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Chicago Cubs Payroll In 2017 + Contracts Going Forward
Look, there is no way to sugar coat it, the Jason Heyward contract is about the biggest dumpster fire of a contract there may ever be. Having said that, everyone receives one mulligan.
Even 3 time World Series winning GM Brian Sabean has had a horrible Matt Cain contract to contend with the last half decade.
Theo Epstein hasn’t made too many blunders – and winning a World Series with both the Red Sox and now the Cubs has solidified a position for him in Cooperstown.
Also lucky is the brilliant signing of Anthony Rizzo of a 7 YR deal prior to 2013, and when he asserted himself as a perennial MVP contender.
Despite carrying a projected payroll in 2017 of around $171 MIL – the team has plenty of expiring contracts in the name of Jake Arrieta, Wade Davis, Jon Lackey, Jon Jay, Pedro Strop, Miguel Montero and Koji Uehara. to replenisg te talent again in 2018 – and going forward
There are only 4 players signed for $79.2 MIL so far.

The Rizzo longterm deal a perfect contrast to the Heyward pact. Should Rizzo’s Team Options be picked up for 2020 and 2021 (for $16.5 MIL each year), then the club will still only have paid him $74 MIL from 2013 – 2021, spanning 9 years at an Annual Value of $8.2 MIL. That is completely lights out for the organization going forward.
The one factor of brilliantly drafting and then rostering a club full of guys the same age is that they are all on entry level contracts for a few years before the squad becomes increasingly expensive before Arbitration rights kick in.
2018 will see Kris Bryant, Kyle Hendricks and Addison Russell all hit 1st year Eligible on Arbitration, and then 2019 has Javier Baez, Kyle Schwarber, Willson Contreras and Carl Edwards JR. hit the 1st year.
it will be at this point the team shoots up the salary page.
Other than Jon Lester, Heyward and Ben Zobrist, there are no real big salaries on the table for the team to digest.
The biggest dilemma will be the status of Jake Arrieta. My guess is that he will want too much money and walk away from the Cubs.
More important than that even is simply signing Free Agents (not named Arrieta) by Epstein.
Epstein is creative. It is okay to figure out a Starting Pitcher in Free Agency, and also add another Closer if need be. Who knows, by 2018, Hector Rondon and Carl Edwards JR. may be able to lock down that role.
There is still money to spend in the 2017 and 2018 winter markets for sure.
Also playing in the NL Central provides them with security of being able to outspend all the other teams – with the Cardinals only being in the atmosphere.
It is not like they are fighting in the tough NL West with the Giants and high spending Dodgers. It will still mean facing off against those clubs. and contending with the aging Nationals roster, and New York Mets young staff for a few seasons.
Wrigley Field will be sold out, the revenue streams will break out to record levels, all freely flowing cash into the Ricketts family pockets.
The good news is they are not in cap hell yet The bad news is that it would only take one more bad deal/paired with Heyward, in order to prevent the club from signing all of their young superstars to extensions.
Epstein is too smart for that. Look for high value Annual Average Value’s that have expiring contracts before the 2018 and 2019 seasons. I wouldn’t be surprised if they trade for an existing ace pitcher.
Think Zack Greinke now, or a guy like Justin Verlander in 2018 or 2019, where the other club may eat some of the salary, ask for a high level prospect, and then have a legitimate Starter to lug some innings in the playoffs.
I also wouldn’t be surprised if the brass orchestrates a trade for a guy like Chris Archer – or Sonny Gray (midway through this year if he has healed himself).
Maybe it would cost you a Javier Baez, or a combinations of Carl Edwards JR./Albert Almora JR. to do it, however with Ben Zobrist still in town, defense alignment can be configured in a lot of different ways for at least the next 2 – 3 years.
Like I stated in the Giants Payroll article, the new CBA has also reeled in the Dodgers spending $300 MIL on team payroll. The best thing that could happen for the Cubs is if Clayton Kershaw were to opt out of his deal beyond 2017.
That would either bring up the price for the Dodgers to sign him, or even give them the chance to sign the guy themselves. Yes. the Cubs have more flexibility than the Dodgers for at least a couple of offseasons.
Guaranteed Contracts/POS/AGE:
Jason Heyward – OF (28): With a grand sum of $184 MIL from 2016 – 2023 ( 8 years) this is a brutal deal – and the club is lucky to have already won a World Series in season 1 of this pact.
Heyward will make an astonishing $28.2 MIL for both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Epstein at least frontloaded the contract to erase some of the burden by the time the young talent comes up for raises.
