How Are Those Trade Deadline Deals Doing?

There is still a month left to go in the season, so it isn't really fair to rate how trade deadline deals have worked out for the contenders who tried to strengthen their chances. But call this an early report and we can do it again at the end of the season.

Ryan Ludwick - San Diego Padres: Ludwick has struggled in San Diego and thus far doesn't look much different than all of their other weak hitters. He was 2 for 4 on Wednesday in a losing cause, but so far with the Padres, he's put together this slash line: .231/.308/.351. Plus, according to B-R, he's not been good in right field either. Ludwick has another month to contribute though and his history indicates that he should at least help a little down the stretch.

Matt Capps - Minnesota Twins: Matthew Dicus Capps has pitched in 15 games for the Twins so far and he's really done the job. He has seven saves and a win to go with a 1.80 ERA. He's a bit of an adventure at times as he's given up 19 base runners in his 15 innings of work. But so far, so good. This was a brilliant pick up by the Twins. Isn't it weird that there has never been a player named Capps in the big leagues before Matt? And the Fan would think there haven't been too many Dicuses either. (there was a George Dicus that played in the minors in 1955).

Kerry Wood - New York Yankees: Wood has been outstanding. He didn't have good command on Wednesday night, but he got out of the jam and put another zero on the board. Wood has now pitched in twelve games for a total of 13.1 innings of relief. He's given up just one run on ten hits with sixteen strikeouts. His walk rate (6.4 per nine) is a big alarming, but he's been solid and a key addition for the Yankees. The big key is if those walks will come back to bite him or if he can stay healthy through September.

Lance Berkman - New York Yankees: Berkman just came off the DL after turning his ankle on a freak play at first a couple of weeks ago. He had an awful start with the Yankees and was just starting to get his game on when he got hurt. He pinch hit his first game back and roped a double to the gap, which is a hopeful sign. But you would have to think that Berkman won't finish his Yankee run with a .200 average.

Austin Kearns - New York Yankees: Kearns has gotten a lot more playing time than the Fan expected with the Yankees picked him up. He's not a bad bench guy against tough lefties and a fill in for Granderson or Gardner. But he's already played in 21 games and has picked up 68 plate appearances. He's holding his own with a slash line of: .250/.323/.400 which is league average. For a fill in guy, league average is pretty good. He's no great shakes as a fielder, but will be replaced in the late innings.

Cliff Lee - Texas Rangers: Lee has been a disappointment since joining the Rangers. he's 2-5 in 11 starts with an ERA of 4.69. His hits per nine are up from 8.0 with the Mariners to 9.5 with the Rangers and he's given up ten long balls in 80 innings. But all his other peripheral numbers are nearly identical to his Mariner innings and you'd have to think that if he keeps that up, success will come. Besides, the Rangers have already won the division, Lee's real value will be in the post season.

Roy Oswalt - Philadelphia Phillies: Unlike Lee, the Phillies desperately need Oswalt to perform as they are in a dogfight for a playoff spot. And Oswalt has been delivering. Oswalt has made seven starts with the Phillies and has gone 4-1 (after his win on Wednesday night) with a 1.89 ERA. His peripherals are almost dead on with his career and with what he was doing with Houston this year. His only big improvement has been hits per nine innings which is almost down a full hit per nine since joining the Phillies. He was a huge pick up and he is paying dividends.

Scott Podsednick - Los Angeles Dodgers: The Fan still doesn't see this deal. Podsednik is at best a good bench guy. But if you play him every day, he'll just hit his career numbers (which he is nearly dead on this year for the Dodgers). And his career numbers are not close to being great. He's a nice little player in a not quite league average kind of way.

Pedro Feliz - St. Louis Cardinals: Not even gonna go there. Momma said that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. Zipping.

Rick Ankiel - Atlanta Braves: Of course, everyone hopes that Ankiel does well, but he hasn't. He did get two hits for Atlanta on Wednesday night, but even so, is only hitting .232. That's not much different than what Melky Cabrera gives you. But Ankiel has been surprisingly effective in the field in small sample sizes.

Jhonny Peralta - Detroit Tigers: Peralta has come on of late and his stats with the Tigers are now well over league average. It's all a moot point though as the Tigers are going nowhere.

Dan Haren - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on the West Coast of America: Haren had a rocky start, but all of his numbers are excellent except his won-loss column. So he's been great. But the value of this deal will really be next year when the Angels hope to bounce back from an off year.

Bengi Molina - Texas Rangers: Look, Molina is no great shakes as a hitter. But he settles down a position for the Rangers that has been a huge problem. He's great at blocking balls and he calls a good game. He's a solid pick up for the Rangers as long as he keeps hitting .230 or so.

Chad Qualls - Tampa Bay Rays: The Bay Rays needed a DH but instead got Chad Qualls. It's hard to rate a reliever on their ERA because one or two bad innings messes up their stats badly. Suffice it to say that Qualls has a 5.06 ERA since joining the Bay Rays. His WHIP is okay but his K/BB ratio (1.40) is terrible. Too many walks and not enough strikeouts.

Jake Westbrook - St. Louis Cardinals: Westbrook has been solid but has been given little run support. He's made six starts for the Cardinals but is only 1-3. His K/BB ration is excellent and his ERA is 4.03. The Cardinals couldn't have hope for better from this quality, but middle of the pack starter.