The Cleveland Indians have been a pretty active team this off season. They signed free agent reliever Kerry Wood to a contract and then made another deal involving the Cubs, this time bringing super-utility player Mark DeRosa to Cleveland. DeRosa can play virtually anywhere on the field but pitcher and catcher -- and will.
A thing I'm afraid of is having to play against him 20 times a year rather than the three or four if he was still on the Cubs. Living in Chicago all I'd hear about every day is the flashy defense of DeRosa and his bat suddenly igniting to push the Cubs into a win. Now that he's playing for the Indians all of that will be in their favor. I'll check mlb.com every day and read about how amazing Mark DeRosa was for the Indians! Then I'll check the standings and notice they're 1.5 games back, waiting for us to fall apart and then they'll jump ahead.
This looming thought is something that's really going to bug me. The addition of Kerry Wood and, recently, Carl Pavano somewhat bolsters their pitching staff. They're already dominant with 22-game winner Cliff Lee, but they're getting better.
Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt are two powerhouse arms out of the bullpen. Betancourt, though sporting a 5.04 ERA, struck out 64 batters in 71 innings last year. Perez worked 76.1 innings and struck 86 batters! Those are the kind of overpowering numbers that the San Diego bullpen had a few years ago when Meredith, Linebrink and Hoffman were at the top of their games.
I'm always going to be afraid of the Twins, I'll admit it. They scare me! They're always the most underrated team in the division then surprise everyone at the end of the year by doing something ridiculously unexpected! Look at our final series with the Twins last year. Jason Kubel hit 3 home runs against us in two games' worth of play. That kind of consistent production against a team is something you want to have on your side!
Carlos Gomez was the most annoying hitter in that three-game series, to me, because he has the ability to "hit 'em where they ain't." Just like I hate Grady Sizemore because he's nothing short of Superman against the Sox, I hate almost all of the Twins offense for the very same reason.
TO BE CONTINUED... in Central Division Rant #2
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
AL Central Trade Talks
The Tigers and the Red Sox are deep in trade discussion involving one of each of the teams' key needs. The Tigers are inquiring about a starting short stop, while Boston is requesting a starting pitcher to cushion Matsuzaka and Beckett. Each has what the other needs, and both seem fit to go to the other team.
Detroit is asking for Julio Lugo, a veteran middle infielder with some talent left in his tank, to bolster their low-end defense. Renteria underperformed for the Tigers in 2008, thus their searching for a new shortstop. Lugo fits the defensive side of the spectrum just fine, but his offense is a little worse for ware. He played in 82 games last year, batting .268 with one homer and 22 batted in -- usual Lugo numbers, but not up to par for the high powered Boston offense.
Boston, it's rumored, would pick up Dontrelle Willis on their end of the deal. I'm not sure if this deal involves prospects or if it's a straight up one-for-one trade, but I would think Boston is getting the better end in this deal. Their shortstop position hasn't really been the same since Orlando Cabrera left after 2004, the year he missed out on a historic World Series win, for Montreal. Their minor league system is chock full of future shortstops, so they aren't losing much.
But they are gaining a whole lot! If Willis can remain healthy for the 2009 season, assuming this deal goes through, and stays in his normal form, he'll be nothing short of dominant. There's nothing worse than stepping into a batters box against a Dontrelle Willis when he's at the top of his game. The Boston rotation would jump forward and would feature an almost deadly 1-2-3 punch with Beckett, Matsuzaka and Willis (in no particular order).
The thing I'd be most worried about is for Dontrelle's health. D-Train only pitched in eight games last season and compiled an amazing 0-2 record. His ERA was a jaw dropping 9.38, not even close to what Detroit was expecting when they sent Maybin and some prospects to Florida for Willis and Cabrera.
Lugo at this moment is fit for the aging, with some specs of young thrown in, Detroit Tigers team, and Willis, if he can keep his name off the DL, will fit into the Boston game plan.
