Kuzul

Atlanta’s acquisition of Justin Upton seemed like a steal before Upton played an inning in their uniform. Through the first 12 games of the season, he’s done nothing to change that notion. In fact, he’s off to such a torrid start that it’s not out of the question to suggest a quest to break the franchise’s single-season home run record will be in play this summer for Atlanta’s left fielder.

While many would guess Henry Aaron, Chipper Jones or Dale Murphy as the current holder of the Braves‘ single-season home run record, it belongs to Andruw Jones, who launched 51 in 2005.

Through 12 games in Atlanta, Justin is on pace to shatter that mark. The former Diamondback has launched seven home runs, posted an unimaginable .891 slugging percentage and has amassed 41 total bases. While it’s obvious that he’ll cool off at some point, this could be the year that everything comes into place for the former No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft.

Despite “only” posting a career high of 31 home runs, Upton has the kind of swing, power and ability to reach the 50-home run plateau during his career. This season may represent the change of scenery, baseball maturity and natural progression needed for Upton to make the leap into superstardom.

If you only watched Upton in 2012, this outburst probably seems surprising. Due to a nagging thumb injury, and, if you believe the narratives, a lack of “grit,” Upton struggled in Arizona last summer. His .785 OPS made him look more like Lyle Overbay than the guy once compared to Ken Griffey Jr.

Of course, the down year in 2012 overshadowed his fourth-place finish in the 2011 NL MVP vote and Upton’s reputation as one of the best young players in the history of baseball.

Using Baseball-Reference.com’s Play Index, we put Upton’s power numbers into context. Through his age-24 season, Upton’s 108 home runs rank 16th in the history of baseball. The names ahead of him include nine Cooperstown inductees and several others destined for the same fate. Those 15 players averaged 32 home runs a piece during their collective age-25 seasons, with several exceeding the 50-homer plateau.

It’s hard to say if Upton would be off to this same start in Arizona, but his contemporaries in the history of the game have either continued or exceeded their standards at this same age.

As he proves the naysayers wrong, focus on his power within the NL East this summer.

Throughout Upton’s young career, his power has been greater (.516 vs. .471 slugging percentage) against left-handed pitchers than righties.

The move to the NL East, given the current depth charts of the Marlins, Nationals, Mets and Phillies, give the indication that Upton will see a good amount of lefties through the summer. Of the 20 members of those respective rotations, eight are southpaws.

Last season, during Upton’s 17-homer campaign, he simply didn’t lift the ball in the air as often as he used to. Roughly 43.8 percent of his batted balls were grounders, the second highest rate of his career. For a guy who has the power to lift fly balls out of the park at an above-average rate, Upton needed to get the ball airborne at a more frequent pace. Early on in 2013, he’s doing just that, with a 52-32 FB/GB ratio.

Upton is healthy, under contract and playing for an organization that appreciates his immense talent. If the swing that wowed scouts in 2005 continues to haunt the National League, the sky is the limit for Atlanta’s left fielder, including more than 51 round-trippers in 2013.

How many home runs will Upton hit in 2013? Comment below, follow me on Twitter or “Llke” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball!

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There are few slimier figures in professional sports than Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.

From taxpayer-funded stadiums to broken promises to fire sale after fire sale, the few fans who can call themselves Miami diehards can’t possibly take much more.

On Monday, the team reached a new low by throwing paying customers out of the park for voicing their displeasure with the team, management and direction of the franchise (Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post).

A group of fans calling themselves “Rage Against the Marlins,” spent the early part of Monday evening walking around the stadium, holding signs and wearing t-shirts voicing their displeasure about the state of the team and management.

In what will surely turn into a “he said, she said” incident, the group was thrown out of the stadium.

Per Capozzi, Marlins management claims the group was thrown out for “creating a disturbance.” However, the group claims that didn’t happen—they never had the opportunity to take a sip of alcohol, identification was never asked for inside the stadium and security claimed the action came from above.

The wronged fans runs a website called RageAgainstTheMarlins.com. On it, they described the incident.

We were drawing no more attention to ourselves than anyone else casually walking to our seats, people wanted pictures with us and thought the sign and our shirts were awesome, how was that our fault?

Finally we were so calm with the cops it was unreal, they even said, “Its not us its from above, if it was up to us you guys would go free, because you have done nothing wrong”

So to make it sound like we got kicked out because we would not calm down and not show ID is a lie. David Sampson also implied that we had drank too much but we hadn’t even gotten to our seats. We had no time to drink!!! Not like we would pay for drinks there anyway. I wish we could go to court over this.

