The Manny Ramirez era in Boston has come to a close. Manny has been traded to the Dodgers in a 3 team deal.
Boston receives Jason Bay
Los Angeles receives Manny Ramirez
Pittsburgh receives Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Craig Hansen, and Brandon Moss.
I'd expect LaRoche, Hansen and Moss to be with the big league club right away.
Earlier, Manny was reportedly headed to Florida, but the Marlins would not budge one the prospects they would trade. Pittsburgh then worked a deal with Tampa, to have it fall apart shortly before the deadline. Los Angeles swooped in to help complete the deal.
I think each team came out alright on the deal; LA has a big name for a penant run, while Boston has moved a head ache and a got a suitable replacement, while Pittsburgh got a slew of players that can help now.
7.31.2008
Bay staying in Pittsburgh
Jason Bay is staying in Pittsburgh. Apparently the Rays never agreed to dealing Brignac. Once that deal was declared dead, the original 3-way deal was back on. 10 minutes after the deadline, Ken Rosenthal reported that the deal was officially dead...again.
I think Tampa was dragged in the discussions and the prospect names were leaked before the deal was really negotiated. It could have been a way for Pittsburgh to increase what the Red Sox and Marlins were offering.
Manny could still be dealt if he clears waivers (a deal could still come - just because it hasn't been reported yet doesn't mean it hasn't been agreed to and submitted to the Commish for approval); most teams will pass on him due to the $7MM left on his contract this season. Look for Manny's response in the next few days.
I think Tampa was dragged in the discussions and the prospect names were leaked before the deal was really negotiated. It could have been a way for Pittsburgh to increase what the Red Sox and Marlins were offering.
Manny could still be dealt if he clears waivers (a deal could still come - just because it hasn't been reported yet doesn't mean it hasn't been agreed to and submitted to the Commish for approval); most teams will pass on him due to the $7MM left on his contract this season. Look for Manny's response in the next few days.
Manny Deal in Jeopardy
Update 2:40 pm: The proposed 3-team deal is dead. Jason Bay has just been traded to Tampa Bay for prospects Reid Brignac and Jeff Niemann. Manny is still in Boston with 20 minutes left before the trade deadline.
[End Update]
The deal is in jeopardy right now. Some in the Red Sox front office don’t want to trade Manny.
Also, Pittsburgh wants prospects Mike Stanton and Ryan Tucker from the Marlins; Florida is not wanting to include Stanton in the deal.
The Chances of this deal going down are said to be 50/50. Pittsburgh could still deal Bay and Grabow to the Red Sox if the Marlins aren’t involved.
[End Update]
The deal is in jeopardy right now. Some in the Red Sox front office don’t want to trade Manny.
Also, Pittsburgh wants prospects Mike Stanton and Ryan Tucker from the Marlins; Florida is not wanting to include Stanton in the deal.
The Chances of this deal going down are said to be 50/50. Pittsburgh could still deal Bay and Grabow to the Red Sox if the Marlins aren’t involved.
Transactions: 07/30/2008
Transactions
Detroit Tigers
Kyle Farnsworth Traded From NY Yankees for Ivan Rodriguez; Dane Sardinha Purchased From Minors.
Florida Marlins
Daniel Barone Called Up from Minors - Not to Report; Barone Outrighted to Minors.
Houston Astros
LaTroy Hawkins Traded From NY Yankees for 2B Matt Cusick.
Minnesota Twins
Alexi Casilla Placed on 15-Day DL (Torn tendon, right thumb-out for season); Adam Everett Removed From 15-Day DL (Right shoulder tendinitis).
New York Yankees
Ivan Rodriguez Traded From Detroit for Kyle Farnsworth.
Oakland Athletics
Wes Bankston Sent to Minors; Eric Patterson Sent to Minors.
St. Louis Cardinals
Randy Flores Sent to Minors; Chris Carpenter Removed From 60-Day DL (Recovery from right elbow surgery).
Detroit Tigers
Kyle Farnsworth Traded From NY Yankees for Ivan Rodriguez; Dane Sardinha Purchased From Minors.
Florida Marlins
Daniel Barone Called Up from Minors - Not to Report; Barone Outrighted to Minors.
Houston Astros
LaTroy Hawkins Traded From NY Yankees for 2B Matt Cusick.
Minnesota Twins
Alexi Casilla Placed on 15-Day DL (Torn tendon, right thumb-out for season); Adam Everett Removed From 15-Day DL (Right shoulder tendinitis).
New York Yankees
Ivan Rodriguez Traded From Detroit for Kyle Farnsworth.
Oakland Athletics
Wes Bankston Sent to Minors; Eric Patterson Sent to Minors.
St. Louis Cardinals
Randy Flores Sent to Minors; Chris Carpenter Removed From 60-Day DL (Recovery from right elbow surgery).
7.30.2008
Manny Ramirez to Florida?
Apparently Manny Ramirez is being dealt to the Florida Marlins in a 3 team deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox. Each team would receive:
Pittsburgh - Jeremy Hermida, 3 prospects (2 from Florida, 1 from Boston)
Florida - Manny Ramirez, 1 prospect (from Boston), Cash (most likely covering the rest of Manny's deal)
Boston - Jason Bay, John Grabow
The deal will be finalized and signed off on tomorrow; the prospects are probably still being talked about.
Check back tomorrow for an update.
Pittsburgh - Jeremy Hermida, 3 prospects (2 from Florida, 1 from Boston)
Florida - Manny Ramirez, 1 prospect (from Boston), Cash (most likely covering the rest of Manny's deal)
Boston - Jason Bay, John Grabow
The deal will be finalized and signed off on tomorrow; the prospects are probably still being talked about.
Check back tomorrow for an update.
Transactions: 07/29/2008
Transactions
Arizona Diamondbacks
Jailen Peguero Called Up from Minors; Micah Owings Sent to Minors.
Atlanta Braves
Casey Kotchman Traded From Los Angeles with Stephen Marek for Mark Teixeira.
Cincinnati Reds
Jerry Hairston Jr. Sent to Minors For Rehabilitation.
Colorado Rockies
Alberto Arias Designated for Assignment; Cory Sullivan Purchased From Minors; Scott Podsednik Placed on 15-Day DL, (Fractured hand).
Los Angeles Angels
Mark Teixeira Traded From Atlanta for Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek
New York Mets
Willie Collazo Sent to Minors; Pedro Martinez Reinstated from Bereavement List; Juan Padilla Released.
New York Yankees
Phil Hughes Sent to Minors For Rehabilitation.
Philadelphia Phillies
Pedro Feliz Placed on 15-Day DL (Lower back inflammation); J.A. Happ Called Up from Minors; Mike Cervenak Called Up from Minors.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Brian Bixler Called Up from Minors; Adam LaRoche Placed on 15-Day DL (Right intercostal strain).
San Diego Padres
Kevin Cameron Removed From 15-Day DL (Right elbow sprain); Cameron Sent to Minors; Chris Young Removed From 15-Day DL (Fractured nose); Chip Ambres Designated for Assignment.
Texas Rangers
Jason Jennings Transferred to 60-Day DL (Right elbow surgery - out for season); Ryan Roberts Purchased From Minors; Hank Blalock Placed on 15-Day DL (Right shoulder inflammation).
Arizona Diamondbacks
Jailen Peguero Called Up from Minors; Micah Owings Sent to Minors.
Atlanta Braves
Casey Kotchman Traded From Los Angeles with Stephen Marek for Mark Teixeira.
Cincinnati Reds
Jerry Hairston Jr. Sent to Minors For Rehabilitation.
Colorado Rockies
Alberto Arias Designated for Assignment; Cory Sullivan Purchased From Minors; Scott Podsednik Placed on 15-Day DL, (Fractured hand).
Los Angeles Angels
Mark Teixeira Traded From Atlanta for Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek
New York Mets
Willie Collazo Sent to Minors; Pedro Martinez Reinstated from Bereavement List; Juan Padilla Released.
New York Yankees
Phil Hughes Sent to Minors For Rehabilitation.
Philadelphia Phillies
Pedro Feliz Placed on 15-Day DL (Lower back inflammation); J.A. Happ Called Up from Minors; Mike Cervenak Called Up from Minors.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Brian Bixler Called Up from Minors; Adam LaRoche Placed on 15-Day DL (Right intercostal strain).
San Diego Padres
Kevin Cameron Removed From 15-Day DL (Right elbow sprain); Cameron Sent to Minors; Chris Young Removed From 15-Day DL (Fractured nose); Chip Ambres Designated for Assignment.
Texas Rangers
Jason Jennings Transferred to 60-Day DL (Right elbow surgery - out for season); Ryan Roberts Purchased From Minors; Hank Blalock Placed on 15-Day DL (Right shoulder inflammation).
Rankings
Disclaimer
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Wednesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Wednesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
7.29.2008
The 20 Worst Trades of the Last 15 Years
With the trade deadline days away, here are the 20 worst trades of the last 15 years.
20. The Los Angeles Dodgers trade Mark Grudzielanek and Eric Karros to the Chicago Cubs for Todd Hundley and Chad Hermansen (12/04/2002) - The Dodgers were tired of Karros and Grudzielanek fell out of favor with the manager. The front office felt it was better to move them and take on the salary of the corpse of Hundley. Hundley spent most of his time on the DL, while Karros and Grudzielanek his over .300 for the Cubs. Hermansen never developed into the hitter anyone thought.
19. The Houston Astros trade Willy Tavares, Jason Hirsh, and Taylor Buchholz to the Rockies for Jason Jennings and Miguel Asencio (12/12/2006) - Colorado, knowing that they couldn't resign him, put Jason Jennings on the market. The Astros, fresh from running Andy Pettitte out of town and missing out on better pitchers, decided to go for broke. Broke was the key word, as Jennings spent most of the season on the DL, while the 3 new Rockies helped get them to the World Series. Asencio spent most of the season in the minors and became a free agent after the year.
18. The Boston Red Sox trade Cla Meredith, Josh Bard, and cash to the San Diego Padres for Doug Mirabelli (05/01/2006) - Boston traded back up catcher Doug Mirabelli after acquiring Bard from the Indians. The problem was Bard couldn't catch Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. Boston had to trade to get Mirabelli back, giving up more than what they dealt in the first place. Meridith was pretty good out of the bullpen while Bard is emerging as a starting catcher. Mirabelli was released by the Red Sox earlier this season.
17. The New York Mets trade Brian Bannister to the Kansas City Royals for Ambiorix Burgos (12/06/2006) - The Mets had a full rotation and needed help in the bullpen; the Royals were the opposite. Bannister was the odd man out in NY, after missing most of the previous season; when he did pitch, he was pretty good. Burgos was closer at one point for the Royals, but he could never over come his wildness. The swap was made and Bannister has been phenomenal while Burgos has seen little time in the Majors.
16. The Chicago Cubs trade Jon Garland to the Chicago White Sox for Matt Karchner (07/29/1998) - This cross town swap was a second thought for the White Sox. They were giving up a MLB reliever and were getting a struggling prospect. After being patient, the deal paid off. Garland broke out and was a star for the Sox during their World Series season, while Karchner faded quick.
15. The Arizona Diamondbacks trade Junior Spivey, Craig Counsell, Lyle Overbay, Chad Moeller, Chris Capuano, and Jorge de la Rosa to the Milwaukee Brewers for Richie Sexson, Noochie Varner, and Shane Nance (12/01/2003) - The Brewers were dumping Sexson because they knew they couldn't afford him. The D'backs paid for, what they thought, was one of the missing pieces that would get them back to the playoffs. Instead, Sexson missed the full season. The Brewers used their pieces to help do nothing, but they still got more than Sexson was worth. Capuano even was a top pitcher for a season.
