Dead Sox Miss Deadline

The Red Sox had a quiet deadline this year (Boston CBS Local)

Despite their enviable position as one of the few sellers in a market flooded with buyers, the Boston Red Sox were unable to accomplish much at this year's trade deadline. All they managed to do was ship Shane Victorino to the Angels for Triple-A utilityman Josh Rutledge and acquire Ryan Cook, a reliever (pictured), from the Oakland A's for a player to be named later or cash.

Boston sold Victorino at his absolute low, at the age of 34 and in his second straight injury-plagued season. After picking up all but $1.1 million of money remaining on his contract, they'll have paid him about $38 million for roughly a full season (185 games). Rutledge is eight years younger but won't have much of an impact, seeing as how he hit just .259/.308/.403 in three years with Colorado and didn't get so much as a plate appearance since being traded to the Angels last December. Cook, 28, also spent much of the year in Triple-A after being demoted in early May. Once an All-Star (in 2012), his peripherals have been in decline ever since.

All in all, it was a very weak take for a last place team that needs all the help it can get. Cook could prove useful if he returns to his 2012-2014 form, but the Red Sox need a lot more than a middle reliever. It's going to take much bigger moves and millions more dollars to fix this bloated mess of a team.

It was especially disappointing that Boston was unable to upgrade its horrendous rotation with so many starting pitchers on the move last week. Granted, pretty much all of them save Cole Hamels are going to be free agents this winter, but then the Red Sox aren't the Royals when it comes to budget constraints. It's high time Boston paid real money to a pitcher that isn't Rick Porcello, and they better be ready to shell out this winter for a Mat Latos or Jeff Samardzija, if not a Price or a Cueto.

Boston's relatively inactive trade deadline was a far cry from last year's roster purge, when Ben Cherington traded eight players leading up to the deadline, including four-fifths of his Opening Day rotation. In breaking up the team that won it all nine months earlier, he was taking the first steps towards rebuilding for a competitive 2015. It hasn't worked out, mainly because all the players Cherington got in return (except Eduardo Rodriguez, who's been a gem) are either no longer with the club (Yoenis Cespedes, Kelly Johnson) or have played like garbage (Joe Kelly, Allen Craig).

To be fair, the Red Sox did not have many desirable trade chips this year. Teams weren't exactly lining up for the services of Mike Napoli, Alejandro De Aza, and Junichi Tazawa. Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval are untradeable given their poor performance and massive contracts. And for whatever reason, the Red Sox once again failed to unload Koji Uehara, a ticking time bomb at age 40 who should have been traded last summer.

Boston's best chance to add appreciable talent was via a three-way trade with the Cubs and Padres, but that deal was declared dead this morning. Deader than their moribund season.

Blue Jays Big Winners at Trade Deadline

The Blue Jays hope Price can pitch them into the postseason (NY Daily News)

When you trade for the best shortstop in baseball and one of your league's best pitchers in the span of 48 hours, you're having a pretty good week.

Unlike the Royals, with whom Toronto has shared the spotlight this week, the Blue Jays have made their share of headlines over the past few years. They traded for the first edition of the Miami Marlins (Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle), a reigning Cy Young winner (R.A. Dickey), and a legit MVP candidate (Josh Donaldson). They haven't been shy on the free agent market either, bringing on post-PED suspension Melky Cabrera and Russell Martin--one of the best catchers in baseball.

And yet for all their activity, the Blue Jays have nothing to show for it. Every year, it seems, Toronto is the dark-horse candidate to win the AL East, and every year they flop--usually because they don't have enough starting pitching. It's hard to believe that team, with all its talent, has lost more games than they've won over the past two and a half seasons, especially given the lackluster quality of their division these days. The AL East has been wide open the past couple of years but it's been the Orioles, not the Jays, who've taken advantage. Toronto's merely toiled in mediocrity, watching its playoff drought--the longest in American professional sports--grow longer by the day.

