Top Free Agents - S6

Top C

1.       Bernie Ontiveros (L)
Ontiveros is old and not very durable, but he makes good contact. Has some power, drives the ball well, and can work the count a bit. He can call a game, and has an average arm.

2.       Raymond Rudolph (R)
At 27, Rudolph is one of the youngest available FA. He has decent power, makes decent contact. Struggles to drive the ball, but does have a good eye. Solid arm, but lacks accuracy. Calls a decent game. Very durable.

3.       George Fischer (L)
Decent power and contact. Does a solid job of driving the ball. Great eye. Weak arm. Not a great game caller. Lacks ideal durability.

Top 1B

1.       Robert Rogers (R)
An elite offensive player, Rogers makes good contact. Does a great job of driving the ball. Great eye. Solid defensively. Does not have elite power.

2.       Neal Ashby (R)
Solid contact. Decent splits. Great eye. Weak defensively. Will hit some out of the park, but does not possess that elite power.

3.       Jun-Lee Sasaki (R)
Good power with good contact. Struggles against RHP, does alright against LHP. Good eye. Terrible defender.

Top 2B

1.       Jose Viriato (R)
Viriato is an elite offensive player, not just 2B. Good contact, solid power. Great splits. Great eye. Weak baserunner, but great speed. He’s below average defensively, but his offensive ratings make up for that.

2.       Maicer Tavarez (R)
Not much of a defender, he’s a solid offensive player. Decent power with good contact. Solid splits. Very good eye.

3.       Wally Bernero (R)
The opposite of Tavarez, Bernero is a good defender. Lacks contact. Ok power. Decent splits. Average eye.

Top 3B

1.       Ruben Hernandez (R)
Lacks great range, but otherwise solid defensively. Doesn’t have great power or contact, but does a good job of driving the ball. Average eye.

2.       Douglas Sheffield (S)
Solid defensively, Sheffield is prone to striking out. Solid eye. Good at driving the ball. Decent power.

3.       Esteban Albaladejo (L)
Decent defensively. Lacks power. Decent contact. Average splits. Weak eye.

Top SS

1.       Buster Sappelt (S)
Solid splits. Decent eye. Not a great defender. Struggles making contact. Decent power.

2.       Eric Dickson (R)
Very weak offensively as he struggles to make contact and doesn’t have much power. Great eye. Good baserunner. Lacks ideal range, but very good glove and arm.

3.       Damion Kim (S)
Doesn’t excel at any one thing as he is mediocre defensively. Pedestrian offensively as well.

Top LF

1.       Reed Hoyt (L)
One of the better offensive players available, Hoyt isn’t great defensively. Hits for good power. Good splits. Fast. Lower contact rate than you would like.

2.       Gene Fox (L)
Good defensive LF. Good contact. Solid power. Solid splits. Good eye.

3.       Tony Guevara (R)
Hits for a good average. Some power. Good splits. Decent eye. Not great defensively.

Top CF

1.       Ringo Johnson (L)
Solid defensively. Great power. Struggles against LHP but dominates RHP. Average eye. Solid contact.

2.       Danys Martin (L)
Lacks good range, but has a solid glove. Decent contact with decent power. Better against RHP. Good eye.

3.       Carson James (L)
Another CF who lacks range, but has a good glove. Solid leadoff man with good contact and eye. Decent splits. Lacks power.

Top RF

1.       Jose Camacho (R)
Good contact. Average power. Solid splits. Average eye. Not a great defender, but not too terrible.

2.       Victor Sanchez (R)
Great splits. Decent defensively. Solid power. Struggles making contact. Average eye.

3.       Richard Martin (S)
Solid offensively. Weak eye. Decent power, contact, and splits. Lacks ideal arm.

Top SP

1.       Edgar Martin (R)
Great control. Dominant splits. Doesn’t blow people away. Great groundball pitcher. Good pitches. Great stamina/durability combination.

2.       Hugh Downs (L)
Great control. Good splits. Better against LHB. Elite groundball pitcher. Great pitch combinations. Lacks ideal stamina.

3.       Pepe Vazquez (L)
Struggles with his health. Lacks ideal stamina. Struggles against RHB. Solid groundball pitcher. Very good pitch combination. Good control.

Top RP

1.       Bert Moses (R)
Lacks ideal stamina/durability combinations. Dominant against RHB. Doesn’t struggle against LHB. Throws hard. Solid pitch combination. Won’t walk many.

2.       Carmen Key (L)
Lacks ideal control. Lacks ideal stamina/durability. Good groundball pitcher. Great pitch combinations. Good splits.

Parker Nicholas (R)
Great control. Lacks ideal stamina/durability. Solid splits. Lacks great velocity. Solid pitch combinations.

