Cheap Seat Chronicles

Diamondbacks & Cubs Nearing a Miguel Montero Trade

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Jeremiah Graves

Miguel Montero

The trade winds are blowing in San Diego as the rumors coming out of the Winter Meetings indicate that Arizona Diamondbacks’ catcher, Miguel Montero might be on the move.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com is reporting via Twitter that the Cubs and Diamondbacks are in the midst of discussions to move Montero to Chicago in exchange for pitching.

Rosenthal’s latest update indicates that the two teams have been working on this trade for weeks and that a “deal appears to be getting closer.”

It was previously reported that the Diamondbacks had a deal in place to move Montero to the Dodgers earlier this offseason, but the trade was nixed by team owner Ken Kendrick. Tony LaRussa, chief baseball officer for Arizona, has since denied those claims.

Regardless, it appears as though Montero’s days in the desert are numbered.

Montero, 31, was an All-Star in 2011 and is in the midst of a five-year, $60 million contract extension he signed prior to the 2012 season. He still has three years and $40 million remaining on that deal.

Montero has hit .254/.348/.386 with a 101 OPS+ since signing the extension. In the three years prior to signing the deal, he hit .282/.348/.464 with a 114 OPS+.

After two consecutive years of below-average production, it makes sense that the Diamondbacks are looking to get out from under his contract before the full decline-phase sets in and Montero becomes a sunken cost.

It will be interesting to see if the Diamondbacks aim to get a legitimate prospect in this deal or if they’re just looking for payroll flexibility.

The makes sense for the Cubs after losing out on Russell Martin earlier this offseason.

While Montero may not match Martin’s production, he has shown consistent pop throughout his career and could be one healthy season away from turning things around offensively.

He’s also ranked as one of the better catchers in the game at framing and blocking pitches, proving he offers value beyond his offense.

The Cubs are looking for a stopgap option until 2014 first-round pick Kyle Schwarber is ready, which probably won’t be before 2016 at the earliest.

The Diamondbacks are looking to shed some salary to accommodate other moves this offseason.

This sounds like a match made in heaven San Diego.

Posted in Arizona Diamondbacks, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Chicago Cubs, Miguel Montero, MLB, MLB Trades, MLB Winter Meetings, National League, NL Central, NL West, Russell Martin, Trade Rumors | 1 Comment

Veteran’s Committee Elects No One to the Hall of Fame

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Jeremiah Graves

Hall of Fame

The Veteran’s Committee has tallied their votes and the results are, unfortunately, unsurprising.

The 16-member panel of Hall of Fame players and managers, former executives and baseball writers representing the Veteran’s Committee chose not to elect any of the ten candidates into the Hall of Fame.

This year’s “Golden Era” candidates included: Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, Gil Hodges, Bob Howsam, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, Billy Pierce, Luis Tiant and Maury Wills.

Candidates needed to earn 12 votes to reach the 75% required to gain entry into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. The two closest vote-getters were Allen and Oliva who each finished with 11 total votes, just missing the mark for enshrinement. Kaat received 10 votes and Minoso garnered eight.

Craig Calcaterra at HardballTalk gave a great rundown of each of the candidates earlier today, so I won’t try to rehash his work. The long and short of it, however, is that there are a number of deserving candidates that were on this year’s Veteran’s Committee ballot and none of them will be taking their rightful place in Cooperstown.

There are plenty of other major issues with the existing Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting process to gain entry to the Hall of Fame that extend well beyond the Veteran’s Committee own inability to get more players into the Hall.

The BBWAA process is dogged with a number of major limitations including, but not limited to: the 10-player limit, the lifetime voting rights, the 10 years rule to gain voting rights, the writers who fancy themselves the “morality police,” and a slew of other issues.

Today’s vote by the Veteran’s Committee just further proves the systemic issues with the current setup for gaining entry into the Hall of Fame.

It’s been rumored that the BBWAA will be talking about making changes at this year’s Winter Meetings. That’s all well and good, but until I see some sort of legitimate change to the process, I’ll continue making my own fantasy Hall of Fame ballots and trying to stifle my rage when legitimate Hall of Famers get locked out of Cooperstown.

Here’s to hoping for better results when the BBWAA Hall of Fame voting results will be released on January 6, 2015.

Posted in Baseball, Billy Pierce, Bob Howsam, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Dick Allen, Gil Hodges, Hall of Fame, Jim Kaat, Ken Boyer, Luis Tiant, Maury Wills, Minnie Minoso, MLB, MLB Winter Meetings, Tony Oliva | Leave a comment

MLB Winter Meetings: The Six Biggest Storylines

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Jeremiah Graves

Winter Meetings 2014

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all-ages; the moment you’ve been waiting for is finally here. Let’s get ready to ruuuuuuuuuumble…

And by rumble, I obviously mean partake in lengthy discourse about the relative long-term value of one individual over another with millions and millions of dollars riding on the accuracy of those value assessments.

No pressure or anything.

What am I yammering about? Let’s get right to it, Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings kickoff at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego today. As such, you can expect that the next four days will be chockfull of rumors, speculation, trades (both big and small), big-ticket free agent signings, drunken hotel bar discussions, and wide-eyed interns passing out resumes in hopes of becoming the next Theo Epstein.

While it would be foolish to speculate on everything that might happen at the Winter Meetings, we can take a look at the most intriguing storylines for six teams headed into the annual event:

Can the Red Sox add pitching and move some outfielders?

Boston started the offseason off in a big way by gobbling up two of the top free agents on the market in Hanley Ramirez (4yrs/$88M) and Pablo Sandoval (5yrs/$95M) in November. As a result of those additions, the team currently has a glut of outfielders, a need for pitching, and an obvious willingness to belly up to the trading table.

