Who Will Win The 2017 National League Divisions Polls? Your Chance As A Reader To Vote
The National League is a very top heavy league with the Nats, Dodgers, Cubs Mets, Giants and Cardinals and having the best odds to qualify for the postseason in 2016. With 6 teams possibly challenging the 100 loss barrier in the Senior Circuit (Padres, Reds, Brewers, Braves and Phillies),
Since it is the middle part of January, we will offer these polls for all teams in all of the Divisions.
Blue Jays Top Prospect Interviews
Jays From the Couch sits down with two of the Toronto Blue Jays’ top prospects, Conner Greene and Rowdy Tellez
This past weekend the Toronto Blue Jays organization put together a wonderful treat for their fans in Buffalo, NY. In a joint effort with the Buffalo Bisons the event on January 24th, was held at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in downtown Buffalo. Luckily, we here at Jays From the Couch were granted access to the event, and able to secure some excellent interviews with a few players.
Our first interview features a conversation with pitching stud, Conner Greene. With Greene finishing each of the last two seasons with Double-A New Hampshire, it is not unreasonable to determine he could start the 2017 season with the Fisher Cats. Should his progression remain steady a trip to Triple-A Buffalo, and perhaps a Toronto September call-up could be warranted. Greene discussed his progress and his new mentor.
CHECK OUT FULL INTERVIEW at Jays From the Couch
In our second interview, Rowdy Tellez talks to our Catherine Stem about his approach to hitting, coaching and much more! The addition of Rowdy Tellez to the Buffalo Bisons roster has some Blue Jays fans celebrating the talent coming up through the minor league system. Shaun Doyle wrote about his impressive season in New Hampshire with the AA Fisher Cats and The Toronto Blue Jays have certainly been keeping an eye on him. That has bred the hope that he could, sometime in the future, be a replacement of sorts for the power bat of Edwin Encarnacion, a point made by Ryan Mueller HERE.
CHECK OUT FULL INTERVIEW at Jays From the Couch
Robinson Cano’s 2016 Season Was a Flashback to His Yankee Days
Handing out a lucrative, multi-year contract to a player is always risky for an MLB organization, no matter how much of a no-brainer it appears to be. That risk factor goes through the roof when it’s a 10-year, $240 million deal, like the one Robinson Cano signed prior to the 2014 season.
Outside of a dip in power, his first season in Seattle was a success. He hit .314/.382/.454 with 14 home runs and 82 RBI, producing a wRC+ of 137 and a 5.2 fWAR – the fifth consecutive year he surpassed 5.0.
It was the first half of 2015 when people likely started to freak out, to a degree.
He limped into the All-Star break with a lackluster triple slash of .251/.290/.370, accompanied by just 6 home runs, 30 RBI and an wRC+ of 86. Providing power as a second baseman had always been one of his best attributes, but a .118 first-half ISO showed that the only thing his power was doing was continuing to deteriorate.
Cano did start to look like himself again following the midsummer classic — he hit .331/.387/.540 with 15 home runs, 40 RBI, a wRC+ of 157, and most importantly, his ISO jumped back up to .209.
That second-half performance ended up being a sign of what was to come.
Were there any similarities between 2016 and his prime years in the Bronx from 2010-12 when Cano’s ISO never dipped below .214 while posting a .311/.370/.539 line with a combined 90 homers and 321 RBI?
Yes, but there are also some interesting differences showing how his game has transformed over the years.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Jan 1, 2017 – Jan 31, 2017 (Episodes 1531 – 1561)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1530 days consecutively heading into Jan of 2017!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 1531 – 1561 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE.
Washington Nationals Payroll In 2017 + Contracts Going Forward
People can throw stones on Mike Rizzo all they want- but the GM has never lost a trade ever, and he ensured the club received a Starting CF in Adam Eaton to the tune of only $38.4 MIL over the nxxt 5 years – even if it cost a boatload of prospects. This is part to compensate balloon payments on the horizon that are due to both Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. The club is projected to spend around $154 MIL on salary in 2015, but that is without a proven closer. The real question is how far the club will go in money to win in the next 2 seasons before Bryce Harper is a Free Agent?
With the rest of the MLB landscape just obliterating Mike Rizzo for the Adam Eaton trade i will defend him on the caveat that he spends the full amount of available funds saved – in order to take a run at the World Series for the next 2 years while Bryce Harper is still on the club.
At this point. it is a long shot that the DC franchise will be able to retain the 2015 NL MVP’s services as the Nationals already have Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg to historical contracts (both top 20).
Washington sees Jayson Werth finally come off the books after this next year. While he will have earned $126 MIL from 2011 – 2017 in his total contract, the club can’t point to this as the worst deal on the club currently.
Ryan Zimmerman is still owed at least $47 MIL over the next 3 years – and has seen his production slip for the last few years.
The Max Scherzer contract does pay him $210 MIL over 7 years (in which he is now in year 3) – however this is deferred over 14 years, so the club can conduct more flexibility in their contracts for the next few years.
Top 5 Projected Holds Leaders For The MLB In 2017
It is one of the harder stats to predict every year, and we are talking about the category of Holds. Last season the New York Yankees disrupted the flow of the entire landscape.
Since the New York club traded both Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, this affected the chances of Dellin Betances winning the year, with him moving to Closer.
Miller himself finished 2nd in the Majors having worked setup for Chapman – and then predominantly clearing the deck for Indians Closer Cody Allen.
Falling into the same atmosphere was perennial winner Tony Watson coming into the 9th inning role once Mark Melancon was dealt to the Washington Nationals. Read the rest of this entry
An Inside Look At Brent Honeywell
Drafted in the second round of the 2014 draft, Honeywell didn’t come with the eye-catching fastball-curve or fastball-slider combo of other top pitching prospects. Instead, he comes with a well-rounded game; a four pitch mix, of which three project above average to plus, and quality command in an athletic delivery. And, of course, a screwball. Who doesn’t like screwballs?
