Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Fantasy Football Deep Sleepers

By now, almost every fantasy football ‘expert’ has created a list of sleepers for people to target. In fact, we’ve even done a podcast on it (take a listen – we know what we’re talking about. Money back guarantee on that). But it takes someone with some real knowledge and stones to provide a list of some really deep sleepers for you all to keep an eye on for later in the year. Thankfully for you all, Mr. Dave’s Sports Blog is not afraid to make these predictions.

Now, none of these players should be drafted unless you happen to be in an insanely deep league. However, these are people that will probably earn jobs by the end of the year. Keep an eye on them, put them on a watch list, and remember that these people could be the next Peyton Hillis or Mike Vick. Of course, it’s just as likely they could be the next person you see bagging your groceries at the local Food Mart. Anyway, onto the list!

Quarterback – Colin Kaepernick: Here’s a news flash for all of you – Alex Smith just isn’t that good. He has never thrown for more than 2890 yards in a season. He has 51 career touchdowns to 53 career interceptions. He has not proven to have the ability to manage a game and to actually win a game, as attested to by his 19-31 record as a starting quarterback. Kaepernick is mobile, has a better arm than Smith does, and is actually accurate with the ball. The quarterback in San Fran is going to be protected this year, as they plan on making Frank Gore the centerpiece of their offense, but that would only help a rookie like Kaepernick. Chances are, he’s starting by Week 8 (San Fran has a bye on Week 7), and can provide some solid fantasy league points as a duel threat quarterback.

Running Back – DeMarco Murray: The Dallas Cowboys have had a tendency over the past couple of years to utilize all three running backs on their roster. This year, they got rid of Marion Barber III, and drafted DeMarco Murray in the third round. Murray is a perfect fit for what the Cowboys want to do on offense, as he can catch the ball and is a great runner. Also, he has a knack for finding the end zone, with 63 total touchdowns in his college career. Keep in mind that for all the fantasy love that Felix Jones is getting, he has scored eight touchdowns total in his NFL career. With Murray’s track record of being able to score in college, chances are that he gets a shot with the ball near the goal line. In fact, it could end up where Murray is starting over Jones at the end of the year, as there are questions about his durability. At any rate, Murray could prove quite valuable in fantasy leagues, especially in touchdown leagues.

Wide Receiver – Eric Decker: Here’s the deal with Decker – what else is there ahead of him on the depth chart? Brandon Lloyd put together a career year in his eighth season. Prior to that, he was an afterthought for fantasy league purposes. Can he really do it again? Eddie Royal had a strong rookie season, then fell off the map last year. Meanwhile, Decker was a first round talent that the Broncos got in the third round due to an injury he suffered in college. This essentially turned his rookie season to a redshirt year. Decker has been playing the Z receiver and in the slot with the starting unit all training camp. He has great hands, knows how to run precise routes, and is a big target in the red zone. Also, it helps that Kyle Orton is actually a much better quarterback than people seem to realize. As long as Orton does not get Tebowed this year again, someone in that offense can have a huge year catching the ball. Decker would be a good option, as would….

Tight End – Julius Thomas: Thomas is right now behind Daniel Fells on the Denver Broncos depth chart. However, is happens to be a much better receiver, and tight end in general, than Fells, despite having only played two years of organized football. Already nicknamed ‘Mr. Red Zone’ by his Broncos teammates, Thomas was a former basketball player for Portland State, whose size and leaping ability will translate to the pros. It may take a bit before he sees consistant action, but he has the potential to be a touchdown scoring machine when he finally sees the field. Remember this name for around the middle of the season, and be ready to snag his talents.

Kicker and Defense: Look, we’re not going to waste your time by trying to predict something as nebulous as a kicker and a defensive unit. To illustrate the insanity of that, keep the following in mind: Arizona, who was a terrible defense for all intents and purposes, finished third in standard scoring leagues for defense due to defensive touchdowns. Sebastian Janikowski was undrafted in most leagues, and led kickers in points. Trying to predict these positions makes as much sense as stapling Jell-O to the ceiling. However, there are a couple of things to look at when trying to make your selections for these positions.

