I started this post late Friday night, figuring I could finish it Saturday morning. Well, it's now early Sunday morning. I'll just update what I wrote for the most part.
The Pirates again jumped on an opposing pitcher early Saturday, then held off the Rays to win 10-5. Pittsburgh scored six runs, four earned, against LHP Matt Moore in the first inning, even without CF Andrew McCutchen. C Russell Martin hit a three-run home run, his third this spring, against RHP Grant Balfour, who's supposed to be Tampa Bay's closer this season. The Bucs' final run came against another veteran reliever, RHP Joel Peralta.
Let me summarize some of the rest of the baseball news.
-- Free-agent RHP Ervin Santana reportedly is close to signing with the Blue Jays, but there also are indications that the Orioles could sign him to complete (?) an almost total overhaul of their rotation. One report said he had agreed to a 1-year, $14-million contract with Toronto, which would make Santana less expensive than Phillies RHP A.J. Burnett.
-- Cardinals 2B/3B Matt Carpenter signed a six-year contract for a minimum of $52 million, with an option for 2020. That's truly a contract with vision.
-- Diamondbacks RHP prospect Archie Bradley is 2-0 and hasn't allowed an earned run this spring. He pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings Saturday in a 5-2 victory over the Angels.
-- The Mariners hammered the Giants 18-3. SS Brad Miller hit his second homer of the spring. OF Michael Saunders also homered and drove in three runs.
-- White Sox LHP Jose Quintana left Saturday's game after facing just two batters. Diamondbacks OF Gerardo Parra hit a line drive off Quintana's lower left leg. He's expected to be held out of baseball activities at least for Sunday.
-- Mariners 2B Robinson Cano missed his third consecutive day Saturday because of root canal surgery.
-- Giants OFs Hunter Pence and Michael Morse are listed as day to day and are expected to miss Sunday's split-squad games because of injuries to Pence's left elbow and one of Morse's calf muscles.
-- Nationals RHP Doug Fister said he isn't concerned about the elbow inflammation that caused him to be scratched from starting Friday. Royals RHP Luke Hochevar might not have been concerned at first, either, but now he'll undergo Tommy John surgery and miss this season.
-- For openers: RHP James Shields will start for the Royals on Opening Day.
* * *
I made a crack a couple of days ago about how Oakland OF prospect Billy Burns could be the next John Cangelosi -- that is, a guy from 20-plus years ago who stole quite a few bases but couldn't do much else for a major league team.
I've also been doing some statistical studies, which show that scoring and power are down in the majors.
What I wasn't thinking was how those two pieces of information are interconnected.
Perhaps it took a feature I saw on how Reds OF Billy Hamilton has been bunting to try to get on base more often so he could use his speed to steal bases.
And I went back even farther, more than 50 years to 1962, to recall how Maury Wills revolutionized the running game with the Dodgers. That influence remained strong for most of the next 30 years, until steroids and power hitters began to take over the game.
Let's talk 2014 -- or definitely later in this decade, if the trends continue. With fewer baseballs flying out of parks and fewer runs being scored, teams will be looking to manufacture runs, as they did during the pitching-dominated '60s.
One way to manufacture runs is by stealing bases. So we can expect to see more steals. Hamilton seems ready this season if he can hit at all. Speedsters such as Burns and Delino DeShields Jr. would arrive later in the teens, if at all.
Will they and other base-stealers have increased value. As an aggregate, no. In Rotisserie (R) League scoring, there still are a finite number of points and dollars of value. More stolen bases mean less value for each steal. If teams do go toward Hamilton/Burns/DeShields-type players, we could see an influx of even more of them, as we did with players such as Vince Coleman, Willie Wilson and Rickey Henderson 30-40 years ago.
There will be more 50-base stealers. Each one of them will have less relative value from base-stealing than Jacoby Ellsbury did with his major league-high 52 bags last year.
That doesn't mean that you shouldn't go after such players. If there are, let's say, eight 50-stolen-base guys in the majors, you'll want one of them and not the ninth-best base stealer. What you won't want would be a bunch of high-power, zero-steals players.
* * *
Hockey. I had just two players active Friday night. The Texas Puckin Penguins lost half a point by dropping into a tie for second in power play points. On Saturday, my team dropped another half a point, to third place, in PPP, and lost half a point in wins. I'm down to 66. The fourth-place team added 1 1/2 points on its own, leaving my margin over that owner to 12 1/2 points.
The good news is that my players now have accumulated fewer games than the two teams ahead of me. I should be able to have more players in my lineup than they do during the last few weeks of the season. I doubt that would help me to move up even to second place.
