Natural Departure

Last season, around July everyone was screaming about the Yankees' decision to put Carlos Beltran on the block, basically saying 'HE NEEDS TO WIN A WORLD SERIES, HE NEEDS TO SEE OCTOBER', bla bla bla. That was the most intense argument of the 2016 trade deadline, which proves, if anything, how week that deadline was.

Anyway, Beltran got traded, and he didn't get to a World Series. But...he signed with the team that, ironically, last acquired him with the sole purpose of getting to a World Series...and he got to a World Series, and won. So for a guy whose ring-search felt so urgent in 2016, the fact that he got one without a whimper in 2017 was kind of impressive. Which goes back to the sort of unheralded, impressive quality that Beltran seems to have.

Today, Carlos Beltran announced, with the ring on his finger I'm guessing, that the quest was over, and he'd be hanging up his spikes indefinitely, which definitely makes sense. The guy's 40 years old, he had a down season as a DH in Houston, and they literally had a funeral for his fielding glove this year. His best days were behind him and everyone knew it.

Plus, Beltran has had a whirlwind career, with a Rookie of the Year award, some monster seasons with the Mets, Cardinals and Yankees, and some impressive consistency in the heart of his career. In 6 years, when the Cooperstown cases show up, people will be citing his injuries as a way of stopping him from getting in, but I honestly think he has a really nice Hall of Fame case, and I think he's had a very full career, with the perfect ending.

Gonna miss him 'round the leagues, but if there was any correct point for Carlos Beltran to make his exit, now might be the perfect one.

Adrian Beltre Deserves Better

Adrian Beltre's been speaking out recently, because he's been getting sick of the Rangers' antics and wants to play for a competitive team again, like...well, the 2016 Rangers. Beltre has every right to complain- he's one of the best hitters in the game, he just notched his 3000th hit, and he's relatively close to getting to his 500th home run (only 42 dingers to go, and for Beltre that's sort of within reach). He's also never won a World Series ring.

There's a ton of similarities to Carlos Beltran last season, the desire to ditch momentum and atmosphere in order to compete. Beltran was doing fantastic in the Bronx, but wanted a postseason run more than he wanted to stick with his newfound friends. Said postseason run was ultimately unsuccessful, but he's currently on a team that could be several times more successful than the 2016 Rangers ever were.

The fact that Beltran got out and might be getting a shot at a ring, and Beltre, who's arguably been the more consistent player, doesn't get that chance, is kind of sad. He's still wrapped up for another year in Arlington, and unless the youth movement decides to behave and not strikeout 100 times each next year, he might be in for more of the same.

The Rangers aren't a bad team, but the momentum they were trying to build last year is gone. Joey Gallo and Rougned Odor are strikeout-heavy home run machines, which are good for runs but aren't exactly making them well-rounded players. Delino DeShields and Nomar Mazara are promising, and Elvis Andrus has become the undisputed face of the team, but...for a team that had come close several times in the last few years, the future seems pretty bleak.

Honestly, a ring will basically be a cherry on top of a fantastic career, but I kinda want it for Adrian, because he's been frustrated as hell recently.

Coming Tonight: One of Beltre's former teammates, now playing for the best team in baseball.

Back to our Regularly Scheduled Trainwreck

Right. That was a nice little siesta we had back there. Now, here we are, back to the rest of the 2017 season. The Astros and Dodgers are still hot, and the 'why the Yankees won't make the postseason' articles are spilling out like wildfire. Back to the norm.

The Astros have managed to cobble together so many on-players at one time, combining a few contracts with one of the mightiest building farm systems in baseball. Carlos Beltran, though a few steps down from last year, is still playing like a Hall of Famer, and is doing a bit more than his previous legacy in Houston. And that's just a pebble compared to the exploits of Carlos Correa, George Springer, Dallas Keuchel and Jose Altuve, all of whom homegrown, and all of whom are among the most powerful players in baseball right now.

They're all 15 games ahead from the nearest competition, and seeing as it's the Angels 15 games behind them, the word 'competition' can be used loosely. Their only downsides right now are the lack of substantial pitching depth in the wake of Keuchel's injury and David Paulino's suspension, and the lack of classic production from Nori Aoki, but those are slim downsides, and they barely take away from how ferocious this team is.