The Red Sox are still in the mix for former ace Jon Lester as he draws closer to making a final decision on where he’ll pitch for the next half-decade or better. Reports had Red Sox owner John Henry flying down to Atlanta to meet with Lester over the weekend to help sweeten the offer. If that doesn’t pan out, there was some mild speculation that the club could go all-in to land Max Scherzer.

Beyond that the Sox have long been rumored to be interested in the like of James Shields via free agency with “tire-kicking” level interest in Ervin Santana, Francisco Liriano, and Brandon McCarthy. It’s entirely possible the team still looks to Philadelphia to reinvigorate the on-again, off-again rumors of the club trading for Cole Hamels or Cliff Lee.

Either way, Red Sox general manager, Ben Cherington, figures to be a very popular and very busy man at the Winter Meetings.

What’s next for Billy Beane?

Billy Beane is not afraid to make splashy moves. He’s proven it time and time again, but did so most recently when he dealt the club’s best player, Josh Donaldson, to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for former top-prospect Brett Lawrie, minor league pitchers Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin, and shortstop Franklin Barreto.Thanksgiving weekend.

Beane is rumored to be working hard to move Brandon Moss to make room in the lineup for recent additions Ike Davis and Billy Butler and the Cleveland Indians are believed to be the front-runner among the teams linked to Moss with the Miami Marlins lurking in the weeds as a contender for his services. Update: Moss was officially traded to the Indians just as this article was published.

It’s also believed that Beane is nearing a deal to send starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija with the Chicago White Sox. The Boston Red Sox and a smattering of other clubs are also rumored to be very interested in adding “The Shark” to their rotations.

Beane is always a man with a plan, even if it might seem very unconventional. The team isn’t expected to add any big salaries this offseason, but more trades could certainly be in the works. Beane is definitely someone to keep an eye on this week

Are the Mariners going all-in for 2015?

The Seattle Mariners were one of the biggest players in free agency last year, signing Robinson Cano to a monster ten-year, $240 million contract before the Winter Meetings ever even started. This year, the club has been equally proactive adding slugger Nelson Cruz and inking stud third baseman, Kyle Seager to a 7-year/$100 million deal.

The Mariners seem poised to contend in the wide-open American League West and figure to go all-in between now and spring training in an attempt to put the club over the top. The club has been linked to free agent outfielder Melky Cabrera and has been mentioned in trade rumors for outfielders Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, and Yoenis Cespedes.

The club definitely needs another big bat to help boost an already very solid starting rotation. The recent addition of J.A. Happ potentially makes young studs Taijuan Walker or James Paxton expendable, but only in the right deal.

Expect Seattle general manager, Jack Zduriencik to be working hard to land that big bat before he leaves San Diego at the end of the week.

Can we expect the Cubs to get aggressive?

The Chicago Cubs have been mediocre in recent years, but a lot of that mediocrity has come as part of a long-term plan to rebuild the farm system, cultivate homegrown talent, and build a contender that only needs to rely on one or two big free agent signings.

The stud prospects are on the way and many of them made their big league debuts in 2014. The future is bright in Chicago, but the club still needs pitching to support what could be baseball’s most explosive offense in two or three years’ time.

Last offseason the Cubs made a hard play for Masahiro Tanaka. This year, they’re rumored to be one of the final four clubs in the mix to land lefty Jon Lester. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer clearly have a plan in place.

If they miss on Lester, will they go after Scherzer or Shields? They’re already rumored to be closing in on a reunion with Jason Hammel, perhaps they would load up on second-tier starters of the Santana, Liriano, McCarthy ilk as well in an aim for quantity over quality.

If they can’t land a free agent ace, will the club switch gears and aim for an ace via trade? The club put a waiver claim on Cole Hamels this past summer, so it’s not hard to imagine they’d be willing to discuss a trade this winter as well.

Epstein and Hoyer have a lot of promise to deliver on in the North Side and this year’s free agent crop of pitchers could go a long way toward helping them achieve that goal.

What are the Dodgers up to this winter?

The Los Angeles Dodgers are at an interesting crossroads heading into this year’s winter meetings. They’ve got access to Scrooge McDuck’s vault of gold coins, but they’ve recently brought in one of the most savvy (and thrifty) front office men in the game in former Tamba Bay Rays’ general manager, Andrew Friedman.

The club let Hanley Ramirez walk and he promptly signed a four-year, $88 million deal with the Boston Red Sox. The club has an overloaded and overpaid outfield. The infield is good, not great and could use some serious improvements over the likes of Juan Uribe and Justin Turner. The catching situation needs to be upgraded and is clearly a priority as evidenced by the recent attempt to land Arizona’s Miguel Montero.

Despite all of those holes, the Dodgers have mostly been linked to Jon Lester in recent days. Starting pitching seems like the least of the Dodgers needs heading into 2015, but Zack Greinke does have an opt-out clause after this season, so the club may be looking for long-term stability over gambling that they can re-sign the right hander next year.

Friedman should be looking to move an outfielder, although only Matt Kemp seems to be drawing any real interest. The obvious issue is that with Ramirez now plying his trade in front of the green monster, Kemp is the club’s best source of right-handed power.

The Dodgers will be a serious wildcard at the winter meetings. They have a lot of holes and a lot of issues for a club with a $200+ million payroll and their best trading chip is arguably the one player they can least afford to trade.

Friedman may appreciate the financial freedom he’s gained in Los Angeles, but it’s certainly not making his job any easier than it was in Tampa Bay.

Are the Yankees a sleeping giant?

The New York Yankees said they didn’t intend to spend any big money this winter. Granted, they’ve uttered this phrase plenty of times in the past and almost always followed it up with a shopping spree.

The club is in a tough place with a number of long-term, bloated contracts on the books for the foreseeable future. The health and productivity of CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Masahiro Tanaka, and Carlos Beltran is up for grabs at this point.

