The Derek Falvey era officially began a few weeks ago with his first offseason move. That move was to sign a catcher who hit .210 last year to a three year deal. I've been trying to look at this positively, convince myself that Falvey is a genius, that he knows something we don't. Unfortunately, after looking at this from all angles, it doesn't look good.
Let's start with the good stuff: Castro is an excellent pitch framer, stealing 96 strikes last year, according to StatCorner. This is a huge upgrade over Suzuki who, according to that same site, cost the Twins 38 strikes last year. Castro is a former first round pick and was an all star in 2013, so we know he has the potential to be pretty good. Also, his name is an anagram for "On taco jars". Being the optimist that I am, I'm going to consider that a good sign.
Now for the bad news: Just about everything else. That all star 2013 season was inflated by a .351 BABIP, a mark he hasn't come within 50 points of in three seasons since then. On a related note, in those seasons, he's hit .222, .211, and .210 respectively.
So what alternatives did the Twins have? One option would have been to go after Wilson Ramos. He won't be ready to start the season because of his ACL injury, but that injury significantly brought down his price range to the two year 12 million dollar deal that he signed with Tampa Bay. If he fully recovers he could be a major deal. Another option could have been resigning Kurt Suzuki to a one year deal, dealt with one more year of him and then gone after Yasmani Grandal, who's basically a rich man's Castro.
While we're on the subject of things the Twins should do, here's one more: Trade Dozier. His value's never going to be higher than it is right now. This is a very streaky hitter who's going to be 30 in May. Jorge Polanco seems to be ready to play fulltime and dealing Dozier would allow the Twins to address their more pressing dire pitching situation.
We saw a less extreme version of this play out with Plouffe over the last few years. Between 2014 and 2015 he hit .251 with 36 homers and a whopping 75 doubles. If the Twins had traded him after either of those seasons they could have gotten a few prospects for him at the very least, but they hung onto him and released him last month. Let's hope they don't make the same mistake with Dozier.
Kirby Puckett
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Notes from the Gophers' Preseason Opener
After a disastrous 2015-16 season, Gopher basketball was back in action Friday night at Williams Arena against the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns. I was there. Here's a look at some of the players looked, new and old.
Reggie Lynch
Of all of the new players, Lynch impressed me the most. He looked comfortable in the post, scoring several of his ten points there. But what impressed me the most was how he protected the rim. He only had one block but affected at least five other shots throughout the game. Rim protection was something the Gophers were badly lacking last year with their top frontcourt player, Jordan Murphy, standing at only 6'6". If Minnesota makes drastic improvements this year, Lynch will be a big part of it.
Amir Coffey
The top recruit out of Hopkins looked solid but unspectacular in his debut. What stood out to me the most was 1) his size, standing at 6'8" and playing guard, and 2) despite that, his face makes him appear to be about 15 years old. He scored 13 points on 3-for-5 shooting including 2-for-3 on threes. He was also aggressive, getting to the line eight times.
Akeem Springs
Springs looked intriguing, standing out for a couple reasons, including his hair, which I can't find a good picture to link to but it doesn't matter because you have to see it in person to fully appreciate its beauty. He looks like he has the potential to be a energy guy off the bench, who can make a real difference if he's hot, which he was in and first half and not in the second. In his 23 minutes he managed to jack up ten shots including eight threes, making three of those plus two free throws for 11 points on the night.
Michael Hurt
He only played 12 minutes and didn't do anything particularly noteworthy. I just bring him up to say that he'll take Joey King's old spot as the team's awkward looking local white guy.
Jordan Murphy
Last season, Murphy's inconsistency was one of the most frustrating and perplexing parts of the team, which is really saying something. He's excellent in the post despite his size but his biggest weakness was staying on the court because of foul trouble. The aforementioned small stature for a frontcourt player made it tough for him to guard taller players, so his troubles on defense would often take one of the Gophers' top offensive players off the court. Both of those qualities were on display Friday, as he looked good, scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds, but four fouls limited him to just 18 minutes.
Nate Mason
The Gophers' most reliable player from last year had his usual solid game scoring 15 points and dishing out seven assists. For the team to make any improvements this year, he needs to make the leap from solid starter to potential all Big Ten.
