As John Saccenti, my colleague here at the Post and Press, says: “The biggest name to move in sports today was a basketball player.”
A not-so-strange day at the deadline, possibly more active than in recent years — I don’t know the numbers — but a few moves that could have an impact:
Mark Texeira to the Braves will be a thorn in the Mets’ side — I mean, who wouldn’t want to add a major power bat to the middle of their lineup. The Braves had the best setup going in, an ability to move a big-league-ready prospect and a highly though of prospect without hurting their organizational depth. Rangers get Jarrod Saltalamacchia (stuck behind the young study Brian McCann) and a young shortstop.
Braves also get Octavio Dotel in the who cares category. Dotel hasn’t been the same since becoming the Houston closer and losing the job to Brad Lidge (and then being traded to Oakland).
Kyle Lohse? This probably says more about the Phillies’ pitching than anything.
Eric Gagne makes the Sox even more dangerous. You better score early because there is little chance you’ll get to the team in the late innings now.
Met fans are still waiting for something else to happen (perhaps the acquisition of Chad Cordero?), but at 4:40 it’s not likely. But things are not done. There will be some waiver-wire deals.
As for the basketball player? Well, the Celtics have nearly finished their offseason makeover, going from young wannabees to older, but dangerous. The Celtics — who acquired Kevin Garnett for their best youngster and a bunch of other guys — now feature Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, a formidable scoring trio that should put the team in the mix in the awful Eastern Conference, if not at the top of this rank heap. The Celtics will not win a championship — Spurs, Suns, Mavs are all better than them — but they should challenge Miami and Detroit, good teams with significant flaws. But only if Pierce and Allen are willing to play supporting roles to one of the greatest players ever, an unselfish offensive player who loves to play D.
South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick
E-mail me by clicking here.
Hank Kalet 