While they do have many unknowns around the diamond and in the rotation, they have already spent big bucks to add Andrew Miller to their bullpen to serve as either an elite setup man, if they re-sign David Robertson, or as part of a two-headed closing beast with All-Star right-hander Dellin Betances if they are unable to bring Robertson back into the fold.

The club needs to add to the starting rotation and this is arguably one of the best offseasons in a long time to do just that. Could the Yankees swoop in with big money offers for Lester, Scherzer, or Shields? Yes. Will they? It’s hard to say.

The club is wary of putting anymore long-term deals on the books, and understandably so given their current roster logjam, but if that reluctance is going to keep the team out of contention for a number of years, you’ve got to assume push comes to shove soon.

The Yankees front office and fans have rarely shown the patience to endure a single season without a playoff berth, let alone a full rebuild. Keep an eye on Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman over the next four days. If anyone is going to turn this year’s meeting on its ear, it’s the Yankees.

Bits and Pieces

The San Francisco Giants have a lot of holes to fill after winning the World Series. They’ll be on the lookout for starting pitching, a corner outfielder, and a third baseman. The top free agent options could be too rich for their blood, so the trade market might be the way to go. Top prospect Kyle Crick could yield a large bounty, but it’s a steep price to pay for San Francisco.

The San Diego Padres have been heavily rumored to be in the mix for offense this offseason. They were one of the finalists for Pablo Sandoval and have been linked to Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, and Yoenis Cespedes. The club can deal from a wealth of pitching for a big bat, but how much of their interest is genuine and how much is an attempt to appease a beleaguered fanbase?

The Miami Marlins locked slugger Giancarlo Stanton up long-term with a monumental (13yrs/$325M) deal earlier this offseason and they’re currently working to do the same with other members of the team’s core. Owner Jeffrey Loria has indicated that he’s ready and willing to spend on the team once again, so the Marlins could be considered a sleeper for any number of free agents.

The New York Mets have quietly assembled one of the better rotations in baseball and could field a dramatically improved offense in 2015 if everyone is healthy. The club still has major questions at shortstop, but that appears to be the only glaring weakness on the diamond. The Mets could roll with an in-house option of Wilmer Flores or Ruben Tejada or they could get splashy and try to upgrade via trade. The club was rumored to have made a play for Jimmy Rollins, but the Philadelphia stalwart reportedly used his no-trade clause and rejected the trade.

The Texas Rangers were a perennial contender before injuries decimated the roster last year. The club is reportedly on the lookout to add another arm to the rotation and could be looking to move incumbent shortstop Elvis Andrus if they can find a taker for his big salary and declining skills. Texas always has money and should be viewed as a potential sleeper for any of the big free agents this offseason.

There figures to be plenty of additional action in San Diego this week, keep checking back here at Cheap Seat Chronicles for any major updates.

Posted in AL Central, AL East, AL West, American League, Baseball, Ben Cherington, Boston Red Sox, CC Sabathia, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Cole Hamels, Free Agency, Hanley Ramirez, Jack Zduriencik, Juan Uribe, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, MLB Trades, MLB Winter Meetings, National League, New York Mets, New York Yankees, NL Central, NL East, NL West, Pablo Sandoval, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Trade Rumors, Yoenis Cespedes | Leave a comment

Robinson Cano Should Say “I Told You So”

Posted on December 8, 2014 by stevenkunkel

Robinson Cano - Photo by Getty Images

Last Winter, Robinson Cano was caught up in a whirlwind of a free agent market.

As a career Yankee, Cano had accomplished everything he could ever dream of. He was a perennial All-Star, a World Series champion, the Yankees’ second basemen, and the belle of the ball in free agency at 31-years-old. He was the best player at his position, arguably one of the best players in baseball, and his contract would set the 2014 market.

Coming with all of those accolades was the presumption that the uber rich New York Yankees would spend to keep him around. This was especially true with Derek Jeter’s retirement coming soon; Cano seemed to be the obvious choice to take over as the face of the Yankees. Career Yankee, never in trouble, good looks, and a sweet swing – he was destined for this.

Cano’s demands were steep, and for good reason, he was betting on himself. He wanted a mega deal. He wanted to be paid like one of the best players in the game and the face of the game’s most storied franchise.

It was rumored that we was seeking a contract somewhere in the neighborhood of $250M. However, because the Yankees were stinging from Alex Rodriguez’s deal and the baseball world was watching the negative PR coming out of the Angels’ camp in regards to Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton’s large deals; it appeared to make the Yankees hesitant to give it to him. They offered as much as $175M, but wouldn’t budge for more years or money and Cano wasn’t satisfied.

The rest is history, the Mariners swooped in and stole Cano from underneath the Yankees’ nose with a 10 year, $240M deal. Cano packed up and moved to Seattle to become part of a rebuilding project and everyone in New York and around the country, fans and media alike, kicked him while he was walking out the door.

Yankees’ hitting coach Kevin Long famously got the last word with his statements in an interview: “But he just wouldn’t make that choice to run hard all the time. The reasons aren’t going to make sense…”

Blogosphere comments ripped him up and down for choosing to play for a perennial loser Seattle Mariners team: “I can’t wait to see him jog to first base for a game ending double play and the Mariners lose he’s also not someone who’s going to sell tickets he’s not Jeter or Mariano or even Arod when he was in his prime those are the type of players people want to see. Good luck losing in Seattle you lazy bum!!”

In all of this vitriol and anger, however, the Yankees organization and fans seemed to forget a couple of things:

Robinson Cano is very good
Robinson Cano is a marketable player
Robinson Cano is better than Brian Roberts

While Robinson Cano was helping his new, progressing Mariners team, compete for the playoffs. The Yankees were struggling to keep up.

