With the Home Run Derby and the All-Star game behind us it's time to look forward to the second half of the baseball season, the dog days of August that lie ahead and the pennant races shaping up over the course of the next 11 weeks! Since I have written ad nauseum about the Yankees this season, I feel in an effort to 'shake things up a bit', we'll cover a brief synopsis on each team in baseball and what they need to do (trade players, acquire others, build towards the future, etc) in order to have a potentially successful second half.
I'm not giving any more indications on who I think will be awarded playoff spots, or anything of the sorts. You want to know what I think about that, read my Season Preview or First Half Review. Now it's all about taking a brief look at each team and see how they're shaping up for the last 80 or so games. Kick back, relax and enjoy...
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Editor's Note: Given the length of this article, the alphabetized listing of the teams was done in large part to provide you the opportunity to scroll down to the teams of your choosing)Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks currently find themselves near the cellar of the National League West, a 38 - 51 record and sitting an un-impressive 18.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Obviously, this is not a team that is poised for a second half run that would lead them to the division, or even wild card races. Their season has been over since mid-May. But, the Diamondbacks are certainly a team to watch in the next two weeks, with the trade deadline fast approaching. The Diamondbacks find themselves in the position of being one of the few teams to realize their playoff hopes are eliminated and are a prime candidate to be a major seller on the trade market.
Offensively, their biggest trade chip would seem to be second baseman Felipe Lopez, who is having an impressive season, batting a career best .302 with 6 home runs and 46 runs batted in. While Lopez doesn't figure to be the same offensive presence he was when he hit 23 home runs as a member of the Cincinnati Reds in 2005, he is still only 29 years old and is only due $3.5 million this season. He could be a good pick-up for a team such as the Chicago Cubs or even the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (if they think that the Howie Kendrick/Maicer Izturis combination isn't working out).
On the mound is where the Diamondbacks figure to be the most active. While their staff ace Dan Haren is relatively untouchable (I think he could be had for the right deal; think 5 or 6 major league ready talents), two other members of their rotation could be valuable back end of the rotation guys for teams in the thick of the playoff hunt. Former White Sox and Angels pitcher Jon Garland is struggling mightily this season posting a 5 - 8 record with a 4.53 era, but, he has pitched extremely well as of late and has the credentials of posting back to back 18 win seasons with the White Sox and has a World Series ring to boot.
In addition to him, the Diamondbacks could also part ways with lefty Doug Davis. While there have been rumblings that the Brewers were looking to re-acquire the southpaws services, no deal has materialized as of yet. Unlike Garland, Davis has pitched considerably well, posting a 3.41 era despite his 4 - 9 record to show for it. Davis isn't a flashy pitcher who will blow a lot of balls past hitters, but will instead attack the zone and induce countless ground balls. He will also save your bullpen on most days, having pitched at least 6 innings in 13 of his 19 starts.
Arizona closer Chad Qualls could also be dangled as trade bait for any number of teams to possibly acquire as a valuable cog to fix any leaky bullpens. Qualls has saved 16 games in 20 opportunities and has impeccable control, only allowing 5 walks to date this season in 37.1 innings. Teams such as the Yankees, Rays, Tigers, Angels and Marlins could call the Diamondbacks to inquire about his services.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves saw themselves have a mediocre first half racking up a 43 - 45 record, which currently places then 6 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. While it would seem the Braves are in a world of trouble and are looking at missing out on the playoffs for yet another season, I see big things for the Braves in the second half. The Braves aren't lacking many pieces that would keep them from contending with the rest of the National League East, either.
Offensively is where the Braves find their biggest problem. Their offense is not only inconsistent, but they lack a true power presence in the lineup as well. Even with the addition of Nate McLouth last month, the Braves find their offense just sputtering around. Trading for another bat would do the Braves a world of difference. It doesn't even need to be a standout offensive force (although, packaging Yunel Escobar, Jordan Schafer and a few prospects to land Matt Holliday couldn't hurt), but rather someone such as the Orioles Aubrey Huff could help immensely.
Their pitching staff has shaped up nicely with Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez stepping up as a nice 1, 2 punch at the back end of the Braves bullpen and the off-season additions of Javier Vazquez and Derek Lowe constantly keeping their teams in the game. Youngsters Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson have certainly lived up to their expectations as well. With the likely return of former Oakland Athletics standout pitcher Tim Hudson sometime in mid-august from Tommy John Surgery, he could certainly be prove to be one of the pivotal acquisitions the Braves need in order to make a move in the second half.
Baltimore Orioles
Much like the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Orioles find themselves in the uncomfortable positionof having to play in the American League East. Safely positioned in last place with a 40 - 48 record and a distant 14 games behind the Boston Red Sox, the Orioles will most certainly be sellers at the trade deadline and then try and play spoiler to the other teams of the AL East.
Aubrey Huff and Ty Wiggington are the two likeliest members of the Orioles offense to be traded, as well as reliever Danys Baez in their bullpen. Huff would provide much needed left handed power to a number of teams (paging Omar Minaya, paging Omar Minaya) and Wiggington would be a serviceable jack of all trades for any number of teams, being capable of playing numerous positions. With Danys Baez having a find bounce back year after many years of injuries and disappointments, the Orioles would be hard pressed not to deal him in the next 10 to 14 days for a couple of minor league prospects. Possessing the ability to throw strikes and throw them consistently, as well as boasting a good ground ball inducing sinker, Baez could be an important piece of any teams bullpen come August and September (Yankees, Phillies, Tigers, Mets).
