Seismic shifts for the playoff push

Matt’s Take:

You know that moment when you just shake your head and utter, “that’s not fair.” Well, I had that exact moment when I learned that Dave Dombrowski did it again.

I mean, come on. Why does it seem like the rich only get richer? Dombrowski has just shifted the balance of power in the American League.

I know, the majority of you may not care about Major League Baseball or its trade deadline, but this is the stuff I dream about.

Basically the Detroit Tigers, who had arguably the best starting rotation in the bigs, just laughed in the face of their competitors by trading for the Tampa Bay Rays David Price. They may have just booked their ticket to a World Series title.

Sure, there were some other impressive deadline deals, such as the Red Sox trading for Yoenis Cespedes, who has a heavy bat and a cannon for an arm. But you really have to look at the opposite side of this deal to see who may be a bigger winner than the Tigers.

Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics may have lost Cespedes, but they brought in a proven playoff pitcher in John Lester and a quality outfielder in Jonny Gomes.

It’s World Series or bust for the A’s.

As they say, pitching trumps hitting when it comes to postseason baseball. Add Lester to the A’s solid rotation and they are primed for a run. The only thing standing in their way is Detroit, who may just have the superior rotation.

If this doesn’t get your blood pumping, I don’t know what will.

Andrew’s Take:

You’ve been put on Nerd Alert.

If you REALLY love sports, keep reading. If you’re not sure, give this column a whirl.

The following concerns last week’s Major League Baseball trade deadline. I love this stuff.

We’re in the age of cell phone alerts and updates. I was standing in line at the grocery store when I found out that David Price was going to the Detroit Tigers. When I said, “Woah!” the cashier thought I was critiquing the way she scanned my bananas.

Price has been very vocal (a whiney baby) about the trade possibility. Combine his griping with the recent improved play in Tampa, and I thought the Rays were going to hold on. But Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski made it happen.

And that wasn’t even the biggest surprise of the day. I couldn’t believe that the Oakland Athletics swooped on Jon Lester. When I got up Thursday morning, I didn’t imagine that Oakland was a possible destination for the deadline’s hottest name.

But enough was enough. The A’s have been the young, talented and underpaid contender for a while. It’s time to win. In the playoffs, the pitching of Lester will be more important than the bat of Yoenis Cespedes.

And good for the Boston Red Sox. Lester was probably gone after this season anyways. Why not snag one of the best hitters in baseball while you can?

Tampa is a loser in this situation, though. They were close to contention, and now they’re nowhere close, for years to come.

The biggest losers are the Los Angeles Angels. They have the second best record in baseball and the only team with a better record (Oakland) is leading their division. Why wouldn’t they, with more resources, keep talent out of Northern California?

Now, the Angels are looking at a single-elimination Wild Card game against Felix Hernandez. Stupid.