In last night’s draft, the Cubs picked up hitter Ian Happ. The verdict is still out that maybe the Cubs should dig a little deeper and get some pitching help. I mean c’mon, look at the kind of hitters the Cubs all ready have.
“We definitely feel there’s strength there, and he’s a guy who can run into 15 home runs plus and hit for a high average,” said Jason McLeod, senior vice president of scouting and player development. “We’re big on guys who can control the strike zone and show that plate discipline.
I’ve been known to be wrong in the past and switch hitting is something every team needs so why not? No sooner am I admitting my wrongness, word out of the Cubs camp is that they’ve signed Rafael Soriano so there’s some help in the bullpen and hey, I still wear my #12 jersey with pride.
“The thing I always talked about with him as a closer was he was a guy that didn’t’ just throw the ball 100 mph. He and I used to have a lot of conversations about how we attack certain hitters in a game, because he really sees things. He’d be in the bullpen, and he watches really well, and he’s got definite ideas on how to get out hitters. I’ve always appreciated his pitch-ability.” Joe Maddon said.
Help is coming soon for the Cubs and couldn’t be at a better time because the standings are getting mighty crowded with the team by no means out at 6 1/2 back. I don’t know, I think with the young core that they have, something tells me that it won’t be long when they catch up. I was kinda hoping that Javier Baez would be called back but that won’t be happening anytime soon.
Tonight’s make or break for Jon Lester. They take on an always tough Detroit Tigers and he’s out to still try and prove that he’s worth every last cent the Cubs put into him. We’re a third of the way through the season and I still believe the Cubs are in good shape.
Believe it.
Holliday goes down with a quad strain.
It was a forgettable game. The Cards gave up a season high 11 runs. The most since May 15, when they gave up 10 runs, to the Tigers. Cards lose 11-3 to hapless Rox. The Rox have not won, a series at home, all year-long. Think about that. How depressing for their fans. But, the Cards by dropping the first game, are now in danger of turning that stat around.
The Game started with Wong, getting an error and putting the lead-off hitter, on first. Two batters later, Lackey gives up a home run to Tulo. Now Lackey is pissed. This is what Lackey does. He is a veteran pitcher who likes to have everything perfect. When it does not happen, Lackey acts like a 12-year-old girl. The broadcast team, describes Lackey’s behavior, that he wears his emotions on his sleeve. That’s being kind.
It can be the mound, an umpire, an error behind him. Whatever the reason, Lackey gets distracted, then starts to pout. Acting up, on the mound, not covering bases, your basic tantrum. Not exactly, the Cardinal way. Lackey is having a good year, while pitching in his walk year, for $500,000. This is why I was hoping, before the Waino injury, that the Cards would be able to deal him before the trade deadline.
Can’t trade Lackey now. Matheny, will have his hands full, trying to keep Lackey, on track the rest of the year. The Cards have not offered Lackey a contract for next year. As the season progresses this will become more of an issue. What veteran players want more than anything else, is a contract.
Lackey ended up, allowing 12 hits, 10 runs, 8 earned. Raising his ERA a full run.
Then, news from the game, got much worse. As if, that was possible. Holliday look like he had been shot by a sniper, going for all ball, in the outfield. Quad strain. Will not know until late today, how bad it is.
If it is not a season ending injury, this could end up being a good thing. Jay, Bourjos, Grichuk and Heyward will all benefit with more playing time. I have been very vocal, that Holliday should not be an untouchable. Now the supporting cast, will get a chance to prove this scenario correct. All they have to do is produce, at an All Star level. No pressure.
The other news from the day, the draft. The Cards picked 3 high school players. First time since 1980 that this has happened. Two of these guys are power bats. Something that has been lacking, in the Cardinal farm system. This ends the trend of selecting college pitchers, that can make the majors, in a short period of time. Think Wacha and Gonzales.
Former scouting director Dan Kantrovitz was batting a 1.000 when making picks, at the top of the draft. However, had not been able to produce a later round gem, before he left, for an assistant GM spot with Oakland. Now this may still happen. Later round gems, take more years to develop. But, right now, you would have to say, he struck out.
Chris Carrea’s first day draft went the way of the Cubs, Pirates and Dodgers model of drafting over the last few years. Never pass on the power bat. The Cubs believe this is the rarest commodity to find. Pitching is more plentiful now. It is a theory that still remains to proven.