Ultimately, Cano compiled a 6.7 WAR in his first season and the Mariners missed the playoffs by one game with an 87-75 record. With Cano, the Mariners had improved from 71-91 the year prior to nearly making the playoffs. One man really can make a huge difference.

Meanwhile, the Yankees could have severely used his help in making their own playoff run as they went 84-78 while Brian Roberts and Martin Prado combined for a 3.6 WAR. The difference between these two teams being almost precisely one Cano.

Robinson Cano

While all of this was going on, the shouts heard from the angry crowd that kept kicking at Robinson Cano began dying away. I think everyone began to realize what type of difference Robinson Cano did make to that team. The Yankees no longer had the middle of the order punch that they once had. They no longer had a man who hit 25+ homeruns five years in a row. They no longer had the slickest fielding and one of the most consistent and healthy second baseman manning the right side of their infield – Cano had played in 1,277 of his last 1,296 games – and, with Jeter on his retirement tour, they would soon no longer have a face.

Fact: The New York Yankees no longer have a face.

In 2015, when you think of the New York Yankees, who are you going to relate with? Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Jacoby Ellsbury, CC Sabathia? My thought is that you likely don’t care about any of them. Teixeira’s injury prone, Rodriguez is a cheater, Ellsbury’s a Red Sox, and CC’s on the decline. Robinson Cano is the one player that could have transcended the Derek Jeter era and the Yankees chose to end that relationship.

Per Fortune’s 50 Richest Athletes list, only one MLB player made more in 2014 than Robinson Cano’s $3M in endorsements.

The below is the list of endorsement money made by those top 50 players:

Derek Jeter – $8.5M
Robinson Cano – $3M
Albert Pujols – $2.5M
Joe Mauer – $1.3M
Ryan Howard – $1.1M
CC Sabathia – $1.0M

*No other player on this list had more than $1M. Other members of the list include: Clayton Kershaw, Miguel Cabrera, Cole Hamels, Justin Verlander, etc. Mike Trout & Bryce Harper are not on the list and I cannot find any information on their endorsements

Robinson Cano, despite what the Yankee fan I quoted above states, is a household name. People know who Robinson Cano is and who he plays for. As far as baseball marketing goes, with Jeter now done, he may be the most marketable player in all of baseball.

This appears to pose a problem for the Yankees. The team appears to have less direction than it used to. It’s no longer the force it once was as the team has stepped aside and let the Dodgers become more Yankee than the Yankees. In fact, the Dodgers might even be better at it – they have a top notch minor league system to feed the big league club.

This is where Robinson Cano should finally step up and say “I told you so. I told you I was worth it.” However, since you know he won’t – it would hurt his brand – I’ll do it for him.

To the Yankees and the Yankee fans: Letting Robinson Cano go was a really bad choice. You let go of the best second baseman in the game. You let go of your past. You let go of your identity. Robinson Cano really did tell you so.

Posted in Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Derek Jeter, Free Agency, MLB, New York Yankees, Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners | 1 Comment

Brett Anderson will be 2015’s version of Phil Hughes

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Justin Kunkel

anderson-twins Brett Anderson is an immense talent. I don’t think you’ll find anyone who will debate that the dude can flat-out pitch and pitch well.

This has been obvious throughout Anderson’s career. Ole Red Beard, a compliment if ever there was one, marched through the Oakland Athletics minor league system in only two years and began his career with the A’s as a 21-year-old prodigy for a system that pumps out excellent starting pitcher after starting pitcher.

As a rookie in 2009, Anderson’s lone healthy year to date, he had a 4.06 ERA in 30 starts, which saw him go 11-11 on a last place Athletics team. The next year, baseball fans saw him drop his ERA to 2.80, making significant improvement in producing ground balls and limiting walks.

Unfortunately, Anderson’s first taste of big league success coincided with his first major injury as the 22-year-old started just 19 games. Thus began the circus of injuries surrounding Brett Anderson:

2011 – 13 games started (4.00 ERA)
2012 – 6 games started (2.52 ERA)
2013 – 5 games started, 16 games pitched (6.04 ERA)
2014 – 8 games started, (2.91 ERA)

At this point, any conversation about Anderson seems to begin and end with his durability (or lack thereof) and how it has derailed his once-promising career. Many claim he is made of glass, ready to break at any moment. Anderson is so injury-prone that Root Sports Ticker already turned Anderson’s injury history into a “fun fact” for the 26-year-old, according to Yahoo Sports. I can only imagine 18-year-old high schoolers are praying to the baseball Gods that they don’t become the “Next Brett Anderson.”

Last offseason, Anderson was traded to the Colorado Rockies for Drew Pomeranz, and had to face the “friendly” hitting confines of Coors Field. Albeit, once again, facing consistent injury, he compiled a 2.91 ERA in 8 starts in the most difficult pitching environment in major league baseball.

To put into perspective how difficult it is to have a sub-3.00 ERA in Coors Field, you must know one thing – there have only ever been two Colorado Rockies’ starting pitchers to compile a sub-3.00 ERA, they were Marvin Freeman and Ubaldo Jimenez.

Yes, we here at Cheap Seat Chronicles understand it was only eight starts, but Brett Anderson’s talent was on full-display and it’s clear he still has a lot to offer at the big league level. This is exactly why I am about to claim that he will be this year’s Phil Hughes, and the Twins cannot pass him up, no matter how much injury history exists.

The Minnesota Twins are a team that relies on signing players with Anderson’s history. To put it simply, the Twins’ payroll isn’t robust, so they must sign possible high upside, on the cheap, players like Brett Anderson to compete. One need look no further than the semi-recent signings of Rich Harden and Joel Zumaya to know that the Twins are not afraid to roll the dice in pursuit of upside.

