CBS Sports posted a 2010 Mock Draft last week that has some interesting results. The drafters are a good solid group of guys, not our favorite experts but all respected in the field (except the regular guy who we don't know from the millions of other regular guys). Here's the list:
1. Eric Mack, CBSSports.com, Memorial Magazine Mock Draft
2. Alex Riethmiller, CBSSports.com, B.I.G.S. (dueling AL/NL-only H2H league)
3. Matthew Pouliot, Rotoworld.com, Krause Publications mock II
4. Lawr Michaels, CreativeSports.com, Tout Wars (AL-only)
5. Jeff Boggis, FantasySportsEmpires.com, Krause Publications mock I
6. Christopher Liss, Rotowire.com, Tout Wars (mixed)
7. Charlie Wiegert, Fanball.com, Defending champ and CBSSports.com NL-only
8. Scott White, CBSSports.com, CBSSports.com Earliest Roto Mock
9. Casey R. Fivecoat, Reader Entry and No. 1 podcast e-mailer
10. Brian Walton, CreativeSports.com, Tout Wars (NL-only)
11. Mike Gianella, Patton & Co, CBSSports.com AL-only
12. Sergio Gonzalez, CBSSports.com, CBSSports.com Early H2H Mock
My Round by Round thoughts...
Round One: With two large exceptions this is basically what you might expect to see in the first round. Matthew Pouliot of Rotoworld makes a bold pick of Tim Lincecum with the third pick of the draft. It is a fine pick just not typical of most leagues that just will not draft pitchers that early. I might like a few of the second round guys more than Chris Liss of RotoWire who selected Joe Mauer with the sixth pick. I haven't decided yet if I have faith that Mauer will continue to hit like the second best bat in the sport. I probably would have let that doubt push Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford into the first round.
Round Two: The regular guy selects Matt Holliday in the second round and I think he was right to do so. I may have some quibbles with the order but assuming Holliday stays in St. Louis or finds a nice hitters park to call home he should be a solid value here. This is also where we find several players whose value will be much debated in the next few months -- Mark Reynolds, David Wright, and Jose Reyes. Reyes falls due to health concerns but the second round means that at least Pouliot has no fear. Pouliot is really blazing his own trail with his first two picks. Reynolds begs the question -- can he repeat his great 2009 season, especially the stolen bases? David Wright is a victim of both Citifield Park and his own perhaps pre-mature reaction to it. If Wright goes back to his old swing and style of hitting he should be a first round value again.
Round Three: If Adrian Gonzalez finds himself hitting in Fenway Park, I'll be bumping him up to Mark Teixeira/Prince Fielder status. Aaron Hill is going to be overdrafted in every league this season. I do not believe that he is a 35 homer guy. I think he'll swing back to being a 20-25 homer guy which is still giving him a lot of credit for his great 2009 season in my mind. This is also where we find Grady Sizemore. I have taken quite a bit of grief by readers who think I've downgraded his keeper status too much. But until I see that he is healthy I consider this a very high pick for a guy coming into the season off a mostly lost season and elbow surgery.
Round Four: Eric Mack shows us some serious balls by taking BJ Upton in this round. Upton may steal a bunch of bases but there is no reason beyond blind faith to believe he'll hit for average or power. And if he doesn't he could start to lose at-bats with Tampa needing offense oomph to go with their pitching and defense.
Round Five: Ben Zobrist is here and Aaron Hill is in the third round? Zobrist seems like much less of a fluke to me. We saw his development as a hitter coming. At least his HR/FB was virtually identical to his 2008 season. If we had known he would get an extra 300 at-bats we might have predicted a great season for him. I always liked Hill as a hitter but the homer totals are a fluke.
Round Six: Poor, poor Josh Hamilton who I had so much faith in last season falls to the sixth round. In retrospect perhaps I should have worried more about his chronic injuries and the pressure being put on such an inexperienced player to lead the young Rangers to contention. All that said, I still like him a lot. Most of his lack of production can be blamed on injuries and despite the hyped up stories I think Hamilton is still on solid ground as far as his addictions go. I would be very happy to draft him here were I in Liss's shoes.
Round Seven: Jake Peavy and Josh Johnson are two pitchers I see headed in opposite directions. Peavy goes from the best park for pitchers on the planet to an American League hitters haven in Chicago. Johnson meanwhile is getting further and further away from his arm troubles and with experience should be able to handle more innings which should lead to greater win totals (hopefully) and a larger impact on fantasy teams.
Round Eight: Nelson Cruz was the favored sleeper of many last season and for the most part he made them happy. Until manager Ron Washington decided he had seen enough production from Cruz and let him sit on the bench half the time. This has spurred lots of trade rumors with the Atlanta Braves being high on the list of potential suitors.
Round Nine: Russell Martin??? I suppose there is nothing in his numbers to suggest he can't return to being as productive as he was before 2009. But how productive was that really? There certainly is enough lot of iron left in the draft that picking up this tin can seems very early.
Round Ten: Huston Street is living proof for J.J. Hardy that just because you've been rumored on the trade market for months and months, it doesn't mean you'll actually be traded. In fact you might perform so well as to earn a contract extension. But you'll want to avoid being demoted back to the minors or you might find yourself on the Seattle Mariners.
Round Eleven: How stupid are the Phillies? They develop an effective left-handed starter who rocks for you the entire season and then you toss him in the bullpen for the playoffs in favor of ancient Pedro Martinez and Joe Blanton. Even if it ultimately doesn't prove to be a fatal mistake, there is no question that it was the bone-headed thing to do. J. A. Happ deserved more respect.
Round Twelve: This round features a bunch of players I like a lot but whose value is sort of up in the air. David Price, Phil Hughes, Miguel Montero, Alex Rios, and two surprise closers David Aardsma and Ryan Franklin. Can anyone display any real confidence in what these players are likely to offer in 2010? Nah, you can't, but I bet you wouldn't mind one or two of them making their way to your roster in 2010.
We'll post the end of the Mock Draft Saturday Night...
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wishing Mark McGwire Luck
I just wanted to wish Mark McGwire good luck in his new position as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. I have read much praise from the players that he has worked with individually. I think he will do very well in this position and the Cardinals will benefit from what he has to offer. I used to love the A's back in the days of the Bash Brothers, with Ricky Henderson and Dave Stewart. They were incredibly fun to watch play. In those days the A's were one of the best teams in the game and had league-leading payrolls. McGwire was the true star of that bunch, when he was healthy anyway. You should watch the video attached to this article about Tony LaRussa returning to the Cardinals to hear LaRussa discuss McGwire's transformation as a hitter.
Below this great photo I discuss the reaction to McGwire's return by the dumber members of the mainstream media and their parroting groupies.
There is no proof that Mark McGwire ever used any illegal drugs before, during or after his baseball career ended. We know that he used Andro, because he never hid it. My old roommate was using it too before most of us even knew what it was. Most of the people commenting about this still do not know what Andro was. And it is because he did not hide it that much of this PED controversy exists today around the game of baseball. Androstendione was not illegal or even considered an anabolic steroid at the time McGwire was using it. You could have bought some yourself from many different legal sources. It was reclassified in 2004 when the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 was introduced into the United States Senate.***
***If people in this country were assigned jobs based on their intelligence and focus on what actually matters most of the Senators speaking out in what I call the Steroid Trials (and their media lackeys) would find themselves working for Burger King.
I have read many different articles in the last week or so and hundreds of comments by the readers of those articles that make claims that are just not true or fair. Today I read an article that basically claimed that McGwire was responsible for the suicide of two kids who used steroids. No. No he is not. If a kid is using steroids that responsibility lies with the kid himself, his parents and the people of responsibility around him. I have read the McGwire ruined baseball despite the fact that when he was hitting all those homeruns for the St. Louis Cardinals he was being labeled the savior of baseball. I have read that Mark McGwire now hides from the public scrutiny he deserves because he is so ashamed of his steroid use, and his lies. First, what lies? Can someone please show me when McGwire was proved a liar about anything to do with baseball or him using any form of PED? Second, when has Mark McGwire ever sought out media attention? Remember how when McGwire was hitting all those homeruns and everyone loved him and was anxious to hear his every waking thought, that he avoided the media like the plague. Seems like the kind of guy who avoids public speaking whenever possible.
You do not have to like Mark McGwire. I am certain he has habits that may annoy people. Maybe he clips his nails at the kitchen table or he leaves hair on the bar of soap in the shower. But I think it is wrong to punish the man over something that probably had little impact (if any at all, if he even did anything wrong which is not so certain as it is usually made out to be) on his career as a whole and most certainly did not hurt anybody or cause anybody to hurt themselves.
Below this great photo I discuss the reaction to McGwire's return by the dumber members of the mainstream media and their parroting groupies.
There is no proof that Mark McGwire ever used any illegal drugs before, during or after his baseball career ended. We know that he used Andro, because he never hid it. My old roommate was using it too before most of us even knew what it was. Most of the people commenting about this still do not know what Andro was. And it is because he did not hide it that much of this PED controversy exists today around the game of baseball. Androstendione was not illegal or even considered an anabolic steroid at the time McGwire was using it. You could have bought some yourself from many different legal sources. It was reclassified in 2004 when the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 was introduced into the United States Senate.***
***If people in this country were assigned jobs based on their intelligence and focus on what actually matters most of the Senators speaking out in what I call the Steroid Trials (and their media lackeys) would find themselves working for Burger King.
