NL North is composed of the: (Big Ten Division)
Chicago Illini
Columbus Buckeyes
Detroit Wolverines
Iowa City Hawkeyes
Starting Pitching Division Rank
1. Iowa City
2. Detroit
3. Chicago
4. Columbus
Iowa City - Projected Rotation: Lopez, Hardy, Carlyle, Loux, Karnuth. Despite having no real standout Cy Young type Ace, the Hawkeyes have 5 very good pitchers. All of them have great splits, and excellent control, but pitch ratings are only average. Durability also looks to be in check, Health does remain as a concern as there is little depth that can come up from the minors. The Hawkeyes have adequate starters in the minors to call up if a big leaguer goes down, but they will see a significant drop off in production should that happen.
Detroit - Projected Rotation: (The Wolverines Major League roster is currently incomplete, and some of these players I am projecting on the ML roster could stay in the minors.) Cooper, Osborne, Young, Sosa, Thompson. The Wolverines have a solid staff, with above average splits, and a couple of pitchers with great pitch ratings. Control could become an issue for a couple of starters and health is a major concern for the staff. However, there are a couple of starters in the minors that could be called up in the event of an injury and the Wolverines wouldn’t see too much of a drop off.
Chicago - Projected Rotation: Cyr, Wilkins, Damon, Espinosa, Lira. Chicago has more options for their starting five than any other team in the division, but the quality of those starters doesn’t equal up to the quality of IC and DET. Several of the starters have below average splits, and may struggle against the more powerful lineups in the NL. While a few starters may have durability issues, it shouldn’t have too much of an impact because the Illini have so many pitchers that can be plugged into the rotation. Control and pitch ratings are the strength of the staff, but it remains to be seen if that can overcome some of the low splits.
Columbus - Projected Rotation: Nelson, Welandia, Walton, Feliz, Hernandez. Concerns seem to be the highlight for the Buckeyes starting five. They have no one to anchor the staff, and should they suffer an injury, there is very little ML ready talent available to be called up. Health is only a mild concern, and Durability should be ok, but with the below average splits of all five starters this staff will struggle mightily. Control shouldn’t be a major factor as 4 of the 5 are adequate in this department, but at the same time 4 of the 5 have average to below average pitch ratings.
Relief Pitching Division Rank
1. Detroit
2. Iowa City
3. Columbus
4. Chicago
Detroit - LR: Martin, Rothschild, Navarro. SU: Black, Paul, Mallory. CL: Cabrera. The backend of the bullpen is a strength for the Wolverines, but poor control from their middle relief could cause major issues. If Cabrera can stay away from the walks he will shut down most teams in the 9th with extremely high pitch ratings. Durability and average at best pitch ratings could also pose problems for their long relief staff. The strength of the bullpen lies in the strength of their set up men and their closer so if their starters can go deep in games the Wolverines will see success.
Iowa City - LR: Sears, Lewis, Banks. SU: Small, Reynolds, O’Connor, Moraga. CL: Townsend. The strength of this staff lies in their splits, but other concerns keep them out of the top spot. The biggest concern for this group is their durability, if the starters struggle for consecutive days this staff could get depleted in a hurry and as we all know 0(0) pitchers are not conducive to winning. The strength of this staff will rely solely on the ability of the starters to pitch deep into games, and to do it consistently. The good news is their starters are capable of doing just that. The 8th and 9th innings should be locked down for this staff as Small and Townsend are excellent, however the health of both could become a problem, the Hawkeyes will need to have big seasons from Reynolds and Banks if their starters struggle too often.
Columbus - LR: Cota, Deshields. SU: Mercedes, Fernandez, Cela, Kendall, Berry, Ward. CL: Priest. The bullpen for the Buckeyes may not jump out as overwhelming, but they should be fairly consistent. No standouts, and they will struggle at times, but they will also get the job done at times as well. Durability for this group is great, but the lack of quality long relief could pose a huge problem, particularly when you consider their poor starting pitching. Good new is there is help in the minors from Douglass and Kennedy.
Chicago - LR: Crosby, Harang, Morandini. SU: Hayes, Miller, McClellan. CL: Bickerton. The strength of the Illini staff should be their ability to eat up the innings and not suffer too much in the stamina department. The relievers have good control, and much like the Buckeyes, they should be consistent. The Illini can’t count on them to completely shut down teams, but they should be serviceable in holding leads. Like the starters on this team the Illini are hoping that strong pitch ratings will overcome average to below average splits.
Overall Pitching Staff Rank
1. Iowa City
2. Detroit
3. Chicago
4. Columbus
Position Players- Offensive Lineup Rank
1. Iowa City
2. Detroit
3. Chicago
4. Columbus
Iowa City - Projected Starters: C-Gonzales, 1B-Payton, 2B-Sweeney/Lombard, 3B-Allen, SS- Alvarado, LF- Dunham, CF- Lombard/Sweeney, RF- Bailey. It will be interesting to see how this team performs this season, it should also give everyone a good indication as to what is more important High CON/PWR ratings or High L/R splits. This team is average at best when it comes to their CON/PWR ratings, but their splits are incredible. A key concern could be getting enough base runners for their monster power hitters. Everyone in their starting lineup has a POW rating over 50, and 4 of them are above a 79, but their CON ratings are nothing special. The Hawkeyes could set a record for the most solo home runs in a season. Their L/R splits are incredible as most of their starters are above 60 on both. The starting 8 should also fair well in the walk department as most of them are pretty picky when it comes to waiting for a good pitch to hit. This line-up should put up a bunch of runs. As for the minors, there are a few ML ready players that could step up if the injury bug bites, Rivera, Nunez, Guerrero, and Levis, all have similar ratings as those that are ahead of them.
Detroit - Projected Starters: C-Charles/Key, 1B-Bates, 2B-Hansen, 3B-Stark, SS- Hurst, LF- Benton, CF- Black, RF- Owens. The starting lineup has several stud hitters but they do have a couple of holes and that’s what puts them slightly behind the Hawkeyes. Black should be a stud at lead off, and several players will be able to supply consistent power, but no one will challenge for the HR lead. The Wolverines are weak at the plate with their catchers, but help is on the way with stud prospect Moran just waiting to be called up. This team should perform well vs. rightist, but lefties could give them some serious problems. Another point of concern is the lack of depth should one of their starters go down to injury, and their lack of patience at the plate will spoil some run scoring opportunities.
Chicago - Projected Starters: C-Schneider, 1B-Cox, 2B-Owens, 3B-Scott, SS-Mientkiewicz, LF-Suzuki, CF-McDill, RF-Tomiln. Great balance here with several table setters in Owens, McDill, and Tomlin, as well as the mashers to bring them home in Schnieder, Scott, Mientkiewicz, and Suzuki. However the splits are a little less than average, and the Illini could see some consistencies issues because of that. This team will struggle to make solid contact vs. lefties, but they have solid depth and will not see too much of a drop off in offensive production if they have a couple of injuries. Stud prospects Melendez and Duran should see an early season call up at 1B and C respectively if the team has early season offensive woes.
Columbus - Projected Starters: C- Martin, 1B- Figueroa, 2B-Gray, 3B-Yang, SS-Corino, LF-Kinney, CF-Castro, RF-Christiansen. Too many holes in this line-up to scare the top pitching staffs, only two players with significant power, and both of them will be pitched around delicately in pressure spots. Splits are poor and so the consistency will be lacking. Immediate relief from the farm system is not available, so it is looking like a rather long season in Columbus.
Defensive Rank
1. Detroit- Very solid defensively up the middle, could be a problem with very limited range over at 1st base. Excellent defensively from the catchers.
2. Chicago- Also very solid up the middle, but 3 of the four corners will be of concern. Average defensively behind the plate.
3. Columbus- Average up the middle as well as on the corners, little in the way of standouts defensively, but very adequate. Step above Iowa because of their talent behind the plate.
4. Iowa- No major liabilities on defense with the possible exception being CF, but no real defensive studs either. Defense behind the plate could become a major problem along with average or worse pitch calling, but man can they hit.
Overall Projection
1. Iowa City- Possible Wild Card if they do not win the division.
2. Detroit- Could give Iowa quite a run if their pitching holds up, should be in wild card race.
3. Chicago- Middle of the pack in the NL.
4. Columbus- Looking for a high year 2 draft pick.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Season One - Free Agency Review
Season One - Free Agency Review
I am going to go alphabetically through the teams and discuss what each team added via free agency whether it was a free agent they resigned, someone they bought out of arbitration or someone they signed on the open market. I'll also give a rating overall of how I think each teams free agent haul will affects its competitiveness against the rest of the league.
