The Nationals were 36 – 25 in the games that Denard Span appeared in for the 2015 year. He is going to help the Giants offense as a legitimate leadoff man in 2016 and can play all 3 positions in the Outfield. They have 3 decent starting players beyond the grass, and should be able to fill all 162 games with Belt and Blanco also being on the depth chart out there.
I absolutely love the Giants Free Agent Signing of Denard Span. This is a club that has extreme depth in all 3 OF positions now, and Span has worked the role of a Leadoff man brilliantly in the last several years.
Yes between he, Hunter Pence and Angel Pagan they have spent time on the sick bay over the last few years, but when you add that Brandon Belt could play LF, or Gregor Blanco who filled in admirably well in 2015, than you see that the roster just became stronger.
It is for these reasons alone I have finally taken the +900 odd off as one of my worst picks on the betsheet. This signing definitely tips the scales back in San Frans favor over the Dodgers.
The 1 – 8 lineup looks nice with Span, Joe Panik, Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, Brandon Belt, Matt Duffy, Brandon Crawford and Angel Pagan all capable MLB Starter. I could see this squad leading the Batting Average in the Majors in the coming year.
The Tigers are already at a budget of near $180 MIL – and could still use another Starting Pitcher and OF to add to the mix. What if they were to sign Yoenis Cespedes and then add another Starter – this could bring them over the $200 MIL barrier. With just a penalty of 17.5% for one year over, it would not cost the club more than about $5 MIL in fees if that were to happen. It is only because they are the most winnable Division – and can draw over 3 Million fans that I would even say this is a good idea to spend more money for one season.
If you also add 4 months from each of Yoenis Cespedes, Joakim Soria and David Price to the list from the beginning of 2015, how does the departed compare to the incoming for 2016?
It actually is pretty fair, but the difference comes down to Cespedes. The Bullpen may be a lot stronger as well. Simon and Avila is favorable to Saltalamacchia and Pelfrey.
Rodriguez, Lowe and Wilson compares to Soria and Albuquerque and Gorzelanny strongly.
Price and Zimmermann is at least comparable, with Price maybe holding a slight edge, but not at an extension of $107 MIL over 2 years better. Value wise, the Tigers may have the better long term deal.
Back to Back AL pennants and this years World Series Winners. They are the biggest favorite to win their respective division so far on the board. The KC franchise has most of the core nucleus all heading for Free Agency before the 2018 season. If I were a fan of this club – I would be okay with the team rebuilding after this, but for now to throw all chips in and try to cash in on a chance for a small dynasty. Dayton Moore and the Brass should use any one of their Minor League Players to acquire the next piece or 2 to make that happen in 2016 and 2017.
The Royals are back to back AL Pennant winners and the reigning World Series Champions right now. Furthermore, they are playing in the most winnable Division in the Majors right now.
Kansas City were the 1st real small market club to win the World Series since the 2003 Marlins club took home the Fall Classic that year.
Just like the 2014 winter, the club will sustain losses between the end of the year to Spring Training the following year.
The door is not closed on Alex Gordon yet, however I don’t think it is in the clubs best interest to pay a 9 figure salary to a guy who is already 30.
KC has already seen Ben Zobrist sign with the Cubs, Johnny Cueto with the Giants, and Greg Holland will not pitch at all in the 2016 season with Tommy John Surgery recovery, and certainly not for the Royals.
Dayton Moore has done a decent job acquiring talent though. The team resigned Starter Chris Young, and they added one time Royals Closer Joakim Soria.
The window is not just for 2016 – as the club only stands to lose back up Catcher Drew Butera following next year, but also for 2017. Read the rest of this entry →
Even with the Cubs signing Jason Heyward and being the favorite to win bot the NL Pennant and World Series, they have to contend with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016 once again. The Redbirds won 100 games and are coming back with another great squad. That is the sole reason why the Cubs are not the biggest favorite to win their own Division.
These odds are a pretty good reflection of the landscape in the MLB right now. The best value on the board would be the NY Yankees are +240 and Detroit at +250. Both of these clubs are old, but if they can play to their talent level and avoid injury, could win their Divisions.
