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      Braves trade Escobar for Hello Kitty notebook and 5 packs of nacho cheese sunflower seeds

      July 14, 2010 /
      July 10, 2010 - Flushing, N.Y, United States of America - 10 July, 2010: Atlanta Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar.

      I know Yunel Escobar is a maddening player, but is Alex Gonzalez and two minor leagues the only thing the Braves got in return for him? Holy smokes.

      The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that the Braves have dealt Escobar and minor-league pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes to the Blue Jays in exchange for Gonzalez, minor-league pitcher Tim Collins and minor-league shortstop Tyler Pastornicky.

      Escobar entered the All-Star break hitting just .238 with no home runs and 19 RBI, while Gonzalez is currently hitting .259 with 17 dingers and 50 RBI. Obviously Gonzalez’s numbers are better, but at only 27, Escobar still has plenty of potential left in him. He was a worthwhile risk for Toronto, especially if all he needs is a change of scenery to help turn his career around.

      There’s no doubt that Escobar has been in and out of Bobby Cox’s doghouse over the years, but the Braves sold low here. He has a tremendous glove, has proven in the past that he can hit for average and he’s under team control until 2013. Why the Braves dumped him for a player in Gonzalez (who may be having a great year, but whose career numbers reek) is a little puzzling to say the least.

      That said, anything can happen. Collins is tiny (5’7, 155 pounds), but has a 2.40 ERA in parts of four seasons in the minor leagues and is averaging an outstanding 15.3 K/9 over 43 innings. Pastronicky projects to be a leadoff hitter, although not that the Braves have a need for one right now with Martin Prado developing into an All-Star.

      There’s also no guarantee that this is a fluke year for Escobar. He may be as bad as he’s shown and in that case, it was better that the Braves got something for him. I don’t retract what I wrote earlier about them selling low, but nobody can predict how a deal will turn out in the end. (Plus, history has shown that once I try and get cute with a title like the one in this post, I get usually get burned. So torch me, Alex Gonzalez – I’m ready.)

      External Sports, MLB

      Discussing some smaller NBA moves, Part 2

      July 14, 2010 /
      Apr. 01, 2010 - Dallas, TEXAS, UNITED STATES - epa02101336 Orlando Magic player Marcin Gortat (C) gets a rebound against Dallas Mavericks players Dirk Nowtizki (L) from Germany and Brendan Haywood (R) in the first half of the game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas USA, 1 April 2010.

      Want to read Part 1 first? Click here.

      Mavs acquire Tyson Chandler, re-sign Brendan Haywood (6/$55 M).
      Dallas missed out on Marcin Gortat last summer and in Chandler/Haywood they have a pretty good two-headed defensive center. If they split time and produce at 09-10 levels, the Mavs will get 14-14 and 2.7 blocks per game. But that production does come at a price. Chandler is in the last year of his deal ($12.6 M) and Haywood’s deal is fairly outrageous for a 30-year-old. The Mavs will need both players to produce if they hope to get past the Lakers’ talented bigs.

      Zydrunas Ilgauskas is reportedly signing with the Heat. (2/vet’s min)
      It’s not clear how much ‘Big Z’ has left in the tank, but at the veteran’s minimum, it doesn’t have to be much. The Heat just need Ilgauskas to play 15-20 minutes, protect the glass and hit his patented set shot. Veterans appear to be lining up to play with the Super Friends.

      Kyle Lowry signs with the Cavs. (4/$24 M)
      Byron Scott said he wants the Cavs to push the ball more and Lowry is a talented point guard who hasn’t had a chance to start, but has been productive in major roles for Houston and Memphis in his young career. Whether or not he starts for the Cavs remains to be seen. Mo Williams is still there and was an All-Star just two seasons ago. Also, Lowry is restricted and the Rockets have a week to match the Cavs’ offer. Update: It looks like the Rockets are going to match the offer. Daryl Morey always seems to get something for his assets, so maybe the two teams will make a trade.

      Steve Blake signs with the Lakers. (4/$16 M)
      Blake should be a nice fit in the Lakers’ triangle offense. He lacks the speed to beat guys off the dribble, but he’s a good passer (4.8 apg) and a solid spot up shooter (39% 3PT), two requirements to play alongside Kobe in L.A. With Jordan Farmar on the way out, Blake and Derek Fisher will likely split time at the point.

      Tony Allen signs with the Grizzlies. (3/$10 M)
      Jeff Van Gundy called Allen the best perimeter defender in the league, and the C’s curiously let him sign elsewhere for around $3 million a season. He is a very good defender. I watched him cover LeBron James, Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant in consecutive playoff series and he didn’t give up very many easy shots. Why Boston would let him go is beyond me.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News

      Brewers want either Sanchez or Bumgarner for Hart

      July 14, 2010 /
      July 12, 2010; Anaheim, CA, USA; National League outfielder Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2010 All Star home run derby at Angel Stadium. Photo via Newscom

      The cat is out of the bag in terms of what Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin wants in return for All-Star Corey Hart.

      According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Melvin asked Giants’ GM Brian Sabean for either Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner in exchange for Hart, although Sabean is reluctant to trade either pitcher.

