What They Need: All 30 Teams
UberGM Billy Beane has often said that the first two months of the season are for finding out what you need, the second two months are for getting what you need, and the last two months are for having what you need as you make your playoff run.
Well, the first two months are again coming to a close. So at UmpBump, we’re renewing our semiannual series, the creatively titled “What They Need.” We’ll write up all thirty teams with quick yet blisteringly accurate insights on “what they need” (get it?) heading into trading season. We’ll use this post as an index post, so bookmark it to see when your favorite teams have been added. Because as with our Hot Offseason Action series, we will run through all the teams in a completely random order, paying heed only to the vagaries of our own whims. Oooh, the suspense!
July 24 - St. Louis Cardinals
July 24 - Colorado Rockies
July 23 - New York Mets
July 22 - San Diego Padres
July 21 - Chicago White Sox
July 18 - San Francisco Giants
July 17 - Philadelphia Phillies
July 15 - Detroit Tigers
July 11 - Toronto Blue Jays
July 9 - Florida Marlins
July 7 - Milwaukee Brewers
July 5 - Angels of Anaheim
July 1 - Pittsburgh Pirates
June 28 - Houston Astros
June 28 - L.A. Dodgers
June 20 - Chicago Cubs
June 18 - Washington Nationals
June 18 - New York Yankees
June 12 - Arizona Diamondbacks
June 10 - Texas Rangers
June 6 - Minnesota Twins
June 5 - Oakland A’s
June 5 - Baltimore Orioles
June 4 - Boston Red Sox
June 4 - Tampa Bay Rays
June 3 - Kansas City Royals
June 3 - Cleveland Indians
June 2 - Seattle Mariners
May 31 - Cincinnati Reds
May 29 - Atlanta Braves
May 29th, 2008 at 2:10 am
Please keep the Giants cracks to a minimum. No \"what don\’t they need?\" type statements. Truly, the Giants are only a couple bats away from being an over .500 team. I just hope they don\’t trade away pitching to try and get some, but damn, Adam Dunn would have fun hitting balls into McCovey Cove.
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May 29th, 2008 at 2:18 am
Kirk, I\’m sorry, but I think I can safely assure you that Giants cracks will NOT be kept to a minimum. We are duty-bound by site charter to provide \"in-your-face\" commentary and making as many Giants cracks as possible is part and parcel of that mandate.
Besides, the Giants are certainly not \"two bats\" away. They need an outfielder, a first baseman, a second baseman, a shortstop, and a third baseman. Outside of Rowand and Molina, they are getting well below-average offensive production from every position on the diamond.
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May 29th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Braves: More home games. And a bug in Bobby Cox’s ear to tell him that Mark Teixiera will somehow make it if he hits fifth and McCann moves up to cleanup.
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May 30th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I really can’t tell you what the Red Sox need. certainly not any starting pitchers - we got those in droves. ummm a schedule more heavily-favored toward home games? can we trade home and away games? (and yes I said “we’ because I occasionally back up Kevin Cash. I’m on the phone list as like the 16th backup or something).
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May 30th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Yes, there was an intriguing article in USA Today the other day about how this has been a hard year for any team to win on the road. Curious….
Glad to know you are the one they turn to (after Pedroia, of course). :)
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May 30th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Yeah, every team is hurtin on the road, but the Bravos are really bad (7-18). Only Seattle has a worse record away from home (7-20). Maybe they should up the meal money for players.
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May 30th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I should add that I wish we could take our awesome 5th/6th/7th pitchers like Masterson and Buchholz and Ted Williamize them - i.e. cryogenically freeze them at their current level of physical fitness and talent, bring them out during the “rebuilding” years. and that way the Steinbrenners can’t get their grubby hands on them either. The market dictates that we unload them somewhere in exchange for a decent shortstopo or someone extra in the bullpen, but dammit I want us to hoard all the pitching talent, and I ain’t sharin!
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May 31st, 2008 at 4:28 am
Lyndsay, there is no such thing as too much pitching, as the Sox learned as recently as two years ago when they thought they had too much pitching and traded away Arroyo for Wily Mo. As we can see, Colon has already been installed into the rotation and the Sox already need Masterson again, now that Matsuzaka has joined Buchholz on the DL.
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May 31st, 2008 at 9:21 am
And I actually agree with Terry Francona that Masterson is not ready for the big leagues yet. He’s pitched extremely well so far, but he’s also still just a double-A pitcher. He needs more seasoning. Which gives the Red Sox more time!
I think actually, the Red Sox’ willingness to use the 15 day DL more this year comes from the fact that they do have some “extra” starters. If that means they can be more conservative with their starting pitchers, I think it’s a good thing. And if it means we’ll trade someone for something we need, that’s good too—though I doubt you will see Masterson shipped out. And Theo has already shown that Buchholz is not for sale. We can rest easy on that score, I think.
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July 22nd, 2008 at 6:28 pm
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July 24th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
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