I have read many different articles in the last week or so and hundreds of comments by the readers of those articles that make claims that are just not true or fair. Today I read an article that basically claimed that McGwire was responsible for the suicide of two kids who used steroids. No. No he is not. If a kid is using steroids that responsibility lies with the kid himself, his parents and the people of responsibility around him. I have read the McGwire ruined baseball despite the fact that when he was hitting all those homeruns for the St. Louis Cardinals he was being labeled the savior of baseball. I have read that Mark McGwire now hides from the public scrutiny he deserves because he is so ashamed of his steroid use, and his lies. First, what lies? Can someone please show me when McGwire was proved a liar about anything to do with baseball or him using any form of PED? Second, when has Mark McGwire ever sought out media attention? Remember how when McGwire was hitting all those homeruns and everyone loved him and was anxious to hear his every waking thought, that he avoided the media like the plague. Seems like the kind of guy who avoids public speaking whenever possible.
You do not have to like Mark McGwire. I am certain he has habits that may annoy people. Maybe he clips his nails at the kitchen table or he leaves hair on the bar of soap in the shower. But I think it is wrong to punish the man over something that probably had little impact (if any at all, if he even did anything wrong which is not so certain as it is usually made out to be) on his career as a whole and most certainly did not hurt anybody or cause anybody to hurt themselves.
2010 Sleeper: James Loney
Loney is precisely the kind of player that savvy owners can collect at bargain rates. It seems like he has been around forever and his surface stats seem to reflect a player that has reached his level and has nothing else to offer. But he's young, he has tools, and best of all he has the skills to do almost anything with a bat in his hands. James Loney will be on quite a few of my fantasy squads this season. We have not seen the best of Loney yet.
So, what do you think?
| Season | Team | BB% | K% | BB/K | OBP | SLG | ISO | Spd | BABIP | wOBA |
| 2006 | Dodgers (AAA) | 8.00% | 9.30% | 0.94 | 0.426 | 0.546 | 0.167 | 4.6 | 0.404 | 0.422 |
| 2006 | Dodgers | 7.30% | 9.80% | 0.80 | 0.342 | 0.559 | 0.275 | 6.2 | 0.284 | 0.377 |
| 2006 | Dodgers | 20.00% | 0.00% | 1.00 | 0.800 | 0.750 | 0.000 | 0.1 | 0.750 | 0.675 |
| 2006 | Average | 8.70% | 18.90% | 0.50 | 0.337 | 0.432 | 0.163 | 5 | 0.305 | 0.332 |
| 2007 | Dodgers (AAA) | 9.70% | 20.60% | 0.52 | 0.345 | 0.382 | 0.103 | 3.3 | 0.348 | 0.322 |
| 2007 | Dodgers | 7.50% | 14.00% | 0.58 | 0.381 | 0.538 | 0.206 | 2.8 | 0.352 | 0.389 |
| 2008 | Dodgers | 7.00% | 14.30% | 0.53 | 0.338 | 0.434 | 0.145 | 4.2 | 0.320 | 0.333 |
| 2008 | Dodgers | 9.10% | 23.30% | 0.43 | 0.394 | 0.533 | 0.200 | 0.1 | 0.409 | 0.393 |
| 2009 | Dodgers | 10.80% | 11.80% | 1.03 | 0.357 | 0.399 | 0.118 | 3.6 | 0.301 | 0.332 |
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The Baseball Bloggers Alliance MVPs are...
The Baseball Bloggers Alliance has just released the winners of the American League and National League MVP awards. As a proud new member of the Alliance it gives me great pride to say that we got it exactly right.
The American League MVP is Joe Mauer. The National League MVP is Albert Pujols.
You can check out all the details of the voting on the Baseball Bloggers Alliance Site.
The Baseball Bloggers Alliance was formed in the fall of 2009 to encourage cooperation and collaboration between baseball bloggers of all major league teams as well as those that follow baseball more generally. As of this writing, the organization consists of 90 blogs spanning 28 of the 30 major league squads as well as those that focus on general baseball writing.
The BBA is organized under a similar structure as the Baseball Writers of America, where blogs that follow the same team are combined into “chapters” and only two votes from the chapter on an award are counted. Those blogs that are not dedicated to a specific team are allowed to vote on either the American League or National League award, but not both.
The American League MVP is Joe Mauer. The National League MVP is Albert Pujols.
You can check out all the details of the voting on the Baseball Bloggers Alliance Site.
The Baseball Bloggers Alliance was formed in the fall of 2009 to encourage cooperation and collaboration between baseball bloggers of all major league teams as well as those that follow baseball more generally. As of this writing, the organization consists of 90 blogs spanning 28 of the 30 major league squads as well as those that focus on general baseball writing.
The BBA is organized under a similar structure as the Baseball Writers of America, where blogs that follow the same team are combined into “chapters” and only two votes from the chapter on an award are counted. Those blogs that are not dedicated to a specific team are allowed to vote on either the American League or National League award, but not both.
Empire State of Mind
I have to work tonight. That means I will not get to see the World Series tonight which bothers me more than you might think possible. I never miss the World Series, especially when the New York Yankees are involved. Yes, I am a Yankees fan. Alex Rodriguez has really shown his stuff the last few weeks. Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are the old and steady hands. Andy Pettitte is just plain clutch. I'll have the game on in some silent form tonight. Damn the rules. But the nature of my job means that even then I won't see much of it.
I love that the Yankees are facing this Philadelphia Phillies team. It has so many great players on it. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard to Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino are just awesome, I'd love to have any of these guys in New York. The pitching should be great for both teams as well. I expect this to be a tight, well fought series. It may not go seven games but both teams will know they were in a battle.
And now the new anthem of New York City... (there is a video, for you RSS types, come check it out)
I love that the Yankees are facing this Philadelphia Phillies team. It has so many great players on it. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard to Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino are just awesome, I'd love to have any of these guys in New York. The pitching should be great for both teams as well. I expect this to be a tight, well fought series. It may not go seven games but both teams will know they were in a battle.
And now the new anthem of New York City... (there is a video, for you RSS types, come check it out)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
2010 Free Agents: Starting Pitchers
Josh Beckett will definitely have his option picked up by the Boston Red Sox. But this list is a lot stronger than we've been led to believe by the bigger media guys. If I ran a team like the Washington Nationals I'd be all over Ben Sheets, Brandon Webb (if the D'Backs are actually dumb enough to let him go), Rich Harden, John Smoltz, Justin Duchscherer, and Randy Wolf. Sure, there is a bunch of risk there, but the upside is incredible and the discounts should be substantial.
Key Sleepers: Justin Duchscherer, Kelvim Escobar
Starting Pitchers
Brandon Backe HOU
Josh Beckett * BOS
Erik Bedard SEA (B)
Daniel Cabrera ARZ
Bartolo Colon CWS
Jose Contreras COL
Doug Davis ARZ (B)
Justin Duchscherer OAK (B)
Adam Eaton COL
Kelvim Escobar LAA
Jon Garland * LAD (B)
Tom Glavine ATL
Mike Hampton HOU
Rich Harden CHC (B)
Livan Hernandez WAS
Tim Hudson * ATL - got his wish Thursday after completing a three-year, $28 million extension that includes a fourth-year option for 2013.
Randy Johnson SF (B)
John Lackey LAA (A)
Cliff Lee * PHI (A)
Braden Looper * MIL (B)
Jason Marquis COL (B)
Kevin Millwood * TEX
Brett Myers PHI
Vicente Padilla * LAD (B)
Carl Pavano MIN (B)
Brad Penny SF - Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports the Cardinals have agreed to terms with Brad Penny on a one-year, $7.5 million.
Odalis Perez WAS
Andy Pettitte NYY (B) - Veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte and the New York Yankees have agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $11.75 million, major league sources tell ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
Joel Pineiro STL (B)
Sidney Ponson KC
Jason Schmidt LAD
John Smoltz STL
Tim Wakefield * BOS (B)
Jarrod Washburn DET
Todd Wellemeyer STL
Randy Wolf (A) - The Brewers on Wednesday succeeded in luring free agent left-hander Randy Wolf with a three-year contract that reportedly includes a club option for a fourth year. Other reports followed, including one in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, saying Wolf is guaranteed about $29 million. Other reports on the value of the contract's first three years ranged from $27 million to $30 million.
The Dodgers signed pitcher Josh Towers to a minor league deal worth $700K in the Majors, according to the AP.
Key Sleepers: Justin Duchscherer, Kelvim Escobar
Starting Pitchers
Brandon Backe HOU
Josh Beckett * BOS
Erik Bedard SEA (B)
Daniel Cabrera ARZ
Bartolo Colon CWS
Jose Contreras COL
Doug Davis ARZ (B)
Justin Duchscherer OAK (B)
Adam Eaton COL
Kelvim Escobar LAA
Jon Garland * LAD (B)
Tom Glavine ATL
Mike Hampton HOU
Rich Harden CHC (B)
Livan Hernandez WAS
Tim Hudson * ATL - got his wish Thursday after completing a three-year, $28 million extension that includes a fourth-year option for 2013.
