Studs and Duds: MLB Trade Deadline Review

Studs

Boston Red Sox:

Key Acquisitions- Victor Martinez and Casey Kotchman

Red Sox were able to get a great a versatile player in Victor Martinez. He is able to play both catcher and first base. His numbers have been fantastic this year, especially for a catcher and if it wasn’t for Joe Mauer, he would be the best catcher in the American League. This trade also gives them insurance for Mike Lowell. If he happens to get hurt again, they can play Victor at first base and move Kevin Youkilis at third. There is also a good chance that he will wind up being their everyday catcher next year, the catcher they spent a lot of time looking for the past couple of years.

As for Casey Kotchman, it gives them a good defensive first baseman and just an all around solid player off the bench. This is also a cheaper option for the Red Sox.

The Red Sox did give up some nice prospects, but they still hold on to their stud Clay Bucholtz and their farm system is still in pretty good shape. Overall, they did a great job during the trade deadline.

Philadelphia Phillies

Key Acquisition- Cliff Lee

The Philadelphia Phillies needed another good starter in their rotation to help them make another World Series run, and they got a very good one in Cliff Lee. The reigning Cy Young winner from the American League now comes over to the National League and should make the Phillies the favorites to repeat as champions in the National League again.

Phillies did part with a solid package in Marson, Donald, Knapp, and Carrasco, but it was well worth it for a former CY Young winner, even though I feel Knapp could be a steal within this trade. Cliff Lee will give the team the best ground ball percentage, which bodes well for playing in a ball park like Citizens Bank. Plus he has a good strike out to walk ratio, over three, and he has a very good home run per nine, right around .5. This was a great deal, especially considering the package they would have to give up to get Roy Halladay.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Key Acquistions- Tim Alderson, Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio, Josh Harrison, Lastings Milledge, Charlie Morton, Jeff Locke, Gorkys Hernandez, Argenis Diaz, Hunter Strickland, Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, Nathan Adcock, Brett Lorin, and
Aaron Pribanic.

Many people have been quick to bash and criticize the moves made by Neal Huntington. However, these are the same people who probably don’t value a good prospect when they see one. I absolutely love what the Pirates did this season. Yes they traded away a “key” guy in Nate McClouth, whose defense is overrated with UZR being negative, which means his range is below average for a centerfielder. His OPS is below .800 and he is only getting on base at about a .340 clip, which isn’t awful, but could be better. So for the Pirates to snag some pretty solid prospects in Charlie Morton, Jeff Locke and Gorkys Hernandez, I would say they got fair to good value for their supposed star.

Charlie Morton has had good command and is a ground ball pitcher and should be a nice four or five starter for the Pirates. Jeff Locke has a ton of potential and he could find his way into the Pirates rotation in the future. Locke has pretty good stuff, but has struggled a bit with his control this year. Finally, Gorkys Hernandez is another very good prospect, who was ranked in the top ten of the Braves farm system. This gives the Pirates nice speed and good depth in the minors in terms of outfielders, to go alongside Jose Tabata.

There was a trade with the Washington Nationals. Lastings Milledge has all the potential in the world to be an all around player and the Pirates are obviously taking a chance here, but a good chance. See they don’t necessarily need Nyjer Morgan and by taking the chance in Lastings, they could come out geniuses in this trade, especially with Lastings bat coming around in the minors.

Then you have the crazy trade with the Seattle Mariners. They were able to ship Jack Wilson and Ian Snell for Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, Brett Lorin, and others. Jeff Clement is likely to move to first base, which is a position that the Pirates could use, although Garrett Jones has been playing well there. However, Jones can play some outfield if need be. Clement may see some time at catcher, but it is unlikely due to his poor defense. Clement has good power though and could be a key asset for the Pirates in the years to come.

Ronny Cedeno isn’t great, but he has solid range and could wind up being a nice utility guy down the road, possible starter, but he would have to hit a lot better than he has been. The other prospect I like in this deal is Brett Lorin. Lorin has great size at 6′7″ with pretty good command. His fastball has been said to be a little below average in terms of velocity, but take a look at Chris Young, he could be a similar pitcher with more command, with slightly worse stuff.

Pirates still weren’t done yet. They made moves with Cubs and the Giants. They traded an average to slightly above average middle reliever in John Grabow and a struggling starter in Tom Gorzelanny. They received a pretty good package, acquiring a middle reliever to potential set up guy in Jose Ascanio, who should be better than Grabow in the near future. And they also received a nice starter in Kevin Hart, who should help their rotation out and could make for a nice three starter or back of the rotation guy. Hart still needs to work on command, but he has got a couple of plus pitches.

Finally, the deal that propelled the Pirates into the Studs category. The Pirates, in my opinion, completely robbed the San Francisco Giants. They traded a solid, but overrated second basemen, in Freddy Sanchez for a very good prospect in Tim Alderson. Tim Alderson could be a very good starter for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has got a great curveball and really good command.