I also might have said a guy was re-signed as a free agent when he was really bought out of arb years, but I did my best.
Also, I am sure I missed some players, I'll add them if someone points them out. Please feel free to argue, discuss in the comments section or on the world chat.
Arizona
Extension: The Sun Devils boguht out one of their arb eligile players in Malik Spivey . Signed to a 2 year\1.35 million dollar deal, Spivey will be counted on as a spot reliever, but due to his splits, probably not someone you'd trust to a close game in the late innings.
Signings: The Sun Devils signed two veteran pitchers with a lot of miles on their arms. Dick Wright and Harry Bonilla have a combined 25 years of ML experience. Both came rather cheap as well as Wright was signed to a 1 year\1.5 mil deal and Bonilla to a 1 year\595K deal. Both will combine with Spivey to bolster the bullpen.
Impact: Very Mild. Three low key signings to bolster the bullpen helps their teams depth, but probably doesn't scare anyone in the division or league.
Atlanta
Extensions: None
Signings: The Jackets were very business in free agency. They signed four players for their ML squad and here they are in order of when they signed: Carlos Quixote , Benjamin Risley , Dennis Suzuki , Shea Ramsey . Quixote is the first in a line of free agents we'll discuss that probably are overpaid do to the lean free agent market. He is signed to a 2 year, 6.16 mil deal. He looks like he'll be a decent third baseman, but not sure he is worth that money. Risley is signed to a 2 year, 10.36 mil deal and looks to be a solid acquisition. Some scouts view him as a starter, however others feel that his stamina is better suited as a jack of all trades reliever and spot starter. Suzuki signed a long term deal of 4 years for 14.4 million. Scouts are split as although he has some very solid pitches, his splits are decidedly average and his control is just sightly above average. Some scouts feel he is worth the money and others feel he will be an expensive innings eater. Scouts pretty much say the exact same things about Ramsey as they do Suzuki. $12 million is a lot to sink into someone who might just be a glorified innings eater, but obviously Atlanta sees something others might not.
Impact: Mild. A decent amount of money invested, but not sure there are any impact players here.
Austin
Extensions: The Longhorns bought out two players of their arb years in Rudy Sinclair and Frank Dong . Sinclair wanted to test the FA market, but couldn't pass up the 3 year, 16.2 million dollar deal Austin offered. He is solid defensively at third and a pretty solid hitter although he is a free swinger and will probably K a lot. Dong is a bit of a risky signing just for the length. He is already 31, yet convinced the Austin GM to sign him to 5 year, 20 mil deal. He is decent makeup so as long as they invest a good amount of training he shouldn't decrease too quickly. A solid catcher with decent defensive ratings, however his real presence will be felt at the plate as he should be an impact bat in the middle of the lineup.
Signings: None
Impact: Mild\Moderate. Mr. Dong (great name) will be a force in the middle of the lineup and a beat to be feared. Austin has to hope that he keeps up for the whole of his contract.
Buffalo
Extensions: Three young arbitration eligible guys all sign multi year deals to stay in Buffalo in Roy Jones , Roger Valentin , and Don McConnell . Jones is the SS of the present and future as Buffalo bought out a couple arbitration years to sign him to a 3 year, 16.2 mil deal. He should be very solid defensively and still bring a decent bat which is always tough to find. Some scouts feel that if Buffalo decided to buy out his arb years, they might have wanted to sign him to a longer deal because now after 3 seasons they'll have to sign him to another major deal as he will still be relatively young and productive. Secondly, Valetin is an absolute beast and someone the Bulls will build their lineup around. He also should never be broke as he is promised 38 million over the next 5 years. Mr. MocConnell is promised 21.6 million over the next 4 years and is a beast of a hitter. However, although he likes to catch he is not very good at it. It will be interesting to see if the Bulls let him catch or place him at first.
Signings: Sonny Sherman is a spot reliever who probably will not be brought in during close games unless it is to face a lefty. He is signed to 3.6 million over the next two seasons which seems a little pricey for a lefty specialist. Pat Suzuki was signed to probably start at second base and will do a decent job there, but probably nothing special. 13.6 million over three years is again a lot of money to spend, but you can't really fault these contracts as its all supply and demand.
Impact: Moderate. The extensions of Valentin and McConnell will solidify the middle of the lineup for several years and will terrorize the NL East.
Charleston
Extensions: Two extensions for the Cougars in Jared Strickland and Eric Thomson. Strickland appears to be one of the few elite pitchers that didn't opt for free agency. In so doing Charleston looks to have gotten an absolute steal locking him u for 33.2 mil over 4 years. He is only 28 and should dominate the world for the next 10 seasons. There must be something in the water because Thomson is another elite player that the Cougars were able to keep off the market at about the same rice as Strickland. Thomson should hit plenty of homers while laying a solid SS, you can't beat that.
Signings: Skeeter Peterson was the only signing of note and is locked up for the next couple seasons at 2.8 mil per season. He will probably be slotted in to provide protection in the order for Thomson. He should hit a good amount of homers, but thats about it.
Impact: High. Strickland and Thomson are two all stars and both can compete for Cy Young and MVP awards respectively. On top of that, they are both signed to cap friendly deals for how valuable they are.
Charlotte
Extensions: None
Signings: Only one signing, but it was a big one. After oting for free agency, the Heels were able to re-sign Carl Stephenson . Stephenson certainly didn't come cheap as he is signed for 50 mil over the next 5 seasons. However, he is a bonafide ace, although Charlotte will have to hold their breath every time he takes the mound due to a marginal health rating.
Impact: Mild\Moderate - High Risk\High Reward signing for the Heels. If he stays healthy, he can be a Cy Young candidate every season. One or two major injuries and this contract will be an albatross around the Tar Heels neck.
Chicago Blue Demons
Extensions: Three major extensions for the Blue Demons in Patrick Davies , Paul Zhang , and Matthew Lennon . Davies is an interest signing. He is still young at only 26, but is pretty expensive at 14.4 mil over 3 seasons for a middle of the rotation starter primarily because of his average control and righty split. Some scouts believed the Demons would let Zhang walk because of his lack of control, however they decided to give him a chance and locked him up for 5.6 mil for the next two years with 2.8 mil on top of that tin a bonus. Lennon is a fantastic signing at 25 mil over the next 5 years as he will be slotted in at the top of the rotation. He certainly would have gotten more on the market.
Signings: One of the biggest and most expensive signings of the season, the Demons won the D'Angelo Prieto sweepstakes. Signed for 58 mil over the next 4 seasons with an extra 2 mil on top just to sign his name, Prieto will be counted on to anchor the middle of the Demons lineup for a long time. He is one of the, if not THE, premier hitters in the world as of now.
Impact: High. The signings of Lennon and Prieto definitely put them in the high category. Some scouts feel that the other contracts given out to Zhang and Davies should bring their rating down to moderate, but thePrieto and Lennon signings are just too big.
Chicago Illini
Extensions: Only one extension of note and it was a big one in Shane Cyr . One of the few contracts we've come across that escalates as the seasons tick on. However, he is only 28 and should be a very solid pitcher for a long time. Although his ridiculous stamina inflates his overall rating, this is definitely a guy that can be a #2 starter for a long time. He'll earn 36.5 mil over the next 5 seasons.
Signings: None
Impact: Mild\Moderate: Another team to only have one major signing, however pitching is always a premium in HBD and the Illini were able to lock up a young guy who should be a solid addition to the rotation for the next 5 seasons.
Columbus
Extensions: Julian Berry and Jamie Martin were the two guys the Buckeyes decided to bring back. Berry is a solid reliever who should get some tough outs and also is signed to a cheap contract of 4.4 mil over the next two seasons. Martin is another valuable addition to the team at a cap friendly price. At 7.8 mil over the next three seasons he is a guy the pitching staff in Columbus would love to throw to on a constant basis and while his bat isn't very good, its not a total liability.
Signings: The Buckeyes were one of the busier teams with three more major signings in
Juan Mercedes , Otis Nelson , and Vinny Priest . The Buckeyes targeted guys they thought might be overlooked and made sure they were guys they wouldn't have to bid very much (if any) against other teams. All are signed to cheap contracts. Nelson will be slotted in at the back of the rotation and\or long reliever and the other two will be counted on to itch in the last few innings.
