****Take followups to the newest post.

So far this year for the Cubs…
20.1 ip
34 K’s

Give Miggy/McLouth/Cain

Get A-Rod/Delgado/Kazmir

“I’d give my left nut for A-Rod in a trade…” – I’m trying to make it happen because I feel the same.

Miggy is not going to hit 8 HRs every month. He’s good for 5. That’s where he’s slightly over his head. Arod is the best player in baseball, yes. Delgado and LaRoche aren’t that far apart. So you’re trading a top 15 player (Miggy) plus a 30/20/.270 hitter, for Arod and potentially LaRoche. Now is Delgado hitting better currently? Of course. I wouldn’t trade McLouth on the hope that Delgado’s hot hitting continues. I would trade McLouth to slide Victorino in my lineup. Trade McLouth for a different piece that could help. A 2nd basemen or a SS. Or trade a different OF. Or trade Miggy and Pence for Arod straight up.

@Baron Von Vulturewins: I’ve earmarked a few disasters waiting to happen to move Bautista, Casilla, et al for. Notably Jason Bartlett… Mmm-mmm… Crappy average and MI speed. Yummy.

@corey: The A’s are dragging their feet. I’d drop him for now if you need the space. He might not be up until Sept.

I live in NYC and would love nothing more than to see the Yankees miss the play-offs. Oh, the fun we’ll have! Tabloids calling to bring back Torre! Unsourced stories about Jeter short-sheeting A-Rod’s bed! Earnest editorials about What It All Means for America!

I think if I lived in Boston, I would root against the Sox. I’m just cranky that way.

You just mentioned Miggy wasn’t “that far over his head”. Doesn’t that mean he is? And A-Rod is the best in baseball….no?

I was under the impression that I wouldn’t lose much at all in the OF, would gain power and RBI at Utility, and would be equal to or better than I was in all categories at 3b.

@Frank Rizzo: Look at Miggy and Arod’s July numbers, respectively:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?playerId=5544
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?playerId=3115

Miggy isn’t hitting that far over his head right now. He is that good. He’s just Jose Molina-slow. Now, don’t get me wrong, Arod is better than Miggy, but McLouth is far superior to Delgado.

Victorino on your bench, does suck though. Can’t you move just McLouth? Markakis? Or even Victorino.

Anyway, I could see making the trade because of the bench problem you have, but I don’t love it for you.

I give Miggy/McLouth

I get A-Rod/Delgado

I have McLouth, Victorino, Pence, Holliday, and Markakis in my OF. Victorino is sitting on my bench. He could outproduce McLouth the rest of the way.

I believe A-Rod is more than 5 steals over Miggy’s production. Maybe I’m wrong.

Delgado gives me a a solid utility guy. I have Atkins at 1b.

@Rudy Gamble: We need to hire someone to take a weed whacker to the glossary and keep only the A+ stuff.

@Baron Von Vulturewins: “I just want the trade deadline to pass so I can drop all my sad speculative relievers…” Such a good call. I’m carrying so many guys that I’m literally dropping real relievers so I can have a speculative one. I need to be stopped. I have Denny Bautista on a team.

I agree on the Rays. Love to see them make an actual run. I hope they don’t do one of these moves, “Rays Pickup Scott Downs for Stretch Run, Show Fans They’re Taking This Pennant Thing Serious.”

@drizzle21: Yeah, that’s a great trade and I’m not even a fan of Guillen so that shows my current love for Bedard.

re: CofC — College of Charleston is a recognizable name, which makes it somewhat funny, then you juxtapose Fantasy Baseball… Don’t make me explain my thought process on the superfluous stuff. You either chuckle or find me three sides short of a Yahtzee die. BTW, Welcome College of Charleston!

@Frank Rizzo: First, Rudy totally disagreed with me about the Pudge trade. He agreed with you that the Tigers made a very bad move and Rudy’s secretly a Yankees fan, so there’s that.

Miggy for Arod isn’t really worth it. What are you trying to get? Five steals from your third basemen in addition to what Miggy already provides. Explain more why you wanna make this deal.

@ABell: Excellent trade in moving Haren. Doesn’t hurt to try and get Hanley for those two, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. Rollins is very reliable early third round SS. Coming off his MVP year last year, he was over hyped coming into this year. He could get hot down the stretch and improve on his (slightly injured) season, but he is more or less a 110/20/70/.290/30 guy — Not this year because of injuries and some slight slumpage, but he’s still that guy next year. And, btw, that’s a good guy to have at SS.

@jph: Try and move one of your other hitters for Beckett first. Derrek Lee, McLouth, Markakis. If that’s not possible, I wouldn’t make this trade. Utley’s a timebomb waiting to exlode with offense and, in fact, just hit HRs in back to back games. I’d even trade one of the three guys I mentioned for Billingsley before the Utley for Beckett trade.

@Fan: Thanks, but I gotta be honest. I wrote the above at around 1am in the morning last night, not sure what reference you’re referring to.

Hilarity all around.

Danks
Floyd
Jurrjens
Slowey
Dice-K (traded Manny for him)
Mussina
Nolasco
Liriano
Marmol
Hanrahan

If you suggest I trade Utley-who should I replace him with:Lopez,kendrick,Alexei Ramirez,Matsui,Aviles,Kent or Jeff Baker

Rollins/Baker for Hanley will only happen in your wettest of dreams.

If I were to offer Miggy for him, what more would I have to send in that package to get him?

Also, it’s worth trading Bedard for C. Guillen with the sole intention of flipping Guillen for a more reliable SP, right? Are there any targets/caliber-of-pitcher you think a hot Guillen could land?

>audible snort<

@Rudy Gamble: Dr. Freeze. Nice. But only if said in Schwarzenegger’s accent from Batman & Robin. I PUT YOU ON ICE!

I just want the trade deadline to pass so I can drop all my sad speculative relievers e.g. Casilla, Ziegler, Cult Leader Jim Johnson, and get back to my sad actual relievers, e.g. Rodney and Izzy. (Ugh.) Actually, I’ll probably keep Ziegler. He tossed 3 scoreless last night! That’s all right! That’s like a Mini-Me shutout.

Also: If Fuentes doesn’t get traded, it’s going to make Fantasy Land’s two months of Corpas! Buchholz! Corpas! Buchholz! tsuris look mighty silly. We’ve been sweating this trade more than Fuentes.

My pointless 2 cents on Manny: I think it does rip the heart out of the Boston mystique if they trade him. Somehow, Papi/Bay doesn’t seem so fearsome. And I too wonder why they wouldn’t just go out and get someone young and future-awesome rather than young-ish and present-good.

I do hope the Rays get Dunn. Or Bay. Or someone. Go Rays!

Dr. Freeze – Nickname for Dr. James Andrews as anyone going to see him is going to be on ice for 12-18 months. Francisco Liriano went to Dr. Freeze in 2006 and he’s still not fully thawed. See Hangin’ With Teddy Ballgame.