Have been too busy to write lately, but there were several recent transactions that I wanted to comment on.

I will begin with the Blockbuster deal of the week. I will touch on the Nick Swisher move and the Marlins’ decision to seemingly trade away all of their arbitration-eligible young players to cut payroll in some future posts.

It was surprising to learn that Billy Beane traded for Matt Holliday earlier this week, but I agree with his thought process.

Holliday has definitely benefited from playing in the thin air in Colorado; he posted a .584 slugging percentage and .997 OPS at Coors Field, .486 and .891 on the road. He is more than a pure product of his home hitting environment, though, and will offer a major offensive upgrade in the Oakland outfield next year.

The A’s were one of the worst-hitting clubs in 2008, ranking near the bottom in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS. They lacked a difference-making hitter, and Holliday could fill that void. As a Scott Boras client due for a big payday in 2009, he is clearly a rental player for the cost-effective A’s.  

Colorado would not have been able to afford him, either, so credit the organization for reeling in a nice return—Carlos Gonzalez, Greg Smith, Huston Street—in exchange for a one-year player.

But Beane made the right choice.

Gonzalez may not have strong enough on-base skills to ever emerge into a star. He has some outstanding tools, but his pitch recognition is subpar (81 K’s, 13 walks in 85 games, with a .273 OBP); he was generally not a good fit in Oakland, which places a major emphasis on patience and plate discipline.

The long-term outcome of this trade is going to come down to Gonzalez, though. He has star potential--possibly a .300 hitter with 20-home run power if he develops, with above-average defense--but is one of those players who is going to have to hit around .300 every year to keep his OBP at an acceptable level. If he can improve his approach, which has left to a lot to be desired since his pro debut in 2003, he could develop into a solid major league outfielder. He has the inside track on the Rockies' starting center field job in sping training, but the organization may send him down to Triple-A for more seasoning. When he takes over that role for good, he will see his power numbers improve by playing in Coors Field.

Smith projects as nothing more than a fifth starter in the majors. The 24-year-old lefty struggled with control problems at times in the minors, and then had command issues as a rookie in ’08 (111-to-87 K/BB).  He can add some value, though, with the ability to keep hitters off balance and an excellent pickoff move. He had some rough patches in ’08 but was much better than his 7-16 record indicates, having posted a 4.16 ERA in 190.1 innings pitched. Moving to Coors Field is going to be a difficult change, as he is predominantly a flyball pitcher. But, like any other pitcher, he will benefit from moving into the weaker league.

Street, who has 94 saves and a 2.88 career ERA, is never going to be an impact closer again. He still has a chance to turn into an effective middle reliever in the right situation. Due to injuries, his stuff is not what it once was, causing him to lose his closer’s role early last spring. But he actually had a better year than he was given credit for: 3.73 ERA, 69-to-18 K/W, .667 opponents’ OPS. Beane feels that late-inning relievers are easy to replace ("closers are made, not born"), and therefore no longer had any use for Street’s services.

The A’s still have the core of their excellent (and cheap) bullpen intact, as well a bunch of promising young pitching prospects who are close to making an impact. They are again expected to excel at run prevention in ’09—with the chance to field an excellent young starting rotation, in addition to an efficient defense. Having added an impact hitter finally added to the middle of the lineup, they may now have just enough offense to realistically compete with the L.A. Angels in the division.

If the A’s ride Holliday and the young pitching to a potential postseason berth in the four-team A.L. West, Beane will be happy to accept a pair of compensation picks in the 2010 draft when the slugger bolts for free agency. If he does not see his team as a contender, though, he will have the opportunity to add a quality group of prospects—most likely a better package than what he gave up here—by dealing him at the trade deadline to a contender.

Either way, Oakland sets itself up to compete immediately next year—though the Angels are still the clear-cut favorites, especially if they bring back Mark Teixeira or sign Manny Ramirez—without facing any serious long-term consequences. It was surprising, certainly, but was a great deal for the A’s.

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.

I hate to go all Peter Griffin in this space, but do you know what really grinds my gears?

When ignorant baseball commentators make statements that are factually inaccurate.

Disclaimer: I am also about to do my best Fire Joe Morgan impersonation as well.

Let me start with the recent TBS coverage of the American League Division series between the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.

Right off the bat, Harold Reynolds—the man fired from ESPN for alleged sexual harassment, but for the most part a well-liked broadcaster—began discussing the Rays’ lineup by suggesting that Carl Crawford would be one of the best leadoff hitters in the game if he played for another team.

I am paraphrasing that, and it is not an exact quote. But, he then went on discussing how Crawford has been a great leadoff hitter in the past, ect...

Well, Harold—

A. Crawford has said, time and time again, that he hates batting in the leadoff spot.
B. Crawford has not hit leadoff in any game this year.
C. Crawford finished the season with a .319 on-base percentage.

Point C especially shows Reynolds’ severely flawed way of looking at baseball. He is stuck in the past, it seems. No player with a sub-.340 on-base percentage should ever sniff the leadoff spot. Ever.

Sure, CC is fast. He steals bases. Occasionally, he will even drop down a bunt for a base hit. Yes, he does a lot of the things that baseball fans associate with the traditional, typical leadoff man.

The most important thing a leadoff hitter can do, however, is get on base. Above all else. And, with his poor plate discipline, Crawford has shown that this is an issue for him.

Reynolds then went on with his usual tirade on small-ball tactics. Which is fine.

But this leads into my next example, regarding Chip Caray. Let me preface this by saying that Caray has excellent communication skills and is a fairly solid play-by-play man. But, as the following paragraphs will show, he should leave the whole analyst thing to people who, well, know what they are talking about.

