California Dreamin' 2011 Part I

During last year's free-agent's period I wrote a post called California Dreamin'...or is it where I basically noted how the California teams had seemed to be trumped by other teams in terms of free-agent signings. Now, as we saw with the culmination of the World Series, the San Francisco Giants had the last laugh on all the naysayers (including myself). So in keeping with the theme of last year's post, here I go with my California Dreaming.

- San Francisco Giants
I've got to start off with the World Series Champs who finally brought the trophy to San Francisco after 58 years without a championship. My main gripe about the Giants last season was though the team could pitch, they lacked offensive. Though they showed in the stretch run and the postseason that their pitching could offset their offensive woes, there were times during the early season that their offense was their achilles heel. This season their offense hasn't really improved, yet.

I think the Giants will feel the loss of Juan Uribe more than the loss of Edgar Renteria. While both players came up big in the postseason, Renteria was mainly a non-factor during the season while it seemed that Uribe played everywhere in the field. For now Miguel Tejada seems to be starting shortstop while a Mark DeRosa can fill Uribe's utility man spot on the roster if he can remain healthy. Pablo Sandoval's weight issues will also be a major news story especially if he fails to regain his form from the 2009 season. Aside from those two free agent departures and the Tejada signing the team is not much different offensively than last season. I think that changes in May when Brandon Belt is called up from the minors.

Belt is a 22-year old 6'5" 195lb left handed hitting first baseman who in one season in the minor leagues for the Giants hit a combined .352 with 23 HR and 112 RBI. In 492 at-bats, Belt had 173 hits (43 2B/10 3B/23 HR) with 99 strikeouts, 93 walks and 22 stolen bases. His OPS was 1.075 (.455 OBP/.620 SLG). Now keep in mind that the majority of those numbers were achieved in single A California League but having started in single A and finishing the season in AAA Belt performed at each stop. I believe that it is a matter of time before Belt joins the Giants and solidifies the lineup.

In terms of pitching, when you have a rotation Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Johnathan Sanchez and Barry Zito with a bullpen of Brian Wilson, Jeremy Affeldt, Sergio Romo, Javier Lopez and Santiago Castilla there's not much that needs to be said. I know the talk of the National League's pitching is going to center among the fearsome foursome in Philadelphia but these guys in San Francisco have already done it together while the Philadelphia quartet has to do it together. I believe that Giants will still be the team to beat in the National League.

- San Diego Padres
The Padres are the California team that has made the most changes to its team for the 2011 season. The big move was the trade that sent All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox but it wasn't the only move made by the Friars. The Padres added the following players through trades and free agent signings:

1B Brad Hawpe
2B Orlando Hudson
SS Jason Bartlett
CF Cameron Maybin
C Rob Johnson

Both Bartlett and Hudson are signed for two years and Maybin is arbitration eligible in 2013. Add these players to Chase Headley and Ryan Ludwick and the Padres seem to have a good core nucleus to play alongside their strength which is their pitching.

The Padres rotation is made up of starters Matt Latos, Clayton Richard, Tim Stauffer, Wade LeBlanc, Adam Harang (who was signed in the offseason from Cincinnati) and youngster Cory Luebke. The bullpen is anchored by closer Heath Bell and supported by Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams, Joe Thatcher, Ernesto Fieri and free agent signing Dustin Moseley (formerly of the New York Yankees). The Padres faithful might be saddened by the loss of Gonzalez but on paper based on their offseason moves, I believe the Padres will be a threat to contend for the National League Wild Card.

- Oakland Athletics
Billy Beane has once again put the pieces together for what I believe is going to be an Oakland Athletics team that will win the American League West Division. Why? First off, their rotation is solid. Even after trading Vin Mazzaro to the Kansas City Royals for David DeJesus, they have Trevor Cahill, Brian Anderson, Gio Gonzalez, Dallas Braden, Brandon McCarthy and Rich Harden. Their bullpen might be the best in the league with the signing of Brian Fuentes who will be either the 8th inning option or the closer if Andrew Bailey has issues from his recovery from last season's elbow injury. The A's also added reliever Grant Balfour (formerly of the Tampa Bay Rays) to go along side Michael Wurtz, Craig Breslow, Jerry Blevins, Brad Ziegler and Joey Devine.

