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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June 24th) – Updated Yearly WOB Totals For 2014

Photo - Norm Hall/Getty Images

Photo – Norm Hall/Getty Images

Gerardo Parra got on base 6 times, doubled, stole a base and scored two runs including the game winner as the Diamondbacks won a marathon against Cleveland, 9-8 in 14 innings.

Kyle Seager doubled, homered and drove in 4 runs, leading the Mariners past the Red Sox, 8-2.

Clayton Kershaw followed up his no hitter with 8 innings of 6 hit shutout ball, striking out 8 Royals and earning the 2-0 victory for the Dodgers.

Jose Quintana pitched 7 solid innings, letting up just 1 run and striking out 8 as the White Sox beat the Orioles, 4-2.

They owned baseball on June 24, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June 23rd) – Updated Yearly WOB Totals For 2014

NATHAN DENETTE/AP

NATHAN DENETTE/AP

Marcus Stroman threw 8 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 run and 1 walk, earning the 8-3 win for Toronto against the Yankees.

Logan Morrison reached base 5 times, including a pair of homers, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored, as the Mariners clocked the Red Sox, 12-3.

Lance Lynn pitched 8 shutout 3 hit no walk innings, no easy feat in Denver, and got the 8-0 decision for the Cardinals.

Adam LaRoche provided almost all the offense in a match up of division leaders with a 3 run homer, pushing the Nationals to a 3-0 victory in Milwaukee.

They owned baseball on June 23, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June 22nd) – Updated Yearly WOB Totals For 2014

Kathy Willens - AP

Kathy Willens – AP

Chris Tillman threw 7 shutout innings, allowing just 4 hits as the Orioles took the final game of the series in the Bronx, 8-0.

Madison Bumgarner pitched into the 9th inning, finishing with 8+ innings of 2 hit ball with 1 unearned run, getting the 4-1 decision for the Giants in Arizona.

Miguel Cabrera finished 2-4 with a homer and 3 RBI, leading the Tigers to a 10-4 win and a sweep in Cleveland.

Daniel Murphy led the Mets attack, going 2-5 with a homer and 3 RBI, beating the Marlins in Miami 11-5.

They owned baseball on June 22, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June 21st) – Updated Yearly WOB Totals For 2014

DILIP VISHWANAT - GETTY IMAGES

DILIP VISHWANAT – GETTY IMAGES

Adam Wainwright won a pitchers duel in Philadelphia by pitching 8 outstanding innings and earning the 4-1 victory for St. Louis.

Jake Odorizzi threw 7 1/3 1 hit shutout innings, striking out 10 Astros and getting the 8-0 win for the Rays.

Aramis Ramirez went 3-4 with a homer, leading the Brewers past the Rockies, 9-4.

Steve Pearce got on base 3 times and homered as Baltimore topped the Yankees, 6-1.

They owned baseball on June 21, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June 20th) – Updated Yearly WOB Totals For 2014

 

MITCHELL LAYTON/GETTY IMAGES

MITCHELL LAYTON/GETTY IMAGES

Freddie Freeman went 3-6 including a homer and scored in the 13 inning, leading the Braves to a 6-4 victory in Washington.

A.J. Burnett pitched a complete game, allowing just 1 run and walking only 1 as the Phillies topped the Cardinals, 5-1.

Edwin Encarnacion got on base 3 times, clubbed a pair of homers and drove in 6 runs to charge Toronto’s shocking 14-9 comeback in Cincinnati.

Jarred Cosart pitched 8 shutout innings, allowing 6 hits and walking 1, earning the 3-1 decision for the Astros over the Rays.

They owned baseball on June 20, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June 19th) – Updated Yearly WOB Totals For 2014

(Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

(Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

Zack Wheeler faced one batter over the minimum, throwing a complete game, 3 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeout shutout of the Marlins, getting the 1-0 win for the Mets.

Freddie Freeman went 3-5 with a pair of doubles and 2 runs scored helping the Braves beat the Nationals in a 3-0 NL East showdown.

Scott Kazmir threw 7 strong innings, striking out 8 and walking no Boston batter for the 4-2 victory in Oakland.

Nick Swisher atoned for a rough day at the plate with a 2 out, come from behind, walk off, extra inning grand slam that shocked the Angels, 5-3 in Cleveland.

They owned baseball on June 19, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June 18th) – Updated Yearly WOB Totals For 2014

Photo: Chris Carlson - AP

Photo: Chris Carlson – AP

Clayton Kershaw pitched a masterpiece of a no hitter, the second for the Dodgers this season. He walked none, struck out a career high 15 and only an error prevented his 8-0 triumph over the Rockies from being a perfect game.

