Today, the hat says...we're going North of the Border.
Team Previews 2008 – Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have in recent years made the setp toward respectability, but that has come in spite of of bad signings, bad drafts and bad personnel decisions overall by management, specifically J.P Riccardi. To put it bluntly, the Jays are in a tough spot, as they don't suck as bad as some of the other teams in the AL, but they aren't as good as the cream of the crop.
Starting Rotation
Roy Halladay (RHP) – Halladay is still an effective pitcher, though he has begun depending more on groundballs these days instead of flat out dominating hitters like he used to. He’s still a bit of a health risk, but as long as that knuckle-curve of his remains solid and the fastball low, he should be dominant again.
A.J. Burnett (RHP) – Gifted, but injured, Burnett is entering his walk year, as he’s likely to opt out of his current contract to hit free agency this coming off-season. Burnett could be a legitimate top of the rotation starter, but he either gets injured or struggles just when it looks like he’s turned a corner. However, because of the money at stake, look for him to actually pitch nearly a complete season, with decent numbers.
Dustin McGowan (RHP) – Best pure stuff of the young starters, McGowan should be able to elevate his status enough to where he can be considered a capable number two. He’s got four good pitches, including his fastball that can reach the mid 90’s and has some ink to it. His only real weakness is lefties, but aside from that, he could effectively replace Burnett as soon as next season, provided that the Jays have some help to replace his spot in the rotation.
Shaun Marcum (RHP) – I’m not sold on Marcum, as I feel he gets by more on the command of his average stuff than anything else. That doesn’t mean he can’t be an effective fourth starter, it just means don’t expect him to be lights out. Last year is probably the best case scenario for him.
Jesse Litsch (RHP) – Litsch is an average fifth starter that depends on his defense to help him pitch effectively.
Bullpen
B.J. Ryan (Closer) – Ryan’s injury and subsequent Tommy John Surgery were probably a prime example of some of the worst
Jeremy Accardo (Setup Man) – The fact that the Jays were able to get him for a declining Shea Hillenbrand amounts to Highway Robbery. Accardo will likely be moving back to the setup role, as it appears that Ryan will be ready at the start of the season.
Casey Janseen (RHP) – Janseen is likely going to remain in the pen as the primary 7th inning man, a role that he succeeded in last season, though the Jays have made note that they haven’t given up on him as a starter.
Gustavo Chacin (LHP) – I’m not sure why Chacin is still on the roster, but it looks like he’ll remain in the bullpen as a swingman unless Litsch or someone else plays their way out.
Jason Frasor (RHP) - Only as good as his command takes him.
Brandon League (RHP) – League failed to establish himself as a setup man last season, but he still has a lot of use as a middle reliever, with the chance to setup later.
Scott Downs (LHP) - Dominant lefty reliever completes the pen.
Starting Lineup
Reed Johnson (LF) – Johnson was effective as a leadoff man in 2006, but injuries killed his season last year and resulted in the lack of effectiveness. Johnson will likely share time with Matt Stairs this season.
Lyle Overbay (1B) - Not a great power hitter, Overbay has at least done a decent job of getting on base before injuries hit.
Vernon Wells (CF) - A disappointment, Wells needs to bounce back from a terrible year at the plate. With the departure of Glaus, a lot more is riding on Wells' ability to drive in runs.
Frank Thomas (DH) - Still a capable masher, Thomas will see the bulk of at bats at DH. It looks like his health issues are behind him, but keep in mind he is older and will need regular rest.
Alex Rios (RF) - Rios is rapidly turning into a solid all around player. He's able to hit for power and a decent average and isn't a slouch on the basepaths either. He's a great right fielder. All in all, here is one long term commitment I wouldn't mind the Jays making.
Scott Rolen (3B) – Rolen is now in the fold and frankly, this is a bad trade. There is a difference between "passionate" and "high maintenence." Rolen is the later. He's a decent defender, but there is no guarnatee that he'll stay healthy, especially now that he's playing on turf.
Gregg Zaun (C) – Zaun is rapidly declining as a catcher. The only thing he really can do now is hit lefties.
Aaron Hill (2B) - A nifty second baseman, Hill should be on an All Star squad in the near future. His defensive value will help make up for the questionable signing up next...
David Eckstein (SS) - The Blue Jays are betting that Eckstein and Rolen will bring in some of that "gritty" atmosphere from St. Louis. Eckstein is old, not a great bet to stay healthy and can't hit. That spells winner!
Bench
John McDonald (SS) - A defensive shortstop, McDonald will likely spell Eckstein late in games.
