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The first half of the Major League Baseball season is now over. For some, this means discussions can start about MVP races, Cy Young races, the trading deadline, and of course division standings.

For me, it is instead a time to look at the types of statistics and awards not often looked at.

These awards are not for the best pitcher, or the best team. Rather, they are for various players who fit a certain trait, whether it is having a hard luck season, having all power and no speed, etc.

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Imagine for a minute you’re staring into a boxing ring somewhere between Anaheim, California and Arlington, Texas.

The Los Angeles (don’t call me Anaheim) Angels just watched as the Texas Rangers stole left-hander Cliff Lee right out from under the New York Yankees. It was like a stunning left cross that the Angels never saw coming.

While they stare off into space, stunned that the once lowly Texas Rangers just threw their biggest punch in years, and while the stars they’re seeing start to wear off, owner Artie Moreno has to be hatching a plan on how the team responds.

They certainly didn’t expect to lose Kendry Morales to possibly one of the most freakish injuries in baseball history, breaking his leg while celebrating a walk off home run. But the Angels didn’t freak out, they didn’t rush out and overpay the first player available that could take over at first base.

They’ve stood back, weighed their options, and have begun compiling a list of players they could possibly land at or before the trade deadline.

Sure there were plenty of names that have been tossed around recently, but the Angels’ front office is still holding its cards close to the vest and not giving any indication on which direction it plans on going.

We’ve heard several rumors over the last month-and-a-half, and we know there are certain things that are true about what the team needs. So, we can start there and see where we land.

But, before we do, one question needs to be asked. Are the Texas Rangers done dealing? The answer to that, according to one report, is no.

On July 9th, Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago reported that the Rangers had, or have, “serious interest” in Chicago Cubs’ outfielder Xavier Nady. Levine says the Rangers have interest in Nady because they “traded their first baseman (Justin Smoak).”

While that might be true, the Rangers filled that hole at first by calling up Chris Davis from Triple-A, so there’s no indication about whether the interest in Nady is still there or if Davis will be the guy for the remainder of the season.

Davis brings solid defense to the position, but his bat is suspect at best. He struggled mightily over the first few months of the season and was demoted to the minor leagues, at which time Justin Smoak was given the chance to be the new first baseman.

Unfortunately for both Smoak and the Rangers, he also struggled, with a batting average that just barely lingered above the .200 mark. He was dealt to the Seattle Mariners in the deal that brought Cliff Lee to Texas.

The Rangers aren’t the only team that will be interested in Nady, but unless the Rangers are wanting a reserve first baseman or outfielder, I don’t know that the interest was ever really that strong to begin with.

As far as the Angels are concerned, there are a whole host of names that they have been linked to.

Derrek Lee (Cubs), Paul Konerko (White Sox), Adam Dunn (Nationals), and Prince Fielder (Brewers) have all been mentioned in connection with the open first base job at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Konerko’s name seemed to be the one the Angels were most interested in while the White Sox were floundering around in the AL Central. But a big turnaround has all but killed the possibility that Konerko is headed west.

So, with him out of the mix, you still have Lee, Dunn, and Fielder as possibilities. The Cubs are in a selling mode, and would more than likely be willing to deal Derrek Lee, who would be a good fit for the Angels. He brings not only solid defense to the position, but he also gives them a solid power bat in the lineup.

As for Adam Dunn and Prince Fielder, these are probably the least likely of the remaining three names that could be on the Angels’ radar.

Adam Dunn has made it very clear that he does not want to be traded by the Nationals and would like to work out a contract extension with the team. However, over the last few days, those feelings seemed to have disappeared thanks to what Dunn calls a “lack of urgency” from the team. Dunn has also made it clear that he doesn’t want to be traded to an American League team just to be a designated hitter. Though, if he’s traded to the Angels, they would want him as their full time first baseman.

Last, but certainly not least, Brewers’ first baseman Prince Fielder. There’s no question that he’s a player the Angels may “kick the tires” on, but he’s not a player they will get serious about for one reason—Scott Boras.

Earlier today, ESPN’s Buster Olney apparently had some things to say about Boras, comparing Fielder to Yankees’ first baseman Mark Teixeira. Olney suggested that some general managers and scouts around baseball think there’s a 180-degree difference in the two players. Olney also says that Fielder is “one of the worst first basemen in baseball.”

Well, Boras wasn’t going to let that stand and decided to throw his comments to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal . Before I post good ‘ole Boras’ comments, you should know that the Brewers approached Fielder and Boras with a five-year contract extension said to be worth upwards of $100 million. The offer was denied and talks have gone nowhere since.

The main problem that Buster Olney brings up is Fielder’s body size, and he says he has talked to “unnamed sources” that share that concern.

