Jonathan Bernhardt

January 22, 2014

MLB Offseason Winners and Losers

I'd like to invite you to join me in bidding farewell to the 2013-2014 MLB offseason. Sad to see it go. Some might question the wisdom of extending this invitation today, on the 22nd of January, as opposed to at some later date when baseball players are actually out there on the green stuff, moving around and doing sports. My reply is that there's 10 inches of snow on the ground in New York City, it's Pro Bowl Week and the most sought-after international pitcher of the winter has finally found a home -- a very, very lucrative home.

Which means, of course, that it's just about time to sit down and see how each team's offseason affected its fortunes for the upcoming year. Sure, there are still some fairly significant moves yet to be made, but it's close enough to the end that we should have a general idea of who the winners and losers of the offseason are going to be, so long as we're willing to flip the table and move clubs around as the rest of the big free agents (such as Ervin Santana and Matt Garza) finally start to sign. We should also be prepared to be completely wrong in doing so. Ask the Toronto Blue Jays how well being the offseason champion worked out for them last year.

Winners (So Far)

1. Chicago White Sox. I'm not sure what the White Sox would have to do in the next several weeks to convince me that they didn't have the best offseason in baseball this winter -- throwing too much money and too many years at Matt Garza (for instance)? Still, even if they did overpay for a very solid middle of the rotation arm, it would do very little to change the fact that the team added Cuban phenom Jose Abreu and outfielders Adam Eaton and Avisail Garcia. (On Garcia, I'm cheating a bit and counting that late season trade with Detroit as part of the White Sox offseason, but I think that's fair considering that the move was made with the 2014 season in mind.) A huge part of how the White Sox do next year hinges on Abreu: whether he's ready for the big leagues now (which he should be, being a seasoned Cuban League superstar in his late twenties) and how he contributes in the field and on the basepaths, as well as at the plate. The White Sox are going to be very disappointed if it turns out they've just bought themselves another one-dimensional designated hitter.

2. Texas Rangers. Jon Daniels has some blindspots as a general manager; he might get too attached to his own guys every once in awhile, whether they be players on his 40 man roster or his strategic disaster of a field manager. Even taking that attachment into account, I still don't understand why he's handed out the long-term contracts he has -- especially that Andrus monstrosity -- but the man is adept at finding solutions to immediate problems. The Rangers' immediate problem this offseason was they lacked two credible middle of the order hitters. Getting Shin-Soo Choo was the easy part -- Choo got seven years and over $130 million to come play in Arlington -- but somehow convincing the Tigers that swapping Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler was something a team in Detroit's situation should be doing is something else entirely. In fact, the Rangers' offensive revitalization is probably more Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski's doing than any other one person's, but that's not something that can easily be discerned from the outside looking in. What can easily be discerned is that Daniels did what he needed to do in free agency and the Rangers remain near the front of the pack in the AL West.

3. New York Yankees. While I don't particularly care for any specific move the Yankees made this offseason outside of signing Brian McCann, that's for reasons involving the length of those contracts' term and their monetary value, two things the New York Yankees employ lots of very smart front office people to perpetually render irrelevent. Up until roughly 9 a.m. this morning, the Bronx Bombers were pursuing something called "Plan 189," which was aimed at bringing the team's payroll below the luxury tax threshold for the 2014 season (and likely only for the 2014 season). Then the Yankees agreed to give a man who hasn't pitched a single game of North American professional baseball in his life roughly $22 million a year for the next seven years, and that pretty much put an end to Plan 189. The man in question, of course, is Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka, formerly of the Rakuten Golden Eagles, and if you're a professional sports team deadset on throwing over $155 million at a man to throw baseballs in North America when he has not actually done that specific thing before in any real sense, you make sure the guy pitches like Masahiro Tanaka does. His signing doesn't make the Yankees favorites for the division or even second place -- New York has far too many problems in the infield and question marks in the outfield corners to privilege them over the Tampa Bay Rays -- but it gets the odds much closer to even than they were before.

