A Comparison

Ramirez isn't the worst pitcher in the majors, but there's no reason to give up Soriano so he can have an off-season competition and laugh at Joel.

Anyone hear me on this? My goals of nutting up and focusing on work have been shattered.

Very true.

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=987A810E4DB817CE

I need to go do something more relaxing, like dropping acid and running around on the freeway.  

"When asked Wednesday evening whether he had spoken with Seattle general manager Bill Bavasi, Atlanta GM John Schuerholz said that Bavasi was currently out of cellphone range, an indicator they have been talking."

"There were physicals, but they're all done and it's going through," the source said."

Maybe the M's got instant buyers remorse as soon as they agreed to the deal in principal and perhaps someone in the organization was hoping that the physicals would fail and they'd have a get out of jail free card.

I would rate this as a VERY GOOD trade for the Braves. We pick up a critical reliever who we will control for two more years before he becomes a free agent, and we traded from a position of strength - left-handed starting pitching. Honestly, I feel we got the better end of this deal. With the prices for even marginal relievers skyrocketing, we secured one of the best in the game for a pitcher who has yet to prove he's anything other than a back of the rotation injury-prone starter.

I think we're being overly negative here.  It's a high price to pay, yes, but Soriano's wasn't going to yield an elite SP, IMHO.

Sure, it's nice to dream about what fantastic package he coulda been a part of, but when the dominos start to fall, I can't come down on Bavasi too hard for wanting to make a move before he's left with nothing but a whole lotta Woods and Baek.

Times says the deal/physicals is done.

It is fantasy to think this hasn't gone down.  Either that or this is the biggest media screw-up in MLB trade news in quite some time.  Sure, maybe it is possible we don't have all the players involved.  Perhaps the M's will pick up another prospect or a PTBNL, but the deal was struck at least in principle pending physicals.  That much is sure.  And people are reporting the physicals are all done and all that is left is an announcement by Bavasi.

Hope. Is. Dead.

Blech.  It was a bit of a panic move, but we had to get help in the rotation.  Ramirez is help in the rotation.

"How is H. Ramirez any more preferable over Woods/Baek/Fierabend?"

He is not, at least when you consider you have to give up one of the best setup men in baseball.

We might also consider blowing off the Baek/Woods/Feirabend spot in the rotation and trading Broussard to the Orioles for Rodrigo Lopez.

That'd leave us with essentially four relatively proven back of the rotation pitchers (Washburn, Ramirez, Thomson, Lopez) and Felix.  Not sexy, but it could be the type of staff that's consistently good but not great, giving us a chance to be in every game.

I don't see us getting Bonds, so Cliff Floyd might be the last move.  Sure, he's not a star or anything, but with Floyd/Guillen/Snelling/Ibanez rotating among the OF corners and the DH spot, we're reasonably solid offensively.

Wouldn't make us a guaranteed playoff team, necessarily, but avoids long term contracts and gives us a shot to win the AL West if things go well.