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Angels State Of The Union For 2014: A Hot Start Is Paramount For Success
Posted by chuckbooth3023

The Angels have spent almost a half of a billion in Free Agency over the last 3 years, and all they have to show for it, is back to back 3rd place finishes in the AL West. The team also featured an anemic Bullpen in the 2013 campaign. But with AL West rivals all having significant injuries both to start the year and long-term for 2014, this has opened up the door for the start of the 2014 campaign at least. It is incumbent that their top guys stay injury free, and spend exactly no days on the DL, because they don’t have suitable replacements to step in. With poor starts to both of the last 2 years, this squad looks to break this trend this seasom.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Hunter Stokes (Our chief writer) wrote a piece that was picked up by MLB Trade Rumors blogroll, stating that Jerry DiPoto has done a poor job in constructing the current team based on the roster tree here.
I agree with him 100% on this, especially on the moves, the Bullpen not being 100% finished yet, the Starting Rotation too reliant on their top 2 pitchers – and we have had several of their fans take some jabs at us for going with these notions.
The club’s brass has had a better winter in 2013 going into 2014, then they had last year, however it still doesn’t alleviate the fact, this team can’t sustain one injury to any of their top players because of said moves to deplete their depth.
The Starting Staff is composed of 60% of youth that is not used to toting long innings in Garrett Richards, Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs.
The team has a lot of players that will strikeout a lot, so it is also important to receive key HRs at crucial times in the game.
The club will also lose 34 HRs worth of power they received from Mark Trumbo in 2013, but it was the right time to move him. Whether they received enough of a return is yet to be determined, but it also cut down the whiffs for 2014.
Posted in MLB Teams State Of the Unions
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Tags: 2014 Angels 25 man roster, 2014 Angels preview, @MLBreports on twitter, A.J. Griffin, AL West, albert pujols, alberto callaspo, arte moreno, c.j. cron, c.j. wilson, chicago white sox, chris iannetta, Chuck Booth, corey hart, dane de la rosa, david freese, Derek Holland, Erasmo Ramirez, felix hernandez, fernando salas, grant green, hector santiago, hisashi iwakuma, james paxton, jarrod parker, jerome williams, jerry dipoto, joe blanton, Joe Smith, jordan walden, jurickson profar, logan morrison, mark trumbo, Matt Harrison, mike napoli, mike scioscia, mitch moreland, oakland athletics, peter bourjos, randy wolf, raul ibanez, robinson cano, Roenis Elias, roy halladay, ryan madson, scott kazmir, sean burnett, seattle mariners, shin-soo choo, st louis cardinals, taijuan walker, texas rangers, tommy hanson, Torii Hunter, tyler chatwood, tyler skaggs, yu darvish, zack greinke
Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim State Of The Union: Is It Time For Jerry DiPoto To Be Fired?
Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Mike Trout must feel like he will receive some better help from a full season of Pujols coming. Heading into the 2013 campaign, they looked to have almost a historic 1 – 4 lineup. Instead. it was a disaster. Maybe the 2014 year will be different. With players like Vernon Wells and Joe Blanton still collecting money on the payroll – to the tune of $26 MIL in 2014, their teams salary structure is a disaster. Those two guys are really horrible – or not even playing for LA anymore.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
“Stoking The Fire” – Week 10
As someone who follows the Angels from a distance, I have had it with Jerry DiPoto.
Whether it is the direction of the team’s brass that has been affected, or Arte Moreno himself, this team is heading on a one way ticket to salary hell.
So how does the GM respond this winter?
He trades his 2nd, 4th and possibly 5th best OF on the Roster Depth away – without yielding a OF back in return.
He has added on a couple of players (David Freese and Raul Ibanez) that Strikeout as much as the rest of the clan. Good work man!
Am I missing something? Does he not see this is the recipe for disaster?
