- Prince Fielder- Washington Nationals: I did mention in my top 50 free agent post that if he did not go to the Cubs then he really didn't have a lot of potential suitors. The Mariners and Nationals were thought to be other suitors, but I think that the Mariners are a pipe dream that fans and the media came up with. Baltimore and Toronto have been mentioned as suitors but neither seems very interested in committing that type of money to Fielder and still don't. In fact the only suitor that has expressed any interest in a long term deal has been the Washington Nationals and that deal has some potential pitfalls as the Nationals already have Adam LaRoche at first and would like to move Michael Morse there soon. If the Nationals sign Fielder they would be forced to play Jayson Werth or Bryce Harper in Center Field long term and that's not ideal. They also do not want to commit $20 million-plus salaries to three players before even making the playoffs. The idea has been brought up of Fielder taking a one year deal to try and sign a deal next year with the Dodgers who will have new ownership. This could make sense and the Brewers reportedly offered the deal to Fielder but Boras rejected it. The idea now is that Boras is going to wait until Yu Darvish signs to see if the Rangers can be interested in Fielder. However I doubt that the Rangers will commit to a big deal with Fielder when Kinsler, Napoli and Hamilton will need extensions. If Fielder decides to take a one year deal to look again at the market next year then it opens up, but the Nationals may be the only team that will offer Fielder anywhere near the money and years he wants and I think they are going to wait for his price to come down.
- Edwin Jackson- Baltimore Orioles: Jackson wants a multi-year deal but his potential suitors, including the Yankees, do not seem interested in doing so. Boras reportedly even went to the Steinbreners to try and get them to sign Jackson and they wouldn't do more than a one year deal. Jackson is too young and talented to settle for a one year deal and so Jackson will have to look to non-contenders. The Orioles have signed Wei-Yin Chen and Tsuyoshi Wada out of the Japanese league but their unknowns and the rest of their starting staff has been mediocre to bad. Jackson has a lot of potential and has good stuff, but has never put it all together; however he eats innings and that's what the Orioles really want from their starters right now. Returning to St. Louis could always be in the cards but I haven't heard anything connecting them to Jackson. With a one year deal the field will open up just like it would for Fielder.
- Yoenis Cespedes- Miami Marlins: He's not a free agent yet and I almost let him off the list as a result, but he reportedly is going to be a free agent soon and there is no better fit for both sides than Miami. All of our information about Cespedes has come from his Youtube videos and a few scouting trips, but the Marlins are interested in the 26 year old. Other teams need a center fielder but Miami is trying to restart its relationship with fans and is really trying to appeal to the Hispanic community in Souhern Florida. Their entire infield is Hispanic but the Cuban Cespedes could really appeal to the large Cuban community in Florida if he reaches his star potential. The Marlins are going to go hard after him and I expect that they will blow everybody else away.
- Hiroki Kuroda- New York Yankees: Kuroda seems to me to be between two teams, the Yankees and the Red Sox. Kuroda is not going to return to Japan and while the Red Sox need a starter more than the Yankees do the Yankees will likely put out more money than the Red Sox will. It could really end up going either way but Kuroda is a great fit for either team, but the Red Sox just need pitchers who will eat innings so that may put Kuroda out of their price range.
- Carlos Pena- Cleveland Indians: There are three big suitors for Pena in my mind and those are Clevaland, Texas and Tampa Bay. The problem is that only Cleveland has expressed serious interest in Pena and while the other two teams are fits, Cleveland seems to be the most aggressive team on the market for Pena. The addition of Pena would be great for Cleveland as they could try and take advantage of a potentially weak AL Central. I expect that he will sign a two year deal no matter who he signs it with
- Joe Saunders: Saunders was non tendered by Arizona after a good 2011 and he wants to sign a three year deal. Unfortunately I do not think three years is extremely likely and I even question who will give him two years. The Red Sox have reportedly been pursing Saunders and he could be a good fit as he has eaten around 200 innings each of the last four years. However hes a soft tosser and will give up a lot of home runs and that seems to be the Red Sox's primary concern with him. I really like how he fits for the Tigers as a back end starter, but I don't know if they will be interested in paying him.
- Casey Kotchman: I see Kotchman having the same suitors as Carlos Pena and I expect that he will sign with Tampa Bay or Texas. The issue is that as good as Kotchman was this year he had never has a year that good and he was terrible in Seattle. Being a Tampa Bay native I know that the Rays would like to bring him back but they got him for a bargain $750,000 last year and he will want to get paid. Kotchman could be an interesting fit for Texas as he is considered to be a good defensive 1st baseman and if he failed they could always turn back to Mitch Moreland.
- Cody Ross: Ross is borderline starter and good fourth outfielder. As a result he has a lot of potential suitors with the Indians and Red Sox being the best fit if he still wants a two year deal. Both teams are lefty heavy and need a strong backup for Ryan Kalish and Grady Sizemore respectively. The Reds, Nationals, Mariners and A's could also pursue Ross and could play Center Field for the Nationals or A's.
- Johnny Damon: I thought the Luke Scott deal was good for Tampa until I found out that they would be paying him $5 million, which is about $2-3 million more than I thought he would get. Damon will probably get $5-$7 million to DH but I see only two teams that could use a full time DH and those are the Mariners and Orioles. Damon can still sort of play the field but a team will want him to DH most days. I expect he will sign another incentive laden deal.
- Roy Oswalt: Oswalt is an elite pitcher but he has had back issues for awhile and that's not going to go away. He is a big risk reward signing but someone will likely take a chance on him as a starter or he could sign with a team as a long reliever.
- Francisco Cordero: Cordero was rumored to be close to a deal with the Reds before they signed Ryan Madson. Cordero could end up being a bargain for any number of teams and any number of teams could get him for cheap.
