Blog Archives
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 30, 2014
How are the Mets this good so far?
And how will the next month propel the Mets and the Brewers into elite status?
That and more on today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Jose Fernandez, Lyle Overbay, John Lackey, Mike Zunino, Carlos Santana and Yadier Molina all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball.
Milwaukee Brewers State Of The Union For 2014

The Milwaukee Brewers had a modest 2013 season, yielding a 74 – 88 record. They finished 23 games back in the NL Central (ahead of only the Chicago Cubs) which saw three of its five teams reach the playoffs. The farm system cupboards are bare, with not one single top 50 prospect in it’s ranks. A rebuild is necessary but general manager Doug Melvin seems more in tune with adding free agents instead of using home grown youth (Although they do have a few on their current roster). The Brewers are picking a respectable 12th in this years Major League draft, and every effort must be make to start making those picks count, or the club may find themselves on the outside looking in while division opponents Cincinnati and Pittsburgh regularly see post season play.
Milwaukee Brewers State of the Union: A Long Road Ahead
By Robert Villarreal (MLB Reports Columnist): Follow @RobMVillarreal
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
As recently as 2011, the Brewers held the National League Central Division title.
Historically the fans are still biding their time though, having not seen a pennant since the Brewers were in the American League and won it in 1982.
Milwaukee’s own Robin Yount won the AL MVP that year, but the Brewers inevitably lost out in the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Besides a 2008 Wild Card birth – and a 2011 NLCS appearance – it’s been a rough ride for this ball club for the last 32 years.
Milwaukee Brewers 2013 Highlights
New York Yankees Payroll In 2014 Is Now $197 MIL (AAV) With Tanaka Added
2014 Contracts in MIL Annual Average Vakue – AKA AAV (Age) – Running $ Total
1. 1B Mark Teixeira – 23.0 (32) 23.0
2. SP CC Sabathia – 22.8 (32) 45.8
NEW: SP Masahiro Tanaka – 22.1 (25) 67.9
3. CF Jacoby Ellsbury – 21.9 (30) 89.6
4. C Brian McCann – 17.0 (29) 106.6
5. SP Hiroki Kuroda – 16.5 (37) 123.1
6. LF/DH Carlos Beltran – 15.0 (36) 138.6
7. SS Derek Jeter – 12.0 (40) 150.6 Read the rest of this entry
New York Yankees Projected Payroll In 2014 With A-Rod Relief
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
2014 Contracts in MIL Annual Average Vakue – AKA AAV (Age)
1. 1B Mark Teixeira – 23.0 (32)
2. SP CC Sabathia – 22.8 (32)
3. CF Jacoby Ellsbury – 21.9 (30)
4. C Brian McCann – 17.0 (29)
5. SP Hiroki Kuroda – 16.5 (37)
6. LF/DH Carlos Beltran – 15.0 (36)
7. SS Derek Jeter – 12.0 (40) Read the rest of this entry
Don’t Believe Everything You Read: A Response to The New Normal For the New York Yankees- Part II

Alfonso Soriano came back to New York – and thrashed on the competition, with 17 HRs and 50 RBI – in just 58 games with the Bronx Bombers. He also snuck in 18 SB for the campaign, but nobody even noticed. Still the experts have failed to recognize that the offense was significantly better once this man entered the fray. Even with his 38 year old season coming up, it is entirely possible he could club another 25 – 30 HRs and approach 85 – 95 RBI out of the DH slot. Along with McCann, Beltran, Ellsbury, a potentially full year of Teixeira and Jeter, this lineup is a hell of a lot different from the team that limped to a 85 – 77 mark for the 2013 year.
By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees Correspondent/Trade Correspondent): Follow @nross56
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
As with the first part of this piece, this article is in response to a piece written for Grantland by Rany Jazayerli (which can be found here) that paints a fairly negative picture of the near-future for the New York Yankees.
Once again, I would encourage everyone to visit Grantland.com as it is a one stop shop for some of the best internet based writers on the planet.
Again, a quick thank you to Fangraphs.com and Baseball-reference.com.
Those organizations are a huge reason for the increased understanding and intelligent discussion relating to baseball over the last decade, and they are used throughout as resources for all advanced statistics.
If you aren’t reading the content on those sites, I would strongly suggest you do.
We will start with our Point/Counter-Point structure with a discussion of the new Yankee line-up, and more so, the effect of the departure of Robinson Cano on that lineup.
For Part 1 Of Don’t Believe Everything You Read: A Response to The New Normal click here.
Alfonso 2013 Highlights as a Cub and a Yankee – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance Is Advised
Don’t Believe Everything You Read: A Response to The New Normal For the New York Yankees- Part I

