In the other blockbuster trade yesterday, the Pirates had some fun in a ménage à trois with the Red Sox and the Dodgers. For the first time in a very long time, I don’t even think they’ll be sore and regretful in the morning.

Manny Ramirez went to the Dodgers, Jason Bay went to the Red Sox, while Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Brandon Moss, and Craig Hansen went to the Pirates. LaRoche gives the Pirates the complete set of LaRoche brothers in the Majors, so that’s worth something. I mean, look at how well the Reds did when they had both Boone brothers.

Andy LaRoche was one of the Dodgers best prospects, and every other player obtained is young and more talented than about anyone else in the entire Pirates farm system. So it looks like a competent move to secure the team’s future. Painful? Sure. Bay was good. But I think it’s something that’s been long overdue from the Pirates. Neal Huntington has earned a gold star for his work leading up to the deadline.

Pirates bloggers have mixed opinions.

• Pat at WHYGAS? likes the trade quite a bit and goes so far as to Fire Joe Morgan a Post-Gazette reporter’s opinion on the matter.
• Bucco Blog has the most negative reaction to the trade that I’ve seen, feeling it’s more of the same and that nothing has changed.
• Finally, the Pittsburgh Lumber Company rates the trade as very good, finding it much better than expected. When you’re a Pirates fan, better than expected is a huge win.

Wow. That was an eventful non-waiver trading deadline yesterday, wasn’t it?

Two of the biggest names in baseball changed teams, and both trades involved the NL Central. Of course, big-name, established talent was leaving the NLC, but that’s come to be expected.

As reported here yesterday, Ken Griffey Jr. was traded to the White Sox. Basically this saves the Reds some money and it gives them a couple players who might be useful. That’s more than I expected they could get out of Griffey.

The trade is bittersweet, though. Everyone had high hopes for the Reds when Griffey arrived in 2000, but he never seemed to be the player that people expected. Injuries and getting older were a part of that, as was the incalculable incompetency of the Reds organization. (This trade notwithstanding, the incompetency continues even now. See Dusty Baker.)

The blogger reaction is mixed. Some like it, some don’t. All seem to realize how special of a player he was, though.

• John Fay was stunned but seems to have come around.
• Justin at On Baseball and the Reds thinks the Reds won the trade and offers his usual level-headed analysis.
• And Shawn wishes Griffey well with his new team and offers the frightening Reds future: one with more playing time for Corey Patterson.

Ah, what could have been.