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.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
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
Not Submitted
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
Not Submitted
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).
Season 11 - NL West Divisional Preview
My take: The biggest question for this division is whether or not Season 10 was an aberration for the Sun Devil's or was it the start of a decline after being one of, if not the top team in NCAA the first 9 seasons. Kansas City was barely able to hold off Arizona after squandering a big divisional lead and they had to run their team into the ground fatigue wise to get it done. As you can see below, Boise's goal is to make the playoffs. I think they are still a couple of pieces short. Helena will continue to rebuild.
Prediction: I think Arizona will win the division, but that Kansas City will give them a run and contend for a wild card spot.
1. Arizona
2. Kansas City
3. Boise
4. Helena
Helena
I am hopeful that this will be a bounce back year for the Grizzlies. Season 10 was marred with injuries that kept the team from being competitive for most of the season. Offensively we've added free agents Hamish Reynolds and Lawrence Turner. Reynolds in particular will be a real key to our season as we are going to ask him to play SS, a position he has not played in a few years. Both Reynolds and Turner (who will start in center) are upgrades at thier respective positions offensively. The key is whether they can be at least adequate defensively. Overall I expect a mild improvement in our run production.
The Pitching staff should be improved thanks to a few prospects that will get their chance to play at the major league level. Victor Valdes should make an instant impact in the bullpen while Julio Sanchez and Jose Mendoza will get a shot at a rotation spot as we head into spring training. We also brought in veteran Free agent Pete Young to add some depth to the bullpen.
When I took over this franchise mid-season in season 7, my objectives where to lower the payroll and build from within via the draft and international free agency. We will finally start to see some of the fruits of that labor in season 11. The payroll will remain low over the next couple of seasons, so that we can continue to build our farm system. I am optimistic this team can compete and improve on last seasons 93 loss performance.
Arizona
The sun devils feel they were robbed by the sim engine last season but cannot complain b/c 5 ws trips in a row and 3 wins require a bit of luck and they were paying back the debt. it doesn't mean they have to like it . We lost a post in that technical difficulty lost to type A FA: Jung-Lee Koh and Nap Hollins. The rotation is the same and we're hoping to avoid the rediculous pile of injuries that happened last season. hopefully the leadoff man won't hit 40 points below his career average this year either.
Boise
Well, last year was a major dissappointment as we didn't take the step up I projected. Tis year's free agent efforts all came up short as I couldn't land a solid SP. That said, I still like the Broncos as a contender for a playoff spot. Jack Daley should emerge as a Cy Young candidate and our bullpen is very strong. A couple of trades in the off season gave us depth in some critical spots. Our young players are now at a point where they should produce. We need some luck at the SP position, but if just one or two starters pitch up to potential, we'll be fine.
Kansas City
Not submitted due to real life priorities.
Prediction: I think Arizona will win the division, but that Kansas City will give them a run and contend for a wild card spot.
1. Arizona
2. Kansas City
3. Boise
4. Helena
Helena
I am hopeful that this will be a bounce back year for the Grizzlies. Season 10 was marred with injuries that kept the team from being competitive for most of the season. Offensively we've added free agents Hamish Reynolds and Lawrence Turner. Reynolds in particular will be a real key to our season as we are going to ask him to play SS, a position he has not played in a few years. Both Reynolds and Turner (who will start in center) are upgrades at thier respective positions offensively. The key is whether they can be at least adequate defensively. Overall I expect a mild improvement in our run production.
The Pitching staff should be improved thanks to a few prospects that will get their chance to play at the major league level. Victor Valdes should make an instant impact in the bullpen while Julio Sanchez and Jose Mendoza will get a shot at a rotation spot as we head into spring training. We also brought in veteran Free agent Pete Young to add some depth to the bullpen.