Plummer OF and Denton 3B are power bats. The Cards followed the Cub model, this year. A couple of Major League ready, college pitchers fell into the Cardinals 1st round spot. Kantrovitz would have jump on them. That is how we got Wacha and Gonzales. Carrea passed, opting for the power bat, high school player Plummer.
Only time will tell, if this will work out. That is the problem, with the high school player. It take 3 to 4 years before you know what you have. But, really if you are the Cardinals and only drafting at the end of the first round every year. The only chance you have to get a Kris Bryant, Joc Pederson type of player is to take a high schooler. Because, the Cardinals are never going to have a top 3 pick. The Cubs and the Astros got those picks by sucking for years. This is not the Cardinal model.
So, if you want a franchise changing type of player, you have to pick the high school player. The surprise for me, was the selection of high school RHP Woodford. The Cards stated that they were going to take the best player available. This proved to me, they were not lying. High school pitchers, rarely make it to the majors before the 4 year mark. It is easy for them to decide on college. Because, after college it is not unusual to make it to the majors, in a little over a year.
This is a risky pick. Woodford has been committed to Florida since he was a sophomore. The slot value for the pick is $1.5 million. Is that going to be enough? Time will tell.
Denton is also committed to Vandy. The Cards, could also lose him. The slot value is $970,000. The buzz is that it will take more to get him to sign. However, the buzz is that Denton, is a Cardinal fan. This might be the determining factor. However, position high school players can make it to the majors, after a-couple-of-years . This is not as risky as the Woodford pick.
The worst case, is that Chris Carrea will not be able to sign these players and they will head to college. This happened last year. The Cards were unable to sign a 3rd round pick. Not good. If Carrea, cannot get all 3 to sign, you will have to grade his first draft as a bust.
Today, has to be a better day than yesterday.
Go Cards.
Later.
Dansby Swanson went first overall, getting drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Although he wasn’t the top choice heading into the draft, there’s no real surprise why the Diamondbacks took Dansby Swanson number one overall. This past season at Vanderbilt, Swanson hit .348 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI’s, helping to lead his team back to the College World Series for the second straight season. With the D-backs not very deep at the shortstop position at the big league level, Swanson should progress quickly if he can stay healthy and post decent numbers.
Alex Bregman went second overall, getting drafted by the Houston Astros.
Despite the fact that the Astros’ number one overall pick from 2012, Carlos Correa, made his big league debut at shortstop on Monday night, the Astros decided to pick up fellow shortstop Alex Bregman as the number two overall pick. Bregman hit .312 and recorded 37 stolen bases this past season at LSU, and has drawn comparisons to Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox. While Bregman has stated a desire to remain at shortstop, he may find himself shifting to second in the future with Correa blocking his way.
Brendan Rodgers went third overall, getting drafted by the Colorado Rockies.
Brendan Rodgers was ranked the number one overall prospect heading into the draft, but he stuck around until the third pick. The selection of Rodgers made history, as it was the first time in the history of the draft that three shortstops were taken as the top three picks. Coined as the best power hitting shortstop since Carlos Correa, Rodgers hit .360 with 8 homers this year at Lake Mary high school. With his ability to hit for power, and with a plus arm at short, Rodgers should have a long career in the majors.
The remainder of the draft saw many surprises. A lot of players went higher than anyone expected, while others stuck around longer than many thought they would. But that usually happens every year with the draft.
The rest of the 1st round of the 2015 draft, following the first three picks, went as follows:
4. Rangers: Dillon Tate
5. Astros: Kyle Tucker
6. Twins: Tyler Jay
7. Red Sox: Andrew Benintendi
8. White Sox: Carson Fulmer
9. Cubs: Ian Happ
10. Phillies: Cornelius Randolph
11. Reds: Tyler Stephenson
12. Marlins: Josh Naylor
13. Rays: Garrett Whitley
14. Braves: Kolby Allard
15. Brewers: Trent Clark
16. Yankees: James Kaprielian
17. Indians: Brady Aiken
18. Giants: Phil Bickford
19. Pirates: Kevin Newman
20. Athletics: Richie Martin
21. Royals: Ashe Russell
22. Tigers: Beau Burrows
23. Cardinals: Nick Plummer
24. Dodgers: Walker Buehler
25. Orioles: D.J. Stewart
26. Angels: Taylor Ward
27. Rockies: Mike Nikorak
28. Braves: Michael Soroka
29. Blue Jays: Jon Harris
30. Yankees: Kyle Holder
31. Giants: Chris Shaw
32. Pirates: Ke’Bryan Hayes
33. Royals: Nolan Watson
34. Tigers: Christin Stewart
35. Dodgers: Kyle Funkhouser
36. Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle
Lottery Round A
37. Astros: Daz Cameron
38. Rockies: Tyler Nevin
39. Cardinals: Jake Woodford
40. Brewers: Nathan Kirby
41. Braves: Austin Riley
42. Indians: Triston McKenzie
Make sure to follow the list of players above as the majority of them begin their professional careers. Odds are at least a few of those names will become MLB All-Stars, with the possibility that some may become a future Hall of Famer. You never know what can happen when you have so much young talent entering their given MLB organizations, and that’s reason enough to pay close attention to them all.
