2012 - 2013 Offseason Thread

Looking forward to a solid season of Bases here. Seen some familiar faces around whom I've gotten down and dirty (baseball pun intended) with over the past couple years or so...


I've been putting together some MLB "Hoopla" over the past week or so - would like to share, compare, discuss, debate, predict, etc...


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When opening a cap I rank .OPS #1 offensive statistic. (OPS = OnBase% + Slugging%) In Baseball, you can go on long cold streaks or long hot streaks. It’s all about finding 1, 2, or 3 teams to stay on their hot streaks. This usually comes in the 2nd half of baseball. So I’ve put together the Top 3 droppers & Top 3 risers from last year (2012) in the .OPS Rankings… Hot Bats -vs- Cold Bats.



Top 3 Droppers = COLD BATS


1.) BlueJays
1st Half = #6 (.754)
2nd Half = #28 (.671)
Differential = -22


2.) Red Sox
1st Half = #5 (.770)
2nd Half = #23 (.683)
Differential = -18


3.) Indians
1st Half = #12 (.735)
2nd Half = #29 (.671)
Differential = -17




Top 3 Risers = HOT BATS


1.) Athletics
1st Half = #28 (.667)
2nd Half = #6 (.765)
Differential = +22


2.) Padres
1st Half = #29 (.666)
2nd Half = #14 (.737)
Differential = +15


3.) Giants
1st Half = #23 (.696)
2nd Half = #9 (.755)
Differential = +14


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One of my main factors when opening a cap for games is looking @ pitchers and & teams overall WHIP. Here's Top5/Bottom5:


Top 5 Teams in WHIP; Rays (1.166), Nats (1.221), Reds (1.227), Braves (1.227), Phillies (1.237)


Bottom 5 Teams in WHIP; Rockies (1.549), Astros (1.428), Indians (1.419), Royals (1.410), Cubs (1.395)


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Top 5 OVER teams from last year; Brewers (89), Giants (86), Padres (85), Rockies (84), Phillies (83)


Top 5 UNDER teams from last year; Rays (91), Reds (89), Braves (88), 4 tied @ 86; O's, Tigers, Yanks, A's.


Top 5 OVER stadiums last year, in order; Rockies, Brewers, White Sox, Red Sox, Padres


Top 5 UNDER stadiums last year, in order; Rays, Pirates, Yankees, Mariners, A's.


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MLB related hoopla = my favorite BounceBack Pitchers after poor outing (5ER+) = Ian Kennedy, Matt Cain, Tim Hudson, Clayon Kershaw


MLB related hoopla - my favorite pitchers to fade in letdown after Quality Start; Luke Hochevar, Ubaldo Jimenez, Edison Volquez, Bud Norris
 
Tip - nice to see somebody feels my pain out there. The life of a small market fan. Sigh....

Teed - I think of the two, Britton has more upside. Unless Matusz can figure out righties, I don't see him working his way back into the starting rotation. But as a guy coming in to pitch to lefties in relief, as evidenced by his stats (.175 vs. Lefties; .327 vs. righties) he's worked out well.

Can't wait for opening day.....
 
Me too, doggy. I'm always bullish on the Tribe when they're 0-0. Maybe this is the year.
 
scdoggy said:
Tip - nice to see somebody feels my pain out there. The life of a small market fan. Sigh....

Teed - I think of the two, Britton has more upside. Unless Matusz can figure out righties, I don't see him working his way back into the starting rotation. But as a guy coming in to pitch to lefties in relief, as evidenced by his stats (.175 vs. Lefties; .327 vs. righties) he's worked out well.

Can't wait for opening day.....
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theyll prob try matuz as a starter one more time, but at least you know that as a worst case scenario, he can be a beast lefty arm in the pen. he was dirrrrrty the last 2 mos of the year
 
tipyerbartender said:
Also, if Baltimore had a guy ready, he'd be up. Whatever happened to that system, used to be an arm factory.
Click to expand...

its very suspicious. they drafted some real good arms, but every one seemed to get hurt along the way. could it be a wacky coincidence? sure. but it could also be something wrong with how they develop young arms. but theyve had a handful of blue chippers over the years, and some have faded and others have just made the bigs as fringe starters, none have really been beastly.

hopefully britton and of course Bundy can change that
 
I mean like back in Earl Weaver's day, the Baltimore farm system was as good as any. Developing starting pitchers was "The Baltimore Way". Last twenty years or so, save for Mike Mussina, it really dried up.
 
According to the Miami New Times, Alex Rodriguez is among the players linked to an anti-aging clinic in Miami which distributed performance-enhancing drugs.