Matt Stairs (UTIL) - There is still some life in that bat, as Stairs enjoyed one of his best seasons last year. You'll see him pop up all around the diamond, spelling Johnson, Overbay and Thomas when necessary.
Rod Barajas (C) - Barajas signs up with the very team he spurned last season. Regardless of my personal feeligns of Barajas, he may have at least another solid year left in him. All he needs is the chance to sieze it.
Marco Scutaro (INF) – Scutaro may wind up beating out Eckstein for the starting gig at short this season. Scutaro can play short and second and has a bit of pop to his bat. But that's really about all he can do.
Minor League Notables
Curtis Thigpen (C) – Thigpen did well enough in limited action last season that he’ll likely be the starter come 2009. While he’ll likely spend the year in the minors, should injuries decimate
Ricky Romero (LHP) - Famously picked ahead of Troy Tulowitzski, Romero may be ready to contribute at the end of the season. His ceiling is a Number Four starter.
Final Thoughts
This is really Toronto’s last shot at contending, as this team was built to win now. After this season, there will be a lot of people leaving the organization via free agency and Toronto lacks the major pieces in the farm other than Travis Snider that will help out long term. Even then, unless Toronto gets the benefit of a lot of injuries among their division mates, they are, at best, the third best team in the division.
Final Prediction - 3rd Place, American League East.
A return to school and an increased workload at work due to sick leave has cut into my blogging time. Not cool.
Ah well, time for a collective group of thoughts about baseball.
Scott Rolen and Troy Glaus Traded For Each Other
Kinda a odd deal, considering that both are high priced deals with huge landmines attached to them (Health) but overall the deal does work to the favor of each team in one way or another.
WIth Rolen, the Blue Jays gain a Gold Glove defender at third base, which would help compensate for the lead glove of David Eckstein, at the cost of some offense. However, Eckstein is better than the shuffle at short the Jays had and there is the off chance that Rolen can prove himself to be semi-adequate with the bat. More than anything, however, the Jays need some type of return from Vernon Wells, who disappointed last season after signing for superstar money with the Jays.
In Glaus, the Cardinals get a big bat that is needed to help bolster the offense, which is, to be frank, pathetic outside of Pujols. More than anything, however, the Cardinals needed to diffuse the situation between Tony LaRussa and Rolen, which was made all but irreparable after LaRussa poured gas on that particular fire this off-season. The signing of Cesar Izturis does help improve the defense enough where the Cardinals can suffer through Glaus' hands of stone, and the move to natural grass and away from Toronto's turf should prove to be beneficial in the long run for Glaus.
All in all, it's a good gamble for both sides, but more importantly, it clears up some potential locker room disaster that would have exploded during the season had either player remained with their former teams.
Grade For Both Sides: B
Thoughts On The Kotsay Trade
I was going to rant about how the Braves should have just offered Andruw Jones arbitration, keeping him around for one more year, as he would have accepted, and keeping the offense together.
Instead, they pull this trade.
To be honest, I gotta give Billy Beane all the credit in the world on this one, as I think Kotsay is done. He's not the defender he once was and in terms of offense, he's not going to give you much in return. In all honesty, the Braves would have been better off just giving the job to Josh Anderson for the season and just gone with it from there. At least he's mostly paid for.
Oh wait. Oakland got two prospects, one of which, Joey Devine, the Braves' first round pick from two years ago, will likely help out Oakland in the bullpen this season. And they also got Jamie RIchmond, a right hander that could be a fifth starter. That's quite a haul for a broken player.
Anyhow, that's my take on that.
Oakland Grade - B
Atlanta Grade - D
Lost A Bet
To my friend, who's an Astros fan, on the Cowboy Game on Sunday.
So, expect the first (and only) Astros Report sometime this week.
The problems with rushing draft picks, Southside Eckstein, Pods Back On The Market, and the Price On Dontrelle Willis.
The Problems With Rushing Draft Picks
One of the things that I’m noticing in recent years is the rushing of draft picks.
Usually, this is done with relievers, who are viewed to be almost ready made, a practice that has gone back since the Nationals brought up Chad Cordero months after being drafted. However, this practice is taking it's toll on the prospects, mostly because teams feel that these college kids should be ready to start immediately.
This has recently been found out the hard way by the Detroit Tigers, who are now paying the price of rushing Andrew Miller, who has been awful his last few starts. The warning signs were there with Miller, who has walked more batters than he struck out and was regarded to be still raw coming out of college.
A better example would be Craig Hansen and Joey Devine, two players selected in the 2005 draft that were called up to the Majors quickly. Too quickly.
