Tag: Pedro Ramos

TWIWBL 90.2: Off Season Review – Ottawa Mounties

On March 25, 2026

76 - 86, .469 pct.
4th in Effa Manley Division, 23 GB

Overall

So much offense. Like … so much.

But only 2 pitchers had ERAs under 5.00. OK, 3 if you count Billy Koch‘s 3 innings. So that’s the issue.

But 7 players hit over 30 homeruns (and Rusty Staub 29), 6 full time (or nearly so) players had OPS’ over .850, and the peaks–Gary Carter, Roberto Alomar, Larry Walker, all 3 of whom both drove in and scored over 100 runs–were shockingly high.

So the question for Ottawa is relatively simple: how does a franchise maintain the offensive performance and get something approaching league average pitching.

What Went Right

Virtually everything related to the offense. We can take this by position.

Gary Carter was the 2nd best catcher in baseball.

Roberto Alomar was the best 2B in baseball.

Álex Rodríguez hit 46 homeruns as a 22 year old SS.

Tim Raines stole 115 bases and scored 119 runs.

Carlos Beltrán hit 35 homeruns, posted an .865 OPS, and went 42-3 in steals.

Larry Walker hit 54 homeruns with a .998 OPS and 126 RBIs.

And that doesn’t even mention the Rick Monday conundrum: Monday slashed 272/364/604 and just relentlessly demanded more and more playing time, most at DH. There is really no space for Monday in Ottawa, but how do you ignore that level of performance?

In 100 PAs, Josh Donaldson was similar: a 269/366/718 slash line, but somewhat blocked.

And then we have the pitching. Um … yeah.

Roy Halladay is quite good, and his 15-9 record and 1.26 WHIP are more reflective of his performance than his 5.17 ERA.

Bill Smith was every bit as good as Halladay while missing some time through injury, finishing with a 10-3 record and a stellar 3.77 ERA.

Tom Henke had a bumpy return from injury, but overall established himself as the closer for the team.

And that’s about it. Johnny Podgajny ate up innings and BJ Ryan was reasonably effective from the pen.

ALL STARS

Roberto Alomar
Álex Rodríguez
Larry Walker

MAJOR AWARDS

Roberto Alomar, NL All-Rounder Award; NL 2B Silver Slugger
Larry Walker, NL RF Silver Slugger

RECOGNITIONS

Gary Carter, Mel Trench Award 3rd Place; All NL 2nd Team; NL 25 & Under Team
Josh Donaldson, NL All Rookie 2nd Team
Rick Monday, All NL 3rd Team; NL 25 & Under Team
Álex Rodríguez, All NL 3rd Team
Rusty Staub, NL 23 & Under Team; NL 21 & Under Team
Sam Thompson, NL All Rookie 2nd Team
Larry Walker, All NL 2nd Team; NL 25 & Under Team; NL 23 & Under Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Roberto Alomar, MVP
Roy Halladay, Pitcher of the Year
Roberto Alomar, Heart & Soul
Gary Carter, Fan Favorite

Billy Koch, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
John Olerud, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

The Mounties used twenty-four pitchers. Twenty-four. And while there were injuries a plenty (only Halladay had more than 30 starts, only Podgajny more than 20), there were also an overwhelming number of poor performances. Some of the lowlights:

Randy Johnson continues to struggle, posting an ERA over 8 in just over 100 innings. Johnson’s stuff is electric, but something has to shift or Ottawa needs to give up on him.

Atlee Hammaker was pummeled, allowing 40 homeruns in 89 innings. Read that again. That made Hammaker one of six Ottawa hurlers who averaged giving up at least 4 homeruns per 9 innings. Five pitchers averaged over 5 walks per 9. Max Scherzer did both.

I could go on, but it just hurts so much.

You may have noticed that 1B and 3B weren’t mentioned in the what went right review. Rusty Staub and Adrían Beltré weren’t bad, but they also were below league average for sure.

Roy Sievers and Bob Watson were bad, with each of them unable to get close to .700 OPSs.

Transactions

March

OF Ken Griffey, Jr & 4th Round Pick to POR for IF Adrián Beltré, OF Denard Span, P Atlee Hammaker, P Pedro Ramos, & 2nd Round Pick.

Portland looks to have won this on pure talent, but you have to remember this also allowed Carlos Beltrán to be the everyday CF, and Beltrán was excellent.