For kickers, it is better to find a bad offense than a good one. While this sounds contradictory, given the nature of the position, here’s the reason – bad offenses do not score touchdowns. Chances are, most of their points will come off of field goals, which benefits the kicker in a fantasy league format. As such, you want an accurate kicker with a strong leg on a bad team. After all, how else would Janikowski be considered the top kicker in any respect, aside from being able to eat Twinkies and down six packs of beer?

Now for defenses. The best thing to look at with a defense is their pass rush. If a defense can get to the quarterback, that will disguise a number of deficencies in other areas. By putting pressure on the quarterback, passes will not be as accurate, allowing even a terrible secondary to make plays. Also, sacks can lead to fumbles and turnovers, as the strip sack has become rather vogue in the NFL at this point. Find a defense with a strong pass rush, and you will have yourself a solid fantasy league defense.

Hopefully these predictions help you all out later in the year. Remember, these are not players that should be drafted in any but the deepest leagues, yet you should keep them in the back of your mind for mid season pickups.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Panthers Cannot Even Eat Correctly

Well, the Jeremy Shockey signing already paid one dividend for the Carolina Panthers.

When third string tight end Ben Hartsock was choking on a piece of pork tenderloin in the team cafeteria, Shockey came to his aid. Hartsock had been heading to the bathroom when the incident occurred, and Shockey hit him in the back, dislodging the pork from his throat.

Good for Shockey for being there and reacting quickly enough to save a teammate’s life. Yet, this is just another indictment as to how incompetent this organization is. Hell, they cannot even chew right. This is the organization that drafted Jimmy Clausen in the second round last year, only to draft Akili Smith 2.0 in Cam Newton this year, essentially lighting a draft pick on fire. They let Julius Peppers walk as a free agent, only to hand a $30Million signing bonus to Charles Johnson and his one year of production. They have consistently bombed in their attempts to get a legitimate second receiver next to Steve Smith since Mushin Muhammad left, and that includes the re-signing of the aforementioned Muhammad. Should we really expect them to know how to eat?

And this incompetence goes back to Shockey here as well. Smacking someone on the back while they are choking is actually one of the WORST things you can do, short of lighting the person on fire or stabbing them with a machete. Yes, it worked in this case, but that is not something that typically produces good results.

Hartsock is doing fine now, and Shockey deserves credit for his quick thinking. Regardless, this is just a microcosm of how incompetent the Panthers truly are.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Problem With The Cubs

The previous week, the Cubs finally got around to firing Jim Hendry. This was a move that needed to be done a long time ago, yet the Cubs showed a lot of patience and leeway with someone who displayed an amazing amount of gross incompetence at his position.

During his tenure, Hendry had a habit of overpaying players based on their prime years, or players coming off of career years. Unfortunately, those prime years were often on other teams. Here are a few of the contracts that he signed players to:
  • Alfonso Soriano – 8 years, $136Million, no-trade clause
  • Kosuke Fukudome – 4 years, $48Million, no-trade clause that he was able to get Fukudome to waive
  • Milton Bradley – 3 years, $30Million
  • Jacque Jones – 3 years, $15Million
  • Jason Marquis – 3 years, $21Million
  • Carlos Zambrano – 5 years, $91.5Million, no-trade clause
  • Carlos Pena – 1 year, $10Million
With his horrific history in free agency and as a general manager, why did the Cubs allow him to continue in this role? Perhaps the answer lies deeper in the history and psyche of the organization. Since the Cubs last won the World Series in 1908, they have had 44 winning seasons over the past 103 years. Of those 44, 25 were before 1947. This equates to the Cubs having 19 winning seasons in 64 years. Losing is part of the tradition in Cubs Land, and they do not seem to want to change this.

So, why do the Cubs embrace their status as losers? Hell, sportscasters refer to them as the ‘Lovable Losers’ on a continual basis. Despite this, their fans do not care. Wrigley is packed almost every night, as the Cubs fans seem to treat it as a bar with the world’s most expensive cover charge. The baseball game is secondary – it’s about sitting on the bleachers and drinking beer with a few friends. They would be better served just doing that at a bar with the game on the television. Why should management change anything, when the ballpark is filled all the time?

