Wild And Careless Trade Speculation

In full disclosure, I have no inside information or contacts. Unless you count the left field security guard at Turner Field. Even then, Rodney can really only tell me what the bat boy schedule looks like. Since we're a general baseball blog, I also don't know your team's specific needs and minor league system as well as you do. But let's do some wild and careless trade speculation anyway.



Adam Dunn
The slugger finally gets dealt from the Nats to the White Sox for Edwin Jackson. I know this one isn't exactly wild or careless but I promise they're coming. I don't like Edwin as much as the Nats do but then again neither does anyone else but his parents. Dunn loves Washington for some reason and could be brought back in the offseason.

Cody Ross
While not available, he gets dealt to the Braves for a prospect package built around one of the Braves top 10 pitching prospect. I don't understand why teams are fawning over Ross and his 94 OPS+ but I guess he can play all 3 outfield spots. The Braves could use another outfielder after sending Nate McLouth to AAA for being as terrible as we all expected.

Carlos Zambrano
The Cubs trade their clinically insane former ace to the South Side where Kenny Williams doesn't mind bringing on bad contracts of formerly good pitchers. Zambrano is so bad though, the Cubs will still eat a good bit of the contract and receive only a broken pitching machine and a tarp that has several gaping holes in it.

Scott Downs
This one has also been rumored but seems wild. Toronto deals Downs to the Yankees for Joba Chamberlain. The Yanks would basically be replacing Joba's role with Downs. Toronto would be buying low again with Joba and maybe they could give him another turn at starting. They couldn't screw him up any worse than the Yankees did.

Mike Lowell
The Red Sox finally deal the oft-injured hitter to my backyard Wiffle Ball team. We were short on power and were convinced he could still play third. We end up being wrong and regret sending the 80 buffalo wings and gallon of daquiris to Boston.

Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui
The Angels send the pair to the Yankees for old time's sake. After the Yanks acquired Lance Berman, they decide to go get all of the remaining old players who can't play the outfield anymore. In exchange, the Angels receive a ball signed by Mickey Mantle and George Costanza.

Prince Fielder
The Brewers trade the massive slugger to the Angels for all of their minor league pitchers who weren't drafted over the past two years. The Angels swoop in out of nowhere again and pay the big fella arbitration next season while he DH's and Morales comes back to play first base. The Angels forgo signing Fielder to an extension after he rediscovers his love of meat and leaves a wake of destruction at every In-N-Out Burger in Southern California.

Wilson Betemit, Andy Marte
Are not only traded for each other but are then immediately traded back for each other. Derwood writes 2,000 words about it.

Ted Lilly
Despite being bankrupt and not allowed to add any payroll, the Rangers swing yet another deal to add Lilly to their rotation. Then sign him to a massive extension. I never know what they're doing down there.

Important Seinfeld Syndication News

With the recent passing of Yankee Godfather George Steinbrenner, there have been plenty of tributes across the baseball community. My favorite starts Monday at 7 pm on TBS. TBS will run 10 episodes of Seinfeld (7 and 7:30 M-F) featuring Larry David's version of The Boss and, I assume, the cameo appearance from the real Steinbrenner. Monday's first episode will, of course, be the calzone episode. This post has actually inspired me to have a calzone for lunch.



I like mine with steak and banana peppers. I'm a big Seinfeld fan and loved the Steinbrenner stuff. So you can join me on Twitter for some of the episodes this week. In the meantime, I'm going to spoil a few shows with some of my other favorite clips. Starting with blog enemy/favorite Hideki Irabu and Frank Costanza's brilliant insight...



Fantastic. Frank Costanza had a better tirade though, when he unleashed on The Boss about the Jay Buhner trade. It's such a good clip but I feel bad about giving them clicks since they wouldn't let me embed it.

The Larry David Steinbrenner was so great you'd have to watch those episodes a couple of times to catch all the funny. The episode where he sings "Heartbreaker" is a good example.



Favorite lines: "Won't you paint my shoes for free" and (talking to grandchildren) "Anything? Shorty? Girl?"

Of course, the Billy Martin rant is one of my absolute favorites.



And George Steinbrenner's cameo on Seinfeld was excellent but I think Elaine stole the show when she summons her inner-Steinbrenner at the end of the clip.



In other news and because Steinbrenner was a charitable man, we have an opportunity to give back ourselves. Help us support our BBA brethren and help out a good cause. The Boss would be proud of you. Here's how you can help...

Pitch In For Baseball is delighted to have been selected to
participate in State Farm's 'Go To Bat' campaign. Now we need your
help!

'Go To Bat' was launched nationally during the State Farm Home Run
Derby. 'Go To Bat' gives entrants a chance to win tickets to the
upcoming World Series and selected charity partners the chance to
receive significant financial support.

Here's how to play and how to help Pitch In For Baseball:


* Go to www.statefarm.com/gotobat to register for your chance to
win World Series tickets.
* As you register, you will get a chance to designate a charity
that could win up to $25,000/week.
* To designate Pitch In For Baseball as your charity, select
PUBLIC GOOD as the charity category and then choose Pitch In For
Baseball from the drop down list.
* Revisit www.statefarm.com/gotobat each day and play the 'Go To
Bat' online game to increase your chances for tickets and Pitch In For
Baseball's chance at financial support

Shot Of The Night

Shot Of The Night is Off Base Percentage's toast to a player who had an exceptionally good or bad night. There's always a reason to drink.

Tonight's shot of the night is a SoCo Giant: 1/2 Southern Comfort® peach liqueur, 1/2 Red Bull® energy drink, splash of soda. Splash of soda? You can check your purse at the door, thank you. Real baseball is back after Bud Selig's little National League-American League play date. If you didn't pay attention because you had ESPY fever, the NL totally wet-willied the AL this year. The first time since George Costanza was in charge of Steinbrenner's calzones. I think. Anyway, the shot of the night is in honor of Tim Lincecum.

The reigning, repeat NL Cy Young award winner threw a complete game shutout. He gave up 6 hits and a walk while striking out 5. The Johnson, Jimenez, Halladay trio are quite formidable but I have a hard time counting Tim out for the Cy Young. Carlos Beltran returned for the Mets and went 1-4. He's now hitting .250/.250/.250 for the season. I figured that was a sign and put $20 on 250 at the roulette table at the Treasure Chest and lost. Apparently roulette doesn't go to 250 and I was betting on a square of carpet.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Howard
Howard went 3-5 with 2 home runs and 2 strikeouts. The Phillies still got rocked by the Cubs 12-6. This would never happen if Chase Utley wasn't hurt. And Chase Utley wouldn't be hurt if more people voted for him for MVP. I have an entire thesis based on that. Unfortunately, Dave Cameron doesn't respond to my emails.

RIP George Steinbrenner

I think Derwood will probably have a better post on this later. He is the Off Base Yankees fan. But Yankee owner extraordinaire George Steinbrenner past away early Tuesday morning at the age of 80. It is truly a sad day for baseball. Steinbrenner was great for the sport. You either loved him or hated him but there was no ignoring him. He was a visionary and an exceptionally charitable man. He was also the Emperor of The Evil Empire and fired Billy Martin 700 times. He changed baseball and hired George Costanza. And for that, I thank him. Rest in peace George.

Larry David Steinbrenner



Actual George Steinbrenner