A few NL East notes to pass along on the day Livan Hernandez departs the division after spending the past three seasons there, with the Mets and Nats.
- The Phillies will have a tough time re-signing Cole Hamels at anything less than full market value, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, as GM Ruben Amaro has rewarded big contracts to both under-control players like Ryan Howard, and free agents such as Cliff Lee, Jonathan Papelbon and Jimmy Rollins.
- Within the same piece, Amaro addressed the signing of Papelbon this offseason, saying the club regarded Pap slightly higher than the incumbent Ryan Madson, who eventually signed with the Reds for far less. “We didn’t just want any closer. The way our team is set up, we wanted the best guy, or one of the top two or three guys. We could have gotten a ‘B’ or ‘B-plus’ closer. But we wanted an ‘A.’ With (Papelbon), as good and as durable as he has been, I felt he was the right fit for us.”
- Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, 40 in April, said 2012 may not be his final season, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jones is in the final guaranteed year of his contract, but his deal includes a $7MM club option that will vest to $9MM if he plays in 123 games. “As long as I stay healthy and I’m having fun, I’m going to keep going. I sit here with three weeks to go before spring training and I’m not ready to say this is it.”
- Nationals manager Davey Johnson wants Bryce Harper to start the season as Washington's right fielder, hears Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. That seems like an aggressive approach to me, but it would create quite a bit of buzz in Washington — and in baseball, in general.
Livan will be missed…by the other teams in the East
Can we at least let Harper crush pitching above A ball first?
Next Billy Beane.
You realize he finished last season in AA right?
you realize he hit .256/.329/.395 there right
I believe his AA numbers are partly a function of his slow start. He has had that problem at every level I think. Even in AFL, he started out slow and then started crushing the ball. Anyways, I am not up for him as opening day OF yet.
Good for Chipper. There aren’t many 39-40 year old hitters that can keep performing at a good level. He needs about 3 more seasons to get to 3000.
“I sit here with three weeks to go before Spring Training…”
The greatest news I’ve heard all day!
“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”
-Rogers Hornsby
I’ve always loved that quote.
I never heard that quote before, but it made me laugh.
It’s not Johnson’s decision as to where Harper will start… My best guess is that Harper starts the year in AA and if he dominates gets called up in June/July
Morse LF, Werth CF, Bernadina/DeRosa RF to start the year unless someone like Ankiel gets signed, in which case he would be the RF
i like ankiel better in center field, he’s actually 1 of the better defensive Center fielders when playing i see no reason to switch him and werth. of course this wont matter if he doesnt resign
Of course, the Nats would actually have to resign Ankiel….
Hahpah didn’t disappeah! He was skinned alive!
Bryng on Bryce! I would love to see this kid get dominated by major league pitching.
even if major league pitching did dominate him, at least he’d get to face the mets a lot.
Owwww. come on man, why you kicking us when we’re down. really down…
…we’ll be down here in the sewers for quite a while…at least we have the Ninja Turtles to keep us company…
Yep he is a tough division. Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Johnson, Sanchez, and the Braves young pitching staff.
He’s also got the privilege of coming up and facing three of the best left handed specialists in the game in Venters, O’flaherty, and Bastardo.
He’s going to earn his success.
Sanchez ? The other names are good . But Sanchez ? Buerhle will be better against Bryce than Sanchez .
luckily for him though, he doesn’t have to face the ace of his team’s staff (Strasburg)
Johan Santana feels left out. He’s holding up his 2 Cy Youngs with his surgically-repaired arm.
Josh Johnson wonders why you included him. He averages just under 19 games started in 6 seasons and has only surpassed 30 GS in 2 seasons. Not to mention he’s only under team control through ’13.
Ditto. The kid is just arrogant and immature shows disrespect for the game.
I know right!!
what kind of 19 year old does he think he is? He plays baseball, so he should totally be different than every other 19 year old male out there.
get over yourselves please.. if he does his stuff at 25, 26 then you can criticize him, but criticizing a teenager for being immature is beyond ridiculous.
While I semi-agree with you, just because someone is 19 doesn’t mean they have a pass to act a certain way. It depends how you’re raised of course. I’m sure Harper has been put on a pedestal since he started playing.
There’s something to be said about being humble, of course I get that isn’t everyone’s personality…it would just be nice to see.