It must have been at least 90 degrees on the field Monday. We were feeling it. However we were all happy to finally put the Cardinals behind us. We won’t see them again until playoffs. We now had the D Backs to contend with. It was good to see Brandon League. He is close to returning from DL. The bullpen needs some help.
The trainers were watching his progress.
New pitcher Josh Ravin still waiting to pitch watched.
Donnie watching batting practice.
Some interesting sign language from Alex
Kikè landed awkwardly while trying to catch the ball. It annoyed me that some “fans” made fun of him.
Kendrick, Rollins and Callaspo
Lisa Leslie threw out the first pitch.
Ned Colletti was giving an interview probably about the MLB draft
Jerry Hairston also was interviewed probably about the same thing
Embarrassing moment. I told Jerry his daughter was growing up. Oops I think this was his son.
Smoky the Bear also was a guest. I told my veterinarian Norma that it was good she was there in case he got sick.
Justin and one of the trainers
Alex stretching
Justin
Joc
The food was delicious. Pesto chicken and jerk pork ribs.
I really wanted the kids giveaway the Dodger cereal bow from Sunday. Thank you Tess.
A close look at the umpires who will make those calls that we hate
Howie started it off in the first inning with a single with Justiin scoring. 1-0.
Alex singled scoring Howie in the fourth
Andre singled scoring Yasmani he bottom of the fourth. 3-0.
Jimmie hit a 3 run home run in the fourth scoring Andre and Alex
Andre also hit a 3 run home run in the fifth inning scoring Howie and Yasmani making the score 9-0
The D Backs Pollock hit a double scoring 2 runs, 9-2.
There was a scare when Mike Bolsinger was hit in the leg by a ball.
He stayed in the game like the trooper he is getting another win, being undefeated at Dodger Stadium 4-0.
Justin Turner did come out of the game when he fouled a ball off his leg. No fracture but an ugly contusion. He’s day to day.
Josh Ravin was given a chance to pitch in relief in the ninth. Sorry the pictures are a little unfocused. I’m still getting used to my camera.
Andre indicating one out in the 9th. The outfielders do get confused with the number of outs.
The final score was 9-3.
It was a satisfying game especially after being clobbered by the Cardinals.
Tuesday is Joc’s tee shirt giveaway day. I will be on the field. The morning started out rainy. That rules out the usual car wash. It means that it will probably be hot and muggy by game time. There is a 50% chance of rain at 3:00 so it should be ok by game time.
Thanks for stopping by. Go Dodgers!
En estos días que se anda escribiendo y hablando de las futuras estrellas en las Grandes Ligas también la revista Baseball Digest publicó un articulo sobre el arte de batear sobre .300 de promedio en las Grandes Ligas.
Una vez alguien dijo que el béisbol es de poco en la vida que bateas tres de diez y tienes la oportunidad de llegar al salón de la fama. Un aseveración muy cierta cuando vemos que muchos de los que terminaron sus carreras con sobre .300 están hoy en Cooperstown.
En la nota del Baseball Digest se destaca como uno de los mejores bateadores de la historia el gran Roberto Clemente. Su historia que será llevada a Hollywood es conocida por probablemente ser uno de esos que cautivo dentro y fuera del diamante de béisbol al mundo entero como pelotero y humanista el Siglo 20.
Para lectores de nuestros tiempos no es fácil asimilar que esto de conectar para .300 ó más en una carrera lleva un trabajo inmenso y es uno de esos hitos que muy pocos llegan a lograr en las mayores.
Para tener una idea más clara solo cuatro latinoamericanos activos conectan para .300 ó más y bien saben no es número fácil de mantener con el transcurso de los años.
