The Atlanta Braves got off to a good start in the 2007 season, but ultimately their lack of pitching depth caused the team to come up short in the NL East. The Braves hope they have solved that this year by bringing in a familiar face. Tom Glavine rejoins the Braves, and his hoping he can rebound from a disappointing season with the Mets.
It's now time to take a look at three issues regarding the 2008 Atlanta Braves.
(1) Did the team make the right decision by trading Edgar Renteria?
Edgar Renteria was a key contributor on the Braves offense last season as he hit .332, and was on base nearly 40% of the time. Renteria also provided some pop as he hit 12 homers, which is solid for a shortstop. The Braves dealt Renteria because they felt they had some quality options in the minor leagues, who were ready to take over.
It remains to be seen if that's the case for the Braves, as shortstop is a key defensive position for the pitching staff, and if a young player isn't ready to perform it can have drastic consequences. The Braves will go with Yunel Escobar, who performed well during his stint with the Braves last season.
The Braves received some much needed pitching help in the trade as Jar Jurjeans comes over from Detroit. Jurjeans pitched well for Detroit last year, as he got a slot in the rotation last year as injuries befell Jeremy Bonderman and others. Jurjeans doesn't have dominant stuff, but should provide the team with some much needed consistency in the rotation.
(2) Will the Braves young players be ready to step up for departed veterans?
This is a key issue for the Braves this year as Escobar will be asked to fill the shoes of an All Star quality shortstop. The team also will need to find a long term answer for the departed Andruw Jones. It appears the team will be going with Mark Kotsay to open the season, but it's clear that's just a stop gap solution to provide time for prospects Brandon Jones and Jordan Schafer to develop.
Escobar hit over .300 last year so he does have the tools to be a fine shortstop, he also has impressed defensively during Spring Training this year. Escobar is not likely to develop power as a shortstop, but the Braves should get that from their other positions. It's important for Escobar to play solid defense and do enough at the plate so the team won't be reminded of Edgar Renteria this season.
Andruw Jones will never be replaced defensively in CF, it's unlikely if many could fill his shoes, as during his prime he was regarded as one of the game's best defensive outfielders in the history of the game. Jones has bulked up over the years, and it has shown as his defensive range did suffer a bit as a result.
Mark Kotsay will never produce the power numbers Jones did, but his defense is a strength, and although he won't cover the range Jones did, he will be serviceable until the minor leaguers are ready to take over. Brandon Jones is a candidate to take over, and if he doesn't take over CF, he will probably have one of the outfield spots at some point this season. Jones is a five tool caliber player, and at the age of 24 is ready to use those skills at the major league level.
The team also has Brent Lillibridge who is available to play shortstop if Escobar falters at any point this year. It is thought that Lillibridge may get time as a spare infielder this year, and with Chipper Jones injury history, it's very possible that he gets time at 3b this year.
Jordan Schafer is another option for the club in the outfield this season, and his overall game may be better suited for CF. Schafer doesn't project to be a big power source but he makes solid contact and has great speed.
(3) Do the Braves have enough pitching to be serious contenders this season?
The Braves rotation is perhaps the biggest concern for the team going into this season. The team definitely has more pitching than the Phillies, but in order to compete with the Mets they will need to get more production this season.
John Smoltz is defying father time as he continues to post impressive numbers despite being on the other side of 40. Smoltz posted an ERA barely over 3 last season, and won 14 games for the Braves. Smoltz did suffer an injury in Spring Training, but it's not expected to keep him out for a significiant amount of time. The Braves can ill afford to lose Smoltz to a significiant injury this season.
Tim Hudson also appears ready to have another big season for the Braves, and the afore mentioned Tom Glavine is looking for a rebound season. Glavine posted his 300th win last season, but wore down at the end of the season, as he posted an ERA of 4.45.
The team is counting on a comeback from Mike Hampton this season, and that seems to be a big gamble at best. Hampton hasn't been healthy in years, and it's unclear if he still has the stuff to retire big league hitters. If Hampton succumbs to injury or falters the club will rely on Chuck James who looked solid at times last year for the Braves. James posted 11 victories for the club last year with a respectable 4.24 ERA. The club will go with the aforementioned Jar Jurjeans at the fifth slot.
If the Braves are able to round out their rotation, there is no reason why this team can't contend with the New York Mets this season. Despite all of the hype surrounding the Santana trade the Mets are an aged team, that can't afford any injuries. The Braves are looking for a breakout year from Jeff Francoeur this season as he looks to make the jump into superstardom.
The Braves lineup looks to be solid at almost every position, and if their young talent develops, this team will find themselves in the playoffs this October.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
MLB Preview: Florida Marlins
The Florida Marlins finished another disappointing season in 2007 as the team struggled to win 71 games last season. Even more disappointing for Florida fans was the events that happened shortly after the season. The club traded it's two most recognizable faces Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera to the Detroit Tigers.
That deal thus threw in the towel for another Marlins season in 2008, and gives fans very little motivation to head out to the ballpark this year. The team still does have some talented players, but not nearly enough to contend this season.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Florida Marlins.
(1) Will the Marlins ever retain any of their top talent?
This is the question on the minds of every fan in Florida, and on the minds of baseball fans throughout the country. The Florida Marlins are the poster child for what can go wrong in the current baseball economic climate. The fact that the team allowed Miguel Cabrera to leave is no surprise as the organization has a history of letting top quality young talent walk away.
Two seasons ago they traded Josh Beckett to the Red Sox as they saw his arbitration price tag go up, and ownership had no interest in paying that. The Beckett trade did bring in Hanley Ramirez, who is quickly becoming the game's best young star. That is one thing the Marlins have been able to do during this endless cycle of rebuilding, the front office has been able to at least get top young talent in return for their star players.
The team's payroll is at an embarrasingly low figure considering they receive nearly 20 million in luxury taxes from teams like the Yankees and Red Sox. The Marlins are playing in an old ballpark and plans are in place to give the city a new park, but until that is done Marlins fans will have to get used to seeing top young talent flee the city of Miami for greener pastures.
(2) Did the Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis trade bring in enough talent?
The Marlins have never been afraid to deal young superstars, and this deal may involve two of the franchise's most popular players in their brief history. Cabrera came on to the scene as a teenager during the team's impressive run in the 2003 playoffs and World Series title. Willis had a dominant regular season in 2003, and was a big reason the club made the post-season.
Now that both of those players will be wearing Detroit Tigers uniforms, it's important to see what the club got in return. Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller were regarded as two of the best young prospects in all of baseball heading into last year. Both players were called up to the big club last summer and although both were overmatched, they did display their natural raw talent.
Maybin did look like he needed additional seasoning in the minors last year, as he struck out 21 times in only 53 at bats. The Marlins made the right decision by sending him down to the minors to start the season as Maybin must gain confidence before making his destined return trip to the majors. It will be hard for Florida to keep Maybin down in the minors, as fans will want to see something in return for their former two star players.
Andrew Miller was a first round pick two seasons ago, and advanced rapidly through the Tigers minor league system. Miller received his first big league start last June, and was shuffled between Detroit and the minor leagues for much of the 2nd half. Miller started 13 games last season and won five of those while posting a 5.63 ERA.
