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Dissecting The Royals And Rays Trade: Shields And Davis For Wil Myers + Prospects

Tuesday, Dec.11/2012

James Shields has 2 years left on his contract with the Rays. He was the first player they signed to many years of Club Options. It is a system they have used to sign Zobrist, Longoria and Moore. It gives the team the flexibility to option out of a contract with a player heading into any year

James Shields has 2 years left on his contract with the Royals. He is 31-22 with 448 Strikeouts in 477 IP in the last 2 years. While he might not be a Premiere Ace, he is a front end starter that Kansas City has not had for a long ime.

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

We at the MLB Reports have established that we are far more in favor of acquiring hitters than pitchers in today’s MLB. Why do you ask? It is simple. The amount of pitchers that end up injured for the year is mind boggling. You can check out our Tommy John Surgery Tracker Page here. Point being, is that is risky to trade away top tier offensive prospects for pitching in return. Having said this, I like this trade of James Shields, Wade Davis and a player to be named later, for Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery and Patrick Leonard for both clubs. It addresses immediate concerns with a look to the future. To fully assess how this trade will break down we start with the Royals: Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: al central, AL Cy Young Award, AL East, alex cobb, alex gordon, appalachian league, b.j. upton, ben zobrist, billy butler, bret saberhagen, bruce chen, burnett, carlos beltran, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, david price, desmond jennings, drayton moore, eric hosmer, ervin santana, jake odirizzi, james loney, jeff neimann, Jeremy guthrie, jeremy hellickson, jermaine dye, johnny damon, jonathan sanchez, josh johnson, kansas city royals, kauffman stadium, lorenzo cain, luis mendoza, luke hochevar, matt moore, melky cabrera, mike montgomery, mike moustakas, mike sweeney, omaha, patrick leonard, pcl, rays 2013 payroll, rookie league, rookie of the year, Royals 2013 Payroll, tampa bay rays, tommy john, twitter @chuckbooth3024, wade davis, wandy rodriguez, wil myers, yunel escobar

The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise 1994-2012: Part 2 of a 7 Part Series

Nov 28

Posted by mednickalex

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Wednesday, Nov.28th, 2012

Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5-7 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Teams Payroll going into 2013 and 5.The Ball Park that they play in. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) Be sure to check my author page with a list of all of my archived articles section here.

Today’s Part 2 Feature of the Blue Jays Franchise will be written by our Baseball Writer Alex Mednick. To do this franchise series service, Alex has studied this club a lot more than I have in the last 20 years and will do this article better justice for you the reader!

Alex Mednick (Baseball Writer and Analyst):

Note from Alex Mednick: Chuck Booth offered to me the opportunity to step in to his Franchise Series and cover the Blue Jays history from 1994-Present. I gladly accepted the honor.

In Part 1 of this series, Chuck covered the Blue Jays history from their humble beginnings at Exhibition Stadium in 1977, through the glory years in the late 80s and early 90s. The story dropped off right after the Blue Jays won back-to-back World Championships in 1992 and 1993. We closed the books with the walk-off winning home run by Joe Carter to win the World Series, and the parties and celebrations that were to follow across Ontario, Canada. I will pick it back up at the beginning of the 1994 season, when the Blue Jays had high hopes to win a third consecutive world championship.

(Scroll Down Past the Links or Click the READ MORE OF THIS ENTRY ICON.)

Franchise Series Links:

Franchise History Part 1 1977-1993: https://mlbreports.com/2012/11/09/jays1/

The Hitters: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Hitters: Part 3 Of A 7 Part Article Series:

The Pitchers: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Pitchers Part 4 Of A 7 Part Series

Skydome: An Interview with ‘Rogers Centre Expert’ and “MLB reports Founder” Jonathan Hacohen Part 5 of 7

2013 Team Payroll: https://mlbreports.com/2012/09/10/tor/

Special Bonus Fan Blog Of 2013 Team Payroll: https://mlbreports.com/2012/09/12/torfanalex/

Read the rest of this entry →

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

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Tags: a-rod, a.j. burnett, aaron hill, ace, adam lind, AL East, alex anthopoulos, alex gonzalez, alex mednick, alex ríos, alex rodriguez, alexander ewing mednick, anthony gose, b.j. ryan, big hurt, billy beane, BJ Birdy, blue jays, bobby valentine, brad lincoln, brandon lyon, brandon morrow, brett lawrie, brett wallace, buck martinez, carlos beltran, carlos delgado, Cito gaston, colby rasmus, cy young, dave stieb, david carpenter, david cone, david wells, Devon White, Diamond, Duane Ward, edwin encarnacion, emilio bonifacio, eric hinske, esteban loaiza, Franchise Series, frank thomas, george bell, j.a. happ, j.p. arencibia, j.p. ricciardi, jake marisnick, jerry howarth, jim fregosi, jim hughson, JImmy Key, john gibbons, jose bautista, jose canseco, jose cruz jr, jose reyes, josh johnson, juan guzman, justin nicolino, kelly johnson, kyle drabek, lyle overbay, mark buehrle, melky cabre, melky cabrera, michael young, mike aviles, mike timlin, pat gillick, Pat Hentgen, paul molitor, paul spoljaric, philadelphia phillies, phillies, raul mondesi, ricky romero, roberto alomar, roger clemens, rogers centre, roy halladay, shannon stewart, shaun marcum, shawn green, shea hillenbrand, skydome, steve Delabar, ted lilly, Tom Cheek, tony batista, tony fernandez, toronto blue jays, travis d'arnaud, travis snider, troy glaus, vernon wells, yunel escobar

Mets Ownership: The Wilpons Have To Start Spending To Compete!

Nov 26

Posted by kholland13

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Monday November 26, 2012

Owner of the Mets Fred Wilpon

Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Intern):

It’s no secret that the New York Mets are in a tough division to compete with. They are way behind the payroll of the Phillies and look up to the Nationals and Braves talent wise. So where exactly did the Wilpon’s, majority owners of the Mets, go wrong in building a talented team?

First, lets look at the payroll situation. In 2012, the Phillies ranked number 2 in payroll with approximately $173,459,000. The Mets were ranked at number 14 with their payroll at approximately $93,357,000. How can the Mets compete in a division where the top payroll in the division is about $80,000,000 more? They can’t, that’s why they have finished in the bottom 2 of the division every year since 2009. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: 2012 Payroll, AL East, Atlanta Braves, bryce harper, carlos beltran, citi field, daniel murphy, david wright, fred wilpon, ian desmond, ike davis, Jeurys Familia, Kyle Holland, Mets Team Payroll 2013, miami marlins, new york mets, NL east, philadelphia phillies, r.a. dickey, washington nationals, zach wheeler

Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey are Signs of Hope in New York

Nov 4

Posted by samevans87

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Sunday, November 4^th, 2012

Sam Evans: It has been over a decade since the New York Mets ranked in the top five in the majors in Fielding Independent Pitching. Last year, the Mets had roughly league-average production from their pitching staff and it led to a 74-88 finish. With Citi Field being a pitcher’s park, the Mets are going to need a lot more from their pitching staff in order to be a successful ballclub. Luckily, New York is breeding two very talented young pitchers, both of whom could start for the Mets next season. Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey should provide hope and confidence to the Mets and their fans.