If the Cubs are serious about building a contender, they need to change this mentality immediately. They need respected baseball people in decision making positions that understand what it takes to win. They need a general manager that is intelligent, capable of evaluating players and personnel, and is willing to build up their farm system. They need a manager that will change the culture of the clubhouse and make the players into winners. In short, they need to stop being the Cubs.

However, this will not happen. The Cubs will replace Jim Hendry with someone else equally incompetent. Someone like Omar Minaya. Enjoy another 100 years without a title, Cubs fans. Ownership doesn’t care enough to bring you one.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Terrell Pryor's Future

Yesterday, the Oakland Raiders surrendered a 2012 third round draft choice to take Terrelle Pryor in the NFL Supplemental Draft. Given Al Davis’s lust for players with speed and size, the fact that he went to the Raiders is not shocking. What did surprise a number of pundits was that the Raiders used their third round selection to take him.

On the surface, this seems like a bit of a reach. Most people figured that he would cost a fifth or sixth round draft choice. If the Raiders were concerned that a team worse than they were would have selected Pryor, the logical move was to use a better pick. However, the Raiders did not have a fourth round selection in next year’s draft, hence why they had to use the third round selection.

With Pryor now being taken by a team, people now wonder what position he is going to play. He was a tremendous college quarterback, much like Tim Tebow. Also like Tebow, many think that the best chance for him to make an impact would be to switch positions. Yet, unlike Tebow, Pryor’s entire throwing motion does not need to be overhauled to the extent Tebow’s needs to be. Pryor certainly has the arm and ability to play quarterback in the NFL, unlike Tebow.

Oakland is also a solid landing spot for Pryor, which is a moderately shocking concept. He can be groomed as a quarterback of the future, which is something the Raiders need to develop. Having Jason Campbell, a solid NFL quarterback and a good citizen as a mentor, will help Pryor’s acclimation to the league. Once the mental part of the game is there, Pryor could be quite dangerous as a quarterback. With that speed and the threat of his arm, Pryor will be able to make plays with his legs, either by getting time for his receivers to get open or by running for first downs. While it is unlikely that Pryor turns into a game changing player in the mold of a Mike Vick, there are a few similarities in their abilities. Should he turn into anything even close to Vick, the Raiders got a steal.

Terrelle Pryor has a future in the NFL. And it will be as a quarterback for the Raiders.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Handling College Scandals

In light of recent allegations made by convicted felon Nevin Shapiro, the University of Miami is looking at a bleak future. In claims made to Yahoo! Sports, he has claimed to have given money, prostitutes, and even paid for an abortion for over seventy former and current players at the university. Shapiro had access to places that most people were not allowed to go into, and was often seen out with players at nightclubs, parties, and other venues.

As such, there are rumors that the University of Miami could be given the death penalty, which would set the program back for a long time. The days of the U being one of the preeminent college football factories would be all but over. The brunt of the punishment would fall upon players and a coaching staff that had nothing to do with the situation, but would be forced to play under the realization that they are essentially screwed.

Yet, is this the best solution? To punish a team, and subsequently players, for years that may not have had anything to do with the scandal? Often, the coaching staff that was in charge during the payoffs and scandals has long since left. The players are no longer with the university. Regardless, the institution and their football team bares the brunt of the punishment while those responsible walk away without any repercussions. Is this truly in the best interests of the NCAA?

There is a better way. Place these sanctions on the coach and, if he has knowledge of the situation, the athletic director that were there during that time. The coach leaves, the sanctions follow the coach and athletic director. Do not place the punishment upon people that had nothing to do with what was happening. Put the punishment where it belongs – on those responcible.

By doing so, it takes away the safety net of being able to move to another program and not have to deal with the problem. For instance, why should Pete Carroll be able to go to another college with a clean slate when his former school is paying for transgressions that occurred under his watch? It is not right. Make Carroll pay for what happened, not people that were not even there.