Boras shot back through the aforementioned Haudricourt by saying, “This stuff about a ‘bad body’ is bull. He may be a thick guy but he’s an athlete. He certainly is not the worst first baseman in the league like they say.

“It’s all hearsay. I’m tired of unnamed sources. No one put his name on those comments. Nobody mentioned that he just tied the (Brewers) club record for consecutive games played (274). He goes out there and plays every day. How many guys do that? They didn’t talk about that.

“People who know Prince know about his work ethic, what he’s like in the clubhouse and the attitude he takes out there every day, wanting to win. It has nothing to do with his body type. All of those things boost his value.”

The Angels are in need of a first baseman, that much is true, but the other piece that may slingshot them to yet another AL West crown is a starter to complement Jered Weaver. While a guy like Roy Oswalt might be too rich for the team’s blood, they could look towards a few starters like Ted Lilly, Jake Westbrook, or perhaps Pedro Martinez, who you know has to be watching each race with tremendous interest.

As it stands right now, the Rangers have the ace they’ve needed for so long, and they’re hoping that Cliff Lee is able to keep them in front in the AL West. But, if the Angels land another starter, as well as a guy like Derrek Lee, it could make the race a tight one all the way to the end.

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The All-Star Break is here!

Time to sit back, relax, and watch Omar Infante battle John Buck for the rights for home field advantage in the World Series. Or just tie, at least this time we’ll be numb to it from the World Cup group stage.

Let’s talk about the hands-down, worst All-Star snub this year: Kevin Youkilis . He lost to the Yankees’ Nick Swisher in the final fan vote, falling short where his campaign partner Joey Votto succeeded. Let’s compare stat lines shall we?

The Youk: 67/18/57/.293/.406/.575

Swisher: 55/15/49/.298/.377/.524

That is borderline embarrassing.

The “Greek God of Walks” has been basically carrying his injury-decimated ball club while Swisher is simply enjoying a good ballpark and a good line up. I don’t even understand the problem here. Even with Yankee fans clicking away for Swisher, fan voting usually goes to guys with the most recognizable names that result from consistently big career numbers. Youkilis has both of.

Ask yourself this: In the bottom of the ninth with two outs and a chance to win, who do you want at the plate? Swisher or the Youkilis?

For anyone who picked Swisher, please invite me to your fantasy league next year, and let’s bump up the buy in about $300.

Thank you, Yankee fans. Instead of watching one of most consistent and humble players in the game, we get to see Nick Swisher’s little smirk of undeserved accomplishment step up to the plate. Real cool, guys.

There won’t be a Week in Review next week, so read up!

Big news: Cliff Lee got traded to the Rangers for Justin Smoak and prospects. Details here .

This is huge for the Rangers as they get a big time ace to anchor an interesting rotation highlighted by Tommy Hunter , C.J. Wilson , Colby Lewis , and the currently injured Rich Harden . I’ve had a lot of love for the Rangers this season. That offense is absolutely filthy from a fantasy and real-life perspective. This is huge for their chances at a playoff run.

From a fantasy perspective, this isn’t good, but also not horrible for Lee’s value. He goes from a major pitcher’s park to a major hitters park, which will hurt him some. However, he will also benefit from a better offense and bullpen (3.26 ERA compared to 4.80).

Obviously, anyone would want a piece of this guy.

With five complete games in his last six starts, it will be tremendously difficult to acquire him. Talking up the ballpark situation will be important, along with his record at Arlington, mostly compiled before he became a Cy Young winner (7.62 ERA and 1.55 WHIP). Maybe offer to take a struggling closer off his hands in exchange for one of your good ones, like Chad Qualls for Heath Bell or something. Lee will not come cheap, but it never hurts to try.

As it many times goes, who this trade helps the most isn’t actually involved. Chris Davis got called up as a result of Smoak being moved. You know the deal here, lots of power, lots of strikeouts. But he’s been raking in the minors (.354 batting average, .403 OBP) so he’s worth a look.

On to the ridiculous trend of perfect game bids by pitchers who have no business throwing perfect games.

Travis Wood made it to the ninth before letting up a double to Carlos Ruiz to end the perfecto threat, but still made it through the complete nine before leaving the game with the most unfair no decision ever as Roy Halladay was being Roy Halladay.

Wood has only made three starts in his career, allowed five earned runs striking out 17 over 20.2 innings of work. Not bad. His minor league numbers are good too (13-5, 1.77 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 7.2 K/9), but I’m not making any major pick ups yet. Despite the performance, he may get sent back to the minors when Aaron Harang and Edison Volquez come back from the DL soon. Temper love affairs with him.

But wait! There’s more .

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On Friday, the Seattle Mariners traded ace Cliff Lee and reliever Mark Lowe to the Texas Rangers for switch-hitting first baseman Justin Smoak and three other prospects. 