When I took over this franchise mid-season in season 7, my objectives where to lower the payroll and build from within via the draft and international free agency. We will finally start to see some of the fruits of that labor in season 11. The payroll will remain low over the next couple of seasons, so that we can continue to build our farm system. I am optimistic this team can compete and improve on last seasons 93 loss performance.
Arizona
The sun devils feel they were robbed by the sim engine last season but cannot complain b/c 5 ws trips in a row and 3 wins require a bit of luck and they were paying back the debt. it doesn't mean they have to like it . We lost a post in that technical difficulty lost to type A FA: Jung-Lee Koh and Nap Hollins. The rotation is the same and we're hoping to avoid the rediculous pile of injuries that happened last season. hopefully the leadoff man won't hit 40 points below his career average this year either.
Boise
Well, last year was a major dissappointment as we didn't take the step up I projected. Tis year's free agent efforts all came up short as I couldn't land a solid SP. That said, I still like the Broncos as a contender for a playoff spot. Jack Daley should emerge as a Cy Young candidate and our bullpen is very strong. A couple of trades in the off season gave us depth in some critical spots. Our young players are now at a point where they should produce. We need some luck at the SP position, but if just one or two starters pitch up to potential, we'll be fine.
Kansas City
Not submitted due to real life priorities.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Season 11 - Trade Analysis Part One by tk21775
Note: All names are "clickable" to player profile.
Trade #1
Anaheim Receives: Dante Thompson
Huntington Receives: Julian Cortes, Darrell Guerrero, and Oswaldo Limon
Analysis: S11 in NCAA began a few days ago and it didn’t take long for the trading to begin. Some big names moved around and once again the most active team was the Huntington Thundering Herd. Owner hurricane384 pulled the trigger and sent 6 time MVP 1B Dante Thompson to the Anaheim Trojans in exchange for 19 year old P Oswaldo Limon, 23 year old P Darrell Guerrero, and 28 year old 2B Julian Cortes. Cortes will take over 2B at the majors for the Thundering Herd where he’s a lifetime .266 batting avg. and .977 fielding % at that position. Limon will begin at Low A to develop his splits and 2 solid pitches although control will be a factor for him at times. Guerrero was beginning to settle in at the High A level but recent reports has him jumping on a plane to a new destination. Anaheim will welcome Mr. Thompson and his 582 career HR’s, of which he has hit 43+ in each of this 10 seasons while driving in no less than 115 rbi’s as well. He’s under contract just for this season so we’ll have to wait to see if he is only a 1 yr. rental for the Trojans or if they’ll have a chance to resign him sometime this season.
Owner hurricane384 on why he traded a 6 time MVP: “It was damn near impossible to give up Thompson and his bat, but we were able to get 2 young pitching prospects that we really like, and Cortes who really helps to solidify the team defense without hurting too badly offensively. We took the money saved from trading Dante and used it to help sign Michael Maddux, so we won't experience too much of an offensive drop.”
Owner ajwalton on getting the 6 time MVP: “The Trojans are extremely excited to welcome perennial MVP candidate Dante Thompson. We gave up a good player in Cortes and a couple nice pitching prospects, but we believe Thompson's bat in the middle of the order improves a lineup that won 99 games last year.”
Trade #2
Huntington Receives: Mel Reed
Little Rock Receives: James Lee and Ray Hansen
Analysis: Little Rock becomes the next trading partner for the Huntington Thundering Herd, sending over 33 year old P Mel Reed in exchange for 34 year old CF James Lee and 28 year old P Ray Hansen. Hansen will join the Razorbacks bullpen where he has worked relief and closer positions. He brings a career 4.88 era to the mound and is only in his 1st year of arb. Lee looks to lock down the CF position for at least this season ($6.2m contract) with a lifetime .982 fielding % and hit for a solid .321 avg. last season while driving in 78 runs. Mel Reed will look to strengthen the Herd’s starting rotation as he went 11-8 with a 3.58 era last season for Austin and Little Rock.
