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terricards · 2 years

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Yankee shortstop 2015

#Yankee shortstop 2015 upgrade#

Lindor is a player I would highly consider not only trading for but locking up long term.

#Yankee shortstop 2015 upgrade#

Lindor would be an upgrade defensively and add a new dimension to their lineup. Also, Lindor is still putting up solid Statcast numbers and is still only 27 years old. He’s a switch-hitter with power from the left side. The Yankees have the pieces to make this deal, both in terms of prospects and major league level talent. Cleveland is trying to move him, as Lindor will likely make around $20 million in arbitration this year, per Jon Paul Morosi. ]I believe that second base is the preferable position for Torres. To be fair, Torres has never exactly rated highly on defense, so this is more a question about where the Yankees feel like he would be more comfortable playing. Torres’ defense is where he had the most issues, where he saved -9 defensive runs last season, via Fangraphs. He got off to a slow start, so I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on offense. Yes, it was only a 60-game season, but Torres disappointed, both offensively and defensively. The Bombers gave Torres the keys to the almighty position last season. Here are my brief thoughts on the matter. Shortstop is one position where the Yankees should look at their options. Severino and Boston RHP Nick Pivetta are to start Saturday.The Yankees need to make several moves to improve their team for the 2021 season. Yankees: Rizzo was hit on the right hand by a fastball from Eovaldi in the fifth inning that tailed in. Red Sox: Bogaerts on his hamstring: ”Hopefully I come back tomorrow and I feel good and get ready to go.” … RHP Matt Barnes was not available because of back tightness. Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka moved the new Pitch Com signaling device from a wrist to a shinguard. The former player and broadcaster died Oct. 2 in memory of Jerry Remy, whose last name is in red. New New York City Mayor Eric Adams played catch with Yankees right-hander Luis Severino before the game.īoston is wearing black patches on its right sleeves with a white No. Every pitch counts and that’s the way we’re taking it.” ”That’s the kind of atmosphere you want to play in. ”It’s intense and that’s fun,” Story sad. Story played his first big league game at second base after 733 at shortstop and went 0 for 5 at the plate in his Red Sox debut. Eovaldi, who allowed three runs and five hits in five innings, didn’t give up his second home run last year until June 4. Stanton has five opening-day homers, including four with the Yankees. He was stranded when Stanton struck out for the fourth time. Judge, who said he will not negotiate during the season, went 2 for 5, including a two-out double in the ninth off Hansel Robles. New York star Aaron Judge let his deadline pass for a long-term contract. ”That’s a tough spot where you’re down 0-2, shadows, late, first at-bat of the season, everything on the line.” ”I’m sure today was a really tough day for him,” Boone said. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, also obtained in the Donaldson trade, started the inning as the automatic runner at second base in the first extra-inning game of the strange rule’s third season. ”It’s amazing for him to come and to get on the good side of this place right away,” teammate Giancarlo Stanton said. He completed a comeback from a 3-0, first-inning deficit, becoming just the third Yankee with a walk-off RBI in his first game after Roy Weatherly in the 1943 opener and Chase Headley in July 2014, according the Elias Sports Bureau. ”It doesn’t get any bigger than this right here.”ĭonaldson, the 2015 AL MVP with Toronto, was acquired from Minnesota on March 13. ”The energy in the stadium, the atmosphere was pretty electric,” Donaldson said Friday after his 11th-inning single lifted the Yankees over the Boston Red Sox 6-5. Shadows had crawled across the infield by the time Josh Donaldson capped his New York debut with a performance reminiscent of the Yankees of old – their first walk-off win on opening day since Yogi Berra charged across the plate on Andy Carey’s single to beat the Washington Senators in 1957. NEW YORK (AP)Fans packed Yankee Stadium and red, white and blue bunting was out on a sun-splashed afternoon, just like opening days before the pandemic.

#Yankee shortstop 2015

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americanforecast · 6 months

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Baltimore and Arizona's Unanimous Rookie of the Year Selections: Henderson and Carroll

PHOENIX — Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson and Arizona’s Corbin Carroll were the types of exciting players Major League Baseball hoped for when it tweaked its rules to encourage athleticism. The young stars were rewarded Monday by being voted unanimous winners of the sport’s Rookie of the Year awards. Henderson won the American League honor and Carroll the National League award after they both used power, speed and defense to help their teams reach the playoffs just two years after 110-loss seasons. MLB made a series of rules changes during the offseason, including a pitch clock, bans on extreme infield defensive shifts and limits on the number of times a pitcher can disengage from the rubber. Henderson and Carroll were among several young players who took advantage of the emphasis on athleticism, providing value all over the field. Some big-league players were skeptical of the rules changes before the season. Carroll and Henderson — who had played with them in the minors — embraced them. “My perspective, having played with them, was just let people see,” Carroll said. “I think people are going to enjoy it. I think this athletic brand of baseball is going to be good for the game. And it was.” It was just the fifth time both the AL and NL selections were unanimous, the first since the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge and the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Cody Bellinger in 2017. The 22-year-old Henderson split time between third base and shortstop, providing above-average defense at both spots, while batting .255 with 28 homers, 82 RBIs, 100 runs, 29 doubles and 10 stolen bases. The numbers were strikingly similar to Orioles Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.’s first full season �� another shortstop who won the award in 1982. “I just tried to go out there and play as hard as I can,” Henderson said. “And I felt like that showed.” Henderson received all 30 first-place votes and 150 points. Cleveland pitcher Tanner Bibee was second with 20 second-place votes and 67 points. Boston slugger Triston Casas was third with 25 points. Texas third baseman Josh Jung finished fourth while Houston catcher Yainer Diaz was fifth. Carroll’s season ended with a surprise appearance in the World Series, where the Diamondbacks fell to the Rangers in five games. The 23-year-old hit .285 with 25 homers and 54 stolen bases during the regular season, making the All-Star team and becoming the first rookie to join the 25-50 club. The D-backs had been the last of the current 30 teams without a Rookie of the Year winner. He was pegged as a future star by the organization even before this season started, signing a $111 million, eight-year deal during spring training. Mets pitcher Kodai Senga finished second with 22 second-place votes and 71 points. Dodgers outfielder James Outman was third, Colorado slugger Nolan Jones was fourth and Cincinnati infielder Matt McLain was fifth. Henderson and Carroll both earned $750,000 from the pre-arbitration bonus pool for their wins. Bibee and Senga both get $500,000 for finishing in second. The Baseball Writers’ Association of American votes on its awards before the postseason begins. Henderson and Carroll were part of a superb MLB rookie class - particularly for hitters. According to FanGraphs data, the advanced metric Wins Above Replacement total for all rookie hitters in 2023 (68.5) was the second-best since 1900, behind only the 2015 group (75.1) headlined by Kris Bryant, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa and others. The Orioles and D-backs both get an extra selection after the first round of July’s amateur draft, part of the prospect promotion incentive added to the collective bargaining agreement that began last year. The provision was included to discourage teams from delaying arbitration and free-agent eligibility. Bibee, 24, was 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA over 25 starts. The 23-year-old Casas shook off a slow start to the season, hitting .263 with 24 homers. The 6-foot-5, 244-pounder was much better after the All-Star break, batting .317 with 15 homers and 38 RBIs, giving the Red Sox hope that they have a future star. Outman hit .248 with 23 homers and 16 stolen bases while playing center field for the NL West champion Dodgers. The 30-year-old Senga — who pitched in Japan for 11 seasons before coming to MLB — had a 12-7 record with a 2.98 ERA, providing a bright spot in a rough season for the disappointing Mets. Read the full article

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parentmove1 · 1 year

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More About Official Chicago Cubs Website

Home Scores See 2022 World Cup Odds Stories Search Sign In Account SPORTS & TEAMS Gamers SHOWS Individuals SPORTS SPORTS & TEAMS. Gamers. SHOWS. PERSONALITIES SPORTS NFL NCAA FB MLB NBA NCAA BK NASCAR Soccer USFL NHL Golf Premier Boxing Champions WWE UFC WNBA NCAAW BK Tennis Motor Sports Professional Bowlers Association Horse Racing Westminster Kennel Club Olympics MLB MLB MLB Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox Cincinnati Reds Cleveland Guardians Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins New York Mets New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners St. Louis Cardinals Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Washington Nationals CHICAGO CUBS 74-88 · 2022 3RD IN NL CENTRAL MLB > TEAMS > CHICAGO CUBS NEWS NEWS. SCHEDULE. Status. STATS. SOCIAL. ROSTER. VIDEOS. ODDS Even more Activity LOG. INJURIES. Gamer NEWS Submit a concern for our Cubs mailbag Acquired a post-Winter Appointments inquiry for Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma? They’ll be pivoting up your Cubs questions in thei. 15 Hrs Earlier • THEATHLETIC.COM Images: Pilgrimage to Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines The annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe began on Sunday, December 11 as pioneers from the Chicago location and beyond come. 16 HOURS Back • CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM Paul Sullivan: Is one-time MVP Cody Bellinger a sleeper signing for the Chicago Cubs? It was 12 years earlier that agent Scott Boras introduced us to the idea of the pillow contract. In this scenario, it was a way to give a personal warranty of functionality to someone who required the task and who then possessed the possibility to work with the gamer for about six months. It was a great deal of stress to do it for a gamer who wasn't as helpful as you may believe. And after six months you would possess to stand by, or you would possess to move on. 21 Hrs Earlier • CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM Pillar: Is one-time MVP Cody Bellinger a person signing for the Chicago Cubs? SCHUMERN: The Cubs, though an attractive possibility, will certainly likely never observe much of an afterthought in their field deadline arms bargain. But it's crystal clear that the Cubs, who have not signed a even more costly offer, have their job cut out for them. The Los Angeles Dodgers offered up on Cody Bellinger three years after an MVP time. Those three years marked his last full period with the team – along with his title in the lineup at the time of his return. When Bellinger was out along with a foot injury in 2012, the Dodgers went on many street runs from after that to 2012 in purchase to stay clear of ending up in the playoffs, but along with some major injuries on the method.

