Fielder Signs With Detroit - Baseball News - Jan. 25 2012

If you haven't read already, Prince Fielder signed a 9 year deal worth approximately $24 million per year.  Its pretty insane that I discussed that the Tigers would be a logical candidate to acquire him just the other day.  This is a fantastic deal for the Tigers in the now as they recently lost Victor Martinez for the season.  Suddenly two of the leagues most formidable bats will be in a lineup back to back.  This easily makes Detroit the favourite in the Central.  Fielder's fantasy value is likely to remain the same despite the change in venue.  I would expect a few hiccups though as he adapts to the new surroundings.  Long term, this will prove to be a bad deal for Detroit as Fielder is not a superb athlete and generally speaking those types of players age poorly.  Expect a large regression after his age 35 years.

In other news, Francisco Cordero signed a 1 year $4.5 million dollar deal with the Blue Jays which will round out a suddenly solid bullpen.  Cordero is expected to be the setup man for recently acquired closer Sergio Santos.

NL ONLY - What You Need To Know

On the heels of my AL Only league need to know list, I'm posting the players I feel NL Only leaguers will need to know before entering their drafts.  Again, I will update the list going forward, especially as Prince Fielder has yet to sign.

Coming Over From the American League

1. Carlos Quentin - OF - Padres
2. Jonathan Papelbon - RP/CL - Phillies
3. Gio Gonzalez - SP- Nationals
4. Trevor Cahill - SP- Diamondbacks
5. Michael Cuddyer - OF - Rockies
6. Jason Kubel - OF - Diamondbacks
7. Mark Buehrle - SP - Marlins
8. David DeJesus - OF - Cubs
9. Kevin Slowey - SP - Rockies 
10. Guillermo Moscoso - SP - Rockies
11. Norichika Aoki - OF - Brewers
12. Erik Bedard - Pirates (interesting sleeper now that he's in the NL, IF he plays of course)
13. Melky Cabrera - OF - Giants
14. Frank Francisco - RP/CL - Mets
15. Jon Rauch - RP - Mets

Rookies/Upside Players Who Could See Regular Playing TIme

1. Yonder Alonso - 1B - Padres
2. Anthony Rizzo - 1B - Cubs (if he makes the team out of Spring Training)
3. Tyler Pastornicky - SS - Braves - Rookie who is slated to be the starter, low BA, good speed
4. Devin Mesoraco - C - Reds - Could be the outright starter.  A lot of upside in a good hitters home park.
5. Mat Gamel - 1B - Brewers - Explosive AAA bat could be given a full time job in 2012.
6. Norichika Aoki - OF - Brewers - Depends on the outcome of Ryan Braun's suspension.  My guess is that Aoki sees some regular at bats during the season.

Additionally:

Do not forget about Adam Wainright who should be ready to go for the 2012 season.  He will come at a bit of a draft discount as he's coming off Tommy John surgery.

There are plenty of opportunities within the Houston Astros for some lower to middle tier fantasy production.  Other than Carlos Lee, the team is full of young, yet decidedly mediocre talent.  None of them will be elite producers but they will see regular at bats.  Its because of this fact they deserve to be on your draft list.

AL ONLY - What You Need To Know

Ok a little background to this post.  I usually write up a personal list of players who have changed leagues who I think will have some value for my AL Only League.  This might include the odd prospect or some rookie who is likely (or at least I feel he is) to get some regular at bats or see time in the rotation.  I don't think of it as a sleeper list, but a list of players who will be of interest for AL Leaguers.  Note that the list will be updated as the landscape changes before the start of the season.

UPDATED: January 27/2012

New To The American League

1. Albert Pujols - 1B - Angels
2. Prince Fielder - 1B - Tigers
3. Yu Darvish - SP - Rangers
4. Carlos Pena - 1B - Rays
5. Hisashi Iwakuma - SP - Mariners
6. Jarrod Parker - SP - Athletics
7. Brad Peacock - SP - Athletics
8. Hiroki Kuroda - SP - Yankees
9. Mark Melancon - RP - Red Sox (note: Next In Line for saves behind Andrew Bailey)
10. Jonathan Broxton - RP - Royals (could see save opportunities if healthy)
11. Jonathan Sanchez - SP - Royals
12. Chris Iannetta - C - Angels - An interesting sleeper as he saw a leap forward in overall stats in 2011.  Remarkably good plate discipline.
13. Jason Marquis - SP - Twins
14. Kevin Slowey - SP - Indians (after being shipped back from the Rockies)
15. Francisco Cordero - RP - Blue Jays (regressing but likely the #1 guy behind closer Santos)

