Reignited rivalry

Yankees, Red Sox take head-to-head war to trade front

The Yankees and Red Sox were the busiest teams prior to Thursday's 4:00 p.m. trade deadline. New York acquired third baseman Aaron Boone from Cincinnati for left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Claussen. Meanwhile, Boston tried to strengthen its staff by adding pitcher Jeff Suppan. SI.com spoke with Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci about the deals and other happenings around baseball.

SI.com: Despite trading Raul Mondesi to Arizona earlier in the week, it didn't seem as if the Yankees needed more offense. Why did New York give up a top pitching prospect in Brandon Claussen for Aaron Boone, who is a free agent after the season?

Verducci: I thought the Yankees were a little bit short from the right side of the plate after they traded Mondesi, and Boone is certainly an upgrade over Robin Ventura [who was traded Thursday to Los Angeles for two minor leaguers.] So New York had to improve the team. The big question, however, is at what cost. I think Claussen will be a top-flight major league pitcher. He was the Yankees' best pitching prospect since Andy Pettitte, and as we know, New York's starting staff is not getting any younger.

SI.com: If dealing Claussen was so risky, why pull the trigger?

Verducci: Give the Red Sox credit. They put the heat on the Yankees. Boston hasn't been this close to New York in the standings this late in the season since the Yankees started winning championships in the Joe Torre era. The Red Sox have definitely improved themselves, especially in the bullpen. They upped the ante on New York, and I think the Yankees got caught up in the atmosphere of holding off Boston. And the Yankees should be worried about the Red Sox. There was a little more urgency for New York to get a deal done this week than in past years.

SI.com: Jeff Suppan has pitched well this year. How much will he help Boston?

Verducci: I'm assuming the Red Sox will start him, but he can also relieve. He has a good arm, he gives them depth and more important, he's been pitching well lately. A lot of times it's not who you get, but when you get them, and right now Suppan's hot. It's amazing to think of how strong the Red Sox pitching is when you consider what the staff was like on Opening Day.

SI.com: Do all these moves by Boston signal that the Sox are going after the Yankees?

Verducci: The Red Sox are definitely looking to knock the Yankees off the pedestal. You certainly have to respect the Yankees' track record, but I think Boston is capable of overtaking New York. I don't think the Red Sox should think in terms of wild card. They should think about winning the AL East. I thought the bullpen-by-committee was a good idea, but the Red Sox had the wrong personnel. Now they have very good personnel and a lot of different ways to use pitchers. They've settled the uncertainty they had earlier in the season. They now feel good about having a lead late in the game and having the right people in place to get the job done. On the other hand, you look at the Yankees, and Armando Benitez makes them hold their breath. That's not a good feeling to have. The Yankees are probably better with him on the team, but they're far from getting back to the days of Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton setting up Mariano Rivera. The Red Sox can hold leads in the seventh and eighth innings better than the Yankees. You still give New York a huge edge in the ninth, but the Yankees have had trouble getting to Rivera.

SI.com: The Giants traded Damian Moss and Kurt Ainsworth to the Orioles for Sidney Ponson. How much does Ponson strengthen San Francisco's rotation?

Verducci: The Giants traded two good young arms so this deal is a message that they don't trust young pitching. And I know Ponson is only 26, but in terms of experience, the Giants feel better about giving him the ball in a big game or a postseason situation than they do other guys who are young and haven't thrown many innings. This is another case of getting a pitcher at exactly the right time. Ponson has matured and he's a more reliable option for the Giants. I thought Ponson was the best player available on the market. Give the Giants credit for getting him.

SI.com: How much trade activity do you expect in the next few weeks?

Verducci: I think you'll see a few guys changing teams in August. It won't be top-flight players, but basically guys who are pricey for what they do -- players who don't have good value. It'll be complementary guys, setup relievers, fourth outfielders. I wouldn't expect any blockbusters in August, but there will be a little more activity.

SI.com: Two players who were rumored to be on the market, but weren't dealt, are Juan Gonzalez and Brian Giles. What's their status?

Verducci: Gonzalez just didn't want to leave Texas. He likes the comfort level there. He didn't want to be on another team for three months. He just couldn't get used to the idea of playing somewhere else. So that made it tough for the Rangers to deal him.

The Pirates really weren't looking to move Giles. They were looking for payroll flexibility. He only would've been traded if another team had picked up Jason Kendall's contract. San Diego was the only club that gave any serious thought to picking up Kendall's $40 million, four-year contract. It's just too steep a price to pay for a light-hitting catcher.

SI.com: The A's are usually a busy team around the trade deadline. They acquired Jose Guillen yesterday, but that was it. Has it been harder for Billy Beane to make deals since his book Moneyball came out?

Verducci: I think there has been some backlash toward Beane. Nobody was looking to make a deal with him, but if the right deal came along a GM would trade with Beane. I heard too many people in baseball talk about the fallout from the book to think it was a complete nonfactor. But give Beane credit. The A's really needed a bat and a run-producer, and while Guillen doesn't have the history of being one, he's been doing it this year. I wasn't sure Oakland was a playoff team without another hitter, but now they have a real good one.

SI.com: Were there any teams that surprised you by not making a move?

Verducci: I thought Atlanta might get another starter, maybe Ponson. There was some talk that the Braves were interested in Javier Vasquez, but the Expos pulled him off the market. When you have the best record in the league, there isn't an urgency to make a deal, but Atlanta is usually pretty good at getting what it wants. They still have to feel good about their team, but I thought the Braves might turn up something.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers baseball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com. Click here to send a question to his Mailbag.

 

Related information

Stories

Previous Tom Verducci Columns

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video