I wanted to provide an update regarding an owner situation that the competition committee has come to a decision on. Unfortunately cnsmuck will not get to the 70 win level that was required of him due to being on probation after eclipsing 200 losses over two seasons. That being said, cn kept up a steady stream of communication about how he was trying to improve his team over the past three seasons, unfortunately he fell short. The competition committee felt he did his best and cn let us know how much he enjoyed NCAA World and if there was ever an opportunity to come back, he'd like to be considered. Shortly thereafter, Oakland's current owner, jlipp993 let me know he wouldn't be returning. After consulting with the committee, we decided to offer cnsmuck that team. We believe this is a fair deal all around. CN doesn't get to "take advantage" of several losing seasons in a row with high draft picks, etc and NCAA doesn't lose a good, quality owner who has been with this world since the beginning. Le me be clear, each member of the committee researched the moved cn has made over the last few seasons and none of believe cn came anywhere close to "tanking." However, rules are rules, and we weren't prepared to make an exception or anything like that, nor did cn has for one. We have a great owner, tbone66, who will be taking over the Iowa City franchise.
Please send me a trade chat if you have any questions and/or concerns. Thanks for your time!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Season 11 - AL Power Rankings (All Star Break)
AL Power Rankings to represent the NL in the World Series.
-Rankings are based on expected win pct (run differential), standings, and stats.
-Some owners submitted recaps of their teams, I will point that out when applicable.
Please, please, pleaseeeeeee don’t take this seriously. This is purely for fun and is just to make this blog better. This is strictly for entertainment value and to promote discussion and debate.
Contenders
1. Philadelphia Owls – jeanpaul: For the fourth season in a row, the Owls should win their division title. Second in the AL right now, they are first in HR, second in RBIs, Runs and third in batting average. On the mound, they are first in WHIP and second in ERA. After losing to Fargo last season, they hope that the addition of Otis Damon and Daisuke Suzuki will give them what they missed last season in the playoff. Key players to watch: Haywood Bryant and Domingo Servet.
2. Salem Beavers - jarazix: The season is going as planned. Currently leading the division with the AL's best record, most runs scored, 2nd in ERA. Jack Nicholas continues to develop with last years acquisition Wes Cyr alread at 104 RBI. He and Bill Morton may compete for the MVP.
On the pitching end Al Vadez is 15-2 and should compete for the Cy Young, 3 other pitchers have 7+ wins as well.
If injuries hit Chip Leonard is primed to take his spot in the big leagues.
The team will finish likely in the top 2 in scoring and record. We'll see how the playoffs go.
3. Fargo Bison - Certainly won't go out on the limb of calling the Bison a pretender like I did last season. The defending champs are leading the AL North and look poised to do some damage in the playoffs, but doesn't look like they'll achieve a bye.
4. Anaheim Trojans - Anaheim/Salem is like Charlotte/Syracuse. One team could have a fantastic season and still be stuck in the opening round of the playoffs. This team is very well rounded.
Pretenders
5. Minnesota Golden Gophers - Might be able to go on a run to win the title, but the smart money is on winning a wild card spot. Probably still a season or two away from doing a ton of damage unless they go on a "Fargo" esqe run.
6. Little Rock Razorbacks - The AL South doesn't have a team with an expected win pct above .470, but someone has to win the division.
7. Jackson Rebels - The Rebels have been bolstered by their success in one run games which has them playing well over their heads. Will battle the Razorbacks for the division title, but neither team will go far in the playoffs.
8. Cincinnati Bearcats - Treading water in the tough AL North. They have some nice prospects making debuts this season or shortly over the horizon. The future is bright in Cincy and will continue to make the AL North a tough division.
9. New York Red Storm - Almost put them in the "Is it next season" yet category, but they have been extremely unlucky this season. There is an outside chance of going on a serious streak and making a run at a wild card spot.
Is it next season yet?
10. Seattle Huskies - The Seattle Mariners have been a work in progress with four key veterans departing and nine newcomers taking their places. Two of the prospects added in the Miguel Barcello deal are already paying dividends. 23-year-old Carlos Soriano has forged a 13-4 record at the All-Star break with a 2.99ERA and 1.21WHIP. 23-year-old Angel Trevino has become the primary set-up man with a 2-0 W-L, 3.86ERA and 1.31WHIP. Tyson Seaver (2B) obtained in the Eric Haynes trade takes over at 2B and prized rookie Kevin Xiao fills Haynes' spot at 3B. C Hooks Cheney continues to impress in his second full season with .296/.362/.584 with 29 HR at the break, while Rule 5 SP Deion Moreno and veteran FA SP Al Cortes have been pleasant surprises. Hovering around the .500 mark most of the season, the Mariners find themselves having a realistic shot at the playoffs if they can keep improving as the season progresses. This would be a first for the franchise after ten seasons of mediocrity.
11. Oakland Golden Bears - All 4 teams in the AL West have expected winning pcts above .500 which is unusual. Management in Oakland didn't expect much this season so this team seems to be playing above expectations.
12. Portland Ducks – sirius07 - Honestly, I thought that the Ducks would be better this season, but it seems that something is missing in the team to make it works. If the season would end now, it would be their first 4th place in the AL North division.
We still have time to move up since the division is not very strong, but it will be hard. To be in the series, the Ducks need to finish 1st because there is better team in the wild card race.
13. New Orleans Bayou Bengals - The negative here is another rebuilding season in New Orleans, but the positive is it doesn't look like it will take much to take the AL South next season.
14. Charleston Cougars - Surprised no one has made a run at Jared Strickland as he could definitely help a contender while helping the Cougars along in their rebuilding efforts.
15. Nashville Commodores - Spending a ton of cash in Free Agency hasn't seemed to make the magic happen in Nashville. Owner meteu is a savvy veteran so could he have a trick or two up his sleeve?
16. Chicago Blue Demons - Rebuilding project continues.
-Rankings are based on expected win pct (run differential), standings, and stats.
-Some owners submitted recaps of their teams, I will point that out when applicable.
Please, please, pleaseeeeeee don’t take this seriously. This is purely for fun and is just to make this blog better. This is strictly for entertainment value and to promote discussion and debate.
Contenders
1. Philadelphia Owls – jeanpaul: For the fourth season in a row, the Owls should win their division title. Second in the AL right now, they are first in HR, second in RBIs, Runs and third in batting average. On the mound, they are first in WHIP and second in ERA. After losing to Fargo last season, they hope that the addition of Otis Damon and Daisuke Suzuki will give them what they missed last season in the playoff. Key players to watch: Haywood Bryant and Domingo Servet.
2. Salem Beavers - jarazix: The season is going as planned. Currently leading the division with the AL's best record, most runs scored, 2nd in ERA. Jack Nicholas continues to develop with last years acquisition Wes Cyr alread at 104 RBI. He and Bill Morton may compete for the MVP.
On the pitching end Al Vadez is 15-2 and should compete for the Cy Young, 3 other pitchers have 7+ wins as well.
If injuries hit Chip Leonard is primed to take his spot in the big leagues.
The team will finish likely in the top 2 in scoring and record. We'll see how the playoffs go.
3. Fargo Bison - Certainly won't go out on the limb of calling the Bison a pretender like I did last season. The defending champs are leading the AL North and look poised to do some damage in the playoffs, but doesn't look like they'll achieve a bye.
4. Anaheim Trojans - Anaheim/Salem is like Charlotte/Syracuse. One team could have a fantastic season and still be stuck in the opening round of the playoffs. This team is very well rounded.
Pretenders
5. Minnesota Golden Gophers - Might be able to go on a run to win the title, but the smart money is on winning a wild card spot. Probably still a season or two away from doing a ton of damage unless they go on a "Fargo" esqe run.
6. Little Rock Razorbacks - The AL South doesn't have a team with an expected win pct above .470, but someone has to win the division.
7. Jackson Rebels - The Rebels have been bolstered by their success in one run games which has them playing well over their heads. Will battle the Razorbacks for the division title, but neither team will go far in the playoffs.
8. Cincinnati Bearcats - Treading water in the tough AL North. They have some nice prospects making debuts this season or shortly over the horizon. The future is bright in Cincy and will continue to make the AL North a tough division.
9. New York Red Storm - Almost put them in the "Is it next season" yet category, but they have been extremely unlucky this season. There is an outside chance of going on a serious streak and making a run at a wild card spot.
Is it next season yet?
10. Seattle Huskies - The Seattle Mariners have been a work in progress with four key veterans departing and nine newcomers taking their places. Two of the prospects added in the Miguel Barcello deal are already paying dividends. 23-year-old Carlos Soriano has forged a 13-4 record at the All-Star break with a 2.99ERA and 1.21WHIP. 23-year-old Angel Trevino has become the primary set-up man with a 2-0 W-L, 3.86ERA and 1.31WHIP. Tyson Seaver (2B) obtained in the Eric Haynes trade takes over at 2B and prized rookie Kevin Xiao fills Haynes' spot at 3B. C Hooks Cheney continues to impress in his second full season with .296/.362/.584 with 29 HR at the break, while Rule 5 SP Deion Moreno and veteran FA SP Al Cortes have been pleasant surprises. Hovering around the .500 mark most of the season, the Mariners find themselves having a realistic shot at the playoffs if they can keep improving as the season progresses. This would be a first for the franchise after ten seasons of mediocrity.
11. Oakland Golden Bears - All 4 teams in the AL West have expected winning pcts above .500 which is unusual. Management in Oakland didn't expect much this season so this team seems to be playing above expectations.
12. Portland Ducks – sirius07 - Honestly, I thought that the Ducks would be better this season, but it seems that something is missing in the team to make it works. If the season would end now, it would be their first 4th place in the AL North division.
We still have time to move up since the division is not very strong, but it will be hard. To be in the series, the Ducks need to finish 1st because there is better team in the wild card race.
13. New Orleans Bayou Bengals - The negative here is another rebuilding season in New Orleans, but the positive is it doesn't look like it will take much to take the AL South next season.
14. Charleston Cougars - Surprised no one has made a run at Jared Strickland as he could definitely help a contender while helping the Cougars along in their rebuilding efforts.
15. Nashville Commodores - Spending a ton of cash in Free Agency hasn't seemed to make the magic happen in Nashville. Owner meteu is a savvy veteran so could he have a trick or two up his sleeve?
16. Chicago Blue Demons - Rebuilding project continues.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Season 11 - NL Power Rankings (All Star Break)
NL Power Rankings to represent the NL in the World Series.
-Rankings are based on expected win pct (run differential), standings, and stats.
-Some owners submitted recaps of their teams, I will post the owners name before the blurb to show that they are the author.
Please, please, pleaseeeeeee don’t take this seriously. This is purely for fun and is just to make this blog better. This is strictly for entertainment value and to promote discussion and debate.
Contenders – small number of contenders in the NL as there is a huge clump of mediocracy.
1. Charlotte Tar Heels – Leading the NL in record, winning pct, and expected winning pct while leading the league in pitching, second in fielding, and top 5 in hitting makes them the team to beat so far. However, the Orange are breathing down their neck in the NL East. Unfortunately for both teams, it looks like they have sizeable leads in the standing dept, but one will get stuck without a playoff bye for the second season in a row which is huge.
2. Syracuse Orange – Evil Doers: The Syracuse Orange are obviously a contender. We have the fourth best record with a very strong chance to make the playoffs for the seventh straight season. Winning their fifth straight NL East title may be a different story as we continue to trail the tough Charlotte Tar Heels.
Season 11 is actually going about as planned. Michael Seay continues to bash. Free agent pitcher has been as good as expected with a 10-4 3.49 at the break.
Two rookies are platooning at the top of the order, Raymond Nixon and Gustavo Savillia. Both were number one picks. They’ve been doing a fine job. Nixon has the edge with a nice .392 ob%.
Staying healthy and getting some breaks in the playoffs are what matters now.
3. Arizona Sun Devils – Welcome back to the Sun Devils who had a disappointing Season 10. I was tempted to place them in the pretender pile, just because Charlotte and Syracuse are in a class of their own, however they are leading for the second playoff bye which would be a tremendous boost to their chances. They also boast a top 5 pitching staff and lineup, but their fielding could use a boost.
Pretenders
4. Richmond Spiders – cmthieme: My performance has been in-line with expectations as I thought we had a fighting chance at the division, though I hope to pick up the pace in the 2nd half. The pitching has been acceptable and has likely been helped quite a bit by good defense. The offense has been good but inconsistent, with Enrique Sojo carrying quite a load for the team. The addition of Andrea Nelson via trade should really help bolster the offense, as should a healthy Graham Wilson, who has had 2 stints with injuries thus far, neither of which the team has played very well during.
I don't expect any more major moves as I used my main bullet in the minors to acquire Nelson. I like my chances to win the division, but I'll need to stay healthy and hope no one else in the division gets hot.
5. Kansas City Wildcats – llcc: My starting pitching has been very weak the first half of the season. I hope to win my division but my starting pitchers have got to pitch better in the second half .
6. Detroit Wolverines – tk21775: 1st half of the season has pretty much gone just like last season went. The Detroit Wolverines find themselves at the top of the NL North by six games but only one game above .500. Our pitching is outstanding once again, keeping us in most games but our offense is letting us down. Management went back to the trade block this week and continued talks that were haulted at the beginning of the season, this time making a deal to bring Erik Haynes to the team. We gave up three nice prospects to get him, although held onto Arrojo. We're hoping that by putting Haynes in the lineup along with Arrojo and the season that Wiggins and Carter are having will jump start the offensive production we have been lacking. Sanford will be off the DL in 24 days and he should give us some need power as well. The Wolverines young pitching should keep us contending for the next several seasons, now it's just up to the offense to see how far the team can go.
7. Texas Mustangs – Still has a great shot at the division, but doubtful they could make a ton of noise in the playoffs. Could use an upgrade on the pitching staff to help get them over the hump.
8. Louisville Cardinals – Treading water in the really tough NL East. Possibly could make some moves to go after a wild card or could just as easily be a seller to re-tool for next season.
9. Columbus Buckeyes – weena: So far, this has been a season of woulda, shoulda, coulda but sometimes did for the Buckeyes. We are currently in 2nd place in the NL North with a 38-49 record. We are 5 GB and 6 GA of 3rd place. On the negative side, we are tied for the league lead in 1-run losses with 18 and are 1-7 in extra inning games. A major reason for this is our bullpen's 14 blown saves.
Our pitching staff is 22 hits below average in Hits Allowed but above average in SLG. This means that the hits we do allow are more of the extra base variety. It is not too surprising then that we are above average in HR Allowed unfortunately in a home park that is near balanced. On the hitting side, we are slightly above average in OBP but near the bottom of the league in HR and 2B. We get 'em on but we can't get 'em in.
Management and coaches have discussed ways to correct some of the weaknesses in this team. Some options include trades and/or promotions/demotions in the pitching staff, adjusting aggressiveness levels in certain hitting/base running areas, and lineup changes to find the optimum spots for our hitters. Another issue that was discussed is the fact that this team is playing at a .437 pace but their Expected Percentage is .483. Hopefully, that means that we are due for some breaks and things will start to fall our way a little more.
The Bottom Line is this team should be able to hold on to 2nd place but is an unlikely candidate for a .500 season or a playoff spot.
10. Helena Grizzlies – drichar: The Grizzlies spent most of the first half surprising the NL West by contending for a top spot in the division. The team jumped off to a quick 26-23 start. Since then, the Grizzlies have fallen back going just 13-23 since their hot start. Most of the team's early success can be attributed to their rookies and free agents. Helena was lucky to bag 1 year deals with free agents SS Hamish Reynolds (.312/.406/.510) and CF Lawrence Turner (.309/.342/.546). They are leading the offense along with Rookie standout Gill Grace. Grace, a former 7th round draft pick, is near the top of the NL batting leader board with his .326 average. Free agents and rookies are the story on the mound for the Griz as well. Free Agent veteran Pete Young has been the best arm in the bullpen (3.83 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) while Rookie Victor Valdes has 19 saves. Finally rookie Jose Mendoza has the fans in Helena the most giddy about his future. The hard-throwing 23 year old is off to a 4-3 start with a 3.14 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. The Grizzlies are probably at least a season or two away from being a division contender.
Is it next season yet?
11. Huntington Thundering Herd – hurricane384: Despite turning over the roster by more than 50%, the Thundering Herd has endured a very disappointing season. The offense has put up some solid numbers but is struggling reaching base and has been let down by the bullpen and, to an extent, the starting pitching.
12. Buffalo Bulls
13. Dover Fightin’ Blue Hens: Nearing the all-star break it became clear that Dover could not contend, even in a weak division. 2 of the Rule 5 pitchers suffered injuries requiring extended stays on the 60 day DL. Management made the decision to trade a couple of veterans, Otis Damon and Charlie Spencer, to stock up on younger prospects. LF Max Peterson and SP Tom Hawkins will get a chance to show their stuff in the majors right away. LF Davy Walker and prized catching prosepct Clarence Christensen will work on their game in the minors and should play a part in about 2 seasons. Dover will continue to examine young talent in the 2nd half while trying to reach a goal of 65 wins.
14. Memphis Tigers – mh17: At the midpoint of the season, the Tigers had hoped to be a tick better than what they have shown thus far this season. The offense hasn’t produced like it did last season, but the questionable bullpen, unable to hold many leads, has once again been Memphis’s biggest downfall. The fantasy of Esteban Cedeno providing anything in the closer role has turned into a nightmare.
Memphis stands 11 games back at the break. With some luck and a couple good stretches they could find themselves back in the thick of things. But unless something is done about the inept bullpen, specifically in the later innings of games, the rest of the season could prove long and frustrating.
15. Boise Bronces – abesmem: well, it looks like we're pretenders again, disappointingly. Two big reason for our failures - Aside from Craig martin, no one is hitting up to expectations. Secondly, Hod Farrel has been quite poor in the closer role. The starting pitching has been OK, so if the bats heat up our goal is to play at or better than .500 in the second half
16. Iowa City Hawkeyes – Just had a great draft and also made some trades to win now to get over the 70 win mark. Everyone is rooting for them to do so, but either way, they are looking to next season.
