Results tagged ‘ Yunel Escobar ’
Starlin Castro: Not Living Up to the Contract?
Starlin Castro is a fine young player. A two-time All-Star at the tender age of 23, it seems like he is worthy of being praised as the cornerstone and foundation to the future of the Chicago Cubs franchise.
However, something is missing.
After signing a seven-year, $60 million extension, with a $16 million option for 2020, in August of 2012, Castro has been somewhat disappointing. In 451 plate appearances since the beginning of August of last season, Castro has a .278/.326/.413 line, with 26 doubles, five triples, seven home runs, 48 RBI, and six stolen bases. That isn’t terrible considering the typical limitations of middle infielders, but there are reasons to be concerned about the potential of the young shortstop.
Mainly, the start of the 2013 season is reason for concern:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | TB | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 23 | CHC | NL | 44 | 196 | 188 | 23 | 51 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 21 | 2 | 7 | 30 | .271 | .301 | .383 | .684 | 86 | 72 |
Castro is struggling mightily at the dish, as he ranks 10th among shortstops with his .684 OPS, while also ranking 10th in wRC+ (similar to OPS+ where the average player has a 100) with his 85, and his current UZR/150 is -4.3, 20th of all qualifying shortstops, so he isn’t fantastic in the field, either.
I’m not saying that Castro is awful, on a downward spiral to mediocrity or worse, but should he be considered one of the top players in baseball?
In fantasy circles, Castro was rated 31st recently in Tristan H. Cockcroft’s (ESPN) preseason Top 250 (March 23rd), while finishing 34th in Matthew Berry’s (ESPN) preseason Top 200 (March 27). But…he hasn’t lived up to the hype and early season rankings, currently ranked as the 183rd player on ESPN’s Player Rater.
It is a small sample size for the 2013 season, but what about Castro’s career? Since the start of the 2010 season, Castro’s rookie year, Castro ranks 5th among all shortstops with his .754 career OPS. Fifth isn’t bad but Castro is tied with Marco Scutaro over that same time period.
Is Marco Scutaro elite? Is Castro’s ability to steal a base (even though he has only stolen two bases in 2013) worthy of a large investment? Castro was guaranteed $60 million last season and Scutaro had to settle for a three-year, $20 million deal. On the bright side, Scutaro is 37 and the Cubs are paying $16 million over the next three years with the potential for improvement…but based on his current .684 OPS, can Castro make the adjustments necessary to bounce back?
Castro’s walk rate is a career low 3.6 percent this season, his strikeout rate is at a career high (15.3 percent), and his contact rates, both the O-Contact (67.8 percent) and Z-Contact (88.1 percent) rates, are at career worsts, as well.
Starlin Castro has a long career ahead of him, and while things don’t appear as bright as they once looked, he should still have an impressive career. With Javier Baez and Arismendy Alcantara as potential fall-backs at shortstop, Castro could move to second or the outfield, especially if his defense continues to be less than fantastic.
With all of this being said, Starlin Castro still has the potential to improve and the 2013 season is still young. He could have an Ike Davis of 2012 second half outburst and truly look like one of the top 30 players in baseball, or…will he become the next Yunel Escobar, whose career has taken a nose dive after his first three seasons.
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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)
Jeff Loria Has to Go!
Marlins Owner, Jeff Loria; Courtesy: Yahoo Sports
After gaining ownership in 2002, the Marlins have done some crazy stuff with their payroll. Look at their payroll and payroll ranking since Jeff Loria became owner in 2002:
2002: $ 41,979,917 – 25th
2003: $ 45,050,000 – 25th
2004: $ 42,143,042 – 25th
2005: $ 60,408,834 – 19th
2006: $ 14,998,500 – 30th
2007: $ 30,507,000 – 29th
2008: $ 21,811,500 – 30th
2009: $ 36,834,000 – 30th
2010: $ 47,429,719 – 26th
2011: $ 57,695,000 – 24th
2012: $ 118,078,000 – 7th
Keep in mind that in 2006, when the payroll was under $15 million, the Marlins received $31 million in revenue sharing…POCKETING $16 million while Loria was demanding a new stadium to help draw fans, while he wasn’t giving the fans a team worth seeing AND still making money. Shocking. The new stadium…publicly funded at nearly 75 percent. Nice job, Loria.