If true—there’s little reason to take Loria or team president David Sampson’s word—it represents another black eye for the franchise just months after trading away almost all of last winter’s free-agent signings, and the revelation of a stadium hoodwinking the likes of which professional sports has never seen.

At some point, commissioner Bud Selig has to step in and take control of the fiasco that has become the Miami Marlins franchise.This incident could give him a reason to insert himself into the inner workings of the Miami front office and start asking bigger questions about the future of the franchise.

In all sports, winning is the great equalizer. Despite an outstandingly inconsistent message and approach from all ownership regimes in the Marlins franchise history, the team has won a pair of World Series since 1993. With a knack for developing young talent and a current Double-A team that could be the best across minor league baseball, Miami could win again before too long.

This time, though, the fans may not return. Public relations is at an all-time low in Miami.

The last thing Loria and Sampson should be doing is removing paying customers from the building.

Unless they were truly a disturbance to the other fans—not just an embarrassment for upper management—they should be fully refunded for their time, tickets and transportation/parking to the game.

Bud Selig has taken varying approaches to stepping on individual owners’ toes for the betterment of the game.

Most famously, he drove the removal of Frank McCourt in Los Angeles. Aside from McCourt‘s obvious shortcomings as an owner, he was dishonest and did not take advantage of the potential of the Los Angeles baseball market. The process led the Dodgers to a new ownership group that certainly has.

On the other hand, Selig has allowed the Wilpon family to continue running the Mets in the midst of losing millions in the Bernie Madoff scandal. What has been generously described as a rebuilding effort by Sandy Alderson in New York is more accurately a salary slashing due to a hole in the Wilpon‘s collective wallets.

Loria isn’t quite as removable as McCourt, and far richer than the Wilpon‘s in the current ownership climate.

Yet he remains an uncomfortable member of baseball’s ownership circle. It’s impossible for Selig to drive him out of power over an incident with fans, but righting this wrong can be a precursor to a closer eye and more Selig involvement in Miami.

Loria can claim he makes moves in the interest of competing, the win-curve and long-term viability.

Regardless, he comes off disingenuous at every turn.

Selig knows that as well as the fans who were escorted out of the building in Miami on Monday evening.

At some point, Selig will have to change the status quo or lose a baseball city forever.

Should Bud Selig act against Loria on behalf of the sport?

Comment below, follow me on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports or “Like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball.

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Roy Halladay came into the 2013 season with question marks surrounding his performance as a co-ace in the Philadelphia Phillies rotation.

Through two awful, uncharacteristic starts, Doc is leaving fans and analysts with more questions than answers. His 14.73 ERA isn’t just unsightly; it’s unfathomable.

That is, of course, until you watch and dissect what he’s doing or, more aptly, not doing on the mound.

It’s early, but Doc’s season and career have reached a crossroads. For the Phillies to rebound from the disappointment of an 81-81 campaign in 2012, Halladay’s performance is crucial.

As he searches for answers, trends in his performance and approach can be spotted.

Here are four things we have already learned about Roy Halladay in 2013.

1. He doesn’t trust his fastball

Percentage of time Roy Halladay has thrown his fastball since arriving in Philly, 2010-present, year-by-year: 37.4, 22.6, 19.4, 17.9. Yikes.

The main concern around Doc has been velocity, but surviving in the 87-89 mph range can happen for a smart, efficient pitcher if he trusts himself to locate that pitch on the corners and down in the zone.

Those numbers, via the indispensable Baseball Info Solutions, show a pitcher who is more comfortable throwing breaking and off-speed stuff, regardless of the count or batter.

Much of Doc’s greatness stems from getting ahead in the count. That’s something he’s failing to do at an alarming rate early in the season.

Last week, Halladay only threw 57.9 percent of his pitches for strikes in Atlanta. In 378 career starts, he’s only posted a lower percentage in 15 of those starts. On Monday, he got ahead with first pitch strikes to only 10 of the 22 hitters faced. No matter how good his secondary stuff is, Halladay must get ahead with his fastball to survive.

When he throws the fastball, he lacks command and falls behind. Thus, he’s abandoning the pitch almost entirely, narrowing the options for hitters to focus on.

2. Mental, not physical, issues are the problem

That’s the explanation Halladay gave to reporters in Philadelphia on Monday night. If that is the case, the bigger issue might be Doc reverting into the pre-star form he showed in Toronto.

