We did not see a ton of moves in the National League East, and we really didn’t see any big moves beyond the Philadelphia Phillies landing Roy Oswalt. I think in the end that is an admission by the Phillies front office that trading away Cliff Lee was a mistake. We have to give them big kudos for realizing that and getting the Oswalt trade down to make up for it.
There were a few surprises in this divisions, we expected the Florida Marlins to be sellers and they were not. The Nationals either couldn’t get a deal done from Adam Dunn or decided to keep him. I don’t know what to say about the New York Mets. In the end this is going to be a race between the Phillies and the division leading Braves and we shall see if their moves help or hinder them.
•So the Phillies get Roy Oswalt as their big trade deadline deal. •The Braves added reliever Kyle Farnsworth and OF Rick Ankiel •The Marlins end up picking up RP Will Ohman
It is pretty hard to pick a clear winner in this division. The Phillies and Braves are both very good and I expect this race to heat up through August. Right now I would have to give a slight edge to the Braves as they do have a 3.5 game lead. However the could change dramatically if Oswalt is a difference maker for the Phillies. The Phils can also get better by healing up some injuries, if that happens they may end up back in the post season.
Related Links:
• Atlanta Braves news and notes • Philadelphia Phillies news and notes • Florida Marlins news and notes • The Business of Major League Baseball •MTR Baseball.com
