Last year the Chicago White Sox added Alex Rio through a straight wavier claim, and while at the time it was considered a risky move (committing over $55 million to a struggling player) it has paid off nicely for Chicago. Now the White Sox hope they can add another bat without having to dip into their struggling farm system. Chicago won the waiver claim on Manny Ramirez and it appears they will get him without having to give anything up but money.

The White Sox desperately needed to add a bat as they have fallen 4.5 games out of first place (and basically out of the Wild Card hunt. While overall they are a good hitting team they lack production from both their DH and LF spots (Pierre’s average and OBP are okay, but a .673 OPS from your left fielder will kill you), two areas Manny can help the White Sox. Now this isn’t the Manny Ramirez of old, but he can still be a solid run producer in the middle of the White Sox lineup. And considering Chicago is only having to give up $3.8 million it is well worth it for the offensive upgrade.

The White Sox though need to hope Ramirez is enough for them to restart their playoff run which has fallen fast this past month. At the trade deadline the White Sox added Edwin Jackson (who despite missing a start has been excellent for them) to their rotation, but they left their lineup alone. Potential deals for Adam Dunn and other offensive upgrades fell through, and now the White Sox are scrambling to catch up to the Twins in the Central. Ramirez might end up being too little too late for the White Sox.

While some might fault the Dodgers for just giving Manny away, I really don’t think L.A. had much choice. Despite adding some talent at the trade deadline the Dodgers have fallen 10 games out of 1st place and more than 6 games out of the Wild Card race. In addition Ramirez has said that he didn’t want to return to L.A. next season (and it is quite likely the Dodgers didn’t want to bring him back as well) meaning the Dodgers needed to cash in now to get any return for their one time star. While they didn’t get a prospect back the Dodgers did get some extra money. And while maybe that isn’t important to most fans, hopefully the Dodgers will use that money to supplement their payroll or draft budget next year allowing them to bring in additional talent. It’s not an ideal move for Los Angeles, but it really is the best they could hope for at this point.

The Deal: The Cubs trade 1B Derek Lee and cash ($1.7 million) to the Braves for RHP Robinson Lopez (Low-A), LHP Jeffrey Lorick (High-A), RHP Tyrelle Harris (Double A)

The Braves: Atlanta desperately needed a big bat with Chipper Jones on the D.L. and Troy Glaus becoming totally ineffective. Unfortunately by waiting till after the trade deadline the Braves severely limited their options (Chipper wasn’t injured at the time, but they could have still used a power OF or 1B bat at the deadline). While Derek Lee is a big name, his production has fallen well below his career standards this season. Lee has been hot of late and does bring a veteran presence to the club, but the Braves paid a steep price to rent Derek Lee for the rest of the season, when he only is a marginal upgrade to what they currently have. Lee is a free agent at the end of the year, and will likely be too expensive to offer arbitration to. In return for him the Braves gave up three young pitchers, including one who has a good bit of upside.

The Cubs: Chicago had been trying to trade Derek Lee for sometime, but with his ability to veto trades they hadn’t had much luck. While this might not have been the Cubs first choice in trade partners, they did quite well in this deal. Lee wasn’t in the Cubs long term or short term plans, so they were likely going to move on from Lee this offseason anyways as their first baseman. By moving him now the Cubs save an additional $1.7 million, and by agreeing to pay half of Lee’s salary they got a pretty good prospect return. Robinson Lopez is the real talent in this group and could make this a big win for Chicago. Despite being just 19 he has the upside to become a frontline starter down the road. It will be a couple years until Chicago sees him with the big league club, but it is likely their patience will pay off. Lorick and Harris are both bullpen arms, and likely in the non-closer variety limiting their value. On the flip side they have both been very successful in the minors, and are more advanced to the point where if they make it, they could be ready within the next 2 years. Lorick is also left-handed giving him quite a bit more value. In all it was a good return for an under-performing rental player.