Sportswriters and analysts are split on which team came out with the better end of this trade. Several pundits believe that the Rangers won out by landing a legitimate ace atop their rotation, while only sacrificing one of two high-potential first basemen in their system (the other being Chris Davis).

Others believe that the Mariners won out by acquiring a better package for Cliff Lee than they paid for him this past offseason. 

Like any trade, several teams, players, and division races will be affected by its completion. Here is a quick rundown of the biggest winners and losers in the Cliff Lee trade.

WINNER: 2010 Texas Rangers

I put the “2010” in front of this label because the Texas Rangers certainly improved in this deal, but it might not last long term.

Considering only this season, the Rangers are guaranteed winners in the Cliff Lee trade. They currently sit 4.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels, and, with the acquisition of Lee, are primed to extend that lead in the second half of the year.

It remains to be seen if trading Justin Smoak within the division will backfire on the Rangers, but in 2010, Cliff Lee gives them an even greater chance to win their first division title in over a decade.

LOSER: 2010 New York Yankees

The New York Yankees boast the best record in baseball, but last Friday they looked like fools in the race for Cliff Lee.

On Friday morning, the Mariners and Yankees agreed in principle to a deal for Cliff Lee, but the Mariners backed out of negotiations after concerns about second base prospect David Adams’ health.

The Mariners quickly partnered up with the Texas Rangers, while the Yankees watched their agreement in principle fade into thin air.

Ken Rosenthal reported that the Yankees were “livid” at the Mariners decision, and one Yankees official fumed that “You just don’t do business that way.”

However, as the gentlemen at Lookout Landing noted, business is business, and the Yankees have been on the other side of the deal at least once in the past. 

WINNER: The Rest of the AL East

Entering the All-Star Break, the Tampa Bay Rays sit only two games back of the New York Yankees in the AL East, and the Boston Red Sox are within striking distance at five games back.

Had the Yankees acquired Cliff Lee, the chances of catching New York may have grown exponentially. 

Tampa Bay Rays’ manager Joe Maddon said it best when he told the St. Petersburg Times that Lee’s trade to Texas was “better than the Yankees.” Maddon preferred Lee going to the National League, but, like the rest of the AL East, he was more than happy to see Mariners-Yankees negotiations falter on Friday morning. 

Regardless of remaining trades, the rest of the AL East can breathe easier with Cliff Lee in Texas. 

LOSER: The Los Angeles Angels 

Similar to Joe Maddon’s displeasure over Cliff Lee’s potential trade to the New York Yankees, Mike Scoscia and the Los Angeles Angels could not have been pleased to hear that Lee was bound for Texas.

Angels OF Torii Hunter went as far as saying that Seattle broke the unwritten rules of baseball by dealing Lee within their own division. 

On Friday morning, the Angels sat 4.5 games behind the Rangers and faced increasing speculation over potential trade deadline acquisitions. With Lee’s arrival in Texas, the Angels now face mounting pressure to respond with an acquisition of their own.

The Angels are expected to pursue a corner infield power bat to replace Kendry Morales, who is out for the season due to injury. Within the past week, the Angels have been linked to Washington 1B Adam Dunn, Milwaukee 1B Prince Fielder, and free agent 1B Carlos Delgado. 

Regardless of who the Angels acquire, if anyone at all, their path to the 2010 AL West Championship is now more difficult with Cliff Lee in Texas.

WINNER: Texas Rangers 1B Chris Davis

Two years ago, Chris Davis was supposed to be the star of the future for the Texas Rangers. In 2008, Davis was ranked as the Rangers’ second best prospect, behind only SS Elvis Andrus. 

That same year, at age 22, Davis blasted 17 homeruns in only 80 games, and seemingly grabbed control of the Rangers’ first base position for years to come.

Since his spectacular debut, however, Davis has struggled mightily.

Davis was demoted in mid-July 2009 after a horrific first half. In early 2010, following an abysmal three weeks, Davis was again demoted in favor of 23-year-old Justin Smoak.

Since his demotion, Davis has been hard at work, posting an impressive .354/.403/.555 line with Triple-A Oklahoma. With Smoak’s departure, the Rangers again place their faith in Davis, and he may have the job for good this time.

LOSER: Seattle Mariners 1B Casey Kotchman

Casey Kotchman is a defensive machine. He is currently working on an MLB record in consecutive games without an error, but his offensive woes have heavily contributed to a lackluster 2010 Seattle Mariners offense.

In early June, the Mariners called up Mike Carp from Triple-A Tacoma to add offensive firepower to the first base position. This move failed, as Carp hit .167 in only 30 at-bats. In late June, the Mariners acquired Russell Branyan from the Cleveland Indians to again try and add pop at first base. With Branyan’s arrival, Kotchman had lost a hold on the everyday first base gig.