Angels 2013 preview – 2014 wont be as optimistic:
Posted in MLB Teams State Of the Unions, The Rest: Everything Baseball
Tags: @MLBreports on twitter, AL West, albert pujols, alberto callaspo, arte moreno, c.j. cron, c.j. wilson, chicago white sox, chris iannetta, dane de la rosa, david freese, fernando salas, grant green, hector santiago, jerome williams, jerry dipoto, joe blanton, Joe Smith, jordan walden, mark trumbo, mike napoli, mike scioscia, peter bourjos, raul ibanez, ryan madson, sean burnett, tommy hanson, Torii Hunter, tyler chatwood, tyler skaggs, zack greinke
The Mark Trumbo Trade Watch Continues in LA: Could He Be Headed To STL, TB, MIA, PIT Or Other?
Posted by chuckbooth3023

The Angels have spent almost a half of a billion in Free Agency over the last 3 years, and all they have to show for it, is back to back 3rd place finishes in the AL West. The team will lose Jason Vargas this year, and the Angels are expected to non-tender Tommy Hanson. The team also featured an anemic Bullpen in the 2013 campaign. If the Angels are wishing to trade Mark Trumbo, they best acquire 2 Pitchers that can fill in their weaknesses. Los Angeles have a surplus of OF/DH and 1B on the Roster with Hamilton, Pujols and Bourjos. Trumbo will be a heavy commodity sought after because he has 3 years of Team Control left with any aspiring club that brings him in.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Angels have doled out nearly half a Billion in contracts over the last 3 winters of Free Agency and have nothing to show for it but heartache, misery – and a team that was once a perennial playoff favorite dropped under .500 for only the 2nd time in the last decade during the 2013 season.
Hemorrhaging funds for a club not competing can’t sit well with the team owner Arte Moreno. Amidst in all of this would be a contract for Mike Scioscia as manager for $5 MIL a year, that renders him unfireable, and even untradeable.
This team is loaded with talented players like Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Howie Kendrick – and of course Mark Trumbo.
Mark Trumbo’s 1st 24 HRs of 2013
Posted in Free Agency, MLB Player Profiles, The Rest: Everything Baseball
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Tags: @MLBreports on twitter, albert pujols, allen craig, anaheim angels, anaheim angels of los angeles, Andrew McCutchen, andrew romine, Angel Stadium, arte moreno, c.j. wilson, carlos beltran, charlie morton, Chuck Booth, dane de la rosa, david freese, david price, erick aybar, francisco liriano, garrett jones, gerrit cole, jacob turner, james mcdonald, jameson taillon, jeanmar gomez, jeff locke, jered weaver, joe blanton, jon jay, Jose Tabata, josh hamilton, kolten wong, logan morrison, mark melancon, mark trumbo, mark trumbo trade market, Matt Adams, matt carpenter, matt holliday, miami marlins, mike scioscia, Mike Trout, nathan eovaldi, oscar taveras, peter bourjos, Peter Kozma, Shane Robinson, st louis cardinals, starling marte, tampa bay rays, tommy hanson
Tampa Bay Rays In Payroll 2014 + Contracts Going Forward: They Should Also Trade David Price To St. Louis For Matt Adams
Posted by chuckbooth3023

David Price became a 20 game winner for the first time last season, and it won him the American League Cy Young Award. That is really hard to match, but early struggles and injuries held him back in 2013. He was still 9 – 8, with a 3.39 ERA. Since he is due a payraise – to the $13 – $15 MIL range in Arbitration, it is my feeling the team should trade him for a slugging 1B. How about Matt Adams of the Cardinals anyone? The St. Louis team will need an ace to replace Chris Carpenter – and could bridge the gap for the team before Free Agency eligibility in 2016. It was too bad Hak-Ju Lee was hurt for some of 2013, as that would have been a perfect package to help bringing back another Starter. Perhaps the Rays should use Matt Joyce also as bait? Maybe they could a prospect Starter after all. The team figures to be around $55 – 57 MIL before Price.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024:
I am of the belief that the Andrew Friedman and Stu Sternberg have been the ‘model franchise’ in the AL over the last 6 years.
Not only do they compete in the vaunted AL East versus the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, but they have made the playoffs 4 times in that span, including a World Series Loss to the Philadelphia in the 2008 year.
Had Evan Longoria not been hurt for the majority of the 2012 season, one could argue that the club was poised to make another playoff appearance to make it 6.
