Blog Archives

Dan Haren Has Not Pitched Well For The Nationals!

Like us on Facebook here

Sunday, Apr.21/2013

Dan Haren signed a 1 YR/ $13 Million Contract over the winter with the Washington Nationals. He was supposed to be a competent #5 Starter that would give the Nats an edge versus opponents #5 Starters. The 32 Year Old is 1 – 2 with a 8.10 ERA and 2.03 WHIP so far – spanning 3 Games Started and 13.1 Innings Pitched.

By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard

Dan Haren has not pitched well for the Nationals. There have been a multitude of issues, but the main and most important one is he has been getting hit hard. His line drive rate is up to 25.9% from his career average of 19.9% – and his ground ball rate is down to 25.9% from his career average of 43.0%.

Avoiding line drives and inducing ground balls is good for a pitcher. Most line drives are hits -while most ground balls are not.

Giving up more line drives and less ground balls is never good and it has led to Haren having a .420 BABIP so far on the season compared to his career average of .292, and this doesn’t include the five homeruns he has given up, but even if nothing else changes a 3.38 HR/9 is unsustainable.

MLB Talk on the Haren Signing at the Winter Meetings 2012:

Read the rest of this entry →

About these ads

Posted in MLB Player Profiles, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Leave a Comment

Tags: arizona diamondbacks, washington nationals, nl west, dan haren, david price, NL east, edwin jackson, edinson volquez, tim lincecum, bud norris, chris young, la angels, Mike Leake, justin masterson, tommy milone, brett anderson, mark Mulder, @davidhuzzard on twitter, David Huzzard, @citsofnatstown, ross ohlendorf, www.citizensofnatstown.com, on twitter, steve mccatty, syracuse, daniel rosenbaum

NL Trade Deadline Targets

Apr 8

Posted by jgluck777

Like us on Facebook here

Follow @mlbreports

Monday April.8/2013

If all goes well with the team this year, the Astros could improve on their 2012 year. If all else fails, Houston might challenge the ALL-Time Loss Record. Whatever happens, any Veteran Player with a heartbeat will be on the trading block by June. The Astros will continue to dissolve any of their assets (with expiring contracts) onto other teams in order to pick off some more prospects. The Astros will also Draft 1st overall at the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft. The Astros also play in the toughest Division in the Majors for pitching, plus have already put up back to back 100 Loss Seasons. Their second half Won – Loss Records might challenge historic rates.

By Jordan Gluck (Prospects/Baseball Operations Correspondent) Follow @JGluck777

Likely Mid season trade targets NL:

I’m assuming these teams will have a winning percentage of at least .475 and therefore will not be sellers although that doesn’t entirely rule out being sellers at the deadline. We are far away from the deadline but it’s nice to see who might be available. Nationals, Braves, Phillies, Reds, Cardinals, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants and Rockies (sleeper).

I believe these teams will be sellers and there are not many in the NL because of the parity. Many of these teams don’t have that much to offer so it would not surprise me if a team above (Brewers?) makes a few trades for over slot prices. Marlins, Mets, Pirates, Cubs and Padres.

Giancarlo Stanton (Formerly Mike Stanton hits it out of Dodger Stadium):

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

Leave a Comment

Tags: a.j. burnett, Adalberto Mondesi, alex wood, alfonso soriano, Andrew McCutchen, arizona diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Austin Wood, avisail garcia, baltimore orioles, Bobby Parnell, brandon lyon, Carlos Marmol, carlos quentin, chase headley, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, chris reed, cincinnati reds, clayton richard, cleveland indians, clint barmes, colorado rockies, dale thayer, Dan Burawa., david Dejesus, david wright, dee gordon, detroit tigers, Dillon Howard, Drew Smyly, edinson volquez, eduardo nunez, edwin jackson, evan gattis, Francisco Lindor, francisco liriano, frank francisco, garrett jones, giancarlo stanton, greg dobbs, houston astros, huston street, ick Castellanos, ike davis, jared hughes, jason grilli, jeff mathis, johan santana, john buck, jon niese, jon rauch, Jorge Bonifacio, juan pierre, julio teheran, jurickson profar, justin ruggiano, kansas city royals, la angels, la dodgers, LaTroy Hawkins, lonnie chisenhall, luke gregorson, Luke Jackson & Jorge Alfaro., manny banuelos, mark kotsay, mason williams, matt garza, Michael Clevinger, mike olt, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, nick hundley, nick maronde, ny mets, NY Yankees, oakland athletics, Onelki Garcia, pedro feliciano, Philadlphia Phillies, placido polanco, R.J. Alvarez, ricky nolasco, Ronny Rodriguez, russell martin, san diego padres, san francisco giants, Scott Atchison, seattle mariners, shaun marcum, Stephen Fife, steve cishek, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, tony sanchez, toronto blue jays, tyler austin, tyler collins, wandy rodriguez, washington nationals, Yordano Ventura, zach lee

