Kuzul

The Philadelphia Phillies and their fans are very familiar with Ed Wade and his work.

When Wade assumed the role of General Manager with the Phillies in 1998, he made trades and signings that never sat well with the fans.

During his tenure with the Phillies, he traded franchise cornerstones Curt Schilling and Scott Rolen for little return and made questionable signings on the free agent market, committing multi-year deals to players like Jose Mesa, David Bell, Jim Thome and Jon Lieber.

The Phillies consistently underperformed under his reigns, posting a record of 643-652 during his tenure.

Needless to say, when he was relieved of his duties after the 2005 season, there weren’t many Phillies fans losing sleep over the team’s decision.

After Wade was long gone, however, the fruits of his labor began to produce for the Phillies. Players drafted under his watch, including Pat Burrell, Ryan Madson, Brett Myers, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick and JA Happ, all formed part of the core of the Phillies team that won the World Series in 2008.

Other players that Wade drafted, including Happ, Lou Marson, Josh Outman, Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary and Michael Costanzo would be part of packages that would land the Phillies integral pieces like Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Joe Blanton and Brad Lidge.

He also signed a number of amateur free agents, including Carlos Ruiz and Carlos Carrasco, who would eventually become yet another piece to the Lee trade.

So, while his tenure didn’t pay immediate dividends for the Phillies, his stint as General Manager provided crucial pieces to today’s team. Wade would go on to become the General Manager of the Houston Astros on September 20, 2007 and has kept in touch with the Phillies ever since.

One of the first deals he made as the General Manager of the Astros was to send closer Brad Lidge and utility infielder Eric Bruntlett to the Phillies for prospects Michael Bourn and Mike Costanzo and reliever Geoff Geary.

He has signed many former Phillies, including Brett Myers and Pedro Feliz.

This trend continued right into 2010, as he traded the long-time face of the Astros’ franchise, Roy Oswalt, to the Phillies for JA Happ, Jonathan Villar and Anthony Gose.

On January 11, 2011, Ed Wade struck again.

On a much smaller scale than the Lidge and Oswalt deals, the Phillies and Astros swapped minor leaguers Sergio Escalona and Albert Cartwright.

When asked about the deal, Wade said, “Sergio adds depth to the competition for left-handers in our bullpen. Our scouts have liked his stuff and believe he’s got a chance to be very effective in left-on-left situations.”

Escalona, 26, is going to need a chance at the major league level to prove Wade right. His brief stint in the major leagues with the Phillies in 2009 didn’t yield impressive results. He appeared in 14 games and posted a record of 1-0 and an ERA of 4.61. He struggled with command, walking more than three and striking out just over six batters per nine innings in that span of time.

Wade is relying heavily on his numbers in the minor leagues. In 2010, Escalona spent the season with the Phillies AA affiliate, posting a record of 4-8 and an ERA of 3.81. He’s had tremendous success at AA, posting ERAs of 2.22 and 1.77 in 2008 and 2009 respectively, but has struggled at AAA and in the majors.

If he wants to break camp with the Astros, he’s going to have to beat out fellow lefties Wesley Wright, Fernando Abad and Gustavo Chacin.

The Phillies, on the other hand, added much-needed depth to their system’s middle infield.

Cartwright, 23, has played second base in the Astros system over the last four seasons. He’s had a few very streaky seasons, and struggled at AA in 2010. However, he also played in 92 games at A+ ball, hitting .318/.381/.551, with 10 home runs.

Though an extremely high BABIP of .389 suggests those numbers will come down some, the potential for improvement is there.

The Phillies, who designated Escalona for assignment this week, were lucky to get anything in return for him. When the opportunity to swap him for a middle infielder presented itself, they were quite satisified.

Cartwright won’t be the next Chase Utley, but he’ll join other middle infielders Michael Martinez, Harold Garcia, Freddy Galvis, Brian Bocock and Carlos Rivero as the Phillies attempt to find another diamond in the rough.

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If in 2006, you told the New York Mets that they held two of the future’s top closers in their grasp in Heath Bell and Billy Wagner, they would have questioned your sanity. In a season that the Mets fought their way to the NLCS and watched Wagner, Chad Bradford, Pedro Feliciano, and Duaner Sanchez each excel in their assigned roles, why would they even consider Bell, who appeared in just 22 games and posted an ERA above five, one of their bullpen’s best?

After three seasons, they had seen enough.

On November 15, 2006, the 28 year old Bell was traded, along with fellow reliever, Royce Ring, to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Ben Johnson and reliever Jon Adkins. The Mets saw little return out of their haul, as Johnson would appear in nine games, and Adkins would appear in just one. The Padres‘ gamble, on the other hand, paid immediate dividends. Bell adjusted well to his new role with San Diego, posting a record of 6-4 to go along with an ERA of 2.02.

Needless to say, the Padres were impressed. The following season, they promoted him to the eighth inning role, setting up the ninth inning for legendary closer, Trevor Hoffman. He excelled in this role as well, appearing in more than 70 gamed for the second straight season and posting a record of 6-6 and an ERA of 3.58 for a Padres team that struggled.

The next season, the long time Padre, Hoffman, signed on as the closer for the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Padres were left with a gap in their own bullpen. Instead of scouring the free agent market and paying top dollar for a closer to play for a team that wasn’t expected to compete, the team handed Bell the job. He thrived as the team’s closer, striking out more than ten batters per nine innings and converting a league leading 42 saves, to go with an ERA of 2.71. In 2010, his second year as the team’s closer, Bell was practically untouchable. The opposition hit just .221 against him, as he punched out more than 11 batters per nine innings and allowed just one home run over the course of the entire season, posting an ERA of just 1.93, and Bill James, stat projection extraordinaire, expects much of the same out of Bell in 2011.

So why is now the time to trade Heath Bell?

There are a couple of reasons, but for the Padres, the main reason is money. Because he broke into the major leagues at an older age, Bell has been providing the Padres’ with maximum value over the last few seasons. Since joining the Padres in 2007, Bell has cost the Padres just $6.06 million, while logging 251.1 innings, converting 91 saves, and posting an ERA of 2.56 over that same period of time. However, after a season that saw him dominate the National League in the ninth inning yet again, Bell is about to earn a hefty raise in his final year of arbitration. Though a price tag of somewhere between $6-10 million is reasonable for a closer of Bell’s caliber, the Padres may find that a little rich for their blood over the course of the season.

