Blog Archives
Who Owned Baseball April 7, 2018 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2018 #WOB Standings
AP
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Andrew McCutchen was dynamic, collecting 6 hits, stealing a base and extended his 14th inning at bat with foul ball after foul ball before slamming a come from behind, walk off, 3 run homer to stun the Dodgers, 7-5 in San Francisco.
Xander Bogaerts reached base 3 times, including a double and a grand slam, driving in 6 for the red hot Red Sox who clobbered the Rays, 10-3.
Vince Velasquez threw 6 strong innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 walk and 1 run as the Phillies humiliated the Marlins, 20-1.
Gerrit Cole struck out 11 Padres over 7 shutout innings. He didn’t get the decision but set up the Astros 1-0 extra inning victory.
They all owned baseball on April 7, 2018
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Philadelphia Phillies Optimistic About Heading To Spring Training In 2017
By Dan Wanser
Philadelphia held a massive consecutive sellout streak from the time CBP was in its first year until the latter parts of their team starting to decline in 2012. In 2015, the franchise finished 14th out of 15 clubs at the turnstiles with just 1.8 Million fans. This was the second straight year of a huge decline. For those reasons it is okay to slowly build this team up with salary. Philadelphia even dipped below the $100 MIL barrier in 2016 for payroll, and managed to bump attendance up to 1.95 MIL fans. With a projected payroll of $104.0 based on recent additions of Clay Buchholz and Howie Kendrick, the club will look to be a little more competitive in 2017, and rise that attendance beyond 2 MIL again.
The Philadelphia Phillies used to be a force to be reckoned with. “The team to beat” started their historic stretch in 2007, ripping off five straight National League East Division titles which included two trips to the World Series and a championship in 2008.
Players like Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard paved the way to the first championship team since 1980, but that all began to spiral out of control when Howard tore his achilles tendon during the final out of the 2011 NLDS.
Since then, the Phillies have not broken the .500 mark and the players that led the parade down Broad Street have moved on to other teams or left the game for good; the 2017 team is not the team of old. Read the rest of this entry
Extra Base Hits (The Underrated Baseball Statistic): Active Top 10 MLB Leaders
| Rank | Player (age 2017, seasons) | Extra Base Hits |
|---|
(1) Albert Pujols, LAA – (37, 16) – 1209
(2) Adrian Beltre, TEX – (38, 19) – 1072
(3) Carlos Beltran, HOU – (40, 19) – 1035
(4) Miguel Cabrera, DET – (34, 14) – 986
(5) Robinson Cano, SEA – (34, 12) – 790
(6) Matt Holliday, NYY – (37, 13) – 775
(7) Adrian Gonzalez, LAD – (35, 13) – 735
(8) Chase Utley, Free Agent – 38, 14) – 684
(9) Ryan Howard, Free Agent -(37, 13) – 680
(10) Curtis Granderson, NYM (36, 13) – 665 Read the rest of this entry
The Dodgers Should Do Another Trade With The White Sox In Order To Bolster Their 2017 Roster
The Dodgers have spent over $300 MIL in back to back years, and are the clubhouse leaders in Luxury Tax penalties paid. At a 50% penalty, the Los Angeles forked out $40 MIL in Luxury Taxes in 2016. With an estimated $204 MIL payroll – considering there are several roster holes now created by departing players, the team will need to spend around $235 MIL in 2017 total payroll. With a 50% penalty – and an additional 45% hit – for going $40 MIL over the new $195 MIL limit in 2017, I highly expect the organization will be less willing to spend 90 cents extra for every dollar spent beyond that. This means that they should not re-sign Kenley Jansen or Turner. The White Sox have the Closer, Third Baseman and Second Baseman needed to complete their roster/winter shopping – if a deal can be reached.
Last year the Dodgers were in the middle of a 3 way trade with the Reds and White Sox.
December 16, 2015: Todd Frazier was Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago White Sox. The Los Angeles Dodgers sent Brandon Dixon (minors), Jose Peraza and Scott Schebler to the Cincinnati Reds. The Chicago White Sox sent Micah Johnson, Frankie Montas and Trayce Thompson to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
with the full rebuild going on in the south side of Chicago now, the Los Angeles Dodgers brass should be targeting some players back in return. This time they should acquire Todd Frazier, but I also think they should go for Brett Lawrie and White Sox team Closer David Robertson.
The total net projected salary of those 3 players would equal $28.5 MIL – which would be substantially less than what it would take to re-sign Justin Turner and Kenley Jansen. David Robertson has pitched for a big market like New York before, so playoff baseball is not foreign to him.
