Author Archives: Jonathan Hacohen
Baseball’s Youth Movement Is In Full Force
It seems like once every few decades, we see an influx of young talent and without a doubt we’re in one of those runs right now.
Think of the young players who have made major impact the last couple of years and try to remember back when the Majors was flush with this level of talent of players under the age of 25.
By the way, it’s not over yet either, as we still have to see extended seasons from Byron Buxton Corey Seager, Joey Gallo, Steven Matz, and the list goes on.
Also, keep an eye on the Shortstop position the next few years, as we will be living in possibly one of the best eras of the Shortstop.
Below is each teams list of players were 24 or younger at the start of the 2016 season.
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2016) Voting Poll Results So Far (Last Chance To Vote)
Below the results listed so far, Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
So Far (at 8:30 AM EST, Tuesday Jan.5, 2015) there have been 260 People who have voted, and only 2 people have left Ken Griffey JR. off of their list. Piazza and Raines would both join Junior on the Baseball Hall Of Fame Induction list should this come to fruition.
I think the BBWAA should really take stock on the Clemens and Bonds numbers as they are far superior to what they voted for last year. Both of them are about 25% higher and on the fringe of making the Hall..
I also think that Hoffman is hurt by his 1st year on the ballot. A lot of people may have factored this in.
I really think Raines is going to see a big boost to his bid for the Baseball Hall Of Fame with it being his 9th year on the ballot. Under the new rules, that means that 2017’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Class would be his last chance to be elected to Cooperstown.
Out of 260 People Voting, The Results Thus Far (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 257 | 98.84% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Piazza | 207 | 79.62% | |
| Tim Raines | 206 | 79.23% | |
| Roger Clemens | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Barry Bonds | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Jeff Bagwell | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 133 | 51.15% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 119 | 45.77% | |
| Curt Schilling | 115 | 44.23% | |
| Mark McGwire | 114 | 43.84% | |
| Mike Mussina | 109 | 41.92% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 89 | 34.23% | |
| Alan Trammell | 84 | 32.31% | |
| Lee Smith | 74 | 28.46% | |
| Fred McGriff | 69 | 26.54% | |
| Jeff Kent | 65 | 25.00% | |
| Larry Walker | 62 | 23.85% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 42 | 16.15% | |
| Billy Wagner | 39 | 15% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 29 | 11.15% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 20 | 7.7% | |
| Jason Kendall | 4 | 1.5% | |
| Garret Anderson | 2 | 0.8% | |
| MIke Lowell | 2 | 0.8% | |
| Troy Glaus | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mike Hampton | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Luis Castillo | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Randy Winn | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 1 | 0.4% | |
| David Eckstein | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 1 | 0.4% |
Vote today.
When Can The Baseball Writers For The Hall Of Fame Consider Cheating Through PED Use, Or Not?
Barry Bonds once admitted to a Federal Jury that he used PED’s. As MLB’s ALL-Time HR King with 762 Round-Trippers, will the BBWAA ever consider looking past this and elect him into Cooperstown? He only received 36.8 % of the votes last year – and will be in his 4th year of balloting this season. The 7 time MVP, the 13 time ALL – Star, 12 time Silver Slugger, and 8 time Gold Glove Winner had a career 3 slash of .298/.444/.607 – and is also the ALL – Time Leader in Walks with 2558 – and is in the top 5 for several other categories lifetime.
Prof. Wes Reber Porter and Dan Dressman (Special Guest Writers): Follow @WRPspdADVOCACY and Follow @DannyDressman
When the 2016 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot is announced tomorrow, the heated discussion will begin about which controversial candidates, if any at all, should have been inducted into Cooperstown (HOF).
While isolated athletes have come up in previous years, this year represents the fourth year tension between the modern era of baseball – the “steroid era” – and traditional standards for admission into the Hall. With no one that has been connected to PEDs still having been inducted in
The 500+ baseball writers are, and should be, entrusted to weigh cheating and use of PEDs against the HOF’s criteria of “character,” “sportsmanship” and “upholding the integrity of the game” (the integrity standards).
