The first (extended) week of the baseball season has come and gone and it brought with it several surprising performances: From breakout rookie performances to former top talents finally looking like they are putting it together to veterans finding that spark once more.
Here are 10 players that are worth adding if you are looking to fill a hole.
Note: The number in the parentheses is the percent-owned in all ESPN Fantasy Leagues.
It is no secret that the New York Yankees will be shopping for starting pitching.
How desperately has yet to be seen, as spring training just started and all eyes will be on the mound. It is comforting that the Bronx Bombers have the trade-bait to lure teams.
Trades with teams who don’t look to be in contention pre-All-Star break are especially likely, as it then makes perfect sense to begin looking towards next season and to trade a top pitcher who still has market-value.
Rumors are swirling of talks between the Yankees and Chicago White Sox trade, specifically about Edwin Jackson and how much he would cost for the Bombers to attain him.
Is this trade a good idea for the Yankees?
This is tough question, as even I can’t decide if Jackson would excel in the Bronx. The Yankees have to see what holes can be filled internally and what prospects and players they are willing to give up.
So, let’s weigh out both 10 pros and cons on whether trading for Edwin Jackson is worthwhile.
Clayton Richard- 13-9, 3.71 ERA
Clayton has been a big part of the Padres’ first place pitching staff. He has racked up nearly 200 innings while giving his team a chance to win. I’ve heard numerous Sox fans wishing he were still in our rotation this season.
However, I don’t think he’s that big a loss based on a few factors.
The biggest one is that he is in a very good situation that helps his numbers. Not only is he in the NL, which features shallower lineups, but he pitches half of his game at Petco Park, one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in the league.
That shows in his splits from this season: his ERA is 3.15 at home and 4.37 away from Petco Park. In fact, his ERA+ (which is park-adjusted) is below league average this season.
How much worse would those numbers look if he were still on the Sox, pitching in homer-friendly US Cellular Field against lineups that feature a designated hitter?
Richard also puts a lot of guys on base, as shown in his 1.40 WHIP. If not for his solid .7 homers per nine rate and 74.8% strand rate (both career lows), his ERA could be a fair amount higher.
Finally, Clayton just turned 27, making him several years older than the other two pitchers featured in this article. He probably doesn’t have as much upside because of it.
While his numbers might look decent on paper, Richard doesn’t look like a guy the Sox will miss long term.
Gio Gonzalez– 14-9, 3.35 ERA
Gio has been a personal favorite of mine since I saw his devastating curve ball in draft prospect video. I wasn’t particularly happy when the Sox traded him (twice), but his lack of control made it look like a non-issue until this season. The 25 year old has taken a major leap forward this year.
While most teams would kill to get a talented young lefty like Gonzalez, there are still two things to consider when evaluating his production.
First, much like Richard, Gonzalez is much better at his spacious home park than he is on the road. Gio has a stellar 2.56 home ERA but a much more pedestrian 4.22 ERA. That said, a 4.22 is still pretty good considering he pitches in the American League, as shown by his 125 ERA+ this season.
The other concern is that his actual ERA is far lower than his expected ERA of 4.22. He’s struggled with home runs in the past, but has kept the ball in the park much more frequently this year. He also stranded 77.2% of runners this year, much higher than his past rates. Also, though four walks per nine innings isn’t a great rate, that is his career best.
Still, I’m much more of a believer in Gonzalez than Richard. He just turned 25 and was selected as a first round compensation pick, suggesting that he is younger and more talented as well as pitching better this season.
Daniel Hudson- 8-2, 2.45 ERA
Hudson has been lights out since he was traded to the Diamondbacks, posting a 1.69 ERA and a 70/16 strikeout to walk ratio in the national league. Though Edwin Jackson has been solid for the Sox, this trade looks pretty painful.
On top of that, Hudson is still only 23 and doesn’t have a full year of MLB service time yet. That means that his contract will be extremely cheap for another three seasons before he is eligible for arbitration. He’d be highly useful to the Sox given the financial crunch the Sox face this off-season (more in a future article).
His numbers are stellar this season, so any question marks about Dan are related to the big picture.