14. The Los Angeles Dodgers trade Paul Konerko and Dennys Reyes to the Cincinnati Reds for Jeff Shaw (07/04/1998) - The Dodgers needed a closer and gave up their best prospect for a declining one. Konerko would move on to become a solid MLB hitter, while Shaw struggled with closing out games and retired at a relatively young age (for a reliever).
13. The Pittsburgh Pirates trade Jason Schimdt and John Vaner Wal to the San Francisco Giants for Ryan Voguelsong and Armando Rios (07/30/2001) - The Giants gave up 2 guys who aren't playing affiliated baseball for one of the most underrated pitchers, at that time. Schmidt wasn't going to stay in Pittsburgh and his days in San Fran were pretty impressive (when healthy). Vander Wal was one of the top pinch hitters in the game, so he was a nice throw in.
12. The Toronto Blue Jays trade David Cone to the New York Yankees for Marty Janzsen, Jason Jarvis, and Mike Gordon (07/28/1995) - Cone was a good pitcher still at this point, so it was puzzling to see him traded, especially to a division rival. Cone would go on to have his career years in NY, while the 3 that the Blue Jays got did nothing.
11. The Florida Marlins trade Derrek Lee to the Chicago Cubs for Hee Seop Choi and Mike Nannini - Fresh off a World Series, the Marlins began to unload players that would have their salaries go up. Lee was one of the casualties. They received Choi, who was supposed to be the heir to Mark Grace; instead he couldn't hit lefties and could barely hit righties. He made it half a season in Florida before being shipped to the Dodgers. Nannini never saw MLB action. Lee, on the other hand, has become a superstar.
10. The Toronto Blue Jays trade Michael Young and Darwin Cubillan to the Texas Rangers for Esteban Loaiza (07/19/2000) - Loaiza was an innings eater at this point; he would later be a much better pitcher, but way after the Jays had him. They gave up a future All Star Shortstop, something they have been searching for the last few years.
9. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays trade Bobby Abreu to the Philadelphia Phillies for Kevin Stocker (11/18/1997) - This move sums up the first 10 years of the Rays. Abreu was selected in the expansion draft (so Houston receives part of the blame for leaving him un-protected) and instantly traded to the Phillies for Stocker, who was supposed to be a decent player. Stocker didn't last long in the league, while Abreu became one of the better hitters in baseball.
8. The Los Angeles Dodgers trade Pedro Martinez to the Montreal Expos for Delino DeShields (11/19/1993) - The Dodgers went throught a large period where they were in a win now mentality. The had the better Martinez brother still on the team and added a known commodity. Pedro would end up becoming one of the better pitchers of the last 20 years, dominating for the Expos, then the Red Sox.
7. The Seattle Mariners trade Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek to the Boston Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb (07/31/1997) - Slocumb was a decent closer at the time, while Lowe was stuggling through his rookie season. Varitek was the main part of the deal, although Seattle never saw him as the player he would become. Slocumb never pitched as well as he did the previous few seasons, while Lowe and Varitek became All Stars.
6. The Pittsburgh Pirates trade Aramis Ramerez, Kenny Lofton, and cash to the Chicago Cubs for Bobby Hill, Jose Hernandez, and Matt Bruback. (7/23/2003) - The NL Central was one of the tightest races in baseball this season, and the Cubs sealed it by stealing Ramirez and Lofton from the Pirates. Cardinal and Astro fans still wonder what pictures Jim Hendry had of the Pirates front office people. The Cubs would also get Randall Simon for nothing later on.
5. The San Francisco Giants trade Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano, and Boof Bonser to the Minnesota Twins for A.J. Pierzynski (11/13/2003) - Pierzynski wore out his welcome in Minnesota; he was considered a club house cancer. The Giants needed a catcher and had thought they weren't giving up much. Nathan was a struggling starter, Liriano was coming off a major injury, while Bonser was a top prospect. Nathan was thrown in the closer role after LaTroy Hawkins and Eddie Guardado walked. Bonser is currently a key set up guy after having on and off success as a starter. Liriano had an amazing 2006, dominating hitters before having another TJ surgery. AJ was traded after 1 season in San Fran.
4. The Oakland Athletics trade Mark McGwire to the St. Louis Cardinals for T.J. Mathews, Eric Ludwick and Blake Stein (07/31/1997) - The small market club trades it's slugger, who they wouldn't be able to sign. This was before Billy Beane was ravaging systems for prospects, so the A's pretty much got nothing from the deal (Stein was moved later in the deal for Johnny Damon - that could be looked at as a bright spot). The Cardinals got a ton of revenue from McGwire's home run circus, plus became a yearly playoff favorite.
3. The New York Mets trade Scott Kazmir and Jose Diaz to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Victor Zambrano and Bartolome Fortunato (07/30/2004) - I hear Daniels signing already. The Mets thought they could fix Zambrano's mechanical problems; I don't know how they thought they were upgrading the team by adding an under-performing starter for one of the top pitching prospects in the game. This was the begining of the end of the Steve Phillips Era.
2. The Arizona Diamondbacks trade Curt Schilling to the Boston Red Sox for Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, and Jorge de la Rosa (11/28/2003) - The Red Sox got their ace and all it cost them was a highly touted prospect and a couple of extra pieces. Of course, the prospect couldn't stay healthy in his time in Boston (Fossum). Lyons have been alright when healthy in the closer role, but he's not worth the price of Schilling. De la Rosa was traded shortly after this deal in the earlier mentioned Sexson deal.
1. The St. Louis Cardinals trade Dan Haren, Kiko Calero, and Daric Barton to the Oakland Athletics for Mark Mulder (12/18/2004) - Mentioning Mulder in St. Louis is like mentioning Zambrano in New York. Haren by himself would have been too much for Mulder, who hasn't had a healthy season since coming to St. Louis (in fact, he’s attempting his third comeback this season and has only pitched 1/3 of a MLB inning). While the Cardinals wait to see if Mulder will ever pitch again, the A’s are sitting on a bounty from trading Haren with Barton their starting first baseman (Calero was recently released).
20. The Los Angeles Dodgers trade Mark Grudzielanek and Eric Karros to the Chicago Cubs for Todd Hundley and Chad Hermansen (12/04/2002) - The Dodgers were tired of Karros and Grudzielanek fell out of favor with the manager. The front office felt it was better to move them and take on the salary of the corpse of Hundley. Hundley spent most of his time on the DL, while Karros and Grudzielanek his over .300 for the Cubs. Hermansen never developed into the hitter anyone thought.
19. The Houston Astros trade Willy Tavares, Jason Hirsh, and Taylor Buchholz to the Rockies for Jason Jennings and Miguel Asencio (12/12/2006) - Colorado, knowing that they couldn't resign him, put Jason Jennings on the market. The Astros, fresh from running Andy Pettitte out of town and missing out on better pitchers, decided to go for broke. Broke was the key word, as Jennings spent most of the season on the DL, while the 3 new Rockies helped get them to the World Series. Asencio spent most of the season in the minors and became a free agent after the year.
18. The Boston Red Sox trade Cla Meredith, Josh Bard, and cash to the San Diego Padres for Doug Mirabelli (05/01/2006) - Boston traded back up catcher Doug Mirabelli after acquiring Bard from the Indians. The problem was Bard couldn't catch Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. Boston had to trade to get Mirabelli back, giving up more than what they dealt in the first place. Meridith was pretty good out of the bullpen while Bard is emerging as a starting catcher. Mirabelli was released by the Red Sox earlier this season.
17. The New York Mets trade Brian Bannister to the Kansas City Royals for Ambiorix Burgos (12/06/2006) - The Mets had a full rotation and needed help in the bullpen; the Royals were the opposite. Bannister was the odd man out in NY, after missing most of the previous season; when he did pitch, he was pretty good. Burgos was closer at one point for the Royals, but he could never over come his wildness. The swap was made and Bannister has been phenomenal while Burgos has seen little time in the Majors.
16. The Chicago Cubs trade Jon Garland to the Chicago White Sox for Matt Karchner (07/29/1998) - This cross town swap was a second thought for the White Sox. They were giving up a MLB reliever and were getting a struggling prospect. After being patient, the deal paid off. Garland broke out and was a star for the Sox during their World Series season, while Karchner faded quick.
15. The Arizona Diamondbacks trade Junior Spivey, Craig Counsell, Lyle Overbay, Chad Moeller, Chris Capuano, and Jorge de la Rosa to the Milwaukee Brewers for Richie Sexson, Noochie Varner, and Shane Nance (12/01/2003) - The Brewers were dumping Sexson because they knew they couldn't afford him. The D'backs paid for, what they thought, was one of the missing pieces that would get them back to the playoffs. Instead, Sexson missed the full season. The Brewers used their pieces to help do nothing, but they still got more than Sexson was worth. Capuano even was a top pitcher for a season.
14. The Los Angeles Dodgers trade Paul Konerko and Dennys Reyes to the Cincinnati Reds for Jeff Shaw (07/04/1998) - The Dodgers needed a closer and gave up their best prospect for a declining one. Konerko would move on to become a solid MLB hitter, while Shaw struggled with closing out games and retired at a relatively young age (for a reliever).
13. The Pittsburgh Pirates trade Jason Schimdt and John Vaner Wal to the San Francisco Giants for Ryan Voguelsong and Armando Rios (07/30/2001) - The Giants gave up 2 guys who aren't playing affiliated baseball for one of the most underrated pitchers, at that time. Schmidt wasn't going to stay in Pittsburgh and his days in San Fran were pretty impressive (when healthy). Vander Wal was one of the top pinch hitters in the game, so he was a nice throw in.
12. The Toronto Blue Jays trade David Cone to the New York Yankees for Marty Janzsen, Jason Jarvis, and Mike Gordon (07/28/1995) - Cone was a good pitcher still at this point, so it was puzzling to see him traded, especially to a division rival. Cone would go on to have his career years in NY, while the 3 that the Blue Jays got did nothing.
11. The Florida Marlins trade Derrek Lee to the Chicago Cubs for Hee Seop Choi and Mike Nannini - Fresh off a World Series, the Marlins began to unload players that would have their salaries go up. Lee was one of the casualties. They received Choi, who was supposed to be the heir to Mark Grace; instead he couldn't hit lefties and could barely hit righties. He made it half a season in Florida before being shipped to the Dodgers. Nannini never saw MLB action. Lee, on the other hand, has become a superstar.
10. The Toronto Blue Jays trade Michael Young and Darwin Cubillan to the Texas Rangers for Esteban Loaiza (07/19/2000) - Loaiza was an innings eater at this point; he would later be a much better pitcher, but way after the Jays had him. They gave up a future All Star Shortstop, something they have been searching for the last few years.
9. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays trade Bobby Abreu to the Philadelphia Phillies for Kevin Stocker (11/18/1997) - This move sums up the first 10 years of the Rays. Abreu was selected in the expansion draft (so Houston receives part of the blame for leaving him un-protected) and instantly traded to the Phillies for Stocker, who was supposed to be a decent player. Stocker didn't last long in the league, while Abreu became one of the better hitters in baseball.
8. The Los Angeles Dodgers trade Pedro Martinez to the Montreal Expos for Delino DeShields (11/19/1993) - The Dodgers went throught a large period where they were in a win now mentality. The had the better Martinez brother still on the team and added a known commodity. Pedro would end up becoming one of the better pitchers of the last 20 years, dominating for the Expos, then the Red Sox.
7. The Seattle Mariners trade Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek to the Boston Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb (07/31/1997) - Slocumb was a decent closer at the time, while Lowe was stuggling through his rookie season. Varitek was the main part of the deal, although Seattle never saw him as the player he would become. Slocumb never pitched as well as he did the previous few seasons, while Lowe and Varitek became All Stars.