Although the club lost two stars, it's important to remember that Willis was just finishing his worst season as a major leaguer, and was having trouble consistently finding the strike zone. It's unclear if he will make a seamless transition to the American League, as he has posted an ERA of over 8 this spring. Miguel Cabrera is a superstar, and will probably be one for years to come, but he did frustrate the Marlins organization by not coming into camp in shape, and was as much as 30 pounds overweight last season. It's unlikely that Cabrera's new found commitment to the game would have taken place in Florida as he shed those 30 pounds this off-season.
(3) What can Florida fans expect to see this season?
This Marlins team will resemble the Washington Nationals in many ways this season. The club has plenty of exciting young talent in the lineup, but their pitching staff looks suspect at best. Mark Hendrickson is their opening day starter, and that is never cause for optimism. The team is hoping Scott Olsen will have a rebound year, but that is a big questionmark.
If fans have one reason to go to the ballpark this year, it's to see Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez is a viable candidate for posting a 40/40 season at some point. Ramirez hit over 330, while posting 29 homers for the Marlins last season. Ramirez is an MVP candidate in the waiting, and the only weakneess in his game is his defense. Ramirez will likely be moved to another position in the infield, or like B.J. Upton with the Rays, be called upon to play the outfield in the future.
The team also has another power hitting infielder who's defense has been called into question. Dan Uggla once again posted another impressive season at the plate as he hit over 30 home runs last season. The team also has Josh Willingham in left field who may not be the superstar that everyone thought he would be, but is still a solid major leaguer nontheless.
The 2008 season will be another season that Marlins fans are accustomed to. Exciting young talent with very little pitching, and virtually no chance at contending. It's a scenario that will hopefully change for the organization, otherwise they may be playing in a completely empty stadium in a few years.
That deal thus threw in the towel for another Marlins season in 2008, and gives fans very little motivation to head out to the ballpark this year. The team still does have some talented players, but not nearly enough to contend this season.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Florida Marlins.
(1) Will the Marlins ever retain any of their top talent?
This is the question on the minds of every fan in Florida, and on the minds of baseball fans throughout the country. The Florida Marlins are the poster child for what can go wrong in the current baseball economic climate. The fact that the team allowed Miguel Cabrera to leave is no surprise as the organization has a history of letting top quality young talent walk away.
Two seasons ago they traded Josh Beckett to the Red Sox as they saw his arbitration price tag go up, and ownership had no interest in paying that. The Beckett trade did bring in Hanley Ramirez, who is quickly becoming the game's best young star. That is one thing the Marlins have been able to do during this endless cycle of rebuilding, the front office has been able to at least get top young talent in return for their star players.
The team's payroll is at an embarrasingly low figure considering they receive nearly 20 million in luxury taxes from teams like the Yankees and Red Sox. The Marlins are playing in an old ballpark and plans are in place to give the city a new park, but until that is done Marlins fans will have to get used to seeing top young talent flee the city of Miami for greener pastures.
(2) Did the Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis trade bring in enough talent?
The Marlins have never been afraid to deal young superstars, and this deal may involve two of the franchise's most popular players in their brief history. Cabrera came on to the scene as a teenager during the team's impressive run in the 2003 playoffs and World Series title. Willis had a dominant regular season in 2003, and was a big reason the club made the post-season.
Now that both of those players will be wearing Detroit Tigers uniforms, it's important to see what the club got in return. Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller were regarded as two of the best young prospects in all of baseball heading into last year. Both players were called up to the big club last summer and although both were overmatched, they did display their natural raw talent.
Maybin did look like he needed additional seasoning in the minors last year, as he struck out 21 times in only 53 at bats. The Marlins made the right decision by sending him down to the minors to start the season as Maybin must gain confidence before making his destined return trip to the majors. It will be hard for Florida to keep Maybin down in the minors, as fans will want to see something in return for their former two star players.
Andrew Miller was a first round pick two seasons ago, and advanced rapidly through the Tigers minor league system. Miller received his first big league start last June, and was shuffled between Detroit and the minor leagues for much of the 2nd half. Miller started 13 games last season and won five of those while posting a 5.63 ERA.
Although the club lost two stars, it's important to remember that Willis was just finishing his worst season as a major leaguer, and was having trouble consistently finding the strike zone. It's unclear if he will make a seamless transition to the American League, as he has posted an ERA of over 8 this spring. Miguel Cabrera is a superstar, and will probably be one for years to come, but he did frustrate the Marlins organization by not coming into camp in shape, and was as much as 30 pounds overweight last season. It's unlikely that Cabrera's new found commitment to the game would have taken place in Florida as he shed those 30 pounds this off-season.
(3) What can Florida fans expect to see this season?
This Marlins team will resemble the Washington Nationals in many ways this season. The club has plenty of exciting young talent in the lineup, but their pitching staff looks suspect at best. Mark Hendrickson is their opening day starter, and that is never cause for optimism. The team is hoping Scott Olsen will have a rebound year, but that is a big questionmark.
If fans have one reason to go to the ballpark this year, it's to see Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez is a viable candidate for posting a 40/40 season at some point. Ramirez hit over 330, while posting 29 homers for the Marlins last season. Ramirez is an MVP candidate in the waiting, and the only weakneess in his game is his defense. Ramirez will likely be moved to another position in the infield, or like B.J. Upton with the Rays, be called upon to play the outfield in the future.
The team also has another power hitting infielder who's defense has been called into question. Dan Uggla once again posted another impressive season at the plate as he hit over 30 home runs last season. The team also has Josh Willingham in left field who may not be the superstar that everyone thought he would be, but is still a solid major leaguer nontheless.
The 2008 season will be another season that Marlins fans are accustomed to. Exciting young talent with very little pitching, and virtually no chance at contending. It's a scenario that will hopefully change for the organization, otherwise they may be playing in a completely empty stadium in a few years.
Friday, March 28, 2008
MLB Preview: Cincinnatti Reds
The 2007 season wasn't much different from the previous seven seasons for the Reds, as they hit their share of home runs, but also gave up more than their share of home runs.
Since signing Ken Griffey Jr before the 2000 season the Reds have featured one of the games more exciting offenses, but haven't been able to find quality pitching to support that offense. Sluggers like Adam Dunn and Brandon Phillips have given their offense plenty of excitement, even as Griffey has been hurt during the majority of his stint with the Reds.
The Reds do have some consistency at the top of their rotation as Aaron Harrang is quietly becoming one of the more effective pitchers in the NL. Bronson Arroyo also gives the Reds reason for optimism this season.
Now it's time to answer three questions regarding the 2008 Cincinnatti Reds.
(1) Will Dusty Baker provide the same magic for the Reds as he did for the Giants and the Cubs?
Dusty Baker is one of the more controversial managers in the game of baseball, as many of the statheads in the game criticize him for being averse to playing young players. While GM's around the league, and columnists covering the game can't get enough of him as he won 3 Manager Of The Year awards during his time with the Giants and the Cubs.
Baker is definitely media friendly, which is becoming an increasing responsibility for major league managers during this information age. Baker turned around the Giants franchise in the 90's, but his success coincided with the Giants acquiring Barry Bonds. Many Baker critics will also point out that the Cubs rise and fall was attributed to Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, not to Dusty Baker.
Say what you will about Baker, but he can't be any worse than the managers the club has had previously. Baker also seems to create a loose clubhouse, which is hard to measure but it can't be a bad thing.
