MLB Week in Review (July 28-August 3)
The MLB Trade Deadline can sometimes be one of the most anti-climactic periods of the MLB season.
There are constant rumours surrounding big names but rarely do any of those big names actually move.
The off-season tends to be where the most movement happens because at the trade deadline teams are always looking for the best deal no matter how ridiculous the deal might seem.
They try to take advantage of the pressure that comes with the trade deadline and the postseason race that follows.
Some teams are willing to take the risk but most aren’t and so they wait until the off-season when prices are a little more realistic.
So more often than not the biggest names that are rumoured to be moving stay in place while other good players are moved to add a few pieces to a postseason team.
It can make the lead up very exciting only to make the actual day a big disappointment when no big names are moved.
That wasn’t necessarily the case this year though as two of the biggest rumoured names on the market did end up moving.
More than anything the two trades gave a clear indication from two teams that they are competing right now and not willing to wait.
Both are in very different situations but the solution to both is to take the big shot in adding a big name for the postseason run.
The New York Yankees were first to do it as they traded for Oakland ace, Sonny Gray in an attempt to add another arm to their already good rotation.
The Yankees are no strangers to the big deal at the deadline or at any moment as they have often shelled out a lot of money to get the biggest names.
Lately, though the Yankees seemed to have turned a corner on their theory about building a winning team.
They had struggled for a few years but they were building a team from the farm rather than signing the biggest names.
It was paying off this year as their young stars were the players making the biggest impact including the unofficial AL Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge.
They were on their way to another postseason run but for the Yankees simply making the postseason is not good enough.
They are the most successful franchise in the league and a World Series is always the goal for the pinstripes.
So they went out and got Gray and they traded away some of their top prospects in their system including Jorge Mateo, James Kaprielian and Dustin Fowler.
It was a trade that was a clear message to the rest of the league that they are ready to compete right now.
They weren’t the only ones to send that message though as the other richest team in the league was right there with them.
In what is likely the biggest move of the trade deadline the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Yu Darvish.
Darvish was a superstar out of Japan when the Texas Rangers signed him and is still one of the most talented pitchers in the league.
With a collection of pitches he can be a Cy Young winner but often he has suffered from injuries that have sunk his seasons quickly.
He is not having the best season this year but the talent is there and for the Dodgers trading for him was a big move.
The Dodgers have put together great teams over the last few years but every year they have come up short of the ultimate goal.
The problem is that this team is getting older and their window is closing to win a World Series and everyone knows it.
This trade shows that the Dodgers organizations know that their window is closing as the addition of Darvish is a clear attempt to put everything into a World Series run.
Like the Yankees, they gave up prospects to get Darvish but for the Dodgers, it doesn’t matter as they are looking towards the near future, not into seasons from now.
The prospect of having to face Clayton Kershaw and then the next day Darvish is terrifying for batters but both pitchers have to step up in the postseason if the Dodgers are to win the title.
Both the Dodgers and the Yankees sent out messages that they are going, for one thing, this year and that is a World Series ring.
The trades fall under the same rules as every other year though as they can be seen in two very different lights.
If either team makes the World Series and wins the title these trades will go down as brilliant decisions.
The trades could also be massive failures if either team falls out of the postseason early.
Only time will tell how these trades are perceived but one thing is for sure, both teams are laser focused on the World Series as the postseason run is almost here.
Extra Innings
Pete Rose Day Cancelled
The Philadelphia Phillies were going to host a special day honouring one of the greatest players in baseball history. Pete Rose Day was supposed to be a celebration of the Phillies history including an induction of Rose into the Wall of Fame. That part of the celebration was cancelled when reports surfaced of Rose being involved with a minor due to court documents claiming that he had been in a relationship with a woman before she was 16.
Bartman’s Redemption
Steve Bartman had always been one of the biggest and worst names in the history of baseball after going for a ball and costing the Cubs a chance at the World Series in 2003. Things got so bad for Bartman that he had to leave Chicago and has lived in an undisclosed location since that incident. Cubs fans might be willing to forgive now though as Bartman has been offered a World Series ring and after breaking the drought he may be welcomed back.
Induction Day
The Baseball Hall of fame welcomed their newest class this past weekend as some got to finish a long wait and others earned their spots immediately. Tim Raines and Jeff Bagwell were finally given their plaques in the Hall of Fame after waiting years to get into Cooperstown. Meanwhile, Ivan Rodriguez represented the First Balloters earning his plaque in his first year of eligibility.
The Sport Addiction 