So how are they doing this? Their team payroll is roughly one-third of the Yankees and the 40 % of the Red Sox total Payroll.
The Rays are smart enough to let their higher priced Free Agents walk, or even trading them before they are due significant pay raises.
They are also using the philosophy of the ‘John Hart‘ Indians of the Pre-Milennium Cleveland Indians. Once it was established that Evan Longoria could play at the MLB Level, they signed him to an 8 year contract.
They did the same thing with Starting Pitching Matt Moore last year with a 5 year deal for the rookie based on one playoffs of decent pitching.
It is a risk sometimes to do this, yet the rewards can save you Millions in future payroll if the new player (s) outperforms his/their contract (s).
Rays Highlights 2013:
Posted in MLB Historical Series, MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, The Rest: Everything Baseball
Tags: alex cobb, andrew freidman, Arbitration eligible, b.j. upton, ben francisco, ben zobrist, boston red sox, brandon gomes, burke badenhop, Carlos Pena, cesar ramos, chris archer, chris jennings, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, dane de la rosa, david Dejesus, david price, delmon young, desmond jennings, durham bulls, elliot johnson, fernando rodney, Hak-Ju Lee, j.p Howell, jake mcgee, jake orodizzi, james loney, jeff niemann, jeremy hellickson, joel peralta, john hart, john jaso, jose molina, josh lueke, kyle farnsworth, Luke Scott, matt joyce, matt moore, mike montgomery, MLB Payrolls 2013, new york yankees, philadelphia phillies, reid brignac, rick thompson, robinson chirinos, ryan roberts, sam fuld, sean rodriguez, seattle mariners, stephen vogt, steve geltz, stu sternberg, super 2 arbitration eligible, tampa bay rays, tampa bay rays payroll 2013, Tampa Rays attendance, tim beckham, tim lincecum, travis hafner, tropicana field, twitter @chuckbooth3024, wil myers, yunel escobar
The LA Angels Payroll In 2014, Organizational Affiliates, Prospects, Depth Charts, (MLB + MiLB)
Posted by chuckbooth3023

Albert Pujols signed a 10 YR/$254 MIL contract with the Angels in 2012 at the age of 31. He has seen his numbers decline in the past year and a half – and now is injured for the rest of the year with a foot injury. STL Career 3 Slash: .382/.420/1.037 – LAA: .275/.338/.823. Pujols needs to come back healthy for at least the duration of 2017, when Hamilton’s crippling contract is finally over.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @mlbreports 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 &*!@?!#!
Jeff updates this page below on a daily basis. After you click on it….Bookmark it. There is a 3 year salary forecast and stats not listed here on this page. Jeff updates these pages daily and these changes include any Roster moves!
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Angels Organization click here.
Mike Trout Highlights 2013
Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, The Rest: Everything Baseball
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Tags: 1b Kaleb Cowart, 1b Mike Clevinger, 1b/of Cam Bedrosian, 2b 2012 Baseball America's Top Ten Prospects Mike Trout, 2b Daniel Tillman, 2b Hank Conger, 2b R.J. Alvarez, 3b Garrett Richards, 3b Nick Maronde, 3b Taylor Lindsey, @prosportsroster on twitter, Abel Baker, AJ Schugel, albert pujols, Alex Blackford, Alex Keudell, Alex Yarbrough, alfredo griffin, Andrew Heid, Andrew Ray, andrew romine, andrew taylor, Andy Marte, Andy Workman, Angel Rosa, angels 25 man roster, angels 40 man roster, angels prospects, angels top 10 prospects, Anthony Bemboom, Arkansas Traveler POSITION PLAYERS, Arkansas Travelers (TEX), Arkansas Travelers PITCHERS, Arturo Moreno, Austin Wood, barry enright, Bert Parke, Bill Haselman, Billy Buckner, Brandon Efferson, Brandon Emanual, Brandon Hynick, Brandon Love, brandon sisk, Brennan Gowens, Brent Del Chiaro, Brian Hernandez, Buddy