With how hectic this past winter was, some teams may have forgotten how to win. While some moves may seem smart at the time, when the person you gave up your first overall pick for gives up the most home runs in baseball, it's important to remember a few simple steps.
1. Trade away all of your good players:
I know what you are thinking. Why? Why would you give away all of your good players? For talent, of course. If you have forgotten how to win, chances are you pulled a Yankees and signed the thirty five year old all star team of 2010. If you trade away all of those guys, then you will have extra room in your budget, but you will be TERRIBLE for the next couple of years or so, getting you top draft picks and future all stars. Know what you will need. Pitching and people who can play defense is a good place to start.
2. A free agent budget of 75 million:
Free agents will never pan out how you think. If you overpay for your free agent, then you will have no money to pursue any other players, and when your shiny new player gets old in three years and your paying someone thirty million a year so sit at home, you will deeply wish you had gone for someone else. Instead, get a veteran like Kendrys Morales, someone who won't cost you that much and can guide your younger players you got from the draft.
3. Trade. A lot:
There is no downside to trading, if you play smart. This will be where you get your best bullpen guys (who better be under 26), along with your backup catcher that will be your starting catcher in two years. As long as your not idiots like the Diamondbacks, you should be fine.
4. Have a good manager:
Your manager should be able to fire up a team, employ unorthodox methods, and love to run. Seriously, a stolen base can save a game. Don't let your manager be Matt Williams, who let a fight happen in his dugout.
If you follow those steps and get lucky with injuries, you should have a winning team. For a more in-depth look at how to win, copy the Kansas City Royals. Bye!
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Sunday, April 24, 2016
The Rockies Will Never Win
The Rockies play in Coors Stadium, one of the best offensive parks in baseball. The air up there is thin, so the ball travels much farther, making homers much easier to hit. They moved the fences way back to combat this, and now extra base hits are much easier to come by, and bloop singles will drop. This is why Colorado has one of the best offenses in baseball. But that's not always a good thing. The Rockies will always be in the bottom five in pitching, for three reasons. The first is that because of the thin air, pitches don't break. A straight pitch is much easier to hit. You will always have bad pitching in Denver. The second is because of how big Coors is. Fly outs turn into bloop singles, and singles turn into doubles, into triples, and so on. The third is a result of the previous two. Because of the bad conditions of location and the size of the stadium, good free agent pitchers won't want to play there. You might think "Well, they could make up for the lack of pitching with hitting." They can't. They can't default onto Coors for the half of the season they're on the road, and when they are at Coors, and the matchup is Clayton Kershaw versus Jorge De La Rosa, which team do you think will come out on top? Sure Kershaw will be affected by Coors, but so will De La Rosa. Furthermore, teams coming in are used to hitting in pitcher's parks, especially in the Rockies own division, the NL West. What do you think will happen to their bats when they walk into Denver? I'll give you an answer: Mike Piazza. When Piazza was on the Roids back in the late 90's, he was hitting massive homers at Dodger Stadium. Four hundred fifty foot moon shots. When he went to Coors, he would hit the ball five hundred feet the other way. Teams can beat the Rockies very easily. They will never be able to win until they either move, or build a dome.
Monday, April 18, 2016
The First Two Weeks of Baseball
The slow starts have been really slow. So far, the Braves and Twins are an MLB worst 3-9. While the Braves are deep in the rebuilding process and should be expected to be absolutely abysmal over the next couple of years, the Twins are actually in wild card contention, and are not doing themselves any favors by digging such a big hole so early in the season, especially since they are in the same division as the reigning champs, the Kansas City Royals. On the flip side, the Cubs are enjoying a 10-3 record, cashing in on offseason acquisitions like Jason Hayward, John Lackey, and Ben Zobrist. With young talent like Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo to back them up, the Cubs are looking good for the NL Central championship. One team that everyone thought would do poorly, the Colorado Rockies, is actually doing well, behind a historic rookie performance from shortstop Trevor Story and RBI leader Nolan Arenado.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Bullpens
While starting pitching is the most crucial aspect of a winning team, they often can't finish the entire game. When the starter is done, a reliever will enter to finish out the games. But what happens when your bullpen is bad? You lose three games you should win within the first week! It happens so often, a reliever will come in and give up the lead. Teams seem unwilling to spend money on their bullpen, why? The bullpen is becoming more and more valuable as starters are unable to go more innings. Most teams have a dependable closer, but what about the rest of the game? Without solid middle and late relief, a lot of unneeded stress is placed on the starter and the closer. Teams seem to think that the bullpen should be made of young kids, and no money should be spent on the pen, because relievers are to inconsistent year to year, but closers that do get some money are often dominant (Andrew Miller, Dave Robertson). Make the bullpen more of a career position, and secure more victories for your team. Dodgers, I am talking to you.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
How to Construct a Championship Caliber Core
Some teams are undoubtably under a lot of pressure to win, and whether the pressure comes from a new owner, a TV deal, or simply need more money, a good way to get started is to build up your core (group of four or five players that are the force behind your team). Here are the essentials to build a great start for any team.