May the Chicago Cubs rejuvenate his once-promising profession? Go Here For the Details because in his first seven years, Chicago gained 16 activities and hit the World Series in simply 13 of his 17 seasons. That's an 842-pound swing, as well. But while he will certainly likely be phoned back to total strength in his main, he are going to most likely be a little less threatening. The Cubs don't wish to overlook another hitter this time as they seek to build a gaining group in 2015. 1 DAY Earlier • CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM What's Jed Hoyer strategy for 2023 and how can easily he add an influence bat? And how will definitely he switch out Andrew McCutchen? Complimentary Viewpoint in iTunes 12 Clean D.L. Anderson's Achieved Success We provide you all the devices we possess for understanding what a productive time would look like if Adam Lind is back in action this year's AL Cy Young Award. Jed Hoyer may still help make enhancements to boost the Cubs' roster this offseason, like signing a free-agent shortstop, but fans are impatient. If you were to help make the disagreement that Cubs right-hander Ryan Braun is the true package, that would happen as no shock. Along with three times left behind to go till his ultimate big game activity Saturday in Washington, Braun is a one-time MVP applicant happening off arguably his best time of his career. 1 DAY Earlier • THEATHLETIC.COM NY Mets finish bargain with LHP Quintana, RHP Robertson The active New York Mets have taken two even more measures toward restocking their sound personnel, finalizing arrangements with free of cost brokers José Quintana and David Robertson 3 DAYS Back • ASSOCIATED PRESS Contreras, Cardinals settle $87.5M, 5-year contract The St. Louis Cardinals will definitely have a new beginning catcher for the 1st opportunity in even more than 18 years 3 Times Back • ASSOCIATED PRESS Dodgers News: LA Fans Ambivalent Over Jason Heyward Signing Professional outfielder Jason Heyward authorized a minor-league deal along with the Dodgers on Thursday, and supporters are somewhere between “meh” and pitchfork. 3 DAYS Back • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM And then there were actually two: May the Cubs win the offseason without landing a star shortstop?

#chicago news #chicago cubs #chicago med #chicago pd

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don-lichterman · 2 years

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Oneil Cruz is 6ft 7in and can blast a baseball 122mph. But can he play? | Pittsburgh Pirates

On Wednesday, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz did something we’ve never seen an MLB player do before. Well, not that we know about, seeing as the StatCast era didn’t begin until 2015. Against the Atlanta Braves, Cruz cracked a base hit that clocked at 122.4mph off the bat, which surpassed New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton’s previous record of 122.2mph. It was an impressive “exit”…

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twins2994 · 3 years

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Australian Baseball League Preview

The Australian Baseball League kicks off later this week and I wanted to preview all six teams in the winter league. The league will play a 24-game schedule this season with two teams withdrawing for the 2020-21 season.

Adelaide Giants (26-14)

Notable Players: RHP Jason Lott, RHP Todd Van Steensel, RHP Kyle Glogoski, LHP Jonathan Hennigan, C Colby Fitch, OF Kendall Simmons OF Grant Little, OF Aaron Whitefield

The Adelaide Giants lost in the Championship Series last year in the ABL. Jason Lott was a key reliever on the Giants last year with a 2.01 ERA in eighteen games. Jonathan Hennigan is a hard throwing left-hander in the Phillies organization. Todd Van Steensel is a name that Twins fans might remember. He pitched for six seasons in the Twins minor league system. He also pitched for the St. Paul Saints in 2019. Colby Fitch was a good defensive catcher at Louisville in college. Kendall Simmons provides a ton of raw power. Grant Little is a great defensive outfielder, who can hit a little. Aaron Whitefield made his Major League debut with the Twins this year and is a speedy outfielder.

Brisbane Bandits (19-21)

Notable Players: LHP Ken Frosch, RHP Ryan Searle, RHP Tim Atheron, LHP Travis Blackley, C Jeremy Martinez, IF Logan Wade, SS Wes Darvill, OF Johnny Field,

The Brisbane Bandits finished in third place of the Northeast Division and missed the playoffs last year. Ken Frosch was a good reliever for the St. Paul Saints for three seasons and posted a 2.47 ERA in the American Association. Ryan Searle is a long time minor leaguer and was on the Australian national baseball team for a long time. He pitched in the Team Australia games against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in 2014. Tim Atherton was in the Twins minor league system for three seasons. Travis Blackley pitched for five different MLB teams. Jeremy Martinez played for the Saints in 2019 and hit .284. Logan Wade is an ex-Twin farmhand. Wes Darvill is one of the best shortstops in the American Association. Johnny Field has some Major League time and spent part of the 2018 season with the Twins. Dave Nilsson is the manager for Brisbane and coaches his sons Mitch and Jacob on the team.

Canberra Calvary (20-20)

Notable Players: RHP JJ Hoover, LHP Steven Kent, IF Gavin Cechinni, IF Zach Wilson, OF Tucker Nathans

The Canberra Calvary finished second in the Northeast Division last season. They won the wild-card game then lost to the Adelaide Giants in the semi-final series. JJ Hoover is a seven-year MLB veteran with a 4.17 career ERA. Gavin Cechinni was a long-time Red Sox prospect. Outfielder Tucker Nathans is keeping his baseball dream alive at thirty-three years old. Zach Wilson was in the Yankees organization and has spent the last five seasons in independent baseball.

Melbourne Aces (23-17)

Notable Players: LHP Brian Flynn, IF Damek Tomscha, DH Delmon Young, OF Colin Willis

The Melbourne Aces won the ABL Championship last year behind Delmon Young, Shane Robinson, Collin Willis, Luke Hughes, and Allan de San Miguel. Delmon Young hit .345 with 13 homers and 42 RBI’s in 40 games last year. Damek Tomscha was one of the best power hitters in all of the American Association this past summer. Colin Willis hit .427 last year for Melbourne. Brian Flynn has pitched in over 100 ballgames at the Major League level. The Aces certainly have the offense to defend their championship this winter.

Perth Heat (23-17)

Notable Players: IF Robbie Glendenning, SS Abeizel Ramirez, IF Ford Proctor, OF Shane Sasaki, RHP Dylan Unsworth

The Perth Heat were eliminated in the wild-cart game last year. Robbie Glendenning led the ABL with 52 hits last season. The Tampa Bay Rays have sent seven players to the Heat this winter. Shortstop Abeizel Ramirez is just twenty-years old, but a good prospect. Ford Proctor hit .346 in the Eastern League in independent ball this past summer. Shane Sasaki was taken in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Dylan Unsworth led the ABL with six wins on the year.

Sydney Blue Sox (16.5-23.5)

Notable Players: DH Manny Ramirez, LHP Lachlan Wells, OF Cam Gibson, IF Carlos Cortes, OF Jacob Robson

The Sydney Blue Sox were the second-worst team in the league last winter, so what do they do? They sign Manny Ramirez, who hasn’t played since the 2014-15 Dominican Winter League. The 48-year old will DH for the Blue Sox and provide some interest among baseball fans across the globe. Lachlan Wells has been a Twins prospect for a few years and owns a 3.02 ERA over four minor league seasons. Cam Gibson is the son of Kirk Gibson. I remember watching him at the 2015 Big Ten Baseball Tournament with Michigan State. Carlos Cortes is a Mets prospect. Jacob Robson played at AAA Toledo in 2019 and hit nine home runs.

Overall, this should be a fun league to watch this winter if you want more baseball. The Twins have so many ties to Australia since they signed a ton of players in the 1990′s. Remember the names of Grant Balfour, Liam Hendriks, Brad Thomas, Luke Hughes, Trent Oeltjen, James Beresford, Lewis Thorpe, Aaron Whitefield, and Glenn Williams. If you don’t know the story of Glenn Williams then look it up. I believe I was at two of his thirteen career games. Manny Ramirez and Delmon Young add some big names in what should be a fun small winter season.

-Chris Kreibich-

#ABL

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jaycewillem-blog · 4 years

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To this end the private take to the streets

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ysformen · 5 years

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親愛なるイチローへ

　まず最初に。私の素晴らしい友達で、今でも一番好きな選手でいてくれてありがとう。

　私が野球を始める前、「自分みたいに痩せた選手がいるんだ。だったら自分も出来るはず！」と思いながら、あなたを見ていたことを覚えています。あなたは、私が野球を始めるきっかけを作ってくれました。

　あなたは、エイボン・パーク（米フロリダ州、ゴードン選手の出身地）に住む少年のアイドルでした。野球のテレビゲームの選手に、あなたにちなんだ名前をつけたこともありました。

　（１６歳だった）２００４年、ヒューストンで開催された球宴で初めてあなたと会いました。午後３時ごろ、父とグラウンドに出たら、あなたはすでにウォームアップをしていましたね。球宴なのにですよ！？　そんな選手、あなた以外にいませんでした。

　パワーヒッター全盛期のなか、あなたは自身の信念、そしてなにより、あなたを作り上げた文化に忠実でした。他の選手より、身体が小さくても、なんだって出来る！　あなたは、そう教えてくれました。

　そして２０１２年。ドジャース（ゴードン選手が過去に所属）がシアトルに遠征したときのこと。私は遊撃のポジションから、あなたの動きをずっと見ていました。あなたの通算安打の積み上げにも貢献しましたよね。あなたに夢中になって守備に集中できなかったのです（ドジャースのみなさん、ごめんなさい。でもイチローだもん。わかるよね？）。

　翌日、あなたはヤンキースに移籍してしまいました。ショックでした。でも２０１５年、私がマーリンズに加入すると、数日後、あなたもやってきたのです！

　興奮しました。「イチローと一緒に野球ができるなんて、マジかよ？　俺が？」と。あなたに会いたくて、ジュピター（フロリダ州、マーリンズの春季キャンプ地）に予定より早く向かいました。あなたにドキドキしながらあいさつすると、「君の助けになるよ」と言ってくれましたよね。うれしかったです。「オレは“イチ”と一緒にプレーしたんだぜ！　エイボン・パーク出身のオレがだよ？？」。私の自慢です。

　この５年、あなたの存在が私にとってどれだけ大きかったのか、みんな分かっていません。イチ。これまで、私の人生にはうれしいこと悲しいこと……いろいろなことがありました。でも、あなたの友情はまったく揺らがなかった。いつだって私のそばにいてくれた。私が不当な扱いを受けたときだってね。

　あなたへお礼を伝えるのに、ツイッターやインスタグラムは適していないと思いました。だから、わたしはこういう形（新聞広告）であなたへの気持ちを表現しました。あなたの友情、教えがなかったら、そしてあなたが“秘密”を教えてくれなかったら（誰にも言わないよ）、いまのディー・ゴードンは存在しません。

　愛しているよ、ブラザー！　あなたはいつまでも、私の人生の一部です。これからもオフの日は、私と一緒に打撃練習をしてくださいね。それが出来なくなることは、さびしいから。あなたを頼ることが出来なくなることも。

あなたのブラザー

ディー・ゴードン

（シアトル＝井上翔太）

　　　　　◇

"Dear Ichiro,

First off, I want to thank you for being a great friend to me and being my favorite player to this day.

