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The Jacoby Ellsbury 7 YRs/$153 MIL Deal Opens Up Many Possibilities for New York
Ellsbury missed 88 Games in 2012 (and also missed 144 Games in 2010), which brings into question his long – term durability. Heck, even this year, he was seen with a walking boot only a few weeks prior to the playoffs. You can’t deny the man has put up some great numbers out of the leadoff spot for the Red Sox since 2007.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
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So all of a sudden the Yankees have taken a page from their 2006 playbook.
Prior to that season, they overbid for the services of Johnny Damon, effectively ending his tenure with their rivals – the Boston Red Sox.
They have gone back to the well for a 2nd time – raiding the Sox for their Starting CF.
It is a bold and calculated gamble for the Yankees, but then again, they are the biggest entity in the MLB – and they needed to protect the fledgling ratings on TV, and also to make sure the fans come through the turnstiles at New Yankee Stadium
Jacoby Ellsbury was brought in for a 7 YR/$153 MIL deal – that will send shockwaves throughout the Bronx and Major League Baseball.
Jacoby Ellsbury 2013 Highlights – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance Is Advised
Oakland A’s State Of The Union – Trust In Billy Beane To Find A Gem This Winter – Just Not Cruz!
Billy Beane saw his 2013 squad reel in their 2nd straight AL West Title. The team will be hard pressed to do it again in 2014, but don’t ever count out the A’s. It has been a quiet winter thus far, with just signing Nick Punto, and exercising options on Coco Crisp and Brett Anderson. What acquisition does the MoneyBall GM have up his sleeve this time around? I don’t think he will dip into the FA Market for a big name, but certainly a guy or two that can help his ballclub.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
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Nelson Cruz is a sought after Free Agent for power, but it is my humble opinion that the A’s will just not fork out that type of money required to land his services.
Already, the club is projected to give out contracts that will estimate to in the $50 – $55 MIL range once some of their guys head to Arbitration like Seth Smith, Josh Reddick, Brandon Moss, Jed Lowrie, Jerry Blevins and John Jaso.
The franchise will likely see Bartolo Colon and Closer Grant Balfour also leave the nest from their 2013 Pitching Rotation.
Billy Beane hasn’t really been that busy in Free Agency, as he only signed Utility Infielder Nick Punto for a 2 YR/$5.5 MIL deal, and he exercised the Team Options on Coco Crisp and Brett Anderson.
Cespedes 2013 Highights
Having A Great DH Can Mean Winning The AL Pennant: For Other Teams – The Position Is A Waste!
David Ortiz has been the quintessential DH in the AL over the last 11 years. Boston are perennial contenders because he put up great #s compared to his competition. Ortiz had a great 2013 campaign – where he 3 Slashed .309/.395./.959 – with 30 HRs and 103 RBI in just 137 Games Played. Ortiz is .292/.390/.962 in 11 Years with Boston, with 373 HRs and 1191 RBI. The Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and 2007 with him at DH, and are looking to win again this year.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
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Watching the 2013 season, something really resonated with me while watching the American League: ‘Where have all the great designated hitters in MLB gone?’
It is surprising to me that teams haven’t figured out that having a dominant DH in the league could mean the difference in winning the AL pennant or not.
I also believe that players should be moved their earlier than in their mid 30’s. If they can’t play the field at all, or are not superior at offense, they should be made to Pinch-hit in the NL.
It seemed only a few years ago that every team had a bopper capable of hitting .300 with 30 HR’S and 100 RBI’s. Upon further investigation, I found out some interesting facts.
Who Owns October? (WOO) Tally Updated for October 7, 2013
Photo: Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports
Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO.
And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO to a worthy player on the losing team.
For a full explanation, click HERE.
From today’s games:
Receiving 1 WOO
Alex Cobb was not on top of his game but he kept the Red Sox from breaking open the game in his 5 innings of work and helped set up Tampa’s 5-4 come from behind win.
Matt Holliday provided all the offense the Cardinals with need with his 2 run homer that sparked St. Louis’ 2-1 win over the Pirates.
