It has been a long year for Atlanta Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur. Francoeur, who recently spent three days in the minors, has struggled tremendously to this point, batting .229/.289/.354 in 446 at-bats.

This has been a bit of a surprise.

The former Sports Illustrated cover boy, labeled as “The Natural,” came into spring training camp looking stronger than ever after working hard this off-season and seemed ready to put up some big numbers.

Francoeur, 24, has never been a player who has shown great discipline. But I still thought that he was going to break out this year, though, by possibly regaining his power stroke from 2006 while increasing his walk total and improving his on-base skills. After all, his walk total jumped from 23 up to 42 in 2007, as he hit 19 homers, drove in 110 runs and posted a .782 OPS without missing a game. His power dropped off from the previous year, when he hit a career-best 29 home runs, but he was not responsible for making as many precious outs.

Add in the improved strength and weightlifting aspect, and a 30-homer, 50-walk season did not seem out of the question.

Well, that prediction has backfired on me, huh?

Although Francoeur has 10 home runs and 52 RBIs, there is no denying that he has been a major disappointment for Atlanta. Among 11 qualifying right fielders in the National League, he currently ranks dead last in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS (.643). He has also struck out 85 times, compared to only 31 bases on balls, and is batting a measly .185 with runners in scoring position.

It is easy to see what all the hype was about when he came up, though many people within the industry have tended to overrate him by ignoring his poor on-base skills. However, a lot has changed since the article appeared, and he needs to pick it up.

Francoeur, who has dropped 20 pounds over the course of the season, would be the first to tell you that, too. In fact, he recently did exactly that when discussing his struggles with the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

“This season has taken a toll, there’s no doubt,” Francoeur said. “When you look back at how many chances I had to drive guys in — I recognize that and realize I need to finish the best I can the next six weeks. It’d be really nice to finish strong and go into the offseason knowing what I need to do to be back where I know I can be next year.”

Francoeur tried wearing a contact in his right eye, thinking his vision might have been affected from the 2004 injury when he was hit in the face by a pitch. But a visit to an eye specialist at Emory last week ruled that out.

“My dad wanted me to get it checked out,” Francoeur said. “I called him on the way home and I said ‘Well Pops, I’ve got good news and bad news. Good news is there’s nothing wrong with my eyesight. The bad news is I just flat out [stink] right now.’”

Hopefully, Francoeur can figure out his offensive problems in the near future, because he still has some tremendous ability. But there is no sugarcoating his performance in 2008: he has been one of the least productive outfielders offensively in the majors.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Cincinnati Reds will receive Wilkin Castillo and Micah Owings from the Arizona Diamondbacks as the players to be named later in the Adam Dunn trade. The first player included was Dallas Buck, a right-handed pitcher now pitching in the Florida State League for the Sarasota Reds.

Buck, a former collegiate All-American who helped push Oregon State to the College World Series, recently began throwing again earlier this summer after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2007. The former third-round pick has excellent stuff when healthy, but has a long way to go. He has made some progress since returning, posting a 3.55 ERA and 28-to-11 K/W ratio in 50.2 innings pitched combined between the Midwest and California League.

Castillo, 24, was ranked by Baseball America as the 14th-best prospect in the Arizona organization before the season. He is a strong-armed catcher who can help control an opponents’ running game and can also play both middle infield positions effectively. His offensive output, however, does leave a bit to be desired. He was hitting .254/.305/.358 in 104 games in the Pacific Coast League at the time of the trade. With his defense, he will get a shot in the majors some day. Still, he clearly needs to improve his approach at the plate, as his current set of on-base skills and plate discipline (54 strikeouts, 24 walks) are a cause for concern.

Owings, who may not be traded until the offseason and has yet to be officially included in the trade, is perhaps best known for how well he can handle a bat. The former two-way star at Tulane was recently demoted to Triple-A, though, after going 6-9 with a 5.93 ERA in 18 starts with the Diamondbacks. He is still a nice player to grab who can turn into a solid back-end starter.

Since Arizona is only getting around seven weeks of Dunn, this seems like a strong package for Walt Jocketty and the Reds, even though they did not receive any high-impact players in return. Although they would have received two compensation picks when the slugger left for free agency, this group of player—especially Buck, who has perhaps the highest ceiling—adds three guys who are closer to making an impact in the majors.

For my take on the Diamondbacks' side, click here.

As expected, the 20-year relationship between Mike Francesca and Chris (Mad Dog) Russo as hosts of the Mike and the Mad Dog show has come to an end. WFAN announced on Thursday that Russo has left the station.

Francesca is staying on board to serve as the sole host of the popular afternoon show.

Although there has been rumors about a strained relationship between the pair, Russo told the New York Daily News that this had no impact on his decision to leave. He has been linked to Sirius/XM radio, with rumors indicating that he has been already offered a multi-year contract that will pay him an estimated the $2.5-3-million per year.

Although many fans find Russo annoying, the program has been a constant in the New York sports arena for so long. Will the FAN ever be the same again without arguments like the one below? What do you think of the move?

Quarterback Cullen Harper had a breakout season in 2007, passing for 2,991 yards and 27 touchdowns to lead Clemson to a 9-4 record, including five conference wins.

Harper, recently selected as the pre-season Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, threw only six interceptions on his way to becoming the highest-rated passer in the conference. The red-shirt senior completed 65.1% of his passes--a better total than Boston College star Matt Ryan, the Atlanta Falcons’ first-round pick and QB of the future.

Look for Harper to have another big year for the Tigers, the favorite to win the conference championship. Although he has come a long way since his high school days—he only played two games as a senior at Sequoyah High (GA) due to injury, then spent his first few years of college playing behind Charlie Whitehurst and Will Proctor—he is one of the most accurate passers in all of college football. He does not get the same attention as a Chase Daniel, Tim Tebow, or Pat White, but deserves to be in that class. With a strong supporting cast, including standout tailbacks James Davis (1,064 rushing yards in '07) and C.J. Spiller, the Tigers’ offensive unit is projected to put up a lot of points. This will certainly help his status in the NFL draft, as 2009 is considered a weak class for the position.

