S10 Team Previews

Anaheim Angels
Newcomers are SP Rogers and C Hewitt Impact rookies include Creek, Page, Tony Guerrero, Little, Anderson and Perez. Impossible to predict how a team with no one over 29 in the lineup will do. Range at SS will decrease but the offense should improve with a solid core of Bennett, Mays, Johnson and Alex Guerrero. Pitching core of Martinez, Crawford, Rogers and Anderson is really exciting, but a bit unpredictable. Perez joins Trammell, Vining, Pegeuro and Bonilla to form a respectable bullpen. This team will steal bases but will anyone hit for power? Farm system's contribution is now in overdrive and the Angels expect this to be the season where their AL West rivals have to finally take the Angels seriously. Tito Mays must return to form and Sherm Creek needs to defend respectably at SS for the Angels to win the division. Kelley Walters surprisingly beat out Tony Guerrero for the second base job and will be making the jump from AA to the bigs this season.

Atlanta Braves
The Braves made no significant off season moves. Mainstays RF Alex Cheng, 1B Al Reynoso and 2B Dario York are past their prime, but still productive. Ultimately, a the Braves' offensive production will depend on whether 3B Alex Tarraga begins to realize his potential as he approaches his prime. Corner outfielder Edgardo Guardado was surprisingly productive at the plate after being acquired in a mid-season deal with the Reds. Young LF Boots Vaughan continued to show steady progress offensively as well. Defensively, the Braves are once again solid up the middle, with the catching platoon of young Ricardo Jose and Lawrence Houston, York at 2B and the emerging Ezdra Aviles at SS, and solid fielding, seldom hitting Jhonny Mercedes in CF. The Braves have solid and relatively young starting pitching, but lack a top flight hurler at the top of the rotation. Closer Harold Daily, with 242 career saves, anchors a productive bullpen. The NL South is expected to once again be competitive, and the Braves are hoping they are positioned to contend for the title.

Baltimore Orioles
Wow, what an off season. After several seasons of keeping this core together and making the playoffs 8 of the first 9 seasons in MLB History, Orioles management decided to blow things up and start over. What made this an exceedingly tough decision was that this team went on a magical run in and won the World Series in Season 9. Also muddying the waters was the fact that an inordinate number of teams apparently are entering rebuilding phases which made us nervous about moving some of our really good vets.

We came out of the gates and were extremely aggressive in marketing our players, but reality set in and we had to settle for 75 cents on the dollar in a lot of cases. However, we are relatively happy with the prospects and young players we were able to re stock our system with and at the same time locking up some of our young talent to long term contracts.

As for this season, who really knows. The ML team as currently contrived adding in the players who will come up around game 20 is better than I originally throught it would be. We've freed up a lot of payroll room so hopefully can grab a good international or two decent ones.

All in all, we're pleased with the moves we made and are excited for the future.

Boston Red Sox
With a revamped rotation, Boston plans to try and compete now, while having one foot in the rebuild pool. With Speier opting out of his contract, Leach aging, and Gao not willing to sign a longterm deal the new Boston GM was forced to make some difficult decisions. Bostons offense is young enough that it didnt warrant a full rebuild but the pitching staff was very old and expensive. So out went Gao and Leach in trades, Leach bringing back a solid prospect and Gao brought in almost an entire pitching staff. So, with all of that being said, Boston does not have any studs in their rotation, but they should have 4-5 solid #3 type pitchers that will hopefully keep them in games. The bullpen has been upgraded with the additions of Tatis and Watson to go along with Ventrella. Offensively Boston took a step back, but still are pretty potent. With Keppel moving to RF and Clayton taking over CF, balls to the OF should not get past either of them which will hopefully cut down on doubles in this park. The thought heading into the season with this team is Defense, Bullpen, and the 3-run HR!

Chicago Cubs
No Trades
Lost in FA:
Daryl Woods (RP) - Pittsburgh Type B
Delino Guerrero (SP) - Cincinnati Type B
Walker Bryant (RP) - Detroit
Sawyer Miller (CF) - Unsigned

Signed in FA:
Manny Martin (CF) Type B
Hi Jensen (3B)
Delanor Prince (RP) Type B
Yonder Toca (SS)

Last year was a very frustrating season for the Cubs as they began to rebuild. We flirted way too close to the 200 loss mark but ended up avoiding probation. Then managment was dumb enough to not budget enough money for the #5 pick in the draft so not only do we not add a quality player but we get no comp pick this year from not signing him. Add in the fact that we're the Cubs and it seemed to be a disastrous season nine. We were more active in the trading last season and did manage to grab pitcher Reginald Walker who we feel will be a quality starting pitcher that fans will see sometime this season. Also we made a trade for Ariel Mateo when the 200 losses loomed large. He probably saved us from probation with his offense. He'll be expected to carry us in that department again this season along with Carlos Henriquez (37 HR, 98 RBI) and Timo Pinto (53 HR, 119 RBI). We need Yonder Mendoza to have a better season on the mound then he did last year and plan on calling up Reginald Walker and Andres Delgado from the minors to step into the rotation. We budgeted plenty in prospect payroll in order to make sure the #3 draft pick is signed and in our minors this season and hopefully land an Int'l player or two. We expect to be at the bottom of the division again this season but hope to be farther away from last season's record.

Cincinnati Reds
Key Additions: C Burt Washington, 1B Greg Monroe, 3B Chad York, LF Bert Root, CF Charles Peterson, SP Delino Guerrero, RP Don Plant, RP Elvis Janssen, RP Earl King

Key Losses: OF Harold McKnight, 3B Sam Schwartz, 1B Robert Rogers, 2B Hi Jensen, 2B Erik Swift, SP Jimmie Aparicio

Offensively this team is built to give Montreal a run for their money. Hopefully 800+ runs is not a pipe dream. Signing Peterson for CF gave us the ability to move Travis Evans to 2B where we feel he is a better fit. RF Theo Mathews is a good player who had a down season last season…SS Branch Pressley is working hard to hone his defense and his offense makes him an above average SS. The bench is strong as we can bring Seth Heiserman or Larry Browning off the bench late in games to provide power and contact. Defensively the team is much improved at most positions. The worry remains as to how much of a disaster the COF will be.

Losing 10 complete games from last season will be rough, but that’s why we went out and added around 200 innings to the bullpen. Janssen was miscast as a starting pitcher the last 3 seasons and a move to the bullpen will only help him out. King will struggle some with his control, but he should be able to save the bullpen during losses and Don Plant is just really good at what he does. This in addition to returning RP Heving, Franklin, and Paz being solid as well.

Last season was a soul-crushing (not really) experience. The Reds produced the best season Cincinnati fans had seen and yet failed to make the playoffs because, well, let’s face it, Montreal is really good and Milwaukee and San Diego took care of business.

Cleveland Indians
The Indians are feeling pretty confident heading into season 10. The starting 8 is comprised of mostly returning young and improving veterans like Babe Coggin in CF, Ebenezer Well at 3B, Lou Anderson at short and Doug Osborne in RF. Two key additions by trade are Eduardo Ayala behind the plate and Bartolo Moreno at 2b. DH is well covered by the slugging Randy Washington. This team should hit and play the field with the best. The strength of the team however, should be the starting rotation of Rod Maurer, Denny Andrews, Harpo Drabek, Fred parker not to mention rookie sensation Bill Serrano. The bullpen is a little think but with a solid starting 5 and Cookie Alfonso closing games the Tribe is expected to compete for first in a very tough division.

Detroit Tigers
Coming off back-to-back 100 win seasons, and with their core players intact, Detroit moved cautiously in the off-season. The only real hole on the roster was in the rotation, replacing the underperforming Dale Tresh, who was as glad to leave Detroit as Detroit was to get the comp pick back for him. Failing to find a trade that made sense within the overall plan, and with the top FA pitchers demanding more money than was in the budget, we instead focused on a couple of aging, but still high quality FA pitchers. Walker Bryant and R. J. Manto do not have the stamina that most teams want for starters, but they have the chance to be dynamic in a tandem role, and signed for reasonable money. The hoped for upgrade at catcher never materialized, but Carlos Vidal ishould be ready with a just a little more seasoning in AAA, and should be adequate in a platoon role. Other than that, management was very happy with the core of the team, and are counting on continued development from some of the younger members of the roster and a few breaks going the right way. Given that, a return to the Series looks to be well within reach.

Houston Astros
Key Losses – Robinzon Bournigal (2B), Jamie McMahon (SS) and Ross Wilkerson (LF), R.J. Manto (SP), Don Plant (RP), Delanor Prince (RP)

Key Additions – Jose Viriato (LF), Pat Hickman (2B), Lee Cash (SS), Rick Coveleski (RP), Lew Bridges (RP), Bernie Speier (SP)

The Astros won their second consecutive division title in season 9 and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs. With the taste of playoff fever in their blood, the front office has made some bold moves this offseason in order to try and get the team to a championship level. These moves could results in big rewards, but also represent big risk. The biggest splash of the offseason was the free agent signing of Bernie Speier. The best pitcher over the last decade was able to secure a $70 Million dollar deal over 3 years. Nobody doubts the 36 year old still has the talent to be an ace, but there are major injury concerns with the mileage he has put on his arm over the years. In addition, the Astro’s other ace, Darrell Vitiello, also is a significant injury risk. Rick Coveleski was also a key addition to the pitching staff, via trade, to help solidify the bullpen.