Winner: Braves were kinda backed in the corner here, but I think they overpaid for Lee making the Cubs the winner in this deal. Atlanta improves some on offense, but trading for someone like Adam LaRoche (again) would have made more sense for Atlanta, and probably would have cost roughly the same (maybe even a little less in terms of a prospect return).

Two months and nine days ago the Washington Nationals took Bryce Harper with the first overall pick in the draft, finally tonight at midnight we will know whether he will join the Nationals or not. The Nationals aren’t alone in wondering whether their top pick will sign, as the majority of first round picks haven’t agreed to terms yet, but Harper is the biggest fish and all eyes will be on Washington this evening. Now most people will try to lay the blame for the stalled negotiations on either the Nationals or Harper’s “agent” Scott Boras (some will even try to throw Harper under the bus, like a 17 year old kid is really impacting the negotiations), but really the blame for the 11th hour cram session belongs at the feet of MLB.

Major League Baseball does everything in their power to hold up overslot bonuses for draft picks, particularly the major ones (i.e. Harper). Their belief is that by holding up the deals, players can’t negotiate off one another as much. Also, since they don’t like the deals, instead of having news stories about every major deal over slot that is signed, the stories end up getting lumped together with only the cream rising to the top. Take the Nationals for instance…

They signed 3 draft picks over slot yesterday spending a reported $3.8 million on Sammy Solis, A.J. Cole, and Robbie Ray. While all three of these deals were overslot (especially Cole which set a 4th round record), they weren’t nearly as widely reported as if they were signed separately. For one thing, nationally most teams are signing deals similar to these, so the national media needs to cover all of them. And locally there are three deals to write about at the same time as opposed to one, giving less space and follow up stories per deal compared to if they were signed three different times. And finally with the Bryce Harper negotiations to report on, where is the time to write about A.J. Cole’s contract?

It would seem as though MLB was right in holding off overslot deals since they accomplish their goals, unfortunately it is all smoke and mirrors and there are tangible consequences for their tactics. These agents all have a general idea of what other top prospects are going to sign for, and in fact a handful of agents represent the majority of guys who will sign the biggest deals meaning some of these agents have all the leverage they need. Secondly, with so many industry sources now like ESPN and Baseball America (among others), in addition to all the various sports bloggers these stories still get reported, and with the power of the internet we can look up these bonus figures any time. As for pushing back these deals, MLB ends up hurting both the player and the team.

Instead of helping the team’s gain leverage, Major League Baseball takes away one of their biggest advantages by making them wait. By browbeating teams into not announcing big signings earlier teams can’t use the leverage of starting their minor league career earlier (this also hurts the players by setting them back). While the weekly pay in the minors isn’t anything special, the sooner a player starts in the minors then in all likelihood the sooner he gets to the majors and starts earning big money (this is also for the agents who hold out for 50K). Players who sign right away get an extra 3 months of minor league ball and a chance to assimilate with other draft picks. While three months doesn’t seem like a big deal, it can be for hitters it is their first extended time hitting with wooden bats, and for pitchers they have to learn to pitch differently against wooden bats, and for teams they get three months to daily evaluate these players to see what they need to work on, and if they need any major changes. So instead of helping teams, MLB just hurts them and their draft picks by setting them back from helping in the big leagues.

So what does all of this mean? Well that the Major League Baseball draft system is pretty screwed up is a good first answer, but the real answer is not alot. I fully expect Harper and almost every other 1st round pick to sign. In addition the vast majority of other top 10 round picks will sign by midnight as well. As for Harper specifically, I think he will get a record bonus, and quite possibly an MLB contract (it will help defer the bonus). Hopefully in the future some changes will be made to this system, but for now let’s not blame so much the teams, agents and players and look at who is really behind this charade.

According to Baseball America, the Washington Nationals inked two 7 figure deals this morning with their 2nd (LHP Sammy Solis) and 4th round picks (RHP A.J. Cole). The signings show that they aren’t just pegging all of their hopes on 1st round pick Bryce Harper (who is still expected to sign by tomorrow night’s deadline). Both Solis and Cole project to be top 3 starters and are desperately needed arms for the Nats future rotation.