These writers each will struggle, however, with a preliminary question that falls outside of their expertise:under which circumstances may a HOF voter consider, at all, a candidate’s connection to cheating and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)? Read the rest of this entry
Baseball Hall Of Fame 2016: Waiting Game Must Be Gnawing At Heart Of Expos’ Great Raines
It must an anxiety-filled time for Tim Raines.
We would imagine he has some butterflies in his stomach. Maybe his heart is beating just a bit more than it normally does. He must be doing a lot of thinking at his home in Arizona. Must be stressful.
The former Expos’ great wonders if National Baseball Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson will call him in the next couple of days and tell him he’s been inducted into the fabled shrine in Cooperstown, N.Y. Wouldn’t that be something if that call was made.
It will be interesting to see the results of the voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Raines is in the picture because we see some hope as expressed in a tracking system by several people, who are keeping tabs on public revelations by some of the voters.
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2016) Voting Poll Results So Far
Below the results listed so far, Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
So Far (at 7:30 AM EST) there have been 157 People who have voted, and only 2 people have left Ken Griffey JR. off of their list. Piazza and Raines would both join Junior on the Baseball Hall Of Fame Induction list should this come to fruition.
I think the BBWAA should really take stock on the Clemens and Bonds numbers as they are far superior to what they voted for.
I also think that Hoffman is hurt by his 1st year on the ballot. A lot of people may have factored this in.
I really think Raines is going to see a big boost to his bid for the Baseball Hall Of Fame with it being his 9th year on the ballot. Under the new rules, that means that 2017’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Class would be his last chance to be elected to Cooperstown.
Out of 157 People Voting, The Results Thus Far (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 155 | 98.72% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Piazza | 129 | 76.43% | |
| Tim Raines | 129 | 76.43% | |
| Jeff Bagwell | 110 | 70.06% | |
| Barry Bonds | 106 | 67.52% | |
| Roger Clemens | 105 | 66.88% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 84 | 53.51% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 77 | 49.04% | |
| Mark McGwire | 77 | 49.04% | |
| Mike Mussina | 75 | 47.78% | |
| Curt Schilling | 71 | 45.22% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 61 | 38.86% | |
| Lee Smith | 52 | 33.12% | |
| Alan Trammell | 52 | 33.12% | |
| Fred McGriff | 47 | 29.34% | |
| Larry Walker | 46 | 29.29% | |
| Jeff Kent | 41 | 26.11% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 32 | 20.38% | |
| Billy Wagner | 31 | 19.75% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 24 | 15.29% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 19 | 12.11% | |
| MIke Lowell | 2 | 0.12% | |
| Luis Castillo | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Randy Winn | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Jason Kendall | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Garret Anderson | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 1 | 0.06% | |
| David Eckstein | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Troy Glaus | 0 | 0% | |
| Mike Hampton | 0 | 0% |
Vote today. The Hall Of Fame Class of 2016 will be announced tomorrow.
2016 MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame Voting Poll
Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration. Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
Carl Scheib, The 16-Year-Old Major League Bullpen Pitcher
Appearing in 267 games during an 11-year major league career, pitcher Carl Scheib had a solid yet unspectacular showing as a big leaguer.
However, he would likely have never gotten the change if not for a traveling salesman, who wrote Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack to recommend the high school phenom— resulting in a 16-year-old Scheib working as the team’s batting practice pitcher in 1943 and making his debut before the year was over.
Did You Remember Back To When Twins pitchers batted?
The Designated Hitter rule came into play in the American League for the first time in 1973 and pitchers in the AL had to put their bats into storage where they still sit today.
Since 1973 very few AL pitchers have had to dust off and apply pine tar to their bats before walking to home plate to try to get some wood on the ball.
Do you know what pitcher got the last hit for the Minnesota Twins before the DH cane into play? How about that last Twins pitcher to bat before the DH?
Odds To Win The 2016 MLB Divisions
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Not that much has happened since we last checked into these numbers over the last 3 weeks. The biggest jump on the board was the Giants going to favorites of the NL West after the Johnny Cueto signing.