John Lackey pitched 9 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits, 1 walk and struck out 9 Twins. He got a no decision as the game went into extra innings, but the Red Sox walked off as 2-1 winners.

Starlin Castro went 3-5 with a pair of doubles, drove in a pair and scored twice, leading the Cubs past the Marlins, 6-1.

Brian McCann homered, tripled and drove in 5 runs as the Yankees beat the first place Blue Jays, 7-3.

They owned baseball on June 18, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June 17th) – Updated Yearly WOB Totals For 2014

Photo: Ross D. Franklin - AP

Photo: Ross D. Franklin – AP

Jonathan Lucroy had the final word in the beanball war in Arizona. He followed a hit by pitch with his second homer of the game, a grand slam, that gave him 5 RBI and put the Brewers up for good in their 7-5 embarrassment of the Diamondbacks.

Mike Trout got three extra base hits, including a pair of homers, drove in 4 runs and sparked the Angels 9-3 victory in Cleveland.

Matt Shoemaker pitched 8 strong innings, letting up 2 runs and struck out 10 Indians, earning the 9-3 decision for the Angels.

Michael Wacha pitched 6 innings, striking out 7, giving up just 5 hits and 1 run on a solo homer. He and the Cardinals beat the Mets, 5-2.

They owned baseball on June 17, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June 16th) – Updated Yearly WOB Totals For 2014

Photo: Todd Kirkland - AP

Photo: Todd Kirkland – AP

Cole Hamels pitched 7 shutout innings, giving up just 5 hits and 2 walks. The bullpen blew his lead but the Phillies wound up topping the Braves in 13 innings, 6-1.

Dee Gordon sparked the Dodgers offense by getting on base 5 times, including a triple, and scored twice in the 6-1 win against Colorado.

Rubby De La Rosa pitched 7 innings of 1 hit shutout ball, striking out 3 Twins batters and earned the tight 1-0 victory in Boston.

Donnie Murphy slammed a pair of homers, driving in 3 runs, in the 14-8 slugfest won by the Rangers in Oakland.

They owned baseball on June 16, 2014.

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2014 Multi Home Run Efforts + HR Streaks Of 2 Or More In the MLB

George Springer was the last man to hit HRs in 4 games this year..

George Springer was the last man to hit HRs in 4 games this year..

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For Games Played Through June 16, 2014

Multi HR Games in MLB 2014

 

For Games Played Through June 16, 2014 Donnie Murphy Last 2 HR effort – June 16)

LM Otero/AP

LM Otero/AP

Lonnie Chisenhall (3 HR Game) June 9th

Chris Davis, Orioles (3 HR Game) May 20th

Ryan Braun – Brewers (3 HR Game) – April.8th Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.15) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

ASON O. WATSON/GETTY IMAGES

ASON O. WATSON/GETTY IMAGES

Derek Norris crushed a 3 run homer in the first inning and finished the game going 3-5 as the A’s pounded the Yankees, 10-5.

Troy Tulowitzki got on base 4 times, homered and drove in 2, helping the Rockies come from behind and stun the Giants 8-7.

Hisashi Iwakuma threw 8 strong innings, letting up only 6 hits, 1 run and walking no Rangers, earning the 5-1 victory for the Mariners.

Travis Wood held the Phillies hitless into the 6th inning and finished with 8 innings of 3 hit shutout ball for the Cubs 3-0 win.

They owned baseball on June 15, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.14) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Nam Y. Huh/ Associated Press

Nam Y. Huh/ Associated Press

Danny Duffy pitched 7 innings of 5 hit shutout ball, getting the decision as Kansas City thrashed the White Sox, 9-1.

Eugenio Suarez missed the cycle by a single, got on base 4 times and led the Tigers to a wild 12-9 victory against the Twins.

Jesse Hahn pitched 6 innings of 1 hit, shutout ball for the Padres, beating the Mets, 5-0.

Andrew McCutchen got on base 3 times, including a homer, and drove in 3, helping the Pirates hold on to an 8-6 win in Miami.

They owned baseball on June 14, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.13) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

J. Pat Carter

J. Pat Carter

Gregory Polanco capped off a 5 hit, 3 run scored game with a 2 run, go ahead 13th inning homer that gave the Pirates a wild 8-6 victory in Miami.

Lance Lynn was perfect into the 6th inning and finished with 8 innings of 2 hit shutout ball, walking nobody and striking out 8 Nationals as St. Louis hung on, 1-0.

