Archive for Boston Red Sox
Pitchers and Catchers Report: American League
Posted by: | CommentsI hear there was some snow over there in the rest of the country these past few weeks. Hard to know, given where I live.
Sorry, had to get that brag in there.
With most of the country dealing with massive snowstorms this winter, the sight of pitchers and catchers reporting today is a welcome harbinger of warmer days to come, and the daily routine of games that many baseball fans live for. For those of you still thawing out and stacking layers of clothes on before leaving the house, here’s a rundown of some of the most interesting stories on the horizon for the American League in 2010 to warm you up.
The Yankees as the Big Bad Juggernaut
Around this time last year, expectations were certainly high for the Yankees (as is always the case). They had just committed $423,500,000 to three players (Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett), but we had seen this song and dance from the Yanks many times before in the decade. Spending lots of money on veteran players was nothing new for them, and similar past investments (Giambi, Pavano, Johnson, Brown, etc.) didn’t get them a World Series championship. So while expectations were higher given the quality of talent they obtained in their latest shopping spree, fans weren’t about to make assumptions.
This year, make no mistake about it: the Yankees are the best team in baseball by a wide margin.
When I look at how the team is constructed, I simply don’t see any weaknesses. Every hitter in the lineup is a major threat, with the exception of Brett Gardner. Their rotation is stacked #1-4, to the point that Joba and Hughes may both end up in the bullpen to form a longer, solid bridge to Mariano. Even defense, which was often an overlooked part of the team’s construction, is much improved from the years of Giambi stumbling around the bag, or Bernie Williams on his last legs in center field.
Oh, and they’re improved from last year too. Johnny Damon has been replaced by Curtis Granderson, who provides better defensive value and makes the team younger. Javier Vazquez joins the team as a #4 starter, after having a quiet Cy Young quality season in Atlanta.
The team’s one Achilles heel is the age of their core guys: Jeter, Posada, Pettitte and Mariano. But with the market for players shrinking drastically the last two years, and the huge amount of resources available to the Yankees, I’m sure they’ll be able to replace anyone who goes down as the season progresses. They would be fine without one or two of their stars, but if the injury bug hits multiple players, then things won’t go quite as smoothly this year.
In years past, spring training brought with it an emotion of “Anyone can win the World Series this year”. And while that’s still true to some extent, this current incarnation of the Yankees has buried much of the parity we saw in the sport during the past decade. What does this mean for the other 29 teams? The bar has been set, and it’s going to take that much more effort from players and management to meet the challenge.
The Red Sox Counter with Pitching and Defense
The biggest arms race in baseball continued this winter, as the Red Sox had to make some changes to keep up with the Yankees. I’m sure Theo Epstein would have loved to trade for Adrian Gonzalez and slot him in at first base, but the Padres aren’t looking to trade their superstar just yet. So, rather than trying to outslug the Bronx Bombers, the Sox made some subtle, but substantial moves to improve in the run prevention department. If you’re a more traditional kind of baseball fan, you look at Jacoby Ellsbury and see your prototypical center fielder: lots of speed in the field and on the base paths. To the naked eye he looks and plays solid defense, but statistical analysis shows he was actually the worst defensive center fielder in the league last year.
Fans may disagree with this, but management doesn’t. They made a smart move by bringing in veteran CF Mike Cameron, who is still a top rated fielder despite getting up there in age. Ellsbury clearly has the talent and ability to play good defense, but lacks the experience and instincts. A season or two in left field should help him get adjusted, and Cameron is just the kind of player who can help Ellsbury improve (the guy has only had two full seasons in the big leagues, after all).
As a side note, the Cameron move is actually very reminiscent of when the Brewers acquired him in 2008: it allowed the team to reconfigure what had been a very poor defensive alignment. It created a domino effect that allowed the Bill Hall experiment in center field to end, shifting him back to a more comfortable third base position. This in turn allowed the team to move Ryan Braun, who had been an absolute butcher at third base, and hide his glove better in left field. The Red Sox may have been taking notes, as the 2010 Cameron acquisition improves their defense drastically in two positions.
The Sox have been blessed with a great homegrown defensive right side of the infield featuring Pedroia and Youkilis, and they now have a left side to match by signing Scutaro and Beltre. The Lackey acquisition came as a bit of a surprise, but once again gives the Red Sox the potential to have the best rotation in the league, assuming Beckett and Matsuzaka stay healthy while Buchholz continues to improve.
