Stuck in the Middle with Jerry

Another trade deadline has come and gone, and the Sox made almost no moves.

What they did:

Zach Duke was traded to the Cardinals for Charlie Tilson.  You’ve probably already read about this and know he’s a plus defender in CF and has a low ceiling.  So what is this move?  It’s all about not paying Zach Duke and trotting out something better than JB Shuck to give the illusion of actually trying to win.  But let’s be clear, this was a salary dump.

What they didn’t do:

They moved no starting pitchers.  If you look around the league, many were moved and almost all returned way more than they’re worth.  To think the Sox could not find a good deal for any of their pitchers is just a flat out fiction.  The Sox also did not land Yasiel Puig.  Now, this isn’t a game changing move, but many reports said they were interested and post-deadline stories tell us that LA had no intention of ending the day with Puig on the roster.

Why? Why? Why?

They’ll give you the bull shit line that they’re trying to go for it every year.  That’s just not true.  What is happening is that they know where to keep their budget to make money off running a small market team (despite being in Chicago).  And they know just how much they need to win to do it and how much hope to give the fan base.  This is why the team never has depth.  You make a few minor moves each year to give some hope, you pick up stars well past their prime, you have a lot of promotions, but you certainly don’t go for it.  You hope you strike lightning and make the playoffs.  And if you don’t, you should still be able to make money, and even more if you can dump 5.5MM at the deadline.

See you soon, if I don’t drown myself in High Life tonight.

-Chorizy-E