-Rankings are based on expected win pct (run differential), standings, and stats.
-Some owners submitted recaps of their teams, I will post the owners name before the blurb to show that they are the author.
Please, please, pleaseeeeeee don’t take this seriously. This is purely for fun and is just to make this blog better. This is strictly for entertainment value and to promote discussion and debate.
Contenders – small number of contenders in the NL as there is a huge clump of mediocracy.
1. Charlotte Tar Heels – Leading the NL in record, winning pct, and expected winning pct while leading the league in pitching, second in fielding, and top 5 in hitting makes them the team to beat so far. However, the Orange are breathing down their neck in the NL East. Unfortunately for both teams, it looks like they have sizeable leads in the standing dept, but one will get stuck without a playoff bye for the second season in a row which is huge.
2. Syracuse Orange – Evil Doers: The Syracuse Orange are obviously a contender. We have the fourth best record with a very strong chance to make the playoffs for the seventh straight season. Winning their fifth straight NL East title may be a different story as we continue to trail the tough Charlotte Tar Heels.
Season 11 is actually going about as planned. Michael Seay continues to bash. Free agent pitcher has been as good as expected with a 10-4 3.49 at the break.
Two rookies are platooning at the top of the order, Raymond Nixon and Gustavo Savillia. Both were number one picks. They’ve been doing a fine job. Nixon has the edge with a nice .392 ob%.
Staying healthy and getting some breaks in the playoffs are what matters now.
3. Arizona Sun Devils – Welcome back to the Sun Devils who had a disappointing Season 10. I was tempted to place them in the pretender pile, just because Charlotte and Syracuse are in a class of their own, however they are leading for the second playoff bye which would be a tremendous boost to their chances. They also boast a top 5 pitching staff and lineup, but their fielding could use a boost.
Pretenders
4. Richmond Spiders – cmthieme: My performance has been in-line with expectations as I thought we had a fighting chance at the division, though I hope to pick up the pace in the 2nd half. The pitching has been acceptable and has likely been helped quite a bit by good defense. The offense has been good but inconsistent, with Enrique Sojo carrying quite a load for the team. The addition of Andrea Nelson via trade should really help bolster the offense, as should a healthy Graham Wilson, who has had 2 stints with injuries thus far, neither of which the team has played very well during.
I don't expect any more major moves as I used my main bullet in the minors to acquire Nelson. I like my chances to win the division, but I'll need to stay healthy and hope no one else in the division gets hot.
5. Kansas City Wildcats – llcc: My starting pitching has been very weak the first half of the season. I hope to win my division but my starting pitchers have got to pitch better in the second half .
6. Detroit Wolverines – tk21775: 1st half of the season has pretty much gone just like last season went. The Detroit Wolverines find themselves at the top of the NL North by six games but only one game above .500. Our pitching is outstanding once again, keeping us in most games but our offense is letting us down. Management went back to the trade block this week and continued talks that were haulted at the beginning of the season, this time making a deal to bring Erik Haynes to the team. We gave up three nice prospects to get him, although held onto Arrojo. We're hoping that by putting Haynes in the lineup along with Arrojo and the season that Wiggins and Carter are having will jump start the offensive production we have been lacking. Sanford will be off the DL in 24 days and he should give us some need power as well. The Wolverines young pitching should keep us contending for the next several seasons, now it's just up to the offense to see how far the team can go.
7. Texas Mustangs – Still has a great shot at the division, but doubtful they could make a ton of noise in the playoffs. Could use an upgrade on the pitching staff to help get them over the hump.
8. Louisville Cardinals – Treading water in the really tough NL East. Possibly could make some moves to go after a wild card or could just as easily be a seller to re-tool for next season.
9. Columbus Buckeyes – weena: So far, this has been a season of woulda, shoulda, coulda but sometimes did for the Buckeyes. We are currently in 2nd place in the NL North with a 38-49 record. We are 5 GB and 6 GA of 3rd place. On the negative side, we are tied for the league lead in 1-run losses with 18 and are 1-7 in extra inning games. A major reason for this is our bullpen's 14 blown saves.
Our pitching staff is 22 hits below average in Hits Allowed but above average in SLG. This means that the hits we do allow are more of the extra base variety. It is not too surprising then that we are above average in HR Allowed unfortunately in a home park that is near balanced. On the hitting side, we are slightly above average in OBP but near the bottom of the league in HR and 2B. We get 'em on but we can't get 'em in.
Management and coaches have discussed ways to correct some of the weaknesses in this team. Some options include trades and/or promotions/demotions in the pitching staff, adjusting aggressiveness levels in certain hitting/base running areas, and lineup changes to find the optimum spots for our hitters. Another issue that was discussed is the fact that this team is playing at a .437 pace but their Expected Percentage is .483. Hopefully, that means that we are due for some breaks and things will start to fall our way a little more.
The Bottom Line is this team should be able to hold on to 2nd place but is an unlikely candidate for a .500 season or a playoff spot.
10. Helena Grizzlies – drichar: The Grizzlies spent most of the first half surprising the NL West by contending for a top spot in the division. The team jumped off to a quick 26-23 start. Since then, the Grizzlies have fallen back going just 13-23 since their hot start. Most of the team's early success can be attributed to their rookies and free agents. Helena was lucky to bag 1 year deals with free agents SS Hamish Reynolds (.312/.406/.510) and CF Lawrence Turner (.309/.342/.546). They are leading the offense along with Rookie standout Gill Grace. Grace, a former 7th round draft pick, is near the top of the NL batting leader board with his .326 average. Free agents and rookies are the story on the mound for the Griz as well. Free Agent veteran Pete Young has been the best arm in the bullpen (3.83 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) while Rookie Victor Valdes has 19 saves. Finally rookie Jose Mendoza has the fans in Helena the most giddy about his future. The hard-throwing 23 year old is off to a 4-3 start with a 3.14 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. The Grizzlies are probably at least a season or two away from being a division contender.
Is it next season yet?
11. Huntington Thundering Herd – hurricane384: Despite turning over the roster by more than 50%, the Thundering Herd has endured a very disappointing season. The offense has put up some solid numbers but is struggling reaching base and has been let down by the bullpen and, to an extent, the starting pitching.
12. Buffalo Bulls
13. Dover Fightin’ Blue Hens: Nearing the all-star break it became clear that Dover could not contend, even in a weak division. 2 of the Rule 5 pitchers suffered injuries requiring extended stays on the 60 day DL. Management made the decision to trade a couple of veterans, Otis Damon and Charlie Spencer, to stock up on younger prospects. LF Max Peterson and SP Tom Hawkins will get a chance to show their stuff in the majors right away. LF Davy Walker and prized catching prosepct Clarence Christensen will work on their game in the minors and should play a part in about 2 seasons. Dover will continue to examine young talent in the 2nd half while trying to reach a goal of 65 wins.
14. Memphis Tigers – mh17: At the midpoint of the season, the Tigers had hoped to be a tick better than what they have shown thus far this season. The offense hasn’t produced like it did last season, but the questionable bullpen, unable to hold many leads, has once again been Memphis’s biggest downfall. The fantasy of Esteban Cedeno providing anything in the closer role has turned into a nightmare.
Memphis stands 11 games back at the break. With some luck and a couple good stretches they could find themselves back in the thick of things. But unless something is done about the inept bullpen, specifically in the later innings of games, the rest of the season could prove long and frustrating.
15. Boise Bronces – abesmem: well, it looks like we're pretenders again, disappointingly. Two big reason for our failures - Aside from Craig martin, no one is hitting up to expectations. Secondly, Hod Farrel has been quite poor in the closer role. The starting pitching has been OK, so if the bats heat up our goal is to play at or better than .500 in the second half
16. Iowa City Hawkeyes – Just had a great draft and also made some trades to win now to get over the 70 win mark. Everyone is rooting for them to do so, but either way, they are looking to next season.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Season 11 - NL West Prospect Report
All 4 owners submitted their prospect reports, thanks guys! As always, all player names are "clickable" to their player card.
Arizona Sun Devils
1. Saul Garrido - acquired via trade in season 10 Saul is an exciting player with good balance. Look for him in the majors in season 13 or so.
2. Rafael Guerrero - A strong find by my scouts in the DO, This southpaw has a blazing fastball sure to be striking out hitters at the ML level by season 13.
3. Was Achilles Harper but has since been traded to Seattle.
4. Jose Samuel - Another prospect from the DO. Signed in season 8. I don't need to tell you that lpa2a has had great success with overseas talent. But I should tell you that he just doesn't fit with the organizations plan. He's on the block and available so who knows when he'll hit the majors.
5. Was Howie Hawkins but has since been traded to Seattle.
Helena Grizzlies
1. Jose Mendoza - Mendoza was the Grizzlies first in the season 9 draft. Jose is a hard thrower that can neutralize both lefties and righties. He has 4 good pitches and could have an accelerated path to the show if the major league club needs some help to avoid the loss limit this season.
2. Devon Browning - Browning is a pure power hitter. He is soft vs. left handing pitcher and his is far from being a plus Right fielder, but Browning has 40 HR potential and that hides a lot of weaknesses.
3. Dorian Griffin - Griffin is considered by most within the organization as a major bust. He was the sixth overall pick of the season 8 draft and was deemed the centerfielder of the future. As it turns out, the scouting projections might have failed ownership. Griffin does not have the skills to play CF and his bat has not developed like they hoped it would. He may end up being a solid ML player, as he does have tremendous speed, but he will never be the savior that franchise hoped he would be.
4. Alfredo Guzman - Guzman is a former supplemental pick who has developed into a nice prospect. He has a plus arm in RF and is a heady base runner. He won't strike fear into the hearts of any ML pitchers, but expect him to have a shot at making the ML team out of spring training next season.
5. Mel Boyer - The talent level falls off after the top 4. And Boyer gets the nod over a group of AAAA guys that could fit in this spot. Boyer has developed nicely in his first year in the organization and could end up being a capable 3B. At this point I would say he has an outside change at making a contribution at the ML level in 2-3 seasons.
Boise Broncos
1. Elvis Fox - really ready now, but will be up no later than next spring. Just working on pitch selection right now
2. Terry Powell
3. Bill Crosby - just drafted and is in HiA.
4. Kenneth Wall - great curveball-control pitcher at AAA. He should be in the rotation next year.
5. Juan Rosado - solid lefty bat at AAA. He has a bit of a pitch selection problem that may never resolve itself, but his numbers have been consistently good. Hopefully he’ll contribute at the ML level next year.
Kansas City Wildcats
1. Ian Joseph - #1 pick season 9.He looks to be a great fielder will steal a few bases hit for a little power but will strikeout a lot and have a low avg.Could make majors by season 13.
2. Damaso Mota - #1 pick season 8.Having a great year in AAA I think he will be a OK #5 starter or work out of the bullpen his 1& 2 pitches are not great. Major league debut season 11 or 12.
3. Sammy Santiago - He should hit in the 270 range with 15 to 20 homers and steal a few bases. Major league debut season 13.
4. Louie Martinez - Pretty good pitcher with great control and #2 pitch but low stamina. Should be a good spot starter and work out of the bullpen. Major league debut season 13 or 14.
5. Emmett Brow - #1 pick season 7. Nice power but will hit for low AVG. Major league debut season 12.
Arizona Sun Devils
1. Saul Garrido - acquired via trade in season 10 Saul is an exciting player with good balance. Look for him in the majors in season 13 or so.
2. Rafael Guerrero - A strong find by my scouts in the DO, This southpaw has a blazing fastball sure to be striking out hitters at the ML level by season 13.
3. Was Achilles Harper but has since been traded to Seattle.
4. Jose Samuel - Another prospect from the DO. Signed in season 8. I don't need to tell you that lpa2a has had great success with overseas talent. But I should tell you that he just doesn't fit with the organizations plan. He's on the block and available so who knows when he'll hit the majors.
5. Was Howie Hawkins but has since been traded to Seattle.
Helena Grizzlies
1. Jose Mendoza - Mendoza was the Grizzlies first in the season 9 draft. Jose is a hard thrower that can neutralize both lefties and righties. He has 4 good pitches and could have an accelerated path to the show if the major league club needs some help to avoid the loss limit this season.
2. Devon Browning - Browning is a pure power hitter. He is soft vs. left handing pitcher and his is far from being a plus Right fielder, but Browning has 40 HR potential and that hides a lot of weaknesses.
3. Dorian Griffin - Griffin is considered by most within the organization as a major bust. He was the sixth overall pick of the season 8 draft and was deemed the centerfielder of the future. As it turns out, the scouting projections might have failed ownership. Griffin does not have the skills to play CF and his bat has not developed like they hoped it would. He may end up being a solid ML player, as he does have tremendous speed, but he will never be the savior that franchise hoped he would be.
4. Alfredo Guzman - Guzman is a former supplemental pick who has developed into a nice prospect. He has a plus arm in RF and is a heady base runner. He won't strike fear into the hearts of any ML pitchers, but expect him to have a shot at making the ML team out of spring training next season.
5. Mel Boyer - The talent level falls off after the top 4. And Boyer gets the nod over a group of AAAA guys that could fit in this spot. Boyer has developed nicely in his first year in the organization and could end up being a capable 3B. At this point I would say he has an outside change at making a contribution at the ML level in 2-3 seasons.
Boise Broncos
1. Elvis Fox - really ready now, but will be up no later than next spring. Just working on pitch selection right now
2. Terry Powell
3. Bill Crosby - just drafted and is in HiA.
4. Kenneth Wall - great curveball-control pitcher at AAA. He should be in the rotation next year.
5. Juan Rosado - solid lefty bat at AAA. He has a bit of a pitch selection problem that may never resolve itself, but his numbers have been consistently good. Hopefully he’ll contribute at the ML level next year.
Kansas City Wildcats
1. Ian Joseph - #1 pick season 9.He looks to be a great fielder will steal a few bases hit for a little power but will strikeout a lot and have a low avg.Could make majors by season 13.
2. Damaso Mota - #1 pick season 8.Having a great year in AAA I think he will be a OK #5 starter or work out of the bullpen his 1& 2 pitches are not great. Major league debut season 11 or 12.
3. Sammy Santiago - He should hit in the 270 range with 15 to 20 homers and steal a few bases. Major league debut season 13.
4. Louie Martinez - Pretty good pitcher with great control and #2 pitch but low stamina. Should be a good spot starter and work out of the bullpen. Major league debut season 13 or 14.
5. Emmett Brow - #1 pick season 7. Nice power but will hit for low AVG. Major league debut season 12.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Season 11 - Amateur Draft - First Round Review
These evaluations are based off of my 14 million in Advanced Scouting so there is clearly some error. This is done for fun so please don't take it personally. As always, the names are "clickable" to their player profile.
1. Nashville - Trent Keefe - Unfortunately just got hit with a debilitating injury that will keep him out for this season and a good part of season 12. Luckily he is young and has a good shot to rebound, but he lost 7 OVR points and won't be able to gain any back until a full season from now. Unbelievable split and two plus pitch projections will make him a great pitcher if he can rebound. Questionable STA/DUR ratio is a concern.
2. Chicago - Brent Bukvich - Shutdown closer who should be ready sooner than later. There always seems to be a debate on if it makes sense to use such a high pick on a guy that will only pitch 100 - 120 Innings or so, but the Blue Demons got themselves a guy that can closer down the last two innings of a game and its hard to pass that up.
3. Iowa City - David Rodriguez - Love this pick. Can easily be a #1 starter. Great control, splits, and pitches, what is not to like? Also will be ready sooner than later as he is already 22. Downside is he probably won't hit those projections, but hopefully will come close.
4. Richmond - Eddie Padden - I think cm will keep Padden at SS even though he only projects to be average defensively there. He has a solid bat that it can make sense to deal with some errors. On the flip side, he could be a gold glover at 3B.
5. Helena - Efrain Nakano - Nice pick and I bet the Grizzlies were ecstatic to see Nakano available here as he projects to a top of the rotation type pitcher. An argument could be made that since he is only 20, he is the top pitcher taken so far.
6. Memphis (type D from Season 10) - Carter Stern - Currently pitching in rookie ball where he should dominate as he is probably ready for a spot a couple leagues higher. His righty split projection is a bit of a concern, but the rest of his ratings should make up for it and be a solid starter for a long time. Sooner than later as well.
7. Columbus - Carlos Encarnacion - Health is a concern, but another nice SP selection. This draft seems to have been pretty deep in SP prospects as we'll see them pop up throughout the first round. The Buckeyes are hoping he'll be ready sooner than later as he is coming out of a full stint in college.
8. Cincinnati - Joaquin Bautista - Should be a good to very good reliever once he matures. Awesome control and a dominating Sinker will have to make up for above average splits.
9. Boise - Bill Crosby - Could be a gold glove CFer eventually. Also has the ratings to be a prototypical leadoff guy. Should steal a bunch of bases.
10. Minnesota - Darrell Alexander - Really nice value here to round out the top ten. Great control, splits, and three above average pitches are a nice find ten picks deep in the draft.
11. Seattle - Ronnie Magee - Holding out right now
12. Charleston - Fred Keppel - Should be a solid pitcher for a long time with his nice splits and pitches including a powerful fastball. He should be able to rack up a lot of innings with his STA/DUR combo.
13. New Orleans - Tomas Lucano - Definitely won't be/should not be a CFer in the bigs, but he could be an average fielding second baseman and with that bat, it could be worth it. Worst case, Lucano has a great bat to play a corner outfield position. Should hit for good average and OBP with pop.
14. Charleston (type D from Season 10) - Aurelio Navarro - After going with a SP two picks earlier, the Cougars decide to shore up their bullpen by selecting Navarro. He should be able to pitch a good amount of innings out of the bullpen and really help close out games.
15. Jackson - Charles Dickerson - Holding out right now
16. Memphis - Vladimir Quinones - Quinones doesn't get me too terribly excited due to his sub par glove. He is probably a corner outfielder and only have an average to slightly above average bat.