According to Scout.com, in fact, Harper is the premier senior QB in the nation eligible for the draft.

Another QB to keep an eye on is Hunter Cantwell, who will begin his first season as the starter at the University of Louisville. Cantwell, who originally came to Louisville as a walk-on after a standout prep career at Paducah Tilghman High School in Kentucky, has been blocked on the depth chart for his entire collegiate career by the best player in program history, Brian Brohm.

Brohm, competing for the backup job with the Green Bay Packers, forced Cantwell to the bench for another season by deciding not to enter the NFL draft following his monster junior campaign. The hometown hero is gone now, though, opening the door for the Paducah native to emerge as one of the best QBs in the Big East Conference. A physical specimen, he has been impressive while filling in for an injured Brohm, and has the ability to attract some interest in the draft. If he can lead the Cardinals, picked to finish near the bottom of the conference in several pre-season publications, to a respectable finish, look for him to move up some draft boards.

Near the end of July, the Washington Nationals decided to give shortstop Cristian Guzman a two-year, $16-million contract extension. Guzman, an All-Star, was having a fairly decent season at the time, hitting around .300 while ranking among league leaders in base hits. He is also a strong defender who can play multiple positions. Still, I was critical of the decision at the time, writing:

The Washington Nationals locked up shortstop Cristian Guzman to a two-year, $16 million extension earlier this week. Guzman was elected to the All-Star game, even making some nifty plays in the infield to help keep the National League in the classic extra-innings affair. In reality, however, Guzman did not deserve to be there, by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, he is batting .305 right now, is a solid defensive middle infielder and is finally healthy. Considering his injury-riddled tenure in DC--he missed the entire '06 season--that is saying a lot.

With that being said, Guzman's offensive output still leaves a lot to be desired, evident by his career line of .267/.305/.382 and .686 OPS. While he is actually hitting well above his weight for once, the 30-year-old shortstop has poor plate discipline, drawing walks about as frequently as Jason Bartlett of the Tampa Bay Rays, and is responsible for making far too many outs. Thus, when his batting average regresses back to the mean, his OBP will works its way back to an unacceptable level.

Well, the outmaking machine is now batting .294/.324/.400, for a whopping .725 OPS, through 110 games. Really, defense-aside, he is a below-average major league player. But the real problem that I had with Nationals general manager Jim Bowden’s decision is this: why throw money at a player—even an impact star—who will almost certainly not play an important role when Washington is finally ready to contend? Instead of accomplishing thing of real importance, deals like this usually set a club back from truly remaining competitive over an extended time period.

Over the length of deal, it seems, the Nationals will not be playing any meaningful games. True, anything can happen in the lowly National League. However, the odds of them making a real impact in the NL East before the turn of the next decade—especially with Bowden running the show—are fairly low.

So, I concluded the article like this:

With Guzman, it is almost certain that he will not be part of a postseason-caliber team during the length of the deal as the Nationals appear to be destined to remain in the cellar of the National League East. Therefore, by signing him, the organization took a step backwards, not forward, wasting financial resources that could be invested more wisely. He is only a band-aid, a short-term fix that will end up poorly for Washington. And by locking him up, Bowden essentially wasted millions of dollars that could be devoted to international scouting or signing draft picks.

Well, now it looks like the Nationals are not going to sign their first-round pick, Missouri starting pitcher Aaron Crow. Crow, the ninth pick of the draft, signed a professional contract to play Independent Ball with the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association on Wednesday.

According to Randy Hendricks, Crow’s agent, the talks between the two parties have stalled.

“We wouldn’t have had him sign with the Cats if we thought he was going to sign with the Nationals,” Hendricks said. “The last I talked with Jim Bowden, he didn’t think there was anything more to talk about. I didn’t disagree.”

There is still a chance that the two sides will reach an agreement before the deadline on Friday. It is likely, though, that he will become the next Luke Hochevar, who followed the same route after being selected in the 2005 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hochevar then reentered the draft the next June, and the Kansas City Royals took him with the number one overall pick.

Bowden—step in here, Stan Katsen—cannot let this happen. Although the organization will receive another first-round pick if they fail to sign Crow, they need to add another premier prospect to the farm system. Right Now.

As a mid-market team, they need to build from within, investing the proper money into player development, then locking up their young talent long-term—before free agency is even an issue. This is perhaps the only way that the franchise will ever be able to sustain a consistent level of success, given the economic market in the industry today. There is a high level of risk associated with nearly every pitcher who gets drafted, but failing to sign a first-round pick is inconsistent with the aforementioned vision.

Which is why the Guzman deal was puzzling, to say the least. Teams that throw around money at free agents when they are not ready to compete yet may leave fans—trust me, I received a lot of emails about why the Guzman deal was a smart move—with the perception that they are righting the ship. In reality, however, they are only prolonging the losing process.

Unlike the Nats’ incumbent shortstop, though, Crow has a chance to be a part of the truly next great Washington team, possibly at the top of the starting rotation. The 22-year-old right-hander has excellent stuff—highlighted by a mid-90s fastball, an 87 MPH power slider and decent command—and the chance to turn into a front-end starter in the majors. The Big 12 pitcher of the year, he went 13-0 with a 2.35 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 107 1/2 innings this past season.

Thus, Bowden has to do work out a deal. If he cannot do so, then you can add this to a list of many blunders during his tenure as GM. Heck, if he did not decide to waste all that money on Guzman, perhaps the dollar amount would not be an issue. Spending money on a potential star in the future is a much better investment than giving away charity to an aging middle infielder without any on-base skills and declining speed, right?

While the Bowden era may be coming to an end soon, the Nationals need to sign Crow. If money is the ultimate factor that prevents it from happening, especially after the Guzman debacle, a leadership change is an absolute must.

Unless, of course, the ownership group enjoys losing.

David Price ended up on the wrong side of the decision column for the first time of his professional career on Wednesday night. Price, making his Triple-A debut for the Durham Bulls, allowed three earned runs on seven hits in four innings in a 7-6 loss to the Norfolk Tides. The 22-year-old left-hander, expected to make an impact for the Tampa Bay Rays down the stretch, struck out six without walking a hitter.

