After not getting dealt, the teams that might have traded for him have to be exhaling. Cory Lidle is dealing with both a groin problem and a “dead arm.” He’ll likely miss a start and Lidle himself has questioned what he has left for the rest of the season. The Jays have options, but won’t bring up any of their talented trio of minor league starters until at least September, if then.
The rehabbing Yanks are making progress. Jose Contreras worked a simulated game after a planned rehab start was rained out. He’ll head to the mound for that rehab start in Tampa next Monday. For Jon Lieber, he’s throwing batting practice and building up arm strength. Both could be in the Bronx by September, but while I’ll guarantee Contreras will be there, there isn’t as much reason to rush Lieber.
Bartolo Colon paused in yesterday’s game and was looked at by the training staff and pitching coach. Just a spasm, though Scott McCauley’s diagnosis of “pulled fat” drew laughter. The Sox also got the MRI results on Miguel Olivo’s shoulder and–like on the North Side with Prior–it was just a bad bruise. He’s likely out through the weekend.
We’ve collectively fallen prey to a common mistake. As we’ve been fortunate enough to reach a large number of new people, we’ve not done a particularly great job of talking about why we do what we do. Or, put another way, how come we don’t like to talk about RBI when evaluating hitters? I forget about this because of the kind of cloistered atmosphere we tend to run in, but a lot of stuff that we take as stone cold gospel is completely foreign and brand new for the vast majority of baseball fans.
So, as a service to the people who may be exploring serious baseball analysis for the first time, or who may be new to Baseball Prospectus, here’s a brief rundown of some basics of performance assessment. It’s spotty, but it’s a start. For you longtime readers, please consider this a cheat sheet you can use when discussing baseball in bars, or with Bob Feller.
Wednesday, the Yankees and Mariners swapped right-handed relievers, Armando Benitez for Jeff Nelson. At first glance, the trade seems like an exchange of headaches, given that Benitez had been erratic for the Yankees and Nelson had recently complained–not without reason–about the Mariners front office and its inability to make a deal at the trade deadline.
At first glance, the Mariners look like the big winners.
The Diamondbacks will surely plummet to last place with Mark Grace’s veteran leadership on the DL. Jack Cust gets his shot with the Orioles. Jeff Nelson’s return signals a Yankees A-Team reunion. Ray Durham opens the door for some unattractive options for the Giants. These and other tidbits in this edition of Transaction Analysis.
Grady Sizemore has usurped Victor Martinez as Impressive Indian of the Future; Hideo Nomo likes his time away from home; and Jeff Nelson gets dealt just days after criticizing the M’s front office. All this and much more news from Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Seattle in your Friday edition of Prospectus Triple Play.