1. The Outfielder(s):
The Outfielder(s) are going to be your main offensive catalysts. While normally there is only one, some teams, like the Giants, have two (Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence). These will either hit third or fourth in your lineup, and will knock in most of your runs (ex. Mike Trout and Bryce Harper). The Outfielder often be your "franchise player" have the most merchandise in his name, as he will be the most recognizable.
2. The Pitcher:
The Pitcher is your ace, your bulldog, and will be the one you most want with the ball in their hands when the game is on the line. Everyone knows that good starting pitching is the foundation for success, but an ace is the foundation for good starting pitching.
3. The Infielder(s):
There can be two kinds of infielders, and most teams do have both. A leadoff hitter who does whatever he can to get on base, and then steals the next one will often play in the middle infield. Players like Jose Altuve, Xander Bogarts, and Accedes Escobar are all great examples of this piece of a teams core, and are all leadoff hitters. The other aspect of the infielder part of the core is the corner infield. Essentially acting as a slower version of an outfielder, corner infielders include Paul Goldschmidt, Corey Seager, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Eric Hosmer, Joey Votto, and Matt Duffy.
4. The Catcher:
Every team has a catcher, some are even pretty good, but very few have the essential skills to be part of a teams core. They need to be a leader, and a great team player. They need to know how to work with and mentor pitchers. Some catchers that are a core part of their team are Yadier Molina, Buster Posey, and.... I honestly can't think of anymore. Core catchers are so rare.
5. The Closer:
While the closer is not essential, it helps to have someone you trust out there at the back of the bullpen. You can have a good closer, but one who is part of your core is someone who is consistent for a couple of years at a time, and is young. Old relievers burn out after a couple of months.
1. The Outfielder(s):
The Outfielder(s) are going to be your main offensive catalysts. While normally there is only one, some teams, like the Giants, have two (Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence). These will either hit third or fourth in your lineup, and will knock in most of your runs (ex. Mike Trout and Bryce Harper). The Outfielder often be your "franchise player" have the most merchandise in his name, as he will be the most recognizable.
2. The Pitcher:
The Pitcher is your ace, your bulldog, and will be the one you most want with the ball in their hands when the game is on the line. Everyone knows that good starting pitching is the foundation for success, but an ace is the foundation for good starting pitching.
3. The Infielder(s):
There can be two kinds of infielders, and most teams do have both. A leadoff hitter who does whatever he can to get on base, and then steals the next one will often play in the middle infield. Players like Jose Altuve, Xander Bogarts, and Accedes Escobar are all great examples of this piece of a teams core, and are all leadoff hitters. The other aspect of the infielder part of the core is the corner infield. Essentially acting as a slower version of an outfielder, corner infielders include Paul Goldschmidt, Corey Seager, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Eric Hosmer, Joey Votto, and Matt Duffy.
4. The Catcher:
Every team has a catcher, some are even pretty good, but very few have the essential skills to be part of a teams core. They need to be a leader, and a great team player. They need to know how to work with and mentor pitchers. Some catchers that are a core part of their team are Yadier Molina, Buster Posey, and.... I honestly can't think of anymore. Core catchers are so rare.
5. The Closer:
While the closer is not essential, it helps to have someone you trust out there at the back of the bullpen. You can have a good closer, but one who is part of your core is someone who is consistent for a couple of years at a time, and is young. Old relievers burn out after a couple of months.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
The Meaningless of Spring Training Results
Until the regular season starts and statistics matter, I think I'm going to stick to rant about how certain extra functions in America's pastime are stupid.