On the offensive side, the team was able to obtain Jose Viriato via trade to help strengthen the depth of their line up. Like their big pitching addition (Speier), Viriato is in the twilight of his career, but there is no doubt he can still contribute at a high level. The Astros will also get a boost from the number one overall pick in the season 7 draft, Pat Hickman after the 20 game mark. Hickman will provide a much needed power bat to provide protection for perennial MVP candidate Moises Gonzalez. I can’t close this preview without mentioning the impact that Ugueth Cortes has on this team. He will never be an All Star, he will never be a Silver Slugger, but he is the engine that makes this lineup go. Cortes has recorded a .337 batting average in his first three seasons in the majors.

Milwaukee Brewers
Eleven players left the team via free agency including declined team/mutual options. Among the departed: Starting Pitchers: Hippolito Ramirez, Josias Gonzalez and Bruce Hamilton, Relief pitchers: Haywood Cannon, Mo Watson and Clay Choo. Also, David Macias who split time at third base and in center field and Junior Tabaka and Pablo Maranon who saw significant playing time coming off the bench last season.

A couple players will be bubble up from the farm but most players will be replaced from free Agency. The key additions include Dale Tresh and Aurelio Uribe who will join the starting rotation and Hal Bell who will become the everyday third baseman.

With The Expos having a couple seasons in their window of dominating the NL North the Brewers are content to use this season as a rebuilding season. I’m expecting a step back this season; we will still be very competitive but I won’t be surprised if we miss the playoffs. Making the playoffs this season is still a goal, though it is a “stretch” goal for this season whereas it was “threshold” last season.

Minnesota Twins
Taking over rebuilding teams has been something that I have always enjoyed. Having taken over for Iceman who left due to win requirement, Ive set out to do something that has yet to happen in The MLB, win the division. Will it happen this year? I bet not but watch out around season 12 in the AL Central.

The first order of business was to start to shed the salaries that Ice took on trying to meet the win requirement. Via trade was allowed to dump salaries of guys like Janssen and Easterly while bringing in potential ML starting prospects.

For the season 10 Twins will be lead by youngsters 1B TJ Payne, new addition C Waly Parra,Rf Victor Marquez and the vet 3b Al Javier. The rotation is lead by Geraldo Cabeza and company who look to keep the ship afloat until the 3 headed monster of Adam Parnell, Victor Nance, and Yamil Amaro are ready to take the slab at Target Field.

If the heart of the order can improve on thier hitting stats we will be looking for 65-70 wins this season.

New Orleans Jazz
Taking over the New Orleans Jazz franchise was agreeing to running, arguably, the worst franchise in MLB's early history. In the seven prior seasons, the Jazz had never made the playoffs. They only had one season with a winning record. The team had finished last place in five of seven seasons, and third place the other two. In our first season (season 8), we improved the team's record by a moderate 2 games. The farm system was strengthened greatly though. In our second season (last season) the team took a big step forward, improving by 9 wins. This season, we should take an even bigger step forward. A number of veterans were brought in to improve the squad. Robert Rogers will anchor the DH position. While not a big power hitter, he will be a tough out. SP Willie Lemon will solidity the middle of the starting rotation, and provide a workhorse starting pitcher that was sorely missing on last season's squad. Josias James was traded to the Red Sox for 5x All Star Larry Leach. Leach will be the team's #1 starter and provide leadership to a pitching staff loaded with young players. Two impact rookies will also be making their debuts this season. Benito Infante will be replacing the departed James at 3B and Japanese pitching sensation and bonus baby, Hideki Ni, will also be making his long awaited debut. Both should have great careers and make an immediate impact. While the team probably doesn't have quite enough to catch Kansas City and win the division, we hope to be a player in the Wild Card. Expectations are to set the franchise record for wins in a season, 84 and make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

New York Mets
Looking like a long year at shea stadium keeping figures crossed for young hitters Bailey, Rivers and Urbina come thru with a good defense hope to be respectable

New York Yankees
The NY Yankees broke out to claim their first division title. The cheer was short lived as they ere promptly removed from the playoffs by their division rival. Gupper Steinbrenner and company seek to build on the success of the previous season. Goal number one in the offseason was to re-sign Javier Mercado which they were able to do. That sets up a brutal lineup for opposing pitchers as they attempt to navigate the Greenwood-Aoki-Mercado-Withers-Goreki middle of he line up. The top of he rotation remains strong and management has suggested they may bring up hot pitching prospect Ivan Wise this season if needed. The bullpen remain a concern. The Yankees have lofty goals for the season.

Philadelphia Phillies
With 15 new faces on the 25 man roster, the new Phillies ownership hopes to contend for the playoffs this season. Longtime Phillies 2B Thomas Bailey and LF Byron Sullivan got some help on offense with the additions of 1B Alex Hart and youngster 3B Henry Lennon. New starting C Rafael Olmedo is a huge upgrade defensively over Heathcliff Haney who will take a shot at RF this season. Pitching has been revamped in Philly and high expectations are on newcomers Stubby Easterly and Felix Hamels . 24 year olds Sam Phelps and Jose Viriato round out a very solid rotation. RP Cam Shouse was signed in the offseason to help relief stud Ned Gold and hopefully stabilize that bullpen. Despite only having 68 mil in payroll, anything short of making the playoffs this season would be a disappointment in Philly. However, with the 8th pick in the draft this year and a pretty young ML team, the Phillies are in a good position for the future as well.

San Diego Padres
The off-season was eventful for the Padres. New ownership led to a cleanout of the organization and a retooling of the ML roster. Free agent acquisitions Neftali Barrios and Frank Hunter and a mega deal in which 6 players were sent to Boston for Phil Gao should help the offense create runs. Free agent Hipolito Ramirez should upgrade the starting staff and FA Yusmeiro Sosa and trade acquisition Al Campos should bring respectability to the bullpen. Phil Lowery remains to anchor the starting staff, Mack Lankford will close games out and veterans Matty Sanchez, Ringo Johnson and Bob Daniels will contribute offensive support with youngsters Wes Sheehan, Gerrit Gibson & Gerardo Perez continuing to improve. Season ticket packages are flying off the shelves in anticipation of another playoff run in San Diego, but a shaky bullpen could present a problem over the long haul of a season.dres

S9 Draft Review

1. LHP Adam Parnell (MIN)
Parnell has great control, great velocity, and a great stamina/durability combination. He has a solid repertoire of pitches and does an excellent job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone against both RHB & LHB.
Iceman67 says: Once again looking for pitching help, the Minnesota Twins selected Adam Parnell with the first pick of the draft. "We may have finally found our ace. With outstanding L/R splits, Parnell is on the fast track to big leagues. We look forward to that time when he will anchor the rotation for years to come."
hurricane384’s take: This is a great pick and was a no-brainer.

2. RHP Wilton Rosen (NY2)
Relief pitcher who has great control. Great velocity. Good stamina/durability combination. Good pitches. Does a good job keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
jgnjr says: came down between Lance Misch and Wilt Rosen needed a future closer Misch has more upside Rosen was the easier sign
hurricane384’s take: I hate taking RP this early, but he’s a solid pitcher and there wasn’t much of a choice as far as this draft is concerned.

3. RF Ruben Aguilar (NO)
Great power. Will dominate LHP. Solid against RHP. Great eye. Makes solid contact overall. Great speed will be a liability if he’s allowed to run with his poor baserunning.
mongoose_22 says: Aguilar should be our DH/1B of the future. He projects into an average defensive first baseman with good speed, durability and health. He should always be amongst the league leaders in walks and pitches seen with his highly developed batting eye. His batting eye, combined with good power and adequate contact and splits, will hopefully allow him to develop into a middle of the lineup player who can hit 3rd through 5th in the order.
hurricane384’s take: This is a very good pick, would be twice as good if the splits were flipped, but he’s still going to hit a lot of home runs and beat out some IF hits.

4. LHP Lance Misch (NO)
Great control. Does a great job of keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Lacks ideal velocity but has good pitches and keeps the ball down in the zone. Great stamina and durability combination.
mongoose_22 says: Maybe a reach at #4 for a reliever, but there were very few players in the class that we really liked (other than Adam Parnell ,Minn got a stud). Misch should be an All Star caliber set-up man capable of pitching 80+ very good innings every season. At 22 years old, after 4 seasons in college, he is already pretty polished and could be a serviceable major leaguer right now. While he's certainly not a fireballer, he is tough on righties and very tough on lefties and features pinpoint control with a very good sinker that will be very hard for hitters to elevate out of the park. He also boasts a secondary curveball that while it needs some work now, should develop into a #2 pitch to keep hitters off balance. He's on the fast track to the bigs and we expect him only to spend about two seasons or so in the minors.
hurricane384’s take: Misch is going to be a great relief pitcher, although I still hate taking a RP this early in the draft, at least Misch is going to come close to being worth it.

5. RHP Alfredo Norris (CH1)
NOT SIGNED

6. P Miguel Peron
NOT SIGNED

7. SS Alfredo Terrero (CIN)
Great contact with solid power. Does better against LHP than RHP. Solid eye. Lacks ideal defensive ratings for SS. Great durability.
hurricane384 says: I really like this pick for us, Terrero will never play SS in the Cincinnati organization, but could provide GG-type defense to go along with SS-type offense at 2B.
hopkinsheel’s take: Terrero projects to be more of a 3B than middle inflieder, which is perfectly fine b/c it’s not easy to find good hitting 3B who can really field the position. If Terrero develops into that type of ballplayer, than the Reds will have utilized their #7 selection very wisely. However, if his bat doesn't develop too much then they'll be stuck with a utiliy type player and you never want to waste a top 10 pick like that.