Before I made the decision to play baseball, I remember looking at you and thinking to myself, 'Damn, bruh skinny like me, so if he could do it, I most definitely can, too!' You made me want to play baseball. I idolized you as a kid in Avon Park. We even named a player after you in an old video game that came out before I was born.

I met you in 2004 in Houston at the All-Star Game. I remember walking across the field with my dad around 3 p.m., and you were already there stretching and getting ready -- at the All-Star Game! No one does that!

It seemed like everyone else was huge and hit homers, but you stayed true to yourself, your work, your process, and, most importantly, your culture. You showed me that I could do anything and everything I could possibly want to do in this game, even when literally everyone is twice as big as us.

Then, here comes 2012. The Dodgers are in Seattle playing you guys. I'm standing at shortstop watching every move you make, and I end up adding to your hit total. I got caught up paying more attention to watching you hit than actually playing defense! (Sorry, Dodgers, but that's Ichiro, you know?)

The next day, you were traded to the Yankees before I could even talk to you about hitting. I was crushed, but then came 2015. I had just been traded to Miami, and a few days later, you signed there!

Now I'm jumping up and down, yelling to my best friend, 'YO!!! I get to play with Ichi-bruh?! Like, are you serious? Me? No way!' I remember going to Jupiter early, just hoping you were there so I could watch you hit and run. When you finally arrived, I nervously walked over to you and, bro, you were so nice to me. You told me you would help me in any way possible. I swear, it hit me hard. To this day, I be saying, 'Yo! I play with Ichi?! How? I'm from little Avon Park!'

People don't know how much you've helped me over these last five years, Ichi. We both know I've had good times, bad times, ups and downs, but your friendship never wavered once. You always stuck by my side through anything, and always had my back. If I was wronged, you would stick up for me every time, even if it hurt you getting on the field.

I didn't think a tweet or Instagram post was appropriate for the occasion, so I wanted to do it the right way and tell you how much I appreciate you as loudly as possible. Without your friendship and guidance -- and if you never told me your secrets (don't worry, bro, I'll never tell!) -- there wouldn't be a batting champion named Dee Gordon.

Love you, bro! You're a part of my life forever. I hope you enjoy retirement. You better come hit with me on off-days because I'm definitely going to miss that -- and miss having you around lean on.

Your brother,

DeVaris."

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linernotesandseasons · 5 years

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Dee Gordon (ex-Dodger & baseball classic) takes out a full page ad in the Seattle Times to thank Ichiro (read about my love for Ichiro on my last post!) for his friendship & incredible career.

HAPPY OPENING DAY!!

"Dear Ichiro,

First off, I want to thank you for being a great friend to me and being my favorite player to this day.

Then, here comes 2012. The Dodgers are in Seattle playing you guys. I'm standing at shortstop watching every move you amke, and I end up adding to your hit total. I got caught up paying more attention to watching you hit than actually playing defense! (Sorry, Dodgers, but that's Ichiro, you know?)

The next day, you were traded to the Yankees before I could even talk to you about hitting. I was crushed, but then came 2015. I had just been traded to Miami, and a few days later, you signed there!

People don't know how much you've helped me over these last five years, Ichi. We both know I've had good times, bad times, ups and owns, but your friendship never wavered once. You always stuck by my side through anything, and always had my back. If I was wronged, you would stick up for me every time, even if it hurt you getting on the field.

Love you, bro! You're a part of my life forever. I hope you enjoy retirement. You better come hit with me on off-days because I'm definitely going to miss that -- and miss having you around lean on.

Your brother,

DeVaris."

#opening day #baseball #Ichiro

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iloveyoupittsburghpirates-blog · 6 years

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It’s Time To Move Forward, Pittsburgh Pirates

My Dearest Pittsburgh Pirates,

Sorry for the delay on this letter. I was out of town for the long weekend and didn’t have the chance to get it to you. This week was more of the same. While it’s hard to be too upset anymore, because it’s over and you are already looking forward to next year, you still performed below expectations. Facing two playoff caliber teams is never easy especially on the road so I wasn’t terribly surprised when you lost two out of three to both the Cardinals and Braves. Your offense has still been terribly lacking with only eleven runs scored in those six games. You opened it up a bit yesterday beating the Reds 5-1 though you didn’t even pull ahead until late in the game and that was only because of the two people who currently have the best OPS on your team: Gregory Polanco and Adam Frazier. Yes, Adam Frazier. That’s due in part to his 4 for 4 day with three RBI’s, a homer, and he finished a triple short of the cycle. You want a stat I bet you never thought you would see at the beginning of the season? Adam Frazier currently has as many homers as Josh Bell with eight a piece. While that’s a positive sign for the re-emergence of Frazier, it also goes to show you how disappointing of a season Bell has put together. This is where we learn who is a viable option for next season and what needs to be addressed. If you happen to win some games in the process, I wouldn’t be mad about it.

You made a couple of surprise moves this weekend before the waiver trade deadline expired. Adeiny Hechavarria, who you recently acquired, was dealt to the Yankees. That’s not terribly surprising given that you are out of the hunt and you want to give Kevin Newman the opportunity to start every day. The more surprising move was dealing David Freese to the Dodgers and most likely ending his tenure with you. I was under the assumption that you would pick up Freese’s six million dollar option this offseason after how disappointing Colin Moran has played. There’s still a small chance the Dodgers could not pick up the option, he could become a free agent, and you could resign him but that seems very unlikely. With Freese gone, you are in a position now where Colin Moran is your only third baseman. Start him the rest of the season. I’m fine with that to see if he somehow explodes. He CAN’T be your only option there for next season. He has a 0.5 WAR in 371 at bats. That’s not remotely good enough to start. Ke’Bryan Hayes had dominant week in Double-A and could be your everyday starting third baseman in a year or two but you have a window now where you can’t afford to waste a year. Signing someone like a Mike Moustakas, Jed Lowrie, or Asdrubal Cabrera is a short term investment that you need to make this offseason. With how bad Bell has been at first, you can’t afford to go into next season with two corner infield spots that could be total duds in the lineup. You have money so go spend it.

Trevor Williams is on a historic pace right now. He pitched another 6 2/3 scoreless innings yesterday giving him a 0.74 ERA since the All Star break. The record for lowest ERA after the All Star break was set by Jake Arrieta in 2015 with a 0.75 ERA. You remember that season? He dominated you in the Wildcard game and you haven’t had a winning season since? I thought that might jog your memory. Williams has been unstoppable mixing different pitches at different speeds and placing them perfectly. He now holds a 3.16 ERA for the season and has solidified himself as a starter in this rotation next year. There has been a lot of criticism about your ability to develop pitchers with Gerrit Cole leaving and becoming a Cy Young candidate and even Tyler Glasnow looked great again this weekend going seven strong innings. Those criticisms are extremely valid but you also have to give credit when it’s due. Williams (3.16 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) and Taillon (3.45 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) have put together terrific seasons and if you are going to solely blame the Pirates for not developing the others, which again is valid, then you also need to credit them when pitchers do well. I’m not saying there isn’t a potentially huge issue with your pitcher development. We will have a better idea of the severity once Mitch Keller is ready to be promoted. I just think these are two instances that have seemed to work out very well and it needs to be recognized.

Since you have basically been eliminated from the playoff picture, Kevin Newman has been playing almost everyday at shortstop. It hasn’t gone very well. Newman made a devastating error that helped lose you the game on Saturday. He’s also shown no signs of life at the plate batting .121 with a .346 OPS. It’s only been 33 at bats so it’s hard to truly judge him on that small of a sample size. The problem is he had terrible splits in the minors versus righties with only a .705 OPS. When he faces a lefty, it’s .866 which is good but that makes him a platoon player, not a starter. Newman can be the backup SS next year and get some starts against lefties. You can also sub him in for Frazier late in games if he ends up being your starting 2B next year, which seems likely. You can’t go into next season planning for him to be your everyday shortstop. You just can’t. Even though you traded Hechavarria, you could still bring him back as a free agent. That should be your worst case scenario if you can’t find a better bat on the free agent market. Newman can be your backup middle infielder next year and I’m fine with that. But nothing more.

This week is much easier than the last two because you are playing two last place teams. You finish out the series with Cincinnati at PNC Park today and tomorrow. You have a day off Thursday before the Miami Marlins come to town. It’s the last month of the season and you are out of the playoff picture. Time to play the young guys to see what they have but it’s also smart to limit the starting pitchers. Guys like Musgrove, Taillon, and Williams have already exceeded their innings pitched total from years past. The last thing you want is one of these guys getting hurt for a totally unnecessary reason. Nick Kingham started for Nova on Sunday who had to deal with a family matter. Kingham should basically be used as a sixth starter for this month in order to limit the others. Overall, your rosters have expanded so there’s no reason for anyone to get overplayed at this point. The only thing that matters now is for the younger guys to get some development time and to keep everyone healthy. Go have fun and try to get better as a team. Then this offseason I hope you will open your checkbook to get better as a team. Have a good week and talk to you next weekend!

Looking Ahead To The Future,

Brad

P.S. stands for playing still which I’m referring to a couple former Buccos. Cutch’s mediocre season in San Francisco was cut short when he was traded to the New York Yankees this week where another prominent former Pirate, Neil Walker, now resides. I happened to be in Oakland yesterday to watch the A’s play the Yankees so I got to see them in person. Walker struck out in a big situation and Cutch had one hit, stole a base, and scored in the loss. It was funny to see them on the field together again playing for a contender. Just thought I’d mention it…

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twins2994 · 6 years

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Minnesota Twins Position Review: Infielders

2018 Infielders: 1B Joe Mauer, 2B Logan Forsythe, SS Jorge Polanco, 3B Miguel Sano, 1B Tyler Austin, IF Ehire Adrianza.

1B Joe Mauer .282 AVG, 6 HR’s, 48 RBI’s, 27 Doubles.

