The amount of high level starting pitching available in free agency is unparalleled in MLB's history.
Harry Schulte
1 Cy Young, 4 All Star Teams, and Rookie of the Year and only 31 years old. Schulte is capable of throwing 250+ Innings with a sub 1.20 WHIP. What else could you ask for? Max Salary coming?
JJ Woodward
1 Cy Young and 8 All Star Teams. While Woodward isn't a spring chicken anymore, he is still an elite ace who can anchor a rotation and is in for one more big payday in his career.
Bernard McClung
3 Cy Youngs, 7 All Star Teams, Rookie of the Year, and a Perfect Game. Another dominating ace capable of throwing 250+ IP and putting up gaudy stats. Another max salary candidate.
Plenty of other quality arms available at different parts of their career like Todd Rusch, Bernie Bush, BJ Howard, Hooks Meacham, and more.
Reviewing the positional players reveals a much more mediocre crop. That could mean depressed spending on positional players while driving up the pitching or it could also find some average positional players getting locked up to contracts above their pay grade. Time will tell!
MLB World Blog
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Monday, July 27, 2015
S19 Preview
Atlanta Braves
After finishing just a few games below break even for three consecutive seasons, including consecutive 2nd place finishes the last two seasons in the NL South, Atlanta may finally be poised for post season play. While still fielding MLB's youngest roster, management expects enough improvement across the board to move up despite strong competition within the division. The only notable loss from last season's roster is 1B Nash Jensen, to free agency. Look for a Cesar Sanchez and John Romero to platoon there this season. At the other infield corner, slick fielding Scott Wright returns, looking to deliver the 25-30 home runs that he is capable of. The Braves will once again be solid up the middle defensively, with offensive juggernaut C Al Unamuno being spelled on occasion by Arthur Simmons. Neither SS Felipe Ontiveros nor 2B Buddy Jenkins bring much to the plate, but are among the best at fielding their positions. Veteran Gold Glover Ezdra Aviles will spell them. George Gibbs is solid in CF, backed up by Daniel Parrish, who missed almost half of last season with a herniated disk. Despite making more plus plays than any outfielder in MLB last season, speedster LF Larry Kiermaier failed to receive a Gold Glove. His ability to get on base regularly will be a key to the Braves' fortunes this season. Luis Silva brings a unique blend of speed, power and defense to his position in RF, and will be expected to make more consistent in his third season in the Majors. Utility man Ramiro Contreras brings a solid glove and potent bat, and can play almost any position on the field. RHP Marc Dale, acquired via trade, will share a spot in the bottom of the rotation with LHP Jhonny Osuna, who needs to bounce back from a very inconsistent season. The rest of the rotation is solid, with Pedro Aguilar, Yeico Castro, Chad Sweeney and Geoffery Ellis all capable of 15-20 wins. Kenny Hague and Ismael Alvarez will bridge to veteran closer Wilt Rosen, who has the highest career save percentage of any ML closer to ever play the game.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles return a veteran laden team who performed to the best record in the league last season. We made some small moves in trading starting SS Dioner Segui and solid DH Felipe Maduro, but we were trying to find some savings here and there as our payroll is $100+ million and not typically where we are comfortable.
In the trade for Segui, we bought in a great top of the lineup hitter in Charlie Black, but we're trying to figure out where we are going to play him.
We return a very good, if not great pitching staff led by Bill Serrano and Javy Morales and anchored by a great bullpen.
The AL East is ridiculously tough so our goal is to find a way to win it and earn a first round bye.
Cincinnati Reds
After last season’s disappointment, we made some changes to this team. The pitching staff has been improved from top to bottom, while the starting offense was weakened somewhat. The loss of CF Charlie Black has and will be felt and we can only hope that Miguel Ramirez can step up and fill in. The offense continues to be anchored by stalwarts 1B Aaron Winker and LF Travis Evans. SS Dioner Segui and Tomas Tavarez will look to significantly strengthen that position. Marioan Cabrera and Yovani Rijo solidify RF both offensively and defensively. Emmett Berger provides some much needed punch at 3B, while Burt Washington looks to be a PH extradordinaire. Willie Santayana looks to add some punch at C, and Ebenezer Wells cleans up the offensive black hole at 2B.
Pitching-wise, we added Christopher Mays, Carlos Almonte, Jamie Mills, and Derrek Osborne to the rotation, almost completely turning it over. Julian Porter returns from last season’s staff. The bullpen is younger, and overall stronger than last season. Dean Monroe and Daniel Cuddyer will anchor it while Andrew Stone provides some depth. TJ Kemp, Alex Chavez, and Kenny Hull look to earn their stripes, while long reliever Enny Pineda looks to build on last season’s success.
Cleveland Indians
The Indians, coming off an 89 win season, haven’t changed very much and are mainly hoping that a few of their younger players continue to grow into their potential while the veteran’s production remains consistent. Notably, rookie Jordy Ward should at least get a significant amount of playing time at 2B. His speed and contact ability could make him a potent weapon at the top of the order. L.J. Irwin should continue his rise to dominance as the best closer in the league. Young additions to the staff in the persons of Rock Nickle, Del Villano and Duke Hines should give some needed depth to the rotation and long relief roles. With Santos, Reynolds and Frederick anchoring the rotation, the Indians should challenge for the division title in a traditionally very tough division.
Colorado Rockies
Colorado team preview: a year of transition There will be many new faces this season as the Rockies will be passing the torch to a new generation. Leaving the team via free agency was Felix hamels as well as kid rolling, Jerome Morton, Dennis Finley, dolf bixler and Wilfredo tatis via trades. The host of prospects coming back in the trades are Rafael Manuel, Nicholas burkhart, josh Phillips, rodrigo Martinez, Esteban Nunez, CarmenBecker, Jose amaro. Journeyman Marty Martinez and fan favorite tom green will join the big league team will the rest of the prospects will start in the minors. Colorado will welcome some new free agents as well with the likes of melkey morales, frank dong, Ivan Estella, aurullio vega, hipolito tatis. Max Lawton was also brought in via waivers. With all of the change two familiar faces will punch out a couple of milestones as cliff drew will hit his 500th homerun of his career with his first jack of the season and future first ballot hall of famer Dutch badenhop will go for 700 home runs when he gets to number 12 of the campaign. It will be a long couple of seasons but look for Colorado to bounce back quick in the years to come.
Kansas City Royals
Royals Preview: With a major roster overhaul the past two and a half seasons, the Royals are looking to finally take the next step and start competing. With newly acquired veterans Henry Lennon and Walter Gray to go along with prospect callups Austin Finnessey, Einar Escalona, Bernie Lopez, and Marcell Concepcion, the Royals are looking to do some damage. Offensively this should be one of the best Royal teams in some time. The big question is the pitching (isnt it always?). With the rotation looking slightly above average its all going to come down to the bullpen as they are going to be burdened with a heavy load. Luckily, I feel we have the best bullpen in recent memory for this team so hopefully the Royals are set. The goal is the 83-86 win range and a possibly wild card spot.
Oakland Athletics
Fresh off an ALCS defeat last season, we return this year looking to get back into the playoffs and hope luck is on our side. The team has some talent but is still somewhat flawed. The offense will be led by a few strong bats and the pitching is mostly patchwork. Here's a breakdown of what changed and how things line up this season:
Notable Departures:
CF Alfredo Ramirez. Not elite, but was above average. Would not re-sign; at least he returned type A comp.
SS Gary Easley - great defensively and stole a bunch of bags, but was mediocre (at best) with the bat and had zero power. He was aging and losing a step, so we decided to let him walk.
SPs Willie Parrot and Enrique Johnson - Parrot came over in a midseason deal and was excellent, but we let him walk as he approaches senior citizen age. Johnson was one of those "I'll return if the deal is right" guys, which means he wanted about 20% more than his demands. He was inconsistent enough that I wasn't willing to pay that price.
Notable Additions:
Juan Andino will be called up from AA to fill the CF gap. Andino is possibly a SS once his defensive skills mature, but we need him in CF now and he's the best option. I attempted a trade or two but nothing materialized. FA was not pretty for CF options so Andino it is.
Pitching - brought in Rafael Guerrero as a setup guy in FA; should offer 7ish solid innings. Also signed Jose Cornejo in FA, hoping he can eat some innings from the departed guys. Similar skill set to Johnson actually. Neither guy was very pricey but both were fallbacks when plan A became waaaay too expensive in FA.
Outlook:
I suspect the offense will remain strong if everyone can stay healthy. Jimmie Alomar got hurt last year and we really scuffled without him. He's back and will have Ivan Uribe and Tito Huang both improved from last season. Slugger Cesar Cedeno will round out the middle of the lineup. What we are missing is a table setter type, so lineup construction will likely be a work in progress all season. I'd love to trade for a high OBP type at some point.
