We'll know more in spring training how these guys are doing but you have to be encouraged on how some of the younger guys like Segura and Peralta and Fiers are looking and Rogers and Estrada give them some options too.
Crew signs a utility infielder: Murphy signs minor league deal
Too bad we still don't have Dale Sveum to improve his hitting.
Cubs making moves - adding 2 SP it appears.
The Chicago Cubs are moving closer to completion on a four-year, $52 million deal with Edwin Jackson, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney on Thursday.
The Cubs added another right-handed pitcher in Carlos Villanueva, who has agreed to a two-year contract, a major league source told ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine. The deal is pending a physical.
4 years on Jackson is probably 1 more than I'd like, but I'd be wary of >3 years for 90% of the pitchers out there. Seems like $13M is the new price for middle of the rotation vets.
Will be interesting to see how CV does. I always thought he would be a solid 4/5 if you just stuck with him as a starter.
The Chicago Cubs are moving closer to completion on a four-year, $52 million deal with Edwin Jackson, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney on Thursday.
The Cubs added another right-handed pitcher in Carlos Villanueva, who has agreed to a two-year contract, a major league source told ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine. The deal is pending a physical.
4 years on Jackson is probably 1 more than I'd like, but I'd be wary of >3 years for 90% of the pitchers out there. Seems like $13M is the new price for middle of the rotation vets.
Will be interesting to see how CV does. I always thought he would be a solid 4/5 if you just stuck with him as a starter.
Brewers sign Gorzelanny to a 2 year deal. One would assume that it's not huge dollars and this helps shore up the bullpen. Decent spot starter as well.
Nice move, should come at a good price.
2 decent lefties in the pen (I got narvy in the pen). hopefully they do well.
Lets hope the rest of trumps plan come thru.
Lets hope the rest of trumps plan come thru.
Like the move by Milwaukee. He had a nice stint in Washington and he's a capable backup starting pitcher too.
As for the Edwin Jackson signing, that is crazy. 4yrs at $13MM per season? Wow.
As for the Edwin Jackson signing, that is crazy. 4yrs at $13MM per season? Wow.
Appears Pirates signing Liriano to 2/14 deal.
"If he regains his early form" is what everyone tells themselves. If he does, great deal for Bucs... If he doesn't, still not a huge risk, maybe a bit higher than you'd like at 7 per. Methinks Liriano will always tease you with a few dominant performances a year interspersed with below average production. Worth a flyer at that length of contract.
"If he regains his early form" is what everyone tells themselves. If he does, great deal for Bucs... If he doesn't, still not a huge risk, maybe a bit higher than you'd like at 7 per. Methinks Liriano will always tease you with a few dominant performances a year interspersed with below average production. Worth a flyer at that length of contract.
quote:Originally posted by CAPackFan95:
"If he regains his early form" is what everyone tells themselves.
He will never be what he was before the injury. I do still think there is something there. He may do well in the NL.
Liriano sprained his frontal cortex, takes a long time to recover from that.
Ask Manny Parra.
Ask Manny Parra.
Not sure when that happened but this did happen:
On November 6, 2006, Liriano underwent Tommy John surgery to curtail the pain in his left elbow. Liriano missed the entire 2007 season.
On November 6, 2006, Liriano underwent Tommy John surgery to curtail the pain in his left elbow. Liriano missed the entire 2007 season.
Gonzalez added to pen...
JIM BOWDEN @JimBowdenESPNxm Mike Gonzalez and Brewers have agreed to one year deal at $2.250m plus incentives
JIM BOWDEN @JimBowdenESPNxm Mike Gonzalez and Brewers have agreed to one year deal at $2.250m plus incentives
Lots of z's in the pen, put other teams to bed?
No Manny Parra's in the pen, might be my favorite part of this whole thing.
No Manny Parra's in the pen, might be my favorite part of this whole thing.
quote:Originally posted by El-Ka-Bong:
Lots of z's in the pen...
Yeah, Gonzalez and Gorzelanny? He had to change things up by trading for Burke Badenhop though.
Kinzler
Bullpen shaping up now! I like havinf two lefties out there!
ESPN ranks the Brewers with the second best line up in baseball behind only the Angels.