Spring training is halfway through! As always, the "experts" are bursting to the seems with meaninglessness like "Jason Hayward isn't hitting as well as he should, the Cubs are done for the year." As baseball is moving into a more saber metrical phase statistics seem more and more important. Not just the important ones either. I'll give you five dollars if you can tell me what WAR, OPS, or BABIP is. That is all fine, it gives a more sophisticated approach to the game. But when the players have only been hitting for two weeks, statistics might just stress them out. A great example: Clayton Kershaw had a ERA over four in the spring training of 2014, but he went on to have one of the most dominant seasons in the past decade. If a rookie is playing with the team for the first time in spring training and he isn't doing so well, broadcasting all over the news isn't going to help. In fact, statistics often aren't what coaches are looking for in these younger guys. They're looking for how they adjust to MLB pitching, so why bother stressing them out? It doesn't help anyone, and the stats are often meaningless. It's okay to collect stats, but don't make such a big deal. Som,ones career might depend on it.
Spring training is halfway through! As always, the "experts" are bursting to the seems with meaninglessness like "Jason Hayward isn't hitting as well as he should, the Cubs are done for the year." As baseball is moving into a more saber metrical phase statistics seem more and more important. Not just the important ones either. I'll give you five dollars if you can tell me what WAR, OPS, or BABIP is. That is all fine, it gives a more sophisticated approach to the game. But when the players have only been hitting for two weeks, statistics might just stress them out. A great example: Clayton Kershaw had a ERA over four in the spring training of 2014, but he went on to have one of the most dominant seasons in the past decade. If a rookie is playing with the team for the first time in spring training and he isn't doing so well, broadcasting all over the news isn't going to help. In fact, statistics often aren't what coaches are looking for in these younger guys. They're looking for how they adjust to MLB pitching, so why bother stressing them out? It doesn't help anyone, and the stats are often meaningless. It's okay to collect stats, but don't make such a big deal. Som,ones career might depend on it.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
The Meaninglessness of Pre-Seaon Predictions
Spring training is under way! In less than a month, the baseball season will begin, and all of the predictions made by the "experts" will come true, right? In actuality, the predictions are meaningless. They just pick whoever made the flashiest deal or pick up and bandwagon on them, to try and make people think they will win. Because more people will go to games if their team is "destined" to go to the World Series, the "experts" often just pick the team that needs a financial boost, or to encourage teams to spend more money. This would be fine, making more teams spend money, but most of the time they're wrong, which can hurt the financials of the teams that aren't predicted to win. In fact, "destined" teams have only won once in the past decade, in 2009. Other than that, most have just been a sort of advertisement to teams. "Hey, spend more money and we'll tell your fans you're destined to win. Never mind your team probably won't make the playoffs because you just spent the most amount of money possible! You'll "make" that money right back off a more deserving team. Another example: Hey did anyone enjoy that Dodgers-Mariners World Series? No? What about the secondary choice, the Nationals-Indians Fall Classic? What! Only one of those teams made the playoffs? What! What about the thrilling seven-game NLCS between the Padres and Dodgers? What! The Padres were barely over 500? Ridiculous! The Royals won? I knew it. The Cubs signed two people! They automatically win! No one else should even bother playing!
If you don't understand what the problem is by now, you should read my other blogs. And all my classmates!
If you don't understand what the problem is by now, you should read my other blogs. And all my classmates!
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Why the Braves had a Good Offseason
With the success of the Royals and Astros, multiple teams have decided to utilize their methods to win (intentionally being bad, getting good prospects and an amazing chef team). One such team was the Atlanta Braves. The Braves will be terrible, but they have used the method perhaps the most successfully. Why else would ESPN give the Braves a #3 best offseason ranking for being terrible for the next five years. What the Braves did was accumulate every prospect in the universe (figuratively). One such trade involved sending Shelby Miller to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Ender Enciarte and Dansby Swanson. While the move was previously featured on worst deals of 2015, that was from Arizona's perspective. For Atlanta, receiving a cheap role-playing veteran and an overall 2015 first pick was amazing. While this will be the method in which most teams become championship caliber, baseball will have to do something about it, because having five or six teams want to lose is bad for business (also recently covered on a previous post).
Sunday, February 21, 2016
What Happened to Small Ball?
