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In what was thought to be a difficult signing season for Los Angeles Dodgers’ draftees, the team made deals with second round pick Ralston Cash and third round selection Leon Landry on Wednesday.

The details of the contracts are unknown, as many of the deals are sometimes kept under tight wraps until the signing deadline passes on August 16.

According to the Gainsville Times, a newspaper in Georgia, Cash will complete his deal by the end of the week, and upon signing will immediately be dispatched to begin pitching in the Arizona rookie league.

Cash previously committed to start classes at the University of Georgia in the fall, but has decided to forego college for now, and instead begin a career in professional baseball.

Cash himself hinted that his deal could be upwards of $500,000 for the life of the contract, but the exact specifics won’t be known until he signs on paper at week’s end.

Cash, the 78th overall selection in the draft, is a right-handed pitcher from Lakeview Academy, a high school in Marietta, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta.

He is known for his tremendous athleticism, but his pitching repertoire is graded average at best. However, with his excellent frame and his athletic talent, scouts rate his projectability as high as just about everyone taken in the first three rounds.

The LSU student newspaper, The Daily Reveille, has reported that Leon Landry, the Dodgers’ third selection and 109th overall pick in the draft, has also agreed to a deal with Los Angeles.

No details regarding the specifics of Landry’s contract are known at this time.

Landry is a center fielder, who recently completed his junior year at LSU.

He is very athletic, and can provide power at the plate. His speed doesn’t rank as high as the top base stealers in the game, but his quickness is deceptive and is certainly one of his strengths.

Because of his experience in college, it is possible that Landry may bypass the Arizona League, and head straight to the Ogden Raptors, which is just a step below single A in the Dodgers’ farm system.

Zach Lee, who was the 28th overall selection and the first pick of the Dodgers draft, still remains unsigned. At this point, all signs are indicating that he will be attending LSU, where he will play both football and baseball.

However, assistant general manager of the Dodgers Logan White has conveyed that money is not an issue in the front office, and Los Angeles will make every possible effort to sign Lee.

Leon Landry and Ralston Cash are now the fifth and sixth players respectively from the draft who have signed with the Dodgers this summer.

Other players drafted by Los Angeles who have signed include Jake Lemmerman, a shortstop from Duke who was selected in the fifth round; Jesse Bosnick, a third baseman from St. Bonaventure selected in the 13th round; Alex McRee, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Georgia selected in the 14th round; and Mike Drowne, who is a center fielder from Sacred Hart University selected in the 28th round.

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Last week, I went to Trenton for my second trip to see the New York Yankees Double-A Minor League team, the Trenton Thunder.

It is always a pleasure to go to Trenton, as I get to talk baseball and strategy with the Thunder manager, Tony Franklin, one of the true good guys in the entire pro game. Interestingly, one player who Franklin played with in his second pro season was Yankee minor league pitching coordinator Nardi Contreras.

The main reason for going back to Trenton was to see the Thunder’s young slugger Brandon Laird again. I had gone to see the Thunder earlier in the season, and had seen Laird about a dozen games in 2008 during his stay at Low-A Charleston.

Laird was impressive then, and he is even more impressive now.

When the Yankees drafted Brandon Laird, they selected him out of a junior college with their 27th round pick in the 2007 draft . Laird couldn’t wait to play pro ball, signed right away, and was immediately tested by the organization in the Gulf Coast League.

The Yankees draft guys at the bottom of the draft very well. In that same draft, they selected current Washington National stud reliever Drew Storen out of high school with the 34th pick, but couldn’t sign him. Storen ended up going to the Nationals with their second first-round pick (10th pick overall) in the 2009 Stephen Strasburg draft.

The Yankees also drafted Luke Murton late in that same draft and Scott Bittle, a RHP from the University of Mississippi. Both guys would not sign but were later drafted again by the Yankees, with Bittle being a wasted second-round pick in 2008. Murton is now doing well in Charleston .

Laird dominated the GCL that year, hitting .339 with eight home runs and 29 RBI in 45 games. He then moved in 2008 to full season, Low-A Charleston, clubbing 23 home runs, including an amazing 11 during the month of August.

It was this time when I saw Laird in the middle of his August streak. He had a great four-games series at Lakewood, NJ, booming balls over the park. Laird has always been a great hitter in August , hitting .332 with a 1.041 OPS.

Laird actually out-slugged teammate Jesus Montero at Charleston (.498 vs. 491) with more homers, as Jesus “only” hit 17 dingers.

Last season in Tampa, he was as consistent a hitter as he was in Charleston, except his power numbers declined to only 13 home runs. The Florida State League (FSL) is the toughest league to hit in with the tremendous pitching, spacious stadiums, and heavy humidity.

