kissimmee consolidates assets while Jamaica gets depth.
Kissimmee gets the two best players in the deal in Johnson and Lieber, but at considerable cost to the Cardinals' bench. The Cards had been doing with a Stairs/Payton platoon at 1B/OF with Adam Dunn shifting between the two, now it appears Dunn will return to the outfield. Dunn's move to 1B in Cinci will open a new problem next year. A more immediate problem is that second base is that Jose Vidro's half season will have to be supplemented by a host of replacement players. Thus, Kissimmee's incentive is the upgrade of the pitching staff from Rusch to Lieber, who makes a nice number three behind Santana and Unit.
Jamaica loses Nick Johnson, but Stairs comes in to platoon with Craig Wilson at 1B. Kennedy is a clear upgrade from Junior Spivey or Oscaar Robles or Jerry Hairston, the Jammers' previous options. Payton essentially adds to the depth in the outfield for the days when Magglio Ordonez is too ill to join Griffey and Kotsay. It's a nice little package but it might not be enough to offset the loss of Lieber, as Jammers fans will probably be seeing far too much of Ryan Drese this year.
Post-mortem: Big win for Kissimmee, as they made the playoffs, Jamaica didn't, and Kissimmee get Johnson and Lieber (vs Kennedy) for the future.
Dresden Blacks trade Ryan Doumit
New Jersey Patriots trade Javier Valentin
Simple trade of catchers with around 300 plate appearances, Doumit has the potential to be a starter and a keeper, while Valentin has the stats that make him more useful for the pennant and playoff chase.
Post-mortem: Doumit was reluctantly signed following his injury, and didn't contribute in 2006 and was non-tendered perhaps a year too early. Valentin hit a few homers in the playoffs, despite going .217/.298/.355 the rest of the way for the Blacks in the regular season.
Cambridge Longfellows
send Mike Timlin and Jerome Williams
Cincinnati Crush send Joe Nathan and Chip Ambres
So much for Cambridge's bullpen by committee. Nathan was leading the league in saves with 20 despite blowing 5 others as part of his 4.86 ERA. Rafael will set up for him. And Nathan will probably be added to the signed roster, whereas Timlin and Williams were iffy. Timlin had nominally better stats, but disappointed a number of times. It's not clear where Jerome Williams fits in. He's not really much better than what the Crush already have hanging in or about the rotation, and as we said before, he's not all that clearcut a keeper.
Post-mortem: Terrible trade for the Crush, as Nathan was the only signed of the four. Nathan was solid, if not spectacular at the back end of the Longfellow bullpen the rest of the way, while Timlin (6.52) and Williams (5.04) were terrible, possibly costing the Crush a playoff spot.
Dresden Blacks
send Ronny Cedeno, Jim Mecir, and Dana Eveland
Nashua Nonames send Jose Valverde, Omar Quintanella, and Seth McClung
The deal is essentially Cedeno for Valverde. While Cedeno was a nifty switchhitter, bunter, and defensive replacement, the Blacks bullpen was thin. Whether or not Valverde was really worth committing to at the signing deadline is still to be determined. Quintanilla is a nifty bunter and defensive replacement, but his bat is well short of Cedeno's, even in the available plate appearances over a playoff series. While we're talking playoffs, we'll also point out that Jose already has two lIBL playoff saves, with Sycamore in 2003.
Post-mortem: Blacks got
Valverde for nothing, as neither Cedeno and Eveland were signed. After a rough
start, Valverde went 7-2, 3.58 as the setup man, but alas the Blacks got
Jose-happy and mistakenly signed him, costing them a 17th round pick. The Blacks
were able to flip Valverde onwards for part of Aaron Harang, so the Blacks came
out well in the end.
Cambridge Longfellows send Sergio Mitre and Chip Ambres
Santa Clara Leopardos send Mark Sweeney and Edison Volquez
Mark Sweeney
will join Adam LaRoche and Matt LeCroy in the first base mix for the
Longfellows. It's not quite Carlos Delgado, or even Mike Sweeney, but having
three of those guys around should help the flexibility. Mitre was awful in
the Longfellows bullpen in the first half of the season, maybe the Leopardos can
turn him into a starter going forward.
Post-mortem: Cambridge did better. Sweeney went .297/.383/.544 in 158 AB. Mitre was a bad signing for the Leopardos.