On the pitching side, we have an entire rotation full of #3 type SPs. Hopefully one or two overachieve and we have some success. The bullpen should be average.
Defensively we have adequate bats in all places, so while we won't lead the league in + plays, there shouldn't be too many embarrassing moments.
Prediction - Depending on how things break, this team is somewhere in the 85-92 win range. Might be enough in the AL West, might not.
San Diego Padres
After finishing 1 game out of the playoffs last season, the San Diego Padres have worked several new players onto the roster this season. The backbone of the squad – Phil Lowery and Seth Wall - return to anchor the pitching staff. New acquisition Miguel Peron will fill out the staff and will have more success than the SP’s that held the 5th spot in the rotation last season. Todd Lee, Wilfredo Mieses and Jerry Duran all wait in the minors for their shot this season.
There are 5 new faces sharing playing time in an improved lineup. Rookies Eduaro Barrios and Ricardo Borges will see time in the OF while FA's Harry Tatis, Kordell Stanley and Rubby Gomez will see time in the infield. The new players will improve the defense while not losing much at the plate. The FA market had plenty of depth -Trumbo O’Toole, Micah Mitchell and Rubby Blanco all wait at AAA if a switch is needed.
A major highlight for the season will be when ace starter Phil Lowery picks up his 300th win. Phil needs 14 wins and – barring injury – should achieve the mark after the All-Star Break.
Padre management expects a return to the playoffs and will be disappointed with anything less.
Toronto Blue Jays
After a solid start to the season, a season-ending injury to top free-agent signing Arnold Miller derailed the Toronto Bluejays' season in 18.
The offseason was a busy one in Toronto, with 11 new faces joining the ML roster. Much of the AAA/AA talent was deemed not (or never) ready to join the ML ranks, so, the Toronto Bluejays made a concerted effort to immediately improve a team that lost 97 games and has faced 85+ losses for 7 straight seasons. Home Run Derby Champion Yasiel Soto returns to anchor an offense replete with new faces, many of whom are veterans brought in on one-year contracts, signed to help bolster a dangerously anemic offense last year.
Doug Rodgers, who signed a $35 million dollar extension over 5 years, will serve as the ace of the pitching rotation, which will also feature top-flight prospect, Scott Ellis. The team also made a trade for Colorado closer and Cy Young nominee Dolf Bixler, who will serve as the team's closer. Many faces return to fill out a bullpen which shined at times last year.
The Bluejays management will not subject their fans to another 85+ loss season. The team expects to immediately take a major step forward and contend for the AL North title.
After finishing just a few games below break even for three consecutive seasons, including consecutive 2nd place finishes the last two seasons in the NL South, Atlanta may finally be poised for post season play. While still fielding MLB's youngest roster, management expects enough improvement across the board to move up despite strong competition within the division. The only notable loss from last season's roster is 1B Nash Jensen, to free agency. Look for a Cesar Sanchez and John Romero to platoon there this season. At the other infield corner, slick fielding Scott Wright returns, looking to deliver the 25-30 home runs that he is capable of. The Braves will once again be solid up the middle defensively, with offensive juggernaut C Al Unamuno being spelled on occasion by Arthur Simmons. Neither SS Felipe Ontiveros nor 2B Buddy Jenkins bring much to the plate, but are among the best at fielding their positions. Veteran Gold Glover Ezdra Aviles will spell them. George Gibbs is solid in CF, backed up by Daniel Parrish, who missed almost half of last season with a herniated disk. Despite making more plus plays than any outfielder in MLB last season, speedster LF Larry Kiermaier failed to receive a Gold Glove. His ability to get on base regularly will be a key to the Braves' fortunes this season. Luis Silva brings a unique blend of speed, power and defense to his position in RF, and will be expected to make more consistent in his third season in the Majors. Utility man Ramiro Contreras brings a solid glove and potent bat, and can play almost any position on the field. RHP Marc Dale, acquired via trade, will share a spot in the bottom of the rotation with LHP Jhonny Osuna, who needs to bounce back from a very inconsistent season. The rest of the rotation is solid, with Pedro Aguilar, Yeico Castro, Chad Sweeney and Geoffery Ellis all capable of 15-20 wins. Kenny Hague and Ismael Alvarez will bridge to veteran closer Wilt Rosen, who has the highest career save percentage of any ML closer to ever play the game.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles return a veteran laden team who performed to the best record in the league last season. We made some small moves in trading starting SS Dioner Segui and solid DH Felipe Maduro, but we were trying to find some savings here and there as our payroll is $100+ million and not typically where we are comfortable.
In the trade for Segui, we bought in a great top of the lineup hitter in Charlie Black, but we're trying to figure out where we are going to play him.
We return a very good, if not great pitching staff led by Bill Serrano and Javy Morales and anchored by a great bullpen.
The AL East is ridiculously tough so our goal is to find a way to win it and earn a first round bye.
Cincinnati Reds
After last season’s disappointment, we made some changes to this team. The pitching staff has been improved from top to bottom, while the starting offense was weakened somewhat. The loss of CF Charlie Black has and will be felt and we can only hope that Miguel Ramirez can step up and fill in. The offense continues to be anchored by stalwarts 1B Aaron Winker and LF Travis Evans. SS Dioner Segui and Tomas Tavarez will look to significantly strengthen that position. Marioan Cabrera and Yovani Rijo solidify RF both offensively and defensively. Emmett Berger provides some much needed punch at 3B, while Burt Washington looks to be a PH extradordinaire. Willie Santayana looks to add some punch at C, and Ebenezer Wells cleans up the offensive black hole at 2B.
Pitching-wise, we added Christopher Mays, Carlos Almonte, Jamie Mills, and Derrek Osborne to the rotation, almost completely turning it over. Julian Porter returns from last season’s staff. The bullpen is younger, and overall stronger than last season. Dean Monroe and Daniel Cuddyer will anchor it while Andrew Stone provides some depth. TJ Kemp, Alex Chavez, and Kenny Hull look to earn their stripes, while long reliever Enny Pineda looks to build on last season’s success.
Cleveland Indians
The Indians, coming off an 89 win season, haven’t changed very much and are mainly hoping that a few of their younger players continue to grow into their potential while the veteran’s production remains consistent. Notably, rookie Jordy Ward should at least get a significant amount of playing time at 2B. His speed and contact ability could make him a potent weapon at the top of the order. L.J. Irwin should continue his rise to dominance as the best closer in the league. Young additions to the staff in the persons of Rock Nickle, Del Villano and Duke Hines should give some needed depth to the rotation and long relief roles. With Santos, Reynolds and Frederick anchoring the rotation, the Indians should challenge for the division title in a traditionally very tough division.
Colorado Rockies
Colorado team preview: a year of transition There will be many new faces this season as the Rockies will be passing the torch to a new generation. Leaving the team via free agency was Felix hamels as well as kid rolling, Jerome Morton, Dennis Finley, dolf bixler and Wilfredo tatis via trades. The host of prospects coming back in the trades are Rafael Manuel, Nicholas burkhart, josh Phillips, rodrigo Martinez, Esteban Nunez, CarmenBecker, Jose amaro. Journeyman Marty Martinez and fan favorite tom green will join the big league team will the rest of the prospects will start in the minors. Colorado will welcome some new free agents as well with the likes of melkey morales, frank dong, Ivan Estella, aurullio vega, hipolito tatis. Max Lawton was also brought in via waivers. With all of the change two familiar faces will punch out a couple of milestones as cliff drew will hit his 500th homerun of his career with his first jack of the season and future first ballot hall of famer Dutch badenhop will go for 700 home runs when he gets to number 12 of the campaign. It will be a long couple of seasons but look for Colorado to bounce back quick in the years to come.
Kansas City Royals
Royals Preview: With a major roster overhaul the past two and a half seasons, the Royals are looking to finally take the next step and start competing. With newly acquired veterans Henry Lennon and Walter Gray to go along with prospect callups Austin Finnessey, Einar Escalona, Bernie Lopez, and Marcell Concepcion, the Royals are looking to do some damage. Offensively this should be one of the best Royal teams in some time. The big question is the pitching (isnt it always?). With the rotation looking slightly above average its all going to come down to the bullpen as they are going to be burdened with a heavy load. Luckily, I feel we have the best bullpen in recent memory for this team so hopefully the Royals are set. The goal is the 83-86 win range and a possibly wild card spot.
