Kuzul

The future location of free agent outfielder Carl Crawford has been a hot topic this off-season and interest continues to grow in the star player since his contract ended with the Rays this past season.

Although many teams might not be able to afford his large contract requests(some say he is looking for $100 million), he could still be an early Christmas present for any team that bids the right price for him.

Many have reported that he won’t sign until Cliff Lee, arguably the highest sought after free agent this off-season, signs his contract, there are many teams that are ready to grab the talented left-fielder right now.

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Phillies starting pitcher Roy Halladay is no stranger to greatness on the mound during his career.

Recently, Halladay, or “Doc” (taken from the western gunslinger Doc Holliday) received his second Cy Young award for his utter dominance on the mound during the ’10 season.

However, to describe his efforts this past season as utter dominance is a large understatement when you take a look at some of his actual numbers that he put up throughout the course of the year.

Halladay won an NL leading 21 games and had an anemic ERA of 2.44, which was the second-lowest total of his stellar 13-year career.

The stat that sticks out the most about “Doc” from not only in the ’10 season, but also throughout his time in the majors, is his abnormally high number of complete games and shutouts that he manages to get each campaign.

For example, he has lead the major leagues in both of these categories over the last two seasons with, a whopping nine complete games and four shutouts during each of the two years.

From a career prospective, he has been first or second in his league seven different times in complete games, and also six different times in shutouts as a ML starter.

I don’t think that there are two stats that show more of how a pitcher just takes control of games and his opposition than complete games and shutouts, and Roy Halladay is the best in the game because he gets many of these each season.

Also, Roy lead the majors this year in innings pitched with 250.2 innings, and is as durable as ever after logging 220+ innings each of the last five years that he has taken the hill.

If you look further into his numbers, you will see he has been steadily improving each and every year, and is becoming more and more unhittable each and every time he toes the rubber.

Add all this together and you have a dominant starting pitching force that is still getting stronger and has catapulted his game up to the very best in his sport.

If you don’t believe me, re-watch Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS, where Halladay made a mockery of the Cincinnati Reds’ offense as he delivered only the second no-hitter in postseason history.

That game was Halladay at his best, getting ground balls, making hitter looks foolish, and not letting anyone get on base against him for nearly the entire night.

In a hitter-dominated league that exists today, Halladay shines brighter than others, as he not only had a no-hitter and perfect game during the 2010 season, but he also sets the standard for all pitchers that start for their respective teams today.

Halladay is simply the best there is today, and after this season, he put this argument to rest.

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All-star slugger Prince Fielder is heading into the final year of his current contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, which leads many to think that they will trade him away.

Milwaukee hasn’t been clear yet on whether they are willing to trade Fielder, but if the right deal comes calling, there is little reason to think that they wouldn’t go ahead and pull the trigger on their star player.

Although Prince is coming off a down year in ’10, he still holds a lot of value in the trade market and at 26, is just entering the prime of his career. The former first-round pick would certainly be a highly sought after player and many teams could use his services at first base.

I will also add that before you go into the actual slide-show, it is important to note that any of the following teams would have to take on the last year of his contract, which would be around $10 million or higher for 2011.

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Free agent outfield Jeff Francoeur cleared waivers last earlier this off-season and is expected to get a solid look from multiple teams who could be interested in him.

Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore has reportedly been among the GMs who have expressed interest in the former 2002 first-round pick.

Moore also has a past with Francoeur, as they both came from the Braves organization where Francoeur got his start in the big leagues in 2005 and where Moore used to be a scout and the assistant general manager.

Moore also has a history of overpaying free agents who have a lot of talent but have not lived up to their potential in their time in the majors.

The recent trade of veteran David DeJesus also seems to have opened up the door for a potential Francoeur signing as there seems to be a vacancy on the right side of the Royals’ outfield.

Taking a look at Francoeur’s stats from ’10, he hit .249 with 13 homers and drove in 65 runs runs in a combined 139 games with the Mets and the Rangers.

A further analysis of his stats indicates that he didn’t draw many walks or get on base that much, as he only drew 30 walks in 503 plate appearances and had a remarkably low on-base percentage of .300.

If you compare these numbers to his career numbers, you are looking at a guy with a lifetime average of .268 and a lifetime on-base percentage of .310 to go along with an average of about 17 homers and 78 RBIs a season.

This kind of offensive production would be a major upgrade over anyone else that the Royals currently have on their roster to play this position.

However, these numbers might be somewhat inflated depending on how you look at it, as many believe that Francoeur has his best years behind him already.

“Frenchy,” as many call him, is an above-average outfielder with a .984 career fielding percentage and a Gold Glove for his defensive efforts during the ’07 season.