Offensively, the A's have had a year together to gel into a solid unit. The addition of DH Hideki Matsui will only help the development of players due to his veteran presence and baseball experience. The acquisition of Josh Willingham from the Washington Nationals also adds depth to an outfield that will be made up of Coco Crisp and David DeJesus. The infield of Daric Barton, veteran Mark Ellis, Cliff Pennington and Kevin Kouzmanoff along with catcher Kurt Suzuki to me is one of the best in baseball and they can only get better.

Like I said before, I think the A's will win the American League West. The Rangers are not the same team they were last season. The Mariners are in rebuilding mode and I'll get into the reasons why the Angels won't win the division in my next post. I'll also touch upon the Los Angeles Dodgers and their made for Hollywood divorce drama.

FH

Reds, Rockies and Brewers Invest in Their Futures

With 27 days to go the Baseball juices are flowing within me at a strong pace. Sorry football fans, but I wish I can fast forward to February 14, 2011 (and no it is not for the corporate "holiday" Valentine's Day) which is the voluntary Spring Training reporting date for pitchers, catchers and injured players. Hurry up and get here already, LOL. Ok, enough of that. Let's get to business.

In recent weeks the Cincinnati Reds, the Colorado Rockies and the Milwaukee Brewers have done right by both their teams and their fans by locking up some of their young talent and trading for important pieces to help them compete in 2011. Let's look at the Reds first.

- Cincinnati Reds
The 2010 National League Central Champions have been busy this offseason in signing integral pieces of their team to multi-year deals. Reported earlier today on MLB.com the Reds and the 2010 National League MVP Joey Votto have agreed to a 3-year $38 Million dollar deal. This signing ensures that Votto will be reading Cincinnati Red through the 2013 season. Add the 6-year $51 million dollar contract extension to outfielder Jay Bruce, the 3-year $35 million dollar contract extension to starter Bronson Arroyo with the core group of Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, Edison Volquez and Aroldis Chapman make the Reds a team to contend against in a NL Central division that has become a tougher place to play in with the recent improvement of the Milwaukee Brewers. I'll get to the improved Brew Crew in a few.

- Colorado Rockies
One of the most exciting teams in the National League made plans to stay that way for a few more years. Last week the Rockies announced that they have signed outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to a 7-year $80 million dollar contract extension which keeps him in Colorado through the 2017 season. Add the signings of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to a 7-year $134 million extension through 2020, pitcher Jorge de la Rosa to a 3-year $32.5 million dollar contract to the core group of rotation ace Ubaldo Jimenez (signed through 2012 with club options for 2013 and 2014), Todd Helton, Eric Young Jr., Ryan Spilbourghs and Huston Street and we see a team that is poised to contend with the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.

My only reservation with the Rockies' moves is that they have invested heavily in Gonzalez who only has two years of experience at the Major League level and in Tulowitzki who has only played in over 150 games twice in his five years in the league. Don't let me rain on their parade, the potential for the Rockies in unlimited with their young studs, hopefully the investment in these players pays off in a big return.

- Milwaukee Brewers
I believe that the Brewers are hoping to go for broke with the moves they made this offseason. Out of the three teams I've profiled here, the Brewers have the most cloudiest of futures. There is no guarantee that superstar players Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder will play together after this season. Management made moves, especially on the pitching front, to make sure that the team is in the best position to compete with the division champion Cincinnati Reds.

The biggest move was the trade for former Kansas City Royals ace Zach Grienke. The Brewers also traded for Toronto Blue Jays starter Shawn Marcum adding him and Grienke to a rotation that already included Yovani Gallardo and Randy Wolf. The Brewers have Braun signed until the 2015 season, outfielder Corey Hart until 2013, third baseman Casey McGehee and second baseman Richie Weeks are both signed for a more years before arbitration kicks in ensuring that the Brewers will have a good core nucleus together for a number of years even if Prince Fielder is traded or decides to leave Milwaukee after this season.