This deal is the 13th richest in history for a guy who carried a .631 OPS. in 2016 I tend to think that Heyward will be closer to his Career OPS of .761 the next few years with the pressure somewhat off him now.
Hit him 7th or 8th and let him work out his kinks. Defense is at least not a problem here with him winning a 4th Gold Glove.
This could end bad in 2017 – with Heyward riding pine for some of the year – if the club opts to use Zobrist, Schwarber and the tandem of Jon Jay and Almora JR. as the OF.
You also have to think that Joe Maddon won’t hesitate to find Willson Contreras reps as well.
Jon Lester – SP (33): Lester is in the 3rd year of a 7 YR/$165 MIL deal, and is set to reel in $25 MIL in 2017. The deal calls for $27.5 MIL in both 2018 and 2019, before scaling back to $20 MIL in 2020.
There is a 2021 Club Option as well. Details on that: $25M Team Option, $10M Buyout option guaranteed with 200 innings in 2020 or 400 IP in 2019-20.
With the Buyout that large, the man would have to fall from grace hard, to not get the Option. Although he would be nearly 40, $15 MIL extra will probably not be that bad.
Lester is worth every dollar the club has spent so far. It is hard to find playoff proven commodities on the open market.
Ben Zobrist – UT (36): Zobrist is the only player in the MLB who was won 2 straight World Series, as also being a member of the 2015 WS Champ KC Royals.
With the availability to play 5 defensive positions, Zobrist was the perfect compliment to the Cubs defensive roster in 2016 – although he played predominantly at 2B.
With the emergence of Baez in the playoffs, he will likely rove more around in 2017.
Zobrist earns $16.5 MIL in both 2017 and 2018 – before retreating back to $12.5 MIL in 2019. He will be in his Age 39 season at that point, and it may not look so hot at that point, but one can’t argue at his flexibility on the Roster providing so many options in the title run.
You can even say that his positional switching gives the club a better chance to hold onto Kyle Schwarber (instead of trading him in the American League).
John Lackey – SP (38): Lackey joined Lester, David Ross. and Epstein as guys who have won World Series in 2013 with Boston and the Cubs in 2016. He will make $16 MIL in 2017 before hitting Free Agency in 2018.
Lackey lugged 188.1 IP and gave the Cubs a 3.35 ERA in the process. It doesn’t even matter that he was being pulled in the early innings of the postseason.
Jake Arrieta – SP (31): Arrieta earns a tidy $15.6 MIL this year and will likely head out into Free Agency as a Scott Boras client. Unfortunately the man is going to be 32 heading into 2018.
I would not offer him higher than a 4 year deal at $20 – $21 MIL after, yet that will not get the job done when he hits the open market. Someone will pony up 5 YRs/$125 MIL for him, you watch.
Miguel Montero – C (34); Montero will make $14 MIL in 2017 – and I am not sure he will Catch more than about 60 games. Contreras at last is on an entry level contract to offset this salary. I am surprised the team has not ventured out to trade him.
Wade Davis – CL (32): It cost the club Jorge Soler and 4 years of Team Control, yet this was the way to go. $10 MIL for one year of Davis (who Closed for the 2015 wS Champion Royals) is smart business practice.
To acquire an elite Reliever such as this is a great move – when you consider the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants spent $86 MIL, $80 MIL and $62 MIL to sign Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon respectively.
Soler was going to be their 7th option as an OF. Davis, by the way, has a 0.83 ERA in 32.2 IP for his postseason career – and has carried a mid 1 ERA from 2014 – 2016 as a late inning Reliever – spanning 183 IP.
I would also think the club will extend the Qualifying Offer to him this winter ( $17.5 – $19 MIL range for one year), so they may even recover a 2nd or 3rd Draft Pick back all for just $10 MIL.
Jon Jay – OF (32): Has a 2017 contract or $8 MIL to play OF. He has a career .352 OBP, so could hit 1st or 9th for Maddon, working as an on base guy for the big boppers. Brilliant little move.
Anthony Rizzo – 1B (28): Rizzo will take him $7 MIL for 2017, coming after the heels of an ALL-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and top 4 MVP season in which he clubbed 30+ HRs and added 100 RBI for a 2nd straight season.
Rizzo also makes $7 MIL in 2018, $12 MIL in 2019, and two Team Options in a row call for $16.5 MIL and $2 MIL Buyouts for both 2020 and 2021.
It is contracts like this that setup championship caliber clubs for the organization.
Other valued deals that compare to it last decade or so. Paul Goldschmidt (5 YRs/$32.5 MIL), Madison Bumgarner (6 YRS/$35.6 MIL) and Andrew McCutchen ( 6 YRs/$51 MIL) that coincided with 4 straight top 5 NL MVP finishes.