This would be the best course of action, and would cause coaches to pay more attention to what is actually happening off the field. However, this is a logical solution, and any entity that thinks a playoff to determine a national champion is wrong obviously cannot be expected to do the logical thing.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Eli Manning's Delusions of Grandeur

Allow us for a moment to take a look at one Tom Brady. We have before us a quarterback that has won three Super Bowls, is considered an all-time great at his position, and is a top five quarterback for the history of the NFL. Brady understands an offense, manages to avoid making mistakes with the football, and does not get completely flummoxed when things around him are not going perfectly.

Matching up with Brady, there is Peyton Manning. Peyton has won a Super Bowl himself, is on pace to shatter the passing records held by one Wrangler jeans wearing gunslinger from Mississippi, and is essentially an offensive coordinator in the guise of a football player. Another top five quarterback of all time, and one of the few players in football history that can be considered on par with Brady.

Then there is Peyton's brother Eli. Eli, who constantly throws terrible passes into double or triple coverage with the consistency of one gunslinger, only without the arm strength or receiving help. Eli, who is easily confused and flustered when a defense attacks him. Eli, who has made one Pro Bowl in his seven year career. Eli, who according to footballreference.com, compares best to David Garrard and Jake Delhomme for his career.

So, which of the Mannings would think they are in the same class as Tom Brady?

If you guessed Peyton, you would be wrong. That's right, ol' Eli thinks he is a top notch quarterback and in the same class as Tom Brady. Well, some news for you Eli. Brady is top five all-time. You're not even top ten in the NFL presently. When the game is on the line, aside for that one ridiculous helmet catch made by David Tyree (his last NFL reception, incidentally), no one is going to pick you over Brady.

Let's compare careers. Brady has a total of 103 interceptions over ten years. Eli has 113 in six years. Brady averages passing for 239.6 yards per game, Eli 215.7. Brady's quarterback rating is 95.2 - fifth best in NFL history and fourth amongst current players. Eli is at 80.2 for a rating, which is 57th all time, and 23rd amongst current players. In fact, Eli ranks below such players as Jason Campbell, Jake Delhomme, and Matt Cassel in quarterback rating amongst active players. Brady completes 63.6% of his passes, Eli 58%. Brady is a six time Pro-Bowler, two time MVP, two time Super Bowl MVP, and a two time first team All-Pro. Eli has that one Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl MVP. That's it.

If this was high school, Brady would be in the advanced placement courses, and looking to get into a prestigious university with a full scholarship. Eli would be barely passing, and looking to either join the workforce or struggle at a community college. Same class? No chance.

Where did these delusions of grandeur come from? Did the glue from the fake mustache he wore in his most recent advertisement create fumes that gave him hallucinations? Has he been hit in the head a few too many times? Did Peyton give him one of those 'Priceless Pep Talks'? Is being adequate really enough to make him think that he's actually a competent quarterback?

The only way Eli Manning is in the same class as Tom Brady is in his dreams. Someone should wake him up and bring him to reality.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

A Tale of Two Milestone

When Derek Jeter was staring down 3000 hits, it was practically impossible to avoid coverage of his quest. Whenever one turned on ESPN, looked at a sports website, or listened to a baseball game, there was Jeter. It got to a point where it almost seemed as though it was a part of his contract that he needed to be mentioned everywhere. Of course, if it was, Alex Rodriguez would have negotiated a clause in his contract where he needed to be mentioned more than Jeter.

Meanwhile, there was another player marching towards a milestone. In fact, the milestone that he was chasing was more exclusive than getting to 3000 hits. While Jeter became the 28th player to get 3000 hits, only seven people had gotten to this other feat. Yet, due to the low profile approach to the game the player has, very little attention was paid to his quest. The player? Jim Thome. The milestone? 600 home runs.
With a two home run game last night, Thome became the eighth player to get to 600 home runs for a career. His name now joins players like Mays, Ruth, Aaron, Griffey, Bonds, A-Rod, and Sosa. Yet, it seems as though no one cares. Why is this?