- Bartolo Colon: Colon has scarred off a lot of teams because of how new his stem cell treatment is. I expect that he will end up signing for between $1.5-$2.5 million with somebody as a long reliever and teams looking for a bargain starter like Oakland or the Mariners could pick him up.
- Derrek Lee: After Fielder there is Pena and Kotchman and after them is Derek Lee. Lee played well for the Pirates, after getting cut by the Orioles and is a cheap option. There are really three teams that I see potentially signing him and those are Tampa Bay, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh. All three would be good fits for Lee and Pittsburgh and Milwaukee have both expressed interest.
- Kerry Wood: Wood wants to return to the Cubs, but this year he wants to get paid whats hes worth and if he doesn't then the Phillie's have been linked to him.
- Rick Ankiel: Ankiel can play a great Center Field but he hasn't hit very well the last three years. Any number of teams could get him as a backup and a return to Washington or Kansas City or Washington is possible. The Reds have also expressed interest.
- Jeff Francis: Francis didnt pitch exceptionally well last year but he did eat a lot of innings and teams still looking for a fifth starter could try Francis. The team I think he fits the best with is probably the Tigers, but they havent been linked to him. I expect that he will sign a deal about the same value as Bartolo Colon.
- Ryan Ludwick: Ludwick has been bad the last two years and he will be looking for a backup job. The Reds have been linked to Ludwick and it would probably be a good fit as would the Indians and the Red Sox.
- Kosuke Fukudome: Fuckudome played better than Ludwick last year but he doesnt seem to be getting a lot of interest. He could go back to Japan but I expect he will sign for cheap with a west coast team. Fukudome isn't bad he just was getting paid a lot more than he was worth in Chicago.
- Mike Gonzalez: The best lefty on the market. I expect that he will resign with Texas but he could end up going anywhere.
- Juan Pierre: Still can play the field and is a speed threat but past that he is little more than a name with the skill level of Chris Dickerson. He will sign as a backup outfielder with somebody.
Showing posts with label 2012 mlb season. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012 mlb season. Show all posts
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Top Twenty Remaing MLB Free Agents
Well its officially January 12th and only a month until pitchers and catchers report, with two members of the top five free agent still available in number two Prince Fielder and number six Edwin Jackson. Neither of those guys were expected to last past 2011 on the market but the pool of potential teams has dried up. However there still are still a number of teams looking at free agents and still a lot of free agents available, with MLB trade rumors having a complete list. Here is my top twenty of the remaining free agents:
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Best Moves for the NL East!
The NL East is considered by many to be the powerhouse of the National league and they currently have two great National League teams, two emerging NL teams and the New York Mets. All of the teams have interesting off season stories attached to them and will be very involved in the free agent class as well as trade rumors.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves were the NL version of the Red Sox with an epic collapse in September that kept them from the playoffs. The Braves have been at the center of a lot of trade rumors as they have been shopping Martin Prado and Jair Jurrjens as they seek to take advantage of their swath of young talented pitchers. The Braves will be looking for Jason Heyward to bounce back big time and for Chipper Jones to have one more good season before he finally retires. I don't think the braves will be looking to sign any big time free agents as the real reason for their collapse was that they overworked their bullpen so everybody was spent by the end of the season. The Braves want a lot for Jurrjens and that was why their deal with the Royals fell through, but if they do move him that means that untested pitchers will have to take on two rotation spots as the Braves have already traded Derrek Lowe. Perhaps the Braves could bring back Javy Vazquez if he chooses to keep playing but I do not think they will be able to get the players they want for Jurrjens. This team will likely be in the thick of the playoff hunt and will have a lot of rookies and second year players on the team but they did make it work last year with a similar situation.
Washington Nationals
The Nationals came very close to finishing above .500 for the first time since the move from Quebec and finished the year 80-81. The Nationals have a strong crop of talented players that are almost ready for the big leauges and strong crop of young players already with the team. Some people think the Nationals will make a run at Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols but despite likely being active on the free agent market I doubt they will pursue these first baseman. Jose Reyes and C.J Wilson are possibilities but I think that the Nationals will likely end up trading for a starter or signing Edwin Jackson as this will be the first time they do not have a protected draft pick. If they do not sign a pitcher then their crop of young players could mean that they trade for a starter and a good fit would likely be Wandy Rodriguez of the Astros. The biggest need for the Nationals however is Center field and their were rumors during the season about them targeting B.J Upton or Denard Span and I think its very likely they will target B.J Upton again this winter. Adam LaRoche will also be coming back from his shoulder surgery last season and if he can play to near his career norms then he will could prove to be a very important trade piece as the Nationals will look to move Morse to first to clear the way for Bryce Harper in the outfield. If things go well for the Nationals then they could be looking at a playoff spot either in 2012 or 2013.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies were nearly universally picked to win the world series this season but ever since they won the world series in 2008 they have bolstered their rotation and still fallen short each time. In 2009 they added Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez, in 2010 they added Roy Halliday and Roy Oswalt. Then in 2011 they added Cliff Lee and had Vance Worley emerge and yet they have gotten progressively farther away from the world series each year. The Phillies won 104 games last year and even with Ryan Howard missing the beginning of the season they should be favored to win the division. Their deal with Ryan Maddson appears to have fallen through and while they still may work out a deal the Phillies could also target Papelbon. The Phillies will look to again march their team to the postseason on their rotation and will likely retain Jimmy Rollins despite a need for them to go younger.