Ben Zobrist singled, doubled and tripled, driving in a pair and scoring one, helping Tampa Bay to a much needed 6-1 win over Houston.

David Phelps pitched shutout ball into the 7th inning, finishing with 6 2/3, no runs, 2 hits and kept the A’s from rallying and earning the 7-0 decision for the Yankees.

They owned baseball on June 13, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.12) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

TED S. WARREN/AP

TED S. WARREN/AP

Derek Jeter got on base 4 times, scored a pair and drove in a pair as the Yankees topped Seattle, 6-3.

Max Scherzer threw a complete game 3 hit shutout, striking out 8 White Sox and earning the 4-0 win for Detroit.

John Mayberry Jr hit a pair of doubles and broke the game open with a 3 run homer in the 7th inning, contributing to the Phillies 7-3 victory against the Padres.

Jhoulys Chacin threw 7 innings of 2 hit shutout ball in Coors Field, getting the decision as the Rockies thrashed the Braves 10-3.

They owned baseball on June 12, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.11) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Jim Cowsert, USA TODAY Sports

Jim Cowsert, USA TODAY Sports

Yu Darvish tossed a complete game, 6 hit shutout, striking out 10 Marlins and getting the 6-0 victory.

Jose Abreu got on base 4 times and launched a homer, helping the White Sox beat the Tigers in an AL Central showdown, 8-2

Cole Hamels threw 8 dominating shutout innings. He let up just 5 hits, 1 walk and struck out 11 Padres. He did not get the decision but the Phillies won, 3-0.

Andrew McCutchen reached base 4 times, including a homer, a double and he stole a base for good measure, leading the Pirates to a 4-2 win over the Cubs,

They owned baseball on June 11, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.10) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Anthony Rizzo went 3-4 with a homer and a pair of doubles, driving in 3 and scoring 3 as the Cubs took the game 7-3 in Pittsburgh.

Collin Cowgill went 3-6 including a 2 out, 2 strike walk off homer in the bottom of the 14th inning that gave the Angels a 2-1 triumph over the A’s.

A. J. Burnett went 7 1/3 innings letting up just 3 hits and 2 runs, earning the Phillies 5-2 victory over San Diego.

Brandon Workman retired the first 13 batters he faced and took a no hitter into the 6th. He finished with 6 2/3 innings of 1 hit shutout ball, winning the 1-0 game for the Red Sox in Baltimore.

They owned baseball on June 10, 2014.

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The Long Ball, HR Leaders, Multi HR Gms, Consecutive Streaks MLB 2014

nelson cruz

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): 

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For Games Played Through June 9, 2014

Top 5 HR Leaders AL

Nelson Cruz, Orioles – 21

Edwin Encarnacion. Blue Jays – 20 (Homered June 9th)

Jose Abreu, White Sox – 18  (Homered June 9th)

Josh Donaldson, A’s  – 17

Brandon Moss, A’s – 16 Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.09) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

LM Otero/AP

LM Otero/AP

Lonnie Chisenhall had a historic night at the plate. He went 5-5, missing the cycle by a triple, clubbing three homers and driving in 9 runs in the Indians’ 17-7 thrashing of Texas.

Scott Van Slyke got on base 5 times, homered twice and drove in 4 while scoring 3, helping the Dodgers top Cincinnati 6-2.

Bud Norris threw 8 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits, earning the 4-0 Baltimore victory over Boston.

Charlie Morton went 7 innings, letting just one Cub run and walked none leading the Pirates to a 6-2 win.

They owned baseball on June 09, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.08) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Zimmermann pitched perfect ball into the 6th and finished with a 2 hit 6-0 shutout of the Padres that put the Nationals into a first place tie.

Felix Hernandez threw 7 dominating shutout innings, letting up just 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 15 Rays, a career high. He did not get the decision but helped set up Seattle’s 5-0 victory.

Paul Goldschmidt got on base 3 times, stole a base and crushed a towering 2 run homer to centerfield, helping the Diamondbacks come from behind against Atlanta, 6-5.

Brock Holt got 4 hits including a triple and a single that started the 9th inning comeback rally as the Red Sox stunned the Tigers, 5-3.

They owned baseball on June 08, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.07) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn

AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn

Shelby Miller pitched a complete game 3 hit shutout, earning the 5-0 St. Louis win in Toronto,

Kyle Gibson threw 7 shutout innings, letting up just 3 hits, as the Twins blanked the Astros, 8-0.

