The last time the two teams made a deal, the Angels ended up with $80 million of Vernon Wells. Now, they are getting a struggling AAA pitcher. So why did the Angels make this deal?
In all honesty, this is a great trade for both teams. Mills never had any chance of cracking the Blue Jays rotation--currently compiled of Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Henderson Alvarez, Dustin McGowan, and Brett Cecil, with Kyle Drabek, Joel Carreno, Nestor Molina, Drew Hutchison, Chad Jenkins, and Deck McGuire breathing down their necks (and let's not forget the ever inconsistent, but highly valuable Jesse Litsch). Plus, due to being in the difficult AL East, Mills's opportunities were only getting slimmer.
In Los Angeles (or Anaheim, if you prefer) Jeff Mathis had become irrelevant. With newly-acquired Chris Iannetta as the clear starter and Hank Conger coming up behind, there was no need for an extra back-up. It is highly probable that the Angels would have non-tendered Mathis rather than go to arbitration with him.
So they made the trade.
Now the Jays have a backup catcher to replace the aging Jose Molina--who just signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, which gives his former team a compensation pick in next year's draft--who can help J.P. Arencibia in his sophomore season. Molina has been on the decline for the past few years, and the former defensive stalwart had began to, well, stall. Mathis brings a bit more youth to the position as well as a much better glove. In 698.0 innings last year, the 28 year-old backstop had an astounding .995 fielding percentage behind the plate. Arencibia would do well to learn from such a professional. For his defence, Mathis's low offensive numbers can be forgiven. His acquisition also gives Alex Anthopolous one fewer hole to fill this offseason.
As for Brad Mills, he finally has a chance to make a name for himself. He may still be a year or two away, but the fears of AL East competition are gone--though in Salt Lake he will still be stuck in the PCL. The 26 year-old southpaw will likely start next season AAA and will have a chance to prove himself. Due to the weak back-end of the Angels' rotation, the 26 year-old southpaw may get a chance to show what he has learned in his small amounts of Major League service over the past three seasons. He provides the Angels with some return for a player who they otherwise may have received nothing for.
Overall, this is a win-win situation. Both teams have uses for their new acquisition and neither had any for the player traded away. Mike Scioscia may be a bit heart-broken over the loss of Mathis, but in the end, there are no real losers of this trade.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
If the Yankees didn't resign Garcia . . .
They could insert the following people as starters (pure speculation on my part)
- David Phelps
- Adam Warren
- Hector Noesi
- Joba Chamberlain (now it's dreamland territory)
Or they might be stuck with these guys as starters (again, pure speculation)
- Sergio Mitre
TomAlexBrian Gordon (remember him? Neither do I)- Andrew Brackman (probably a nice late-inning flamethrower, but starting? No thank you. Not until he learns
four, not seven balls result in a walkhow to throw strikes) - Jamie Moyer
Brett FavreRoger Clemens (hey, he never officially retired five times yet)
Of course, some of these people aren't even in the organization anymore and some others may end up in a different capacity, while a few might actually be a starter later on in the year. Thank goodness we've got Freddy there for now.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Papelbon: Goodbye 30+
Since 2006--the first year Jonathan Papelbon became the closer for the Boston Red Sox--the reliever has never had fewer than 31 saves in a season. The 31 total came in 2011.
Since saving 41 games in 2008, the four-time all-star has been on an unsteady decline in production (38 in 2009, and 37 in 2010). To be fair, Papelbon did have fewer chances this year than he has ever had before--in fact, he had fewer chances than he's ever before had saves--but, he did blow three saves. Blown saves--another disturbing trend in Papelbon's short career. Over his Red Sox tenure, he had 219 saves in 249 attempts (248 since 2006). That's 29 blown saves in six seasons--an average of almost 5 blown saves per year.
Next season, the right-hander will close for the Phillies. Even if Brad Lidge does not return--as many expect he will--Papelbon will have limited save opportunities (we must remember that Lidge had a solid season last year, recording a 1.40 ERA and .225 batting average against in 25 appearances). Ryan Madson had just 34 chances to record a save last season. Based on his average of 5 blown saves per year, Papelbon will miss the 30 mark next season.
Some may argue that Papelbon managed 31 saves in spite of having the same number of opportunities last year. His worsening ERA must, however, be taken into account. In 2010, his ERA was a bloated 3.90. He brought it back down to a reasonable 2.94 in 2011, but this number is still the second highest of his career.
