Wait, Wily Mo Pena is on the Mariners?

Wasn’t he the toast of the Arizona Diamondbacks like a minute ago?

Now he is in the Pacific Northwest?

Is there more than one Wily Mo Pena?

Someone get on this.

I hope a contender signs Wes Helms

Call me a sentimental old fluff, but a contender should pick up the recently released Wes Helms. The former Marlin third baseman doesn’t have much in the tank. After 69 games this year, he has any many homers as me. (That would be zero.)

He has no power, his on base skills are non existent and he is under the Mendoza line.

I still don’t get OPS+, but I am sure that 42 isn’t good.

But he has put in 11+ years in the big leagues. He was an Atlanta Brave for years but missed their World Series runs. He was a Phillie and played in the 2007 playoffs but was a Marlin when the Phillies went to back to back World Series.

He’s one of those veterans who has been a nice but not great player for a decade. His career is probably not going to continue in 2012.

But he is also someone who would truly cherish a pennant drive. And you can’t tell me that a veteran like Helms on the bench would HURT!

Every year there is a guy who plays in the post season who gets a garbage time pinch hit at bat or fills in defensively in a blow out that makes me say “Oh man, I forgot he was still cashing a check!”

And every once in a while that player gets to have that elusive ring.

Did you remember Ken Phelps was on the 1989 A’s?

Or Geoff Jenkins on the 2008 Phillies?

Or Todd Hollandsworth on the 2003 Marlins?

Or sometimes that veteran can just be a nice piece to the clubhouse even if they are not active. Royce Clayton “I didn’t get my Taco!” rant was the most memorable part of the 2007 World Series and he didn’t even play!

So come on, contenders. Open your roster. You get to give your third baseman a day off and a nice veteran player can play for one last burst of glory.

Sign Wes Helms.

You’ll thank me later.

How are you liking Toronto, Colby Rasmus?

Colby Rasmus bitched and moaned his way out of one of the great organizations in baseball and playing for arguably the most passionate fans in baseball and a chance to make the post season almost every year.

And his defenders, the same ones who called him an elite player on my blog, kept talking about what a mistake it was for the Cardinals to deal this guy.

The thing you have to realize when you talk about Colby Rasmus is that you always need to talk about NEXT year.

He has played 3 seasons. One of the seasons he had a nice year.

But his POTENTIAL means that next year he will be great!

Not THIS year. Rasmus has stunk the first 2 weeks in Toronto. Freed from LaRussa’s pressure, he has given the Blue Jays fans a .218 AVG, .246 On Base, .345 slugging, a .591 OPS and a 59 OPS+.

All stats than can be described as the technical term “Shitty.”

But NEXT year he will be great!

I’m not talking about 2012. I am talking about NEXT year.

Because when it is 2012, that will be THIS year. And if he has another disappointing season then his defenders will talk about NEXT year… then 2013 will come around and his fans will say “He’s still in his 20s… just wait until NEXT year.”

I am guessing by 2013, Colby will be on a new team every year, each thinking that NEXT year is THIS year.

And I am guessing that the St. Louis Cardinals will be in a World Series soon, not regretting for a second that they let someone else think of NEXT year.