Baker definitely will have to show the necessary patience to play young players with the Reds, as the team has a lot of them, and a lot of good ones at that. The Reds may not be the best fit for Baker as he does like to go with a veteran lineup, and is not good at juggling lineups around. If Baker decides to go with the more talented youngsters this season, then he may just find himself the recipient of his fourth manager of the year award.
(2) Will the Reds finally have enough pitching to be relevant this year?
This is the question that Reds fans have been asking since 2000, and this year they may finally like the answer. The Reds have a strong top two in Harrang and Arroyo, but thanks to some prized young arms the team could have an above average major league rotation.
Johnny Cueto has been the talk of Spring Training as he has quickly progressed through the Reds minor league system. Cueto has already earned himself a rotation spot on the Reds roster to start the 2008 season which is impressive considering Baker's track record.
Cueto has a fastball that is clocked in the mid 90's, and throws a slider that will have plenty of hitters swinging at pitches in the dirt. Cueto is still only 22 years old, so it remains to be seen if he has the maturity to handle the big adjustment he will face in the majors. It's a great sign to see the Reds give him a chance as he can't be any worse than the Matt Belisle's of the world.
The Reds also announced that Edison Volquez, whom they acquired from the Texas Rangers will be given a slot in the club's rotation to star the season. Volquez started six games for the Rangers last season, and posted two wins during that time period. Volquez was acquired in exchange for Josh Hamilton as the Reds felt they had enough outfielders in their system to make the move.
Volquez also hits the mid 90's and combines that with some devastating off-speed pitches as well. The Reds also signed Francisco Cordero to shore up their bullpen, which was amongst the majors worst last season. Cordero was inconsistent for Milwaukee last season, but has the stuff to be a dominant closer this season.
(3) Will Dusty Baker go with the more talented youngsters at some point this season?
The Reds chances of success this season ultimately hinge on this answer, and at this points it doesn't appear to be a good answer for Reds fans. Baker has already sent down Jay Bruce, who is the top prospect in the game according to Baseball Prospectus. Bruce displayed his skills in Spring Training, and has every right to be the Center Fielder over Cory Patterson. It remains to be seen how long he will be in the minors, but the Reds will need him up before June if they have any chance at contending this season.
The team also has one of the top first base prospects in the game as Joey Votto displayed his skills during a brief stint last season. Votto has had a disappointing Spring thus far, and all signs point towards Scott Hatteberg winning the job on opening day. Dusty Baker may not have a choice at shortstop as Alex Gonzalez will miss an indeterminate amount of time due to an injury so Jeff Keppinger should start the season as the shortstop.
The team has talent at almost every position, so the lineup stands to improve if they go forward with their youth movement, but if Dusty Baker sticks to form, the consequences to the Reds could be devastating.
The Reds still should show an improvement over last year as their rotation looks to be in as good of shape as it has in many years. The team also has Adam Dunn and Phillips returning again to produce some power in the lineup. This team may not be as good as the Cubs and Brewers, but then again it's hard to know just how good some of these young players are until they are given a chance.
Since signing Ken Griffey Jr before the 2000 season the Reds have featured one of the games more exciting offenses, but haven't been able to find quality pitching to support that offense. Sluggers like Adam Dunn and Brandon Phillips have given their offense plenty of excitement, even as Griffey has been hurt during the majority of his stint with the Reds.
The Reds do have some consistency at the top of their rotation as Aaron Harrang is quietly becoming one of the more effective pitchers in the NL. Bronson Arroyo also gives the Reds reason for optimism this season.
Now it's time to answer three questions regarding the 2008 Cincinnatti Reds.
(1) Will Dusty Baker provide the same magic for the Reds as he did for the Giants and the Cubs?
Dusty Baker is one of the more controversial managers in the game of baseball, as many of the statheads in the game criticize him for being averse to playing young players. While GM's around the league, and columnists covering the game can't get enough of him as he won 3 Manager Of The Year awards during his time with the Giants and the Cubs.
Baker is definitely media friendly, which is becoming an increasing responsibility for major league managers during this information age. Baker turned around the Giants franchise in the 90's, but his success coincided with the Giants acquiring Barry Bonds. Many Baker critics will also point out that the Cubs rise and fall was attributed to Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, not to Dusty Baker.
Say what you will about Baker, but he can't be any worse than the managers the club has had previously. Baker also seems to create a loose clubhouse, which is hard to measure but it can't be a bad thing.
Baker definitely will have to show the necessary patience to play young players with the Reds, as the team has a lot of them, and a lot of good ones at that. The Reds may not be the best fit for Baker as he does like to go with a veteran lineup, and is not good at juggling lineups around. If Baker decides to go with the more talented youngsters this season, then he may just find himself the recipient of his fourth manager of the year award.
(2) Will the Reds finally have enough pitching to be relevant this year?
This is the question that Reds fans have been asking since 2000, and this year they may finally like the answer. The Reds have a strong top two in Harrang and Arroyo, but thanks to some prized young arms the team could have an above average major league rotation.
Johnny Cueto has been the talk of Spring Training as he has quickly progressed through the Reds minor league system. Cueto has already earned himself a rotation spot on the Reds roster to start the 2008 season which is impressive considering Baker's track record.
Cueto has a fastball that is clocked in the mid 90's, and throws a slider that will have plenty of hitters swinging at pitches in the dirt. Cueto is still only 22 years old, so it remains to be seen if he has the maturity to handle the big adjustment he will face in the majors. It's a great sign to see the Reds give him a chance as he can't be any worse than the Matt Belisle's of the world.
The Reds also announced that Edison Volquez, whom they acquired from the Texas Rangers will be given a slot in the club's rotation to star the season. Volquez started six games for the Rangers last season, and posted two wins during that time period. Volquez was acquired in exchange for Josh Hamilton as the Reds felt they had enough outfielders in their system to make the move.
Volquez also hits the mid 90's and combines that with some devastating off-speed pitches as well. The Reds also signed Francisco Cordero to shore up their bullpen, which was amongst the majors worst last season. Cordero was inconsistent for Milwaukee last season, but has the stuff to be a dominant closer this season.
(3) Will Dusty Baker go with the more talented youngsters at some point this season?
The Reds chances of success this season ultimately hinge on this answer, and at this points it doesn't appear to be a good answer for Reds fans. Baker has already sent down Jay Bruce, who is the top prospect in the game according to Baseball Prospectus. Bruce displayed his skills in Spring Training, and has every right to be the Center Fielder over Cory Patterson. It remains to be seen how long he will be in the minors, but the Reds will need him up before June if they have any chance at contending this season.
The team also has one of the top first base prospects in the game as Joey Votto displayed his skills during a brief stint last season. Votto has had a disappointing Spring thus far, and all signs point towards Scott Hatteberg winning the job on opening day. Dusty Baker may not have a choice at shortstop as Alex Gonzalez will miss an indeterminate amount of time due to an injury so Jeff Keppinger should start the season as the shortstop.
The team has talent at almost every position, so the lineup stands to improve if they go forward with their youth movement, but if Dusty Baker sticks to form, the consequences to the Reds could be devastating.
The Reds still should show an improvement over last year as their rotation looks to be in as good of shape as it has in many years. The team also has Adam Dunn and Phillips returning again to produce some power in the lineup. This team may not be as good as the Cubs and Brewers, but then again it's hard to know just how good some of these young players are until they are given a chance.
