The Red Sox want to get rid of Lugo.
Really, really badly, apparently. He has not put up great numbers, batting just .251 with 10 HR and 103 RBI since joining the Red Sox in 2007. His OBP of .319 would make an impressive batting average. Nick Green, the eternal utility man, has proved more valuable to the Red Sox this year than Lugo. So, who could use an essentially free player at SS?
The Oakland Athletics
The Athletics are a good choice for Lugo because Billy Beane emphasizes money ball, and having a player he doesn't have to pay will suit his penny pinching ways. He'd be a good backup to Orlando Cabrera. At least, he'd be better than Bobby Crosby, who is hitting just over his weight at .210 right now. And nothing says backup light treading the Mendoza Line.
The Philadelphia Phillies
Jimmy Rollins has had a bad year offensively. That, and his backup (notice a pattern here for Lugo?), Eric Bruntlett, is hitting an astounding .139. Citizens Bank Park is a hitters park, and the move could help Lugo put up numbers like he saw in Tampa Bay in 2006. That, and the Phillies are in the habit of signing players past their prime.
The Colorado Rockies
The Rockies are invested in Troy Tulowitzki, and understandably so: he is 25 in October, and has much potential. His backup, Omar Quintinilla (I am not counting Clint Barmes, as he is starting at second), is just plain not performing. Colorado has long been a place where hitters have thrived. Matt Holliday is a prime example, having put up good power numbers in his final three seasons there, before having the power drained by a move to Oakland.
The New York Mets
The Mets are hurting. Literally. Injuries to Delgado, Beltran, and Reyes have left them with David Wright as their man offensive production. Lugo could help the team out down the stretch, and provide a veteran presence trying to contend for the playoffs against the Phillies, as he has been to the playoffs before with the RedSox and the Dodgers.
Anyone have any suggestions as to wear Lugo could end up?
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
All Star Voting
Your Rosters, courtesy of MLB
And, what would rosters be without breaking them down?
American League
C - Joe Mauer
Mauer's third All Star selection in four years. He is the best offensive catcher in the American League beyond a shadow of a doubt, possibly all of baseball. His numbers this year are ridiculous. He's hitting .390 with 14 HR and 45 RBIs.
1B - Mark Teixeira
I wonder if Alex Rodriguez will get an invite as well? Teix has been good this year, but he really started turning his numbers around once Rodriguez returned and started hitting behind him to offer protection.
2B - Dustin Pedroia
Boo. I blame the fans in Boston for letting someone who has an average of .285 with 2 HR, 35 RBIs, and an OBP of .365 start the All Star game. For comparison, someone more deserving to start, Aaron Hill, of the Blue Jays, is hitting .297 with 19 HR, 56 RBI, and an OBP of .338. Or Ian Kinsler, who has 19 HR, 51 RBI, and an OBP of .333. Either are more deserving this year.
3B - Evan Longoria
Longoria makes his second consecutive trip, and deservedly so with an OPS of .925. Longoria is definitely among the top third baseman in the game today, and is the face of the Rays franchise.
SS - Derek Jeter
Jeter will make his 10th All Star appearence this year, this season he is hitting .308 so far with 9 HR and 32 RBI. Jason Bartlett is, by the numbers, more deserving of a start, hitting .362 with 8 HR and 37 RBI, not to mention a ridiculous OPS of .969.
OF - Jason Bay, Ichiro Suzuki, and Josh Hamilton
Hamilton? Really? The man has played 35 games this year, and isn't even doing that well, hitting only .240 with 6 HR in those games. We all remember the show he put on at last year's home run derby, which is the main reason why he got voted in: so we could see him compete again. Jason Bay deserves his selection, as he has shown power in Boston. Ichiro makes his 9th consecutive All Star appearence, putting up his usual Ichirio numbers.
National League
C - Yadier Molina
Boo. Name-that-Molina is only starting because the game is in St. Louis. Brian McCann should be starting, as he has put up better numbers in fewer games.
1B - Albert Pujols
The eighth appearence in nine years for Pujols. What else can be said about him. He's on pace to hit 62 HR this year. Let's all hope he can hit a certain number...say, 74? And bring back glory to the single season home run record. Hell, I'll even take 62.
2B - Chase Utley
The fourth consecutive appearence for Utley, he is one of the premier second basemen in the game today, and is arguably the best second baseman in the National League, both offensively, and defensively.
3B - David Wright
The only good thing that came out of Mike Hampton deserves a lot of credit. He's been doing well this season despite injuries to many of the Mets. As much as it pains me to say this, he does deserve this selection.
SS - Hanley Ramirez
HanRam will be 26 in Decemeber, and is already a two time All Star. He is a phenomenal shortstop and is the best all around player in the game today.
OF - Carlos Beltran, Raul Ibanez, and Ryan Braun
Really? Beltran? He's injured. Ibanez has had a career year in Philly. Braun is Braun, and is the starter in the OF by default. Alfonso Soriano is likely to replace Beltran.
There will be more analysis to come later, specifically, the starting pitching.
And, what would rosters be without breaking them down?
American League
C - Joe Mauer
Mauer's third All Star selection in four years. He is the best offensive catcher in the American League beyond a shadow of a doubt, possibly all of baseball. His numbers this year are ridiculous. He's hitting .390 with 14 HR and 45 RBIs.
1B - Mark Teixeira
I wonder if Alex Rodriguez will get an invite as well? Teix has been good this year, but he really started turning his numbers around once Rodriguez returned and started hitting behind him to offer protection.
2B - Dustin Pedroia
Boo. I blame the fans in Boston for letting someone who has an average of .285 with 2 HR, 35 RBIs, and an OBP of .365 start the All Star game. For comparison, someone more deserving to start, Aaron Hill, of the Blue Jays, is hitting .297 with 19 HR, 56 RBI, and an OBP of .338. Or Ian Kinsler, who has 19 HR, 51 RBI, and an OBP of .333. Either are more deserving this year.
3B - Evan Longoria
Longoria makes his second consecutive trip, and deservedly so with an OPS of .925. Longoria is definitely among the top third baseman in the game today, and is the face of the Rays franchise.
SS - Derek Jeter
Jeter will make his 10th All Star appearence this year, this season he is hitting .308 so far with 9 HR and 32 RBI. Jason Bartlett is, by the numbers, more deserving of a start, hitting .362 with 8 HR and 37 RBI, not to mention a ridiculous OPS of .969.
OF - Jason Bay, Ichiro Suzuki, and Josh Hamilton
Hamilton? Really? The man has played 35 games this year, and isn't even doing that well, hitting only .240 with 6 HR in those games. We all remember the show he put on at last year's home run derby, which is the main reason why he got voted in: so we could see him compete again. Jason Bay deserves his selection, as he has shown power in Boston. Ichiro makes his 9th consecutive All Star appearence, putting up his usual Ichirio numbers.
National League
C - Yadier Molina
Boo. Name-that-Molina is only starting because the game is in St. Louis. Brian McCann should be starting, as he has put up better numbers in fewer games.
1B - Albert Pujols
The eighth appearence in nine years for Pujols. What else can be said about him. He's on pace to hit 62 HR this year. Let's all hope he can hit a certain number...say, 74? And bring back glory to the single season home run record. Hell, I'll even take 62.
2B - Chase Utley
The fourth consecutive appearence for Utley, he is one of the premier second basemen in the game today, and is arguably the best second baseman in the National League, both offensively, and defensively.
3B - David Wright
The only good thing that came out of Mike Hampton deserves a lot of credit. He's been doing well this season despite injuries to many of the Mets. As much as it pains me to say this, he does deserve this selection.
SS - Hanley Ramirez
HanRam will be 26 in Decemeber, and is already a two time All Star. He is a phenomenal shortstop and is the best all around player in the game today.
OF - Carlos Beltran, Raul Ibanez, and Ryan Braun
Really? Beltran? He's injured. Ibanez has had a career year in Philly. Braun is Braun, and is the starter in the OF by default. Alfonso Soriano is likely to replace Beltran.
There will be more analysis to come later, specifically, the starting pitching.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Toronto Blue Jays: A Pitcher's Worst Nightmare
No, I don't meant that because they hit well. I mean that because they tend to injure arms. A lot. Here is a sampling of injuries that have taken place since 2006 to pitchers wearing a Toronto uniform.
Shaun Marcum: Marcum had a stellar start to his 2008 season before he suffered a dreaded arm injury. Marcum attempted to come back from it, only to suffer elbow pain and fall victim to the dreaded Tommy John surgery. He was 26 at the time of his injury, and is due back late this season.
Dustin McGowan: McGowan showed much promise and poise in the 2007 season, throwing 18 quality starts. Having a mid-90s fastball, he was seen as a great pitcher with a bright future. However, in 2008, he suffered fraying in his labrum, which is the ring of cartilidge around the edge of the shoulder. McGowan would undergo surgery. He has yet to pitch in 2009, and rotoworld reports that his career may be in jeopardy. He, too, was 26 at the time of his injury.
Casey Janssen: Janssen went 2-3 with a 2.35 ERA, six saves, a WHIP of 1.197, and a modest 4.8 Ks per 9 pitched Janssen would go on to miss all of 2008 with a torn labrum (He was 26 at the time of his injury). Janssen finally returned in May of 2009, and hasn't been the same since. His ERA has skyrocketed to 6.23, and his Ks per 9 has diminished to 3.8 while his WHIP has skyrocketed to 1.808.
B.J. Ryan: Ryan had a phenomenal 2005, making the All Star team (for the Orioles), and having an ERA of 2.43 while collecting 36 saves. That off season, he signed with the Blue Jays for a record five year, 47 million dollar deal. He certainly showed that he earned it in 2006, making a trip to the All Star game while recording a miniscule ERA of 1.37 and inceasing his saves total to 38. Then, it all went downhill. In 2007, Ryan underwent Tommy John surgery. In 2008, Ryan returned, recording 32 saves. However, Ryan returned to the DL in 2009, and lost the closers job to Scott Downs. Ryan was 31 at the time of his TJ surgery. Speaking of which...
Scott Downs: Scott Downs is currently on the DL with a sprained left toe that he sustained while running out a grounder. While this isn't a pitching sustained injury, it is still something that could have been avoided if management had made a better decision and not risked their closer to batting and running in a National League ballpark. Downs was 33 at the time of his injury.
Jesse Litsch: Litsch showed much promise in 2008, going 13-9 with a 3.58 ERA in 176 IP. He started off poorly in 2009, throwing only nine innings and giving up nine earned runs. He did have eight strikeouts, though. Litsch is currently done for the season, falling victim to the dreaded Tommy John surgery. He was 24 at the time of his injury.
Ricky Romero: Romero showed poise in his first few starts, before falling on the DL. Now, some of you may call this a cheap inclusion, since he strained his oblique while sneezing. But I felt I had to include it for the shear comedy of it. He, too, was 24 at the time of his injury.
Why is all of this relevant? BlueJays' ace Harry LeRoy Halladay is on the DL with a pulled groin. He's only been on the DL twice in his career for pitching-related injures (both in 2004, with his shoulder. I do not count his appendectomy in 2005). I think that Halladay's recent injury may be only the beginning for the Jays' ace.