I fully expect the Cubs will win the National League Central Division, but the +140 odd doesn’t pay enough to entice a wager.
The worst odd on the board has to be the Texas Rangers. I am not sure they are that much better than the Houston Astros right now, and they have not had a banner winter yet – while Houston has solidified their Bullpen by adding flamethrower Ken Giles.
Add in a full year of Carlos Correa – and Houston should be the Division favorite.
I think the Twins might be a nice long shot wager at +310. This club did finished 2nd in the American League Central Division during the 2015 year with 83 victories.Read the rest of this entry →
The Blue Jays ended the longest MLB playoff drought in 2015 – and made it to game 6 of the ALCS. With losing David Price and Mark Buehrle after this year, how should the team work this off year? I say they should treat 2016 as World Series or bust. Sign a bopping Left Handed Bat, or at least a Lef Handed Leadoff Batter, and then trade everyone they possibly can at the Deadline for a run at the World Series. After next season, Edwin Encarnacion and Joey Bats are also Free Agents. More onus to go for it this upcoming year.
The Jays are coming off an awesome year for the franchise. Yet all of this coincided with them losing GM Alex Anthopoulos and may see David Price and Mark Buehrle not return in 2016.
This offense and fielding defense is hands above the rest of the Division right now. With the Yankees holding off father time in 2015, they may not be able to do it in 2016, and the Red Sox not having enough resources to sign a pile of Free Agents in the winter, the only Canadian franchise should be favored heavily to win the AL East in 2016 right now.
For the organization there within lies a dilemma. The team is on the cusp of a championship so how do they add the last pieces?Read the rest of this entry →
Matt Wieters accepted the 1 Year Qualifying Offer with the Baltimore Orioles. He joined both Colby Rasmus and Brett Anderson as the 1st 3 men to ever accept the ‘QO’ under the new format. Marco Estrada was also taken off off the market Friday, accepting a 2 YR/$26 MIL deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
I will be using mlbtraderumors.com top 50 free agents to make things easy. To be clear there are other free agents outside this list (some who I think should be on it) who will be available and many could have breakout or comeback seasons.
Additionally there will be players that get non tendered during arbitration. Well so here are my predictions.
As good as Stephen Strasburg was in the 2nd half of the 2015 year, ( 6 – 2 with a 1.90 ERA post ALL – Star), he will be a Free Agent after 2016. The Nats need a leadoff man, and a lockdown Closer- after they potentially trade attitude problem Jonathan Papelbon. It makes for both clubs to pull the deal off. There will also not be any recourse action as they are all set to switch leagues. The trade would see the Yankees flip leadoff OF man Brett Gardner and Closer Andrew Miller in return. Both of those 2 Yankees have 3 years left on their current deals.
This would be a phenomenal deal for both clubs. The Yankees can clear some salary to sign another Starting Pitcher in addition to Strasburg coming in, and the Nats would get their new leadoff man and shutdown Closer.
Although there are some things to consider….It looks like the club will go forward with Bryce Harper at CF then. This would mean that Gardner and Jayson Werth would round out the Outfield.
I also think the Nationals should include Jonathan Papelbon in this deal – or flip him in another deal to clear a spot for Miller to Close.
Straburg will make from $11 – $13 MIL for the 2016 season in his last year of Arbitration before hitting Free Agency – which would equal out Gardner’s salary. Andrew Miller is set to make $9 MIL a year for the next 3 seasons.
New York will need to replace Miller in some capacity for sure. Whether that is another late inning arm to set up Dellin Betances – or even sign another Closer would have to be the idea. Miller and Betances were the two best pitchers for the club in 2015.
The team would be well served to land the services of Joakim Soria.
For the record, Papelbon only makes $11 MIL in 2016 before becoming an outright Free Agent in 2017.Read the rest of this entry →
Holds is a category that is starting to garner more respect each and every campaign in the MLB. Having said that, it doesn’t always mean the pitcher is throwing well if he owns a lot of them for the year. It is just one stat that should be accompanied by others.
