Ken Rosenthal, as usual, provides some great information from the rumor mill in his latest column.

Rosenthal says that the normally tight-fisted Oakland Athletics will have payroll flexibility this offseason. Billy Beane, great at finding players undervalued in the market, is reported to have around $40-million to work with, in fact.

With some money available, the report says, Oakland could be a sleeper candidate to land free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal. Furcal, who is rumored to be looking for a four-year deal, is injury prone, and is coming off a season in which he was productive, but played in only 36 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the regular season.

The switch-hitting shortstop, despite one rough inning in the NLCS, is a fine defensive shortstop, with a hose for an arm. For this reason, he would fit right in with the current mold of the A’s, who posted one of the highest defensive efficiency ratings and lowest staff ERAs in the majors after Beane built his 2007 roster, in a clear rebuilding year, with excelling at run prevention as his primary goal.

Beane, of course, is the face of the on-base percentage movement after the release of Moneyball. However, OBP is no longer an undervalued commodity, and its days of being a clear inefficiency in the market for the shrewd GM to exploit are long gone. Due to these reasons, Oakland actually ranked last in the American League in on-base percentage, which is not a reflection of a change in philosophy in the front office.

Furcal, 31, would help cure these woes, providing a solid leadoff hitter for an offense that finished 27th in the majors in runs scored. While it is a small sample size, he posted a line of .357/.439/.573 in 143 at-bats while carrying the Dodgers on his back in the month of April.

Beane would definitely welcome Furcal and his .352 career on-base clip with open arms, at the right price. The organization acquired a bounty of prospects after dealing away Dan Haren and Nick Swisher last winter, but the farm system is top heavy with strong pitching prospects.

Even with a short supply of impact offensive players, however, it would be surprising if Furcal does remain in the state to sign with the A’s. Beane is unlikely to meet his current asking price, in length of years, given the risk associated with locking an injury-prone player to a long-term deal.

The veteran executive will likely look to find cost-efficient, freely available talent to help alleviate the offensive issues in Oakland, rather than splurging on a Type A Free Agent and losing draft picks.

Plus, incumbent starter Bobby Crosby is due to make more than $5-million in 2009, and offers a clear reminder of how injuries can devastate a club. Crosby, who (along with Eric Chavez), has been plagued by health issues himself since signing a lengthy contract with the club in the aftermath of his A.L. Rookie of the Year award back in 2004. He has been a major bust, due to injuries, and has a terrible career slash stats line of .239/.306/.380. The 28-year-old infielder is coming off a season in which he posted an awful .296 on-base percentage and .645 OPS.

Furcal, therefore, would clearly be an upgrade, but a deal remains unlikely given the organization’s track record and unwillingness to lock up multimillions into single players.

With that being said, Rosenthal is right. Beane is likely to make a rare splash in the free agent market—just not for such a high-profile player. The man knows what he is doing, though, and, with all of the prospects acquired in the past 12 months, the franchise seems poised to unseat the Los Angeles Angels as the team to beat in the A.L. West well into the next decade either way.

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

Nate McLouth had a breakout season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, batting .276/.356/.497, with 26 homers and 94 RBIs. McLouth, who earned the Pirates’ starting center field job in spring training, made his first All-Star team while emerging as a legitimate offensive force. In 152 games, he collected 46 doubles and four triples, scored 113 runs and posted a solid .853 OPS to lead his team in every major offensive statistical category.

McLouth played all three outfield positions throughout the year, serving as the only regular outfielder on the Pirates to remain with the club through the full season. Jason Bay and Xaxier Nady, of course, were dealt to contenders in exchange for prospect packages before the trade deadline. He spent the majority of his time in center, though, and finished second among major qualifying major league outfielders with a .997 fielding percentage. In 1300.1 innings, he collected 380 putouts, sixth among center fielders in all of baseball, while making only one error and compiling five assists.

For these numbers, it seems, the coaches and managers rewarded McLouth, 27, with his first career Rawlings Gold Glove Award on Wednesday afternoon. He joined Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets and Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies as Gold Glove recipients for outfielders in the National League. Unlike Beltran, though, he did not deserve the award, and, in all honesty, should not have been seriously considered.

In John Dewan’s plus/minus defensive rankings—perhaps the most valuable metric used to evaluate defensive value—McLouth ranked as the least effective defender at center field in the majors. He finished with a -40 rating, which was the worst total among all outfielders overall as well.

Beltran, on the other hand, finished with a +24 rating. The New York star, who was recognized by Bill James in the 2008 Fielding Bible Awards, had a fine year roaming the gaps in the final year at Shea Stadium.

It gets worse for McLouth, though. According to Baseball Prospectus’ defensive data, he was 17 runs worse than the average major league center fielder. He also finished 11th in range factor and 17th in zone rating.

Essentially, McLouth has terrible range, and did not convert as many balls hit into a certain area as nearly every other player at the center field position. Which is what matters most. While he was sure handed in the plays that were hit near where he was positioned, he had a difficult time getting to balls out of his zone.

Clearly, the coaches and managers relied on three things to make their decision here: subjective opinions (what they saw with their eyes, in the brief encounters that they had against the Pirates), his offensive output (which should not play a factor in the decision process for a fielding award) and traditional (and meaningless, on their own sometimes) statistics like fielding percentage, which does not account for balls that certain players cannot get to due to poor range.