6. The Pittsburgh Pirates trade Aramis Ramerez, Kenny Lofton, and cash to the Chicago Cubs for Bobby Hill, Jose Hernandez, and Matt Bruback. (7/23/2003) - The NL Central was one of the tightest races in baseball this season, and the Cubs sealed it by stealing Ramirez and Lofton from the Pirates. Cardinal and Astro fans still wonder what pictures Jim Hendry had of the Pirates front office people. The Cubs would also get Randall Simon for nothing later on.
5. The San Francisco Giants trade Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano, and Boof Bonser to the Minnesota Twins for A.J. Pierzynski (11/13/2003) - Pierzynski wore out his welcome in Minnesota; he was considered a club house cancer. The Giants needed a catcher and had thought they weren't giving up much. Nathan was a struggling starter, Liriano was coming off a major injury, while Bonser was a top prospect. Nathan was thrown in the closer role after LaTroy Hawkins and Eddie Guardado walked. Bonser is currently a key set up guy after having on and off success as a starter. Liriano had an amazing 2006, dominating hitters before having another TJ surgery. AJ was traded after 1 season in San Fran.
4. The Oakland Athletics trade Mark McGwire to the St. Louis Cardinals for T.J. Mathews, Eric Ludwick and Blake Stein (07/31/1997) - The small market club trades it's slugger, who they wouldn't be able to sign. This was before Billy Beane was ravaging systems for prospects, so the A's pretty much got nothing from the deal (Stein was moved later in the deal for Johnny Damon - that could be looked at as a bright spot). The Cardinals got a ton of revenue from McGwire's home run circus, plus became a yearly playoff favorite.
3. The New York Mets trade Scott Kazmir and Jose Diaz to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Victor Zambrano and Bartolome Fortunato (07/30/2004) - I hear Daniels signing already. The Mets thought they could fix Zambrano's mechanical problems; I don't know how they thought they were upgrading the team by adding an under-performing starter for one of the top pitching prospects in the game. This was the begining of the end of the Steve Phillips Era.
2. The Arizona Diamondbacks trade Curt Schilling to the Boston Red Sox for Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, and Jorge de la Rosa (11/28/2003) - The Red Sox got their ace and all it cost them was a highly touted prospect and a couple of extra pieces. Of course, the prospect couldn't stay healthy in his time in Boston (Fossum). Lyons have been alright when healthy in the closer role, but he's not worth the price of Schilling. De la Rosa was traded shortly after this deal in the earlier mentioned Sexson deal.
1. The St. Louis Cardinals trade Dan Haren, Kiko Calero, and Daric Barton to the Oakland Athletics for Mark Mulder (12/18/2004) - Mentioning Mulder in St. Louis is like mentioning Zambrano in New York. Haren by himself would have been too much for Mulder, who hasn't had a healthy season since coming to St. Louis (in fact, he’s attempting his third comeback this season and has only pitched 1/3 of a MLB inning). While the Cardinals wait to see if Mulder will ever pitch again, the A’s are sitting on a bounty from trading Haren with Barton their starting first baseman (Calero was recently released).
Transactions: 07/29/2008
Transactions
Atlanta Braves
Jeff Bennett Removed From 15-Day DL (Subluxated right shoulder); Atlanta Braves Clint Sammons Called Up from Minors; Atlanta Braves Jo-Jo Reyes Sent to Minors; Atlanta Braves Charlie Morton Called Up from Minors; Chipper Jones Placed on 15-Day DL (Left hamstring strain); Tim Hudson Placed on 15-Day DL (Tightness in right elbow).
Baltimore Orioles
Jamie Walker Removed From 15-Day DL (Left elbow inflammation).
Colorado Rockies
Ryan Speier Sent to Minors; Valerio de los Santos Purchased From Minors.
Florida Marlins
Taylor Tankersley Called Up from Minors.
Houston Astros
Roy Oswalt Removed From 15-Day DL (Left hip adductor strain); Runelvys Hernandez Sent to Minors.
Philadelphia Phillies
Adam Eaton Sent to Minors.
St. Louis Cardinals
Mitchell Boggs Sent to Minors; Nick Stavinoha Called Up from Minors.
Toronto Blue Jays
Aaron Hill Transferred to 60-Day DL (Mild concussion); Brian Tallet Placed on 15-Day DL (Fractured small right toe).
Atlanta Braves
Jeff Bennett Removed From 15-Day DL (Subluxated right shoulder); Atlanta Braves Clint Sammons Called Up from Minors; Atlanta Braves Jo-Jo Reyes Sent to Minors; Atlanta Braves Charlie Morton Called Up from Minors; Chipper Jones Placed on 15-Day DL (Left hamstring strain); Tim Hudson Placed on 15-Day DL (Tightness in right elbow).
Baltimore Orioles
Jamie Walker Removed From 15-Day DL (Left elbow inflammation).
Colorado Rockies
Ryan Speier Sent to Minors; Valerio de los Santos Purchased From Minors.
Florida Marlins
Taylor Tankersley Called Up from Minors.
Houston Astros
Roy Oswalt Removed From 15-Day DL (Left hip adductor strain); Runelvys Hernandez Sent to Minors.
Philadelphia Phillies
Adam Eaton Sent to Minors.
St. Louis Cardinals
Mitchell Boggs Sent to Minors; Nick Stavinoha Called Up from Minors.
Toronto Blue Jays
Aaron Hill Transferred to 60-Day DL (Mild concussion); Brian Tallet Placed on 15-Day DL (Fractured small right toe).
7.28.2008
Trade Deadline Rumors
I'm going to wait to look at the trades from over the weekend until after the deadline.
Here's the latest rumors coming into the trade deadline:
Manny Ramirez - Manny has claimed that he'd waive his no trade clause if the Red Sox could find a trade partner; he'd also required that his $20MM option be declined. The Phillies and Mets could be interested, but most reports having him cost a top prospect with money in return - a steep price for a rental. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers have also been mentioned.
Brian Fuentes - Peter Gammons is claiming the Cardinals are the front-runners, but GM Dan O'Dowd has said that since his team in closing in on the Diamondbacks/Dodgers, Fuentes and Matt Holliday are not available. Holliday is off the table, but most think that Fuentes will still be dealt. The Rays and Dodgers are still in the hunt too. The Marlins won't give up Annibal Sanchez and the Mets won't give up Aaron Heilman.
Jarrod Washburn - The Yankees and Mariners are close to a deal, but there are many conflicting rumors. The Yankees don't want to give up anything more than a mid-level prospects; they'll willing to deal a better prospect if Kei Igawa is included. The Mariners want Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner. Some say that the Mariners are waiting until Hank Steinbrenner steps in and demands they acquire a pitcher.
George Sherrill - No news on this front. The Cardinals, Tigers, Dodgers, Marlins, Dodgers, and Phillies are still involved.
AJ Burnett - The Blue Jays are discussing giving Burnett an additional $2MM a season to not opt out of his contract. The Cardinals are the favorites to get him, if he's dealt. The Yankees could inquire about him if the Washburn deal falls through, but it's unlikely the Jays will deal him in the division.
Justin Duchscherer - The Rockies recently called the A's about Duchscherer.
Mark Teixeira - The Braves have 4 players in mind that they'd want deal built around: Kevin Youkilis (Red Sox), James Loney (Dodgers), Conor Jackson (Diamondbacks), or Casey Kotchman (Angels). The Rays and Yankees have also been linked to the slugger.
Huston Street - Quiet on this front. If he's moved, it'll probably be in the off-season.
Smaller stuff: The Cardinals will not be trading Kyle Lohse before the deadline...The Tigers are looking at Jack Taschner and Scott Schoeneweis...Pudge Rodriguez could be dealt in August if the Tigers are out of contention...There is a 50% shot that the Rangers deal a catcher...The White Sox could be looking for relief help...The Yankees have gotten a lot of calls on Phil Hughes...The Mets are focusing on Raul Ibanez...The Marlins will move Mike Jacobs or Cody Ross for a reliever...Arthur Rhodes is an alternative to Fuentes and Sherrill...The Rays would consider Jeff Kent an upgrade...Benige Molina is an option for the Yankees and Marlins...The Cubs are standing pat...
Here's the latest rumors coming into the trade deadline:
Manny Ramirez - Manny has claimed that he'd waive his no trade clause if the Red Sox could find a trade partner; he'd also required that his $20MM option be declined. The Phillies and Mets could be interested, but most reports having him cost a top prospect with money in return - a steep price for a rental. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers have also been mentioned.
Brian Fuentes - Peter Gammons is claiming the Cardinals are the front-runners, but GM Dan O'Dowd has said that since his team in closing in on the Diamondbacks/Dodgers, Fuentes and Matt Holliday are not available. Holliday is off the table, but most think that Fuentes will still be dealt. The Rays and Dodgers are still in the hunt too. The Marlins won't give up Annibal Sanchez and the Mets won't give up Aaron Heilman.
Jarrod Washburn - The Yankees and Mariners are close to a deal, but there are many conflicting rumors. The Yankees don't want to give up anything more than a mid-level prospects; they'll willing to deal a better prospect if Kei Igawa is included. The Mariners want Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner. Some say that the Mariners are waiting until Hank Steinbrenner steps in and demands they acquire a pitcher.
George Sherrill - No news on this front. The Cardinals, Tigers, Dodgers, Marlins, Dodgers, and Phillies are still involved.
AJ Burnett - The Blue Jays are discussing giving Burnett an additional $2MM a season to not opt out of his contract. The Cardinals are the favorites to get him, if he's dealt. The Yankees could inquire about him if the Washburn deal falls through, but it's unlikely the Jays will deal him in the division.
Justin Duchscherer - The Rockies recently called the A's about Duchscherer.
Mark Teixeira - The Braves have 4 players in mind that they'd want deal built around: Kevin Youkilis (Red Sox), James Loney (Dodgers), Conor Jackson (Diamondbacks), or Casey Kotchman (Angels). The Rays and Yankees have also been linked to the slugger.
Huston Street - Quiet on this front. If he's moved, it'll probably be in the off-season.
Smaller stuff: The Cardinals will not be trading Kyle Lohse before the deadline...The Tigers are looking at Jack Taschner and Scott Schoeneweis...Pudge Rodriguez could be dealt in August if the Tigers are out of contention...There is a 50% shot that the Rangers deal a catcher...The White Sox could be looking for relief help...The Yankees have gotten a lot of calls on Phil Hughes...The Mets are focusing on Raul Ibanez...The Marlins will move Mike Jacobs or Cody Ross for a reliever...Arthur Rhodes is an alternative to Fuentes and Sherrill...The Rays would consider Jeff Kent an upgrade...Benige Molina is an option for the Yankees and Marlins...The Cubs are standing pat...
7.23.2008
Trade Deadline Part 1
It's a little over a week until the trade deadline and we are already busier than the past couple of years. I'll look at what has happened so far and what is currently rumored to happen.
Rankings
Disclaimer
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Wednesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Wednesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
Site Update
As you've noticed the Daily Update hasn't been around for the last week or so. My work schedule has made it temporarely impossible to continue it. If there is an outcry, I may start it up again (and if there is a demand, I may finish the mid-season reports and AL award winners - e-mail me or post something on this post).
7.18.2008
Daily Update: 07/18/2008
The trades continue...
Joe Blanton was sent to the Phillies for prospects Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman, and Matthew Spencer.
Oakland has added a few more top prospects to their system (Cardenas was 2nd in the Phillies system, and Outman was fourth).