Caray was a guest on XM's Baseball This Morning with Buck Martinez and Mark Patrick earlier today.

Shortly into his appearance, Caray, who will do color work for TBS during the upcoming ALCS, began to criticize Moneyball and the value of on-base percentage.

But to make his point—and this is the real kicker—he cited the Los Angeles Angels' first-round exit from the postseaon as an example of why the concepts of Moneyball do not work.

Again, I will paraphrase here. But he basically spewed out the typical Moneyball does not work in the postseason nonsense, saying, “No Moneyball team has made it to the World Series and eventually won it.”

Then Caray cited the Boston Red Sox and Rays as teams that are good because they know how to manufacture runs, or something along those lines.

Now, I do not know where to begin here. There is too much to criticize; this may take longer than I want to spend on this, in fact.

Using the Angels as a poster boy team for Moneyball is like saying, “Barack Obama is a proponent of Reaganomics.” In fact, the Angels, as well-run of an organization as they are, would do well to pay more attention to advanced statistical analysis.

That way, they might have avoided the whole Gary Matthews Jr. fiasco. After all, Matthews Jr. was perhaps the Least Valuable Player in the AL this year while earning enough money to make Barry Zito look underpaid, as he finished with a .675 OPS. If CC Sabathia, granted a pitcher who can absolutely mash, were to play everyday, he would have posted a higher number there.

Bogus contract aside, though, the Angels and Mike Scoscia are perhaps the poster child for incorporating small-ball tactics and manufacturing runs. And they could care less about OBP, one of the few teams left to.

How could Caray use them to make his case?

They actually finished ranked 18th in the majors on-base percentage, and the coaching staff preaches aggressiveness, but why let facts get in the way of an old-fashioned Moneyball bashing? Did Caray even watch their last series? The Angels hurt themselves by swinging at too many first pitches, seemingly hacking at everything. And Scoscia ran his team out of an inning with the whole squeeze bunt on a 2-0 pitch.

That really was such a ridiculous claim. But, more than that, it shows his ignorance about the Michael Lewis bestseller from 2002, which profiles the Oakland Athletics that season.

Moneyball is really not about on-base percentage or being cheap, as most people believe. Sure, OBP and valuing outs more than traditional baseball people have for generations is a major concept to be taken out of the book. However, too many people—especially those who have never read it (we are looking at you, Joe Morgan)—focus on these aspects as opposed to the real theme—finding inefficiencies in the market for baseball players.

Lewis, one of the most intelligent and respected business writers of this generation, wanted to answer one question by following around Billy Beane and the A’s: How could one team with such a low payroll consistently make the postseason, while other small-market teams could not?

The answer, of course, lies is Beane’s ability at exploiting inefficiencies. At the time, OBP was one such inefficiency. Traditional teams overpaid for stats—batting average, for instance—that actually did not have that much of a correlation between scoring runs and winning games as many people were led to believe.

Studies have show repeatedly that team on-base percentage goes hand-in-hand with how many runs a club will score over a full season.

Thus, at the time of the book OBP was a major inefficiency for Beane to exploit. Well, that is hardly the case today, as nearly every front office nowadays uses it as a major criterion—well, at the least the smart ones who do not do things like, say, offer huge contracts to Jose Guillen—for making personnel decisions. In fact, any general manager who still ignores the stat when evaluating talent and making roster decisions should be fired for incompetence. Today.

But, I digress.

One of those teams that values OBP—the Red Sox, who led the majors with a .358 clip.

In fact, Theo Epstein is one of the ultimate so-called Moneyball GMs today. And, guess what? Last time I checked, Mr. Caray, they have won two World Series championships in the past four years and are in a position to win a third. Boston, an organization that hired the father of sabermetrics, Bill James, as a senior advisor, is a so-called Moneyball team with money—a nearly unstoppable combination.

The key for any front office is to strike the right balance between traditional scouting and advanced statistical analysis—which does not work at the amateur level—to build a cost-efficient organization that can sustain its success.

Under Epstein, Boston has done exactly that, devoting the right financial resources into improving its farm system via excellent talent evaluation and the draft while making cost-efficient, intelligent decisions (for the most part) at the major league level.

The success of the other team that Caray mentioned, the Rays, is a direct result of the effective use of statistical analysis to make shrewd roster decisions and excellent trades. Andrew Friedman has shown the ability to find value anywhere, buying low and selling high. All of the talent acquired through low draft picks is beginning to prosper, but the Rays’ success is a result of more than that. Friedman built the rest of his roster by shopping at the equivalent of Wal-Mart for baseball players while locking up a great deal of that young talent before they were eligible for arbitration or free agency.

So, again, they are a Moneyball team by definition, if people still use that ridiculous phrase to describe a team. Yet he used them as an example why teams should not value on-base percentage. Right?

So, to recap.

1. Chip Caray gets paid to talk about baseball.
2. Chip Caray has probably never read Moneyball, yet criticizes it constantly—just like Morgan, who admits that.
3. Chip Caray thinks that a team built on Moneyball principles will never win the World Series, even though the Red Sox have already won two.
4. Chip Caray hates on-base percentage.
5. Someone pays Chip Caray to talk about baseball.

You cannot make this stuff up.

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 apart the rest of the way and failed to reach the playoffs.

A verdict, then, will not be out on this trade deadline season—all of the deals—for a long time. Plus, for a small-market team to maintain its success in the current economic market in the industry, it must look at its young prospects as cost-effective assets, which the Rays have done.

The Rays were losers, writes Jayson Stark. Yahoo! Sports agrees.

