Kuzul

Although not there yet, I will be in Orlando tomorrow to bring you all of the latest news at Major League Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings.

As usual on the first day, there is much dialogue between clubs.  Most of it goes nowhere, but rumors will fly and some groundwork to future deals may be laid.

The Pirates look like they have made their first addition to the 2011 club by practically signing left-hander Scott Olsen to a one-year, incentive-laden deal.  The deal is contingent on Olsen passing a physical, which is expected to happen later this week.

Over parts of six seasons in the Majors, Olsen is 37-49 with a 4.85 ERA in 130 games. He has struck out 528 batters and walked 239 in 723 innings.  He has spent the last two seasons as a member of the Washington Nationals, though both seasons were marred by injury. Last season, the lefty went 4-8 with a 5.56 ERA.

Before that, Olsen was a member of the Florida Marlins where he had been much more durable.

It’s not a flashy signing, but it makes sense given the Pirates desperate need for starting pitching. The move won’t cost the club any money upfront, so if Olsen can’t recover from injuries, the Pirates won’t have an investment in him.

I know this isn’t the big move Pirates fans want.  While the Pirates are signing an injury prone left-hander, other struggling clubs like the Nationals are signing Jason Werth and the Orioles are acquiring Mark Reynolds.

Big names would be nice, but you have to look at where the Pirates currently are. The pieces are starting to accumulate, but they aren’t all there yet. I keep preaching patience and sticking to the plan.

Most people want a .500 season next year.  That’s very unlikely even if they somehow acquire a major name. There’s no way they make a near 50 game improvement. Instead, progress should be the goal. There’s no need to overpay for someone this year. Let them do that next offseason.

In other news, look for the Pirates to aggressively look to add another arm. That list likely includes Chris Young, Aaron Heilman, Justin Duchscherer, Kevin Correia and possibly Brandon Webb, although Webb and the Pirates haven’t talked in over a week.

My money would be on Correia or Duchscherer.

Other names closely linked to the Pirates at the moment include Jeremy Accardo, Matt Diaz, J.J. Hardy, Brenden Ryan, Jeff Francoeur and unfortunately Kenshin Kawakami.

Stay tuned tomorrow when I will update you on everything to do with the Winter Meetings and the Pittsburgh Pirates

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MLB Free Agency 2011 continues with most of the big names still on the market.

Aside from making a big splash by landing Carl Crawford or Cliff Lee, most Major League clubs will be looking to bolster their depth by adding veteran hitting and pitching.

As usual, there are plenty reliable role players available.

There are also a few players who you might want your favorite teams to ignore for one reason or another.

Here’s a look at 10 clubhouse cancers who could stir up trouble with their new clubs.

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Dear Doug,

I understand that you are a creature of habit. Sometimes that can be a good thing, but in 2010 it was a fatal flaw to the success of the Brewers. Strictly relying on offense to win games at the expense of solid pitching does not work. The San Francisco Giants went with solid pitching over offense, and you saw what happened. If you continue to solely rely on your offense, striking out at a pace reminiscent of a Bugs Bunny cartoon is totally unacceptable. These habits must be broken now if you are serious about winning and not just merely competing. The status quo will lead you to the unemployment line.  

Be Aggressive

You cannot sit back and wait for trade offers to pour in. Last season you admittedly waited for teams to call about Prince Fielder. Why? You knew there were interested parties. Everyone knew that. Sitting back waiting for the elusive perfect offer is a loser’s modus operandi. According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Brewers could “probably” have had Daniel Hudson from the White Sox for Prince in a one for one deal. But you wanted more. Now it seems Arizona has an ace in the making. Recently there have been rumors linking a trade of Fielder again to the White Sox for Edwin Jackson and Gordon Beckham. This would probably make the most sense if Rickie Weeks is traded. Beckham could step into Weeks’ spot at second base. I have always believed that if there is a player you covet, go ahead and overpay a little.You have to give to get what you want. I’m pretty sure that’s how it works anyway.

Don’t Rely on Old Veterans to Make Significant Contributions

Now there is a difference between a seasoned veteran and an old one. A seasoned veteran is similar to a Vladimir Guerrero, Aubrey Huff or even Melvin Mora. They may be past their prime, but they can still bring it. One name I would have to look closely at this off-season is Brandon Webb. An injury history yes. A chip on his shoulder? Most likely. He’s going to want to prove that he’s still got his old mojo working. While I don’t know what his contract demands will be, he should have little leverage since he has not pitched in almost two years. If you recall,l he’s got that heavy sinker which results in ground balls galore. Ground balls make me smile.