MLB Preview: Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals entered the 2007 with little fanfare as the team resembled the roster the Cleveland Indians had going into the movie Major League. Much like the movie, the cast of youngsters on the Nationals added enthusiasm to the team, and the Nationals were able to win 73 games and stay out of last place.
That may not sound like much of an accomplishment, but entering last season many pundits had the team losing well over 100 games. The Nationals were aided by the rejuvenated Dmitri Young who won the comeback player of the year award as he batted 320 and belted 13 homers for the Nationals.
Now it's time to take a look at how the Nationals will look like in the 2008 season.
(1) Did the Nationals improve themselves with the changes they made at outfield?
Nationals GM Jim Bowden has always had an eye for talent dating back to his days with the Cincinnati Reds during the 90's and early 2000's. Bowden was not dealt a very pleasant hand since becoming the GM of the Nationals as the farm system was empty.
Bowden started his turnover by acquiring Austin Kearns, and Felipe Lopez from the Reds, while only giving up a few arms in their bullpen. Although Lopez has been a failure, Kearns has proven to be a solid, but unspectacular major league right fielder. Bowden finished retooling the Nationals outfield this off-season as he acquired Lastings Milledge from the Mets in exchange for Ryan Church.
Milledge was once regarded as the top outfield prospect in the game, and was regarded so highly by the Mets that they refused to deal him for Barry Zito during the 2006 season. Milledge wore out his welcome in the Mets clubhouse with some of his on, and off the field antics. The Nationals are hoping that enthusiasm will be better excepted in their young clubhouse. Milledge still has no cap on his potential, and will finally get the everyday job that he's been seeking.
The Nationals also made a move to acquire another talented outfielder this off-season. The team traded a low level pitching prospect to take Elijiah Dukes off the hands of the Rays. Dukes was in the starting lineup on opening day for the Rays last season, and wowed everyone with his amazing display of power as he crushed a home run to straigtaway center at Yankees stadium.
Dukes was never able to continue that success, and ran into more off the field problems as his wife reported that he threatened to kill her. The Rays had already dealt with enough off the field distractions from Dukes that they felt it would be best for both parties if he had a change of scenery. Dukes talent is matched by very few, and if he benefits from the change of scenery the Nationals could have one of the best outfields for years to come.
(2) How will the new ballpark affect the Nationals players?
RFK stadium was regarded as one of the toughest hitters ballparks during the Nationals existence. The team now will be moving to a much more hitters friendly ballpark, and the offense should see their numbers climb as a result.
The Nationals will have to reshape their roster in future years to account for this change in venue. The team earlier could get by with a lineup full of speed as manufacturing runs became essential as the team would have difficulty hitting the long ball. That has all changed now, and the Nationals seem to be on the right track by acquiring Milledge and Dukes, both of which are blessed with plenty of power.
One National player who stands to benefit from this change in scenery is Ryan Zimmerman, Zimmerman has been a solid player since coming up in the 2007 season, but his power numbers have been affected by the large ballpark. With this change Zimmerman's power totals should increase substantially, and he may now favor comparably to the other young phenom 3b in the NL David Wright.
The one downfall with the decrease in size of the ballpark will the effect it has on the pitching staff. The Nationals don't have a superstar in their rotation, and flyballs last year, will turn into home runs this year. It will be interesting to see just what effect the stadium has on the Nationals this season, but one thing is certain, the Nationals will be involved in higher scoring games this season at home.
(3) Just who are these guys?
The Nationals starting rotation is a mystery to many people around the game, in fact as you are reading this I challenge you to name one pitcher on their starting rotation?
The club will go with Odalis Perez on opening day this year, and if that sounds scary you are right it is. Perez was non-tenered by a Royals organization that is also desperate for starting pitching. As you can imagine the rotation does not get much better after Perez. The depth chart currently has Matt Chico as the second starter. Chico had an average rookie season last year as he posted seven wins and an ERA of 4.63.
The Nationals will go with castoff Tim Redding at the third slot, Redding it should be mentioned did have a solid season after being called up to the Nationals halfway through the season. It remains to be seen if Redding can keep that performance up as he struggled late last season after the league had already seen him once before.
The team will go with Jason Bergmann as their #4 starter, and don't even have a fifth starter listed on their depth chart. The Nationals best young arm Shawn Hill has been injured if he does make it up to the big club sometime this season, he represents the club's best chance to have an ace on the staff.
The 2008 Nationals will not be contenders this season, but with the development of their young outfielders and a solid performance from Zimmerman they should be able to keep paying customers to the new ballpark happy. The team is on the right track to success and will have to find some additional pitchers before they can think of contending with the beasts of the East.
That may not sound like much of an accomplishment, but entering last season many pundits had the team losing well over 100 games. The Nationals were aided by the rejuvenated Dmitri Young who won the comeback player of the year award as he batted 320 and belted 13 homers for the Nationals.
Now it's time to take a look at how the Nationals will look like in the 2008 season.
(1) Did the Nationals improve themselves with the changes they made at outfield?
Nationals GM Jim Bowden has always had an eye for talent dating back to his days with the Cincinnati Reds during the 90's and early 2000's. Bowden was not dealt a very pleasant hand since becoming the GM of the Nationals as the farm system was empty.
Bowden started his turnover by acquiring Austin Kearns, and Felipe Lopez from the Reds, while only giving up a few arms in their bullpen. Although Lopez has been a failure, Kearns has proven to be a solid, but unspectacular major league right fielder. Bowden finished retooling the Nationals outfield this off-season as he acquired Lastings Milledge from the Mets in exchange for Ryan Church.
Milledge was once regarded as the top outfield prospect in the game, and was regarded so highly by the Mets that they refused to deal him for Barry Zito during the 2006 season. Milledge wore out his welcome in the Mets clubhouse with some of his on, and off the field antics. The Nationals are hoping that enthusiasm will be better excepted in their young clubhouse. Milledge still has no cap on his potential, and will finally get the everyday job that he's been seeking.
The Nationals also made a move to acquire another talented outfielder this off-season. The team traded a low level pitching prospect to take Elijiah Dukes off the hands of the Rays. Dukes was in the starting lineup on opening day for the Rays last season, and wowed everyone with his amazing display of power as he crushed a home run to straigtaway center at Yankees stadium.
Dukes was never able to continue that success, and ran into more off the field problems as his wife reported that he threatened to kill her. The Rays had already dealt with enough off the field distractions from Dukes that they felt it would be best for both parties if he had a change of scenery. Dukes talent is matched by very few, and if he benefits from the change of scenery the Nationals could have one of the best outfields for years to come.
(2) How will the new ballpark affect the Nationals players?
RFK stadium was regarded as one of the toughest hitters ballparks during the Nationals existence. The team now will be moving to a much more hitters friendly ballpark, and the offense should see their numbers climb as a result.
The Nationals will have to reshape their roster in future years to account for this change in venue. The team earlier could get by with a lineup full of speed as manufacturing runs became essential as the team would have difficulty hitting the long ball. That has all changed now, and the Nationals seem to be on the right track by acquiring Milledge and Dukes, both of which are blessed with plenty of power.
One National player who stands to benefit from this change in scenery is Ryan Zimmerman, Zimmerman has been a solid player since coming up in the 2007 season, but his power numbers have been affected by the large ballpark. With this change Zimmerman's power totals should increase substantially, and he may now favor comparably to the other young phenom 3b in the NL David Wright.