Instead, the club may receive a boost from former star Rocco Baldelli, who has made steady progress in his rare health condition. Baldelli finished a rehab assignment with Double-A Montgomery on Thursday night, and could return to the Rays during the current homestand. He hit .297/.409/.568 with three home runs and eight RBIs in 37 at-bats with the Biscuits.

A Baldelli decision may be coming, writes Marc Lancaster. This will give Friedman and his staff an important decision to make about the status of Gabe Gross and Jonny Gomes. Gross adds tremendous value with his defense in right field, leaving the club with a difficult choice here.

The internal candidate who is most likely to make an impact in the AL East race for the Rays, though, is former number one overall pick David Price. Price improved to 10-0 as a professional on Saturday night, striking out 10 in seven innings to lead the Biscuits to a win over the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. The talented left-hander, the best pitching prospect in the minors, is now 6-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 48-to-12 K/W ratio in eight Southern League starts. He has a chance to make the jump to the majors without pitching in Triple-A, Friedman says.

With all of the additions made elsewhere in the division, Price truly could be the ultimate upgrade for a stretch run, perhaps more so than Nady or Rodriguez. He is that good, having shown an advanced approach to pitching, mid-90s fastball and excellent command. If there is a pitcher to make a Joba-like impact, it is him.

Jeff Niemann and Justin Ruggiano could also contribute as well.

Niemann, who was linked to Pittsburgh in the Bay talks, is 7-5 with a 3.53 ERA and 88-to-36 K/W ratio at Triple-A Durham. The former first-round pick has seen his star dim as all of the injuries have taken a tool, decreasing his once-plus velocity. He is still on the track to the majors, however. He would have benefited from a trade to Pittsburgh, where he would have jumped into the starting rotation.

Ruggiano has never been a favorite among scouts, but has posted some solid statistics during his minor league career. The 26-year-old outfielder has performed well again at Durham so far, batting .316/.374/.529 with nine homers and 42 RBIs. The status of Baldelli will determine if he ever gets a realistic shot with the parent club, which he did not get during his stint with the Rays earlier this season. He went 4-for-5 with an RBI in the Bulls’ 8-2 win over the Charlotte Knights on Saturday night.

Links:

Evan Longoria continued to build his case for AL Rookie of the Year on Saturday night, tying Gomes’ rookie single-season record with his 21st home run to lead the Rays to a 9-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Longoria, a first-round pick back in 2006, finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs to raise his line to .280/.354/.540 and increase his RBI total to 67. He is leading the club in homers, RBIs and OPS (.879).

Tampa Bay cranked out nine runs on 11 hits overall, winning its fourth straight game while continuing to shine in the friendly confines of Tropicana Field.

Carl Crawford, hot of late, continued to perform since moving out of the two spot in the batting order. Crawford, who has a seven-game hitting streak, drove in two and scored twice. The perennial stolen-base threat—whose totals are down because of his poor on-base percentage—swiped his first bag in eight game as well, and is now batting .272/.315/.401. With a .717 OPS, a low number for a player at the left field position, he has to turn it around, and appears to be doing so. With his track record, he could add an impact bat by default, having the chance to help Tampa Bay score more runs if he can get on base more frequently to take advantage of his biggest asset, speed.

Andy Sonnanstine got the run support that has eluded him for most of July to earn the win. Sonnanstine scattered seven hits, allowing two earned runs while striking out six. Although he is now 11-6 and leading the staff in wins, it was a big outing for him, with Price waiting in the wings and his 4.58 ERA leaving a bit to be desired.

Tampa Bay is now three games up on Boston—and 5.5 on New York—in the division, improving its home record to 42-16 and 65-44 overall. They set a record for most home wins (42) in a season.

James Shields has been one of the best pitchers in the majors at home this season, going 7-1 with a 2.16 ERA, .205 opponents’ batting average and 72-to-14 K/W ratio in 12 starts at Tropicana Field. Shields will look to continue that success in the finale of the three-game series with Detroit on Sunday, writes Bill Chastain.

One thing that has gone unnoticed at times is the Rays’ team defense. With B.J. Upton and Ty Wigginton logging innings at second base and Brendan Harris and Josh Wilson and others doing the same at shortstop, the Tampa Bay infield defense was terrible in 2007. The addition of Jason Bartlett at shortstop, transition of Akinori Iwamura to second base and emergence of Longoria has helped change that landscape.

This has had tremendous overall positive effects on Tampa Bay’s young pitchers, and is a major reason why the club is still in first place this late in the game. The club currently ranks first in the league in defensive efficiency—the rate at which balls put into play are converted into outs. As much as the bullpen has improved as well, it is hard to put into words the strides that this team has made in the run prevention equation.

Friedman deserves plenty of credit for pulling the trigger on the Delmon Young deal, with improving the team defense on his mind.

Manny Who?

The Red Sox also won on Friday night, pounding out 12 runs to crush the Oakland Athletics. Bay—who scored the winning run in an extra-innings affair during his Fenway debut on Friday—continued to produce, hitting a home run in the win while Jon Lester improved to 10-3.

Lester has truly turned into an excellent front-end starter in this league, having made it through seven innings in eight of his past nine starts. The 24-year-old left-hander, who threw a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals earlier this season, has posted a 3.14 ERA and 101-to-46 K/W ratio to help anchor the Boston pitching staff.

The Red Sox are moving on without Manny, writes Katie Zezima.

Kevin Youkilis also got in on the action, belting two homers and increasing his hit streak to nine games. He has had a great year—on the defensive side as well—and is currently batting .313/.380/.557 with 20 long balls and 74 RBIs. He is an integral part of the Boston offensive attack.