The Gold Glove award system has lost a lot of its prestige in recent years. First, there was the voters' egregious error during the Rafael Palmeiro fiasco in 1999, when the Texas Rangers slugger played in only 28 games at first base yet somehow managed to take home the prize at his position.

Then, in several instances in the past decade, many outstanding offensive players, and mediocre fielders, earned the hardware based on their offensive output and reputation. Russell Martin, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ backstop, provides a recent example, in 2007, when Yadier Molina was so far superior behind the plate that it was almost comical.

Yet again, even though there is still not perfect metric out there to evaluate defense yet, objective data has proven to be more useful than relying on subjective images and overrated traditional stats.

And, with every McLouth gaffe, winning a Gold Glove Awards become less of an honor on a player’s resume.

Full List of Gold Glove Winners:

P: Greg Maddux, Los Angeles Dodgers—Although Maddux is terrible at holding runners on, he fields his position like a seasoned infielder. Expected to retire, this marks his 18th, and likely final, Gold Glove award, which is by far a major league record. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer finished second in all of baseball, behind only Kenny Rogers of the Detroit Tigers, in John Dewan’s plus/minus system (+14).

C: Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals—Molina deserved to win the award in 2007 as well, but the voters do deserve some credit for finally getting it right this year. The 26-year-old backstop, who recently won the Bill James Fielding Bible Award and was named the best defensive catcher in the majors, was one of five first-time winners.

1B: Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres—Gonzalez had an incredible season offensively for the Padres, posting an excellent .871 OPS in spacious Petco Park. For this reason, he tends to get overlooked overall while playing in a small market. As far as this award goes, however, he is not the most deserving candidate for the first base position in the National League. Again, it seems, his fielding percentage (.996, which tied for first in the Senior Circuit, with the most chances) played a huge factor here, allowing Gonzalez to win his first Gold Glove.

But some under-the-radar guy named Albert Pujols actually should have won the award. Pujols, a three-time Fielding Bible Award winner, ranked among leaders at the position in nearly every defensive category, advanced to traditional. A sensational athlete, he posted a +20 ranking in the Dewan system, second in the game at first base behind Mark Teixeira, and the highest range factor and zone rating at the position in his league. Throw in Pujols’ 1.013 OPS and a likely M.V.P award and it truly is difficult to make a case for anyone else as the best player in baseball at this point.

2B: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds—No complaints here, as Phillips is arguably the majors’ best defensive second baseman. One could make the case for Mark Ellis or Chase Utley, but the former shortstop was the lone bright spot in the Reds’ atrocious infield defense. Like Gonzalez, McClouth and Molina, he is a first-time winner. Unless he moves back to shortstop, his original position while rising up the ladder as a prospect in the Cleveland Indians’ farm system, adding Gold to his trophy case may become an annual occurrence for him.

3B: David Wright, New York Mets—Wright gets a lot of flack in New York for his errant throws, but that unfair criticism is seriously misguided. While there were not any sensational wizards at the hot corner in the N.L. this year as most of the third base leaders in the Dewan system played in the other league, the Mets star infielder is a decent choice.

However, Pedro Feliz, Troy Glaus, Chipper Jones and Ryan Zimmerman would all be solid options here as well.

SS: Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies—Rollins is the best defensive shortstop in the game, with soft hands, excellent range and a plus throwing arm. With his presence at short, Pedro Feliz at third base and Utley at second, the Phillies have a solid defensive infield, even with Ryan Howard at first base. Bill James and co. recently rewarded the switch-hitting SS the Fielding Bible Award as well. He ranked first among N.L. shortstops in fielding percentage (.988), third in range factor (4.52) and second in zone rating (.855).

Rollins also finished first among all major league shortstops with a +23 ranking in the Dewan system. Case closed.

OF: Carlos Beltran, New York Mets—Best defensive center fielder in the game.

OF: Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh Pirates—For those who have a poor short-term memory, reread the main story above.

OF: Shane Victorino, Philadelphia Phillies—Victorino is solid, with above-average range (.899 zone rating, second among CF behind Corey Patterson), but this decision is a bit questionable as well. Cody Ross, of the Florida Marlins, and Chris Young, the center fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, each ranked higher in Dewan’s system. Young, in particular, seems more deserving.

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

The Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly close to offering CC Sabathia a five year, $100-million deal.

For the Brewers, as a mid-market franchise, this is about as high as they can go. Anything more would not be in the best interest of the organization, given their limited revenue stream.

However, the market for Sabathia will enable him to generate a substantially greater number, in dollars and years. The Milwaukee offer on the table, then, is more than likely a feigned attempt to keep the fan base from getting upset for not making a real effort to keep him.

Which is eerily similar to the Los Angeles Dodgers' alleged, but not confirmed, two-year $60-milllion contract proposal for slugger Manny Ramirez before the start of the World Series.

Clearly, the Brewers know that Sabathia is going to reject the offer, but now they can unequivocally say that they made a hard push to bring him back. As great as the left-hander was—11-2, 1.65 ERA in 17 starts—a team with their financial limitations should never tie up such a large percentage of its payroll into one player, especially a starting pitcher.

Milwaukee has an excellent farm system, a solid young core at the major league level and some of the brightest stars under 25 in the National League. GM Doug Melvin knew this when he pulled the trigger and made the trade with the Cleveland Indians this summer, acquiring Sabathia as pure rental, plain and simple, to help the club end its long postseason drought.

Well, it worked, helping to generate a buzz about the team in the Wisconsin area as the Brew Crew reached the October playoff tournament for the first time since 1982.

