The baseball season is getting down to the wire, and its time to take a look at past and potential acquisitions that will or have helped a team in its push to make the playoffs. Need to seal up that division title? Looking to squeak in through the Wild Card Door? Check out these players that have helped or can help your team in the final weeks of the season. (Impact is based on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the highest rating)
1. Atlanta Braves: Woah! Has Mark Teixeira re-found his power stroke! Possibly the best acquisition for any team in baseball, Teixeira cost the Braves a lot in terms of mortgaging their future, but has paid off in full. Teixeira shores up a weak spot in the Braves lineup offensively and on the field as well. He just recently hit 4 home runs in 2 games, and has been a spark plug, igniting the Braves lineup.
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2. NY Mets: With Damion Easley out for what could be the rest of the season, the Mets were quick to pull the trigger on a deal to land veteran outfield Jeff Conine from the Reds. Conine adds playoff experience to a team that floundered last season in the finals against the Cardinals. This could be a big payoff for the Mets, now that Conine has something to play for. He can spell any of the corner outfielders and corner infielders, which is something Willie Randolph needs to prepare for the postseason.
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3. Phillies: Get one, lose one. Things started to look bright for the Phils when doctors cleared Chase Utley to begin throwing and
swinging on a regular basis. Then Cole Hamels hurt his elbow, and is expected to miss 2 starts as he heads to the DL. Utley is a welcome addition to any lineup, but losing your ace can't be good.
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4. Yankees: Get out the way old man! The Yanks have injected life into their cranky, stiff bones with the recent call ups of Joba Chamberlin, Shelley Duncan, Edwar Ramirez, and the return of Phil Hughes from the 60 Day DL. Combine that with the everyday "Baby Yankees" Melkey Cabrera and Robinson Cano, the Yanks can keep their heads above water for the next few weeks.
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5. LA Dodgers: Anytime you take strengthen your team by weakening another in your division, it has to be a good move, right? Well, not in this case. Dodgers traded for Giants firstbaseman Mark Sweeney for a player to be named (or cash). The move doesn't seem to make any sense at first, but now that Nomar is on the 15 Day DL, its a good move, sort of. If you're the type that salivates when you see anyone named Sweeney in the starting lineup, maybe you should check out this
blog.
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6. Mariners: So you want to win the AL West? One of the easiest divisions in baseball to win, the West is constantly up for grabs every year. So your biggest acquisition of the season is left hander John Parrish from Baltimore? Its a wonder that Ichiro signed the deal, if this is an example of your commitment to winning.
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7. St. Louis Cardinals: Everyone wrote them off before the All Star Game. Now, with the NL Wildcard Up for grabs, and the Central looking as stable as Baghdad, the Cards gamble on signing Troy Percival looks like a briliant move. In 21 innings pitched, Percival has only given up 2 runs, batters are only hitting .183 against the righty, and he's managed to win 3 games in relief. With the resurgence of Rick Ankiel, the Cards are starting to looking like a dark horse.
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