Small ball is - was - an integral part of baseball for a long time. From its official creation until about 1980, small ball was a way to score runs by strategically putting your team in the best place possible by bunting, stealing bases, and sacrificing. Unfortunately, during the Steroid Era, home runs became more and more common (not the unfortunate part, those dinger-hitting steroid users saved baseball) and it became less practical to utilize small ball. Why bunt? That's wasting what could potentially be an extra run if someone hits a big fly. But now that men aren't more drug than man, small ball should come back, but it doesn't. That is bad, because it means that only have of the guys on a team can produce runs. Look at Dexter Fowler. In the olden days, he would have been a valuable commodity, stealing bases and bunting, with a good average and ten home runs. Nobody has signed him yet, because his individual stats aren't good enough. That's why no one can win right now, because nobody is willing to acknowledge the team player. Bunts and one run at a time (wins) just don't draw fans any more.
The Offseason Does not Work
The baseball offseason, the winter, is designed so that teams that did well can improve, teams that just missed the mark can finally reach the playoffs, and teams that sucked can try to not finish in last. But there is also a flaw. Baseball is still a business, and the way it is covered in TV, the team with the flashiest signings "wins" the winter, which has unfortunately become the goal of many teams. The last time a team the "won" the winter and won the World Series was in 2009, when the Yankees spent hundreds of millions of dollars on five people, only one of whom is still on the Yankees, and he is doing very poorly. In order to "win" the winter, you need to destroy your future, like those poor Padres (soon to be those poor DiamondBacks). They "won" the winter by trading away all of their prospects and giving tons of money to people that should have been going into prospects. Instead of having a future, the Padres have Matt Kemp.
Teams have to be able to resist the urge that the media provides to trade the future for approval. Look at the last five World Series winners. The Cardinals, Giants, and Red Sox all found roll players, who they didn't pay too much and won the winter by fitting into what their organization wanted. The Royals I have already made a post on, but they also didn't spend gobs of money and talent (once you trade talent, it's gone forever). They made smart decisions, and that is how you really win the winter.
Teams have to be able to resist the urge that the media provides to trade the future for approval. Look at the last five World Series winners. The Cardinals, Giants, and Red Sox all found roll players, who they didn't pay too much and won the winter by fitting into what their organization wanted. The Royals I have already made a post on, but they also didn't spend gobs of money and talent (once you trade talent, it's gone forever). They made smart decisions, and that is how you really win the winter.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
The State of Major League Baseball as a Business
When I say "Major League Baseball as a business," I don't mean how good the individual teams are. I refer to the state of the employees, and how the MLB as a company needs to change if they want to make money in the future.
First of all, some positives:
1. Their is a surplus of young talent in the minors and majors. Baseball will have some incredible players in the next five years.
2. Many teams who were once previously small market (poor) arena signing TV contracts, which will give teams more money and draw more fans.
3. The game is becoming more balanced. Smaller market teams are able to compete through the draft, thus making teams closer to the same level. One of these teams actually won the World Series in 2015. If the teams are more balanced, more teams can win. More wins will result in more fans who did;
4. Fan bases are growing. This is a combination of the first three reasons, but it still reflects on the state of corporate MLB. More fans means more people spending money at games, buying merchandise, and overall more money into the system.
Here are some negatives. While corporate MLB is still trending upward, there are some things that need to be fixed:
1. Baseball is "boring" to young people. Younger audiences are finding baseball less appealing, so baseball made some changes. The older generation didn't appreciate that, so baseball won't be able to go anywhere, or, more accurately, won't have a secure fan base of the game itself in future years to come.
2. Ticket prices are higher, which makes it harder for families, who make up more of a proud than you think, to attend baseball games. While the fan bases still grow because games are more accessible on TV, this is a problem for the teams themselves. Players are wanting more money.
3. Three teams want to lose. This is a problem. Three potential employers don't want to win, so fan bases will plummet, and free agents will need a job. This is due to an over reliance on the draft. Teams want to be bad so they get a better pick, and might be better in the future.
4. Free agents are no longer signed consistently, because teams want to lose. If these players don't get signed, then nobody will play after the age of thirty, which cause more reliance on the draft, and the circle will continue forever.
First of all, some positives:
1. Their is a surplus of young talent in the minors and majors. Baseball will have some incredible players in the next five years.
2. Many teams who were once previously small market (poor) arena signing TV contracts, which will give teams more money and draw more fans.
