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Grading baseball's winners and losers
By Jeff Pearlman, Sports Illustrated We live on a planet of delusion; a place where humans -- faced with even the most horrifying of odds -- refuse to believe in a worst-case scenario. Which is why, in this season of unpredictability and good will, it hurts to say the baddest of bad news: The Yankees and Braves win. Yeah, Oakland got Jim Mecir. And, sure, the Royals dug up Brian Meadows. But if the trading deadline signifies anything, it's that old, Reaganomic Republican philosophy -- that the rich get richer, and the poor eat Spam. The Winners Yankees (Grade A+): A couple of weeks ago, the Bombers' bench was looking mighty Twins-like. Now, with a little tinkering, New York is as deep as any team in the AL. Glenallen Hill is the perfect lefty basher, David Justice has excelled since his arrival from Cleveland, Jose Vizcaino for Jim Leyritz was a steal and -- oh yeah -- Denny Neagle is one of the game's top three or four lefthanded starters. Plus, they held on to top prospect Alfonso Soriano. Braves (A): It just doesn't seem fair -- the team with the best rotation in baseball adds Andy Ashby, an ace on 90% of the league's teams. Then, with his leftfielders combining for a .217 average and 10 homers, G.M. John Schuerholz picks up B.J. Surhoff from Baltimore. Did you really think Bobby Bonilla was gonna keep it going? Did ya? Diamondbacks (A): Curt Schilling is not now, was not then and never will be Don Drysdale. But he's a fantastic fireballer who provides Arizona with the best one-two starting punch around. White Sox (B+): Brook Fordyce is a nice fella, pretty smile, mediocre backstop, little pop. Now take him out of the lineup and insert Charles Johnson, who's not only enjoying a career year (.290, 21 home runs), but his handling of young pitching is top-notch. Plus, ChiSox legend Harold Baines adds pop -- and nostalgia. Finally, the Sox mean business. Mets (B+): Mike Bordick ain't Barry Larkin, but he's a make-all-the-plays veteran in the midst of a career year. Rick White is the extra righthanded pen presence Bobby Valentine needed, and Bubba Trammell -- obscurity be damned -- is a perfect righty power source off the bench. Brewers (B): Nothing special, but trading two sub-mediocre pitchers ( Jason Bere, Steve Woodard) for a legit power source (first baseman/outfielder Richie Sexson) was smart, especially with Jeromy Burnitz on the way out. Mariners (B-): Al Martin isn't exactly in the Surhoff/Burnitz class, but he brings enough pop to make Seattle's lineup even more potent. The Losers Cardinals (D): First baseman Will Clark might be a mediocre fill-in for Mark McGwire, but he's a grating clubhouse presence whose bark is 1,000 times more annoying than his bite. With Johnson available, the Cards settled for San Diego catcher Carlos Hernandez, who isn't in the same class. For two years, Mike Timlin has been one of the game's least reliable relievers. Why change now? Here come the Reds ... Red Sox (D-): Good pitching beats good hitting. Mediocre pitching keeps good hitting in check. Rolando Arrojo (6.04 ERA) does nothing. Ed Sprague, a good idea, has been pudding at third base. Padres (F): Jay Witasick: San Diego's new pitcher or a form of hand fungus? Jeff Pearlman is a Sports Illustrated staff writer. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.
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