2007 Major League Baseball's Better Trades
The biggest area of improvement sought by teams making better trades at the deadline this year concerned arms, particularly arms for the bullpen. Several teams improved their playoff chances by dealing for relief pitchers, an important piece for any club trying to make the playoffs or join the race for the postseason.
The Red Sox added Eric Gagne to their roster. After injuries cost him most of two seasons and caused him to fall out of favor in Los Angeles, Gagne signed on with the Texas Rangers. He was 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and had converted 16 of 17 saves when he was traded. The Red Sox needed a dependable setup man as they sought ways to keep pace or surpass the Yankees. Gagne waived his no-trade contract and the Red Sox gave up left-handed starting pitcher Kason Gabbard and minor league outfielders David Murphy and Engel Beltre. Gabbard was 4-0 with a 3.73 ERA for the Red Sox and was expected to help a Texas franchise that is constantly in need of starting pitchers. Murphy was Boston's first-round pick from 2003 and Beltre was an international free agent.
The Atlanta Braves made several moves at the deadline, adding bullpen help and slugger Mark Teixeira, a first baseman expected to add plenty of punch to the lineup. The Braves acquired right-handed reliever Octavio Dotel, and left-handers Royce Ring and Ron Mayhay. The Braves gave up a lot in this better trade with Texas to get Teixeira: catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, infielder Elvin Andrus, right-handed pitcher Neftali Perez, right-handed pitcher Matt Harrison and lefty Beau Jones, the team's 2005 first-round pick. All five players surrendered by the Braves were considered to be among the club's top 20 prospects, especially Saltalamacchia, who was already playing part-time with the Braves on the major league level.
The Yankees are never idle on the trade market and this was no exception, although the better trade was only a minor one. They swapped right-handed reliever Scott Proctor to the Dodgers in exchange for infielder Wilson Betemit, a switch-hitter who is especially dangerous from the left side. Betemit was a career .263 hitter and had 10 home runs for the Dodgers in 84 games. Betemit was expected to be a designated hitter and provide depth when Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez was given a day off in the field.
Pittsburgh acquired started Matt Morris in a better trade with San Francisco for outfielder Rajai Davis. Morris was a former 22-game winner with a Cardinals who had struggled in 2006 but seemed to rebound early in 2007. Pittsburgh got some pitching depth, but this was widely seen as an unusual trade and caught both players by surprise.