Reggie Lynch
Of all of the new players, Lynch impressed me the most. He looked comfortable in the post, scoring several of his ten points there. But what impressed me the most was how he protected the rim. He only had one block but affected at least five other shots throughout the game. Rim protection was something the Gophers were badly lacking last year with their top frontcourt player, Jordan Murphy, standing at only 6'6". If Minnesota makes drastic improvements this year, Lynch will be a big part of it.
Amir Coffey
The top recruit out of Hopkins looked solid but unspectacular in his debut. What stood out to me the most was 1) his size, standing at 6'8" and playing guard, and 2) despite that, his face makes him appear to be about 15 years old. He scored 13 points on 3-for-5 shooting including 2-for-3 on threes. He was also aggressive, getting to the line eight times.
Akeem Springs
Springs looked intriguing, standing out for a couple reasons, including his hair, which I can't find a good picture to link to but it doesn't matter because you have to see it in person to fully appreciate its beauty. He looks like he has the potential to be a energy guy off the bench, who can make a real difference if he's hot, which he was in and first half and not in the second. In his 23 minutes he managed to jack up ten shots including eight threes, making three of those plus two free throws for 11 points on the night.
Michael Hurt
He only played 12 minutes and didn't do anything particularly noteworthy. I just bring him up to say that he'll take Joey King's old spot as the team's awkward looking local white guy.
Jordan Murphy
Last season, Murphy's inconsistency was one of the most frustrating and perplexing parts of the team, which is really saying something. He's excellent in the post despite his size but his biggest weakness was staying on the court because of foul trouble. The aforementioned small stature for a frontcourt player made it tough for him to guard taller players, so his troubles on defense would often take one of the Gophers' top offensive players off the court. Both of those qualities were on display Friday, as he looked good, scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds, but four fouls limited him to just 18 minutes.
Nate Mason
The Gophers' most reliable player from last year had his usual solid game scoring 15 points and dishing out seven assists. For the team to make any improvements this year, he needs to make the leap from solid starter to potential all Big Ten.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Friday Playoff Recap
After a crazy day of playoff baseball, here's a quick look at each game and who contributed the most.
Blue Jays 5 Rangers 3
Game Balls
1. Troy Tulowitzki
The shortstop continued his hot hitting from the Wild Card game on Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with a homer.
2. Roberto Osuna
Osuna entered the game in as tough of a situation as you'll see a reliever in, with the tying run at the plate in Ian Desmond and Francisco Liriano having left the game after being struck in the neck by a line drive. He got Desmond to ground out en route to a five out save.
3. Ian Desmond
The most notable person since George Bush to relocate from Washington to Texas quietly had a solid game, picking up three hits and driving in two runs.
Game Goat
Jonathan Lucroy
Nobody had an outstandingly terrible game, but somebody has to be the goat, so I'm giving it to Lucroy, the high priced catcher from Milwaukee who went 0-for-five today.
Indians 6 Red Sox 0
Game Balls
1. Corey Kluber
Kluber went up against a tough Boston lineup and didn't allow any runs while striking out seven over seven innings.
2. Brandon Guyer
The Cleveland left fielder had three hits, driving in one and scoring two runs.
3. Lonnie Chisenhall
The third baseman turned right fielder hit a big two run homer to right in the second inning to put the Indians up 4-0.
Game Goat
David Price
Price's postseason woes continued, allowing five runs in three and a third innings. That moved his career postseason ERA to 5.54. On an unrelated note, he's being paid 30 million dollars a year for the until 2022. He needs to turn things around fast for the Red Sox to have any chance because you can't make it far with your number two starter pitching like Mike Pelfrey.
Dodgers 4 Nationals 3
Game Balls
1. Justin Turner
Turner went 2-for-3 with a homer off of Scherzer in the third.
2. Kenley Jansen
Similar to Osuna, Jansen came in in the eighth to record a five out save.
3. Anthony Rendon
Rendon has been a little disappointing since failing to build on his 2014 season, but he's still been a solid player and had a good game last night, going 2-for-4 with a key RBI single in the third the get the Nats back in the game.
Game Goat
Max Scherzer
He didn't have a complete meltdown, but four runs in six innings isn't good for anyone, much less a number one starter and Cy Young candidate.
