Tagged: Randy Wolf
12/9 Hot Stove – Winter Meetings Day Three
It’s day three of the Winter Meetings and after surviving three long days there have been a few surprises. The first surprise being that the Yankees were able to obtain a young, affordable, power-hitting centerfielder without parting with any player who had a significant impact on their championship-winning club.
This is a shift in the old Yankees philosophy of just picking up big-name free agents. The Yankees now do more than just spend. They identify a need and fill it! Pronto!
As for the other team in New York, there has been little buzz. The Mets are a team desperate to improve in many areas, yet to improve in any area. The aggressiveness they showed last winter would come in handy this offseason.
Some people around here thought Randy Wolf would be a good fit for the Mets. They didn’t get it done, and now one of my favorite players to chat with has a three-year deal to pitch in Milwaukee.
Just as they were before the trade deadline, Roy Halladay trade rumors are swirling here in Indy, but surprisingly there has been no substantial rumors involving Adrian Gonzalez. Padres new GM Jed Hoyer is either extremely discreet or he has decided to keep the face of the franchise in place.
Last surprise, after three days of eating steaks, my cholesterol is still under 200! Gotta run. Almost time for dinner. I’m thinking steak. Again. – Matt Yallof
9/23 MLB Tonight – The Left Wing
Tonight we’re going to focus on teams that are postseason bound, mainly closer situations.
With the exception of Mariano Rivera, most playoff bound teams have some closer issues going into these last few games.
Ryan Franklin, Brad Lidge, and Brian Fuentes, have all been inconsistent this season, and going into the postseason, that’s never a good feeing in a managers gut.
What strikes me going into October this year is that any of the 8 teams in the mix will have as good a chance as any to win it all.
The Yankees are the best team right now, with the Cardinals right behind them.
Having a one-two punch of CC Sabathia/A.J. Burnett (who got back on track today) or Chris Carpenter/Adam Wainwright at the top of the rotation is solid, and adding those dangerous lineups into the mix is what makes them my favorites right now.
It’s important for teams like the Yankees and the Cardinals, who have their playoff births wrapped up to rest their players, but it’s usually the team playing their best at the end of the season that does the most damage. It’s time for them to turn it on.
To me, they’ve got some big targets on their backs this October; let’s see how they’ll handle that added pressure.
And how about Chad Billingsley tonight, taking a no-hitter into the 7th is a step in the right direction because the Dodgers really need him. Adding him to Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw will really step it up for them. – Dan Plesac
MLB Network 