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.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
MLB Preview: Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners had a surprising season last year as they were in the heat of the Al West, and Wild Card race up until the final two weeks of the season. The Mariners benefited from a lot of luck last year as they were outscored last season by their opponents.
Although luck did play a role in their success last season, the Mariners bullpen also contributed to the club winning more games than their run differential would otherwise indicate. JJ Putz emerged as one of the games best closers as he posted a 1.38 ERA and saved 40 games for the Mariners last season.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Seattle Mariners.
(1) Are the Mariners officially no longer a small market team?
The Seattle Mariners have long been considered a small market team, but that has changed in recent seasons as they have made a splash in the free agent market. In recent years they have signed Richie Sexson, Adrian Beltre, and Jose Guillen.
Despite those signings the Mariners still have found themselves in the shadows of the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland A's in recent years. In fact the signing of Sexson has turned out to be a complete disaster, as the former slugger has been hurt, and his bat speed has slowed significiantly during the past two seasons.
The Mariners made headlines this off-season by signing pitcher Carlos Silva from the Minnesota Twins to a 4 year 48 million dollar contract. Silva is really no more than an average pitcher, but this winter there were very few pitchers available in the open market. Silva cashed in on this, and the Mariners are thus stuck paying an average pitcher to a contract that resembles money given to an ace.
Silva will still provide the club much needed stability in the rotation as he has remained injury free for the majority of his career and has logged at least 180 innings during his last three seasons with the Minnesota Twins. The ability to take the mound on a consistent basis has value in itself, and if Silva continues to throw nearly 200 innings per season the contract may turn out to be a bargain as contacts continue to escalate on a yearly basis.
(2) Did the Mariners give up too much to acquire Erik Bedard?
GM Bill Bavasi wanted to put the Mariners in the playoffs, and he felt by acquiring Erik Bedard the team would have enough talent to put them in the playoffs for the first time since 2001. It's not that Bavasi was wrong, but he may have misjudged how close the Mariners were to the Angels last season.
The Mariners lineup still has many questionmarks, and despite having the highest batting average in the league, the team was only 7th in the league in runs scored. The acquisition of Bedard gives the Mariners a dynamic duo at the top of the rotation along with Felix Hernandez. Bedard was a Cy Young candidate before missing the last month and a half of the season with the Orioles.
Bedard and Hernandez will need to stay healthy for the Mariners to have any chance at contending this season. Both pitchers have yet to pitch 200 innings during their brief careers, which always signals a red flag in any organization. If the two pitchers can stay healthy there is no question the Mariners will at least be within striking distance of the Angels this season.
The Angels no longer are as invincible as they once were as the team has lost two fifths of their starting rotation due to injuries for a significiant period of time.
In order to acquire a pitcher with Bedard's talent, the Mariners had to give up something in return. The Mariners didn't just give up anything, they gave up two of their best prospects, and two players with All Star calibar potential. Adam Jones came up late last season for the Mariners, and showed Mariners fans a glimpse of his potential. Jones will be the starting centerfielder for the Orioles this season, and is being discussed as a potential rookie of the year candidate.
The Orioles also received Chris Tillman, whom the Mariners selected last season, and may join the big leagues as soon as this season. In order for the Bedard trade to be judged as a success the Mariners will have to make the playoffs within the next two seasons, as Bedard will likely require a significiant increase in pay when his contract runs out after the 2009 season.
(3) Will the Mariners see an increase in offensive productivity this season?
In order for the team to win this season they will need players like Richie Sexon and Raul Ibanez to have rebound seasons. Sexson saw his batting average decrease by nearly 60 points last season, and his home run total was nearly cut in half. Ibanez who is 36 has become a liabilty defensively, and last year showed a slight sign of losing production at the plate. Ibanez saw his home run total decrease from 33 to 21, and it's highly unlikely he will see his HR total approach 30 this season.
Anytime you are using a former second baseman as a DH your lineup is in need of help, and that's the situation the Mariners find themselves in this season. Vidro had a productive season last year at the plate, as he posted an OBP of 381. The problem for Vidro and the Mariners is that he posted only 6 homeruns, and has never been much of a power hitter. If Vidro posted those numbers as a 2b, then he would be in All Star discussions, but after numerous knee injuries, Vidro just isn't able to play in the field at an acceptable level.
The Mariners in all likelihood will find themselves needing some help from outside the organization at some point this season. Unfortunately after the Erik Bedard trade, they don't have enough prospects to make that trade that could put them over the top this year. The Mariners best chance at contending may lie in the ability of the Angels pitchers to stay healthy, as they will need the Angels to come back to the pack if they are going to have any chance at contending this season.
Although luck did play a role in their success last season, the Mariners bullpen also contributed to the club winning more games than their run differential would otherwise indicate. JJ Putz emerged as one of the games best closers as he posted a 1.38 ERA and saved 40 games for the Mariners last season.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Seattle Mariners.
(1) Are the Mariners officially no longer a small market team?
The Seattle Mariners have long been considered a small market team, but that has changed in recent seasons as they have made a splash in the free agent market. In recent years they have signed Richie Sexson, Adrian Beltre, and Jose Guillen.
Despite those signings the Mariners still have found themselves in the shadows of the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland A's in recent years. In fact the signing of Sexson has turned out to be a complete disaster, as the former slugger has been hurt, and his bat speed has slowed significiantly during the past two seasons.
The Mariners made headlines this off-season by signing pitcher Carlos Silva from the Minnesota Twins to a 4 year 48 million dollar contract. Silva is really no more than an average pitcher, but this winter there were very few pitchers available in the open market. Silva cashed in on this, and the Mariners are thus stuck paying an average pitcher to a contract that resembles money given to an ace.
Silva will still provide the club much needed stability in the rotation as he has remained injury free for the majority of his career and has logged at least 180 innings during his last three seasons with the Minnesota Twins. The ability to take the mound on a consistent basis has value in itself, and if Silva continues to throw nearly 200 innings per season the contract may turn out to be a bargain as contacts continue to escalate on a yearly basis.
(2) Did the Mariners give up too much to acquire Erik Bedard?
GM Bill Bavasi wanted to put the Mariners in the playoffs, and he felt by acquiring Erik Bedard the team would have enough talent to put them in the playoffs for the first time since 2001. It's not that Bavasi was wrong, but he may have misjudged how close the Mariners were to the Angels last season.
The Mariners lineup still has many questionmarks, and despite having the highest batting average in the league, the team was only 7th in the league in runs scored. The acquisition of Bedard gives the Mariners a dynamic duo at the top of the rotation along with Felix Hernandez. Bedard was a Cy Young candidate before missing the last month and a half of the season with the Orioles.
Bedard and Hernandez will need to stay healthy for the Mariners to have any chance at contending this season. Both pitchers have yet to pitch 200 innings during their brief careers, which always signals a red flag in any organization. If the two pitchers can stay healthy there is no question the Mariners will at least be within striking distance of the Angels this season.
The Angels no longer are as invincible as they once were as the team has lost two fifths of their starting rotation due to injuries for a significiant period of time.
In order to acquire a pitcher with Bedard's talent, the Mariners had to give up something in return. The Mariners didn't just give up anything, they gave up two of their best prospects, and two players with All Star calibar potential. Adam Jones came up late last season for the Mariners, and showed Mariners fans a glimpse of his potential. Jones will be the starting centerfielder for the Orioles this season, and is being discussed as a potential rookie of the year candidate.
The Orioles also received Chris Tillman, whom the Mariners selected last season, and may join the big leagues as soon as this season. In order for the Bedard trade to be judged as a success the Mariners will have to make the playoffs within the next two seasons, as Bedard will likely require a significiant increase in pay when his contract runs out after the 2009 season.
(3) Will the Mariners see an increase in offensive productivity this season?
In order for the team to win this season they will need players like Richie Sexon and Raul Ibanez to have rebound seasons. Sexson saw his batting average decrease by nearly 60 points last season, and his home run total was nearly cut in half. Ibanez who is 36 has become a liabilty defensively, and last year showed a slight sign of losing production at the plate. Ibanez saw his home run total decrease from 33 to 21, and it's highly unlikely he will see his HR total approach 30 this season.
Anytime you are using a former second baseman as a DH your lineup is in need of help, and that's the situation the Mariners find themselves in this season. Vidro had a productive season last year at the plate, as he posted an OBP of 381. The problem for Vidro and the Mariners is that he posted only 6 homeruns, and has never been much of a power hitter. If Vidro posted those numbers as a 2b, then he would be in All Star discussions, but after numerous knee injuries, Vidro just isn't able to play in the field at an acceptable level.
The Mariners in all likelihood will find themselves needing some help from outside the organization at some point this season. Unfortunately after the Erik Bedard trade, they don't have enough prospects to make that trade that could put them over the top this year. The Mariners best chance at contending may lie in the ability of the Angels pitchers to stay healthy, as they will need the Angels to come back to the pack if they are going to have any chance at contending this season.
MLB Preview: San Francisco Giants
The 2007 season marked the end of an era for the Giants as the game's most popular player was not asked to return to the Giants for the 2008 season. The Giants lineup has featured Barry Bonds and little else for the past 5-6 seasons, yet the team was still highly competitive until last season when the bottom fell out as the club went 71-91 and finished in last place in the NL West.
The 2008 season does not appear to look much better for the Giants as they will feature one of the game's weakest lineups. The Giants also play in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, and are far less talented then the other four teams in the division.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 San Francisco Giants.
(1) Who will be replacing Barry Bonds in the lineup for the Giants?
The Giants will never find a replacement for Bonds in the lineup as he posted seasons that will likely never be repeated in the history of Major League Baseball. The Giants signed CF Aaron Rowand from the Phillies to play center for the club, thus allowing last year's CF Dave Roberts to move over to left field.
Roberts could not be a more different player then Bonds as he is a prototypical leadoff hitter and specializes in slapping infield singles and laying down bunts. Roberts is best known for his stolen base in game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees that jump started their improbable World Series title.
The move to left field will give the Giants one of the best defensive outfields as Rowand and Roberts both will cover a lot of ground in the Giants spacious ballpark. The move does leave the Giants a huge hole in their lineup as most corner outfielders are expected to hit at least 20 home runs. Roberts has hit 12 home runs during his past three seasons so he will not be able to give the club some much needed punch from that defensive position.
If you look at the rest of the Giants lineup, there is little punch throughout the lineup, so Roberts has plenty of company in that department. The Giants offense will not be pretty this season, and the club will have to utilize Roberts speed on the basepaths to score some runs this season.
(2) We know the Giants offense will be bad, but how about their rotation?
The Giants starting rotation will be the only drawing card for fans to attend AT&T park this season. The Giants will have two of the best young arms in baseball as Matt Cain and Tim lincecum will be overpowering hitters for years to come.