After the arrival of Justin Smoak, Kotchman may have lost hold of a roster spot with the Seattle Mariners. At this point, he is not much more than a late-inning defensive replacement.

It remains to be seen if Kotchman will be dealt (not many teams will have an interest in his .208 batting average), but with the acquisition of Justin Smoak, Kotchman has clearly become expendable. 

That’s it for the list. Comment below with who you think were the biggest winners and losers of the Cliff Lee trade!

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Philadelphia Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. can breathe a sigh of relief.

Now that former Phillies pitcher and fan favorite Cliff Lee has been traded to the Texas Rangers, Phillies fans will no longer be scoreboard, watching every five days wondering “what if?”  

Lee’s starts will no longer be Chinese water torture for a Phillies team with three reliable starters and two train wrecks.  

Phillies fans will no longer calculate and recalculate the math it would have required to keep Lee.

After a half season of angst-inducing dominance for the Seattle Mariners, during which the Phillies and their fans have constantly wondered “what have we done?” Lee has been traded to the Texas Rangers, a team that plays in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

And the dividends have been immediate.

As Roy Halladay pitched nine shutout innings to keep the Phillies in a game as Reds’ pitcher Travis Wood took a perfect game into the ninth inning, Lee was getting shelled in his Rangers debut.

And we all breathe a sigh of relief as Lee now joins the long list of good-to-great pitchers to get lit up at The Ballpark.

In an era dominated by the big four pitchers – Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez – we rarely spoke of Kevin Brown as an all-time great, but his numbers match up favorable to Hall of Fame caliber pitchers John Smoltz and Don Drysdale.

In 1996 with Florida, he led the NL with a remarkable 1.89 ERA and 0.944 WHIP. He won another ERA title in Los Angeles in 2000 with a 2.58, and again won the WHIP crown with a 0.991. He also led the league in wins once, home runs per at-bat a few times, K:BB ratio once, and games started three times.

For his career, Brown finished with a lovely 211-144 record, 3.28 ERA, and 127 ERA+.

In the one year Brown pitched in The Ballpark, he went 7-9 with a 4.82 ERA, 1.576 WHIP, and a league leading 218 hits allowed in only 170.0 innings pitched.

Ever heard of Chan Ho Park? Park spent the first nine years of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and was an above average pitcher – 84-58 record, 3.77 ERA, well under a hit allowed per inning pitched.

Park signed a big free agent contract with Texas in 2002, and this above-average pitcher became one of the worst pitchers in baseball. In three years, Park went 22-23 with a 5.79 ERA, allowing 55 home runs and 423 hits allowed in 380.2 innings pitched.

And so it has gone with Kevin Millwood, Rick Helling, John Burkett, Darren Oliver, Vicente Padilla, and other solid-to-good-to-great pitchers who have been absolutely shelled during their time playing for the Texas Rangers at The Ballpark.

Arguably the most successful pitcher in the history of The Ballpark was Aaron Sele, who in two seasons there went 37-20 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.525 WHIP. Yikes.

Welcome to Arlington, Cliff Lee.

Looking at Lee’s 2010 game log, his performance in 2010 with the Seattle Mariners was fantastic. Lee had four complete games; five other outings of eight innings or more; and two outings in which he did not allow a single run.

Perhaps most amazingly of all, Lee allowed four or fewer earned runs in 12 of his 13 starts as a Mariner.

In his first start with the Texas Rangers on Saturday night, Lee got The Ballpark treatment. Although he did pitch a complete game and took only 95 pitches to do it, Lee got shelled to the tune of six earned runs on nine hits and three home runs while striking out only two batters.

Out of 35 batters faced, Lee induced 12 ground balls and 21 fly balls, the second highest fly ball total of his season. Orioles batters also had seven line drives off of Lee, which was the third highest total of his season.

It is not going to be easy going for the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner with the Rangers, and that is no knock on him. Fact is, it isn’t merely hard to pitch at the Ballpark in Arlington; it is nearly impossible because The Ballpark is one of the true hitters paradises in all of baseball.

Remember, this is the stadium that made Gary Matthews, Jr. a star. This is the stadium where Milton Bradley led the American League in OPS+. This is the stadium that has resurrected Vlad Guerrero’s career, and made Josh Hamilton an MVP candidate.

And this is probably the stadium that is going to chew Lee up and spit him out.

To be fair, Lee is a better pitcher than most, and if anyone can succeed in the Ballpark it would seem to be Lee. Lee doesn’t make lots of mistakes, has excellent location with his pitches, and has had some of the best home runs allowed numbers in baseball over the last three years.