Boshers, Burlington Bees (MID), Burlington Bees PITCHERS, Burlington POSITION PLAYERS, c Jordan Walden, c Peter Bourjos, c.j. cron, c.j. wilson, Caleb Graham, Cameron Bedrosian, Carlos Ramirez, Carmine Giardina, chad cordero, Chance Ross, Chevy Clarke, Chris Gissel, chris iannetta, chris nelson, Chris O'Grady Andres E. Perez, collin cowgill, Cory Rasmus, Cyle Hankerd, Dan Reynolds, Dan Tobik, dane de la rosa, Daniel Hurtado, daniel stange, Daniel Tillman, david carpenter, David G. Elmore, Dino Ebel, dontrelle willis, Doug Nelson, dustin richardson, Eduard Santos, Efren Navarro, Elio Sarmiento, Elvin Ramirez, Eric Cendejas, Eric Stamets, erick aybar, Erik Bennett, Ernesto Frieri, Ernie Young, Eswarlin Jimenez, exicardo cayones, Fernando Cabrera, Francisco Matos, Garrett Cannizaro, garrett richards, Gary Mitchell, grant green, Greg Miller, hank conger, Howard Kendrick, Inland Empire 66ers (CAL), Inland Empire 66ers PITCHERS, Inland Empire 66ers POSITION PLAYERS, J. B. Shuck, J.C. Gutierrez, Jairo Diaz, Jake Boyd, Jamie Burke, Jarrett Grube, Jason Urquidez, Jason Vargas, jeff kleiner, jered weaver, Jeremy Berg, jerome williams, jerry dipoto, Jett Bandy, Jimmy Swift, joe blanton, Joel Capote, John Hester, Johnny Holtman, josh hamilton, Josh Judy, Julio Concepcion, kaleb cowart, Keith Johnson, kevin jepsen, Kevin Johnson, kole calhoun, kramer sneed, LA Angels PITCHERS, LA Angels POSITION PLAYERS, Lay Batista, lhp 2011 Baseball America's Top Ten Prospects Mike Trout, lhp C.J. Cron, lhp Garrett Richards, lhp Jordan Walden, luis jimenez, Luis Montanez, Luis Rodriguez, Luke Carlin, Manny Correa, Marc Amicone, Mark Sappington, mark trumbo, Matt Oye, Matt Scioscia, Matt Shoemaker, Matt Young, Michael Cisco, Michael Clevinger, michael kohn, michael roth, Michael Snyder, Mike Butcher Jim Eppard, Mike Eylward, mike hampton, Mike Morin, mike piazza, mike scioscia, Mike Trout, Nic DellaTorre, nick maronde, NONE PITCHERS POSITION PLAYERS 2013 Baseball America's Top Ten Prospects Kaleb Cowart, of Jean Segura, of Mike Trout, of Taylor Lindsey, of Trevor Reckling, of Tyler Chatwood, of Tyler Skaggs, Orangel Arenas, Pat Lowery, Pedro Toribio, Pete Laven, peter bourjos, Randal Grichuk, rhp, rhp 2010 Baseball America's Top Ten Prospects Hank Conger, rhp Alex Yarbrough, rhp Ariel Pena, rhp Austin Wood, rhp C.J. Cron, rhp Fabio Martinez, rhp Fabio Martinez Meza, rhp Jean Segura, rhp Johnny Hellweg, rhp Kaleb Cowart, rhp Mark Sappington, rhp Mark Trumbo, rhp Nick Maronde, rhp Randal Grichuk, Riley Good, RJ Alvarez, Rob Delaney, Rob Picciolo, Robbie Widlansky, robert coello, Roberto Lopez, Rolando Gomez, ryan brasier, Ryan Chaffee, Ryan Crowley, Ryan English, Ryan Jones, Salt Lake Bees (PCL), Salt Lake Bees PITCHERS, Salt Lake Bees POSITION PLAYERS, Sandy Martinez, Scott Cousins, sean burnett, Sherman Johnson, ss Garrett Richards, Stephen McGee, Stephen Tromblee, Steve Soliz, Taylor Lindsey, thomas field, Tim Bogar, tommy hanson, Travis Witherspoon, Trent Oeltjen, twitter @chuckbooth3024, Ty Kelley, Tyler DeLoach, Wade Hinkle, Wendell Soto, Zach Wright, Zachary Borenstein
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Payroll in 2013 and Contracts Going Forward
Posted by aelacey
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Follow @mlbreportsMonday, August.12, 2013

Jered Weaver is the ace of the staff for the Angels, but has had issues avoiding the disables list this season. When healthy Weaver is one of the best pitchers in the AL. He has won seven games for the Halos, while sporting a 2.87 ERA in 103.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 82 batters and has just walked 24 with a WHIP of 1.10. The right-hander is limiting the opposition to a .233 batting average on the season, with left-handed batters just managing a .231 average. He knows how to pitch when runners are in scoring position, as indicated by teams just having a .230 average in this situation.