You can probably add at least a half dozen or more home runs to a power hitter’s stats in the FSL, as the ball does not travel as far. When I asked Laird about this, he just smiled and said, “it really had no effect on my performance.”

Laird doesn’t give much away in regards to negative situations or tough questions. After a few questions and “boiler plate” answers, I turned off the recorder and said to Laird, “The Yankees teach you guys very well in how to respond to questions, huh?” He almost laughed and said, “Pretty much, yeah. They’re good.”

Other players I have spoken to say the ball seems like it could be out of the park, but just dies into the outfielder’s gloves.

These FSL variables do not just affect home runs, but doubles, too, further reducing a hitter’s slugging marks.

Entering his Double-A season, Laird was not looked upon as a prospect as much as Jesus Montero or Austin Romine.

And with good reason.

Both Montero and Romine are catchers, a more premium position. Good hitting catchers are exponentially more important. Also, Montero was doing his damage at a younger age, while Romine was the FSL Player of the Year last season.

But Laird is now making his mark, leading the Minor Leagues with 62 RBI. His current pace would give him over 120 RBI. That is amazing for a Minor League hitter.  

Tuesday night, Laird hit another three run homer off Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Tim Alderson. That was coming off the heels of a three-run towering bomb the prior Friday night against the Binghamton Mets.

Laird’s power is unassuming. He is not a massive guy in the sense that Alex Rodriguez, Josh Hamilton or Albert Pujols are big guys who you assume will hit home runs.

Laird is listed at 6’1″ and 215 lbs. Ok, good enough, but the Yankees do pad their size stats a little.

What Laird has is a tremendously easy, compact swing, which is well-balanced from the load (which is slight) to the follow-through. While he will swing and miss (mostly on outside pitches), he still is almost never off balance on those swings.

Probably his best hitting attribute, Laird stays inside the ball very well. I saw him line a single to right field on a fastball on the outer third of the plate, and hit a couple rockets to left, including that Friday night home run.

Those rockets were both on inside pitches. The Friday night home run was on an 0-1 curve ball over the inner half, after he took a fastball over the middle of the plate.

In taking that first-pitch fastball, then banging that curve for a three-run dinger, showed me that Laird is not afraid of hitting while behind in the count. Most good hitters do not mind hitting while behind, and Laird is no exception.

“No, I don’t mind at all,” said Laird when I asked him after Friday night’s game about hitting with two strikes. “If I am behind in the count, I still look for a strike to hit and try to put a good swing on it.”

What about that 0-1 curve ball he hit for a home run? I asked Laird if he looks for a type of pitch or is sitting location. “In that situation, I look for a specific location instead of a particular pitch. If a pitcher throws it to my location, I try to make that mistake hurt.”

Good to hear, as I believe the higher up in level a hitter gets, the better off he is looking location rather than specific pitch. The exception, of course, is with two strikes, where the idea is to protect the plate and put the ball in play.

On defense, similar to the time I saw him in Charleston in 2008, Laird has played both first and third base at Trenton. While he has made 11 errors thus far in 2010, Laird exhibited pretty good footwork around first base. He even made the Armando Galarraga non-perfect game play with ease.

However, his defense at third needs improvement in regards to footwork, which is sometimes awkward as he moves to the ball. Surprisingly, the bulkier Javier Vazquez (recently promoted to Triple-A Scranton) moved to the ball better than Laird.

While Laird’s throwing arm from third is not tremendous in strength, it is accurate, with most throws I saw at the first baseman’s chest.

Among other players (catchers Romine and Montero, SS Eduardo Nunez), Laird is being mentioned as a possible trade chip for pitcher Cliff Lee and maybe a full-time designated hitter, one such as Chicago’s Paul Konerko.

As I have mentioned many times before, if everyone is healthy, the Yankees do not need anybody to defend their 2009 World Series title. They have a really good rotation, a solid bullpen, and a pretty deep lineup.

Even the innings limit on Phil Hughes will only strengthen the bullpen when, like last season, he becomes part of the back end.

Laird has tremendous baseball qualities, including a very quick bat and a very astute idea of what he wants (and needs) to do in each plate appearance. His strikeout numbers are somewhat higher this season, but he remains a good, high-contact power hitter who does not walk a lot.

His deficiencies on defense can be improved, if not entirely corrected, with solid infield coaching and about 100,000 more ground balls. He has the time.

And with the Major Leagues on the horizon (most Double-A All-Stars do make the Major Leagues) the desire to improve should be there for Laird. According to others I have spoken with, Laird has a good work ethic.