Randy Johnson SF (B)
John Lackey LAA (A)
Cliff Lee * PHI (A)
Braden Looper * MIL (B)
Jason Marquis COL (B)
Kevin Millwood * TEX
Brett Myers PHI
Vicente Padilla * LAD (B)
Carl Pavano MIN (B)
Brad Penny SF - Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports the Cardinals have agreed to terms with Brad Penny on a one-year, $7.5 million.
Odalis Perez WAS
Andy Pettitte NYY (B) - Veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte and the New York Yankees have agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $11.75 million, major league sources tell ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
Joel Pineiro STL (B)
Sidney Ponson KC
Jason Schmidt LAD
John Smoltz STL
Tim Wakefield * BOS (B)
Jarrod Washburn DET
Todd Wellemeyer STL
Randy Wolf (A) - The Brewers on Wednesday succeeded in luring free agent left-hander Randy Wolf with a three-year contract that reportedly includes a club option for a fourth year. Other reports followed, including one in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, saying Wolf is guaranteed about $29 million. Other reports on the value of the contract's first three years ranged from $27 million to $30 million.
The Dodgers signed pitcher Josh Towers to a minor league deal worth $700K in the Majors, according to the AP.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
2010 Free Agents: Outfielders
Obviously, some of these guys won't actually become available. I think Magglio Ordonez, for example, has earned his option by hitting his target at-bat total. It seems unlikely that would opt out of the deal after his not so hot season but i suppose stranger things have happened. The big market teams will all be chasing Matt Holliday and to a slightly lesser extent Jason Bay. But there are a bunch of very solid players on this list. Bobby Abreu is aging but still a very effective player. Rick Ankiel has monster power potential. Marlon Byrd finally looks like that star player he could have been years ago. Johnny Damon isn't much on defense any longer but he's still a nice leadoff hitter. I bet Brian Giles has some years left in him if he can only escape from Petco Hell. Vlad. Manny. You could add some serious runs to your lineup picking from this collection.
Key Sleepers: Rick Ankiel, Brian Giles, Austin Kearns
Outfielders
Bobby Abreu LAA (A)
Garret Anderson ATL (B)
Rick Ankiel STL
Rocco Baldelli BOS
Jason Bay BOS (A)
Marlon Byrd TEX (B)
Mike Cameron MIL (B)
Frank Catalanotto TEX
Endy Chavez SEA
Coco Crisp * KC - The Royals bought its way out of 2010 contract option on outfielder Coco Crisp for $500,000
Carl Crawford * TB (B) - Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said after deciding to pick up Carl Crawford's $10 million option for 2010 that the All-Star leftfielder "is a big part of what we've accomplished and what we will accomplish in the future."
Johnny Damon NYY (A)
David Dellucci CLE
Jermaine Dye * CWS (A)
Darin Erstad HOU
Cliff Floyd SD
Ryan Freel TEX
Brian Giles SD (B)
Ken Griffey Jr. SEA - The Mariners re-signed Griffey as a veteran left-handed bat off the bench and insurance
Vladimir Guerrero LAA (A)
Eric Hinske NYY
Matt Holliday STL (A)
Geoff Jenkins * PHI
Reed Johnson CHC
Andruw Jones TEX
Gabe Kapler TB
Austin Kearns * WAS
Mark Kotsay CHW
Hideki Matusi NYY (B) - The 35-year-old designated hitter has reached an agreement with the Angels on a one-year, $6.5 million contract, pending the results of a physical.
Jason Michaels CLE
Xavier Nady NYY (B)
Magglio Ordonez * DET
Scott Podsednik CHW
Manny Ramirez * LAD (A)
Dave Roberts SF
Gary Sheffield NYM
Fernando Tatis NYM (B)
Randy Winn SF (B)
Key Sleepers: Rick Ankiel, Brian Giles, Austin Kearns
Outfielders
Bobby Abreu LAA (A)
Garret Anderson ATL (B)
Rick Ankiel STL
Rocco Baldelli BOS
Jason Bay BOS (A)
Marlon Byrd TEX (B)
Mike Cameron MIL (B)
Frank Catalanotto TEX
Endy Chavez SEA
Coco Crisp * KC - The Royals bought its way out of 2010 contract option on outfielder Coco Crisp for $500,000
Carl Crawford * TB (B) - Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said after deciding to pick up Carl Crawford's $10 million option for 2010 that the All-Star leftfielder "is a big part of what we've accomplished and what we will accomplish in the future."
Johnny Damon NYY (A)
David Dellucci CLE
Jermaine Dye * CWS (A)
Darin Erstad HOU
Cliff Floyd SD
Ryan Freel TEX
Brian Giles SD (B)
Ken Griffey Jr. SEA - The Mariners re-signed Griffey as a veteran left-handed bat off the bench and insurance
Vladimir Guerrero LAA (A)
Eric Hinske NYY
Matt Holliday STL (A)
Geoff Jenkins * PHI
Reed Johnson CHC
Andruw Jones TEX
Gabe Kapler TB
Austin Kearns * WAS
Mark Kotsay CHW
Hideki Matusi NYY (B) - The 35-year-old designated hitter has reached an agreement with the Angels on a one-year, $6.5 million contract, pending the results of a physical.
Jason Michaels CLE
Xavier Nady NYY (B)
Magglio Ordonez * DET
Scott Podsednik CHW
Manny Ramirez * LAD (A)
Dave Roberts SF
Gary Sheffield NYM
Fernando Tatis NYM (B)
Randy Winn SF (B)
Friday, October 23, 2009
More on Aroldis Chapman
More on Aroldis Chapman, a hat tip to Drunken Jays Fans for posting this video for me to steal. Aroldis is in New York waiting to meet with the Yankees Brass. As much as I'd love to see him on the Yanks I think it would be even cooler to see him sign with the Washington Nationals. They could sign El Duque to a minor league contract and try to acquire Jose Contreras and they'd be nice filler as the team waited for its prospects to develop. It would also give the Nats two of the best pitching prospects in the sport.
Albertin Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 185 lb.
Born: February, 28, 1988 in Cayo MambÃ, Frank PaÃs, HolguÃn, Cuba
* Has a wife and young daughter as well as parents and two sisters still living in Cuba
* Holds the Cuban National Series record for fastest pitch thrown in a game at 102 mph.
* Has a fastball (two seam or four seam), sinking fastball, curveball, slider, changeup and a forkball
* Led the Cuban National Series twice in strikeouts in 2006-2007 and 2008-2009.
* Was recognized as the top left handed pitcher in Baseball World Cup in 2007.
* Defected from the Cuban National Team on July 1, 2009 while participating in the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands
* Signed a representation agreement with Athletes Premier International (API) for contract negotiation and marketing on July 13, 2009
* Obtained provisional passive residency status in the country of Andorra on September 21, 2009
* On September 25, 2009 was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball following their investigation and the United States Department of the Treasury licensed Chapman as an unblocked National of Cuba
Cuban National Series - HolguÃn
G GS GF GR W L PCT SHO SV IP AB BF H AVG R ER ERA SO BB IBB 2B 3B HR HBP WP
2005-06 15 15 0 0 3 5 .375 0 0 54 200 263 48 .240 33 26 4.33 56 54 1 7 0 5 5 3
2006-07 23 12 0 11 4 3 .571 0 7 81.1 285 350 59 .207 26 25 2.77 100 50 0 8 1 4 9 5
2007-08 16 16 2 0 6 7 .462 1 0 74 275 324 55 .200 36 32 3.89 79 37 2 10 3 3 8 1
2008-09 22 20 1 2 11 4 .733 0 0 118.1 433 515 109 .252 56 53 4.03 130 62 2 16 0 7 9 14
2009 P’OFFS 2 2 1 0 0 2 .000 0 0 14 51 60 12 .235 6 5 3.21 14 7 1 2 0 1 1 0
TOTALS 78 65 4 13 24 21 .533 1 7 341.2 1244 1512 283 .227 157 141 3.72 379 210 6 43 4 20 32 23
International Competition
2007 Pan American Games - Gold Medalist
IP K
1 2
2007 Baseball World Cup - Silver Medalist
Game G JP IP R ER H SO BB HR WP
VS. SO KOREA 1 0 7 2 2 6 9 1 0 0
VS. JAPAN 1 0 8 1 1 3 11 2 0 1
TOTALS 2 15 3 3 9 20 3 0 1
2009 World Baseball Classic
G GS CG W L SHO SV IP H R ER ERA HR HB BB SO WHIP HLD GF
2 2 0 0 1 0 0 6.1 6 4 4 5.68 0 0 4 8 1.58 0 0
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2009/10/mets-meeting-with-cuban-defect.html#ixzz0Up3ssP1w
Albertin Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 185 lb.