Lawrie would adequately replace the production the club had with Chase Utley and Howie Kendrick this past year for a fraction of the cost.
Having Todd Frazier’s power would really benefit the ailing/aging slugger of Adrian Gonzalez, and also the young and brilliant Corey Seager,
So who goes back in return for these guys? Read the rest of this entry
The Dodgers Will Regret The Rich Hill Deal: Yet Another Injury Prone Chucker In The Rotation
The Dodgers have spent over $300 MIL in back to back years, and are the clubhouse leaders in Luxury Tax penalties paid. At a 50% penalty, the Los Angeles forked out $40 MIL in Luxury Taxes in 2016. With an estimated $204 MIL payroll – considering there are several roster holes now created by departing players, the team will need to spend around $235 MIL in 2017 total payroll. With a 50% penalty – and an additional 45% hit for going $40 MIL over the new $195 MIL limit in 2017, I highly expect the organization will be less willing to spend 95 cents extra for every dollar spent beyond that. Because of the Rich Hill signing, it will make it tough to get back Justin Turner and land a Closer – without paying the maximum surcharges for payroll.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 @mlbreports
I don’t hide the fact that I have been a Dodgers fan for some time. I have continuously ripped the past and present management for signing players that are injury prone. For the last 4 years the Injury/Dead money the club has doled out has rivaled what some of the lowest payroll clubs on an annual basis.
So what do the brass do? They ink a guy, who is 37, and could barely toe the mound for a handful of starts due to a blister, to a 3 Year Deal worth $16 MIL per year. Didn’t they learn their lesson with the Scott Kazmir contract? How about Chad Billingsley, Josh Beckett, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-jin Ryu, Brett Anderson or Bronson Arroyo?
This is not even taking into a factor all of the positional players and Relief Guys they have taken a powder on (hit the ground and dust flies up because of being knocked out). The Franchise ate $41 MIL in 2013, $37 MIL in salary for 2014, $86 MIL in 2015, and $71 MIL in 2016.
For those scoring at home, that is a whopping $233 MIL in lost cash since the beginning of 2013, which was the Guggenheim Consortium’s first full year at the helm.
When you factor in some more penalties for exceeding the Luxury Tax Threshold, the organization is well over the $250 MIL mark in 4 seasons. Now 2017 doesn’t look to be much different – with $47 MIL in dead money already on the board.
Carl Crawford ($21.9 MIL), Alex Guerrero ($7.5 MIL), Hector Olivera ($4.7 MIL), Matt Kemp ($3.7 MIL) and Jose Tabata (250K) are not even on the active roster anymore, yet they will see some serious coin paid out by the Dodger Blue.
The Dodgers are also paying guys $10 MIL to play in the Minor Leagues. Read the rest of this entry
The New Luxury Tax Threshold Means The Top 11 Salaried Clubs Will All Be Affected In The Present + Future
The Dodgers have spent over $300 MIL on salary in back to back years, and are the clubhouse leaders in Luxury Tax penalties paid in that time frame. At a 50% penalty currently until falling under the limit for a year, the Los Angeles forked out $40 MIL in Luxury Taxes in 2016. With an estimated $193 MIL payroll already is signed and team controlled players – considering there are several roster holes now created by departing guys, the team will need to spend around $235 MIL in 2017 total payroll in order to be competitive.. With a 50% penalty – and an additional 45% hit for going $40 MIL over the new $195 MIL limit in 2017, I highly expect the organization will be less willing to spend 90 cents extra for every dollar spent beyond that.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
With the new CBA being tentatively signed yesterday through 2021 – the lower payroll teams will finally see some steeper enforcement of higher payroll squads.
With several penalties that range up to a 90% max penalty for spending over the limit, the dollars finally make sense for the MLB to curtail a team going rogue on their payroll spending.
Under the new deal, the format will jump from a team’s AAV (Average Annual Value) limit of $189 MIL to $195 MIL in 2017, $197 MIL in 2018, $206 MIL in 2019, $208 MIL in 2020 and $210 MIL on 2021.
The penalty for a 1st year abuser went from 12.5% to 20%, The 2nd year Still remains at 30%, the 3rd season escalates from 40% previously to 50% already. Each campaign the team is over following 3 years, the team is nailed for 50% of money spent over the limit.
Additionally, the franchise will pay a fee of 12% for spending between $20 MIL to $40 MIL over the Threshold.
If a organization goes $40 MIL over, they are faced with a surcharge of 42%.
3rd time abusers will pay 45% for every dollar doled out past $40 MIL over.