Brent Honeywell Scouting Report
The Chicago Cubs Visit The White House: A Firsthand Account
The official moment for the country to pinch itself came today, as the Chicago Cubs visited the White House. The Cubs arrived at the personal request of President Obama, the Chicagoan at the end of his presidency.
In fact, Obama today said to the team, “It took you long enough. I mean, I only have four days left. You’re just making it under the wire.”
The Cubs may have waited 108 years to win the World Series, but it was a rush to visit the White House. Major League Baseball champions typically wait until the subsequent regular season to go to the White House, but this time was unique.
Unlike Game 7 of the World Series, there was no rain delay in today’s event, as it was held inside the historic East Room. The chandelier-adorned room was originally designed by George Washington and James Hoban as a “public audience room” and it has been home to historic events such as the signing of the Civil Rights Act. The tradition of baseball champions visiting the White House can be traced back as far as the 1860s.
To continue reading about yesterday’s Cubs visit to the White House, please visit our mostly baseball blog at Offthebenchbaseball.com.
Bearing the Glory: Jackie Robinson’s 1949 MVP Award
Jackie Robinson was just named National League Most Valuable PLayer for 1949. Asked how he felt about the honor, how he felt on this, the greatest day of his professional life, Robinson said: “The sooner I can get out of baseball, the better.”
Imagine having the best day of your life taken from you like that. (READ THE FULL STORY ON PLATE COVERAGE)
The Greatest Detroit Tiger By Position: Left Field
Pushing forward, we move out to the outfield where I believe there will be some challenging calls at each position. To recap however, we had an easy decision at shortstop, an ugly decision at third, and some very intriguing calls at second, first, and catcher.
If you’re reading one of these entries for the first time, the only stipulation that I look at is that the player be in a Tiger uniform for a minimum of 5 years and play a majority of his games at that position during that timeframe. I will make a slight change however and evaluate all of a players outfield stats, as they are a little more likely to move to another position to cover an injury, etc. Qualifying for consideration in left is Willie Horton, Bobby Veach, Matty McIntyre, Charlie Maxwell, Larry Herndon, Bobby Higginson, Steve Kemp, and Dick Wakefield. To keep this readable, I am going to cut Dick Wakefield, Steve Kemp, Larry Herndon, and Matty McIntyre.
Moving on…
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 17, 2017
The Rangers need to shore up their team to win a title this decade. But forget hitters. You can get hitters any time. They need to make offers to EVERY available free agent pitcher.
It is a lo this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
2017 Top-400 Dynasty League Fantasy Baseball Rankings
Below you will find my personal top-400 dynasty league baseball rankings. In order to be eligible for this list, a player must have over 200 career MLB at bats or 50 innings pitched.
To see my top-100 prospects and players under those limitations stated above, please click the following link: https://mlbreports.com/2017/01/11/2017-top-100-major-league-baseball-prospects/. If you have any questions, please follow and tweet me @dynasty_digest.
| Rank | Player | Position | Team |
| 1 | Mike Trout | CF,UT | LAA |
| 2 | Mookie Betts | RF,UT | BOS |
| 3 | Kris Bryant | 3B,LF,RF,UT | CHC |
| 4 | Manny Machado | 3B,SS,UT | BAL |
| 5 | Bryce Harper | RF,UT | WAS |
| 6 | Nolan Arenado | 3B,UT | COL |
| 7 | Clayton Kershaw | SP | LAD |
| 8 | Jose Altuve | 2B,UT | HOU |
| 9 | Paul Goldschmidt | 1B,UT | ARI |
| 10 | Carlos Correa | SS,UT | HOU |
| 11 | Anthony Rizzo | 1B,UT | CHC |
| 12 | Corey Seager | SS,UT | LAD |
| 13 | Trea Turner | 2B,CF,UT | WAS |
| 14 | Francisco Lindor | SS,UT | CLE |
| 15 | Josh Donaldson | 3B,UT | TOR |