Miami Marlins
The Marlins are moving in to a new stadium in 2012 and will officially switch over to the Miami Marlins name. The Marlins are looking to spend and become a consistent contender and they do have some talented young players as well. The Marlins have been talking to several top free agents and could be the strongest suitors for Prince Fielder or Jose Reyes. They also will be in the market for a starter and I think that if the Rangers don't view Wilson in their future plans then the Marlins could be the best suitors. If the Marlins make the right moves then they could wind up being a contender not just this season but in the future. The real reasons behind these moves however is to repair the teams image after years of isolating the South Florida fan base despite two world series since 1997. This off season is probably more important to the Marlins than any team in the NL and possibly all of baseball, but the Marlins will have to pony up the cash and they will need to be the right moves as the wrong ones could leave the team with a lot of big contracts that they can not afford.
New York Mets
The Mets are a total mess and there is almost no chance for them to retain Jose Reyes and David Wright has been coming up in trade rumors. The financial situation was supposed to be solved before the season was even finished but its still a mess and the biggest move for them this offseason will likely be that they have moved the fences in at Citi Field. In the end I think the Mets will keep Wright for at least the beginning of the season and will look to add some low level players to the rotation like Jason Marquis or Rich Harden to add to a rotation headlined by a hopefully healthy Johan Santanna and R.A Dickey. The Mets have no chance of competing in 2012 unless the ownership financial situation is solved very shortly and are looking like they are several yeas away from being able to field a competitive team. The Mets also have to hope that Ike Davis come back healthy after playing in only 36 games last season.
Unlike last seaon the field appears to be more wide open for whom will win the division and Miami, Atlant, Washington and Philly are all going to be active this winter to try and get an edge in the playoff hunt. On an interesting note since 1993 the Phillies or Braves have won every NL East title except in 2006 when the Mets won, however during that time the Marlins have won two world series while the Braves and Phillies have each won one.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves were the NL version of the Red Sox with an epic collapse in September that kept them from the playoffs. The Braves have been at the center of a lot of trade rumors as they have been shopping Martin Prado and Jair Jurrjens as they seek to take advantage of their swath of young talented pitchers. The Braves will be looking for Jason Heyward to bounce back big time and for Chipper Jones to have one more good season before he finally retires. I don't think the braves will be looking to sign any big time free agents as the real reason for their collapse was that they overworked their bullpen so everybody was spent by the end of the season. The Braves want a lot for Jurrjens and that was why their deal with the Royals fell through, but if they do move him that means that untested pitchers will have to take on two rotation spots as the Braves have already traded Derrek Lowe. Perhaps the Braves could bring back Javy Vazquez if he chooses to keep playing but I do not think they will be able to get the players they want for Jurrjens. This team will likely be in the thick of the playoff hunt and will have a lot of rookies and second year players on the team but they did make it work last year with a similar situation.
Washington Nationals
The Nationals came very close to finishing above .500 for the first time since the move from Quebec and finished the year 80-81. The Nationals have a strong crop of talented players that are almost ready for the big leauges and strong crop of young players already with the team. Some people think the Nationals will make a run at Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols but despite likely being active on the free agent market I doubt they will pursue these first baseman. Jose Reyes and C.J Wilson are possibilities but I think that the Nationals will likely end up trading for a starter or signing Edwin Jackson as this will be the first time they do not have a protected draft pick. If they do not sign a pitcher then their crop of young players could mean that they trade for a starter and a good fit would likely be Wandy Rodriguez of the Astros. The biggest need for the Nationals however is Center field and their were rumors during the season about them targeting B.J Upton or Denard Span and I think its very likely they will target B.J Upton again this winter. Adam LaRoche will also be coming back from his shoulder surgery last season and if he can play to near his career norms then he will could prove to be a very important trade piece as the Nationals will look to move Morse to first to clear the way for Bryce Harper in the outfield. If things go well for the Nationals then they could be looking at a playoff spot either in 2012 or 2013.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies were nearly universally picked to win the world series this season but ever since they won the world series in 2008 they have bolstered their rotation and still fallen short each time. In 2009 they added Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez, in 2010 they added Roy Halliday and Roy Oswalt. Then in 2011 they added Cliff Lee and had Vance Worley emerge and yet they have gotten progressively farther away from the world series each year. The Phillies won 104 games last year and even with Ryan Howard missing the beginning of the season they should be favored to win the division. Their deal with Ryan Maddson appears to have fallen through and while they still may work out a deal the Phillies could also target Papelbon. The Phillies will look to again march their team to the postseason on their rotation and will likely retain Jimmy Rollins despite a need for them to go younger.
Miami Marlins
The Marlins are moving in to a new stadium in 2012 and will officially switch over to the Miami Marlins name. The Marlins are looking to spend and become a consistent contender and they do have some talented young players as well. The Marlins have been talking to several top free agents and could be the strongest suitors for Prince Fielder or Jose Reyes. They also will be in the market for a starter and I think that if the Rangers don't view Wilson in their future plans then the Marlins could be the best suitors. If the Marlins make the right moves then they could wind up being a contender not just this season but in the future. The real reasons behind these moves however is to repair the teams image after years of isolating the South Florida fan base despite two world series since 1997. This off season is probably more important to the Marlins than any team in the NL and possibly all of baseball, but the Marlins will have to pony up the cash and they will need to be the right moves as the wrong ones could leave the team with a lot of big contracts that they can not afford.
New York Mets
The Mets are a total mess and there is almost no chance for them to retain Jose Reyes and David Wright has been coming up in trade rumors. The financial situation was supposed to be solved before the season was even finished but its still a mess and the biggest move for them this offseason will likely be that they have moved the fences in at Citi Field. In the end I think the Mets will keep Wright for at least the beginning of the season and will look to add some low level players to the rotation like Jason Marquis or Rich Harden to add to a rotation headlined by a hopefully healthy Johan Santanna and R.A Dickey. The Mets have no chance of competing in 2012 unless the ownership financial situation is solved very shortly and are looking like they are several yeas away from being able to field a competitive team. The Mets also have to hope that Ike Davis come back healthy after playing in only 36 games last season.
