Marlins get: Arthur Rhodes
Mariners get: Gaby Hernandez

The Marlins were really aggressive at the deadline, and seemed on the verge of pulling in the biggest “fish”. But when it was all said and done, all they came away with was Arthur Lee Rhodes.

Florida’s bullpen has been shaky this year, so it made sense for them to pick up a veteran arm. And they didn’t give up much. Many Mets fans remember Gaby Hernandez as central to the trade that put Paul LoDuca in the orange and blue. Some went as far as to say the Mets were crazy to “empty their farm system” of “top prospects”, especially when they could have signed Bengie Molina or Ramon Hernandez (and thus been stripped of a draft pick). In the end, Gaby never quite lived up to the hype. He had an underwhelming season in AA last year, and struggled mightily in AAA this season. (Funny how those “can’t miss” prospects miss sometimes.) Still, he has age on his side, and perhaps a change in scenery will help turn him around. The Mariners will give him every opportunity to find himself, and could come up with a gem. And they got him for a soft-tossing LOOGY who likely would not have been brought back in 2009.

I can’t get on Omar for “missing out” on this deal. Rhodes is strictly a LOOGY at this point in his career, despite reports to the contrary. He would not have been an upgrade over Scott Schoeneweis, and even if Scho were dealt separately, there are other, better, available lefties out there to choose from. In fact, I’d prefer to promote Ricardo Rincon from the Mexican League before giving up a warm body for Rhodes.

Nice deal for both sides.

Next analysis: Ken Griffey, Jr.

Yankees get: Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez
Tigers get: Kyle Farnsworth

How does Brian Cashman do it? Say all you want about the Yankees having the highest payroll and the deepest pockets, but you cannot discount the extraordinary job that Cashman has done — especially since given more control of the organization in the past few years.

Jorge Posada goes down for the season, and Cashman pulls a rabbit out of his hat — a bonafide future Hall of Fame receiver who is a proven winner and still has gas in the tank. And he obtains him in return for an inconsistent, enigmatic middle reliever. Yes, Kyle Farnsworth is pitching well lately — this is what’s termed “selling high” in economics courses.

Tell me, as a Mets fan — would you have been happy if the Mets traded Brian Schneider or Ramon Castro for Farnsworth? I bet there are some of you who would have been upset had the Mets sent Robinson Cancel to the Yankees for the flukey Farnsworth. Yet here is Brian Cashman, once again in the right place at the right time, dealing away excess at the height of its value, and getting an All-Star to put somewhere at the bottom of the lineup.

Here’s what gets my goat: the fact that Dave Dombrowski was supposedly demanding Aaron Heilman for a crappy fifth outfielder, then gives away a superstar for Kyle Farnsworth. Yes, I know Pudge’s best days are behind him, but he’s hitting his usual .300 with some pop — and I’d take him over Marcus “Strikeout Machine” Thames in a heartbeat. The combination of New York City and the pennant race is going to rejuvenate I-Rod, who is far from running on fumes. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see the Yankees re-sign him for ’09.

The rich get richer.

Next analysis: Arthur Rhodes

Angels get: Mark Teixeira
Braves get: Casey Kotchman, Steve Marek

At the time of this trade, everyone figured it would be the highlight of the deadline. How wrong we were. Continue reading →

Dodgers get: Casey Blake
Indians get: Carlos Santana and Jonathan Meloan

This one hurts from a Mets’ fans perspective. Like many other deals that went down, Continue reading →

Astros get: LaTroy Hawkins
Yankees get: Hawkins’ absence, Matt Cusick

This trade is hardly worth mentioning in terms of impact, but I feel the insanity and shock value of the deal is worth discussing.

As mentioned earlier, Ed Wade is insane if he thinks the Astros are going to make a push for the playoffs this year. He’s even crazier if he thinks Continue reading →

Yankees get: Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte
Pirates get: Jeff Karstens, Daniel McCutchen, Ross Ohlendorf and OF Jose Tabata

This was the trade the Mets needed to make — unfortunately, they simply did not have the depth in their minor league system to do such a deal. Originally, a number of pundits identified the trade as highway robbery by the Yankees, Continue reading →

Diamondbacks get: Jon Rauch
Nationals get: Emilio Bonifacio

This one flew under the radar, and I’m still trying to figure out how Arizona was able to pluck Rauch from the Nats for so little in a market that had relievers remarkably overvalued. Not because Bonifacio is a bad player — he’s a decent prospect — but rather because Continue reading →

Astros get: Randy Wolf
Padres get: Chad Reineke

A head-scratcher if there ever was one. With the Astros 14 games out of first place and fighting both the Pirates and the Reds to stay out of the cellar, it’s curious to see them as “buyers”. Astros GM Ed Wade explained that the deal was done to Continue reading →