Paul Hagen | Teams pick up trade signals from front office
WHEN THE GAVEL comes down Tuesday afternoon, signaling the end of trading without waivers, deals will have been made, the pennant races will have been altered and it will be pretty easy to figure out - on paper - which teams have helped themselves the most.
What can be more difficult to decipher is how moves, or lack of moves, will impact the clubhouse psyche.
Just the seductive whisper that they could be close to getting Mark Teixeira from the Rangers for uberprospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia, shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus and a minor league pitcher was a pick-me-up for the Braves. "You put somebody else like that in our lineup, a guy like that who mashes, it will be scary," enthused second baseman Kelly Johnson.
There's a flip side to that, too. The Padres, who are in a dogfight in their division, took the news hard when reliever Scott Linebrink was traded to the Brewers for three minor league pitchers on Wednesday. "Incomprehensible," fumed closer Trevor Hoffman. "Four other teams in the National League West are awfully excited."
Added All-Star righthander Jake Peavy: "You have to trust your front office when you're in the middle of a playoff run. But, man, to trade away your setup man . . . what kind of message are we sending here?"
That doesn't mean that the Braves will overtake the Mets if the Teixeira deal is finalized, especially since it seems likely that New York will also do something to improve. It doesn't mean that the Padres can't finish first without Linebrink who, to be fair, hasn't been very good recently.
It does mean that, whether they mean to or not, players seem to take a cue from what the general manager does. Or, in some cases, isn't able to do.
"We can't rely on the front office to make a trade to get us willing and wanting to play," Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer said. "We have to be willing and wanting to do that."
He's right. But, for better or worse, teams often seem to react to smoke signals coming from the executive suites, instead.
The hot corner
-- The market for infielder Ty Wigginton seems to be heating up. The Devil Rays would like to get bullpen help in return. The Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers are among the interested teams.
-- The Twins' recent swoon has likely turned Minnesota from buyers into sellers at the deadline, with potential free agents Torii Hunter, Luis Castillo and Carlos Silva now believed to be available.
-- There are reports that commissioner Bud Selig is pushing Joe Garagiola Jr. to be the next Pirates CEO, replacing Kevin McClatchy, who is stepping down.
-- The Rangers were happy to celebrate Sammy Sosa's 600th career home run, but are now looking to move him in order to make room for young sluggers Jason Botts and Nelson Cruz, now at Triple A.
Around the bases
-- The Angels are the latest team to report haunted house-type occurrences at the Renaissance Vinoy hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla. Pitching coach Mike Butcher said his lights came on at 4:11 a.m. and another team official said a magazine that had been closed the night before was mysteriously open the next morning.
-- Atlanta's Willie Harris went 6-for-6 in a game last weekend. But what makes the story interesting is that the first three came using a commemorative bat that was given to Braves employees in recognition of the team's 14 straight division titles. He was talked into it by pitcher Tim Hudson. "The bat was terrible," Harris said. "It didn't feel good at all in my hand."
-- Padres outfielder Milton Bradley knows he's regarded as a malcontent, but doesn't think that's accurate. "I don't think you ever get a fresh start," he told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "When I was a rookie in 2000, I attended an orientation given by [former big-leaguer] Jeffrey Hammond. He said, 'You're going to get a label as a player and that label is going to stick with you forever.' I've got a label.' "
On deck
Cheers: For new Reds manager Pete Mackanin. Taking infield practice is a dying art. Teams frequently skip it entirely and, when they have it, the stars are often absent. Mackanin has made it mandatory before every home game.