It is good to see some of the teams that people would refer to as being "small market" teams making the effort to invest in their future. Baseball needs more owners who are willing to take the chance and lock up their players ensuring the their teams remain competitive and their fanbases remain interested in their team. Now if the owners of Pittsburgh and Kansas City can take notes as see how it can be done from the small market perspective.

FH

For Further Reading
- Click Here to read Mark Sheldon's article Reds reward MVP Votto with three-year deal from MLB.com dated January 16, 2011
- Click Here to read Thomas Harding's article CarGo hold: Rox ink Gonzalez to $80M deal from MLB.com dated January 11, 2011
- Click Here to read Adam McCalvy's article Greinke trade caps Milwaukee makeover from MLB.com dated December 19, 2010

Trevor Hoffman Retires

I've been saying this for years: If Trevor Hoffman had been playing in a major media market like New York, Boston, Chicago or Los Angeles there would be no doubt in anyone's mind that he would be a first ballot Hall of Famer. I believe that Hoffman through his pitching cemented himself as being the second best closer in the history of the game (after Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees) and in five years he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. That is my point of view and I know there are some who would disagree. Let's take a look at Trevor Hoffman.

In a career that spanned 18 seasons, Hoffman was a model of consistency in the closer role which has led to his being the Major League Saves leader. Hoffman was originally drafted in 1989 by the Cincinnati Reds. He would later be selected by the Florida Marlins in the 1992 expansion draft, reaching the majors during the 1993 season. Hoffman's career would forever be changed by his being traded to the San Diego Padres with Andres Berumen and Jose Martinez for Rich Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield. It was in San Diego that Hoffman's career would flourish.

Aside from missing the majority of the 2003 season with shoulder injuries, Hoffman saved 554 games for the Padres including a career high 53 saves in 1998 helping the Padres make the World Series for the second time in their franchise history. Hoffman saved another 47 games with the Milwaukee Brewers including his 600th and 601st career save making him the only pitcher to pass the 600 save mark. For his career, Hoffman was 61-75 with a 2.78 ERA. In 1089.1 innings pitched, Hoffman struck out 1133 while walking only 307 and giving up 846 hits for a WHIP of 1.058. His 88.8 career save percentage ranks sixth all time.

Arguably his best season came in 1998 when he 4-2 with a 1.48 ERA in 66 games. In 73 innings pitches, Hoffman struck out 86 while walking 21 and giving up 41 hits for a WHIP of 0.849. What seems to stand out the most about Hoffman is not his statistics but his affect on his team with his professionalism. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig puts it as so:

"All the great statistical accomplishments of a marvelous 18-year career on the mound do not tell the story of Trevor Hoffman. He is retiring from the game with a Major League record total of 601 career saves and seven All-Star selections, but it is Trevor's class and leadership that has always stood out to me. He earned the universal respect of his peers and the people throughout our game, and he built a profound legacy in the city of San Diego and in his two years in Milwaukee.

"Trevor Hoffman has been the consummate professional, representing all the best of our national pastime. I am delighted that he is setting out on a new course in a role with the Padres, the club with which he will be forever linked. I have truly appreciated Trevor's friendship over the years, and on behalf of Major League Baseball and his admirers throughout the game, I wish him and his wonderful family all the best in the years to come."

As Hoffman ends his playing days, he joins the San Diego Padres as a part of their front office.

I asked my buddy Mickey Koke of the Friarhood Blogpage for some insight on Trevor Hoffman from the point of view of a San Diego Padres' fan and here is what he had to say:

Trevor Hoffman and the "Hells Bells" song, transcended the sport of baseball and the way that closers come out. Uplifting the crown in such a way of entertainment and excitement he bestowed upon fans, his fellow peers, managers and anyone who watched him pitch, realize just how truly extraordinary he was on and off the field. Starting the true trend of the walk in closer songs throughout baseball. There was nothing in baseball like listening to "Hells Bell's" in San Diego at Qualcom Stadium or Petco park, Nothing. The excitement was unparalleled to anything I have witnessed as a Padre fan, or a baseball fan. Trevor Hoffman was and still is a class act and a the exemplar player to look up to as a role model. He was not "Mr Padre", (Tony Gwynn) but he will always be remembered as a Padre through and through right into Cooperstown. He will be forever loved and remembered by the great fans in San Diego, Trevor, you were the best!