Rizzo should challenge for an MVP every year of that remains on this deal.
Koji Uehara – RP (42): $6 MIL for one year seems like a lot or a guy of his age, but Uehara has plenty of playoff/Closer experience that is invaluable to a club like this. I would take it easy on him in the regular season and save the bullets for playoffs.
Hector Rondon – RP (29): $5.8 MIL for this former Closer is not a bad deal in 2017. Rondon has one more year left of Arbitration before hitting Free Agency in 2019. He has 77 Saves and a career ERA of 2.97.
Brian Duensing – SP/RP (33): Makes $2 MIL in 2017 and a Free Agent in 2018. A spot start here and extra Bullpen arm,
Justin Grimm – RP (29): Avoided Arbitration with a $1.8 MIL, has 2 more years left of Arbitration before he is a Free Agent.
Total Money for this Category for 2017: $157.5 MIL (13 Players)
Arbitration Eligible/POS/AGE
3rd year
Pedro Strop – RP (33): Is projected to to earn $5.5 MIL in Arbitration, and is a Free Agent in 2018.
Total Money for this Category for 2017: $5.5 MI: Total money is now $163 MIL
Pre-Arbitration – Entry Level Contracts:
Tommy La Stella – INF (28): Is Arbitration Eligible from 2018 – 2020 and a Free Agent in 2021.
Kyle Hendricks – SP (27): Is Arbitration Eligible from 2018 – 2020 and a Free Agent in 2021.
Kris Bryant – 3B Is Arbitration Eligible from 2018 – 2021 as a “Super 2” and a Free Agent in 2021. Bryant is only 25 Years old, and will have 4 years of Arbitration kick in starting next season.
Since the club opted to start his 2015 after the 10 days of service time, they wll retian his rights until the end of 2021. Bryant is on pace to end up recording Arbitration cash if he keeps his career trajectory.
The club should really look to extend him similar to the Mike Trout 6 YRs.$144 MIL deal he got.
Addison Russell – SS (23): Is Arbitration Eligible from 2018 – 2021 as a “Super 2” and a Free Agent in 2022.
Comparisons to an extension similar to what he may get are: Jason Kipnis and Matt Carpenter (6 YRs and $52 MIL)
Matt Szczur – UT (28): Is Arbitration Eligible from 2019 – 2021 and a Free Agent in 2022.
Javier Baez – 2B/3B (24): Is Arbitration Eligible from 2019 – 2021 and a Free Agent in 2022.
Mike Montgomery – SP/RP (29): Is Arbitration Eligible from 2019 – 2021 and a Free Agent in 2022.
Kyle Schwarber – OF (24): Is Arbitration Eligible from 2019 – 2021 and a Free Agent in 2022.
Willson Contreras – C (25): Is Arbitration Eligible from 2022 – 2022 and a Free Agent in 2023.
Albert Almora JR – OF (23): Is Arbitration Eligible from 2022 – 2022 and a Free Agent in 2023.
Rob Zastryzny – RP (25) Is Arbitration Eligible from 2022 – 2022 and a Free Agent in 2023.
Total Money for this Category for 2017: $6.0 MIL MIL Toral Money Oveall – $169.0 MIL
Buyouts/Dead Money
Jason Hammel – $2 Million Buyout for 2017 that was agreed to in a gentleman’s deal. There is no dead money on he books past 2017 thus far.
Conclusions:
Despite the Heyward mistake of a deal, Epstein has done everything right. It will be a constant maneuvering of the incoming talent – to surround the plethora of young superstars the club has.
The Cubs have the availability to sign an elite pitcher in Free Agency in the year or 2, or trade for one. Beyond that, the team can’t make another top 50 ALL – Time Salary roster mistake.
The brass should also investigate early extensions for Bryant, Ruseell and Contreras immediately while they may afford to wait for Hendricks and Schwarber yet.
Some sort of guaranteed money to the budget would be wise
As for Arrieta, he is just too old – an unorthodox in order to grant him the cash he will seek. Epstein has to find creative ways to bring in a #1 or $2 beyond this campaign.
Chicago is fantastic shape financially to spend as much as it takes to ensure a dynasty in the next half-dozen years.
If I were in charge I would try to limit any big historic contracts to their own young superstars from this point forwards.
Also don’t be afraid to trade one of the premiere young offensive players for a quality Starter (#1 or #2 Starter)like Baez, Contreras or Almora.