Cubs 1 Giants 0
Game Balls
1. Jon Lester
He played with fire early, allowing two Giants into scoring position in the fourth, but got out of it with nobody crossing the plate and eventually settled in to retire the last 16 guys he faced.
2. Johnny Cueto
Despite the loss, Cueto was nothing short of masterful, going eight innings, striking out ten, allowing three hits with only one run scoring on a mistake to Baez.
3. Javier Baez
His clutch 3-2 homer off of Cueto in the eighth provided the only run for either team.
Game Goat
None
I know what I said earlier about each game having to have a goat, but this was so well played it would be unfair to name somebody. Let's hope we get at least one more like this today.
Blue Jays 5 Rangers 3
Game Balls
1. Troy Tulowitzki
The shortstop continued his hot hitting from the Wild Card game on Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with a homer.
2. Roberto Osuna
Osuna entered the game in as tough of a situation as you'll see a reliever in, with the tying run at the plate in Ian Desmond and Francisco Liriano having left the game after being struck in the neck by a line drive. He got Desmond to ground out en route to a five out save.
3. Ian Desmond
The most notable person since George Bush to relocate from Washington to Texas quietly had a solid game, picking up three hits and driving in two runs.
Game Goat
Jonathan Lucroy
Nobody had an outstandingly terrible game, but somebody has to be the goat, so I'm giving it to Lucroy, the high priced catcher from Milwaukee who went 0-for-five today.
Indians 6 Red Sox 0
Game Balls
1. Corey Kluber
Kluber went up against a tough Boston lineup and didn't allow any runs while striking out seven over seven innings.
2. Brandon Guyer
The Cleveland left fielder had three hits, driving in one and scoring two runs.
3. Lonnie Chisenhall
The third baseman turned right fielder hit a big two run homer to right in the second inning to put the Indians up 4-0.
Game Goat
David Price
Price's postseason woes continued, allowing five runs in three and a third innings. That moved his career postseason ERA to 5.54. On an unrelated note, he's being paid 30 million dollars a year for the until 2022. He needs to turn things around fast for the Red Sox to have any chance because you can't make it far with your number two starter pitching like Mike Pelfrey.
Dodgers 4 Nationals 3
Game Balls
1. Justin Turner
Turner went 2-for-3 with a homer off of Scherzer in the third.
2. Kenley Jansen
Similar to Osuna, Jansen came in in the eighth to record a five out save.
3. Anthony Rendon
Rendon has been a little disappointing since failing to build on his 2014 season, but he's still been a solid player and had a good game last night, going 2-for-4 with a key RBI single in the third the get the Nats back in the game.
Game Goat
Max Scherzer
He didn't have a complete meltdown, but four runs in six innings isn't good for anyone, much less a number one starter and Cy Young candidate.
Cubs 1 Giants 0
Game Balls
1. Jon Lester
He played with fire early, allowing two Giants into scoring position in the fourth, but got out of it with nobody crossing the plate and eventually settled in to retire the last 16 guys he faced.
2. Johnny Cueto
Despite the loss, Cueto was nothing short of masterful, going eight innings, striking out ten, allowing three hits with only one run scoring on a mistake to Baez.
3. Javier Baez
His clutch 3-2 homer off of Cueto in the eighth provided the only run for either team.
Game Goat
None
I know what I said earlier about each game having to have a goat, but this was so well played it would be unfair to name somebody. Let's hope we get at least one more like this today.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
What Happened to the D-Backs?
Over the offseason, the Arizona Diamondbacks signed one of the best pitchers on the planet, traded for a solid, young arm and continued to employ one of the best players in the league along with an underrated rising star outfielder. Even if they weren't the favorites in a tough NL West, it looked like they would at least contend. Now, they're in fourth place with a record of 65-91, sitting in dead last. Obviously, things went very, very wrong. Lets take a look at what those things were.
There are so many reasons for this garbage fire of a season, but one of the main ones is A.J. Pollock's injury. The centerfielder had a breakout year in 2015, batting .315/.367/.498, hitting 20 homers and stealing 39 bases, all while playing Gold Glove level defense. He tore an elbow ligament in Spring Training, knocking him out for almost the entire season. Having traded away their 2015 right fielder Ender Inciarte in a deal for Shelby Miller, (more on that debacle later) the D-Backs suddenly found themselves short on outfielders, having to rely on the washed up Michael Bourn before trading him to Baltimore.