Opinions have varied wildly about the effect on the wholesale changes to the New York Yankees roster. This piece is in response to in response to a piece written for Grantland by Rany Jazayerli (which can be found here lower in a link icon in the 1st couple of lines.) As the Yankees Correspondent for the MLB Reports, I felt I needed to address the merits of the topic in question, make some counterparts, in order to move the dialogue from a slightly different perspective.
By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees Correspondent/Trade Correspondent): Follow @nross56
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Before we get started, I wanted to give credit where credit is absolutely due.
This piece is in response to a piece written for Grantland by Rany Jazayerli (which can be found here) that paints a fairly negative picture of the near-future for the New York Yankees.
If you haven’t been to Grantland.com for sports and entertainment news and opinions, you are missing out. Some of the best work in the business.
All advanced statistics (and other statistics) are courtesy of our friends at Fangraphs.com and Baseball-reference.com.
As always, we appreciate those sites making the information available to be able to debate the game we love. For ease to the reader, the response has been broken into two parts. This is part one of the response.
Part 2 of the Don’t Believe Everything You Read: A Response to The New Normal For the New York Yankees click here
New York Yankees 2013 Year Highlights – With Full Credit Going To The YES Network
The Yankees Might As Well Wait Another Year For The Luxury Tax Threshold ‘Reset’

With Derek Jeter and Hiroki Kuroda coming back for one more year, plus the uncertainty of the A-ROD suspension, why not push back the reset of the Luxury Tax Threshold, since you still have a chance to do this in 2015? By then, all of your older players will be another year older, and #13 will be back to wreak havoc on your financial flexibility for years?
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Our Lead Writer Paul Sullivan (feel free to call him Sully) is right about Brian Cashman….The guy should be fired for his ineptness of stockpiling the Minor League System since taking over the reigns in 2006.
If you are not subscribing to Sully’s podcast daily (about 20 minutes), please do so here. He talks complete sense for an objective perspective.
I will also denote that I am a Yankees fan. I was one of the 1st to destroy the clubs winter last year, when they never addressed their Catching situation, and said they should do some more moves to bolster the club.
Not that Cashman listened to me at all, but he grabbed 3 players I said he should (1 reluctant player he never wanted – (good one Cash) was Alfonso Soriano).
The other 2 players he picked up were Vernon Wells and Mark Reynolds.
Yankees win the 2009 World Series
New York Yankees Payroll In 2014 + Contracts Going Forward: Updated For The Beltran Deal

He will also make $30 MIL left in marketing bonuses should he hit escalating marketing bonuses from HRs 661 through 763. At this rate, maybe he will never collect on all of those. The base is ridiculous enough at $86 MIL over the next 4 years. The insurance paid on his ailing hip injury will not make a huge enough dent for Yankees Fans. He is the ALL-Time Active Leader for HRs , RBI and XBH At best he may turn back to a .250/.310/700 with around 50 RBI a year from 2015 – 2017. Hardly worthy of a $22.8 MIL average salary from 2014 – 2017.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
With news breaking today that Robinson Cano has signed with Seattle, this has freed up the Yankees to pursue other players at the Winter Meetings – and for the rest of the offseason..
Based on the team payroll (with the A-Rod suspension being counted), the club is right around $174 MIL – $176 MIL right now for about 20 MLB Players signed – and another 5 guys that are on entry – level deals.
If A-Rod’s suspension sticks for the whole 2014 year, the club would then drop down to the $149 – $151 MIL range, which would free up the club to sign some more players.
Maybe the Yankees won’t have any choice but to hope for that very result. They still need 1 – 2 Starting Pitchers, and a relief pitcher would also be nice.
Read the end of this article – for potential candidates they could eyeball.
CC Sabathia Highlights
How All Of The Red Sox Hitters Were Acquired Onto The Roster + Analysis: Fall 2013