San Diego has sent Tony Clark back to Arizona for prospect Evan Scribner. Paul DePodesta has a scouting report of Scribner here.
Joe Blanton was sent to the Phillies for prospects Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman, and Matthew Spencer.
Oakland has added a few more top prospects to their system (Cardenas was 2nd in the Phillies system, and Outman was fourth).
San Diego has sent Tony Clark back to Arizona for prospect Evan Scribner. Paul DePodesta has a scouting report of Scribner here.
7.17.2008
7.16.2008
7.15.2008
2008 All Star Roster - My Version
Choosing an all star team is difficult when you have to select a player from every team. The basis for the experiment was to select an 25-man All Star roster, with at least one member from every team. There is a 7 man bench and an 8 man bullpen.
A lot of the choices were pretty easy, but the bench and pitchers got difficult when you had to find a Royal or National to throw on the team.
The NL All Stars according to me (and the readers):
C - Russ Martin (Reader pick: Brian McCann)
1B - Lance Berkman (Reader pick: Lance Berkman)
2B - Chase Utley (Reader pick: Chase Utley)
3B - Chipper Jones (Reader pick: Chipper Jones)
SS - Hanley Ramirez (Reader pick: Hanley Ramirez)
LF - Matt Holliday (Reader pick: Matt Holliday)
CF - Nate McLouth (Reader pick: Nate McLouth)
RF - Ryan Ludwick (Reader pick: Ryan Bruan)
DH - Albert Pujols (Reader pick: Albert Pujols)
Bench - Ryan Braun, Dan Uggla, Kosuke Fukudome, Adrian Gonzalez, David Wright, Christian Guzman, Yadier Molina (Reader picks: Russ Martin, Dan Uggla, Derek Lee, David Wright, Christian Guzman, Pat Burrell, Carlos Lee)
Starter - Brandon Webb (Reader pick: Edison Volquez)
Bullpen - Tim Lincecum, Edison Volquez, Kyle Lohse, Ben Sheets, Dan Haren, Brad Lidge, Kerry Wood, Brian Wilson (Reader picks: Tim Lincecum, Brandon Webb, Ben Sheets, Jake Peavy, Johan Santana, Brad Lidge, Jose Valverde, Billy Wagner)
The AL All Stars according to me:
C - Joe Mauer (Reader pick: Joe Mauer)
1B - Justin Morneau (Reader pick: Kevin Youkilis)
2B - Ian Kinsler (Reader pick: Ian Kinsler)
3B - Alex Rodriguez (Reader pick: Alex Rodriguez)
SS - Derek Jeter (Reader pick: Michael Young)
LF - Carlos Quentin (Reader pick: Manny Ramirez)
CF - Josh Hamilton (Reader pick: Josh Hamilton)
RF - JD Drew (Reader pick: Ichiro Suzuki)
DH - Milton Bradley (Reader pick: Milton Bradley)
Bench - Manny Ramirez, Hideki Matsui, Evan Longoria, Placido Polanco, Grady Sizemore, Michael Young, Kurt Suzuki (Reader picks: Carlos Quentin, Evan Longoria, Placido Polanco, Derek Jeter, AJ Pierzynski, Justin Morneau, Grady Sizemore)
Starter - Cliff Lee (Reader pick: Cliff Lee)
Bullpen - Ervin Santana, Justin Duchscherer, Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez, Joe Saunders, Joakim Soria, George Sherrill, Francisco Rodriguez (Reader picks: Felix Hernandez, Justin Duchscherer, Roy Halladay, Josh Beckett, Joakim Soria, Francisco Rodriguez, George Sherrill)
Don't like the teams? Want to bash me for picks? Send e-mails to me and I'll justify my picks.
A lot of the choices were pretty easy, but the bench and pitchers got difficult when you had to find a Royal or National to throw on the team.
The NL All Stars according to me (and the readers):
C - Russ Martin (Reader pick: Brian McCann)
1B - Lance Berkman (Reader pick: Lance Berkman)
2B - Chase Utley (Reader pick: Chase Utley)
3B - Chipper Jones (Reader pick: Chipper Jones)
SS - Hanley Ramirez (Reader pick: Hanley Ramirez)
LF - Matt Holliday (Reader pick: Matt Holliday)
CF - Nate McLouth (Reader pick: Nate McLouth)
RF - Ryan Ludwick (Reader pick: Ryan Bruan)
DH - Albert Pujols (Reader pick: Albert Pujols)
Bench - Ryan Braun, Dan Uggla, Kosuke Fukudome, Adrian Gonzalez, David Wright, Christian Guzman, Yadier Molina (Reader picks: Russ Martin, Dan Uggla, Derek Lee, David Wright, Christian Guzman, Pat Burrell, Carlos Lee)
Starter - Brandon Webb (Reader pick: Edison Volquez)
Bullpen - Tim Lincecum, Edison Volquez, Kyle Lohse, Ben Sheets, Dan Haren, Brad Lidge, Kerry Wood, Brian Wilson (Reader picks: Tim Lincecum, Brandon Webb, Ben Sheets, Jake Peavy, Johan Santana, Brad Lidge, Jose Valverde, Billy Wagner)
The AL All Stars according to me:
C - Joe Mauer (Reader pick: Joe Mauer)
1B - Justin Morneau (Reader pick: Kevin Youkilis)
2B - Ian Kinsler (Reader pick: Ian Kinsler)
3B - Alex Rodriguez (Reader pick: Alex Rodriguez)
SS - Derek Jeter (Reader pick: Michael Young)
LF - Carlos Quentin (Reader pick: Manny Ramirez)
CF - Josh Hamilton (Reader pick: Josh Hamilton)
RF - JD Drew (Reader pick: Ichiro Suzuki)
DH - Milton Bradley (Reader pick: Milton Bradley)
Bench - Manny Ramirez, Hideki Matsui, Evan Longoria, Placido Polanco, Grady Sizemore, Michael Young, Kurt Suzuki (Reader picks: Carlos Quentin, Evan Longoria, Placido Polanco, Derek Jeter, AJ Pierzynski, Justin Morneau, Grady Sizemore)
Starter - Cliff Lee (Reader pick: Cliff Lee)
Bullpen - Ervin Santana, Justin Duchscherer, Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez, Joe Saunders, Joakim Soria, George Sherrill, Francisco Rodriguez (Reader picks: Felix Hernandez, Justin Duchscherer, Roy Halladay, Josh Beckett, Joakim Soria, Francisco Rodriguez, George Sherrill)
Don't like the teams? Want to bash me for picks? Send e-mails to me and I'll justify my picks.
MLB Mid-season Review: NL Central
Mid-season Review: NL Central
From one of the worst divisions, to one of the best. The NL Central is already one of the most exciting races - and it should only get better as evidenced by the arms race.
Chicago Cubs
Record: 57-38
Pythagorean Record: 58-37
Farm System: 25th
What Went Right?
The Cubs haven't had anything go wrong. They have the best run differential in the league, the most all stars, and the most wins (tied with the Red Sox and Angels).
What Went Wrong?
The worst things would be Alfonso Soriano's health and Felix Pie's demotion.
What Needs To Be Done?
They still want to add a pitcher, but they really don't need to do much since they got Harden.
Grade: A
Cincinnati Reds
Record: 46-50
Pythagorean Record: 42-54
Farm System: 6th
What Went Right?
Adding Edison Volquez was huge for the future of the pitching staff. Johnny Cueto has shown signs of greatness. Plus Jay Bruce was promoted.
What Went Wrong?
Homer Bailey still hasn't developed. Johnny Cueto struggles after his first few starts.
What Needs To Be Done?
Just preparing for next year. They want to move veterans, but will they be able to?
Grade: D+
Houston Astros
Record: 44-51
Pythagorean Record: 43-52
Farm System: 30th
What Went Right?
The Astros have had some streaks this year. The hitters aren't doing terrible; Lance Berkman has been a monster.
What Went Wrong?
The pitching has been horrible. Roy Oswalt is struggling and they don't have much after him.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to rebuild the system. They have very little after they traded for Jason Jennings, Jose Valverde, and Miguel Tejada the last 2 years. They have said they will listen on any player without a no trade clause.
Grade: D-
Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 52-43
Pythagorean Record: 49-46
Farm System: 9th
What Went Right?
They've gotten good performances from the usual suspects - Fielder, Bruan, Sheets. Sheets hasn't been hurt yet. They were able to trade for CC Sabathia without giving up much of the future.
What Went Wrong?
The bullpen hasn't been good. Eric Gagne has fallen far since his consecutive save streak. Slow starts by JJ Hardy and Bruan got them off to a slow start.
What Needs To Be Done?
Not much. Sabathia was a huge addition. They could use a couple of bullpen arms, even possibly a new closer.
Grade: B-
Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 44-50
Pythagorean Record: 41-53
Farm System: 22rd
What Went Right?
They've been able to hit pretty well (460 runs for the season). Nate McLouth looks like a piece to build around.
What Went Wrong?
The pitching has been horrible. They've given up the second most runs in the league.
What Needs To Be Done?
Trade off their free agents to be, like Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. Keeping Jason Bay is important.
Grade: F
St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 53-43
Pythagorean Record: 51-45
Farm System: 11th
What Went Right?
Their starting pitching has been pretty good; Kyle Lohse was a steal for under $5MM. The outfield is stacked; they are getting career years from Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel.
What Went Wrong?
The bullpen has been one of the worst in baseball. They have 21 blown saves at the break. They also have a lousy middle infield; all 4 players they use have the same skill set with no power.
What Needs To Be Done?
To stay in contention, they need a better SS or 2B, an upgrade in the bullpen, and a starter who can eat innings.
Grade: B+
From one of the worst divisions, to one of the best. The NL Central is already one of the most exciting races - and it should only get better as evidenced by the arms race.
Chicago Cubs
Record: 57-38
Pythagorean Record: 58-37
Farm System: 25th
What Went Right?
The Cubs haven't had anything go wrong. They have the best run differential in the league, the most all stars, and the most wins (tied with the Red Sox and Angels).
What Went Wrong?
The worst things would be Alfonso Soriano's health and Felix Pie's demotion.
What Needs To Be Done?
They still want to add a pitcher, but they really don't need to do much since they got Harden.
Grade: A
Cincinnati Reds
Record: 46-50
Pythagorean Record: 42-54
Farm System: 6th
What Went Right?
Adding Edison Volquez was huge for the future of the pitching staff. Johnny Cueto has shown signs of greatness. Plus Jay Bruce was promoted.
What Went Wrong?
Homer Bailey still hasn't developed. Johnny Cueto struggles after his first few starts.
What Needs To Be Done?
Just preparing for next year. They want to move veterans, but will they be able to?
Grade: D+
Houston Astros
Record: 44-51
Pythagorean Record: 43-52
Farm System: 30th
What Went Right?
The Astros have had some streaks this year. The hitters aren't doing terrible; Lance Berkman has been a monster.
What Went Wrong?
The pitching has been horrible. Roy Oswalt is struggling and they don't have much after him.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to rebuild the system. They have very little after they traded for Jason Jennings, Jose Valverde, and Miguel Tejada the last 2 years. They have said they will listen on any player without a no trade clause.
Grade: D-
Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 52-43
Pythagorean Record: 49-46
Farm System: 9th
What Went Right?
They've gotten good performances from the usual suspects - Fielder, Bruan, Sheets. Sheets hasn't been hurt yet. They were able to trade for CC Sabathia without giving up much of the future.
What Went Wrong?
The bullpen hasn't been good. Eric Gagne has fallen far since his consecutive save streak. Slow starts by JJ Hardy and Bruan got them off to a slow start.
What Needs To Be Done?
Not much. Sabathia was a huge addition. They could use a couple of bullpen arms, even possibly a new closer.