Brett Anderson’s injury history is robust and includes the following: Tommy John surgery, an oblique strain, a stress fracture in his right foot, a fracture of his left index finger, and a disk injury to his lower back. It’s a laundry list of injuries for a man who is just 26.

Despite this litany of injuries, it is my belief that if the Twins do land him, they will be getting a guy who can be to the 2015 team what Phil Hughes was for the 2014 squad and that’s exactly what the Twins need.

Phil Hughes was generally considered a bust in New York. He had some successes. He was a decent relief pitcher and he had a magical 2010 that saw him in the Midseason Classic, however, it was widely believed that he needed to escape the high-pressure atmosphere of New York and target a small market where he could thrive, which is exactly what he did.

Hughes was an immediate bright spot for the 2014 Twins. He took the ball for 32 starts and churned out 16 wins with a 3.52 ERA. Hughes was one of the few reasons the Twins didn’t finish with more than 100 losses.

While Brett Anderson is different than Phil Hughes in that he’s not escaping the limelight, but rather hoping to escape the injury bug. Despite that glaring difference, it seems safe to say that Anderson is in the same boat that Hughes was a year ago; looking for a team that is willing to put their faith in him. Hughes was looking for trust that he could live up to his previous expectations. Anderson is looking for the trust that he can stay healthy.

I believe the Twins offer the perfect environment to give Brett Anderson that chance. They are still a year away from competing for a playoff spot. They have enough young talent advancing through their system that they don’t have to rely on Anderson, but could certainly reap the rewards if he does well.

While we all know that the injury concerns have piled up in the past, the risk should be worth the reward. As the Winter Meetings kick off in San Diego this week and the pitching market is still flooded with top-tier talent that includes Jon Lester, Max Scherzer, and James Shields, the Twins could fly under the radar and grab the 26-year-old Brett Anderson while other teams are going after the flashier free agents. If they are able to grab him and slide him into the rotation behind Phil Hughes, not only are they getting a solid left-handed pitcher that they lack, but they are getting a guy who could rival Hughes for team ace.

For a team that has fielded the worst starting ERA in the Major Leagues the past two years, I would love seeing a rotation of Hughes, Anderson, Ricky Nolasco, Kyle Gibson, and Trevor May or Alex Meyer. When you match that with an offense that scored the 7th most runs in all of baseball last year, you just might see a Twins team gaining respect in the AL Central.

Posted in AL Central, American League, Baseball, Brett Anderson, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Free Agency, Injuries, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MLB Winter Meetings, Phil Hughes | 2 Comments

Red Sox Please Show Mercy

Posted on December 7, 2014 by stevenkunkel

Picture found at redsox.mlb.com

It must be nice to be rich and the Boston Red Sox, this offseason, are rich in talent.

They are so rich in talent that it makes this Twins fan bury my head in shame over our “number 1 and number 2” rated minor league prospects that we as fans continue to wait on as injuries take over Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton’s careers.

I was recently looking through Boston’s depth chart on MLB.com and saw Mookie Betts, 2014’s rookie darling, listed once – 3^rd on the CF depth chart – and Jackie Bradley Jr., 2013’s rookie darling, also listed once – 4^th on the CF depth chart. Rusney Castillo, soon-to-be 2015’s darling, doesn’t have a starting position; neither does Allen Craig, Brock Holt, Daniel Nava, or major league ready Garin Cecchini. This, my baseball loving friends, is rich.

The recent signings of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval to, what appear to be, club friendly deals, even at an AAV (Average Annual Value) of $22M & $19M respectively, have opened up scores of room for the Red Sox GM to work with his roster this Winter and I would fully expect he is going to be active in the trade market.

With so many options available and the Winter Meetings starting today, December 7, 2014, lets take a quick look at the decisions Cherington should be making this Winter.

Trade Yoenis Cespedes Immediately

Personally, I don’t believe any of the stories I’ve read this Winter that Cespedes isn’t a good locker room member or that he doesn’t have the motivation to be great. Cespedes had never ended up in the media for anything negative until he reached the Boston market where there needs to be an “excuse” for everything – lets talk about chicken and beer again why don’t we?

No, I think the Red Sox need to get rid of Yoenis immediately because he’s going to bring in the type of pitcher that they’re missing. He’s reasonably priced, $10.5M in 2015, and if traded to the right team, they should be able to sign him long-term.

Yoenis has been an All-Star, but mainly because of his prodigious power and how many people he can put in the seats at the homerun derby than for the types of first half seasons he has put up. Thus, he should be able to be owned for less than $20M annually. Also, based on his signing with the Athletics coming out of Cuba in 2012, my bet is he doesn’t hold the same type of geographical biases American players have when they hit free agency where LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New York, & Texas are the main draw.

I think Yoenis just enjoys playing the game and will do it wherever he is wanted and can play.

Don’t Waste Allen Craig for the Rest of America

Listen, Mr. Cherington, you might be a businessman, but I’m a fantasy baseball playing baseball fan. So, please, please, please don’t waste Allen Craig for the rest of America by sitting him on your bench or playing him twice a week. You have a responsibility to baseball fans everywhere to get your 1B situation cleared up as soon as possible. We don’t care if that means you get rid of Napoli or Craig to a 1B or DH starved team. Here are some examples: Rangers, Mariners, Nationals, Pirates, Marlins, Brewers, & Padres. Both of these guys hold value and neither should be involved in a 3-way platoon with Ortiz when they can still help a team. I sincerely hope the list of available trade partners above helps make your job easier, because it sure would be a shame to watch someone as talented as Craig sitting on the bench.

Jackie Bradley Jr. Still Holds Value – Let Him Shine Elsewhere

You might be sick of watching 24-year-old Jackie Bradley Jr. flounder at the plate, but I can guarantee you some other team out there isn’t. This is still a very talented individual who plays above average defense and isn’t getting the at bats needed to fix the mental side of things he’s struggling with. The future doesn’t look very bright to fix this complete lapse in at bats either.

