Trade Deadline Recap

This was one of the most active trade periods in recent memory. Not only were a number of deals that got done, but a number of high profile players exchanged places. Let's take a look at today's big deals and a couple of ones that had already taken place.

3 Hall of Fame Players - Manny Ramirez, Ivan Rodriguez, and Ken Griffey Jr. were all dealt today. There have been rumors of Jr. to the White Sox on and and off for a couple of months. He finally went today, after waving his no-trade clause, for infielder Danny Richar and pitcher Nick Masset. Richar was thought to be the starting 2nd baseman for the White Sox this season before injury stalled his year. Eventually Alexi Ramirez made Richar expendable. Masset is a mediocre reliever who will just add some depth to the Reds pen.

Ivan Rodriguez gives the Yankees much needed punch at catcher while the Tigers got some much needed help in their bullpen with the acquisition of Kyle Farnsworth.

By adding Manny Ramirez to their lineup, the Dodgers have an excellent shot at overtaking the Diamondbacks for the NL West crown. Who ever would have thought Joe Torre would be managing the Man-child, and for that matter, Nomar.

The Red Sox get back a very solid player in Jason Bay. He's not Manny, but he's still a good addition. The biggest difference will be no protection for David Ortiz.

The poor fans in Pittsburgh, those who actually pay attention to baseball, get back 4 prospects. Reliever Craig Hansen, who was once thought to be closer material, and outfielder Brandon Moss, who has tremendous upside. He's a good outfielder with a decent bat, and will be just 25 in September.

From LA, the Pirates got Andy LaRoche, who joins his brother Adam, and pitcher Bryan Morris. The younger LaRoche will see time at 3rd base and eventually could supplant his brother on the other side of the diamond. He's got good power and will finally get the chance to see if he can live up to his hype. Morris is in just his second minor league season after missing 2007 due to Tommy John surgery. The 21-yr old's best pitch is his curveball.

The Reigning AL Cy Young Winner - CC Sabathia has been outstanding since his trade to the Brewers, going 4-0, 1.82 in 5 starts. The Indians have the chance for an outstanding bat in Matt LaPorta who was hitting .288-20-66 in 84 games in Double-A. He's made a slow transition to the Indians team in Akron, hitting just .212-1-7 in 14 games. Last year he drove in 31 runs in 30 games.

The Stud - Rich Harden finally won his first game as a Cub today. And yes, we are being sarcastic. Harden hasn't given as many innings as Sabathia, but his arm has to be cared for a lot more. Nonetheless, he's been outstanding, putting together a 1.11 ERA in 4 starts. He's also struck out 39 batters in 24.1 innings. Sean Gallagher is in the A's rotation and projects to be a number 3 or 4 starter. The reports on outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson are mixed. Murton, soon to be 27, did well in 2006, hitting .297-13-62 with an .809 OPS. But he's tailed off since. Patterson is getting a shot now after tearing the cover off the ball in 14 minor league games after the trade, and has the bigger upside.

The Big Bat - Mark Teixeira is playing in his second game in an Angels uniform tonight. After going 0-4 against Boston, he's 2-4 against the Yankees and drove in his first run in for the Halos. This was a great deal for the Angels. Casey Kotchman will be a very solid defender for the Braves, but the jury is still out on his bat. Pitcher Steve Marek is a hard thrower, but is pretty much a crap shoot.

So there you have it. Big names, big deals, big difference makers.