The Washington Nationals Franchise Part 6 of 6: 2013 Team Payroll And Contracts Updated Mar.8

Mar 7

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Like us on Facebook here

Follow @mlbreports

Thursday, March.07/2013

Stephen Strasburg is eligible for Arbitration after the 2013 season. He originally signed a 4 Year/14 Million Dollar Entry Level Deal after he was drafted in 2009.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst / Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

Perhaps no team will hav Harper and Strasburg will be another year older, while both Zimmerman’s can both have been healthy for the year. They have two Mutual Options for them to re-sign which I mention on the next page. They do have several Arbitration Eligible Players including Super ’2′ Free Agents Jordan Zimmerman and Tyler Clippard. The Nationals should try to lock most of these guys up as long as they can. Especially guys like Desmond, Espinosa and Storen.

Their price shall only skyrocket as they become older. The Nationals will not have to worry about their starting outfield of Morse, Werth and Harper as they are all signed for next year. Strasburg enters the final year of this entry-level deal and Gio Gonzalez also has a nice value deal for the salary part of it.

Kurt Suzuki had a strong finish in 2013, so you could see the club maybe trading away he or Wilson Ramos before 2013 Trade Deadline. I suspect the Phillies to be stronger this year, so major improvements by Harper and rejuvenated play from both Zimmerman’s will be crucial to the clubs success. Micheal Lerner has made it abundantly clear he wants a championship for this club ASAP. He will spend any amount of money . The rest of the lineup looks set and ready to mash in 2013!

For Part 1 of the Article Series, The Expos Hitters: click here

For Part 2 of the Article Series, The Expos Pitchers: click here

For Part 3 of the Article Series, The Demise of the Montreal Expos: click here

For Part 4 of the Article Series, The Washington Nationals Franchise 2005-2012: click here

For Part 5 of the Article Series, The Nationals top 25 Man Roster from 20o5-2012 click here

MLB 13 The Show – Bryce Harper Interview:

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

4 Comments

Tags: adam laroche, bryce harper, chad tracy, chien-ming wang, Chuck Booth, cole kimball, craig stammen, danny espinosa, drew storen, edwin jackson, eric hinske, expos, gio gonzalez, henry rodriguez, ian desmond, jayson werth, jeff francis, jesus flores, jhonatan solano, jordan zimmerman, kurt suzuki, la dodgers, mark derosa, michael lerner, Mike Gonzalez, montreal, new york yankees, randy wolf, reed johnson, roger bernadina, ross detwiler, ryan mattheus, ryan zimmerman, sandy leon, stephen strasburg, steve lombardozzi, super 2 arbitration eligible, the fastest 30 ballgames, tom gorzelanny, Tommy John Surgery, tyler clippard, Tyler Moore, washington nationals, Wilson Ramos

Cubs Payroll In 2013 And Contracts Going Forward

Mar 2

Posted by Alex Kantecki

Like us on Facebook here

Follow @mlbreports

Saturday, Mar.02, 2013

The Cubs final payroll from 2012 was just north of $107 Million, and, over the winter, President of Baseball Operations Theo Esptein and GM Jed Hoyer added plenty of pitching depth to the 2013 team.

By Alex Kantecki (Cubs Correspondent): Follow @akantecki

Only the Houston Astros stood between the Chicago Cubs and last place in the NL Central in 2012. The Cubs lost 101 games – their most losses since 1966, when the team went 51-103 — and finished with the second worst record in baseball. Under President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, the Cubs went backwards from the year before, losing 10 more games than in 2011.

Epstein continues to rebuild the Cubs’ farm system, and the organization boasts four top prospects – Shortstop Javier Baez, Outfielder Albert Almora, Outfielder Jorge Soler and Relief Pitcher Arodys Vizcaino — all of whom are represented in the Top 100 Prospects of Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. Over the winter, the Cubs bolstered their Starting Pitching staff, adding Starters Edwin Jackson, Scott Feldman, Scott Baker and Carlos Villanueva.

Chicago Cubs 2012 Highlights: Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Leave a Comment

Tags: 2013 chicago cubs, 25 man roster chicago cubs, @akantecki on twitter, albert almora, alex kantecki, alfonso soriano, anthony rizzo, arodys vizcaino, Brett Jackson, brooks raley, Carlos Marmol, carlos villanueva, chicago, chicago cubs, Chicago cubs payroll, chris rusin, Darwin Barney, dave sappelt, david Dejesus, dioner navarro, edwin jackson, gerardo concepcion, james russell, Javier Baez, jed hoyer, jeff samardzija, jorge soler, josh vitters, junior lake, kyuji fujikawa, luis valbuena, matt garza, matt szczur, michael bowden, nate schierholtz, rafael dolis, scott baker, scott feldman, scott hairston, shawn camp, starlin castro, theo epstein, travis wood, welington castillo

MLB Player Profile: Nationals Pitcher Jordan Zimmermann

Jan 23

Posted by bernieolshansky

Follow @mlbreports

Like us on Facebook here

Wednesday January 23rd, 2013

Jordan Zimmermann is heading into Arbitration shortly with the Nats coming off of his best year in the Major Leagues with a 12-8 Record. For his career, he is 24-26 with a 3.47 ERA. Zimmermann had Tommy John surgery in 2009 – and has come back stronger.

Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky

Having his breakout season in 2012, Jordan Zimmermann has been a guy the Washington Nationals have been able to rely on. 27 years old in 2013, Zimmermann helps anchor the young Nationals rotation including Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg. The Nationals had success in 2012, winning the NL East and making the playoffs for the first time as a franchise. The Nationals got unlucky though, and were eliminated by the St. Louis Cardinals in the Division Series. This year the Nationals will hope to build on their 2012 performance, and Jordan Zimmermann will most likely be a big help.

One of the main reasons the Nationals were eliminated so early last season is because of the shutting down of Stephen Strasburg. In the middle of the season, I wrote about the pros and cons of shutting Strasburg down, and in the end the situation ended badly. Last year, the Nationals had a very strong rotation consisting of Strasburg, Zimmermann, Gonzalez, and Edwin Jackson. By shutting Strasburg down, the Nationals lost a quarter of their rotation and had to scramble when the Division Series went more than three games. Ross Detwiler got the start and Zimmermann had to come into the game in a relief role. There was no reason for this to have to happen. Protecting Strasburg was important, but in my opinion the Nationals overprotected him, which cost them dearly in the playoffs.

Jordan Zimmermann Flashback Highlights:

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Leave a Comment

Tags: 2012 NLDS, @bernieolshansky on twitter, baseball, bernard-olshansky, bernie olshansky, bryce harper, cy young, david price, edwin jackson, gio gonzalez, jordan zimmermann, matt cain, Mike Rizzo, mlb, national league, NL east, nlds, pitching, ross detwiler, st louis cardinals, stephen strasburg, strasburg, washington nationals

MLB Player Profile: Chicago Cubs SP Matt Garza

Jan 18

Posted by Alex Kantecki

Follow @mlbreports

Like us on Facebook here

Friday, January.18, 2013

Matt Garza may only have a Career Record of 57-61 (.483) – but had a ERA if 3.84 during his 7 year career for the Cubs, Rays and Twins. He also has carried an ERA of under 4 for 6 straights seasons – including 3 tough years in the AL East.

Alex Kantecki (Guest Baseball Writer and Cubs Correspondent): Follow @Akantecki

Matt Garza was Jim Hendry’s last big addition before the Cubs general manager got the boot in 2011. The Cubs needed a dependable No. 3 to slot in the rotation behind Cubs’ mainstays Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano, and Garza fit the bill. In three years with Tampa Bay, Garza compiled a 34-31 record with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP with 7.10 K/9 and 3.05 BB/9 in 592.1 Innings Pitched — not ace numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but respectable for a No. 2/No. 3 type.

Garza, 29, was an innings-eater, with two straight seasons of 200-plus innings from 2009-2010. To acquire Garza, the Cubs sent five prospects, including No. 1 prospect Chris Archer and No. 4 prospect Hak-Ju Lee to Tampa Bay. The move, considered by many as a desperation trade by a general manager looking to save his job, is still scrutinized today. But should it be?

Matt Garza Highlight: Worst Throw Ever to 1st Base?

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Leave a Comment

Tags: 2008 ALCS, @Akantecki on tiwitter, alex kantecki, brendan harris, carlos villanueva, carlos zambrano, chicago, chicago cubs, chris archer, delmon young, edwin jackson, Hak-Ju Lee, jason bartlett, jeff samardzija, martin perez, matt garza, mike olt, minnesota twins, montgomery, ryan dempster, scott baker, scott feldman, Tampa Bay, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, theo epstein

The Tampa Bay Rays: The Franchise 1998-2012: Part 1 Of A 5 Part Article Series

Dec 20

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Follow @mlbreports

Thursday, December.20, 2012

Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Teams Payroll going into 2013 and 5. The Ball Park that they play in. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) Be sure to check my author page with a list of all of my archived articles section here.

The many Rays Logo’s over the years. Is the best of this franchise yet to come?

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

The Tampa Bay Rays Franchise can be summarized into two different categories: “The Devil Rays Days” and the “Rays Days.” The Devil Rays endured 10 straight losing seasons to start the club’s history. From 1998-2007, was a complete gong show (645-972) and last place finishes in a tough AL East every year, except for 2004, when they finished 4th, although they did stockpile several top Draft Picks based on their horrid regular seasons. In 2008, all of that changed when the ‘Devil’ was literally and figuratively knocked away from the Tampa Bay team. Their young stars finally saw their potential realized and they appeared in the 2008 World Series versus the Philadelphia Phillies. The Franchise would lose in 5 hard-fought, weather fulfilled games, however the team was now one of the model clubs in baseball. From 2008-2012, the club has gone 458-352.

