The first item is an update and the second is to report some news I didn't get to this weekend...
1. Updating my story from last night, Javier Vazquez was indeed traded from Arizona back to the American League. However, the D-Backs did not get Garland from Chicago, they got Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez and minor league prospect Chris Young instead. Chris Young showed some serious pop in A and AA ball the last two years (72 doubles, 50 homers, .370 OBP over 2004-2005 seasons) but in the end he's still a minor leaguer. El Duque, one of my favorite pitchers of all time, did good things for Chicago in the playoffs but didn't really contribute much in the regular season. He was expendable as a fifth starter and given the Shite Sox ability to slot Vazquez in that same fifth slot, this has to be seen as a generally positive trade for the Fluke Series Champions. The only questions that remain are how much of Vazquez's two year $24M contract the White Sox will have to pick up and if the Vazquez of 2004-2005 can improve or if he's really just this bad.
2. Matt Morris signed with the San Francisco Giants this weekend. Ho hum. He was on his way to great things and then injuries nailed him pretty badly. Now he's a tiny bit above average. The Giants need Jason Schmidt insurance in their rotation so I suppose they have that with Morris and the emerging Noah Lowry. I'm mainly reporting this story because I wonder what the Cards will do to replace him. Sign Kevin Millwood? Trade for Matt Clement? The Cards are still far and away better than the field in the NL Central but they shouldn't rest on their laurels; they need to add a starter for 2006.
1. Updating my story from last night, Javier Vazquez was indeed traded from Arizona back to the American League. However, the D-Backs did not get Garland from Chicago, they got Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez and minor league prospect Chris Young instead. Chris Young showed some serious pop in A and AA ball the last two years (72 doubles, 50 homers, .370 OBP over 2004-2005 seasons) but in the end he's still a minor leaguer. El Duque, one of my favorite pitchers of all time, did good things for Chicago in the playoffs but didn't really contribute much in the regular season. He was expendable as a fifth starter and given the Shite Sox ability to slot Vazquez in that same fifth slot, this has to be seen as a generally positive trade for the Fluke Series Champions. The only questions that remain are how much of Vazquez's two year $24M contract the White Sox will have to pick up and if the Vazquez of 2004-2005 can improve or if he's really just this bad.
2. Matt Morris signed with the San Francisco Giants this weekend. Ho hum. He was on his way to great things and then injuries nailed him pretty badly. Now he's a tiny bit above average. The Giants need Jason Schmidt insurance in their rotation so I suppose they have that with Morris and the emerging Noah Lowry. I'm mainly reporting this story because I wonder what the Cards will do to replace him. Sign Kevin Millwood? Trade for Matt Clement? The Cards are still far and away better than the field in the NL Central but they shouldn't rest on their laurels; they need to add a starter for 2006.
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