TGIF! Here’s the blog.
As promised, today I will have my first analysis on all the teams, as I take a quick peek at the teams in the NFC. Next week, I will bring you a look at the AFC. Stay awake out there.
First, we just have to go over a very busy and incredible trade deadline day in MLB.
The Oakland A’s got it going early on Thursday, when they acquired pitcher Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes from the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. The A’s and their general manager, Brad Pitt, sorry, Billy Beane, are trying to make sure they make it to the World Series this year. After adding Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to their rotation right before the all-star game, this move caught me totally by surprise. The inclusion of Cespedes in the deal also surprised me, since he was the cleanup hitter for the A’s. However, there have been rumblings coming out of Oakland that Cespedes complained about possibly having to play center field, and did so by telling some teammates, rather than telling A’s manager Bob Melvin. He also has an option to become a free agent after next season (2015).
The Detroit Tigers did not stand pat, however. They may have even topped the A's move by making a deal just before the deadline to acquire former Cy Young winner David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays. They gave up starting center fielder Austin Jackson in the trade, and he ends up going to Seattle. The Tigers also sent pitcher Justin Smyly to the Rays, along with a terrific 18-year old prospect, SS Willy Adames. The Mariners sent Nick Franklin to the Rays to complete the trade.
If we thought that Oakland’s rotation of Lester, Samardzija, Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, and Jason Hammel was the bomb, wait just a minute. The Tigers will now be able to more than match them with a rotation that includes the last three Cy Young award winners in Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Price, to go along with former ERA champion Anibal Sanchez, and Rick Porcello. Wow.
The St. Louis Cardinals got busy as well. After landing starting pitcher Justin Masterson from the Indians a couple of days ago, the Cards made a deal with the Boston Red Sox and got another top-notch arm in John Lackey, along with minor league prospect Corey Littrell. In return, the BoSox got outfielder Allen Craig and pitcher Joe Kelly.
The Atlanta Braves filled a couple of needs as well, trading 20-year-old minor league catcher Victor Caratini to the Chicago Cubs for super utility man Emilio Bonifacio and left-handed reliever James Russell. Bonifacio, of course, reunites with manager Fredi Gonzalez, and will play anywhere and everywhere for the Braves.
The Washington Nationals made a trade with the Cleveland Indians, getting SS Asdrubal Cabrera in a trade for infielder Zach Walters. The Nats intend to play Cabrera at 2B, even though Cabrera has very limited experience at 2B, where he has only played in 162 games during his major league career, none since 2009. The Nats are set at SS with Ian Desmond, and will move Anthony Rendon to 3B, since Ryan Zimmerman will probably be out the rest of the year due to injuries.
The Baltimore Orioles filled a need by adding left-handed relief pitcher Andrew Miller from the Red Sox in a trade for pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez. Even though Miller has been terrific this year, I, for one, am still skeptical of the former Marlin going from a total bust to a star pitcher. This guy stunk up the place while he was in South Florida.
The Yankees also made a couple of moves. They acquired SS Stephen Drew in a rare trade with the Red Sox for IF Kelly Johnson. Then, they sent minor league prospect Peter O’Brien to the Arizona D-Backs for Martin Prado. The Yankees then released IF Brian Roberts, opening up an immediate slot for Prado.
The Milwaukee Brewers strengthened themselves as well, getting OF Gerardo Parra from the D-Backs in exchange for two minor leaguers. Parra joins CF Carlos Gomez and RF Ryan Braun in what is now an excellent outfield.
A little bit of a surprise is that the Philadelphia Phillies didn’t make any trades. With veteran pitchers Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, and AJ Burnett seemingly available, along with OF Marlon Byrd, 2B Chase Utley, and 1B Ryan Howard. Don’t be surprised if some of these names are moved in August, if they clear waivers. Their high salaries may make it easy for them to do so, allowing the Phillies to take their time and work out a deal with an interested trading partner.
Another surprise is that the Texas Rangers weren't able to complete a trade for OF Alex Rios, whose contract made him expendable for the last-place Rangers. He may end up being traded to a contender in August if he clears waivers.
Now, we go to the Marlins, who, as promised, ended up being buyers at the deadline. They sent last year’s first round draft pick, Colin Moran, OF Jake Marisnick, and minor league pitcher Francis Martes to the Houston Astros. In return, the Fish got the young starter they were looking for, Jarred Cosart, infielder Kike Hernandez, and OF Austin Wates. Miami will also give the Astros their 2015 compensation pick right after the first round. Hopefully, this will be a trade that works out well for both teams.
The key piece of the deal is Cosart, a 24-year-old right-hander averages 93.7 MPH on his pitches, and should fit right in with the rest of the Marlins’ power arms. A rotation of Cosart, Henderson Alvarez, Nathan Eovaldi, Tom Koehler, and a healthy Jose Fernandez will give the Fish one of the best, if not the best, young rotations in the National League.