The Rays have made the playoffs in 2010 and 2011 since, plus featured two other over .500 records in 2009 and 2012. The club has now had 5 winning seasons in a row. There is still a long way to go as they feature the worst winning percentage in MLB History, with a 1103-1327 Franchise Record (.454). The next worst team is the Padres at .463. The Arizona DiamondBacks were the NL Expansion cousins of the Rays and they feature a Win Percentage of (.498), which is second overall for the Expansion teams. The Arizona DiamondBacks also have made the playoffs 5 times and won the World Series in 2001. Still if you asked anyone right now, the Rays would gladly be the team everyone picked.

Franchise Series Links:

The Hitters: The Tampa Bay Rays: The Hitters 1998-2012: Part 2 Of A 5 Part Article Series

The Pitchers: The Tampa Bay Rays: The Pitchers 1998-2012: Part 3 Of A 5 Part Article Series

2013 Team Payroll: Tampa Bay Rays Payroll 2013 And Contracts Going Forward: Updated for Myers Trade Dec.11/2012

Tropicana Field Expert: An Interview with Tropicana Field Expert Kurt Smith

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

3 Comments

Tags: 2008 world series', @chuckbooth3024 on twitter, AL East, alex cobb, American league, andrew friedman, andy sonnanstine, arizona diamondbacks, at and t park, aubrey huff, b.j. upton, baltimore orioles, ben zobrist, Bobby Abreu, brandon backe, carl crawford, Carlos Pena, chicago cubs, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, chuck lamar, danys baez, david price, delmon young, dmitri young, dough waechter, edwin jackson, elijah dukes, esteban yan, evan longoria, gerald williams, greg vaughn, hal macrae, heath bell, houston astros, jackie robinson, jake mcgee, james loney, james shields, jason hammel, jeff niemann, jeremy hellickson, jim mecir, Joe Maddon, john jaso, johnny damon, jorge cantu', josh hamilton, kevin stocker, kyle farnsworth, larry rothschild, lou piniella, manny ramirez, mark teixeira, matt diaz, matt garza, matt moore, matthew silverman, mike jacobs, mike pelfrey, mike scioscia, national league, philadelphia phillies, rafael soriano, randy winn, reid brignac, roberto hernandez, rocco baldelli, rolando arrojo, ryan fontenot, ryan raburn, safeco field, san diego padres, scott kazmir, seattle mariners, seth mcclung, st. petersburg florida, stuart sternberg, tampa, tampa bay devil rays, tampa bay rays, tampa bay rays payroll 2013, tanyon sturtze, texas rangers, toby hall, toronto blue jays, tropicana field, victor zambrano, vince naimoli, wade davis, wade leblanc, wil myers, willie harris, wilson alvarez, yunel escobar

The Nationals Signing of Dan Haren To A 1 Yr Deal: Why It Is Still A Bad Move For Them

Dec 17

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Follow @mlbreports

Monday December 17th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @TheJakeMan24

Starting pitching is already an obvious strength for the Washington Nationals. If that not evident to you, well, I’ll provide some stats. As a unit, the Nats’ starters combined to post a 3.40 ERA, and a 3.46 Fielding Independent Percentage (FIP). Both marks led the National League. Therefore, starting pitching should be labeled as their best strength.

However, Washington’s rotation became a bit slimmer when Edwin Jackson decided to part to greener pastures. Yes, technically he is still a free-agent, and the Nationals could technically prepare an offer for him. But the likelihood of that happening is about as little as can be.

Why?

Because Rizzo signed Dan Haren to a one-year, $13 Million Deal instead. OK, Haren’s reputation is surely a bit more reputable than Jackson’s. He is a three-time all-star, and has finished top-ten in Cy Young voting twice in his Ten Year Career. Meanwhile, Jackson is known to get a wild hair every so often, but has ace-esque stuff when he’s clicking. It’s just that his command is inconsistent. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

3 Comments

Tags: @TheJakeMan24 on twitter, American league, angels, anibal sanchez, cy young, dan haren, edwin jackson, gio gonzalez, jordan zimmerman, Naitonals Park, national league, stephen strasburg, washington nationals, zack greinke

State Of The Union: What The Minnesota Twins Must Do To Compete in 2013

Dec 14

Posted by kholland13

Follow @mlbreports

Friday December 14, 2012

Kyle Holland (MLB Reports intern): Follow @TheKHolland13

The last few years for the Minnesota Twins had been nothing more than atrocious. They have finished in last place in the AL Central both of the past two season finishing 63-99 and 66-96 respectively. The 2011 season was highly disappointing due to the fact the Twins finished first in 2010. They didn’t have Mauer for a good portion of 2011 due to injury so they were hoping for a strong comeback in 2012. He did not disappoint making the All-Star Game in 2012 and finished with one of the top Avgs in the American League. Justin Morneau played the majority of the season and is starting to come around offensively. While the team can’t count on him putting up AL MVP numbers again, he should be average amongst American League First Basemen.