Dresden Blacks send
Frank Catalanotto and Esteban Yan
New Orleans Pelicans send Solomon Torres and Larry Walker
Who says the Blacks aren't a team with a heart? Catalanotto was hitting .404/.480/.606 and Yan had a 1.83 ERA over 34 innings, but the Blacks bring back Larry Walker for his farewell tour. For the uninitiated, Larry was brought over for Nomar Garciaparra for the 1999 season and hit .381/.449/.712 for the Blacks in leading them to their last World Series Championship. (OK, Mark McGwire also hit 76 homers and drove in 191 runs that year.) After 4 1/2 years in dressed in black, he went to Sycamore to try to help them repeat. He comes back to the Blacks needing 9 HRs for 300.
Post-mortem: Torres (3-1, 2.40, 41ip) and Walker (.360/.440/.605 in 114 ab) were super for the Blacks. Catalanotto was respectable the rest of the way, but Yan had a bad second half. Catalanotto was a decent signing, the other three weren't retained. A good deal for both clubs.
SIGNINGS COMPLETED. Unsigned players in teal, rookies eligible to be signed in green.
Cambridge Longfellows
send Marlon Anderson,
Josh Johnson, and Adam Wainwright
Washington Grays send
Kenny Lofton, Tim Corcoran,
and Mike Myers
Lofton, another member of the 1999 World Series Blacks, is a useful player for the stretch drive as well. He'll primarily sit behind Andruw Jones on the bench, but should improve on the Longfellows' pennant chances. If nothing else, he's proved a formidable basestealer, and comes to Cambridge with 549 steals, far and away the lifetime leader. Myers, a lefty with extreme splits, may or may not be much of an improvement over "Bananas" Foster. Washington picks up a couple of prospects who could still be signed in Johnson and Wainwright.
Post-mortem: Bad trade for the Longfellows, as Lofton didn't play much (4-22) and the pitchers combined on 14 innings. Johnson and Wainwright were both signed and were good additions for 2006.
Cambridge
Longfellows send Jamie Walker and Eric Bruntlett
Santa Clara Leopardos send Willie Aybar and Cal Eldred (ineligble for playoffs)
Aybar is a solid replacement in the infield for the Longfellows, while Walker can add a few innings. Eldred was 105% used on the season, and had 21 BF remaining.
Post-mortem: Aybar was a useful acquisition (.373/.493/.475 in 59 pa), though Jamie Walker was just as useful. Pretty much a draw.
Nashua Nonames send
Nomar Garciaparra
and Michael Tucker
Jamaica Jammers send
Jerry Hairston and
Christian Guzman
And so, the Nomar era in Nashua ends. Nomar Coming over from Dresden in 1999, Nomar was supposed to bring a few championships to Nashua over the years. His two best years were his first two: 1.131 and 1.102 O+S, hitting .387 and .385. But then the injury in 2001, when Nashua only one 73 games. By the time he returned, he returned hurt, and the last three Nashua teams that won 345 games had a lot more to do with Bonds, Ortiz, Pedro, Schilling, and Mora. As such, his constant injuries caused him to be unsigned by a rebuilding Nashua, and this is a trade designed to get just a little more value out for the remainder of the year. Nomar might make the playoffs in Jamaica, and he might contribute there.
Post-mortem: Nomar didn't get to play that much or that well (.227/.247/.413) in Jamaica and the Jammers missed the playoffs. On the other hand, Hairston wasn't going to lead them there either.
Kissimmee Cardinales send
Tim Byrdak and Woody
Williams
Cincinnati Crush send
Damon Hollins and Mark Redman
Kissimmee had parked Woody in the minors all season, and now that Sunny Kim is done for the year, the Cardinals think they might be upgrading. But Redman was horrible (1-4, 6.23 in 12 starts) with the Crush in the first half. Cincinnati gets a lefty reliever, but Byrdak was horrible as well (13 hits and 9 ER in 7.2 innings). And Damon Hollins hit .150. Why am I even writing about this?
Post-mortem: Redman was pretty good for the Cardinals in the stretch, with a 3.28 ERA over 70 innings. Hollins even chipped in a bit. Williams and Byrdak were effective in more limited roles.
Nashua Nonames send
J.C.Romero
Cincinnat Crush send
Chan Ho Park
Post-mortem: Romero was terrible, suffering a near 10 ERA over 15 innings. Park had a pretty decent second half for Nashua (4-4, 4.96, 6-14 quality starts).
Nashua Nonames send
Jason Vargas
Hollywood Heat send
Rich Hill and Tom Gorzellany
Post-mortem: Vargas pitched some useful high leverage innings for the Heat in the rest of the season and the playoffs. Both Hill and Gorzelanny were signed by the Nonames, proving little more than this was a better trade for them than the Valverde one.