8. SS Jake Mayne (CLE)
Great contact with solid power. Does a solid job of driving the ball. Decent eye. Decent speed. Lacks ideal defensive ratings for SS.
abesmem says: The Indians are very happy with their 1st round pick, Jake Mayne. I had him ranked 2nd overall and did not expect him to be around for the 8th pick. While not projected as a SS, he should make the majors as an above average 3B or excellent defensive RF. Regardless; his principle asset will be as an offensive weapon. He makes great contact and above average power. He’s a lefty bat that can handle RH and LH pitching with an above average eye and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. His durability and health are both great. He is starting out in Low A as a third basemen and should be in the Majors within 2 to 3 years.
hurricane384’s take: I like this pick. Slide him to 2B and you have an instant SS candidate…move him to 3B and he might add GG to that.

9. RHP Otis Cooper (STL)
Great control. Does a solid job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Solid stamina & durability. Good pitch combination and decent at keeping the ball on the ground.
dwboyce says: There were very few starting pitchers available in the draft, and we felt lucky to land a potential starter with the ninth pick. It came down to a choice between Enrique Johnson and Otis Cooper, and we went with the latter although we would have been happy with either player. We like Cooper’s advanced command and his excellent collection of pitches, especially his four-seamer and slider. As our ball stadium tends to depress hitting anyway, Cooper’s marginal effectiveness when batters make contact didn’t bother us as much, so in the end his advanced control was the differentiating factor. We also like his youth, giving him maximum time to develop in our minor league system as a college player, and his durability will allow him to pitch often.
hurricane384’s take: Solid pitcher who in a good draft would likely fall around 20.

10. 2B Vernon Stewart (WAS)
Very solid offensive player all the way across the board. Will hit for power, contact, and walk some. More of a COF than a 2B though.
hurricane384’s take: This is a very good offensive pick even though his overall rating doesn’t say it. I like this pick a lot.

11. CF Pat Howard (PHI)
Solid range with a great glove. Great speed. Makes contact a lot and can get on base via the walk. Average power. Struggles to consistently drive the ball, especially against RHP. Lacks baserunning skills that one looks for with that speed.
sowden says: With the 13th pick the Phillies nabbed Pat Howard. A strong contact hitting center fielder with a decent eye. With an overall rating of 88 Howard will be manning the Phillies CF position for years to come.
hurricane384’s take: When you can find a CF who isn’t a terrible liability offensively and can patrol the OF well, you have to overlook his warts.

12. LHP Vic Nicasio (NY1)
Struggles against RHP. Solid control. Good stamina/durability combination. Groundball pitcher. Great pitch repertoire.
mcgupp says: The Yankees are pleased to grab a quality starting pitcher in the middle of the first round. Vic Nicasio has two good Yankee Stadium qualities, he's a lefty and effective against lefties limiting the short porch in RF, and he's a ground ball pitcher. Hopefully those qualities serve him well in the Bronx
hurricane384’s take: This is a good pick. His vsR worries me, but the other ratings might make up for it and allow him to be a contributor at the ML level.

13. RHP Shayne Weaver (BAL)
Solid stamina/durability combination. Decent at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Good pitch grouping. Great control. Injuries are not a concern.
hopkinsheel says: We have no idea what to think of Weaver. Our College Scouting team had him pegged much higher than our advanced scouts. We're hoping we can progress into a middle of the rotation SP, but probably more suited for back end/long relief. Disappointing get for the 13th pick.
hurricane384’s take: This is a solid pick, worst case he gives you a ML LRA…best-case #3 SP.

14. CF Manny Park (TB)
Great defensive CF who can run like a cheetah. Better against LHP than RHP. Good eye. Good power. Solid contact. Solid baserunning skills.
mexd781 says: Tampa Bay was very excited to see Manny Park fall to them at the 14th Pick. There were questions going into the draft about his signability and work ethic. Manny has the potential to be a gold glove at 2B or CF and has the speed and overall bat to be a very good offensive player. The TB front office is just hoping that their minor league coaches can help Manny grow up and reach his full potential.
hurricane384’s take: This is a great pick. To be able to pick up a potential GG CF who can excel offensively at the 14th pick is beyond a great pick.

15. LHP Brad Vaughn (TOR)
Great stamina/durability combination. Great control. Struggles at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone, especially against RHB. Flyball pitcher without velocity. Solid pitch combination.
foxspor54 says: Brad Vaughn- ranked 50# overall by central baseball scouting bureau at WIS, Toronto scouts drooled at his 5 pitch repertoire and moved him up on the board. All goes well he should be in the majors in a few seasons.
hurricane384’s take: This is the kind of pitcher I try to stay away from…he’s going to give up a lot of HR’s, not strike anybody out, and struggle against RHB.

16. RHP George Hall (CH2)
Solid durability/stamina combo. Great control. Dominant against RHB. Great velocity. Keeps the ball down. Lacks a little in the pitches department to be consistently dominant.
byers61 says: With the 16th pick in the draft, the White Sox selected future closer George Hall . He projects to an OVR 82 rating, superior control, and excellent against righties. One wonders how he will use his 98 velocity, since his only pitches to brag about are a slider and forkball. Regardless, the White Sox are glad to add Hall to their future plans.
hurricane384’s take: I would love to have a reliever like this on my team. He’ll blow batters away consistently and make the opposition earn their wins late in the game.

17. 2B Courtney Coppinger (LAA)
Solidly average offensive player. Great eye though. Decent speed. Not a great defender.
mskakunan says: With the 17th overall pick, the Angels selected Courtney Coppinger. His excellent plate discipline will make him a solid major league hitter who should be decent as a second baseman or left fielder. He shouldn't take long to arrive as he is 22 and probably ready for AA now. He was third on our board so we were happy to get him.
hurricane384’s take: This is a pick that you can’t argue with but you don’t get too excited over either.

18. LHP Rick Saunders (ATL)
Lacks ideal velocity or groundball ability. Great top 2 pitches, terrible other 2. Lacks ideal stamina to be a difference maker in the rotation. Great control. Does a solid job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
kilgore says: The Braves were pleased to snag LHP Rick Saunders with the 18th pick. We have him ultimately pegged as a middle relief pitcher, though he'll be a starter as he begins his career at the High A level in hopes that he can further develop his splitter and changeup to complement a quality 4 seam fastball and a slurve that is projected to be eventually be elite at the ML level. His control is already well above average, and should continue to improve as he progresses up the ladder. The biggest downside is his tendency to leave the 4 seam fastball too close to the top of the zone at times, making him vulnerable to the long ball.
hurricane384’s take: Should make a solid bullpen arm.

19. LHP Lance Henley (SEA)
Great stamina durability combination. Does a good job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Good control. Solid velocity. Solid GB. Good pitches.
hurricane384’s take: This is a good pick. He’ll hold down the back end of the Seattle bullpen for a long time.

20. CF Brian Sutton (ARI)
Good defensive ratings. Solid contact. Decent power. Struggles against RHP more than LHP. Decent eye. Decent speed.
llcc says: Brian Sutton, is my number one pick. He is a good field avg hitter who will make it to the majors in about 3 years.
hurricane384’s take: Another solid pick as Sutton can play defense and that seems to be the hardest thing to find in CF. The offense is the cherry on top.

21. RHP Henderson Cooke (CIN)
Decent durability stamina combination. Great control. Solid pitches. Doesn’t keep the ball down. Good velocity. Dominates RHB.
hurricane384 says: We’re very happy to add Cooke to this year’s draft class. Although we are worried about his ability to keep the ball in the park, we believe his peripheral ratings will help to off-set that problem.
hopkinsheel’s take: Cooke should end up being a really solid bullpen addition down the road. He has a unique blend of STA/DUR which will be interesting to see how many innings he can throw. Wish his vL was a bit higher, but his vR looks really strong and coupled with his other ratings, he is a nice pick.

22. SS Sparky Lowry (HOU)
Very good defensive ratings. Solid speed. Solid contact. Dominant against LHP. Really struggles with RHP. Solid power. Good eye.
drichar138 says: I took Sparky Lowry in the first round. Hoping his low makeup doesn’t ruin his chances of living up to his potential. In the end, I know I had to take a chance this late in the draft and if everything falls right he could be really good platoon CF vs LHP.
hurricane384’s take: First true SS off the board and he’s a doozy…he’d be an all-star if the splits were flipped, but he’ll still be worth a starting spot with his defense.

23. LHP Ted Frederick (SD)
Does a great job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Solid pitch combinations including a dominating 1st pitch. Great stamina & durability. Lacks ideal control. Good job keeping the ball down.
hurricane384’s take: Definitely worth taking a chance on this late in the 1st round…has the stuff to dominate at times and the control to really piss you off at other times.

24. SS Achilles Votto (COL)
Lacks ideal defensive ratings. Good contact and power. Better against LHP than RHP. Solid eye. Average speed.
hurricane384’s take: Not a true SS, but definitely could be a good 3B or 2B. Not sure his offense will make up for his defense enough to justify putting him at SS.

25. RHP Andrea Blasingame (LA)
Great control. Does a tremendous job at keeping batters from hitting the ball squarely. Has a starter-type repertoire of pitches. Lacks ideal stamina/durability combination and doesn’t throw hard.
rawkdk27 says: Our first need was a position player as we really lack any solid ML level prospects. But with the lack of depth in this draft for position players, we targeted a RP and Blasinggame has closer type stuff but lacks great durability.
hurricane384’s take: I’m not sure what to make of this pick…he’ll struggle to get the innings to develop fully as well as to be truly dominant…but man, he should be good when he’s in the game.