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb...0-lineups-majors-mlb
As part of the ongoing theme of the week, we rank the top 10 lineups today:
1. Los Angeles Angels
As the 2013 season opens, there may be more pressure on Angels Manager Mike Scioscia than any other person in the majors. But there will be a day in late February or early March when he sits down to write out his lineup and he'll experience at least a moment of peace, while listing the names … Mike Trout. Albert Pujols. Josh Hamilton. Mark Trumbo. Howie Kendrick. Chris Iannetta.
The Angels are going to score runs. A whole lot.
A tangible difference: Trumbo was an American League All-Star and put on an incredible show at the Home Run Derby, but his production fell off dramatically in the last couple of months -- after hitting .306 in the first half of the season, he batted .204 in August and .183 in September, with 67 strikeouts in 179 at-bats over those two ugly months. Is he an All-Star, or is he closer to being what he was in the second half of the season? We'll see. The Angels made the decision to trade Kendrys Morales and essentially free the DH spot for Trumbo.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
Ron Roenicke's team led the majors in extra-base hits last year with 541 and led the National League in runs, in spite of an inconsistent year from Rickie Weeks, who hit .199 in the first half. Aramis Ramirez turned out to be one of the best signings of 2012, racking up 80 extra-base hits and 105 RBIs. Ryan Braun has missed only 36 games over the past five seasons and is a production machine: He has led the National League in OPS in each of the past two seasons.
A tangible difference: Catcher Jonathan Lucroy has quietly become one of the most effective players at his position -- he ranked fifth in OPS among major-league catchers with at least 300 plate appearances, at .873. Lucroy is extremely adept at putting the ball in play, with damage: He had 33 extra-base hits last season, with only 44 strikeouts, and was third in the majors hitting with runners in scoring position at .389.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
They have an American League lineup in the National League, from Jon Jay (who hit .303 when leading off last season) to Matt Holliday to emerging star Allen Craig to Carlos Beltran to Yadier Molina. The Cardinals finished fifth in the majors in runs last season, and led the majors in on-base percentage at .338. (If you want to have an idea of how much the sport has changed in the aftermath of what we'll remember as the steroid era, there were 21 teams that posted a higher on-base percentage than .338 in 2000, including the Pirates.
A tangible difference: Yadier Molina's year-to-year improvement as a hitter has been mind-boggling, like a pyramid drawn up by John Wooden:
Year-by-year OPS
2006: .595
2007: .708
2008: .741
2009: .749
2010: .671
2011: .814
2012: .874
In the eyes of some teammates, that increase of almost 300 points is attributable to Molina's improved ability to take the ball the other way, and because of his anticipation. Some teammates think that Molina's acute understanding of how pitchers and catchers think is an incredible weapon when he hits, because he looks for a particular pitch to hit and is able to square it up.
4. Texas Rangers
Holes in their lineup emerged throughout 2012, from Josh Hamilton's midsummer slump to Michael Young's struggle to hit for power. And yet, at season's end, Texas ranked No. 1 in the majors in runs with 808. David Murphy had a nice season, racking up an .859 OPS -- which explains why the Dodgers had interest in him and Derek Holland in a possible Andre Ethier proposal -- and the Rangers got contributions from Craig Gentry and other parts of their roster. Texas lost a huge portion of its power in the offseason -- Hamilton and Mike Napoli had 67 of the Rangers' 200 homers in 2012 -- but history tells us that whether at-bats go to A.J. Pierzynski, Jurickson Profar or some other hitter acquired in the offseason, the Ballpark in Arlington will foster offense. This is a place where hitters go to thrive.
A tangible difference: Profar is 19 years old and he may be years away from having a major impact in the big leagues, but don't rule out the possibility that he will dent the American League right away. He has always been one of the youngest players at every level he has played in the minors, and yet he has shown plate discipline and power. Over the past two seasons, in Class A and Double-A, he has 104 extra-base hits, 131 walks and 142 strikeouts. Those are Dustin Pedroia-like numbers.
