Well folks, this is the last week of transactions. When the regular season ends, the baseball side of the house quiets down. Buy Low Sell High will continue on through the off-season because player moves don't end. I will take a pause until the Monday after the World Series when players are free to declare free agency, and so I can enjoy the playoffs with you pretty much uninterrupted. That means putting down the laptop and just watching the games.
When I return we will also look for those players in their final year of a contract, as those players tend to play just a little bit harder when a $10 million-a-year contract is on the line.
Phillies Claim OF T.J. Bohn Off Waivers from the Braves.
The Phillies had Yoel Hernandez on the 15-day DL so they decided to take a flier on Bohn. Bohn is an excellent fielder. In Strat terms, he is a cf-1(-1). Think Darren Lewis with less bat. The 27-year-old hit .224 in Double-A and .241 in Triple-A. He has no power and little speed. His walk ratios are good, however. It is hard to notice when his batting average is so low. If he could just get his batting average around .265, he would be a good addition as a defensive specialist and fifth outfielder.
Padres Acquire OF Jason Lane from the Astros for a PTBNL or Cash.
The Padres needed some help badly when they lost Milton Bradley (again...). Brady Clark is supposed to get most of the starts for Bradley, but Lane matches up well against against some of the starters this week, so if you are in an NL only league and need one more home run to take you to the promised land, he may be worth a flier.
Giants Recall OF Fred Lewis from High-A.
Lewis was in High-A, because High-A is San Jose, right next door to San Francisco. You'll see the Giants send players to San Jose every now and then when they want to send a player down for a couple of days, such as when they need an extra arm in the bullpen or a starter for a doubleheader.
Blue Jays Place OF Vernon Wells on the 60-day DL and Purchase the Contract of OF John-Ford Griffin from Triple-A.
Griffin is no longer a prospect. He hasn't been one for a long time. I do find it amazing that he still strikes out once every three at-bats. That is the whole reason he's not in the Major Leagues. You'd think he might realize that by now. With their playoff hopes dashed, the Blue Jays had Vernon Wells have surgery to repair a torn labrum and to have a cyst removed. The labrum surgery went well. They didn't remove the cyst because it was too close to a nerve. They will treat the cyst a different way. Either way, he will be ready for spring training.
Royals Claim 1B Wes Bankston Off Outright Waivers from the Devil Rays.
The Royals are not happy with their first base situation. They have a whole bunch of 1B/DH guys but none of them can stay healthy enough. The 23-year-old hit .238 with 15 home runs in his first full year of Triple-A. He did have some oblique problems during the season. This trade might be the best thing that happened in his career.
Reds Recall RHP Homer Bailey from High-A.
I only mention this because the Reds tried to sneak Bailey down to High-A so that he could pitch for them while they were in the playoffs. Alas, that move was noticed and he was declared a veteran and ineligible to join the rotation. I also mention it because Bailey will get one more start this season.
Tout Wars
With only a couple of days left in the season, I can move up two spots with some strikeouts and a couple of wins. That is all that is left in play unless my hitting gets really hot and gives me a 22 RBI day like I got once before. Right now I'm in ninth, four points ahead of tenth and only two points behind eighth. Wish me luck!
JP Kastner is the winner of the 2007 Strat-O-Matic Baseball Online Expert League World Series. In five seasons of SOMBOE, JP Kastner has five winning seasons, four playoff appearances, three World Series appearances and now one World Championship. He is in his second season in the Tout Wars mixed league.