Today's "Newberg Report" Email from Jamey Newberg links to a damning FanGraphs article by Dave Cameron about OF Nelson Cruz.
He's in Florida now for a physical with the Orioles, with whom he has reportedly agreed on a 1-year contract for $8 million. Meanwhile, the Rangers are probably glad to have a supplemental draft pick instead of having to pay the $14.1 million it would have taken if Cruz had accepted their tender.
I think for a year or two, Camden Yards can hide Cruz's deficiencies. He still has enough power, even if not enhanced by PEDs, to hit home runs there. And right field is small enough to keep him from getting into too much trouble if he plays in the outfield.
-- The Dodgers are looking at a potential all-Cuban middle infield. They have signed SS Erisbel Arruebarrena (whom I'll call EAb for now) to a 5-year, $25-million contract.
He's expected to begin the regular season in the minor leagues, but arrive in Los Angeles by summer to pair with Alex Guerrero, another Cuban free agent shortstop who is being moved to second base. Designated for assignment off the roster is SS/2B Justin Sellers.
-- The Yankees, hedging their bets on RHP David Robertson as their closer for this season, signed RHP Andrew Bailey to a minor league contract.
-- The Rockies have decided not to move OF Carlos Gonzalez from left field to center. That seems like a good non-move with a somewhat brittle player who's expected to be a vital cog in the offense along with similarly injury-prone SS Troy Tulowitzki. The plan is to give Drew Stubbs most of the playing time in center. Brandon Barnes is another right-handed-batting candidate. Lefty-swinging Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson could be in the mix. Based on last season's performance, I would expect Blackmon to play a majority of the games.
-- Cardinals LHP Jaime Garcia was scheduled to return Sunday to St. Louis for an MRI exam on his left shoulder. He underwent season-ending surgery last May.
-- The Giants signed free-agent fringe OF Tyler Colvin to a minor league contract. He can compete in an unsettled outfield, and receive some tips from a newly acquired spring-training instructor, Barry Bonds. The PED wheel just keeps spinning.
-- RHP Yu Darvish apparently would start three openers for the Rangers -- their first intrasquad game Monday; their Cactus League opener Thursday against the co-tenant Royals in Surprise, Ariz., and their regular-season opener against the Phillies March 31 at whatever Rangers Ballpark is being called this year. For at least the first two, he won't be throwing to C Geovany Soto. He'll miss three weeks after undergoing surgery to remove a bone from his left ankle.
* * *
Basketball. Unless my team can make about a bajillion out of a bajillion and one free throws today, I'll do no better than 7-1 this week. And if my guys are cold from the field, I could drop to 6-2. Still looks like a 14-game lead with 24 to play.
Showing posts with label Carlos Gonzalez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carlos Gonzalez. Show all posts
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
What? There are game limits?
The only recent movement in baseball's off-season has been sideways or downward rather than moving any player or team's prospects upward.
The Rangers' bad news is that LHP Derek Holland could miss half of this season. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after a fall in his home.
Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez had his appendix removed, but that doesn't seem likely to cost him any playing time in 2014. Other injuries? Those seem probable, given his history.
The Nationals signed RHP Stephen Strasburg to a one-year contract for $3.975 million plus incentives, to avoid arbitration.
The Yankees designated OF Vernon Wells for assignment, officially to clear room on their 40-man roster. For what? Unless it's Masahiro Tanaka, the move could be no more than addition by subtraction, removing Wells from consideration in a crowded outfield picture. Too bad for them that they'll still be on the hook for most if not all of his contract. Most likely, Wells will simply go into the pile of mostly scrap-heap free agents. He would fit in there.
* * *
Hockey. I'm still treading water in third place, at 67 points. Five out of second place. I'm above average in every category except for goals against average (10th) and save percentage (ninth). I just recently realized that we have a limit for games played -- for forwards, defensemen, utility players and goalies. I can't find on the ESPN site a breakdown of games played by position. But the total games played seems to indicate that the league's top three teams could be on a pace to run out of games before the season ends. There is a gap down to the other seven teams, but guess who they would catch first if they're playing longer into the season. I think that even though the first-place team has more games played than anyone, it's so far ahead that none of us could catch up.
The games limit makes it most important to build a lead in the "average" categories -- GAA, save percentage and ATOI -- as well as plus/minus. If you run out of games at any position, those "average" figures wouldn't change. And they'd have to add a positive performance in plus/minus. Someone would have to outperform you in those categories. In the other seven categories, just showing up every day would build the totals and allow them to pass the teams with exhausted player limits. Not sure whether I could devise a strategy for limiting games played during the time remaining this season, but if I do, I'll pass it along. But I will observe the stretch run, and have a strategy before next season.