Make no mistake about it: in 2010, the Red Sox are in the run prevention business. Fans aren’t giving their lineup quite enough credit though, as it really has solid players 1-9. They may not have quite the pop fans would like to see, but I absolutely expect them to make a trade for a bat or two come the trade deadline. Too much is being made of the weight of Papi’s performance and what it means for the team’s success. Yes, it would be great for him to return to even 30 home run form, but in this current market, it won’t be too hard to obtain a power DH bat. Guys who fit the bill like Jermaine Dye and Carlos Delgado don’t even have a job at the moment.
Zduriencik Reigns in Seattle With Defense
After too many years of mismanagement in the Pacific Northwest, General Manage Jack Zduriencik has turned around the Mariners, and provided them with an identity. He’s proven to be ahead of the curve with analysis, collecting defensively strong players who were undervalued by the market. Franklin Gutierrez is probably the best example of this philosophy: Zduriencik picked him up in a three way trade when he was a center fielder without much of a bat, but solid defensive value. After two years in Seattle, we now know how important those defensive skills are: click here to check out his stats on FanGraphs. His bat only provided 6.3 runs over an average player through the course of the 2009 season, but his fielding saved a staggering 29 runs over an average player (this is more than ten runs better than the second best defender in the whole league, Evan Longoria). The end result? A player worth nearly six wins more than an average outfielder, a value that would be worth $26,400,000 on the open market.
Not bad for a guy who cost Seattle a little less than $500,000.
Take the Gutierrez strategy, expand it over the diamond, and you have the modern Seattle Mariners brand of baseball. Chone Figgins and Jack Wilson combine to create a vacuum for ground balls on the left side of the infield. The aforementioned Gutierrez combines with Ichiro to do much of the same for balls in the air. Even new first baseman Casey Kotchman is a glove first kind of player, rather than your prototypical slugger.
Oh, and of course they picked up Cliff Lee this winter, who combines with King Felix Hernandez, fresh off a new extension that will keep him in Seattle through 2014. Assuming both produce to form, Seattle should have the best 1-2 punch in the majors this year.
As someone who always purchases the Extra Innings package, I’ll be watching plenty of Mariners games this season for entertainment alone. This 2010 team may very well go down as the best defensive club in the history of the game, they have two bona fide aces, and two speedy on-base machines in Ichiro and Figgins at the top of their order. It’ll be a thrill to watch. The only thing missing is some power in the lineup, but if Milton Bradley can bring back the form that made him a deadly hitter in 2008, it’ll go a long way towards a playoff berth for Seattle.
The New Look Angels, For Better or Worse
On subject, the Angels have really seemed to own the AL West in recent memory, but I expect to see a significant race this time around. Despite losing Lackey, the pitching depth is still very strong between Kazmir, Weaver, Saunders, Santana and new acquisition Joel Pinero. There are no true aces in this bunch, but all are very capable pitchers who will give the team a chance to win. The Angels offense has really shifted in tone from its famous aggressive-on-the-bases style that defined the franchise in the past decade. Now, the heart of the order features guys with power and on-base ability in Matsui, Hunter, Morales and Rivera. The bullpen is also not what it used to be, as Brian Fuentes wasn’t the most reliable closer in his first American League season, and new acquisition Fernando Rodney’s WHIP is just as poor.
For the reasons mentioned above, Seattle really has a chance to take the division this year. Texas and Oakland also have strong farm systems stocked with pitching; while it’s unlikely that either team will contend for a playoff spot this year (unless the Rangers’ young guys develop faster than expected), they won’t be easy opponents for the Angels and Mariners.
The White Sox Gamble, the Twins Remain Steady
General Managers are often compared to poker players these days: they remain patient, wait for the right opportunities, maximize value whenever possible, and take into account all available statistics when making a move.
By the same analogy, White Sox GM Kenny Williams is far less of a poker player, and more of a high stakes gambler at the craps table: placing big bets and throwing the dice in hopes of a big payoff.
He traded top prospects and invested $52 million into three years of Jake Peavy’s services. The former Cy Young winner missed most of 2009 with an injury, but looked quite good in his 20 innings wearing a White Sox uniform. Still, he’s never proven himself in the American League, and he’ll need to be the Peavy of old to give the Sox a chance to contend.