The one downfall with the decrease in size of the ballpark will the effect it has on the pitching staff. The Nationals don't have a superstar in their rotation, and flyballs last year, will turn into home runs this year. It will be interesting to see just what effect the stadium has on the Nationals this season, but one thing is certain, the Nationals will be involved in higher scoring games this season at home.
(3) Just who are these guys?
The Nationals starting rotation is a mystery to many people around the game, in fact as you are reading this I challenge you to name one pitcher on their starting rotation?
The club will go with Odalis Perez on opening day this year, and if that sounds scary you are right it is. Perez was non-tenered by a Royals organization that is also desperate for starting pitching. As you can imagine the rotation does not get much better after Perez. The depth chart currently has Matt Chico as the second starter. Chico had an average rookie season last year as he posted seven wins and an ERA of 4.63.
The Nationals will go with castoff Tim Redding at the third slot, Redding it should be mentioned did have a solid season after being called up to the Nationals halfway through the season. It remains to be seen if Redding can keep that performance up as he struggled late last season after the league had already seen him once before.
The team will go with Jason Bergmann as their #4 starter, and don't even have a fifth starter listed on their depth chart. The Nationals best young arm Shawn Hill has been injured if he does make it up to the big club sometime this season, he represents the club's best chance to have an ace on the staff.
The 2008 Nationals will not be contenders this season, but with the development of their young outfielders and a solid performance from Zimmerman they should be able to keep paying customers to the new ballpark happy. The team is on the right track to success and will have to find some additional pitchers before they can think of contending with the beasts of the East.
MLB Preview: Toronto Blue Jays
The 2007 was an all to familiar season for the Blue Jays as they finished third place in the Al East once again behind the Yankees and Red Sox. The Blue Jays have been a sligthly better than .500 team throughout the tenure of J.P. Ricciardi's six years as GM in Toronto.
The team is hoping the 2008 season will be a breakout season of sorts, as the Yankees appear to be somewhat vulnerable in their pitching rotation. The Jays made very little noise in the off-season as they acquired two St. Louis Cardinals infielders in David Eckstein and Scott Rolen.
Now it's time to look at three pressing questions about the 2008 Toronto Blue Jays.
(1) Is this the last chance for Ricciardi to get the Blue Jays in the playoffs?
When Ricciardi took over the Blue Jays six years ago he thought he could turn the same trick the Oakland A's did in the AL West. Unfortunately for him the AL West does not include the titans of baseball in the Red Sox and the Yankees. The Blue Jays have been competitive in the division, as they have yet to bottom out, but the team is still not at the same level with those two teams.
The window does appear to be closing on this corpse of Blue Jays as A.J Burnett is in the last year of his contract with the club, and Frank Thomas, and catcher Greg Zaun are also at the end of their contracts. The Jays also will be looking behind them for the first time in years as the Rays will be significiantly improved this season, and will only get better as their assortment of young players reaches the majors.
Although the Yankees may be vulnerable this season, they won't be in future years as they have many young arms in their system that will play an increasing role in their success. The Yankees also have an assortment of young prospects in the minors that will keep the team competitive for years to come.
The Jays still have many strenghts on their team and if Alex Rios blossoms into a superstar, and not just a good player, this team may have the necessary talent to win this season.
(2) Did the Blue Jays do enough in the off-season to catch up to the Yankees and Red Sox?
The answer to this question is a simple let's wait and see, but it appears as if Toronto could have done more. The team acquired David Eckstein to play shortstop, which should help the lineup a little bit, as Russ Adams and Royce Clayton were ineffective last season. The big move the team made was trading one injury prone third baseman Troy Glaus for another Scott Rolen.
Glaus had been productive with the Blue Jays, but frustrated the club with a rash assortment of injuries during his brief career in Toronto. Glaus also didn't endear himself to the Toronto organization by being named in the Mitchell report as the Steroids controversy was the news of the off-season in the MLB.
In acquiring Scott Rolen, the Jays get a player who is happy to have a change of scenery. Rolen did not endear himself with Tony La Russa last season, and the two were barely on speaking terms for much of the season. Unfortunately for Toronto Rolen has already been stricken with the injury bug, it is a finger injury so he should be able to recover before the beginning of May. The injury is still an ominous sign for the Jays as they can't afford to lose Rolen for a significiant period of time.
(3) Do the Blue Jays have the deepest pitching staff in the Majors?
The club entered spring training with a glut of starting pitchers and some extreme depth in their bullpen. That depth took a hit as Casey Janssen suffered a season ending injury in Spring Training. The Jays are the one team that can afford to lose a pitcher of Janssen's caliber and be able to move on. The team is expecting closer B.J Ryan back early this season as he still is recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Jays also found out that Jeremy Accardo can fill the void left by Ryan if it takes him longer to recover from his injury. Accardo filled in nicely last season as he saved 30 games for the Jays.
The bullpen depth will play a key factor in the Jays success this year, as many of the Jays starting pitchers do have an injury history, and the bullpen may be required to pitch more innings as a result. If the Jays rotation stays healthy they could easily find themselves in contention this season. AJ Burnett and Roy Halladay have not been healthy together for a sustained period of time since the Jays signed Burnett, but if they are they could form one of the league's best duos.
The best thing to happen for the Jays organization last season was the emergence of Dustan McGowan as he posted an ERA barely over 4, and won 12 games for the Jays last season. The Jays also received an added boost by the emergence of Shaun Marcum. Marcum came out of the bullpen in the middle of the season last year to also win 12 games for the Jays. Jesse Litch should close out the rotation for the Jays, and although he doesn't have the upside as some of the aforementioned hurlers, he should be serviceable in the #5 spot.
The Blue Jays depth in their pitching staff will be a tremendous asset for them over the 162 game season grind, and if they get some career years from the regulars in their lineup there is no reason why this team can't catch the Yankees this season. Vernon Wells will have to rebound from his subpar performance, and become the player he was in 2006 when he cracked in over 30 home runs for the Jays.
The Jays still do have some significiant questions, but those questions will have to be answered this year as the team simply doesn't have enough talent in the farm system to match with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays in 2009, 0r 10.
The team is hoping the 2008 season will be a breakout season of sorts, as the Yankees appear to be somewhat vulnerable in their pitching rotation. The Jays made very little noise in the off-season as they acquired two St. Louis Cardinals infielders in David Eckstein and Scott Rolen.
Now it's time to look at three pressing questions about the 2008 Toronto Blue Jays.
(1) Is this the last chance for Ricciardi to get the Blue Jays in the playoffs?
When Ricciardi took over the Blue Jays six years ago he thought he could turn the same trick the Oakland A's did in the AL West. Unfortunately for him the AL West does not include the titans of baseball in the Red Sox and the Yankees. The Blue Jays have been competitive in the division, as they have yet to bottom out, but the team is still not at the same level with those two teams.
The window does appear to be closing on this corpse of Blue Jays as A.J Burnett is in the last year of his contract with the club, and Frank Thomas, and catcher Greg Zaun are also at the end of their contracts. The Jays also will be looking behind them for the first time in years as the Rays will be significiantly improved this season, and will only get better as their assortment of young players reaches the majors.
Although the Yankees may be vulnerable this season, they won't be in future years as they have many young arms in their system that will play an increasing role in their success. The Yankees also have an assortment of young prospects in the minors that will keep the team competitive for years to come.