When Halladay lost the strike zone, was unable to retire hitters with any regularity and became mentally lost as a young pitcher, Toronto sent him down to Low-A ball. That’s the story fans have heard over and over.

What’s less publicized is the guidance provided by the late sports psychologist Harvey Dorfman.

Halladay mentioned a quote that Dorfman relayed to him when assessing his mental issues on the mound.

“Harvey used to tell me when you try to catch a bird, if you’re flailing at it, trying to grab for it, you’re never going to catch it,” Halladay said to CSN Philly. “You have to hold your hands out and let it land in your hands. It’s the same way with pitching. You have to stick to your routine, stick to your program and let it come to you.”

It’s clear that one of the smartest and most cerebral pitchers in baseball is over-thinking his approach on the mound.

3. Opposing batters are no longer uncomfortable in the box

Usually terms like “uncomfortable” are reserved for power pitchers and hard-throwers. For example, Matt Harvey, the young, ascending Mets right-hander, made the Phillies batters look uncomfortable all night long.

In his prime, despite never possessing an overpowering fastball like Randy Johnson or Justin Verlander, Halladay had the ability to make the box batters enter his domain—intimidating for hitters to step in and never a place to feel comfortable.

Due to his inconsistency, lack of confidence and an even further drop in velocity, that feeling is gone.

In the fourth inning of Monday night’s game with New York, Matt Harvey, the opposing pitcher, worked a nine-pitch at-bat. To put that in perspective, Halladay has twice thrown complete games with less than 90 total pitches. If Matt Harvey can battle and foul pitches off, real hitters can tee-off.

It took 95 pitches for Doc to get through 3.1 IP in Atlanta. Last night, 99 were needed to retire 12 batters. At this rate, we’ll never see another complete game from Halladay again.

4. An encouraging sign: Halladay is still missing bats at a high rate

As with everything else, this should be prefaced with the following words: Small. Sample. Size.

That being said, Halladay does have one thing going for him early on this season: strikeouts.

In fact, his 12 strikeouts in 7.1 IP is good enough for a rate of 14.73 per nine innings. Never known as a strikeout pitcher—career average of 6.94 per nine—Halladay is generating swings and missing with two strikes using his off-speed stuff.

Can this rate continue? It would be highly, highly unlikely. Even if it came down to around eight or nine Ks per nine, Doc will be in a better position to succeed. For all that will be made about his unsightly ERA, his current xFIP (4.04), which factors in K-rate and league average FB/HR percentage, isn’t horrible.

To reclaim success or “re-invent” himself, Halladay might need to strike hitters out at a higher rate. During his first start in Atlanta, 90 percent of his outs were via strikeout. The 10 batters who didn’t post a K went six-for-seven with two home runs.

While the notion of a declining pitcher striking more batters out as age creeps up and velocity ticks down may seem strange, take a look at what Andy Pettitte did last year for the New York Yankees.

Despite the lowest average fastball velocity (87.8) of his long career, Pettitte struck out more batters per inning (8.24) than in any season since 2004. In fact, that number represented the highest strikeout rate of his entire career.

Halladay is in decline, but it doesn’t mean he can’t generate strikeouts.

What is your level of concern with Roy Halladay?

Comment below, follow me on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports or “Like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball.

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Heading into the 2013 season, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis wasn’t a well-known star in the Baltimore lineup.

Within four games, that’s changed.

Davis is off to a torrid start for Baltimore, helping the Orioles jump out a 3-1 record. Coming off a 33-home run season in 2012, Davis’ power is no secret around the league. His ability to harness it into superstar status may no longer be, either.

Despite a .501 slugging percentage in 2012, consistent playing time and a steady everyday position weren’t guaranteed to the Orioles slugger until Baltimore made the decision to let Mark Reynolds leave in the offseason.

That decision will be prescient if Davis continues to build on his early-season success, which is truly a continuation of his late-season surge in 2012.

The four home runs in four games to start 2013 is remarkable, but even more so when looking at his game logs from last September: Over his last 11 games, Davis has hit 11 home runs.

A September power surge leading to star status is reminiscent of what Toronto star Jose Bautista did in rising from obscurity to leader of the Blue Jays lineup in the blink of an eye.

Before dissecting whether Davis can be anything close to the next Bautista, as opposed to the new Chris Shelton, let’s compare their respective career numbers before the star-level breakouts occurred.

