Zack Greinke was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers around 9:30 Sunday morning. Does this announcement make him an automatic favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award? After all, he did win the award in the American League in 2009. Here are 10 pitchers who will compete with Greinke for the award in 2011.
Tag: Clayton Kershaw
Fantasy Baseball Top 20 Starting Pitchers for 2011
This is an extremely rough first draft of my pitching rankings and faces a lot of changes as the offseason progresses (as well as being expanded significantly). Keep that in mind as you look things over.
While the top pick is clear-cut, after that things are extremely wide open. Especially from about 14 through 25 (though not all are shown on the rankings), there is likely to be a lot of movement because all of the pitchers are so closely bunched together. Let’s take a look at how things currently stand:
- Roy Halladay – Philadelphia Phillies
- Felix Hernandez – Seattle Mariners
- Tim Lincecum – San Francisco Giants
- Jon Lester – Boston Red Sox
- CC Sabathia – New York Yankees
- Clayton Kershaw – Los Angeles Dodgers
- Adam Wainwright – St. Louis Cardinals
- Ubaldo Jimenez – Colorado Rockies
- Justin Verlander – Detroit Tigers
- Jered Weaver – Los Angeles Angels
- Francisco Liriano – Minnesota Twins
- Yovani Gallardo – Milwaukee Brewers
- Cliff Lee – Free Agent
- Josh Johnson – Florida Marlins
- Chris Carpenter – St. Louis Cardinals
- Clay Buchholz – Boston Red Sox
- Mat Latos – San Diego Padres
- Cole Hamels – Philadelphia Phillies
- Tommy Hanson – Atlanta Braves
- Zack Greinke – Kansas City Royals
Just Missed: Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants; Roy Oswalt, Philadelphia Phillies; David Price, Tampa Bay Rays; Dan Haren, Los Angeles Angels; Ricky Nolasco, Florida Marlins
- For as good as Ubaldo Jimenez was for the first two months of the season, he had some real struggles (at times) after that. There’s no doubt he’s entrenched himself as one of the elite starting pitchers in the game, but his .273 BABIP could really regress. We’ll touch on him again in much more detail, but I wouldn’t over draft him based on his early season performance.
- Where Cliff Lee ultimately lands will help determine exactly where he belongs on these rankings. His spot is probably the most in flux at this point.
- Surprised at Mat Latos’ presence? His performance at Petco Park alone (2.59 ERA) gives us a lot to like. When you add in his strikeout upside (10.6 minor league K/9) and solid control, there is reason to believe he could develop into a SP1 this season. He emerged last season and should continue to be one of the better options available.
- Is Zack Greinke going to be traded or not? For now, he’ll hang on at the bottom of these rankings, after he struggled in 2010, but if he gets traded to a contender, his value will increase significantly. If he doesn’t, he is likely to find himself off the list completely.
- Wainwright or Kershaw? Kershaw or Wainwright? That’s certainly going to be an interesting debate as the offseason progresses.
- Yovani Gallardo has the stuff to be among the best of the best, if he could only put it together for a full season (5.77 ERA after the All Star Break). His overall numbers are nothing to complain about (3.84 ERA, 200 K), but there is so much more that could.
What are your thoughts on these rankings? Whose too high? Whose too low?
Make sure to check out our early 2011 rankings:
- Top 15 Catchers
- Top 15 First Basemen
- Top 15 Second Basemen
- Top 15 Third Basemen
- Top 15 Shortstops
- 2011 Fantasy Draft First Round Breakdown
THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM
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Clayton Kershaw: Is the Dodgers Ace Being Bullied by Los Angeles Management?
After the Los Angeles Dodgers recently signed both Ted Lilly and Hiroki Kuroda to lucrative contracts, lefty ace Clayton Kershaw can’t help but sit scratching his head with concern.
In 2009, at only 21 years of age, Kershaw’s salary was $404,000—just $4,000 over the league minimum.
And after proving to the team that he is indeed one of the brightest future stars of the Dodgers franchise, Los Angeles awarded him a $40,000 raise in 2010.
That’s right, while Lilly and Kuroda each earned over $10 million last year, Kershaw was shining among the best in the business while collecting his meager $440,000 salary.