Impact: Mild\Moderate. There isn't any one player that jumps out as a difference maker, but the Buckeyes were able to add a lot of depth and were able to do so with very cap friendly contracts.
Detroit
Extensions: None
Signings: None
Impact: HUGE! Just kidding. Detroit decided to ignore the free agent market this season.
Fargo
Extensions: None
Signings: None.
Impact: Two teams in a row that didn't re-sign or sign anyone to major deals. It is well documented on the forums that Fargo tried to go after a couple big ticket players, but was unsuccessful.
Florida
Extensions:
Signings: Three major signings for the Gators as it looks by their FA and trade activity of bringing in vets, they are hoping to make an immediate run for the pennant and series. The three guys the Gators brought in are Alfonso Reyes , Vitas Boone , and Rob Jacquez . Reyes was brought in as a defensive specialist at catcher and at the price of 2.25 mil over three seasons is definitely a nice signing. Boone is an absolute beast of a hitter and was very highly sought after and is locked up at 36 mil over the next 4 seasons. He should hit a ton of homeruns, although a lot will probably come on the road as Florida plays in a huge pitchers park. Jacquez is another defensive specialist and will be placed in CF and with him awesome range, hopefully can patrol the cavernous gaps at home.
Impact: Moderate. Three solid signings and Boone should be a perennial all star.
Honolulu
Extensions: None
Signings: None
Impact: None due to standing pat with their roster and improving through trades.
Iowa City
Extensions:
Signings: Iowa City came away with three impact pitchers as they signed Hersh Reynolds , Charles Carlyle , and Jake Hardy . None of them cam cheap as Hardy will be making 41 mil for 5 seasons, Carlyle will make 40 mil for 5 seasons, and Reynolds 13.4 for the next three. Hardy and Carlyle will both be fixtures at the top of the rotation and Reynolds will be employed as a premier stopper\closer.
Impact: High. Three very good pitchers were signed that have to help make Iowa City an early favorite in the NL.
Jackson
Extensions: None
Signings: The Rebels came away with four new players in Thomas Xavier , Cesar Ordaz , Jaime Riggan , and Paul Aoki . Xavier is the most expensive at a little over 17 mil for 4 seasons and although he might be a tad expensive for his ratings, he should be a solid catcher with above average defensive ratings and an average bat. Almost three million for Ordaz is interesting as he will be a guy the manager will only be able to bring in to face one batter before being taken out. Over the course of a season this should limit him to very few innings pitched in total. Some scouts also think Riggan is not worth the 11+ million he is signed for. Although he does have very good power, his splits are sub par and his defense at third will only be average at best. Scouts are also interested to see how Aoki performs as he also has great power and average splits, but he is always, and I mean always swinging for the fences. Not a bad flyer to take on a guy for one season to see what happens.
Impact: Mild. Although the Rebels signed four players; none of them are impact guys and they mgiht have overpaid for a couple. All four will add depth.
Kansas City
Extensions: The Wildcats locked up both Johan Oquist and Norman Borders before they could hit the market. Oquist is one of the best hitting catchers in the world and at 12 mil over the next three seasons is definitely a bargain. Borders will be making 22 mil over the next 4 seasons and should be one of the most dominant closers in the world during that time. His splits are almost perfect and anyone would kill to have him closing out games.
Signings: None
Impact: High. Quality over quanitity here. One guys is a fearsome hitter who can catch and the other should lock down the last inning of every game he is brought into. Both are signed to very good deals.
Las Vegas
Extensions: None
Signings: Vegas was very busy as they signed five guys that were on the market. They are Jorge Espinosa , Bingo Tracy , Aaron Witt , Lee Henry , and Yuniesky Jacquez . Espinoza is a cheap signing and scouts are split on whether he should be a back of the rotation guy or long reliever. Tracy is another cheap signing, but GM's were shocked he was even signed since his slits are so below average there are not many who think he can contribute. Witt is an interesting signing. His splits are very good and he loves facing righties, but his he doesn't have a lot of power and or contact ratings. It looks like Vegas is already having some buyers remorse with him as he has already cleared waivers. Henry should be a good defensive replacement and can play a solid center field. Jacquez is easily the best signing as he can be a to of the rotation starter, although he'll only be able to go about 6 innings.
Impact: Mild. As noted above, Jacquez is a solid pitcher and his salary is very ca friendly, however we're not sure how the rest of the guys will fit in.
Los Angeles
Extensions: The Bruins re-signed Marvin Rivera to a four year deal worth a little less than 20 mil. Might be a little on the expensive side just because his splits will probably prevent him from being a great closer. He looks to be more of a secondary setup man.
Signings: LA was very busy in the free agent market. They decided early on to trade their expensive vets away for prospects and build for the future so these signings are guys that will help them remain competitive while building for said future. The five guys are Ray Lane , Chris Towers , B.C. Tatis , Bip Serrano , Heinie Judd . Lane and Serrano are decent guys to have in the bullpen and are cheap at under 2 million just for this season. Towers is about the same as Lane except his splits are slightly lower and is signed for two seasons. Judd should be a decent innings eater at the back of the rotation. Tatis is a bit of a controversial signing. He is signed for 7.4 mil each season for the next two seasons. He has unbelievable power and the Bruins hoe that will outweigh his slightly below average splits and eye. There are other instances of this occurring so its an interesting gamble.
Imact: Mild. The Bruins don't plan on contending this season and a lot of the signings are just filler, but they did do a good job in signing guys that will help them stay competitive which is very important.
Louisville
Extensions: None
Signings: Only one signing for the Cardinals and that is Tommy Jackson . Jackson was signed to be a starter and it will be interesting to see how he does. His pitches are great and control is above average, however his splits are decidedly mediocre. He also throws a lot of ground balls. At a little over 5 million total for the next two seasons, he is a solid signing and they didn't overpay for him.
Impact: Mild. Jackson won't be a guy to tip a division\wild card race in oe direction or another, but will provide solid depth.
Memphis
Extensions: None
Signings: The Tigers won the Paul Fujiwara sweepstakes and also signed Javier Salinas. Fujiwara is going to be a rich rich man for a long time as he'll be earning a whopping 22.5 mil this season (including bonus) and 66.5 mil over the course of 5 seasons. Fujiwara will be a to of the rotation for a few seasons, however some scouts are worried about his makeup. The Tigers are probably going to have to keep their training budget pretty high just to offset that rating because of the huge investment they have tied up in Fujiwara. Salinas will be a solid reliever nd especially is good at getting out righties.
Impact: High. Fujiwara is one of the top pitchers in the league and the Tigers will be counting on a huge season from him. Its crazy that even if he won 22 games he still would be earning more than a million per win this season.
Nashville
Extensions: The guys the COmmodores didn't want to let hit the market were Marc Hughes and Otto Cosby . Hughes was actually bought out of his three seasons of arbitration and the Commodores must have thought that he would be asking for very high sums in arbitration since they only locked him up for three seasons. he should be one of the better hitting catchers in the league. Cosby also was bought out of his final year of arbitration and is signed to another three season season deal for 18 million. He should be one of the top hitting players int he league and with his splits and contact rating should hit for very high average.
Signings: Nashville was very active in free agency. They signed Rob Duffy for three mil just for this season and although he struggles sometimes against righties should be a decent starter and\or long reliever. Randall Young is a great signing and will be a fixture at the top of the rotation although with his stamina he will only be able to go 5-6 innings a start. Mike Koch is a decent reliever at a nice price at under 2 mil a season. Ditto for Lawrence Williams although he could also be a spot starter.
Impact: Moderate\High. Hughes, Cosby, and Young are all very good players that should form the core of this Nashville team and the GM did a good job of signign some other guys for needed depth at good prices.
New Orleans
Extensions: None
Signings: The Privateers decided to only sign a couple guys in Bobby King and Enrique Cubillan . King should be a solid end of the gamr reliever with above average splits and he is also signed a pretty good deal at a little under 4 mil per season for 3 seasons. he is only 28 so he has plenty of solid seasons ahead. Scouts are split on hos effective Cubillan can be and if he is worth 11 mil over the next two seasons. He has fantastic control and a couple great pitches, but that is tempered by slightly above average splits and although he has a nice stamina rating, his durability hurts. The Privateers will have to decide on limiting his pitch count so he can pitch every fifth day or letting him pitch to his full stamina and giving him a couple extra days off.
