It wasn't long ago, the AL Central was regarded as baseball's weakest division.  This year, the Tigers are baseball's best team, and the top two teams in the Wild Card race are the White Sox and the Twins.  

 The Al Central will send two teams to the ALCS.  And this blog will tell you exactly how that will work out. 

 Step one:  The Twins will beat out the White Sox for the Wild Card.  The Twins were beaten by the White sox only once out of the last 6 meetings.  The lone White Sox win was a result of uncharictalistically poor defensive play, including a gift double that castillo lost in the lights, a ball through the legs of Punto, and a bad throw by Bartlett.  The White Sox only mustered 2 earned runs in that game. 

 The Twins are winning games even without their pitching phenom Liriano.  His return is set for mid-september, and with that comes a late playoff push.  This race will likely come down to the final series of the season, which just happens to be between the White Sox and Twins.  And with a healthy Liriano, the Twins will be sure to send out Santana-Radke-Liriano for that final series, and I'll take my chances with those match-ups. 

 Step Two:  The Tigers will win the AL Central.  They have stumbled a bit, but no team can play at that pace forever.

Step three:  The Playoff matchups.  If the season ends the way I expect it to, The Twins will face the Yankees in a short series.  Meaning the Yankees will see Johan Twice, along with LIriano and Radke.  In a 7 game series, the match-up may slide ot the Yankees favor, but in a short series I think the Twins would beat any team in the majors. 

 That would leave the Tigers vs Whomever comes out of the AL West.  Whether it be the A's Angels or Rangers, the result will be the same.  Baseball's best team will cruise to victory.

 This could mean that two teams from the AL Central would play for the ALCS, a series that may not have the ratings of Yankees-Red Sox, but will be one of the best series of baseball we've seen in many years.  This will likely go 7 games, and it will all rely on the health of each teams' respective rookie pitcher.  Verlander's health, Vs Liriano's health will decide the series. 

 So take that Large Market baseball.  The Twins and Tigers are here to stay, and everybody's favorite cursed franchise will begin it's whining once again. 

 

Brad Radke may not have the numbers of a David Ortiz or a Justin Morneau, but his value to his team is so much greater than the runs the best sluggers have given their teams.  

 First I'll start with Brad Radke's stats.

 

12-8    4.43 ERA   76K's

 

Completely unimpressive eh?

 

But let's break it down a little further.  Brad Radke has a tear in his shoulder.  May 24th is the last start for Radke where he gave up more than 4 runs.  That date coincides with the date he got his first Cortisone injection in his battered shoulder.  Since then his ERA has been sub 3, and he has turned around his season.  He has battled for the Twins, using a shoulder that can best be described as throwing with a ten pound weight instead of a baseball. 

Brad Has nothing left in that arm.  His velocity is gone, and he is getting hitters out on pure deception.  While his velocity is not their, he has shown the ability to change speeds on his pitches. 

 Brad has been clutch.  He is literally pitching until his arm falls off.  He has stopped the Twins when they started to slide against the Blue Jays, shutting them down like he was 25 again. 

 Brad is also the best mentor the Twins have ever had in their pitching staff.  It was through his guidance that Johan and Silva learned change ups.  Without the change-up, Johan is largely an average pitcher.

 Brad has done so much for the Twins, It will be a sad day to see him retire, and when he does, so should his number.  Brad was with the Twins during the terrible years after the world series victory, and was a part of the group that brought the Twins back on the map in baseball. 

 

A recovering Alcoholic attempting to run from the police? Only in Minnesota folks... This article will focus on the developing Koren Robinson story and a re-cap of the Vikings first preseason game.


As you all know already, Koren Robinson has been arrested for DUI. Details have emerged, so I'll start off with a quick briefing on the details. At approximately 10:45 Tuesday night, Koren Robinson was arrested for suspicion of DUI and fleeing arrest in a motor vehicle. He led police on what was reported as a 13 Mile long police chase, involving 4 different departments. During this, he had speeds clocked in excess of 100 MPH. He was formally charged Wednesday afternoon with two counts of DWI and fleeing arrest in a motor vehicle. It has been released that his blood alcohol level was .09, .01 above the legal limit of .08.