While Solis is the Nats 2nd round pick, his bonus ($1 million) is reportedly half of what Cole got as the 4th round pick. Solis did receive over $300K what the typical ‘slot price’ of his selection would receive. Giving him quite the nice pay day. Solis is a college lefty and is much closer to the majors. If everything goes well he could be ready for the show by early 2012 (if not sooner). Solis profiles as a number 3 starter and would look quite good in the Nationals rotation behind Strasburg and Zimmermann. Now that is the best case scenario, and what the Nats are hoping for after shelling out $1 million, but at the very least he should be a solid 5th starter.

A.J. Cole is the real prize here even if it is all potential. He is a tall, projectable RHP who already touches the high 90′s. In addition to his power fastball, Cole has shown a plus curve ball and a solid potential changeup. If all three pitches continue to develop, Cole could very well end up as a 1 or a 2 (much more likely his ceiling). Cole is well worth the investment of $2 million and was considered by some to be the 2nd or 3rd best High School pitcher in the draft. His price tag and lack of refinement pushed him down in the draft, but he is well worth a 4th round pick and the early 1st round money the Nats gave up to ink him. While he might not be a truly finished product, Cole has a bright future.

The Nationals did a great job signing these two young pitchers. By grabbing higher upside guys with bigger price tags, the Nats turned their 4th round pick into a Top 15 pick value, and their 2nd round pick (51st overall) into the value of the low 30′s. Now if the the Nationals can add 12th round pick Robbie Ray, a LHP who is committed to Arkansas in addition to Bryce Harper, Washington could have the best draft class in baseball, and a farm system that can begin to produce All-Star caliber talent.

AL East: It is still a three horse race in the AL East, despite the Red Sox being 7 games out of first (in any other division they would be within a game and a half). Boston has dealt with a rash of injuries, and while they have stayed competitive, I find it hard to believe they can outlast the Yankees and Rays for the top spot (or the wild card). I wouldn’t write them off just yet, but it looks as though Boston will be staying at home this October. The Yankees and Rays are both likely to be in the playoffs, and it will just end up being a matter of who wins the division and who gets the Wild Card spot. New York still has some pitching woes, but with that offense I think they hold on to the division lead. Tampa is an impressive young team, but they are built too much on defense, speed and pitching (which is great). Their inability to add any bats at the trade deadline really make me question their chances to go far this postseason.

AL Central: The Central has quickly become a two man race as the Tigers have fallen 9 games out of first place and don’t look like they can recover. The White Sox hold a slim lead in the division, but they desperately need to find some bats to supplement their quality pitching staff. I don’t know if Chicago has enough to hold off the Twins in the race for the Central. Minnesota is a more well rounded team, and could get a great September boost when Justin Morneau rejoins the team. While it is possible the 2nd place team could be in contention for the Wild Card, I really believe it is coming out of the East this year. I like the Twins to squeak this division out during the last week of the season.

AL West: This division race is pretty much officially over. If the Rangers don’t win this division it would be a major upset. The Angels are absolutely reeling right now and have fallen to 3rd place in the division (and under .500). The A’s could make a run, but they are really built for next year and the future. I would not be shocked if they close the gap, but I don’t see anyone overcoming the Rangers and their incredible offense.

NL East: Since the trade deadline this has become firmly a two team battle, as both the Mets and Marlins have fallen out of the race. The Phillies are in second place, but should get some key players back from injuries down the stretch, that should push them over the top. The Braves desperately want to win in Bobby Cox’s swan song, but will need to fend off a strong Phillies team. Atlanta might need to make a waiver wire deal to ensure their spot atop the East. Unlike in the American League, the Wild Card race is fairly wide open, so whomever loses the East could still be in the playoffs.

NL Central: The Central like the East is down to two teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds hold the division and are the better all-around team, but the Cardinals have the better star power plus the experience making them a safer bet down the stretch. Both teams could be looking for some outside help, but the Reds should be able to hold on to the division. They have a better farm system and will get some much needed extra arms to help close out the season. St. Louis isn’t fully out of it, but I don’t know if they have the offense to overcome the Reds (and right now their pitching staff isn’t too hot either).