Papelbon's career has been similar to that of Kevin Gregg's 2010 season. He almost always gets the save--but he makes it exciting. It cannot be known whether or not NL opponents will be able to capitalize on this. Also, with Washington and Miami looking to bolster their lineups, Papelbon may have entered a division which will be filled with some of the most talented hitters in the game next year.
It will be difficult for the former Rex Sox closer to reach 30 saves next year. If he can perform as he did in the AL, the Phillies will be very happy with this pickup. But renewing ties with Brad Lidge may not be the worst idea for the NL East division winners of last season. If at any point next season Papelbon begins to struggle, it could be a long time before he finds the confidence to pitch at an all-star level again. At this point, he could well have already been replaced.
Jonathan Papelbon may have just experienced his last 30 save season.
Since saving 41 games in 2008, the four-time all-star has been on an unsteady decline in production (38 in 2009, and 37 in 2010). To be fair, Papelbon did have fewer chances this year than he has ever had before--in fact, he had fewer chances than he's ever before had saves--but, he did blow three saves. Blown saves--another disturbing trend in Papelbon's short career. Over his Red Sox tenure, he had 219 saves in 249 attempts (248 since 2006). That's 29 blown saves in six seasons--an average of almost 5 blown saves per year.
Next season, the right-hander will close for the Phillies. Even if Brad Lidge does not return--as many expect he will--Papelbon will have limited save opportunities (we must remember that Lidge had a solid season last year, recording a 1.40 ERA and .225 batting average against in 25 appearances). Ryan Madson had just 34 chances to record a save last season. Based on his average of 5 blown saves per year, Papelbon will miss the 30 mark next season.
Some may argue that Papelbon managed 31 saves in spite of having the same number of opportunities last year. His worsening ERA must, however, be taken into account. In 2010, his ERA was a bloated 3.90. He brought it back down to a reasonable 2.94 in 2011, but this number is still the second highest of his career.
Papelbon's career has been similar to that of Kevin Gregg's 2010 season. He almost always gets the save--but he makes it exciting. It cannot be known whether or not NL opponents will be able to capitalize on this. Also, with Washington and Miami looking to bolster their lineups, Papelbon may have entered a division which will be filled with some of the most talented hitters in the game next year.
It will be difficult for the former Rex Sox closer to reach 30 saves next year. If he can perform as he did in the AL, the Phillies will be very happy with this pickup. But renewing ties with Brad Lidge may not be the worst idea for the NL East division winners of last season. If at any point next season Papelbon begins to struggle, it could be a long time before he finds the confidence to pitch at an all-star level again. At this point, he could well have already been replaced.
Jonathan Papelbon may have just experienced his last 30 save season.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Battle of the Bullpens: Blue Jays vs. Yankees
We are now one month into the 2011 baseball season and it has certainly been an exciting thirty days. Relievers are always one of the most important parts of a team--after all, you can't lose if the other team doesn't score.
Two teams whose bullpens drew much interest during the offseason were those of the Blue Jays and the Yankees. After one month of the season, here is an analysis of both 'pens.
YANKEES:
Hitting is usually the first thought to come into one's head when s/he thinks of the "Bronx Bombers". However, after the team's starting pitchers struggled to such a great extent last season, many people have been forced to look at the 27-time World Champs' backup--the men who many Yankees fans worried would be pitching much more often than would be preferable.
THE CLOSER:
Mariano Rivera
Through one month of the season, Rivera (1-0, 2.13) is pitching up to normal standards...or so it would seem. The 41-year old right-hander is nine for eleven is save opportunities. Rivera blew just two saves all year in 2009 and one in 2008. Last season, he blew five. Some may argue that, over his career, the 568/619 pitcher did not have a below-average season (he blew a career high seven saves in 2001). In fact, Rivera averages just 3.64 blown saves per season, not including this season, 1995 (when he was a starter), or 1996 (when he had just five save opportunities). Even though he has saved nine games already, the major question is whether or not fans should worry about his failure 18.18% of the time. Despite the fact that, right now, he is averaging a 12 BSV season, Yankees fans should not be concerned--at least not this year. Rivera will, likely, settle down and pitch fairly well for the remainder of the season. Next year, there is more need for concern (a 42-year old is always unpredictable).