Oakland Athletics
Fresh off an ALCS defeat last season, we return this year looking to get back into the playoffs and hope luck is on our side. The team has some talent but is still somewhat flawed. The offense will be led by a few strong bats and the pitching is mostly patchwork. Here's a breakdown of what changed and how things line up this season:
Notable Departures:
CF Alfredo Ramirez. Not elite, but was above average. Would not re-sign; at least he returned type A comp.
SS Gary Easley - great defensively and stole a bunch of bags, but was mediocre (at best) with the bat and had zero power. He was aging and losing a step, so we decided to let him walk.
SPs Willie Parrot and Enrique Johnson - Parrot came over in a midseason deal and was excellent, but we let him walk as he approaches senior citizen age. Johnson was one of those "I'll return if the deal is right" guys, which means he wanted about 20% more than his demands. He was inconsistent enough that I wasn't willing to pay that price.
Notable Additions:
Juan Andino will be called up from AA to fill the CF gap. Andino is possibly a SS once his defensive skills mature, but we need him in CF now and he's the best option. I attempted a trade or two but nothing materialized. FA was not pretty for CF options so Andino it is.
Pitching - brought in Rafael Guerrero as a setup guy in FA; should offer 7ish solid innings. Also signed Jose Cornejo in FA, hoping he can eat some innings from the departed guys. Similar skill set to Johnson actually. Neither guy was very pricey but both were fallbacks when plan A became waaaay too expensive in FA.
Outlook:
I suspect the offense will remain strong if everyone can stay healthy. Jimmie Alomar got hurt last year and we really scuffled without him. He's back and will have Ivan Uribe and Tito Huang both improved from last season. Slugger Cesar Cedeno will round out the middle of the lineup. What we are missing is a table setter type, so lineup construction will likely be a work in progress all season. I'd love to trade for a high OBP type at some point.
On the pitching side, we have an entire rotation full of #3 type SPs. Hopefully one or two overachieve and we have some success. The bullpen should be average.
Defensively we have adequate bats in all places, so while we won't lead the league in + plays, there shouldn't be too many embarrassing moments.
Prediction - Depending on how things break, this team is somewhere in the 85-92 win range. Might be enough in the AL West, might not.
After finishing 1 game out of the playoffs last season, the San Diego Padres have worked several new players onto the roster this season. The backbone of the squad – Phil Lowery and Seth Wall - return to anchor the pitching staff. New acquisition Miguel Peron will fill out the staff and will have more success than the SP’s that held the 5th spot in the rotation last season. Todd Lee, Wilfredo Mieses and Jerry Duran all wait in the minors for their shot this season.
There are 5 new faces sharing playing time in an improved lineup. Rookies Eduaro Barrios and Ricardo Borges will see time in the OF while FA's Harry Tatis, Kordell Stanley and Rubby Gomez will see time in the infield. The new players will improve the defense while not losing much at the plate. The FA market had plenty of depth -Trumbo O’Toole, Micah Mitchell and Rubby Blanco all wait at AAA if a switch is needed.
A major highlight for the season will be when ace starter Phil Lowery picks up his 300th win. Phil needs 14 wins and – barring injury – should achieve the mark after the All-Star Break.
Padre management expects a return to the playoffs and will be disappointed with anything less.
Toronto Blue Jays
After a solid start to the season, a season-ending injury to top free-agent signing Arnold Miller derailed the Toronto Bluejays' season in 18.
The offseason was a busy one in Toronto, with 11 new faces joining the ML roster. Much of the AAA/AA talent was deemed not (or never) ready to join the ML ranks, so, the Toronto Bluejays made a concerted effort to immediately improve a team that lost 97 games and has faced 85+ losses for 7 straight seasons. Home Run Derby Champion Yasiel Soto returns to anchor an offense replete with new faces, many of whom are veterans brought in on one-year contracts, signed to help bolster a dangerously anemic offense last year.
Doug Rodgers, who signed a $35 million dollar extension over 5 years, will serve as the ace of the pitching rotation, which will also feature top-flight prospect, Scott Ellis. The team also made a trade for Colorado closer and Cy Young nominee Dolf Bixler, who will serve as the team's closer. Many faces return to fill out a bullpen which shined at times last year.
The Bluejays management will not subject their fans to another 85+ loss season. The team expects to immediately take a major step forward and contend for the AL North title.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
World Milestones S18 - Batting
With MLB being in its 18th season, there are some definite milestones approaching for the entire world. Let's explore these.
Entering the season, here are the world batting totals.
Friday, April 17, 2015
S18 Preview
ATLANTA BRAVES
The Braves will open the season with MLB's youngest roster, and they're being paid as such. Still, while a majority of the roster is still not quite ready for prime time, there is some talent, and a reason for hope in the not too distant future. As Al Unamuno enters his 3rd season in the Majors, he has emerged as one of the games finest young catchers - a patient hitter with some pop, possessing strong defensive skills. Veteran defensive wizard Melky Morales is in the last year of his contract and is well suited to his role as late inning defensive replacement and occasional starter against LH pitchers. Nash Jensen, after showing signs of becoming a true offensive threat at 1B before a back injury shelved him late season before last, regressed to sub par offensive performance last season and will be expected to step it up this season. Cesar Sanchez brings some pop from both sides of the plate as a back up to Jensen, and will often start against lefties. Slap-hitting speed merchant Buddy Jenkins demonstrated a decent approach at the plate during his rookie campaign, and he's showing continued improvement on making the routine plays to go along with excellent range. Scott Wright posseses excellent range at the hot corner, and has an intriguing combination of power and patience, though he has holes in his swing that can be exploited. The most encouraging news on the infield is the return of veteran defensive wizard Ezdra Aviles, who missed all of last season after suffering a nasty ACL tear late the season before. His range will never be quite the same, and he poses little offensive threat, but he's as steady as they come defensively. World class sprinter and switch-hitting outfielder Larry Kiermaier tore it up during brief stops at the AA and AAA levels after being drafted in June of last season. As a result, he was thrown into the fire and showed flashes of potential against Big League competition. If he improves his plate discipline and gains experience and consistency in the field he could settle in as a starter in CF for the next few year. As it is, he will begin the year batting 2nd and covering left field like a blanket. Lefty George Gibbs and switch-hitting Daniel Parrish will platoon in center and lead off, while young RF Luis Silva comes off a promising rookie season displaying an enviable combination of power, speed and defensive skills. Versatile utility man Ramiro Contreras can fill in at either corner outfield position or anywhere on the infield, and is capable at the plate as well. Veterans Yeico Castro and Pedro Aguilar anchor the rotation, which will also include lefty Jhonny Osuna, who was a pleasant surprise as a rookie last season, as well as Geoffery Ellis and Chad Sweeney, who are both entering their prime years. Veterancloser Wilt Rosen bounced back from shoulder surgery nicely last season, and has the best save percentage of any active closer in the game. Kenny Hague, Chul Chang, Julio Montana, Ismael Alvarez and Enrique Mendoze are expected to carry most of the remaining load in tha bullpen. The young Braves may develop more quickly than expected and find themselves in contention for a playoff spot late this seeason, though it's more likely that they're still a year or two away from being a serious threat.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The Orioles goal is to win the AL East, earn a bye, and let the chips fall where they may in the post season. It was a relatively bumpy ride during the regular season with multiple injuries, but we were able to see what happens when everything is clicking as we tore off 8 straight wins to win the World Series in Season 17.
We initially thought about making some 3+ big moves, but ended up moving only one significant ML piece in Vicente Rincon to the Reds. We couldn't find the right match for either Chase Malloy or Jake Mayne and both will return. The rest of the lineup and starting rotation is intact and we expect big things from the Orioles this season.
We still have a couple of roster spots open and are still trying to decide on finding some bargain free agents or promoting from within to fill those spots.
BOSTON RED SOX
The Red Sox performed much better than expected last season, and after a very successful offseason, there's even more reason for excitement in Boston.
The pitching staff will be significantly improved with a full season of Sam Phelps (resigned after being acquired at the trade deadline last season) and Yuniesky Fuentes replacing Ralph Shawler.
The bullpen remains one of the strengths of the team, with everyone returning. Kiko Wilkinson will start in the minors, but could be called up if he develops enough and/or is needed.
The offense should get a boost thanks to the acquisition of Edison Cruz, who replaces the LF platoon the Sox had last season.
The expectation in Boston is to make the playoffs as the WC1, with an upside of winning the division if things break right.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
The White Sox continue the climb back from obscurity. The team will stand pat in the FA market and count on some early call-ups from the minors. SP Manny Bong will join the team after 20 games, soon to be followed by Bing Bennett and Pat Crowe if needed. On the offensive side, trade acquisition Mo Owen will replace the first hitter to struggle, and RF Davey Bonilla and 2b Ismael Lunar are ready despite very short minor league experience.