Interesting Rookies/Upside Players With Increased Playing Time or Role Changes (no particular order)

1. Jarrod Parker - SP - Athletics
2. Brad Peacock - SP - Athletics
3. Matt Moore - SP - Rays
4. Chris Sale - SP - White Sox (will move to the rotation in 2012)
5. Jesus Montero - C/DH - Mariners
6. Josh Reddick - OF - Athletics
7. Seth Smith - OF - Athletics
8. Dayan Viciedo - 3B/OF - White Sox (should replace Carlos Quentin)
9. Nolan Reimold - 1B/OF - Orioles
10. Chris Davis - 1B/3B - Orioles 
11. Daniel Bard - SP - Red Sox (dominant reliever now a starter in 2012)
12. Jacob Turner - SP - Tigers (wait and see if the Tigers stick him in the rotation, alluring talent)
13. Mike Moustakas - 3B - Royals (finished 2011 strong and the 3B job is his to lose)
14. Mike Trout - OF - Angels -I don't see how he gets regular AB outside of an injury.  Still just an awesome talent.  He should at least be on an AL only bench.
15. Matt Capps - CL - Twins (regains the role after Joe Nathan signed with Texas)
16. Chris Carter/Kila Ka'aihue/Brandon Allen - 1B/DH - Athletics - I'm not certain how Oakland will hand out at bats.  I like Allen the most out of the trio though.  All should be on your AL only sleeper list.
17. Grant Balfour/Brian Fuentes/Joey Devine - CL - Athletics - someone will close in Oakland but all of these guys could be in the mix.  The smart money is on Balfour, but the pitcher with the most upside is Devine.  Fuentes is for the late rounds only.
18. Neftali Feliz - SP - Rangers  (will move to the rotation in 2012)

Victor Martinez Out For Season - Baseball News - January 17 2012

Well, the Tigers haven't even got started and already they are behind in the race to re-claim the AL Central Division title.  Victor Martinez injured his knee in a training exercise and will now miss the entire season due to mandatory ACL surgery.  His power and plate discipline will sorely be missed in the middle of the Tigers line up.  I can't say for certain but I would assume Detroit will be shopping for a 1B/DH type right away and there are plenty available.  It would not surprise me if they looked hard at free agent 1B Prince Fielder (not that they will at all just that he would make sense as the Tigers are a contending team).  In carry over leagues, Martinez is essentially (depending on your rules of course) someone I wouldn't protect for 2012.

Plenty of action on the arbitration front as Tim Lincecum has put in claim for a record $21.5 million and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw has asked for $10 million.  Both I believe are for one year deals.  Plenty of other players avoided arbitration by completing deals today including pitchers Francisco Liriano, Detroit's Max Scherzer, the Ray's David Price, Joba Chamberlain and Justin Masterson.  There were an assortment of positional players that signed as well including Shin Soo Choo, Jays 2B Kelly Johnson, Dodgers 1B James Loney and big winner Jacoby Ellsbury who signed for just over $8 million per season.

In the realm of fantasy, these hearings are not really newsworthy.  All of the above players will be retained by their current teams.  What is interesting is the amount they actual sign for.  For example, Choo was a top fantasy performer only two seasons ago but after an unusual season where he was either hurt or a non-factor he signed for just $4.9 million for this season.  That's considerably low when you look at how much two more incomplete players Kelly Johnson (lack of average) and James Loney (lack of speed and power at a premium position) received (around $6 million each).

Last bits of news, Carl Crawford had minor wrist surgery.  I'll be monitoring that situation closely especially after the stinker of a season he put up last year.  The Brewers signed Japanese league import Norichika Aoki to add another speedy centerfielder to their already solid mix of speedy centerfielders. We discussed Aoki in previous news but for the lazy, he essentially projects to be a .300 hitter with about 20 steals type of player.

