Strange timing, it would seem, but trade talks surrounding Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley appear to be growing pace with deals with both the Blue Jays and Indians being mooted in recent days.
Billingsley has been in such poor form up until his most recent start that his trade value would seem to be at its lowest all season. The win over Cincinnati on Wednesday was the first time the right-hander had given up three or less runs in a start since his first start of June.
His previous outing against Houston was also one of the worst of his career, giving up nine hits and six earned runs in under two innings with not a single strikeout, but we are still talking about a pitcher with 10 wins before the end of July, so it can’t be all bad!
But is he now the starter the Dodgers will dangle in trade talks rather than Clayton Kershaw, whose numbers are heading in the right direction?
Since last week, Billingsley has come up in reports linking the Dodgers with two bona fide veteran aces in Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee.
Most baseball bets have Halladay down as the more sensible option, as another right-hander with incredible stuff and a penchant for big-game victories. There are few starters out there I’d prefer to have pitching Game One of the World Series (and probably Game Five as well).
Because of the difference in age, there is a chance the Dodgers could even get an extra bullpen arm in this sort of deal – perhaps Jason Frasor or Jeremy Accardo, who would provide the depth missing in recent weeks where the reliance has been on Ramon Troncoso and the sometimes-ailing Jonathan Broxton.
However it seems talks with Indians are more serious, with lefty Lee and perhaps Victor Martinez coming to California in exchange for Billingsley and James Loney (plus prospects).
There were reports the pitcher going to Cleveland would be Kershaw, but would that really make sense? Lee and Kershaw would be ideal together probably split up by Hiroki Kuroda, although with Randy Wolf in the rotation as well, is three lefties one too many?
And isn’t Kershaw worth a lot more than Lee now after giving up only five earned runs in eight starts? Would seem a strange time to be trading him for a soon to be 31-year-old?
Baseball betting suggests that things are heating up in trade central anyway, so maybe we’ll all find out soon.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Dodgers waiting on Belisario update
The Los Angeles Dodgers have their fingers crossed that they will not lose another important piece of their bullpen after Ronald Belisario was arrested on Saturday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Belisario was released later in the day and returned to Chavez Ravine the afternoon after pitching a scoreless inning against Seattle - at the moment he has not been told whether he will face sanctions, either by the authorities or the Dodgers themselves.
The setback is the latest in a long line of troubles to hit the team's pen, already without Hong-Chih Kuo and Will Ohman, and lacking also the strong arm of Cory Wade, who was sent down to Triple-A last week to sort out his own issues.
Belisario and Ramon Troncoso have proved to be a strong bridge between the starting staff and ace closer Jonathan Broxton so far this season, but manager Joe Torre has admitted to being worried about the amount of times he has been forced to use his top line relievers.
The Venezuelan import has probably been the biggest surprise of the Dodgers' season so far, with his ERA of 2.01 leading the team as we come towards the All-Star Break. And giving up only 33 hits in his 44 2/3 innings has proven him as a fine addition to the squad after failing to make it with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A fair baseball bet suggests that losing him now would be a huge hole to fill, and not one the Dodgers could probably manage without a trade of some kind.
Of the pitchers ready to step in, only Wade and Jason Vargas would be bullpen types, and Vargas is far more suited to long relief and garbage time - he may not even offer as much as youngsters James McDonald and Travis Schlichting.
So, Dodger fans, pray that Belisario is innocent or at least doesn't face too heavy sanctions, or all the good work the team has done so far this season could start coming apart at the seams.
By Andy Morris – Baseball betting analyst
Belisario was released later in the day and returned to Chavez Ravine the afternoon after pitching a scoreless inning against Seattle - at the moment he has not been told whether he will face sanctions, either by the authorities or the Dodgers themselves.
The setback is the latest in a long line of troubles to hit the team's pen, already without Hong-Chih Kuo and Will Ohman, and lacking also the strong arm of Cory Wade, who was sent down to Triple-A last week to sort out his own issues.
Belisario and Ramon Troncoso have proved to be a strong bridge between the starting staff and ace closer Jonathan Broxton so far this season, but manager Joe Torre has admitted to being worried about the amount of times he has been forced to use his top line relievers.