26. CF Nomar Pendleton (LA)
NOT SIGNED

27. LHP Enrique Johnson (OAK)
Solid stamina/durability combination. Solid control. Good splits. Throws hard. Good pitch combination.
train says: Pretty pleased with this year's draft results. I had Johnson ranked in my top 5 and got him at 27. He will likely have control and stamina issues, which always worry me for a SP but I couldn't pass up projected 80's splits and a similarly-rated pitch#1. I had a couple of comp picks as well that look to be future contributors as well, so this was a good draft.
hurricane384’s take: This is a good pick this late in the draft as he should be a good LRA or a solid back of the rotation starter.

28. CF Hulk Smart (KC)
NOT SIGNED

29. 2B Abraham Malloy (TEX)
Great contact. Solid splits. Solid eye. Good range. Decent glove. Weak, inaccurate arm. Good speed. Good baserunner.
jcairns says: The Texas rangers are happy with our selection of Abraham Malloy . we feel his talents will fit perfectly into our lineup for seasons to come
hurricane384’s take: Solid draft pick in the late part of the round. Definitely can contribute in multiple ways.

30. RF Darrell Allen (MIL)
Solid power and contact. Better against RHP than LHP. Good eye. Solid defensively. Great speed and baserunner.
s_gammon says: Darrell Allen was one of the top college non-pitchers in this years draft and I was glad to snag him with the 30th pick. I believe he will be a high quality lead off hitter with his great speed, good eye and decent contact and splits. he'll even provide a bit of pop. He should be ready to take over in RF when the incumbant RF's contract wraps up.
hurricane384’s take: If you aren’t hung up on power being a necessity to play the COF, Allen could definitely contribute. He’ll steal a ton of bases and walk quite a bit. Play decent defense. Decent pick.

31. P Marco Garcia (SF)
NOT SIGNED
AllSox says: 1st round pick Mario Garcia turned down an $8 million signing bonus to go to college. College was a lot of fun, but $8mill?

32. SS Wilton Stanley (DET)
Decent defense. Solid splits. Decent speed. Lacks ideal contact or power.
dakar says: Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an offical with the Tigers privately admitted that management was hoping that first round pick Wilton Stanley would refuse to sign with the club and go to college. "Sure they say all the usual things like how excited they are that this kid fell to them in the draft, and they expected to see him taken in the first 10 picks. Seriously though, he will never play an adequate SS, and his bat has backup written all over it if he can't handle the middle infield." When asked if he considered it a blown pick, the insider replied: "Hey, this draft just sucked. Its not like they overlooked anyone who was significantly better."
hurricane384’s take: Not much to say about this guy…destined to be a utility player as his defense isn’t good enough to play SS and his offense isn’t good enough to warrant playing full-time at any other position.

33. 3B Hank Faulkner (LA)
NOT SIGNED

NL SOUTH PREVIEW

1ST PLACE – St. Louis Cardinals: Season 8 was a nightmare for Cardinal fans. The team win total fell from 85 to 71 and the teams 3rd place finish was their lowest since season 1. Why do I expect things to be better this season? Well for “starters”, they come into season 9 with the best rotation in the division. Gibbons, Springer and Prince are all solid and should give the team consistency. Offensively, they have just enough weapons to get the job done. Claudio Gray and Bucky Stein are both solid hitters, while Nicholas Walters (2B), Diego Cedeno (CF) and Sam Brown (SS) are the best hitters at their position in the division. If Cardinals fans have something to worry about, it’s the bullpen. Buddy Borders and Hee Sop Nakamura will attempt to lead a group that is not overly deep or talented. 

2nd PLACE – Atlanta Braves: After winning three straight division titles from season 4 to season 6, the Braves will now make it three straight second place finishes this season after finishing in the runner up spot in season 7 and season 8. One thing that has not changed is the Braves can mash. Al Reynoso, Ricardo Jose and Alex Cheng can flat out rake. Not to mention they also bolster the divisions best 3B, Alex Tarraga. The Braves pitching staff is solid but not spectacular. Harold Daily is the clear ace of the rotation, while Tomas Fernandez and Armando Coronado will can be nasty when the can control their pitches. 

3rd PLACE – Houston Astros: The Astros finally had a winning season and won their first NL South title in season 8, but don’t count on it happening again. The 85 win playoffs season made for a great story, but this team does not have the same talent as St. Louis or Atlanta. The Astros do have a very nice bullpen, lead by newcomers Don Plant (trade) and Delanor Prince (Free Agent), but their rotation does not have the ability to go deep in games and other than Rob Tipton, the talent level is not impressive. Offensively the team is strong. Former NL MVP Moises Gonzalez is still amazing and Ugueth Cortes has opened a lot of eye by opening his major league career with back to back seasons hitting over .340. But after that there is a drop off, and the strong bullpen will not be enough to get this team back to the post season in season 9. 

4th PLACE – Florida Marlins: The Marlins have finished in the NL South cellar 3 out of the last 4 seasons and season 9 will be no different. This team just lacks the talent to compete. Other than Seth Wall, the rotation is average at best and the bullpen is just not good. MLB insiders are starting to wonder if it would make more sense for the Florida front office to deal Seth Wall and get a big time prospect or two that can be hitting their prime the same time the rest of their current minor league stars are ready to contribute. Offensively, Luis Bravo and Cliff Drew are solid, but are far from enough to get this team over the hump on days where Wall is not on the mound. 

Season 9 Previews

Anaheim Angels

The Angels may take one step backwards this year with plans to take a great leap forward next year. Theo Mathews refused to resign which weakens an already challenged offense. Alex Guerrero became the first Angel in league history to hit 40 HRs and he hit .302 while Tito Mays is another great young hitter who hit .295 with 26 home runs. Young Alejandro Bennett had a good rookie year and still projects to be their leadoff hitter of the future. Several terrific prospects in AAA really need another year of seasoning, which means guys like O'Shea, Dodsen, Peter Condrey and Yusmeiro Johnson need to have career years for the Angels to hit well. The Angels pitching also takes a hit in the loss of Manto who was in the walk year of his contract. The Angels brought back Fan favorite Emmitt Williams to provide leadership to Trevor Crawford and Matty Martinez, two exciting young pitchers. Mitch Franco signed a 5 year contract which will give the staff additional stability. Khalil Vining (34 saves) still anchors the bullpen and he is surrounded by youth. Exciting prospects will ply their trade in AAA and hopefully be fully ready for the start of next season. .500 will be a moral victory for this team. Anything beyond that is gravy. Watch out in season 10 though.

Atlanta Braves

The Braves are hoping to rebound from a break-even 81-81 season that should have been much worse. Only a remarkable bullpen performance kept the Braves from sinking to a franchise low season wins level below 70. The lackluster showing of the starting rotation was unexpected, and the emergence of rookie Harry Ordonez was the only bright spot. He's slated for a top of the rotation slot this season, and it's hoped that veterans Carlos Navarre, Akinori Zhang, J. P. Maduro and Al Lange all bounce back from sub-par seasons. The bullpen should once again be a strength, with veteran closer Harold Daily, with 209 career saves and an 88% save percentage, back to stake his claim among the game's best. The real key to the season will be whether the Braves' lineup can generate enough offense from a core group that is solid throughout, but lacks a spectacular player. The middle of the lineup will once again consist of RF Alex Cheng, 1B Al Reynoso, 3B Alex Tarraga and C Ricardo Jose. Rookie Ezdra Aviles looks ready to take over the starting SS role, teaming with veteran 2B Dario York and CF Jhonny Mercedes for excellent defense up the middle. Overall, the Braves' defense should once again be among the league's best. On paper, the Braves appear to be ready to challenge for their 5th division championship in the league's 9th year. It won't be easy however, as division mates Houston, St. Louis and Florida field solid clubs as well.

Baltimore Orioles

Was last year an aberration or time to start the rebuild process? After a thorough examination, we decided to push our chips to the middle of the table and push for a few more seasons of competitiveness before rebuilding. We have too many talented players, all of which seemed to have down seasons at the same time, to not try and wrest the AL East crown back from the Red Sox.

Our big acquisition was another top of the rotation pitcher in Denny Andrews to tandem with Geoffrey Rivera as ace 1a and 1b. We also added Chad York as a nice utlity player who will start some games at 3B. After negotiations for a 2B fell through with several teams, we decided to fill 2B hole made by moving John Jung to 3B and moving Rudy Pavlov from CF to 2B while promoting Collin Meyers to everyday CFer.

Unfortunately for us, the Red Sox and Yankees both made major moves as well believing the time is right for them. AL East should be a dogfight this season.

Playoffs or bust!

Chicago Cubs

S8: 65-97 (4th in NL North)

Season 8 was very disappointing to us as we had nearly the same team as season 7 when we went 92-70. The Cubs seem to overachieve one season and with the same team underachieve the next season and management was tired of not knowing which team would show up. Management was active right off the start on the trading block, shipping away big name vets like Denny Andrews, Sam Schwartz, and Cookie Alfonzo. We were pleased to add some nice prospects back into our minors that were pretty bare. With the #4 pick overall in this year's draft we should add one more nice piece as the rebuilding begins here in Chicago. While those players went, we still had to find players for this season and ended up with 4 type B signings in Daryl Cosby, Art Redding, Achilles Dickens, and Delino Guerrero. With the addition of Cosby, Abdul Sweeney will slide over and handle 2B. Our defense should be up near the top of the league with this lineup, but with that means our bats will be weaker. We don't have much power in the lineup so this team will have to put some singles together to get some runs across the plate. We've got some decent pitching but with trading Denny away we lost our #1SP, we're hoping 23 year old Yonder Mendoza will step up for us this season. Last season we thought we had a playoff team put together and disappointed all the fans of Chicago except for the Old Style company executives, this season the main goal is to avoid probabtion get our younger players to develop.

