Manny traded

I was sad and surprised to read that Manny Delcarmen was traded to the Rockies. I always rooted for the guy, a Boston boy who demonstrated tantalizing ability at times but never seemed to truly fulfill his potential despite stellar seasons in 2007 and 2008.

I also wondered why and how the Red Sox became sellers. Yes, they're about done, but they're still alive. Theo Epstein still says no surrender:

Asked if there's an appropriate time to waive the white flag, Epstein said, "That's a tough question. It's kind of like the Supreme Court said about pornography: 'You'll know it when you see it.' Right now, we're not eliminated. We're trying to get really hot."

"It'll be difficult, but not impossible," said Epstein. "I'm not going to sit here and assess how difficult it will be. I'll leave that up to you guys. I think, that, as I just said, we need to play better and get hotter than we've been at any point this season. This is not the position we want to be ion. I'm not going to sit here and blow smoke and say where we want to be. We're not."

I'm going to miss Manny (Trent was crying hysterically over the news, or maybe he was just having a bad day), but we felt better after reading this headline on FanGraphs: Rockies Overpay at Second Deadline.

I think Theo made a good deal. From FanGraphs:

The real story here, however, is the guy coming back to Boston. (Chris) Balcom-Miller has had a fantastic season with Asheville in the Sally League, posting a 3.31 ERA in 108 innings backed up by a fantastic 117:19 K:BB ratio. That's a 6.2 K/BB for a 21 year old in his second professional season. Baseball America said prior to the season that Balcom-Miller's ceiling was as a "solid middle-of-the-rotation starter," and one has to think that this season would only improve his stock.

The Rockies might need warm bodies, but that's about all they will get out of Delcarmen. He no longer projects as a productive reliever. Meanwhile, the Rockies will send a very promising starting pitching prospect out of the system for what might be at best a minuscule increase in their playoff odds. It's hard for me to classify this deal as anything less than an overreaction to the Rafael Betancourt injury by Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd, and the end result will be a similarly talented (if not worse) team in Colorado and a weakened farm system.

Tonight's games: The Red Sox aren't getting hotter than they have at any point this season, losing to the Orioles 5-2. ... The Phillies play late again in Los Angeles. I stayed up for a good chunk of the game last night. Christine stayed up until Shane Victorino got the Phillies first hit in the 8th. Then, for some reason in the middle of the night, she turned on the TV. A replay of the game was on. We were confused beyond our normal sleep-deprived state.

Phils land Cy Young pitcher; questions still abound

While still contemplating the Phillies big trade for reigning AL Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee, I heard a radio caller put it in perspective. Most of the talk show scene was anti-Cliff Lee because he's not the big name - Roy Halladay - they had been clamoring for.

"Doesn't anyone remember the days of Hard Hittin' Mark Whiten or Gregg Jefferies?" the caller said. "We won the World Series last year and just got an ace. Sure, he's not the ace, but he's an ace."

Damn straight.

I hope the Phillies didn't give up too much - Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, Jason Knapp and Jason Donald are going to the Indians for Lee and Ben Francisco. Those are some of their top prospects, but not the big ones they didn't want to give up for Halladay.

Christine didn't want to give up a large haul for Halladay - the Phils were good enough to win it all without him last year and have as good of a shot as anyone to win it all again this year without mortgaging their future. She feels a bit bad for J.A. Happ, the likely candidate to get sent back to the bullpen, but pitching depth is fleeting, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get some more starts even after Pedro Martinez and Cliff Lee arrive.

Heck, a few weeks ago, the Red Sox were seen as having an embarrassment of riches with their starting pitching, and now some think they need to get Halladay.

Todd Zolecki has a nice post on why the deal makes so much sense for the Phillies.

We've been upset with the way the Phillie players have been outspoken in their yen for Roy Halladay. I am concerned that they don't believe they can win without him. Hopefully, Clifton proves them wrong. He's looking forward to the opportunity:

I'm going to the defending World Champions, that's a good thing ... I'm anxious and excited to get there. ... It's the National League. I'm going to have to figure out how to get a bunt down more consistently.

This being SoxandPhils, we have to speculate what this trade means for the Red Sox deals. Will they pull the trigger on Roy? Or, since the Indians acquired Marson, does that mean Victor Martinez is coming to Fenway? We have less than 48 hours to find out. Until then, we'll think about the possibility of the World Series opening in Fenway: Lee vs. Halladay.

Today's games: After the Red Sox blew a three-run lead in the 9th last night, that World Series fantasy is starting to look like a pipe dream. They're trailing the A's again tonight, 5-3 in the 5th.