Yankees Upgrade Their Rotation

New York acquires both Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda over the weekend. These acquisitions represent a significant upgrade over their 2011 rotation but both pitchers will see slightly worse results in 2012. Why? Well, moving to the very competitive AL East for one but also they will both pitch in the homer friendly new Yankee Stadium more often. Do not forget that moving to a new team doesn't mean immediate success. There is often a transition period. I would resist the urge to rank either of these two pitchers higher on draft day. Great move for the Yankees but a negative one for both of their fantasy values ( ie ERA and WHIP).

Baseball News - Jan 10 2012 - Rizzo for Cashner Deal and Maholm to Cubs

Anthony Rizzo and Zach Cates to the Cubs for Andy Cashner and Kyung-Min Na: The meat of this deal is Craschner for Rizzo, as Cates and Na are both Single A prospects with a long way to go before reaching the majors.  Rizzo is was highly touted as the successor to Adrian Gonzalez after the latter was dealt to Boston last year.  The youngster failed to produce at the major league level when he was promoted (.141-1-9-2 with a 70% contact rate) but completely destroyed AAA pitching (.331-26-104-7) last season.  He's slated to start the season in the minors but the move, if he is promoted, will be a huge plus for his offensive production.  Cashner routinely hits 95MPH on the radar gun and projects to be a high end reliever, although he could end up in the rotation.  Despite solid strikeout rates, the young right-hander does struggle with control still.

With the recently acquired Yonder Alonso on the roster, Rizzo was from a positional standpoint, expendable.  The Padres shore up their bullpen after the loss of Heath Bell and give themselves an experienced major league spot starter should the need arise.  As it stands now, the Cubs in my opinion got the better of the deal as Rizzo could be a monster, especially now playing in Wrigley Field.  However, Cashner was once one of the Cubs best prospects and it appears as if those skills have remained in tact.  This could be the Padres closer of the future or at the very least a solid #3 starter with potential for more.

Paul Maholm signs a one year pact with the Cubs:  Yeah this was the only other news from today that was worth mentioning.   Maholm's move to Wrigley should not adversely effect his statistics.  He's widely considered to be a ground ball pitcher (career 52%) so even though Wrigley Field is relatively 'homer happy', this shouldn't change our projections much.  The main issue with the lefthander is that his career K/BB is below 2, in other words he doesn't strike out enough batters to counter the amount of walks he gives up.  I don't think this changes Maholm's value much except that its more likely the Cubs homer in your league drafts what should be waiver wire fodder.

Baseball News - Jan 7 2012

I hope everyone had a great holiday season!  Sorry that I haven't posted lately. Instead of several smaller posts I'll bombard you with one giant one here.   There was not a ton of show stopping news but teams still have been busy:


Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney to the Red Sox for Josh Reddick and minor leaguers Raul Alcantara and Miles Head:  Let's just get right to the point:  Unless Reddick possesses some above average major league skills we are unaware of, this is a pretty big steal for the Red Sox.  Boston essentially received Reddick's statistical equivalent in return in Sweeney AND the talented, although injury prone closer.  The minor leaguers Alcantara and Head aren't elite prospects by any means so on the surface it looks like Oakland got the short end of the deal.  However, the A's organization is famous for its intelligent projections of youngsters so maybe there is more to this deal than meets the eye.  Maybe there is something seriously wrong with Bailey's arm? Anyway, with Reddick likely to get a regular role next season he should be on all deep league sleeper lists.  Bailey will take a bit of an ERA hit in the AL East and the pressure in Boston is much greater than it is in Oakland.  I'd be wary of Bailey in 2012.


Carlos Quentin to Padres for Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez:    Unfortunately, this trade kills Quentin's fantasy value, or at least damages it considerably. The veteran slugger is certainly better suited for the cozy confines of Cellular Field as opposed to the vastness that is PETCO Park.  Considering the health risk already associated with him I'd consider projecting him lower now: .260-25-80.  For the record, I would have given him a .265-30-90 line in Chicago, again have to consider his health which limits him to much less than 162 games each year.  Its an interesting trade for San Diego as I don't think they are a top NL West team (not that it would take much).  They certainly will not challenge the now deep and talented 2011 division winning Diamondbacks.  On the flip side, I love the haul for the White Sox.  For me,  starter Castro is the key to the deal.  In 2009, he looked like one of the top pitching prospects in the minor leagues (thanks to a 10 K/9 and 2.37 BB/9).  After being promoted to AAA in 2010 he was knocked around and promptly sent back to Double A.  The shine is off his top prospect status so he was considered expendable in this deal.  At 23, there is still plenty of opportunity for the White Sox to develop this kid.  In addition Pedro Hernandez appears to be another solid pitching prospect as the 22 year old was promoted through three levels in 2011.  Don't expect to see either Castro or Hernandez much in 2012 but Chicago has now taken a few bold steps in rebuilding their farm system.