Follow @chuckbooth3024 @mlbreports
*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com and their partners***
I am happy to be back at the helm of the MLB Reports, after completing my record 224 Games in the MLB Trip in 2015. It was the 4th time I have seen all 30 MLB Parks since 2008. During that time away I was fortunate to do 100 Media Interviews
To Subscribe and listen daily to ‘Our Lead Personality’ Sully’s 20 Minutes Daily (every day since Oct.24, 2012) Podcast click here. Guaranteed listening to the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast will be the best time you invest in online!
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – September 10, 2015
The Mets are on fire after the Yoenis Cespedes deal. He has led the way to a double digit swing in the standings as the Mets seem poised to capture the East from the under performing Nationals.
Is Cespdes the MVP of the NL for 2015?
OF COURSE NOT! Bryce Harper is.
It is a value versus stats episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Vidal Nuno, Tom Koehler, Kyle Seager, Yoenis Cespedes, Bryce Harper, Jon Lester and Billy Butler all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball
Read the rest of this entry
The Red Sox Left Town With A Series Win, But Left The Dodgers With So Much More In 2012

A year after the big blockbuster Red Sox/Dodgers trade, both clubs have benefited from the salvation is created. The Red Sox were able to hit a reset button on their finances – and spend money on key Free Agents: Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, take on Jake Peavy’s Salary, pick up Jonny Gomes and have a slightly lower payroll overall still. For the LA Dodgers, they received a bonafide Leadoff hitter in Carl Crawford, plus a lethal Left Handed Bat in 1B Adrian Gonzalez. The LA club was also willing to eat the $$ owed on bust Josh Beckett. Los Angeles could bury lots of money for little given away talent wise. Little did all of us know, that they had an electric ballplayer like Yasiel Puig ready to bust out. Boston is leading the AL East, and the Dodgers are killing it in the NL West. Perhaps this might be an October showdown?
BY Enrique Rivera (MLB Reports Dodgers Correspondent) Follow @mlbreports
It has been a year since that big blockbuster Red Sox/Dodgers trade that sent a loaded bank of salary to the Dodgers along with superstar players like Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto.
After a first half of struggles and criticism and watching the Red Sox play better baseball, the Dodgers have proven that the trade benefited them as well.
The Dodgers lead the NL West 9.5 games after being down by 9.5 earlier in the season. Meanwhile in the AL East, the Red Sox lead the division by 1 game.
Adrian Gonzalez’s first AB as a Dodger last year resulting in a HR
Buster Posey Can’t Do It Alone
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Wednesday, July.24/2013

Between his incredible performance in 2010 that led the Giants to the World Series title, and led him to the 2010 Rookie of the Year award, and his MVP-worthy performance in 2012 that gave the Giants their 2nd championship in 3 years, it seems that whenever the Giants have Posey on the field, they have a fighting chance. The only time before this season the team struggled was in 2011- after Posey was smashed in a home plate collision. But he need helps this campaign.
By Jon Schifferle ( Giants Correspondent – visit his own personal website here.) Follow @jonschifferle
It would not take someone very long to find a time that Buster Posey has made a tremendous contribution to the San Francisco Giants. It seems that ever since his callup in 2010, Posey has been able to provide exactly what the Giants have needed.
His entrance into the MLB has coincided with 2 World Series in the 2 full seasons he has played, however this year is not looking as promising. The pitching has been suspect – and the offense has been anemic and hurt.
The team enters play today 6 Games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, while the lead is in single digits, they must start the charge now, considering Los Angeles has won 22 of their last 27 games.
The Giants conclude a series at home versus the Reds tonight, before the Cubs come to town. After that, the Defending Champions hit Philadelphia and Tampa on the road in a 6 game span.
They still have 6 games versus Arizona, and 7 versus the LA Dodgers the rest of the year, it is imperative this club wins the majority of these head to head matchups.
Paul Goldschmidt Has To Be The Top NL MVP Candidate Thus Far
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Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, June.08, 2013

Paul Goldschmidt is pistol hot in the last 7 days. He has even had 2 Grand Slams and a 3 run Decisive HR in those contests. His 3 Slash Line is .345/.425/1.148 – with 3 Taters and 16 RBI in June. The 25 Year Old big man from Wilmington, Delaware, also has at least 1 RBI in 7 straight games. The DBacks are leading the NL West and Goldschmidt is a bonafide early NL MVP candidate thus far. He is hitting .332 for the season – with 15 HRs (3rd in NL) and an NL leading 57 RBI.
By Chris Lacey (Featured Baseball Columnist) Follow @aecanada12
Nobody better come within 10 feet of Arizona Diamondbacks 1st Baseman Paul Goldschmidt because he is on complete fire. In the last weeks
With apologies to the slugging duo of Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies, or Reds teammates Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto, based on the last week of play – Goldchmidt has cruised to the best player in the National League so far in 2013.