The Dodgers have since countered and are making this race for the NL West that much better again. It wasn’t long ago that the Los Angeles NL franchise were the favorites to win the entire World Series.
I think it is almost a dead heat right now between San Francisco and LA – and could come down to the transactions that are done in the next 8 months.
New York did pick up Aroldis Chapman but are still only listed as the 3rd favorite in the Division. New York has the best Bullpen, the Jays the best offense – and Boston might be the best overall club in the AL East.
If you believe the Yankees will continue to spend $ like Washington is printing it everyday should they contend this coming season, that +200 for the Division is a good odd. Read the rest of this entry
Toronto Blue Jays State Of The Union: Updated For Jan 2016
Despite the disappointment of this offseason, the groundwork has been laid for the Toronto Blue Jays be successful now and in the future.
When Alex Anthopoulos left the Toronto Blue Jays, it sparked an outrage in the fanbase. After all, he was departing as the Bringer of Banners. How easy it was to forget the years of calling for his removal as GM. But that is what winning can do for you. Now, the Blue Jays are the defending American League East champions and people miss AA.
His departure was really just the start of a series of disappointments Blue Jays fans would suffer this offseason. From losing David Price to failing to address the bullpen (thus far) to bringing back J.A. Happ, fans of the Blue Jays can’t help but wonder just how this team will repeat its 2015 success.
But, that line of thinking is missing several factors that make the Toronto Blue Jays a competitive team…now and in the future. This team has been put in a solid position moving forward.
The Dodgers Should Not Stop Acquiring Players Even After Signing Kazmir And Maeda
Scott Kazmir has revived his career over the last 3 years after seeing it almost end after his days with the Angels. The LHP has gone 32 – 29 record wise, but has dropped in ERA over the last 3 years from 4.04 in 2013 – 3.55 in 2014 – and 3.10 last year for both the A’s and Astros. Kazmir, who will turn 32 later this month, signed a 3 Year deal worth $48 MIL that he can opt out after next campaign. If that is the case, he will collect $16 MIL in 2016 for salary at hit the open market in a Free Agent class where he could really garner some big dollar offers.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The Dodgers have finally entered the Free Agent Starting Pitchers frenzy this offseason In two moves over the last week they have inked Scott Kazmir to a 3 YRs/$48 MIL and NPBL stud Kenta Maeda to an 8 year pact – where terms were not disclosed until mid last week ($24 MIL is guaranteed – with incentives on performance that could bring that up to $10 MIL per year) .
These are decent deals to counter what the D’Backs did in picking up former Dodgers hurler Zack Greinke, and then trade for Shelby Miller, while the Giants inked Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija to help bolster both of their clubs.
5 Big Questions And Predictions For The 2016 Boston Red Sox
As the last notes of Auld Lang Syne evaporate into the atmosphere, and 2016 stretches its wings for the first time, the realization that spring training is mere weeks away starts to settle in.
Although the Boston Red Sox made a significant splash this offseason to upgrade their roster after consecutive disappointing seasons, they are still a work in progress.
Let’s take a look at five of the biggest questions facing the team, and some predictions of how it will all play out.
Top 10 Active List: Homers Per At Bat
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I guess I was pretty surprised to that despite 181 HRs in just 2567 AB – Giancarlo Stanton doesn’t have enough AB to qualify for the career lead in this category.
For the record Stanton has gone deep for every 14.18 AB thus far, including his 2015 year where he did yard work 27 times in just 279 AB – which is just 10.33 AB per jack.
Mike Trout is operating at a Home Run so far at 1/17.61 AB. Bryce Harper is just 3 HRS shy of the 100 Homer plateau. He has a HR/per 18.86 AB in his career, but he was at an incredible 1 longball per 12.40 AB last season. Read the rest of this entry
The Top 5 Home Run Hitters In MLB For 2015 + Homer Stats
Giancarlo Stanton should contend for the NL HR championship crown in 2016. He is capable of cracking 40 – 50 HRs if he can play a year completely healthy. The Marlins are lucky to have one of the best young hitters in the game. In 2015, he clubbed 27 HRs in just 279 AB for the season. That is about a HR every 10 AB. If he could play 150 games in a year, he may easily crack the 50+HR mark.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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There were 9 guys who tallied 40+ HRs in the Major Leagues and 6 of them came from the AL and just 3 came from the NL. Furthermore, out of 20 players that cracked 30+ HRs, only 6 came from the Senior Circuit.