Price is now 11-1 with a 98-to-23 K/W ratio in 16 starts combined between three levels. Even with the mediocre International League debut, look for him to get called up soon enough. He has the command, pitching smarts and stuff to make an impact for the Rays. Most likely coming out of the bullpen, which will limit his innings, the former number one overall pick may play a major factor in the American League East race.

If you are a Rays fan and this one start makes you feel uneasy, sit back, relax and enjoy the Rays rap video below. That should cheer you up, but do not stress out about Price. The kid is going be a star in Tampa Bay for a long time.

Davey Johnson (Getty Images)

While most of the world is focused on Michael Phelps as he attempts to win eight gold medals, I am more interested in seeing how well the US Olympic baseball team will fare in Beijing. Can manager Davey Johnson and a diverse collection of career minor leaguers and top prospects shock the world to take home the Gold?

Well, things did not get off to a great start today. Team USA lost its opening game earlier this morning, falling 8-7 to Korea in a wild game that went back and forth. This was not a good start, as the field of eight will be cut to four after every team plays each other for the first time.

Cuba is the favorite and the opening loss hurts, but Team USA has several young, talented players—Dexter Fowler, Matt LaPorta, Steve Strasburg and Casey Weathers, most notably—and could prove to be a nice surprise.

Fowler is one of the top prospects in the Colorado Rockies’ system, and was enjoying a fine season when he left for China.

LaPorta, who was the highest-profile prospect included in the CC Sabathia deal, has 40-homer potential.

Strasburg, the only amateur on the roster, will take the hill in game two against the Netherlands. The San Diego State phenom is perhaps the favorite to be selected with the number one overall pick in 2009.

Weathers is a potential All-Star closer for Colorado. A first-round pick out of Vanderbilt in the 2007 First-Year Draft—along with college teammate David Price—he has an explosive fastball, which allows hit to dominate when his command is on.

It truly is a shame that this may be the last year for the baseball and softball in the Olympics—though the MLB is trying to prevent that from happening. So, hopefully this group can come out on top.

Here a few more profiles of the aforementioned players and other top prospects on the US team to keep an eye on. These profiles come from an article that I wrote when the US roster was announced back in July.

Brett Anderson: LHP, Oakland Athletics—

Anderson, 20, came over to the Oakland Athletics in the deal that sent Dan Haren to the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason. The southpaw, one of two Oakland prospects headed to Beijing, threw a scoreless inning in the Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. He has been effective since joining the deep Oakland farm system, going 9-4 with a 4.14 ERA, 80-to-18 K/W ratio and opponents’ batting average of .238 in 13 starts in the California League before getting promoted to Double-A. He is now pitching for Midland in the Texas League, where he is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in four starts.

Anderson, selected by the Diamondbacks in the second round of the 2006 First-Year Draft, has shown strong command over a fastball that sits in the low-90s, in addition to a slow curve ball, his strongest offering, and a changeup. He is the son of Oklahoma State head coach Frank Anderson, who has an excellent track record of developing college pitchers.

Click here for a full scouting report on Anderson, courtesy of Melissa Lockard, who ranked him the third-best prospect in the Athletics’ farm system in her pre-season rankings.

Dexter Fowler: OF, Colorado Rockies—

Fowler broke his wrist last year, ending his campaign 65 games into his season in the California League. The speedy outfielder, who has plenty of tools but needs needs to cut down on his strikeouts, has made a full recovery and is enjoying a fine campaign in the Texas League. He is batting .331/.427/.505, for a .933 OPS for the Rockies’ Double-A affiliate, the Tulsa Drillers. The 22-year-old Atlanta native has even flashed some surprising power—he had combined to hit only 14 homers from ’05 through ’07—by hitting nine balls into the seats. He currently ranks second on the circuit in walks, third in on-base percentage, fifth in batting average, sixth in OPS and ninth in stolen bases.

Fowler, who was elected as Mid-Season All-Star by Baseball America, is a potential star who will benefit from playing in Coors Field when he reaches the show. Like many of his teammates on the US roster, he played in the Futures Game at Yankee Stadium.

Matt Laporta: INF, Cleveland Indians—

LaPorta will forever be linked to CC Sabathia. The former University of Florida star was the key prospect involved in the deal that sent Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers for three months, the blockbuster deal of the ’08 trade deadline season. LaPorta has the offensive skill set, though, to reach a point where that tidbit becomes just a site note on his player profile page on the Indians’ website.

The seventh overall pick of the 2007 draft after a standout career for the Gators, some scouts compare him to a right-hander version of Travis Hafner. At the time of the deal, he was among Double-A leaders with a .978 OPS, batting .288/.402/.576 with 20 home runs and 66 RBIs in the Southern League. Moving to Cleveland, he may have the opportunity to switch back to the infield, where is expected to play with Team USA. He has the skills to turn into a plus defensive first baseman. The 24-year-old also has strong enough arm strength—he was once clocked at 88 MPH in the Cape Cod League All-Star game a few summers ago—to remain in the outfield, but will hit enough to remain at first base.

In his first 10 games with the Indians’ Double-A affiliate in Akron, he is batting .237/.250/.342/ in a small sample size. Some scouts project him to hit for 30-plus homers in the majors. Although the Brewers were criticized for selecting him, as a college senior, so early back in the ’07 draft, he has truly emerged into a legitimate hitting prospect. Look for him to make his debut in Cleveland when rosters expand in September.

future.

Stephen Strasburg: RHP, San Diego State—

Strasburg was the only amateur player selected to the US team. He is coming off a dominant season in which he captivated the nation with a 23-strikeout performance against Utah on April 11. The sophomore right-hander was dominant on the mound all spring for the Aztecs, going 8-3 with a 1.57 ERA, 133-to-16 K/W ratio and opponents’ batting average of .181 in 13 starts. The local San Diego product, who turned 20 this week, is a lock to go in the first round in 2009, thanks to a devastating four-seam fastball that has hit 100 MPH on the radar gun.