There’s simply no way he’s going to sustain a sub-2 ERA forever, so what can we expect from Hudson? Is he still a #3 type starter like so many suggested entering this season, or has he shown he can do more? Will teams hit him better when they see him more often?
We won’t really know the answer to those questions until next season.
Wrap-up
The Sox appear to have a solid rotation locked up for next season, so this may be a bit of nitpicking. However, it’s hard to ignore that the Sox have given up three productive major league starters with relatively little return so far and a lot of money committed to the players they acquired.
The biggest thing these starters would have given the Sox is cost certainty, with none of them being arbitration eligible until at least 2012. Hudson in particular would be under team control for several more years. With over $40 mil committed to 4 starters already and John Danks needing an extension soon, the extra money committed will be a big issue the next few years.
Hopefully this will all be a moot point in a few years, but the early returns don’t look particularly good.
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A funny thing happened to the Chicago White Sox on their way to a disappointing offseason.
They decided to get off the mat and play baseball.
Two weeks ago, it had been 19 days since they had won a series. In that span their record was 5-11. Eight of the 11 losses were by two runs or fewer.
The bullpen was faltering and fighting through injury. Key cogs of the offense were struggling, and it seemed the starting rotation was finally tiring.
Flash back to early June, when the Sox sat 9.5 games out of first place. The offense was nonexistent. The bullpen was inconsistent (save for Sergio Santos). The starters? Less than persistent.
Then the Sox started to streak. They ran off a disgusting 25-5 record from June 9 to the All-Star Break and finished the first half in first place.
Just as they did then, the Sox have come alive right when everyone counted them out, and with the rival Twins pulling out close games, the stage is set for an exciting finish to the season in the AL Central.
“We Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”
The fabled “dog days of August” looked as if they had stopped the Fighting Sox in their tracks as they limped back into Chicago.
They had just dropped 2 of 3 games to the Royals in exhausting fashion: all three games went to extra innings and rain forced a Saturday night doubleheader that started at 6:10 pm and ended well after 2 in the morning.
Yet, after that dreadful week of play, the White Sox were only 4.5 back of Minnesota. Five games might have spelled the end of the season, certainly a much harder mountain to climb. But 4.5 games were manageable.
The Sox had a chance to make a move, to put some pressure on the Twinkies. And they have.
A perfect 7-0 week and a 10-3 record since August 23 has the White Sox not only 3.5 games out of first, but six games out of the AL Wild Card lead.
Suddenly, Sox fans are doing something they hardly ever do.
Hope.
The Final Foes
As the MLB season winds into the final 25 games, the Sox and Twins once again find themselves vying for the AL Central crown.
Both squads have been beset by injuries to key players–Joe Nathan, Justin Morneau, and Jason Kubel have gone down for the Twins, while Jake Peavy, Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz have seen time on the disabled list for the White Sox.
As of late, both teams have been able to get the timely hit while receiving some welcome luck. Case in point: Michael Young’s “phantom clap” that gave Minnesota a 6-5 victory over Texas on Sunday, along with Brandon Inge’s overturned home run yesterday that allowed the South Siders to outlast Detroit 5-4 in 10 innings.
Needless to say, the three-game series in Chicago next week will be huge. However, there are three other sets to watch for White Sox fans:
Sep. 20-22 at Oakland
The final road trip of the season starts at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, which has not been kind to the Sox in years past. The A’s are well out of the AL West race, but boast a pesky lineup and a young pitching staff on the cusp of stardom. A letdown could be possible after facing Minnesota and Detroit at home, so the ChiSox need to stay alert.
Sep. 27-30 vs. Boston
The BoSox suffered a humiliating sweep at the hands of the Pale Hose this weekend and may have folded up the tent for the season. It remains to see if they have a run at the Wild Card left in them, but they remain a quality team with great pitching. A rematch with Cy Young candidate Clay Buchholz will test the White Sox’s mettle.
Sep. 17-19 vs. Detroit
On July 10, the Tigers were 11 games over .500 and in first place. Now, they’re in third and all but out of contention after a post-All-Star break swoon. Rick Porcello has had a sub-par season and rookie Brennan Boesch has come to earth after a torrid start to the season. Still, the (Paper) Tigers will come to play at U.S. Cellular following the Twins series, especially if the Sox win the next three at Comerica Park.