Old veterans include players like Gregg Zaun, Mike Sweeney and Jason Giambi. Relying on them for anything significant is pure foolishness. Offering a contract to Eric Hinske is a start. You might want to take a look at Adam LaRoche if you move Prince or even at Brad Hawpe. LaRoche would significantly upgrade the defense at first base and is a solid hitter. In Hawpe’s case, Corey Hart could move to first base with Hawpe taking over in right or Hawpe could just stay at first. He played 9 games there in 2010. Brad Hawpe had an off year in 2010 but is primed to bounce back.

Be Willing to Trade Prospects for Established Players

You did it with C.C. Sabathia, but why not since? How have Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley panned out for the Indians? That’s what I thought. There may be a couple of prospects you prefer not to part with and that’s understandable, but keep an open mind. If certain players become available, you should be willing to consider making Brett Lawrie, Jake Odorizzi, Amaury Rivas or Jeremy Jeffress available in a deal. A young veteran with a proven track record is worth much more than a couple of top prospects. You need to not only realize that, but be willing to make it happen when the right deal comes along. Even if one of those prospects becomes a really good player for someone else, you still have the player you wanted and he’s helping the team right now.

Don’t Overvalue Mediocre Talent in the Free Agent Market

Did you overpay for Randy Wolf last year? Probably, but at least he’s been relatively durable and consistently pitched a lot of innings. He has had six seasons of 30 plus starts and five seasons throwing 200 plus innings. His career ERA is more than respectable at 4.13.

Now on the other hand take a guy like Jorge de la Rosa. He has been touted by many as being in the next tier of pitchers in this free agent class after Cliff Lee. The former Brewer has had one season of 30 plus starts and the most innings he has ever pitched in a season is 185. Don’t even entertain the idea Mr. Melvin. He’s an average pitcher at best. You’ve had enough of those. You need to do better.

Seriously Consider Trading Rickie Weeks

This may be an unpopular idea to many, but hear me out. Yes he is a unique player, but he has significant flaws in his game, his free agency is fast approaching, and his injury history is significant. Those lasers he hits all over the field have a tendency to obscure the fact that a contract extension could be quite dangerous to the franchise.

Rickie has only played more than 130 games in a season one time which was in 2010. He struck out 184 times last season good for third in the National League. He did improve turning the double play and led the league in put outs. Unfortunately he was third in the N.L. in errors for second basemen and his fielding percentage of .980 was eighth. His fielding is still an adventure. I still cringe every time a ball is hit his way.I have a feeling you do as well.

Despite those shortcomings, his trade value may never be higher than it is right now, and his unique skill set is bound to interest a number of teams. At least dangle that carrot out there. There are at least 13 teams in need of a quality second baseman. Eric Farris, Brett Lawrie and Cutter Dykstra are all stacked up in the Brewer’s system just waiting for their chance. You have options.

 Build a Balanced and Competent Bench

You might want to have both right-handed and left-handed hitters on your bench this year. Maybe it’s just me, but that seems to make sense. It’s also imperative to have seasoned veterans on the bench that have been there and done that. Some players who make sense include Eric Hinske, David Eckstein, Reed Johnson, Gerald Laird and Ty Wiggington. All of them can still play and aren’t going to kill you if they have to start for period of time. I’m sure you recall just how productive Jody Gerut, Brad Nelson, Chris Duffy and Trent Durrington were. Don’t go there again. Brandon Boggs and Chris Dickerson are NOT the kind of players you should be looking for.

The Bottom Line

This Brewers team will not fix itself. That’s why you have your job. It may be helpful to keep this letter with you wherever you go. You never know when someone might give you a call. Better yet lay it down on your desk, give it a once over and dial some digits. Who knows? Something good may actually happen.

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The 2010 baseball season has come and gone.  To those who won your fantasy leagues, congratulations.  And to those who did not win, well, there’s always next year, right?

If you are part of that latter group, you may want to pay close attention here.  The following slides should give you a leg up on the rest of the competition.  