As I stated earlier, I believe Trevor Hoffman to be a future Hall of Famer. No doubts. Regardless if Mariano Rivera passes him on the all time saves list, which can happen within the next two seasons if not this season since he is 42 saves behind, I believe Hoffman won't be tarnished. On the contrary, I believe that time will be generous to Hoffman, unlike how it has been to Lee Smith and John Franco in their attempts to join their peers in Cooperstown.

FH

For Further Reading:
- Click Here to access Trevor Hoffman's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to read Bill Center's article Hoffman retires, will wear 'different hats' for the Padres from the San Diego Union-Tribune's webpage dated January 11, 2011
- Click Here to read Bailey Stephens' article Hoffman ready for next challenge with Padres from MLB.com dated January 12, 2011
- Click Here to read Buster Olney's article Opening up on Trevor Hoffman from his blogpage at ESPN.com
- Click Here for Richard Dorsha's article Trevor's Time from The Friarhood.com dated January 12, 2011
- Click Here to read Cyril Morong's blogpost Trevor Hoffman Retires With Highest Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio from the Cybermetrics blogpage dated January 12, 2011
- Click Here to read the article Is Trevor Hoffman a Lock for the Hall of Fame (or Even a Worthy Candidate)? from the Captain's Blog Page dated January 12, 2011

2011 Baseball Hall of Fame Vote

Before I get started on this year's baseball blogging, I wanted to wish all you readers a Happy New Year. Thank you all for reading my page and for all of your comments here and on Facebook. I greatly appreciate it.

So to no surprise to me the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown added two new members with the announcement of this year's vote by the Baseball Writers of America (BBWAA). Elected in his 2nd year of eligibility was second baseman Roberto Alomar with 90% of the vote. Joining him is Bert Blyleven who finally eclipsed the minimum 75% of the vote in his 14th year on the ballot with 79.7% of the vote. They will be enshrined in Cooperstown with executive Pat Gillick, who was elected last month by the Expansion Era Committee, Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News with the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for baseball writing and longtime Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins voice Dave Van Horne with the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting. According to the Baseball Hall of Fame website, here are the results of this year's vote:



Like I said earlier, I was not surprised at Alomar and Blyleven being elected in. I felt it was a year late since I wrote on my post 2010 Hall of Fame Ballot dated January 3, 2010 that Alomar would have gotten in as a first ballot Hall of Famer. In terms of Blyleven, I've been saying for years that he belongs in the Hall of Fame and now after fourteen long years he is there. I want to shift gears a bit and focus on a few other players that were on this year's ballot.

- Barry Larkin
Last year I believed that Barry Larkin was good enough to garner first ballot Hall of Fame status. The voters on the other hand thought differently and Larkin received 278 votes for 51.6% of the vote. This year the prospects for Larkin's enshrinement have improved. Larkin received 361 votes for 62.1% of the vote in his second year putting him in a good position to keep garnering enough votes to reach the necessary 75%. I believe that he was the second-best shortstop in the National League (some may argue the best one when you consider his batting) behind Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith.

- Jack Morris
Where Larkin's position on the list of players eligible for Hall of Fame enshrinement looks promising, Morris' chances look dim. Where Morris received 52.3% of the vote in 2010, his rise in 2011 was minimal. This year Morris received 311 votes for 53.5% of the vote in his 12th year of eligibility. Can Morris get over 20% more in votes within the next three years? It remains to be seen.

- Jeff Bagwell
Bagwell seems to be the first player who played during the Steroid Era that will be stigmatized by it in his chances to get in the Hall of Fame. In his first year of eligibility, Bagwell received 242 votes for 41.7% of the vote. While that is not a shabby performance for his first year on the ballot, could he have gotten more votes had he put up the same numbers in another era?

In 15 seasons with the Houston Astros, Bagwell had a career .297 batting average with 449 HRs and 1529 RBI. He had a total of 2314 hits (488 2B/32 3B/449 HR), struck out 1558 times while drawing 1401 walks. Bagwell's career OPS was .948 (.540 SLG%/.408 OBP). He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1991. He was in the top ten of the National League MVP vote six times winning the award in 1994. Bagwell won three Silver Slugger and one Gold Glove awards. Considering that he amassed these numbers in only 15 seasons I believe that Bagwell will eventually get in the Hall of Fame. How long it takes will remain to be seen.

