Menechino out. Phelps in.

Not really. Likely too much history with Phelps.

What's the difference between Phelps and Menechino? If you add Phelps you gain about 50 points of slugging against lefties, but you lose about 30 points of OBP. Is that really a trade worth making, even before considering the huge defensive advantage that Menechino gives you?

I was only half-serious. I was basically factoring in Phelps' flukey 2004 (where he killed LHP), ignoring Menechino's flukey 2004 (where he killed LHP) and figuring that Hill had suddenly rendered less valuable Menechino's ability to play infield.

<i>News comes in threes, right? So what's the next transaction to hit the wire?</i>

Well, the Orioles acquired Eli Marrero. I guess if he rediscovered last season's magic elixir he could effect the AL East race, but I highly highly doubt it.

'(BBRRS: titanium)'

I like Lee and his reports, but there are mistakes almost daily. A bit of an overstatement here.

The 3rd transaction will be Clemens and Pettite to the Yankees where Andy will immediately get hurt in his first start and go on the 60 day DL and Roger will finish 10-11, 1.68 ERA with average run support of .73 runs/game. The Yankees finish 4th in the division. Steinbrenner blows his stack, sells the team to Donald Trump who looks at Brian Cashman and says: "You're fired!"
Ok, maybe it's a longshot.

I like Lee and his reports, but there are mistakes almost daily. A bit of an overstatement here.

He'll make mistakes on first names or spelling of last names, and LOTS of general MUGS (mechanics, usage, grammar, spelling) errors, but I can't recall a single instance where he misreported a trade.

And nobody's even commented yet ... not every day a recent 14-game winner ends up on the waiver wire. Now, I can't see TO spending the seven figures a waiver claim would require, but Drese in TO in 10 days? Why not?

Or do Blue Jay fans obsess about the other ex-Rangers who've run through here ...? Esteban Loiaza and Doug Davis, they didn't work out so well.

Drese was an asset on my league-dominating fantasy team last year. I haven't been following the Rangers at all this year, though. What happened to him?

You are right, no trades. Plenty of factual errors though.

What happened to Drese? His brutally low strikeout rate caught up with him. Those of you waiting for David Bush and Joe Blanton, among others, to be league-average starters best wait a while longer, until those fellas start striking out more hitters.

Drese in 2005: 69.2 IP, 20 K, 24 BB, 6.46 ERA. Yuck.

Drese's batting average against the last 4 years:

2002: .317
2003: .314
2004: .285
2005: .334

He was lucky to just be an average pitcher in 2004. I don't have the numbers, but I'd guess he had very good run support in 2004 to get him several of those 14 wins as well. Simply put - do not sign, he's not good.

Bush's career K rates:

ML-5.36/9
AAA-7.95/9
AA- 8.11/9

With his excellent control, he can be league average striking out 5.36/9 (as Jimmy Key did at the start of his career).

Blanton's career K rates are not as good as Bush's:

ML- 3.57/9
AAA-7.31/9

Blanton is a different case than Bush. He obviously needs to improve his K rate, and it is not clear that he will do it, as it is for Bush.

Thing with Drese is he doesn't give up a ton of HRs, which in Texas is a very good thing, not to mention it is hard to do in a home run park like that.

He is on a team that wont do him many favors defensively..

I think Drese is a guy who could really benifit from a solid Infield Defense, and a ball park other than Texas. (and yes, I did look at his home/road splits, which seem quite out of whack).

I think Drese is a guy who could really benifit from a solid Infield Defense

While Soriano is no prize defensively, you're not going to do much better at 3-6-5 than Teixeira, Young and Blalock.

Compare Texas Defense to the Jays Defense.

It isn't even a contest.

Blalock is a nice guy to have on the Corner, and Tex isn't bad playing 1B.

However I don't see any Gold gloves in the future of Young.

Drese in 2004: 31.3 balls in play per nine IP, .301 average on balls in play.

Drese in 2005: 35.3 balls in play per nine IP, .333 average on balls in play.

It's a combination of bad luck and (as Gitz mentioned) a teensy K rate that's leading to everything being put into play. Even extreme groundball pitchers can't allow twelve hits per nine innings.

In two consecutive starts, Drese has made a staggeringly awful attempt at fielding what should have been a double-play grounder. Both attempts led to two runs scored. He also got into an in-game dugout melee with catcher Rod Barajas over pitch selection.

Nevertheless, I'm stunned at this move. I doubt anyone claims him.

Young was actually considered a gold glove candidate coming up through the minors. He has above-average defence at short.

Drese could probably do better in the National League and is probably best suited from the bullpen. I almost choked on my coffee in the offseason when Texas gave him that extension after only one OK season and a number of failures.

Heck, let's offer them Schoeneweis straight up.
Sure, Scho makes $2 million more than Drese this year and $1 million more next year, but......

I have no way to finish that sentence.

I like what Dombrowski is doing. He's built a nice infield, and with Bonderman at the top of the rotation and a favourable park, it's a good environment for a young pitcher. Zumaya and Verlander are on the way. And in a few years, with luck, he'll have Cameron Maybin in centerfield.

If I were a Red Sox fan, I'd be mighty upset that theo didn't outbid for Urbina's services.

I don't think so Ugly. It is pretty clear that Detriot wants to win now, so they sured up their INF with a good hitting 2B.

Who are you going to send over to the Detroit without completely overpaying in prospects.

You going to send Bellhorn or Mueller over there? I don't think the world is sold on Bellhorn and Mueller is one of those "Fenway hitters".

Even more shocking than the Texas release of Drese:
"Righthander Ryan Drese has been lost on a waiver claim to the Washington Nationals, who assume the entirety of the righthander's two-year contract."