Hunter Pence got on base 4 times, tied the game with a 9th inning double and scored the walk off run for the Giants wild 5-4 victory against the Mets.

Salvador Perez went 3-4, missing the cycle by a triple and driving in 3 key runs for the Royals as they topped the Yankees, 8-4.

They owned baseball on June 07, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.06) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Justin Edmonds / Getty Images

Justin Edmonds / Getty Images

Dee Gordon got on base 4 times with a pair of triples, a stolen base, two runs scored and three runs batted in, leading the Dodgers to a much needed 7-2 win in Colorado.

Torii Hunter went 3-4 with a homer and a pair of runs scored, stopping Detroit’s slide as they beat Boston 6-2.

Tanner Roark threw 8 innings of 3 hit, no walk shutout ball, striking out 11 Padres. The Nationals inched closer to first place with the 6-0 victory.

Dallas Keuchel tossed 6 innings of shutout ball in Minnesota. The bullpen nearly blew it but he got the decision for the Astros, 5-4.

They owned baseball on June 06, 2014.

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Notable HRs On May 29th: EE Makes History!

A A edwin encarnacion

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): 

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Edwin Encarnacion hit his 16th HR of the month last night, as part of his 5th Multi HR effort since May 8th.

EE is has been on fire for the last 20 games, and has effectively tied Mickey Mantle for the most HRs ever hit in May.

For his part, Encarnacion jumped to just 1 back of Nelson Cruz for the MLB and AL Lead.

Jose Bautista also did yard work for the 13th time in his season.  Along with EE, Joey Bats helped stake the Jays to a lead. 

The OF even through out Billy Butler on a single to right at 1st base.  Unfortunately the Toronto club lost the game on an error, and said adios to their 9 game win streak.

Bautista tied Josh Donaldson for 5th in AL HRs. Read the rest of this entry

30 MLB Team Power Rankings: Week 7 – May 2014

The Mariners are 10 - 4 in their last 14 games - without receiving any outstanding play from one particular player.  They are the biggest jumpers in this weeks rankings, going from #20 - #15.  The club concludes a series vs the Kansas City Royals, before they welcome the Tampa Rays next into Safeco Field.

The Mariners are 10 – 4 in their last 14 games – without receiving any outstanding play from one particular player. They are the biggest jumpers in this weeks rankings, going from #20 – #15. The club concludes a series vs the Kansas City Royals, before they welcome the Tampa Rays next into Safeco Field.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): 

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We are almost at the quarter pole for action in the MLB.

The biggest mover and shakers this week were the Seattle Mariners, followed by Baltimore Orioles. LA Angels and San Francisco Giants.

Plummeting in the other directions were led by the Phils, who we dropped from 17th to 24th.

The Yankees, Nationals, Dodgers and Rangers all lost 4 places in the rankings based on sub-par weeks.

The AL New York franchise is about 1 bad week from free-falling to the AL East.  Right now the team has received buoyancy because of ace Masahiro Tanaka being 5 – 0.

Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran are having a tough time finding their rhythm with the Bronx Bombers.

I believe the Dodgers will rectify their situation shortly and take off.

Washington is barely over .500 even though most of their players are playing to their capabilities.

The Royals offense is destroying their team morale, as is the Mets having a tough time with the Relief Core, and their Pitchers are still battling .000 for the year like you and me.

Oakland is still leading the MLB in wins since the start of the 2012 year.

The Red Sox are one of the most likely teams to climb the standings in the next few weeks.

With the Cards not playing well, keep in mind, 18 of the next 21 games reside in Busch Stadium for them.  It is time to make some headway.

The AL has fashioned a 18 – 8 mark in Interleague this week to apply a 34 – 33 overall lead on the NL now.

The Rockies are blasting every baseball into orbit right now.  These guys are hitting as well at home as the Pre-Humidor ERA. Read the rest of this entry

HRs Streaks, Multiple HR Games + Top 5 HRs AL + NL IN MLB 2014 So Far: Through Games Apr.12

It was a slow start to the year for Adrian Gonzalez, but now he has hit a HR in 3 straight games, and is hitting for a 3 slash of .267/.333/.623 - with 4 HRs and 11 RBI through his 1st 45 AB.  His play this week is a big reason the Dodgers are back in 1st place heading into action today.

It was a slow start to the year for Adrian Gonzalez, but now he has hit a HR in 3 straight games, and is hitting for a 3 slash of .267/.333/.623 – with 4 HRs and 11 RBI through his 1st 45 AB. His play this week is a big reason the Dodgers are back in 1st place heading into action today.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

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Here at the MLB Reports we look to do things different.  It is one of our many motto’s.