Impact: Mild. Two solid, yet unspectacular signings. Will add deth to an already very good team.
New York
Extensions: The Red Storm bought out the last year of arbitration and signed Wes Crane to 2.25 mil over the next three seasons. His splits and control are awesome, however his stamina and durability ratings will limit him to very few innings pitched and almost undoubtedly only one hitter at a time.
Signings: New York signed three pitchers out of free agency in Davey Diaz , Willie Pascual , and Francisco Delgado . Mr. Diaz was another one of the top pitchers and he certainly struck it rich and will be paid over 50 mil the next four seasons. He should be a top of the line starter and New York hoes he will still be near the top of his game as his contract comes to an end. Pascual ill be a nice addition to the bullpen, however the combination of a sub park second pitch and throwing a lot of fly ball outs has to be a little scary. Delgado should be a good player to close out ball games and well worth the 9 million over the next three seasons.
Impact: High. Diaz alone makes this free agency haul a success, but the additions of Pascual and Delgado certainly help. They should all like pitching in Shea Stadium.
Oakland
Extensions: None
Signings: Oakland was busy in free agency and made sure to lock up four players. they are Kennie Byrne , Buzz Garcia , Virgil Rodriguez , Sam Belitz . Byrne is a very nice signing as a stop gap pitcher. Although he is 35, he still has some solid skills and at 5.6 million is pricey, but only signed for this season. Depending on how he does Oland can always extend him. Garcia is also a nice signing. 9.2 mil for two seasons and he will be the Cardinal closer. Very good control and splits with a nice stamina for a reliever and he could see a lot of innings. Rodriguez is a ridiculous hitter, but will only be able to play in about half of Oakland's games fully rested. Belitz should be solid defensivly although the 79 glove is below average for a shortstop and his other defensive ratings are higher. he also has some really ncie pop to his bat which is always nice to find in a SS.
Impact: Moderate. Oakland did a great job of finding some nice value while not tying up a lot of their cap for future seasons.
Philadelphia
Extensions: None
Signings: Neal Padgett should be a solid starter, although he struggles against lefties at times. At 5.6 mil per season for three seasons, Philly will hope the struggles against lefties are minimized. Ed Donatello looks to be strictly used in long relief and\or mop up duty. Not sure what they plan on doing with Bill Miller . He is now signed for the next three seasons at 2.8 mil per season, but some scouts feel he is more of a 4th outfielder type. Steven Mecir is fantastic value at 3+ million a year. He is unbelievably good at putting his bat on the ball. Mickey Smith should be outstanding defensively and decent at the plate. Although he is 33, Philly only signed him to a one year deal which was smart. Last but not least is another solid player in Dennis Li.
Impact: Moderate\High. Some really nice signings in here. However it looks like they may have one too many outfielders signed just from free agency, let alone who is already on their roster. The Owls will obviously DH them and possibly rotate them all.
Pittsburgh
Extensions: None
Signings: Only one free agent signing for the Panthers and thats Clint Prokopec . Clint should be a nice back of the rotation type starter at a reasonable price of about 2 mil per season for the next two seasons.
Impact: Mild. Always nice to get a guy like Prokopec cheap, but probably doesn't do much to scare anyone in the division.
Portland
Extensions: Scouts are split on whether signing Bill Webb to a 4 year deals for over 10 million was the right move or not. On one hand he has a great arm for a catcher, but his pitch calling skills are only a little above average. His contact skills as a hitter are nice, but everything else is below average. On top of this he is constantly getting hurt.
Signings: Another questionable signing by the Ducks in signing Louis Adkinsson to 3 years and almost 4 mil per season. He has great control and stamina, but he really struggles against righties. The Ducks are hoping he can gain some points in that category. Ivan Nunez also is probably making more than he thought he was going to. He is fast and will play a decent second base, but he has never seen a pitch he doesn't like and will strike out a lot.
Impact: Mild. Seems like a lot of money to throw at guys that are pretty average. But who knows, maybe the Portland GM knows more than the scouts!
Salem
Extensions: None
Signings: None
Impact: None. Salem is the third team to stand pat and see where they are in season one without spending a ton of money.
Seattle
Extensions: None
Signings: Seattle was busy and signed Tanyon Torres , Ignacio Olivares , Nigel Fujiwara , Gus Harris . Torres is yet another example of a guy who was probably signed just to eat innings. He'll either be placed at the end of the rotation or as a long reliever. Investing a little under 5 mil over two seasons is about right. Olivares has been playing baseball forever and still has some skills at the tender age of 36. Seattle was smart to only lock him up for a season and if he plays well they can always extend him. Fujiwara will make a nice chunk of change, 8+ mil for the next two seasons while patrolling the cavernous outfield in Seattle and stealing as many bases as he can. Not sure how effective Harris will be due to his splits, but he is not overly expensive and his control is great to go along with two solid pitches.
Impact: Mild. None of these guys really jump out as team changers, but all fill a role and should help Seattle in season 1.
Syracuse
Extensions: Myron Holbert will be a top of the rotation pitcher for the Cuse for the next 5 seasons. He will be very good although his stamina will limit him to 5-6 innings a start so hopefully the Orange will have some guys to take over for the many leads Holbert will leave them with. First of all, Cap Burroughs has a great first name and secondly should be one of the better short stops in the league. Again its always nice for a good defensive shortstop to have a nice bat.
Signings: Only one free agency signing for the Orange and that is Sandy Niekro . Niekro will be one of those guys I mentioned that will be counted on to close the door on the leads pitchers like Holbert will hopefully leave.
Impact: Moderate\High. Locking up Holbert and Burroughs were smart moves and finding a guy like Niekro to help close the door on leads was also a good idea.
Texas
Extensions: None
Signings: None
Impact: None. This is the fourth team to take a pass on free agency.
Extensions: Sam Stone is one of the best players in the league and it was a no brainer to lock him u long term.
Signings: Wichita is a pitchers park and the Jayhawks targeted Christopher Ford who doesn't have the great measurables, but should enjoy pitching in Wichita
Impact: Moderate. Whenever a player like Stone is locked up, its a big news event.
I am going to go alphabetically through the teams and discuss what each team added via free agency whether it was a free agent they resigned, someone they bought out of arbitration or someone they signed on the open market. I'll also give a rating overall of how I think each teams free agent haul will affects its competitiveness against the rest of the league.
I also might have said a guy was re-signed as a free agent when he was really bought out of arb years, but I did my best.
Also, I am sure I missed some players, I'll add them if someone points them out. Please feel free to argue, discuss in the comments section or on the world chat.
Arizona
Extension: The Sun Devils boguht out one of their arb eligile players in Malik Spivey . Signed to a 2 year\1.35 million dollar deal, Spivey will be counted on as a spot reliever, but due to his splits, probably not someone you'd trust to a close game in the late innings.
Signings: The Sun Devils signed two veteran pitchers with a lot of miles on their arms. Dick Wright and Harry Bonilla have a combined 25 years of ML experience. Both came rather cheap as well as Wright was signed to a 1 year\1.5 mil deal and Bonilla to a 1 year\595K deal. Both will combine with Spivey to bolster the bullpen.
Impact: Very Mild. Three low key signings to bolster the bullpen helps their teams depth, but probably doesn't scare anyone in the division or league.
Atlanta
Extensions: None
Signings: The Jackets were very business in free agency. They signed four players for their ML squad and here they are in order of when they signed: Carlos Quixote , Benjamin Risley , Dennis Suzuki , Shea Ramsey . Quixote is the first in a line of free agents we'll discuss that probably are overpaid do to the lean free agent market. He is signed to a 2 year, 6.16 mil deal. He looks like he'll be a decent third baseman, but not sure he is worth that money. Risley is signed to a 2 year, 10.36 mil deal and looks to be a solid acquisition. Some scouts view him as a starter, however others feel that his stamina is better suited as a jack of all trades reliever and spot starter. Suzuki signed a long term deal of 4 years for 14.4 million. Scouts are split as although he has some very solid pitches, his splits are decidedly average and his control is just sightly above average. Some scouts feel he is worth the money and others feel he will be an expensive innings eater. Scouts pretty much say the exact same things about Ramsey as they do Suzuki. $12 million is a lot to sink into someone who might just be a glorified innings eater, but obviously Atlanta sees something others might not.