Grade: B-
Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 44-50
Pythagorean Record: 41-53
Farm System: 22rd
What Went Right?
They've been able to hit pretty well (460 runs for the season). Nate McLouth looks like a piece to build around.
What Went Wrong?
The pitching has been horrible. They've given up the second most runs in the league.
What Needs To Be Done?
Trade off their free agents to be, like Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. Keeping Jason Bay is important.
Grade: F
St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 53-43
Pythagorean Record: 51-45
Farm System: 11th
What Went Right?
Their starting pitching has been pretty good; Kyle Lohse was a steal for under $5MM. The outfield is stacked; they are getting career years from Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel.
What Went Wrong?
The bullpen has been one of the worst in baseball. They have 21 blown saves at the break. They also have a lousy middle infield; all 4 players they use have the same skill set with no power.
What Needs To Be Done?
To stay in contention, they need a better SS or 2B, an upgrade in the bullpen, and a starter who can eat innings.
Grade: B+
MLB Mid-season Review: AL Central
Mid-season Review: AL Central
No one would have predicted this divison - the White Sox in first; the Indians in last. The Twins in contention without Johan Santana. Well at least the Royals are still the Royals (although not in last).
Chicago White Sox
Record: 54-40
Pythagorean Record: 56-38
Farm System: 29th
What Went Right?
I just wanted to point out that I said the White Sox would be better this year, if the pitching worked out. I received an e-mail stating I was a hack and nothing more than a second rate writer. The pitching has been good, especially the 2 question marks at the begining of the season: John Danks and Gavin Floyd. Carlos Quentin has been a monster at the plate.
What Went Wrong?
Nick Swisher was expected to do more; hopefully he rebounds in the second half. First baseman Paul Konerko is also having a down year.
What Needs To Be Done?
I don't see them upgrading much. Maybe a bullpen arm.
Grade: B+
Cleveland Indians
Record: 41-53
Pythagorean Record: 48-46
Farm System: 18th
What Went Right?
Cliff Lee is pitching like an ace. Grady Sizemore is still putting up good numbers.
What Went Wrong?
They've been unlucky. Their run-differential shows they should be above .500. Travis Hafner is unofficially done. Victor Martinez is having a down year.
What Needs To Be Done?
Start over. They have some pieces that can be traded, while the bulk of their team is in place for the long haul. Paul Byrd can fetch a prospect from a contender.
Grade: D-
Detroit Tigers
Record: 47-47
Pythagorean Record: 48-46
Farm System: 27th
What Went Right?
Recently, everything has been better. They are hitting alright and the pitching is keeping them in games.
What Went Wrong?
A horrible start; there was no explanation to it. Losing Bonderman for the year was big, if he would have returned to form. Anyone else think Dontrelle Willis will be an effective major league pitcher again? Me neither.
What Needs To Be Done?
If they can string together a few more solid weeks, they'll be in contention in the end. They need a couple of bullpen arms. If they sell, they don't have much that would be wanted.
Grade: C-
Kansas City Royals
Record: 43-53
Pythagorean Record: 41-55
Farm System: 23rd
What Went Right?
They have stuck with some of their younger players. Luke Hochevar is their future ace, so they will let him tough it out. They also had a couple of good weeks.
What Went Wrong?
They are the Royals. Young Billy Butler struggles, so he gets sent down - a move that shouldn't have been made since they know they won't be in contention.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to get the veterans out while they have value. Jose Guillen could use a move.
Grade: D
Minnesota Twins
Record: 53-42
Pythagorean Record: 49-46
Farm System: 10th
What Went Right?
The Johan Santana deal looks good. While it would have been nice to have Satana leading the rotation, Carlos Gomez has been pretty good. It also lead to the signing of Livan Hernandez, which is really helping the young staff.
What Went Wrong?
The Matt Garza deal. Gazra and Bartlett would have been nice to have right about now; especially since Delmon isn't doing much.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need another hitter. Adrian Beltre might be a good pick up, if they actually go through with it.
Grade: B
No one would have predicted this divison - the White Sox in first; the Indians in last. The Twins in contention without Johan Santana. Well at least the Royals are still the Royals (although not in last).
Chicago White Sox
Record: 54-40
Pythagorean Record: 56-38
Farm System: 29th
What Went Right?
I just wanted to point out that I said the White Sox would be better this year, if the pitching worked out. I received an e-mail stating I was a hack and nothing more than a second rate writer. The pitching has been good, especially the 2 question marks at the begining of the season: John Danks and Gavin Floyd. Carlos Quentin has been a monster at the plate.
What Went Wrong?
Nick Swisher was expected to do more; hopefully he rebounds in the second half. First baseman Paul Konerko is also having a down year.
What Needs To Be Done?
I don't see them upgrading much. Maybe a bullpen arm.
Grade: B+
Cleveland Indians
Record: 41-53
Pythagorean Record: 48-46
Farm System: 18th
What Went Right?
Cliff Lee is pitching like an ace. Grady Sizemore is still putting up good numbers.
What Went Wrong?
They've been unlucky. Their run-differential shows they should be above .500. Travis Hafner is unofficially done. Victor Martinez is having a down year.
What Needs To Be Done?
Start over. They have some pieces that can be traded, while the bulk of their team is in place for the long haul. Paul Byrd can fetch a prospect from a contender.
Grade: D-
Detroit Tigers
Record: 47-47
Pythagorean Record: 48-46
Farm System: 27th
What Went Right?
Recently, everything has been better. They are hitting alright and the pitching is keeping them in games.
What Went Wrong?
A horrible start; there was no explanation to it. Losing Bonderman for the year was big, if he would have returned to form. Anyone else think Dontrelle Willis will be an effective major league pitcher again? Me neither.
What Needs To Be Done?
If they can string together a few more solid weeks, they'll be in contention in the end. They need a couple of bullpen arms. If they sell, they don't have much that would be wanted.
Grade: C-
Kansas City Royals
Record: 43-53
Pythagorean Record: 41-55
Farm System: 23rd
What Went Right?
They have stuck with some of their younger players. Luke Hochevar is their future ace, so they will let him tough it out. They also had a couple of good weeks.
What Went Wrong?
They are the Royals. Young Billy Butler struggles, so he gets sent down - a move that shouldn't have been made since they know they won't be in contention.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to get the veterans out while they have value. Jose Guillen could use a move.
Grade: D
Minnesota Twins
Record: 53-42
Pythagorean Record: 49-46
Farm System: 10th
What Went Right?
The Johan Santana deal looks good. While it would have been nice to have Satana leading the rotation, Carlos Gomez has been pretty good. It also lead to the signing of Livan Hernandez, which is really helping the young staff.
What Went Wrong?
The Matt Garza deal. Gazra and Bartlett would have been nice to have right about now; especially since Delmon isn't doing much.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need another hitter. Adrian Beltre might be a good pick up, if they actually go through with it.
Grade: B
Daily Update: 07/15/2008
MLB has created an Investigative Unit to handle delicate situations, like steroids and the recent bonus skimming scandal. In May, scouts of the White Sox were fired for apparently skimming money from international signee's bonuses.
According to reports, at least 1 MLB GM has been investigated. It was revealed this past weekend that Nationals GM Jim Bowden and special assistant Jose Rijos are being investigated for having a hand in the scandal. Both claim they are clean.
This comes shortly after an Orioles scout was fired for ties to sports betting. More scouts may be involved. There is no indication that any games were fixed.
According to reports, at least 1 MLB GM has been investigated. It was revealed this past weekend that Nationals GM Jim Bowden and special assistant Jose Rijos are being investigated for having a hand in the scandal. Both claim they are clean.
This comes shortly after an Orioles scout was fired for ties to sports betting. More scouts may be involved. There is no indication that any games were fixed.
7.14.2008
MLB Mid-season Awards: NL
NL MVP:
Chase Utley - He's been a monster this season. He's easily the top player at a weak position. He's also the big reason the Phillies offense has been good.
Also considered: Chipper Jones, Albert Pujols, Alfonso Soriano, Lance Berkman.
NL Cy Young:
Tim Lincecum - Lincecum is the future of the Giants. While the team has been horrible, they can at least figure to win 1 of 5 games. He's not giving up runs and he's striking out 9.37 per 9 innings.
Also considered: Edison Volquez, Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Aaron Cook.
NL Rookie of the Year:
Geovany Soto - The Cubs backstop has already won All Star honors, so rookie of the year would be the next step. He's hitting well and holding his own behind the plate. I'd rather give it to him than a player that has spent years playing in another professional league.
Also considered: Edison Volquez, Kosuke Fukudome, Jay Bruce.
NL Manager of the Year:
Jerry Manuel - Since he took over the Mets, they have looked like the winning team everyone expected. They are now a half a game back after spending the beginning of the season at the bottom of the standings.
Also considered: Lou Pinella, Tony LaRussa, Fredi Gonzalez.
NL Executive of the Year:
John Mozeliak - The rookie GM of the Cardinals has pulled off some impressive moves that people wouldn't have expected to work, like bringing in Kyle Lohse in the middle of spring training. He was also responsible for signing Ryan Ludwick to a minor league deal before last season (when he was the asst GM). He's also not afraid to stand up to manager Tony LaRussa; early in the season, he said that Anthony Reyes was staying with the Cardinals (he did end up getting sent down after some struggles, but Tony didn't want him in the first place).
Also considered: Jim Hendry, Bob Melvin.
Chase Utley - He's been a monster this season. He's easily the top player at a weak position. He's also the big reason the Phillies offense has been good.
Also considered: Chipper Jones, Albert Pujols, Alfonso Soriano, Lance Berkman.
NL Cy Young:
Tim Lincecum - Lincecum is the future of the Giants. While the team has been horrible, they can at least figure to win 1 of 5 games. He's not giving up runs and he's striking out 9.37 per 9 innings.
Also considered: Edison Volquez, Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Aaron Cook.
NL Rookie of the Year:
Geovany Soto - The Cubs backstop has already won All Star honors, so rookie of the year would be the next step. He's hitting well and holding his own behind the plate. I'd rather give it to him than a player that has spent years playing in another professional league.
Also considered: Edison Volquez, Kosuke Fukudome, Jay Bruce.
NL Manager of the Year:
Jerry Manuel - Since he took over the Mets, they have looked like the winning team everyone expected. They are now a half a game back after spending the beginning of the season at the bottom of the standings.
Also considered: Lou Pinella, Tony LaRussa, Fredi Gonzalez.
NL Executive of the Year:
John Mozeliak - The rookie GM of the Cardinals has pulled off some impressive moves that people wouldn't have expected to work, like bringing in Kyle Lohse in the middle of spring training. He was also responsible for signing Ryan Ludwick to a minor league deal before last season (when he was the asst GM). He's also not afraid to stand up to manager Tony LaRussa; early in the season, he said that Anthony Reyes was staying with the Cardinals (he did end up getting sent down after some struggles, but Tony didn't want him in the first place).
Also considered: Jim Hendry, Bob Melvin.
MLB Mid-season Review: NL East
Mid-season Review: NL East
The NL East is a wide open race. The Mets and Phillies are neck and neck, while Florida is right there. I'd have to say this is one of the weaker division in baseball, since there are really only 2 possible contenders.
Atlanta Braves
Record: 45-50
Pythagorean Record: 52-43
Farm System: 5th
What Went Right?
The pitching has carried this team; they've given up the 5th fewest runs in baseball.
What Went Wrong?
They have been very unlucky. They have outscored their opponents, but still have a losing record. Injuries have also hurt the team; ace John Smoltz is done for the year. Their hitting also is very streaky.
What Needs To Be Done?