There are a number of reasons for this. First, Thome never really captured the imagination of America. He has only been an All-Star five times over his twenty year career. He has never finished higher than fourth in the MVP vote. He has played for teams that aren’t exactly constantly on television with the Indians, Phillies, White Sox, Dodgers, and Twins. His peak was during the height of the steroid era, where he was being overshadowed by players like Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, and A-Rod. He just isn’t an exciting player.

Secondly, there is the entire steroid era. Thome has never been linked to PEDs, but he played during that era. Baseballs were leaving the yard with amazing frequency. In fact, three of the players he joins in the 600 home run club have been linked to steroids, and one is an admitted user. Yet Thome was never hauled in front of Congress, was never the focus of a smear campaign headed by Major League Baseball, and just destroyed the ol’ horsehide with regularity.

This actually leads to the third reason. Due to the steroid era, people are jaded with home run hitters. Remember the old baseball ad stating ‘Chicks dig the long ball’? Maybe they did back in the day, but now people just expect them to happen. Over the past decade, five players joined the 600 home run club. Meanwhile, only three players have joined the 3000 hit club in the same time frame. The oversaturation of the home run in baseball has led people to think that 3000 hits are a more difficult accomplishment to get to, when that is simply not the case.

When Derek Jeter got to 3000 hits, you could not escape the coverage. Meanwhile, Jim Thome got to 600 home runs to a collective yawn. It’s unfortunate that a player who did things the right way is not getting the due he deserves.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Don't Go Away Mad, Just Go Away

It was time for the annual Carlos Zambrano meltdown, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

In typical napalm fashion, Zambrano got lit up by the Atlanta Braves, surrendering five home runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Following back to back home runs by the white hot Dan Uggla and Freddie Freeman, Zambrano threw consecutive pitches at Chipper Jones. However, since Jones was not standing directly at the center of the plate, he missed on both accounts, with his final pitch going to the backstop. Naturally, Zambrano was tossed from the game.

That’s where the fun began. Typically Mad Carlos takes out his frustrations on the Gatorade cooler, teammates, or his dog. This time, it seems that the anger management classes have been working, since he didn’t feel a need to take a bat to his surroundings. No, he simply went into the locker room, cleaned out his locker, told locker room attendants and the training staff that he was retiring, and left before the end of the game.

This is just the latest in the litany of Mad Carlos actions. In the past, he has had such notable transgressions as referring to his team as a cast of AAA players (June 4 of this year) and getting into a fight with Derrek Lee on June 25, 2010. All of this can be yours for the low price of $91.5Million over five years, with $18Million due next year, the last of the contract he signed in 2007. And people wonder why the Cubs won’t win with Jim Hendry in charge?

For this latest issue, Zambrano has been suspended thirty days without pay and placed on the restricted list. Naturally, the Player’s Union is going to file a grievance for the ‘severity’ of the punishment, since forcing Zambrano to take responcibility for his actions just doesn’t make any sense. In all actuality, the punishment is probably too lenient. The Cubs should suspend him for the rest of the season without pay, then release him in the offseason. Call it addition by subtraction, since there cannot be anyone in the clubhouse willing to tolerate his childish behavior any longer.

In order for the Cubs to finally get around to breaking the ‘Curse of the Billy Goat’, they need to clean house. First to go should be Carlos Zambrano, followed shortly thereafter by the buffoon that gave him that contract. Get people in there that know how to run an organization, develop players, and actually know not to sign confirmed nutjobs to long term contracts. It would be one thing if this was his first time doing so, but who can forget the three year deal for Milton Bradley? What, Carl Everett and Marty Bergen weren’t answering their phones that day?

Now is the time to rid themselves of one mistake. It’s time to tell Carlos Zambrano not to go away mad, but to just go away.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

The End For Posada

Since the second week of the 2011 season, it has been evident that Jorge Posada had nothing left. His bat was slower, he was no longer able to play in the field, and he was unable to provide anything beyond the mythical ‘veteran leadership’. Even the leadership was redundant on a team built around established veterans.