Look out for the Pirates within the next couple of years; they could be a very young and dangerous team. Their pitching improved immensely and they now have a pretty solid farm system with better depth.

Cleveland Indians

Key Acquisitions- Jason Knapp, Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco, Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price.

Like the Pirates, some feel that the Indians did not fare well for the trade deadline. However, I feel they did a pretty good job. They received a ton of good quality prospects for two great players, but players that they probably couldn’t afford to keep.

The first trade they made was with the Philadelphia Phillies. This was the trade that set a lot of people off a bit. The feeling amongst fans and experts is that the Indians didn’t get enough in this deal, but it is all based on personal preferences. For example, there are a lot of scouts that believe that Jason Knapp will actually be better than the Phillies current top prospect Kyle Drabek. I have to agree with them and the Indians must have too. Knapp is still very young, but he posseses great stuff and strikes out a ton. He doesn’t give up a lot of homeruns, but he, like a lot of prospects, needs to cut down on his walks.

As for the rest of the prospects, Carlos Carrasco gives them a nice guy to put at the end of the rotation and a guy that was ranked as the Phillies second best pitcher, according to Baseball America. Then they receive a pretty good catching prospect in Lou Marson, who is likely the insurance plan for Carlos Santana. If Santana lives up to his potential, which I think he will, the Indians could move him for a key piece during the trade deadline next year, if they are in the playoff hunt. Finally they got a Jason Donald, who has a chance to fit in very well with their current middle infielders, Luis Valbuena and Asdrubal Cabrera. Donald has been struggling a bit, but he has been injured and when healthy he has a good eye at the plate and pretty solid power for a middle infielder.

Then they traded the heart and soul of the Indians, Victor Martinez. As hard has this must have been for Cleveland and the fans of the Indians, they made the right move. They received some very good pitching prospects, which pitching has obviously been the key issue for the Cleveland Indians. Justin Masterson should get time right away whether it is in the rotation or the bullpen. There has been some issues with Masterson’ arm slot and whether he could be a starter or not, but he has got great stuff and was a highly rated prospect in a very good farm system. The real prize in the deal is Nick Hagadone. Nick Hagadone ranked third in the Boston farm system, according to Baseball America. Hagadone is a big time lefty with great strike out per nine numbers. He is still very young and he is coming off Tommy John Surgey, but he could be a good top of the order type pitcher.

Overall, I think the Indians walked away with some very nice prospect and they can some more pitching depth, which they desperately needed.

Duds

San Francisco Giants

Key Acquisitions- Ryan Garko and Freddy Sanchez

The Ryan Garko deal wasn’t bad. They didn’t give up a big time prospect and they got a decent first basemen, well at least against lefties. Either way the Giants needed to have someone man first, their options prior to Garko were pretty bad. So I like the trade for the Giants.

However, the trade for Freddy Sanchez made them losers. The Giants have great pitching prospects in the minors and they gave one up for an average, maybe slightly above average, second basemen. The only way Sanchez is productive offensively is if he hits over.300, because he doesn’t walk much. He is a good defender and a solid contact hitter, but there is no way he is worth Tim Alderson. Tim Alderson is a guy that could be a top of the rotation type pitcher; he has got great size and good stuff. The Giants didn’t need him for the future, but they should have gotten more for a highly regarded pitching prospect, especially when they need more power in the lineup.

Chicago Cubs

Key Acquisitions- John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny

Cubs gave up quite a bit for a middle reliever and, at this point, a below average starter. Kevin Hart had been pitching well and was ranked as their sixth best prospect, according to Baseball America, coming into the season. Then they trade a nice and up and coming bullpen arm in Jose Ascaino for John Grabow. May I remind you that Grabow actually has better splits vs. righties than he does lefties. He is a good middle relief guy, but really doesn’t pass for a dominate set up, which in my opinion, is what this package suggests.

Another puzzling thing for the Chicago Cubs is why do you feel the desire to make such a move? You have just signed B.J. Ryan, whose raw numbers haven’t look good, but if you pitch him strictly to left handers, he would make for a pretty lefty specialist. Not only that, but you have Sean Marshall, who has done a great job in the bullpen.

The only way that the Chicago Cubs get themselves out of the Duds list, is if Tom Gorzelanny can do what he has done in the minors, in the major leagues. If he doesn’t than this trade looks awful for the Chicago Cubs.

Could Go Either Way

St. Louis Cardinals

Key Acquisitions: Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, and Julio Lugo

The Cardinals made some solid moves to help make run towards a playoff berth and the National League Central crown. Matt Holliday is a very good hitter and should do better in St. Louis, which is a more hitter friendly place than Oakland. DeRosa gives them versatility and should be a very good second base/third basemen for the Cardinals.