The second reason is Bell’s looming free agency. Even if he has a mediocre season in 2011, his track record as the Padres’ closer should effectively price them out of their range. Though 2010 was a difficult off-season to project a closer’s price tag, with Rafael Soriano yet to sign and Mariano Rivera’s true value hidden, thanks to his Yankee loyalty, the 2012 free agent market is filled to the brim with closers, including players like Jonathon Broxton, Matt Capps, Francisco Cordero, Brad Lidge, Joe Nathan, Jonathon Papelbon, Francisco Rodriguez, Koji Uehara, and Jose Valverde, but Bell may be the best of the bunch.

So how can we determine his value? In 2009, the best available closer was Jose Valverde of the Houston Astros. He converted just 25 saves in 54 innings, for the Astros in 2009, to go along with an ERA of 2.33. Eventually, he would sign with the Detroit Tigers for two years and $14 million. Valverde, like Soriano in 2010, was plagued by a weak market for closers, with a limited number of suitors. Bell will be able to fetch much more than $7 million a year, and with his track record of health and performance, should receive more guaranteed years as well.

One contract he’ll certainly look to surpass is the three year, $37.5 million deal that Brad Lidge signed with the Philadelphia Phillies during his perfect season in 2008. With Bell’s track record, he should have no trouble earning at the very least, four years, $48 million on the open market, with teams like the Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets all potentially in need of a closer. Once again, he will be way out of the Padres’ price range.

The third main reason the Padres should look to deal Bell now is the return they would receive, in prospects, for a full season of the closer. In the past, teams have been reluctant to trade top prospects for a closer before a season begins, due in large part to the streaky tendencies of the reliever in general. That shouldn’t be a concern for teams acquiring Bell. In years past, top closers have fetched at least one top prospect. When the Phillies acquired Lidge in the 2007 off-season, they traded talented outfielder, Michael Bourn. The Cubs sent talented pitcher, Jose Ceda, to the Marlins for Kevin Gregg, the Dodgers acquired George Sherrill from the Orioles for Josh Bell, and the Twins sent top catching prospect, Wilson Ramos, to the Nationals for Matt Capps.

For a full season of Bell, the Padres are in a position to demand two top prospects for their dominant closer, and may have potential suitors waiting on their doorstep in the American League. Two teams that were heavily involved in the Cliff Lee bidding, the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, could both benefit from Bell’s services, and have the prospects to make it happen. Despite having Mariano Rivera, the Yankees were rumored to be interested in Rafael Soriano this off-season, wanting to shore up their bullpen, since the starting pitching market was weak, after Lee. They’ve been dangling top prospect, Jesus Montero, for quite some time now, and could create an enticing package to offer the Padres. The Rangers are in much of the same boat. Without Lee, their rotation could use a boost from their 2010 closer, Neftali Feliz, and after failing to acquire Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays, they could trade for Bell and move Feliz into the rotation.

A number of other teams could also be interested in Bell’s services, including the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who are assumed to be Soriano’s last real suitor. The price, in prospects, may be enough to drive them away, however, as San Diego would certainly love to have top prospect, Mike Trout. In the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Florida Marlins could all use Bell, in different ways, and those are just a number of his suitors.

Using his performance, future price, and potential return in prospects as their reasoning, the Padres would have no trouble finding a suitor for Bell. Even still, there are reasons why they would be reluctant to move him as well. The first of those reasons is the depth in their bullpen beginning to dwindle. The bullpen was their strongest leg in 2010, and they’ve been trading from it’s depth all off-season. In November, they acquired outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Marlins for relievers Edward Mujica and Ryan Webb, and in December, they traded relievers Adam Russell and Cesar Ramos as part of a package to the Rays for shortstop, Jason Bartlett. Though they’ve signed relievers like Luis Perdomo and Dustin Moseley, they aren’t of the same quality.

Trading Bell, their best reliever, may be akin to shooting themselves in the foot. On one hand, if the Padres hope to contend in the NL West this season, they’ll need Bell’s services. On the other hand, if they don’t move Bell now or before the trade deadline, they will have lost the chance to add to their farm system.

If the Padres are convinved they can win this season, they will have one shot to win the World Series with Bell as their closer, before he likely skips town and heads to the highest bidder in the following off-season. If they decide to go into a small rebuilding season in 2011, they could move Bell for top prospects, and use last season’s set-up man, Luke Gregerson, as the closer. In 2010, he posted a record of 4-7 with an ERA of 3.22 (2.86 FIP), and used much of the same motive as Bell, striking out more than ten batters per nine innings while walking just over two. If the Padres decide that Gregerson is ready to become the next Heath Bell, moving the interim closer may be an easier decision.

The hardest thing for any team to do, however, is trade a fan favorite. After already having moved the face of the Padres, Adrian Gonzalez, earlier in the off-season, General Manager Jed Hoyer would have a tough time selling a Bell deal to a tough fan base. Sometimes, a general manager just has to close his eyes and pull the trigger. While it may be tough to trade a fan favorite now, it could reap huge rewards in the future.

Unless the Padres go on an unbelievable run and are running away with the division by the trade deadline, Bell’s days in San Diego seem numbered. The Padres would be foolish to let him leave as a free agent this off-season (with draft compensation up in the air as the league reconfigures it’s collective bargaining agreement), when they can add several quality pieces much closer to  being major league ready with a trade. They have the option of waiting until the trade deadline until teams are desperate, but there are desperate teams out there now.

It’s time for the Padres to cash in on Heath Bell.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The numerous ways that the Philadelphia Phillies are affected by the signing of free agent left hander, Cliff Lee, are well documented.

In fact, so much has been made about Lee and the rest of the Phillies’ rotation has basically overshadowed what the signing means for the rest of the league, and in comparison, the division, outside the fact that many experts believe the Phillies are the favorites to win it. We must also examine, however, the decisions that teams will have to face to react to this signing.