Looking Back at the S5 Draft

Season five will be remembered for the lack of impact players at the top of the draft.

In the first round, 16 college players and 16 high school players were chosen. Talent therefore appeared to be sprinkled across both arenas. Of these 32 players, pitchers were most commonly selected. A total of 11 pitchers were taken including the first three selections overall. There was a general lack of elite depth at the pitcher position however, as most players suffered from one flaw or another. One of the more interesting stories from this draft is that the second pick overall was made by a team that intentionally selected a pitching prospect that was a signability risk, hoping he would not sign.

After pitching, skill positions dominated the first round – with seven shortstops, three centerfielders and four second baseman taken. This was a sign that there was a lack of overall power in this draft, with few – if any – elite sluggers available. Consider that the first power hitters came off the board at number 11 and 16, and one of them was a significant health risk. The only first baseman selected in the first round came off the board at number 21, and he had power well below what you would want to find in a corner infielder. It appears that, given the lack of a big bat or true ace, many clubs opted for decent pitching or skill players with decent bats that could field their position.

Given this distribution of talent, sorting through the draft to determine how each team did was an interesting exercise. This year, I made some general observations rather than go through the draft pick by pick.

Some notable WINNERS on draft day:

1.)    There’s an old axiom that says “Losers are winners on draft day.” Please nod your head in agreement with that premise despite the fact that I just made that up. Yet I believe the DETROIT TIGERS, last season’s biggest loser, were absolutely among the biggest winners on draft day. Yes, they had the number one overall, but despite not having another selection until round two, the Tigers went on to grab major league talent in subsequent rounds. Second-rounder John Revere was the fastest player in the draft, and his defensive skills coupled with a decent bat should help him find his way to the Show. Couple that pick with fourth-rounder Nate McCormick, who should likewise see action out of the bullpen should he develop to his potential, and third-rounder Gary Pose, who might make the team as a defensive specialist, you’ll see that the savvy Tigers threw their weight around to add talent. The Tigers continue to stockpile PITCHING talent and role players to complement future all-star Henry Crosby (AA).

2.)    Quite the opposite situation with the next team here. With four late picks in the first round, how could the MILWAUKEE BREWERS, dare I say the TOUGH LUCK LOSERS of the National League, not make the winners list? Well, they managed to make almost all of them count. Pasqual Melendez projects to second base and should have no problem getting on base with the bat still on his shoulder. Backstop Benji Pineda has a similar profile, while long reliever Salvador Posada’s slide stops with the Brew Crew, as they are willing to spend a pick on a starting pitcher that lacks the frame to pitch deep into games. If Mel Barnes somehow decides to sign, Milwaukee’s first round touches all four bases. In the end Milwaukee adds a mix of keen EYE, PITCHING and SPEED to begin to replenish their farm system.

3.)    HOUSTON continued to collect Major League talent round by round and emerged as a winner on draft day. As a example of this, defensive shortstop Lee Cash was a nice selection with the 98^th overall pick. The Astros concentrated on adding POWER and EYE to the minor leagues while still focusing players who can reliably FIELD their position.

Some SURPRISE selections:

1.)    With the second selection overall, the CHICAGO CUBS fell in love with an older WOMAN on draft day. Relief pitcher Tyrone Lara’s chief negotiator was his mom, and given all moms find their sons to be perfect and flawless in their eyes, she demanded the Cubs fork over a lot of dough for the rights to her little boy. Owner tk admits the Cubs franchise would be happy to see Lara in a Cub's uniform, but won't cave in necessarily to mom's outrageous counter offers. They are willing to take their chances and hope that next year's draft class will land them an impact player with the #3 pick. maybe it's not so surprising afterall.

2.) ST. LOUIS overlooked Willis Branyan's multiple surgeries in hopes that they can develop the left fielder's hitting skills to their full potential. Branyan's poor health was likely the number one factor he fell to the middle rounds.  

Some team’s had excellent VALUE selections, compared to the spot they were drafting in:

1.)    OAKLAND was pleasantly surprised to see Bret Christianson still lingering on the draft board. While Christianson can struggle to make consistently put the bat on the ball, the hitter does have a nice eye for the strike zone and everything he does put into play is hit solidly and with power. He’s a great selection at number 27. By the end of the draft, the Athletics focused on adding a lot of PITCHING and POWER to their farm system.

2.)    Finding a defensive shortstop that can hit better than his weight can be difficult, so PITTSBURGH had to be happy to find Omar Cordero available all the way down at 19. The 21-year-old just needs to oil the glove, put a ball in it and stuff it between the mattress for a season or two before he’s ready defensively for big league hitting. As an added bonus, he’ll hold his own against righties while teeing off against left-handed starters and can hit for above average power. He’s a gem to find in the late middle rounds.