As a fan of an AL Central team, this deal is half and half on my radar. Lugo won't add much to the Tigers' offense but will greatly improve their defense while on the other hand they're losing a pitcher who, (here comes the hot topic once again) if healthy, could easily win 18 games.
I'm not really sure how to react to the rumors of this trade, but I know that Boston will eventually come out on top.
Detroit is asking for Julio Lugo, a veteran middle infielder with some talent left in his tank, to bolster their low-end defense. Renteria underperformed for the Tigers in 2008, thus their searching for a new shortstop. Lugo fits the defensive side of the spectrum just fine, but his offense is a little worse for ware. He played in 82 games last year, batting .268 with one homer and 22 batted in -- usual Lugo numbers, but not up to par for the high powered Boston offense.
Boston, it's rumored, would pick up Dontrelle Willis on their end of the deal. I'm not sure if this deal involves prospects or if it's a straight up one-for-one trade, but I would think Boston is getting the better end in this deal. Their shortstop position hasn't really been the same since Orlando Cabrera left after 2004, the year he missed out on a historic World Series win, for Montreal. Their minor league system is chock full of future shortstops, so they aren't losing much.
But they are gaining a whole lot! If Willis can remain healthy for the 2009 season, assuming this deal goes through, and stays in his normal form, he'll be nothing short of dominant. There's nothing worse than stepping into a batters box against a Dontrelle Willis when he's at the top of his game. The Boston rotation would jump forward and would feature an almost deadly 1-2-3 punch with Beckett, Matsuzaka and Willis (in no particular order).
The thing I'd be most worried about is for Dontrelle's health. D-Train only pitched in eight games last season and compiled an amazing 0-2 record. His ERA was a jaw dropping 9.38, not even close to what Detroit was expecting when they sent Maybin and some prospects to Florida for Willis and Cabrera.
Lugo at this moment is fit for the aging, with some specs of young thrown in, Detroit Tigers team, and Willis, if he can keep his name off the DL, will fit into the Boston game plan.
As a fan of an AL Central team, this deal is half and half on my radar. Lugo won't add much to the Tigers' offense but will greatly improve their defense while on the other hand they're losing a pitcher who, (here comes the hot topic once again) if healthy, could easily win 18 games.
I'm not really sure how to react to the rumors of this trade, but I know that Boston will eventually come out on top.
Starting Rotation
As I clicked on the depth chart for the White Sox, as of November 15th, I saw what I was aiming to look at: our starting staff. It still lists Javier Vazquez as one of our pitchers, which is inaccurate as he filed for free agency and is now on the market. Clayton Richard, in my mind, is more suitable out of the bullpen -- so that opens up a free spot to fill with whomever we want.
There are some prospects in the system we could look at, such as Lance Broadway, Wes Whisler and possibly the glorious return of one knuckle balling Charlie Haeger. These are all great options to be analyzed further, but that isn't the purpose of this particular post.
It could be; but it isn't.
No, this post is going to mainly focus on the current free agent market. With names out there such as Ben Sheets, Derek Lowe, Jake Peavy, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, there are about twenty possibilities I can conjure up. Burnett isn't really the big, enforcing name out there but he will get the job done. The man was 18-10 last season with an impressive 231 strike outs! His ERA was at 4.01, which is horrific considering the great run support Toronto gives (end sarcasm), but under Cooper I believe that could easily be bumped down to a 2.20.
Sheets and Lowe will probably demand a pretty penny for their service, no matter the longevity of their contract obligations. My only worry with Sheets is his attraction to the disabled list. He pitched 198.1 innings last year, going 13-10 with a 3.09 ERA! If I had a vote, I'd give him comback player of the National League Central division, specific to the Brewers. But Lowe avoids Sheets' main problem as he can stay healthy for an entire year without people affiliating him with a season-ending injury. At 14-11, his record is not impressive. Though it is the same as Sheets', just a game up on either end!
