Baseball Trade Deadline Passes...Big Unit Still a Diamondback, Nomar Going to Cubs

Cubs get Nomar Garciappara
Expos get Alex Gonzales
Redsox get Orlando Cabrera

 

Redsox also get Clement. The cubs gave up a really solid SP for a potential rental player w/ nagging injuries. Great move.

 

Please disregard my previous post. The Cubs didnt have to give up Clement after all.

 

The Cursed Sox also get Doug Mientkiewicz from the Twins & David Roberts from the Dodgers.

 

sounds like a great trade for the Red Sox. I'm happy. First of all, as long as Millar, Mueller, Varitek and Nixon start hitting, you don't need Nomar's offense. The Red Sox have lost too many games due to bad defense.

Plus, you get a starter that's better than D. Lowe. Solid.

Here we go! Red Sox and Cards in the World Series! Then I'd have to root for the...

Cards I guess.


EDIT: What??? No Clement? Sheesh... well then they still need to move for more pitching.

 

This is a horrible deal for Boston IMO. Cabrera is young, but overall he has been a disappointment this year. Mientkiewicz is ok, but he is not going to add much to a lineup that was arguably the best in baseball with Nomar.

Go ahead and add another 100 years of no rings Chowderheads.

 

Cabrera is ten whole months younger than Nomar - he's not really that young.

The Red Sox got worked.

 

Well, the Sox had to do something. Nomar was obviously unhappy. Cabrera is no Nomar, but he's a serviceable shortstop and should improve now that he's in a decent offensive lineup. This deal was better than letting Garciaparra walk at the end of the season for nothing.

 

I'm not so sure on that.

With Nomar, you've got a devestating lineup, and a chance to make playoffs and go for the title - Meintlakngraregn is a backup, and cabrera is a big downgrade with the bat and not too much of an upgrade on defense and I think it deals a pretty heavy blow for their playoff aspirations.

 

Meanwhile my Yanks trade wildly inconsistent Jose Contreres for Cy Young runner up Esteban Loiza. With Brown getting healthy, Giambi getting healthy, Karsay coming back, and Mussina eventually coming around, things are looking good for the bombers.

Brown
Mussina
Vazquez
Loaiza

I'll take that going into the post-season, especially with the lineup and bullpen they have backing them up.

 

Loaiza... Cy Young candidate... well that's true except it was only true for one year. Check his stats -- what happened last years we something equivalent to a Brady Anderson spike. Which is always dangerous becuase there's nothing in his history that would suggest he can keep it up.

Meanwhile... while I'm not too thrilled about the Red Sox trade... Peudlfor you haven't been watching the games like I have. Nomar is not moving around at all and is hurting the defense... not his fault he just came back from injury. 6 errors in something like 35 games --> that's a Kaz Matsui clip. Millar is a horrible first baseman. You don't need power at every position and power hitter Nomar is gone for good anyway. I agree at his prime he was just awesome... but he is no longer. Anyway, Red Sox have somewhat of a consistent top to bottom offense, they won't miss Nomar's bat that much. While the defense is getting better. Johnny Damon is really hurting the defense too... they should move for Beltran had Houston wanted to do that...

Anyway the trade is not as bad as you might think... the Sox upgraded at their primary need.

If they can move for a CF and a SP then the Sox have a shot. If not well it's saddening because the team as is is at the end of the road, and the window of opportunity is shutting fast. I wish they'd display some sense of urgency actually.

 

man, you're willing to take a mere $45,000,000 starting 4 and $200,000,000 team into the post-season? brave man.

 

It is obvious that the Sox were looking to upgrade their defense. Any ONE who has watched a handful of Red Sox games this season knows that their defense is one of the worst in baseball. Mientkiewicz is a gold glove 1B and not a bad hitter.

Cabrera is a better defensive SS than people know, mainly because he has been playing in Montreal where people (even those in Montreal) don't know much about the players.

Yes, it would have been great to move Derek Lowe to upgrade the starting pitching, but I was happy with the deal. Nomar was not happy in Boston (which was obvious as soon as the A-Rod deal fell apart) and they had to do something. The alternative was to let him walk for nothing.

 

I believe Cabrera has won a Gold Glove.

 

Doug Meintkewicsz is hitting .250 with no power and hardly any walks.

Orlando Cabrera is hitting even worse.

Would you trade Nomar Garciaparra for two 30-yr old Adam Everetts? And give up one of your better prospects to get it done.

 

yeah... something like 2 years ago. he's also not a bad hitter.

doug mientciwicz has also won one. the infield will be solid now.

 

so? remember Nomar turned down a 4 year $60 million extension last season. he wants a lot of money. I would rather pay Orlando Cabrera $6 than injury-prone off his peak Nomar $15+.

you have to realize. the Red Sox don't need power, which Nomar has lost anyway. Damon, Bellhorn, Manny, Ortiz all have good OBP. Millar is turning it around. Varitek will be solid down the stretch. Sure it would be great to have a vintage .370 hitter Nomar... but he's not that. The Red Sox need better defense and people who make good contact. Cabrera and Mientciwicz make good contact and don't give at bats away. That's all you need.

Last season was an aberration, when the red sox hit .300+ top to bottom. But even that lineup didn't win it all.

Look at the Cards. Good defense. People who make contact. And then you've got Pujols, Edmonds, Rolen. And that's all you need.

 

You also need pitchers who can get out of the first inning (see Matt Morris).

The Cardinals and Yankees resemble each other so well, its uncanny.... and they BOTH resemble the 2001 Seattle Mariners very well. (they can have all the success in the regular season they want... but those records don't mean squat in the post-season.)

If the Yanks rotation is all healthy, then that'll be semi-dangerous... but still nowhere close to Oakland's or Boston's (of course, their guys are never healthy either). But, Kevin Brown still has a few more tweaks left in him, Mussina has been erratic, and Vasquez is unproven.

As for the Cards... not one of their pitchers would strike fear in any playoff team, and guys like Carpenter and Marquis are supposed to be their aces... and neither of them have ever pitched this deep into a season, let alone a playoff series.

You can't fall behind 5-0, 6-1, 8-3 and expect to comeback to win with your devestating offense in playoff games... I've seen both the Cards and Yankees do that so many times throughout this season, and that type of baseball kills teams in the playoffs.

 

How do a pair of .250 hitters "make good contact"?

Nomar wasn't important because of his power - he was important because he wasn't an automatic out - like Dougy is, and Orlando has been this year.

But it was one screwy decision away from going to the World Series, which is pretty solid.

I would also argue that the Cardinal's example is faulty because a) Their starting pitching has been much better and consistent than yours; b) They've had a stellar bullpen this year; c) I think you underestimate how good a season that Edmonds, Rolen and Pujols are having - only Manny on your team compares, and no one else is really close - so their lineup has significantly more pop in the heart of the lineup than yours, though Boston's lineup compensates by having good hitters at every spot in the order.

Or it did.