Winning Time
With the acquisition of Manny Ramirez, Kenny Williams officially made the decree that the White Sox were in it to not only win the division, but make noise in the playoffs. Manny has done his part, going 7 for 16 since joining the Sox.
Of course, Chicago has to make the playoffs first. As a Tampa Bay collapse is unlikely, the AL Central is the viable prize. That means beating the Twins (and Tigers) in Chicago next week.
As Magic Johnson once said about the Chicago Bulls, it’s winning time. Those Bulls had Michael Jordan to step up and be the hero.
One wonders if this year’s Windy City savior will have significantly more hair.
Until next time, keep waving the Pennant.
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After shellacking the Chicago White Sox 12-6 on Tuesday night, the Minnesota Twins have moved into first place in the AL Central by one game.
Both teams are hot, with the Twins winning 12 and the White Sox winning 10 of the teams’ last 15 games. White Sox have gone 39-16 since June 8th, overcoming a horrendous start to get to this point, while the Twins have gone 19-10 since the All-Star break without one of, if not their best, hitters.
It looks as though the race in the AL Central will once again come down to the final week of the season, and perhaps another 163rd game is in order.
For the Detroit Tigers, the season is all but over, as the team went from leading the division a day before the All-Star break to sitting 10 games back in third place thanks to a 5-22 record since then.
For the most part we know what we are getting from the players on the White Sox and Twins; however, there are players on both squads who can fluctuate either way and will eventually make or break their team’s chances of getting to the postseason.
Today we will take a look at five players who could decide the AL Central.
Here’s a look at the unheralded players who played well yesterday.
Brian Matusz, Baltimore Orioles (pictured)
Matusz got a no-decision despite allowing one run on three hits in six innings. He has allowed two runs in 12 innings in his last two starts to lower his ERA to 5.08.
Edwin Jackson, Chicago White Sox
Jackson gave up a run with 7 Ks in a six-inning no-decision. He has allowed two runs with 13 Ks in 13 innings in two starts since being dealt to Chicago, and is 7-10 with a 4.83 ERA on the year.
Skip Schumaker, St. Louis Cardinals
Schumaker went 2-4 with a Grand Slam to raise his average to .260.
Yuniesky Betancourt, Kansas City Royals
Betancourt went 3 for 3 with a HR (9) and two RBIs (48) to raise his average to .263.
Doug Fister, Seattle Mariners
Fister gave up one run with five strikeouts in six innings to improve to 4-8 with a 3.86 ERA. He has lost some of his luster, but is still a solid WHIP & ERA option in deep leagues.
Potent Middle Relievers
Matt Thornton, CHW 1 IP, 0 Runs, 3 Ks (60 Ks, 44 IP)
Carlos Fisher, CIN 3-1/3 IP, 0 Runs, 5 Ks
Bill Bray, CIN 1 IP, 0 Runs, 2 Ks (14 Ks, 12-2/3 IP)
Phil Coke, DET 1 IP, 0 Runs, 2 Ks (38 Ks, 45 IP)
Esmerling Vasquez, ARI 1 IP, 0 Runs, 3 Ks (44 Ks, 41 IP)
D.J. Carrasco, ARI 1 IP, 0 Runs, 2 Ks (48 Ks, 59-2/3 IP)
Guillermo, SF 1 IP, 0 Runs, 2 Ks (29 Ks, 42-2/3 IP)
Javier Lopez, SF 2/3 IP, 0 Runs, 2 Ks (26 Ks, 43 IP)
Originally published at LestersLegends.com.
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Now that Matt Garza has provided us with the fifth no-hitter of the season we might as well rank the great performances we have seen. It is apparent that the steroids-era in baseball is over.
As the trade deadline approaches, it is becoming apparent that Adam Dunn has a better chance to be traded by July 31st then to remain a long-term part of the Washington Nationals.
Rumors abound that Dunn is perturbed at the Nationals’ perceived lack of urgency in getting a contract extension completed .
