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You’ve been traded: Baseball’s best and worst destinations, part two
BY CHRISTOPHER YOUNG

Major League Baseball’s trading deadline has come and gone, and a lot of folks are exuberant over their new addresses, while a whole lot of other players — mostly minor-leaguers — are headed to outposts more likely found on last week's list.

The official deadline has expired, but there are still plenty of opportunities for ballplayers to change hands in the coming weeks, especially through releases or waiver-wire high jinks. And if you have to change teams, the following locales are more than likely high on your list. Herewith, the top 14 ball clubs that today’s big-leaguers hope and pray will be their next stop:

14) Minnesota. Less than two years ago, it seemed that the Twins franchise wasn’t long for the major leagues. A year later, they got to the ALCS and reached terra firma again, but their 2003 season thus far as been an utter disappointment. Nonetheless, ownership didn’t dump salaries at the deadline, and someday, some way, they’ll get a new stadium in Minneapolis–St. Paul. Until then, you could do worse than to end up in the Land of 1000 Lakes; the Twins have a lot of budding superstars just waiting to bust out, and the future is still reasonably bright for the team to reach the post-season again this season, despite its four-game deficit in the AL Central.

13) Oakland. The coming years will go a long way in determining the direction of this franchise, but right now it’s got some smart cookies in management and player-development, and a lot of hot young talent that should maintain the organization’s recent hot streak. The A’s have been consistent playoff contenders over the past few years, and they have one of the best, if not the best, pitching staff in the majors. That being said, the organization is a bit tight-fisted, which explains the team’s meager $50 million total payroll, a sum that ranks 23rd in baseball. Also, big crowds are tough to come by at Network Associates Coliseum. While the Giants across the bay routinely draw 35,000-40,000 to Pac Bell Stadium, the A’s usually draw little more than half that. That may explain why they can afford to pay only five players on their 25-man roster more than $3 annually, and one of them — last year’s MVP, Miguel Tejada — is a free agent at the end of this season and expected to leave town.

12) Toronto. Tough to determine which way this team is heading. The Blue Jays’ brass didn’t dump as many salaries as expected, so they’re apparently content to head into the future with the current roster of players. Like Oakland and Boston, Toronto has a promising young GM, J.P. Ricciardi, who has proven himself a master at compiling fresh young talent, and while the team has recently faded from playoff contention, all eyes are on the upcoming seasons as the Toronto youngsters continue to blossom. The team still plays in a nice modern facility at Skydome, and seems committed to upgrading its pitching to match the firepower of the majors’ fourth-best offense. There’s a lot to like about this team, and that’s not good news for the Jays’ AL East rivals.

11) Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers franchise is expected to be sold in the next month or so, presumably to Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer, and that will go a long way in determining the Dodgers’ future. LA has the fourth-highest payroll in baseball, and it will be interesting to see if the team will remain at that lofty salary level in the coming seasons. The Dodgers have a loyal fan base, a beautiful stadium in Chavez Ravine (despite its 41-year-old age), and a rich tradition. With the top-ranked pitching stats in all of baseball, LA should be a heckuva lot better than .500 this year, but the futility of its 29th-ranked offense has brought the team down to the level of its competition all too often this year. Still, Southern California has a lot to offer, and there is cautious optimism in them thar hills regarding the future of this organization.

10) Houston. The new millennium saw the end of the outdated Astrodome in Houston. Minute Maid Park, with its retractable roof, real grass, and unquestioned quirks, is a significant upgrade, and the team itself has rebounded from an inconsistent first half to take over the lead in the NL Central. While Houston has been no stranger to the playoffs in the last decade, recent additions and the guidance of former Red Sox skipper Jimy Williams have helped the team solidify and make some serious rumblings about an extended post-season adventure. Astros ownership isn’t overly generous, but it isn’t cheap, either, as Houston’s collective team paycheck is around $70 million, near the halfway point in MLB’s salary hierarchy. Folks in the Northeast don’t see or hear too much about this team on a regular basis, but Houston has become a very appealing spot for any player looking to put down some roots.

9) Philadelphia. As mentioned in a May 30 column, Philadelphia in my opinion has become the nation’s best sports town, with competitive teams in all four major sports and new facilities in the works for both the Phillies and the football Eagles. Baseball fans will see a huuuuuge improvement when they finally say goodbye to Veterans Stadium and hightail it over to sparkling new Citizens Bank Park next April. The new stadium reportedly will have the largest LED video-display system in baseball, and the park’s new residents will play on real grass and enjoy modern facilities for the first time since the Vet opened in 1971. Just as appealing to Phillies fans has been management’s recent eagerness to spend money on signing established players, and thus far the gamble has paid off, as the Phillies are currently 13 games over .500 and leading the wild-card race in the National League.

8) Chicago Cubs. A great city, one of the best ballparks in the nation, and a fandom that isn’t overly concerned with winning. What more could a player ask for? Well, perhaps the chance to compete for a championship now and again, but if you can’t get that — and you can accept that premise — then Chicago’s your kind of town. As a bonus, the Cubs are actually playing well this season, and despite their 56-54 record, they’re in the thick of things in the three-team NL Central race. With a promising young pitching staff and a manager with a history of success, the Cubs could conceivably challenge for the pennant, couldn’t they? Nah.