This means a 1st time penalty would still spank a team to the tune of 60% if a club spends more than $40 MIL over the limit. Read the rest of this entry
Who Owned Baseball September 15, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
ELISE AMENDOLA/AP
Hanley Ramirez launched a walk off 2 out 3 run homer to give the Red Sox a shocking 7-5 victory over the Yankees.
Daniel Mengden threw 7 shutout innings, allowing 3 Royals hits as the A’s took the 15-2 laugher.
Andrew McCutchen homered twice and added another hit in the Pirates 15-2 thrashing of the Phillies.
Johnny Cueto threw a much needed complete game win for the Giants, finishing 6-2 over the Cardinals.
They all owned baseball on September 15, 2016.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 8/24/16
P- Masahiro Tanaka (vs. Seattle Mariners): $10,800. There are a lot of great options at starting pitcher for Wednesday. Based on the prices and competition of some of the elite tier starts, I think Tanaka provides the most value. Over his last three starts, he has struck out at least eight batters, with zero walks, and a 2.18 ERA. In 67 career at bats against Tanaka, the Mariners’ lineup is batting .164 with a .200 OBP.
P- Marco Estrada (vs. Los Angeles Angels): $8,600. Estrada is coming off a rough start, but that is very uncommon of the righty this season. It was the first time since May 13th that he allowed more than three earned runs in a game. Over the last seven days, the Los Angeles Angels have a .241/.304/.366 slash line, which isn’t superb by any means. Estrada is going to be hungry to get out on the mound and succeed after a tough loss last week, which could be great for a start in daily fantasy.
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Who Owned Baseball August 16, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
MITCHELL LEFF/GETTY IMAGES
Chase Utley returned to Philadelphia and slammed a pair of homers, including a grand slam, and slugged the Dodgers back into first place, 15-5.
Jason Hammel threw 7 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits while striking out 7 Brewers while winning the second game of the Cubs double header sweep, 4-1.
Mookie Betts supplied all of Boston’s offense with a pair of homers and 5 RBI as they took a 5-3 thriller in Baltimore.
Danny Duffy pitched into the 8th, finishing with 3 hits and 1 run over 7 2/3 innings to get the 6-1 Royals decision over the Tigers.
They All Owned Baseball on August 16, 2016.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
In Memoriam Video For all baseball family who have passed since 2015 ASG.
Who Owned Baseball July 19, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
MITCHELL LAYTON/GETTY IMAGES
Scott Kazmir threw 7 innings, striking out 8 Nationals and allowed just one run to earn the 8-4 victory for the Dodgers.
Chase Utley went 3 for 5 with a homer in the Dodgers 8-4 win against the Angels.
Blake Snell struck out 9 Rockies and allowed only one hit over 6 innings as Seattle cruised to 10-1.
Albert Pujols hit a pair of 3 run homers and added another hit to lead the Angels past the Rangers, 8-5.
They All Owned Baseball on July 19, 2016.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
In Memoriam Video For all baseball family who have passed since 2015 ASG.
Who Owned Baseball July 6, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
HANNAH FOSLIEN/GETTY IMAGES
Ervin Santana threw a 2 hit shutout, striking out 8 Oakland batters and earning the 4-0 win for Minnesota.
Mark Trumbo reached base 4 times including 2 homers and led the Orioles to a 6-4 extra inning victory against the Dodgers.
Yangervis Solarte singled, doubled and homered, driving in 5, as the Padres blew out the Diamondbacks 13-4.
Johnny Cueto completed his 4th game with 1 run, 5 hits, 1 walk and struck out 8 Rockies to earn the 5-1 decision for San Francisco.
They All Owned Baseball July 6, 2016
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball June 26, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
RICH SCHULTZ/GETTY IMAGES
Tyler Duffey did not allow a hit until the 6th and finished with 8 innings, 2 hits, 8 strikeouts and 1 run as the Twins clobbered the Yankees, 7-1.
Jose Fernandez struck out 13 Cubs and allowed just 4 hits and 1 run to earn the 6-1 decision for the red hot Marlins.
Lonnie Chisenhall collected 9 total bases with his 4 hits, including a homer and 3 RBI as the Indians continued to roll, 9-3, in Detroit.
Freddie Freeman reached base 4 times, including a homer and a pair of runs scored in the Braves 5-2 victory over the Mets.
They all owned baseball on June 26, 2016.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 6/10/16
P- Clayton Kershaw (vs. San Francisco Giants): $13,900. In 237 career at bats against Kershaw, the Giants’ offense is batting .148, with 76 strikeouts, and only 10 walks, with a .189 OBP. Kershaw has been absolutely dominant all year long and regardless of his high price, he is a must start. In 12 starts, he is 8-1, with a 1.46 ERA, 54 hits against, 109 strikeouts, and only 6 walks in 92.2 innings pitched.
