This page will give mlb scores, statistics, analysis by me, signs, and so much more fun stuff for any baseball fan like me! Please, anyone who can, read my blogs as this is what i want to do as a future! I will try my hardest to post about all of my opinions theories and amuse people. Please contact me on my email, danny25mar42@aol.com if you have any advice or want to put me on the spot with questions!
As we approach the final week before the MLB Trade Deadline, GMs are in business all day and night trying to make mutually beneficial trades or make the best trade offer to achieve the best fitting players for their team on the trading block. In the past 24 hours, the first wave of noteworthy moves hit the surface.
Astros Acquire Scott Kazmir from Oakland for RHP Daniel Medgen and C Jason Nottingham
In the first blockbuster trade of the season, Scott Kazmir has been dealt to Houston (his hometown), where he will join an already-solid rotation led by Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh, alongside impressive 2015 breakout pitcher, Lance McCullers.
The Oakland Athletics will receive pitching prospect Daniel Mengden and catcher Jason Nottingham in return. I think the Astros are going to really benefit from this trade, as Kazmir will add much needed depth to that pitching rotation.
This is a significant trade for the Athletics because it serves as an indicator that Billy Beane wants to get younger and rebuild. Mengden is a 22 year old righthanded pitcher who has struggled thus far at the A-ball level, but has a lot of upside.
Here’s what Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs had to say about the young right-hander:
“He isn’t big and doesn’t have a plus pitch, but has good feel, three solid average pitches and athleticism.”
I don’t think he will be lights-out, but Mengden can potentially eat up a lot of innings for Oakland in the future. I wasn’t surprised to hear that Beane and the A’s are mostly excited about Nottingham in this deal though. He will most likely stay behind the plate when he enters the Bigs, which is interesting, as his strong suits are hitting for power and getting on base, not saving runs defensively.
I honestly think the Astros got a bargain for Kazmir, a veteran swing-and-miss pitcher, and the A’s undervalued him here. Kazmir has a 2.38 ERA in 2015, which is good for 5th in the AL this year.
Pirates acquire Aramis Ramirez from the Brewers for RHP Yhonathan Barrios
With infielders Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison on the shelf for a good portion of the second half, the contending Pittsburgh Pirates desperately needed a third basemen. Stepping up and trading for Aramis Ramirez is surely a risk, but they didn’t really have much of a choice.
I’m aware that Aramis Ramirez has been red hot in the month of May, but he is 37 years old now. His hitting metrics have been on a steep decline ever since his MVP-candidate-worthy 2012 season. His Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) has dropped from 139 to 131 to 109 to 94. He has been a below average hitter in 2015.
On the brightside, this deal could really pan out for the Pirates. Aramis Ramirez is retiring at the end of the 2015 season, or at least that’s what he says, players of his caliber, more often than not, finish off their careers gracefully. Ramirez is now on a good team with a chance to win a World Series before his legacy concludes.
One other reason he could be valuable is the fact that he has a dWAR of 7 this season, when he usually is worse than a replacement player when it comes to fielding his corner. He also can platoon for Alvarez when the opposition is a left-handed hurler.
Knowing that they won’t be contenders this season, the Brewers gave the Pirates Aramis Ramirez because they’re in win-now mode, and they won’t have lost Ramirez for any more years than this one. Therefore, there was no reason for the Brewers to keep him, because he is never again going to make a difference concerning whether they make the playoffs or not.
This is a smart deal for Milwaukee, as the Brewers receive a minor league relief pitcher who can help them in the future for what is equivalent to no expense. This trade is good for both the Pirates and the Brew Crew.
Angels acquire Conor Gillaspie from the White Sox
The Halos were much in need of a third baseman other than David Freese, so they signed Connor Gillaspie. Gillaspie started this year off as the starting third baseman for the Sox, but was designated for assignment after struggling horribly. His walk percentage in 2015 has been below 4%, showing that he hasn’t seen the ball well at all this year, and he has never been a good fielder.
I don’t think this is a bad signing by GM Jerry Dipoto. I get that David Freese (who also is a very poor third baseman) is out until mid-August with a right index finger injury, and that the Angels needed a third baseman. But why get another below average player who will hardly outplay the other backup third basemen on the team, Kyle Kubitza and Taylor Featherson?
Cardinals acquire Steve Cishek from the Marlins for RHP Kyle Barraclough
This afternoon, the Cardinals added another arm to their bullpen in Steve Cishek. Steve Cishek had three consecutive awesome years with the Marlins in 2012, 2013, and 2014, but 2015 has been a little disastrous. He has a 4.50 ERA this season with a 9.7% strikeout to walk ratio.
All in all though, the Marlins don’t have any incentive to pay him that bulky contract right now, when they aren’t competitors this year. It’s a simple principle that teams that know they’re bad shouldn’t be spending big money on their setup man or closer.
The Cardinals don’t know what they will get out of Cishek, but they’re hoping his fastball and slider mix will fare well in St. Louis. I think he will be better than he was in Miami, as his BABIP was at .350, but bad luck could continue for him when he makes the location switch.