The White Sox should improve on their 85 win season and division title. Playoff advancement is necessary for this season to be considered a success.
CINCINNATI REDS
A season that started with the promise of a repeat trip to the playoffs quickly went by the wayside. Pitching staff disappointed, the offense finished #2 in the NL in runs scored while pitching was in the bottom 2 spots in most categories. With that in mind, the Reds management set out to drastically improve upon that.
We added Walter Gray to the rotation and brought back Julian Porter, which slides everybody down a slot or two and hopefully makes this rotation competitive. The bullpen only returns 3 pitchers out of 7 spots, and the top 4 are new and should be a tremendous upgrade.
Offensively, long-time Red Travis Evans’ range has finally declined to the point where it wasn’t feasible to put him in CF, so we slid him over to LF and got the best available CF in Charlie Black. We brought in new C Rubby Gomez and SS Takumi Kobayashi. RF Steve Carlyle made his debut last season and we will see how he does in a full season. Bert Root returns as a solid bat off the bench and IF Rico Ramirez and Junior Ibanez provide versatility off the bench as well. Slim Winn will hit and C Bob Truman gives us a true defensive C off the bench. This team should be an upgrade and we look forward to competing for the divisional crown.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
Cleveland hopes to continue to improve this year and compete for a playoff spot. The youthful pitching staff led by Tony Santos should be coming into its own this year and will keep the Indians in most games. Closer duties will again fall to budding super star L.J. Irwin who exceeded expectations in his rookie year. Ned Wright was added through trade and will patrol RF, allowing Darrell Allen to move over to LF. Together with Pat Howard in CF, the Tribe should boast one of the best defensive outfields in the league. Adam Hannahan at 3B, Elroy Brown behind the plate and Ben Hernandez at short will continue to be the backbone of a very solid offense. 2B Joe Watson was added through FA and should be able to hold down that spot until Jordy Ward (currently in AA) is ready to hit the bigs.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
With a re-tooled rotation and bullpen KC is hoping to sneak into the playoffs. KC moved Fuentes in a blockbuster trade to Boston, essentially helping out the team that beat them out for the final WC spot last season. But even with that move KC is trying to get that WC spot back from them. In that deal they received some good prospects as well as Ralph Shawler, who will replace Yonder Silva at the back end of the rotation. Sawyer Cross was signed to replace Fuentes as best he could. The bullpen was improved infinitely (was abysmal last season) and KC is hoping that will be the difference maker. KC had a top 3 offense last season and it should be just as good this season. Estalella was acquired in a trade and will platoon with Payton. Browning was replaced by McInerney which will hopefully be just as productive. KC is expecting around 93 wins this season, which will hopefully get them to the dance.
MINNESOTA TWINS
There is a slight buzz going around the Twin Cities as the new season approaches. An improvement of 13 games from the previous season and a second place finish in the division has management a little excited.
Led by MVP Rene Lankford (61-148-.300), the Twins look to make a run at the division title. Only one change was made to the offense and that was the free agent signing of 2B Brian Sutton. Sutton is a slight upgrade at the position but should provide some stability in the middle infield.
The biggest issue from last season was the bullpen and management feels they addressed that with the signing of Bruce Stevens to go along with a Page-Plant reunion. No, NOT Robert and Jimmy, but Don and Chris. All three are expected to plug the gaps in the set-up roles leading up to All-Star closer Jim Berg.
Management is pleased with the off season activity as hopes are beginning to take flight.
MONTREAL EXPOS
The Montreal Expos are on their way back up, after two rebuilding seasons.
While the 81 win team from last season remains largely unchanged, the Expos did make some significant moves to improve the club.
Montreal acquired former rookie of the year, Victor Rodriguez, who hit 51 HRs and drove in 121 runs last season for Washington. They also went out and signed 13 game winner Jose Viriato in free agency.
23 year old Guy Voigt will become the team’s starting 3B, allowing Alex Sandoval to move to RF, where he can concentrate on hitting. Sources told us that Sandoval was excited about the move to the outfield, saying, “Baseballs come very fast to me at the third base. Sometimes I scared of them.”
Youngster Ricardo Borges, a late season call up, will be the team’s starting 2B and the ageless wonder, 37 year old Phil Gao, The MLB’s all-time leader in hits, doubles and walks, will look to add to his totals from LF, a position where he’s only played 21 games in his career.
Last season’s Cy Young award winner, Dave Lester is coming off a ridiculous season in which he pitched 259 innings with a 0.97 WHIP, and Lester actually thinks he can improve on that with Montreal’s upgraded defense. Miguel Peron, the newly acquired Viriato, Guillermo Lee and Luther Stone round out a solid rotation. The bullpen is deep anchored by 39 year old Rick Coveleski.
The Expos expect to compete in the NL North and challenge for a wildcard spot this season.
NEW ORLEANS JAZZ
Much of the same in New Orleans. The strength of the team is still the pitching, with Sanchez and Ni anchoring a deep starting rotation. The bullpen is also very solid with Ned Gold and Cookie Alonzo and veteran Willie Aldridge was added to give the pen a needed 'innings eater.' The positional players are also very much the same. The only difference is Jackson will be moved from CF to 2B due to his range decline and rookie speedster Eddie Greenwood will get the chance to start in CF. Our expectations remain to get into the playoffs, and hopefully, get back to the WS. This will be the last shot for this current group, as many of the veterans have their contracts coming up and won't be retained by the organization leading to some sweeping changes going into next season.
NEW YORK YANKEES
A year removed from a deep playoff run, season 17 turned quickly into a long, difficult season in the Bronx. Injuries and poor play led to a disappointing finish. Hope is high in Yankee land that they will again compete for the playoffs. Replacing SS William Aoki was the Yankees biggest off season issue. While Aoki's bat has always been stellar, his D has left much to be desired. Rip Stevenson takes over at SS and brings a dramatic change in abilities to the position as fielding will be his strength and he will be hidden at the bottom of the lineup. C/DH's Randy Washington and Mendy Delehanty will need to provide major punch to the O. 2B Michael Adams had a great rookie year and looks to avoid the sophomore slump. Brian Greenwood and Esmil Cano will be relied on to get on base at the top of the order. Ivan Wise and Johan Springer will be a strong 1-2 combo at the top of the rotation. Terrence Hartman finally asserted himself into the closer role over the last 2 seasons while Danny Buss, Tony Jung, and Phil Worthington will be important pieces out of the bullpen. Management views the bullpen as a major strength of the team. The Yanks will be a little less Bronx Bomber this year as the current roster will need to win playing high OBP and timely clutch hitting.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
After a quick 2-yr rebuild, we returned to the playoffs last season and should have an improving club again this year. Last offseason, we made a ton of moves to upgrade the ML roster; this offseason was much quieter as I feel the core needed to compete is mostly here.
The offense should remain strong, with Alomar, Cedeno & Uribe anchoring the heart of the order. Tito Huang will join them at the 20-game mark to provide some serious power from 3B, and we are excited about his pending arrival.
On the pitching side, the only notable move we made in the offseason was actually to dump a contract (Christopher Mays) that I regretted signing last season. Picked up a potentially useful part in a back-end starter type. The remaining rotation is comprised of some pretty decent arms, though they all have a similar flaw in lower stamina (seriously, the stamina of the 5 SP: 70, 70, 67, 64, 56). Gonna need a lot of help from the bullpen and will probably carry two long relievers as a result.
If we fail to contend this year, it will be due to the pitching fatigue and ineffectiveness. The offense should more than hold its own. Expectations are a return to the playoffs, hopefully that will be the case.
SAN DIEGO PADRES
Season 18 looks to be a rebuilding year for the Padres. The offseason was eventful as the squad was able to sign Phil Lowery & Seth Wall for the next few seasons. The squad will be relying on some young pitchers to carry the rest of the rotation. Rubby Benitez is solid at # 3 and Alejandro Cayones should be a solid #4. The 5th starter is up in the air at press time.