The rental is over now, however. Sabathia has to be returned to Blockbuster, or the free-agent market, and is likely going to sell his services to the highest bidder.

Ben Sheets will bolt for more money as well.

Even with a dramatically different roster, though, do not be surprised to see the Brewers back in the mix again in 2009. They are doing the right thing here, sticking with their plan from July, and will cash in on compensation picks when their two star pitchers bolt for big dollars this winter. In fact, one could make the case that the money on the table may potentially cripple the long-term health of the franchise if an agreement is reached, even if Sabathia were to remain dominant and healthy for the duration.

Sabathia Market: There are not too many teams that have the financial resources to realistically make a run at Sabathia. The favorites at this point appear to be the Dodgers, depending on what route they decide to take with Ramirez, and the New York Yankees. From right here, it looks like Sabathia will end up in the Bronx, providing the Yankees with a clear-cut ace at the front of their rotation. New York is moving into a new stadium, which will increase their already unparallel revenue stream. In addition, there is a ton of money coming off the books, giving Brian Cashman a lot of room to work with. If it comes down to a bidding war, no team will be able to match the Bombers, who could end up with several of the premier free agents on the market, including slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira.

 
 

According to the St. Petersburg Times, Troy Percival flew home to California after the Tampa Bay Rays left him off of their ALCS roster.

Yeah, that Percival. The guy who has been lauded for his leadership abilities and for being a “good teammate” all season. The one who was main figure in many stories, including some of my own, about how several new veterans—Cliff Floyd as well—have helped to instill a winning culture in the Tampa Bay clubhouse while offering leadership to the Rays’ younger players.

Seriously, how many stories have focused on how his veteran leadership has played a major factor in the turnaround of the Rays’ bullpen?

Percival really came off as the ultimate team-first guy.

Well, at least until he started to, you know, suck at pitching.

Sure, he has been hurt. This has played a major part in his poor performance. But, even when healthy, he has been ineffective, a shell of the closer who once threw in the mid-90s for the Angels back in the day. After the All-Star break, his command and stuff were more consistent with someone his age, he nearly walked a batter per inning and posted an ERA closer to a touchdown than a field goal.

While much was made about his health status, the fact of the matter is that the Rays would have been foolish to leave David Price or Edwin Jackson off the ALCS squad even if Percival was healthy. Pleasing veterans is nice. Winning, however, is better.

As I wrote the other day:

There is a lot of discussion about whether or not Troy Percival will be put on the Tampa Bay Rays’ ALCS roster. Well, if it were up to me, I would decline that offer. Percival is a veteran who has World Series experience, two factors which have led several mainstream analysts and writers to talk about how he is an essential piece to the puzzle and needs to be on the roster. To their credit, he certainly has had a tremendous positive impact on several of the Rays’ young talented arms, all while helping to instill a culture of winning in the clubhouse. However, based on his performance in the second half—6.11 post-All-Star break ERA, 16 walks in 17.2 innings pitched—and an obvious decline in his command and stuff, Joe Maddon can no longer trust him with a lead late in the game. Period.

As critical as I was, I still thought that Percival would come out to the ballpark to be with his team.

He says that he wants to be with his family. I get that, to an extent.

Plus, he probably would not make that much of a difference if he was actually headed to Boston to cheer on his teammates the rest of the series, anyway. Baseball is really more about talent than anything else, especially being a cheerleader.

But, for him—of all people—not to go has unquestionably put his team-first, leader reputation at risk and reflects poorly on him. Which has left a bad taste in my mouth. It must hurt knowing that the Rays do not need his servies with so much at stake, choosing instead to go with a youngster like Price even though he made it clear that he wanted to be put on the roster. Especially for someone as proud as Percival, who is one of the all-time best closers in the history of the game.

Still, if Jeff Kent and his massive ego can deal with taking on a part-time role with the Los Angeles Dodgers with the chance of picking up a ring outweighing his hurt feelings, Percival can as well.

He should be with his team, cheering along with Eric Hinske and Jonny Gomes and the other Rays left off the ALCS roster who are making the trip up to New England. Period.

As a high school basketball coach once told me, “It is easy to be a leader when things are going right. When times get rough, however, real leaders must step up and do the right thing.”

Indeed.

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

The Phillies won the opener of the NLCS last night, as Chase Utley and then Pat Burrell connected for home runs off of Dodgers starter Derek Lowe in a three-run sixth inning.

While Citizen’s Bank Park is a hitter-friendly environment, Lowe hardly ever surrenders any long balls. And with a 2-0 lead headed into the sixth, it appeared as if the veteran right-hander and his club were going to cruise to a solid Game 1 win.

And, boy, that would have been huge for L.A. If they had beaten the Phils’ most effective starter, Cole Hamels, on the road, they would be in great shape right now.

But then Rafael Furcal made an uncharacteristic error, Utley and Burrell went yard and Hamels and the Phillies never looked back.

Inside The Box Score:

Phillies’ Side—

• The Phillies, as they have done consistently in the past, scored all of their runs in one inning. All runs came via the long ball as well.

• Burrell, catcher Carlos Ruiz and Utley combined for six of the Phillies’ seven hits. Hamels, who ripped a solid line shot into center field, had the other.

• Ruiz, who posted a line of .219/.320/.300 during the regular season, finished 2-for-3.