Joe Mauer got through so many milestones in his 15th year in a Twins uniform. He got his 2,000th hit and reached the top of the leader-board in hits and numerous other categories in Twins history. Joe finished with 137 hits on the year and now has 2,123 for his career. He had a solid year after an even better 2017 season. He played solid defense at first base and was a great leader in the clubhouse. It was amazing to watch what will likely be his final season in a Twins uniform. We’ll see what happens, but I think he will retire.

2B Logan Forsythe .258 AVG, 0 HR’s, 14 RBI’s with Twins.

Logan Forsythe got more playing time after getting trading to the Twins and shined. He had a five-hit night against the Tigers and did a great job until the end of August. He then struggled a bit at the plate and didn’t finish strong to end the year. At first, it looked like the Twins might be wise to sign Forsythe who just needed playing time. Then he hit a wall and got ice cold in September. I think he’s a solid second basemen and would be a good guy for a year if the Twins don’t think Nick Gordon is ready to be the starting second basemen next year.

SS Jorge Polanco .288 AVG, 6 HR’s, 42 RBI’s, 18 Doubles.

Jorge Polanco was suspended for 80 games in spring training and it hurt the Twins. Eduardo Escobar was a great hitter in the first two months for the Twins, but Jorge Polanco is a great contact hitter. He hit .288 in 77 games for the Twins and played a decent shortstop. In 2017, he hit .256 in 133 games, but he struggled after his grandpa past away last June. He had an amazing last two months in 2017 and I think he can get back there. This guy can hit and I would love to see how he does in a full season at shortstop next season.

3B Miguel Sano .199 AVG, 13 HR’s, 41 RBI’s.

Miguel Sano has had an up and down career with the Twins. He came on the scene in 2015 and drilled 18 homers. 2016 was solid with 25 homers and in 2017 it looked like he was breaking out with 28 homers. 2018 was a regression year for Sano and the Twins sent him down to Fort Myers and up to Rochester. Sano returned and did okay, but 2019 will be a make or break year for him. Miguel Sano’s work ethic needs to get better. I heard that he didn’t know the starting pitcher until he walked into the clubhouse in June when the Angels were in town. Mike Berardino reported that Sano looked at the lineup card and said “Oh we’re facing a lefty today, and walked into the clubhouse.” He didn’t remember facing Andrew Heaney before either. He can be a lot better with more preparation. It will be an interesting year for him next season.

1B/DH Tyler Austin .236 AVG, 9 HR’s, 24 RBI’s in 35 Games with Twins

Tyler Austin is the Twins first basemen of the future. This guy can rake and he amassed 17 homers with the Twins and Yankees in 2018. Austin has tremendous power and will only get better. His defense will improve at first base and I think you’re looking at a guy, who will hit 30-plus homers every season. The Yankees gave up on the wrong guy for their first basemen. The Twins got a steal in the trade for Lance Lynn and I would love to see what Tyler Austin does in a year’s worth of at-bats.

IF Ehire Adrianza .251 AVG, 6 HR’s, 39 RBI’s.

Ehire Adrianza came to the Twins in 2017 with the reputation of a strong glove man. He has become a pretty good hitter in his time with the Twins. Adrianza had 30 extra base hits in 114 games this year. He plays solid defense at shortstop and third base too. He can also play a little first base and left field in a pinch. He is now the new utility infielder with Eduardo Escobar off the team. I enjoy watching Adrianza play at the plate and in the field.

-Chris Kreibich-

#Twins #MnTwins

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beersfromthebleachers · 6 years

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Baseball Strike or Team Expansions? The Start of the 2018 Baseball season

Pitchers and catchers are checking into the clubs spring training facilities this week, where the start of a new baseball season is beginning. Handful of players will be joining new teammates who decided to join with different clubs this season, like Christian Yelich who was traded from the Marlins to the Brewers and Yu Darvish who signed with the Chicago Cubs this past weekend. The current issue with this past off season has been the lack of signed players to new clubs this season, with the demand of having multi-million contracts that are well in the nine digit range. Clubs have regretted making some these contract signings over the past decade due to the circumstances of the players not living up to their expectation and health issues that go along with age.

A handful of players agents are even demanding for their clients to receive the highest amount possible and using other elite players as examples in order to be treated the same way. Example, in 2016 David Price demanded to be paid like Clayton Kershaw had been with the Dodgers because he believed his career resume was just as good with many playoff appearances with multiple teams (Rays, Tigers, and Blue Jays), starting for the American League in the 2010 All Star game, and one Cy Young from 2012; needless to say, he got what he wanted with the deal he signed with Boston worth $217 million over seven years. Notorious baseball agent Scott Boras represents the second best pitcher this off season; Jake Arrieta, who demands to be paid a contract that is Max Scherzer or Price worthy in the $200 million dollar range with feats that include a Cy Young from 2015 and an All Star selection along with a World Series ring in 2016. The problem is teams are looking at the high risk over the reward Arrieta has to offer, with his early struggles in the game followed by a decline of his high octane performance from 2015-2017. Let’s be real for a second, did the Angels “care” about the risk or age factor after they signed Albert Pujols after winning a World Series? Did the Tigers put their foot in their mouth after giving Miguel Cabrera a dream contract and sold the rest of the team along with hopes of ever becoming a contender again? Are the Marlins finally eating it after trading away Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees after providing him a contract that even they know they could never afford? Yes, all these teams regret it now, because they game is constantly changing in this new era of baseball; however, what goes along with this new era of baseball are the new features of talent that continue to be utilized to the games highest potential year after year.

With the league looking at this problem dead in the face, it is not completely unrealistic that the commissioner of baseball actually take into account of what he was looking forward in the near future and that’s league expansion. Another ridiculous factor that baseball writers have surfaced is that with the amount of free agents this off season, you can fill a whole 25-man roster for a whole team. To make this ridiculous claim even more realistic, a great amount of these free agents have arrived in Florida for spring training and practice under former MLB coaches in order to display their best for scouts and teams this season. The unfortunate side from this entire picture is that not all of these players are “invited” to participate in “real” spring training scenarios, like actually playing a game against teams this spring. Now, with the amount of free agents left unsigned this season and the huge amount of players that will be available as free agents the following season, it is not unrealistic for the league to allow new ownership to come forward and create new teams for the MLB. With the current free agent class, let’s pretend that these new teams existed and signed these players for two new teams; one for each league:

Catcher: Jonathon Lucroy and Geovany Soto

First Base: Eric Hosmer and Logan Morrison

Second Base: Neil Walker and Arismendy Alcantara (also Brandon Phillips is an honorable mention

Third Base: Mike Moustakas and Eduardo Nunez

Shortstop: Erik Aybar, Stephen Drew, and/or J.J. Hardy

Left Field: Jon Jay, Ben Revere, Melky Cabrera, and/or Colby Rasmus (depending on if Rasmus is still hung up on “retirement”)

Center Field: Carlos Gomez and Jarrod Dyson (Rajai Davis is another honorable mention)

Right Field: J. D. Martinez, Carlos Gonzalez, Jose Bautista, and/or Andre Ethier

Team One Rotation: Jake Arrieta, Lance Lynn, Andrew Cashner, Brett Anderson, Chris Tillman

Team Two Rotation: Alex Cobb, Jamie Garcia, Jason Vargas, Jeremy Hellickson, John Lackey

Closers: Greg Holland and Huston Street

These are just highlighted names that are still on the top ranked free agent list that still have not been signed yet. This also does not include more names to fill the rosters entirely, like the bench and bullpen (also inserting the fact that these teams have farm systems). If either of these were a team, they probably would have made a fantasy baseball playoff run; either way if these names came up on ONE team they make that team scary good on paper. Problems that follow making the selected rosters with these players only come with finances, age, and staying healthy; despite going to a new city that would feature baseball for the first time to the MLB and playing more teams from the divisions that are lucky to add a six team and join their competition. There are numerous amount of baseball fans that believe they can do a job better than Rob Manfred, and if anyone from the office of the commissioner is reading my blog, let’s have less focus on rule changes for “the improvement of the game” and get to making with more teams for my season to become more enjoyable.

These are all high hopes and we look for the rest of the dominoes to fall in free agency before the start of Opening Day. Who knows? Maybe we will see some new faces as spring training roll along bit by bit. Maybe some of these players will take a year off and play elsewhere like Japan and then test free agency at the end of this season again. I’m happy we’re getting baseball back soon and I’ll have some cold brews to share with you all.

Speaking of, Tampa Bay Beer Week is less than a month away and I will be sharing more beer posts sooner than later as we keep getting further and further into the season. Until then, cheer and stay warm friends!

#journal #Baseball Tonight #free agency #spring training #baseball season #opening day 2018 #new #teams #expansion #beer #Tampa #beer culture #tampa bay beer week

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stringsofstarlight · 4 years

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11:11

This is hilarious, found it this morning just a little bit ago. I am going to try to quote and paraphrase the best parts of a few articles. Do not read the articles, too much of KW. Here it goes. All the following quotes are from three differing Ringer articles. This whole thing made me laugh out loud so many times, I have those little laugh tears in the side of my eyes...soooo funny, yet actually happened and continues to happen. Love you dearly.

“Taylor Swift has magical powers. Telekinesis...”

“At this point, the basics of the Swiftmissioner’s Trophy theory are widely known.”

“What I’m trying to say is: Taylor comin’. And with Taylor comes baseball destiny. I do not make the rules.”

“our country turned pop turned indie songstress seems to have forsaken the Phillies back in 2008.”

“She visibly twitched — and just like that, her allegiance to the Phanatic was gone. The Phillies won the World Series that year, but they fell in the Fall Classic to the Yankees the next year. “

“From that point on, she tapped into an ancient sorcery dubbed Even-Year Magic. In the autumns of 2010, 2012, and 2014, she released a new album, which on each occasion was followed by the San Francisco Giants winning the World Series”

“You could make the argument that Swift is not necessarily done with the Giants — that we were wrong to call it Even-Year Magic, when really it was Swift Album Magic all along.”

“How best to set the record (ahem) straight and let the people know that Swift’s gifts are not bound to San Francisco?”

“Whether Swift was in cahoots with the baseball gods or whether she herself is a baseball god has never been established. (As of press time, Swift’s publicist had not responded to a request for comment.)”

“But the times have changed. As we all know, “astro” comes from “astrum,” the Latin word for “star” — so where better for a pop star fond of numerology to remake herself? And — take a deep breath — the name “Houston Astros” is 13 letters long.”