Here are a few players that a change of scenery have completely changed their career trajectories – Carlos Gomez, Chris Davis, Jake Arrieta, and many, many more.

With seven starting outfielders on your roster – Hanley Ramirez, Yoenis Cespedes, Shane Victorino, Rusney Castillo, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Daniel Nava – you can afford to let this one shine by sending him to another market.

Boston fans have a history of overvaluing and coveting their young talent. Sometimes they’re right and sometimes they’re wrong. Yes, I’ll admit trading Buchholz and Ellsbury for Johan Santana would have probably been a bad idea. However, in Boston, Bradley Jr. is no longer a man that can find time on this roster and I hope they’ll release him from this floundering plight.

These are just three things that Red Sox GM Ben Cherington should be deciding as this Winter progresses and most of them are problems of abundance. These 2015 Red Sox are so rich in talent they can afford to get rid of valuable players like Craig or future stars like Bradley Jr. because they simply don’t have a place for them on their roster. That is a good place to be.

No, I don’t have scenarios laid out for what the Red Sox will be getting in return, but if Cherington listens to my advice and does the above, the Red Sox roster would still look like this if they received no one in return:

C – Christian Vazquez
1B – Mike Napoli
2B – Dustin Pedroia
3B – Pablo Sandoval
SS – Xander Bogaerts
LF – Hanley Ramirez
CF – Mookie Betts
RF – Rusney Castillo
PLATOON – Shane Victorino
PLATOON – Brock Holt
PLATOON – Daniel Nava

This, my baseball loving friends, is not a problem. So, please, Mr. Cherington, release back into the rest of the world Cespedes, Craig, & Bradley Jr.

You have proven to all of us just how richly abundant your team can be! Now show mercy!

Posted in AL East, American League, Baseball, Ben Cherington, Boston Red Sox, Cheap Seat Chronicles, David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, Jackie Bradley Jr., Mike Napoli, MLB Trades, MLB Winter Meetings, Mookie Betts, Pablo Sandoval, Rusney Castillo, Shane Victorino, Yoenis Cespedes | Leave a comment

2014 All-Non-tender Free Agent Team

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Jeremiah Graves

all-non-tender-team

This is the best – and I’m using that word VERY loosely – 25-man roster comprised solely of players who were non-tendered prior to Tuesday’s midnight deadline and are now free agents to sign with any team.

Admittedly, this team would struggle. I can’t imagine they’d be any worse than some of the Twins or Astros teams we’ve seen the last few years, but the lack of a backup catcher could prove costly.

Additionally, the fact that the two best arms in the rotation are currently working their way back from Tommy John surgery doesn’t do the team a lot of favors either.

Ultimately, I expect a last place finish with this club, but if this were the NFL, they could probably still win the NFC South.

Without any further ado, here’s your 2014 All-Non-tender Free Agent Team:

C – John Baker
1B – Justin Smoak
2B – Gordon Beckham
SS – Everth Cabrera
3B – Juan Francisco
LF – Kyle Blanks
CF – Eric Young Jr.
RF – Andy Dirks
B – Daniel Descalso
B – Adam Rosales
B – John Mayberry Jr
B – Gaby Sanchez

SP – Brandon Beachy
SP – Kris Medlen
SP – Wade LeBlanc
SP – Gus Schlosser
SP – Jose Campos
RP – Scott Snodgress
RP – Michael Kirkman
RP – Fracisley Bueno
RP – Wesley Wright
RP – Yoslan Herrera
RP – Logan Ondrusek
RP – David Huff
CL – Alexi Ogando

If it’s any consolation to the guys on this list, all of whom I know are reading my blog, we can safely assume that at least half-a-dozen of these guys should have contract offers headed their way in the next couple of days.

Medlen and Beachy both have huge upside if/when they can get healthy, regain form, and – most importantly – stay healthy for the long-term.

Francisco has tons of power and hits righties very well. At the very least, some team will want him as part of a platoon, despite his sketchy defense and inability to hit southpaws.

Ogando had a solid track record prior to this past season when he was done in by elbow problems. If he can prove he’s healthy, someone can expect a solid buy-low bounceback from him either as a starter, a reliever, or potentially as a shut-down closer on the cheap.

Everth Cabrera, for all of his off-field troubles, still has incredible speed and plays a solid shortstop, defense up the middle is very important in the modern game and he figures to find a home – perhaps in New York – sooner rather than later.

Elsewhere throughout the list there is a smattering of once-hyped, since busted prospects and bench-depth types that figure to be around and willing to sign when baseball turns the lights on at the end of the offseason dance and everyone needs to find a ride home.

Any thoughts on this squad? Anyone you’d like your team to sign this offseason? Any names you were surprised to see get non-tendered? Let me hear it in the comments.

Posted in Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Free Agency, MLB | Leave a comment

My 2015 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Jeremiah Graves

I don’t have a vote for Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that you don’t have a vote either.

As such, we’ll consider today’s piece nothing more than a fun experiment in wishful thinking, rather than any sort of “think piece” that requires dutiful examination of facts.

First and foremost, I’m going to ensure that I stick with the official voting rules: I’m only allowed to pick a maximum of 10 players for my ballot, all of the players must be eligible and on the Baseball Writers Association of America official ballot for 2015, and…well, really that’s about it.

Gee, this hardly seems like the type of thing that requires someone to have worked in baseball writing for 10 years. It’s almost akin to voting on anything else that has facts to be used as the basis for voting, but that’s neither here nor there.

Secondly, now that I’ve hammered out the rules this is where I’m allowed to turn into the morality police, or use my vote as a chance to – *sigh* – “protect the integrity” of the game, or use this as an opportunity to make a stand against an individual player because he never gave me good sound bites when I tried to interview him, or whatever the heck it is that the BBWAA guys do when they get their ballots in the mail.