| 16 | Madison Bumgarner | SP | SF |
| 17 | Xander Bogaerts | SS,UT | BOS |
| 18 | Noah Syndergaard | SP,RP | NYM |
| 19 | George Springer | RF,UT | HOU |
| 20 | Chris Sale | SP | BOS |
| 21 | Starling Marte | LF,CF,UT | PIT |
| 22 | Max Scherzer | SP | WAS |
| 23 | Freddie Freeman | 1B,UT | ATL |
| 24 | Christian Yelich | LF,CF,UT | MIA |
| 25 | Giancarlo Stanton | RF,UT | MIA |
| 26 | Gregory Polanco | LF,RF,UT | PIT |
| 27 | Charlie Blackmon | CF,UT | COL |
| 28 | Miguel Cabrera | 1B,UT | DET |
| 29 | Corey Kluber | SP | CLE |
| 30 | Jake Arrieta | SP | CHC |
| 31 | Alex Bregman | 3B,UT | HOU |
| 32 | Rougned Odor | 2B,UT | TEX |
| 33 | J.D. Martinez | RF,UT | DET |
| 34 | A.J. Pollock | CF,UT | ARI |
| 35 | Brian Dozier | 2B,UT | MIN |
| 36 | Wil Myers | 1B,UT | SD |
| 37 | Miguel Sano | 3B,RF,UT | MIN |
| 38 | Joey Votto | 1B,UT | CIN |
| 39 | Daniel Murphy | 1B,2B,UT | WAS |
| 40 | Carlos Martinez | SP | STL |
| 41 | Ryan Braun | LF,UT | MIL |
| 42 | Jose Abreu | 1B,UT | CHW |
| 43 | Andrew McCutchen | CF,UT | PIT |
| 44 | Edwin Encarnacion | 1B,UT | CLE |
| 45 | Kyle Schwarber | LF,UT | CHC |
| 46 | Addison Russell | SS,UT | CHC |
| 47 | Jacob deGrom | SP | NYM |
| 48 | Yu Darvish | SP | TEX |
| 49 | Stephen Strasburg | SP | WAS |
| 50 | Robinson Cano | 2B,UT | SEA |
| 51 | Anthony Rendon | 3B,UT | WAS |
| 52 | Jonathan Villar | 2B,3B,SS,UT | MIL |
| 53 | Chris Archer | SP | TB |
| 54 | Yoenis Cespedes | LF,CF,UT | NYM |
| 55 | Buster Posey | C,1B,UT | SF |
| 56 | Carlos Gonzalez | RF,UT | COL |
| 57 | Eric Hosmer | 1B,UT | KC |
| 58 | David Price | SP | BOS |
| 59 | Carlos Carrasco | SP | CLE |
| 60 | Julio Urias | SP,RP | LAD |
| 61 | Jason Kipnis | 2B,UT | CLE |
| 62 | Johnny Cueto | SP | SF |
| 63 | David Dahl | LF,UT | COL |
| 64 | Jonathan Lucroy | C,UT | TEX |
| 65 | Trevor Story | SS,UT | COL |
| 66 | Stephen Piscotty | CF,RF,UT | STL |
| 67 | Kyle Seager | 3B,UT | SEA |
| 68 | Jon Lester | SP | CHC |
| 69 | Hanley Ramirez | 1B,UT | BOS |
| 70 | Justin Upton | LF,UT | DET |
| 71 | Matt Carpenter | 1B,2B,3B,UT | STL |
| 72 | Justin Verlander | SP | DET |
| 73 | Jose Quintana | SP | CHW |
| 74 | Chris Davis | 1B,UT | BAL |
| 75 | Danny Salazar | SP | CLE |
| 76 | Gerrit Cole | SP | PIT |
| 77 | Kyle Hendricks | SP,RP | CHC |
| 78 | Byron Buxton | CF,UT | MIN |
| 79 | Masahiro Tanaka | SP | NYY |
| 80 | Maikel Franco | 3B,UT | PHI |
| 81 | Julio Teheran | SP | ATL |
| 82 | Zach Britton | RP | BAL |
| 83 | Aaron Sanchez | SP | TOR |
| 84 | Gary Sanchez | C,UT | NYY |
| 85 | Michael Brantley | LF,UT | CLE |
| 86 | Jackie Bradley Jr. | CF | BOS |
| 87 | Jean Segura | 2B,SS,UT | SEA |
| 88 | Billy Hamilton | CF,UT | CIN |
| 89 | Kevin Gausman | SP | BAL |
| 90 | Rick Porcello | SP | BOS |
| 91 | Aaron Nola | SP | PHI |
| 92 | Aroldis Chapman | RP | NYY |
| 93 | Jameson Taillon | SP | PIT |
| 94 | Todd Frazier | 3B,UT | CHW |
| 95 | Ian Desmond | LF,CF,UT | COL |
| 96 | Kenley Jansen | RP | LAD |
| 97 | Matt Harvey | SP | NYM |
| 98 | Willson Contreras | C,LF,UT | CHC |
| 99 | J.T. Realmuto | C,UT | MIA |
| 100 | Dee Gordon | 2B,UT | MIA |
| 101 | Lance McCullers Jr. | SP | HOU |
| 102 | Roberto Osuna | RP | TOR |
| 103 | Evan Longoria | 3B,UT | TB |
| 104 | Nelson Cruz | RF,UT | SEA |
| 105 | Craig Kimbrel | RP | BOS |
| 106 | Nomar Mazara | LF,RF,UT | TEX |
| 107 | Khris Davis | LF,UT | OAK |
| 108 | Lorenzo Cain | CF,RF,UT | KC |
| 109 | Carlos Santana | 1B,UT | CLE |
| 110 | Edwin Diaz | RP | SEA |
| 111 | Michael Fulmer | SP | DET |
| 112 | Wade Davis | RP | CHC |
| 113 | Marcell Ozuna | LF,CF,UT | MIA |
| 114 | Ian Kinsler | 2B,UT | DET |
| 115 | Cole Hamels | SP | TEX |
| 116 | Andrew Miller | RP | CLE |
| 117 | Dellin Betances | RP | NYY |
| 118 | DJ LeMahieu | 2B,UT | COL |
| 119 | Kenta Maeda | SP | LAD |
| 120 | Jon Gray | SP | COL |
| 121 | Orlando Arcia | SS,UT | MIL |
| 122 | Felix Hernandez | SP | SEA |
| 123 | Brandon Belt | 1B,UT | SF |
| 124 | Adam Jones | CF,UT | BAL |
| 125 | Albert Pujols | 1B,UT | LAA |
| 126 | Danny Duffy | SP,RP | KC |
| 127 | Joe Ross | SP | WAS |
