Kuzul

Starting pitcher Andy Oliver will make his big league debut for the Tigers tonight against the Atlanta Braves.

Oliver, who Detroit took in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma State, has been stellar with the Double-A Erie Seawolves. In his 14 starts, he has a 6-4 record with an ERA of 3.61 and 70 strikeouts.

Oliver has been moved up partially in response to starting pitcher Rick Porcello’s sophomore slump. As a result, Porcello was recently sent down to Triple-A Toledo.

Oliver will face off against veteran pitcher Kris Medlen, who has been outstanding this season as well. Medlen has a 4-1 record with a 3.33 ERA thus far, pitching as both a starter and reliever.

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Take a peek at the San Francisco Giants’ active roster and you’ll see a curious thing. You’ll see Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey checking in at a green 23 years of age—the Kung Fu Panda’s birthday is coming up in August whereas Gerald Demp the Third just had his in March.

There’s also newbie reliever Dan Runzler, who’s recently turned a grizzled 25.

Other than those three, there’s nobody else on the 25-man docket wetter behind the ears than stud right-hander Matt Cain (who turns 26 on October 1).

Perhaps it doesn’t jump off the page if you’re not amongst the team’s die-hards, but Cainer also happens to be the longest-tenured Giant player. He entered the organization soon after being drafted as a 17-year-old in 2002 and made his big league debut about a month shy of 21 in 2005, making this his sixth year by the Bay.

Granted, the margin’s not exactly huge.

Southpaw starter Jonathan Sanchez and closer Brian Wilson would join up in 2006. Meanwhile, the infamous Barry Zito deal would be signed before the 2007 season as would Bengie Molina’s first contract with the franchise. Lastly, the ’07 campaign saw Tim Lincecum’s much-anticipated premiere as well as Nate Schierholtz’s less heralded one.

Nevertheless, it bears mentioning that not a single player who suited up with Cain during his first experiences in Major League Baseball is still donning the Orange and Black.

That’s pretty crazy when you consider how young he still is and the fact that the Gents current roster doesn’t exactly give off that new car smell.

I mention this because his experience-beyond-years is underrated, like pretty much everything the Quiet Kid has done with San Francisco.

You might say it’s an odd time to be singing the praises of the Alabama native, considering he got absolutely torched by the Houston Astros on Thursday. I mean, he got battered from start to premature finish—Matty served up a three-run bomb to Hunter Pence in the first inning that might as well have been on a tee.

Carlos Lee, the dormant Lance Berkman—I drafted him in one fantasy league because he always seems to hit .400 against my make-believe squads and this is what I get, awesome—and rookie catcher Jason Castro each hit lasers off los Gigantes’ second ace. Luckily, only Castro’s ball left the yard, otherwise Cain’s final line would’ve been even uglier than it was.

And it was already every shade of ugly—2 2/3 IP (or eight outs), 9 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, and 4 2B. Yeah, that’s six hits for extra bases in less than three innings of work.

Oof.

Ironically, though, all that carnage should give you a better understanding of just how excellent the product of Tennessee high school baseball has been thus far in 2010.

Despite all the hideous Houston gore, Cain saw his earned run average skyrocket all the way up to 2.72 and his WHIP balloon to 1.10. Opponents can’t exactly brag about their .219 average, .61 HR/9, or .624 OPSA, either. Finally, his 1.9 wins above replacement ties him for ninth-best in the National League.

Those are superlative numbers even in a vacuum, but reconsider just how awful his twirl against the ‘Stros was. Of course, the statistics don’t tell the whole story.

Any assessor must also appreciate the intangibles.

Everyone realizes the San Francisco Giants are defined by their pitching staff and Lincecum sets that unit’s pace. But the two-time Cy Young struggled through a brutal month of May as his command abandoned him. When the Freak lost his control, the Giant ship lost its rudder.

Enter Matt Cain—with No. 1A in shambles, No. 1B stepped into the void.

Lincecum posted a 4.95 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP, a 5.70 BB/9, and was oddly hittable as the opposition tallied a .244 average for the entire month.

By contrast, Cain was a virtually untouchable workhorse—6 GS, 44 2/3 IP, 1.81 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, .154 BAA, .468 OPSA—and threw consecutive complete games without allowing an earned run. If not for his worst start of the season until the Houston debacle (against the San Diego Padres on May 12), he would’ve given Ubaldo Jimenez some stiff competition for Pitcher of the Month honors.

Instead, he had to settle for playing the Franchise’s role perfectly.