July

The Mounties stood pat at the All Star Break, as much for a lack of partners than a lack of desire.

August

The Mounties wanted to do something here, but their valuable pieces are too young–this nucleus holds promise, but may need to be broken up in the quest for pitching.

Positional Overview

C

No idea if Gary Carter can keep doing this, but what a treat The Kid was this year. Look for Emil Gross to return as his backup.

Milt May holds some long-term promise (but of course, it should be remembered that, at 21, is only 1 year younger than Carter and Gross).

1B

The Mounties have a lot of talent here, and its not clear what the right move is. It’s tempting to move Larry Walker here and deal with the surplus in the OF. In the meantime, look for John Olerud to be given every opportunity to seize this role in Spring Training.

But John Mayberry, Rusty Staub, Bob Watson, and Tino Martinez all have their supporters, and are likely to be useful WBL players at some point, either here or elsewhere.

2B

Very few people had Roberto Alomar supplanting Eddie Collins as the best 2B in the WBL, but that happened. Especially with that development, look for Tim Raines‘ occasional forays into the infield to become more and more rare.

Jimmy Dykes and Joey Cora each hold some promise in the system.

SS

Nobody is wishing Ottawa kept Freddy Parent now … Álex Rodríguez is not very far from being the best SS in the league: 46 homers at 22 will do that.

The system is pretty barren after that, with Henry Easterday and Dick Bartell offering some defensive options, but little else.

3B

Adrian Beltré has some detractors, but he’ll be here for a while, although Josh Donaldson is giving him some competition. Larry Parrish and Art Devlin are the most likely options if needed while Kyle Seager will push for playing time at some point.

It’s assumed that, eventually, Rodríguez will shift here, but that’s a problem for a future day.

LF/RF

Tim Raines in left and Larry Walker in right feel very set, although Walker’s continued injury struggles are worrisome (and part of why the move to 1B could be attractive).

There are options: Wee Willie Keeler is turning heads throughout the system; Rusty Staub, while slow, isn’t too slow for the outfield yet; and Sam Thompson has done nothing but hit when given the opportunity.

And that’s ignoring Ryan Klesko, Jackie Jensen, Terry Puhl, Jason Heyward, Warren Cormartie …

CF

Giving Carlos Beltrán the fulltime job was a great decision in hindsight. But it does nothing to help Ottawa figure out what to do with Rick Monday, who will be taking as many reps in RF as possible during Spring Training.

Others can play the position, but the only dedicated CF worth noting in the system is 20 year old Denard Span.

DH

Rick Monday, we guess?

SP

Health is such a cruel mistress.

In a perfect world, Ottawa would go with Roy Halladay and Bill Smith; Old Hoss Radbourn would step up, becoming more than an innings eater; Bill Smith or Bob Moose or Bob Brown or Gary Peters or Dupee Shaw or Max Scherzer or, well, anyone, would step up; and, most fantastically, the immense talent of Randy Johnson would show up, like, at all.

It could be a bizarre Spring.

RP

There is reason for optimism, as the closing trio of Tom Henke, BJ Ryan, and Billy Koch could be quite good.

Beyond those three, look for the fallout of the starting competition to end up here. Greg Holland, Rick Camp, and Mark Eichhorn all have potential to help, but may be a bit far from the WBL at this point.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

1st Round: 1
2nd Round: 2
3rd Round: 1
4th Round: 0
5th Round: 1

Look for … how many picks do they have? 4? … four pitchers to be selected.

TWIWBL 89.3: Off Season Review – Portland Sea Dogs

By mknn

On March 15, 2026

In Team News, TWIWBL

71 - 91, .438 pct.
5th in Cum Posey Division, 32 GB

Overall

Wow. From first place to a very, very distant last place in a single season.

Portland is a young team with a lot of good talent, but they remain a few years away from really coming together. There are some pieces that are good enough that, if they take leaps forward, could carry the entire team (Walter Johnson and Ken Griffey, Jr come to mind), but the most likely thing is another year of slogging as they figure it out.

Johnson, Griffey, Jr, Joseíto Muñoz, Bert Blyleven, Joe Mauer, and Johan Santana are all 23 or younger, so there is some real hope here.

Most of the issues are on the offensive side, where the Sea Dogs were dead last in most measures and where it was a challenge to find much optimism beyond Kent Hrbek, Mauer, and Griffey Jr.