Impact: Mild. A decent amount of money invested, but not sure there are any impact players here.
Austin
Extensions: The Longhorns bought out two players of their arb years in Rudy Sinclair and Frank Dong . Sinclair wanted to test the FA market, but couldn't pass up the 3 year, 16.2 million dollar deal Austin offered. He is solid defensively at third and a pretty solid hitter although he is a free swinger and will probably K a lot. Dong is a bit of a risky signing just for the length. He is already 31, yet convinced the Austin GM to sign him to 5 year, 20 mil deal. He is decent makeup so as long as they invest a good amount of training he shouldn't decrease too quickly. A solid catcher with decent defensive ratings, however his real presence will be felt at the plate as he should be an impact bat in the middle of the lineup.
Signings: None
Impact: Mild\Moderate. Mr. Dong (great name) will be a force in the middle of the lineup and a beat to be feared. Austin has to hope that he keeps up for the whole of his contract.
Buffalo
Extensions: Three young arbitration eligible guys all sign multi year deals to stay in Buffalo in Roy Jones , Roger Valentin , and Don McConnell . Jones is the SS of the present and future as Buffalo bought out a couple arbitration years to sign him to a 3 year, 16.2 mil deal. He should be very solid defensively and still bring a decent bat which is always tough to find. Some scouts feel that if Buffalo decided to buy out his arb years, they might have wanted to sign him to a longer deal because now after 3 seasons they'll have to sign him to another major deal as he will still be relatively young and productive. Secondly, Valetin is an absolute beast and someone the Bulls will build their lineup around. He also should never be broke as he is promised 38 million over the next 5 years. Mr. MocConnell is promised 21.6 million over the next 4 years and is a beast of a hitter. However, although he likes to catch he is not very good at it. It will be interesting to see if the Bulls let him catch or place him at first.
Signings: Sonny Sherman is a spot reliever who probably will not be brought in during close games unless it is to face a lefty. He is signed to 3.6 million over the next two seasons which seems a little pricey for a lefty specialist. Pat Suzuki was signed to probably start at second base and will do a decent job there, but probably nothing special. 13.6 million over three years is again a lot of money to spend, but you can't really fault these contracts as its all supply and demand.
Impact: Moderate. The extensions of Valentin and McConnell will solidify the middle of the lineup for several years and will terrorize the NL East.
Charleston
Extensions: Two extensions for the Cougars in Jared Strickland and Eric Thomson. Strickland appears to be one of the few elite pitchers that didn't opt for free agency. In so doing Charleston looks to have gotten an absolute steal locking him u for 33.2 mil over 4 years. He is only 28 and should dominate the world for the next 10 seasons. There must be something in the water because Thomson is another elite player that the Cougars were able to keep off the market at about the same rice as Strickland. Thomson should hit plenty of homers while laying a solid SS, you can't beat that.
Signings: Skeeter Peterson was the only signing of note and is locked up for the next couple seasons at 2.8 mil per season. He will probably be slotted in to provide protection in the order for Thomson. He should hit a good amount of homers, but thats about it.
Impact: High. Strickland and Thomson are two all stars and both can compete for Cy Young and MVP awards respectively. On top of that, they are both signed to cap friendly deals for how valuable they are.
Charlotte
Extensions: None
Signings: Only one signing, but it was a big one. After oting for free agency, the Heels were able to re-sign Carl Stephenson . Stephenson certainly didn't come cheap as he is signed for 50 mil over the next 5 seasons. However, he is a bonafide ace, although Charlotte will have to hold their breath every time he takes the mound due to a marginal health rating.
Impact: Mild\Moderate - High Risk\High Reward signing for the Heels. If he stays healthy, he can be a Cy Young candidate every season. One or two major injuries and this contract will be an albatross around the Tar Heels neck.
Chicago Blue Demons
Extensions: Three major extensions for the Blue Demons in Patrick Davies , Paul Zhang , and Matthew Lennon . Davies is an interest signing. He is still young at only 26, but is pretty expensive at 14.4 mil over 3 seasons for a middle of the rotation starter primarily because of his average control and righty split. Some scouts believed the Demons would let Zhang walk because of his lack of control, however they decided to give him a chance and locked him up for 5.6 mil for the next two years with 2.8 mil on top of that tin a bonus. Lennon is a fantastic signing at 25 mil over the next 5 years as he will be slotted in at the top of the rotation. He certainly would have gotten more on the market.
Signings: One of the biggest and most expensive signings of the season, the Demons won the D'Angelo Prieto sweepstakes. Signed for 58 mil over the next 4 seasons with an extra 2 mil on top just to sign his name, Prieto will be counted on to anchor the middle of the Demons lineup for a long time. He is one of the, if not THE, premier hitters in the world as of now.
Impact: High. The signings of Lennon and Prieto definitely put them in the high category. Some scouts feel that the other contracts given out to Zhang and Davies should bring their rating down to moderate, but thePrieto and Lennon signings are just too big.
Chicago Illini
Extensions: Only one extension of note and it was a big one in Shane Cyr . One of the few contracts we've come across that escalates as the seasons tick on. However, he is only 28 and should be a very solid pitcher for a long time. Although his ridiculous stamina inflates his overall rating, this is definitely a guy that can be a #2 starter for a long time. He'll earn 36.5 mil over the next 5 seasons.
Signings: None
Impact: Mild\Moderate: Another team to only have one major signing, however pitching is always a premium in HBD and the Illini were able to lock up a young guy who should be a solid addition to the rotation for the next 5 seasons.
Columbus
Extensions: Julian Berry and Jamie Martin were the two guys the Buckeyes decided to bring back. Berry is a solid reliever who should get some tough outs and also is signed to a cheap contract of 4.4 mil over the next two seasons. Martin is another valuable addition to the team at a cap friendly price. At 7.8 mil over the next three seasons he is a guy the pitching staff in Columbus would love to throw to on a constant basis and while his bat isn't very good, its not a total liability.
Signings: The Buckeyes were one of the busier teams with three more major signings in
Juan Mercedes , Otis Nelson , and Vinny Priest . The Buckeyes targeted guys they thought might be overlooked and made sure they were guys they wouldn't have to bid very much (if any) against other teams. All are signed to cheap contracts. Nelson will be slotted in at the back of the rotation and\or long reliever and the other two will be counted on to itch in the last few innings.
Impact: Mild\Moderate. There isn't any one player that jumps out as a difference maker, but the Buckeyes were able to add a lot of depth and were able to do so with very cap friendly contracts.
Detroit
Extensions: None
Signings: None
Impact: HUGE! Just kidding. Detroit decided to ignore the free agent market this season.
Fargo
Extensions: None
Signings: None.
Impact: Two teams in a row that didn't re-sign or sign anyone to major deals. It is well documented on the forums that Fargo tried to go after a couple big ticket players, but was unsuccessful.
Florida
Extensions:
Signings: Three major signings for the Gators as it looks by their FA and trade activity of bringing in vets, they are hoping to make an immediate run for the pennant and series. The three guys the Gators brought in are Alfonso Reyes , Vitas Boone , and Rob Jacquez . Reyes was brought in as a defensive specialist at catcher and at the price of 2.25 mil over three seasons is definitely a nice signing. Boone is an absolute beast of a hitter and was very highly sought after and is locked up at 36 mil over the next 4 seasons. He should hit a ton of homeruns, although a lot will probably come on the road as Florida plays in a huge pitchers park. Jacquez is another defensive specialist and will be placed in CF and with him awesome range, hopefully can patrol the cavernous gaps at home.
Impact: Moderate. Three solid signings and Boone should be a perennial all star.
Honolulu
Extensions: None
Signings: None
Impact: None due to standing pat with their roster and improving through trades.
Iowa City
Extensions:
Signings: Iowa City came away with three impact pitchers as they signed Hersh Reynolds , Charles Carlyle , and Jake Hardy . None of them cam cheap as Hardy will be making 41 mil for 5 seasons, Carlyle will make 40 mil for 5 seasons, and Reynolds 13.4 for the next three. Hardy and Carlyle will both be fixtures at the top of the rotation and Reynolds will be employed as a premier stopper\closer.
Impact: High. Three very good pitchers were signed that have to help make Iowa City an early favorite in the NL.