Laird’s swing and demeanor reminds me of Bob Horner , the former third sacker for the Atlanta Braves, and 1978 National League Rookie of the Year. Horner went from college superstar at Arizona State straight to the majors. Like Laird, he was another high-contact power hitter who did not strike out or walk much.

Looking at the numbers and seeing him play in person many times over the course of a couple seasons, Laird is a Yankee keeper who should not be traded away. With age creeping up on Alex Rodriguez (who might be a full-time DH), Laird could be in line for an eventual Yankee Major League third base job.

He could also improve his stock as an all-around player with some work in the outfield, a sort of Kevin Russo-type with a much better bat and more power.

Since the Brian Cashman regime took over full control in 2005, the Yankees have been very good at promoting their own players into the Majors. Players such as Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Brett Gardner, Robinson Cano, David Robertson, Francisco Cervelli, Ramiro Pena, and Russo have been developed from within and been productive as Major Leaguers.

In a few years, I see no reason why Brandon Laird cannot join that list.

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Well Mariners fans, lets face it, the 2010 season is a bust.

There will be no comeback, no 1995 style legendary run to the post season. No, I’m afraid the last exciting moment for the Mariners will be watching who they dump in the upcoming midseason fire sale.

Cliff Lee is a lock to be traded, and rumor has it that everybody not named Felix or Ichiro is up for grabs. I’d expect a lot of familiar names to be playing in different markets come August.

So, what does that mean for the 2011 squad? What does the future hold for Seattle baseball?

Well for starters, expect a lot of call-ups here in the second half of 2010, young players auditioning for a role in the 2011 campaign.

I expect Mike Carp to get a lot of reps at first base the rest of the season. But I do not expect to see him starting there following the end of the year.

Who do I see as the Seattle first baseman in 2011?

Prince Fielder.

I imagine that the Seattle will make a heavy push for the hefty slugger in the offseason to anchor what is this year a horrid offense. This is more than just a pipe dream from a fan with an active imagination as Fielder has connections to the club.

The man who drafted Fielder, is current Seattle general manager Jack Zdurineck.

After his failure to improve the offense, while actually ending up with a worse team, Zdurineck must make a move like signing Fielder to save his job.

Felix Hernandez has been inconsistent this year to say the least, unable to capture his 2009 form that saw him finish second in the American League Cy Young voting.

He will still be the top starter in 2011, and I fully expect him to regain his consistent dominant form.

But who will follow him in the rotation?

Lee will be gone by the deadline, and even if they make the foolish mistake of hanging on to him all year, they will have virtually no chance to bring him back in the off season.

Rumor has it they have been talking with the Mets, about Jon Neise, but New York seems hell bent on keeping him around.

So who follows King Felix?

Doug Fister had been fantastic before going on the disabled list, and Jason Vargas has pitched way above his career standard.

But who would really be comfortable going into a make, or break year with them as your second and third options in the rotation?

I wouldn’t be, and I doubt anybody in the Seattle front office is either.

Look for them to pick up a decent, middle of the road guy in the offseason.

Tim Hudson, Jeremy Bonderman, Kevin Millwood could all be solid options to bridge the top and middle of the rotation.

That brings us to the bullpen.

For the rest of the 2010 season everybody in the bullpen will be auditioning for their own jobs.

Including David Aardsma.

After blowing onto the scene last year and being the definition of a lights out closer, he has regressed dramatically this year, posting a 5.85 ERA with four blown saves.

If he continues to struggle, look for a new gunslinger coming out in the final inning for Seattle.

The expectations will not be high in 2011, it will be a brand new team. One that needs to succeed for the people in charge to keep their jobs.

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He was a Gold Glove center fielder, a four-time World Champion, a batting title winner, and a fan favorite for the biggest, most important baseball team in the history of baseball.

So, let’s ask: Is Bernie Williams a Hall of Famer?

Statistics: Career Ranking Amongst Center Fielders

Perhaps the best place to start this analysis would be historical comparison to other center fielders.  In order to figure out whether we should consider Bernie Williams to be one of the best major league baseball players of all time, we need to first know if he was one of the best center fielders of all time.

For example, Williams hit 287 career home runs, which makes him 12th all-time in that category behind guys like Jim Edmonds, Ellis Burks, Fred Lynn, Steve Finely, and Jimmy Wynn.

Williams finished his career with 1,257 RBI, which is good for eighth amongst center fielders, behind seven guys who are either in—or will be in—the Hall of Fame.  He finished 12th in runs scored, behind a couple of non-Hall of Famers like Finley, Vada Pinson, and Kenny Lofton.

