[Nick Malone]

Originally Posted by Freak
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Necro never said anything about McLouth, and it's not exactly his responsibility to post every major news story that comes across the wire...

Anyway, the McLouth trade is a bigger deal in baseball terms, but both stories seemed to come out of nowhere... though I guess Pirates fans are used to this kind of thing. It must totally suck the life out of a fanbase to see deals like this and the Bay trade last year (not that I think losing McLouth makes them a worse team this year, really -- I could see McCutcheon replacing McLouth's production pretty easily).

It's just happened too many times to that franchise to build up for a little bit but then once failure hits, they feel like they have to rebuild again and trade away anybody that would become a liability cash wise that they couldn't afford. If Pittsburgh wants to be taken seriously, then scrap the GM and put in an owner that gives a shit similar to how the Rooney's control the Pittsburgh Steelers.

[Freak]

And didn't they just extend McLouth in the spring? I'm pretty sure he signed a multi-year deal... I feel bad for Pirates fans.

[Dj1223]

Originally Posted by yankeesman77
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It's just happened too many times to that franchise to build up for a little bit but then once failure hits, they feel like they have to rebuild again and trade away anybody that would become a liability cash wise that they couldn't afford. If Pittsburgh wants to be taken seriously, then scrap the GM and put in an owner that gives a shit similar to how the Rooney's control the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It's not that the GM doesn't care. The Pirates just can't afford big name star players. They just don't have the money. They're worth less than 300 million. When they have a player that's producing so much and is getting to a point where they are one of the premier players in the league, they SHOULD trade them so they can at least get something for them instead of losing them to a big contract in free agency.

[Slim]

Im really excited by the way the rangers are playing. Still early, but you never know!

[Necro]

Sources: Braves eyeing Penny

The Braves already have made moves to augment their rotation, calling up super prospect Tommy Hanson to make his major league debut on Sunday, after summoning Kris Medlen last month. But Atlanta might not be done adding pitching.

Atlanta is one of the teams in conversation with the Boston Red Sox about veteran right-hander Brad Penny, according to sources, at a time when the Red Sox have been doing their own research on Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur.

As the Braves do their background work on Penny, this is part of what they have ascertained: The 31-year-old right-hander started horribly for the Red Sox, but he has pitched better in recent starts, allowing three earned runs or fewer in five of his past six starts.

Overall, Penny is 5-1 with a 5.63 ERA, with his velocity increasing as the season has progressed, and his penchant for generating fly balls might make him a better fit in the National League, and in a pitchers' park, such as Turner Field.

The Braves already have the makings of a good rotation, with Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez and Jair Jurrjens -- and now Hanson. Kenshin Kawakami has made 10 starts, mustering a 4.63 ERA. The Braves currently rank fourth in starters' ERA, at 3.90.

Atlanta's bullpen, however, has been a problem -- the Braves ranked 17th among 30 teams in relief ERA, at 4.32.

It is unclear whether Atlanta would have interest in Penny as a starter or as a reliever; if the Braves added Penny to their rotation, they could shift Kawakami into their bullpen.

Kawakami has been effective, generally, through the first 45 pitches of his starts, but opponents have an OPS of 1.042 against him in pitches 46 to 60.

The Braves have a reputation among other teams for being precise in their accounting, so it may be that they could be motivated to move Francoeur -- who is hitting .251 this year, at age 25 -- partly to free up money. He is making $3.38 million in salary this year, while Penny is making $5 million, plus incentives.

Earlier this week, the Braves released Tom Glavine, who would have earned $1 million on the first day with the team, and acquired center fielder Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates for three prospects.

The Braves and Red Sox match up with other pieces and parts, as well, if they were to expand their conversations beyond Penny and Francoeur.

Source: ESPN

Sox are loaded with pitchers, but need some hitting. Clay Buchholz is pitching great in the minors right now, and Smoltz is getting ready to get in the rotation. So Penny I'm sure will be goon shortly.

[TheBoogeyMan]

Once again, Braden Looper (Brewers Pitcher) proves he is only good for 6 innings. Its been this way the whole season. He pitches the first 6 fine, then blows it big time in the seventh. Im not gonna blow a gasket about this yet considering its only june, but the with the brewers being in first in the NL central, they need solid pitching, Gallardo and Hoffman cant carry this time alone.

[The Phantom]

Did anyone see the Yankees/Mets game last night? Quite a good game I thought, the ending was exciting. A-Rod got out of jail when Castillio droped the catch. Well worth staying up till 4am to watch.

[TheBoogeyMan]

Brewers and indians really lit up the scoreboard tonight. Final score was Brewers 14, Indians 12. Prince fielder had 6 RBI's, 4 coming off a grandslam (first of his career), Ryan Braun had 5 RBI's and was only a double short of the cycle. Hoffman also notched save number 16.

[Dj1223]

Yea it was a wild game. Did great for my fantasy teams.

[Necro]

Struggling Dice-K goes on disabled list

BOSTON -- Struggling Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka went on the 15-day disabled list Sunday and could be sidelined much longer.

"This is not going to be a two-week DL," manager Terry Francona said. "We have to figure this out. We have a lot of work ahead of us to get him back to being Daisuke."

In eight starts, Matsuzaka is 1-5 with an 8.23 ERA and an opponents' batting average of .378. Last season, he was 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA and a major league-best .211 batting average by opponents.

He went on the disabled list with a mild right shoulder strain after an MRI on Saturday showed no structural damage. On Friday night, he allowed six runs in four-plus innings of an 8-2 loss to Atlanta.

"He's got some shoulder weakness," Francona said before Sunday's game against the Braves. "I don't know that you can give him a week off and say, 'Come back and pitch and your shoulder's going to be miraculously strong.'"

Before putting Matsuzaka on the disabled list for the second time this season, the Red Sox already had scheduled John Smoltz to pitch in his spot Thursday at Washington. It would be the first major league outing of the season for Smoltz, who had six rehab starts after offseason shoulder surgery.

The Red Sox recalled catcher Dusty Brown from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Matsuzaka's roster spot.

Dice-K is in the third season of a six-year, $52 million contract he signed after the Red Sox paid $51.11 million for the right to negotiate with the Japanese star. This March he repeated as MVP in the second World Baseball Classic, but missed much of Boston's spring training.

"It's hard," Francona said. "We never were really able to get that foundation. And he's alluded to that, too. We've got to get that figured out because it's obviously not working."

After the WBC, Matsuzaka finished spring training with Boston but went 0-1 with a 12.79 ERA in two starts before going on the disabled list with a mild right shoulder strain from April 15 to May 22.

In his first game back, he allowed four runs and five hits in five innings of a 5-3 loss to the New York Mets.

In his last game, he gave up three hits on the first four pitches, including Nate McLouth's homer on the first pitch of the game. He hasn't reached the seventh inning in any of his nine starts.

"If I keep going like this, I have no right to be a part of this rotation," Matsuzaka said through a translator after the game.

Francona stayed late at Fenway Park on Friday, meeting with general manager Theo Epstein and pitching coach John Farrell. Then Francona met Saturday with Matsuzaka and announced that he would be removed from the rotation.

"It all started with the WBC," Francona said Saturday. "It's become obvious that his velocity wasn't what it was."

The 27-year-old Brown hit .239 with two homers and 12 RBIs in 47 games with Pawtucket before reaching the majors for the first time Sunday.

Source: ESPN

Well I guess the 6 man rotation isn't happening.