Zack Wheeler is a twenty-two year old right-handed starting pitcher who has yet to pitch in the majors. Wheeler was drafted out of a Georgia high school in the 2009 MLB Amateur draft by the San Francisco Giants. Standing 6’4’’, Wheeler throws a fastball that can reach up to 95 MPH. His arsenal also includes a plus curveball, a changeup and a cutter. Wheeler came over from the Giants organization in the Carlos Beltran trade after one and a half years in the lower minors. In 2012, his first full season with the Mets, Wheeler split time between Double-A and Triple-A. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in On the Verge: MLB Prospects

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Tags: baseball, bryan harvey, carlos beltran, Major League Baseball, matt harvey, mb, mets, mlb prospects, new york mets, NL east, ny mets, san francisco giants, Wheeler and Harvey, zack wheeler

2012 NLCS Recap: The Cardinals are 1 Win Away from the World Series

Oct 19

Posted by kholland13

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Friday October 19th, 2012

Kyle Holland: The 2012 postseason has been all but “normal” so far, considering all division series went to 5 games. Conclusion? The NLCS has yet to disappoint. The St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. Both teams had to battle to even still be playing to this point. The Giants had to come back down 0-2 and beat the hot Cincinnati Reds in three straight games in Cincinnati.

The Cardinals, after first having to win the play-in wild card game, had to beat the Nationals, who had the best record in baseball. To make it worse, the Nationals were up 6-0 in game 5… and blew it. Both of these teams have a lot of fight, and experience this late in the season.

There is something unique about the Giants and Cardinals facing off in the 2012 NLCS. This is the first time in MLB history that the last 2 world champions are playing in the LCS (the Giants in 2010 and the Cardinals in 2011). Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: 2012 playoffs, adam wainwright, baseball, buster posey, carlos beltran, chris carpenter, Game 5, Marco scutaro, matt cain, matt holliday, mlb, mlb reports, nlcs, nlds, pete kozma, san francisco giants, st louis cardinals, tim lincecum, world series

Carlos Beltran Is The Best Active Hitter For A Postseason Career

Oct 17

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday, October.17/2012

Carlos Beltran is only amongst a select few active and retired players that possess 300 Career HRs (334) and 300 Stolen Bases (306) for their Career. At age 35, this year may be his last chance to win a World Series.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I love that baseball is a game of numbers. Every once in a while you stumble upon an awesome mind-blogging stat or ten that makes you sit and back and think, wow, that guy is awesome. I have a decent memory when it comes to the history of the game. So it came as no surprise to me that Carlos Beltran continues to be putting up video game statistics in the postseason. Having started this article, unfortunately the man has left the 3rd game of the National League Championship Series with a strained left knee. This is a shame. I hope that the slugger can come back in this series as he is listed on the injury report as Day-to-Day. Just how good is Carlos Beltran in the Playoffs? Check out these stat lines. In 111 career AB, the man has a .378 AVG with 14 HRs, 25 RBI and has a staggering OPS of 1.327 (His OBP is .489 and Slugging is .838.) These are unbelievable numbers and easily the highest OPS in the history of MLB for a playoff career.

When the St. Louis Cardinals lost Albert Pujols to free agency last year, it was a risky yet bold move to pick up the often injured slugger. The franchise signed Beltran to a 2 YR/26 Million Dollar contract (or just over 10% of the contract that Pujols signed for.) The team also re-signed Rafael Furcal and Lance Berkman to help carry the load offensively. Showing the wisdom as they have so often done, the Cardinals proved to work their payroll model and still improve their club in the process. While Furcal and Berkman would succumb to injuries during the year, Beltran has produced at a high rate for a nice portion of the year. At the 82 game mark, the outfielder had 20 HRs with 65 RBI and was a co-frontrunner (along with Joey Votto) for the National League MVP. While his numbers slumped a little in the second half, the club still knew they had a proven playoff performer. Beltran also played in 151 games this season, his highest amount since 2008 with the New York Mets. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles, Playoffs, The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: 2004 NLCS, 2006 NLCS, 2012 nlcs, albert pujols, Atlanta Braves, carlos beltran, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, houston astros, jermaine dye, joey votto, johnny damon, kansas city royals, lance berkman, national league, new york mets, rafael furcal, san francisco giants, st louis cardinals, twitter @chuckbooth3024, washington nationals

2012 NLCS Preview: The Clash Of The Comeback Kids

Oct 16

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

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Tuesday October 16th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: You might’ve heard about the Giants’ historical comeback. You might heard about the Cardinals historical comeback in Game 5 of the NLDS against the big, bad Nationals. But all you need to know is these two clubs don’t go away easily. Giants’ general manager likes to call his team “cockroaches” because they never go away, while the Cardinals, well, they aren’t named after a bug, but let’s call them the comeback kids for the lack of a better phrase.

There’s nothing scientific about it. They both play to the end. The end is the end, but these two teams tend to avoid the end. Down 0-2 heading back to Cincinnati, the Giants were counted out by the world, seemingly. And who in their right mind would say they weren’t done? People aren’t that stupid. Yet, they silenced Reds’ fans for three straight days, and celebrated on their home field.

Then there’s the Cardinals. Adam Wainwright unraveled, and allowed six early runs to put his team in a very deep hole. And what needs to be underscored here, is the fact that they came back against a legitimate Cy Young candidate in Gio Gonzalez. Nothing fazes them. Even Stephen Strasburg couldn’t have helped… as much as people want to use that excuse.

And now, the two miracle stories clash.

Starting Pitching Preview

The Giants obvious strength entering the playoffs was their strong starting pitching. Even with Tim Lincecum not being the Tim Lincecum he once was, the Giants boasted a very formidable staff with Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner heading the rotation. But San Francisco’s plan to stay in games through their pitching has failed miserably. In the first round, Cain gave up six runs in 10.2 innings pitched, Bumgarner allowed four runs in 4.1 innings pitched, and Barry Zito allowed two runs in 2.2 innings pitched. Ryan Vogelsong was the only one out of the four Giants’ starters to at least have something of a respectable line (5 IP, 1 ER, 3 Walks). Yet, he wasn’t even that good. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: adam wainwright, barry zito, baseball, buster posey, carlos beltran, chris carpenter, gio gonzalez, Jaime Garcia, lance lynn, madison bumgarner, matt cain, mlb, nlcs, NLDS 2012, ryan vogelsong, san francisco giants, st louis cardinals, tim lincecum, world series

Will The Cardinals Repeat?

Sep 2

Posted by johnburnsmlb

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Sunday September 2, 2012

John Burns: The season for the reigning World Champions the St. Louis Cardinals has been one filled with surprises. With one of the biggest surprises being long time Cardinal Albert Pujols leaving the franchise to sign with the Los Angeles Angels. In an attempt to replace Pujols, the Cardinals re-signed veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran. Although Beltran is not Albert Pujols, he is having a very good season for St. Louis with 28 HRs and 86 RBI. Nobody expected Beltran to play this well and basically be matching Pujols numbers.