The lineup will be revamped and will have more of a platoon feel. Aging sluggers Neftali Barrios and Donnie McInerney were released and will be missed. New faces Branch Pressley, Rubby Blanco, Sparky Lowery , Emil Roque and Sammy Page will be expected to contribute. Lou Metzger & Rod Doyle will share the C duties and mainstays, Jim Griffey, Trumbo O’Toole and Benj Fox should anchor the lineup. All in all – the lineup should hit a little less and field a bit better. If all breaks just right, the squad could make the playoffs.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
New Cards management will take a wait-and-see approach to Sea18, evaluating all ML and farm talent. While fans will clamor for future studs like Carlos Valenzuela and Austin Finnessey to be called up, any major big league promotion will likely be pushed back to Sea19. Biggest emphasis throughout Sea18 will be on the pitching staff, who undoubtedly will benefit from the pitcher-friendly confines at Busch. The road will be an entirely different story. Off-season acquisitions SP Carlton Ramirez (Rule V), SP Hector Maxwell (trade), SP Edgard Rojas (FA) and LRs Branch Turner (FA) and Kerry Quinn (Rule V) will hopefully energize a staff that frankly didn't belong in ML last season. On the farm, at least 6 young arms will further their skills hoping for their shot in the next 2-3 seasons.
Key question: Will Les Hammel enjoy his move from the OF to 1B and return to Sea16 form when he hit .309 (OPS .954) with 110 RBI and 109 R? A repeat of last season's .226 (OPS .685) with 75 RBI could cause management to pull the trigger.
Key point of concern: with only 1 S and 1 LHB on the opening day ML roster, STL brass hope to see many opponents' LHPs.
Projected record: 79-83, 3rd place NL South.
Projected team MVP: LF Milton O'Leary, who looks to build upon his rookie season .282-31-118 with OPS .821 and 18 SB.
TAMPA BAY RAYS
Tampa Bay is returning primarily the same team that made it to the ALCS last season with a few changes. One of the bigger changes is the signing of free agent pitcher Hipolito Ramirez. Hipolito is a vetern lefty that Tampa Bay hopes gives them that 1, 2, 3 punch in the playoffs. The other big change is the acquisition of LF Vernon Stewart. The Rays were sad to see Byron Sullivan go after 6 strong seasons but are happy to have Vernon fill his spot.
TEXAS RANGERS
Texas hopes to rebound from a disappointing season. The city has high hopes that the offense will return to the top 3 level of season 16 instead of the well below average performance of season 17.
A quiet offseason where management got outbid for every type A pitcher targetted may doom the Rangers to another sub-par performance
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
The Toronto Blue Jays front office is excited about the team’s future outlook, despite finishing with the 2nd to worst record in the majors in 17. The new regime deemed the team's top-level batting prospects not quite ready to play ML Ball, so, in a series of moves to focus on winning now, the 'Jays will employ a lineup featuring new 5 veteran bats, all signed to one-year team friendly deals, in the hope that the established vets can bolster an offense that was, at best, anemic in 17, all the while bringing in defensive upgrades at 2/4 infield spots. The starting rotation, an area of weakness inherited from the previous regime, is headed by 24 year old ace and future Cy Young candidate, Doug Rogers, and two recently acquired goundball pitchers in Tim Blackburn, acquired from Montreal and Harry Wagner, recently signed from division rival, Detroit. The youthful bullpen remains largely intact, but, features three new veteran free agent signings, which should help stabilize a wildly inconsistent group in 17. The Jays real promise lies in their deep farm system, which will continue to be an area of improvement in 18, however, the new-look team fully expects to contend for the AL North title in 18.
WASHINGTON D.C. NATIONALS
Season 18. Lots of changes this season. C: Toby Bolling 1B: Tito Irabu till Shouhei Suzuki is ready 2B: Ross Wilkerson could be his last season here SS: Max Redondo this season till Tony Tavarez gets called up next season 3B: Jonathan Nix LF: Vin Chavez CF: Reagan Fleming RF: Chris Turner , Pepe Nieto or Rogers Springer Starting Pitchers: Orval Keefe , Hugh Davidson , Dewey Golub , Kelvin Hardy , Dewey Norton Bullpen: Brandon Hardy , Shawn Long , Chris Coolbaugh , Everett Carroll plus 2 more. Lots of youngsters, hard to say what to expect from this team. Could win between 55 and 75 games this season.
The Braves will open the season with MLB's youngest roster, and they're being paid as such. Still, while a majority of the roster is still not quite ready for prime time, there is some talent, and a reason for hope in the not too distant future. As Al Unamuno enters his 3rd season in the Majors, he has emerged as one of the games finest young catchers - a patient hitter with some pop, possessing strong defensive skills. Veteran defensive wizard Melky Morales is in the last year of his contract and is well suited to his role as late inning defensive replacement and occasional starter against LH pitchers. Nash Jensen, after showing signs of becoming a true offensive threat at 1B before a back injury shelved him late season before last, regressed to sub par offensive performance last season and will be expected to step it up this season. Cesar Sanchez brings some pop from both sides of the plate as a back up to Jensen, and will often start against lefties. Slap-hitting speed merchant Buddy Jenkins demonstrated a decent approach at the plate during his rookie campaign, and he's showing continued improvement on making the routine plays to go along with excellent range. Scott Wright posseses excellent range at the hot corner, and has an intriguing combination of power and patience, though he has holes in his swing that can be exploited. The most encouraging news on the infield is the return of veteran defensive wizard Ezdra Aviles, who missed all of last season after suffering a nasty ACL tear late the season before. His range will never be quite the same, and he poses little offensive threat, but he's as steady as they come defensively. World class sprinter and switch-hitting outfielder Larry Kiermaier tore it up during brief stops at the AA and AAA levels after being drafted in June of last season. As a result, he was thrown into the fire and showed flashes of potential against Big League competition. If he improves his plate discipline and gains experience and consistency in the field he could settle in as a starter in CF for the next few year. As it is, he will begin the year batting 2nd and covering left field like a blanket. Lefty George Gibbs and switch-hitting Daniel Parrish will platoon in center and lead off, while young RF Luis Silva comes off a promising rookie season displaying an enviable combination of power, speed and defensive skills. Versatile utility man Ramiro Contreras can fill in at either corner outfield position or anywhere on the infield, and is capable at the plate as well. Veterans Yeico Castro and Pedro Aguilar anchor the rotation, which will also include lefty Jhonny Osuna, who was a pleasant surprise as a rookie last season, as well as Geoffery Ellis and Chad Sweeney, who are both entering their prime years. Veterancloser Wilt Rosen bounced back from shoulder surgery nicely last season, and has the best save percentage of any active closer in the game. Kenny Hague, Chul Chang, Julio Montana, Ismael Alvarez and Enrique Mendoze are expected to carry most of the remaining load in tha bullpen. The young Braves may develop more quickly than expected and find themselves in contention for a playoff spot late this seeason, though it's more likely that they're still a year or two away from being a serious threat.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The Orioles goal is to win the AL East, earn a bye, and let the chips fall where they may in the post season. It was a relatively bumpy ride during the regular season with multiple injuries, but we were able to see what happens when everything is clicking as we tore off 8 straight wins to win the World Series in Season 17.
We initially thought about making some 3+ big moves, but ended up moving only one significant ML piece in Vicente Rincon to the Reds. We couldn't find the right match for either Chase Malloy or Jake Mayne and both will return. The rest of the lineup and starting rotation is intact and we expect big things from the Orioles this season.
We still have a couple of roster spots open and are still trying to decide on finding some bargain free agents or promoting from within to fill those spots.
BOSTON RED SOX
The Red Sox performed much better than expected last season, and after a very successful offseason, there's even more reason for excitement in Boston.
The pitching staff will be significantly improved with a full season of Sam Phelps (resigned after being acquired at the trade deadline last season) and Yuniesky Fuentes replacing Ralph Shawler.
The bullpen remains one of the strengths of the team, with everyone returning. Kiko Wilkinson will start in the minors, but could be called up if he develops enough and/or is needed.
The offense should get a boost thanks to the acquisition of Edison Cruz, who replaces the LF platoon the Sox had last season.
The expectation in Boston is to make the playoffs as the WC1, with an upside of winning the division if things break right.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
The White Sox continue the climb back from obscurity. The team will stand pat in the FA market and count on some early call-ups from the minors. SP Manny Bong will join the team after 20 games, soon to be followed by Bing Bennett and Pat Crowe if needed. On the offensive side, trade acquisition Mo Owen will replace the first hitter to struggle, and RF Davey Bonilla and 2b Ismael Lunar are ready despite very short minor league experience.
The White Sox should improve on their 85 win season and division title. Playoff advancement is necessary for this season to be considered a success.
CINCINNATI REDS
A season that started with the promise of a repeat trip to the playoffs quickly went by the wayside. Pitching staff disappointed, the offense finished #2 in the NL in runs scored while pitching was in the bottom 2 spots in most categories. With that in mind, the Reds management set out to drastically improve upon that.
We added Walter Gray to the rotation and brought back Julian Porter, which slides everybody down a slot or two and hopefully makes this rotation competitive. The bullpen only returns 3 pitchers out of 7 spots, and the top 4 are new and should be a tremendous upgrade.