Enrique “Kike” Hernandez is a very good young player, who reached the majors this year. The 22-year old infielder/outfielder is hitting .284 this season with the Astros in 89 plate appearances so far.
Austin Wates, a 25-year-old speedy outfielder, is hitting .303 in AAA this season, with 31 stolen bases.
TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION: Who were the players involved in the last trade between the Yankees and the Red Sox? The answer comes later, alligator.
The Marlins took two out of three from the Nats this week, and opened a four-game series against the Cincinnati Red Stockings last night at Marlins Park, and the game turned on a very controversial overturned call in the eighth inning, when the Reds ended up scoring three runs to beat the Fish, 3-1.
Bottom line: The umpires on the field got it right . . . the runner was out. There was no blocking of the plate, as catcher Jeff Mathis was not blocking the plate as he waited for the throw, and only moved when he went and got the throw, something that is DEFINITELY ALLOWED AND LEGAL. This rule implemented by MLB this year is a totally bullshit rule and it has no place in the game. I repeat . . . totally bullshit. The umpires on the field got it right, and agreed that overturning the decision on the field was THE WRONG CALL by the idiots sitting in front the replay TV screens in New York.
The intent of instant replay is to fix mistakes, not to make a mistake on a right call on the field. End of story. The Marlins have no recourse.
Here is what everybody said about the overturned call. Even Marlins President David Samson got it right, and everyone knows I never agree with him on anything.
Here are the starters for the rest of the series against Cincinnati. Although Jacob Turner was originally scheduled to go on Friday, it will be the newly-acquired Jarred Cosart on the mound. Cosart arrives with a 9-7 record this season, with a 4.41 ERA. His last start, ironically, was against the Marlins on the 26th of July, a 7-3 Marlins win. He gave up 5 runs, 4 earned, including a three-run double by Giancarlo Stanton in the second inning.
Fri 7:10 pm Mat Latos vs Jarred Cosart
Sat 7:10 pm Homer Bailey vs Nathan Eovaldi
Sun 1:10 pm Mike Leake vs Henderson Alvarez
For the latest Marlins news and stories, follow make sure you follow my good friend Larry Walansky on nbcmiami.com.
The Yankees’ blog is here, thanks to Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News:
Even though the trade deadline has come and gone, the waiver trade period is upon us. Here are the rumors around baseball, up to the minute.
Click below for yesterday’s recaps and results in the major leagues:
Here are the standings in MLB:
Here are the individual leaders in the majors:
Let’s go to the hardwood, and here is Ira Winderman reporting on the Heat and the NBA in the South Florida Sun Sentinel:
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald wrote a very interesting article regarding LeBron leaving:
More on the Heat:
Bosh says he was close to leaving Miami. Here is the ESPN report:
It’s all over but the shouting as a judge ruled that the Clippers can be sold, in spite of Donald Sterling’s objections. Sterling’s wife, Shelly, agreed to sell the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for a record $2 Billion.
Let us now move on to the Miami Dolphins and the NFL.
Training camps are open for business around the NFL, and, as promised, I will bring you a breakdown of all the NFL teams as the pre-season kicks off. The first game of the NFL preseason is this Sunday, August 3rd as the New York Giants take on the Buffalo Bills in the Annual Hall of Fame game, culminating Hall of Fame week in Canton, Ohio. The group of inductees this year includes all-time greats Michael Strahan, Andre Reed, Walter Jones, Derrick Brooks, Aeneas Williams, Claude Humphrey, and Ray Guy.
Today, I will give you the first team-by-team breakdown, starting with the NFC. I’ll have the AFC teams for you next week. Teams listed in alphabetical order, with last year’s record in parenthesis. Of course, predictions for the season will come just before the regular season begins.
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
The NFL’s worst defense last year. They added some beef on the defensive line, abut lost LB Sean Lee and DE DeMarcus Ware, among others. It there is no improvement on that .500 record, head coach Jason Garrett will be looking for a job.
New York Giants (7-9)
Lost the first six games of the season, ended up winning 7 of the last 10. Not enough. Eli Manning led the league with 27 interceptions, and the running game was virtually non-existent. They brought in a new offensive coordinator to replace Kevin Gilbride in Ben McAdoo to straighten out Manning and the offense.
Philadelphia Eagles (10-7)
The team to beat in the NFC East. QB Nick Foles was outstanding last year, with 29 TD passes and only 2 interceptions in 11 games as a starter. Can he repeat or even come close to this numbers? LeSean McCoy had another great season, and the Eagles got him some help in Darren Sproles. WR DeSean Jackson is gone, and they're hoping that it is addition by subtraction.