| 128 | Yasiel Puig | RF,UT | LAD |
| 129 | Mark Trumbo | RF,UT | (N/A) |
| 130 | Justin Turner | 3B,UT | LAD |
| 131 | Mark Melancon | RP | SF |
| 132 | Javier Baez | 2B,3B,SS,UT | CHC |
| 133 | Sonny Gray | SP | OAK |
| 134 | Odubel Herrera | CF,UT | PHI |
| 135 | Ken Giles | RP | HOU |
| 136 | Jose Bautista | RF,UT | (N/A) |
| 137 | Jonathan Schoop | 2B,UT | BAL |
| 138 | Michael Conforto | LF,UT | NYM |
| 139 | Nick Castellanos | 3B,UT | DET |
| 140 | Steven Matz | SP | NYM |
| 141 | Aledmys Diaz | SS,UT | STL |
| 142 | Dallas Keuchel | SP | HOU |
| 143 | Jerad Eickhoff | SP | PHI |
| 144 | Yasmany Tomas | LF,RF,UT | ARI |
| 145 | Devon Travis | 2B,UT | TOR |
| 146 | Blake Snell | SP | TB |
| 147 | Jake Lamb | 3B,UT | ARI |
| 148 | Yordano Ventura | SP | KC |
| 149 | Anthony DeSclafani | SP | CIN |
| 150 | Troy Tulowitzki | SS,UT | TOR |
| 151 | Adam Eaton | CF,RF,UT | WAS |
| 152 | Jeurys Familia | RP | NYM |
| 153 | Yasmani Grandal | C,UT | LAD |
| 154 | Cody Allen | RP | CLE |
| 155 | Dustin Pedroia | 2B,UT | BOS |
| 156 | Zack Greinke | SP | ARI |
| 157 | Jurickson Profar | 1B,2B,3B,SS,LF,UT | TEX |
| 158 | Tony Watson | RP | PIT |
| 159 | Sam Dyson | RP | TEX |
| 160 | Taijuan Walker | SP | ARI |
| 161 | Marcus Stroman | SP | TOR |
| 162 | Kelvin Herrera | RP | KC |
| 163 | Salvador Perez | C,UT | KC |
| 164 | Joc Pederson | CF,UT | LAD |
| 165 | Ben Zobrist | 2B,LF,RF,UT | CHC |
| 166 | Kevin Kiermaier | CF,UT | TB |
| 167 | Adrian Gonzalez | 1B,UT | LAD |
| 168 | Drew Pomeranz | SP,RP | BOS |
| 169 | Carlos Rodon | SP | CHW |
| 170 | Evan Gattis | C,UT | HOU |
| 171 | James Paxton | SP | SEA |
| 172 | Drew Smyly | SP | SEA |
| 173 | Jay Bruce | RF,UT | NYM |
| 174 | Matt Kemp | LF,RF,UT | ATL |
| 175 | Jake Odorizzi | SP | TB |
| 176 | David Peralta | RF,UT | ARI |
| 177 | Kole Calhoun | RF,UT | LAA |
| 178 | Brad Miller | 1B,SS,UT | TB |
| 179 | Jose Ramirez | 3B,LF,UT | CLE |
| 180 | Victor Martinez | UT | DET |
| 181 | Mike Moustakas | 3B,UT | KC |
| 182 | Sean Manaea | SP,RP | OAK |
| 183 | Elvis Andrus | SS,UT | TEX |
| 184 | Jorge Soler | LF,UT | KC |
| 185 | Dexter Fowler | CF,UT | STL |
| 186 | Justin Bour | 1B,UT | MIA |
| 187 | Garrett Richards | SP | LAA |
| 188 | Neil Walker | 2B,UT | NYM |
| 189 | Ender Inciarte | LF,CF,UT | ATL |
| 190 | Jung-Ho Kang | 3B | PIT |
| 191 | Jose Berrios | SP | MIN |
| 192 | Tanner Roark | SP,RP | WAS |
| 193 | Jordan Zimmermann | SP,RP | DET |
| 194 | Vincent Velasquez | SP | PHI |
| 195 | Randal Grichuk | CF,UT | STL |
| 196 | Seung-Hwan Oh | RP | STL |
| 197 | Raisel Iglesias | SP,RP | CIN |
| 198 | Marco Estrada | SP | TOR |
| 199 | J.A. Happ | SP | TOR |
| 200 | Adrian Beltre | 3B,UT | TEX |
| 201 | Jeff Samardzija | SP | SF |
| 202 | Brandon Kintzler | RP | MIN |
| 203 | Matt Moore | SP | SF |
| 204 | Joe Musgrove | SP,RP | HOU |
| 205 | Trevor Bauer | SP,RP | CLE |
| 206 | Max Kepler | RF,UT | MIN |
| 207 | Ryon Healy | 3B,UT | OAK |
| 208 | Domingo Santana | RF,UT | MIL |
| 209 | Corey Dickerson | LF,UT | TB |
| 210 | Adam Duvall | LF,UT | CIN |
| 211 | Collin McHugh | SP | HOU |
| 212 | Starlin Castro | 2B,UT | NYY |
| 213 | Jason Heyward | CF,RF,UT | CHC |
| 214 | Brandon Crawford | SS,UT | SF |
| 215 | Eric Thames | 1B,UT | MIL |
| 216 | Russell Martin | C,UT | TOR |
| 217 | Rich Hill | SP | LAD |
| 218 | Brandon Maurer | RP | SD |
| 219 | Micahel Pineda | SP | NYY |
| 220 | Hunter Pence | RF,UT | SF |
| 221 | Daniel Norris | SP,RP | DET |
| 222 | Tommy Joseph | 1B,UT | PHI |
| 223 | Alex Colome | RP | TB |
| 224 | A.J. Ramos | RP | MIA |
| 225 | Kendrys Morales | UT | TOR |
| 226 | Dylan Bundy | SP,RP | BAL |
| 227 | Eduardo Rodriguez | SP | BOS |
| 228 | Chris Carter | 1B,UT | (N/A) |
| 229 | Matt Wieters | C,UT | (N/A) |
| 230 | Brian McCann | C,UT | HOU |
| 231 | Shelby Miller | SP | ARI |
| 232 | Jose Peraza | 2B,SS,CF,UT | CIN |
| 233 | David Robertson | RP | CHW |
| 234 | Robbie Ray | SP | ARI |
| 235 | Jacoby Ellsbury | CF,UT | NYY |
| 236 | Josh Harrison | 2B,UT | PIT |
| 237 | Matt Shoemaker | SP | LAA |
