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Who Owns Baseball – Updated Apr.26/2013

Apr 26

Posted by Paul Francis Sullivan

Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox dominated the Astros and improved to 5-0.

Alex Gordon of the Royals smashed a grand slam that sunk the Tigers.

Gio Gonzalez shut down the Reds as the Nationals prevailed.

Gabby Sanchez homered the Pirates to a come from behind victory against the Phillies..

They all owned baseball on April 25, 2013

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: albert pujols, alex cobb, alexi amarista, Andrew McCutchen, andy pettitte, angel pagan, austin jackson, barry zito, bartolo colon, Baseball 42, Baseball @sullybaseball on twitter, Baseball a.j. pierzynski, Baseball adam jones, Baseball adam wainwright, Baseball adrian gonzalez, boston red sox, brandon moss, brandon phillips, Bronson Arroyo, bryce harper, bud norris, buster posey, carlos gonzalez, cc sabathia, chris davis, clay buchholz, daniel nava, Derek Holland, don mattingly, Drew Smyly, ervin santana, felix hernandez, gerardo parra, gio gonzalez, Harrison Ford, homer bailey, howie kendrick, jackie robinson, jackie robinson day, jacoby ellsbury, jake westbrook, jed lowrie, jeffrey loria, joe mauer, justin masterson, justin maxwell, justin upton, ken griffey jr, kevin correia, kim geralds, larry doby, los angeles dodgers, madison bumgarner, manny machado, matt harvey, matt moore, Matt Weiters, miami marlins, michael mckenry, miguel cabrera, mike napoli, mike scioscia, minor leagues, Nick Tepesch., oakland press, paul maholm, Podcast Network, prince fielder, r.a. dickey, robinson cano, ryan zimmerman, San Bernandino Spirit, san jose giants, sergio romo, shelby miller, shin-soo choo, Stockton Ports, Sully Baseball, sully baseball on sound cloud, sully baseball sound cloud, The Rest: Everything Baseball @sully baseball on twitter, travis hafner, troy tulowitzki, wandy rodriguez, will middlebrooks, will venable, willin roasrio, willin rosario, Yankee fans, yu darvish, zack cozart, zack greinke

Who Owns Baseball – Updated Apr.25/2013

Apr 25

Posted by Paul Francis Sullivan

Last night was another wild and loopy night of baseball with come from behind wins, dramatic homers and dominating pitching.

But with all the drama in the National League yesterday, was I really NOT supposed to pick Jordany Valdespin and his walk off grand slam for the Mets?

The National League pitcher who owned baseball was Edinson Volquez of the Padres. He shutdown the hottest team in baseball, the Brewers, for seven shutout innings giving San Diego (the coldest team in baseball) a much needed win.

J. P. Arencibia of the Blue Jays owned baseball with his home run and key 11th inning single that sparked Toronto’s victory over the Orioles.

And all due respect to Yu Darvish and his amazing start against the Angels, but Alex Cobb of the Rays owned baseball as Tampa Bay beat the Yankees 2-0 behind his 8 1/3 shutout innings.

They all owned baseball on April 24, 2013

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

2 Comments

Tags: adrian gonzalez, albert pujols, alex cobb, alexi amarista, Andrew McCutchen, andy pettitte, angel pagan, austin jackson, barry zito, bartolo colon, Baseball 42, Baseball @sullybaseball on twitter, Baseball a.j. pierzynski, Baseball adam jones, Baseball adam wainwright, boston red sox, brandon moss, brandon phillips, Bronson Arroyo, bryce harper, bud norris, buster posey, carlos gonzalez, cc sabathia, chris davis, clay buchholz, daniel nava, Derek Holland, don mattingly, Drew Smyly, ervin santana, felix hernandez, gerardo parra, gio gonzalez, Harrison Ford, homer bailey, howie kendrick, jackie robinson, jackie robinson day, jacoby ellsbury, jake westbrook, jed lowrie, jeffrey loria, joe mauer, justin masterson, justin maxwell, justin upton, ken griffey jr, kevin correia, kim geralds, larry doby, los angeles dodgers, madison bumgarner, manny machado, matt harvey, matt moore, Matt Weiters, miami marlins, michael mckenry, miguel cabrera, mike napoli, mike scioscia, minor leagues, Nick Tepesch., oakland press, paul maholm, Podcast Network, prince fielder, r.a. dickey, robinson cano, ryan zimmerman, San Bernandino Spirit, san jose giants, sergio romo, shelby miller, shin-soo choo, Stockton Ports, Sully Baseball, sully baseball on sound cloud, sully baseball sound cloud, The Rest: Everything Baseball @sully baseball on twitter, travis hafner, troy tulowitzki, wandy rodriguez, will middlebrooks, will venable, willin roasrio, willin rosario, Yankee fans, yu darvish, zack cozart, zack greinke

Yankees Week Two – Getting Right in Cleveland + A Triple Play = 4 – 1

Apr 17

Posted by nross56

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Week Two for the New York Yankees was a far more fun ride than Opening Week. An offensive outpouring in Cleveland followed by taking 2 out of 3 from Baltimore has left the Yankees within striking distance of 1st place in a very strange AL East. Now the Yankees enter the second half of April within striking distance of 1st place in a very strange AL East.

By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees Correspondent/Trade Correspondent): Follow @nross56

In baseball, a momentum turn can be a slight thing. A player getting a seeing eye single through the infield that turns him from slumping to streaking. A pitcher getting a lucky hop that turns a rally into a double play.

For this Yankees team, the momentum turn seems to have been C.C. Sabathia‘s gem against the Tigers on a Sunday afternoon.

The Yankees used that 7 Inning performance to jump-start the second week of the season. In almost every regard, Week Two was the anti-thesis of Week One.

After Sabathia dominating the Tigers’ line-up and the Yankees getting after Detroit ace Justin Verlander, the Yankees headed to Cleveland where it was either raining or the Yankees were scoring runs.

After Opening Week, the 11 and 14 runs scored in the first two nights in Cleveland allowed the fan base to breathe easy. This run shed some light on an issue I wanted to look at this week.

Before the season got under way, my pre-season piece focused on the Vernon Wells trade and keeping the faith in a Yankees front office.

The line-up’s ability to score runs has been largely based on the performance of their veteran acquisitions in the off-season (and the fact that Robinson Cano is absolutely an offensive superstar).