Hurricane384 on his side of the trade: “Lee suffered a decline in range over the off-season which made him expendable as a CF. Reed will immediately become the ace of the staff and all the other rotation members to fit into their proper positions.”
Owner miggyt4 on the trade: “Little Rock needed a CF so they went out and got one via trade. Little Rock owner Miggyt4 said he was okay giving up Mel Reed who seems to have the potential to be a #1 or #2, but didn't really produce during his stay in Little Rock. Therefore, I was willing to give up Reed who is in the last year of his contract for Lee who although 34 is also in the last year of his contract. As an added bonus, we added another arm to our bullpen that provides depth to a strong group of arms that include Benji Cairo, Quinton Hamilton and Alex Lopez.”
Trade #3
Huntington Receives: Billy Rivers, Erubiel Ordaz, Matty Johnson
Charlotte Receives: Rich Perry, Javier Sanchez, and 5 million cash
Analysis:
Owner hopkinsheel and the Charlotte Tar Heels not only inked one deal but two with active manager hurricane384. The first deal sent $5.0M cash, 32 year old 2B Rich Perry and 24 year old P Javier Sanchez to Charlotte while 29 year old C Matty Johnson, 21 year old P Erubiel Ordaz and 24 year old RF Billy Rivers packed their bags for Huntington. Rivers will join the majors and provide a solid bat for the Herd while he’s still developing and Johnson will join him having spent the last 2 seasons for the Heels at the ML level. Ordaz will start out in AA to develop into a nice SP someday for the Herd. Perry brought his $11.4 contract with him, signed for S12 for $9.4M, and looks to bring power as well for the Heels. He’s hit 30+ the last 3 seasons and hit for a great .337 avg last season for Huntington. Sanchez will join him at the majors, looking to help at the back of the rotation or in the long relief role. He went 12-5 with a .341 era last season and won’t be arb eligible until S14.
Owner hopkinsheel on his move: “We’ve been trying to acquire Rich Perry since last season and was pleasantly surprised when Huntington told us he was officially on the market. It was not easy giving up Rivers or our bonus baby international Erubiel Ordaz , but that pain was alleviated some in also getting Sanchez who will help either in the rotation or as a 2-3 inning reliever to bridge the gap to our closer.”
Hurricane384 on this thoughts to the trade: “It became necessary to move Perry so that we could have financial flexibility for the next couple seasons and with the acquisition of Reed, Sanchez was expendable. We pick up a young power hitter in Rivers who can play either COF slot or slide into 2B. Ordaz is going to be a very good pitcher someday, and Johnson becomes the only catcher on the roster at this point.”
Trade #4
Charlotte Receives: Tommie Osbourne
Huntington Receives: Travis Hermansen
Analysis: The 2nd move by the same two ball clubs saw 2 1st round draft picks changing teams: 27 year old P Travis Hermansen getting dealt to Huntington while 19 year old P Tommie Osbourne starts in Charlotte. Hermansen was S3 22nd pick in the 1st round and has pitched the last 4 seasons at the majors for the Heels, compiling a 27-31 record with a 3.66 era. Osbourne was last year’s 17th pick in the 1st round and will start his tar Heels career at Low A where owner hopkinsheel hopes he develops pinpoint control with nice splits.
Owner hurricane384: “Hermanson gives us a pitcher who could be a starter, long reliever, or setup man and do any of those jobs without struggling at all. We hated to give up on Osbourne, but with the disappointment of making the playoffs only to be eliminated immediately, moves to make the pitching staff better had to be made.”
Owner hopkinsheel: “Travis was a first round pick for us several seasons ago and his career has somewhat been derailed by fluke injuries. He still has been pretty successful though, we just needed to make room for some younger guys. Getting Osbourne back was key as I was in talks with several teams for Hermansen, but I really wanted a decent SP prospect back.”