Time to sell; while they can't be this unlucky all season, they would be best off building for next year. The young pitching is getting in place, but they have some holes in the field. Mark Teixeira is the best (and only) piece they have.
Grade: C-
Florida Marlins
Record: 50-45
Pythagorean Record: 45-50
Farm System: 12th
What Went Right?
The Marlins are the anti-Braves; they can score runs, but can't stop them. They also have been incredibly lucky - 5 games over .500 and have scored less than they've given up.
What Went Wrong?
The pitching has been horrible. They've given up the 4th most runs in the league.
What Needs To Be Done?
They are bound to come back to earth, but they don't need to do much. Most of the pieces are in place for a few years; a couple of guys could be dealt due to raises, but they'll probably hold off until the off season for that.
Grade: C
New York Mets
Record: 51-44
Pythagorean Record: 52-43
Farm System: 28th
What Went Right?
Johan Santana's been pretty good. That's about it until recently.
What Went Wrong?
The beginning of the season. The Mets started slow, but have been pretty good since Willie Randolph was fired. The thin outfield is showing since Moises Alou has gone down, again. Carlos Delgado has been horrible; I'm surprised that he is still playing.
What Needs To Be Done?
They are in a good position to take over the division. Ryan Church is just about cleared to played and they want to bring in another outfielder. If they can find a solution for first base, they will be pretty well set.
Grade: C+
Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 51-44
Pythagorean Record: 56-39
Farm System: 17th
What Went Right?
The team can hit and the pitching has been adequite. Chase Utley has been a monster this season.
What Went Wrong?
What has Brett Myers changed in the last 2 seasons? The one time ace is now pitching in Triple A trying to figure out that question. Ryan Howard has had a slow start, but he's coming around.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need a pitcher to counter-act Santana. Their pitching won't help them if they make it to the post-season.
Grade: B
Washington Nationals
Record: 36-60
Pythagorean Record: 35-61
Farm System: 21st
What Went Right?
Good performances from Odalis Perez and Tim Redding could help this team at the deadline. Other than that, nothing.
What Went Wrong?
Losing Ryan Zimmerman was a huge blow. Most of their young players haven't lived up to their potential.
What Needs To Be Done?
Over-haul. The team doesn't have a direction. With current GM Jim Bowden in hot water, there could be a change on the horizon. Nows the time to sell off every player that doesn't have a future, including Nick Johnson and Christian Guzman.
Grade: F
The NL East is a wide open race. The Mets and Phillies are neck and neck, while Florida is right there. I'd have to say this is one of the weaker division in baseball, since there are really only 2 possible contenders.
Atlanta Braves
Record: 45-50
Pythagorean Record: 52-43
Farm System: 5th
What Went Right?
The pitching has carried this team; they've given up the 5th fewest runs in baseball.
What Went Wrong?
They have been very unlucky. They have outscored their opponents, but still have a losing record. Injuries have also hurt the team; ace John Smoltz is done for the year. Their hitting also is very streaky.
What Needs To Be Done?
Time to sell; while they can't be this unlucky all season, they would be best off building for next year. The young pitching is getting in place, but they have some holes in the field. Mark Teixeira is the best (and only) piece they have.
Grade: C-
Florida Marlins
Record: 50-45
Pythagorean Record: 45-50
Farm System: 12th
What Went Right?
The Marlins are the anti-Braves; they can score runs, but can't stop them. They also have been incredibly lucky - 5 games over .500 and have scored less than they've given up.
What Went Wrong?
The pitching has been horrible. They've given up the 4th most runs in the league.
What Needs To Be Done?
They are bound to come back to earth, but they don't need to do much. Most of the pieces are in place for a few years; a couple of guys could be dealt due to raises, but they'll probably hold off until the off season for that.
Grade: C
New York Mets
Record: 51-44
Pythagorean Record: 52-43
Farm System: 28th
What Went Right?
Johan Santana's been pretty good. That's about it until recently.
What Went Wrong?
The beginning of the season. The Mets started slow, but have been pretty good since Willie Randolph was fired. The thin outfield is showing since Moises Alou has gone down, again. Carlos Delgado has been horrible; I'm surprised that he is still playing.
What Needs To Be Done?
They are in a good position to take over the division. Ryan Church is just about cleared to played and they want to bring in another outfielder. If they can find a solution for first base, they will be pretty well set.
Grade: C+
Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 51-44
Pythagorean Record: 56-39
Farm System: 17th
What Went Right?
The team can hit and the pitching has been adequite. Chase Utley has been a monster this season.
What Went Wrong?
What has Brett Myers changed in the last 2 seasons? The one time ace is now pitching in Triple A trying to figure out that question. Ryan Howard has had a slow start, but he's coming around.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need a pitcher to counter-act Santana. Their pitching won't help them if they make it to the post-season.
Grade: B
Washington Nationals
Record: 36-60
Pythagorean Record: 35-61
Farm System: 21st
What Went Right?
Good performances from Odalis Perez and Tim Redding could help this team at the deadline. Other than that, nothing.
What Went Wrong?
Losing Ryan Zimmerman was a huge blow. Most of their young players haven't lived up to their potential.
What Needs To Be Done?
Over-haul. The team doesn't have a direction. With current GM Jim Bowden in hot water, there could be a change on the horizon. Nows the time to sell off every player that doesn't have a future, including Nick Johnson and Christian Guzman.
Grade: F
MLB Mid-season Review: AL East
Mid-season Review: AL East
This has been one of the best divisions in baseball. All teams are close to .500 or better. Of course, no one believed Tampa had the power to make a run, but they have been one of the best stories this season.
Baltimore Orioles
Record: 45-48
Pythagorean Record: 45-45
Farm System: 8th
What Went Right?
Well, they are middle of the pack in runs scored (13th in MLB).
What Went Wrong?
The Pitching, which was to be expected. They given up the 9th most runs in the league. They also should have had Brian Roberts traded by now. They aren't going to win this year; they probably aren't going to win next year either so they may as well trade the guys with a little value.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to start the selling. Ramon Hernandez, Roberts, Huff, etc. could all help net a prospect or 2. This will also clear spots for some of their players that are close to taking everyday roles.
Grade: C-
Boston Red Sox
Record: 57-40
Pythagorean Record: 59-38
Farm System: 3rd
What Went Right?
As to be expected, just about everything has gone right. They've got a surplus of pitching and the hitting is doing what is expected.
What Went Wrong?
Julio Lugo - what happened to the guys that played for the Rays a few years ago. Hideki Okajima has also struggles in his second MLB season.
What Needs To Be Done?
Adding a lefty reliever is the main objective - Brian Fuentes has been linked to the team. They are also looking for some hitters, probably to come off the bench. They also have Coco Crisp, who had been part of plenty of rumors until recently.
Grade: A
New York Yankees
Record: 50-45
Pythagorean Record: 50-45
Farm System: 16th
What Went Right?
As of late, the team has been pretty good. Mike Mussina looks like he's found the foutain of youth. The problem was...
What Went Wrong?
They got off to a horrible start, which could kill post-season chances. The young players they were counting on, namely Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, have been ineffective and hurt.
What Needs To Be Done?
They definitely needs some help, but I'm not ruling them out. Richie Sexson could be brought in to face lefties; he's killed them this year while the Yankees haven't been able to. They could also use a starter and a reliever.
Grade: C+
Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 55-39
Pythagorean Record: 52-42
Farm System: 4th
What Went Right?
Everything. The Rays have surprised everyone this year with solid all around play. They gotten contributions from everyone.
What Went Wrong?
The bullpen has blown a few games. Other than that, they should have nothing to complain about.
What Needs To Be Done?
They really need to over-haul the 'pen. Brian Fuentes is their main goal. They also could use an additional bench player or 2.
Grade: A
Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 47-48
Pythagorean Record: 50-45
Farm System: 24th
What Went Right?
They have a solid run differential and have been really unlucky. They've gotten some surprises from young players.
What Went Wrong?
Like I mentioned, they've been unlucky. Injuries have also had a small effect on the team. Add in Frank Thomas and his bad start and the JP/Adam Dunn circus, there have been too many distractions.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to plan for next year. This division is too strong and they can't make up the difference. Trading AJ Burnett could add a key player or 2 for next year.
Grade: D
This has been one of the best divisions in baseball. All teams are close to .500 or better. Of course, no one believed Tampa had the power to make a run, but they have been one of the best stories this season.
Baltimore Orioles
Record: 45-48
Pythagorean Record: 45-45
Farm System: 8th
What Went Right?
Well, they are middle of the pack in runs scored (13th in MLB).
What Went Wrong?
The Pitching, which was to be expected. They given up the 9th most runs in the league. They also should have had Brian Roberts traded by now. They aren't going to win this year; they probably aren't going to win next year either so they may as well trade the guys with a little value.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to start the selling. Ramon Hernandez, Roberts, Huff, etc. could all help net a prospect or 2. This will also clear spots for some of their players that are close to taking everyday roles.
Grade: C-
Boston Red Sox
Record: 57-40
Pythagorean Record: 59-38
Farm System: 3rd
What Went Right?
As to be expected, just about everything has gone right. They've got a surplus of pitching and the hitting is doing what is expected.
What Went Wrong?
Julio Lugo - what happened to the guys that played for the Rays a few years ago. Hideki Okajima has also struggles in his second MLB season.
What Needs To Be Done?
Adding a lefty reliever is the main objective - Brian Fuentes has been linked to the team. They are also looking for some hitters, probably to come off the bench. They also have Coco Crisp, who had been part of plenty of rumors until recently.
Grade: A
New York Yankees
Record: 50-45
Pythagorean Record: 50-45
Farm System: 16th
What Went Right?
As of late, the team has been pretty good. Mike Mussina looks like he's found the foutain of youth. The problem was...
What Went Wrong?
They got off to a horrible start, which could kill post-season chances. The young players they were counting on, namely Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, have been ineffective and hurt.
What Needs To Be Done?
They definitely needs some help, but I'm not ruling them out. Richie Sexson could be brought in to face lefties; he's killed them this year while the Yankees haven't been able to. They could also use a starter and a reliever.
Grade: C+
Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 55-39
Pythagorean Record: 52-42
Farm System: 4th
What Went Right?
Everything. The Rays have surprised everyone this year with solid all around play. They gotten contributions from everyone.
What Went Wrong?
The bullpen has blown a few games. Other than that, they should have nothing to complain about.
What Needs To Be Done?
They really need to over-haul the 'pen. Brian Fuentes is their main goal. They also could use an additional bench player or 2.
Grade: A
Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 47-48
Pythagorean Record: 50-45
Farm System: 24th
What Went Right?
They have a solid run differential and have been really unlucky. They've gotten some surprises from young players.
What Went Wrong?
Like I mentioned, they've been unlucky. Injuries have also had a small effect on the team. Add in Frank Thomas and his bad start and the JP/Adam Dunn circus, there have been too many distractions.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to plan for next year. This division is too strong and they can't make up the difference. Trading AJ Burnett could add a key player or 2 for next year.
Grade: D
Mid-season Updates
Alright, now that we are at the break, I'm going to review the first half by division. I'll have 2 divisions up each day, along with a bonus. Today I'll have up the Easts and the NL award winners.
Tomorrow I'll have the Centrals, with my all star team and lists of what the readers chose.
I'll finish up on Wednesday with the Wests and AL award winners. I'll also post the updated Power Rankings on Wednesday.
Hopefully next week I'll restart Coming Soon to a Ballpark Near You...
Tomorrow I'll have the Centrals, with my all star team and lists of what the readers chose.
I'll finish up on Wednesday with the Wests and AL award winners. I'll also post the updated Power Rankings on Wednesday.