7) Arizona. Once you get this high on the list, the negatives are hard to find. That’s certainly the case here in the desert, where if you can stand the heat, you’ve got a beautiful landscape, a dry climate, and a baseball team just two years removed from a World Series title. No question that it’s an aging roster in some respects, particularly regarding its pitching aces, but the team — written off in May when Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson went on the DL — has rebounded nicely. On this morning, they find themselves three games over .500 despite a recent road skid, but Johnson and Schilling are back, and the team could very likely whip itself into shape for the stretch run and perhaps grab itself a wild-card bid. After that, who knows?

6) Atlanta. Many thought the departure of key pitching-staff members this season signaled the end of the Braves’ dynasty. However, the offense has picked up the slack, and the Braves are baseball’s best team right now, with a seemingly insurmountable 11-game lead in the NL East. The city of Atlanta is desperate for a winner these days, and the Braves, as usual, are assuming the mantle of the Deep South’s championship hopeful. Six-year-old Turner Field still is a fine home for the team. If you can tolerate the annoying "Tomahawk Chops" routinely implemented by the local faithful, then becoming an Atlanta Brave will help you appreciate the wonder of it all.

5) St. Louis. If you’re traded to St. Louis, then you can’t help but smile. Regularly regarded as America’s best baseball town, St. Louis loves its redbirds, and has the abundant tradition to prove it. Every year it seems the Cards are right in the thick of the pennant race, and 2003 is no exception, as the team is within a few games of Houston for supremacy in the NL Central. With Tony La Russa continuing his masterful management, and blossoming superstar Albert Pujols threatening to capture the first Triple Crown since Yaz in 1967, the franchise continues to retool and reload in its effort to bring fans of the local nine their first championship since 1985. The only potential negative is 36-year-old Busch Stadium, but from all accounts, it’s still better than a lot of parks around the nation, and a great place to watch and appreciate baseball at its finest.

4) Boston. Red Sox fans may argue that their city should definitely be higher on the list than this, but it’s tough to argue with the locales ahead of it; plus, there are still a few minor drawbacks that could test the patience of a newly acquired Red Sox player. First, the park. Yes, it’s beautiful on the field, but down below, the clubhouse and facilities are still woefully inadequate, despite the improvements made by the new ownership last season. Second, the media. Ask Nomah about that. It can be brutal and unfair at times, but helping the city focus on the Red Sox is the job of the Fourth Estate’s sports-writing branch. The positives for Boston are numerous, of course: the passion of the fans, the tradition, the splendor of the park and the city, and the opportunity to play on the first championship team in 85 years. Of course, one could say that it’s potentially a negative to play on a team that hasn’t won the whole enchilada since 1918, but good things are happening lately.

3) Seattle. I went back and forth about putting the Mariners here or at number two, but I settled for number three because of each team’s prospects for the rest of the season. Seattle’s beautiful, it has a spectacular new ballpark, and the team is arguably the best in the AL right now. It would be tough for a ballplayer to find something to complain about if he came here, but the fact that the Mariners were non-players in the trading-deadline frenzy shows that they’re playing the hand they’ve been dealt. Their lead in the AL West has shrunk lately, and they haven’t played quite as well they did this spring, but right now they’re still looking down on everyone else, and could still wind up world champions.

2) San Francisco. You’re being shipped off to the City by the Bay, the one where Tony Bennett required the services of lost-and-found, and the home of the defending National League champions. Your new team is 27 games above .500 and a whopping 12 games ahead of its nearest rival in the NL West standings; it also just improved its starting pitching with the acquisition of Orioles ace Sidney Ponson, a 14-game winner for a bad AL team. You’ve got a veteran manager in Felipe Alou, a five-time NL MVP in Barry Bonds as a teammate, and you’re joining a team whose management is not afraid to spend money — as evidenced by its $82 million payroll (ninth-highest in the majors) — nor against revamping the roster, as it did this past off-season, in spite of the unqualified success of the 2002 edition. Oh, and did we mention that you’ll be playing your home games in arguably the best new ballpark in the country? You’re going to San Francisco! Hot dog!

1) New York Yankees. There will certainly be a difference of opinion regarding the Bronx as the top-rated trade destination. I can accept that. Bear with me, though. Your new home is the pinnacle of baseball tradition, just as Montreal is in hockey, Green Bay is in football, and Boston is in basketball. That’s a big plus — to become a part of the sport’s reigning historical institution, where 26 championship banners reside and recent history dictates that you’re never too far from another taste of Champagne. The fan support is unquestioned, and Yankee Stadium, while a bit antiquated by today’s standards, is still viewed as among the top three cathedrals in all of baseball. The media are a bit overwhelming, but if you can handle the spotlight, you’ll reach godlike status in no time if your performance is up to snuff. A top-flight manager and coaching staff will help get you there. Finally, this is the home of the $8 million set-up man (times three) and the $180 million total payroll, so you’re more likely to be overpaid than fleeced.

Yes, you, sir, for better or worse, are going to be a New York Yankee. You have reached baseball’s Shangri-la.

What’s that? Skip wants to see me in his office? Whatever could this be about?

"Sporting Eye" runs Mondays and Fridays at BostonPhoenix.com. Christopher Young can be reached at cyoung[a]phx.com


Issue Date: August 4, 2003
"Sporting Eye" archives: 2003 |2002
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