Results tagged ‘ Cleveland Indians ’
When Retaliation Goes Too Far
“The Book” says that pitchers need to protect their team, but what about when this happens.
When Ian Kennedy nearly took Zack Greinke‘s head off on Tuesday night in the Diamondbacks and Dodgers game in Los Angeles, it made me wonder the value in throwing and intentionally hitting another human being with a baseball at 90-plus miles per hour.
It isn’t because Zack Greinke makes a lot of money. It isn’t because someone shouldn’t have felt a buzzing baseball due to the aggravation and violence in the game to that point. It all boils down to the safety of an individual player.
After watching Brandon McCarthy have his skull fractured last season and Justin Morneau and other batters struggling with concussion-like symptoms from being beaned in the head, there needs to be some type of action taken to protect the individual player, and Major League Baseball should make an example out of Arizona right-hander Ian Kennedy.
There is a time and a place for intimidation, but not when a livelihood of another person is at stake.
The funny thing about the melee in Chavez Ravine on Tuesday was not the aggressive nature of Yasiel Puig and the fear that I had for the Diamondbacks when I saw his muscles and rage explode into punches, along with Ronald Belisario, but the fact that old, retired players, like Don Mattingly, Don Baylor, Charles Nagy, Matt Williams, and Mark McGwire seemed to be the instigators to the continued rumble. Maybe it was the “gritty” nature of Gibson’s Diamondback squad or the “gritty” philosophy that the Dodgers and Mattingly are trying to develop that led to this brawl, but should the coaches be the issue in moments like this? Is that embarrassing for baseball when they are?
After seeing Aroldis Chapman intimidate Nick Swisher when the Reds faced off against the Indians in late May, isn’t that how you could make known your unhappiness?
I played baseball and I know that I hit people on purpose, mostly because I didn’t like them, but I was 13 and 14 years old, throwing about 70-75 miles per hour tops.
What Kennedy did crossed the line. Throwing at someone’s head is totally uncalled for, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is suspended for 12 to 15 games for his actions on Tuesday night. Anything less isn’t enough. It is time for pitchers who purposely throw at opposing hitters to actually feel the wrath of a suspension, not have their turn pushed back a day or two, but to really hurt the club by sitting, unused, on a 25-man roster, hurting their team by having to play a man short. When Carlos Quentin tackled Zack Greinke after being hit, breaking Greinke’s collarbone, I heard rumblings of how Quentin should have been suspended until Greinke was able to play again, something that Mattingly actually stated. What if Greinke was never able to pitch again? What if someone got hit in the face and a career was ruined, like Tony Conigliaro?
There are too many questions about what could happen to the batter when they are thrown at on purpose. It may be a part of “The Book”, but maybe it’s time for an updated volume.
2013 MLB Surprises
While the season isn’t quite so young anymore with roughly 100 games remaining, the early season surprises and the small sample sizes that went along with them aren’t nearly so odd. Who is legit? Who will fall off? Who is still surprising?
Jose Iglesias, INF, Boston Red Sox
Surprise, surprise. When you look at Iglesias’ career .257/.307/.314 line in four minor league seasons, and then you look at this:
| Year | Age | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | TB | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 23 | BOS | 22 | 83 | 74 | 13 | 33 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 11 | .446 | .494 | .581 | 1.075 | 188 | 43 |
Iglesias’ success would still qualify as a small sample, given his 83 plate appearances, but considering his struggles in the minors, especially his .202/.262/.319 line at Triple-A in 2013, his production is absolutely incredible. His likelihood to maintain this success is slim to none, unless, of course, Iglesias was just bored playing in the minor leagues. The 23-year-old appeared to be nothing more than organizational depth or a glove-based defensive replacement as recently as a month ago. Enjoy the ride while it lasts.
Michael Cuddyer, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies
Not many guys have their best seasons in their mid-30′s without “the cream” or “the clear”, but that is exactly what Cuddyer is doing this season:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | TB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 34 | COL | NL | 45 | 194 | 174 | 25 | 59 | 14 | 1 | 10 | 37 | 5 | 16 | 34 | .339 | .397 | .603 | 1.000 | 105 |
Cuddyer is on pace to shatter his career highs in OPS, AVG, and OBP, while posting productive numbers across the board. The Colorado lineup has been tremendous this season, leading to their current 2nd place ranking in the NL West standings. With Cuddyer’s ability to fill in for the oft-injured Todd Helton at first base and solidifying one of the most productive outfields in baseball, along with Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez, he continues to be a valuable, under-appreciated asset to fantasy teams and “real-life teams” alike.
Domonic Brown, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
What appeared to be a super-productive May has continued into June:
| Split | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | TB | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 28 | 27 | 109 | 109 | 17 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 21 | .303 | .303 | .688 | .991 | 75 | .276 |
| June | 9 | 9 | 37 | 33 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 6 | .394 | .459 | .879 | 1.338 | 29 | .391 |
Brown is a superstar and his early-career parallels to Braves outfielder Jason Heyward have finally reached fruition. If you take at look at his overall numbers, below, you can see how unproductive he was during the first month of the season:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | TB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 25 | PHI | NL | 63 | 243 | 228 | 33 | 66 | 9 | 2 | 19 | 47 | 6 | 13 | 44 | .289 | .329 | .596 | .926 | 136 |
Can pitchers make adjustments to make him an afterthought again in Philadelphia? It appears highly unlikely, as Brown looks like an All-Star, who is capable of reaching 30-35 home runs this season, while pacing an aging Phillies’ lineup.
Josh Donaldson, 3B, Oakland Athletics
Donaldson has always had a solid, gap-power approach at the plate, posting a career minor league line of .275/.365/.470 over 2,302 plate appearances. That game has finally transitioned to the big show, as his overall line shows:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | TB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 27 | OAK | AL | 64 | 270 | 238 | 33 | 77 | 18 | 1 | 9 | 42 | 2 | 28 | 45 | .324 | .393 | .521 | .914 | 124 |
With Yoenis Cespedes and Jed Lowrie, Donaldson is giving the A’s a somewhat formidable lineup to team with its young pitching, and at 38-27 and in 2nd in the AL West, Oakland will once again be a threatening team down the stretch.
Patrick Corbin, LHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
At no point during his time in the minor leagues did Corbin appear to be on the same track as Tyler Skaggs or Trevor Bauer for Arizona, a top-tier starting pitcher. Corbin seemed to have back-end stuff after posting a career 3.78 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 430.2 innings. Then, the 2013 season happened:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | W | L | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 23 | ARI | NL | 9 | 0 | 1.98 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 81.2 | 63 | 19 | 18 | 4 | 22 | 65 | 200 | 1.041 | 6.9 | 2.4 | 7.2 | 2.95 |
Corbin has dominated in several starts this season and remains unbeaten after 12 starts. While he doesn’t possess shutdown, strikeout stuff, Corbin keeps the opposition off-balance and looks like the 2013 version of Wade Miley, the Diamondbacks lefty who has struggled mightily this season, but posted a 16-11 record and 3.33 ERA in his rookie season in 2012. He’ll eventually lose a game, but Corbin should continue to solidify himself as, at least, a mid-rotation starter, capable of becoming a Tom Glavine-like winner if he maintains his success, something that could be very challenging when he is pitching half of his games in the thin, desert air in Arizona.
Jeff Locke, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Something clicked for Locke when he reached Triple-A Indianapolis within the Pirates organization. After posting a career 3.92 ERA over 629 innings prior to reaching Indianapolis, Locke posted a 2.44 ERA over 170 innings there before struggling in brief auditions in Pittsburgh in both 2011 and 2012. The 2013 season has been quite different, though:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | W | L | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 25 | PIT | NL | 5 | 1 | 2.39 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 75.1 | 56 | 21 | 20 | 5 | 35 | 55 | 1.208 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 6.6 | 1.57 |
Locke, like Corbin, doesn’t have overwhelming stuff, and, unlike Corbin, he flirts with disaster, at times, due to command. While Locke still does a solid job of keeping runners off of the base paths when he is throwing strikes, it isn’t wrong to wonder if he could succumb to another Pittsburgh flop, as the team remains without a winning record since 1992. It would be nice for the organization to have a veteran arm to rely on once Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon are ready for Pittsburgh, and with A.J. Burnett dominating and potentially becoming trade fodder, Locke could be that guy. If he doesn’t improve either his walk rate or strikeout rates, though, he could be heading towards a drastic decline over the rest of the 2013 season.