You can never tell what's gonna pop up within the next few months. I feel like all the Astros need is one more solid starting pitcher, and they'll be set for October.

Coming Tomorrow- The day before the All Star Break, he flirted with a no-hitter. And that's just the tip of the iceberg that is his suddenly-amazing rotation.

Carlos Danger

Well, there goes another steady option for the Yankees.

Carlos Beltran made his surprisingly-important decision, and signed a contract with the Houston Astros for 2017. This is a team he hasn't played for since their playoff run in 2004, and they've been through some good (a near W.S. title), and bad (2011) times ever since. Now that the Astros have been rebuilding this offseason, with Josh Reddick and Brian McCann entering the fold as well, adding Beltran as a DH/occasional outfielder makes them even more dangerous.

Adding a bunch of contracts like Reddick, McCann and Beltran would be dangerous if it was a lesser team, but the Astros have a solid foundation, and were a borderline playoff team in 2016. This is not a Padres-esque 'flooding with contracts' type situation. This is bolstering an already-strong lineup with some more strong bats. It's the rich getting richer is all.

Only problem is the Yankees were looking to nab Beltran, so that puts us down a peg. At this point, Edwin Encarnacion's a leading DH candidate, but I'm not sure if we wanna pay that much for him. So, this move helps the Astros, and hurts the Yankees...sort of. I mean, it's debatable.

Still, it's a great move, and Beltran will likely have another nice season in 2017.

Hey, Wow, I Actually Like the Rangers Now

Now...let me back up, because in 2010 I was LIVID. I thought the Yankees deserved to go back to the World Series and swat around the Giants for a while, but apparently it wasn't in the cards- the Rangers had built themselves a heck of a squad, and even if they didn't win, they still made it their on their own accord, and I couldn't argue with that.

I wasn't happy with them, and I'd be a bit happier the next year when they had a shot of beating the Cardinals, but...I dealt.

Now, the Rangers have built themselves an impressive offensive machine. The guys that were babies in 2010, like Elvis Andrus, Mitch Moreland and Colby Lewis, are leading the charge. The guys they traded for to hit, like Adrian Beltre, Ian Desmond, Carlos Beltran, Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez, are hitting like mad. Their top ace is Cole Hamels and he's on fire. They aren't doing a ton of things wrong.

Plus, unlike the 2010 team, I LIKE a great deal of the players. Beltre, Andrus, Hamels, Beltran...granted, a great deal of them have played for teams I like, but these are fun, good-natured players that work hard.

They probably have a nice chance at making the Series, though I'm not counting out Boston at this point.

Coming Today: A guy I used to despise, now one of my more favored collections and the first baseman of a surprise playoff threat.

Top 10 Trade Deadline Deals of 2016

Yeah, I do this every year. This may not be pretty, because what was looking like a pretty small amount of contenders turned into a sprawling free-for-all within the last 24 hours, as random, astonishing deals took place that we didn't especially dream of happening.

I'm grading these on how much they impact the sellers, as well as how much they could impact the rest of the season. I'll say that the Matt Kemp deal, Andrew Cashner deal and Francisco Liriano deal were all considered for the final spot, but the winner, as deducted by the top of the post...

#10- Wade Miley to the Orioles, prospects to the Mariners.
Who wins? The Orioles. The O's have been dealing with a few rotation issues, but have developed a strong core of Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman, Yovani Gallardo and Tyler Wilson, but a lot of different names have been swishing around and there's not a solidarity. They didn't need a top-starter, but Miley, who has played for four teams since 2014, is a solid starter who had been giving some decent numbers for the Mariners- he'll likely help the playoff case for the Orioles, because they didn't need a hell of a lot.

#9- Eduardo Nunez to the Giants, prospect to the Twins.
Who wins? Giants, of course. Thanks to some injuries, and a deal that will be a few spots further down the list, the Giants were in need of some infield solidarity, and Nunez, a bench player and infield spot player, is perfect for the job. He, Joe Panik, Crawford and Belt will make a tight infield for a pennant-contending Giants team.