After using the expected revenue from the new stadium, and possibly, the money that he pocketed over the years in revenue sharing, the Marlins added quite a bit of payroll prior to the 2012 season when they signed Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle. The club had Hanley Ramirez under contract at shortstop and moved him to third base before moving him to the Los Angeles Dodgers, while adding to Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez in the rotation with Buehrle before dealing Sanchez to Detroit on July 23.
After one season of fielding a potential contender, Loria is working on another fire-sale, which could, potentially, leave the Miami Marlins with a payroll of around $30 million in 2013.
The reported deal between the Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays:
Marlins deal SS Jose Reyes, RHP Josh Johnson, LHP Mark Buehrle, INF Emilio Bonifacio, C John Buck, and $4 million to the Blue Jays.
Blue Jays deal SS Yunel Escobar, RHP Henderson Alvarez, INF Adeiny Hechavarria, C Jeff Mathis, minor league OF Jake Marisnick, and minor league pitchers Justin Nicolino and Anthony Desclafani.
Courtesy: Sports Illustrated
Reyes was due $96 million between 2013 and 2017 and either a $4 million buyout or $22 million in 2018, Josh Johnson was due $13.75 million before reaching free agency after the 2013 season, and Mark Buehrle was due $48 million between 2013 and 2015.
After finishing 69-93 in 2012, the group that the Marlins had put together for the inaugural season in Marlins Park was deemed a disaster. While the Boston Red Sox dealt Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, and Josh Beckett to the Dodgers to free up payroll to start over, the Marlins seemed to make this deal to go an entirely different route. A total rebuild and focus on youth with a minimal payroll, and this is happening one year after the team signed Reyes and Buehrle while STILL trying to add Albert Pujols along with them, before losing out to the Angels. Could you imagine if this deal was going down with Pujols in it, too?
Jeff Loria has made the Marlins look like a complete joke, once again. However, bigger than that, he played the city of Miami into funding a new stadium for him to continue fielding a losing team while pocketing revenue from teams that actually spend money and create revenue by winning and having a desire to win.
Jeff Loria is bad for baseball. Jeff Loria is possibly worse than any performance-enhancing drug, the lack of replay, or Scott Boras. There are only 30 teams in Major League Baseball and there is certainly a millionaire or billionaire out there who could provide Miami and Marlins’ fans with a better, more respectable product. Bud Selig should step in.
Yunel Escobar Issues
Courtesy: Deadspin.com
At the end of 2009, Yunel Escobar was one of the top players in baseball, at least when it comes to potential. He was 26 years old and had just finished a season with a .299/.377/.436 line, 26 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs and 76 RBI for the Atlanta Braves. For some reason, though, Atlanta wasn’t fond of him.
Legendary Braves manager Bobby Cox was fed up with Escobar’s lack of hustle and disregard for the expectations that he had for all of his players. However, Escobar seemed to use the language barrier, he defected from Cuba, as a crutch. While others used translators on the team, as did Escobar, the expectations that Cox had were never met, as Escobar seemed lazy and lethargic with his day-to-day responsibilities in the game of baseball.
Mark Bradley, of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, said after the trade of Escobar in July of 2010 that this was “addition by subtraction” and added that:
This is a happier clubhouse than it has been in years, and not just because the team is in first place. Because these guys like and respect one another. The one guy who didn’t fit — and who was never going to fit, no matter how many chances the Braves offered — just got traded.
Whether it was a language barrier issue or a maturity issue, Yunel Escobar just bought himself some unneeded publicity. This publicity will reach well beyond the sports world and well beyond the diamond, just ask the owner of Chick-Fil-A.
On Saturday afternoon, Yunel Escobar wore eyeblack with the words “tu ere maricon”, which anyone who has seen the movie Scarface knows is Spanish for “you are a fag—.” Needless to say, this will lead to a suspension.
Earlier in the 2012 season, Major League Baseball suspended Detroit Tigers outfielder Delmon Young for anti-Semitic slurs thrown at a group of tourists outside of a hotel in New York, receiving a 7-day suspension. Prior to that suspension, John Rocker was suspended in 2000 for all of spring training and the first 14-days of the season after ranting to a Sports Illustrated reporter about gays, foreigners and minorities.