What Went Right

Those three. Hrbek hit for power and led the team with 96 RBIs; Griffey, Jr had as good a year as good have been hoped for, slashing 292/326/568; and Mauer posted an .823 OPS as an everyday catcher.

The acquisition of Bobby Abreu looks solid, as the young OFer slashed 257/389/527 in a late season callup.

And that’s about it on the offensive side.

The rotation has all the potential in the world, with a front four of Walter Johnson, Walter Ball, Joseíto Muñoz, and Bert Blyleven. Of those, however, only Ball had an actually solid year, and he missed half the season with injuries.

And … yeah … that’s about it.

ALL STARS

Rogers Hornsby (Subsequently traded)
Joe Mauer

MAJOR AWARDS

Buddy Bell: AL 3B Gold Glove
Bert Blyleven: AL P Gold Glove

RECOGNITIONS

Kiki Cuyler: AL Over 30 Team
Ken Griffey, Jr: AL 21 & Under Team
Walter Johnson: AL 21 & Under Team
Joseíto Muñoz: AL 21 & Under Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Joe Mauer, MVP
Walter Ball, Pitcher of the Year
Walter Johnson, Heart & Soul
Joseíto Muñoz, Fan Favorite

Joe Coleman, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Chuck Klein, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

Bobby Murcer, Gil Hodges, Kiki Cuyler, and Cliff Lee each posted negative WAR’s in over 125 PAs. Hodges managed that while leading the team in homers with 38, which means he did, essentially, nothing else.

The middle infield was a mess for most of the year, with Paul Molitor–who clearly doesn’t belong at 2B–leading a weak group. Hughie Jennings, Eddie Yost, Elvis Andrus, and Willie Randolph all struggled mightily after being given a shot, and it’s all pretty wide open.

The bullpen was a mess all year, with Trevor Hoffman struggling as the closer, John Wetteland being horrible after his acquisition, and a rotating crew of Frank Williams, Elmer Brown, Dick Jones, and a few others being unable to hold their spot.

Dizzy Trout and Jerry Koosman both struggled a bit as starters.

Transactions

March

IF Adrian Beltré, OF Denard Span, P Atlee Hammaker, P Pedro Ramos & 2nd Round Pick to OTT for OF Ken Griffey, Jr. & 4th Round Pick.

It’s a lot to give up, but Griffey, Jr delivered this year. Ultimately, the deal will be judged by the pick and Beltré, but you can’t argue too much against it.

C Iván Rodríguez, P Jon Matlack, OF Adolis García, OF Al Oliver, 1st Round Pick, & 4th Round Pick to MCG for IF Paul Molitor, OF Vladimir Guerrero, C Alan Ashby, & 2nd Round Pick.

This was a blockbuster, but it makes sense: the Sea Dogs were committed to Mauer and the rest was about equaling out potential value. A lot hinges on whether Molitor is able to find a position. With Guerrero still a year or 2 away and the picks involved, it will take a while to evaluate this one.

July

P Mike Cuellar to BAL for P John Wetteland & 4th Round Pick.

Wetteland was so bad after his arrival that this has to be considered a loss at this point.

IF Rogers Hornsby & P Pascual Pérez to NYY for IF Willie Randolph, P Jake Peavy, P Bill Monbouquette, & 1st Round Pick.

Assuming Peavy stays healthy and the Sea Dogs don’t fumble the pick, this is a win given how far away from contention Portland is and Hornsby’s advancing age.

August

IF Rafael Palmiero, P Mark Melancon, IF Jim Fregosi, & OF Harry Hooper to PHI for P LaTroy Hawkins, P Dave Stieb, IF Pat Meares, P Jaret Wright, OF Bobby Abreu, & 2nd Round Pick.

This trade kept getting bigger and bigger, and ended up doing a lot of things at once. Palmiero and Abreu were each blocked in their organizations, so that part makes sense; the rest was a fire sale as Philadelphia cemented their playoff drive. If Stieb and/or Hawkins can deliver at the WBL level, this is probably a win for Portland.

Positional Overview

C

Joe Mauer had better not get hurt … last year it felt like Cliff Lee would be a solid backup, but Lee flopped, and the backup job is up for grabs, with Ernie Krueger having the inside track on it, although Alan Ashby will also be given a look in Spring Training.

1B

Kent Hrbek has this locked down, and while the Sea Dogs wish the big guy would take that slight step forward, he remains a solid choice.