5. Washington Nationals
Regardless of whether Adam LaRoche re-signs or if Mike Morse winds up playing a lot of first base, Washington will have a complete lineup, with on-base percentage (Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper), power (Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa), balance (possibly three left-handed hitters and one switch-hitter in the everyday lineup) and speed (Denard Span, Harper, Desmond, Werth).
A tangible difference: Manager Davey Johnson likes to play a lot of guys and rest his regulars, and that's good, because Washington looks as if it should have an incredibly deep bench. The Nationals have two regular catchers (Kurt Suzuki and Wilson Ramos), the versatile Steve Lombardozzi and Roger Bernadina, possibly Morse, Tyler Moore and Chad Tracy. Oh, and some of the Nationals' pitchers can hit, from Stephen Strasburg (.277 batting average) to Jordan Zimmermann.
6. Boston Red Sox
There will be a ton of questions about Boston going into spring training: Can Jon Lester become a front-line starter again? How will John Farrell juggle his array of catchers and first basemen? What will the Red Sox get out of Jacoby Ellsbury, who has been plagued by injury in two of the past three seasons and was merely the best position player in his league in the other? Is there going to be regression in the 37-year-old David Ortiz, given his injury issues last season?
But this is what we do know about Boston: The Red Sox are going to wreck left-handed pitching. Let's assume that their talks with Mike Napoli conclude with an agreement, and consider the meat-grinder of right-handed hitters that will await CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, David Price, Mark Buehrle, Ricky Romero, et al:
OPS vs. left-handers in 2012
Will Middlebrooks: .906
Dustin Pedroia: .848
Shane Victorino: .906
Jonny Gomes: .974
David Ross: .712
Mike Napoli: .706
A tangible difference: The Red Sox have been willing to trade Ellsbury for the right deal, but he's a Scott Boras client who is eligible for free agency in the fall, and Boston has had little chance of getting return equal to what Ellsbury has shown he could be. In 2011, Ellsbury's WAR of 8.0 was the second-best in the majors.
7. Colorado Rockies
Their starting pitching is (and always has been) a major concern, but even when they're at their worst, Colorado will pile up runs. Humidor or not, the Rockies were No. 1 in the majors in runs scored at home last year, by a significant margin, and finished sixth overall. Yes, the home/road splits for the Rockies are stark -- Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler and Wilin Rosario were Supermen at home, and Clark Kents on the road -- but by season's end, Colorado will put up a ton of offense.
A tangible difference: The Rockies did all that damage last season while getting very little out of Troy Tulowitzki, who hit .287 with eight homers in 47 games before his season ended May 30. He'll be back this year.
8. Toronto Blue Jays
The two guys who mash in the middle of the lineup, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, could combine for 80 homers, and the cast around them could be excellent. Jose Reyes, the leadoff man, scored 86 runs last season for a bad Marlins team, and he could be the best leadoff man in the AL. Brett Lawrie and Colby Rasmus could develop into upper-tier players. Melky Cabrera could be a star. But the difference between the Blue Jays' ceiling and their possible floor -- if Reyes can't stay healthy, if the drugs were difference-making for Cabrera -- appears stark. This is just another reason why Toronto is going to be such an interesting team.
>A tangible difference: Bautista had an OPS of 1.055 in 2011, with a WAR of 7.7. In an injury-plagued 2012, his on-base average plummeted 89 points to .358, and his WAR fell to 3.2. If the Blue Jays are to climb in the way that some forecasters expect, he will need to get back to being the player he was in 2010 (when he had 92 extra-base hits) and 2011.
9. Cincinnati Reds
Now that Shin-Soo Choo has been added to hit at the top of the Cincinnati lineup, the Reds seem to have their most well-rounded offense in years, with left-handed/right-handed balance, power, speed, everything -- all built around Joey Votto, who is arguably the sport's best left-handed hitter.
A tangible difference: In 2011, Ryan Ludwick hit .237 with 13 homers in 139 games for the Padres and Pirates. In 2012, Ludwick clubbed 26 homers in 125 games and was a difference-maker for the Reds. Cincinnati has bet some significant dollars -- $15 million over the next two years that Ludwick can continue to be a big-time power hitter for them.