- Fred McGriff
I've always said that Fred McGriff was a player that hit 30 homers a season and drove in 100 runs when those numbers were important. He is the case of a player who put up productive number before and during the Steroid Era but he may have come up just short. In 2010 McGriff received 116 votes for 21.5% of the vote. This year McGriff actually lost votes by receiving only 104 votes for 17.9% of the vote. Granted, the addition of players such as Jeff Bagwell and Larry Walker may have taken some votes from McGriff but for him to have gone down is disappointing.

In 19 seasons, McGriff had a career .284 batting average with 493 HRs and 1550 RBI. He had a total of 2490 hits (441 2B/24 3B/493 HR), struck out 1882 times while drawing 1305 walks. McGriff's career OPS was .886 (.509 SLG%/.377 OBP). He was in the top ten of the National League MVP vote six times and a five-time All Star. McGriff won three Silver Slugger awards. Compared to Bagwell, it seems that McGriff falls short. We'll see how the voters favor him in the upcoming years.

- Edgar Martinez
Where Martinez's showing in Hall of Fame votes was impressive, this year he seemed to lose ground. In 2010 Martinez received 195 votes for 36.2% of the vote, this year he lost votes. Martinez received 191 votes for 32.9% of the vote. With Martinez being the first true DH to come up for Hall of Fame enshrinement, I though that the Baseball writers would be as progressive in considering Martinez's place in the game as they were progressive with voting (outside the proverbial box) for Felix Hernandez as the American League Cy Young Award Winner. I guess I thought wrong.

Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy and Lee Smith
This trio of players just can't get any love from the majority of the voters. In 2010 Mattingly got 16.1%, Murphy 11.7% and Smith 47.3%. This year Mattingly 13.6%, Murphy 12.6% and Lee 45.3%. These players just seem to be stuck in the same place year after year not gaining the sufficient votes needed for enshrinement. Maybe they can benefit from the type of grassroots campaign that helped Bert Blyleven.

And now for the two players who currently exemplify the Steroid Era among those eligible for the Hall of Fame:

Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmiero
I'm not going to beat a dead horse here in terms of McGwire. I've said it before and I'll say it here again: casting the steroid issue aside, I don't believe that McGwire is a Hall of Famer. Apparently the voters don't think so either. Where most people believed that if McGwire came clean about his steroid use he'd gain more votes for the Hall of Fame, the reverse happened. In 2010 McGwire received 128 votes for 23.7% of the vote, his 2011 standing took a fall. This year McGwire received 115 votes for 19.8% of the vote. So much for the truth setting you free. If you want to read more into my point of view why McGwire isn't a Hall of Famer, read my blogpost The Return of Mark McGwire dated January 9, 2010.

Turning my attention to Palmiero. I believe this is the saddest case of them all. Five years have come and gone and Palmiero still says that the positive test result came from a "B12" shot that was given to him by then teammate Miguel Tejada. Even after the now infamous finger wagging session in front of the Congressional Committee where he adamantly stated that he never used steroids, Palmiero remains steadfast in his stance. Where it is sad is that I don't think Palmiero ever needed the juice and may not have taken it (if he did) until late in his career. Palmiero is one of 4 players to reach the magical 500 homeruns and 3000 hit plateaus (Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray are the other three). He also holds the distinction of being the only person to fail a drug test for a Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) to be up for Hall of Fame consideration. Its a shame that Palmiero basically threw away his Hall of Fame career. In his case, time did nothing to aid his cause. With the 64 votes he received Palmiero will be on next year's ballot. We'll see how he does then.

Of those players who failed to receive the minimum 30 votes to keep their eligibility I'm surprised that Harold Baines, Kevin Browne, Tino Martinez and John Olerud did not receive more votes. Baines is even more glaring since he finished with 2866 hits in a productive 22 year career.