Jose Bautista was a below-average slugger from 2004 to ’09. There was a reason he bounced around from Tampa to to Kansas City to Pittsburgh to Baltimore to Toronto: He couldn’t hit consistently.

Sure, the swing and power were there, but Bautista struck out 434 times in just over 2,000 plate appearances. In other words, more than 20 percent of the time.

Unlike now, he wasn’t hitting for enough power or walking enough to offset the strikeouts. His 91 OPS+ and .729 OPS were both below average.

Davis, despite never receiving consistent playing time in Texas or Baltimore, is a more accomplished hitter heading into 2013 than Bautista was heading into his 2010 breakout.

Despite a strikeout-to-walk ratio that was significantly worse than Bautista‘s pre-breakout form, he has been a better home-run hitter and slugger throughout his young career.

The comparison becomes truly interesting when looking at the September numbers each put up before their breakout on the national stage.

In September of 2009, Bautista was unstoppable for a Blue Jays team that few bothered to watch. His .257 average and .339 on-base percentage weren’t eye-opening. The .606 slugging percentage and 10 September home runs were, however.

In September of 2012, Davis posted even more impressive numbers than Bautista did a few years back. The fact that he slugged 1.057 with 10 home runs in the midst of a pennant race should have received more attention than it did at the time.

Heading into 2010 few believed Bautista was truly a star in the making. The same can be said for Davis now.

In terms of raw power, the case can be made for Davis bringing more to the table than Bautista. His ability to flick his wrist and send the ball out to all fields is a weapon for Buck Showalter’s order.

There is a precedent for predicting bigger and better things for Davis.

Of course, there are the pitfalls in the Chris Davis 2013 MVP Campaign.

Although his body of work, power and big start lends Orioles fans to believe he can become that guy Bautista became for Toronto, he hasn’t yet corrected his biggest flaw: strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Bautista did. Much was made about Joey Bats changing his swing, but that didn’t tell the full story. He changed his swing and his approach at the plate. Not only did he hit for power; he made pitchers come into his wheelhouse, the same way Joey Votto does it now. It’s the way Barry Bonds did it for so many years.

In 2010, Bautista walked nearly equal to the amount of times (100-116) he struck out. In 2011, the year he finished 3rd in the AL MVP voting, he walked 21 more times than he struck out (132-111).

Until Davis shows major growth in that area, pitchers will generate easy outs by inducing bad contact and taking away his aggressiveness in pitchers’ counts. 

Last year, the Orioles slugger walked in 6.6 percent of his plate appearances. He struck out in 30.1 percent of his plate appearances.

Davis has great power, but it’s going to take a considerable leap in plate discipline to become the next Jose Bautista.

For Baltimore fans, enjoy the 30-plus home runs, but don’t expect to chant “MVP!” during Davis at-bats this summer.

Is Chris Davis baseball’s next star?

Comment below, follow me on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports or “Like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball.

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Opening Day is a time of hope and optimism around Major League Baseball.

In an era of parity, it’s not hard to envision at least 20 cities believing a postseason trip is within reason.

Last year, despite being projected to be the worst teams in their respective divisions, Baltimore and Oakland rose up to make the postseason.

They even took New York and Detroit, respectively, the distance in the American League Division Series.

With the addition of a second wild card team in each league, more teams can see the postseason light at the end of a rebuilding tunnel.

For years, rebuilding in baseball was a long, arduous task. It doesn’t have to be that way anymore.

Yet, despite parity, increased chances to make the postseason and revenue streams that allow small and mid-market teams the opportunity to re-sign their own homegrown stars, there will be bottom-feeders in 2013.

Due to a combination of front office mistakes, prospects who failed to reach their potential, ownership shortsightedness and bad luck, not everyone can take advantage of the opportunity to compete.

Here’s a snapshot of the worst team in each division heading into the season.

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New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, just months away from free agency, has fired agent Scott Boras and joined Roc Nation Sports, a new agency headed up by Jay-Z.

Roc Nation will be partnering with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to represent professional athletes.

In a statement released on Tuesday morning, Cano expressed an eagerness to expand his brand both on and off the field:

At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors on and off the field. I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short- and long-term goals. I am making this important decision now so I can keep my focus on helping the Yankees succeed in 2013, while minimizing any distractions for me and my teammates.

Cano is the first major client to sign under the Roc Nation brand.