Yankees Also Win

New York also got in the win column, as the dream season continued for Mike Mussina, who surrendered only two runs on two hits in seven solid innings to help the Yankees shut down the hot-as-fire Los Angeles Angels and new acquisition Mark Teixeira.

Honestly, where would the Yankees be without Mussina? He has been a pleasant surprise for them, winning 14 games while posting an impressive 3.44 ERA and stellar 90-to-19 K/W. He does not leave a lot of room for error with his declining stuff, but has worked the corners magically with his excellent control and command

After getting roughed up in his last outing, a 13-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, many thought that Mussina was finally regressing back to the mean. Yet he bounced back nicely, out dueling Jered Weaver while holding the Angels scoreless after giving up two runs in the first inning.

Mussina continues to defy the passage of time, writes Brian Heyman.

Jose Molina is going to be his personal catcher, writes Anthony Rieber.

Bobby Abreu, Wilson Betemit, Jose Molina (his first of the year) and Alex Rodriguez all homered for the Yankees, who were without second baseman Robinson Cano.

Brian Bruney was called back up to the club, writes Joshua Robinson.

New York, however, will not get a boost in September from ace Chien-Ming Wang, who will miss the remainder of the regular season but could return for the playoffs.

Phil Hughes is also trying to make his way back from a broken rib, and could have an impact. Hughes is currently on a rehab assignment along with Carl Pavano, pitching for the Charleston RiverDogs in the South Atlantic League. In his second outing with Charleston on Saturday night, he earned the win in relief of Pavano, who started the game and allowed an earned run in three innings. Hughes was impressive, striking out five in 3.2 innings pitched.

Waiver Talk:

Although the trade deadline has passed, players can still move teams in the August waiver trading period. Paul DePodesta, the former Los Angeles Dodgers GM and Billy Beane protégé, provides an excellent post on this process in his blog. DePodesta, a major figure in the book Moneyball, currently works in the front office for the San Diego Padres.

Ziegler Story:

The story of Brad Ziegler is about as interesting as it gets. Click here for an excellent recap of his journey, courtesy of blogger extraordinaire Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star.

On Monday at 2:00, Tyler Hissey will host a live chat, similar to the trade deadline live blog on Thursday. Feel free to stop by and ask a question. Click here to access the chat.

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

Mark Teixeira (AP)

The Los Angeles Angels acquired the services of Mark Teixeira from the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night. The Braves dealt Teixeira, a free agent following the season, in exchange for Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek.

Although the Angels will only get two months of the switch-hitting slugger, they were in desperate need of adding another bat to protect Vladimir Guerrero in a lineup that has struggled to score runs. In fact, despite being 11.5 games up over the Texas Rangers in the American League West, the club has a lower run differential than the third-place Oakland Athletics.

The first team to win 65 games, Los Angeles has relied on its excellent starting rotation, a solid bullpen led by closer Francisco Rodriguez, who is threatening to break the single-season saves record, and an above-average team defense.

The Angels’ offensive attack, on the other hand, has been a major weakness, as the club ranks in the back of the pack in nearly every statistical category, including runs scored (474), on-base percentage (.322) and OPS (.721).

Howie Kendrick, Guerrero and Torii Hunter have made an impact, but are currently the only regulars on the 25-man roster who have posted an OPS above .800.

Guerrerro, who has rebounded from a poor start, is leading the team with 17 home runs and 54 RBIs. Still, he is not 100 percent healthy, which remains a cause for concern.

Several other starters have struggled mightily, though. The group of disappointments is highlighted by free agent bust Gary Matthews Jr., who has posted the lowest OPS total among all qualifying left fielders in the majors and is batting only .234/.313/.346 with seven homers. Veteran Garret Anderson, who has posted a .309 on-base percentage and has seen his bat speed drop off dramatically, has also struggled.

Teixeira, who is batting .283/.390/.512 with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs, will undoubtedly provide a major boost to the L.A. lineup. One of the most productive hitters in the majors, he will also help provide protection for the aforementioned core. Also a solid defensive first baseman, he has a career .909 OPS and will be the premier free agent available this offseason.

Teixeira was a monster for Atlanta after being acquired from the Rangers for four minor league prospects in the blockbuster deal of ’07 deadline season, hitting 17 home runs and posting a 1.019 OPS in 54 games. The Braves, however, were 2.5 games out in the National League East when they acquired the switch-hitting slugger. They then finished six games back, despite a monster performance from their new acquisition. This is a different situation right now, however, as the Angels are already a lock for the postseason, sitting as the runaway favorites in the AL West.

Therefore, Teixeira has a realistic chance to make a huge difference, adding the bat that has been missing for Los Angeles, which even considered signing Alex Rodriguez to fill the void this offseason, over the past two years.

In return, Atlanta is getting a nice player in Kotchman, who has above average contact and defensive skills. His offensive output, however, leaves a bit to be desired. He does not hit for the power normally associated with a corner infielder and has shown decreasing on-base skills in 2008. More of a contact hitter, he has posted a line of .287/.327/.448, for a low .774 OPS for a first baseman, with 12 homers and 54 RBIs. To his credit, the former first-round pick out of Seminole High School in Florida—which had a record amount of players drafted during his senior year back in 2001—has been great with runners in scoring position and two outs, posting a line of .357/.426/.429 in a small sample size of 42 at-bats.

Marek has come out of nowhere to emerge as one of the premier relief pitching prospects in the minors. A 40th-round pick back in 2004, he went to San Jacinto Junior College and then signed as a draft and follow. He is 2-6 with a 3.66 ERA, .223 opponents’ batting average and 57-to-21 K/W ratio in 34 appearances at Double-A Arkansas. Look for him to make an impact out of the Braves’ bullpen in 2009.