P- Ian Kennedy (vs. Chicago White Sox): $9,300. In 78 career at bats against Kennedy, the White Sox’ offense is batting .244, with 20 strikeouts, five RBIs, and a .272 OBP. The White Sox offense has also struggled quite a bit recently. In the past seven days, the White Sox rank 28th in runs scored (20), 27th in batting average (.212), and 21st in OBP (.300).
To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:
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Who Owned Baseball May 28, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
(Elsa / Getty Images)
Chase Utley, much to the disgust of Mets fans and pitchers, avoided a pitched ball and launched a go ahead homer and later a grand slam to lead the Dodgers to a not exactly home town crowd pleasing 9-1 blow out.
Kyle Hendricks threw a complete game allowing 1 run and 5 hits to get the 4-1 decision for the Cubs over the Phillies.
Hank Conger went 3 for 4 with a homer and 3 RBI and 2 runs scored as the Rays topped the Yankees, 9-5.
Dallas Keuchel allowed just 3 hits and 2 runs over 7 innings, walking no Angels to get a 4-2 victory for the Astros.
They all owned baseball on May 28, 2016.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
MLB Fantasy Daily (DFS) Picks For DraftKings – 5/17/16
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 @mlbreports
We are ramping up our coverage on DFS play at MLB Reports, and will include some strategy articles in the forthcoming days and weeks. We come from a high level of handicapping backgrounds, and have been given the go ahead from the braintrust at MLB Reports to start sharing some of these with you.
Of course Chuck Booth and I spearheaded this movement back in a few years ago with just regular baseball futures. We were not sure if we wanted to go ahead with the MLB DFS Fantasy at all, but were finally convinced for demand by a couple of our BBBA writers (Josh Robbins and Trey Rose). The need is there and we are looking to deliver.
I have played DFS long enough to be the guy who writes the posts here. The gambling philosophy championed by Booth in the 90’s is brilliant for any sources of tournaments or gambling period. It weaves the Martingale Betting System (progressive betting with the double up theory) and it fosters it with several other techniques so you don’t bet against yourself.
One of the biggest blunders made by many gamblers is betting against themselves. We are going to simplify the process, so if you win, you can really win – none of this barely break even nonsense.
Look for that in coming days. Now here is what we are going to do for today’s MLB DFS Draft Kings style.
We Will Give You – Daily
5 team stacking options ( We are going to draw most of our players from these 5 squads).
3 Pitching candidates (High level, midlevel and budget).
MLB Power Rankings 2016: Week 7 – May
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 Follow The MLBreports On Twitter
MAY 15, 2016
Well not much has changed from this week as compared to last week. Detroit carried its free fall to 4th in the AL Central, the Yankees took 5 of 7 contests – and 7/10 in their homestand to save their season for now.
Miami and Philadelphia continue to stick around in the NL East, and the Giants and Dodgers finally had winning weeks to make the NL West Division Leader respectable.
Nobody looks scarier right now than the Boston Red Sox offense, who led by David Ortiz, Jackie Bradley JR. and Xander Bogaerts, plated 10 runs or more in 5 of the last 6 games, after going their 1st 32 games without doing so.
I am still awaiting for a Jays big winning streak. Houston has not played winning baseball since the 1st 6 weeks of the 2015 – and are tending to resemble the 2007 Tampa Bay Rays more than anything.
All offense and little pitching and defense.
There is nobody struggling worse than Logan Morrison, Russell Martin, Carlos Gomez and the consortium of LF’s in Anaheim! Recently bouncing out of this list are Jason Heyward and Chase Headley.
We are nearing the quarter pole and rapidly approaching Memorial Day Weekend, so it is not early anymore.
Read the rest of this entry
MLB Power Rankings 2016: Week 6 May
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 Follow The MLBreports On Twitter
MAY 8, 2016
Disclaimer: We based these rankings on best strength to win the World Series. Therefore some teams that have an easier division to play in, with the least path of resistance to the postseason overall may be ranked a lot higher than a club who is equally talented, yet may play in a juggernaut of a division.
Rank – Team Record (Last week rank) (Up down) (W – L Record Last week)
(1) (1) Chicago Cubs (E) (24 – 6) : A real bad day for the Cubs is battling with a team like Washington on Sunday, to see whether or not they are going to sweep them or go 3 – 1 in a series.
Yep, they swept the 4 game set in a 13 inning walk off HR by Javier Baez – to cap a 7 – 0 week. They are on pace for about 129 wins right now.
Depth of the Starting Rotation is looking solid with Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jason Hammel (Killer J’s) and Kyle Hendricks.