Meanwhile, the Marlins received AA pitcher Kyle Barraclough from the Cardinals. Here’s what Michael Hurcomb of CBS Sports has to say about Barraclough:
“The 25-year-old Barraclough is 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA and 12 saves in 34 appearances between Class A and Double-A in 2015. The 2012 seventh-round pick is 5-6 with a 2.83 ERA and 25 saves in four minor-league seasons. He is also striking out 11.0 batters per nine innings.”
Latest News: Mets acquire Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson from the Braves for RHP John Gant and RHP Rob Whalen!
This is a great trade for the Mets! They got two players who have proven themselves in the MLB. The Mets’ offense has been so brutal, that Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson could be two of their better hitters.
I read something that made me laugh on Twitter. Kelly Johnson’s statistics on the Braves this year have proven that he has been a better hitter than every single Metropolitan this year.
According to Adam Rubin of ESPN, Kelly Johnson has a better batting average, OPS, and more homers per at bat than any player on the Mets this year. These are the roles the two new additions to the Mets will play, according to Aaron Yorke of Amazin Avenue:
“As the Mets are currently constructed, it looks like Uribe can play third base every day while Johnson fills in wherever the Mets need him. Like the recently promoted Michael Conforto, Johnson is left-handed.”
John Gant is a 22-year old pitcher and Rob Whalen is 21, so it’s evident that the Mets were willing to trade away some of their young developing pitchers.
This trade works out well for the Braves, because they needed some more young pitching hope. If even one of the two makes it big with the Braves, they will have made a good trade. But the important news is that the Mets could actually compete this year with these little batting additions. They shouldn’t be done making moves just yet though. Their lineup is still horrid with the two of them, but it has taken a step in the right direction.
In the last decade, the value of MLB bullpens has soared off, entering a whole new dimension of importance. Managers have found a new way to pitch their relief pitchers and GMs have figured out how to organize their team’s bullpen in a much more effective way.
In 2006, the league’s bullpen Earned Run Average was 4.22. Ever since, that bullpen ERA has improved at least a small amount each and every year. In 2014, the league’s ERA for relief pitchers was 3.58! Now this year thus far, that number is at 3.52.
The biggest factor to all of this success is that general managers are finally noticing how valuable mid-inning relief pitchers are. It used to be a punishment not to start the game or finish the game, but now in some cases, it’s not a bad role to be a setup man. Still I was somewhat shocked when I read this article on therichest.com of the ten highest paid relief pitchers entering the 2014 season. (This, of course,was before Kimbrel received his four-year $42M contract).
1. Jonathan Papelbon, 4 years, $50M, Philadelphia Phillies
2. Rafael Soriano, 2 years, $28M, Washington Nationals
3. Heath Bell, 3 years, $27M, Tampa Bay Rays
4. Brandon League, 3 years, $22.5M, Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Jonathan Broxton, 3 years, $21M, Cincinnati Reds
6. Joe Nathan, 2 years, $20M, Detroit Tigers
7. Brian Wilson, 2 years, $19M, Los Angeles Dodgers
8. Jeremy Affeldt, 3 years, $18M, San Francisco Giants
9. Boone Logan, 3 years, $16.5M, Colorado Rockies
10. Sean Marshall, 3 years, $16.5M, Cincinnati Reds
The mindblowing concept of all of this is the fact that only three of the ten pitchers listed above were payed to close out ballgames. Seven of these pricy contracts went to mid-inning relief pitchers. It goes to show how much teams value their entire bullpen rather than just their closer.
According to Wins Above Replacement, managers aren’t mistaken by valuing middle inning relief pitchers so highly. More than half (16 of 30) of the relief pitcher WAR leaders have less than 10 saves in the 2015 season.
Dellin Betances leads the pack as the setup man for the New York Yankees. He has been good for two wins above a replacement player thus far. In today’s game, having two relief pitchers as great as Miller and Betances is becoming the norm. In fact, the Yankees are one of the teams in the hunt for Cincinatti’s closer (with that wild 103 miles per hour bullet that makes every opposing hitter feel the urge to wet their pants), Aroldis Chapman.
Here, Aroldis Chapman breaks his own record for fastest pitch ever thrown, at 106 mph.
Another reason bullpens are improving each and every year is because the way managers use early-inning relief pitchers has changed a lot. MLB managers have been using long relievers for years, but lately coaches have been smarter when it comes to picking who should pitch in this role.
The new strategy is to put young, unexperienced pitchers in that long reliever role. This works so well because there is a countless amount of phenom hurlers who usually spend a few years in the minors working on a “third pitch”.
Now, MLB teams no longer have to wait for their player to develop in the minors. Instead, they can throw them in the bullpen first, where you can easily get by with a lousy repertoire of two pitches, as long as you have a blazing heater. Some pitchers never seem to develop a good third pitch, and find a home in the bullpen. An example of this is Liam Hendriks, of the Blue Jays.
Hendriks has been hammered in the MLB, with a 5.20 ERA in his five year pitching career. This year, John Gibbons experimented him in the bullpen as a long relief pitcher, and he has been excellent.