Sleeper picks are always handy to have in your back pocket because you can pull them out at just about any time in your draft, leaving the rest of the league thinking “Aw man, I forgot about him!”  Sleeper picks can be comprised of players who were injured for the majority of the previous season, or just had an off year and will likely fall down the ranks of many fantasy leagues while looking for a bounce-back season.

So here are my 2011 Fantasy Baseball sleeper picks.

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Carl Pavano is a fascinating example of the relationship between expectations and performance.

The 12-year major league veteran has pitched for 5 teams and earned over $47 million throughout the course of his career. There have been seasons in which he looked poised to become an ace (like in 2004 when he went 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA and made his first All-Star team with the Florida Marlins), and there have been seasons in which he looked like he might have to retire from baseball (like in 2008 when he only managed to pitch 34.1 innings with a 5.77 ERA while with the New York Yankees).

It’s like watching Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Is he an ace, or is he garbage?

The answer, it seems, is that Pavano’s performance largely depends upon which team he is pitching for. Take a look at his career ERA at his last three extended stops (ignoring the 125 innings he threw for Cleveland in 2009).

Florida (2002-2004): 3.64, 485.0 innings

New York (2005-2008): 5.00, 145.2 innings

Minnesota (2009-2010): 3.97, 294.2 innings

That seems like a rather unusual career path. Even in his five years as a young, up-and-coming pitcher for the Montreal Expos, Pavano’s ERA was still a respectable 4.83 over 452.2 innings. Why would a player who seemed on the cusp of stardom suddenly forget how to pitch once he got to New York?

The truth is that some players simply can’t handle the limelight and constant media attention that comes with playing in a big market city like New York, Boston, Chicago, or Los Angeles. There’s an intense amount of pressure to live up to expectations, which in Pavano’s case included a four-year, $38 million contract. Yankees’ fans expected Pavano to pitch like an ace and he crumbled, suffering countless injuries and setbacks (including missing the entire 2006 season) and managing only a meager nine wins in his four seasons in pinstripes.

Yet, once Pavano relocated to the small market haven of Minnesota, he reestablished himself as a major league pitcher. Now he’s a free agent again and on the look out for the last multi-year contract of his career.

Big market clubs better beware, though. Pavano doesn’t pitch so well when he’s sweating under the heat of all the cameras and lights focused on him.

What other players struggle to perform underneath the spotlight? Here’s a list of the top 10 riskiest free agents for big market teams.

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Among his dozens of cluttered notepads and hundreds of files containing scouting reports of players across Major League Baseball, Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti has the beginnings of an Opening Day roster plan stirring in the back of his mind.

Since the moment Colletti and team owner Frank McCourt announced a potential increased payroll budget for 2011, fans throughout Dodgertown have been imagining both the best and worst possible scenarios for the upcoming season.

Names such as Cliff Lee, Adam Dunn, Carl Crawford, Victor Martinez and Jayson Werth have been the talk of Tinseltown, yet with several minor tweaks and a few key additions, the Dodgers may not need to break the bank or sell the farm to once again emerge as contenders in the NL West.

On paper, the Boys in Blue weren’t as bad as their 2010 record suggested. However, problems with ownership, hostility within the coaching staff, and turmoil in the clubhouse created a negative chemistry which led to one of the more disappointing seasons in recent Dodgers history.

Colletti and new Los Angeles skipper Don Mattingly have been carefully assembling a coaching staff with all of the team’s best interests in mind, and with the proper bonding and a bit of luck, the Dodgers may create the exact type of locker room atmosphere which the squad desperately needs.

Of course, there are literally thousands of roster possibilities for next year, and a number of MLB experts and analysts are already tossing around names of players who may be taking the field at Chavez Ravine on Opening Day.

The following slides highlight seven bold predictions for the Dodgers’ Opening Day squad, offer a brief commentary for each and suggest a starting lineup against the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants on April 1.

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While the playoffs are now on the front burner, in the back of every baseball fan’s mind, or the front if your team has been eliminated from contention, is what moves the team will make this offseason.

Free agency is always a hot bed for debate, and every year there will be a fair share of diamonds in the rough as well as big time busts. Often times, contracts are a sign of the free agent class as a whole and not necessarily what the player is worth. Once the top tier guys start to get signed, teams that missed out often overpay for second tier guys, and so on.