The aforementioned Shelby Miller trade is another reason Arizona's underperformed this year. We'll get to who they gave up in a second, but we knew it would likely be bad in the long term. What people weren't expecting, was that to the horror of the Diamondbacks' higher-ups, Miller was a complete disaster this year, posting an ERA of 6.90, setting career worsts in just about every stat, and was basically a poor man's Ricky Nolasco.
It was a bad trade that's only going to get worse as time goes on. Atlanta made off with shortstop Dansby Swanson in the deal. The 2015 number one overall pick is considered to be right up there with Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor as the top young shortstops in the game. So far in his young career, Swanson has hit .300/.347/.400 while providing steady defense at short. Did I mention he's 22 years old? Now, trading a shortstop that young and that good straight up for Shelby Miller is egregious enough, but Arizona also lost Ender Inciarte in the deal. Inciarte had a solid season in Phoenix in 2015 and is now one of the few steady presences on the Braves, hitting .299/.355/.388 with 16 stolen bases.
All this is bad, but it shouldn't have undermined the season, losing Pollock hurt the most out of those, but what has ruined the Diamondbacks season more than anything else is simply that players they were counting on haven't delivered. Zack Greinke was a top three pitcher in all of baseball in 2015, barely losing out on the Cy Young to Jake Arrieta. This year has been a different story, to say the least. His 4.37 ERA puts him in the same neighborhood as guys like Doug Fister and Ricky Nolasco. (Damnit did I just compare two different guys to Ricky Nolasco in the same column?) His 2.2 WAR has him making 15.5 million dollars for every win he brings to the table. For comparison's sake, Kris Bryant is making roughly 74 thousand dollars this year for each of his 8.4 wins. Admittedly, he had been doing better before going on the DL in July, but even then, he was nowhere near the standard he had set over the last few years, sporting an ERA of 3.62..
When you go to the advanced stats, there are a couple of potential reasons for this. One is his move to the hitters park that is Chase Field from the decidedly more spacious Dodger Stadium. That could explain why his homers per nine innings have spiked from .57 to 1.30 this season. Another is that the Diamondbacks rank 18th in baseball in defensive runs saved this year with -11. It isn't terrible, but it's still nine runs worse than the 2015 Dodgers. Those don't totally explain his fall, there's still a lot of mystery, but it at least provides some information.
It wasn't just Greinke disappointing either. Miller, Patrick Corbin, and Robbie Ray all had ERAs of at least 4.77 despite the fact that they're all under the age of 26 and all have had seasons with ERAs under 3.60. In fact, the starting rotation as a whole had a collective ERA this year of 4.37, eighth worst in the league. No matter how much Paul Goldschmidt is raking, it's hard to win with the other team scoring that much.
Everyone knew the NL West was going to be tough this year, with the Dodgers coming off of another strong season and the Giants making improvements (along with it being an even year), so even after the D-Backs signed Greinke and traded for Miller, it was tough to say how much they would contend. After a full season of those guys on that team, we now have the definitive answer: None.
There are so many reasons for this garbage fire of a season, but one of the main ones is A.J. Pollock's injury. The centerfielder had a breakout year in 2015, batting .315/.367/.498, hitting 20 homers and stealing 39 bases, all while playing Gold Glove level defense. He tore an elbow ligament in Spring Training, knocking him out for almost the entire season. Having traded away their 2015 right fielder Ender Inciarte in a deal for Shelby Miller, (more on that debacle later) the D-Backs suddenly found themselves short on outfielders, having to rely on the washed up Michael Bourn before trading him to Baltimore.
The aforementioned Shelby Miller trade is another reason Arizona's underperformed this year. We'll get to who they gave up in a second, but we knew it would likely be bad in the long term. What people weren't expecting, was that to the horror of the Diamondbacks' higher-ups, Miller was a complete disaster this year, posting an ERA of 6.90, setting career worsts in just about every stat, and was basically a poor man's Ricky Nolasco.
