Max is not enough for Dodgers; Toronto, Philadelphia moving up
Updated Friday, August 6, 2021
Trade deadline brought seismic shifting in the baseball world. The LA Dodgers’ payroll hit $290 million with the additions of two All-Stars, pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner. The New York Yankees stopped blinking at the luxury tax and pushed to $206 million. They put their sleepy right-field porch on alert when they traded for lefty sluggers Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo.
Not to be outdone by their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets traded with the Chicago Cubs for the sport’s most charismatic star, Javy Baez, swim-moving El Mago of the basepaths.
But while the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets splashed on the deadline, the aftermath has me thinking the real winners are the Giants, Blue Jays, White Sox and Phillies.
More than long-distance hitting the Yankees needed pitching. They didn’t get much of it with Andrew Heaney and his $6.8 million salary. He became the first pitcher to give up four home runs in his Yankees debut.
As for the Mets, they’re devastated by the absence of Jake deGrom, who a month ago was a lock for Cy Young, if not MVP. But now he can’t throw from a mound without his elbow hurting. Unless he heals soon, the Phillies will put away the Mets in the NL East.
Dave Dombrowski left the Texas Rangers’ fire sale with a 33-year-old All-Star, Kyle Gibson, who in the first half had 13 quality starts, third most in the American League. He won his first start for the Phillies and lowered his ERA to 2.86.
With DeGrom out, the Phils’ Zack Wheeler is the best starter in the NL East, and Gibson is the best No. 2. Philly has won 5 straight to pull within a half game of the Mets, who play a 3-game series in Philadelphia beginning Friday night.
“We have a lot of guys that can get on base for us,” catcher J.T. Realmuto said, “and when Harp (Bryce Harper) and Rhys (Hoskins) and myself are going like we are right now, we’re going to put up a lot of runs.”
There’s also an East Coast shakeup in the AL, but not where you’d expect: Toronto, winner of 7 of 8 games, is now tied with the Yankees in losses and trails first-place Tampa Bay by 6 ½.
By trading for Jose Berrios (8-5, 3.31 ERA), the Jays filled out the best starting rotation in a division that doesn’t have any others that are very good. Hyun-Jin Ryu is steady at the top, 11-5 with a 3.22 ERA, and Robbie Ray is almost equal, at 9-5, 3.04. Berrios becomes No. 3, followed by 23-year-old Alek Mantoah, who is showing ace potential at 3-1, 2.47.
The Jays’ offense is led by the nonOhtani MVP, Vlady Guerrero. They have nine players batting over .250 and slugging over .400. George Springer, healthy at last, is the AL’s best hitter since the break.
The Yanks and Jays were helped immensely by the co-leaders of the division, Boston and Tampa Bay, staying out of the pitching market.
Although the White Sox were trampling the AL Central, they didn’t rest, couldn’t resist plundering the Cubs for 8-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel. Perhaps the South Siders can put down their guns for a while and enjoy their baseball team.
You wonder if Dodger fans will ever put 2017 behind them and enjoy the world championship they won last October. A bitter 52,000 filled Dodger Stadium for a 2-game series with Houston that began Tuesday night. They hauled in their inflatable traschcans to harass the team they feel cheated them out of the ‘17 Series. Then Lance McCullers deflated the crowd with 6 2/3 scoreless innings as he outdueled LA’s No. 1 starter, Walker Buehler.
Scherzer followed at No. 2 with his Dodger debut. It was October-worthy: 7 innings, 2 runs. He struck out 10, including – best of all – Jose Altuve 3 times.
But the Dodgers were facing a fill-in starter, Jake Odorizzi, and even so were stressed in the end, prevailing 7-5 with Kenley Jansen serving a 9th-inning gopher to Kyle Tucker.
The Dodgers still lack a 4th or 5th starter, and there are whispers that Clayton Kershaw needs Tommy John surgery. There’s also a chemistry issue when Trea Turner is freed from Covid reserve this weekend. Corey Seager, MVP of the World Series, wants to continue playing shortstop, which is Turner’s position.
San Francisco is so solid that its versatile All-Star trade acquisition, 29-year-old Kris Bryant, seems almost superfluous – high-priced insurance. Shortstop Brandon Crawford is putting up better numbers (18 HR, 64 RBI, .896 OPS) than Turner or Seager. Catcher Buster Posey is Comeback of the Year material with his .958 OPS.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers still have holes to fill. What to do with Cody Bellinger? The Giants have the stronger rotation with Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood, Logan Webb and Johnny Cueto combining for a 37-18 record this season. And I like their bullpen over Cardiac Kenley Jansen & Co. The Dodgers made the race more interesting, but that doesn’t mean they win it.