Clayton Kershaw pitched on short rest and threw 6 innings with 2 unearned runs, 6 strikeouts and 1 walk. He would not get the decision but the Dodgers would prevail, 5-4.
Evan Longoria saved the series with one swing of his bat by launching a 2 out 3 run homer in the 5th that woke the Rays up. Tampa would go on to win 5-4.
Dan Otero worked out of trouble in two scoreless innings from the bullpen and prevented the Tigers from staging a comeback as the A’s won 6-3.
Seth Smith got two hits including a 2 run homer that gave the A’s insurance in their 6-3 win in Detroit.
Juan Uribe launched a 2 run 8th inning go ahead come from behind homer that gave the Dodgers the clinching lead over the Braves that they would not relinquish, 5-4.
Michael Wacha threw a no hitter into the 8th inning and kept the Cardinals alive, defeating the Pirates in Pittsburgh, letting up just 1 run and 1 hit for a final of 2-1.
Receiving 1/2 WOO:
Jose Alvarez stopped the bleeding in Detroit with 3 innings of no hit shutout ball out of the bullpen. It would not be enough as the Tigers could not score or mount a comeback, losing 6-3.
Pedro Alvarez broke up the no hitter with a towering home run that brought the Pirates to within one run. It would be practically all of the Pirates offense in their 2-1 loss.
Jacoby Ellsbury got three hits, two of them doubles, and a stolen base and scored 2 of the Red Sox 4 runs in their 5-4 loss to the Rays.
Freddy Garcia stunned the Dodger Stadium crowd with a wonderful 6 inning performance where his lone blemishes came on a pair of solo homers. He struck out 6 and let up only 2 runs and would have received the win if the bullpen did not melt down in the 8th.
Charlie Morton let only 2 Cardinals score and allowed only 3 hits while pitching into the 6th in the Pirates 2-1 loss.
Jhonny Peralta drove in 1/3 of the Tigers entire run total for the series with his game tying 2 run single in the 4th. The Tigers would lose 6-3.
Ric Flair endorsing the new “SullyMetric” – WOO!!
To view the Playoff Leaders for ‘Who Owned October Standings’ – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON
OR SCROLL DOWN.
How All Of The Rockies Pitchers Were Acquired
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In one of the better moves done recently by Rockies management, this former Indian was picked up by the team in 2009, for a player that has never made the Major Leagues. Betancourt has a 0.994 WHIP and a 2.97 ERA in his Colorado Career – spanning 233.1 IP. Impressive considering some of the Innings lugged are in the thin air of Coors Field. At age 39 next season, the club has a Team Option for $4.25 MIL. They should do it. Their Bullpen has been better than expected.
How All Of The Rockies Pitchers Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
At the MLB Reports, we intend to show you the Roster Tree for the Colorado Rockies – 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 Pitchers.
Jorge De La Rosa’s Great Start
Oakland Athletics Payroll in 2013 And Contracts Going Forward
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Coco Crisp is having a good season for the Athletics, while playing superb defense for the club. He has a .251/.332/.752 triple-slash in 347 at-bats on the season. He has 10 HRs and 39 RBIs to include 16 Doubles and 87 hits overall. Coco is still a threat to steal bases with him swiping 16 bases and has only been caught four times. He also shows tremendous plate discipline with walking and striking out 45 times this season. He is a switch-hitter, but prefers to face right-handers with a .275 batting average in 218 at-bats. He does struggle against left-handers, as he only has a .214 average in 126 at-bats. He does a good job with runners in scoring position, as indicated by his .266 average and 29 RBIs in 64 at-bats.
By Chris Lacey (Lead Baseball Columnist/Minority Website Owner) Follow @aecanada12
The surprise team in the American League this season has to be the Oakland Athletics. They have a 2 ½ game lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West division and they are doing it with their pitching.
The Athletics are 6th in the AL with a starters ERA of 3.90 this season and they have a solid offense that is 8th in the AL with 488 runs scored. The best thing about this team is that their rotation is comprised of several young pitchers.
The Swingin’ A’s 2012 – Parental Guidance Is Advised
Triple Play Podcast Ep # 13 – Around The Horn w/OAK/KC/COL/TOR + Bean Wars + The Genius Beane
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The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour.