Unlike last seaon the field appears to be more wide open for whom will win the division and Miami, Atlant, Washington and Philly are all going to be active this winter to try and get an edge in the playoff hunt. On an interesting note since 1993 the Phillies or Braves have won every NL East title except in 2006 when the Mets won, however during that time the Marlins have won two world series while the Braves and Phillies have each won one.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Best Moves for the AL Central!
Only two teams led the AL Central after the first two weeks and they were the Clevland Indians and the Detroit Tigers. My pick of Chicago White Sox got blown out of the water as the Tigers were the only team to finish over .500. The division is arguably the worst in baseball and every team in the division has major holes.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals are an up and coming team with a lot of young talented position players, in fact they have more prospects than they know what to do with. The one thing the Royals don't have is pitching, like no pitching whatsoever. They also have made the first major trade of the off-season by trading Melky Cabrera to the Giants for Jonathon Sanchez and therefor cleared the way for Lorenzo Cain in Center and added a potentially good piece to their rotation. Nobody knows how Sanchez will be for the Royals, but the Royals likely aren't done shopping for some pitching. If the rotation for the Royals can improve to a respectable level then Kansas City could be legitimate candidates to win the division. The Royals could pursue one of the top starters, but I think its more likely that they will pursue cheaper options than go after someone like C.J Wilson. Resigning Bruce Chen is a no brainier for me, but he wants a multi year deal and someone else could give it to him before the Royals do. A lot of people have picked the Royals as a breakout candidate for 2012 and they may have a point because this team has consistently had a top offense and their bad rotation is what has dragged them down.
Chicago White Sox
The Sox were arguably the most disappointing team of 2011 and definitely had the most disappointing free agent signing in Adam Dunn. Dunn was supposed to hit 50 Home runs in Chicago but he would up hitting 11, with .159 BA. The White Sox rotation is probably the best in the division and for awhile they ended up being able to trade Edwin Jackson because of the emergence of Phil Humber. The White sox are now looking to get younger, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are going to be dumping salary and they absolutely wont be butchering their rotation. While they could move Zach Stewart into the rotation they have said that they would only trade a pitcher if they resign Mark Buehrle. The White Sox really don't have a lot of trade pieces outside of their rotation and they have some really bad contracts that they will have a lot of trouble moving. If I was the White Sox I would see what I could get for John Danks or Gavin Floyd even if Mark Buehrle signs elsewhere because they really need to try and get younger and while these players are young they can get a really good return for both of those guys.
Clevland Indians
The Indians had a great run this season but they are just starting to have their prospects going but the whole franchise is still a mess. The rotation is a mess and the one solid contributor of 2009 and 2010 in Shin-Soo Choo had a bad 2011 and going in to 2012 I have no idea what to expect from the Indians. They could win the division or they could lose 95 games, a big part of that will be how Ubaldo does in 2012 and the other part is what they do in their Outfield now that Grady is gone. Fukudome could be retained but they could try any number of players in the outfield. They could try for Cuddyer, Dejesus or Kubel but it depends on if the Indians think they can win in 2012.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins probably are the most disapointing team of 2011 because everything went wrong for them. If they want to compete then Maur and Morneau will need to be healthy and Morneau hasn't been able to stay healthy for 3 years. Cuddyer, Kubel, Capps and Nathan could all be gone in 2012 and the rotation is a total mess. Tsuyoshi Nishioka bombed and it was made worse by the success of 2010 short stop JJ Hardy and Nishioka is not even guaranteed to be a starter in 2012. The Twins going to need to try and turn things around next season but they may be headed to full on rebuild, but if they can make some good signings then this is still a team that could win this division especially if everyone can stay healthy and effective. They should try and resign Cuddyer or pursue Willingham and get a solid backup like Jose Molina. I also think that they should try some risk and reward typed players for their rotation and see if they can piece together a good rotation out of the scrap heap. As much as I should count them out this is a team that has been able to make idiot moves consistently over the last 10 years ans still somehow find ways to win.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers had a great season due mostly to Justin Verlander. Despite winning 95 games they dealt with a lot of injuries and they have question marks in RF, 3rd and at second. This team could make a play for any of the big time free agents, but even if they ignore all of their question marks they probably would be able to piece together a lineup based on what they already have that would the division in 2012. The Tigers could be in play for Aramis Ramirz but it would probably be better for them to just try Inge again at 3rd and see if he can be a contributor again and while they could try for a starting outfielder they could just as easily stick with Delmon Young and Brennan Boesch in the corner outfield. The best move for the Tigers would probably be for them to bring in veterans to spring training and have them compete with the existing option and see what happens. It would also be good for them to sign a 5th starter on a one year deal rather than give the spot to prospect Jacob Turner who has only had 3 starts at AAA.
The Tigers look like the best team in a weak division, but any of these teams could surprise everybody and breakout. The only one of these teams that will likely be considering signing major free agents is the Tigers but all the teams could be very active on the trade market this winter, especially the Royals who could definitely acquire another starting pitcher.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals are an up and coming team with a lot of young talented position players, in fact they have more prospects than they know what to do with. The one thing the Royals don't have is pitching, like no pitching whatsoever. They also have made the first major trade of the off-season by trading Melky Cabrera to the Giants for Jonathon Sanchez and therefor cleared the way for Lorenzo Cain in Center and added a potentially good piece to their rotation. Nobody knows how Sanchez will be for the Royals, but the Royals likely aren't done shopping for some pitching. If the rotation for the Royals can improve to a respectable level then Kansas City could be legitimate candidates to win the division. The Royals could pursue one of the top starters, but I think its more likely that they will pursue cheaper options than go after someone like C.J Wilson. Resigning Bruce Chen is a no brainier for me, but he wants a multi year deal and someone else could give it to him before the Royals do. A lot of people have picked the Royals as a breakout candidate for 2012 and they may have a point because this team has consistently had a top offense and their bad rotation is what has dragged them down.
