Blog Archives
Who Owned Baseball August 28, 2018 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2018 #WOB
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
For an explanation of how WOB works, click here.
Madison Bumgarner threw 7 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits and struck out 5. He did not factor in the decision but the Giants blanked the Diamondbacks, 1-0.
Carlos Carrasco pitched the Indians a little closer to the AL Central title by striking out 11 Twins in 7 2/3 shutout frames en route to an 8-1 victory.
Jose Peraza went 4 for 5 with a homer, 2 RBI and 4 runs scored as the Reds out slugged Milwaukee, 9-7.
Craig Gentry collected 3 hits, including a homer, driving in 3, giving Baltimore a rare win, 12-5 over Toronto.
They all owned baseball on August 28, 2018
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.
Okay Angels: Why Not Sign Both Gurriel Brothers?
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
We had an old saying when I worked as a baggage handler backs eons ago at an undisclosed airport. It said “The Beatings will continue until morale improves.” Almost perfect to bashing the ownership of the Halo’s until they start spending again
Since the Angels are not eating at the ‘big boy table’ anymore the recent defection of Yulieski Gurriel and his brother Lourdes Jr. may have just provided a decent alternative.
Why not sign both of them to your roster? Perhaps big bro ‘Yulieski’ will give you a hometown discount on his deal if you also ink his little brother. Clearly you could use a 3rd Baseman, and flip Yunel Escobar over to 2nd base in this instance. Read the rest of this entry
The Angels Are Going Cheap In 2016 When They Need To Buck Up One More Time: Sign Fowler!
Billy Eppler and Arte Moreno really need to evaluate how much the 2016 Angels are going to need offense. Easily the worst bench in 2015, coupled with the loss of David Freese so far, the club has not addressed the weaknesses they have at LF and 2B. With Pujols hurt to start the year, this club may be out of it before he returns. At $164 MIL projected they are $25 MIL underneath the limit for payrolls before paying a penalty. Many players are coming off the books after 2016 as well. Spend the dough needed to compete, or risk missing the playoffs – and burning another year of Mike Trout.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part – Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I won’t be the first one to be on this wave of people who think that the Angels are rotting away the career of Mike Trout in a Halo’s uniform.
The best overall player in the American League (and at least for right now) plus the Major Leagues, must be furious with the lack of offensive help arriving in Anaheim this off season.
New Angels GM Billy Eppler is following the directive of Arte Moreno not to spend over the Luxury Tax Threshold. Now it is catching up with them on the field.
Throw in a disastrous move of bringing in Josh Hamilton a few years back – a debacle that will see the club fork out $53.4 MIL over the next 2 year to see him play in Texas. Read the rest of this entry
The Padres Should Definitely Not Pursue Yoenis Cespedes: But The Angels Should
Yoenis Cespedes led all LF for HRs with 35 on the campaign in 2015. He picked a contract year for his best season to date out of the 4 years he has been in the Major Leagues. Cespedes hit 17 HRs with the Mets in 2 months, after smacking out just 18 in the first four months with Detroit. Cespedes finished in the top 40 for both leagues in respective big fly’s, and was tie for 13th overall with Manny Machado and David Ortiz. The 30 Year Old would not be a good fit in San Diego – where they have a similar player in Matt Kemp already. His presence with Trout and Calhoun in Los Angeles would be the best all around Outfield in the Majors should he sign there.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
With Yoenis Cespedes still on the open market a lot of speculation is running rampant on which squads should be in the running for his services.
While I am not sure I buy the theory at all, the Padres have been said to be checking in on the big Cuban star.
This type of signing would be a monumental mistake in my view.
I would hope that A.J. Preller would have learned his lesson by acquiring high strikeout, low OBP players that have power that may not translate to their home park in Petco Park. Read the rest of this entry
The Oakland A’s State Of The Union For 2016: Beane Counting Or Picking?
Billy Beane saw his A’s have their worst record in 18 years in 2015 – and worst in his GM tenure. It was a rebuilding effort that included him trading away the AL MVP caliber player in Josh Donaldson for a list of 4 players. It will take a couple of seasons to see how bad this may have been. After that deal, it was business as usual, with the man acquiring 4 decent Starting Pitching prospects for players on the last year of their contract. The team doesn’t have any real money committed, and there is a ton of flexibility. Whether they spend it is another matter.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It used to be that Billy Beane would wait until a player was about to hit Free Agency until he would trade that player for the next round of guys. Now he doesn’t even like his ALL – Stars to hit higher levels of Arbitration.
After last years all in effort to make a run at the postseason, Beane started the dismantle process of his squad. Perhaps the most controversial move was to flip Josh Donaldson for a package of four players.