Washington Redskins (3-13)
New head coach Jay Gruden comes with an impressive offensive resume. He will help Robert Griffin III a lot. They ended up getting WR DeSean Jackson, and even though his attitude is questionable, he may be the answer in Washington.
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears (8-8)
Head Coach Marc Trestman improved the offense in his initial season with the Bears last year, but it was a defense that ranked next to last in the league that prevented the team from being a powerhouse. They added DE Jared Allen and S Adrian Wilson. Will that be enough? QB Jay Cutler cannot take a step back after signing a long-term deal. RB Matt Forte is the real deal.
Detroit Lions (7-9)
Big year for QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson. The addition of WR Golden Tate and TE Eric Ebron will help. Another solid year from RB Reggie Bush and his running mates is imperative for the team’s success. DT Ndamukong Suh’s is in his final season of his contract. Something to watch for.
Green Bay Packers (8-8-1)
Aaron Rodgers is the straw that stirs the drink, and the emergence of RB Eddie Lacy last year was pivotal for the Pack. Rodgers missed half the season in 2013 with a shoulder injury, he needs to be healthy in 2014. The defense must improve, they added DE Julius Peppers and my favorite name in the NFL draft, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
Minnesota Vikings (5-10-1)
Interesting team to watch. After a 1-7 start last year, they went 4-3-1 to close out the season. The Vikings had the lead in the final minute of FIVE GAMES last year, lost four of them and tied the other one. New head coach Mike Zimmer will have his work cut out for him, but should improve on that statistic. They added some talent on defense in the offseason, and also got their QB of the future, Teddy Bridgewater. This team could show drastic improvement immediately. They are better than last year’s record indicates.
NFC WEST
Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
Lot of talent at the “skill” positions, with QB Carson Palmer, RB Andre Ellington, and WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd. They got a lot better as the year went on in first-year coach Bruce Arian’s system. They narrowly missed out on the playoffs last year in that very difficult division.
San Francisco 49ers (14-5)
Colin Kaepernick’s end zone interception in the final minute of the NFC Championship game vs Seattle kept the Niners from advancing to the Super Bowl. The addition of WRs Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd will make an impact, along with a healthy Michael Crabtree and the ever-present Anquan Boldin. We’ll see how former Dolphin OT Jonathan Martin fits in to that locker room.
Seattle Seahawks (16-3)
Can the Seahawks be the first team in more than a decade to repeat as Super Bowl Champions. Methinks not. QB Russell Wilson joined the group of elite QBs last year, and along with RB Marshawn Lynch lead a very prolific offense. All-pros Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas are the stars on the best defense in the NFL. It is very, very difficult to repeat.
St. Louis Rams (7-9)
Another seven-win season in Jeff Fisher’s second year as head coach, a season that was totally disrupted after QB Sam Bradford’s season-ending injury in week 7. RB Zac Stacy came out of nowhere to rush for almost 1,000 yards, and DE Robert Quinn had 19 sacks to lead the defense. They need some help in the secondary, a unit that struggled last year.
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons (4-12)
Injuries, injuries, and more injuries derailed this team last year. The Falcons were the worst team in the NFL running the ball, and they were second to last in defending the run. Bad formula if you want to win in the NFL. They will have to recover from the retirement of future HOF tight end Tony Gonzalez. Love the addition of former UM star Devin Hester.
Carolina Panthers (12-5)
The loss of WR Steve Smith to free agency will hurt, but the Panthers are hoping that rookie Kelvin Benjamin from FSU and free agent Jerricho Cotchery help soften that blow. The secondary was also hard hit with free agent departures.
New Orleans Saints (12-6)
Great comeback season for the Saints and head coach Sean Payton in 2013. Drew Brees threw for over 5,000 yards and 39 TD’s. You can’t stop him, and you can’t even contain him. The defense went from last to fourth last year, under the leadership of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who still needs a haircut. They will contend for the Super Bowl as long as Brees is there.
Tampa Bay Bucs (4-12)
New head coach Lovie Smith has a lot of work to do, and he brought in two new coordinators - OC Jeff Tedford and DC Leslie Frazier. QB Josh McCown is expected to lead the offense this year, and watch new receivers Mike Evans and Louis Murphy.