Chicago White Sox
The Sox were arguably the most disappointing team of 2011 and definitely had the most disappointing free agent signing in Adam Dunn. Dunn was supposed to hit 50 Home runs in Chicago but he would up hitting 11, with .159 BA. The White Sox rotation is probably the best in the division and for awhile they ended up being able to trade Edwin Jackson because of the emergence of Phil Humber. The White sox are now looking to get younger, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are going to be dumping salary and they absolutely wont be butchering their rotation. While they could move Zach Stewart into the rotation they have said that they would only trade a pitcher if they resign Mark Buehrle. The White Sox really don't have a lot of trade pieces outside of their rotation and they have some really bad contracts that they will have a lot of trouble moving. If I was the White Sox I would see what I could get for John Danks or Gavin Floyd even if Mark Buehrle signs elsewhere because they really need to try and get younger and while these players are young they can get a really good return for both of those guys.
Clevland Indians
The Indians had a great run this season but they are just starting to have their prospects going but the whole franchise is still a mess. The rotation is a mess and the one solid contributor of 2009 and 2010 in Shin-Soo Choo had a bad 2011 and going in to 2012 I have no idea what to expect from the Indians. They could win the division or they could lose 95 games, a big part of that will be how Ubaldo does in 2012 and the other part is what they do in their Outfield now that Grady is gone. Fukudome could be retained but they could try any number of players in the outfield. They could try for Cuddyer, Dejesus or Kubel but it depends on if the Indians think they can win in 2012.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins probably are the most disapointing team of 2011 because everything went wrong for them. If they want to compete then Maur and Morneau will need to be healthy and Morneau hasn't been able to stay healthy for 3 years. Cuddyer, Kubel, Capps and Nathan could all be gone in 2012 and the rotation is a total mess. Tsuyoshi Nishioka bombed and it was made worse by the success of 2010 short stop JJ Hardy and Nishioka is not even guaranteed to be a starter in 2012. The Twins going to need to try and turn things around next season but they may be headed to full on rebuild, but if they can make some good signings then this is still a team that could win this division especially if everyone can stay healthy and effective. They should try and resign Cuddyer or pursue Willingham and get a solid backup like Jose Molina. I also think that they should try some risk and reward typed players for their rotation and see if they can piece together a good rotation out of the scrap heap. As much as I should count them out this is a team that has been able to make idiot moves consistently over the last 10 years ans still somehow find ways to win.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers had a great season due mostly to Justin Verlander. Despite winning 95 games they dealt with a lot of injuries and they have question marks in RF, 3rd and at second. This team could make a play for any of the big time free agents, but even if they ignore all of their question marks they probably would be able to piece together a lineup based on what they already have that would the division in 2012. The Tigers could be in play for Aramis Ramirz but it would probably be better for them to just try Inge again at 3rd and see if he can be a contributor again and while they could try for a starting outfielder they could just as easily stick with Delmon Young and Brennan Boesch in the corner outfield. The best move for the Tigers would probably be for them to bring in veterans to spring training and have them compete with the existing option and see what happens. It would also be good for them to sign a 5th starter on a one year deal rather than give the spot to prospect Jacob Turner who has only had 3 starts at AAA.
The Tigers look like the best team in a weak division, but any of these teams could surprise everybody and breakout. The only one of these teams that will likely be considering signing major free agents is the Tigers but all the teams could be very active on the trade market this winter, especially the Royals who could definitely acquire another starting pitcher.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Best Moves for the NL Central!
In the last 20 years an NL central team has won the pennant four times and three of those times were won by the St.Louis Cardinals who have three pennants and two World Series in the last seven years. That being said they have had four different winners in the last four years and the division could be wide open for 2012.