NL West: The West is still fairly wide open as I think 4 teams still have a shot at the division. The Dodgers and Rockies still have a ways to go, but I wouldn’t count them out for late season pushes. The Dodgers were the most active team at the deadline bringing in 4 veteran upgrades. While the team hasn’t responded yet with too many wins, that influx of talent could help them in the closing weeks. The Rockies didn’t add any pieces at the deadline, but they are a young team that keeps getting better each week. Unless the Padres or Giants really run away with this division, I wouldn’t count out the Rockies if they are within 5 games in final two weeks. As for the Padres or Giants I got to go with San Francisco. They have better starters, in addition to a better lineup (though not by much). The Padres did add some bats at the deadline though neither has yet to significantly contribute. Both teams could still look at some waiver wire pickups, but I still think the Giants will end up on top.

Winners:

San Diego Padres: The Padres have had a great year this season, despite having one of the worst offenses in the league. San Diego began to address that with trades for Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick. While they gave up solid prospects for them, they didn’t give up any of their top guys or anyone who could help them this season.There might have been better bats on the market, but Ludwick ended up being one of the best ones dealt. It remains to be seen if they added enough offense to go deep into the post season, but it was a productive deadline for San Diego nonetheless.

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies added one of the top pitchers on the market and did so without giving up much in the way of talent (or money). Oswalt isn’t a true ace, but he is pretty close and should give Philadelphia a top of the rotation to match Atlanta, St. Louis and San Francisco. The Phillies did really well to get a lot of money thrown in, to ensure they have some financial flexibility next season. The fact that the Phillies accomplished this without giving up any of their top guys is even more impressive. Philadelphia would be higher if they added some bullpen and bench help, both of which have been issues for the team. But all around a solid deadline in Philly.

New York Yankees: The Yankees added Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns and Kerry Wood, and if this was 2006 would have had the best deadline of anyone. As it stands they added a platoon DH, a backup OF, and a middling bullpen arm. Given how talented the team is they didn’t need much, and they did strengthen both their bench and bullpen, so that is a plus. The Yankees also kept their top prospects which is a major plus (and unexpected). On the downside though I don’t think they shot high enough, especially when it comes to their pitching. With major questions in both their rotation and bullpen I’m not sure if Wood is the answer. The Yankees did well at the deadline, but by no means ensured another World Series title.

Kansas City Royals: The Royals sold a couple of redundant pieces and did a great job shedding salary and picking up some quality prospect depth. They didn’t receive any major young stars, but made some smart baseball trades. The Royals didn’t move any of their top players, which may end up being a mistake, but they will still have major value in the offseason if they want to revisit those discussions.

In between:

Los Angeles Angels: The Angels added two good players in Alberto Callapso and Dan Haren and did so at below market prices (esp. in Haren’s case). The problem is the Angels didn’t address enough of their needs, and probably didn’t do so early enough that they are pretty much out of the playoff hunt this season. The good news is Callapso and Haren are under team control for the next couple of years at solid contracts so they are winners for the future, but not pulling the trigger on bullpen/1B help will keep this team at home in October.

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox are similar to the Angels, they are looking at a big deficit and didn’t do much to help their cause. While it is good they didn’t overpay, Boston is basically conceding this season to the Yankees and Rays, and that’s not good for business. They did pick up Jared Saltalamachia for some low minors prospects, so that could be a big deal for them going forward, but as it stands now Boston will be sitting out the playoffs.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers were one of the more active teams in the last week adding Scott Podsednik, Octavio Dotel, Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot. Unfortunately I don’t know if they did enough to really get back into the playoff race. Dotel and Lilly are upgrades on the pitching staff, but might not be enough. Theriot is a bit of an upgrade over Dewitt whom he was traded for, but I wouldn’t say there is a huge difference. And Podsednik is a 4th outfielder. Without an impact bat Los Angeles isn’t going anywhere, and to make it worse Podsednik, Dotel, and Lilly will be free agents after the season meaning unlike some of the other teams on this list there isn’t any future value. The Dodgers also gave up some of there better prospects, meaning these deals could really come back to haunt them.