As of September 1^st,the Cardinals have a 72-61 record and are in possession of the second NL Wild Card Spot. We all know the story of the Cardinals last year when they got hot and never looked back-until they were holding up the World Series trophy. They are in a very similar situation this year, (as they were last year) by being in the hunt for a Wild Card spot. This year’s Cardinals squad is not the same as the 2011 World Series team version. With Tony La Russa, Chris Carpenter, Lance Berkman, and Albert Pujols all gone or injured, the Cards have a different look. All three of those players played a major significance in the Cards winning the World Series in 2011.

Highlights courtesy of FOX and ESPN and MLB Reports is not the copyrights holder

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Tags: adam wainwright, albert pujols, all-star game, allen craig, busch stadium, carlos beltra, carlos beltran, chris carpenter, david freese, espn, FOX, john jay, jon jay, kyle lohse, kyle loshe, lance berkman, lance lynn, los angeles angels, matt holliday, new York, rafael furcal, randy johnson, ryan howard, st louis cardinals, Tommy John Surgery, tony la russa, Wild Card Spot MLB, world series, yadier molina

The Prince is Crowned Yet Again! Fielder Wins Another Home Run Derby Title

Jul 10

Posted by johnburnsmlb

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Tuesday July 10th, 2012

John Burns: Kauffman Stadium was electric Monday night from the top sluggers in baseball putting on an absolute home run clinic. Detroit’s Prince Fielder won his second Home Run Derby by beating Toronto’s Jose Bautista 12-7 in the final round. Fielder got off to a slow start with 5 homers in the first round which barely advanced him over Carlos Gonzalez and Andrew McCutchen who both had 4 home runs in the first round. After the first round it was all Prince Fielder. Prince hit 23 homers in the final two rounds and became only the second player to win multiple titles in the Home Run Derby.

Matt Kemp and Robinson Cano were the captains for their respected leagues and picked 3 sluggers to represent the NL and AL. The first round results for the sluggers were: Robinson Cano (0 homers), Matt Kemp (1 homer), Andrew McCutchen (4 homers), Carlos Gonzalez (4 homers), Prince Fielder (5 homers), Mark Trumbo (7 Homers), Carlos Beltran (7 homers), and the leader in the first round Jose Bautista with 11 homers. Robinson Cano, Matt Kemp, Andrew McCutchen, Carlos Gonzalez were all eliminated after the 1^st round. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: all-star break, all-star game home run derby, american, Andrew McCutchen, angels, baseball, bautista, cardinals, cargo, carlos beltran, carlos gonzalez, dodgers, home run derby, homerun, jays, jose bautista, Kansas city, ken griffey jr, mark trumbo, matt kemp, mlb, new york yankees, pirates, pittsburgh pirates, prince fielder, robinson cano, rockies, royals, sluggers, state farm home run derby, tigers, toronto blue jays, yankees

Top Ten Stat of The Week: Odds To Win The AL/NL/WS

Jul 9

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday July.9, 2012

The Yankees pay at the rate of +190 to win the American League and +375 to win the World Series. They are actually the 2nd favorite in the MLB for both to Texas. These odds are not flattering to throw any money down on either team.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024)- I thought we would try a different top ten today with the ALL-Star Break here today. This morning I did some research on the odds of what http://www.bet365.com thinks will happen for the rest of the MLB Year based on their gambling futures. Gambling is an increasing industry like no other entity in the world. The NFL is better suited for ‘punters’ to throw down some bucks at Vegas. They have only one game a week and the gambling experts think that baseball is easier for the bad teams to beat the good teams. I will tell you as one of these ‘so called experts’, they are completely right. The worst teams in baseball usually can still beat the best teams 1 out of 3 games in a series. This makes normal gambling for a regular season game really hard to make any money, or minimize losses. I do think that betting who makes the playoffs and who wins it all has some good value picks.

Y0u have to search for the value in anything. I never like to play the #1 favorites of each league because they simply don’t pay enough of an odd. Right now, Bet365.com has the Texas Rangers at +175 to win the AL, or The Yankees at +190. I love these two teams to probably represent the AL in the World Series, however these odds are not good at all. As I list all of the odds for each league first, then the World Series, I will make some notes up. I have two teams in the NL that I have already wagered with and I am coming up roses on them so far. It is time for Gambling 101. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: adam wainwright, adrian gonzalez, al mvo, al mvp, albert pujols, alcs, andre ethier, arizona diamondbacks, ASG, Atlanta Braves, austin jackson, baltimore orioles, bet365.com, boston red sox, bryce harper, carlos beltran, carlos ruiz, carlos zambrano, chicago white sox, chris carpenter, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, cincinnati reds, cleveland indians, cole hamels, daniel hudson, daniel murphy, david wright, derek jeter, detroit tigers, dustin pedroia, edwin encarnacion, evan longoria, fall classic, giancarlo stanton, hanley ramirez, heath bell, heathcliff slocumb, ian kennedy, ike davis, jacoby ellsbury, jayson werth, jimmy rollins, johan santana, johnny cueto, jon lester, jose reyes, josh beckett, justin upton, justin verlander, Kansas city, la angels, los angeles dodgers, magic johnson, mark trumbo, mat latos, matt kemp, miami marlins, Mike Trout, new york mets, new york yankees, nl mvp, nlcs, philadelphia phillies, prince fielder, quintin Berry, raul ibanez, ricky romero, robinson cano, roy halladay, ryan howard, san francisco dodgers, shane victorino, st louis cardinals, stephen drew, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, tim hudson, tim lincecum, tommy hanson, toronto blue jays, trevor cahill, vlad guerrero, washington natiionals, wild card, world series

2012 State Farm MLB All-Star Home Run Derby Preview

Jul 8

Posted by Ryan Ritchey

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Sunday July 8th, 2012

Ryan Ritchey (Baseball Writer): The Mid-Summer Classic is upon us and this is the time for some of the best players in all of Major League Baseball to show what they got. The National League will face the American League in the State Farm Home Run Derby on July 9th. There will be four players from each league. The captain for the National League is Matt Kemp and for the American League it will be Robinson Cano.

The National League squad brings four guys that can just straight rake. Those four guys include Matt Kemp, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Beltran and Andrew McCutchen (a last minute replacement for the injured Giancarlo Stanton). This is a team that has a great chance to win this event with having two right-handers, a lefty and a switch hitter. Kauffman Stadium is a stadium that can see balls flying out of it completely. Beltran is going back to where his career began and where the fans hated that he left. This could become a warm welcome back for Beltran, or it could become a disappointment if he doesn’t do well.

The American League is bringing some heavy sluggers of its own to the show. Team captain Robinson Cano selected Mark Trumbo, Jose Bautista, and Prince Fielder. Cano also picked a lefty like himself and 2 righties. This could turn out to be one of the best Home Run Derby’s EVER! So much power in one place, it could cause a power outage close to Kauffman. Cano the reigning champion has a great chance to win. I don’t believe he does though.

My predicted champion of the 2012 State Farm Home Run Derby is Carlos Beltran! Beltran coming back to Kansas City has a breakout day and wins by 4 homers. In a close second is Jose Bautista making up for his performance last season. The National League ends up winning the challenge as well. The underdog to keep an eye on is Mark Trumbo. This guy has some serious power and could end up making a believer out of many. But first-timers tend to get a little nervous, especially the young ones. With poise and experience, look for Carlos Beltran to have some home run fun on Monday night.