Devine was destroyed in limited time with the Braves and only recently has begun to show signs of coming out of his shellacking. Hansen isn't as fortunate and is in danger of possibly being dealt or cut by the Red Sox, who made the mistake of calling him up too soon.
Often times Clubs will be a bit overdependant on their system to provide them with help in their hours of need, oftentimes too soon for the kids to do much good.
And often times, those kids may never recover.
So, let it be a lesson, even a cautionary tale, of why sometimes you might need to look elsewhere rather than within, less you render your own internal asset useless for the rest of the future.
Eckstein Southside? Sounds Like A Disaster.
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, shortstop David Eckstein has become the top off-season target of the White Sox, who are now tired of Juan Uribe’s lack of production (is it possible to be out hit by Adam Kennedy? It’s starting to look like it.)
I’m not sure if that’s a great idea, even if the shortstop market is looking dismal. Eckstein will be 33 heading into next season, and he’s begun to break down, with more and more time on the DL due to injuries. Big money would be a mistake, especially when you consider that Eckstein lacks lower and as a leadoff man is very depended on slapping the ball and hoping his speed will let him beat it out. That’s not going to last much longer, especially as he begins to lose speed next year.
Another nugget to consider is that Eckstein may be classified as a Type A Free Agent, and would warrent the White Sox surrendering their Second Round Pick, something that the Whtie Sox may give pause to, especially as they begin what is likely a rebuilding process that will require all the high picks it needs.
The White Sox, really, should begin to look around at the various farm systems in the league (Kenny Williams has scouted several systems and knows the prospects he wants from each one religiously) to see if there is any way to net a shortstop prospect that is near ready, but blocked. A young player would be much better as it would give the White Sox payroll flexability and the potential to groom another face of the franchise around them.
Pods Back On The Market
Scott Podsednik is going to be available soon.
The White Sox have begun playing Josh Fields in left field. This likely means that
Joe Crede will be brought back for his final season.
Podsednik is out of a job, as the White Sox have fallen in love with Darin Erstad (big mistake) as their fourth outfielder.
Does Pods have any value?
Some, but not enough to start him. He'd make a decent fourth outfielder on a team that has several established ones and he's got the speed to be a decent pinch runner. With his stock down, his price will be cheap as well.
Pods has really had only one good year, but beyond that, he's prett y much useless as a starter.
And to think, I got the most hate mail over my view of Pods as a backup.
Heh.
The Price On Dontrelle
Dontrelle Willis has had a difficult season in Florida, and with his price increase coming in arbitration, followed by Miguel Cabera's impending raise, Willis could finally be out there for the taking.
The Marlins have kinda messed up this situation a bit, as Willis was at the peak of his value last off-season and would have netted a nice haul. However, Willis has lost some of his luster and teams may be less willing to give up the farm for him.
However, there still will be a great deal of suitors, as Willis is a power pitching lefty on the right side of 30 and has a reputation for being a horse as well as an innings eater. Someone will bite.
The Marlins have indicated that they want pitching and catching in return in exchange for Willis. Is there a match?
Somewhat.
The Mariners have catching prospect Jeff Clement to offer up and potentially Wladmir Baltentin, a centerfielder, that they could offer back, but no real pitching of consequnce.
The Mets could offer up an outfield prospect and potenitlally Philip Humber and Mike Pelfrey, but no real catching prospects exist in that organization.
The Rangers could offer back Gerald Laird, who has been displaced by Saltalamacchia, but the Marlins would demand Salty instead, along with top prospect Eric Hurley, a package that would scare off the Rangers.
The Yankees will likely be mentioned, but will only offer up end of the rotation starters such as Tyler Clippard and Jeff Marquez, while the Marlins would demand either Ian Kennedy or Joba Chamberlain.
The Dodgers could be interested, but their only real prospect of value of Clayton Kershaw and he's untouchable.
Perhaps the Rockies and Diamondbacks, teams in need of starting pitching, could make an offer with some of their depth of positional prospects, but no pitching options are available to make a fit possible.
The Marlins are thus in a touchy spot. They could let Willis leave after this year and reap the two comp draft picks, but if he's signed by a crappy team, all they'll get is a second rounder and a sandiwch pick. If they trade him, they'll want to get what Willis was worth last season, and not what he's worth then.
So, it's going to be interesting to see how the Marlins operate this, to put it lightly, delicate situation when they've handled so many of their public relations issues with bazookas.
I thought it would be fun to check out the market for next year's free agent class. I'll update the list as the season goes on, but first, I figured we'd start with the shortstop market. This class is thin with no real stars and only two players being really of any sort of long-term value. This class got a lot thinner when Carlos Guillen re-signed wtih the Tigers today.