Arizona Diamondbacks: The D-backs got rid of Haren, Edwin Jackson, Chad Qualls and Chris Snyder unfortunately they didn’t get much in the way of return either. They did clean their payroll for next year and going forward (though I still don’t get the Joe Saunders acquisition) and given their level of play they needed to be a seller. I just question their return for Haren especially. In fact I think they got almost as much for Edwin Jackson as they did Dan Haren, and he isn’t half the pitcher Haren is (or has nearly as good of a contract). Arizona has a long rebuilding process, but unfortunately they didn’t add much in the way of assets to their fire sale.

Houston Astros: The Astros parted with two of their most veteran players and biggest stars. While it was necessary, the Astros had to kick in money and at the same time didn’t get major prospects in return. The best move the Astros made was trading one of those prospects (Anthony Gose), for a better and Major League ready player in Brett Wallace. The Wallace deal gives Houston a building block, but overall not nearly enough of a return considering what they gave up.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Cards did a great job strengthening their rotation, but did so at a fairly high cost of Ryan Ludwick. I’ve never been a Ludwick fan, but his loss does weaken their offense going forward. In addition to weakening their starting lineup the Cards didn’t add any bench or bullpen depth, two things that could have helped them going forward.

Winners:

Texas Rangers: The Texas Rangers might be in bankruptcy, but you wouldn’t know that from all the deals they have made in the past month. First they went out and traded for Cliff Lee, the best pitcher on the market, and a veteran catcher in Benji Molina. Then they added a couple of bats and infield depth in Jorge Cantu and Christian Guzman. The Rangers finished up their trading yesterday by sending one time top prospect Jarrod Saltalmacchia to the Red Sox for a pair of solid low minor leaguers, a player to be named later and cash. While the Rangers gave up one great prospect, a few good ones, and a couple of interesting pieces, they reshaped their roster and are poised for a deep playoff run (and got a lot of cash to offset the returning salary). At the same time they still have one of the deeper minor league systems, and can restock for future playoff runs.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Considering the fact that the Pirates hadn’t made any real moves before yesterday it is a bit shocking to see them on this list, but Pittsburgh shed a lot of dead weight off their roster and got some useful players in return. In three separate deals the Pirates traded away OF Ryan Church, INF Bobby Crosby, RHP D.J. Carrasco to Arizona, LHP Javier Lopez to the Giants, and RHP Octavio Dotel (and $500K) to the Dodgers. In return they got C Chris Snyder, INF Pedro Ciriaco and cash ($ 3 million) from the D-Backs, RHP Joe Martinez and OF John Bowker (AAA) from the Giants and RHP James McDonald and OF Andrew Lambo (AA). While the guys the Pirates got in return won’t set the world on fire or likely bring a pennant to Pittsburgh, they have some upside Snyder is a bit pricey for next year, but that $3 million helps, and Ciriaco, Martinez and Bowker are basically younger cheaper versions of Church, Crosby and Carrasco. McDonald and Lambo were both one time top prospects in the Dodgers system, and while their status is tarnished some they are a nice haul for Octavio Dotel and $500K. Snyder gives Pittsburgh at worst a solid platoon catcher and could end up being a solid starter. Lambo especially has the tools to develop into a good starting outfielder and at just 21 can still reboot his career. That is not a bad return for Crosby and Lopez who were free agents and Church who they were going to non-tender. Dotel had an option for next year but he was redundant and pricey in the Pirates pen. And while Carrasco has two more Arb. years remaining he is 33 years old and will cost over $1.5 million next year. When it is all said and done, the Pirates did well to add some younger talent, without really increasing payroll for next year.