This year, with the Blue Jays again hovering around .500, GM Alex Anthopoulos pushed all his chips into the pile. He had already committed to going for it this year when he traded for Donaldson and gave $82 million to Martin last winter. Now, with his team in the hunt for the second wild card and still within striking distance of the Yankees, Anthopoulos made his move. First he went out and got Troy Tulowitzki, which seemed a bit puzzling given that he already had a really good, albeit injury-prone, shortstop in Jose Reyes, who went to Colorado along with two minor leaguers and Miguel Castro.

But Anthopoulos wasn't done. Yesterday, just two days after acquiring Tulo, he sent three players, including his organization's most promising young starter (Daniel Norris), to Detroit for David Price.

No disrespect to Tulo, but Price is the bigger get here. Toronto hasn't had a pitcher of his caliber since Roy Halladay, and Halladay hasn't thrown a pitch for the Jays since 2009. Like the Royals, they were a team in desperate need of an ace, and now they have one.

Price, who was dealt on deadline day last year, fits the bill. Dominant as ever, his stats this year are right in line with those from his Cy Young season of 2012. Furthermore, the one-time Tampa Bay Ray is not only comfortable pitching in the AL East, but also has postseason experience. The big lefty is exactly the kind of guy you want at the front of your rotation, even if it's only for a few months (Price will be a free agent this winter).

As for Tulowitzki, there's no doubt he's one of the best players in baseball whenever he takes the field. Taking the field isn't something he does all that often, but he's been healthy this year and makes the best lineup in baseball even better (but also impossibly right-handed). He's also under contract for five years beyond this one, which means Toronto's set at shortstop for a while.

Just two games out of the second wild card and with Price and Tulowitzki now on board, the Blue Jays are poised for a run that could result in their first postseason berth since 1993. Given all they've invested in this year's team and all the talent they just surrendered, however, anything less would be a colossal failure.

Royals Reel in Big Fish

Cueto can help Kansas City win it all (Kansas City Star)

It was surprising--nay, shocking--that the Royals were the first team to make a major splash leading up to the deadline, landing Johnny Cueto on an otherwise sleepy Sunday. Not just because they already had the best record in the American League and were favored to win the World Series, but because it was totally out of character for an organization known for its restraint whenever superstars become available.

They Royals, because they are a small-market team with an average payroll, rarely generate shockwaves of this magnitude. Their last was the intensely-ridiculed Wil Myers for James Shield swap, which happened nearly three years ago. That the trade actually ended up working out better for Kansas City than it did for Tampa Bay, who promptly dumped Myers on San Diego two years after the fact, is besides the point. The point is that the Royals rarely come up whenever big name players are discussed, largely because they can't afford them. Giving somebody a lengthy nine-figure contract is simply out of the question.

But while that's the case for many teams, most can afford a superstar's final months before he reaches free agency, even the Royals. The issue is no longer salary, then, but the prospects one must give up to net such a big fish. When you're in the playoff hunt and every win counts, it can be worth it to sacrifice tomorrow for today. But for Kansas City, an organization that builds and develops from within, mortgaging the future for a few months of an elite rental was never in their best interest, especially because they were never in contention. Two months of a star player doesn't make a difference when you're in last place.

Well, the Royals are no longer also-rans: they are legitimate contenders, and when you're a contender you have to try to separate yourself from the other contenders. You have to plug your leaks as best you can, whether that means shoring up the bullpen, adding a frontline starter, or bringing in another bat. Stand still, and you run the risk of getting passed.

It's been awhile since the Royals were buyers at the trade deadline--usually they're at the other end of the table--and it felt like a ravenous tiger being let of its cage. They pounced, coming away with Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist to kick off a busy week across baseball. They might not be done--they could still use another arm--but they have to be satisfied with impressive haul.

The cost for Cueto was steep--three young lefthanded pitchers--but should also pay big dividends in the short-term. In Cueto, the Royals finally have a legitimate ace to replace James Shields, who departed over the winter via free agency. He's somebody you want to hand the ball when a championship's on the line, because he's someone who's capable of doing what Madison Bumgarner did last October. We're talking about a guy who's had an ERA in the twos each of the past five seasons, who led his league in strikeouts and innings pitched last year, and who won 20 games last year while finishing second to Clay Kershaw in the NL Cy Young vote last year.