However, they paid a pretty steep price by giving up some pretty good prospects in Chris Perez, Brett Wallace, Jess Todd, Clayton Mortensen, and Shane Peterson. There will be a couple of keys to whether the Cardinals become Studs or Duds for this deadline.

 

First they would have to at least make the playoffs to make this trade respectable and probably have to advance past the first round.

The second key would be to sign both Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa long term, especially Matt Holliday. If one of these two things happens then I would consider this to be a fairly decent trade and if both happen then I consider them to be Studs. However, if they miss the playoffs and fail to resign Matt Holliday, then they become big time Duds and to make things worse, it could diminish their chances of resigning Albert Pujols.

Chicago White Sox

Key Acquisitions: Jake Peavy and Tony Pena

The White Sox made a big splash right before the deadline and picked up a very good pitcher from the San Diego Padres in Jake Peavy. Jake Peavy gives them another starter that they really needed in order to separate themselves from the AL Central. However, Peavy is hurt and may not be available for the rest of the year.

This may wind up hurting the White Sox as they make a run towards the AL Central crown. They traded away their fifth starter, Clayton Richards, who was beginning to turn it on. They also trade their top pitching prospect Aaron Poreda, so they will lack pitching depth. Now, if they can stay amongst the top of the Central and can somehow get Peavy back before the end of the season, the White Sox could be a very dangerous team and a legitimate World Series contender. This would obviously be one key in making this team a stud.

However, if they can’t get Peavy back, there is still next year. The White Sox will probably be the favorites in the AL Central next year. As long as they can make the playoffs within the next two or three years and make a good run in the playoffs, this will look like a good deal. The good thing is they have Peavy through 2013 and as long as he stays healthy, I see the White Sox coming out more like Studs, but they did make an awful trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They traded for middle reliever Tony Pena and gave up a very good first base prospect in Brandon Allen. Still I lean towards the Stud list with the South-Siders.

 

Time to Chill Out Cubs Nation

The boo birds are alive and well in the place they call the friendly confines. Message boards are filled with “Fire Lou” or “The season is over” posts.

The Chicago Cubs, as most of the sports world has surely noticed, have gone in a bit of a slump. There is not one Chicago Cubs starting position player that is hitting above .300. In fact they rank in the bottom half of most offensive categories.

Milton Bradley is surely not living up to his contract or what the city of Chicago had hoped for. Then you have him making a couple blunders during Friday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, but I will get back to that later.

Then you have Alfonso Soriano, who signed a massive contract with the expectation that he would be the face of this franchise, that he would be the superstar that this team needed to advance far into postseason play.

The offseason moves have been another frustration of many Cubs fans with Mark DeRosa and Kerry Wood departing.

So is it time to pack it in?

Is it time to panic?

Is it time to fire all managers?

The simple answer to these questions is a big NO. Sure the season hasn’t been what many Cubs fans have expected and the team’s woes at the plate can drive any fan bonkers. However the Cubs are only two weeks into June and there is still over 100 games left in the season. That is nearly two thirds of the season. And surely with all the panic and demanding of major changes, the Cubs must be far out of the playoff picture, right? Oh wait, the Chicago Cubs, as of June 13, 2009 are three and a half games out of first in the National League Central.

Really? That can’t be right!

Yes Chicago Cubs fans that is right the Cubs are only three and a half games out, as awful as things have been the Cubs are still very much in the thick of things. There are some good signs for this team as well, even though the team has looked awful.

The biggest key is that the pitching staff is doing very well. It would be nice to put together some more wins for this staff, but one of the biggest keys to making the playoffs is having a decent rotation and certainly the Cubs have that.

There are also some good pieces to the bullpen. Carlos Marmol, when he finds the strike zone, is lights out. Angel Guzman has been really good as of late and has seen his ERA dip below 3.00, at 2.57 with a 1.04 WHIP. Jose Ascaino has also been a pleasant surprise out of the pen posting 2.70 ERA. Kevin Gregg hasn’t been horrible either, blowing two saves in 12 opportunities. If he can improve on those numbers a bit, it could make for a solid bullpen down the stretch.

As for the offense the biggest key is the loss of Aramis Ramirez. Anytime you lose your best and biggest threat offensively, it tends to affect the rest of the lineup. Look at what happened in New York with Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees were struggling at the beginning of the season, including their big acquisition Mark Texeria. However, when he returned they seemed to take to another level. Their offense was very dangerous, Mark Texeria was tearing the cover off the baseball, and the Yankees started to win. I think you can expect much of the same for the Chicago Cubs when Aramis Ramirez comes back.

All these hitters could use Aramis, but maybe no one more than Milton Bradley. He has been struggling a bit to start his season, but I think there are some signs that things will be fine with him. He has raised his average since the start of the season, albeit from .100 to .200. He is still seeing quite a bit of pitches, walking at a good rate, and has seemed to be making better contact.

