MLB personnel moves are frequently prefaced by fan speculation, media probing or an executive announcement. Somebody usually spoils the surprise.
This article celebrates 10 exceptions to that norm that were completed in 2012.
The players involved ranged from future first-ballot Hall of Famers to lifetime reserves. The reasons for relocation varied, too.
However, they all understand what it’s like to be moved in a shocking trade.
Let’s review their experiences from the past year.
Buckle up—MLB contenders are preparing to sprint the final leg of the American and National League pennant races.
None of them can afford to be tripped up by a trusted pitcher who slumps down the stretch (and proverbially ties the club’s shoes together).
I’m providing a generous service for managers of the 12 winningest teams—identifying which of their reputable arms should not be used in high-leverage situations from here on out.
Deriding each staff’s mop-up man would be too easy, not to mention insignificant. Those players are never given opportunities in close contests, anyway.
Rather, I’m calling out the Jekyll-and-Hyde starters, shaky setup men and wild closers who must be relieved of too much responsibility before the season is lost.
Strong leadership drives every Major League Baseball team.
On all 30 rosters, there is a player—or in several instances, a manager or executive—who is particularly influential.
The following men contrast in terms of age, baseball experience, contractual situation and temperament. And yet each of their various styles is effective nonetheless. Here’s a breakdown of every MLB team’s clubhouse leader.
Many of the prospects in the upcoming 2012 First-Year Player Draft (June 4-6) will be selected to fill specific needs for their MLB teams.
With that said, I present this list of ideal targets for all 30 clubs.
Drafting according to need isn’t the most popular method (top talents frequently get chosen first regardless of fit), but it’s an avenue worth exploring.
Determining which deficiencies to aid through the draft requires foresight and speculation, as picks will be tested in the minors before joining the 25-man roster. Trades are used to address immediate needs, whereas GMs draft for the future.
For each team, I’ve chosen a position that should be filled and a player—projected to go in the early rounds—who makes the most sense.
The Philadelphia Phillies (26-25) are no longer contenders in the NL East after learning that Roy Halladay will miss 6-8 weeks with a strained right latissimus dorsi.
Halladay leads the National League in wins (44), innings pitched (556.2) and complete games (17) since being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays prior to the 2010 season. It will be impossible to replace that lost production.
Re-signing 34-year-old Roy Oswalt would have been a major consolation. However, that opportunity passed when he officially agreed to a one-year contract with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.
Conveniently, second-year stud Vance Worley feels pain-free as he recovers from elbow inflammation. Still, his return won’t be enough to salvage the club’s dwindling playoffs hopes.
Minus Halladay, Kyle Kendrick becomes a fixture on the starting staff. Fans shouldn’t be too excited about his recent performance. A lack of swing-and-miss stuff won’t allow him to keep dominating.
Manager Charlie Manuel simply doesn’t have enough offensive talent on the active roster to support the weakened five-man rotation.
Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino are carrying their own weight. Carlos Ruiz (.366/.419/.592) is carrying everyone else’s.
Let’s be realistic, though—”Chooch” will inevitably cool off. Moreover, the wear and tear of catching prevents him from contributing every night. The Phillies are 3-5 when he’s absent from the lineup.
Ryan Howard (Achilles) and Chase Utley (knees) could be valuable reinforcements, but according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, “there is no timetable for their returns.” It can’t be assumed that either will be in pre-injury form upon activation from the disabled list.
Aside from a six-game winning streak in mid-May, the Phillies have been inconsistent, especially against divisional opponents. Following Tuesday night’s 6-3 loss to the New York Mets, their record in the NL East stands at a mediocre 8-12. And all four rivals—the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Mets and Washington Nationals—are poised to remain in contention.
They cannot afford to continue struggling in those matchups. There are another 52 of them left on the schedule!
To prove my prediction false, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. would need to acquire legitimate players from other franchises. Presumably, this would be achieved by taking on salary from cellar-dwellers who are looking to cut costs.
Already with the NL’s largest payroll, the front office doesn’t have the expendable resources to consummate such deals. No group of attainable individuals matches Halladay’s value, anyway.
With this discouraging news, the Philadelphia Phillies should shift their focus to the future.
Cole Hamels ought to be dealt in the coming weeks lest he depart in free agency and deprive the team of the MLB-ready compensation a desperate team might offer. Bringing Howard and Utley along slowly will have them better prepared for 2013.
As of May 29, I’m sticking the proverbial fork in their 2012 season.
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There promise to be entertaining positional battles during MLB Spring Training 2012.
In particular, much is at stake when a veteran player competes against an up-and-comer for a starting role.
Secondary to winning the World Series but above most other things, MLB players are motivated by the possibility of playing everyday.
Old-timers often have too much pride to accept reserve roles, while the young guys don’t want to pass up opportunities to establish their legitimacy.
All the following individuals will appear in the big leagues this season. That’s a victory in itself.
However, their performances over the next few weeks could dramatically affect their futures in baseball beyond this summer.
More than other team sports, baseball grants its players longevity.
Being on the wrong side of 35 isn’t such an awful thing. I could muster a formidable 25-man roster comprised strictly of MLB players who are of that age or older.
Time eventually reduces all athletes, but elite baseball players often sustain their level of play as their hair grays.
Veterans of the game adjust to adversity. They continue to contribute even when agility, bat speed and arm strength deserts them.
It is a sport unintentionally engineered to preserve its athletes.
Although plenty of New York Yankees franchise records will never be broken, there are 10 that their current players are capable of toppling in the next decade.
Half of the accomplishments being challenged on this list were career feats, while the remaining five would need to be surpassed in a single game or season.
I have chosen to present them from likeliest to most improbable.
The New York Yankees are in World Series contention every season, but the organization is constantly dealing with unusual, downright freaky injuries to its key contributors.
Just in the past decade, position players and pitchers alike have been lost for extended periods of time due to unexpected ailments.
Luckily, the Yankees are always financially capable of filling voids as quickly as they open.
However, even if you have no mercy for the team, perhaps you can show some compassion for these individuals.
The re-signing of veteran starting pitcher Freddy Garcia may have been the last major transaction for the New York Yankees this offseason.
What if it is? This roster is stacked with All-Stars.
Eight Yankees were involved in the 2011 MLB All-Star Game. A couple didn’t play because of injuries, while the others participated in either starting or reserve roles.
In 2012, New York will have at least seven representatives.