Trade #5
Fargo Receives: Dutch Burns
Charlotte Receives: Phil Nomura and $500k
Analysis: While waiting in line to speak with owner hurricane384 on the trading, owners mikejuggalo and hopkinsheel ended up striking a deal between their two teams. Fargo sends $0.5M cash and 26 year old CF Phil Nomura to Charlotte and gets 22 year old P Dutch Burns. Burns will start out in High A to develop his great control and vL although right handed batters will give him trouble. Speedy Nomura will make the Heel’s big league roster where he’ll be a threat on the bases and has solid splits but a low eye and contact.
Owner mikejuggalo on his deal: “The bison had to make room for some new blood, so whether Nomura was released or traded he was getting squeezed out. We were very happy to acquire Dutch Burns in return, he will be a decent pitcher someday in the ML...we hope.”
Hopkinsheel on why the move was made: “Not a huge deal, but one I believe will pay off. Nomura has a ring from last season and will bring some added veteran leadership to our young squad. I needed to find a top pinch runner who also wouldn’t be awful when the need came to spot start.”
Trade #6
Fargo Receives: David Cox
Huntington Receives: Nate Forster
Analysis:
Owner mikejuggalo finally got his turn with Huntington after Fargo and Charlotte signed on the dotted line, and Fargo received 31 year old P David Cox in exchange for 27 year old P Nate Forster. Forster will make the majors for the Herd, who have made many moves to help with their pitching. He’s got 3 solid, solid pitches to go along with avg. control and splits. He saw limited action for Fargo last year, going 2-2 in 4 starts with a 6.75 era in 26.2 innings. Cox will help with the Bison’s bullpen at the majors this season.
Owner hurricane384, whose arm looks visibly shaky from inking so many deals and writing quotes: “We were not happy with Cox’s performance last season. In addition to that, we needed starting pitching, and Forster will compete for a spot in the rotation while giving us the flexibility to have a staff that we can slide in and out as needed.”
Mikejaggalo on the move: “I needed another bullpen arm and he was just what we were lacking. He should fit in nicely here in Fargo.”
Trade #7
Richmond Receives: Jerome Leonard
Little Rock Receives: Chico Duran
Analysis:
The Little Rock Razorbacks sent 26 year old P Jerome Leonard to the Richmond Spiders to obtain 35 year old C Chico Duran. Duran comes with a 2 yr. $5M contract and a nice bat although he’s at the age where he’s starting to decline. Leonard will help out in the pen for the Spiders where he has tremendous splits against both lefties and righties with avg. control. He had a respectable 3.66 era in 64 innings of work last season.
Owner cmthieme on his side of the trade: “Chico needs to be in the AL as I just didn't feel comfortable putting his noodle arm behind the plate, and I needed bullpen help. This seems like a good fit for both teams.”
Miggyt4 speaks on the trade: “This was an easy decision for owner Miggyt4. He was not planning on bringing back Jerome after giving the Razorbacks 4 years of so-so pitching. Also, the Razorbacks were not planning on bringing back catcher Sergio Martin either so there was a hole at catcher that needed to be filled. Miggyt4 said he plans on using Chico more as a DH than a C. Welington Calderone will handle most of the catching duties due to his increased defensive abilities. Chico will bat DH and provide a day off to Calderone when it's needed. The only downside to this approach is in the case that Calderone is injured; Duran cannot take over catching duties for the remainder of the game. Miggyt4 said that's a risk we're willing to take.”
Trade #8
Philadelphia Receives: B.C. Polanco
Richmond Receives: Darrell Dyer
Analysis: To compensate for trading away Duran, the Richmond Spiders struck a deal with the Philadelphia Owls. The Spiders receive 31 year old C Darrell Dyer for 21 year old 2B B.C. Polanco. Polanco will start out in High A and looks to be a matter of time before he’s a recognized name in the majors for the Owls. Dyer is locked in for a 2 year, $5.2M paycheck where the Spiders are hoping for him to help out offensively as he’s hit 29 and 36 Hr’s in his last 2 seasons while driving in 80 and 121.