3. The game is becoming more balanced. Smaller market teams are able to compete through the draft, thus making teams closer to the same level. One of these teams actually won the World Series in 2015. If the teams are more balanced, more teams can win. More wins will result in more fans who did;
4. Fan bases are growing. This is a combination of the first three reasons, but it still reflects on the state of corporate MLB. More fans means more people spending money at games, buying merchandise, and overall more money into the system.
Here are some negatives. While corporate MLB is still trending upward, there are some things that need to be fixed:
1. Baseball is "boring" to young people. Younger audiences are finding baseball less appealing, so baseball made some changes. The older generation didn't appreciate that, so baseball won't be able to go anywhere, or, more accurately, won't have a secure fan base of the game itself in future years to come.
2. Ticket prices are higher, which makes it harder for families, who make up more of a proud than you think, to attend baseball games. While the fan bases still grow because games are more accessible on TV, this is a problem for the teams themselves. Players are wanting more money.
3. Three teams want to lose. This is a problem. Three potential employers don't want to win, so fan bases will plummet, and free agents will need a job. This is due to an over reliance on the draft. Teams want to be bad so they get a better pick, and might be better in the future.
4. Free agents are no longer signed consistently, because teams want to lose. If these players don't get signed, then nobody will play after the age of thirty, which cause more reliance on the draft, and the circle will continue forever.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Top Three Surprises of 2015
For the purposes of this post, a surprise is a good thing, where a player or team does better than expected. That being said, here are the top 3 surprises of 2015
3. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have been stockpiling talent for the past five years, and in 2015, they finally put it together. The reason this pleasant surprise isn't higher on the list is that it isn't as much of a surprise that the Cubs were good, just that it happened as early as it did. Nobody expected Kris Bryant to be as good as he was, and no one expected Jake Arrieta to have an ERA under one in the second half. The fact that a team went from worst-to-third-best-in-baseball is surprising enough to make it onto this list, the rest is icing on the cake.
2. Bryce Harper
People have known Bryce Harper was a star for a long time. However, nobody expected this. Harper led baseball in more than half of the offensive categories. He was unanimously voted MVP, and he carried a dead Nationals offense on his shoulders for the second half of the season. Without him, the Nationals would have had a record under .500. Last year, Mike Trout was the best player in baseball. Now it is Bryce Harper.
1. Houston Astros
Think about this. Since 2012, the Astros haven't had a winning record. In 2015, they won the wild card. The mere fact that they managed to win more than 60 games is astonishing, but they didn't stop their. They clinched the playoffs, and managed to give the champs a run for their money. That was by far the biggest shock of the year. What do you think are some others?
3. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have been stockpiling talent for the past five years, and in 2015, they finally put it together. The reason this pleasant surprise isn't higher on the list is that it isn't as much of a surprise that the Cubs were good, just that it happened as early as it did. Nobody expected Kris Bryant to be as good as he was, and no one expected Jake Arrieta to have an ERA under one in the second half. The fact that a team went from worst-to-third-best-in-baseball is surprising enough to make it onto this list, the rest is icing on the cake.
2. Bryce Harper
People have known Bryce Harper was a star for a long time. However, nobody expected this. Harper led baseball in more than half of the offensive categories. He was unanimously voted MVP, and he carried a dead Nationals offense on his shoulders for the second half of the season. Without him, the Nationals would have had a record under .500. Last year, Mike Trout was the best player in baseball. Now it is Bryce Harper.
1. Houston Astros
Think about this. Since 2012, the Astros haven't had a winning record. In 2015, they won the wild card. The mere fact that they managed to win more than 60 games is astonishing, but they didn't stop their. They clinched the playoffs, and managed to give the champs a run for their money. That was by far the biggest shock of the year. What do you think are some others?
Top 5 Biggest Let Downs of 2015
For the purposes of this blog, a "let down" is a player or team that did not live up to expectations. It is not a heart braking loss in the playoffs. That being said, here are the top 5 biggest let downs of 2015.
5. John Lester
When the Cubs decided it was time to win now, they made a lot of big moves. Among those was the most hyped move of the entire winter, the signing of ace John Lester. However, Lester struggled early on, wound up getting out shined by fellow ace, Cy Young Jake Arrieta. All in all, Lester had a pretty good year, helping the Cubs make it to the postseason for the first time since 2009. Still, Lester did not perform to standards, and was a let down.