In fairness, most of these injuries (we won't really count Ryan and Downs) have occurred in 2008 or 2009. What changed in Toronto? John Gibbons was manager until June 20, 2008. He can take credit for possibly overworking the young arms (Marcum threw 159 innings in 2007 and 151 and a third in 2008, Litsch threw 176 innings in 2008 at the tender age of 23, and McGowan threw 169.2 innings in 2007 and 111 and a third in 2008). Perhaps Cito Gaston, manager of the 92 and 93 World Series winning Blue Jays can right the ship. Or at least not be known as CITO: DESTROYER OF PITCHERS.
Shaun Marcum: Marcum had a stellar start to his 2008 season before he suffered a dreaded arm injury. Marcum attempted to come back from it, only to suffer elbow pain and fall victim to the dreaded Tommy John surgery. He was 26 at the time of his injury, and is due back late this season.
Dustin McGowan: McGowan showed much promise and poise in the 2007 season, throwing 18 quality starts. Having a mid-90s fastball, he was seen as a great pitcher with a bright future. However, in 2008, he suffered fraying in his labrum, which is the ring of cartilidge around the edge of the shoulder. McGowan would undergo surgery. He has yet to pitch in 2009, and rotoworld reports that his career may be in jeopardy. He, too, was 26 at the time of his injury.
Casey Janssen: Janssen went 2-3 with a 2.35 ERA, six saves, a WHIP of 1.197, and a modest 4.8 Ks per 9 pitched Janssen would go on to miss all of 2008 with a torn labrum (He was 26 at the time of his injury). Janssen finally returned in May of 2009, and hasn't been the same since. His ERA has skyrocketed to 6.23, and his Ks per 9 has diminished to 3.8 while his WHIP has skyrocketed to 1.808.
B.J. Ryan: Ryan had a phenomenal 2005, making the All Star team (for the Orioles), and having an ERA of 2.43 while collecting 36 saves. That off season, he signed with the Blue Jays for a record five year, 47 million dollar deal. He certainly showed that he earned it in 2006, making a trip to the All Star game while recording a miniscule ERA of 1.37 and inceasing his saves total to 38. Then, it all went downhill. In 2007, Ryan underwent Tommy John surgery. In 2008, Ryan returned, recording 32 saves. However, Ryan returned to the DL in 2009, and lost the closers job to Scott Downs. Ryan was 31 at the time of his TJ surgery. Speaking of which...
Scott Downs: Scott Downs is currently on the DL with a sprained left toe that he sustained while running out a grounder. While this isn't a pitching sustained injury, it is still something that could have been avoided if management had made a better decision and not risked their closer to batting and running in a National League ballpark. Downs was 33 at the time of his injury.
Jesse Litsch: Litsch showed much promise in 2008, going 13-9 with a 3.58 ERA in 176 IP. He started off poorly in 2009, throwing only nine innings and giving up nine earned runs. He did have eight strikeouts, though. Litsch is currently done for the season, falling victim to the dreaded Tommy John surgery. He was 24 at the time of his injury.
Ricky Romero: Romero showed poise in his first few starts, before falling on the DL. Now, some of you may call this a cheap inclusion, since he strained his oblique while sneezing. But I felt I had to include it for the shear comedy of it. He, too, was 24 at the time of his injury.
Why is all of this relevant? BlueJays' ace Harry LeRoy Halladay is on the DL with a pulled groin. He's only been on the DL twice in his career for pitching-related injures (both in 2004, with his shoulder. I do not count his appendectomy in 2005). I think that Halladay's recent injury may be only the beginning for the Jays' ace.
In fairness, most of these injuries (we won't really count Ryan and Downs) have occurred in 2008 or 2009. What changed in Toronto? John Gibbons was manager until June 20, 2008. He can take credit for possibly overworking the young arms (Marcum threw 159 innings in 2007 and 151 and a third in 2008, Litsch threw 176 innings in 2008 at the tender age of 23, and McGowan threw 169.2 innings in 2007 and 111 and a third in 2008). Perhaps Cito Gaston, manager of the 92 and 93 World Series winning Blue Jays can right the ship. Or at least not be known as CITO: DESTROYER OF PITCHERS.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sammy Sosa tested positive for Steroids
This is a little belated, but I'm sure you've all heard the news by now.
This comes as a shock to no one, as it was long rumored that Sosa did steroids in the 90s. Perhaps the most damning evidence of this was the fact that he fell off drastically in 2004 (when steroid testing began) and didn't reclaim the glory that he once had in the late 90s. In 2004, his OPS fell below .900 for the first time since 1997, the season before he fought with McGwire to break Roger Maris' seemingly untouchable record of 61 home runs in one season.
In his final seasons (2004, 2005, 2007), Sosa hit just 70 home runs, a huge drop off from earlier in his career (remember, he did hit 60+ home runs 3 times in his career, and is currently the only player to do so).
The biggest impact, since Sosa is now retired, is that he probably will not make the hall of fame as a result of this "revelation". However, before I make any definitive judgements on this, I am waiting until Palmeiro goes up for the vote, as he should be the perfect litmus test for the steroid era.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Braves Release Glavine
You all have heard by now. The Braves released Tom Glavine. I for one, am not happy.
This was done as a clear money-saving move by Frank Wren. Tom Glavine pitched well in what was supposed to be his final rehab start. Granted, his velocity is down, but that happens with age. Greg Maddux made a career of pitching in the mid 80s, and right now, Frank Wren is telling me that Tom Glavine can't do it.
Tom Glavine, for all he's done for the Braves, deserves better than this. He deserves the chance to prove himself at the major league level once more. Frank Wren refuses to face facts and admit that the Braves are not contenders this year. Tom Glavine in the rotation is something he deserves. Not only that, but Tom Glavine is a veteran presence and could help younger guys, like Medlen and Hanson mature. Even if he couldn't be effective as a starter, he still is a clubhouse presence. At least offer him the chance to remain with the Braves as a coach.
This move comes as no surprise, given how Frank Wren treated Smoltz in the offseason. Ultimately, the man is a horrid GM given his lack of respect for veteran players.
This was done as a clear money-saving move by Frank Wren. Tom Glavine pitched well in what was supposed to be his final rehab start. Granted, his velocity is down, but that happens with age. Greg Maddux made a career of pitching in the mid 80s, and right now, Frank Wren is telling me that Tom Glavine can't do it.
Tom Glavine, for all he's done for the Braves, deserves better than this. He deserves the chance to prove himself at the major league level once more. Frank Wren refuses to face facts and admit that the Braves are not contenders this year. Tom Glavine in the rotation is something he deserves. Not only that, but Tom Glavine is a veteran presence and could help younger guys, like Medlen and Hanson mature. Even if he couldn't be effective as a starter, he still is a clubhouse presence. At least offer him the chance to remain with the Braves as a coach.
This move comes as no surprise, given how Frank Wren treated Smoltz in the offseason. Ultimately, the man is a horrid GM given his lack of respect for veteran players.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Juan Pierre
Juan Pierre is currently filling in for Manny Ramirez out in LA.
So far this season he has done an admirable job so far, hitting .419 in 74 at-bats with 12 RBIs. Now, those are nowhere near Manny numbers (.348 in 92 at bats with 6 HRs and 20 RBIs). Comparatively, Pierre has one RBI every 6.17 at bats. Manny, at the time of his suspension, has one RBI every 4.6 at-bats.
This is immensely good news for the Dodgers, as it gives them outfield depth with Pierre. Additionally, he can be a trade candidate when Manny comes back late June early July. Oakland and Atlanta are two possible destinations for the 31 year old outfielder, who will turn 32 in August.
Atlanta- The Braves outfield is in shambles. Jeff Francoeur's new swing has not helped his approach, and Jordan Schafer looks like he could still use some seasoning in the minors. The Braves are only 2.5 out right now, and if the NL East doesn't improve, it looks like the Braves could be contenders come July. Don't be surprised if the Braves give up some pitching depth in return for the speedy outfielder.
Oakland- Matt Holiday is lacking power in Oakland, and is already a trade-deadline candidate as it is. Billy Beane loves moneyball, and could give up Holliday in return for Pierre and some Dodgers prospects. This would be a "win now" move for the Dodgers, and give Billy Beane even more proof that while moneyball gives him a low salary cap, it still doesn't give him that all important World Series ring.
So far this season he has done an admirable job so far, hitting .419 in 74 at-bats with 12 RBIs. Now, those are nowhere near Manny numbers (.348 in 92 at bats with 6 HRs and 20 RBIs). Comparatively, Pierre has one RBI every 6.17 at bats. Manny, at the time of his suspension, has one RBI every 4.6 at-bats.
This is immensely good news for the Dodgers, as it gives them outfield depth with Pierre. Additionally, he can be a trade candidate when Manny comes back late June early July. Oakland and Atlanta are two possible destinations for the 31 year old outfielder, who will turn 32 in August.
Atlanta- The Braves outfield is in shambles. Jeff Francoeur's new swing has not helped his approach, and Jordan Schafer looks like he could still use some seasoning in the minors. The Braves are only 2.5 out right now, and if the NL East doesn't improve, it looks like the Braves could be contenders come July. Don't be surprised if the Braves give up some pitching depth in return for the speedy outfielder.
Oakland- Matt Holiday is lacking power in Oakland, and is already a trade-deadline candidate as it is. Billy Beane loves moneyball, and could give up Holliday in return for Pierre and some Dodgers prospects. This would be a "win now" move for the Dodgers, and give Billy Beane even more proof that while moneyball gives him a low salary cap, it still doesn't give him that all important World Series ring.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Manny took PEDs
Manny Ramirez will be suspended for 50 games for a positive PED test.
I guess PED's don't improve your attitude?
This recent test makes one wonder how much the RedSox knew before trading away ManRam in the 11th hour last July. ManRam has always been one of the best hitters in baseball, tearing it up last season for the Dodgers with an aubsurdly high OBP of .489 and an OPS of 1.232 and an obscene 53 RBIs in 53 games.
This will unfortunately taint ManRam's record as a player, as he would have been a first ballot hall of famer without a doubt. This news comes at a good time for the Dodgers, though. The NL West is a weaker division, and the Dodgers have been untouchable at home and have a 6.5 game lead above the second-place Giants. (For the record, the next largest lead a first place team has is 2 games, held by the Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Royals.) This will put a return for ManRam sometime in late June to early July. He will in all liklihood miss the All Star game for the first time since 1997.
I guess PED's don't improve your attitude?
This recent test makes one wonder how much the RedSox knew before trading away ManRam in the 11th hour last July. ManRam has always been one of the best hitters in baseball, tearing it up last season for the Dodgers with an aubsurdly high OBP of .489 and an OPS of 1.232 and an obscene 53 RBIs in 53 games.