All hope is not lose however Orioles fans. Boasting a lineup with young stars such as Nick Markakis, Luke Scott, Adam Jones and the newly emerging Matt Wieters, the future for the Orioles is getting brighter by the day. Couple that with the surprising success of Brad Bergesen and with a number of highly talented arms stashed away at the minor league level for the Orioles, it won't be too long before they start making a splash again in the AL East. Until that time however, be patient loyal Oriole lover's. Help is on the way.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox, like most years in recent memory are in first place and coming off an impressive first half that saw them win 54 games. But, like it always seems to be in the AL East, it doesn't matter how good you are, you need to continue to get better. The Red Sox are certainly going to be in need of an additional bat to their lineup. Although the recent resurgence of David Ortiz (11 homers since the beginning of June) has certainly added an additional boost to the Red Sox lineup, the injury questions surrounding third baseman Mike Lowell make trading for a possible insurance policy (a Garrett Atkins or a Scott Rolen) could never hurt Boston. Although Nick Green and Julio Lugo have stepped in to play short stop wonderfully in Jed Lowrie's absence, the Red Sox could also be in the market to add someone there as well (Yunel Escobar, who has fallen out of favor with Bobby Cox could be the man).
The rumor mills are swirling that the Red Sox are reportedly interested in acquiring the services of Roy Halladay. I'm not buying it. The Red Sox don't need him. They currently have a great top end of the rotation with Josh Beckett and Jon Lester (who has come on impressively strong recently). Couple that with 42 year old, first time All-star Tim Wakefield putting up his normal numbers and the Red Sox are poised to make a run deep into October. The back end of their rotation has some questions with the inconsistencies that Brad Penny and John Smoltz have shown thus far. But, even without Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Red Sox have finally seen the light and called up Clay Buccholz after 3 and a half months of utter domination at Pawtuckett. If Buccholz pitches even half as well for the Red Sox as he did for Pawtuckett, all questions will be answered. Watch out for this team, they are on the rise yet again.
Chicago Cubs
To say the Cubs first half was a disappointment would be a colossal understatement. Having a .500 record at 43 - 43 after the first half of play, after being a consensus pick to win the division easily (and the World Series by some.....oops), the Cubbies have been the model of inconsistency throughout the year. Inconsistent hitting, mediocre pitching, shoddy defense, you name it, they've sucked at it.
But, I truly believe the Cubs can turn this around, after all, they are only 3.5 games out of first place and I think they can do it (mostly) internally. On the offensive side of things, the Cubs have seen themselves get incredibly under-whelming seasons thus far out of Alfonso Soriano, Mike Fontenot, Milton Bradley, reigning Rookie of the Year Geovany Soto and until recently first baseman Derrek Lee. With the recent return of All-Star third baseman Aramis Ramirez, the Cubs offense experienced a much needed jolt.
The only thing that could help the Cubs out more is if Alfonso Soriano remembered what a "base hit" was. He's been absolutely brutal batting a putrid (vocab word of the day) .233 and an on-base percentage of .298, which is bad even for him. In the ways of possible trades, the Cubs could look to acquire an Aubrey Huff type to add a little extra oomph to their lineup. They could also look to replace Mike Fontenot/Andres Blanco with a Felipe Lopez or a Ty Wiggington type as well. But, after missing out on re-acquiring Mark Derosa, I'm not sure the Cubbies will pull the trigger on any deals. It looks like the offensive woes may be up to Fonzi, Soto and Bradley (sounds like characters from Happy Days).
On the pitching side of things, if at the beginning of the year, I told you that Randy Wells and his 2.72 era would be the best pitcher the Cubs have had this season, in a rotation filled with Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden, how many of you would have agreed with me? Nobody, exactly. The Cubs starting rotation could not be any more shakey than it is right now. Carlos Zambrano is a walking, talking, psychotic bomb waiting to explode at the drop of the hat. Ryan Dempster may be either the most hard lucked SOB or the most fragile, after breaking his toe and landing on the disabled list. Rich Harden, (oh wait, here's the most fragile human being alive), has pitched terribly in his return from his normal first half disabled list trip. But, on the bright side, Harden is likely to string together a beautiful string of 7 or 8 starts and go on a nice run...before he gets injured again. Seriously, wait for it. It's going to happen. Write that down right now.
The bullpen headed by the likes of Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg, has sure been a roller coaster ride of excitement for Lou Pinella, since Marmol is a one man Jekkyl and Hyde show. Relying too heavily on arms like Aaron Heilman, Jeff Samardzija and Sean Marshall could end up biting the Cubs right in the behind. They're definitely in the market for whatever arms may be available. Regardless of all that, I still think the Cubs can turn it around and get back to their winning ways (....after over 100 years)
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds may find themselves only 5 games out of first place with the second half on the horizon, but with a 42 - 45 record and behind 4 other teams in their division, they aren't looking to be much of a factor. Outside of Joey Votto, (who has come back strong since he was out dealing with personal issues) and Brandon Phillips, the Reds don't really have any outstanding offensive players. Jay Bruce has sure hit for some great power this season, but with a batting average hovering around the .200 mark and now being out 6 weeks with a broken wrist, the Reds find themselves in an odd position. Do they stand pat and not make any deals, hoping to build toward next season? Or, do they consider themselves sellers and start selling off pieces (Willy Taveras or out of the bullpen Arthur Rhodes and Nick Masset. Perhaps a starting pitcher and Bronson Arroyo (Mike Francessa would sure love that) ) Let me be the first to say that while the Reds have certainly had a first half of the season to be proud of, it's time to pack it in guys. Wait till next year, and see if you can make some noise in the NL Central!