Lincecum was so impressive in the Giants farm system that he went from the PAC 10, to the Majors in less than 12 months. Lincecum throws the ball in the mid 90's, but if you saw him you would never guess it as he has the appearance of a high school chess player. Lincecum uses his fastball to set up hitters for his curveball which he is still refining. Lincecum posted a respectable 4.00 ERA last season, and should only improve upon that this season as he has nearly a full season under his belt.
Matt Cain won the award last season for the Majors most unlucky pitcher as he posted a 7-16 record despite an ERA of 3.65. That ERA would get pitchers in Cy Young conversations in the American League. Cain received absolutely no run support last season, and had the bullpen blow many leads for him. Despite his misfortune, Cain is one of the best young arms in the Majors, and should continue to improve this season.
The team also received a lift this spring as Jonathan Sanchez has been the talk of Giants camp as he may finally live up to the club's high expectations. Sanchez was one of the best pitching prospects in the game entering the 2006 season, but did not show signs of that promise once he reached the Majors. If that changes this season, the Giants could be well positioned to have one of the best rotations in the league.
(3) Who will be playing in the infield for the Giants?
This a question the Giants do't even have a solid answer for. The Giants depth chart lists Eugenio Velez as the third baseman, but other then having an ability to steal a lot of bases, he doesn't have a lot to offer the Giants. Velez really should be a utility infielder and nothing more for the Giants.
Omar Vizquel is over the age of 40, but still plays shortstop at a higher level than most major league shortstops. Viezuel doesn't provide much with the bat, but is a consistent 260's type hitter that is at least serviceable with his defensive prowess.
Despite his defensive talents, it's not a good thing when he is the cornerstone of the Giants infield as they also will be going with Ray Durham provided he can stay healthy. The Giants have suffered a lot of injuries during Spring Training, and Kevin Frandsen's season ending injury means Durham will have more playing time then what was once believed.
The first baseman for the Giants will be Rich Aurillia who is also at this point in his career a utility player and nothing more. Aurillia will be able to help the Giants out at different positions in the infield should they lose someone else to injury.
The Giants will enter the 2008 season with little optimism as virtually everyone has them pegged for last place in the NL West. It's hard to see any reason why they will finish any better than that as the team has far too many holes in their lineup to be taken seriously.
The best route for the organization would be to build around the solid nucleus of pitchers in the organization, and focus their attention on producing a lineup that will be able to support those pitchers in future seasons.
The 2008 season does not appear to look much better for the Giants as they will feature one of the game's weakest lineups. The Giants also play in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, and are far less talented then the other four teams in the division.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 San Francisco Giants.
(1) Who will be replacing Barry Bonds in the lineup for the Giants?
The Giants will never find a replacement for Bonds in the lineup as he posted seasons that will likely never be repeated in the history of Major League Baseball. The Giants signed CF Aaron Rowand from the Phillies to play center for the club, thus allowing last year's CF Dave Roberts to move over to left field.
Roberts could not be a more different player then Bonds as he is a prototypical leadoff hitter and specializes in slapping infield singles and laying down bunts. Roberts is best known for his stolen base in game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees that jump started their improbable World Series title.
The move to left field will give the Giants one of the best defensive outfields as Rowand and Roberts both will cover a lot of ground in the Giants spacious ballpark. The move does leave the Giants a huge hole in their lineup as most corner outfielders are expected to hit at least 20 home runs. Roberts has hit 12 home runs during his past three seasons so he will not be able to give the club some much needed punch from that defensive position.
If you look at the rest of the Giants lineup, there is little punch throughout the lineup, so Roberts has plenty of company in that department. The Giants offense will not be pretty this season, and the club will have to utilize Roberts speed on the basepaths to score some runs this season.
(2) We know the Giants offense will be bad, but how about their rotation?
The Giants starting rotation will be the only drawing card for fans to attend AT&T park this season. The Giants will have two of the best young arms in baseball as Matt Cain and Tim lincecum will be overpowering hitters for years to come.
Lincecum was so impressive in the Giants farm system that he went from the PAC 10, to the Majors in less than 12 months. Lincecum throws the ball in the mid 90's, but if you saw him you would never guess it as he has the appearance of a high school chess player. Lincecum uses his fastball to set up hitters for his curveball which he is still refining. Lincecum posted a respectable 4.00 ERA last season, and should only improve upon that this season as he has nearly a full season under his belt.
Matt Cain won the award last season for the Majors most unlucky pitcher as he posted a 7-16 record despite an ERA of 3.65. That ERA would get pitchers in Cy Young conversations in the American League. Cain received absolutely no run support last season, and had the bullpen blow many leads for him. Despite his misfortune, Cain is one of the best young arms in the Majors, and should continue to improve this season.
The team also received a lift this spring as Jonathan Sanchez has been the talk of Giants camp as he may finally live up to the club's high expectations. Sanchez was one of the best pitching prospects in the game entering the 2006 season, but did not show signs of that promise once he reached the Majors. If that changes this season, the Giants could be well positioned to have one of the best rotations in the league.
(3) Who will be playing in the infield for the Giants?
This a question the Giants do't even have a solid answer for. The Giants depth chart lists Eugenio Velez as the third baseman, but other then having an ability to steal a lot of bases, he doesn't have a lot to offer the Giants. Velez really should be a utility infielder and nothing more for the Giants.
Omar Vizquel is over the age of 40, but still plays shortstop at a higher level than most major league shortstops. Viezuel doesn't provide much with the bat, but is a consistent 260's type hitter that is at least serviceable with his defensive prowess.
Despite his defensive talents, it's not a good thing when he is the cornerstone of the Giants infield as they also will be going with Ray Durham provided he can stay healthy. The Giants have suffered a lot of injuries during Spring Training, and Kevin Frandsen's season ending injury means Durham will have more playing time then what was once believed.
The first baseman for the Giants will be Rich Aurillia who is also at this point in his career a utility player and nothing more. Aurillia will be able to help the Giants out at different positions in the infield should they lose someone else to injury.
The Giants will enter the 2008 season with little optimism as virtually everyone has them pegged for last place in the NL West. It's hard to see any reason why they will finish any better than that as the team has far too many holes in their lineup to be taken seriously.
The best route for the organization would be to build around the solid nucleus of pitchers in the organization, and focus their attention on producing a lineup that will be able to support those pitchers in future seasons.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
MLB Preview: San Diego Padres
The 2007 season was a season of missed opportunities for the San Diego Padres as the club was one strike away from making their third playoff appearance in four seasons. The team only needed to win one of their last three regular season games to clinch a playoff spot, and lost two of those three games in extra innings.
The season is even more disappointing when you consider how much the rest of the NL West has improved, and it's hard not to believe that the Padres window of opportunity may have closed.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 San Diego Padres.
(1) Will the Padres get any contributions from Mark Prior or Randy Wolf this season?
The Padres had a relatively quiet off-season but did make some headlines by signing Mark Prior to a one year contract. The team also signed the less heralded Ryan Wolf to take the 4th slot in the rotation. The team will need to get contributions from one, if not both of these veterans to remain in contention in the NL West.
Prior of course was given a plaque in Coopertown by Cubs fans after energizing the club to within one game of the World Series in 2003. Prior was as dominant as any pitcher in baseball during that season, and has since suffered a myriad of injuries that have kept him out of baseball for over a season. Prior appears as if he will be fully healthy my the middle of May, and if that's the case the Padres may have gotten the biggest bargain in baseball by signing him to a four million dollar contract this season.
The team will have to be cautious with Prior, as the Cubs rushed him back to the mound on numerous occasions, which in the end kept him off the mound for a significiantly longer period of time.
Randy Wolf spent last season with the Dodgers, and got off to a great start as he posted a solid 3.41 ERA during his first 11 starts, but during the 2nd half of the season he suffered some setbacks with the Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2005, and his numbers went down considerably.
The Padres are hoping they will get the Wolf from the first half of the season as he posted solid strikeout numbers, and uses a devastating curveball to keep hitters off balance.
The top of the Padres starting rotation is as good as there is in baseball with Jake Peavy and Chris Young anchoring the rotation. The team was held back last year when Young went down due to injury as nobody was able to step up and pick up the slack. The Padres are hoping one, if not both of these former stars is able to do so this year.
(2) How big of a liability is the Padres outfield?
The biggest weakness on the Padres in previous years was the lack of power their outfielders provided to the lineup. That still is the major question this club has to answer as they lost Centerfielder Mike Cameron to the Brewers. The club hopes it filled Cameron's void by acquiring Jim Edmonds from the Cardinals this Winter.
Edmonds is coming off an injury filled season, and has broken down the previous two seasons for the Cardinals. Edmonds is 38 years old and is being asked to roam one of the biggest center fields in the Majors. Petco park is a doubles and triples paradise as many balls that are home runs in other parks, end up landing in the spacious gaps at the ballpark.
The decrease in range for Edmonds is a huge concern for the club, as the Padres rotation consists of a lot of flyball pitchers. The starting rotation may notice very quickly the effect that Mike Cameron had on their success during the previous two seasons.
Edmonds is already banged up this spring, and if he is not able to go the club has very little options in the farm system, and may have to acquire someone like Coco Crisp. Crisp would be a perfect fit for the Padres ballpark, and is quite honestly an acquisition they should consider.
The Padres OF also consists of Brian Giles, and Scott Hairston. Giles had knee surgery during the off-season, and is also no spring chicken in right field. Giles does give the Padres a hitter with a solid approach at the plate as he consistently is amongst the leaders in OBP. Giles has lost a significiant amount of power since coming over to the Padres, and instead of becoming the cleanup hitter the Padres desired, he is now a mainstay at the leadoff spot in the batting order.
The left fielder for the Padres is expected to be Scott Hairston, Hairston had a number of clutch home runs for the Padres last season. Hairston would have been a legend in San Diego had Trevor Hoffman not blown the lead against the Rockies. In the top of the 13th Hairston blasted a two run homer to give the team the lead, that was given up by Hoffman in the bottom of the inning.
Hairston is not expected to hold on to the job for long as Chase Headley is expected to win the job at some point during the season. Headley came up as a third baseman in the organization, but was moved to LF to keep Kevin Kouzmanoff at 3b. Headley provides the club with a much needed source of power, as he displayed that power during a successful stint in Spring Training. Headley will start the season in the Minors, but by June the team should have at least one source of power coming from the outfield.
(3) Did the window close for the Padres after last season?
Small Market teams like the Padres have a much smaller window of success than teams like the Red Sox and Yankees. The Padres generally aren't very active in the free agent market, so they rely on the development of their farm club, and shrewd acquisitions of GM Kevin Towers.
The Padres still have a lot of solid pieces from which to build from, they have two of the games best pitchers in Jake Peavy and Chris Young. They also have one of the games best defensive shortstops in Khalil Greene, and a solid first baseman in Adrian Gonzalez.
The team also consistently has one of the best bullpens in the game, as Towers has had success finding gems like Heath Bell throughout his tenure with San Diego. Despite all of that the Padres are in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, as teams like Colorado, Arizona and Los Angeles have built three of the better farm systems in baseball.