Despite all of those intriguing options, I think that I’m going to bypass all of that nonsense and simply pick the 10 best players on this ballot.

Well, to be more precise, I’m going to pick the nine best players and Alan Trammell who deserves a spot in the HOF and is in his last year of eligibility, so he gets a nod over a few guys with time to spare.

Admittedly, this year’s ballot has closer to 15 players who are, in my humble opinion, deserving of enshrinement in Cooperstown. You could conceivably make good arguments for at least 20 of these guys. The ballot is getting very crowded as the BBWAA continued to play “gatekeeper” with any players linked to PEDs (and some who aren’t linked, but played at the same time) and that traffic jam could cost some great ballplayers their well-deserved spot in the Hall of Fame.

That having been said, in keeping within the confines of the rules, I’ll limit my voting to 10.

Without any further ado, here’s my 2015 HOF ballot:

My Top Ten

Barry Bonds
Pedro Martinez
Roger Clemens
Randy Johnson
Tim Raines
John Smoltz
Craig Biggio
Mike Piazza
Jeff Bagwell
Alan Trammell

Okay, I totally lied.

I can’t stick with just the top ten. As such, here’s how I’d rank the next 10 guys.

Just Missed the Cut

Curt Schilling
Larry Walker
Mike Mussina
Jeff Kent
Edgar Martinez

Borderline

Gary Sheffield
Fred McGriff
Don Mattingly
Mark McGwire
Sammy Sosa

Obviously, I’ve got a solid crop of guys with PED ties in here. I’ve got some guys who fall into a lot of people’s borderline category. I’ve got some guys who people will say were merely products of the era and/or ballparks they played in. That having been said, I stick with my selections.

I now anxiously await your commentary.

Posted in Alan Trammell, Barry Bonds, Baseball, Craig Biggio, Curt Schilling, Edgar Martinez, Hall of Fame, Jeff Bagwell, Jeff Kent, John Smoltz, Larry Walker, Mike Mussina, Mike Piazza, MLB, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Tim Raines | 4 Comments

Hateability of MLB Teams, Ranked

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Jeremiah Graves

Peace Out, Bro

This is the most scientifically-backed, well-researched, completely-defensible, not-even-remotely-biased, totally-objective ranking of the most hateable teams in MLB.*

30. Pirates
29. Padres
28. Twins
27. Royals
26. Astros
25. Rays
24. Blue Jays
23. Mariners**
22. Athletics
21. Brewers
20. Rockies
19. Orioles
18. Reds
17. Diamondbacks
16. Indians
15. Rangers
14. Marlins
13. Nationals
12. White Sox
11. Angels
10. Cubs
09. Tigers
08. Mets
07. Giants
06. Braves
05. Phillies
04. Dodgers
03. Cardinals
02. Red Sox
01. Yankees

*Yeah, that’s pretty much all bullshit. This list is totally biased and penalizes big market teams and teams with lots of recent success. It also ranks the White Sox much harsher than necessary, because fuck the White Sox.

**The Mariners were moved three spots higher than I’d originally intended simply because Fernando Rodney is still on their roster and that guy really grinds my gears.

Posted in MLB | Leave a comment

Whacky weekend.

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Andrew

It was a weekend of some highs, some disappointments, some lows, and dab of completely outrageous.

The highs: The ALMS had their final running of the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, and it was, as always, an epic race. Rebellion Racing pulled out a solid win after powerhouse Muscle Milk had to retire with overheating issues. As always though, the real race was in GT, with the Porsche of Team Falken Tire clawing their way up from starting in 6th to take the win.

Some disappointments: My favorite series, the FIA World Endurance Championship was in Japan for the 6 Hours of Fuji. Alas, it was a race that was never meant to be. Horrendous rain storms caused the race to be started under safety car conditions, and then was red flagged after only 8 laps. Then, after sitting on the grid for two solid hours, they tried again, running under safety car, but only managed another 7 laps before waving the red flag again. After another hour of idling, they gave it one more try under safety car, did one lap, and then called the race off. I feel so bad for the fans in Japan that came out, only to sit through a deluge and then have the race canceled.

Some lows: MotoGP’s tire suppliers dropped the ball this weekend. The Australian Grand Prix track had been repaved with a new asphalt that was, in theory, supposed to be a grippier surface. Unfortunately, no one at Bridgestone bothered to think, “Hey. Maybe we should run some tests with our tires on this new kind of asphalt that no one has ever had a MotoGP race on before!” As a result, teams quickly realized that their tires didn’t stand a chance of lasting the whole race, and the organizers ended up lowering the number of laps and forced the riders to change bikes in the middle of the race so as to not wear down their tires too much. What a farce.

Completely outrageous: Think road rage only happens on public roads between civilian drivers?

Think again:

Posted in American Le Mans Series, Australian Grand Prix, Bridgestone, Cheap Seat Chronicles, FIA World Endurance Championship, Formula 3, Japan, MotoGP, Petit Le Mans, Rebellion Racing, Road Atlanta | Leave a comment

You’re overanalyzing it. Really.

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Andrew

I’ve been seeing a lot in the press lately about how fans are booing Sebastian Vettel when he gets up onto the podium after winning a race. I’ve also been seeing a lot in the press about how this is extremely unfortunate and bad for the sport. Many reporters are going into incredibly long-winded explanations about what they think the root of the booing is: fans are bored with the same person winning every race; fans hate Red Bull; fans think Red Bull is cheating; fans hate the way Vettel puts up his index finger to show he’s Number One.

These are all fine and good, and many journalists make quite compelling arguments that are very convincing. But they’re all wrong, and totally miss the point.