We simply can’t look over every stat, or even chart every HR for that matter, but I have decided that we will carry the top 5 HR hitters for each the AL and NL on a page we have dubbed Stats.

For the HR feature. we will also list multiple HR games for players… Or if they have HRs in multiple games.  Once a week we will post these on the home page for the site as a regular page post. Read the rest of this entry

What Miguel Cabrera’s New Contract Means To The Tigers And Him

Miguel Cabrera‘s new 8 YR/$248 MIL contract extension comes days after the club couldn’t come to terms with reigning AL Cy Young winner Max Scherzer.

The numbers are mind boggling.

He breaks the ALL – Time record for Average Annual Contract per year is at $31 MIL AAV (from 2016 – 2023), and also he is owed the most dollars at any given time by a contract at $292 MIL for the years of 2014 – 2023.

This man is the best pure offensive player in the game, and has only become better with age, but a lot of people are worried about the back end of this deal.

I fully understand that. Read the rest of this entry

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

The Angels have spent almost a half of a billion in Free Agency over the last 3 years, and all they have to show for it, is back to back 3rd place finishes in the AL West.  The team also featured an anemic Bullpen in the 2013 campaign. But with AL West rivals all having significant injuries both to start the year and long-term for 2014, this has opened up the door for the start of campaign at least.  It is incumbent that their top guys stay injury free, and spend exactly no days on the DL, because they don't have suitable replacements to step in.  With poor starts to both of the last 2 years, this squad looks to break this trend in 2014.

The Angels have spent almost a half of a billion in Free Agency over the last 3 years, and all they have to show for it, is back to back 3rd place finishes in the AL West. The team also featured an anemic Bullpen in the 2013 campaign. But with AL West rivals all having significant injuries both to start the year and long-term for 2014, this has opened up the door for the start of the 2014 campaign at least. It is incumbent that their top guys stay injury free, and spend exactly no days on the DL, because they don’t have suitable replacements to step in. With poor starts to both of the last 2 years, this squad looks to break this trend this seasom.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

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Hunter Stokes (Our chief writer) wrote a piece that was picked up by MLB Trade Rumors blogroll, stating that Jerry DiPoto has done a poor job in constructing the current team based on the roster tree here.

I agree with him 100% on this, especially on the moves, the Bullpen not being 100% finished yet, the Starting Rotation too reliant on their top 2 pitchers – and we have had several of their fans take some jabs at us for going with these notions.

The club’s brass has had a better winter in 2013 going into 2014, then they had last year, however it still doesn’t alleviate the fact, this team can’t sustain one injury to any of their top players because of said moves to deplete their depth.

The Starting Staff is composed of 60% of youth that is not used to toting long innings in Garrett Richards, Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs.

The team has a lot of players that will strikeout a lot, so it is also important to receive key HRs at crucial times in the game.

The club will also lose 34 HRs worth of power they received from Mark Trumbo in 2013, but it was the right time to move him.  Whether they received enough of a return is yet to be determined, but it also cut down the whiffs for 2014.

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Detroit Tigers State Of The Union 2014 – Part 2: The Pitchers

Joe Nathan is still one of the best closers the game of baseball has ever seen. The 39 year old came off one of his best seasons, registering a WHIP of .90 and an ERA of 1.33 amidst his 43 Saves and 74 SO.  Nathan will also bring plenty of playoff experience to Detroit. Lets just hope if the Tigers make it back to the playoffs, that he can improve in his career postseason ERA of 9.00 in 9 IP.  Nathan was inked to a 2 YR Deal this winter, worth $20 MIL, with a Team Option of $10 MIL for 2016.  This doesn't end all of the teams Relief woes, but it gives them the best Closer that was on the Free Agent Market.

Joe Nathan is still one of the best closers the game of baseball has ever seen. The 39 year old came off one of his best seasons, registering a WHIP of .90 and an ERA of 1.33 amidst his 43 Saves and 74 SO. Nathan will also bring plenty of playoff experience to Detroit. Lets just hope if the Tigers make it back to the playoffs, that he can improve in his career postseason ERA of 9.00 in 9 IP. Nathan was inked to a 2 YR Deal this winter, worth $20 MIL, with a Team Option of $10 MIL for 2016. This doesn’t end all of the teams Relief woes, but it gives them the best Closer that was on the Free Agent Market.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): 

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Here we go again.  Bruce Rondon is out for the year with Tommy John Surgery, Joba Chamberlain is throwing at Minor Leaguer’s, and Anibal Sanchez is hurting.