The Padres still have an adequate farm system, but the team doesn't have nearly the amount of potential superstars as their competitors. Chase Headley should provide the club with much needed power, and be able to contribute in Left Field for years to come. The team doesn't have many power arms in their minors, and that is something that could hold them back as Clayton Kershaw, and Franklin Morales are going to be dominating hitters in the NL for years to come.
The Padres still have the necessary talent to contend, and if the team can get some much needed help in the outfield they may in fact become the favorites in the division. The club will also need some help at the back end of the rotation, and if Mark Prior is able to resemble the pitcher he was with the Cubs, The Padres may have the best rotation in the majors.
Those are still some big questionmarks, and unless the team changes it's free agent philosophy, this may be their last chance in years at contention.
The season is even more disappointing when you consider how much the rest of the NL West has improved, and it's hard not to believe that the Padres window of opportunity may have closed.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 San Diego Padres.
(1) Will the Padres get any contributions from Mark Prior or Randy Wolf this season?
The Padres had a relatively quiet off-season but did make some headlines by signing Mark Prior to a one year contract. The team also signed the less heralded Ryan Wolf to take the 4th slot in the rotation. The team will need to get contributions from one, if not both of these veterans to remain in contention in the NL West.
Prior of course was given a plaque in Coopertown by Cubs fans after energizing the club to within one game of the World Series in 2003. Prior was as dominant as any pitcher in baseball during that season, and has since suffered a myriad of injuries that have kept him out of baseball for over a season. Prior appears as if he will be fully healthy my the middle of May, and if that's the case the Padres may have gotten the biggest bargain in baseball by signing him to a four million dollar contract this season.
The team will have to be cautious with Prior, as the Cubs rushed him back to the mound on numerous occasions, which in the end kept him off the mound for a significiantly longer period of time.
Randy Wolf spent last season with the Dodgers, and got off to a great start as he posted a solid 3.41 ERA during his first 11 starts, but during the 2nd half of the season he suffered some setbacks with the Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2005, and his numbers went down considerably.
The Padres are hoping they will get the Wolf from the first half of the season as he posted solid strikeout numbers, and uses a devastating curveball to keep hitters off balance.
The top of the Padres starting rotation is as good as there is in baseball with Jake Peavy and Chris Young anchoring the rotation. The team was held back last year when Young went down due to injury as nobody was able to step up and pick up the slack. The Padres are hoping one, if not both of these former stars is able to do so this year.
(2) How big of a liability is the Padres outfield?
The biggest weakness on the Padres in previous years was the lack of power their outfielders provided to the lineup. That still is the major question this club has to answer as they lost Centerfielder Mike Cameron to the Brewers. The club hopes it filled Cameron's void by acquiring Jim Edmonds from the Cardinals this Winter.
Edmonds is coming off an injury filled season, and has broken down the previous two seasons for the Cardinals. Edmonds is 38 years old and is being asked to roam one of the biggest center fields in the Majors. Petco park is a doubles and triples paradise as many balls that are home runs in other parks, end up landing in the spacious gaps at the ballpark.
The decrease in range for Edmonds is a huge concern for the club, as the Padres rotation consists of a lot of flyball pitchers. The starting rotation may notice very quickly the effect that Mike Cameron had on their success during the previous two seasons.
Edmonds is already banged up this spring, and if he is not able to go the club has very little options in the farm system, and may have to acquire someone like Coco Crisp. Crisp would be a perfect fit for the Padres ballpark, and is quite honestly an acquisition they should consider.
The Padres OF also consists of Brian Giles, and Scott Hairston. Giles had knee surgery during the off-season, and is also no spring chicken in right field. Giles does give the Padres a hitter with a solid approach at the plate as he consistently is amongst the leaders in OBP. Giles has lost a significiant amount of power since coming over to the Padres, and instead of becoming the cleanup hitter the Padres desired, he is now a mainstay at the leadoff spot in the batting order.
The left fielder for the Padres is expected to be Scott Hairston, Hairston had a number of clutch home runs for the Padres last season. Hairston would have been a legend in San Diego had Trevor Hoffman not blown the lead against the Rockies. In the top of the 13th Hairston blasted a two run homer to give the team the lead, that was given up by Hoffman in the bottom of the inning.
Hairston is not expected to hold on to the job for long as Chase Headley is expected to win the job at some point during the season. Headley came up as a third baseman in the organization, but was moved to LF to keep Kevin Kouzmanoff at 3b. Headley provides the club with a much needed source of power, as he displayed that power during a successful stint in Spring Training. Headley will start the season in the Minors, but by June the team should have at least one source of power coming from the outfield.
(3) Did the window close for the Padres after last season?
Small Market teams like the Padres have a much smaller window of success than teams like the Red Sox and Yankees. The Padres generally aren't very active in the free agent market, so they rely on the development of their farm club, and shrewd acquisitions of GM Kevin Towers.
The Padres still have a lot of solid pieces from which to build from, they have two of the games best pitchers in Jake Peavy and Chris Young. They also have one of the games best defensive shortstops in Khalil Greene, and a solid first baseman in Adrian Gonzalez.
The team also consistently has one of the best bullpens in the game, as Towers has had success finding gems like Heath Bell throughout his tenure with San Diego. Despite all of that the Padres are in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, as teams like Colorado, Arizona and Los Angeles have built three of the better farm systems in baseball.
The Padres still have an adequate farm system, but the team doesn't have nearly the amount of potential superstars as their competitors. Chase Headley should provide the club with much needed power, and be able to contribute in Left Field for years to come. The team doesn't have many power arms in their minors, and that is something that could hold them back as Clayton Kershaw, and Franklin Morales are going to be dominating hitters in the NL for years to come.
The Padres still have the necessary talent to contend, and if the team can get some much needed help in the outfield they may in fact become the favorites in the division. The club will also need some help at the back end of the rotation, and if Mark Prior is able to resemble the pitcher he was with the Cubs, The Padres may have the best rotation in the majors.
Those are still some big questionmarks, and unless the team changes it's free agent philosophy, this may be their last chance in years at contention.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
MLB Preview: St. Louis Cardinals
The 2007 season was a sign that the end had come for the St. Louis Cardinals. The team's nucleus of talent had led the team to the post-season throughout the decade, but father time had finally caught up to the Cardinals as they finished well below 500.
The Cardinals enter 2008 in a rebuilding phase as they let go of Jim Edmonds, David Eckstein, and Scott Rolen. The team does still have Albert Pujols, who is always a good starting point for any team.
Now it's time to look at three pressing issues for the 2008 St. Louis Cardinals
(1) Did the Cardinals pick the right time to rebuild?
There really never is a right time to rebuild as no team wants to essentially give up on a season, but even the Yankees have to do this on occasion. It is always tough to rebuild in the NL Central, as 85 wins has been more than enough to win the division the past two seasons. The good news about rebuilding in this era, is the Wild Card makes the rebuilding process that much shorter as teams are only a few player acquisitions away from being a possible contender.
The Cardinals likely will not undergo a full rebuilding phase as they are consistently amongst the most active teams around the trade deadline, and aren't afraid to go after Free Agents. That being said it's still important for the team to develop their farm system as they have one of the weakest systems in all of baseball.
The team does have Colby Rasmus, who is widely considered to be major league ready, and should be able to help the Cardinals as soon as this season. Rasmus gives the Cardinals a decent outfield which to build from. Rich Ankiel was a great comeback story last season as he swatted 12 home runs despite not being called up until late in the summer.
The Cardinals may have been a year to late in rebuilding as all of the signs were there in 2006 that this team was aging, and not playing at the level Cardinals fans were accustomed to. That of course was the season the Cardinals won the World Series despite finishing barely above 500 during the season. The 2007 Cardinals were undone by the injury to Chris Carpenter after his first start of the season.
(2) Is this the year that Albert Pujols should finally get surgery done to repair his elbow?
According to Pujols the answer to that question is a resounding no, but if he were to get that taken care of this would be the season to do it. The Cardinals as I mentioned are not expected to contend this season, and Pujols would likely need 6-12 months to recover from surgery. The best case scenario for the Cardinals would be for Pujols to have surgery early this season, and come back healthy next season, as the Cardinals could find themselves back in contention next season.
Pujols has been playing with this torn ligament since 2003, and it appears as if it has gradually gotten worse over the years. It's hard to notice this in the boxscore as Pujols still blasted 32 home runs last season, but that was a significiant drop off from the previous two seasons as Pujols home run total hovered near 50.
Pujols feels that if he's been able to play through it the previous 4 seasons, there is no reason to think that this season will be any different. This logic makes sense, as his defense at first base is unmatched, so it's not affecting him defensively, but for how long can he defy human physics. The Cardinals fear is that he may be able to play one more season with the torn ligament, and the team will enter next season planning on contending, and then Pujols will come down with that serious injury, thus shattering their chances at contending.
It will be an interesting issue to watch this season as Pujols has a lot to prove to himself and the organization. Let's only hope there isn't an issue between the medical staff, the organization and Pujols as that could damage all parties involved.
(3) Will Dave Duncan and Tony La Russa be able to work magic again with this pitching staff?
The Cardinals starting rotation has very little sure things this year, as their former ace Chris Carpenter is not expected to pitch until July. The team still has Adam Wainright to should the load for the rotation, but after him the rest of the rotation is a bit murky.
Mark Mulder is coming off a serious injury himself, but should be ready to pitch by opening day, Mulder never had a dominating fastball, so this injury may not derail him as it has others previously. Mulder nontheless will have to alter his approach towards hitters, and will have to be that much mor precise with his location.
Dave Duncan has been able to revitalize the careers of many pitchers over the years, including Chris Carpenter, and to a lesser extent Jeff Weaver with the Cardinals during their run in 2006. He will have to use that same approach on the likes of Joel Pineiro, Braden Looper or Anthony Reyes this season, as the Cardinals have very few options in the minors to rely on.
Reyes was projected to be a top prospect for the Cardinals but he has struggled ever since being called up to the big leagues in 06. Last season Reyes started 20 games and posted an ERA slightly over 6. Joel Pineiro fared much better in his 11 starts last season as he posted an ERA below 4.
If the Cardinals get some production from the back end of the rotation, and the Cubs and Brewers suffer through some injury problems, there is a small chance this team could find themselves back in contention. That scenario is highly unlikely, and that glimmer of hope caused the team to trick themselves into thinking they could still contend last season. The team should treat this season as a rebuilding year, and give young players like Colby Rasmus a chance to develop so he can showcase his talents on a contending Cardinals team down the road.
The Cardinals enter 2008 in a rebuilding phase as they let go of Jim Edmonds, David Eckstein, and Scott Rolen. The team does still have Albert Pujols, who is always a good starting point for any team.
Now it's time to look at three pressing issues for the 2008 St. Louis Cardinals
(1) Did the Cardinals pick the right time to rebuild?