FH

For Further Reading:
- Click Here to read the Press Release from the Baseball Hall of Fame on Alomar and Blyleven making the Hall of Fame
- Click here for the BBWAA webpage with the breakdown and analysis of the 2011 Hall of Fame Vote
- Click Here for the potential 2012 Hall of Fame Ballot from Baseball Reference.com

Grienke Gets Traded

It was reported yesterday by Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that a trade between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals had been completed. The centerpiece of that deal was the 27-year old 2009 American League Cy Young Award Winner Zack Grienke who had to waive his no-trade option to complete the deal. The Brewers receive Grienke and SS Yuniesky Betancourt. In exchange the Royals get SS Alcides Escobar, CF Lorenzo Cain and pitching prospects Jake Odorizzi, Jeremy Jeffress and $2 million in cash. So what does this trade mean to the two teams.

While the Brewers rotation doesn't have the success of the San Francisco Giants' group of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Johnathan Sanchez and the golden allure of the Philadelphia Phillies rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, I believe the trade puts the Brewers as the third best rotation in the league. Some Cardinal fans will disagree with me. Granted, do I think that Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter are a better and proved combination compared to Grienke and Yovani Gallardo (who are believed to be the one-two punch for the Milwaukee rotation) but the Brewers signed Shawn Marcum who pitched in the AL East against some of the toughest lineups game in and game out and Randy Wolf is a veteran pitcher that has pitched in many different situations. I believe the trade gives the Milwaukee Brewers a chance to make a serious run on the National League Central Division title with their core group of Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Casey McGehee and Rickie Weeks. Betancourt is another situation. (GRAPH COURTESY of Anthony Witrado of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

This is his third team in three years (Seattle Mariners 2008-2009, Kansas City Royals 2009-2010) and he has not lived up to the potential take Will McDonald's comments from his article Could 2011 Be Yuniesky Betancourt's Last Year With the Royals? from RoyalsReview.com dated November 28, 2010:

Yuniesky Betancourt's "breakout" year in 2010 took some heat off of the embattled Royals shortstop. I mean, anytime you get a .288 OBP out of a guy over 588 PAs, with horrible defense, you take it. No questions asked. And with a monstrous .400 slugging percentage fueled by a career spike in HR/FB %, you've got a true cornerstone.

Nevertheless, might 2011 be the final year Yuni-bomb spends with the Royals?

Well, we know that he will never get the chance to play in Kansas City for the 2011 season but the projections don't look good. For McDonald to settle for Bentancourt's numbers as a scenario of the "lesser of two evils" says something about Betancourt's playing abilities. Mind you, he was playing for the Royals and McDonald was comparing Betancourt with the rest of the talent at SS with the Royals. The Brewers also re-signed Craig Counsell who provides a dependable security blanket for the team in case Betancourt doesn't work out.

In terms of the Royals, I refer to the wisdom of Joe Posnanski of Sports Illustrated. In his blog post from December 19th simply named The Greinke Trade Posanski had the following to say about the trade:

The Royals got prospects from Milwaukee, but that in and of itself means nothing. See: Prospects mean nothing. Every team has them. The question from Kansas City’s perspective is this: Did they get PLAYERS who can help them win? I have spent the day asking baseball friends that very question. The answers are mixed. This trade, from Kansas City’s perspective, is complicated and foggy and, in the end, probably pretty unsatisfying (if you’re a Royals fan). We’ll get to all that in a minute.

The trade from Milwaukee’s perspective, I think, is easy to categorize. It is glorious. Yes, they did deal four interesting young players — 24-year-old shortstop Alcides Escobar , 25-year-old (in April) centerfielder Lorenzo Cain, 23-year-old reliever Jeremy Jeffress and 21-year-old (in March) pitcher Jake Odorizzi — and yes, they now appear stuck with Yuni Betancourt as their everyday shortstop, and yes, their farm system is now utterly depleted (though I’ll bet they still have 30 prospects in the Baseball America book).