When searching to figure out who will have the most of these in a season, it is important to see the amount of games the guy will enter.
For the last several years, Tyler Clippard has dominated in the National League With his trade to the American League, it opens up the leaderboard for this campaign.
It has been said, that the former Nationals Reliever will see some mop-up duty as a closer for the A’s to start the year. Had Sean Doolittlebeen healthy from the start of the year, I would have placed a massive wager that Clippard would lead the MLB in Holds one more time.
Instead, I will go with his teammate Eric O’Flaherty to make the top 5 on the list. I also don’t think it would be a foreign idea to see Ryan Cook push the top Bullpen Holds Leaders by years end. Read the rest of this entry →
Rodney had 48 Saves, 0.777 WHIP and a 0.60 ERA in 2012, to place 5th in AL Cy Young Voting and was an ALL-Star. 2013 wasn’t as kind (although he did win the WBC) with a 3.34 ERA and a WHIP of 1.335. The Mariners not armed with many better Options, brought in the then 37 Year Old, to a 2 YR/$14 MIL deal. Rodney did feature a career best 11.1/SO Per 9 IP rate in 2013, but he also walked 4.9 /Per IP as well. His work translated better in the AL West during 2014, where 2/3rds of his games are in Seattle, Los Angeles and Oakland. Rodney led the AL in both Saves (48) and Games Finished in 2014 (64) – while having a 2.85 ERA, but a high 1.342 WHIP. The latter is right near his career totals. His Walk Rate was 3.8, but that is less than his 4.4 clip for his lifetime. The man fashioned a 10.3/9 IP SO rate. I expect more of the same in 2015, with the M’s having one of the better clubs this campaign. There will be more arrows slings after games.
With the fiasco that is the Detroit Tigers Bullpen. I look for these guys to roll through several different Closers in 2015. Joakim Soria would be the 1st one to attempt after Joe Nathan fails.
I also think the Yankees are going dually use Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller depending on the situational maneuvering matchups. New York will be hard pressed to make the playoffs, but I do think they will net one of the higher team Save totals.
The same could probably said for the Boston Red Sox. I think the near 40 year old Koji Uehara will have a tough time staying healthy for 100% of the opportunities, however he will be just outside the mark.
St. Louis may end up using someone different from Trevor Rosenthal, because we are due for them to change 9th inning guys. Adam Wainwright, Jason Isringhausen Jason Motte, Ryan Franklin and Edward Mujica have all seen the mantle over the last several years for the RedBirds.
Rosenthal has actually had one of the longer stints, however he really struggled at the end of the 2014 year (despite 45 Saves), and it carried over to the playoffs, where he featured 10 base runners, while only recording 11 outs. I am thinking he will not have as many chances in 2015 as well.
This year’s 2014 ALCS matches up two teams that not many people predicted to get to this point, but as arguably the two hottest teams in baseball, the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals definitely will be a fun and exciting series to watch.
It’s been a while since the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals have found themselves in the American League Championship Series, but the wait for these two fan bases is finally over.
These two teams will open up a best-of-seven series at Camden Yards on Friday night.
Although it isn’t the usual suspects we see in the series (such as the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox of the world), baseball fans should definitely keep an eye on this series, as two of the hottest teams in baseball will face off to determine who represents the American League in the World Series.
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:
The Texas Rangers possess 5 of the players we have in our 51 – 100 prospects. If this team is serious about getting younger even more with trades of Alex Rios or Adrian Beltre, perhaps they can add even more to the list In a year where they have had 20+ DL stints, maybe some of these young guys will find themselves in Arlington sooner – rather than later.
To make this list you must be able to meet rookie eligibility. To be eligible for a list, a player must have rookie eligibility.
To qualify for rookie status, a player must not have exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues, or accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the 25-player limit period, excluding time on the disabled list or in military service.
This list doesn’t include players in the 2014 Draft nor the 2014 international signing period.
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.