The Phillies won 4-3 last night as Brad Lidge turned a comfortable Cole Hamels performance into a squeaker against one of the worst teams in baseball, the Diamondbacks. They end the series late again tonight.

Pitching some more

Last night, I fell asleep thinking that Cole Hamels, who had thrown 49 pitches through five innings, had a shot at a complete game.

I woke up this morning to learn he needed another 48 pitches to complete the 3-0 shutout over the Dodgers. He gave up five hits with no walks and five strikeouts. He faced only 29 batters.

Orlando Hudson said it best: "He stuck it up our (rear ends) the last two times we faced him. What more can you say?"

Actually, he hasn't had a bad start ever against the Dodgers. In four regular season starts (two each this year and last), Hamels is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 8.67 strikeouts per nine innings against the Dodgers. And that doesn't count the two wins he had in last year's NLCS (three earned runs over 14 innings).

Sometimes a brief crude comment sums it up nicely.

Other pitching notes: Amalie Benjamin must have read yesterday's post about our teams' improving rotation. She quoted Josh Beckett in her game story pegged on that theme: "We still owe the bullpen some innings, so we've got to get our starters to go deeper." Benjamin detailed how well the starters have been doing recently.

Tonight, Brad Penny looked like he was continuing that trend with four scoreless innings, until the Rangers put up a four-spot in the 5th. The Sox are now down 5-1 in the 8th. Trade Penny's (rear end) out of here. Buster Olney reports that may be a possibility with both the Braves and Phillies showing interest. Todd Zolecki reports there may be truth to that Jason Donald rumor, but says the Phils have no interest in reliving the Vicente Padilla era.

See you tomorrow - hopefully with tales of an epic comeback in Fenway and another late-night win for the Phillies.

Not a good day

It's a good thing Adam Eaton has struggled in the minors or there might be a clamor to have him replace Cole Hamels, now winless in his last six starts. But I know, there's no reason the Phillies shouldn't win when they give up only three runs.

Cole wasn't at his best, but two earned in 6 1/3 should get the job done. The offense is another story. They were blanked by the Marlins 3-0, shut down by Chris Volstad. Chris Volstad? Never heard of him.

That's shutout No. 7 this season against the vaunted Phillies offense through game No. 114. Last year, there were three. In 162 games. And three playoff games (they did manage to score in each of them).

All the good from yesterday was erased: The Marlins are 1.5 games out and the Mets pulled to two. Have no fear, Scott Eyre will fix things.

Red Sox: They're off but still made news. They might be getting Brian Giles. I'm indifferent. And looks like the commissioner's office is investigating whether Manny purposely played his way out of Boston. A) How do you prove something like that? B) If you can prove it, then what?

Competitors: The Yankees are winning, the White Sox are losing, the Rays play in Seattle. Twins are off.

Thanks Manny, but the season restarts tomorrow

The defending champs are little more than two-thirds through the long season. They stand three games behind the Rays (both teams are off tonight) and a game ahead of the Yankees and Twins for the Wild Card (both of them are losing tonight).

With the three-way trade with the Pirates and Dodgers, the Red Sox gave up future Hall of Famer Manny Ramirez, Craig Hansen, Brandon Moss and $7 million to get Jason Bay. It seems like a stiff price to dump one of the greatest sluggers in history. But I guess it's clear that Theo Epstein et al felt the playoff chances weren't good with Manny's mood dragging down the team.

I'm OK with it all. The Manny Ramirez era was fun and, of course, yielded the first two World Championships in most of our lifetimes. It's easy to forget that when things end poorly. But the team is bigger than its stars, and the new guy who'll be playing left field for the Red Sox ain't too shabby.

Jason Bay has a .890 career OPS. Yes, it's not Manny's .999, but he's seven years younger and commands less than half the pay as Manny. He will be better in the field, will be better in the clubhouse and will free up money for the Sox when assembling the roster for 2009.

But that's a ways off. We still have work to do in 2008, and I'm sure Bay is excited going from a team that's had a .438 winning percentage in his tenure to one expected to win it all. Welcome to the show.

Shhhhh: The Phillies beat the Nationals 8-4 tonight. That's five in a row for the Phillies. (I won't tell them, if you won't.) They now have a one game lead over the idle Mets. The offense was clicking - all starting position players had a hit - and Kyle Kendrick gave up two earned in 6 2/3 innings. I think Rudy Seanez - five earned in his last 7 1/3 innings over his last eight games - isn't long for this team.