What is even better is that he is doing this act solo. Sure he is being helped by Gerardo Parra, Didi Gregorius, and a cast of other Diamonbacks players, but for the most part, the 25 Year Old is carrying the Arizona club to 1st place in the NL West
There is one thing that all successful baseball teams have in common, and that is they have one player in their line up that strikes fear into the heart of opposing teams.
Paul Goldschmidt Highlights 2013 – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance is Advised
St. Louis Cardinals – Week 1 Review
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Follow @mlbreportsMonday, April 8th, 2013

2012 was a season that ended with disappointment which ultimately distracted us from recognizing what a successful year it really was. 2012 highlighted a lot of the greatness that is to come for this great franchise. The Cardinals are greatly positioned for the next 5 years with the influx of 6 top 100 MLB Prospects at League Entry Level Contracts. Having said this, the club started out the year dropping 2 out of 3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, before pulverizing the defending World Series Champions over the weekend – taking the series 2 – 1 and outscoring the Giants 20 – 7, while obliterating Matt Cain’s ERA for some time. by hanging 9 Earned Runs on him in just 3.2 IP.
By Landen Crouch ( Cardinals Correspondent) Follow @LandenCrouch
Week in Review:
The opening week of the 2013 season for the St. Louis Cardinals can now be considered successful after a 14-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals finished their opening week six-game West Coast road trip with a .500-record of (3-3).
This is definitely a huge success for the Cardinals to come back to St. Louis with at least a .500 record. Of course, they wanted to win the 16-inning marathon against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night (and early into Thursday morning), and the 1-0 pitchers-dual game against Barry Zito on Friday.
Those were two tough losses. Overall, though, this week was positive for the Cardinals and should give them some momentum coming into their home opening series against the Cincinnati Reds.
2013 St. Louis Cardinals Preview by MLB Network:
What Buster Posey’s New Contract Means For The Giants
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Follow @mlbreportsWednesday April.3, 2013

I don’t know that there is a single Giants fan that didn’t want this to happen. Buster Posey has done about as much as any player could possibly do for a city in his few years with the Giants, and I think we’re all glad that he has the opportunity to retire as a career Giant. While this signing on the surface looks like every other major extension, a player does something better than most and rightfully now gets paid handsomely for it. This signing brings a few interesting implications along with it.
By Jon Schifferle ( Giants Correspondent – visit his own personal website here.) Follow @jonschifferle
5 Points About Posey’s Contract:
1.The Giants are ready to compete for a long time.
Through the extensions of Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, and Buster Posey, the Giants have shown that they are ready to keep this core, build around it, and compete every year with it.
When franchises are starting to let their stars go, or even trading away their stars for younger players with little experience but lots of potential, it is generally the first sign of a rebuilding club.
This is not always true, sometimes the players are forced out, or they have fallen out of favor with the team, and then are traded, but generally it is the start of a bad pattern that eventually causes the team to end up looking like the Cubs or the Astros.
The Giants clearly feel that they won’t need to take this path to be competitive in the future, and that they can refuel their farm system without trades or extra draft picks.
Buster Posey Highlights from 2012 – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:
St. Louis Cardinals 2013 Payroll and Contracts Going Forward
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Follow @mlbreportsWednesday, March.25/2013

2012 was a season that ended with disappointment which ultimately distracted us from recognizing what a successful year it really was. 2012 highlighted a lot of the greatness that is to come for this great franchise. The Cardinals are greatly positioned for the next 5 years with the influx of 6 top 100 MLB Prospects at League Entry Level Contracts. The Cards were 1 one away from the World Series in 2012 before the Giants won 3 elimination games. Can the franchise withstand the losses of Lohse, Carpenter, Furcal and even Hitting Coach Mgwire
By Landen Crouch ( Cardinals Correspondent) Follow @LandenCrouch
I believe we can expect more of the same from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013. This is a franchise that has proven they can be competitive on a consistent basis, even doing so last year without Albert Pujols. The Cardinals enter 2013 following consecutive runs to the National League Championship Series (won World Series in 2011).
On the heels of a very quiet offseason, the Cardinals seem to be entering the 2013 season with a very clear plan: get younger while simultaneously maintaining a high level of success on the field. The franchise has clearly begun this transition already with the departure of a few key players in the last several years – Kyle Lohse being the latest.
In the money department, the Cardinals have never been afraid to spend money to help the ballclub; however, they have always done so wisely. They are not among the teams that seemingly are just trying to buy championships. They have always been a team that uses a healthy balance of money and a solid farm system for success.