4. Seattle Mariners
Take the best lefty-righty 3-4 punch on paper in the game and cross it with a former Cy Young award winner and what do you get? A championship bid, right? RIGHT? Nope, you get one of the bigger let downs of 2015. Robinson Cano was just as abismal as the rest of the Mariners line up, and the bullpen had one of the higher ERA's of the Major Leagues. For a team that was supposed to go to the World Series, finishing in fourth behind a team that was last in baseball for the past four years is a major let down. Thus, the spot on this list.
3. Hanley Ramirez & Pablo Sandoval
While the Red Sox were never going to win the East with their pitching, their two major offensive signings, Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, were supposed to at least somewhat offset the odds. However, Ramirez proved upon entry that it would be unwise to leave him in the field, playing simply terrible defense, and not making up for it with his average hitting. While the other Red Sox signing, Pablo Sandoval, was the opposite. He played average defense, but hit terribly. So bad was Sandoval's hitting that he gave up switch hitting in favor of hitting lefty all of the time. The two guys that were supposed to carry the Sox let them down.
2. San Diego Padres
For a team that "won the winter," the Padres must be really disappointed in themselves. They traded for aging former stars that couldn't play defense, screwing up their team in the present and the future. Matt Kemp didn't hit for the first half of the season, and all throughout didn't play defense. Justin Upton was also mediocre, and ace James Shields rode an ERA over four to the end of the year. Will Myers, who was supposed to be center field, proved he couldn't handle it, and was moved to first base. You know you let your fan base down when you were supposed to go to the World Series and you finish behind the Arizona Diamondbacks.
1. Washington Nationals
Another team that was supposed to go to the World Series, yet the only thing that worked out for the Nationals was Bryce Harper's surge to star hood. Max Scherzer, the Nats' beg signing, was average, with a bad second half. Jason Werth and Denard Span both got injured, leaving only one man to tend to the Nats' dying offense. Two of the Nationals pitcher' were terrible, Stephen Strasburg and Doug Fister, both of whom were former Cy Young candidates. All in all, no one except for Bryce Harper performed to standard, and the Nationals let down everyone.
5. John Lester
When the Cubs decided it was time to win now, they made a lot of big moves. Among those was the most hyped move of the entire winter, the signing of ace John Lester. However, Lester struggled early on, wound up getting out shined by fellow ace, Cy Young Jake Arrieta. All in all, Lester had a pretty good year, helping the Cubs make it to the postseason for the first time since 2009. Still, Lester did not perform to standards, and was a let down.
4. Seattle Mariners
Take the best lefty-righty 3-4 punch on paper in the game and cross it with a former Cy Young award winner and what do you get? A championship bid, right? RIGHT? Nope, you get one of the bigger let downs of 2015. Robinson Cano was just as abismal as the rest of the Mariners line up, and the bullpen had one of the higher ERA's of the Major Leagues. For a team that was supposed to go to the World Series, finishing in fourth behind a team that was last in baseball for the past four years is a major let down. Thus, the spot on this list.
3. Hanley Ramirez & Pablo Sandoval
While the Red Sox were never going to win the East with their pitching, their two major offensive signings, Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, were supposed to at least somewhat offset the odds. However, Ramirez proved upon entry that it would be unwise to leave him in the field, playing simply terrible defense, and not making up for it with his average hitting. While the other Red Sox signing, Pablo Sandoval, was the opposite. He played average defense, but hit terribly. So bad was Sandoval's hitting that he gave up switch hitting in favor of hitting lefty all of the time. The two guys that were supposed to carry the Sox let them down.
2. San Diego Padres
For a team that "won the winter," the Padres must be really disappointed in themselves. They traded for aging former stars that couldn't play defense, screwing up their team in the present and the future. Matt Kemp didn't hit for the first half of the season, and all throughout didn't play defense. Justin Upton was also mediocre, and ace James Shields rode an ERA over four to the end of the year. Will Myers, who was supposed to be center field, proved he couldn't handle it, and was moved to first base. You know you let your fan base down when you were supposed to go to the World Series and you finish behind the Arizona Diamondbacks.
