Blog Archives

How To Stop Tanking Maneuvers In Order To ‘Rebuild’ MLB Teams

In the last year of the current CBA there may be a change to the new agreement that would stop teams from intentionally losing under the "integrity of competitiveness" clause. Teams such as Houston and Chicago have laid the template down, and now other teams are following suit.

In the last year of the current ‘CBA’ there may be a change to the new agreement that would stop teams from intentionally losing under the “integrity of competitiveness” clause. Teams such as Houston and the Chicago  Cubs have laid the template down, and now other teams are following suit like the Phillies, Braves, Reds, Padres, Rockies and Brewers.

Jordan Gluck (Part Owner/Featured Writer): 

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How to stop Tanking?

Spearheaded by Jeff Luhnow – the complete ‘tank philosophy’ has taken off across sports which is a terrible thing for competitive balance.

Teams in other leagues such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Cubs, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Timberwolves and Indianapolis Colts have had completely terrible teams with the goal of landing the top selection in that draft(s).

Tanking has become much more widespread and is EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE. The problem is losing this badly leads to teams being terrible likely for long periods of time so they can be at the top of the draft and have a chance at elite players.

The differences in tanking differ by league though, in basketball if you don’t have the elite talent then you will never win and that talent is found almost always at the top of the draft.

In football you need a quarterback to be a super bowl contender and tanking will likely be just for the quarterback as the Colts did for Andrew Luck.

Hockey (like baseball) requires depth but top line players carry a huge premium and are available at the top of the draft and you defiantly need at least a few to be Stanley Cup contenders. Read the rest of this entry

Houston Astros Roster Part 2 In 2014: How All Of The Pitchers Were Acquired

From 1992 - 2006, Houston was one of the best franchises in the games of baseball, not having one losing season in that time span.  They won 4 Division Titles, 8 2nd place finishes, and appeared in 6 playoffs.  After being swept in the 2005 World Series, the core got old, and the team waited too long to rebuild.  Once it was time, the management actually did a smart thing in totally gutting the entire franchise, in order to restock the Minor League System.  Three trades with the Phillies kickstarted the youth movement, trailing all the way to Brad Lidge, and ending with Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence.  2 out of the 3 have retired, and Pence now makes $18 MIL per year, which would be too much.

From 1992 – 2006, Houston was one of the best franchises in the games of baseball, not having one losing season in that time span. They won 4 Division Titles, 8 2nd place finishes, and appeared in 6 playoffs. After being swept in the 2005 World Series, the core got old, and the team waited too long to rebuild. Once it was time, the management actually did a smart thing in totally gutting the entire franchise, in order to restock the Minor League System. Three trades with the Phillies kickstarted the youth movement, trailing all the way to Brad Lidge, and ending with Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence. 2 out of the 3 have retired, and Pence now makes $18 MIL per year, which would be too much.

How All Of The Astros Pitchers Were Acquired:

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

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The other day we talked about the hitters for the Astros and how they were acquired.

Today we delve into the Pitching Staff.  The Bullpen is compromised with some familiar names, that were Free Agent Signings.

A lot of the Starters were brought in by trade, or signed as Free Agents.

The biggest tree in the roster comes from Brett Oberholtzer, who was traded for in the deal with the Braves for Michael Bourn.

Philadelphia has made 3 deals for Brad Lidge, Hunter Pence and Roy Oswalt, that have left Houston stocked in the current makeup for the depth chart by subsequent deals.

Michael Bourn (with a few others) came over for the 2007 trade for the former Closer Lidge, and then was flipped to Atlanta for Oberholtzer and a package of players.

The other meaningful deal was Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton brought into Houston for outgoing Hunter Pence.

One of the unfortunate deals the team did was for Miguel Tejada, but it certainly didn’t backfire as bad as it could have.

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Colorado Rockies State Of The Union For 2014

 This club often reminds me of an aging heavyweight fighter.  You may beat on them for a time, but there is always that chance the team will land a haymaker on you.  2007 was one of their days in the sunshine.  2014 may see them at least make the postseason again.  With a 20 - 1 odd for the club, the value is there for a longshot pick.

This club often reminds me of an aging heavyweight fighter. You may beat on them for a time, but there is always that chance the team will land a haymaker on you. 2007 was one of their days in the sunshine. 2014 may see them at least make the postseason for the 1st time since 2009. With a 20 – 1 odd for the club to win the NL west, the value is there for a longshot pick – should you be allowed to gamble on this chance.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): 

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The Colorado Rockies brass were a busy bunch in the 2013 winter, heading into the 2014 year.  They have picked up several solid players for the upcoming campaign.

I simply hate that this club plays in the NL West with the Dodgers and Giants.

This year, just like any in recent memory, will depend heavily on whether the team can keep Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki.