A lot of people are still upset about that deal considering Donaldson is going to be a perennial MVP candidate, however he was that already for the A’s, and it failed to result in a placement beyond the 1st round. Read the rest of this entry
The Oakland A’s Payroll In 2015 + Going Forward: Beane Counting
For the 2015 season, the staff will not cost much more money than this campaign, with the highest monies going to Kazmir ($13 MIL) the Bullpen doesn’t make much money, while only losing Gregerson, and most of the SP are on entry-level deals or 1st year Arbitration. The A’s payroll is slated to be right around $80 MIL in 2015 (down about $10 MIL from 2014), and the club should still be competitive, and if not, they have plenty of assets to trade near the deadline and reload for another run of success.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
MoneyBall 1..MoneyBall 2… So we all have seen the movie or at least read the book – or heard about somebody referencing it all the time on the Baseball airwaves. Beane does it a different way, and he keeps the rest of the landscape second guessing.
This website has been one of the frontrunners of dissecting his moves over the last few years, and have accurately predicted a lot of what would happen with the terms of the club.
As much as the MLB Reports has loved the movements the team has done, we have not picked them to advance in the postseason in any prognostications, but we have continuously marveled on how the GM keeps wheeling and dealing.
Chuck Booth likened him to a “Baseball Rounder”, using a nice analogy from the world of poker.
The A’s GM is the best at creating value to his team but exercising all of the freebies in the league, coupled with knowing how to maneuver when the time is right.
Trading Josh Donaldson may come back to haunt him, but he did receive a plethora of young talented throwers, and perhaps Brett Lawrie will emerge into his talent after all.
Being a “Baseball Rounder” is being the smartest guy in the room, and knowing your opponents moves before even they do.
For a Year to Year Breakdown For all of the A’s players salaries please visit here
ALL – Time TJ Surgery Tracker 1974 – 2014 (30 Updates Including Jonny Venters 3rd Time)
Dr. James Andrews – leading Tommy John surgeon is the new senior leader on this innovative and break through procedure, championed 1st over 40 years ago, and responsible for extending over 700 players careers now.
For all the talk of baseball players (pitchers mostly) that will be undergoing Tommy John Surgery, we will be keeping a running list! E-mail us at mlbreports@gmail.com if you have any names to add to our totals.
How many players are having or had TJ in history? You are about to find out:
Links
TOMMY JOHN SURGERY – 2014 (30)
2014
Jonny Venters – (3rd Time Probable) Braves: Aug/Sept 2014Jeremy Hefner, NYM Aug 2014 (TJ Watch List – Possible 2nd TJ Surgery)
Tyler Skaggs, Angels, Aug 10 – will have season ending TJ surgery soon. expected to be out til 2016
Nate Jones, White Sox, July.30
Tyler Chatwood, Rockies, July,19
Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees (Partially Torn UCL, (TJ Watch List), July 10th
Bronson Arroyo, D’Backs July Surgery.
Matt Wieters, Orioles, June 17th
Sean Burnett, Angels, June 5th
Chris Withrow, Dodgers, June 3rd
Jose Cisnero, Astros, May 28th
Martin Perez, Rangers, May 19th.
Jose Fernandez, Marlins, May 16th
A.J. Griffin, Athletics, Apr.25th .
Pedro Figueroa, Rangers, Apr.30th
Ivan Nova, Yankees, – Apr.29th
Josh Johnson, Padres, – Apr.24
Matt Moore, Rays – Apr.24, 2014 – Link: With Moore Out For TJ Surgery – The Rays Should Hold Onto Price Through 2015
Jameson Taillon – Pirates – April 9, 2014
Bobby Parnell – Mets – April 8th
Cory Gearrin – Braves – Mar.29 – Went on the 60 Day DL with partial ligament tear of right elbow Mar.29, 2014 – May Require TJ Surgery.”
David Hernandez – D’Backs – Surgery April 2014.
Bruce Rondon – Tigers – Mar.2014
Patrick Corbin – D’Backs – Mar.2014.
Jarrod Parker – Athletics – March 2014
Brandon Beachy – Braves – “2nd TJ Surgery” Mar 2014
Kris Medlen– Braves – Mar 2014
Luke Hochevar– Royals – March.07, 2014.
Miguel Sano – Twins (Position Player) Mar, 2014.
Cory Luebke – Padres: Luebke went under the knife for his 2nd TJ Surgery Feb 2014. Read the rest of this entry
How All Of The A’s Hitters Were Acquired: 2014 Roster Tree Shows Incredible Beane Trading Record
How All Of The Athletics Hitters Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Truthfully this blog took me forever to do the research for, simply because the A’s GM Billy Beane has been so proactive at the trading helm.