Travis Wood, LHP, Chicago Cubs
A tremendous athlete, Wood is finally showing the skills that made him such a highly regarded young player when he came up with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010 and thrived. Things hadn’t gone so well the last couple of seasons, but things are back on track in 2013:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | W | L | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 26 | CHC | NL | 5 | 4 | 2.65 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 78.0 | 53 | 24 | 23 | 5 | 26 | 56 | 1.013 | 6.1 | 3.0 | 6.5 | 2.15 |
Not only has he been effective on the mound, but Wood could be one of the Cubs’ best hitters, having posted a .910 OPS with two home runs and seven RBI in just 26 at-bats – they should pinch-hit for the struggling Starlin Castro with him! With Wood and Jeff Samardzija around in the rotation, the Cubs have a couple of solid arms to build around…if they could just figure out a way to get rid of that now awful Edwin Jackson contract. Like Locke, Wood has spurts of control issues, but he is leading the NL in hits per nine and could well be on his way to establishing himself, along with Samardzija, as a dominant arm on the constantly rebuilding Cubs squad.
Didi Gre-glorious?
Didi Gregorius. A 23-year-old shortstop for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Didi Gregorius. A career .267/.319/.375 hitter in over 2,080 plate appearances in the minor leagues. Didi Gregorius. Currently hitting .324/.385/.541 with 8 doubles, 2 triples, and 4 home runs.
Can he keep this pace up?
Gregorius’ highest OPS in an overall minor league season was in 2011, when he posted a .753 OPS between High-A and Double-A within the Cincinnati Reds system. Those numbers were a tad inflated due to his time in Bakersfield, a club within the California League, where he posted a .791 OPS over 203 plate appearances. He was always pushed by the Cincinnati organization, as you can see below, only spending one season with the same club, which was his first season in the Gulf Coast League, and even moving from the Pioneer League to High-A for 22 games at the age of 19.
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | Aff | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | TB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 18 | Reds | GULF | CIN | 31 | 109 | 97 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 10 | .155 | .241 | .155 | .395 | 15 |
| 2009 | 19 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | CIN | 72 | 299 | 275 | 36 | 82 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 13 | 36 | .298 | .341 | .367 | .708 | 101 |
| 2009 | 19 | Billings | PION | CIN | 50 | 225 | 204 | 28 | 64 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 27 | .314 | .363 | .387 | .750 | 79 |
| 2009 | 19 | Sarasota | FLOR | CIN | 22 | 74 | 71 | 8 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | .254 | .274 | .310 | .584 | 22 |
| 2010 | 20 | 3 Teams | 3 Lgs | CIN | 163 | 717 | 653 | 84 | 167 | 21 | 13 | 6 | 50 | 20 | 45 | 81 | .256 | .311 | .355 | .666 | 232 |
| 2010 | 20 | Dayton | MIDW | CIN | 120 | 548 | 501 | 65 | 137 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 41 | 16 | 33 | 62 | .273 | .327 | .379 | .706 | 190 |
| 2010 | 20 | Lynchburg | CARL | CIN | 7 | 29 | 25 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .240 | .321 | .240 | .561 | 6 |
| 2010 | 20 | Canberra | AUBL | 36 | 140 | 127 | 15 | 24 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 13 | .189 | .248 | .283 | .532 | 36 | |
| 2011 | 21 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | CIN | 84 | 363 | 336 | 48 | 97 | 18 | 4 | 7 | 44 | 11 | 19 | 50 | .289 | .324 | .429 | .753 | 144 |
| 2011 | 21 | Bakersfield | CALL | CIN | 46 | 203 | 188 | 30 | 57 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 28 | 8 | 10 | 25 | .303 | .333 | .457 | .791 | 86 |
| 2011 | 21 | Carolina | SOUL | CIN | 38 | 160 | 148 | 18 | 40 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 3 | 9 | 25 | .270 | .312 | .392 | .704 | 58 |
| 2012 | 22 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | CIN | 129 | 561 | 501 | 70 | 133 | 21 | 11 | 7 | 54 | 3 | 41 | 80 | .265 | .324 | .393 | .717 | 197 |
| 2012 | 22 | Pensacola | SOUL | CIN | 81 | 359 | 316 | 45 | 88 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 31 | 3 | 29 | 49 | .278 | .344 | .373 | .717 | 118 |
| 2012 | 22 | Louisville | IL | CIN | 48 | 202 | 185 | 25 | 45 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 23 | 0 | 12 | 31 | .243 | .288 | .427 | .715 | 79 |
| 2013 | 23 | Reno | PCL | ARI | 7 | 33 | 31 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .387 | .424 | .645 | 1.069 | 20 |
| 6 Seasons | 486 | 2082 | 1893 | 251 | 506 | 76 | 29 | 23 | 177 | 45 | 130 | 258 | .267 | .319 | .375 | .694 | 709 | ||||
Moving quickly may have lead to some skewed statistics, as Gregorius always seemed to be adjusting to new levels of the minor leagues, but what do you call his 2013 outburst?
Gregorius has a .926 OPS, as I write this, and, after 124 plate appearances with Arizona, we should wonder now why he CAN’T keep this up. The young shortstop has several statistics playing in his favor:
- A .364 BABIP: While 45 stolen bases over six seasons leaves a lot to be desired in the speed category, Gregorius clearly has solid gap power and an ability to put the ball where fielders aren’t. The friendly-confines of Chase Field should be taken into consideration for his ability to continue to drive the ball, as well.
- A 9.5 percent HR/FB rate: Considering the top five HR/FB rate in MLB are Pedro Alvarez (29.4), Bryce Harper (29.3), Chris Davis (28.8), Justin Upton (28.0), and Adam Dunn (26.1), Gregorius and his 9.5 percent HR/FB are right in line with “league average”, so he could very well continue to put together numbers like he has to this point.
- A 31.3 O-Swing percentage: Gregorius is a smart hitter, working counts (3.94 pitches per at-bat) and swinging at strikes (O-Swing is percentage of pitches swung at outside of the strike zone).
- A 22.0 line drive percentage: Gregorius would rank right around 67th (with Andrelton Simmons and Gerardo Parra) with his current line drive rate. While that isn’t the upper echelon of hard hitters, it is right around the 20 percent league average (according to FanGraphs)
Gregorius is still highly underrated in fantasy leagues, ranking 21st among shortstops in ESPN’s Player Rater. He is no Troy Tulowitzki but he does have a similar career line as Jean Segura (without the speed), whose .969 OPS through 210 plate appearances was legit enough for ESPN to rank him as the No.1 shortstop.
The time may be now to buy into Gregorius. While he has a small sample size showing what he has, there may not be much more time to get him cheap, and the Cleveland Indians and Arizona Diamondbacks sure seemed to find a lot of value in him this offseason when the three team deal with Cincinnati involving Trevor Bauer and Shin-Soo Choo was consummated.
Sizzling Future Stars: Minor League Report, 5/4
With the season underway and some fans already looking forward to next year, even this early, it is a good time to look down on the farms for some names that you should get to know. Everyone knows who Wil Myers, Dylan Bundy, and Oscar Taveras are at this point, so these are players performing at elite levels who may not be household names…yet.