BEST PITCHER:
David Robertson
Robertson's past shows that he may eventually falter; however, he is the strongest pitcher out of the Yankees bullpen so far this year. He has gone 1-0 with the miniscule ERA of 1.93 over 9 1/3 innings. His twelve K's are impressive for a man who pitches one or fewer innings per game. He does, however, have one stat category which will come back to bite him if he does not improve in the area. His WHIP is 1.39. Though not terrible, no pitcher wants to give up as many baserunners as he has. A player cannot score from the bench, but there are hundreds of ways to bring him home if he is on the basepaths.
MOST VALUABLE RIGHT HANDER:
Mariano Rivera
Rivera can still save games--but his most valuable trait is the ability to strike fear into opponents. No matter how well he is pitching, the batter will always lose confidence--("I'm facing the best closer in the league, maybe ever. I'm not going to get a hit.") And confidence most certainly has an effect on a player's ability to perform.
MOST VALUABLE LEFT HANDER:
Boone Logan
This is sort of by default seeing as Logan is the only lefty in the Yanks' bullpen. However, he showed last year that he has the potential to be a solid pitcher (his previous seasons aside [5.78 ERA over 127.2 innings]). He is strong against lefties and, therefore, fills the position the Yankees need. In other words, he does exactly what he is asked to do and, so, he is valuable to his team.
GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT:
Rafael Soriano
This is the easiest title to hand out. Signed to be a star set-up man who could potentially fill in at closer in Mariano Rivera faltered, Soriano has been the falterer. He is 1-1 with a 7.15 ERA and a WHIP of 1.85 over 11 1/3 innings pitched. People are beginning to understand why he could not find a team to sign him to be their closer during the offseason. His career 2.86 ERA is the only hope the Yankees have that this deal will not be a complete bust.
BLUE JAYS:
After a pathetic 2010 season, the Jays acquired three proven closers to help out in the back end. So far, the bullpen has been solid--some of the production coming from the least expected sources. The Jays may not be quite there yet, but it is starting to look more and more promising.
THE CLOSER(s):
Jon Rauch & Frank Francisco
Jon Rauch emerged as the closer early in the year. At this time, however, Frank Francisco and Octavio Dotel were both on the DL. He has remained solid throughout the month, getting the save in all five of his opportunities. He also has a 2.45 ERA. When Frank Francisco returned, he showed that the Blue Jays have more than one closer. After giving up a first pitch home run to his first batter of the year, Francisco has kept opponents to only one hit since. Through 5 1/3 innings, he has an ERA of 1.69.
BEST PITCHER:
Casey Janssen
How can a pitcher who was sent down in the middle of the month, only to be recalled as an injury replacement, be the team's best reliever. Let the numbers speak for themselves: 0.87 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 6K's, .237 Opponent's Avg., 10 1/3 innings pitched. Once a starter, Janssen has translated well into a strong reliever. It is fairly safe to say that, if he can keep this up, he will not be sent down again. (One must remember that he was only placed in Triple-A because he had options left.)
MOST VALUABLE RIGHT HANDER:
Carlos Villanueva
Acquired for cash early in the offseason, nobody expected Villanueva to make the team. When multiple pitchers began the year injured, many assumed that he and Casey Janssen would be the first players sent down. In 14 2/3 innings, Villanueva has posted a 1.84 ERA and has given up runs in only two of his 8 appearances. His WHIP is 0.82 and his opponent's average is .093. Villanueva, being a former starter, can go multiple innings and is, by far, the most valuable pitcher on the staff. He finishes a close second to Janssen for Best Pitcher. If not for his outing against Tampa Bay on April 23rd, the title would have been his.
MOST VALUABLE LEFT HANDER:
Marc Rzepczynski
Like with the Yankees, this choice is by default. However, also like Boone Logan, Rzepczynski deserves praise. He is the most versatile pitcher in the 'pen. Sometimes used as a lefty specialist, sometimes used as a long-relief man, Rzepczynski has made the translation from the rotation to the bullpen with ease. In 12 2/3 innings, he is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP, and an opponents' average of .103. Even if there was another southpaw in the bullpen, Rzepczynski would likely still be the best left hander.
GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT:
Octavio Dotel
His opponents' average of .179 and 9 K's make one wonder how Octavio Dotel could possibly be the greatest disappointment out of the 'pen. The answer: a 4.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. In other words, the Blue Jays have a very strong bullpen. No one is very close to Dotel for this title. And Octavio has shown some promise to Jays fans this year (he went 1-2-3 in his first outing). Also, one must remember that he was injured at the start of the year. His career numbers: 3.76 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, Opponents' Avg. .218. Dotel has never been the best pitcher, but Blue Jays fans can count on his improvement later this year--even if that improvement is small.
