Baseball’s new math
Division deals don’t scare execs anymore
ONCE close to taboo, the intra-division trade has been in vogue this deadline season with — as pointed out by Ben Nicholson-Smith, the baseball editor for SportsNet Canada — Rob Refsnyder going from the Yankees to Blue Jays, AJ Ramos from the Marlins to the Mets, Howie Kendrick from the Phillies to the Nationals and, on Sunday, Melky Cabrera from the White Sox to the Royals.
Throw in that one of the biggest deals of July was the two Chicago clubs interacting with Jose Quintana going from the White Sox to the Cubs, and you realize this current group of baseball executives is less restricted to long-held stupidity that you don’t trade with a team in your division or city. The idea is to do what helps your team best — period.
In the case of the Cabrera trade that was two AL Central teams continuing to execute their plans aggressively.
The White Sox decided on a thorough rebuild last offseason and there have been no half-measures. They have not only done the big prospect-haul deals when trading Chris Sale, Adam Eaton and Quintana, but since the second half began also dealt Tommy Kahnle, David Robertson, Todd Frazier, Anthony Swarzak, Dan Jennings and now Cabrera.
The Royals, meanwhile, did not have it in their organizational makeup to do the large selloff and their stellar play of late — 10 wins in 11 games — validated the decision to try to win one last time with walk-year core pieces Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and Mike Mousta- kas rather than deal them.
Despite not having a wellregarded farm system, they were able to secure Trevor Cahill, Ryan Buchter and Brandon Maurer from the Padres, and now Cabrera, who remains capable of hitting good pitching, helping from both sides of the plate and mixing in at DH and the corner outfield.
Jonathan Lucroy has had a poor season, but it is still better (slightly) than what the Rockies have been getting out of their catchers.
So Colorado will hope a change of scenery helps him and what is now his new team after the Rockies obtained Lucroy from the Rangers.
Lucroy is in his walk year and Texas has shown no indication it wants to sign him long-term, even after giving up significant prospects for him at the deadline last year. Lucroy has just four homers and a .635 OPS. But Colorado catchers had the majors fewest homers (three) and the NL’s lowest OPS (.617).