| 238 | Carlos Gomez | LF,CF,UT | TEX |
| 239 | Tyler Skaggs | SP | LAA |
| 240 | Marcus Semien | SS,UT | OAK |
| 241 | Tim Anderson | SS,UT | CHW |
| 242 | Chris Tillman | SP | BAL |
| 243 | Jaime Garcia | SP,RP | ATL |
| 244 | Archie Bradley | SP | ARI |
| 245 | Didi Gregorius | SS,UT | NYY |
| 246 | Aaron Blair | SP | ATL |
| 247 | Josh Reddick | RF,UT | HOU |
| 248 | Matt Wisler | SP,RP | ATL |
| 249 | Adam Conley | SP | MIA |
| 250 | Brandon Drury | 2B,3B,LF,RF,UT | ARI |
| 251 | Stephen Vogt | C,UT | OAK |
| 252 | Mike Napoli | 1B,UT | (N/A) |
| 253 | Tyson Ross | SP | TEX |
| 254 | Logan Forsythe | 2B,UT | TB |
| 255 | Gio Gonzalez | SP | WAS |
| 256 | Hector Neris | RP | PHI |
| 257 | Mike Fiers | SP,RP | HOU |
| 258 | Eduardo Nunez | 3B,SS,UT | SF |
| 259 | Danny Velancia | 1B, 3B, RF, UT | OAK |
| 260 | Cam Bedrosian | RP | LAA |
| 261 | Kyle Barraclough | RP | MIA |
| 262 | Ervin Santana | SP | MIN |
| 263 | C.J. Cron | 1B,UT | LAA |
| 264 | Eugenio Suarez | 3B,UT | CIN |
| 265 | Travis Shaw | 1B,3B,UT | MIL |
| 266 | Hyun-Jin Ryu | SP | LAD |
| 267 | Cameron Maybin | CF,UT | LAA |
| 268 | Wilmer Flores | 1B,2B,3B,UT | NYM |
| 269 | Matt Duffy | 3B,SS,UT | TB |
| 270 | Adam Ottavino | RP | COL |
| 271 | Luis Severino | SP,RP | NYY |
| 272 | Addison Reed | RP | NYM |
| 273 | Denard Span | CF,UT | SF |
| 274 | Jeremy Hellickson | SP | PHI |
| 275 | Zach Davies | SP | MIL |
| 276 | Matt Bush | RP | TEX |
| 277 | Carlos Beltran | RF,UT | HOU |
| 278 | Nathan Karns | SP,RP | KC |
| 279 | Jarrod Dyson | LF,CF,RF,UT | SEA |
| 280 | Shawn Kelley | RP | WAS |
| 281 | Rajai Davis | LF,CF,UT | OAK |
| 282 | Zack Wheeler | SP | NYM |
| 283 | Mike Leake | SP | STL |
| 284 | Gerardo Parra | 1B,LF,CF,RF,UT | COL |
| 285 | Jason Hammel | SP | (N/A) |
| 286 | Wei-Yin Chen | SP | MIA |
| 287 | Luis Valbuena | 3B,UT | (N/A) |
| 288 | Lucas Duda | 1B,UT | NYM |
| 289 | Kevin Pillar | CF,UT | TOR |
| 290 | Nate Jones | RP | CHW |
| 291 | Braden Shipley | SP,RP | ARI |
| 292 | Kolten Wong | 2B,UT | STL |
| 293 | Leonys Martin | CF,UT | SEA |
| 294 | Chris Devenski | SP,RP | HOU |
| 295 | Tyler Thornburg | RP | BOS |
| 296 | Tyler Naquin | CF,UT | CLE |
| 297 | Lance Lynn | SP | STL |
| 298 | Hunter Strickland | RP | SF |
| 299 | Mitch Moreland | 1B,UT | BOS |
| 300 | Yunel Escobar | 3B,UT | LAA |
| 301 | Ryan Dull | RP | OAK |
| 302 | Alex Cobb | SP | TB |
| 303 | Arodys Vizcaino | RP | ATL |
| 304 | Asdrubal Cabrera | SS,UT | NYM |
| 305 | Derek Law | RP | SF |
| 306 | Francisco Rodriguez | RP | DET |
| 307 | Michael Lorenzen | RP | CIN |
| 308 | Jose Reyes | 3B,SS,UT | NYM |
| 309 | Huston Street | RP | LAA |
| 310 | Mike Foltynewicz | SP | ATL |
| 311 | Byung Ho Park | 1B,UT | MIN |
| 312 | Brett Gardner | LF,UT | NYY |
| 313 | Patrick Corbin | SP,RP | ARI |
| 314 | Jeanmar Gomez | RP | PHI |
| 315 | Will Harris | RP | HOU |
| 316 | Trevor Plouffe | 1B,3B,UT | OAK |
| 317 | Corey Knebel | RP | MIL |
| 318 | Jeremy Jeffress | RP | TEX |
| 319 | Zack Cozart | SS,UT | CIN |
| 320 | Wilson Ramos | C,UT | TB |
| 321 | Joe Panik | 2B,UT | SF |
| 322 | Darren O’Day | RP | BAL |
| 323 | Angel Pagan | LF,CF,UT | (N/A) |
| 324 | Curtis Granderson | CF,RF,UT | NYM |
| 325 | Brandon Phillips | 2B,UT | CIN |
| 326 | Mike Montgomery | SP,RP | CHC |
| 327 | Brad Boxberger | RP | TB |
| 328 | Adam Wainwright | SP | STL |
| 329 | Ian Kennedy | SP | KC |
| 330 | Marwin Gonzalez | 1B,2B,3B,SS,LF,UT | HOU |
| 331 | Fernando Rodney | RP | ARI |
| 332 | Alcides Escobar | SS,UT | KC |
| 333 | Dan Straily | SP,RP | CIN |
| 334 | Yadier Molina | C,UT | STL |
| 335 | Brandon Finnegan | SP | CIN |
| 336 | Ketel Marte | SS,UT | ARI |
| 337 | Wellington Castillo | C | BAL |
| 338 | Steven Souza Jr. | RF, UT | TB |
| 339 | Blake Treinen | RP | WAS |
| 340 | Scott Kazmir | SP | LAD |
| 341 | J.J. Hardy | SS,UT | BAL |
| 342 | Jim Johnson | RP | ATL |
| 343 | Hector Santiago | SS,UT | SF |
| 344 | Sandy Leon | C,UT | BOS |
| 345 | Steve Cishek | RP | SEA |
| 346 | Micahel Feliz | RP | HOU |