4. New York Mets. I'm a bit disgruntled that I'm putting the Mets in the winners' column so far because I told myself that the Mets were not a team that Curtis Granderson alone could fix. They were precisely the sort of team that would sign Curtis Granderson and only Curtis Granderson and then reassure season ticket holders that a great number of problems had in fact been solved. And sure enough, the most interesting thing that's happened this offseason for the Mets was signing Granderson -- they were pretty much done after that. But that's actually fantastic, considering this is the Mets we're talking about. Sandy Alderson and his people are nearing the last leg of a rebuild that quite frankly should have collapsed in on itself three or four times already, but instead has produced a team that could conceivably challenge for the second Wild Card spot next year and will almost certainly have divisional title aspirations in 2015.

Losers (So Far)

1. Baltimore Orioles. I almost disqualified the Orioles from this list under the theory that failing at something is different than just not showing up to try in the first place. Baltimore went into this offseason with an intriguing power-heavy offense and a pitching staff composed entirely of No. 3 starters and inconsistent relievers, and it will leave it the same way. From least to most noteworthy, the three top acquisitions of the Baltimore offseason so far are former middle infield prospect Jemile Weeks, former Royals outfielder David Lough and the active malevolent intent of Grant Balfour, wherever he may yet end up. Unless the Orioles have another MVP candidate ready to pop out of the woodworks for 2014, there's no particular reason to believe next year's Orioles team should be any better than last year's team -- because that's precisely what it is.

2. Detroit Tigers. But then, at least Baltimore hasn't been going around actively making themselves worse. It's still unclear why a team that has gone deep in the postseason three years running and is in the middle of an open and obvious Win Now championship window chose either not to retain or actively got rid of three-fourths of its infield, and then sent their cost-controlled No. 3 starter to Washington for a utilityman and a pitcher who will probably start next season as bullpen depth stashed in AAA. What is clear is that, at least of this writing, the Detroit Tigers have parted ways with roster necessities in order to secure roster luxuries, and then turned around and placed those luxuries at the disposal of a guy whose sole previous managerial experience was at the helm of the Israeli national baseball team. And Nick Castellanos might not actually be a real improvement over Miguel Cabrera as a third baseman, but the Tigers effectively named him their everyday 3B going forward in December. Just a bizarre offseason all around.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks. So far the Arizona offseason has been mostly unimpressive housekeeping punctuated by... trading two of the organization's top five prospects for (effectively) Mark Trumbo and minor leaguer Brandon Jacobs. This was during that "three-way" trade with the White Sox and Angels that wasn't anything of the sort. Here is Baseball-Reference's transaction entry for Hector Santiago, the White Sox swingman/starter who was also involved in this madness:

"December 10, 2013: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Chicago White Sox with a player to be named later to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim sent a player to be named later and Mark Trumbo to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Arizona Diamondbacks sent Adam Eaton to the Chicago White Sox. The Arizona Diamondbacks sent Tyler Skaggs to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Chicago White Sox sent Brandon Jacobs (minors) (December 13, 2013) to the Arizona Diamondbacks to complete the trade. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim sent A.J. Schugel (minors) (December 13, 2013) to the Arizona Diamondbacks to complete the trade."

At no point do the Angels or the White Sox exchange even PTBNL. That's just two trades, both of which the Diamondbacks stand a fairly high chance of losing, executed in succession. In fairness to Arizona, none of the guys they've cut bait on have given them real reason to regret it (unless Justin Upton having a career average year in Atlanta counts), and part of that has something to do with General Manager Kevin Towers being one of the game's better evaluators of young talent. But then again, the Diamondbacks haven't seen any real increase in productivity from the talent they've been returning in these deals over the past few years; eventually something has to give.

4. Seattle Mariners Seattle's the flipside of the Mets above, in that not only did they sign a single big free agent and then essentially call it quits on the rest of the offseason, but they spent $210 million on him and he's a second baseman over the age of thirty. Sure, he's an elite second baseman over the age of thirty, but still.