Considering that Teixeira is a brief rental who will play in only around 50 more games, is a Scott Boras client and is expected to fetch around $20 million, Frank Wren deserves credit for pulling the trigger. Wren, the longtime right-hand man under John Schuerholz, received more value—in the short- and long-term—by dealing the soon-to-be free agent than the organization would have would have gotten had it waited to receive a pair of compensation picks when he bolted for free agency.

Still, the Angels are to be applauded as well, because Teixeira is perhaps the missing link in their quest to win a title.

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

YouTube Tribute In The Works? Last time Tex was traded, a few Braves fans came up with one of the most popular YouTube sports-related videos of the year, providing a tribute to their new slugger. So, I ask again, is another video in the works, Angels fans?

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

This article was originally posted on Scout.com.

The roster for the USA Olympic Team was announced earlier this week. The following minor leaguers will travel to Beijing to represent their country at the 2008 Olympic Games. The group is filled with an interesting mix of stud prospects and career minor leaguers, all of whom have one goal: to take home the gold.

To find out more on a certain prospect, click on the corresponding scouting reports from Scout.com. Each prospect is listed next to the organization that they play for.

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.

Jake Arrieta: RHP, Baltimore Orioles—

Arrieta, 21, was selected in the fifth round of the 2007 draft out of Texas Christian University, where he went 23-7 over his final two seasons and was twice named an All American. As a Scott Boras client, he scared off several organizations with his high asking price, dropping him several rounds. He has produced in the minors for Baltimore, though.

Arrieta, in fact, is enjoying a fine campaign in his first professional campaign, earning an invitation to the Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. In 20 starts for the Frederick Keys in the Carolina League, he is 6-5 with a 2.87 ERA and 120-to-51 K/W ratio. The right-hander, who has earned Carolina League Pitcher of the Week twice already this season, is leading the circuit in innings pitched (113.0) and WHIP (1.16). For his stellar first half, he was elected to the league All-Star team. He has a fastball in the 88-91 range, topping out at 93, which he can paint the corners with.

Arrieta is no stranger to international competition. While in college, he posted a 4-0 record and 0.27 ERA for the Gold-Medal winning national team in the ’06 World Championships in Cuba.

Click here for a Q&A with Arrieta, courtesy of Michael Hollman of InsideTheWarehouse.com.

Brian Barden: INF, St. Louis Cardinals—

Barden was one of two players selected from the St. Louis farm system, though top outfield prospect Colby Rasmus will miss the Olympics due to a knee injury. The 27-year-old shortstop has been a key offensive player for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, batting .292/.358/.436 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs in 95 games. He was acquired off of waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks, who selected him out of Oregon State in the 2002 draft, last August.

Barden is clearly too old to be considered a “prospect,” and actually made the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster out of spring training in 2007. The veteran minor leaguer, who has a career OPS of .804 in seven professional seasons, also has the versatility to play three infield positions. He had an excellent May, earning organizational player of the month after hitting .377 with a .460 on-base percentage in 27 games.

Click here for an old scouting report on Barden.

Matthew Brown: INF, Los Angeles Angels—

The Los Angeles Angels have struggled to score runs at times. Angels’ third base prospect Matthew Brown, though, has done nothing but hit this season, posting a line of .331/.381/.603 with 20 homers, 63 RBIs and a .985 OPS at Triple-A Salt Lake City in the Pacific Coast League. The 25-year-old infielder, who has played nearly every position on the field, is ranked by Scout.com as the seventh-best third base prospect in the minors.

Trevor Cahill: RHP, Oakland Athletics—

Cahill is a polarizing prospect. He has posted strong numbers since the Athletics selected him out of a California high school in the 2006 draft, but does not have an overpowering fastball. In fact, the young right-hander, who gave up an academic scholarship to Dartmouth to sign with Oakland, relies more on his pitching intelligence and excellent command.

Cahill was a force in his first full campaign in ’06, going 11-4 with a 2.73 ERA and 117-to-40 K/W ratio in 105.1 innings pitched in the Midwest League. He picked up where he left off this spring after beginning the season in the California League, where he went 5-4 with a 2.78 ERA, 103-to-31 K/W ratio and .174 opponents’ batting average in 87.1 innings pitched. Cahill, selected a CAL Mid-Season All-Star, was then promoted to the Texas League, where he has flourished alongside Anderson in the Midland starting rotation. The 20-year-old has continued to impress, posting a 5-1 record and 2.25 ERA in his first six starts.

Overall, Cahill, who also was added to the US roster for the Futures game, is 10-5 with a 2.64 ERA and .178 opponents’ batting average in 119.1 innings pitched.

Click here for a scouting report on Cahill, courtesy of Melissa Lockard.

Jeremy Cummings: RHP, Tampa Bay Rays—

Cummings, a career minor leaguer, has one goal left in his professional career—to reach the majors. Cummings, who began the 2008 season in Taiwan, is perhaps inching closer to that dream with every start. After signing with Durham as a minor league free agent in May, he has been one of the most effective starting pitchers in the International League over the past two months, going 7-3 with a 2.95 ERA and 63-to-20 K/W ratio in 76.1 innings pitched.

Cummings has come a long way since the St. Louis Cardinals selected him out of West Virginia University in the 1999 draft, but if he can continues to pitch effectively, his dream of the reaching the majors may just come true after all; if not with Tampa Bay, an organization stacked with pitching prospects, then perhaps another franchise in the future.

