Kuzul

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been a great team this year. With just one simple move, they got a lot better.

According to multiple sources, Pittsburgh acquired Houston Astros‘ lefty Wandy Rodriguez. Rodriguez is 7-9 with a 3.79 ERA this year, but opponents don’t hit well against him. Rodriguez has only walked 32 batters this year, although he has only retired 89 batters on strikes.

Pittsburgh has a good rotation, but it is inexperienced. Rodriguez adds depth to the rotation while also adding a pitcher who throws strikes and knows how to force weak contact. With James McDonald already in the rotation, Pittsburgh’s rotation just improved a lot.

In the deal, Houston received prospects Robbie Grossman, Colton Cain and Rudy Owen. Owen and Cain are pitchers, while Grossman is an outfielder. After selling their stars for a few consecutive years (and getting rid of Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn, Carlos Lee, Rodriguez and others in the process), Houston has stockpiled their farm system in hopes of future success.

Pittsburgh has a whole different perspective about the trade, though. The Pirates are contending for the first time in a while, and they are looking to add pitchers. A.J Burnett has always been inconsistent, and Kevin Correia and Erik Bedard have struggled to find a home. Rodriguez will add a lot to the rotation, and he will definitely be able to help if the Pirates make the playoffs.

If the Pirates don’t make the playoffs, he could help them next year. Rodriguez is signed through 2013 and would be in a Pirates uniform again next year (unless Pittsburgh traded him).

With a great bullpen, a solid offense (consisting of the game’s best hitter) and a much, much better rotation, the Pirates will definitely contend. Last year, the Pirates came out of the gates strong, but faded away in August eventually missing out on a playoff berth. This year’s team is more experienced, and they are ready to win now.

Thanks to Rodriguez, it should be easier for the Pirates to win.

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In the hopes of bolstering their playoff chances and taking over the N.L. Central, Tom Singer of MLB.com reports that the Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired left-handed pitcher, Wandy Rodriguez from the Houston Astros.

Pittsburgh will be shipping left-handed hurlers Rudy Owens and Colton Cain and outfielder Robbie Grossman to Houston, while Houston will be absorbing $12-$13 Million of the $30 Million owed to Rodriguez throughout the remainder of his current contract.

Rodriguez, who has had a stellar career in Houston, has gone 7-9 with a 3.79 ERA for the Astros this season. The Astros are 34-63 this year and have struggled mightily in the last year before switching over to the American League.

Wandy Rodriguez will join a Pittsburgh pitching staff that has helped lead their team to a 54-41 record while maintaining a 3.46 team ERA, sixth best in all of baseball.

The Pirates maintained a similar record last season at the trade deadline, before falling fast after they made major trades that they hoped would push them over the hump.

They hope to avoid repeating history this season. The team has been playing excellent ball lately, and Rodriguez is sure to only add to that stellar play.

It was the offense that was holding the team back last season. The offense looks to be finding it’s way and finding it’s groove with MVP candidate Andrew McCutchen at the helm.

Look for Pittsburgh to continue giving Cincinnati a challenge in the coming months.

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According to Tim Kurkijan from ESPN.com, the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels are in talks about a possible trade that would send the starting pitcher out west for center fielder Peter Bourjos and catcher Hank Conger in return. He also added that there is a possibility that Angels pitcher Ervin Santana could be included as well.

The proposed deal would offer the Rays some pieces that they need to continue to be competitive in 2012 and beyond. It also provides a potential replacement in Bourjos for the anticipated departure of BJ Upton in the offseason.

Here is a look at the Angels players rumored to be involved in the deal being discussed and how they could fit into the Rays’ plans.

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The Oakland Athletics are in the heart of the playoff hunt, but are they legitimate contenders?

That question’s answer would easily be yes if they could work out a trade for Hanley Ramirez.

Just yesterday, I explained why Oakland shouldn’t trade for Chase Headley, but acquiring Ramirez would be a completely different story.

The A’s lack production from both positions on the left side of the field. They rank last in the AL in terms of WAR from shortstop, according to FanGraphs. They are fourth-worst from third base. Luckily for the A’s, Hanley can play either position.

Ramirez had been the starting shortstop for the Marlins since coming up in 2006. Only until this season when they signed Jose Reyes did Hanley start playing third base on a regular basis. He’s having an off-year, but would still be a major upgrade over Cliff Pennington or Brandon Inge.

Pennington is hitting .197/.259/.282 with 17 extra-base hits in 82 games and Inge is hitting .210/.272/.386 with nine home runs in 56 games with Oakland this season. On the other hand, Hanley is hitting .246/.322/.430 with 14 home runs, 47 RBI and 49 runs this year—a pretty big upgrade.