Ben Cherington pulled off the biggest salary dump in MLB History in 2012, with his clearing the deck of Gonzalez, Crawford and Beckett. He replaced them with saavy, playoff tested Veterans – on lower value, and year contracts. His club won the 2013 AL East with the revamped squad – that improved almost 30 Wins from 2012. So how did the entire roster of hitters all come to be Boston Red Sox Property? We will now tell you.
How All Of The Red Sox Hitters Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @mlbreports
At the MLB Reports, we intend to show you the Roster Tree for the Boston Red Sox – and how they assembled their current roster for hitting and Pitching. It will work in a six degrees of separation like format.
Once we figure out the origin of how many trades going back in time it takes to see where the tree started, it will be time to dissect how the team fared on the deals.
If a player has never left the organization at all, the tree will be easy – as it will just be the year they were drafted or signed. Today, we will cover the Hitters.
For all of the Rosters, Depth Charts, State of the Unions and Salaries that we do, please visit our dedicated page link here.
David Ortiz Talks Up The Boston Crowd After The Boston Tragedy – Warning: Explicit Word Used – Parental Discretion Is Advised
New York Yankees Payroll In 2014 + Contracts Going Forward + The Cano And A – ROD Factors

The Yankees should not pay Robinson Cano more than $25 – $28 MIL per season for a max of 7 years. The club is fortunate to have the relief of A – Rod’s pending suspension – otherwise the percentage of inking the Free Agent 2B would not even be possible. Cano’s agent -Jay – Z, has thrown out the first Salvo, saying the Slugger wants a 10 YR/$300 – 305 MIL Deal. The Bronx Bombers would be crazy to offer any more than what I stated up in the 1st sentence of this Caption. New York is looking to reset its Luxury Tax Penalty (when the Threshold is moved to $189 in 2014), in order to spend again commencing in 2015.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
They are old and 2014 will not make them younger. However, there are some small tweaks that the team could do in order to make the payroll make sense.
The 2014 version of the Yankees may struggle. Exiting are Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Hiroki Kuroda, Boone Logan, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Curtis Granderson, Brendan Ryan and potentially Derek Jeter (although he has a Player Option for 2014) and Mark Reynolds.
To the Readers on our Payroll Breakdowns: Keep in mind these are all just estimates as we are all not forensic payroll accountants. For a better look at how Payrolls work in the MLB please check out this article here.
Derek Jeter Highlights:
Soriano Has Led The Resurgent “Bombers” – ARod’s Pending Suspension – Best Get Out Of Jail Card Ever + Reynolds Signing
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Follow @mlbreportsThursday Aug.15/2013

Alfonso Soriano has given the Yankees team an infusion of power that they have not seen from the Right Handed hitting players in their lineup since Vernon Wells took off in April. The LF destroyed the Angels for 4 HRS and 13 RBI on Tuesday and Wednesday combined. While Cashman never liked this idea to bring back the Veteran, I called for it all the way back in April. The offense has gone back to being the Bronx Bombers, putting up 36 Runs in their last 5 Games, among a 4 – 1 record. In 18 Games for his return to NY, the 37 Year Old has a 3 Slash Line of .296/.324/.944 – with 7 HRs, 22 RBI and 17 Runs scored. –Photo courtesy of faniq.com.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Sometimes as writers we prognosticate things that end up panning out, other times our predictions are lit up bigger than a New York Dumpster Fire in the brunt of summer.
Back when Curtis Granderson was 1st hurt this year, I wrote an article on the options for the Yankees to replace him – check it out here.
I stated that I thought Vernon Wells and Alfonso Soriano would be good additions for the year – considering where the Yankees wanted to go during Mariano Rivera‘s last season.
Alfonso Soriano Grand Slam 8/14/2013
To Buy Or Not To Buy, That Is The Question For NYY? Soriano Deal Looks Imminent
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Follow @mlbreportsTuesday, July 23, 2013

