With the best week in off-the-field sports history now into Thursday, the great hopes for our Philly teams have taken a bit of cold bath thus far. Before we rundown the happenings in the past 48 hours (none of which is good for either the Phils or Eagles), let’s take a minute to pause and take a breath. While it hasn’t been “good” yet, it also hasn’t been “bad.” A lot more of the action is still to come over the next 4-5 days, and there are a lot of chips still to be played, so, by no means, have we lost here in either sport. But, the early returns are not exactly the big “splashes” to which we grown accustomed recently.
[UPDATE: Pretty much right after posting this, report surfaced that the Birds have signed Jason Babin…so, things are looking up]
[UPDATE: There have been a couple of baseball injuries to add to this list that I left off when first posted, but have significance and are in with the “theme.”0
Jason Giambi may go to the disabled list
The Phillies and Rockies had pretty much completed a deal that would bring Jason Giambi to Philly for a bit prospect. It is a very Pat Gillick-esque move (think Matt Stairs or Tad Iguchi) that sometimes makes the difference on a championship club. But, now that Giambi may be heading to the DL just in time for the non-waiver trade deadline to roll over, it may not happen. And, with all the teams fighting with the Phils in the NL having worse records than they do, this would be an easy “block” situation after the deadline.
Dayan Viciedo has an apparent thumb injury
Never heard of Dayan Viciedo? Really? Well, me neither. But, his injury could really change the landscape of the next 3 months in the lives of Phillies fans. Viciedo is an outfield prospect for the White Sox and is supposed to be the immediate replacement for Carlos Quentin. With Viciedo ready to go, the Sox would be much more likely to move Quentin (a big, right-handed bat with pop), and the Phils are probably the front-runners to get him if Kenny Williams decides to move him. But, with Viciedo out and the Sox still in the race in a bad, bad division, Quentin could be off the table.
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Carlos Beltran traded to the Giants
The defending champs needed offense desperately – and they got it. Not only did the Phils fail to land the one guy who was probably the best fit for their lineup right now, but he ended up in the worst possible place for Phillies fans. The Giants pitching has already proven that they can go toe-to-toe with the Phils in October and now they may not even need a lightning-in-a-bottle postseason from a guy like Cody Ross because Beltran is a stud.
The Cardinals seem to be playing hardball for Kevin Kolb
Now, I do think that this deal will get done, and I do think that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will be involved in the deal, so at the end of the day, this will be a fine result. But, the sticking point is now that additional draft pick. At first, it looked like the Birds were going to get DRC and a 2nd-round pick. But, now that the Cards could be using guys like Kyle Orton as leverage, that draft pick is more likely to be in the area of a 4th-rounder. Still nice, but it’s nerve-racking that a seemingly done-deal is still not done.
The Astros rejected a big Phillies offer for Hunter Pence and now want more
According to various sources, the Phils offered their best pitching prospect (Jarred Cosart), their best hitting prospect (Jonathan Singleton), and another yet-to-be-determined prospect for Pence. I like Pence, but I thought that this was way too much to give up for him. And now the rumor is that the Phils, in almost desperate fashion, are reported to be strongly considering using Dominic Brown to get this trade done. I really hope this doesn’t happen, even if the alternative is Pence in a Braves uniform. I am not ready to mortgage the future for a year and a half of Hunter Pence. Again, I think he’s a really solid player, but this asking price is GIGANTIC! That being said, if we can get him straight-up for Vance Worley, then DO IT! But, now Brown, and not a collection of young prospects.
The Patriots traded for Albert Hayesworth
Aside from the fact that I don’t get this at all, being that Haynesworth’s big issue was that he didn’t want to play in a 3-4, I was pretty upset when I heard this news. A fifth-round pick for a guy with that talent is shades of Randy Moss. And, whether he works out in NE or not, I really think that he could have been a BEAST here in Eagles’ green. Now, maybe this is not over and the Pats could still deal him here for more, but it doesn’t look good at this point.
Quintin Mikell is gone; Stewart Bradley and Jerome Harrison are next
The Eagles have not, as of yet, resigned ANY of their own free agents. Quintin Mikell (one of the most underrated safeties in the game) has already inked with the Rams. Jerome Harrison is about to sign with someone, and it is a bit disconcerting that Stewart Bradley hasn’t been resigned yet.
DeSean Jackson is going to hold out
This one could top all of the news of the week. D-Jack, rightfully so, feels underpaid. And, how do you get more money? The American way – that’s how. Just don’t show up for work. Here’s the problem: Jackson correctly believes that he is AT LEAST of equal caliber to Santonio Holmes, who just signed for $50 million. But, on the Eagles side, while that may be completely true, are they willing to invest $50 million in a guy who weighs about a buck-sixty and already has had several concussions? Throw in the fact that they drafted Jeremy Maclin to be a #1 and you’ve got yourself a possible recipe for a long, ugly disagreement between player and management…ugh.
Reggie Bush is traded to the Dolphins
Not that complementary running back is of the highest priority for this team, but Bush was relatively inexpensive and could have really added a dynamic dimension to this already impossible-to-defend offense.
First-Round Pick Danny Watkins remains unsigned
The one thing the Birds have done this week is sign 9 of their first 10 draft picks of 2011. The only one missing – top pick, Danny Watkins. With training camp starting today – and a very condensed schedule – it is essential that the offensive line (particularly the new guys) get working together. Watkins needs to be in camp.
Plaxico might head back to the Giants
Like Bush (or Haynesworth, for that matter), Plax wasn’t priority #1, but, at a cheap price, it would have been a nice gamble to see the team take. Now, it looks like he might end up back in the Meadowlands, which might mean that the Eagles pay doubly for passing on him.
Nothing Doing at Defensive End
While free agent signings cannot technically be announced until later today, a lot of deals have been announced. And, while I still believe that the Eagles will land one of the top D-ends (Ray Edwards or Jason Babin), you never know until it’s done. And, it’s looking more and more like it is going to be the 31-year old Babin (as predicted here five months ago) and not the 26-year old Edwards.
Nnamdi will not be an Eagle
This one is not really a “loss” because with DRC, the Birds now have much more pressing issues elsewhere. But, he is the best player on the market, and there was wild speculation that he would be an Eagle, so now that he’s not, it’s hurts a little bit. That being said, it looks like he might end up a New York Jet, which is WAY better than a Cowboy or a Redskin.
What a difference a few days makes