Hector Rondon is not even needed in most leads, with the team almost at a +100 differential through 30 games,
(2) (3) Chicago White Sox (+1) (22 – 10) ( 4 – 2): Chris Sale is 7 – 0, and may go Ron Guidry (circa 1979 on us). If anyone will win 25 games in a year, it would be him or Jake Arrieta.
Bob Welch won 27 games in 1990 for the A’s was the last guy to do that.
Has anyone noticed that Brett Lawrie has an OBP closer to .400 – than his usual .310 – .320?
Jose Quintana is finally receiving some run support. If Todd Frazier and Jose Abreu start hitting for BA, than look he the hell out. We could see a “Windy City” World Series for the 1st time since 1906. Read the rest of this entry
MLB’s Next Elite Second Baseman
Ground Rule Triple Blog (Featured BBBA Website – groundruletriple.com)
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I’m pretty sure I’ve found baseball’s next elite second baseman.
The days of Chase Utley and Robinson Cano are nearly over, so who’s next to take the stage?
Here’s the guy:
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MLB Power Rankings: April 2016
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Disclaimer: We based these rankings on best strength to win the World Series. Therefore some teams that have an easier division to play in, with the least path of resistance to the postseason overall may be ranked a lot higher than a club who is equally talented, yet may play in a juggernaut of a division.
Yesterday won’t change much for the rankings. Although it kicked off interleague with the Royals beating the Mets 4 – 3, and starts the Junior Circuit looking to win the AL vs NL competition for a 13th straight year.
Pittsburgh also beat the Cardinals. I have them both ending the year win 91 victories, but these squad’s really intrigue me.
There are a multitude of reasons why I have picked the Cubs as the #1 team. I explain them in the writeup.
Each Monday, we will post a new set of power rankings and go over the week that was. Read the rest of this entry
The Dodgers Make The Right Move To Re-Sign Kendrick
The Dodgers may have overpaid to hold on to Brett Anderson with the Qualifying Offer, however lucked out with Howie Kendrick rejected the QO in November, only to sign for just $4.2 MIL for a 2nd year. The club was able to ink the 31-year-old to a 2 YR/$20 MIL – where the Qualifying Offer would have paid him $15.8 MIL for just 2016. That is luck for the Los Angeles franchise.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Dodgers are running pretty good today with the status quo on the offensive side of the ball anyway.
Since it was agreed on that Howie Kendrick would sign a 2 year deal for $20 MIL – this is an economic win.
1st off, the Dodgers avoided the $15.8 MIL Qualifying Offer they extended their 2015 2B, then only had to pad $4.2 MIL to the total for a 2nd season.
This is a loss financially for Kendrick, who must have thought a multi-year offer of 3 – 4 campaigns must have been out there for the same kind of money that Daniel Murphy signed for (3 years at $12 MIL per AAV).
Howie Kendrick was unfortunately in the same market as Daniel Murphy and also lost another club that could have bid for his services, when the New York Mets traded for Neil Walker. Kendrick is a .293 Career Hitter, but doesn’t really have great power for Extra Base Hits. This brought down his value a little. He is till a great professional hitter. I am surprised the Angels didn’t come calling for his services – considering the lower AAV.
Not only did the Dodgers brass finally reel in their Starting Second Baseman, they were able to add Chase Utley as a backup/quality bench hitter for $7 MIL. If you combined Kendrick and Utley salaries, it is just $1.2 MIL over what would have happened had Kendrick accepted the QO.
Love Kendrick as a professional hitter. The man is a .293/.333/.423 career hitter – and his 2015 season closely resembled this at .295/.336/.409 in 2015 for the Dodger Blue.
It shows that the Dodgers management/ownership is also willing to fork out the necessary dollars to keep up their NL West Division prowess.
As the 3 time defending Division Champs, they are in prime position to challenge the Giants for a 4th year in a row in 2016.
This contract vaults the Dodgers up to around $245 MIL in total team salary in 2016, yet it was a necessary move.
Los Angeles is also staring at a 50% penalty for going over the Luxury Tax Threshold for a 4th straight year. They will pay around $28 MIL with cash situated as it is now.
For the fans that wanted the organization to dole up for the bigger Free Agents, it is hard to fathom paying that 50% penalty for years upon years at the present rate.
This approach has had the super management team of Andrew Friedman, Farhan Zaidi, Josh Byrnes and newly appointed Alex Anthopoulos under heavy scrutiny, but may work out better in the long run.
Had the club inked Zack Greinke to his $34.42 MIL AAV, that would have put them so far in committed $ over the Luxury Tax, that they would never be able to get under for a reset.