Something else to remember about the Reds: This may well be the year that speedster Billy Hamilton makes his debut in the majors, with his best chance for promotion probably coming through injury. There is some skepticism among scouts about whether Hamilton will hit early in the big leagues, but he has demonstrated that he'll take a walk -- he had 86 in the minors last year -- and there is a difference between being fast and knowing how to steal bases. Hamilton clearly has both.
10. New York Yankees
They are still looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder, they probably aren't going to get much offense out of their catchers, and they really have no idea what they'll get out of Alex Rodriguez. But they've got a tremendous anchor in Robinson Cano, and recent history tells us the Yankees will score runs, particularly in the cozy confines of Yankee Stadium, with its short right-field fence. Their year-by-year rankings among all teams in runs in home games:
2012: 6th
2011: 2nd
2010: 2nd
2009: 3rd
2008: 8th (the one year since 1994 in which they didn't make the playoffs)
2007: 1st
2006: 3rd
2005: 2nd
2004: 5th
2003: 10th
A tangible difference: The most significant change in this lineup is that Nick Swisher is out, having departed as a free agent, and Brett Gardner is back in, after missing most of last season with elbow trouble. While Gardner doesn't hit for power like Swisher, there is a chance he can replicate and even improve upon Swisher's overall production. In his past two full seasons, 2010-11, Gardner's WAR was 10.7. Over Swisher's past two full seasons, his WAR was 5.0.
Best of the rest: The Oakland Athletics, who led the majors in runs in the second half of last season, an amazing feat considering that they play in a pitcher-friendly park. The Arizona Diamondbacks, who ranked ninth in runs last season. We still don't know for sure whether the outfielder on the move will be Jason Kubel or Justin Upton. The Detroit Tigers, who will benefit from the return of Victor Martinez; he missed the entire 2012 season after knee surgery. The Tigers have a lot of power, but if they're going to climb into the elite offensive teams, they'll need more production from the complementary parts of their lineup -- from shortstop Jhonny Peralta, catcher Alex Avila and their left fielders.
Moves, deals and decisions
1. Derrick Goold explains the Cardinals' handling of Kyle Lohse's free agency.
2. The Tigers shouldn't platoon Andy Dirks, writes Kurt Mensching. I don't know if they have to platoon Dirks, but they should give at-bats to Avisail Garcia, in their effort to develop him.
3. The Reds have gotten creative financially, writes Tom Groeschen.
4. The Indians reclaimed Russ Canzler.
5. Edwin Jackson is officially a Cub.
6. The Rays could be interested in Lance Berkman, writes Joe Smith. The same is true for the Rangers.
7. David Price will make a fortune this year.
8. David O'Brien writes about the Braves' logo.
9. There are ways for an Andre Ethier trade to make sense for the Mariners.
10. The Mets signed Andrew Brown.
11. The Yankees' Austin Romine is likely to be in the minors this year, writes Anthony McCarron. Brian Cashman is staying patient, writes Pete Caldera.
Other stuff
• The Field of Dreams has been sold.
• Andruw Jones's wife filed for divorce.
• Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell appear as if they'll be right on the cusp of getting into the Hall of Fame.
• Troy Renck didn't vote for Barry Bonds or Larry Walker.
• Andrew Bailey is set for a change.
• Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland can't wait to see his new staff, writes Pete Grathoff.
• Joe Starkey has some New Year's resolutions for the Pirates.
• Jose Canseco has some New Year's resolutions, too.
And today will be better than yesterday.
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb...0-lineups-majors-mlb
As part of the ongoing theme of the week, we rank the top 10 lineups today:
1. Los Angeles Angels
As the 2013 season opens, there may be more pressure on Angels Manager Mike Scioscia than any other person in the majors. But there will be a day in late February or early March when he sits down to write out his lineup and he'll experience at least a moment of peace, while listing the names … Mike Trout. Albert Pujols. Josh Hamilton. Mark Trumbo. Howie Kendrick. Chris Iannetta.
The Angels are going to score runs. A whole lot.
