Author Archives: Matt Musico
Mike Piazza, Ken Griffey Jr. Prove Their Differences & Similarities During Hall of Fame Weekend
The National Baseball Hall of Fame’s swing got a whole lot more powerful and a whole lot sweeter over this past weekend. Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr. graciously accepted the opportunity to forever be immortalized as baseball greats, which they both rightfully deserve.
After watching their induction speeches (which I highly recommend and can be done hereand here), it’s clear to see that pairing these two together in one Hall of Fame class couldn’t have been more perfect.
Not because they were two of the most well known players in the 1990s and early 2000s, but because their stories were so different, yet so similar at the same time. This was evident before they took the podium in Cooperstown to give one of the most difficult speeches of their respective lives. But by the time they were finished, seeing the parallels between them was undeniable.
These 4 Offseason MLB Trades Look Awfully Lopsided Now
There are less than two weeks before MLB’s non-waiver trade deadline passes in 2016, but we can’t help looking back at some of last winter’s most notable deals as we wait for more to happen.
It’s common for fans and analysts to crown a “winner” and “loser” for any kind of swap between two or more teams. However, those conversations happen right when a deal takes place more often than down the road when it’s easier justify either side of the argument with a player’s performance.
As usual, last winter contained a ton of player movement, both on the free agent market and through trades. The initial perspectives on the following four swaps are no longer relevant because there’s no question each of them now look incredibly lopsided.
Let’s revisit these trades for a stroll down memory lane as the current trade market continues heating up:
Dave Dombrowski Living up to Reputation, Which is Exactly What the Red Sox Wanted
Following last-place finishes in three of the last four years prior to 2016, the Boston Red Sox decided it was time for a change in ideology with regard to baseball operations.
Nearly a full calendar year in his new position, Dave Dombrowski has made his impact felt with numerous moves, which is exactly what the Red Sox were looking for this year and the immediate future. Here’s a look at some notable acquisitions made since last winter:
- Signed David Price to a seven-year, $217 million deal.
- Traded Manuel Margot, Javier Guerra, Carlos Asuaje and Logan Allen for Craig Kimbrel.
- Traded Wade Miley and Jonathan Aro for Carson Smith and Roenis Elias
- Acquired Aaron Hill from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Wendell Rijo andAaron Wilkerson.
- Acquired Michael Martinez from the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations.
- Acquired Brad Ziegler from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jose Almonte and Luis Alejandro Basabe.
- Acquired Drew Pomeranz from the San Diego Padres for Anderson Espinoza.
It’s still pretty early in trade season with regard to the August 1 deadline, but Boston has undoubtedly been the most active team thus far.
This is exactly the reason why ownership pegged Dombrowski as their top choice for this role. As much as he has a reputation for balancing analytics with more traditional player evaluation, he’s also known for being unafraid of making a big splash.
Selecting the 2016 First Half MVP for Each MLB Team
Now that MLB’s All-Star Week festivities in San Diego are finished, we’re forced with the task of getting through the next few days without any baseball. To pass the time, we’ll do what any self-respecting fan or analyst would do – look back at the first 80-90 games played and see who had the biggest impact.
Below are my first-half MVPs for each of the 30 MLB squads, with some facts to back up why they should be admiring some brand-new, imaginary hardware on their mantle before embarking on the second half of play.
New York Mets Must Improve in These 6 Areas in the 2nd Half
Manager Terry Collins and his New York Mets had to deal with what many viewed as a potentially season-defining 11-game homestand prior to the All Star break. On the surface, they succeeded by going 7-4 against the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals.
However, it was likely one of the most frustrating 7-4 homestands fans will ever experience because New York missed a golden opportunity.
The importance of this stretch prior to baseball’s midseason break was only magnified because the Mets arrived at Citi Field fresh off losing five of seven to the Nats and Atlanta Braves. The pitching staff continued to do their job for the most part, but it was the offense that resembled the 2015 squad before acquiring Yoenis Cespedes, not after.
This group then came alive by sweeping a four-game set against the Cubs, followed by taking two of three from the Marlins. Things continued looking up on Thursday, as New York battled back with the help of Wilmer Flores to win the series opener against Washington.
Those good feelings faded quickly as Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer and Daniel Murphy displayed why they’re All-Stars this year en route to the Nats winning three straight, building their NL East lead to six games.
Finishing the first half with a 47-41 record isn’t bad considering what New York has dealt with since April, but they must improve in these areas if they want to return to the playoffs this October:
Jose Altuve Taking a Page out of Bryce Harper’s Book During Monster Year
Just when it looked like Houston Astros second baseman (and now four-time All-Star) Jose Altuve couldn’t get much better at the plate, he proves us wrong.