Ryan Ritchey is a Baseball Writer & Reds Expert for MLB reports. I am a freshman at Spalding University, Assistant Baseball Coach and plan on studying sports journalism. I am a huge fan of Barry Larkin and Brandon Phillips. Have been a baseball fan my whole life and have been writing about baseball since my freshman year of High School. You can reach me on Twitter (@baseballaddicts)

Please e-mail us at: mlbreports@me.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us onTwitter 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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Tags: baseball, carlos beltran, carlos gonzalez, giancarlo stanton, home run, jose bautista, mark trumbo, matt kemp, mlb, prince fielder, robinson cano, state farm home run derby

The Top-10 MLB Home Run Hitters Going Into the All-Star Break

Jul 4

Posted by bernieolshansky

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Wednesday July 4th, 2012

Bernie Olshansky: As the All-Star Break is upon us, we begin to reflect on the first half of the season. While there has been some very strong pitching including multiple perfect games and no-hitters, there has been no shortage of the long ball. Here’s my top-ten list of first-half home run hitters:

10. Giancarlo Stanton (19), MIA

The only surprise about having Stanton on this list is why he’s so low. He got off to a pretty slow start but eventually turned it up. Many speculated that the spaciousness of the new Marlins Park would take away some power due to the deep power alleys, but Stanton has proved those speculations false. He hasn’t had a problem launching balls deep over the left field fence and has taken advantage of the away games. Expect this imposing figure to keep up his performance and possibly even reach 40.

9. Robinson Cano (20), NYY

No stranger to this list, Cano also had a slow start but had a ridiculous month of June hitting 12 homers. Cano plays in about the exact opposite environment as Stanton in Yankee Stadium. With a right field porch only 314 feet away, Cano has no problem putting up big numbers. Cano, too, will undoubtedly put up big numbers in the second half.

8. Carlos Beltran (20), STL

Beltran is probably the most surprising member of this list. He seems like he got rejuvenated after signing with the Cardinals this offseason. Beltran got off to a great start this year and has kept up his performance for the most part. He’s done more than enough to fill the gap left by Albert Pujols’ signing with the Angels. I wouldn’t count on Beltran to keep this up due to his age and his past health issues. Cards’ fans should just ride out this wave and hope it keeps rolling into the post season. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles, Players: Fantasy Baseball Articles

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Tags: adam dunn, adrian gonzalez, all-star break, baseball, carlos beltran, curtis granderson, david ortiz, edwin encarnacion, giancarlo stanton, home run, jose bautista, josh hamilton, josh reddick, mark trumbo, miguel cabrera, Mike Trout, mlb, prince fielder, robinson cano, ryan braun, yoenis cespedes

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: July 2012

Jul 4

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday July.4, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you monthly power rankings every month of the season. There will be a few notes written for each team. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts. The Texas Rangers are the top ranked team yet once again, although teams are certainly gaining on the them in the last month. If this report was being done last week I might have put the New York Yankees in 1st and Texas in 2nd. A 7 game winning streak help preserve another month for Texas on the leader-board. There were superior months by Aaron Hill, Jose Bautista, Joey Votto , Jason Heyward and a new phenomenon was born with Jose Altuve. It was a great month for the MLB. With 20 teams within 5.5 games or less for the playoff races, we are sure to see some serious movements in the Power Rankings in the 2nd half of the season.

Standings taken before play Tuesday July.03/2012

July Power Rankings-Last Month Rank in Parenthesis

1. Texas-50-30 (1) The Rangers rode a 7 game winning streak to end up 18-8 for the last month. David Murphy, Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus all hit over .300 in the last 30 days. The Rangers were able to weather a slow spurt from Josh Hamilton, in which he hit .222 with only 4 HRs for the month. Matt Harrison has asserted himself as an ace on the staff with a 5-0 month with a 1.29 ERA, while leading the American League with 11 wins on the year. The Rangers have 6 players going to the ALL-Star Game including 3 starters. Yu Darvish can make a 7th if he is voted into the final roster spot with his rookie campaign of 10-5 so far.

2. NY Yankees 48-31(5) The Yankees have ridden good pitching and a hot bat from Robinson Cano to a 19-7 record over the last month, with a 5 games lead over their competition in the AL East. Cano hit .370 with 12 HRs and 24 RBI in the last month. Derek Jeter is hitting .298 overall but saw his average go from .389 in April, to .283 in May to .232 in June. He still tops a list of 4 Yankees heading to the ALL-Star Game including 23 HR homer man Curtis Granderson. Phil Hughes went 5-1 in the month with a 2.59 ERA and Ivan Nova won his 3 decisions with a miniscule 1.32 ERA. Rafael Soriano has converted 18 out of 19 save opportunities since taking over as team closer.

3. San Francisco 45-30 (9) The Giants went 16-11 in the month and saw a perfect game from Matt Cain, with a few other 1 hitters. The team shutout the Dodgers 3 games in a row in a series last week. The Giants have Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and Melky Cabrera starting in KC next week. The Melkman continues to show that last year was no fluke with his .352 Average and he is leading the Major Leagues with 111 base hits. The Giants pitching staff has coped with the loss of Brian Wilson and the ineffectiveness of starter Tim Lincecum, by the rest of the staff having career years.

4. LA Angels 45-35 (12) The Angels have been really steady since the end of May. They just finished going 17-8 in the last 25 days on the backs of ALL-Stars Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and resurgent Albert Pujols. Trout might be the most exciting player on the planet these days and is a lock for AL Rookie of the Year if he keeps this up. Trout hit .367 over the last month and has taken over the AL batting lead with a .342 AVG. Trumbo hit 10 HRs and drove in 28 RBI for the month and Pujols hit .337. to raise his average 40 points. C.J Wilson was good enough in June to be named as CC Sabathia‘s replacement at the ALL-Star game.

5. Washington 45-32(9) Mike Morse has returned to the lineup with a vengeance during the last week with a .484 average. Super Sub Tyler Moore has also hit .415 in the last 14 games with 4 HRs and 12 RBI. Ian Desmond had 16 Extra base hits for the month to go along with 20 RBI, while he made the ALL-Star game as a reserve. Ryan Zimmerman awoke from a season long slump to plate 17 RBI. Adam LaRoche still contributed 7 HRs and 15 RBI despite a paltry .191 average in June. Stephen Strasburg is 9-3 on the year with a 2.81 ERA and a league leading 122 SO. Gio Gonzalez is 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA. Both Gonzalez and Strasburg made the ALL-Star squad. Read the rest of this entry →

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MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: June 2012

Jun 4

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday June.4, 2012

June Power Rankings-Last Month Rank in Parenthesis

1. Texas-32-22 (1) The Rangers rode Josh Hamilton in the month of May-who enters today on pace for about 60 HRs and 170 RBI while hitting .354. Nelson Cruz is starting to heat up and the duo of Adrian Beltre and Ian Kinsler are steady as as ever. Yu Darvish is 7-3 en route to the leading the group amongst Rookie of The Year Contention. Joe Nathan is looking like his old self again out of the pen with an ERA under 2.

2. LA Dodgers 33-21 (5) Even with Matt Kemp out of the lineup again, the Dodgers are winning ball games with solid contributions from Andre Ethier and A.J Ellis on offense. The pitching staff has been anchored by Clayton Kershaw and a fast 7-1 start by Chris Capuano. Ted Lilly was 5-1 before a stint on the DL. It is too bad because Lilly is 125-104 since 2004.