This will unfortunately taint ManRam's record as a player, as he would have been a first ballot hall of famer without a doubt. This news comes at a good time for the Dodgers, though. The NL West is a weaker division, and the Dodgers have been untouchable at home and have a 6.5 game lead above the second-place Giants. (For the record, the next largest lead a first place team has is 2 games, held by the Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Royals.) This will put a return for ManRam sometime in late June to early July. He will in all liklihood miss the All Star game for the first time since 1997.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Hypothetical Trades
It's getting towards the end of April, and the season is off a good start. Now that May is looming, trade talks will slowly build around certain players. As such, I am going to explore some trades, from the absurd to the not so absurd and discuss the ramifications of each.
Clay Buchholz for Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
This trade makes a lot of sense for the RedSox. There is no doubt that Varitek has seen better days. If the RedSox still had Kelly Shoppach, this would not be an issue. The Rangers get some much needed pitching help, and the RedSox get a dual-position player with a high upside. Not only that, but Saltalamacchia has said in an interview that he would like to play for the RedSox.
However, I don't think that this trade will ever happen. Last year would have made a lot of sense given the Rangers' depth at catcher. Now, the Rangers have Salty and Teagarden, the latter is better for defense, and the former, for offense.
Stephen Drew and Jarrod Parker for Cliff Lee
Earlier in the week there was discussion of the possibility of a Cliff Lee trade this season. If the Indians wanted a repeat of the CC Sabathia trade, then this would be the best case scenario. The Indians need a SS, and Stephen Drew could fulfill that. If Lee were to be traded, it would have to be to the NL. After a rough first two starts, Lee has put together back to back quality starts, both with pitch counts above 100. There is no doubt he is putting on a decent amount of mileage on his arm, and a move to the NL might help reduce that.
For the Diamondbacks, this trade makes sense because Webb is gone for 6 weeks at least. Danny Haren has been nothing but phenomenal so far, but he can't be this good all the time and needs a solid number one in front of him.
The Diamondbacks don't really have a good backup at shortstop, so it would be difficult for them to part with Stephen Drew.
Jarrod Parker is the top prospect in the Diamondbacks organization, ranked #29 overall by Baseball America, and will undoubtedly draw interest from many teams if he ever becomes available.
Andruw Jones for Ian Kennedy
Ian Kennedy's stock has fallen far. Andruw Jones, in his limited playing time, has done well, getting nine hits in nineteen at-bats (as of this writing). The Yankees get even more OF depth to help out while Nady is on the DL, whose return won't be for another 4 weeks at the earliest, probably five weeks after a rehab assignment to AAA Scanton-Wilkes Barre.
The Rangers, once again, get pitching help. A move to the south definitely would help Ian Kennedy, who isn't really fit for the atmosphere of the Bronx. He's been amazing in the minors, but can't seem to translate that into Major League success. The easier NL West definitely would help him, as would the dimensions of the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
This trade probably won't happen. Kennedy was high on Kennedy when Johan was on the block, and Andruw Jones isn't nearly as good or as needed as Johan was in the Bronx. The Yankees still hope that he can find major league success.
Clay Buchholz for Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
This trade makes a lot of sense for the RedSox. There is no doubt that Varitek has seen better days. If the RedSox still had Kelly Shoppach, this would not be an issue. The Rangers get some much needed pitching help, and the RedSox get a dual-position player with a high upside. Not only that, but Saltalamacchia has said in an interview that he would like to play for the RedSox.
However, I don't think that this trade will ever happen. Last year would have made a lot of sense given the Rangers' depth at catcher. Now, the Rangers have Salty and Teagarden, the latter is better for defense, and the former, for offense.
Stephen Drew and Jarrod Parker for Cliff Lee
Earlier in the week there was discussion of the possibility of a Cliff Lee trade this season. If the Indians wanted a repeat of the CC Sabathia trade, then this would be the best case scenario. The Indians need a SS, and Stephen Drew could fulfill that. If Lee were to be traded, it would have to be to the NL. After a rough first two starts, Lee has put together back to back quality starts, both with pitch counts above 100. There is no doubt he is putting on a decent amount of mileage on his arm, and a move to the NL might help reduce that.
For the Diamondbacks, this trade makes sense because Webb is gone for 6 weeks at least. Danny Haren has been nothing but phenomenal so far, but he can't be this good all the time and needs a solid number one in front of him.
The Diamondbacks don't really have a good backup at shortstop, so it would be difficult for them to part with Stephen Drew.
Jarrod Parker is the top prospect in the Diamondbacks organization, ranked #29 overall by Baseball America, and will undoubtedly draw interest from many teams if he ever becomes available.
Andruw Jones for Ian Kennedy
Ian Kennedy's stock has fallen far. Andruw Jones, in his limited playing time, has done well, getting nine hits in nineteen at-bats (as of this writing). The Yankees get even more OF depth to help out while Nady is on the DL, whose return won't be for another 4 weeks at the earliest, probably five weeks after a rehab assignment to AAA Scanton-Wilkes Barre.
The Rangers, once again, get pitching help. A move to the south definitely would help Ian Kennedy, who isn't really fit for the atmosphere of the Bronx. He's been amazing in the minors, but can't seem to translate that into Major League success. The easier NL West definitely would help him, as would the dimensions of the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
This trade probably won't happen. Kennedy was high on Kennedy when Johan was on the block, and Andruw Jones isn't nearly as good or as needed as Johan was in the Bronx. The Yankees still hope that he can find major league success.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Devine Out, More
Joey Devine is out for the season.
Another Tommy John Surgery for a young pitcher. The timing of this is good for the A's because it allows them to bring someone else up, or trade for a reliever to set up for Brad Ziegler, who is pretty much a lock for the closing duties in Oakland, barring a colossal meltdown. Devine's surgery comes after he had a standout season last year, posting a minuscule 0.59 ERA and superb 0.832 WHIP in 45.1 innings pitched in addition to strikeout to walk ratio of over 3 (not including intentional walks). He will return sometime during the 2010 season for A's, as the timetable for a TJ surgery recovery and rehab is about a year.
The Marlins are in first and off to a hot start.
This isn't really surprising if one examines the Marlins roster. The Marlins have Uggla and Hanley Ramirez up the middle to provide solid offense as well as Cameron Maybin in center. Their starting rotation is young and talented. They definitely will be contending for a playoff spot come September, barring any injuries. The only sad thing is that Marlins fans will suffer another six years of baseball purgatory after the firesale that owner Jeffery Loria is sure to have.
The Royals are in first.
This is surprising. The Royals have traditionally been the laughing stock of the AL. The fact that they are above .500 right is surprising. That being said, it shouldn't last. Zach Greinke has found some form, but will fall back down to earth by the end of May. The Royals are not helped either by the return of Joe Mauer to the Twins, who should boost the offense of the Twins.
Chien Ming Wang is off to a horrible start.
Something is wrong. Something is off after his recovery from his injury last year that caused Steinbrenner to condemn the NL for making pitchers hit. As of this writing, Wang's ERA right now is higher than his age. If the Yankees want to be competitive in the tough AL East, they need Wang to figure out what is wrong.
Another Tommy John Surgery for a young pitcher. The timing of this is good for the A's because it allows them to bring someone else up, or trade for a reliever to set up for Brad Ziegler, who is pretty much a lock for the closing duties in Oakland, barring a colossal meltdown. Devine's surgery comes after he had a standout season last year, posting a minuscule 0.59 ERA and superb 0.832 WHIP in 45.1 innings pitched in addition to strikeout to walk ratio of over 3 (not including intentional walks). He will return sometime during the 2010 season for A's, as the timetable for a TJ surgery recovery and rehab is about a year.
The Marlins are in first and off to a hot start.
This isn't really surprising if one examines the Marlins roster. The Marlins have Uggla and Hanley Ramirez up the middle to provide solid offense as well as Cameron Maybin in center. Their starting rotation is young and talented. They definitely will be contending for a playoff spot come September, barring any injuries. The only sad thing is that Marlins fans will suffer another six years of baseball purgatory after the firesale that owner Jeffery Loria is sure to have.
The Royals are in first.
This is surprising. The Royals have traditionally been the laughing stock of the AL. The fact that they are above .500 right is surprising. That being said, it shouldn't last. Zach Greinke has found some form, but will fall back down to earth by the end of May. The Royals are not helped either by the return of Joe Mauer to the Twins, who should boost the offense of the Twins.
Chien Ming Wang is off to a horrible start.
Something is wrong. Something is off after his recovery from his injury last year that caused Steinbrenner to condemn the NL for making pitchers hit. As of this writing, Wang's ERA right now is higher than his age. If the Yankees want to be competitive in the tough AL East, they need Wang to figure out what is wrong.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Opening Day
First and foremost, I apologize immensely for the lack of updates lately. I have been very occupied. There will be more updates to come when I finish finals in May. Here is an update I meant to do a while ago.
So, opening day has come and past. It is one of my most favorite times of year, along with the baseball trade deadline. Many fans get excited when opening day comes, eager to see how the offseason acquisitions will pan out. Others look to opening day as a barometer of how well the season will go; to see whether or not players have their heads in the game, and to gauge their team's World Series chances. That got me thinking; what is the combined Opening Day record of all World Series winners?
Before I post the answer, I will post the guesses I collected. My guess is around 45% of World Series winners won their opening day game. My reasoning is that opening day probably has little to no impact on how well a team does during the season. It is, afterall, 162 games long, and things happen. Players get hurt. Players get traded. Certain acquisitions prove to be worthwhile, while others prove to be worthless. (Worthless x 2) (Worthless x 3).
Other guesses: My roommate guessed 54%, on a pure guess, thinking it would be a little higher than fifty, but not by much. His girlfriend guessed 60%.
The combined Opening Day record of World Series Winners is 69-35-1. (Extra points if you can name the one tie), which computes to 65.7%. While it hurts to be the most-wrong on this number, I should still analyze it.
65.7% is higher than each of us expected. This is not that unusually high, however. Assuming that there is a 50-50 chances of winning one's opening day game, then the result should be around 50%. However, given a standard distribution curve, 68% of the results should fall within one standard deviation of either side of the mean. So if we take the mean to be 50%, that means that the majority of the results taken from the sampling should fall inbetween 15.9% and 84.1%. This is a rather large range, so I prefer to take half a standard deviation, since the sample size is rather small. Within half a standard deviation, that means that the results should fall inbetween 33% and 67%. Given this small range, it is perfectly normal for the number of opening day game winners who went on to win the world series to fall in that range.
So, opening day has come and past. It is one of my most favorite times of year, along with the baseball trade deadline. Many fans get excited when opening day comes, eager to see how the offseason acquisitions will pan out. Others look to opening day as a barometer of how well the season will go; to see whether or not players have their heads in the game, and to gauge their team's World Series chances. That got me thinking; what is the combined Opening Day record of all World Series winners?
Before I post the answer, I will post the guesses I collected. My guess is around 45% of World Series winners won their opening day game. My reasoning is that opening day probably has little to no impact on how well a team does during the season. It is, afterall, 162 games long, and things happen. Players get hurt. Players get traded. Certain acquisitions prove to be worthwhile, while others prove to be worthless. (Worthless x 2) (Worthless x 3).
Other guesses: My roommate guessed 54%, on a pure guess, thinking it would be a little higher than fifty, but not by much. His girlfriend guessed 60%.