The National League has also seen that Todd Frazier joined the White Sox in the offseason. Read the rest of this entry
San Francisco Giants State Of The Union For 2016
With the club pretty much being set for players all around the Infield and Outfield, and now the Starting Staff, the Giants look poised to make another run at a World Series run for an even year this decade. 2016 will see several of its Bullpen members on the last year of their contracts.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The only real need to upgrade could be at the Outfield level, with either a CF/LF. Angel Pagan is also in the last year of his deal, so maybe signing a guy to man the position beyond this coming year would be an option.
The Starting Rotation will be a lot stronger in 2016 with the additions of Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija.
You can say what you want about Cueto’s time in Kansas City not being as effective., but he has played most of his career in Cincinnati – and pitched extremely well at Great American Ball Park.
Funny enough his best years have also come in even years with finishing 4th in NL Cy Young Voting in 2012, and 2nd in 2014, when he led the NL in Innings Pitched with 249.2 – and Strikeouts with 241 for the Reds.
Samardzija still has great stuff, and as a #3 Starter, you could see him bouncing back with a nice year in San Francisco. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Power Rankings New Years 2016
Perhaps the Back to the Future Prediction was off by just one year. The Cubs , who are immensely loaded with young offensive superstars added another to the mix with the Jason Heyward signing. Add that to a revamped Bullpen, strong Starters signed last year in Jon Lester and Jason Hammel, coupled with John Lackey this year, and this team is the clear cut #1 ranked team. Oh yeah..They even have depth to make another trade should they need to.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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(1) Chicago Cubs: Big additions of Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist and John Lackey. Tonnes of young superstars only ging to get better.
(2) NY Mets: Starting Pitching best in the Majors. Offensive depth better in offseason. Need David Wright to stay healthy. NL East easiest bottom 3 teams in the bigs.
(3) Kansas City Royals: Easiest Division in the Majors. Back to Back AL Pennants and defending World Series Champs. Look for some more mid year deals. Read the rest of this entry
10 Detroit Tiger Wishes For The New Year
I’m not going to start at with a World Series ring, as we’re a ways off still in Detroit for that. However there are 10 things that I think as fans we should be hope for in the New Year…
- A healthy Miguel Cabrera – Cabrera enters his 14th Major League season at age 33 and coming off the his first full season in not reaching 600+ plate appearances. Due to that, his 100+ RBI streak was broken and numbers looked down, although he did win his 4th batting title.
Tampa Bay Rays State Of The Union For 2016
The Rays have still been one of the best teams in baseball since the start of 2008. Last year marked their 1st losing season since 2007 – and that was only at 80 – 82. But with the starting positional players listed on depth chart all being below league averages on offense – except for Logan Forsythe and Evan Longoria, they will need a few breakout players from their bench. It may be time trade one or 2 Starting Pitchers to add some offensive help. If they fall out of contention in 2016 it also may not be a bad idea to trade all veterans that they can. This may include Longoria.
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The Tampa Bay Rays failed to make it to .500 or better for the 1st time since 2008 in 2015, however with a 5 game winning streak at the end of the campaign, they made it to 80 wins or better for an 8th year in a row. I highly suspect this year that may come crashing down.
First Boston went off on a spending spree to amp up its roster, and now the Yankees have added Aroldis Chapman to the fold, and upgraded at Second Base with Starlin Castro.
Toronto made its moves for the better in late July, and should be a team to be reckoned with again in 2016.
Only the Orioles don’t look to compete in the AL East during the 2016 campaign with the Rays thus far, and they still may be tough to play 19 times a year if they are to re-sign Chris Davis.