Pronk Cometh:

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Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: @nross56, @nross56 twitter, Addison Maruszak, andruw jones, andy pettitte, austin romine, baltimore orioles, bartolo colon, ben gamel, boston redsox, cc sabathia, Cleveland, cleveland indians, curtis granderson, david phelps, detroit tigers, eric chavez, gary sanchez, hiroki kuroda, ivan nova, justin verlander, lyle overbay, mark teixeira, mason williams, nicholas rossoletti, nick swisher, phil hughes, raul ibanez, robinson cano, russell martin, slade heathcott, tampa bay rays, tigers, toronto blue jays, travis hafner, vernon wells

Athletics 8 Game Win Streak Is Nothing New To Pattern Formed Since Last Year

Apr 12

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Friday, Apr.12/2013

Oakland Athletics’ Jed Lowrie has made Billy Beane look like a genius once again – with clubbing 16 hits, (8 of the Extra Base Variety), Scoring 10 Runs and Walking 6 times so far in the teams 8 – 2 start. He has an OPS of 1.258. He was acquired from the Houston Astros in a February trade which sent Chris Carter the other way. The man can play several defensive positions well. He is due for Arbitration at the end of this season, before becoming a Free Agent in 2015. Beane doesn’t seem to make a bad move these days.

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

Hands up.. How many people would have thought that the Oakland Athletics would start the 2013 season with the best record in the Major Leagues so far?

Of course this website is not surprised at all. Jonathan Hacohen (Website Founder and current Oakland A’s Correspondent) wrote a brilliant piece in the 1st week of July/2012 – breaking down Billy Beane‘s new MoneyBall Philosophy here.

I have to admit something right now.. I had not seen the movie “MoneyBall” even by this time. Yes…brutal and I was kicking myself for not seeing it before hand.

After the movie, I did some digging and was extremely flabbergasted with what I found about Beane’s magic. I wrote a Roster Tree for the Hitters and Pitchers in the organization. I studied every single transaction to back track how each of the current member of the team had arrived in an Oakland uniform. You can find that 2 part series here.

Can the Oakland A’s Do it Again in 2013 Preview:

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Tags: @chuckbooth3024, A.J cole, A.J. Griffin, a.j. Kirby-Jones, aaron cunningham, AL West, albert pujiols, American league, andrew werner, andy parrino, arizona diamondbacks, barry zito, bartolo colon, baseball, Baseball 2012 ALDS, bash brothers, bash-bros, bernie olshansky, billy beane, Bob Melvin, boston, brad peacock, brad ziegler, brandon inge, brandon mccarthy, brandon moss, brett anderson, brett wallace, carlos gonzalez, chris carter, Chuck Booth, cj wilson, cliff pennington, Coco Crisp. Josh Reddick, collin cowgill, colorado rockies, connor robertson, craig breslow, dan haren, dan straily, dana eveland, daric barton, Daric Barton. Collin Cowgill, derek norris, detroit tigers, eric sogard, evan scribner, george kottaras, gio gonzalez, graham godfrey, grant balfour, greg smith, hiroyuki nakajima, jarrod parker, jason kendall, jed lowrie, jemile weeks, jerrod parker, jerry blevins, jesse chavez, john jaso, Jonny Gomes. Seth Smith, jose canseco, josh donaldson, josh hamilton, josh reddick, kila ka'aihue, kurt suzuki, Marco scutaro, mark mcgwire, mark Mulder, matt albers, michael taylor, Miguel Tejada, minnesota twins, mlb, MLB Amateur Draft, MLB Team Leaders, nate freiman, o.co coliseum, oakland ahtletics, oakland athletics, orioles, pat neshek, pedro figueroa, pirates, rob bowen, robert gillam, rosales, ryan cook, safeco field, san diego padres, san francisco giants, sean doolittle, st louis cardinals, stephen drew, texas rangers, the ballpark in arlington, the fastest 30 ballgames, tommy milone, toronto blue jays, Travis Blackley, travis buck, trevor cahill, tyson ross, yoenis cespedes

Athletes vs. Actors – PEDs vs. Plastic Surgery

Apr 3

Posted by lorimartinibelieves

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Wednesday April.3, 2013

Alex Rodriguez is an admitted PED user - and claims only to have done this while playing for the Texas Rangers. With the new Biogenesis scandal surrounding him - how much more would his legacy be tarnished if he was found to have cheated in New York City?

Alex Rodriguez is an admitted PED user – and claims to only have done this while playing for the Texas Rangers. With the new Biogenesis scandal surrounding him – how much more would his legacy be tarnished if he was found to have cheated in New York City? It is clear that the penalties enforced by MLB for such violations are not enough of a factor – to prevent their players from trying to gain an advantage. While MLB has adopted increasingly higher suspensions for positive tests than prior to 2005, they are still not high enough to prevent kids from trying out these enhancers, because the rewards still outweigh the risk.

By Lori Martini (Senior Reporter and Baseball Writer): Follow @LoriMartini

As an actor, especially being female it is very tough competition. There are fewer roles for women and more female actors than men. To make matters worse, nobody wants you when you get older, which makes our time frame as a working actor very slim if one is even lucky enough to be a successful working actor.

Some women turn to plastic surgery to try to obtain roles for parts that really should be played by 30 or 40 somethings, yet the casting notices dictate that you must look 20’s.

Not only are there these unrealistic roles, but lately I’ve been seeing more and more degrading roles out there for women such as being topless, OK with performing simulated sex acts – even as far to be OK with being peed or defecated on.

Seriously, how much more are they going to push the envelope, yet not expect men to do the same?

Alex Rodriguez Admits To Steroid Use:

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Tags: @LMartiniMusic on twitter, @lorimartini on twitter, @ShortFilmCaught on twitter, alex rodriguez, bartolo colon, biogenesis, bud selig, daryl hannah, Lori Martini, melky cabrera, michael weiner, mlb, MLB labor agreement, MLB PED policy, nba, new york yankees, nfl, nhl, texas rangers

Oakland A’s Player Roster in 2013: State Of The Union Part 2: The Pitchers

Mar 24

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Sunday, Mar.24/2013

A.J Griffin was 7-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 15 Games Started for the A’s in his 2012 Rookie Season. The A’s will look for the 24 Year old for some Quality Starts in 2013. The former University of San Diego Pitcher yielded a 1.13 WHIP during his time last year. As the teams #4 Starting Pitcher on the depth chart, Griffin should be able to see some favorable matchups in 2013. If he throws like 2012 again in 2013, he might very pole vault to being the ace of the rotation. We may have another 3 – 4 staff that contend for the AL Cy Young like the days of Hudson, Mulder and Zito.