Bernie’s career batting average is 22nd all-time behind lots of non-Hall guys, like Lofton, Juan Pierre, Matty Alou, Dom DiMaggio, and Wally Berger.

Williams ranks 15th all-time in terms of center fielder OPS, but I think we all know that playing in the 1990s can inflate an OPS when compared to other eras.  His career OPS-plus was 125, which ranks 19th all-time behind several non-Hall guys.

There are several other less meaningful statistics that bear mentioning: 17th in hits, eighth in doubles, 60th in triples, ninth in walks, and 18th in strikeouts.

The statistic that makes Bernie look the best, though, is adjusted batting runs, in which Williams ranks 10th all-time, behind seven Hall of Famers and two possible future Hall of Famers in Ken Griffey Jr., and Jim Edmonds.

However, Bernie ranks 22nd amongst all center fielders in “wins above replacement” (WAR), which is designed to measure a player’s value compared to other players in his position in the league during his career.

And this point, it actually makes a lot of sense.  Keep in mind that Williams was a contemporary of Griffey, Edmonds, Andruw Jones, Kenny Lofton, Mike Cameron, Carlos Beltran, Kirby Puckett, and Mike Cameron.

Williams did not play during an era marked by a dearth of center fielders who could hit like, say, Mays and Mantle did, or like Cobb and Speaker did, or like Joe DiMaggio did.

In terms of overall value, meaning offense and defense, it would be hard to put Bernie Williams very high above his contemporary center fielders.

Certainly Jim Edmonds, who was a superior player to Williams on both offense and defense, would have to be a Hall of Famer before Bernie.

Intangibles: A Career Yankee

Bernie played for the New York Yankees from 1991 to 2006, and during that time he played in six World Series, winning four of them.  Is that great?

Yes, it is.

Bernie performed right around his career averages during the playoffs, with a .275 batting average and an .850 OPS, but he was positively terrible in World Series games, hitting .208 with a .677 OPS.  Does that matter?

Not really.

Whenever someone argues that part of the greatness of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, or Andy Pettitte is their record in the postseason, I am always forced to ask: Would they have performed as well if they weren’t Yankees?

Does the greatness of Derek Jeter equate to five World Series rings if he ends up playing for the Detroit Tigers instead of the Yankees?  Does Andy Pettitte pitch the Chicago Cubs to five World Series titles?  Does Mariano Rivera lock down five World Series titles for the San Diego Padres?

So, for Williams, my question is the same: Does Bernie Williams play center field for four World Series champions if he spends his career as a Los Angeles Dodger?

I think the answer to that question is “no.”

The reason I ask that question is this:

The Hall of Fame is not the Hall of Guys Who Played for the Yankees.

We want to put great players in the Hall, Yankees or not, but we don’t want part of the definition of a great player to be “played for the Yankees at a time when they were winning lots of World Series.”

For my part, I think Jeter, Posada, and Rivera are all Hall of Fame players before we even get to the “performed well in the postseason” part of the test, so this is no knock on them.

But for Williams and Pettitte, I am not so sure.

So What’s the Point of All This?

Bernie is a big-time borderline player.

To me, if I’ve got a vote, I don’t think I am casting it for Bernie Williams.

But at a bare minimum, I will say that if you think Bernie should be in the Hall, then you better also think Andruw Jones and Jim Edmonds should be as well, because they both out-shined Bernie over the course of the same period as players.

And if you think Williams, Edmonds, and Jones all belong in the Hall of Fame, then you better think of a good reason why Cesar Cedeno and Jimmy Wynn aren’t in the Hall of Fame.

But that is a conversation for another time.

Asher lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of BaseballEvolution.com .

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Pirates prized prospect Pedro Alvarez had been called up by the team this week, and will probably replace Andy LaRoche.

Alvarez, 23, is a power hitting 3rd baseman, who can be a threat every at bat at the big league level but is very weak when it comes to defense.

He reminds us of a somewhat Adam Dunn, who is a power hitter, yet isn’t the greatest fielder (I mean years ago, he has gotten better this year). Also, Dunn and Alvarez both strike out often. 

With Pittsburgh needing help at this point, they called up the young 3rd baseman.

But now, what will happen to Andy LaRoche, who is a .258 hitter, but a great defender? Could he be on the trading block this year? Probably, as Pittsburgh is known for trading its starters for more future stars. One of them has to go, to the minors or traded, as Pittsburgh is in the National League with no DH.

Minnesota needs some help over at 3rd base, with Nick Punto and Brendan Harris not producing. Therefore, they did call up prospect Danny Valencia, who has a very high ceiling. But we do not know if he can hit in the Majors yet, and he also might need some more experience. 