Para aquellos amantes de la historia y fanáticos del béisbol aquí les ofrecemos la corta lista de los latinos que han conectado o batean para .300 ó más de promedio en las Grandes Ligas y ellos son:
Cuba- Tony Oliva
Panama- Rod Carew
Puerto Rico- Roberto Clemente, Edgar Martínez, Roberto Alomar
República Dominicana- Vladimir Guerrero, Albert Pujols, Manny Ramírez, Mateo Alou, Robinson Canó, Manny Mota, Moises Alou, Pedro Guerrero
Venezuela-Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordoñez,Victor Martínez
NOTA: Jugadores Activos
Los Piratas de Pittsburgh cuando inmediatamente se piensa en jugadores latinoamericanos no pasa un segundo lanzamiento en la mente de muchos que este fue el equipo del llamado hasta en la propia ciudad acerera del “The Great One” Roberto Clemente.
Muchos otros nombres pueden pasar por la memoria de cada fanático siendo una de las franquicias más emblemáticas de las mayores no importando que no conoce desde 1979 una Serie Mundial. Para refrescar memoria nombres entre otros Bobby Bonilla, Manny Sanguillen, John Candelaria, José Lind, Orlando Merced, Tony Peña, Mateo Alou, Omar Moreno y Rennie Stennett.
Este año los Bucaneros comandados por Clint Hurdle tienen esa misión de poner a gozar lo suyos en sobre 25 años pero para comenzar tienen que superar a sus némesis Cardenales de San Luis y Cachorros de Chicago en su gallardete del centro de la Liga Nacional.
En esa lid ademas de su mega estrella Andrew McCutchen el conjunto cuenta en los bosques con los dominicanos Starling Marté y Gregory Polanco. Un trio que muchos críticos del béisbol considera el mejor grupo de jardineros en las mayores.
También cuenta con el madero de los también quisqueyanos Pedro Alvárez y en grande con el brazo del veterano iniciador Francisco Liriano.
Todos estos nombres son punto de eje en la proyección de los Piratas que mucho se anda chachareando podría ser la franquicia escogida por el béisbol organizado para jugar partidos de primavera en el 2016 en Cuba.
Pittsburgh podría ser la primera franquicia de la Liga Nacional en hacer historia en jugar desde 1959 en terruño cubano. Nadie olvide que los Orioles de Baltimore jugaron en 1999 en Cuba y probablemente vuelvan a jugar en la isla antillana en algún momento entre finales de este año y los entrenamientos primaverales.
El propio presidente del conjunto Frank Coonelly expresó los deseos de su novena en jugar en Cuba e importancia en el desarrollo en América Latina en entrevista publicada en el Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Puede que en estos tiempos muchos no conozcan que la organización de los Piratas hicieron La Habana en el año 1953 su casa de entrenamientos primaverales.
Vale reconocer que también en la década de los 70’ hicieron de Puerto Rico por varios años su hogar de juegos de entrenamientos primaverales después del deceso de Roberto Clemente. Más adelante en el tiempo la última ocasión de primavera que vieron acción en Latino América lo fue en el 2011 en el Foro Sol de la Ciudad de México en juego frente a las Mantarrayas de Tampa Bay.
Lo de ir a Cuba es lo último en la avenida y enhorabuena el despertar de los Piratas de Pittsburgh. El tiempo nos dirá más.
The post 2015 MLB Draft: Top 10 picks appeared first on BBST.
]]>The 2015 MLB Draft began on Monday with rounds one through competitive balance round B. (If you have any questions regarding rounds one through three or the competitive balance rounds you can check out my posts on being a MLB Draft newbie Part One & Part Two) A total of 75 amateur players were drafted on Monday but let’s take a look at the top 10 first round picks.
The first three picks in the draft were all shortstops. It was the first time in MLB Draft history that this has occured. The first three picks went to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies.
The Astros received two picks in the top five with the second overall pick in the first round because of their inability to come to an agreement with last year’s first round draft pick Brady Aiken. Aiken was just the third overall first pick in draft history to not sign with the team that drafted him.
1. Arizona Diamondbacks: Dansby Swanson, SS, Vanderbuilt University
Swanson helped Vanderbuilt win their first College World Series Title in 2014 and took home the honor of Most Outstanding player. He played for the US colligiate national team over the summer and came back to Vanderbuilt moving from second base, taking over the shortstop position for Vince Conde who had been drafted by the New York Yankees. While not a big homerun hitter, Swanson has a strong arm and makes solid contact. He has the makings of a great leadoff hitter being fast and being able to get on-base.
