6/16/01

Learn from the wisdom of the Oracle.

Arizona Diamondbacks

P Shawn Boskie retired.? Released P Derek Dace.

ORACLE SAYS:? Boskie had been done for a few years;   he hadn?t even played in the majors since 1998 and was sporting a 6.93 ERA in   Tucson this year.? Dace is a former Astros starting prospect who was converted   to a reliever some years ago and has been largely unspectacular since then;   he?s unlikely to make the majors regardless of which team signs him.

Atlanta Braves

Placed P John Smoltz on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder   and elbow inflammation.

ORACLE SAYS:? Smoltz is about done and has made noises about possibly retiring   in the last month.? I wouldn?t be the least bit surprised if he announced his   retirement before the season is over and I actually have a small bet with Chris   Dial that he retires within a month.? If we?ve seen the last of Smoltz, he?ll   be missed.

Baltimore Orioles

Placed SS Mike Bordick on the 15-day disabled list with a separated right shoulder;   purchased the contract? of IF Brian Roberts from Rochester (AAA).? Waived Greg   Myers for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release.

Released C Guillermo Garcia

ORACLE SAYS:? The Orioles apparently decided that they didn?t need a dozen   catchers on their roster after all.? I am surprised, however, that they were   unable to trade Greg Myers since he?s not really a bad hitter and he hits left-handed.?   Of course, a skeptic might say that Thrift didn?t even think of trading him,   which might not be a bad guess.?? Garcia will latch on somewhere else.

Boston Red Sox

Gave executive vice president and general manager Dan Duquette a two-year contract   extension.? Designated C Marcus Jensen for assignment; optioned IF Jon Shave   to Pawtucket (AAA).

ORACLE SAYS:? With the acquisition of Doug Mirabelli, Marcus Jensen simply   wasn?t needed.? I think it would be fun if the Red Sox signed Bobby Estalella   next to keep the Giants castoffs theme going.

I like Dan Duquette quite a bit, but I think it?s about time he gets tough   with Jimy Williams.? There are other people in the organization that are also   involved in decision-making but if Duquette goes to the effort to acquire useful   players like Izzy Alcantara and Williams only wants to play Darren Lewis, Duquette   can?t claim to have no responsibility.? If he can?t get rid of Darren Lewis   and can?t prevent the organization from acquiring Ed Sprague or Rico Brogna,   what purpose does he serve?

Chicago Cubs

Sent P Manny Aybar outright to Iowa (AAA).? Recalled IF Jason Smith from Iowa   (AAA).

ORACLE SAYS:? Aybar has been one of the weak links on the Cubs pitching staff   this year, so his demotion was no surprise.? Jason Smith is a 24 year-old shortstop   that was fighting the Mendoza Line for the Iowa Cubs this year.

Chicago White Sox

Placed DH Harold Baines on the 15-day disabled list with a strained hip flexor;   recalled OF Aaron Rowand from Charlotte (AAA).

ORACLE SAYS:? Surpringly, this is a real injury, not a euphemism for toast.?   Baines is almost certainly toast, however, and the odds of him reaching   3000 hits or 400 home runs have dropped quite a bit in two months as what appeared   to be an outside chance has pretty much evaporated.

Signed P Kirk Bullinger; released P Jeff Juden.

ORACLE SAYS:? Both of these guys are organizational players at this point.?   Bullinger always has pitched well in the minors, but doesn?t have the stuff   to get an extended shot.? Juden wasn?t all that great in the majors despite   the good half season and his apparent ability to be a jerk doesn?t exactly keep   his phone ringing.

Cincinnati Reds

Acquired OF Ruben Mateo and IF Edwin Encarnacion from the Texas Rangers for   P Rob Bell.? Claimed C Marcus Jensen off waivers from the Boston Red Sox.

ORACLE SAYS:? Do the Reds really need another outfielder?? Ruben Mateo was   a top prospect, of course, but he?s always been a hacker and hasn?t hit at all   since his leg injury.? I think the Reds gave up on Rob Bell pretty quickly,   but I think it?s great for Bell; the Reds have handled him strangely this year,   promoting and demoting him more often than Joe Carter tells dull anecdotes starring   himself.

Activated OF Ken Griffey Jr, SS Barry Larkin, and 3B Aaron Boone.? Recalled   P Brian Reith from Louisville (AAA).? Purchased the contract of Justin Atchley;   designated OF Deion Sanders and IF Donnie Sadler for assignment.? Optioned P   Osvaldo Fernandez and IF D.T. Cromer to Louisville (AAA).? Purchased the contract   of P Lance Davis from Louisville (AAA).

Optioned P Scott Winchester to Louisville (AAA).

Signed Ps David Maurer and Matt Skrmetta.

ORACLE SAYS:? A lot of shuffling here, but it?s nice to have Griffey, Larkin,   and Boone back.? It?s about time the Reds pulled the plug on the Deion Sanders   experiment.? When you?re a bad speedy centerfielder and you somehow get fired   from a team that employs both Jim Bowden and Bob Boone, you know that it?s time   to find another occupation.

Cleveland Indians

Placed P Paul Shuey on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow;   recalled P Jake Westbrook from Buffalo (AAA).

Colorado Rockies

Claimed OF Cliff Brumbaugh from the Texas Rangers and assigned   him to Colorado Springs (AAA).? Placed P Denny Neagle on the 15-day disabled   list with a strained right hamstring.

ORACLE SAYS:? Brumbaugh?s not really a prospect; he?s a 27 year-old outfielder   who can hit moderately well.? If he gets 300 at-bats in Colorado (unlikely),   he could turn that into seven figures somewhere.? Everyone?s been talking about   how well Mike Hampton has been handling Coors Field, but Neagle?s been no disappointment   either.