By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com) Follow @bigticketshow
Guests in this Podcast – Chuck Booth (MLB Reports Owner and Lead Analyst)
On this week’s show Chuck Booth joins us to break down all the biggest stories in MLB. We also go Around the Horn with Chuck to discuss the A’s, Rockies and Royals current situations and declare the worthy few that belong on their respective Mt Rushmore’s. Bethubb.com best bets end the show as always. Happy Father’s Day!!!!!!!
Intro – 10 Minutes, Toronto Blue Jays talk from 10 Minute to the 18 Minute Mark. OAK chat – 18 minute – 33 Minute Mark, COL Talk 33 Minutes – 44 Minute Mark. Kansas City Royals Chart 44 Minutes Mark – 59 Minute Mark. Late Jays Talk Bethubb Best Bets 1 hour 1 MIN mark to 1 hour 9 Minute Mark.
Quick Facts: Catsfish Hunter was 7 – 2 in the Post Season for the 1972, 1973 and 1974 World Series Winning A’s – and only 2 -4 with the 3 Post Seasons with the Yankees. Still 5 World Series Winners was great. Chuck also meant Ewing Kauffman (Chuck thought his nickname was Charlie in the podcast – maybe because his name his Charlie) when talking about the Royals MT. Rushmore for the franchise.
Yogi Berra did indeed play in 14 World Series and won 10 of them in his Yankees days.
To Keep Reading and Listen to this Podcast click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY or scroll past the Triple Play Logo.
MLB Team Power Rankings: Week 8
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The Detroit Tigers were second on the list for moving up rankings with 5 spots. They have overtaken the Indians in the AL Central – and have 5 players that are hitting north of .300. Their top 4 Starters may be the best in the game – and they play in an extremely winnable division where teams can`t match them for payroll or talent. Miguel Cabrera is the best hitter on the planet – and has great support.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
The Oakland Athletics are making another run at the expense of the lesser lites in the Division. This team feasts on the Astros and Mariners – and are not half bad at playing the Rangers and Angels either. The goal for them is to continue to pitch. They must try to at least take 2 games versus San Francisco in the 4 game set.
The Kansas City Royals may have rolled up snake eyes in gambling on their 2013 season. Suffering the longest playoff drought in the majors at 28 years, the franchise traded away its best prospect player in Wil Myers for a 2 year pitching solution in James Shields.
The problem is that their nucleus of young talented hitters have failed them. Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas are being outpowered by some teams Pitching cores in the NL.
Current Top 5 MLB Home Run Leaders in the AL + NL: Home Runs Hit May 20th
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Robinson Cano is leading all Second Baseman + is tied in the AL with Chris Davis for HRs with 13. In a sign of what he might do this year, in his last 163 Games since last year, Cano has a 3 Slash Line of .310/.374/.952 – with 42 HRs and 110 RBI. This type of season would land Cano a deal similar to the one Prince Fielder received a few years ago (9 Years/$214 MIL)
DH on our home site pages – Stands for Daily HR Hitters in the Majors.
We are going to run the gauntlet on the previous days HRs for all MLB Players.
I loved it when MLB XM Radio used to do a running total every night on their Roundtrip with Mike Ferrin (Laser Show). So I am bringing it every day on this website. To view every nights big boppers for the whole year (from May 8th on) visit the DH page!
Click beyond the Youtube link or click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON to see who hit yesterdays big flies.
Miguel Tejada Mix of Highlights:
[]http://youtu.be/a0wc3W6wmzA Read the rest of this entry
MLB Top Teams 1 – 30 + (Best 200 Stats of 2013)
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Matt Harvey with his stellar outings so far this season – may have just become the New York Mets “ace”. Harvey is now 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA. Harvey has pitched 40.1 innings – only given up 21 hits, 12 Walks for a League Leading WHIP of .0818. For his awesome 5 weeks – we name him the MLB Reports NL Pitcher Of The Month
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Stats all Prior to May.06th games.
The time has come for the 1sy May Power Rankings. There will be one each for May, June, July, August, September – and then a special playoff edition Power Rankings will be done in October.