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

Billy Beane has always recycled his great starting pitchers once they hit the experience level that he could not pay them for. His new crop of pitchers include Jarrod Parker, Brett Anderson, Tommy Milone and new Starter A.J. Griffin.

They also are bringing back Bartolo Colon for the 2013 season, despite taking a 50 game suspension for PED use last year. Billy Beane is a master tactician on assessing a players worth and especially pitchers. Just like the hitters, the pitchers are all mostly in the 25-30 Age bracket. He has a quality set of controllable relief pitchers in the barn to close out games too.

A.J. Griffin at University of San Diego:

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

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Tags: 2012 ALDS, @chuckbooth3024, A.J cole, A.J. Griffin, a.j. Kirby-Jones, aaron cunningham, American league, andrew werner, andy parrino, arizona diamondbacks, barry zito, bartolo colon, billy beane, boston, brad peacock, brad ziegler, brandon mccarthy, brett anderson, brett wallace, carlos gonzalez, chris carter, Chuck Booth, collin cowgill, colorado rockies, connor robertson, craig breslow, dan haren, dan straily, dana eveland, daric barton, derek norris, detroit tigers, eric sogard, evan scribner, george kottaras, gio gonzalez, graham godfrey, grant balfour, greg smith, jarrod parker, jason kendall, jerry blevins, jesse chavez, josh reddick, Marco scutaro, mark Mulder, matt albers, michael taylor, Miguel Tejada, minnesota twins, MLB Amateur Draft, money ball the movie, national league, o.co coliseum, oakland athletics, orioles, pat neshek, pedro figueroa, pirates, rob bowen, robert gillam, ryan cook, san diego padres, san francisco giants, sean doolittle, st louis cardinals, the fastest 30 ballgames, tommy milone, toronto blue jays, Travis Blackley, travis buck, trevor cahill, tyson ross

Its Going To Be A Different Season Without Grady Sizemore And Pronk

Mar 13

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday, March.13/2013

2013 will mark the 1st time in a decade that neither Travis Hafner nor Grady Sizemore will be on the Cleveland Indians. For a 4 – 5 years stretch these guys were amongst the best offensive players in the game. Injuries decimated them from action and prevented the team from contending. So how will they be remembered in Cleveland?

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

I first went to Progressive Field in the opening week of 2007. I was supposed to see a doubleheader with the Mariners in town to play the ‘Tribe”. What I received instead was a foot of snow and a cancellation. I went to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame instead. That is one cool place to go if you do have a weather related suspension of a game. I was disappointed because I wanted to see Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner light it up for the Cleveland Indians.

I made the drive back to Toronto for a game indoors. As I was driving to Toronto – it was announced that the Cleveland Indians were going to be moving their 3 games series versus the Angels to Miller Park. I was already heading to Wrigley Field for my 1st ever visit and bought tickets to the 1st and 2nd game of the Series in Milwaukee. I would have a chance to see the Cleveland team play after all. I am a Yankees fan – however I really wanted to see this duo swing the sticks.

Grady Sizemore Highlights – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised:

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Tags: 2007 ALCS, @chuckbooth3024 on twitter, baltimore orioles, bartolo colon, boston red sox, brandon phillips, brian roberts, cc sabathia, Chuck Booth, cleveland indians, cliff lee, Gold Glove Award Winner AL, grady sizemore, kerry wood, lee stevens, mark prior, miller park, montreal expos, progressive field, russell branyan, travis hafner, wrigley field

Chris Carter: The Future Star That Will Make Billy Beane Regret His Trade Mistake

Feb 11

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Monday February 11th, 2013

Chris Carter had a 3 Slash Line of .239/.350/.864 in 218 AB during the 2012 season. He clubbed 16 HRs and 39 RBI. He hit 11 HRs in just 122 AB away from o.co Coliseum. At just Age 26 - and team controllable until 2019, it is weird that Billy Beane would trade away the slugging 1B/DH

Chris Carter: A career .283 hitter in the minors, with a .378 OBP and .535 SLG. The perfect combination of power and patience. He will prove to be the one that got away from Billy Beane.

Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen

Mark down the date of February 4th, 2013. The day that Billy Beane broke my heart. In preparing for my latest A’s feature, the working title of the article was “Chris Carter: The Next Great A’s Superstar”. Then fate intervened. Or rather, Beane decided to pull off one too many trades. After a successful offseason that saw the A’s GM bolster significantly bolster his playoff squad, Beane decided that one more blockbuster move was in order. Jed Lowrie was headed to Oakland, with Chris Carter (the good one), Max Stassi and Brad Peacock going over to the Astros. For the purpose of this piece, I will be focusing on the loss of Carter. Stassi is a former 4th round pick of the A’s and a young 21 Year Old catching prospect. With Derek Norris ready to grab the A’s catching job for the next decade, I can see how he was expandable. Peacock was a 41st round pick of the Nationals. A 25 Year Old arm that may develop one day, but crashed and burned last season in AAA. With the A’s pitching depth, I can see how he could be ticketed out-of-town for a change of scenery. But Chris Carter? Really Billy??!! You worked your magic to get him in the first place from the Diamondbacks. I certainly hope that your return pans out (Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez). Right now, I simply cannot see the logic of this move.

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Tags: @jhacohen, @Jhacohen on twitter, A.J. Griffin, adam rosales, AL Cy Young Award Winner, AL West, babe ruth, bartolo colon, baseball, billy beane, brad peacock, brandon mccarthy, brett anderson, brett wallace, carlos gonzalez, Carlos lee, Carlos Pena, carlos quentin, chris carter, coco crisp, dan haren, dan straily, derek norris, don mattingly, fernando rodriguez, george kottaras, grant balfour, hiroyuki nakajima, houston astros, jack morris, jarrod parker, jed lowrie, jeff luhnow, jemile weeks, jonathan hacohen, jonathan singleton, jonny gomes, josh reddick, mark mcgwire, mark melancon, Max Stassi, melky cabrera, mlb, nate freiman, new york yankees, oakland a's, oakland athletics, ped, rick reuschel, sammy sosa, san francisco giants, scott rolen, scott sizemore, tommy john, tommy milone, toronto blue jays, yoenis cespdes

Billy Beane Found His Catcher in Seattle: John Jaso is Ready to Lead the A’s Back to the Playoffs

Jan 20

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Sunday January 20th, 2013

A .372 OBP in 2010. A .394 OBP last season. Can you blame Billy Beane for LOVING John Jaso?

Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen

My name is Jonathan Hacohen. And I am a John Jaso fan. There…I have said it. Feels very good to get it out. Ok, so I don’t own any John Jaso t-shirts or jerseys. I wouldn’t recognize him if I hit him with my car. But when #27 (formerly #28 on the Rays) comes up to bat, I know that good things will usually happen. Remember that .372 OBP in 2010? I sure do. So do many Tampa Bay Rays fans. For you see my friends, John Jaso is a special breed of baseball player. He is a catcher with patience. He won’t hit for great pop, but he finds ways to get On Base. That is a skill that served him very well back in his aforementioned first full MLB season.

From that season on, I came to expect great things from Mr. Jaso. But then 2011 hit. Or actually, he didn’t. A .224 AVG with a .298 OBP was good enough for the Rays to dump Jaso on the Mariners for Josh Lueke. Remember him? Do I really have to say more? The Rays, for all the talk of their poor offensive showing and need for major league bats, decided that John Jaso just didn’t fit into their system. So Jaso was off to Seattle and Jose Molina was brought on board. The same Jose Molina who hit .223 last season with a .286 OBP. The same Jose Molina who got paid $1.5 Million last season. John Jaso on the other hand got paid $495,200 last year. What did he do? Only hit .276 with a .394 OBP. Plus a .456 SLG for good measure. His reward? A one-way ticket to Oakland with a 30 second stopover in Washington. The man can’t win. A good or bad season, either way MLB GM haven’t shown faith in this kid so far in his career. But then, most GMs are not Billy Beane. Despite being apparently set at the position for 2013, Beane proceeded to trade for Jaso and dump George Kottaras, to catch with Derek Norris. Beane said on record that he would have kept Kottaras unless Jaso was made available. So does Billy Beane know something that Andrew Friedman, Jack Zduriencik and Mike Rizzo don’t? The answer is yes. Beane knows which players he wants and usually, he will get them at the end. Now John Jaso is set to bring flair, leadership and of course, On Base skills to Oakland. The playoff picture just got much rosier for the A’s.

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Tags: @jhacohen, @Jhacohen on twitter, A.J cole, A.J. Griffin, adam laroche, AL Cy Young Award Winner, AL West, andrew friedman, bartolo colon, baseball, billy beane, brett anderson, chris carter, dan straily, derek norris, george kottaras, gio gonzalez, grant balfour, Jack Zduriencik, jarrod parker, jesus montero, john jaso, jonathan hacohen, jose molina, josh lueke, josh reddick, kurt suzuki, mark mcgwire, Mike Rizzo, mike zunino, mlb, oakland a's, oakland athletics, ryan langerhans, san francisco giants, seattle mariners, tampa bay rays, tommy john, tommy milone, washington nationals, Wilson Ramos, yoenis cespdes

Bartolo Colon: Ready For One More “BIG” Season in Oakland

Jan 13

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Sunday January 13th, 2013

Bartolo Colon saw his 2012 season end early due to a PED suspension. He is scheduled to return in April. Does he have one more big year left in the tank?

Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen

Bartolo Colon (or Fatolo as he is known in inner-baseball circles), is set to make his major league return in April, 2013. Back in August, 2012 Colon received a 50-game suspension for the use of a Performance Enhancing Drug (PED). This suspension came a week after Melky Cabrera received his 50-game ban. With only 5 games left in his suspension, Colon will be back in early-April (health permitting). But as much as fans discuss his performance on the field, Colon’s weight always seems to be the center of attention. Generously listed at 5’11” and 265 lbs. on the Baseball Reference site, Colon won’t be winning modelling contests anytime soon. Billy Beane said it best in Moneyball, when he made it clear to his scouts that the team wasn’t trying to sell jeans. They were trying to win ballgames. Regardless of his weight and appearance, as long as Bartolo Colon can get the job done, I say hand him the ball every 5th game. Babe Ruth wasn’t a small guy, but he sure got the job done. Colon may not have the talent possessed by Ruth, but he can still be effective on most given nights. When baseball has 1-2 pitchers falling to Tommy John surgery on a weekly basis, there is something to be said for a pitcher that can go out there and give his team a good chance of winning. That is the Bartolo Colon that the A’s are hoping for in 2013. With a $3 Million salary this year and approximately $2 Million in incentives to be earned, Colon has all the incentives in place to give the A’s the workhorse they need this upcoming season.

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Tags: @Jhacohen on twitter, A.J. Griffin, AL Cy Young Award Winner, AL West, babe ruth, bartolo colon, baseball, billy beane, brandon mccarthy, brett anderson, chris carter, dan straily, derek norris, don mattingly, george kottaras, grant balfour, jack morris, jarrod parker, jonathan hacohen, josh reddick, mark mcgwire, melky cabrera, mlb, new york yankees, oakland a's, oakland athletics, ped, rick reuschel, sammy sosa, san francisco giants, tommy john, tommy milone, toronto blue jays, yoenis cespdes

Notable Performances from the Dominican Winter League

Jan 13

Posted by samevans87

Sunday, January 13th, 2013

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Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206

The Dominican Winter League had much more talent this offseason than in recent years. From Oscar Taveras to Miguel Tejada, some of the best baseball the DWL has ever seen was played this winter. In particular, four players have made this year’s DWL class a lot of fun. Hector Luna and Bartolo Colon are both MLB veterans trying to prove to their individual teams what they are capable of. Oscar Taveras and Miguel Sano, two of the top prospects in the minors, are trying to make it clear to the scouting world that they are destined for success. These four players provided numerous highlights and were essential to their team’s success during the DWL Regular Season.

Oscar Taveras Highlights from 2012 – Mature Content so Parental Guidance is advised

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Tags: @RJA206 on twitter, aguilas cibaenas, bartolo colon, bartolo colon oakland, baseball, Chunichi Dragons, dominican baseball, dominican winter league, dwl, estrellas de oriente, hector luna, miguel angel sano, miguel sano, minnesota twins prospects, mlb, oscar tavares

The Oakland A’s 2013 Roster Tree Part 2: The Pitchers And Analyzing Mulder, Hudson and Zito Post Oakland

Dec 2

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Sunday, Dec.02/2012

A.J Griffin was 7-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 15 Games Started for the A’s in his 2012 Rookie Season. The A’s will look to the 24 Year old for some Quality Starts in 2013.