Hopefully next week I'll restart Coming Soon to a Ballpark Near You...
Weekend Update: 07/14/2008
The Futures Game was last night. The World Team beat the USA 3-0. If I get a chance later, I'll post a little bit deeper wrap up.
7.11.2008
Daily Update: 07/11/2008
Scores
STL 1 PHI 4
CIN 12 CHC 7
SF 3 NYM 7
TB 2 CLe 13
BAL 5 TOR 6
LAA 11 TEX 10
FLA 5 LAD 4
CHW 1 KC 4
ARI 7 WAS 5
NYY 2 PIT 4
COL 1 MIL 11
MIN 7 DET 6
SEA 2 OAK 3
Transactions
Cleveland Indians
Rick Bauer Refused Minor League Assignment - Free Agent; Joe Borowski Released; Bryan Bullington Acquired Off Waivers From Pittsburgh; Bullington Sent to Minors.
Detroit Tigers
Dane Sardinha Designated for Assignment; Brandon Inge Removed From 15-Day DL (Pulled left oblique); Jeff Larish Called Up from Minors.
Florida Marlins
Brett Carroll Transferred to 60-Day DL (Separated right shoulder); Josh Johnson Removed From 60-Day DL (Recovery from right elbow surgery).
Houston Astros
Reggie Abercrombie Outrighted to Minors; Oscar Villarreal Released.
Milwaukee Brewers
Randy Choate Removed From 15-Day DL (Fractured left hand); Choate Outrighted to Minors.
Minnesota Twins
Adam Everett Sent to Minors For Rehabilitation.
Philadelphia Phillies
J.A. Happ Sent to Minors.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Dan Reichert Traded From Cleveland for cash considerations; John Van Benschoten Sent to Minors.
Seattle Mariners
Craig Wilson Traded From Pittsburgh for player to be named; Erik Bedard Placed on 15-Day DL (Left shoulder stiffness); Jared Wells Called Up from Minors; Richie Sexson Released.
St. Louis Cardinals
Mark Mulder Placed on 15-Day DL (Left shoulder strain).
Washington Nationals
Aaron Boone Placed on 15-Day DL (Strained left calf); Pete Orr Called Up from Minors.
Daily Rumors from MLB Trade Rumors
- Tony LaRussa is pushing for the Cardinals to add a bat, lefty reliever, and a starter; GM John Mozeliak replied that he doesn't want to cripple the future to make a move.
- The Royals had internal discussion about CC Sabathia.
- Oakland never asked about Josh Vitters in negotiations for Harden; they could deal Murton or Patterson.
- The Diamondbacks will not pursue Barry Bonds, but may check out the pitching market.
- Former #1 pick Bryan Bullington has been claimed by the Indians; the Pirates moved him off the 40-man roster.
- The Marlins are again interested in Willy Taveras; they have made Mark Hendrickson available.
- Damaso Marte may be off the market with Matt Capps.
- Washington has Christian Guzman on the market while trying to sign him to extension.
- The Rangers would trade Frank Catalanotto, but his contract may make that hard.
- Houston has gotten interest in Mark Loretta and Darin Erstad.
- The Phillies are looking for a hitter and pitcher; the Blue Jays have been scouting their Double A team.
- Richie Sexson has been released.
- The Blue Jays have been getting calls on Matt Stairs.
- Even with the addition of Harden, the Cubs could attempt to get Randy Wolf.
- Dodgers sign first rounder Ethan Martin.
- Moises Alou is done for the season and could retire.
Around the Web
Injury Report
Top Prospect Alert's Top MiLB Performances.
BA Prospect Blog
All Star Voting
Today's Matchups
SF at CHC, 2:20
Cain (5-7) vs Marquis (6-5)
STL at PIT, 7:05
Lohse (10-2) vs Duke (4-5)
ARI at PHI, 7:05
Davis (3-4) vs Kendrick (8-3)
BAL at BOS, 7:05
Burres (6-5) vs Buchholz (2-3)
TB at CLE, 7:05
Shields (7-5) vs Lee (11-2)
MIN at DET, 7:05
Perkins (5-2) vs Galarraga (7-2)
NYY at TOR, 7:07
Chamberlain (2-2) vs Halladay (10-6)
COL at NYM, 7:10
Cook (11-6) vs Perez (6-5)
HOU at WAS, 7:35
Oswalt (7-8) vs Redding (6-3)
CIN at MIL, 8:05
Fogg (1-2) vs Parra (8-2)
CHW at TEX, 8:05
Floyd (10-4) vs Mendoza (1-3)
SEA at KC, 8:10
Hernandez (6-5) vs Hochevar (5-7)
ATL at SD, 10:05
Reyes (3-7) vs Peavy (6-5)
LAA at OAK, 10:05
Garland (8-5) vs Gallagher (3-4)
FLA at LAD, 10:40
Volstad (0-0) vs Stults (2-1)
STL 1 PHI 4
CIN 12 CHC 7
SF 3 NYM 7
TB 2 CLe 13
BAL 5 TOR 6
LAA 11 TEX 10
FLA 5 LAD 4
CHW 1 KC 4
ARI 7 WAS 5
NYY 2 PIT 4
COL 1 MIL 11
MIN 7 DET 6
SEA 2 OAK 3
Transactions
Cleveland Indians
Rick Bauer Refused Minor League Assignment - Free Agent; Joe Borowski Released; Bryan Bullington Acquired Off Waivers From Pittsburgh; Bullington Sent to Minors.
Detroit Tigers
Dane Sardinha Designated for Assignment; Brandon Inge Removed From 15-Day DL (Pulled left oblique); Jeff Larish Called Up from Minors.
Florida Marlins
Brett Carroll Transferred to 60-Day DL (Separated right shoulder); Josh Johnson Removed From 60-Day DL (Recovery from right elbow surgery).
Houston Astros
Reggie Abercrombie Outrighted to Minors; Oscar Villarreal Released.
Milwaukee Brewers
Randy Choate Removed From 15-Day DL (Fractured left hand); Choate Outrighted to Minors.
Minnesota Twins
Adam Everett Sent to Minors For Rehabilitation.
Philadelphia Phillies
J.A. Happ Sent to Minors.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Dan Reichert Traded From Cleveland for cash considerations; John Van Benschoten Sent to Minors.
Seattle Mariners
Craig Wilson Traded From Pittsburgh for player to be named; Erik Bedard Placed on 15-Day DL (Left shoulder stiffness); Jared Wells Called Up from Minors; Richie Sexson Released.
St. Louis Cardinals
Mark Mulder Placed on 15-Day DL (Left shoulder strain).
Washington Nationals
Aaron Boone Placed on 15-Day DL (Strained left calf); Pete Orr Called Up from Minors.
Daily Rumors from MLB Trade Rumors
- Tony LaRussa is pushing for the Cardinals to add a bat, lefty reliever, and a starter; GM John Mozeliak replied that he doesn't want to cripple the future to make a move.
- The Royals had internal discussion about CC Sabathia.
- Oakland never asked about Josh Vitters in negotiations for Harden; they could deal Murton or Patterson.
- The Diamondbacks will not pursue Barry Bonds, but may check out the pitching market.
- Former #1 pick Bryan Bullington has been claimed by the Indians; the Pirates moved him off the 40-man roster.
- The Marlins are again interested in Willy Taveras; they have made Mark Hendrickson available.
- Damaso Marte may be off the market with Matt Capps.
- Washington has Christian Guzman on the market while trying to sign him to extension.
- The Rangers would trade Frank Catalanotto, but his contract may make that hard.
- Houston has gotten interest in Mark Loretta and Darin Erstad.
- The Phillies are looking for a hitter and pitcher; the Blue Jays have been scouting their Double A team.
- Richie Sexson has been released.
- The Blue Jays have been getting calls on Matt Stairs.
- Even with the addition of Harden, the Cubs could attempt to get Randy Wolf.
- Dodgers sign first rounder Ethan Martin.
- Moises Alou is done for the season and could retire.
Around the Web
Injury Report
Top Prospect Alert's Top MiLB Performances.
BA Prospect Blog
All Star Voting
Today's Matchups
SF at CHC, 2:20
Cain (5-7) vs Marquis (6-5)
STL at PIT, 7:05
Lohse (10-2) vs Duke (4-5)
ARI at PHI, 7:05
Davis (3-4) vs Kendrick (8-3)
BAL at BOS, 7:05
Burres (6-5) vs Buchholz (2-3)
TB at CLE, 7:05
Shields (7-5) vs Lee (11-2)
MIN at DET, 7:05
Perkins (5-2) vs Galarraga (7-2)
NYY at TOR, 7:07
Chamberlain (2-2) vs Halladay (10-6)
COL at NYM, 7:10
Cook (11-6) vs Perez (6-5)
HOU at WAS, 7:35
Oswalt (7-8) vs Redding (6-3)
CIN at MIL, 8:05
Fogg (1-2) vs Parra (8-2)
CHW at TEX, 8:05
Floyd (10-4) vs Mendoza (1-3)
SEA at KC, 8:10
Hernandez (6-5) vs Hochevar (5-7)
ATL at SD, 10:05
Reyes (3-7) vs Peavy (6-5)
LAA at OAK, 10:05
Garland (8-5) vs Gallagher (3-4)
FLA at LAD, 10:40
Volstad (0-0) vs Stults (2-1)
7.10.2008
Daily Update: 07/10/2008
I know I've mentioned this in the past, but Paul DePodesta, assistant GM of the Padres, has his own team sponsored blog. It's a really good read and he allows approved comments. It's nice to see a ball club that will interact with the fans.
7.09.2008
Rankings: 07/09/2008
Disclaimer
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Tuesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Tuesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
Cardinal Prospect Update
From Future Redbirds:
I call it dangerous because I’m sure I may end up looking back on these and think to myself “what was I smoking?”. I have a love-hate relationship with prospect rankings. It’s just that they can so debatable, which makes them fun and also makes them mind-numbing. And I think some sites out there just throw together rankings all too willy-nilly, because people like discussing lists and it’s a cheap way to get people to visit and talk about your site. I don’t want to do that. But I have been thinking about this for a while…there have been some players who have had some serious helium-Jess Todd and Daryl Jones for example-and other players have fallen out of the picture. And there also was a draft this past June, in case you haven’t heard. So therefore, I figure my personal rankings could use an update. I’m not going to go as far as 25 like I do in the winter; we’ll just go with 15 for right now w/mini-snippets on why they are there.
1. Colby Rasmus-Prolonged early season slump or no slump, Colby’s status has not changed.
2. Brett Wallace- Thinking about Rasmus, Wallace and Pujols in the same lineup in the near future is pretty exciting. If that doesn’t work out, maybe they can also flip him for a former Cy Young winner.
3. Bryan Anderson-It’s a coin flip between Jaime Garcia and Anderson here for me, but I’ll give the slight edge to Anderson. He’s improved his defense and has not stopped hitting despite the challenges thrown at him. Will he still be around after the All Star break is the question.
4. Jaime Garcia-After obliterating AA, he’s had his ups and downs in AAA but is still holding his own.
5. Clayton Mortensen-His ERA is fine, but peripherals are actually pretty ugly in AAA, but he’s still getting a lot of groundballs and the Cardinals seem to have challenged him more than anyone in the system.
6. Daryl Jones-Daryl fell from grace last year, missing BA’s Top 30 entirely. Since then, he became a baseball player. The gap between what he is now and what he will become (20/20 OF, good OBP, defense) is still high, but nowhere near as high as it was just a year ago.
7. Jess Todd will destroy us all. What excites me more than anything about Todd is he’s been so adaptable. He quickly picked up the cutter and seems to be doing the same with a 2-seam fastball. His feel for pitching stands out more than his stuff.