An even bigger gamble was acquiring Alex Rios from the Blue Jays for, well . . . nothing. Rios’ contract was an albatross for the rebuilding Jays, and the best they could do was literally give him away to be free of the burden. Rios is a tremendous athlete and still relatively young, but he’s yet to fully realize his potential. The Sox are now stuck with his hefty contract through 2014, and fans are hoping he doesn’t become their albatross moving forward.
Some of Williams’ other gambles are a bit more calculated, such as getting J.J. Putz for $3m, and Andruw Jones for $500,000. Among other gambles, the Sox are really hoping Carlos Quentin can return to his 2008 form, when he made a strong case for AL MVP before injuring himself by slamming a bat in frustration after hitting a foul ball. The rotation and lineup are actually filled with a combination of steady veterans and young talent, so if Peavy, Rios and Quentin can play up to expectations, the division should go to the Sox.
The Twins’ philosophy is polar opposite of everything I just wrote about the White Sox. They are steady, build from within, and practically never take major risks bringing in external players. This time around, with a shrinking market for free agents, they made two incredibly smart signings by bringing in Orlando Hudson and Jim Thome on affordable one year contracts. Hudson should round out the infeld nicely with new shortstop J.J. Hardy, and Thome gives the team that one extra power bat they’ve always seemed to need. They’re opening a new stadium this year and feature reigning homegrown AL MVP Joe Mauer, who has become one of the biggest stars of this era. With their improvements, they have to be considered the favorite in the Central.
The Tigers have a solid core built around frontline starters Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer. They look like a team that can contend, but realistically, I don’t think this is their year. The team is still bogged down by expensive contracts currently held by guys who are likely past their prime in Magglio Ordonez, Dontrelle Willis, Carlos Guillen and Nate Robertson. They are actually in a great position to contend in 2011 once those contracts start to come off the books and they can bring in premium talent to support the core in a strong free agent class. This is not to say they can’t contend this season if things fall into place, but this looks to be a team in transition, and I applaud them for getting one step ahead to make their team stronger for the future.
Next up: the National League.
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Gone Bay-By, Gone: A Look to the Past (and Future) of Left Field at Fenway Park
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s been a little over a month now, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around Jason Bay signing with the Mets. It’s not just because the Sox are losing a good player (and they are), but because of the repercussions it may have of the Legend of Left Field. You don’t know what that means, you say? Well, that’s because I just made it up right now.
Since the 1940s, the Sox left field has seen some of the best hitters to play the game. Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Manny Ramirez have all stood in front of the Green Monster. Known just as much for their bats as they are their larger than life personalities, these players helped define the franchise. That continued straight to Jason Bay’s year and a half in left for Boston. But with Bay gone, the Red Sox are planning to move Jacoby Ellsbury to left. Ellsbury is a great young player, to be sure, but he’s a speedy leadoff hitter, not a big bat with big personality. But does that mean Ellsbury won’t fit into his role in left field? Let’s take a look at the past for answers!
1939-1987: The Hall of Famer Era
Between 1939 and 1987, left field was home to three of biggest names in the the Red Sox franchise. Each succeeding the other, this amazing 40-something year period saw three Hall of Famers destroy records and give fans something to cheer for. First, way back in 1939, Ted Williams started as a rookie with Boston, setting the world on fire by leading the league in RBIs. Williams, of course, went on to become the last player to hit above .400, with a career average of .344. Williams wasn’t just a feared hitter, he was also a combat pilot serving in World War II and the Korean War., eventually reaching the rank of Captain. A model hero cut from the same cloth as John Wayne, Williams didn’t always get along with the fans at Fenway, but he certainly delivered on the field.
Debuting in the 1961 season was Williams’ successor, Carl Yastrzemski (with huge shoes to fill, especially as a hitter). Yaz rose to the occasion, eventually racking up more RBIs than Williams and proving to be a master in left with a gun for an arm, winning seven Gold Glove Awards. While he may not have been a national hero in the tradition of Williams, Yaz did much to inspire his teammates, being named the first captain of the team since the 1920s. Like Williams before him, Yaz even had a signature batting style, holding his bat high to facilitate a dramatically large swing. But as he aged, Yaz moved to first, base, leaving left field open for another future Hall of Famer.