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

Yesterday we talked about the hitters of the Oakland Athletics current roster and today we will talk about their pitching. This has been an organization that has thrived on brilliant drafting of young arms. In the early 2000’s, the team featured three ace pitchers in Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder. Billy Beane had to let each of them leave Oakland because they couldn’t pay them the kind of dollars needed to secure them long term. With the exception of this year, Barry Zito has not lived up to his 7 Years and 126 Million Dollar contract he signed with the San Francisco Giants since leaving the Athletics. Despite a 15-8 year for the SF club this past year, he holds a 58-69 (.447) record for San Francisco lifetime with a 4.47 ERA. He was 102-63 (.618) and a 3.55 ERA with the A’s before leaving at the age of 29. The guy made 18.25 Million in his Oakland days and has already pocketed 99 Million with SF.

Mark Mulder never was the same pitcher in the NL and was out of baseball four years after being traded to St. Louis. His A’s career had netted him an 81-42 (.659) record with a 3.92 ERA. He was only 22-18 (.550) and a 5.04 ERA with the Cardinals before retiring. As you will read in this article below, the franchise made a worthy trade in returns for this man. Mulder made 25.3 Million in his contract with the Cardinals after making only 8.4 Million with the A’s.

Tim Hudson on the other hand, has been one of the better pitchers in the NL for the last decade, still towing the hill for the Braves at the age of 38. He was 92-39 (.702) with a 3.30 ERA for the A’s. He has since gone 105-65 with a 3.52 ERA for the Braves in in 8 years. He definitely has been worth the $ invested (84.5 Million plus another 9.0 Million in 2013.) He only made 4.5 Million in his 6 years with Oakland. The sandwich pick they landed for Hudson’s Free Agent signing was Travis Buck. Unfortunately Buck only played 170 games for the franchise, hitting .250 with 18 HRs and 71 RBI in 571 AB.

Total Record for 3 other teams is 185-152 (.549) and they have made 208.8 Million away from Oakland, whereas they were 275-144 (.656) and made a total 33.15 Million Dollars with the Athletics. I would say, Beane made the right decision in not signing them.

The Future of the Oakland A’s: The Mustache Gang Meets the Bash Brothers: Revealing Billy Beane’s Master Plan click here.

For The Oakland A’s 2013 Roster Tree Part 1: The Hitters Click Here

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Tags: 2012 ALDS, @chuckbooth3024, A.J cole, A.J. Griffin, a.j. Kirby-Jones, aaron cunningham, American league, andrew werner, andy parrino, arizona diamondbacks, barry zito, bartolo colon, billy beane, boston, brad peacock, brad ziegler, brandon mccarthy, brett anderson, brett wallace, carlos gonzalez, chris carter, Chuck Booth, collin cowgill, colorado rockies, connor robertson, craig breslow, dan haren, dan straily, dana eveland, daric barton, derek norris, detroit tigers, eric sogard, evan scribner, george kottaras, gio gonzalez, graham godfrey, grant balfour, greg smith, jarrod parker, jason kendall, jerry blevins, jesse chavez, josh reddick, Marco scutaro, mark Mulder, matt albers, michael taylor, Miguel Tejada, minnesota twins, MLB Amateur Draft, national league, o.co coliseum, oakland athletics, orioles, pat neshek, pedro figueroa, pirates, rob bowen, robert gillam, ryan cook, san diego padres, san francisco giants, sean doolittle, st louis cardinals, the fastest 30 ballgames, tommy milone, toronto blue jays, Travis Blackley, travis buck, trevor cahill, tyson ross

Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon: Will Their Absences Be Amplified Down the Stretch?

Sep 2

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

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Sunday September 2nd, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: It has been a couple of weeks since Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon were suspended for taking Performance Enhancing Drugs, but their respective teams have thrived since receiving the bad news. The Giants are 12-5 since losing their star outfielder, while the A’s are 10-1 since losing arguably one of the best pitchers on their staff. It’s safe to say that both clubs have put negative news behind them, and are focused on making the playoffs. However, just because both teams have found success in the wake of the suspensions, doesn’t mean that they won’t feel the effect down the stretch drive.

The Giants clearly lost more than the A’s. They lost an everyday player, as opposed to a player who can make an impact every five days and is older and injury prone. When Cabrera was suspended he led baseball in the hits department, and was among the top five in batting average. Now, he leads the National League in batting average (.346), and yes, he can still win that honor despite the suspension. But Cabrera was a fixture in the Giants’ lineup. When the team was struggling, he seem to continuously spark them with one big hit after another. And once San Francisco acquired Hunter Pence from the Phillies, their three through six batters were seen as a legitimate powerhouse. But only for one game did they have all four hitters intact. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: A.J. Griffin, barry bonds, bartolo colon, baseball, brett anderson, dan straily, Gregor Blanco, hunter pence, jarrod parker, Justin Christian, melky cabrera, mlb, oakland athletics, peds, performance enhancing drugs, san francisco giants, tommy milone, Travis Blackley, xavier nady

Stephen Drew: Another Great Move by Billy Beane

Aug 22

Posted by bernieolshansky

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Thursday August 23rd, 2012

Bernie Olshansky: Before the trading deadline, it was thought that the Oakland A’s were going to make a move. With the extra wild card in play this year, the team seemed to be a contender. Their weakest position though was at shortstop. There were a few options out there, some reasonable and some not, among those were Hanley Ramirez and Stephen Drew. Ramirez was very unlikely to be acquired by the A’s due to the nature of his contract, but he would’ve provided the most boost for the team. The story goes that the A’s almost had Ramirez all but acquired, with the Dodgers eating at least of his contract. But the A’s hesitated, and the Dodgers swooped in and agreed to take on all of the remaining dollars on his deal. With Ramirez ending up on the Dodgers, Stephen Drew seemed to be the most viable option left. Drew missed a large portion of the 2011 season with a broken ankle sustained on a slide into home, and made his 2012 debut around the time of the All-Star Break. In his short time with the Diamondbacks this season, Drew hit just .193 and was pretty disappointing. With the teams hierarchy going public with their displeasure, the writing was on the wall for Drew. It looked like Arizona would be able to get at least the same amount of production from a replacement, so a trade seemed imminent. For some reason the trade never got done, but the A’s kept at it.

Oakland was the perfect candidate to acquire Stephen Drew. So it was no surprise that Billy Beane finally got his man this week. Without a producing shortstop, the A’s had a very little chance at the playoffs. Sure, Drew only hit .193 this year, but he carries a career .266 average over his seven-year career. Plus he walks a ton. A stereotypical A’s hitter characteristic. In 2008, Drew hit .291 with 21 homers and 67 RBIs. If the A’s could get anything close to this production, they would be in very good shape. Drew will most likely keep hitting in the two-hole of the lineup, behind Coco Crisp. Once Drew gets settled and regains form, the A’s should get some good production from the top of their lineup, setting the table for the monster bats of Josh Reddick, Yoenis Cespedes, and Chris Carter. Even if Drew were to continue hitting .193, he would still be an improvement from the overall batting average of A’s shortstops at .190. As long as he can walk and hit with some power. Drew will most likely be taking time away from Cliff Pennington and Adam Rosales. Given their combined numbers, that is a very good thing. The A’s also just sent the struggling Jemile Weeks down to Triple-A Sacramento to make room for Drew.