So, why not bring LaRoche in? He is a solid defense addition to the team, as well as a better offensive player than Harris or Punto. 

There were some reports regarding that the Twins were interested in Mike Lowell of the Red Sox, but he does have a high salary. Not only that, who knows if his body will break down?

The Minnesota Twins might have some interest, as July 31st gets closer and closer.

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Alright, so the Brewers’ chances of making another run at the postseason this year seem about as good as Tiger and Elin reconciling.

At 28-37, the Crew may sit just eight games back off the pacesetters of the NL Central—the Reds and the Cardinals—and may remain tantalizingly within reach of being within reach for a few months to come.

But realistically, most Brewers’ fans have resigned themselves to the fact that the pitching staff is simply not talented enough, deep enough, or consistent enough to put together enough quality starts to get the team back in the hunt.

In short, the Brewers are probably safe making vacation plans for early October.

Yet I am not here to belabor the shortcomings—or short ceiling—of this year’s team, for all is not bleak in the Brew City.

We all knew the Brewers feature a lineup capable of posting crooked numbers in droves.

That’s a given.

Despite a mediocre .259 batting average, Milwaukee still finds itself among the top five National League squads in just about every other important hitting category, including topping the Senior Circuit with 81 home runs.

The resurgent Corey Hart, the unsung Casey McGehee, and the wunderkind Ryan Braun have combined for more RBI than other trio in the NL.

However, what I’m here to highlight is in fact a sign of brightness on the pitching mound—seriously!

You see, the Brewers’ pitching staff has more or less been a patchwork group of journeyman with oversized contracts intertwined with young-but-below-average arms for the better part of two decades.

But since 2004, the first time Ben Sheets held his ERA below three and averaged more than one strikeout—and less than one hit per inning—the team at least could rest assured that, when healthy, it boasted a legitimate ace.

Hell, in 2008 they had two for a time in the short window of overlap when both Benny and C.C. were pitching well.

And having that ace in the hole is always the first reason for hope.

The first step in building a formidable pitching rotation is finding that one rock that you can count on to stop streaks of putridity and to set the tone when things are going well.

If pitching and defense are the foundation for championships, an ace is the layer below the cement.

When C.C. was yanked away by the strong pull of $60 million and the emotional rollercoaster of Benny’s injuries became too much for the franchise to bear, it appeared that bedrock had been removed.

The big question: Could Yovani Gallardo actually step up and be able to fill that role long-term?

My guess is, after last season, many would say the jury was still out.

And after the month of April this year, I would suggest confidence was still low.

Thankfully though, a thorough examination of the stats—as well as Yo’s recent stretch of Warren Spahn-like outings—have put those uncertainties to rest.

In 2009—Yo’s first as the De Facto ace—he finished the year with underwhelming numbers: a 13-12 record and a 3.73 ERA.

Not bad, to be sure, but not ace numbers.

Under the popular markers of a pitcher’s success lays a more indicative truth: Yo was just as dominating as Benny ever was.

Ben Sheet’s best year, 2004, included a ratio of 0.85 hits per inning, and a home run surrendered ever 9.48 innings.

He also averaged 1.11 strikeouts per inning.

Last year was not Yovani’s best, with a hits per inning rate of just 0.82, a home run every 8.81 innings, and a strikeout average of 1.10 per inning.

As with anything, you can nitpick this comparison and find some discrepancies.

For example, Yo walked 4.6 hitters per nine compared to just 1.2 for Sheets.

But my point here is that the results of last year, taken with the first 40 percent of this year, demonstrate that Yovani can indeed handle the burden of being the team’s ace.

Want more good news?

He’s only getting better.

At only 24, Yo’s best years are ahead of him.

In May, Gallardo’s ERA was a dynamic 2.31.

In June, it has been 2.25.

Stats which unquestionably scream ace.

The team’s pitching staff as a whole looks worse than Rex Ryan topless, at least Brewers’ fans can take solace in the fact that they have an ace they can rely on.

Well, that and Jeff Suppan wearing a different jersey.

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There has been no easier out for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in recent memory than Brandon Wood.

His abysmal campaign of striking out, popping out, and failing to provide any degree of meaningful offense is no less a hindrance to the Angels’ success than a brick wall between third base and home.

In 125 at-bats this season, Wood has hit .152 with two home runs, one double, seven RBI, and a whopping 36 strikeouts.

He was placed on the 15-day disabled list May 25, more likely due to his distinct inability to produce at the plate than his purported strained hip flexor.

After a week’s rest and recuperation, he marched out to the minors on a brief rehab stint to test his body—and his mind.

