Major League Baseball's winter meetings have not even begun, but the baseball world is already abuzz with activity.
The Boston Red Sox got things started when they acquired pitchers Josh Beckett, Guillermo Mota and third baseman Mike Lowell from the Florida Marlins for four minor league players.
The New York Mets then made a splash by acquiring power hitting first baseman Carlos Delgado and cash from the Marlins for 25 year-old first baseman Mike Jacobs and two minor leaguers.
Another slugging first baseman was then told to pack his bags when the Philadelphia Phillies sent Jim Thome and $22 million in cash to the Chicago White Sox for center fielder Aaron Rowand and two pitching prospects.
Let's start with the Boston trade. With this trade, the Sox immediately become legitimate contenders for the World Series in 2006. In 2005, they did not have a horse in their rotation that they could depend on. When Boston won the World Series in 2004, it had two such horses: Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling.
With any luck, Boston could very well have two horses once again if Beckett can maintain his health and Schilling comes back strong after his ankle problems. Add in the fact that Guillermo Mota is better than most of Boston's relievers, and this deal was a no-brainer.
However, there were some downsides for Boston. In order to acquire Beckett, Boston was forced to take on Lowell's albatross contract of $18 million over the next two years. While it was painful to watch Lowell bat in 2005 (.658 OPS), he had posted five consecutive strong seasons prior to last year. Nine million per year is a lot to pay to find out which Lowell will show up, but the Sox need pitching badly enough to take the gamble. And if Lowell is a complete dud, Boston still has the on-base machine Kevin Youkilis to fill in.
The Sox got a good deal in the trade, but they didn't make out like bandits. They had to part with shortstop Hanley Ramirez. While Ramirez hasn't put up the numbers in AA that some had hoped for, scouts rave about his tools and project him as a future All-Star.
Anibal Sanchez, the other major prospect included in the trade, was Boston's second or third best pitching prospect and put up some excellent numbers as a youngster in AA. Boston needed to make this trade, but the Marlins received some valuable players whose careers could take off in coming seasons.
Meanwhile, the Mets can count on some improved offense next season thanks to their own trade with Florida. Delgado consistently puts up great numbers, and he has an unbelievable eye at the plate. But in order to be contenders for a championship, the Mets are going to need to improve their bullpen significantly. One of the two major relievers on the market, B.J. Ryan, just signed a monstrous five-year, $47 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Billy Wagner is the only major impact reliever left out there, and if he spurns the Mets, there will be big trouble in Queens.
Once again the Marlins got some talented players in return for dealing Delgado. Jacobs had a fantastic debut for the Mets in 2005, and the Fish also managed to snag Yusmeiro Petit, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. Florida has a young core group of players to build around in Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera, and the prospects they are acquiring could be cheap, yet talented supplements.
The White Sox-Phillies trade appears to be one that helps both teams. In Thome, the White Sox receive a designated hitter (or first baseman if they can't re-sign free agent Paul Konerko) who has the potential to hit 40 home runs. They are giving up a solid center fielder in Aaron Rowand, but if it's the Rowand of 2005 (.736 OPS compared with an OPS of .905 in 2004), the White Sox can handle the loss. Rowand plays exceptional defense, but Chicago already has a center fielder playing left field (Scott Podsednik) who can shift over if necessary. Thome stands a good chance of overcoming his injury problems and it is worth the price of Aaron Rowand to find out.
As for the Phillies, the emergence of Rookie of the Year Ryan Howard made Thome expendable. Howard is exponentially cheaper than Thome, and he has a high upside. If the Phillies were in the American League, they likely would have kept both players. But Rowand should be a decent fit for the Phils, and the trade represents only positive additions if compared with 2005 when Philadelphia got nothing out of Thome.
Even with these exciting blockbusters, there is likely to be even more movement within the league come December. Many of the major free agents have yet to sign, and some high profile players like Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez may be moved. By December, the hot stove should be scalding.