2. Houston Astros: Alex Bregman, SS, Louisiana State University
Bregman has been one of the best hitters since he was in highschool, but he was committed to attending LSU. He is often compared to the Boston Red Sox shortstop Dustin Pedroia because of his agressive nature at the plate along with his size. He’s 5’11” 185 lbs but he has range from both sides and appears to have good instincts at the position after showing improvement defensively this spring.
3. Colorado Rockies: Brendan Rodgers, SS, Lake Mary High School (FL)
In Rodgers the Colorado Rockies may have found their solution for the shortstop position once current shortstop Troy Tulowitzski retires. He drives the ball consistently and can hit for power, especially for a kid coming out of highschool. He has great instincts at the position along with a powerful arm, speed and wide range. He’s been compared to the Chicago Cubs’ Addison Russell.
4. Texas Rangers: Dillon Tate, RHP, University of California Santa Barbara
Tate could throw in the upper 80’s coming out of highschool in 2012. He now throws an above average mid-high 90’s fastball along with an sharp slider that hits the mid-high 80’s. He also throws a curveball and a changeup that both have the potential to be above average with a little work in the minors. Once excelling in the bullpen, Tate became a starter for UCSB in 2015 and missed just one start due to a minor injury. He’s expected to be a starter in the Majors in a few years.
5. Houston Astros: Kyle Tucker, OF, HB Plant High Scool (FL)
Kyle Tucker is the younger brother of Astros’ rookie Preston Tucker. The younger Tucker says he models himself after his brother’s example on the field. The elder Tucker made his MLB debut in early May of this season. So far he is batting .263 with two home runs and nine RBI in 88 games for the Astros. The younger Tucker is considered the better player and is expected to perform at an above average level.
6. Minnesota Twins: Tyler Jay, LHP, University of Illinois
Even though Tyler Jay made just two starts in his colliegate career. He has all the tools needed to be a big league starter. There’s a chance that his route to the majors could be sped up. With the Twins being in contention, they could use Jay in the bullpen and potentially move him into the starting rotation next season.
7. Boston Red Sox: Alex Benintendi, OF, University of Arkansas
Benintendi is widely considered the best 5-tooled player in the draft. He was targeted early by the Red Sox who got lucky that he didn’t go higher up in the draft. He’s a solid all around player and it’s surprising he didn’t go earlier in the draft, much to the good luck of the Red Sox.
8. Chicago White Sox: Carson Fullmer, RHP, Vanderbuilt University
Fullmer became a starter for Vanderbuilt just mid-season and shows promise to be a great starter despite his small stature. He’s been considered by most as the best pitcher in the draft. The White Sox highly coveted Fullmer and were likely ecstatic that no other team picked him up before their pick came with seven before them. They would have also considered Jay or Tate but really wanted the Vandy right-hander.
9. Chicago Cubs: Ian Happ, OF, University of Cincinnati
Outfielder Ian Happ is widely considered the best position player in the draft after the first two shortstops taken in Swanson and Bregman and OF Alex Benintendi was picked by the Red Sox. He can play at both second base and in the outfield so the Cubs could use him at either position.
10. Philadelphia Phillies: Cornelius Randolph, SS, Griffin High School (GA)
WIth how poorly the Phillies have been playing the past few seasons it’s somewhat surprising that they didn’t go with a college player who may be able to help them now. But they went with Cornelius Randolph, another shortstop out of Griffin High School in Georgia. They went with the best player left on the board. Randolph is known to be one of the best highschool hitters in the country. It’ll take him a few extra years in the minors to develop but barring some severe injury drafting him will pay off for the furture in a few years.
**Notable pick: The Cleveland Indians drafted last year’s number one draft pick Aiken with the 17th overall pick. They did so despite the fact that he is only recently recovering from Tommy John surgery. This isn’t exactly unprecedented as other clubs have chosen to wait for what might be an even better pitcher once he’s fully recovered. That won’t be for awhile yet, however.
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]]>The post Matt Holliday suffers quad strain in loss to Rockies appeared first on BBST.
]]>St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday, a six time All-Star and career .308 hitter, is having one of his better seasons in 2015 at the age of 35.
He’s batting .305 and is on pace to hit between 90-100 RBI. Well he was, until he chased after a high fly ball on Monday in the Cardinals 11-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
It was the bottom of the second inning, what should have been an easy catch ended up being a bloop double for Carlos Gonzalez. While chasing down the fly ball, Holliday appeared to be running full speed. He took an awkward step as he ran for the ball, hitting the ground hard.
