Why July is the Best Month of Baseball

Photo from Sports Day/The Dallas Morning News

Two words: Trade. Deadline.

(Also the All Star Break but whatever.)

Actually the deadline is August 1st this year...

Screw it. July is still the best month of baseball.

(Well October baseball is actually pretty great too...)

Ok. July is the best month of baseball outside the actual playing of baseball.

Obviously this is all my opinion, but I love July. Not for the All Star game because, shock *gasp* I hate the All Star Game. Sure I voted my butt off for the Rangers to be starters. But I hate what the All Star Game is. It's a popularity contest for the fans over a game that means something. One has to go. It's not fun to watch "the best" players take a "break" from the season only to play one game that isn't even "for fun" because a lot kind of rides on the outcome. Whatever.

I like the actual break rather than the game of the All Star week. July is usually when I start to need a break from baseball (never thought I'd think I'd need one of those!) But especially with the last two weeks for the Rangers, it's like the break can't get here soon enough, you start to notice your team desperately needs a few days off after playing 20 games straight multiple times.

So then once the break is here and we're going into the second half of the season, I'm ready for all the trades. I want all of them.

I love to see who gets who and what they had to give up.

When the Rangers got Hamels last year... I remember the excitement like it was yesterday.

Usually I don't even have a list of who I want the Rangers to get, I just see who they get at the tradeline and that's that.

However, this year I've been paying closer attention to who the Rangers have been linked to and have put some thought into it.

Obviously the Rangers need pitching, I can't really imagine them focusing on anything else at the trade deadline. That being said, I haven't joined the "Rangers should get Lucroy" bandwagon. I don't see catching being the priority. And I don't know much about Lucroy so I'm sure I could be swayed eventually.

Now pitching.

If the Rangers could get any ace, like the Rangers won the baseball lottery and could just take any one pitcher, it would definitely be Greinke. (Dang it. Forgot Kershaw.)

If the Rangers could get any ace, like the Rangers won the baseball lottery and could just take any one two pitchers, it would definitely be Greinke and Kershaw. (Crap. Fernandez is out there.)

If the Rangers could get any ace, like the Rangers won the baseball lottery and could just take any onetwo three pitchers, it would definitely be Greinke and Kershaw and Jose Fernandez.

Clearly that's not happening.

So my trade deadline wishlist: Jake Odorizzi, Chris Archer, and Andrew Miller.

Rangers could do with another bullpen arm, and obviously the Yankees would be the first stop for a bullpen arm. I wouldn't mind if the Rangers got Miller or Betances. But Miller is the name I've heard the most in relation to the Rangers and his ERA is lower, so he gets my vote.

Jake Odorizzi has been the name I've seen tossed out the most in regards to starting pitching. I'll be honest, I don't know much about him. But what I've heard sounds promising.

Now Chris Archer is who I really want. If the Rangers can only pick between Odorizzi and Archer, I vote Archer. His contract is good, he seems to have a great clubhouse attitude (which is always important) and from what I've heard and seen, he could easily be the number 3 starter. Hell he could probably be number 2 in the rotation if Darvish isn't healthy or back to full speed.

Pitchers I don't want: Ervin Santana

Plain and simple? His contract is too high for what he's doing. Rangers don't need another contract that's too big for what a player is doing.

Pitchers I keep going back and forth on: Sonny Gray

If the Rangers get Gray, everyone says "they'll have to trade a lot for him." This is why I'm on the fence. What exactly is "a lot?" Gallo and Chi Chi? Eh I'm actually ok with giving up Gallo and I think I could be ok with Chi Chi. I would think one more prospect added to it? But who? That is what I need to know before I fully commit to trade or not to trade.

Profar and Mazara are on my no trade list. So if they become a must for the trade for Gray, I'll put in a hard pass.

Sure Rangers have a deep farm system. But just remember, they gave up quite a few for Hamels last year. Just because you have a big farm system, doesn't mean you can or want to whittle it down to nothing.

Bottom line: July is the best month of baseball. For those times during the month that has nothing to do with baseball actually being played. Maybe some people feel this way about the draft, excited to see who the Rangers get. I look forward to the trade deadline because that's the immediate help. That's what is going to make or break the current season.

I would really like to see the Rangers make a big move. Or slightly big. Get a starting pitcher. Or bullpen. Just make a move that will get the Rangers through October baseball.

Of course I have no sway in this, JD doesn't care what I think or read my blog. 

But just in case... Hey JD! Lovethat Desmond signing!