On a winter night following the 2003 MLB season, the recently hired Boston manager, Terry Francona, received his team’s projected lineup card at his hotel room. His reaction upon being hired was to start dancing and celebrating knowing he had reigning AL MVP, Alex Rodriguez, in the heart of his lineup. Francona was landing the best hitter in the game, in his prime, and sandwiching the perennial 50-homer slugger between Johnny Damon and David Ortiz, arguably the best lineup ever assembled. It was a perfect way to start a Hall of Fame managerial career.
This was the intention. Theo Epstein had everything worked out and the move was a done deal. The only issue was the MLB Players Association didn’t approve, the deal fell through. The Players Association didn’t want players, especially star players, to take pay reductions in order to join other organizations. To make matters worse, the New York Yankees ultimately swooped in and acquire Rodriguez a few weeks later. The Yankees saw an opening and an opportunity and pounced on the best player in the game at the time.
The Dodgers Won, Again
On Thursday, July 29th, the Padres had a done deal for Max Scherzer. Scherzer is a three-time Cy Young award winner and one of the best starting pitchers in the National League. Moreover, at age 37, Scherzer is still pitching at an elite level with 142 strikeouts, only 35 runs allowed, and a .193 expected opponent Batting Average. Adding a great pitcher to an already strong pitching rotation would put a Padres team, one that is always trying to make its mark in the league, over the top, possibly favorites to win the World Series.
The problems with this trade were more player-controlled. Scherzer had a say where he would be dealt next. San Diego felt like the ideal destination and it felt like the perfect move. Scherzer wanted to play on the West Coast and on a contending team, both of which San Diego checks off. Unfortunately, it was not enough and the deal was unapproved. The Dodgers saw the opportunity and took advantage. Adding pain for the Padres fans, the Dodgers also acquired Trea Turner in the deal. Turner is one of the best young shortstops in baseball, who felt thrown in along with the playoff-proven starting pitcher. It was another instance of San Diego, playing second fiddle and losing to Dodgers, a long and frustrating history.
When asked if it’s good for the game, Rodriguez said “I think it’s good for the Yankees” which is essentially all I can think about as Scherzer prepares to don the Dodger white and blue. It’s good for the Dodgers, who currently boast a 62-42 record, the second-best record in the National League. Is this is good for baseball? We will see but the trade itself speaks volumes to two teams that have a distinct rivalry.
The Similarities in The Rivalries
In the early 2000s, the Yankees were the class of baseball. The four World Series Championships in five seasons, totaling 26 in the franchise’s history, at the time. The Yankees were the gold standard for great team baseball and roster-building. Boston, interestingly, saw their roster in the same light. Both Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein, the general managers of the respective teams, saw talent the same way. Whenever one team was interested in a player, the other team was as well. Mike Mussina went to one team, Curt Shilling went to the other. Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, Jason Giambi. If you wanted to know how a roster should be built at the turn of the century, you only needed to look at these two teams.
Fast forward to the modern game, a game that is built on analytics as much as looks and feels. The Dodgers and Padres are two of the most progressive-thinking front offices in the game and mirror each other roster-wise. The Padres knew they needed a shortstop with power, something the Dodgers possessed in Corey Seager, they acquired Manny Machado. The Padres needed a rotation to match the Dodgers, they traded for Blake Snell and Yu Darvish in the offseason. Both teams want the same players, want the same characteristics in their players, and are thinking of the World Series. Granted, the Dodgers hope to repeat as champions while San Diego hopes to win the first as a franchise and city.
Secondary Cities & Franchises
San Diego itself has that edge, arguably, that same type of edge that Boston has only on the West Coast. Both cities are regarded as inferior to their nearby giants in New York and Los Angeles respectively. More importantly, however, the two have a lot to prove on the field. Boston would always be in the shadow of the Yankees and their 27 World Series Championships. It didn’t matter, they just wanted one, just one to end a curse and prove they are a great franchise. Theo Epstein helped give the cursed franchise three World Series Championships and four in 15 years.
The Padres just hope for that one World Series, one to erase the reputation of a sports city that, indeed, is not a sports city. San Diego after all is a city where the football team, the Chargers, relocated to Los Angeles where they are initially founded. The Padres were a laughing stock or even invisible, for years to the baseball world. They have a contender and are a few pieces away but continue to chase dominant teams and the impossible goal. Even in the rare seasons when the Padres managed to claim superiority of the West Coast and National League, they got obliterated by the historically dominant teams like the Yankees in 1998 (or the Tigers in 1984).
What Acquiring Scherzer Means for the Dodgers
It was clear entering the trade deadline that the Dodgers needed a starting pitcher. Ironically, you wouldn’t have guessed that entering the 2021 MLB season. Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler led a great rotation only getting stronger with the acquisition of Trevor Bauer. The need became more prevalent to the point where the Dodgers were willing to settle for Danny Duffy at the trade deadline to add starter depth.
Adding Scherzer felt necessary, and with the Padres and Giants both interested, the move became vital to the back half of the Dodgers season. The Dodgers completed a tough three-game series, losing twice to the rival Giants, moving three games behind for the divisional lead. The divisional race will likely determine the top record in the National League and possibly, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Acquiring Scherzer reminds the baseball world that this division is still the Dodgers to lose. The Dodgers are still the team to beat and will be until they are indeed defeated.
The Trades of the Day
The Scherzer move was the highlight of a busy and chaotic day, rightfully so. The other moves a day before the official trade deadline comes to a close almost feel insignificant but carry a lot of weight.
The Yankees made it clear they were “buyers” at the deadline, in case that wasn’t clear when they traded for Joey Gallo. The Yankees doubled down on left-handed sluggers and acquired Anthony Rizzo, one of the most disciplined hitters in baseball who also provides power the first base position and heart of the order. This move also feels painful for the Cubs fans, who are forced to see Rizzo, a hero for Chicago, in a different uniform (something that never feels right).
Kyle Schwarber, another former Cub, also went to the East Coast. Appropriately, he went to Boston, where his power only adds to an excellent lineup.
The Padres, who continue to play behind the Dodgers, acquired Daniel Hudson. Hudson is a top reliever in the game and is a player, you can bet, the Dodgers also showed interest in acquiring.
There is still one day, at least until 4:00 PM Eastern Time, left in the trade deadline. There are still more than enough movable players and it leaves us baseball fans all the more excited for what will happen.
