Winter Meetings Update

The Winter Meetings were quite active today with some expected moves and some not so expected. The rumors of even more moves were running rampant. I've been writing updates for the RotoExperts.com blog all day between sessions with my 11-month old niece who has become quite the mimic. She can almost perfectly imitate her grandfather's smoking cough, it is even more hilarious than it sounds. I'm summarizing all the moves here, check out the links for the complete analysis.

Today's Moves

The Detroit Tigers have reached an agreement with shortstop Adam Everett on a one-year deal for $1 million.
The Detroit Tigers have reached an agreement with shortstop Adam Everett on a one-year deal for $1 million. The signing is pending a physical for Everett. Believe it or not this is an okay move for the Tigers even if it does nothing for fantasy leaguers. The Tigers could not afford (or at least were unwilling) to sign one of the better free agents. They were engaged in trade talks with the Pittsburgh Pirates to acquire shortstop Jack Wilson. Trading for Wilson would have been a much worse move.

The Los Angeles Dodgers reached contract agreements with free agents Casey Blake (3B, LAD) and Mark Loretta (2B, LAD). Blake received a three-year contract worth $17.1 million. Loretta received a one-year deal worth $1.25 million to act as the teams utility man.
These are decent deal for the Dodgers who have made lots of terrible free agent deals in recent years . Both are signed relatively cheaply and not for many years. They also aren't paid so much that they couldn't be moved to the bench or another team should a younger player emerge.

Francisco Rodriguez was expecting to sign a bank breaking contract as the best closer on the market. Instead he has agreed to a nice but not groundbreaking deal with the New York Mets who played him and the market almost perfectly. K-Rod's deal is for three-years and $37 million.
Rodriguez is one of the best closers in baseball and an excellent fantasy option. However, it is important that owners know that Rodriguez is not the fireballer he was a few years ago. Rather than throwing his fastball 97-98 mph, he throws it 93-94. It may not seem like a huge distinction but it is to major league hitters. He claims to have taken some off his fastball to increase his control. If that's true it isn't working. In 2008 his K/9 fell from over twelve four straight years to 10.14 in 2008. At the same time his BB/9 has risen to nearly 4.50 the last two seasons.

The re-building baltimore Orioles opened a spot for the best prospect in the minors when they traded catcher Ramon Hernandez to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Ryan Freel and two minor leaguers - infielders Justin Turner and Brandon Waring.
Ryan Freel should be a versatile reserve for the Orioles playing all three outfield positions and second and third base when necessary. Freel has decent on-base skills and good speed that he uses to steal bases at about a 75 percent success rate. Freel is an excellent pick-up in deeper leagues for his versatility and stolen bases. In shallower leagues he doesn't have much value unless he gets more consistent playing time.

Catcher Gerald Laird Traded to Detroit Tigers

Last night catcher Gerald Laird was sent to the Detroit Tigers for two prospects believed to be RHP Guillermo Moscoso and RHP Carlos Melo. This is definitely not the trade I was expecting to see.

Gerald Laird has yet to establish his real level in the majors. He has shown fantastic offensive potential as well as being very inconsistent at times. Moving from the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to Commerica Park is going to have a negative impact. Commerica hasn't played as a pitcher's park the last couple of seasons but it definitely is more limiting on hitters than the Rangers ballpark. But frankly Laird is a hard player to figure out considering his consistent inconsistency. As long as we're paying for him based on last year's numbers I think he is a good pickup at catcher. If members of your league get excited about him based on the trade then it would be better to pass than to overpay.

ROTOEXPERTS.COM TO SPONSOR UFC FIGHTER AT UFC 92

This is so cool:

December 8, 2008, Safety Harbor, FL. RotoExperts, LLC today announced that they have partnered with Team BombSquad to sponsor Mike Massenzio for his fight at Ultimate Fighting Championship 92. UFC 92 will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV on the last weekend of December 2008.

UFC 92 has recently been touted as “The Ultimate 2008,” offering the best fight card assembled in UFC history, with two title belts on the line over the course of the evening. The fight will be available via Pay-Per-View, and viewership is expected to approach one million households. Massenzio enters the fight with an 11-2 record, while his opponent, UFC 7 Runner-Up CB Dollaway sits at 7-1. This is the first sponsorship of its kind for a fantasy sports-affiliated venture.

"RotoExperts.com is very pleased to be sponsoring one of the fighters on the best card the UFC has ever offered,” said Ben Ice, founder of RotoExperts.com. "In our short tenure as a fantasy sports advice site, we are looking to take a more active role helping to advance various areas of the sports entertainment world. Since our primary demographic also enjoys UFC, it is a natural match for us when considering sponsorship opportunities."