Also, during the second inning of Saturday’s game with the Milwaukee Brewers went upstairs and had an on-air visit with Brewers’ radio man Bob Uecker.
Nationals’ manager Jim Riggleman told reporters that he didn’t want to hear about it, and Dunn said on Monday that “I could care less if I get in trouble for going up and seeing my guy after he had heart surgery. I’ll pay my fine.”
It doesn’t sound like things are too copacetic between the team and the first baseman, at least for the moment.
Okay, so the chances of Dunn resigning with the Nationals seem unlikely, leaving the team with two options. They can either trade him between now and Saturday, or allow him to leave this winter as a free agent and get two additional draft pick in next summer’s amateur draft.
But really, the Nationals can’t afford to let their highest profile hitter walk away, and get back a couple of players who may—or may not—turn into major league players in, oh, I don’t know, four or five years.
No, they need player(s) who can make an immediate contribution.
But is Edwin Jackson that player?
General Manager Mike Rizzo has made it clear for some time that he is a fan of the 27-year-old Jackson, and rumors have swirled on Monday that a three-way trade involving the Diamondbacks, White Sox and Nationals could bring Jackson to Washington in exchange for Dunn.
It is difficult to determine what a premier slugger is worth in exchange for two months of playing time. The Rangers gave up four minor leaguers to get Cliff Lee for two months, so you would think that Dunn would have similar value.
Teams however, are unwilling these days to trade away their best prospects for a rental hitter. If the rumors are to be believed, Dunn’s value is a couple of good—but not great—minor leaguers.
So is a Dunn for Jackson swap a good deal for the Nationals?
Jackson was a sixth-round pick of the Dodgers in 2001 and since 2006 has spent time with the Dodgers, Tampa Bay, Detroit and the Diamondbacks.
His first season as a full-time starter—with Tampa in 2007—was a disaster as Jackson went 5-15, 5.76. He blossomed the next season though, going 14-11, 4.42. He was at his best in 2009 with the Tigers, garnering a record of 13-9, 3.62.
His numbers with Arizona this season haven’t been as good (6-9, 5.01) but his internal numbers match his career marks (9.3/4.0/7.0) so his difficult year may be the product of playing with a bad team, or a run of bad luck, or both.
Jackson has a 95 mph fastball along with a good slider and change. His fastball, though, doesn’t have particularly good movement at times, leading to a higher-than-normal ERA for a pitcher of his caliber. He also walks too many batters.
But he’s just 27 and would be an excellent addition to the Nationals’ growing-by-the-day pitching staff.
Come 2011, the Nationals’ rotation could include Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Jackson, Cuban defector Yuneski Maya and Jason Marquis, with Chien-Ming Wang, John Lannan, Scott Olsen, Ross Detwiler all fighting to gain a rotation spot as well.
Pretty good, I’d say.
Reports this afternoon suggest that a possible trade for Edwin Jackson would send prospects, and not Adam Dunn, to Arizona.
We’ll know in a few days, but regardless, starting pitching won’t be one of the Nationals’ problems next season.
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This is a weekly focus on the hurlers that dominated their adversaries. These pitchers put up nasty numbers and made big league hitters wish they were playing T-Ball again.
1) Edwin Jackson Ari
9 IP, 8 BB, 6 K, 1 W, 0.00 ERA
Edwin Jackson is yet another pitcher to join the list of no-hitters this year. He tossed 149 pitches against the Rays to put his name in the history books.
Jackson ’s outings leading up to his no-hitter weren’t spectacular. He was dragging around a 5.05 ERA before that night. The previous game against Detroit, he gave up nine hits in seven innings.
It would appear that fantasy owners aren’t biting on his recent success, either. He is only owned by 51.1 percent of owners with a slight increase of 2.5 percent in ESPN leagues. His current record of 5-6 and a 4.63 ERA isn’t exactly something that makes you jump out of your chair.
Much like Dallas Braden, the fantasy owners’ look at your total work and not one game.
He has posted a 1.62 ERA with two consecutive wins with 16 innings pitched in the last two weeks.