Detroit Tigers

Signed P Willie Blair; optioned P Victor Santos to Toledo   (AAA).? Placed SS Deivi Cruz on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured bone   in his left foot.? Recalled IF Jarrod Patterson from Toledo (AAA).?? Purchased   the contract of 1B Randall Simon from Toledo (AAA); designated OF Billy McMillon   for assignment.

ORACLE SAYS:? As usual, the Tigers make a bunch of moves that, taken individually,   can look good, but when taken as a whole, suggest that Randy Smith doesn?t actually   have any sort of plan for the Tigers.? Giving Patterson a chance (one of McCracken?s   favorites) is a good idea, but will the Tigers actually go through with it unlike   with Evans, Clark, and McMillon??? Probably not; they still haven?t noticed   that Macias? season has been two good weeks and two months of crap.? McMillon   wasn?t going to be an All-Star, but he could?ve been a useful bat instead of   being relegated to rare pinch-duty.? A team can justify getting rid of McMillon,   but doing it in order to play the even more replaceable Randall Simon?

Milwaukee Brewers

Placed P Paul Rigdon on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow.?   Recalled P Kyle Peterson from Indianapolis (AAA).

Signed P Tim Davis.

ORACLE SAYS:? Yup, that Tim Davis.

Minnesota Twins

Signed P Doug Bochtler

ORACLE SAYS:? Just in Edmonton to eat up some relief innings.?

Montreal Expos

Option 3B Andy Tracy to Ottawa (AAA).? Signed OF Rob Ducey.

ORACLE SAYS:? You have to admire a guy who has made a whole career out of being   Canadian.?

New York Mets

Placed 2B Edgardo Alfonzo on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain;   purchased the contract of IF Jorge Velandia from Norfolk (AAA).

ORACLE SAYS:? This has been a season that both Alfonzo and the Mets would like   to forget.? Alfonzo?s been bothered by his back all season and the Mets really   need him to be healthy, which doesn?t look likely this year.? It might be better   for Alfonzo to take the rest of the year off and get 2002 going with a fresh,   hopefully healthy start.

Claimed P Leo Estrella off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds and assigned him   to Norfolk (AAA).? Claimed 1B Aaron McNeal off waivers from the San Diego Padres   and assigned him to Binghamton (AA).

New York Yankees

Placed OF Dave Justice on the 15-day disabled list with a   strained left groin; placed P Andy Pettitte on the 15-day disabled list with   a strained left groin; recalled IF-OF Clay Bellinger and P Adrian Hernandez   from Columbus (AAA).

Acquired IF Enrique Wilson from the Pittsburgh Pirates for   P Damaso Marte; designated C Joe Oliver for assignment.? Recalled OF Shane Spencer   from Columbus (AAA); claimed OF Darren Bragg off waivers from the New York Mets;   designated OFs Henry Rodriguez and Robert Perez for assignment.

ORACLE SAYS:? The Yankees? lack of organizational depth, much of it given away   in the last few years for stretch drive acquisitions, is really starting to   show.? If the Yankees lose Williams or Jeter for a long period of time, they   could be in serious trouble (although the Wilson acquisition helps if the latter   falls).? Wilson would be a dandy replacement for the awful Soriano, especially   since D?Angelo Jimenez? bat hasn?t come around this year.

Oakland A?s

Claimed OF Billy McMillon on waivers from the Detroit Tigers; designated OF   Ryan Christensen for assignment.

ORACLE SAYS:? The A?s have had terrible luck with both Jeremy Giambi and Adam   Piatt this year, but I?m not sure if McMillon will be any better.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Recalled SS Jack Wilson from Nashville (AAA); designated   IF Enrique Wilson for assignment.? Fired general manager Cam Bonifay.

ORACLE SAYS:? Sure about time. Cam Bonifay?s famous Five Year Plan ranks right   up there with the Maginot Line.? True to form, after being fired, Bonifay proceeded   to explain that none of it was his fault.? What a guy.

San Diego Padres

Placed C Wiki Gonzalez on the 15-day disabled list with a   sprained right ankle.? Purchased the contract of C Rick Wilkins from Portland   (AAA).? Signed C Jim Leyritz.

ORACLE SAYS:? I?m surprised that Wilkins got called up instead   of Leyritz.? I don?t think that either would be that productive but it sure   seemed like Wilkins had run out of places to go with management that still remembered   1993.

San Francisco Giants

Activated OF Eric Davis from the 15-day disabled list; designated   IF Russ Davis for assignment.? Activated 1B J.T. Snow from the 15-day disabled   list; designated C Bobby Estalella for assignment.

ORACLE SAYS:? I?m not quite sure why the Giants released Russ Davis.?? After   all, he?s playing like Russ Davis, and if the Giants wanted him in the first   place, why release him now?? Releasing Estalella seems way premature at this   point; he was very useful last year and had 100 bad at-bats this year.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Activated SS Felix Martinez from the 15-day disabled   list; optioned P Dan Wheeler to Durham (AAA).

Texas Rangers

Placed C Mike Hubbard on the 15-day disabled list with a   fractured right thumb.? Placed OF Rusty Greer on the 15-day disabled list with   a strained left hamstring; activated OF Ricky Ledee.? Traded C Doug Mirabelli   to the Red Sox for P Justin Duchsherer.?? Signed OF Marc Sagmoen.? Released   OF Mike Zywica.

Toronto Blue Jays

Released OFs Chris Jones and Pat Lennon.

ORACLE SAYS:? Lennon?s clearly never going to get a chance   now; he was used very badly in the mid-90s and now that his offense has begun   to drop off over the last couple of years, there?s no way a team plays him in   the majors.? In contrast, there?s Chris Jones, who played in 9 different seasons   in the majors for no particular reason.