The other "moves" the Mariners made after the Robinson Cano signing were headlined by Corey Hart, a 1B/RF with bad defense coming off a terrible knee injury, and Logan Morrison, who's basically in the same boat except instead of being hurt, he was a Marlin. Seattle made noise about trading for David Price, and Price's agent politely informed the entire world hours later Price had exactly zero interest in signing an extension there. In fact, after the Cano signing, the most notable part of Seattle's offseason to date was the Geoff Baker piece that dropped in the Seattle Times a couple days later portraying the entire front office as a group of backbiting yes men and fools with little to no understanding of how to adapt to the pressures of the modern game. One would think that if the Mariners had the money to extend Price, they would have had the money to be real players for Tanaka, but this time two months ago, one would have thought a number of things about the Seattle front office that no longer seem like sure bets.

* * *

Beyond these eight teams, there are clubs that haven't done much (like the Dodgers and the Marlins), and clubs that have done a lot but not really accomplished anything (the Astros and Twins come to mind). Houston is trying to allay some concerns about their overt tanking last season by signing a whole bunch of middle relievers they'll try to convert to closers and flip to someone like Detroit; Minnesota is pursuing whatever insane internal pitching philosophy leads to specifically and intentionally putting Ricky Nolasco, Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey and Phil Hughes in the same rotation.

And all of this is in so much flux -- not just with the possible signings in the next 20 days, but with what's going to happen in Spring Training and the inevitable injuries that will pop up between now and Opening Day. These are more barometric readings than they are true leaderboards -- all it would really take to shake them up is one good storm. Seems like New York has had that and then some.

Red Sox sign outfielder Sizemore to one-year deal

Three-time All-Star hasn't played since '11 due to handful of injuries

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | 1/22/2014 7:02 P.M. ET

The Red Sox and outfielder Grady Sizemore have agreed to a one-year Major League contract Wednesday worth $750,000. The contract could be worth up to $6 million with incentives factored in.

The 31-year-old Sizemore is a three-time All-Star, but hasn't played since 2011 because of a slew of injuries. From 2009-11, he averaged just 70 games per season with the Indians.

Sizemore's long list of injuries includes a pair of right knee ailments that hindered him in 2011-12 and a lower back injury that officially sidelined him in '12. He has undergone seven surgeries since the '09 season.

Before the injuries, Sizemore was one of baseball's premier outfielders, both offensively and defensively. He hit .290 while leading the league in runs and doubles in 2006, and he followed that with a pair of Gold Glove campaigns, in which his power numbers continued to increase.

Sizemore is a lifetime .269 hitter with a .357 on-base percentage and a .473 slugging percentage. In his four full seasons, he averaged 27 homers per year.

Red Sox manager John Farrell served as the Indians' farm director from 2001-06 -- the same time Sizemore was making his rise through the club's ranks.

The Cincinnati Reds were reportedly interested in Sizemore, as well.

Brewers to honor Uecker with second statue

With the first on home-plate plaza, this one will reside in last row of upper deck

By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | 1/22/2014 2:50 P.M. ET

MILWAUKEE --

The Brewers are giving Bob Uecker the worst seat in the house.

The club on Wednesday announced plans to give their beloved broadcaster a second statue at Miller Park. The first, unveiled in a star-studded gala in 2012, stands outside on the home-plate plaza. The second will be dedicated in April and will sit in the last row of the upper deck.

It's a nod to the Miller Lite "All Stars" ad campaign in the late 1970s and early 1980s which helped make Uecker a national celebrity. Many of those spots included Uecker's famous tagline, "I must be in the front row," even though he always ended up in the nosebleed seats.

"I can't think of a better place to put this statue," said Uecker, who is entering his 44th season calling games for his hometown Brewers. "This will be great for fans and even better for pigeons. You might even be able to see a little part of the field."

The statue will be amid what have long been known as the "Uecker Seats" in section 422 at Miller Park, where obstructed-view seats sell on game days for $1. The statue will be next to open seats, allowing for a photo opportunity.

The newest Uecker likeness was designed by Brian Maughan, the same artist who made the four statues outside Miller Park -- Hank Aaron, Allan H. "Bud" Selig, Robin Yount and Uecker. The new Uecker statue will be made of bronze, but unlike the others, will also have color effects.

It will be dedicated on the afternoon of Friday, April 25 at Miller Park, before the Brewers play the Cubs.