17. Dover - Joaquin Aceves - Not sure what to think about this pick either. He has a fantastic contact rating, but that is teamed with average power, righty split, and eye. Pretty interested to see how he develops.
18. Detroit - Keith Reese - Would be a really nice pick if his glove was a few points higher. Another interesting decision will have to be made with Reese. Do you deal with his below average fielding at SS to get his ok bat or do you move him to 3B or 2B?
19. Buffalo - Bill Johnson - I really like this selection which is a shame since the Bulls play in the NL East. Johnson projects to have very solid splits and average to above average pitches with good control which should translate into a productive pitcher one day.
20. Arizona - Thomas Obermueller - Love this selection as the Sun Devils get a very nice reliever as we enter the lbottom third of the draft. Could have gone higher and I wouldn't have been surprised.
21. Oakland - Chili Milton - I wish his batting eye was higher, but other owners have had success with below average batting eyes. His splits could make up for it rather nicely.
22. Louisville - Dustin Lefebvre - Another solid SP prospect goes off the board. The only question mark is sometimes SP's that only use three pitches can struggle from time to time, but there are plenty of examples of it working.
23. New York - Elmer Hodges - He should hit for a great batting average with his contact/splits combo. Unfortunately is a bit of a liability in the field and will have to play 1B/LF/DH, but that is one of the reasons he lasted this long.
24. Texas - Giomar Franco - Would be more excited about this pick if his control was higher as sometimes that can prove to be troublesome, but once you get this low in the first round, you have to start rolling the dice.
25. Kansas City - Tomas Ramirez - With his glove rating, almost certainly won't be an infielder and will have to be moved to the OF, but the Wildcats are giving him a shot there. Should be a decent hitter.
26. Huntington - Fred O'Neill - Hmmm...interesting selection. Great contact and power, but an awful lefty split and average righty split, but then a great batting eye. Can't wait to see what happens with him.
27. Portland - Rodney Hines - Hasn't signed and I didn't scout
28. Charlotte - Mateo Miro - (re-posted from Tar Heel Examiner) We were very pleased that Miro dropped to us at #28. Although his splits fell a little bit once he signed, we still have high hopes considering our high school scouting budget is so high. Projects to great control with 4 plus pitches will certainly help get the job done. Miro joins a deep stable of pitching prospects for the Heels.
29. Chicago - Francisco Cordero - Doubtful that his glove is good enough to play the 3B, but should be able to provide some pop from the corner OF/1B/DH positions.
30. Fargo - Rusty Stahl - Hasn't signed and I didn't scout
31. Iowa City (compensation from Little Rock for Mark Matthews ) - Hank Waltman - Quite possibly my favorite pick of the draft because it happened so late. How did Waltman not go earlier? Did the Hawkeyes scouts work a bit harder? They have to be really happy to grab Waltman after losing Matthews to the Razorbacks. Waltman should be a #2 start if he progresses well.
32. Anaheim - Don Hodges - Intriguing selection. Hopefully his glove will be good enough to play a legit 2B and if that happens and the Trojans can get a guy who plays 2B with an OBP close to or over .400 (with his awesome batting eyes) and steal some bases than Hodges is a steal.
33. Buffalo (compensation from Syracuse for Jose Barrios ) - Sammy Santana - Not too sure how great of a future Santana will have with average splits and only one good pitch. Maybe a decent innings eater.
1. Nashville - Trent Keefe - Unfortunately just got hit with a debilitating injury that will keep him out for this season and a good part of season 12. Luckily he is young and has a good shot to rebound, but he lost 7 OVR points and won't be able to gain any back until a full season from now. Unbelievable split and two plus pitch projections will make him a great pitcher if he can rebound. Questionable STA/DUR ratio is a concern.
2. Chicago - Brent Bukvich - Shutdown closer who should be ready sooner than later. There always seems to be a debate on if it makes sense to use such a high pick on a guy that will only pitch 100 - 120 Innings or so, but the Blue Demons got themselves a guy that can closer down the last two innings of a game and its hard to pass that up.
3. Iowa City - David Rodriguez - Love this pick. Can easily be a #1 starter. Great control, splits, and pitches, what is not to like? Also will be ready sooner than later as he is already 22. Downside is he probably won't hit those projections, but hopefully will come close.
4. Richmond - Eddie Padden - I think cm will keep Padden at SS even though he only projects to be average defensively there. He has a solid bat that it can make sense to deal with some errors. On the flip side, he could be a gold glover at 3B.
5. Helena - Efrain Nakano - Nice pick and I bet the Grizzlies were ecstatic to see Nakano available here as he projects to a top of the rotation type pitcher. An argument could be made that since he is only 20, he is the top pitcher taken so far.
6. Memphis (type D from Season 10) - Carter Stern - Currently pitching in rookie ball where he should dominate as he is probably ready for a spot a couple leagues higher. His righty split projection is a bit of a concern, but the rest of his ratings should make up for it and be a solid starter for a long time. Sooner than later as well.
7. Columbus - Carlos Encarnacion - Health is a concern, but another nice SP selection. This draft seems to have been pretty deep in SP prospects as we'll see them pop up throughout the first round. The Buckeyes are hoping he'll be ready sooner than later as he is coming out of a full stint in college.
8. Cincinnati - Joaquin Bautista - Should be a good to very good reliever once he matures. Awesome control and a dominating Sinker will have to make up for above average splits.
9. Boise - Bill Crosby - Could be a gold glove CFer eventually. Also has the ratings to be a prototypical leadoff guy. Should steal a bunch of bases.
10. Minnesota - Darrell Alexander - Really nice value here to round out the top ten. Great control, splits, and three above average pitches are a nice find ten picks deep in the draft.
11. Seattle - Ronnie Magee - Holding out right now
12. Charleston - Fred Keppel - Should be a solid pitcher for a long time with his nice splits and pitches including a powerful fastball. He should be able to rack up a lot of innings with his STA/DUR combo.
13. New Orleans - Tomas Lucano - Definitely won't be/should not be a CFer in the bigs, but he could be an average fielding second baseman and with that bat, it could be worth it. Worst case, Lucano has a great bat to play a corner outfield position. Should hit for good average and OBP with pop.
14. Charleston (type D from Season 10) - Aurelio Navarro - After going with a SP two picks earlier, the Cougars decide to shore up their bullpen by selecting Navarro. He should be able to pitch a good amount of innings out of the bullpen and really help close out games.
15. Jackson - Charles Dickerson - Holding out right now
16. Memphis - Vladimir Quinones - Quinones doesn't get me too terribly excited due to his sub par glove. He is probably a corner outfielder and only have an average to slightly above average bat.
17. Dover - Joaquin Aceves - Not sure what to think about this pick either. He has a fantastic contact rating, but that is teamed with average power, righty split, and eye. Pretty interested to see how he develops.
18. Detroit - Keith Reese - Would be a really nice pick if his glove was a few points higher. Another interesting decision will have to be made with Reese. Do you deal with his below average fielding at SS to get his ok bat or do you move him to 3B or 2B?
19. Buffalo - Bill Johnson - I really like this selection which is a shame since the Bulls play in the NL East. Johnson projects to have very solid splits and average to above average pitches with good control which should translate into a productive pitcher one day.
20. Arizona - Thomas Obermueller - Love this selection as the Sun Devils get a very nice reliever as we enter the lbottom third of the draft. Could have gone higher and I wouldn't have been surprised.
21. Oakland - Chili Milton - I wish his batting eye was higher, but other owners have had success with below average batting eyes. His splits could make up for it rather nicely.
22. Louisville - Dustin Lefebvre - Another solid SP prospect goes off the board. The only question mark is sometimes SP's that only use three pitches can struggle from time to time, but there are plenty of examples of it working.
23. New York - Elmer Hodges - He should hit for a great batting average with his contact/splits combo. Unfortunately is a bit of a liability in the field and will have to play 1B/LF/DH, but that is one of the reasons he lasted this long.
24. Texas - Giomar Franco - Would be more excited about this pick if his control was higher as sometimes that can prove to be troublesome, but once you get this low in the first round, you have to start rolling the dice.
25. Kansas City - Tomas Ramirez - With his glove rating, almost certainly won't be an infielder and will have to be moved to the OF, but the Wildcats are giving him a shot there. Should be a decent hitter.
26. Huntington - Fred O'Neill - Hmmm...interesting selection. Great contact and power, but an awful lefty split and average righty split, but then a great batting eye. Can't wait to see what happens with him.
27. Portland - Rodney Hines - Hasn't signed and I didn't scout
28. Charlotte - Mateo Miro - (re-posted from Tar Heel Examiner) We were very pleased that Miro dropped to us at #28. Although his splits fell a little bit once he signed, we still have high hopes considering our high school scouting budget is so high. Projects to great control with 4 plus pitches will certainly help get the job done. Miro joins a deep stable of pitching prospects for the Heels.
29. Chicago - Francisco Cordero - Doubtful that his glove is good enough to play the 3B, but should be able to provide some pop from the corner OF/1B/DH positions.
30. Fargo - Rusty Stahl - Hasn't signed and I didn't scout
31. Iowa City (compensation from Little Rock for Mark Matthews ) - Hank Waltman - Quite possibly my favorite pick of the draft because it happened so late. How did Waltman not go earlier? Did the Hawkeyes scouts work a bit harder? They have to be really happy to grab Waltman after losing Matthews to the Razorbacks. Waltman should be a #2 start if he progresses well.
32. Anaheim - Don Hodges - Intriguing selection. Hopefully his glove will be good enough to play a legit 2B and if that happens and the Trojans can get a guy who plays 2B with an OBP close to or over .400 (with his awesome batting eyes) and steal some bases than Hodges is a steal.
33. Buffalo (compensation from Syracuse for Jose Barrios ) - Sammy Santana - Not too sure how great of a future Santana will have with average splits and only one good pitch. Maybe a decent innings eater.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Season 11 - AL South Prospect Report
Fargo, Minnesota, and Cincinnati were written by their respective owners. I did Portand's report so those players/reviews do not reflect his thoughts.
All of the player names are "clickable" to their player profile.
Fargo
1. Doug Sullivan - He was a gamble when drafted, his signability was definately in question. he should be an absolute monster at the plate and hopefully a perennial MVP candidate. he was probably the steal of season 10 draft at pick 11. he has elite power and batting eye, very good splits, and high contact. he will be an average RF defensively. he is expected to make his ML debut at the end of season 12 or possibly the start of season 13.
2. Albert Garza - Signed as an international FA in season 10, he should be a very good hitter and below average defensive 2b or well above average LF. he has a very good eye, good speed, great baserunning, good power and high contact. he is expected to make his ML debut in season 13.
3. Mark Glover - Signed as an international FA in season 8. he should be a nice LH SP with 4 good pitches, with good control and very tough on lefties. he is expected to make his ML debut at the end of season 11 or start of season 12.
4. Erubiel Ordaz - Traded for in season 11 offseason. he will be a slightly above average LH SP with good control, above average splits, and good durability. he is expected to make his debut at the start of season 12, however he is ML ready now and could be called up in case of injuries or ineffectiveness.
5. Shairon Houston - Drafted in the second round in season 8. he should be a very nice addition to the Fargo bullpen next season, and if needed he could come up this season to help if we run into some problems.
Minnesota
1. Jay Rhodes, RP (s9, draft #5, AAA): Rhodes doesn't have the profile of a typical stud reliever. His greatest skill is his ability to pitch nearly everyday. Should pretty easily be able to pitch 150+ innings per year. He projects to have elite control and splits (especially vR), but the rest of his profile leaves a lot to be desired. The lack of velocity, groundball ability, and pitches will probably hold him back, but worse case scenario right now seems to be a 4.00 ERA. A pitcher that can appear in 100 games and pitch 150 innings while posting a 4.00 ERA is still plenty valuable and there is a great deal of hope in Minnesota that Rhodes will be able to best all of those numbers.
Projected Debut: This season if the team remains competitive and the need arises, otherwise s12 at the latest.
2. Bucky Arnold, SP (s10, draft #13, AA): Arnold is similar to Rhodes in that he lacks the elite pitches to make him a true ace. However, also like Rhodes his control and splits combined with his ability to pitch a lot of innings (approx 220) makes him a valuable commodity. Arnold might be better suited for a bigger park than Minnesota, since he is an extreme flyball pitcher. Despite all the flaws, Arnold still projects to be at worst a #4 starter with the possibility he grows all the way into a #2 with maybe even an All-Star appearance or two.
Projected Debut: Looks like s13, although if everything falls right s12 isn't out of the question.
3. Augie Suzuki, SP (s10, IFA $12M, HiA): Similar type pitcher to Arnold, with perhaps a little more upside (due to his elite vR rating), but with more question marks. His lack of durability will most likely prevent him from pitching more than 200 innings. Slightly more likely than Arnold to become a #2, but also has a greater probability of stalling out at a #4. Golden Gopher fans remain cautiously optimistic.
Projected Debut: s13.
4. Robert Frederick, IF (s10, draft #19, HiA): Frederick will definitely make the majors in some capacity, but his role is as of yet undefined. Best case scenario would be a slightly below average defensive SS, who could compete for the Silver Slugger at that position. More likely though, he will settle in as a 3B or 2B due to defensive limitations, but this would hurt his value substantially as his bat isn't really good enough to be All-Star quality at those positions. Worst case scenario, he ends up as a super-utility type player. His best offensive skills will be his ability to get on base (aprroximately .360 OBP) and should be a plus on the basepaths. The type of player every team needs, but not a cornerstone build your franchise around.
Projected Debut: Since glove seems to take longer to develop than other skills he most likely doesn't see the majors until s14, but s13 is certainly still a possibility.
5. Mateo Guzman, RP (s9, draft #126, AA): With a clear dropoff between 4 and 5, Guzman was in close competition for this spot without about a half a dozen others who could all be role/platoon players on a contending team. What separates Guzman from those guys is his upside. A former DITR, Guzman has made big gains in his ratings since last year's All-Star break. He will never be a control pitcher, but his splits and pitches could end up good enough for him to settle into a SetupB role. Ideally his stamina would be greater, but when it comes to DITRs beggars can't be choosers and the fact he has a chance to make the majors is in and of itself a huge bonus.
Projected Debut: No sooner than s13, however it will likely depend on need and this team has a bunch of young relievers, so could easily be pushed back to s14 or even s15.
Cincinnati
1. Omar Andujar - 21 yr old catching prospect with 3 years' minor league experience. Above avg. defensively with way above avg. offense for a catcher. High marks in health/attitude, not so high in durability. Will go to the dance this season.
2. Brent Stankiewicz - 22 yr old middle infielder with 4 yrs. in the minors. Aove avg. defensively with good middle infielder offense. Will debut this season at second.
3. Brandon Gragg - 20 yr. old pitcher beginning his 3rd minor lg. season. Control, splits, and velocity are outstanding. Pitch rating could be better. Great health and attitude, expected to debut in season 19.
4. Phil Yoshii - 19 yr old lf/1b with all-around offense potential. No skills jump-out at you; but, when you look at the whole picture his all-around abilities are obvious. May not ever be an all-star; but, will be a solid long time major leaguer. Will probably debut in season 20 or 21.
5. Marino Terrero - The Bearcats best prospect is the real 5 tool player. His defense could be better, but is good enough to play a solid right field. His offense will be superb, all-star, MVP type. The 19 yr. old will make it to the big time sooner than most because of excellent health/attitude ratings, most likely in season 20.\
Portland
1. Gary Frey - Top of the rotation prospect. Great control, splits, and pitches. he should be ready in the next couple seasons.
2. Earl Levrault - Probably doesn't have the range to be an everyday CFer, but could be a gold glover at 2B. Also should be ready by next season.
3. Felipe Concepcion - Definitely does not have the glove to play SS at the major league level, but could be a nice 3B or 2B. Decent bat, but nothing special. Should be in the bigs next season.
4. Giovanni Reese - Not too much to get super excited about here, but could be a decent bat in LF/1B/DH. Should be ready by next season.
5. Todd Morris - Not sure why he hasn't been promoted past Low A as he has the ratings to contribute sooner than later on the big stage. His righty split and eye ratings are good enough now to help out.
All of the player names are "clickable" to their player profile.
Fargo
1. Doug Sullivan - He was a gamble when drafted, his signability was definately in question. he should be an absolute monster at the plate and hopefully a perennial MVP candidate. he was probably the steal of season 10 draft at pick 11. he has elite power and batting eye, very good splits, and high contact. he will be an average RF defensively. he is expected to make his ML debut at the end of season 12 or possibly the start of season 13.
2. Albert Garza - Signed as an international FA in season 10, he should be a very good hitter and below average defensive 2b or well above average LF. he has a very good eye, good speed, great baserunning, good power and high contact. he is expected to make his ML debut in season 13.
3. Mark Glover - Signed as an international FA in season 8. he should be a nice LH SP with 4 good pitches, with good control and very tough on lefties. he is expected to make his ML debut at the end of season 11 or start of season 12.
4. Erubiel Ordaz - Traded for in season 11 offseason. he will be a slightly above average LH SP with good control, above average splits, and good durability. he is expected to make his debut at the start of season 12, however he is ML ready now and could be called up in case of injuries or ineffectiveness.
5. Shairon Houston - Drafted in the second round in season 8. he should be a very nice addition to the Fargo bullpen next season, and if needed he could come up this season to help if we run into some problems.
Minnesota
1. Jay Rhodes, RP (s9, draft #5, AAA): Rhodes doesn't have the profile of a typical stud reliever. His greatest skill is his ability to pitch nearly everyday. Should pretty easily be able to pitch 150+ innings per year. He projects to have elite control and splits (especially vR), but the rest of his profile leaves a lot to be desired. The lack of velocity, groundball ability, and pitches will probably hold him back, but worse case scenario right now seems to be a 4.00 ERA. A pitcher that can appear in 100 games and pitch 150 innings while posting a 4.00 ERA is still plenty valuable and there is a great deal of hope in Minnesota that Rhodes will be able to best all of those numbers.