According to Fangraphs’ pitch charts, 94.5% of the pitches Hendriks has pitched in 2015 have been either a fastball or slider. His fastball velocity has gone up three miles per hour since last year (now at 94.3 mph). In 39 innings in 2015, Hendriks is having his best year in the MLB. He has put up career-best numbers in K/9, BB/9, ERA, and WHIP. He currently has a 3.00 ERA this year, which is better than league average.
Usually relief pitchers begin their careers as starters. The switch is so effective because when a pitcher loses effect of a pitch, they can either be a hassle to get through in the rotation every five games, or they can be dominant in the bullpen. Managers are doing this more and more in this era, which is a huge reason for the drop in bullpen ERA. ‘
Zach Britton, Mariano Rivera, and Wade Davis are just three examples of mediocre starting pitchers who became three untouchable relief pitchers. Let’s talk about Wade Davis. He was an All-Star this year, striking out Nolan Arenado and Adrian Gonzalez in a scoreless inning. He has an astonishing, 0.44 ERA so far this season as a setup man for Greg Holland and the Kansas City Royals.
Wouldn’t it surprise you to hear that same guy, who you all might know as WD-40, was once a below-average starting pitcher? Well, he was for the bulk of his career, even in a very pitcher-friendly ballpark, Tropicana Field, until Joe Maddon made the ultimate move that would save his career. When he entered the bullpen, he stopped struggling with the longball, and was unhittable.
Then, of course, when the Royals purchased Wade Davis, Ned Yost moved him back into the rotation, and he was a big reason for the Royals’ failure in 2013. One of many reasons I believe Ned Yost is the most overrated manager in all of baseball. In 2013, Wade Davis had a 5.32 ERA in 135.1 innings, which is an ultimate gamechanger!
After all of 2013 went by, Ned Yost finally realized that Davis is meant to be in the bullpen, and in 2014, the Royals made it to the World Series, thanks to a 3.0 WAR and a 1.00 ERA from their best relief pitcher.
A team that has particularly thrived at making a great bullpen out of failing starters has been the Washington Nationals. The Nats have done an awesome job at moving starting pitchers to the bullpen, including Craig Stammen and Tanner Roark. According to the Washington Times, in April, manager Matt Williams said,
“Most relievers have been starters. That’s just the way it all happens. That’s the way they train guys. Coming out of the bullpen, we want those guys to go after the hitters and make sure that they’re throwing strikes early and often. So with all of those guys, they all have the ability to do that.”
Let’s face it though. The main reason bullpen ERA has dropped is because offenses are getting worse and worse. They have been ever since we left the steroid era and it has become more of a pitcher’s game. League OPS has dipped from the .750-.770 range in between 1996 and 2006 to the .700-.720 range since 2011.
Ultimately, the reasons for improvement in bullpen ERA is because….
A. Managers have started to value middle relief pitchers more, and give them a greater incentive with more expensie contracts
B. Managers have vitalized the idea of placing young unexperienced starting pitchers in the bullpen to begin with, and eventually transfer them to the rotation once they master a third pitch.
C. Managers have been trying struggling starting pitchers to find more and more of them succeed.
D. We are entering a pitcher-friendly era, so it only makes sense that relief pitchers play better.
Here we go. It’s time for Danny Blomster’s 2015 predictions for the AL. These have been the toughest predictions to make in a long time, as most people have the Orioles, Indians, and Mariners winning their divisions, and not one of those teams seem like a division winner to me. Let’s get started with my standings predictions for the end of the season. On the right, I have one player on each team who I believe will be their 2015 success story, bust, and ace.
AL East Success Bust Ace
1. Red Sox: 85-77 Pedroia Napoli Miley
2. Jays: 84-78 Donaldson Martin Hutchinson
3. Yankees: 83-79 Rodriguez Drew Pineda
4. Orioles: 82-78 Machado Hardy Chen
5. Rays: 75-87 Souza Cabrera Archer
AL Central
1. Tigers: 88-74 J.Martinez V. Martinez Price
2. Royals: 87-75 Hosmer Ventura Duffy
3. White Sox: 83-79 Abreu Samardzija Sale
4. Indians: 82-80 Carrasco Bourn Kluber
5. Twins: 78-84 Dozier Hughes Hughes
AL West
1. Mariners: 87-75 Seager Walker Hernandez
2. Angels: 86-76 Pujols Weaver Santiago
3. Astros: 84-78 Carter Rasmus Keuchel
4. Athletics: 69-93 Zobrist Davis Gray
5. Rangers: 68-94 Fielder Andrus Gallardo
Angels defeat Royals in Wild Card Game.
Angels defeat Tigers in ALDS.
Red Sox defeat Mariners in ALDS.
Red Sox defeat Angels in ALCS.
Red Sox lose the World Series to the Cardinals.
Biggest 2015 AL surprises:
1. Mariners actually live up to their hype for the first time in what seems like FOREVER!
2. Cleveland Indians aren’t actually as good as people think they will be, and the Royals actually have a bigger shot at a Wild Card.
