That is right baseball fans, the season is down to 20 games to go. Seems like it has been a long season for some reason, for some too long maybe. What is on tap for our sports connected minds for the remainder of the season. Actually it isn't as exciting as past seasons as only 7 teams in each league look to have a viable shot. What? No 4-way tie for the final playoff spot? Awwww----Shucks!!
NL North
Cubs are up by 2 games over the Pirates and 5 over the Brewers. This one could get rather exciting looking at their schedules. Other than a round robin between them the Cubs have to face Houston and Florida, meanwhile the Pirates and Brewers only face Salem. This one could actually have a surprise ending as two of the three will get to the playoffs.
NL East
The Mets are pretty much in control, needing only 6 for a division wrap and are fighting for the #3 seed.
NL South
Florida is in no matter what but still need 7 for a division wrap, but how hard are they gonna try holding on to the #1 seed is the question. Houston is pretty much in also needing a few wins to seal the #5 seed again.
NL West
Salem has had the crown wrapped up for sometime but are still in the hunt for the #1 seed.
AL North
The Twins are sneaking away but the Expos are giving chase which may be too little too late. Never fear stranger things have happened before.
AL East
The Red Sox have distanced themselves from the Beetles. 9 games is a lot to make up with 20 to go but not out of the question.
AL South
The Rays blew by the Heads who have tried to get back in it without success, but chances look good they are both playoff bound.
AL West
The Sky Sox have walked away with the division and the #1 seed this year. The Angels and A's are both fighting each other for the final playoff spot and that could get ugly.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Next Big Event
The next big events on the schedule occur in a few days. For the newbies one is important, for those in the playoffs the both are important.
The first is roster expansion. This allows rosters to expand to the full 40 man roster if desired. Most call up rookies to evaluate how they perform at the ML level. To do so puts them on the 40 man roster if they are not already on it. Those not already on the 40 man roster starts their clock and will use an option at the end of the season. That action may not be desirable at this time and caution may be the word on that. Those with three years experience can be a little trickier. Those with three years experience and probably ML ready, do you wait til next season when you would need to put him on the 40 man roster or give him the experience with the ML club this season? The catch is, if you send him back down at the beginning of next season, the best time btw, then you will have to hold him at the minor league level more games to slow his ML service time to catch another year. Be careful about calling up players that are out of options also. Those players would need to clear waivers to send them back down. One other minor thing with call ups is that you will need to carry the minimum roster requirements at each minor league level which is 21.
A hint here for the newbies, if your minor league teams are playoff bound, especially AAA, that experience actually helps more than a call up IMO. Also, at the end of the season you might want to move a player up to put them on a minor league playoff team.
The second is postseason roster. This is for playoff teams, players must be on the 40 man roster before this time to be eligible for postseason play. Injuries do happen during the playoffs and sometimes a manager may want to change the 25 man roster, however the only time the rosters can be changed is before a series starts, not during.
The first is roster expansion. This allows rosters to expand to the full 40 man roster if desired. Most call up rookies to evaluate how they perform at the ML level. To do so puts them on the 40 man roster if they are not already on it. Those not already on the 40 man roster starts their clock and will use an option at the end of the season. That action may not be desirable at this time and caution may be the word on that. Those with three years experience can be a little trickier. Those with three years experience and probably ML ready, do you wait til next season when you would need to put him on the 40 man roster or give him the experience with the ML club this season? The catch is, if you send him back down at the beginning of next season, the best time btw, then you will have to hold him at the minor league level more games to slow his ML service time to catch another year. Be careful about calling up players that are out of options also. Those players would need to clear waivers to send them back down. One other minor thing with call ups is that you will need to carry the minimum roster requirements at each minor league level which is 21.
A hint here for the newbies, if your minor league teams are playoff bound, especially AAA, that experience actually helps more than a call up IMO. Also, at the end of the season you might want to move a player up to put them on a minor league playoff team.
The second is postseason roster. This is for playoff teams, players must be on the 40 man roster before this time to be eligible for postseason play. Injuries do happen during the playoffs and sometimes a manager may want to change the 25 man roster, however the only time the rosters can be changed is before a series starts, not during.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Who Helped Themselves
The Marlins..errr Mermaids look quite healthy if you ask me.
The after All-Star division scramble saw quite a bit of shock and awe between bitter rivals. Who helped themselves the most?
NL North
The Pirates went 8-3 against the rivals putting them in the thick of things once again. The Cubs meanwhile floundered as the DL stays a hot topic.
NL East
The Mets went 10-1 in the division securing Head-to-Head against all the division rivals. The Phillies got hot after their debacle with the Mets but ended up losing ground in the end.
NL South
The Marlins stayed hot and continued their dominance. The Astros continued their sluggin way to secure the first Wild Card slot.
NL West
Salem stayed hot extending their winning streak and a 9-2 division recap. The D'Backs may have stopped the Salem win streak but three losses to them didn't boost their confidence either but remain alive for a shot at a Wild Card.
AL North
The Expos became the surprise winner putting themselves into the thick of things. Detroit looked good against the Jays but it went down hill from there. The Twins hit every other day win which didn't exactly help their cause.
AL East
The Red Sox took three of four from Dover and became the clear winner but was rather unconvincing in doing so.
AL South
The Rays rattled the Heads and brought their 9-2 record to bear. Looks like it could be a tough battle to the end.