Born: February, 28, 1988 in Cayo MambÃ, Frank PaÃs, HolguÃn, Cuba
* Has a wife and young daughter as well as parents and two sisters still living in Cuba
* Holds the Cuban National Series record for fastest pitch thrown in a game at 102 mph.
* Has a fastball (two seam or four seam), sinking fastball, curveball, slider, changeup and a forkball
* Led the Cuban National Series twice in strikeouts in 2006-2007 and 2008-2009.
* Was recognized as the top left handed pitcher in Baseball World Cup in 2007.
* Defected from the Cuban National Team on July 1, 2009 while participating in the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands
* Signed a representation agreement with Athletes Premier International (API) for contract negotiation and marketing on July 13, 2009
* Obtained provisional passive residency status in the country of Andorra on September 21, 2009
* On September 25, 2009 was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball following their investigation and the United States Department of the Treasury licensed Chapman as an unblocked National of Cuba
Cuban National Series - HolguÃn
G GS GF GR W L PCT SHO SV IP AB BF H AVG R ER ERA SO BB IBB 2B 3B HR HBP WP
2005-06 15 15 0 0 3 5 .375 0 0 54 200 263 48 .240 33 26 4.33 56 54 1 7 0 5 5 3
2006-07 23 12 0 11 4 3 .571 0 7 81.1 285 350 59 .207 26 25 2.77 100 50 0 8 1 4 9 5
2007-08 16 16 2 0 6 7 .462 1 0 74 275 324 55 .200 36 32 3.89 79 37 2 10 3 3 8 1
2008-09 22 20 1 2 11 4 .733 0 0 118.1 433 515 109 .252 56 53 4.03 130 62 2 16 0 7 9 14
2009 P’OFFS 2 2 1 0 0 2 .000 0 0 14 51 60 12 .235 6 5 3.21 14 7 1 2 0 1 1 0
TOTALS 78 65 4 13 24 21 .533 1 7 341.2 1244 1512 283 .227 157 141 3.72 379 210 6 43 4 20 32 23
International Competition
2007 Pan American Games - Gold Medalist
IP K
1 2
2007 Baseball World Cup - Silver Medalist
Game G JP IP R ER H SO BB HR WP
VS. SO KOREA 1 0 7 2 2 6 9 1 0 0
VS. JAPAN 1 0 8 1 1 3 11 2 0 1
TOTALS 2 15 3 3 9 20 3 0 1
2009 World Baseball Classic
G GS CG W L SHO SV IP H R ER ERA HR HB BB SO WHIP HLD GF
2 2 0 0 1 0 0 6.1 6 4 4 5.68 0 0 4 8 1.58 0 0
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2009/10/mets-meeting-with-cuban-defect.html#ixzz0Up3ssP1w
Dan Szymborski's 2010 ZiPS Projections
While I don't like to rely on them, I enjoy looking at the numbers various projection systems from Dan Szymborski's ZIPs, Bill James' The Bill James Handbook 2010
, and Chone Projections tend to release before most fantasy books come out. I'll keep updating this post as I find more.
2010 ZiPS Projections - Cincinnati Reds
2010 ZiPS Projections - Colorado Rockies
2010 ZiPS Projections - Kansas City Royals
2010 ZiPS Projections - Detroit Tigers
2010 ZiPS Projections - Minnesota Twins
2010 ZiPS Projections - Chicago White Sox
2010 ZiPS Projections - New York Yankees
2009 ZiPS Projections - Los Angeles Dodgers
New:
2010 ZiPS Projections - Tampa Bay Rays
2010 ZiPS Projections - Boston Red Sox
, and Chone Projections tend to release before most fantasy books come out. I'll keep updating this post as I find more.2010 ZiPS Projections - Cincinnati Reds
2010 ZiPS Projections - Colorado Rockies
2010 ZiPS Projections - Kansas City Royals
2010 ZiPS Projections - Detroit Tigers
2010 ZiPS Projections - Minnesota Twins
2010 ZiPS Projections - Chicago White Sox
2010 ZiPS Projections - New York Yankees
2009 ZiPS Projections - Los Angeles Dodgers
New:
2010 ZiPS Projections - Tampa Bay Rays
2010 ZiPS Projections - Boston Red Sox
AFL Update: Stephen Strasburg
The Nationals Rotation Ace of the Future, Stephen Strasburg made his second appearance in the Arizona Fall League yesterday. It did not go uite as well as the first one. Actually it was a lot different in that he allowed eight runs (seven earned) over 2 and 2/3 innings. But in the AFL this should not be taken too seriously. This is definitely a hitters league. Every team is essentially a minor league All-Star team. Plus, pitchers are often working on things like developing a change-up or learning to work around the zone.
Harry Pavlidis of Beyond the Box Score has done some great work analyzing Strasburg's pitches. That you should definitely read to get some insight into the pitcher that everyone is talking about. Here is a small sample:
Harry Pavlidis of Beyond the Box Score has done some great work analyzing Strasburg's pitches. That you should definitely read to get some insight into the pitcher that everyone is talking about. Here is a small sample:
Beyond the speed gap of 7 or 8 mph (very nice), Strasburg's change "sank" about six inches relative to the fastball, which is brutal. If he's hiding that thing at all, yikes. If today was any indication, he was. He kept it out of the zone (30%), but every one he threw for a strike yielded a swing. Two of the seven balls were chased. Of the five total swings, three found nothing but air. Two made contact, on the ground, which still didn't work out well. Both were singles.You can check out the details of the outing including who did what damage by reading Barry M. Bloom's report on Nationals (dot) com.
Strasburg allowed eight earned runs and seven hits, including three homers (one a grand slam), in a 9-6 loss to the Peoria Javelinas. It was his first look at that kind of disaster. Take note that he gave up only 16 earned runs in 15 college starts this season for San Diego State, for which he was 13-1 with a 1.32 ERA during his junior year.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
2010 Free Agents: Third Basemen
I would love to see what Adrian Beltre can do when he isn't in a stadium that kills right-handed power hitters. The Red Sox should sign him. Think of the damage he could do there. Would anyone sign Jerry Hairston to be a true starter?
Key Sleepers: Adrain Beltre, Jerry Hairston
Third Basemen
Garrett Atkins - signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. The deal includes an $8.5 million club option with a $500,000 buyout.
Adrian Beltre SEA (B)
Geoff Blum HOU - Re-Signed with Houston Astros one-year, $1.5 million contract for 2010 with a mutual option for 2011 worth $1.65 million.
Craig Counsell MIL
Joe Crede MIN
Mark DeRosa STL (B)
Pedro Feliz * PHI
Chone Figgins LAA (B) - The Mariners reached a preliminary agreement (pending a physical) with former Angel Chone Figgins worth $36 million over four years.
Troy Glaus STL (A)
Jerry Hairston NYY (B)
Mike Lamb MIL
Melvin Mora * BAL (B)
Juan Uribe SF
Key Sleepers: Adrain Beltre, Jerry Hairston
Third Basemen
Garrett Atkins - signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. The deal includes an $8.5 million club option with a $500,000 buyout.
Adrian Beltre SEA (B)
Geoff Blum HOU - Re-Signed with Houston Astros one-year, $1.5 million contract for 2010 with a mutual option for 2011 worth $1.65 million.
Craig Counsell MIL
Joe Crede MIN
Mark DeRosa STL (B)
Pedro Feliz * PHI
Chone Figgins LAA (B) - The Mariners reached a preliminary agreement (pending a physical) with former Angel Chone Figgins worth $36 million over four years.
Troy Glaus STL (A)
Jerry Hairston NYY (B)
Mike Lamb MIL
Melvin Mora * BAL (B)
Juan Uribe SF
2010 Free Agents: Shortstops
You won't load up on offense by signing any of these guys but a few of them had interesting seasons. Marco Scutaro had a second good season as a regular and deserves a couple of years from the Toronto Blue Jays. Adam Everett was less Everett-y than usual. I am really curious to see where Bobby Crosby signs. He was supposed to be quite a bit better than his results the last six years.
Key Sleepers: Bobby Crosby
Shortstops
Orlando Cabrera MIN (A)
Juan Castro LAD
Alex Cora NYM - New York Mets today announced they signed infielder Alex Cora to a one-year contract for the 2010 season with a vesting/club option for 2011.
Bobby Crosby OAK
Adam Everett DET - The Tigers re-signed free agent Adam Everett to a one-year deal to remain as their shortstop.
Alex Gonzalez * BOS - The Red Sox were prepared to offer Gonzalez a 1-year contract in the vicinity of $3 million, but the club wanted to first explore other options on the trade and free-agent markets. Rather than wait for the situation with Boston to resolve itself, Gonzalez opted to sign with the Blue Jays for approximately $2.75 million.
Khalil Greene STL
Ramon Martinez LAD
John McDonald TOR - Signed a two-year, US$3-million contract to return to the Toronto Blue Jays
Marco Scutaro TOR (A) - ESPN.com’s Buster Olney is reporting that Marco Scutaro will receive a guaranteed $12.5 million for two years, with the chance to push the deal to $17 million from the Boston Red Sox. According to Olney, Scutaro will receive a $1 million signing bonus and salaries of $5 million each in the next two seasons. There is then a mutual option that would allow the Sox to pick up Scutaro for a third year at $6 million. If the Sox decline their option,then Scutaro could either exercise a $3 million player option, or he could take a $1.5 million buyout.