The combined Opening Day record of World Series Winners is 69-35-1. (Extra points if you can name the one tie), which computes to 65.7%. While it hurts to be the most-wrong on this number, I should still analyze it.
65.7% is higher than each of us expected. This is not that unusually high, however. Assuming that there is a 50-50 chances of winning one's opening day game, then the result should be around 50%. However, given a standard distribution curve, 68% of the results should fall within one standard deviation of either side of the mean. So if we take the mean to be 50%, that means that the majority of the results taken from the sampling should fall inbetween 15.9% and 84.1%. This is a rather large range, so I prefer to take half a standard deviation, since the sample size is rather small. Within half a standard deviation, that means that the results should fall inbetween 33% and 67%. Given this small range, it is perfectly normal for the number of opening day game winners who went on to win the world series to fall in that range.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Curt Schilling Retires
Curt Schilling is retiring.
And a quiet end to an above-average career from a loud-mouthed pitcher. Schilling began his career as a RedSock in their farm system (joining the likes of Hanley Ramirez and Jeff Bagwell). The six-time All Star has won 3 World Series and has an amazing Post-Season record of 11-2 with an ERA of 2.23. The most famous incident is, of course, his bloody sock in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS.
Curt Schilling's Hall of Fame Credentials are there, just not stunning. 216-146 make for an impressive win-loss record. His 3.46 career ERA is a little higher than I'd like it to be, and his 3,000 Ks are good as well. Oddly enough, he has never won a Cy Young Award, though he was a co-mvp of the 2001 World Series with Randy Johnson. He won 20 games three times in his career (all past the year 2000). Overall, I would say that he will eventually be enshrined in the Hall, though probably not on the first ballot.
His retirement is undoubtedly good news for the RedSox, who don't have to worry about giving him a chance to win a spot in their rotation; they already have John Smoltz to try and get a spot when he returns this year. His retirement ultimately will give more playing time to the likes of Clay Buchholz and Justin Masterson.
Schilling, now in his retirement, will undoubtedly find work somewhere as a sportscaster or a play-by-play announcer for some network, as everyone likes an announcer with experience in the game to give insights, even if it is Curt Schilling.
My one knock on Curt Schilling is that he is a bit of a blowhard when it comes to politics and PEDs in baseball. I don't think it is his place in the former, and in the latter, I feel like giving more than one soundbyte on the matter is unnecessary from a player.
And a quiet end to an above-average career from a loud-mouthed pitcher. Schilling began his career as a RedSock in their farm system (joining the likes of Hanley Ramirez and Jeff Bagwell). The six-time All Star has won 3 World Series and has an amazing Post-Season record of 11-2 with an ERA of 2.23. The most famous incident is, of course, his bloody sock in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS.
Curt Schilling's Hall of Fame Credentials are there, just not stunning. 216-146 make for an impressive win-loss record. His 3.46 career ERA is a little higher than I'd like it to be, and his 3,000 Ks are good as well. Oddly enough, he has never won a Cy Young Award, though he was a co-mvp of the 2001 World Series with Randy Johnson. He won 20 games three times in his career (all past the year 2000). Overall, I would say that he will eventually be enshrined in the Hall, though probably not on the first ballot.
His retirement is undoubtedly good news for the RedSox, who don't have to worry about giving him a chance to win a spot in their rotation; they already have John Smoltz to try and get a spot when he returns this year. His retirement ultimately will give more playing time to the likes of Clay Buchholz and Justin Masterson.
Schilling, now in his retirement, will undoubtedly find work somewhere as a sportscaster or a play-by-play announcer for some network, as everyone likes an announcer with experience in the game to give insights, even if it is Curt Schilling.
My one knock on Curt Schilling is that he is a bit of a blowhard when it comes to politics and PEDs in baseball. I don't think it is his place in the former, and in the latter, I feel like giving more than one soundbyte on the matter is unnecessary from a player.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Aaron Boone, I-Rod, Pedro, More.
Aaron Boone will undergo open-heart surgery.
My heart goes out to him. I hope he makes it through everything and plays again. The one-time All Star is best known for his 2003 ALCS series winning home run off of Tim Wakefield. This will end Boone's season. At age 36, it is not very likely that he will find a starting job after recovery. I think retirement is unlikely, as Boone seems to have the desire to continue to play into his 40s, even if it means taking a minor league job. My prediction for him when he recoveres from surgery is that he finds a job as a backup somewhere.
The Astros signed Ivan Rodriguez.
I like this move for the Astros. I-Rod has always been a good player, and adds valuable experience to any roster. When the Yankees acquired him from the Tigers for Kyle Farnsworth-less last year straight up, I honestly thought that the Tigers got fleeced. This is good for the Astros because they have not had a solid offensive catcher in a while. How Brad Ausmus stayed with them for so long is still a mystery.
The Royals sign Sidney Ponson.
And the world still goes round. This move will ammount to nothing, as Ponson won't be able to find the stuff that earned him a 22.5 million dollar contract at the end of the 2003 season. Additionally, he is on a team that is in baseball purgatory, and will not finish out of the basement until 2012 at the earliest. Ponson found favor after pitching well for the Netherlands in their miracle win against the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic
Pedro still unsigned, Astros have no interest.
Not really surprising, as the Astros have 6 starters already. It is a shame that Pedro can't find work, as there are plenty of teams that could use a starter of his caliber. I think he would be a good fit for the Texas Rangers, as they don't exactly have any stellar starting pitchers. A better fit would be the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have the same problem, and are in the allegedly easier NL. Pedro is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. First-ballot is questionable currently.
Josh Bard was released.
And its 2006 all over again. Some of you may remember the RedSox trading Edgar Rentaria and cash to the Braves for Andy Marte, flipping Marte and Kelly Shoppach to the Indians for Bard and Coco Crisp, and then flipping Bard to the Padres for Mirabelli. Bard once again fails to learn to catch the knuckleball of Tim Wakefield, and can't be an adequate backup for All-Star Jason Varitek. I use the term All-Star loosely, as his stats didn't show an All-Star quality. Bard will probably find work backing up someone elsewhere.
My heart goes out to him. I hope he makes it through everything and plays again. The one-time All Star is best known for his 2003 ALCS series winning home run off of Tim Wakefield. This will end Boone's season. At age 36, it is not very likely that he will find a starting job after recovery. I think retirement is unlikely, as Boone seems to have the desire to continue to play into his 40s, even if it means taking a minor league job. My prediction for him when he recoveres from surgery is that he finds a job as a backup somewhere.
The Astros signed Ivan Rodriguez.
I like this move for the Astros. I-Rod has always been a good player, and adds valuable experience to any roster. When the Yankees acquired him from the Tigers for Kyle Farnsworth-less last year straight up, I honestly thought that the Tigers got fleeced. This is good for the Astros because they have not had a solid offensive catcher in a while. How Brad Ausmus stayed with them for so long is still a mystery.
The Royals sign Sidney Ponson.
And the world still goes round. This move will ammount to nothing, as Ponson won't be able to find the stuff that earned him a 22.5 million dollar contract at the end of the 2003 season. Additionally, he is on a team that is in baseball purgatory, and will not finish out of the basement until 2012 at the earliest. Ponson found favor after pitching well for the Netherlands in their miracle win against the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic
Pedro still unsigned, Astros have no interest.
Not really surprising, as the Astros have 6 starters already. It is a shame that Pedro can't find work, as there are plenty of teams that could use a starter of his caliber. I think he would be a good fit for the Texas Rangers, as they don't exactly have any stellar starting pitchers. A better fit would be the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have the same problem, and are in the allegedly easier NL. Pedro is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. First-ballot is questionable currently.
Josh Bard was released.
And its 2006 all over again. Some of you may remember the RedSox trading Edgar Rentaria and cash to the Braves for Andy Marte, flipping Marte and Kelly Shoppach to the Indians for Bard and Coco Crisp, and then flipping Bard to the Padres for Mirabelli. Bard once again fails to learn to catch the knuckleball of Tim Wakefield, and can't be an adequate backup for All-Star Jason Varitek. I use the term All-Star loosely, as his stats didn't show an All-Star quality. Bard will probably find work backing up someone elsewhere.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Spring Training: Still Irrelevant
Spring Training is well underway. And one thing is in fashion every single spring training: Over hyping. Many look at Spring training and see it as a sign of things to come. They look at their favorite ballclub's record, and become either excited or disappointed. And for what? I recall one team that finished Spring Training with the best record and went onto the World Series (The Florida Marlins in 1997). If someone wants to correct me and name others, I am more than happy to be proven wrong.
Allen Iverson sums up my view of Spring Training. Many players don't go all out in Spring Training. Why? The season is a marathon, not a sprint. Why do you think that there are so many players are invited to play in spring training? Seeing a position play a full game before March 15 is usually pretty rare. Finding a pitcher that will pitch five innings this early is also rare. The point of spring training is two-fold: to allow regulars to gear up for the season, and to give other players a chance to showcase their stuff infront of the Major League Manager.
However, there is one important rule: Performance in Spring Training =/= Performance in the Regular Season. The best example I can think of is the Atlanta Braves. The team of the 90s had bad Spring Training records, and yet continuously were competitive. Players that perform well early should not be overhyped. And this is why. (Go to 6:45).
While a comedy, it does have a valid point. Many players that are invited to Spring Training are not yet ready to be on the roster, pitchers and hitters. The fact of the matter is that players are not at their peak in Spring Training, and that we, as fans, should not use Spring Training as a means to gauge how well a team or a player will perform in the coming season, good or bad.
Furthermore, many players make adjustments in the offseason, be it put on muscle, lose weight, or adjust their stance/delivery. It takes time to get used to these adjustments. Players will eventually get used to their adjustments, and perform to their abilities. Until then, we can only wait.
Allen Iverson sums up my view of Spring Training. Many players don't go all out in Spring Training. Why? The season is a marathon, not a sprint. Why do you think that there are so many players are invited to play in spring training? Seeing a position play a full game before March 15 is usually pretty rare. Finding a pitcher that will pitch five innings this early is also rare. The point of spring training is two-fold: to allow regulars to gear up for the season, and to give other players a chance to showcase their stuff infront of the Major League Manager.
However, there is one important rule: Performance in Spring Training =/= Performance in the Regular Season. The best example I can think of is the Atlanta Braves. The team of the 90s had bad Spring Training records, and yet continuously were competitive. Players that perform well early should not be overhyped. And this is why. (Go to 6:45).
While a comedy, it does have a valid point. Many players that are invited to Spring Training are not yet ready to be on the roster, pitchers and hitters. The fact of the matter is that players are not at their peak in Spring Training, and that we, as fans, should not use Spring Training as a means to gauge how well a team or a player will perform in the coming season, good or bad.
Furthermore, many players make adjustments in the offseason, be it put on muscle, lose weight, or adjust their stance/delivery. It takes time to get used to these adjustments. Players will eventually get used to their adjustments, and perform to their abilities. Until then, we can only wait.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Johan; Various Free Agent Signings; ManRam
Johan Santana will not have his elbow tested
This is a show of confidence from both the Mets and Johan Santana in this case. The Mets should be concerned, as elbow discomfort is usually a sign of a possible Tommy John surgery. Johan, 30 in March, has pitched over 200 innings and 200 strikeouts each year since 2004. While this is a good sign of consistency, it is also an indicator of a lot of mileage on the arm. It is not out of the question that the lefty may require TJ surgery. The Mets would be well advised to keep a close eye on their ace this year.