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Tags: a's, al, angels, athletics, bartolo colon, brandon mccarthy, brett anderson, chris carter, dan straily, diamondbacks, hitting, jemile weeks, josh reddick, mariners, mlb, oakland, pitching, stephen drew, west, yoenis cespedes

ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: Lowe to the Yankees, Mauer Before Head and Shoulders, Extend Wright, Jose Canseco is Bankrupt (again) and Creative MLB Realignment

Aug 12

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Sunday August 12th, 2012

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

Jonathan Hacohen: I am off to the Rogers Centre today to watch the Yankees battle the Jays. This game matters little in reality. The Yankees are in first place, with a 14 game lead over the last place Jays. The Yankees are on a 4 game winning streak, while the Jays have lost their last 5. Given the Jays bulging disabled list, they will likely be fielding a team that will more resemble a AAA squad. But I still go. I go because I love baseball. I go because it is the Yankees and I love the history and pride of the franchise. The truth is: I don’t care who is playing and where the game will take place. I go because I love baseball.

Speaking of the Yankees, I have something important on my mind. Derek Lowe. I will never stop thinking him as a member of the Red Sox, so today’s news took me somewhat by surprise. Lowe is now a member of the Yankees. So this is not your dad’s version of Derek Lowe. No, the 39-year old Lowe is nearly done. Unless he discovers the fountain of youth…or learns to throw a knuckleball. Lowe started off hot in Cleveland, but fizzled out quickly. Going to New York, his record on the year sits at 8-10 with a dismal 5.52 ERA. He has an unsightly 1.689 WHIP. He has walked more batters than he has struck out. But yet I hold out faith. Lowe was still very good as of 2010, but the wheels came off last year and never returned.

Apparently Lowe has accepted an assignment to the pen. Heck, for the league minimum- the Yankees have nothing to lose. Pettitte may not return and now Sabathia is having elbow issues. As the Jays, Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers and many other teams have proven this year- you can never have too much pitching. Pitchers get injured. Pitchers become ineffective. Remember how many Yankees fans were booing Bartolo Colon last year? Bet those same fans would love to have him back this year. Look at Ben Sheets on Atlanta. What’s old is new again. As long as Lowe’s arm is still intact, I say throw him in there. If he can get hot for even 2 weeks- that’s all what it might take in this game. Great signing by Brian Cashman. Derek Lowe could end up being a winning lottery ticket- or simply a lost dollar. Low risk, high reward is the name of the game folks.

For our Batting Stance Guy featured video of the week, we bring you Gar’s All-Star compilation titled: “Best Batting Stances By Position”

For bonus points this week: Tell us which former MLB player Gar is hanging with…and which stance he is imitating? First correct answer gets a secret prize: e-mail your answer to mlbreports@gmail.com

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

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Tags: ask the reports, atr, bankruptcy, bartolo colon, baseball, bud selig, cleveland indians, david wright, derek lowe, head and shoulders, houston astros, joe mauer, jose canseco, jose reyes, Mike Trout, mlb, mlb expansion, mlb playoffs, mlb realignment, new york mets, wild card, world series, yankees, yoenis cespedes

Fantasy Baseball: Winning The Waiver Wire

Aug 7

Posted by pwstein87

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Monday August 6th, 2012

Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com

Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst): Follow @peterwstein

In the majority of fantasy leagues, the trade deadline has already passed and owners are depending on the core roster that they have assembled all year for the final stretch run of the season. When trading becomes closed, it makes it much more difficulty to fill the void left by an injury. However, the waiver wire remains open. And although you aren’t likely to hit a home run at this point of the season, there are players still available that can prove to be the difference in a championship quest.

Here are a group of players to consider if you face an unexpected injury over the last two months of the season:

Bartolo Colon, available in 85% of ESPN leagues, continues to surprise us all with his advanced age and weight. Most recently, he shutdown the Blue Jays over eight scoreless innings at the Coliseum. Just know that Colon is not a must start option, but is a good one at home and if he faces weaker opponents like Seattle. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: bartolo colon, baseball, chris perez, david murphy, fantasy baseball, greg holland, jean segura, luis cruz, mlb, ryan doumit, ryan ludwick, stephen drew, vinnie pestano, waiver wire

Watch Out For the Oakland A’s: Top Pitching and Countless Walk-Offs

Jul 25

Posted by johnburnsmlb

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Wednesday July 25th, 2012

John Burns: Nobody would have told you prior to the season that the A’s would be 7 games over .500 in late July. With a 51-44 record the red-hot Oakland A’s have been one of the baseballs biggest surprises in baseball. Oakland is coming off a 4 game sweep of the AL East leading New York Yankees and that is when the A’s caught everyone’s attention. Oakland has a MLB-leading 11 walk-off victories this season. The A’s have the second lowest payroll in the league with $55 million and the New York Yankees who they just swept has a $200 million payroll. The A’s season so far has been basically a recap of the movie “Money ball”, how Oakland is having this success with virtually no superstar and such a low payroll is truly amazing. With the sweep of the Yankees the A’s are tied for a Wild Card spot. July has been a huge month for Oakland and they produced with a 15-2 record so far to show their GM Billy Beane they are serious. Add to that a 7-game winning streak. Still not convinced? Ask the Toronto Blue Jays and Ricky Romero. The A’s have taken 2-straight games in Toronto, including tonight’s 16-0 massacre. These A’s are a team to keep an eye on. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: a's, AL West, bartolo colon, baseball, billy beane, brandon inge, brandon mccarthy, cliff pennington, hanley ramirez, jarrod parker, josh reddick, mlb, moneyball, oakland a's, oakland athletics, Payroll, playoffs, walk off, wildcard, yoenis cespedes

MLB reports Monthly Power Rankings: May 2012

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Tuesday May 8th, 2012

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

May Power Rankings

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

Posted on May 8, 2012 | Image

Week 3 – MLB 2012 Season: Sell High and Buy Low Candidates in Fantasy Baseball

Apr 23

Posted by pwstein87

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Monday April 23rd, 2012

Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst – MLB reports): The name of the game in fantasy baseball is sell high and buy low. This is the best method to improve your team. But it takes careful consideration and analysis to determine who is legit and who is fluking. As we are approximately 16 games through the season, remember that you are playing for a 162 games of stats and thus we are only 10% through the 2012 season. Trust the preseason predictions, and make an upgrade whenever possible. Therefore, in this week’s fantasy focus, I highlight which guys to target and which guys to sell.