Tampa Bay still clearly has the best Pitching Rotation in the Division with Chris Archer, Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly, Matt Moore and Jake Odorizzi filtering in spots 1 – 5. But will it be enough to help a fledgling offensive in 2016? Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The American And National League Pennants For 2016
Back to Back AL pennants and this years World Series Winners. They should the biggest favorite to win their respective division so far on the board. As such, should be the favorite to win the AL Pennant as well. They are truly the Rodney Dangerfield club when it comes to respect. Keep it up fellas, and many gambling sharps will continue to pad their bank account. Take the +1200 wager to win the American League all day long.
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Step right up and plunk down as much money as you can on the Royals. Tied for 6th in the AL odds, and given what other sports gambling websites are giving the defending champs for a World Series odd, it is an ultimate no brainer.
I can’t wait to see if this gambling establishment also offers a over/under for the club. It has been fun making money on the Kansas City squad over the last few years.
There is no way that the Indians and Tigers should have parallel wager odds with KC. Read the rest of this entry
Detroit Tigers State Of The Union For 2016
The Tigers are already at a budget of near $180 MIL – and could still use another Starting Pitcher and OF to add to the mix. What if they were to sign Yoenis Cespedes and then add another Starter – this could bring them over the $200 MIL barrier. With just a penalty of 17.5% for one year over, it would not cost the club more than about $5 MIL in fees if that were to happen. It is only because they are the most winnable Division – and can draw over 3 Million fans that I would even say this is a good idea to spend more money for one season.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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The Detroit Tigers are getting older by the second. The recent Free Agent signings of Jordan Zimmermann, Mike Pelfrey, Mark Lowe and Jarrod Saltalamacchia – coupled with the acquisitions of Cameron Maybin, Justin Wilson, Francisco Rodriguez have just furthered the ticking time bomb of father time.
Departing from the 2015 Roster are: Ian Krol, Rajai Davis, Alex Avila, Alfredo Simon, Al Alburquerque, Joe Nathan and Tom Gorzelanny.
If you also add 4 months from each of Yoenis Cespedes, Joakim Soria and David Price to the list from the beginning of 2015, how does the departed compare to the incoming for 2016?
It actually is pretty fair, but the difference comes down to Cespedes. The Bullpen may be a lot stronger as well. Simon and Avila is favorable to Saltalamacchia and Pelfrey.
Rodriguez, Lowe and Wilson compares to Soria and Albuquerque and Gorzelanny strongly.
Price and Zimmermann is at least comparable, with Price maybe holding a slight edge, but not at an extension of $107 MIL over 2 years better. Value wise, the Tigers may have the better long term deal.
So with this in mind, the 2016 club is not better on paper yet. Read the rest of this entry
Chapman To The Yanks Means ‘New York’ is In It To Win It For 2016
Aroldis Chapman is the most dominant Left Handed Reliever in the game right now – and is heading to the Bronx with the 2 other top Strikeout Ratio artists in Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances. The Yankees will be able to hold down plenty of leads. But this deal means more than just the player coming to New York. It is the first time we have seen the brass step up to say we are going to win this thing in 2016. Look for subsequent moves to be made now that this is the mindset. Chapman has 1 Year of Arbitration left before hitting the open market next winter).
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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We have given Brian Cashman a lot of flak about how he has run the Yankees in the last half dozen year or so. While I like the Aaron Hicks and Starlin Castro deals, this is the first deal where I felt the Pinstripers were serious about winning again.
Read about the deal for Chapman from MLB Trade Rumors
Everyone will be proclaiming them the best 1/2/3 knockout punch in late inning relief in the entire Majors. You will also hear a ton of things about Strikeout Rates – and historical Bullpens.
You will also hear a lot about player integrity and character. Since when do the Bronx Bombers ever care about whether a guy has some off field issues?
What I took out of yesterday’s deal is that the brass has given the green light to play ball in 2016.
With a payroll reaching $220 MIL now (easily payable with a team that makes as much as the Yankees), who cares if the team spends another $25 – $30 MIL after the Chapman deal? Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The 2016 MLB World Series
The Yankees acquisition of Aroldis Chapman is great notion that the club will continue to make plans to acquire more players on the last year of their team control. I hope you cashed in on their +2000 odd last week. If not, the +1500 mark is still fair to bet now.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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Just as predicted, the Yankees odd went from +2000 to +1500 overnight with the Aroldis Chapman trade coming down.