There really never is a right time to rebuild as no team wants to essentially give up on a season, but even the Yankees have to do this on occasion. It is always tough to rebuild in the NL Central, as 85 wins has been more than enough to win the division the past two seasons. The good news about rebuilding in this era, is the Wild Card makes the rebuilding process that much shorter as teams are only a few player acquisitions away from being a possible contender.
The Cardinals likely will not undergo a full rebuilding phase as they are consistently amongst the most active teams around the trade deadline, and aren't afraid to go after Free Agents. That being said it's still important for the team to develop their farm system as they have one of the weakest systems in all of baseball.
The team does have Colby Rasmus, who is widely considered to be major league ready, and should be able to help the Cardinals as soon as this season. Rasmus gives the Cardinals a decent outfield which to build from. Rich Ankiel was a great comeback story last season as he swatted 12 home runs despite not being called up until late in the summer.
The Cardinals may have been a year to late in rebuilding as all of the signs were there in 2006 that this team was aging, and not playing at the level Cardinals fans were accustomed to. That of course was the season the Cardinals won the World Series despite finishing barely above 500 during the season. The 2007 Cardinals were undone by the injury to Chris Carpenter after his first start of the season.
(2) Is this the year that Albert Pujols should finally get surgery done to repair his elbow?
According to Pujols the answer to that question is a resounding no, but if he were to get that taken care of this would be the season to do it. The Cardinals as I mentioned are not expected to contend this season, and Pujols would likely need 6-12 months to recover from surgery. The best case scenario for the Cardinals would be for Pujols to have surgery early this season, and come back healthy next season, as the Cardinals could find themselves back in contention next season.
Pujols has been playing with this torn ligament since 2003, and it appears as if it has gradually gotten worse over the years. It's hard to notice this in the boxscore as Pujols still blasted 32 home runs last season, but that was a significiant drop off from the previous two seasons as Pujols home run total hovered near 50.
Pujols feels that if he's been able to play through it the previous 4 seasons, there is no reason to think that this season will be any different. This logic makes sense, as his defense at first base is unmatched, so it's not affecting him defensively, but for how long can he defy human physics. The Cardinals fear is that he may be able to play one more season with the torn ligament, and the team will enter next season planning on contending, and then Pujols will come down with that serious injury, thus shattering their chances at contending.
It will be an interesting issue to watch this season as Pujols has a lot to prove to himself and the organization. Let's only hope there isn't an issue between the medical staff, the organization and Pujols as that could damage all parties involved.
(3) Will Dave Duncan and Tony La Russa be able to work magic again with this pitching staff?
The Cardinals starting rotation has very little sure things this year, as their former ace Chris Carpenter is not expected to pitch until July. The team still has Adam Wainright to should the load for the rotation, but after him the rest of the rotation is a bit murky.
Mark Mulder is coming off a serious injury himself, but should be ready to pitch by opening day, Mulder never had a dominating fastball, so this injury may not derail him as it has others previously. Mulder nontheless will have to alter his approach towards hitters, and will have to be that much mor precise with his location.
Dave Duncan has been able to revitalize the careers of many pitchers over the years, including Chris Carpenter, and to a lesser extent Jeff Weaver with the Cardinals during their run in 2006. He will have to use that same approach on the likes of Joel Pineiro, Braden Looper or Anthony Reyes this season, as the Cardinals have very few options in the minors to rely on.
Reyes was projected to be a top prospect for the Cardinals but he has struggled ever since being called up to the big leagues in 06. Last season Reyes started 20 games and posted an ERA slightly over 6. Joel Pineiro fared much better in his 11 starts last season as he posted an ERA below 4.
If the Cardinals get some production from the back end of the rotation, and the Cubs and Brewers suffer through some injury problems, there is a small chance this team could find themselves back in contention. That scenario is highly unlikely, and that glimmer of hope caused the team to trick themselves into thinking they could still contend last season. The team should treat this season as a rebuilding year, and give young players like Colby Rasmus a chance to develop so he can showcase his talents on a contending Cardinals team down the road.
MLB Preview: Baltimore Orioles
The 2007 season was another disappointing season for the Baltimore Orioles as they once again found life in the AL East to be extremely challenging. The one silver lining that Orioles fans can take from the season is that the front office finally realized that the team could not win with it's current crop of players and decided it's finally time to rebuild.
The Orioles will have quite possibly the worst record in the majors this year, but the team is at least giving up on the notion that they could contend with veteran players that are on the downside of their careers.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Baltimore Orioles
(1) Did the team receive enough value for Miguel Tejada?
It's one thing to trade away overpaid veterans, it's another to get players in return who will push forward the rebuilding process. The Orioles traded Miguel Tejada two seasons to late, as the team was offered substantially better offers for him during the trading deadline of 2006.
The Orioles front office thought the team was closer to contending then they really were, and perhaps bought into the clubs fast start in 2005 as they were the surprise team in baseball during the first half, and shot out of the gate and opened a substantial lead in the AL playoff race. That team came back down to earth in the 2nd half and was an afterthought by the time that September came around.
It's not to say the package they received from Houston is devoid of MLB calibar players, because these are players that will find roles on the Orioles, and many of them will be asked to contribute as soon as 2008. The problem is that none of them have a high upside and will probably never be All Stars. OF Luke Scott will be a useful player for the Orioles this season, but he's better suited to be a fourth outfielder, Scott doesn't have the power to be considered anything more than a utility corner outfielder.
The other prize of the deal is pitcher Matt Albers, who jumped from AA to the Majors last year with Houston. Albers didn't have much success with Houston however, as he posted an ERA that was close to 6. Albers is a sinker ball pitcher who has trouble with his command, which equals a lot of mistakes, and in Camden yards that means a lot of home runs.
Albers will likely join the starting rotation for the Orioles this season, but shouldn't be much more than a fourth starter at best. The key for the Orioles will be whether Albers is in the rotation in 09, or 2010 when the team is back on the path towards contention.
(2) Did the Orioles fare any better in the Erik Bedard trade?
Erik Bedard was well on his way to being in consideration for the Cy Young award last season, before an injury in August put him on the shelf for the rest of the season. Bedard lead the league in strikeouts before the injury and still posted 13 wins despite missing all of that time.
The Orioles decided to trade Bedard this off-season because they didn't see themselves anywhere near contention, and had to add some talent to a stale minor league system. The Orioles succeeded in doing that, as they acquired two of the better prospects in baseball from the Mariners.
Outfielder Adam Jones is a five tool talent player, and should be roaming the OF in Camden Yards for years to come. Jones is one of the favorites for the rookie of the year award this season, and should give Orioles fans something to be excited for in the future.
The Orioles also received one of the Mariners best pitching prospects in Chris Tillman who was highly thought of coming out of High School and should move up to AA ball this year. Tillman throws mid 90's heat and just needs to work on his control before he is ready to help the Orioles in the big leagues.
The Orioles received three additional players from the Mariners, including George Sherrill who is expected to be named the club's closer while Chris Ray recovers from Tommy John surgery.
(3) Who can the Orioles build around now that they have traded away two of their best players?
The Orioles don't have many recognizable faces to the average fan across the country, and the name that fans may recognize, Brian Roberts is involved in trade rumors to the Cubs on a daily basis. The Orioles are doing the right thing for their ball club in the long term, but trading away star players is always difficult for paying customers to understand.
It's important for the Orioles to go forward with this process, as attendance at Camden Yards was dwindling even before they traded away these stars. The Orioles only chance at competing with the Yankees and Red Sox is to establish a solid pipeline between their farm system and the big club. This is what the Rays are in the process of doing, and they should see some results this season. It's impossible to outspend the Yankees as the Orioles have learned, and the Blue Jays soon will learn.
The team does still have some building blocks, as Nick Markakis became one of the team's lone bright spots last season as he hit 23 homers, and drove in over 100 runs in his first full season in the big leagues. Adam Jones has face of the franchise like potential as he has been compared to a cross between Torii Hunter and Mike Cameron.
If the pitching coaches are ever able to get Daniel Cabrera to find the strike zone the team has a 20 win ace on their hands. Cabrera has just filthy stuff, and has been amongst the leaders in strikeouts during the previous two seasons. The problem for Cabrera has been harnessing his stuff, and finding the strike zone. The Orioles really don't have many other pitching prospects other then Tillman, so they will need to acquire a solid pitching prospect in return for Roberts if they go forward with plans to trade him.
The 2008 Baltimore Orioles will be lucky to win 65 games this season, as their pitching rotation is complete disarray right now, as many of the spots are up for grabs in Spring Training. If the front office can be patient with some of the young players, and avoid the trap of overpaying for veterans in the Free Agent market, the Orioles will be able to see light at the end of the tunnel.
The Orioles will have quite possibly the worst record in the majors this year, but the team is at least giving up on the notion that they could contend with veteran players that are on the downside of their careers.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Baltimore Orioles
(1) Did the team receive enough value for Miguel Tejada?
It's one thing to trade away overpaid veterans, it's another to get players in return who will push forward the rebuilding process. The Orioles traded Miguel Tejada two seasons to late, as the team was offered substantially better offers for him during the trading deadline of 2006.
The Orioles front office thought the team was closer to contending then they really were, and perhaps bought into the clubs fast start in 2005 as they were the surprise team in baseball during the first half, and shot out of the gate and opened a substantial lead in the AL playoff race. That team came back down to earth in the 2nd half and was an afterthought by the time that September came around.
It's not to say the package they received from Houston is devoid of MLB calibar players, because these are players that will find roles on the Orioles, and many of them will be asked to contribute as soon as 2008. The problem is that none of them have a high upside and will probably never be All Stars. OF Luke Scott will be a useful player for the Orioles this season, but he's better suited to be a fourth outfielder, Scott doesn't have the power to be considered anything more than a utility corner outfielder.
The other prize of the deal is pitcher Matt Albers, who jumped from AA to the Majors last year with Houston. Albers didn't have much success with Houston however, as he posted an ERA that was close to 6. Albers is a sinker ball pitcher who has trouble with his command, which equals a lot of mistakes, and in Camden yards that means a lot of home runs.
Albers will likely join the starting rotation for the Orioles this season, but shouldn't be much more than a fourth starter at best. The key for the Orioles will be whether Albers is in the rotation in 09, or 2010 when the team is back on the path towards contention.
(2) Did the Orioles fare any better in the Erik Bedard trade?
Erik Bedard was well on his way to being in consideration for the Cy Young award last season, before an injury in August put him on the shelf for the rest of the season. Bedard lead the league in strikeouts before the injury and still posted 13 wins despite missing all of that time.
The Orioles decided to trade Bedard this off-season because they didn't see themselves anywhere near contention, and had to add some talent to a stale minor league system. The Orioles succeeded in doing that, as they acquired two of the better prospects in baseball from the Mariners.