Chicago White Sox
I know, I know, my alphabetizing is entirely out of order. But, in my defense, it's 3am, my eyes are heavy and I'm far too lazy to re-order everything. (realize, I also could have said I have a Western Connecticut State education and frankly I'm lucky I can read).
The White Sox find themselves right in the thick of the AL Central division race, sitting just 3.5 back at 45 - 43. There isn't much that Ozzie Guillen's squad may need to add in order to remain entrenched in the hunt. Having a terrific (contract yeaaaaaar) from Jermaine Dye who has 20 home runs already, on top of the tremendous season Paul Konerko has had, certainly helps the White Sox cause. With Alexei Ramirez finally playing like the Cuban Missile that he is and Gordon Beckham seeming to have grabbed the reigns at third base, Chicago is in fairly good position offensively. If they can get Carlos Quentin back soon and relatively healthy, he would be better than any trade acquisition they may look to receive.
On the pitching side of things, the White Sox bullpen is one of the best around. The set-up of Linebrink, Thornton and Dotel paving the way to get to Jenks, is as good as you'll find in the major leagues. That being said however, the White Sox could certainly look to add another starter. It doesn't necessarily have to be a shut down ace, but someone on the lines of a Jon Garland or a Doug Davis type, who can stabilize the back end of the rotation, since Bartolo Colon has eaten himself out of his talents. With Jose Contreras pitching much better since his recall from the minor leagues and Mark Buerhle continuing to be Mark Buehrle, the Sox may need just one more arm to that rotation to give them the decided advantage.
Cleveland Indians
Honestly, if I'm the Indians General Manager right now, I'm putting up a "For Sale" sign outside the Cleveland Indians locker room. Come one, come all, everything must go! You're 35 - 54 and 14 games back, time to blow it up and start over. The Indians can say all they want that they're looking towards next season with Jake Westbrook coming back healthy and full, healthy seasons out of Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner, but, sorry, not buying it. Trade anything you can, while you can.
Cliff Lee? You can get 3 or 4 good prospects for him. He's the reigning AL Cy Young Winner!
Victor Martinez? Call up the Red Sox, see if you can pry Clay Buccholz from them for his services.
Carl Pavano (yes, really)? See what type of lovely assortments of bats and balls you could get from the Marlins (who are looking to add pitching) for his useless body.
Sorry to all you Tribe fans out there, but this isn't your teams year, next year probably won't be either. Start building towards the future, stockpile your farm system and see if you can land a few big fish in a couple years.
Colorado Rockies
While the Rockies certainly have a couple useful trading chips they could part with (Huston Street and Garrett Atkins), I don't see them being sellers at the deadline. They are 47 - 41 and are right in the middle of the Wild Card race. Granted being 9 games out of the division makes it seem extremely unlikely they could challenge the Dodgers, the Wild Card is certainly within their reach.
The Rockies offense is nothing to slouch at, with Brad Hawpe, a resurrected Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki leading the charge. They can score runs with the best of them. Their pitching is nothing to scoff at either. The surprising success of Jason Marquis, coupled with the expected emergence of Ubaldo Jimenez (who is much better than his 6 - 9 record will dictate) and the usual respectable stats from Aaron Cook has definitely put the Rockies on the map. With Huston Street at the back end of the bullpen seeing himself revert back to his old self, has certainly been a breath of fresh air for Colorado. If anything, I see the Rockies as buyers at the deadline, to see if they can put forth another second half charge, reminiscent of their World Series run from a few years ago. Look for the Rox to try and add another arm, both in their bullpen and their rotation.
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are ontop of the American League Central division, sitting pretty at 48 - 39. Like the rest of their division (outside of the Indians) the Tigers are looking to add some pieces they think would put them over the top to do big things in the playoffs. With their core of Miguel Cabrera, Brandon Inge, Placido Polanco and Curtis Granderson all having fine seasons (Cabrera = terrific season, the rest are having decent seasons, which brings their grade to a level of fine) and a formidable rotation of Edwin Jackson, Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello, the Tigers only glaring weaknesses lie in the back end of their rotation and their bullpen.
I think the Tigers rotation concerns after their big 3 aren't nearly as important as the questions regarding their bullpen. It's SCARY bad. Outside of Bobby Seay and Brandon Lyon, the Tigers bullpen is full of troublesome and erratic arms. Even their closer Fernando Rodney has been shakey. Nate Robinson was terrible as a reliever before he was eventually placed on the disabled list. Joel Zumaya can throw the ball 100mph with relative ease, but has no idea where the hell it's going. The pen is a mess and it needs an extreme makeover (God, did I really just make that joke?)
Florida Marlins
The Marlins are a team a lot of people like. They're sneaky good, one of those teams that lurk in the shadows before making their move. They are perfectly placed as it stands right now at 46 - 44, they are just enough games out of the division race (4), where they think they have a realistic chance. And they're just as much in the wild card race as well (also 4), where the the playoffs are certainly a feasible goal to approach.
Offensively, you won't find many better. Hanley Ramirez, Jorge Cantu and Cody Ross have swung some mighty good bats at this juncture of the season. If Dan Uggla is able to do anything other than hit a home run or strike out and raise that average from the depths of Papi-land (that's the name for anyone who bats under .230 now, it's Papi-Land)
I'm really high on the Marlins pitching rotation. Josh Johnson is an absolute stud at the front of that pitching staff. And after a terrible start to his season that saw him get demoted to the minor leagues, Ricky Nolasco is finally beginning to show signs of life as well. If the Marlins are able to get any form of sustained consistency from Chris Volstad and Andrew Miller, they could have one of the best young rotations in baseball.