So what exactly do the Twins need to do to get back to their success in the last decade prior to 2011? The simple answer to this question is pitching. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

2 Comments

Tags: 2012-13 offseason, @TheKholland13 on twitter, al central, American league, cleveland indians, Cole De Vries, edwin jackson, joe mauer, justin morneau, kansas city royals, Kyle Gobson, kyle lohse, liam hendriks, minnesota twins, scott diamond, tommy john, trevor bauer

The Red Sox Are Spending All That Cash Without Acquiring Pitching!

Dec 11

Posted by kholland13

Follow @mlbreports

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Intern):

The summer of 2012 was by far the Red Sox worst in recent memory. Hiring Bobby Valentine might have turned out to be the Red Sox front office’s worst decision within the last 20 years. It was probably a worst decision than signing Carl Crawford for seven years and $142 Million. The Sox have decided during the 2012-13 offseason that they would dish out some money to spend again. Their only problem? They are not spending any money on what they really need, pitching.

They drove through 9 starting pitchers throughout the 2012 campaign and their ERA leader had a 4.56 ERA. That’s not a very good ERA for a team leader. The same man, Clay Buchholz , also led the team with 11 wins. Also not amazing for a team leader. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

Leave a Comment

Tags: 2012-13 offseason, adrian gonzalez, bobby valentine, boston red sox, carl crawford, clay buchholz, cody ross, edwin jackson, jon lester, mike napoli, Red Sox Front Office, shane victorino, Zack Grienke

Ryan Madson and Edwin Jackson: Free Agent Gambles That Became Scott Boras Blunders

Nov 12

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Follow @mlbreports

Monday November 12th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: There isn’t a single general manager is baseball that enjoys negotiating with Scott Boras, the man behind many of baseball’s top players. He usually gets his way when the final dominos fall, but he isn’t perfect. Edwin Jackson and Ryan Madson are two examples of Boras’s flawed work of late.

Here’s how they have and will be affected in free agency:

How Edwin Jackson Will Be Affected

Jackson seems to be the MLB’s definition of a journeyman. With ten years under his belt, he has pitched on seven teams, and not once has he signed a contract worth longer than three years. Jackson had an opportunity to erase that trend last off-season with several long-term deals at his disposal. However, Fox Sport’s Ken Rosenthal noted last winter that instead of taking the safe route, he could roll the dice and shoot for a larger contract next winter, which is now this winter. Jackson followed Rosenthal’s blueprint, signing a one-year deal with the Nationals worth $11 million. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Leave a Comment

Tags: baseball, closers, edwin jackson, free agency, joakim soria, kansas city royals, mariano rivera, mlb, pitchers, reds, ryan madson, saves, scott boras, starters, washington nationals

ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: MLB Free Agency Season Is Upon Us!

Nov 4

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Follow @mlbreports

Sunday November 4th, 2012

Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@gmail.com, message us on Twitter, post on our Facebook Wall and leave comments on our website! There are many ways to reach us and we will get to your questions from all social media outlets!

Jonathan Hacohen: Here we go again. We spend the whole offseason waiting and hoping for the MLB season to start. We speculate where free agents will sign, which teams will pull off trades and which teams have reason for optimism once the season. We dissect every move and weigh the dollars/years on each contract. Welcome to hot stove baby! But then the season comes and goes in a flash- then we end up right back to the offseason again. Right back to free agency talk again.

This week we have a nice mix of topics. From covering free agents, to trades, division realignment- our readers really went through the whole spectrum of baseball topics. We couldn’t possibly jump into ATR during free agency season without hearing the names Hamilton, Greinke or Upton? Of course not! So enough talking- more asking! It’s time for Ask the Reports.

Now let’s get to your top questions of the week: Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

Leave a Comment

Tags: ask the reports, atr, b.j. upton, baseball, baseball questions, david ortiz, edwin jackson, free agency, ichiro suzuki, james shields, jose valverde, josh hamilton, kyle lohse, lance armstrong, Major League Baseball, Marco scutaro, mlb, nick swisher, Torii Hunter, zack greinke

MLB Reports Playoff Power Rankings and Predictions 2012

Oct 5

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Follow @mlbreports

Friday, October.5/2012

The Reds have Joey Votto back and definitely are the deepest team in the playoffs. They start in San Francisco versus the Giants on Saturday in a best of 5 Series in the NLDS Round.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

In what could be one of the most exciting days in MLB History, we present to you a special edition of the MLB Reports Power Rankings,

1. Cincinnati Reds: The reason I have chosen these guys is because of their path to the World Series is probably easier than any other team in the MLB when it comes to Strength of Schedule. Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman and Todd Frazier will challenge for NL Cy Young Votes and the Rookie of the Year Award. They have a healthy Joey Votto and it is time for Brandon Phillips to show his playoff metal. They have the greatest bullpen in the playoffs and are playing in the 1st round against the San Francisco Giants. The Great American Ball Park should be a great home field advantage.