Owner cmthieme: "I needed a C and Dyer can mash. He's not great defensively but acceptable for me. I hate trading from an already barren minor league system but this was a chance to add a big bat at C that I couldn't pass up"
Owner jeanpaul22 on why the deal was made: “We're very happy with that trade, we like Dyer as a hitter but we have decide to change our approach as far as catching is concerned, we want a very good defensive catcher and Dyer is just average.
Polanco should be a very good defensive 2B with a good bat in a few seasons. Of course without that trade, Daisuke Suzuki wouldn't be in Philadelphia.”
Trade #1
Anaheim Receives: Dante Thompson
Huntington Receives: Julian Cortes, Darrell Guerrero, and Oswaldo Limon
Analysis: S11 in NCAA began a few days ago and it didn’t take long for the trading to begin. Some big names moved around and once again the most active team was the Huntington Thundering Herd. Owner hurricane384 pulled the trigger and sent 6 time MVP 1B Dante Thompson to the Anaheim Trojans in exchange for 19 year old P Oswaldo Limon, 23 year old P Darrell Guerrero, and 28 year old 2B Julian Cortes. Cortes will take over 2B at the majors for the Thundering Herd where he’s a lifetime .266 batting avg. and .977 fielding % at that position. Limon will begin at Low A to develop his splits and 2 solid pitches although control will be a factor for him at times. Guerrero was beginning to settle in at the High A level but recent reports has him jumping on a plane to a new destination. Anaheim will welcome Mr. Thompson and his 582 career HR’s, of which he has hit 43+ in each of this 10 seasons while driving in no less than 115 rbi’s as well. He’s under contract just for this season so we’ll have to wait to see if he is only a 1 yr. rental for the Trojans or if they’ll have a chance to resign him sometime this season.
Owner hurricane384 on why he traded a 6 time MVP: “It was damn near impossible to give up Thompson and his bat, but we were able to get 2 young pitching prospects that we really like, and Cortes who really helps to solidify the team defense without hurting too badly offensively. We took the money saved from trading Dante and used it to help sign Michael Maddux, so we won't experience too much of an offensive drop.”
Owner ajwalton on getting the 6 time MVP: “The Trojans are extremely excited to welcome perennial MVP candidate Dante Thompson. We gave up a good player in Cortes and a couple nice pitching prospects, but we believe Thompson's bat in the middle of the order improves a lineup that won 99 games last year.”
Trade #2
Huntington Receives: Mel Reed
Little Rock Receives: James Lee and Ray Hansen
Analysis: Little Rock becomes the next trading partner for the Huntington Thundering Herd, sending over 33 year old P Mel Reed in exchange for 34 year old CF James Lee and 28 year old P Ray Hansen. Hansen will join the Razorbacks bullpen where he has worked relief and closer positions. He brings a career 4.88 era to the mound and is only in his 1st year of arb. Lee looks to lock down the CF position for at least this season ($6.2m contract) with a lifetime .982 fielding % and hit for a solid .321 avg. last season while driving in 78 runs. Mel Reed will look to strengthen the Herd’s starting rotation as he went 11-8 with a 3.58 era last season for Austin and Little Rock.
Hurricane384 on his side of the trade: “Lee suffered a decline in range over the off-season which made him expendable as a CF. Reed will immediately become the ace of the staff and all the other rotation members to fit into their proper positions.”
Owner miggyt4 on the trade: “Little Rock needed a CF so they went out and got one via trade. Little Rock owner Miggyt4 said he was okay giving up Mel Reed who seems to have the potential to be a #1 or #2, but didn't really produce during his stay in Little Rock. Therefore, I was willing to give up Reed who is in the last year of his contract for Lee who although 34 is also in the last year of his contract. As an added bonus, we added another arm to our bullpen that provides depth to a strong group of arms that include Benji Cairo, Quinton Hamilton and Alex Lopez.”