That's a stud.

Zobrist was brought in to help replace Alex Gordon's production (Grantland)

Most teams would have been happy to add Cueto and called it a day, but Kansas City didn't stop there. Two days later, in what was only the third-biggest deal of a wild day that saw Troy Tulowitzki (more on him later) and Jonathan Papelbon change hands, the Royals reeled in Ben Zobrist from the flatlining A's.

Even at 34, Zobrist is still one of the most impactful players in the game today. Like Cueto, he's been criminally underrated despite ranking third among position players in fWAR since 2009, behind a couple of guys named Miguel Cabrera and Andrew McCutchen. Also like Cueto, he's going to be a free agent at year's end, meaning he'll likely be playing elsewhere next year.

Even so, two months (hopefully three) of Zobrist and Cueto beats no months of them. Because of Oakland's poor play and a knee injury that limited him to just 14 games through May 25th, Zobrist has flown under the radar even more than usual this year. When healthy, however, he's been his usual self, flashing strong on-base numbers, medium power, and the ability to man multiple positions. A jack of all trades who can hit--think Brock Holt--has real value, not just in the depth charts but on the field everyday. He can fill the void left by Alex Gordon in left field until Gordon returns--possibly by early September--then play wherever Ned Yost needs him.

Royals GM Dayton Moore has made numerous miscalculations during his underwhelming tenure, several of which occurred just this past winter, but it's safe to say trading for Cueto and Zorbist won't join them. On the contrary, this week has to be considered his finest hour. Although his team has the best record in the American League and a cushy lead over a mediocre AL Central, he wasn't content with cruising into the postseason. He knew that his team, as well as they've played, was not going to win the World Series without help, so he went out and got it.

Moore could have just as easily done nothing because hey, if it ain't broke, why fix it? But he looked at his team, saw an aceless rotation and a gaping hole in the lineup, and made the necessary moves to quickly address them. That's his job, sure, but for him to score two huge victories during the busiest week of the baseball year--when everyone and their mother is trying to do something--well, that deserves applause.

I wonder how much of his aggression, if any, can be traced back to Kansas City's Game 7 loss in last year's World Series. To come so close to winning it all and lose, with the tying run on third base, isn't just heartbreaking--it's soul-crushing. How much did that that inspire them to double down, like the Red Sox did after losing Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, in order to get over the hump? The Royals hadn't made the playoffs since 1985 before last year, so they know how rare these opportunities are. They've waited long enough. Their time is now, and they know there's a weak American League out there for the taking. They already had a clear path to the postseason, but now they're better positioned to get back to the World Series, where they'll have another crack at winning their first championship in 30 years.

As seen by this year's All-Star "voting," interest in the Royals has never been higher. Kudos to Moore for trying to capitalize on that by dramatically strengthening his team for the stretch run. Last year won the fans back, and this year's going to keep them there. Sometimes even when you're at the top, you have to reach just a little bit higher.

Sox Going Opposite Ways

The White Sox have pulled out of their early season rut (Getty Images)

Although the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox wear different colored stockings, they were two birds of the same feather last year. Boston finished 71-91 with a negative-81 run-differential, while Chicago went 73-89 with a minus-98. They then took drastic measures to improve during the offseason, with Boston signing Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez, and Rick Porcello to huge contracts while Chicago added Jeff Samardzija, Melky Cabrera, and Adam LaRoche. Having bolstered their lineups and upgrading their rotations, both teams looked like contenders in 2015.

Following disappointing first halves, both Sox again found themselves in similar positions at the All-Star Break. Boston checked in at 42-47, while Chicago was an equally tepid 41-45. Both were playing well at the time, though, seemingly poised to go on a second half run after finishing the first half strong.

Since the All-Star Break, however, they have veered off in completely opposite directions. Boston has floundered, losing eight in a row and 12 of its last 14. Chicago, meanwhile, has taken off, winning seven in a row heading into tonight's series finale at Fenway and improving its July record to 16-8 (only the Yankees have a better record this month).