Taylor Teagarden: C, Texas Rangers—

Teagarden is an excellent defensive catcher with plus arm strength, which will allow him to stick in the majors even if he does not turn into even a league-average hitter. He was drafted out of the University of Texas in 2005, falling to the third round. He then missed a large chunk ’06 season following Tommy John surgery, which hindered his development offensively. He had solid bounce back year in ’07, finishing the season with a line of .294/.357.529 in 115 plate appearances at Double-A. He was tearing up the California League before his promotion, making the jump after posting a 1.054 OPS with 20 homers in 81 games.

In 2008, Teagarden has spent most of the year at Triple-A Oklahoma, where he has struggled at the plate. He is batting only .235/.349/.404 with six homers. While he needs to cut down on his strikeouts—241 strikeouts in 214 career minor league games—the local product is still one of the premier defensive catchers in the minors. In what he referred to as a “whirlwind of a week,” he went from the Futures Game at Yankee Stadium to playing in the Metrodome, where he made his major league debut. In his brief stint with Texas—which also has rookie catcher Max Ramirez—he went 1-for-6, breaking up Minnesota starter Scott Baker's bid for a no-hitter with his first career home run, before getting shipped back down to Triple-A on Monday. The demotion allowed him to be included on the USA roster.

Casey Weathers: RHP, Colorado Rockies—

Weathers is perhaps the highest-profile prospect making the trip to Beijing. The Rockies selected him with the eighth pick of last June's draft out of Vanderbilt University, which produced two first-round pitchers, including number one overall pick David Price. As a senior and a relief prospect, many predicted him to make a fast track to the majors, but he is still pitching in Double-A Tulsa. In 39 appearances with the Drillers, the 23-year-old converted outfielder is 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 45-to-24 K/W ratio.

Weathers consistently sits in the 95-97 range with his fastball, even reaching triple digit on occasion. If he can continue to miss bats and improve his command, look for him in the next few years to turn into a high-impact closer for the Rockies, who are currently dangling soon-to-be free agent Brian Fuentes on the trade market.

This past December the Arizona Diamondbacks dealt outfielder Carlos Quentin to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor leaguer Christopher Carter. While the move went relatively unnoticed at the time—as Arizona then added Dan Haren to its starting rotation in a blockbuster trade with the Oakland Athletics—it has had a significant impact for both parties.

The Diamondbacks were able to make this deal after locking up left fielder Eric Byrnes to a three-year, $30-million contract, bringing back the so-called “heart and soul” of the 2007 playoff squad after he put up the finest season of his career. Year one has not gone according to plan for Byrnes, however, making the decision already look like a colossal mistake. He has been plagued with injuries, and was not effective when he was healthy enough to stay on the field.

Which has called into question the decision to part ways with Quentin, a former first-round pick out of Stanford University who at one point was on the best position player prospects in the organization. But the young outfielder, also sidetracked with injures, did not impress during his first two stints in the majors after being called up at 23 years old. While he hit just .214/.298/.349 in 81 games before going on the shelf permanently, causing his status to drop a bit and impacting the choice to lock up Byrnes, he did not get a great look in a small sample size while battling injuries.

It is easy to analyze each decision at this point, as hindsight vision is 20/20, but this player swap has proven to be a steal for Chicago general manager Kenny Williams.

The return on investment in the Byrnes’ deal looks poor (at best), and the remaining dollars left on the deal will not come off the books until 2010.

Making matters worse, Quentin is perhaps the frontrunner for MVP in the American League and has emerged as one of the most productive young hitters in the game.

In fact, Quentin, 25, has been an absolute monster in his new city, batting .284/.382/.565 with a league-best 32 home runs to help the surprise White Sox jump atop the Central. Chicago, 66-52 and tied with the Minnesota Twins for first place in the division, has been a major surprise, and the new acquisition has been one of the biggest reasons why.

It is safe to say that Quentin he has been a pleasant surprise as well.

"I thought he could be a 30-home run guy," Williams recently told the Sporting News, "just not by August."

Along with Jermaine Dye (28 home runs, .930 OPS, 73 RBIs), Quentin has helped carry the offense while several veterans got off to rough starts.A first-time All-Star in July, he currently ranks first in the AL in home runs, third in RBIs (90), fourth in slugging percentage (.565) and fifth in OPS (.948). While it would be easy to make a case for Texas Rangers stars Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler, or even Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees, there is no denying how important he has been for his team.

Hamilton stole the show at the Home Run Derby, has provided fans with a remarkable story and is pacing the majors with 112 RBIs. The combination of the RBI figure and comeback tale of hope will certainly prompt many writers to vote for him come award season. While he has certainly cashed in to drive in a lot of runs, though, he has had nearly 45 more plate appearances with runners in scoring position than Quentin. Kinsler and co. have been setting up the table nicely for him, which is a major reason why the Rangers have scored more runs than any other team. Again, the reason for the huge gap in RBI totals between the pair—which some writers will cite as a reason not to vote for Quentin—has more to do with opportunity than anything else.

And, to his credit, Quentin has been nearly as productive when his team needs him the most, hitting .345/.448/.644 with runners on base. With runners in scoring position he has been just as clutch, posting a 1.034 OPS.

Which is why it is truly is difficult to imagine where the White Sox would be without Quentin.

Carter, one of the top prospects in the White Sox’s farm system at the time of the deal, was one of six minor leaguers included in the Haren deal less than a week later. Considering how well the right-hander has done alongside Brandon Webb, he certainly played a small part in the D’Backs’ success.

Still, though, Arizona has struggled to score runs after a torrid April. The club ranks in the middle of the pack in most offensive categories, from home runs to OPS, as it has relied on its front-end starting pitching to help it remain afloat after floundering such a commanding lead in the West. Although they claimed slugger Adam Dunn off waivers and worked it an ensuing deal with the Cincinnati Reds to help cure the offensive woes early this week, they certainly could have used Quentin’s production. If he remained with the franchise, perhaps the gap between the Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers would be much larger. It is even easier to imagine Quentin and Justin Upton playing alongside each other in the outfield at Chase Field for years to come.