Miguel Tejada HOU
Jack Wilson * SEA - The Mariners signed shortstop Jack Wilson to a two-year deal, according to a team press release, the deal is believed to be worth a total of $10MM.
Key Sleepers: Bobby Crosby
Shortstops
Orlando Cabrera MIN (A)
Juan Castro LAD
Alex Cora NYM - New York Mets today announced they signed infielder Alex Cora to a one-year contract for the 2010 season with a vesting/club option for 2011.
Bobby Crosby OAK
Adam Everett DET - The Tigers re-signed free agent Adam Everett to a one-year deal to remain as their shortstop.
Alex Gonzalez * BOS - The Red Sox were prepared to offer Gonzalez a 1-year contract in the vicinity of $3 million, but the club wanted to first explore other options on the trade and free-agent markets. Rather than wait for the situation with Boston to resolve itself, Gonzalez opted to sign with the Blue Jays for approximately $2.75 million.
Khalil Greene STL
Ramon Martinez LAD
John McDonald TOR - Signed a two-year, US$3-million contract to return to the Toronto Blue Jays
Marco Scutaro TOR (A) - ESPN.com’s Buster Olney is reporting that Marco Scutaro will receive a guaranteed $12.5 million for two years, with the chance to push the deal to $17 million from the Boston Red Sox. According to Olney, Scutaro will receive a $1 million signing bonus and salaries of $5 million each in the next two seasons. There is then a mutual option that would allow the Sox to pick up Scutaro for a third year at $6 million. If the Sox decline their option,then Scutaro could either exercise a $3 million player option, or he could take a $1.5 million buyout.
Miguel Tejada HOU
Jack Wilson * SEA - The Mariners signed shortstop Jack Wilson to a two-year deal, according to a team press release, the deal is believed to be worth a total of $10MM.
2010 Free Agents: Second Baseman
I know Joe Torre was dumb enough to play Ron Belliard over Orlando Hudson since the former joined the Dodgers. But could he be dumb enough to convince the Dodgers to sign Belliard long term? There are some decent vets on this list but no one that makes you want to clear a space or spend a ton of money. If my team had an opening Hudson would be my first choice. If I were strapped for cash I'd go with Placido Polanco.
Key Sleepers: Akinori Iwamura, Felipe Lopez
Second Basemen
Marlon Anderson NYM
Ron Belliard LAD (B)
Jamey Carroll CLE
David Eckstein SD
Orlando Hudson LAD (A)
Omar Infante ATL
Felipe Lopez MIL (A)
Mark Loretta LAD
Placido Polanco DET (A) - Polanco signed a 3-year, $18 million contract to play third base for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Freddy Sanchez * SF (A) - re-signed with the SanFrancisco Giants for two years and $12million
Key Sleepers: Akinori Iwamura, Felipe Lopez
Second Basemen
Marlon Anderson NYM
Ron Belliard LAD (B)
Jamey Carroll CLE
David Eckstein SD
Orlando Hudson LAD (A)
Omar Infante ATL
Felipe Lopez MIL (A)
Mark Loretta LAD
Placido Polanco DET (A) - Polanco signed a 3-year, $18 million contract to play third base for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Freddy Sanchez * SF (A) - re-signed with the SanFrancisco Giants for two years and $12million
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
2010 Free Agents: First Basemen
Hank Blalock and Russell Branyan had big years in 2009. But will they be able to find the at-bats (or stay healthy) in 2010? Bookmark this page as it will be updated as players sign or re-sign with teams.
Key Sleepers: Russell Branyan, Chad Tracy
First Basemen
Hank Blalock TEX
Russell Branyan SEA
Carlos Delgado NYM (B)
Nomar Garciaparra OAK
Jason Giambi COL
Ross Gload * FLA
Aubrey Huff DET (B)
Nick Johnson FLA (B) - Yankees have come to terms with Nick Johnson on a one-year deal worth a reported $5.75 million plus incentives to replace Matsui as their designated hitter.
Adam LaRoche ATL (B)
Kevin Millar TOR
Robb Quinlan LAA
Matt Stairs PHI
Mike Sweeney SEA
Jim Thome LAD
Chad Tracy ARZ
Key Sleepers: Russell Branyan, Chad Tracy
First Basemen
Hank Blalock TEX
Russell Branyan SEA
Carlos Delgado NYM (B)
Nomar Garciaparra OAK
Jason Giambi COL
Ross Gload * FLA
Aubrey Huff DET (B)
Nick Johnson FLA (B) - Yankees have come to terms with Nick Johnson on a one-year deal worth a reported $5.75 million plus incentives to replace Matsui as their designated hitter.
Adam LaRoche ATL (B)
Kevin Millar TOR
Robb Quinlan LAA
Matt Stairs PHI
Mike Sweeney SEA
Jim Thome LAD
Chad Tracy ARZ
Monday, October 19, 2009
2010 Free Agents: Catchers
Seattle Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima has chosen to opt out of his contract with the Mariners and become a free agent. His name is thus added to the below list of potential 2010 Free Agents. The list is short and frankly Johjima is now probably the best name on the list. I assume that Johjima would be a Class A Free Agent but I'm not sure of that yet. It may not matter because Johjima is saying he wants to return to Japan to finish his career.
Key Sleepers: none
Catchers
Rod Barajas TOR (B)
Josh Bard BOS
Michael Barrett TOR
Henry Blanco SD - The Mets finalized a one-year, $1.5 million deal with catcher Henry Blanco
Ramon Castro CWS
Chris Coste - The Mets have agreed to a one-year contract with Chris Coste
Ramon Hernandez * CIN (B)
Kenji Johjima --Former Seattle Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima agreed to join the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Central League.
Jason Kendall MIL (B) - Kendall, 35, reached agreement Friday with the Royals on a two-year contract believed to be valued around $6 million
Jason LaRue STL - The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that veteran catcher Jason LaRue has agreed to a one-year contract for the 2010 season.
Chad Moeller BAL
Benji Molina SF (A)
Jose Molina NYY
Miguel Olivo * KC (B) - Olivo received $100,000 from the Royals as a buyout on his $3.3 million mutual option.
Mike Redmond MIN
Ivan Rodriguez TEX (B) - Ivan Rodriguez signed a two year $6 million deal with the Washington Nationals.
Brian Schneider NYM - Brian Schneider signed a two-year contract with the Phillies, Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.
Yorvit Torrealba * COL (B)
Jason Varitek * BOS (B) - Jason Varitek, C, Red Sox - He decided pretty quickly after the Sox declined his $5 million option that he was picking up his $3 million deal. However, there were 48 hours of a “let’s see if we can get some incentives changed’’ tango. The Sox feel Varitek will be a good backup catcher and will continue to help Victor Martinez. And no, the Sox will not strip the “C’’ off his jersey. The Sox might have considered Mark Wagner as their backup if Varitek had not returned.
Gregg Zaun * TB - Catcher Gregg Zaun and the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to a $2.15 million, one-year contract.
"After lots of very deep thought and deliberation, I have decided to return home to resume my career in Japan," Johjima said in a statement released by the Mariners. "I have had a wonderful experience competing at the major-league level. The last four years have been extraordinary, with great teammates and great coaches. I will always be indebted to the Mariners organization for giving me the opportunity to follow my dream. This was a very difficult decision, both professionally and personally. I feel now is the time to go home, while I still can perform at a very high level. Playing close to family and friends was a major factor. I will miss the Seattle fans and their gracious support. Thank you all."Bookmark this post as it will be updated as players begin to sign or re-sign with teams.
Key Sleepers: none
Catchers
Rod Barajas TOR (B)
Josh Bard BOS
Michael Barrett TOR
Henry Blanco SD - The Mets finalized a one-year, $1.5 million deal with catcher Henry Blanco
Ramon Castro CWS
Chris Coste - The Mets have agreed to a one-year contract with Chris Coste
Ramon Hernandez * CIN (B)
Kenji Johjima --Former Seattle Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima agreed to join the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Central League.
Jason Kendall MIL (B) - Kendall, 35, reached agreement Friday with the Royals on a two-year contract believed to be valued around $6 million
Jason LaRue STL - The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that veteran catcher Jason LaRue has agreed to a one-year contract for the 2010 season.
Chad Moeller BAL
Benji Molina SF (A)
Jose Molina NYY
Miguel Olivo * KC (B) - Olivo received $100,000 from the Royals as a buyout on his $3.3 million mutual option.
Mike Redmond MIN
Ivan Rodriguez TEX (B) - Ivan Rodriguez signed a two year $6 million deal with the Washington Nationals.
Brian Schneider NYM - Brian Schneider signed a two-year contract with the Phillies, Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.
Yorvit Torrealba * COL (B)
Jason Varitek * BOS (B) - Jason Varitek, C, Red Sox - He decided pretty quickly after the Sox declined his $5 million option that he was picking up his $3 million deal. However, there were 48 hours of a “let’s see if we can get some incentives changed’’ tango. The Sox feel Varitek will be a good backup catcher and will continue to help Victor Martinez. And no, the Sox will not strip the “C’’ off his jersey. The Sox might have considered Mark Wagner as their backup if Varitek had not returned.