The A’s would be a great fit for Ramirez, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman. Going off of that, Oakland has shown interest in Hanley, but their level of interest is still to be determined and nothing is close to happening yet, tweeted FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that the A’s could even be the favorites.

The Oakland #Athletics have now become the most aggressive team, Marlins exec says, pursuing #Marlins infielder Hanley Ramirez

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 25, 2012

It’s a stretch that the A’s could make a run for the AL West title with their current lineup, but they’d definitely be contenders if they were to acquire Ramirez.

By adding Ramirez to the No. 3 spot in the Oakland lineup, with Josh Reddick and Yoenis Cespedes surrounding him, the A’s would have a very solid heart of the order. Hanley also brings more speed to the team to add to Jemile Weeks and Coco Crisp.

Ramirez gives the A’s plenty of flexibility, mainly because of his ability to play either shortstop or third base. Since neither position has played well this year, it could be a difficult decision as to whom to immediately replace. My first instinct says shortstop, just because Pennington lacks power and usually hits ninth.

The Marlins aren’t even asking for a lot in return for Ramirez, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami is looking to acquire young players who have decent potential, wrote Jackson.

Oakland has several good prospects that they’ve acquired through recent trades who may be of interest to Miami, including Brad Peacock, A.J. Cole or Derek Norris. Michael Choice would be too much to give up, in my opinion, but Oakland could decide to trade Sonny Gray or Yordy Cabrera. Of course, this is all just speculation, but the A’s clearly have the pieces.

With the trade deadline nearing and the A’s still in the race, it makes sense to make a blockbuster move like this. Hanley Ramirez would not only make the A’s contenders for this season, but for the next few as well. 

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According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, Justin Upton isn’t going anywhere during the 2012 season.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, team president Derrick Hall told reporters that there was “close to a 100 percent chance that nothing happens” with Upton and that, “We’re in no hurry to move this guy—nor do we think we need to.”

“Everybody in this organization is open for discussion and conversation, including Justin Upton. If people call, we’re going to listen. We’ve had a lot of people call, and we’ve said, ‘No, thank you’ to all of them. That hasn’t changed,” Hall said.

Trade rumors have been swirling around the young star for quite some time but, for now, it appears Upton will stay put.

Prior to this statement, Upton had been linked to the Yankees, Rangers, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Pirates, Tigers and Braves.

Thus far through the 2012 season, Upton is slashing .276/.362/.412 with eight home runs, 41 RBI, 60 runs, and 11 steals in 89 games.

The power numbers are a disappointment as well as the slugging percentage in result of his decreasing power output, but Upton is producing similarly on all other fronts.

If Upton can get the ball up in the air a little more consistently and produce more line drives, then fans may see a return to 2011 form.

In 2011, Upton produced fly balls 44.8 percent of the time and ground balls 36.9 percent of the time. In 2012, those numbers have completely switched and he produces 33.2 percent fly balls and 45.7 percent ground balls.

Recently, the Diamondbacks have won four games straight moving, to 48-48 on the year and just 4.5 games out of the NL Wild Card.

Put your money on the Diamondbacks transitioning into buying mode come the trade deadline.

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The trade of Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante to the Detroit Tigers should have indicated that there are going to be changes with the Miami Marlins’ roster during the days before the 2012 MLB trade deadline.

Hanley Ramirez is on the block and Scott Miller of CBS Sports has quoted a few executives as saying that the Marlins are very open to moving him.

A number of teams will have an interest in Ramirez because of his impressive offensive abilities. However, he does struggle in the field and may not have a true position anymore. Ramirez has also had some attitude issues in the past. Still, this will not deter teams from pursuing him.

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The last 48 hours have been tenuous for Atlanta Braves baseball fans to say the least.  Word broke yesterday that the Braves and Chicago Cubs agreed to a deal that would send ace Ryan Dempster to Atlanta for Randall Delgado.

Fans of both franchises were ecstatic with the move.  For the Braves, Dempster provided stability to a rotation that has been plagued by a season-ending injury to Brandon Beachy and uneven performances by Tommy Hanson, Randall Delgado, and Mike Minor.  The Cubs gained a young pitcher in Delgado who could develop without the added pressure of a pennant race in the back of his mind.

As the day wore on, reports began filtering out that Dempster was not aware of any impending trade and then early today MLBTradeRumors.com reported that Dempster was on the fence about signing any deal because he wanted the Cubs to re-open trade talks with his first choice, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As a player with 10 years of MLB experience, including five with his current team, Ryan Dempster has the right to veto any trade this season per the Collective Bargaining Agreement.  This article will list five reasons why the Braves are better off without Ryan Dempster.