From flipping Mark Mulder several years ago which fetched Dan Haren as part of the haul, to the massive deal with Dan Haren sent to the D’Backs, he added enough depth to pull off several other moves.
Yes, along the way he may have been burned by Colorado for Carlos Gonzalez, but in a the Dbacks deal still is paying off.
The Roster deals include several Oakland draft picks being flipped for current A’s.
Nick Swisher was traded for Gio Gonzalez, who in turn the club can thank for the Catching tandem of Derek Norris and John Jaso as assets received from Swisher initially.
Jaso was brought back in a 3 way deal from Washington, where the A’s sent the SP back to the team they traded Gio Gonzalez for.
Ryan Sweeney (another player brought in for the Swisher) was packaged with Andrew Bailey to obtain Josh Reddick. Read the rest of this entry
Oakland A’s Payroll In 2014 + Contracts Going FWD: Updated For Trade Deadline Deals
Part of the lure in acquiring Samardzija was that he had 1 year left of Arbitration. He will likely cost in the $12 – 15 MIL range for 2015. He tops the list of several A’s players that will be ARB eligible in 2015 like Moss, Donaldson, Cook, Parker, Jaso, Reddick and Gentry. While the club is going for it in 2014, there unloading of Cespdes’s $10.5 MIL 2015 salary will be used to pay these guys raises. Some of the club will be traded or released. The A’s should still have about $25 MIL to spend on 7 or 8 guys next year. Their $95 MIL projected payroll in 2014 is their highest ever recorded for any one year.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Wow. What a roster that has been assembled by Billy Beane in the last 30 days or so.
Make no bones about it, the reason the Money Ball GM was able to this was one from depth strength – coupled with being the master of financial flexibility.
We all know that the A’s have shied away from giving long term pitching contracts, or heck, from lucrative long contracts to positional players.
Ever since the team offered Jermaine Dye a big deal at the time, only to see his production fall off, then to be resurrected in other uniforms, did the management learn to ply their craft.
The team also doled out megabucks for Eric Chavez after that, then to watch him suffer through countless injuries.
Players like Nick Swisher, Miguel Tejada, Johnny Damon, Tim Hudson, Barry Zito, Mark Mulder have left the nest to make fortunes in other locations.
Beane made off like a bandit dealing Rich Harden before he eventually broke down. Oh yeah, the GM received Josh Donaldson for that trade.
It has been a brass that sees about 50 roster transactions every year. The key is to always sell high, and mix in the right amount of Free Agent veterans.
All of that ‘baseball rounding’ afforded the “Moneyball” GM to go for it this year. Read the rest of this entry
Beane Acquires Lester + Gomes For Cespedes: Then Acquires Fuld For Millone
Jon Lester, 30, is in the last year of his contract, which will make him around $4 MIL for the last 2 months of the 2014 season. While there is no way he signs with Oakland past this campaign, this is a calculated move to land a playoff assassin that can front a franchise a #1 starter for a playoff series – or as the pitcher in a Play in Wild Card game should the Angels run the A’s down for the AL West. Much like Samardzija, the Athletics brass knows these guys could never be acquired via Free Agency, and have the wherewithal to know that inking longterm aces to deals past the age of 30 is just not in the cards for the franchise. The A’s were put in the position to rent them because of Beane’s nice deals to build the organization’s depth. Lester features a 2.11 ERA in 76.2 IP worth of work in the Post season lifetime. Lester is 10 – 7, with a 2.52 ERA in 143.2 IP this season in 21 Game Starts.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Billy Beane has been adamant about his team winning the World Series in 2014, and he fired yet another salvo on the July 31st deadline.
The A’s GM acquired Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes for the popular Cuban OF Yoenis Cespedes.
Lets have the finances out of the way 1st.
Jon Lester, 30, is in the last year of his contract, and will be a Free Agent after this year.
There is no shot at the man signing with the Athletics after this year. however the A’s will receive a compensatory pick for giving him a qualifying offer following 2014.
The LHP wll make approximately $4 MIL the rest of the season.
Yoenis Cespedes, 28, is signed through the 2015 at $10.5 MIL per year the next 2 seasons, and will become a Free Agent after next year.
As per the article 20B section of the CBA, he negotiated that he would be free and clear once his original 4 YRs/$36 MIL deal with the A’s was completed – prior to the 2012 campaign.
The 2013 and 2014 HR Derby winner will make just south of $3.3 MIL for the rest of this year.