"Bob Uecker is synonymous with the Brewers, and his famous 'I must be in the front row' tagline is iconic," Brewers COO Rick Schlesinger said. "This statue will definitely become a destination for fans visiting Miller Park."

The Brewers will announce more details about the dedication ceremony at a later date. When they pulled the curtain on Uecker's first statue in September 2012, it was a star-studded affair hosted by Bob Costas, with tributes from Aaron, Selig and NBC executive Dick Ebersol, a hilarious video roast from Yount, and music from Doc Severinsen of "The Tonight Show" fame.

"When word of this got out," Costas cracked that day, "pigeons all over the Midwest relocated to Milwaukee to pay their respects."

Alert the pigeons, because it's time to return.

The Florida state attorney's office dropped charges against Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig for reckless driving.
He'll still cut a check to cover a speeding ticket for driving his 2013 Mercedes 110 mph in a 70 mph zone in late December. Puig was also charged with reckless driving in April when he played for the Chattanooga Lookouts -- driving 97 mph in a 50 mph zone -- but that case was similarly dismissed. According to reporter Marisa Kendall, Puig's latest charge was dropped because he wasn't "weaving in and out of traffic, he did not lose control of his vehicle, he didn't cause other motorists to brake or make evasive maneuvers, and he was sober and had a valid Florida driver's license." If Puig keeps driving like he swings, he won't have a driver's license for much longer.

Source: News Press
Jan 28 - 3:55 PM

Rusty says : Since when is driving 110 MPH not reckless driving ?

If Puig keeps driving like he swings, he won't have a driver's license for much longer.

Reds hammering home "art of bunting" to Hamilton



New leadoff man working on laying one down to get on base more, show off speed

CINCINNATI --

The Reds believe this coming season that one of the hardest plays for an opponent to defend against could be a bunted ball by Billy Hamilton. His quickness and speed make this a pretty sound hypothesis.

For this premise to be proven accurate, one very important thing has to happen: the very same Hamilton must perfect the art of bunting first.

Before taking a break for Reds Caravan last week, Hamilton was already at the team's Spring Training complex in Goodyear, Ariz., to work on his hitting, but namely the bunting. He resumed working again this week.

Helping Hamilton is his former manager, Double-A Pensacola skipper and ex-big league speedster Delino DeShields.

"It's been good," Hamilton said. "I've been working on my bunting a lot more, and me and him are doing things with my hitting that will help me out this season. When Spring Training comes, I will be ready."

Cincinnati's No. 2 ranked prospect, the 23-year-old Hamilton is expected to be the club's new leadoff hitter and center fielder. His predecessor at the top of the order, free-agent departure Shin-Soo Choo, was one of baseball's best at reaching safely with a .423 on-base percentage. Choo also drew 112 walks and was hit by a pitch a league-leading 26 times.

The Reds don't expect Hamilton, who is still learning to hit consistently from both sides of the plate, to be as prodigious as Choo in the on-base percentage category. But they also know that Hamilton won't have a chance to steal second or third base without being better able to reach first base.

"If he is what we think he can be, he'll be just what we need -- somebody that puts that bit of fear in every opponent," Reds manager Bryan Price said in December. "I watched Ichiro [Suzuki] do it [for the Mariners]. He was a true left-handed hitter, but the speed tool just created a sense of anxiety that was palpable on the field."

Last season, Hamilton successfully stole 13 bases in 14 attempts during his September callup to the Majors after swiping 75 bags for Triple-A Louisville. In 2012 in the Minors, he set a new professional record with 155 steals.

DeShields has been helping Hamilton with the mechanics and nuances of bunting.

"It's more about not getting out of the box," Hamilton said. "That's what most bunters do -- get out of the box too fast and not get the bunt down. My main thing is to get the bunt down. I'm thinking bunt first, then run."

Over his 19 big league at-bats in 2013, Hamilton had a .368 average and a .429 on-base percentage. His batting average on balls in play (BABIP) was .467, and included one bunt for a single. At Triple-A, he batted .256 with a .308 on-base percentage and .310 BABIP in 123 games. He had 21 bunt base hits. After the season, the Reds had Hamilton play winter ball in Puerto Rico to get more at-bats.