Jim Rice replaced Yastrzemski and continued the tradition of power hitters playing left field for Boston. While arguably not as great as his two predecessors, Rice remained a force at the plate for his entire career and inherited the position of team captain from Yastrzemski (he would be the last team captain until Jason Veritek received the honor in 2004). He had a reputation of being uncooperative with the press (ironic since Rice himself is now a member of the press as a commentator on NESN), but he was still able to build a fan base of faithful Sox fans. After a culmination of small, nagging injuries began chipping away at his performance, Rice retired in 1989.
1988-2001: In the Shadow of the Monster
The next two players to inherit the position never quite made it out from the shadows of those three former left fielders. First up was Mike Greenwell. Nicknamed The Gator on account of rumors that he wrestled alligators in the offseason, Greenwell was solid all ten years he played with the Red Sox. But solid wasn’t quite enough and Greenwell lost the 1988 MVP race to Jose Conseco, who had posted the first 40 home run, 40 stolen base season in MLB history. While his play remained good (he was named to the All-Star team in both ‘88 and ‘89), Greenwell’s stature never seemed to recover. His last season in Boston was 1996, and he retired in 1997 after breaking his foot playing in Japan. A big personality, memorable nickname and solid play still couldn’t elevate Greenwell to the level of former Red Sox greats.
Troy O’Leary, Greenwell’s replacement, didn’t fare much better. Another solid player, especially in his seven years with the Sox, O’Leary didn’t make a lasting impression on the franchise. O’Leary simply wasn’t the player that Williams, Yastrzemski and Rice had been. By the turn of the century, it seemed like left field had cooled, lost in the shadow of the Green Monster.
2001-2009: Return of the Bat
The Red Sox signed Manny Ramirez in 2001, placing a bona fide super star in left field. Ramirez, already known and respected for his time with the Cleveland Indians, helped usher in a new generation of powerful hitters playing left field for the franchise. Everything about Manny was big. He put up huge numbers, and his reputation for lackadaisical fielding and a generally cheery and carefree demeanor led to the phrase “Manny Being Manny”: the most succinct way to describe his unique personality. But Boston fans latched onto Ramirez, embracing him fully, quirks and all. It makes sense, especially within historical context, as Ramirez helped recall a time when greats inhabited left field. Ramirez was even achieved what had been impossible for his Hall of Fame predecessors and won a World Series in 2004 (also taking home the series MVP award). But, as tension between the club’s management and Ramirez grew, Manny publicly admitted he was no longer interested in playing for the team, something that turned a lot of fans against him for the remainder of his time in Boston. He was finally traded to the Dodgers before the trade deadline in 2008 in a complex, three-way deal that saw his replacement shipped to Boston.
Jason Bay grew up a Red Sox fan, wearing Red Sox pajamas and had posters of his left field heroes, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice, on his bedroom wall in his home in Canada. It seemed that Bay was destined to inherit left field, and his first few months with the team seemed to cement this. He had a monstrous postseason, and continued performing well into 2009. But his skill and charming history as a fan didn’t help him in contract negotiations with the team in the off-season, and he signed with the Mets just before the new year. It seemed, at least temporarily, that left field may go cold again.
The Future of Left Field
With the prospect of Bay not returning, the Red Sox signed outfielder Mike Cameron in December. The team announced soon after that Cameron would be playing center field and they would be moving the previous center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, to left. Ellsbury has built quite the career for himself in just two-and-a-half short seasons with the Sox. For the last two seasons, Ellsbury has led the league in stolen bases (with 50 and 70, respectively), and has been a solid leadoff hitter for the team (not to mention stealing the first base of the 2007 World Series, winning fans a free taco the next day, courtesy of Taco Bell!) But does he have what it takes to live up to the legends?
Yes, absolutely. In fact, Ellsbury fits the bill quite well. Like Williams, Yaz and Rice, Jacoby was brought up through the Red Sox system. He may not be the power hitting type, but he has shown a tremendous amount of skill at the plate, on the bases and in the outfield. Ellsbury is fast becoming one great leadoff hitter, and his speed is an important for the team’s offense and defense. But, the league has changed in the past 25 years. Players are traded regularly and rarely play their career with only one team. There’s a chance he may not have the chance to reach the heights of the ghosts of Fenway’s left field, at least not with the Sox (rumors swirled all off season that the team attempting to deal him, along with several other players, to the Padres for Adrian Gonzales). But he has the potential to join the ranks of the great left fielders of Red Sox history.