I will not do a weekly Power Rankings during this weeks, because in essence, these are the weekly rankings done on a much larger scale.
These Reports are done with a heavy thought to how the teams project by the end of the season – along with how the clubs have fared so far.
I will point out who has had great months for the all 30 MLB Teams. I reward the good performances in these rankings – and leave the poor ones for the Podcasts or future articles. CLICK THE READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON
Oakland Athletics Payroll In 2013: A’s Organizational Rosters + Depth Charts – (MLB + MiLB)
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How important was Cespedes to The A’s Lineup? They went 82-47 with him in the lineup and 12-21 without him. So far in 2013, the team has gone 10 – 2 with the big Cuban and 4 – 8 without him. Clearly he is the teams MVP.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster
You guys are all in for a treat. Jeff Kleiner recently contacted me about a partnership merge for the website. He has developed a site (prosportsrosters.com) that covers all organizational affiliates in the Minors for all of the Major League Baseball Clubs. We are going to combine efforts to bring you the best look at salaries, current 25 Man Player Rosters and Depth Charts for all 30 teams.
Jeff is going to provide the documents in form of spreadsheets and I am going to accompany the posts with deep analysis of what the numbers tell us from my perspective. If you can’t wait for all of my assessments for each club, go and visit Jeff’s website over at http://www.prosportsrosters.com.
In Speaking with Jeff, he is one of the more passionate fans I have come across towards the game of baseball. He spends enough time in updating his MLB Facts for it to be a Full-Time Job. So after the usual Video Clip and READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY button, you will find some serious &*!@?!#!
Jeff updates this page below on a daily basis. After you click on it….Bookmark it. There is a 3 year salary forecast and stats not listed here on this page. Jeff updates these pages daily and these changes include any Roster moves!
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Athletics Organization click here
MLB Hard Talk 101 – Can The A’s Do It Again?
The Oakland A’s 2013 Roster Tree Part 1: The Hitters
Saturday, Dec.01/2012
How important was Cespedes to The A’s Lineup in 2012? They went 82-47 with him in the lineup and 12-21 without him. He was the biggest reason the team soared into the playoff race and won the AL East. Beane secured him in Free Agency before the start of last year. He is signed for 3 more years at 9 Million Dollars Per Year.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
A few months ago, our Lead Columnist/Website Founder (Jonathan Hacohen) wrote a brilliant piece about the assembly of the Oakland Athletics roster. He called it “MoneyBall 2.” Right after the piece, the A’s surged to the greatest record in the second half of the season and won the AL West. The team is now constructed of power hitters and power pitchers. The man behind it all is Billy Beane. I will not get into too much of this philosophy as you can read that piece here. What I intend to do is to show the roster of how it was comprised by Beane in the form of a roster tree. It is just like a family tree, however this shows trades dating back 2,3,4,5,6 fold etc.. in order to show you the mastery of the GM’s ability to field a roster on a limited budget.
The Future of the Oakland A’s: The Mustache Gang Meets the Bash Brothers: Revealing Billy Beane’s Master Plan click here.
The Oakland A’s 2013 Roster Tree Part 2: The Pitchers click here.
Analyzing the Oakland A’s Outfield Conundrum
Monday November 5th, 2012
Jake Dal Porto: The A’s now find themselves in a sticky situation with four outfielders who are all capable of being full-time starters. Oakland acquired Chris Young from the Diamondbacks on October 21st in exchange for Cliff Pennington as part of a 3-way trade with the Marlins. While it’s safe to say that Billy Beane won the trade from a talent standpoint, it did not solve any problems because the A’s already had Yoenis Céspedes, Coco Crisp, and Josh Reddick locked in the outfield to commence the 2013 season. Young just creates unnecessary havoc that easily could have been avoided. In Beane’s defense, who wouldn’t have traded an inconsistent shortstop for a more proven outfielder?