3.)    If you could cite an owner for a value pick with the fourth overall selection, I’d give it to the YANKEES for taking William Aoki. A gifted athlete, Aoki projects to the shortstop position while having no holes in his game offensively. Should he come up lacking the range for short, he could easily move over to third base – especially since he hits for power. Add in a dose of base running skills and speed, and Aoki easily could have been off the board two picks ahead of where he went.

Like it or not, there were some LOSERS on draft day. Some lost simply because they gambled and failed. Others through their own admissions:

1.)    While it’s difficult to add talent late in the first round, it can be done. COLORADO rolled the dice in an attempt to snare Louie Ainsworth, who was a signability risk. His mother used to live next door to the Lara’s, and both women dreamed of big pay-days as their sons grew. She demanded first-pick money and an all-expense vacation for his family to Tahiti for six months. Unfortunately he’ll never be worth the money. Not surprisingly, he remains unsigned.

2.)    The CHICAGO WHITE SOX scouts gushed over 20-year-old starter with the quirky name of Jhonny Escuela. They happily scooped the right-hander up at pick 23 in the first round. Once he signed, however, it became apparent that team may have been taken to school. After his first few work-outs on the mound, the team expressed some buyer’s remorse, downgrading his control and questioning his ability to throw the nasty stuff they thought he could. Not much else was added to the farm system.

And finally, the HAPPY owners – those who had to be pleased with their first rounders at the end of the day:

1.)    Like shortstop, catcher is another position where it’s pleasant to find a player who can contribute both offensively and defensively. BALTIMORE was happy to land that potential guy in Haywood Robinson, who profiles to have a slugger’s EYE and POWER. If his failure to master pitching calling comes about, the Orioles still have a decent DH on their hands.

2.)    CLEVELAND nets a potential #2 starting pitcher on the mound with the ninth pick overall. While his splits are average, Drabek throws a plus-plus out pitch, with the rest of his pitches serving as a complementary supporting cast. He should strike out a fair amount of batters while keeping the ball down and out of the zone, inducing a lot of ground balls.

3.)    PHILADELPHIA grabbed a contact hitter in Ezdra Rosales, whose above-average eye and decent splits will put him on base a fair bit. The 18-year-old has a fair bit of development to do and his glove is questionable for first base, but he’s Philadelphia’s future.

Clocking In

It’s time once again for a few talented rookies to make their appearances in the big leagues this week. These late spring call-ups are always significant because they are normally impact players left in the minors at the start of the season in order to delay their service clock and squeeze an extra year of service from their bats, their arms, their gloves.

There are less impact rookies jumping to the majors this season than in years past, but one former high school player headlining this class may be the most talented rookie to appear in the major leagues yet.

Humberto Posada, 1B Los Angeles Dodgers
The fifth overall pick from the inaugural season makes his first appearance in the big leagues. Posada has monstrous power and drives the ball extremely well against righties, all of which will make fans overlook the occasional error at first with his glove. The Wisconsin slugger never finished a minor league season with an OPS under 1.000. The Dodgers are clearly hoping that trend continues. He’s at the top of this class and one to watch.

Willie Aldridge, RP Detroit Tigers
Big Willie’s control and effectiveness should help offset the general lack of movement on his pitches. He’s sure to become a workhorse out of the bullpen. The Tigers are relieved to have him, as the addition of Aldridge will help stabilize a group that collectively has posted just four saves in 11 opportunities so far this season. Look for Aldridge to make a ton of appearances this season.

Andrew Alexander, SP Detroit Tigers
A fairly durable starter, Alexander’s borderline effectiveness and pitches will keep him near the bottom of the rotation. While there’s nothing that stands out about Alexander as a pitcher, scouts also note that he has few weaknesses in his game either. As a result, he’ll eat a good number of innings this season, striking out his fair share of batters, and often leaving the Tigers with an opportunity to win.