It was a bad trade that's only going to get worse as time goes on. Atlanta made off with shortstop Dansby Swanson in the deal. The 2015 number one overall pick is considered to be right up there with Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor as the top young shortstops in the game. So far in his young career, Swanson has hit .300/.347/.400 while providing steady defense at short. Did I mention he's 22 years old? Now, trading a shortstop that young and that good straight up for Shelby Miller is egregious enough, but Arizona also lost Ender Inciarte in the deal. Inciarte had a solid season in Phoenix in 2015 and is now one of the few steady presences on the Braves, hitting .299/.355/.388 with 16 stolen bases.
All this is bad, but it shouldn't have undermined the season, losing Pollock hurt the most out of those, but what has ruined the Diamondbacks season more than anything else is simply that players they were counting on haven't delivered. Zack Greinke was a top three pitcher in all of baseball in 2015, barely losing out on the Cy Young to Jake Arrieta. This year has been a different story, to say the least. His 4.37 ERA puts him in the same neighborhood as guys like Doug Fister and Ricky Nolasco. (Damnit did I just compare two different guys to Ricky Nolasco in the same column?) His 2.2 WAR has him making 15.5 million dollars for every win he brings to the table. For comparison's sake, Kris Bryant is making roughly 74 thousand dollars this year for each of his 8.4 wins. Admittedly, he had been doing better before going on the DL in July, but even then, he was nowhere near the standard he had set over the last few years, sporting an ERA of 3.62..
When you go to the advanced stats, there are a couple of potential reasons for this. One is his move to the hitters park that is Chase Field from the decidedly more spacious Dodger Stadium. That could explain why his homers per nine innings have spiked from .57 to 1.30 this season. Another is that the Diamondbacks rank 18th in baseball in defensive runs saved this year with -11. It isn't terrible, but it's still nine runs worse than the 2015 Dodgers. Those don't totally explain his fall, there's still a lot of mystery, but it at least provides some information.
It wasn't just Greinke disappointing either. Miller, Patrick Corbin, and Robbie Ray all had ERAs of at least 4.77 despite the fact that they're all under the age of 26 and all have had seasons with ERAs under 3.60. In fact, the starting rotation as a whole had a collective ERA this year of 4.37, eighth worst in the league. No matter how much Paul Goldschmidt is raking, it's hard to win with the other team scoring that much.
Everyone knew the NL West was going to be tough this year, with the Dodgers coming off of another strong season and the Giants making improvements (along with it being an even year), so even after the D-Backs signed Greinke and traded for Miller, it was tough to say how much they would contend. After a full season of those guys on that team, we now have the definitive answer: None.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Checking in on the Twins Young Players
Byron Buxton
Every time Buxton's come to the plate this year, my thought process has gone something like this: Ok, here comes Buxton, he's the future, he'll eventually bring us to the World Series. Look at his stance, he looks really good up there. Alright, he just took the first pitch for a strike, nothing wrong with that, Mauer always takes the first pitch, too, now he fouled one back and it's 0-2. From there, I can predict what'll happen. He might take one ball, but it's just delaying the inevitable strike three at a breaking ball in the dirt. A few important things to remember about Buxton before panicking: First, he's only 22 and that's with losing a full year to injuries, not everyone's Mike Trout or Bryce Harper, most guys still need to develop a lot when they're that age. Second, he's still a fantastic fielder and baserunner, regardless of what he does with his other tools, he'll always have that. That said, his lack of progress at the plate is concerning. As I alluded to earlier, not his is he striking out a lot (his 36% is way too much for anyone, much less someone who doesn't hit homers) it's concerning how easily the K's seem to come for pitchers. Not many of his strikeouts come with 3-2 or 2-2 counts but with no or one ball. While behind in the count he's hitting .064/.115/.179. It's concerning and a little terrifying that this is the future of the organization, but we need to just be patient.
Miguel Sano
After being slowed by injuries in the first half of the season and some controversy of not working hard enough to the extent that there were rumors of him being sent down a couple weeks ago, the Dominican power hitter took off, hitting .343/.425/.800 in August. The 123 strikeouts in 82 games in concerning, but he's only 23 and his power shows enough promise that there's enough reason to think that'll improve.