Offensively, long-time Red Travis Evans’ range has finally declined to the point where it wasn’t feasible to put him in CF, so we slid him over to LF and got the best available CF in Charlie Black. We brought in new C Rubby Gomez and SS Takumi Kobayashi. RF Steve Carlyle made his debut last season and we will see how he does in a full season. Bert Root returns as a solid bat off the bench and IF Rico Ramirez and Junior Ibanez provide versatility off the bench as well. Slim Winn will hit and C Bob Truman gives us a true defensive C off the bench. This team should be an upgrade and we look forward to competing for the divisional crown.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
Cleveland hopes to continue to improve this year and compete for a playoff spot. The youthful pitching staff led by Tony Santos should be coming into its own this year and will keep the Indians in most games. Closer duties will again fall to budding super star L.J. Irwin who exceeded expectations in his rookie year. Ned Wright was added through trade and will patrol RF, allowing Darrell Allen to move over to LF. Together with Pat Howard in CF, the Tribe should boast one of the best defensive outfields in the league. Adam Hannahan at 3B, Elroy Brown behind the plate and Ben Hernandez at short will continue to be the backbone of a very solid offense. 2B Joe Watson was added through FA and should be able to hold down that spot until Jordy Ward (currently in AA) is ready to hit the bigs.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
With a re-tooled rotation and bullpen KC is hoping to sneak into the playoffs. KC moved Fuentes in a blockbuster trade to Boston, essentially helping out the team that beat them out for the final WC spot last season. But even with that move KC is trying to get that WC spot back from them. In that deal they received some good prospects as well as Ralph Shawler, who will replace Yonder Silva at the back end of the rotation. Sawyer Cross was signed to replace Fuentes as best he could. The bullpen was improved infinitely (was abysmal last season) and KC is hoping that will be the difference maker. KC had a top 3 offense last season and it should be just as good this season. Estalella was acquired in a trade and will platoon with Payton. Browning was replaced by McInerney which will hopefully be just as productive. KC is expecting around 93 wins this season, which will hopefully get them to the dance.
MINNESOTA TWINS
There is a slight buzz going around the Twin Cities as the new season approaches. An improvement of 13 games from the previous season and a second place finish in the division has management a little excited.
Led by MVP Rene Lankford (61-148-.300), the Twins look to make a run at the division title. Only one change was made to the offense and that was the free agent signing of 2B Brian Sutton. Sutton is a slight upgrade at the position but should provide some stability in the middle infield.
The biggest issue from last season was the bullpen and management feels they addressed that with the signing of Bruce Stevens to go along with a Page-Plant reunion. No, NOT Robert and Jimmy, but Don and Chris. All three are expected to plug the gaps in the set-up roles leading up to All-Star closer Jim Berg.
Management is pleased with the off season activity as hopes are beginning to take flight.
MONTREAL EXPOS
The Montreal Expos are on their way back up, after two rebuilding seasons.
While the 81 win team from last season remains largely unchanged, the Expos did make some significant moves to improve the club.
Montreal acquired former rookie of the year, Victor Rodriguez, who hit 51 HRs and drove in 121 runs last season for Washington. They also went out and signed 13 game winner Jose Viriato in free agency.
23 year old Guy Voigt will become the team’s starting 3B, allowing Alex Sandoval to move to RF, where he can concentrate on hitting. Sources told us that Sandoval was excited about the move to the outfield, saying, “Baseballs come very fast to me at the third base. Sometimes I scared of them.”
Youngster Ricardo Borges, a late season call up, will be the team’s starting 2B and the ageless wonder, 37 year old Phil Gao, The MLB’s all-time leader in hits, doubles and walks, will look to add to his totals from LF, a position where he’s only played 21 games in his career.
Last season’s Cy Young award winner, Dave Lester is coming off a ridiculous season in which he pitched 259 innings with a 0.97 WHIP, and Lester actually thinks he can improve on that with Montreal’s upgraded defense. Miguel Peron, the newly acquired Viriato, Guillermo Lee and Luther Stone round out a solid rotation. The bullpen is deep anchored by 39 year old Rick Coveleski.
The Expos expect to compete in the NL North and challenge for a wildcard spot this season.
NEW ORLEANS JAZZ
Much of the same in New Orleans. The strength of the team is still the pitching, with Sanchez and Ni anchoring a deep starting rotation. The bullpen is also very solid with Ned Gold and Cookie Alonzo and veteran Willie Aldridge was added to give the pen a needed 'innings eater.' The positional players are also very much the same. The only difference is Jackson will be moved from CF to 2B due to his range decline and rookie speedster Eddie Greenwood will get the chance to start in CF. Our expectations remain to get into the playoffs, and hopefully, get back to the WS. This will be the last shot for this current group, as many of the veterans have their contracts coming up and won't be retained by the organization leading to some sweeping changes going into next season.
NEW YORK YANKEES
A year removed from a deep playoff run, season 17 turned quickly into a long, difficult season in the Bronx. Injuries and poor play led to a disappointing finish. Hope is high in Yankee land that they will again compete for the playoffs. Replacing SS William Aoki was the Yankees biggest off season issue. While Aoki's bat has always been stellar, his D has left much to be desired. Rip Stevenson takes over at SS and brings a dramatic change in abilities to the position as fielding will be his strength and he will be hidden at the bottom of the lineup. C/DH's Randy Washington and Mendy Delehanty will need to provide major punch to the O. 2B Michael Adams had a great rookie year and looks to avoid the sophomore slump. Brian Greenwood and Esmil Cano will be relied on to get on base at the top of the order. Ivan Wise and Johan Springer will be a strong 1-2 combo at the top of the rotation. Terrence Hartman finally asserted himself into the closer role over the last 2 seasons while Danny Buss, Tony Jung, and Phil Worthington will be important pieces out of the bullpen. Management views the bullpen as a major strength of the team. The Yanks will be a little less Bronx Bomber this year as the current roster will need to win playing high OBP and timely clutch hitting.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
After a quick 2-yr rebuild, we returned to the playoffs last season and should have an improving club again this year. Last offseason, we made a ton of moves to upgrade the ML roster; this offseason was much quieter as I feel the core needed to compete is mostly here.
The offense should remain strong, with Alomar, Cedeno & Uribe anchoring the heart of the order. Tito Huang will join them at the 20-game mark to provide some serious power from 3B, and we are excited about his pending arrival.
On the pitching side, the only notable move we made in the offseason was actually to dump a contract (Christopher Mays) that I regretted signing last season. Picked up a potentially useful part in a back-end starter type. The remaining rotation is comprised of some pretty decent arms, though they all have a similar flaw in lower stamina (seriously, the stamina of the 5 SP: 70, 70, 67, 64, 56). Gonna need a lot of help from the bullpen and will probably carry two long relievers as a result.
If we fail to contend this year, it will be due to the pitching fatigue and ineffectiveness. The offense should more than hold its own. Expectations are a return to the playoffs, hopefully that will be the case.
SAN DIEGO PADRES
Season 18 looks to be a rebuilding year for the Padres. The offseason was eventful as the squad was able to sign Phil Lowery & Seth Wall for the next few seasons. The squad will be relying on some young pitchers to carry the rest of the rotation. Rubby Benitez is solid at # 3 and Alejandro Cayones should be a solid #4. The 5th starter is up in the air at press time.
The lineup will be revamped and will have more of a platoon feel. Aging sluggers Neftali Barrios and Donnie McInerney were released and will be missed. New faces Branch Pressley, Rubby Blanco, Sparky Lowery , Emil Roque and Sammy Page will be expected to contribute. Lou Metzger & Rod Doyle will share the C duties and mainstays, Jim Griffey, Trumbo O’Toole and Benj Fox should anchor the lineup. All in all – the lineup should hit a little less and field a bit better. If all breaks just right, the squad could make the playoffs.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
New Cards management will take a wait-and-see approach to Sea18, evaluating all ML and farm talent. While fans will clamor for future studs like Carlos Valenzuela and Austin Finnessey to be called up, any major big league promotion will likely be pushed back to Sea19. Biggest emphasis throughout Sea18 will be on the pitching staff, who undoubtedly will benefit from the pitcher-friendly confines at Busch. The road will be an entirely different story. Off-season acquisitions SP Carlton Ramirez (Rule V), SP Hector Maxwell (trade), SP Edgard Rojas (FA) and LRs Branch Turner (FA) and Kerry Quinn (Rule V) will hopefully energize a staff that frankly didn't belong in ML last season. On the farm, at least 6 young arms will further their skills hoping for their shot in the next 2-3 seasons.