Hisashi Iwakuma signs with Seattle:  The Mariners were able to sign a solid veteran Japanese league pitcher this week.  Iwakuma, on paper, has the skills which should be the keys to success in the major leagues.  He boasts a career BB/9 of 1.8 and averaged a solid 7.0 K/9.  Entering his 31st year, I would not expect a progression in these statistics.  However, Iwakuma will play home games at the pitcher friendly SAFECO Park, which I expect will assist him in first tour of duty on North American soil.  Still, it cannot be ignored that with a much improved AL West, the Japanese pitcher will be challenged often.  Its difficult to forecast Japanese players but with his skill set and home park you will want Iwakuma on a sleeper list, especially in AL only leagues.




Darren Oliver signs, Jason Frasor traded to the Blue Jays for a pair of minor leaguers:  I'm not saying these deals were THAT interesting but I think they should be noted.  With the additions of these two relievers and closer  Sergio Santos, the Blue Jays have made a concentrated effort to shore up their bullpen.  The AL East continues to be the most difficult division in baseball to succeed in.




Carlos Zambrano to Marlins for Chris Volstad:  This is an interesting trade if only that Zambrano, at just 30 years old, gets a fresh start.  On paper this trade looks like a scratch as both pitchers had similar numbers.   Volstad is younger and contract controlled while Zambrano still possesses ace 'stuff' but appears to be in a losing battle after putting way too many miles on his arm early in his career.  I don't think Volstad's stock improves with this trade as he benefited greatly from the deep confines of the Marlins home field.  Spending more time in the home friendly Wrigley Field will only hurt this homer prone pitcher.  On the other hand, I think Zambrano's talent and change of scenery make him a worthy sleeper in 2012.

Even more news - Dec 23 - Beltran signs, Gio trade, Danks

Nationals get Gio Gonzalez send Brad Peacock, Tommy Milone and A.J. Cole and top catching prospect Derek Norris to Oakland : Wow do the Nationals think they will compete in 2012?  Ok, maybe that's a bit harsh but I'm a big fan of Peacock's and I think this was a bit of a steal by A's GM Billy Beane.  I see what he's doing (once again) trading developed major league talent for high upside starters who could be better down the road.  In acquiring Gonzalez, the Nationals are certainly much improved right away.  This gives them an outstanding young core of stud in the making Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman and Gonzalez all of whom are under contract and the age of 27.  Still, the A's acquired three of the top 10 prospects in the Nationals system.  Norris is one of the highest rated catchers in the minor leagues, Peacock is a major league ready starter and Cole boasted a 4.5 K/BB ratio as a 19 year old!  


Carlos Beltran signs a two year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals for $26 million: Another fresh off the press deal.  Beltran obviously is not going to replace the loss of Albert Pujols but he will certainly help bridge the gap.  The World Champion Cardinals will need all of the offense they can get.  Beltran's fantasy value will be neutral moving to the new Busch Stadium from San Francisco.   


Rebuilding White Sox sign John Danks to a 5 year, $65 million dollar deal: You can never be completely sure of the motivation of a team.  The White Sox fresh off of dealing their 28 year old closer Sergio Santos for a Jays prospect, then give major dollars to their 26 year old lefty.  Danks would have been a fine bargaining chip for a team that was starting from scratch.  Instead, it appears Chicago is simply re-tooling?  Despite a 4.32 ERA, Danks suffered no skill set backs in 2011.  Locking him up for $13 million per season might turn out to be decent value for the White Sox.


Twins sign Jason Marquis to a one year deal ($3 million)


Somehow, Marquis has had MLB success.  I don't see his skills as worth a major league contract though.  What he does well, is generate a ton of ground balls (career 50.4 GB%).  What he does poorly is everything else.  His career K/BB ratio is 1.5!!  That's scary especially moving over to the hitter friendly American League for the first time in his career.  Stay far away in fantasy leagues next season.