Projected Debut: This season if the team remains competitive and the need arises, otherwise s12 at the latest.
2. Bucky Arnold, SP (s10, draft #13, AA): Arnold is similar to Rhodes in that he lacks the elite pitches to make him a true ace. However, also like Rhodes his control and splits combined with his ability to pitch a lot of innings (approx 220) makes him a valuable commodity. Arnold might be better suited for a bigger park than Minnesota, since he is an extreme flyball pitcher. Despite all the flaws, Arnold still projects to be at worst a #4 starter with the possibility he grows all the way into a #2 with maybe even an All-Star appearance or two.
Projected Debut: Looks like s13, although if everything falls right s12 isn't out of the question.
3. Augie Suzuki, SP (s10, IFA $12M, HiA): Similar type pitcher to Arnold, with perhaps a little more upside (due to his elite vR rating), but with more question marks. His lack of durability will most likely prevent him from pitching more than 200 innings. Slightly more likely than Arnold to become a #2, but also has a greater probability of stalling out at a #4. Golden Gopher fans remain cautiously optimistic.
Projected Debut: s13.
4. Robert Frederick, IF (s10, draft #19, HiA): Frederick will definitely make the majors in some capacity, but his role is as of yet undefined. Best case scenario would be a slightly below average defensive SS, who could compete for the Silver Slugger at that position. More likely though, he will settle in as a 3B or 2B due to defensive limitations, but this would hurt his value substantially as his bat isn't really good enough to be All-Star quality at those positions. Worst case scenario, he ends up as a super-utility type player. His best offensive skills will be his ability to get on base (aprroximately .360 OBP) and should be a plus on the basepaths. The type of player every team needs, but not a cornerstone build your franchise around.
Projected Debut: Since glove seems to take longer to develop than other skills he most likely doesn't see the majors until s14, but s13 is certainly still a possibility.
5. Mateo Guzman, RP (s9, draft #126, AA): With a clear dropoff between 4 and 5, Guzman was in close competition for this spot without about a half a dozen others who could all be role/platoon players on a contending team. What separates Guzman from those guys is his upside. A former DITR, Guzman has made big gains in his ratings since last year's All-Star break. He will never be a control pitcher, but his splits and pitches could end up good enough for him to settle into a SetupB role. Ideally his stamina would be greater, but when it comes to DITRs beggars can't be choosers and the fact he has a chance to make the majors is in and of itself a huge bonus.
Projected Debut: No sooner than s13, however it will likely depend on need and this team has a bunch of young relievers, so could easily be pushed back to s14 or even s15.
Cincinnati
1. Omar Andujar - 21 yr old catching prospect with 3 years' minor league experience. Above avg. defensively with way above avg. offense for a catcher. High marks in health/attitude, not so high in durability. Will go to the dance this season.
2. Brent Stankiewicz - 22 yr old middle infielder with 4 yrs. in the minors. Aove avg. defensively with good middle infielder offense. Will debut this season at second.
3. Brandon Gragg - 20 yr. old pitcher beginning his 3rd minor lg. season. Control, splits, and velocity are outstanding. Pitch rating could be better. Great health and attitude, expected to debut in season 19.
4. Phil Yoshii - 19 yr old lf/1b with all-around offense potential. No skills jump-out at you; but, when you look at the whole picture his all-around abilities are obvious. May not ever be an all-star; but, will be a solid long time major leaguer. Will probably debut in season 20 or 21.
5. Marino Terrero - The Bearcats best prospect is the real 5 tool player. His defense could be better, but is good enough to play a solid right field. His offense will be superb, all-star, MVP type. The 19 yr. old will make it to the big time sooner than most because of excellent health/attitude ratings, most likely in season 20.\
Portland
1. Gary Frey - Top of the rotation prospect. Great control, splits, and pitches. he should be ready in the next couple seasons.
2. Earl Levrault - Probably doesn't have the range to be an everyday CFer, but could be a gold glover at 2B. Also should be ready by next season.
3. Felipe Concepcion - Definitely does not have the glove to play SS at the major league level, but could be a nice 3B or 2B. Decent bat, but nothing special. Should be in the bigs next season.
4. Giovanni Reese - Not too much to get super excited about here, but could be a decent bat in LF/1B/DH. Should be ready by next season.
5. Todd Morris - Not sure why he hasn't been promoted past Low A as he has the ratings to contribute sooner than later on the big stage. His righty split and eye ratings are good enough now to help out.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Season 11 - NL South Prospect Report
All of the reports were submitted by team owners. Thanks guys!
All names are "clickable" to their player profile.
Richmond Spiders
As best as I can tell, I didn't inherit much in the way of prospects so this will be short and easy.
1. Bill Saipe
He's the only legitimate top prospect I have. Projects to be a very good bat at C. Not great defensively but should develop enough to stick behind the plate. Should debut in Season 12 or 13 depending if/when a spot opens.
There are no other legitimate top prospects as far as I can tell. These guys probably have a future of some kind in the big leagues, though it is undetermined when::
2. Jumbo Tejera - really good hitter but probably a DH, which means he won't help me in the NL. While he'll hit for great AVG and OBP, he has limited power, which is troublesome for a DH. Still, on the right team, he would fit in.
3. Brian Smith - If his defense develops properly he could be a decent starter at 2B. If not, he'll be a decent utility guy with speed at the least.
4. Brace Koch - It's unlikely his glove develops enough to stick at SS, which really limits his value. He's got enough versatility and power to eventually be on a big-league roster though.
This season's #4 overall draft pick will almost assuredly immediately become the top guy in the system. This franchise needs a few season to rebuild some depth.
Huntington Thundering Herd
Huntington's talent well within the system has dried up. The plethora of moves during the season saw to that.
1. Jeremy Livingstone - The crown jewel of the system, Livingstone is in line to be the closer on opening day of next season. He has the talent to be a premier closer. He will serve in the tandem rotation at AA to begin the season.
2. Clayton Carson - Lacks the greatest control, but Carson has the stuff to be a dominant pitcher at times. He had a shot at the closer job this season, but struggled in spring training. He could be a top-notch setup man for Livingstone next season. He starts the year in AAA.
3. Steve D'Amico - A very talented hitter, he does not have a set position. Doesn't have the range or glove to play OF, and he will struggle at 1st. Not good at calling pitches, so C is out. We will have to find someplace for him in 2 seasons or risk wasting his talent. D'Amico will ply his trade in AA this season.
4. Aramis Marichal - A 6-year FA signing, Marichal has talent, the question is whether there is enough time for him to develop that talent. He's got 3 "plus" pitches which makes a very intriguing talent. He'll begin at AA this season.
5. Eric Quinn - Lacks great control, but has good velocity and good pitches, so he has the potential to be a very good pitcher in the Bigs. He's got the potential to be a quality setup guy. Should have no problem cracking the bigs sometime this season. Will pitch at AAA.
Memphis Tigers
1. Hugh Bell
• Though some may question his heart and desire, Hugh is the Tigers best prospect. He shows promise with his ability to hit anything within 2 feet of the plate and hitting for average.
• Barring injuries, look for Bell to be called up at the end of the season and to be competing for a starting spot in season 12.
2. Phil Rapp
• The Tigers best pitching prospect, Phil possess a great attitude and work ethic. A groundball pitcher, Phil sports a good fastball and adequate off-speed pitches to keep hitters on their heels.
• Rapp looks to make a handful of starts in AAA before making his ML debut in the early part of this season.
3. Derrick Jerchower
• There is concern with Derrick’s makeup and ability to locate pitches, but he should develop into an effective groundball pitcher with two good and two decent pitches. Though not going to be an ace of the staff, Derrick could potentially contribute in the mid to bottom portion of a rotation.
• Jerchower is young and has a lot of maturing to do, he’s still 3-4 years or more away from walking in big boy shoes.
4. Rob Ojala
• Rob is an excellent base runner with good speed. He has the ability to make contact and lay down a bunt in a pinch. Despite obvious flaws, Rob is also very durable and a capable glove at several positions, making him valuable off bench .
• Ojala could find his way into the big leagues in a couple of years.
5. Esteban Sanchez
• Esteban, while not destined to be a ML starter, could make his way on to the ML roster as a long reliever. With his makeup, Esteban may have just enough in his arsenal to deliver a couple of innings.
• With the current state of the Tigers pitching staff, Sanchez could get a chance within the next couple of years.
Little Rock Razorbacks
1. Bill Perez - Bill was the 3rd overall pick in the Season 8 draft. He is a shutdown closer with great splits and good velocity. Owner miggty4 loves Bill because he's your typical fastball - change up pitcher. He switches speeds very well and keeps the batter off balance. He also has a slider that he will thrown on occasion. Owner miggyt4 expects Bill to be promoted to the ML club as soon as today. In his 4 seasons in the minor leagues so far, Bill has pitched 198 innings posting a 2.41 ERA with 231 Ks and 50 saves.
2. McKay Benes - McKay was the 14th overall pick in the Season 10 draft. McKay should make his ML debut sometime next season. At the age of 23, owner miggyt4 doesn't seem him progressing much more in the minor leagues. McKay has great control and is very good against right-handed batters. He also has above average velocity with 4 pretty good pitches. However, McKays' downside is that he isn't very durable and was injured often in college. Owner miggyt4 projects McKay to be more of a setup man for Perez in the near future.
3. Ignacio Peralta - Ignacio was the 57th overall pick in the Season 8 draft. Iganico has great speed to go along with a high contact rate. He has performed very well in the minor leagues so far posting a .335 batting average in 1183 ABs. Along with that, Ignacio has a career .435 OBP and 71 SBs. While owner miggyt4 doesn't project Ignaico as a starter at the ML level, he does see Iganico making the ML club in the next few seasons as a role player.
4. Russell Ward - Russell was the 95th overall pick in the Season 7 draft. Russell has awesome splits however his control is less than desired. During his 5 seasons in the minor leagues, Russell has posted a 4.91 ERA in 231 innings with 184 Ks. However, Russell also has 134 BBs. Owner miggyt4 says Russell is an interesting prospect because he is so good against batters on both side of the plate. However, his control gets him in trouble. Russell will definitely get a shot at the ML level, most likely next season.
5. Bobby Greer - Bobby was the 287th overall pick in the Season 7 draft. Bobby has put up good numbers in the minor leagues including 62 HRs, 335 RBIs and a .309 BA. In season 9 at the Low A level, Bobby hit 29 HRs and drove in 150. Bobby probably won't see the ML level for a few seasons due to the talent level of the ML team. However, he does have an outside chance of perhaps becoming a role player in the next few seasons.
All names are "clickable" to their player profile.
Richmond Spiders
As best as I can tell, I didn't inherit much in the way of prospects so this will be short and easy.
1. Bill Saipe
He's the only legitimate top prospect I have. Projects to be a very good bat at C. Not great defensively but should develop enough to stick behind the plate. Should debut in Season 12 or 13 depending if/when a spot opens.
There are no other legitimate top prospects as far as I can tell. These guys probably have a future of some kind in the big leagues, though it is undetermined when::
2. Jumbo Tejera - really good hitter but probably a DH, which means he won't help me in the NL. While he'll hit for great AVG and OBP, he has limited power, which is troublesome for a DH. Still, on the right team, he would fit in.
3. Brian Smith - If his defense develops properly he could be a decent starter at 2B. If not, he'll be a decent utility guy with speed at the least.
4. Brace Koch - It's unlikely his glove develops enough to stick at SS, which really limits his value. He's got enough versatility and power to eventually be on a big-league roster though.
This season's #4 overall draft pick will almost assuredly immediately become the top guy in the system. This franchise needs a few season to rebuild some depth.
Huntington Thundering Herd
Huntington's talent well within the system has dried up. The plethora of moves during the season saw to that.
1. Jeremy Livingstone - The crown jewel of the system, Livingstone is in line to be the closer on opening day of next season. He has the talent to be a premier closer. He will serve in the tandem rotation at AA to begin the season.
2. Clayton Carson - Lacks the greatest control, but Carson has the stuff to be a dominant pitcher at times. He had a shot at the closer job this season, but struggled in spring training. He could be a top-notch setup man for Livingstone next season. He starts the year in AAA.
3. Steve D'Amico - A very talented hitter, he does not have a set position. Doesn't have the range or glove to play OF, and he will struggle at 1st. Not good at calling pitches, so C is out. We will have to find someplace for him in 2 seasons or risk wasting his talent. D'Amico will ply his trade in AA this season.
4. Aramis Marichal - A 6-year FA signing, Marichal has talent, the question is whether there is enough time for him to develop that talent. He's got 3 "plus" pitches which makes a very intriguing talent. He'll begin at AA this season.
5. Eric Quinn - Lacks great control, but has good velocity and good pitches, so he has the potential to be a very good pitcher in the Bigs. He's got the potential to be a quality setup guy. Should have no problem cracking the bigs sometime this season. Will pitch at AAA.
Memphis Tigers
1. Hugh Bell
• Though some may question his heart and desire, Hugh is the Tigers best prospect. He shows promise with his ability to hit anything within 2 feet of the plate and hitting for average.
• Barring injuries, look for Bell to be called up at the end of the season and to be competing for a starting spot in season 12.
2. Phil Rapp
• The Tigers best pitching prospect, Phil possess a great attitude and work ethic. A groundball pitcher, Phil sports a good fastball and adequate off-speed pitches to keep hitters on their heels.
• Rapp looks to make a handful of starts in AAA before making his ML debut in the early part of this season.
3. Derrick Jerchower
• There is concern with Derrick’s makeup and ability to locate pitches, but he should develop into an effective groundball pitcher with two good and two decent pitches. Though not going to be an ace of the staff, Derrick could potentially contribute in the mid to bottom portion of a rotation.
• Jerchower is young and has a lot of maturing to do, he’s still 3-4 years or more away from walking in big boy shoes.
4. Rob Ojala
• Rob is an excellent base runner with good speed. He has the ability to make contact and lay down a bunt in a pinch. Despite obvious flaws, Rob is also very durable and a capable glove at several positions, making him valuable off bench .
• Ojala could find his way into the big leagues in a couple of years.
5. Esteban Sanchez
• Esteban, while not destined to be a ML starter, could make his way on to the ML roster as a long reliever. With his makeup, Esteban may have just enough in his arsenal to deliver a couple of innings.
• With the current state of the Tigers pitching staff, Sanchez could get a chance within the next couple of years.
Little Rock Razorbacks
1. Bill Perez - Bill was the 3rd overall pick in the Season 8 draft. He is a shutdown closer with great splits and good velocity. Owner miggty4 loves Bill because he's your typical fastball - change up pitcher. He switches speeds very well and keeps the batter off balance. He also has a slider that he will thrown on occasion. Owner miggyt4 expects Bill to be promoted to the ML club as soon as today. In his 4 seasons in the minor leagues so far, Bill has pitched 198 innings posting a 2.41 ERA with 231 Ks and 50 saves.
2. McKay Benes - McKay was the 14th overall pick in the Season 10 draft. McKay should make his ML debut sometime next season. At the age of 23, owner miggyt4 doesn't seem him progressing much more in the minor leagues. McKay has great control and is very good against right-handed batters. He also has above average velocity with 4 pretty good pitches. However, McKays' downside is that he isn't very durable and was injured often in college. Owner miggyt4 projects McKay to be more of a setup man for Perez in the near future.
3. Ignacio Peralta - Ignacio was the 57th overall pick in the Season 8 draft. Iganico has great speed to go along with a high contact rate. He has performed very well in the minor leagues so far posting a .335 batting average in 1183 ABs. Along with that, Ignacio has a career .435 OBP and 71 SBs. While owner miggyt4 doesn't project Ignaico as a starter at the ML level, he does see Iganico making the ML club in the next few seasons as a role player.
4. Russell Ward - Russell was the 95th overall pick in the Season 7 draft. Russell has awesome splits however his control is less than desired. During his 5 seasons in the minor leagues, Russell has posted a 4.91 ERA in 231 innings with 184 Ks. However, Russell also has 134 BBs. Owner miggyt4 says Russell is an interesting prospect because he is so good against batters on both side of the plate. However, his control gets him in trouble. Russell will definitely get a shot at the ML level, most likely next season.
5. Bobby Greer - Bobby was the 287th overall pick in the Season 7 draft. Bobby has put up good numbers in the minor leagues including 62 HRs, 335 RBIs and a .309 BA. In season 9 at the Low A level, Bobby hit 29 HRs and drove in 150. Bobby probably won't see the ML level for a few seasons due to the talent level of the ML team. However, he does have an outside chance of perhaps becoming a role player in the next few seasons.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Season 11 - NL North Prospect Report
Detroit, Columbus, and Iowa City were written by their respective owners. I did Dover's so they do not reflect his thoughts.
All of the player names are "clickable" to their player profile.
Detroit Wolverines
1. Eliezer Arrojo – Arrojo was obtained as an S8 International free-agent for $17.5M. He was a part of many trade proposals the last two seasons but I’ve been waiting to see what this guy can do in the majors. He’s got speed on the bases and what I hope will be the big bat the Wolverines have been searching for. Arrojo will be called up to the majors this season after the 20+ games to avoid going to arb sooner.
2. Harry Medrano – Medrano was drafted 23rd in S7 and might be called up this season if a few pitchers get traded yet. He’s an interesting pitcher as I’m pretty high on this guy with his great control and solid splits along with 1 great pitch and 3 avg. pitches but other owners have expressed that he’s not that great when involved in trade situations.
3. Tyson Seaver – Seaver was the Wolverines 1st round draft pick (20) in S5. He has spent the last two seasons at AAA and will probably spend this season as well down there. Eventually the Wolverines are looking at making him their CF at the big league level.
4. Chico Melo – Melo signed for $12.7M on the international market in S9. I don’t see him being ready for 3 more seasons but have him penciled in as my long-term SS once he gets there. Defensively he’s better than what I have but brings a bat to the position and has power.
5. Lynn Prior – Prior was the 44th pick in the 2nd round of S5 draft. Buster Wiggins is currently holding down the 3B position but when management gave him a contract extension this season they did so knowing that he’d be moving to RF to finish out his career. Prior will then take over for us at 3B where he’ll fit defensively for us.
