Transactions, Anyone?

Jason Michael Barker

The trading deadline may have passed last Monday, but that doesn't mean the transactions wire has died down until the off-season. Oh no! Over the next month, sly general managers will try to slip assorted players though waivers in an attempt to trade them before the August 31 deadline.

The wire has been active this week as well, as teams look to add the final piece to what they hope will be the championship puzzle.

We begin in Boston, where the Red Sox claimed 1B Rico Brogna from the Phillies. On one hand, you have to wonder why the Red Sox need Brogna, good with the glove but exceedingly weak with the bat, in the first place. But on the other hand, when you consider the Sox were rumored to be trading for Brogna before the deadline, picking him up for nothing is a steal.

Seriously, why any club -- contending or not -- would want Brogna is beyond me. His career .272/.323/.456 line might be acceptable for a catcher or slick-fielding middle infielder, but is certainly not for a first baseman or designated hitter. Perhaps the Red Sox need a left-handed bat? Maybe, but that excuse doesn't cut it when you realize Brogna has only hit .330/.466 (OBP/SLG) against right-handed pitching over the past four years.

Oh, and never mind that the Red Sox already have lefty Brian Daubach and switch-hitter Morgan Burkhart in the 1B-DH role.

Incidentally, the Pirates designated infield Luis Sojo for assignment Thursday, meaning he can be had for a bag of ball and six-pack. Perhaps the Red Sox should pick him up, which would allow them to field perhaps the worst infield in all of baseball: 1B Brogna, 2B Mike Lansing (seen his home-road splits?), 3B Ed Sprague, and SS Sojo.

Lest you think this column is all about negativity, kudos to the Phillies for finally letting Brogna go. It took a decent showing from rookie Pat Burrell and the acquisition of Travis Lee (who should hit if he stays healthy and is given regular playing time), but hey, whatever works.

In a similar vein to the Red Sox picking up Brogna, the Yankees added veteran outfielder Luis Polonia. What is it with good clubs picking up bad players, anyway? Do they think the Yankees mystique will somehow transform Polonia into a good player, or that perhaps playing with good players will magically raise Polonia's skill level?

In case there was any doubt, Luis Polonia is not a good player. Sure, he managed to hit .357/.526 last season, but that was in limited duty almost entirely against right-handed pitching, and that on-base percentage was a function of a high batting average and terrible walk rate. He also popped 10 homers, which at the time represented about one-third his career total.

He hit .325/.416 (not far off his career line) this season before the Tigers wised up and released him. Even though they are the Tigers, they do have a much better option in Rich Becker, who draws a ton of walks and is capable of putting up a .400 OBP, at least against right-handed pitching.

In other news, the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese League released Dave Nilsson this week. Nilsson, if you recall, starred for the Brewers last season but elected to play in Japan this year so he could play for his native Australia in the 2000 Olympic Games. Things didn't go so well for Nilsson in Japan, who hit a mere .180 and was bothered by back pain. This week he asked for his release, and the Dragons complied.

Nilsson should have no problem finding work if he decides to return to MLB next season, as he's left-handed, plays catcher, and hit .400/.554 with a good walk rate last year with Milwaukee. Better yet, he could sign with an American club now, with the provision that he'll be allowed to play in the Olympics, and help a team to the post-season. If he wins both the World Series and a gold medal, I call dibs on the move rights.

Finally, American League Rookie of the Year (no, not Freddy Garcia who should have won the award, but the guy who actually did win it) Carlos Beltran refused to report to Florida on a club-mandated rehab assignment. The Royals have suspended Beltran without pay, while the Players Association has vowed to file a grievance on his behalf.

Beltran has been out since the beginning of July with a bone bruise in his right knee. If the club thinks he should go on a rehab stint, what's the big deal? Royals GM Allard Baird says Beltran would get in shape and ready to play faster on a rehab assignment, and he's probably right.

The kicker in all this is that Beltran is represented by Scott Boras, who apparently wants his client to travel with the Royals as he works his way off the disabled list and back onto the 25-man roster. The Royals say they have a policy that players on the DL don't travel with the big club, while Boras says the Royals have violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement and noted that players such as John Smoltz and Barry Bonds travel with their teams while on the DL.

Now, I'm not well versed on the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between baseball and the players, but it seems to me that all this sort of thing serves to do is create hard feelings between Beltran and the Royals. Boras, of course, is hoping an arbitrator will grant Beltran free agency.

Didn't work with Adrian Beltre, Scott, and it isn't going to work here either.

The Strikethree.com newswire also tells us that MArtha Stwart may be destined for the Royals front office, where she'll redfine the term "chintzy" in making deals. She may well need the advice of Jason Michael Barker when she gets there. So why not tell him that "chenille" wasn't the Captain's partner at jmb@strikethree.com.