Three out of the remaining four teams are easy to evaluate. The Atlanta Braves believe that they can compete with the Phillies’ rotation, and rightfully so. Outside of a couple of upgrades to their outfield, and maybe the bench, they seem to be settled.

The New York Mets and Washington Nationals will undergo, or continue, different rebuilding phases. The Mets will attempt to work young talent back on to their roster and receive boosts from returning, injured veterans, and the Nationals will continue to develop their farm system with little output at the Major League level.

But what about the Florida Marlins?

The Marlins operate in a unique way. Never completely set into a competitive or rebuilding phase, they are the hardest to predict. On one hand, the Marlins always seem to make a commitment to winning, but on the other, they always seem to make questionable moves by trading away valuable pieces of their Major League roster.

So where does the Cliff Lee signing leave the Marlins, and more specifically, their most valuable commodity—ace, Josh Johnson?

The following slideshow will examine some reasons that the Marlins may benefit from moving the face of their rotation, and why the Cliff Lee signing may have forced their hand a bit more than they would have liked.

Begin Slideshow

The Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs made a surprising trade Thursday when the Rays agreed to send pitcher Matt Garza, outfielder Fernando Perez and a minor league pitcher to the Cubs for a package of prospects including pitcher Chris Archer, outfielders Brandon Guyer and Sam Fuld, catcher Robinson Chirinos and shortstop Hak-Ju Lee. According to most baseball critics, the Rays received a great package for Garza, probably one that was an overpay for the Cubs.  I tend to agree, and I’ll make a bold statement:

The Tampa Bay Rays ended up with the best pitcher in the deal—Chris Archer.

Garza, 27, was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins and traded to the Rays after the 2007 season. Though he’s young and hasn’t been in the the league for all that long, Garza has already assembled quite a list of accolades, including winning the 2008 ALCS MVP award and no-hitting the Detroit Tigers in 2010.  However, his career numbers aren’t as impressive as they appear.

Garza was extremely durable in 2010, making 32 starts for the Rays and logging 204.2 innings—his second straight season with more than 200 innings.  He posted a 15-10 record, with 3.91 ERA, as the staff’s ace by committee. He struck out close to seven batters and walked just under three per nine innings. He also posted a few unimpressive numbers, including a 1.25 WHIP and a 1.23 home run per nine rate, one of the worst in baseball.

The Cubs acquired Garza with the hope of contending in 2011, but they may be in for a rather unpleasant surprise. According to most baseball experts, Garza won’t transition well into the NL Central, specifically, into Wrigley Field. Throughout most of his career, he has been known as a fly ball pitcher and has posted weak ground ball rates in each of the last three seasons—not a good sign for a pitcher who is about to take his talents to one of the league’s most notorious, hitter-friendly parks.

Advanced Sabermetrics aren’t particularly fond of Garza either. In 2010, he posted a 4.42 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), which is much worse than what his 3.91 ERA suggests. Taking his 2010 season a step further, Garza’s Expected Fielding Independent Pitching (xFIP), which adjusts a pitcher’s ERA to suit the ballpark, was 4.51.

While the Cubs may have a potential pitching question mark on their hands, the Rays struck gold.

In acquiring Archer, the Rays not only effectively replaced Garza for the long term, but acquired the best pitcher in the deal. Archer, 22, was originally drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 2006 Amateur Draft. The Cubs acquired the struggling right hander in exchange for super utility player, Mark DeRosa, and the Cubs have watched him rise up their rankings since.

Prior to the 2010 season, Archer couldn’t even crack the Cubs’ top 10 prospects, according to Baseball America. By the 2011 season though, he was ranked No. 1. Baseball America stated he had the best fastball and slider in the Cubs’ system, and the man once projected as a bottom-of-the-rotation or bullpen arm had suddenly turned into a top-of-the-rotation talent.

Archer split time between the Cubs’ minor league affiliates in 2010, impressing at both levels. His combined numbers totaled a 15-3 record, with a combined ERA of 2.33. With the Cubs’ A+ affiliate, Archer used his tremendous fastball/slider combo to strike out more than 10 batters and walking just over three per nine innings. Hitters at this level couldn’t even crack the Mendoza Line against him, batting just .196. He had nothing left to prove at this level, and the Cubs promoted him to AA.

He was equally impressive against tougher hitters, striking out close to nine batters per nine innings at the AA level. Though he struggled with his control, walking five batters per nine innings, he was practically unhittable; AA batters managed to hit just .209 against him. He surrendered six total home runs on both levels combined and surrendered just 14 earned runs at AA.

Archer’s “stuff” has never been questioned. He features a plus fastball with great lateral movement that sits comfortably between 89-93 mph and has the ability to touch 95 mph on the radar gun. He also boasts a circle-changeup that has the potential to become another plus pitch, but will need some work. His greatest pitch has always been his slider, which sometimes is confused for a curveball because of its tremendous movement. He has good control over all three of these pitches, and from the time he was drafted in 2006 to the time he was traded in 2011, all three have developed nicely.

What is most interesting is Archer will join a Tampa Bay Rays’ farm system that already boasts a number of talented top-of-the-rotation arms in Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore, Jake McGee, Alex Torres, Alex Colome and Jake Thompson. Though a few of these guys, most notably McGee, are more likely to wind up in the bullpen, the Rays have built a strong farm system with some of the best pitching in baseball. Take into consideration that the Rays’ 2014 projected pitching staff, as per Baseball America, now features a rotation of David Price, Hellickson, Moore, Jeff Niemann and Davis, with McGee as the team’s closer.  It’s clear just how deep the Rays’ pitching staff is, and it’s very possible one of these top prospects will have to move over and watch Archer pass them.

Many baseball critics will compare this deal “in the long run,” but the Rays improved their team both now and in the future.  Moving an overrated Garza out of the American League will immediately make room in the rotation for a much more talented pitcher in Hellickson. He should provide more Wins Above Replacement (WAR) than Garza at a cheaper salary. In the future, Archer will develop into a better starter than Garza, making this deal a complete steal for the Rays.

The bottom line is, if the Rays acquired Archer for Garza straight up, they still would have won this deal.

Everything else is 100% profit.

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The first week in January is one of baseball’s most exciting time periods.