In 2012, Young dealt with an injured shoulder. Rarely did he play in back to back games towards the end of the year, and his numbers took a beating because of that. He triple slashed for a .231/.311/.434 line, hitting 14 home runs with an OPS of .745. Obviously 2012 wasn’t one of his memorable years, but you would have to think that his injured shoulder played a role in his depleted stats. For Young, it is just a matter of staying healthy and proving that his once wobbly shoulder caused his downfall, not a decreasing bat.
The A’s are now “stuck” with four everyday outfielders. The good news? They do not have to trade anyone in the newly formed quartet to solve this glaring problem. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: August 2012
Monday August.6/2012
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- It has been a crazy month in which teams have stockpiled some heavy talent at the trade deadline to get ready for the playoffs. Amongst the biggest gainers for the rankings this month were: the Athletics, Reds, Braves, Tigers, Dodgers (because of the deals) and Mariners while the Mets, Red Sox, Indians and Royals saw brutal months all but seal their playoff fates. I do think that Boston has a punchers chance but that all is dependent on David Ortiz returning to the lineup swiftly. The power of the best teams is definitely leaning to the National League right now where several teams are playing great baseball. With one-third of the season left we are all in for a treat as baseball fans.
I will have one more regular season Power Rankings month of September (to be posted on Labor Day Weekend,) before I also provide a playoff style ranking of the 1-10 seeds right before the Wild Card Teams play the play in game. It certainly has been awesome to follow how the trade deadline has effected the Monthly Rankings this time around. I think it is safe to say that this years deadline provided more interest and following-from even the casual fan more than any other year before. I also believe that the Non-Waiver Trade Deadline is now the best Trade Deadline in all of sports. Social Media has a lot to do with this but so does parity. The 2nd Wild Card spot has also created more teams willing to trade prospects in lieu of going for it. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: July 2012
Wednesday July.4, 2012
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you monthly power rankings every month of the season. There will be a few notes written for each team. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts. The Texas Rangers are the top ranked team yet once again, although teams are certainly gaining on the them in the last month. If this report was being done last week I might have put the New York Yankees in 1st and Texas in 2nd. A 7 game winning streak help preserve another month for Texas on the leader-board. There were superior months by Aaron Hill, Jose Bautista, Joey Votto , Jason Heyward and a new phenomenon was born with Jose Altuve. It was a great month for the MLB. With 20 teams within 5.5 games or less for the playoff races, we are sure to see some serious movements in the Power Rankings in the 2nd half of the season.
Standings taken before play Tuesday July.03/2012
July Power Rankings-Last Month Rank in Parenthesis
1. Texas-50-30 (1) The Rangers rode a 7 game winning streak to end up 18-8 for the last month. David Murphy, Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus all hit over .300 in the last 30 days. The Rangers were able to weather a slow spurt from Josh Hamilton, in which he hit .222 with only 4 HRs for the month. Matt Harrison has asserted himself as an ace on the staff with a 5-0 month with a 1.29 ERA, while leading the American League with 11 wins on the year. The Rangers have 6 players going to the ALL-Star Game including 3 starters. Yu Darvish can make a 7th if he is voted into the final roster spot with his rookie campaign of 10-5 so far.
2. NY Yankees 48-31(5) The Yankees have ridden good pitching and a hot bat from Robinson Cano to a 19-7 record over the last month, with a 5 games lead over their competition in the AL East. Cano hit .370 with 12 HRs and 24 RBI in the last month. Derek Jeter is hitting .298 overall but saw his average go from .389 in April, to .283 in May to .232 in June. He still tops a list of 4 Yankees heading to the ALL-Star Game including 23 HR homer man Curtis Granderson. Phil Hughes went 5-1 in the month with a 2.59 ERA and Ivan Nova won his 3 decisions with a miniscule 1.32 ERA. Rafael Soriano has converted 18 out of 19 save opportunities since taking over as team closer.
3. San Francisco 45-30 (9) The Giants went 16-11 in the month and saw a perfect game from Matt Cain, with a few other 1 hitters. The team shutout the Dodgers 3 games in a row in a series last week. The Giants have Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and Melky Cabrera starting in KC next week. The Melkman continues to show that last year was no fluke with his .352 Average and he is leading the Major Leagues with 111 base hits. The Giants pitching staff has coped with the loss of Brian Wilson and the ineffectiveness of starter Tim Lincecum, by the rest of the staff having career years.