• Brad Lidge tossed a perfect ninth inning to pick up the save. Lidge, perhaps a sleeper Cy Young candidate, has now converted 44 saves in as many chances. It took him a while to overcome a hangover from the 2005 NLCS—when he gave up that monstrous shot to Albert Pujols while with the Astros—but he has reestablished himself as one of the most dominant closers in the game with Philadelphia. During the regular season, in fact, he was practically untouchable, limiting opposing hitters to an anemic line of .198/.295/.269 and .563 OPS while posting a 1.95 ERA in 72 appearances. If the Phils’ have the lead late in the game, Charlie Manuel can feel confident that his club is going to leave with a W.

• Hamels, by the way, was not too shabby on the mound on Thursday, either. The 24-year-old southpaw scattered two earned runs on six hits in seven solid innings, striking out eight. He threw 70 out of 105 pitches for strikes, though he did walk two batters.

Dodgers’ side—

• In case you had not heard, Manny Ramirez is a freakishly amazing, out-of-this-universe stud of a hitter. Ramirez picked up where he left of from the Division Series, driving a deep double to center field to score Andre Ethier in the first inning and stake the Dodgers an early lead. He finished 2-for-4, raising his postseason line to .500/.611/.1000. If you are scoring at home, that is a 1.611 OPS. Granted, the sample size is too small to get all worked up about, but this guy has been unbelievable since making the trip to the West Coast. As much pub as he gets, he kind of deserves it.

Tim McCarver can insult his behavior however he wants, but Ramirez has shown why he is arguably the best hitter in baseball when he is locked in. As a Dodger, he just does not make any outs, it seems. He blasted 17 bombs in 53 games after the trade, slugging .743 with a 1.232 OPS. In Citizen’s Bank Park, it might not be the in the Phillies’ best interest to throw him anything near the strike zone, unless they go up-and-in.

• While the Dodgers are certainly not happy about losing, there were some positives. This starts with the bullpen work, as three Dodger relievers combined to shut down the Phillies’ offense after Lowe was removed from the game with one out in the sixth inning.

• Chan #### Park—yes, that Chan #### Park is still pitching—retired two batters to get out of the frame with any more damage. Park, by the way, has provided a nice comeback story for baseball. While it is certainly not on the Ankiel/Hamilton level of overcoming the odds, it is quite amazing that he is back, and effective, in the majors at this point. He posted a 3.40 ERA in 54 games, including five starts, allowing 36 earned runs in 95.1 innings pitched. Sure, he pitched in ’07 with the Mets, but did anyone outside of Queens pick up on that?

• Well, now that the Chan #### tangent is out of the way, another unsuspecting reliever who pitched well was Greg Maddux. Maddux, one of the greatest starting pitchers of all time, tossed a scoreless seventh. His stuff is below-average now, but he still has excellent command and knows how to pitch. Still, though the inning of work may not seem significant in the loss, it does have other implications. This means that he will not make a start in the series, as Clayton Kershaw, who has tremendous stuff, will get the nod.

• Hong-Chih Kuo, who posted a 2.14 ERA, 96-to-21 K/W ratio and 1.01 WHIP in 42 regular season appearances, tossed a perfect ninth. Even without Saito, the Dodgers truly have an excellent bullpen, though some of the aforementioned stats were inflated by a friendly home pitching environment.

• Like Philadelphia, L.A. combined for seven hits. Man-Ram and Ethier combined for four of them, with Russell Martin, James Loney and Matt Kemp collecting the others.

Some other things that popped into my head.

• It is weird seeing Maddux in a relief role.

• Jeff Kent is old.

• Nomar belongs on the bench, even though Loney’s splits against lefties are far from impressive.

• This game featured two of the most exciting, fast leadoff-hitting shortstops in the game in Furcal and Jimmy Rollins. And they are both switch hitters, too. But neither player reached base, combining to go 0-for-8, and Furcal had the error. Still, it has to be nice to get him back in the lineup for L.A. He was a monster in April before his injury, posting a .357/.439/.573 slash stats line in 36 games overall.

Thinking about Game 2, it should be interesting to see which Brett Myers shows up. Myers was garbage in the first half, before being demoted to the minors. He returned to Philly rejuvenated, putting together a nice little string of quality starts together. He did struggle, however, in September.

Even with an effective Myers going for Philadelphia, L.A. has the edge in Chad Billingsley, who has excellent stuff and struck out 201 in 200.2 innings pitched during the regular season. Billingsley can shut any offense down on any given night, and was perhaps the most valuable arm on the Dodgers all year—16-10, 3.14 ERA, 1.34 WHIP. Anything can happen in one game, or a short series, which is why postseason baseball predictions are so ridiculous. Plus, the ballpark effect will play a factor, as the Coors Field of the East might play a role again. (Hey, if the game had been played in L.A. last night, Burrell and Utley would still be homerless for the series.) Still, I like the Dodgers in the second game.

Any thoughts on the series? 

Will Sabathia end up a Yankee?

Since I do not really want to focus on a particular subject right now, I am going to pull a Mark Kriegel, focusing on various random topics in the baseball world.

—According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the New York Yankees want to sign at least two of the three premier free agent starting pitchers on the market—A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe and CC Sabathia.

Although Sabathia has said that money will not be the ultimate factor that drives a decision for him, I have a difficult time taking him at his word. Sabathia has said all the right things to the local Milwaukee media, but he is going to follow the money. And, since the Yankees have unlimited financial resources to work with (especially when moving into a new ballpark), there is no team that can match them in a bidding war. Also, Sabathia recently shot down the rumors that he is interested in returning to California. He certainly could end up in a number of other potential cities, but New York—with the Mets as a slim possibility—seems like the best bet.