Columbus Buckeyes
1. Chris Dawkins - Chris is going to be in the Buckeye rotation for a long time once he is ready. He projects to an 81 Overall. With a projected Stamina of 97, Control of 90, GB/FB of 82, good splits and 4 good pitches he has all. He completely dominated at High A last season and should zoom through AA to AAA this season. He could possible be a September call-up but will be on the ML roster for certain next season.
2. Jack Torre - Jack would be on the ML roster right now if there was a spot for him. He projects to an 85 Overall with a projected Contact of 73 and a Batting Eye of 97. He has decent but not exceptional power and high 60's splits. As a bonus he also has a Range of 81. He should hit close to .300 with a .400+ OBP and .800+ OPS. He is ready now and is just waiting for his chance.
3. Johnny Keagle -
Johnny is the power hitting catcher the big league team has been waiting for. He projects to a 70 Overall with a projected Contact of 76 and Power of 73. He has 60's splits and Batting Eye. He should be a 30+ HR, 30+ doubles hitter with a solid BA and OBP. His defensive skills are relatively weak but compared to many current ML catchers he should do fine. He is making the jump from Low A to AAA this season and may need part of another season to get ready. He will be on the roster sometime next season for sure.
4. Ivan Bonilla - Ivan has a great glove and arm but will likely be moved to 3B due to his range. He projects to an 84 Overall with slightly above average Contact, Power, and Eye. His splits are mid 70's. He will likely become a 20+ HR/40+ doubles hitter with a BA close to .300 and an OBP of 375+. Ivan still needs a couple seasons of growing and probably won't see the majors for about 3 years.
5. Julio Armas - Julio is already a 2-time All-Star and 2-time Silver Slugger in his young career. He projects to a 77 Overall with solid defensive skills and a strong bat. Last season in High A he hit for an impressive 1.027 OPS highlighted by 53 doubles. He could move through AA to AAA this season and be ready for the big show next season.
Iowa City Hawkeyes
1. Danny Smoltz - Projected ML debut- Season 13. Smoltz's defensive numbers might be a little low for a shortstop (84/82/79) if he reaches them, so he may end up being a Gold Glove 3B. Projected to have tremendous power and a great Batting Eye.
2. Gabe Price - Projected ML Debut- Season 12. Price has great COntact and power rankings, as wel as above average L/R splits. Should be a long time starter with a great Health Rating and Makeup.
3. Laynce Whiteside - Projected ML Debut- Season 13. Originally drafted as a starter, it doesnt look like Whiteside will have enough Stamina to be effective in that role. Should make for a dominant reliever with great L/R splits (65/73). If he can improve his control (currently 31) he has the pitches (95/75/81/73) to be dominant out of the pen.
4. Timothy White - Season 13. Has great splits and tremendous velocity (90), if he can stay healthy (56) he has the pitches (95/66/72) to be an effective closer.
5. Frankie Good - Season 12. Good has Awesome splits (76/84) to go with 2 plus pitches, Average Control (55) and low Velocity (51) keepo him from being a dominant closer.
Dover Fightin' Blue Hens
1. Albie Tejeda - Solid Prospect. Might be getting ready to be brought up in a few days as he looks ready. Won't be the best defensive 2B in the league, but should hit for a solid clip.
2. Earl Cradle - I wish his arms strength was a bit higher and then he'd be a really nice defensive SS who can hit a bit which isn't easy to find. His bat will stay make up for his glove enough to play him regularly. He certainly won't be a liability in the field. I'm guessing Season 13 as his debut.
3. Herm O'Shea - Wherever Herm ends up, he will make a ton of plus plays. It might be worth it to stick him in CF because his range may outweigh the errors he'll produce with his glove. Prototypical leadoff guy with great contact and speed.
4. Albert Crespo - Another guy that could be ready this season. Worst case next season. Two plus pitches in his 5 pitch repotoire to go along with his nice velocity will make him a solid middle inning reliever.
5. Dale Murphy - Not to be confused with the old Braves slugger. Currently on the inactive roster (avoiding the injury bug so he can get brought up in a couple days?), he should be a nice piece to the big league pitching staff sooner than later.
All of the player names are "clickable" to their player profile.
Detroit Wolverines
1. Eliezer Arrojo – Arrojo was obtained as an S8 International free-agent for $17.5M. He was a part of many trade proposals the last two seasons but I’ve been waiting to see what this guy can do in the majors. He’s got speed on the bases and what I hope will be the big bat the Wolverines have been searching for. Arrojo will be called up to the majors this season after the 20+ games to avoid going to arb sooner.
2. Harry Medrano – Medrano was drafted 23rd in S7 and might be called up this season if a few pitchers get traded yet. He’s an interesting pitcher as I’m pretty high on this guy with his great control and solid splits along with 1 great pitch and 3 avg. pitches but other owners have expressed that he’s not that great when involved in trade situations.
3. Tyson Seaver – Seaver was the Wolverines 1st round draft pick (20) in S5. He has spent the last two seasons at AAA and will probably spend this season as well down there. Eventually the Wolverines are looking at making him their CF at the big league level.
4. Chico Melo – Melo signed for $12.7M on the international market in S9. I don’t see him being ready for 3 more seasons but have him penciled in as my long-term SS once he gets there. Defensively he’s better than what I have but brings a bat to the position and has power.
5. Lynn Prior – Prior was the 44th pick in the 2nd round of S5 draft. Buster Wiggins is currently holding down the 3B position but when management gave him a contract extension this season they did so knowing that he’d be moving to RF to finish out his career. Prior will then take over for us at 3B where he’ll fit defensively for us.
Columbus Buckeyes
1. Chris Dawkins - Chris is going to be in the Buckeye rotation for a long time once he is ready. He projects to an 81 Overall. With a projected Stamina of 97, Control of 90, GB/FB of 82, good splits and 4 good pitches he has all. He completely dominated at High A last season and should zoom through AA to AAA this season. He could possible be a September call-up but will be on the ML roster for certain next season.
2. Jack Torre - Jack would be on the ML roster right now if there was a spot for him. He projects to an 85 Overall with a projected Contact of 73 and a Batting Eye of 97. He has decent but not exceptional power and high 60's splits. As a bonus he also has a Range of 81. He should hit close to .300 with a .400+ OBP and .800+ OPS. He is ready now and is just waiting for his chance.
3. Johnny Keagle -
Johnny is the power hitting catcher the big league team has been waiting for. He projects to a 70 Overall with a projected Contact of 76 and Power of 73. He has 60's splits and Batting Eye. He should be a 30+ HR, 30+ doubles hitter with a solid BA and OBP. His defensive skills are relatively weak but compared to many current ML catchers he should do fine. He is making the jump from Low A to AAA this season and may need part of another season to get ready. He will be on the roster sometime next season for sure.
4. Ivan Bonilla - Ivan has a great glove and arm but will likely be moved to 3B due to his range. He projects to an 84 Overall with slightly above average Contact, Power, and Eye. His splits are mid 70's. He will likely become a 20+ HR/40+ doubles hitter with a BA close to .300 and an OBP of 375+. Ivan still needs a couple seasons of growing and probably won't see the majors for about 3 years.
5. Julio Armas - Julio is already a 2-time All-Star and 2-time Silver Slugger in his young career. He projects to a 77 Overall with solid defensive skills and a strong bat. Last season in High A he hit for an impressive 1.027 OPS highlighted by 53 doubles. He could move through AA to AAA this season and be ready for the big show next season.
Iowa City Hawkeyes
1. Danny Smoltz - Projected ML debut- Season 13. Smoltz's defensive numbers might be a little low for a shortstop (84/82/79) if he reaches them, so he may end up being a Gold Glove 3B. Projected to have tremendous power and a great Batting Eye.
2. Gabe Price - Projected ML Debut- Season 12. Price has great COntact and power rankings, as wel as above average L/R splits. Should be a long time starter with a great Health Rating and Makeup.
3. Laynce Whiteside - Projected ML Debut- Season 13. Originally drafted as a starter, it doesnt look like Whiteside will have enough Stamina to be effective in that role. Should make for a dominant reliever with great L/R splits (65/73). If he can improve his control (currently 31) he has the pitches (95/75/81/73) to be dominant out of the pen.
4. Timothy White - Season 13. Has great splits and tremendous velocity (90), if he can stay healthy (56) he has the pitches (95/66/72) to be an effective closer.
5. Frankie Good - Season 12. Good has Awesome splits (76/84) to go with 2 plus pitches, Average Control (55) and low Velocity (51) keepo him from being a dominant closer.
Dover Fightin' Blue Hens
1. Albie Tejeda - Solid Prospect. Might be getting ready to be brought up in a few days as he looks ready. Won't be the best defensive 2B in the league, but should hit for a solid clip.
2. Earl Cradle - I wish his arms strength was a bit higher and then he'd be a really nice defensive SS who can hit a bit which isn't easy to find. His bat will stay make up for his glove enough to play him regularly. He certainly won't be a liability in the field. I'm guessing Season 13 as his debut.
3. Herm O'Shea - Wherever Herm ends up, he will make a ton of plus plays. It might be worth it to stick him in CF because his range may outweigh the errors he'll produce with his glove. Prototypical leadoff guy with great contact and speed.
4. Albert Crespo - Another guy that could be ready this season. Worst case next season. Two plus pitches in his 5 pitch repotoire to go along with his nice velocity will make him a solid middle inning reliever.
5. Dale Murphy - Not to be confused with the old Braves slugger. Currently on the inactive roster (avoiding the injury bug so he can get brought up in a couple days?), he should be a nice piece to the big league pitching staff sooner than later.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Season 11 - AL East Divisional Preview
My Take: Its never easy playing in the same division with a team that boasted one of the top records in NCAA last season and played slightly under their expected winning pct. Philadelphia looks to add onto their 3 straight divisional titles (tied in season 8). Charleston and Chicago are both very excited about some rookies that will be added to the mix, but they probably still need some more time to develop a nucleus to challenge for a wild card spot, let alone the division. The Red Storm's record has declined each of the last 3 seasons so the decision has to be made soon to tear it down or is management confident they'll reverse the trend?
Prediction
1. Philadelphia Owls
2. New York Red Storm
3. Charleston Cougars
4. Chicago Blue Demons
Philadelphia Owls
Key Players Added : SP Daisuke Suzuki and C Antonio Gilbert.
Key Players Lost : C Darrell Dyer, SP Don Bong, LF Stuffy Sabathia, 3B Endy Kwon and RP Hack Malloy.
Key Transactions : Only one trade to make space on my payroll and also to fit with our new philosophy of catching.
C Darrell Dyer for young 2B B.C. Polanco.
Rookies expected to contribute: Willie Berroa.
After another great season, Owls are expecting to repeat this season and hopefully do much better in playoffs.
With the return of 2 times MVP award winner Haywood Bryant at first base, RBI machine Miller Kotsay at second, Candy Thomas in the left and All-Star Joe Campbell in the right, scoring runs should not be a problem again this season for the Owls.
The lost of Dyer should be compensated by DH Aaron Little who hit 39 HR in season 8.
On the mound, 3 times Cy young award winner Domingo Servet will not be alone as Jose Aybar and Pat Gibbons are back while Daisuke Suzuki will replace Bong. Even with those great arms, the Owls have decide to change their approach as far as catching is concern. That's why they trade Dyer who is a fantastic hitter but an average catcher. They will replace him by Clarence Peters and new comer Antonio Gilbert.
Our goal is the represent the AL in the World Series.
Of course all that will be possible if everyone stay healthy.
Charleston Cougars
Charleston was not active in free agency, opting instead to promote young talent and obtain new talent via the Rule 5 draft. The Cougars preserved much of their talent base through arbitration signings, including D.J. Carroll, Freddie Upshaw and Patrick Lamb. The pitching staff will again be led by Jared Strickland, who at age 38 is more than 10 years older than any other member of the staff, yet continues to put up great numbers. Rookie David Saito, who signed last year as an International Free Agent is expected to contribute immediately. In addition, the Cougars expect Greg Padden and Eswalin Sierra to continue developing into top level pitchers. Several rookies also expect to compete for starting positions on offense. Juan Diaz looks to take over at catcher and Lefty Griffin will likely take over at one of the infield positions. Look for Odalis Velazquez to make his much anticipated debut at SS shortly after game number 20.
Chicago Blue Demons
The Blue Demons are hoping to improve significantly over last season's dismal 64-98 campaign by adding sluggers Juan Melendez and Marquis Nolan to an offense that finished 27th in runs scored last season. The pitching staff continues to mature and young starters Tony Telemaco, Al Zurbaran, and Matty Canseco are expected to show some of the flash predicted by team scouts. The loss of closer Esteban Cedeno is a major concern. People close to the team question whether Napoleon Shannon will be able to fill those shoes. Overall, the Blue Demons should be vastly improved over last year but taking it to the next level falls sqarely on the performance of the young pitching staff.
FA additions:
Juan Melendez 1B
Marquis Nolan LF
Jose Sosa P
FA losses:
Esteban Cedeno P
Hong-Chih Meng DH
New York Red Storm
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Prediction
1. Philadelphia Owls
2. New York Red Storm
3. Charleston Cougars
4. Chicago Blue Demons
Philadelphia Owls
Key Players Added : SP Daisuke Suzuki and C Antonio Gilbert.
Key Players Lost : C Darrell Dyer, SP Don Bong, LF Stuffy Sabathia, 3B Endy Kwon and RP Hack Malloy.
Key Transactions : Only one trade to make space on my payroll and also to fit with our new philosophy of catching.
C Darrell Dyer for young 2B B.C. Polanco.
Rookies expected to contribute: Willie Berroa.
After another great season, Owls are expecting to repeat this season and hopefully do much better in playoffs.
With the return of 2 times MVP award winner Haywood Bryant at first base, RBI machine Miller Kotsay at second, Candy Thomas in the left and All-Star Joe Campbell in the right, scoring runs should not be a problem again this season for the Owls.
The lost of Dyer should be compensated by DH Aaron Little who hit 39 HR in season 8.
On the mound, 3 times Cy young award winner Domingo Servet will not be alone as Jose Aybar and Pat Gibbons are back while Daisuke Suzuki will replace Bong. Even with those great arms, the Owls have decide to change their approach as far as catching is concern. That's why they trade Dyer who is a fantastic hitter but an average catcher. They will replace him by Clarence Peters and new comer Antonio Gilbert.
Our goal is the represent the AL in the World Series.
Of course all that will be possible if everyone stay healthy.
Charleston Cougars
Charleston was not active in free agency, opting instead to promote young talent and obtain new talent via the Rule 5 draft. The Cougars preserved much of their talent base through arbitration signings, including D.J. Carroll, Freddie Upshaw and Patrick Lamb. The pitching staff will again be led by Jared Strickland, who at age 38 is more than 10 years older than any other member of the staff, yet continues to put up great numbers. Rookie David Saito, who signed last year as an International Free Agent is expected to contribute immediately. In addition, the Cougars expect Greg Padden and Eswalin Sierra to continue developing into top level pitchers. Several rookies also expect to compete for starting positions on offense. Juan Diaz looks to take over at catcher and Lefty Griffin will likely take over at one of the infield positions. Look for Odalis Velazquez to make his much anticipated debut at SS shortly after game number 20.
Chicago Blue Demons
The Blue Demons are hoping to improve significantly over last season's dismal 64-98 campaign by adding sluggers Juan Melendez and Marquis Nolan to an offense that finished 27th in runs scored last season. The pitching staff continues to mature and young starters Tony Telemaco, Al Zurbaran, and Matty Canseco are expected to show some of the flash predicted by team scouts. The loss of closer Esteban Cedeno is a major concern. People close to the team question whether Napoleon Shannon will be able to fill those shoes. Overall, the Blue Demons should be vastly improved over last year but taking it to the next level falls sqarely on the performance of the young pitching staff.
FA additions:
Juan Melendez 1B
Marquis Nolan LF
Jose Sosa P
FA losses:
Esteban Cedeno P
Hong-Chih Meng DH
New York Red Storm
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Season 11 - AL South Divisional Preview
My Take: The Razorbacks dominated the South last season and look to continue their run in Season 11. They went 22-8 in the division and 31-21 in one run games. Not sure those gaudy numbers will be repeated, but they are still the heavy favorites to win the division. Jackson, New Orleans, and Nashville will be fighting for second place in the division, but will have an uphill climb to grab a wild card spot because the AL is so loaded. Nashville had the worst record in NCAA and can't repeat the 100 loss season or Nashville fans will demand new management. They were very aggressive in free agency and add a good amount of talent to the squad. I think that the South only sends the division winner to the playoffs this season so the pressure is on from the first pitch!
Prediction:
1. Little Rock Razorbacks
2. New Orleans Bayou Bengals
3. Nashville Commodores
4. Jackson Rebels
Little Rock Razorbacks
Key Players Added: Added James Lee to replace Lawrence Turner in CF. Added Stuffy Sabathia whom will most likely start in RF. Added Mark Mathews who will start at 3B. Added Chico Duran and Tommy Hansen for depth
Key Players Lost: 1B/DH Michael Maddux, CF Lawrence Turner, C Sergio Martin, RP Jerome Leonard, RP Pepe Lee
Key Transactions: Acquired CF James Lee, C Chico Duran, RP Tommy Hansen via Trade. Acquired 3B Mark Mathews, RF/1B Stuffy Sabathia via Free-Agency.
Rookies: As of right now, you're probably only going to see 2 rookies at the major league level this year. The first is RP Billy North. Billy has had good success in the minors and at the age of 24, he's ready to make the jump to the big league club. He'll most likely start the season as a setup B type pitcher. The other and more noticeable rookie that will most likely make the big league club this season is 3rd overall pick from the season 8 draft Bill Perez. Owner miggyt4 will most likely wait until the 2nd month of the season to bring Perez up to save an option year, however once he's at the ML level, he won't be going back to the minors. Perez has dominated the minors posting a 2.45 ERA with 225 Ks over 190.2 innings. The only issue that owner miggyt4 has right now is whether Perez is developed enough to make the jump. The other question is when does he take over the role as closer? I'm sure Cairo will be on a short leash considering the talent Perez has.