Their extreme performances over the past few weeks have dramatically altered their rest-of-season outlooks. The White Sox were an afterthought until the end of June, at which point they became the hottest team in baseball. Since June 28th, Chicago has posted the best record in baseball. The Red Sox, meanwhile, have been among the coldest, with the third-worst record in baseball over that span.

The few weeks between the Midsummer Classic and trade deadline are typically make-or-break for the teams on the cusp, which is especially true this year considering only six American League clubs have won more games than they've lost. Teams have to decide whether to go for it or wave the white flag, which always makes for an intriguing game of will-they or won't-they. With the second wild card keeping so many teams in contention deeper into the season, it's become increasingly difficult for teams to separate from the pack, and thus distinguish themselves as buyers or sellers. For some, a few well-timed wins or poorly-timed losses near the end of July can make all the difference.

So while Chicago seemed like one of the few surefire sellers this time last month, that is no longer the case, with their recent tear vaulting them to within two and a half games of the second wild card. Boston, on the other hand, was pursuing an ace after trimming their divisional deficit to five games before the break, but such a move seems unlikely now that they find themselves 14 games out of first and nine back of the wild card. Whereas the White Sox are back in it, the Red Sox are effectively out of it.

Accordingly, Chicago should hold on to Samardzija (unless somebody blows them away) and seek to add reinforcements. For Boston, another fire-sale is in order.

Never were their diverging trajectories more apparent than during their four-game showdown this week at a steamy Fenway Park. With Boston mired in a brutal heat wave, the White Sox were even hotter than the Hub's sweltering temperatures. Boston's mediocre pitching made the AL's worst offense look indomitable by allowing 10 runs on 15 hits in the series opener, nine runs on 14 hits to spoil Pedro Martinez's retired number ceremony, and nine runs on 17 hits last night. The ball was flying around Fenway's friendly confines as Chicago feasted on Joe Kelly, Wade Miley, and Rick Porcello. Tonight's menu features another appetizing entrée in knuckleballer Steven Wright (3-4, 4.78 ERA).

While the visiting Sox thrived in the oppressive humidity, the hometown Sox continued to melt. After putting up eight runs in Monday's losing effort, they were silenced by Jeff Samardzija and Jose Quintana the last two nights. Boston doesn't figure to do much against Chris Sale tonight, either. A four-game sweep, which seemed unfathomable after Boston took two of three from Detroit over the weekend, is all but assured.

The state of both teams can be summarized as follows: With two months of baseball yet to be played, the White Sox still have hope, and the Red Sox don't.

Image courtesy of AP

A-Rod's Renaissance

A-Rod may be old, but he's still hitting like the A-Rod of old (FNC Static)

Monday was Alex Rodriguez's 40th birthday, and of course he made the most of it.

Back in Texas, where he wowed Rangers fans with three of the best seasons a shortstop has ever had, Rodriguez added another feel-good chapter to his storybook comeback by slamming his 24th home run of the year and 678th of his career. The big fly was classic A-Rod--a heat-seeking missile launched the other way with the flick of his wrists. It's the kind of opposite field shot you see all the time when Rodriguez's swing is right, and it's become abundantly clear that his swing is in top form.

Rodriguez has had better numbers to be sure--take another look at those Texas years--but he's never enjoyed a campaign quite like this one. Nobody has, because nobody was ever suspended for an entire season and then returned to baseball on the cusp of 40.

As such, no one knew what to expect of Rodriguez this year, not even Rodriguez himself. It's safe to say nobody expected much. The odds were stacked against him, especially given that his last few years before the suspension were marked by injury woes and declining performance. Once one of the surest things in the game, A-Rod's future was overwhelmingly uncertain. How would his body hold up? Did he still have the reflexes and hand-eye co-ordination to hit major league pitching? Guys aren't supposed to miss a year in their late 30s and come back like nothing happened.

Except Rodriguez has. And while he hasn't been better than ever, he's almost as good as he used to be, something not even the most optimistic Yankee fans could have foreseen. Nobody in their wildest dreams would have believed that Rodriguez would return to being the middle of the order force he was during his prime, and yet that's exactly what he's done.