But is the risk of offering him a solid contract worth the return that you will get from his play?

I would say that it is, considering the Royals’ team needs at this time. They desperately need a new right fielder, which Francoeur could come in and provide from day one.

What is yet to be seen is if Dayton Moore agrees with this assumption as well. Stay tuned.

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With the MLB offseason in full swing, big free-agent signings are on the horizon and many teams are already trying to get the best fits.

Each year there are some signings that work out very well for some teams, and there are other signings that contribute nothing.

The 2010 offseason should be no different, as there will be a fair share of undervalued and under-appreciated players available. On the other hand, there will be some overvalued or overrated players that will be there for the taking.

This offseason, it seems as if there is a high amount of overrated players that will be out in the open for clubs to scoop up to add to their teams.

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The Kansas City Royals traded veteran outfielder David DeJesus earlier on Wednesday night, and they lost more than a great player from this move.

Dejesus was one of the better outfielders that KC has had in recent years, both on and off the field.

His journey to Kansas City began in 2000, when the club drafted him in the fourth round of the first-year players draft.

DeJesus then rapidly moved his way up to the minors and eventually had his big league debut on Sept. 2, 2003.

His break came the following year when star center-fielder Carlos Beltran was traded to the Houston Astros in a three-way trade, thus leaving the door wide open for DeJesus to take over for the departed Beltran as the everyday starter in center.

DDJ (as many fans called him) would make the most of his time in center, as he ended up making 519 starts there over the next seven seasons.

He finished his eight-year career in Kansas City with 61 homers and drove in 390 runs in 876 games. He also hit an impressive .289 and had a solid OBP of .360 in his time wearing the blue and white.

David was also an accomplished outfielder defensively. He committed only 16 errors in 862 games of outfield duty, and his .992 career fielding percentage ranks among the all-time best for anyone that has donned a Royals uniform.

Arguably the most overlooked part of David DeJesus was the fact that he was an incredible person in the clubhouse.

He always got along with everyone and always had the respect of fellow teammates due to his toughness from hardly missing any games and his upbeat personality. This says a lot about him, as he played for some of the worst teams in Royals, and even MLB history in his time with the franchise.

He wasn’t the strongest, fastest or biggest outfielder in the majors today, but he might be one of the smoothest and most fundamentally sound at his position.

With the Royals looking ahead, DeJesus became expandable as he was obviously not seen as a part of KC’s future.

I hope that the A’s realize what they are getting with a guy like DeJesus, and are able to get the most out of a good player who was simply stuck in a bad situation in his year with the Royals.

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As the Kansas City Royals head into the 2010 offseason, they once again have many needs to be addressed on a team in dire need for talent.

The last few offseasons have not been very successful for the Royals as far as free agent signings have gone. KC will need to steer clear of washed-up players like Jose Guillen and Rick Ankiel this year.

Royals GM Dayton Moore has already expressed interest in getting a solid right-handed bat in his lineup and a good starting pitcher as well.

I have composed a short list of players that I believe the Royals could be going after this offseason.

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When the Kansas City Royals drafted high school star Mike Moustakas with the second overall pick of the 2007 MLB Draft, they were hoping for huge things out of him.

Moustakas was easily one of the best hitters to come out of the state of California, as he dominated during his entire high school career at Chatsworth High. He accumulated 52 homers, which is still a record in the state of California.

After he was drafted by the Royals in ’07, he joined the club’s rookie league team in Idaho Falls, Idaho where he played his first 11 games as a professional.

The next two years would see Moustakas play for Burlington and Wilmington, two of KC’s Single-A minor league teams.

After a solid ’08 season in which Moustakas hit .272 with 22 homers, he tailed off in ’09 and endured his worst season as a professional by far.

“The Moose” has many have called him, hit only .250 and struck out 90 times in just 129 games. His power numbers also went down as he finished the year with just 16 home runs.

Many fans began to doubt Moustakas and say that he was looking like a bust and a wasted pick already.

Mike Moustakas never doubted himself the entire time. The following season Moustakas was promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas and would achieve statistically one of the best seasons ever for a minor leaguer in the Royals system.

In 66 games at Omaha, Mike hit 21 round-trippers, 25 doubles and 76 RBI to go along with a .347 average and an on-base percentage about .400.

The one-time skeptics were suddenly believers in the young prospect, and many Royals fans and Kansas City media began to wonder what was to come for the former No. 2 overall pick.

After being promoted to Triple-A at the end of the 2010 season, Moustakas continued his destruction of minor league pitching as he hit around .300 with 15 homers and 58 RBI in just 52 games.

Many expected a call-up for the 22-year old third basemen, but instead, Royals general manger Dayton Moore decided to hold off in order to keep him fresh for the future of this franchise.