Danny Salazar, RHP, Cleveland Indians
| Year | Age | Lg | Lev | W | L | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 17 | DOSL | FRk | 5 | 3 | 1.96 | 14 | 64.1 | 52 | 25 | 14 | 1 | 12 | 49 | 0.995 | 7.3 | 4.08 |
| 2008 | 18 | GULF | Rk | 4 | 2 | 2.87 | 11 | 53.1 | 46 | 19 | 17 | 5 | 13 | 43 | 1.106 | 7.8 | 3.31 |
| 2009 | 19 | SALL | A | 5 | 7 | 4.44 | 20 | 107.1 | 114 | 60 | 53 | 10 | 40 | 65 | 1.435 | 9.6 | 1.63 |
| 2010 | 20 | MIDW | A | 1 | 1 | 4.45 | 7 | 32.1 | 34 | 16 | 16 | 7 | 13 | 23 | 1.454 | 9.5 | 1.77 |
| 2011 | 21 | 2 Lgs | A-Rk | 0 | 2 | 3.07 | 8 | 14.2 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 1.227 | 8.6 | 4.50 |
| 2011 | 21 | ARIZ | Rk | 0 | 0 | 2.70 | 5 | 6.2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 1.200 | 8.1 | 5.50 |
| 2011 | 21 | MIDW | A | 0 | 2 | 3.38 | 3 | 8.0 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1.250 | 9.0 | 3.50 |
| 2012 | 22 | 2 Lgs | A+-AA | 5 | 2 | 2.36 | 22 | 87.2 | 71 | 25 | 23 | 4 | 27 | 76 | 1.118 | 7.3 | 2.81 |
| 2012 | 22 | CARL | A+ | 1 | 2 | 2.68 | 16 | 53.2 | 46 | 17 | 16 | 3 | 19 | 53 | 1.211 | 7.7 | 2.79 |
| 2012 | 22 | EL | AA | 4 | 0 | 1.85 | 6 | 34.0 | 25 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 23 | 0.971 | 6.6 | 2.88 |
| 2013 | 23 | EL | AA | 2 | 3 | 2.83 | 6 | 28.2 | 22 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 43 | 1.081 | 6.9 | 4.78 |
| 7 Seasons | 22 | 20 | 3.18 | 88 | 388.1 | 353 | 161 | 137 | 29 | 118 | 317 | 1.213 | 8.2 | 2.69 | |||
Salazar had Tommy John surgery and missed nearly two full seasons of development, but since returning for good in 2012, he has a 2.48 ERA over 116.1 innings, a 1.11 WHIP, and a 119:36 K:BB (3.31 K:BB). The Indians, who seemed to have a lot of depth at starting pitcher during the spring, are in need of some talent at the major league roster. Justin Masterson and Zach McAllister have pitched well, but injuries and inconsistency, especially from Ubaldo Jimenez, brings a need of some sort of stability. The Indians could use a little youth and homegrown talent in their rotation, and if Salazar continues pitching this well, he’ll be on his way to Cleveland sooner than later. A 43:9 K:BB in 28.2 innings is downright dominant.
Kyle Gibson, RHP, Minnesota Twins
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | W | L | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 22 | 3 Teams | AA-A+-AAA | 11 | 6 | 2.96 | 26 | 152.0 | 136 | 55 | 50 | 7 | 39 | 126 | 1.151 | 8.1 | 3.23 |
| 2010 | 22 | Fort Myers | A+ | 4 | 1 | 1.87 | 7 | 43.1 | 33 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 12 | 40 | 1.038 | 6.9 | 3.33 |
| 2010 | 22 | New Britain | AA | 7 | 5 | 3.68 | 16 | 93.0 | 91 | 39 | 38 | 5 | 22 | 77 | 1.215 | 8.8 | 3.50 |
| 2010 | 22 | Rochester | AAA | 0 | 0 | 1.72 | 3 | 15.2 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 1.085 | 6.9 | 1.80 |
| 2011 | 23 | Rochester | AAA | 3 | 8 | 4.81 | 18 | 95.1 | 109 | 57 | 51 | 11 | 27 | 91 | 1.427 | 10.3 | 3.37 |
| 2012 | 24 | 3 Teams | Rk-A+-AAA | 0 | 2 | 4.13 | 11 | 28.1 | 26 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 33 | 1.129 | 8.3 | 5.50 |
| 2012 | 24 | Twins | Rk | 0 | 0 | 2.45 | 7 | 14.2 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 0.886 | 5.5 | 4.00 |
| 2012 | 24 | Fort Myers | A+ | 0 | 0 | 2.57 | 2 | 7.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1.000 | 7.7 | 7.00 |
| 2012 | 24 | Rochester | AAA | 0 | 2 | 9.45 | 2 | 6.2 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1.800 | 14.8 | 10.00 |
| 2013 | 25 | Rochester | AAA | 1 | 4 | 4.26 | 6 | 31.2 | 32 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 27 | 1.295 | 9.1 | 3.00 |
| 4 Seasons | 15 | 20 | 3.78 | 61 | 307.1 | 303 | 140 | 129 | 23 | 81 | 277 | 1.249 | 8.9 | 3.42 | |||
Gibson was an elite talent when he was drafted 22nd overall in the 2009 MLB draft out of the University of Missouri. His stock had fallen a bit due to a stress fracture in his elbow. He proved that he was healthy in 2010 before needing Tommy John surgery in 2011. After rehab, he returned in 2012 with some mediocre numbers, and while his statistics don’t look fantastic this year in Rochester, he has had a couple of short, rough outing out of the six that he has made, allowing five earned runs twice in a little over four innings in two different starts. If you ignore those two starts, Gibson has a 1.99 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, and 20:8 K:BB over 22.2 innings. The Twins will look for a little more consistency from Gibson before giving him a call, but he would immediately become one of the top two pitchers in their rotation, if not the best.
Stolmy Pimentel, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | W | L | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 17 | Red Sox | FRk | 3 | 1 | 2.90 | 13 | 62.0 | 44 | 20 | 20 | 2 | 22 | 60 | 1.065 | 6.4 | 2.73 |
| 2008 | 18 | Lowell | A- | 5 | 2 | 3.14 | 11 | 63.0 | 51 | 25 | 22 | 7 | 17 | 61 | 1.079 | 7.3 | 3.59 |
| 2009 | 19 | Greenville | A | 10 | 7 | 3.82 | 23 | 117.2 | 135 | 62 | 50 | 12 | 29 | 103 | 1.394 | 10.3 | 3.55 |
| 2010 | 20 | Salem | A+ | 9 | 11 | 4.06 | 26 | 128.2 | 120 | 65 | 58 | 11 | 42 | 102 | 1.259 | 8.4 | 2.43 |
| 2011 | 21 | 2 Teams | A+-AA | 6 | 13 | 6.79 | 25 | 102.0 | 125 | 86 | 77 | 16 | 39 | 65 | 1.608 | 11.0 | 1.67 |
| 2011 | 21 | Salem | A+ | 6 | 4 | 4.53 | 10 | 51.2 | 50 | 29 | 26 | 8 | 16 | 35 | 1.277 | 8.7 | 2.19 |
| 2011 | 21 | Portland | AA | 0 | 9 | 9.12 | 15 | 50.1 | 75 | 57 | 51 | 8 | 23 | 30 | 1.947 | 13.4 | 1.30 |
| 2012 | 22 | Portland | AA | 6 | 7 | 4.59 | 22 | 115.2 | 115 | 66 | 59 | 9 | 42 | 86 | 1.357 | 8.9 | 2.05 |
| 2013 | 23 | Altoona | AA | 2 | 0 | 0.30 | 5 | 30.1 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 28 | 1.088 | 5.6 | 2.00 |
| 7 Seasons | 41 | 41 | 4.17 | 125 | 619.1 | 609 | 325 | 287 | 57 | 205 | 505 | 1.314 | 8.8 | 2.46 | |||
Pimentel doesn’t have a tremendous track record, but when you have a 0.30 ERA after five starts, you’re going to start getting noticed. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox as part of the Joel Hanrahan trade, Pimentel isn’t going to get the hype that Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon garnish, but he appears to have enough stuff to be a decent back-end of the rotation arm. He certainly needed to thrive after not really doing much good since the 2010 season. Since this is his third season in Double-A, maybe expectations should be tempered, even after a tremendous start, but if it continues, he’ll continue to peak interest.