But, like every team it seems, the problems lie solely in the bullpen. Their closer Mark Lindstrom has been on the disabled list for over a month, but even when he was pitching he wasn't pitching well at all (to the tune of a 6.52 era). Set-up men Leo Nunez and Dan Meyer have certainly been the bright spot to the much maligned Marlins pen, along with Kiko Calero. I wouldn't be shocked one bit to see the Marlins call up the Diamondbacks and see what it would take to pry away closer Chad Qualls.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a tough team to gauge. While their 44 - 44 record and being tied with the Cubs for 3rd place in the NL Central, unlike the Cubs, I think the Astros are going in the other direction. I don't think they have the talent to stay competitive with the likes of the Cardinals, Cubs or Brewers for the remainder of the season.
It's because of that, I think they will likely be sellers come the trade deadline and not much of a factor in the playoff hunt come late-August and September. They certainly boast a number of interesting trade candidates, should they choose to go that route. Short Stop Miguel Tejada is having a phenomenal year, batting .329 with 7 home runs and could see himself traded to a team that has a glaring need in the infield (Boston Red Sox). Center Fielder Michael Bourn is having a terrific year with a .286 average and 32 stolen bases. He could provide much needed speed in the outfield and on the bench for any number of teams (Cubs, Tigers, Mets, Angels).
The pitching staff boasts two arms that would be ultimately valuable to at least half of the league; Latroy Hawkins and Jose Valverde. Last season, Latroy Hawkins couldn't get a single person out as a member of the Yankees. After being traded mid-season to the Astros, it seems Hawkins found the fountain of youth (of a vile of Tejada's "vitamin b12"), and he hasn't missed a beat yet this season posting a 2.39 era with 10 saves. Jose Valverde, has bounced back nicely from an early season injury and has struck out more than 1 batter per inning and posted a 3.43 era. Either one of those men would be welcomed additions to any bullpen in the league.
Hopefully the Astros don't get caught up in "pennant race fever" and actually think they can keep up for the rest of the season with the other teams. It's not likely and it won't end well. Trade some of the valuable pieces you have and see yourself get a few good prospects in return.
Kansas City Royals
I predicted at the beginning of the season that the Royals would be this years Tampa Bay Rays....I could not be more wrong. But, I at least correctly predicted that Zack Greinke would absolutely break out and be a star. Ding ding, we have a winner!
While it is clear that the Royals won't be contending for any playoff spots this year, I don't think they should go into the mode of being a seller. Rumors have it that they are actually looking to add some pieces (to the bullpen and starting lineup), since they feel their starting pitching can get them back into the race this year.
That's a very good thought and I applaud the Royals enthusiasm and optimism. But, other than Zack Greinke and Brian Bannister, your rotation isn't that great. Gil Meche isn't as bad in reality as his 4.50 era and 4 - 9 record would show, but he also isn't as good as his $55 million contract would make you think either. Luke Hochevar has been as inconsistent as any young player can be, but he's got a 5 - 3 record, so I guess he's done some things right.
With a guy like Joakim Soria (who reminds me of a young Mariano Rivera) at the back end of your bullpen, you won't blow many saves at the end of a game. But, it's the bridge to your closer that poses the problem for the Royals. Off-season acquisition Juan Cruz and Kyle Farnsworth have both shown flashes of being good and flashes of being terrible. They need more stability in the pen, but then again, who doesn't.
If you think about it, the Royals recent trade for Mariners short stop Yuniesky Betancourt, would really lead you to believe that they are in it to play for this season. Maybe I'm terribly under-estimating them, after over-estimating them during the spring, but I just don't see it. They lack a distinct power presence, they have minimal team speed at best, they don't even have any real contact hitters. No matter how good their pitching may end up being, I don't think they have the offense to put up the runs in order to win. In addition to that, I don't think they have the prospects to dangle to get the offensive pieces they may need.
Sorry Royals fans. Your post-George Brett futility is continuing until next season at least, because I don't see any tremendous second half surge from you guys.
Los Angeles Angels
Speaking as a Yankee fan, I should HATE this team. Speaking as a baseball fan, I LOVE watching this team. I don't know how they do it, whether it's the Rally Monkey or the California weather, but this team is just always good. Even after the start of their season, which saw their 3 best pitchers on the disabled list, their best young player die tragically, and injuries to Vlad Guerrero and Torii Hunter, they JUST. CONTINUE. TO. WIN! It's completely unbelievable to me.
But, here we are again, the first half is over and the Angels are poised to make another run at the division and another playoff appearance, as they open the second half at 49 - 37 and 1.5 games ahead of the Texas Rangers.
If the Angels think they can weather the storm of injuries to their outfield and not trade for any additional help out there, I think an infield bat and glove like Felipe Lopez of the Diamondbacks is someone that could certainly boost their offense.
On the pitching side, they should be in the thick of things in the Roy Halladay sweepstakes. They have the prospects they'd need to make a deal (think Brandon Wood, Ervin Santana and 2 other prospects). Or, they could go the safe route and look to acquire the Doug Davis' or Ian Snell's of the world. Either way, I see the Angels being very active near the trade deadline.
Los Angeles Dodgers
There's not much to say about this team, except, I don't know how Joe Torre does it. I wrote him off as a manager that walked into success with the Yankees and that he would be nothing more than "Clueless Joe" that he was before his run in New York. Let me proudly say, I'm eating a heaping pile of crow right now. He's a great manager and is certainly getting the best out of his players.