Jonny Gomes 33, will make about $1.5 MIL for the duration of the 2014 year, and will become a Free Agent this winter. Read the rest of this entry
ALL – Time Tommy John Surgery List 1974 – Present
For all the talk of baseball players (pitchers mostly) that will be undergoing Tommy John Surgery, we will be keeping a running list! E-mail us at mlbreports@gmail.com if you have any names to add to our totals.
How many players are having or had TJ in history? You are about to find out: Read the rest of this entry
Beane Spins Magic Again In World Series Quest: Picks Up Samardzija + Hammel For Straily + Prospects
Without surrendering any assets from the MLB club currently (with Dan Straily having been in AAA). the A’s GM has made his move to anchor the Starting Rotation for a playoff run, by adding Samardija and Hammel. Going the other way are: Addison Russell (20) was a high prospect, as was Billy Mckinney (19) as the 1st RD Draft Pick of the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft, Dan Straily and cash compensation, or a PTBNL. With the team’s core becoming increasingly more expensive going forwards, the window to win is right now. The trade also helps deepen the starting staff, who have suffered season ending injuries to Griffin and Parker (TJ Surgeries).
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Billy Beane knows his current squad’s best chance to win the World Series now.
He has upped the ante, by acquiring Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel from the Chicago Cubs for highly rated SS Addison Russell, SP Dan Straily, and young prospect OF Billy McKinney, with a player to be named later or cash finalizing the deal at a later date.
I like this move…rather I love this move.
The A’s GM saw what happened to his club the last few weeks when matched against the pitching of the Tigers, and knew he had to bolster his team for the stretch – to replace A.J. Griffin and Jarrod Parker, who both went down to Tommy John Surgeries this campaign. Read the rest of this entry
How All Of The Texas Rangers Hitters Were Acquired (2014 Roster Tree)
The Rangers had back to back World Series Appearances in 2010 and 2011 – and have 4 straight seasons of collecting 90+ Wins – with 370 victories overall. 2014 has been an injury plagued season, robbing the club perhaps of putting forth a 5th consecutive 90 win campaign. Despite this, the organization has done spade work to be mentioned as a top franchise over the last 5 years. This Roster Tree proves a little of this.
How All Of The Rangers Hitters Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Rangers set up their franchise for years to come in 2007, when they pulled off a trade of ALL – Star Mark Teixeira – to acquire several players in the franchise that they are still seeing solid returns.
My absolute favorite transaction tree is finding out the Michael Choice branch of trades.
It dates back to the team signing Todd Van Poppel as a Free Agent before the 1998 season.
Out of all of the players the team currently has, only Leonys Martin, Mitch Moreland and Rougned Odor and Jurickson Profar are composed of team draft picks – with the latter being hurt right now,
The rest of them were picked up via another route. Read the rest of this entry
2014’s Top Home Run Hitters (MLB): HR Streaks (3 Active) (Puig, Dozier, Crawford) + Goldy’s Big Night)
Paul Goldschmidt carried the offense for the whole season in 2013 and also played stellar defense at first base for the DBacks. . He had a .302/.401/.952 triple-slash with 36 HRs and 125 RBIs – and this also included him having 332 Total Bases. He also led the National League in Extra-Base hits with 75 and was third in runs scored at 103. He finished 2nd in NL MVP Voting for his efforts. . In 2014, he has continued his assault on NL pitching, despite the club not faring as well. Heading into Sunday, he has a slash line of .324/.375/.571 – and leads the NL in GP (45) PA (202) AB (182) H (59) 2B (18) XBH (27) and TB (104) and is tied for 4th in HRs with 9.
Paul Goldschmidt absolutely obliterated Dodgers Pitching on Saturday night, touching them up for 2 HRs, 2 – 2B, 6 RBI 5 Runs, Added 12 Total Bases, and even walked once for good measure.
Goldschmidt also was the only MLB’er to smack 2 big flies yesterday. Furthermore he entered a logjam of players that are now tied for 4th place in the NL with Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gomez, Brandon Belt, Justin Upton Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig.
Speaking of Puig, he hit a HR for a 2nd straight game, and his 4th smash over the fence of the week. He finds himself back in the top 5 in several offensive categories.
Troy Tulowitzki enjoyed home cooking again, with his 3 – 4 night, with his 12th HR to stay tied with other NL Leader Giancarlo Stanton.
Both Jose Bautista and Brian Dozier did yard work yesterday, to draw themselves in a tie for 3rd place each with Nelson Cruz of the Baltimore Orioles.