If you had them with one of our own best bets last week, then you capitalized on the best odd you are going to get from the Bronx Bombers this winter.
So how exactly do the oddsmakers have so much faith in the Left Handed Reliever? Well it has more to do with the masses betting on New York with given hope.
We outlined at the MLB Reports about their coming season. With Chapman in the fold, forthcoming suspension withstood, the Yankees will have the man even for just 4 months.
The Yankees will won a ton of games if they are leading after 5 innings, and with the top 3 Strikeout ratio Relievers, these guys could come up huge in the playoffs for next campaign.
if you bet the Yanks, or believe they are not done shopping in the Free Agent Market yet, that +1500 odd is still not a bad wager. Read the rest of this entry
Looking Back At The Pace Of Play In 2015
On February 20, 2015, MLB announced a series of initiatives aimed at quickening the pace of play in Major League games, the key changes were:
- Umpires will enforce Rule 6.02(d), which requires hitters to keep one foot in the box during an at-bat, subject to certain exceptions.
- Timers will be used to ensure that the game resumes promptly at the end of inning breaks.
- Managers will no longer come out of the dugout to initiate a replay challenge. A manager will also keep his challenge after each call that is overturned. Last year, a challenge was retained only after the first overturned call.
So how did those changes pan out for you? Did you notice if the pace of play sped up? Did the pace of play speed up at all?
I can’t say that I noticed if a game was any quicker or not, I did notice the new rule about stepping out of the batters box because the announcers kept harping on it.
I also became aware of the clock between innings when I missed a home run because the game resumed before the television was back to the game from its barrage of commercials.
Check out the rest of the story at Twinstrivia.com.
Arizona Diamondbacks State Of The Union For 2016
The first big surprise of the winter came when the Diamondbacks signed Zack Greinke. The organization followed that up with trading a heavy price tag to acquire Shelby Miller to back him up. Dave Stewart has taken a lot of crap for a lopsided deal. I think that is very speculative to talk like that. Besides Free Agent Pitchers are expensive, and a way for small market clubs to negate that is to trade for a controllable player. La Russa also knows that his club is set up for a winning window of approximately 3 – 4 years. Keep the aggression when it comes to upgrading this team.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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You simply couldn’t have asked for a better start to a winter in 2015 for Arizona. They are legitimate contenders in the NL West, and still should have the wherewithal to spend another $20 – $25 MIL on salaries for 2016.
I love the aggression set forth by the management. I hope they keep the pedal to the metal on this one. A nucleus of a team lasts 3 – 4 years for a mid market club, and by the acquisitions the team has done here completely reflects that.
We have discussed how the Houston Astros developed their young club for a few years now. It is clearly the best way to rebuild a team.
Another reason why the team has had the financial flexibility to create these maneuvers is that they have Paul Goldschmidt on perhaps the best valued contract in the game of baseball right now.
The other Infielders in the mix for the Diamondbacks need to step up the production for he Arizona squad in 2016. Whether it is Chris Owings at 2B or Nick Ahmed at SS, these positions were not league average for the slots, as was third base either.
Arizona was carried offensively by Goldschmidt and a great productive OF in A.J. Pollock, David Peralta and Ender Inciarte.
The club dealt Inciarte in the Shelby Miller deal, but could pick up the slack with giving his OF position to Yasmany Tomas full time in 2016.
Welington Castillo was one of the most prolific Catchers in the Majors least year, featuring a 3 slash of .255/.317/.496 with the Diamondbacks, clubbing 17 HRs and knocking in 50 RBI during his 254 AB for the club.
In a roundabout way, he bettered what the club had previously in Miguel Montero, who incidentally was the reason why Castillo was flipped to Seattle initially.