While dwelling on the past does not accomplish anything, it is tempting not to do so here. If Arizona misses out on the playoffs, several similar articles will probably reappear doing exactly that.

There are a few lessons to learn from this, though. First, general managers should think twice before deciding to give up on a player based on their performance in the majors over too small of a sample size—especially so when injuries have played a factor.

Also, teams should be more careful in rewarding players for a single, career-best performance. From Byrnes to Gary Matthews Jr., too many mediocre, near replacement-level players are undeserving multi-millionaires, when there are often times more cost-effective, internal options available.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The Tampa Bay Rays have a four-game lead in the American League East, having already surpassed their previous season-high of 70 wins.

With Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria recently placed on the disabled list, however, the skeptics are surfacing on the airwaves, Internet and in print in full force.

Crawford broke his right wrist, possibly forcing him to miss the remainder of the season.

Longoria fractured his wrist after getting struck with a J.J. Putz pitch this weekend against the Seattle Mariners, forcing him to join his teammate on the DL retroactive to Friday.

While it is true that the Rays had a tough battled ahead of themselves even before the injury bug struck, do not expect this club to roll over and die. So, hold off on the J.J. bleeping Putz cries for the time being, because Tampa Bay will remain in the hunt down to the end.

Crawford is perhaps the most popular player in the history of the franchise, a two-time All-Star and a perennial threat to swipe 50 bases. Regardless, it will not be difficult to replace his performance offensively, as crazy as it sounds. The speedy left fielder has struggled through one of the worst seasons of his career, batting .273/.319/.400. Although he put together a nifty little 11-game hitting streak before the injury, a .718 OPS just does not cut it at a position, left field, which is not all that demanding defensively.

It will be difficult to replace the speed that Crawford brings to the table, but his poor on-base percentage has not allowed him to take full advantage of it yet. Hence the low—for him, at least—stolen base total. Eric Hinske, Justin Ruggiano, called up in aftermath of the news, or any other option should not be that much of a drop off production wise.

Perhaps this will situation will finally provide a real opportunity for Ruggiano, who is labeled by some scouts as a AAAA player but has put up solid statistics at each level in the minors. He was batting .315/.374/.537 with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs for Triple-A Durham at the time of the promotion.

The real hole created by losing Crawford has more to do with his defense in left field, as he has tremendous range and great instincts. He has registered the best range factor and zone rating at his position in the majors, roaming the gaps in left center with grace. Along with B.J. Upton, who has tremendous range in center field, he has helped steal his fair share of doubles by making highlight-reel plays.

The loss of Longoria hurts a lot more, of course. The rookie third baseman has undoubtedly been the Rays’ most valuable position player, posting a line of .278/.352/.533 while playing tremendous defense at the hot corner. He has already broke Jonny Gomes’ single-season record for most homers for a rookie by hitting his 22nd bomb before getting hurt, was elected to the All-Star team and is the favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year.

Longoria has also provided enough walk-off hits to make David Ortiz jealous. He truly has helped carry an offense that has had its fair share of struggles.

Thus, the Rays are going to have a difficult time replacing him with a combination of Willy Aybar and Ben Zobrist, who will see the majority of the innings at third base while the star rookie is sidelined (expected to be at least three weeks). Clearly, then, the loss of Longoria came did not come at a great time.

However, Tampa Bay has gotten to this point by relying on its excellent pitching and defense. When a team builds its success on these two pillars, it takes a lot for the house of cards to come piling down. With an improved bullpen, a talented young starting rotation and one of the majors’ best team defenses—having converted 71.7 percent of balls put into play into outs, second-best total in baseball—the Rays have been excellent at run prevention.

While the defense will take a hit with the loss of Crawford and Longoria, it will still be an area of strength down the stretch.

Pitching-wise, Andrew Friedman made another nice pick-up on the waiver wire, acquiring ground-ball specialist Chad Bradford from the Baltimore Orioles. Bradford does not strike out a lot hitters, but has posted the premier ground-ball ratio in the league and a 2.34 ERA in 42.1 innings pitched. For a bullpen predominantly consisting of pitchers prone to giving up the long ball, he has helped diversify the Rays’ relief corps—which has seen the emergence of Grant Balfour— tremendously.

Not to mention, Tampa Bay has a secret weapon, top prospect David Price, waiting in the wings down in the minors. Price, the number one overall pick out of Vanderbilt University in the 2007 First-Year draft, is 11-0 with a 1.87 ERA and 92-to-23 K/W ratio in 15 starts combined between Single-A Vero Beach and Double-A Montgomery. The 22-year-old southpaw, who has a mid-90s fastball, excellent pitching sense and tremendous command, will make his Triple-A debut on Wednesday night for Durham.

Most likely, Price will come up to fill a relief role, adding a power arm out of the bullpen—reminiscent of Joba Chamberlain for the New York Yankees last summer—while limiting his innings. There is still an outside chance that he may crack the starting rotation upon his debut, moving either Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine to a new role. Either way, the 22-year-old southpaw will impact the East race somehow, perhaps providing a necessary turbo boost as the Rays near the finish line.

There is void in the lineup for the time being in the absence of Longoria, the team leader in home runs and RBIs who will miss roughly around 80 plate appearances. Still, the Rays rank 10th in the league in runs scored, with several key players having down campaigns with the stick who should pick it up the rest of the way.

Carlos Pena (AP)

The perfect example is Carlos Pena, who hit 46 homers and finished second in the AL with a 1.038 OPS to win Comeback Player of the Year in 2007. Pena, signed to a three-year, $24.125-million contract before spring training, has struggled through an injury-plagued, unproductive campaign. He has been hot of late, though, posting a 1.019 OPS with seven home runs in 80 at-bats since the All-Star break. A Gold Glover-caliber first baseman, he is batting .391/.545/.826 in his past seven games. Look for him to carry the load down the stretch.

Then there is Rocco Baldelli, who looked good in his debut against Seattle on Sunday afternoon. While a rare mitochondrial disorder will limit Baldelli from playing regularly, he has a chance to add a nice boost as well. The former star, who was once compared by a scout to Joe DiMaggio, still has a nice set of skills and will see some innings at DH and in right field.