#8- Mark Melancon to the Nationals, prospects to the Pirates.
Who wins? Nats by a hair. Yeah, Mark Melancon is one of the best closers in baseball right now, but the Nationals essentially took him because they could- they already have Jonathan Papelbon as a closer from last trade deadline, and all this does is makes him mad. Plus, Melancon's stuff may have just clicked in Pittsburgh, and may have trouble shifting to Washington. But for right now it's an impressive move for the Nats, who clearly want a title this year.

#7- Matt Moore to the Giants, Matt Duffy and a few prospects to the Rays.
Who wins? Another close one, but probably the Giants. Matt Moore's numbers this season have been due to a lack of run support- with a better roster he could have a year like his 2013.  So throwing him into the Giants' rotation is a wise idea, though he'll probably be acting as a 4th or 5th man to MadBum, Cueto and Shark- him and Peavy just round out an incredibly strong rotation that has no use for Matt Cain anymore. Putting Matt Duffy in Tampa does set them up to have an interesting combination with Logan Forsythe, Brad Miller and Duffy in the same rotation.

#6- Andrew Miller to the Indians, prospects to the Yankees.
Who wins? Indians. Yes, this legitimizes a potential playoff threat and gives the Indians the keys to one of the best closers in baseball right now, but this still couldn't make the top 5. Still, this is a huge move, as Miller may have been one of the last few pieces necessary for the Indians (except maybe a catcher).

#5- Jay Bruce to the Mets, Dilson Herrera and prospect to the Reds
Who wins? Mets. Look, it's becoming very unlikely that the Mets will make a huge difference in the playoffs, but putting Jay Bruce in that outfield with Cespedes and Granderson is a wise one, one that could give a ton of power back into a lineup that desperately needs one. If they decide to sign Bruce long-term, which would be wise, this could affect the team next year, when everyone is healthy.

#4- Carlos Beltran to the Rangers, prospects to the Yankees
Who wins? Rangers. This one saddens me, but it was the right move for both sides. Beltran could help the Rangers get to another World Series, as he's a wonderful September-October player, and he also helps the outfield depth, as a lot of the rookies have been struggling in those positions. Plus, this may be Beltran's last truly great season, and the Rangers should definitely make something of it rather than keeping it in 4th place.

#3- Josh Reddick and Rich Hill to the Dodgers, Frankie Montas and prospects to the A's.
Who wins? Dodgers. This gives some outfield support and some well-needed pitching help to another team that could be deadly in the postseason. Putting Josh Reddick in the outfield with Joc Pederson, Howie Kendrick and (possibly) Yasiel Puig gives a bat and an outstanding arm to one that's struggling with depth. Speaking of depth, Rich Hill gives the Dodgers some rotation flexibility...assuming he comes back from the DL rather quickly to join Brandon McCarthy, Kenta Maeda, Scott Kazmir and the rest of the stragglers.

#2- Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs, Adam Warren and prospects to the Yankees.
Who wins? Cubs. Yeah, regardless of my disdain for it, this is still a pretty great deal. The Cubs cement their bullpen's status as, finally, one to be reckoned with, along with the entire damned roster. Chapman closing games in Chicago could be the cherry on top of a playoff team. Also, they finally gave Adam Warren back, as they couldn't figure out what to do with him.

#1- Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress to the Rangers, prospects to the Brewers.
Who wins? Sadly, the Rangers. In dealing for one of the best catchers in baseball, as well as one of the best closers in baseball, IN ADDITION to dealing for one of the best hitting outfielders in baseball, they've made their case for sheer AL dominance for the rest of the season, and have made it clear to Cleveland that they'll need to fight to stay ahead.

So...those were my Top 10, and a TON of them might affect how this season turns out.

Where do the Yankees go from Here?

Right now, it's incredibly unlikely that the Yankees are going to anything noteworthy this season, other than ending up in 4th place. So, right about now the management is wondering whether it's worth while to become, for once, sellers at the trade deadline.

