Major League Baseball returned to action Friday after the All-Star break with every team having a game. The New York Mets (14) and the Houston Astros (10) scored double digit runs in their returns to the diamond while the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians failed to score in there first game back. Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals and Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers each hit two home runs in their games to help there team to victory. The Boston Red Sox picked up a win against the New York Yankees on a walk off walk in the bottom of the 9th inning. The Chicago Cubs needed a solo home run from Addison Russell to pull out a 9-8 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The Cubs had an 8-0 lead in the game after 3 innings, but the Orioles battle back into the game and Russell had to some through to give the Cubs a win. Then Finally the best player in the game return to action on Friday night as Mike Trout came off the disabled list for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Trout was 1 for 5 in his return to the line up as the Angels dropped a 2-1 decision in a game that went 10 innings. Trout had a chance to keep the game going with 2 outs and no one on in the bottom of the 10th inning, but Tampa Bay Rays closer Alex Colome struck Trout out to end the game.
During the All-Star break we had our first major trade of the season as the Chicago White Sox sent pitcher Jose Quintana to the Chicago Cubs for four minor leaguers. The White Sox received top prospects Eloy Jimenez an outfielder, Dylan Cease a starting pitcher, Matt Rose a 1st baseman and Bryant Flete a 2nd baseman. Jimenez and Cease are ranked in the Top 100 prospects according to just about every ranking.
Quintana will make his first start for the Cubs on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. Quintana has made 18 starts this season covering 104 1/3rd innings. He is 4-8 with an E.R.A. of 4.49. Quintana was looked at as the best available starting pitcher on the trading block as he’s started 30 plus games and has pitched 200 or more innings the last 4 seasons. If his E.R.A. is closer to his career number of 3.51 Quintana should be the top of the rotation pitcher the Cubs need.
Jimenez, Rose and Flete where all playing in High Class-A at the time of the trade while Cease was pitching for the South Bend Cubs in Class-A.
Jimenez was hitting .272 in 44 games with 8 home runs and 34 RBI’s. Rose was hitting .224 in 67 games with 14 home runs and 40 RBI’s while Flete was hitting .307 in 72 games with 6 home runs and 38 RBI’s. Cease had made 13 starts covering 51 2/3rd innings. He had a 1-2 record with an E.R.A. of 2.79.
While it’s tough to judge any trade it does appear that in this situation both teams got what they where looking for and in the Cubs case what they needed. The Cubs needed to find some kind of help for their starting rotation and Quintana should fit nicely into that role. The White Sox are rebuilding and they where looking for quality prospects. They picked up a couple of highly rated prospects in this deal and a couple of guys that you just don’t know how they’ll develop.
There where a lot of teams interested in Quintana and one of them was reportedly the Milwaukee Brewers who the Cubs are trying to catch in the National League Central. The Minnesota Twins where also a team who’s name came up quite a bit in Quintana trade talks. Now the Brewers and the Twins along with all of the other teams looking for starting pitcher will have to find another target, but who will that be?
With Quintana off the board it appears that Sonny Gray of the Oakland A’s is the top starting pitcher that could be traded. Gray helped his cause out last night as he pitched 6 scoreless innings for Oakland last night against the Cleveland Indians. Oakland won the game 5-0 with Gray picking up the win to make his record 5-4 this season. It was Gray’s 14th start of the season covering 84 2/3rd innings. Gray has struck out 79 batters while walking just 26 this season and his E.R.A. is 3.72.
Gray is 27 years old and is in his 5th major league season, but he’s had some injury issues through his career. Gray made just 22 starts last season due to injuries. Any team interested in making a deal for Gray will have to take that into consideration. If Gray is traded I’m sure the A’s will be looking for a deal similar to what the White Sox got for Quintana.
Will Gray be the next top starting pitcher to be traded or will we someone else get dealt before him?
The New York Knicks found their replacement for Phil Jackson as they signed Scott Perry to a 5 year deal to be the teams General Manager. Perry was formerly the Sacramento Kings vice president of basketball operations; Perry will report to Steve Mills. The Knicks are planning to sign Mills to a new multiyear deal as president; promoting him from General Manager. As part of signing Perry the Knicks will send the Kings a future 2nd round draft pick and cash considerations.
One of if not Perry’s first job with the Knicks will be to figure out what to do with Carmelo Anthony. Anthony had said that he would waive the no-trade clause in his contract if he was traded to the Houston Rockets or the Cleveland Cavaliers. Reports earlier this week where that the Knicks and the Rockets where close to a four team deal that would have Anthony end up in Houston, but the deal hasn’t happened. There was also a report that the Knicks have asked Anthony to expand the number of teams that he would be willing to be traded to, but the latest report is saying the Knicks just might bring Anthony back and reincorporating him into the organization. This is clearly the biggest hurdle Perry will have to jump as a new GM and with the Eastern Conference looking to be weaker than last season could a Carmelo Anthony led Knicks team sneak into a playoff spot?
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