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When the Washington Nationals needed a win most, John Lannan delivered.

Washington had been outscored by nine runs in a three-game losing streak which featured a game where the Nats blew a nine-run lead. Lannan allowed two runs in the first inning, and it looked like the Nats would lose their fourth straight game.

Then, Lannan recovered. The longtime National didn’t allow another run, and pitched seven innings, recording his first win of the season. Thanks to some late run support and some good pitching by Lannan, Washington triumphed 5-2 and took a 2.5 game lead in the NL East.

In the first inning, Lannan made some mistakes. He left a few pitches too far over the plate, and that’s how the Braves took the lead. Lannan made a few more mistakes, and he allowed five hits on the night. However, Lannan no-hit the Braves through the last 4.1 innings, and he started to strike hitters out.

Lannan got ahead of the count and was able to get hitters out by placing his fastball on the corners and jamming hitters. He struck out two hitters in the seventh inning, even though he only retired three batters on strikes during the game.

In his career, Lannan averages 4.71 strikeouts per nine innings. He has a 1.42 career WHIP, which is also a problem. Lannan allows a lot of hits, and he also walks a lot of batters. Opponents have a career .340 OBP against him, which has been a major factor in his career 4.00 ERA.

However, manager Davey Johnson and GM Mike Rizzo were probably impressed by Lannan’s performance. The former ace went 6-8 with a 4.60 ERA in Triple-A Syracuse this year, which isn’t very encouraging. However, thanks to Lannan’s performance today, the Nats will be confident that they don’t need to trade for a starting pitcher.

And that’s not the case at all.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Nationals are one of the frontrunners in the Ryan Dempster sweepstakes. If the Nationals traded for Ryan Dempster and shut down Stephen Strasburg (which it looks like they will do), they would have Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman, Ross Detwiler, Dempster and Edwin Jackson in their rotation.

If they didn’t trade for Dempster, they would have the inconsistent Lannan instead of the league-leading, and very consistent, Dempster.

Washington is in the middle of a heated playoff race, and they seem to be good enough to make a deep playoff run. However, if the team shuts down Strasburg, they would have three inconsistent starters in their rotation, and two would have to pitch in the playoffs.

Lannan had a great start, and he came through with lots of pressure on him to bring the Nationals a key win. However, he is nothing more than a middle-to-back-of-the-rotation starter, and Washington can’t have someone who allows opponents to hit .272 pitching in a playoff race.

Unless Lannan can show the ability to pitch well at the start of a game, keep the ball away from the middle of the plate and miss bats consistently, he won’t be a guy Nationals fans will want in their playoff rotation. If the Nationals’ front office were convinced by this start, they may avoid unloading the farm to trade for a pitcher, and they would keep Lannan in the rotation.

With Lannan in the rotation bad things may happen for the Nationals. Including losing early in the playoffs, or missing them altogether. 

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It’s time for a crazy trade idea with less than 10 days left until the trade deadline.

We know the New York Yankees and their GM Brian Cashman would prefer not to make a deal between now and July 31.

But, if an opportunity presents itself to Cashman and the Yankees even he knows he would look into it.

There’s been quite a few rumors going around that Cliff Lee of the Phillies could be on the block and could be traded, again.

He was traded twice at the deadline back in 2009 and 2010 in deals that shaped the Phillies and Rangers postseason hopes. With Lee, both teams reached the World Series.

With the Phillies falling slowly out of the playoff race with each loss, they have some nice trade chips on their team that they can shed.

Shane Victorino is likely to be dealt, as could Hunter Pence. Cole Hamels was rumored to be on the block, but the Phillies are working very hard to lock up their lefty before he hits free agency this winter.

Surprisingly, Lee has also been rumored to potentially be on the block as well.

Lee signed a five-year, $125 million deal with the Phillies back in December of 2010, spurning the Yankees offer to re-join the Phillies.

There’s also a vesting option for a sixth year on Lee’s current deal, which makes him a very expensive trade option.

There has been one team rumored to potentially being interested in Lee, the Texas Rangers. The same Rangers who beat the Yankees to the punch two summers ago, and landed the lefty on their ride to the 2010 Fall Classic.

The Yankees had a deal in place with the Mariners to land Lee, but the deal fell apart when the two teams couldn’t agree on the players involved and Lee went to Texas.

After the season, many people felt that Lee would join his long-time friend CC Sabathia in the Bronx, but decided to return to the Phillies in a stunning move.

Lee thought the Phillies would have a better shot of getting to the World Series than the Yankees, but in 2012, that certainly doesn’t seem to be the case.

The Phillies are in last place in the National League East and seem like they could be on the verge of a fire sale; rebuilding the team for the future.