Jason Donald: INF, Philadelphia Phillies—

Jason Donald (AP)

After a solid but unspectacular collegiate career at the University of Arizona, Donald has shown some surprising power since the Phillies selected him in the third round of the 2006 draft. He has built off a nice performance in the Florida State League—.300/.386/.491—at the end of last season, proving that he is a legitimate prospect by performing in Double-A. He has perhaps exceeded expectations with Reading in ‘08, posting an .884 OPS with 14 homers and 53 RBIs through his first 84 games in the Eastern League.

It remains to be seen if Donald—who has a rocket arm—is athletic enough to remain at shortstop at the highest level, because his range is below-average. Nonetheless, he is an intriguing prospect who has made marked improvements to his game and may turn into more than just a utility player in the majors if he can continue to produce.

Click here for a scouting report on Donald, courtesy of Chuck Hixson, who named him the 11th-best prospect in the Phillies’ farm system.

Brian Duensing: LHP, Minnesota Twins—

Duensing is command specialist who does not blow scouts away with his stuff. He has effectively gotten hitters out, though, since the Twins selected him out of the University of Nebraska—where he missed two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery—in 2005. Although he has been consistent at nearly every stop along the way, he had his finest campaign in '07, going 15-6 with a 3.07 ERA and 124-to-37 K/W ratio combined between Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Rochester.

Duensing is 5-10 in 22 International League starts in ’08, as opposing hitters are batting .270 against him. The record is still a bit misleading, however. The crafty southpaw has registered a 4.18 ERA—while not spectacular, it would perhaps be good enough to put him among league leaders in wins in the IL if he was afforded Livan Hernandez’s run support—and has posted a high BABIP and a decent K/W ratio.

Duensing has battled through several up and downs already, at 25 years old. So, although he does not have a high ceiling and profiles more of a back-end starter in the majors, it would not be a surprise to see him make his debut in the near future.

Brad Weiss ranked him as the 33rd-best prospect in the Twins’ organization in his pre-season top prospect list this November. Here is an old scouting report on him, courtesy of Weiss.

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.

John Gall: OF, Florida Marlins—

Gall is 30 years old, so the prospect label clearly does not apply to him. In fact, he was a College World Series hero at Stanford before the turn of the century. A Triple-A mainstay, he was elected to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team following an excellent first half at Albuquerque. He is currently batting .313/.370/.496 with 12 home runs. The journeyman has been clutch as well, posting a .384 batting average and .987 OPS in 112 at-bats with runners in scoring position. With his prolific production and the opportunity to hit with runners on, it is no surprise that he is among circuit leaders with 74 RBIs.

While Gall is a nice organizational bat, he is most likely not going to have an impact on the Marlins’ march towards the postseason.

Mike Hessman: INF, Detroit Tigers—

Mike Hessman (AP)

Hessman is a big, burly third baseman who is having a monster season for the Toledo Mud Hens. The 30-year-old infielder, in fact, is leading the International League with 30 homers, sitting fourth in the circuit with a .958 OPS as well. He is batting .264/.394/.567, was elected to the league All-Star team and is coming off an ’07 campaign in which he won the league’s Most Valuable Player. Regardless, it is unlikely that he will stick in the majors for good—he has eight career homers in the bigs in a brief cup of coffee with the Atlanta Braves and Tigers— in the future, though he will get a shot if he continues to mash.

Mark Anderson of TigsTown.com decided to give Hessman another look in this article.

Kevin Jepsen: RHP, Los Angeles Angels—

Drafted out of a Nevada high school in the 2002 First-Year draft, Jepsen was one of the most effective closers in the Texas League before earning a recent promotion to Triple-A. The 24-year-old right-hander racked up 11 saves, striking out 35 while posting a 1.42 ERA in 25 appearances. For his performance, he was named to the league’s All-Star team.

With Salt Lake City, Jepsen has limited hitters to a .211 batting average, posting a 2.79 ERA in 12 appearances. However, he did not even crack the top 20 in nearly every Angels’ pre-season prospect list.

Brandon Knight: RHP, New York Mets— Knight is another journeyman, hanging onto the dream at 32 years old. He nearly retired at the end of 2006, has spent three seasons in Japan and was drafted (’95) long before steroids were on the radar as a major issue in baseball. Through it all, though, he has remained effective at the minor league level, currently sitting with a 5-1 record and 1.60 ERA in 39.1 innings since he signed with Triple-A New Orleans on May 21. Still, his claim to fame is perhaps being included in a trade for former major leaguer Chad Curtis, making it unlikely that he will ever latch onto to a consistent role in the majors. However, a Gold Medal in the Olympics will make all of the struggles worth it, he says.

Knight can fill any role, writes Gillian Rich.

Mike Koplove: RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers—

Koplove is a reliever for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s. The 31-year-old has posted a 3.26 ERA and 40-to-16 K/W ratio in 37 appearances so far, using his unique arm angle to fool keep hitters off balance. He had a few effective stints in a six-year tenure with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2001-’06, going 6-1 with a 3.36 ERA in 55 games as one of the strongest setup-men in the game back in his career-best campaign back in ’02. He spent most of last year at Triple-A Buffalo in the Cleveland organization, before signing with Los Angeles in December.

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.

Click here for a scouting report on LaPorta and the rest of the prospects included in the Sabathia deal, courtesy of Chuck Murr.

Lou Marson: C, Philadelphia Phillies—

Marson, one of two catchers on the USA roster, is one of the premier young backstops in the minors. His name has surfaced in trade rumors, but do not expect Philadelphia to move him.

Marson, 22, has been a key cog in the Reading Phillies’ lineup, batting .322/.438./.431 with five home runs and 46 RBIs in 89 games. He is a solid defensive catcher with an above-average arm as well, making it likely that he will turn into a capable major league catcher by century’s end.