Besides, he won me a free taco, and that has to count for something.
Quintin Marcelino is a writer and Red Sox fan currently lost in the National League city of San Diego. He can usually be found at several local haunts, writing or complaining about the Yankees to anyone who will listen.
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Yankees in Six – Again?
Posted by: | CommentsWell I, for one, certainly hope not. But we’ll just have to wait and see how the 2010 MLB season pans out. So many players, so many deals, so little time to put all the pieces together. But somehow, those 30-something-year-old big league GMs find a way. They always do; just ask Theo Epstein or Josh Byrnes. Or that seasoned 42-year-old brainiac by the name of Brian Cashman.
When I conjure up images from last year’s postseason, I can’t help but see Alex Rodriguez actually finding his groove and helping the Yankees claim their 40th AL Pennant and 27th World Series title, albeit the team’s first with A-Rod on board (six years in the making). I’m not a big A-Rod fan, never have been, but I had to actually give the guy his due based on his impressive postseason last year. I don’t like him for several reasons, but basically it boils down to these two: 1.) I’m a lifelong Red Sox fan; and 2.) he’s a pampered superstar who doesn’t like getting his hands dirty, literally. He is the anti-Mike Lowell in that respect, and any guy making $25 million a season to play baseball should be willing to get his uniform dirty once in a while.
Getting back to A-Rod’s resurrection from postseason failure, he earned a smidgen of my respect with last season’s turnaround. I mean, here was a guy who couldn’t find his bat, much less his swing, every time the postseason rolled around. He earned the nickname “The Cooler” since he always seemed to go cold at the most inopportune times for his team. But, lo and behold, he managed to put all the pieces together last fall by batting .378 in the playoffs and launching six bombs. Maybe it was gal-pal Kate Hudson’s influence? Perhaps she was the one guiding him on follow-through and consistency. Or perhaps it was Captain Derek Jeter’s stellar season (.334 with 18 dingers) coupled with Mark Texeira’s moon shots (39 of ‘em) and 38-year-old southpaw Andy Pettitte staying intact for the entire haul and notching 14 wins. And then again, maybe it was just Joe Girardi’s destiny, seeing as how he was already sporting No. 27 on his back. Whatever the reason, the Yankees won it all last year and are back on top of the baseball world.
But will they be there in 2010? In June, Pettitte turns 39, while Jeter turns 36. A month later, A-Rod turns 35. And a month after that, Jorge Posada celebrates his 39th birthday. These guys aren’t getting any younger. And the fact that World Series MVP Hideki Matsui signed in the offseason with the dreaded Halos of Anaheim could spell a different ending to this season’s merry-go-round. But then again, with the likes of CC Sabathia on the hill, Texeira at first, Robinson Cano covering second and the newly arrived Curtis Granderson patrolling center, chances are the Yankees will at least be in contention. And after all, isn’t that all anybody can ask for? Unless, of course, your last name is Steinbrenner.
Who might bump them off in the AL, you ask? Who else, but my beloved Sox, of course. By picking up John Lackey to shore up the starting rotation, as well as signing veteran center fielder Mike Cameron and Gold Glove third baseman Adrian Beltre, the Sox are stocking up for a season-long battle with the Bronx Bombers. The acquisition of Cameron moves the speedy Jacoby Ellsbury from center to left, which actually improves Boston’s defense with any ricochets off the Green Monster after Jason Bay’s disappointing bolt to that other New York team. And backstop Victor Martinez will continue to get more comfortable with Fenway’s faithful so 2010 definitely looks like it’s shaping up to be another barnburner in the AL East.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot; those pesky Rays aren’t going away quietly. Yep, should be a doozy this year. Can’t wait.
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Baseball’s Winter Meetings Making the Rumor Mill Spin
Posted by: | CommentsOn November 4th 2009, the New York Yankees captured their 27th World Championship against the Philadelphia Phillies. Since then, if you’re a fan of the other 28 teams, it’s been a slow, uneventful winter.