Trade #3
Huntington Receives: Billy Rivers, Erubiel Ordaz, Matty Johnson
Charlotte Receives: Rich Perry, Javier Sanchez, and 5 million cash
Analysis:
Owner hopkinsheel and the Charlotte Tar Heels not only inked one deal but two with active manager hurricane384. The first deal sent $5.0M cash, 32 year old 2B Rich Perry and 24 year old P Javier Sanchez to Charlotte while 29 year old C Matty Johnson, 21 year old P Erubiel Ordaz and 24 year old RF Billy Rivers packed their bags for Huntington. Rivers will join the majors and provide a solid bat for the Herd while he’s still developing and Johnson will join him having spent the last 2 seasons for the Heels at the ML level. Ordaz will start out in AA to develop into a nice SP someday for the Herd. Perry brought his $11.4 contract with him, signed for S12 for $9.4M, and looks to bring power as well for the Heels. He’s hit 30+ the last 3 seasons and hit for a great .337 avg last season for Huntington. Sanchez will join him at the majors, looking to help at the back of the rotation or in the long relief role. He went 12-5 with a .341 era last season and won’t be arb eligible until S14.
Owner hopkinsheel on his move: “We’ve been trying to acquire Rich Perry since last season and was pleasantly surprised when Huntington told us he was officially on the market. It was not easy giving up Rivers or our bonus baby international Erubiel Ordaz , but that pain was alleviated some in also getting Sanchez who will help either in the rotation or as a 2-3 inning reliever to bridge the gap to our closer.”
Hurricane384 on this thoughts to the trade: “It became necessary to move Perry so that we could have financial flexibility for the next couple seasons and with the acquisition of Reed, Sanchez was expendable. We pick up a young power hitter in Rivers who can play either COF slot or slide into 2B. Ordaz is going to be a very good pitcher someday, and Johnson becomes the only catcher on the roster at this point.”
Trade #4
Charlotte Receives: Tommie Osbourne
Huntington Receives: Travis Hermansen
Analysis: The 2nd move by the same two ball clubs saw 2 1st round draft picks changing teams: 27 year old P Travis Hermansen getting dealt to Huntington while 19 year old P Tommie Osbourne starts in Charlotte. Hermansen was S3 22nd pick in the 1st round and has pitched the last 4 seasons at the majors for the Heels, compiling a 27-31 record with a 3.66 era. Osbourne was last year’s 17th pick in the 1st round and will start his tar Heels career at Low A where owner hopkinsheel hopes he develops pinpoint control with nice splits.
Owner hurricane384: “Hermanson gives us a pitcher who could be a starter, long reliever, or setup man and do any of those jobs without struggling at all. We hated to give up on Osbourne, but with the disappointment of making the playoffs only to be eliminated immediately, moves to make the pitching staff better had to be made.”
Owner hopkinsheel: “Travis was a first round pick for us several seasons ago and his career has somewhat been derailed by fluke injuries. He still has been pretty successful though, we just needed to make room for some younger guys. Getting Osbourne back was key as I was in talks with several teams for Hermansen, but I really wanted a decent SP prospect back.”
Trade #5
Fargo Receives: Dutch Burns
Charlotte Receives: Phil Nomura and $500k
Analysis: While waiting in line to speak with owner hurricane384 on the trading, owners mikejuggalo and hopkinsheel ended up striking a deal between their two teams. Fargo sends $0.5M cash and 26 year old CF Phil Nomura to Charlotte and gets 22 year old P Dutch Burns. Burns will start out in High A to develop his great control and vL although right handed batters will give him trouble. Speedy Nomura will make the Heel’s big league roster where he’ll be a threat on the bases and has solid splits but a low eye and contact.
Owner mikejuggalo on his deal: “The bison had to make room for some new blood, so whether Nomura was released or traded he was getting squeezed out. We were very happy to acquire Dutch Burns in return, he will be a decent pitcher someday in the ML...we hope.”