A tangible difference: Trumbo was an American League All-Star and put on an incredible show at the Home Run Derby, but his production fell off dramatically in the last couple of months -- after hitting .306 in the first half of the season, he batted .204 in August and .183 in September, with 67 strikeouts in 179 at-bats over those two ugly months. Is he an All-Star, or is he closer to being what he was in the second half of the season? We'll see. The Angels made the decision to trade Kendrys Morales and essentially free the DH spot for Trumbo.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
Ron Roenicke's team led the majors in extra-base hits last year with 541 and led the National League in runs, in spite of an inconsistent year from Rickie Weeks, who hit .199 in the first half. Aramis Ramirez turned out to be one of the best signings of 2012, racking up 80 extra-base hits and 105 RBIs. Ryan Braun has missed only 36 games over the past five seasons and is a production machine: He has led the National League in OPS in each of the past two seasons.
A tangible difference: Catcher Jonathan Lucroy has quietly become one of the most effective players at his position -- he ranked fifth in OPS among major-league catchers with at least 300 plate appearances, at .873. Lucroy is extremely adept at putting the ball in play, with damage: He had 33 extra-base hits last season, with only 44 strikeouts, and was third in the majors hitting with runners in scoring position at .389.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
They have an American League lineup in the National League, from Jon Jay (who hit .303 when leading off last season) to Matt Holliday to emerging star Allen Craig to Carlos Beltran to Yadier Molina. The Cardinals finished fifth in the majors in runs last season, and led the majors in on-base percentage at .338. (If you want to have an idea of how much the sport has changed in the aftermath of what we'll remember as the steroid era, there were 21 teams that posted a higher on-base percentage than .338 in 2000, including the Pirates.
A tangible difference: Yadier Molina's year-to-year improvement as a hitter has been mind-boggling, like a pyramid drawn up by John Wooden:
Year-by-year OPS
2006: .595
2007: .708
2008: .741
2009: .749
2010: .671
2011: .814
2012: .874
In the eyes of some teammates, that increase of almost 300 points is attributable to Molina's improved ability to take the ball the other way, and because of his anticipation. Some teammates think that Molina's acute understanding of how pitchers and catchers think is an incredible weapon when he hits, because he looks for a particular pitch to hit and is able to square it up.
4. Texas Rangers
Holes in their lineup emerged throughout 2012, from Josh Hamilton's midsummer slump to Michael Young's struggle to hit for power. And yet, at season's end, Texas ranked No. 1 in the majors in runs with 808. David Murphy had a nice season, racking up an .859 OPS -- which explains why the Dodgers had interest in him and Derek Holland in a possible Andre Ethier proposal -- and the Rangers got contributions from Craig Gentry and other parts of their roster. Texas lost a huge portion of its power in the offseason -- Hamilton and Mike Napoli had 67 of the Rangers' 200 homers in 2012 -- but history tells us that whether at-bats go to A.J. Pierzynski, Jurickson Profar or some other hitter acquired in the offseason, the Ballpark in Arlington will foster offense. This is a place where hitters go to thrive.
A tangible difference: Profar is 19 years old and he may be years away from having a major impact in the big leagues, but don't rule out the possibility that he will dent the American League right away. He has always been one of the youngest players at every level he has played in the minors, and yet he has shown plate discipline and power. Over the past two seasons, in Class A and Double-A, he has 104 extra-base hits, 131 walks and 142 strikeouts. Those are Dustin Pedroia-like numbers.
5. Washington Nationals
Regardless of whether Adam LaRoche re-signs or if Mike Morse winds up playing a lot of first base, Washington will have a complete lineup, with on-base percentage (Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper), power (Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa), balance (possibly three left-handed hitters and one switch-hitter in the everyday lineup) and speed (Denard Span, Harper, Desmond, Werth).
A tangible difference: Manager Davey Johnson likes to play a lot of guys and rest his regulars, and that's good, because Washington looks as if it should have an incredibly deep bench. The Nationals have two regular catchers (Kurt Suzuki and Wilson Ramos), the versatile Steve Lombardozzi and Roger Bernadina, possibly Morse, Tyler Moore and Chad Tracy. Oh, and some of the Nationals' pitchers can hit, from Stephen Strasburg (.277 batting average) to Jordan Zimmermann.
6. Boston Red Sox
There will be a ton of questions about Boston going into spring training: Can Jon Lester become a front-line starter again? How will John Farrell juggle his array of catchers and first basemen? What will the Red Sox get out of Jacoby Ellsbury, who has been plagued by injury in two of the past three seasons and was merely the best position player in his league in the other? Is there going to be regression in the 37-year-old David Ortiz, given his injury issues last season?