Gregg Zaun * TB - Catcher Gregg Zaun and the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to a $2.15 million, one-year contract.
The Orioles on Tuesday, November 10th, signed minor league free agent catcher Michel Hernandez, who played in 35 games for the Tampa Bay Rays last season, batting .242 with a homer and 12 RBIs. He was 9-for-46 (.196) with six RBIs in 55 games with Triple-A Durham in 2009.
2010 Free Agents: Relief Pitchers
One of the most important things that Fantasy Owners must do in the off-season is track the players who change teams. New teams mean different park factors, different roles, and new teammates and coaches. The relief pitchers on this list include very few healthy, proven closers but several very good pitchers that could fill the role for a team trying to avoid the expense of a more proven ninth inning veteran. There are also several pitchers listed here as relievers who could find themselves in the mix as starters. Bookmark this post as it will be updated as players sign or re-sign with teams.
Key Sleepers: Joaquin Benoit, J.J. Putz, Tom Gordon
Relief Pitchers
Luis Ayala FLA
Danys Baez BAL
Miguel Batista SEA
Joe Beimel COL (B)
Joaquin Benoit TEX
Rafael Betancourt * COL (A)
Chad Bradford BAL
Doug Brocail * HOU (B)
Kiko Calero FLA (B)
Elmer Dessens NYM - The Associated Press is reporting that the Mets have re-signed reliever Elmer Dessens to a one-year, minor-league contract. Under the terms of the split deal, Dessens would earn $700K if makes New York's 40-man roster, and $90K if he pitches in the minors. He can earn an extra 30K if he makes 20 major league appearances, with an extra $30K then added for every additional 10 appearances.
Brendan Donnelly FLA
Octavio Dotel CWS (A)
Alan Embree COL
Scott Eyre PHI (B) - Scott Eyre will have loose bodies removed from his left elbow on Nov 9
Josh Fogg COL
Chad Fox CHC
Ryan Franklin * STL
Gary Glover WAS
Mike Gonzalez ATL (A) - Gonzalez gets a $12 million, two-year contract from the Orioles.
Tom Gordon ARZ
John Grabow CHC (A)
Kevin Gregg CHC (A)
Eddie Guardado TEX
LaTroy Hawkins HOU (A)
Mark Hendrickson BAL
Matt Herges COL
Trevor Hoffman MIL (A) - Re-signed with the Milwaukee Brewers
Bobby Howry SF (B)
Jason Isringhausen TB
Masahide Kobayashi * CLE
Brandon Lyon DET (B)
Ron Mahay MIN
Gary Majewski WAS
Guillermo Mota LAD (B)
Will Ohman * LAD (B)
Darren Oliver LAA (A)
Chan Ho Park PHI (B)
Troy Percival TB
J.J. Putz * NYM - The Mets officially declined J.J. Putz's $9.1 million option Friday, officially making him a free agent.
Juan Rincon COL
Fernando Rodney DET (B)
Takashi Saito BOS - The Braves made another move to strengthen their pitching staff Thursday, agreeing to a $3.2 million, one-year contract with reliever Takashi Saito.
Duaner Sanchez NYM
Scott Schoeneweis ARZ
Brian Shouse * TB (B)
Rafael Soriano ATL (A)
Russ Springer TB (B)
Brett Tomko OAK
Jose Valverde HOU (A)
Claudio Vargas MIL
Ron Villone WAS
Luis Vizcaino * COL
Billy Wagner BOS (A) - ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports the Atlanta Braves agreed with RP Billy Wagner (Red Sox) on a one-year, $7 million deal that includes a $6.5 million vesting option for 2011.
Jamie Walker BAL
David Weathers MIL - The Brewers decided not to exercise a $3.7 million option on reliever David Weathers. The club will pay him a $400,000 buyout.
Jeff Weaver LAD
Kip Wells CIN
Jamey Wright KC
Yasuhiko Yabuta - The Royals spent $500,000 in voiding their option on Yasuhiko Yabuta.
Key Sleepers: Joaquin Benoit, J.J. Putz, Tom Gordon
Relief Pitchers
Luis Ayala FLA
Danys Baez BAL
Miguel Batista SEA
Joe Beimel COL (B)
Joaquin Benoit TEX
Rafael Betancourt * COL (A)
Chad Bradford BAL
Doug Brocail * HOU (B)
Kiko Calero FLA (B)
Elmer Dessens NYM - The Associated Press is reporting that the Mets have re-signed reliever Elmer Dessens to a one-year, minor-league contract. Under the terms of the split deal, Dessens would earn $700K if makes New York's 40-man roster, and $90K if he pitches in the minors. He can earn an extra 30K if he makes 20 major league appearances, with an extra $30K then added for every additional 10 appearances.
Brendan Donnelly FLA
Octavio Dotel CWS (A)
Alan Embree COL
Scott Eyre PHI (B) - Scott Eyre will have loose bodies removed from his left elbow on Nov 9
Josh Fogg COL
Chad Fox CHC
Ryan Franklin * STL
Gary Glover WAS
Mike Gonzalez ATL (A) - Gonzalez gets a $12 million, two-year contract from the Orioles.
Tom Gordon ARZ
John Grabow CHC (A)
Kevin Gregg CHC (A)
Eddie Guardado TEX
LaTroy Hawkins HOU (A)
Mark Hendrickson BAL
Matt Herges COL
Trevor Hoffman MIL (A) - Re-signed with the Milwaukee Brewers
Bobby Howry SF (B)
Jason Isringhausen TB
Masahide Kobayashi * CLE
Brandon Lyon DET (B)
Ron Mahay MIN
Gary Majewski WAS
Guillermo Mota LAD (B)
Will Ohman * LAD (B)
Darren Oliver LAA (A)
Chan Ho Park PHI (B)
Troy Percival TB
J.J. Putz * NYM - The Mets officially declined J.J. Putz's $9.1 million option Friday, officially making him a free agent.
Juan Rincon COL
Fernando Rodney DET (B)
Takashi Saito BOS - The Braves made another move to strengthen their pitching staff Thursday, agreeing to a $3.2 million, one-year contract with reliever Takashi Saito.
Duaner Sanchez NYM
Scott Schoeneweis ARZ
Brian Shouse * TB (B)
Rafael Soriano ATL (A)
Russ Springer TB (B)
Brett Tomko OAK
Jose Valverde HOU (A)
Claudio Vargas MIL
Ron Villone WAS
Luis Vizcaino * COL
Billy Wagner BOS (A) - ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports the Atlanta Braves agreed with RP Billy Wagner (Red Sox) on a one-year, $7 million deal that includes a $6.5 million vesting option for 2011.
Jamie Walker BAL
David Weathers MIL - The Brewers decided not to exercise a $3.7 million option on reliever David Weathers. The club will pay him a $400,000 buyout.
Jeff Weaver LAD
Kip Wells CIN
Jamey Wright KC
Yasuhiko Yabuta - The Royals spent $500,000 in voiding their option on Yasuhiko Yabuta.
The Mets are close to a two-year deal with Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
Igarashi would help shore up the Mets bullpen as a capable setup man for closer Francisco Rodriguez, replacing Billy Wagner and J.J. Putz, who both left the team as free agents this offseason.
The Rockies moved quickly to fortify their bullpen Thursday (Nov.4th), signing Matt Belisle and Randy Flores to one-year deals. Here are the details of their contracts obtained by The Denver Post. Belisle agreed to a one-year, $850,000 deal that is not fully guaranteed because it’s an arbitration contract. He can make an additional $275,000 in incentives for games, beginning at 55 games and capping at 75. He can also make $200,000 for games finished in the event he ends up closing, starting at 40 games.
Proctor will sign a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves that includes both a minor league salary and a major league salary. Terms of the contract were not released by Rodgers, however, he did say the deal is similar to what Proctor had with Florida this season — that was a one-year contract worth $750,000 that included $250,000 in incentives.
The Pittsburgh Pirates today agreed to terms with left-handed pitcher Wilfredo Ledezma on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
2010 Free Agent: Aroldis Chapman
Larry Stone of the Seattle Times wrote of Cuban Defector Aroldis Chapman last week:
Envision a 21-year-old pitcher — left-handed, no less — that has lit up radar guns to the tune of 102 mph, drawing raves from scouts as the southpaw Stephen Strasburg. Now consider that this pitcher is not just a myth, but a living, breathing entity, who can be found these days in, of all places, Madrid. And just one other thing: He's a free agent, poised to sign in the upcoming weeks with a major-league team.Chapman is going to be one of the hottest free agents in the market this fall/winter. Teams are already lining up to make chair-breaking bids. The problem is Chapman unlike the last Cuban pitcher to draw this much interest, Jose Contreras, is not a finished product. He is a prospect. He is extremely raw with little beyond his extreme fastball to his arsenal. His control is just not good at this by most reports.