3. Tampa Bay 31-23 (2) Hideki Matsui homered in two of his first 3 games back with the Rays. The team has had steady pitching to stay in contention. Carlos Pena has really struggled in the last month and will need to pick it up. Luke Scott with 35 RBI has good production numbers in spite of his .225 AVG. Fernando Rodney has converted 17 out of 18 saves to pace the club.

4. Cincinnati 30-23 (12) Joey Votto has hit .404 in the last 30 days and maybe the best all-around hitter in the National League right now. Jay Bruce has 12 HRs and 34 RBI and is living up to his all-star potential. Aroldis Chapman has 27 Strikeouts in just over 14 innings and has yet to yield a run while opponents are hitting a paltry .043 against him.

5. NY Yankees 29-24 (6) The Bronx Bombers have 6 players with 8 HRs or more, which is a good thing because with the exception of Derek Jeter, a lot of them are hitting under their career averages. The return of Andy Pettitte has helped the rotation with the loss of Micheal Pineda. Phil Hughes threw a complete game over the weekend and CC Sabathia is on pace for another 20 win season. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: a.j ellis, adam dunn, adam jones, adam laroche, adrian beltre, albert pujols, all-star game, andre ethier, andy pettitte, angel pagan, arizona diamondbacks, aroldis chapman, Atlanta Braves, baltimore orioles, barry zito, boston red sox, brandon beachy, Bronx Bombers, bryce harper, carlos beltran, carlos gonzalez, Carlos Pena, carlos zambrano, Casey Janssen, cc sabathia, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, chipper jones, chris capuano, chris carpenter, chris sale, Chuck Booth, cincinnati redds, cincinnati reds, clayton kershaw, cleveland indians, colorado rockies, Coors Field, dan uggla, daniel hudson, david ortiz, david wright, dayan viciedo, derek jeter, derek lowe, detroit tigers, dodgers, edwin encarnacion, Felix Doubront, fernando rodney, freddie freeman, giancarlo stanton, gio gonzalez, grady sizemore, hanley ramirez, hideki matsui, houston astros, ian kennedy, ian kinsler, jake peavey, jason kipnis, jay bruce, jered weaver, Jim Leyland, JJ Hardy, joe mauer, joe nathan, joey votto, johan santana, john macdonald, jose altuve, jose bautista, josh hamilton, josh johnson, josh reddick, josh willingham, justin morneau, justin upton, justin verlander, kevin youkilis, kirk nieuwenhuis, kyle lohse, la angels, lance berkman, lance lynn, lucas duda, Luke Scott, Mark buerhle, mark trumbo, matt cain, matt kemp, melky cabrera, mendoza line, miami marlins, michael pineda, Micheal Morse, miguel cabrera, mike scioscia, Mike Trout, minnesota twins, MLB rankings, mlb reports rankings, nelson cruz, new york mets, nick markakis, NY Yankees, oakland a's, pablo sandoval, paul goldschmidt, paul konerko, phil hughes, prince fielder, r.a. dickey, rafael furcal, rangers, rookie of the year, ryan doumit, san francisco giants, Scott Achison, st louis cardinals, starlin castro, stephen drew, stephen strasburg, tampa bay rays, ted lilly, terry collins, the fastest 30 ballgames, tim lincecum, todd helton, toronto blue jays, travis hafner, vladimir guerrero, washington nationals, will middlebrooks, willie bloomquist, yeonis cespedes, yu darvish

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

An Early Season Look at the Top 10 Home Run Leaders

Apr 22

Posted by samevans87

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Sunday April 22nd, 2012

Sam Evans: Most major league teams have played about fifteen regular season games so far. Fifteen games are not enough to tell who is going to have a breakout season, but these games do matter just as much as games in September. Some players have gotten off to hot starts by showing their power as evidence by insane home run totals. Let’s take a look at the MLB home run leaders and see if they will be able to keep it up.

Matt Kemp, Nine Home Runs: Matt Kemp is on a tear through his first fifteen games. He is currently on pace for 97.2 homers if he were to play all 162 games. Last year, Kemp hit thirty-nine homers despite being surrounded by a weak lineup and playing half of his games in the spacious Dodger Stadium. As corny as it sounds, he has told the media that he is motivated by his 2011 NL MVP snub. If that what it takes to get him to play on this level, the Dodgers should pay off writers to not vote for Kemp after this year. In all seriousness, Kemp is going to have another amazing year. As crazy as it might sound, fifty home runs is not out of the question for Kemp in 2012. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: adam jones, baseball, carlos beltran, chris young, curtis granderson, Home Runs, josh willingham, matt kemp, matt wieters, mike napoli, mlb, Nolan Reimold

Pablo Sandoval Is Going to Have His Best Season Ever in 2012

Mar 4

Posted by samevans87

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Sunday March 4, 2012

Sam Evans: Last year, the Giants won eighty-six games and finished eight games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the N.L. West. They did this despite not having their best catcher for most of the year and losing their best hitter for forty-five games. 2012 however is a new year. If the Giants hope to win their division, Pablo Sandoval needs to stay healthy.

Pablo Sandoval has shown some outstanding potential. Last year, in only 117 games, Sandoval had a .909 OPS and a 12.3 UZR. First of all, his UZR last year was outstanding. UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) is far from a perfect defensive statistic, but it can be useful in finding how well a player covers the area around their position. Sandoval ranked 2^nd among 3B’s in UZR.

When I first saw Sandoval play on TV a couple of years ago, I was astonished that he was even in the major leagues. He is 5’11’’ and weighs roughly 245 pounds. In 2008, Sandoval played seventeen games at first base, twelve games at third, and eleven games at catcher. He looks like he doesn’t belong on the baseball field, but he plays like a perennial All-Star. He’s unlike any athlete I’ve ever seen, and it is a joy to watch him play baseball. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: aubrey huff, baseball, brandon belt, buster posey, carlos beltran, giants, kung fu panda, melky cabrera, mlb, nl west, pablo sandoval, san francisco giants, third base

Ask the Reports: Your Baseball Questions Answered – Monday January 9th, 2012

Jan 9

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Monday January 9th, 2012

Jonathan Hacohen: Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@gmail.com, message us on Twitter and post on our Facebook Wall!

Let’s get to your top questions of the week:

Q: With Prince probably going to the Nats, where do you think it places them in the NL East? Are they ready to compete for a playoff spot? Wade

MLB reports: Great question Wade. Despite the reports (and there are plenty), Prince Fielder to Washington is far from a done deal. In the world of Scott Boras, a mystery team could appear at any time. That being said, let’s assume for this exercise that Prince becomes a National in 2012. Given the strength of the Phillies rotation, the improved Marlins and always steady Braves squads, the Nationals would still be in tough. The Nationals could hit .500, but would not yet be ready for a playoff run. Once they have Strasburg firing on all cylinders and Bryce Harper integrated fully into the majors, the story could change. The Nationals are sitting on one of the best farm systems in all of baseball. Adding Prince Fielder makes them a serious playoff contender by 2014 at the latest. They will go from a good team to a possibly a great one. Prince has done it in Milwaukee with the right squad and could replicate his success in Washington soon.