Home Of Sully Baseball + #WOB, #SullyMetrics, Baseball Analysis (Audio + Written, Roster Trees, Salaries, Org. Depth Charts, Historical Series for All 30 Clubs + State Of The Unions + Wicked Daily Content,) + tyhe best coverage on the 2014 MLB schedule in the world. We are not your average “Cookie Cutter” Website. Also our motto is “THE TRUTH STINGS LIKE A CATCUS!”
As our website has increasingly adapted to changes both suggested by our readers and writers, we are forever changing our content on our little space carved out on the interwebs.
So for a little bit of nostalgia, I add an installment of a previous segment we once had, called ATR (Ask The Reports).
Q: I noticed you pulled down the HR leaderboard pages and placed them on a website called www.30mlbteamsreports.com, is this the same ownership of that site?
Prince Fielder’s 2013 – 3 Slash Line (.279/.362/.457) is far below his Career Mark of .286/.389/.527. The man has not hit a HR in his last 74 AB in the playoffs either. Fielder at least had 5 HRs in 1st 70 AB for his playoff Career. Maybe that will change in Texas, after he clubs his way to be an AL MVP Candidate for the Rangers in 2014. I expect him to return to the 40+ HR plateau, drive in well over 100+ RBI – and lead his team to a World Series Appearance this year. Fielder will be in Texas for the next 7 years, and the Rangers only have to pay $20 MIL per year, with Detroit eating $4 MIL each season as part of the trade that saw Ian Kinsler go to Motown.
The Texas Rangers bolstered their 2014 offensive lineup with 2 new .400+ OBP Players.
Shin-Soo Choo (.423 OBP in 2013, and a Career .389 OBP), and Prince Fielder (.362 OBP, but was .400 OBP+ in 4 out of the last 5 years and .389 OBP for his lifetime) – will be front and center into the Rangers new lineup.
This is not an indictment of the 3 right handed hitters either though, Beltre is a .312 hitter for Texas during his 3 campaigns, while Alex Rios and Andrus should hit anywhere from .280 to .290 this year.
You add Andrus’s speed with Leonys Martin – and these two guys could swipe 40+ bags each. Even Alex Rios thieved 16 Bags in 2013 – and Choo had 20 SB yet again.Read the rest of this entry →
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 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 →
Darvish has provided Texas with ace-like material ever since coming over from Japan. At his current $10 MIL a year salary, this gives the club a bunch of financial freedom to sign other long term deals. Darvish finished 2nd in AL CY Young Voting with a 13 – 9 record, a 2.83 ERA and a league leading 277 SO in his 209.2 IP worth of work in 2013. Darvish’s high posting bid was not part of his salary prior to 2012, or converted towards the total team payroll. Texas is lucky his yearly hit is so low – as the team already has $116 MIL towards the Luxury Tax Threshold before Arbitration Players are paid in the next couple of weeks. The Rangers could still potentially sign more guys to raise this figure even more.
This is part 1 of our 2 part payroll piece we will do for each club. The Rangers are entering with the heavy payroll clubs in the game of MLB.
Their salaries after Arbitration Eligibles are paid, could range anywhere from $125 – $140 MIL, and even higher if they are able to land another Free Agent Pitcher or hitter.
They have spoken loud with the checkbook. With 370 wins over the last 4 seasons, and 4 straight 90+ win campaigns, the Rangers are hoping to cash in with the 2014 squad.
For all of the Rosters, Depth Charts, State of the Unions and Salaries Posts that we do, please visit our dedicated page link here.
Yu Darvish Highlights Mature Lyrics So parental guidance is advised
By the time this offseason ends, the Rangers may have acquired the two best players for it. Placing Choo at the top of the lineup – as the OBP machine that he ends, followed by Adrian Beltre hitting 3rd – and Prince Fielder 4th, all of a sudden the Texas Rangers are looking like their vintage “offensive” selves. Based on this, go and pick up their World Series ODD win at +1100 (3rd favorite in the AL) anywhere you can as they should be the favorite. Choo signed for a 7 Year Deal worth $130 MIL this winter. It is an annual average contract of $18.43 MIL, but the man will only pocket $14 MIL for his services in 2014 and 2015 as well..