Fantasy owners with deep minor league systems may well want to take a chance with Chapman. Heck, I recommend that they do. But if you're thinking of Chapman as a player ready to make an impact in 2010 you need to re-think things. He's more Kendry Morales than Contreras.
Strasburg Wins in AFL Debut
Despite all the cautions you'll hear about the dangers of drafting rookie pitchers, Stephen Strasburg is likely to be a much discussed talent from now until April. Strasburg made his AFL debut on Friday to much fanfare. Here is a round-up of writing on the results:
Strasburg wins his professional debut(Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com)
Strasburg, taken first in June's First-Year Player Draft by the Nationals, threw 50 pitches -- 32 of them strikes -- for the Phoenix Desert Dogs. He faced 11 Scottsdale Scorpions hitters, walked one, struck out two, allowed a pair of singles and earned the win in his club's 7-4 victory. The two strikeouts came with one out in the first inning and were of the swinging variety.
Strasburg sparkles in AFL debut (Jason Grey /ESPN)
The first pitch was 99 miles per hour. That was how Washington Nationals prospect Stephen Strasburg announced his presence at the Arizona Fall League...As expected, Strasburg busted out the 88-91 mph changeup he rarely used as an amateur. Not only was it impressive, he used it as an out pitch in the first inning, getting both his strikeouts on changes with good tumble. He showed off a heavy two-seam fastball at 90-94 mph to go with the four-seamer, and his 82-84 mph slider was a solid 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale on this night, though I've seen it even better...It would shock me if he were not in the Nationals' opening day rotation.
Strasburg’s AFL Debut (Conor Glassey/Baseball America's Prospects Blog)
From a mechanical standpoint, the scout stated that Strasburg “gets a little forward with his arm and hand in his delivery. Also, his elbow gets closed up on top. I’m a little worried about his ability to drive downward all the time. He throws so hard and gets such ride and carry on his fastball, he can throw it up in the zone and get away with it. There are a few little red flags and he needs to clean up his delivery a bit. But the positives outweigh the negatives.”
I think the consensus says that Stephen Strasburg is going to be a force for the Washington Nationals and soon. I would not go out of my way to add a rookie pitcher to my roster but if he came easily and naturally enough (and at a rookie pitcher price) I would gladly accept his presence on my fantasy rosters in 2010.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Baseball Headlines and Observations
Rangers hitting Coach Rudy Jaramillo Will Not Return
Longtime hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo rejected a contract and will not return to the Texas Rangers next season, a team official said Wednesday... The Rangers' offense struggled in 2009, scoring 784 runs, the fewest since Jaramillo was hired before the 1995 season. The team batted .260, its lowest average since moving into Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in 1994. The disappointing season came after the Rangers hit .283 and scored a league-high 901 runs in 2008.
I believed the Rangers would make a great effort to bring effort to bring Jaramillo back in 2010. For all I know, they did just that. Perhaps Jaramillo had a problem with the way manager Ron Washington used the offense. I have no idea. I do know that Jaramillo is roundly considered one of if not the best hitting coach in the game. The Rangers will miss him. As for Ron Washington, I can't help but like him. He's an old-time baseball guy. A throwback to the days of the chewing, spitting, tough love, pitching and defense managers that our fathers remember and sometimes miss. But I have no idea if he is actually a good manager.
Ricketts Family Acquires 95 percent of the Chicago Cubs
The Ricketts family has signed a definitive agreement with Tribune Company to acquire a 95 percent interest in the Chicago Cubs National League Baseball Club, Wrigley Field and Tribune’s approximately 25 percent interest in Comcast SportsNet (CSN) in a transaction valued at $845 million.
The Tribune Company had a reputation as an owner who was more interested in profits than winning. They would make moves with marketing and filling the seats as a higher priority than actually winning a World Series. The former Red Sox ownership had the same type of reputation. I believe that it is now possible for the Cubs to now take a giant step forward as an organization. I'm looking forward to watching how this transaction changes the way the Cubs do business.
TBS Wins Big By Backing Baseball Playoffs
According to Media Week, the network enjoyed the best ratings of its 33-year history with its coverage of the first-round playoff series, averaging 5.41 million total viewers, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day ratings data. The network also set highs by averaging 2.54 million adults age 25 to 54, 2.46 million viewers 18 to 49 and 1.12 million viewers 18 to 34. According to the report, TBS owned seven of the week's 10 most-watched cable telecasts, including Game 3 of the Yankees-Twins American League DS on Oct. 11, which drew 6.79 million viewers. That series was the most watched among the four DS matchups, averaging 6.63 million total viewers. Baseball boosted TBS' ratings 232 percent over the previous week.
I still miss the days of TBS airing the Atlanta Braves games. As a Yankees fan trapped in Boston, I appreciated the ability to tune in on a team that I actually enjoyed watching. the Red Sox are a little more fun to watch these days but I still miss the old TBS. Heck, for that matter I also miss Ted Turner as the owner of the Braves. Here's a perfect example of how much ownership can change the direction of a baseball team.
Billy Wagner's Agent Disputes Retirement Claims
Billy Wagner's agent refuted Tuesday's reports that the closer, who just completed his 15th season and is 15 saves short of 400, is planning to retire. The New York Post reported Tuesday that when asked where he might play next season, Wagner responded: "I don't plan on talking to nobody." When asked if that meant he would retire, according to the newspaper, Wagner said: "Why wouldn't I? I've got nothing else to [accomplish]" On Wednesday, Wagner's agent, Bean Stringfellow, told media outlets that the left-hander had no intention of retiring. "He wants a ring and he did not do all that rehab just to quit now," Stringfellow said, according to FoxSports.com. "His family supports him fully."
In Boston the rumors are flying wild about a possible trade of closer Jonathan Papelbon. If this actually happened Wagner would be a solid option to bridge the gap between Papelbon and Daniel Bard who seems destined to become Boston's closer in the very near future. Boston has promised not to utilize the option they hold on Wagner for the 2010 season but they could still very easily work out a deal if the closer role were open.
The San Francisco Giants retain Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy
...Bochy and Sabean each received two-year contract extensions with a club option Tuesday after meeting with managing general partner Bill Neukom... Sabean is gearing up for a busy winter. One of his top priorities will be to upgrade the offense by adding a big bat in the middle of the order, though he's said that will be a challenge in this free-agent market.