Bud Selig took this stance with Delmon Young’s suspension in 2012:
Those associated with our game should meet the responsibilities and standards that stem from our game’s stature as a social institution. An incident like this cannot and will not be tolerated.
Yunel Escobar plays in a city, Toronto, that is very liberal, in the liberal nation of Canada. His choice to wear the slur was a miserable idea, one that should and will have repercussions, not only on this season, but, possibly, Escobar’s 2014 and 2015 team options and the Toronto Blue Jays willingness to keep him beyond this season. Ultimately, Escobar’s entire future in the majors could be affected by this choice.
After having been traded for pennies on the dollar in talent from Atlanta to Toronto, little has changed in the man that Yunel Escobar has been or who he is going to become. He is still immature and a nuisance to his team. For someone who had to defect from Cuba to earn an opportunity at freedom and a chance to play the game that he loves, it is incredible that Yunel Escobar continues to make poor choices and doesn’t seem to think of how lucky he is to be making millions to be a complete moron, on and off the field.
Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Shortstops
Overall rankings will consist of the player’s value in a points format, earning points for each H, R, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, basically a formula of Total Bases + RBI + Runs = Total Value. Here are the rankings for 2B, projections are italicized:
Shortstop is getting to be extremely shallow in fantasy. It is filled with injury risks and aging veterans. Gone are the days of several superstars, which has been gone since ARod moved to third and Nomar was traded to the Cubs.
1. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
.302/.372/.544, 36 2B, 2 3B, 30 HR, 105 RBI, 9 SB in 537 AB
.313/.394/.559, 38 2B, 3 3B, 34 HR, 112 RBI, 4 SB in 589 AB
There is one elite player at this position and Tulowitzki is it. For all of the hype that has gone to Jose Reyes and his mega-Free Agency this offseason, he isn’t the difference maker that Tulo is. He is a power-hitting SS and he will be the only SS with 100 RBI in 2012. If you don’t get him, you’re going to settle for the rest.
2. Starlin Castro, Cubs
.307/.341/.432, 36 2B, 9 3B, 10 HR, 66 RBI, 22 SB in 674 AB
.298/.347/.461, 38 2B, 7 3B, 16 HR, 71 RBI, 18 SB in 647 AB
Castro only had 207 hits in his first full season. He is probably not going to be a long-term hit machine, as he is going to fill into a player with more power, possibly even moving to third base. He is more of a certainty than others who come after him, like…
3. Jose Reyes, Marlins
.337/.384/.493, 31 2B, 16 3B, 7 HR, 44 RBI, 39 SB in 537 AB
.301/.365/.449, 29 2B, 8 3B, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 21 SB in 467 AB
Reyes is an excellent player and a game-changing talent, but he isn’t on the field enough to be taken seriously. While he’s been on the field more than someone like Rickie Weeks in his career, you have to wonder how his speed game is going to hold up as he ages, as it hasn’t held up in his youth. The constant nagging injuries will take away from his value, as will the spacious ballpark that he is going to be playing in from his already non-Tulo power stats. With that being said, he could prove me wrong and repeat what he did in 2011 for several years and be elite…but why would you count on that?
4. Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
.273/.332/.460, 32 2B, 3 3B, 25 HR, 92 RBI, 17 SB in 604 AB
.281/.341/.459, 36 2B, 2 3B, 18 HR, 81 RBI, 13 SB in 587 AB
Well…that came out of nowhere. You have to wonder if this power-hitting, team carrying type of player is here to stay. He was injured for the previous couple of seasons. Can he make adjustments, though? He hit just .244/.310/.419 in the 2nd half of 2011. He’s still well-above average with a decline, but it won’t be as drastic as some believe.
5. J.J. Hardy, Orioles
.269/.310/.491, 27 2B, 30 HR, 80 RBI in 527 AB
.259/.314/.486, 24 2B, 29 HR, 76 RBi in 564 AB
Remember the scoring. He isn’t a top five SS in most leagues due to the average and lack of running ability; however, his power is very, very valuable at his position. Hardy is playing in a bandbox still and he will continue to hit homeruns, post low averages, and strikeout with Mark Reynolds.