Josmil Pinto, C, Minnesota Twins
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | TB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 17 | Twins/Blue Jays | FRk | 53 | 195 | 25 | 49 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 3 | 25 | 27 | .251 | .336 | .344 | .680 | 67 |
| 2007 | 18 | Twins | FRk | 54 | 171 | 18 | 33 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 3 | 29 | 23 | .193 | .327 | .269 | .596 | 46 |
| 2008 | 19 | Twins | Rk | 24 | 85 | 14 | 28 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 14 | .329 | .394 | .541 | .935 | 46 |
| 2009 | 20 | Elizabethton | Rk | 53 | 205 | 34 | 68 | 14 | 2 | 13 | 55 | 0 | 19 | 39 | .332 | .387 | .610 | .997 | 125 |
| 2010 | 21 | Beloit | A | 100 | 347 | 60 | 78 | 21 | 1 | 10 | 54 | 2 | 32 | 67 | .225 | .295 | .378 | .672 | 131 |
| 2011 | 22 | 2 Teams | A+-A | 73 | 253 | 25 | 66 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 41 | 1 | 14 | 46 | .261 | .301 | .395 | .697 | 100 |
| 2011 | 22 | Beloit | A | 9 | 32 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 10 | .250 | .278 | .438 | .715 | 14 |
| 2011 | 22 | Fort Myers | A+ | 64 | 221 | 21 | 58 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 32 | 1 | 12 | 36 | .262 | .305 | .389 | .694 | 86 |
| 2012 | 23 | 2 Teams | A+-AA | 105 | 396 | 53 | 117 | 26 | 3 | 14 | 60 | 0 | 43 | 73 | .295 | .362 | .482 | .844 | 191 |
| 2012 | 23 | Fort Myers | A+ | 93 | 349 | 45 | 103 | 22 | 2 | 12 | 51 | 0 | 39 | 63 | .295 | .361 | .473 | .834 | 165 |
| 2012 | 23 | New Britain | AA | 12 | 47 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 10 | .298 | .365 | .553 | .919 | 26 |
| 2013 | 24 | New Britain | AA | 27 | 107 | 21 | 35 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 24 | 0 | 13 | 21 | .327 | .405 | .533 | .938 | 57 |
| 8 Seasons | 489 | 1759 | 250 | 474 | 104 | 13 | 53 | 301 | 10 | 184 | 310 | .269 | .341 | .434 | .775 | 763 | |||
The Minnesota Twins are notoriously slow in their development of players. While they have Joe Mauer locked up for the next century with a seemingly unmovable contract (don’t tell Boston that after last season’s mega-deal), he could move to first base if or when Justin Morneau leaves via free agency for Pinto. At 24, he’s a little on the old side for Double-A, and his numbers overall haven’t been spectular throughout his development, things took a nice turn last year. His plate discipline and gap power seemed to increase, and he has carried that over nicely this season, with 11 extra-base hits and a .938 OPS for New Britain. Ryan Doumit is the “other catcher” on the Twins roster, so if Pinto continues to hit, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him become a useful piece to the Twins roster.
Erik Johnson, RHP, Chicago White Sox
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | W | L | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 21 | Great Falls | Rk | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2.500 | 18.0 | 2.00 |
| 2012 | 22 | 2 Teams | A+-A | 6 | 5 | 2.53 | 17 | 92.1 | 82 | 34 | 26 | 3 | 29 | 87 | 1.202 | 8.0 | 3.00 |
| 2012 | 22 | Kannapolis | A | 2 | 2 | 2.30 | 9 | 43.0 | 39 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 19 | 39 | 1.349 | 8.2 | 2.05 |
| 2012 | 22 | Winston-Salem | A+ | 4 | 3 | 2.74 | 8 | 49.1 | 43 | 19 | 15 | 0 | 10 | 48 | 1.074 | 7.8 | 4.80 |
| 2013 | 23 | Birmingham | AA | 2 | 1 | 1.44 | 5 | 31.1 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 32 | 0.862 | 5.2 | 3.56 |
| 3 Seasons | 8 | 6 | 2.29 | 22 | 125.2 | 104 | 41 | 32 | 4 | 39 | 121 | 1.138 | 7.4 | 3.10 | |||
Johnson may not post dominant strikeout numbers, but his ability to keep runners from scoring is impressive. As he has moved up, his tits per nine has dropped at each level and he is not a little over a strikeout per inning, as well. Now in Double-A, the White Sox No.3 prospect, according to MLB.com, appears to be taking another step towards Chicago. While the club mourns the loss of Gavin Floyd to Tommy John surgery, Johnson could become an option later in the 2013 season, especially if he continues to dominate the opposition. The 2011 2nd round pick out of the University of California is certainly worth tracking.
Derek Dietrich, 2B, Miami Marlins
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | TB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 20 | Hudson Valley | A- | 45 | 179 | 33 | 50 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 2 | 11 | 42 | .279 | .340 | .419 | .759 | 75 |
| 2011 | 21 | Bowling Green | A | 127 | 480 | 73 | 133 | 34 | 4 | 22 | 81 | 5 | 38 | 128 | .277 | .346 | .502 | .848 | 241 |
| 2012 | 22 | 2 Teams | A+-AA | 132 | 505 | 71 | 141 | 28 | 10 | 14 | 75 | 4 | 32 | 114 | .279 | .338 | .457 | .796 | 231 |
| 2012 | 22 | Charlotte | A+ | 98 | 372 | 49 | 105 | 21 | 9 | 10 | 58 | 4 | 25 | 78 | .282 | .343 | .468 | .811 | 174 |
| 2012 | 22 | Montgomery | AA | 34 | 133 | 22 | 36 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 36 | .271 | .324 | .429 | .753 | 57 |
| 2013 | 23 | Jacksonville | AA | 26 | 94 | 16 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 15 | 21 | .287 | .417 | .500 | .917 | 47 |
| 4 Seasons | 330 | 1258 | 193 | 351 | 81 | 18 | 42 | 190 | 13 | 96 | 305 | .279 | .348 | .472 | .820 | 594 | |||
A smart acquisition by the Marlins this offseason in the Yunel Escobar deal, Dietrich is an under-the-radar prospect who seems to do nothing but hit, while playing a premium middle infield position. He was the Marlins No.8 prospect coming into the season (MLB.com), and he is currently 5th in the Southern League in total bases. He appears to have taken a drastically improved approach at the plate, as well, having taken 15 walks already after walking 32 times all season in 2012. With Donovan Solano ahead of him in Miami and a very weak group of talent there, especially with Giancarlo Stanton hurt, Dietrich could make an impact later this season, especially if he continues to rake the way that he has to this point in 2013.
Burch Smith, RHP, San Diego Padres
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | W | L | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 21 | Padres | Rk | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2.000 | 13.5 | 4.00 | |
| 2012 | 22 | Lake Elsinore | A+ | 9 | 6 | .600 | 3.85 | 26 | 128.2 | 127 | 62 | 55 | 11 | 27 | 137 | 1.197 | 8.9 | 5.07 |
| 2013 | 23 | San Antonio | AA | 1 | 2 | .333 | 1.15 | 6 | 31.1 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 37 | 0.702 | 4.6 | 6.17 |
| 3 Seasons | 10 | 8 | .556 | 3.33 | 32 | 162.0 | 146 | 72 | 60 | 12 | 34 | 178 | 1.111 | 8.1 | 5.24 | |||
How can you be the 20th ranked prospect (MLB.com) in a pretty weak system, when you’re fastball sits 93-95 while touching 97 and you post numbers as absurd as Smith has? The guy has a 174:33 K:BB over his last 160 innings, and while his 3.85 ERA looks inflated from 2012, he was pitching in the hitter’s paradise California League. Sure, his secondary stuff may be lagging, but Tony Cingrani has looked pretty solid in the majors and throughout his minor league career using a fastball at alarmingly high rates. The fact that dynasty league fantasy baseball players may not be familiar with him is also surprising, considering he will be pitching half of his games in San Diego. Smith has dominated this season, and for a 14th round selection out of Oklahoma, the 6’4″ right-hander has been a smart investment by the Padres.
Related articles
- Eric Mack: Fantasy baseball Prospect Watch — Marcell Ozuna’s surprise major league debut (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)
- 2013 Predictions and Useless Guesses (thebaseballhaven.mlblogs.com)
- Sizzling Future Stars: Minor League Report, 4/24 (thebaseballhaven.mlblogs.com)
Is This Real Life? The Rangers and Their Bad Contract
Since this was announced on Monday, which was April 1st (aka April Fool’s Day), it feels like this isn’t happening; however, after it was made official, giving a career .275/.342/.353 line an eight-year, $120 million seems like a nightmare, especially after the club was unwilling to give Josh Hamilton an extension or make the first offer when he hit free agency this winter. After allowing a player who has averaged a .305/.363/.549 line to leave for their biggest rival, they gave Andrus $15 million per season on an extension, all while Jurickson Profar waits for a position to open up in Texas.