Since debuting in 2011 as a 21-year-old, Altuve has displayed quite the ability to collect base hits. Not only does he already have a batting title under his belt, but also no American League player has collected more hits than him since 2014. As Houston continued building a powerful lineup around him, he was incredibly valuable to the club has a top-of-the-lineup table setter.
From 2014-15, he posted a .327/.365/.456 triple slash with 22 homers, 87 doubles, 125 RBI, 171 runs scored and 94 stolen bases. It can’t get much better than that, right? Since Altuve is in the midst of his sixth MLB season, we tend to forget that he’s still young and can actually improve.
That’s exactly what he’s done this year as a 26-year-old, and it seems like he’s taken a page straight out of Bryce Harper’s book in the process.
Chances are slim he actually chatted with Harper about it – and Harper isn’t the first young player to experience the kind of jump in production he did in 2015 – but it’s interesting to see two very different hitters experience similar results with regard to a similar shift in plate approach.
It’s Time for the Colorado Rockies to Trade Carlos Gonzalez & Maximize Their Return
When it comes to being a Colorado Rockies fan, there are four guarantees in life: death, taxes, lots of runs being scored at Coors Field and Carlos Gonzalez trade rumors. The only difference now is CarGo doesn’t have the pleasure of Troy Tulowitzki joining him in those rumors because he’s already gone.
After posting a 92-70 record in 2009, the organization hoped their franchise cornerstones would help deliver winning baseball on a consistent basis in the Mile High city, but that hasn’t happened. Actually, it’s been the complete opposite – after going 83-79 in 2010, Colorado hasn’t sniffed a .500 record since.
It’s not surprising to see Colorado nearing the All-Star break with a 38-45 record. However, despite being a likely insurmountable 13.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants in the NL West, they’re a not-totally-crazy seven games back for the final NL Wild Card spot.
Even though they’re “technically” in the Wild Card race, getting another year of lackluster results should spur the Rockies to become sellers before the August 1 non-waiver trade deadline. It looks like the front office will eventually do that instead of fighting to earn a spot in a play-in game, according to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. The problem is Saunders doesn’t think Gonzalez will be one of the players they’ll deal. He also thinks the outfielder will still be on the roster in 2017. If this ends up being true, it’s a huge mistake given the circumstances.
10 Hilarious Twitter Reactions to Bobby Bonilla Still Getting Paid by the Mets
While most people in America are preparing to celebrate the nation’s birthday, Bobby Bonilla is busy enjoying his second Christmas.
The New York Mets — who are in the midst of an important home series against the Chicago Cubs — have more important things to worry about, but they’ll never be able to escape this inevitable story when the calendar flips to July 1. While the former outfielder last played for the Amazins in 1999 and finished his MLB playing career in 2001, he’s still on New York’s payroll…until 2035. Since 2011, he’s been getting annual installments of $1,193,248.20 every July 1.
But why? Darren Rovell of ESPN broke down exactly how this all happened. Do the Mets get roasted for this every year because they’re the only MLB team doing this? Nope, they’redefinitely not alone there. It still gets everyone laughing/frustrated/some kind of emotion and Bonilla ends up trending on Twitter once a year.
There have been some awesome reactions, but these 10 have made me laugh the most:
These 2 MLB Players have Unexpectedly Boosted Their Trade Value This Season
Just like beauty, MLB trade value is in the eye of the beholder. What one interested team deems as desirable may not float the next team’s boat and vice versa.
The non-waiver trade deadline is at the end of July (or in this case, the beginning of August) for a reason. Not only does it allow teams to figure out if they have a chance at contending, but it also gives players time to show whether or not they’re worth the inherent risk that comes with acquiring them.
Some players who carried trade value on Opening Day have either maintained or enhancedit – Jonathan Lucroy and Jay Bruce come to mind – while others lost what little value they appeared to have left – like Matt Kemp.
Then, there’s another group of players that already had zero value, but have surprised everyone with their current performance. And since this level of play has been sustained through the first half of the season, there’s a good chance they’ll be wearing a different uniform within the next few weeks.
Outside of relief pitchers, the midseason trade market may not be as robust as in recent years. Teams in need of a boost must overturn every rock to find the value needed in order to reach the postseason and find success. That can lead front office executives down some unlikely paths, but these two players in particular seem more unlikely than the rest.
Where Would the St. Louis Cardinals be Without Matt Carpenter?
Each year, there are normally one or two players on each MLB team where fans think, “Man, where would this team be without this guy on the roster?”
Here are some examples:
- How much worse would the Washington Nationals have been in 2015 without Bryce Harper’s MVP performance?
- Where would the New York Mets be right now without Yoenis Cespedes’ bat andNoah Syndergaard’s arm?
- Would the Houston Astros already be back over .500 if Jose Altuve wasn’t their second baseman?