Gil Hodges will be Hrbek’s primary backup unless Portland moves on from him, in which case Mickey Vernon or veteran Don Baylor seem the most likely call-ups.

2B

The question is how long can Portland accept Paul Molitor‘s defensive deficiencies. Assuming it’s a while more, Portland is likely to keep a glove-first option as a backup infielder, likely Wayne Garrett or Tom Satriano or, if they are still just looking for memes, Greg Litton.

SS

The Sea Dogs really wanted Hughie Jennings to make a claim here, but he didn’t, not really. So that opens up some competition with Cobe Jones and Elvis Andrus.

3B

Buddy Bell was quite bad over the first few months, but rebounded well, and remains the favorite here, although Eddie Yost has his supporters in the organization, as does, despite his significant WBL struggles, Miguel Sanó.

LF/RF

Bobby Murcer struggled a bit this year, but remains the incumbent. At the other corner, it’s far more open: Bobby Abreu will get a long look, but Ruben Sierra and the massively disappointing Kiki Cuyler also have a shot, as does, perhaps, young Chuck Klein.

Two 20 year olds are the future here: Vladimir Guerrero and Hugh Duffy need some more time, but are both slated as WBL starters.

CF

This is Ken Griffey, Jr‘s spot. Heck, this is essentially Griffey, Jr’s team, given fellow youngster Walter Johnson‘s comparative reticence.

Gary Pettis will always make an argument as a defensive option, and Lloyd Moseby has some legitimate WBL talent.

DH

I guess this is Gil Hodges, but he really was poor this season. Don Baylor and Ruben Sierra have a chance to make the team here, and maybe it’s actually just where Molitor ends up?

SP

Nothing is more promising or more likely to disappoint than young pitchers, right?

Joseíto Muñoz is 20, Walter Johnson and Bert Blyleven 21, and rookie Walter Ball the old man of the staff at 26. But there is so much talent in those 4, and if either Jake Peavy or Johan Santana can step forward, it has the potential to be as good a rotation as there is in the WBL.

It also has the potential to be profoundly average with long stints on the DL. So.

Dizzy Trout and Joe Coleman are worthwhile as long-term projects as well.

RP

This is ugly. Trevor Hoffman cannot find a decent performance level, John Wetteland was miserable, and the people pulled in for trials–Frank Williams, Elmer Brown, Dick Jones–were equally bad.

Hoffman and Wetteland have elite stuff, but just seem overmatched at this point, They’ll get another year to try, though.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

1st Round: 3
2nd Round: 1
3rd Round: 2
4th Round: 0
5th Round: 1

A big draft for the Sea Dogs, with 6 picks in the first 3 rounds. There are a few WBL ready arms, aside from that, the lower end of the farm system could just be upgraded across the board.

Year II Season Preview: Ottawa Mounties

By mknn

On April 6, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

To not suck.

Beyond that, sorting through some of the young talent and making commitments around how is part of the long-term project and who is not would go a long way towards clarifying Ottawa’s future. Staying healthy would go a ways towards this, especially on the mound.

Best Case

Bob Moose, Bob Brown, and Roy Halladay all return strong from injuries, joining Old Hoss Radbourn in a decent pitching staff and the core talent sorts itself out, especially in the OF.

Worst Case

The pitching continues to be among the worst in the league and none of the massive potential of Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr or Álex Rodríguez comes to the surface.

Key Questions

Can the staff both deliver and stay healthy?
Who is the bullpen?
How the young talent sorts itself out.

Trade Bait

Not really. Radbourn has some value, but he also was the only quasi reliable arm for the Mounties last season.

Well, that was interesting: Griffey, Jr. was moved on, netting Adrián Beltré plus.

Roster Evaluation

POS	Elite	Strong	Solid	Meh	Weak	Unknown
C			Carter			Ausmus
1B				Staub		Watson
2B			Alomar
3B				Beltré
SS					Rodríguez	Dorgan
LF/ RF		Walker	Raines			Thompson
CF			Beltrán			Monday
SP		Halladay	Radbourn	Moose	Peters Griffith Johnson Podgajny	Hammaker
End		~~Henke~~	Dempster			Ryan
RP						Gregg Shaw ~~Collins~~

New Addition | ~~Injured~~

Over half the roster is either unknown or was pretty horrible last year. Hence the goal being merely not to suck.

Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	C Gary Carter	OF Jim Lemon
Batting Eye	IF Roberto Alomar	1B Nick Johnson
Contact	IF Álex Rodríguez	OF Terry Puhl
Running Speed	U Tim Raines	OF George Burns
Base Stealing	U Tim Raines	OF George Burns
IF Defense	3B Adrián Beltré	IF Dick Bertell
OF Defense	OF Sam Thompson	OF Jason Heyward
Stuff	P Charles Radbourn	P Reggie Richter
Control	SP Roy Halladay	P Curt Davis
Velocity	RP Ryan Dempster RP Tom Henke	RP Greg Holland

Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	POS	Name
1 (4)	23	P	Al Orth
2 (30)	21	P	Dan Haren
3 (50)	23	P	Max Scherzer
4 (70)	22	1B	Bob Watson
5 (80)	20	1B	John Mayberry
6 (102)	20	2B	Jimmy Dykes
7 (106)	19	P	Mark Eichhorn
8 (181)	20	C	Milt May
9 (183)	22	P	Dupee Shaw

Others: None.

It’s not a bad system, but it lacks–beyond the top arms–top end potential. Watson and Shaw both start the season with the Mounties.

	Most	Least
Age	P Ken Forsch, 38	IF Elbie Fletcher, 19 P Mark Eichhorn, 19 OF Warren Cromartie, 19 P Dave Bennett
Height	P Randy Johnson, 6’10”	OF Wee Willie Keeler, 5’4″
OPS	1B Dale Long, 1.236 (—)	IF Mike Sharperson, .526 (—)
HR	1B Dale Long, 66 (—)	IF Larry Kopf, 0 (—) IF Mike Dorgan, 0 (—)
SB	U Tim Raines, 92 (WBL)	Many with 0
WAR	1B Vic Saier, 5.0 (—)	IF Mike Sharperson, -2.3 (—)
W	Danny Cox, 16 (—)	Jesse Crain, 1 (AAA/AA)
SV	Ryan Dempster, 16 (WBL/AAA) Pedro Ramos, 16 (—)
ERA	Mark Grant, 2.31 (—)	Randy Johnson, 6.60 (WBL/AAA)
WAR	Charles Radbourn, 4.4 (WBL)	Monk Dubiel, -1.6 (WBL/AAA)

Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.17: Spring Training Notes – Ottawa Mounties

By mknn

On March 5, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

1st and 2nd round picks Max Scherzer and Al Orth will be given the opportunity to make the opening day staff, and the bullpen behind presumed closer Ryan Dempster is wide open.

While Carlos Beltrán goes in as the presumed starter in CF, Ken Griffey Jr will again be given a long look.

First Cuts

Ottawa’s pitching staff is a bit clearer, as there have been some horrible performances. Jesse Crain, Max Scherzer, Kid Camp, Dan Haren, Mike Minor, and Al Orth have all moved to the minors. That leaves only 15 arms in camp, so look for some recalls if others in camp struggle or face injuries. Chuck Taylor, Dupee Shaw, and Dave Gregg have all been pleasant surprises so far.

The starting C job belongs to Gary Carter. But Emil Gross and Brad Ausmus are pushing Jim Stephens for the backup role, with Milt May and Einar Díaz both leaving camp.

1B and 3B are wide open, with Bob Watson‘s fast start (combined with his solid debut last season) making him an early favorite at 1B and Art Devlin and Ryon Healy making arguments at the hot corner. 3B Josh Donaldson and 1Bs John Mayberry, Tino Martinez, and Nick Johnson all hit the minors.

In the middle of the infield, the Mounties have gone with a very aggressive approach, sending Julio Gotay, Everett Scott, Jose Vidro, Bernie Allen, and Dick Bartell all to the minors. That leaves them with only 6 2B/SS, making this another position where later recalls are possible. Jimmy Dykes, Henry Easterday, and Mike Dorgan have all impressed, although this moves seems to indicate more than anything else that Álex Rodríguez will be the opening day SS, even though some believe his eventual position will be at third.

Rick Monday and Sam Thompson have impressed in the OF, with Wee Willie Keeler and Jackie Jensen the only early casualties. This will be a clear focus for Ottawa, as a leading priority for them is sorting through their options in the OF and, perhaps most of all, figuring out what to do with Ken Griffey Jr, who continues to struggle mightily in CF.