| 347 | Hisashi Iwakuma | SP | SEA |
| 348 | Martin Prado | 3B,UT | MIA |
| 349 | Trevor Rosenthal | RP | STL |
| 350 | Michael Wacha | SP,RP | STL |
| 351 | Hyun Soo Kim | LF,UT | BAL |
| 352 | Clay Buchholz | SP,RP | PHI |
| 353 | Jhonny Peralta | 3B,SS,UT | STL |
| 354 | Brett Lawrie | 2B,UT | CHW |
| 355 | Matt Adams | 1B,UT | STL |
| 356 | Michael Saunders | LF,RF,UT | PHI |
| 357 | Mychal Givens | RP | BAL |
| 358 | Melky Cabrera | LF,UT | CHW |
| 359 | Mike Zunino | C,UT | SEA |
| 360 | Pablo Sandoval | 3B,UT | BOS |
| 361 | Ivan Nova | SP,RP | PIT |
| 362 | Carson Smith | RP | BOS |
| 363 | Derek Dietrich | 1B,2B,3B,UT | MIA |
| 364 | Kendall Graveman | SP | OAK |
| 365 | Travis d’Arnaud | C,UT | NYM |
| 366 | Justin Wilson | RP | DET |
| 367 | Drew Storen | RP | CIN |
| 368 | Brock Holt | 3B,LF,UT | BOS |
| 369 | Freddy Galvis | SS,UT | PHI |
| 370 | Yovanni Gallardo | SP | BAL |
| 371 | Ryan Madson | RP | OAK |
| 372 | Sean Doolittle | RP | OAK |
| 373 | Keon Broxton | CF,UT | MIL |
| 374 | Brad Hand | RP | SD |
| 375 | Hector Rondon | RP | CHC |
| 376 | Jordy Mercer | SS,UT | PIT |
| 377 | Francisco Cervelli | C,UT | PIT |
| 378 | Tyler Chatwood | SP | COL |
| 379 | Blake Swihart | C,LF,UT | BOS |
| 380 | Alex Wood | SP,RP | LAD |
| 381 | Jayson Werth | LF,UT | WAS |
| 382 | Yan Gomes | C,UT | CLE |
| 383 | Chad Kukl | RP | OAK |
| 384 | Brandon Moss | 1B,LF,RF,UT | (N/A) |
| 385 | Derek Norris | C,UT | WAS |
| 386 | Shin-Soo Choo | RF,UT | TEX |
| 387 | Brad Ziegler | RP | MIA |
| 388 | Henry Owens | RP | MIA |
| 389 | Andrelton Simmons | SS,UT | LAA |
| 390 | Cameron Rupp | C,UT | PHI |
| 391 | Luke Gregorson | RP | HOU |
| 392 | Ryan Schimpf | 2B,3B,UT | SD |
| 393 | Kevin Siegrist | RP | STL |
| 394 | Brad Brach | RP | BAL |
| 395 | Steven Wright | SP | BOS |
| 396 | Steve Pearce | 1B,2B,UT | TOR |
| 397 | Devin Mesoraco | C,UT | CIN |
| 398 | Daniel Hudson | RP | PIT |
| 399 | Tony Cingrani | RP | CIN |
| 400 | Ryan Zimmerman | 1B,UT | WAS |
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Dec 1, 2016 – Dec 31, 2016 (Episodes 1500 – 1530)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1499 days consecutively heading into Dec of 2016!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 1500 – 1530 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter
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New York Yankees Payroll In 2017 + Contracts Going Forward
Brian Cashman can finally see some relief from some exorbitant contracts plaguing him from the last several years.Alex Rodriguez is still on the book for this years salary of $21 MIL. What is worse is that his Annual Average Salary of $27.5 MIL per year for the duration of his 2008 – 2017 contract still counts towards the $195 MIL Luxury Tax Threshold limit this season. Will the Yankees spend beyond that mark, or will they finally get under the limit and reset their penalties?
The Bronx Bombers have a projected payroll of $195 MIL already – and are perennial abusers of the Luxury Tax Threshold – so they are at a 50% penalty for any money spent between $195 – $215 MIL.
Don’t look for them to add much – unless they can orchestrate a trade of one of their salaried players already.
The brass is playing this smart. The young players will make or break this current roster of players, however if the season gets away from New York, they will assuredly deal a few players away to get under the Luxury Tax Threshold once and for all.
By doing such that, they will reset the penalty to a 1st time user.
Royals Get Great Value in Danny Duffy Extension, Probably
The Kansas City Royals announced a contract extension today with their young left-handed starting pitcher, Danny Duffy, that ensures Duffy will wear the Royal blue for another 5 years. Duffy is coming off of a fantastic campaign, in which he finally displayed the results that matched his talent. He was worth about 4 WAR and solidified his role as a starting pitcher. The Royals signed him for 5 years and $65Million in what should be a decidedly team-friendly deal.