Ken Griffey Jr. returns to Seattle
Congratulations. He gets to retire a Mariner without a ring. Honestly, I am very torn on this. I wanted him to be in a Braves uniform so badly because he would have been a perfect fit for a platoon, but oh well. I do think, after taking some time to reflect, that this is a victory for baseball, as a well-known player is going to retire with the team with which he started. It is a rarity in today's day and game for a player to do that, and I can think of none better than Griffey Jr. to do that. Griffey Jr. epitomizes everything good about baseball, and he will deserve the standing ovation when he steps into the batter's box at Safeco Field.
Garret Anderson signs with the Braves
It's not Griffey, but it is something. He will fill a platoon with Matt Diaz in left field. For this price, it is a great deal for the Braves, as he is younger than Griffey, and had better numbers last season than Griffey. His career splits for lefties and righties are both above .290, which means he could win the starting job leaving Matt Diaz to pinch hit (a role in which he has served phenomenally in the past).
Kris Benson signs with the Rangers
And the sales of disposable cameras by the Rangers team will sky-rocket. Kris Benson is a failed number one draft pick who has not lived up to the promise that he once had. He does have an incredibly attractive wife, Anna Benson, who, as you may recall, once said that she would sleep with every member of the New York Mets if Kris cheated on her. All joking aside, this seems like a move that can't really hurt the Rangers. The most Kris can make is 2 million, and that assumes he performs well. It is a minor league contract, so it gives Benson a chance to get back on his feet.
Manny Ramirez, Dodgers 1.5 million apart on a salary
I refuse to devote an entire blog post to that prima donna who is being manipulated by the devil-incarnate. That being said, this is one of the more intriguing stories of the off-season. As teams fill their respective needs, the list for teams that can afford/tolerate ManRam wanes. This is a question of who needs who more. The Dodgers have an incredible need for ManRam, Scott Boras has an incredible need....want, rather, for a huge payday for Manny, and Manny has a need to keep playing to cement his legacy as one of the greatest right hand hitters of all time. ManRam's threats to retire if unsigned are likely just Manny being Manny.
This is a show of confidence from both the Mets and Johan Santana in this case. The Mets should be concerned, as elbow discomfort is usually a sign of a possible Tommy John surgery. Johan, 30 in March, has pitched over 200 innings and 200 strikeouts each year since 2004. While this is a good sign of consistency, it is also an indicator of a lot of mileage on the arm. It is not out of the question that the lefty may require TJ surgery. The Mets would be well advised to keep a close eye on their ace this year.
Ken Griffey Jr. returns to Seattle
Congratulations. He gets to retire a Mariner without a ring. Honestly, I am very torn on this. I wanted him to be in a Braves uniform so badly because he would have been a perfect fit for a platoon, but oh well. I do think, after taking some time to reflect, that this is a victory for baseball, as a well-known player is going to retire with the team with which he started. It is a rarity in today's day and game for a player to do that, and I can think of none better than Griffey Jr. to do that. Griffey Jr. epitomizes everything good about baseball, and he will deserve the standing ovation when he steps into the batter's box at Safeco Field.
Garret Anderson signs with the Braves
It's not Griffey, but it is something. He will fill a platoon with Matt Diaz in left field. For this price, it is a great deal for the Braves, as he is younger than Griffey, and had better numbers last season than Griffey. His career splits for lefties and righties are both above .290, which means he could win the starting job leaving Matt Diaz to pinch hit (a role in which he has served phenomenally in the past).
Kris Benson signs with the Rangers
And the sales of disposable cameras by the Rangers team will sky-rocket. Kris Benson is a failed number one draft pick who has not lived up to the promise that he once had. He does have an incredibly attractive wife, Anna Benson, who, as you may recall, once said that she would sleep with every member of the New York Mets if Kris cheated on her. All joking aside, this seems like a move that can't really hurt the Rangers. The most Kris can make is 2 million, and that assumes he performs well. It is a minor league contract, so it gives Benson a chance to get back on his feet.
Manny Ramirez, Dodgers 1.5 million apart on a salary
I refuse to devote an entire blog post to that prima donna who is being manipulated by the devil-incarnate. That being said, this is one of the more intriguing stories of the off-season. As teams fill their respective needs, the list for teams that can afford/tolerate ManRam wanes. This is a question of who needs who more. The Dodgers have an incredible need for ManRam, Scott Boras has an incredible need....want, rather, for a huge payday for Manny, and Manny has a need to keep playing to cement his legacy as one of the greatest right hand hitters of all time. ManRam's threats to retire if unsigned are likely just Manny being Manny.
Friday, February 20, 2009
A Franchise Tag in Baseball?
For those of you who are unaware, here is how a franchise tag works for football. A player who is at the end of his contract can be re-signed without negotiating a contract. The player is paid the higher of the following: 120% of his previous year's salary, or the average salary of the top 5 paid players' salaries at his position. There are two types of franchise tags: exclusive and non-exclusive. Exclusive means that the team retains the player; non-exclusive means that the player has the right to negotiate with other teams. If the player goes to the other team, then the original team is entitled to two first-round picks as compensation. For example:
The Patriots used a non-exclusive franchise tag on Matt Cassel. In 2008, he made $580,000. 120% of that is $696,000. The average of the top 5 highest paid QBs is $14,650,000 Guess which one he is getting paid. Now, if he wants to sign with the Lions (I have no idea why anyone ever would), the Pats would get two first round picks.
Now, I would like to explore the idea of using a Franchise Tag in baseball. If it were implemented, it would obviously have to be done differently since there is no salary cap in baseball like there is in football. And being paid the average of the top five salaries in baseball at that position can be financially disastrous for smaller market teams due to certain outliers. However, being paid 120% of the previous year's salary can be unfair, as some players were under contract for under a million, and deserve more than 120% of their previous year's salary. Thus, I propose the following for arbitration-eligible players.
A team wishing to use the franchise tag on an arbitration-eligible players may use a franchise tag and retain said player for one year and pay him the higher of the following: the average of the team's players at the same position (a 2B would be paid the average of the 3B, 1B, and SS; a LF would be paid the average of the starting CF and RF; a pitcher would be paid the average of the other 4 starting pitchers, etc), or the average of the offered salary and the requested salary. The team may only use one of these a season, and it is a one year contract.
For other players, i.e. Type A and Type B free agents, a player would be paid either 120% of his previous year's salary, or the average of the previous year's salaries of free agents at his position.
Similar to football, there would be an exclusive tag and a non-exclusive tag. If a team uses a non-exclusive tag, then that player obviously has the right to negotiate with other teams. If another team signs that player, then the original team is entitled to a compensation pick in the draft, as well as the right to match that offer to the player. The compensation pick would be the highest pick that the team has (outside of the top 10; which would be protected). For example, if a team has already received a compensation pick for the loss of a free agent, let's say the 20th pick in the draft, and it's own pick is pick number 25, then that team would give up the 20th pick to sign a player that has a non-exclusive franchise tag placed on him.
Yes, I know it is complicated. This is more of an exploration at the possibility of implementing a franchise tag in baseball.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Angels sign Abreu; Nats, Dunn; Tejada lied; more
The Angels (I refuse to type their full name) signed Bobby Abreu for about 5 million.
I really like this move for the Angels. Abreu, 35 in March, is a career .300 hitter. Last year, he hit .296 with 20 Home Runs and 100 RBIs in the AL East. A move to the weaker and less competitive AL West will certainly improve those numbers. He has not hit under 100 RBIs for a season since 2002, and should prove an integral part of the lineup for the Angels. That being said, he is no Mark Teixera, and Angels fans should not expect him to be.
The Washington Nationals signed Adam Dunn
Bold prediction: This will ultimately prove irrelevant. The Nationals, in order to compete in the NL East, need to improve pitching. Wasting money on a guy who has a career hit-to-strikeout ratio of 3:4 is beyond insane. Not only that, this is a man who struggles to hit his weight (275, according to the Nationals' Roster), and has had more errors than outfield assists four times in his eight year career. I suppose the upside for the Nationals is that Dunn is only 29, and is pretty much guaranteed to get to 40 Home Runs. Still, that upside is not enough for me to justify this signing.
Miguel Tejada lied before Congress.
Is it just me or are these congressional hearings the baseball version of McCarthyism? Not that I don't mind when certain players who shall remain nameless get what they deserve.
Tejada pled guilty to lying about whether or not he knew whether or not there were other players involved with PEDs. It's very unlikely he'll face the maximum jail time of one year.
Andruw Jones signs a minor league deal with the Rangers
Good. I'm glad Andruw did swallow his pride and sign a minor league deal. This is a very good deal for the Rangers, as they get a low-risk high-reward player in Andruw Jones. If he does make the team, that would be a mixed blessing for the already packed OF of the Rangers. On the one hand, they'd have to send someone down. On the other hand, Jones, who presumably would return to great defensive form, would be able to play CF and give Josh Hamilton a few days off or a turn at DH.
I really like this move for the Angels. Abreu, 35 in March, is a career .300 hitter. Last year, he hit .296 with 20 Home Runs and 100 RBIs in the AL East. A move to the weaker and less competitive AL West will certainly improve those numbers. He has not hit under 100 RBIs for a season since 2002, and should prove an integral part of the lineup for the Angels. That being said, he is no Mark Teixera, and Angels fans should not expect him to be.
The Washington Nationals signed Adam Dunn
Bold prediction: This will ultimately prove irrelevant. The Nationals, in order to compete in the NL East, need to improve pitching. Wasting money on a guy who has a career hit-to-strikeout ratio of 3:4 is beyond insane. Not only that, this is a man who struggles to hit his weight (275, according to the Nationals' Roster), and has had more errors than outfield assists four times in his eight year career. I suppose the upside for the Nationals is that Dunn is only 29, and is pretty much guaranteed to get to 40 Home Runs. Still, that upside is not enough for me to justify this signing.
Miguel Tejada lied before Congress.
Is it just me or are these congressional hearings the baseball version of McCarthyism? Not that I don't mind when certain players who shall remain nameless get what they deserve.
Tejada pled guilty to lying about whether or not he knew whether or not there were other players involved with PEDs. It's very unlikely he'll face the maximum jail time of one year.
Andruw Jones signs a minor league deal with the Rangers
Good. I'm glad Andruw did swallow his pride and sign a minor league deal. This is a very good deal for the Rangers, as they get a low-risk high-reward player in Andruw Jones. If he does make the team, that would be a mixed blessing for the already packed OF of the Rangers. On the one hand, they'd have to send someone down. On the other hand, Jones, who presumably would return to great defensive form, would be able to play CF and give Josh Hamilton a few days off or a turn at DH.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
A-Rod Tested Positive For Steroids
In 2003, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids.
Wow. This is kind of surprising. Well, believers of Jose Canseco should not be surprised.