Even George Sherrill ($4.5 million) and Vicente Padilla ($5.025 million) both banked at least 10 times more cash than Kershaw last season.
It is, however, fair to say that Kershaw’s situation isn’t completely out of the norm; and after only two full years of MLB service, his salary fits well within the guidelines set by Major League Baseball.
General Manager Ned Colletti and team owner Frank McCourt probably find it difficult to forget that they paid Kershaw a $2.3 million signing bonus back in 2006, which at the time was the highest in Dodgers history.
With the signing bonus still in mind, perhaps Colletti and McCourt believed that Kershaw’s 2010 salary was somewhat justified; yet when first-round draft choice Zach Lee was awarded a $5.25 million signing bonus this year, Kershaw took a backseat once again.
Kershaw is pre-arbitration eligible this winter, which basically means he will get paid whatever the Dodgers want to pay him. The only stipulations are that he makes at least the league minimum, which is $400,000, and the salary must be at least 80 percent of last year’s compensation.
While pre-arbitration is still considered a two-sided negotiation, and the player involved has the option to refuse a deal, the club still has the choice to pay whatever salary it wishes during this stage of the player’s career.
After the 2011 season, Kershaw will become arbitration eligible, which means each side will submit a prospective salary, and if an agreement can’t be reached, both the team and the player will take part in a hearing in front of a panel of three arbitrators.
Still, with all of those guidelines in mind, there’s nothing that prevents Ned Colletti from offering Kershaw something like a three-year, $20 million contract today. And he would certainly deserve every dime of it.
Whether or not Clayton Kershaw is actually ace material isn’t the question at hand, but what is important to remember is that he is far and away the most talented pitcher in the starting rotation.
Last year, Kershaw led all Dodgers starters with 13 wins, 212 strikeouts, over 204 innings pitched and a stellar 2.91 ERA. On September 14 against the San Francisco Giants, he threw the first shutout of his young career, and perhaps his most impressive win of the season occurred on May 9, when he outdueled Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies by throwing eight innings of two-hit shutout ball while earning the win.
Immediately after the Lilly and Kuroda signings, some fans across Dodgertown were almost bitter with the amount of money offered in the deals, being that Los Angeles needs to upgrade in quite a few areas in order to make a push for the playoffs in 2011. And the problem is that while having obvious limits, the overall payroll can be distorted and constrained very quickly, putting several of the younger players in a position to earn less than their actual value.
The underlying point is after the 2011 campaign, more than a handful of the Los Angeles players will be eligible for free agency; and after 2013, Kershaw himself may be eligible, depending what type of contract he is offered in the future.
The players remember times like these—and more often than not, the way a player is rewarded determines whether they walk or stay come free agency time.
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Outlook Not So Sunny at Chavez Ravine
As we start another offseason of Dodger baseball, this one seems to have a much bigger impact on the landscape of the franchise than most.
With the McCourt’s fighting over the control of the team, free agency questions looming, and deciding on weather to hold on to or cut ties with some of the young faces that have helped mold the franchise. And all this while the Dodgers are breaking in a new manager, Don Mattingly.
The McCourt ownership in Los Angeles seems to have been built on a very unstable foundation to begin with. In 2004, Frank McCourt’s purchase of the Los Angeles Dodgers was financed mainly by debt.
So maybe this all shouldn’t come to us as such a shock. Questions have always loomed regarding the allocation of the teams profits. So are the McCourts just interested in living the lavish billionaire lifestyle?
Their many multimillion dollar homes located around Southern California and the dwindling Dodger payroll sure paint that picture.
Since taking over the Dodgers in 2004, under the McCourt ownership, the team has a 601-541 record. Now that’s nothing to look down on, but with the divorce running the organization through the mud; how much longer can it last.
Last year was a tough season for Dodger fans to sit through and the frustration is really starting to built (news of higher ticket prices in 2011 isn‘t helping matters).
This is not the type of selling point you would like to go into free agency with. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti will have his work cut out for him this offseason, as he tries to lure top free-agent talent with mid-level dollar contracts. With payroll mostly likely not to claim for the 2011 season, the Dodgers most avoid contract disasters such as the recent Jason Schmidt, Juan Pierre, and Andruw Jones.