Baseball News - Dec 22 - Aoki won by Brewers, Kubel to D'backs

Just in time for the holidays we've got plenty of MLB trades and signings to discuss.


Norichika Aoki to the Brewers:   Aoki is probably off a lot of people's radars with all of the noise surrounding Yu Darvish.  Still, he's worth profiling as the Brewers won the bid for his rights.  Like Texas and Darvish, Milwaukee will still have to sign the 29 year old, small framed (5'9, 170 lbs) center fielder to a contract.  However, unlike the Rangers who are trying to fill a gaping hole in their rotation after the departure of C.J. Wilson, Aoki presently doesn't appear to meet any needs the Brewers may have.  They already have two center fielders in Nyjer Morgan and Carlos Gomez.  Aoki on paper doesn't appear to boast as much speed as Morgan or Gomez (never attained more than 20 steals in Japan) but has much better plate discipline (generally around the .400 OBP mark) than either of the Brewers other options.  With Ryan Braun possibly facing a suspension it appears that Milwaukee is looking for some outfield depth.  We'll have to wait and see how 2012 unfolds to find out though.


Jason Kubel to the Diamondbacks (2 years $15 million): I really think this is a great sign by Arizona.  Kubel is not a game changer but he's a similar bat to former team mate Michael Cuddyer who recently signed for almost $10 million per year with the Rockies.  In other words, I think the Diamondbacks got a similar player and saved money in doing so.  I would expect a small increase in power numbers for Kubel in the hitter friendly Chase Field if he can stay healthy.  In my opinion, the veteran left fielder is a great fit for an organization trying to recapture the NL West division title.


More in a bit....

As Promised - Yu Darvish To RANGERS!! And Mat Latos to Reds

Well, as 11PM the RANGERS (see here MLB Twitter ) have won the rights to discuss a contract with Yu Darvish.  This of course does not guarantee he DOES sign but chances are high that Texas will get it done.  This is a fantastic move for a team fresh out of the World Series and coming off the heals of losing one of their top starters C.J Wilson to free agency.   I would think that the young Japanese league import will be content with a 5 year deal worth upwards of $75 million but heck he could want more.  Either way, the Rangers have made a bold move here to acquire a top young talent who improves their ball club right away. We'll still need to see a signed contract before making any further projections.

Mat Latos to Reds for Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal, Edison Volquez and Brad Boxberger :
What can we really say about the Mat Latos Deal? I am a big fan of this deal for the Padres but the Reds got the best player, at least for now, in the deal.  San Diego received two high end prospects Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal as well as often injured and under performing Edison Volquez.  In addition they received right handed pitching prospect in Brad Boxberger.  Let's start with Alonso, who has already seen some limited major league action.  The prospect does not appear to be a star in waiting but he has displayed considerably strong BA and OBP's throughout his minor league career.  The reason he's not likely to be an elite player is that despite his young age (24) he does not hit for a lot of power or run particularly well.  At AAA last season he hit 12 HR and stole just 6 bases.  He did hit five home runs in a short stint mostly in a pinch hitting role for the Reds last season.  However, playing full time in PETCO (assuming he gets regular AB) will not benefit his power numbers.  If he gets the the AB, we're probably looking at a .290-10-85-7 type season.  Still, let's see how the Padres decide to utilize him before making any crazy projections.

As for Grandal, the catcher prospect was promoted in season last year to AAA, which generally means the club thinks highly of the player. He has not hit for much power but continues to impress with a minor league BA in the .295-.300 range. Generally speaking a good catching prospect is one who can handle the position defensively and also be a positive with the lumber.  Grandal appears to be this type of prospect.
Volquez will probably pop onto alot of sleeper lists come spring next year.  I'm certain of only one thing: he has to improve his control (5.38 BB/9) before I even look his way in a draft next year.  The PETCO effect will definitely aid him though.  He's one to monitor closely in late spring training.