I love the Giants but I have had my fair share of doubts over Brian Sabean's ability as General Manager. There is no doubt that the organization is loaded with quality young arms. However, Sabean has consistently chosen to go with older veterans rather than younger players with more upside. Part of that has been due to a severe lack in the farm system but that is also on him. I would love to see a great hitter in the middle of the Giants lineup surrounded by their young players at catcher and third base. But Sabean seems to struggle to make meaningful trades as demonstrated in the deadline deals this season. I have high hopes but little faith.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Top New York-Penn League Players of 2009
Top New York-Penn League Batters
Top 25 New York-Penn League Pitchers
| Name | Team | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG | ISO | Spd | BABIP | wOBA |
| Ryan Westmoreland | Red Sox | 14.60% | 22.00% | 0.296 | 0.401 | 0.484 | 0.188 | 7.4 | 0.353 | 0.427 |
| Julio Martinez | Astros | 7.40% | 16.00% | 0.326 | 0.38 | 0.54 | 0.214 | 3.8 | 0.36 | 0.417 |
| Sean Ochinko | Blue Jays | 7.80% | 13.80% | 0.324 | 0.382 | 0.527 | 0.202 | 3.4 | 0.353 | 0.415 |
| Neil Medchill | Yankees | 10.00% | 30.60% | 0.278 | 0.35 | 0.551 | 0.273 | 6.2 | 0.338 | 0.412 |
| Tyler Bortnick | Rays | 11.10% | 17.50% | 0.3 | 0.386 | 0.47 | 0.171 | 8.1 | 0.349 | 0.406 |
| Deangelo Mack | Yankees | 8.30% | 19.00% | 0.306 | 0.372 | 0.513 | 0.207 | 4.2 | 0.354 | 0.399 |
| Luke Murton | Yankees | 8.80% | 25.70% | 0.295 | 0.374 | 0.477 | 0.181 | 5.2 | 0.369 | 0.399 |
| Luis Rivera | Mets | 14.30% | 23.90% | 0.297 | 0.402 | 0.441 | 0.144 | 6.6 | 0.376 | 0.395 |
| Leandro Castro | Phillies | 4.80% | 19.10% | 0.316 | 0.351 | 0.512 | 0.195 | 8.2 | 0.37 | 0.393 |
| Sebastian Valle | Phillies | 5.00% | 21.40% | 0.307 | 0.335 | 0.531 | 0.224 | 3.9 | 0.366 | 0.39 |
| Derrik Gibson | Red Sox | 13.30% | 16.50% | 0.29 | 0.395 | 0.38 | 0.09 | 8.4 | 0.347 | 0.386 |
| Welinton Ramirez | Blue Jays | 4.80% | 25.00% | 0.318 | 0.353 | 0.477 | 0.159 | 6.4 | 0.414 | 0.385 |
| Brock Holt | Pirates | 9.30% | 12.20% | 0.299 | 0.361 | 0.449 | 0.15 | 6.6 | 0.323 | 0.383 |
| John Murrian | Tigers | 7.90% | 17.70% | 0.296 | 0.356 | 0.468 | 0.172 | 3.6 | 0.342 | 0.381 |
| Jordan Henry | Indians | 16.50% | 14.90% | 0.286 | 0.408 | 0.335 | 0.048 | 5.7 | 0.336 | 0.379 |
| Alan Ahmady | Cardinals | 16.20% | 21.40% | 0.292 | 0.407 | 0.391 | 0.099 | 3.3 | 0.362 | 0.377 |
| Rawley Bishop | Tigers | 10.50% | 20.00% | 0.282 | 0.378 | 0.439 | 0.157 | 5 | 0.337 | 0.376 |
| Evan Chambers | Pirates | 20.00% | 39.00% | 0.245 | 0.393 | 0.38 | 0.135 | 4.5 | 0.381 | 0.375 |
| Kyle Jensen | Marlins | 9.00% | 25.30% | 0.28 | 0.354 | 0.456 | 0.176 | 5.7 | 0.356 | 0.375 |
| Christopher McGuiness | Red Sox | 15.50% | 20.40% | 0.255 | 0.374 | 0.434 | 0.179 | 1.4 | 0.293 | 0.375 |
| Jeremy Barnes | Phillies | 8.70% | 24.90% | 0.287 | 0.359 | 0.464 | 0.177 | 5.5 | 0.366 | 0.372 |
| Justin Byler | Pirates | 10.00% | 23.70% | 0.256 | 0.352 | 0.447 | 0.191 | 4.3 | 0.31 | 0.371 |
| Zoilo Almonte | Yankees | 10.70% | 22.40% | 0.274 | 0.355 | 0.44 | 0.166 | 5.5 | 0.33 | 0.371 |
| Francisco Soriano | Nationals | 15.30% | 20.10% | 0.291 | 0.398 | 0.387 | 0.095 | 7.1 | 0.361 | 0.371 |
| Erik Castro | Astros | 11.90% | 19.80% | 0.266 | 0.351 | 0.453 | 0.188 | 2.8 | 0.299 | 0.37 |
| Yan Gomes | Blue Jays | 9.00% | 16.60% | 0.296 | 0.363 | 0.444 | 0.148 | 3 | 0.348 | 0.369 |
| Gregory Folgia | Indians | 12.50% | 21.10% | 0.272 | 0.383 | 0.409 | 0.138 | 4.6 | 0.333 | 0.366 |
| Wilfred Pichardo | Red Sox | 6.80% | 31.00% | 0.302 | 0.351 | 0.392 | 0.09 | 7.1 | 0.431 | 0.363 |
| Christopher Murrill | Rays | 6.30% | 23.80% | 0.306 | 0.36 | 0.363 | 0.057 | 8 | 0.401 | 0.362 |
| Dustin Biell | Rays | 8.60% | 21.50% | 0.277 | 0.362 | 0.366 | 0.089 | 7.7 | 0.345 | 0.356 |
| Jimmy Paredes | Yankees | 4.70% | 14.60% | 0.302 | 0.336 | 0.41 | 0.107 | 8.7 | 0.347 | 0.35 |
| Aaron Baker | Pirates | 12.40% | 23.80% | 0.247 | 0.341 | 0.414 | 0.167 | 5.9 | 0.312 | 0.348 |
| Patrick Irvine | Pirates | 11.50% | 22.70% | 0.245 | 0.346 | 0.389 | 0.144 | 5.5 | 0.305 | 0.348 |
| Sean Nicol | Nationals | 13.60% | 12.60% | 0.269 | 0.375 | 0.323 | 0.054 | 4.5 | 0.304 | 0.345 |
| Mark Thomas | Rays | 10.50% | 21.50% | 0.268 | 0.355 | 0.385 | 0.117 | 2.9 | 0.325 | 0.344 |
Top 25 New York-Penn League Pitchers
| Name | Team | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | WHIP | BABIP | LOB% | ERA | FIP |
| Alexander Colome | Rays | 11.13 | 3.79 | 0 | 1.03 | 0.277 | 73.50% | 1.66 | 2.19 |
| Collin McHugh | Mets | 9.48 | 2.52 | 0.12 | 1.09 | 0.312 | 72.40% | 2.76 | 2.31 |
| Joshua Zeid | Phillies | 8.13 | 2.26 | 0.11 | 1.05 | 0.292 | 70.40% | 2.94 | 2.46 |
| Marty Popham | Indians | 9.96 | 1.2 | 0.84 | 1.13 | 0.346 | 74.50% | 2.76 | 2.6 |
| Nicholas Hernandez | Phillies | 7.54 | 2.25 | 0.23 | 1.15 | 0.306 | 73.50% | 2.7 | 2.68 |
| Erick Carillo | Marlins | 7.34 | 2.64 | 0.15 | 1.09 | 0.281 | 76.60% | 2.05 | 2.71 |
| James Fuller | Mets | 9.57 | 2.14 | 0.57 | 1.16 | 0.328 | 73.90% | 2.86 | 2.76 |
| Brett Brach | Indians | 7.04 | 2.31 | 0.12 | 1.05 | 0.277 | 72.80% | 2.19 | 2.8 |
| Brandon Moore | Mets | 7.79 | 1.87 | 0.44 | 0.95 | 0.262 | 76.90% | 2.09 | 2.83 |
| Dave Sever | Blue Jays | 7.62 | 2 | 0.4 | 1.02 | 0.277 | 66.90% | 3.34 | 2.93 |
| Tyler Cox | Pirates | 7 | 1.84 | 0.37 | 1.31 | 0.342 | 60.50% | 3.93 | 2.95 |
| Kyle Lobstein | Rays | 9.08 | 2.82 | 0.49 | 1.06 | 0.277 | 76.90% | 2.58 | 2.95 |
| Jose Alvarez | Red Sox | 6.83 | 1.08 | 0.43 | 0.84 | 0.247 | 84.30% | 1.52 | 2.96 |
| Siulman Lebron | Phillies | 6.83 | 1.83 | 0.41 | 1.31 | 0.34 | 60.00% | 4.48 | 2.98 |
| Clayton Cook | Indians | 8.51 | 3.46 | 0.27 | 1.2 | 0.295 | 74.20% | 2.79 | 3.02 |
| Mark Cohoon | Mets | 6.85 | 1.96 | 0.39 | 0.97 | 0.255 | 76.70% | 2.15 | 3.03 |
| Cesar Cabral | Red Sox | 7.01 | 2.54 | 0.3 | 1.38 | 0.342 | 61.30% | 4.03 | 3.07 |
| Patrick Kantakevich | Orioles | 7.06 | 3.22 | 0.25 | 1.18 | 0.282 | 67.70% | 3.34 | 3.1 |
| Kyle McPherson | Pirates | 6.81 | 1.31 | 0.6 | 1.08 | 0.295 | 74.00% | 2.99 | 3.11 |
| Nicholas Haughian | Orioles | 6.51 | 2.41 | 0.24 | 1.08 | 0.274 | 73.90% | 2.05 | 3.19 |
| Michael Blazek | Cardinals | 8.72 | 3.38 | 0.42 | 1.52 | 0.371 | 58.30% | 4.5 | 3.23 |
| Yeiper Castillo | Red Sox | 7.48 | 3.04 | 0.35 | 1.18 | 0.288 | 70.80% | 2.92 | 3.25 |
| Clemente Mendoza | Tigers | 6.14 | 2.33 | 0.37 | 1.2 | 0.296 | 74.00% | 3.19 | 3.31 |
| Luis Sanz | Tigers | 6.64 | 3.81 | 0.22 | 1.29 | 0.289 | 73.10% | 3.27 | 3.6 |
| Preston Guilmet | Indians | 7.93 | 2.05 | 1.02 | 1.22 | 0.313 | 61.20% | 4.09 | 3.68 |
| Colin Allen | Orioles | 7.27 | 3.25 | 0.65 | 1.64 | 0.376 | 60.00% | 5.45 | 3.73 |
| Deryk Hooker | Cardinals | 7.82 | 3.39 | 0.59 | 1.3 | 0.304 | 69.30% | 3.98 | 3.74 |
| Tyler Sexton | Orioles | 7 | 3.62 | 0.45 | 1.29 | 0.292 | 69.00% | 3.39 | 3.76 |
| Curtis Petersen | Marlins | 7.14 | 4.43 | 0.43 | 1.46 | 0.312 | 59.90% | 4.29 | 3.9 |
| Scott Gracey | Blue Jays | 7.15 | 2.71 | 0.99 | 1.47 | 0.342 | 56.80% | 5.3 | 3.98 |
| Colton Pitkin | Astros | 6.45 | 4.21 | 0.66 | 1.58 | 0.331 | 69.90% | 4.21 | 4.21 |
| Darin Gorski | Mets | 7.22 | 3.75 | 0.87 | 1.24 | 0.263 | 50.30% | 4.91 | 4.24 |
| Wander Alvino | Astros | 6.18 | 3.66 | 1.01 | 1.42 | 0.296 | 67.50% | 5.17 | 4.59 |
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