For the Yankees, the news represents a boon to their effort to re-sign Cano to a long-term deal in New York.

While the negotiating strategy of Roc Nation is still unknown, Boras was notorious for taking his clients to free agency. Although that strategy has been altered in recent years—think Carlos Gonzalez or Elvis Andrus—taking Cano to free agency would have been an easy choice for Boras due to the free-spending presence of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

New York, despite its persistent effort to move under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold next year, is keen on re-signing Cano. He’s currently in his prime and seen as the player most likely to take the leadership and brand recognition crown from Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera as the years go on.

The lack of other pending MVP-caliber free agents also made the Boras strategy seem prescient for Cano. Matt Holliday, a similarly valuable player to Cano, parlayed a weak 2010 free-agent class into a $120 million deal.

While playing out the season, heading into free agency as the top player available and creating a bidding war between New York, Los Angeles and others seemed like the route Cano would take under Boras’ care, it didn’t come without flaws.

First, the Yankees have learned their lesson on lucrative, long-term contracts to position players over 30. Alex Rodriguez burned them after the 2007 season due to a disconnect between ownership and front office, a cleverly timed opt-out clause and a brand new MVP trophy in tow.

Using the experience with A-Rod, it’s unlikely they would be willing to go to nine or 10 years on Cano’s next contract—something at which Los Angeles might not balk.

Second, New York would absolutely post the top-qualifying offer on Cano the minute he hit free agency.

While it’s unlikely he would become Kyle Lohse 2.0, it’s not hard to imagine the Yankees front office using the first-round pick compensation as leverage in their negotiating strategy—especially if a rebuilding team like the Chicago Cubs were to enter the fray.

The idea of surrendering a first-round pick along with a 10-year, $200 million contract might be enough to scare off a suitor or two—which could land Cano back with the Yankees at a more reasonable price for their budget.

It could also have convinced Scott Boras to encourage Cano to take the one-year tender and try free agency again after 2014.

Considering the new Yankees strategy and backlash from the pact to Rodriguez, New York could avoid a public relations nightmare by allowing Cano to return for one more season, squeezing more out of his prime and then watching him walk a year closer to decline.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Jay-Z aspect of the transition.

While he may just be a figurehead at the moment, Jay-Z represents a powerful, New York-centric factor.

As part owner of the Brooklyn Nets, well-known Yankees fan and concert partner with Yankees ownership, Shawn Carter seems like an easier negotiating match for Brian Cashman.

That’s not to say Cano won’t be paid handsomely under his new representation, but it’s part of the story.

As is the CAA partnership. Carter wisely joined up with a well-known and sought-after agency. If the recent past is any indication, CAA is a great route to star players re-upping with the original club.

The Cano negotiations will have many layers over the next few weeks and months. From money to years to the second baseman aging curve, it’s not easy to predict exactly how valuable Cano will be during his next deal.

He may still get to free agency, where Magic Johnson and Co. await, but Tuesday’s announcement should give New York a better chance at retaining its best player at a fair price.

Comment below, follow me on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports or “Like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball.

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The Atlanta Braves are poised for major success in 2013. As the final roster decisions are debated between Fredi Gonzalez and the front office, remember that the Opening Day roster is just that: an April 1 roster.

Beyond the pageantry of Opening Day, many moves will be made to solidify a roster on the rise.

With a mix of veterans, ascending superstars and young players looking to establish themselves, Atlanta has a deep and diverse group.

Of course, they’re led by the Upton-Upton-Heyward outfield that was assembled via free agency and trade.

Here are final predictions for who will make the Atlanta Braves’ roster. For the first time in a long, long time, Chipper Jones won’t be on this list.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis is a vital cog in the lineup for a team coming off a 93-win campaign and a postseason appearance.

Yet his career is an enigma.

News of his impending return to the Grapefruit League should ease the minds of Baltimore fans wondering about the short- and long-term health of their right fielder.

More than likely, Markakis will be leading off for Buck Showalter‘s lineup on Opening Day next week.

After that, his future, both in 2013 and beyond, is anyone’s guess.

As the years have passed, Markakis has developed as a major league player, but not quite how it seemed he would.

During his first three big league seasons (2006-2008), Markakis posted a .476 slugging percentage. Due to a steady rise through the farm system, those years were also his age 22-24 seasons.

Using Baseball-Reference.com’s Player Index—sorting by OFs since 1901 with at least 1,800 plate appearances—Markakis posted the 30th highest slugging percentage during that age period.