Lowe, a Scott Boras client, has had a nice season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a 3.24 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 34 starts. Using his excellent sinkerball, the 35-year-old right-hander went 7-3 with a 2.38 mark after the All-Star break, limiting hitters to a .226 batting average in 87.0 innings. He has also pitched well in the postseason to this point, picking the right time, for Boras and his bank account, to find his groove on the mound.

Burnett has not told the Toronto Blue Jays if he will opt out of his contract—yet. Odds are, though, this will happen fairly soon, leaving him as a realistic option for Brian Cashman and the Yankees. He won 18 games in Toronto in 2008, but posted a higher ERA (4.07) than his career average (3.81). The 31-year-old right-hander is also always an injury threat, but can miss bats as well as anyone in the business—231 Ks in 221.1 innings pitched. If I were a betting man, I would say that he will be pitching in the Pinstripes next year alongside Sabathia, not Lowe.

—The Chicago Cubs picked up the option on Rich Harden’s contact yesterday. This was the right decision by the Cubs. While Harden is always at risk of injury, he is a dominant pitcher when he is healthy enough to pitch. Since coming over to Chicago in a midseason trade with the Oakland Athletics, he posted a 1.77 ERA while striking out 89 in 71.0 innings pitched. Jim Hendry was not left with a lot of time to make a decision, sure, but he made the right choice—a recent test showed that he had no structural damage in his right shoulder.

 
Stay away, Troy.

—There is a lot of talk about whether or not Troy Percival will be put on the Tampa Bay Rays’ ALCS roster. Well, if it were up to me, I would say, no. Percival is a veteran who has World Series experience, two factors which have led several mainstream analysts and writers to talk about how he is an essential piece to the puzzle and needs to be on the roster. To their credit, he certainly has had a tremendous positive impact on several of the Rays’ young talented arms, all while helping to instill a culture of winning in the clubhouse. However, based on his performance in the second half—6.11 post-All-Star break ERA, 16 walks in 17.2 innings pitched—and an obvious decline in his command and stuff, Joe Maddon can no longer trust him with a lead late in the game. Period.

The closer-by-committee group of Grant Balfour, who throws absolute smoke, Chad Bradford, one of the best groundball specialists in the games who practically never surrenders home runs, and Dan Wheeler has a better chance of getting the job done in the ninth inning with the game on the line. So, whoever says that this relief method does not work, think again—talent is the secret ingredient, though.

So while the talking heads will give the bullpen advantage to Boston, which does have a better pure closer in Jonathan Papelbon, not having a healthy Percival is not that big of a deal. Even if the veteran righty is healthy, he does not deserve to be pitching important innings at this stage of the season.

Picks for the upcoming series—

Although anything can happen in a short series, I will offer up my picks for the upcoming LCS in each league.

American League—

Throw the experience argument out the window right now. Despite what they say on TBS, the Rays will not be intimidated by the Red Sox. It really comes down to talent more than anything else, but all of the talk about heart and such makes for a more compelling story to some journalists.

If Tampa Bay could not handle the pressure, though, would they have won the AL East? Every time these two teams met up in the regular season, it seems, the same stories would show up about how the young, pesky Rays would fade under the pressure.

Well, they did not, outlasting the Red Sox to win baseball’s most competitive division.

With that being said, too many people are also focusing on how the Rays won the regular season series, 10-8. Well, throw that argument out the window, too. This time last week, everybody in the media was talking about how the Los Angeles Angels dominated Boston all year as well, and look how that series turned out.

One thing is for sure, though. These teams have battled it out all year, and it is going to be an exciting series.

Boston has the better offense, in my opinion, and are always a threat to hang up a 13-spot like they did off of Scott Kazmir in September. They led the league with a .358 on-base percentage, meaning that they will force Tampa Bay pitchers to throw strikes. And they have so many guys—from MVP candidates Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilus to Big Papi—who can cause tremendous damage with one swing of the bat.

But the Rays’ pitching staff has shown that they are up to the challenge. James “Big Game” Shields will start Game 1 like he did in the Division Series. Shields is likely to last until at least the seventh inning, which will be good for his bullpen with Scott Kazmir—who labors and has had trouble making it through five lately—taking the hill in Game 2. If he can turn in a quality start—perhaps similar to his complete game shutout against Boston back in April—and the Rays can jump out to an early series lead, they may never look back.

Daisuke Matsusaka, similar to Kazmir, has not been efficient with his pitches. The Rays need to make him throw strikes, showing sound plate discipline, because when he does throw it over the plate, he is tough to hit (lowest opponents’ batting average in the majors).

The other pitching matchups are equally as intriguing. Which Kazmir will show up? The guy who was so dominant in June and July or post-All-Star break Kaz?

Jon Lester has been excellent in the postseason, and has really emerged as a frontline starter. Lester, in fact, seems to be the ace of the Boston staff right now. It will be tough for Tampa Bay to scrape runs across against him. Ditto for Josh Beckett, who had a down year but is still one of the best big-game pitchers in the game.

Matt Garza, though, can shut any offense down on any given night in his own right.

All-in-all, the pitching matchups seem pretty even—though Andy Sonnanstine is a better fourth option than Tim Wakefield.