Andrus is a fine player. Since arriving in 2009, he has posted a 13.0 WAR, which is sixth among shortstops during that time. He leads shortstops in stolen bases (123), he is second to Derek Jeter in runs scores (341), and he is 21st among shortstops in OPS (.695). TWENTY-FIRST.
Andrus provides a solid batting eye (8.4 percent walk rate vs. 13.2 percent strikeout rate) to go along with his solid speed, which allows him to utilize his skills on the base paths to score runs in a very potent offense. While he can get on base and score runs, his defense is where his true value develops.
Andrus’ UZR/150 rating is 7.8, fourth among shortstops since 2009 behind Brendan Ryan, J.J. Hardy, and Alexei Ramirez. His .971 fielding percentage is 15th among shortstops since 2009. Of the three players above Andrus in zone fielding who have higher fielding percentages than Andrus, only Alexei Ramirez has a higher OPS. If Ramirez can field better and post better numbers at short, is he worth $15 million or more per season?
Ramirez is 31 and doesn’t have the favorable upside that Andrus possesses, but we’ve seen speed become useless several times before. In 2004, Cesar Izturis had his best season at the age of 24:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | TB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 24 | LAD | NL | 159 | 728 | 670 | 90 | 193 | 32 | 9 | 4 | 62 | 25 | 43 | 70 | .288 | .330 | .381 | .710 | 255 |
While he didn’t post numbers close to what Andrus did prior to his age-24 season, he displayed solid gap power, speed, and, of course, impressive defensive skills. He won his first and only Gold Glove in 2004, posting a .985 fielding percentage and a 3.8 WAR.
Compare that production to Andrus’ career stats:
| Year | Age | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | TB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 20 | TEX | 145 | 541 | 480 | 72 | 128 | 17 | 8 | 6 | 40 | 33 | 40 | 77 | .267 | .329 | .373 | .702 | 179 |
| 2010 | 21 | TEX | 148 | 674 | 588 | 88 | 156 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 32 | 64 | 96 | .265 | .342 | .301 | .643 | 177 |
| 2011 | 22 | TEX | 150 | 665 | 587 | 96 | 164 | 27 | 3 | 5 | 60 | 37 | 56 | 74 | .279 | .347 | .361 | .708 | 212 |
| 2012 | 23 | TEX | 158 | 711 | 629 | 85 | 180 | 31 | 9 | 3 | 62 | 21 | 57 | 96 | .286 | .349 | .378 | .727 | 238 |
Is there a whole lot of difference in the abilities of these players, outside of the fact that Andrus’ had four seasons completed prior to his age-24 season, which will be the 2013 season? Certainly, Andrus is better than Izturis, but would anyone have paid Izturis $15 million per season if every one of his seasons had been as solid as his 2004 season?
Luis Castillo was an excellent second baseman early in his career for the, then, Florida Marlins. Sure, he wasn’t a shortstop, but he had the same type of skill-set, possibly better, with more speed and on-base skills, while Andrus seems to have more gap power. Once Castillo hurt his feet, though, his 50+ steals potential was also hurt, and he became a 20 stolen base, empty .300-hitting middle infielder. If Andrus gets hurt or loses speed, where is his value? He can’t cover as much ground defensively and his ability to create runs with his legs is gone, as well.
Shortstop is a very tough position, but the value of defensive metrics have taken over the player’s ability to help the club in other ways, specifically with their bat. Cal Ripken, Jr., Barry Larkin, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, and Miguel Tejada did a dirty, dirty thing to the position, allowing solid contribution across the board to become a reasonable expectation. Today, only Troy Tulowitzki and Jose Reyes seem like those types of dynamic, offensive-minded shortstops, and for that reason, they appear to be worth exorbitant contracts.
The Rangers aren’t the only team that feels that defense is very important, though. When the Cincinnati Reds turned Didi Gregorius and Drew Stubbs into Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Donald in their trade with the Cleveland Indians this offseason, that was one thing, as Choo is a free agent after the 2013 season, but when the Indians flipped Gregorius to the Arizona Diamondbacks with Lars Anderson and Tony Sipp for Matt Albers, Bryan Shaw, and, potential ace, Trevor Bauer, the new value of shortstops in baseball was apparent. Slap-hitting, defensively skilled middle infielders now have quite a bit of value.
So, if Gregorius, a career .265/.317/.370 hitter in the minor leagues, had that sort of value, then what is Xander Bogaerts worth? Bogaerts, a Boston Red Sox farm hand, hit .307/.373/.523 with a 4.13 range factor and .959 fielding percentage as a 19-year-old over High-A and Double-A in 2012. Gregorius had a range factor of 3.96 and a .964 fielding percentage as a 22-year-old over Double-A and Triple-A in 2012.
Furthermore, if Elvis Andrus is worth an eight-year, $120 million contract, then shouldn’t Troy Tulowitzki fire his agent? His extension for the 2015 to 2020 seasons gives him roughly $19.67 million per season, which isn’t nearly enough considering Andrus can’t carry his compression shorts with cup, since jock straps aren’t used anymore.
The good news for Andrus is that he has an opt-out clause after the 2018 season, allowing him to reach free agency during his prime, potentially earning more money if he reaches higher levels of production; however, if he under-performs or gets hurt, the Rangers don’t have an opt-out clause. The question now is: Was this a good contract for the Texas Rangers?
With Ian Kinsler signed through 2017 (with a 2018 team option) and Andrus locked up, where does Jurickson Profar go? What if Kinsler has another poor season, as his .749 OPS in 2012 was the worst of his career? Can they trade him? There have been leaks of Kinsler getting moved to left field or first base, but what happen to Mike Olt, another Rangers prospect, who is blocked through 2015 at third (possibly 2016, since Beltre has a vesting option)? Can Kinsler hit enough to play left? Do the Rangers trade Olt? Does Profar move to center even though Leonys Martin is hoping to prove himself there in 2013? Should they trade Profar?
The Rangers have committed to defense by signing Andrus and they have committed to spending a lot of money on mediocre offense. After letting Josh Hamilton walk, not addressing their No.5 starter situation this winter, and building excellent talent that they seem to be unwilling to commit to from their minor league system, the Rangers, who have made three straight playoff appearances, seem to have no clear direction to their roster makeup going forward.
2013 Predictions and Useless Guesses
I did this last year and it was interesting, as they were mostly useless guesses as opposed to valuable predictions. However, with days until real games begin, I figured that I would join in the fun of putting this out there so that we can all look back and see just how wrong I was when October rolls around. Let the incorrectness begin!
AL East Champion
I’m buying the upgrades to the Jays roster. A great improvement to the pitching staff, and just in time to pounce on an AL East division where the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox don’t look like major factors. While the Rays and Orioles look to maintain success without a huge payroll increase, the Jays will utilize their awesome blend of speed, power, and rotation depth to take the crown in the East.
AL Central Champion
Detroit Tigers
Like the Jays, the Tigers will impress with their strong rotation, and while the club plays scetchy, at best, defense, the presence of Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera is enough to make them strong contenders in a weak, yet improving, AL Central. The signing of Torii Hunter and the return of Victor Martinez will only improve the offense, while the club will hope that Austin Jackson continues his tremendous improvement and that Andy Dirks can hold down left until Nick Castellanos or Avisail Garcia prove themselves ready. The bullpen issues are something to be concerned about, but someone out of Bruce Rondon, Phil Coke, and Joaquin Benoit will step up.
AL West Champion
How do you improve a lineup that had Albert Pujols and Mike Trout in it a season ago? Well, by signing Josh Hamilton, of course! The Angels could be the best offensive team in baseball, but they’ll need to be, after seemingly taking the “we-will-outscore-your-team-because-we-don’t-have-pitching” way of building a roster. After losing out of Zack Greinke, the club traded for Tommy “my shoulder is gonna rip off of my body at any moment” Hanson, signing Joe Blanton, and trading for Jason Vargas, who could benefit from continuing his career in another pitcher-friendly ballpark. The Halos have enough offense to overcome their pitching shortcomings, though, and could easily manage to score about 6-8 runs per game.