But Triple-A was no kinder to the troubled third baseman.

A career .284 hitter in the minors, Wood batted nearly 100 points below that mark in 13 games with the Salt Lake Bees. He managed just one home run in 51 at-bats, 17 of which resulted in strikeouts.

However, despite his failure to improve his performance at any level, the Angels were forced to make a decision on Wood’s future this week. Players on the DL can only spend a maximum of 20 games in the minors before their big league clubs must either call them up or re-evaluate their injured status.

Wood was called up.

He avoided striking out in his return to the Angels’ lineup Tuesday, but his offensive production was just as limited, grounding out weakly twice and flying out to center.

He has not given the Angels any reason to keep him around and at this point there’s no reason to expect that he ever will.

Wood has had ample opportunities to prove his worth in the big leagues, and so far all he’s proved is he doesn’t belong.

It’s time to make a change. Particularly in light of Kendry Morales’s devastating injury.

When the Angels stud first baseman broke his leg and ended his season, manager Mike Scioscia told the press his team would not settle for a mercenary to stand in for the next three months.

Instead, he and general manager Tony Reagins will look for a player to help out beyond this season.

Read: Someone who can fill in at first this year and take over third in the future.

As Scioscia clearly stated, this team will not settle for a player who’s impact only extends to the offseason. The Angels are on the hunt for a versatile infielder with some pop in his bat and an adequate glove.

Kevin Frandsen (.377), Mike Napoli (.249), Maicer Izturis (.233), and Michael Ryan (.205) have all played the substitute role at both corners with aplomb, but none has been able to lock down their respective spots for the foreseeable future.

Frandsen has exhibited no power whatsoever and his defense is highly suspect anywhere he plays. Napoli’s streaky hitting and inexperience at first make him just as much of an asset as a liability.

Izturis is far more valuable when he can be moved around from position to position. And Ryan, well, he suffers from a little of each of the above symptoms.

With Wood back to the bigs, the Angels will almost certainly return to their nice-guy tactics, giving him every possible chance to break out of his funk and live up to the hype that’s surrounded him for so long.

But they are fooling themselves if they try the same approach and expect a new outcome.

Wood will fail as surely as the Angels are already thinking about replacing him.

And although the key to this organization has always been its ocean-like depth on the bench and in the minors, this year they just don’t have the pieces to cobble together another championship season.

If the Angels expect to contend this year, both in the division and in the playoffs, they must add depth.

To do that, they must first eliminate Wood’s shallow reservoir of talent from their roster.

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With the trade deadline looming over the next month-and-a-half of baseball, it’s about time for teams to get serious trade fever.

The Minnesota Twins have a few trade chips and are definitely in need. Surely, the front office will address a few issues before we see the end of July.

Let’s start talking about what the Twinkies could use.

Third Base: Third basemen in Minnesota are hitting a combined .211 through this point in the season. Kind of reminds me of a black hole. Little Nicky Punto has proven to have stellar defense, but he still can’t hit. Danny Valencia has added a little (I stress, little) pop to the hot corner as well as some nice defensive plays, but I can’t imagine him having an everyday spot until at least this time next year. 

Who Makes Sense:   Kevin Kouzmanoff is hitting .294 with six dingers and 35 RBI for the Athletics so far this year. He may be the best bet for the Twins, but its unclear how much they would want for him. Kouzmanoff would add a nice bat to the bottom half of the order, and make some nice plays on defense. He could also provide the first concrete third baseman for the Twins since…Corey Koskie?

Who Doesn’t: Mike Lowell. It’s as simple as that. Lowell is hitting around .220, barely above the Punto line. With Punto’s incredible defense, it makes absolutely no sense for the Twins to give up a prospect for the old and decrepit Lowell. Don’t get me wrong, for Lowell’s bat will probably pick up later in the season, but he’s still a health risk and rental player at best. 

Starting Pitching: The Twins have a very good staff, as they always do, but it’s not great . Liriano has shown shades of brilliance and looks to be the club’s only candidate for bona fide ace. The Twins have a pretty little trade chip in Wilson Ramos, so it will be interesting to see if he goes in a package for a pitcher.

Who Makes Sense: Cliff Lee does. I know you think I’m crazy, but he might be a great rental for only a couple prospects. I would think a starter like Pavano and a prospect like Ramos could help land Lee in Minnesota for the rest of 2010. But here’s why it really makes sense: After the season, the Twins could shop Lee for some top draft picks and continue to bolster their unparalleled farm system. Cliff Lee would give the Twins a great veteran southpaw to take the number one spot (and maybe a little pressure) off young Francisco Liriano. 