Sell High:

Josh Hamilton is currently playing t-ball (.418/7/17/1). We have seen Hamilton go on stretches like this before, but we know his expected 162 game season still places him outside of the top-ten. Furthermore, we simply cannot expect a full 162 games out of Hamilton. Perhaps he was undervalued heading into this year, and he is playing for a contract, but his hot start has the potential to net you a safer option in one of the buy low candidates listed below.

David Freese I talked about last week, because he will not keep up his current pace (.333/3/15) and has plenty of name recognition after last October. Furthermore, he is prone to prolonged absences due to injury and offers nothing in the stolen base category. He is certainly an above average fantasy third baseman, but you might as well try to capitalize at his peak value. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: adam dunn, albert pujols, alejandro de aza, aramis ramirez, bartolo colon, baseball, buy low, carlos gonzalez, chase headley, david freese, fantasy baseball, josh hamilton, josh willingham, kyle lohse, mark reynolds, mlb, ryan braun, sell high, statistics

First Week of the 2012 MLB Season is in the Books: Fantasy Baseball Thoughts

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Tuesday April 10th, 2012

Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst – MLB reports): What an interesting first week of baseball, in both the real and fantasy world. What jumps out most to me; however, is the proof that you should never overpay for closers. Saves can be had on the waiver wire, which Hector Santiago, Fernando Rodney, Henry Rodriguez, and Brad Lidge each demonstrated in the season’s first week. Last week, if you recall, I told you to grab Alfredo Aceves as well as Lidge and Rodriguez. Although Aceves has struggled as closer (except for his save last night in Toronto), his value skyrocketed when he was named the closer and I was able to flip him for John Danks. In a surprise move, rookie manager Robin Ventura named rookie Hector Santiago closer for the White Sox. I had monitored this situation since spring training and owned Santiago. Again, as soon as he was named closer I traded him as well- this time for DL’d Tim Hudson. So, after a draft in which I was left thin in pitching, within one week I was able to add Hudson and Danks for two waiver pickups, to join Dan Haren, Matt Cain, Wandy Rodriguez, and Bartolo Colon for a now very formidable starting staff in a 15-team league. The point is: people will overpay for saves, especially as guys go down with injuries. Do your best to capitalize while you can!

On the same note, take advantage of some of the old timers or well-known players who are off to a good start. For instance, Rafael Furcal is off to a blazing start, and is a great add. At the top of the Cardinals lineup, he can be a great source for runs and stolen bases. With his name recognition, he might also be able to net you some great value. Chone Figgins fits this mold as well, but he has been so horrendous the past few seasons, it is tough to expect much of anything from him. A definite buy-low candidate.

What has really surprised me after the first week, are the surprise starting pitchers. There are a lot of intriguing names more than likely available on your waiver wire. Filling in for Chris Carpenter, Lance Lynn dominated the Brewers lineup and I actually expect him to pitch himself into the rotation even when Carpenter returns. Likewise, Jeff Samardzija had a great 2012 debut start with the Cubs and could be a great matchup starter. With 11 strikeouts and 8 1/3 innings against San Diego, Chad Billingsley reverted back to his old form. Perhaps he can put his 2011 struggles behind him…or just maybe the Padres lineup can make any pitcher look good.

Although we are only a week into the season, Matt Kemp is already trying to prove that 2011 was no fluke. Maybe he can repeat his MVP-like season. Another consensus top-five player, Miguel Cabrera looks primed for a huge year with a solid first week, and his value will truly rise to another level when he gains 3B eligibility in a few days. A slow start for Albert Pujols with the Angels, but I expect him to breakout in a big way, perhaps on the big stage against the Yankees this weekend. Oh, and Eric Hosmer is the real, real, real deal. He could easily finish as a top-ten player this year and is a legit five-category stud at just 22 years of age.

That’s all for this week! Remember, the season is just one week old, but you can use it to your advantage. Be active on the waiver wires and with trades, and if can make an upgrade, or what you would have thought was an upgrade during your draft two weeks ago, go ahead and do it!

***Today’s feature was prepared by our Fantasy Baseball Analyst, Peter Stein. We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers. You can also follow Peter on Twitter (@peterWstein)***

Please e-mail us at: mlbreports@me.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. To subscribe to our website and have the Daily Reports sent directly to your inbox, click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

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Posted on April 10, 2012 | Image

Spring Training is Almost Finished: Final Roster Decisions for Your 2012 Fantasy Baseball Team

Apr 2

Posted by pwstein87

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Monday April 2nd, 2012

Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst – MLB reports): The 2012 fantasy baseball season kicked off this past week with the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners two game set in Japan. What can we learn from this series? Even in a hitter friendly park, neither of these teams can really hit. They will both struggle to score runs all year. Therefore, Bartolo Colon will have a lot of value pitching in the friendly confines of the Oakland Coliseum. Colon needs to be owned in all leagues, because he proved he still has something left in the tank last year. He is a must start option anytime he faces the Mariners and in most instances he pitches at home. The same is true with teammate Brandon McCarthy, who could perform to a near ace level this season. However, he does have an injury past, which also goes without saying with the old and portly Bartolo Colon. I also think this short series spoke volumes about the potential of Dustin Ackley, who can quickly emerge as a top ten option at second base.

With only two regular season games to reflect upon, let’s take a closer look at the end of spring training and its fantasy relevance. Henry Rodriguez is most likely available in your league, and the 100mph flamethrower will have the opportunity to close games as Drew Storen begins the season the disabled list. In 10 spring training innings, Rodriguez has allowed just four hits, but more importantly struck out nine batters compared to only two walks. The strike zone was the problem in 2011, when he still posted respectable numbers. But he seems to have found better control of the plate. He could be deadly and Zumaya-like. He should provide great value for strikeouts, and is great insurance for Storen owners, as I would not even be surprised to see him assume the closer role at some point during the 2012 season. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: adam dunn, adam jones, addison reed, alfredo aceves, andrew bailey, bartolo colon, baseball, brandon mccarthy, closers, danny espinosa, drew storen, Dustin Ackley, fantasy baseball, henry rodriguez, joe nathan, josh beckett, josh hamilton, julio teheran, mark melancon, michael pineda, mike adams, mlb, robin ventura, saves, yu darvish

AL West: Value Picks, Up-and-Coming Players and Red Flags in Fantasy Baseball

Mar 9

Posted by pwstein87

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Friday March 9th, 2012

Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst – MLB reports): While the Angels and Rangers should battle for first place and eclipse 90 wins each, the Mariners and Athletics will most likely lose ninety games apiece. Despite this dichotomy, from a fantasy perspective, the American League West might the most intriguing division in MLB. The Angels and Rangers are loaded with fantasy studs, although many come at a risk, while there a number of undervalued and up and coming players on M’s and A’s roster that need to be targeted in fantasy leagues in 2012.