But this is what we do know about Boston: The Red Sox are going to wreck left-handed pitching. Let's assume that their talks with Mike Napoli conclude with an agreement, and consider the meat-grinder of right-handed hitters that will await CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, David Price, Mark Buehrle, Ricky Romero, et al:
OPS vs. left-handers in 2012
Will Middlebrooks: .906
Dustin Pedroia: .848
Shane Victorino: .906
Jonny Gomes: .974
David Ross: .712
Mike Napoli: .706
A tangible difference: The Red Sox have been willing to trade Ellsbury for the right deal, but he's a Scott Boras client who is eligible for free agency in the fall, and Boston has had little chance of getting return equal to what Ellsbury has shown he could be. In 2011, Ellsbury's WAR of 8.0 was the second-best in the majors.
7. Colorado Rockies
Their starting pitching is (and always has been) a major concern, but even when they're at their worst, Colorado will pile up runs. Humidor or not, the Rockies were No. 1 in the majors in runs scored at home last year, by a significant margin, and finished sixth overall. Yes, the home/road splits for the Rockies are stark -- Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler and Wilin Rosario were Supermen at home, and Clark Kents on the road -- but by season's end, Colorado will put up a ton of offense.
A tangible difference: The Rockies did all that damage last season while getting very little out of Troy Tulowitzki, who hit .287 with eight homers in 47 games before his season ended May 30. He'll be back this year.
8. Toronto Blue Jays
The two guys who mash in the middle of the lineup, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, could combine for 80 homers, and the cast around them could be excellent. Jose Reyes, the leadoff man, scored 86 runs last season for a bad Marlins team, and he could be the best leadoff man in the AL. Brett Lawrie and Colby Rasmus could develop into upper-tier players. Melky Cabrera could be a star. But the difference between the Blue Jays' ceiling and their possible floor -- if Reyes can't stay healthy, if the drugs were difference-making for Cabrera -- appears stark. This is just another reason why Toronto is going to be such an interesting team.
>A tangible difference: Bautista had an OPS of 1.055 in 2011, with a WAR of 7.7. In an injury-plagued 2012, his on-base average plummeted 89 points to .358, and his WAR fell to 3.2. If the Blue Jays are to climb in the way that some forecasters expect, he will need to get back to being the player he was in 2010 (when he had 92 extra-base hits) and 2011.
9. Cincinnati Reds
Now that Shin-Soo Choo has been added to hit at the top of the Cincinnati lineup, the Reds seem to have their most well-rounded offense in years, with left-handed/right-handed balance, power, speed, everything -- all built around Joey Votto, who is arguably the sport's best left-handed hitter.
A tangible difference: In 2011, Ryan Ludwick hit .237 with 13 homers in 139 games for the Padres and Pirates. In 2012, Ludwick clubbed 26 homers in 125 games and was a difference-maker for the Reds. Cincinnati has bet some significant dollars -- $15 million over the next two years that Ludwick can continue to be a big-time power hitter for them.
Something else to remember about the Reds: This may well be the year that speedster Billy Hamilton makes his debut in the majors, with his best chance for promotion probably coming through injury. There is some skepticism among scouts about whether Hamilton will hit early in the big leagues, but he has demonstrated that he'll take a walk -- he had 86 in the minors last year -- and there is a difference between being fast and knowing how to steal bases. Hamilton clearly has both.
10. New York Yankees
They are still looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder, they probably aren't going to get much offense out of their catchers, and they really have no idea what they'll get out of Alex Rodriguez. But they've got a tremendous anchor in Robinson Cano, and recent history tells us the Yankees will score runs, particularly in the cozy confines of Yankee Stadium, with its short right-field fence. Their year-by-year rankings among all teams in runs in home games:
2012: 6th
2011: 2nd
2010: 2nd
2009: 3rd
2008: 8th (the one year since 1994 in which they didn't make the playoffs)
2007: 1st
2006: 3rd
2005: 2nd
2004: 5th
2003: 10th
A tangible difference: The most significant change in this lineup is that Nick Swisher is out, having departed as a free agent, and Brett Gardner is back in, after missing most of last season with elbow trouble. While Gardner doesn't hit for power like Swisher, there is a chance he can replicate and even improve upon Swisher's overall production. In his past two full seasons, 2010-11, Gardner's WAR was 10.7. Over Swisher's past two full seasons, his WAR was 5.0.
