Ah, you'd be surprised how many people seem to think Zambrano will bring back a top prospect on other sites.

If the Cubs got either one of those prospects back for Zambrano, id eat my own poop and like it.

<font color=goldenrod>I normally can never bring myself to root for a repeat unless the potentially repeating team is playing against a team I hate. But that changes this year - gotta pull for the Giants. Would love to see Carlos get a ring.

Just saw his press conference. Looks weird seeing him in another cap.</font> :(

OH shit

Hideki Irabu just committed suicide

damn

oh apparently they found his body yesterday, but it didn't come out until now

damn

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RIP

Aramis Ramirez is backing off his no trade clause, the Phils and Braves are needing a right hand bat and Jim Hendry has his thumb up his ass right now. I bet the Cubs could pull Dominic Brown.

Can't tell if you're being serious.

LOL

The Rangers "banned" the crowd from doing The Wave at their ballpark.

Why?

Good.

As if I wasn't already a fan of the organization, the Rangers continue to make me look good for liking them. I hate the wave.

Speaking of the Rangers, word on the streets is they've amped up their interest in Padres closer Heath Bell, and the current rumored players that would be exchanged is 20 yr. old RHP Rober Erlin, who is the 34th best prospect in all of baseball according to scouting outlet Baseball America, 24 yr. old LHP Derek Holland, and 1B/3B Chris Davis.

Honest to God, if that's the Rangers' final offer for a mid 30s closer in a contract year, I'm pulling the trigger. Two potential #2 starters in Erlin and Holland, and an athletic, absolute masher in Chris Davis, who's still onl 25 years old and has been sadi to be able to handle third base on a daily basis and could easily run into 30 HR a year. Davis would be the throw in player with Holland and Erlin being the prized pieces.

Hope that's the deal that comes through.

Looks like the Phillies are gonna wind up with Pence tonight.

Woohoo

That'd be a great pickup for Philly. They get Pence relatively cheap for now with the potential to sign him long term. He's a great fit in that ballpark as well.

I was kinda hoping the Phillies would get Aramis Ramirez...if not only just so the Cubs would unload that contract.

I was totally expecting them to have to include Dom Brown or send him somewhere else for a package the Astros might like, but they didn't have to do either. Huge win for Amaro. Ed Wade is so getting fired at the end of the year for trading Pence at his peak and not getting a maximum return.

Wade's a lame duck GM anyways. I would assume new ownership is kicking him to the curb regardless.

The Phillies may still deal Brown. Pence can slot in RF if they grab him, and if Ibanez doesn't come back, they could always go for another OF in free agency.

Aramis Ramirez wasn't a good choice for Philly since Polanco is under contract through the end of 2012.

Brown could still be dealt to help the Phillies fill needs in other areas. In other words, I'm hoping Brown goes to my Padres for a deal involving Mike Adams.

So it's a done deal. Pence got traded to the Phillies for 4 prospects.

Yea, good move by the Phills. They held onto their best prospect in Domonic Brown and got a good, young, controllable OF who is going to play well in that park for years to come. Nice job by Amaro.

I don't forsee them platooning Brown, Ibanez and Pence, though. Something is going to have to give and I'm hoping Brown becomes available (to the Padres).

McLouth on the DL. Keep 'em coming.

Braves are done. So many injuries, they don't make any deals...

McClouth has been a massive bust for the Braves. I wonder if this pushes the Braves to acquire an OF. Pence and Beltran, the two best available OF's, are off the board. Ryan Ludwick may be a fit.

Adam Dunn would be SUCH a great fit for the Braves...

That contract wouldn't be. Add to that he's been mired in a horrific slump all year, and putting him on a team in the middle of a pennant race is not going to help the cause. Not to mention, where do you put him?

Freeman's at 1st and has it locked down for the next handful of years. I expect Uggla and Prado to switch positions at some point, but either way, LF is plugged. Dunn is pretty much a $14mil DH at this point.

I don't think the Braves would be wise to make that move. At all.

Dunn's just a National League guy. And perhaps being in the middle of a pennant race is what he needs to wake up and get to hitting...

...but I know it's not going to happen...it was just wishful thinking...

Maybe it's just me, but I've never bought into the whole "NL/AL guy". And Dunn has never been in a high pressure situation. He's always been on celler dwellers, sans his short time in Arizona, where hit .247/..417/.472. But the DBacks were plummeting out of contention.

I think he's under enough pressure trying to live up to a contract in a city where winning is expected and for a loose cannon manager. He's also just not a fit in Atlanta.

And it's okay. My pipe dream for the Padres is to land Jurickson Profar from the Rangers, but that's not gonna happen unless it's MLB: The Show.

Braves need a right-handed bat. Michael Bourn would be what we need if he wasn't a lefty.

The strikeouts are killing Dunn this season because he's averaging almost 1 strikeout for every 2 at-bats more than him adjusting to AL style pitching after years in the NL.

Phillies did great in their deal even at the cost of 2 of the prospects they gave away were in the Top 25 because Astros are in a long rebuilding period especially with the need to rehaul their entire bullpen.

Wakefield missed out on his 200th career win although the bigger news is Buccholz status appears to have worsen with now it being very likely he misses out on the rest of the regular season based on the NESN pre-game report.

BOston needs a pitcher. All these 10-9 games are going to kill the bullpen.

Ryan Ludwick to the Braves. He's hitting .230 something, though he's a type B free agent, which means the Braves would have to give up something of comparable value to a sandwich pick in next year's draft.

I've been saying it for at least a week that Boston better add a starter or they're in trouble.

The Braves don't need someone else who's hitting .230. I'd rather trot out all the AAA guys in Gwinnett.

I'm sure they don't. I honestly am having a hard time seeing Ludwick get moved. He was doind somewhat decent before the break, hitting around .250, but now he's just plummeting. I think the Padres are stuck with him unless they completely unload him for a PTBNL or cash considerations.

Braves need Aramis Ramirez and they need to give the Cubs Minor.

D'Backs trade for Jason Marquis. Fuck. :(

Rangers send Tommy Hunter and Chris Davis to the O's for Koji Uehara and $2 mil. cash.

I read that earlier today. I wonder what kind of effect, if any, this may have the talks between the Rangers and Padres. If anything, the Padres still have a considerable amount of leverage. They don't have to trade anyone, and Texas would benefit more by getting Bell in their bullpen than going home empty handed.

This is getting pretty interesting...

It's funny. Padres fans on the official message board are starting to get antsy about Bell still being on the team, and are beginning to become upset that the GM, Jed Hoyer, has yet to make a deal. Some people are livid that the Padres "missed the boat" on Hunter and Davis.

Personally, I would have liked Davis, but no way do I ship out a top flight closer for a raw HR hitter in Davis and a #3 starter at best in Tommy Hunter. Better to keep Bell and collect two top 50 draft picks than to give him away for less than what you're asking price is.

Uehara is 36...they got a somewhat decent 25 year old #3-5 starting pitcher and a potential power hitting 1B/potential corner infield utility player a la Ty Wigginton last year..

Good deal. If you read between the lines, picking up Davis means the trade of Lee to Pittsburgh will probably happen (not starting the game tonight at 1B), and Guthrie is probably gone as well.