With Moustakas expected to be present at Royals Camp in the Spring, this is where many believe that he will solidify his role as a future starter on this team.

However, many are still not sure if he is the man to hold down the fort at a position that was once manned by MLB Hall of Famer George Brett.

Although Moustakas might be a slight downgrade from Brett on the fielding side, the sky is the limit for his hitting potential.

For all we know, he could also end up being another bust in the long line of failures that has plagued this franchise for years—and now decades.

He could also be the next young hitting star to compliment a lineup that already includes two other former first round picks in the talented Billy Butler and another potential great talent in left-fielder Alex Gordon.

The obvious question: Will Moustakas be the answer at the third base for the Royals?

Although we will not have a clear answer until the spring rolls around, all signs point to yes if he can continue to improve, especially in the defensive side of his game.

Stay tuned folks, we could have a future baseball phenom in the making right here in Kansas City.

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Dear Dayton,

I have been a Royals fan for nearly my entire life of 22 years. I have heard many stories of how the Royals used to be a dominant AL team, and how George Brett just took over the game of baseball with his amazing ability to hit.

However, this has not been the case since I have been on the earth. We have had one winning season (2003) since I was born, and most fans, like myself, even agreed that that year’s team was a fluke.

You came here in 2006 and promised to get Kansas City back on track to winning baseball. So far, no one has seen this yet.

Now I understand that there are some issues that you have had to deal with since becoming the GM of this baseball team.

Your boss, David Glass, is one of the cheapest owners in baseball and has shown time and time again that he is not willing to spend much to bring championships back to KC.

Sadly, as everyone around baseball knows these days, you either have to fork out a large sum of money, or develop a strong farm system in order to have success at the major league level.

I realize that many scouts and experts agree that we have one of these two things going for us with our recent splurge of minor league talent. This could very well be the case, but I, like many others, still am not convinced until we see this plethora of young talent become something good at the next level.

You could also make the argument that you haven’t had enough time in KC for many of your draft picks to make their way up yet. This is also true, but the truth lies within the facts.

In your first draft as Royals GM, you selected Luke Hochevar, who hasn’t panned out with a 5.00-plus career ERA. That’s not very good for a team’s first overall pick, let alone the first overall pick in the entire draft.

Let’s not forget that you passed on future All-Star Evan Longoria, and future Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum in that same draft as well.

Let’s go to the 2008 draft, where you selected high school star Eric Hosmer when you could have gone with Buster Posey, who is a favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year this season.

I also saw you type in a live chat through MLB.com during 2009 that Hosmer is going to be a mainstay in the major leagues for years to come. I hope this is the case, Dayton, for him and many of the other young prospects who are getting better with every year.

If a good majority of these guys don’t end up making an impact, your job is as good as gone.

On another note, please stop signing washed-up free agents to huge contracts. Kansas City already had players like Neifi Perez and Chuck Knoblauch before you came into town.

Since you have come to Kansas City, you have brought in one of the worst character players in team history in Jose Guillen. You have also signed a largely mediocre starting pitcher in Gil Meche, and all he has done is have a couple decent seasons and been injured practically the entire rest of the time.

However, not all of your signings have been bad, as you stole Joakim Soria from the Padres, and he has turned into one of the best closers in the league. You also locked up Zack Greinke to a multi-year deal, and at the time, it was a great move to make.

The bottom line is we as Royals fans are growing very impatient and badly want to see some good baseball in this town again. We have been the laughingstock of this league too long to continue to accept the weak product that has been thrown on the field over the last 20-plus years.

It’s time for a change, and you are the man that can make this happen. Good luck Mr. Moore.

Sincerely,

One Very Disappointed Royals Fan

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As soon as phenom pitching prospect Steven Strasburg was drafted No. 1 overall by the Washington Nationals, baseball fans were awaiting the next Gibson or Ryan to take the mound.

As time went by in the minor leagues, Strasburg dominated the competition and a move to the majors became a reality for him.

Finally the Nationals called up Strasburg on June 8th for a home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In that game he dominated with 14 strikeouts and earned a win.

This year through four starts, Strasburg has 2-1 record, 1.78 ERA, and 41 strikeouts.

Strasburg has been the biggest splash in the majors since McGwire.Now he has something in common with him in a piece of memorabilia priced at over $1 million.

Currently on Ebay there is a 2010 Bowman’s autographed rookie card numbered 1 of 1 of Strasburg that has a current bid at $1 million due to end on June 28th.This card has the potential to rival the price of $2.6 million Honus Wagner T206 card.

With the economy being as bad as it is and Strasburg’s limited experience, it boggles the mind why this particular card is currently bidding at such a high price.

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