I expect nothing less in the second half of the season that the Dodgers didn't do in the first half of the season. They survived a 50 game suspension from their best player and still have the best record in baseball and a 7 game lead in their division. I expect an absolutely HUGE second half from Manny Ramirez, to make up for his embarrassment. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier will continue to rake the ball at the pace they have been. Orlando Hudson has been a terrific addition to the team as well. To put it bluntly, their offense is phenomenal and their pitching staff is great, so there's not much they need. But, thanks to the Joe Torre book on ruining bullpen arms, they could use a little more relief in that pen. Belisario already has his arm dangling by a thread and I fear Jonathan Broxton may not be too far behind. If they suffer any more injuries to their bullpen, it could be dire consequences out in La La Land.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers lost Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia in the off-season. Yet, somehow they are 45 - 43 and only 2.5 games behind the Central leading Cardinals. Words can't even express the surprise I have in that. Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun have been nothing short of outstanding through the first half of the season, combining for 38 home runs and 136 runs batted in. Couple that with the impressive season Mike Cameron has had and their offense is in pretty good order. They could certainly use another bat, whether it's attempting to trade for a Victor Martinez type impact bat, or a lesser commodity such as an Aubrey Huff or a Garrett Atkins. They need to find some way to get something out of their middle infielders, which they are yet to do this year. Rickie Weeks' season ending injury hurts, as well as J.J. Hardy's struggles at the plate. I would mention Bill Hall, but he's so bad I won't even waste my breath.
Pitching wise, to quote Ryan Braun "they need some help". Yovani Gallardo is having a fine season with a 3.22 era, but he has just an 8 - 7 record to show for it. And after Gallardo, it gets pretty ugly. Jeff Suppan and Braden Looper both have era's near 5. Dave Bush has an era over 5.50 and Manny Parra was banished to the minor leagues, only to see himself and his 6.78 era get quickly recalled. They need to make a trade for somebody, badly. It doesn't matter if they somehow scrounge together enough prospects to make an offer for Roy Halladay (you'd have to lose either Ryan Braun or Prince Fielder though...), or lesser deals to get the likes of a Jon Garland. Hell, you made that blockbuster deal with the Indians last year for Sabathia, give them a call and see if you can replicate that for Cliff Lee. Either way, you need help and you need it now. The only way the Brewers can have a successful second half is to make a deal. Sadly, I don't think they will, so Milwaukee fans will have to look forward to a great year from their Bucks! (crap, sorry, they suck...ugh, wait till next year)
Minnesota Twins
I can make this really simple and easy for Twins fans. You want your team to make the playoffs? You need a better starting rotation. Call in the cavalry, hypnotize Francisco Liriano and convince him he's Satchel Paige, I don't care. You aren't going to do anything of importance in the second half of the season unless you get somebody to help Nick Blackburn. Mauer and Morneau can handle the offensive duties and they have done so beautifully. But, your rotation is garbage. Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Glenn Perkins and Liriano. It's a pupu platter of trash! Fix it. Fix it now. You're 4 games out of first place. That's so close you can taste it. Too bad I don't think there are any deals on your horizon to make...Sorry
New York Mets
Oh, the Mets. What can I say about the precious Mets. Well, on the bright side, you have a really fan friendly new stadium. On the negative side of things, IT'S BIGGER THAN YOSEMITE! But, that's not something you can change. You have to live with what you're given. The Mets can't make any trades. Your farm system is completely barren of talent and frankly, whatever talent you do have, is already on your starting roster. Injuries have hurt your team terribly. It's hard to bounce back from injuries to Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes. If you add that to the fact David Wright has played more like Jose Reyes this year than he has like David Wright (duh power hitting), your team isn't going to win many games.
Frankly though, you can't blame Jerry Manuel, you can't blame the players. Blame Omar Minaya. This is the team he gave you. Even without the injuries, did you honestly think you would be competitive with a rotation (behind Santana) of Maine, Pelfrey, Perez and Livan Hernandez? If you just said yes to that question, you're obviously a Mets homer, Mike Francessa or ESPN, because anybody without a bias, knew that the Mets rotation was garbage. Then, even with injuries to Oliver Perez and John Maine, you don't call up Pedro Martinez? Really? You let him sign with one of your biggest rivals, when your team is in shambles. That just doesn't make sense. I know he's not the Pedro of 10 years ago, but I still guarantee he's better than anything you have.
I don't see any second half win streak that gets the Mets back into the race. Even if you get huge contributions from Gary Sheffield and David Wright learns how to hit for power again, it just doesn't seem plausible. Getting back Reyes, Delgado and Beltran will certainly help, but, they can't pitch for you. I just have one question to ask Mets fans, before I move on. How's it feel to know you have Oliver Perez for at least another 3 years for all that money? (ouch, too soon?)
New York Yankees
I could give you 2,000 words just based on what the Yankees can expect in the second half, but I'm trying to be objective here and not focus as much on the Yankees. So, I'll try to keep this as short and as sweet as I possibly can.
The Yankees currently find themselves in 2nd place, 3 games behind the Red Sox with a 51 - 37 record. Starting the second half fresh off an embarrassing 3 game sweep against the Angels, the Yankees find themselves pondering a few questions. How good are we? How good can we be? What will it take to get there?