Houston Astros
The Astros have no chance of contending in 2012 and they will be looking to dump salary with their new ownership. They traded their two best pieces last season in Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence for prospects and will try and trade Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers and Carlos Lee for prospects as well. They could try for some bounce back players like Ben Sheets or Jamie Moyer, but they wont have any impact beyond that. Wandy will draw interest but they will not get the prospects they want unless they eat some salary which is exactly the opposite of what the new ownership will want to do. The Astros wont likely get much for Myers at the outset of the season but if he is pitching well then he could get something for them at the trade deadline as he is only under contract for 2012. Carlos Lee could be moved but they would get nothing but mild salary relief unless he tears it up before the trade deadline. The Rockies, Nationals and Red Sox could all be potential trade partners for Wandy or Myers and Astros can focus on rebuilding after all that money comes off the books.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates took a big step forward in 2012 and were in contention for a long while but they outperformed themselves. The Pirates will look to re-sign Derrek Lee, acquire a starting catcher and lock up Andrew McCutchen long term. The Yankees and Bucs almost had a deal for Francisco Cervelli last season and they could try again this off season or the Bucs could try for Ramon Hernandez. They will try Pedro Alvarez at third again this season but a strong backup is also a possibility. The Bucs biggest need is some upper rotation pitchers and while they could try for Edwin Jackson I expect that they will just try and develop their pitching prospects now that they have Gerrit Cole coming up. The Pirates would really benefit from signing Fielder but I seriously doubt they will make that impact on the Free agent market. Some key upgrades could mean that the Pirates will finally finish with a winning season and if Pedro Alvarez develops into a decent third baseman then the Pirates could be a top team in the NL Central soon.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have a new team president, General Manager and soon manager. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer will look to build a team that can win a world series, but first they will try and dump Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano. Cubs fans want the team to pursue Albert Pujols, but Fielder really makes more sense for the team as he is four years younger and can help the team in a few years when they can contend. Fielder will likely be the only big free agent they pursue as they will be looking to dump salary more than sign more big contracts. They may try and swap Zambrano for another bad contract like A.J Burnett, but dumping Soriano will be hard as he is under contract for the next three seasons. They could look to retain Ramirez, but some lower level free agents and bounce back players would likely be a better option for the Cubs. The resources of the Cubs are the best in the Division but they are still a few years away from contending and this is a rebuilding year for the team.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers screwed their farm system to win now, but if they can replace Fielders bat with a productive one then they can still win in this division. Their biggest area of need is really the left side of the infield with Casey McGehee and Yuniesky Betancourt unlikely to be retained, but their really aren't a lot of great solutions for them. They will likely try for a variety of different infielders as well as retaining utility infielder Jerry Harriston Jr who could start at 3rd or short if needed. With the money being freed up from Fielders contract there is a good chance they could pursue Jose Reyes who would really help the team. The Brewers can still contend this season but they will need to make good moves in order to do so. They could also still possibly retain Prince Fielder if a market for the First baseman doesn't develop, because the market after the Cubs is pretty hypothetical.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are arguably the most disappointing team in the national league, mostly due to their rotation which after Johnny Cueto was very poor and while they will be adding Aroldis Chapman to the rotation some more moves may be necessary, but due to their limited payroll they may just hope that other members of the rotation perform better. There has been some talk of trading Joey Votto, but he is a great player and still has two more relatively cheap years left and I expect that he will play at least one more year with the Reds before they really consider trading him. The Reds have real potential for 2012 but they will likely do it with primarily what they already have and will have to hope that 2012 goes better than 2011 did.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Defending World series champions biggest off season story will be their new manager and some guy named Albert Pujols. Their rotation will be better than last years with Adam Wainwright coming back from Tommy John surgery and their biggest need will be Shortstop and second base and they only need to retain Rafael Furcal to fill their need at shortstop. I doubt that they will want to start 2012 with Nick Punto at second base and could pursue someone like Clint Barmes or a lower level free agent like Mark Ellis. They could also try and put Allen Craig primarily at second, but he only had 8 starts at second since coming up in 2010. Pujols is the biggest story of the off season for the Cardinals and I expect that in the end they will show him the money.
Houston Astros
The Astros have no chance of contending in 2012 and they will be looking to dump salary with their new ownership. They traded their two best pieces last season in Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence for prospects and will try and trade Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers and Carlos Lee for prospects as well. They could try for some bounce back players like Ben Sheets or Jamie Moyer, but they wont have any impact beyond that. Wandy will draw interest but they will not get the prospects they want unless they eat some salary which is exactly the opposite of what the new ownership will want to do. The Astros wont likely get much for Myers at the outset of the season but if he is pitching well then he could get something for them at the trade deadline as he is only under contract for 2012. Carlos Lee could be moved but they would get nothing but mild salary relief unless he tears it up before the trade deadline. The Rockies, Nationals and Red Sox could all be potential trade partners for Wandy or Myers and Astros can focus on rebuilding after all that money comes off the books.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates took a big step forward in 2012 and were in contention for a long while but they outperformed themselves. The Pirates will look to re-sign Derrek Lee, acquire a starting catcher and lock up Andrew McCutchen long term. The Yankees and Bucs almost had a deal for Francisco Cervelli last season and they could try again this off season or the Bucs could try for Ramon Hernandez. They will try Pedro Alvarez at third again this season but a strong backup is also a possibility. The Bucs biggest need is some upper rotation pitchers and while they could try for Edwin Jackson I expect that they will just try and develop their pitching prospects now that they have Gerrit Cole coming up. The Pirates would really benefit from signing Fielder but I seriously doubt they will make that impact on the Free agent market. Some key upgrades could mean that the Pirates will finally finish with a winning season and if Pedro Alvarez develops into a decent third baseman then the Pirates could be a top team in the NL Central soon.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have a new team president, General Manager and soon manager. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer will look to build a team that can win a world series, but first they will try and dump Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano. Cubs fans want the team to pursue Albert Pujols, but Fielder really makes more sense for the team as he is four years younger and can help the team in a few years when they can contend. Fielder will likely be the only big free agent they pursue as they will be looking to dump salary more than sign more big contracts. They may try and swap Zambrano for another bad contract like A.J Burnett, but dumping Soriano will be hard as he is under contract for the next three seasons. They could look to retain Ramirez, but some lower level free agents and bounce back players would likely be a better option for the Cubs. The resources of the Cubs are the best in the Division but they are still a few years away from contending and this is a rebuilding year for the team.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers screwed their farm system to win now, but if they can replace Fielders bat with a productive one then they can still win in this division. Their biggest area of need is really the left side of the infield with Casey McGehee and Yuniesky Betancourt unlikely to be retained, but their really aren't a lot of great solutions for them. They will likely try for a variety of different infielders as well as retaining utility infielder Jerry Harriston Jr who could start at 3rd or short if needed. With the money being freed up from Fielders contract there is a good chance they could pursue Jose Reyes who would really help the team. The Brewers can still contend this season but they will need to make good moves in order to do so. They could also still possibly retain Prince Fielder if a market for the First baseman doesn't develop, because the market after the Cubs is pretty hypothetical.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are arguably the most disappointing team in the national league, mostly due to their rotation which after Johnny Cueto was very poor and while they will be adding Aroldis Chapman to the rotation some more moves may be necessary, but due to their limited payroll they may just hope that other members of the rotation perform better. There has been some talk of trading Joey Votto, but he is a great player and still has two more relatively cheap years left and I expect that he will play at least one more year with the Reds before they really consider trading him. The Reds have real potential for 2012 but they will likely do it with primarily what they already have and will have to hope that 2012 goes better than 2011 did.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Defending World series champions biggest off season story will be their new manager and some guy named Albert Pujols. Their rotation will be better than last years with Adam Wainwright coming back from Tommy John surgery and their biggest need will be Shortstop and second base and they only need to retain Rafael Furcal to fill their need at shortstop. I doubt that they will want to start 2012 with Nick Punto at second base and could pursue someone like Clint Barmes or a lower level free agent like Mark Ellis. They could also try and put Allen Craig primarily at second, but he only had 8 starts at second since coming up in 2010. Pujols is the biggest story of the off season for the Cardinals and I expect that in the end they will show him the money.