With the 2016 season concluding without a CBA after, it is also wise not to be so far over the Luxury Tax mark when they don’t know what the new deal between the MLBPA and the owners will look like.
2017 has them over $203 MIL in contracts guaranteed to 12 guys already, but 8 players will become Free Agents after the 2016 season, and after 2017’s end comes the best news for Dodger fans. Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford will finally be off the books!
The Dodgers have a ton of young talent coming into the fold here. Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Corey Seager, Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda are under team control for a long period of time here. You still have Julio Urias just coming up to the Major Leagues for service time as well.
The Infield is definitely going to be clogged up with Utley, Enrique Hernandez and Alex Guerrero on the depth chart. Guerrero is out of options and will need to be kept on the Major League Roster (or be released, waived or DFA’d).
Of course Justin Turner is listed as the Starter at 3B for now. Micah Johnson and Utley may join Hernandez as guys that could spell him at the hot corner.
Guerrero could also play the OF, but I am sure that Dave Roberts would love to use Scott Van Slyke as 1st on the taxi squad.
Los Angeles has also strengthened its bench with this move. The one thing they could still use it Relief help. That may be obtained by signing more Free Agents, or perhaps this may clear the deck for another trade to happen.
The Dodgers were 10th in the NL during 2015 – with a .250 Batting Average, and losing a .293 hitter last year would have been tough for this years lineup.
With Corey Seager for a full year, and a return to prominence for Yasiel Puig, this squad could really put up some runs and improve all facets of the offense.
While the club wasn’t so great at Batting Average, they were 3rd in the Senior Circuit in Slugging Percentage at .413.
One has to also think that Chase Utley will be a lot better in reserve role – compared to his .202/.291/.363 3 Slash Line with the team last year. I would say he could be 80% like his worst year (prior to 2015), where he hit .259/.344/.425 in 2012.
For the record, baseballreference.com has Utley hitting .247/.315/.398 in 2016. I am sure the club would take that.
Whether the implementation of a lot of players on the roster – as opposed to having a limited bench and depth if they would have signed Greinke projects well to the upcoming season is yet to be determined. 4
No doubt they are not as strong in the Rotation at the top. But perhaps the addition of Scott Kazmir, the return of Hyun-jin Ryu, Alex Wood for a full year, and a surprise comeback from Brandon McCarthy could pick up the slack.
Signing Kendrick was the right move all day long. This is one less position with the team having questions for.
The fans are seeing a different management philosophy with the new brass under the tutelage of Andrew Friedman. They are taking a big long term picture look. Even though they wasted $90 MIL in dead money last year with questionable decisions, they are trying to clear the deck for many years in the future, by dropping the heavy amount of committed dollars. With a new CBA forthcoming, who knows what the new Luxury Tax Threshold will be. At least by keeping the new contracts to smaller years and figures, Los Angeles may be able to drop underneath the limit in 2018 – 2020. Right near they are at a 50% penalty for every season they are over the Luxury Tax ($189 MIL) until they get under.
*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com and their other partners.***
A big thanks goes out to our ‘Chief Writer/Part Owner’ Hunter Stokes for preparing today’s featured post.
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Philadelphia Phillies State Of The Union For 2016
The Phillies have not had a winning season since 2011 after putting forth a decade straight of them. A promising second half to the year – coupled with full seasons by Aaron Nola and Maikel Franco could have them inch closer back to achieving that mark in the next few years. The management finally started the rebuild halfway through the year, have continued it so far this winter – and the financial flexibility in going forward should really be shaped up in a few more seasons. It may be a tough campaign in 2016 for the win loss column, however the team has a lot of young players to watch and be excited about.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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I was lucky enough to watch a record 224 MLB Games live last year – spread across all 30 MLB parks in every day of the campaign last season.
Unfortunately I saw the most home games (33 Games) in Philadelphia with my brother living close by. There is nothing wrong with Citizens Ball Park, it was the team that was tough to watch.
When you have Jeff Francouer as your #4 hitter for half of the year, there is something wrong with that. I love the guy, and Frenchy had a decent year, it just said a lot about the depth of the Roster in 2015.
At the end of the year Philadelphia’s management started to trade away Veterans from the glory days of the World Series, and you can start to see the healing begin.
The dealing continued with Ken Giles sent to Texas for a bunch of stud arms coming back. Now the Phillies are looking forward to a bunch of young talent coming to the big leagues in the next few seasons.