Juan Uribe (White Sox) – Uribe is 28 and is going to be a free agent for the first time this season. He's one of the better defenders in the league and he's got a strong arm and soft hands. Uribe has some speed, but he's a poor baserunner and gets caught often and he's got poor plate discipline, which negates his above average power for the position. He's also injury prone, which means that he's almost a lock to miss time. Uribe isn't likely to be back next season and while he's flawed, he's one of the best long term options available at the position.
Omar Vizquel (Giants) – Here's another shortstop I'm not sure should be starting much longer. The Giants seem to be determined to build the oldest roster known to man and the though of extending Vizquel has crossed their minds. He's an adequate defender (and stole the Gold Glove from Adam Everett) and a decent hitter. But at the age of 40, how much longer do you want to push your luck?
Cesar Izturis (Cubs) – [If $5.45MM club option is declined]. One of the most useless stats on a resume is former All-Star, which is used a lot by Cubs media when talking about Izturis . Mark Redman is a former All-Star. It doesn't mean I want his #### on my team. Izturis is a fantastic defender and is quick, but he can't hit to save his life. He's a backup, but for some reason gets played as a starter. Someone will take a chance on him, as he's a lot better than the next guy
Neifi Perez (Tigers) - Perez can play defense, like Izturis, and his bat is questionable as well. Perez has a higher career batting average,. slugging percetange, On Base Percetnage and OPS than Izturis, but he's also almost six years older than Izturis. I don't see how he can be a starter anywhere but you never know.
David Eckstein (Cardinals) – I'm going to get even more Cardinals hate mail than I do already, but what the hell. Eckstein really isn't a long term option at shortstop anymore. He's 32 and while he's managed to surpass all the problems had as far as height thanks to a lot of intensity and determination. However, durability is going to be an issue with him as far as I'm concerned and despite his excellent range at shortstop, he really doesn't have all that strong of an arm. He does, however, get on base and is willing to do whatever it takes to do it, even if it means getting hit, but Eckstein will be entering his decline phase sooner rather than later. He may be able to justify a three year deal, but any more is pushing it.
Where Will Rodriguez Land If He Opts Out.
A-Rod and his scuzzy agent appear to be laying the groundwork for an Escape From New York and thus far has attempted to put the onus of the blame on the Yankees if he does leave. Brian Cashman didn't bite and instead publically stated that while he would love Rodriguez to stay in New York, if he opts out he will not bid for his services, putting Rodriguez back in the drivers seat of the blame train.
If Rodriguez does leave, where will this Hall Of Fame Headcase go? Let's take a look...
Here’s Who Won’t Bid On Rodriguez if he opts out:
Seattle Mariners – The Mariners still haven’t gotten over the fact that A-Rod left them for an insane amount of money.
Texas Rangers – Ranger fans still won’t let Rodriguez’s demand for a trade, after seeing the team was going to rebuild, go either.
Arizona Diamondbacks - There isn't a place for him, with Chad Tracy there for the long haul.
Atlanta Braves - The Braves are having trouble holding onto the talent they have. Plus, Chipper is there.
Cincinnati Reds - Uhhh, no.
Cleveland Indians – The Indians have made it clear that Andy Marte is the future at third for the franchise.
Colorado Rockies - Garrett Atkins is there and he's not only as productive, he's a lot cheaper as well.
Florida Marlins – As much as both clubs would like a reunion of Miami’s native son in his hometown team, the Marlins have Miguel Cabrera (for how much longer remains to be seen) at third base and it’s unlikely that a team that has already blown itself up twice for financial reasons will make a strong effort for a $100 million player.
Kansas City Royals – For once, there is a reason other than financial ones on why the Royals won’t be bidding on Rodriguez. They have Alex Gordon, a player that already seems a lock for the Hall Of Fame at the end of his career, at third.
Los Angeles Dodgers -There were rumors that the Dodgers inquired about A-Rod's availability, but acquiring him would mean blocking talented prospect Andy LaRoche.
Milwaukee Brewers – Ryan Braun is the future at third. There’s no way Rodriguez has a fit here.
Minnesota Twins – Umm, no. Paying through the roof for free agents isn’t the way Minnesota goes about building it’s team.
New York Yankees – The fans hate him and Yankee management has already made it clear that if Rodriguez opts out, they will not bid for his services.
Oakland Athletics – Chavo is still at third and besides, it would be unlike Billy Beane to get in on the bidding for him.
Philadelphia Phillies - If Rodriguez has problems already withthe New York crowd, can you imagine what Philly fans would do to him. They booed Mike #### Schmidt for crying out loud.