Lee will turn 34 come the end of August, and in his current deal he has 21 teams listed for his no-trade clause. If Lee is traded, he has to approve it before Ruben Amaro, Jr. can unload Lee.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Rangers are not one of the 21 teams on the list, and while it’s not been confirmed, there’s a good chance the Yankees may be on the list.

Lee’s window for winning a championship is closing as he gets up in age, and the Phillies may no longer be the contender they once were when he was traded and signed with them.

But the Yankees are. So are the Rangers, who are set up to win now, and win in the future.

The one plus on trading for Lee now over signing him two years ago is his current deal is for another three seasons. If they had signed him back then, it would have been another five years they would have been tied to Lee for over $20 million.

In 2012, Lee doesn’t exactly have the best record with a 1-6 record and a 3.72 ERA. Lee has run into hard luck, with the Phillies offense struggling to give him any run support.

As the Yankees head into the second half of the 2012 season, their rotation is no guarantee of success in the postseason, especially when the ALDS is only five games.

Andy Pettitte is still recovering from a fractured ankle he suffered in late June, and he’s a big piece that is missing in the rotation right now.

When Pettitte got hurt,  the rumors of Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels and Wandy Rodriguez all started, but they all seem unlikely for the Bombers.

Could the Yankees dare to be bold enough to try and trade for Lee one last time?

You know Amaro will ask for top prospects like Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances in any deal that would involve Lee.

Would Lee be worth it?

The Yankees thought so two years ago when they started a deal surrounding Jesus Montero, and were close to pulling it off.

Would Cashman try again for Lee after missing out on the trade two summers ago, and then again in free agency?

In all honesty, I think it’s worth it for Cashman to pick up the phone and see what Philadelphia’s asking price is for the left-hander, who can be a huge difference maker in the postseason.

In the postseason, Lee has a 7-3 record with a 2.52 ERA, and the Yankees have witnessed first-hand how dominant Lee can be on the big stage.

It’s the reason why they were willing to hand over Montero to Seattle, and if he leaves Philadelphia he could get one more run at a championship.

I know some of you might be hesitant on the idea of chasing after Lee again, but if the Yankees want to beat a team like the Rangers, or even the Tigers in the postseason, they need every advantage possible.

Remember, the Yankees won 97 games a year ago but saw a quick exit in the 2011 ALDS against the Tigers because their rotation didn’t hold up when needed.

If that means adding more quality pitching to ensure they have a chance at a 28th World Series, then I think a trade for Lee is worth exploring.

The only question remains: would Cashman dare explore the trade for Lee one more time?

Stay tuned Yankees Universe.

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The Chicago White Sox bullpen just got an injection of veteran presence in the last few hours. Two moves on Saturday have given Matt Thornton some more experienced compatriots for the late innings.

MLB.com is reporting a trade with the Houston Astros that sees the White Sox pick up 31-year-old reliever Brett Myers in exchange for a pair of farmhands and a player to be named later. The move gives Chicago an experienced closer who could be used in a variety of situations.

Myers, who has been a starter for much of his big-league career, had 19 saves in 21 opportunities for the Astros. He is carrying a 3.52 ERA and an 0-4 record. Taking away a June 18 performance in which he gave up five runs against Kansas City, his ERA drops to 2.10 in his other 34 games.

The White Sox could use Myers in tandem with rookie Addison Reed in the ninth inning if they don’t choose to anoint him as the team’s closer.

Either way, the end of the pitching staff just got deeper heading into the stretch run.

The return of Jesse Crain from the DL this weekend, along with news that Gavin Floyd is eyeing a Monday return, is good news for the White Sox. Reed and Nate Jones can be used in fewer pressure situations. Skipper Robin Ventura has more experienced arms at his disposal.

At this time of year, that’s a good thing.

Kenny Williams gets some early props for going out and improving the club without forking over any top prospects. Righty Matt Heidenreich and lefty Blair Walters were both low-minors pitchers who didn’t figure into Chicago’s plans for several years.

The fact that Williams has obtained Kevin Youkilis and Myers for relatively little keeps the possibility open for additional moves. With some question marks in the rotation, Williams could add a solid arm for the final two months of the season.

Myers is making $11 million in 2012, but at least a part of his remaining salary is being paid by Houston. If Myers finishes 16 games with the White Sox, a $10 million vesting option kicks in for 2013. If that mark is reached, the White Sox can buy out Myers for $3 million.

Myers saved 21 games with the Phillies back in 2007, but this is his first time closing since then.

If he can bring his game over to a close division race after toiling for a last-place Astros club, Williams will have potentially made another big move toward winning the AL Central.

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