To answer the first question, the Yankees are a very good team. Their run differential is among the best in baseball, which means they score a hell of a lot more than they allow. That being said, they are an extremely streaky team as well. They can look so good for 5 or 6 games at a time, then look absolutely lost for a few games.
To answer the second question, I think they can be the best team in baseball. They can certainly win the wild card, I even think the division is within their grasps as well. The World Series isn't a tough thing to get excited about either. This is a fun team to watch, it's a fun team to root for.
But, it will take a lot to get them to that point. No, I don't mean they need to break the bank for Roy Halladay. While the thought is tempting and I'm salivating at the notion of him pitching in pinstripes, it would be a short-sighted move. I've tossed back and forth about it and feel that giving up on Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes, or trading prospects like Austin Jackson and Jesus Montero, are moves the Yankees don't and shouldn't make any longer.
In order to be the team they're capable of, the Yankees don't need anything to change offensively. Their lineup is good top to bottom and Alex Rodriguez is even starting to heat up as well. What the Yankees need, is more consistency from their pitching. CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett are fine, they're known commodities, we understand what we're going to get from them and we love it. But, I'm looking in your direction Joba and at you Mr. Pettitte. The Yankees will only go as far as you two take them. This can either be an absolutely terrific team, or a good team that fell short. It rests easily on you guys. Either you get yourselves figured out and pitch at the level you expect and everyone else expects from you, or we fail. Baseball is a team game, the Yankees can't do it without you.
But, on the other hand, how about that Yankees bullpen?!? Mariano Rivera, still proving after all these years, he is the best of all-time and is showing no signs of slowing down. And what about the nice little group we have in Aceves, Coke and Hughes?? That's a modern day Mendoza, Stanton, Nelson, if you ask me.
The Yankees don't need to trade for another starting pitcher. They get Chien-Ming Wang back in about 3 weeks and he was just starting to round into his old form when he went down with his shoulder injury. I believe he can be better than any person we may trade for. The bullpen doesn't really need much in the way of trading for anything either. Damaso Marte (yes, he still exists) is on his way back from injury and Mark Melancon should drastically improve. They will prove to be the two biggest pieces of our bullpen. Brian Bruney, I'm sorry to say, is done. He just doesn't have it anymore. He's lost at least 5mph on his fastball and it's so straight with no movement, I think I could make contact.
All things being equal, I think the Yankees are primed for a breakout second half, but they've got a lot of improving to do over the course of the next 80 games, if that will really happen.
Oakland Athletics
While the Oakland Athletics are in last place in the AL West, 12 games behind the Angels and are 12 games under .500 at 37 - 49, their season is long over, but I don't see them as being sellers at the deadline. The only trading chip they have in Matt Holliday hasn't hit a home run in nearly 6 weeks and is in a tremendous slump. His stock could not be any lower than it currently is. He's staying put. You can't trade Jason Giambi, because he's not even a shell of his former Yankee self. He's basically a corpse who goes to the plate 4 times a game.
In addition to that, there are no pitchers on their roster that Billy Beane should even dream of trading. They are setting themselves up nicely for the future having a young rotation of Dallas Braden, Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson. Top that off with Andrew Bailey in the bullpen and you've got yourself a great young ball club. While the Athletics won't make any noise in the form of making the playoffs, they should be an ultra competitive team to play the rest of the season and will look to build on any second half success they see and carry it over into next season. But, this is going to be an odd trading deadline when Billy Beane won't be a factor at all.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are in first place, sporting a 48 - 38 record and currently have a 4 game lead over the Florida Marlins. They just got Raul Ibanez back from injury and Jimmy Rollins has finally begun to show some signs of life at the plate. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are having their typical All-Star seasons. Shane Victorino and Pedro Feliz have been solid contributors to the offense as well. Jayson Werth undoubtedly was the Phillies biggest surprise of the first half, blowing up to the point of 20 home runs and 56 runs batted in. Their offense isn't where they need any help.
J.A. Happ has been a welcomed addition to their starting rotation. In just 87 innings he has posted a 6 - 0 record and a 2.30 era. The rest of the starting rotation, Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Brett Myers (when he was healthy), Antonio Bastardo (when he was healthy) have all been downright terrible. The Phillies are certainly lucky that they are playing in such a weak division, or they would find themselves in serious trouble.
The Phillies will certainly be active at the trading deadline, in the market for starting pitching. Signing Pedro Martinez today was a very good start, he should be an added boost to the back end of their rotation. While he obviously isn't the pitcher he once was, he is much better than the 5.61 era he posted last season. If he pitches somewhere in between, the Phillies front office and fans will be extremely pleased. But, that won't be nearly enough! They need a top of the line, front-end starter. If they can't put a package together to get Roy Halladay (you'd have to lose Kyle Drabek, sorrrry), maybe they could package some lesser talent together to snatch Cliff Lee from the Indians. Or better yet, call the Orioles, see if you can put something together for Jeremy Guthrie. You need to get creative in your thinking, because you'll win the division with the team you currently have put together, but you don't have enough to repeat as champions. Yet...
Pittsburgh Pirates
To put this simply, the Pirates in the first half, are what they are in the second half of every season, terrible. Your offense is bad, your pitching is bad, you've got no hope. You'll probably trade Adam Laroche, but it doesn't matter. Your team is just bad. Zach Duke is your only star on the pitching staff and Andrew McCutchen is a superstar in the making. But, you're the personal trading partner for the New York Yankees and the rest of baseball.
In the last year alone, the Pirates have traded an entire outfield of Jason Bay, Nate McLouth and Xavier Nady, as well as Eric Hinske and Damaso Marte.