So who wins the battle of the bullpens? Right now, the Jays are a mile ahead, but one must remember that the season is young and the Yankees always battle back. This competition is far from over. It will be interesting to see who is winning after next month.
Two teams whose bullpens drew much interest during the offseason were those of the Blue Jays and the Yankees. After one month of the season, here is an analysis of both 'pens.
YANKEES:
Hitting is usually the first thought to come into one's head when s/he thinks of the "Bronx Bombers". However, after the team's starting pitchers struggled to such a great extent last season, many people have been forced to look at the 27-time World Champs' backup--the men who many Yankees fans worried would be pitching much more often than would be preferable.
THE CLOSER:
Mariano Rivera
Through one month of the season, Rivera (1-0, 2.13) is pitching up to normal standards...or so it would seem. The 41-year old right-hander is nine for eleven is save opportunities. Rivera blew just two saves all year in 2009 and one in 2008. Last season, he blew five. Some may argue that, over his career, the 568/619 pitcher did not have a below-average season (he blew a career high seven saves in 2001). In fact, Rivera averages just 3.64 blown saves per season, not including this season, 1995 (when he was a starter), or 1996 (when he had just five save opportunities). Even though he has saved nine games already, the major question is whether or not fans should worry about his failure 18.18% of the time. Despite the fact that, right now, he is averaging a 12 BSV season, Yankees fans should not be concerned--at least not this year. Rivera will, likely, settle down and pitch fairly well for the remainder of the season. Next year, there is more need for concern (a 42-year old is always unpredictable).
BEST PITCHER:
David Robertson
Robertson's past shows that he may eventually falter; however, he is the strongest pitcher out of the Yankees bullpen so far this year. He has gone 1-0 with the miniscule ERA of 1.93 over 9 1/3 innings. His twelve K's are impressive for a man who pitches one or fewer innings per game. He does, however, have one stat category which will come back to bite him if he does not improve in the area. His WHIP is 1.39. Though not terrible, no pitcher wants to give up as many baserunners as he has. A player cannot score from the bench, but there are hundreds of ways to bring him home if he is on the basepaths.
MOST VALUABLE RIGHT HANDER:
Mariano Rivera
Rivera can still save games--but his most valuable trait is the ability to strike fear into opponents. No matter how well he is pitching, the batter will always lose confidence--("I'm facing the best closer in the league, maybe ever. I'm not going to get a hit.") And confidence most certainly has an effect on a player's ability to perform.
MOST VALUABLE LEFT HANDER:
Boone Logan
This is sort of by default seeing as Logan is the only lefty in the Yanks' bullpen. However, he showed last year that he has the potential to be a solid pitcher (his previous seasons aside [5.78 ERA over 127.2 innings]). He is strong against lefties and, therefore, fills the position the Yankees need. In other words, he does exactly what he is asked to do and, so, he is valuable to his team.
GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT:
Rafael Soriano
This is the easiest title to hand out. Signed to be a star set-up man who could potentially fill in at closer in Mariano Rivera faltered, Soriano has been the falterer. He is 1-1 with a 7.15 ERA and a WHIP of 1.85 over 11 1/3 innings pitched. People are beginning to understand why he could not find a team to sign him to be their closer during the offseason. His career 2.86 ERA is the only hope the Yankees have that this deal will not be a complete bust.
BLUE JAYS:
After a pathetic 2010 season, the Jays acquired three proven closers to help out in the back end. So far, the bullpen has been solid--some of the production coming from the least expected sources. The Jays may not be quite there yet, but it is starting to look more and more promising.
THE CLOSER(s):
Jon Rauch & Frank Francisco
Jon Rauch emerged as the closer early in the year. At this time, however, Frank Francisco and Octavio Dotel were both on the DL. He has remained solid throughout the month, getting the save in all five of his opportunities. He also has a 2.45 ERA. When Frank Francisco returned, he showed that the Blue Jays have more than one closer. After giving up a first pitch home run to his first batter of the year, Francisco has kept opponents to only one hit since. Through 5 1/3 innings, he has an ERA of 1.69.
