Links for Thursday, as Omar Vizquel goes deep for the first time this year…
- Cleveland manager Manny Acta said Carlos Santana could join the Tribe before the All-Star break, reports Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The club wanted Santana to work on his game-calling and throwing before bringing him up to the majors, but Acta says the young catching prospect is progressing defensively.
- Kendry Morales will indeed miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery, according to Mark DiGiovanna of the LA Times. There had been some hope that Morales could return in 2010.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin explained to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that developing pitchers takes years. The former Rangers GM pointed to C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis, two strong starters who were drafted about ten years ago under Melvin.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times takes an in-depth look at what GM Jack Zduriencik has done with the Mariners.
- The Astros signed nine draft picks, including fourth rounder Robert Doran, according to a team press release. Doran is a 6'6" college right-hander.
- Ben Goessling of MASN.com says Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham are players the Nationals could someday win with, not players they should look to move.
- As Pat Andriola of FanGraphs shows, the Marlins have made some fantastic low-key acquisitions in recent years.
- Josh Beckett told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he hasn’t thought about the way his recent back injury may have affected his free agent value had he not signed a four-year extension this spring.
- Former Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey would like to manage the team, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Dempsey, a MASN broadcaster who happens to be Gregg Zaun's uncle, has been a candidate to manage the O's three times before.
- Canadian catcher Kellin Deglan, who agreed to a deal with the Rangers, would have liked to play for the Blue Jays, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
- Jake Peavy told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Padres' decision to fire former GM Kevin Towers was an "absolute joke."
- Mike Lowell told Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe that he has though about how he would fit in Anaheim. Lowell also realizes he could be in line for a minor league deal after this season and that possibility does not appeal to him.
Dempsey needs to take a hint. If you weren’t hired for the job the three previous times you tried to get it, I highly doubt they think you will be the guy to turn around the worst team in the league the fourth time you try to get it. Stick to the post game show, thanks.
Enjoy Deglan while you have him, Texas. He’s just going to bolt for the Blue Jays as soon as he hits free agency… Oh wait, we can only do that with guys we think are going to go to the Yankees?
Jake should shut up. His pitching has been an “absolute joke”.
How is it that everyone knew Peavy was going to suck this year except Kenny Williams?
Hindsight sure is 20/20, huh? Peavy’s three starts at the tail end of last year, I’m sure, provided some optimism. The last two being 15 innings of shutout ball against a team in the thick of the playoff race. I can’t imagine “everyone knew Peavy was going to suck this year.”
Wow, and all it took was a 3 month rest, switching leagues and facing teams who hadn’t seen him before for him to have 3 whole good starts.
Flyball pitchers in the smallest park in the majors is always a very dumb idea.
Clearly him pitching in US Cellular, the “smallest park in the majors” has been the problem, considering he’s given up a whopping 3 home runs at home.
It has nothing to do with home runs, that’s not the only way to score. It has changed the way he pitches though and now his numbers at home are very similar to his road numbers and his road numbers have never been very good.
This was a really dumb trade by a GM who is completely lost in todays baseball.
I went back and read some of your previous comments and this one falls right in line with the air of pessimism that every single one is laced with. However, I did read the one that said, “Peavy should be fine.” Also, a three month “rest” can be viewed as coming off of an injury, which is not ideal for a pitcher, and switching leagues from the NL to the AL supposed to be harder for a pitcher, right? Alas, I’m sure it’s tough to view anything from an optimistic vantage point given your team’s fortunes this season.
There is and was an “air of pessimism ” about this team for a pretty good reason. This team sucks.
Go back as far as you want and you will see I saw this team as having no chance this year, who wouldn’t be pessimistic with a team like this? I can’t imagine how anyone is surprised by it.
I did go back and found posts that said you don’t see any reason that they couldn’t be around .500 and that 82 wins could take the division. To me, that sounds like you thought there could be a slight chance to compete. Besides, what fun is the beginning of a baseball season without at least the slightest hope that your team will compete? Case in point: San Diego Padres. Every year, there’s a team that surprises and makes a run that no one expected them to. But back to the Peavy point, your concerns about the home park are proving to be unfounded this year, as he has pitched to the tune of a 3.32 FIP at home. It’s on the road where he has struggled.
Thinking that a team has a chance if everything goes right for them and everything wrong for the other teams is an insult to the team you are talking about. This team still has a shot at 500, that doesn’t mean they don’t still suck? In baseball, until the trade deadline .500 is a realistic target for all of them.
And to Peavy, what he is doing at home is throwing a ridiculously high percentage of sliders, this is his only hope and he knows it so he is doing it, the problem with that is that Peavy has very poor mechanics and this will undoubtedly lead him to arm problems again, only this time I believe he will have very serious ones.
This was a very bad move by Kenny and we are just starting to see the reasons why, the worst is still in front of us.
Do you honestly think a team would be insulted, no matter how bad they are, if you were to attend games or support them in other ways (watching on tv, purchasing merchandise, etc.) and root them on? That’s just ludicrous, because they’ll take your money however they can get it. Not to mention I’m sure the players appreciate all the support they can get, regardless of their place in the standings.
As for Peavy, overall, he is actually throwing fewer sliders than his career average. I can’t find the stat that splits pitch type by home and away, so if you tell me what site I can find that on, I would appreciate it. With regard to injury, last season was the first in which he made fewer than 27 starts. His elbow strain in 2008 was towards the beginning of the season and he finished that season with a 3.60 FIP/2.85 ERA. Predicting injury is impossible, but you obviously expect the worst, so there will be no convincing you. Also, your assertion that he is an extreme fly ball pitcher is absolutely false. His flyball %’s are very middle of the road. Not to mention, this season his ground ball and fly ball % is exactly the same.