Best Moves for the NL West!
The Last two years have been weird for the NL West with the Padres winning for almost the entire year, but then the Giants surged past the Padres who were slumping big time. This Year the Rockies and Giants looked like they would battle for the NL West, instead the Diamondbacks surprised everybody and won. Next year it could be anybody especially with the Dodgers ownership situation likely becoming clear relatively soon.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers should be in play for Ramirez, Fielder and several other top free agents, but I doubt that their ownership situation will be solved in time for them to do almost anything but try and lock up Kemp and Kershaw. They will likely look for a deal in the Starting pitcher market and they are really only a few key pieces from running away with the division. Carlos Pena would be a good signing for the Dodgers, but the best fit would be Fielder if they can afford him.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks don't really have any area where they need to acquire someone but they have a lot of places where they could upgrade especially the middle of the rotation and 1st base. They could upgrade the mid rotation, but I suspect that they will leave 1st to Paul Goldschmidt and see what happens. They also should try and resign Aaron Hill who played well for them and they really should get a lefty who is not named Zach Duke. The Diamondbacks will need to do something about the back of their rotation and they may look to trade Joe Saunders for a pair of lesser arms that can still eat innings. The D-backs had a constant cycle at the 5th starter spot and even if they do not trade Saunders they should be able to find someone who can make 30+ decent starts over the season. The team may try for starters such as Rich Harden, Freddy Garcia or Kevin Millwood.
San Diego Padres
The biggest move for them will likely be trying to resign Heath Bell and they could try for a lower level impact bat and hope that their prospects develop like they want them to. I still don't understand why they declined Harang's option because now they will have to fill another rotation spot and Harang pitched well for the Padres.
Colorado Rockies
The Rockies are a weird team that always seems like they have too many good players to not win more, but they have some serious holes and really no starting pitching. I expect that the Rockies will try and find gold with some underrated Starting arms and try for either Ramirez or to trade for a third baseman like Michael Young or David Wright. They have a lot of replacement level players in the everyday lineup and need to change that before they will contend. Young would really be perfect for them as would an upgrade in Left Field with Josh Willingham. I expect them to take some chances on the free agent market for starting pitching and it will be a big part of how their year will turn out, some good players might be Roy Oswalt, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon or Paul Maholm.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants pitching is arguably the best in all of baseball but they have no offense. If they want to win the division they will need to retain Beltran, have a healthy Buster Posey and find a position for Brandon Belt. They also are going to need a shortstop and could pursue bay area native Jimmy Rollins or the big name free agent Jose Reyes. The Giants are looking to make some moves but they have $44 million tied up in bad contracts and will need to extend Lincicum and Cain soon. Signing Beltran and a decent Shortstop could be all they need to win if Buster Posey can come back healthy. A good backup catcher is key for the Giants and if they keep Beltran then they probably can just stick with an outfield tandem of Cody Ross, Nate Schierholtz and Andres Torres in Left and Center field. If they miss out on Beltran its very possible they will go after Coco Crisp
The Only team I would count out of the Division title would be the Padres because any of the teams could end up winning if things go right for them.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers should be in play for Ramirez, Fielder and several other top free agents, but I doubt that their ownership situation will be solved in time for them to do almost anything but try and lock up Kemp and Kershaw. They will likely look for a deal in the Starting pitcher market and they are really only a few key pieces from running away with the division. Carlos Pena would be a good signing for the Dodgers, but the best fit would be Fielder if they can afford him.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks don't really have any area where they need to acquire someone but they have a lot of places where they could upgrade especially the middle of the rotation and 1st base. They could upgrade the mid rotation, but I suspect that they will leave 1st to Paul Goldschmidt and see what happens. They also should try and resign Aaron Hill who played well for them and they really should get a lefty who is not named Zach Duke. The Diamondbacks will need to do something about the back of their rotation and they may look to trade Joe Saunders for a pair of lesser arms that can still eat innings. The D-backs had a constant cycle at the 5th starter spot and even if they do not trade Saunders they should be able to find someone who can make 30+ decent starts over the season. The team may try for starters such as Rich Harden, Freddy Garcia or Kevin Millwood.
San Diego Padres
The biggest move for them will likely be trying to resign Heath Bell and they could try for a lower level impact bat and hope that their prospects develop like they want them to. I still don't understand why they declined Harang's option because now they will have to fill another rotation spot and Harang pitched well for the Padres.