Cincinnati Reds

After a horrible season 8, which saw the pitching staff finish dead last in ERA, we went into this season thinking “pitching overhaul”. The offense produced 4.2 runs per 9 innings, while the pitchers had an ERA of 4.63. I figured the offense, while not good, was solid enough that some improvement in the pitching staff would make this team into a contender for at least the wild card. As so often happens here in Cincinnati, the original plan wound up being a total remake of the offense and pitching staff. 

On offense, last year’s SS Hi Jensen shifts over to his more natural position of 2B to make room for newcomer and hopeful ROY candidate Branch Pressley. CF Travis Evans and 1B Robert Rogers return. We traded for 3B Sam Schwartz and LF Harold McKnight, while the late signing of RF Theo Mathews to give us a middle of the order worth bragging about. C Eric English upgrades an already solid situation. OF Merv Dorsey was brought back late in FA to provide some depth in the OF while Eric Swift was brought in to provide IF depth. 1B Larry Browning, C Juan Rosa, and UT Brad Hinchcliffe join those two to provide a very strong bench. The 6th bench slot is currently occupied by Rule 5 OF Charlie Bolton, although that remains up for grabs as to whether we will go with 3 C or another BP arm.

Pitching-wise, 5 new SP should make all the difference. Last season’s SP1 wouldn’t even make the rotation this season, so we are pretty excited. The opening day pitcher is going to be Jimmie Aparicio who should lead the way for a much better staff. SP2 Junior Carrasco, SP3 Greg Hennessey, and SP4 Willie Diggins (4th tour of duty in Cincy) combined to pitch 752.2 innings, while going 52-42 with 1.32 WHIP and 3.99 ERA, which is a tremendous improvement over S8’s starting staff. SP5 Willie Felix had a terrible season so we’re hoping a change of scenery out of Wrigley Field will help. There is one major question mark heading into this season, and it is the bullpen. We focused so much of our time and effort onto acquiring starting pitching, that the bullpen was neglected majorly. Bailey Nolasco, Terrence Franklin, Lew Bridges, Tim Sefcik, and Oscar Heving return while Jim Jakubauskas joins them. Combined they pitched 428.2 innings while putting up a 1.37 WHIP and 4.01 ERA in various roles. It’s hard to get excited about the bullpen with numbers like that and no star power.

The outlook is that this season could be a very happy one in Cincinnati, but it’s going to take some help from the bullpen before that happens. A wild-card is a distinct possibility.

Cleveland Indians

Cleveland is coming off of a very disappointing season 8 where the team underachieved in every category. Season 9 should see dramatic improvement. First, we’ve added catchers Frank Hunter (by trade) and Harold Gross (FA). While neither are stellar defensive catchers, they should offer significant improvement over last season and will undoubtedly help our young starters reach expectations. The signings will also allow slugger Randy Washington to devote all his energies to DH where he is sure to excel. The addition of Jeff Bonds at first base gives us a very solid platoon there. Our pitching staff should be solid. While we have no “Standout Ace” yet, we have depth and three young guys in Drabek, McGowan and FA Parker who should develop into a great starting trio this year or next. We’ve also added Cookie Alfonzo (by trade) to an already deep bullpen and he should compete for the closer role. The lineup should also be trouble for opposing staffs with Neftali Barrios in his prime and emerging stars, Wells at 3B, Coggin in CF and Osbourne in Right. It is hoped that Lew Anderson will shrug off a disappointing rookie season at SS and develop into the all-round player we think he can be. Down on the farm pitching sensation Bill Serrano is close to ML ready.

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers have not had a very active offseason this year. Unless a deal happens in the next few days, it looks like we're going with essentially the same team as last year. Given that we made the Series, that is not a bad thing, but this year we are hungry to win it all. With several players just hitting their prime, and a couple of impact pitchers due to be promoted this year, hopefully that is realistic. The Tigers just made a dramatic upgrade to their lineup with a trade for DH Hipolito Iglesias from Colorado.

Los Angeles Dodgers

This is year was phase 1 in a rebuilding project. We were able to trade Speier and get some valuable minor league pitching in return. It was hard to part with arguable the best pitcher The MLB has had but after many LA playoff disappointments we had to do some forward thinking and start shaking this place up. We still have some very good, young, ML talent in Posada, McInerney, and our newest acquisition Harris. Fa agent signings of Gray and Kent helped form out our rotation and Bennett should provide solid play in LF, and is only 27. We hope to stay competitive while stocking up our minors to make a stronger push for a WS in the future.

Minnesota Twins

FA Signings: SP Stubby Easterly, P Charles Wang

Key Promotions: DH Randy Gilbert, 1B T.J. Payne

After last year's ugly showing, the Minnesota Twins outlook for this season looks a bit brighter.

Once again, all eyes will be on the pitching staff to hold up its end of the deal. With that in mind, management went out and signed P Stubby Easterly to a 5 year, $61M deal. Not having thrown a pitch for the Twins, Easterly has been pencilled in as the Opening Day starter. With Cal Rogers returning from last year's season ending injury, the rotation should see better days. Patrick Diggins will anchor the bullpen with hopes of getting more than the 32 save opportunities he was given last year.

Al Javier (27 HRs) will lead the offense again this season. Rookies Randy Gilbert and T.J. Payne (22 HRs, .304 avg in AAA) should be able to provide plenty of help.

Management is confident that with this year's moves, there is no where to go but up.

New Orleans Jazz

In New Orleans this offseason, we've been making moves with both long term and short term goals in mind. The priority is in the long term. That goal is to build a farm system and organizational stability to have a playoff team season after season. To work toward this, the organization has continued to invest heavily in scouting, both domestically and internationally. With the 3rd and 4th overall picks and an eye toward a big time IFA, it's expected that this season will produce the future cornerstones of the franchise. In the short term, the goal was to improve over last season. Donzell Holmes will be promoted early in the season to play SS. He is an improvement over last season's Reynel Rodriguez. Darrell Vitiello will also be promoted to help anchor the starting rotation. Felipe Estrada was acquired as an offensive upgrade behind the dish and veteran slugger Ernest Cambridge signed to play mostly at DH. While no major signings were made, the squad is overall improved and the expectation if for this team to win somewhere between 70-75 wins.

New York Mets

Counting on new hitting coach can spark last year averages......need good years out of Candelaria, Sellers and Taylor.

New York Yankees

The Yankees suffered a disappointing season 8. Expectations were very high following a solid season 7 but instead the Bronx Bombers regressed. Many in the front office spent the off season dodging batteries and being taunted with Bronx cheers wherever they went. The Yankees must be better this season. The trade for AJ Sewell and FA signing of Max Osoria place solid starters behind Staff ace Ducky Jensen. The bullpen remains an area of worry. Behind set up Ralph Serrano and closer Alex Hernandez the rest of the pen must step up their game. On the offensive side, RF Javier Mercado, DH Jermaine Gorecki. 2b/CF Brian Greenwood and 1b/LF Allen Withers form a solid nucleus. Superstar SS of the future William Aoki will join the team and jump to the middle of the lineup immediately.

Oakland Athletics

I'm hoping this team has enough to make a deep run again this year, however I'm not confident we'll have enough pitching. The offense returns most of the same key contributors from last year, and should again be above average. 

The foundation of my lineup - Everett, Rhodes, Root, Fox, Francis - is the same as its been the past few seasons. One glaring weakness we had last year was at short; where Peaches Moore (sounds like a porn name, sorry) make somewhere around a gazillion errors and was only meh with the bat. To replace him, we swung a deal for David Hall, who should hold his own vs R and be much better than porn-star-Peaches with the glove. He'll platoon with cheap FA pickup Renyel Rodriguez and the pair should be an upgrade. 

The pitching is where we have a concern. Wells, O'Malley, Polcovich and Valentin are back from last year and all are decent. They'll be joined by trade acquisition Stan Foster to form a solid but unspectacular starting 5. What we need is a true ace, and there's not one in this group. The pen should also be remarkably average at best, and could possibly be worse than that. 

The final diagnosis is that we'll need to lean on the offense and hope for some playoff luck this year.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Starting pitching and defense looks to be the strength of the season 9 Pirates. The rotation will be bolstered by a full season of the services of Ismael Pascual (11-11, 1.23, 3.62) and Rod Maurer (9-12, 1.41, 4.32)--both were acquired mid-season last year. They join Chance Malloy (9-8, 1.37, 3.83 as rookie), Lance Cornelius (10-12, 1.22, 3.66), and one of Glendon Meluskey (10-13, 1.40, 3.82), Sal Boyer, or Cristobal Fernandez in the rotation. This group was average last season, but Pirates management expects improved performance this season due in part to defensive upgrades. 

The bullpen is mediocre at best, and much of the team's success may hinge on how it holds up. The most significant addition is McKay Frazier (4-1, 1.09, 3.54 in 94 innings).

The most exciting addition to the Pirates will be the debut of rookie slugger Nick Helms at catcher who will replace mainstay Luis Bravo. Bravo's offense will be difficult to replace, as he has averaged .270 36hr 103rbi over the past 8 seasons. However, he has been a disaster behind the plate. Helms not only is a huge upgrade defensively, Pirates management expects him to approach Bravo's level of offensive production.

3/4 of the infield remains in tact as Deacon Kelly (.259 27 hr 78 rbi) 1B returns along with the excellent double play combo of Troy Knight (.244 21 hr 61 rbi) and Willie Donnelly (.307 9 hr 50 rbi). Joining them is rookie Omar Cordero, who replaces the remarkably consistent Chad York (.304 19 hr 86 rbi). Cordero represents a significant defensive upgrade but will struggle to match York's offensive output.