This certainly changes things. I remember when Barry Bonds passed Aaron, people were talking about how much of a shot A-Rod had at passing Bonds. I, for one, was rooting for A-Rod to pass him, because I thought A-Rod was clean. Now, I don't really know what to think. It definitely is surprising because he doesn't look as though he took steroids. He also has denied using steroids in the past. To put him in the same category as Bonds is hard for me to do, only because I was hoping so much that A-Rod, this supposedly "clean" guy, could put some integrity behind the game, and the records. Now, it's just tainted.
Now, some of you may be wondering why I am so against steroid use. Let me set one thing straight: I am not taking away from the natural talent and hard work the players put in. It is difficult to hit a 95 mph fastball, or adjust your swing to hit a mid-80s breaking ball. However, taking steroids takes away from all the players that are clean and the hard work they put in. They have to work twice as hard to stay in shape and stay healthy. The best example of this is Ken Griffey Junior. He missed about 280 games between 2001 and 2006 due to injuries; injuries that could have healed faster had he been taking steroids. Using his career rate of 15.25 at-bats per homerun, and about 4 at bats a game, that gives him an extra 73 home runs or so, putting his total at 684. At only 39, he certainly would have a chance to pass Aaron. Perhaps if he had taken steroids, he would have a chance to pass Aaron.
The question now is where do we go from here. The player that was the hope of forgetting Bonds is now tainted. Are there any clean players there? Sure there are. Chances are that they aren't putting up 50+ Home Runs a year, but still put in a solid effort. I know where I am going from here though. I am still rooting for someone to pass Hank Aaron. I am still rooting for someone to beat Roger Maris' single season home run record of 61. Ryan Howard came close a few years ago; perhaps he can pass it this year.
RedSox fans must feel especially happy today, as they received even more fodder with which to taunt A-Rod. I can see the "Jeter injects A-Rod" signs now. It will also be interesting to see if he gets booed at Yankee Stadium. They booed him for going through a slump in the past; so booing him for this steroids cloud is not out of the question.
This amorphous steroids cloud taints anyone who is in it; just look at Mark McGwire. Mark McGwire has 500+ home runs, which is normally a punched ticket to the Hall of Fame, with 15 of the 24 members in the Hall, 5 active, and 3 not yet elligible to to in. Mark McGwire is the one remaining of that list. Whether or not this is indicative of how players such as Bonds, Sosa, and now A-Rod will be judged remains to be seen. Rafael "I never took steroids, period" Palmeiro is a member of the 500 HR club and 3000 Hit club; his Hall ticket is looking to be punched in 2010. If anything, he will prove the true litmus test for those caught in the steroids era.
Wow. This is kind of surprising. Well, believers of Jose Canseco should not be surprised.
This certainly changes things. I remember when Barry Bonds passed Aaron, people were talking about how much of a shot A-Rod had at passing Bonds. I, for one, was rooting for A-Rod to pass him, because I thought A-Rod was clean. Now, I don't really know what to think. It definitely is surprising because he doesn't look as though he took steroids. He also has denied using steroids in the past. To put him in the same category as Bonds is hard for me to do, only because I was hoping so much that A-Rod, this supposedly "clean" guy, could put some integrity behind the game, and the records. Now, it's just tainted.
Now, some of you may be wondering why I am so against steroid use. Let me set one thing straight: I am not taking away from the natural talent and hard work the players put in. It is difficult to hit a 95 mph fastball, or adjust your swing to hit a mid-80s breaking ball. However, taking steroids takes away from all the players that are clean and the hard work they put in. They have to work twice as hard to stay in shape and stay healthy. The best example of this is Ken Griffey Junior. He missed about 280 games between 2001 and 2006 due to injuries; injuries that could have healed faster had he been taking steroids. Using his career rate of 15.25 at-bats per homerun, and about 4 at bats a game, that gives him an extra 73 home runs or so, putting his total at 684. At only 39, he certainly would have a chance to pass Aaron. Perhaps if he had taken steroids, he would have a chance to pass Aaron.
The question now is where do we go from here. The player that was the hope of forgetting Bonds is now tainted. Are there any clean players there? Sure there are. Chances are that they aren't putting up 50+ Home Runs a year, but still put in a solid effort. I know where I am going from here though. I am still rooting for someone to pass Hank Aaron. I am still rooting for someone to beat Roger Maris' single season home run record of 61. Ryan Howard came close a few years ago; perhaps he can pass it this year.
RedSox fans must feel especially happy today, as they received even more fodder with which to taunt A-Rod. I can see the "Jeter injects A-Rod" signs now. It will also be interesting to see if he gets booed at Yankee Stadium. They booed him for going through a slump in the past; so booing him for this steroids cloud is not out of the question.
This amorphous steroids cloud taints anyone who is in it; just look at Mark McGwire. Mark McGwire has 500+ home runs, which is normally a punched ticket to the Hall of Fame, with 15 of the 24 members in the Hall, 5 active, and 3 not yet elligible to to in. Mark McGwire is the one remaining of that list. Whether or not this is indicative of how players such as Bonds, Sosa, and now A-Rod will be judged remains to be seen. Rafael "I never took steroids, period" Palmeiro is a member of the 500 HR club and 3000 Hit club; his Hall ticket is looking to be punched in 2010. If anything, he will prove the true litmus test for those caught in the steroids era.
Friday, February 6, 2009
That Magic Age (Part 2)
So, now that I found a little free time, I managed to look up the ages of Cy Young Award winners. The Cy Young Award started being given out in 1956. They did not start to give one out to each league until 1967. Similarly to my previous post, I used the same rules. I also did one for history, and one for 1980 onward.
I apologize for the spacing, I am having difficulty getting it to be formatted correctly.
This is an interesting thing shown in these graphs. In the "thru History" graph, the age 27 is far more pronounced than the one showing 1980 onward, which is a contrast to the MVP graph. While 27 is the clear mode in both the graphs, it still is surrounded by the other ages, which appear often as well. The best example of this is the 1980 graph, where age 27 has come up 8 times, and ages 28 and 29 have each come up 7 times.
So what shall I conclude from my little investigation? When a player is around 27 years old, he is more likely to perform better. That does not mean that he can't still perform well past age 27, just that he has a better chance of seeing his best numbers around age 27.
I apologize for the spacing, I am having difficulty getting it to be formatted correctly.
This is an interesting thing shown in these graphs. In the "thru History" graph, the age 27 is far more pronounced than the one showing 1980 onward, which is a contrast to the MVP graph. While 27 is the clear mode in both the graphs, it still is surrounded by the other ages, which appear often as well. The best example of this is the 1980 graph, where age 27 has come up 8 times, and ages 28 and 29 have each come up 7 times.
So what shall I conclude from my little investigation? When a player is around 27 years old, he is more likely to perform better. That does not mean that he can't still perform well past age 27, just that he has a better chance of seeing his best numbers around age 27.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Bonds Urine Test is Positive
Bonds urine sample yield positive results for PEDs (performance enhancing drugs).
I could not be happier. He is getting what he deserves. He was bad for the locker room in San Francisco, and was just as big of a distraction, if not bigger, than Manny Ramirez ever could be. Not only that, he moaned and groaned when Marc Ecko branded his 756 ball with an asterisk. And by that I mean about 4.7 million fans voted to brand it with the asterisk it deserves.
Bonds attorney argues that the release of the samples would prohibit his right to a fair trail. That concept is laughable. There is a thorough screening process for juries to make sure that there aren't any biases and that it is a trial of facts and what was presented.
It would be one thing if Bonds flat out admitted to taking PEDs, like Giambi did. If he did that, then at least he would be honest; and he could begin to earn back the trust and respect of the public.
I could not be happier. He is getting what he deserves. He was bad for the locker room in San Francisco, and was just as big of a distraction, if not bigger, than Manny Ramirez ever could be. Not only that, he moaned and groaned when Marc Ecko branded his 756 ball with an asterisk. And by that I mean about 4.7 million fans voted to brand it with the asterisk it deserves.
Bonds attorney argues that the release of the samples would prohibit his right to a fair trail. That concept is laughable. There is a thorough screening process for juries to make sure that there aren't any biases and that it is a trial of facts and what was presented.
It would be one thing if Bonds flat out admitted to taking PEDs, like Giambi did. If he did that, then at least he would be honest; and he could begin to earn back the trust and respect of the public.
Monday, January 26, 2009
That Magic Age
I remember reading somewhere that the magic age for baseball players is 27 years old. So I decided to test out that theory.
I recorded the ages of all the ages of the MVP winners under the assumption that winning the MVP award is the equivalent of having a career year. I took the age as the age at which the player spent the longest time in the season playing at that age. For example, if a player was born in August 1972, won the award in 2002, then he would be on the graph as 29. I used January-June and July-December as cutoffs, meaning that, if a player turned 34 in July, he would be recorded as 33. At the suggestion of my friend, I took two graphs. One looks at the ages of every MVP winner ever. The other takes a more recent look, from 1980 onward.
A few brief notes about this. For multiple winners, like Yogi Berra, I recorded every age at which he won the MVP award. I also included the strike-shortened 1994 season, as well as players who are of a less than reputable reputation regarding the steroids era, such as Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa. See if you can guess which one is the outlier at age 39. (Hint: He's a lefty with a noodle arm.)
The mode of the graph is at 27. The bell curve goes from 25-30. The average of 25 and 30 is 27.5. So, based on history, it is not inconceivable that players perform better at or around age 27. Before we say anything definitive, let's take a more recent look, as it should be a little more relevant to today's discussion.
And now, for the 1980-Present Age.
As you can see, the curve at 27 is much more pronounced here, and it is easy to see why people would say that age 27 is an age where players perform their best. In fact, the three highest occurrences are at 26, 27, and 28.
There is the evidence; I leave the interpretation up to you.
Thanks to Sean for helping get the JPEGs. All images belong to me. Please ask before using them.
Update: "I just turned 25 and I feel like I have the prime of my career ahead of me," Francoeur said. "Most guys don't hit their peak until they're 27 or 28. I feel confident that I'm going to come back, do what I need to do and help this team win, because I know I'm a big part of it."
I know I heard it before reading it there. However, this mentality undoubtedly has an effect on the way a player performs: if a player thinks they will do better because of they are a certain age, then they probably will perform better.
I recorded the ages of all the ages of the MVP winners under the assumption that winning the MVP award is the equivalent of having a career year. I took the age as the age at which the player spent the longest time in the season playing at that age. For example, if a player was born in August 1972, won the award in 2002, then he would be on the graph as 29. I used January-June and July-December as cutoffs, meaning that, if a player turned 34 in July, he would be recorded as 33. At the suggestion of my friend, I took two graphs. One looks at the ages of every MVP winner ever. The other takes a more recent look, from 1980 onward.
A few brief notes about this. For multiple winners, like Yogi Berra, I recorded every age at which he won the MVP award. I also included the strike-shortened 1994 season, as well as players who are of a less than reputable reputation regarding the steroids era, such as Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa. See if you can guess which one is the outlier at age 39. (Hint: He's a lefty with a noodle arm.)