So here are 10 players that I think have set themselves up to earn a big payday this off seasons, thanks to big seasons in 2010, or simply for lack of better options at their position, but will fall short of expectations not live up to their contract.

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Brandon Webb and the Diamondbacks finally have something to look forward to.

Webb is expected to make a September return and pitch for the bullpen.

Brandon Webb hasn’t pitched since April of 2009. Since then, he has been making a push to return from shoulder surgery performed in October of last year.

On Saturday, the 2006 NL Cy Young award winner was ecstatic after throwing a simulated game that “went so well.”

“I’m on cloud nine right now. It feels great. It doesn’t take much to get you back on the positive side and look forward and see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Webb’s simulation was 52 pitches, and afterwards left him visibly excited. D-backs pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre explained his pitches as “filthy.”

“Today, for me, was a huge breakthrough and a movement forward. Realistically, looking at what we have left in the season, the probability of him pitching now is high,” Stottlemyre said.

Webb was clocked in at 80 MPH, which is nothing great compared to when he is 100 percent. The D-backs are waiting until Webb can reach the mid-80s. It is not known how soon Webb will reach that velocity, but timing is a major factor in his return.

“If he can add a couple miles per hour more on his next statement and…if he can go get one more gear and sustain that and then fine-tune and harness his other stuff, then you could say…two or three of these more and he has a chance of getting out there,” Stottlemyre said.

Look for Webb to make a September return, barring any setbacks. We will see if Webb can return to his elite pitching status, being the former Cy Young award winner in 2006.

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Just a day after I had written off Brandon Webb’s season, he pops up in the news. I was correct in my supposition that he will not start again this year, but he may yet actually pitch (but call me skeptical).

Here is what Webb had to say about it:

“I think starting is now out of the question. Starting is unrealistic.”

“My arm feels good, but in order to face some batters, I need to get some more velocity. That’s the only thing that is standing in my way right now. I feel like if I get my velocity, if I throw a couple of ‘pens and a couple of simulated games, it’ll be right around Sept. 1 and no Minor Leagues are going to be playing, they’ll be done. I’ll have to throw out of the ‘pen here.”

Webb in the bullpen. Too bad it’s too late for the team. They could have used an arm like that a long time ago.

Of course, had he been able to pitch earlier in the year, the team would probably not be in the situation it is in now. That’s the difference an ace makes.

Webb – Haren = success on team

Webb + Haren = team success

Haren – Webb = disaster on team

Now don’t mistake this with saying that Haren is not a very good or even a great pitcher, but he has not been the ace that Webb was, and an ace makes a difference on the team.

We will soon find out if he can get back to that form. One thing I know is that if he can pitch in the bullpen, he will by default be the best option to close.

Follow me on Twitter: @happytrappedfan

You can also find me on Facebook as The (Happily) Trapped Fan

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No, this is not about a pitcher that gets better with age. This is simply about how a fan favorite and team ace can, in just a couple of years, become forgotten and seemingly disappear.

Brandon Webb’s career started with a bang, debuting in New York in 2003 and out-dueling Tom Glavine with seven scoreless innings and ten strikeouts. He finished his rookie season 10-9 with an ERA of 2.84. He was spectacular.

His sophomore season was a struggle. He battled control all season, leading the league in losses (16), walks (119), and wild pitches (17). In his defense, there was no defense behind him (Alex Cintron and Scott Hairston were his middle infielders) and the team was terrible. Even still, his ERA was a solid 3.59.

After a much improved 2005 campaign, he earned himself a $28 million contract.

With his new contract, Webb became a star in 2006, winning the National League Cy Young award with 16 wins, three shutouts, and only 50 walks. His sinker was considered the best in baseball.

The 2007 season saw him continue as an ace, but on a magical team. The Diamondbacks won their division and made it to the NLCS, all while sporting one of the youngest teams in the league.

Webb also put together his own magic, running a streak of 42 consecutive scoreless innings. I personally remembered the Orel Hershiser 1988 streak and how magical that was for me as a Dodger fan at the time.

I saw a lot of parallels between Webb and Hershiser. Both threw incredible sinkers, although Hershiser threw his a little harder and was called a “sinking fastball” as opposed to a “sinker” because it was thrown harder. Both wore No. 55 (Webb changed to 17 in ’07), both had amazing streaks, and both played for teams that overachieved to make the playoffs (I was in awe of how similar the ’07 D-backs were to the ’88 Dodgers and thought at the time that it was going to be another special championship year. It could have been).