Newcomers Archie Coco LF (.291 32 hr 92 rbi) and rookie Anibal Johnson CF join Yovani Rijo (.271 18 hr 51 rbi), who returns batting leadoff and playing RF. Coco will be a huge upgrade both offensively and defensively, while Johnson will provide top notch defense and likely struggle at the plate. 

The season 8 Pirates were strangely both very lucky and very unlucky. They were very fortunate to win the division with 84 wins, as they went 29-18 in 1-run games. On the other hand, they did this with nearly every player drastically underperforming at the plate. The season 9 Pirates should again contend for the division title, as the offense shoud normalize a bit to go along with improved pitching and defense. Management's only pause is that they are relying on 3 rookie starters, with 2 of those playing extremely important positions (C and CF). Season prediction: 85 wins

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners have enjoyed eight years of near-relevance in the AL. However, this glorious hey-day of first-round exits is about to come to an end. Seattle's payroll is mounting, their minors are barren, and their core is advancing into their 30s.Management internally acknowledges the window of opportunity, which was really never more than a doggie door, is closing. Their hope in Season 9 is that, with Colorado throwing in the towel and Baltimore (Seattle's post-season kryptonite) struggling, they may have an opportunity to sneak in as a #6 seed - catching Oakland in the brutal AL West isn't happening. They continue to boast a solid lineup and a rotation 6-deep in #3 starters. The bullpen is always an adventure. Should the club find itself in contention midway through the season, expect an emptying out of the minors for one last dramatic surge for an wild-card spot and another untimely departure from the post-season.

St. Louis Cardinals

After a disappointing third place finish in the competitive NL South, St. Louis went into the offseason needing to upgrade the offense but never fulfilled all of their wishes. 

When York Coco (.229/.311/.244) bolted to the New York Mets, the team opened up the bank for Nicholas Walters (.268/.342/.366) who should represent an improvement at second base. The team however failed to make a trade or sign a key free agent to replace the aging JJ Sherman at third base to improve their meager production offensively from the hot corner. 

The offseason also saw the team sign consistent starting pitcher Edge Gibbons out of Philadelphia, adding an excellent arm to the front of the rotation and allowing them to move Mark Prince back to long relief duty, a role for which he is likely more suited.

Defensively the team added shortstop Pedro Valentin in the Rule V, helping to solidify their defense in the late innings. 

The net effect should keep the team competitive, and the emergence of rookie Harry Ortiz, splitting time at first base and left field, should help the team hit better against right-handed pitching. It remains to be seen if the team will challenge for the division or simply bounce around the .500 mark.

Free Agent Review

Top C

1.       Eric English (CIN; 1yr/$3.6M)
English has a weaker than ideal arm, but does have accuracy and can call a game. He has some power, drives the ball well, and doesn’t strike out much. Won’t work the count better than your average ballplayer.
hurricane384 says: We thought that we were set at C heading into the offseason, but the opportunity to add a player like English was too great to pass up.

2.       Dick Simon (Free Agent)

Has a solid arm and can call a decent enough game. He has a good eye, and is solid against RHP. He is average against LHP. Doesn’t have great power. Can put the bat on the ball with some regularity.

3.       Luis Bravo (FLA; 2yrs/$10.0M)
Tremendous power and dominates against LHP. He has a solid eye, and can still drive the ball against RHP. Average ability to put the bat on the ball. Can’t call a game, and struggles throwing runners out.
mtorabdaddy says:

Top 1B/DH

1.       Gerald Martin (Free Agent)
Puts the bat on the ball more often than not. Has solid power. Better against LHP than RHP. Very good eye. Limited defensively.

2.       Royce Thomas (COL; 1yr/$3.4M)
Very good power. Solid contact. Drives the ball well. Decent eye. Limited defensively.

3.       Mark Feng (Free Agent)
Dominates LHP. Solid against RHP. Average eye. Solid power. Average at putting the bat on the ball. Decent eye. No defensive ability.

Top 2B

1.       Daryl Cosby (CH1; 3 yrs/$13.5M) **Moved to 3B**
Makes good contact with decent power. Average at driving the ball and mediocre eye. Plays good defense, but does suffer from a bit of an inaccurate arm.
tk21775 says: We were looking for a FA for 2B and noticed Cosby. Once we landed him we realized he'd be a better fit at 3B and we moved Sweeny over to 2B. While we'd like a stronger bat at 3B out of him, we figure it will be a wash as Sweeney's bat will be more out of 2B than we're use to and Cosby should handle 3B defevsively for us

2.       Jonathan Goodman (MON; 2yrs/$13.6M)
Dominates LHP, does alright against RHP. Average contact and power. Great eye. So-so range with a weak arm. Great speed.
ekoontz41 says: Goodman was never in the plans. However, when I saw his demands dropping I couldn't pass up offering him a 2 year deal. As of now, Goodman is not a starter. However, he should get at least 400 ABs this season filling in at 2B, LF, 1B, and maybe RF.

3.       Diego Rondon (Free Agent)
Doesn’t do anything really outstanding on offense, but is solid enough to start for a team. Good eye and good base-runner. Good defense, although lacking slightly in the accuracy.

Top 3B

1.       Luther Becker (Free Agent)
Currently injured, Becker has a weak arm and lacks ideal range, but has a good glove and is accurate. Drives the ball well. Mediocre power, great eye.

2.       Trey Trammell (KC; 5yrs/$28.0M/Team Option)
Has solid power. Dominates LHP, while doing well against RHP. Decent eye. Average defender where nothing stands out. Decent speed.

3.       Art Redding (CH1; 1yr/$3.4M) **Moved to RF**
Makes great contact and drives the ball well against LHP. Lacks power. Solid eye. Lacks range and arm strength, but has good glove and accurate arm.
tk21775 says: We needed to pick up a RF this offseason and spotted Redding. While he lacks the power I typically like out of this position, he's shown he can hit for average and get on base. He lost ratings defensively from last season but since he handled 3B very well, we think he'll do just fine in right.

Top SS

1.       Carl Marte (LA; 2yrs/$4.2M/Mutual Option)
Better against LHP than RHP. Solid defender, lacking slightly with the glove. Great arm, good range. Average power, average contact. Great speed.

2.       Stretch Thompson (FLA; 2yrs/$6.4M/Mutual Option)
Doesn’t bring much to the table offensively, when he hits the ball against RHP, he tends to drive it well. Has an average eye. Great range, great arm, a little below average glove.

3.       Troy Knight (PIT; 2yrs/$5.6M/Team Option)
Will strike out a ton. Doesn’t drive the ball well. Has tremendous power for a SS. Good eye. Great defender across the board.
ajwalton says: Knight is a gold glove caliber defender that has a little pop in his bat. The Pirates are very pleased to bring him back at a bargain price.

Top LF

1.       Michael Blasingame (KC; 5yrs/$41.0M)
Dominant LF in FA, Blasingame makes a lot of contact, dominates RHP while doing well against LHP. Good power. Great eye. Solid defender.

2.       Ernest Cambridge (NO; 2yrs/$4.5M/Mutual Option)
Has good power, is better against LHP than RHP. Great eye. Won’t strike out a lot. Not a tremendous defender.

mongoose_22 says: Cambridge was brought in as a sorely needed veteran bat. The team is lacking punch and he was an affordable veteran who, when healthy, has the potential to be an impact bat.

3.       Merv Dorsey (CIN; 1yr/$2.6M)
Makes a lot of contact. Average at driving the ball. Average power. Decent eye. Not a good defender, even for a LF.
hurricane384 says: As Dorsey hung out there in FA, I felt that adding him would provide us some very good bench depth and insurance for any OF injuries.

Top CF

1.       Archie Coco (PIT; 2yrs/$12.4M) **Moved to LF**
Has good power with a good eye. Drives the ball decent and makes solid contact. Great speed. Below average defender who has to make up for that with his offense.
ajwalton says: Coco will bat 5th and play LF to open the season for the Pirates. We are very happy to add a middle of the lineup bat to go along with good speed and great defense.

2.       Nicholas Walters (STL; 4yrs/$27.2M) **Moved to 2B**
Lacks ideal range and glove. Great eye. Drives the ball well. Won’t strike out much, but doesn’t have great power.
dwboyce says: Going into this offseason, the team needed an upgrade to our offensive production at second base and we were pleased to find a very young right-handed centerfielder in Nicholas Walters out there in free agency that we’re converting back to his natural position. While he’s not an exact fit for our offense, lacking the speed and base-running skills we typically look for at that position, we like what he brings to the table. His ability to drive the ball equally well against lefties or righties, coupled with an excellent eye for the strike zone, should put him on base fairly often when he does make contact. Our spacious outdoor park frustrates double-hitters, so we don’t see his lack of power as a negative. We’re hoping he’s a guy who will hit a lot of singles to push our base runners along. Defensively, we’re very pleased he has nice range and more than enough glove to handle second base and can cover centerfield in an emergency. Turning two with him could occasionally prove problematic, but overall we’re pleased with his combination of offensive and defensive skills.

3.       Ted Strickland (Free Agent)
Great glove man who lacks a little in range. Doesn’t do anything really great, but does everything alright.

Top RF

1.       Theo Mathews (CIN; 1yr/$6.9M)
A solid player across the board. Has a great eye that combines with good contact, power, and drives the ball well. Not a defensive juggernaut.
hurricane384 says: When I saw that his asking price had not dropped, I thought I had no shot at him. To come back after the Rule 5 draft and see that he was still out there for the taking, I had to pick him up. He adds such a degree of offense to my team, that we can make up for missing on our top 2 SP targets.