Current HR streaks that ended yesterday were Derek Dietrich at 2, and Josh Donaldson at 3 games straight, although the A’s 3B hit a Triple and added 3 RBI in the win versus the Indians in Cleveland Saturday. Read the rest of this entry
2014’s Top Home Run Hitters (MLB): HR Streaks (2 Active) (Donaldson-3,Dietrich-2) + Reddick WHAMS 2 Dingers FRI
Last year Josh Reddick was struggling mightily early in the year before he crushed a 3 HR game and a 2 HR game versus the Toronto Blue Jays at SkyDome in 2 straight days. .The LHB is a streaky hitter, but he has yet to duplicate his sustained success in the 2012 year, where he mashed 32 HRs for the whole season. If you look at his 2014 Slash Line, it looks a lot alike last campaign. 2013 – .226/.307/.379 – with 12 HRs and 56 RBI in 385 AB. HIs 2014 #s now are .236/.297/.386 – with 4 HRs and 18 RBI, which is just about a 1/3rd of the totals pace from last year in a 1/3rd of the Games Played..
Josh Reddick has broken out of his slump and pasted the ball over the last 3 games. His Grand Slam and 2 run HR effort last night, coupled with his HR a few nights ago, now give him 3 HRs on the year.
Reddick must continue his assault on pitching, as the team just picked up Kyle Blanks, and they are already armed with Coco Crisp, Yoenis Cespedes, Craig Gentry and Brandon Moss, all rotating through OF/DH/1B.
While Moss will see more action at the First Base Position, likely in a platoon with Blanks, both have capable ability to play RF like him.
Still for one night, it was good to see him rake the ball again, and all the Oakland fans are now bringing back the song ” Careless Whisper” by Wham, as it is the slugger’s walkup song.
Yeah, baseball players are not very superstitious are they? Read the rest of this entry
Oakland Keeps The Magic Elixir Running With Pitching Staff In 2014: Lead The AL In Wins
Billy Beane made some great trades to bolster his Relief Core – and rotation for the 2014 year. Despite 3 of the slated Opening Day starters not currently with the club due to Tommy John Surgeries (Griffin and Parker) + Straily (Optioned to the Minors), added with early Bullpen woes, the team has righted the ship, and lead AL pitchers in collective ERA, (OBP and OPS against). Beane has allocated just around $34 MIL in players salary to his staff in 2014. He also made great judgement calls on departing pitcher Bartolo Colon, Brett Anderson and Grant Balfour – not duplicating key roles in the previous two seasons. Once again the “Moneyball Man” looks like he may come up roses one more year in the Division at least.
Billy Beane knows how to construct a Pitching Staff on a shoe string budget.
Not enough Pitching with double TJ Surgeries to A.J. Griffin and Jarrod Parker to have slowed the Rotation? Nope.
What about the loss of Bartolo Colon? Hell no, that big guy is sporting an ERA of over 5.50 in an easier NL hitting league.
Scott Kazmir a risk? Nope, wrong answer again thus far. The recipient of a 2 YRs Deal worth $22 MIL is a lot of money doled out from the A’s organization for a Free Agent Hurler.
All the 30 Year Old LHP has done in 2014, is lead the AL with a WHIP of 0.974, carried forth a 5 – 1 record, and a sparkling 2.28 ERA to date.
How about sophomore Sonny Gray having a tougher time peddling through the league for a second time? Not a chance.
Gray is 3rd in the AL – with an ERA of 2.17, and has a 4 – 1 record himself. Read the rest of this entry
30 MLB Team Power Rankings: Week 7 – May 2014
The Mariners are 10 – 4 in their last 14 games – without receiving any outstanding play from one particular player. They are the biggest jumpers in this weeks rankings, going from #20 – #15. The club concludes a series vs the Kansas City Royals, before they welcome the Tampa Rays next into Safeco Field.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
We are almost at the quarter pole for action in the MLB.
The biggest mover and shakers this week were the Seattle Mariners, followed by Baltimore Orioles. LA Angels and San Francisco Giants.
Plummeting in the other directions were led by the Phils, who we dropped from 17th to 24th.
The Yankees, Nationals, Dodgers and Rangers all lost 4 places in the rankings based on sub-par weeks.
The AL New York franchise is about 1 bad week from free-falling to the AL East. Right now the team has received buoyancy because of ace Masahiro Tanaka being 5 – 0.
Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran are having a tough time finding their rhythm with the Bronx Bombers.
I believe the Dodgers will rectify their situation shortly and take off.
Washington is barely over .500 even though most of their players are playing to their capabilities.
The Royals offense is destroying their team morale, as is the Mets having a tough time with the Relief Core, and their Pitchers are still battling .000 for the year like you and me.
Oakland is still leading the MLB in wins since the start of the 2012 year.