The mode of the graph is at 27. The bell curve goes from 25-30. The average of 25 and 30 is 27.5. So, based on history, it is not inconceivable that players perform better at or around age 27. Before we say anything definitive, let's take a more recent look, as it should be a little more relevant to today's discussion.
And now, for the 1980-Present Age.
As you can see, the curve at 27 is much more pronounced here, and it is easy to see why people would say that age 27 is an age where players perform their best. In fact, the three highest occurrences are at 26, 27, and 28.
There is the evidence; I leave the interpretation up to you.
Thanks to Sean for helping get the JPEGs. All images belong to me. Please ask before using them.
Update: "I just turned 25 and I feel like I have the prime of my career ahead of me," Francoeur said. "Most guys don't hit their peak until they're 27 or 28. I feel confident that I'm going to come back, do what I need to do and help this team win, because I know I'm a big part of it."
I know I heard it before reading it there. However, this mentality undoubtedly has an effect on the way a player performs: if a player thinks they will do better because of they are a certain age, then they probably will perform better.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Prince Fielder Avoids Arbitration
The Brewers have successfully avoided arbitration with Prince Fielder. They signed him to a reported 2 year deal worth 18 million. This works out to 9 million a year, one million more than he requested in arbitration. This is a good move for the Brewers as it allows them to avoid arbitration and retain one of their key players through the 2010 season.
Francoeur on the way out? Orioles re-sign Markakis, Jeff Kent Retires, more
Is Jeff Francoeur on the way out in Atlanta?
This is just speculation on my part, but he very well could be. According to Keith Law, the Braves have moved top prospect Jason Heyward from center field to right field. This could be due to a high number of center fielders already in the organization who are developmentally ahead of Heyward (Josh Anderson, Jordan Schaefer, Gorkys Hernandez), similar to how the Braves had what they thought was a career player in Andruw Jones when Francoeur was making his way through the minors. Additionally, after an abysmal 2008, Jeff Francoeur has fallen from grace in the eyes of the Braves front office and some of the fans. Additionally, Francoeur and the Braves will go to arbitration over a 1.15 million dollar difference in salary. Additionally, Heyward was invited to Spring Training. To me, these are tell-tale signs that Francoeur won't remain a Brave for much longer.
The Orioles re-signed Markakis to a 6 year deal worth 66.1 million. I like this deal for the Orioles. Markakis is a solid outfielder on the right side of 30. Additionally, he is a career Oriole. I am always a fan of players that play their entire career with a single team because baseball is one of the few sports where it is possible. The attitude of trading for big names or signing big name free agents to ridiculously high contracts has proven to be not the way to go in recent years. An example that comes to mind is the Yankees since 2000, having signed Giambi to a 100 million dollar deal, signing Pavano to a high contract, giving Kyle Farnsworth more than he's worth in the 2005 offseason, and, oh yes, trading for A-Rod.
Jeff Kent retired after 17 seasons. And let the Hall of Fame debate begin. Kent, undoubtedly, has the numbers to be in the Hall (I am disappointed he fell short of 400 HRs). However, numbers alone to not get one into the Hall of Fame. I, for one, was never a fan of Jeff Kent and his attitude, which caused issues with teammates in the past. Whether or not Kent will be able to make the Hall on the first ballot is another question entirely, as he joins Greg Maddux and Mike Mussina, on the 2014 Hall of Fame Ballot, as well as potentially Ken Griffey Jr, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas.
Prince Fielder requests 8 million in aribtration. There's no reason why he shouldn't get this. I view Fielder as similar to Ryan Howard at the end of the 2007 season when he field for, and won arbitration (there was a 3 million dollar difference between the club and Howard; Fielder has a 2 million dollar difference). Fielder is also 4 years younger than Howard at each's time of arbitration, which gives him additional upside.
This is just speculation on my part, but he very well could be. According to Keith Law, the Braves have moved top prospect Jason Heyward from center field to right field. This could be due to a high number of center fielders already in the organization who are developmentally ahead of Heyward (Josh Anderson, Jordan Schaefer, Gorkys Hernandez), similar to how the Braves had what they thought was a career player in Andruw Jones when Francoeur was making his way through the minors. Additionally, after an abysmal 2008, Jeff Francoeur has fallen from grace in the eyes of the Braves front office and some of the fans. Additionally, Francoeur and the Braves will go to arbitration over a 1.15 million dollar difference in salary. Additionally, Heyward was invited to Spring Training. To me, these are tell-tale signs that Francoeur won't remain a Brave for much longer.
The Orioles re-signed Markakis to a 6 year deal worth 66.1 million. I like this deal for the Orioles. Markakis is a solid outfielder on the right side of 30. Additionally, he is a career Oriole. I am always a fan of players that play their entire career with a single team because baseball is one of the few sports where it is possible. The attitude of trading for big names or signing big name free agents to ridiculously high contracts has proven to be not the way to go in recent years. An example that comes to mind is the Yankees since 2000, having signed Giambi to a 100 million dollar deal, signing Pavano to a high contract, giving Kyle Farnsworth more than he's worth in the 2005 offseason, and, oh yes, trading for A-Rod.
Jeff Kent retired after 17 seasons. And let the Hall of Fame debate begin. Kent, undoubtedly, has the numbers to be in the Hall (I am disappointed he fell short of 400 HRs). However, numbers alone to not get one into the Hall of Fame. I, for one, was never a fan of Jeff Kent and his attitude, which caused issues with teammates in the past. Whether or not Kent will be able to make the Hall on the first ballot is another question entirely, as he joins Greg Maddux and Mike Mussina, on the 2014 Hall of Fame Ballot, as well as potentially Ken Griffey Jr, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas.
Prince Fielder requests 8 million in aribtration. There's no reason why he shouldn't get this. I view Fielder as similar to Ryan Howard at the end of the 2007 season when he field for, and won arbitration (there was a 3 million dollar difference between the club and Howard; Fielder has a 2 million dollar difference). Fielder is also 4 years younger than Howard at each's time of arbitration, which gives him additional upside.
Friday, January 16, 2009
RedSox sign Youk; Andruw Jones released; Young agrees to play third
So, it's been a bit since the last update. Here's a lot of news.
The Dodgers released Andruw Jones. This comes as no surprise to anyone after they restructured his deal to defer his salary. After a 2008 season where he could not his his weight, struck out more than two times as many times as he got a hit, and where he hit just one more homerun than CC Sabathia, he would be lucky to find any suitors. Jones is 32 in April. If he agrees to sign for the league minimum, which, he has no reason not to, given the money he's getting from the Dodgers, then he should be a good low-risk high-reward investment.
The RedSox signed Kevin Youkilis to a 4 year, 41.25 million dollar deal. This is a bargain for the RedSox, as Youkilis provides solid defense at first base, and at third. He finished third in MVP voting this past year, hitting 29 HRs, 115 RBIs, and a .312 Average, establishing himself as one of the elite corner infielders in the game today.
Michael Young agrees to play third base. Good. He was acting like a prima donna refusing to shift. There have been many players who have shifted position for the good of their team, and many of them better than Young, chief among them Alex Rodriguez. Also included is Chipper Jones, who moved to LF for a few seasons so the Braves could have Vinny Castilla at third, and Cal Ripken Jr, who moved to third base.
The Whitesox Signed Bartolo Colon to a one year deal. Fitting that the 2005 AL Cy Young Winner signs with the 2005 World Series champs. Colon is 36 in May and has yet to be able to duplicate that success he had in 2005. He has a career ERA over 4. The upside to him is that he has a K to BB ratio of over 2, and career winning percentage of 60.7 %. This trade probably fills void left by Vazquez, though how effective Colon will be, remains to be seen.
The Dodgers released Andruw Jones. This comes as no surprise to anyone after they restructured his deal to defer his salary. After a 2008 season where he could not his his weight, struck out more than two times as many times as he got a hit, and where he hit just one more homerun than CC Sabathia, he would be lucky to find any suitors. Jones is 32 in April. If he agrees to sign for the league minimum, which, he has no reason not to, given the money he's getting from the Dodgers, then he should be a good low-risk high-reward investment.
The RedSox signed Kevin Youkilis to a 4 year, 41.25 million dollar deal. This is a bargain for the RedSox, as Youkilis provides solid defense at first base, and at third. He finished third in MVP voting this past year, hitting 29 HRs, 115 RBIs, and a .312 Average, establishing himself as one of the elite corner infielders in the game today.
Michael Young agrees to play third base. Good. He was acting like a prima donna refusing to shift. There have been many players who have shifted position for the good of their team, and many of them better than Young, chief among them Alex Rodriguez. Also included is Chipper Jones, who moved to LF for a few seasons so the Braves could have Vinny Castilla at third, and Cal Ripken Jr, who moved to third base.
The Whitesox Signed Bartolo Colon to a one year deal. Fitting that the 2005 AL Cy Young Winner signs with the 2005 World Series champs. Colon is 36 in May and has yet to be able to duplicate that success he had in 2005. He has a career ERA over 4. The upside to him is that he has a K to BB ratio of over 2, and career winning percentage of 60.7 %. This trade probably fills void left by Vazquez, though how effective Colon will be, remains to be seen.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Braves Sign Lowe
The Atlanta Braves have signed Derek Lowe to a reported 4 year, 60 million dollar contract.
The contract isn't nearly as bad as I was expecting. I feel that this is better than Burnett in that Lowe has never had injury issues. There is enormous downside to this contract though: This leaves the Braves without a left-handed starting pitcher, unless Jo-Jo Reyes manages to turn things around in Spring Training and beat out Campillo, Morton, and Parr for the fifth spot. Also, Lowe is 36 this year, meaning he will be 40 at the end of his contract. I do not believe that he will be able to be as dominant as he was in 2002. At the same time, this also gives the Braves virtually no reason rush Tommy Hanson to the majors and a sense of stability in the rotation.
The contract isn't nearly as bad as I was expecting. I feel that this is better than Burnett in that Lowe has never had injury issues. There is enormous downside to this contract though: This leaves the Braves without a left-handed starting pitcher, unless Jo-Jo Reyes manages to turn things around in Spring Training and beat out Campillo, Morton, and Parr for the fifth spot. Also, Lowe is 36 this year, meaning he will be 40 at the end of his contract. I do not believe that he will be able to be as dominant as he was in 2002. At the same time, this also gives the Braves virtually no reason rush Tommy Hanson to the majors and a sense of stability in the rotation.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Jim Rice, Rickey Henderson Elected to the Hall of Fame
Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today.
Both deserved to get elected. Rice hit near .300 for his career with just under 2500 hits and fell just short of 400 HRs. It is difficult, in my mind, to qualify Rice as being a dominant outfielder in his career. He did make the AllStar game 8 times however, and is unquestionably a man of good character.
Rickey Henderson is arguably one of the best leadoff hitters of all time, and is the career leader for leadoff HRs. Henderson won the World Series with the BlueJays in 1993, and is also the career leader in stolen bases. He bounced around 10 different Major League teams in his career, so it will be interesting to see whose hat he wears to go into the Hall. My vote would be for either the Oakland Athletics or the New York Yankees.