The trade deadline is quickly approaching, and there is very little doubt in the Bronx what the Yankees need. For the first time since 1990, the Yankee offense is one of the worst in baseball. If there is any hope that the Yankees can compete for a playoff spot, the front office has to add pieces to the anemic Yankee lineup. The Bronx Bombers are reeling out of the ALL – Star Break, dropping 3 of 4 – and 5 of their last 7 overall. They need a quick resurgence, as the Rays have won 18 out of 20, while the Orioles have won 5 games in a row to both leapfrog them in the standings. The Yankees begin play today 4.5 Games Behind the Playoff Bar.
By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees Correspondent/Trade Correspondent): Follow @nross56
The dog days of summer have arrived. Every team has played in excess of 90 games, and the All-Star break has come and gone. At this point, it seems only right that we discuss the Yankees as either buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.
Going into Sunday, the Yankees were 6 games behind the Red Sox for first place and were 8 games over .500, which is good for fourth in the uber-competitive American League East.
Certainly, a playoff spot is still available to the Yankees at this point, and I believe that if you are the Yankees you have to at least examine the market to find what offensive help is available.
The Yankees have pitched well throughout the first half and have both David Phelps and Michael Pineda returning from injury in the next few weeks so the team has enough pitching to get them through the second half and potentially into a playoff spot.
The major issue has been and will continue to be the once vaunted Yankees offense is a shadow of its former self.
ALFONSO SORIANO ON THE THROW DOWN:
The NY Yankees Roster Tree Part 1: The Hitters Acquisitions For Each Player
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Follow @mlbreportsTuesday July.09/2013

Derek Jeter starts the 2013 year only 11 hits behind Eddie Collins for 10th place on the ALL-Time hits list. With a possible Player Option in 2014, – and maybe playing one additional year after – can he hit 327 base knocks to pass Stan Musial for 4th place on the list by that years end? Will he play beyond this year even? Derek Jeter was Drafted by the team in 1992 – and represents all that good drafting the team did prior to the new regime.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
At the MLB Reports, we intend to show you the Roster Tree for the Yankees – and how they assembled their current roster for hitting and Pitching. It will work in a six degrees of separation like format.
Once we figure out the origin of how many trades going back in time it takes to see where the tree started, it will be time to dissect how the team fared on the deals.
If a player has never left the organization at all, the tree will be easy – as it will just be the year they were drafted.
The Yanks Are In Desperation Mode + Need Cashman To Be A Riverboat Gambler!
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Follow @mlbreportsMonday July.01/2013

The Yankees do have some decent prospects coming along the way like Mason Willians, Tyler Austin and Gary Sanchez. Will the club stay true to their word and go under the 189 Million Dollar Luxury Tax Threshold next year? If yes, the club could struggle for a few years like it hasn’t for two decades. Meanwhile, who cares about 2013’s payroll. The club will stand to receive over $50 MIL in insurance dough for their hurt players. Why not reinvest the loot – and take some free swinging stabs? The club begins play today at 42 – 38, 4 games out of playoff spot, but 17 -24 in their last 41 Games Played. They play 2 series versus the Twins, and also have other series versus the Indians and Royals before the Break. Will they make hay, or freefall by then?
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
It wasn’t always a rosy picture for the New York Yankee fanbase after the 1982 season. In 1985, I became a fan of the team and Don Mattingly when I saw them smoke the Toronto Blue Jays like 22 – 0 or something on a Nationally televised game.
My dad was a huge Thurman Munson fan – and told me the legend of the Yankees when I started being able to hear. I even caught like his hero in little leaguie. Sometimes you pick up your love for the team based on your dad.
We still both love them to this day. I was there for 11 years of struggling from 1985 – 1995. Even when the club cashed in their 1st World Series in 1996, to me while it was cool, it would have been so much better had ‘Donnie Baseball’ been part of the ride.
The Bronx Bombers ripping off 3 more titles from 1998 – 2000 – and then another in 2009, have made me happy to be a fan. It is not just the playoffs that I have savored. This team has averaged 94 – 95 wins for the last 20 seasons.
The Yankees would be lucky to be in the 2013 ALCS like 2012
Triple Play Podcast Episode #14: Empire State Of Mind: NYY + NYM Chat
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday, June.23, 2013

