The deal that wasn't...

The days and weeks leading up to the deadline pointed to the Sox not doing much of anything. In the last couple of days, there have been names like Clemens, Schmidt, Soriano, and Andruw Jones being thrown out as real possibilities. What a big tease.

If not for the recent injury to Trot (won’t know how severe until at least 4:01 PM today), things would probably be status quo. Depending on the severity of the injury, it may have altered the thinking in the front office. But apparently it wasn’t enough to persuade them into making a deal. Say hello Wily Mo & Kapler. Let’s hope this isn’t the beginning of the end for Trot.

While some of the deals proposed made some sense, but they didn’t really address the major need of starting pitching:

1) Lowell & prospects for Linebrink & Lugo
2) Lowell & prospects for Shealy & “more than reputable starter” (who?)

From fairy land…
1) Andruw Jones for; Lester, Coco, and Hansen (yeah, OK. Why not Papelbon too?)
2) Clemens – if he didn’t want to ruffle feathers in Houston before, why now?
3) Schmidt – see ridiculous Braves offer above.
4) Kip Wells – did the Sox really “lose out” on this one?
5) What team would trade a starter (Buehrle) for a CF (Coco) hitting .260?
6) Both Lowell & Coco were assured they were not on the block?

The good thing is that the Sox didn’t have a Duquette knee jerk reaction to the Yanks acquisition of Abreu & Lidle. They kept their young talent intact and didn’t leverage the future. While that trade helps the Yanks, it doesn’t put them over the top. It shores up the rotation with an upgrade over Ponson, and adds a little more pop (not power) to the lineup. They also poured gasoline on Sheff. Have fun with that in the clubhouse.

Pitching is what makes the difference down the stretch and in the playoffs. While the Yanks did improve, they basically added a #5 guy. Their staff ace in Mussina has been the anchor, but has been prone to breaking down the last few years especially late in the season. Wang has been good, but he’s not dominant (36BB, 45K’s) and is unproven in the playoffs. The Big Unit just came off a shelling by the D-Rays (now 11-9, 5+ Era), and Wright rarely gets past the 5th inning.

The Sox have Schill leading the way despite his last outing. He gets better the bigger the game is. Beckett has been inconsistent, but has only given up more than 3 runs twice in his last 10 games, and lowered his ERA by ½ a run during that span. He’s young and still getting better, maybe he’s figuring out the AL. Lester has pitched very well and should continue to get better. Wells returns tonight and will probably get shelled. Let’s hope he rights the ship quickly. He could be a huge asset down the stretch. Wakefield is still on the shelf and his return is still weeks away. The experiment in the #5 spot has only produced 1 win since the break. Ouch.
Why did the Sox stand pat? Here are some issues that may have affected their reasoning:

1) David Wells. He probably would have packed it in if he didn’t think he’d pitch down the stretch. Must have looked good in side sessions.
2) Wakefield. Should be back in a couple of weeks, solid innings eater.
3) Phil Seibel. Return from 2005 Tommy John surgery, started 9 games in AA with a 1.20 era, now in AAA with 1.86 era. Stay tuned.
4) They already have similar to what’s available.
5) The infield. Why would you change the best fielding % in the majors?
6) The farm (the pricetag). Front office refused to part with talent for a rental player. Aside from 2004, can you name a good deadline deal for the Sox? Suppan? Sauerbeck?

The Sox should be there at the end. They’ve been able to withstand multiple injuries (Wells, Clement, Coco, Pena, etc) and still have one of the best records at this point of the season since the 70’s. Will Schill, Beckett, and Wake be enough in a short playoff series? The Angels, Twins, and Tigers (in that order) will be very tough in a short series.
It doesn’t seem too far out of reach for the Sox. As long as health isn’t a major issue, they should be able to grind their way into the playoffs. They have a favorable schedule and a recent history of playing well down the stretch. Regardless, it’s going to come down to the last week if not the last couple games. Strap in folks. It’ll be the Sox, Yanks, Twins, and Chisox battling for 2 spots. Should be one of the most exciting finishes in recent memory…