Key question: Will Les Hammel enjoy his move from the OF to 1B and return to Sea16 form when he hit .309 (OPS .954) with 110 RBI and 109 R? A repeat of last season's .226 (OPS .685) with 75 RBI could cause management to pull the trigger.
Key point of concern: with only 1 S and 1 LHB on the opening day ML roster, STL brass hope to see many opponents' LHPs.
Projected record: 79-83, 3rd place NL South.
Projected team MVP: LF Milton O'Leary, who looks to build upon his rookie season .282-31-118 with OPS .821 and 18 SB.
TAMPA BAY RAYS
Tampa Bay is returning primarily the same team that made it to the ALCS last season with a few changes. One of the bigger changes is the signing of free agent pitcher Hipolito Ramirez. Hipolito is a vetern lefty that Tampa Bay hopes gives them that 1, 2, 3 punch in the playoffs. The other big change is the acquisition of LF Vernon Stewart. The Rays were sad to see Byron Sullivan go after 6 strong seasons but are happy to have Vernon fill his spot.
TEXAS RANGERS
Texas hopes to rebound from a disappointing season. The city has high hopes that the offense will return to the top 3 level of season 16 instead of the well below average performance of season 17.
A quiet offseason where management got outbid for every type A pitcher targetted may doom the Rangers to another sub-par performance
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
The Toronto Blue Jays front office is excited about the team’s future outlook, despite finishing with the 2nd to worst record in the majors in 17. The new regime deemed the team's top-level batting prospects not quite ready to play ML Ball, so, in a series of moves to focus on winning now, the 'Jays will employ a lineup featuring new 5 veteran bats, all signed to one-year team friendly deals, in the hope that the established vets can bolster an offense that was, at best, anemic in 17, all the while bringing in defensive upgrades at 2/4 infield spots. The starting rotation, an area of weakness inherited from the previous regime, is headed by 24 year old ace and future Cy Young candidate, Doug Rogers, and two recently acquired goundball pitchers in Tim Blackburn, acquired from Montreal and Harry Wagner, recently signed from division rival, Detroit. The youthful bullpen remains largely intact, but, features three new veteran free agent signings, which should help stabilize a wildly inconsistent group in 17. The Jays real promise lies in their deep farm system, which will continue to be an area of improvement in 18, however, the new-look team fully expects to contend for the AL North title in 18.
WASHINGTON D.C. NATIONALS
Season 18. Lots of changes this season. C: Toby Bolling 1B: Tito Irabu till Shouhei Suzuki is ready 2B: Ross Wilkerson could be his last season here SS: Max Redondo this season till Tony Tavarez gets called up next season 3B: Jonathan Nix LF: Vin Chavez CF: Reagan Fleming RF: Chris Turner , Pepe Nieto or Rogers Springer Starting Pitchers: Orval Keefe , Hugh Davidson , Dewey Golub , Kelvin Hardy , Dewey Norton Bullpen: Brandon Hardy , Shawn Long , Chris Coolbaugh , Everett Carroll plus 2 more. Lots of youngsters, hard to say what to expect from this team. Could win between 55 and 75 games this season.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
S17 Draft Review
Pick #
|
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1
|
MIN
|
P
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Harry Schulte
|
1
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Harry will throw a lot of innings with good results. His
weakness is the terrible 5th pitch he throws, but that should be more than
offset by the strikeouts and groundouts he records.
|
1
|
Iceman67
|
says
|
|
2
|
ARI
|
LF
|
Barry Rodon
|
2
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Barry is fast and will have a lot of infield hits becasuse
he will make a lot of contact. Doesn't have the greatest splits, but does
have a good eye. Good range and glove for LF.
|
2
|
llcc
|
says
|
|
3
|
CLE
|
SS
|
Manuel Deduno
|
3
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Will develop greate range and arm, but the glove will not
allow him to stick at SS. Drives the ball well. Has a good eye.
|
3
|
abesmem
|
says
|
Cleveland is very happy with SS Manny Deduno as their
first round pick. He was at the top of the Indian draft board overall. Manny
is a slick fielder with the health and durability to play every day at the ML
level. Better still, he should hit for both power and average against righties
and lefties alike. He’s the complete package.
|
4
|
CH1
|
SS
|
Jackson Simon
|
4
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Lacks the arm strength to be a SS, but definitely could
stick at CF. Won't strike out much, but has a great eye. Average at driving
the ball.
|
4
|
tk21775
|
says
|
Cubs took Jackson Simon with the 4th overall pick, he was
the #1 guy on our board. We thought we might have our third baseman of the
future and still could although Mr. Simon is already out for the next year
with an ACL tear.
|
5
|
COL
|
P
|
Billy Cairncross
|
5
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Great splits, with great control. Keeps the ball down in
the zone. Has a great combination of pitches. Not a great stamina/durability
split, but could definitely produce.
|
5
|
anml34
|
says
|
|
6
|
MON
|
1B
|
Conor Lansing
|
6
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Could be a premier hitter down the road. Great power and
contact, really drives the ball well against LHP and will walk a bunch.
Decent defense as well.
|
6
|
kelly_mccann
|
says
|
Montreal is very happy with the signing of #6 overall
pick, Conor Lansing out of Horizons High School in Michigan. Lansing toyed
with the idea of taking a college scholarship to the University of Michigan,
but eventually signed with the Expos. Lansing is a switch hitting 1B who
projects to have excellent contact and eye skills as well as above average
power and can hit equally from both sides of the plate. He's capable of
hitting big league pitching already at age 18 and has the make up to improve
his skills quickly.
|
7
|
TOR
|
3B
|
Hank Schmidt
|
7
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Great power with quality splits. He will walk a lot.
Strikes out more than you'd like. Interesting defensive ratings…kind of hard
to project defensively, but he will produce offensively.
|
7
|
toddemayer
|
says
|
|
8
|
WAS
|
P
|
Tex Bryne
|
8
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Tremendous controls and avoids the hitting zone like the
plague. Doesn't blow you away with speed nor will he be a groundball machine.
His pitches should develop nicely.
|
8
|
chase39
|
says
|
We drafted Tex Bryne with the 8th pick this year. What can
i say, he ain't no Harry Schulte . Putting are misery aside for a second,
Bryne we had ranked no. 5 on our board and should help us out at the ML level
in a couple of years.
|
9
|
ATL
|
CF
|
Larry Kiermaier
|
9
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Tremendous range with a below average glove. This guy
should be fun to watch. He doesn't strike out much and has an average eye,
but he drives the ball extremely well. He can fly. Already playing in the
majors.
|
9
|
kilgore
|
says
|
The Braves were
pleased that world class sprinter Larry Kiermaier was available at the 9th
pick. They believe he will develop into one of the better defensive center
fielders in the game. His smooth, compact swing from each side of the plate
delivers consistent contact with predominately low line drives and ground
balls, so he'll never hit for power. His long, graceful strides, however,
will turn a lot of ground outs into infield singles and line drive or bloop
singles into doubles. Kiermaier's plate discipline will need to improve, but
his excellent plate coverage helps overcome that and he should be ideal for
the #2 spot in the lineup. Likewise, he has much to learn about the art of
base stealing, but very few in the game can match his blinding speed. Kiermaier
was quickly moved up to AAA after a blazing start in his first few AA games,
did well there for a few games, and made the jump to The Show just recently
in hopes of providing some much needed offense for the Braves.
|
10
|
FLA
|
2B
|
Dillon McDowell
|
10
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Good range, great glove. Can fly. Doesn't strike out too
much. Decent eye. Doesn't drive the ball consistently.
|
10
|
mamidu
|
says
|
10th pick overall - Dillon McDowell - probably won't be
able to play 2b with that range, but should be an exceptional LF defensively.
will be able to hit lefties very well, but will just be slightly
above-average against righties with very good contact. has blazing speed, but
baserunning will prevent him from being an outstanding base stealer. he'll be
decent, but i would have expected to get more from the 10th overall pick
|
11
|
LA
|
3B
|
Vin McCormick
|
11
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Another intriguing defensive player. His range and arm
strength are great, but his glove and accuracy are equally below average.
Decent power. Will strike out. Drives the ball well. Good eye.
|
11
|
tdfactory
|
says
|
With the 11th pick in Round 1, the Dodgers select 2B Vin
McCormick. While Vin played 2B in HS, the Dodgers see this player ultimately
ending up at 3rd. Doesn't have quite the range to play 3B in the bigs, but
has a strong enough arm to play the hot corner. The Dodgers feel he will have
decent power, can hit lefties or righties equally well and a decent eye. Vin
has average speed and is a little slow on the basepaths. Our projections have
him as a #5 or #6 hitter in the lineup potentially putting up .275, 25 HR, 90
RBI type numbers.
|
12
|
LAA
|
P
|
Kelvim Lee
|
12
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Average control. Solid pitch combination. Good at keeping
the ball out of the hitting zone. Throws hard and keeps it down in the zone.