Friday was a big low. Not for Milton Bradley, but for the fans of the Chicago Cubs, especially those at the game. We are all human, people are bound to make mistakes and it was indeed a rough day for Milton. However, Milton Bradley was able to drive in two runs and at most cost the Cubs one run in the end. So why are we booing him at every plate appearance? Sure it is fine to boo him for missing those plays, that is fine, but to boo him in his next plate appearance and then again all day Saturday.

I have one word in mind for those actions. Pathetic!

I know it has been frustrating. I know it has been hard to bare, but please let’s just take a moment to chill out. To realize that there is still a long way to go and that we are three and half games out with or best player missing. In fact all baseball fans, with the exception of the  Nationals fans, should just relax. If towards the middle or end of July the Cubs are dropping further and further out of first, then maybe it is time to panic, but for now let’s be hopeful and remember things.

1. Take a deep breathe

2. Take a couple of chill pills

3. And remember that patience is a virtue!

 

MLB News and Tidbits: Week of June 1

A Rocky Situation: Rockies call up Carlos Gonzalez

Colorado Rockies have recently called up Carlos Gonzalez, the big outfield prospect that they received from the Oakland A’s this past offseason for Matt Holliday. The Rockies already have Ryan Spilborghs, Seth Smith, and Brad Hawpe in the outfield. It wouldn’t make much since to me to bring up Gonzalez if there wasn’t a move to make.

Expect Brad Hawpe or Todd Helton to get dealt in the very near future. Brad Hawpe would be the easiest to trade and could bring back more value than Helton, due to Helton’s massive contract. The Rockies should also act soon while his average, OPS, and RBIs are still among the top ten in the National League.

Say it Aint So Big Z: Zambrano talks retirement

Carlos Zambrano retiring in five years? If he does, it would make him 33 years young. He stated that family is a big issue. However, it obviously is a long time from that point so we will see. It has been a very frustrating past week for Mr. Zambrano who just got off a suspension for a tirade and missed a team flight to Atlanta. Zambrano has been taking a lot of heat from the media and fans alike.

In my humble opinion the tirades can be a good thing. It can fire up a team when a team has been struggling, but most importantly some guys thrive when they play with emotion. It seems in recent years Zambrano has tried to control it, but honestly I think it could be wise to let him pitch with that emotion again.

Brave Icon Gone?: Glavine released by Braves

Tom Glavine was released last week by the Atlanta Braves. The Braves executives claimed that he just didn’t have what it took to get batters out and pointing to the decreasing velocity as a cause for concern.

A lot of folks in the baseball community feel like this was more of a financial move since Glavine would have received a one million dollar bonus for making it back to the big leagues. I don’t necessarily disagree with the move the Braves made, it makes since. Age, injuries, and decreasing velocity would concern any organization.

However, they could have went about it a different way. For example they could have warned him a while back ago that it was unlikely, told him it was a financial move and that the focus was on Tommy Hanson and other younger pitchers, or simply given him a chance, even if that means he would have to pitch out of the bullpen.

On the other hand, Tom Glavine should see this more as an opportunity or a favor from the Braves. He know can sign with whatever franchise he so desires, he may have a better opportunity to pitch again in another organization, or better yet maybe he can latch on to a World Series contender. In the end it was probably the right move for the Braves and the right move for Tom Glavine.

 

McLouth on the Move: Grading the Deal

Braves made a big move to acquire Nate McLouth the other day giving up 3 top prospects in Charlie Morton, Gorkys Hernandez, and Jeffrey Locke to the Pirates. This is a great move for both teams.

For the Pirates it gives them a little bit more pitching depth for the future and gives them a pretty solid outfield prospect in Gorkys Hernandez.

Charlie Morton is having a fantastic season in Triple A so far, with a 2.51 ERA with the Braves AAA system and a good strikeout to walk ratio. He has a chance to make an impact soon. He could make for a good 4 starter, quite possibly a third if he can bring that same success to the majors.

Gorkys Hernandez was a top five prospect in the Braves system. He has got very good speed and can hit a bit. He lacks power, but he would give the Pirates good range in the outfield and a top of the order hitter.

Then there is Jeffrey Locke, who could wind up being the best prospect of them all. Although he is ranked below Gorkys and even though he is struggling a bit in the minors, he has got the tools to be very good. He has been given some high ratings for his control and strikeout ratings which could make him a top of the order pitcher. However, we probably won’t see him for at least another two years, but keep an eye on Locke.

It also allows them to bring up one of their top prospects, Andrew McCutchen, who was tearing it up in Triple A.

This could also free up some more money for a very good pitching prospect in Aaron Crow, but it sounds like they will go a cheaper route and take catcher Sanchez. If they do take Sanchez, it may b e a big mistake and send out the wrong message to the Pittsburgh fans. They need a lot of things, but they need to get better pitching prospects and Crow could give them that.