      Melvin can crap in one hand and wish for Bumgarner (who was the Giants’ second best prospect behind Buster Posey entering the season) in the other and see which one fills up quicker. Melvin isn’t getting Bumgarner unless he plans on renting one of those creepy old vans with no back windows and stealing him in the middle of the night. I also find it disturbing that he asked for Sanchez, who is a promising but erratic 27-year-old lefty, or Bumgarner, who is a 20-year-old potential phenom in the making. I can only imagine how Melvin phrased his demands to Sabean.

      “I’ll take Sanchez for Hart…………or, if you’d rather do this, I guess I’ll take Bumgarner off your hands, but you’re really holding me over the coals here, man.”

      Acquiring Sanchez is more realistic, but why would the Brewers want a less talented Manny Parra? And why would the Giants want to acquire the next Aaron Rowand (there’s zero doubt that Hart’s numbers will drop going from Miller Park to AT&T Park) all while inserting the ultra-brutal Todd Wellemeyer back into the rotation? That doesn’t make sense seeing as how Barry Zito and Matt Cain were struggling before the All-Star Break.

      On the surface, a Hart for Sanchez swap makes sense. The Brewers have hitting but need pitching, while the Giants have pitching but need hitting. But it seems like both teams would be taking a step sideways if a deal like this went down, so it probably makes sense for them to seek other trade partners.

      External Sports, MLB

      Discussing some smaller NBA moves, Part 1

      July 14, 2010 /

      There has been so much focus on the big names in free agency that sometimes the complementary players are overlooked. Here’s a rundown of some of the mid-level names that have changed teams this summer:

      Raymond Felton signs with the Knicks. (2/$15 M)
      When life gives you lemons… Donnie Walsh managed to sign Amare Stoudemire, but struck out on LeBron, Wade and Bosh. So instead of overpaying for another big-name free agent, or even re-signing David Lee, Walsh signed a capable point guard in Felton to run Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo system. Most importantly, he negotiated a short, two-year contract (with a possible third season as a team option) to allow the pursuit of Chris Paul if/when he becomes a free agent in two years. Felton averaged 12-4-6 and shot 46% from the field for the Bobcats last season. His numbers are sure to rise in New York assuming he gets the same run (33 mpg).

      Jermaine O’Neal signs with the Celtics. (2/$12 M)
      Rasheed Wallace is retiring, so the C’s needed to shore up its front line in order to contend with Dwight Howard, Carlos Boozer and Chris Bosh in the playoffs. O’Neal isn’t the player he used to be, but he averaged 14-7 and shot a career high (53%) for the Heat last season. He’s a big body and decent defender and he’s capable of hitting a face up jumper when given the opportunity. As long as he holds up, this is a nice signing by Boston.

      Kyle Korver signs with the Bulls. (3/$15 M)
      Chicago lacked three-point shooting last season and Korver fills that need. He hit almost 54% from deep last season and is a career 41% shooter. He should be a nice fit as a spot up shooter with Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer, but needs to shoot 40%+ from 3PT to justify a starting spot. He’s better defensively as a small forward than as a shooting guard, so it’s not clear how he and Luol Deng will play together. I expected Korver to get a full mid-level deal in this market so the Bulls got him for a relatively good price.

      Tiago Splitter signs with the Spurs. (3/$11 M)
      This deal happened rather quietly, but San Antonio finally has its 2007 first round draft pick under contract… at a bargain. Splitter is a 25-year-old, 6-11 center who was named the MVP of the Spanish League last season. He averaged 16-7 and shot 58% from the field in 28 minutes a game. While he’s not a great rebounder, he’s good defensively and can take some of the scoring load off of Tim Duncan. At under $4 million a season, he’s a steal.

      Al Harrington signs with the Nuggets. (5/$34 M)
      Harrington’s 18-6 line from last season needs to be taken with a grain of salt since he was playing for a pretty bad Knicks team that played at a very high pace. The Nuggets outbid the Mavs for Harrington’s services and Denver had to overpay to lock him up. The Nuggets will be without Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen to start the season and Nene is always a threat to miss time with injury, so Harrington gives the team a big body who can score when called upon. He’s 30, so this contract is not going to look very good in 2-3 years, but such is the market for big men.

      Part 2: Tyson Chandler, Brendan Haywood, Tony Allen, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Kyle Lowry, Steve Blake

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News

      Brash personality + declining skills = no suitors for T.O.?

      July 14, 2010 /
      ATLANTA - DECEMBER 27: Terrell Owens #81 of the Buffalo Bills against the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome on December 27, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

      I find it ironic that Pacman Jones and Matt Jones currently have jobs, but Terrell Owens is still looking for work.

      Think about that for a second. Let it marinade. Let it wash over you.

      Pacman Jones is on a National Football League roster, while Terrell Owens is at home watching the 67th rerun of SportsCenter because he can’t find any takers. That’s amazing.

      It’s hard to argue that T.O. hasn’t been a distraction over the years for almost every team he’s been with (the Bills last year was the only exception), but he has also never gotten into any real trouble. Not like Pacman or Matt Jones. He’s never tried to make it rain in a strip club. He’s also never been busted for drugs or has gotten into a fight with a bodyguard in a hotel bathroom.

      So you can’t tell me that owners or GMs think Owens is that much of a headache not to take a chance on signing. I realize teams might not want to disrupt the chemistry in their locker rooms by bringing in a potential loudmouth like T.O., but that hasn’t stopped wide receiver-needy teams (and there’s no shortage of them every season) from acquiring him before. The fact remains that if a player is talented, some team will take a shot on him.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

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