VALUE PICKS:

Colby Lewis is easily one of the most undervalued pitchers in baseball. Most people are quick to credit his 2010 return to the major leagues as a fluke. Although a slight drop in velocity last year, his 2011 numbers were very similar to 2010. He is a safe bet for a dozen wins an ERA around 4 and strikeout rate around 8K/9. He is not going to blow hitters away, but he is an attractive start against division foes Oakland and Seattle and should be available for a relatively cheap price. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: AL West, anaheim angels, bartolo colon, baseball, brandon mccarthy, chris iannetta, cliff pennington, colby lewis, fantasy baseball, felix hernandez, grant balfour, hanley ramirez, ichiro suzuki, jesus montero, joe nathan, josh hamilton, kendrys morales, mike napoli, mlb, nelson cruz, oakland athletics, seattle mariners, texas rangers

Memo to Brian Cashman: “Time to Trade A.J. Burnett”

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Saturday February 11th 2012

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen: I have been working on this note to Mr. Cashman that I wanted to share with you today. Partially because I haven’t really been working on this note for very long. Also, I never actually planned to send it to the Yankees GM. From the sounds of his current state of affairs, Brian has his hands full and probably would not have much time to read my message. But considering the marriage of the New York Yankees and A.J. Burnett, I think a resolution is needed. Immediately. My solution? Let’s read the letter and find out: (more…)

Posted on February 11, 2012 | Image

What the Yankees Need to Win the 2012 World Series

Dec 17

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Saturday December 17, 2011

Jeff P (Guest Writer – MLB reports): It was a long season for Yankee fans in 2011, with an abrupt ending to the season with a brutal series loss to the Detroit Tigers in the AL Divisional series. This is even after the Yankees receiving surprising seasons by Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia and the Yankees receiving production from its usual core players. However, in the 2011 season, there were noted declines of several Yankee players. Due to injuries and other factors, one of the biggest culprits was Alex Rodriguez. Limited to only 99 games on the season, A-Rod hit 16 homers, with a batting average in the .270 rang. A-Rod’s stats were some of the worst of his career and he was one the big reason the Yankees did not make it far into the 2011 playoffs.

The Yankees have a long path to go to get to the World Series this coming year, especially given that their team remains at a standstill, unexpected to improve greatly from last year. It is not a positive sign that the Yankees rotation will most likely consist of C.C. Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia, with a likely spring training knockdown competition between Hector Noesi, A.J. Burnett, Dellin Betances and Phil Hughes for the final two rotation spots.

Both Hughes and Burnett had horrific seasons this past year, while Noesi and Betances were both late season call-ups. Adding to the equation, Ivan Nova might enter a sophomore slump (always a possibility), while Freddy Garcia is unlikely to repeat his astonishing 2011 season.

The Yankees have very little margin for error going into 2012, which can ruin the chances of them not only winning the World Series, but even making the postseason. With the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim now serious contenders, the Rays adding a nice hand to the rotation with Matt Moore and the Red Sox players starting to adjust to their new team, it will be a dogfight to the finish in the American League postseason race this upcoming season. The Yankees will have to play their cards right this year, and not sit back and assume that making the postseason is a given.

If the Yankees want some rings in 2012, here are several “must do” items for the team to succeed in 2012:

First of all, the Yankees must get rid of A.J. Burnett. For the last two years, Burnett had horrific seasons and should not be given another chance, despite his large contract. Without Burnett, the Yankees could consider trying a new arm in the rotation, such as Dellin Betances, who is clearly ready for a major league stint. The Yankees this offseason should trade Burnett to a team desperate for a starting pitcher (which should not be difficult given the shallow pool of available talent) and who are willing to give up a useable prospect, which would provide the Yankees with future depth.

Even though it is unlikely, the right thing to do with Joba Chamberlain is to give him a strong opportunity for a comeback season in 2012. I am not saying he should be in the rotation for the season, but he should definitely be given a strong look. Pitchers often improve after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Chamberlain left the rotation after the 2009 season, with a stint in the bullpen for the last two seasons. Up to the time of his injury, Chamberlain pitched well in the bullpen, mostly as the seventh inning option. The Yankees are considering Hector Noesi and other rookies for the starting rotation in 2012. So why not try Joba? Perhaps he will surprise all of us and fulfill the hype that accompanied him since being drafted in the 1st round by the Yankees in 2006.

Another option (although unlikely) is to place Adam Warren in the rotation. He is 24-years-old, and has a powerful fastball in the mid 90’s. His four-seamer can reach 97 mph and could leave major league batters clueless. He has a world of potential, and is ready for a major league stint sooner rather than later.

The Bronx Bombers roster is certainly not set and Brian Cashman needs to search the trade market before his squad will be able to compete for a World Series title. Other teams are considerably high on Eduardo Nunez and the Yankees would be well advised to find a deal involving Eduardo Nunez, Dellin Betances and one of their surplus catching prospects for Gio Gonzalez or similar available starter, who could help provide the Yankees with a balanced and deep rotation.

The Yankees also must keep Montero in New York. Montero had a great stint at the end of the season, and will hopefully continue to provide an offensive spark for the Yankees throughout the 2012 season. Montero is a great offensive force and would make the dangerous Yankees offense (Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, A-Rod, Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano, Russell Martin etc.) that much more powerful.

Lastly, the Yankees must monitor Manny Banuelos‘ status. Handled correctly, Banuelos could be this season’s Nova. To get through the regular season and then be a force in the 2012 postseason, the Yankees will need to make changes and several decisions as to their roster. But a successful offseason can minimize the risks and chances for failure in the coming season, by filling critical spots with the right players. The Yankees have many needs in their offseason to-do list in order to repeat their 2009 performance. If the Yankees play their cards right, the path to World Series #28 could be in sight.

***Today’s feature was prepared by Jeff P, Guest Writer to MLB reports. We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers. You can also follow Jeff on Twitter.***

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