Click here for a scouting report on Marson, courtesy of Chuck Hixson.

Blaine Neal: RHP, Detroit Tigers—

Neal is the closer for the Toledo MudHens, for whom he has picked up 24 saves for while posting a 1.31 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched this season. The 30-year-old journeyman has posted a 5.08 ERA in 113 career appearances in the majors.

Neal and a teammate will be heading to Beijing, writes Paul Wenzer.

Jayson Nix: INF, Colorado Rockies— Nix batted .125 in a brief stint with the Rockies earlier this season. The former sandwich pick has spent the majority of the year at Colorado Springs, though, where he has posted a line of .300/.371/.583 with 15 homers and 46 RBIs. He was a key producer for Team USA at the World Baseball Cup in November, helping the US end their 33-year championship drought at the event. The 24-year-old second baseman was awarded with the Richard W. “####” Case Award given to the USA Baseball Athlete of the Year.

Nate Schierholtz: OF, San Francisco Giants—

Schierholtz is enjoying a nice season in the Pacific Coast League, where he has posted a line of .309/.355/.552 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs. The former second-round pick also is among league leaders with a .908 OPS. Schierholtz took the roster spot belonging to Rasmus, who is expected to be out for at least a month with a knee injury. He batted .304/.316/.402 in 39 games in two stints in the majors in 2007. While he has flashed excellent power, he needs to cut down on his strikeouts and improve his plate discipline.

Click here for a scouting report on the San Francisco prospect.

Jeff Stevens: RHP, Cleveland Indians— Stevens went 5-1 with 2.51 ERA with one save in 17 appearances with Double-A Akron before earning a promotion Triple-A. In 25.0 innings in the International League, he is 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA, 36-to-13 K/W ratio and .182 opponents’ batting average. The 24-year-old was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, who sent him to Cleveland as the player-to-be-named later in the Brandon Phillips trade. The organization thinks that he can make an impact in the bullpen at the major league level, making it likely that he will make his debut in the majors sometime in the near 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.

Click here for a report on all of the catching prospects in the Texas organization, including Teagarden.

Terry Tiffee: INF, Los Angeles Dodgers— Tiffee made his major league debut four years ago with the Minnesota Twins. He has bounced around the minors since then, as he has does not hit for any power and has struggled to get on base consistently enough in the past. The 29-year-old has been a force for Las Vegas this year, though, hitting a league-leading .378 with a .415 OBP and .567 slugging percentage. For his performance, he earned an invitation to represent the Pacific Coast League at the Triple-A All-Star Game in Louisville last week. With Blake DeWitt blocking Andy LaRoche until recently—despite DeWitt’s .688 OPS—Tiffee will most likely not make an impact at the majors in the Dodgers’ organization.

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 digits 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.

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

There is no place like home.

At least not for the Tampa Bay Rays, who have the majors’ highest winning percentage when playing on their home turf in the friendly confines of Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay kept up its winning ways at home on Wednesday afternoon, defeating the Oakland Athletics, 4-2, in the rubber match of a three-game series to give the club its 13th series win at home in 14 tries.

James Shields did his part to help the Rays bounce back from a rare home loss, allowing three earned runs on six hits to earn the win.

Shields was sharp throughout, striking out seven without walking a batter. The 26-year-old right-hander, now 5-1 in his past six starts, nearly tossed his fourth complete game, but was taken out with out in the eighth inning after giving up a double to Jack Cust. He was replaced by Tampa Bay closer Troy Percival, who came shut the door to earn his 20th save.

A vocal leader in the clubhouse, Percival retired the final two outs for Tampa Bay, which remains in first place in the American League East. He has been on the disabled list twice in the past six weeks, though, making his health status is a cause for concern.

The Rays fell behind early when Shields surrendered back-to-back homers to Emil Brown and Carlos Gonzalez in the second inning.

Three innings later, though, Tampa Bay got in on the back-to-back homer barrage as well.

Jonny Gomes tied the game at 2-all, blasting a two-run home run, his eighth, off of Oakland left-handed starter Greg Smith. The homer came at the perfect time for Gomes, who may be the odd man out if the Rays acquire a right-handed bat at the trade deadline to diversify a lineup stacked with left-handed hitters, and the Rays, who have struggled when facing lefties. The popular slugger has yet to prove that he can fill as the right-handed bat in a platoon situation in right field, hitting just .197/.310/.424 with only a .205 batting average against southpaws. A below-average defensive outfielder, he truly needs to hit to justify his roster spot, but has tremendous power and is a Three True Outcome Player.

Ben Zobrist hit a home run of his own on Smith’s next pitch to give the Rays a 3-2 lead. The shot marked the fifth shot of the year for Zobrist, whose clutch homer against the Toronto Blue Jays helped end the Rays’ seven-game losing streak in the first contest following the All-Star break. He also delivered a run-scoring single in the seventh to pad the Rays’ lead and bring the score to its eventual final.

A versatile utility player who can play multiple positions, Zobrist has seen the majority of innings at shortstop for Tampa Bay in the absence of Jason Bartlett, who was activated this afternoon. To make room on the roster, the Rays sent Zobrist back down to the minors. He delivered some key homers, but hit only .230/.288/.486 in 74 at-bats since getting promoted from Triple-A Durham.

Tampa Bay will definitely receive a boost defensively when Bartlett returns, as he is the only shortstop on the roster to make an out of zone play and is among the majors’ most valuable defenders at his position.

Willy Aybar, Akinori Iwamura were the only other Rays to collect hits.