Sure, the regular season has been in hibernation for a few months, and a World Series champion has been crowned. The Hot Stove is cooling down quickly, with most big name free agents having already been signed to lucrative deals.

However, during that first week in January, grown men who have given their lives to the game of baseball wait by their telephones like children wait by the tree on Christmas morning, waiting for a call that welcomes them into baseball immortality—the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

On January 5, 2010, the Hall of Fame welcomed two newcomers into it’s elite ranks—second baseman, Roberto Alomar, and right handed pitcher, Bert Blyleven. They come from different walks of life.

Alomar, who hails from Ponce, Puerto Rico, spent just two years on the ballot before having his plaque engraved. On the other hand, Blyleven, born in Zeist, Netherlands, spent 15 years on the ballot before achieving greatness.

More than anything, this got me to thinking—how many of today’s great players will one day be enshrined in Cooperstown?

Narrowing that down even further, I wondered, “Just how good is Roy Halladay?”

Halladay, 33, completed a smooth transition into the National League in 2010, posting a record of 21-10 with the Philadelphia Phillies.

He took the National League by storm, finishing first in the NL in wins (21), innings pitched (250.2), CG (9), BB/9 (1.08), LOB % (82.7%), and WAR (6.6).

He finished second in a number of other categories, including strikeouts (219), and third in other categories, including ERA (2.44), pitching his way to the National League Cy Young Award, the second Cy Young Award of his career.

According to the Baseball Writer’s Association of America, Halladay was, without a doubt, the best pitcher in the National League in 2010. Though voting was completed before the post-season, the baseball world would know of Halladay’s lore before the award was announced.

On May 29, 2010, Halladay threw a perfect game against the Florida Marlins, and a few months later, on October 6, 2010, he threw a second no-hitter, this time against the Cincinnati Reds.

He became just the second pitcher in the history of baseball to throw a post-season no-hitter—the first since Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw arguably the greatest game of all time, a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game Five of the 1956 World Series.

Halladay’s 2010 accomplishments have been well documented, but the most recent season was far from an oddity for the man who also won the American League Cy Young Award in 2003, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

During that season, he posted a record of 22-7, with stats that nearly mirrored those he posted in 2010, creating the argument that moving to the National League added years to the ace’s career.

Premature as it may be, we must ask ourselves—”Are we witnessing one of the greatest pitcher’s of all time? Will this man eventually have a spot in Cooperstown?”

There is plenty of evidence to support his case.

Through the first 13 years of his career (which includes just two games in 1998), Halladay has posted a career record of 169 – 86, to go along with a career ERA of 3.32.

Over the course of his career, he has won 20 games three times, and in 2003, came close by winning 19.

He posted an ERA under four 11 times in his career and—more impressively—posted ERA’s below three, six times, including a rookie season that boasted an ERA below two.

His resume already includes some very impressive feats, including winning the Cy Young Award twice, being selected as an All-Star seven times, being named the Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2010, leading the league in wins twice, and throwing two no-hitters.

Though his accomplishments are impressive to date, his career is far from over.

He has yet to rank in the top 50 in any of the major pitching categories, though that can change the longer he extends his career.

The common benchmark for pitching is wins, and 300 is the “guarantee marker.” Well, in order for Roy Halladay to win 300 games by the age of 40, he would have to average 19 wins per season over the next seven seasons.

Though it is possible, it is also unlikely.

On the other hand, the Baseball Hall of Fame finally opened it’s doors to Bert Blyleven in 2011, and his resume featured just 287 wins, though he was on the ballet for an incredible 15 years, the last of his eligibility.

According to Baseball-Reference.com’s Similarity Scores (through age 33), Halladay ranks favorably among two Hall of Fame pitchers —Carl Hubbell and Jim Bunning.

Through age 33, Hubbell posted a record of 170 – 94, with an ERA of 2.79.

He played for a total of 16 seasons with the New York Giants, and finished with a career record of 253 – 154, with an ERA of 2.98.

He threw an incredible 3,590.1 innings over the entirety of his career with the Giants, and finished with an impressive accolades resume of his own, including nine All-Star selections, two National League MVP awards, and the ability to call himself a World Champion, something Halladay has yet to do in his career.

Bunning’s line through age 33 featured much of the same.

Through his first 11 seasons, Bunning posted a record of 156 – 104, and an ERA of 3.53. Over the course of his career with the Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Los Angeles Dodgers, he posted a record of 224 – 184, with an ERA of 3.27.

Like many Hall of Fame pitchers, he boasts several career accolades, including nine All-Star selections and pitching a perfect game.

Though Carl Hubbell and Jim Bunning pitched in a different era, where many starting pitchers threw complete games and logged ridiculous amounts of innings with incredible frequency, the fact of the matter remains the same—through the first 13 years of his career, Roy Halladay has pitched like a potential Hall of Famer.

He already boasts several of the game’s greatest feats, including winning the Cy Young Award in both leagues, being selected as an All-Star in both leagues, leading both leagues in wins, and throwing multiple no-hitters, including a perfect game.

If, over the course of the next seven seasons, Halladay can compile 55 more wins, which seems like a great possibility, he will have surpassed those of Jim Bunning, and if he can win 84 more games, he will have pulled even with Carl Hubbell.

You can also make the argument that he has already achieved more in the game, minus winning the World Series, than Hubbell or Bunning ever have, and finishing out his career would simply make Halladay a Hall of Fame pitcher.

Several intangibles also give Halladay a boost, in the minds of eligible voters.

In an era plagued by the clouds of steroids and performance enhancing drugs, Halladay has dominated both leagues while never testing positive for a substance. He has never been involved in controversy, and has represented Major League Baseball with the greatest of pride.

So the question remains—Will Roy Halladay be a Hall of Fame pitcher when his career is over?

Based on his track record, it’s hard to believe that he won’t be.

If Jim Bunning and Carl Hubbell are the litmus test, then Halladay arrives in Cooperstown as a First Ballot player. As mentioned, he has already achieved, in just 13 seasons, many of the feats that voters look for—no-hitters, 20-win seasons, and notable awards, including the Cy Young, twice.

Two things, in my mind, would hold him up, assuming he finishes his career on the track he’s heading—new statistics and wins.