Yes, Posada started off the year hitting for power, but that was all he was doing. Finally, roughly five months too late, Joe Girardi realized that he could get the same production from a cardboard standup of Posada, and has benched him. Posada has now become just another veteran who hung on too long through his inability to recognize the inevitable – that he no longer has the skill necessary to play major league baseball.

At first glance, Posada seems to be having a passable season. His batting average stands at .230, which is not good, but is also not Adam Dunn. However, he hit .382 in June, has not hit a home run in his last 78 at bats, and cannot play in the field any longer. Presently, he has an OPS+ of 83, his lowest in a season with more than 200 plate appearances. His strikeout to walk rate is almost two to one, far worse than his career average. He is -8 at offensive runs above replacement, and -1.2 in WAR. In short, at the $13.1Million he is making this season, Posada is playing worse than your typical 25th man on the roster.

It rarely ends well for professional athletes when their career is winding down. Bouyed by their past successes, they feel that it is only a slump that they can work their way out of. More often than not, the only time they understand that the reality is that they no longer have the skills to play is when they are shown the door and they are forced into retirement, as the next prospect or free agent veteran is brought in to take their place.

And so, the writing is on the wall for Jorge Posada. Perhaps he can hang around for another year or two at a much lower salary on a team desperate for some of that ‘veteran leadership’. Maybe he will end up catching or being the designated hitter a couple of times a week and providing occasional power off of the bench. But his days of regular playing time are over. The best case scenario for Posada would be for the Yankees to have ‘Jorge Appreciation Day’ and he announces that he is going to retire after the season. This way, he can claim that he went out on his terms, which many athletes are unable to say.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Shut Up Steve Williams

Who knew that the bag guy had such an illustrious career?

After carrying the golf clubs of Adam Scott during yesterday’s PGA Tour event, Steve Williams proclaimed it to be the greatest win of his career. This ‘career’ of his, which spans 33 years, allows him to claim credit for 145 wins. Of course, he has taken exactly ZERO swings during these victories, but they’re his dammit! Just like how ol’ Stevie was solely responsible for Tiger Woods’ run of success, as opposed to HGH, an ability to hit the green from 300+ yards out, or his ability to wear red shirts and fistpump viciously after hitting a putt.

In fact, the greatest moment of his career was oddly remeniscent to the greatest moment of Geraldo Rivera’s career. The only things that were missing were a thick mustache and Williams shouting ‘Happy Day!’ It’s pathetic when some overhyped bag man is at the same level of self-aggrandization as some idiot who once mugged HIMSELF in a bathroom and drew a backwards swasticka on his forehead.

This buffoon is handling his separation from Tiger Woods as though they broke up. Williams is playing the part of the jealous girlfriend perfectly, from rambling on about his ex all the time to obsessing over his every move to hooking up with someone they work with to try to make them jealous. Guess we know which one wore the skirt in that relationship.

So, shut up Steve Williams. Focus on your new relationship, and get used to carrying a bag without a tiger puppet on a golf club.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Shut Up Rex Ryan

Rex Ryan is a man of obsessions, some of which are stronger than others. Yet, through it all, he has one thing that is most on his mind - his main fixation. No, he is not most obsessed with winning Super Bowls. Nor is he most obsessed with being the center of attention whenever a microphone and /or video camera may be anywhere nearby. In fact, he is not even this obsessed with his peculiar personal fetish of people's feet. No, his main fixation is none other than the New England Patriots and their head coach, , Bill Belichick.

Over the course of his tenure as head coach of the Jets, he has consistantly gone out of his way to poke at the Patriots and Belichick. While his stated goal each season is to win the Super Bowl, or so he claims, it is his actions and words that prove otherwise. Seemingly every other word that comes from his mouth is directed at the Patriots and Belichick, and for what purpose? He knows that Belichick is not going to engage him in a bout of sarcastic posturing before the bright lights and shiny microphones of the assembled masses of the media. What purpose does this serve?

What this does is give a glimpse into the psyche of a man who has essentially become a parody of himself. We now know that Belichick is on his mind more than whether or not his wife still has that hot bunion on her toe or if he should get a goddamned snack. In fact, if Rex Ryan spent nearly as much time on trying to develop Mark Sanchez as he does trying to come up with sarcastic rejoinders about the Patriots, then maybe his quarterback would be good for something other than being the focal point of countless off-color fantasy football team names.