Actually, he one-upped his diminutive stablemate because Lincecum’s always enjoyed ample run support with San Francisco. Cain, on the other hand, constantly seems to draw the iron from the offense’s blood—he somehow managed to lose three May starts, including one of the complete games by virtue of a solitary, unearned run.

Regardless of what the record says, the youngest member of the starting staff led by example and became the reliable option at the front of the rotation that had gone missing.

In the process, he did as much as anyone to rescue the Giants’ season from sliding off a cliff.

Matt Cain’s demeanor and approach won’t earn him much attention outside the Bay Area, but the locals already revere him.

Thanks to his performances on the mound, the rest of baseball is beginning to catch on.

**www.pva.org**

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The second place San Francisco Giants are good enough to win the National League West as is.

Yes, with a pitching staff that features two Cy Young candidates, nobody is denying that.

But to make a serious run in the post-season, the Giants are going to need some additional help.

Ranked No. 19 in home runs and No. 24 in runs batted in, San Francisco can’t continue to expect flawless pitching from its staff.

Although the back-end of their bullpen is set in stone, the Giants will also look to add another arm into the mix.

Here are three bats and three relievers San Francisco will look at in the coming weeks.

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To say it’s been a roller-coaster season for the fellas from Flushing would be an understatement.

Jerry Manuel’s firing appeared to be a sure thing six weeks ago. Now, with his Mets 11 games above .500, he’s about as untouchable as a New York coach is going to get.

The Atlanta Braves’ most recent loss to the White Sox, combined with the Mets’ shutout victory over Detroit, moves the Orange and Blue to within a half game from first place.

For a very streaky Mets team, everything seems to be going their way right now.

Will it last, though?

Here are five reasons why a return to the postseason may not be too far out of the question.

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With just over a month to go before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline, the San Diego Padres and general manager Jed Hoyer know that there is work still to be done.

He knows that the team must make a trade for an outfielder, or just a productive bat, for this team to stay ahead in the NL West and make some noise in the playoffs. What he’s not going to do is show his cards, regardless of how many time fans want to know what he’s planning on doing.

If you live in the San Diego area, you might have heard Darren Smith on 1090 AM in San Diego interview Hoyer on several occasions. What remains humorous to me is how many times fans want to know who he’s going after.

Just so we’re clear on this Padres fans, Hoyer is not going to come out and tell you who he’s going after because you know as well as I do that other teams will find that quote and make sure he doesn’t get the players he’s after.

So that being said, let’s get to the speculation about who Hoyer could or could not be looking at, including players that may be on their way out of San Diego.

Adrian Gonzalez

I’m not going keep this short and sweet. With the Padres currently leading the division over both the Giants and the Dodgers, you can pretty much guarantee that Adrian Gonzalez is going to be with the team through the rest of this season.

What happens after the 2010 season concludes is another question that won’t be answered until possibly late November or early December. But as of right now, Adrian isn’t going anywhere.

Heath Bell

Heath Bell only has a month left in a Padre uniform. Yes, Padre fans, you heard me right. Bell will be the first one on the move because if you want to get that bat you covet so much, you need to give something to get something. The only player that will land you the bat you need is the current Padres’ closer.

Don’t get all excited on me and start to freak out about who’s going to be the team’s new closer if Bell is shipped elsewhere. Mike Adams and the rest of the Padres’ bullpen cast, have done a phenomenal job out of the bullpen and can handle the closing duties just fine.

While Adams seems to be the odds on favorite to take over the role, the Padres could do a closer by committee until they find the right guy for the job and still be just fine.

Austin Kearns

This is one name that’s been thrown around in the rumors as of late. Though he’s having quite a year in Cleveland, hitting .283 with seven home runs and driving in 32, he’s only hitting .217 (10/46) against National League clubs this season.

You have to wonder, with those kind of numbers can he be a productive hitter in Petco Park, a by now infamous pitcher’s park?

David DeJesus

David DeJesus is another outfielder that is getting a lot of run in the rumor sheets over the past few weeks. Although the Padres might have interest in him, so do the Giants, Angels, and Dodgers so the Padres are definitely not alone in their possible chase.

But, one snag in landing the Royals outfielder is Kansas City is in no way obligated to trade him for one reason. His $6 million price tag for next season isn’t exactly “expensive” for the team to handle.

Josh Hamilton

Ok, I will admit that this is probably a complete long shot but I’ll take a stab at it anyway.