In 2013, the Cardinals will rank 10th in all of Major League Baseball in overall payroll – in the upper tier, for sure, but not overspending by any means – and their farm system is ranked 1st overall in baseball. The Cardinals have the money and the players it takes to continue being competitive for a long time to come.
2011 Cardinals World Series:
Howard And Utley: Healthy And Ready For A Huge 2013
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Friday, March. 1/2013

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard guest starring on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” I love this show and this episode, but it is wildly inappropriate and I would not suggest it for children. Chase and Ryan were awesome in it.
By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer): Follow @ryandana1
Ryan Howard and Chase Utley have played for the Philadelphia Phillies their entire careers to this point. They have been holding down the right side of the infield for the Phillies consistently since 2006 – and have been tearing apart pitching from the 3-4 slots in the lineup for equally as long. They each played in 100+ games every year since the 2006 season, until an injury plagued 2012 campaign for the duo.
Howard managed to play just 71 games, and Utley only 83. Maybe age is starting to catch up with the 33 year old Howard and 34 year old Utley, and if it is, that is a terrible sign for the Phillies playoff aspirations because their offense has been built around the two (plus standout Shortstop Jimmy Rollins). I think the Utley – Howard combo still has productive seasons left with in Philadelphia, and 2013 should prove that. I expect them to be bright spots in the lineup for a team that has become largely reliant on their starting pitching to achieve success.
Baseball Friends Utley and Howard:
Ranking the Top 10 Hitters In The MLB Right Now: Part 2 (6-10)
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Follow @mlbreportsBelow is Part 2 of the Top 10 hitters in baseball. You can read Part 1 here.
Tuesday February.26, 2013

Cano has only missed 7 games in the last 4 years. He has hit over .300 in those seasons – belted 40 + Doubles and scored over 100 Runs. He has averaged 29 HRs and 102 RBI also for that span. The man has won 3 straight Silver Slugger Awards. Cano’s Career 3 Slash Line is .308/.361/.854. With this being a contract year, he could stand to land himself a historic contract with an MVP type season. Picture by Keith Allison, Flicker.com
By Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @thejakeman24
The top hitters in the MLB right now includes 5 awesome hitters. It was hard to comprise the list, but here it is.
Robinson Cano is in line for a huge payday after this season, and his numbers can justify his demands.
OK, Yankee stadium partially inflates his power numbers. Cano had a 59.3 HR/FB (Home Run to fly ball ratio) to Right Field, which is quite a figure seeing that the mean for baseball’s best power hitters is in the 20 percent range, to all fields.
It’s safe to say that Cano grasped the idea of the infamous shorter porch in Right Field, and who wouldn’t? On he same token, that shouldn’t give us the wrong idea about his power. According to ESPN’s Hittracker Online, Cano was eighth in the American League with nine “no doubt” Home runs, telling us that his power isn’t solely due to the friendly hitter confines of Yankee Stadium.
The thing is, there’s more to his game then Home runs. He had the fifth highest oWAR (Offensive WAR) in baseball last year, and finished eighth in the MLB in Adjusted OPS+.
Given the dearth amount of talent at Second Base these days, Cano could be in line for a 8-year, $200+ Million contract next winter.
Robinson Cano at the 2011 Home Run Derby:
Stan “The Man” Musial – The Passing of a Legend
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday, January.25/2013

Stan Musial is 2nd (Aaron) ALL-Time for Total Bases with 6134 for his career. He is 3rd ALL-Time with 1377 XBH. He also is 5th ALL-Time in RBI with 1951 (1 ahead of A-ROD) and 8th in Runs Scored with 1949. His 3630 Career Hits also put him in 4th Place ALL-Time. He is in 3rd Place for Doubles with 725. He is also in the top 10 for Games Played and Plate Appearances.
By Landen Crouch ( Cardinals Correspondent) Follow @LandenCrouch
The most iconic figure in the history of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise will be laid to rest on Saturday. Stan “The Man” Musial died on January 19 in his home in Ladue, MO, just minutes away from a city that loved him dearly. All of Cardinals nation was in mourning over the weekend as the news spread. Current Cardinals Center Fielder Jon Jay tweeted his condolences to the Musial family.
Stan Musial Highlights:
RIP to Stan Musial, my condolences go out to his entire family
— Jon Jay (@jonjayU) January 20, 2013
St. Louis Cardinals owner, Bill DeWitt Jr., also had some very kind words to say about Stan the Man – “Stan Musial was the greatest player in Cardinals history and one of the best players in the history of baseball.”