“We studied the evidence: her few but seemingly pointed public comments, the travel patterns of her cats, a hidden baseball cap in behind-the-scenes footage of “Bad Blood,” the walk-up music of one Preston Tucker. And we concluded that spring—you can check!—that Swift’s magic pointed indisputably to the Houston Astros winning the World Series that fall.”

“The truth is that Swift has slowly been plotting her turn toward another Texas city for years. Back in December 2014, the Houston Astros caused a stir by tweeting that the following October’s scheduled Swift concert at Minute Maid Park — on the 13th of that month, no less — would be moved if the then-perennially-awful Astros made the postseason. They did, and she ended up playing a month earlier — after which the team mysteriously collapsed into a skid.”

“Swift planned one — one — show for all of 2017: a pre–Super Bowl performance in Houston, where she told the audience, “You’re the crowd that I’m gonna see in my most recent daydreams.” And in case we needed more evidence of the longevity of her intentions — she brought her cats to the show”

“The club is ready: Outfielder Preston Tucker, who boasts of having a Taylor Swift radio station on his phone, walks up to the plate blasting “I Knew You Were Trouble.” The go-to karaoke song of shortstop Carlos Correa — who just so happens to be 22 this year — is “Shake It Off.””

“Wait, what about Lover, the album she released *last* year? You are asking. Are you just skipping an album entirely? Did her 2019 tunes bring about the Nationals’ victory? And, hey, since she was tied up in the whole enterprise, did she know that the Astros were cheating? “He’s in the club doing I don’t know what,” she sang—what sort of club, anyway? A ballclub??? “

“The seed for the shift to the City of Angels may have been planted back in 2015, when the power went out during a July game at Nationals Park between the Nats and the Dodgers. The game took place just days after Swift performed in the stadium, and Nats ace Max Scherzer minced no words. “Well who was the last one to use Nationals Park last?” he wrote on Twitter. “Taylor Swift.. I blame her for the power outs tonight. We now have #BadBlood.””

“The Dodgers have catcher Austin Barnes, who shares a first name with Swift’s brother and was born in (no big deal) 1989. Cody Bellinger used to use “Style” as his walk-up song. Quoth Clayton Kershaw: “If you don’t like Taylor Swift, you’re just lying to yourself.””

“Have I mentioned, as MLB.com noted earlier this year, that if L.A. wins this year, it would be the Dodgers’ seventh World Series victory, and Swift just so happened to include a song called “Seven” on this year’s album? And could “Betty”—“Betty, I won’t make assumptions / About why you switched your homeroom”—be about anyone but Mookie Betts?”

“Why, by personally anointing the Los Angeles Dodgers the winners of the 2020 World Series.”

love always,

james

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backroomblogs · 6 years

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Less Than Two Days From Opening Day, Here Are Some of my Sox Predictions - Matt

Thank God! I know that as a sports fan, when you are waiting for any season to roll around the offseason can feel like it drags at points. That’s pretty much the way it goes when you can’t wait for something. But fuck, the baseball offseason feels unbearably long. Nonetheless, it is finally here, and I am pumped and ready to go.

As the season officially starts on Thursday, I am officially ready to ride this 2018 Red Sox hype train straight to a parade at the beginning of November. And although they are a respected team in the American League, I don’t think there are too many outside Boston that think the Red Sox have enough pieces to get it done. The Astros, who were certainly the most dominant team in the American League last year, and they were essentially able to keep that whole team in tact. Many view them as the favorite to win the whole thing, which is a very fair prognosis, not bold, but fair. Then you have the Indians who are also entering the season with a similar roster minus Carlos Santana, who they virtually swapped out for Yonder Alonso. Of course they will be a very tough matchup come October if everything is to shape up that way.

And then there is New York, the god damn Yankees. After acquiring last years NL MVP in Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees made lineup that was crucial in getting them to game 7 of the ALCS much more dangerous. Not exactly the most ideal team to see 19 times year. With that said, baseball is so much better when the Red Sox and Yankees are good baseball teams. When it looks like they could be battling for the division title all the way through September. I’m very excited see this matchup all season, and without further ado, I hereby pick.. (wait for it) the Boston Red Sox to win the American League East. Not just because I am a Sox fan that buys fully into the if you love the Sox you have to hate the Yankees, but because I really don’t buy into New York separating themselves from Boston outright in any facet of the game, whether it be lineup or bullpen, and I think we have an obvious advantage in terms of rotation.

But without trying to get too deep into the general stuff, let me delve into some specifics. In terms of both the offense and the pitching staff, who I think will have the most surprising impact, and who’s performance I feel will impact this team the most.

My prediction for most surprising in the pitching slot is Eduardo Rodriguez. He struggled mightily last season after a pretty solid rookie campaign in 2015 and a strong 2016 minus a horrid June with mechanical issues and injuries, and he enters this season on the shelf for a bit of time. However, I think that when he gets healthy and returns to the rotation, 2018 could be the year that he emerges as a solid back end guy. He adopted a new throwing program this season and has apparently sharpened his mechanics from what they were last season, so I’m hopeful that along with helping him not tell opposing batters that he throwing them a fastball, he can be more consistent as the seasons, and his outings progress. Last year, he seemed to tire out in the early stages of games which would cause an acceptable outing to turn into a disaster real fast. This was the trend from pretty much June on last season. Maybe Cora can better control how long he goes, and that can bring him back down to 2015 E Rod. A reliable, high threes ERA guy who will give you quality inning, or even better. I could be wrong, but I am leaning towards better.

Andrew Benintendi, the former bachelor of Boston, is who I think will be the most pleasant surprise to this team. I know. He was solid last year, and it sounds weird to say that an impressive performance coming from a guy that finished second in Rookie of the Year voting last year surprising. But I think that in just his second full season, he could be ready to cement himself as a force at the top of this lineup. Last year he batted .271, had a .776 slugging percentage, and got to 20 home runs. I think that at age 23, he has the ability to amass all of those numbers with relative ease. For a team that was a at the bottom of the league in home runs last season as a unit, I think that Benny will have a huge part in changing that narrative, providing a spark before teams even reach the middle of the lineup. That, on top of his well rounded defense in left, and possibly even center will make him a huge factor in this offense, greater and faster than people expect.

Now, if the Red Sox are going to be legitimate contenders for a World Series title in 2018, David Price is going to have to be an anchor in that rotation. His performance might actually be the most crucial for the entire team in the grand scheme of things, especially later in the season. Price and the Boston media, don’t like each other, and for all intents and purposes, that relationship might always be a mess. Unless, he plays a major role in bringing a title to this town which I think he is very capable of doing. After an injury-plagued first half, he was a monster in the back nine, posting a sub 2.5 ERA from July on. And during our short run in the postseason, he was surefire in his work coming out of the pen, a step in the right direction in terms of lulling his negative postseason buzz if you ask me. Price says that this is currently the best he has felt in his career. That is literally the most common cliche optimistic athlete phrase ever, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love hearing it. A lot is riding on the health and performance of the 231 million dollar man, and rightfully so. Can he bring what is needed for an entire season, including October? I think so, but I have yet to be proven correct. I am certainly ready to find out.

There are a few people who this could go to offensively for the Sox. But I think that the Red Sox really need an outstanding year from Xander to help them standout in an impressive pools of AL teams. With the rapid rise in talent at the shortstop position with guys like Correa, Seager, Lindor, and others along with a down 2017 for Bogaerts, I think people are starting to forget just how good this guy is. He hit .320 with 81 RBI in 2015 and only hit seven home runs year, proving that even with a lack of long ball power he had the ability to drive in runs. In 2016, his average dipped to a still solid .294, but he drastically added power to his already impressive hitting arsenal, hitting 21 home runs with 89 RBI. X has already proven that going his age 25 season, he has what it takes to be one of the best shortstops this league has to offer. And honestly he needs to be. He is going to start the year in the middle of the lineup, and regardless of whether or not he stays there or moves up, we are much better when he is one of our top run producers. I think Xander is in for a big year of spraying the ball all over the place. He is way to good of hitter to bat anywhere below the .300 mark, or right in that region, he just needs to figure that out, be an awesome hitter again, get to the all star game, get a silver slugger, and be a catalyst in this World Series run the Red Sox are going to make. I think 2018 will be career year for the X man, and hopefully a championship year for the Boston Red Sox.

Finally, it’s here. I just can’t wait for that parade. LET’S RIDE!

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kansascityhappenings · 4 years

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A team-by-team breakdown of the AL Central clubs at the start of spring training

A team-by-team look at the American League Central entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:

Hunter Dozier #17 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates with Jorge Soler #12 after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on August 11, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Kansas City Royals

Manager: Mike Matheny (first season).

2019: 59-103, fourth place.

Training Town: Surprise, Arizona.

Park: Surprise Stadium.

First Workout: Feb. 12/17.

He’s Here: Manager Mike Matheny, RHP Trevor Rosenthal, RHP Braden Shipley, RHP Greg Holland, 3B Maikel Franco.

He’s Outta Here: Manager Ned Yost, INF Cheslor Cuthbert, RHP Trevor Oaks, RF Jorge Bonifacio.

Going campin’: The biggest moves for the Royals this season came away from the field.

Longtime owner David Glass, who died last month after a long illness, sold the franchise to a group led by Kansas City businessman John Sherman in a deal worth about $1 billion.

News of the sale became public about the time Yost announced his retirement and the Royals hired Matheny, who had been serving in an advisory role with the organization. It will be up to Matheny to continue a massive rebuilding effort that began shortly after the club’s 2015 championship season.

Young players such as SS Adalberto Mondesi, 2B Nicky Lopez, RF Hunter Dozier and OF Bubba Starling have already arrived and gained valuable experience last season, and a wave of pitching prospects could arrive late this year.

Success in 2020 will be measured less by wins than by the progress those players make as they position themselves to contend in 2021 and beyond.

Miguel Sano #22 of the Minnesota Twins turns a double play against the New York Yankees to end the seventh inning in game three of the American League Division Series at Target Field on October 07, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Minnesota Twins

Manager: Rocco Baldelli (second season).

2019: 101-61, first place, lost to Yankees in Division Series.

Training Town: Fort Myers, Florida.

Park: Hammond Stadium at CenturyLink Sports Complex.

