The Dodgers go out and trade for Scott Podsednik, Tedd Lilly, Ryan Theriot, and Octavio Dotel.
San Diego went out and traded for Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick.
What did the Giants do? They traded for Ramon Ramirez and Javier Lopez.
Could they have done more? Should they have done more?
The answers are yes and no.
Sure, they could have traded more Adam Dunn. They could have traded for Corey Hart. If they really wanted, they could have traded more Prince Fielder.
Why didn't they? The price was too high.
The names Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey and/or Jonathan Sanchez were brought up, and in no way were we willing to part with them for seperate reasons.
Any conversation Giants' GM Brian Sabean had involving Posey or Bumgarner probably ended with the other GM left hanging on the other end. As well, it should.
Dunn and Fielder are both free agents at the end of the year, and Sabean wanted a player the Giants would control for the next few years. Neither of those guys fit the bill.
That is, unless you wanted to have Scott Boras, Fielder's agent, calling Sabean again and asking for Ryan Howard or Barry Zito money again.
Been there. Done that.
Who believes the Giants are an Adam Dunn trade away from the World Series?
Anybody?
I didn't think so.
Trading Sanchez was a more likely conversation, but it would have left the Giants with a couple of questions.
Who would take his place in the rotation? We now know Joe Martinez is not an option, as he has been traded. And wasn't Todd Wellemeyer placed on the 15-day disabled list in early June?
The other question is when will Bumgarner be shut down for the year?
The Giants are not going to risk his 20-year old arm by throwing him for longer than needed. Keep in mind, the Nationals' Steven Strasburg was placed on the disabled list for a sore arm.
We don't need that with Bumgarner. We don't need Noah Lowry Part II.
What we get with Lopez and Ramirez are two solid veteran pitchers to add to a struggling bullpen.
These past two games are proof these guys need a miracle to get to Brian Wilson. It has less to do with being hit and everything to do with the amount of batters they walk.
Denny Bautista has walked 24 betters in 31.2 innings. Santiago Casilla has 17 in 22.2 innings.
Even Dan Runzler and Jeremy Affedlt have had their issues. Runzler has walked 19 batters in 30 innings. Affedlt? Twenty walks and 38 hits in 35 innings.
Lopez is a lefty specialist and has a WHIP of 1.47, lower than Casilla, Affedlt and Runzler.
Ramirez boasts a 1.30 WHIP.
These are guys who throw strikes and will help bridge the gap to Wilson.
They are not the flashy moves every fan hopes for at the trade deadline but they are they moves that make the most sense.
Also think about this. Do any of these names scare you?
Dotel, Lilly, Theriot, Podsednik...
Tejada and Ludwick?
A couple of years ago, maybe. Not now.
Besides, you never know what might fall through the waiver wire...
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