3. The Astros aren’t horrendous anymore, finishing within 5 games over .500, even with a rotation that has been looked at as one of the worst in the AL. It will improve though.
4. Red Sox get by with a mediocre pitching staff thanks to a huge boost in offense from additions of Ramirez and Sandoval as well as big impact rookies Castillo and Betts contributing significantly to all that success in the lineup.
5. The American League is much worse than the National League in 2015, but Mike Trout is the best player in baseball, even though Harper might just have a breakout season.
American League Award Winners:
Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
MVP: Mike Trout
Rookie of the year: Mookie Betts
Gold gloves: Perez, Hosmer, Cano, Iglesias, Machado, Gordon, Cain, Betts.
Quick analysis:
The AL East is that division in which any of the five teams can take it all. I have the Boston Red Sox winning the division because of that dominant batting lineup. I mean, facing a lineup with a bunch of experienced baseball greats like Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, and David Ortiz is intimidating right from the get-go. And they don’t have to worry about their two admirable rookie outfielders (Castillo and Betts) not performing admirably; they have a lot of team depth in the outfield, with Victorino, Craig, and Nava sitting on the bench. The pitching rotation is a huge concern for the Sox though, overloaded with uncertainties. Who knows how Porcello will fare in Fenway Park when he hasn’t quite proven himself a reliable starter in the MLB? Should we put a lot of weight on Wade Miley’s rough 2014 season, or should we expect him to improve and return to 2012-2013 form? Bucholtz and Masterson are both hit-or-miss pitchers, so the question is, will they HIT, or will they MISS?
We cannot forget how great the Orioles were last year, winning 96 games and hitting the most home runs in all of baseball. They make it to the postseason in my predictions because they haven’t gotten THAT much worse. Dan Duquette didn’t partake in any action this offseason though, maybe because he is interested in leaving the ball club. If not, he did terrible this offseason, and made the Orioles no longer the dominant team they once were. But even without Cruz and Markakis, the Orioles still are good enough to win the wild card and possibly the division. Manny Machado will be back, and he’ll continue right where he left off. After losing so much for so many years though, I guess I assumed the Orioles would anxiously make huge signings to keep their fans from going through years of adversity again, but I guess not.
The Toronto Blue Jays have had some upside for the past few years, but keep falling short of the playoffs nonetheless. I think they’ll fall short again in 2015. The Blue Jays have an incredible heart of the order. I mean, is there a better 3,4,5 than Bautista, Encarnacion, Donaldson? Probably not. Bautista and Encarnacion both have hit 40+ HR in their careers and Donaldson hit 29 last season for the Athletics (not even in Rogers Centre). However, this may be the only upside for the Jays. Jose Reyes is injury-prone, making him less reliable than he seems. Also, Russell Martin had a great season offensively in 2014, but he hasn’t had any other seasons quite as good since who knows when (2007?) and I can’t say I like any of the bottom half of the Blue Jays lineup. Devon Travis, Kevin Pillar, Dalton Pompey. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these guys had a breakout season in 2015, but all 3 of these bats in the starting lineup could be a nightmare for Toronto. Then there’s the pitching staff. First off, Anthropolous has done nothing to improve that lackluster bullpen led by Brett Cecil (only 6 career saves). Also, Stroman’s torn ACL blindsided the Jays, and now the back end of their rotation consists of two youngsters (Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris). Before the Stroman injury, I had them making the playoffs by a game or two, but now considering all of their weaknesses, they should be a .500 team or only slightly better.
I frequently rant about how awful of a GM Brian Cashman is. I won’t go off on that tangent today, but he has really screwed the Yankees over for years to come. He has been far too careless and prodigal with their surplus money, putting it to terrible use. Instead of investing in a future, he has given out huge contracts to dying out baseball players. This year, the Yankees could rank anywhere from first to last in this division, but I put them 4th because the odds of them having the opportunity of pulling off a great season is slim. Players need to be healthy for them to pull off this incredible feat, and so many players on this Yankees team are injury-prone. Tanaka is a Tommy John scare, and Pineda was out for two seasons with an anterior labral tear in his right shoulder so there’s no way of knowing what he’ll do this year. Sabathia hasn’t recovered completely from that hamstring strain. Basically, the first three pitchers in the rotation are all extremely injury-prone! Then the back end of the rotation has some potential, but Eovaldi hasn’t proven himself yet in the MLB. The offense is extraordinarily talented. The starting nine have been in 32 combined all-star games, and this lineup includes ex-superstars, Beltran, Teixeira, Rodriguez, Ellsbury, and McCann. In a dream-come-true season, this team could take the division. Let’s assume A-rod comes back and hits 25 homers, Ellsbury steals 30 bags/ hits 20 HR, Teixeira stays healthy all season and returns to being a dominant 1st baseman, Tanaka stays on the field and comes through with his Cy Young potential, Pineda has a breakout year, Eovaldi thrives with his intimidating fastball, and Robert Refsnyder gets called up for a few games. If this all happened, the Yankees would win the division. But I don’t know how many of these feats will actually happen. The concerns outweigh that slim chance of everything going right. There are just way too many question marks although it is a division where anything can happen.