Unheralded Player to watch in this Playoffs: Starting Pitcher Homer Bailey has pitched really well this year and is coming off a recent no-hitter.

2. Detroit Tigers: The Tigers are playing their best baseball of the season and caught a break when the Athletics won the AL West. Miguel Cabrera was on fire in September en route to his AL Triple Crown win. The Tigers were 32-11 in their last 43 home games and their solid pitching bodes well versus all of the homer centric teams in the AL. Their toughest competition would be the Yankees and Rangers and I am not sure those teams will be able to match the pitching of the club. While in my rankings I have given the #1 ranking to the Reds, the Tigers were my preseason pick to win the WS Title and it will all be on the backs of Prince Fielder and Cabrera.

Unheralded player to watch in the Playoffs: Omar Infante. He is a great all around player who comes up with clutch hits.

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

2 Comments

Tags: adam laroche, adrian beltre, albert pujols, alex rodriguez, allen craig, andy pettitte, angel pagan, aroldis chapman, Atlanta Braves, barry zito, billy beane, brandon phillips, Brian McCann, bryce harper, buster posey, cc sabathia, cincinnati reds, comerica park, dave duncan, david murphy, derek jeter, detroit tigers, edwin jackson, freddie freeman, homer bailey, ichiro suzuki, jayson heyward, jayson werth, jim thome, joey votto, john lannan, johnny cueto, josh hamilton, josh reddick, kyle lohse, Marco scutaro, mark teixeira, matt holliday, miguel cabrera, Mike Morse, mike napoli, new york yankees, o.co coliseum, oakland athletics, omar infante, prince fielder, raul ibanez, reed johnson, robinson cano, ross detwiler, st louis cardinals, texas rangers, tim lincecum, todd frazier, tony la russa, tyler clippard, washington nationals, world series, yadier molina, yoenis cespedes, yu darvish

Ross Detwiler: Nationals Pitcher is Underrated to Say the Least

Sep 22

Posted by baseballaddicts13

Follow @mlbreports

Saturday September 22nd, 2012

Ryan Ritchey (Baseball Writer): The Washington Nationals have one of the best pitching staffs in the majors. The reason for this is the depth they have on the staff. It is not a shock that with Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman, Edwin Jackson, and Ross Detwiler that the Nationals have one of the best rotations in baseball. You hear a lot about the first four guys on this list, but not much about Detwiler. I am really wondering why this is the case! Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Leave a Comment

Tags: baseball, bryce harper, drew storen, edwin jackson, gio gonzalez, jordan zimmerman, mlb, nationals, ross detwiler, stephen strasburg, washington nationals

Time For the Nationals to Shut Down Jordan Zimmermann: Why Stop at Strasburg?

Sep 14

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Follow @mlbreports

Friday September 14th, 2012

Jonathan Hacohen: Before fans of the Nationals start to write any angry comments in respect of this article, please do me one favor. Stop. Read the article in its entirety and then pass judgement. That’s the least I can ask from each of you.

Now that being said, I have a bone to pick with the Nationals. While I love the game with a passion, I also need to separate the fan in me from the writer. When it comes to the topic of Stephen Strasburg, I honestly have a hard time doing that. Shutting down Stephen Strasburg to me is like ripping up the winning lottery ticket. You just don’t do it. Too many stars have aligned this season for the Nationals, to have the season put into possible jeopardy due to a decision that could have been avoided. Putting it bluntly- Stephen Strasburg should be pitching right now. To the end of the season. And throughout the playoffs. You just don’t take out your ace when you don’t need to.

I have talked with colleagues, players, fans…everyone and anyone who has an opinion on the subject. Believe me, there are many of them. If I had to take an informal poll of say 200 people with knowledge on the game, about 195 are against the move. Plain and simple. In my eyes, it seems that everyone sees the logic to keep him pitching (including Strasburg himself), except GM Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Johnson. Even Johnson I am not that sure about. How often do you criticize your boss? Exactly. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

Leave a Comment

Tags: baseball, bryce harper, davey johnson, drew storen, edwin jackson, gio gonzalez, injury, john lannan, jordan zimmermann, Mike Rizzo, mlb, mlb reports, ross detweiler, stephen strasburg, tommy john, washington nationals

Was Edwin Jackson The Most Valuable Free Agent Signing During The Offseason? Smart Move By The Nationals

Sep 12

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Follow @mlbreports

Wednesday September 12th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: During all the chaos that surrounded Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder during the offseason, the Washington Nationals made a very sneaky addition to their pitching staff by adding Edwin Jackson. The deal was signed in early February, which made it the final piece to their rotation, as Gio Gonzalez was added before Jackson. But this move flew under the radar as Pujols and Fielder garnered most of the media. Obviously that didn’t come as a surprise. Now, Jackson looks like the most valuable offseason signing.

