It's just that kind of day

It's usually kind of tough to talk about baseball in the middle of football season, but I'm feeling bold. It is trade time for Major League Baseball, and since the Phillies are in the middle of it, some things demand evaluation.

First transaction. Aaron Rowand and Dan Haigwood from the White Sox for Jim Thome and cash considerations. Seriously? I didn't think anyone would want Thome, but I guess the World Series champs are willing to take a risk on an aging big bat. Not to mention Rowand's value, especially in a position the Phils have been lacking in the past few seasons. Great fielder, decent bat, and hopefully not gonna sit on the DL or take the season off. He's no Carlos Beltran, I'll certainly take him.

Second transaction. The Phillies sign infielder Abraham Nunez, who had played previously for the Cardinals. He's an average hitter, and a slightly above average hitter, but I'd bet he's better than David Bell. At least it's a fresh face in the line up.

Third Transaction, Fourth Transaction. Signed Julio Santana from Milwaukee and signed Sal Fasano who had been with the Orioles. A reliever and a catcher. Neither particularly good, but anyone's better than Mike Lieberthal, even at warming the bench.

Fifth Transaction. Tom Gordon signed from the Yankees. He's the replacement for Billy Wagner. Now, I think it's hard to be in favor of signing Billy Wagner at the amount of money that he wanted, not to mention his age, but I don't really like this signing. Gordon's a perennial playoff dud, and while he's done some decent pitching in his career, he's no Billy Wagner. If they manage to reinforce the bullpen in some other constructive ways, he might serve the purpose adequately.

The Rowand deal is obviously the standout so far, but Abreu and Burrell still seem to be tradable commodities on this team. I heard they weren't interested in Manny Ramirez for Abreu, but the optimist in me just ignores that out of spite. Clearly the team is in desperate need of a real No. 1 pitcher, and they believe Abreu is the one who can garner this in return.

Now for my feelings. I'm relieved Thome is gone, watching him rot on the bench was painful. Oh wait, he was never even on the bench. Good riddance, welcome Rowand. Gordon is slightly past his prime, but might suffice if we can build up the pen. I like Nunez, but he's not gonna help this team unless he gets Bell off the field. Really....I think the best chance the Phillies have is moving one of those outfielders for an ace, the obvious move. There are an infinite number of possibilities, although only a few are reasonable, and I hope Gillick can get it done with this one. So far he's shown a willingness to move the pieces around, and has managed to reduce some payroll, so you gotta be happy so far.

In all seriousness though, I still think the Eagles have a better chance at winning the World Series than the Phillies. I heard Gillick say that he thinks Bell and Lieberthal are two experienced veterans who know how to win. Enough said.