Of course, what does Latos going to the Reds mean?  Well right away we're going to have to bump up his ERA projection a bit as he's going from one of the best home ball parks for offense suppression to one of the worst.  You would figure he would be in line for more wins playing for a better team but wins are fickle.  I would suggest that Latos may actually lose a bit of fantasy value going to the Reds (unless he lucks into more wins).  Either way, great improvement for the Reds

Yu Darvish Bid - News Later - 11PM EST

There are very few sources of factual news content in regards to the Yu Darvish bid so I apologize for the previous post.  Looks like the announcement WILL come tonight though, just later in the evening (11PM EST)

What I have learned is that nobody actually knows who won and the most likely suitors are still the Jays or Rangers.  Essentially nothing is new from last week.  I'm as frustrated as you.  Nobody knows anything of real value right now except for the parties involved.

Baseball News - Dec. 16 - More Yu Darvish, Cuddyer signs

Well, its still not clear who won the bid for Japanese League superstar pitcher Yu Darvish yet.  The general "consensus" in the media is that its the Toronto Blue Jays.  If it is indeed the Blue Jays who won the bid, this almost immediately signals they will be in contention in 2012.  I'm not certain they are 'all in' for next season but the team is certainly set up to compete for the next few years.  The Jays will be stocked with quality young talent all who have not seen their 27th birthday.


I have read quite a bit on Japanese imports and how they are a mixed bag for results.  For every highly successful Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui there is a Hideki Irabu and Daizake Matsuzaka.  Unfortunately for Yu Darvish, he will be judged similarly.  However, I hate to generalize. Each player should be analyzed individually.  I've seen some video of Darvish (click here). His frame (6'5), smooth delivery and filthy movement on his pitches could translate to long term success in the majors.  Toronto is a great city for him to play in with a strong multi-cultural fan base.  It all seems like a good fit but I'm certain that's what Boston fans where thinking when the Red Sox brass signed Dice-K.

The last thing to note about Darvish, is that Japanese pitchers, unlike their position player counterparts, have generally been more successful on this side of the Pacific. The general consensus appears to be that at best Darvish is an elite #2 starter and at worst an effective #3.

That all being stated, there is still no gurantee he lands in Toronto.  We know the Rangers, Cubs and Yankees were all in the mix and that the rumours are stating that the Jays won the bid with a $48 million post.  We'll unfortunately be waiting until Tuesday to find out.

If you can't get enough on Yu, head over to Drunk Jays Fans for more HERE!

IN OTHER NEWS (yes, the baseball world continues on despite most of it waiting on Darvish)

A fantasy friendly signing for the Rockies as they bring the  under valued bat of Michael Cuddyer to town.  He got 3 years and $31.5 million, pretty good cake for a hitter who's only crushed more than 25 home runs once in his career.  I'm not a fan of this deal for the Colorado organization but for fantasy purposes Cuddyer, suddenly is a bit more interesting.  He's a guy who should hit .275-20-70 but the Coors effect should push him up into the .280-25-85 projection range.

Alright, that's all for now...

Yu Darvish - Who Won The Bid?

Sorry this is kind of a short post.... but felt it should be addressed.

The subject of who won the Yu Darvish bid is garnering a lot of noise on Twitter in regards to the Japanese pitching phenom. The top two bidders (which are essentially rumors at this point) appear to the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays.  The Yankees, Nationals and Cubs all bid as well.  I wouldn't get too excited about anything just yet.  Every one is speculating and the only real news out of Toronto is that they placed an 'outrageously' large bid.  The Rangers reportedly post $40 million.

For those unfamiliar with Darvish, the right hander is just 25 years old and dominated the Japanese league striking out 276 in just 232 IP in 2011.

The Rangers and Jays are the most in need of a top of the rotation arm.  Stay tuned...

Baseball News - December 15, 2011

There has been so much action to catch up on I had to divide the last post in half  Most of these deals were of the 'minor' variety but the players involved will make for interesting draft selections in 2012:

1. Diamondbacks get Trevor Cahill from Oakland for top prospect Jarrod Parker and Collin Cowhill.  Time and time again A's GM Billy Beane deals away proven young talent for unproven potential and it generally pays off.  Cahill is still a controllable player but the real prize of this deal for Oakland is likely the injury prone former top prospect Parker.  Cahill is a proven 24 year old pitcher so Beane is clearly taking on more risk here given Parker's injury history.  Is there something the Oakland scouting staff sees? Definitely: Parker's upside if healthy has always been considered elite.  
2. Ian Stewart dealt to the Cubs for Tyler Colvin.  I think this is a great deal for both teams.  Stewart needs a fresh start and Chicago need a capable 3B after Aramis Ramirez' departure.  The former top prospect has plenty of potential in his bat and seemed to have worn out his welcome in Colorado.  Colvin has a powerful bat but the Rockies have plenty of capable outfielders and I don't see how he fits in quite yet.  Either way, both players needed a fresh start but I think the Cubs got the better end of the deal.  If Stewart ends up starting on a regular basis he could easily hit 20 home runs at a scarce position making him an interesting sleeper for 2012.
3. Casey McGehee dealt to the Pirates, Pedro Alvarez likely to play first or spend more time in the minors.  With Aramis Ramirez signed, the Brewers had no room for McGehee.  The Pirates struggled all season to get production from that position.  This trade gives the Pirates some options with Alavrez, who has tremendous power but struggled last season at the plate, to either defend the 'less demanding' 1B position or get more minor league seasoning.  McGehee might be a decent sleeper as he suffered from poor luck on balls in play (.249) which lead directly to his lower batting average in 2011.  I wouldn't get too excited though as he also increased his GB% from 47% in 2010 to 50% in 2011. Even more interesting will be who plays first base if/when Prince Fielder signs elsewhere.  Unless a veteran is signed, it looks like 26 year old Mat Gamel may be given regular time after destroying AAA pitching in 2011 to a tune of .310-28-96.
4. Josh Willingham signs in Minnesota (3 years, $21 million).  Willingham is exactly the under the radar outfielder that can help win a fantasy championship.  He's a steady middle tier producer and you can pencil him for .250-25-85. Still, he is injury prone after playing in only 133 games last season and having never played in all 162 games. It has been rumored that Michael Cuddyer was seeking more money than Willingham which would explain why the Twins went in this direction.
5. Mark Melancon dealt to the Red Sox for Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland.  An interesting trade for the Red Sox who have stated they would like Daniel Bard to start in 2012.  Melancon would be one of their strongest candidates to close as of this writing although going from the NL Central to the AL East will be quite an adjustment.  Lowrie should start at shortstop for for the Astros who struggled to fill the position in 2011.  

Baseball News - December 12 2012

There is a ton to discuss as I haven't posted in a while.  Let's get right to it:

1. Albert Pujols signs with the Angels.  Like the rest of the world, I was shocked not only by the total dollar amount, but the length of this contract.  Right now, the Angels will pay the 1st baseman major money well beyond his prime years and into his 40's.  In the now, its a strong, bold statement that the Angels want to win.  However, for the long term health of the franchise, this has to be considered a mistake.  Pujols has had some injury issues over the past two seasons and as he ages he will likely be a highly paid DH. Anaheim has other problems though. This signing creates a log jam for 1B/DH bats on the active roster.   Now with Pujols signed, who will likely split 1B/DH duties for the next 10 seasons,  how will the at bats shake out for Kendry Morales and Mark Trumbo?  The rumor is that Trumbo will slide over to 3B with Morales splitting 1B/DH with Pujols.  I assume that this will be considered a 'nice problem to have' when filling out the lineup card as this is now one of the strongest offensive teams in the division.  However, the defensive minded management of Mike Scioscia may think otherwise.  Putting career first baseman Trumbo at 3rd degrades their infield defense significantly.  
2. Ryan Braun gets busted for using a PED.  Ugh.  I always hate seeing these as headlines.  It especially stings baseball as this was the reigning NL MVP.  Regardless of whether he's guilty or not, the likelihood that Braun misses some time in 2012 is quite high right now.  He is appealing the test but I can't see how he doesn't get suspended given the evidence.  
3. C.J. Wilson signs with the Angels.  Arte Moreno is intent on seeing a championship in Anaheim.  I have to admit the Angels went from being an afterthought in the AL West to a contender for the World Series championship with their off season signings.  A rotation of Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, C. J. Wilson and Ervin Santana is as good as any in the American League.
4. Sergio Santos traded to the Blue Jays.  This was a very under the radar trade by the Blue Jays which should shore up the biggest weakness in Toronto, the bullpen.  Santos struck out 92 batters in just 63 innings for a 13.0 K/9! Chicago received Nestor Molina, who is a nice prospect whom many a scout has rated highly after a fantastic season at Double A.  This clearly signals the Sox are rebuilding.
5. Aramis Ramirez signs with the Brewers.  Milwaukee is anticipating that they will lose first baseman Prince Fielder to free agency and Ramirez is a proven veteran bat who will fit right in on what should be a contending ball club (if they can put aside the Braun + PED insanity).  Ramirez, if healthy should replicate his 2011 production.  
6. Marlins sign Mark Buehrle  and Heath Bell. The Marlins are spending a lot of money and although I'm certain it makes them a better ball club, I'm pretty confident they could have got more bang for their buck. In fantasy (or reality) spending large money on a reliever is just a bad business practice.  Veteran relievers with a lot of miles on their arms can be injury prone.  Personally, I'd try to do what the Jays did and just acquire a solid bullpen arm on the cheap.  Buehrle should continue to be a steady arm short on strike outs coming over to the National League.  I wouldn't expect a huge leap in his numbers as he will have to adjust to NL hitters at first.