Second Cuts

The Mounties had made such deep cuts earlier that only one arm was moved this time, with Rick Honeycutt heading to the minors. That’s not to say the rest have done well: Bob Brown and Bob Moose–both of whom were supposed to contend for rotation spots–have struggled, as has presumed closer Ryan Dempster.

The competition at 1B is thick, prompting Ottawa to send Roy Sievers, who spent most of last season in the WBL, to their minor league camp.

Third Cuts

With only 14 arms in camp, the pitching staff remains unchanged. There is concern over Bob Brown and Old Hoss Radbourn, two of last year’s bright spots, who are struggling mightily this Spring.

John Olerud, Henry Easterday, and Jason Heyward head to AAA. Easterday’s demotion leaves only two SS in camp: Álex Rodríguez and the surprising Mike Dorgan.

Gary Carter is the starting C for sure, but the battle to back him up is running tight between Jim Stephens, Brad Ausmus, and Emil Gross.

The OF is a total mess, with rumors emerging that the Mounties are shopping the immense talent of Ken Griffey, Jr in the hope that a change of scenery might unlock his bat. George Burns is only in camp due to a strong season last year, but he’s on the edge for sure. Rick Monday, Jesse Burkett, Terry Puhl, Sam Thompson, and Bill O’Neill are all hitting well enough to warrant consideration for 2 or 3 reserve spots.

Final Cuts

3B Ryon Healy was tearing up Spring Training for a while, but has since come back to earth. With the arrival of Adrián Beltré, Healy’s future for the start of the season is in the minors, as is CF Bill O’Neill‘s. They are joined by Tino Martinez: 1B was always pretty blocked for the Mounties and Martinez hasn’t shown enough to add his name to the list.

Pedro Ramos had a brief stint with the big league team before heading off to AAA. Dan Collins was placed on IR and Chuck Taylor (also injured) was sent to AAA, preserving the spot on the 40 man roster. That left the Mounties with 3 players to go to get to 30. One was Emil Gross, leaving 3 catchers in camp (4 if you count Mike Dorgan), the second was 2B Jimmy Dykes, who turned a lot of heads with his Spring performance, and the last was veteran OF Jesse Burkett.

Bob Moose, Bob Brown, Ryan Dempster, and Hoss Radbourn were among the few bright spots on the mound for Ottawa last season. They are among the worst performers this Spring, making all of the roster choices all that much more difficult. Brown’s wildness was inescapable, and he was moved to AAA to see if he could work it out. That left a dozen arms in camp, but with so many of them–Atlee Hammaker, Dupee Shaw, Dave Gregg, BJ Ryan–being essentially unproven, the Mounties would like to open the season with a larger staff than most teams will carry.

Gary Carter remains the starting catcher, but Brad Ausmus‘ fantastic Spring moved him ahead of Jim Stephens as Carter’s backup with Stephens heading to the minors along with OFs George Burns and Terry Puhl. The final cut was a hard one, as Art Devlin was among the most impressive Spring performers. But Devlin was likely blocked at Ottawa, so he heads down to AAA to start the season, keeping both Bob Watson and Sam Thompson on the WBL roster to open the season.

TWIWBL 55.5: Spring Training Trades

By mknn

On January 25, 2024

In TWIWBL

The first of three trading periods for the WBL is usually marked by teams trying to find the final piece of a championship puzzle.

About half the league decided to stand pat, preferring to wait until the next trading period at the All Star break to see how the season unfolds.

MAJOR TRADES

#The Black Yankees Go For It

That was certainly the case here, as the Black Yankees pulled off a shock blockbuster, obtaining league ERA champion Andy Pettitte from Birmingham. New York sends slugging (but non-starting) OF Albert Belle and two quality arms in Lefty Gomez and young Frank Viola. To make it all work, the Black Barons are adding CF Mickey Rivers and a 3rd Round Draft Pick and the Blank Yankees U Jess Barbour.

Why Birmingham Made The Deal

At 31, Belle has a few years left and immediately goes from a bench role to being a starter and a likely cleanup. Pettitte was magnificent for Birmingham, but with both Jim Whitney and Warren Spahn looking good, the Black Barons believe they have enough pitching depth to absorb his loss and while Gomez may see WBL time this year, the organization is really excited about the long term potential of Viola.

Why New York Made the Deal

Pettitte immediately joins Jack Scott and Ron Guidry to form a leading top of rotation group, and while losing Gomez may hurt, with Dave Righetti, Whitey Ford, AJ Burnett, and Noah Syndergaard all still in camp, the Black Yankees believed they could cover the back end of their rotation.