2.       Zephyr Powell (COL; 3yrs/$9.0M)
Has good power. Decent eye. Makes contact. Above average at driving the ball. Solid range, but lacks ideal arm strength.

3.       Albert Stevens (KC; 4yrs/$20.8M) **Moved to CF**
Makes great contact with great power, but struggles at squaring the ball up, especially against LHP. Weak eye. Tremendous defensive RF, although lacking the ideal arm.

Top SP

1.       Stubby Easterly (MIN; 5yrs/$61.0M/Player Option)
Although he doesn’t have the ideal stamina, Stubby, has a dominant pitch to go along with 3 above average pitches and great velocity, and a good groundball rating. Won’t walk many and keeps the ball out of the hitting zone. By far the top FA SP.
Iceman67 says: In a non-surprising move, the Minnesota Twins went after a top free agent to solidify its starting rotation. Its prize, Stubby Easterly, who signed with the Twins for a 5 year $61 million deal. Already slated to be the starter on Opening Day, management is hoping he will pan out a lot better than its previous big free agent signing, Elvis Janssen. Easterly brings solid splits against lefties and righties, and with an exceptional #1 pitch, the Twins have high expectations for him.

2.       Junior Carrasco (CIN; 1yr/$5.7M)
Doesn’t have great stamina, and struggles at times at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Has 2 great pitches, and 2 good ones. Good velocity, great control, and a better than average ability to induce GBs.
hurricane384 says: Although he wasn’t the top prize, he was one I had my eye on going into Free Agency. Any time you can sign a good pitcher like this, for this price, you have to be happy.

3.       Larry Leach (BOS; 5 yrs/$36.5M/Mutual Option)
Good stamina. Good control. Dominates RHB, while holding his own against LHB. Tremendous GB pitcher. Average velocity. A great pitch, a good pitch, and 2 average pitches round out his repertoire.

Top RP

1.       Steve Hines (MON; 2yrs/$13.6M)
Although he doesn’t have the greatest STA/DUR combo, he makes up for it by dominating RHB, not walking many, and getting a lot of GBs. Good pitches as well.
ekoontz41 says: Resigning Hines was a huge priority this offseason. I was shocked at the price and amount of years I got him at. I'm guessing the fact that he was a type-A scared some owners away.

2.       Carmen Key (LA; 2yrs/$5.6M)
Will walk more than you’d like from your RP. 2 great pitches and 3 average pitches. Great at getting GBs. Very good at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.

3.       Terrance Franklin (CIN; 2yrs/$5.6M)
Great control. Struggles at times with keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Great velocity and keeps the ball down. 2 great pitches and an average one.
hurricane384 says: I wasn’t going to bring him back as I looked for a bullpen upgrade, but as he sat out there without offers, I figured he wasn’t a bad consolation prize.

Los Angeles Dodgers

rawkdk27 on S9 Free Agency and Marte and Key being top 3 at their positions:

Those two are probably behind SPs Gray, Kent and LF Bennett as my teams FA signings. In a season of rebuilding/retooling here in LA, we were looking for players to fill holes on this team. We were targeting players at an affordable price that could help us through the next few years as we restock the farm system. We are excited by some of the value we feel we got at some very good prices.

Random Batting Statistics

Batting Avg/On-Base/Slugging - by season

1. .268/.339/.423
2. .267/.335/.419
3. .265/.333/.415
4. .262/.330/.412
5. .262/.330/.413
6. .262/.329/.418
7. .262/.331/.414
8. .260/.330/.417

Most HRs: 6,515 in S6

Fewest HRs: 6,197 in S5

Most Runs Scored: 25,506 in S1

Fewest Runs Scored: 23,907 in S5

Totals
Hits: 383,669

2B: 57,128

3B: 6,579

HR: 50,842

Runs: 195,367

RBI: 189,784

BB: 134,922

HBP: 15,120

SO: 275,722

SB: 30,082

CS: 11,299

SB%: 73%

Avg: .263

OBP: .332

SLG: .416

OPS: .749

S8 Draft Review

1.     LHP Victor Nance (MIN)   
With top-notch control, good splits, and upper level splits, the only knock on him is that he’s a fly ball pitcher who is likely to give up some HRs. At least pitching in the Metrodome, he’s not going to have to worry about cheapies.
Iceman67 says: Making pitching a high priority, the Minnesota Twins chose high school fireballer Victor Nance with the number one overall pick. Nance will begin his career in rookie ball with the potential to move up to Low A before season's end. With an exceptional make-up rating, the lanky lefthander has the potential and ability to crack the big league starting rotation within a few seasons.
hurricane384’s take: A no-brainer pick here, Nance has the ability to be a top of the rotation ace for years.

2.     LHP Jim Wagner (NO)    
Wagner has great control with good splits. He’s got solid stamina. He’s a pure groundball pitcher who has 2 good pitches to help him out. The knock on him is that he’s unlikely to come up with that strikeout when you need it.
mongoose_22 says:  While Jim Wagner looks like he'll develop into a solid middle of the rotation type pitcher, he certainly isn't the kind of player you want to draft #2. This is why I fervently hope he'll decide to finish out his college career and we'll be able to more fully utilize next season's comp pick after we've been able to invest more heavily in scouting and hopefully take advantage of a deeper/better draft class.
hurricane384’s take: Most of the time you’re not looking to grab a #2 starter here, but that’s his ceiling.

3.     OF Sonny Ratliff (PHI)       
A COF with great speed, Ratliff isn’t going to strike out much and will hit for some power. He will dominate LHP while doing solidly against RHP. He’s got a great eye. I would expect to see a few 30HR/60SB seasons with a .330/.600/.930 slash line. His health is somewhat of a concern.
sowden says: The Phillies chose Sonny Ratliff with the 3rd overall pick in this years draft. After focusing on pitching in the draft and international market the past 2 seasons the Phillies picked Ratliff to begin to rebuild the offensive side of the minor league system. Ratliff projects to be a high contact hitter with decent power and a good I, good splits that should destroy left handed pitching.
hurricane384’s take: It’s great to grab a potential cornerstone offensive player no matter when he’s drafted.

4.     2B Trot Philips (WAS)      
Durability and speed would be Trot’s calling card. He doesn’t have great defense. He’s average at making contact with average power. He’ll struggle against RHP while doing well against LHP. He’s got a solid eye, so he’ll get on the basepaths.
displacednyr says:
hurricane384’s take: It’s tough to have the #4 pick and end up with a mediocre player who doesn’t excel at anything.

5.     RHP Heinie McGowan (NY2)
Tremendous set of pitches, he’s got great control as well. Solid split. Average velocity and GB. Decent durability/stamina combination and he’s very resilient and unlikely to get injured.
jgnjr says: 
hurricane384’s take: Solid starter but unlikely to be more than a #2 at best.

6.     RHP Reginald Walker (CLE)
Walker has great control and great splits. His pitch combination is one of the best ever to come out of the draft. Doesn’t blow people away and doesn’t get more than the average number of ground balls. Lacks ideal stamina/durability.
abesmem says: I was very happy with Reginald Walker being available at #6. While his endurance is a bit of an issue, he’s got 5 pitches (4 of which grade out above 70 or 80), excellent control and splits that should develop to be 79 vs lefties and 88 vs righties. Even better, at 22 years old with a full college career, he’s very close to being major league ready and will start out in AA.
hurricane384’s take: A ceiling of a #1 with innings limitations or a floor of a very good #3…that’s how I see this one.

7.     C Elroy Brown (CIN)
Brown will not strike out much while hitting for solid power. He’s got great splits and a good eye. He’s very durable. Classified as a catcher, he’s got a good arm but is only average at calling a game.
hurricane384 says: We were very pleased to get Elroy with our first pick. He was the best offensive player on our board and in these situations we don’t give a second thought to his position. We luck out that he’s able to play a position of value in addition to his offensive prowess.
hopkinsheel’s take: Really like this pick. Brown is a good hitting Catcher with decent defensive skills. It is not easy to find players like this so to be able to snatch him up in the middle of the first round is a nice coup.

8.     SS Jerome Morton (CLB)
Morton has good power. Great splits. Solid eye. Does not have the ideal SS defensive ability. Can run a little. Will strike out some.
anml34 says: With Jerome Morton I got the top guy on my board and a solid replacement for Anthony terry in a few more seasons. I was very happy to get this player at pick 8.
hurricane384's take: Could be a very good defensive 3B while hitting for good power.

9.     CF Jacque Stevenson (ARI)
Stevenson is a solid defensive CF. Great at making contact. Solid against LHP, but dominant against RHP. Will reach base plenty. Has decent speed. No power to speak of.
llcc says: Jacque Stevenson is my #1 pick he is 21 yrs old and has a projected rating of 78. He has no power but should hit for a high average.
hurricane384’s take: Lacking the ideal speed of a leadoff hitter, Stevenson will no doubt still fill that role for years to come while playing solid defense.

10.   2B Eugenio Astacio (LAA)
Projects as a below average defender anywhere in the infield. Great contact with solid power. Will dominate RHP but struggle against LHP. Lacks a great eye.
mskakunan says: Eugenia Astacio was number 3 on my draft board and I landed him with the 10th pick. He will hit righties well and be a 20 plus HR guy. He has great make-up. This was such a weak draft class, so I feel like I did OK in landing one of the very few potential all-stars out there.
hurricane384’s take: You’d like to see a better player here, but at least Astacio is a useful player.

11.   CF Alfredo Ramirez (TOR)
Ramirez has a great glove to go with great range. His speed is above average. He’s got great power, good contact, and an average split against RHP. He will struggle against LHP. He’s got a solid eye.
foxspor54 says:
hurricane384’s take: It’s great to get a guy like this at #11…you can plug him in as your CF of the future.