We see what side of the trade Posanski feels benefited from the deal and it is the team from the AL Central. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea who these players are that the Royals received in exchange for Grienke and Betancourt and I'll post Posnanski's review of the players to give you some information on them:

- SS Alcides Escobar: He’s by all accounts a gifted athlete with above-average speed and brilliant defensive ability. There are even those who think that he will eventually hit. He was a good enough prospect last year that the Brewers dealt away J.J. Hardy and made him their everyday shortstop. But in his first year, he did not hit a lick (.235/.288/.326). His 67 OPS+ — well, not many hitters in baseball history have rebounded from that to have a good offensive career. Ozzie Smith did. Terry Pendleton did. Not many others. Escobar also did not put up especially good defensive numbers, if you put any stock in those. The upside for Escobar is as a superior defensive shortstop who will get on base enough to steal bases and be an offensive plus. But that’s certainly no guarantee, and his future is further clouded as numerous scouts question his work ethic and motivation.

- CF Lorenzo Cain: Nobody questions Cain’s motivation; he seems to be a terrific athlete with even better makeup. The two names I heard most often in comparison are Denard Span and Torii Hunter, a couple of Twins centerfielders whom the Royals have jealously gawked at the last few years. Cain, though, turns 25 in April, and his minor league march has been slow and uneven and injury-plagued. He has only played 22 games in Triple-A. He has shown absolutely no power and only average plate discipline. He has the speed and instincts to be a fabulous defensive center fielder, which he could really show off in the enormous outfield at Kauffman Stadium.

- RHP Jeremy Jeffress: has a great arm — he has been clocked at 100, and he works at 94-to-98 mph. His problem has been control — both on and off the field. He has twice been suspended for testing positive for marijuana. You can pass your own judgments on that, but at the very least the second positive test suggests a player who has not taken his career very seriously. One more positive test, and he’s banned for life. And in the minors he walked 188 batters in 306 innings, though his command came on enough in 2010 that one baseball executive said it “improved dramatically.” He appears to be a reliever now — especially because he has not found an effective third pitch. You never know exactly how relievers with great stuff and questionable command will do.

- RHP Jake Odorizzi: is probably not worth spending too much time on right now — he’s still years away. He pitched well in Low A ball, and some of the people I spoke with like him, think he projects as a No. 3 starter. Others aren’t excited by his stuff and think he will struggle as he moves up in competition. There’s no telling for sure with a pitcher in Class A.

So there you go. It seems that in the short term the Brewers are the clear winners in the Grienke trade. They help their team tremendously in trying to win now before they might lose some young hitting due to salary increases. Give credit to Milwaukee's ownership for stepping up and showing its fanbase that it will do what is necessary (within means) to put a winning team on the field. For Kansas City, well lets say that the team is not only far removed from the 83-win season of 2003 but it seems like it is light-years away from the glory years of the mid 1970's to the mid 1980's. We'll see if the additions of Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francouer can at least help keep the Royals competitive this upcoming season.

FH

For Further Reading:
- Click Here for Zack Grienke's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here for Yuniesky Betancourt's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here for Alcides Betancourt's career statistics from BaseballCube.com
- Click Here for Lorenzo Cain's career statistics from BaseballCube.com
- Click Here for Jeremy Jeffress' career statistics from BaseballCube.com
- Click Here for Jake Odorizzi's career statistics from BaseballCube.com
- Click Here to access Tom Haudricourt's article Brewers pay high price to nab pitcher Greinke from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website dated December 19, 2010
- Click Here to access Tom Rosiak's transcript of the interview given by Zack Grienke on meeting the local press dated December 20, 2010
- Click Here to access Joe Posnanski's blogpost The Greinke Trade from SI.com dated December 19, 2010
- Click Here to access Joe Posnanski's follow-up to his article on the Grienke trade called Uh-Oh from SI.com dated December 20, 2010
- Click Here to access Bob Dutton's article Royals trade Grienke to Brewers from the Kansas City Star website dated December 19, 2010

Many Signings and Trades

Since there have been many signings and one trade since I last posted, I'm going to be brief in listing who signed where (former team in parenthesis):

