In the second move of the week that sends an American League ace to the National League, the A's have sent Rich Harden to the Cubs for what looks at first glance to be marbles. Oh yeah, and the Cubs grabbed the serviceable SP/RP Chad Gaudin as a throw in.

Here's the report.

The Cubs sent Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, Eric Patterson, and John Donaldson to Oakland in the trade that is clearly a response to the move that sent CC (no more periods between the letters) Sabathia to Milwaukee.

Of course, Harden is to injuries as Brett Myers is to homeruns--he has difficulty avoiding them. When he is healthy, however, he is one of the game's best pitchers as the Phillies learned a few weeks ago when he held them to 2 hits over 8 while striking out 11. If (and that is a big if) Harden is able to stay healthy, this move should solidify the Cubs' position as the top team in the NL.

What do you think? Could the Phils have put together a better package than the one the Cubs offered? Would it have been worth it for glass man like Hardin?

The Brewers have traded for C.C. Sabathia. According to the report Sabathia, whose contract expires after this season, will be sent to Milwaukee for a package that includes prospect Matt LaPorta. 

Not only does this mean that the Phillies--in need of starting pitching--will not be able to compete for the services of Sabathia, but also that the surging Brewers are now a threat in the NL Central. Considering the strength of the Central with 3 teams (the Cardinals, the Cubs, and the Brewers) all in the running, it appears as if the Wild Card team will almost certainly come out of that division. This means, in essence, that the Phils must win the East or expect to be doing something other than playing baseball in October. But you already knew that. 

Apparently sportswriter Buzz Bissinger said some pretty nasty stuff to blogger Will Leitch from www.deadspin.com on Bob Costas' show on HBO.

Well, political sportswriter Dave Zirin has chimed in on the Sportswriters vs. Bloggers debate...and he is on our side. 

Some of you may remember Bill Conlin's little tirade back in November that really underscored the worries of Sportswriters in a world where information is flowing more democratically than it ever has before.

Apparently, the coaches are concerned about Brett Myers' recent drop off in velocity. 

Myers, formerly a pitcher who hovered around 92 mph with his straight stuff, has consistently been in the mid to high 80s this season - rarely breaking 90. This rather precipitous decline in velocity has been problematic for Myers as his ERA+ of 83, his ERA of 5.11, and his 10 home runs through 37 IP indicate. It is suggested in the article that the decline in velocity has also led Myers to change his approach on the mound by compensating with more cutters, some of which he has hung in the zone and...well...you know the rest.

Dubee has suggested that Myers begin playing long toss before his starts to rebuild arm strength; Myers does not like to play long toss.

Dubee has also suggested that Myers try and rely less on his cutter and more on his curve to change speeds and make his fastball appear faster; Myers has continued to rely on his cutter.

Stubborn? I wouldn't put it past him.

In any event, something needs to change. Our already suspect starting rotation cannot afford mediocrity from a pitcher who was widely expected to be one its two anchors. 

Brad Lidge reinjured his knee while throwing batting practice today.

This is a very bad sign. If this is, in fact, a serious injury then I would have to assume that Brett Myers will again become closer. This would also put us back at square one as far as the rotation is concerned. Even if this is just a minor injury, the question still remains: will Lidge be able to make it through a full season? With questions already lingering about his ability to be the shut down closer he once was, injuries are the last thing Lidge needs right now. Lidge's health and effectiveness are of huge importance to the success of this team and his loss could have potentially serious ramifications for both the bullpen AND the starting rotation.

Brett Myers, in cahoots with Charlie Manuel, Amaro, the media and Kendrick's agent, orchestrated an elaborate prank on Kyle Kendrick. Kendrick was informed that he had been traded to the Yomiuri Giants for a player named Kobayashi Iwamura only to be told that it was a prank in front of the media and his teammates.

At a certain point in the video it looks like he is about to cry. As relieved as Kendrick probably was, I think this prank cuts to an all too real sense of uncertainty and fear that all professional athletes have to live with.

Still, it was only a prank. As people have said before, these Phillies seem like a good group of guys and they all seem to get along well. And say what you will about Manuel, but I think to a large extent the clubhouse atmosphere is set from the top down.

Now if only we could win some playoff games.

The Phils signed former St. Louis outfielder So Taguchi to a 1 year deal. Taguchi is able to play all 3 OF positions and had an OBP of .350 and Slugged .368 last season. While he does not boast too much power, he has decent speed - he stole 7 bases in 307 AB's last season - and is a capable defender. I am guessing he will serve as a late game defensive replacement for Burrell and as a PH/PR - similar to the role that Bourn played for the majority of the 2007 season. He also makes a servicable replacement at CF in the case of an injury to Victorino.

Pending the details of the contract, I like the signing. I think it adds depth and security to our outfield and gives us experience off of the bench for late in games.

Update [2007-12-24 1:15:48 by FuquaManuel]:The Phils website is reporting that Taguchi has been signed for slightly more than $1 million, with an option for '09. That's about what I expected so it still looks like a solid move.

This is breaking news:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Aslmgu7hVbj7.qPUijuyinU5nYcB?slug=txtigersmarlinstrade&pro v=st&type=lgns

In the first really big news of the winter (other than the Yankees' signing spree), it appears as if the Marlins have agreed to trade Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Detroit Tigers for LHP Andrew Miller, OF Cameron Maybin, and C Mike Rabelo along with 3 minor leaguers.

The Marlins get some good young talent and maintain their miniscule payroll (maybe they are trying to chase off all 2 of their remaining fans) while the Detroit Tigers look serious about getting back to the World Series.

What do you think about the trade? What does this mean for the Marlins? Are the Tigers now favorites in the AL Central?

Phils sign Romero

The Phils continued their quest to shore up the bullpen by re-signing lefty J.C. Romero who was arguably their most consistent option out of the pen down the stretch. The Phils gave him $12 million over 3 years with club option for a fourth.

I like Romero, but given his recent track record, his control problems, and the unpredictability of relief I think that we overpaid.  

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Aib6Hb.89IPiuF7HDjR0f3Y5nYcB?slug=ap-phillies-coaches&prov =ap&type=lgns

People have been talking about what the status of the coaching staff would be for next year. Well, we have our answer: it won't look any different. That means we probably won't end up getting the most out of our (hopefully) upgraded pitching staff thanks to Dubee and we can expect Steve Smith to continue being, well...Steve Smith.