BEST PITCHER:
Casey Janssen
How can a pitcher who was sent down in the middle of the month, only to be recalled as an injury replacement, be the team's best reliever. Let the numbers speak for themselves: 0.87 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 6K's, .237 Opponent's Avg., 10 1/3 innings pitched. Once a starter, Janssen has translated well into a strong reliever. It is fairly safe to say that, if he can keep this up, he will not be sent down again. (One must remember that he was only placed in Triple-A because he had options left.)
MOST VALUABLE RIGHT HANDER:
Carlos Villanueva
Acquired for cash early in the offseason, nobody expected Villanueva to make the team. When multiple pitchers began the year injured, many assumed that he and Casey Janssen would be the first players sent down. In 14 2/3 innings, Villanueva has posted a 1.84 ERA and has given up runs in only two of his 8 appearances. His WHIP is 0.82 and his opponent's average is .093. Villanueva, being a former starter, can go multiple innings and is, by far, the most valuable pitcher on the staff. He finishes a close second to Janssen for Best Pitcher. If not for his outing against Tampa Bay on April 23rd, the title would have been his.
MOST VALUABLE LEFT HANDER:
Marc Rzepczynski
Like with the Yankees, this choice is by default. However, also like Boone Logan, Rzepczynski deserves praise. He is the most versatile pitcher in the 'pen. Sometimes used as a lefty specialist, sometimes used as a long-relief man, Rzepczynski has made the translation from the rotation to the bullpen with ease. In 12 2/3 innings, he is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP, and an opponents' average of .103. Even if there was another southpaw in the bullpen, Rzepczynski would likely still be the best left hander.
GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT:
Octavio Dotel
His opponents' average of .179 and 9 K's make one wonder how Octavio Dotel could possibly be the greatest disappointment out of the 'pen. The answer: a 4.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. In other words, the Blue Jays have a very strong bullpen. No one is very close to Dotel for this title. And Octavio has shown some promise to Jays fans this year (he went 1-2-3 in his first outing). Also, one must remember that he was injured at the start of the year. His career numbers: 3.76 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, Opponents' Avg. .218. Dotel has never been the best pitcher, but Blue Jays fans can count on his improvement later this year--even if that improvement is small.
So who wins the battle of the bullpens? Right now, the Jays are a mile ahead, but one must remember that the season is young and the Yankees always battle back. This competition is far from over. It will be interesting to see who is winning after next month.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Initial Reactions (After Much Thinking) Opening Weekend
New York:
1) Joba Chamberlain gained a lot of weight2) Rivera is still Rivera
3) April Teixeira, meet your counterpart.
Minnesota:
1) I still hate Pavano
2) They should have kept Slowey as starter
3) Nishioka looks a bit lost
Tampa:
1) They should have kept Pena
2) What did they do with their revenue sharing money?
Texas:
1) Scoring 4 runs off Bard is impressive
2) They looked like the contenders they should be
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Coach Loses Eye
Just another piece of evidence proving that even coaching baseball is dangerous.
Luis Salazar, a coach with the Braves, lost an eye because he got hit by a foul ball. On the bright side, he's still alive, unlike that poor guy in the Rockies' minor league system.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Remembering the 2009 WBC (and Wondering When's the Next One)
The 2009 World Baseball Classic held many surprises. Some of them stood out more than others. These were the things that stood out to me (and forgotten soonafter, until now)
1) China beats Chinese Taipei 4-1
I've always thought Chinese Taipei were only bested in Asia by Japan and South Korea. Hmmm.. guess I was wrong.
Interesting side notes:
i) The manager for the Chinese side was none other than Mets manager Terry Collins.
ii) The hero of the game, Ray Chang, was named Eastern League's Best Defensive 3B in 2010 by Baseball America. Who knew? So far he can hit A and AA pitching, but stunk at AAA.
iii) The two prospect, Kai Liu and Zhenwang Zhang, signed by the Yanks. Liu went back to China a few years later, but I can't seem to find any info on Zhang. I can't even find anything in the past two years about the entire Chinese team. Rumors say Zhang went back to China too. Either way, they weren't in the MiLB database. Oh well, their appearance in the WBC was after their 2007 signing anyways.
2) Netherlands beats Dominican Rep. twice
Almost every name looked weird back then, with the exception of Ponson, plus a few other guys who had some time in the majors.
Today, more familiar names came up. Kenley Jansen, who is now pitching instead of catching. Hainley Statia, with the Angels. Halman, Vanden Hurk and Smit joins the group too. Looks like they may do something at the next WBC too.
Main problem: Anyone got any idea about when is the next one?
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