AL West
The Shy Sox mashed their division foes 9-2 and keep sailing to the number 1 seed.
Top Ten Teams at the moment
1. Salem - Even though they are tied I give them the nod.
2. Florida
3. Colorado
4. Houston
5. New York
6. Tampa Bay
7. Little Rock
8. Pittsburgh
9. Minnesota
10. Anaheim
Mexico Finds IFA
Eli Baez was singed by Mexico City for $14.8M. A cheap signing for a good prospect so far this season. Although he was touted as a 2B, chances are he may never progress above LF but that ain't all bad. His hitting is what lured Mexico City as he will have a decent eye, good splits and contact with home run power. Speed is not an accessory but the rest looks pretty good.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
IFA Market Update
Rafael Perez made off with $22.2M of the Blue Jays cash reserves today. A quality pitcher that should become a respected starter in the future. Control, splits, velo and ground ball are just a few of the outstanding qualities. When it comes to pitch quality however, my scouts are a beer blind. My feeling is he has the pitches to go with the rest. A great signing.
Bartolo Martin signed with the Minnesota Twins for $10.4M. His control may need to be better than I am seeing for a quality starter. His splits and pitches seem rather reasonable for a lefty.
Miguel Toca signed for $8M with the Boston Red Sox. Considered a project player by my scouts. Could be a quality starter if projections are met however it will require some time.
Bartolo Martin signed with the Minnesota Twins for $10.4M. His control may need to be better than I am seeing for a quality starter. His splits and pitches seem rather reasonable for a lefty.
Miguel Toca signed for $8M with the Boston Red Sox. Considered a project player by my scouts. Could be a quality starter if projections are met however it will require some time.
Transaction Deadline
The next exciting thing to happen in the world of baseball is the Transaction Deadline. It is a curious event in reality. Basically all it means is that players can be traded without going thru waivers before the deadline. This does cause a few trades to materialize. After the deadline, all players on the 40-man roster must go thru waivers before being traded.
Basically what happens is many teams tend to put players on reversible waivers after the deadline. Some teams may actually use this to clear the 40-man roster since all players must clear waivers to be removed and makes it a safe way to do so. A player claimed off reversible waivers can only be traded to the claiming club. Though sometimes the reversible waivers are not used so beware.
Most generally players in the last year of their contract or arbitration eligible players wanting extensive contracts wind up on waivers after the deadline. Generally playoff teams are the buyers, looking for a key player to help them to the playoffs. The losing club is hoping for a couple good prospects in the deal and usually want more than the player is worth most of the time in my opinion.
History of the world indicates that reversible waivers are used more extensively than others I have been in. One must consider several things for a trade after the deadline. Will the player sign a new contract or go FA? Is he a Type A or B player? Will he really help the team as opposed to the future considerations?
Basically what happens is many teams tend to put players on reversible waivers after the deadline. Some teams may actually use this to clear the 40-man roster since all players must clear waivers to be removed and makes it a safe way to do so. A player claimed off reversible waivers can only be traded to the claiming club. Though sometimes the reversible waivers are not used so beware.
Most generally players in the last year of their contract or arbitration eligible players wanting extensive contracts wind up on waivers after the deadline. Generally playoff teams are the buyers, looking for a key player to help them to the playoffs. The losing club is hoping for a couple good prospects in the deal and usually want more than the player is worth most of the time in my opinion.
History of the world indicates that reversible waivers are used more extensively than others I have been in. One must consider several things for a trade after the deadline. Will the player sign a new contract or go FA? Is he a Type A or B player? Will he really help the team as opposed to the future considerations?
Diamonds
Last season there wasn't anything to crow about for "Diamonds in the Rough". This year however there was a couple that caught our attention.
Pete Brooks, P, Philadelphia Phillies: Drafted in the ninth round of this years draft scouts have determined that he could have been a late first round pick. Has the ability to be a real good setup man, long or short.
Pablo Cruz, P, Minnesota Twins: Signed as an IFA late last season. Now has the ability to be a quality end of rotation starter or long reliever. Not bad for a $250K signing.
George Taylor, P, Kansas City Royals: He was an 11th round pick in last years draft. Jury is still out if he can really make a ML roster as a setup man but we think it is possible. Splits are still a little on the low end but the control and pitches could cover those up quite a bit.
Scooter Ventura, 3B, Washington D.C. Senators: Was drafted in the 9th round of the season 20 draft. Still young enough to make the grade in a backup role. Has the ability to play a great 3B but only moderate skills at the plate which could hamper him.
Pete Brooks, P, Philadelphia Phillies: Drafted in the ninth round of this years draft scouts have determined that he could have been a late first round pick. Has the ability to be a real good setup man, long or short.
Pablo Cruz, P, Minnesota Twins: Signed as an IFA late last season. Now has the ability to be a quality end of rotation starter or long reliever. Not bad for a $250K signing.
George Taylor, P, Kansas City Royals: He was an 11th round pick in last years draft. Jury is still out if he can really make a ML roster as a setup man but we think it is possible. Splits are still a little on the low end but the control and pitches could cover those up quite a bit.
Scooter Ventura, 3B, Washington D.C. Senators: Was drafted in the 9th round of the season 20 draft. Still young enough to make the grade in a backup role. Has the ability to play a great 3B but only moderate skills at the plate which could hamper him.
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