In other words, he was in the company of some of the game’s best sluggers.

Some names close to him on the list: Justin Upton, Jay Bruce, Andruw Jones and Matt Kemp.

Some names below Markakis on the list: Barry Bonds, Carlos Beltran, Andrew Dawson.

Unlike his peers, Markakis never developed middle-of-the-order power.

The following is a chart of his year-by-year slugging percentage, home runs and age.

It’s hard to explain exactly where Markakis‘ power went as he aged. Ideally, he would have developed more power as he aged, grew stronger and matured as a hitter. His .306/.406/.491 slash line in ’08 at the age of 24 suggested a superstar and future MVP candidate.

A quick look at Fangraphs‘ batted ball data suggests that he simply doesn’t hit the ball in the air as often as in the past.

In 2009, over 40 percent of balls put in play by the Orioles’ right fielder were fly balls. Further back, 13.1 percent of fly balls put in play during his rookie season landed over the fence for a home run.

Last season, Markakis only put 31.4 percent of batted balls in the air. His HR/FB percentage dipped to a career low 6.1 in 2010.

To put that into perspective, Jay Bruce, a young slugger comparable to Markakis during their respective age 22-24 years, puts 43.7 percent of his batted balls into the air. Of those, over 17 percent leave the park.

Don’t let the power outage fool you, though.

Markakis is still an above average, if not very good, player for Baltimore. In fact, the Orioles’ offense was dramatically different in 2012, depending on his availability.

Despite suffering from two separate hand injuries that landed him on the DL, Markakis posted his best slugging percentage (.471) since ’08. He also led the team in on-base percentage (.363), while thriving in the leadoff spot, a job unfamiliar to him before Buck Showalter placed him there last July.

Baltimore was 62-42 with him in the lineup, yet only 31-27 without him in 2012. Despite the continued dip in power, the Orioles scored 4.64 runs per game with him, yet only 3.94 without him.

Heading into 2013, it’s clear that the Orioles have a valuable cog that must get healthy for their offense to sustain success.

He’s just not the same type of cog that one would have envisioned just a few years ago.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below, follow me on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports or “Like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball.

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New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira became the latest in a long line of fallen Bronx Bomber stars when he injured the tendon sheath of his right wrist when swinging off of a tee during World Baseball Classic workouts.

What originally was diagnosed as an 8-10 week absence could turn out to be much more. On Sunday, it was revealed that Teixeira could need surgery, putting his entire 2013 season in jeopardy.

While Yankees general manager Brian Cashman continues an attempt to move the team payroll under $189 million for 2014, Teixeira’s contract has been seen as an issue, but not in the same vein as Alex Rodriguez.

While there are options to replace him in the short term, the future has to become a major concern for Yankee decision makers. If health and production continue to dissolve from Teixeira, the franchise and fan base could start to consider his deal another unworkable albatross. 

Amazingly, Teixeira was one of the most ideal free agents in baseball history just over four years ago. Sports Illustrated painted his free agency as a gift to the organization smart enough to write the check. At $180 million, the New York Yankees—urged by Cashman pleading with ownership to extend payroll for this particular deal—wrote the check for the switch-hitting, polished first baseman.

At the time of the signing, it was hard to find a hole in Tex’s game. He was a professional on and off the field, affable, consistent, the best defensive first baseman in the sport and maybe most importantly, durable. Eight-year contracts are risky for any free agent, but Teixeira has averaged 151 games per season since debuting in 2003. Durability and talent were the recipe for free-agent success stories.

Of course, Cashman also saw a player with unique production. Scott Boras is notorious for the binders he prepares for each client, highlighting achievements and projecting the rest of their career. In Teixeira’s write-up, he included the following: Only three first basemen in history have hit more than 30 homers and driven in more than 100 runs for five consecutive seasons by age 28—Jimmie Foxx, Albert Pujols and Teixeira.

If that wasn’t enough, he could have included a list of 28-year-old players with a .919 or better OPS in at least 3,900 plate appearances. In the history of baseball, there have only been 31 players to start a career with that kind of production. Tex was one of them.

While the contract hasn’t been “bad” for New York thus far, it’s trending in the wrong direction. After a great debut season in 2009 (.292/.383/.565, 344 TB, 2nd in AL MVP voting, World Series Championship), Teixeira has seen his play fall off considerably.