If, however, we were to play devil’s advocate, this is why we might think Lee might have big problems in Texas: as between bases on balls and base hits, Lee eschews the former and takes his chances on the latter. Rather than give up a free pass, Lee would rather allow hitters to make bad contact with his pitches and get easy outs.

Even during his Cy Young campaign of 2008, while Lee was leading the league in fewest home runs and walks per nine innings pitched, he was allowing 8.6 hits per nine innings. In 2009, Lee actually led Major League Baseball in total hits allowed with 24.

Unfortunately for Lee, there is no such thing as “bad contact” at the Ballpark as Lee learned on Saturday night, and a pitcher who has a tendency towards giving up hits is in trouble.

Oh, and here’s a trouble-sign: going into last night’s game, of all the stadiums in which Lee has pitched more than one game, guess where the worst ERA of his career has been?

The Ballpark.

In fact, after last night’s performance, Lee now has a 7.33 ERA in 50.1 innings pitched there. Since he gave up six runs in nine innings last night, that means his ERA in The Ballpark actually went down during the course of last night’s game.

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington can make good pitchers look bad and can make even the best pitchers in baseball look mediocre. It is going to be a long three months for Lee.

And an easier three months for Ruben Amaro.

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

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Yesterday’s trade of Cliff Lee confirmed what a majority of Philadelphia Phillies and their fans suspected to be true all along—last winter’s deal was a terrible blunder. 

On one hand, the team might take solace in the fact that Lee was shipped to the Texas Rangers rather than their divisional arch rivals, other National League contenders, or the World Champion New York Yankees—in that order. 

On the other hand, Ruben Amaro and the entire Phillies organization have to be consumed with the sinking feeling of what could have been. 

The first lament is that Lee could have helped form the best starting rotation in baseball—one capable of carrying an injury-riddled club through a challenging 2010 season. Perhaps they might not be in first place at this juncture, but they would be considerably better positioned for a fourth consecutive NL East title. 

The second lament is that today’s deal offered proof positive that the Phillies essentially gave away one of baseball’s best pitchers when his stock was probably at an all-time high. 

Lee has widely been considered the crown jewel of this year’s annual midsummer swap meet. Several teams had been rumored interested to highly covetous of the Cy Young lefty for a simple reason. 

Lee could instantly take them to the next level, whether it be legitimate playoff contender or World Series favorite. 

The Rangers deal validated his worth, as did the “imminent” trade to the New York Yankees that fell through earlier in the day. Both clubs offered a top 15 prospect (as rated by Baseball America and many other scouting pundits) along with other talent in exchange for the all-star hurler. 

The Yankees were willing to part with baseball’s top catching prospect, and preseason fourth rated prospect overall, Jesus Montero as the headliner with two other players. Speculation was that an injury to one of the prospects caused the Mariners to back away from the deal. 

Instead, Seattle opted for switch-hitting first baseman Justin Smoak from the Rangers (the 13th rated prospect heading into the season) along with Blake Beavan and two other players. Smoak was the team’s  top draft pick in 2008, and Beavan was the first rounder a year earlier. 

In contrast, the Phillies received the 93rd rated prospect according to Baseball America heading into both this season and last season—along with Tyson Gillies and JC Ramirez. 

Amaro spun the trade of Lee as a necessity to replenish the farm system that had been severely depleted in the trade to land the pitcher the previous July and the deal to obtain Roy Halladay. Finances were also cited as big contracts to Halladay, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer, Raul Ibanez, and arbitration pressures helped push the team’s payroll toward $140 million. 

Those debates aside, the Mariners-Rangers deal highlights how badly the Phillies missed the mark in extracting value in return for the toast of last year’s postseason. Just weeks removed from the Yankees World Series triumph over the Phillies, all of baseball was still abuzz about Lee’s fabulous performances. 

Lee had used the game’s biggest stage, along with a fabulous 22-3 Cy Young campaign the previous season, to cement his place as one of baseball’s very best pitchers. With free agency pending after the 2011 season, pundits anticipated a mega-deal on the horizon. 

Somehow, though, Amaro and the Phillies parted with the highly impressive hurler for considerably less than what the Mariners were able to get a half year later. And, it stands to reason that Lee’s value would have only decreased between then and now as he has half the shelf life. 

Philadelpia accepted the 93rd ranked prospect versus the 13th ranked prospect that Seattle received—after turning down the 4th ranked prospect. 

To put this into a Phillies fan’s perspective, that is roughly the equivalent of accepting Lou Marson or Jason Donald in lieu of Dominic Brown.  

Considering that the Rangers also included another highly touted No. 1 selection, it becomes even more lopsided.  The cumulative value of the other players involved in each deal can be debated, but the disparity in headliners is dramatic. 

