While Twins fans are surely upset that their ace pitcher, Johan Santana, was traded to the Mets last week, I for one am just glad he did not end up either across town in the Bronx or in Boston. I’m disappointed that such a talented pitcher is heading to such a wealthy team, but at least I won’t see him in pinstripes, because that was my fear a couple of months ago.
Though the Yankees haven’t won the World Series this century (and saying it never gets old), I can count on them to make the playoffs every year, and landing a pitcher like Santana could easily put them over the edge, whereas I don’t worry too much about the Mets. Part of it is that they aren’t as good, and part I’m sure is that I simply hate them much less.
The other trade from last week that is noteworthy to Orioles fans especially but to all who follow MLB is Erik Bedard going from Baltimore to Seattle for a package of five players – four of them prospects and the other a much-needed reliable relief pitcher. It’s tough to see the best talent on your team leave, especially after such a dominant season (13-5, 3.16 E.R.A., 221 K’s in 182 innings), but I think it is probably for the best. Besides Nick Markakis, the Orioles’ outfield was pitiful offensively last year, but with Markakis in right, newly acquired Adam Jones in center, Luke Scott (picked up from Houston in the Miguel Tejada trade) in left, and Jay Payton on the bench (or better yet, the O’s hit the jackpot and another team takes him off their hands) this year, opposing pitchers might not breeze through Baltimore’s lineup like they did in 2007. It may be difficult to watch Steve Trachsel pitch every fifth day instead of Bedard, but in the long run the team will benefit from having a legitimate centerfielder under its control for the foreseeable future. And if Bedard wins the Cy Young this year…let’s just try to be happy for him.