The Dodgers need arms and they don’t come cheap these days. And what do the Dodgers do about free agents to be Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda, and Vicente Padilla? With the exception of Padilla’s bulging disk, all were viable starters. With Kershaw and Billingsley under contract (Billingsley is eligible for arbitration) spots three through five are open for the taking.
Other than Hong-Chih Kuo and the surprising Kenley Jansen, the bullpen is in need of a major makeover. And with another season in the books and yet another Broxton second half meltdown has caused the Dodgers to scramble for closer; a role they thought they had locked up for years to come. Maybe the young catcher turned hurler, Jensen, can fill that spot for the blue crew.
It wasn’t only the pitchers having trouble getting and staying on track, but Ethier, Kemp and Loney all failed to produce the type of numbers in the second that they showed prior to the all-star break. Colletti has shown his support for his young core in LA since seasons end, being quoted saying, “As of right now, I still have a lot of faith in them. But they all need to be better next year for us to be successful.”
The biggest position question this year is behind the plate. With Russell Martin still recovering from a hip injury suffered during the season and Brad Ausmus announcing his retirement; that leaves A.J. Ellis and free agent to be Rod Barajas as their options before free agency starts. Colletti is expected to make a run at Barajas.
Don Mattingly kicked off his managerial duties on Tuesday in Phoenix, Arizona. Mattingly managed the Phoenix Desert Dogs of the AFL to a 8-3 loss against the Mesa Solar Sox. Mattingly does have one change that he plans to inject into this Dodger farm system: “discipline.” He’s off and running.
For just a minute, let’s remember what drove us to the ballpark in truck loads for the late evening night games under the lights and those beautiful warm summer day games under the sun. Here’s to hoping for bright blue skies and the starry nights under the LA nights once again…And hoping they can field a contender with the turmoil surrounding the organization.
Because this really is the dark days of Dodger Blue.
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San Francisco Giants Lose Series Opener Against Los Angeles Dodgers, 1-0
Up against the young Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw, the Giants failed to score a run. Barry Zito, too, was dealing for a while until the sixth inning, when he hit Reed Johnson with a pitch and then walked Rafael Furcal and Andre Ethier. With the bases loaded and two outs, SS Juan Uribe bobbled a groundball, allowing Reed Johnson to score.
Zito was then taken out of the game because of bad numbers against Kemp in his career. His final line: 5.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 5 K. The Giants reached base only four times in the entire game, but a few positives can still be taken from this:
First of all, Cody Ross wasn’t hitless. The man playing center, Aaron Rowand, was hitless, however. If Cody Ross keeps hitting, which he is clearly capable of, and Rowand keeps struggling, which he is clearly capable of, Cody Ross will soon be the starting center fielder.
He’s no Andres Torres, but he’s certainly a big step up from Aaron Rowand. He plays better outfield defense, and his bat has a bigger upside than Aaron Rowand, who seems to consistently linger around a .230 batting average.
The second positive, and probably more important, is that Barry Zito pitched well for the second start in a row. This means that the Giants rotation is consistently serviceable from top to bottom. For a team that is built around their rotation, this is highly critical.
The third and final positive, once again, relates to Torres’ absence. Of the Giants’ four hits, Freddy Sanchez had two of them. With Torres gone, Freddy Sanchez needs to fulfill the role of a table-setter. Batting in front of Buster Posey, Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, and company, he needs to get on base, so he can be the one scoring those runs.
When the Giants score three runs or more, their record is 72-22. That’s the best of any team in the majors, but they need to be able to score three runs. Tuesday night, they couldn’t score a run. And it’s excusable, because they were facing Clayton Kershaw, one of the best pitchers in the National League.
But the Giants will continue to face good pitching, though: Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Yovani Gallardo, Ryan Dempster, and the list goes on and on.
Tomorrow Matt Cain will face Chad Billingsley. It will most likely be a pitcher’s duel, as most of the Giants games have been recently. The Giants, thus, will need to execute small ball: getting bunts down, taking extra bases, etc. If there’s a runner on third with less than two outs, it’s absolutely critical that they get that guy in. There’s no excuse for not being able to hit a sacrifice fly.