That’s the kind of impact infielder Matt Carpenter has had on the St. Louis Cardinals.
It’s been an uphill battle for all contending NL Central teams not named the Chicago Cubs in 2016, and even with their small slump over the past week, things probably won’t get much easier. For most of the year, manager Mike Matheny has watched his club produce ho-hum results with a 39-36 record. Still, the Cards find themselves right in the thick of the NL playoff picture.
Overtaking the Cubs appears tough – they’re already 10 games back of Chicago – but they’re only 1.5 games behind the final Wild Card spot. Although he’s not that prototypical “superstar” player, St. Louis wouldn’t be where they are without Carpenter’s contributions in the leadoff spot.
5 MLB Players Who Have Made Their Fast Starts in 2016 a Distant Memory
While getting off to a slow start is every ballplayer’s worst nightmare, getting off to a fast one is a dream come true. However, experiencing a great April doesn’t really matter much when the months to follow are full of struggles.
Just as we recently talked about certain hitters making their slow starts a distant memory, there are plenty of players who had a ton of fun in baseball’s first month of regular season play. Despite the best-case scenario coming true for them, it’s become a distant memory by seeing their overall stats head in the opposite direction — and pretty fast.
Here are five players who wish April never ended:
Ender Inciarte Showed off all his Skills & Boosted his Trade Value in 1 Weekend vs. New York Mets
Outside of their current five-game winning streak, the rebuilding year of 2016 has been awfully hard on the Atlanta Braves. What would make it sting a little less is finding legitimate trade value on the big-league roster – outside of Julio Teheran and Freddie Freeman, of course.
When Atlanta traded away Shelby Miller to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a king’s ransom over the winter, multiple teams immediately asked about Ender Inciarte. Not only was he a good outfielder with some speed and coming off a solid 2015 (.303/.338/.408, six homers, 45 RBI, 73 runs scored), one would assume he had no space in the Braves’ rebuild.
Those teams are probably right – it’s likely just a matter of time before Inciarte is traded away for more young talent. Him missing about a month with a hamstring injury and putting up a cumulative line of .234/.303/.317 through 167 at-bats this year probably doesn’t help his trade value very much, but it shouldn’t matter.
He showed exactly how valuable he is in the matter of just two innings during a weekend series against the New York Mets at Citi Field. He was a force throughout the three-game set, slashing .308/.357/.462 during the sweep, but it was what he did late on Saturday night that really caught my eye.
These 3 MLB Teams Could Really Use Jonathan Lucroy at Catcher
Spring is quickly turning into summer, which means one thing around Major League Baseball: the trade market is starting to heat up. What’s a little unfamiliar is seeing a catcher become the most desired target among position players, but that’s the world we live in today.
After thinking about selling low last winter, the Milwaukee Brewers are happy they decided against trading Jonathan Lucroy. While he’s returned to being one of baseball’s best catchers and leads the position with a 2.3 fWAR, there are four main reasons why he’s become a hot commodity:
- After a rough season in 2014 that led to his lowest OPS since 2011 (.717), Lucroy has bounced back in 2016, hitting .311/.368/.527 in 222 at-bats.
- He’s not just an offensive catcher, either. Lucroy is an asset behind the plate when it comes to throwing out runners and framing pitches.
- He’s primarily a catcher, but also has some experience at first base.
- His contract makes him an incredibly affordable, non-rental player ($4 million total salary in ’16, $5.25 million team option for ’17).
Now that over 60 regular-season games are in the books, it appears the teams who could really use his services the most – and have a somewhat decent chance of making it happen – all reside in the American League West. And no, we’re not talking about the Los Angeles Angels or the Oakland Athletics.
Jameson Taillon’s First MLB Win Took a While, But the Timing Was Perfect For the Pirates
From the moment he got drafted to the moment he officially earned his first big-league victory, this was not how Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon imagined it would all happen. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth the wait, though.
Expectations were high within seconds of him learning he was taken with the second overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft — right after Bryce Harper and right before Manny Machado. Those expectations continued growing after just 23 career minor league starts when analysts began mentioning him as one of baseball’s top 20 prospects. He continued proving those analysts right as he rose all the way up to Triple-A as a 21-year-old in 2013.
And then suddenly, everything had to be put on hold. In the blink of an eye, Taillon went from being a stud top prospect on the verge of his big-league debut to being sidelined with injuries for two full seasons.
Then, it happened – the call Taillon was anticipating on getting sometime during 2014 finally came on June 8 in front of the home crowd at PNC Park against the New York Mets. It wasn’t a Stephen Strasburg-like debut, but it wasn’t too shabby. The right-hander delivered a quality start by allowing three runs on six hits, two walks and three strikeouts in six innings of work.
Little did he know how soon and how important his second MLB start would be.
MLB Reports 