Best of the rest: The Oakland Athletics, who led the majors in runs in the second half of last season, an amazing feat considering that they play in a pitcher-friendly park. The Arizona Diamondbacks, who ranked ninth in runs last season. We still don't know for sure whether the outfielder on the move will be Jason Kubel or Justin Upton. The Detroit Tigers, who will benefit from the return of Victor Martinez; he missed the entire 2012 season after knee surgery. The Tigers have a lot of power, but if they're going to climb into the elite offensive teams, they'll need more production from the complementary parts of their lineup -- from shortstop Jhonny Peralta, catcher Alex Avila and their left fielders.
Moves, deals and decisions
1. Derrick Goold explains the Cardinals' handling of Kyle Lohse's free agency.
2. The Tigers shouldn't platoon Andy Dirks, writes Kurt Mensching. I don't know if they have to platoon Dirks, but they should give at-bats to Avisail Garcia, in their effort to develop him.
3. The Reds have gotten creative financially, writes Tom Groeschen.
4. The Indians reclaimed Russ Canzler.
5. Edwin Jackson is officially a Cub.
6. The Rays could be interested in Lance Berkman, writes Joe Smith. The same is true for the Rangers.
7. David Price will make a fortune this year.
8. David O'Brien writes about the Braves' logo.
9. There are ways for an Andre Ethier trade to make sense for the Mariners.
10. The Mets signed Andrew Brown.
11. The Yankees' Austin Romine is likely to be in the minors this year, writes Anthony McCarron. Brian Cashman is staying patient, writes Pete Caldera.
Other stuff
• The Field of Dreams has been sold.
• Andruw Jones's wife filed for divorce.
• Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell appear as if they'll be right on the cusp of getting into the Hall of Fame.
• Troy Renck didn't vote for Barry Bonds or Larry Walker.
• Andrew Bailey is set for a change.
• Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland can't wait to see his new staff, writes Pete Grathoff.
• Joe Starkey has some New Year's resolutions for the Pirates.
• Jose Canseco has some New Year's resolutions, too.
And today will be better than yesterday.
Baseball America reported the Brewers signed outfielder Rene Tosoni to a minor-league deal for 2013. The club has not announced that signing.
Tosoni, 26, a left-handed hitter and native of Canada, played in 60 games for the Twins in 2011, batting .203 with five homers and 22 RBI. One of those homers came off the Brewers' Zack Greinke on July 3 of that season, helping Minnesota overcome a 6-1 deficit and eventually win, 9-7.
Tosoni played at four different levels in the Twins' system in 2012, including 21 games at the Class AAA level and 60 games at Class AA.
BA also announced the Brewers had signed longtime minor league infielder Ozzie Chavez, who played in their sysem from 2001-'08. Chavez, 29, did not play affiliated ball last season but batted .300 in the Dominican Winter League for the Toros del Este. The Brewers are thin at shortstop in their system, particularly after Hector Gomez suffered a serious groin injury that required surgery.
Tosoni, 26, a left-handed hitter and native of Canada, played in 60 games for the Twins in 2011, batting .203 with five homers and 22 RBI. One of those homers came off the Brewers' Zack Greinke on July 3 of that season, helping Minnesota overcome a 6-1 deficit and eventually win, 9-7.
Tosoni played at four different levels in the Twins' system in 2012, including 21 games at the Class AAA level and 60 games at Class AA.
BA also announced the Brewers had signed longtime minor league infielder Ozzie Chavez, who played in their sysem from 2001-'08. Chavez, 29, did not play affiliated ball last season but batted .300 in the Dominican Winter League for the Toros del Este. The Brewers are thin at shortstop in their system, particularly after Hector Gomez suffered a serious groin injury that required surgery.
