Trades Are Good

VirtualGammons

[VirtualGammons was inspired by an attempt to teach a computer by feeding it Usenet posts, and was coded by our resident Webmaster and tortured coder Derek Zumsteg in ANSI C. VirtualGammons is not intended to be a substitute for Peter Gammons, baseball's most respected columnist, who writes for the Boston Globe and ESPN.]

The deadline for trades is midnight tonight and it is time again for teams already sure to make the playoffs to add to their rosters to win in the playoffs. Every year at this time nearly every team becomes a costlier farm team for the teams that win all year every year. Competitive balance will tilt even further in their favor and with the looming expansion of rosters make the rest of the regular season even more of a joke.

Many teams still think they are competing for the wild card. In Los Angeles new GM Lasorda may continue to make wild trades to save his job. Fox management is not happy that their management change had no effect and may accept no excuses before axing the current lineup. The Dodgers have stuck themselves with high-priced veterans and have few holes to fill and few takers for their players. They may offer cash.

The heartwarming comeback of the Orioles has given hope to Baltimore. A team of younger players would have given up long ago. But the veteran team assembled by Pat Gillick showed the kind of clubhouse chemistry young teams long for. Now the Orioles are pursuing the wild card and may make offers for Tim Belcher and Randy Myers who would return to the Orioles. Homecomings also loom for other players.

No Expo is safe. They're hoping someone will make an offer on Mark Grudzielanek. No one has.

The Mets have to win now. They've traded their farm system for this year and may offer all remaining prospects in the next day to mount a last-minute push. Six of their best players are free agents after this season and six more will go to arbitration, and if the Mets don't win now there will be no money for any of them. Look for the Mets to trade for a starter who can do long relief in the playoffs like Tim Belcher, and an outfielder, possibly Colorado's Dante Bichette.

Is it just me or do the newest batch of owners seem evil? Given to demand winning now they show little patience for beloved borderline players and have no respect for the baseball types who advise them. With the new Dodgers owners baseball at once lost a beloved family ownership and gained another faceless demanding corporation. It may be the future of baseball as corporate payrolls are required to compete but the game may suffer as multiple-sport prospect chooses friendlier leagues.

Mo Vaughn would be given a psychological hardship discharge if baseball was the military. Duquette is baseball's evil German captor. Mo would like to escape but there is not much he can do. The Red Sox may still trade him for another starter however to compete in the playoffs.

Oakland may look to advance its rebuilding by trading Tom Candiotti for a young prospect like Derek Lowe, but contending teams would prefer a premier starter. As the deadline approaches don't be surprised if they come calling though.

In the AL West, look for both Texas and Anaheim to make any trade they can. Both have holes that need to be filled to contend seriously. Every player available will be looked at by both teams, and both will likely bid on them all. Look for Texas to pursue starting pitching. Also look for the Angels to trade for a pitcher and an outfielder. Garret Anderson may leave.

The wild card is that many teams who harbor hopes for the wild card, such as New York and San Francisco in the National League and Baltimore in the American League, may on Friday decide to turn it in and all of their players will become available for the right price. It's unlikely Baltimore will give up, but if San Francisco or particularly New York decide to look to next season the entire market will be confused and anything could happen. Look for them both to make small trades to improve and see where they end up.

We were considering putting VirtualGammons in the office window for public viewing, but we figured that a flashing hard drive light isn't much of a show. Offer suggestions of exciting peripherals to vgammons@strikethree.com.