Outlook: After 9 straight seasons, someone other than the current Nashville franchise won the AL South. That team was the Razorbacks. The biggest concern that owner miggyt4 has for this season is if he has enough pitching to compete in the very tough AL. Clinton Carr will definitely need to return to his 18 game winner form and Red Lofton and Anthony Jenkins need to continue with the form they showed last year winning a combined 23 games. The season may depend on the arms of Clyde Jodie and Morris Morgan. Jodie won a team high 15 games last season however it will be interesting to see if he keeps that form or returns to the sub-500 level he showed in seasons 8 and 9. Morris Morgan won a team high 10 games in Season 9 however he struggled a bit in season 10 and was demoted to the bullpen. With the depature of Mel Reed, Morgan is now the #5 starter. On Offense, owner miggyt4 went out and signed 2 more offensive players to add to an offense that looks to be very strong. They lose 1B/DH Michael Maddux who was tied for 2nd on the team last year with 33 HRs and led the team with 109 RBIs. However, the Razorbacks acquired Stuffy Sabathia who hit .273 last season with a OBP of .348, 42 SBs, 15 HRs and 80 RBIs. Stuffy can do a little bit of everything at the plate and on the bases and the Razorbacks are very happy to have him in the lineup. Also, they added Mark Matthews who hit .265 last season with 20 HRs and 75 RBIs. Due to this acquistion, last years starting 3B Anthony Lombard will move back to SS and Matthews will start at 3B. This moves last years starting SS Davey Sojo into a utility player role which he is more suited for. The Razorbacks also added CF James Lee to replace Lawrence Turner in CF. Lee is an upgrade defensively and will provide the same amount of offense that Turner produced last season. Finally, the Razorbacks added C Chico Duran to the roster. Chico will start at DH most of the time and provide rest to starting catcher Welington Calderone. Chico hit .279 last season with 20 HRs and 60 RBIs to go along with a .345 OBP.
The question is whether the Razorbacks did enough offensively to counter act a pitching staff that does not appear to be as strong as last years. Owner miggyt4 says once Perez arrives, I feel our staff will be even stronger than last years. You've heard of the Big Red Machine, well they're not calling us Little Rock anymore, we're Big Rock!
New Orleans Bayou Bengals
Lost free agents RP Juan Almanza, C Willie Alvarez
key additions: none
looking for continued improvement from several starters now in the prime of their careers - 1B Carlos Molina, 3B Josh Foulke, 2B Jolbert Lopez, SS Carlos Gonzalez, as well as from starting pitchers Julio Lira, Francisco Bournigal and relievers Julio Rincon and Bart Pellow.
Outlook: season goal is to win 88 games or more and qualify either through winning the division or wild card.
Jackson Rebels
Key Players added: Octavio Moreno, signed as a free agent, should be a solid back-up for the corner OF spots and 1B..and be a suitable bat off the bench.
Key Players lost: Released 1B Micah MItchell (leading HR and RBI man from last season), Mendy Sasaki and P Jeff Donovan (his inconsistencies cost him a spot on my roster).
Rookies expected to contribute: Where to begin...SP Marc Westmoreland should help solidify the starting rotation..he has had a history of starting slow, but gets stronger as the season progresses. DH Andres Martinez will add some much needed power to the line-up as he will fill the cleanup spot nicely. C Doug Beckett will take over the pitch calling duties and staff managament, although he can't hit righties, his other attributes should override that weakness. Rick Daly will fit in nicely as he takes over for Mitchell at first base..solid offense numbers.
Outlook: Disappointed with last year's W-L record..starting off slow didn't help things at all. Trying to get younger with the pitching staff and Westmoreland is a start. I'm expecting the offense to be production, with Torey Vallarta remaining as the team leader and anchor. All in all, the Rebels will probably experience some growing pains as I will have four rookies in the line-up. Once again looking at a .500 season..next season should be a little different as there will be a Rebel uprising.
Nashville Commodores
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Prediction:
1. Little Rock Razorbacks
2. New Orleans Bayou Bengals
3. Nashville Commodores
4. Jackson Rebels
Little Rock Razorbacks
Key Players Added: Added James Lee to replace Lawrence Turner in CF. Added Stuffy Sabathia whom will most likely start in RF. Added Mark Mathews who will start at 3B. Added Chico Duran and Tommy Hansen for depth
Key Players Lost: 1B/DH Michael Maddux, CF Lawrence Turner, C Sergio Martin, RP Jerome Leonard, RP Pepe Lee
Key Transactions: Acquired CF James Lee, C Chico Duran, RP Tommy Hansen via Trade. Acquired 3B Mark Mathews, RF/1B Stuffy Sabathia via Free-Agency.
Rookies: As of right now, you're probably only going to see 2 rookies at the major league level this year. The first is RP Billy North. Billy has had good success in the minors and at the age of 24, he's ready to make the jump to the big league club. He'll most likely start the season as a setup B type pitcher. The other and more noticeable rookie that will most likely make the big league club this season is 3rd overall pick from the season 8 draft Bill Perez. Owner miggyt4 will most likely wait until the 2nd month of the season to bring Perez up to save an option year, however once he's at the ML level, he won't be going back to the minors. Perez has dominated the minors posting a 2.45 ERA with 225 Ks over 190.2 innings. The only issue that owner miggyt4 has right now is whether Perez is developed enough to make the jump. The other question is when does he take over the role as closer? I'm sure Cairo will be on a short leash considering the talent Perez has.
Outlook: After 9 straight seasons, someone other than the current Nashville franchise won the AL South. That team was the Razorbacks. The biggest concern that owner miggyt4 has for this season is if he has enough pitching to compete in the very tough AL. Clinton Carr will definitely need to return to his 18 game winner form and Red Lofton and Anthony Jenkins need to continue with the form they showed last year winning a combined 23 games. The season may depend on the arms of Clyde Jodie and Morris Morgan. Jodie won a team high 15 games last season however it will be interesting to see if he keeps that form or returns to the sub-500 level he showed in seasons 8 and 9. Morris Morgan won a team high 10 games in Season 9 however he struggled a bit in season 10 and was demoted to the bullpen. With the depature of Mel Reed, Morgan is now the #5 starter. On Offense, owner miggyt4 went out and signed 2 more offensive players to add to an offense that looks to be very strong. They lose 1B/DH Michael Maddux who was tied for 2nd on the team last year with 33 HRs and led the team with 109 RBIs. However, the Razorbacks acquired Stuffy Sabathia who hit .273 last season with a OBP of .348, 42 SBs, 15 HRs and 80 RBIs. Stuffy can do a little bit of everything at the plate and on the bases and the Razorbacks are very happy to have him in the lineup. Also, they added Mark Matthews who hit .265 last season with 20 HRs and 75 RBIs. Due to this acquistion, last years starting 3B Anthony Lombard will move back to SS and Matthews will start at 3B. This moves last years starting SS Davey Sojo into a utility player role which he is more suited for. The Razorbacks also added CF James Lee to replace Lawrence Turner in CF. Lee is an upgrade defensively and will provide the same amount of offense that Turner produced last season. Finally, the Razorbacks added C Chico Duran to the roster. Chico will start at DH most of the time and provide rest to starting catcher Welington Calderone. Chico hit .279 last season with 20 HRs and 60 RBIs to go along with a .345 OBP.
The question is whether the Razorbacks did enough offensively to counter act a pitching staff that does not appear to be as strong as last years. Owner miggyt4 says once Perez arrives, I feel our staff will be even stronger than last years. You've heard of the Big Red Machine, well they're not calling us Little Rock anymore, we're Big Rock!
New Orleans Bayou Bengals
Lost free agents RP Juan Almanza, C Willie Alvarez
key additions: none
looking for continued improvement from several starters now in the prime of their careers - 1B Carlos Molina, 3B Josh Foulke, 2B Jolbert Lopez, SS Carlos Gonzalez, as well as from starting pitchers Julio Lira, Francisco Bournigal and relievers Julio Rincon and Bart Pellow.
Outlook: season goal is to win 88 games or more and qualify either through winning the division or wild card.
Jackson Rebels
Key Players added: Octavio Moreno, signed as a free agent, should be a solid back-up for the corner OF spots and 1B..and be a suitable bat off the bench.
Key Players lost: Released 1B Micah MItchell (leading HR and RBI man from last season), Mendy Sasaki and P Jeff Donovan (his inconsistencies cost him a spot on my roster).
Rookies expected to contribute: Where to begin...SP Marc Westmoreland should help solidify the starting rotation..he has had a history of starting slow, but gets stronger as the season progresses. DH Andres Martinez will add some much needed power to the line-up as he will fill the cleanup spot nicely. C Doug Beckett will take over the pitch calling duties and staff managament, although he can't hit righties, his other attributes should override that weakness. Rick Daly will fit in nicely as he takes over for Mitchell at first base..solid offense numbers.
Outlook: Disappointed with last year's W-L record..starting off slow didn't help things at all. Trying to get younger with the pitching staff and Westmoreland is a start. I'm expecting the offense to be production, with Torey Vallarta remaining as the team leader and anchor. All in all, the Rebels will probably experience some growing pains as I will have four rookies in the line-up. Once again looking at a .500 season..next season should be a little different as there will be a Rebel uprising.
Nashville Commodores
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Saturday, November 6, 2010
Season 11 - AL North Divisional Preview
My Take: Another solid division with a lot of good talent. Season 10 NCAA champion, Fargo, resides in this division and looks to take home the division again. Portland looks to lays a couple of small building blocks on top of the big step forward they made last season. Minnesota made several big time FA acquisitions and trades to try and compete now while not leveraging the future. The Bearcats are in the able bodied hands of veteran allright who continues to put that team on the right track. This should be a very competitive division right out of the gate. I see the Bison taking home the divisional crown although I'll be surprised if they get to 102 wins as mikejuggalo expects, there are just too many good teams in the AL. Portland and Minnesota should be battling for a WC spot the whole season as Cincy continues to rebuild.
Prediction:
1. Fargo
2. Portland
3. Minnesota
4. Cincinnati
Portland Ducks
Key Player Added: Vic Redmond and Bill Meacham. Not sure if we can say that they are key players, but they may help my pitching staff this season.
Key Player Lost: None.
Key Transaction: No huge trades, but Omar Urbina and Darrell Guerrero have been acquired to add some deep to Portland’s farm system.
Rookies: Vic Keefe may start the season why the big team.
Outlook: The AL North division did better last season, and Portland has improved his records to 89-73, playing over .500 for the first time since the sixth season. The Ducks will try to do as well as last season.
To reach that goal, they count on guys like, Dave Ramsay, Bingo Speier, Ernie Helton and Boots Lundquist who are the heart of Portland’s lineup. Ramsay has still a lot to do to worth his salary, but has a huge potential. Bingo Speier should do better than last season. We are hoping to see Ernie Helton and Boots Lunquist continue to run on the bases.
If we look at the pitching staff, Einar Arias and Alvin Barnes already have their spot in the rotation. Therefore, Chris Knight and Gene Wise may be sent to bullpen. Also, a young arm in Vic Keefe may join the Arias and Barnes in the rotation. Portland was hoping to get an ace from the free agency, but was not able to sign the guy they were looking for in Don Bong. We may look later in the season for a pitching ace.
Richard Vanguri is still the closer for the season. He has proven that he can do the job. Bob Serrano and Vic Redmond may replace him if needed.
Fargo Bison
Departures: Wendell Justice(Demotion), Edgar Eusabio(FA), Phillip Larson(FA), Phil Nomura(Trade), and Britt Glynn(Demotion).
Additions: Corky Buckley(waivers), Mitch Huckaby(Rookie), Ralph Mora(Rookie), David Cox(Trade)
The Fargo Bison should be stronger this season than we were last year. We played very well down the stretch and in the playoffs. The addition of Cox to our bullpen and Mora to the rotation should both help upgrade the pitching here in Fargo. The hot corner should be much stronger defensively with Huckaby taking over and that allows us to move Everhart to RF and that should strengthen that position defensively compared to last year.
We have an extremely young team, and even with the deep run in the playoffs last year, they are relatively inexperienced at the ML level. We are hoping that with another year of experience they will continue to improve their skills as individuals and that will lead to an improved team.
Expectation: I expect this team to win the division and hopefully be a #1-2 seed in the AL.
Prediction: 102-60
Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati is poised to continue the next step in improving what had been a sinking franchise. Last season's second half improvement was the first step. FA signings Stretch Bailey (P), Hector Jimenez (P), Wolf Langerhans (P), and Carl Riggan (OF), added to the trade asquisition of Tomas Navarro should help the Bearcats take one more step up the ladder. If top rookie catching prospect, Omar Andujar, can make significant contributions, maybe another rung up the ladder is possible. The team still needs a real ace on the staff and more pop in the lineup to be a top contender; but, moving to the middle of the pack should be no problem
UPDATE: Stretch Bailey , FA signee counted on to bolster the pitching staff suffered a season ending spring training injury, leaving the Cincinnati team with a huge starting pitching void. Bailey's loss suggests that the Bearcats climb toward mediocrity suddenly becomes less likely. TTWIG.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Key Additions: SPs Adrian Cora and Roger Karnuth, RP Nap Hollins, OF Jerry Seabol, and 3B R.J. Vargas
Key Losses: 3B Chuck Andrews and RP Pete Young
Rookies: RP Jay Rhodes (former #5 draft pick), DH Jorge Cordero, CF Theo Franco, OF Davey Albaladejo could all make their debut this season.
Outlook: This should be a very interesting year for the Golden Gophers. Despite a run to the World Series in season 9, that team was far from becoming perennial contender. After a down year in season 10, the Gophers were aggressive in the free agent market this year in an attempt to compete for a playoff spot at the ML level this year, while maintaining the financial flexibility to continue to add talent to the minors. It remains to be seen whether this balancing act can be pulled off. Worst case scenario is that the Gophers hover around .500, while at the same time lack the prospect payroll to sign impact IFAs. On the flip side, the short term FA signings could pay off with a playoff birth while simultaneously bridging the gap between the present and homegrown future.
Prediction:
1. Fargo
2. Portland
3. Minnesota
4. Cincinnati
Portland Ducks
Key Player Added: Vic Redmond and Bill Meacham. Not sure if we can say that they are key players, but they may help my pitching staff this season.
Key Player Lost: None.
Key Transaction: No huge trades, but Omar Urbina and Darrell Guerrero have been acquired to add some deep to Portland’s farm system.
Rookies: Vic Keefe may start the season why the big team.
Outlook: The AL North division did better last season, and Portland has improved his records to 89-73, playing over .500 for the first time since the sixth season. The Ducks will try to do as well as last season.
To reach that goal, they count on guys like, Dave Ramsay, Bingo Speier, Ernie Helton and Boots Lundquist who are the heart of Portland’s lineup. Ramsay has still a lot to do to worth his salary, but has a huge potential. Bingo Speier should do better than last season. We are hoping to see Ernie Helton and Boots Lunquist continue to run on the bases.
If we look at the pitching staff, Einar Arias and Alvin Barnes already have their spot in the rotation. Therefore, Chris Knight and Gene Wise may be sent to bullpen. Also, a young arm in Vic Keefe may join the Arias and Barnes in the rotation. Portland was hoping to get an ace from the free agency, but was not able to sign the guy they were looking for in Don Bong. We may look later in the season for a pitching ace.
Richard Vanguri is still the closer for the season. He has proven that he can do the job. Bob Serrano and Vic Redmond may replace him if needed.
Fargo Bison
Departures: Wendell Justice(Demotion), Edgar Eusabio(FA), Phillip Larson(FA), Phil Nomura(Trade), and Britt Glynn(Demotion).
Additions: Corky Buckley(waivers), Mitch Huckaby(Rookie), Ralph Mora(Rookie), David Cox(Trade)
The Fargo Bison should be stronger this season than we were last year. We played very well down the stretch and in the playoffs. The addition of Cox to our bullpen and Mora to the rotation should both help upgrade the pitching here in Fargo. The hot corner should be much stronger defensively with Huckaby taking over and that allows us to move Everhart to RF and that should strengthen that position defensively compared to last year.
We have an extremely young team, and even with the deep run in the playoffs last year, they are relatively inexperienced at the ML level. We are hoping that with another year of experience they will continue to improve their skills as individuals and that will lead to an improved team.
Expectation: I expect this team to win the division and hopefully be a #1-2 seed in the AL.
Prediction: 102-60
Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati is poised to continue the next step in improving what had been a sinking franchise. Last season's second half improvement was the first step. FA signings Stretch Bailey (P), Hector Jimenez (P), Wolf Langerhans (P), and Carl Riggan (OF), added to the trade asquisition of Tomas Navarro should help the Bearcats take one more step up the ladder. If top rookie catching prospect, Omar Andujar, can make significant contributions, maybe another rung up the ladder is possible. The team still needs a real ace on the staff and more pop in the lineup to be a top contender; but, moving to the middle of the pack should be no problem
UPDATE: Stretch Bailey , FA signee counted on to bolster the pitching staff suffered a season ending spring training injury, leaving the Cincinnati team with a huge starting pitching void. Bailey's loss suggests that the Bearcats climb toward mediocrity suddenly becomes less likely. TTWIG.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Key Additions: SPs Adrian Cora and Roger Karnuth, RP Nap Hollins, OF Jerry Seabol, and 3B R.J. Vargas
Key Losses: 3B Chuck Andrews and RP Pete Young
Rookies: RP Jay Rhodes (former #5 draft pick), DH Jorge Cordero, CF Theo Franco, OF Davey Albaladejo could all make their debut this season.