The Deals: The Phillies acquire Roy Oswalt and $11 million from the Astros for LHP J.A. Happ (MLB), OF Anthony Gose (A+) and IF Jonathan Villar (A-)

The Astros acquire 1B Brett Wallace (AAA) from the Blue Jays for OF Anthony Gose (A+)

Phillies: Philadelphia did a great job in this deal, not only acquire Oswalt for a third N.L. Title run, but to get him at the price they did. Happ is a nice back of the rotation starter, who gets by because he is a lefty (and quite a bit of luck). The fact that he headlines this deal is a huge steal for the Phillies. Gose and Villar are nice young prospects but they weren’t going to be in Philly for another 3-4 years. Neither player is going to help the Phillies win these next two seasons, but that is exactly what Oswalt will do. The best part of this deal is the fact that the Astros kicked in $11 million of the $23 million owed to Oswalt, which means the Phillies have another ace at half the price. The fact that the Phillies didn’t have to give up any more or better prospects to get that amount of money shows just how desperate the Astros were to move Oswalt.

Astros: The Astros sold low on Oswalt and only saved half the money that was owed to him so they didn’t really help their bottom line. Happ and two low minors prospects is a weak return for Oswalt, not to mention the $11 million they kicked in. While Astros fans will talk about the $12 million they saved, I don’t think it will amount to that much, because I imagine they will lose some money at the box office. Now I fully believe they should have traded Oswalt and use that money in other areas, but they will lose fans and money by making this move. The Astros should have acquired 1-2 additionals prospects or one other top prospect to even begin to get to even value for what they gave up. The only positive is they were able to flip Gose to the Blue Jays for Brett Wallace. Wallace who has already been traded for Matt Holliday and former Philly prospect Michael Taylor in the past 12 months, is a quality 1B prospect. Wallace for Gose is a great deal for the Astros since it gives them not only the higher rated prospect, but the one closest to the majors. Wallace profiles as a solid defensive 1B, who has good plate discipline and 30 HR power. He should be starting for the Astros no later than the beginning of next season, and gives Houston a quality piece to build around for the future.

Blue Jays: Toronto made a bit of a strange move by making the side deal for Gose. Wallace was a top prospect and should have commanded a similar return or could headline a major trade. Gose could profile as a high quality center fielder, but they paid a high price for him. Wallace is basically major league ready and with Lyle Overbay moving on next season (earlier if they trade him), there is a starting spot for Wallace on the Jays. While they have some other nice 1B prospects, none are as good or ready as Wallace. The Blue Jays did seem to be poised to contend by the start of the 2012 season, but now I would begin to question that timeline.

Winner: The Phillies are the big winner in this deal, not only getting Oswalt but getting money in this deal as well. As for the Astros, they soundly lost the Philly portion of this trade, but helped offset that with a big win in the Toronto side of this deal. The Blue Jays made a strange move here selling low on Wallace, who seemed like a major part of their future.

As we await for the news of a Roy Oswalt-Phillies trade, there were a few minor deals completed yesterday:

Tigers Grab Peralta From Division Foe: The Tigers filled their need for an infielder by trading for Indians 3B Jhonny Peralta. The Tigers gave up Low-A pitching prospect Giovanni Soto. The Indians are paying the majority of Peralta’s salary this year, but do save on his buyout for next year. In return they receive a young prospect, who isn’t considered a top guy, but his youth and results work in his favor. The Tigers get Peralta, who at one time was considered a major part of the Indians franchise but has seen his production decline of late. Peralta can still help out a major league lineup and since the Indians are paying the majority of his salary it won’t hurt Detroit’s bottom line.  Tigers win this trade given their need, and lack of giving up a quality prospect.

Dodgers Add Podsednik to Their Outfield: Dodgers added the speedy and versatile Scott Podsednik for C Lucas May (AAA) and RHP Elisaul Pimentel (A-).

Podsednik is having another solid season with a .310/.353/.400 line to go along with 30 stolen bases. He brings average defense, and the versatility to play every outfield position. The thing the Dodgers probably liked the most was his price tag, not in terms of prospects, but in cash. Podsednik is only due another 600K this season and will likely be a Type-B free agent after the end of the year, meaning Los Angeles can recoup a draft pick.