The Tampa Bay Rays, just like the Yankees, could rank anywhere in this division. Good pitching wins games, and the Rays have the best rotation in the AL East. Matt Moore is coming back, and he could be a huge asset for the Rays in 2015. The Rays’ biggest weakness is their batting lineup. It is horrific. Evan Longoria is due for a solid season and I think Steven Souza will have a breakout year, but the other seven batters are all so-so. These seven guys are going to make it or break it for the Rays in 2015. If they can score more than last year’s 612 runs, along with that solid pitching staff, they can contend.
I have the Tigers winning the AL Central again in 2015. I could go with the flow and pick the Cleveland Indians to win the division, but a gut feeling won’t allow me to do that. And I don’t feel any guilt about my decision, as the Tigers still have plenty of threatening hitters. Miguel Cabrera didn’t even have an off-year in 2014. He hit a career-low 25 home runs, but led the MLB with 52 doubles, and still had an outstanding .895 OPS. I think an offense with Kinsler, Cabrera, Victor and J.D. Martinez, and Cespedes is otherworldly. I think they will be one of the best hitting ball clubs in baseball, if not the best. Also, Verlander and Price can’t perform much worse than last year, so things are looking up for that rotation. Anibal Sanchez has been a Cy Young candidate in the past, and he could definitely be back at it again. Losing Scherzer won’t quite knock them out of the postseason in 2015.
The Royals really looked good last year when they made the World Series. I had the Royals making the playoffs last year in my predictions because a lot of their players were in their prime years. Now a year later, that’s not the case anymore. A perfect example of the Royals this year is the 1970 Mets. In 1969, a bunch of decent Mets like Tommie Agie and Cleon Jones were in their prime years, leading the Mets to victory. In 1970, the Mets only won 83 games because they had a “lucky year”. Outlier seasons from Cain, Perez, and Ventura make me believe that the same thing will happen to the 2015 Royals. Also, they lost their ace, James Shields, and their rotation won’t be any good without him. But they still are clearly a playoff team. Just not a division winner in my mind, at least without an ace. With an ace, the sky is the limit.
The White Sox had an excellent offseason, where they bulked the pitching rotation with Samardzija and purchased an elite closer in David Robertson. They have something impressive going on with that pitching rotation. Quintana looks like a success to me, and when Chris Sale comes back, there’s no reason he won’t continue pitching like a savage. Now the offense is better but still brutal. I like the bats they have in Abreu, Cabrera, Ramirez, and Laroche. They do have a few weaknesses that concern me. The bottom of the rotation absolutely stinks and I don’t like the production I think they will get from their catcher, Tyler Flowers. My biggest problem with them is they don’t have players who can get on base. Overall, they are a solid team now, nothing too special, but could easily contend for a wild card or win the division.
The Cleveland Indians truly deserve this division, at least on paper. I do think that this rotation will be stellar eventually, if not this year, the next. I like Carrasco and Bauer a lot, as well as Kluber, but I must say, they are a little too young for me to fully buy into them. I also think the offense is going to crumble down and not live up to all the hype. I think Jose Ramirez has a bright future, but this year won’t be a great one for him. Also, Michael Bourn will be a huge bust in 2015. But again, on paper, they look excellent. They have a load of big bats in Brantley, Santana, Moss, and Gomes. They also have Rookie of the Year candidate Francisco Lindor, who may win a starting role at some point this season. In 2016, I probably will predict the Indians to win the division, but first I need some proof that this rotation is legit. Until then, fourth place in this division is the best spot for them.
The Twins are ranked last in the AL Central solely because they have a bunch of nobodies in their rotation. Phil Hughes is their ace, but there’s no way he will repeat his 2014 campaign, and as a Yankees fan, I can’t trust Phil Hughes. And there’s no way he is coming anywhere close to that 0.7 BB/9 he had last year (2.4 career BB/9). Also, Ervin Santana, their biggest 2015 offseason aquisition, just got suspended for 80 games. The rotation gets worse and worse. Mike Pelfrey. Kyle Gibson. Ricky Nolasco. What more can I say?
There will be change in the AL West. This year, I have every reason to pick the Seattle Mariners except for the fact that the Mariners always know how to disappoint. This year though, Felix Hernandez looks golden (my Cy Young winner) and Hisashi Iwakuma proved that 2013 was not a fluke, as he now has put up good numbers for two straight years. James Paxton has a lot of upside too, although we haven’t seen enough of him. That bullpen will be great in 2015, as they have 3 solid late inning relief pitchers. Even if closer Fernando Rodney fails miserably, Wilhelmsen and Farquhar are two great options to replace him. The offense will improve a ton; players like Zunino, Morrison, and Seager are in for career-best seasons. Austin Jackson won’t get worse than he was in 2014, so things are even looking up for him. And I like the Smith and Ruggiano platoon going on. Finally, they signed Nelson Cruz (aka 40 homers last year) to a four year $57M contract.
