With the Rays season all but over...

[Joe]

Who do we trade? I say trade Shields while the iron is hot. The guy has a massive contract the next few seasons.

[Danm1983]

Barring Shields' performance last night, he's been having a great season.

I think the Rays are already shopping him and Upton. The Rays do not look like they have a shot, and they're already using a six man starting rotation, so getting rid of Shields is only going to get Cobb some more pitching time.

I thought they would wait, but being this seems to be the end for their 2011 hopes, they will probably get more value for him now than they would at the end of the year since there are contenders out there who need him.

[Matt]

i wouldnt day the season is over yet.  we can still try to catch the wild card.  there are a lot of games in the AL East left.  red sox play yankees a lot and we play both a lot.

shields isnt going to get traded cause no one will pay the high asking price. 

upton will and should get traded.

[Joe]

Someone could shell out for Shields. He's got 3 years left a money well above what someone of his consistency should make. If the Rays get a good offer they gotta take it.

As for Upton, does anyone really want him?

And the wildcard? We're 8 back with 2 teams in front of us and another on our heels. There is still a shot, but I don't see the Yankees giving up an 8 game lead.

[Matt]

anything can happen and the yankees pitching staff is mediocore at best....after C.C. there isn't a lot left. 

Burnett is sporatic

Colon will fade off

Hughes has been bad

The red sox will continue to run away with the division i think and hopefully beat up on the yankees in their path.  we have just had a bad 2 week stretch.  similar to the way we started the season. 

if we can get back on track, get a few sweeps we can be right back in this thing.  all we reallly need to do is shrink the wild card lead from 8 games to 3 games by the start of sept.

[Joe]

Matt you're taking the Angels out of the equation. And the Rays have 56 games to make up 8 1/2 games it's borderline impossible. Yes there is a shot at catching up, but you have to weigh the risk.

Right now Shields is having his best year since '08. Trade him and his massive contract, because that 5.18 ERA is still there.

Just saying.

[Bullshiznitz]

I'm really not sure how you're getting that Shields has a "massive" contract, nor that he is a highly inconsistent pitcher.  One, Shields has one of the most team friendly contracts in all of baseball.  At $7, $9 and $13 million over the next three years, with all three being team options.  Even at $13 million, that is well below his market value.  Now at $13 million he's probably out of the Rays price range, but $7 and $9 are still within their range for a pitcher of Shields caliber. 

And in regards to his inconsistency, he's been a full time starter for 5 years now.  4 of those years he's had an ERA under 4.15, all 5 years he will have pitched 200+ innings.  His one down year wasn't due to inconsistency nor him regressing, rather than some EXTREMELY bad luck.  His BABIP went from .282, .287, .308 to jumping all the way up to .341 last year.  His xFIPs have been very consistent in those five years .365, .387, .385, .355 down to .311 this year. 

Shields is top of the line #2 SP, with peak cababilities of a true ace.  At $7 and $9 million, that is a gargantuan steal. 

Now that doesn't necessarily mean we don't trade him, but you better get a deal of at minimum what we got for Garza, if not exceeding that, and very few teams will pony up that price. 

[Matt]

Rays have 56 games to make up 8 1/2 games it's borderline impossible.

2 years ago the Phillies made up 6 games in less than 3 weeks

[flsportsfan83]

Rays have 56 games to make up 8 1/2 games it's borderline impossible.

2 years ago the Phillies made up 6 games in less than 3 weeks

That was the biggest choke job in history. I loved watching the Mets fail.

[Joe]

We're now at 9.5.

Shields is a solid pitcher, but we might have received something in return. He's Probably not in our long terms plans.

Maybe this offseason.