Outfielder Adam Jones is a five tool talent player, and should be roaming the OF in Camden Yards for years to come. Jones is one of the favorites for the rookie of the year award this season, and should give Orioles fans something to be excited for in the future.
The Orioles also received one of the Mariners best pitching prospects in Chris Tillman who was highly thought of coming out of High School and should move up to AA ball this year. Tillman throws mid 90's heat and just needs to work on his control before he is ready to help the Orioles in the big leagues.
The Orioles received three additional players from the Mariners, including George Sherrill who is expected to be named the club's closer while Chris Ray recovers from Tommy John surgery.
(3) Who can the Orioles build around now that they have traded away two of their best players?
The Orioles don't have many recognizable faces to the average fan across the country, and the name that fans may recognize, Brian Roberts is involved in trade rumors to the Cubs on a daily basis. The Orioles are doing the right thing for their ball club in the long term, but trading away star players is always difficult for paying customers to understand.
It's important for the Orioles to go forward with this process, as attendance at Camden Yards was dwindling even before they traded away these stars. The Orioles only chance at competing with the Yankees and Red Sox is to establish a solid pipeline between their farm system and the big club. This is what the Rays are in the process of doing, and they should see some results this season. It's impossible to outspend the Yankees as the Orioles have learned, and the Blue Jays soon will learn.
The team does still have some building blocks, as Nick Markakis became one of the team's lone bright spots last season as he hit 23 homers, and drove in over 100 runs in his first full season in the big leagues. Adam Jones has face of the franchise like potential as he has been compared to a cross between Torii Hunter and Mike Cameron.
If the pitching coaches are ever able to get Daniel Cabrera to find the strike zone the team has a 20 win ace on their hands. Cabrera has just filthy stuff, and has been amongst the leaders in strikeouts during the previous two seasons. The problem for Cabrera has been harnessing his stuff, and finding the strike zone. The Orioles really don't have many other pitching prospects other then Tillman, so they will need to acquire a solid pitching prospect in return for Roberts if they go forward with plans to trade him.
The 2008 Baltimore Orioles will be lucky to win 65 games this season, as their pitching rotation is complete disarray right now, as many of the spots are up for grabs in Spring Training. If the front office can be patient with some of the young players, and avoid the trap of overpaying for veterans in the Free Agent market, the Orioles will be able to see light at the end of the tunnel.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
MLB Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates
The 2007 season was an all to familiar one for the Pittsburgh Pirates as they underwent their 15th consecutive losing season and fired another manager. John Russell replaces Jim Tracy as skipper of the Pirates in the 2008 season, and the Pirates will need a lot more than a new Manager to reverse their troubled fortunes this season.
The Pirates do have some building blocks as they have a nice top of their starting rotation and have one of the games best young closers. Now all they have to do is find some extra pieces to plug in their lineup and they may be able to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Pittsburgh Pirates.
(1) Will the Pirates set a new MLB record for having 16 consecutive losing seasons?
Even an eternal optimist would have to say the answer to this question is a resounding Yes. The Pirates just do not have a very good team this year, and although they have some nice pieces, it won't be enough to allow this team to win 13 more games than they did last season.
The club is undergoing another overhaul in the front office as they have a new CEO on board, and ownership continues to tighten up the purse strings. The Pirates have been in the bottom half of payroll during this 15 year stretch of futility, and that will not change this season. The Pirates made very little noise this off-season, and their highest paid player Matt Morris was acquired in a deal that made absolutely no sense when it was consumated last season.
The Pirates traded two prospects to the Giants to acquire a pitcher who will be 33 and who's ERA was over 6 last season. On top of that the Pirates agreed to pay his 13 million dollar salary. Former GM Dave Littlefield was fired for a number of erroneous decisions, but had the Pirates fired him for that action alone they would have been justified.
(2) Can the Pirates expect repeat performances from their two young starting pitchers?
The lone bright spot last season for the Pirates was the emergence of their two young starters. Tom Gorzelanny posted a sub 4 ERA last season and won 14 games on a club that won 69 all season. Gorzelanny proved himself to be one of the best young pitchers in all of baseball last season as he uses a low 90's fastball and some devastating off speed pitches to keep hitters off balance.
Ian Snell also posted a sub 4 ERA, but did not get the run support that Gorzelanny received as he posted a 9-12 record last season. Snell has no fear on the mound and is not afraid to attact hitters with his fastball. Snell sets up hitters by using his fastball, and then uses his devastating slider to send them back to the dugout.
The Pirates also may have found their closer of the future in Matt Capps as he became the closer near the All Star Break, and never looked back as he posted a 2.28 ERA and saved 18 games for the Pirates last season.
There is no reason to think these three young arms can't match what they did last season, or even improve upon it, if that happens then the Pirates will possibly be able to approach the .500 mark by 2009.
(3) What can we expect from the Pirates offense?
Well the simple answer would be not much, but to be fair the Pirates did have a lot of subpar seasons from some regulars in the lineup who are capable of much more. The Pirates star player Jason Bay battled through a knee injury much of last season, and his numbers reflected that as he hit for far less power, and shaved about 50 points from his batting average.
Adam Laroche was the key acquisition last off-season for the Pirates, and actually gave Pirates fans some optimism heading into the season. That optimism soon faded as Laroche got off to a terrible start in April and May. He did rebound to post respectable numbers during the 2nd half of the season, but by that time Pittsburgh fans focused their attention on the Steelers training camp.
The team does have a former batting champ on their roster in Freddie Sanchez, Sanchez is a serviceable 2nd baseman, but is already in his 30's so he won't be the 2nd baseman when the team is a contender. The rest of the infield is led by Jack Wilson and Jose Bautista, the Pirates will definitely have to look at improving their infield in the near future.
The team does have some help on the way from the minors as Andrew McCutchen projects to be a star at CF, and showed glimpses of it last fall as he got a cup of coffe in the big leagues. The Pirates also have Steve Pearce waiting in the wings to take an OF slot in the near future.
The team does have a glimmer of hope in the future, but there is still a lot of work to do before the Pirates can become the offensive juggernaut they were during the Bonds, and Bonilla era in the early 90's.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will be near the bottom of the standings once again in the NL Central, but it appears that the new front office is on the right track as they do have some building points to move forward with.
The young pitchers may represent the only hope this organization has to seeing a winner in the near future.
The Pirates do have some building blocks as they have a nice top of their starting rotation and have one of the games best young closers. Now all they have to do is find some extra pieces to plug in their lineup and they may be able to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Pittsburgh Pirates.
(1) Will the Pirates set a new MLB record for having 16 consecutive losing seasons?
Even an eternal optimist would have to say the answer to this question is a resounding Yes. The Pirates just do not have a very good team this year, and although they have some nice pieces, it won't be enough to allow this team to win 13 more games than they did last season.
The club is undergoing another overhaul in the front office as they have a new CEO on board, and ownership continues to tighten up the purse strings. The Pirates have been in the bottom half of payroll during this 15 year stretch of futility, and that will not change this season. The Pirates made very little noise this off-season, and their highest paid player Matt Morris was acquired in a deal that made absolutely no sense when it was consumated last season.
The Pirates traded two prospects to the Giants to acquire a pitcher who will be 33 and who's ERA was over 6 last season. On top of that the Pirates agreed to pay his 13 million dollar salary. Former GM Dave Littlefield was fired for a number of erroneous decisions, but had the Pirates fired him for that action alone they would have been justified.
(2) Can the Pirates expect repeat performances from their two young starting pitchers?
The lone bright spot last season for the Pirates was the emergence of their two young starters. Tom Gorzelanny posted a sub 4 ERA last season and won 14 games on a club that won 69 all season. Gorzelanny proved himself to be one of the best young pitchers in all of baseball last season as he uses a low 90's fastball and some devastating off speed pitches to keep hitters off balance.
Ian Snell also posted a sub 4 ERA, but did not get the run support that Gorzelanny received as he posted a 9-12 record last season. Snell has no fear on the mound and is not afraid to attact hitters with his fastball. Snell sets up hitters by using his fastball, and then uses his devastating slider to send them back to the dugout.
The Pirates also may have found their closer of the future in Matt Capps as he became the closer near the All Star Break, and never looked back as he posted a 2.28 ERA and saved 18 games for the Pirates last season.
There is no reason to think these three young arms can't match what they did last season, or even improve upon it, if that happens then the Pirates will possibly be able to approach the .500 mark by 2009.
(3) What can we expect from the Pirates offense?
Well the simple answer would be not much, but to be fair the Pirates did have a lot of subpar seasons from some regulars in the lineup who are capable of much more. The Pirates star player Jason Bay battled through a knee injury much of last season, and his numbers reflected that as he hit for far less power, and shaved about 50 points from his batting average.
Adam Laroche was the key acquisition last off-season for the Pirates, and actually gave Pirates fans some optimism heading into the season. That optimism soon faded as Laroche got off to a terrible start in April and May. He did rebound to post respectable numbers during the 2nd half of the season, but by that time Pittsburgh fans focused their attention on the Steelers training camp.
The team does have a former batting champ on their roster in Freddie Sanchez, Sanchez is a serviceable 2nd baseman, but is already in his 30's so he won't be the 2nd baseman when the team is a contender. The rest of the infield is led by Jack Wilson and Jose Bautista, the Pirates will definitely have to look at improving their infield in the near future.
The team does have some help on the way from the minors as Andrew McCutchen projects to be a star at CF, and showed glimpses of it last fall as he got a cup of coffe in the big leagues. The Pirates also have Steve Pearce waiting in the wings to take an OF slot in the near future.
The team does have a glimmer of hope in the future, but there is still a lot of work to do before the Pirates can become the offensive juggernaut they were during the Bonds, and Bonilla era in the early 90's.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will be near the bottom of the standings once again in the NL Central, but it appears that the new front office is on the right track as they do have some building points to move forward with.
The young pitchers may represent the only hope this organization has to seeing a winner in the near future.
MLB Preview: Oakland Athletics
Injuries were the story of the 2007 season for the Oakland Athletics as they shuttled across players from their triple A affiliate to the big league roster on what seemed like an everyday basis. The club lost Eric Chavez, Bobby Crosby, and Mike Piazza for the majority of the season, and thus ended any chance of them competing in 07.
The Athletics have been notorious for being one of the more aggressive teams in the off-season and this past winter was no different as the team traded their Ace Dan Haren for 6 minor league prospects, which was headlined by OF Carlos Gonzalez. The A's also traded their star 1B/OF Nick Swisher away to the Chicago White Sox for some additional prospects. The 2008 team will have an entirely new look, and the A's can only hope that their starters will be able to avoid the DL this season.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Oakland Athletics
(1) Has Billy Beane's magic act finally run dry?
Billy Beane has developed a cult like following amongst stat heads, and the sabermetrics community, and ever since the publication of the best belling book Moneyball, Beane has become a household name amongst even casual baseball fans.
