Saturday, July 23, 2005

LAD: Activated Milton Bradly from the DL

Considering how many injuries the Dodgers have had it's amazing that they are only 4 and a half out of first. Getting their best player back will certainly help that.

SDP: Traded Germano and Chick for to CIN for Randa

Travis Chick and Jason Germano is a pretty good haul for 2 and a half months of Joe Randa. I think the Padres overpaid, but I don't blame them for getting tired of waiting for Sean Burroughs. Though I don't think Joe Randa is the answer. Color me skeptical of a 36 year old having a career year in one of the better hitters parks in baseball.

Going from one of the best hitters parks to one of the best pitchers park will spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E for Randa.

I like Chick quite a bit and will likely take a flier on him in the late rounds of my DMB draft next month.

TBD: Carter Down LaForest Up

Lance "All-Star" Carter hasn't been very good this year in fact he has been poor. No worse than Jesus Colme, Travis Harper, and Seth McClung, in fact better. So they send down Carter, and raise another bru-ha-ha in the Devil Rays. Life in Tampa is never easy.

CHW - Thomas to the DL, Gload back

Looks like the Whitesox historic season, is going to go down without a major contribution from the Big Hurt. Too bad actually, Thomas really could use a World Series title on his resume, and it doesn't mean so much when your a bit player.

SFG: Activate Edgardo Alfonzo from DL send down - Adam Shabala

This will push Feliz back from 3b back to left, making room for Edgaro.

Bottom line unless Bonds comes back and right quick, it just doesn't matter.

Friday, July 22, 2005

Mid Season Top Prospect Lists

Rotoword

Baseball Analysts Part 1

Baseball Analysts Part II

Baseball America

I'll have my mid season report this weekend.

ATL: Traded Kevin Gryboski to Tex for Matt Lorenzo

Gryboski is a solid reliever, who could help a lot of teams. I'm actually a little surprised to see the Braves ship him out so quickly, for a pitcher with as little promise as Lorenzo.

The other side of the transaction has the Braves promoting Macay McBride, a promising lefty from their system. Who the Braves must be high on to give Gryboski away for what I view as pennies on the dollar.

The Rangers sent CJ Wilson to AA. Wilson isn't much of a pitcher, his performance record shows it, and his lack of success in Arlington shows it.

Great move for the Rangers.

ARZ: Trades Matt Kata for Tim Worrell

With Ramon Martinez, and Tomas Perez I can see why the Phillies needed a third utility infielder who can't really hit. While this makes some sense fro the D-Backs perspective as they need some bullpen help. The only problem is Worrell is more likely to fan the flames than to put them out. Then again some times you have to take a shot and hope for a turn around. Especially with the Padres struggles.

PIT: Promoted Brad Eldred - Sent Down Bobby Hill

Brad Eldred is a good power prospect - I'm hopping to see him get some playing time. Even though Daryl Ward has hit well this year, I'm hoping to see Eldred get the bulk of the 1b at bats from here on out.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Bos: Youkilis Sent to AAA

I wonder how many times in the last 2 years he's been up and down? I really don't know. He's teams are more willing to do that with marginal prospects than with sure things, but I still think Youkilis will have a 10 year career. Nothing wrong with that.

NYY: Promote Alex Graman Demote Ryan Franklin

The Yankees continue to search for a reliable left-handed reliever. News Flash - Alex Graman isn't the answer.

Reds - Promote Austin Kearns, Activated Ryan Freel - Lost Machado and Kelly on waivers.

What I want to know is how can a team have a .415 winning % and have two guys claimed off waivers on the same day while trying to make room on the roster for a couple of returning players. Generally teams that are of this "quality" don't have any attractive options on the back of there roster. The fact that the Reds had two guys that other teams had interest is, is remarkable.

Kelly isn't much - maybe a 4th or 5th outfielder if things break right. Machado is actually a pretty good utility infielder type. His being claimed doesn't surprise me. I would have kept Machado over Aurillia, only because Machado might have some value to future Reds teams while Aurilla's got nothing. Freel being back should slot Aurilla back into the utility role with Freel playing 2b regularly.

Kearns being promoted is only interesting if he gets playing time, but my question is at whose expense? I would guess it's at the expense of Wily Mo who has struggled since May 30th.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

CHC: Ben Grieve to AAA

This is the corrisponding transaction for Jody Gerut being aquired. The Cubs would be better off with one fewer infielders and keeping Grieve around to pinch hit. Having good pinch hitters or a good bench has never been a priority for Dusty Baker.