Baldelli, who went 1-for-4 with an RBI in his debut, posted a .977 OPS in 13 games with Montgomery in the Southern League while on a rehab assignment.

Even if Baldelli does not add any real value, Crawford does miss the remainder of the season and Longoria is out for longer than expected, the Rays are built to last. There is a lot of baseball left to be played, for sure. Plus, Tampa Bay has a tough September schedule, featuring several important division games on the road, where it has struggled.

Regardless, the once-lowly Devil Rays have enough talent to win the division if the pitching holds. Even if Boston does take home the division crown, though, Tampa Bay also has the inside track at the Wild Card, as New York is now eight games back.

The injury bug struck at the wrong time, but the Rays have what it takes to survive the unfortunate circumstances. Do not begin to doubt them now.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The Arizona Diamondbacks improved their chances of winning the National League West on Monday, working out a waivers deal with the Cincinnati Reds for slugging outfielder Adam Dunn in exchange for three prospects.

Dunn will be a huge upgrade for Arizona, which has struggled to score runs since its tremendous stretch during April. The Diamondbacks currently have a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division, sitting with a 60-58 record. They have gotten to this point, though, by relying on excellent pitching at the front of the starting rotation.

Brandon Webb has led the way, going 17-4 with a 2.88 ERA and 139-to-41 K/W ratio. Webb is currently atop league leaders in nearly every statistical pitching category, using his tremendous sinker to consistently put up zeros on the scoreboard. As of this writing, he appears to be the easy favorite to win his second Cy Young Award in three seasons.

Dan Haren, acquired from the Oakland Athletics in a deal this offseason, has been tremendous in his own right, perhaps becoming ace 1A to Webb. Haren has made a solid adjustment to the senior circuit—as many predicted—and is currently fourth in the NL with 147 strikeouts and eighth with a 3.00 ERA.

Randy Johnson has flashed glimpses of dominance as well, especially considering that he has now had to overcome two back surgeries after his 40th birthday. Johnson has struck out nearly a batter per inning, registering a 114-to-29 K/W ratio in 21 starts. While the 44-year-old left-hander is no longer the same pitcher as he was during his prime, he has pitched much better than his 9-8 record indicates.

While Micah Owings and some other Arizona starters have struggled at times, the Arizona staff currently ranks first in the circuit in quality starts (70), WHIP (1.27), second in opponents’ OPS (.706) and fifth in ERA (3.96).

The Diamondbacks’ offense, on the other hand, has really had some difficulties plating runs since the middle of May.

Orlando Hudson, Connor Jackson and Mark Reynolds have put together strong campaigns to provide a few bright spots.

Hudson, one of the leaders in the clubhouse, has posted a line of .305/.367/.450 while playing his usual excellent defense at second base. However, he recently dislocated a bone in his left wrist recently, forcing him to undergo season-ending surgery and perhaps prompt Arizona to seriously go after Dunn.

Jackson has been the most consistent performer, batting .311/.390/.487 while producing the highest OPS on the roster.

Reynolds has provided some pop in the middle of the line up as well—24 home runs and 74 RBIs—but is still only batting .246/.324/.491.

The real story, however, lies in the performance in the Diamondbacks’ talented trio under the age of 25, shortstop Stephen Drew and outfielders Justin Upton and Chris Young. The group has truly struggled at times as pitchers have learned to exploit their weaknesses more effectively.

Drew is hitting .280 and is third on the team with 14 homers, but his on-base skills (.319 OBP) have yet to fully develop to an acceptable level.

Ditto for Young, whose line of .232/.296/.416 leaves a lot to be desired. He is a tremendous athlete with plus power, but is among league leaders in outs made.

Injuries have dragged down Upton, who is batting .242/.353/.433 with 11 home runs in 83 games. He still has the upside of the group and projects as a future MVP candidate, as he is a rare five-tool talent.

The growing pains for this group, however, have played a major factor in the tailspin in Phoenix.

Then there is the situation involving popular left fielder Eric Byrnes, who was rewarded with a hefty contract this offseason but struggled offensively before sustaining a season-ending injury. Byrnes is frequently labeled as “the heart and soul of the team,” but the decision to offer him such a lucrative deal looks like a major mistake. It is certainly easy to Monday morning quarterback this all day, but one-time top prospect Carlos Quentin was a more cost-effective option internally. Instead of giving Quentin a shot, though, the team agreed to give the veteran $30-million over three years. Going by how year one has turned out, it is not too difficult to come up with a lot of better ways to invest $10-million.

With the combination of several disappointing individual performances from the young position players and injuries—all while Quentin has flourished into the front-runner for MVP in the American League for the Chicago White Sox—Arizona quickly floundered its early lead in the division. The major reason has clearly been the offensive unit overall, as the D’Backs rank in the middle of the pack in several of the most important statistical batting categories—including 10th in runs scored and 11th in on-base percentage and OPS.

Luckily, strong starting pitching and the woes of nearly every team in the West have enabled them to stay afloat.

Which is why the addition of Dunn—albeit as a seven-week rental—will help a lot, especially with the loss of Hudson and the failed pursuit to acquire Mark Teixeira in July. As polarizing as a player as he is, he adds some much-needed on-base skills and power to a run-starved lineup. A Three True Outcome Player, he is tied for the majors’ lead with 32 home runs and his .901 OPS is good for 15th in his league. His low batting average, high strikeout totals and poor defense in the outfield turn off many traditionalists. Still, he flat-out produces at the plate, using his excellent on-base skills to keep rallies going and tremendous power to add a presence to any lineup. While he is undervalued by traditionalists and overvalued by some statistical analysts, he will hit his homers and draw his walks, two areas of concern for Arizona to this point.

The addition of Tony Clark will also help. Clark is a great influence on the youngsters, is a solid left-handed bat off the bench and was one of the Diamondbacks’ team leaders when they made the playoffs in 2007.

Still, though, Dunn has a chance to make a real difference. Considering the alternatives, he gives his new team a much better chance of holding off the Dodgers, who beefed up their offense by adding Manny Ramirez at the trade deadline.