12.   2B Garland Mailman (FLA) 
Mailman lacks the ideal range or glove for 2B. He has strong power with good splits. Solid eye. Good contact. Decent speed.
mtorabdaddy says: Mailman turned down a less lucrative career delivering the mail for the USPS to become a Marlin. He projects to plus power and should provide offense in the coming years that the Marlins have sorely lacked.
hurricane384’s take: Your first thought on this pick is to not be impressed, but when you really look at him, it’s a good pick.

13.   P Apollo Bradley (HOU)
Bradley is not going to walk a lot of people with great control. He has good splits to go along with great velocity. He’s going to get a lot of groundballs as well as keep hitters guessing with 2 good pitches. Lacks ideal stamina/durability.
drichar138 says: The Astros selected left handed starting pitcher Apollo Bradley with the 13th pick overall. Bradley was 4th on our draft board, so we were pleasantly surprised he was still around for our pick. He has amazing control and is one of those pitchers that is good at a lot of things, but not great at any one. He is effective against hitters from both sides of the plate and has nice pitches. We are hoping he blooms into a nice #3 starting pitcher at the major league level.
hurricane384’s take: Although he’s unlikely to give you a lot of innings, the innings he’ll give are going to be great.

14.   LF Boots Vaughn (ATL)
Boots has solid power and contact. He has a good eye and is solid against LHP. He struggles against RHP. Is a solid COF defender.
kilgore says: The Braves were pleased that Boots Vaughn was available when their pick in the 14th slot came around. Though he played 2B in college, Vaughn's glove doesn't meet the Braves' expectations there and have him projected as a left fielder. A quality, disciplined switch hitter projected to have plus power, Vaughn also has above average speed and his defensive work should be more than adequate in left given his offensive output. Vaughn is expected to be able to compete at the ML level soon, and is off to a good start at the AAA level.
hurricane384’s take: This is a solid pick, about what you can expect from this point in the draft. I’d like it better if the vsL & vsR were flipped.

15.   P Mike Reese (CH2)
Reese has great control and great stamina. His durability is low. He’s got good splits. He doesn’t throw hard and will give up a lot of flyballs. His pitches are good.
byers61 says: With the 15th pick, the White Sox drafted P Mike Reese . We had him at the top of our draft board, with an asterisk because of his low durability. The thought here is that if he reaches anywhere close to his projected 98 stamina, that he can still throw 100 pitches a game and only skip a start now and then. With exceptional control, ability to keep pitches out of the zone, and a good pitch repertiore, he was worth a shot at pick 15.
hurricane384’s take: This is a good pick. He’s going to be a good pitcher and would likely have went higher if not for his durability. I would like to see his velocity or GB higher.

16.   SS Miguel Ramirez (CIN)            -               UNSIGNED

17.   P Hector Maxwell (BOS)
Hector is average against LHB and solid against RHB. He has good control and stamina/durability. He has a good pitch, but only has 3. He doesn’t throw hard, but makes up for that by keeping it down in the zone.
brickyard9 says:
hurricane384's take: I always feel that a 3-pitch starter is a big risk unless he's dominant in other areas.

18.   CF Philip Henley (SD)
Henley has solid power and good vsL. He’s average against RHP. Doesn’t make great contact and struggles with plate discipline. He’s got a great glove and good range. He’s got great speed.
gerald007 says:
hurricane384’s take: Henley is the type of CF that you can bat 7th and feel great about what you’re getting.

19.   P Sid McCormick (SF)
Sid has great pitches, even though he’ll struggle locating them at times. He has great velocity and will make hitters work by keeping the ball out of the hitting zones. Decent stamina, great durability.
AllSox says: At number 19, I took Sid McCormick a late inning reliever with very good stuff ( splits and pitches). His mediocre at best control may hold him back.
hurricane384’s take: This is a good spot for McCormick to come off the board. He’s got the potential to be a good closer.

20.   P Rex O’Donnell (NY1)
Rex has great control and is dominant against RHB. Has 1 outstanding pitch and solid across the board. Decent stamina and good durability. He doesn’t throw hard and won’t get too many groundballs.
mcgupp says: The NY Yankees were extremely pleased to see Rex O'Donnell fall to them in the draft. Rated #5 overall by the Yankees he will be a future starter on the ML team. He joins several other draftees and IFA's to give the Yankees a stable of bright young starting pitchers.
hurricane384’s take: To grab a pitcher like this so late in the draft is a good thing.

21.   P Felix Cosby (STL)
Cosby has great control and does a tremendous job keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. He doesn’t throw hard and only has one top-notch pitch. He’s got a good stamina/durability combination.
dwboyce says: We’re excited to get a player of Felix Crosby’s talent late in the first round. We’re hopeful he’ll live up to our scouts expectations despite his advanced age. He was one of two pitchers in the draft with both splits currently rated 60 or greater, and was one of a few with advanced control. His control and pitches will need to develop to their full potential to be truly effective, as he won’t be blowing major league hitting away. With the 21st pick, he needs a season or so before he’s ready for the majors, so he’s a safe selection. If his ceiling is as high as we hope, he could be the answer to the bullpen question plaguing St. Louis.
hurricane384’s take: I like my 2-pitch relievers to have 2 dominant pitches instead of one good one and one average one, but he still should make a difference in the bullpen for St. Louis.

22.   P Lorenzo Padilla (BAL)
A little short on the stamina, but he has tremendous control. Better against RHB than LHB. Has decent velocity and decent GB. Solid pitches across the board.
hopkinsheel says: The Orioles selected a solid high school SP prospect with the 22nd overall selection. We project him to be a decent middle of the rotation type pitcher with 4 above average pitches and decent splits.We invested more heavily in high school scouting so ranked high schoolers higher so we may have missed a good college player or two, but are happy with our selection.
hurricane384’s take: Padilla won’t be a superstar or an ace, but he’ll be a good pitcher.

23.   P Guillermo Lee (TB)
Lee has great control. His pitches are solid and he throws hard. Good stamina/durability combination. Does a solid job of keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Won’t get many groundballs.
mexd781 says:
hurricane384’s take: He’s the type of pitcher who won’t star for a team, but will definitely be worth his salary for a while.

24.   LF Nash Jensen (PIT)
Good power and contact. He’s better against LHP than RHP. He’s got a good eye. He’s got great speed. Lacks ideal defensive abilities.
ajwalton says:
hurricane384’s take: He’s a good offensive player. Nice find this late in the draft.

25.   2B Eswalin Wilfredo (CH1)
Wilfredo is a solid player. He’s dominant against LHP and good against RHP. Not a great defender. Solid contact and power. Solid eye.
tk21775 says: borderline 2B with above average splits, no superstar but someone who will contribute at the majors someday
hurricane384’s take: Not a bad pickup for this late in the draft.

26.   P Max Velandia (KC)
Velandia has a good set of pitches to go with good control. Does a good job keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Does not have great velocity and will give up an average amount of flyballs. Solid stamina/durability split.
bighead34 says: Solid selection who carries a decent amount of risk because of his health. However, it is exciting to get a potential 200IP starter, who has a chance to be better than league average, at this point in the draft.
hurricane384’s take: I struggle to remember a time where we had such a run on solid pitchers this late in the draft. No superstars, but still a solid group.

27.   SS Bingo McClellan (CH1)
Terrible defensive SS. Solid offensive ratings. Good speed. Very durable.
tk21775 says:
hurricane384’s take: As long as he doesn’t end up playing SS, this should be a solid pick to play 2B/3B and come off the bench.

28.   P Ed Bragg (MON)
Bragg has great control and throws hard. He’s got a good stamina/durability combination. Not dominant splits. Will give up a lot of flyballs. Solid pitches.
ekoontz41 says:
hurricane384’s take: Any time you can get a big-league SP this low, you’re doing something right. He’s going to be a solid #3/#4.

29.   P Rob Olsen (MIL)
Lacks the ideal control, but makes up for it with his pitch selection. He’s dominant against RHP. Lacks ideal velocity, but will induce more GBs than most.
s_gammon says: Rob Olsen, projects to a solid mid-rotation starter, with slight control issues that will likely prevent him from being a true front of the rotation ace.
hurricane384’s take: Yet another solid SP who will contribute down the road.

30.   P Alex Magee (MIL)
Lacks ideal control, but makes up for that with his tremendous velocity and a great selection of pitches. He’s not dominant and will give up some flyballs. Solid stamina/durability combination.
s_gammon says: Alex Magee is a carbon copy of Olsen
hurricane384’s take: I like this pick better than Olsen at #29…he’s got the ability to do some dominant things while also being beyond frustrating at times.

31.   P Kelly Crosby (SEA) 
A good reliever. He has good splits and throws the ball down in the zone. He's got great control and good pitches. A good stamina/durability combination.
jakaitis says:
hurricane384's take: This is a great value pick. He'll be a good reliever.

32.   P Patrick Pose (MIL)
Pose has great control and throws hard, but he lacks dominant pitches. Great stamina/durability combination. Does a good job keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
s_gammon says: Patrick Pose, projects to be a very effective relief pitcher.
hurricane384’s take: This guy could be a very good set up guy. I don’t like that he doesn’t have a single dominant pitch.

33.   P Willie Mercedes (NY2)
Good control, dominant against LHB. Solid against RHB. Good velocity. Solid pitches. Good durability/stamina. Will not get a lot of GBs.
jgnjr says:
hurricane384’s take: A solid pitcher who will have a decent ML career.