No trade news from Skydome yet, though I'm sure JP & Co. are burning the phone lines in these last hours before the trading deadline. July 31 may not be the drop-dead date it has been in the past; teams have usually tried to complete deals before now because in order to trade someone after July 31, the player has to pass through waivers. But with teams increasingly worried about payroll, it's becoming less likely they'll take a chance on claiming a player on waivers. Randy Myers and Jose Canseco are Exhibits A & B.
Anyway, the week's not over yet, and in the meantime there's been plenty of action already. Here's the latest; feel free to add more trade news here as the deadline approaches.
New York Yankees deal Raul Mondesi to Arizona for David Delucci, Bret Prinz and Jon-Mark Sprowl
Let's see ... it took 6 seasons for Raul to wear out his welcome in Los Angeles, 3 seasons in Toronto and 1 season in New York. At this rate, the D'Backs should be sick of the Buffalo by Labour Day. Mondesi is not the player he used to be, but he should still be an upgrade over whatever they've been trotting out to right field. Delucci is a pleasant spare part. Prinz could be useful if he comes all the way back from his injury, but that's entirely a roll of the dice. Sprowl is a minor-league catcher with great on-base numbers but terrible defence, and is a little old for his leagues. All things considered, the Yanks come out ahead because (a) Prinz and Sprowl have a little upside and (b) Raul's gone.
Cincinnati Reds deal Scott Williamson for Phil Dumatrait, a PTBNL and cash
Wiliamson has always been a player I've coveted, and his apparent recovery from TJ surgery (though he's had elbow soreness this year) has been encouraging. He's only making $1.6 M this season and is arbitration-eligible, so he's one guy I wish the Jays had found a way to land. Lefty Dumatrait was overdrafted in the first round a couple years back. Though this is his 4th pro season, he's only thrown 200 IP going into 2003. His BB/K and K/IP numbers aren't great, though at 22, he still has a little time to get it together. No word on who the PTBNL is; it might depend on how much cash changed hands. This is a great deal for Boston: Williamson, like fellow recent acquisition Byung-Hyun Kim, can start or relieve, and has a solid repertoire.
Anaheim trades Scott Schoeneweis and Doug Nickle to Chicago White Sox for Gary Glover, Scott Dunn and Tim Bittner
I can't quite figure this one out. Both teams are still putatively in the playoff hunt, yet I don't see how this deal really benefits either side this year, if at all. Schoeneweis has declined from rotation prospect to expensive LOOGY, and it's not like the ChiSox need another southpaw particularly. This is Nickle's fourth organization, yet he's never played a day in the majors. His numbers give no indication he's ever going to get there, either. You may remember Gary Glover as a former Blue Jays farmhand dealt to the ChiSox by Gord Ash in a widely panned trade for Scott Eyre. Well, Eyre's with the Giants and now Glover's an Angel, so I think we can close the books on that deal and call it a draw. Dunn appears to be the prize here: he's 6-3, 3.35 with 9 saves at AA with a 21/68 BB/K rate in 51 IP. Problem is, he's 25, so his future would appear to be right now. Bittner appears unremarkable.
And a few other minor deals that I don't have time, unfortunately, to explore. Check back here between now and Friday for breaking trade news.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20030730092132999