The Dodgers are going for it right now, evident by their decision to part with so many prospects in exchange for third baseman Casey Blake and Ramirez. While they are viewed as the favorite by many and have the better run differential, though, do not count out the Diamondbacks. The addition of a bona-fide slugger, as much as he drives some scouts crazy, will certainly help them finish what was started in the season’s first month. If he can really get hot and #### out some big homers, as he did earlier this summer, look out.

Reds’ Side: On the Reds’ side, they acquired minor league pitcher Dallas Buck and two prospects to be named later. Buck, a former collegiate All-American who helped push Oregon State to the College World Series, recently began throwing again earlier this summer after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2007. The former third-round pick has excellent stuff when healthy, but has a long way to go. He has made some progress since returning, posting a 3.55 ERA and 28-to-11 K/W ratio in 50.2 innings pitched combined between the Midwest and California League. He will report to the Florida State League to pitch for the Sarasota Reds.

The Reds could have waited to cash in on a pair of compensation picks when Dunn bolted for free agency. Instead, they now will get three prospects instead of two. While I do wonder if they could have received better value if a deal was reached before the trade deadline—after all, it is going to be tough to place that 40-homer, 100-walk production—it is still too early to tell how well they did until the other prospects are announced.

Plus, Arizona is only getting seven weeks of Dunn, making this deal seam reasonable for both parties. Cincinnati was not going to playing any meaningful games either way. So, while this ultimately means that Corey Patterson and his rather embarrassing line of .189/.221/.328 will get more playing time in the short term, this is a step in the right direction for the Reds in the long term. They have a strong young core, and parting with Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. signals a new era at Great American Ballpark. Walt Jocketty also got designated for assignment veteran catcher David Ross, who was—like many other soon-to-be free agents in the organization—dead weight.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

Eric SanInocencio has a great show in store tomorrow on Baseball Digest Daily, featuring Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Chad Durbin and Jim Callis of Baseball America.

From the release:

As one deadline passed by, another approaches with August 15th looming over head. That of course is the final day for major league clubs to sign their draft picks, and that talk along with another group of star studded guests will highlight this week's BDD Live broadcast. Join host Eric SanInocencio as this week's podcast tackles the hottest topics of our national pastime.

Before the draft takes the spotlight, Philadelphia Phillies star reliever Chad Durbin will join us in studio, as his squad currently leads the three-way dogfight in the National League East. Durbin will comment on the Phillies success, and his transition to relief for Charlie Manuel's squad.

Having found his first taste of major success, Durbin has been a key component and currently leads Philadelphia in ERA. He is also the co-founder of Showcase U, a recruiting service aimed at baseball softball players looking for an opportunity to play at the collegiate level.

Next in the booth is Baseball America's Jim Callis, with all the info surrounding the looming deadline for this year's draft picks. 11 first round picks remain unsigned, including four of the top five selections. Callis will enlighten us and fans about the status of tomorrow's stars, and give us insight on all the posturing and negotiating behind the scenes as deadline day closes in.

So join us on Saturday at 12:00 PM Eastern Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/baseballdigestdail
y to listen to the live broadcast. You can also download the show or listen to the recording upon completion.

There are some things that never cease to amaze me.

The Cincinnati Reds’ decision to hire Bill Bavasi is the perfect recent example.

Bavasi, who was fired as general manager of the Seattle Mariners earlier this season, was added to the Reds’ baseball operations staff, coming on board as a “special assistant.”

The man has worked in baseball for more than half of his life, and oversaw a strong player development system in the Los Angeles Angels organization during his stint as GM during the 1990s.

His recent performance in Seattle, however, was arguably one of the least effective, inefficient tenures of any major executive in baseball history. From the Carlos Silva debacle to Jarrod Washburn and several other mediocre acquisitions, he was a lavish spender during his time with the Mariners, burying them into their current state— as one baseball insider said before the trade deadline, “they are an absolute mess.”

A mess that he helped make. The firing of Bavasi, who comes from a baseball family that helped enable his entrance into the industry, was a step in the right direction for the Mariners and their fans.

As I wrote at the time:

The Seattle Mariners on Monday afternoon fired their embattled general manager, Bill Bavasi.

Bavasi, who took over a promising franchise at the end of the 2003 season, has made a plethora of poor baseball-related decisions, some of which have crippled the organization and will set it back for at least a few years.

Although he has guided the club to only one .500 campaign and two 90-loss seasons in his tenure, it was the Mariners’ dismal showing over first few months and poor record that proved to be the last straw.

Headed into spring training, many within baseball had high expectations for Seattle, which added Erik Bedard and free agent right-hander Carlos Silva to its starting rotation.

The question, though, is why?

The Mariners’ 25-man roster was poor, and all preseason polls predicting a postseason run for the club were way off base.

How could one expect Bedard, just a single, injury prone pitcher, to make such a huge difference?

While Silva was one of the premier free agents on the market in a thin class of starting pitchers, he is a league average starter at best.

Which is why Bavasi’s decision to throw $48-million dollars at such an average pitcher entering the decline stages of his career is so puzzling—and concerning.

The team would have been wise to resist the temptation of spending so much money to lock up the veteran, who has yet to strike out more than 90 batters in a single season. Heck, if they waited, perhaps they could have pursued Kyle Loshe—8-2 with a 111 ERA+—for half the price instead.

Was anyone really surprised, though?

This is the same GM who spent $37-million on middle-of-the-rotation lefty Jarrod Washburn, at best a number three starter during his prime.

Bavasi has been the worst general manager in the game for some time. In fact, before he was fired today, there was a huge gap in baseball intelligence between GM number 30 and 29.

Quite frankly, the longtime baseball man did not understand the crucial concepts of how to run an efficient organization, becoming one of the game's most irresponsible spenders. Given a generous budget to work with, he has turned the Mariners into one of baseball’s worst teams during his five-year stint in Seattle. Instead of throwing hefty contracts at veterans or trading for players who are bound to underachieve— with Bavasi: Horacio Ramirez (trade to Atlanta for Rafael Soriano), Richie Sexson, Jose Vidro and Washburn, for example— compared to their paychecks, organizations must look for cheaper (usually more productive) alternatives.