Pittsburgh Pirates - The Pirates may try and tempt A-Rod to come over and play third for them. But, it probably won't happen.
San Diego Padres - Kevin Towers loves to add players on the cheap. This won't be cheap at all.
St. Louis Cardinals - Scott Rolen is locked up there long term, unless things really just deteriorate between Rolen and Tony LaRussa. And even then, I can't see the Cardinals justify paying up the nose for a player.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays - No. There's too much talent here to find a capable third baseman that's a lot cheaper and about as productive.
Toronto Blue Jays – Unfortunately, Troy Glaus is locked up at third base for the long haul and unless A-Rod is willing to switch to first base (allowing Toronto to deal Lyle Overbay) or switch back to shortstop (a position I don’t think he’s able to play anymore), this ain’t happening.
Washington Nationals – You’re kidding me right?
Here’s who may make an offer, but really has no shot in hell to get him:
Houston Astros - Houston would add some great depth at third with Rodriguez playing there and A-Rod would not only take advantage of the Crawford boxes, he could also play in the National League in a lower pressure environment. Unfortunately, Houson has several big money commitments coming up and unless they free up some money fast, this probably won't happen.
Detroit Tigers - The Tigers have dealt with Boras clients before and have a few of them on their team at the moment (Pudge, Kenny Rogers, and Mags). However, this isn't going to be a great fit, considering that Brandon Inge just signed an extension, unless the Tigers were to move him to first base when Sean Tracey leaves. Even then, I have a hard time seeing the Tigres adding that much payroll.
So Here’s Who’s Left
Chicago White Sox – For starters, Kenny Williams hates Scott Boras with a passion and refuses to deal with him unless it’s absolutely necessary. Second of all, the White Sox have Joe Crede until the end of next season, plus they have Josh Fields in the minors almost ready to step in for Crede. However, Kenny Wiilliams inquired into Rodriguez's availability during the off-season (as he loves to buy on the cheap). We'll see how this goes, as Chicago has some money coming off the books this season with Uribe's, Taguchi's, Dye's, and Buehrle's contracts all coming off the books.
Baltimore Orioles - This is a fairly tempting option. Rodriguez idolizes Cal Ripken. Here, not only would he be able to play in Ripkins' park for Ripkin's team, he would also be able to move to shortstop, Ripkin's position. The only problem is that owner Peter Angelos may hold up and kill any deal.
San Francisco Giants – This could happen. Here's why: Barry Bonds is likely not going to be with the team next year and this team has a void at third base where Pedro Feliz is currently taking up space. San Francisco will need a new bat in the middle of the lineup and they will also need a new face of the franchise. Enter A-Rod. The Giants inquired about him during the off-season, but were turned down. Rodriguez would get a fresh start in a new enviornment. It makes too much sense for it not to happen. Plus, as a bonus, the Giants would not lose their 2008 1st Round Draft Pick, which is almost certain to be in the top 10, and would lose only their second.
Boston Red Sox - Yes, Boston and Rodriguez have a troubled past. But that doesn't mean that the fans wouldn't be willing to push out A-Rod if he were to play in Boston. Adding Rodriguez would allow Boston to field a lineup of the following:
Julio Lugo (SS)
Coco Crisp (CF)
Alex Rodriguez (3B)
David Ortiz (DH)
Manny Ramirez (LF)
J..D. Drew (RF)
Kevin Youkilis (1B)
Jason Varitek (C)
Dustin Pedroia (2B)
That's a stronger lineup, much stronger than what Boston has now. However, Boston could also try and go after Andruw Jones and could spin off Crisp in a different deal. We'll see how this develops.
Chicago Cubs - I know, Aramis Ramirez is at third. But Rodriguez loves Lou Pinella and could switch back to shortstop. I think he's no longer got the range for the position, but several people believe that if he gets the opportunity to switch back to his original position, he would dedicate himself to it. We'll see.
Los Angeles Angels - Artie Moreno has coveted Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez for quite some time now. If Rodriguez were to leave the Yankees, the Angels would be at the forefront of making a deal happen. Rodriguez would be able to play third, allowing the Angels to shift talented young slugger Brandon Wood to first, giving them a great lineup in the process.
New York Mets - I never doubt any rumor about the Mets, as I believe that Omar Minaya will try and make a deal happen. Adding Rodriguez would force David Wright into the outfield for a season before he would be able to take over first base when Carlos Delgado's contract runs its course. Here's another one to keep an eye on...