4. LA Angels 45-35 (12) The Angels have been really steady since the end of May. They just finished going 17-8 in the last 25 days on the backs of ALL-Stars Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and resurgent Albert Pujols. Trout might be the most exciting player on the planet these days and is a lock for AL Rookie of the Year if he keeps this up. Trout hit .367 over the last month and has taken over the AL batting lead with a .342 AVG. Trumbo hit 10 HRs and drove in 28 RBI for the month and Pujols hit .337. to raise his average 40 points. C.J Wilson was good enough in June to be named as CC Sabathia‘s replacement at the ALL-Star game.
5. Washington 45-32(9) Mike Morse has returned to the lineup with a vengeance during the last week with a .484 average. Super Sub Tyler Moore has also hit .415 in the last 14 games with 4 HRs and 12 RBI. Ian Desmond had 16 Extra base hits for the month to go along with 20 RBI, while he made the ALL-Star game as a reserve. Ryan Zimmerman awoke from a season long slump to plate 17 RBI. Adam LaRoche still contributed 7 HRs and 15 RBI despite a paltry .191 average in June. Stephen Strasburg is 9-3 on the year with a 2.81 ERA and a league leading 122 SO. Gio Gonzalez is 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA. Both Gonzalez and Strasburg made the ALL-Star squad. Read the rest of this entry
Ask the Reports: Sunday December 25th
Sunday December 25, 2011
Jonathan Hacohen: Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@gmail.com, message us on Twitter and post on our Facebook Wall!
Let’s get to your top questions of the week:
Q: As things stand right now, who wins the divisions and Wild Cards from AL/NL in 2012? Steve
MLB reports: It’s not even 2012 and you want me to give you a sneak on predictions? Sure. I’m game! Which MLB teams will make the playoffs in 2012. I am looking at the crystal ball. We are going to assume there is still only one Wild Card team per league. I am finding it a little hazy at this point, but here is what I am seeing:
American League:
East: Tampa Bay Rays: Still the cream of the east. Nobody is touching that pitching staff, led by David Price, James Shields and company. The Rays could still add a bat or two before the season starts. If pitching is king, the Rays are royalty.
Central: Detroit Tigers. The class of the division and this one isn’t even close. Justin Verlander. Miguel Cabrera. Victor Martinez. Alex Avila. Full seasons of Doug Fister and Delmon Young. MLB should just hand them the division title right now and save everyone else the trouble. It is a great time to be a Tigers fan.
West: Houston Astros (just kidding…they don’t get their chance until 2013). Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Surprised? Me too. Most would expect me to say the Rangers. But with the Angels pitching and offense bulked up by Albert Pujols, the Angels get my vote. Jeff Weaver. C.J. Wilson. Dan Haren. Peter Bourjos. I see where the Angels are headed and they have the horses now to take the West. Their pitching is still stellar and with all that offense that is coming….a miracle will happen in Anaheim in 2012.
Wild Card: Texas Rangers. The AL West will go down to the last day of the season likely. With that offense led by Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Mike Napoli…Texas will be tough to beat. The difference will be pitching. Sure they have Yu Darvish. But I don’t think he will be enough to get the AL West title. But it will still get Texas into the playoffs again.
National League:
East: Philadelphia Phillies. Yes Ryan Howard is out for some time. Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins are getting older. But Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels equates to an automatic division title. Book it.
Central: Cincinnati Reds: My pick for the second straight year. With the Brewers and Cardinals both losing key parts, it is time for the Reds to shine. A pitching staff led by Mat Latos and Johnny Cueto. The dangerous offensive weapons of Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce. Devin Mesoraco becoming the full-time catcher. 2012 will be a bright year for the Reds.
West: Arizona Diamondbacks. No longer a surprise, the Dbacks are loaded to make another strong run in 2012. On top of the returning team, Trevor Cahill will be a strong addition. Kirk Gibson has a nice mix of offense, defense, starting pitchers and a deep pen. The Dbacks are the team to beat in 2012.