Eddie Rosario
Like Sano, Rosario has come around recently after struggling earlier. Unlike Sano, he actually was sent down, spending the entire month of June in Rochester. After making it back to Minnesota, he's quietly been on a tear, hitting .325 and hitting five of his seven homers since returning while playing mostly in center field. As a side note, Rosario also wins the unofficial award for coolest guy to the team. Every movement he makes in the field looks completely natural and effortless. That alone is enough reason to like him.
Max Kepler
For the past three weeks I've been trying to think of an adequate nickname for Kepler and I haven't been able to come up with one. But that doesn't matter because he's so awesome that he doesn't need one. After a three homer binge against Cleveland started a scorching hot stretch he's moved into the Rookie of the Year discussion with a line of .258/.334/.508 and 15 homers. While watching Kepler, one thing that always stands out to me is how straight and hard he hits the ball. While Sano's homers and long, high, majestic fly balls, Kepler's are typically straighter and get out of the park quickly. 37% of the balls off of his bat have been hit hard, second on the team. He's only 23, so let's hope he can keep it going.
Every time Buxton's come to the plate this year, my thought process has gone something like this: Ok, here comes Buxton, he's the future, he'll eventually bring us to the World Series. Look at his stance, he looks really good up there. Alright, he just took the first pitch for a strike, nothing wrong with that, Mauer always takes the first pitch, too, now he fouled one back and it's 0-2. From there, I can predict what'll happen. He might take one ball, but it's just delaying the inevitable strike three at a breaking ball in the dirt. A few important things to remember about Buxton before panicking: First, he's only 22 and that's with losing a full year to injuries, not everyone's Mike Trout or Bryce Harper, most guys still need to develop a lot when they're that age. Second, he's still a fantastic fielder and baserunner, regardless of what he does with his other tools, he'll always have that. That said, his lack of progress at the plate is concerning. As I alluded to earlier, not his is he striking out a lot (his 36% is way too much for anyone, much less someone who doesn't hit homers) it's concerning how easily the K's seem to come for pitchers. Not many of his strikeouts come with 3-2 or 2-2 counts but with no or one ball. While behind in the count he's hitting .064/.115/.179. It's concerning and a little terrifying that this is the future of the organization, but we need to just be patient.
Miguel Sano
After being slowed by injuries in the first half of the season and some controversy of not working hard enough to the extent that there were rumors of him being sent down a couple weeks ago, the Dominican power hitter took off, hitting .343/.425/.800 in August. The 123 strikeouts in 82 games in concerning, but he's only 23 and his power shows enough promise that there's enough reason to think that'll improve.
Eddie Rosario
Like Sano, Rosario has come around recently after struggling earlier. Unlike Sano, he actually was sent down, spending the entire month of June in Rochester. After making it back to Minnesota, he's quietly been on a tear, hitting .325 and hitting five of his seven homers since returning while playing mostly in center field. As a side note, Rosario also wins the unofficial award for coolest guy to the team. Every movement he makes in the field looks completely natural and effortless. That alone is enough reason to like him.
Max Kepler
For the past three weeks I've been trying to think of an adequate nickname for Kepler and I haven't been able to come up with one. But that doesn't matter because he's so awesome that he doesn't need one. After a three homer binge against Cleveland started a scorching hot stretch he's moved into the Rookie of the Year discussion with a line of .258/.334/.508 and 15 homers. While watching Kepler, one thing that always stands out to me is how straight and hard he hits the ball. While Sano's homers and long, high, majestic fly balls, Kepler's are typically straighter and get out of the park quickly. 37% of the balls off of his bat have been hit hard, second on the team. He's only 23, so let's hope he can keep it going.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Twins to Watch at the Trade Deadline
Kurt Suzuki
The most likely Twin to be traded should have been traded during his last good season of 2014 when he rode a .328 BABIP to hit .316 in the first half and made the AL All Star team. The Twins extended him rather than trading him that summer. This year, his value isn't quite as high as it was that All Star year, but it's not terrible. He rode a scorching hot stretch in June to get his batting average up to the respectable .292 it is right now, and brings a reputation of great intangibles to the table.