There really is no use for Jose Macias on the roster. I guess he's your third SS, forth 2b, and forth 3b. Otherwise I don't know what he brings to the table.

BOS: Embree DFA'd

I thought comming into the 2004 season Embree was done, and would be gone by midseason.

I was a year off. Embree's fast ball is straight and has no breaking stuff. When your throwing 91-92 instead of 97-98 your going to get hit.

BOS-KC: Graffinino for Cedeno and Ambres

Graff is one of the better 5th infielders in the game. He can hit some, play a plus second base while being servicable everywhere else in the infield, or outfield in a pinch. He'll be useful to the Sox, either as a reserve or a platoon keystoner, depending on how they man the position in the second half.

Bellhorn has struggled, and is now on the DL. Cora is a plus defender, and might make for a good platoonmate with Graff. The other option is minor leaguer Dustin Pedoia, who would have been my choice to get the job - but he has some injury issues right now, as he has been batteling swelling in his wrist after being plunked their in a minor league game 3 weeks ago.

Cedeno is a flamethrower with no command who is stuck in A ball with limited successs. He wasn't long for the Sox organazation, since he was on the 40 man this year, and a ton of minor leaguers are about to pass him on the depth chart and will beed to be included next year. The Sox likely would have lost him on a waiver claim if he was worth anything.

Ambres is an intresting player a first round pick by the Marlins in the 90's has struggled to put it together but came out the gate this season like a bat out of hell. He might make for a decent stop gap CF, for some organazation, or perhaps a solid 4th outfielder. Trading of Ambres and Payton in the last little while indicate to me that the Sox are either going to resign Damon, are higher on Adam Sterms than I am, or are going to look to make a position switch of a minor leaguer into CF, since they currently don't have anyone in the organzation who looks like he can be a good CF at the MLB level in 2006. Unless it's Hanley Ramirez.

NYY: Sierra to the DL, Andy Phillips Up; May Down, Rodriguiez frrom the DL

The Yankee's 6th inning guy is back on Rodriguez. He's certainly better than May, but not many other pitchers in MLB at this point.

Losing Seirra is a loss for the Yanks, as Seirra has been a pretty good hitter the last little while for the Yanks and though they won't have any trouble filling the AB's they lose the tactical advantages he brings both as a spot DH and a pinch hitter.

BOS-SDP: Adam Hyzdu for Scott Cassidy

Cassidy is organazational fodder, and will for the next few years ride the AAA-MLB express going back and forth as an emergency starter and 12th man on a pitching staff. Hyzdu is year in and year out one of the best hitters in AAA, who has had some success at the MLB level in the past. It looks like the Sox will use him as Nixon's platoon mate for a while.

STL: Promoted John Rodriguez - DL'd Reggie Sanders

Sanders has been insane for the Cards posting a 900ish OPS on the year, no matter how stacked the rest of the lineup is you're going to miss a 900 OPS outfielder.

Rodriguez is a minor league vet who has absolutely killed AAA pitching this year, and was no slouch last year either. No reason he shouldn't get a shot as a platoon player over the next few years. Maybe he will be the ought's version of Matt Stairs.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Meet the new boss same as the old boss

Last night the Yankees took over first place, and the Bravo's moved with in half a game of first place. The Nationals success in close games seems to be disappearing as they lost another close game last night.

BOS: Bellhorn to the DL - Youkilis

You can't keep a good man down in Pawtucket for long. Youkilis has ridden the Route 95 shuttle more than any player I can think of in recent memory. This probably means a healthy dose of Cora at 2b, with some Bill Mueller at 2b and Youkilis at 3b. With the later being one of worst defensive infields in recent memory even Edgars overall solidness can't save the Sox from the black hole that is Youkilis, Mueller, and Millar around the horn.

CHW: DFA Shingo Takatsu

Mr. Zero has caught a near fatal case of gopheritise (9HR allowed in 28 innings). Like most relievers having a bad year, with a good recent track records I expect Boston to be his home in the near future.

CHC: Trades Jason Dubios to CLE for Jody Gerut

If anyone claims to know who the better player is here they are lying. Gerut probably is a little better all around, and Dubios is a better hitter. A classic "challenge" trade lets see which GM is better at evaluating talent. Dubios wasn't going to get a shot in Chicago, so it will be interesting to see if Gerut will get some playing time in LF or CF.