AL Wild Cards
Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays
The Rangers may have lost Josh Hamilton, but they still have a dynamic offense, led by Ian Kinsler and Adrian Beltre. While it is highly unlikely that Lance Berkman can truly fill the shoes of Hamilton, he is just a season removed from revitalizing his career in St. Louis. Can he do it again? Well, if he can’t, the club will need more from their rotation, which is solid, but not nearly a lock to be great as others in the AL. Yu Darvish is the anchor, but with Matt Harrison‘s low strikeout rates, one has to wonder if he can maintain the 32 wins and 3.34 ERA that he has put up the last two seasons. Derek Holland needs to bounce back, as well, if Texas is to be taken seriously. If they don’t get the right breaks, this could easily be the Oakland Athletics, once again.
The Rays gambled on cashing in two seasons of James Shields for more young talent, acquiring a great haul from the Royals. While the rotation will miss the strength and innings that Shields brought, David Price, Matt Moore, Jeremy Hellickson, and Alex Cobb will be solid, while Roberto Hernandez and Jeff Niemann fight over the No.5 spot. The Rays have to get some production from Desmond Jennings and Yunel Escobar up the middle, while hoping that Evan Longoria stays healthy until Wil Myers can get called up. They need power in the lineup and on Opening Day, Longoria and Ben Zobrist seem like their only hope. Pitching and defense has worked for the last several years, and it will again in 2013.
Jose Bautista, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
While everyone will focus on the huge trades that brought the club Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, R.A. Dickey, and others, Bautista will be the spark plug to the offense due to his tremendous power and ability to get on base. With his wrist fully recovered and a dynamic lineup around him, opposing clubs will be forced to pitch to the slugger, which will result is a season that should resemble his 2010 and 2011 seasons, with overwhelming power and run producing statistics.
AL Cy Young
Courtesy: dcobb1621.blogspot.com
Justin Verlander, RHP, Detroit Tigers
To say that Verlander is the best pitcher in baseball would be an understatement. He turned 30 years old in February and since 2008, he has gone 89-48 with a 3.28 ERA over 1,154.2 innings, and while those numbers have been outmatched by only CC Sabathia in the American League (91-39 with a 3.11 ERA), Verlander seems to have a pretty tight grip on the best pitcher in MLB title for the moment. While Yu Darvish and David Price begin to catch up to him, Verlander will hold control it for another season, with another 20-win season and an ERA under 3.00 for the Tigers.
AL Manager of the Year
Terry Francona, Cleveland Indians
While he actually has very little to do with the drastic changes that the Indians have undergone this offseason (that honor belongs to GM Chris Antonetti), Terry Francona will get a lot of credit for the Indians posting their first winning season since their 2007 ALCS appearance. Manny Acta never seemed capable of keeping successful starts going over the 162-game season, but Francona’s resume proves that he is capable of that, regardless of the 2011 Boston Red Sox collapse. While the Tribe won’t make the playoffs, they will be very competitive and, possibly, be a nuisance to the Tigers in the AL Central for most of the season. For that, Francona will deserve the honor for making a Cleveland sports franchise matter again.
AL Rookie of the Year
Wil Myers, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
He won’t start the season with the major league club, but Myers will be up in June, once the Rays can guarantee that he won’t gain Super Two arbitration eligibility, taking over the left field job from Matt Joyce, while manning right field when Ben Zobrist goes to second or short. Myers exploded in the minors last season, hitting an absurd .314/.387/.600 with 37 home runs between the Royals’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. While he could work on his contact rate (he struck out 140 times in 522 at-bats), Myers is a much needed offensive force for the Rays, who need someone besides Evan Longoria and Zobrist to produce consistently. Expect a .260/.320/.460 line with nearly 20 home runs if Myers gets the call in June, which should be good enough to win the AL ROY with Jurickson Profar waiting for a shot in Triple-A for the Rangers and so few players getting an opportunity early in the 2013 season.
NL East Champion
Washington Nationals
Bryce Harper will be better than he was in 2012 and Stephen Strasburg won’t have an innings limit. Really, this is all that you need to know, but with the addition of a leadoff hitter in Denard Span and another fantastic arm in Rafael Soriano to add to Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen, the Nationals are about as good as it gets in MLB for a lock to go to the playoffs. Add in Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman, Ryan Zimmerman, and Adam LaRoche, and you have a team capable of winning 95-100 games. Yes…they’re that good.
NL Central Champion
Cincinnati Reds
What do you get when you take an outstanding team without a leadoff hitter and you add a guy with a lifetime .386 on-base percentage in that spot? You get a team with a very bad defensive outfield that plays in a hitters paradise and the 2013 version of the Cincinnati Reds. Shin-Soo Choo could be a liability in center, but his offensive skills fit perfectly into the Reds lineup. Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto will need some help from Choo and Ryan Ludwick, but with a very good starting rotation and great depth in the bullpen with the move of Aroldis Chapman back to closer, the Reds will battle the Nationals for the best record in MLB in 2013.
NL West Champion
Los Angeles Dodgers
Like the Dodgers, I’m buying. The addition of Zack Greinke was huge, but the trade with the Boston Red Sox that brought Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez, along with their massive contracts, to the Dodgers will begin paying dividends this season. While the Hanley Ramirez thumb injury is a slight issue to start the season, Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw are the right kind of awesome to overcome any issues like that. The Dodgers have great pitching depth, unless they make a trade in the next few days, to overcome any further arm issues for Chad Billingsley, and their bullpen is lights out, with flame-thrower Kenley Jansen sharing end-game duties with Brandon League…until Don Mattingley sees what everyone else does and puts Jansen there full-time. This team is dangerous if they stay healthy. The pitching is deep, but an injury to Crawford, Kemp, or Andre Ethier will cost them the division to the San Francisco Giants.
NL Wild Cards
Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals
The Atlanta Braves have an incredible roster. If Chipper Jones had hung around one more season, they may have had a chance at another World Series title for the old man. Unfortunately, Jones finally retired and third could be the clubs only weak spot, as Juan Francisco and Chris Johnson will share the job in 2013. The addition of B.J. Upton and Justin Upton will make the offense even more dangerous, as Jason Heyward continues to become one of the best players in baseball. Freddie Freeman got his eye issues worked out, so he will also improve in 2013, while the club will rely on a deep rotation, that will only get better when Brandon Beachy returns in June or July. By then, the Braves could have a very difficult choice, especially after seeing Julio Teheran thrive this spring, as someone will have to be removed from the rotation if the club is healthy. As far as the bullpen goes, one name is all you need: Craig Kimbrel.
The Cardinals continue to stick around and be contenders, even after losing Albert Pujols a season ago and, potentially, losing Chris Carpenter for the entire 2013 season. Adam Wainwright should re-establish himself as an ace this season, while Allen Craig will show that he is an MVP-caliber player if he would just stay healthy. Speaking of health, could fantasy baseball nerds be any more excited for the first of Carlos Beltran‘s injuries in 2013? If you don’t know why, you need to look up super-prospect Oscar Taveras. The Cards seem to have an endless supply of young arms, as well, as Shelby Miller, Trevor Rosenthal, Michael Wacha, and Carlos Martinez arrive and establish themselves in the majors.
NL MVP
Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
Votto will do one of two things: 1) Post an on-base percentage approaching .500 (.474 in 2012) while never seeing a pitch worth hitting, or 2) Post numbers close to his 2010 MVP season (.324/.424/.600, 37 home runs) while earning his 2nd MVP. The Reds are going to have Votto hitting No.3 again, and with Shin-Soo Choo and Brandon Phillips hitting in front of him, Votto will easily exceed his career-high 113 RBI this season. With his knee healthy and a tremendous lineup and hitter’s paradise as a home ballpark, Joey Votto will win the NL MVP in 2013.
NL Cy Young
Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
You can take Stephen Strasburg and Clayton Kershaw, while I go off the board (or rocker) to choose Madison Bumgarner for NL Cy Young. After tiring at the end of the 2012 season, Bumgarner knows that he has a lot to prove. Add on the fact that his WHIP fell from 1.21 in 2011 to 1.11 in 2012, and you can see that the 23-year-old left-hander can not only miss bats (191 K’s in each of the last two seasons), but he isn’t allowing many hits or walks. With a pitcher-friendly ballpark and loads of expectations on him due to his fall-off late last season, Bumgarner will show that he shouldn’t be overlooked due to Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum being on the same roster.