Peavy and Sabathia seem to be the fantasies of my post, but they're featured as a wish-list desire to almost any blog that can be typed into a URL. Sabathia is a work hog that can go long periods of time without losing. Look at his beginning with Milwaukee! Eight straight wins, three of which happened to be complete game efforts. That's the kind of guy you want! Just like Doug Melvin said, on every fifth day, you wouldn't need a bullpen!
Jake Peavy quite in Peavy form during the 2008 season, going 10-11 yet maintaining a 2.85 ERA, something that show's how bad the Padres' offense was last year. If your ace can keep his ERA fifteen ticks below an even three, but is under a .500 winning percentage for a year, you know something is wrong with your offense. Say San Diego helped him out; he could've easily been 15-6 with the same, if not better, earned run average.
Like I said, Peavy and Sabathia seem out of reach for the team I'm blogging about, but I couldn't just leave them out of consideration.
I'll just sit back, watch and write!
There are some prospects in the system we could look at, such as Lance Broadway, Wes Whisler and possibly the glorious return of one knuckle balling Charlie Haeger. These are all great options to be analyzed further, but that isn't the purpose of this particular post.
It could be; but it isn't.
No, this post is going to mainly focus on the current free agent market. With names out there such as Ben Sheets, Derek Lowe, Jake Peavy, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, there are about twenty possibilities I can conjure up. Burnett isn't really the big, enforcing name out there but he will get the job done. The man was 18-10 last season with an impressive 231 strike outs! His ERA was at 4.01, which is horrific considering the great run support Toronto gives (end sarcasm), but under Cooper I believe that could easily be bumped down to a 2.20.
Sheets and Lowe will probably demand a pretty penny for their service, no matter the longevity of their contract obligations. My only worry with Sheets is his attraction to the disabled list. He pitched 198.1 innings last year, going 13-10 with a 3.09 ERA! If I had a vote, I'd give him comback player of the National League Central division, specific to the Brewers. But Lowe avoids Sheets' main problem as he can stay healthy for an entire year without people affiliating him with a season-ending injury. At 14-11, his record is not impressive. Though it is the same as Sheets', just a game up on either end!
Peavy and Sabathia seem to be the fantasies of my post, but they're featured as a wish-list desire to almost any blog that can be typed into a URL. Sabathia is a work hog that can go long periods of time without losing. Look at his beginning with Milwaukee! Eight straight wins, three of which happened to be complete game efforts. That's the kind of guy you want! Just like Doug Melvin said, on every fifth day, you wouldn't need a bullpen!
Jake Peavy quite in Peavy form during the 2008 season, going 10-11 yet maintaining a 2.85 ERA, something that show's how bad the Padres' offense was last year. If your ace can keep his ERA fifteen ticks below an even three, but is under a .500 winning percentage for a year, you know something is wrong with your offense. Say San Diego helped him out; he could've easily been 15-6 with the same, if not better, earned run average.
Like I said, Peavy and Sabathia seem out of reach for the team I'm blogging about, but I couldn't just leave them out of consideration.
I'll just sit back, watch and write!
Crede Leaves; Hello Fields
The Joe Crede era at third base has come to an official close. As I mentioned in my Free Agency post about a week ago, I'm looking forward to having Josh Fields playing at third for us in the upcoming season. Fields hit for an average of .244 during his one hundred games in the 2007 season, while filling in for an injured (and now departed) Joe Crede. He needs a little tuning on the defensive spectrum of his game, but other than that it looks like all systems are go for him at third!
OTHER FREE AGENT TALK
I just read on the mlb.com home page that my cross town rivals are possibly interested in The Big Unit? What benefit would that deal have on the team!? Their starting rotation, if management chooses to put him there, would most likely take a step down from where it currently is. Randy Johnson, granted a good pitcher a few years ago, is dropping down a steep hill where no once-highly-touted pitcher wants to end up at the bottom of. His speed is still where it was in his hay day, but he can't control when he throws 100 and when he throws 92 as much as he could in, say, 2001.