What a difference a couple weeks make! If the current state of the White Sox isn’t a lesson in not being so cynical towards your team, then I don’t know what is. Btw, the two big moves made by KW have resulted in the following: Peavy pitching as well as any pitcher in baseball over his past 4 starts and Alex Rios posting the 7th highest WAR figure in all of baseball so far. Relax and enjoy the ride, man!
When did you start to follow baseball? Many analysts had the Sox winning the division, on the backs of one of the best rotations in baseball.
And did any of those analysist take a look at Peavy’s Home/Road splits?
He’s had a 2.86 FIP at Petco, with a 4.28 FIP away from Petco (in the NL). And his FIP for the year is 4.46, so he’s the same pitcher, just in the AL and not at Petco for 16 starts a year.
Not to mention the other large parks in the NL West.
You would have thought Kenny would have learned something from the Linebrink mistake.
Not the good ones.
Tim Rosenthal is one of the most respected mlb analysts in the world, and he picked the White Sox to win the world series.
He also liked them in 07 and hated them in 05. He also picked the Cubs the last 2 years.
Matthew Berry, Jon Heyman, Steve Berthiaume, Tristan Cockcroft, Jerry Crasnick, Christopher Harris, Orel Hershiser, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian, Joe Morgan, Peter Pascarelli, Brendan Roberts, Jon Sciambi, Chris Singleton, and Rick Sutcliffe all picked the White Sox to win the central. Are none of them “good ones”?
Actually, I don’t like any of them as baseball analysts. In fact, some of them are among my very least favorite. I see your point, but not a list I’d stand by.
The answer to your question is “yes, none of them are good baseball analysts”.
I can’t believe you thought it was a good question. Putting that list together you should have been like “oh, wait” at least three times.
Oh, and Rosenthal is a respected reporter, not analyst. Big difference.
*Ken Rosenthal works as a reporter and writer for Fox, and was hired as an analyst for mlb network. In his line of work, there is hardly any difference. You are really splitting hairs
He’s using a really weird definition of “respected”, too.
Deglan wanted to be with the Blue Jays…Choice wanted to play for the Rangers…sometimes you can’t always have what you want. Maybe the Rangers can trade Deglan straight up to the Jays for Ricky Romero today, huh?
Think Lowell is going to go the way of “the Gator” Mike Greenwell. Sure, he could help somebody with his bat next year and even do a better job than a few of the NL teams as PH/reserve corner IF’s a few of the teams currently have floating about, but why? he has made a bunch of money, won a couple WS rings, made the post season many times and played for winners most of his career. Why should he endure a season just hanging around on buses to start the season (probably) in AAA after fighting in ST to start, then going back and forth during the season later on between a MLB team as a PH/reserve?
Greenwell did the same thing, he retired with a solid career, hitting over .300 and his entire career with Boston, just no WS ring to show. Mikey had a good career and should have no regrets to what he did with both Boston and Florida for nearly 12 seasons. retire proudly Mikey.
Willingham isn’t the kind of player you win with in the future. He’s the kind of player who falls off a cliff around ages 32-34, which begins next year for him.
You know, if people took a look at Peavy’s metrics, you’d see his ERA should be about a run and a half lower than it is right now. That’s still nothing to write home about, but I argue that he has not been as terrible as it appears to be this year.
And to be honest, he’s right. The Padres made a lot of progress under Kevin Towers when it came to stocking up on young, quality players. It’s not his fault that Blanks hasn’t produced like he should be yet.
Anyone think we can see a trade for the Sox for another outfielder because of the bad news on Ellsbury?
The Kendry Morales statement should read “There had been some hope that he would return this season by people who are complete idiots with no understanding of what a fractured ankle is, and how it would affect the play of a man who weighs around 240 pounds and has to put his full weight onto it”. There. That makes more sense. Has the ability of people to logically think things through completely left this planet?
Lance Berkman? he would tear it up in Fenway
The Angels don’t play very many games in Fenway, 😛
240 pounds? Wow, you sure are generous.
Every site I’ve looked at has him listed at 225, you really think he’s 15+ pounds heavier?
Every site I’ve looked at has CC Sabathia listed at 290, you really think he’s “only” 290? Just sayin’.
Every site I’ve looked at has CC Sabathia listed at 290, you really think he’s “only” 290? Just sayin’.
I may as well throw in on the Peavy debate.
Here is the whole thing – pitching in San Diego vs pitching at any other park is like night and day. That’s all there is to it. Nothing more. You don’t have to follow baseball for 40 years, as I have, to realize this. Look at Jon Garland this year. Notice anything weird as opposed to the entire rest of his career?
Any better than average pitcher will always be a star pitching in San Diego.
If the M’s are so deseparate for a bat why don’t they check in with Boston for Lowell to DH and play some 3b?
Probably because the M’s season is pretty much over and trading for Lowell would make no sense for a team that is rebuilding.
its a shame for them considering the hype they had coming into the season
would they ever consider moving ichiro?
Probably not.
Stupid browser. Anyway, probably not, because that team really can’t sell anything other than Ichiro in the lineup. I mean, as good as Franklin Gutierrez is, you really can’t market defense. He means a lot of seats to them, and as long as he is an icon, he will stay there.
I am by no means saying they will or are even thinking of moving Ichiro, but that same mindset was why they would never move Griffey (and to a lesser extent trade Johnson or let Arod go). This is a franchise who knows a thing or two about letting go of an icon.
Oh, I understand, I just don’t think it is feasible for them financially until they have more offensive adept players.
Not a chance. Which is really too bad. Forget prospects, I would trade a kidney AND a testicle for the ageless wonder. That guy is incredible.