The Jays still have many strenghts on their team and if Alex Rios blossoms into a superstar, and not just a good player, this team may have the necessary talent to win this season.
(2) Did the Blue Jays do enough in the off-season to catch up to the Yankees and Red Sox?
The answer to this question is a simple let's wait and see, but it appears as if Toronto could have done more. The team acquired David Eckstein to play shortstop, which should help the lineup a little bit, as Russ Adams and Royce Clayton were ineffective last season. The big move the team made was trading one injury prone third baseman Troy Glaus for another Scott Rolen.
Glaus had been productive with the Blue Jays, but frustrated the club with a rash assortment of injuries during his brief career in Toronto. Glaus also didn't endear himself to the Toronto organization by being named in the Mitchell report as the Steroids controversy was the news of the off-season in the MLB.
In acquiring Scott Rolen, the Jays get a player who is happy to have a change of scenery. Rolen did not endear himself with Tony La Russa last season, and the two were barely on speaking terms for much of the season. Unfortunately for Toronto Rolen has already been stricken with the injury bug, it is a finger injury so he should be able to recover before the beginning of May. The injury is still an ominous sign for the Jays as they can't afford to lose Rolen for a significiant period of time.
(3) Do the Blue Jays have the deepest pitching staff in the Majors?
The club entered spring training with a glut of starting pitchers and some extreme depth in their bullpen. That depth took a hit as Casey Janssen suffered a season ending injury in Spring Training. The Jays are the one team that can afford to lose a pitcher of Janssen's caliber and be able to move on. The team is expecting closer B.J Ryan back early this season as he still is recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Jays also found out that Jeremy Accardo can fill the void left by Ryan if it takes him longer to recover from his injury. Accardo filled in nicely last season as he saved 30 games for the Jays.
The bullpen depth will play a key factor in the Jays success this year, as many of the Jays starting pitchers do have an injury history, and the bullpen may be required to pitch more innings as a result. If the Jays rotation stays healthy they could easily find themselves in contention this season. AJ Burnett and Roy Halladay have not been healthy together for a sustained period of time since the Jays signed Burnett, but if they are they could form one of the league's best duos.
The best thing to happen for the Jays organization last season was the emergence of Dustan McGowan as he posted an ERA barely over 4, and won 12 games for the Jays last season. The Jays also received an added boost by the emergence of Shaun Marcum. Marcum came out of the bullpen in the middle of the season last year to also win 12 games for the Jays. Jesse Litch should close out the rotation for the Jays, and although he doesn't have the upside as some of the aforementioned hurlers, he should be serviceable in the #5 spot.
The Blue Jays depth in their pitching staff will be a tremendous asset for them over the 162 game season grind, and if they get some career years from the regulars in their lineup there is no reason why this team can't catch the Yankees this season. Vernon Wells will have to rebound from his subpar performance, and become the player he was in 2006 when he cracked in over 30 home runs for the Jays.
The Jays still do have some significiant questions, but those questions will have to be answered this year as the team simply doesn't have enough talent in the farm system to match with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays in 2009, 0r 10.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
MLB Preview: Tampa Bay Rays
The 2007 season saw the Rays fall short of 70 wins once again, in fact the Rays haven't won 70 games in the history of the franchise. Despite another poor performance there were some positive developments from last season. The front office signed 1B Carlos Pena to a non roster contract during Spring Training, and all he did was finish 2nd to Alex Rodriguez with 46 home runs last season.
The Rays organization also can be happy with the development of BJ Upton. Upton hit .300 last year for the team, while also hitting over 20 homeruns and stealing over 20 bases.
The 2008 Rays made a move to bolster their pitching staff by acquiring Matt Garza from the Minnesota Twins and would appear to be a lock to win over 70 games this season.
Now it's time to look at three questions regarding the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays.
(1) Do the Rays have the best assortment of young talent in the Majors, and Minors?
One advantage of losing over 90 games during every season of your existence is the fact that you get a lot of top five picks as a result of that. The Rays have had their share of top picks, but unlike many teams they have made good use of those picks, as many of those players are now producing at the major league level.
The Rays have talented players at every position in the majors, and now it's just a matter of waiting for them to develop at a level that they can compete with the Yankees and Red Sox. It would appear that this team is one year away from being a serious threat to those powerhouse teams, but many people felt the Rockies were one year away last season.
The Rays have two of the best young outfielders in the game as Carl Crawford and BJ Upton will be the cornerstones of this franchise as they learn to win. Crawford is entering his 5th season with the Rays, and has developed at a rapid rate, although Rays fans would like to see more power out of him.
BJ Upton had a crucial season last year as the team finally gave him an everyday job in the infield. Upton is blessed with tremendous athleticism, but the Rays learned after the season that his athleticism is better suited for the outfield as Upton struggled mightily playing in the infield. Despite those struggles in the field Upton was one of the Rays top performers on offense.
The Rays superstar prospect expected to make noise this season is Evan Longoria. Longoria is a third baseman, and is expected to be one of the best young players in the game. Longoria was sent down to the minors earlier, but that was strictly because of contractual reasons. Expect Longoria up with the big club for good on June 1st.
The team also has a solid group of young arms in their organization as Jacob Mcghee, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis all are becoming close to making an impact at the major league level. The Rays also used the first overall pick last year to acquire left handed pitcher David Price from Vanderbilt. Price has had some discomfort in Spring training this year, but if his health holds up, he could join the club as soon as September of this year.
The Rays are blessed with an incredible collection of talent in the minors, and almost all of their regulars in the majors haven't even entered their primes yet. The future in Tampa looks to be extremely bright as they look to inch their way towards contention.
(2) Will the Rays gamble to deal Delmon Young pay off in the end?
It's very unusual to see a player with Delmon Young's potential get traded at such a young age. It's also very unusual to see a young pitcher like Matt Garza get traded at such a young age. This deal makes perfect sense for both teams, as the Rays at the time had an extra outfielder as BJ Upton was being moved from the infield to the outfield.
Delmon Young also was known to give coaches headaches by ignoring their advice to take a more patient approach at the plate. Young also was suspended 50 games in the minors for throwing a bat at an umpire, so there is an anger issue he needs to deal with as well.
That being said, GM Andrew Friedman will be crossing his fingers that Young doesn't put it all together in Minnesota, as Young's raw talent is surpassed by very few major leaguers.
Matt Garza will give the Rays a solid #3 starter to place behind Scott Kazmir, and James Shields. The Rays desperately needed another young arm in their rotation, and in Garza they have the perfect guy. Garza also wore out his welcome in MN, as he spoke to the press about his disatisfaction for being sent down to the minors out of Spring Training last season. Garza has All Star calibar potential, and should make the Rays happy with the deal.
(3) Will the Rays defense be able to improve the pitching staff this year?
Last season the Rays gave up the most runs in the American league, and to completely ignore defense in that equation would be a big mistake. The team started the season with Ty Wigginton getting substantial time at 3B, or 2B, while BJ Upton was also playing out of position at 2B. Wigginton left to Houston near the All Star break, and Upton will be roaming the outfield this season. Those moves alone should help the team save a handful of runs throughout the season.
