Diamond Deliberations: Some 2009 'What Ifs' for the Average Fan

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

And it’s not just hurlers who have fallen victim to the Classic. Hitters face a different problem altogether, as Chipper Jones articulated back in March: “Just way too many days off… You’re not getting the work in that you should. You’re getting reps, but you’re not getting the at-bats that you need.”

Quite simply, Major League Baseball is losing assets and devaluing the quality of its product, especially early in the season, during years in which the WBC is played. They either need to scrap the exhibition entirely or restructure it like the NHL does with the Olympics (occurring mid-season).

2.   What if Atlanta hadn’t overpaid like a naïve teenager trying desperately to acquire booze from a homeless man when they gave the Rangers four high-quality prospects for two half-seasons of Mark Teixeira?

Let’s go back to that deal in 2007, shall we? The Braves were anxious not to lose their grip on the NL East, a division that had been owned by the Tomahawk Chop for over a decade. They were in contention but desperately needed power and a lefty specialist.

Enter Texas. And enter they did.

The Rangers somehow convinced Atlanta to swap their first-, second-, fourth-, and 18th-ranked prospects (in what was as strong a development system as any in baseball at the time) for Big Tex and Ron Mahay. Those prospects were Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison, and Neftali Feliz. Yikes.

What’s more baffling is the abandonment Atlanta demonstrated in terms of a philosophical approach. They always built from the ground up during their title years. Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones, Javier Lopez, Andruw Jones: all homegrown talent that served as the foundation for dominance.

The braves had to know they were not in a position to sign a big Scott Boras client when he was up for monster money following the ’08 season.

So why deal a centerpiece catcher and feel safe with Brian McCann? Could they afford to part with a legitimate cornerstone shortstop because they had Yunel Escobar? And why give up two talented arms for a guy who was essentially a rent-a-player?

Two years later, Texas is reaping the rewards, while Teixeira got his big deal in New York and Mahay moved on to pitch solidly for Kansas City. Salty and Elvis are big reasons why Texas sits in first place behind an explosive offense and improved defense. Harrison has shown marked potential this year, and Nolan Ryan loves his mentality and bull-dog approach.

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