Outlook: This should be a very interesting year for the Golden Gophers. Despite a run to the World Series in season 9, that team was far from becoming perennial contender. After a down year in season 10, the Gophers were aggressive in the free agent market this year in an attempt to compete for a playoff spot at the ML level this year, while maintaining the financial flexibility to continue to add talent to the minors. It remains to be seen whether this balancing act can be pulled off. Worst case scenario is that the Gophers hover around .500, while at the same time lack the prospect payroll to sign impact IFAs. On the flip side, the short term FA signings could pay off with a playoff birth while simultaneously bridging the gap between the present and homegrown future.
Season 11 - AL West Divisional Preview
My Take: This division features two teams (Anaheim and Salem) that I will be shocked if they don't both make the playoffs. With the other two teams in rebuild mode, the divisional race will come down to those two. Anaheim was one of the busiest teams in the offseason and Salem still brings back most of the team that had the best record in NCAA last season. Its really a coinflip between the two, but with Salem winning the division the last two seasons, we're going to give the nod to the Beavers. Just like in the NL East, "to be the man, you have to beat the man." Both teams will make the playoffs and Seattle/Oakland will continue to re-tool.
Prediction:
1. Salem Beavers
2. Anaheim Trojans
3. Oakland Golden Bears
4. Seattle Huskies
Anaheim Trojans
FA Losses: Groucho Duncan (1B), Paul Fujiwara (SP), Victor Melo (3B), Ivan Montanez (RP), Valerio James (SP)
FA Additions: N/A
Non-Tenders: Mel Brock (SS), Stretch Griffey (C)
Trade Losses: Ben Brown (3B), Julian Cortes (CF), Harry Turner (SS), Angel Trevino (SP)
Trade Additions: Dante Thompson (1B), Miguel Barcelo (SP), Ben Jackson (SS),
Rookies: Ebenezer Zimmerman (3B), Tomas Lira (C), Jorge Tavarez (CF)
C: 3-time All-Star slugger Larry Sedlacek remains the starter. Tomas Lira figures to be better both offensively and defensively over Stretch Griffey as a backup. Slight upgrade.
1B: 6-time MVP/10-time All- Star Dante Thompson takes over for Groucho Duncan at first. Darrin Williams adds depth. Significant upgrade.
2B: 3-time All-Star Justin Boyd returns to play second and bat leadoff. No change.
SS: Silver Slugger Ben Jackson takes over at SS replacing solid defender Harry Turner. Significant upgrade.
3B: Top Prospect Ebenezer Zimmerman takes over at 3B for Ben Brown. Slight upgrade.
LF: 2-time All-Star David Cordero returns following a career year. No change.
CF: Rookie Jorge Tavarez steps in for Julian Cortes and will provide a defensive upgrade. It will be interesting to see if Tavarez can match Cortes' disappointing numbers. Slight downgrade.
RF: Allie Plesac and Darrin Williams look to split time in RF this season. Slight upgrade.
SP: Miguel Barcelo immediately becomes the ace of the staff and becomes the dominant starter Anaheim has been lacking. All-Stars Jake Randolph, Dick Bailey, and Turner Evans return. Luis Santana steps in as the 5th starter. Staff upgraded and more suited for post-season.
Bullpen: All-Star closer David Moreno returns along with former Fireman of the Year Adrian Kendall, All-Star Miguel Sanchez, and lefty Lawrence Wilson. Several spots up for grabs.
Outlook: Anything less than a WS run will be a disappointment in Anaheim this year. The everyday lineup has improved quite a bit, and the rotation has been transformed and is better suited for post-season success. There are some question marks in the bullpen, and depth could be an issue if the injury bug strikes. High expectations in Anaheim this season.
Seattle Huskies
After 10 seasons of futility, the Mariners have taken a step forward from "bordering on mediocre" to "solidly mediocre." Despite high draft choices almost every season, Seattle had a remarkably thin farm system going into Season 11. The decision was made to trade any marketable Major League talent and go back to the drawing board.
In a calculated gamble, Seattle traded now and future stud Miguel Barcelo to division rival Anaheim. In return, the Mariners received two 23-year-old SP's and a 22-yar-old reliever. All three should help in the long run.
Still on the market are five tool All-Star Erik Haynes, All-Star and former ROY SP Larry Miller, All-Star SP Roberto Johnson and LF Andrea Nelson - 1.017 OPS in 520+ plate appearances in Season 9.
It promises to be another long season in Seattle (is there any other kind?) and the Mariners first fan promotion will be "Paper Bag Night" in anticipation of the season ahead.
Oakland Golden Bears
Not too much changed with the team. Shed some payroll and only made a couple aquisitions. Signed Phillip Larson and John Liang. Claimed Marty Wayne off waivers. And drafted Stephen Parrish and Pascual Alarcon from the rule 5 draft but will probably end up dropping them.
Salem Beavers
A powerful lineup should continue to produce. The order will be anchored by top leadoff man Jack Nicholas 2B who had a breakout season ( 22HR 64SB 143RS ) . Bill Morton RF knocked 53 and should continue to produce with Ivan Martis DH(32HR) and Wes Cyr (43HR 37 SB ) protecting him in the lineup. Hopes in Salem are that Kid Torre 1B can cover most of the offence lost by Carl Riggan and his 130RBI
The staff is still strong but not as young as it once was. The starters are strong with Vic Escobar SP ( 16-6 3.43ERA ) ,Gene Schneider SP ( 18-6 ) ,Al Valdes ( 19-5 3.5ERA ) and Octavio Rivera SP(14-5 3.4ERA ). Beyond closer Jose Sierra RP ( 46 Saves 2.81 ERA ) the bullpen is full of questions and could be the teams Achilles heel
The Beavers were once again treated to an early playoff exit. They were a regular season powerhouse, and that should continue into this year. The win totals will be lower due to the notable improvments to Anaheim's lineup and the teams should compete for the division and best record in the AL. The team has never won a playoff series though at some point by probability they will and perhaps that is this year.
Key Additions: Kid Torre 1B ( 30HR 96RBI 22SB )
Key Losses: Kiki Vazquez RP (3.31 career ERA ), Diego Nieto RP ( Career 4.03 ERA ), Carl Riggan RF ( 108 RS 36HR 130RBI .312 Ave .974 OPS )
Potential Impact Rookies: Ken Pfeffer RP ( 3.54ERA in AAA ), Chip Leonard LF ( 32HR .320BA 1.042 OPS in AAA )
Prediction:
1. Salem Beavers
2. Anaheim Trojans
3. Oakland Golden Bears
4. Seattle Huskies
Anaheim Trojans
FA Losses: Groucho Duncan (1B), Paul Fujiwara (SP), Victor Melo (3B), Ivan Montanez (RP), Valerio James (SP)
FA Additions: N/A
Non-Tenders: Mel Brock (SS), Stretch Griffey (C)
Trade Losses: Ben Brown (3B), Julian Cortes (CF), Harry Turner (SS), Angel Trevino (SP)
Trade Additions: Dante Thompson (1B), Miguel Barcelo (SP), Ben Jackson (SS),
Rookies: Ebenezer Zimmerman (3B), Tomas Lira (C), Jorge Tavarez (CF)
C: 3-time All-Star slugger Larry Sedlacek remains the starter. Tomas Lira figures to be better both offensively and defensively over Stretch Griffey as a backup. Slight upgrade.
1B: 6-time MVP/10-time All- Star Dante Thompson takes over for Groucho Duncan at first. Darrin Williams adds depth. Significant upgrade.
2B: 3-time All-Star Justin Boyd returns to play second and bat leadoff. No change.
SS: Silver Slugger Ben Jackson takes over at SS replacing solid defender Harry Turner. Significant upgrade.
3B: Top Prospect Ebenezer Zimmerman takes over at 3B for Ben Brown. Slight upgrade.
LF: 2-time All-Star David Cordero returns following a career year. No change.
CF: Rookie Jorge Tavarez steps in for Julian Cortes and will provide a defensive upgrade. It will be interesting to see if Tavarez can match Cortes' disappointing numbers. Slight downgrade.
RF: Allie Plesac and Darrin Williams look to split time in RF this season. Slight upgrade.
SP: Miguel Barcelo immediately becomes the ace of the staff and becomes the dominant starter Anaheim has been lacking. All-Stars Jake Randolph, Dick Bailey, and Turner Evans return. Luis Santana steps in as the 5th starter. Staff upgraded and more suited for post-season.
Bullpen: All-Star closer David Moreno returns along with former Fireman of the Year Adrian Kendall, All-Star Miguel Sanchez, and lefty Lawrence Wilson. Several spots up for grabs.
Outlook: Anything less than a WS run will be a disappointment in Anaheim this year. The everyday lineup has improved quite a bit, and the rotation has been transformed and is better suited for post-season success. There are some question marks in the bullpen, and depth could be an issue if the injury bug strikes. High expectations in Anaheim this season.
Seattle Huskies
After 10 seasons of futility, the Mariners have taken a step forward from "bordering on mediocre" to "solidly mediocre." Despite high draft choices almost every season, Seattle had a remarkably thin farm system going into Season 11. The decision was made to trade any marketable Major League talent and go back to the drawing board.
In a calculated gamble, Seattle traded now and future stud Miguel Barcelo to division rival Anaheim. In return, the Mariners received two 23-year-old SP's and a 22-yar-old reliever. All three should help in the long run.
Still on the market are five tool All-Star Erik Haynes, All-Star and former ROY SP Larry Miller, All-Star SP Roberto Johnson and LF Andrea Nelson - 1.017 OPS in 520+ plate appearances in Season 9.
It promises to be another long season in Seattle (is there any other kind?) and the Mariners first fan promotion will be "Paper Bag Night" in anticipation of the season ahead.
Oakland Golden Bears
Not too much changed with the team. Shed some payroll and only made a couple aquisitions. Signed Phillip Larson and John Liang. Claimed Marty Wayne off waivers. And drafted Stephen Parrish and Pascual Alarcon from the rule 5 draft but will probably end up dropping them.
Salem Beavers
A powerful lineup should continue to produce. The order will be anchored by top leadoff man Jack Nicholas 2B who had a breakout season ( 22HR 64SB 143RS ) . Bill Morton RF knocked 53 and should continue to produce with Ivan Martis DH(32HR) and Wes Cyr (43HR 37 SB ) protecting him in the lineup. Hopes in Salem are that Kid Torre 1B can cover most of the offence lost by Carl Riggan and his 130RBI
The staff is still strong but not as young as it once was. The starters are strong with Vic Escobar SP ( 16-6 3.43ERA ) ,Gene Schneider SP ( 18-6 ) ,Al Valdes ( 19-5 3.5ERA ) and Octavio Rivera SP(14-5 3.4ERA ). Beyond closer Jose Sierra RP ( 46 Saves 2.81 ERA ) the bullpen is full of questions and could be the teams Achilles heel
The Beavers were once again treated to an early playoff exit. They were a regular season powerhouse, and that should continue into this year. The win totals will be lower due to the notable improvments to Anaheim's lineup and the teams should compete for the division and best record in the AL. The team has never won a playoff series though at some point by probability they will and perhaps that is this year.
Key Additions: Kid Torre 1B ( 30HR 96RBI 22SB )
Key Losses: Kiki Vazquez RP (3.31 career ERA ), Diego Nieto RP ( Career 4.03 ERA ), Carl Riggan RF ( 108 RS 36HR 130RBI .312 Ave .974 OPS )
Potential Impact Rookies: Ken Pfeffer RP ( 3.54ERA in AAA ), Chip Leonard LF ( 32HR .320BA 1.042 OPS in AAA )
Friday, November 5, 2010
Season 11 - NL South Divisional Preview
My Take: The NL South went down to the wire last season and it was a battle throughout. Huntington, Memphis, and Texas were all close the whole season. Huntington won the division and took the #2 seed in the playoffs due to Charlotte being in the same division as Syracuse. They were disappointed with their playoff loss and vowed to make changes and boy did they. It seems like they practically turned their whole roster over and has vowed to go farther in the playoffs this season. The big wildcard in this division is the Richmond squad under new management with cmtheime who is one of the top owners in HBD. (he paid me to write that). I’ve tried to figure out how to predict this division and I really have no idea. I can’t wait to see how it plays out. My best guess…I think Texas wins this division behind Adam Seneca’s hitting and Michael Shumpert’s pitching, but Huntington will be right there the whole season and contend for a wild card spot. Richmond will be better, but fall short. Memphis continues to tread water and wait for prospects to develop.
1. Texas Mustangs
2. Hunting Thundering Herd
3. Richmond Spiders
4. Memphis Tigers
Richmond Spiders
Key Losses: Chico Duran (trade)
Key Adds: Jerome Leonard (trade), Darrell Dyer (trade), Norman Borders (FA), Johan Ramsey (FA)
Rookies: Nothing of impact
Overall thoughts: This team has too good of a core with some really nice position players in place to be as bad as they were last season. Some money invested in the bullpen and some better "fill-in" type players acquired though waivers and FA should really turn them around. We'll see how things go but I plan to compete in my division.
Huntington Thundering Herd
Added: C Matty Johnson, C Ted Brock, 1B Michael Maddux, 2B Julian Cortes, 3B Felipe Cedeno, SS Jose Borbon, RF Billy Rivers, RHP Nate Forster, RHP Mel Reed, RHP Frank Tamura, RHP Edgard Melendez, RHP Travis Hermansen
Key Losses: C Victor Infante, C Roberto Puente, 1B Dante Thompson, 2B Rich Perry, RF Jerry Seabol, RHP Javier Sanchez, RHP Peter Ryan, LHP Stuart Anderson
Last season was a solid season for the Herd, unfortunately it was not greatness personified as management was looking for. 12 new players headline this season for the Herd, including 5 new pitchers. While we said goodbye to 2 potential Hall of Famers in Perry and Thompson, the offense was improved overall. There should no longer be any “dead spots” in the lineup which will make this offense even more potent. The addition of Reed gives Huntington something that they haven’t had since season 4…an Ace. The overall improvement of the pitching staff as well as some strengthening of the defense should help the team improve overall. The goal last season was a division championship and the NLCS…goal 1 was accomplished, although Huntington flamed out in the playoffs. It’s the NLCS or bust this season, as management feels like they finally have the right pieces in place and right balance to provide some high-quality, successful baseball to the city of Huntington.
Memphis Tigers
Key Players Added: Esteban Cedeno RP
Key Players Lost: John Rodgers RP
Key Transactions: N/A
Rookies to watch for: Phil Rapp SP
Outlook: During the off-season, Tigers Management attempted to acquire one of the top Free Agent pitchers available, only to lose out on the furious bidding wars. Thus, the Tigers were unable to make any real major signings this off-season. Esteban Cedeno was brought-in in an effort to bring stability as closer to the bullpen, while Jonathan Lieberthal was acquired through the Rule 5 Draft for speed and defense off the bench.
Memphis appears most likely to start the season with virtually the same team as Season 10. The same team that helped Memphis finish one spot up from fourth in the division for the first time in two seasons. These Tigers also remained in playoff contention until a disastrous nine game losing streak ended their season and playoff hopes. But this season, expectations in Tiger Town are modest at best, the likely hood of Memphis contending will hinge on the offense once again carrying the team and outperforming expectations. Look for Phil Rapp, Memphis’ best pitching prospect, to make his major league debut sooner than later this season.
Texas
Getting married, no time to write preview (understandable and congrats!)
1. Texas Mustangs
2. Hunting Thundering Herd
3. Richmond Spiders
4. Memphis Tigers
Richmond Spiders
Key Losses: Chico Duran (trade)
Key Adds: Jerome Leonard (trade), Darrell Dyer (trade), Norman Borders (FA), Johan Ramsey (FA)
Rookies: Nothing of impact
Overall thoughts: This team has too good of a core with some really nice position players in place to be as bad as they were last season. Some money invested in the bullpen and some better "fill-in" type players acquired though waivers and FA should really turn them around. We'll see how things go but I plan to compete in my division.
Huntington Thundering Herd
Added: C Matty Johnson, C Ted Brock, 1B Michael Maddux, 2B Julian Cortes, 3B Felipe Cedeno, SS Jose Borbon, RF Billy Rivers, RHP Nate Forster, RHP Mel Reed, RHP Frank Tamura, RHP Edgard Melendez, RHP Travis Hermansen
Key Losses: C Victor Infante, C Roberto Puente, 1B Dante Thompson, 2B Rich Perry, RF Jerry Seabol, RHP Javier Sanchez, RHP Peter Ryan, LHP Stuart Anderson
Last season was a solid season for the Herd, unfortunately it was not greatness personified as management was looking for. 12 new players headline this season for the Herd, including 5 new pitchers. While we said goodbye to 2 potential Hall of Famers in Perry and Thompson, the offense was improved overall. There should no longer be any “dead spots” in the lineup which will make this offense even more potent. The addition of Reed gives Huntington something that they haven’t had since season 4…an Ace. The overall improvement of the pitching staff as well as some strengthening of the defense should help the team improve overall. The goal last season was a division championship and the NLCS…goal 1 was accomplished, although Huntington flamed out in the playoffs. It’s the NLCS or bust this season, as management feels like they finally have the right pieces in place and right balance to provide some high-quality, successful baseball to the city of Huntington.
Memphis Tigers
Key Players Added: Esteban Cedeno RP
Key Players Lost: John Rodgers RP
Key Transactions: N/A
Rookies to watch for: Phil Rapp SP
Outlook: During the off-season, Tigers Management attempted to acquire one of the top Free Agent pitchers available, only to lose out on the furious bidding wars. Thus, the Tigers were unable to make any real major signings this off-season. Esteban Cedeno was brought-in in an effort to bring stability as closer to the bullpen, while Jonathan Lieberthal was acquired through the Rule 5 Draft for speed and defense off the bench.
Memphis appears most likely to start the season with virtually the same team as Season 10. The same team that helped Memphis finish one spot up from fourth in the division for the first time in two seasons. These Tigers also remained in playoff contention until a disastrous nine game losing streak ended their season and playoff hopes. But this season, expectations in Tiger Town are modest at best, the likely hood of Memphis contending will hinge on the offense once again carrying the team and outperforming expectations. Look for Phil Rapp, Memphis’ best pitching prospect, to make his major league debut sooner than later this season.