First Workout: Feb. 12/17.

He’s Here: 3B Josh Donaldson, RHP Kenta Maeda, RHP Homer Bailey, RHP Tyler Clippard, C Alex Avila, LHP Rich Hill, RHP Matt Wisler, RHP Jhoulys Chacin, LHP Blaine Hardy.

He’s Outta Here: RHP Brusdar Graterol, RHP Kyle Gibson, 1B C.J. Cron, 2B Jonathan Schoop, C Jason Castro, LHP Martín Pérez, RHP Ryne Harper, RHP Trevor Hildenberger, RHP Sam Dyson.

Going campin’: The high-priced addition of the big-swinging, slick-fielding Donaldson boosted an already deep lineup that produced a major league record 307 home runs last season.

Then came the agreement this week on the pending blockbuster trade with the Red Sox and Dodgers to land Maeda for the middle of the rotation, with Graterol, a 21-year-old flame-thrower, going out in a signal the front office is all in on 2020 on the heels of a breakthrough season.

Maeda or not, spring training will be an important time for starting pitching prospects Randy Dobnak, Devin Smeltzer and Lewis Thorpe, all of whom made their major league debuts last year.

With Michael Pineda serving the remainder of his suspension for taking a banned diuretic until mid-May and Hill recovering from elbow surgery until probably mid-summer, innings will need to be logged by some of the youngsters. Chacin, in camp on a minor league contract, is another candidate.

The position players are all but set, with Miguel Sanó needing to get in a groove with the glove at first base after Donaldson’s arrival pushed him off the opposite corner.

The spotlight will also be on center fielder Byron Buxton and his latest attempt to get healthy following shoulder surgery last September.

There will also be new coaches on Baldelli’s staff for players to get accustomed to, with Mike Bell the new bench coach and Edgar Varela the new hitting coach. Bell replaced Derek Shelton, who became manager of the Pirates. Varela replaced James Rowson, who became the bench coach for the Marlins.

Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians runs out a double during the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field on September 19, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Cleveland Indians

Manager: Terry Francona (seventh season).

2019: 93-69, second place in AL Central.

Training Town: Goodyear, Arizona.

Park: Goodyear Ballpark.

First Workout: Feb. 13/17.

He’s Here: 2B Cesar Hernandez, OF Delino DeShields, RHP Emmanuel Clase, C Sandy Leon.

He’s Outta Here: RHP Corey Kluber, 2B Jason Kipnis, OF Yasiel Puig, RHP Tyler Clippard, INF Mike Freeman, OF Leonys Martin, LHP Tyler Olson, RHP Dan Otero, C Kevin Plawecki, RHP Danny Salazar, RHP Nick Goody.

Going campin’: The Indians missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015 last season as Minnesota dethroned Cleveland as division champion.

The team’s decision to trade Kluber, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, in December to Texas has signaled a major shift for the organization, which will count on young starters like All-Star Game MVP Shane Bieber and Mike Clevinger to fill a huge void at the front of the rotation.

Third baseman Jose Ramirez’s prolonged slump hurt the offense for much of last season, and just when he found his groove, a wrist injury sabotaged his season along with the Indians’ chances of catching the Twins.

Hernandez takes over at second, where Kipnis was a mainstay for nine seasons. The outfield remains unsettled, with Oscar Mercado, who batted .269 in 115 games as a rookie, the only one guaranteed a starting spot. Slugger Franmil Reyes is an option in right, but he’s not exactly a Gold Glover.

All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor’s future hangs over the team, and his situation will only become more of a distraction as he moves closer to possible free agency after 2021.

Cleveland’s first-half success could determine whether the team rides out the year with him or deals Lindor at the deadline.

Yoan Moncada #10 of the Chicago White Sox, James McCann #33, and Jose Abreu #79 celebrate at the end of their team’s 8-0 win over the Cleveland Indians at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 26, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

Chicago White Sox

Manager: Rick Renteria (fourth season).

2019: 72-89, third place.

Training Town: Glendale, Arizona.

Park: Camelback Ranch.

First Workout: Feb. 12/17.

He’s Here: C Yasmani Grandal, LHP Dallas Keuchel, LHP Gio González, 1B-DH Edwin Encarnación, RF Nomar Mazara, RHP Steve Cishek, LF Cheslor Cuthbert.

He’s Outta Here: INF Yolmer Sánchez, C Welington Castillo, RHP Iván Nova.

Going campin’: The White Sox are coming off seven consecutive losing seasons. They haven’t made the playoffs since they lost to Tampa Bay in the 2008 AL Division Series.

But there is reason for optimism heading into spring training.

Free-agent deals for Grandal, Keuchel, González, Encarnación and Cishek strengthened the lineup, rotation and bullpen. Tim Anderson, Yoán Moncada, Eloy Jiménez and José Abreu anchor a deep batting order, and slugging center fielder Luis Robert is one of the favorites for the AL Rookie of the Year award.

If Chicago can sort out the back end of its rotation — Reynaldo López is coming off an inconsistent season, and touted prospects Michael Kopech and Dylan Cease have their own question marks — it could contend for the AL Central title.

Niko Goodrum #28 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates after hitting a home run with teammate Miguel Cabrera #24 during the first inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park on August 11, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Detroit Tigers

Manager: Ron Gardenhire (third season).

2019: 47-114, fifth place.

Training Town: Lakeland, Florida.

Park: Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.

First Workout: Feb. 12/17.

He’s Here: 2B Jonathan Schoop, RHP Ivan Nova, 1B C.J. Cron, C Austin Romine, C Eric Haase, RHP Zack Godley.

He’s Outta Here: SS Ronny Rodriguez, RHP Drew VerHagen, LHP Blaine Hardy, RHP Edwin Jackson, RHP Tyson Ross, SS Gordon Beckham, LHP Matt Moore, C John Hicks, LHP Daniel Stumpf, RHP Victor Alcantara, RHP Zac Reininger, LHP Matt Hall.

Going campin’: The Tigers hope the worst is behind them in their rebuild.

Casey Mize — the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft — headlines a highly regarded group of pitching prospects. Although the expectation is that Mize and fellow right-hander Matt Manning will start the season at Triple-A, they’ll both be at spring training as non-roster invitees along with left-hander Tarik Skubal.

So fans in Lakeland will get a preview of what they hope will be some significant rotation help down the road.

Detroit’s leader in home runs last year was Brandon Dixon, who hit only 15 and is now a non-roster invitee. In an effort to boost their anemic offense, the Tigers added Schoop and Cron, who could become mainstays on the right side of the infield.

Shortstop seems like the most likely spot for utility-man Niko Goodrum, while Jeimer Candelario and Dawel Lugo are in the mix at third base. Catching prospect Jake Rogers hit just .125 in 112 at-bats in his big league debut last year. Romine gives Detroit more experience behind the plate.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports http://fox4kc.com/2020/02/07/a-team-by-team-breakdown-of-the-al-central-clubs-at-the-start-of-spring-training/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2020/02/08/a-team-by-team-breakdown-of-the-al-central-clubs-at-the-start-of-spring-training/

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junker-town · 4 years

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MLB teams want to trade away homegrown superstars, and that’s a problem

The one known quantity on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot is Derek Jeter. The longtime Yankees shortstop will be inducted into Cooperstown in July, with the only question whether his vote will be unanimous. This will be the fourth straight year at least one player voted into the pantheon of baseball greats spent their entire career with just one team.

A single-team star might seem anachronistic, the very kind of fuel that stokes “back in my day” fires the most. But it’s still very cool. Edgar Martinez never won a championship with the Mariners, his only team — unlike Jeter, who won five with New York — but he’ll be beloved in Seattle forever.

Getting a Jeter or Martinez is the absolute ideal for amateur scouts, as are Mariano Rivera, Chipper Jones, and Jeff Bagwell, all one-team Hall of Famers elected in the last four years. Homegrown stars who play a long time for the team that drafted or first signed them. It’s what baseball should be.

But this offseason has been full of disturbing reports that several of baseball’s biggest stars — still in their prime, mind you — are being discussed in trade talks. It’s important to note that rumors don’t matter much until a trade actually happens, but there’s enough smoke here to be worried about a fire.

All Betts are off

Mookie Betts is one of the top five players in baseball, and won the AL MVP in 2018 while leading the Red Sox to a World Series win. By definition, Betts is the exact kind of player any team should try to keep long term, especially a financial behemoth like Boston.

Keeping good players has already wreaked havoc with the Red Sox financial plans this offseason, with J.D. Martinez opting to remain in Boston rather than test free agency. With Martinez and all the expected arbitration salaries, the Red Sox payroll in 2020 is projected over $226 million, well above the competitive balance tax threshold of $208 million.

That number includes $27.5 million for Betts, who has one year remaining before free agency. That’s why his name comes up in trade rumors, especially since Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy said in September of keeping both Betts and Martinez, “Yes, there is a way but obviously it will be difficult given the nature of the agreements and the contracts that we have in place.”

Thank you for your service (time)

There’s another former MVP who is the subject of trade rumors this winter, and is perhaps the most likely to be dealt. Kris Bryant was the NL MVP in 2016, a season more remembered for his Cubs snapping a 108-year championship drought. Bryant, who turns 28 Saturday, should never have to pay for a meal on the north side of Chicago again.

Instead, Bryant is the subject of trade rumors, because the Cubs are becoming too expensive in the eyes of their billionaire owners. This has an interesting wrinkle because the Cubs’ own mishandling of their superstar may come back to bite them twice. You see, the Cubs waited until the ninth game of the season in 2015 to call Bryant up to the majors. He ended the season one day shy of a full year of service time, which should have delayed his free agency by a year.

But Bryant filed a grievance against the Cubs for their service time manipulation, a grievance that has been going on forever but could be reaching a conclusion soon. That the result is still pending is reportedly throwing a wrench into trade talks with the Cubs, with teams unsure if they would get Bryant for one or two years.

That, like the Cubs owners, is rich.

Cleveland rocks?

If you’ve noticed a theme with these first two superstar trade rumors, it comes from teams in two of the largest markets in baseball. But there is a theme that transcends market strength. Per Forbes in 2019, here are some franchise valuations compared to the price paid by the current owners:

Red Sox valued at $3.2 billion, a 742-percent increase over the $380 million purchase price in 2002

Cubs valued at $3.1 billion, a 244-percent increase over the $900 million purchase price in 2009

Indians valued at $1.15 billion, a 256-percent increase over the $323 million purchase price in 2000

Even a medium market like Cleveland has been a money-making endeavor for the Dolans, owners of the Indians. Which is why you should roll your eyes when seeing something like this.