Who Doesn’t: Roy Oswalt is a phenomenal pitcher, but he has a steep $27 million price tag at the moment. There aren’t a lot of teams without the name “Yankees” or “Red Sox” that would be willing or able to absorb such a sum. 

So the Twins are sitting about where they were in the offseason: Barring Orlando Hudson, they have no third baseman or staff ace. They definitely have the trade pieces to get there, so it will be very interesting to see who they start calling up. 

Positions that were once in question seem to be doing just fine now. Delmon Young has exploded recently, upping his average to .295 and nearing the team lead in RBI. With a continued surge like this, it certainly wouldn’t be too much to ask to see him in the All-Star game. (Too bad he’s not from New York.) JJ Hardy and Hudson should return to health soon and give a significant boost to both offense and defense. 

I think a veteran starting pitcher like Lee or Dan Haren (who the Twins have already shown interest in) and a Kevin Kouzmanoff at third base would put the Twins over the top, and well on their way to a successful playoff run in 2010. 

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Since the 2008 All-Star Game, no hitter for the Milwaukee Brewers has faced more scrutiny than outfielder Corey Hart.

Hart followed up a breakout 2007 season by winning the fans’ ballot to become the final member of the National League All-Star team in 2008. Then he was unable to throw out Justin Morneau at home plate and Hart’s downward spiral began.

Prior to the game, Hart was hitting .289 with 15 home runs. However, he finished the season hitting .268. He hit just five home runs in the final three months of the season, just as the Brewers made their playoff push in September. 

His struggles continued in 2009, a season that he hit just .260 with 12 home runs and 47 RBI in 115 games. Hart further distanced himself from Brewer fans by continually speaking out against his home crowd to the local media. 

The last straw for many fans came this past winter. Hart was given a substantial raise to $4.8 million for the 2010 season despite his previous struggles. However, Hart promised everyone he would prove his worth this season. To his credit, he has more than made up for the past season-and-a-half.

Hart leads the league in home runs (17), and he already has just one fewer RBI (47) than he had all of last year (48). He’s also only eight home runs away from a career high in the category. His power surge is surprising since he only hit three homers in the first six weeks of the season.

Not only has Hart worked his way back into the good graces of the fan base and management, he may be hitting his way right out of the organization.

Hart’s name has been linked recently to both the Mariners and Braves in possible trade scenarios. Each team, along with several others, is looking for a bat to bolster weak offenses. In exchange, Milwaukee would want pitching to bolster their rotation and bullpen, which have been mired in a season-long slump.

The most recent rumors have the Brewers and Mariners in discussions with a potential third team in a three-team deal that would see Hart sent to the Mariners for impending free agent pitcher Cliff Lee. The Brewers would then send Lee to a third team for young pitching that they could control for several years.

Although the idea of selling high on Hart is very tempting, management needs to resist the notion and keep Hart around as long as they can.

Prince Fielder will very likely be traded this coming winter. The Brewers will need to find a replacement for the slugging first baseman. Hart spent some time at first base in the minors and he could transition back to the infield with relative ease. Other options (Mat Gamel and Brett Lawrie) are both unproven prospects that the Brewers would be taking a giant risk on as they try to replace Fielder.

With Hart’s move to first base, the Brewers could field Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez, and top prospect Lorenzo Cain in the outfield. The team would lose Hart’s power, but the overall team defense would improve greatly. Cain would immediately become one of the team’s top base stealers.

Hart is under one more season of team control before becoming a free agent after the 2011 season. He’s in line for another substantial raise after this season. This time it will be justified. Perhaps the Brewers could even sign him to a four or five-year contract extension this off-season. This would be a much better value than any contract Fielder would be seeking.

Hart’s name wasn’t on the All-Star ballot for the 2010 edition of the game, but could he come full circle and be named the winner of the fans’ choice for a second time?

Regardless of another possible appearance in the Midsummer Classic, Corey Hart, Brewer fans, and management are all thrilled with his stunning turnaround back into a legitimate power threat. Now the only thing that remains is just how long Hart will remain with the Brewers.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here.  

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Joe Saunders undoubtedly went into Monday night’s start against the Milwaukee Brewers feeling good. He had won back-to-back starts for only the second time this year, and in his last six starts he had gone 4-1 with 2 complete games (both against Oakland, one a shutout). Coming back to the Big A, Saunders was set to square off against a Brewers team that was sitting 11 games under .500, with the 18th ranked batting average in MLB.

Those good feelings did not last long. Saunders gave up five runs in the third inning (the big blow coming from Ryan Braun’s booming grand slam), and six runs overall in an unimpressive 5.2 inning performance. He took the loss—his seventh—as the Brewers cake-walked to a 12-2 victory.