"Team BombSquad is extremely happy to be working with RotoExperts.com," added Ryan Citoli, manager for Team BombSquad. "Mike is thrilled to have a sponsor like RotoExperts in his corner to support and promote him, and Team BombSquad is looking forward to a long working relationship with both RotoExperts and Mike."

To view the fight, contact your PPV provider prior to December 27, 2008. The first fight on the card begins at 10:00PM EST / 7:00PM PST. Viewers can also access the fight via Yahoo! Sports if they prefer to watch online.

John Smoltz Noise

According to an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, free agent right-hander John Smoltz is now throwing which puts him ahead of schedule in his rehab. I admit to having an irrational love for John Smoltz. He will always be one of my favorites --even when drafting him is extremely risky.

"Roger was impressed, and John’s on Cloud 9. No pain at all. None. Zero pain. Man, he’s way ahead of schedule.”

Smoltz, citing a desire to focus his energy on a rehabilitation and workout regimen, has declined most media requests for offseason progress reports. However, he eased the moratorium long enough to confirm that Friday’s session went well, and concurred with Cox’s optimistic view of his comeback.

“Every thing [is progressing], every day,” said Smoltz, who seemed as confident as Cox of his return. “I can’t say I felt that way the day after surgery. But as time has gone by, I certainly have grown in my confidence.”

Smoltz and left-hander Tom Glavine are fortysomething free agents trying to rebound from surgeries (Glavine, elbow and shoulder).

Braves general manager Frank Wren said he can’t count on either to make it back in 2009, but hopes to offer both of them contracts if and when they get to the point in their throwing programs where it seems like they would be ready to pitch.

Glavine was encouraged by long-toss sessions Wednesday and Friday, the 305-game winner’s first times throwing since Aug. 21 procedures to repair a torn flexor tendon and clean out his shoulder.

He’s also ahead of schedule in his throwing program, but not yet far enough for such optimism as Smoltz provided Friday.

Smoltz, the only pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves, would likely be elected to the Hall of Fame if he never pitched another inning.

Dreaming of the Ultimate Fantasy Baseball Gift List

Are you shopping around for the ultimate gifts to buy the fantasy baseball lover in your life? Or perhaps you just want to give your loved ones the ultimate list of gift ideas. If so then look no further than this very blog post. This giant article lists every thing the fantasy baseball needs to participate and excel in the ultimate optimum dream world. (Amazon Links - just in case you're tempted)

The HARDWARE
We are dreaming here, right? That means there is no budget or real life situations to concern us. Since that is the case I will be listing every piece of hardware I would love to have for fantasy baseball purposes.

The Ultimate Laptop: HP Pavilion TX2510US 12.1-inch Laptop Black
This thing is so hot. It has great specs (2.10 GHz AMD Turion X2 ZM-80 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) and great features. The thing I love most about it is that widescreen rotating touch screen. Man! that is beautiful. I make out great with my refurbished Think Pad but if money were no object, this would be my machine.



The Ultimate All-In-One Printer/Scanner: Canon Pixma MX700 Office All-On-One Inkjet Printer (2186B002)
Even with the ultimate laptop to take to your live drafts and auctions, you'll need a printer to print your emergency back-up lists (I've mentioned how important that is haven't I). This is one of the better ones and it isn't even all that expensive.



The Ultimate Cell Phone: The iPhone 3G
I've been dreaming about an iphone since I first heard the rumors. Unfortunately it just hasn't been possible with my non-existent budget. Like the HP it's all about the touchscreen. Other cell phones have touchscreens but they don't come close to the iphone's. For the ultimate fantasy baseball guy, constant access to the internet whether on the bus or on the can at work (courtesy flush please) is a real desire (and if you're the adventurous type you can use the iphone to connect your laptop to the internet). If you already have an iphone, check out this great selection of iphone accessories - I'll take that leather case, please.

The Ultimate Flat Screen HDTV Monitor: LG 42LG30 42-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
What is the point of watching your players in action if you aren't watching them in HD? I love the LG brand and this model has a fantastic price when you buy it through amazon.



The SUBSCRIPTIONS

The 2009 MLB.tv Season Package
Watch all of the out of market games from anywhere you can access the internet. This service has improved in leaps and bounds the last couple of seasons and I couldn't live without it. I would die for the person that got me this subscription. This includes over 2400 possible games and even 100 spring training games (when fantasy baseball scouting is at its height).

Scout.com Annual Total Access Pass
This is the best site on the planet for the very serious sports fan. For the fantasy baseball fan it is almost without par. It includes access to teams of scouts for every MLB, NLF, NCAA, and NBA team. Link your subscription to your favorite team and you'll also get a year-long subscription to your team's official magazine. Winter leagues, fall leagues, spring training, minor leagues - it is all covered. Believe me, you won't miss a thing with this site in your pocket.