The thing about Jackson, is that he didn’t break the Nationals’ bank. He came at a reasonable $11 million price tag, and compared to the contracts that Pujols (10 Year, $254 Million) and Fielder (10 Year $214 Million) brought in, Jackson’s contract is practically nothing. Simply, he’s a value player. Talent-wise, he clearly isn’t as respected and accomplished as Pujols and Fielder. But that’s not the point.

However, Jackson won’t be flying under the radar for much longer now that Stephen Strasburg is out of the equation. He will have to play a much bigger role in a starting pitching staff that leads the National League in ERA (3.32). Yes, the Nationals have decent alternatives to fill Strasburg’s void. Those alternatives being Ross Detwiler and John Lannan, but Jackson takes an immense step up depth chart pyramid. Gio Gonzalez now assumes the “ace” role, Jordan Zimmerman follows him, and now Edwin Jackson is third option which means higher expectations. It also means that Jackson’s production can’t be taken as a bonus anymore. His production is now crucial for the Nationals to continue to find success on the pitching area of the game. If he depletes, the Nats are suddenly down to two consistent arms— Gonzalez and Zimmerman. That’s no longer intimidating.

Can he thrive under the pressure? Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Leave a Comment

Tags: albert pujols, baseball, bryce harper, drew storen, edwin jackson, free agent, jayson werth, mlb, mlb reports, NL east, playoffs, prince fielder, starting pitcher, stephen strasburg, washington nationals

Stephen Strasburg Update: The Nationals Decision to Shut Stras For the Season is Looming

Aug 9

Posted by bernieolshansky

Follow @mlbreports

Thursday August 9th, 2012

Bernie Olshansky:The rest of the Nationals’ season rides on the talented right arm of Stephen Strasburg. The Nationals have a very strong staff with Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, and Edwin Jackson as the core. One could make a case for Zimmermann, Gonzalez, or Strasburg as the ace, as each of them carries a sub-3.40 ERA. Zimmermann has a 2.45, Strasburg has a 2.97, and Gonzalez has a 3.32 ERA. Pitching is undoubtedly the Nationals’ strongpoint. But, if Washington was to abide by the innings limit they set for Strasburg, their playoff hopes could be in jeopardy.

At the beginning of the season, the Nationals came out and said that Strasburg would only throw 160 innings before being shut down due to his having Tommy John surgery last year. As of Wednesday, he has thrown 127.1. In his 22 starts this year, he averages about 5 2/3 innings a start. With the 32 2/3 innings that he has left, he would only be able to make five to six more starts. The Nationals have played 110 games thus far, so that leaves them with 52 to go. He is set to pitch Friday, so if he were to go every fifth day and pitch his average of 5 2/3 innings each time, his limit would be reached by the beginning of September. The good news is if the Nationals decide to abide by this limit, they have a few options available to them.

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

Leave a Comment

Tags: ace, baseball, bryce harper, divsion, edwin jackson, franchise, gio gonzalez, hitting, jordan zimmermann, mlb, pitching, playoff hopes, protecting arms, stephen strasburg, stras, tommy john, washington nationals, wild card, young talent

The Washington Nationals Franchise 2005-2012: (Part 4 of The Expos/Nats Series)

Jul 20

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Follow @mlbreports

Friday, July.20/2012

Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Team’s Payroll going into in 2013 and 5. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) To follow all of the updates, be sure to check my author page with a list of all archived articles here.

Stephen Strasburg is the new face of the Washington Nationals. Will Bryce Harper and he be able to bring a World Series to Washington?

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- At the beginning of 2005, MLB returned to Washington for the first time since 1971. So how was this time going to be any different from the first two times in DC? The Minnesota Twins first moved from the old Washington in 1961 and the Texas Rangers moved in 1971 from Washington a decade later. The Washington Nationals (or Senators in the early 20′s where the won a World Series in 1924. The first and only WS the city of Washington has seen) had hall of fame players such as: Goose Goslin, Sam Rice and Joe Cronin to accompany the great Walter Johnston. By the time the team moved to Minnesota before the start of the 1961 season, the club had young phenoms Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison seen as their nucleus of a young Washington team before moving.

Washington’s second go around (in the American League this time) lasted from 1961-1971. The Washington fans were granted an AL Expansion team by MLB-to hold ontotheir anti-trust exemption status. The Los Angeles Angels were their expansion cousins. These AL Washington teams were awful and only were saved by Frank Howard and his 6 foot 7 frame smashing home runs for the years of 1965-1971 as their first baseman/outfielder. The team only managed one winning season in a decade and that was under the managerial guide of Ted Williams. Bob Short had acquired the team with 9.4 Million Dollars that was all borrowed after the previous owner had died in 1967. Short promptly named himself the General Manager. Finances caught up to him and he eventually traded away some of the best talent before selling the club to the city of Arlington after the 1971 season. Washington would be without baseball for 33 years until the Expos moved back into RFK Stadium and changed their name to the Nationals in 2005.