As Saunders lights the candles on his 29th birthday cake today, he must be puzzled by his 2010 season.

His record currently sits at 5-7; those seven losses tie his career high (both 2008 and 2009), and it is only June 16th. His ERA is 4.70, which is not too far away from last season’s 4.60 (but quite higher than his career 4.28 mark). His WHIP is 1.49—his career high was 1.52 back in 2007 (in only 18 appearances).

Most troubling of all is Saunders’ control. In 2010 he is averaging 3.9 walks per nine innings, far above his career mark of 3.0. Furthermore, his strikeout-to-walk ratio is an alarming 1.03 (38 strikeouts compared to 37 walks). This number, more than any other, should be cause for Angel fans to be concerned.

While Joe has never been a “strikeout pitcher,” he has always been a pitcher who strikes out many more than he walks. His career K-to-BB ratio is 1.66, and in his All-Star campaign of 2008 the ratio was 1.94 (103 K’s to 53 BB’s). He is currently projected to walk 89 batters this season, which would be 25 more than his career high of 64 last season. At the same time his strikeout projection is just 92. He has never struck out less than 100 batters when making at least 30 starts.

Overall, Joe Saunders’ 2010 season has been  inconsistent. He has been brilliant at times—his 2 complete game victories over Oakland, one by shutout, attest to this. Joe was nearly as brilliant in Toronto on April 17th, when he threw 8 innings and gave up just 2 unearned runs in beating the Blue Jays’ booming bats.

However, Saunders has logged several forgettable 2010 starts as well. Of his 14 starts, Joe only has six quality starts. In seven of his starts he has failed to throw six innings, in three of those he failed to throw five. This is uncharacteristic of a pitcher upon whom Mike Scioscia has been able to rely for over 185 innings each of the last two seasons (198 in ’08, 186 in ’09).

The reason for Saunders’ inconsistency is unclear. Last year’s struggles were rightfully blamed on a sore shoulder (you’ll remember Saunders went on the disabled list with shoulder trouble, and after returning was dominant down the stretch for the Halos). This year, to date, no mention of physical problems has been made. Joe’s fastball velocity is not abnormally off. He has never been a very hard thrower to start with.

Location could certainly be a cause of Joe Saunders’ trouble. For a pitcher like Saunders, who relies on pitching to contact and hitting spots with differing speeds, a loss of command can be deadly. The high walk rate and low strikeout-to-walk ratio this year both lend credence to the idea that Joe’s command has been lacking at times this year.

The gopher ball has been an enemy of Saunders’ in years past, and this year proves to be no exception.

After giving up a career high 29 round-trippers in 2009, the left-hander is serving them up at a similar pace this season. He currently projects to surrender 24 homers—fewer than last season, but higher than any other year. When Saunders does not give up a homer in a start, he is remarkably more effective. Below are his 2010 numbers this year in games where he surrenders a longball, compared to games where he does not:

1 HR allowed (or more): 6 G, 30 IP (5 IP/GS), 46 H, 32 R, 32 ER; 0-5, 9.60 ERA, 2.10 WHIP, 5.1 BB/9

0 HR allowed: 8 G,54.1 IP(6.8 IP/start),43 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 5-2, 1.99 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 3.31 BB/9

These lines look like two different pitchers. One is an All-Star, the other would struggle to keep a job in the big leagues.

There is no question that the home run ball is trouble for any pitcher, but for Joe Saunders it means the difference between quality pitching and an early shower. The control issue comes up again when looking at these lines as well. Saunders is walking two more batters per nine innings in games where he gives up a homer.

The solution for Saunders seems clear from this data, and it is not a novel solution either: throw strikes and keep the ball in the yard.

Mike Butcher needs to work with Joe Saunders to figure out if there is a flaw in Joe’s delivery, or if any kind of adjustment can be made to improve his control. When he is on his game (as the numbers above bear out), Joe Saunders is an All-Star lefty who can anchor any rotation in baseball. When he is not on his game, however, it is unlikely he will be able to gut out a win.

There is another disparity to consider which is rather surprising: Joe Saunders has pitched remarkably better on the road in 2010. While Angel Stadium is considered a neutral park (even favoring pitchers in night games), this has not been the case for the Virginian lefty:

Saunders at Home in 2010 (8 starts): 1-6, 6.75 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 8 HR, 44 IP

Saunders on Road in 2010:(6 starts): 4-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 2 HR, 40.1 IP

Article continued at LA Angels Insider.com

Ryan VanderYacht is a feature columnist for LA Angels Insider.com    

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