* * *
Basketball. Team Fresh Prints managed to increase its lead to 6-2 after Thursday's games. Gerald Green would have been practically a one-man wrecking crew -- with 44 points and high totals in the two categories I needed most, 3-pointers and steals -- if his 55% field goal shooting hadn't been the worst of any of my players for the night. On Friday, my opponent had several more players in action than I did, and I fell behind in steals to lead just 5-3. I thought I had posted Friday's lineup after the Thursday game, but apparently not. I just noticed three active players on my bench, highlighted (or lowlighted, in this case) by Jose Calderon's 19 points.
I set my lineups for the final two days of this week. After Saturday, I'll waive two players who will be on the court that night, and grab two free agents so I'll have a full active roster of 10 on Sunday. I'm not going to tell you whom I'll add. Wouldn't want to jinx it or tip off anybody.
Saturday's games came and went, and my lead still is 5-3. I will have a full complement of 10 players Sunday, after re-signing free agents Jared Sullinger and Jodie Meeks to replace Boris Diaw and Marco Belinelli.
Showing posts with label Robinson Cano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robinson Cano. Show all posts
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Friday, December 6, 2013
The last of the 10-year contracts?
Three thoughts about the reported agreement between the Mariners and free-agent 2B Robinson Cano.
1. It's a great deal for Cano and his agent, even though it would be for $65 million less than the original asking price. I guess it's like buying a mansion. What's $6 million a year when you're getting $24 mill? I hope the deal will also bring good things to young people, in Seattle or the Dominican Republic from Cano's affordable largesse.
2. It signifies that the Mariners now could become a large-market team -- competing with the Yankees, Red Sox and possibly Dodgers-Angels-Rangers (with big TV money anticipated) -- for top-dollar free agents. The other direction Seattle could take is toward the financial problems that beset Tom Hicks in Texas after the ill-fated A-Rod signing didn't work. I think there's plenty of Japanese money available, so I don't think that would happen to the Mariners.
3. I wonder when we'll see the end of 9-10-year contracts. My guess is after A-Rod's contract plays out. (By the way, shouldn't we be hearing something about his hearing pretty soon? Not sure why that should be taking 9 months when most player hearings are over within 9 days.) The easiest prediction from the Cano signing is that there's no way it -- like similar deals for Albert Pujols, the aforementioned A-Rod and probably Prince Fielder, and going all the way back to Wayne Garland nearly 40 years ago -- will come close to paying off in results equal to even half of its value.
Let's look at the particulars. Cano is already 31. He wouldn't get any better in any circumstances. He can't equal in Seattle the offensive statistics from playing home game at Yankee Stadium with its favorable left-handed-hitting setup. He'll have 9 years of not worrying about playing for a contract and financial security. Actually, 10. If he's still playing in 2023, it would be on a going-into-retirement cruise.
Can Cano help the Mariners in the short run? No question. He's filling what has become an abyss since Dustin Ackley didn't work out at second base. Cano could probably reach 20 homers for a few years. But when his range at second base inevitably declines, he'd become a below-average left fielder or first baseman or DH. At that point, the best hope would be to have some other needy team take him off the Mariners' hands, saving Seattle a fraction of the money it would owe Cano.
Lots of activity in New York. The Yankees apparently also are losing OF Curtis Granderson's left-handed bat. The New York Post reported that he agreed to a 4-year contract with the Mets, no doubt for far less than he could have received even 2 years ago. Granderson is 32, coming off an injury-plagued 2013 and struggles against left-handers.
Also, the Yankees retained RHP Hiroki Kuroda for 2014. The busy Post reported the contract is for $16 million, with a $250,000 incentive for innings pitched. Kuroda has been mostly reliable in his two seasons in the Bronx. He has exceeded 200 innings in each of the last three years. But ... he has two winning records in six seasons in the U.S., will be 39 next season and didn't win a game after Aug. 12. (I know that too well; he was on one of my fantasy teams.) He's an exception to the rule that the ancient Yankees are getting somewhat younger.
Another situation I've commented on without a follow-up is 1B/DH Paul Konerko's re-signing. I applaud his or his agent's foresight in structuring his 1-year contract so he's paid $1.5 million in 2014, with $1 million deferred until 2015. That will make his transition out of the game much smoother. It's not likely that Konerko would suffer through another poor season in '15 -- barring an unlikely late-in-life resurgence such as Ted Williams and Stan Musial had in 1959 after bad years in '58. It's no coincidence that White Sox play-by-play man Ken Harrelson's contract expires after 2015, and he already has curtailed his travel schedule. In 2012, Sox color man Steve Stone made a reported $600,000 (with a lot of broadcast experience). There would seem to be room for Konerko in the broadcast booth, or even making a few hundred grand as a coach.