If you’ve been bored by the lack of activity on the baseball front, no need to worry: big things are going to start happening over the next few days. The Winter Meetings started today in Indianapolis, where General Managers meet with each other to talk trades, and agents come looking to get contracts for their available players. It’s a whirlwind of activity, and being in the age of Twitter, all it takes is one guy to spot two executives talking in the lobby, send a Tweet, and get the rumors rolling.
The possibilities are endless and there are thirty different agendas at play. Here are the big stories to track over the next few days:
Halladay Sweepstakes 2.0
When this summer’s trade deadline rolled around, Roy Halladay was the center of attention throughout sports talk radio and the blogosphere. Any fan of a contending team wanted to grab him to solidify a championship run, and the Blue Jays knew they could get back a ton of prospects in return to help revitalize the franchise down the road.
Unfortunately for Blue Jays fans who were looking forward to starting a much needed overhaul, the asking price in prospects was too high. The deadline passed, Halladay stayed in Toronto, and the decision proved to be the final nail in the coffin for General Manager J.P. Ricciardi’s run. The Jays had asked for too much, lost an opportunity, and now had nothing to show for their star pitcher with only one year left on his contract.
And so we’ve come to the subsequent winter, where the Blue Jays more or less need to trade Halladay. If they thought it was tough to maximize their value for him this summer, they’re going to find it’s even more difficult now. A trade this summer would have meant his new team got him for the stretch run to the playoffs, had his services in the postseason, and would get to bring him back for the final year on his contract in 2010. Now, a trade partner is only getting one year back.
This is creating a situation similar to what we saw with Johan Santana and the Mets in 2008. Santana had one year left and a no-trade clause: so while the Twins were looking to get prospects back before he departed, Santana was able to use his leverage to pick a landing spot that would give him a hefty contract extension. The end result was four prospects going to Minnesota, while Santana got a six year, $137.5 million extension to get his big payday.
It’s now about two years later, and Halladay is the one with one year left on his contract, and no-trade control. Whereas Santana more or less demanded an extension, thereby narrowing the Twins partners to the major market teams would could afford that contract, Halladay isn’t necessarily against the idea of pitching somewhere for one year, riding out his contract and becoming a free agent. But the Blue Jays are going to ask for top prospects in return, and if you’re the trade partner, you’re going to want a bit more than the one year of service in return.
Making this more complicated is the fact that Halladay will turn 33 years old next season . . . which means that you’ll be hard pressed to find a team willing to give up the level of prospects the Jays are asking for, plus a contract extension that would keep him employed at a high price through something like age 38 or 39. Ricciardi really painted them into a corner here.
The easy money bet is that he ends up on a major market team that could absorb the cost of his extension and hope for the best in his late 30s: this means the usual suspects like the Red Sox, Yankees, Angels and Dodgers (though there is a strong feeling in the rumor mill that Halladay does not want to play on the west coast long term). My guess is that Boston will be his most likely destination, though we shouldn’t rule out a possibility for a team to roll the dice, trade for Halladay’s services for one year and make a run for it, then let him hit the open market.
The Big Three: Holliday, Bay and Lackey
Since the winter started, Matt Holliday, Jason Bay and John Lackey have been getting most of the attention as the top prizes in this year’s free agent market. Holliday and Bay are both professional hitters who play left field, which actually gives teams with that need an option between two very good players. Bay is slightly older and hits for slightly less average, and is considered the worse defender of the two (though this is still a matter of debate in some circles). However, Bay has “proven” himself in Boston’s large market, while Holliday has only played in Colorado, St. Louis and Oakland (where he got off to a very slow start in his only American League experience). At the end of the day, Holliday will get a slightly longer and bigger contract, as the perception is that he’s a player you can build around and commit 6-7 years to. However, Bay is no slouch, and will give whatever team trades for him a reliable hitter in the middle of their lineup.
Lackey is the only clear cut “ace” of this free agent crop, though he’s fought minor injuries the last two years, and projects slightly below a #1 starter. Still, he’s earned his reputation as a tough, fiery competitor, and should be a welcome addition to any pitching staff. Lackey’s agent has used A.J. Burnett’s five year, $82.5 million contract as a benchmark his client should be able to eclipse (though I believe Burnett’s contract is more an example of the Yankees overspending, rather than his actual value). Still, many around baseball seem convinced Lackey will get a $100 million contract, and I think he’ll get close. Unlike the competition for Holliday and Lackey, many contending teams could use a reliable, playoff tested starter like Lackey and will make a play for him: including the Yankees themselves.