6. Jhonny Peralta, Tigers
.299/.345/.478, 25 2B, 3 3B, 21 HR, 86 RBI in 525 AB
.287/.338/.479, 28 2B, 2 3B, 22 HR, 86 RBI in 563 AB
Peralta isn’t a SS…but the Tigers gave up on defense for the offensive power. They may have the worst left side of the infield in the history of baseball in 2012, but fantasy baseball doesn’t count range factor and errors. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs and should build on his successful 2011 season.
7. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies
.268/.338/.399, 22 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, 63 RBI, 30 SB in 567 AB
.280/.340/.411, 26 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR, 68 RBI, 24 SB in 584 AB
J-Roll still has another good year in him, but he is of the same pedigree as Jose Reyes – speed + injuries = worthlessness. Buyer beware, but the Phillies are counting on him to build off of 2011 as the age of their offensive core increases quicker than the National debt.
8. Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays
.290/.369/.413, 24 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 3 SB in 513 AB
.284/.376/.422, 27 2B, 4 3B, 14 HR, 56 RBI, 5 SB in 562 AB
Escobar is a real pain in the ass. He got traded from Atlanta due to attitude issues and seems to not care at times. If he bothered putting out maximum effort, he could rank as high as 3rd on this list. He has quite a lineup around him, so if he puts it all together, don’t be shocked.
9. Derek Jeter, Yankees
.297/.355/.388, 24 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 61 RBI, 16 sB in 546 AB
.307/.364/.408, 29 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 65 RBI, 13 SB in 573 AB
The Captain isn’t as bad as people think. He still posted a decent AVG and OBP last season, though the SLG got ugly quick. He isn’t getting any younger, but he still has the lineup around him and the ability to play every day. He should rebound a bit.
10. Elvis Andrus, Rangers
.279/.347/.361, 27 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 60 RBI, 37 SB in 587 AB
.287/.356/.394, 32 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 64 RBI, 42 SB in 593 AB
Andrus is still very young and is in a fantastic lineup and ballpark. He has a solid eye and should improve upon his 75.5% SB rate. The power is lacking, but he does enough small things to get you points.
11. Erick Aybar, Angels
.279/.322/.421, 33 2B, 8 3B, 10 HR, 59 RBI, 30 SB in 556 AB
.268/.313/.406, 29 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 48 RBI, 24 SB in 498 AB
If Trumbo is going to play third and Mike Scoscia is still in charge, Maicer Izturis is going to steal Aybar’s playing time from time to time. Slight drop-off due to that decrease.
12. Alexei Ramirez, White Sox
.269/.328/.399, 31 2B, 2 3B, 15 HR, 70 RBI, 7 SB in 614 AB
.264/.325/.403, 30 2B, 1 3B, 18 HR, 67 RBI, 5 SB in 598 AB
13. Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks
.252/.317/.396, 21 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 45 RBI, 4 SB in 321 AB
.269/.328/.403, 24 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 61 RBI, 3 SB in 461 AB
Those Drew boys never stay healthy. If he comes back healthy, he could post solid numbers, but he may have issues staying in the lineup due to his last name.
14. Zack Cozart, Reds
.324/.324/.486, 2 HR, 3 RBI in 37 AB
.259/.327/.403, 21 2B, 4 3B, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 6 SB in 498 AB
Sleeper like crazy here. He isn’t going to post an incredible average, but Cozart has some pop and plays in a great offense and ballpark. He could do even more than the numbers listed above…or…Dusty Baker’s veteran-loving-ass could play Paul Janish over him…ugh.
15. Sean Rodriguez, Rays
.223/.323/.357, 20 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 11 SB in 373 AB
.241/.336/.374, 26 2B, 5 3B, 12 HR, 51 RBI, 19 SB in 471 AB
The Rest: Ian Desmond, Nationals; Alex Gonzalez, Brewers; Alcides Escobar, Royals; Jed Lowrie, Astros; Dee Gordon, Dodgers; Jason Bartlett, Padres; Ryan Theriot, Giants; Rafael Furcal, Cardinals; Cliff Pennington, A’s; Mike Aviles, Red Sox;