Big news. This clinic, run by Anthony Bosch, was reported over the weekend as being investigated by MLB and the Drug Enforcement Agency. The New Times were given patient records by an anonymous source and they suggest that Rodriguez was given HGH as recently as last year, sometimes under a nickname. Other current MLB players are listed in the report, including Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon, Yasmani Grandal, Gio Gonzalez and Nelson Cruz. Of course, Cabrera, Colon and Grandal have all been suspended for PEDs in the past year.
 
How about Gio and Cruz being linked in there? Say it ain't so, Gio.
 
Popular sports radio topics in Cleveland.

1. OK, sports fans, we haven't talked about this in at least a week. Who's the closest to a championship, Browns, Cavs, Indians?

2. What time do you think Mike Holmgren showed up for work?

3. Why don't the cheapass Dolans trade for A-Rod?
 
Actually, looking at the O's starters - I don't feel that bad about what they are working with:

Chen - solid season, hopefully he can keep it up
Tillman - turned the corner mid year and was solid the rest of the way.
Gonzalez - Love this kid
Jason Hammel - if he can stay injury free
The last spot can be composted of Jurrjens, Matusz, Britton, Arrieta, Tommy Hunter, and then you have a guy like Bundy (who still needs time IMO, but you never know)

That's a pretty decent crop right there of young pitchers. If you take Tommy Hunter out of the equation (and why wouldn't you?) the only one over 28 is Hammel. We've all been hearing about the promise of Britton, TIllman, Arrieta and Matusz for a while now (throw Bundy in too), but if even one or two of them ends up being good, the Orioles farm system will have redeemed itself.

Also the guys that don't make starters will have specialy roles (Matusz vs. LHP) and will bolster an already formidable bullpen
 
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Marcum to the Mets? He was on xm fantasy sports radio giving an interview talking about how strong his arm is and how he's the healthiest he's been in his entire career coming into this season? He was solid in 2011
 
scdoggy said:
Fuck it, just put them in the playoffs now. Time to go look at futures
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ahhhh, the natural optimism of fan(atic)s in Spring...wait, it's still only January?

Counting the days until P&Cs report...

If I'm good with NFL/CFB players taking HGH, IGF1, Winstrol, Deca-Andro-Stanzolol, etc., etc., etc. and it can get ARod back to slugging .500+ then I say...

Just Do It and help us win #28, baby.
 
You're nuts, Mully, he's awful.

At some point, he stopped hitting lefties. At an earlier point than that, he stopped hitting it over the wall. Just can't count on him, even in a platoon role. Hasn't had 400 at bats since 2007, and he doesn't play the field or run, so this is a guy who gets hurt, quite often, simply swinging a bat. Bad shoulders, bad legs, bad back. He's done.
 
Who needs the Upton brothers when you can get the Young brothers?!?!

Im pretty sure Amaro is just fucking with DWoww at this point...

Dmitri Young’s comeback hasn’t found a home yet, but Jim Bowden of ESPN.com reports that the 38-year-old recently worked out for the Phillies.
Young hasn’t played in the majors since 2008, so it’s a long shot, but hitting was never the reason for his demise and he’s dropped 75 pounds.
According to Bowden the Phillies were impressed by Young’s workout, but there’s no word yet if they’re interested in actually signing him to what would presumably be a minor-league contract.
In the meantime he’ll continue to eat one piece of pecan pie and “call it a day.
 
Used to love D'Meathook. Always found his way on to one of my fantasy squads as an end-gamer.
 
Smokedawg said:
Who needs the Upton brothers when you can get the Young brothers?!?!

Im pretty sure Amaro is just fucking with DWoww at this point...

Dmitri Young’s comeback hasn’t found a home yet, but Jim Bowden of ESPN.com reports that the 38-year-old recently worked out for the Phillies.
Young hasn’t played in the majors since 2008, so it’s a long shot, but hitting was never the reason for his demise and he’s dropped 75 pounds.
According to Bowden the Phillies were impressed by Young’s workout, but there’s no word yet if they’re interested in actually signing him to what would presumably be a minor-league contract.
In the meantime he’ll continue to eat one piece of pecan pie and “call it a day.
Click to expand...

did you happen to see the date of that article?

Jan 12, 2012, 5:30 PM EST
 
tipyerbartender said:
You're nuts, Mully, he's awful.

At some point, he stopped hitting lefties. At an earlier point than that, he stopped hitting it over the wall. Just can't count on him, even in a platoon role. Hasn't had 400 at bats since 2007, and he doesn't play the field or run, so this is a guy who gets hurt, quite often, simply swinging a bat. Bad shoulders, bad legs, bad back. He's done.
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I hear you but very little risk and only needed for part-time DHing. Maybe going to a contender after all these years will cause a career resurgence?

<s>@</s>McCulloughSL I know it was only 263 PA, but Travis Hafner did have a 121 OPS+ last year. When healthy, he's still pretty effective.
 
When healthy? When's that?? Even the cheapo Indians didn't give him a sniff, what's that tell you.
 