Yanks Activiate Kevin Brown - Send down Jason Anderson

Brown's tenure in NYY is about to come to an ugly, ugly close. I'll be shocked to see him pitching in August if the Yankees have any other options.

SDP - Loretta, Nevin, Hensley IN, Johnson, Seanez, Asencio, Reyes OUT

Lots of stuff here. The long and the short of it is the lineup gets a lot better with Loretta forcing Damain Jackson, who has preformed well back to the bench. While Nevin forces Sweeney back into the role as number 1 pinch hitter.

The Padres bench is very strong the way some of these guys are currently playing:
Jackson - Util
Blum - Util
Fick - C/Util
Nady - OF
Sweeney - 1b/OF
Eric Young - OF

That's a lot of options with varying skill sets. A huge hand to Towers/Bochy for putting it together.

Clay Hensley replaces Rudy Saenez in the pen. Hensley's track record is mixed, but he's been great for Portland this year - if your going to give the guy a shot this is the time.

ATL: Braves Activate Hampton - Davies to AAA

I'm a little surprised that Davies is the one getting the gate here, since he's pitched really well with the exception of 4 straight middling starts. Then again the way Jorge Sosa is pitching it made the decision pretty easy for them. Look out world here comes the Braves... again.

ATL: Chipper Back- Colon to AAA

Makes sense, as I said a couple days ago the Braves were likely to get down to 12 pitchers when Chipper came back, and here they are now at 12. Colon makes sense as the one to go unless they were going to cut ties with Kolb - then again they could probably trade him to the Red Sox if they felt the desire to ditch him.

Sunday, July 17, 2005

I'm on the Brew Crew Train...

Not for this year but in general. I've watched all 4 of the Brewers/Nats game this weekend and the Brewers are contagious. I can't help but root for them... well that and Doug Melvin is the most underrated GM in the game. Look for an extended article on that topic in the next few weeks. Also look for an extended article on what I call "Turn Around Managers".

CLE: Tadano down - Carmona up

Tadano was given a brief audition as the 12th man in the pen and pitched pretty good, getting in 1 game and pitching 4 innings of 1 run ball. So you know this transaction isn't performance induced. The Tribe front office likely thinks more highly of Caroma than they do of Tadano, which I think is a reasonable position to take, though I disagree that he's better right now than Tadano. Tadano throws a league average FB, with a solid split, and slider. While Carmona has a power sinker that doesn't miss many bats but induces grounders by the truck load and a solid average change. He'll need to develop a third show me pitch to make it as a regular starter or a strikeout pitch to make it as a reliever.

Braves activate Tim Hudson, send down Andy Marte

Now that Hudson and Hampton are back from the DL, the A's rotation looks to be ready to push for 1st place. The question now is how much longer are they going to stick with 13 pitchers?

Currently their bench is:
McCain - Catcher
Franco/Laroche - 1b
Orr - Infield
Langerhans/Francoeur - OF

I imagine it will be when Chipper comes back, which will force Orr into the 5th outfielder/6th infielder role, which is a more recent innovation to allow for that 12th pitcher. After looking at the Richmond club's roster I have to say a 13th pitcher probably has more value to the Braves than Kerry Robinson. The only player who could contribute is Marte who is position blocked x2 at this point - I wonder how long until he is moved to RF?

Angels Activate Cabrera from the DL send down Pride

I have an irrational man love for Curtis Pride and am disappointed to see him get sent down. He's a little long in the tooth at this point, but he can still handel centerfield and can hit as much as half the players on MLB benches.

Cabrera, the worst free agent signing in last years off season, is back for the Angels and blocks Maicer Izturis from every day duty. The Angels have as many grade B or better middle infield prospects as any team I've ever seen, everywhere on the developmental curve which makes the Cabrera signing so bad. Bill Stoneham is better than that normally. It also cost them Craig Hansen, when the Sox drafted him with compensation pick.

NYY: Yankees purchase Al Leiter from Marlins

Looks like a minor amount of cash changing hands, and Leiter will start today versus the Yankees. I commented on this in Leiter's DFA thread earlier in the weekend. Where I predicted he would be starting for the Yankees before August first.

He's better than Tim Redding, who got DFA'd on the other end of the transaction, but he stinks.

BOS: Signed Gabe Kapler to contract

Kapler is going to report to minor league camp as he is currently "on the DL." Looks like in a month or so he will fit right back into his old role, as Trot Nixon's caddy and extra outfielder.

Nothing to see here move along.