The Rays have the better defense—having converted more balls put into play into outs than any other team in the majors—and I think the edge in bullpen.

So, while anything can happen (cannot stress this enough), I choose the Rays if they can continue to throw strikes, catch the ball and get the timely hits, from nearly everyone on the roster, like they have been doing all along.

The key for them, though, is to get into the Boston bullpen early and often. Papelbon is lights out, but the link to the controversial closer has been a problem at times. Manny Declaremen and Justin Masterson have helped a great deal in the second half, but the Rays will have an easier time scoring runs off the likes of Mike Timlin than a Beckett or Dice-K or Lester.

Another X factor to be considered is homefield advantage. Both the Rays and Red Sox are much better at home than on the road. Tropicana Field has been kryptonite for Boston in ’08, albeit in a small sample size, and the Rays had the majors’ best record at home. Still, the Red Sox were not too far behind, as they love playing in front of the hometown crowd at Fenway Park—a tough environment to play in for an opposing team.

Since the series starts at the Trop, where the Rays are 20-2 in games with 30,000-plus fans in attendance (the cowbell effect), they have the edge in this regard. But, though they took two out of three at Fenway in September, winning at least one game on the road will be quite a challenge.

It is going to be exciting, but, due to all of the factors and my tremendous bias for the new pride of St. Pete (though my cousin plays in the Red Sox organization), I am going with the Rays. In seven.

National League—

I am a bit lazy to make a case right now, after going on a seemingly endless tangent about the ALCS, but I think the Philadelphia Phillies will take the cake in the series.

Cole Hamels is a stud, though he does not have the mid-90s heat. Brad Lidge has been a stud all year, having converted 41 saves in 41 tries. And the Phillies also have a number of great relievers to bridge the gap to Lidge.

Plus, Ryan Howard has been on an insane tear since September. Howard, the NL leader in homers and RBIs, has posted a ridiculous .1000-plus OPS over the past 30 games, picking the right time to get hot while doing enough in 30 days to enter the MVP conversation.

Pat Burrell can mash as well. Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins do a nice job of setting the table. And, in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park, they are going to score some runs.

Sinkerball pitcher Lowe will negate some of that, but I like the Phils at home, and see them taking at least one game in Los Angeles.

Manny Ramirez is on fire, too, Rafael Furcal is back, the Dodgers’ pitching has been excellent and the matchups favor the flavor of the month in the NL. But I am not buying into them yet.

Sure,they made fools out of the best team in the NL last week, and Man-Ram is playing on a whole other level. The Phillies, however, were the better team all year, in a tougher division.

Phillies in six.

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

One thing that bothers me about the postseason format is that it rewards the “hot” teams and not necessarily the best teams.

Look at the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals, who won only 83 games in the regular season and then went onto to shock the baseball world by winning the World Series.

The problem is, when the talent level of each competing club is so close at this level, anything can happen in a small sample size. Over the course of a 162-game season, the best teams will rise to the top, depending on their division.

In a short series, though, all bets are off. The Chicago Cubs were the best team in the National League all year, only to go three and out in the Division Series against a surging Los Angeles Dodgers team.

Perhaps this is great for most fans, as every team with the opportunity to roll the dice come October has a chance at bringing home a title.

But the realist in me sides more with Billy Beane, who famously said, “The postseason is a ****ing crapshoot.”

And this is why I actually agree with the recent remarks made by Hank Steinbrenner in the Sporting News about the divisional playoff format.

"People will say the Cardinals were the best team because they won the World Series," Steinbrenner wrote. "Well, no, they weren't. They just got hot at the right time. They didn't even belong in the playoffs. And neither does a team from the N.L. West this season."

Well, for once he is absolutely right.

The Cardinals did not deserve to make the playoffs that year. At all. If they were placed in the American League East, for instance, they most likely would have missed out on being a third-place team.

Granted, one could make the argument that every single team in the National League playoffs in 2008 would not have done so if they were in the AL East this year. Even the New York Yankees, as Steinbrenner hinted at when discussing Joe Torre, would have probably ran away with the NL West by the middle of July. Not only has the American League shown its superiority for years now, whether it is cyclical or not, the Yankees had the more talented roster and still nearly won 90 games in the better league's toughest division.

In football and basketball, it is more likely for the best team to win it all. Baseball, however, is a completely different case. Sure, a team can set itself up for postseason success by having a strong core of starters at the top of its rotation and an excellent bullpen and team defense. Pitching is the name of the game come this time of year, of course. Yet, there are no guarantees.

And whether or not this is good or bad for the sport depends on how you feel about it, I guess. I am sure St. Louis fans love the format, which enabled them to bring home another trophy to a great baseball city.

How do you feel?

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.

Grant Paulsen (right)

Grant Paulsen, who has been an accredited member of the national media since he was a teenager, has already made his mark in the broadcasting industry although he has yet to graduate from college and is not old enough to legally drink in this country. Paulsen, 20, is perhaps the Jay Bruce of sports journalism, having covered the Little League World Series and Super Bowl for ABC Sports on several occasions. He has also appeared on the David Letterman show six times. A student at George Mason University in Virginia, he is currently the host of Minors and Majors, a two-hour weekly show focusing on Major League Baseball and its minor league prospects on XM Radio.

Grant recently offered his opinions about the latest news and notes around the league in an interview with Tyler Hissey for Scout.com.

TH: Grant, thanks for finding the time to answer some questions about all that is going on in the Major League Baseball season. Let’s get to it.