It is also notable that Mark McGwire received only 21.9% of the vote. I for one, could not be happier with this. If Pete Rose isn't in the Hall because of his gambling, then Mark McGwire should not be in the Hall for all the suspicion surrounding his name for the use of steroids then other illegal performance-enhancing substances.
Both deserved to get elected. Rice hit near .300 for his career with just under 2500 hits and fell just short of 400 HRs. It is difficult, in my mind, to qualify Rice as being a dominant outfielder in his career. He did make the AllStar game 8 times however, and is unquestionably a man of good character.
Rickey Henderson is arguably one of the best leadoff hitters of all time, and is the career leader for leadoff HRs. Henderson won the World Series with the BlueJays in 1993, and is also the career leader in stolen bases. He bounced around 10 different Major League teams in his career, so it will be interesting to see whose hat he wears to go into the Hall. My vote would be for either the Oakland Athletics or the New York Yankees.
It is also notable that Mark McGwire received only 21.9% of the vote. I for one, could not be happier with this. If Pete Rose isn't in the Hall because of his gambling, then Mark McGwire should not be in the Hall for all the suspicion surrounding his name for the use of steroids then other illegal performance-enhancing substances.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Braves Sign Kawakami, Redsox, Saito
According to RotoWorld, the Braves have signed Kenshin Kawakami to a deal. This could be good for the Braves, depending upon how much they spent. Anything more than 7 million a year, in my opinion, is paying too much for him, considering that he is unproven in the MLB. Given the benchmarks of Daisuke Matsuzaka and Kei Igawa, I doubt that the Braves paid less than 7 million. I view Kawakami, age 33, as a stopgap until Hanson is ready.
My realistic projection for Kawakami: 11-10, 3.78 ERA, 195 IP, 140 Ks.
Additionally, the RedSox have signed Takashi Saito. This is a great move for Boston, as it takes a step to help fix on of their problems from last year: Their Bullpen. Yes, Saito is 39, however, he can become a solid setup man for Papelbon.
Additionally, the RedSox have signed Takashi Saito. This is a great move for Boston, as it takes a step to help fix on of their problems from last year: Their Bullpen. Yes, Saito is 39, however, he can become a solid setup man for Papelbon.
Friday, January 9, 2009
If I Were the Atlanta Braves GM
As you will undoubtedly find out, I am a die-hard Braves fan. This being said, I am extremely disappointed with the Braves' current offseason. Not only did we not get Furcal, we also decided that we would never to business with his agent again. We also let one of the greatest pitchers in Atlanta's history, John Smoltz, go to the RedSox. And we traded for Javier Vazquez. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Vazquez. It's just that I believe we gave up too much (Tyler Flowers) for him.
What has been good this offseason, is that we did not trade for Peavy and we did not sign Burnett. Do not get me wrong, I would have loved to see both in a Braves uniform. However, we would have grossly overpaid for Burnett, and would have given up too much for Peavy.
Thus, I present the first in a possibly 30 part series (If I am not lazy): If I were _________'s GM. Today, it's If I Were Atlanta's GM. I refuse to write his name, for I feel he has mishandled this offeason. Now, without further adieu, the moves I would make.
Offer a contract to Tom Glavine.
Tom Glavine is undoubtedly a Brave. He deserves the respect of being offered a contract. Not counting last year, Tom Glavine had never made a trip to the DL. He is reliable, and still has enough to prove effective.
Offer a contract to Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones is worth the risk. The Dodgers are on the verge of cutting him. He would probably sign for close to the league minimum. If we signed Andruw Jones to a minor league contract, we could extend an invitation to Spring Training. This is exactly the type of low-risk high-reward move that the Rays have made in the past on people like Carlos Pena. The reason this idea is so good for the Braves is that Andruw Jones is still beloved by the Braves, and it would work to appease Braves fans sore from the loss of Smoltz. Not only that, but Jones could fill in at LF for Atlanta if he does well in Spring Training. I say LF because his health is in question after having surgery on his knee this past season, and as such, he might not be able to keep up at CF.
Extend Chipper Jones
He is undoubtedly worth extending. Chipper Jones has not played more than 140 games since 2003. That being said, since 1995, he has never hit fewer than 20 HRs in a season, never had fewer than 70 RBIs, and hit below .300 only three times. He had at least 100 RBIs from 1996-2003. He is aging, yes. However, he is still one of the best third basemen in the game, proving that by winning a batting title at the ripe old age of 36. Similar to Andruw, he is also a fan favorite.
Sign Jeff Francoeur to a long term deal
Jeff is 25 later this month. He is still young, and still has potential. Admittedly, last year was abysmal. Despite this, he still had 70+ RBIs. He is a former Gold Glove winner, and was a ROTY contender in 2005, even though he came up in July. He also led the NL in OF Assists in 2006, and has one of the most feared OF arms in the game. Both he and Brian McCann are the future of the franchise, and McCann already signed a long-term deal after his AllStar 2006 season.
Convert Jo-Jo Reyes to the 'Pen
He has not had much success as a starter. Converting him to the bullpen is a risk, yes. However, if done properly, Reyes could find success. He was brought up as a starter, and making the transition will enable him to be very successful. If he is used to pacing himself, then being able to go full-speed for an inning will make his stuff more effective. Additionally, he should be able to go more than an inning, and be able to go back-to-back days.
Bite the Bullet
The Braves need to admit that 2009 is a wash. If this is done, the season can be somewhat salvaged. A rotation of Vazquez-Jurrjens-Glavine-Morton-Parr might not be that intimidating. However, allowing Morton and Parr to go a full season and get solid Major League experience is invaluable to the both of them as it will allow them to develop as starters. Also, Tommy Hanson must not be thrown into the inferno immediately. A set of "Tommy" rules, similar to the "Joba Rules" the Yankees had in 2007 must be put into effect for Hanson if and when he is called up. He is the future of the Braves rotation and must be protected. If this is all done properly, this would set up the Braves for a 2010 rotation of Jurrjens-Vazquez-Hanson-Morton-Parr. The core four of Jurrjens-Hanson-Morton-Parr are invaluable to the franchise. They are young. They have talent. I see Jurrjens and Hanson as AllStars by 2012, and Parr and Morton as solid 3-4 guys.
In closing, these moves would not make the Braves immediate contenders. That is not the idea behind the 2009 season. In a division with the Phillies, the Mets, and the ever-dangerous Marlins, it is nearly impossible to become contenders over the course of one off season. However, the Braves can be contenders for the 2010 season if they play their cards right in this upcoming year.
What has been good this offseason, is that we did not trade for Peavy and we did not sign Burnett. Do not get me wrong, I would have loved to see both in a Braves uniform. However, we would have grossly overpaid for Burnett, and would have given up too much for Peavy.
Thus, I present the first in a possibly 30 part series (If I am not lazy): If I were _________'s GM. Today, it's If I Were Atlanta's GM. I refuse to write his name, for I feel he has mishandled this offeason. Now, without further adieu, the moves I would make.
Offer a contract to Tom Glavine.
Tom Glavine is undoubtedly a Brave. He deserves the respect of being offered a contract. Not counting last year, Tom Glavine had never made a trip to the DL. He is reliable, and still has enough to prove effective.
Offer a contract to Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones is worth the risk. The Dodgers are on the verge of cutting him. He would probably sign for close to the league minimum. If we signed Andruw Jones to a minor league contract, we could extend an invitation to Spring Training. This is exactly the type of low-risk high-reward move that the Rays have made in the past on people like Carlos Pena. The reason this idea is so good for the Braves is that Andruw Jones is still beloved by the Braves, and it would work to appease Braves fans sore from the loss of Smoltz. Not only that, but Jones could fill in at LF for Atlanta if he does well in Spring Training. I say LF because his health is in question after having surgery on his knee this past season, and as such, he might not be able to keep up at CF.
Extend Chipper Jones
He is undoubtedly worth extending. Chipper Jones has not played more than 140 games since 2003. That being said, since 1995, he has never hit fewer than 20 HRs in a season, never had fewer than 70 RBIs, and hit below .300 only three times. He had at least 100 RBIs from 1996-2003. He is aging, yes. However, he is still one of the best third basemen in the game, proving that by winning a batting title at the ripe old age of 36. Similar to Andruw, he is also a fan favorite.
Sign Jeff Francoeur to a long term deal
Jeff is 25 later this month. He is still young, and still has potential. Admittedly, last year was abysmal. Despite this, he still had 70+ RBIs. He is a former Gold Glove winner, and was a ROTY contender in 2005, even though he came up in July. He also led the NL in OF Assists in 2006, and has one of the most feared OF arms in the game. Both he and Brian McCann are the future of the franchise, and McCann already signed a long-term deal after his AllStar 2006 season.
Convert Jo-Jo Reyes to the 'Pen
He has not had much success as a starter. Converting him to the bullpen is a risk, yes. However, if done properly, Reyes could find success. He was brought up as a starter, and making the transition will enable him to be very successful. If he is used to pacing himself, then being able to go full-speed for an inning will make his stuff more effective. Additionally, he should be able to go more than an inning, and be able to go back-to-back days.
Bite the Bullet
The Braves need to admit that 2009 is a wash. If this is done, the season can be somewhat salvaged. A rotation of Vazquez-Jurrjens-Glavine-Morton-Parr might not be that intimidating. However, allowing Morton and Parr to go a full season and get solid Major League experience is invaluable to the both of them as it will allow them to develop as starters. Also, Tommy Hanson must not be thrown into the inferno immediately. A set of "Tommy" rules, similar to the "Joba Rules" the Yankees had in 2007 must be put into effect for Hanson if and when he is called up. He is the future of the Braves rotation and must be protected. If this is all done properly, this would set up the Braves for a 2010 rotation of Jurrjens-Vazquez-Hanson-Morton-Parr. The core four of Jurrjens-Hanson-Morton-Parr are invaluable to the franchise. They are young. They have talent. I see Jurrjens and Hanson as AllStars by 2012, and Parr and Morton as solid 3-4 guys.
In closing, these moves would not make the Braves immediate contenders. That is not the idea behind the 2009 season. In a division with the Phillies, the Mets, and the ever-dangerous Marlins, it is nearly impossible to become contenders over the course of one off season. However, the Braves can be contenders for the 2010 season if they play their cards right in this upcoming year.
Introduction
Hi. This is my first shot at doing a baseball blog. I would do a sports blog, but I do not pay close enough attention to basketball, football, or hockey to speak knowledgeably on Players, Teams, Coaches, etc. The title of this blog, for those unaware, is a reference to the song by John Fogharty, "Centerfield." As for the address of this, "The Say What Kid" is a parody of the great Willy Mays' nickname, "The Say Hey Kid." That, and it was available.
I was trying to get "imreadytoplay.blogspot.com" but it was inexplicably taken, I'm guessing by someone looking for sex. Could be wrong, I'm not gonna check. So, feel free to comment on my posts, praise my genius or call me an idiot.
I was trying to get "imreadytoplay.blogspot.com" but it was inexplicably taken, I'm guessing by someone looking for sex. Could be wrong, I'm not gonna check. So, feel free to comment on my posts, praise my genius or call me an idiot.
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