Great stamina/durability combination.
|
12
|
mskakunan
|
says
|
|
13
|
STL
|
P
|
Daryle Pearson
|
13
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
First true RP selected, he throws hard and has 2 great
pitches. Keeps the ball down in the zone and keeps hitters guessing. Good
comination stamina/durability.
|
13
|
allright
|
says
|
Drafting from the 13th spot, The St. Louis Cardinals
selected Daryle Pearson. The lefty will fill the closer's role in the big
time in a couple of years. Good control and outstanding stuff makes him close
to ready, now.The 'Cards selected Eduardo Profar in the second round. Profar
will also make the big time. Though, certainly not all star material, he
promises to make it to the big time providing leadership and above average
defense behind the plate and enough offense to be a contributor.
|
14
|
OAK
|
P
|
Slade Trammell
|
14
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
LHB kill him. RHB not so much. Pitches are not good. Great
control. Throws decently hard and gets some grounders. Should be a solid
mid-rotation pitcher.
|
14
|
train
|
says
|
Draft recap - Slade Trammell - I had him 3rd on my board
so I was really pleased to land him at 14th. He has most of the attributes I
target in a pitcher - strong control and vsR (both projecting into the
mid-80s), good ground ball tendency as well. Only area of concern is his
pitch quality; his top two pitches grade out only into the mid 70s. Hopefully
my scouts are underestimating his stuff. If not, he's still a great pickup in
the middle of the round.
|
15
|
PIT
|
P
|
Paulo Vargas
|
15
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Another RP who should earn his keep. Throws hard and keeps
the ball down. Won't hurt himself with walks. Decent pitches. Will pitch a
lot of innings.
|
15
|
ajwalton
|
says
|
|
16
|
KC
|
C
|
Aaron Haase
|
16
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Good arm but can't call a game. Makes good contact with
decent power. Can really work the count and drives the ball well.
|
16
|
crabman26
|
says
|
With the 16th pick overall, the Royals took a DH, Aaron
Haase. With a total of four "A"s in his name you would think he
would be an impressive player, but he is not. Sure, he'll hit righties really
well and get on base at a good clip, but do you really want a slap hitting
DH? He'll be a great bat off the bench in a pinch hitting role, but the Royals
completely whiffed on this pick.
|
17
|
CH2
|
RF
|
Dave Balfour
|
17
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Makes good contact with decent power. Great arm. Great
glove. Can really run. The definition of a platoon player. RHP will destroy
him.
|
17
|
byers61
|
says
|
The White Sox drafted RF Dave Bafour with the 17th pick in
the draft. He would probably be a decent pick at that spot, but he hasn't
signed. We see him as an 80 OVR rank, pretty decent numbers but a little weak
against righties. To compound matters, this is the second year in a row the
White Sox have drafted a pick who wouldn't commit.
|
18
|
BOS
|
1B
|
Keyvius Benes
|
18
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Makes great contact but lacks the speed to really take
advantage of it. Has some power. Drives the ball decently. Solid eye. Nothing
special defensively.
|
18
|
jvford
|
says
|
He should develop into a middle of the order hitter, the
only question is whether his defense will be good enough to play 1B.
|
19
|
TB
|
LF
|
Fergie Everhart
|
19
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Great range. Tremendous speed combined with making great
contact should make him exciting to watch. Decent eye. No power. Doesn't
drive the ball very well.
|
19
|
mexd781
|
says
|
|
20
|
NY2
|
SS
|
Evan Belt
|
20
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Lacks tremendous arm strength, but is good at the other
aspects of defense. Makes decent contact and is solid against LHP. Lacks
understanding of strike zone. No power.
|
20
|
mlhutch
|
says
|
|
21
|
HOU
|
3B
|
Bryan De Vries
|
21
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Dominates LHP. Otherwise average offensively. Decent
defender.
|
21
|
drichar138
|
says
|
|
22
|
PHI
|
P
|
Kenn Perkins
|
22
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Solid pitches. Keeps the ball down in the zone. Good
durability/stamina. Keeps the ball out of the hitting zone. Throws hard.
|
22
|
stews_blues
|
says
|
|
23
|
CH2
|
2B
|
Darin Gilmore
|
23
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Good range. Decent arm and glove. Average offensively with
the exception of driving the ball against RHP and working the count.
|
23
|
byers61
|
says
|
With the 23rd pick, the White Sox drafted Darin Gilmore, a
run-of-the-mill left fielder who could reach the majors, but won't be a
standout.
|
24
|
DET
|
RF
|
Che-Hsuan Yamamoto
|
24
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Great range. Hits the ball and doesn't strike out. No
power. Better against LHP. Great eye. Good arm. Lacks speed.
|
24
|
poke_man
|
says
|
Che-Hsuan Yamamoto Good contact, Decent vL. Overall,
emmm?
|
25
|
COL
|
P
|
Augie Urshela
|
25
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Keeps the ball down. Doesn't throw hard. Better against
LHB. Good control. Lacks ideal durability. Pitches are all average to above
average.
|
25
|
anml34
|
says
|
|
26
|
CIN
|
C
|
Ramon Wang
|
26
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Projects to be a great hitter. Durability looks to be a concern which is probably why he dropped in the draft, but when he is out there, he is going to rake.
|
26
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
I look forward to Ramon hitting out of RF for years to come. Should help that he can't call a game to keep him there. |
27
|
NY1
|
P
|
Toby Shackleford
|
27
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Throws hard. Dominates RHB while being dominated by LHB.
Decent control. Very good pitch combination and keeps the ball down in the
zone. Intriguing prospect.
|
27
|
mcgupp
|
says
|
Toby Shackleford was the NY Yankees 1st round pick at #27.
The Yanks are pleased to grab a pitcher of his caliber so late in round 1.
The organization views him as a future # 4 or 5 starter. A hard thrower, they
view his sinker-fastball pair as a winning combination.
|
28
|
SEA
|
P
|
Ted McKnight
|
28
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Great control. Solid pitches. Struggles against RHB. Solid
against LHB. Doesn't throw hard. Keeps ball down in zone decently.
|
28
|
jakaitis
|
says
|
|
29
|
TEX
|
LF
|
Neftali Guerrero
|
29
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Doesn't strike out. No power. Drives the ball decently
well. Great eye. Great baserunner. Good speed. Fun to watch on offense.
|
29
|
neilg
|
says
|
Texas grabbed Neftali Guerrero with the 29th pick.
Guerrero projects to be a leadoff hitter with excellent contact and enough
batting eye, splits, and speed to make an impact at the top of the lineup.
The biggest convern with him is the abysmal makeup score which calls into
doubt that he will actually reach his projections.
|
30
|
LA
|
LF
|
Milton Figga
|
30
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Above average across the board offensively. Strong arm and
range. Doesn’t' run well.
|
30
|
tdfactory
|
says
|
|
31
|
NO
|
P
|
Bill Yount
|
31
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Better against RHB than LHB. Good control. Decent stamina,
but great durability. Keeps the ball down and has 2 out pitches.
|
31
|
mongoose_22
|
says
|
Despite massive firings in the domestic scouting
departments, the Jazz were very pleased to draft Bill Yount at the end of the
1st round. Yount should develop into a capable relief pitcher, and a valuable
piece to a solid bullpen. With a heavy fastball, and a good curve to
complement his splits, Yount projects to have above average ML stuff. We
project him to spend three seasons in the minors, and make his debut at
22-23.
|
32
|
SF
|
P
|
Donald Blackwood
|
32
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Throws hard. Does well at keeping ball out of the hitting
zone. Doesn't walk many. Solid pitches.
|
32
|
AllSox
|
says
|
|
33
|
BAL
|
P
|
Maikel Sucre
|
33
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Tremendous RP. Doesn't throw hard but has 2 out pitches
and another good pitch. Dominates RHB. Great control. Will struggle to rack
up the innings with those durability/stamina ratings.
|
33
|
hopkinsheel
|
says
|
Really happy with Sucre especially picking so late in the
draft. We project him to be a really good reliever with very good splits and
pitches. Only reason he dropped so far was his signability and we got lucky
and he didn't even demand anything extra. Nice roll of the dice for the
Orioles.
|
34
|
LAA
|
P
|
Alex Eusebio
|
34
|
hurricane384
|
says
|
Doesn't have a clue where his pitch is going to end up,
just knows it will get there quickly…and might bounce.
|
34
|
mskakunan
|
says
|
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