The Los Angeles Angels are one of the best run-prevention clubs in the game, with an excellent defense and pitching staff. The Angels also have a strong bullpen led by K-Rod, who is on pace to set the single-season saves record. The offensive situation, on the other hand, has been a cause for concern, and the addition of switch-hitting slugger Mark Teixeira will undoubtedly help add another impact bat to protect Vladimir Guerrero. Does the trade make Los Angeles the favorite to win the AL?

Grant: Adding Mark Teixeira was monumental for the Angels. They desperately needed a bat - and preferably a big one - and they got it when they traded for him. Their deep pitching staff, ranked eighth in all of baseball, gives them a chance to win each night, and they are a top-10 team defensively as well. The only area in which they needed to upgrade was at the plate, and in getting Teixeira they were able to add power to a lineup that has hit 49 fewer home-runs than teams like the Marlins and Phillies have this season.

Even if Teixeira proves to be only a late-season rental, which I think could very well be the case, I won't disagree for a moment with what the Angels decided to do. He is a career .285 hitter who can hit his club 35-homers a season and play a terrific first base. With a team like Los Angeles for the long-haul I could see Tex becoming an annual MVP candidate in the American League. They gave up Casey Kotchman, who is a nice enough major leaguer, and a decent relief pitching prospect in hard-throwing righty Stephen Marek. But they got a guy back who makes them the number-one contender for the title (if I can use a wrestling term). That's what the Angels are now. They are the top contender in the AL, and I would be surprised if they aren't in the ALCS.

TH: The Braves certainly went for it all last year, giving up a promising package of prospects—including Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison and Jarrod Saltalamacchia—to make a run. However, they finished further out of the division than they were at the time of the acquisition, even though Teixeira put up some monster numbers down the stretch. In Kotchman and Marek, GM Frank Wren got about as much as he could have at this point, certainly more than the club would have received had it waited for the compensation picks. Still, it seems, they were burned in the long run. Do you agree? Will teams use this as a lesson before making similar deals at the deadline?

Grant: I think that teams might. I've always felt like GMs should ask themselves only one question before giving up multiple prospects who could eventually help their club for just one veteran major leaguer. If he (the guy they are trading for) comes over and plays like an MVP, can we win the World Series? If the answer is yes, then I am okay with those trades. If the answer is no, then I don't like the idea. Especially if a team is just renting a guy like the Braves were with Teixeira last year, and like the Brewers are this year with CC Sabathia. I didn't like the Teixeira deal last year, and I wasn't a huge fan of the Sabathia deal. If he pitches them into the playoffs, though, I will be okay with the fact that they parted with future All-Star Matt LaPorta.

TH: On an off note, what are the odds that some Angles fans make another Teixeira tribute video on YouTube?

Grant: I feel like another video is coming soon. From the same guys who brought us Mark Teixeira I, comes a second and even more epic offering! Haha. Perhaps the release date will be set for some time in late October.

TH: As of this writing, David Price is 9-0 combined between the Single-A Vero Beach and Double-A Montgomery. Do you see Price making an impact this season? If so, do you think he will turn into this year's version of Joba Chamberlain, coming out of the bullpen, or will he crack the Tampa Bay rotation should Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine falter?

David Price (AP)

Grant: Price is a stud. The guy is going to be 23 later on this month and he could have been getting big league hitters out as of halfway through his final college season at Vanderbilt a year ago. He popped at 99 in his first outing as a pro during spring training this season, and his breaking pitches are already big-league ready. He's going to be a star front-line arm for many years to come, and I could see him and Scott Kazmir being the game's top one-two punch in baseball in a couple years.

With that all said, I think that he will be used in the bullpen down the stretch this season. That will be the best way for Tampa Bay to get his feet wet against major league hitters. He also had a minor arm injury earlier this spring, which could make the Rays want to pitch him out of the pen as a way of keeping his innings count down a little more efficiently, all while still trying to get production out of his electric arm.

If he is used out of the pen, I could see him performing a lot like Joba Chamberlain did last season. His 2007 efforts were something of a once-in-a-decade time promotion, but if anybody could duplicate that type of start to a career, I think Price is that guy. I could see Price repeating that type of dominance down the stretch. He could fortify an already much-improved bullpen and be a big lift for Tampa Bay down the stretch. Unfortunately for the Rays, though, he isn't going to help them hit any better, which is the only phase of the game that they aren't very consistent with.

TH: I recently wrote a contenders piece for the American League. Which four teams from the league do you see making it to the postseason and why?

Mark Teixeira (AP)

Grant: At this moment I have the Angels, Red Sox, and White Sox winning the West, East, and Central, respectively. I rank them in that order because that is the order of my confidence in each of those teams to capture a division crown.

The Angels, with the acquisition of Teixeira and the re-emergence of Ervin Santana as a front-line arm, are my pick to represent the AL in the World Series.

I think Boston is better today than it was a week or two ago as well, though. Jason Bay will give them everything Manny Ramirez did offensively, more defensively, and he'll do it all without creating any problems or causing any headaches for his new coaching staff. I think that Jed Lowrie is an upgrade for them at shortstop as well, and I could see him becoming Boston's Dustin Pedroia of this year in the next couple of months.

The other kind of Sox get terrific pitching and have more power bats than they know what to do with. I just don't know how much I trust some of the unproven arms in that rotation (John Danks and Gavin Floyd among them) down the stretch. Getting Ken Griffey Jr. should provide them with a nice boost, though.