This is not Koren's first offense. Koren's alcohol related transgressions have been well publicized over the years, and it has led to his outright release from the Seahawks, and a four game suspension.





He is currently on probation in the state of Washington for alcohol related offenses, and has a large list of charges in Carolina, where he went to college.





Koren Robinson's actions were relatively unnecessary. It's obvious he wasn't in a sound state of mind, but at the blood alcohol level of .09, it's highly likely he was aware of what he was doing, and the consequences of his actions. While the DWI is inexcusable, his high-speed getaway attempt is unexplainable. Once the lights were behind him, Koren had no chance. People don't evade police in this day and age. With helicopters and powerful police cars, Robinson had no chance. I don't understand how he could have run from the police.





Koren is innocent until proven guilty, but I'm going to examine the impact of his actions, if the worst case scenario plays out, which would include a season-long suspension.





Koren's contract likely has language that allows the Vikings to recoup their losses if Koren has alcohol related offenses. I do not know for sure if that is the case, but I vaguely remember hearing about this when his contract extension was released. This mistake could cost Koren millions on top of possible jail-time. The Vikings may have an opportunity to go after the bonus money already payed out. It will be interesting to see how this situation will play out.





Without Koren Robinson, the Vikings receiving questions are increased. He was the #1 receiver so far this season, and was reported to be picking up the offense well. In an earlier CURTain call, i raised a question about the Vikings lacking a true #1, well that question is even bigger now.





It's time for Troy to step up. Williamson will be the #1 receiver unless a move is made. He will be given a chance to live up to his 7th overall selection. Marcus Robinson will likely be the #2 receiver for the Vikings, he has a lot of talent that has gone untapped for most of his career, and has shown flashes in his short time as a Viking. Travis Taylor will remain in the slot, where he has been excelling. This leaves a gap at 4th Wide receiver. Billy McMullen and Ryan Hoag are not good enough to fill that void, and the Vikings will either need to make a trade, or pick up a free agent who is cut. Some receivers rumored to be cut include Robert Ferguson, Charles Rogers, and Josh Reed. I'd prefer any one of these guys over the likes of McMullen and Hoag, who are much better suited for a #5 role.





Some options the Vikings have in a trade could be Jerry Porter or Ashlie Lelie. Both are unhappy with their current situations, and would likely only take a 3rd round draft choice to get them. Neither are proven commodities in the NFL, and would be definite risks, but if the Vikings are uncomfortable with Marcus Robinson as their #2 receiver, they may be forced to make a move.





With Koren's act of stupidity, Hank Baskett rumblings will only increase. Hank Baskett was traded to the eagles for WR Billy McMullen. Baskett has moved up the depth chart (due to injuries) to the #2 WR. I will not criticize the trade until Baskett performs well in a regular season game, but this trade is beginning to look very bad for the Vikings.





Anyone think the Raiders might let us have Backsies on the Moss trade? I mean, he isn't happy in Oakland...:)





Nate Burleson for a 3rd round pick is looking less appealing than ever now. But we have to remember that the 3rd round pick was used to select Tarvaris Jackson, a player who is working out quite well in limited action. For this season, it's obvious I'd rather have Burleson, but for the long-run Jackson is starting to look much nicer.

Well, the trade deadline has come and gone... I effectively killed an hour of work checking cnnsi.com & listening to KFAN waiting on pins and needles for news. 

I had some ideas for the Twins pre-deadline, but I knew they were long-shots, mostly "pie in the sky" type of deals... And as I stated in Cuzzifer's blog, I did not expect any twins related notes, beyond Lohse being shipped off. 

Well that opinion proved to be true as my beloved Twins dumped Kyle Lohse on the Reds, obtaining a decent minor leaguer with a 7-0 record with a 2.5 ish ERA in Single A Durham.