Webb was the team’s best player and was loved by Phoenix fans not only for his performance, but also for his small-town charm and overall likability.

However, something happened during the 2008 season.

It was arguably his finest season, even when the team could not hold it together after a torrid start to the season. He went 22-7 with an ERA of 3.30, and many believe should have won his second Cy Young. He finished second, behind Tim Lincecum.

Amid the success he had, things changed. The team began to negotiate contract extensions for him and for teammate Dan Haren. Everyone knew that it was going to cost a lot, but that he would get one done.

Oddly, Haren got his extension first. Then, strangely, negotiations with Webb were “tabled” for unknown reasons. This was after the framework was reportedly in place for a three-year, $54 million deal.

Since the reasons were kept quiet, some fans started talking about how he was trying to cash in and being selfish. Webb was hurt by this, and even went on the radio to plead his case.

Although he never came out and said it, nor did his performance go down, he seemed hurt by how things were handled.

There was also an ESPN The Magazine feature on him and his off-day routine. It did one of two things for fans. It either made him look amazingly talented that he didn’t work out much, didn’t study video or scouting reports, and played around between starts, or it made him look lazy.

The fact that he did not end up winning the Cy Young award seemed to bother him, too. He frequently mentioned his win total and how no one with his amount of wins had not won the award unless another had that many as well.

The 2009 season lasted four innings for Webb. Shoulder tightness took him out of the game and he hasn’t pitched for the team since.

Not long after this, it was leaked that the reason for his contract talks being tabled was because of abnormalities in his shoulder, meaning his contract could not be insured.

Then, the shoulder issue went from not missing a start, to a few weeks, to no surgery needed, to yes, he needed surgery. Of course, surgery didn’t happen until August, so five months passed that were essentially wasted.

The local media and fans wondered why it took so long for the decision.

When his shoulder surgery happened, I was reminded again of Orel Hershiser, who had reconstructive shoulder surgery in 1990, just two years after his magical 1988 season. He was never the same dominant pitcher he was, but he went on to win another 107 big league games and was a very good player.

The team decided to exercise the $8.5 million option for the 2010 season, citing that basically they had no choice if they wanted to compete as a team. That turned out to be a very poor business decision.

Move forward to 2010 spring training and there was hope that he would be ready to pitch early in the season. No progress was made.

He missed the start of the season, hoping to pitch for the team by June. Then July. Then six-to-eight starts total. Now it is doubtful he will pitch again this year. At this point, it would actually surprise me if he pitches another big league game ever.

The worst part is that there has been nothing physically wrong with his shoulder for months. He just hasn’t been comfortable and has been fighting mechanics.

It hasn’t been a loud clamoring, but there have been whispers by fans and media that he is just sitting on his option money. Louder has been the criticism of his mental toughness and dedication (which leads us fans to believe the ESPN The Magazine feature was an indictment of his laziness or lack of toughness).

It really is a shame. Webb was a true ace, a streak-buster, a guy you could send to the hill and feel all but certain of a victory. He was a difference-maker. He goes down, and the team falls apart.

Now he is a dead man walking (at the very least, he should be a dead man pitching or should have been one of the trades). No one sees him the way they once did. He is not exactly despised, but he is basically an afterthought, something puzzling with a former ace.

I wonder what will happen in the future. Obviously, there will be no big contract coming. If he comes back and is the Brandon Webb we all saw from 2003 and from ’05-’08, then we can figure that there was something personal going on with him and the team or something.

From the perspective of a baseball fan in general, I hope that Webb makes a full recovery and can dominate like he once did.

From the view of the Diamondbacks fan, I secretly hope he is never the same, because then it would mean all of it was real and not some spiteful way of getting back at the team for not giving him the extension to begin with.

On the bright side, there is a young pitcher in Barry Enright that reminds me of Webb’s rookie year. I may be way off the mark, but with two years of terrible baseball in Arizona and wasted money (Webb, Eric Byrnes, Bobby Howry, the GM/manager combo), I’m looking for anything to grasp onto.

Follow me on Twitter: @happytrappedfan

You can also find me on Facebook as The (Happily) Trapped Fan

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