Q: Does Beltran even come close to filling the void that Pujols left? Kevin

MLB reports: No. No. And no. Did I say no? Because I meant no. Carlos Beltran is a good player. But let’s face facts. Aside from his magical playoff run in Houston, he has never been a top player in baseball. He has shown superstar numbers, but given his age and declining health, the Cardinals would simply be happy if he can stay healthy. At best, the Cardinals would get another Berkman type season out of Beltran in 2012. Albert Pujols is one of a kind. A Babe Ruth type slugger. Carlos Beltran is simply a good player that will provide steady production for a lineup that needs to fill a big void. The bigger question is whether the rest of the lineup will pick up the slack. Can Freese continue his breakout? Will Furcal stay healthy? Can Matt Holliday be the main producer in St. Louis? Can Lance Berkman duplicate his 2011 season? Many ifs…too many for my liking. Carlos Beltran helps part of the issue, but is far from the answer in how the Cardinals will play in the post-Pujols era.

Q: Any chance Madson will return to his 8th inning role for the Phillies? Sam

MLB reports: I can’t see this happening. Ryan Madson is not likely to return to Philadelphia. With Jonathan Papelbon entrenched with his old job, Madson will at least need to take a job where he has a chance to win the closer role. Not to mention that Madson’s wife had certain choice words a year ago about playing in Philadelphia. At the time I felt that the Madsons had burned their bridge with the team and I have not changed my opinion since. Madson will need to move on and possibly take a set-up role somewhere. But one where the closer is more volatile and an opening is likely to open up. After the contract fiasco in Philadelphia, a return to the Phillies would be like him coming with his tail between his legs. Pride alone will lead to a new team for Madson in 2012.

Q: Any thoughts on tolleson being the closer for the dodgers by 2013? And when do you see Hutchinson joining the jays (ceiling)? Justin

MLB reports: Considering he was drafted in the 30th round of the 2010 draft, Shawn Tolleson is looking like an absolute steal for the Dodgers. After passing through 3 levels last season, ending in AA, Tolleson is certainly knocking on the door. I can’t see why he doesn’t make the big leagues at some point next season. If he can continue his superior numbers, we could be seeing a set-up man in 2013 and possible closer. I would say 2014 is a more realistic timeline for a full-time closing position, but it will depend on how he pitches at higher levels. Based on the body of work so far, the sky is the limit on this kid. In Toronto, Drew Hutchinson is another kid on the fast-track. A 15th round pick in 2009, Hutchinson has been a dominant starter from day one. At age 21 and finishing last season in AA, I would say 2013 is a realistic timeline for Drew. He clearly has the stuff to succeed. But he is very young and the Jays will not want to risk burning him out by rushing him too soon. Ceiling? From everything he has done so far, I see a solid #3 starter on a contending squad. Good strikeouts and low walk rates are always a recipe for success.

Q: What’s your favorite baseball movie of all time? Lindsay

MLB reports: I love almost every baseball movie that I have seen. Not a big fan of Mr. 3000 and even Mr. Baseball was so-so. There are too many good ones in my opinion. But if I had to pick one, I would go with For Love of the Game. There was something very special and real about that movie that really brought out a great deal of emotion out of me. For a recent film, Moneyball was fantastic. I can’t wait to own it on DVD (in stores Tuesday January 10th, 2012). After I watch it a dozen times or so, we will see where it ranks on my list. It is top-five for sure and could rise even higher. Major League for sure makes the list as well, as does Bull Durham, Field of Dreams and The Rookie. But give me For Love of the Game anytime and I will be a happy camper.

Q: Who do you have starting opening day for the Royals? Jonathan Sanchez? Michael

MLB reports: Good question from one of our top KC readers. My answer will surprise you. The Royals have Luke Hochevar listed at the top spot right now. Sanchez is seen by many as the likely ace for 2012. I think spring training will answer best which arm is in the best shape and looks the strongest to lead the team. If I had to be a dollar right now, my money is on Bruce Chen. I see the Royals leaning on the veteran to guide their young up-and-coming rotation going into the season. I am a Hochevar supporter, but I am not seeing a big upside as of right now. Chen has been very good since joining the Royals and I see him getting the nod in April for opening day.

Q: Any idea what’s going on with Pudge Rodriguez? Nick

MLB reports: Pudge will be back in 2012. I was told that he has been working hard in winter ball and is in great game shape. Speaking to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (a neighbor of Ivan Rodriguez in Florida), Pudge is in training and gearing up for the season. I don’t see Pudge starting, but he will be a veteran backup on a squad. The list of available jobs is dwindling, but a team will take a flier on him soon. Perhaps a return to the Nationals. Tigers? Angels? Otherwise, if a catcher goes down, Pudge will be one of the first free agent catchers to get the call. The career is definitely winding down for the future hall-of-famer. I can definitely see him getting a contract in place before the start of spring training.

Q: Why does the winning team only give high 5s to each other and not the other team after the game? Javaman

MLB reports: This is one tradition that I still enjoy in baseball. Teams are supposed to go into battle. Players are supposed to go onto the field looking to win, not make friends. Heck, it bothers me when a baserunner and a first baseman get chatty after a base hit. When a baseball team wins, they will rejoice and celebrate as a squad. The losing team wants to get off the field and into the clubhouse as soon as possible. When a team loses, the last thing they want to do is shake hands and socialize with the team that just beat them. They want to recoup and prepare for the next game. Old time mentality and I like it.

Q: Who is the next big star (besides Prince) to get a $200 mil+ contract? Martin

MLB reports: I don’t even see Prince getting $200 million at this point to be honest. There are very few guys that I could see getting a contract of that magnitude. Going to the list, I am drawing blanks. Josh Hamilton is too injured to get there. Tim Lincecum and Clayton Kershaw might, but teams are generally not interested in handing out unlimited years and money to pitchers. Perhaps Joey Votto will have a chance. Otherwise, we will literally have to wait until the Stephen Strasburgs and Bryce Harpers of this world are eligible for free agency. If I had to throw out one another name, maybe Mike Stanton one day. To reach the $200 million club, you need to be one of the best, if not THE best in the game. Quite frankly, there is just too much risk in handing out deals of that size. Show me the next Babe Ruth and maybe I will change my mind. Until then, expect more $100+ million deals, but not $200 million.

Last Q: With a lack of spending this offseason are the Yankees getting ready to buck up for Hamels/Cain next offseason? Chris

MLB reports:That certainly seems like the plan. But it is a risky plan. A very risky plan that could backfire. Sure, C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira found their way to New York. But remember Cliff Lee? He certainly did not work out well for the Yankees. Holding back for such a contingency plan is risky on many fronts. Perhaps the desired player gets injured. Or signs a long-term deal with their current squad. Better yet, the player hits free agency and joins a different team all-together. So while I could see the Yankees waiting for a better group of free agents to be available, there is no guarantees that those players will ultimately land in New York. The decision to hold off on spending this offseason is more based on the overall talent level and asking prices. If there was the right player at the right price on the market currently, the Yankees would grab him. The team would rather go with what they have then take on a bad contract with little return. Next year could find a better talent level available to the Yankees in the form of Cole Hamels and Matt Cain. But as the old saying goes: you have to play for today, because tomorrow might never come. If any of the future free agents do end up signing with the Yankees, it will be a bonus for the team. But to count on it is a pathway to disappointment. The offseason is not over yet, another free agent signing or trade could be in the works. Until opening day is upon us, a lot can still happen. Thank you for reading MLB reports and we appreciate your question.