He’s been something of a favorite of mine for the last 12 months. I did a deep dive on his success back in June, but the basic key to success for Duffy, as with most other pitchers, was his ability to locate his fastball and cut down on his walks. He also made an appearance in my Golden Age of the Lefty Fastball piece as guy who averages 95 on his fastball. That deep dive piece published just as I was moving and shaking in my fantasy league, with the goal to pick Duffy off of the waiver wire. A certain OTBB editor saw that piece and pounced on Duffy, leaving my squad a starting pitcher short and all I could do was follow his summertime dominance longingly. The Royals, having likely learned from my fantasy squad, will not be watching Duffy dominate for another squad. They know how good he is.
To continue reading about the Danny Duffy contract extension, please click on over to our mostly baseball blog.
Top 5 Projected Save Leaders For The MLB In 2017
Aroldis Chapman appeared in 31 Games for the Yankees in 2016, holding 20 Saves and a crisp 2l01 ERA and WHIP of .867. This was done in just over 3 months. With the Yankees kickstarting him up from Spring Training, and without the aid of Andrew Miller as a fallback option, I expect the flamethrowing southpaw to have one of his best seasons ever out of the pen in 2017.
What a scene it will be at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW in he District today where Aroldis Chapman and Joe Maddon will reunite to celebrate their 2016 World Series Championship.
The big Lefty Cuban should be the favorite to win the 2017 Saves Title for the entire MLB. It is not that the Yankees will lead the league in wins – heck they may finish 4th in the AL East. I just believe that with the pop gun offense (say for Gary Sanchez) that the victories will all be closely contested.
I highly thought of Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel for this honor as well, however I like their managers to give them the odd day off ans Save Opportunities.
As of today, we have the Cubs nearing the 100 in plateau again, but just like the aforementioned players above, I think Maddon will use several guys to register Saves for Chicago in 2017 – like Wade Davis, Hector Rondon and Carl Edwards JR.
The reigning World Series Champs are also a lot more prone to blow out teams in a weakened National League where 6 clubs may lose 90 Games or more.
For the sake of preserving arms and fatigue, I would also not be surprised to see a few more SVO’s going to Andrew Miller in lieu of Cody Allen for the AL Pennant winners Cleveland.
(RELATED – Top 5 Home Runs Hitters Projected For The MLB in 2017) Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 16, 2017
It is Dr. King Day. And on this day, I am saluting Hamtramck Stadium, one of the last remaining former Negro League parks and a monument for what is good and what is wrong with our country.
Remembering and learning from the past on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
2017 Mock Draft
This year’s class is notable for the dearth of college pitching, which serves as a direct contrast to the relative scarcity of college position players. As far as the high school talent goes, there seem to be more position players than there are pitchers. However, this particular class is notable for its dearth of two-way players.
The Minnesota Twins “earned” the first overall selection after a miserable 2016 season, one that saw their pitching staff and offense underperform under renewed expectations. Minnesota hadn’t occupied the top spot in the draft since 2001 when they took an in-state product and current first baseman Joe Mauer out of Cretin-Durham Hall High School. In a year that has no consensus top prospect, much like 2016, anything is possible. The Twins could go after a prep product, like San Diego prepster Hunter Greene or they could go for a major league ready collegian, like Jeren Kendall or Kyle Wright.
2017 MLB Mock Draft – January Edition
I’m Fascinated By Sacrifice Flies: A Review
Baseball has an ability like no other to provide infinite anecdotes and recollections. Tim Kurkjian’s I’m Fascinated by Sacrifice Flies: Inside the Game We All Love (2016; St. Martin’s Press) captures that unique proclivity. The renowned ESPN personality/journalist has accumulated some of the best stories and oddities that he has collected during his decades of close involvement and observation of the game and turned them over to the fans for their own enjoyment.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 15, 2017
It is time for The SUNDAY REQUEST.
@sullybaseball I do love your podcast but the Bay Area is not a small market. It has supported 2 NFL teams for decades. Size not the issue
— Thischarmingham (@Thischarminham) January 10, 2017
It is hard to make the argument that the region is giving great support to two teams when one of them is always threatening to move because of lack of support!
Besides, supporting two franchises is hard for any city not named New York.
Recorded as I finished giving a friend a movie location tour for this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 14, 2017
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images North America
Wil Myers looks like he is sticking around in San Diego. The Padres might play in a pitchers park but some hitters found their mojo in Petco Park.
Hit it off the warehouse on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS FANS HAVE A RIGHT TO BE UPSET
FANS OF THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS HAVE A RIGHT TO BE UPSET ABOUT 2017 AFTER THE WAY THIS OFFSEASON HAS PLAYED OUT
It has been a rather emotional offseason for many fans of the Toronto Blue Jays. As of right now, we seem to have lost out on Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Brett Cecil and not landed Dexter Fowler and others. People are livid. Earlier today, our James Dailey wrote that everyone really needs to calm down and take a step back for a second. James did a good job of using numbers to show how the Blue Jays actually aren’t as bad as we might think. It was a refreshing piece, honestly.
But, the problem is that fans DO have a right to be upset about how this offseason has gone and how management has gone about setting themselves up to repeat the success of the last two seasons…
READ FULL POST at Jays From the Couch
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 13, 2017
It is Friday the 13th, a day that brings up issues of luck and good fortune. Some players had horrible luck. Others had obscenely good luck.
Avoid guys in hockey masks on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
This and That, Odds and Ends: Hall of Fame Edition
Curt Schilling’s legend was built on blood and guts and grit – but he seems intent on undoing it with bile and bigotry.
The HOF is populated by cheaters, gamblers, racists, drunks, and abusers of women. It’s also filled with kind, decent, generous men. One’s view on where Schilling lands on this character spectrum is irrelevant when assessing his qualifications as a player (well… unless of course you invoke the character clause).
Who Were the Top-Performing Hitters at Each Lineup Spot During the 2016 MLB Season?