Vettel was a douchebag in Malaysia, so the fans boo him now. Plain and simple.

There is no conspiracy here. There is no grandiose nor intricately detailed plot that the fans are upset about. At the Grand Prix of Malaysia, which was the second race of a nineteen race season, Red Bull was running one-two, with Mark Webber in the lead. Knowing that they had a long season ahead of them, and knowing that they have a budget and a very limited number of engines they are permitted to use in a season, the team principle, seeing that Red Bull had an overwhelming lead, made the call that both drivers should turn down their engines, drive conservatively, remain in their current positions, and bring the cars home with limited wear and tear. Mark Webber obeyed those orders. Sebastian Vettel did not. Vettel decided to completely ignore the team orders and drove for the win, nearly colliding with Webber at one point. The tension after the race was palpable, and Red Bull found themselves doing damage control for several weeks in the press.

Fast forward a few months and Vettel is winning race after race. His lead in the championship standings is overwhelming. He has the title all but wrapped up. He knew that he had the best car in the fleet this year: Mercedes had endless tire problems until their questionable test with Pirelli; McLaren forgot how to make a fast car; Ferrari only has one driver who is competitive. He knew all this at the beginning of the season, and yet still decided that he would ignore the team’s orders and endanger his teammate and both team cars to get the win at Malaysia.

I understand that F1 drivers drive to win. I understand that they are cocky. I understand that, in their minds, they are the best driver in the world and should never be told to “hang back and let the other guy win”.

But guess what?

The fans don’t care. All they saw was one of the douchiest maneuvers in F1 history, and as a result, they now boo when the villain takes the stage.

Posted in Cheap Seat Chronicles, Malaysia, Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing, Sebastian Vettel, Vettel | Leave a comment

In other news.

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Andrew

Well, at least Vettel didn’t get yet another Grand Chelem. But he does have five wins in a row now, and has the championship all but wrapped up. Boring.

In other news, however, the Bathurst 1000 once again proved to be an absolutely EPIC race, with Mark Winterbottom and Jamie Whincup engaged in a tooth and nail battle lasting the final 60 LAPS, where they were never separated by more than two seconds at any point during any lap. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen more people on the edges of their seats for a longer period of time in my entire life. Someday, I’m gonna get to see that race in person…

Coming up this next weekend: 6 Hours of Fuji! Time to watch some spaceships on wheels.

Posted in 2010 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, 2012 6 Hours of Fuji, Audi, Bathurst 1000, Cheap Seat Chronicles, FIAWEC, Ford Performance Racing, Jamie Whincup, Mark Winterbottom, Mount Panorama Circuit, R18 etron quattro | Leave a comment

V8s on the Mount

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Andrew

Once again, the time approaches for the Bathurst 1000. V8 Supercars, Australia’s equivalent of NASCAR, both in popularity and noise, but different in that they make both left AND right turns, returns to Mount Panorama this weekend for a 1000km romp on one of the most insane tracks on the planet.

23 turns. Check.

6km per lap. Check.

Just over 174 meters in elevation change. Che… WHAT??

For those of you still stuck in the antiquated Imperial measurement system, that’s a 3.8 mile track with almost 600 feet in elevation change. They are literally driving up the side of a mountain, and then back down again. Add in several blind corners and tricky braking zones, and you’re in for one hell of a ride:

What’s even better this year is the return of Nissan and Erebus Motorsport to the ranks, which will make for more eye candy. For donkey’s years, the only two manufacturers in the series were Ford and Holden. Next year, it gets even better when Mercedes-Benz joins the fray, which should be interesting considering their already considerable expenditures and experience in DTM.

Posted in Australia, Bathurst 1000, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Erebus Racing, Holden, Mercedes-Benz, Mount Panorama Circuit, Nissan Motor Company, V8 Supercars | Leave a comment

…and again.

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Andrew

I ended up being pretty close to the mark, as the final results were: VET, RAI, GRO.

I learned a new phrase because of this race: Grand Chelem. This is the racing equivalent of a hat trick or grand slam. Vettel’s performance was so dominant that he not only got pole position, but he had the fastest lap of the race, led every lap, and won.

And this is the second time this season he’s done that. Jeebus.

What really has me tickled, though, is the guy in the #4 spot. Hulkenberg continues to show that he is a world champion class driver. Now if only one of the top constructors would hire him…

In other news, we got reminded again this weekend of just how dangerous motorsport can be. Both IndyCar and ALMS had nasty crashes this weekend:

Nobody got hurt at ALMS, but several spectators and the driver (Dario Franchitti) were pretty badly roughed up at IndyCar. Here’s hoping that Dario and all the fans make a speedy recovery.

Posted in ALMS, Auto racing, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Dario Franchitti, F1, Hulkenberg, IndyCar, MotorSport, Vettel | Leave a comment

Vettel on top. …again.

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Andrew

Another Grand Prix. Another pole position for Sebastian Vettel.

I mean, I get it: the guy is at the peak of his abilities, and he’s driving a car that has been engineered to within an inch of its life. But this crap is getting boring, because another pole for VET basically means another win for him. His pace is so phenomenal that no one else has a prayer of catching him. Unless Hamilton gets a better start when the red lights go off, and manages to hold VET up for a few corners, this race is as good as done from the first lap.

In other news, it’s good to see Hulkenberg getting into the top 10 again. I honestly believe that Ferrari made a mistake going back to Raikkonen and passing over Hulk in the process. Don’t get me wrong: I think RAI is an amazing driver, and I think he’ll have a great year next year, but Hulk is an up and coming driver with amazing potential. I mean, seriously, look what the guy is doing with what could be argued as a back-marker car?

My prediction for the podium on Sunday: VET, ALO, RAI. In that order.

Posted in Cheap Seat Chronicles | Leave a comment