The Angels will hang in there in 2015 and just snag a Wild Card spot. The Angels have star potential. I think Pujols will return to the days when he hit 40 homers and batted .300. I think Mike Trout is going to lead this Angels offense and win the MVP once again. The pitching is what will keep the Angels chasing tail with the Mariners all season long, until the unpromising starters eventually make it impossible for the Halos to catch up. After Weaver wins a game for the Angels, Wilson gives up five runs. Then, Shoemaker gets bombed. But then, Andrew Heaney and Hector Santiago both are awesome. Garrett Richards comes back from his injury and joins the rotation. He dominates and Shoemaker exits the rotation. Now the rotation is half-decent.
I believe this will be the first time the Astros place third in the AL West. During their first year in the AL (2013), they had a franchise-worst 51-111 record, placing last in the division. In 2014, they jumped to 4th place. Now, this young and improving ballclub will move up to 3rd place not because the Astros are any good, moreso because the Rangers and Athletics are worse. The Astros have a solid batting lineup, led by Jose Altuve and big power hitters Evan Gattis and Chris Carter. The rotation could be phenomenal or brutal, as the young pitchers are unproven, but the Stros have a legit pitching coach in Brent Strom. I think Keuchel, McCullers, and Mchugh could have solid years, but I don’t feel the same way about Brett Oberholtzer and Roberto Hernandez.
The Oakland Athletics lost EVERYBODY this offseason. Their heart of the order has weakened drastically from Donaldson-Moss-Cespedes to Davis-Butler-Reddick. Ike Davis was a one-hit wonder for the Mets, and with the Pirates last year he only slugged .378. Butler was once good years ago, but he’s on a big decline, and already is a permanent DH, making it seem like he’s 38, not 28. Reddick has been struck by injuries the last couple years, and although he is a power threat whenever he steps up to the plate, he has produced a -0.5 oWAR over the last two seasons. The pitching rotation took a step down when Jon Lester departed. Sonny Gray won’t be enough to make them contenders.
Finally, we have the Texas Rangers. Entering this offseason, I thought the Rangers were going to improve coming into 2015. But that was before I heard that Yu Darvish would be out all season. With him out, they have no chance at October baseball. They now have absolutely 0 good pitchers in their rotation. Holland and Gallardo are leading a rotation that follows with a few no-names. The Rangers have a future that they are investing in, with Rougned Odor and Jurickson Profar and all, but that is not ready yet. It is in the process of developing right now though. Soon enough, the Rangers will be competing the AL West once again.
HR Leaders BA leaders OPS leaders
Pujols-42 Trout- .336 Trout-.986
Trout-36 Altuve- .328 Encarnacion-.944
Bautista-36 Brantley- .327 Cabrera-.925
Davis-35 Pedroia- .314 Abreu-.918
Abreu-34 Cabrera-.313 Bautista-.906
JD Martinez-34 Fielder – .310 Brantley-.896
Moss-33 Martinez- .307 Ramirez-.882
Encarnacion-32 Beltre- .305 Donaldson -.867
Cruz-32 Abreu- .302 Martinez-.867
Cabrera-30 Kipnis – .300 Fielder-.858
2014 Record: 84-78
Batting lineup
Analysis: This lineup is falling apart due to old age. The first seven batters in this lineup are all over 30 years old, and all have been outstanding at some point in their careers, but all of them have passed their primes. Ellsbury, McCann, and Beltran all declined in their first year with the Yankees. Teixeira and Rodriguez are the veterans on this team, but both of them will probably fail to return to their old selves. The lineup has a ton of talent but the Yankees are still in a lot of trouble offensively.
Pitching rotation
Analysis: This rotation is the biggest concern for the Yankees, and it’s nearly impossible to win games after your 1-3 all suffered injuries last season and the back end of your rotation consists of two of the worst starting pitchers on paper.
Bullpen
Analysis: The closer role is still up for grabs, but Dellin Betances is the favorite after dominating in 2014. The only concern is that neither of these guys have experience as a closer, with only 1 career save each.
The next team up is the….
MARLINS!
2014 Record: 87-75
Batting lineup
Analysis: This Seattle lineup has improved significantly with the offseason additions of Cruz, Smith, and Ruggiano (also the midseason addition of Austin Jackson). I really like how the 3-4-5 looks. I’d definitely feel intimidated as a pitcher facing that heart of the lineup. Cano, Cruz and Seager looks like trouble. And then they’ve got more power in the bottom of the lineup. Mike Zunino and Logan Morrison both can knock 20 out of the ballpark in 2015. This lineup was 25th in OPS last year, It is hard to imagine the Mariners missing the postseason with a stellar pitching staff and now a solid batting lineup.
Pitching Rotation
Analysis: The rotation is by far the biggest strength in this Mariners ball club, as the pitching staff had a .230 BAA (1st) and a 3.17 ERA (2nd) last year. Hernandez and Iwakuma must be two of the top ten starting pitchers in the AL, and the bottom of the rotation is one of the best in baseball.