Here is next week’s complete NFL schedule:
Sun Aug 3 NY Giants vs. Buffalo (Canton) 8:00 pm NBC
Thu Aug 7 Colts @ Jets 7:00 pm
Thu Aug 7 49ers at Ravens 7:30 pm NFL Network
Thu Aug 7 Patriots @ Redskins 7:30 pm
Thu Aug 7 Bengals @ Chiefs 8:00 pm
Thu Aug 7 Seahawks @ Broncos 9:00 pm
Thu Aug 7 Cowboys @ Chargers 10:00 pm NFL Network
Fri Aug 8 DOLPHINS @ Falcons 7:00 pm CBS 4
Fri Aug 8 Bills @ Panthers 7:30 pm
Fri Aug 8 Bucs @ Jaguars 7:30 pm
Fri Aug 8 Eagles @ Bears 8:00 pm
Fri Aug 8 Raiders @ Vikings 8:00 pm
Fri Aug 8 Saints @ Rams 8:00 pm NFL Network
Sat Aug 9 Browns @ Lions 7:30 pm
Sat Aug 9 Steelers at NY Giants 7:30 pm
Sat Aug 9 Packers @ Titans 8:00 pm
Sat Aug 9 Texans @ Cardinals 8:30 pm
Remember that the NFL Network carries games on a delayed basis as well.
What are the Dolphins up to?
Miami Dolphins blog from Armando Salguero:
Chris Perkins and Omar Kelly bring us their Dolphin blog:
Here are both the Preseason and Regular Season schedules:
2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Preseason schedule:
Aug. 8 at Atlanta Falcons (Fri) 7:00 pm
Aug. 16 at Tampa Bay Bucs (Sat) 7:00 pm
Aug. 23 Dallas Cowboys (Sat) 7:00 pm
Aug. 28 St. Louis Rams (Thu) 7:00 pm
Aug. 16 at Tampa Bay Bucs (Sat) 7:00 pm
Aug. 23 Dallas Cowboys (Sat) 7:00 pm
Aug. 28 St. Louis Rams (Thu) 7:00 pm
2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Regular Season schedule:
Sep. 7 New England Patriots 1:00 pm
Sep. 14 at Buffalo Bills 1:00 pm
Sep. 21 Kansas City Chiefs 4:25 pm
Sep. 28 at Oakland Raiders (London) 6:00 pm
Sep. 14 at Buffalo Bills 1:00 pm
Sep. 21 Kansas City Chiefs 4:25 pm
Sep. 28 at Oakland Raiders (London) 6:00 pm
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 12 Green Bay Packers 1:00 pm
Oct. 19 at Chicago Bears 1:00 pm
Oct. 26 at Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 pm
Nov. 2 San Diego Chargers 1:00 pm
Nov. 9 at Detroit Lions 1:00 pm
Nov. 13 Buffalo Bills (Thu) 8:25 pm
Nov. 23 at Denver Broncos 4:25 pm
Oct. 12 Green Bay Packers 1:00 pm
Oct. 19 at Chicago Bears 1:00 pm
Oct. 26 at Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 pm
Nov. 2 San Diego Chargers 1:00 pm
Nov. 9 at Detroit Lions 1:00 pm
Nov. 13 Buffalo Bills (Thu) 8:25 pm
Nov. 23 at Denver Broncos 4:25 pm
Dec. 1 at New York Jets (Mon) 8:30 pm
Dec. 7 Baltimore Ravens 1:00 pm
Dec. 14 at New England Patriots 1:00 pm
Dec. 21 Minnesota Vikings 1:00 pm
Dec. 28 New York Jets 1:00 pm
Dec. 7 Baltimore Ravens 1:00 pm
Dec. 14 at New England Patriots 1:00 pm
Dec. 21 Minnesota Vikings 1:00 pm
Dec. 28 New York Jets 1:00 pm
For more news from around the NFL, here is NFL NATION:
Of course, we can all continue to sleep at night, knowing full well that Aaron Hernandez remains in jail, where he belongs.
From around the universities,
Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan have all the latest news from the University of Miami.
From FIU, David J. Neal of the Herald has the latest in his blog, including practice schedule and times:
Here’s the latest from Tallahassee and the Seminoles:
From Gainesville and the University of Florida:
The Central Florida Knights are in the house:
In other sports,
George Richards has his Florida Panthers Blog going, and he talks about Cuban-American goalie Al Montoya joining the Panthers.
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THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION: Who were the players involved in the last trade between the Yankees and the Red Sox?
Trades between these two teams don’t happen very often. The last one was way back in 1997, when the Yankees sent outfielder Tony Armas and pitcher Jim Mecir to the Boston in exchange for catcher Mike Stanley and pitcher Randy Brown. In 1986, the teams exchanged DH’s - the Yankees sending Don Baylor to Boston, for the hit-man, Mike Easler. The last trade of any real impact between the two rivals was in 1972, when the Yankees sent Danny Cater and Mario Guerrero to the Sox in exchange for Sparky Lyle. Lyle, of course, went on to have a great career with the Yankees, including a Cy Young season. Everyone still remembers when the Yankees got Babe Ruth from the Sox in 1920, although that was technically not a trade. The Yankees gave the Sox $125,000 cash and $300,000 in loans for Ruth. The loans were used by Red Sox owner Harry Frazee to finance his Broadway productions.
Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day. Have a great weekend!
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