St. Louis Cardinals Roster For 2013: State Of The Union
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Wednesday, January.09/2013

The Cardinals have been the most consistent Franchise in the National League, having appeared in 7 of the last 11 NLCS since 2000 (3-4). They have also won 2 World Series in that time (2006 and 2011.) They held a 3-1 NLCS lead over the San Francisco Giants before losing to the 2012 World Champions. They are ready for another great 2013 campaign. The NL Central goes from 6 teams to 5 – with the departed Houston Astros.
By Landen Crouch ( Cardinals Correspondent) Follow @LandenCrouch
The current St. Louis Cardinals roster, set to take them into the 2013 season, has seen little changes from what was a very successful 2012 season. This really is not much of a surprise, though, as the front office has told fans they were not planning to change too much this offseason. After a gut-wrenching offseason a year ago, in which Albert Pujols headed west to the Angels, a quiet offseason really does not seem like such an awful thing. In the upcoming season, the St. Louis Cardinals will be hoping for more of the same from a team that was one win away from a second straight World Series Berth. The Cardinals will look to continue recent success, while filtering in some young prospects in the process.
Game #5 of the NLDS (Comeback win versus the Washington Nationals)
The Rockies Can’t Afford to Trade Troy Tulowitzki
Tuesday December 4th, 2012
Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer):
There’s no denying that when healthy, Troy Tulowitzki is one of the most complete players in baseball, let alone at a slim shortstop position. Since breaking into the majors in 2006, he’s finished top ten in MVP voting third times, won two gold gloves, and two silver slugger awards. That’s a pretty rounded out trophy case he vaunts.
But, 2012 veered off that course. Tulowitzki missed the final four months of the season with a nagging groin injury that he could never overcome. Fortunately, multiple reports confirm that he’s well on his way to a full recovery which is good news for Rockies team that is in need of something positive.
However, there a some rumors out there that have the slugging shortstop being dealt for presumably pitching. This is more than just a passing whim. Because the Rockies obviously have a gap in their bleak rotation and Coors Field won’t draw any of the elite free agents, the only route to improve their staff would be to through trades. Dexter Fowler has also been included in these talks as well. Tulowitzki is vastly more valuable than anyone on the Rockies, though. Read the rest of this entry
2012 Offseason Giants Key Free Agents: To Sign Pagan and Scutaro?
Thursday November 29th, 2012
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer):
It is not an outrageous thought that the San Francisco Giants, coming off their second World Series title in three years would not have a problem signing two key free agents. Angel Pagan was a fixture at the top of the lineup throughout the year and played a big part in helping the Giants reach the playoffs and World Series. Marco Scutaro, a trade deadline acquisition, provided the Giants with the boost they needed to leave the Dodgers in the dust in the NL West. Not to mention, Scutaro caught fire in the NLCS against the Cardinals and wound up NLCS MVP. Signing both of these guys would most likely make the Giants favorites for a Wild Card at the least. It could be hard to compete with the Dodgers for the West after the blockbuster trade that they made with the Red Sox, but Scutaro and Pagan could help. So, how likely is it that both free agents sign with the Giants and return for 2013? Also, why has this team been so quiet in pursuing other Free Agents so far?
Unfortunately for most Giants fans, not very likely. I see the Giants signing one or the other. Angel Pagan, coming off a great season, will undoubtedly ask for more than he’s worth. The Giants also have highly regarded prospect Gary Brown waiting in the wings. He is suited to man centerfield for years to come. Pagan is probably looking for at least four years, and Brown will most likely be ready by late 2013 or 2014. Pagan would probably demand somewhere around $10-12 million per year. He has been a great fit for the top of the Giants lineup, setting the table for Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey. He led the league in triples and scored 95 runs, partially due to his great second half. Pagan’s speed is especially valuable in the spacious outfield of AT&T Park. Gary Brown also has great speed, so there will not be too much of a discrepancy in the defensive abilities once Brown is a Giant. What comes to my mind when I think about rewarding Pagan with a large contract is Aaron Rowand. The Giants made a huge mistake by giving Rowand a large contract after just one good year. Pagan, like Rowand at the time, has not had a streak of consecutive great years, so signing him for more than a few years could be risky.
The Philadelphia Phillies Part 1 of 4: ‘The Franchise’
Friday August.17/2012
Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Team’s Payroll going into in 2013 and 5. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) To follow all of the updates, be sure to check my author page with a list of all archived articles here.