Texas
Getting married, no time to write preview (understandable and congrats!)
Season 11 - NL East Divisional Preview
My take: The NL East is very tough and arguably the toughest in NCAA. The division sported the top two records in the NL while a third was over .500 and the fourth barely missed .500. No other division last season came too close to that combined record. You have to give Syracuse the nod as the favorite until they finally are toppled. Evil doers has admitted that the Orange are “in their window” so they are going all out as evidenced by their big FA signing to replace Jodie. The Tar Heel’s looked to have gotten better with their acquisitions. Louisville and Buffalo also have high expectations. All 4 teams goals are the playoffs so some will be disappointed. Should once again be one of the toughest divisions.
Prediction:
1. Syracuse
2. Charlotte
3. Louisville
4. Buffalo
Syracuse
PLAYERS ADDED:
Free Agents Added: Signed Lefty Starting Pitcher Jose Barrios to a multi-year long term deal.
Rookies Promoted: Raymond Nixon. The former first round pick will make the team and play against all left handed starters and some right handed starters.
Possible Rookie Promotion: Gustavo Sivilla. Another first round pick, ‘Gus’ would make a great platoon partner with Nixon. He will probably start season in minors to be promoted early in the season.
Possible Rookie Promotions: Long time minor league relief standouts Art Roberts and Augie Halter will battle for one possible bullpen opening.
Players Added Via Trade: None
PLAYERS LOST:
Free Agents Lost: SP Jaime Jodie. (Signed Long term deal with Nashville Commodores)
R.J. Vargas (Signed two year contract with Minnesota Golden Gophers)
Players Lost Via Trade: None
The Orange expect to fight for an NL East Division crown and hope to advance deep into the playoffs. They should be a contender for the championship.
Charlotte
Expectations: We were really happy with how last season went. We had originally targeted Season 11 as our season to start contending again, but we got there a season early. Now with the additions to the team, we expect to challenge Syracuse for the division. At the very least we expect to make the playoffs and do some damage.
Free Agents Added: Added Jake Hardy to shore up the pitching staff and Otto Crosby as a nice bat off the bench.
Free Agents Lost: None
Players Added Via Trade: Rich Perry was the big haul and will hopefully solidify the middle of the lineup. Phil Nomura will be a solid bench guy for us and play multiple positions and hopefully steal some bases. Not sure where Javier Sanchez will start the season, either in the rotation or as a top bullpen guy. He is pretty much taking over Travis Hermansens role.
Players Lost Via Trade: Matty Johnson was a backup catcher and will get a shot starting for Huntington. Travis Hermansen will also get a shot at more PT with the Herd. Billy Rivers was also traded in the Perry deal as the Herd needed a young replacement for Perry. Chance Austin was the odd man out in the rotation and was moved for a prospect.
Rookies Promoted: Went in a different direction with our backup catcher and promoted Bill Forster who will bring a great defensive presence and pitch calling to the end of games.
Possible Rookie Promotion: Still trying to decide if Fausto Jiminez gets his promotion this season or next. He is an awesome talent who we expect big things out of.
Louisville Cardinals
I look forward to competing for the division this year. Most of the team is intact from last year.
Key Free Agents Lost: Hamish Reynolds SS/IF/OF
Key Free Agents Signed: None
Rule 5 Pick(s): Rip Kirby 2B
Possible Prospect Promotion(s): Orval Coscarart 2B, Hamlet Darwin RF
Buffalo Bulls
Key Players Added: Acquired SP Mike Lloyd and 3B Will Hendricksen (R)
Key Players Lost: SP Jose Barrios
Rookies: RP Albert Nippert. He will be THE CIA of the league.
Outlook: The lost of SP Jose Barrios will be hard to take for the team and will put a lot of pressure on the young SP Guillen. But, we are confident that our pitching staff will be able to give tough time to their opponents. Add to the recipe a bunch of solid hitter and a bit of chances. That will bring us to the playoffs for sure.
Prediction:
1. Syracuse
2. Charlotte
3. Louisville
4. Buffalo
Syracuse
PLAYERS ADDED:
Free Agents Added: Signed Lefty Starting Pitcher Jose Barrios to a multi-year long term deal.
Rookies Promoted: Raymond Nixon. The former first round pick will make the team and play against all left handed starters and some right handed starters.
Possible Rookie Promotion: Gustavo Sivilla. Another first round pick, ‘Gus’ would make a great platoon partner with Nixon. He will probably start season in minors to be promoted early in the season.
Possible Rookie Promotions: Long time minor league relief standouts Art Roberts and Augie Halter will battle for one possible bullpen opening.
Players Added Via Trade: None
PLAYERS LOST:
Free Agents Lost: SP Jaime Jodie. (Signed Long term deal with Nashville Commodores)
R.J. Vargas (Signed two year contract with Minnesota Golden Gophers)
Players Lost Via Trade: None
The Orange expect to fight for an NL East Division crown and hope to advance deep into the playoffs. They should be a contender for the championship.
Charlotte
Expectations: We were really happy with how last season went. We had originally targeted Season 11 as our season to start contending again, but we got there a season early. Now with the additions to the team, we expect to challenge Syracuse for the division. At the very least we expect to make the playoffs and do some damage.
Free Agents Added: Added Jake Hardy to shore up the pitching staff and Otto Crosby as a nice bat off the bench.
Free Agents Lost: None
Players Added Via Trade: Rich Perry was the big haul and will hopefully solidify the middle of the lineup. Phil Nomura will be a solid bench guy for us and play multiple positions and hopefully steal some bases. Not sure where Javier Sanchez will start the season, either in the rotation or as a top bullpen guy. He is pretty much taking over Travis Hermansens role.
Players Lost Via Trade: Matty Johnson was a backup catcher and will get a shot starting for Huntington. Travis Hermansen will also get a shot at more PT with the Herd. Billy Rivers was also traded in the Perry deal as the Herd needed a young replacement for Perry. Chance Austin was the odd man out in the rotation and was moved for a prospect.
Rookies Promoted: Went in a different direction with our backup catcher and promoted Bill Forster who will bring a great defensive presence and pitch calling to the end of games.
Possible Rookie Promotion: Still trying to decide if Fausto Jiminez gets his promotion this season or next. He is an awesome talent who we expect big things out of.
Louisville Cardinals
I look forward to competing for the division this year. Most of the team is intact from last year.
Key Free Agents Lost: Hamish Reynolds SS/IF/OF
Key Free Agents Signed: None
Rule 5 Pick(s): Rip Kirby 2B
Possible Prospect Promotion(s): Orval Coscarart 2B, Hamlet Darwin RF
Buffalo Bulls
Key Players Added: Acquired SP Mike Lloyd and 3B Will Hendricksen (R)
Key Players Lost: SP Jose Barrios
Rookies: RP Albert Nippert. He will be THE CIA of the league.
Outlook: The lost of SP Jose Barrios will be hard to take for the team and will put a lot of pressure on the young SP Guillen. But, we are confident that our pitching staff will be able to give tough time to their opponents. Add to the recipe a bunch of solid hitter and a bit of chances. That will bring us to the playoffs for sure.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Season 11 - NL North Divisional Preview
My Take: This division has something to prove after a team under .500 won the division. Although Detroit ended up winning a series and taking NL Pennant Winner Syracuse to the brink before falling. Detroit looks like the clear cut favorite to take the division and it would probably be an upset if the second place team won a wild card spot. I think that Dover will take a step back this season as they re-tool with Columbus jumping a spot. Lots of pressur eon the Hawkeyes as they need to hit 70 wins or the franchise will be looking for new management.
Prediction:
1. Detroit
2. Columbus
3. Dover
4. Iowa City
Detroit
S10 Record: 80-82 (1st in NL North); Lost in NLDS
Free-Agency: No major losses or pickups
Trades: Lost SS/3B Tomas Navarro
The Wolverines would still like to move a pitcher or two to add another powerful bat into the lineup but most teams wanted Arrojo included in the trades and we just didn’t see how trading a young power hitter along with pitching was going to help us.
Rookies: Johnny Fossum, Don Creek, and Rico Rivera were all called up late last season and look to remain on the ML roster this season to help lock down the best era pitching staff from last season. After turning down multiple trade offers, LF Eliezer Arrojo, will be called up after the 20 game mark to help produce some offense for the team. P Harry Medrano and 3B/RF Lynn Prior will probably be called up at some point as well although it will depend on how the team is performing.
Outlook: The Detroit Wolverines will once again look to battle for the NL North division (either 1st or 2nd last 6 seasons) and make their way into the playoffs for the 5th straight season. While not a lot of changes were made, owner tk21775 felt this team underachieved last season and not a lot of moves needed to be made. The Wolverines had the ML best era staff last season at 3.90 and only got stronger with some call-ups. Out of the 13 pitchers on the roster, 9 are 28 or younger and we still have some young arms to call up. We will rely heavily on Arrojo to produce some big offensive numbers as he’ll find himself in the lineup with 1B Eddie Sanford (37 HR, 85 rbi, .287 avg.), Buster Wiggins (17 HR, 67 rbi, .274 avg.) and Mitch Carter (27 HR 74 rbi and .232 avg.). The goal this season is to find a way past Syracuse and compete for the NL title as well as the WS.
Columbus
Key Players Added: Acquired 3B Ben Brown and SS Harry Turner via trade, Promoted former ML players Util Ezdra Nunez and RP Louie Chang from AAA
Key Players Lost: SS Ben Jackson via trade, C Jamie Martin, RF Harvey Chambers, 3B Joaquin Alamanzar, RP Freddy Yang, RP Larry Graham, SP Pascual Calles, and RP Louie Lopez
Key Transactions: Accepted the Option on RP Frank Cota, Arbitrated with 1B Joshua Hall and RP Louie Chang, Avoided Arbitration by signing LF Max Peterson, CF Miguel Concepcion, RP Briam Messmer, Util Ringo Pennington, and C Benito Goya
Rookies: SP Luis Pineda, RP Cecil Riske
Outlook: A full season of SP Homer Konerko should be a major bright spot for this team. The addition of 3B Ben Brown and a big shakeup in the pitching staff could help this team finally turn the corner. If LF/1B Rudy Sutton follows up on his breakout season and CF Miguel Concepcion puts together another MVP type season this team should continue to do well at the plate. This team should hold on to 3rd in the division but there is always hope.
Dover
Key Players Added: FA SPs Don Bong and Pepe Lee were signed to replace Adrian Cora and Eddie Randall. Two Rule 5's were drafted and another claimed off waivers.
Key Players Lost: SPs Adrian Cora & Eddie Randall, 1b Juan Melendez, LF Roger Valentin, 2b/3b Ed Martin, RP Tim Stein
Key Transactions: Allowed Cora, Randall, Melendez, and Martin to become free agents in order to add more high draft picks. 1B Mark Starr was a little overmatched in his first full year, but he has been given the starting job with the departure of Juan Melendez.
Rookies: Brandon Matthews will be given every chance to become a trusted arm in the bullpen. C/DH Ray King, Hurricane's season 10 #4 top hitting prospect, will get a shot at the ML roster. Three Rule 5's will also get a try: SP Ben Loiza and RPs Chris George and Daniel Willingham.
Outlook: The Blue Hens narrowly lost the division to Detroit in the last two games of the year. This offseason has seen a departure of some veteran fixtures as Dover looks to rebuild from within. A small drop-off would not be unexpected while the young guys pay their dues. This team needs to add (or develop) a few bats in order to contend again.
Iowa City
FA Pick Ups- Short Relievers Lou York and Diego Nieto, CF Jung-Lee Koh, SS Melvin Brock
Brock and Koh were brought in to help shore up the Defense up the middle, York and Nieto will do wonders for the bullpen allowing more save chances for Haywood Young, or it could allow Young to go back to Long relief.
FA Losses- Pitchers Paul O'Connor, Lyle Nieman, and Orber Pierre
Nieman's 59IP's and 3.17 ERA will be missed, but hopefully Yourk and Nieto can pick up the slack.
FA Losses- SS Mark Matthews and CF Giomar Uribe
Both bats will be missed, but there below average D in important positions will not. Matthews had 20 HR's and 75RBI, but only hit .265. Uribe hit a paltry .256 last season so it was time for a change.
Rookies- Starting Pitchers Jay Berg, Hank Gordon, Lyle Hughes, and Kevin Ramsey will all be battling for a rotation spot on the ML club this season.
Season Outlook: Got to find a way to get to 70 wins this year, the lineup has some good sticks to it and we need to avoid too many "bad" hitting seasons, like we had last year (2B Quinn hitting .218, he has a 67 contact rating and a 90 Batting Eye). COnfidant in the pitching staff, no real dominant Ace but all are tough outs, we also have a lot of good young arms that could be used to bring in a solid bat for the middle of our line up (HINT HINT).
Prediction:
1. Detroit
2. Columbus
3. Dover
4. Iowa City
Detroit
S10 Record: 80-82 (1st in NL North); Lost in NLDS
Free-Agency: No major losses or pickups
Trades: Lost SS/3B Tomas Navarro
The Wolverines would still like to move a pitcher or two to add another powerful bat into the lineup but most teams wanted Arrojo included in the trades and we just didn’t see how trading a young power hitter along with pitching was going to help us.
Rookies: Johnny Fossum, Don Creek, and Rico Rivera were all called up late last season and look to remain on the ML roster this season to help lock down the best era pitching staff from last season. After turning down multiple trade offers, LF Eliezer Arrojo, will be called up after the 20 game mark to help produce some offense for the team. P Harry Medrano and 3B/RF Lynn Prior will probably be called up at some point as well although it will depend on how the team is performing.
Outlook: The Detroit Wolverines will once again look to battle for the NL North division (either 1st or 2nd last 6 seasons) and make their way into the playoffs for the 5th straight season. While not a lot of changes were made, owner tk21775 felt this team underachieved last season and not a lot of moves needed to be made. The Wolverines had the ML best era staff last season at 3.90 and only got stronger with some call-ups. Out of the 13 pitchers on the roster, 9 are 28 or younger and we still have some young arms to call up. We will rely heavily on Arrojo to produce some big offensive numbers as he’ll find himself in the lineup with 1B Eddie Sanford (37 HR, 85 rbi, .287 avg.), Buster Wiggins (17 HR, 67 rbi, .274 avg.) and Mitch Carter (27 HR 74 rbi and .232 avg.). The goal this season is to find a way past Syracuse and compete for the NL title as well as the WS.
Columbus
Key Players Added: Acquired 3B Ben Brown and SS Harry Turner via trade, Promoted former ML players Util Ezdra Nunez and RP Louie Chang from AAA
Key Players Lost: SS Ben Jackson via trade, C Jamie Martin, RF Harvey Chambers, 3B Joaquin Alamanzar, RP Freddy Yang, RP Larry Graham, SP Pascual Calles, and RP Louie Lopez
Key Transactions: Accepted the Option on RP Frank Cota, Arbitrated with 1B Joshua Hall and RP Louie Chang, Avoided Arbitration by signing LF Max Peterson, CF Miguel Concepcion, RP Briam Messmer, Util Ringo Pennington, and C Benito Goya
Rookies: SP Luis Pineda, RP Cecil Riske
Outlook: A full season of SP Homer Konerko should be a major bright spot for this team. The addition of 3B Ben Brown and a big shakeup in the pitching staff could help this team finally turn the corner. If LF/1B Rudy Sutton follows up on his breakout season and CF Miguel Concepcion puts together another MVP type season this team should continue to do well at the plate. This team should hold on to 3rd in the division but there is always hope.
Dover
Key Players Added: FA SPs Don Bong and Pepe Lee were signed to replace Adrian Cora and Eddie Randall. Two Rule 5's were drafted and another claimed off waivers.
Key Players Lost: SPs Adrian Cora & Eddie Randall, 1b Juan Melendez, LF Roger Valentin, 2b/3b Ed Martin, RP Tim Stein
Key Transactions: Allowed Cora, Randall, Melendez, and Martin to become free agents in order to add more high draft picks. 1B Mark Starr was a little overmatched in his first full year, but he has been given the starting job with the departure of Juan Melendez.
Rookies: Brandon Matthews will be given every chance to become a trusted arm in the bullpen. C/DH Ray King, Hurricane's season 10 #4 top hitting prospect, will get a shot at the ML roster. Three Rule 5's will also get a try: SP Ben Loiza and RPs Chris George and Daniel Willingham.
Outlook: The Blue Hens narrowly lost the division to Detroit in the last two games of the year. This offseason has seen a departure of some veteran fixtures as Dover looks to rebuild from within. A small drop-off would not be unexpected while the young guys pay their dues. This team needs to add (or develop) a few bats in order to contend again.
Iowa City
FA Pick Ups- Short Relievers Lou York and Diego Nieto, CF Jung-Lee Koh, SS Melvin Brock
Brock and Koh were brought in to help shore up the Defense up the middle, York and Nieto will do wonders for the bullpen allowing more save chances for Haywood Young, or it could allow Young to go back to Long relief.
FA Losses- Pitchers Paul O'Connor, Lyle Nieman, and Orber Pierre
Nieman's 59IP's and 3.17 ERA will be missed, but hopefully Yourk and Nieto can pick up the slack.
FA Losses- SS Mark Matthews and CF Giomar Uribe
Both bats will be missed, but there below average D in important positions will not. Matthews had 20 HR's and 75RBI, but only hit .265. Uribe hit a paltry .256 last season so it was time for a change.
Rookies- Starting Pitchers Jay Berg, Hank Gordon, Lyle Hughes, and Kevin Ramsey will all be battling for a rotation spot on the ML club this season.
Season Outlook: Got to find a way to get to 70 wins this year, the lineup has some good sticks to it and we need to avoid too many "bad" hitting seasons, like we had last year (2B Quinn hitting .218, he has a 67 contact rating and a 90 Batting Eye). COnfidant in the pitching staff, no real dominant Ace but all are tough outs, we also have a lot of good young arms that could be used to bring in a solid bat for the middle of our line up (HINT HINT).
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