Beane certainly has made his share of mistakes during the past two seasons, evidenced by the Tim Hudson trade where the A's prize of the deal Dan Meyer has seen his career fizzle. Despite the Hudson deal, Beane's moves led the team to the playoffs in 2006, thanks in large part to his signing of Frank Thomas, and the development of players he drafted like Nick Swisher, or players he acquired via trade Dan Haren.
Beane detractors will point out the team has yet to win a World Series championship under his reign, and the fact that he received far too much credit for the clubs success during the early part of the decade as he won in large part because he had 3 of the game's best young pitchers.
I think it's safe to say Beane has proven those critics wrong, especially during the 2006 season as the team won, despite trading away Hudson and Mulder. Beane's ultimate success may rely on the development of the prospects he just acquired this off-season. It is hard to project the career of any prospect, but the A's minor league system was in ruins over the past two seasons, and these trades instantly give the A's one of the best farm systems in the majors again.
(2) Who will be this year's surprise player to energize the A's?
The Oakland A's have been getting contributions from unlikely sources for many years now. Whether it be a supposedly washed up Frank Thomas having an MVP calibar season in 06, or career minor leaguer Jack Cust becoming a star on the 07 A's.
This year the A's are counting on first baseman Daric Barton to emerge and become a valuable asset to the organization. Barton was acquired along with Dan Haren in the deal that sent Mark Mulder to the Cardinals. Barton has been highly regarded amongst stat heads because he is an On Base Percentage machine, and still is able to hit for a respectable power total.
Barton's power numbers aren't expected to hit the 35-40 plateau, but still should be able to hit between 20 and 30 on a consistent basis. There is definitely room on a MLB roster for someone with Barton's skills, and Barton's skillset matches up perfectly with the A's approach to hitting.
The A's also will be looking to Travis Buck for significiant contributions this season, Buck surprisingly made the opening day roster last season, and proved he belonged right away. Unfortunately Buck also was stricken with the injury bug last season as he missed games with three separate injuries during the season. Buck also doesn't hit for much power, but his patient approach at the plate gives the A's another OBP% machine.
(3) Will the Oakland rotation include Rich Harden this season?
Rich Harden is possibly the most frustrating pitcher in the big leagues for fans, and the organization alike. Everytime Harden is on the mound he captivates the audience and frustrates hitters as he is able to combine mid 90's heat, with a devastating changeup. Unfortunately for Harden and the organization he hasn't been able to stay healthy during his career, and especially during the past two seasons as he has only made 13 starts.
The A's at this point likely want Harden to stay healthy so they can showcase him and get return value for him, as they are unlikely to contend this season. It's hard to blame the A's for considering trading options for Harden as it's more important to rely on pitchers making their scheduled starts, then to be mesmerized by their talent on a handful of occasions.
Harden could be the big prize as the trading deadline approaches if he stays healthy, otherwise the A's will in all likelihood be faced with the same situation they have been in during previous seasons.
The 2008 Oakland Athletics are probably still a year or two away from contending, as they are waiting for their recently acquired prospects to harness their skills in the minors this season. However the team has a plethora of talent waiting to get their chance, and if the A's are out of contention early on, A's fans may get their first look at the future of the Athletics.
The Athletics have been notorious for being one of the more aggressive teams in the off-season and this past winter was no different as the team traded their Ace Dan Haren for 6 minor league prospects, which was headlined by OF Carlos Gonzalez. The A's also traded their star 1B/OF Nick Swisher away to the Chicago White Sox for some additional prospects. The 2008 team will have an entirely new look, and the A's can only hope that their starters will be able to avoid the DL this season.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Oakland Athletics
(1) Has Billy Beane's magic act finally run dry?
Billy Beane has developed a cult like following amongst stat heads, and the sabermetrics community, and ever since the publication of the best belling book Moneyball, Beane has become a household name amongst even casual baseball fans.
Beane certainly has made his share of mistakes during the past two seasons, evidenced by the Tim Hudson trade where the A's prize of the deal Dan Meyer has seen his career fizzle. Despite the Hudson deal, Beane's moves led the team to the playoffs in 2006, thanks in large part to his signing of Frank Thomas, and the development of players he drafted like Nick Swisher, or players he acquired via trade Dan Haren.
Beane detractors will point out the team has yet to win a World Series championship under his reign, and the fact that he received far too much credit for the clubs success during the early part of the decade as he won in large part because he had 3 of the game's best young pitchers.
I think it's safe to say Beane has proven those critics wrong, especially during the 2006 season as the team won, despite trading away Hudson and Mulder. Beane's ultimate success may rely on the development of the prospects he just acquired this off-season. It is hard to project the career of any prospect, but the A's minor league system was in ruins over the past two seasons, and these trades instantly give the A's one of the best farm systems in the majors again.
(2) Who will be this year's surprise player to energize the A's?
The Oakland A's have been getting contributions from unlikely sources for many years now. Whether it be a supposedly washed up Frank Thomas having an MVP calibar season in 06, or career minor leaguer Jack Cust becoming a star on the 07 A's.
This year the A's are counting on first baseman Daric Barton to emerge and become a valuable asset to the organization. Barton was acquired along with Dan Haren in the deal that sent Mark Mulder to the Cardinals. Barton has been highly regarded amongst stat heads because he is an On Base Percentage machine, and still is able to hit for a respectable power total.
Barton's power numbers aren't expected to hit the 35-40 plateau, but still should be able to hit between 20 and 30 on a consistent basis. There is definitely room on a MLB roster for someone with Barton's skills, and Barton's skillset matches up perfectly with the A's approach to hitting.
The A's also will be looking to Travis Buck for significiant contributions this season, Buck surprisingly made the opening day roster last season, and proved he belonged right away. Unfortunately Buck also was stricken with the injury bug last season as he missed games with three separate injuries during the season. Buck also doesn't hit for much power, but his patient approach at the plate gives the A's another OBP% machine.
(3) Will the Oakland rotation include Rich Harden this season?
Rich Harden is possibly the most frustrating pitcher in the big leagues for fans, and the organization alike. Everytime Harden is on the mound he captivates the audience and frustrates hitters as he is able to combine mid 90's heat, with a devastating changeup. Unfortunately for Harden and the organization he hasn't been able to stay healthy during his career, and especially during the past two seasons as he has only made 13 starts.
The A's at this point likely want Harden to stay healthy so they can showcase him and get return value for him, as they are unlikely to contend this season. It's hard to blame the A's for considering trading options for Harden as it's more important to rely on pitchers making their scheduled starts, then to be mesmerized by their talent on a handful of occasions.
Harden could be the big prize as the trading deadline approaches if he stays healthy, otherwise the A's will in all likelihood be faced with the same situation they have been in during previous seasons.
The 2008 Oakland Athletics are probably still a year or two away from contending, as they are waiting for their recently acquired prospects to harness their skills in the minors this season. However the team has a plethora of talent waiting to get their chance, and if the A's are out of contention early on, A's fans may get their first look at the future of the Athletics.
Monday, March 17, 2008
MLB Preview: Kansas City Royals
The 2007 season was a season of progress for the Kansas City Royals as they avoided another 100 loss season, it may not sound like much progress but if you are a Royals fan you will take what you can get at this point.
The Royals seem to be showing signs of actually becoming a relevant franchise again as Drayton Moore has taken the reigns of the team as GM, and tried to mold them into the form of the Atlanta Braves, which is where he came from.
The Royals saw their promising prospect Alex Gordon finally settle down and become a solid player during the 2nd half of last season, and Billy Butler showed that he can terrorize major league pitching, despite not being able to play a lick of defense.
The 2008 Royals should continue to make progress, and may actually avoid finishing in the cellar for the first time in nearly 5 seasons.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Kansas City Royals
(1) Is there finally going to be life within the Royals franchise again?
The Royals recent streak of futility is all to common amongst Royals fans, and the team really has never recovered from the strike of 1994. The Royals play in one of the Majors smallest markets which makes it difficult to compete, but the Royals have also seen small market clubs like the A's and Twins succeed in recent years so that excuse only goes so far.
In reality the problem with the Royals is that ownership wasn't committed to a winning team, and former GM Allen Baird really was not given much of a chance to succeed, and in all honesty didn't do a solid enough job developing the farm system.
The year and a half tenure of Moore has proven to be relatively successful as he has made some solid, if unspectacular moves in acquiring Tony Pena jr. from the Braves prior to opening day last season. Pena will never be confused with Cal Ripken at the plate, but his glovework is amongst the best in the majors, and will make fans easily forget about Angel Berroa. Moore has also found diamonds in the rough like Brian Bannister who surprised everyone in baseball by winning 12 games and posting a sub 4 ERA.
Maybe the biggest difference between Moore and previous leadership in the Royals organization is his patience with young players. Moore never wavered after Alex Gordon struggled to hit above .100 midway through May last year, proclaiming that he was the third baseman of the team and would not be sent down to the minors. Moore's stance gave Gordon the confidence to rebound in the 2nd half last season. It remains to be seen how successful the Royals will be, but the team definitely is on the right track and can be considered a relevant franchise again.
(2) Where will the team play Billy Butler?
Billy Butler is a unique case of a player who despite being young, just doesn't have the range or ability to play any defense. The team tried playing him at 1b last year, and that didn't prove to be a successful decision, but if Butler will play anywhere on defense it will have to be at first. The team also tried him in Left Field and that was not a pretty sight.
It's probably time for the Royals to give up on the notion that Butler will be anything more than a DH, and although that may be tough to stomach, the team can't afford to have his bat out of the lineup. The advantage for the Royals is that they don't really have a solid incumbent DH as Mike Sweeney is no longer on the squad, and Butler would fill a need for the club.
Butler hit nearly 300 last season and drove in 52 runs despite playing only half of the season. Butler has 30 home run potential and should be a staple in this lineup for years to come.
(3) Can the Royals expect their starting rotation to continue to make strides?
The signing of Gil Meche to a 5 year 55 million dollar contract last off-season was ridiculed by everyone within baseball. All Meche did was post a remarkable 3.67 ERA, and was named the Royals pitcher of the year by the local media. Meche only won 9 games despite that incredible ERA, but that was because he received the 2nd lowest run support in Major League Baseball last season. The Royals can expect that win total to jump significiantly this season.
The most important member of the Royals rotation, and perhaps the organization for that matter is Zach Grienke, Grienke has as much talent as any young pitcher in the majors, but has had some mental health problems that he appears to have recovered from. Greinke was sent to the Royals bullpen after struggling in the rotation last April, Greinke became comfortable in the bullpen, and got another chance to enter the rotation later in the season. Greinke became lights out, and has the Royals brass extremely excited in his potential this season.
The rotation still is a work in progress after third starter Brian Bannister, as the Royals have been trying to piece together the end of the rotation for the better part of two years. Odaliz Perez, and Jorge De La Rosa have been given numerous chances to perform. The team even invited Hideo Nomo to camp to see if he had anything left in his arm. The Royals would like to see Braves castoff Kyle Davies come through and win a spot, but he has had a terribly inconsistent career as well.
