1 Happy St

After my favorite baseball team finished last season by winning only 72 games (after winning 90 the year before and 99 the year before that), their General Manager Kenny Williams was quoted as saying things like "we plan on landing a Big Fish this off-season" and "2007 left a bad taste in my mouth" and "I hope Grady Sizemore is involved in a crippling car wreck some time before next April." At the time, I was on board with each of those statements as he was making them.

"Sweet, a crippling car wreck," I thought to myself. "If you can't beat 'em, break their legs."

But then Kenny missed out on his prized free agents. First came Torii Hunter (I was glad), then came a failed trade attempt for Miguel Cabrera in which Cabrera ended up on the division-rival Tigers (I was pissed), then came failed signings of Andruw Jones (pissed again) and Aaron Rowand (glad again). Needless to say, his goal of landing a "big fish" had failed miserably.

But then Thursday happened. If you hadn't heard (likely), or didn't care (more likely), the White Sox traded for outfielder Nick Swisher yesterday in exchange for 3 minor leaguers. Here's my grade of the trade (hey, grade of the trade...that rhymes): Obviously, they're gambling that this move, and perhaps a lesser move in the near future, will make them a playoff team in 2008. Perhaps that's a bit unrealistic, but fine. Their team will have 4 months to prove themselves one way or the other. If they prove that they're no better than a 3rd place team, then this trade just adds an asset that can be turned right back around and traded to another team who needs an OF with plus power and who gets on base 38% of the time, not to mention one who's cheap, young, and heading to a terrific hitters park. I don't see the harm in that. Where I do see the harm, however, is Kenny Williams' insistence that he's improving a team already headed to the playoffs. If he truly believes this, then as a White Sox fan, I'm quite concerned. Then again, I'd be even more concerned if my team's GM freely admitted that his team sucked.

So what's my final verdict? I give the trade a check plus. What does that mean? I don't know. What's an A? What's a B? Who cares? I like the trade. Now if only Grady can be involved in that car wreck like planned, Kenny's off-season plan will be a complete success.

[Editor's Note: Brian does not want Grady to be involved in a crippling car wreck. He'd settle for any kind of torn knee ligament regardless of how it's caused]