Seattle Building a Contender
It’s easy to forget that the Mariners operate like a big market team, with a payroll hovering around the $100 million mark the last few years. It’s just that they haven’t spent that money wisely.
This winter, the mistakes of past management start to come off the books, as the hefty contracts for Richie Sexson, Adrian Beltre, Miguel Batista and others clear off (sadly, they are still stuck with Carlos Silva at $23 million for the next two years). New GM Jack Zduriencik impressed in his first year on the job in 2009, and now that he made the right steps to build the team back up, he may be seeing a prime opportunity to get back into the playoffs. He’s already stolen the division rival Angels’ longtime leadoff man Chone Figgins to take over at third base. Combine his skills with Ichiro’s, and now you’ve got what might be one of the best 1-2 punches of average, speed and on-base skills this side of Jeter and Damon. Combine with Jack Wilson at shortstop, and the left side of the infield isn’t going to let much through.
With all the money they now have to spend, the Mariners aren’t done at Figgins. Seattle will need some power to bring in those baserunners, and nearby British Columbia is where native Canadian Jason Bay was born and raised. The team also doesn’t have a commitment at DH, a position that is likely to have more players than open jobs for the second year in a row. Hideki Matsui is considered the most likely player to fill this role, thanks to Seattle’s close ties to Japan. If you saw the World Series, you know Matsui still has something left in the tank, though his next employer will want to keep him away from the outfield.
Oh, and if they’re not done there, the team has also been rumored to be going after John Lackey. The Mariners may very well snap the Angels’ run of winning the division five of the last six years, using their own former players against them.
Meet the Mess
If you’re a Mets fan, the 2009 season began with high hopes from Putz and K-Rod reinforcing the bullpen . . . but things quickly deteriorated as injuries stacked up, and team morale sinked to new lows. Reyes, Beltran and Santana are all expected to show up at Spring Training healthy and ready to compete, but expectations are lower this time around (especially with the already strong Phillies starting 2010 with Cliff Lee as their ace).
It’s not all doom and gloom, however. The Mets still have some of the top premiere players in the game in David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Johan Santana and Frankie Rodriguez. Unfortunately, it’s the supporting cast that needs some serious work. With a brand new stadium asking top New York prices for tickets, and the juggernaut in the Bronx overshadowing the team from Queens, the pressure will be on General Manager Omar Minaya and Manager Jerry Manuel to perform. If not, both will find themselves out of a job by this time next year.
The Mets have been linked to Matt Holliday and John Lackey before the World Series even ended, but it seems more likely that the team will spread around their money instead: bringing in players like Joel Pinero, Randy Wolf and Orlando Hudson. In past years, the Mets always looked to make the “big splash” in the free agent market to show commitment to fans when they fell short. And while the public relations department would probably like a distraction to wash away the memories of 2009, the strategy of building around their talented core with a higher quantity of support talent as opposed to another expensive star or two makes far more sense.
Quick Hits
The Braves’ crowded rotation could mean a new bat. Atlanta didn’t wait until the meetings to fortify their bullpen, signing veteran relievers Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito to close out their games. Between Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson, Kenshin Kawakami, Derek Lowe, Javier Vasquez and Jair Jurrjens, they have one quality pitcher too many in their rotation. Most expect them to move Javier Vasquez, who had a fantastic 2009, has a reasonable contract and could net a big bat.
Tigers looking to deal. Management swears they’re not trying to slash payroll, but the Tigers have been very loud about their desire to trade both Edwin Jackson and Curtis Granderson this winter. The Central is winnable as always, but pay close attention to what the team gets in return. The Tigers insist they have no desire to trade Miguel Cabrera, but if they go younger and look to rebuild, he can’t factor into their future plans. If Detroit is out of the running this summer, expect the Red Sox to come calling for the consistent Cabrera.
A-Gone staying home? It made all the sense in the world for the Padres to trade Adrian Gonzalez this past summer. When it didn’t happen, the common perception was that he’d be dealt come winter. However, if you believe the buzz coming out of San Diego, the star first baseman is going to stay put . . . at least through the summer trade deadline, when the rumor mill will start all over again. Gonzalez would fit the Red Sox so well that a trade seems inevitable, but it may take a while longer to happen.