It would have been natural for A-Rod to start slow, given that he hadn't played major league baseball in more than a year, but he never displayed even a hint of rust. He reached base twice in his first game back, went yard in his third game, notched a pair of hits in his fourth game, and drove in four runs in game number six. Rodriguez hit the ground running, and he hasn't looked back.

And rather than wear down during the heat of the summer, as any slugger approaching 40 might, he's only gotten hotter with the weather. Rodriguez has nine home runs, 14 RBI, and a .726 slugging percentage since the Fourth of July. Three of those blasts came Saturday in Minnesota, when Rodriguez turned back the clock with his fifth career three-homer game (and first since 2010).

For an encore, Rodriguez smacked another home run on his birthday, making him just the fourth player ever to homer as a teenager and a 40 year-old (joining the unlikely trio of Ty Cobb, Rusty Staub, and former teammate Gary Sheffield). It was also his sixth birthday bomb--a new MLB record and a fitting milestone for his milestone birthday.

What may be even more surprising than A-Rod's resurgence on the field is the transformation of his perception off it.

Until a few months ago, Rodriguez was probably the most reviled athlete in sports. He was so hated that his own ballclub objected to his early spring training arrival. Yes, seriously. In ballparks across America, he was subjected to the worst booing since Barry Bonds made his run at Hank Aaron's home run record. You probably could have counted the number of Rodriguez supporters on one hand.

Now, well, there were legitimate objections to A-Rod being left off the All-Star Game roster. His teammates have welcomed him back with open arms, and Yankee fans have been quick to forgive. He still gets booed wherever he goes, but the jeers aren't fueled with the same level of vitrol. Fans appear to be booing him out of instinct more than anything else, because they always have and always will, and because they know that's what they're supposed to do (after all, the guy's a caught cheater! And a liar!).

After more than two decades in the big leagues, Rodriguez has finally discovered how to stay out of his own way, not to mention the tabloids (he did have 10 years to learn from the master--Derek Jeter). Thanks to wisdom, maturity, and an improved sense of self-awareness, his season has been shockingly devoid of controversy. He's handled everything with grace and poise; the transition to full-time DH (or: losing his starting job to Chase Headley), the incident involving his 3,000th hit, and the Yankees' refusal to honor his $6 million contract incentive for passing Willie Mays on the all-time home run list. Each time he bit his tongue, refusing to let himself become a distraction.

He's also been a genuinely good guy, giving his batting gloves to kids in Fenway Park, of all places, after homering twice there earlier this month. Smooth move, A-Rod.

Rodriguez should be a pro at this PR stuff by now. His career has been a constant uphill battle to win back fans and media ever since he signed that first fat contract with Texas. The last 15 years have felt like one long apology tour for his various transgressions, of which there are now too many to count. The few times A-Rod has been tolerable during that span have been whenever he's simply shut up and let his bat do the talking.

Right now, his bat is talking pretty loud. Entering play today he has 24 homers, 60 RBI, and a .279/.379/.545 batting line, good for his best league and park-adjusted OPS since his most recent MVP season in 2007. Rodriguez can't run (only one stolen base) or field (he's played just six games in the field) like he used to, but he can still mash.

That's the one thing Rodriguez has always been able to do, no matter how much of a self-created hurricane is howling around him. Through all the scandals, controversies, and cringe-worthy mistakes, Rodriguez has always raked. Even the last few years, with injuries severely cutting into his playing time and limiting his production, he was still an above average hitter.

This year he's been way, way above average, and that has come as a major surprise. It seemed much more likely that he'd be a broken down shell of his former self like Jeter was last year. Instead, he's been an MVP candidate and one of the main reasons why New York currently leads the AL East.

Redemption. Resurrection. Resurgence. Whatever alliteration you want to use to describe Rodriguez's comeback, it can't possibly do him justice. What he's doing is unprecedented, but he's been doing unprecedented things for 20 years now. Let's appreciate this one for a change.