Carlos Beltran, who's having an outstanding last hurrah this season, may be one of the guys they let go- he's in his late 30's, and has never won a World Series (though he came rather close in 2013), and maybe they're figuring out that he'd be better on a competitive roster. As much as I've adored Beltran in the Bronx, maybe this would be a good way to restructure the farm system and give us a few guys that WON'T get injured the second they come up.

But the big question is whether they break up the Three Headed Monster in the bullpen. Chapman or Miller could be courted by the Cubs, and it's looking like it's going to be one or the other. I don't see the Yankees dealing both, and right now they have to make the decision as to whether or not ANY of them are going.

I think there's more of a chance of the Yanks giving up Miller- despite how excellent he's been for them, he's only been used in the 8th, and can be a pretty nice closer for the Cubs, if used that way- I do think they'd want to keep Chapman, because...if they Cubs get Chapman, game over man.

They're not gonna give up both, because I don't particularly see them giving the ninth to Betances. And they're certainly not giving up Dylan Judge- that's not happening.

Still...whatever happens to the Yankees by the end of this month, it'll be weird...but it'll be necessary

Coming Tomorrow- In the last two years, he's become a MONSTER in the ninth. Now, he hopes to get his team back to the playoffs.

A Welcome Return

Just like that, the New York Yankees have returned to the playoffs. I'm not sure how long they'll be sticking around, but if they hit like they did tonight, whoever they play Tuesday night will have to watch out.

Still waiting on the AL West, as the Rangers, Astros and Angels could all end up in the playoffs, as well as the Twins if they keep it up. Gonna be a very heated next few days.

Custom Card of the Day: Beltran Edition

Back in February, when all of the Spring Training photos come out, it is a Mint Condition tradition to make a 'wish-list' of sorts, of all the recently-traded players that I desperately need to make customs of. Some of the more obvious ones were up first, like Robinson Cano.

Unlike a lot of other years, there are a lot of people that are on that list that I still haven't customized. And a lot of them are Yankees.

If you've been watching the blog carefully, you'd notice that Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and now Brandon McCarthy haven't been customized. The only excuse I can make is a genuine one- they haven't had really good photos.

I had to dig deep for this Beltran custom, but I keep checking Ellsbury and McCann's photos for something outstanding...and I never find it. It's very infuriating, because I want to customize these guys. These guys are playing pretty well, at least for 2014 standards.

It's similar to last year, where I waited to long to make one for Kevin Youkilis, although unlike Youk these guys haven't made as many trips to the DL. I have opportunities. I just don't have good photos.

Long story short, if you see a Jacoby Ellsbury custom in the near future, expect it to be really good.

Coming Tonight- A Cardinals' prospect that has been doing rather well lately.

The One Good Thing That Happened to the Yankees Today

The good news is that Carlos Beltran is proficient in hitting home runs. Plus, he used to be one of my favorite non-Yankees, so now it's kinda nice that he is a Yankee. I mean, he and Soriano could do big things together this year.

The bad news is we have him for three years and he's 36 now. Assuming he ages like a normal human being, Cashman will once again be banging his head against the wall come 2017.

But still. We got somebody today, and it's Beltran. That sort of takes the sting out of the whole 'losing Cano and Grandy' thing. Almost. Not all the way, but almost.

That's the thing. The one, silver lining to this crap sandwich is marred by the fact that our one big acquisition of the day, as awesome as he is, is gonna age. Because Brian Cashman can only count starting from 29.

But I'm glad we got him. Beltran, McCann, Ellsbury and Alfonso Soriano on the same lineup. Watch out, Red Sox!

As the playoff dust settles...

Last night the Dodgers came out swinging, easily battering down the Braves to win game one. No offense to any Braves fans, but it would be so good for baseball if the Dodgers got back to the NLCS.

Meanwhile, AAAAAUUUUUUUGGHHHH!

In other words, while I expected the Cardinals to put up a valiant effort, I didn't expect them to slam the Pirates against the wall repeatedly. Like, Beltran and Molina were going crazy last night. So please. Loosen up. The Pirates would like to win this one, guys.

Tonight, the AL comes to play. My bet's on the Red Sox and Tigers to take both games, though I approve of neither.

Custom Card of the Day: Beltran Edition

I don't hate Carlos Beltran.