Colorado Rockies
The Rockies are a weird team that always seems like they have too many good players to not win more, but they have some serious holes and really no starting pitching. I expect that the Rockies will try and find gold with some underrated Starting arms and try for either Ramirez or to trade for a third baseman like Michael Young or David Wright. They have a lot of replacement level players in the everyday lineup and need to change that before they will contend. Young would really be perfect for them as would an upgrade in Left Field with Josh Willingham. I expect them to take some chances on the free agent market for starting pitching and it will be a big part of how their year will turn out, some good players might be Roy Oswalt, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon or Paul Maholm.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants pitching is arguably the best in all of baseball but they have no offense. If they want to win the division they will need to retain Beltran, have a healthy Buster Posey and find a position for Brandon Belt. They also are going to need a shortstop and could pursue bay area native Jimmy Rollins or the big name free agent Jose Reyes. The Giants are looking to make some moves but they have $44 million tied up in bad contracts and will need to extend Lincicum and Cain soon. Signing Beltran and a decent Shortstop could be all they need to win if Buster Posey can come back healthy. A good backup catcher is key for the Giants and if they keep Beltran then they probably can just stick with an outfield tandem of Cody Ross, Nate Schierholtz and Andres Torres in Left and Center field. If they miss out on Beltran its very possible they will go after Coco Crisp
The Only team I would count out of the Division title would be the Padres because any of the teams could end up winning if things go right for them.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Best Moves for the AL West!
Well I'm gonna start a series of posts about what the teams of each division need to do this off season and I will start with the AL west and conclude with the AL East.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers hadn't even won a home playoff game before last year and now they have won two pennants. The Rangers biggest need is their rotation, 1st base and center field and they have internal options for center and the rotation, they want to have Feliz and Ogando in the rotation next year if Wilson signs elsewhere. The only real need at first is that none of their 1st base options are positive defenders and that hurt them in the world series. It may also be time that they trade Michael Young because at this point he is undervalued as a DH, he can still play 3rd and 2nd but he's not a first baseman and they may be able to get more value out of him than they were able to get from the Rockies last year. I don't know how they feel about Leonys Martins development, but it would be ambitious to hand him the center field duties on opening day. They could also be players for someone like Carlos Pena or Coco Crisp but I don't see them making a lot of moves this off season.
Los Angeles Angels
The best move for the Angels would probably be for them to have not have done all of the dumb moves they have done in the last two years especially the Vernon Wells for Napoli trade which could possibly be one of the worst trades in my lifetime. They have Mike Trout coming up and nowhere for him to play and now they have to figure out where Trumbo and Morales will play next season. The worst part is that they probably would have won the Division last year if they had signed Beltre. the Angels 1-3 rotation is better than anybody else in the AL and they could sign Reyes or Ramirez and if they do I think they would be the favorites to win the Division.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have a ton of pitching and a lot of prospects and the biggest move they really need to make is to try and get rid of Chone Figgins. Past that their best move would be to find somebody to to play left field and they could pursue any number of unranked free agents to do so. They could go for a platoon LF spot and sign someone like Laynce Nix and have him split playing time with Casper Wells and that's probably the best thing for the Mariners. Next year will probably be a rebuilding year for the Mariners and really they would need Ichiro to bounce back if they want to contend at all. The Mariners do have deep pockets and could be contenders again in the near future.
Oakland A's
There are a number of things that the A's could do to get better but in the end they will not make any moves until their stadium situation is sorted out. A good move along that line could be to try and trade one of their starters to a team loaded with position player prospects like the Royals. They dump Brian Fuentes as well, its not that he's bad its just that they don't need him. They could also try for a reclamation project like Grady Sizemore.
I will have the NL West up soon
Texas Rangers
The Rangers hadn't even won a home playoff game before last year and now they have won two pennants. The Rangers biggest need is their rotation, 1st base and center field and they have internal options for center and the rotation, they want to have Feliz and Ogando in the rotation next year if Wilson signs elsewhere. The only real need at first is that none of their 1st base options are positive defenders and that hurt them in the world series. It may also be time that they trade Michael Young because at this point he is undervalued as a DH, he can still play 3rd and 2nd but he's not a first baseman and they may be able to get more value out of him than they were able to get from the Rockies last year. I don't know how they feel about Leonys Martins development, but it would be ambitious to hand him the center field duties on opening day. They could also be players for someone like Carlos Pena or Coco Crisp but I don't see them making a lot of moves this off season.
Los Angeles Angels
The best move for the Angels would probably be for them to have not have done all of the dumb moves they have done in the last two years especially the Vernon Wells for Napoli trade which could possibly be one of the worst trades in my lifetime. They have Mike Trout coming up and nowhere for him to play and now they have to figure out where Trumbo and Morales will play next season. The worst part is that they probably would have won the Division last year if they had signed Beltre. the Angels 1-3 rotation is better than anybody else in the AL and they could sign Reyes or Ramirez and if they do I think they would be the favorites to win the Division.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have a ton of pitching and a lot of prospects and the biggest move they really need to make is to try and get rid of Chone Figgins. Past that their best move would be to find somebody to to play left field and they could pursue any number of unranked free agents to do so. They could go for a platoon LF spot and sign someone like Laynce Nix and have him split playing time with Casper Wells and that's probably the best thing for the Mariners. Next year will probably be a rebuilding year for the Mariners and really they would need Ichiro to bounce back if they want to contend at all. The Mariners do have deep pockets and could be contenders again in the near future.
Oakland A's
There are a number of things that the A's could do to get better but in the end they will not make any moves until their stadium situation is sorted out. A good move along that line could be to try and trade one of their starters to a team loaded with position player prospects like the Royals. They dump Brian Fuentes as well, its not that he's bad its just that they don't need him. They could also try for a reclamation project like Grady Sizemore.
I will have the NL West up soon
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