We live in an ever-evolving world, and with the introduction of SABRmetrics a few years back, baseball statistics have changed greatly.

With more and more baseball writers familiarizing themselves with said stats, a deeper evaluation of those eligible for the Hall of Fame has gone underway. Though SABRmetrics favor Halladay highly, you never know what the future holds.

In the same regard, Halladay will have to pass at least Bunning in wins at this point, and though he may not be a sure-fire 300-game winner, if anyone has the chance to pitch effectively into his forties’, it is Roy Halladay.

However, with his accomplishments, and a resume that is likely to be added to, it is hard to believe that Halladay won’t win over 250 games, and perhaps, finish his career with just two Cy Young Awards.

Though nothing in baseball is guaranteed, pitchers like Roy Halladay don’t come along often.

The Hall of Fame features just 60 pitchers as of 2011, but several years in the future, the consensus says that Cooperstown will be opening it’s doors for one more, the only question that remains is—what hat will he wear?

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The Baltimore Orioles have been busy this offseason. Since the winter began, the O’s have been making under-the-radar moves, quietly upgrading several areas of the club.

They finished revamping their infield with the signing of first baseman Derek Lee on New Year’s Eve, and on Tuesday, solidified their bullpen even further after agreeing to terms with free agent right-hander Kevin Gregg.

Even still, many people think that the Orioles lack the star power to move out of the tough AL East’s cellar, but the O’s are operating differently. They’ve assembled an interesting cast of characters and could surprise a few people in 2011.

The Orioles began a small rebuilding process in 2010, when they fired manager Dave Trembly in June and interim-manager Juan Samuel (now with the Philadelphia Phillies coaching staff) took over.

The team didn’t respond to Samuel either, and the O’s front office made the decision to replace their manager mid-season, as opposed to waiting until the offseason like most of baseball’s other teams.

On July 30, 2010, the Orioles announced that Samuel would become a scout for the team in the Dominican Republic and the team had hired Buck Showalter. The Orioles’ wanted a man with experience, and that’s what they got.

Showalter had managed the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers prior to managing the Orioles, and Baltimore had to swoon him away from a cozy analyst’s position with ESPN.

Showalter had garnered a reputation over the course of his managerial career as being a tough, hard-nosed guy with an affinity to draw the potential out of his players, especially younger guys.

The young Orioles seemed to respond in the same way. In the 57 games that Showalter managed the O’s in 2010, the team posted a record of 34-23, the best record of any American League East team during that stretch.

Ready for his first full season as the manager of the Baltimore Orioles, Showalter spent little time adding the right pieces to this team—more importantly, pieces that fit. Instead of making ludicrous offers to big-name free agents and hoping that something sticks, Showalter and the rest of the team’s front office targeted specific areas of need and filled them with an eerie ease.

The O’s made their first splash of the offseason by acquiring the third base power bat that they’ve been looking for. On Dec. 16, they struck a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, acquiring slugger Mark Reynolds for talented right-handed pitcher David Hernandez and relief pitcher Kam Mickolio.

Though he isn’t the ideal hitter, Reynolds will certainly give a much-needed boost to the Orioles’ lineup. The third baseman had fallen out of favor with the Diamondbacks after posting a slash line of .198 / .320 / .433, but he still managed to hit 32 home runs in Arizona.

The biggest flaw in his game is, and always has been, his incredible strikeout rate. Reynolds has been punched out over 200 times in each of the last three seasons, and the Orioles hope that a change of scenery and a move out of the NL West, which features some of the greatest pitching in baseball, will give Reynolds a boost in his numbers.

The trade was rather easy to make for the Orioles—a couple of pitching prospects for a third baseman that once hit .260 / .349 / .543, with 44 home runs is a rather low risk decision.

Three days later, the Orioles replaced interim shortstop, the offensively challenged Cesar Izturis, with newly expendable Minnesota Twins shortstop JJ Hardy. When the Twins made their signing of Japanese import Tsuyoshi Nishioka clear, Hardy became trade bait, and Orioles and Twins were able to agree to a deal that sent Hardy and utility infielder Brendan Harris to Baltimore for relievers Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson.

When the Twins acquired Hardy from the Milwaukee Brewers after the 2009 season, they expected a bit more of a rebound in Hardy’s numbers than they saw. Even still, Hardy posted a solid slash line of .268 / .320 / .394, with six home runs. More importantly, he lowered his strikeout rate and saw rises in his batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage from the year prior. He also continued to be a very good defender in the field. He made just 11 errors and posted a UZR of 8.1—the second highest of his career.

Over the next month or so, the Orioles would go to work both replacing the traded bullpen arms and upgrading that same bullpen. They re-signed one of the free agent market’s top relievers in right-hander Koji Uehara and signed a couple of former Toronto Blue Jays—Jeremy Accardo, who spent most of the 2010 season with Toronto’s AAA affiliate, and Kevin Gregg, who spent the 2010 season as the Jays’ closer.

In his second season in the United States, and first full season as a major league reliever, Uehara quietly had a terrific season out of the Orioles bullpen. In 43 games, he posted a record of 1-2 with an ERA of 2.86, and a FIP of 2.40 that suggests he was even better than that.

He struck out more than 11 batters per nine innings, while walking just over one. He had a very strong WHIP of 0.95, and gave up just over a home run per nine innings. With the addition of Gregg, Uehara will become one of the best—if not the best—set-up men in the American League East.

Accardo, 29, is probably the least important of the Orioles’ signings, but still noteworthy. Though he hasn’t had a truly good statistical season, through and through since 2007, he has posted consistently good numbers in Toronto’s AAA affiliate.

In 41 games there last season, he posted a record of 2-2, with an ERA of 3.64 (3.44 FIP), converting 24 saves for the Las Vegas 51’s. Though declining, he still has good life on his fastball, and despite the fact that he couldn’t last in a very talented Blue Jays’ bullpen, there is still a need for a guy like Accardo in Showalter’s bullpen. He should bolster the Orioles’ bullpen in the middle innings.

The final bullpen addition, to date, is the new closer for the Baltimore Orioles, right hander Kevin Gregg, who has reportedly agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the O’s, with a vesting option for a third year.