As for the Braves they obviously get a very talented center fielder in McLouth, who makes few errors and is not too shabby with the bat either. They need more pop in the lineup and can probably hit 20 homeruns and have a nice OPS. Plus he can fit in a lot of different spots in the lineup, he can lead off, bat 2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th, and so on. And not to mention that he is only 27, so he has got a lot of baseball ahead of him and he also hasn’t quite hit his prime yet.

Now the Braves should not settle, they are still in need of a right handed bat to fit in that lineup and it may be time to cut ties with Jeff Franceour as well. Some options could still include Mark DeRosa, Matt Holliday, Jermaine Dye, and possibly Carlos Lee, if they could take on that payroll. My bet would be Mark DeRosa or Jemaine Dye since they would likely come at a cheaper price.

Grades:    

Atlanta Braves: A-

Pittsburgh Pirates: B+

 

Let the Peavy Sweepstakes Begin: Teams Likely to Land Jake Peavy

By Josh Roth

Jake Peavy was reportedly involved in a deal that would have sent him to the Chicago White Sox for prospects Clayton Richard and Aaron Poreda, possibly others.  However, Jake Peavy quickly shot down that trade, by exercising his full no trade clause. He has expressed a desire to pitch in Chicago, but that desire was to pitch on the North side not the South.  With Peavy rejecting the deal it got me thinking of other possible locations he could be traded to. I have come up with the top 5 likely NL destinations, plus a bonus AL team.

1. Atlanta Braves

Positives:

Braves have a highly rated farm system(6^th overall according to Baseball America) headed by Tommy Hanson(Pitcher). However, the Braves have said that Tommy Hanson is likely off limits, but there are still other very good prospects that the Braves could deal. Some of those prospects include: Jason Heyward(may also be off limits), Gorkys Hernandez (OF), and multiple pitching prospects(Rohbough,Locke, etc.). Another positive is that Peavy would probably accept a trade to Atlanta considering the Braves would likely be competitive, it is a pitchers ball park and it is in the National League.

Negatives:

Negotiations between the Padres and Braves turned for the worst this offseason with the Braves upset with the way Kevin Towers handled things. So the Braves would have to likely be willing to look past that. Another big issue could be money and whether the Braves would be willing to invest in Peavy. And finally there may be other key issues, like another middle of the order power hitter. They invested money in Kenshin Kawakami and Derek Lowe so there may not be that urgency there.

2. Milwaukee Brewers

Positives:

Brewers are amongst the top ten in terms of their farm system. They can center a deal around prospects such as Matt Gamel (3B, and probably unlikely to get dealt), Alcides Escobar (SS), and Jeremy Jeffress (Pitcher). The Brewers are also a National League team and as long as they remain among the top two or three in the NL Central, they should have a good chance of luring Peavy in. Finally the organization claims that their focus is still on winning and if that is the case than the Brewers may be willing to spend the money necessary to get Jake Peavy.

Negatives:

Payroll may be an issue with the Brewers considering they were unable to re-sign C.C. Sabathia, although I suppose no one could match the contract the Yankees were willing to give him and the organization has claimed that they are still focused on winning. The Brewers could also be better suited to go after more than one starting pitcher with their weak rotation so they may look for two quality starters rather than one really good starter. Another key factor is the injury of Rickie Weeks, which they could be looking for a replacement, which could decrease the chances of pulling of a deal for Peavy.

3. Philadelphia Phillies

Positives:

The Phillies desparately need another starting pitcher and could easily be the front runners. They have good solid prospects including Carlos Carrasco (Pitcher), Domnic Brown (OF), and Lou Marson (Catcher) just to name a few. This is a top 15 farm system and should have enough good young prospects to make a deal go through. Philadelphia has probably has enough financial stability to acquire Jake Peavy.

Negatives:

Peavy may not want to go to Philadelphia, because of the homer friendly ball park, Citizens Bank Park. If the Braves or Brewers decide that they really want Peavy, Philadelphia may have a hard time outbidding them. And Philadelphia may need more than one starting pitcher, so they could be going after two starters at better/cheaper prices.

4. Chicago Cubs

Positives:

Jake Peavy has reportedly expressed interest in becoming a Chicago Cub. They are a National League team, which is a big plus. And if they can get the ownership situation cleared up by the deadline, they may be able to make a deal. Also if the Padres are interested in Major League ready pitchers, than Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija, etc may be what the Padres are looking for.

Negatives:

The farm system is pretty weak at the moment and it would not be a wise idea if the Cubs gave up their top prospect Josh Vitters (3B), who would more than likely have to be involved. Cubs also don’t seem to have the great pitching prospects, although it is possible that the Padres may have some interest in Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija, and Randy Wells. The second thing that could stand in the way is the ownership situation, which still isn’t finalized. And finally the Cubs don’t seem to be in dire need to get starting pitching with an already good rotation.