Holliday appeard to be in a great deal of pain. He lay on the ground for several minutes gripping his right leg. He was down long enough that the trainers came out and many of his teammates came from around the field to see if Holliday was alright.
He was not alright. He appeared to be in quite a bit of pain and though he left the field on his own volition, he needed the trainers support to get fully off the field.
Holliday went 0-1 against Cardinals’ starter John Lackey before leaving the game immediately after the injury.
From what little I saw on the video at MLB .com, it did not look like good news for Holliday. He appeared to be in some real pain as he gingerly hobbled off the field.
The team has called it a right quadriceps strain. However, they don’t really know the severity of the injury. Holliday is supposed to be examined on Tuesday after that the team and Holliday will know more,
“It’s something with the [right] quad,” Cardinals’ manager Mike Matheny said. “We don’t know the extent right now. We’ll get it looked at, figure out where we go from there.”
I don’t know all that much about quad strains but I know that hamstring strains can be very tricky to come back from especially if they are Grade 2 or higher. If quads strains are similar to hamstring strains then the Cardinals may be in a little bit of trouble.
Regardless, the amount of pain Holliday was in appeared to be severe. He will not play Tuesday, obviously but the Cardinals really have no clue how long he will be out. He could come right back or be out for the season at this point, given the small anount of information that has been disclosed to the public.
Jon Jay took over in the game for Holliday and ended up hitting a solo shot later in the game but overall Holliday is the Cardinals better option. Holliday has played in 51 of the Cardinals 58 games and is hitting much better than Jay.
While Jay did hit .303 last season, he is hitting just .228 and just six RBI in 40 games in 2015. It’s a far cry from Holliday’s .305 average and 25 RBI but he may have to do for awhile.
Check back here on BBST for more on the severity of Holliday’s injury and how long he’s likely to be out, as soon as the information becomes avaiable.
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]]>Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto speaks at a press conference at the main gates of Angel Stadium introducing newly signed players C.J. Wilson and Albert Pujols on December 10, 2011 (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
As the calendar has now flipped to June on the 2015 baseball season, many fans of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are becoming justifiably worried about their team. After an encouraging five-game winning streak to cap off the month of May that included a power surge from the offense to the tune of 20 home runs in 11 games, it was starting to look like the team may have finally hit its stride. Unfortunately, since that winning streak ended with a loss to Tampa Bay on June 2, the wheels seem to have fallen off again as the Angels have given all five of those games back with an ugly five-game losing streak that included an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the hated Yankees at Yankee Stadium over the weekend. The sweep at Yankee Stadium was especially disturbing as not only did the Angel offense go back into hibernation, but the starting pitching – which had been the team’s strength all season (they lead the AL with 33 quality starts) – fell apart as well as they collectively gave up 29 earned runs, including 10 home runs, in 24 1/3 innings over the five-game losing streak. That tallies up to an unsightly 10.73 ERA.
Looking forward, fans can reasonably expect that with a rotation as deep and talented as the Angels have, that part of the team should work itself out of its current funk. General Manager Jerry Dipoto, to his credit, made several moves over the offseason to address an area of dire need, which was organizational pitching depth. While he accomplished his goal of adding young, controllable arms to the Angels’ system and thereby creating an impressive amount of pitching depth, those arms did not come without a price. Dipoto was forced to make some difficult choices and sacrifice some on the offensive side to build that depth. Gone are former cornerstone players such as Howie Kendrick and Hank Conger. Josh Hamilton is also gone due to his own personal whirlwind that is the topic for another discussion. Dipoto tried to address these sacrifices through the acquisitions of players like Matt Joyce, Johnny Giavotella, Josh Rutledge, and Taylor Featherston, but so far things just haven’t seemed to click on the offensive side for the Angels, and their 28-29 record, sitting 5 1/2 games off the pace in 3rd place in the AL West, is certainly reflective of that fact.
All this being said, all is not lost for the Angels. In early June of 2009 the Angels found themselves at 29-29, 4 1/2 games off the pace and in 3rd place in the AL West. Howie Kendrick was sent to the minors for his lack of production, and the starting rotation had suffered a rash of injuries. That team was however able to pull out of their early season funk and play extremely hot baseball down the stretch to finish with 97 wins and the AL West Championship. Now, one could argue that the 2015 Angels really haven’t dealt with significant injuries, so their current situation may just be the result of a team destined to hover around the .500 mark all season long. While that is certainly possible, it would still only take the resurgence of players like Joyce, Chris Iannetta, and C.J. Cron back to their career averages to get this offense clicking again. Even so however, this is a team that was designed to have a power hitting lefty (Hamilton) hitting behind Mike Trout & Albert Pujols to provide some depth to the lineup. That’s where Jerry Dipoto comes in.