- RP Bobby Jenks (Chicago White Sox) signed a 2-Yr $12 million deal with the Boston Red Sox
- OF Josh Willingham (Washington Nationals) traded to the Oakland Athletics for RP Henry Rodriguez/OF Corey Brown
- RP Kerry Wood (New York Yankees) signed a 1-yr 1.5 million deal pending physical with Chicago Cubs
- IF Tsuyoshi Nishioka (Chiba Lotte Marines) signed a 3-yr $10 million deal with the Minnesota Twins
- SP Chien-Ming Wang re-signed with the Washington Nationals for 1-yr $1 million with incentives to reach $5 million
- OF Maggio Ordoñez re-signed with the Detroit Tigers for 1-yr $10 million
- 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion re-signed with the Toronto Blue Jays for 1-yr $2.5 million with club option for 2012
- RP Jesse Crain (Minnesota Twins) signed a 3-yr $13 million deal with the Chicago White Sox
- P Rich Harden (Texas Rangers) signed a 1-yr $1.5 million deal with incentives with the Oakland Athletics
- RP Matt Guerrier (Minnesota Twins) signed a 3-yr $12 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers
- C Gerarld Laird (Detroit Tigers) signed a 1-yr $1-million deal with the St. Louis Caardinals
- P Mark Prior signed a minor-league deal with the New York Yankees
- RP Matt Albers (Baltimore Orioles) signed a 1-yr deal with the Boston Red Sox
- IF/OF Xavier Nady (Chicago Cubs) signed a 1-yr deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks
- 1B Lyle Overbay (Toronto Blue Jays) signed a 1-yr deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates
- C Russell Martin (Los Angeles Dodgers) signed a 1-yr deal with the New York Yankees

For these and other signings/trades information click on MLB.com's Fantasy Player News and Updates Webpage

FH

2010 Season Recap for Rami-Chan

For those of you who have been following this blog on a regular basis during this past baseball season know that I have been focusing my attention on one particular Latino ballplayer who has played the bulk of his professional career in Japan. I first started with a post Rami-chan, the Dominant Latino Gaijin in Japan (April 8, 2010) and followed it up with Return to Japan to look at Rami-Chan (July 1, 2010) and Latino Milestones in the U.S. and Japan (September 1, 2010). Now with the baseball season in Japan being over for about a month or so, I wanted to close out the 2010 season by focusing on Alex Ramirez (PHOTO CREDIT: http://japanesebaseballcards.blogspot.com/).

Ramirez, or as he is affectionately known in Japan as Rami-Chan, has been one of the few Latino ballplayers in Japan to both be successful and have a long career in the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB). Having just finished his 10th season in Japan, Ramirez batted .304 with career highs in homers and RBI's (49 and 129). In 566 at-bats, Ramirez had 172 hits (28 2B/0 3B/49 HR) with 98 strikeouts and 21 walks.

As I had highlighted in my post Ichiro and the 200 Hit Club in Japan from my Baseballism blogpage (up to this season) Ramirez was only one of three players to have 200 or more hits in a season (after this season there are five players). Ramirez is a two-time Central League MVP (2008 and 2009) who remains a force in the NPB.

So I decided to ask a few individuals who are in the know when it comes to the Japanese leagues on whether they believe Ramirez is the best Latino to play in Japan. I ran my query by Jason Coskrey of the Japan Times and
Patrick Newman of the NPBTracker.com website for their opinions through Twitter and here is what they had to say.

Jason Coskrey: Hmmm. It's hard not to put him at the top. With his numbers, among foreigners and it's Tuffy (Rhodes) and him. Longevity plays a role...Rami has 10 yrs here. But is he better than Alfonso Soriano or others who weren't here as long? NPB only, I put him at the top

Patrick Newman: Probably. I think (Roberto) Petagine was a little better at his peak but Rami has lasted longer. Roberto Barbon has a case in some ways.

Ok, so here is where the road leads me to Latino ballplayers in Japan. I will be working on a few posts on Roberto Barbon who in the arrived in Japan from Cuba in the 1950's and is regarded by many as being the first Latino ballplayer in Japan. Roberto Petagine was a slugger who played in Japan from 1999 and 2004. In addition to these players, I will try to shed some light on some other Latino ballplayers that I have come across in my research. Look forward to bringing some new information to you during the next few months to come.

FH

For Further Reading
- Click Here for Alex Ramirez's statistics page from the English NPB Website
- Click Here for the Japan Times sports webpage where you can read Japanese Baseball articles by Jason Coskrey among others
- Click Here to access NPBTracker.com for information on Baseball in Japan and around the world.