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Jonathan Hacohen is the Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports: You can follow Jonathan on Twitter (@JHacohen) Follow @mlbreports

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Tags: baseball, carlos beltran, cole hamels, for love of the game, ivan rodriguez, jonathan sanchez, kansas city royals, matt cain, mlb, moneyball, new york yankees, philadelphia phillies, prince fielder, red sox, ryan madson, washington nationals

My Top Six Worst MLB Teams in 2012

Jan 8

Posted by samevans87

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Sunday January 8th, 2012

Sam Evans: It’s no fun to be a fan of a losing team. Every game seems longer and it hurts to look around and see fans of the other teams loving every moment. There’s always supposed to be next year, but that kind of talk just hurts the players and coaches as much as it does the fans. Let’s look at my bottom five teams in 2012: based on the major league roster and talent in the system that could make an impact in the upcoming season.

25. Seattle Mariners: As a Mariners fan, this one hurts. It’s been eleven years since the Mariners made the playoffs. A city blessed with a beautiful new ballpark, Seattle hasn’t had much of chance to cheer on many winners in recent times.

Since he was hired in 2008, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has transformed the Mariners farm system into one of the best in the game. The problem is that the major league club is still struggling, and fans are losing interest. The Mariners are like New Year’s resolutions. They’re so promising at first, but after two weeks, most people just give up.

So far this offseason, the Mariners have been rumored to be actively pursuing Prince Fielder. The argument for Prince Fielder is that his contract would be worth the risk for the team given all of the fans he would draw… not to mention, the M’s need for a middle of the order slugger. However, other fans feel that Fielder is overpriced and point to the fact that if the Mariners signed Prince, they would be only the fourth team with two players making over $20M in 2012.

The Mariners do have some young promising players. Justin Smoak, a former top 10 BA prospect, will finally be healthy heading into the new year. Also, the M’s have a trio of young pitchers in the minors that are all top 100 prospects. James Paxton and Danny Hultzen could possibly see time in the rotation this year. Furthermore, last time I checked Felix Hernandez was still a Mariner, and he’s signed through 2014.

26. New York Mets: The Mets have always been second to the Yankees in New York in terms of popularity, but there’s never been this much of a difference. The Mets have been silent this offseason, except for a swap of outfielders with the Giants, and bringing in some bullpen help. The Mets do have Zack Wheeler (acquired in the Carlos Beltran trade) and Matt Harvey (2010 1st rounder) on the way, but neither will make a huge impact in ’12.

Jason Bay has struggled ever since receiving his enormous contract two years ago. In 2009, Bay hit 36 homers for the Red Sox. In 2010 and 2011, Bay had only eighteen homers. Part of the decline in numbers is the park factor that Citi Field has on hitters (which is due to change with the new park dimensions in 2012). It should be noted though that Bay hasn’t hit a home run to right field since June 28, 2010.

This year, the Mets should get Johan Santana back. I wrote about Johan in November here. If he is healthy this year, hopefully the Mets can get something out of Santana, who is due $24M in 2012.

The Mets future will be based on how they spend their money and how they control their prospects. If the Mets hadn’t pushed Jenrry Mejia, chances are he wouldn’t have gotten injured. If the Mets hadn’t signed the Jason Bay and Johan Santana contracts, then they would have had the money to go after Prince Fielder this offseason (in theory). New York has a long ways to go to compete with the other N.L. East teams, and they’re going to need to make smart long-term decisions to get there.

27. San Diego Padres: The Padres acquired Carlos Quentin and Yonder Alonso this offseason in an attempt to boost their offense. They ended up trading away Mat Latos and Anthony Rizzo, and losing Heath Bell and Aaron Harang to free agency.

Carlos Quentin is really going to struggle in Petco Park, and Alonso is going to have his share of issues developing into a power hitter with his new team. The fact is that the Padres will never have a terrible pitching staff due to the spacious Petco Park effect. But their rotation is actually as bad as it has been in some years. I also am a supporter of Will Venable, and I think the Padres would be making a mistake if they traded him.

San Diego plays in a division where it’s not impossible that they could make a nice run and make the playoffs. But I would be surprised.

28. Oakland Athletics: Led by GM Billy Beane, the Athletics have been extremely active this offseason. They’ve shipped away their best pitchers and let their best hitter leave in free agency. The A’s have had a good offseason, thanks to all the new talent that they’ve imported into their farm system.

2012 is not going to be the year of resurgence for the A’s. 2013, maybe, but right now the Angels and Rangers are just too good. The A’s strength is probably their middle infield which will feature Jemile Weeks and Cliff Pennington. If Chris Carter can show some power in the majors, then he will do just fine at DH.

With acquisitions such as Derek Norris, Jarrod Parker, and A.J. Cole, Billy Beane has shown he’s not afraid to trade his best major league players in order to obtain talent that won’t be ready for a year or two.

29. Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles were a promising team heading into 2011. The “Fighting Showalter’s” had a late run in 2010, and Buck Showalter seemed to be really getting through to the players. Unfortunately, 2011 didn’t go as expected for the Orioles. They finished 69-93 and solidified their reputation as the worst baseball team in the A.L East, if not the whole American League.

The 2011 Orioles will forever go down in baseball history not for their season, but for their last game against the Red Sox on September 28, 2011. The Orioles were down 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth on the last day of the season. Going into the game, the Red Sox were 77-0 on the season when leading after the eighth inning. The Orioles came back to win, and they will forever be remembered for their contributions to one of the best days in baseball history.

2012 can be a successful year for the Orioles if they discover an ace… and if Adam Jones improves his game to the next level. It’s not going to be easy, but if everything falls into place, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette could lead the Orioles out of the A.L. East basement in the next coming years.

30. Houston Astros: Moving into the 2011 season, the Astros were projected by pretty much everyone in baseball to be the worst team in baseball. Well, at least they didn’t let anyone down. The Astros finished 56-106, which was the worst record in all of baseball.

I traveled to Houston this summer and I expected to find an uninterested Astros fanbase. I was surprised to see countless devoted fans who truly cared about their team. Astros fans are out there and they will start coming back to Minute Maid Park when the team starts winning.

Sorry Houston fans, but 2012 isn’t going to be much fun for you. Chances are that you will return to the basement of the N.L. Central and lose over one hundred games. Nevertheless, there is hope. Jose Altuve is turning into a nice young second basemen who can hit for average . Jordan Lyles can be a #3 starter, and Jarred Cosart could finally reach the bigs in 2012.

Another piece of the silver lining is Houston’s new General Manager Jeff Luhnow, who is involved in sabermetrics and helped build the Cardinals who won the 2011 World Series. Luhnow was in the Cardinals scouting department since 2003 and helped produce major league talent from the draft. He also has been a General Manager for Petstore.com, and has an M.B.A from Northwestern. His first move was trading for Jed Lowrie. On the surface this seems like a solid deal, whereby he attained a young talented infielder for his new organization. In my opinion, this is going to look like an amazing hire in four years time.