The Yankee's are looking for starting pitching like a child looks for candy. According to reports given by mlb.com, they're pursuing CC Sabathia, Jake Peavy, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe! They've already made a $137 million offer to Sabathia, which is a heinous amount to any pitcher. Peavy and the Braves have halted signing talks, so there is a possibility of him talking with New York now. Let me just say that if they get any one of these guys, their starting rotation will jump twenty feet from where it was last season.
There's still a good three months until players report (and let me tell you, they aren't coming soon enough), so a lot can happen between now and then.
OTHER FREE AGENT TALK
I just read on the mlb.com home page that my cross town rivals are possibly interested in The Big Unit? What benefit would that deal have on the team!? Their starting rotation, if management chooses to put him there, would most likely take a step down from where it currently is. Randy Johnson, granted a good pitcher a few years ago, is dropping down a steep hill where no once-highly-touted pitcher wants to end up at the bottom of. His speed is still where it was in his hay day, but he can't control when he throws 100 and when he throws 92 as much as he could in, say, 2001.
The Yankee's are looking for starting pitching like a child looks for candy. According to reports given by mlb.com, they're pursuing CC Sabathia, Jake Peavy, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe! They've already made a $137 million offer to Sabathia, which is a heinous amount to any pitcher. Peavy and the Braves have halted signing talks, so there is a possibility of him talking with New York now. Let me just say that if they get any one of these guys, their starting rotation will jump twenty feet from where it was last season.
There's still a good three months until players report (and let me tell you, they aren't coming soon enough), so a lot can happen between now and then.
American League MVP Prediction
There is no denying the fact that my strongest love, more than anything in this world, is for baseball. Writing about it, watching it, listening to it -- anything that has to do with America's greatest sport, I'm going be involved with. One of my favorite times of the year is when they hand out the awards after the playoffs.
Me and my best friend would argue for hours on end during the season on who we think deserves to win before we even get to arguing about who will win. One of the strongest candidates, in my mind, for the Most Valuable Player award in the American League is, without a doubt, Carlos Quentin.
Being the extreme Chicago White Sox fan that I am, I know it's probably the most obvious choice, but I'm not only a White Sox fan -- I'm a baseball fan in general.
The reason I would fight for Quentin to win the MVP award is because of what he did for the team over the course of our 163 game season, even though his temper got the best of him and he was out for the last quarter of the year. Hitting a team high 36 home runs and driving in exactly 100 runs, while missing 33 games is quite the admirable feat! Think of what he had been able to do, had he not slammed his wrist and broken it! He was well on his way to a good 120 driven in and possibly 45 home runs before the end of the year!
Sitting on the bench watching his team win three games in a row against three different teams (the first time in MLB history) will drive you mad any day. He sat it out, though, like a true sport and watched his team continue to the American League Division Series. His consistent performance, the opposite of what I often talk about on this blog, is something you should look for in an MVP. His defense was always up-to-par, he had an uncanny knack at making base coaches double-take at his extraordinary rocket launcher for an arm. "LEGO Hair" was a good teammate on the bench, even at his young age, and should be highlighted as one of the front runners for this award.
Another player I have in mind, though it pains me to an unimaginable depth to mention him, would be Justin Morneau. The man is a workhorse to the absolute pinnacle of the definition. He, like Quentin, played his butt off every day and was consistently doing his part to help the Minnesota Twins win each and every game he participated in. Though his team came down to the final game and eventually lost, this amazing player deserves to be noticed by a person who hates the Twins as much as I do.
Francisco Rodriguez. The man who broke a record that not only shows the ability to close out a game, but also shows the stamina of a pitcher. K-Rod saved 62 games for Los Angeles last season, possibly the most impressive performance I've seen since becoming a regular fan in 2003.
The Boston Red Sox have a pesky little second baseman who is about as professional as one is going to get. Dustin Pedroia is a slap hitter who can put the ball where no one can get it then capitalize on it and advance an extra base, if needed. His defense is also the best you're going to get from an American League second baseman by a name other than Alexei Ramirez.
