July 29: They couldn't be so lucky to get Lincy from San Fran, but the city of brotherly love has everything to be happy about, regardless. Cliff Lee, the defending AL Cy Young Award winner with debatably the best control in the game joins a rotation of Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton and J.A. (Jay) Happ. Also coming to Philadelphia is corner outfielder, Ben Francisco, who was performing remarkably well for Cleveland.Departing for Cleveland are Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Lou Marson and Jason Knapp (Not to be confused with starter, J.A. Happ!)
Winner: Phillies
As I said before, Philly fans have everything in the world to be happy about. Let's face it, while Roy Halladay is the superior pitcher, the difference between him and Lee on the mound is so miniscule, it's hard to argue Roy would've net them more wins than Lee; all at a fraction of the cost. It was reported that Jays GM, JP Riccardi was asking for prospects such as Kyle Drabek and Knapp (and Happ!). Again, I can't stress how well the Phillies did here, and as a Marlins fan, I'm kind of frustrated, as this all but locks Philly in atop the NL East. Then again, we've won 2 Worlds Series' out of the wild card, so I'm not worried in the least.
The centerpiece to this deal (for Cleveland) is pitcher, Carlos Carrasco. Perennially rated as one of MLB's best pitching prospects, Carrasco is having a down year by his standards, with an ERA north of 5.00, but the K rate is still there, so all hope is not lost.
It's become more than clear that Cleveland is in a sell mode, so don't be surprised to see a player like free agent-to-be, Victor Martinez, to get dealt. The Rays and Red Sox have shown interest.
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