That trade made up for the previous fiasco that was the trade for Mark Trumbo the previous season. Read the rest of this entry
Cincinnati Reds State Of The Union For 2016
The Reds management started off the rebuild project nicely with the midsummer deals of Leake and Cueto. They also got a nice haul for 2 years left of Todd Frazier. However, due to a 10/5 rule for Brandon Phillips, and a domestic dispute killing potential other deals, Cincinnati has been stymied in completing the quest. Our own Jordan Gluck ranked them as the 27th worst prospects team in 2015, and it has only slightly improved since last spring. It is going to be a long arduous process for the brass to pull themselves out of this predicament. Jesse Winker and Robert Stephenson join Jose Peraza as the top 3 prospects that could make the 2016 club.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The Reds finished 64 – 98 in 2015 and the situation is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. I predict 100 losses for the Cincinnati club for 2016, and they could really rack up some L’s especially past the trade deadline of next year if they do their job right in managing the squad.
I like the path the management has taken for trading players, unfortunately a domestic dispute cost the chance to flip Aroldis Chapman to the Dodgers, and the 10 – 5 rule cost them another opportunity to deal Brandon Phillips to the Nationals.
Obviously there is still hope they can trade these guys before they can’t do so anymore.
Last season the club dealt Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake in separate deals at the deadline, and have 3 players on the current depth chart to show for it (Adam Duvall, Brandon Finnegan and John Lamb, while they have 2 more Minor League prospects in Keury Mella and Cody Reed.)
Cincinnati finished just 1 win ahead of the Phillies for the worst record in the Major Leagues.
There is no polite way to go about this rebuilding process. Jay Bruce, Devin Mesoraco, Jumbo Diaz, J.J. Hoover, Tony Cingrani, Zack Cozart and Homer Bailey should all be considered to be traded in addition to Chapman and Phillips.
The only real players the club should keep are Joey Votto, Billy Hamilton, Anthony DeSclafani and all other players they traded for last season – or are in their Minor League system.
One only has to look in which Division they play in to realize that their Roster is overmatched and there is no short term solution to fix this organization.
The Cubs are set for an awesome 4 – 5 years stretch of play as all of their young offensive stars are groomed by their recent Free Agent signings over the last 2 winters.
St. Louis has reset their roster among the veteran core that aged together with Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina and Matt Holliday. Read the rest of this entry
Max Watt: The Boston Red Sox’s Power Pitching Prospect
Scouting is an integral part of professional baseball. Teams employ and send out hundreds of employees tasked with finding the next great players. Although they monitor first-round draft talent, their bread and butter is trying to decipher the future of players who may not have quite as much polish. As a result, some come to believe so much in who they are evaluating that they continue scouting—for years if necessary— until they are able to bring them into the fold. Such is the case with the Boston Red Sox and pitcher Max Watt.
Los Angeles Angels State Of The Union For 2016
The Angels could easily upgrade their 2B and LF positions, and will need to compensate for Albert Pujols to at least miss the start of the 2016 season as well. They have great depth in the Pitching Rotation, however are bogged down by the Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson costing them a combined $40 MIL. Add in $30 MIL in buyout/dead money and the team will have a tough time competing in 2016 without nearing $200 MIL in total team payroll. This means that Arte Moreno will have to give new GM Billy Eppler some more money to dole out to Free Agents. Will he do it? I am afraid for the Halo’s in 2016 if he doesn’t bring in 2 – 3 more upgrades..
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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It has been a slow but somewhat productive winter for the Angels brass, and in particular for new GM Billy Eppler. They have done the kind of deals that will work only if they still pull the trigger on signing a premiere player.
Los Angeles acquired a 3B already in Yunel Escobar, who was only traded for by flipping Trevor Gott and a mid level prospect. Not bad for a guy who batted .315/.374/.415 over the past year, makes $7 MIL in 2016, and has a Team Option for 2017 at another $7 MIL – or the club can Buy him out for a cool million.
This came on the heels of trading for Andrelton Simmons, who has 5 years of Team Control left for a guy that only had one more year of salary on the books in Erick Aybar. Read the rest of this entry
Nats Sign Daniel Murphy: Why Not Have Just Kept Escobar And Sign Denard Span?