For the Royals, they picked up two solid prospects with for 2 months of Podsednik. Neither is considered a major get, but they add to the depth of their system. Lucas May is the better of the two prospects and could develop into a solid starter. His bat is nearly major league ready, but he just switched to catcher 3 years ago so his defense is still a work in progress. May might be ready by the start of next season as a back up and could make Buck expendable down the line. Pimentel will probably project as a middle reliever by the time he makes it to the show, but he has a couple interesting pitches that get results.

All-in-all it is a solid return for Podsednik who is a nice player, but not really a difference maker. The Dodgers got the outfield depth they need, but really didn’t change their status as the third best team in the N.L. West. They gave up some nice prospects but nothing major so that is good, but they will need to make another move if they hope to cement their playoff chances.

The trade market for Adam Dunn seems to be heating up and yesterday we got an inside look into it what the Nationals are looking for and the possible parameters of a deal. ESPN Chicago’s Bruce Levine heard from sources that the Nationals want RHP Dan Hudson (MLB/AAA) and one of CF Jordan Danks (AAA), 3B Brent Morel (AAA), C Tyler Flowers (AAA) in any deal. Now the question becomes would this deal be enough for the Nationals to move their 40 HR slugger?

I believe the answer to that question is yes with a couple of conditions. One, I believe the White Sox need to pay the entire remaining portion of Dunn’s salary (about $5.5 million). And two, I think the White Sox will need to add a third and possibly fourth piece to this deal, likely nothing of major significance. With at least 5 other teams in the Dunn hunt, I think Chicago will have to increase their offer a little bit.

As for the players we do know, I like Hudson, but think he peaks as a 3rd starter. That being said, he makes a fine centerpiece in the deal for Dunn. He will give the Nats 6 years of team control and he is pretty much ready to pitch in the big leagues today. He isn’t a 100% sure thing, but he should make it in the majors. Hudson should also benefit with a move to the National League and a more neutral ballpark.

As for the other part of the deal, I personally like Tyler Flowers the best, followed by Brent Morel, and then Jordan Danks. All three players have upside, but Flowers is far and away the best fit. Morel is the best pure hitter, a solid defender, and probably just a year away. But his power barely gets by at 3B, and that position won’t be open in D.C. for quite sometime. He isn’t a good fit to move to the outfield or 1B given his lack of power, and would really only make sense to the Nats for prospect depth to trade away.

Danks for me doesn’t make much sense in Washington either, he’s a nice player but has been over-hyped in a weak Chicago system. Yes he plays solid centerfield, but Chicago challenged him too much by starting him off in AAA and it has not worked. He is probably at least 2 years away from heading to the majors and this year’s set back has taken some of the luster off of Danks. If he reaches his upside, he could be a Jim Edmonds out in center, but there aren’t any guarantees. And unless he reaches his full potential he might not be able to crack the Nationals lineup.

For me process of elimination alone makes Flowers the choice, but he is more than just the last man standing among Chicago’s top prospects. Flowers is having a bit of a down year in AAA, yet still has an OPS of .780. Flowers has big time power and solid plate discipline, that should allow his bat to play at the major league level. Also while early in his career there were questions as to whether or not he could stay behind the plate, he has developed into a solid defensive catcher. Flowers is major league ready now and could start splitting time with Pudge Rodriguez (can’t get much better of an apprenticeship than that), and possibly take over for him as a starter some point next season. While the Nats have a good young catching prospect in Derek Norris, he is probably 3 years away and could even help headline a major trade himself in a year or two when the Nats look to add a big time player for a stretch run. Flowers is the best bet for the Nationals given his proximity to the majors and the position he plays, and I would definitely do a Hudson-Flowers deal.

A Hudson-Flowers trade plus 1-2 lower minor league players (likely pitchers) is a good return for 2 months of Adam Dunn, and worth more than the 2 draft picks the Nats would receive in the offseason. While it is still possible another team offers a better young prospect or prospects, a Dunn-White Sox union seems likely.