Prince Fielder was signed to a 9 YR/$214 MIL contract before the start of the 2012 season. He is not Slugging as much as his Brewers days, however his OBP is just slightly lower in the regular season. Fielder has a chance to have a Hall of Fame Career. If he can bring a World Series to Texas, he will enhance his chances. The Big man has to step up in 2014, or the team may fail to capitalize on the World Series Caliber team they have built over the last half a dozen years. After a few years with Detroit, that club will be on the hook to the big man for $76 MIL out of the deal, leaving Texas to pay $138 MIL over the 7 seasons he is signed with the club.
Note From Chuck Booth:
You guys are all in for a treat. Jeff Kleiner 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.
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!
Authors for this post:
Jeff Kleiner: “I have been a sports fan since the first Baseball game I went to at Comisky Park in Chicago in 1959, when baseball for me turned from black and white to color.
I have attended or watched thousands of games, always paying attention to statistics, rosters and salaries of all professional sports.
Luckily I had the advantage of watching WGN TV and seeing hundreds of games in the 60’s. Collecting Baseball Cards and then later dealing them gave me an extra sense of the sport, both good and bad.”
For all of your Salaries, Roster and Depth Charts for all 4 Major Sports (entire organization – Minors and Majors) click here or Follow Me on twitter Follow @prosportsroster
prosportsrosters.com is the best source for following entire organizations in all 4 Major Sports.
Chuck Booth – Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner and author of the Fastest 30 Ballgames: To learn more about my “The Fastest 30 Ballgames Book” and how to purchase it, click here .
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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?
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
Chipper had a lifetime slash line of .303/.401/.529 with 2726 Hits and 468 HRs. He played the game the way it was supposed to be played, with class and all out effort.
The start of the 2013 Major League Baseball season is upon us. While that is beyond awesome, unfortunately there is a list of really good players who will likely not start the season playing for a Major League team. Most of these players are out due to injury, but there are also a few others I would like to mention that are out due to retirement, suspension, or the fact that they have still yet to sign with a team.
It will be a bittersweet Opening Day for the Atlanta Braves who will be without Chipper Jones this season. He spent his entire 19 years of Major League service time with the Braves, and after an MVP season in 1999, a 1995 World Series Championship, and 8 All-Star appearances, Chipper has decided to call it a career. Jones was one of, if not the best, switch hitter of all time.
Joe Ortiz was brought up from the farm system, and although he is only 22, he has spent six years with the Rangers. Ortiz has had an impressive Spring Training – and has caught the eye of fans as well as pitching coach Mike Maddux. Ortiz posted a 1.97 ERA in 24 Appearances with AAA Round Rock last season – and has officially made the big league Bullpen this year.
By Brooke Robinson (Rangers Correspondent): Follow @bka_9
Though baseball season begins in Texas just hours away, there were many questions left for the team to answer throughout Spring Training. Who will become the fifth starter? Who will recover from surgery this season? And who will revive the Bullpen?
In the past month of training in Surprise, Arizona, some of the answers of these questions have come to light. The Rangers were plagued with injury in the latter part of the 2012 season, particularly with their pitching.
So it was no surprise that the front office brought in and up some new faces to test out this spring. Pitchers that will still be recovering at the beginning of the season include: RHP Colby Lewis, RHP Neftali Feliz, RHP Joakim Soria, and LHP Martin Perez.
Bruce Rondon is 1-1 in Spring Training so far with a 5.79 ERA. He has allowed 7 Hits (including 1 HR) and Walked 5 in 4.2 IP. Not such a hot start for the rookie phenom. With World Series Aspirations this year – can the Tigers afford to not enter the Regular Season with a proven Closer?
But the Tigers ‘chosen’ Closer isn’t making things easy.
Bruce Rondon, 22-Years-Old, is expected to be the closer for this coming season and hopefully many more to follow. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland have both made it known that it’s his job to lose this spring.