Really shameful that #Indians develop a star like Lindor and have no shot of signing him to long-term deal. Baseball is beyond broken.

— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) December 21, 2019

The Indians very much have a shot at signing Francisco Lindor to a long-term contract. Their owners have seen their franchise nearly quadruple in value in two decades, and could absolutely afford it. That such a decision is being framed as something forced upon the Indians rather than a conscious, money-saving choice by the team.

Lindor has two years until free agency, and is projected to make $16.7 million through salary arbitration in 2020. In other words, he’s getting expensive. But as a switch-hitting shortstop with excellent defense and averages of 42 doubles and 34 home runs the last three years, he’s exactly the type of rare talent a team should back up the Brinks truck for.

The Indians won 93 games in 2019 but still missed the playoffs after three straight division titles. They should be doing everything possible to squeeze as many extra wins as possible to get back in the postseason, but their big move this offseason was trading away two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber, a move that will benefit Cleveland in the bottom line more than the standings.

Hot corner, hot rumors

Nolan Arenado has a Gold Glove for each of his seven seasons with the Rockies, to go with five All-Star selections and top-8 MVP finishes in the last five years. In theory, Colorado already kept their man, signing the wonderful third baseman to an eight-year, $260 million contract before the 2019 season. But still:

Sources: Nolan Arenado has roughly a 50/50 chance of being traded, with a half-dozen teams having checked in, as I just reported on @MLBNetwork. The #Dodgers are *not* the most likely destination, as #Rockies prefer not to trade Arenado in the division. @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 2, 2020

That’s four stars with their original teams, at ages 26-29 in 2020. All-Stars in their prime, the exact type of players every team should want to hold onto and never let go.

Major League Baseball in the last few collective bargaining agreements neutered spending on amateur talent, first with draft slot values with penalties for going over, then with a hard cap on international spending. We’re seeing now, with the trade rumors involving Betts, Bryant, and Lindor, that even arbitration salaries are giving teams pause. Arbitration projections also hastened the jettisoning of non-stars yet productive players like Jonathan Villar, Yolmer Sanchez, and Kevin Pillar, to name a few.

These are all cost cutting measures. It extends to minor league baseball, too, with MLB’s proposed response to minor leaguers getting substandard pay is to eliminate a quarter of the minors altogether.

Major League Baseball had another record year for revenue in 2019, bringing in a reported $10.7 billion. Remember that if one or more of these stars get traded. When an owner says how hard they would have liked to keep said star in their city but they just couldn’t afford it. Just know that the owner is lying, and trading the popular star was a choice. A cost-cutting one at that.

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viraljournalist · 5 years

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Power Rankings -- Who starred for each team in 2019

New Post has been published on https://viraljournalist.com/power-rankings-who-starred-for-each-team-in-2019/

Power Rankings -- Who starred for each team in 2019

Heading into the last week of the season, the division races are almost all won, leaving the wild-card races to provide a bit of drama. You’ll find some of that same balance between certainty and anticipation in this week’s rankings. The voters unanimously selected the newly crowned American League West champion Astros our unanimous No. 1 over the challenges from the Dodgers and Yankees. They also rewarded the teams doing the best job of securing their wild-card bids, with the A’s cracking the top five and the Brewers climbing up to No. 11.

For Week 25, our panel of voters was Bradford Doolittle, Christina Kahrl, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian and David Schoenfield.

Houston Astros 2019 record: 102-54 Week 24 ranking: 1

While another World Series title would be nice, several awards should be coming Houston’s way this fall. Right-hander Justin Verlander figures to earn his second Cy Young Award (he won with Detroit in 2011), likely holding off teammate Gerrit Cole. Meanwhile, rookie outfielder Yordan Alvarez boasts an OPS better than 1.000 and could end up knocking in a run per game. Sure, Alvarez has played barely half a big league season, but the numbers are ridiculous. Carlos Correa won top AL rookie honors in 2015, but he did not have numbers like these. — Eric Karabell

ICYMI: A superteam showdown? A historic rematch? The World Series matchups we want to see

Los Angeles Dodgers 2019 record: 100-56 Week 24 ranking: 2

Cody Bellinger is not only the Dodgers’ MVP for 2019, but probably the favorite to win the National League MVP, as well. Clayton Kershaw won MVP honors in 2014, but the last Dodgers position player to win was Kirk Gibson in 1988. With 8.6 bWAR entering Sunday, Bellinger has recorded just the 11th 8-WAR season by a position player in Dodgers history and the highest since Adrian Beltre’s 9.6 in 2004. The others: Mike Piazza, Willie Davis, Duke Snider (three times), Jackie Robinson (three times) and Dan Brouthers. — David Schoenfield

ICYMI: How the Dodgers are better built for October than everyone else

New York Yankees 2019 record: 102-55 Week 24 ranking: 3

Yankees fans like to spin DJ LeMahieu as an overall AL MVP candidate. He has been an amazing story, but he isn’t on the level of Mike Trout or Alex Bregman. However, LeMahieu clearly is the team MVP with 6.0 WAR, plus some bonus points for his ability to play all over the field. LeMahieu leads the team in runs and RBIs and still has a shot at the AL batting crown. I guess he can hit outside of Coors Field.– Schoenfield

ICYMI: Severino’s sizzling return shakes up October picture

Atlanta Braves 2019 record: 96-61 Week 24 ranking: 4

Ronald Acuna Jr. and Freddie Freeman are potential top-five finishers in the NL MVP vote — but they only rank third and fifth on the team in bWAR: Josh Donaldson 5.9, Mike Soroka 5.6, Acuna 5.5, Ozzie Albies 4.8, Freeman 4.6. Who do you have? I give the slightest of nods to Acuna. That power/speed combo at the top of the lineup sets the tone, plus he has started in center, left and right, with very good defensive metrics. — Schoenfield

ICYMI:

Who was Braves’ best addition to earn NL East repeat?

Oakland Athletics 2019 record: 94-62 Week 24 ranking: 6

With 32 home runs and 120 runs scored, shortstop Marcus Semien clearly is having a season for the ages from the leadoff slot for the A’s. But his 7.9 WAR also ranks 19th among MLB shortstops since 1947, and just three shortstops have delivered that kind of season in the past 20 years — Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, Hall-worthy Alex Rodriguez and peer Francisco Lindor just last season. — Christina Kahrl

ICYMI: How the A’s rebuilt a winner without tanking

Minnesota Twins 2019 record: 96-60 Week 24 ranking: 5

Shortstop Jorge Polanco will not lead the Twins in home runs or RBIs, but he is the clear club leader in wins above replacement and makes the strongest case for Twins MVP. Yes, five Twins have surpassed 30 home runs, but Polanco is by far the leader in hits and total bases. A year ago, Polanco served an 80-game PED suspension, and while he hit in the second half, few viewed him as a potential star. Prospect Nick Gordon figured to displace Polanco at some point. Few are talking about that now. Good for Polanco, a rock for the likely AL Central champs in the No. 2 lineup spot and at shortstop. — Karabell

Tampa Bay Rays 2019 record: 92-64 Week 24 ranking: 7

The Rays might or might not reach the playoffs, but they’ve already topped 90 wins. They have one position player (Willy Adames) with a chance to play in 150 games and just one pitcher anywhere close to qualifying for the ERA title. That pitcher, Charlie Morton, has been the one Rays starter who has simply been there for the team all season. He is going to end up with 33 starts and over 190 innings, with a 143 ERA+. The Rays might have been able to piece together his innings total had Morton thrown, say, 100 IP. But thanks to him, they didn’t have to, and his performance would have been tough to replicate even with Tampa Bay’s hive approach to roster building. — Bradford Doolittle

ICYMI: What do the Rays have to do to make the playoffs?

St. Louis Cardinals 2019 record: 89-67 Week 24 ranking: 8

Four critical victories in Chicago during the weekend have the Cardinals on the verge of clinching the NL Central title, having already earned at least a wild-card spot. It has been a total team effort of late, with numerous Cardinals players standing out. But one in particular has been veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright: He has won four consecutive starts to begin September, with an 0.33 ERA in those games. — Tristan H. Cockcroft

ICYMI:

Cards close in on postseason return at Cubs’ expense

Cleveland Indians 2019 record: 92-64 Week 24 ranking: 10

Projection systems such as ZiPS of FanGraphs’ Dan Szymborski picked Shane Bieber as a big breakout player in 2019. But seeing that on the page is one thing; watching it unfold over six months of baseball is another. Bieber has posted a league-best walk rate, he leads the majors in complete games and shutouts, his 10.9 K/9 rates in MLB’s top 10 — and we would not be talking about the Indians’ shot at winning an AL wild card if not for his stepping up during the same season that saw Cleveland lose former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber to injury. — Kahrl

ICYMI: Inside the Indians’ season-long domination of the Tigers

Washington Nationals 2019 record: 85-69 Week 24 ranking: 9

Anthony Rendon has earned himself a massive payout this winter as a free agent with a season that could win him NL MVP honors. He finished fifth in 2014 and sixth in 2017, but he will go higher this year. He is right up there with Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich as the top three favorites. And with Yelich missing the final two-plus weeks and Bellinger fading a bit down the stretch, Rendon could steals honors after hitting .351 in the second half with 58 RBIs in 65 games. — Schoenfield

ICYMI: Scherzer no lock to start wild-card game for Nats

Milwaukee Brewers 2019 record: 86-70 Week 24 ranking: 13

The question isn’t whether Christian Yelich is the most valuable player in Milwaukee, it’s whether he is once again the NL MVP — and that question remains open. However, that Yelich is head and shoulders above his teammates only underscores how special it is that the Brewers have rolled on even after his season was ended by a broken kneecap. Milwaukee had won 10 of 12 since Yelich last played on Sept. 10, and his replacement, rookie Trent Grisham, has filled in effectively. — Doolittle