So even if 2012 is rough, Astros fans can start looking towards the future. It might take a couple of seasons, but it won’t be long before the Astros are packing Minute Maid Park everyday. Ironically, the road to the respectability for the worst team in the majors won’t happen until they move to the A.L. West. With the Rangers and Angels waiting in their new division, the journey towards success for the Astros will get that much tougher in 2013.

**Today’s feature was prepared by our Baseball Writer, Sam Evans. 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 Sam on Twitter***

Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us onTwitter 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 in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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Tags: astros, athletics, baseball, billy beane, carlos beltran, danny hultzen, felix hernandez, Jack Zduriencik, james paxton, jason bay, jeff luhnow, jemile weeks, justin smoak, mariners, matt harvey, mets, mlb, orioles, padres, prince fielder, zack wheeler

The Cardinals’ Playoff Chances in 2012

Dec 30

Posted by samevans87

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Friday December 30, 2011

Sam Evans: This has been anything but a fun offseason for Cardinals fans. Losing you best player from the past ten years has got to be rough on a franchise. However, they did win the World Series in 2011, and they have the right mix of players to potentially return to the playoffs in 2012.

Offseason: Despite losing Albert Pujols to the Angels, the Cardinals signed six-time All-Star Carlos Beltran and brought back middle infielder Rafael Furcal. Beltran was signed to a two-year, $26 million deal. This was a very nice move for the Cardinals. They acquired a proven veteran outfielder who will be a large upgrade over Allen Craig.

Rafael Furcal is another solid player to have in your lineup. The Cards signed Furcal to a two-year $14 million deal. In 2011, Furcal hit only .231 in 87 games, but as recently as 2010, Furcal was worth 4.2 WAR. Furcal will be 34 heading into the upcoming season. Heading into the season, Furcal will be the fifth-oldest Opening Day shortstop. The main problem holding Furcal back is injuries. He hasn’t played one hundred games per year for two straight years since 2006. For 2012, IF Furcal can find a way to stay healthy, he should be able to hold down the shortstop position for St.Louis and be the spark at the top of the lineup.

Starting Rotation: At the head of the rotation is Chris Carpenter. Carpenter is the kind of pitcher that you build your franchise around. He threw 273 innings last year and he started game seven of the World Series. For 2012, Carpenter should have another mid-3’s ERA and be the true ace at the top of the rotation.

Following Carpenter will be Adam Wainwright. The return of Wainwright is really the wild card heading into the season. Wainwright was injured during spring training in 2011. His injury required Tommy John surgery and he missed the entire 2011 campaign. If Wainwright could return to his 2010 form, in which he was a Cy Young contender with a 2.42 ERA, then the Cardinals would be one of only a couple of teams with two true aces.

Next, comes the twenty-five year old lefty Jaime Garcia as the third starter. Garcia had a breakout year in 2010, but was somewhat inconsistent in 2011. If you take the average of Garcia’s last two years, you can find a realistic projection for this upcoming season. In this projection, he would be worth roughly 3.4 WAR per year. He’s signed through 2015, making roughly $6.5 million a year, so technically if Garcia is valued at 3 or more wins above replacement, he will be worth his contract. Overall, Garcia is a solid number three pitcher that is outperforming most pitchers his age.

Kyle Lohse will probably fall after Garcia in the rotation. Lohse is the Cardinals third-highest paid player, but he is simply not that good. Lohse had a 3.39 ERA in 2011, but a 4.04 xFIP suggested that he wasn’t as good as his numbers may imply. Lohse is a dependable number four starter who just happens to be overpaid.

Filling in the last spot in the rotation will likely be Jake Westbrook as the veteran fifth starter. Westbrook is a decent hurler who posted a 4.66 ERA last year. However, one has to wonder just how long it will be until Shelby Miller takes over the fifth spot in the Cardinals rotation.

Bullpen: Bullpen’s are easy to assemble in the world of baseball, so I never try to get too worked up over a bullpen. The Cardinals have a couple of hard throwing relievers in Jason Motte and Fernando Salas. Not to mention, Mark Rzepczynski made a good impression after coming over from the Blue Jays. My guess is that Fernando Salas may eventually become their closer because of his young age and upside.

First and Third Base: Starting at first base for the Cardinals will be Lance Berkman, who takes over for the departed Pujols. Berkman had a bounce-back year in 2011 making his first All-Star team since 2008. I’d expect Berkman to perform more like his 2009 numbers, where he hit .274 with 25 homers. That is still a large discrepancy compared to Pujols’ stats, but the Cardinals will try to make up for it in other places.

At third base will be David Freese, the new Cardinals golden boy. Freese of course, was the NLCS and World Series MVP. Without Freese, the Cards probably wouldn’t have won the World Series. During the regular season, Freese hit .297 with ten homers in 97 games. Who knows if Freese can perform at the level he did during the playoffs in 2012. The key for Freese is going to be his health. He has never played over a hundred games at the major league level before. If he can stay healthy during the season, he is a great candidate to have a breakout year.

Middle Infield: At shortstop Rafael Furcal will be starting. You have to think that the Cardinals regret trading away Brendan Ryan last year. They believed that Ryan Theriot was their shortstop of their future, and traded away Ryan who was under a minimal contract through 2012. Besides Furcal, the Cardinals have Tyler Greene and Ryan Jackson as backups. Greene will stick with the major-league club, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Green was a midseason call-up who got some playing time.

Skip Schumaker should be the Opening Day Cardinals second basemen. Schumaker is an average hitter who plays below-average defense for a second basemen. The Cardinals should look to sign Carlos Guillen, or another second basemen that will be an upgrade over Schumaker.

Outfield: Most likely, Beltran will start in right field. He should be a crucial key to the Cardinals success. If Beltran can play like he did last year, then he will be worth his new contract.

In centerfield will be the youngest outfielder, Jon Jay who also played a key role in last year’s playoffs. Jay played in 159 games and hit .297. If Jay is to improve in 2012, he needs to have a more disciplined approach at the plate. Jay only walked 28 times last year. Jason Bay played in thirty-six fewer games than Jay, but he walked twice as many times as Jay.

In left field, Matt Holliday is the starter. Matt Holliday’s 7-year $120 million contract was part of the reason that the Cardinals couldn’t afford Pujols this offseason. Nonetheless, Holliday is a very good four-tool player. Holliday was worth 5.0 WAR last year, which is roughly how much he should be producing given the size of his contract. Looking at his peripherals, Holliday is due to have a somewhat better year than his 2011 campaign. Similar to many of his teammates, if he can stay healthy, Holliday should have another great year patrolling the Cardinals outfield.

Minors: In the last couple of years, St.Louis has greatly improved the depth and talent of their farm system. With names such as Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez, and Tyrell Jenkins on the rise, there is no doubt that the St.Louis rotation will be very strong in the coming years.

Conclusion: 2012 will be a enthralling year for Cardinals fans. The team’s first year without Manager Tony La Russa and their franchise player Albert Pujols will have a much different feel than their previous seasons. Fans will be expecting a lot out of their players, and the team will need some breakout years from its key players to compete in 2012. However, given the current state of the NL Central, I believe the Cardinals can win the division once again and be a force in next year’s playoffs.

***Today’s feature was prepared by our Baseball Writer, Sam Evans. 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 Sam on Twitter***

Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.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 hereand follow the link at the top of our homepage.