Marlins fans! Don't make World Series plans yet, but Miami did sign SS Rafael Furcal to a 1-year contract. He's expected to move to second base, with former 2B Donovan Solano or a player to be acquired at third. Apparently, the 36-year-old Furcal no longer is strong enough to unseat Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop, especially after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March and missing all of last season. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel indicated that Furcal's contract is for $3.5 million, plus incentives. We'll find out during spring training whether he'll be ready by opening day. But really, does this look like a contending infield? Wait! I'm forgetting 1B Logan Morrison, who hasn't batted even .250 in any of the last three seasons.
* * *
Football. Both of my teams were off to a good start Thursday night, with Texans TE Garrett Graham scoring a touchdown and gaining 72 receiving yards. So I took early leads of 13-0 in my scoring-plus-yardage league (first week of a two-week consolation playoff semifinal) and 6-0 in Week 14 of my scoring-only league. In that one, I'm still projected for a tie against one of the two teams tied for first place a game ahead of me.
* * *
Hockey. Important key: The downside of having a lot of players, especially forwards, in your lineup, is that they can drag you down, especially by your plus/minus and ATOI.
I filled my starting lineup with 15 skaters and 2 goalies -- and lost 3 1/2 points. Where I was within 2 points of second place, I dropped to 5 back overnight. Here's what happened. The two goalies' team played but they didn't. I read a note saying that Jean-Sebastien Giguere would start for Colorado Friday, but forgot that it was Thursday. The 15 skaters totaled 0 goals and 2 assists, and were minus-6. In addition, defensemen Jan Hejda and Victor Hedman both left early because of injuries, hurting my ATOI even more. They join Henrik Zetterberg on my injured list. Also, I have to get the minus-9 Jason Spezza from the loser Senators off my roster. Clarke MacArthur can stay for the time being.
* * *
Basketball. Important key. If you have a guy on your roster who isn't playing tonight, but is tomorrow, be sure to put him into an open spot in your starting lineup instead of a player who is inactive for the next 2 days -- even if he's a franchise player.
I didn't follow one of my other important keys Wednesday. I didn't set my lineup until nearly 7 p.m. EDT. By that time, the Cavaliers' game already had started, so I couldn't get Anderson Varejao into my lineup. I could have put him in the lineup Tuesday (see Important key under hockey), guarding against the possibility of getting around to setting the lineup too late. I could have used his 18 points, 13 rebounds and assorted assists, blocks and steals. I made up somewhat for that lost production Thursday, regaining a 5-3 lead for the week.
For now, I'm off to find a hockey forward to replace Jason Spezza.
1. It's a great deal for Cano and his agent, even though it would be for $65 million less than the original asking price. I guess it's like buying a mansion. What's $6 million a year when you're getting $24 mill? I hope the deal will also bring good things to young people, in Seattle or the Dominican Republic from Cano's affordable largesse.
2. It signifies that the Mariners now could become a large-market team -- competing with the Yankees, Red Sox and possibly Dodgers-Angels-Rangers (with big TV money anticipated) -- for top-dollar free agents. The other direction Seattle could take is toward the financial problems that beset Tom Hicks in Texas after the ill-fated A-Rod signing didn't work. I think there's plenty of Japanese money available, so I don't think that would happen to the Mariners.
3. I wonder when we'll see the end of 9-10-year contracts. My guess is after A-Rod's contract plays out. (By the way, shouldn't we be hearing something about his hearing pretty soon? Not sure why that should be taking 9 months when most player hearings are over within 9 days.) The easiest prediction from the Cano signing is that there's no way it -- like similar deals for Albert Pujols, the aforementioned A-Rod and probably Prince Fielder, and going all the way back to Wayne Garland nearly 40 years ago -- will come close to paying off in results equal to even half of its value.
Let's look at the particulars. Cano is already 31. He wouldn't get any better in any circumstances. He can't equal in Seattle the offensive statistics from playing home game at Yankee Stadium with its favorable left-handed-hitting setup. He'll have 9 years of not worrying about playing for a contract and financial security. Actually, 10. If he's still playing in 2023, it would be on a going-into-retirement cruise.
Can Cano help the Mariners in the short run? No question. He's filling what has become an abyss since Dustin Ackley didn't work out at second base. Cano could probably reach 20 homers for a few years. But when his range at second base inevitably declines, he'd become a below-average left fielder or first baseman or DH. At that point, the best hope would be to have some other needy team take him off the Mariners' hands, saving Seattle a fraction of the money it would owe Cano.