You can rest assured in the next 2 weeks before the trading deadline, the Pirates will be actively shopping their players. It's like a tag sale. Cheap items, available for even cheaper prices. Matt Capps? Take him. Jack Wilson? Give us $20. Freddy Sanchez? Make me a BLT. It's ridiculous.
The Pirates should probably change their name to "Pittsburgh Movers" and their motto should be "where players go to be relocated across America."
San Diego Padres
The Padres, like the Pirates are just bad. 36 - 52, 20 games out of first place. It'll be a long time before the Padres are competitive again. The only thing Padres fans have to look forward to for the second half of the season, is the day it ends.
Your best player is Adrian Gonzalez, and he has a cast of mediocre players surrounding him. You tried trading Jake Peavy to the White Sox, he turned the deal down and promptly got hurt. You'll surely trade him in the off-season. Heath Bell, the lone star of your pitching staff will be lucky to make it 2 more weeks with your team. I don't see anything good coming for you. Well, I mean, I guess the weather is nice in San Diego?
San Francisco Giants
You're winning the wildcard Giants fans. That's all your second half preview needs to tell you. Tim Lincecum is becoming one of the best. In San Francisco he's like a Messiah on the Mound. The 1, 2 punch that Lincecum and Matt Cain pose for the Giants, make them a dangerous team to face at any time, whether its regular season or post-season. The Giants are almost assured victories on 2 out of every 5 days. Last week, Jonathan Sanchez pitches a no hitter and would've had a perfect game if Juan Uribe knew how to catch a groundball. Barry Zito isn't as bad as he used to be. Suddenly things in San Francisco are looking a bit more cheerful!
On the downside of things, your offense is horrible. You need an Aubrey Huff or a Freddy Sanchez just to provide a little more support. But, I doubt it will matter much, because hey, you're riding high with Lince and Cain. Enjoy it while you can, because you don't know when it will end. Needless to say, the Giants are going to win plenty of games in the second half and mark my words, they will make the NL West a race. I doubt they'll catch the Dodgers, but they will make them sweat a little bit. You just wait and see.
Keep the Giants in mind as a dark horse candidate to land Roy Halladay. Can you imagine that rotation in a 7 game series? (bear in mind, I'd expect the Giants to give up Matt Cain to get him)
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners are a lot better than people think. Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn as a top 3 are as good as any other 3 in the league. Russell Branyan was the surprise of the first half, pounding out 22 home runs. Ichiro Suzuki is having another stellar season, batting .362. They are lurking. Consider them the Marlins of the American League. At 46 - 42 they remain just 4 games behind the Angels in the AL West. They're only 5 games behind the Yankees in the Wild Card. They are there for the long haul.
With the recent trade of Yuniesky Betancourt and Ronny Cedeno batting just .168, they could be in the market for a middle infielder (Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez). They could also try and make a big splash by acquiring a power bat to have in the meat of the order (Aubrey Huff or Miguel Tejada even).
The Mariners are one of the few teams who aren't in dire need of pitching help. They have a strong top 3 of their rotation, Jason Vargas has come on nicely posting a 3.87 era and Brandon Morrow still figures into the discussion of being their 5th starter. (I'd say maybe they'd be interested in someone like Ian Snell or Carl Pavano, but I think Morrow is better than both). There had been rumblings that the Mariners were looking to possibly trade Erik Bedard, but they can't in good conscience do it. Nor would it make sense to do it when they're this close to being in the playoff race
The Mariners bullpen is arguably their greatest strength. Closer David Aardsma has saved 20 games and boasts a miniscule 1.96 era, while middle relievers Mark Lowe, Miguel Batista and Sean White have provided incredible relief as well.
While I'm not sure the Mariners have the talent to sustain a full season of this type of success, I think they will go right down to the wire and be in the discussion for the playoffs, if nothing else. It'll be an entertaining summer in Seattle, for the first time since the Sonics moved to Oklahoma (ouch, was that too soon?).
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals currently find themselves at 49 - 42 and in first place in the NL Central. This is certainly a position not many people figured them to be in at the beginning of the season. They figure to be a factor the rest of the season as well, showing no signs of slowing down. Offensively, they have the greatest player on the planet in Albert Pujols leading them. I predict a second half explosion from Mr. Pujols that will see him win the triple crown award. I also see the Cardinals lose a bunch of games in the process, because there will be a time eventually that he gets the Barry Bonds treatment (repeated intentional walks) and force the other hitters in the lineup (Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel, Mark DeRosa) to beat the opposing team.
That could very well be the achilles heel for the Cardinals. They have had much maligned hitting outside of Pujols and Colby Rasmus this season. Adding Mark DeRosa, who now finds himself on the disabled list helps, but they could use something more. (perhaps call up Billy Beane and see how Matt Holliday is feeling? Or call up the Pirates and ask about the availability of Jack Wilson? I'm not saying they need 40 home runs, they just need somebody to make contact).
On the pitching side of things, Adam Wainwright has been nothing short of their ace after the first half of the season and I see no reason why that won't continue into the second half. Chris Carpenter, even with his oblique injury from early in the season, seems to be rounding into top form and pitching like he used to. With Joel Piniero having a good first half and Kyle Lohse expected to get into the swing of things after being out so long with a forearm injury, the Cardinals can make some noise with their rotation. They aren't going away any time soon.
What can I say about their bullpen? Ryan Franklin is a beast. 0.79 era? Are you kidding me? Dude's got a sick beard too. After trading Chris Perez for Mark DeRosa last month, the Cardinals could use another arm in the pen, but I think with their rotation and Albert mashing at the plate, the second half should be just as good as the first half for the Cards.