The time has come for clubs to ignore throwing big money at aging veterans, when they can receive similar on-the-field results from youngsters entering the league, with some making near the league minimum.

…John McLaren, who was on the hot seat at the start of the month, has come under fire as well. The one person who is ultimately responsible for this team’s grave failures, however, is Bavasi. With the roster that he was given to work with, it would have taken a miracle for McLaren—even if he truly inspired the best out of his players to this point—to guide his club above the .500 mark.

Thus, the Mariners, whose $100-million-plus payroll has bought them the worst record (24-45) in the majors, turn the pages on a new chapter. With Bavasi gone, a real solution to competing again in the AL West is finally within reach, although the rebuilding process—essentially cleaning up his mess—will take a couple of years. If the club fired him this time last year, they would already have a head start. Still, the organization does deserve some credit for making the necessary move this afternoon, as obvious as it has been for a long time now.

Bavasi’s résumé as the top baseball operations exec in Seattle includes many other blunders as well, from trades to player development issues.

There is one tidbit, however, that he will not get to add to his not-so-illustrious LinkedIn profile. Since he was fired, he loses his opportunity to become the first general manager to have a 100-loss season with a payroll exceeding $100-million.

Rumor has it that a few years back, when a Mariners player was reading Moneyball on a team flight, an unnamed executive in the organization laughed at the book, saying, “What are you reading that #### for?”

While there is no guarantee the executive was Bavasi, who would be lucky to get another general manager job some day, I still wonder. Who is laughing now?

Bavasi will not have as much power in the decision-making process as he did as a GM, of course. Still, for a franchise like the Reds—who have a strong core of young talent and a bright future—adding someone who has turned a blind eye to advanced statistical analysis and with his track record may come back to bite them. To his credit, he has had some success in developing minor league prospects while with the Angels. However, Cincinnati needs to add more progressive thinkers, especially with Dusty Baker as manager and longtime GM Walt Jocketty running the show, to add to its baseball operations team.

Not someone like this.

The addition of Bavasi may end up doing more harm than good in the long run, which is not what the Reds need right now. As a mid-market team, the only way that they can sustain any level of success in the current economic state of the industry, even with revenue sharing, is to lock up their strong nucleus under the age of 25 and resist overpaying for mediocre free agents.

With Bavasi, that may be prove to be a difficult challenge, as the Washburns of the world always seem to strike his fancy. He just loves to spend millions on replacement-level production.

After his disastrous run in Seattle, it is a surprise to see him get work so quickly. After all, the man built a team with a plus-$100 million payroll—filled with aging position players on the decline—that is on pace for over 100 losses and has one of the most poorly constructed offenses, considering the financial cost, ever.

Jocketty, however, shed a different light in the Reds’ official press release, citing the 50-year-old Bavasi’s experience.

“We're excited Bill has joined our organization,” Jocketty said. "Over his career of more than 30 years, he has worked in almost every facet of baseball operations. We will benefit from his experience and insights."

At this point, though, that experience may be more of a crutch than an asset. He is behind the eight ball, to be blunt, in how to properly evaluate player performance at the major league level.

This move, it seems, is a step in the wrong direction for the Reds.

The headline of a Rocky Mountain News article today reads, Hernandez becomes possible pitching help for Rockies.

Does it make sense to refer to Livan Hernandez as a pitcher who can actually help a baseball team at this point?

While Francisco Liriano was making a mockery of the International League, the Twins continued to run the reliable innings eater, Mr. Hernandez, out there every fifth day. The reason, it seems, is because of the veteran right-hander's misleading 10-8 record.

It is 2008, though, and we now know that there are much better tools for judging a pitcher's overall effectiveness, even the traditional ERA. Yet fans, and even some within the industry, continue to put too much emphasis on wins and losses, causing some to defend Hernandez's performance.

Sure, the Twins were 14-9 in his starts. After all, a pitcher is supposed to keep his team in the game, giving them a chance to win, right?

Hernandez, however, was the ultimate benefactor of the Twins' tremendous stretch of hitting with runners in scoring position and received his fair share of, well, luck.

He has given his club 139.2 innings pitched, living up to his reputation as a "battler." During that span, though, he posted a 5.48 ERA, one of the highest totals for qualifying starters in the American League, 54-to-29 K/W ratio and 1.63 WHIP.

Wow, he really did have some luck, huh?

To be blunt, hitters have feasted on the man, posting a line of .333/.368/.505 with 18 home runs. Heck, Minnesota could use that kind of offensive production (.873 OPS) in its own lineup.

Seriously, he has not only been bad, he has been terrible.

Liriano, who won his first start on Sunday, will improve the Twins' chances of reaching the postseason by default. Even if he cannot replicate his tremendous All-Star run in 2006, when he was unhittable alongside Johan Santana, he ended the Hernandez days in the Twin cities, forcing the club to designate the mediocre old man for assignment. Plus, they are no longer hook for the remaining $1.5 million left on his contract.

While Hernandez was leading his team in victories when they finally reached their senses, that was not going to last once the record began to fall into place with the other factors at hand.

Pitching in the thin air at Coors Field will certainly not help matters for him, though he will potentially provide the bullpen with some necessary rest. The innings-eating factor is the only reason why a team should debate pursuing his services ever again. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but do not expect a repeat of the Rockies' magical run to the playoffs, and then World Series, from a year ago.

Colorado, which could not decide to become buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, is eight games back in the lowly National League West. Not to mention, they have scored 54 fewer runs than they have allowed, sitting with a 52-63 record.

Hernandez, or plan B Josh Fogg, may only make matters worse.

Help? I do not think so.

Jose Guillen (AP)

Bradford Doolittle of the Kansas City Star had an interesting article on Jose Guillen this morning.

Guillen has received a lot of attention for his off-the-field actions and Jose-Being-Jose antics, but he really is not that good of a baseball player anymore, either. Doolittle makes some ex