5. St. Louis Cardinals

Positives:

The Cardinals are in the National League and there seems to be indications that Jake Peavy would in fact pitch in St. Louis. The health concerns of Chris Carpenter could force the Cardinals to pull the trigger and make such a deal. They have the prospects to get such a deal done ranking in the top 10 in prospects. However in order to get a deal done they may have to give up Brett Wallace(3B), but they may have others like Jess Todd (Pitcher) and Bryan Anderson (Catcher) that can get a deal done without giving up the top prospects.

Negatives:

The rotation has been looking better and they are getting Chris Carpenter back, so the need for a starting pitcher may not be there. The Cardinals may have greater needs, like on offense or possibly in the bullpen. Also if the Padres ask for Colby Rasmus or Brett Wallace, the Cardinals may be turned away from such a deal. Payroll or an unwillingness to invest in Jake Peavy may be there as well.

Wild Card: Boston Red Sox

Positives:

Clay Bucholtz is a big key that most teams seem very interested in. If the Red Sox decide they could use a guy like Peavy they could use Clay and some other prospects to build around. They also have the money to be capable to make such a move and if they have problems with guys like Brad Penny, Tim Wakefield, and Jon Lester, they may feel inclined to make a move. Finally they are a team that will more than likely be in the thick of things come the end of the regular season.

Negatives:

First off they are an American League team and Peavy has said he would like to stay in the National League. However, Boston is likely to be a playoff contender and that may be enticing for Peavy. Boston is also pretty deep in starting pitching with John Smoltz on his way back and they themselves could decide that Clay Buckholtz is the better and cheaper answer than Peavy.

 

 

Hot Corner of Fame: Where Does Chipper Stand?

Chipper Jones has been the cornerstone of the Braves for over 15 years. He has won an MVP award, Silver Slugger Award, a batting title, and a World Series. His career numbers are absolutely fantastic:

Name	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	HR	Runs	RBI
C. Jones	.310	.408	.547	.955	410	1390	1382

So where does Chipper stand amongst the rest of the Hall of Fame? His hitting numbers are in the top five amongst all of the Hall of Famers including top slugging percentage and OPS. His run and RBI totals should rise as well and could possibly be the best in both of those respective categories. After looking over all the statistics there were three other candidates that could put up a case for being better than Chipper Jones: Wade Boggs, Eddie Mathews, and Mike Schmidt. Eddie Mathews had a great career, but the only thing in the end that will separate him from Chipper is the homerun totals, so I will place Chipper ahead of Eddie Mathews.

Next in line is Wade Boggs, who seems to go under the radar, but his stats are actually very good. He has the best average and OBP of any Hall of Fame third basemen, plus he won a couple of gold gloves. Boggs also is part of the 3,000 hits club, which it would likely take five more good seasons for Chipper to reach. However, the thing that separates him and Chipper Jones is the power. Chipper’s slugging is over a hundred points better, he has 292 more homeruns than Wade Boggs. He also has more RBI and has an MVP, unlike Boggs.

So that leaves Mike Schmidt, with the stats being very close. Mike Schmidt has more homeruns at 548 and has more RBI. However, Chipper Jones could surpass that RBI total given he averages 71 RBI in the next three seasons, but will likely not pass the homerun total unless he can play four more seasons and average 37 homeruns. Chipper has a better average, slugging, OBP, and OPS. Both have won a World Series, but Schmidt has won ten Gold Gloves and two more MVPs than Chipper. Overall it may seem like Schmidt is the clear winner, but Chipper makes a good case for himself. If we are looking at pure hitters, Chipper probably is the top hitter out of any third basemen in the Hall of Fame. All of his offensive numbers could be better than Mike Schmidt’s with the exception of homeruns. However, the ten gold gloves could be the key to the argument which would make Schmidt the best all around third basemen. Yet the fielding percentage is very close, with Mike only having a 1 point better fielding percentage. Either way one looks at it, Chipper will be a Hall of Famer and should, by the time he retires, be amongst the top two hall of fame third basemen. Here are the stats of some of the hall of fame third basemen:

Name	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	HR	Runs	RBI
C. Jones	.310	.408	.547	.955	410	1390	1382
M. Schmidt	.267	.380	.527	.907	548	1506	1595
W. Boggs	.328	.415	.443	.858	118	1513	1014
E. Mathews	.271	.376	.509	.885	512	1509	1453

So you decide who is the best third baseman of all time? (Excluding Alex Rodriguez at this time)

 

Major League Baseball Playoff Predictions

ALDS:

Boston Red Sox defeat Cleveland Indians

Minnesota Twins defeat Los Angeles Angels

NLDS:

Chicago Cubs defeat Atlanta Braves

Los Angeles Dodgers defeat New York Mets

ALCS:

Boston Red Sox defeat Minnesota Twins

NLCS:

Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Chicago Cubs

World Series:

Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Boston Red Sox (MVP: Andre Ethier)

 