My wild card pick right now is the Rays. They have a deep enough rotation to win any series they play in, they play great defense and they can manufacture enough runs - as the AL leaders in thefts - to mask their anemic team batting average.

TH: Personally, going by their poor run prevention (inexperienced pitching staff and bad infield defense), I do not see the Florida Marlins making the playoffs out of the NL East. They have a negative run differential after all, and, though the Arizona Diamondbacks made it to the playoffs after scoring fewer runs than their opponents last fall, I just do not think it is in the cards for the Fish. Do you agree? If so, who do you think will come out the East?

Grant: I agree with you on the Marlins. The peripherals just don't add up to them being a playoff participant (but don't tell the 2007 Diamondbacks that). The best thing about the Marlins is that they aren't supposed to win right now. They are loaded for the future, thanks largely to the Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis trade this offseason, and they were able to hang on to most of their top prospects at the trade deadline. I'm a Gaby Sanchez guy, but he projects more as a backend-arm than an ace, and he was the only major subtraction from their future core. I think they could keep playing on the plus side of .500, but I don’t' see them doing much more than that the rest of the way. Then again, I didn't see them competing at all this year, so what do I know?

TH: There has certainly been a lot of attention centering around the Milwaukee Brewers’ acquisition of CC Sabathia, though the Brett Favre drama has taken away some of its thunder. Sabathia has energized that clubhouse, adds a legitimate ace alongside Ben Sheets at the top of the staff and is now the best-hitting pitcher in the league with Micah Owings’ demotion to the minors. With that being said, do you think the Brewers will make the postseason for the first time since the Robin Yount era?

Grant: The Brewers are my current pick to win the National League's wild card. Sabathia is one of those guys who can go seven-innings and give his team a chance to win on a bad night. That's the mark of a true ace, and he's proven to be just that over the years. He might be baseball's best pitcher if he ever played an entire season in the NL. The big fella would just be dominant. And Ned Yost will not have to pull him out of games for a pinch hitter, because he's proven that he can wield the wood.

Milwaukee is a better team than St. Louis and Florida, and they are better than any of the clubs in the NL West. With that said, they'll be contending with either Philadelphia or New York (whoever doesn't win the East) for the wild-card spot, at least in my insignificant and probably inaccurate projection. I think they stack up well with either of those two teams. The bottom line is that they had better get to the playoffs. If they don't, then I really don't like the trade at all. If they do I wouldn't be shocked at all if they got to the World Series, considering that they would have Sheets and Sabathia to throw at teams back-to-back. But they have to get there first, and in order to do that they need to start playing better defense (they are 11th in the NL in fielding percentage).

TH: Before we end the interview, give us the names of a few prospects to look for when rosters expand in September.

Grant: Dave Price is the main guy to look out for. He could very well change the American League East landscape, not just this season but over the next several years.

In addition to him, the guy I am most excited about seeing is Andrew McCutchen in Pittsburgh. He's going to get a chance at some point in August, or maybe September, to roam the outfield at PNC Park. He's got more tools than Tim Allen and he's been making his way up through the ranks in a "Jay Bruce" kind of way since the two were drafted real close to each other out of high school back in 2005. I can't wait to see what he does in his first dose of action with the Pirates. He's an electrifying talent who can contribute in a plethora of different ways and baseball fans in the Steel City are in for a treat.

Cameron Maybin is another guy I want to get another look at. I liked what I saw from him in Detroit last season, but I didn't get enough of him. Maybin getting sent to Double-A this year was like dangling candy in front of me and telling me I couldn't have it.

Matt LaPorta and Travis Snider could both also get late-season calls in Cleveland and in Toronto, respectively. I'd be giddy to get a first-glimpse of either of those two slugging outfielders in 2008. Both project as lineup-altering boppers and each should one day find their way onto an All-Star team.

TH: Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule, Grant. Keep up the excellent work on XM Radio.

For more info on Grant and his work on XM radio, click here.

Carl Crawford should pick it up.

The New York Yankees landed a catcher, Ivan Rodriguez, at the trade deadline to fill in for the injured Jorge Posada. This gave New York another option with Jose Molina expected to see the majority of innings at the position before the deal. The Yankees also added a solid reliever and right-handed bat, acquiring Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady. Thus, many analysts have labeled the club as “winners” at the trade deadline, giving some deserved credit to longtime general manager Brian Cashman.

The Boston Red Sox lost the production of slugger Manny Ramirez, but got rid of his baggage and added a capable replacement who is better defensively, Jason Bay, who has gotten off to an excellent start with his new team.

However, the other team competing for the American League East title, the Tampa Bay Rays, remained pat at the deadline. Tampa Bay Executive VP of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman refused to give up any “elite” arms to acquire Bay, for whom the Pittsburgh Pirates turned his services into a nice package of four prospects in three-team deal that sent Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Friedman and the Rays have been labeled as “losers” accordingly, but are they really? Giving up a potential future top-15 shortstop in the league, Reid Brignac, or Wade Davis or Jeremy Hellickson would be inconsistent with the vision of the Rays’ ownership group for sustaining their current level of success for an extended time period.

It is truly way too early to label a team winners or losers. Just ask Omar Minaya, who was applauded for landing Bartolo Colon back in 2002 when he was the GM of the Montreal Expos. Minaya, however, parted ways with three future stars—Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore—as the Expos fell