The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour. Chuck Booth will guest once a month for MLB Power Rankings,
By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com) Follow @bigticketshow
Guests in this Podcast – James Acevedo (MLB Reports 2 And A Hook Podcast Host – 42 Minute Mark and a 15 Minute Segment) Follow @yankeeman1973
Mike Silva (Radio Host 1240 AM WGBB, Long Island New York – 14 Minute Mark and a 27 Min segment) Follow @mikesilvamedia
New York, New York big city of dreams where not everything is as it seems, so we had Mike Silva of WGBB1240 AM and James Acevedo of the Bench Warmers and 2 and a Hook podcasts come on and break down the Mets and Yankees.Mt Rushmore, BetHubb.com best bets and Blue Jays talk too. Another Home Run show! Read the rest of this entry
Mike Carp(e) Diem
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Wednesday June 19th, 2013

Mike Carp was originally a 9th round pick of the New York Mets out of High School in 2004. He made his Major League debut in 2009 with the Mariners at just 22 Years of Age. Over the last 4 years. he has hit for a Career 3 Slash Line of .266/.336/.796 in 650 AB. This is basically a season worth of At-Bats for the man from Long Beach. CA. With those numbers, the LHB has 26 HRs, 38 Doubles and 96 RBI. This pickup by the Red Sox may turn out to be a real bargain of the year.
By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer and Red Sox Correspondent): Follow @ryandana1
I knew I would be devoting an article to this player sooner or later, but what better time than now? From top prospect to not being good enough for The Seattle Mariners 40 man roster, Mike Carp has emerged as a steady contributor to the current 1st place team in the AL East, The Boston Red Sox .
The 6 FT 2, 210 LB OF has been perhaps the most underrated pick up of the past offseason for the Boston Red Sox. At the time there was speculation whether he would even make the team, but questioning his viability as a Major League hitter has been put to rest at this point.
As Spring Training rolled around, the Red Sox were looking for depth at 1st Base behind newly signed Mike Napoli. They got Lyle Overbay into camp to compete for the spot and started giving Daniel Nava reps at the position too.
Then, falling into the Sox laps, came Mike Carp via the Seattle Mariners, the solution to the Red Sox 1B depth. All that was asked in return is the famous ‘PTBNL’ or cash.
2 And A Hook Podcast #7: Ranking The 30 Ball Parks In The MLB + Giants And Red Sox Correspondent Interviews
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday, June.07/2013
‘2 And A Hook’ is an expression from Baseball: ‘Throw the guy 2 Fast balls and then a Hook’ (AKA Curve Ball, Wiggly one, Chair etc..)
By James Acevedo – Host (Podcast Veteran News and Stats – 1st minute to 7 minute mark, 26 Minute Mark to 36 Minute Mark, and 1 Hour 4 Minute Mark to 1 Hour Minute 8.) Follow @yankeeman1973
People in this Podcast:
Jonathan Schifferle (MLB Reports Giants Correspondent – 7 Minutes in and a 18 Minute Segment) Follow @jonschifferle
Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Boston Red Sox Correspondent – 36 Minute Mark and a 27 Minute Segment) Follow @ryandana1
Chuck Booth (MLB Reports Owner and Lead Baseball Analyst – 1 Hour and 10 Minutes In and a 43 Minute Segment) Follow @chuckbooth3024
On today’s show, brought to you by MLB Reports (www.mlbreports.com) & yours truly The Bench Warmers, I get into the Alex Rodriguez/Anthony Bosch soap opera very briefly.
I then interviewed our (MLB Reports) Giants correspondent Jonathan Schifferle to talk about the giants team,”The Peapods” in the stands for Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence also known as “The Killer Peas”. Read the rest of this entry













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