By Chris Lacey (Lead Baseball Columnist/Minority Website Owner) Follow @aecanada12
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have set high expectations coming into this season, and for the second straight off season they were able to sign a highly coveted free agent.
This season has gone from bad to worst with the team trailing the Texas Rangers by 14 games in the American League West division. One reason they have struggled is that they have allowed 546 runs this season, which is third most in the AL.
Mark Trumbo 2012 Highlights
Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, The Rest: Everything Baseball
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Tags: @aecanada12 on twitter, AL West, albert pujols, andrew romine, andrew taylor, c.j. wilson, chris iannetta, chris nelson, collin cowgill, Cory Rasmus, dan haren, dane de la rosa, daniel stange, david carpenter, erick aybar, Ernesto Frieri, ervin santana, garrett richards, grant green, hank conger, howie kendrick, J. B. Shuck, J.C. Gutierrez, Jason Vargas, jered weaver, jerome williams, joe blanton, John Hester, josh hamilton, kevin jepsen, kole calhoun, los angeles angels of anaheim, luis jimenez, mark trumbo, michael kohn, michael roth, Mike Trout, nick maronde, peter bourjos, robert coello, ryan brasier, sean burnett, texas rangers, thomas field, tommy hanson, vernon wells
Top MLB Teams 1 – 30: Monthly Rankings + (Top 200 Stats For Reading And Fantasy Baseball)
Posted by chuckbooth3023
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The Giants have gone 9 – 23 in their last 32 Games – and are in danger of having a brutal campaign just one year after capturing the World Series. Key injuries and overlogged pitchers have been the main point of contention. They lost 8 Ranking Spots this past time. Should they also become sellers at the Trade Deadline, Tim Lincecum and Hunter Pence could fetch a few players in return. The Giants are currently 40 – 50 and 6.5 Games behind the NL West Leading DBACKS – but are in last in the NL West.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
The time has come for the July Power Rankings with Stats Edition. There will be one each for May, June, July, August, September – and then a special playoff edition Power Rankings will be done in October.
I will not do a weekly Power Rankings during these weeks, because in essence, these are the weekly rankings done on a much larger scale.
These Reports are done with a heavy thought to how the teams project by the end of the season – along with how the clubs have fared so far.
I will point out who has had great months for the all 30 MLB Teams. I reward the good performances in these rankings – and leave the poor ones for the Podcasts or future articles. CLICK THE READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON or scroll past the video and picture.
Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, Players: Fantasy Baseball Articles, The Rest: Everything Baseball
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Tags: a.j ellis, aaron crow, aaron hill, adam dunn, adam jones, adam wainwright, adeiny hechavarria, adrian beltre, adrian gonzalez, al central, AL East, AL West, albert belle, alberto callaspo, alejandro de aza, alex gordon, alex ríos, alex torres, alex wood, alexei ramirez, alfonso soriano, All 30 MLB Teams, allen crai, allen craig, American league, andre ethier, Andrew McCutchen, andrew miller, anthony recker, anthony rendon, arizona diamondbacks, aroldis chapman, Atlanta Braves, baltimore orioles, bartolo colon, ben revere, Bobby Parnell, boston red sox, brandon belt, brandon moss, brett gardner, brett wallace, Brian Dozier, Brian McCann, buster posey, c.j. wilson, caleb thielbar, carlos beltran, carlos gomez, carlos gonzalez, casey fien, cc sabathia, chase utley, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, chris carter, chris davis, chris johnson, chris perez, chris sale, chris tillman, cincinnati reds, clay buchholz, clayton kershaw, Clete Thomas, cleveland indians, cliff lee, colby rasmus, colorado rockies, Corey Kluber, craig kimbrel, dane de la rosa, david carpenter, david ortiz, david price, david robertson, david wright, delmon young, dennis eckersley, Derek Holland, desmond jennings, detroit tigers, Domonic Brown, Don Kelly. Matt Tuiasosopo. Miguel Cabrera, Drew Smyly, drew stubbs, dustin mcGowan, edinson volquez, edwin encarnacion, eric young jr., erick aybar, Ernesto Frieri, ervin santana, evan longoria, fantasy baseball, felix hernandez, fernando rodney, francisco liriano, francisco rodriguez, freddie freeman, gerrit cole, gio gonzalez, glen perkins, gordon beckham, grant balfour, greg holland, haney ramirez, hiroki kuroda, houston astros, huston street, ian desmond, ichiro suzuki, J. B. Shuck, J.J. Hoover, jacob turner, jacoby ellsbury, james shields, jamey wright, jarrod parker, jarrod saltalamacchia, Jason Frasor, jason giambi, jason grilli, jason kipnis, jay bruce, jayson werth, jean segura, jed lowrie, jeff locke, jeff mathis, jeremy hefner, jeremy hellickson, Joaquin Benoit, joe nathan, joe thatcher, joey votto, john axford, john lackey, jonathan lucroy, jonny gomes, jordan walden, jorge de la rosa, jose altuve, jose bautista, Jose Cisnero, jose fernandez, Jose Iglesias, jose veras, josh collmenter, Josh Edgin, josh hamilton, Josh Satin, juan uribe, justin morneau, justin smoak, kansas city royals, Keith Butler, keith seigrist, kenley jansen, koji uehara, kyle farnsworth, kyle lohse, kyle seager, la angels, la dodgers, Logan Schafer, luke hochevar, Luke Scott, madison bumgarner, maicer izturis, manny machado, mark melancon, marlon byrd, martin perez, matt carpenter, matt garza, Matt Guerrier, matt harvey, matt moore, max scherzer, miami marlins, michael brantley, michael cuddyer, miguel cabrera, miguel gonzalez, mike aviles, Mike Leake, Mike Trout, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, national league, nelson cruz, new york mets, new york yankees, nick markakis, nick swisher, NL Central, NL east, nl west, oakland athletics, oliver perez, omar infante, paco rodriguez, Patrick Corbin, paul goldschmidt, pedro alvarez, pedro ciriaco, pedro strop, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, rafael soriano, rajai davis, raul ibanez, rex brothers, roberto hernandez, ryan howard, ryan raburn, Ryan Reid, ryan zimmerman, ryan zimmermann, san diego padres, san francisco giants, scott downs, seattle mariners, sergio romo, shane victorino, Shawn Kelley, shin-soo choo, st louis cardinals, starling marte, stephen strasburg, steve cishek, steve Delabar, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, tony abreu, tony watson, Torii Hunter, toronto blue jays, trevor plouffe, trevor rosenthal, troy patton, tyler clippard, ubaldo jimenez, washington nationals, wil myers, wilin rosario, wily peralta, yasiel puig, yu darvish, zack greinke, zack wheeler
Tampa Bay Rays Player Roster In 2013 Part 1 – The Hitters: State Of The Union
Posted by jakeyjake63
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Ben Zobrist has quietly turned into one of the best all around players in the game. He has finished in the top 10 for WAR in 3 of the last 4 years – including 1st in 2011 and 2nd in 2009. At Age 31, Zobrist goes into a contract year in 2013. It may be his last season with TB.