It took the Phillies 77 years to win their first World Series in 1980, however since that time, they have been to 4 more World Series: In 1983, 1993, 2008 and 2009, while taking home the Trophy in 2008.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024 The Phillies started as a franchise in 1883 in the city of Philadelphia-and have the longest continued stretch as their original name. It has been a club that suffered tremendous droughts for the player and fans alike. Only in recent vintage (since 1975) has this team come into permanent prominence, with the now Hall of Fame Mike Schmidt entering the league and turning the fortunes of the city. From signing Pete Rose to put them over the top for their 1st World Series Trophy, to just re-signing Cole Hamels to a 144 Million Dollar Contract, the team has been adamantly aggressive in keeping its name amongst the elite in baseballs annals.
One could even argue that the Phillies had been the best team in baseball from 2008 up until the start of this season. I recently named this club the best team from the years 1980-1983 and then again for the years of 2008-2009. But before the likes of: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins, or Curt Schilling, Lenny Dykstra and Darren Daulton, or Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Pete Rose, they were plenty of other men who left a mark on this historic NL Franchise. We will look at all of the significant players that ever played for the club as a pitcher or hitter. The pitchers and hitters will be focused on solely in the next 2 weeks. Let us look and how the team has fared in its history.
Here are the final pitches of the 2008 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays. Property of Major League Baseball & Fox.
For Part 2 of The 4 Part Philles Article Series: The Hitters, click here.
For Part 3 of The 4 Part Phillies Article Series: The Pitchers- click here
For Part 4 of the Phillies Article Series: Team Payroll and Contractual Statuses click here
Top Ten Stat Of The Week: Active Career Stolen Base Leaders
Wednesday August.8/2012

Juan Pierre was one of the most prolific hitters in terms of base hits in the last 12 years along with being the Active Leader for Career Stolen Bases. Pierre has 4-200 hit seasons in his resume.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on Twitter)- The game has been moving back towards speed, offense and athleticism since the adaptation of the steroid testing in the MLB. I think we will see a big emphasis on the Stolen Base in the coming years. We have Billy Hamilton coming in the near future and he could actually challenge a 100 Stolen Base in one season. 30 years ago there were several guys challenge or eventually succeed in stealing 100 bases. Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman both hit the century mark 3 times, while Ron LeFlore and Tim Raines cracked the 90 SB plateau. Teams used to have several speedsters in their lineup. Jose Reyes has the most stolen bases in one year for the active players with 78 swipes in 2007.
I omitted Luis Castillo from the list because he has not played since 2010, (much to the delight of the New York Mets fans I am sure.) I am sure that Boston Red Sox fans are hopeful that he can regain his stolen base prowess very soon with him being only in the second year of a 7 YR/140 Million Dollar Contract. Johnny Damon also has foraged a great career to be on this list from sheer determination. Out of this top ten , Jose Reyes has the most steals per games played, while Omar Vizquel (who has played 2947 games) has the least amount of steals per game played. I was most surprised by Derek Jeter cracking this list because he has never stolen more than 34 bags in one year. I wonder how many bags Ichiro would have stolen had he arrived in North America earlier? Johnny Damon and Omar Vizquel making this top ten is a test to their long-playing careers. I figured Jimmy Rollins had more steals than what his totals came in as. Bobby Abreu has the most HRs on this list with 286 and Juan Pierre has the least. with 17.
Top Ten Stat of The Week: Odds To Win The AL/NL/WS
Monday July.9, 2012

The Yankees pay at the rate of +190 to win the American League and +375 to win the World Series. They are actually the 2nd favorite in the MLB for both to Texas. These odds are not flattering to throw any money down on either team.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024)- I thought we would try a different top ten today with the ALL-Star Break here today. This morning I did some research on the odds of what http://www.bet365.com thinks will happen for the rest of the MLB Year based on their gambling futures. Gambling is an increasing industry like no other entity in the world. The NFL is better suited for ‘punters’ to throw down some bucks at Vegas. They have only one game a week and the gambling experts think that baseball is easier for the bad teams to beat the good teams. I will tell you as one of these ‘so called experts’, they are completely right. The worst teams in baseball usually can still beat the best teams 1 out of 3 games in a series. This makes normal gambling for a regular season game really hard to make any money, or minimize losses. I do think that betting who makes the playoffs and who wins it all has some good value picks.
Y0u have to search for the value in anything. I never like to play the #1 favorites of each league because they simply don’t pay enough of an odd. Right now, Bet365.com has the Texas Rangers at +175 to win the AL, or The Yankees at +190. I love these two teams to probably represent the AL in the World Series, however these odds are not good at all. As I list all of the odds for each league first, then the World Series, I will make some notes up. I have two teams in the NL that I have already wagered with and I am coming up roses on them so far. It is time for Gambling 101. Read the rest of this entry
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