Belle was never going to start for New York, and this move clears the way for Lou Gehrig and Don Mattingly to be in the lineup every day.

#The Kid Is On the Move

Ottawa sends prized CF prospect Ken Griffey Jr. and a 4th Round Pick to Portland for 3B Adrián Beltré, a 2nd Round Pick, and a trio of prospects (CF Denard Span, and P’s Atlee Hammaker and Pedro Ramos).

Why Ottawa Made the Deal

Simply, Carlos Beltrán, who has grabbed the starting CF job. Combine that with Griffey’s in ability to hit in multiple opportunities with Ottawa and Rick Monday looking like a capable reserve, and suddenly, for all his clear talent, the Kid became expendable. Beltré instantly steps into the starting role at 3B, and the rest of the talent could be useful at some point. This deal also resolves Álex Rodríguez‘ position for the Mounties, keeping him at SS for the time being.

Why Portland Made the Deal

Buddy Bell has 3B locked down, and the team isn’t convinced that Gary Pettis is really set to be an everyday CF. This allows a pseudo-platoon to emerge in CF, and frees Bobby Murcer to play one of the corner slots. For a team looking to win now, the rest of the deal is pretty insignificant.

#Portland Does It Again

The Sea Dogs had been looking to resolve their C situation for a while, knowing they couldn’t hold on to both Joe Mauer and Iván Rodríguez. Preliminary talks with Miami sort of spiraled out of control and ended up with Portland sending Pudge, 3 prospects (OFs Adolis García and Al Oliver and P Jon Matlack), and 2 picks (a 1st and a 4th) to the Cuban Giants for IF Paul Molitor, overall #2 pick Vladimir Guerrero, C Alan Ashby, and a 2nd Round Pick.

Why Portland Made the Deal

The Sea Dogs pick up immediate offense in Molitor, a solid C option to backup Mauer in Ashby, and a top 5 prospect in Guerrero. What’s not to like?

Why Miami Made the Deal

Rodríguez is a long term solve at a needed position (although it may complicate Smoky Burgess‘ future with the club), Oliver looks set for WBL action, and both Matlack and García are decent enough prospects. Add in an overall increase in draft picks for a team that is still rebuilding, and it makes sense. Molitor’s departure also clears up some roster challenges: Martín Dihigo probably takes over at 2B, and it opens up some room for both Cookie Rojas and Bert Campaneris.

OTHER TRANSACTIONS

#Gehringer Goes Home

After being cut by San Francisco last year, Charlie Gehringer almost dropped out of the game. Instead he signed with the House of David and re-established himself as a top IF prospect; prompting Detroit to make a move for the Michigan native. The Wolverines send Claude Osteen and a 1st Round Pick to the House of David for Gehringer and a 3rd.

#Sosa, Too

Sammy Sosa struggled mightily with the House of David, but blossomed after being traded to Memphis. But with Memphis’ OF incredibly crowded, the House of David decided the speedy young OFer was worth another try, sending C Gabby Hartnett, young RP Rollie Fingers, and a 4th Round Pick to the Red Sox for him. Hartnett should solidify one of the weak spots in Memphis’ lineup, while Sosa steps back into a crowded situation with the House of David, presumably pushing Dan Ford into a 4th OF role.

#Turkey Effects

First round draft pick Turkey Stearnes has locked up the CF job for San Francisco suddenly making the Sea Lions’ OF over-crowded. They addressed this by shipping Pedro Guerrero to Brooklyn for Watty Clark. Clark was one of the best closers in the league last season, but seems destined for the rotation at some point while Guerrero immediately becomes one of the better bats in the Royal Giants’ lineup. Brooklyn threw in reserve OFer Matt Holliday to make the deal work.

#Minor Swaps

Memphis sent veteran OF David Justice, prospect Ozzie Albies, and a 2nd Round Pick to Birmingham for 2 prospects, Bill Buckner and Joe Rudi.

Two players blocked in their organizations got new opportunities, with Indianapolis sending SS Dave Concepción (blocked by Denis Menke and Barry Larkin) to the New York Gothams for SP Sad Sam Jones, who looked unlikely to make the Gothams’ roster, but may vie for a spot in the ABC’s 6 man circus. Indianapolis sent a 3rd Round Pick with the Gothams sending back a 4th to make it all work.