Then finally, there's the Comeback Kid: Josh Hamilton. The Spiritual battle's this guy fought, overcoming drug addiction to return to Major League Baseball and eventually set the record in the home run derby, is strictly amazing! Hamilton hit 32 home runs and drove in 130 base runners while hitting for an average of .304! I can guarantee you with 100% confidence that nobody at the beginning of the year foresaw this awe inspiring return to the majors.
I feel comfortable locking in the obvious Carlos Quentin as my official prediction. I observed his maturation over the year, coming into his own in the power column around mid-May, and it was unbelievable how quickly he adjusted from Arizona to Chicago. Though it didn't happen immediately, he was clearly evolving as a player and was an absolute joy to watch since opening day.
Best of luck to all who are in the competition, and may Carlos Quentin bring home the gold next week!
Me and my best friend would argue for hours on end during the season on who we think deserves to win before we even get to arguing about who will win. One of the strongest candidates, in my mind, for the Most Valuable Player award in the American League is, without a doubt, Carlos Quentin.
Being the extreme Chicago White Sox fan that I am, I know it's probably the most obvious choice, but I'm not only a White Sox fan -- I'm a baseball fan in general.
The reason I would fight for Quentin to win the MVP award is because of what he did for the team over the course of our 163 game season, even though his temper got the best of him and he was out for the last quarter of the year. Hitting a team high 36 home runs and driving in exactly 100 runs, while missing 33 games is quite the admirable feat! Think of what he had been able to do, had he not slammed his wrist and broken it! He was well on his way to a good 120 driven in and possibly 45 home runs before the end of the year!
Sitting on the bench watching his team win three games in a row against three different teams (the first time in MLB history) will drive you mad any day. He sat it out, though, like a true sport and watched his team continue to the American League Division Series. His consistent performance, the opposite of what I often talk about on this blog, is something you should look for in an MVP. His defense was always up-to-par, he had an uncanny knack at making base coaches double-take at his extraordinary rocket launcher for an arm. "LEGO Hair" was a good teammate on the bench, even at his young age, and should be highlighted as one of the front runners for this award.
Another player I have in mind, though it pains me to an unimaginable depth to mention him, would be Justin Morneau. The man is a workhorse to the absolute pinnacle of the definition. He, like Quentin, played his butt off every day and was consistently doing his part to help the Minnesota Twins win each and every game he participated in. Though his team came down to the final game and eventually lost, this amazing player deserves to be noticed by a person who hates the Twins as much as I do.
Francisco Rodriguez. The man who broke a record that not only shows the ability to close out a game, but also shows the stamina of a pitcher. K-Rod saved 62 games for Los Angeles last season, possibly the most impressive performance I've seen since becoming a regular fan in 2003.
The Boston Red Sox have a pesky little second baseman who is about as professional as one is going to get. Dustin Pedroia is a slap hitter who can put the ball where no one can get it then capitalize on it and advance an extra base, if needed. His defense is also the best you're going to get from an American League second baseman by a name other than Alexei Ramirez.
Then finally, there's the Comeback Kid: Josh Hamilton. The Spiritual battle's this guy fought, overcoming drug addiction to return to Major League Baseball and eventually set the record in the home run derby, is strictly amazing! Hamilton hit 32 home runs and drove in 130 base runners while hitting for an average of .304! I can guarantee you with 100% confidence that nobody at the beginning of the year foresaw this awe inspiring return to the majors.
I feel comfortable locking in the obvious Carlos Quentin as my official prediction. I observed his maturation over the year, coming into his own in the power column around mid-May, and it was unbelievable how quickly he adjusted from Arizona to Chicago. Though it didn't happen immediately, he was clearly evolving as a player and was an absolute joy to watch since opening day.
Best of luck to all who are in the competition, and may Carlos Quentin bring home the gold next week!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