Jackson
Extensions: None
Signings: The Rebels came away with four new players in Thomas Xavier , Cesar Ordaz , Jaime Riggan , and Paul Aoki . Xavier is the most expensive at a little over 17 mil for 4 seasons and although he might be a tad expensive for his ratings, he should be a solid catcher with above average defensive ratings and an average bat. Almost three million for Ordaz is interesting as he will be a guy the manager will only be able to bring in to face one batter before being taken out. Over the course of a season this should limit him to very few innings pitched in total. Some scouts also think Riggan is not worth the 11+ million he is signed for. Although he does have very good power, his splits are sub par and his defense at third will only be average at best. Scouts are also interested to see how Aoki performs as he also has great power and average splits, but he is always, and I mean always swinging for the fences. Not a bad flyer to take on a guy for one season to see what happens.
Impact: Mild. Although the Rebels signed four players; none of them are impact guys and they mgiht have overpaid for a couple. All four will add depth.
Kansas City
Extensions: The Wildcats locked up both Johan Oquist and Norman Borders before they could hit the market. Oquist is one of the best hitting catchers in the world and at 12 mil over the next three seasons is definitely a bargain. Borders will be making 22 mil over the next 4 seasons and should be one of the most dominant closers in the world during that time. His splits are almost perfect and anyone would kill to have him closing out games.
Signings: None
Impact: High. Quality over quanitity here. One guys is a fearsome hitter who can catch and the other should lock down the last inning of every game he is brought into. Both are signed to very good deals.
Las Vegas
Extensions: None
Signings: Vegas was very busy as they signed five guys that were on the market. They are Jorge Espinosa , Bingo Tracy , Aaron Witt , Lee Henry , and Yuniesky Jacquez . Espinoza is a cheap signing and scouts are split on whether he should be a back of the rotation guy or long reliever. Tracy is another cheap signing, but GM's were shocked he was even signed since his slits are so below average there are not many who think he can contribute. Witt is an interesting signing. His splits are very good and he loves facing righties, but his he doesn't have a lot of power and or contact ratings. It looks like Vegas is already having some buyers remorse with him as he has already cleared waivers. Henry should be a good defensive replacement and can play a solid center field. Jacquez is easily the best signing as he can be a to of the rotation starter, although he'll only be able to go about 6 innings.
Impact: Mild. As noted above, Jacquez is a solid pitcher and his salary is very ca friendly, however we're not sure how the rest of the guys will fit in.
Los Angeles
Extensions: The Bruins re-signed Marvin Rivera to a four year deal worth a little less than 20 mil. Might be a little on the expensive side just because his splits will probably prevent him from being a great closer. He looks to be more of a secondary setup man.
Signings: LA was very busy in the free agent market. They decided early on to trade their expensive vets away for prospects and build for the future so these signings are guys that will help them remain competitive while building for said future. The five guys are Ray Lane , Chris Towers , B.C. Tatis , Bip Serrano , Heinie Judd . Lane and Serrano are decent guys to have in the bullpen and are cheap at under 2 million just for this season. Towers is about the same as Lane except his splits are slightly lower and is signed for two seasons. Judd should be a decent innings eater at the back of the rotation. Tatis is a bit of a controversial signing. He is signed for 7.4 mil each season for the next two seasons. He has unbelievable power and the Bruins hoe that will outweigh his slightly below average splits and eye. There are other instances of this occurring so its an interesting gamble.
Imact: Mild. The Bruins don't plan on contending this season and a lot of the signings are just filler, but they did do a good job in signing guys that will help them stay competitive which is very important.
Louisville
Extensions: None
Signings: Only one signing for the Cardinals and that is Tommy Jackson . Jackson was signed to be a starter and it will be interesting to see how he does. His pitches are great and control is above average, however his splits are decidedly mediocre. He also throws a lot of ground balls. At a little over 5 million total for the next two seasons, he is a solid signing and they didn't overpay for him.
Impact: Mild. Jackson won't be a guy to tip a division\wild card race in oe direction or another, but will provide solid depth.
Memphis
Extensions: None
Signings: The Tigers won the Paul Fujiwara sweepstakes and also signed Javier Salinas. Fujiwara is going to be a rich rich man for a long time as he'll be earning a whopping 22.5 mil this season (including bonus) and 66.5 mil over the course of 5 seasons. Fujiwara will be a to of the rotation for a few seasons, however some scouts are worried about his makeup. The Tigers are probably going to have to keep their training budget pretty high just to offset that rating because of the huge investment they have tied up in Fujiwara. Salinas will be a solid reliever nd especially is good at getting out righties.
Impact: High. Fujiwara is one of the top pitchers in the league and the Tigers will be counting on a huge season from him. Its crazy that even if he won 22 games he still would be earning more than a million per win this season.
Nashville
Extensions: The guys the COmmodores didn't want to let hit the market were Marc Hughes and Otto Cosby . Hughes was actually bought out of his three seasons of arbitration and the Commodores must have thought that he would be asking for very high sums in arbitration since they only locked him up for three seasons. he should be one of the better hitting catchers in the league. Cosby also was bought out of his final year of arbitration and is signed to another three season season deal for 18 million. He should be one of the top hitting players int he league and with his splits and contact rating should hit for very high average.
Signings: Nashville was very active in free agency. They signed Rob Duffy for three mil just for this season and although he struggles sometimes against righties should be a decent starter and\or long reliever. Randall Young is a great signing and will be a fixture at the top of the rotation although with his stamina he will only be able to go 5-6 innings a start. Mike Koch is a decent reliever at a nice price at under 2 mil a season. Ditto for Lawrence Williams although he could also be a spot starter.
Impact: Moderate\High. Hughes, Cosby, and Young are all very good players that should form the core of this Nashville team and the GM did a good job of signign some other guys for needed depth at good prices.
New Orleans
Extensions: None
Signings: The Privateers decided to only sign a couple guys in Bobby King and Enrique Cubillan . King should be a solid end of the gamr reliever with above average splits and he is also signed a pretty good deal at a little under 4 mil per season for 3 seasons. he is only 28 so he has plenty of solid seasons ahead. Scouts are split on hos effective Cubillan can be and if he is worth 11 mil over the next two seasons. He has fantastic control and a couple great pitches, but that is tempered by slightly above average splits and although he has a nice stamina rating, his durability hurts. The Privateers will have to decide on limiting his pitch count so he can pitch every fifth day or letting him pitch to his full stamina and giving him a couple extra days off.
Impact: Mild. Two solid, yet unspectacular signings. Will add deth to an already very good team.
New York
Extensions: The Red Storm bought out the last year of arbitration and signed Wes Crane to 2.25 mil over the next three seasons. His splits and control are awesome, however his stamina and durability ratings will limit him to very few innings pitched and almost undoubtedly only one hitter at a time.
Signings: New York signed three pitchers out of free agency in Davey Diaz , Willie Pascual , and Francisco Delgado . Mr. Diaz was another one of the top pitchers and he certainly struck it rich and will be paid over 50 mil the next four seasons. He should be a top of the line starter and New York hoes he will still be near the top of his game as his contract comes to an end. Pascual ill be a nice addition to the bullpen, however the combination of a sub park second pitch and throwing a lot of fly ball outs has to be a little scary. Delgado should be a good player to close out ball games and well worth the 9 million over the next three seasons.
Impact: High. Diaz alone makes this free agency haul a success, but the additions of Pascual and Delgado certainly help. They should all like pitching in Shea Stadium.
Oakland
Extensions: None
Signings: Oakland was busy in free agency and made sure to lock up four players. they are Kennie Byrne , Buzz Garcia , Virgil Rodriguez , Sam Belitz . Byrne is a very nice signing as a stop gap pitcher. Although he is 35, he still has some solid skills and at 5.6 million is pricey, but only signed for this season. Depending on how he does Oland can always extend him. Garcia is also a nice signing. 9.2 mil for two seasons and he will be the Cardinal closer. Very good control and splits with a nice stamina for a reliever and he could see a lot of innings. Rodriguez is a ridiculous hitter, but will only be able to play in about half of Oakland's games fully rested. Belitz should be solid defensivly although the 79 glove is below average for a shortstop and his other defensive ratings are higher. he also has some really ncie pop to his bat which is always nice to find in a SS.
Impact: Moderate. Oakland did a great job of finding some nice value while not tying up a lot of their cap for future seasons.