The Red Sox are one of the most likely teams to climb the standings in the next few weeks.
With the Cards not playing well, keep in mind, 18 of the next 21 games reside in Busch Stadium for them. It is time to make some headway.
The AL has fashioned a 18 – 8 mark in Interleague this week to apply a 34 – 33 overall lead on the NL now.
The Rockies are blasting every baseball into orbit right now. These guys are hitting as well at home as the Pre-Humidor ERA. Read the rest of this entry
Oakland Athletics State Of The Union: 2014 Preview
When does Beane ever sleep? 56 transactions over the last calendar year, and he may be prepping the phone with another rash of injuries to 60% of his Starting Staff. Beane has at least addressed the teams depth for next 2 – 3 years, and when you look at the salary for their Pitchers, you will be able to detect why. They never overpay on long-term deals for Starters.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It has been a tough week in Oakland for the Starting Pitching. Jarrod Parker will need Tommy John Surgery and is out for the 2014 year.
A.J. Griffin received better news, but also will be sidelined for the near future with a UCL strain.
To complicate the opening roster even more, Scott Kazmir has Triceps soreness and is currently also on the shelf.
Billy Beane doesn’t seem that worried, as he has Tommy Milone and Jesse Chavez stretched out to work some starts if needed. Read the rest of this entry
The Texas Rangers Organizational Depth Charts (All Affiliates) – Spring 2014 (Majors and Minors)
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 & Jeff Kleiner (Org Depth Chart + Payroll Expert – find his website here) Follow @prosportsroster
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
This has been the most successful run in Rangers history in the last 4 years. 2 World Series Appearances (albeit losses) – and the club has 4 straight 90+ Win Seasons.
Nolan Ryan envisioned this kind of progress when he anchored the current regime. While he has left the nest, many of the players have been stocked up in the Minors and Majors.
The Rangers have many young players like Jurickson Profar, Leonys Martin, Martin Perez and Elvis Andrus that are entering their prime.
The greatest job done by the brass was to assemble a pitching unit of homegrown products, as this has kept the teams payroll within reason – even as some of these guys mature. Read the rest of this entry
Ortiz Is Almost Done Playing: Who Will Be The Next Great DH Among The AL Clubs??
David Ortiz has been the quintessential DH in the AL over the last 11 years. Boston is in contention perennially because he put up great #s compared to his competition. With all of the teams imploring several employees to scouting staffs – trying to find advantages to bring to Major League Lineups – why aren’t teams focusing on the DH position more. Ortiz has been a full time DH since joining the Red Sox, and has been instrumental in the club bringing home 3 World Series Titles. In fact, the only time the team has struggled in the last decade, was if “Big Papi” is hurt or struggling.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
There is no doubt in my mind that the Red Sox has won 3 World Series Titles in the last 10 years because they have had the quintessential DH in the American League.
While other teams have used the position as a rest stop for aging players, or stop-gap measure for players with defensive faulty, clubs have not seemed to have stressed emphasis on the slot in the lineup.
My question is why? With everyone always searching for an edge in today’s game, you have one sitting right in front of you, that equates to over 600 AB a year.
David Ortiz (Post Season Heroics 2013)
Notes On Free Agent Signings And Acquisitions Of The Last Week
Robinson Cano has seen his stock plummet down the river this winter. While he still will likely sign a deal for more than $25 MIL per year, it may have to be somewhere other than the Bronx. Meanwhile Jay – Z and his new baseball agent company is teetering with this client. The best move for that camp is to wait it out like Prince Fielder did 2 years ago. It may take for an unexpected injury – or for a team to panic after the majority of the Free Agents have signed in order for him to maximize his dollars in 6 – 7 year deal.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twiter Follow @mlbreports
2014 Winter Transactions Part 2
For part one of this transaction summary click here.
The White Sox sign 1B Paul Konerko (37) – 1 YR/$2.5 MIL (1.0 MIL deferred to 2021).
I like this deal for the White Sox. He is the team leader and can pass on knowledge to the young guys.. Expect for them to try and trade Adam Dunn halfway through the year if Konerko is playing well.
The Rockies sign 1B Justin Morneau (32) – 2 YRs/$13 MIL.
Love this move. The Rockies could potentially see this man hit 20+ HRs and knock about 30 – 40 Doubles per year. He carries a decent average too.