The most unlikely World Series winner last year and possibly one of the worst teams ever to win it, the Cardinals entered the off-season needing several changes on their team. And several were made, but not for the better. Three-fifths of their post-season rotation bolted for free agency and the Cardinals didn’t do much to improve the team, seeking to go with reclamation projects and young unproven arms. The offense will still mash but this team may be worse that last years, pitching wise.
Starting Rotation
Chris Carpenter (RHP) – St. Louis did Carpenter right by giving him a contract extension and he’s appeared to have put his arm and injury troubles behind him. Carpenter is a solid ace at the top of this rotation and should contend for the Cy Young award for years to come.
Anthony Reyes (RHP) – Reyes was solid in the minors and had a pretty impressive rookie debut as well, plus a solid post-season showing. He’s a more than adequate number two behind Carpenter and his stuff is solid. His fastball touches 95 mph and he’s got a great changeup and curveball. If he continues to improve, Reyes should be more than adequate as far as replacing the departed Jeff Suppan.
Kip Wells (RHP) – The latest Dave Duncan pitching project, Wells is hoping that he can regain some semblance of the promise he had when he was a White Sox first round pick. Wells does have good tools, as his fastball touches the low-90s fastball and he's got a great curve, but his biggest problem is that he lacks command of his arsenal (that and he can't seem to stay healthy.) If Duncan can get Wells back on track, he could be one of the biggest values of the off-season. Then again, the same was said about Sidney Ponson last season...
Adam Wainright (RHP) – This would seem like a bit of desperation on St. Louis’ part until you realize that Wainright was developed as a starter and that he’s moving back into his natural position. That big curve should play well in the rotation and he should be a more than adequate starter. However, if Jason Isringhausen isn’t ready to come back, Wainright could also enter the season as the closer.
Braden Looper (RHP) – Getting back to desperation moves, Loopers potential move to the fifth starter’s position may qualify as one. He’s hasn’t started a game since he was back in the minors. He’ll likely be holding the place for Mark Mulder, who’s on the DL.
Bullpen
Jason Isringhausen (Closer) – The team is optimistic about Jason Isringhausen's recovery from hip surgery, and they'd better hope so if they expect to keep Wainright in the rotation. Izzy may be good for 30 saves or so, the problem is that he’s been coming off of injuries almost since he’s gotten to St. Louis. Short term, Izzy should be fine. Long term, which comes into play next year, the Cardinals had been start looking for his successor, as this will probably be the last year that you can expect anything productive out of him.
Russ Springer (Setup Man) – One of the best setup men in the business, Springer jumps from the Astros to St. Louis to help sore up the setup corps and ease the pain that Wainright’s departure will cause.
Ryan Franklin (RHP) – Franklin will add some depth to the lineup, plus offer a possible arm to the rotation. Franklin started 94 games for Seattle from 2003-05.
Tyler Johnson (LHP) – Johnson gets the job done, but the numbers aren’t pretty at all.
Randy Flores (LHP) – Why is this man still on the roster?
Josh Hancock (RHP) – Hancock is a solid right hander that should be dependable coming out of the pen.
Brad Thompson (RHP) – Taking the place of Josh Kinney, Thompson will be the last bullpen option.
Starting Lineup
David Eckstein (SS) – One of the shortest players ever to play returns at the top of the lineup again. Eckstein is a solid defender that has great range. As far as offense, Eckstein has excellent plate discipline and enough speed to be able to run out line drives. The one thing he doesn’t have much of is power, but really, when you sum him up, he’s a good player.
Adam Kennedy (2B)- After Kennedy’s ugly divorce with the Angels, he needed a new place to call home, which he has in St. Louis. Kennedy still has a sold glove and hits well enough to play in the second spot. He reunites with his old double play partner, Eckstein, with whom he won a ring with in Anaheim.
Albert Pujols (1B) – Pujols won his first Gold Glove at first base in 2006 and finished second in the MVP balloting. Pujols seemed like he was going to break Roger Maris’ home run record. He finished with 49 home runs, 137 RBI’s and a .331 average, and that’s with missing 18 games. Pujols should continue to be the rock of this lineup and should take Bonds’ title of “Most Dangerous Hitter” away from him this year.
Jim Edmonds (CF) – Edmonds re-signed with the Cardinals over the winter. Despite the fact that he will turn 37 in June., he’s still an excellent centerfielder that hits for power and can serve as protection for Pujols. I don’t expect him to post last year’s disappointing stats again, as he was recovering from post-concussion syndrome, and he should rebound to his 2005 numbers.
Scott Rolen (3B) – Rolen is a seven-time Gold Glove winner who again led his position in fielding during '06. He’s also a hell of a hitter to, as he hit 22 home runs and 95 RBI’s all while returning from serious shoulder surgery. The only real issue is his relationship with Tony LaRussa, as the two have made it clear that they rather despise each other. In spite of promising to be civil to one another, I’m not sure how long that will last until they decide to go after each other again.