Wild Card: St. Louis Cardinals. The 2011 World Series champions are back for more. While the loss of Albert Pujols and Tony La Russa will be devastating, Dave Duncan returns as the pitching coach. Carlos Beltran should pick some of the offensive slack, plus Adam Wainwright will be back from injury. With Wainwright, Carpenter and Garcia leading the rotation, the Cards should make the postseason.
Q: (a) Exactly how does the “bidding”, say for Yu Darvish work? Where’s that $54 million go towards?
(b) How will Fielder (likely) and Pujols leaving the NL Central affect the division? Lee
MLB reports: A two-part question for you today Lee, nicely done! (a) The Darvish posting fee ($51.7 million) goes to his former Japanese team, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters as a transfer fee. All MLB teams had a window in which to submit a bid for the rights to negotiate with Darvish. In that time, the Rangers submitted the highest bid. The Ham Fighters did not know the team, only the winning bid. Now the Rangers have 30 days to sign Darvish to a contract. If Darvish signs, the Ham Fighters keep the $51.7 million. If no contract, Darvish goes back to Japan for next year and can be re-posted in 2013. Expect Darvish though to sign with Texas and the Ham Fighters to keep the posting fee.
Now on to part 2 of your question. You are correct in your estimation, as Prince Fielder is likely to join Albert Pujols and leave the NL Central. The departures of the two stars means that the NL Central crown is up for grabs. As per my earlier answer, the Reds are now the heavy favorites to win the Central. The Cards will still be in it, as the return of Wainwright will drastically help the team. But nobody can know how the team will play without Pujols and its former manager, Tony La Russa. The Brewers could be in big trouble, especially if Ryan Braun is lost for any lengthy period of time. Prince Fielder did not get enough credit for the success of the Milwaukee Brewers. Now the team will have a reality check when he is gone in 2012.
Q: As of today, what are the top-5 rotations in MLB? Fredy
MLB reports: A great…great…great question. What a fantastic discussion point and source of debate. With all the cries about the lack of pitching in baseball, there are some fantastic rotations out there. Now, with trades and free agent signings, this list could change. But as of today, here are my top rotations in baseball (in order):
1) Tampa Bay Rays: Some teams may have a better 1-2-3 punch. But for overall depth and quality, the Rays are the class of baseball. David Price, James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson can run with the best of them. Then add Matt Moore, Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann into the equation and you have baseball’s best rotation. With even more good young pitchers coming through the minors, the Rays have an embarrassment of riches. A trade could still come through the pipe, but even still, the Rays are my selection.
2) Philadelphia Phillies: Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are the most devastating top-2 starters I have ever watched in my life. They have the chance of being one of the best duos of all time, and that is saying a lot. Cole Hamels could be an ace for many other teams and is playing for his next big pay-day. Vance Worley had a solid 2011 campaign and should do much of the same this year for the Phillies. The 5th job will likely be between Kyle Kendrick and Joe Blanton, unless another move is made. The Phillies may not be the most complete team in baseball, but they certainly have one of the top rotations in the game.
3) San Francisco Giants: This team does not require much explanation. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner. Ryan Vogelsong and Barry Zito to round out the squad. You would have a very difficult time finding a better top-3 when they are on. Cain is one of my personal favorites and one of the most underrated players in the game in my estimation.
4) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: My pick to win the AL West and a big reason is this staff. Jeff Weaver and Dan Haren are the foundation of the team. C.J. Wilson should be a great #3 on a team where he will not be expected to be the ace. Between Ervin Santana, Jerome Williams and Garrett Richards, Mike Scoscia should be able to fill in the rest of his rotation.
5) Atlanta Braves: I struggled with this one. I was thinking Cards, Reds and even the Nationals. While each of those teams had some top guns, it was their lack of depth that made them fall of the list. The Braves are my pick for having strong pitchers, but just the best depth in the rotations that were left. Tim Hudson. Jair Jurrjens (if not traded). Tommy Hanson (if healthy). Brandon Beachy. Mike Minor. Randall Delgaldo. Julio Teheran. Just having Teheran alone shoots this rotation up the list. They may not be the flashiest, but the Braves have a choice of starting pitchers that other teams just drool over.