The 2008 Royals are still a ways away from catching Detroit and Cleveland, but if the team is able to find some answers at the back end of the rotation they will be a lot closer to catching those teams in 2009.
The Royals seem to be showing signs of actually becoming a relevant franchise again as Drayton Moore has taken the reigns of the team as GM, and tried to mold them into the form of the Atlanta Braves, which is where he came from.
The Royals saw their promising prospect Alex Gordon finally settle down and become a solid player during the 2nd half of last season, and Billy Butler showed that he can terrorize major league pitching, despite not being able to play a lick of defense.
The 2008 Royals should continue to make progress, and may actually avoid finishing in the cellar for the first time in nearly 5 seasons.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Kansas City Royals
(1) Is there finally going to be life within the Royals franchise again?
The Royals recent streak of futility is all to common amongst Royals fans, and the team really has never recovered from the strike of 1994. The Royals play in one of the Majors smallest markets which makes it difficult to compete, but the Royals have also seen small market clubs like the A's and Twins succeed in recent years so that excuse only goes so far.
In reality the problem with the Royals is that ownership wasn't committed to a winning team, and former GM Allen Baird really was not given much of a chance to succeed, and in all honesty didn't do a solid enough job developing the farm system.
The year and a half tenure of Moore has proven to be relatively successful as he has made some solid, if unspectacular moves in acquiring Tony Pena jr. from the Braves prior to opening day last season. Pena will never be confused with Cal Ripken at the plate, but his glovework is amongst the best in the majors, and will make fans easily forget about Angel Berroa. Moore has also found diamonds in the rough like Brian Bannister who surprised everyone in baseball by winning 12 games and posting a sub 4 ERA.
Maybe the biggest difference between Moore and previous leadership in the Royals organization is his patience with young players. Moore never wavered after Alex Gordon struggled to hit above .100 midway through May last year, proclaiming that he was the third baseman of the team and would not be sent down to the minors. Moore's stance gave Gordon the confidence to rebound in the 2nd half last season. It remains to be seen how successful the Royals will be, but the team definitely is on the right track and can be considered a relevant franchise again.
(2) Where will the team play Billy Butler?
Billy Butler is a unique case of a player who despite being young, just doesn't have the range or ability to play any defense. The team tried playing him at 1b last year, and that didn't prove to be a successful decision, but if Butler will play anywhere on defense it will have to be at first. The team also tried him in Left Field and that was not a pretty sight.
It's probably time for the Royals to give up on the notion that Butler will be anything more than a DH, and although that may be tough to stomach, the team can't afford to have his bat out of the lineup. The advantage for the Royals is that they don't really have a solid incumbent DH as Mike Sweeney is no longer on the squad, and Butler would fill a need for the club.
Butler hit nearly 300 last season and drove in 52 runs despite playing only half of the season. Butler has 30 home run potential and should be a staple in this lineup for years to come.
(3) Can the Royals expect their starting rotation to continue to make strides?
The signing of Gil Meche to a 5 year 55 million dollar contract last off-season was ridiculed by everyone within baseball. All Meche did was post a remarkable 3.67 ERA, and was named the Royals pitcher of the year by the local media. Meche only won 9 games despite that incredible ERA, but that was because he received the 2nd lowest run support in Major League Baseball last season. The Royals can expect that win total to jump significiantly this season.
The most important member of the Royals rotation, and perhaps the organization for that matter is Zach Grienke, Grienke has as much talent as any young pitcher in the majors, but has had some mental health problems that he appears to have recovered from. Greinke was sent to the Royals bullpen after struggling in the rotation last April, Greinke became comfortable in the bullpen, and got another chance to enter the rotation later in the season. Greinke became lights out, and has the Royals brass extremely excited in his potential this season.
The rotation still is a work in progress after third starter Brian Bannister, as the Royals have been trying to piece together the end of the rotation for the better part of two years. Odaliz Perez, and Jorge De La Rosa have been given numerous chances to perform. The team even invited Hideo Nomo to camp to see if he had anything left in his arm. The Royals would like to see Braves castoff Kyle Davies come through and win a spot, but he has had a terribly inconsistent career as well.
The 2008 Royals are still a ways away from catching Detroit and Cleveland, but if the team is able to find some answers at the back end of the rotation they will be a lot closer to catching those teams in 2009.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros run of success in the NL finally came to an end last season, as the team was riddled with inconsistent pitching and a rash of ill informed front office decisions ultimately has led to the demise of the team.
The good news for the Astros is that they find themselves in one of baseball's weakest divisions so their rebuilding could be short lived. That is if the Astros decided to rebuild this off-season, the front office made one last gasp for contention by bringing in Miguel Tejada for what was remaining in the Majors weakest farm system. It remains to be seen if this will be enough to keep the Astros clinging to their faint hopes of contending in 2008.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the Houston Astros in 2008.
(1) Who will pitch on this team after Roy Oswalt?
The Astros have perhaps one of the games best pitchers, but unfortunately they have absolutely nothing behind him in terms of the starting rotation. The team is hoping Wandy Rodriguez has turned the corner after lowering his ERA by a full run last season. Rodriguez still nibbles around the plate and projects to be nothing more than a fourth starter in his career.
The Astros will also be using Woody Williams in the rotation, it was clear two seasons ago with the Padres that Williams was no longer a guy you could count on to pitch an effective 200 innings. The good news with Williams is that he's been relatively healthy over the previous two seasons, but he simply is no longer an effective major league starting pitcher.
The Astros may be relying on Brandon Backe for the #2 slot in their rotation, and this is despite the fact that he has missed the majority of the past two seasons due to Tommy John surgery. Backe had a good stretch in the post-season during 2005 with Houston, but he simply is not going to be able to get the job done for Houston.
The good news for the Astros rotation is that they will get plenty of run support from one of the games best lineups, but even that doesn't appear to be enough with this rotation. The Astros pitchers should also benefit by the acquisition of Kaz Matsui from the Rockies. Matsui is one of the best 2nd baseman defensively in the game as he covers more range then perhaps any 2nd baseman in all of baseball.
That good news is offset by the fact that the Astros play in one of the best hitters parks in the Majors, and with Woody Williams and others being fly ball pitchers the official scorer will become a very busy man in Houston.
(2) Was the acquisition of Miguel Tejada another mistake by the front office?
The Houston front office has had their share of mistakes over the years, as the farm system has become absolutely devoid of talent now that Hunter Pence is in the big leagues. This deal does make some sense in the fact that they didn't give up any A level prospects to acquire Tejada.
Miguel Tejada still has some hits left in his bat, and despite the fact that his consecutive games streak came to an end last season, he still adds value by simply playing everyday. The mistake Houston did make was letting Adam Everett depart to the Twins, Houston would have been much better off had they switched Tejada to third base. Everett is arguably the games best defensive shortstop, and despite the fact that Tejada is one of the games best hitting shortsops, his defensive range has decreased substantially over the years.
Tejada will still add some value to Houston, but it remains to be seen if this team is really that close to contending with all of the holes in their rotation.
(3) Is it time for Houston to suck it up and start their rebuilding project?
Unless you are the Pittsburgh Pirates, it is hard to take the rebuilding route in the NL Central, after all during the past two seasons if you were close to 500 you would have been in the race until the final weekend. That being said, the Houston Astros have been holding off their rebuilding project for two years now, and their farm system has suffered the consequences.
The Astros have virtually nothing left in their farm system, so even if they are contending they will not have the chips to be able to acquire someone near the trading deadline. The front office did make some moves that could help the team long term by acquiring OF Michael Bourn from the Phillies. Bourn gives this team some added help in defense and will move Hunter Pence to his more natural position in RF.
The team replaced Brad Lidge with Jose Valverde, and although Valverde is highly inconsistent, he did post 47 saves on the NL West champion Arizona Diamondbacks. The team also improved itself defensively with the before mentioned acquisition of Kaz Matsui. The team probably gave itself 5 to 10 more wins this season by making those moves, the problem is if they are on the edge of contention, they will be reluctant to deal those players for much needed prospects. The Astros are making a big gamble that they will be able to make the playoffs this year, otherwise they may not get anything for some of their key trading chips, when they finally do decide it's time to rebuild.
The 2008 Houston Astros entire season will come down to how well the cast of characters behind Roy Oswalt fares. The team has very little to worry about offensively as Lance Berkman continues to post solid numbers, and Carlos Lee put up impressive power numbers last year as well.
If nothing else Houston will be amongst the most exciting teams this season as they will probably play many games in double digits. Houston fans can only hope they will be on the winning side of the majority of those games.
The good news for the Astros is that they find themselves in one of baseball's weakest divisions so their rebuilding could be short lived. That is if the Astros decided to rebuild this off-season, the front office made one last gasp for contention by bringing in Miguel Tejada for what was remaining in the Majors weakest farm system. It remains to be seen if this will be enough to keep the Astros clinging to their faint hopes of contending in 2008.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the Houston Astros in 2008.
(1) Who will pitch on this team after Roy Oswalt?
The Astros have perhaps one of the games best pitchers, but unfortunately they have absolutely nothing behind him in terms of the starting rotation. The team is hoping Wandy Rodriguez has turned the corner after lowering his ERA by a full run last season. Rodriguez still nibbles around the plate and projects to be nothing more than a fourth starter in his career.
The Astros will also be using Woody Williams in the rotation, it was clear two seasons ago with the Padres that Williams was no longer a guy you could count on to pitch an effective 200 innings. The good news with Williams is that he's been relatively healthy over the previous two seasons, but he simply is no longer an effective major league starting pitcher.
The Astros may be relying on Brandon Backe for the #2 slot in their rotation, and this is despite the fact that he has missed the majority of the past two seasons due to Tommy John surgery. Backe had a good stretch in the post-season during 2005 with Houston, but he simply is not going to be able to get the job done for Houston.
The good news for the Astros rotation is that they will get plenty of run support from one of the games best lineups, but even that doesn't appear to be enough with this rotation. The Astros pitchers should also benefit by the acquisition of Kaz Matsui from the Rockies. Matsui is one of the best 2nd baseman defensively in the game as he covers more range then perhaps any 2nd baseman in all of baseball.
That good news is offset by the fact that the Astros play in one of the best hitters parks in the Majors, and with Woody Williams and others being fly ball pitchers the official scorer will become a very busy man in Houston.
(2) Was the acquisition of Miguel Tejada another mistake by the front office?
The Houston front office has had their share of mistakes over the years, as the farm system has become absolutely devoid of talent now that Hunter Pence is in the big leagues. This deal does make some sense in the fact that they didn't give up any A level prospects to acquire Tejada.