Hopkinsheel on why the move was made: “Not a huge deal, but one I believe will pay off. Nomura has a ring from last season and will bring some added veteran leadership to our young squad. I needed to find a top pinch runner who also wouldn’t be awful when the need came to spot start.”
Trade #6
Fargo Receives: David Cox
Huntington Receives: Nate Forster
Analysis:
Owner mikejuggalo finally got his turn with Huntington after Fargo and Charlotte signed on the dotted line, and Fargo received 31 year old P David Cox in exchange for 27 year old P Nate Forster. Forster will make the majors for the Herd, who have made many moves to help with their pitching. He’s got 3 solid, solid pitches to go along with avg. control and splits. He saw limited action for Fargo last year, going 2-2 in 4 starts with a 6.75 era in 26.2 innings. Cox will help with the Bison’s bullpen at the majors this season.
Owner hurricane384, whose arm looks visibly shaky from inking so many deals and writing quotes: “We were not happy with Cox’s performance last season. In addition to that, we needed starting pitching, and Forster will compete for a spot in the rotation while giving us the flexibility to have a staff that we can slide in and out as needed.”
Mikejaggalo on the move: “I needed another bullpen arm and he was just what we were lacking. He should fit in nicely here in Fargo.”
Trade #7
Richmond Receives: Jerome Leonard
Little Rock Receives: Chico Duran
Analysis:
The Little Rock Razorbacks sent 26 year old P Jerome Leonard to the Richmond Spiders to obtain 35 year old C Chico Duran. Duran comes with a 2 yr. $5M contract and a nice bat although he’s at the age where he’s starting to decline. Leonard will help out in the pen for the Spiders where he has tremendous splits against both lefties and righties with avg. control. He had a respectable 3.66 era in 64 innings of work last season.
Owner cmthieme on his side of the trade: “Chico needs to be in the AL as I just didn't feel comfortable putting his noodle arm behind the plate, and I needed bullpen help. This seems like a good fit for both teams.”
Miggyt4 speaks on the trade: “This was an easy decision for owner Miggyt4. He was not planning on bringing back Jerome after giving the Razorbacks 4 years of so-so pitching. Also, the Razorbacks were not planning on bringing back catcher Sergio Martin either so there was a hole at catcher that needed to be filled. Miggyt4 said he plans on using Chico more as a DH than a C. Welington Calderone will handle most of the catching duties due to his increased defensive abilities. Chico will bat DH and provide a day off to Calderone when it's needed. The only downside to this approach is in the case that Calderone is injured; Duran cannot take over catching duties for the remainder of the game. Miggyt4 said that's a risk we're willing to take.”
Trade #8
Philadelphia Receives: B.C. Polanco
Richmond Receives: Darrell Dyer
Analysis: To compensate for trading away Duran, the Richmond Spiders struck a deal with the Philadelphia Owls. The Spiders receive 31 year old C Darrell Dyer for 21 year old 2B B.C. Polanco. Polanco will start out in High A and looks to be a matter of time before he’s a recognized name in the majors for the Owls. Dyer is locked in for a 2 year, $5.2M paycheck where the Spiders are hoping for him to help out offensively as he’s hit 29 and 36 Hr’s in his last 2 seasons while driving in 80 and 121.
Owner cmthieme: "I needed a C and Dyer can mash. He's not great defensively but acceptable for me. I hate trading from an already barren minor league system but this was a chance to add a big bat at C that I couldn't pass up"
Owner jeanpaul22 on why the deal was made: “We're very happy with that trade, we like Dyer as a hitter but we have decide to change our approach as far as catching is concerned, we want a very good defensive catcher and Dyer is just average.
Polanco should be a very good defensive 2B with a good bat in a few seasons. Of course without that trade, Daisuke Suzuki wouldn't be in Philadelphia.”
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