Over the last three seasons, Teixeira has seen his slash line slip to .252/.347/.484, home run numbers dip to a career-low 24, and games played slip to a career-low 123 last season. Considering the magnitude of the wrist injury suffered this month, he may fail to reach even close to that number in 2013.

While the defense continues to be spectacular at first base, no team would sign up to pay $90 million through 2016 for strictly a defensive stalwart. For the Yankees to achieve team success in the immediate future, Teixeira must hit well. Teixeira’s skill set—power, on-base skills, switch-hitter—belies the recent production. He was supposed to age well because his core skills weren’t reliant on speed and he didn’t play a demanding up-the-middle position.

At this point, the New York Yankees would limit payroll anyway possible. Moving Teixeira would be an option if there were suitors.

The acceptance of an eroding skill set is a moment every aging player must face. For Teixeira and the Yankees, it’s come a few years too soon.

Joe Giglio is a MLB Lead Writer covering the NL and AL East. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports.

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Stephen Strasburg dominated hitters for five months in 2012. If he has his way, he’ll have a chance to do it for six or seven months in 2013. Despite overwhelming disdain for how the Washington Nationals handled Strasburg’s workload during the pennant race last season, there is precedent to limit his innings again this season.

A case can be made that Strasburg is the best inning-by-inning starting pitcher in the big leagues right now. At the age of 24, the Nationals have one of the most desirable commodities in professional sports: a young, cost-controlled ace. Knowing that, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo devised a plan to keep Strasburg healthy on the path back from Tommy John surgery. An NL East crown and playoff appearance in 2012 didn’t change the organizational philosophy.

Some agreed, but most didn’t.

Strasburg was vocal about his displeasure last September, looked sullen on the bench during the postseason and has let it be known that he wants the reigns off completely this year. In theory, he should be a major part of the decision making process in Washington. Not only is Strasburg dominant; he knows what his body can and can’t handle at this juncture—years removed from the actual elbow procedure.

On the other hand, Strasburg was allowed to throw over 100 more innings in 2012 than he did during an abbreviated 2011 season on his path back from surgery. While comparing and contrasting 24-year-old starters with Tommy John patients can be a fruitless endeavor, the idea of Strasburg piling on too many innings this season is a legitimate issue, especially if Washington plays deep into the postseason.

The Verducci Effect has become a hot topic of baseball discussion over the years. In short, Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci labels any 25-and-under pitcher who increased his innings by 30 or more to be at an increased risk from injury. Even if you disregard how diligently Washington handled his innings and the shut down last year, Strasburg still easily falls into that category.

If the kid gloves come off in 2013, he will be on the list again next year. Consider this: Matt Cain and Justin Verlander, the respective aces of the 2012 World Series participants, threw around 29 innings each in the postseason last October. If the World Series had gone the distance, those numbers would have been in the mid-30’s.

Allowing Strasburg to be a “workhorse” and achieve the lauded 200-inning plateau seems more than reasonable for a pitcher who has shown zero signs of discomfort or setbacks since Tommy John surgery. Yet, Washington is the NL East favorite for a reason. They are loaded, poised for a big regular season, and with Strasburg leading the staff, a run through October.

200 innings in the regular season is a goal; 30 more in October is a must. If Strasburg is allowed to take on a 230+ IP season in 2013, he’ll have pitched 70+ more innings in 2013 than he did last year. Due to his stature as one of baseball’s brightest stars, his prowess coming out of San Diego State, and the Nationals’ rise to league superpower, it’s easy to forget how young Strasburg still is.

While skipping starts or shutting Strasburg down again aren’t realistic notions, limiting his innings is. If Washington fully intends on playing deep into October and keeping Strasburg healthy long-term, care might still be necessary.

As Adam Kilgore pointed out in the Washington Post, Strasburg was only allowed to throw at least 105 pitches in five of 28 starts last season. Limiting pitches was a way to limit innings, and thus save Strasburg starts for the 2012 Nationals.

“I’m not trying to get out there and get used to throwing 90, 94 pitches,” Strasburg told the Washington Post. “You look at some of the top pitchers in the game, they go at least 110 every time out. I’m going to be prepared for it. I’m not saying that they’re going to let me do it. But I’m going to be physically ready for it.

He may be ready for it, but that doesn’t mean it has to happen.

Limiting pitches should be in vogue again for Davey Johnson and Mike Rizzo. Only this time, they’ll be saving those pitches and innings for October.

Joe Giglio is a MLB Lead Writer covering the NL and AL East. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports.

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