No team had better Starting Pitching in the game of baseball than the Tigers in 2014, while I love their top 3 Starters again, I am worried about their depth in the rotation at the back end.

The Bullpen is a lot better at the Closer’s position with Joe Nathan.

Gone are Jose Veras, underrated Joaquin Benoit, Drew Smyly moves to the Rotation,  and the ‘human dumpster fire’ Jose Valverde is also long removed from the relief core.

Added to the bringing in Nathan, the team also signed Chamberlain for 1 year, and added Ian Krol through the Doug Fister trade.

Among several returnees are Luke Putkonen, Phil Coke, Al Alburquerque, Jose Ortega and Evan Reed. Read the rest of this entry

With Iglesias Out With A Shin Injury, The Tigers Must Sign Drew – And For A Few Years!!

Stephen Drew has definitely been hindered by the Draft Pick compensation.  Now with Detroit losing their Starting Shortstop for potentially the entire 2014 year, the door has swung open for the 31 Year Old player from Georgia.  If I were Drew and his agent, I would push the envelope for a 2 year deal, or at least have a total near the $14.1 MIL barrier for a one year contract.  Drew is coming off a World Series year in 2013 with Boston, where he fashioned a .777 OPS and 50 Extra Base Hits in just 442 AB.

Stephen Drew has definitely been hindered by the Draft Pick compensation for his services this winter. Now with Detroit losing their Starting Shortstop for potentially the entire 2014 year, the door has swung open for the 31 Year Old player from Georgia. If I were Drew and his agent Scott Boras, I would push the envelope for a 2 year deal, or at least have a total near the $14.1 MIL barrier for a one year deal . Drew is coming off a World Series year in 2013 with Boston, where he fashioned a .777 OPS and 50 Extra Base Hits in just 442 AB.  It will see the Tigers payroll grow some, but is a necessary cost of doing business to preserve the best squad to compete in 2014.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): 

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With news coming down the pike that Jose Iglesias could miss the entire year due to a shin splints injury, or at least until the ALL – Star Break, going to sign Stephen for a contract now is a must for the Detroit franchise.

Iglesias was supposed to solidify the Infield in Motown this upcoming campaign with his exceptional defense.  However, lets be realistic in that his offense is a bit challenged.

Now with news of his injury wreaking havoc for most of 2014, the Tigers are left with a major void at the position.

Stephen Drew 2013 World Series HR

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The Detroit Tigers Organizational Depth Charts (All Affiliates) – Spring 2014 (Majors and Minors)

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): & Jeff Kleiner (Org Depth Chart + Payroll Expert – find his website here)

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The Detroit Tigers will be relying on their Minor League System more in 2014 than in the previous few years.  Players have been traded or lost to Free Agency, carving a path and opportunity for some.

Nick Castellanos has the grandest shot at making some headway at the 3B position, and Jose Iglesias will see a full year at SS in Motown.

When you factor in Ian Kinsler at 2B – and Miguel Cabrera at 1B, then none of the 2014 opening days Infield positions will look the same.

Dave Dombrowski has done an exceptional job at replacing some of the Minor League levels.  This was a big reason why they traded Doug Fister. 

Robbie Ray is their best Starting Pitcher not to start the year in Detroit.  He may even get the call at some point this campaign.

If anything, the Tigers were able to become younger, quicker and cheaper, which could bode well for the future

For all of the Rosters, Depth Charts, State of the Unions and Salaries Posts that we do, please visit our dedicated page link here. Read the rest of this entry

The Homer Bailey Extension Is Good For The Short Term In Cincy: Not Sure About The Long – Term Though

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): 

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Homer Bailey may be the 3rd Starting Pitcher on the depth chart, but he happened to be the 1st guy up on Free Agency out of Mat Latos (2016 FA) and Johnny Cueto (2016 FA).

For this reason alone, I like the team extending the 27 Year Old to a 6 YR deal worth a minimum of $105 MIL, and with a Mutual Option for $25 MIL for the 2020 campaign – that could make it a 7 YRs/$125 MIL pact.

The deal starts off pretty good for dollar sense in the first two years, with Bailey making $8 MIL in 2014, and $9 MIL in 2015.

From there if I can borrow a line from Anchorman “That escalated quickly”, the next few years go like this, $18 MIL, $19 MIL, $21 MIL and $23 MIL for the years starting in 2016 – and finishing in 2019. Read the rest of this entry