As such, shut up Rex Ryan. Until you win a Super Bowl, stop talking about a coach that is lightyears better than you could possibly imagine being, and use your mouth for all-you-can-eat buffets and your wife's toes.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Trade Deadline Winners and Losers

In this case, the term trade deadline refers to the non-waiver trading deadline. Trades can still be made until August 31, however the players must make it through waivers first. Essentially, the biggest difference is that another team can make a claim to block a team above them from getting the player. Trades will still go down in August, and sometimes those moves make a huge difference for the teams involved (for instance, the Giants getting Cody Ross last year). That being said, the biggest moves come in July. As such, there are winners and losers at the deadline. Now, a look at the top three winners and losers.

Winners

1. Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays made a major move in acquiring Colby Rasmus for Edwin Jackson (acquired in a move earlier that day) and a couple of relief pitchers. Rasmus is a major talent who clashed with Tony LaRussa’s totalitarian approach to the game. Getting out of St. Louis will give him a fresh start, and gives Toronto a middle of the order bat to protect Jose Bautista. With the addition of a second wild card team in 2012, the Blue Jays are setting themselves up to make a run at the postseason next year.

2. Texas Rangers: The Rangers desperately needed bullpen help, as everything before Neftali Feliz could go napalm at any given moment. Recognizing that, they made two moves to solidify their options. First, they acquired Mike Adams, a pitcher who throws hard and has been a dominant setup man for the Padres. Second, they essentially traded a bag of used sweatsocks to Baltimore for the vastly underrated Koji Uehera. Uehera throws strikes, doesn’t walk people (8-1 K/BB ratio this year) and has been dominant this season while pitching the the AL East. These moves may be enough to put the Rangers back into the World Series this year.

3. Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers biggest move was actually made during the All-Star break when they acquired Fransisco Rodriguez from the Mets. This cleared up their eighth innning problem, and made the bridge to get to closer John Axford less terrifying if you happen to be a fan of the team. They also acquired Jerry Hairston Jr. from Washington as a solid pinch hitter/utility player. Now if only they could find a way to get rid of Yuniencky Betancourt…..

Losers

1. New York Yankees: Ok, you are Brian Cashman. You have a payroll of over $200Million. You have a team that basically prints money. Your pitching staff includes C.C. Sabathia, a roll of duct tape, a worn out pitching machine, and the corpse of Phil Hughes. Pitchers of the caliber of Ubaldo Jimenez are available. So, what would the logical move be? Definately not what the Yankees did, which is to stand pat. Apparently a solid pitcher with a reasonable contract that is locked up through 2013 was not considered an upgrade over Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon. Have fun in October with four starters that may as well be throwing batting practice.

2. Chicago Cubs: Here’s another team that did almost nothing, but is in the opposite boat of the Yankees. The Cubs are going nowhere, and pretty much haven’t for most of the past 100+ years. While they did make one minor move in trading Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland, they still have a lot of aging veterans that would have provided at least some return. Instead, Jim Hendry (who may be one of the worst baseball GMs who does not get constantly lambasted due to being with the Cubs) sat still and moved none of them. What, exactly, was he waiting for? Was he completely unaware that the trading deadline was approaching? What value does he have on these players? To quote Vizzini from the Princess Bride – his not making more moves was ‘Inconceivable!’

3. Los Angeles Dodgers: Know how in every fantasy league there is that one person that you can constantly rip off on trades? Well, Ned Colletti is essentially that guy in Major League Baseball. He managed to give up one of his top power hitting prospects to fascilitate a trade between the Mariners and the Red Sox, and basically got back a possibly fourth outfielder and organizational depth. I wonder how many times Theo Epstein and Jack Zduriencik had to hit the mute button to keep from laughing during their phone call. Yes, the Dodgers are in limbo given the disaster that is/was the McCourt ownership, but that still does not excuse blatant stupidity.