Philadelphia
Extensions: None
Signings: Neal Padgett should be a solid starter, although he struggles against lefties at times. At 5.6 mil per season for three seasons, Philly will hope the struggles against lefties are minimized. Ed Donatello looks to be strictly used in long relief and\or mop up duty. Not sure what they plan on doing with Bill Miller . He is now signed for the next three seasons at 2.8 mil per season, but some scouts feel he is more of a 4th outfielder type. Steven Mecir is fantastic value at 3+ million a year. He is unbelievably good at putting his bat on the ball. Mickey Smith should be outstanding defensively and decent at the plate. Although he is 33, Philly only signed him to a one year deal which was smart. Last but not least is another solid player in Dennis Li.
Impact: Moderate\High. Some really nice signings in here. However it looks like they may have one too many outfielders signed just from free agency, let alone who is already on their roster. The Owls will obviously DH them and possibly rotate them all.
Pittsburgh
Extensions: None
Signings: Only one free agent signing for the Panthers and thats Clint Prokopec . Clint should be a nice back of the rotation type starter at a reasonable price of about 2 mil per season for the next two seasons.
Impact: Mild. Always nice to get a guy like Prokopec cheap, but probably doesn't do much to scare anyone in the division.
Portland
Extensions: Scouts are split on whether signing Bill Webb to a 4 year deals for over 10 million was the right move or not. On one hand he has a great arm for a catcher, but his pitch calling skills are only a little above average. His contact skills as a hitter are nice, but everything else is below average. On top of this he is constantly getting hurt.
Signings: Another questionable signing by the Ducks in signing Louis Adkinsson to 3 years and almost 4 mil per season. He has great control and stamina, but he really struggles against righties. The Ducks are hoping he can gain some points in that category. Ivan Nunez also is probably making more than he thought he was going to. He is fast and will play a decent second base, but he has never seen a pitch he doesn't like and will strike out a lot.
Impact: Mild. Seems like a lot of money to throw at guys that are pretty average. But who knows, maybe the Portland GM knows more than the scouts!
Salem
Extensions: None
Signings: None
Impact: None. Salem is the third team to stand pat and see where they are in season one without spending a ton of money.
Seattle
Extensions: None
Signings: Seattle was busy and signed Tanyon Torres , Ignacio Olivares , Nigel Fujiwara , Gus Harris . Torres is yet another example of a guy who was probably signed just to eat innings. He'll either be placed at the end of the rotation or as a long reliever. Investing a little under 5 mil over two seasons is about right. Olivares has been playing baseball forever and still has some skills at the tender age of 36. Seattle was smart to only lock him up for a season and if he plays well they can always extend him. Fujiwara will make a nice chunk of change, 8+ mil for the next two seasons while patrolling the cavernous outfield in Seattle and stealing as many bases as he can. Not sure how effective Harris will be due to his splits, but he is not overly expensive and his control is great to go along with two solid pitches.
Impact: Mild. None of these guys really jump out as team changers, but all fill a role and should help Seattle in season 1.
Syracuse
Extensions: Myron Holbert will be a top of the rotation pitcher for the Cuse for the next 5 seasons. He will be very good although his stamina will limit him to 5-6 innings a start so hopefully the Orange will have some guys to take over for the many leads Holbert will leave them with. First of all, Cap Burroughs has a great first name and secondly should be one of the better short stops in the league. Again its always nice for a good defensive shortstop to have a nice bat.
Signings: Only one free agency signing for the Orange and that is Sandy Niekro . Niekro will be one of those guys I mentioned that will be counted on to close the door on the leads pitchers like Holbert will hopefully leave.
Impact: Moderate\High. Locking up Holbert and Burroughs were smart moves and finding a guy like Niekro to help close the door on leads was also a good idea.
Texas
Extensions: None
Signings: None
Impact: None. This is the fourth team to take a pass on free agency.
Extensions: Sam Stone is one of the best players in the league and it was a no brainer to lock him u long term.
Signings: Wichita is a pitchers park and the Jayhawks targeted Christopher Ford who doesn't have the great measurables, but should enjoy pitching in Wichita
Impact: Moderate. Whenever a player like Stone is locked up, its a big news event.
Rule V Draft Recap
Instead of running through the draft order, I'm going to go alphabetically team by team. Please keep in mind that my advanced scouting is only at 14 million and so I could see different projections then you. Also, this is meant as something fun and to spark debate, not as any kind of personal attack.
Arizona
The Sun Devils chose Don Whiteside with the 11th pick in the first round.. Scouts are split as to what Don will amount to in the bigs. Some say he could be a serviceable starter at the back of the rotation, while others feel that his average splits will make him more of a long reliever or for use in mop up duty.
Atlanta
With the first pick in the rule v draft, the Yellow jackets selected Marco Egan . Egan looks to be a decent first baseman with a little more pop than contact. He also would rather face a lefty than a righty in a tight spot. His OBP\OPS is helped by his above average eye.
Buffalo
The Bulls selected Zoltan Harang in the first round and Mateo Almonte in the second. Harang would project to a back of the rotation starter or long reliever except for his awful durability. Not sure what the Bulls plan to get out of Harang, but the owner will have to decide between a long pitch count with tons of rest or a short pitch count to get more use out of him on a daily basis. As for Almonte, scouts see that he has great control and a couple good pitches, however scouts feel his below average splits could really hurt him.
Charlotte
The Heels went into the Rule V targeting a catcher and were able to get their second choice with the 16th pick in Pedro Owen . Although Owen only has average pitch calling skills, this is still an upgrade over the current backup catcher and he has a decent arm for defensive purposes to go along with some good contact skills, especially against lefties.
Chicago
The Illini chose two players in the rule v with selections of Slick Schneider and Zack Morandini . Schneider looks like he can be a decent back up catcher with above average defensive ratings and some pop in his bat. Morandini looks to be a fantastic choice in the second round as he looks to be a solid middle reliever. He is only average against righties, but the rest of his ratings make him a nice selection.
Detroit
Yet another catcher is chosen as the Wolverines selected Rich Key . Key looks like he will be a fantastic defensive backup catcher. Pitching staffs love to work with him and Detroit is probably very happy he dropped to them.
Honolulu
The Warriors chose one of the highest rated overall players in the rule v draft in Benito Romero . Scouts seem to think he is a bit overrated due to his very high stamina. However, he is very good against lefties and should be a serviceable pitcher with very good control and some nice pitches. With their second pick, the Warriors chose Bip Hardy who looks to be a fantastic pick. The Warriors were shocked he dropped all the way to the second round and scooped him up with the 41st pick. He is awesome power to go along with a decent eye. Although he hits lefites much better than righties, scouts feel his power makes up for that.
Jackson
Another team to choose two players, the Rebels chose Ringo Stanley and Jaime Robinson . Scouts are split on these selections. Stanley has great power, but little else and seems to be a reach. Robinson has great splits and pitches, however, he can't seem to hit water falling out of a boat as his control is horrible. Jackson is confident his splits and velocity will make up for the lack of control.
Las Vegas
Vegas felt they needed a lot of help and chose three players in the rule v. Emil Miles was their first choice with the second pick overall. Miles should immediately helps as all of his hitting ratings are slightly above average to above average. Their second choice, Russ Eischen is another guy that can step into the lineup immediately at second base.If The Runnin' Rebs are patient, Alan Locke could be a great choice in the third round. Although he is still a ways away from his projections, Locke could be a very good reliever for a long time. Time will tell if this promotion to the bigs will hrut more than help.
Louisville
With the 25th pick, the Cards went with Russ Munoz . Munoz looks like he can be a serviceable reliever with average splits, great control, and two above average pitches. However, his facial hair is also very imposing.
Memphis
I'm not sure how this is possible, but Memphis did not choose someone in the first round, however they did choose Craig Kennedy with the 51st pick in the second. The Tigers were ecstatic to see Kennedy drop to them. he has a loooong way to go to reach his projections and some scouts feel that he'll probably need more time in the minors after this season in the majors for more seasoning. If he does reach his projections, he will be a lockdown lefty specialist. Control is something he needs to work on.
New Orleans
With the 30th pick, the Privateers chose Brett Waters . Waters looks to be a decent bat off the bench. He has above average power, but a real asset is his unbelievable batting eye. The Privateers hope this translates to a good OBP\OPS pinch hitter.
Philadelphia
The Owls chose a very nice catcher in Juan Tatis . He definitely can be a starting catcher in the bigs with solid defensive ratings to go along with a very nice bat. With their second choice the Owls selected Elmer Peterson . Scouts believe Peterson is another guy who could be a back of the rotation guy, but probably more of a long reliever\mop up type pitcher because of his splits. Not a bad choice to choose a pitcher to "eat innings" as he comes cheap.