When both are clubbing it, this 3 – 4 punch may be the best in baseball now that Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera have been separated. Read the rest of this entry

The Colorado Rockies Players, Organizational Affiliates, Prospects + Depth Charts (MLB + MiLB)

Troy Tulowitzki is one of the best all-round shortstops in baseball. he plays Gold Glove caliber defense, and he actually hits well pretty much anywhere whether home (.935 OPS) and Away (.819 OPS).  The team always plays better with their franchise Shortstop is in the lineup - and they have a punchers chance to compete in their Division.

Troy Tulowitzki is one of the best all-round shortstops in baseball. he plays Gold Glove caliber defense, and he actually hits well pretty much anywhere whether home (.934 OPS) and Away (.819 OPS). The team always plays better with their franchise Shortstop is in the lineup – and they have a punchers chance to compete in their Division. In 2013, he hit for a 3 Slash Line of .312/.391/.932 – with 23 HRS and 82 RBI in just 446 AB.  The 28 Year Old missed 36 games this past campaign, and that cost him a chance to win the NL MVP, as he was an early favorite.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): and Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website  here  

For all of the Rosters, Depth Charts, State of the Unions and Salaries Posts that we do, please visit our dedicated page link her

The Rockies will enter the 2014 campaign without Todd Helton for the 1st time in 18 years.  The team is always in a precarious situation when it comes to prospects, talented veteran’s, and an uncertainty of how the team will fare year to year.

Colorado has been a streaky club from 2007 – now.  They made their only World Series Appearance ever in 2007, and the team has had chances for the playoffs most years that Troy Tulowitzki has played in significant AB.

The teams offensive prospects look great with Nolan Arenado, Jordan Pacheco. Dexter Fowler, Wilin Rosario and of course their big #2 Shortstop TULO.  For the most part, this team has been able to develop within.

Yes Carlos Gonzalez was brought in by trade, but that was with the asset the team drafted in Matt Holliday.

Todd Helton:   Look Back At A Franchise Player’s Career

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How All Of The Rockies Pitchers Were Acquired

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Tuesday Aug.13/2013

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 in his Colorado Career - spanning 244 IP.  Impressive considering some of the Innings lugged are in the thin air of Coors Field

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):

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

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Colorado Rockies Payroll in 2013 and Contracts Going Forward

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Monday, August.05, 2013

Troy Tulowitzki is one of the best all-round shortstops in baseball. he plays Gold Glove caliber defense, and is a great offensive player. He is the heart and soul of the Colorado Rockies. They are a better team when he is on the field.  Tulo has a .321/.387/.977 triple-slash in 290 at-bats this season. He has 20HRs and 60 RBIs on the season to go along with 18 Doubles and 93 hits overall. He is first in the NL with a Fielding Percentage of .992.  The young shortstop can hit righties or lefties. However he does have a higher average against righties with a .330 average facing them. He is also excellent with runners in scoring position, as indicated by his .330 batting average and and 40 RBIs in 90 at-bats.

Troy Tulowitzki is one of the best all-round shortstops in baseball. He plays Gold Glove caliber defense, and is a great offensive player. He is the heart and soul of the Colorado Rockies. They are a better team when he is on the field. Tulo has a .321/.387/.977 triple-slash in 290 at-bats this season. He has 20HRs and 60 RBIs on the season to go along with 18 Doubles and 93 hits overall. He is first in the NL with a Fielding Percentage of .992. The young shortstop can hit righties or lefties. However he does have a higher average against righties with a .330 average facing them. He is also excellent with runners in scoring position, as indicated by his .330 batting average and 40 RBIs in 90 at-bats in this situation.

By Chris Lacey (Lead Baseball Columnist/Minority Website Owner)  

The season for the Colorado Rockies may be near its breaking point with the 10 ½ games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West division.

They might want to start thinking about next season and try to salvage what they can from the rest of this season. The biggest issue with the team right now is their pitching, as they are last in the NL with a 4.32 ERA from their pitching and they have allowed 514 runs.

Troy Tulowitzki 2011 Highlights – Parental Guidance Is Advised 

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Colorado Rockies Organizational Charts: Payroll, Depth Charts And Rosters, (MLB + MiLB)

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Friday, June.13/2013

The Coors field Effect is still alive and well for Pitchers and Hitters.  19 out of the 20 years, the Rox have led the Major Leagues in Home Batting Average.  Last year, position hitters (1-8) hit for a .315. Batting Average.  This season is no different.  The Rox have played inspired baseball, but now are faced with injuries to Tulowitzki, Fowler and Gonzalez

The Coors field Effect is still alive and well for Pitchers and Hitters. 19 out of the 20 years, the Rox have led the Major Leagues in Home Batting Average. Last year, position hitters (1-8) hit for a .315. Batting Average. This season is no different. The Rox have played inspired baseball, but now are faced with injuries to Tulowitzki, Fowler and Gonzalez.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website  here  

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 Rockies Organization click here

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