Gregg was one of the more appealing closers on the market, mainly because of the fact that he wouldn’t cost the team that signed him a draft pick as a Type B free agent, though Toronto still receives a draft pick for his departure.

Though he wasn’t the most dominant of closers in 2010, Gregg was very consistent. He converted 37 saves for the Blue Jays, and posted an ERA of 3.51 (3.57 FIP).

Though it may not have been their first intention, the O’s are also signing a man who has pitched in the American League before, and has been one of the most versatile relievers in baseball, excelling in roles as a middle reliever, set-up man and closer in the past. He brings certainty to a bullpen in Baltimore that has not been certain for quite some time.

The final addition, once again, to date, was the signing of free agent first baseman Derrek Lee. The long time Florida Marlin and Chicago Cub was traded to the Atlanta Braves mid-season in 2010 after a slow start with the Cubs.

After arriving in Atlanta, Lee posted a respectable slash line of .287 / .384 / .465, with three home runs, helping the Braves to secure the National League Wild Card.

Though he was operating with an injured thumb in 2010, he had a down season overall. In a healthy season, the Orioles are signing a first baseman who can hit for both average and power, reach base with great frequency and provide plus defense in the field. Having the option to use him as the designated hitter on some days does not hurt either, and the young Orioles can surely benefit from his veteran leadership.

So why are the Orioles any better this year than last year?

Their projected lineup already boasts notable upgrades at third base, shortstop, first base, and subsequently, in one of the corner outfield positions and at designated hitter.

The Orioles will also receive full seasons out of young players ready to break on to the scene in force in outfielder Adam Jones, catcher Matt Wieters and outfielder Felix Pie, including a bevy of young pitchers with newly acquired major league experience under their belt, including 2010 surprise Brian Matusz.

When the offseason began, Baltimore had several holes to fill. On the offensive side of the ball, they needed to add players who can hit for power and average, get on base and drive runners in, and they achieved all of those goals in some way, shape or form.

On the pitching side of the ball, they bolstered a weak bullpen with the addition of strong eighth- and ninth-inning guys, and a reliever who could provide solid innings for the O’s.

Take a look at the Orioles’ projected lineup for a moment: 2B Brian Roberts, SS JJ Hardy, 1B Derrek Lee, 3B Mark Reynolds, RF Nick Markakis, DH Luke Scott, CF Adam Jones, C Matt Wieters, LF Felix Pie.

Baltimore fans may not have been able to get excited about a lineup in years past, but the Orioles will feature a very balanced, motivated lineup in 2010 under Buck Showalter.

Even their rotation, which features a bounce-back candidate in Jeremy Guthrie, and surprising rookies from 2010 in Matusz, Jake Arrieta and Chris Tillman, and most importantly, a revamped bullpen, has to be forcing the other four teams of the AL East to be looking over their shoulders, even if just for a moment, at the Orioles.

The Orioles may not be able to compete for a division title in 2011, but that isn’t saying that they haven’t made great strides to improve. Their lineup can compete with that of the Tampa Bay Rays, and if their pitching staff holds up its end of the bargain, the Orioles may leave those Rays, or possibly even those Toronto Blue Jays, looking up at the new Baltimore Orioles come 2011’s close.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Carlos Gonzalez had a breakout season last year, and Colorado Rockies fans are drooling all over themselves with the thought of having their young star around until at least 2017.

That became a reality today when the Rockies agreed to sign Gonzalez to a seven-year contract extension in the $80 million range, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post, via Twitter.

At first glance, it appears as though the Rockies got a great deal on a premium player, but don’t be fooled.

The Rockies haven’t had much success with long-term contracts, and Carlos Gonzalez has hardly proved that he is a premium major league talent. This could get, well, rocky.

Gonzalez, 25, came into his own in the outfield for the Colorado Rockies last season. The young left-handed hitter exceeded all expectations, posting an incredible slash line of .336 / .376 / .598, belting 34 home runs and driving in 117 runs.

Praised as a “five-tool outfielder” throughout his career in the minor leagues, he utilized all five of those tools in 2010, hitting for average, hitting for power, stealing 26 bases while being caught stealing just eight times and collecting eight outfield assists.

An impressive season, without a doubt, and at first glance, you can see why the Rockies have no problem paying “CarGo” over $11 million a year over the next seven seasons—but did they have to?

Acquired in the deal that sent former Rockies star outfielder Matt Holliday to the Oakland Athletics, Gonzalez played his first full season in 2010, appearing in 145 games in the Rockies’ outfield. In years prior, he played in just 89 games for the Rockies in 2009 and 85 for the Athletics in 2008 before he was traded.

Interestingly enough, Gonzalez has bounced around the minor leagues, even at a young age. After signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela, the D-Backs sent him to Oakland in the mega-deal that landed Arizona Dan Haren, and the A’s later sent him to Colorado for half a season of Holliday.

Don’t get it twisted—the Rockies are happy to have him.

With that being said, however, the young outfielder has accrued just over a year of major league service time. That means that without his extension, he wouldn’t have been eligible for free agency until after the 2015 season. Even more interestingly, the Rockies could have had Gonzalez for at least one more cheap season. The outfielder isn’t even eligible for arbitration until 2012.

By most people’s standards, the Rockies jumped the gun on this one. Buying out a talented player’s arbitration years before they actually reach arbitration isn’t all that uncommon. What is rather surprising is that the Rockies are paying him $11 million a season without even fully knowing what they are getting themselves into.

If anything, you would think that the Rockies would have learned from their mistakes in the past, offering free agents long-term contracts without being fully aware of what they’re getting in return.

The first mistake came in the form of one of the worst free agent signings in the history of baseball, when the Colorado Rockies inked starting pitcher Mike Hampton to an eight-year, $121 million deal after the 2000 season, one of the most lucrative sports contracts of all time. (According to Wikipedia, it is now the 29th largest contract of all time.)

The deal, which would pay Hampton more than $15 million annually, was signed after he posted a record of 15-10 with the New York Mets the year prior to go with an ERA of 3.14. Though SABRmetrics weren’t used much back in 2000, if they had been, the Rockies may have avoided this fatal flaw, as Hampton’s 3.82 FIP may have raised a few eyebrows.

