MLB Best and Worst Signings and Trades

It Takes Two To Close

After exhibiting a reluctance to spend money last offseason, many teams have taken a different route this winter, signing relief pitchers – not even the premium guys – to multi-year contracts. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signing Fernando Rodney for two years and $11 million to consolidate the back-end of the bullpen poses a challenge for Brian Fuentes.

Despite picking up a career-high and major league-leading 48 saves, Fuentes blew seven save opportunities and had his lowest strikeout rate in his career. The Rodney acquisition may signify the Angels’ distrust in Fuentes holding the closer incumbency without a little competition.

With the Detroit Tigers last season, Rodney converted 37 of 38 saves. Known for his mid-90s gas, Rodney saw his groundball rate swell to 57.9 percent with his effective changeup. Yet, in spite of the positive aspects from 2009, Rodney still struggled with his control.

He walked 4.88 batters per nine innings (BB/9), an improvement from 6.69 BB/9 in 2008, but in addition to a plunge in his strikeout rate, his strikeout-to-walk ratio actually decreased as well. Rodney’s role for 2010 is undetermined since Fuentes will likely reprise his role as the closer, but the Rodney signing does not make up for the losses of John Lackey and Chone Figgins.

Risky Business For The Diamondbacks

In his major league debut as a 20-year-old, Edwin Jackson was the kid who outpitched the future Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson and the Arizona Diamondbacks. After six years, the kid returns to where he began his major league career, in Arizona.

In a three-way trade with the Tigers and the New York Yankees, the Diamondbacks acquired Jackson and another pitcher, Ian Kennedy. Last season, Jackson had a surprisingly dominant start as opposing batters hit in the low .200s off him in the first three months. Then, he was no longer unhittable as he regressed to his normal rates.

The Diamondbacks shored up their rotation with Jackson and Kennedy, neither of whom are as valuable as the pitcher they gave up. Max Scherzer, the Diamondbacks’ first round pick from the 2006 draft, emerged as a solid strikeout pitcher.

Now, Scherzer can further develop into a solid starter with the Tigers. Kennedy, another first round pick from the 2006 draft class, had an abysmal 2008 season at the major league level and missed most of 2009. Kennedy still has room for potential, but the Diamondbacks are major risk takers in unearthing the high reward in the former Yankees’ pitching prospect.

On Top Of The Hill In Washington

Before their prized pitching prospect Stephen Strasburg walks down the red carpet, the Washington Nationals seek to bolster the rotation. Even after signing veteran Jason Marquis, there are still many voids in the rotation. John Lannan is not necessarily an ace, but he is the Nationals’ best pitcher from last season.

Marquis and Lannan draw similar comparisons and even though Marquis has the edge in experience, the Nationals would be in a similar predicament if they were to consider Marquis for the ace slot. This situation does not provide much of a shock for a perennial last place team.

In Marquis’ case, he induced more groundballs and gradually improved his home run allowed rate from 1.62 home runs per nine innings (HR/9) in 2006 to 0.63 HR/9 last season. Signing Marquis for two years and $15 million may provide good value to the Nationals, but this also creates a problem for their future.

It came down to the wire to settle on a contract with Strasburg, and for the upcoming draft, the Nationals are expected to select the 17-year-old phenom Bryce Harper with the top pick.

To avoid another last-minute drama session, the Nationals could have settled for cheaper options because Marquis only makes the Nationals a marginally better team.

Blue Jay Flies South

Roy Halladay is considered to be one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last decade. Many top-tier teams were in hot pursuit of his services at the trading deadline last season, but no one could seem to match the ridiculous asking price that then-Toronto Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Riccardi was asking in return.

One of those teams in pursuit of Halladay was the then-defending champs Philadelphia Phillies. The Blue Jays were asking the Phillies to give up their top prospects, and the Phillies initially balked at the idea and turned to the Cleveland Indians, landing Cliff Lee in what was considered to be the top move of last season.

Since contract negotiations stalled with Lee, the Phillies finally made the deal for Halladay happen by sending top prospects Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor to the Blue Jays.

The Phillies immediately agreed on a three-year, $60 million extension with Halladay. This move marked the second big deal since July in which the Phillies landed a former Cy Young-winning pitcher. This was one of many moves the Phillies needed to make to remain the top team in the National League. With Halladay under contract for the next three seasons following the upcoming season, the Phillies will remain the team to beat in the National League.

Phillies Trade Ace Away

Cliff Lee was by far the most dominant pitcher during last postseason. His pitching, along with Chase Utley’s clutch hitting, are the only reasons the Phillies kept up with the Yankees in the World Series. When the news broke that Lee was going to be traded to help replace all the prospects the Phillies had given up in acquiring both Lee and Halladay, it came as a shock to the baseball world.

The move could be considered a bad trade for the Phillies because, had they kept him, their rotation could have possibly included three former Cy Young Award winners in Lee, Halladay and Pedro Martinez.

A Phillies loss is definitely a huge gain for the Seattle Mariners. With the acquiring of Lee, the Mariners are now the front runners to win the American League West Division.

With the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim losing a lot of key players, the Mariners are now the team to beat with the best one-two punch at the front end of their rotation in Felix Hernandez and Lee. With the Mariners overachieving to a respectable 85-77 record last year, one can expect that the acquisition of Lee will only help that 85-win total go up this upcoming season.

The Evil Empire Strikes Again

Just when we thought the Yankees could not possibly add anymore stars to their already stacked lineup, they do it again. After being involved in a three-team trade, the Yankees landed All-Star outfielder Curtis Granderson from the Detroit Tigers.

With the move, the Yankees strengthened the weakest part of their lineup. The most important aspect of this move is the fact that the defending world champions upgraded themselves and put them in line to have an excellent shot at defending their title.

The Yankees were already solid prior to the trade and now have a tough lineup from top to bottom. Also, with adding Granderson, they get younger. They let the 36-year-old Johnny Damon and the 35-year-old Hideki Matsui walk after they acquired Granderson.

Those are some pretty huge shoes to fill because both were vital to the Yankees defeating the Phillies in the World Series last season. However, the one-time All-Star should not have any problems making up for what both Damon and Matsui have contributed over the years.