As we approach the mid-season trading season, there are several intriguing players that could potentially be on the market depending on how their teams perform over the next month or so. About a month ago, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register posted an article in which he named some of the players the Angels could potentially target in mid-season trades to help their sagging offense. What I’d like to do here is explore each of the players he mentioned a little more in-depth…
Adam Lind hits an RBI single during the second inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Miller Park on May 30, 2015 (Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
DOB: 7/17/83 (Age: 31)
Contract Status*: Year 6 of 6-year, $30.5M, 2015 salary = $7.5M. Club option for 2016 at $8M ($500k buyout)
Career Batting: .274/.329/.469
2015 Batting: .290/.364/.508
As the Brewers are having one of their more disappointing seasons in quite some time (20-37, 18 games off the pace & in the NL Central cellar), they surely look to be sellers at the deadline this year. Lind is an intriguing lefty bat, though his glove work in the OF is below average at best. He would need to be used as a DH or be replaced in the OF for defensive purposes late in games. It’s unclear what the Brewers would want in exchange, but given Lind’s attractive contract in relation to his production, they have plenty of leverage to ask for premium prospects – likely premium pitching prospects. There’s certain to be plenty of teams in the mix for Lind, so the Angels may not have what it takes to swing a deal for Lind. He will however be high on the Angels’ list, but he won’t be the only one, which leads us to…..
Ben Revere rounds second on his way to a triple in the first inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park on June 4, 2015 (Brian Garfinkel/Getty Images)
DOB: 5/3/88 (Age: 27)
Contract Status*: Arbitration year 2 of 4. 2015 salary = $4.1M
Career Batting: .289/.323/.341
2015 Batting: .266/.310/.349
Revere doesn’t represent a power threat from the left side, but he is a scrappy slap hitter with excellent speed that the Angels could slot in atop their batting order, allowing other pieces to shift to possibly more desirable spots. Revere is largely considered an average defender, but his speed allows him to play all three outfield positions. At just 27 years of age and under control through the arbitration process through the 2017 season, Revere is also sure to be a hot target for several teams as we head toward the deadline. With the Phillies in the midst of a disappointing season (22-36, 5th NL East) and a payroll full of bloated contracts for aging players, they are sure to be looking to get younger through the trades they make, which means Revere, like Lind, will likely cost a prospect or two.
Brandon Moss hits an RBI double during the fourth inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on June 7, 2015 (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
DOB: 9/16/83 (Age: 31)
Contract Status*: Arbitration year 3 of 4. 2015 salary = $6.5M.
Career Batting: .247/.326/.462
2015 Batting: .245/.321/.478
The Indians, much like the Angels, have struggled to find consistency so far this season, but at 27-29 and just 6 games off the pace in the AL Central, they’re likely in a holding pattern to see how the next few weeks go before they decide whether to buy or sell. Should they decide to sell, Moss is a player they may look to move as he may net them a prospect or perhaps a similar MLB player with a lower salary and more years of control remaining. Moss represents a reasonable power threat, though he won’t be winning any home run titles soon. He can also play average defense at the outfield corners and first base. The Angels would need to decide whether Moss represents enough of an upgrade over Joyce to justify moving the player(s) it would take to land Moss.
Adam LaRoche hits a two-run home run in the third inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on May 28, 2015 (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
DOB: 11/6/79 (Age: 35)
Contract Status*: Year 1 of 2-year, $25M. 2015 salary = $12M. 2016 salary = $13M.
Career Batting: .263/.340/.469
2015 Batting: .239/.360/.400
While LaRoche doesn’t represent the outfield help the Angels need, he does represent a good power threat from the left side that could slot in behind Trout & Pujols in the batting order. Given what LaRoche is owed over this season & next and his age, the Angels may be able to acquire LaRoche relatively inexpensively. The White Sox are however another team in a holding pattern as they sit just behind the Indians, 7 1/2 games off the pace in the AL Central. Given the investments Chicago made to return to contention this year, they’ll likely be reluctant to sell.