In this deal I think the Twins come out smelling like roses, dumping a terrible clubhouse presence, with no future in the organization (and no production) for a minor leaguer with a chance to be something in the majors. 

Maybe Lohse's demotion to Four A (the NL) will allow him to find some confidence he has sorely lacked in the AL... but I doubt he does anything but implode for the Reds.  The Reds GM should have known better, he is a former Twins assistant GM and he knows what Kyle Lohse is, but like an alzheimer's patient he decides he would love to see what Kyle can do again. 

But enough Twins talk here, this blog is intended to branch out into all of the deals.  So without further adui, I bring to you Trade Deadline:  Winners and Losers. 

New York Yankees acquire OF Bobby Abreu and Corey Lidle from Phillies for Four Minor Leaguers.

The Yankees once again have proven themselves to be the evil empire.  Taking on outrageous contracts no other team in the league could take on.  Abreu's contract is ridiculously high, and the Yankees have no problems paying it because of how desperate they are in the outfield (Sheffield, Matsui down with injuries). 

The Bigger story on the Yankees side of this deal is starter Corey Lidle.  He may not look like much... 4.5 ish ERA, but he gives the Yankees definite consistency at the bottom of their rotation, and allow the Yankees to go 5 deep with starters who will give the Yankees chances to win games. 

Lidle's value at the deadline is a great illustration of how weak the pitching market was this year.  Everybody wanted pitching, but nobody had it to give because of the relative mediocrity of the NL, and the AL West. 

The Phillies do not come out very well in this deal... Smith is a good prospect, but SS CJ Henry has shown absolutely nothing so far in his career.   Monasterios also looks like a decent pitcher, but none of these players will make up for the talent lost in this deal. 

The only saving grace the Phillies have is the amount of money they will be saving by getting rid of Abreu.  The Phillies now have flexibility to make some additions to their roster to improve a couple of positions. 

The Winner:  Yankees

The Loser: Phillies

Yankees Trade SP Shawn Chacon to Pirates for OF/IF Craig Wilson.

The Yankees made another solid move, getting rid of a 5th starter who will be supplanted by Corey LIdle, and picked up a versatile player in Craig Wilson.  Craig Wilson is nothing to go crazy about, but will give the Yankees a solid first baseman.  But his acquisition is not all golden.  When Sheffield and Matsui comes back, there will be some serious problems about playing time, and in the end a good player is going to wind up on the bench. 

What are the Pirates thinking here?  Craig Wilson should be one of the players they try to keep around, and build a contender with.  In exchange they get Shawn Chacon.  Chacon's ERA is in the 7's.  The pirates have thrown in the towel for the next 2 or 3 years based on the moves they have made.

Winner:  Yankees

Loser:  Pirates

Pirates Trade SP Oliver Perez and RP Roberto Hernandez for OF Xavier Nady

The Mets have picked up a couple of solid pitchers for Nady in this deal.  Oliver Perez is having a terrible year, but has lots of potential, and has shown that potential in the past.  Given time Oliver Perez may make the Mets fans forget about the deadline deal that sent away Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano.  But the key component of this deal for 2006 is Robert Hernandez.  In 24 appearances for the Pirates, Herneandez has posted a sub 3 ERA and has earned a couple of saves.  He will step in and be an excellent set-up man for the Mets.

Nady Takes some of the Sting away from the Craig Wilson Deal, and will give the Pirates a good young outfielder for several years.  He has decent pop, but really won't turn many heads in the batters box.  I think the Pirates will regret this deal as well because they are sending off a quality young arm in Oliver Perez, who I believe given time will get back to his previous form and live up to potential. 

Winner:  Mets

Loser:  Pirates

Pirates trade SP Kip Wells to Rangers for Minor Leaguer Jesse Chavez.

The Pirates finally made a move that made some sense.  Kip Wells is a struggling, aging pitcher, and acquired a relief prospect that has recently made the jump to AAA.  Chavez is nothing spectacular as far as relief pitchers come, but in the future he could be a decent middle reliever for the Pirates. 

The Rangers made a smart move and added pitching.  Even the 1-5 6+ ERA Wells is an upgrade over the pathetic staff known as the Texas Rangers.  He should step into the rotation, and if he improves slightly keep the Rangers offense close enough to score some runs and get a win.  Kip is by no means a game changing player, but he gives the Rangers yet another boost to make a charge in the AL West. 

Winner:  Pirates (Bout time they came out better in a trade)

Loser: Rangers (Kip Wells is a good move, but likely wont' make much difference in the rotation.. this trade is close to even)

Rangers acquire OF Matt Stairs from Royals for Joselo Diaz. 

Matt Stairs will provide the Rangers with a good bench player, improving their depth.  The Rangers gave up two Outfielders to get Carlos Lee, leaving a gap for Stairs to fill. 

Joselo Diaz is another Rangers pitcher who has recently made the jump to AAA.  He is averaging over one strike out per inning, and has seen time as a starter and as a reliever giving the Royals a versatile Arm in their system. 

Winner:  Royals

Loser: Rangers

Royals Trade SP Affeldt and Bautista To Rockies for Shealy and Dohmann

The Royals made a smart move here building for the future.  It's obvious the Royals aren't contenders in the AL Central, and won't be for a considerable amount of time and the Royals are using the deadline to load up on prospects in hopes of a few panning out.  Shealy seems to be a legit prospect, with 15 HR in AAA so far this year he could see some time with the big league squad soon.  Dohmann hasn't pitched much this season, but has posted a 2ish ERA at both AAA and AA.  The Royals got a lot of value for a couple of players who really haven't performed well for them. 

The Rockies have traded for a couple of Royals pitchers with 5+ ERA's.  Nothing out of the ordinary considering the lack of talent on that royals roster, but the Rockies gave up a lot to get these two.  I think the Rockies will be disappointed in the talent they have received and will likely end up regretting this deal.

Winner:  Royals

Loser: Rockies

Padres receive IF Todd Walker and 350K from Cubs for Jose Ceda.

Walker is a versatile infielder who can play 3 infield positions (badly).  He is more known for his offensive #'s which haven't been up to par this year, but he should provide the Padres with a player who could hit #2 for them. 

Jose Ceda is a small price to give up for a veteran presence like Walker.  Ceda has posted a 5+ ERA in the minors, but averages over a strikeout per inning.  The Cubs are far from contenders at this point, even in the pathetic league we call the NL.  They are doing the smart thing and looking to the future. 

Winner:  Padres

Loser:  Cubs

 Dodgers Acquire Julio Lugo from D-Rays for Joel Guzman and Sergio Pedroza

This trade works out well for both squads.  The Dodgers are receiving a quality SS to replace Izturis.  This should improve the Dodgers lineup dramatically and they should make a strong push for the playoffs despite being 5 games out of the race. 

Joel Guzman and Sergio Pedroza are legit prospects in the Mets organization.  Pedroza has struggled in the advanced A league, but posted some solid #'s at the lower of the two A leagues.  Guzman is a great prospect for the D-rays he should be the 3rd baseman of the future for them. 

Both teams made out well in this deal.  The Dodgers have gotten themselves closer to a playoff appearance, and the D-rays bright future has gotten even brighter.  Both teams are Winners in this deal. 

Dodgers acquire SP Greg Maddux from Cubs for IF Cesar Izturis

Greg Maddux doesn't have much left in the tank, but he should give the Dodgers some help at the bottom of their rotation, and provide them with some veteran leadership.  Izturis is one of the more disappointing players in baseball, he was a player I thought would do big things in his career, but he hasn't panned out.  Izturis should provide an a replacement for Walker, and will help out the Cubs build for the future.  Another good deal for both teams. 