American League Predictions

AL East

1. Boston Red Sox

2. New York Yankees

3. Tampa Bay Rays

4. Baltimore Orioles

5. Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central

1. Minnesota Twins

2. Cleveland Indians

3. Chicago White Sox

4. Kansas City Royals

5. Detroit Tigers

AL West

1. Los Angeles Angels

2. Oakland A’s

3. Texas Rangers

4. Seattle Mariners

MVP Candidates

1. Grady Sizemore

• Grady Sizemore has a chance to have 100 runs, 100 RBIs, and 100 BB. Not to mention that he may wind up with 40 HR and 40 SB. There will be two things standing in his way. One will be whether or not the Indians make the playoffs, which I think they will. The second will be his average, which is slightly overrated. If he brings up the average and his team makes the playoffs he should be near the top of the MVP race.
  

2. Justin Morneau

• Justin Morneau has been a beast when it comes to driving in runs, driving in over 110 in the last three years. Expect him to do the same this year. The one discouraging thing from last year was that his homerun total went down, but I expect him back to 30 plus homeruns this year and if he keeps his average around .300 he should be a top three candidate. The one thing that may hold him back would be whether the Twins make the playoffs or not, but I believe they will.
  

3. Kevin Youkilis

• Kevin Youkilis had a career year last year and probably should have won MVP. The power seems to be increasing and we all know he his patient, he is the Greek God of Walks of course. One big question mark will be his homerun total, there wasn’t too many guys with massive homerun totals last year, but that may change this year, so if he wants to sway the votes he will have to hit around 30 HR again, which I believe he will do. Another factor will be Pedroia, as long as the media doesn’t fall in love with him again, Youkilis should be fine. Expect the OPS and RBI totals to be near the top of the AL again and for him to be a top 5 candidate for MVP.
  

4. Vladimir Guerrero

• Vladimir Guerrero is a constant contender for the MVP award. He has a career .323 avg which is rather insane. He is also good to hit 30 HR if he stays healthy and should have around 100 RBIs too. The big keys will be whether he can get guys in front of him to get on and if has protection following him, which he should with the addition of Bobby Abreu and the power of Mike Napoli, that is if he is in the lineup. Another big key will be the Angels pitching; if they can get healthy soon they should have a good chance to make the playoffs, which would help Vladimir’s chances for MVP.
  

5. Jason Bay

• Jason Bay is my sleeper pick. This was a great pick up for the Red Sox last year and should get a lot of RBI chance batting 5^th or 6^th in that great lineup. There will be a good chance he hits 30 plus homeruns again and his slugging will go up playing with the Green Monster in Fenway. He is also patient which will bode well for his OPS. However, the problem with Bay is that he plays on the same team as Youkilis, Pedroia, and Ortiz. So it will be difficult, but he does have a shot, look out for Jason Bay.
  

CY Young Candidates

1. Jon Lester

• This is a bit of a stretch, but I like Jon Lester here. He had good numbers in the second half of the year last year posting and ERA below 3. His strikeout rate also was over 7 post all star game and his walk rate went down. Lester also plays for the Red Sox so he should have a good chance for a good amount of wins. He may need to continue to raise his strikeout rate, but I think Lester could have a big year.
  

2. C.C. Sabathia

• Sabathia was very impressive last year for both the Indians and Brewers, but he will have a lot of pressure on him going to New York. I still expect to have a big year for the Yankees, though. He has really good strike out to walk ratios and he struck out 251 guys last year. As long as he doesn’t let the pressure get to him and the Yankees can give him wins in his starts he should have a real good chance to take home the CY Young award.
  

3. Roy Halladay

• Halladay is one of the best pitchers in AL. He put up great stats last year including an ERA under 3 and had a 5.28 BB/K ratio. The only thing that held him back from winning the CY Young last year was the phenomenal year of Cliff Lee. The thing that could hold him back this year will be his team, which will probably finish near the bottom of the division, but he did wind up with 20 wins on a mediocre team. He will have a good chance to win this year and will probably, at the very least, be a top 5 candidate.
  

4. James Shields

• James Shields has arguably been the ace of the Rays staff the last couple of years. He is still very young, but his ERA and WHIP have dropped in the past couple of seasons and he has a very good strikeout to walk ratio. It was tough deciding between him and Kazmir, who barely missed this list, but I will give the slight nod to Shields. If the Rays can stay competitive and stay above .500, he should have a good chance to rack up more wins.
  

T5. Kevin Slowey

• Yet again another stretch, but you got to love Sloweys BB/K ratio (5.13), the stat I love to rave about apparently. I think the most impressive thing is that he only walked 24 guys last year. His WHIP is also very low at 1.15 and if he can do better job at keeping the ball in the yard he should have good success. However, like Derek Lowe in the NL he may not get a lot of strikeouts which could hurt him, but the thing he needs the most is the Twins to get him some wins. Like I said before it is a big stretch, but I think there could be big things from Slowey this year.
  