Justin Morneau Minnesota Twins Highlights
The A’s Pickup Another Quality Bullpen Arm In Gregerson
Luke Gregerson has authored 5 brilliant seasons coming out of the Padres Bullpen. He has a 2.78 ERA and 1.092 WHIP in his 347 IP worth of work. The 29 Year Old from Park Ridge, IL originally, has averaged appearing in 68 games a year. The A’s will use him as a late inning arm with Jim Johnson, Ryan Cook and Sean Doolittle also being capable inning’s eater to nail down shut victories. Gregerson is in his 3rd Year (made $3.2 MIL) of Arbitration before he hits the Free Agent Market in 2015.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Billy Beane ended his whirlwind day on Tuesday. by flipping just signed OF/DH/PH Seth Smith to the San Diego Padres for Relief Pitcher Luke Gregerson.
In what can only be described as shock, I can’t believe the Padres could be this brutal in talent evaluation.
Beane has continued his pillaging from all other franchises.
The result was that he never touched any of the 9 Starting Players from his offense, zero from his Rotation, and only 2 Minor League Players from last season, to acquire 2 potential Closers/late inning relievers, a premiere CF defender, and a nice #5 Starter in return.
Luke Gregerson Interview from 2012
The Jacoby Ellsbury 7 YRs/$153 MIL Deal Opens Up Many Possibilities for New York
Ellsbury missed 88 Games in 2012 (and also missed 144 Games in 2010), which brings into question his long – term durability. Heck, even this year, he was seen with a walking boot only a few weeks prior to the playoffs. You can’t deny the man has put up some great numbers out of the leadoff spot for the Red Sox since 2007.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
So all of a sudden the Yankees have taken a page from their 2006 playbook.
Prior to that season, they overbid for the services of Johnny Damon, effectively ending his tenure with their rivals – the Boston Red Sox.
They have gone back to the well for a 2nd time – raiding the Sox for their Starting CF.
It is a bold and calculated gamble for the Yankees, but then again, they are the biggest entity in the MLB – and they needed to protect the fledgling ratings on TV, and also to make sure the fans come through the turnstiles at New Yankee Stadium
Jacoby Ellsbury was brought in for a 7 YR/$153 MIL deal – that will send shockwaves throughout the Bronx and Major League Baseball.
Jacoby Ellsbury 2013 Highlights – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance Is Advised
Billy Beane Adds 4 Pitchers To The A’s Flock, Plus Gentry – Only Surrenders Weeks. Choice + Smith
Billy Beane is the perfect ‘Baseball Rounder’. We all see that the moves the A’s GM made yesterday and today – where another way to gain assets in the short term – without losing much in the long run. With the A’s usually operating at around the $65 MIL mark the last few years, and now being somewhere in the $75 MIL range, look for Beane to stay active in the transactions throughout this winter to shed payroll – and to receive team controllable players. The Athletics gain 4 players in these acquisitions that all saw significant playing time in the MLB, where the outgoing guys spent the majority of (if not all) their time in the Minors last year
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I said it last week in a Cards article that there were 3 teams that have perfected ‘baseball rounding’, and these teams were the Cardinals, A’s and Tampa Bay.
While the Oakland and Tampa Bay teams don’t have the wherewithal to do this as extensively as the St. Louis franchise, they have the master of the trade in Billy Beane.
“Baseball Rounding” is defined by organizations who always roundup Free Agents, Waiver Wire Deals, Rule 5 guys, or sell high when they know a player is past his projections, in order to obtain assets coming back.
The purpose of these deals is that the organization never touches the main core, meaning the franchise will be in awesome shape if you know how to groom players in your Minor League System after you draft them.
Scott Kazmir 2013 Highlights – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance Is Advised
Texas GM’ Jon Daniels Needs To Step His Game Up! Rangers State Of The Union Fall 2013
The Rangers have cobbled together 370 wins over the last four years, however they are now 2 years withdrawn from being a solitary strike away from winning the World Series. They have done a great job assessing their club over the last few campaigns, and with a great winter, the club’s competition window should be reset for many years to come. With Nolan Ryan leaving the franchise, the heat will be on Jon Daniels to administer such a daunting task. The Rangers have great attendance, and more National TV dollars are also being kicked their way for 2014, it is time to go and lure the top Free Agents in the game of MLB towards The Ballpark in Arlington!
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twiter Follow @mlbreports
Jon Daniels is more like the “Lone Ranger” now with the brass over in Arlington being astonishingly diminished by Texas native Nolan Ryan leaving.
He is effectively on the “hot seat” now.
His team is now 2 years removed from back to back World Series Appearances, followed up with an epic collapse down the stretch in 2012, and just falling short of the playoff bar in 2012.
The Rangers actually had a pretty decent season in 2013 at 91 – 72 (losing the play in game to Tampa Bay), when you consider they lost Mike Napoli and Josh Hamilton‘s services – and really only replaced them with “Fat Elvis” AKA Lance Berkman, who like Presley, has eaten themselves out of their careers at times.