NL Manager of the Year
Bud Black, San Diego Padres
There isn’t a whole lot to like about the Padres roster. They don’t have a superstar on the front of a video game, they don’t have a player that shows up to the MLB Fan Cave with an infamous twitter account, but they have an interesting team and a better manager. Bud Black can get a lot out of the club that he has. While the team will continue to struggle to score runs, at times, Chase Headley could provide enough power to get runs in bunches, and Yonder Alonso could thrive with the fences being moved in at Petco. Solid speed and gap power throughout the lineup will make the Padres a surprise team in 2013, and while the rotation is more patchwork than well thought out, the bullpen is tremendous, as it always seems to be. If the Friars can get anything out of Andrew Cashner, Clayton Richard, and Eric Stults, they’ll be a team capable of 82-85 wins, which isn’t playoff worthy, but worth giving Bud Black an award for.
NL Rookie of the Year
Courtesy: stlouiscardinalsbaseball.com
Oscar Taveras, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
You don’t get called a left-handed version of Vladimir Guerrero and get overlooked, and Taveras is that special of a talent. Like I mentioned above, once Carlos Beltran gets hurt (as in it IS going to happen), Taveras would, more than likely, get the call. Not only a Beltran injury, but an under performing Jon Jay could even be replaced by the super-prospect, as Taveras played 93 games in center for the Cards Double-A affiliate in 2012. Taveras will get enough at-bats to be valuable and he could do that as a fourth outfielder once June rolls around, but once he is in St. Louis, he won’t be leaving town for several years. A pure hitter in every sense of the label.
World Series Prediction
Washington Nationals defeat Los Angeles Angels, 4-2
Random, Bold Predictions
There is no rhyme or reason here, just as the title says:
- Bryce Harper will hit over 30 home runs in 2013, while posting an OPS near .940.
- Mike Trout won’t hit 30 home runs again, but he will steal 50 bases.
- Jose Reyes will stay healthy, even while playing on turf, and terrorize the AL East while stealing over 50 bases.
- Ike Davis will hit over 40 home runs after hitting 32 in 2012 while hitting just .227.
- Mat Latos will become the ace of the Cincinnati Reds, posting better overall numbers than Johnny Cueto and winning 20 games in 2013.
- Mike Minor proves that his second half from 2012 (6-4, 2.16 ERA, 0.87 WHIP over 87.1 IP) wasn’ a fluke, as he becomes the Braves best starting pitcher in 2013.
- Jordan Zimmerman has a more impressive 2013 season than Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez and he will no longer be overlooked in a fantastic Washington rotation.
- Brandon Belt continues hitting like he has all spring, ripping 25 home runs after having a power outage in the earlier stages of his career (16 in 598 at-bats).
- Troy Tulowitzki stays healthy and benefits from Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler having All Star seasons to hit 40 home runs, making all of those fantasy baseball players that took him in the first round feel like the smartest men alive.
- Allen Craig becomes an All Star and hits over .300 with 30+ home runs and 100+ RBI.
- Carlos Santana hits 30+ home runs and will have the kind of hype that Buster Posey has right now during the 2013-2014 offseason.
- Jason Heyward finishes 2nd in NL MVP voting to Joey Votto, posting his first 30 HR/30 SB season for Atlanta.
- Domonic Brown keeps the Phillies left field job all season and posts a .270/.380/.450 line with solid production across the board. Philly fans hit Ruben Amaro, Jr. with batteries for not trusting in him sooner.
- Zack Greinke can’t handle the Los Angeles pressure and spotlight and misses time due to his anxiety disorder.
- Chris Sale pitches 200 innings and proves doubters about his bony frame and drastic innings increase in 2012 wrong.
- Drew Stubbs (remember him?) hits 20 home runs and steals 50 bases, revitalizing his career.
- Rick Porcello wins 17 games with a 3.20 ERA while striking out 180 batters…all because he began using his four-seam fastball for the first time in his career.
Breakout Stars
These guys are about to go bonkers in 2013. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…(obvious names not listed, i.e. Harper, Brown, Braun, Ike Davis)
Alex Cobb, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Matt Moore, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Brett Anderson, LHP, Oakland Athletics
Andrelton Simmons, SS, Atlanta Braves
Yoenis Cespedes, OF, Oakland Athletics
Greg Holland, RHP, Kansas City Royals
Salvador Perez, C, Kansas City Royals
Chris Parmelee, OF, Minnesota Twins
Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs
Dayan Viciedo, OF, Chicago White Sox
Dan Straily, RHP, Oakland Athletics (Bartolo Colon won’t last forever)
Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals
Michael Saunders, OF, Seattle Mariners
Prospects to Watch
This has nothing to do with the Top 100 Prospects that I put out in December, but you will find some familiar names and others that will be players to keep an eye on, especially if they’re on your favorite team or if you’re in a keeper fantasy baseball league.
Jonathan Schoop, INF, Baltimore Orioles
Dorssys Paulino, INF, Cleveland Indians
J.R. Graham, RHP, Atlanta Braves
Yordano Ventura, RHP, Kansas City Royals
Chris Archer, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Bubba Starling, OF, Kansas City Royals
Yasel Puig, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Archie Bradley, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Houston Astros
Xander Bogaerts, INF, Boston Red Sox
Austin Hedges, C, San Diego Padres
Joey Gallo, INF, Texas Rangers
Why Kyle Lohse?
Kyle Lohse has been nothing short of awesome over the last two seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals, posting a 30-11 record, 3.11 ERA, and 1.13 WHIP over 399.1 innings. He was even pretty solid when he went 15-6 with a 3.78 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 2008 for the Cardinals. However, the rest of Lohse’s career isn’t very good.
Lohse has 12 seasons under his belt and outside of the three strong seasons in St. Louis, Lohse is a career 73-92 with a 4.93 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 1,373.2 innings. In fact, when he was with the Twins from 2001 to 2006, he posted a .472 winning percentage (51-57 in 172 games (152 starts) with a 4.88 ERA), while the Twins were a .556 team during those years (540-431) during that time. Perhaps, you could say that Lohse was the weakest link for those clubs.
So, with Lohse still sitting in free agency, which is more to blame on draft pick compensation than Scott Boras (for once), is he worth a large investment?
While Lohse is the only true marquee name left in free agency, his supposed asking price seems a bit outrageous, especially considering his track record. Rotoworld reported that Lohse is still looking for a three-year deal with a “big” annual salary.
Considering that the Indians gave Brett Myers a one-year, $7 million deal with an option for 2014, is it unrealistic that Lohse could only get a one-year, $11 million deal like Edwin Jackson did with the Washington Nationals in 2012, or even settle for less money, like $8 million, for one-year of service?
After Texas Rangers left-hander Martin Perez had his left forearm broken by a line drive on March 3, they have continued to pop up as the most likely targets.; however, the St. Louis Cardinals have lost Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia still has shoulder concerns, and they have several solid prospects to fill in, but considering Lohse was on the club last year and they could be filling 60% of their rotation, wouldn’t his addition make sense? The Cleveland Indians could be another suitor, if they can come up with the payroll, as their rotation is very weak and the team has made several solid additions this winter offensively, including Mark Reynolds, Nick Swisher, and Michael Bourn.
Personally, I can’t remember a time when draft pick compensation was so highly evaluated over the addition of a player. The New York Mets lost Bourn to the Indians after taking too much time to make a firm offer, while waiting for MLB to decide if their 1st round pick was protected, so will another club sneak in under the radar and add Lohse?
Even if they did add Lohse, why would they? At the age of 34, how much does he have left, considering he didn’t have a lot to offer for so much of his career?
Kyle Lohse isn’t an ace, as his career numbers certainly suggest. Kyle Lohse isn’t an innings-eater, as he has tossed 200 innings just three times in his career and 180 innings or more in seven of his 12 seasons. Kyle Lohse isn’t worth “big” annual salaries because he hasn’t provided a “big” enough reason to invest in him.
Who will make a huge mistake and make that choice, though?
Seven Battles to Watch This Spring
Spring training is an exciting time for baseball nerds. We get to hear stories about how so many players are in the greatest shape of their lives, while we count down the days until meaningful games begin. The position battles are the most interesting things to watch over the next several weeks, and while it seems like there aren’t a lot of battles to grasp onto, here are a handful that I know that I am going to monitor.