The Baseball Prospectus Gift Subscription
Baseball Prospectus covers every aspect of the game from the minors to ownership issues. You also get the articles of the best baseball injury analyst in the business, Will Carroll. This site does some fantasy stuff but the real reason to subscribe is because they give you the all important context you need to understand baseball organizations and the way they think. It's relatively cheap too.

Gold Subscription to BaseballHQ.com: Fantasy Baseball Intelligence for Winners
This service is not cheap but it is the best in the business. Ron Shandler is the expert's expert. He has changed the way that smart people study baseball and he did it through our game. There is no aspect of this hobby that this subscription doesn't help you understand - from cheatsheets and draft software to contact rates and the LIMA plan. A MUST HAVE

The BOOKS

Baseball Prospectus 2009: The Essential Guide to the 2009 Baseball Season
A preseason look at all of the moves and all of the players that will shape each organization in 2009. This is like a 1000-page fantasy baseball magazine. By March 1st, I feel lost without it.



The 2009 John Sickels Baseball Prospect Book
John Sickels is one of the best minor league analysts in the business. His book includes extensive lists on all of the prospects with a letter grade to help you easily understand their level of talent.

Baseball America 2009 Prospect Handbook: The Comprehensive Guide to Rising Stars
Baseball America is the definitive source of minor league and prospect information for almost the entire baseball industry. They lean heavily to the scouting side of things which is why you also need more numbers oriented evaluations like those you get from John Sickels and Baseball Prospectus.



Ron Shandler's 2009 Baseball Forecaster
The annual publication that supplements the website. This has all the player stats and strategy tips you need to excel every season. When you buy the book you also get free updates from the HQ website.



Art McGee's How to Value Players for Rotisserie Baseball
One of the most valuable skills that the fantasy baseball owner can learn is to value his own players. Every league is unique, so the better you understand your league the more accurately you can value players. This book will help you do just that. A classic that should be in every fantasy fan's library.



The ACCESORIES

Laptop Carrying Case: Timbuk2 264-X-570 - Ballistic Commute Laptop Messenger Bag in Black
This is a great gift idea all by itself. It will hold everything, the laptop, your lunch and cheatsheets that you will need at your fantasy draft. Not to mention its pratical everyday uses. I already have one.

Fantasy Baseball Draft Software: Roto Lab
There are many different options out there when it comes to draft software. Roto Lab is the standard they all aspire to reach. This software will cheap track of every team's budget and players and even recommend players and auction values that change based on your draft's inflation on draft day. If you a subscription to Baseball HQ you can qualify for a discount on this software. A MUST HAVE

FUN STUFF

Baseball Jersey: Birmingham Black Barons Pro Jersey
I love those vintage jersey's and they even come in huge sizes for big guys like me. If the old school stuff isn't for you a MLB replica of your favorite player's jersey works. Hey, you have to look cool at the draft.



And the Matching Cap: Birmingham Black Barons Fitted Cap
No point in wearing a jersey if you don't have a lid to go with it...



That was tons of fun for me. If only Santa Claus would deliver. What's on your Ultimate Gift List?

Scouting the Dominican Republic

I am one of those fantasy baseball guys that loves to study prospects. Nothing makes me happier (and increases my hat size) more than having identified players like Jose Reyes, Nate McLouth, and Mike Piazza before anyone else in my leagues. If you are a similar sort than you need to read this series of articles by Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It follows Rene Gayo, Latin American scouting director for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It explores the entire process of scouting and signing international prospects. This is a MUST READ.

Part One: A young Dominican out duels peers who play baseball 'for food'

Part Two: New academy just one part of building talent pool

Part Three: Gayo's focus is on finding talent, but he must battle emotions in process

Emily's Fantasy Baseball Survey

There is a very popular fantasy baseball survey making its way around the internet. It was created by a NorthWestern student named Emily. She is doing research on fantasy baseball and the people who play it. Please take5-10 minutes to complete this survey and further the scholarly reach of our hobby.

Hello Fellow Fantasy Baseball Fans,

My name is Emily Stecher and I am a senior at Northwestern University writing my senior thesis on fantasy baseball. I am a fantasy baseball participant myself and an avid baseball fan. The literature on fantasy baseball is not terribly extensive so I am trying to conduct a survey to further my research. This survey takes 5 minutes and I would really appreciate all the help I can get. Plus, everyone who participates will be entered in a raffle to win a $50 VISA gift card.

Here is the link to the survey. Please take it!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=68fvy_2bS28ez0el35eRWFHQ_3d_3d

Thanks so much!,
Emily