Pirates Acquire Wandy Rodriguez from the Astros

The Pittsburgh Pirates have looked to bolster their rotation by acquiring Wandy Rodriguez from the Houston Astros. (Pat Sullivan)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in playoff contention this late in the season for the first time in twenty years. As a result, they are actually buyers coming into the trade deadline as they try to make a push for a playoff berth. While finding a big offensive bat might be their biggest need, the Pirates knew the value that adding another solid starter could mean for their pitching staff as a whole.

The Houston Astros are years from contention. With many young prospects in their daily lineups, it comes as no surprise that they have the worst record in baseball. With the youth movement in full swing, the Astros were looking to move their ace Wandy Rodriguez. He is signed at $13 million per season through 2013 with a club option for 2014.

The interests of the two NL Central rivals seemed to line up for the time being. The Astros agreed to trade Rodriguez to the Pirates for three prospects, center fielder Robbie Grossman and left-handed pitchers Rudy Owens and Colton Cain. The three prospects help to add further depth to the Astros' farm system. While none of the trio of prospects are marquee players, each one is young enough to potentially grow into the difference makers the Astros hope they will become.

The Pirates add Rodriguez to a starting rotation with a 3.91 ERA, which is seventh best in the NL. Rodriguez and his 3.79 ERA in 21 starts with the Astros is expected to replace Kevin Correia in the rotation. Rodriguez is widely considered the far superior pitcher with a better strikeout/walk ratio. He should also benefit from improved support from Andrew McCutchen and the upstart Pirates offense.

I like the trade for both teams. While the bigger need might be offense, the Pirates will definitely benefit from adding Wandy Rodriguez to their rotation. Not only does it help the other starters, but it also aids the bullpen and gives them additional rest. The Astros got three young prospects. They can only hope that at least one or two of them will mature into everyday players. The real question for the Pirates is whether this is just their first move. I believe they have at least one more move to make. They need to find the right bat to add to their lineup, without giving up their best prospects. No doubt GM Neal Huntington is exploring his options right now.

Dodgers Keep Finding Ways to Win

Chris Capuano is now 7-1, tying him for the league lead in wins. (Jeff Gross)

If I had told you before the season that Matt Kemp what already be on the DL, but the Dodgers would have the best record in baseball, you would have likely called me crazy.

Despite injuries to Kemp, Juan Rivera, Mark Ellis, and Juan Uribe (to name just a few), the Dodgers have found ways to win ball games.

Since Kemp was placed on the DL May 14, the Dodgers are 9-4, have increased their runs per game to 5.1, have had a staff ERA of 2.97, and increased their lead in the NL West to 7.5 games.

The Dodgers have been getting the job done in part to some often overlooked veterans, who are proving they have something left in the tank. Today's win over the Houston Astros provided a reminder of this. 35-year old Jerry Hairston Jr. had a career-high five hits. 36-year-old backup catcher Matt Treanor added a solo home run. 38-year-old Bobby Abreu came off the bench and worked a bases loaded walk to pick up a RBI.

Then, there was today's starting pitcher. Today, he pitched seven innings of two hit ball and struck out 8. On the season, he is now 7-1 with a 2.14 ERA. If I made you guess who it was before the season, I am sure you would have said staff ace Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw's been good this year, but not as good as Chris Capuano has been. The 33-year-old Capuano took apart the Astros lineup today, just like he has done to opponents all season.

Hairston Jr., Treanor, Abreu, and Capuano, the four leading veterans in today's win, have played a combined 47 seasons for 22 MLB teams, according to the L.A. Times. That is truly remarkable, but it hasn't just been these guys producing. The Dodgers are getting dividends from throughout their lineup and pitching staff. Outfielder Ander Either is tied for the NL-lead with 41 RBIs. Catcher A.J. Ellis hit a walk-off home run in Saturday's win. Ted Lilly is 5-1 with a 3.14 ERA. I could keep naming names.

I am convinced that the reason this team has the best record in baseball right now is that they are simply playing great team baseball. They are getting contributions from everyone. With a record of 32-15 overall and 21-5 at home, the Dodgers are off to their best start at Dodgers Stadium in more than 30 years. While there is no guarantee they can keep this up, there is little reason to doubt them as of now. For now, I would simply like to tip my cap to a team who is winning by playing as a team and to often overlooked veterans who do not always get recognized and appreciated as they should.