Ervin Santana
Santana got his trade value up with a quietly terrific July, only going 2-3 but pitching into the seventh inning in four of his five starts, including two complete games. Overall, his ERA dropped .72 points this month. While he isn't likely to continue pitching like that, he's established enough and has a good enough reputation for any team needing a solid, back of the rotation starter to be interested.
Eduardo Nunez
As you probably heard, the Twins recently shipped Nunez to San Francisco for minor league pitcher Aldalberto Mejia. It's not a bad deal for Minnesota; it was pretty obvious Nunez wasn't in the long term plans, evidenced by his abysmal .197 batting average after the All Star Break. He's actually pretty similar to Suzuki in 2014, only this time the Twins managed to deal him before he lost too much value. Mejia looks like a decent prospect, posting a 2.81 ERA this year between double and triple-A.
Brandon Kintzler
Fernando Abad
Veteran relievers are always wanted commodities around the deadline. Kintzler's stepped up into the closer's role with Perkins' injury and Jepsen's implosion. So far he's done better than most expected, allowing seven runs in 32 innings. Abad overcame some struggles early in the season and has pitched well of late. Both could go to any team looking for relief help, possibly the Cubs if they're still looking to upgrade after getting Chapman. The Rangers and their AL-worst 4.86 bullpen ERA could be another possible trade partner.
The most likely Twin to be traded should have been traded during his last good season of 2014 when he rode a .328 BABIP to hit .316 in the first half and made the AL All Star team. The Twins extended him rather than trading him that summer. This year, his value isn't quite as high as it was that All Star year, but it's not terrible. He rode a scorching hot stretch in June to get his batting average up to the respectable .292 it is right now, and brings a reputation of great intangibles to the table.
Ervin Santana
Santana got his trade value up with a quietly terrific July, only going 2-3 but pitching into the seventh inning in four of his five starts, including two complete games. Overall, his ERA dropped .72 points this month. While he isn't likely to continue pitching like that, he's established enough and has a good enough reputation for any team needing a solid, back of the rotation starter to be interested.
Eduardo Nunez
As you probably heard, the Twins recently shipped Nunez to San Francisco for minor league pitcher Aldalberto Mejia. It's not a bad deal for Minnesota; it was pretty obvious Nunez wasn't in the long term plans, evidenced by his abysmal .197 batting average after the All Star Break. He's actually pretty similar to Suzuki in 2014, only this time the Twins managed to deal him before he lost too much value. Mejia looks like a decent prospect, posting a 2.81 ERA this year between double and triple-A.
Brandon Kintzler
Fernando Abad
Veteran relievers are always wanted commodities around the deadline. Kintzler's stepped up into the closer's role with Perkins' injury and Jepsen's implosion. So far he's done better than most expected, allowing seven runs in 32 innings. Abad overcame some struggles early in the season and has pitched well of late. Both could go to any team looking for relief help, possibly the Cubs if they're still looking to upgrade after getting Chapman. The Rangers and their AL-worst 4.86 bullpen ERA could be another possible trade partner.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Midseason All MLB Team
Pitcher: Clayton Kershaw
I don't need to say anything more. He's Clayton freaking Kershaw. I don't care if he's injured. I don't care how good Arrieta and Sale have been. Kershaw has just been better.
Catcher: Wilson Ramos
Excuse me while I wander into traffic. This is a 27-year-old catcher hitting .327/.380/.523 with 13 homers half way through the season. This is a catcher the Twins traded for the abominable Matt Capps. Abominable isn't even the right word here. Words can't describe how awful it was having Matt Capps in the bullpen. If I had been writing this when he was around he would have overtaken Derek Jeter as my number one person to rant about. Anyway, congratulations to Wilson Ramos for being good, I guess.
First base: Anthony Rizzo
It's tough not going with Goldschmidt here, but Rizzo is beating him in every stat this season. On an unrelated note, I like Rizzo because he's a rare player that not one but two teams are kicking themselves over. He was originally drafted by the Red Sox, who traded him to the Padres in the Adrian Gonzalez deal, and then, in an underrated awful trade, the Padres sent him to Chicago for Kyung-Min Na and Andrew Cashner.
Second base: Jose Altuve
The AL's leading hitter is also leading the league in stolen bases, and even has already tied a career high in homers with 15.