Regardless of his lack of success in the weeks prior, Jackson pitched a no-hitter and deserves the top spot for his performance last week.
2) Chris Carpenter StL
8 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 7 K, 1 W, 0.00 ERA
Carpenter took a line drive off his forearm and is listed day-to-day. He is still likely to make his next scheduled start.
He is currently 9-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He already has 100 strike outs in 116 innings pitched.
3) Mariano Rivera NYY
5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 8 K, 2 W, 0.00 ERA
Whenever there is talk about him getting old, he puts up phenomenal numbers. He was able to pick up two wins and sit down eight with strikeouts last week.
Rivera has a 2-1 record with 17 saves and a 0.92 ERA for the season so far.
4) Yovani Gallardo Mil
9 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 12 K, 1 W, 0.00 ERA
Gallardo is a killer on the mound. He was sitting down batters like an usher at a wedding.
He is 8-3 with a 2.56 ERA and 120 strike outs for the season.
5) Carl Pavano Min
9 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 W, 0.00 ERA
Pavano got the shut out victory after a grueling nine innings last week.
Pavano is one of the hottest players in fantasy free agency. His ownership sky rocketed by 26 percent in ESPN leagues.
He has a 9-6 record and has a nice 3.33 ERA with 59 strikeouts for the season.
6) Jamie Moyer Phi
15 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 12 K, 2 W, 1.80 ERA
Moyer simply spot on last week with two wins and only a 1.80 ERA in 15 innings pitched.
The fantasy world still has no respect for Moyer. His ownership only jumped 5 percent to a total ownership of 12 percent in ESPN leagues. His high season ERA is keeping owners from taking a chance on him despite his recent success.
He is 3-0 for the last two weeks and touted a nice 1.96 ERA since mid-June.
He has a 9-6 record with a 4.30 ERA with 51 strike outs this season.
7) Trevor Cahill Oak
7.2 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 10 K, 1 W, 0.00 ERA
He has a 0.99 WHIP and is undefeated in June.
Cahill is fantasy baseball’s sexy waiver pick up with 35 percent increase in ownership in ESPN leagues.
He has a 7-2 record with a 2.88 ERA and 1.08 WHIP this season.
8) Jon Lester Bos
15 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 15 K, 1 W, 1 L, 1.20 ERA
Boston has been bitten by the injury bug. With Beckett, Pedroia, Martinez, and Ellsbury on the DL it is amazing that they are nipping at the heels of the first place Yankees.
Lester’s performances on the hill would have a lot to do with their recent success.
Lester only allowed one run against the Giants in a complete game earning him the win with nine strikeouts.
He ended up with a loss despite a fantastic outing against the Rockies, giving up only one run.
He is 9-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 111 strikeouts for the season.
9) Jake Peavy CWS
7 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 9 K, 1 W, 0.00 ERA
In June, Peavy was excellent with a 1.75 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.
He has a 1.23 ERA with 21 strikeouts in the last two weeks.
It would appear most of the fantasy owners who dropped Peavy during his early season struggles have picked him back up.
He is 7-6 with a 4.70 ERA and 91 strike outs.
10) J.J. Putz CWS
3 IP, 1 K, 2 W, 0.00 ERA
Putz pitched only three innings last week but was able to pick up two wins and a save. Bobby Jenks was on the shelf, but looks to be returning soon which would push Putz back into his set up role.
There is no reason to pick him up off waivers, as his fantasy value after this week will dwindle.
Putz is simply being recognized for the job he did while Jenks was away.
Honorable Mentions*
Roy Halladay Phi 7 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 W, 0.00 ERA
Gavin Floyd CWS 7 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 9 K, No Decision, 0.00 ERA
Derek Lowe Atl 7 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA
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A quick look at last week’s Fantasy Baseball top performing and least owned players on the waiver wire. Edwin Jackson’s insane no-hitter.
Carlos Quentin’s four dingers. Brandon Morrow & Jhoulys Chacin are strikeout machines. R.A. Dickey’s 6th straight.
Is Jamie Moyer really father-time in disguise?
Can they really keep it up for another week? Check out who’s a Must or a Bust.