T5. Jered Weaver

• I know I am going with a 6^th option, but I really like the chances of Jered Weaver. He strikes out a decent amount and overall has a solid BB/K ratio. In fact those rates have been getting better including his WHIP. The only thing that didn’t improve was his ERA, but I expect him to have a good year this year and to continue to improve upon those numbers. Look out for Jered Weaver this year, he is a major sleeper.
  

 

Los Angeles Angels Preview

Key Players/Positions to Watch

Brandon Wood/Maicer Izturis

• Erick Aybar is currently the starting shortstop, but could find himself on the bench if he doesn’t produce. If that happens expect there to be a battle between Wood and Izturis.

Gary Matthews Jr.

• With his large contract and his lack of position, he could wind up being dealt. But with the injury history of Juan Rivera, Matthews could wind up winning his job back, but unfortunately it will likely come with an injury to the outfield.

Key Acquisitions

• Bobby Abreu

• Brian Fuentes

Summary

The Angels are the returning champs of the AL West and they look to defend their crown. Their lineup looks solid, with Vladimir and Hunter in the middle of it. Abreu was a very good pick up for the Angels and at a great price. He will be an upgrade over Garrett Anderson. There is a lot of interesting players on this roster to look for though. One would be the first basemen Kendry Morales, it will be is first year as the starter for the Angels and he has to fill a pretty big void with the departure of Mark Texeria. He will likely be hitting fifth or there abouts, meaning he will need to bring some good offensive production to the offense and could be a difference maker in this lineup. It will be interesting to see what Juan Rivera does; if he can stay healthy he could provide some decent power to this lineup. Mike Napoli is another great offense weapon for this club. As long as Mike Scioscia doesn’t go with another catcher or Napoli avoids injury, he could possibly jack 30 plus this year. The pitching rotation has been a different story, unfortunately. They are suffering some major injuries with John Lackey, Ervin Santana, and Kelvim Escobar. And tragically lost their best pitching prospect, Nick Adenhart, to motor accident, my thoughts and prayers go to his family and the Angels organization. With all these unfortunate occurrences, it leaves their bullpen decimated. Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders are good young pitchers that will help ease some of the trouble in the rotation, but they will be forced to use some other guys like Loux and Moseley, who will have to step up in the time being. And it is unknown at this point what they will do with the fifth starter, but they could look at signing either Pedro Martinez or Paul Byrd or go with Darren Oliver. They could also go into the minors and bring a guy like Ortega up. The bullpen is solid with good set up guys. They will probably see a bit of a downgrade at the closers role, but they should be fine with Fuentes. The biggest key for the Angels will be the rotation, if they can get those guys back in the first half of the year or at least a couple they should be fine, but if not they may be in trouble. Expect this team to be in the top 2, but they could struggle to win the division again if they don’t get pitching back soon.

 

Oakland A’s Preview

Key Players/Positions to Watch

Sean Gallagher

• Gallagher was involved in the Rich Harden deal last year and was expected to start this year. He did start some games last year, but had a rough spring. He should be back in the rotation soon and could be a crucial key for them to make a run to the playoffs.

Gio Gonzalez

• One of the Athletics better prospects Gio Gonzalez could have a chance to end up in this rotation by the end of the year. However he did struggle a bit of last year and he will need to improve this year to have a shot.

Key Acquisitions

• Matt Holliday
• Jason Giambi
• Orlando Cabrera
• Nomar Garciaparra

Summary

The Oakland A’s seem to be committed to getting this team back to the playoffs. They went out and added Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera, and Nomar Garciaparra. Holliday and Giambi should give them the middle of the order hitters that they desperately needed. Orlando Cabrera also gives them a nice top of the order hitter, a guy that can get the offense going. I also like the power of Jack Cust who will likely bat sixth and had 33 homers with a nice OPS. The hitting overall looks better, but the questions could come with the corner outfielders Sweeney and Buck who are the youngins and make this lineup a very good one. The rotation may be the biggest question of them all. Right now they are missing their ace in Justin Duchscherer and the pitching looks a little shaky. They have Dallas Braden as the ace at the moment, which is probably not a good thing, but it looks slightly better after that. They follow with Dana Eveland who is solid and they follow with some highly rated prospects. Those highly rated prospects are Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill, who will have to live up to their potential in order for this rotation to be good. However, the biggest key will be Duchscherer, who they will need to come back soon to have a chance. Overall the rotation will probably be a little weak, but with the Angels have trouble keeping their rotation in tact it may come down to a battle of the offense. The bullpen is solid, but Joey Devine is hurting and could make the bullpen weak. They do have Ziegler who had a very impressive year a season ago. The bullpen should be average and could be good with the return of Joey Devine. In the end the A’s should be right there at the top, but if the Angels get healthy in the rotation it could be tough for them to overcome Los Angeles. Expect this team to finish in the top half and could wind up taking the West.