The biggest move defensively for the Rays was acquiring Jason Bartlett in the Delmon Young trade as well. Bartlett is another good young ballplayer, but most importantly his defense is amongst the best in the league. That defense will be a significiant upgrade over Brenan Harris, and Reid Brignac. The Rays have one of the best defensive first baseman's in Carlos Pena, who now has the bat to go along with his gold glove caliber defense.
The team still may have a hole in right field as it appears that Rocco Baldelli may not play again this season, and Cliff Floyd or Johnny Gomez are better suited to be designated hitters at this point in their careers.
The 2008 Rays may be the most exciting team in baseball, and should they get solid enough pitching from their bullpen, and the back end of the rotation this team could surprise people this year. The biggest key for them entering the season will be the health of Scott Kazmir, as he will miss at least the first two weeks of the season. Before the Rays think about contending they need to make sure their ace is going to give them 30 starts this season.
The Rays organization also can be happy with the development of BJ Upton. Upton hit .300 last year for the team, while also hitting over 20 homeruns and stealing over 20 bases.
The 2008 Rays made a move to bolster their pitching staff by acquiring Matt Garza from the Minnesota Twins and would appear to be a lock to win over 70 games this season.
Now it's time to look at three questions regarding the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays.
(1) Do the Rays have the best assortment of young talent in the Majors, and Minors?
One advantage of losing over 90 games during every season of your existence is the fact that you get a lot of top five picks as a result of that. The Rays have had their share of top picks, but unlike many teams they have made good use of those picks, as many of those players are now producing at the major league level.
The Rays have talented players at every position in the majors, and now it's just a matter of waiting for them to develop at a level that they can compete with the Yankees and Red Sox. It would appear that this team is one year away from being a serious threat to those powerhouse teams, but many people felt the Rockies were one year away last season.
The Rays have two of the best young outfielders in the game as Carl Crawford and BJ Upton will be the cornerstones of this franchise as they learn to win. Crawford is entering his 5th season with the Rays, and has developed at a rapid rate, although Rays fans would like to see more power out of him.
BJ Upton had a crucial season last year as the team finally gave him an everyday job in the infield. Upton is blessed with tremendous athleticism, but the Rays learned after the season that his athleticism is better suited for the outfield as Upton struggled mightily playing in the infield. Despite those struggles in the field Upton was one of the Rays top performers on offense.
The Rays superstar prospect expected to make noise this season is Evan Longoria. Longoria is a third baseman, and is expected to be one of the best young players in the game. Longoria was sent down to the minors earlier, but that was strictly because of contractual reasons. Expect Longoria up with the big club for good on June 1st.
The team also has a solid group of young arms in their organization as Jacob Mcghee, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis all are becoming close to making an impact at the major league level. The Rays also used the first overall pick last year to acquire left handed pitcher David Price from Vanderbilt. Price has had some discomfort in Spring training this year, but if his health holds up, he could join the club as soon as September of this year.
The Rays are blessed with an incredible collection of talent in the minors, and almost all of their regulars in the majors haven't even entered their primes yet. The future in Tampa looks to be extremely bright as they look to inch their way towards contention.
(2) Will the Rays gamble to deal Delmon Young pay off in the end?
It's very unusual to see a player with Delmon Young's potential get traded at such a young age. It's also very unusual to see a young pitcher like Matt Garza get traded at such a young age. This deal makes perfect sense for both teams, as the Rays at the time had an extra outfielder as BJ Upton was being moved from the infield to the outfield.
Delmon Young also was known to give coaches headaches by ignoring their advice to take a more patient approach at the plate. Young also was suspended 50 games in the minors for throwing a bat at an umpire, so there is an anger issue he needs to deal with as well.
That being said, GM Andrew Friedman will be crossing his fingers that Young doesn't put it all together in Minnesota, as Young's raw talent is surpassed by very few major leaguers.
Matt Garza will give the Rays a solid #3 starter to place behind Scott Kazmir, and James Shields. The Rays desperately needed another young arm in their rotation, and in Garza they have the perfect guy. Garza also wore out his welcome in MN, as he spoke to the press about his disatisfaction for being sent down to the minors out of Spring Training last season. Garza has All Star calibar potential, and should make the Rays happy with the deal.
(3) Will the Rays defense be able to improve the pitching staff this year?
Last season the Rays gave up the most runs in the American league, and to completely ignore defense in that equation would be a big mistake. The team started the season with Ty Wigginton getting substantial time at 3B, or 2B, while BJ Upton was also playing out of position at 2B. Wigginton left to Houston near the All Star break, and Upton will be roaming the outfield this season. Those moves alone should help the team save a handful of runs throughout the season.
The biggest move defensively for the Rays was acquiring Jason Bartlett in the Delmon Young trade as well. Bartlett is another good young ballplayer, but most importantly his defense is amongst the best in the league. That defense will be a significiant upgrade over Brenan Harris, and Reid Brignac. The Rays have one of the best defensive first baseman's in Carlos Pena, who now has the bat to go along with his gold glove caliber defense.
The team still may have a hole in right field as it appears that Rocco Baldelli may not play again this season, and Cliff Floyd or Johnny Gomez are better suited to be designated hitters at this point in their careers.
The 2008 Rays may be the most exciting team in baseball, and should they get solid enough pitching from their bullpen, and the back end of the rotation this team could surprise people this year. The biggest key for them entering the season will be the health of Scott Kazmir, as he will miss at least the first two weeks of the season. Before the Rays think about contending they need to make sure their ace is going to give them 30 starts this season.
MLB Preview: Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers got off to a terrible start during the 2007 season as what little chances they had at contention ended by the middle of May. The team did play respectable baseball during the last four months of the season as they were a little over .500 during that stretch.
Still the season was a tremendous disappointment for the Rangers organization as they confirmed that their once highly touted OF prospect Nelson Cruz, is nothing more than a quadruple A player. The team was forced to give Sammy Sosa more at bats at the expense of some of their younger players.
The 2008 Rangers did make a few moves in the off-season but it's clear this team still needs to make some major moves to get back into contention.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Texas Rangers
(1) Did the Rangers make the right move in dealing another pitching prospect for Josh Hamilton?
For the 2nd straight season the Texas Rangers traded a top pitching prospect to a different organization. In 2007 it was John Danks, whom they dealt to the White Sox for Brandon McCarthy. This deal appeared to be a mistake at the time as the Rangers made the deal thinking that McCarthy would be more ready for the majors than Danks.
Although McCarthy had a slightly better season then Danks, both pitchers were in their opening day rotations, and it's clear that Danks has a better upside than McCarthy.
This season the team traded away Edison Volquez to the Reds for the once highly touted Josh Hamilton. This deal makes some sense on the surface as the Rangers have a huge hole in their outfield. Hamilton was the feel good story of the year last year as he battled drug addiction for years, before cleaning up and winning a roster spot on the Reds. Hamilton hit over 290 and belted 17 home runs in less than 400 at bats last season.
The one risk the Rangers have in Hamilton is that he did suffer some injuries last season, and did have major back surgery while in the minors earlier in his career. If Hamilton is able to stay healthy this deal should work out better than the McCarthy trade did last year.
Nontheless the Rangers don't have the pitching depth on their roster to trade away young arms like Volquez, and this marks the third good young arm they have dealt in three consecutive seasons. Chris Young, John Danks, and now Volquez all will enter this season in major league rotations, while the Rangers are struggling desperately to round out their rotation this year.