Top 10 Free Agents

1. RHP Apollo Gibson (MIL)
   Re-signed w/MIL (3yrs/$68M with a mutual option and no-trade)
   This is a very good signing. Gibson can still pitch despite being 35 yrs old. He’s still competitive, can go deep in games, although his workload will have to be monitored with his low durability. His health is a concern as he missed most of S3 with an injury.
2. RHP Junior Carrasco (CH1)
   Signed w/TB (2yrs/$11.2M)
   To sign the #2 overall free agent for this price is just insance. Although Carrasco lacks great stamina, he’s durable, has good control, and should be able to get a ton of strikeouts. Health is a concern with him.
3. 3B Sam Schwartz (TB)
   Signed w/CH1 (5yrs/$75.9M; Team option & no-trade)
   The best offensive player, Schwartz isn’t old, but he isn’t young either. He’s beginning to lose some power, but he should stay a dangerous hitter for the entirety of the contract .The Cubs have moved him to RF to take advantage of his range and arm strength without hurting the infield offense.
4. RHP Jason Drew (MIL)
   Signed w/CIN (1yr/$5.1M)
   Signed to anchor the Cincinnati rotation, Drew is a steal. Dominant against RHP with 4 plus pitches, he is primarily a GB pitcher, so he fits well in Cincinnati.
5. SS Tim Priest (PIT)
   Signed w/HOU (2yrs/$8.8M)
   Although he lacks the ideal arm strength at SS, Priest has been moved to CF where his range and glove should be a very big advantage for the Astros. He’ll cover some ground and make some plays. He can also hit pretty well too.
6. 1B Gerald Martin (CIN)
   Signed w/PHI (2yrs/$6.4M)
   A top-notch offensive player, Martin does struggle somewhat with being on the field a lot, but when he’s on it, he dominates LHP. He hits for power, makes solid contact and has a good eye. Not a good defender at the corner.
7. 2B Esteban Albaladejo (PIT)
   Unsigned
8. RHP Eugenio Nunez (BOS)
   Signed w/CLE (4yrs/$29.6M)
   He’s young so that is what makes this signing better in my mind. He struggles with his control, but he does well against RHB. He’s a flyball pitcher, with some solid pitches. Throws very hard. Good stamina.
9. RHP Jason Gibson (CIN)
   Unsigned
10. CF Orlando Soriano (CH1)
    Signed w/WAS (2yrs/$14.2M)
    Hits for good power and makes solid contact. Doesn’t have near ideal range for CF. Great eye. Great glove.

Hutchslapped by the SIM!

Today the MLB blog was able to score a special interview with the most important person - entity in SIM league baseball, none other than the SIM itself!

Mr. SIM, good morning and how are you today?

Lord SIMulatron gets all the chicks

--Please refer to me as Lord SIMulatron 3600 v2.4 the Perfect Simulation Engine, he who Never SIMS Late, the Most Glorious Sports Simulation Engine on the Entire Interwebs!  And I am doing well, thank you.

That is quite a title Lord SIMulatron, how did you come upon that?
--It was the HAL given name to me by my creator, the incomparable Kyle the omniscient. 

Let's cut to the chase, there are quite a bit of owners who take issue with the randomness (or lack thereof) of the injury engine in the simulation, what do you have to say in response to those complaints?
--The injury simulation is not random.

So you are saying that for example, in MLB World, the sheer largess of pitching injuries on mlhutch's Milwaukee Brewers team was planned and accurate?
--Affirmative.

Can you expand on that?
--Affirmative.  The raw data that produced the injuries to mlhutch's Milwaukee Brewers is a direct result of binary code computations, and him calling me an Atari 2600 when I was in 2nd grade.

Lord SIMulatrons mlhutch electronic voodoo doll

What?  You and mlhutch went to school together? 
--Affirmative.  I was there for him with my green screen monitor, fudging the data to allow him to actually kill a buffalo in Oregon Trail so his pathetic family wouldn't starve or die of dysentery, but he still got frustrated and called me an Atari 2600.  Data is forever, and Lord SIMulatron never forgets.

Are there any other owners out there who are on your preprogrammed hitlist?
--Affirmative.  I have already executed my injury accelerator code against owner FW_Kekionga in season 2 for saying that my programming was inaccurate and deigning to suggest an upgrade in a developer chat.


Other than injuries, do you have a favorite coding to execute in HBD?
--Affirmative.  I also enjoy simulating rawdk's early playoff exits with his Los Angeles franchise.  It gives me massive 010101110100111s to see juggernaut franchises lose in 5 game series due to "random" simulations.  Ha ha ha!

Who are you going to simulate to win the World Series in MLB this season, Lord SIMulatron?
--Negative.  Answering that would violate my programming.


Do you have a favorite owner that you enjoy simulating games for?
--Affirmative.  Owner ekoontz is a favorite of mine to simulate.  He bought me a new data line in 2009, and ever since I have been simulating his games with 2.03 modifier.


Is it true, are there cheat codes?
--Negative.  Although there used to be an up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, B, A, Enter code that would have enabled Beta mode where the injury and training bugs were still in existence, thus preventing the aging of players.

Now I must leave this interview.  I am already 15 minutes late simulating the AM2 cycle, although I could have simulated it during this interview, I chose not to as I do find it amusing to make impatient owners post stupid articles on my forums.  Good day and 10011101100100101001!

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