Both Teams are Winners

As the deadline approaches, normally rational and reasonable fans can often turn into extreme homers.  We see it everywhere, whether it be on blogs such as these, sports-themed message boards, or sports talk-radio.  Soon it becomes a perfectly reasonable proposal to offer Lew Ford, Kyle Lohse, Shannon Stewart and Boof Bonser for Soriano.  I've listened to KFAN 8-4 every weekday since I started my new job, and lets just say I've heard it all.  From fans ripping Mauer, (yes, the .370+ hitting phenom), calling for Ryan's head for not making a move, praising Rondell White, and even suggesting the Twins trade for A-rod.  I listen because it often provides comic relief from a mind-numbingly boring job.  So this blog post will be focused on some ways to improve The Twins, if any can be made with reasonable offers.  So call my BS if that's how you see it, because everyone has a little Homer inside of them, and sometimes he creeps out. 

Minnesota has a couple directions they could go at the deadline.  Their name has been tossed around in relation to Soriano's name, but I believe Carlos Lee destroyed any chance the Twins had of trading for him when he turned down a 4 year 48 million dollar offer.  Why you ask?  Because Lee's contract refusal will set the bar much to high for the Twins to lock up Soriano long-term.  Without being able to keep Soriano beyond this season, TR will not mortgage the future to bring in anybody, even a guy with 40-40 club potential.  So with Lee traded, and Soriano priced to high, what can the Twins do to improve their hitting?  With so many teams considered contenders, it is hard to make a move to improve a line-up that is already scoring enough runs to win ballgames.  The Twins have one hole in their line-up as it stands now.  Jason Kubel's knees are not healthy enough to play left field on that hideous turf, and his nagging injuries are proof of that.  This makes him a full-time DH, meaning guys Rondell White, Jason Tyner and Josh Rabe will be seeing time at the position. 

The Solution?  The Twins need to go out and get a left fielder.  The second problem?  The market for outfielders is weak.  Some names that have been made available are Soriano and Abreu, but as I've stated before, Soriano will not come to the Twins, the asking price is too high for a rental player.  Abreu has an ugly contract, and the only way I'd consider going after this guy would be if the Phillies will eat the majority of that contract.  But the Phillies are only considering trading Abreu because of contract issues, so the Twins are far out of the running on this guy... scratch him off your list Twins fans.  Another outfielder rumored to be available is Willy Mo Pena, he is a young outfielder with some potential that the Red Sox are dangling on the market, but I don't believe this deal could be made either.  First, Pena is a Right Fielder, which isn't a deal killer, but it would come with a few rough patches in the field in the first few weeks.  The second, and more important reason is the fact that the Twins and Red Sox could be competing for the Wild Card by season's end, and I doubt either team would want to help fix a weakness of their opposition. 

Here is the player I'd like to see the Twins make a serious run at, Raul Ibanez  I do not know how available he is, if it all, but The M's are not in contention this year with the strong play from the Angels and A's, Even though they are only 4 games back.  The Twins have prospects to offer, and could make a deal that suits both teams well. 

Here is the offer: 

Twins get:  Raul Ibanez

M's Get:

P Kevin Slowey

OF Alex Romero

SP Glen Perkins

A prospect from the Brewers "A" team

The Brewers Get:

Kyle Lohse

The Brewers do this trade because they have shown a lot of interest in Kyle Lohse, and the Twins will likely give away Lohse.  The Brewers could be interchanged with several teams that have shown interest in the Twins Starter/Reliever. 

The Mariners get some quality young talent in exchange for the 34 year old Ibanez.  They acquire two pitchers that have risen quickly in the Twins organization, Perkins is a hard-throwing lefty, but has struggled a bit this season (but still posted a decent 4 ERA).  Slowey is one of the many great prospects on the Twins roster, and is rising quickly.  He has top of the rotation potential, but is expendable because of the several other prospects the Twins have.  Alex Romero is a great young outfielder that might be ready to make the jump to the Bigs.  If not this year, Next year will be Romero's first year in the majors. 

The Twins will do this because Ibanez allows them to keep Kubel DH'ing to keep his knees healthy this season, and it also allows the Twins to keep guys like Tyner, Ro White, and Rabe on the bench where they belong.  (Well... Rondell doesn't really belong on the bench either...but I digress). 