The Reds will be more than pleased if Hamilton can find ways to put the ball into play, because his speed increases his chances of reaching base. Being able to bunt would only enhance his bag of tricks.

"Bunting is more points on your average," Hamilton said. "My first year in Billings, I had maybe 20-something bunt hits and a great average [.318 in 2010]. I'm realizing now that I will have to bunt more for my average to get where I want it to be. It will be part of my game."

Daughter of ex-big leaguer Uhlaender going for gold

Member of U.S. skeleton team will be in Sochi for her third Olympic competition

By Cash Kruth / MLB.com

Katie Uhlaender is going to represent her country, family and late father -- former Major Leaguer Ted Uhlaender -- this month at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Katie Uhlaender, a member of the U.S. skeleton team, is competing in the Olympics for this third time after finishing sixth in 2006 and 11th in '10. Like last time, she'll have a special lucky charm from her father.

Ted Uhlaender, who died in February 2009, played eight years in the Majors as an outfielder for the Twins, Indians and Reds, hitting .263 with 36 homers and 285 RBIs.

After his funeral -- which occurred during skeleton season -- Katie Uhlaender took her father's National League Championship ring from his time with the 1972 Reds as a memento. It also will be with her during the Olympics.

"My family let me wear the ring after the funeral when I went to World Championships four days later to compete," Katie Uhlaender told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "It was meant as a reminder of what it takes to win, and that he was with me."

That was a constant message Ted Uhlaender shared with his daughter, now 30, who resides in Breckenridge, Colo., and also is nationally ranked in weightlifting.

"My father raised me as an athlete, to take responsibility for losing as well as winning," she told the newspaper. "He never let me win at anything, and taught me to work for everything I got. If you weren't an athlete in our family, you weren't cool. It was a matter of honor."

Reds manager Bryan Price

Who?

Arroyo signed a two-year deal with the DBacks.

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2 ... -rodriguez

What happens when you stop taking steroids ?




Albert Pujols dropped seven pounds over the offseason and told reporters Thursday in Angels camp that his knee and foot are 100 percent healthy.
Pujols is hoping to return with a bang in 2014 after being limited to 99 games last summer due to a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot. The 34-year-old first baseman has batted just .275/.338/.485 through his first two seasons with the Angels. He was a .328/.420/.617 hitter in 11 seasons with the Cardinals. Anaheim still owes him $222 million in guaranteed money.

Source: Mike DiGiovanna on Twitter

Feb 13 - 12:25 PM

Jake Westbrook has announced his retirement from baseball.
Westbrook, 36, made the decision after failing to draw much interest over the winter. "The interest that I was getting wasn’t significant enough for me to go through the grind of another year and be away from my family," Westbrook said. "I was kind of 50-50 on whether I wanted to play anyway. I’m good with the decision." The sinkerballer finishes his career with a 105-103 record and 4.32 ERA across parts of 13 seasons. He'll now be able to spend more time with his wife and four children.


Source: RobRains.com
Feb 14 - 2:26 PM

Rangers signed RHP Jason Knapp to a minor league contract.
Knapp hasn't pitched professionally since 2010 due to shoulder issues, but the former top prospect is giving it another go. He's still just 23, so it's a worthy gamble by the Rangers.

Source: Matt Eddy on Twitter
Feb 14 - 2:34 PM

White Sox rookie Abreu even-keeled, confident

by Phil Rogers

GLENDALE, Ariz. --

Jose Abreu is a one-man rescue party for the White Sox. Nobody really wants to say it, but that's what he is.

As he heads into his first Spring Training in the big leagues, everything seems right with Abreu, especially his attitude and approach.

"Talking to him, from when to show up for camp, to his nutrition, to his hitting regimen, everything he's trying to do is to maximize his ability,'' White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Saturday. "He's by no means satisfied because he got the magnitude of a contract he was able to get. He wants to not only earn that money, but show it was a [darn-good] deal for the White Sox.''