By Jake Bullington (Rays Correspondent) Follow @JakeyJake01
Part 1: The hitters:
2012 saw the Tampa Bay Rays miss the playoffs for the first time since 2009. They would finish a very respectable 90-win season and finish third in the AL Wild card. The offseason saw much of what Rays fans are used to from this small market club. Impact players such as B.J. Upton (ATL), Jeff Keppinger (CHW), and Carlos Pena (HOU), would move on to greener pastures and sign elsewhere. That meant GM Andrew Friedman and his team would get to work. They would pick up options on SP James Shields, CL Fernando Rodney, and C Jose Molina. They would decline the option on DH Luke Scott and later sign him back.
The offseason would also see the reworking of a long-term deal to keep the Rays 3B Evan Longoria in a Rays uniform at least through the 2022 season. But with Free Agency looming for “Big Game” James the Rays would do what they do best and send Shields, Wade Davis, and a PTBNL (Elliot Johnson) to the Royals for a prospect package that included future rotation regulars Mike Montgomery and Jake Odorizzi and MLB.com 2nd best prospect OF Wil Myers. The Rays would shore up the middle of the infield by Signing and trading for the Blue Jays previous middle infield of Yunel Escobar (MIA) and Kelly Johnson (FA). To replace Carlos Pena, the Rays would sign Free Agent James Loney. The organization also brought back Joel Peralta on a deal that included a record three Club Options.
Desmond Jennings Highlights:
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Tags: 25 man roster rays 2013, 40 man roster TB Rays 2013, @jakeyjake01 on twitter, AL Cy Young Award Winner, alex cobb, andrew freidman, Arbitration eligible, b.j. upton, ben francisco, ben zobrist, boston red sox, brandon gomes, burke badenhop, Carlos Pena, cesar ramos, chris archer, chris jennings, dane de la rosa, david price, desmond jennings, durham bulls, elliot johnson, fernando rodney, Hak-Ju Lee, j.p Howell, jake bullington, jake mcgee, jake orodizzi, james loney, jeff niemann, jeremy hellickson, joel peralta, john hart, john jaso, jose molina, josh lueke, kc royals, kyle farnsworth, Luke Scott, matt joyce, matt moore, miami marlins, mike montgomery, MLB Payrolls 2013, new york yankees, philadelphia phillies, reid brignac, rick thompson, robinson chirinos, ryan roberts, sam fuld, sean rodriguez, seattle mariners, stephen vogt, stu sternberg, super 2 arbitration eligible, tampa bay rays, tampa bay rays payroll 2013, tim beckham, tim lincecum, travis hafner, tropicana field, wil myers, yunel escobar
Tampa Bay Rays Payroll 2013 And Contracts Going Forward: Part 4 Of A 5 Part Rays Series
Posted by chuckbooth3023
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday Mar.03/2013
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Will Myers ascended onto the PCL scene last year and ripped out 24 HRs in just 99 Games at Omaha. The Rays will be counting on him for their offensive future. As a Controllable Player for years, he changes the Salary structure of the Team to Lower the committed dollars from what Shields and Davis would have made.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
New Changes to the old article in Purple:
I am of the belief that the Andrew Friedman and Stu Sternberg have been the ‘model franchise’ in the MLB over the last 5 years. Not only do they compete in the vaunted AL East versus the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, but they have made the playoffs 3 times in that span, including a World Series Loss to the Philadelphia in the 2008 year. Had Evan Longoria not been hurt for the majority of the season, one could argue that the club was poised to make another playoff appearance. So how are they doing this? Their team payroll is roughly one-third of the Yankees and the 40 % of the Red Sox total Payroll. The Rays are smart enough to let their higher priced Free Agents walk, or even trading them before they are due significant pay raises.
They are also using the philosophy of the ‘John Hart‘ Indians of the Pre-Milennium Cleveland Indians. Once it was established that Evan Longoria could play at the MLB Level, they signed him to an 8 year contract. They did the same thing with Starting Pitching Matt Moore last year with a 5 year deal for the rookie based on one playoffs of decent pitching. It is a risk sometimes to do this, yet the rewards can save you Millions in future payroll if they player outperforms his contract.
Rays Highlights 2012 Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance Is advised:
Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, The Rest: Everything Baseball
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