Around the Diamond
By Bodog
Never has one player commanded so much speculation on the sports betting scene. The media have breathlessly reported about his possible destinations for weeks, jumping on the tiniest shreds of evidence. A championship could hang in the balance.
We’re talking about Cliff Lee, of course. The Seattle Mariners traded three prospects to the Philadelphia Phillies last December to acquire Lee, the centerpiece of an offseason makeover that promised to lift the Mariners back to the top of the American League West. Lee himself has been fantastic: 8-3 in 13 starts with a 2.34 ERA. The M’s offense got worse, not better, and they’re back in the AL West standings at 34-50 (-18.14 units).
The latest Lee story at press time has the Mariners in discussion with the Texas Rangers about a possible deal. This was just hours after similar reports pegged the Cincinnati Reds and Minnesota Twins as candidates. The rumored deal with the Twins: outfielder Aaron Hicks and catcher Wilson Ramos, which some reports are calling the best deal on the table right now. It’s quite a deal, too. Hicks is ranked No. 19 among all MLB prospects by ESPN’s Keith Law, who calls Hicks a “premium tools” blue-chipper in the outfield. Ramos checks in at No. 42 with a fantastic arm and a good bat, although perhaps too big for the position at a listed 6-foot and probably taller.
Like all the LeBron James stories, the Cliff Lee carousel is mostly spin. But chances are he’ll land somewhere soon, and that team is going to be a serious World Series contender – just like the Phillies were last year when they obtained Lee from the Cleveland Indians at the trade deadline. Lee won both of his World Series starts against the New York Yankees, who took the series anyway 4-2.
This is all assuming Lee stays healthy. Injuries to pitchers can be devastating for a ball club, as the Chicago White Sox are about to discover. Jake Peavy (7-6, 4.63 ERA) has seen his stats balloon dramatically since leaving the San Diego Padres, where he played at pitcher-friendly Petco Park. Now he’s on the 15-day DL with a completely separated latissimus muscle that could end his season.
The White Sox (45-38, 5.48 units) have gone 17-4 since the middle of June to recover from a poor start, giving Chicago fans hope for a repeat of their pitcher-driven 2005 World Series championship. There’s still plenty of quality in the rotation with Mark Buehrle (7-7, 4.53 ERA), John Danks (7-7, 3.58 ERA), Gavin Floyd (4-7, 4.43 ERA) and the rejuvenated Freddy Garcia (9-3, 4.36 ERA), and the bullpen has been solidified with the arrival of set-up man J.J. Putz (5-2, 1.69 ERA, seven holds). But the team ranks No. 22 in the majors with a .323 OBP, made worse by manager Ozzie Guillen’s “small ball” tactics. They need premium pitching in order to succeed.
Naturally, folks in Chi-Town are jumping on the Cliff Lee train. Gordon Beckham is having a horrible sophomore slump at second base for the Pale Hose, his OPS plunging from .808 to .551. The Mariners have needs all over the infield. It’ll take a lot more than Beckham to land Lee, but it’s a start.
If only the Mariners had been willing to lose a little more often. On September 25, 2008, they were in last place in the majors at 58-101, 1.5 games game worse than the Washington Nationals. The prize for tanking: the opportunity to pick Stephen Strasburg first overall in the 2009 draft. Lo and behold, the M’s swept their final series of the regular season against the Oakland Athletics. The Nationals gleefully honked their series against the Phillies and grabbed Strasburg.
The M’s took first baseman/outfielder Dustin Ackley second overall. They’re trying to convert Ackley into a second baseman in the AA-Southern League, where he’s posting a .760 OPS. Time will tell whether they succeed. Meanwhile, Strasburg is 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA in six starts for the Nats, striking out 13.01 batters per nine innings. He’s not the only 2009 pick doing well this year; Mike Leake, the eighth overall pick by the Reds, is 6-1 with a 3.38 ERA. Maybe he’ll end up in Seattle after all in exchange for Lee. Strasburg definitely won’t be going anywhere for a while.