Bullpen
Analysis: The three relief pitchers mentioned all have great potential. Also they have Brandon Maurer, who was excellent in relief last season, with a 2.17 ERA in 31 appearances. Also, there are a bunch of other great relief guys on this team, including Furbush, Leone, and Medina. The biggest challenge will be deciding when it’s time to make a change in the closer role.
I know I haven’t really been doing a team every day, but that will hopefully change. Danny reaches in the black hat to randomly select the team he will be analyzing next. Here is what the slip reads the…
YANKEES!
2014 Record: 73-89
Batting lineup
Analysis: This lineup is so young! The average age of those eight players is 25! That is going to be the strongest asset for the Cubs as well as their biggest concern. The Cubs are definitely going to be a playoff contender in 2015 if the youngsters are ready. The biggest concern for this offense is whether Baez and Alcantara will play like they were projected to, not like their horrid rookie seasons. This is important because Jed Hoyer is putting his faith in these questionable performers; well, enough to play them on a regular daily basis. Nonetheless, with big bats in Castro, Rizzo, and Bryant, this offense should be a force to be reckoned with.
Grade: B+
Pitching Rotation
Analysis: Any rotation that has Jon Lester in it has an excellent chance of winning a fifth of their games just like that. Arrieta was phenomenal last season, and so was Hendricks. This rotation is a little shaky at the bottom, but it gets better and better each year.
Grade: B
Tomorrow’s team is the…..
MARINERS!
2014 record: 64-98
Batting lineup
Analysis: This lineup is mediocre at best. They were 24th in OPS last year and haven’t improved significantly. They traded away two decent bats, Miguel Montero and Didi Gregorious. Also, they play in Chase Field, which is one of the top five hitter-friendly ballparks. All the injuries didn’t help though. And they did do one good thing this offseason. They shook things up with changes in their front office. They signed old veteran Athletics ace Dave Stewart as GM, De Jon Watson as senior vice president of baseball operations. They made a big move when they acquired Cuban top prospect, Yasmany Tomas. Still, this offense is certainly going to be brutal in 2015.
Grade: D+
Pitching Rotation:
Analysis: This rotation is horrendous. The majority of this rotation is terribly injury prone. The rotation lacks experience.
Grade: D-
Tomorrow’s team is the…….
CUBS!
For baseball nuts like you and me, the season never really ends. But it is depressing when you want to relax and there’s no baseball game on. Thankfully, with all of these exciting trades all over the league, the offseason hasn’t been all that bad. Here’s what’s new in the AL East.
ORIOLES: After successfully signing SS J. J. Hardy to a three-year extension, Baltimore’s main goal coming into this offseason was too secure Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis. But they failed to sign either of the two of them. Clearly, this might hurt the team’s offensive production, as those two bats contributed to over a fourth of the team’s home runs, and the Birds led the MLB with 211 last year.
More news. The Orioles apparently could be losing GM Dan Duquette to Toronto, which could be really bad for Baltimore. Reports came in that last Sunday, the Blue Jays discussed Duquette as a potential replacement for Paul Beeston at CEO.
I don’t expect Dan Duquette to make any big moves this offseason, but I see him doing a few little things, like adding another solid left-handed relief pitcher. The Orioles could use another outfielder, so he might make a move after all the offseason craziness like he did with Nelson Cruz last year. The Orioles already denied Justin Upton and Matt Kemp just went to San Diego, but Marlon Byrd would be a good fit, and Ruben Amaro seems interested in dealing him.
YANKEES: I never was a big fan of the works of GM Brian Cashman, but the last couple years have been a disaster. And I don’t like what I’ve seen so far in the 2014 offseason.
Brian Cashman should’ve attacked Hanley Ramirez or Josh Donaldson early on, but he waited it out and ended up with a weak bat in Didi Gregorious, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yankees got less offensive production from him than they got from Jeter in his final years. This 24 year old, top-notch defensive shortstop won’t cut it for the Yankees. There wasn’t a single player who produced an OPS above .800 last year, and if they want to contend in 2015, which seems like Brian Cashman’s goal, the Bronx Bombers need a big bat in that lineup.
Brian Cashman did make a good decision in signing set-up man Andrew Miller to a four year $40M contract. Left-handed Andrew Miller, right-handed Dellin Betances, and a closer off the free agent market will make a great bullpen for 15′. Now they have to fish for a closer to replace David Robertson. Brian Cashman is interested in Papelbon, Romo, and Grilli as candidates.
But if I was Brian Cashman, I’d go into rebuilding. I’d rather invest in some prospects and get to have them in their primes than sign players that already had their best seasons. Cashman has a tendency to pick up a bunch of players in their mid 30s, and he almost always ends up suffering, but he keeps doing it again and again anyways. A few perfect examples of this are Chan Ho Park, Randy Winn, and Javier Vasquez. I thought he learned something, but sometimes the way a person thinks never really changes. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I really hated what Cashman did last year, signing Brian Roberts, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, and Jacoby Ellsbury. I wasn’t happy about them signing any of these four players. He wasted a lot of their money on the wrong guys, because Brian Cashman doesn’t know how to pick the right players, and it almost seems like he only goes for the big names.