Nelson Cruz Highlights Before Suspension 2013
Texas Rangers Payroll In 2013: Rangers Organizational Rosters + Depth Charts – (MLB + MiLB)
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, Apr.27/2013
The Texas Rangers have been the most consistent American League Franchise since Nolan Ryan took over as CEO of the club midway through 2010. They made the World Series in 2010 and 2011 – losing to the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco in back to back years. The club has done a great job assembling a Minor League system full of talent – and a great amount of talent via Free Agency. Will the Rangers be able to finally win a World Series in the coming years?
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster
You guys are all in for a treat. Jeff Kleiner recently contacted me about a partnership merge for the website. He has developed a site (prosportsrosters.com) that covers all organizational affiliates in the Minors for all of the Major League Baseball Clubs. We are going to combine efforts to bring you the best look at salaries, current 25 Man Player Rosters and Depth Charts for all 30 teams.
Jeff is going to provide the documents in form of spreadsheets and I am going to accompany the posts with deep analysis of what the numbers tell us from my perspective. If you can’t wait for all of my assessments for each club, go and visit Jeff’s website over at http://www.prosportsrosters.com.
In Speaking with Jeff, he is one of the more passionate fans I have come across towards the game of baseball. He spends enough time in updating his MLB Facts for it to be a Full-Time Job. So after the usual Video Clip and READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY button, you will find some serious &*!@?!#!
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Rangers Organization click here
2010 ALCS Highlight Video
The Texas Rangers Payroll In 2013 And Contracts Going Forward
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, January.19th, 2013
Texas has doubled their total team payroll since the new ownership group took over. As good as they are doing right now for Payroll – the Angels still have them beat by 35-40 Million Dollars.
By Nicholas Rossoletti (MLB Reports Trade Correspondent): Follow @NRoss56
It is easy to equate a big market team’s success with merely a willingness to overspend on free agents and use their superior earning power to dominate the sport. While the Rangers certainly are not afraid of spending all that money that playing the Dallas/Fort Worth area provides, it would be inaccurate to equate the team’s recent string of success with only their ability to outspend a fair portion of their competitors. As we enter the 2013 season, the Rangers have built a very strong base – while managing to not tie themselves to any back-breaking, future altering contracts. That is a testament to the organization’s belief in its system – and its refusal to spend on player just because they are able to. With that being said, let’s take a look at the Rangers 2013 payroll as of now and see where Texas will be spending its money next season.
Rangers 2011 ALCS Clincher:
The 2013 Texas Rangers Roster: State of The Union
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsMonday January 14th, 2013
The Rangers had back to back World Series Appearances in 2010 and 2011 – does this club have another run in them without Josh Hamilton and Michael Young? They regressed in the 2012 Season – losing a 13 Game Division Lead in the AL West before barely capturing a Wild Card Spot. They eventually lost the Play In Wild Card-Game to the Baltimore Orioles.
By Brooke Robinson (Rangers Correspondent): Follow @bka_9
Looking back on the end of the 2012 season, and how the AL West lead was given up in a matter of days to Oakland, it’s clear the Texas front office wanted change in the clubhouse for 2013. It seems as though GM Jon Daniels’ motto for the offseason is “out with the old, in with the new….er”. Daniels is eager to bring a World Series victory to Arlington and has pieced together a team of new players with old postseason successes. There is also a chance that the Rangers will also bring up some of their promising prospects that they protected throughout the offseason trade frenzy. This makes for some very interesting lineup possibilities for the upcoming season, especially with the major roles needing to be filled by former Ranger departures such as 1B/C Mike Napoli, U Michael Young, OF Josh Hamilton, and P Ryan Dempster.
Ian Kinsler Highlights for 2012:
The Rangers (And Especially Their Fans) Will Miss Mike Napoli
Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
Brooke Robinson (Guest Baseball Writer and Rangers Correspondent):
In the early months of 2011 when Mike Napoli was traded to Texas, most fans welcomed him with open arms (especially the women). After all, Napoli had given the fans in Arlington headaches when playing against him so the Rangers did exactly what they did with Vladimir Guerrero– added him to their own roster. His defense was incredible, and he opened up a side of his offense that Anaheim never got to enjoy as a full-time player . He hit .320, with 30 homers in his first season with Texas, but his most incredible performance was during October of 2011. His Game 5 two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to deliver the win and the World Series lead to 3-2 was honored by Ranger fans and ultimately put him on a fan pedestal.
Read the rest of this entry
MLB Reports 
You must be logged in to post a comment.