Yeah, if you know me, you know that I hate the Cardinals with every fiber of my body. But I don't have Carlos Beltran. Why? Because he was good with the Mets, I guess. I never really had a problem with him, he never spat in my teams' faces, and he always seemed like a fun player.

There are other people on the Cardinals that I absolutely despise. Daniel Descalso, Yadier Molina, Allen Craig, even, yes, David Freese. And there are some that I'm just indifferent about, like Matt Holliday and Michael Wacha. And I have no problem with Beltran. Which is odd.

It's like not having a problem with David Ortiz. Like I think he's a great player, but my hate is reserved for the rest of that team. I can respect Beltran's stuff, and he can stand out from that dreary team.

Yet having the one player you like on a team you despise is much better than having a player you despise on a team you like. Like, seeing Cody Ross on the Giants was infuriating for me, because I liked the Giants. However, sometimes it just feels weird. This weekend, I watched Chien-Ming Wang pitch a game for the Toronto Blue Jays, a team I sorta dislike. And it's kinda weird.

Still, I'm glad Beltran's playing well again, and I hope he keeps it going. If not, I'll just have to root for Wacha.

Coming Tomorrow- The generally consistent Reds 2nd baseman.

A Down Night

 

Last night was sort of a down night, because two teams I am not very fond of tied their respective series. Actually, scratch that. I am very fond of the Orioles. They're a great team. I just felt bad that the Yankees lost, and the man above spent the night happy. 

 

 

 And then there's this guy. Just when I think the Nationals are gonna blow these guys away, they come back swinging hard. Beltran had a few nice knocks back there. But I really hope the Nationals don't win. Seeing the Cards in the World Series would be very atrocious...unless they were playing the Yankees. Then it'd be all worthwhile.

Custom Card of the Day: Beltran Edition

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah, he's not as good as he used to be. Blah Blah Blah the Cardinals need to come back after losing their star. Blah Blah Blah they should have gotten a bigger star. Blah Blah they probably won't get back to the postseason without Pujols. Blah Blah Blah good luck to Beltran, as he might infuriate several fans.

Blah.

(You've heard it all before. Why hear the same thing from me?)

Coming Tomorrow- A former NL East rival competes as part of an...NL East team. Wow, who'd have thought he'd just stay in the division and haunt the Phillies.

Custom Card of the Day: Beltran Edition

I'm currently sitting in North Jersey, away from my home, on a brief trip. Thankfully, I have already prepared a bunch of customs that I made a few days ago, before the deadline ended. Sadly, this means no Bourn, Lee, Jiminez or the things done yesterday, but in the next few days I'll bring up some of the bigger guns. For instance, Carlos over here may give the Giants their 2nd Championship in a row...or, he could just squander it, and let them lose to Philadelphia. I'd personally like the 2nd option, but it'll be interesting to see how Beltran plays out in San Francisco.

Coming Tomorrow- The man who made one of the richer teams in the NL get even richer. All he had to do was leave Houston.

Custom Card of the Day: Beltran Edition

I know I've been featuring a lot of throwbacks in the last few months, but how could I resist a Mets throwback, to the more vibrant blues and pinstripes of the 70's and 80's (I think). Of course, the Mets might have been wearing the throwbacks to remind fans of a time when the Mets were good, when they had big stars like Seaver, Carter and Gooden. The Mets are a franchise whose best days were years ago. Which brings me to Carlos Beltran, the aging slugger whose best days were years ago. When he was with the Royals, Beltran was quick, strong, and just what his team needed. Now, in his 30's with New York, he can only bring a portion of what he brought in the 90's and early 2000's to the table. And that's sad, because his team needs him.

Coming Tomorrow- This guy made his ML Debut recently, and in a last place team, he hopes to perform well.

Year by Year Customs: 1979's

A bunch of sweet 1979 customs today. Still a little pissed about the Crawford deal, but that's life I guess.

Coming Tomorrow- 1980.

Ha ha

Yeah, the Mets have to play the first part of the season without this guy. We had a monthlong injury on the other side of town last year. Now it's your turn.


(Pants on the ground?)