(2) Will the Texas Rangers get any production from the front of their rotation, not to mention the back end?
Last year was a complete disaster for the Rangers pitching staff as they finished 11th in the AL in pitching, and things don't look to be getting much better this season. The afore mentioned McCarthy suffered an injury during the Spring, and it's unclear when he will return. The Rangers did sign Jason Jennings to a one year contract right before Spring Training hoping he will provide the club some depth.
The Jennings signing was a shrewd move, but they signed him to compete for a fifth spot, and now their depth chart has him listed as their third starting pitcher. Before last season that would've been a good thing, but Jennings had a disastrous campaign with Houston last year, and although injuries played a large part in it, it's unclear wether he will be healthy enough this season.
The Rangers are hoping that Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla can both rebound this season after posting disappointing results last year. Padilla won 15 games for the Rangers in 2006, but his ERA jumped up by a full run and a quarter in 07, and only won 6 games as a result.
Millwood on the other hand battled through hamstring injuries for much of the season, but his ERA jumped over 5 as well. Millwood has three more years on his contract and the Rangers desperately need him to solidify his spot as the ace of the staff.
The Rangers appear to be going with Kasey Gobbard at the fourth slot, and the fifth slot is still yet to be determined. Needless to say the Rangers will need to score a lot of runs when these guys take the mound.
(3) Did the Rangers make a mistake by sending Jarrod Saltalamacchia down to the minors?
The Rangers dealt away the prize of the trade deadline last July when they said goodbye to power hitting first baseman Mark Texeira. In return they received Saltamacchia who was the prize of the Braves farm system during the past two seasons. Saltamacchia is a rare hitting power catcher, which is what made him so appealing to the Rangers, unfortunately he struggled last season and the Rangers want to see more consistent production from him this season.
Saltalamacchia entered camp in a battle for the starting catching job with Gerald Laird, Laird is 28 so he still is in the prime of his career, but other than 2006 Laird has been an average catcher at best. Laird hit 296 as a backup in 2006, and entered camp last year as the starting catcher and had a sub par campaign.
Laird did win the job as Saltamacchia was sent down to the minors towards the end of Spring Training. The Rangers have to be careful as this may send a very poor message to Rangers fans. The club dealt one of it's most popular superstars last July, and will now enter opening day with their prized return in a minor league uniform.
Saltamacchia does have things defensively he needs to work on, and there is talk he may be better suited for a first baseman's glove rather than a catcher's mit. Regardless the club needs to see what he can do with a major league uniform as they can't afford to send another star away without getting anything in return.
The 2008 Rangers should be in rebuilding mode, but their front office is still signing veteran free agents on the downside of their careers. Milton Bradley is a productive player, and should add value to the team provided he stays healthy, but it's important for the club to focus on improving their dwindling farm system as contention is going to be out of reach in 2008.
Still the season was a tremendous disappointment for the Rangers organization as they confirmed that their once highly touted OF prospect Nelson Cruz, is nothing more than a quadruple A player. The team was forced to give Sammy Sosa more at bats at the expense of some of their younger players.
The 2008 Rangers did make a few moves in the off-season but it's clear this team still needs to make some major moves to get back into contention.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Texas Rangers
(1) Did the Rangers make the right move in dealing another pitching prospect for Josh Hamilton?
For the 2nd straight season the Texas Rangers traded a top pitching prospect to a different organization. In 2007 it was John Danks, whom they dealt to the White Sox for Brandon McCarthy. This deal appeared to be a mistake at the time as the Rangers made the deal thinking that McCarthy would be more ready for the majors than Danks.
Although McCarthy had a slightly better season then Danks, both pitchers were in their opening day rotations, and it's clear that Danks has a better upside than McCarthy.
This season the team traded away Edison Volquez to the Reds for the once highly touted Josh Hamilton. This deal makes some sense on the surface as the Rangers have a huge hole in their outfield. Hamilton was the feel good story of the year last year as he battled drug addiction for years, before cleaning up and winning a roster spot on the Reds. Hamilton hit over 290 and belted 17 home runs in less than 400 at bats last season.
The one risk the Rangers have in Hamilton is that he did suffer some injuries last season, and did have major back surgery while in the minors earlier in his career. If Hamilton is able to stay healthy this deal should work out better than the McCarthy trade did last year.
Nontheless the Rangers don't have the pitching depth on their roster to trade away young arms like Volquez, and this marks the third good young arm they have dealt in three consecutive seasons. Chris Young, John Danks, and now Volquez all will enter this season in major league rotations, while the Rangers are struggling desperately to round out their rotation this year.
(2) Will the Texas Rangers get any production from the front of their rotation, not to mention the back end?
Last year was a complete disaster for the Rangers pitching staff as they finished 11th in the AL in pitching, and things don't look to be getting much better this season. The afore mentioned McCarthy suffered an injury during the Spring, and it's unclear when he will return. The Rangers did sign Jason Jennings to a one year contract right before Spring Training hoping he will provide the club some depth.
The Jennings signing was a shrewd move, but they signed him to compete for a fifth spot, and now their depth chart has him listed as their third starting pitcher. Before last season that would've been a good thing, but Jennings had a disastrous campaign with Houston last year, and although injuries played a large part in it, it's unclear wether he will be healthy enough this season.
The Rangers are hoping that Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla can both rebound this season after posting disappointing results last year. Padilla won 15 games for the Rangers in 2006, but his ERA jumped up by a full run and a quarter in 07, and only won 6 games as a result.
Millwood on the other hand battled through hamstring injuries for much of the season, but his ERA jumped over 5 as well. Millwood has three more years on his contract and the Rangers desperately need him to solidify his spot as the ace of the staff.
The Rangers appear to be going with Kasey Gobbard at the fourth slot, and the fifth slot is still yet to be determined. Needless to say the Rangers will need to score a lot of runs when these guys take the mound.
(3) Did the Rangers make a mistake by sending Jarrod Saltalamacchia down to the minors?
The Rangers dealt away the prize of the trade deadline last July when they said goodbye to power hitting first baseman Mark Texeira. In return they received Saltamacchia who was the prize of the Braves farm system during the past two seasons. Saltamacchia is a rare hitting power catcher, which is what made him so appealing to the Rangers, unfortunately he struggled last season and the Rangers want to see more consistent production from him this season.
Saltalamacchia entered camp in a battle for the starting catching job with Gerald Laird, Laird is 28 so he still is in the prime of his career, but other than 2006 Laird has been an average catcher at best. Laird hit 296 as a backup in 2006, and entered camp last year as the starting catcher and had a sub par campaign.
Laird did win the job as Saltamacchia was sent down to the minors towards the end of Spring Training. The Rangers have to be careful as this may send a very poor message to Rangers fans. The club dealt one of it's most popular superstars last July, and will now enter opening day with their prized return in a minor league uniform.
Saltamacchia does have things defensively he needs to work on, and there is talk he may be better suited for a first baseman's glove rather than a catcher's mit. Regardless the club needs to see what he can do with a major league uniform as they can't afford to send another star away without getting anything in return.
The 2008 Rangers should be in rebuilding mode, but their front office is still signing veteran free agents on the downside of their careers. Milton Bradley is a productive player, and should add value to the team provided he stays healthy, but it's important for the club to focus on improving their dwindling farm system as contention is going to be out of reach in 2008.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)