Lots of activity in New York. The Yankees apparently also are losing OF Curtis Granderson's left-handed bat. The New York Post reported that he agreed to a 4-year contract with the Mets, no doubt for far less than he could have received even 2 years ago. Granderson is 32, coming off an injury-plagued 2013 and struggles against left-handers.
Also, the Yankees retained RHP Hiroki Kuroda for 2014. The busy Post reported the contract is for $16 million, with a $250,000 incentive for innings pitched. Kuroda has been mostly reliable in his two seasons in the Bronx. He has exceeded 200 innings in each of the last three years. But ... he has two winning records in six seasons in the U.S., will be 39 next season and didn't win a game after Aug. 12. (I know that too well; he was on one of my fantasy teams.) He's an exception to the rule that the ancient Yankees are getting somewhat younger.
Another situation I've commented on without a follow-up is 1B/DH Paul Konerko's re-signing. I applaud his or his agent's foresight in structuring his 1-year contract so he's paid $1.5 million in 2014, with $1 million deferred until 2015. That will make his transition out of the game much smoother. It's not likely that Konerko would suffer through another poor season in '15 -- barring an unlikely late-in-life resurgence such as Ted Williams and Stan Musial had in 1959 after bad years in '58. It's no coincidence that White Sox play-by-play man Ken Harrelson's contract expires after 2015, and he already has curtailed his travel schedule. In 2012, Sox color man Steve Stone made a reported $600,000 (with a lot of broadcast experience). There would seem to be room for Konerko in the broadcast booth, or even making a few hundred grand as a coach.
Marlins fans! Don't make World Series plans yet, but Miami did sign SS Rafael Furcal to a 1-year contract. He's expected to move to second base, with former 2B Donovan Solano or a player to be acquired at third. Apparently, the 36-year-old Furcal no longer is strong enough to unseat Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop, especially after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March and missing all of last season. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel indicated that Furcal's contract is for $3.5 million, plus incentives. We'll find out during spring training whether he'll be ready by opening day. But really, does this look like a contending infield? Wait! I'm forgetting 1B Logan Morrison, who hasn't batted even .250 in any of the last three seasons.
* * *
Football. Both of my teams were off to a good start Thursday night, with Texans TE Garrett Graham scoring a touchdown and gaining 72 receiving yards. So I took early leads of 13-0 in my scoring-plus-yardage league (first week of a two-week consolation playoff semifinal) and 6-0 in Week 14 of my scoring-only league. In that one, I'm still projected for a tie against one of the two teams tied for first place a game ahead of me.
* * *
Hockey. Important key: The downside of having a lot of players, especially forwards, in your lineup, is that they can drag you down, especially by your plus/minus and ATOI.
I filled my starting lineup with 15 skaters and 2 goalies -- and lost 3 1/2 points. Where I was within 2 points of second place, I dropped to 5 back overnight. Here's what happened. The two goalies' team played but they didn't. I read a note saying that Jean-Sebastien Giguere would start for Colorado Friday, but forgot that it was Thursday. The 15 skaters totaled 0 goals and 2 assists, and were minus-6. In addition, defensemen Jan Hejda and Victor Hedman both left early because of injuries, hurting my ATOI even more. They join Henrik Zetterberg on my injured list. Also, I have to get the minus-9 Jason Spezza from the loser Senators off my roster. Clarke MacArthur can stay for the time being.
* * *
Basketball. Important key. If you have a guy on your roster who isn't playing tonight, but is tomorrow, be sure to put him into an open spot in your starting lineup instead of a player who is inactive for the next 2 days -- even if he's a franchise player.
I didn't follow one of my other important keys Wednesday. I didn't set my lineup until nearly 7 p.m. EDT. By that time, the Cavaliers' game already had started, so I couldn't get Anderson Varejao into my lineup. I could have put him in the lineup Tuesday (see Important key under hockey), guarding against the possibility of getting around to setting the lineup too late. I could have used his 18 points, 13 rebounds and assorted assists, blocks and steals. I made up somewhat for that lost production Thursday, regaining a 5-3 lead for the week.
For now, I'm off to find a hockey forward to replace Jason Spezza.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Catchers on the move, mostly to Florida
CF Jacoby Ellsbury is a Yankee, for 7 years and $153 million. Justin Morneau is with the Rockies for 2 years and $13 million. C Jarrod Saltalamacchia is a Marlin for 3 years and $21 mill.