Jay Bruce hits a three-run home run in the sixth inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park on June 7, 2015 (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
DOB: 4/3/87 (Age: 28)
Contract Status*: Year 5 of 6-year, $51M. 2015 salary = $12M. 2016 salary = $12.5M. Club option for 2017 at $13M ($1M buyout).
Career Batting: .250/.324/.464
2015 Batting: .223/.333/.418
Bruce may represent possibly the most attractive target on Fletcher’s list. At just 28 years of age and with another two years of team control remaining on his contract after the 2015 season, Bruce would certainly slot in nicely behind Trout & Pujols in the Angels lineup. Such an attractive commodity doesn’t come without a price however, and if made available Bruce could potentially become one of the hottest commodities on this summer’s trade market which would only drive up the Reds’ asking price. The Reds are a team looking to be trending toward the selling side of things as they currently sit at 25-31, 12 games off the pace in the NL Central.
Carlos Gonzalez makes a running catch on a fly ball during the first inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field on May 18, 2015 (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DOB: 10/17/85 (Age: 29)
Contract Status*: Year 5 of 7-year, $80M. 2015 salary = $16M. 2016 salary = $17M. 2017 salary = $20M.
Career Batting: .291/.349/.512
2015 Batting: .240/.320/.377
Gonzalez represents the biggest name on Fletcher’s list, and one of the most expensive, as by the trading deadline he’ll still be owed rougly $44M through the 2017 season. Should he made available however, the Rockies may be willing to eat some salary to move Gonzalez, and how much salary they eat will likely depend on the quality of the return they get. Gonzalez is however continuing a down-trend from his career norms that started last year and has continued into this year, so teams may be hesitant to offer top talent to acquire Gonzalez. The Rockies, even with their 25-30 record, are only 5 1/2 games off the pace in the NL West, so they’ll likely want to see how the next six weeks or so go before they decide how they’ll approach the trading deadline.
Andre Ethier hits a 2-run single to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on June 3, 2015 (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DOB: 4/10/82 (Age: 33)
Contract Status*: Year 3 of 5-year, $85M. 2015 salary = $18M. 2016 salary = $18M. 2017 salary = $17.5M. Club option for 2018 at $17.5M ($2.5M buyout)
Career Batting: .285/.359/.463
2015 Batting: .282/.369/.494
While the general thinking is that Ethier has drastically declined from his former All-Star & Gold Glove status, the numbers certainly don’t support that hypothesis. Ethier is having a season right in line with his career norms this season. Even though the Dodgers are sitting atop the NL West and are obvious World Series contenders, they do have an outfield logjam with Ethier, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Scott Van Slyke, and hot young prospect Joc Pederson all vying for playing time in a league that doesn’t use the DH. The Dodgers would obviously prefer to move Crawford or Ethier – the most expensive players of the group – in an effort to shed some salary. The Dodgers may be willing to take less in terms of players from a team willing to take on more salary in a trade for ether Ethier or Crawford.
Ryan Howard lines an RBI double during the first inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 8, 2015 (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
DOB: 11/19/79 (Age: 35)
Contract Status*: Year 4 of 5-year, $125M. 2015 salary = $25M. 2016 salary = $25M. Club option for 2017 at $23M ($10M buyout).
Career Batting: .265/.352/.525
2015 Batting: .245/.284/.495
Howard represents what is likely an option of last resort for many teams looking for a lefty bat. While the Phillies have publicly announced that they’d be willing to eat as much as $50M of the $60M owed to Howard to move him, he is still basically a shell of the player who won the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year and 2007 NL MVP awards. Even so, Howard could represent a change of scenery candidate, and at just $10M over the next two years, may be a worthwhile risk to some teams depending on the players they would have to give up.
The eight players listed here are by no means the only trade targets the Angels are looking at, but they do represent the most likely given the Angels’ specific needs of a lefty bat, preferrably with some power, who can play the corner outfield spots. Jerry Dipoto has however shown the ability to get creative at the trading deadline in the past, and may come up with something nobody expects. Nonetheless, it does seem pretty obvious that the Angels are going to need to add at least one more bat to get this sagging offense off the ground for more than a few games at a time. Fortunately, nobody is running away with the AL West so far, and with well over 100 games to be played the Angels certainly have time to make their run.
Who do you think the Angels should go after this midsummer trading season? Who do you think they’d have to give up to get that player? Give us your trade proposals in the comments!
-Aaron Forstner
*Contract information courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts