Good morning and Happy Wednesday Wisdom Y'all! With this week being so much highlights in the sports world we have some wonderful questions that you the viewers have asked. In just the last 12 hours not only did we have a blockbuster trade in the NBA, but we had one in MLB as well. So with that being said, let's jump right into the mailbag for this week.
1) What are your thoughts on the trade that sent Joc Pederson from the Dodgers to the Angels? Sam H. Anaheim, CA
I will tell you the one thing the Angels have had over the last few years is hitting and the pitching lacks. With the moves the Angels have made this offseason if their pitching doesn't remain healthy it really won't matter. This has been the problem for the last 4 years or so they have a wonderful lineup on paper but their pitching staff can't remain healthy. The difference this year is with manager Joe Maddon on board you can bet the offseason will be more aligned with their pitchers staying healthy. My guess is with all the shakeup of the AL West after the Astros fiasco the Angels if they remain healthy on the pitching end will end up winning the division. Worse case scenario I see for them is a wild-card spot.
2) What are the Boston Red Sox thinking trading Price and Betts to the Dodgers for Verdugo and Brusdar Graterol? Adam F. Boston, MA
For those of you who may not know a trade happened overnight that will send Mookie Betts and David Price and cash consideration to the Dodgers in exchange for Alex Verdugo and Brusdar Graterol(via Minnesota) and send Kenta Maeda to the Twins. The Boston Red Sox have been long rumored to be wanting to shed payroll and my best guess is that this is for the future. While the Red Sox got two wonderful young players the Dodgers in my opinion lost this deal. You see the Red Sox get controllable young players and the Dodgers get the contract of David Price(who was another disappointing contract at times) and Betts. What the Dodgers are playing for is now and with the moves they've made they are sending the statement that they are in win-now mode. They really don't know how much longer Kershaw will hold up and Price well is good at times and bad at others. Sometimes for players to perform all it takes is a change of scenery. But don't count your chickens before they hatch because to be honest with you the young players the Red Sox got in return will fill the void for years to come.
3) What are your thoughts on the blockbuster trade that went down in the NBA last night? Chloe C. Spring, TX
This was the other blockbuster trade that happened recently this time in the NBA. This being the largest trade since the Patrick Ewing trade in 2000. The trade was a four team trade that involved the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets. In this mega-deal this is what the following teams acquired: Houston Rockets acquire F Robert Covington, F Jordan Bell, and Hawks 2024 second-round draft pick(via Warriors). The Atlanta Hawks acquire: C Clint Capela and C Nene. The Minnesota Timberwolves acquire: F Jarred Vanderbilt, F Juancho Hernangomez, F Evan Turner, G Malik Beasley, and Hawks 2020 first-round pick(via Nets). The Denver Nuggets acquire: G Gerald Green, G Shabazz Napier, F Noah Vonleh, F Keita Bates-Dope, and Rockets 2020 first-round pick.
Now that I have that out of the way let's look at the question at hand. This is a pretty good deal on all ends of the floor to be honest with you. With the Rockets they receive a player that fits well with their playset and could very well boaster them for a deep run in the playoffs. However, I don't think this is enough for them to get past the LA Lakers. While this is a wonderful trade for the Rockets I really see them not getting past the 2nd round of the playoffs. This has a lot to do with the fact that you have two ballhogs on the team by the name of Harden and Westbrook. This will be their fall heading into the playoffs and it is a many teams fall
: ARROGANCE.
4) What could happen if the Dallas Cowboys franchise tag Dak Prescott? Rena S. Plano, TX
It isn't a matter of what could happen but rather a matter of what will happen. Dak Prescott holds out during the offseason and preseason games the way Ezekiel Elliot did. This is where it gets dicey though. I could really see this going many ways. One is Dak holds out after getting franchised tagged and the Cowboys look for a suitor that will provide a first round pick. There are a few QB's out there in the first round but my best guess is the Cowboys look for a deal for a first round pick and then draft Joe Burrow from LSU. They then have money to resign Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb and have Burrow taking the reigns in Dallas. I don't see holdouts being a good thing for Dak though. While McCarthy has expressed interest and said Dak is the Cowboys QB of the future I don't think he will take kindly to a holdout. Now for the best case scenario: Dak while franchise tagged still plays and gets a new contract within the first 4 weeks of the regular season next year.
5) Do you think Andy Reid finally got a monkey off his back by winning the Superbowl? Kevin D. Salina, KS
Absolutely. Through the first two and a half quarters of the Superbowl that monkey looked to be alive and well, however, with the cool calm and collected Patrick Mahomes(who btw is the first QB to win the Superbowl from a Texas college, congrats Red Raider fans) things started to look up about midway through the third quarter. I have to tell you one of the biggest things that I admire about Mahomes is the fact that he never played in any big bowl games in college, but through hard work and determination he won the Superbowl. Reid will have that monkey off his back for a couple of more years or as long as Mahomes is around. That's pretty much a guarantee.
With that, that is this week's installment of Wacky Wednesday Wisdom. Remember you too can be a part of the show if you just ask questions. Also, just a heads up that tonight we will not be heard on Lime City Radio Network as everyone here has been sick lately. Thanks again for the likes and follows until next week. HAPPY WACKY WEDNESDAY!