If the Yankees wanted a shot at the playoffs next season, they should’ve went all out on a shortstop like Hanley, and added a solid starter. But it’s too late for that. And now it’s time to get younger.
BLUE JAYS: The Blue Jays made a few changes to their offense this offseason, and I’m proud of Alex Anthopoulos for going out and getting a big bat in Josh Donaldson, who could easily hit 35 home runs in Rogers Centre. They also went out and signed Russell Martin,the perfect addition for the Blue Jays, who will probably deal their previous catcher, Dioner Navarro.
The Blue Jays still have a few obvious holes that they need to fill. The first priority for them is to work on that bullpen. They were ranked 22nd in bullpen WAR last year, and if they want to be contenders in 2015, they have to strengthen that bullpen.
The Blue Jays still have many relief pitchers to chose from. The main guys available are Sergio Romo, Rafael Soriano, Jason Grilli, Francisco Rodriguez, and Kyle Farnsworth. These all would work. They showed interest in Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek, but the Astros snagged both of them yesterday.
Then if they pursue everything else, they can go for Melky Cabrera again, but Anthopoulos seems excited about what Michael Saunders can do for them in the outfield. We’ll see. I think either way, if he wants Melky back, he’ll have to fight for him, because many teams could use a well-rounded outfielder.
RAYS: The Rays have done absolutely nothing this postseason, and maybe it’s because they’ve accepted that they have a slim chance of winning the diVision this year. The big news around Tampa Bay now is Joe Maddon’s departure. Let’s see what they did this offseason. They lost Jeremy Hellickson. Basically, they traded away a few pitchers and got some prospects in return. They have a young rotation though, and they’re hyped about Souza and their young pitching staff. They are not the favorites, but there is still a chance for the Rays in 2015. RED SOX: The biggest story of this offseason is what GM Ben Cherington has done to bounce back from a disappointing 2014 season. He signed both 3B Pablo Sandoval and SS Hanley Ramirez. I have no doubt in my mind that these signings will help them win, but the biggest concern for the Red Sox coming into the offseason should’ve been pitching, as they were 23rd in ERA in the MLB last year. Plus, they spent a lot of money on the two of them. Now they signed two bats who spent their whole careers in the NL, meaning they will be introduced to brand new pitching this year. Also, they have a shortstop in Xander Bogaerts already, so Hanley will join Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo in an outfield which is already overloaded. Victorino was hurt all of last year but he should be back for Spring Training. Daniel Nava had a disappointing year, but we all know his potential after his 2013 campaign. Allen Craig and Jackie Bradley Jr. both played over 120 games last year. So they’ve got options.
Today the Red Sox made a boom! They traded away Yoenis Cespedes for Rick Porcello, which was a terrible move, but they had too many outfielders. They also added Wade Miley and Justin Masterson to the rotation, making it not as aweful. The other four teams have quieted down lately. I see 2015 being a battle between Boston, Baltimore, Toronto, and the Yankees. But the Rays could be right in it, and might get hot and take the whole thing. I’m Danny Blomster and this has been your MLB update.
Before the start of the 2013 season, many baseball gurus projected the Los Angeles Angels to win the World Series. This was because they had just acquired Josh Hamilton, and an offense with him, Albert Pujols, and Mike Trout sounded untouchable. They failed to make the playoffs that year, due to their sloppy pitching rotation. The Angels suffered to a 4.23 team ERA last year, ranking 24th in the MLB. Also, the big names didn’t live up to their standards.
Now in 2014, the Angels have the second best record in baseball (67-44). This is partially because of the improvements in that pitching staff.
Garrett Richards has been outstanding for the first time in his career. If he could stop the long ball, he would be one of the best pitchers in baseball.
The ace, Jered Weaver, was on and off the DL in 2013. This year, he is as healthy as a horse, leading the AL in games started.
Other pitchers that weren’t great last year like Hector Santiago really stepped up this year. The Angels have improved to a 3.70 ERA this year.
The pitching has improved a bunch, but the biggest factor to the Angels’ success has been their offense.
Josh Hamilton was a big bust in 2013. Well, he’s making his way back to being the old Great Hambino this year. Hamilton is hitting a solid .274 with a 120 OPS+. And don’t even get me started on Albert Pujols…
OK, I’ve started. Pujols has had the outstanding bounce-back season that the Angels needed. He’s slugging .475 with 21 homers.
Finally, Mike Trout may finally win that MVP (he should’ve already won two) that he’s been working towards. He has a great stat-line of .300/.389/.576. Mike Trout is also a phenomenal fielder, with only two errors this season.
The Angels have been guided to victory lately by Howie Kendrick and David Freese. In July, Kendrick hit .333 and Freese had an OPS of .860.
The Los Angeles Angels were supposed to be successful last year, and weren’t, but it is as if their success was delayed to 2014, because they are red hot, and a World Series championship doesn’t seem too crazy for the Angels. I’m Danny Blomster, and this has been your MLB Update.
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