Shields, who has pitched a lot better than his record indicates this season, improves to 9-5. A legitimate number two starter, he has been a key stopper when things go south for the Rays. He threw 67 out of 104 pitches for strikes, inching himself up the strikeouts leaders in the American League. He was coming off a strong outing against Toronto last week, when he allowed only one earned run in seven innings to help put an end to the Rays’ losing streak.

Smith suffered the loss for Oakland, allowing all four earned runs in six innings pitched. The 24-year-old lefty, who has struggled with his command (83-to-56 K/W ratio), falls to 5-9 even though he has posted a 3.90 ERA.

With the series-clinching victory, Tampa Bay remains one game ahead of the Boston Red Sox, who play the Seattle Mariners this afternoon, in the division. The New York Yankees are only 3.5 games back now after defeating the Minnesota Twins, 5-1.

The stakes are high as the Rays begin a seven-game road trip on Thursday night. Matt Garza will take the ball in the opener of a four-game set with the Kansas City Royals, who will send Gil Meche to the mound. Garza has been a nice addition to the Tampa Bay staff so far, going 8-5 with a 3.68 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in his first 18 starts.

This trip will be a nice test for the Rays, who are 19-25 on the road.

Game Notes: Hitting from the three spot, Carl Crawford went 0-for-4 and left five runners on base. Upton, who singled and drew two walks, was thrown out stealing in the second inning but currently ranks in the top five in the AL in walks and stolen bases.

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

Through year after year of losing seasons, one player provided excitement for fans of the perennial cellar-dwelling Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

In fact, one could argue that this player was the only reason to watch the lowly Devil Rays, who never one 70 games in a single season with the infamous Devil in their name.

A consistent 50-stolen base threat who seemed to improve every year, Carl Crawford has provided a few of the only bright spots during his tenure—the longest of any active player on the roster—in Tampa Bay.

A lot has changed since last year, however. The organization dropped the Devil from its name, rebranding the franchise while Andrew Friedman and his staff made tremendous improvements to the 25-man roster. Several of the Rays’ young arms have flourished in the majors in ’08 as well, putting them in the thick of the American League East race.

Although Crawford has added value with his excellent defense in left field, his ability to make adjustments at the plate appears to have left him along with the old uniforms. The longest-serving Ray and Tropicana Field fan favorite, in fact, has been one of the least productive offensive players at his position in the majors.

On the surface, it does not look all that bat. He is hitting .271, only 23 points below his career average, and ranks among league leaders with 63 runs scored and 23 stolen bases.

Left field is a position generally linked to offensive production, however, as it is the least demanding defensive spot in the outfield. Yet Crawford has added more value with his defense, turning the standard left field equation on its back.

Among qualifying players at the position in the AL, only Gary Matthews Jr.—what a bust he has turned out to be—has a lower OPS than Crawford, whose .313 on-base percentage is not cutting it in the two spot in the Tampa Bay batting order.

It is no secret that left-handed pitchers have had their way with the Rays, who suffered a rare home loss at the hands of Oakland Athletics’ starter Dallas Braden last night.

Braden, who has been back and forth between Oakland and the minors, scattered four hits in five innings of one-run ball to become the latest lefty to shut down the Tampa Bay offense.

Following the loss, the club is now batting .247/.326/.400 versus left-handed pitching, another factor for the naysayers to point to along with its sub-.500 record on the road.

While they have not exactly been an offensive juggernaut—4.55 runs scored per game, which is tied for 16th in the majors—the Rays have actually fared considerably better against when a lefty is not on the mound, batting .264/.341/.414 against right-handers.

As a result of the Rays’ offensive struggles, there has been a lot of talk centering on how they need to add a solid right field bat to their right field platoon.

Crawford, though, has been equally ineffective against lefties from his spot on the other side of the Trop outfield turf, batting .230/.266/.320, for a .585 OPS, in 122 at-bats against them. He is not exactly entering uncharted waters this season, either. While he is having one of the worst overall campaigns of his career, he has never fared well against lefties, who have limited him to a career .311 OBP.

Crawford is a physically gifted athlete who has posted a plus-.800 OPS with at least 40 steals—his steals are down this year because he is not getting on base enough—in the past three seasons, seemingly improving every year. While that trend will come to its ultimate end in ’08, he does have a track record that leads us to believe that improvement is likely in the second half.

Tampa Bay absolutely needs this to happen, as they have struggled to score runs—they rank in the middle of the pack in nearly every offensive category, including 17th in runs—while excellent pitching and one of the majors’ best team defenses have carried the club to its best first half ever.

If this does not happen, it would be wise for Joe Maddon to move him down in the order.

B.J. Upton has added value to this team in a lot of ways, sitting among league leaders in on-base percentage and walks. Upton, however, has lost his power stroke, making it unlikely that he will join the 20-20 club for the second consecutive year.

Carlos Pena has been hurt, is striking out too much and is producing nowhere near his 46-homer plus-.1000 production from ’07.

Which is why it is so important for the Crawford, Pena, Upton trio, a talented group, to pick it up if the Rays wish to end their 10-year postseason drought.

Crawford, though, is perhaps the key, as it is unlikely that he will be moved from the second spot in the batting order.

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

The dog days of summer are fast approaching in the 2008 Major League Baseball season.

With only 60 games left on the docket, around half of the majors’ 30 teams are in striking distance in their respective division. Granted, this total includes nearly every club from the National League West, where the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers are tied for the division lead despite sub-.500 records.

So, which teams are legitimate contenders? In the first edition of a two-part series, here are my contender and pretender picks in the American League.

American League East:

In 2008, the division has three contenders, all of which would be running away with the thing if placed in the NL East.

Boston Red Sox: Contenders