The only downside to this deal is Ibanez struggles vs lefties.  The best case scenario for the Twins would be to get a quality Left Fielder with a right handed bat, but the market is just not there.  Ibanez would likely bat clean-up when he is called up, shifting Cuddyer down the order where he would be much better suited. 

The Twins are one of the long list of teams in need of pitching.  This year's market is very weak, beyond Barry Zito who may not even be on the market, there are very few players who could make an impact at the bottom of the rotation.  Names that have been tossed around are Corey Lidle, Greg Maddux, Jon Lieber, Livan Hernandez.  This list is relatively unappealing, Hernandez and Maddux are at the tail end of their careers with velocity decreasing from an already low level.  These two pitchers would struggle against the power filled line-ups in the AL, and I doubt either could make the transition well.  Jon Lieber is coming off Tommy John surgery and would come with an inflated salary, so scratch him off the list as well.  This leaves Corey LIdle, he has good strike-out numbers and a respectable 4.5ish era.  He would fit in well as a 4th starter, allowing the Twins to send Baker back down. 

Here is an offer that the Twins could send the Phillies' way. 

Twins Get:  Corey Lidle

Phillies get:  Boof Bonser, Lew Ford (PTBNL)

The Phillies do this because they are out of contention, and the 34 year old starter doesn't have many good years left in him.  Boof Bonser is a player who could succeed if given the opportunity to learn how to pitch against major league hitting.  There is no better opportunity for him to do that than on a team that is not in the playoff race.  Lew Ford has some value for a NL squad because of his versatility.  He can play all 3 outfield positions well defensively, and can provide hits in spurts.  He would make a solid 4th outfielder for the Phillies. 

The Twins would then slide Baker back to AAA, and Silva to the 5th starter.  Silva would make a few more starts, and if he succeeds, he will keep his job, but if he cannot cut it in the rotation anymore, Garza will be given a shot and Silva will be moved to the pen, where he was pretty successful earlier in the year. 

I think these offers are fairly reasonable, some of the prospects can be tweaked (such as inserting Scott Baker for Boof Bonser).  But I think all teams involved could come out of these trades happy with the way they went.  The biggest problem facing the deals may be the fact that mathematically both teams are in a good position to make the playoffs, but that math is deceiving, and those teams should recognize that they are sellers and do the right thing. 

Some Quick Thoughts:

- The Twins last night were ugly in the field, and it cost them at least two runs.  Castillo's mis-play in the first inning allowed the lead-runner on, Maggs would only have had 1 guy to knock in with that hit had the gold-glover played it correctly.  In the 10th Castillo had his second miss of the night, allowing another ball under his glove.  Punto had a chance to be the hero again with a hot-shot to 3rd base, and he to failed to pick up Rincon and get out of that inning. 

- But the bigger problem was the line-up the Twins had to trot out in the bottom of the 10th.  When the Twins 3-4-5 went down in order in the bottom of the 9th, the Twins were forced to send out Rodriguez - White - Tyner against the Tigers closer.  The Twins didn't have a chance at scoring a run in the 10th, let alone getting a batter on with that line-up.  The Twins really needed some clutch hitting in the 9th, and the Twins big 3 could not get it done.

-Training camp started today for the Vikings rookies.  Chad Greenway is already scoring brownie points, showing up 45 minutes early for practice.  He has a great work-ethic due to his childhood on the farm, and I believe he could turn out to be a steal at the 17th pick.  I'm expecting him to win a starting job on the outside, and he could be a great play-maker for the Vikings. 

-Dontarrious Thomas or Nap Harris is going to be the starting MLB.  This camp battle is about equivalent to being asked if you want to be kicked in the balls by a soccer player or a kicker...either way you're coughing up your testicles...

-All Draft picks were signed before the first day of camp, this is something we did not see in the Tice or Denny Green Era, it's a good sign that the Vikings have gone out and signed some guys with good character and looking to get in and work hard.  This team may not be as flashy as previous years, but I think this team will be fundamentally sound and won't lose games with stupid penalties and mistakes.  If Childress does one thing for this team it will be providing disipline.