As further evidence of the Phillies blunder in trading Lee, one needs to look no further than the Halladay deal itself. In order to obtain the big right-hander, the team shipped out the 25th, 29th, and 81st rated prospects.

Although many might argue that Halladay had the superior resume to Lee and is a notch above, most would agree that the separation between the two is very slight. 

It does not take a math whiz to figure out that the Phillies paid dramatically more for Halladay than they accepted for Lee—and that the differential is tremendously greater than that between the two all-star pitchers. 

Surely, signability of each player factored into the equation and clouded the comparison, but the latest deal now gives us additional backdrop to assess the move that shocked the Phillies fanbase last winter. 

The purpose here is not to pile on, but rather provide some additional objective analysis of a trade that was widely panned at the time and could go down as one of the worst in team history. 

Amaro rightfully received ample praise for his 2009 seasonal body of work that helped the team make a second straight World Series appearance. Specifically, his refusal to give away his prized prospects for Halladay and instead acquire Lee with second-tier players was the type of genius that earns you “MLB Executive of the Year.”

Regrettably, he followed that up with the tandem ace swaps shortly after the season-ending defeat to the Yankees that seemingly reversed that genius and has weakened the team’s chances for this season and beyond. 

Amaro’s rationale in acquiring Halladay can be understood as he was willing to sign a long-term contract. Making it an either/or situation with Lee is much harder to understand. 

But, if is was absolutely necessary to part with him, it seems abundantly clear that the rushed, lightly negotiated manor in which it was done yielded far less than true market value. It seemed that few teams even knew that the Phillies might be willing to trade their ace. 

Of course, the actual performances of the three players acquired by the Phillies last December has done nothing to dissuade this notion. Since being demoted to Single-A, Aumont has improved his record to 2-6 with a 6.53 ERA. Gillies is hitting .238 in Double-A. And Ramirez is a so-so 6-4 with a 4.22 ERA between Single-A and Double-A. 

Perhaps RAJ will pull off another brilliant move that will propel the current teetering club to a successful year? Or, perhaps he will figure out a way to clear payroll, re-sign Lee in free agency, and/or maneuver the team back to another championship in the near future?

But, in the meantime, the Philadelphia faithful are left with a sick feeling that another triumphant trip down Broad Street may have been foolishly given away. And, hearing about yesterday’s trade was like eating some spoiled sushi on top of an already upset stomach. 

The Phillies have done many, many things right over the past several years—and in many ways have been the model organization. Unfortunately, last December’s trade of Cliff Lee was one very big blunder.      

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For the third time in less than a year, Cliff Lee has a new home. This time, he has joined the Texas Rangers.

Lee, 31, was brought in to help strengthen a relatively inexperienced rotation as the Rangers look to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Much like the past deals Lee has been involved in, the team parting ways with the star pitcher has looked for a huge haul of prospects in return.

The Indians’, Phillies’, and Mariners’ prospects arrived with the glimmer of a brighter future, as each team will expect to find their value in the years to come.

This value is based upon scouting reports and potential. The potential here is the potential to become a dominant ace, a slugging monster, a slick fielder, or a great signal caller is the hook used by the teams who desire Lee’s services.

Thus, this renews the argument of potential vs. proven commodity.

The Indians purged their roster last season and moved their ace, along with outfielder Ben Francisco, to the Phillies in exchange for pitcher Jason Knapp, pitcher Carlos Carrasco, infielder Jason Donald, and catcher Lou Marson.

Three of the four prospects have seen action on the major league level since the trade, but they have all struggled, and aren’t doing well at the minor league level this year.

Marson plays the same position as rookie Carlos Santana, who seized control of the catching position.

Donald, 25, appears to be destined for a nomadic career that alternates between the majors and minors.

Carrasco, 23, is still struggling, but has shown flashes that suggest he could help fill out a rotation someday.

The biggest piece of the trade was Jason Knapp, 19, who has already experienced physical setbacks that have hampered his development.

Cleveland’s deals have restocked their farm system, but the question, is what are they stocked with? Can they build on this?

What about the Phillies?

The Phillies took some prospects from the Mariners to replenish the loss of some highly regarded youngsters. The Phillies sent Lee to Seattle for pitcher J.C. Ramirez, pitcher Phillippe Aumont, and outfielder Tyson Gillies.

Again, another deal that is far too early to judge, but the numbers being posted at their current levels aren’t instilling a ton of confidence.

Ramirez, 21, has exhibited control issues while posting a high WHIP (1.47) and an ERA of 4.63, which means he is giving up slightly more than a run every two innings. That won’t work in a hitter’s park like Citizens Bank Park.

To say that Aumont, 21, has been knocked around would be an understatement, and this is at the Double-A level, where elite prospects tend to shine.