1. Washington Nationals
Another team that was supposed to go to the World Series, yet the only thing that worked out for the Nationals was Bryce Harper's surge to star hood. Max Scherzer, the Nats' beg signing, was average, with a bad second half. Jason Werth and Denard Span both got injured, leaving only one man to tend to the Nats' dying offense. Two of the Nationals pitcher' were terrible, Stephen Strasburg and Doug Fister, both of whom were former Cy Young candidates. All in all, no one except for Bryce Harper performed to standard, and the Nationals let down everyone.
Sunday, January 17, 2016
The Top Three Worst Moves of the Offseason
3. Giants sign Jonny Cueto to six years, with an opt out after two
While the Dodgers made a similar deal with Kenta Maeda , a deal with a lot of years for someone you know is going to get hurt, that one was for not nearly as much money. This deal is bad because if Cueto injures himself, which he probably will, the Giants are stuck paying a guy around 20 million a year to sit on the bench. It's a hell of a risk for the Giants, especially if they want to contend in the suddenly competitive NL west. That being said, it's only really two years, as they signed him expecting that he would opt out, which is why it's not #1, but it's still way to risky, and it could set the Giants back a long way in two or three years.
2. Diamondbacks sign Zack Greinke to six years, 205 million
To the casual fan, letting go of Zack Greinke seemed stupid. The guy almost won the Cy Young! But when you look closer at what the Diamondbacks payed to get Greinke, you can see why the Dodgers were reluctant. The Diamondbacks gave up so much money to a guy who is going to spend the majority of his contract over the age of 35, that if they don't win within the next two or three years, they're screwed. They're giving Greinke too much money. End of story. But they're also giving him way too many years. Six is a long time for a thirty two year old. The proportions of this deal are so out of whack that it was almost number one, but the stupidity of the following deal will leave you speechless.
#1 Diamondbacks trade Ender Enciarte and Dansby Swanson to the Braves for Shelby Miller
Hey, these guys again! As you may not know, the Diamondbacks had the first pick in this year's player draft. They selected Dansby Swanson, only to trade away the ultimate potential of a shortstop for two or three years of a #2 starter. Let that sink in. On top of that, they're trading away fan favorite Ender Enciarte, who can play defense, hit, everything. Now Shelby Miller is great, but he gives up a lot of fly balls, which is not good for the D-Backs stadium. You'll only Miller for two years, when you could have Enciarte for more. Also, six years of the number one prospect of 2015 doesn't sound too bad either. Look, I understand that the D-Backs signed a TV contract so they need to win now, but it will severely, I mean cripple, their future.
While the Dodgers made a similar deal with Kenta Maeda , a deal with a lot of years for someone you know is going to get hurt, that one was for not nearly as much money. This deal is bad because if Cueto injures himself, which he probably will, the Giants are stuck paying a guy around 20 million a year to sit on the bench. It's a hell of a risk for the Giants, especially if they want to contend in the suddenly competitive NL west. That being said, it's only really two years, as they signed him expecting that he would opt out, which is why it's not #1, but it's still way to risky, and it could set the Giants back a long way in two or three years.
2. Diamondbacks sign Zack Greinke to six years, 205 million
To the casual fan, letting go of Zack Greinke seemed stupid. The guy almost won the Cy Young! But when you look closer at what the Diamondbacks payed to get Greinke, you can see why the Dodgers were reluctant. The Diamondbacks gave up so much money to a guy who is going to spend the majority of his contract over the age of 35, that if they don't win within the next two or three years, they're screwed. They're giving Greinke too much money. End of story. But they're also giving him way too many years. Six is a long time for a thirty two year old. The proportions of this deal are so out of whack that it was almost number one, but the stupidity of the following deal will leave you speechless.
#1 Diamondbacks trade Ender Enciarte and Dansby Swanson to the Braves for Shelby Miller
Hey, these guys again! As you may not know, the Diamondbacks had the first pick in this year's player draft. They selected Dansby Swanson, only to trade away the ultimate potential of a shortstop for two or three years of a #2 starter. Let that sink in. On top of that, they're trading away fan favorite Ender Enciarte, who can play defense, hit, everything. Now Shelby Miller is great, but he gives up a lot of fly balls, which is not good for the D-Backs stadium. You'll only Miller for two years, when you could have Enciarte for more. Also, six years of the number one prospect of 2015 doesn't sound too bad either. Look, I understand that the D-Backs signed a TV contract so they need to win now, but it will severely, I mean cripple, their future.
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