On the other side of the Camelback Ranch complex, Yasiel Puig is getting ready for his second season with the Dodgers, who signed him to a seven-year, $42 million contract. That looks like a bargain based on Puig's impact in 2013, and if Abreu resurrects a team that went 63-99 a year ago, his six-year, $68 million contract would similarly represent a wise investment.

Not that Abreu is going to make any promises.

But Oakland's Yoenis Cespedes is an outspoken advocate for Abreu, pointing out that the 27-year-old Abreu was a better hitter than either he or Puig in Cuba. Peter Bjarkman, who has covered Cuban baseball for decades, rates Abreu and Frederich Cepeda as the island's top two hitters over the last decade.

Abreu knows that he has critics, too. He'll need a strong rookie season to answer the scouts who question his ability to handle a steady diet of 95-mph fastballs, and draws confidence from the success that Cespedes and Puig have had the last two seasons.

"I don't like to talk about what I'm going to do,'' Abreu said through interpreter Lino Diaz. "I like to look at my countrymen as an inspiration. There's no doubt [that we] have some very happy, very nice moments back in Cuba baseball. Now I think of them as an inspiration, to do a lot of things in my career.''

When Abreu defected from the Cuban national team during an August event in the Netherlands, he became a priority for the White Sox, who finished 2013 last in the American League in scoring. Hahn saw him as the one free agent who could best help his team avoid an extended downturn, and executive vice president Ken Williams confirmed that judgment after scouting him. The White Sox outbid a number of teams -- including the Red Sox, Rockies, Giants and Astros -- to land Abreu.

Abreu got to Arizona two weeks ago, and he won't leave for another six weeks. You could understand if he was anxious to put his first Spring Training behind him and get to Chicago for the start of the season, but he's not looking for shortcuts.

"It doesn't seem like it's too far to go before the season starts,'' Abreu said. "This time will go real quick.''

Abreu hit behind Puig in Cuba, when they were the Nos. 3-4 hitters for Cienfuegos over two memorable seasons, but carries himself differently than the kid Vin Scully named the "Wild Horse."

"Definitely,'' Abreu said. "Puig has a lot of energy. He plays with a lot of energy. The way I do it, I like to see things, reason through decisions, study things. I like to be calm at all times.''

Hahn watched Abreu firsthand during a mini-camp at Camelback Ranch in mid-January. He saw an approach that validated the White Sox investment.

"I saw a guy who was a professional hitter, [with] power to all fields,'' Hahn said. "He took his at-bats and his preparation for his at-bats, even in batting practice, very seriously. He was not there to horse around. He was there to get the most out of each of his rotations, every round.''

Abreu put up epic numbers in Cuba's Serie Nacional. He twice flirted with a Triple Crown in well-rounded displays of hitting worthy of Miguel Cabrera, and is confident that his success will translate to the AL.

Any doubt he had vanished when Cespedes arrived with a bang for Oakland in 2012, hitting .292 with 23 home runs and an .861 OPS as a rookie.

"When I saw Cespedes having success right away, I told my mother, 'I can do this. I can play over there on that level, too,'" Abreu said. "Cespedes did it. I can do it, too.''

Abreu is one of three first basemen on the White Sox roster. He projects to be the regular there, but the presence of Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko gives the White Sox the chance to ease him into duty if he doesn't have instant success in Spring Training.

Things have happened quickly for Abreu, who was able to avoid a long stay in the Dominican Republic or Mexico after defecting. His agents got his paperwork processed quickly, and here he is in Arizona, ready to pick up where he left off last summer in his native country.

"It's like being born again,'' Abreu said of his transition. "There is something surprising that happens every day. All I'm trying to do is take it one small step at a time, do the little things to be ready for the baseball season.''

And help his new team get back on its feet.

I've made numerous posts on these players for years now. So far, all of these players are living up to expectations whether they are on major league teams or working their ways through the minor leagues.

It started with Alexei Ramirez, Dayon Viciedo, and Aroldis Chapman to Cespedes, Puig, and now Abreu. In between, many more. I'm still disappointed that we haven't been able to sign any of these players. It sounds like Danys Baez really made a bad impression in this organization.

Abreu's 11 million a year contract appears to be a bargain at this point.

Will it never end ????????