Chris Duncan (LF) – The Cardinals got a huge lift from rookie Chris Duncan, who hit 22 homers in 280 at-bats. However, that may be the best he’ll be, as his minor league stats don’t’ compare well to that. Duncan is in a odd spot, as he’s brutal playing the outfield and first base is being held down by Pujols. Ideally, he’s a DH, but that position isn’t available in the National League. Because he’s got some power potential, he’s going to starter, but the Cardinals had better pray that that great 2006 is for real.
Juan Encarnacion (RF) – An underrated free agent addition, Encarnacion rebounded from a horrific start to hit.278 with 19 HRs. He’ll be a great force in the back of the lineup and he plays a mean right field too.
Yadier Molina (C) – Molina has a great glove and arm, as witnessed by his 41 percent success rate in throwing out runners. The only problem is that he doesn’t have much of a bat, though he’s still young enough to possible develop a league average one.
Bench
Preston Wilson (OF) – Obtained off of waivers from the Astros, Wilson provides great pop of the bench and can adequately play all three of the outfield positions.
So Taguichi (OF) – A useful fourth outfielder that can be used as a bat off the bench of as a replacement for any period of time.
Scott Spiezio (UTIL) – Spiezio is a all-purpose weapon that can play the infield and outfield corners, plus can hit for power as well as play any of the positions for any amount of time.
Aaron Miles (INF) – Miles was once considered to be the heir to second base, but he’s more useful as a utilityman, able to play short and second base.
Gary Bennett (C) – Bennett is a solid defensive catcher, but he’s not much of a hitter. Hey, that sounds just like their starter!
Disabled List
Mark Mulder (LHP) – Mulder is currently rehabilitating from season ending shoulder surgery, and may be available sometime in July.
Josh Kinney (RHP) – Rescued from the independent leagues a couple of years ago, Kinney pitched his way into the pen by dominating during the regular season and in the post-season. Unfortunately, he’s now on the DL and will be out for the year thanks to Tommy John.
Down On The Farm…
St. Louis’ farm system isn’t great, as the talent is in the lower minors, plus the fact that so many recent picks were huge busts. However, the Cardinals have little impact talent, as many of their players have bene selected from college, leaving little projection and even less chance of them being huge impact players. As a result, what you see in St. Louis is what you get.
Jamie Garcia (LHP) – Should none of the bargain bin pitching options work out, the Cards may be forced to turn to Garcia early, even though he’ll just be beginning play in Double A. Garcia has great maturity for his age and has a solid sinker that goes in the low 90’s and a great curve. His chance is inconsistent, but workable and he mixes all of them in well. He’s induces lots of ground balls and would function well for St. Louis with that defense behind him if called up. He should be a solid middle of the rotation workhorse that could be a mix between Jeff Suppan and Brandon Webb. Garcia will likely be in Double A, but could make an emergency start if there is no other choice.
In Conclusion
This team is going to suffer some attrition for management’s decision to not spend money this off-season. The Farm System is three years from producing talent to help out at the major league level and most of these vets are either reclamation projects or on the decline. The rotation may or may not be good, it’s probably closer to mediocre as Wainright gets some experience in the rotation and the Cardinals hope that Wells’ arm doesn’t explode. All in all, I think this team is going to be sitting
Final Standing: Fourth place in the National League Central.
Are The Yankees Really Close To Dealing Randy Johnson, Why The Mets Took The Allure Of New York For Granted, Why Bill Stoneman is Killing The Angels, And An Idea For The Next New York Giants Coach.
Yankees Possibly Close To Dealing Randy Johnson
Since it was announced that the Yankees were interested in dealing the aging lefty, he's been linked with the Diamondbacks. Apparently, sources close to the negotiations said yesterday that the Yankees and Arizona could complete a trade to send Johnson back to the desert before next week.
Before any deal can be completed, Arizona would want a 3 day window to negotiate a contract extension with Johnson, who is viewed solely as a gate attraction, allowing Arizona to profit off of Johnson attempting to go for win number 300.
The Yankees, meanwhile, want to further increase their minor league pitching depth by asking for a package of Arizona's pitching prospets. They have asked for all of the following pitchers (Dustin Nippert, Micah Owings and Ross Ohlendorf), but will likely have to settle for one, maybe two, with Nippert being the prime target of the Yankees. Nippert is a 6-8 righthander who was 13-8 with a 4.87 ERA in Triple-A last season and lost both his major league starts. Owings, a 6-5 righty, was 6-2 at Double-A and 10-0 at Triple-A. Ohlendorf, a 6-4 righty, spent most of last season in Double-A, going 10-8 with a 3.29 ERA, posting 125 strikeouts and only 29 walks in 177-2/3 innings.