The Venezuelan import has probably been the biggest surprise of the Dodgers' season so far, with his ERA of 2.01 leading the team as we come towards the All-Star Break. And giving up only 33 hits in his 44 2/3 innings has proven him as a fine addition to the squad after failing to make it with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A fair baseball bet suggests that losing him now would be a huge hole to fill, and not one the Dodgers could probably manage without a trade of some kind.
Of the pitchers ready to step in, only Wade and Jason Vargas would be bullpen types, and Vargas is far more suited to long relief and garbage time - he may not even offer as much as youngsters James McDonald and Travis Schlichting.
So, Dodger fans, pray that Belisario is innocent or at least doesn't face too heavy sanctions, or all the good work the team has done so far this season could start coming apart at the seams.
By Andy Morris – Baseball betting analyst
Monday, July 6, 2009
All-Star voting sham
You can’t keep Manny Ramirez out of the press even when he is right in the middle of his 50-game suspension for the use of a performance-enhancing drug.
The last week, while the Dodgers have continued on their torrid pace at the top of the National League West, fans have been going gaga over Manny’s place in the leading four vote-getters among NL outfielders in the All-Star Game voting.
Not only would it be a shame to see Manny at the All-Star Game, it would take the gloss of some amazing NL performances this season – some of them from his own Dodger team-mates in Orlando Hudson, Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton.
While fans have the right to cast their vote as they see fit, maybe this would be the perfect time for MLB to put a rule in place that would disallow any player currently suspended from playing in a game that is meant to be a showcase for everything that is good in baseball!
Why should Manny, on the shelf since May 7, be rewarded for his performances so far this season, when no one really knows if those home runs and RBIs were actually earned, rather than bought.
Sure, he was brilliant over the first five weeks of the season, but at the moment he is suspended for conduct in detriment of the sport – not injured. It’s hard to say what his numbers would be now if he had not been found out, but right now baseball betting suggests there is no way he deserves to be an All-Star ahead of Raul Ibanez or any of the three guys currently at the top of the ballot – Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Braun and Carlos Beltran.
But then again, the ballot is nothing more than a sham anyway, or you can place a baseball bet you’d never be in a position where Milwaukee shortstop J.J. Hardy was about to take the All-Star start over Hanley Ramirez unless Brewers fans spent more time on their PCs than any other team. Brewers position players currently rank No 1 or 2 in all ballots including the struggling Hardy and light-hitting Jason Kendall.
Give the public a vote and they will make a mess of it – now where have we heard that before?
The last week, while the Dodgers have continued on their torrid pace at the top of the National League West, fans have been going gaga over Manny’s place in the leading four vote-getters among NL outfielders in the All-Star Game voting.
Not only would it be a shame to see Manny at the All-Star Game, it would take the gloss of some amazing NL performances this season – some of them from his own Dodger team-mates in Orlando Hudson, Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton.
While fans have the right to cast their vote as they see fit, maybe this would be the perfect time for MLB to put a rule in place that would disallow any player currently suspended from playing in a game that is meant to be a showcase for everything that is good in baseball!
Why should Manny, on the shelf since May 7, be rewarded for his performances so far this season, when no one really knows if those home runs and RBIs were actually earned, rather than bought.
Sure, he was brilliant over the first five weeks of the season, but at the moment he is suspended for conduct in detriment of the sport – not injured. It’s hard to say what his numbers would be now if he had not been found out, but right now baseball betting suggests there is no way he deserves to be an All-Star ahead of Raul Ibanez or any of the three guys currently at the top of the ballot – Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Braun and Carlos Beltran.
But then again, the ballot is nothing more than a sham anyway, or you can place a baseball bet you’d never be in a position where Milwaukee shortstop J.J. Hardy was about to take the All-Star start over Hanley Ramirez unless Brewers fans spent more time on their PCs than any other team. Brewers position players currently rank No 1 or 2 in all ballots including the struggling Hardy and light-hitting Jason Kendall.
Give the public a vote and they will make a mess of it – now where have we heard that before?
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