They always say "10th time's a charm!"

Now that the furor has died down, it is looking more and more like the Willy Mo Pena/Bronson Arroyo trade could be a wash. Despite WMP's gaffe in right that cost them the Tigers game Tuesday, if you look at the numbers, well, take a look:

Bron-Bron: 26GS, 10-8, 3.45ERA, 176H, 68ER in 177.1IP, 26HRs, 41BBs, 138Ks

WMP: 58G, .314, 9HR, 34RBI, 10 2B, 2 3B, 58H in 185ABs, 14BBs, 59Ks, .361OBP, .535SLG

Throw out the fact that the Sox rotation is in disarray (remeber, when Theo's henchmen made the trade the Sox were going 6 deep with starters healthy: Schill, Beckett, Wells, Wake, Clement, Papelbon/Lester/DiNardo...) Also, throw out the fact that Pena missed almost two moths with a wrist injury, and throw in the fact that WMP is hitting moonshots further than Papi and Manny and is looking more & more like Little Papi, and like I said, wash.

Don't get me wrong, I love the hard-partying, crazy-haired rock-n-roller just as much as the next Sox fan; what he did for us in 2004 will never be forgotten, especially when he plunked E-Rod to ignite the infamous 'Tek Face- Shove Brawl. But from a business/team/fan standpoint, this one could go down as a good trade in the long run.

But check back with me in 6 weeks; if Bronson is pitching lights out as the Reds push into the playoffs and WMP makes a season-killing error on the last day of the season to keep the Sox out of it, well opinions change you know.