Regardless, the deal was signed, and Hampton disappointed more than a few people in the first year of his contract. He posted a record of 14-13 in his first full season with the Rockies, and his 5.41 ERA was among the worst of qualifying pitchers.

In recent years, the Rockies organization has made several adjustments to their ballpark to limit pitchers struggling like this, including adding the humidor, but in terms of performance, Hampton wouldn’t have been much better. His command was sporadic and his psyche took a nasty hit in Colorado.

The following year was even worse. He posted a losing record of 7-15 with the Rockies and an ERA over six in 30 starts. Just two seasons into their eight-year pact, the Rockies had seen enough. They would go on to eat a large portion of his contract and trade him to the Florida Marlins, along with Juan Pierre, for four players, including Charles Johnson and Preston Wilson.

The second long-term commitment the Rockies made was to longtime first baseman and face of the Rockies franchise Todd Helton. After a 2002 season that saw Helton post a slash line of .329 / .429 / .577, along with 30 home runs, the Rockies signed Helton to a nine-year, $141.5 million contract.

Unlike Hampton, Helton performed well over the course of his contract. He batted over .300 during the first five years of the deal, with his lowest home run total being 15, as he resorted to being more of a contact first baseman. He played above average defense and compiled 31.8 WAR through 2010.

The biggest flaw in Helton’s game has always been injuries. He missed significant time in 2008 with back problems and has missed time in every year since. It worried the Rockies enough to rework the back end of his contract, which would extend him two years at a lower salary and defer $13.1 million.

As time passes by, however, this seems to be the way the Rockies franchise likes to operate. In the 2010 offseason, they locked up the new face of their franchise, All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, to a 10-year, $157.75 million extension. Though it is unfair to judge an extension that has not taken effect yet, it is worth noting that the Rockies extended a player that they already had under contract until after the 2014 season.

So why was it unwise to agree to an extension with Carlos Gonzalez so prematurely?

The Rockies had time to wait on Gonzalez. Since he was not eligible for arbitration until after the 2011 season, they could have waited to see how he performed following his breakout year. If he regressed to normal, which seems likely at this point, judging from his astronomical highs in 2010, they may have been unable to extend him at a friendlier rate.

Scott Boras, Gonzalez’s agent, must have been thinking the same thing. Known for taking his players all the way through arbitration and into free agency, Boras jumped at the opportunity to get his client, an unknown talent in the outfield with great potential, security for the rest of his life.

In fact, if Gonzalez is able to maintain his success, he’ll be eligible for another huge deal when he reaches free agency again at age 32—a year older than fellow Boras client Jayson Werth, who just inked a seven-year, $126 million deal with the Washington Nationals.

Now that the Rockies and Gonzalez have agreed to an extension, they are in it for the long haul. Bill James projects Gonzalez to post a slash line of .308 / .357 / .545 with 28 home runs. However, to most baseball experts, James’ projections are compared to “best case scenarios,” and Gonzalez might not even perform that well.

He doesn’t have great speed but can steal bases, and he isn’t a great defender but isn’t a slouch in the outfield either. He could work on lowering his strikeout rate and raising his walk rate; patience at the plate has never been his forte.

When the ink dries on Gonzalez’ contract, the Rockies will have a large chunk of money tied up in a select group of players—Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, Jorge De La Rosa, Aaron Cook, Huston Street and Gonzalez, with another potential huge contract on the way for young ace Ubaldo Jimenez. It wouldn’t have hurt the Rockies to wait Gonzalez out for a few seasons to see how he performs.

So even though Rockies fans should be glad to have a talent like Carlos Gonzalez around for the foreseeable future, you have to wonder whether he’ll ever be able to have another season like he did in 2010, and if waiting a few years would have saved the Rockies a few dollars. Only time will tell.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

When fans, analysts, and experts alike begin to determine a player’s value, defense is often second nature. It doesn’t jump off the back of a baseball card like Albert Pujols’ home run totals, Ryan Howard’s RBI totals, or Jose Reyes’ stolen bases. However, defense is a crucial part of the game of baseball. It makes great offensive players elite, and players who lack the offensive wherewithall a positive outlook on their game.

So, how do you go about ranking the best defensive players in baseball?

It’s no simple task. First, you must take into consideration that not every player plays the same position. A second baseman, for example, must make all the routine plays with ease, and provide good range to both his left and right side, and have the cunning to make up one half of a double play combination. An outfielder, on the other hand, must have a bevy of tools at his disposal, including range, skill with the glove, athleticism, and a strong arm. How do you rate one over the other?

A second challenge is the number of SABRmetric statistics that the baseball world has to offer, or more directly, their inaccuracy. For example, Juan Pierre’s Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) is one of the best in the game, but the man has no arm and couldn’t throw out a runner if his life depended on it. Combined with any normal statistics, like fielding percentage and errors, and it is hard to get an accurate measure, so those have been taken with a grain of salt.

Finally, the recipient of the Gold Glove Award will have absolutely no measure on a player’s positioning in the rankings. While it shows that a player has earned respect for his defense, the Gold Glove Award is voted on by a number of different players and coaches, and does not provide an accurate measure of a player’s defense. I think Derek Jeter, while a great defensive shortstop, winning the award this year over Elvis Andrus is a perfect example.

So how were the rankings calculated? I took into consideration a number of different things. For the first and maybe last time, stats did not play a large role in my rankings. While I looked at and evaluated things like fielding percentage, UZR, runs saved, and errors, I found that defense is hard to put on the back of a baseball card. One of the things that played a large part in my ranking was longevity. I didn’t exclude any young defensive wizards like Andrus, but veterans got a big thumbs up. I also looked at a player’s “tools,” so arm strength and range were also big factors.

So, without any more of a drawn out explanation, here are the 30 greatest defensive players in the MLB today.

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The Kansas City Royals had two prized pitchers heading into the offseason. The first was 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner, Zack Greinke. He was known to be available after having voiced his disgust with the Royals, and a few months later, they shipped him to the Milwaukee Brewers for four of the Brewers’ top prospects.

According to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the press release had barely gone public when teams started calling about the Royals’ second most valued commodity—closer, Joakim Soria.

Soria, 26, has been nicknamed “The Mexicutioner,” and it should be fairly obvious why: When he enters the ball game in the ninth inning, the opponent’s hopes of winning are all but dead.

