NL West doing a last minute shuffle Thome to Dodgers and A letter to Brad Penny

Thome and Garland head to the Dodgers.



Thome is no longer a force in the American League. He had 23 HRS and 73 RBI's and an average below .250. This is what you should expect from Thome though, I wouldn't really say he's LOST all that much. He's not Albert Pujols, but he also hasn't been in the National League.

I think we're going to see a revitalized Thome joining the Dodgers with a legit World Series opportunity. I wouldn't be surprise to see Thome bomb 7 HR's in September and Early October. Look for Thome to be a large contributor to the Dodgers offense the next few months (if he gets the playing time).

Brad Penny signs with the San Francisco Giants



A letter to Brad Penny

I couldn't be more happy for an ex Red Sox player than I am for you, Brad. You're a solid starter on any team, now that you're in the National League I'll be looking for you to dominate the NL West. I'm really looking forward to seeing you pitch. Brad you have great stuff, you pretty much always have. I think you've learned a lot pitching in the American League for a few months. I expect you to be a key contributor to the already stacked SF Giants pitching staff.

By the way how good did it feel to see Junichi Tazawa get lit up the other day? Not "soo good, soo good, sooo good" on this end. I wish him the best wherever he is right now. I want to forwarn you that if we meet in October, I won't be cheering for you, but this doesn't mean we're not friends anymore... Remember.. this is a business.

Congrats Penny, I'm rooting for you in the NL this October.

P.S Thanks for not going to the Yankees. Good luck against the Dodgers.

Sincerely,

Diesel

Brad Penny released from the Red Sox

I guess Brad Penny asked the Red Sox to release him today, and the Red Sox did so. This comes directly after Wakefields beautiful outing against the Chicago White Sox.



Personally I was kind of getting attached to Penny and hoping that he could string together a few more good outings. To think we got nothing for Penny at the deadline and now we're leaving him out to fend for himself? If I'm the Cardinals i'm pissed I picked up Smoltz, with Penny on the loose.

Where will he sign? Any ideas?

Shoot them this way.

When is Alex Gonzalez good?

The Red Sox recently picked up Alex Gonzalez and I've heard a lot of scuffling from Reds fans. A few Reds fans told me, if you're expecting the same Alex Gonzalez you had in 2006, you're going to be extremely disapointed.

A-Gon's range has decreased substantially and his plate appearances have been awkward. So what did the Red Sox brass see in Alex Gonzalez? Allow me to ATTEMPT to break this down.

Alex Gonzalez IS clutch believe it or not. He is hitting .320 with runners in scoring position with 26 of his 29 RBI's coming with runners in scoring position. He's also batting .273 with 10 of his 29 rbi's with runners in scoring position and two out.

With a few games under his belt the Rogers Centre has been good to Alex Gonzalez. He's hitting .363 in 11 at bats (4 for 11). Against American League pitching Alex Gonzalez is hitting a solid .305 (18-59). Take away the Rangers and the Yankees from the AL, he's batting a remarkable .410. Fortunately for Alex Gonzalez he's only got three games left against Yankees pitching (not counting a possible playoff matchup). Compare these numbers to his numbers against National League pitching, where his average is just plain AWFUL (42-221) thats .190 for those who care.

I don't really want to get into Alex on the defensive side of things. His UZR/150 is lower than Nick Green's (4.0 to 4.9), Green has a stronger arm, etc. I still think Alex Gonzalez can be very valuable to the Sox. He's no ADRIAN Gonzalez, but he might be just what we need to win the Wild Card.




Last nights picks I went 3-3 bringing my season record to 17-11. (.607)

Todays picks are...

Rays will beat the Jays
Phillies will beat the Pirates
Braves over the Padres
Cubbies over the Nationals