The Giants are still in great shape. Only six remaining games against winning teams, 11 of their 17 remaining games are at home, and they have a couple of days of rest in the remaining weeks, which will hopefully keep them fresh. One and a half games back in the National League West, and one and a half games back in the National League Wild Card. They’re in the thick of things right now.
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Los Angeles Dodgers: The 10 Brightest Spots of an Otherwise Disappointing Season
Many words may be used to characterize the ups and downs of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2010 season, but from the standpoint of the fans, the best fitting description would be nothing short of “disappointing.”
Normally, most teams who don’t achieve the goals and ambitions that were set in spring training have the entire offseason to rebuild and regain focus, but in the case of the Dodgers, there are numerous off-field situations that seemingly need resolving before the team can move forward.
The decision regarding current manager Joe Torre’s future in Dodger Blue may be coming in the next week or two once Los Angeles is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs; however, all signs are pointing to the fact that the organization is still undecided on Joe’s replacement if he does indeed decide to pack his bags.
Unless Frank and Jamie McCourt reach a settlement before their divorce trial resumes on September 20, the court’s ruling regarding future ownership of the club may not be arriving until sometime in December.
Also, with the uncertainty as to whom will be controlling the team in 2011 comes the question marks of the payroll parameters heading into next season.
More than a handful of current Los Angeles players are facing possible arbitration with the team, yet with next year’s budget still unpredictable, the Dodgers may even decide not to negotiate with these players at all.
Regardless what happens in the winter, the Boys in Blue hope to develop a new, sharper focus, and build on the positives that were displayed in 2010.
The following slides illustrate 10 of those bright spots and offer a few words of commentary as to how the Dodgers’ organization will benefit from them moving forward.
2010 Fantasy Baseball: Kinsler, Tulo, Rasmus Hot; Jeter, Johnson, Kershaw Not
Let’s take a look at some of the bigger stories that developed yesterday:
Three Hot
Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler
There was a lot to like from the Rangers last night, from their offensive explosion to Derek Holland (5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K, W), who has a chance to emerge in the Rangers rotation not only for the final few weeks of 2010, but for 2011 as well.
One of the most notable performances, however, was from Kinsler. He went 2-5 with 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, and 1 SB, doing a little bit of everything while hitting out of the leadoff spot in Elvis Andrus’ absence. It was only his third game batting first in 2010, and he showed us just how dynamic of a player he can be when healthy. Could he stick in the leadoff spot even when Andrus returns to the lineup? It’s doubtful, but you never really know. Still, seeing this type of performance gives us hope that he can be the type of player down the stretch that we have been waiting for all year long.
Colorado Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki
Wasn’t he supposed to be having problems with his power thanks to the wrist injury? He hit another two home runs last night, giving him five home runs in his last six games. In his last seven, he has 13 RBI. We all know that he is one of the elite players in the game and has the potential to keep this hot stretch going for the final few weeks of the season. Taking him early in your draft doesn’t look quite as bad now, does it?
St. Louis Cardinals OF Colby Rasmus
Since the drama unfolded between Rasmus and Tony La Russa, Rasmus has suddenly found himself in the lineup everyday. Coincidence? Who knows, but fantasy owners have to hope that he takes advantage of the opportunity that is now being awarded him. He either does his thing and proves that he belongs to be a mainstay in the middle of the Cardinals lineup, or he struggles. Over the last four games he’s gone 5-13 with 1 RBI and 2 R. Time will tell if he can really turn it up, but fantasy owners have to relish this time and keep him active in all five-outfielder formats.
Three Not
New York Yankees SS Derek Jeter
After going 0-4 yesterday, Jeter’s average fell to .262. In fact, he hasn’t had a multi-hit game since August 21. In that time he’s gone 8-61 (.131) with 1 HR and 3 RBI. Yes, he’s still been able to score a few runs, but he clearly isn’t performing up to the standards fantasy owners have become accustomed to. The struggles have stretched even further then that, however. Since June 1 he’s gone 84-355, a .237 average. It’s tough to move him to your bench, because you have to think that he’s going to wake up sooner or later.