The Rangers are currently going through bankruptcy hearings and after a judge’s ruling yesterday, it seems unlikely at this point that the team can continue their chase of either Houston’s Roy Oswalt or Seattle’s Cliff Lee.

That being said, the Padres and Rangers are no strangers to each other when it comes to being trade partners. Let’s not forget, it was the Rangers that gave the Padres a nicely wrapped Christmas gift in the form of Gonzalez and Chris Young.

So what’s stopping the Padres from possibly dangling Bell and a mid-level prospect or two in front of Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and asking what it would take to pry Josh Hamilton away from them?

Again, I understand that this a slim to none possibility, but it’s worth a phone call from Hoyer, don’t you agree?

Coco Crisp

Back in December of last year, the Padres flirted with the idea of signing Coco Crisp to a one-year deal and even came close to an agreement. However, according to reports, Crisp backed out and instead signed a two-year deal with the Oakland A’s.

Well, seems karma has intervened and the A’s could be looking to either deal or trade Crisp at the deadline. Though his $5.75 million option for next season isn’t exactly expensive for the A’s to exercise, his lack of on the field time due to injury is motivation enough to find a trade partner.

While the Padres may have flirted with him about seven months ago, don’t expect those flirtations to pick back up again this time around.

Xavier Nady

Padres fans will know this name well as Xavier Nady has all ready had a stint with the Padres from 2003 to 2005 before being traded to the New York Mets for, yes you guessed it, Heath Bell.

Now, with the Cubs ready to deal certain pieces of their roster, Nady could be a player that the Padres could have for cheap. I’m not against it as I’ve been a fan of his while he was in San Diego. It was unfortunate that Nady never really got a shot to show what he could do, but maybe another shot shouldn’t really be out of the question.

He’s a cheap option and won’t cost the Padres more than a possible low to mid-level prospect. He’s currently hitting .262 with four home runs through 49 games with the Cubs.

Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, Nyjer Morgan

Three players that could become available if the Washington Nationals slide any further away from the top of the NL East are Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, and Nyjer Morgan.

However, the Nationals don’t seem quite ready to become sellers just yet, especially with their new ticket seller, Stephen Strasburg.

The team has been in talks with Dunn about a two-year extension since spring training but the two sides haven’t agreed on a deal as of yet. They’ve had ample opportunities to deal Willingham over the last year and change but seem unwilling to do just that, so where does that leave Morgan?

All three of these players, especially Willingham and Morgan, are going to get interest from teams looking for an outfielder but the way things look at this point, the Nationals seem just fine hanging on to them.

Cody Ross

According to Marlins’ beat writer Joe Frisaro, the Marlins are looking for relief help. Really? You don’t say?

With the Padres having a plethora of pitching out of the bullpen, and with their apparent willingness to deal Bell, why not look at guy like outfielder Cody Ross?

He’s currently hitting .287 with six home runs and 41 runs driven in. He could be the kind of player that the Padres would be looking for.

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Carlos Beltran will begin his minor league rehab assignment with the St. Lucie Mets tomorrow, and the atmosphere and expectations within the team can’t be any higher.

Beltran will have to be activated to the big league roster by the time the season resumes after the All-Star break, and players just know the boost that the outfielder will bring to the team when he is back patrolling centerfield and hitting in the heart of the lineup.

The Mets announced Beltran’s timetable yesterday, prior to the first of three home games against the Detroit Tigers. As the news spread around the team during batting practice and pre-game warmups, there was a collective agreement that his return would be a massive boost.

Jason Bay told me it would be similar to trading for an All-Star, and David Wright called Beltran “special”. As much as the Mets can’t wait to welcome him back, the overwhelming feeling was that the Mets should not push Beltran too hard the day he rejoins the big club.

Angel Pagan leads the club with a .304 batting average, and only Jose Reyes has more stolen bases. It’s an understatement to say Pagan has simply “filled in” for Beltran, and he reminded front room staff that he shouldn’t be overlooked when he fell a home run short of the cycle on Tuesday night.  His effort hasn’t been lost among his peers either, who said they have been impressed with just how well Pagan has embraced the challenge of starting full time.

“Carlos Beltran is a special player, but with that being said, Angel Pagan really deserves a ton of credit for doing what he’s been able to do this year. He’s not only held the fort down, but really excelled and he’s been a very valuable player for us this year,” said David Wright. 

“It will be exciting to see what Carlos does in his rehab, but it’s also been a blessing having Angel here doing what he’s been able to do.”

Pagan has only sat out two games this season for the Mets, and it has been his performance that has left some to question whether it should be Jeff Francoeur who moves to the bench after the All-Star break when the Mets travel to San Francisco on June 15.