Q: Will Ubaldo Jimenez regain his 2010 first half form? David
MLB reports: Is there a bigger source of frustration in baseball? The Ubaldo from 2011 looked nothing like the recent Ubaldo we have come to know. He will be turning 28 in January (in Dominican years) and should just be entering the prime of his career. I will tell you my gut feeling…and Cleveland fans, you will not like it. I have seen this pattern too many times over the years. Occasionally a pitcher goes through a dead-arm period, where their numbers and performance all of a sudden drops drastically. Through rest and a change in mechanics, the form can return. But that is the exception to the rule. Usually when a decline like Ubaldo’s appears, it means that there is an injury in hiding. I will be very surprised if Ubaldo regains his form overnight. I am looking at a crystal ball and my sense is a visit to Dr. Andrews in his future. This is a gut feeling, but a very strong one. It could be heartburn, but I doubt it.
Q: Tim Wheeler and Seth Smith for Prado or Jurrjens? Joe
MLB reports: Its a possibility, but I don’t see it happening. Wheeler is the real deal and I can’t see the Rockies moving him at this point. Smith is a useful role player and could blossom into a steady every day player, but I have my doubts. Between Jurrjens and Prado, I take Jurrjens if I’m the Rockies. A great pitcher, but has issues staying healthy. The key component in this trade is Wheeler. The former 1st round pick is highly rated and was terrific last season with 33 home runs in AA. Rockies say no, Braves say yes. But if it happens, it would be for Jurrjens also. Martin Prado is another useful player, but not a star and worth the cost of a top prospect.
Q: Which team makes the biggest jump in the ‘Power Rankings’ if they sign Fielder? Bleacher GM
MLB reports: Another great question! Prince Fielder will instantly help any team that signs him. But who will make the biggest jump…now that is a different story. I could see the Jays being stronger playoff contenders with him. The Rangers would be even that much more dangerous. But the biggest jumps would be based on a team with potential that needs to go the next level. My picks in order would be the Nationals, Mariners and Orioles. With Prince on board, I could see the Nats finally climbing from potential to contenders. The Mariners and Orioles would go from the basement to respectability overnight. Yes, Prince has that kind of power and abilities to make everyone else around him better. But the Nationals get my vote, given their emerging pitching staff and great young hitters. If the Nats sign Prince, we could be looking at the Nats in the playoffs by 2013. The Mariners are still far too behind on offense to become contenders and the Orioles are still emerging and integrating as a young team. The Mariners get the edge based on their pitching staff. But imagine Prince hitting between Harper and Zimmerman. Just the thought gets me very excited!
Final Question of the day: Here’s a good question, what was the one moment that made you realize baseball was your niche? Eric
MLB reports: I needed a week to ponder this one Eric. One of the most insightful and deep questions ever presented to me. I always knew that I had a deep love for baseball. I have read about the game and its players and studied the sport for most of life. I have always enjoyed writing about baseball, but never knew where it would be headed. In conducting interviews, I felt a good connection to the game and the people associated with it. But the true point when I knew it was my calling- now that is a different story. I would have to say when a leading baseball writer for a well-known baseball publication told me that he reads the site regularly and enjoys my work, that was the instance I felt that I had something special. When a writer of his caliber and experience was quoting my work and praising it, I literally had goosebumps. That was the defining moment in my career. From there, when I get emails and messages from baseball fans all over the world- it makes all the hard work very gratifying. I enjoy touching people’s lives and being able to deliver to them positive information and analysis on the game of baseball. Finding the right writers who had the same principles, work ethic and ideas was the key to the growth of the site. I definitely love what I do. I believe that people lead busy lives and time is precious. By people taking the time out of their lives to read my work, I have an obligation to provide them with the best baseball writing that I can deliver. It is an honor that I get to interact with as many baseball fans that I do as part of my role as a Baseball Writer. It is the greatest game on the planet and I am proud to be able to make contributions to baseball through my writing. Thank you for the question!
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Jonathan Hacohen is the Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports: You can follow Jonathan on Twitter (@JHacohen)
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