With the trade deadline only one week away and all hell about to break loose, Peter Gammons will become the most important person in my life. (Sorry everybody else in my life, but you have to understand this time of year for me. In the words of Tony Soprano anytime he got a phone call during Sunday dinner; "This is my busy season.")
The early rumors have been involving Brian Fuentes going to any team in contention, (I'm giving him the Scott Sauerbeck award for the reliever that will fail wherever he goes but is rumored to be going to every team leading up to July 31st.) Earlier this week the price tag for Fuentes came out and my jaw hit the floor. From the Yankees they want Ian Kennedy and from the Red Sox they want Clay Buchholz and the equivalent from every other team that is interested. In my opinion Fuentes is no where near worth it, I understand that he pitches his home games in a hitter friendly environment, (so is Fenway) but for crying out loud the Rockies are in the National League West. Can you name one offensive team in the National League West who would make you the least bit nervous and the only argument you could make would be COLORADO if they were completely healthy. So I am saying to heck with Brian Fuentes coming to the Red Sox.
The rumor that cropped up today was Juan Uribe. I'm not sure if I'm on record saying this or not but I have definitely said it before, Juan Uribe might be the worst player in Major League Baseball to the point that I have no problem envisioning him even farther overweight playing 1st base for the Connecticut Defenders at anytime now. I agree with playing Jed Lowrie for the bulk of the time that Lugo is on the shelf because he could pull an Ellsbury and steal the job by the time playoffs come around fair and square. To say though that Uribe is an upgrade at all over Lugo is insane and even over Cora seems like a stretch in this writers opinion. Not only does Uribe remind me of Manny Alexander (huge strike against) he might have the worst swing in baseball history(perfect for wiffle ball though).
The verdict is to heck with Uribe.
I've solved the problem at short stop, now for the hole at middle reliever, I'm looking at you Javier Lopez. The names that I have heard out there are George Sherrill and Ron Mahay. I would be willing to post a decent fee for George Sherrill, the kid absolutely has stuff and left handers have a tough time with his heat and his movement. He's only 31 and has the stuff to become a dominant set up man for a team like the Red Sox. The other cheaper alternative here is Ron Mahay. Mahay has been dealt at the deadline before going to the Atlanta Braves a couple years ago, and that worked out pretty well. He has good stuff and his ERA this season is below 2. He is a proven veteran with a good track record pitching for bad teams. Who really knows what he would do in a pressure situation which he probably hasn't been in, save with the Braves, since his time with the Red Sox back in 1998. Sherrill sounds like a bit of a reach especially with his new contract in Baltimore and Peter Angelos doesn't seem willing to build for the future just be futile for today.
I say go out and get Ron Mahay and make a overture towards Baltimore for Sherrill and point out that their all-star closer's ERA is almost 4 and that you'll take that great big contract off their hands. (Sounds too greedy? Yeah, it's too greedy.)
Game Over!!!
Sterling Pingree
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