Francoeur didn’t speculate on who would become the fourth outfielder three weeks from now, instead highlighting how important Beltran is to the team and the need to ensure he’s 100 percent healthy when he returns.

“Obviously it’s one of those things where he’s a great player,” Francoeur said.  “Hopefully he’s healthy and we are going to welcome him back, but until then we have to play with what we’ve got and that’s what we’ve done all season.

“The last thing you want to do is get him back and then have hum hurt his knee two days later. So hopefully he can keep rehabbing and getting better, and I’m sure when he gets back it will be a huge boost.”

The outfielder least likely to lose his starting job, Jason Bay, said the importance of Beltran’s return cannot be overestimated.

“I think it’s almost like making a big trade,” the left fielder said, standing next to the Mets dugout on Tuesday. “You don’t have a guy and all of a sudden, boom, you get him back. It’s like acquiring a guy.

“Carlos isn’t just an average guy. I mean, he’s one of the better plays in the game and like I said, it’s like picking up a huge piece for us and it can’t do anything to help us, that’s for sure.”

As well as giving the team a huge morale boost, an upgrade at the plate, and Gold Glove defense in the outfield, Beltran will bring that winning mentality to the club, Johan Santana said.

“He means a lot to this team. He’s been around for a long time and he knows how to win games. It’s definitely going to be a plus for us, but at the same time we want him to be 100 percent to help us out. It’s going to take time to get back on track into baseball activities, but definitely the sooner the better.” 

Pundits said the Mets would be lucky to tread water until Beltran returned, and that was when the front office thought he might be back much sooner. The Mets, 10 games above .500, have done more than stay afloat, and now they are primed to get a massive cog back in their lineup.

If Beltran has even part of the impact his peers expect, the Mets could become a very serious contendor in the National League in 2010.

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The San Francisco Giants are hanging around in the wide open NL West.

Only 1.5 games out of first (as of Wednesday), the Giants should get strong consideration for spots in the NL All-Star Game.

Many newcomers, like Pat Burrell (three homers since coming over from Tampa), Buster Posey, and Edgar Renteria (.326 in 26 games), have come on strong for the Giants as of late.

Due to their lack of a complete resume, most of these guys won’t be All-Star candidates. However, they are definitely key players for the Giants.

Here are five players who have held things together while waiting for these guys to come around. They should get All-Star consideration to represent the Giants in Los Angeles/Anaheim/wherever they play.

I’m not saying that these guys should definitely make it. In fact, some of them may be completely overlooked and not even considered. But that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve consideration (it’s the MLB All-Star Game, what else is new?).

These are my top five candidates to make it to where the stars shine.

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While Angels’ southpaw Scott Kazmir struggled with a 7.20 and 5.97 ERA in April and May respectively, the 26-year-old has seemingly salvaged his season with a deceiving June.

In 23 innings (four starts) this month, Kazmir is 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA. What most fail to see is his 1.35 WHIP and 13/15 K/BB ratio, both of which raise red flags.

Fantasy managers have been gushing over Kazmir’s stuff since he was seemingly stolen from the Mets in the 2004 Victor Zambrano trade . The then Tampa Bay pitcher made his major league debut later that season and has disappointed ever since.

In 943 career innings, the 2002 first-round pick owns a walk rate of 4.09. After showing signs of improvement in recent years, Kazmir has left fantasy managers disgruntled once again, posting a 4.58 BB/9 in 72 2/3 innings this season.

Further, Kazmir’s career WHIP is a whopping 1.39, a number that will continue to hamper the Texas native. His Kyle Davis-like WHIP of 1.51 this season makes him useless in most leagues.

Kazmir’s high strikeout totals, which used to be a strength, have now become a weakness. After topping out with a 10.41 K/9 in 2007, Kazmir’s strikeout rate has dropped to 9.81 and 7.15 in recent years, before plummeting to a below league average 6.07 in 2010.

As if that’s not enough to scare fantasy managers away, Kazmir’s xFIP (5.37) and declining average fastball velocity suggest his fantasy value should be no greater than Felipe Paulino’s .

With five-plus major league seasons under his belt, (only two of which he’s topped 160 innings) it’s safe to say Scott Kazmir is one of the most overrated players in fantasy baseball. If you’ve been the unfortunate owner of the former pitching prodigy, deal him away for the freshest mound of cow pies you can find. They won’t win you any games, but at least this pile of dung won’t send your ERA and WHIP through the roof.

