Oakland heating up
So the M's do what all .500 teams do. They lose series, play well, they get swept... they are impossible to predict. Going on the road againt the NL West, they should... who knows. Win some games, lose some games, and should be on the way to .500 before the all star break.
But, as good as the M's are playing right now, they still aren't as good as the A's.
At some point, Bavasi is going to realize this team, as it's currently constructed, cannot stay in the race all summer. For the first time since he's been in charge, Bavasi is going to need to pull off some trades if the M's are serious about trying to win the West. Not just improve the long term health of the organization, but improve the day-to-day play of the club this year. Getting AA prospects won't win the West this year.
If Piniero stays in the starting rotation and continues to show nothing, it is obvious the front office doesn't really believe this team can catch Oakland. (Yes, I'm annointing Oakland as the team to beat. Texas has improved, but not enough to win the division.)
There are teams like the Cubs who are going to need to make changes. As teams begin dropping from the race, players are available. In addition, teams jockeying for position look to make swaps and fill holes.
Do the M's have anything worth trading? The AAA talent is bare, and nothing worth trading on the ML club is going anywhere.
It will be interesting to see if the M's can actually swing a trade. Look for the rumor mill to swirl big-time as we enter July.
So the M's do what all .500 teams do. They lose series, play well, they get swept... they are impossible to predict. Going on the road againt the NL West, they should... who knows. Win some games, lose some games, and should be on the way to .500 before the all star break.
But, as good as the M's are playing right now, they still aren't as good as the A's.
At some point, Bavasi is going to realize this team, as it's currently constructed, cannot stay in the race all summer. For the first time since he's been in charge, Bavasi is going to need to pull off some trades if the M's are serious about trying to win the West. Not just improve the long term health of the organization, but improve the day-to-day play of the club this year. Getting AA prospects won't win the West this year.
If Piniero stays in the starting rotation and continues to show nothing, it is obvious the front office doesn't really believe this team can catch Oakland. (Yes, I'm annointing Oakland as the team to beat. Texas has improved, but not enough to win the division.)
There are teams like the Cubs who are going to need to make changes. As teams begin dropping from the race, players are available. In addition, teams jockeying for position look to make swaps and fill holes.
Do the M's have anything worth trading? The AAA talent is bare, and nothing worth trading on the ML club is going anywhere.
It will be interesting to see if the M's can actually swing a trade. Look for the rumor mill to swirl big-time as we enter July.
posted by Tom at
4:55 PM
