Rosenthal's Latest: Manny, Mussina, Cano, Lowe

PLEASE TIM. Do something with TypeKey

Good thing the Dodgers didn't bite on Beane's attempted farm robbery for Blanton. Blanton is a weak 3, solid 4 innings eater and certainly wasn't worth 3 front line prospects or Matt Kemp straight up. Additionally, they might have given up DeWitt, who has shown significant promise and is an always valuable left handed bat.

the phils didnt give up much for him. we gave them a LHP and a nice secondbasemen.

You know, since moving to the NL Blanton is 4 and 0 i think. The team wins the majority of the games he starts, and he's been better the Moyer, the Phil's #3 in the post season.

Im sure given a full year in the NL people will realize how silly their distinctions were between Blanton the #4 and #3. It's a subjective distinction which has no basis in fact, but rather in the cherry pickin imagination of baseball fans.

I think the Phils did a great job in picking up Blanton, and next season everyone will realize that. Beane didn't rip off anyone, and no, i am not a dodgers/A's/or Phils Fan either.

Joe Blanton is garbage. I can't wait to face him 4 or 5 times next year.

If/when the Yankees trade Cano, they need to get pitching in return. I'm not a fan of Kemp to begin with...and with A Jax a year away, we wouldn't need him anyway.

Wouldn't Blake DeWitt have to be more highly regarded to be overrated?

This is a guy who is considered to be an average player already at 22. It's not like people are calling him the next great Dodger, they just say this seems like a kid who will be in the majors for a long time. Considering his defense and professional approach at the plate, I would argue that that is probably the case. Honestly I see no way in which DeWitt is considered to be overrated.

"If/when the Yankees trade Cano, they need to get pitching in return. I'm not a fan of Kemp to begin with...and with A Jax a year away, we wouldn't need him anyway."

You'd be lucky to get Kemp in return for Cano. That guy has all the tools and at just 23 he seems to be close to putting it all together. That guy is gonna be a stud.

Now personally I agree that the Yankees shouldn't persue a center fielder if they decide to move Cano. With Austin Jackson nearly ready, it doesn't really make sense to move one of your best young players, which would create a new hole, to fill a hole that can already be filled by a different young player by the end of 2009.

But then again, Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw are probably two of the most untouchable pitchers in baseball. They won't be moved.

One possible Cano to the Dodgers scenario I see:

Robinson Cano to the Dodgers in exchange for Andruw Jones, James McDonald and Blake DeWitt.

The Dodgers have to give up a quality young pitcher and their alternative 2B of the future, but then again this deal would help get the Dodgers out of the $15M they owe Jones this season, and Cano would give them an unreal offensive core (Martin, Kemp, Loney, Ethier, Cano. Damn.).

For the Yankees, this deal gives them a replacement for Cano in Blake DeWitt, another quality young pitcher who's MLB-ready in McDonald, and a potentially quality stopgap CF. Considering that Austin Jackson should be ready for a callup around August, the Yankees really have no need to go after a long term solution in center. Jones could potentially give them good defense and some quality power from CF, and considering he's a free agent after 2009, it's not a huge risk for a team like the Yankees. I just thought that is a possibility.

I felt like the Yankees taking on all of Jones' $15M salary would be massively valuable to the Dodgers. They could then use that money to resign Manny and Raffy, or even to go after CC to make a scary rotation. Getting rid of that contract would give the Dodgers some serious financial flexibility, and losing DeWitt and McDonald and adding Cano would mean the team wouldn't really see any drop off because of what they gave up in terms of player.

My concern is moreso that the Yankees wouldn't do a deal like that, partially because of all the money they'd have to take on this year, and partially because none of those players really has long term star potential. DeWitt should be solid for a long time, and McDonald looks like a strong 4 at the very least, but really neither of those guys is a cornerstone type player that the Yankees could potentially get for Cano. Then again this deal fills three holes for New York though, and that is where the appeal is for them.

And opens up new holes in Los Angeles...in which case...why would they go for it? DeWitt just had as good a year as Cano and didn't just sign some big deal.

dodgers fans bust me up. 1st nobody wants andrew jones unless the dodgers pay 90% of the money. 2nd dodgers fans don't understand they could use blanton in the playoffs but are paying now. The A's did want at the time 3 prospects not allstars. They wanted the dodgers ss prospect, a pitcher, and either or kemp. Instead the A's received from the phillies a young LHP, a young 2nd base prospect in cardenas, and a young catching prospect in donaldson who was a #1 pick of the phillies. He had a great A ball season after the trade. So while I watch the phillies kncok the dodgers out it will remind me was those 3 the dodgers kept worth it. So far NO

Just throwing this out there, but RED SOX DYNASTY! Is seeming more and more like Baseball Guru.