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor
After having the Rookie of the year award stolen from him in 2015, Lindor is just as good of a season this year, hitting .307/.363/.460 with ten homers and 13 stolen bases, while displaying his usual wizardry at shortstop ranking third in the AL in defensive WAR with 1.7.
Third base: Manny Machado
Machado has become one of the best players in the league, and my personal favorite to watch. He's just so smooth and relaxed. You can read the rest of my Machado thoughts here.
Outfielders
Mike Trout
Trout's perch on top as best player in the game reminds me of Adrian Peterson's status as best running back in the NFL. Both facts have generally been accepted by fans, but every couple some new hotshot comes up who people try to say is better, just because they're bored with. With Peterson people tried to say Chris Johnson was better, then Maurice Jones-Drew, and then whoever they could think of. Trout's the same way. Even if Josh Donaldson and Jose Altuve have great stretches, or even a full season for Bryce Harper, it's going to take a lot more than that for anyone to knock off Trout.
Ian Desmond
The offseason's weirdest signing is shaping up to be it's best, as the converted shortstop is hitting .322/375/.524 while playing an above average center field, saving five runs with his glove so far. The good fielding is especially surprising considering he spent most of his career as a subpar fielder at his natural position. The fact that he's good in the outfield makes it even more of a steal for the Rangers.
Marcell OzunaResurrected his career from the dead after a disappointing 2015 season where he hit .259 and had a stint in Triple-A. In a breakout season this year he's emerged as the best player in a loaded Miami outfield with Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich.
I don't need to say anything more. He's Clayton freaking Kershaw. I don't care if he's injured. I don't care how good Arrieta and Sale have been. Kershaw has just been better.
Catcher: Wilson Ramos
Excuse me while I wander into traffic. This is a 27-year-old catcher hitting .327/.380/.523 with 13 homers half way through the season. This is a catcher the Twins traded for the abominable Matt Capps. Abominable isn't even the right word here. Words can't describe how awful it was having Matt Capps in the bullpen. If I had been writing this when he was around he would have overtaken Derek Jeter as my number one person to rant about. Anyway, congratulations to Wilson Ramos for being good, I guess.
First base: Anthony Rizzo
It's tough not going with Goldschmidt here, but Rizzo is beating him in every stat this season. On an unrelated note, I like Rizzo because he's a rare player that not one but two teams are kicking themselves over. He was originally drafted by the Red Sox, who traded him to the Padres in the Adrian Gonzalez deal, and then, in an underrated awful trade, the Padres sent him to Chicago for Kyung-Min Na and Andrew Cashner.
Second base: Jose Altuve
The AL's leading hitter is also leading the league in stolen bases, and even has already tied a career high in homers with 15.
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor
After having the Rookie of the year award stolen from him in 2015, Lindor is just as good of a season this year, hitting .307/.363/.460 with ten homers and 13 stolen bases, while displaying his usual wizardry at shortstop ranking third in the AL in defensive WAR with 1.7.
Third base: Manny Machado
Machado has become one of the best players in the league, and my personal favorite to watch. He's just so smooth and relaxed. You can read the rest of my Machado thoughts here.
Outfielders
Mike Trout
Trout's perch on top as best player in the game reminds me of Adrian Peterson's status as best running back in the NFL. Both facts have generally been accepted by fans, but every couple some new hotshot comes up who people try to say is better, just because they're bored with. With Peterson people tried to say Chris Johnson was better, then Maurice Jones-Drew, and then whoever they could think of. Trout's the same way. Even if Josh Donaldson and Jose Altuve have great stretches, or even a full season for Bryce Harper, it's going to take a lot more than that for anyone to knock off Trout.
Ian Desmond
The offseason's weirdest signing is shaping up to be it's best, as the converted shortstop is hitting .322/375/.524 while playing an above average center field, saving five runs with his glove so far. The good fielding is especially surprising considering he spent most of his career as a subpar fielder at his natural position. The fact that he's good in the outfield makes it even more of a steal for the Rangers.
Marcell OzunaResurrected his career from the dead after a disappointing 2015 season where he hit .259 and had a stint in Triple-A. In a breakout season this year he's emerged as the best player in a loaded Miami outfield with Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich.
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