Center fielder Tyson Gillies, 21, has not looked horrible, but a sluggish start while he is playing at the Double-A level for the first time also must be worrisome for the Phillies’ front office that expected these players to contribute in the upcoming seasons.

The franchise has solid depth on the major and minor league level that should make these disappointments palatable.

What did Cliff Lee net for the struggling Mariners?

How about Justin Smoak? The highly touted first baseman was sent to last place Seattle along with pitcher Blake Beavan, pitcher Josh Lueke, and second baseman Matthew Lawson.

The hard-hitting prospect has struggled at the major league level but does have the potential to become a middle-of-the-order talent that could help a pathetic offense in Seattle.

Beavan, 21, was also coveted by the Mariners and has posted numbers that suggest he can dominate at his current level and could be moved up to the Triple-A club by season’s end.

Lueke, 25, has all the makings of a career minor leaguer who could possibly be a serviceable fill-in reliever on the big team if someone were to be injured.

Lawson, 24, also falls into the category of career minor leaguer.

Sure these prospects could develop into future All-Stars or good complimentary pieces on a future contending team. But this past year has been a movement of players who won’t make up for the loss of what was given up.

And absolutely, I mean absolutely, these trades will never yield the lopsided results of this deal of a staff ace for prospects.

Remember the June 27, 2002 trade of then-ace Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew from the Indians to the Expos for Brandon Phillips, Grady Sizemore, Lee Stevens, and Cliff Lee?

Now that was a steal!

Front offices around baseball dream every time they deal away one of their stars, but it almost never happens.

So we get situations like Lee’s journey to find a long-term home. A journey that has seen many promising players moved to acquire him.

A journey that might not be over.

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This time last year, the Texas Rangers had received phone calls from other teams centered around third base prospect Justin Smoak. The Rangers weren’t ready to give up one of the most highly-touted minor league prospects in any deal.

Fast forward a year later, and the Rangers were again faced with the decision of trading away a guy they wouldn’t deal last year. The Rangers were sweating the decision, knowing that this might be the right time and the right player in return to finally relent.

On the other end of the phone were the Seattle Mariners, they wanted Smoak and they were ready to give up Cliff Lee in return. That’s a deal that most teams would jump at, but not the Rangers.

The Rangers turned the Mariners down and any chance of a deal seemed all but dead. Seattle went another direction and began talks with the New York Yankees that quickly turned serious.

Players were discussed, as was the money that would be exchanged. The two sides quickly came to an agreement and everyone and their mother was all over this deal via Twitter and every other news source.

Earlier this yesterday afternoon, ESPN reported the two sides had come to a verbal agreement and called the deal, “done.” That’s when things got interesting.

Upon hearing the news, Rangers’ general manager Jon Daniels, apparently after internal discussions within the team’s front office, picked up the phone and called Seattle back. Daniels told the Mariners that if they still wanted Justin Smoak, that the Rangers would finally give him up.

The Mariners backed out of the deal with the Yankees, angering most, if not all, of their front office personnel, and news broke from Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the deal between the Mariners and Yankees was dead.

It left the baseball world in shock. Normally, the Yankees get whatever they go after. There was finally some balance in the baseball world. The Yankees had come up short of the goal line.

What followed was the biggest whirlwind of tweets from guys like ESPN’s Buster Olney, the aforementioned Joel Sherman, SI.com’s Jon Heyman, and Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Sherman was the first to break this story, and he was the guy who was all over it from start to finish. No matter who you want to give credit to, it should only go to Sherman, but that’s neither here nor there.

An hour later, the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners had an agreement and the deal was done. The city of Arlington, and north Texas in general, went nuts, and so did the airwaves around the Dallas/Ft. Worth metro area.

Callers into 105.3 FM in Dallas were ecstatic. Their team had pulled off a trade for an ace. They made a trade for a guy who could take them not only to a division title, but maybe, just maybe, to the American League pennant.

The Rangers have always been an afterthought in this town. Fans only showed up after the All-Star break and only if the team is actually in the playoff hunt. Otherwise, people  have better things to do around here. That is, until football season.

Fans will be lining up around the corner to get tickets for Saturday night’s game against Baltimore because the team’s new ace, Cliff Lee, will be making his Rangers debut and it couldn’t come at a better time.

The Rangers have blown back-to-back four run leads over the last two nights, and they need a stopper to end a two-game losing streak to the worst team in baseball.

It was a deal they knew the team needed to make, and when given another opportunity, the Rangers pulled the trigger and not a moment too soon.

With the All-Star Game just a few days away, the Rangers are guaranteed to have the lead when it comes.

What happens after that is up to the team’s starters and bullpen who have struggled in each of the last two nights.