Losing it is just the path he is on. Through 4.2 IP, he has given up 7 Hits, 3 ER, 1 HR, and yielded 5 Walks..It’s early we know, but at what point does early become too late?
If he happens to pitch himself out of the Closer spot then who will be our fearless Closer?
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.
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.
Jake Dal Porto: There isn’t a single general manager is baseball that enjoys negotiating with Scott Boras, the man behind many of baseball’s top players. He usually gets his way when the final dominos fall, but he isn’t perfect. Edwin Jackson and Ryan Madson are two examples of Boras’s flawed work of late.
Here’s how they have and will be affected in free agency:
How Edwin Jackson Will Be Affected
Jackson seems to be the MLB’s definition of a journeyman. With ten years under his belt, he has pitched on seven teams, and not once has he signed a contract worth longer than three years. Jackson had an opportunity to erase that trend last off-season with several long-term deals at his disposal. However, Fox Sport’s Ken Rosenthal noted last winter that instead of taking the safe route, he could roll the dice and shoot for a larger contract next winter, which is now this winter. Jackson followed Rosenthal’s blueprint, signing a one-year deal with the Nationals worth $11 million. Read the rest of this entry →
Bernie Olshansky: Over the course of this year, there have been more pitchers going in for Tommy John surgery than I can ever remember. And make no mistake, it is mostly pitchers that are falling victim. According to our TJ Tracker, there have been 39 pitchers (including Michael Pineda who had arthroscopic surgery) that had the surgery since March. In the month of August alone, there have already been two pitchers to go under the knife and one that most likely will. Neftali Feliz had the surgery on the first of the month after trying to come back from an arm injury, and he was then being shut down in a rehab assignment. Drew Hutchison of the Blue Jays also had this surgery. It seems like every pitcher will eventually need this surgery in his career. It is becoming the reality of modern day baseball.
Before the surgery, pitchers’ careers were much shorter, some just 7-8 years long. Now with this new technology, careers are prolonged. It’s been said that Tommy John surgery can even strengthen an arm. The ligament is replaced with a tendon (usually from the leg) and the arm is made stronger. Sometimes pitchers are said to throw even harder after the surgery. This may or may not be true; there is some debate. It could be that pitchers are taking more time to condition, but it could also be that they are given a stronger arm. Some pitchers have had the surgery multiple times. One that comes to mind is Brian Wilson of the Giants. Wilson had his first surgery in college. He fully recovered and was converted from a starter to a reliever in the minors. Upon arriving to the majors, Wilson was a fireballer and became the closer. He threw in the upper 90’s even after a surgery like this. It will be interesting to see how he recovers from his second surgery and if he can retain the closers’ role.Read the rest of this entry →
Sam Evans: Just in the 2012 season, more than thirty pitchers have lost their seasons due to Tommy John surgery. Even in an era where pitchers are congratulated for throwing just two hundred innings, the wear and tear on a pitchers arm still causes them to be forced to have Tommy John surgery. Some have tried to blame it on pitchers arm slots and delivery, but the truth is every pitcher is vulnerable. Obviously, Tommy John surgery is going to continue to be a big part of the game. But my question is: what would major league baseball be like without Tommy John surgery?
MLB reports features two tools that prove to be very useful when learning more about Tommy John surgery and the pitchers affected by it. First of all, the Tommy John surgery tracker, which you can find here, not only gives you an up to date look at the pitchers out with Tommy John (the latest being Daniel Hudson of the Diamondbacks) but it also tells you about Frank Jobe and how he saved Tommy John’s career. The other Tommy John resource MLB reports has to offer is a story that Johnny Anderson, a Toronto Blue Jays player wrote about his two Tommy John surgeries-you can find that here. Read the rest of this entry →
Bryan Sheehan (Baseball Writer): Seeing Mariano Rivera go down with a torn ACL is like driving by a car accident and reflecting on how easily it could have been you in that accident, or in this case- how it could have been your team’s closer cringing in pain on the warning track. And this is the year of the injured closer: from Boston’s Andrew Bailey to San Francisco’s Brian Wilson, closers across the league have been dropping like flies. Other closers, like the Angels’ Jordan Walden, have stayed healthy but haven’t played well enough to keep their coveted ninth inning role. Even though there has only been a month of baseball so far, much has changed for some clubs.