Come to think of it, why didn't the Yanks just outbid everyone to retain Swisher ... I feel like I'm in an alternate universe here, we got the Yanks free agent slugger and the Yanks are sniffing around the corpse that used to be Travis Hafner. I believe Sizemore's available as well, Mully, have at him.
 
If the Yanks actually do sign him, I think I'll pm Mully every time he's scratched with "muscle tightness". Can only store 50, Mully, so clear out the inbox.
 
His production did dip right around stricter testing, which was precisely after he got paid. Suspicious. Hafner apologists say he "broke down". Little hard to swallow, guy shrunk.
 
tipyerbartender said:
If the Yanks actually do sign him, I think I'll pm Mully every time he's scratched with "muscle tightness". Can only store 50, Mully, so clear out the inbox.
Click to expand...

LOL As long as I can PM 'ya back when he starts hitting bombs into New Yankees Stad's short porch... :)

Couldn't sign Swish after another of his postseason swoons...with the age & one yr deals 2014 going to be very, very interesting in da Bronx.

Personally think Steinbrenner's making the B/S sparkle for potential sale...
 
He does need a short porch. A few years ago, the mezzanine level out in RF at Progressive Field, kind of the second deck, was named "Pronkville". They eventually and quietly took that sign down, as he never seemed to visit.
 
dbacks extend prado for 4/40 million. upton trade makes plenty of sense around these parts, may work well for both teams
 
The As are sneaky


Athletics acquired SS Jed Lowrie and RHP Fernando Rodriguez from the Astros in exchange for 1B Chris Carter, RHP Brad Peacock and C Max Stassi.

Lowrie's power production could take a real hit playing half his games in O.co Coliseum, but this is a solid win-now move by the A's. Hiroyuki Nakajima is expected to remain the starter at shortstop, which means Lowrie should get most of his playing time at second base, but he's expected to see time at other infield spots, as well. Meanwhile, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow has further stocked his farm system with some nice pieces.
 
too bad theyre about 20 years away from being competitive. good for both teams i think.

As were log jammed at 1B/DH and C. lacked IF/UTIL type. Astros didnt need a big league ready player with their AAA roster
 
olney just tweeted that the stros highest paid player, Bud Norris, makes less than the average MLBer, and less than Zach Greinke makes in like 3 starts
 
The Phillies have FOUR different players that, by themselves, will make more than the entire Astros roster this year
 
Who cares, you guys have been telling me for years team salary figures and varying market revenues mean nothing. But you have stopped referencing the Twins.
 
tipyerbartender said:
Who cares, you guys have been telling me for years team salary figures and varying market revenues mean nothing. But you have stopped referencing the Twins.
Click to expand...

salary figures do mean something, but like all things in life, its dependent on where that money is going. The Phillies high payroll doesn't make them good, because they are slotting that money to places it shouldn't be going.

Teams like the Twins and the A's rely on scouting, drafting, and management to field competitive teams. It worked for awhile in Minnesota but when you have such a small payroll, you also have a small margin for error. So they made a few mistakes, some of their players left their primes, and poof, they are a cellar dweller team.

The difference between them and a big market team is they have to start from scratch rebuilding, while if a big-market team sucks, they have more money to throw around which likely means a quicker turn-around time in terms of fielding a competitor again.

Unfortunately, Amaro knows neither how to build a strong farm system, nor how to spend the funds he has access to.
 
It's my favorite sport, but it's a broken sport. The Pro Bowl has better TV ratings than the World Series. Preseason NFL has better ratings than the World Series. Actually, I think their own MLB All-Star Game has better ratings than the World Series. That can't be all gambling. It's a long, long season, most markets feel out of it or believe they will be out of it ultimately, and no one cares once it's down to the championship, because it's almost fucking Thanksgiving. Lots of stuff should be fixed.
 
Give it time. New ballpark wears off. The big club's payroll always comes back to market size, over time.
 
This year, the AL Central's actually a pretty expensive neighborhood. Not sustainable.
 
tipyerbartender said:
It's my favorite sport, but it's a broken sport. The Pro Bowl has better TV ratings than the World Series. Preseason NFL has better ratings than the World Series. Actually, I think their own MLB All-Star Game has better ratings than the World Series. That can't be all gambling. It's a long, long season, most markets feel out of it or believe they will be out of it ultimately, and no one cares once it's down to the championship, because it's almost fucking Thanksgiving. Lots of stuff should be fixed.
Click to expand...

MLB needs to have a few World Series day games. They starts the games too late, and aren't getting the ratings they could imo. Playing a day game can't hurt, their ratings are already behind the Pro Bowl, as you stated. Need to get kids watching the games and expand that fan base. Selig is a complete moron though, so it's no surprise they don't get ratings.
 
Ryan Braun's name comes up again in the Miami PED scandal. Fool me once shame on you......... MLB going to go hard after him this time
 
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