Original Article: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

For as long as I can remember, the Twins have been a small market team. Rare were blockbuster trades or multi-year signings for the Minnesota teams of the past few decades.

All of that changed this season. With a new stadium expected to bring a revenue increase, and an owner who isn’t afraid to spend some cash, the Twins had one of their most expensive offseasons in franchise history. By bringing in JJ Hardy, Orlando Hudson, and Clay Condrey, as well as extending Carl Pavano and Joe Mauer, the Twins gave a clear message to their fans: We’re no longer a small market.

The Twins haven’t yet been able to show off this “large market mentality” during the Hot Stove season. With July 31 growing closer every day, Minnesota has begun to assert themselves as a possible destination for several trade targets. Could Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, or Dan Haren be wearing a Twins’ uniform on August 1?

Most fans don’t seem to think so. The Twins have been a small market team for eons, and a philosophical change isn’t something that can be accepted overnight. Minnesota has relied upon home-grown talent and frugality for a long time, and trading for a three-month rental seems a little far-fetched.

In reality, though, the Twins have correctly identified themselves as a large market team. (Or, at the very least, no longer a small market team.) The revenue is pouring in, and Minnesota is no longer burdened with financial handcuffs. If the Twins need to take on additional salary to fund a late-season playoff push, they will do so.

But in order to get Lee, Oswalt, or Haren, the Twins will need to be willing to part with something that could be worth more than just money: players.

This is where most fans get off the train. They, myself included, are much more willing to spend Minnesota’s money than they are to trade away players. It’s hard to blame us; trading away future value for a smaller amount of current value is never an easy thing to do. If the Twins wish to win their first World Series since ’91, though, they may be forced to make a few trades that appear lopsided.

For the sake of discussion, let’s say the Twins just traded Nick Blackburn, Wilson Ramos, and Bobby Lanigan for Cliff Lee. Most likely, the futures of Blackburn, Ramos, and Lanigan will hold much more value than three months of Lee (and the two compensatory prospects received). By looking solely at the numbers, that trade doesn’t make much sense. If Minnesota were to advance to the World Series, though, the loss of value would hardly be an issue.

For the Twins, the value of an added win is extremely high. The AL Central title will most probably come to the winner of a late-season dogfight, and Minnesota would gladly pay top-dollar for one additional victory. (Much more than, say, the Houston Astros would pay to improve their win total from 69 to 70.)

As Seth Stohs mentions in his blog entry this morning, the Twins need to walk the fine line between winning in 2010 and not crippling the team’s ability to compete in the future. Trading away two top prospects would hardly be a crippling blow to the Twins’ organization, though, and the few extra wins that a player like Lee would bring would be well worth the cost.

Now, for some trade predictions, in order of preference:

Minnesota gets: Dan Haren, SP
Arizona gets: Anthony Swarzak, SP, Jeff Manship, SP, and BJ Hermsen, SP

Minnesota gets: Cliff Lee, SP
Seattle gets: Nick Blackburn, SP, Wilson Ramos, C, and Bobby Lanigan, SP

Minnesota gets : Roy Oswalt, SP
Houston gets: Wilson Ramos, C, Anthony Swarzak, SP, Adrian Salcedo, SP

What do you think? Will the Twins make a trade before July 31, 2010?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the Arizona Diamondbacks sitting at 26-41 and 12.5 games out of 1st place in the NL West, it is obvious that they will be sellers when the trade deadline arrives. The Diamondbacks have already started trading players. They swapped Connor Jackson for minor league reliever Sam Demel on July 15th.

Another player that the Diamondbacks are rumored to be looking to move is Kelly Johnson. Johnson started off the year with a bang. He hit .313 with 9 home runs and 18 RBIs in the month of March. Over the past two months, he has come back down to earth hitting .250 with 4 home runs and 16 RBIs over that span.

Johnson is probably due for a bit more a regression throughout the course of the season. His ISO (slg %- avg) is .250 this year. Kelly has never posted an ISO greater than .180 in his career. Then again, at age 28, there is the chance that Johnson is having a breakout season. Either way, Johnson will provide above average offense from 2nd base.

It is well known the New York Mets have had issues at second base all season. With Luis Castillo on the disabled list, the Mets have turned to Ruben Tejada. While Tejada is solid defensively, he leaves something to be desired on offense. He is the third youngest player in the majors at 20 years old and still needs time to develop.

With the Mets looking more and more like a playoff team,… (to read the rest and find out who the Mets may trade click on the link below)

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