Who wants to play with Milton Bradley? When the troubled outfielder got a big contract from the Cubs following a tremendous 2008 season, many within baseball were skeptical. Well, here we are one year later, and the Cubs have made it clear that come hell or high water, Bradley has seen his last days in a Cub uniform (with two years to go on his contract). The Rangers and Rays seem to be the most likely destinations, with Chicago picking up much of the tab.
We’re in the age of new media, so enjoy the Winter Meetings as they happen. Root for your team to make solid decisions, but try not to get too wrapped up in every rumor Tweet you see. And expect the unexpected: every year, there seems to be at least one major move no one sees coming.
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Golf Anyone?
Posted by: | CommentsThe 2009 MLB season came to a crashing halt for the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. A stunning, 7-6, loss at the hands of the visiting Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was the final blow to the Bosox, who were swept in three straight games by the Halos in their A.L. Divisional Series
Winners of the American League Wild Card this year (Boston “won” the berth by losing six of their last seven games of the regular season), the Red Sox meandered into the postseason to face the high-flying A.L. West Champion Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Granted the Bosox won 95 games this year, but something wasn’t quite right in Beantown. The Fenway Faithful watched this season as the rival New York Yankees secured the A.L. East flag with a MLB-leading 103-59 record and a barrage of home run power not seen since the days of Ruth, Gehrig and Murderer’s Row. Boston had earned its sixth playoff nod in seven years, but the mood of the team and its fans was almost ho-hum.
The Angels, meanwhile, seemed to be on a mission. Winners of 97 games during the regular season, the Anaheim gang seemed ready to tackle the big, bad Bosox this time around. Having lost 11 of their previous 12 postseason meetings against Boston, the Angels had nothing to lose. And they played like it. Their pitching rose to the top and silenced the Boston bats like nobody’s business. And Anaheim’s near-season-long dedication and tribute to rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart – killed by a drunk driver in April – seemed to give the Halos even more incentive to win this time around. To win in dramatic fashion in the clinching Game 3 in Boston only made it all the sweeter for the Angels and their fans.
Trailing two games to none in the ALDS, the Red Sox finally found a few fastballs they liked in Game 3. In fact, when all the dust had settled, Boston’s biggest batsmen – Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Jason Bay – combined to go 3-for-32 for the series. But lo and behold, they actually built a 5-2 lead through seven innings and seemed poised to take the best-of-five series to a fourth game. In the top of the ninth, with a two-run (6-4) lead, two outs and nobody on, Boston relief ace Jonathan Papelbon simply forgot how to close the door. He gave up a crisp single to Erik Aybar to keep the Angels alive, and then walked Chone Figgins on a 3-2 pitch. Still two outs, mind you. But the pressure was mounting. Up strode former Yankee and newly christened Red Sox killer Bobby Abreu. Abreu sliced a looping line drive to left which careened off the Green Monster for a double, bringing in Aybar to make the score, 6-5. The tide was turning and Papelbon seemed overwhelmed by what was transpiring.
Up walked Torii Hunter to the plate. Dangerous to say the least, Boston’s pitching brain trust decided to walk Hunter to load the bases and take their chances with aging cleanup hitter Vladimir Guerrero. Vlad, the 2004 AL MVP, had not delivered an extra-base hit in his previous 69 postseason at-bats. But guess what? He delivered this time around.
On Papelbon’s first pitch to him – a knee-high fastball – Guerrero took a sweeping hack and drilled it into center field, dropping just in front of sprinting center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to bring in both Figgins and Abreu. The Angels led, 7-6, and Fenway Park became deathly quiet. You could hear a pin drop. The 38,704 fans at Fenway stood in disbelief. They could see that destiny, at least this time around, was not going to be on their side. Maybe the Fenway ghosts from the 2004 and ‘07 campaigns – when the Red Sox won their sixth and seventh World Series titles – had used up all their black magic.
The Red Sox went down in order in the bottom half of the inning. They seemed ready for the winter break. And maybe it was only fitting that second baseman Dustin Pedroia, the reigning AL MVP, made the last out. He lofted a pop-up to Aybar at short to bring Boston’s 2009 season to an abrupt end. You might as well go out with your feistiest player, right?
Who’s up for a round of 18? Maybe Papelbon.
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