Florida Marlins SP Josh Johnson
Josh Johnson was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday, and now the Miami Herald’s Clark Spencer is reporting that, “The Marlins have announced that Josh Johnson has right shoulder inflammation and a mid-back strain, but that there is no structural damage.” (Click here for the full post).
While that would seem like good news, as Spencer points out, there is currently no word on when, or if, Johnson could take the mound again. Considering where the Marlins are, there is a very real possibility that they shut him down for the season. That certainly is not what fantasy owners want to hear, but start planning, just in case.
L.A. Dodgers SP Clayton Kershaw
According to mlb.com (click here for the article), the Los Angeles Dodgers will push Clayton Kershaw’s next start back to Tuesday in an effort to protect his arm. Instead of pitching against the Astros on Saturday (John Ely will take this start), he will take on the Giants in San Francisco. As of now, they are saying that there will be no other adjustments, but having thrown 183.1 innings and with the Dodgers more or less out of contention, we will need to watch this closely. He’s a must start option, regardless, so simply adjust your roster plans for now.
What are your thoughts?
Make sure to check out our extremely early 2011 rankings:
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
2011 Los Angeles Dodgers Fantasy Roster By Position
Preface: This article is not just the best players at each position, no matter the circumstances (payroll, player preferences, owners, etc). The criteria used for the article includes all of the before mentioned attributes and they are factored in to each position.
The 2010 season is over for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Faithful fans are still watching, but the Boys in Blue are really only mathematically in it, not realistically.
As such, many are already looking forward to next season, and what could be for the Dodgers under certain circumstances.
Here are the optimal choices at each position, given payroll expenses and availability. For the sake of structure, only 2011 free agents are considered, although free agents with potential options in their contract are included.
According to mlbtraderumors.com, the Dodgers will still owe $15 million in deferred payments to former outfielders Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones.
The Dodgers will have $40 million to play with right out of the gate, but they’ll have Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla to resign, and both are expected to ask for higher salaries.
“Andre Ethier, Rafael Furcal, Jonathan Broxton, and Matt Kemp account for the raises. More increases will be due to arbitration-eligibles: Chad Billingsley, James Loney, and Hong-Chih Kuoenter their second year, Russell Martin his third, and George Sherrill his fourth.”
Sherill will most likely be non-tendered as well due to his poor performance and high $5 million salary.
When all is said and done, the Dodgers will have a payroll around $100 million-$120 million, with about a $35 million-$50 million allowance.
Of course, all this depends on the status of the divorce between Frank and Jamie McCourt.
Hurlers for the Hall 3: AL and NL West
The pitchers of the AL and NL West may not be the best to use as a finale in my Future Hall of Fame series. Unlike all of the groups I’ve done, there have been no sure-fire candidates, like a Chipper Jones or a Mariano Rivera. This is largely due to the youth of the group in question. I struggled to find any pitchers in their 30s who had any sort of a chance at all (the last cut resulting in the loss of Barry Zito-yes, I really was that desperate for players). But then, maybe it’s fitting that I finish with the youngest, most potential filled group.
And, because I know you’re all dying to know, the only chance Barry Zito has of coming close to the Hall is if he becomes Jamie Moyer, Mark II: the soft-throwing lefty with good command and movement who somehow hangs around racking up wins into his mid-40s.
And so, onto the real analysis.
Dodgers Win 2011 World Series: A What If? Timeline
The Los Angeles Dodgers are fading fast, and are already eying the San Francisco Giants with a fleeting hope of making a remarkable comeback and a wild-card berth.
Realistically, the Dodgers are most likely turning their focus to 2011, and the uncertainty that lies on the horizon.
It is becoming more possible that the McCourts, Frank and Jamie, will be ordered to sell the team while they can’t settle marital differences. A new owner would likely provide some financial stability.
Several Dodgers will be free agents at the end of the 2010 season, including James Loney, Hiroki Kuroda, Manny Ramirez, and Vicente Padilla.
In addition to the potential loss of key players, the Dodgers will still be paying estranged outfielders Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones.
With all the turmoil of under-performing players along with injuries and soap-opera drama in the front office, there is a brighter outlook for devoted fans…