ICYMI: Yelich talks about his injury

Chicago Cubs 2019 record: 82-74 Week 24 ranking: 11

The MVP of the Cubs’ season is a little difficult to suss out. Kris Bryant is probably the best player. Javier Baez remains the most dynamic and has a huge impact defensively. But I’ll go with Anthony Rizzo as the best combination of all the above. On a team that has been less than the sum of its parts for two seasons in a row, Rizzo has flourished situationally, with a big edge on Bryant and, especially, Baez in win probably added. On the intangible front, his early return from a badly sprained ankle for this weekend’s huge series against St. Louis was Willis Reed stuff. Rizzo is the heart and soul of the Cubs. — Doolittle

ICYMI: Even Rizzo’s magic can’t save these Cubs

Boston Red Sox 2019 record: 81-74 Week 24 ranking: 12

For any grief outgoing Red Sox baseball ops honcho Dave Dombrowski has and will receive, he figures to be able to point to the six-year, $120 million extension he gave to Xander Bogaerts as a big positive. Boston’s World Series defense was a dud, but don’t blame Bogaerts. He delivered the goods after signing his big deal this past offseason, establishing career highs in virtually every offensive category, playing improved defense and looking like a foundation piece for a Red Sox team that potentially faces significant change in the near future. — Steve Richards

ICYMI:

Why nobody might want to be Boston’s GM

New York Mets 2019 record: 81-74 Week 24 ranking: 14

Rookie Pete Alonso and versatile stalwart Jeff McNeil have definitely been the most valuable Mets hitters this season, but give credit to outfielder Michael Conforto for reaching 30 home runs for the first time. Conforto might never graduate to top-10 status among major league outfielders, but there is a statistical baseline for reliable power, a strong walk rate and competent defense. And at 26 years old, he can still improve. Better results versus left-handed pitching would be nice, and he is not really a center fielder, but Conforto has become a reliable, if occasionally overlooked, performer. — Karabell

ICYMI:

Law on how McNeil surpassed preseason expectations

Arizona Diamondbacks 2019 record: 80-76 Week 24 ranking: 15

Ketel Marte won’t win the NL MVP, but he is just outside the inner circle of contenders in one of the most surprising breakout seasons of 2019. Heck, he even had an All-Star team named after him. Placing sixth in baseball in WAR among position players, as well as seventh in slugging and OPS, plus having the versatility to play center field, second base and even a little shortstop, will do that for you. — Richards

ICYMI: Back injury ends Marte’s season

Philadelphia Phillies 2019 record: 79-75 Week 24 ranking: 16

The Phillies will look to lock up catcher J.T. Realmuto to a long-term contract this offseason. Realmuto sailed past career bests in home runs and runs batted in, and his excellent work throwing out potential base stealers should result in his first Gold Glove recognition. Myriad Phillies are to blame for the disappointing season — from the rotation to the injured bullpen to the inconsistent offense — and, clearly, management gets no pass. But Realmuto, acquired from the Marlins in February, has been awesome. — Karabell

ICYMI: Are Phillies MLB’s biggest disappointment of 2019?

Cincinnati Reds 2019 record: 72-83 Week 24 ranking: 18

Eugenio Suarez continued to build on his historic season despite the Reds’ elimination last week. Suarez hit home run No. 48 on Wednesday, moving him within four of George Foster’s 42-year-old franchise record, and he now has batted .358/.442/.806 with nine homers in 19 games in September. He has been one of the team’s better stories in an otherwise forgettable year. — Cockcroft

ICYMI:

Castillo, Suarez rank among Law’s biggest surprises of 2019

Texas Rangers 2019 record: 75-81 Week 24 ranking: 17

As flawed as WAR might be in judging pitchers, if one of your guys leads baseball in that category for virtually the whole season, it’s hard to argue he isn’t your MVP. That applies to the Rangers’ Mike Minor, who just in the past week or so was passed by Justin Verlander but still ranks second among MLB pitchers with a 7.5 WAR. Of course, Minor’s teammate Lance Lynn is just behind Minor with 6.7 WAR, fourth in baseball, and also is fourth in FanGraphs WAR at 6.0, while Minor is 19th in fWAR (4.0). So take your pick. — Richards

San Francisco Giants 2019 record: 75-81 Week 24 ranking: 19

Let’s accentuate the positive here and celebrate Madison Bumgarner getting back over 30 starts and 200 innings pitched for the first time since 2016, following two fluke injury-shortened seasons. With MadBum heading toward free agency, it was a great bounce-back campaign from one of the defining stars of the decade. Of course, it also inspired the Giants to keep him at the trade deadline as they briefly flirted with contention, which didn’t turn out quite as well. — Kahrl

ICYMI: Mike Yaz — HR in Fenway ‘super special’

Los Angeles Angels 2019 record: 70-86 Week 24 ranking: 21

Infielder David Fletcher is likely to end up the second-most valuable Angels player by WAR, which is something few expected back in March. Fletcher, in his second big league season, has played more than 35 games at three different infield positions — and also has aided in the outfield — and he easily will lead the club in hits. No, Fletcher is not much of a power hitter, but contact options remain important to a lineup, especially when they can handle most every position. Who knows what happens in 2020 or whether Fletcher secures a starting role, but for 2019 give the 25-year-old much credit. — Karabell

San Diego Padres 2019 record: 70-86 Week 24 ranking: 20

The firing of manager Andy Green on Saturday creates an attractive opening for the team’s next prospective skipper, coming off a season in which rookies Chris Paddack and Fernando Tatis Jr. should pick up votes in the Rookie of the Year race and the team has had a strong core consisting of Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Kirby Yates. But the beneath-the-radar story of the Padres’ second half has been Dinelson Lamet, who has a 3.20 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 45 innings in eight starts since Aug. 1. — Cockcroft

ICYMI:

Why was Pads manager Andy Green fired?

Chicago White Sox 2019 record: 68-87 Week 24 ranking: 24

The ChiSox’s 2019 MVP, Lucas Giolito, may not have more to contribute this season now that he’s shelved for the remainder of the season, but his emergence as a top-tier starter is a cornerstone development for a team emerging from a rebuild. Giolito has improved in every facet. His strikeouts are up by more than five per nine innings. His walks per nine have dropped from 4.7 to 2.9. And when everyone is hitting home runs, Giolito has given up fewer long balls than a season ago. He has been consistent and durable, traits increasingly rare among starting pitchers. The White Sox hope that a year or two from now we’ll see Giolito as just one of their aces, but for the time being at least they have one. — Doolittle

ICYMI: Sox shut Giolito down with lat strain

Toronto Blue Jays 2019 record: 63-93 Week 24 ranking: 26

Yes, he leads the Blue Jays in batting average (.276) and OPS (.789), but he is just seventh on the team with 15 home runs and his WAR logs in at 0.0. Still, the numbers matter not — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the slam dunk MVP of the Jays for invigorating baseball in Toronto (and beyond) and providing great hope for years of excitement and electricity to come. — Richards

ICYMI: Biggios now second father-son duo to hit for cycles

Seattle Mariners 2019 record: 66-90 Week 24 ranking: 25

No team has ever employed more players in one season than the 67 that have shuffled through Seattle in 2019. What, you don’t remember Zac Rosscup, Parker Markel, David Freitas or Nick Rumbelow? Backup catcher Tom Murphy leads position players in WAR, which says everything you want to know about this team. But I’ll give team MVP honors to Marco Gonzales, who has won 16 games with a 4.09 ERA, even more impressive considering Seattle’s defense has been among the worst in the majors. — Schoenfield

Colorado Rockies 2019 record: 67-89 Week 24 ranking: 23

The Rockies continue to audition youngsters for potential 2020 roles this September, and one of their bright spots this month has been utility man Garrett Hampson. The 24-year-old rookie has made starts at second base, shortstop and center field; and he has batted .357/.410/.589 with three home runs and has seven stolen bases this month. — Cockcroft

Pittsburgh Pirates 2019 record: 65-91 Week 24 ranking: 22

With all due respect to Josh Bell, Adam Frazier and Bryan Reynolds, Starling Marte’s performance seems to drive the Pirates’ performance unlike any other player. He has been sidelined for the past 13 days with a wrist issue, during which time the Pirates are 2-9. In fact, accounting for any of Marte’s absences this season, the Pirates are just 4-20 when he has been unavailable to play. — Cockcroft

Kansas City Royals 2019 record: 57-100 Week 24 ranking: 27

You’d like to see a team MVP be a little more well-rounded than Jorge Soler, but in absence of an obvious pick, his record-setting home run spree is enough to get the nod. Soler already has obliterated Mike Moustakas’ single-season franchise mark for homers, and with Mike Trout out for the remainder of the season, Soler’s next dinger will make him the Royals’ first home run champion. He still defends like the designated hitter he ought to be, but Soler’s power display has given Royals fans something to follow during a rebuilding season. — Doolittle

Miami Marlins 2019 record: 54-101 Week 24 ranking: 28

A fractured finger ended his season a month ago, but it reflects just how shallow a talent pool the Fish swim in that Brian Anderson still is the easy choice for most valuable Marlin. A defensive asset at third base and out in right field, like most non-Marlins he also had a breakout season at the plate, setting career highs in extra-base hits despite playing in 30 fewer games than in 2018. — Kahrl

Baltimore Orioles 2019 record: 51-105 Week 24 ranking: 29

For a team on pace for just 53 wins, the Orioles have a few reasonable choices for an MVP. Trey Mancini has an .889 OPS, 36 doubles, 34 home runs, 101 runs and 93 RBIs. Jonathan Villar has 3.9 WAR and 38 stolen bases. And Hanser Alberto has 3.1 WAR and a .310 batting average. But our co-MVPs are Chris Davis and Henry Frasca. Huh? Davis, with a .176/.268/.315 slash line and just 11 home runs to offset 134 whiffs? And who is Henry Frasca? He is a 9-year-old fan from Massachusetts who wrote a letter of encouragement to Davis during his record 0-for-54 stretch in April. Davis was so moved, he kept the letter with him throughout the season and spent the afternoon with Henry on a return trip to Fenway Park in August. After watching this video, we suspect you’ll endorse our pick. — Richards

Detroit Tigers 2019 record: 46-109 Week 24 ranking: 30

A rough second half took a lot of the shine off Matthew Boyd’s big campaign, but his first-half 3.87 ERA turned heads and his full-season 11.6 K/9, good for sixth in the majors, should keep them turned. And sure, while pitcher wins don’t mean much, you try flirting with a .500 season (he is 9-11) while pitching for a team due to lose more than 110 games and featuring MLB’s worst offense. — Kahrl

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