Since becoming a full time reliever in 2007, Soria has been electric, appearing in a total of 238 games, posting a record of 8-10, with an ERA of just 2.01. Through age 26, he has converted 238 saves for the bottom dwelling, Kansas City Royals, and has blow just 13 saves over the course of his career. By the time his career is finished, he could be one of the greatest closers baseball has ever seen.

So why would the Royals want to trade him?

Though they’re not stuck in the same predicament they were with Greinke, the Royals interest in trading Soria would be more of a want than a necessity. Soria is signed to a team friendly deal through the 2011 season, with club options that become guaranteed with various in-game feats for each season through 2014.

Soria’s contract is one of his best selling points, and has drawn the interest of large market teams like the New York Yankees, who were rumored to have offered their top prospect, catcher/DH Jesus Montero, straight up for the Royals’ closer. The Yankees were denied because of the depth of the Royals’ farm system in that position, but the point is clear: teams are willing to give up their best to acquire Soria. Why is that?

In short, he has been absolutely dominant as a closer. Last season alone, he posted a record of 1-2 with an ERA of 1.78 for the Royals, converting 43 saves. Take into consideration that the Royals won just 67 games in 2010.

That means that Soria saved more than 64 percent of all Royals wins in 2010. Imagine what he can do with an annual contender like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, or as this article is concerned, the Philadelphia Phillies.

With Brad Lidge already in tow, why would the Phillies consider Soria?

When he is completely healthy, Lidge is one of the best closers in baseball. He showed flashes of that brilliance at the end of the 2010 season, where he posted an ERA of 0.76 over the final three months of the season, and reduced his blown saves from 11 in 2009 to just five in 2010. It is his inconsistency that has worried the Phillies organization, however.

Before he returned to form in those final three months, Lidge posted an ERA of 6.52 in the months of June and July. Aside from his on the field performance, Lidge is almost sure to become a free agent after the 2011 season, since the Phillies hold a hefty option for 2012 that is sure to be declined.

The Phillies also boast a set-up man that has “closer stuff,” in right-hander Ryan Madson. Madson was much better—and more consistent, for that matter—than Lidge in 2010. He posted a 6-2 with an ERA of 2.55, and despite missing a significant amount of time with a broken toe, recorded 15 holds to effectively set up Lidge.

Like Lidge, however, Madson will become a free agent after the 2011 season, and though he is more likely to return to the Phillies than his closer counterpart, he is a Scott Boras client, and will surely make the Phillies sweat it out and ask for a big pay day.

With the uncertainty of the Phillies bullpen after the 2011 season, why not make a play for the golden standard?

According to Baseball America and numerous other prospect gurus, the Royals have the most talented, deepest farm system in baseball. With names like Mike Montgomery, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Wil Meyers in their system, the Royals made it clear that they will not just settle for a team’s top prospect. In any deal for any of their star players, they are going to fill areas of need with young, talented players.

General Manager Dayton Moore made it clear that he was going to seek a middle infielder, a center fielder and pitching help for Zack Greinke’s services, and what did he do? He went out and acquired shortstop Alcides Escobar, center fielder Lorenzo Cain and pitchers Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi from the Milwaukee Brewers. So what’s left to upgrade?

From an outsider’s perspective, the Royals appear to need the most help in the outfield, in the starting rotation, in the bullpen, and behind the plate. If the Phillies were going to express interest in Soria, they could help fill each of those areas. Any deal for Soria would surely start with baseball’s top prospect, outfielder Domonic Brown.

Though he had a less than impressive debut, Brown mashed minor league pitching, posting a slash line of .332/.391/.582, with 20 home runs. He is the standard five tool player, and will transition into one of baseball’s premier outfielders.

The Phillies could also offer a bevy of relief prospects, highlighted by right hander, Justin DeFratus. He posted ERAs below 2.20 at three different levels in the Phillies’ system in 2010, and was added to the 40-man roster earlier in the winter.

Combined with any number of starting pitching prospects like Trevor May, Jarred Cosart, or Brody Colvin and talented defensive catcher Sebastian Valle, and the Phillies could put together an impressive package.

That seems to be where most teams put Dayton Moore on hold. How do you value a pitcher that is going to throw a maximum of 70 innings pitched? According to some sources, the Phillies wouldn’t be ridiculous to offer Domonic Brown straight up for Soria, but like the Yankees, they would probably be turned down.

As mentioned earlier, Soria has an extremely team friendly contract that should up his value. If the Phillies were to offer Domonic Brown, Justin DeFratus and another player, I think it would be hard to turn that package down.

Soria himself could also be an obstacle to a deal. He has a partial no trade clause that blocks, among other teams, the Phillies. Though recent reports suggest that Soria wouldn’t block a trade to any team, he could use his no-trade clause as leverage to negotiate an extension with a new team. That, is a different discussion all together.

At the end of the day, Soria seems like a perfect fit for the Phillies bullpen. Assuming that they could move Joe Blanton, he’d make just half of what the starter is due in 2011.

Assuming that he’d be the go-to guy in the ninth inning, the Phillies would be able to turn to Jose Contreras, JC Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge in some combination from the sixth inning onward, and with their four horseman manning the rotation, how often would they be necessary?

It would easily be the greatest pitching staff of all time, and certainly complies with General Manager Ruben Amaro’s philosophy that pitching wins championships.

I suppose it comes down to the discussion, who is more valuable going forward—Joakim Soria or Domonic Brown?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As 2010 winds to an end, we remember some of the greatest baseball moments of the past season. Whether it was the San Francisco Giants taking home the hardware, Roy Halladay’s postseason no-hitter, the debut of “the phenom” Stephen Strasburg or any of the several no-hitters that made 2010 the Year of the Pitcher, we are thankful for a great year of baseball and wait in anxious anticipation for the coming of the 2011 season.

The past season wasn’t all roses, however. There were some weeds in the garden as well. Mishaps that a lot of players would love to forget and turn a new leaf moving forward.

So with the new year right around the corner, what better time than now to catch up with some of the most familiar names in baseball and the resolutions that they’re making to create one of the greatest baseball years ever in 2011.

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