Tampa Bay Rays
Let me just say, the Tampa Bay Rays, scare me. They are good and only getting better. Last year was no fluke and the poor start they got off to tihs season was simply a mirage, because this team is one of the top 5 teams in all of baseball. Crawford, Longoria, Upton, Pena, my head hurts just thinking about facing that lineup.
The scariest part? If they somehow found the money to afford Roy Halladay's contract for NEXT season, he'd be in a Rays uniform by the end of this sentence. They have the prospects to part to acquire Halladay. If by some chance they secured the funds, or found a way to afford Halladay's salary for next season, the Rays would be the favorites for the World Series.
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Add another arm to that bullpen via trade (Danys Baez, Latroy Hawkins, Jose Valverde, Chad Qualls, Heath Bell, to name a few), and the Rays bullpen woes are solved as well. This is going to be the best team in the second half of the season, you can almost count on it. If they make the big splash and get Roy Halladay? Well, then it's football season for me.
Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers, for the first time in years, are finally having a good season! Rangers fans are excited about the chances this team has for the second half, hell, even the players are optimistic for a change! 48 - 39 and only 1.5 games behind the Angels (who they have OWNED this season) and there are reasons for much optimism in Texas.
I don't even need to discuss their offense. It's good and doesn't need any tinkering with whatsoever. Michael Young, Marlon Byrd, Nelson Cruz, Josh Hamilton, Elvis Andrus, they're all good, they can all hit. This time will go as far as Mike Maddux and their pitching staff can take them. Adding a bullpen arm is an important aspect (the same names from before, whether it's a Qualls, Hawkins, etc) for the team to maintain their level of success, but the biggest crutch this team has is in their starting rotation. They have no true ace. Don't get me wrong, Kevin Millwood has been good and they have a lot of talent in that rotation, but they're missing that big game starter that every team craves.
If the Rangers owner Tom Hicks wasn't in the financial trouble that he is currently in, you can bet your bottom dollar that Elvis Andurs, Taylor Teargarden and Neftali Perez would be at the airport boarding a flight for Toronto, while Roy Halladay flew to Texas. The Rangers will hang tough with the Angels the second half, they'll beat them head to head, but it's how they do against their other opponents that'll determine how this season ends for the Rangers. They just need one more man to get them over that hump...
Toronto Blue Jays
I'll make this easy for J.P. Ricciardi, trade Roy Halladay. Don't be a fool man! You're sitting on a gold mine and you're trying to tell teams you won't allow them to negotiate a contract extension?!?!? HAVE YOU GONE MAD? You're going to end up screwing this up so badly, it'll cost you your job. Mark my words, the trade, or non-trade of Roy Halladay, will be the only thing J.P. Ricciardi is remembered for and that isn't going to be a good thing.
You've got the best pitcher in the American League over the past 8 years on your team, he's in the middle of his prime at the age of 32, his contract runs out at the end of next season and you're playing hard ball? If you don't want to rush into things and trade him during the season, that's fine, you're entitled to that. But, if you don't trade him in the off-season, for the king's ransom package you can get for him and you lose him to free agency and only receive 2 draft picks for him, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Trade Roy Halladay. I can't get much more straight forward than that. I don't care where you trade him, it doesn't matter. Nor should it matter to you. Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, Rangers, Rays, who cares? Just get the best offer you can for him. Don't sell yourself short. Don't sell him short. He's given you nearly 10 great years of his life to play for you, you owe him.
Oh yea, I think the Blue Jays will play some games in the second half and you probably won't win many of them
Washington Nationals
For the love of all that is good and holy, sign Stephen Strasburg. That's all you have to do. That's all you have to worry about. Who cares about your stupid team? You're terrible anyway. Nobody watches you play. Your fans don't even care about your team. All your fans care about is signing Stephen Strasburg. Dangle that carrot in front of his face and let him bite.
Reading that you have ONLY offered him a minor league contract makes me angry and I've never met the kid, nor will I ever meet the kid. That is an absolute (originally there was 5 or 6 expletive laced words written here that I've since removed because this is a family friendly blog) deal and we all know it. Offer him the contract he rightly deserves. If you screw this one up, no Nationals fan will EVER go to another game again.
And believe me, everybody wants the Nationals to sign Strasburg, they want to see this deal get done, because they want to see this kid pitch.
Well, everyone except people in Montreal. Those bitter Expos fans are laughing their asses off right now.
And there you have it. We just previewed the second half for every team in baseball. Are you still with me? If you actually have been able to stay coherent enough and interested enough to read all of this, then frankly, God bless you. I can honestly say I am impressed. I put a lot of work into this particular column, over 5 and a half hours it has taken me to write. I started this at 11pm and it is nearly 5am and I'm just finishing it.
You're probably thinking why didn't I just stop? Well, it's honestly because I'm that dedicated to my writing. I wanted to get this article out bright and early since the second half of the season starts in about 14 hours. We've gone through all the teams, you heard my opinions on every little tidbit. Now it's time to watch some baseball.
This is why I love Summer. It's time to weed out the contenders and the pretenders. We'll go from 30 teams spread out over 2 leagues and 6 divisions, to 8 teams having the chance to play in October and only 2 teams will reach the promised land of the World Series, with just 1 raising that trophy high above their heads while being showered in champagne.
If you don't like what I said about your team, well then please, let me know what you think! Leave a comment or send me an e-mail and let your opinion be heard!
As always, until next time