Juan Domínguez @JuanchoXIII @Haudricourt Kelvim Escobar signed a Major League deal with the Brewers, he announced
Jonathan Lucroy @JLucroy20 Just found out I will be joining my teammate Ryan Braun in representing my country in the WBC! Very honored and humbled to represent the USA
Quite an honor for JLuc!
Quite an honor for JLuc!
pretty sure if we signed Kelvim, it wasn't to a major league deal
Edit: and I was right
Tom@Haudricourt
#Brewers make official minor-league deal with Kelvim Escobar and announce LHP Chris Narveson signed for 2013, avoiding arbitration.
They are looking at him as a reliever. Melvin has had a lot of luck in the past with long shots.
Edit: and I was right
Tom@Haudricourt
#Brewers make official minor-league deal with Kelvim Escobar and announce LHP Chris Narveson signed for 2013, avoiding arbitration.
They are looking at him as a reliever. Melvin has had a lot of luck in the past with long shots.
Front Row Amy Had a lot of fun visiting with the Pacelli High School baseball class today! Thanks so much for inviting me and for coming up with some really great questions!
Thanks so much for inviting me and for coming up with some really great questions!
Milwaukee Brewers @brewersbuzztap Brewers Blog >> Nyjer Morgan going to Japan; Shaun Marcum signs with Mets http://buzztap.com/-7B9u8c
Alex Gonzalez back...
Like it. I think it gives them a backup at every IF position (hopefully he gets some time at 1B in the spring) and RH pop off the bench.
EDIT: Ken Rosenthal @Ken_Rosenthal Alex Gonzalez gets $1.5M from #Brewers plus the chance to earn nearly $1 million in performance bonuses.
Like it. I think it gives them a backup at every IF position (hopefully he gets some time at 1B in the spring) and RH pop off the bench.
EDIT: Ken Rosenthal @Ken_Rosenthal Alex Gonzalez gets $1.5M from #Brewers plus the chance to earn nearly $1 million in performance bonuses.
Interesting. Not a bad deal- and surprising that he wants to stay. Good depth move...
I'll put the over under on Gonzo playing nine innings at first at zero.
BFan had a good comment of ARam moving to first and having Gonzo play 3B. Baseball Reference states that he has never played a MLB game at any other position than SS. Regardless of 3B or 1B, I like the addition of a right handed power bat to soft platoon with Gamel...whoever may be at 1B.
Link for BFan
Link for Baseball Reference
Link for ARam fielding stats
Link for a macaroni and cheese recipe
Link for BFan
Link for Baseball Reference
Link for ARam fielding stats
Link for a macaroni and cheese recipe
Adam McC commentary on the signing...
Gonzalez is aware of the Brewers’ plan to use young Jean Segura as the starting shortstop, so this could mark the beginning of a new phase in Gonzalez’s career. He has appeared in the field in 1,536 big league games, all of them at shortstop and 1,504 of them as the starting shortstop, but he manned third base last month in Venezuela and could also see action for the Brewers at second as a backup to Rickie Weeks and perhaps even at first base, where Mat Gamel is expected to spend the first two months filling-in for the injured Corey Hart.
Gonzalez is aware of the Brewers’ plan to use young Jean Segura as the starting shortstop, so this could mark the beginning of a new phase in Gonzalez’s career. He has appeared in the field in 1,536 big league games, all of them at shortstop and 1,504 of them as the starting shortstop, but he manned third base last month in Venezuela and could also see action for the Brewers at second as a backup to Rickie Weeks and perhaps even at first base, where Mat Gamel is expected to spend the first two months filling-in for the injured Corey Hart.
quote:Originally posted by Lap-Ka-Dog:
I'll put the over under on Gonzo playing nine innings at first at zero.
I like the move.
Though the Brewers wanted to sign Lyle Overbay and Juan Rivera, the free agents went to American League teams in part because NL teams can't offer playing time as a DH, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
The Reds have added Manny Parra since Crasnick provided this update, so it's not clear if they'll continue searching for arms. Read more at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/...#ev6RO7LeA2VMqfjl.99
The Reds have added Manny Parra since Crasnick provided this update, so it's not clear if they'll continue searching for arms. Read more at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/...#ev6RO7LeA2VMqfjl.99