With five straight against the bottom half of the division in the Braves and Nationals, the Phillies have a tougher stretch ahead - the Cardinals and Marlins, whose big pickup today was former Phillie Arthur Rhodes. Then, they host the Pirates with Moss and Hansen next weekend. Manny and the Dodgers come to Philly at the end of August, but that's the one Sunday game I have to miss this season because of a business trip.

Williams, Yaz, Rice, Manny ... Jason Bay?

I'm nervous.

I can remember watching the television in shock at the 2004 trading deadline and seeing that Nomar Garciaparra was traded - not for Matt Clement, as was rumored - but for Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz. I knew Nomar had to go, but I thought he'd fetch more than an inferior shortstop and a no-hit first baseman.

Last year, I thought the Sox cinched the World Series by getting Eric Gagne.

Point is, I'm not the best at judging deadline deals when they happen. Turns out a lot of professionals aren't either.

It's looking like a three-way trade is possible, if not already done, by some reports, that Manny will be a Marlin, and we'll have Jason Bay, the pride of Canada, playing left field in front of the Green Monster - a spot largely tended by Hall of Famers for the past half-century.

If this is it, I thank Manny. I'm upset at some of the grief he caused, but I can't forget that he was a vital cog to two World Championships - including MVP of the great 2004 World Series.

But I also can't forget that these championships were as much a result of the complete organization, not just the star players. The front office has done some unconventional moves (see: Nomar, July 2004), but they've brought respect and winning to an organization that was pretty much patronized until 2003. The Red Sox survived losing Nomar, Pedro Martinez and Johnny Damon. It will survive without Manny.

Some fans would take this trade - coinciding with the worst stretch of the season - as time to say "wait till next year." Screw that. I've seen this team come back from 0-3 against the Yankees and 1-3 against the Indians in their last two ALCSs. They're still defending champions until/unless they're eliminated. I expect them to regroup, reload and come out swinging.

It would have been nice for Josh Beckett to start the charge tonight, but he was shelled and the Angels beat the Red Sox 9-2, completing the sweep. Hope they're not overconfident when we play them in October.

On the bright side: The Phillies, behind a typically sturdy Jamie Moyer start, beat the Nationals 8-5 to reclaim first place by a half game as the Marlins beat the Mets. Moyer had career win number 240.

Some quiet off day

[Correction added July 18]

With neither the Red Sox nor the Phillies among the eight teams playing as baseball kicks back into action after the All-Star break, we were expecting a slow news day. WRONG!

The big news is the Phillies landed their starter. After hinting that they would be willing to spend money on pitching, they landed Joe Blanton. Oh boy, I'm ecstatic. A guy with an ERA near 5 and a WHIP close to 1.5. I hope Cole Hamels doesn't mind moving down a slot for this guy. When I heard the news, I thought maybe they got a bargain because he's having an off-year. Nope. They gave up two of their top four prospects. There are reasons why they write books about Billy Beane.

On the bright side, Blanton is only 27 and has been able to put up league average numbers for 3.5 seasons during his formative years. The deal also means fewer innings for Adam Eaton. And going back to last year's mid-season acquisitions, I yawned when the Phillies got Kyle Lohse and wondered if the Red Sox would ever give up another run after the 6th inning with Eric Gagne joining Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon in the bullpen.

Serious note: They've finally concluded the grim report on John Marzano's demise. I'm no doctor, but it sounds like it was painful for Johnny Marz.

No way to transition: Manny thinks the Sox stabbed him in the back somehow. I'm tired of Manny's nonsense, so you can go elsewhere for interpretation, spin or psychoanalysis. I just wonder whether the fact that John Henry responded means the top brass is getting tired of it and is seriously considering not picking up his option for next season.

A SoxandPhils legend retires: Hideo Nomo - a Red Sox in 2001 and a Phillie from Oct. 28-29, 1999 - couldn't hack it with the Royals this year and apparently couldn't latch on with another team. He'll be missed. OK, he won't - just seems like the right thing to say.

Phillies share first: The Mets won tonight, meaning for the first time since June 1, the Phillies no longer have sole possession of first place. They're tied, and each team controls their destiny. When the Mets were rallying in the 9th, Christine said "No big deal, look who's got to close it." Interestingly, they didn't turn to the guy who blew the All-Star game on Tuesday. They went to Duaner Sanchez, who got the save. I can't wait to hear what Billy Wagner has to say about that.

{P.S., the Mets were in control of their own destiny last year. Look how that turned out. Their collapse is starting already, courtesy of Pedro Martinez's latest injury.}

***CORRECTION*** Christine won't like reading this, but I owe an apology to Mets token All-Star Billy Wagner. He did record the save last night. I guess the stat tracker I relied on froze with Duaner Sanchez on the mound.