Miguel Tejada still has some hits left in his bat, and despite the fact that his consecutive games streak came to an end last season, he still adds value by simply playing everyday. The mistake Houston did make was letting Adam Everett depart to the Twins, Houston would have been much better off had they switched Tejada to third base. Everett is arguably the games best defensive shortstop, and despite the fact that Tejada is one of the games best hitting shortsops, his defensive range has decreased substantially over the years.
Tejada will still add some value to Houston, but it remains to be seen if this team is really that close to contending with all of the holes in their rotation.
(3) Is it time for Houston to suck it up and start their rebuilding project?
Unless you are the Pittsburgh Pirates, it is hard to take the rebuilding route in the NL Central, after all during the past two seasons if you were close to 500 you would have been in the race until the final weekend. That being said, the Houston Astros have been holding off their rebuilding project for two years now, and their farm system has suffered the consequences.
The Astros have virtually nothing left in their farm system, so even if they are contending they will not have the chips to be able to acquire someone near the trading deadline. The front office did make some moves that could help the team long term by acquiring OF Michael Bourn from the Phillies. Bourn gives this team some added help in defense and will move Hunter Pence to his more natural position in RF.
The team replaced Brad Lidge with Jose Valverde, and although Valverde is highly inconsistent, he did post 47 saves on the NL West champion Arizona Diamondbacks. The team also improved itself defensively with the before mentioned acquisition of Kaz Matsui. The team probably gave itself 5 to 10 more wins this season by making those moves, the problem is if they are on the edge of contention, they will be reluctant to deal those players for much needed prospects. The Astros are making a big gamble that they will be able to make the playoffs this year, otherwise they may not get anything for some of their key trading chips, when they finally do decide it's time to rebuild.
The 2008 Houston Astros entire season will come down to how well the cast of characters behind Roy Oswalt fares. The team has very little to worry about offensively as Lance Berkman continues to post solid numbers, and Carlos Lee put up impressive power numbers last year as well.
If nothing else Houston will be amongst the most exciting teams this season as they will probably play many games in double digits. Houston fans can only hope they will be on the winning side of the majority of those games.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Los Angeles Dodgers
The 2007 Los Angeles Dodgers had to feel like they had something stolen from them. After enjoying first place for the better part of the spring and early summer, everything came apart for the team in late July.
The demise of the Dodgers coincided with the injury to Derek Lowe, and although Lowe came back he never fully recovered and the Dodgers never were able to recover from their July slump.
The front office hopes it solved it's woes by bringing in Andruw Jones from the Atlanta Braves on a two year deal. The team looks to be loaded at every position this year, but playing in the NL West will be no easy chore for this team.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Dodgers.
(1) Will Joe Torre be the right man to lead the Dodgers over the top?
Although there has been extensive research done that has determined a manager has very little direct impact on a team's performance, there still is a certain clubhouse component that is not measurable.
The clubhouse dynamic is something that Torre would likely score very highly on, as he turned around the Yankees franchise in 1996 by leading them to their first title, in half of a generation. The Dodgers have been right on the edge to becoming a consistent winner on the west coast, but haven't been able to make that leap yet.
The front office is hoping Torre's calming influence will be what the team needs to take the next step. One of the reasons Torre was brought into LA was the fact that there was a growing disconnect between some of the veterans and the talented young phenoms on the Dodgers.
Grady Little wasn't able to handle this dynamic, and Torre with his World Series rings, and his reputation should be able to keep this problem from resurfacing. It is important to note that Torre has had some detractors in the past, players like Gary Sheffield and Raul Mondesi have been outspoken in their contempt for the way Torre handled things in New York.
(2) Will the Dodgers finally give the necessary playing time to their young players?
Last off-season the team decided to sign Juan Pierre to an outrageous 4 year 44 million dollar contract, and this season they brought in Andruw Jones for 2 seasons at 20 million. The Jones signing is hard to fault as he still is one of the best CF's in the game. Pierre has been a huge mistake, and one the Dodgers will have to be reminded of for the next three seasons.
Pierre is by no means a poor player, but his age, and the fact that the team has so many talented young OF's does not make LA a good fit for him. It's still possible the team may decide that they are paying him too much money to sit on the bench, and if the Dodgers do this they will be making a mistake that may cost them the NL West this season.
Matt Kemp came on last season, and showed the team he was deserving of an everyday position in the lineup has he batted 342 and slugged 10 homeruns in only half a season for the Dodgers. The team also saw significiant progress in Andre Ethier who also could be squeezed out if the Dodgers decide to play Piere on an everyday basis.
Ethier hit a respectable 284 and hit 13 home runs while playing the majority of the season with the Dodgers last year. The Dodgers would like to see the power numbers increase this season, and if Ethier is able to move out of the #7 or #8 slots in the batting order, he should likely increase those numbers.
The Dodgers also had a dilemna at third base, but an injury to prospect Andy Laroche, likely means Nomar Garciaparra will hold on to the job until at least June this season. Russell Martin was one of the only Dodgers given a chance to play everyday over the past two seasons, and he has become the best catcher in the game. The Dodgers also handed over the first base reigns to super prospect James Loney who was on fire since the All Star Break last season.
(3) What can the Dodgers expect from their pitching rotation this season?
This is the million dollar question for a lot of teams this season, but very few teams could see their rotation fluctuate as much as the Dodgers this season. The talent is perhaps 2nd to none on the Dodgers rotation, but health is a huge concern as we head into opening day.
Last season the team lost Jason Schmidt and Ryan Wolf for the majority of the season, the one blessing from those injuries was the fact that it gave Chad Billingsley a chance to earn a spot in the rotation. Billingsley never looked back as he became one of the staff's most consistent pitchers during the 2nd half of the season.
The team is hoping to get Schmidt back at some point this season, but even if they don't they still have plenty of solid options. Brad Penny was perhaps the games best pitcher in the first half of the season, but he broke down during the 2nd half, and has simply not been able to stay healthy for much of his career.
The Dodgers also have Derek Lowe, who has been an innings eater throughout his career, but did show signs of wearing down last season. Lowe is a great pitcher for his ballpark, and simply hasn't gotten the respect he deserved for some time now during his career.
The Dodgers made an interesting signing during the off-season by acquiring Hideki Kuroda from Japan. Kuroda is 33, and has looked impressive thus far in Spring Training. Kuroda will be aided by the fact that many MLB players haven't seen him pitch, which should allow him to get off to a fast start in 2008 while hitters make the necessary adjustments.
The 2008 Dodgers have as much talent as any team in MLB, and if the rotation stays healthy could find themselves playing deep into October. The team's season quite simply relies on how much playing time they give their more talented young phenoms, compared to the aging veterans who have won out in the playing time battle under previous management.
The demise of the Dodgers coincided with the injury to Derek Lowe, and although Lowe came back he never fully recovered and the Dodgers never were able to recover from their July slump.
The front office hopes it solved it's woes by bringing in Andruw Jones from the Atlanta Braves on a two year deal. The team looks to be loaded at every position this year, but playing in the NL West will be no easy chore for this team.
Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Dodgers.
(1) Will Joe Torre be the right man to lead the Dodgers over the top?
Although there has been extensive research done that has determined a manager has very little direct impact on a team's performance, there still is a certain clubhouse component that is not measurable.
The clubhouse dynamic is something that Torre would likely score very highly on, as he turned around the Yankees franchise in 1996 by leading them to their first title, in half of a generation. The Dodgers have been right on the edge to becoming a consistent winner on the west coast, but haven't been able to make that leap yet.
The front office is hoping Torre's calming influence will be what the team needs to take the next step. One of the reasons Torre was brought into LA was the fact that there was a growing disconnect between some of the veterans and the talented young phenoms on the Dodgers.
Grady Little wasn't able to handle this dynamic, and Torre with his World Series rings, and his reputation should be able to keep this problem from resurfacing. It is important to note that Torre has had some detractors in the past, players like Gary Sheffield and Raul Mondesi have been outspoken in their contempt for the way Torre handled things in New York.
(2) Will the Dodgers finally give the necessary playing time to their young players?
Last off-season the team decided to sign Juan Pierre to an outrageous 4 year 44 million dollar contract, and this season they brought in Andruw Jones for 2 seasons at 20 million. The Jones signing is hard to fault as he still is one of the best CF's in the game. Pierre has been a huge mistake, and one the Dodgers will have to be reminded of for the next three seasons.
Pierre is by no means a poor player, but his age, and the fact that the team has so many talented young OF's does not make LA a good fit for him. It's still possible the team may decide that they are paying him too much money to sit on the bench, and if the Dodgers do this they will be making a mistake that may cost them the NL West this season.
Matt Kemp came on last season, and showed the team he was deserving of an everyday position in the lineup has he batted 342 and slugged 10 homeruns in only half a season for the Dodgers. The team also saw significiant progress in Andre Ethier who also could be squeezed out if the Dodgers decide to play Piere on an everyday basis.
Ethier hit a respectable 284 and hit 13 home runs while playing the majority of the season with the Dodgers last year. The Dodgers would like to see the power numbers increase this season, and if Ethier is able to move out of the #7 or #8 slots in the batting order, he should likely increase those numbers.
The Dodgers also had a dilemna at third base, but an injury to prospect Andy Laroche, likely means Nomar Garciaparra will hold on to the job until at least June this season. Russell Martin was one of the only Dodgers given a chance to play everyday over the past two seasons, and he has become the best catcher in the game. The Dodgers also handed over the first base reigns to super prospect James Loney who was on fire since the All Star Break last season.
(3) What can the Dodgers expect from their pitching rotation this season?
This is the million dollar question for a lot of teams this season, but very few teams could see their rotation fluctuate as much as the Dodgers this season. The talent is perhaps 2nd to none on the Dodgers rotation, but health is a huge concern as we head into opening day.
Last season the team lost Jason Schmidt and Ryan Wolf for the majority of the season, the one blessing from those injuries was the fact that it gave Chad Billingsley a chance to earn a spot in the rotation. Billingsley never looked back as he became one of the staff's most consistent pitchers during the 2nd half of the season.
The team is hoping to get Schmidt back at some point this season, but even if they don't they still have plenty of solid options. Brad Penny was perhaps the games best pitcher in the first half of the season, but he broke down during the 2nd half, and has simply not been able to stay healthy for much of his career.
The Dodgers also have Derek Lowe, who has been an innings eater throughout his career, but did show signs of wearing down last season. Lowe is a great pitcher for his ballpark, and simply hasn't gotten the respect he deserved for some time now during his career.
The Dodgers made an interesting signing during the off-season by acquiring Hideki Kuroda from Japan. Kuroda is 33, and has looked impressive thus far in Spring Training. Kuroda will be aided by the fact that many MLB players haven't seen him pitch, which should allow him to get off to a fast start in 2008 while hitters make the necessary adjustments.
The 2008 Dodgers have as much talent as any team in MLB, and if the rotation stays healthy could find themselves playing deep into October. The team's season quite simply relies on how much playing time they give their more talented young phenoms, compared to the aging veterans who have won out in the playing time battle under previous management.
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