Portland
The Ducks chose a whopping four players in the rule v. Kevin Flynn was their first choice and scouts are not sure he will do much in the bigs because his splits are so low and looks to be a reach with a first round choice. Their second choice, Gerald Maddox compares very favorable to their first choice. Everything looks solid, except his splits are a bit low. Merv Lilly was the third choice and looks to be a very nice pick from here. He can be a nice defensive replacement for most of the positions on the field and his bat isn't half bad. Their fourth pick, Derrick Montgomery doesn't look to be ready for the bigs nor do scouts believe he ever will. He has a very weak bat and he doesn't have the defensive prowess to make up for it.
Salem
The Beavers decided to choose three players. With their first pick, they chose Bernie Ransom who can be slotted in the rotation which is always a nice get from the rule v. Kenneth Jordan can be a solid defensive replacement off the bench. Dernell Garvin is another defensive specialist. Not sure if Salem really wants to keep two defensive specialists on the roster, one of these guys may be offered back.
Seattle\
Seattle wins the award for most choices in the rule v draft with 5 picks! With their first choice, the Huskies chose Max Tabaka. Scouts love his mustache, his control and his pitches, however this is another pitcher where the splits might haunt him. Wesley Bryne was the second choice and could be a nice utility player. Wendell Beckett is another nice utility player and also does a great Chris Sabo impersonation with those spectacles. Tuck Ellis is yet another guy that probably can find some at bats here and there, but is probably not a great choice to be an everyday player. With their last pick, Eric Voigt is a very nice choice as he can be a great defensive replacement while not sacrificing a bat totally due to his splits and batting eye.
Syracuse
With the 22nd pick, the Orange chose R.J. Johnson who looks to be a nice value selection as a decent reliever and a great righty specialist. His durability combined with his stamina will limit his innings pitched.
Arizona
The Sun Devils chose Don Whiteside with the 11th pick in the first round.. Scouts are split as to what Don will amount to in the bigs. Some say he could be a serviceable starter at the back of the rotation, while others feel that his average splits will make him more of a long reliever or for use in mop up duty.
Atlanta
With the first pick in the rule v draft, the Yellow jackets selected Marco Egan . Egan looks to be a decent first baseman with a little more pop than contact. He also would rather face a lefty than a righty in a tight spot. His OBP\OPS is helped by his above average eye.
Buffalo
The Bulls selected Zoltan Harang in the first round and Mateo Almonte in the second. Harang would project to a back of the rotation starter or long reliever except for his awful durability. Not sure what the Bulls plan to get out of Harang, but the owner will have to decide between a long pitch count with tons of rest or a short pitch count to get more use out of him on a daily basis. As for Almonte, scouts see that he has great control and a couple good pitches, however scouts feel his below average splits could really hurt him.
Charlotte
The Heels went into the Rule V targeting a catcher and were able to get their second choice with the 16th pick in Pedro Owen . Although Owen only has average pitch calling skills, this is still an upgrade over the current backup catcher and he has a decent arm for defensive purposes to go along with some good contact skills, especially against lefties.
Chicago
The Illini chose two players in the rule v with selections of Slick Schneider and Zack Morandini . Schneider looks like he can be a decent back up catcher with above average defensive ratings and some pop in his bat. Morandini looks to be a fantastic choice in the second round as he looks to be a solid middle reliever. He is only average against righties, but the rest of his ratings make him a nice selection.
Detroit
Yet another catcher is chosen as the Wolverines selected Rich Key . Key looks like he will be a fantastic defensive backup catcher. Pitching staffs love to work with him and Detroit is probably very happy he dropped to them.
Honolulu
The Warriors chose one of the highest rated overall players in the rule v draft in Benito Romero . Scouts seem to think he is a bit overrated due to his very high stamina. However, he is very good against lefties and should be a serviceable pitcher with very good control and some nice pitches. With their second pick, the Warriors chose Bip Hardy who looks to be a fantastic pick. The Warriors were shocked he dropped all the way to the second round and scooped him up with the 41st pick. He is awesome power to go along with a decent eye. Although he hits lefites much better than righties, scouts feel his power makes up for that.
Jackson
Another team to choose two players, the Rebels chose Ringo Stanley and Jaime Robinson . Scouts are split on these selections. Stanley has great power, but little else and seems to be a reach. Robinson has great splits and pitches, however, he can't seem to hit water falling out of a boat as his control is horrible. Jackson is confident his splits and velocity will make up for the lack of control.
Las Vegas
Vegas felt they needed a lot of help and chose three players in the rule v. Emil Miles was their first choice with the second pick overall. Miles should immediately helps as all of his hitting ratings are slightly above average to above average. Their second choice, Russ Eischen is another guy that can step into the lineup immediately at second base.If The Runnin' Rebs are patient, Alan Locke could be a great choice in the third round. Although he is still a ways away from his projections, Locke could be a very good reliever for a long time. Time will tell if this promotion to the bigs will hrut more than help.
Louisville
With the 25th pick, the Cards went with Russ Munoz . Munoz looks like he can be a serviceable reliever with average splits, great control, and two above average pitches. However, his facial hair is also very imposing.
Memphis
I'm not sure how this is possible, but Memphis did not choose someone in the first round, however they did choose Craig Kennedy with the 51st pick in the second. The Tigers were ecstatic to see Kennedy drop to them. he has a loooong way to go to reach his projections and some scouts feel that he'll probably need more time in the minors after this season in the majors for more seasoning. If he does reach his projections, he will be a lockdown lefty specialist. Control is something he needs to work on.
New Orleans
With the 30th pick, the Privateers chose Brett Waters . Waters looks to be a decent bat off the bench. He has above average power, but a real asset is his unbelievable batting eye. The Privateers hope this translates to a good OBP\OPS pinch hitter.
Philadelphia
The Owls chose a very nice catcher in Juan Tatis . He definitely can be a starting catcher in the bigs with solid defensive ratings to go along with a very nice bat. With their second choice the Owls selected Elmer Peterson . Scouts believe Peterson is another guy who could be a back of the rotation guy, but probably more of a long reliever\mop up type pitcher because of his splits. Not a bad choice to choose a pitcher to "eat innings" as he comes cheap.
Portland
The Ducks chose a whopping four players in the rule v. Kevin Flynn was their first choice and scouts are not sure he will do much in the bigs because his splits are so low and looks to be a reach with a first round choice. Their second choice, Gerald Maddox compares very favorable to their first choice. Everything looks solid, except his splits are a bit low. Merv Lilly was the third choice and looks to be a very nice pick from here. He can be a nice defensive replacement for most of the positions on the field and his bat isn't half bad. Their fourth pick, Derrick Montgomery doesn't look to be ready for the bigs nor do scouts believe he ever will. He has a very weak bat and he doesn't have the defensive prowess to make up for it.
Salem
The Beavers decided to choose three players. With their first pick, they chose Bernie Ransom who can be slotted in the rotation which is always a nice get from the rule v. Kenneth Jordan can be a solid defensive replacement off the bench. Dernell Garvin is another defensive specialist. Not sure if Salem really wants to keep two defensive specialists on the roster, one of these guys may be offered back.
Seattle\
Seattle wins the award for most choices in the rule v draft with 5 picks! With their first choice, the Huskies chose Max Tabaka. Scouts love his mustache, his control and his pitches, however this is another pitcher where the splits might haunt him. Wesley Bryne was the second choice and could be a nice utility player. Wendell Beckett is another nice utility player and also does a great Chris Sabo impersonation with those spectacles. Tuck Ellis is yet another guy that probably can find some at bats here and there, but is probably not a great choice to be an everyday player. With their last pick, Eric Voigt is a very nice choice as he can be a great defensive replacement while not sacrificing a bat totally due to his splits and batting eye.
Syracuse
With the 22nd pick, the Orange chose R.J. Johnson who looks to be a nice value selection as a decent reliever and a great righty specialist. His durability combined with his stamina will limit his innings pitched.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Welcome
Welcome to the inaugural season of the NCAA World. As of now I'm planning on doing a free agency review, rule v draft review, amateur draft review, and we'll post the vote on season predictions for the world and do a quarterly "power poll." Please let me know if you would like to contribute to the blog or have any other ideas.
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