The Diamondbacks need to watch their step around the Yankees. With the Arizona system already thin on pitching prospects (but rich in positional prospects), perhaps it would be to the Diamondbacks' benefit to deal one of the combo of Nippert, Owings, and Ohlendorf and include soem other positional prospect that the Yankees are deficient on. If there are any extra catchers lurking in the system, surely it would work to the benefit of the Yankees to deal for one, because after this season, Jorge Posada won't be a viable option as a primary catcher.
Why New York Overplayed The "Allure" Of New York
I gotta come clean with you all.
I think the Mets shot themselves in the foot here.
New York needed Zito, badly, especially with a rotation that will feature two 40 year olds (Orlando Hernandez and Tom Glavine), one solid young workhorse (John Maine), an unproven lefty (Oliver Perez), and a combination of young pitchers that might not be ready for the big time (Mike Pelfrey or Philip Humber). Zito would have been able to provide some experience and depth to that rotation, all the white pitching in a pitcher's park and in a weaker league (lineup wise).
And all it would have cost was money, which the Mets have plenty of.
Instead, the Mets, surprisingly, showed fiscal restraint, instead relying on Zito's quirky personality and love of the big city lifestyle to draw him to New York. And they seemed content to sit back and allow the contract negotiations for the lefty to take their course, as if they seemed to believe all the ESPN analysts' spin that Zito would end up in New York.
Hell, David Wright summed the Mets' belief best.
"This place sells itself."
"What is there not to like about this atmosphere? If you flipped on the TV during the playoffs, that sells itself. It's just an unbelievable experience, and I couldn't imagine somebody that didn't want to come and be a part of what we have going on right now.
"And the team that we have, you read all the articles about the chemistry and stuff. In my eyes, you'd have to be crazy not to want to come here and be a part of this."
In that case, Zito must have been crazy.
Bill Stoneman Is Killing The Angels
The signing of Shea Hillenbrand to play first base for the Angels is making it more and more clear that Bill Stoneman is killing the Angels.
Stoneman has advocated that the Angels hold the line, not spend too lavishly, and retain the depth of their farm system.
But the problem is that that same strategy has weakened the Angels and turned the division champs into a lesser team.
Since Stoneman has become the GM, he has allowed franchise players and the cornerstones of the 2002 Championship team like Jim Edmonds, David Eckstein, and Troy Glaus walk or be traded when it became clear that they would cost money to re-sign.
They have declined to deal from a position of strength (the farm system, which has several position players that are roadblocked) to make additions that would help the team compete. Stoneman declined to deal pitcher Ervin Santana and shortstop Erick Aybar to the Nationals last season for Alfonso Soriano last season. The Angels had the pitching depth to survive and Soriano would have given Vlad Guerrero, who is being walked more and more in key spots, the protection he needed to allow the Angels to contend.
One year earlier, Stoneman declined to deal Aybar, Santana, setup man Scott Sheilds, and another prospect for Manny Ramirez, who also would have helped the offensively.
Instead, Stoneman makes do with the likes of Juan Rivera, Hillenbrand, and other, lesser players that don't help the Angels accomplish their ultimate goal, winning the World Series.
The time is ticking on the Angels. And I'm not sure Stoneman hears it.
Hey, Giants Staff, Here's A Recommendation For Your New Head Coach
If any Giants personnel are reading this (not likely, as this is primarily a baseball blog), I have a recommendation for you for your next head coach if you all do fire Tom Coughlin.
Tennessee Titans Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow.
Chow is a excellent football guy who has put in his years in the game and has great knowledge of the game. Plus, he's also got a knack for developing quarterbacks, something you all need (along with getting rid of one of your cancers, Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress).
Don't believe me. Then check this little nugget out.
Here are the last four quarterbacks Chow has developed.
I'm a long time Texas Rangers fan who has come to love baseball as a whole. I recently began this blog as a way for me to showcase my opinions, provide some analysis, and hopefully entertain those who happen to stumble upon my little soapbox online. I'll toss in an NFL, College, or NBA nugget every now and then. Enjoy the posts everyone, and yes, getting a little love in a Deadspin post was probably the highlight of the year, blogwise.
Do You Have Comment You Don't Want All To See? Just Want To Talk Baseball? Email Me at morisatos_blo g AT yahoo.com. Email's edited to keep away the Spam.