Those signings now are official.
Salty's move was either a reaction to or a done deal before Boston's signing of free-agent C A.J. Pierzynski. That should be a short-term improvement for the Red Sox. Pierzynski is not the player he was half a decade or more ago. Before he came to Texas to play, I'd heard all of the talk about his prickly personality. He may have mellowed, but he seemed like nothing but a positive influence in the Rangers' clubhouse.
The team with a surplus of catchers now is the Rays. They made a three-way trade in which they acquired C Ryan Hanigan from the Reds and RHP Heath Bell from the Diamondbacks. Cincinnati, which had signed C Brayan Pena to join C Devin Mesoraco, could afford to part with Hanigan. The Reds obtained just LHP David Holmberg. Arizona obtained RHP Justin Choate and a player to be named or cash.
Tampa Bay seemed to benefit most. Hanigan had the second-best success rate in the majors throwing out base stealers in 2013, behind Cardinals C Yadier Molina. Hanigan can't hit, but he and 38-year-old C Jose Molina, re-signed for 2 years and $4.5 million, have at least known how to throw out runners. The Rays extended Hanigan's contract for 3 years. The question is where younger C Jose Lobaton, a better hitter, fits in. Could he be trade bait to fill another need, possibly to attract a larger cache of prospects from the Rangers for LHP David Price? Or could he go to the White Sox, whose catchers averaged .196 this season? Can they keep three catchers, and use Lobaton at times as a DH or first baseman? Believe me, the Rays have a plan. We just don't know what it is yet.
The Mariners are making the most news about their as-yet-unrequited desire for free-agent 2B Robinson Cano. They did, however, agree to reacquire free-agent utilityman Willie Bloomquist for 2 years and $5.8 million, according to CBSSports.com. Who is his agent? I want him representing me. Bloomquist is a hustling crowd-pleaser, but also the kind of player who's just good even to help your team lose. Kind of a 21st-century Tom Brookens. Bloomquist doesn't really matter in fantasy baseball, where he would have a negligible impact.
The Phillies joined a list of teams re-signing bench players who would be eligible for arbitration. Infielder Kevin Frandsen signed for $900,000 to return to Philadelphia. He needs just a position, or maybe a little better glove, to challenge for serious playing time. Frandsen is worth watching.
Those signings now are official.
Salty's move was either a reaction to or a done deal before Boston's signing of free-agent C A.J. Pierzynski. That should be a short-term improvement for the Red Sox. Pierzynski is not the player he was half a decade or more ago. Before he came to Texas to play, I'd heard all of the talk about his prickly personality. He may have mellowed, but he seemed like nothing but a positive influence in the Rangers' clubhouse.
The team with a surplus of catchers now is the Rays. They made a three-way trade in which they acquired C Ryan Hanigan from the Reds and RHP Heath Bell from the Diamondbacks. Cincinnati, which had signed C Brayan Pena to join C Devin Mesoraco, could afford to part with Hanigan. The Reds obtained just LHP David Holmberg. Arizona obtained RHP Justin Choate and a player to be named or cash.
Tampa Bay seemed to benefit most. Hanigan had the second-best success rate in the majors throwing out base stealers in 2013, behind Cardinals C Yadier Molina. Hanigan can't hit, but he and 38-year-old C Jose Molina, re-signed for 2 years and $4.5 million, have at least known how to throw out runners. The Rays extended Hanigan's contract for 3 years. The question is where younger C Jose Lobaton, a better hitter, fits in. Could he be trade bait to fill another need, possibly to attract a larger cache of prospects from the Rangers for LHP David Price? Or could he go to the White Sox, whose catchers averaged .196 this season? Can they keep three catchers, and use Lobaton at times as a DH or first baseman? Believe me, the Rays have a plan. We just don't know what it is yet.
The Mariners are making the most news about their as-yet-unrequited desire for free-agent 2B Robinson Cano. They did, however, agree to reacquire free-agent utilityman Willie Bloomquist for 2 years and $5.8 million, according to CBSSports.com. Who is his agent? I want him representing me. Bloomquist is a hustling crowd-pleaser, but also the kind of player who's just good even to help your team lose. Kind of a 21st-century Tom Brookens. Bloomquist doesn't really matter in fantasy baseball, where he would have a negligible impact.
The Phillies joined a list of teams re-signing bench players who would be eligible for arbitration. Infielder Kevin Frandsen signed for $900,000 to return to Philadelphia. He needs just a position, or maybe a little better glove, to challenge for serious playing time. Frandsen is worth watching.
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