Today, I’ll be taking a look at every team’s closer situation, and breaking down how it got to be the way it is: Read the rest of this entry →
Ryan Ritchey: New on mlbreports.com is a Tommy John Surgery link. https://mlbreports.com/tj-surgery/ This page is going to keep you updated with all the players that have undergone Tommy John Surgery this year and in past years. Many of you know the players that have had the surgery- but for those of you who don’t, this page is for you. Even if you do know who the players are that have had the surgery, maybe you missed one along the way. Either way you should check out the page to keep track of all the good young arms going down to this terrible surgery.
Some of the most recent players to go down to Tommy John are, Ryan Madson, Joakim Soria, and Brian Wilson. Ryan Madson went down in Spring Training with a sore elbow and ended up needing Tommy John. On the other hand Wilson went down with major structural damage in his throwing elbow. He got three opinions to make sure and will indeed be having Tommy John Surgery with Dr. James Andrews.
Tommy John has had a major effect on many teams this season. With the three names that I just mentioned, they are all starting closers with major league teams. With Madson going down, Sean Marshall has had to take over the closing role. The Royals have went to closer by committee after the Soria injury. With Wilson out, the Giants are not sure right now what they are going to do. Their likely best chance is with Sergio Romo though.
If you know a player that has gotten the surgery and we don’t have them on the list, email us (mlbreports@me.com) and we will add him to the list. We will be keeping a running total of the surgeries for you, the readers. It is one thing when you see one or two players go down. But with the amount of players that have already undergone the surgery this year, the number looks alarming when you see it in a full list. We thank you for your support of MLB reports and we will continue to bring you everything and anything that relates to the world of baseball. With the effect of Tommy John surgery on the game, we thought it was to dedicate a complete page to the procedure. But there is more. Much more. From the World Baseball Classic, to Interviews, Guest MLB Blogs, Baseball Book Reviews and all other features, the staff at MLB reports covers all the bases!
Ryan Ritchey is a MLB reports Baseball Intern. I am a high school senior, play second base and plan on studying sports journalism in college. I am a huge fan of Barry Larkin and Brandon Phillips. Have been a baseball fan my whole life and have been writing about baseball since freshman year. You can reach me on Twitter (@Ryan13Ritchey)
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Ryan Ritchey: As I mentioned in my article a couple of weeks ago, Joakim Soria has gone down with Tommy John Surgery and will be out for the rest of the 2012 season. Now the Royals are playing closer by committee until they find a solid candidate to fill the position for the rest of the year. In my opinion the Royals are not going to contend in the AL Central, so they can give some of their young talent a chance to close.
The best pitcher in the bullpen for the Royals in my eyes is Aaron Crow. He is a young kid with a lot of upside and this is the season that he can get better against some of the best offenses the game has ever seen. Crow is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA but that will change as the season goes on and his arm gets stronger. His last two appearances have been great- with 2 strikeouts, no walks, no hits and a 0-0 record. Crow has recorded one save this season as part of the closer by committee. Read the rest of this entry →
Ryan Ritchey (Intern Candidate: MLB reports): The 2012 season hasn’t even begun and we are already talking extensively about Tommy John surgery. As a baseball fan, it is sad to see players go down and require this surgery. It is a long recovery back to the big leagues and sometimes the players are never the same. This is an injury that happens mostly to pitchers, because of how much stress they put on their elbows. This year is no different.
We are two weeks away from opening day and several pitchers have gone down with elbow injuries, both needing Tommy John. Two of those pitchers are Ryan Madson of the Cincinnati Reds and Joakim Soria of the Kansas City Royals. Madson who just signed with the Reds this offseason is hoping for a speedy recovery back to the bigs to make an impact in Cincy. For Joakim Soria, it’s a totally different story. This is his second go around with Tommy John Surgery (2003). (more…)
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