Going into the MLB offseason the only thing we knew was that Cliff Lee would choose between the Yankees and Rangers and that Carl Crawford was destined for the Yankees or Angels. While the Yankees were busy with Lee, the Red Sox went and signed Carl Crawford and then the Phillies swooped in and stole Cliff Lee. Whats crazy is neither of these moves really changed the dynamic of either team. The Phillies were already a World Series favorite with Lee and the Red Sox went out and "finally" landed their guy Adrian Gonzalez to go with a team devastated by injuries.
What was the best move of the offseason that completely changed the fortune of a MLB team?
Zack Greinke traded to the Brewers from the Royals for A. Escobar, L. Cain, J. Jeffress and Odorizzi (Is there a team that had their fortune change as much from one trade? They went from already adding a solid pitcher in Shawn Marcum and then added one of the best pitchers in the game!) They went from possibly trading Prince Fielder to a Win Now mentality. Rarely does one move make a difference quite like this one. Zack Greinke gives the Brewers a true ace. It gives Yovani Gallardo a chance to take the pressure off of him and it makes the trade for Shawn Marcum look like a solid secondary move(although this move happened first) When I first heard of the trade I was shocked. I kept hearing how the Brewers didn't have enough on the farm. Well lucky for them the Royals loved Lorenzo Cain. That paved the way for this deal. Greinke turned down another offer from the Nationals because he wanted to win. Whats funny is he accepted the Brewers offer and became the final piece to make them a contender. Greinke doesn't seem to like the lime light very much so Milwaukee might be a place he can hang it hat on for a long time. It'll be a lot easier for him to make that decision if he and the Brewers make their move in 2011!
Mike Mott
michaelsmott@gmail.com
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