Ok, that's it for now... I'll discuss some more recent deals soon.

Baseball News - November 16 2011

Some thoughts on the news of the day

• Albert Pujols may have been offered 9 years from the Marlins.  I can't see why Miami would want to pay a 40 year old Pujols but stranger things have and will happen.  Its not exactly a baseball business model that I feel will be successful, but if you need to put fans in the seats I guess there are worse moves you could make.    Plus we're not even certain the report is true... moving on...
• Two strikeout heavy relievers Neftali Feliz of the Rangers and Chris Sale of the White Sox are slated to join their clubs starting rotations in 2012.  Both players have phenomenal stuff and should be quite effective in the rotation.  My concern will be with Feliz who most assuredly will be an injury risk and likely on an innings limit after back to back seasons as the team's primary closer.  Both players were starters in the minor leagues.
• Like last season with Cliff Lee once the big names like Pujols, Jose Reyes  and C.J. Wilson sign the floodgates will likely open for the rest of the league.  In the meantime the mainstream media will try to drum up as many page views as they can by speculating on any news tidbit that can be found.
• I'm trying be a good citizen over on Google+.  If you don't have an account you should really give it a try.  The community there is at the very least thought provoking on just about any topic you can imagine.  As of yet, there is not nearly enough baseball representation in my opinion.  I've posted a couple of smaller newsy items there so feel free to join in on the conversation here:  Google+ - Astros or here: Google+ - MLB Changes

The Off-season Thus Far (Early November Edition)

There hasn't been much activity thus far although a few things to note:

• Albert Pujols is being courted by the Marlins?  I can't see the star of the 2011 World Series playing in Miami next season but stranger things have happened.  The newly re-branded Miami Marlins have been mentioned in many free agent circles including:
• Jose Reyes.  Again, mostly rumors and speculation but the Marlins are looking for some 'star' power as they begin playing games in their new home stadium.
• Melky Cabrera for Jon Sanchez actually was a pretty good deal for both teams.  The Giants need some outfield help and the Royals are desperate for a pulse in their starting rotation.  For fantasy purposes, Sanchez could make for a sneaky strikeout sleeper in 2012 for AL Only types.  
• I'm certain Ryan Madson makes more sense for the Phillies than the ineffective Jonathan Papelbon. Negotiations between the Phillies organization and Madson broke down pretty quickly.  Still,  that was just crazy money to give for a closer.  I don't see how this makes Philadelphia a batter a baseball team.  The Red Sox will obviously get by with John Bard who despite not having the role, certainly possesses closer skills.  Unless Boston brass does something crazy, Bard will be a strong fantasy closer going forward.  The baseball world is often slow to adopt or drop certain practices but paying top money for a closer is just a bad baseball business decision these days.  Its just so much more cost effective to groom internal options for the role.  Oakland's original bullpen model should be adopted league wide.   
• Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp cashed in after what is an assured NL MVP season.  8 years and $160 Million from an owner-less team.  Have we learned nothing in this poor economic environment?
• My personal opinion is that Aaron Hill's contract is too long. The former Blue Jay doesn't seem to be the same player since returning from a concussion.  I think until he can prove himself he should have been signed to a one year deal.
• There are still plenty of free agents in the mix and we are just get started.  The Blue Jays are linked to everyone as their new approach is simply to be interested in every player. That being said, I don't see Pujols, Prince Fielder or C.J. Wilson playing north of the border.