Daniel Murphy has a career 3 Slash of .288/.331/.424. The Nats signed him to a 3 YR deal worth $37.5 MIL – that will also cost the Nationals the 17th overall pick in the 2016 Draft next year. Some say that pick is worth $8 to $10 MIL. If this is the case, why wouldn’t the Nats just have kept Yunel Escobar for $7 MIL over the next 2 years, and then sign Denard Span to the 3 Year deal that Murphy just signed. The Nats are better off today than they were yesterday, but I have to ask the question whether or not they did the right moves.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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The Nats finally got their First Baseman they needed in the upcoming year with a 3 YRS/$37.5 MIL deal with former Met Daniel Murphy. It will cost the cash, plus the 17th overall pick in the 2016 as compensation for signing him.
It has been an offseason that has seen GM Mike Rizzo obtain several Bullpen pieces for the roster next year.
In the end here, I am not sure Washington wouldn’t have been better off just keeping Yunel Escobar, and signing Denard Span for the same deal that Murphy just got.
So I guess Anthony Rendon will leadoff for the Nationals in 2016?
New Manager Dusty Baker will probably see Bryce Harper move into the Starting Centerfielder position, play Jayson Werth in Left Field, and then use Clint Robinson and Michael Taylor as a platoon in RF.
Taylor could also play CF, with Harper in Right, but the idea is have the reigning NL MVP not have to crash into fences down the foul pole line. Read the rest of this entry
Philadelphia Phillies State Of The Union For 2016
The Phillies have not had a winning season since 2011 after putting forth a decade straight of them. A promising second half to the year – coupled with full seasons by Aaron Nola and Maikel Franco could have them inch closer back to achieving that mark in the next few years. The management finally started the rebuild halfway through the year, have continued it so far this winter – and the financial flexibility in going forward should really be shaped up in a few more seasons. It may be a tough campaign in 2016 for the win loss column, however the team has a lot of young players to watch and be excited about.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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I was lucky enough to watch a record 224 MLB Games live last year – spread across all 30 MLB parks in every day of the campaign last season.
Unfortunately I saw the most home games (33 Games) in Philadelphia with my brother living close by. There is nothing wrong with Citizens Ball Park, it was the team that was tough to watch.
When you have Jeff Francouer as your #4 hitter for half of the year, there is something wrong with that. I love the guy, and Frenchy had a decent year, it just said a lot about the depth of the Roster in 2015.
At the end of the year Philadelphia’s management started to trade away Veterans from the glory days of the World Series, and you can start to see the healing begin.
The dealing continued with Ken Giles sent to Texas for a bunch of stud arms coming back. Now the Phillies are looking forward to a bunch of young talent coming to the big leagues in the next few seasons.
The old guard is still there with Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz holding down the Starting First Base and Catcher respectively. Howard is an average offensive threat only now that makes $25 MIL. Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The American And National League For 2016
Back to Back AL pennants and this years World Series Winners. They should the biggest favorite to win their respective division so far on the board. As such, should be the favorite to win the AL Pennant as well. This website has them listed as +1200 to win just their league championship. This is the best odd on the board for the entire offseason, and I have plunked down $50 on them. It baffles me how the oddsmakers still give this club no respect.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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I can’t express enough on the awesome value that the odds are singing to me right now. The KC Royals at +1200 when most gambling establishments have this same odd for the World Series?! Bet this all day long.
If you looked to the last post I did on the League Odds, you will see almost a perfect record of me dissecting the odds.
All 3 favorite odds clubs for the AL are ridiculous. Boston may be right on course for the top ranked Junior Circuit team, but at +450? No way. The Rangers and Astros are also not a given to be that high of an odd either.
Toronto is also an excellent odd to wager this week at +850. Come on guys really. You have them listed at the same odd as the New York Yankees?
The Mariners, Twins and White Sox all have great odds listed for their League Championship totals. I am not saying they will win, but all have a punchers chance. Minnesota won 83 games in 2015, and the White Sox and M’s have decent winters thus far from acquiring talent.
Speaking about a shot based on value, the Marlins are listed as +3000 favorites to win the World Series on some sites, yet have been listed as +6000. Read the rest of this entry
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