The old guard is still there with Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz holding down the Starting First Base and Catcher respectively. Howard is an average offensive threat only now that makes $25 MIL. Read the rest of this entry
New York Mets State Of The Union For 2016
The Mets made it to the World Series in 2015 after a subpar start heading into the Trade Deadline. With a ton of pitching and some decent positional players still on the roster, they could set themselves up for a lengthy run in the NL East. After tinkering with average players in acquisitions (other than Neil Walker – who is a comparable replacement for Daniel Murphy), it looks like GM Sandy Alderson is done constructing the offense for 2016. I think this is a critical error.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It has been a decent offseason for the New York Mets so far. They have resigned Bartolo Colon, filled in the spot at 2B with an almost equal amount of talent for Daniel Murphy, while adding Asdrubal Cabrera is also a wise move.
The organization even resigned Jerry Blevins to the Relief Core. There is still potential to add another arm or 2 for late innings in the Bullpen.
On Tuesday, it was announced the OF Alejandro De Aza has joined the club for a one year deal at $5.75 MIL (and $1.25 MIL in incentives). This guy can play all 3 OF positions, but he really should be a 4th OF on a championship team caliber style of team. Read the rest of this entry
Philadelphia Phillies Payroll In 2016 + Contracts Going Forward
The Phillies have not had a winning season since 2011 after putting forth a decade straight of them. A promising second half to the season – couple with full seasons by Aaron Nola and Maikel Franco could have them inch closer back to achieving that mark in the next few years. The management finally started the rebuild halfway through the year – and the financial flexibility in going forward should really be shaped up in a few more years. Philadelphia has $110 MIL in approximate Team Salary already committed for next year. I would keep the course and build through the Draft. Spending money on any premiere Free Agents is a little premature right now. In addition, the club could really trade away anything not nailed down for 2017.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Philadelphia should have a payroll of near $110 MIL after Arbitration dollars are handed out next year. Of that money, Ryan Howard and 3 players (Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Chase Utley) rake in $49 MIL of the salary on players that no longer play on the club, or in Howard’s case – are very unproductive.
I love the deals the franchise has made since the Trade Deadline – and even loved some of the Veterans they have picked up for the coming year like Charlie Morton and Jeremy Hellickson.
Between the half a dozen Starters or so they have acquired through trades, and their nice young Starter in Aaron Nola, they now have a promising future in the Rotation.
Mark Appel was also acquired in the Ken Giles trade. This is a #1 overall pick who may just need some more seasoning in the Minors.
The Middle Infield Positions Have Regressed To What They Used To Be In The MLB Power Wise
Carlos Correa led all Shortstops with 22 HRs in 2015 – despite not being called up until early June. With how rare his power is at the position currently, this will be an automatic advantage for the Houston Astros for the next half – dozen years. Brandon Crawford was the only other Shortstop to hit the 20 HR plateau in 2015. The position has receded to what it used to be over 20 – 25 years ago when Cal Ripken was a rare player to hit for power at Short.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Onwer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Part of going over the winter transactions wire for all players available in the league has taught me even more of what I had thought about the state of the MLB currently.
Since steroids have been removed practically from the game, Third Base, Short Stop and Second Baseman have seen their numbers plummet offensively.
You could also lump the First Baseman, Outfielders and Catchers to this list as well, however they still own the predominant amount of power hitters in the game.
So you have a need a Third Base this offseason…That is bad news for you because David Freese is the best available Free Agent on the market. Read the rest of this entry
Los Angeles Dodgers Payroll In 2016 + Contracts Going Forward
The Dodgers have not won or appeared in the World Series since 1988. With the spending the ownership will do in the next decade, I would be surprised if the team doesn’t rake in multiple championships. But it will take diligent finagling on the brass – to skate around the Luxury Tax with the pending CBA of 2017 coming in. Yes the ownership is willing to spend boatloads of money, but they have to be smarter than they were in 2015.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
This article deals with sensitive material that will self destruct in a few years. Whether the current regime wants to be saddled with blame or not, or put most of it during the Ned Colletti days, last year’s fiscal budget was a dumpster fire.
Not only did the franchise exceed the Luxury Tax Threshold again at (over $189 MIL), they put it to shame – reeling in a lofty mark of $314 MIL in total Cap Spending.
For folks scoring at home, that is $125 MIL over the limit, and with a third year penalty at 40% now, the squad will take down a historic levy hovering around $50 MIL.
We wrote a blog back in April stating the disregard the brass took in approaching this year’s salary structure. The worst part about it was that it didn’t culminate into a World Series Birth. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – October 12, 2015
SARAH CRABILL/GETTY IMAGES
The last 4 game day of the year should be a great one! Plus the Utley suspension comes through and a devoted fan got married.