The Cleveland Indians Rotation:
With the additions of Scott Kazmir and Daisuke Matsuzaka on minor league deals, the healing elbow of Carlos Carrasco, and the acquisition of Trevor Bauer from the Arizona Diamondbacks, the club has gone from having very little pitching depth to a possible abundance. It would be safe to assume that new manager Terry Francona has Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Brett Myers penciled into the first three spots, while youngster Zach McAllister has a leg up on the No.4 spot, though it isn’t guaranteed. The possible battle for one spot between four solid arms is definitely an intriguing battle.
The Detroit Tiger Left Field Job:
When the Tigers signed Torii Hunter to a two-year deal, they created a logjam of corner outfielders. Andy Dirks seems to have the best shot at the every day job, but he still has Brennan Boesch, Quentin Berry, and youngster Avisail Garcia who could steal some at-bats over the course of the season, while prospect outfielder Nick Castellanos could also push for at-bats later in the season. With Victor Martinez returning from an ACL injury, the DH spot is on lockdown. The Tigers could look to make a deal for a veteran relief pitcher, as Bruce Rondon looks like the potential Opening Day closer after 52 appearances over three minor league levels in 2012. We’ll see if a club decides they could use some offensive help, especially if any PED suspensions come down from MLB from the Biogenesis case out of Florida.
The Toronto Blue Jays Second Base Job:
Gone is Kelly Johnson, who signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, and added were Emilio Bonifacio and Maicer Izturis. The Jays are absolutely loaded this season and the club will take advantage of a Alex Rodriguez injury and a re-tooling Boston Red Sox club to make a run at the AL East title. Bonifacio is a speedster that can play several positions. He posted a .360 OBP in 2011 and stole 30 bases in just 64 games in 2012 for the Miami Marlins. Izturis can’t really play short or third well anymore and he doesn’t do any one thing incredibly well, but he is 32 years old in 2013 and the Jays could expect about 30 doubles, 6 to 8 home runs, and 10 to 15 stolen bases over 450 to 500 at-bats. The club is in a great position with this “problem”.
The Atlanta Braves Third Base Job:
Well, Chipper Jones is gone and the Braves don’t have a third baseman for the first time since 1995. Atlanta added Chris Johnson as an extra part in their mega-deal with Arizona for Justin Upton and the right-handed hitting, 28-year-old brings a little bit of power with his career .746 OPS. He could be battling Juan Francisco, a powerful, left-handed hitting, soon-to-be 26-year old who has struggled to make consistent contact in his career, posting a 121:22 K:BB in 361 career at-bats. He has a lot of potential, but he is on the weak side of a platoon and doesn’t have a track record to rely on to this point. It will be a sad day in Atlanta without Larry Jones running out there, but the club should be prepared after dealing with all of Jones’ injuries over the years.
The Washington Nationals Catching Job:
Kurt Suzuki was once a very consistent performer, averaging 14 home runs and 67 RBI per season from 2009 to 2011 before totally crashing and burning in 2012, seeing his OPS drop all the way to .605 over 405 at-bats between Oakland and Washington. With Wilson Ramos coming back from an ACL injury, Suzuki could get the every day job for the first month or two of the season, and with solid producers around him in the lineup in Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, Ian Desmond, and Jayson Werth. Ramos was outstanding in 2011, hitting 15 home runs and posting a .779 OPS at the age of 23. Can he regain his form and confidence after a leg injury? How long until Ramos is a real factor in the position battle?
The Cincinnati Reds No.5 Starter Job:
The sky is the limit for Aroldis Chapman if he is able to transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation. After posting a ridiculous 122:23 K:BB in just 71.2 innings in 2012, Chapman could, potentially, reach 200 strikeouts by averaging 13 K:9, which is still lower than his 14.1 K:9 career average. He could, legitimately, be the clubs best starter, even with Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos in front of him in the rotation. However, Mike Leake is still in the picture and the Reds could leave Chapman in the bullpen for part of the season to limit his innings before stretching him out. If that is the case, could Chapman then pull a Kris Medlen in 2013 and go on to post a 0.97 ERA while going 9-0 in 12 starts for the Braves after joining the rotation on July 31. Leake, who posted a 4.58 ERA over 30 starts in 2012 after posting a 3.86 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 2011, is very athletic and is a very good rotation filler, but with Chapman, Tony Cingrani, and Daniel Corcino coming up behind him, he could be a long-relief pitcher or trade bait as early as this spring.
The St. Louis Cardinals No.5 Starter Job:
With Chris Carpenter‘s continued neck issues, which could force him to miss the entire 2013 season, the Cardinals are suddenly lacking pitching depth, as they lost Kyle Lohse to free agency this winter, although he does remain unsigned. In their place, Lance Lynn, who was fantastic before hitting a wall last August, looks like the No.4 starter, but the Cardinals look to have an interesting battle between Shelby Miller, Joe Kelly, and, postseason superstar, Trevor Rosenthal. Miller has top-of-the-rotation stuff and could be the team’s ace in the next couple of seasons, while Rosenthal’s triple-digit fastball could be dominating out of the starting rotation. If the club wants to continue to develop Miller and Rosenthal, though, Kelly was solid in 2012, posting a 3.74 ERA over 16 starts, and he doesn’t turn 25 years old until June, so it isn’t like he is a veteran option, either. With Carlos Martinez, another top-of-the-rotation type of prospect on the way, the Cardinals seem to have the depth to overcome their current “shortage” of pitching.
Certainly there are many other battles that will come about due to injuries, suspensions, or additional free agent signings, but these seven look like the biggest as spring training gets underway.
Are there any battles you’re interested in watching over the next couple of months?
Indians Stuff, 12/20/12
I write about the Indians over at www.wahoosonfirst.com and Bleacher Report when I’m not writing things here. You should check these out, just in case you need something to read while the sky is falling due to a lazy Mayan:
Who is going to DH for the Indians with the current roster? http://wahoosonfirst.com/2012/12/20/who-will-be-tribes-dh-in-2013/
Thoughts on the Indians’ acquisition of Mark Reynolds and Trevor Bauer:
http://wahoosonfirst.com/2012/12/13/on-mark-reynolds-trevor-bauer-and-the-indians-new-direction/
Should the Reds and Indians do a Chris Perez for Devin Mesoraco Trade?
http://wahoosonfirst.com/2012/12/03/could-indians-reds-trade-chris-perez-for-devin-mesoraco/
Three pretend trades that the Indians should try to make:
http://wahoosonfirst.com/2012/11/19/three-trades-the-cleveland-indians-should-make/
2013 Indians Batting Order:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1448795-mlb-indians-projecting-the-2013-batting-order
How many wins is Terry Francona worth?
Seven starting pitchers that the Indians should target:
Why the Indians can win now with Terry Francona:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1429424-mlb-why-the-indians-can-win-now-with-terry-francona
Recent Material, 9/12
I’ve been writing for Bleacher Report and I’ve added another site, Wahoo’s on First. These are the most recent posts that I am responsible for, unless they offend anyone or violate copyright, then I will try to say I didn’t do them.
Bleacher Report:
Should the Indians Keep Ubaldo Jimenez?
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1331996-cleveland-indians-should-the-indians-keep-ubaldo-jimenez
Thoughts on the Indians Top 20 Prospects from MLB.com (Jonathan Mayo)
Six Reasons Why Indians Fans Should Watch Them Over the Browns
Five Things That Could Salvage the 2012 Indians’ Season
Wahoo’s On First:
Why the Indians Should Sign Brandon McCarthy (pre-injury, and they still should)
http://wahoosonfirst.com/2012/09/04/why-the-indians-should-sign-brandon-mccarthy/
Why the Indians Should Sign J.P. Howell
http://wahoosonfirst.com/2012/09/06/why-the-indians-should-sign-j-p-howell/
Why the Indians Should Sign Jeremy Guthrie
http://wahoosonfirst.com/2012/09/12/why-the-indians-should-sign-jeremy-guthrie/
How Jason Kipnis Became the Indians’ Clubhouse Leader
http://wahoosonfirst.com/2012/08/30/how-jason-kipnis-became-indians-clubhouse-leader/