8. Pete Kozma-I’m nicer to Kozma than some of my compadres here at the blog. I think he should be at least an average MLB SS, but after a hot April he’s done nothing to impress me at all. Having seen him several times in person and on the local TV station here, I’ve come up with a conspiracy theory–He changed up his swing a little and become a little more of a power hitter out of spring training. Then, at the first sign of a slump he went back to what felt comfortable to him and has become nothing more than a singles hitter. It’s just a theory, and I’m not certain of the validity but the month-by-month numbers seem to bear it out. I think he’s also had a difficult time adjusting to pro ball out of high school, so when you take that into consideration he’s not been that bad.
9. Lance Lynn-Here is my first little surprise, I guess Keith Law sold me on his potential to be a solid mid-rotation innings eater, and Chris O’Leary sold me on his durability, which I think is an underrated trait.
10. Jon Jay-I think Jay has the potential to be Coco Crisp in his 2004-2005 Cleveland Indians heyday when he was batting near .300, slugging nearly .450 and hitting double digits in the steals column while playing a solid OF. The key word is potential, I’m not saying I’d stake the farm on it. His Peak Translation currently is .288/.355/.457.
11. Mitchell Boggs-Three OKish starts, one great start and one horrific start doesn’t seem to justify sending him down. Yes, he wasn’t missing any bats, other than Royals bats but I think he is still potentialy a solid back-end starter and I’m ingtrigued at what he could possibly do in relief.
12. Adam Ottavino-I am giving him a lot of the benefit of the doubt. His last few stars he’s showing signs of improvement, especially in his last outing. Hopefully he’s finally coming around.
13. Joe Mather-I can’t figure him out. He hits like he could be at least a solid average big league corner OF in double A last year and now in triple A. But my gut says he’s more of a platoon/4th OF guy.
14. Tyler Herron-I really think it was a mistake pushing him up to AA so quickly. He’s been pretty bleh but he’s only 21 and still has three average pitches and good command, so here he is.
15. Nico Vasquez-Jason Motte really probably belongs here, I admit it. But as one of the charter members on the Nico bandwagon I’ll stick him here. Quick Kozma versus Nico Smackdown: Hitting for average: Given Nico’s K’s and Kozma’s contact rate, I’d say advantage Kozma. Hitting for power: Advantage Nico, by a mile. Plate discipline: Kozma. Speed: Kozma, easily. Range: Kozma, again, rather handily but Vasquez is no slouch despite his size. Throwing arm: Kozma, but a little closer. In a perfect world, Kozma will be playing along side Vasquez in the infield by 2011, with Kozma batting 2nd or 9th (assuming LaRussa doesn’t retire), and Vasquez batting 6th.
Update: Perez has been in the majors for over 40 games, so I didn’t include him on the list. If I were to include Perez, I would put him at #2, maybe even #3 after Wallace.
I call it dangerous because I’m sure I may end up looking back on these and think to myself “what was I smoking?”. I have a love-hate relationship with prospect rankings. It’s just that they can so debatable, which makes them fun and also makes them mind-numbing. And I think some sites out there just throw together rankings all too willy-nilly, because people like discussing lists and it’s a cheap way to get people to visit and talk about your site. I don’t want to do that. But I have been thinking about this for a while…there have been some players who have had some serious helium-Jess Todd and Daryl Jones for example-and other players have fallen out of the picture. And there also was a draft this past June, in case you haven’t heard. So therefore, I figure my personal rankings could use an update. I’m not going to go as far as 25 like I do in the winter; we’ll just go with 15 for right now w/mini-snippets on why they are there.
1. Colby Rasmus-Prolonged early season slump or no slump, Colby’s status has not changed.
2. Brett Wallace- Thinking about Rasmus, Wallace and Pujols in the same lineup in the near future is pretty exciting. If that doesn’t work out, maybe they can also flip him for a former Cy Young winner.
3. Bryan Anderson-It’s a coin flip between Jaime Garcia and Anderson here for me, but I’ll give the slight edge to Anderson. He’s improved his defense and has not stopped hitting despite the challenges thrown at him. Will he still be around after the All Star break is the question.
4. Jaime Garcia-After obliterating AA, he’s had his ups and downs in AAA but is still holding his own.
5. Clayton Mortensen-His ERA is fine, but peripherals are actually pretty ugly in AAA, but he’s still getting a lot of groundballs and the Cardinals seem to have challenged him more than anyone in the system.
6. Daryl Jones-Daryl fell from grace last year, missing BA’s Top 30 entirely. Since then, he became a baseball player. The gap between what he is now and what he will become (20/20 OF, good OBP, defense) is still high, but nowhere near as high as it was just a year ago.
7. Jess Todd will destroy us all. What excites me more than anything about Todd is he’s been so adaptable. He quickly picked up the cutter and seems to be doing the same with a 2-seam fastball. His feel for pitching stands out more than his stuff.
8. Pete Kozma-I’m nicer to Kozma than some of my compadres here at the blog. I think he should be at least an average MLB SS, but after a hot April he’s done nothing to impress me at all. Having seen him several times in person and on the local TV station here, I’ve come up with a conspiracy theory–He changed up his swing a little and become a little more of a power hitter out of spring training. Then, at the first sign of a slump he went back to what felt comfortable to him and has become nothing more than a singles hitter. It’s just a theory, and I’m not certain of the validity but the month-by-month numbers seem to bear it out. I think he’s also had a difficult time adjusting to pro ball out of high school, so when you take that into consideration he’s not been that bad.
9. Lance Lynn-Here is my first little surprise, I guess Keith Law sold me on his potential to be a solid mid-rotation innings eater, and Chris O’Leary sold me on his durability, which I think is an underrated trait.
10. Jon Jay-I think Jay has the potential to be Coco Crisp in his 2004-2005 Cleveland Indians heyday when he was batting near .300, slugging nearly .450 and hitting double digits in the steals column while playing a solid OF. The key word is potential, I’m not saying I’d stake the farm on it. His Peak Translation currently is .288/.355/.457.
11. Mitchell Boggs-Three OKish starts, one great start and one horrific start doesn’t seem to justify sending him down. Yes, he wasn’t missing any bats, other than Royals bats but I think he is still potentialy a solid back-end starter and I’m ingtrigued at what he could possibly do in relief.
12. Adam Ottavino-I am giving him a lot of the benefit of the doubt. His last few stars he’s showing signs of improvement, especially in his last outing. Hopefully he’s finally coming around.
13. Joe Mather-I can’t figure him out. He hits like he could be at least a solid average big league corner OF in double A last year and now in triple A. But my gut says he’s more of a platoon/4th OF guy.
14. Tyler Herron-I really think it was a mistake pushing him up to AA so quickly. He’s been pretty bleh but he’s only 21 and still has three average pitches and good command, so here he is.
15. Nico Vasquez-Jason Motte really probably belongs here, I admit it. But as one of the charter members on the Nico bandwagon I’ll stick him here. Quick Kozma versus Nico Smackdown: Hitting for average: Given Nico’s K’s and Kozma’s contact rate, I’d say advantage Kozma. Hitting for power: Advantage Nico, by a mile. Plate discipline: Kozma. Speed: Kozma, easily. Range: Kozma, again, rather handily but Vasquez is no slouch despite his size. Throwing arm: Kozma, but a little closer. In a perfect world, Kozma will be playing along side Vasquez in the infield by 2011, with Kozma batting 2nd or 9th (assuming LaRussa doesn’t retire), and Vasquez batting 6th.
Update: Perez has been in the majors for over 40 games, so I didn’t include him on the list. If I were to include Perez, I would put him at #2, maybe even #3 after Wallace.
Daily Update: 07/09/2008
The Cubs are working hard not to be outdone by the Brewers; they acquired Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin from the Athletics for 4 players.
Harden will make his first start this weekend while Gaudin will most likely be in the bullpen, getting the occasional fill in start.
Oakland received P Sean Marshall, OF Eric Patterson, OF Matt Murton, and C Josh Donaldson. Marshall will start this Friday, while the others will go to the minors.
I like what Oakland pulled for this deal; Harden could go down at any time. Reminds me of a certain Mark Mulder deal.
Harden will make his first start this weekend while Gaudin will most likely be in the bullpen, getting the occasional fill in start.
Oakland received P Sean Marshall, OF Eric Patterson, OF Matt Murton, and C Josh Donaldson. Marshall will start this Friday, while the others will go to the minors.
I like what Oakland pulled for this deal; Harden could go down at any time. Reminds me of a certain Mark Mulder deal.
7.07.2008
Weekend Update: 07/07/2008
Since there was a ton to report from the weekend, the scores and probable pitchers are scrapped for the day. All Star Rosters have been announced; I'll be looking at those before the game.
Sabathia goes to the Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers have landed CC Sabathia from the Indians for a package of prospects.
Sabathia, last years AL Cy Young winner, will join the Brewers to make his first start tomorrow night.
The Indians received a deal centered around last years #7 overall pick Matt LaPorta. Going with LaPorta are Zach Jackson, Rob Bryson, and a PTBNL (which is rumored to be Taylor Green).
The Brewers are expected to negotiate with Sabathia about an extension, but would be happy to pick up an extra first rounder if the pitcher test the free agent market.
LaPorta was playing left field for the Brewers Double A team, but will probably move back to his natural position at first base in the Indians system. He's expected to join Double A Akron.
I'd also speculate that Ben Sheets will be out after the season, especially if Sabathia is re-signed.
Sabathia, last years AL Cy Young winner, will join the Brewers to make his first start tomorrow night.
The Indians received a deal centered around last years #7 overall pick Matt LaPorta. Going with LaPorta are Zach Jackson, Rob Bryson, and a PTBNL (which is rumored to be Taylor Green).
The Brewers are expected to negotiate with Sabathia about an extension, but would be happy to pick up an extra first rounder if the pitcher test the free agent market.
LaPorta was playing left field for the Brewers Double A team, but will probably move back to his natural position at first base in the Indians system. He's expected to join Double A Akron.
I'd also speculate that Ben Sheets will be out after the season, especially if Sabathia is re-signed.
7.03.2008
Daily Update: 07/03/2008
The International signing period has started. Most teams will start filling out minor league rosters with Central American players. Most signings will go unnoticed, but a few will be pretty good.
7.01.2008
Rankings
Disclaimer
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Tuesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Tuesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
Daily Update: 07/01/2008
I'm going to run a column of my All Star team, but I wanted reader opinions too. So, if you e-mail me your thoughts on who should be on the All Star Team, I'll list my picks and explanations and give the readers team.
Rules:
1. Like the real AS team, there must be a representative from each MLB team.
2. The player must be listed at their normal position (Just because Troy Glaus played a couple of games at first, it doesn't mean he would be an AS there, for example).
3. Anything that is not serious will not be considered.
4. You can construct the roster how ever you want - meaning you can build a bullpen of all starters, have a short bench, etc. The DH is in play since the game is in Yankee stadium.
I'll be running this next week, so get these to me ASAP. Also, if you want to do a little write up of your players, I'll try to incorporate them also. I'll put the link up to the final product later.
Thanks.
Rules:
1. Like the real AS team, there must be a representative from each MLB team.
2. The player must be listed at their normal position (Just because Troy Glaus played a couple of games at first, it doesn't mean he would be an AS there, for example).
3. Anything that is not serious will not be considered.
4. You can construct the roster how ever you want - meaning you can build a bullpen of all starters, have a short bench, etc. The DH is in play since the game is in Yankee stadium.
I'll be running this next week, so get these to me ASAP. Also, if you want to do a little write up of your players, I'll try to incorporate them also. I'll put the link up to the final product later.
Thanks.
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