For Part 1 of the Article Series, The Expos Hitters: click here

For Part 2 of the Article Series, The Expos Pitchers: click here

For Part 3 of the Article Series, The Demise of the Montreal Expos: click here

For Part 5 of the Article Series, 2005-2012 Nats Best 25 Man Roster click here

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

5 Comments

Tags: adam dunn, adam laroche, bob allison, bob short, brad wilkerson, bryce harper, chad cordero, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, danny espinosa, davey johnson, dmitri young, drew storen, edwin jackson, facebook, frank robinson, gio gonzalez, henry rodriguez, ian desmond, jason marquis, javier vazquez, jayson werth, jim riggleman, jordan zimmerman, jose vidro, livan hernandez, los angeles angels, Mike Morse, minnesota twins, montreal expos, nationals park, prince fielder, ross detwiler, ryan zimmerman, stephen strasburg, Ted lerner, ted williams, texas rangers, twitter, tyler clippard, walter johnston, washington nationals, washington senators, Wilson Ramos

Why the Washington Nationals Will Make the Playoffs in 2012

Jun 21

Posted by bernieolshansky

Follow @mlbreports

Thursday June 21st, 2012

Bernie Olshansky: The last time the city of Washington D.C. saw a World Series trophy was in 1924. That was the work of the Washington Senators with the help of Walter “Big Train” Johnson. Although this year’s version of the team doesn’t have a veteran baseball legend, they do have a couple budding superstars. First is Stephen Strasburg. The first-overall pick of the 2009 draft, Strasburg made an enormous impact in his first career start and most of the 2010 season, but ended up on Dr. Lewis Yocum’s table towards the end, and missed most of the 2011 season. Thankfully for the Nationals, Strasburg is back and better than ever, posting an 8-1 record and a 2.45 ERA (before Wednesday’s win versus Tampa Bay: 7IP 5H 2ER 10K and got the win). Unfortunately for the Nationals, Strasburg is on an innings limit this year to protect his young and fragile arm, so he probably won’t be available to start games come September and October.

Thankfully for the Nationals, they have a very deep pitching staff. Strasburg is backed up by Gio Gonzalez, who the Nationals traded for this winter, Jordan Zimmermann, and also newly acquired Edwin Jackson. Gonzalez has finally come into his own after having some pretty decent seasons in Oakland. He has almost identical numbers to Strasburg with an 8-3 record with a 2.52 ERA. With numbers like these at his young age, a Cy Young or two may be in his future. Gonzalez has no innings limit, so he will most definitely be the anchor to the rotation down the stretch. An option for the Nationals if they have a comfortable lead in their division (which is weak as of now… I’ll cover that later), would be to move Strasburg to the bullpen in late August or early September and have him in the rotation for the playoffs. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

4 Comments

Tags: baseball, drew storen, edwin jackson, gio gonzalez, harper, jayson werth, mlb, nationals, playoffs, strasburg, washington

MLB reports Monthly Power Rankings: May 2012

Follow @mlbreports

Tuesday May 8th, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you a monthly power rankings every month of the season. There will be a few verses for each team. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts.

May Power Rankings

Texas (19-10) Josh Hamilton is clubbing the ball at his 2010 like AL MVP clip. Yu Darvish appears to be the real deal. Mike Napoli hits 8^th on most nights. Michael Young might be the most under-appreciated hitter in the last decade. Ian Kinsler is on pace for 162 runs. If Nelson Cruz starts hitting and or Nathan rounds into form, than this team may blitz by every one.
Tampa Bay (19-10) The pitching staff is incredible right now. David Price is asserting himself as one of the premier left-handed pitchers in baseball. Strong starts from Evan Longoria, Luke Scott and Carlos Pena have helped. Joe Maddon may be the best ‘in-game manager’ of baseball now with Tony La Russa out of the Majors.
Atlanta (18-12) The reason I have Atlanta rated so high is they are not even having a good year from Tim Hudson yet and Jair Jurrjens has been atrocious. Still they sit near the top of the standings. Chipper Jones has 21 RBI and Freddie Freeman has taken the next step so far with 26 RBI. Last year the team had a lot of players with career worst years and they were only eliminated on the last day of the season. This year may be different.
St. Louis (18-11) You lose a franchise player like Albert Pujols and you spend half the money for Carlos Beltran and Rafael Furcal, who are finally hitting the numbers like the back of their bubble gum cards from 5 years ago. Are we giving enough credit to Mark McGwire here? Lance Lynn has morphed into Chris Carpenter with his 6-0 start.
LA Dodgers (19-10) Matt Kemp is the best player in baseball right now and may walk away with the triple crown this year. Andre Ethier has matured into the RBI guy he needs to be. Solid pitching by Clayton Kershaw, Chris Capuano and Ted Lilly have this team looking solid. Dodgers look good in the future when the new ownership takes over. (more…)