Make no mistake, the Los Angeles Angels are going to be nipping at the heels of the Rangers the rest of the way and with the Rangers landing Lee, the Angels have almost been forced to make a big splash before the trade deadline as well.

For now, Cliff Lee is a Ranger and Justin Smoak is now a member of the Seattle Mariners. It’s exactly what needed to happen at exactly the right time.

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Cliff Lee was so close to being a member of the Yankees.

But following a deal that fell apart, Lee is now a part of the Texas Rangers and not the Yankees.

In a deal that would have sent Jesus Montero, David Adams, and another prospect to Seattle for Lee, it got turned down because of the health questions surrounding Adams. The result was that the Yankees lost out on the most prized pitcher of the summer.

Lost out, for now anyways.

I am going to make a bold prediction, and it’s one that I, like many others, thought all along. But I feel more confident making this prediction based off everything from yesterday and what I’ve read from this morning.

Cliff Lee will be a member of the Yankees in 2011, and the Yankees can then thank the Texas Rangers for making that trade yesterday.

The Yankees didn’t have to trade off any of their top prospects for Lee. Instead, they got to keep them. That’s a major plus. Five or six years ago, the deal would have been made, but not now.

During the day and the time before the Lee-to-the-Yankees deal almost got pulled off, Lee was making inquiries to his long-time friend CC Sabathia about how New York is. Even Lee’s wife Kristen was asking Sabathia’s wife Amber about places to live in the area.

That can only tell you that Lee was more than willing to come to New York and pitch for the Yankees.

What’s going to happen in the winter of 2010-2011 when Lee is a free agent and everyone has free reign to sign him?

You know the Rangers won’t be able to afford to re-sign him considering they have so many financial issues.

With Javier Vazquez probably not coming back and Andy Pettitte going year to year and his retirement looming, the Yankees will have a need for starting pitching.

After yesterday, we all know now the Yankees want Lee. They will go after him again when the 2010 season ends. Who is going to stop them in the winter then?

Nobody. If the Yankees really want a free agent, they go and get them, and Sabathia and his $161 million dollar contract can attest to that.

Lee will probably look to get ace-like money. The Yankees have it, can afford it and will hand it out to him because they value starting pitching and the need of it, especially in a division like the A.L. East.

Would the Yankees have been better with Lee for the second half? Absolutely. But did they really need Lee? Not really. Their starting pitching rotation is by far one of the best in baseball with three all-stars in it already (Sabathia, Pettitte and Phil Hughes.)

With the Yankees on pace to make the play-offs, they could easily end up facing Lee and the Texas Rangers. This, of course, would be nothing new to them. The Yankees survived it and beat the Phillies despite Lee’s best efforts against them.

We don’t know what the rest of 2010 will bring, but for right now, it won’t involve Lee in pinstripes, and that’s OK for now.

Now come 2011, that’s a whole different story. Eventually Lee is going to want to win a championship and he knows where the best place to win that is. All he has to do is call his good buddy CC and ask him about it.

Not like Lee would need that much convincing anyway. He was already all set to come to New York this summer.

Now all he has to do is wait a few months where nobody, whether it be injured prospects, skeptical GM’s or anything else, will stand in his way to come to New York.

Cliff Lee will be wearing pinstripes come 2011, mark it down now.

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At the beginning of the MLB season the Mariners looked like serious contenders in the AL West.

That hasn’t been the case.

The Mariners are 34-51 at the All-Star break and now they are trading perhaps their best pitcher, Cliff Lee, to the Rangers.

The trade goes like this: the Mariners trade Cliff Lee and Mark Lowe to the Rangers for Justin Smoak and minor leaguers Blake Beavan, Josh Leuke, and Matthew Lawson.

We all knew this was going to happen and I think it might have been the best trade possible.

The Mariners are way below .500 and there is no way the Mariners could come back to win the AL West. So trading away a 31 year old pitcher for a 23 year old power hitting first baseman in Justin Smoak seems a smart choice.

Smoak has hit over .320 in the month of July and has a huge swing that could really propel this offense.

The Mariners also get 6 foot 7, 250-pounder Blake Beavan who is only 20 years old and is pitching very well in double A with a 10-5 record and a 2.78 ERA.

And the Mariners only give up Mark Lowe who has been injured for the past year and is only a bullpen guy.

My only worry about this trade is that Smoak hasn’t convince me yet that he can be a steady major leaguer.

I know he is up and coming with a lot of power and he could be very good but in past years with Bill Bavasi these trades have not worked out.

And I know that Jack Zduriencik is way better general manager and is known for his scouting, so we’ll see what happens.

Overall, I think this will turn out well for the Mariners in a year or two after Michael Pineda steps up to the majors and Smoak becomes a solid hitter.

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