All baseball players – whether they’re amateurs or professionals – are creatures of habit. When you have a game to play every day, routines form (some on purpose, some by accident) and once a player notices those routines, they typically like to keep them as they are.
Advanced statistics have helped organizations and coaching staffs justify tinkering lineups on a daily basis, but one thing is for certain – most hitters like coming to the ballpark knowing exactly where their name will be penciled into the order.
It makes mentally preparing a lot easier, and they don’t have to wonder when they’ll get their first plate appearance of the night.
With that in mind, I was curious as to which hitters performed the best in 2016 at each particular lineup spot. The only criteria was sample size – 1-5 hitters needed at least 400 plate appearances to qualify, but it dropped to 250-plus for the six-hole and 200-plus for the bottom-third to generate players to choose from.
Here are your most dominant hitters at each lineup spot from 2016, ranked by wRC+.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS POLL: WIN NOW, OR…?
WITH RUMORS OF THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS’ INTEREST IN ANDREW MCCUTCHEN, WE POLL OUR READERS: YOU COMFORTABLE MORTGAGING THE FUTURE TO WIN NOW?
So, the Toronto Blue Jays look to be close to doing “something” soon, according to Stephen Brunt, who was on Sportsnet 960 The Fan in Calgary on Tuesday. All of this, of course passed on by Ian Hunter over at Blue Jay Hunter, so a hearty “Thank you” to him for the relay. And, what that something is could be anyone’s guess. But, one idea that has been floated before, and doesn’t seem to want to go away is the idea of trading for Pirates OF, Andrew McCutchen. But, it won’t come cheap: Vladimir Guerrero Jr!
In any trade talks this winter, we knew that it would cost a rather significant chunk of Toronto’s prospect capital. Names like Anthony Alford, Sean Reid-Foley, Conner Greene, and even Rowdy Tellez were among the names we knew would have to be included in any deal of substance. And, some folks would be willing to part with a couple of those names if it means winning in 2017. But this one is a bit jarring.
TAKE THE POLL at Jays From the Couch
MLB Teams Taking A Powder In 2017 So Far
Some MLB Teams have had a tough winter so far, and we take a look at why this is. We understand that not all clubs have to be in win mode, and some maybe rebuilding, however the process and mindset is what we are questioning here. For a team that is not going all in and should be based on their limited window of winning opportunity, we also call them to the carpet. Stop taking a powder in 2017 and give your head a shake!
MLB Teams Taking A Powder In 2017 So Far
There are certain clubs who have done a nice job improving their clubs year over year, some that have done nicely in maintaining, well, and there are teams that are not looking so hot in 2017.
Let me also qualify this in saying that the Toronto Blue Jays are dangerously close to falling into this pegging themselves. You guys can’t seriously think that you can enter into the 2017 campaign with the Outfield trio of Melvin Upton Jr., Kevin Pillar and Ezequiel Carrera can you?
Give Jose Bautista a 1 Year Deal worth $15 MIL – with a 2nd year Team Option of $19.4 MIL – or a Buyout Clause of $2.2 MIL The Player could also opt out if he wants to after 2017. You may risk losing a Draft Pick at all with the way this is going Toronto.
With the 1st ED pick attached to Joey Bats. and the looming future QO’s never receiving as much again, how could a team justify losing that high of Amateur Draft Selection for an aging 36 year old slugger.
Here is the thing though Blue Jays brass: You need him..Both at the turnstiles and in the lineup. He doesn’t cost you anything but money – and the guy still carried out a .815 OPS despite a rough down year.
With a chip on his shoulder, I think he will bounce back big time. You can defensive replace him every night if you wish, or use Kendrys Morales at First, and let Justin Smoak ride pine for some DH AB to open up for Bautista.
Losing Edwin Encarnacion, Bautista and Michael Saunders is not made up by Morales and Steve Pearce fellas! You drew 3.4 Million Fans in 2016. Toronto will keep the faith if you bring back #19 for one more year. Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The 2017 MLB World Series: Detroit + Seattle Best Value Right Now
I have been preaching the Mariners as a bet for a couple of months now. I was able to grab them at +2800 for a $50 bet already, and this was my 2nd bet to the $100 I plunked down on the Nationals at +1200.
Jerry DiPoto has been wheeling and dealing to the tune of 11 trades already this offseason.
With the exception of the Outfield not possessing not much power (but a ton of speed that could round out the bottom of the order with SB), and the First Base position being manned by unproven commodities, the rest of the roster is pretty solid.
We noted that the Mariners threesome of Kyle Seager, Robinson Cano and Jean Segura combined for 99 HRs and then the prime DH Nelson Cruz clubbed 43 Bolts. These guys will make up enough power to compensate for that.
While I still feel they should upgrade at 1B or another OF (Guys such as Mark Trumbo, Chris Carter or Mike Napoli) this team should have enough offense to compete in the American League.
With acquiring Yovani Gallardo and Drew Smyly in the last week, the club has added depth = and have the best 1 – 5 rotation in the AL West now.
I believe that James Paxton may also see a breakout season similar to what Danny Duffy did for the Kansas City Royals in 2916. The LHP can reach 98 – 99 MPH on his fastball, and he has great movement.
The Relief Core has also been added to with great numbers. Seattle’s brass has definitely robbed the Minor League System, yet this is the window of winning.
Houston deserves to be slightly favored in the AL West with the rosters as currently constructed – however if the Mariners pick up another big bat then I would give the nod to them as the Division favorite. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 12, 2017
Spent a great few days with my dad, but we both wished there was a baseball game on.
Baseball acts as a constant friend who is reliable. For me, it is an indicator that things are going to be ok.
Fill the gaps in life on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 11, 2017
The city of San Diego is now a one team city. The Padres have the city to themselves. Fans need to support them like never before.
It is a Gaslamp episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
MLB Reports 
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