It is a full day of playoffs on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Dallas Keuchel, Chris Carter, Marco Estrada, Troy Tulowitzki, Lorenzo Cain and Rougned Odor all added to their totals for Who Owns October
Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – October 11, 2015
GREGORY BULL/AP
I missed the craziness and the controversy that happened at Dodger Stadium with Chase Utley.
Why?
Because I was at my 25th high school reunion.
Afterwards, in the parking lot of my old high school, I tried to piece together what happened at Dodger Stadium through the haze of the social media outrage.
And yes, I wore a Red Sox hat in my senior picture.
Sign my year book for this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Jorge Soler, Travis Wood, Zack Greinke, Justin Turner, Yoenis Cespedes, Noah Syndergaard and Kolten Wong all added to their totals for Who Owns October
Read the rest of this entry
WHO OWNED BASEBALL – THE FINAL RESULTS FOR 2015
The regular season is over. My daily tally for Who Owns Baseball is at an end. Every day I determine which player had the best individual day on a winning team to earn a full WOB and on a losing team for a 1/2 WOB.
These are final leaders in each categor for Who Owns Baseball
NATIONAL LEAGUE HITTER WHO OWNED BASEBALL
(AP Photo/Al Behrman)
JOEY VOTTO – Cincinnati Reds
(Final Total – 7 1/2 WOB.)
Second Place (TIE):
Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks.
Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates.
(Final Total – 7 WOB.)
NATIONAL LEAGUE PITCHER WHO OWNED BASEBALL
Alex Brandon / Associated Press
CLAYTON KERSHAW – Los Angeles Dodgers
(Final Total – 13 1/2 WOB.)
Second Place:
Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs
(Final Total – 11 WOB)
Third Place
Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers
(Final Total – 9 1/2 WOB.)
AMERICAN LEAGUE HITTER WHO OWNED BASEBALL
Rob Carr – Getty Image Sports
MIKE TROUT – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
(Final Total – 10 1/2 WOB.)
Second Place:
Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
(Final Total – 6 1/2 WOB)
Third Place
Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
(Final Total – 6 WOB.)
AMERICAN LEAGUE PITCHER WHO OWNED BASEBALL
Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle
DALLAS KEUCHEL – Houston Astros
(Final Total – 10 WOB.)
Second Place (TIE):
Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics.
Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox.
(Final Total – 7 WOB.)
THE WINNERS FROM PREVIOUS SEASONS:
2013
NL Batter: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Pitcher: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL Batter: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
AL Pitcher: (3 Way Tie) R. A. Dickey, Toronto Blue Jays
Matt Moore, Tampa Bay Rays
Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers
2013
NL Pitcher: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
NL Pitcher: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL Batter: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
AL Pitcher: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball October 4, 2015 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2015 #WOB standings
Brandon Wade – Getty Images
Cole Hamels settled down after a shaky first inning to throw a complete game, allowing 3 hits and 2 runs, striking out 8 and topped the Angels, 9-2 to clinch the AL West title for the Texas Rangers.
Chris Davis homered twice and reached base 4 times altogether, driving in 4 and helping the Orioles beat the Yankees, 9-4.
Shelby Miller finally recorded another win, throwing 8 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits and 7 strikeouts, as Atlanta was victorious over St. Louis, 6-0.
A. J. Pollock went 3 for 5, homering and driving in a pair to have the Diamondbacks crush Houston’s hopes to host the Wild Card Game with a 5-3 final.
They all owned baseball on October 4, 2015
Earning 1/2 WOBs on losing efforts.
Rick Porcello allowed 2 earned runs and 1 unearned run over 7 innings but was saddled with the 3-1 Red Sox loss in Cleveland.
Jose Altuve went 3 for 5 with a triple and two runs scored. His Astros would fall just short to Arizona, 5-3.
Tanner Roark threw 6 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits and 1 walk. He would not factor into the decision as the Nationals lost to the Mets, 1-0.
Dee Gordon captured the NL Batting Title with a single, double and homer, scoring both Marlins runs along the way but Philadelphia won, 7-2.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
MLB Reports 
Who Owned Baseball June 27, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
Jun 28
Posted by Paul Francis Sullivan
JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES
Kris Bryant went 5 for 5 with 3 homers, driving in 6 and scoring 4 to lead the Cubs in a wild 11-8 slugfest in Cincinnati.
Jon Gray struck out 8 Blue Jays over 7 innings, walking none and worked around a pair of homers to get the 9-5 victory for Colorado.
Nick Franklin singled, doubled and homered, driving in 5 runs as the Rays snapped their losing streak, 13-7 over Boston.
Danny Duffy pitched 8 innings, allowing 2 runs, walking none and struck out 8 Cardinals batters to earn the 6-2 decision for the Royals.
They all owned baseball on June 27, 2016.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
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