* * *
Basketball. Before I fell asleep at about 9:30 last night, I had a 5-1-2 lead this week. Right now, it's 7-1. If all of this week's matchups remain the same -- and I probably shouldn't be saying or even thinking this because it could jinx me -- I would move into third place (from fourth) but just two games out of first place (seven games coming into the week).
Several categories are close. I'm trailing by three steals, lead by one 3-pointer, two blocks and five assists. I currently have just two players active for Sunday. My opponent has three, but two are point guards. I might have to pick up a viable point guard of my own, one who's playing Sunday, to protect my lead. I'll figure that out more after Saturday's games.
* * *
Turns out I placed third in a Pittsburgh bowl pool. My winnings will pretty much cover my entry fees in the bowl and NFL playoff pools I entered.
Just realized I don't have any choice in the AMFL playoffs. I have eight players on my roster: Chagers QBs (hoping it's all Philip Rivers), D'Angelo Williams and Danny Woodhead at RB, Keenan Allen and Danny Amendola at WR, Vernon Davis at TE, Patriots Ks (Stephen Gostkowski) and Seahawks D/ST. This is a scoring-only league. This week is our league semifinals. The two winners in the top-division playoffs advance to the two-week AMFL Super Bowl. For this week at least, I have to hope the Chargers' offense performs well. There's a good chance against the Broncos. Also a good chance San Diego would lose 45-42. That would be OK as long as I could win and advance, and get good draft picks for the conference finals and big game 48.
The Rangers' bad news is that LHP Derek Holland could miss half of this season. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after a fall in his home.
Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez had his appendix removed, but that doesn't seem likely to cost him any playing time in 2014. Other injuries? Those seem probable, given his history.
The Nationals signed RHP Stephen Strasburg to a one-year contract for $3.975 million plus incentives, to avoid arbitration.
The Yankees designated OF Vernon Wells for assignment, officially to clear room on their 40-man roster. For what? Unless it's Masahiro Tanaka, the move could be no more than addition by subtraction, removing Wells from consideration in a crowded outfield picture. Too bad for them that they'll still be on the hook for most if not all of his contract. Most likely, Wells will simply go into the pile of mostly scrap-heap free agents. He would fit in there.
* * *
Hockey. I'm still treading water in third place, at 67 points. Five out of second place. I'm above average in every category except for goals against average (10th) and save percentage (ninth). I just recently realized that we have a limit for games played -- for forwards, defensemen, utility players and goalies. I can't find on the ESPN site a breakdown of games played by position. But the total games played seems to indicate that the league's top three teams could be on a pace to run out of games before the season ends. There is a gap down to the other seven teams, but guess who they would catch first if they're playing longer into the season. I think that even though the first-place team has more games played than anyone, it's so far ahead that none of us could catch up.
The games limit makes it most important to build a lead in the "average" categories -- GAA, save percentage and ATOI -- as well as plus/minus. If you run out of games at any position, those "average" figures wouldn't change. And they'd have to add a positive performance in plus/minus. Someone would have to outperform you in those categories. In the other seven categories, just showing up every day would build the totals and allow them to pass the teams with exhausted player limits. Not sure whether I could devise a strategy for limiting games played during the time remaining this season, but if I do, I'll pass it along. But I will observe the stretch run, and have a strategy before next season.
* * *
Basketball. Before I fell asleep at about 9:30 last night, I had a 5-1-2 lead this week. Right now, it's 7-1. If all of this week's matchups remain the same -- and I probably shouldn't be saying or even thinking this because it could jinx me -- I would move into third place (from fourth) but just two games out of first place (seven games coming into the week).
Several categories are close. I'm trailing by three steals, lead by one 3-pointer, two blocks and five assists. I currently have just two players active for Sunday. My opponent has three, but two are point guards. I might have to pick up a viable point guard of my own, one who's playing Sunday, to protect my lead. I'll figure that out more after Saturday's games.
* * *
Turns out I placed third in a Pittsburgh bowl pool. My winnings will pretty much cover my entry fees in the bowl and NFL playoff pools I entered.
Just realized I don't have any choice in the AMFL playoffs. I have eight players on my roster: Chagers QBs (hoping it's all Philip Rivers), D'Angelo Williams and Danny Woodhead at RB, Keenan Allen and Danny Amendola at WR, Vernon Davis at TE, Patriots Ks (Stephen Gostkowski) and Seahawks D/ST. This is a scoring-only league. This week is our league semifinals. The two winners in the top-division playoffs advance to the two-week AMFL Super Bowl. For this week at least, I have to hope the Chargers' offense performs well. There's a good chance against the Broncos. Also a good chance San Diego would lose 45-42. That would be OK as long as I could win and advance, and get good draft picks for the conference finals and big game 48.
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