Sometimes a strong veteran presence on the team is a big help in encouraging rookies not to get too high on themselves…for example, the way Billy Wagner made it his business to get Lastings Milledge back in line.
(For the never-ending debate about whether Milledge was really out of line or not, please try next door).
I thought that was David Wright with his “know your place, rook” message he put on Milledge’s locker?
Nope. Although it was done anonymously it later came out that it was the “Sandman” himself who dunnit (and that’s hardly Wright’s style — recent attempts to get tough with Pelf notwithstanding).
Who is going to be that in WSH? Jayson Werth? Zimmerman is a better candidate in my mind.
Honestly, the pitching staff needs some leadership and WSH can’t seem to sign any FA to provide that leadership (see: Oswalt, Buerhle, Wilson, etc.)
Agreed with everything you said . It’s like back in 2010 when everyone was talking about Heyward . There was as much talk about his demeanor and his poise as there was his offensive upside . He impressed with his attitude towards the game and was respected for it .
Heyward at 19 was a completely different person in AA.
I’m a teenager and I have to say, when he blew that kiss at the pitcher after he hit a bomb, I liked him even more.
I couldnt agree more. I wouldnt mind one bit if a few more ball players wore the black hat.
I’m praying for him to blow a kiss at Zambrano after he hit a bomb off of him. I’d love for the School of Hard Knocks to get another graduate.
Thank you! Totally agree.
Thank you! Totally agree.
i would have to say… that would def bring an interest to watch the washington games if bryce is starting in Rf (or anywhere) and then strasburg on the mound.
heh heh, oh Chipper. As long as he’s willing, able, and we have no one better to replace him, I’m ok with it.
I would like to see the FO restructure a deal where they ease him into a player/coaching role after this next season . Keep him in the system with the team .
Keep your eyes on Terdoslavich.
Boras told Heyman to say that Johnson wants Harper to start in the Major Leagues this year, is what that should say, right?
Bryce Harper is the next Travis Snider
Travis Snider’s 23 broseph
How old was Snider when he was a regular every day starter?
That’s the point I’m making
too young
Exactly.
pretty sure he never reached the can’t-miss prospect status that has been given to Bryce since his SI cover.
He used to… 4 years ago
As much as I know I’m going to dislike Bryce Harper as a player and a person… I’m excited to see if he can live up to the hype or not. I hope he’s in the majors on opening day.
I feel the same..
I have a feeling he will be a yankee eventually.. the same way I always knew A rod would be
Didn’t he say he wanted to be a Yankee? If he’s at least half decent, I bet he’ll definitely play for them.
He’s a Cowboys, Lakers, and Yankees fan…in other words the worst possible type of bandwagoner there is. lol
(and i’m a Cowboys fan)
Geez. I want to say I hate him, but I don’t know the guy, but I know plenty of people like him. It’s like I hate him vicariously… or something.
lol I’m really apathetic about him. I’m intereseted to see what he can do, but at the same time I don’t get caught up in the hype. I more than likely would if he were a Rangers prospect i’m sure.
Tell me about it, even though I don’t like him, I was hoping for nothing more than the Nationals to pass on him so the Pirates could pick him.
I hope Bryce Harper starts in the Majors. But I’m hoping he busts big time. Hyping a kid that much isn’t good when they’ve yet to prove a darn thing when it counts. I already see him becoming a dislikable person.
Why would you hope he busts? Is that going to make you feel better about yourself?
It would make me feel better about the Mets’ slim chances at contending in this decade, yes. It might also say a little something about all the “experts” if he failed to live up to their expectations. It’s one thing to tout the kid as a top prospect, but to make it seem like he’s going to be a baseball God (whether it’s true or not) before he even steps on a professional baseball field is absurd and says something about where our country is heading. We are so eager to praise, we don’t even require that people prove themselves. Because if they fail, their feelings might get hurt. We could all use a little reality check, the baseball world included. Seeing Harper bust (or fall short of these ridiculous expectations), would send a message I believe.
wow, is this what the Mets do to their fans? ill will towards others?
I hope Bryce Harper starts in the Majors. But I’m hoping he busts big time. Hyping a kid that much isn’t good when they’ve yet to prove a darn thing when it counts. I already see him becoming a dislikable person.
if papelbon is 1 of the best closers in the game right now then how come in his final 3 save opportunities last year he blew 2 saves against the lowely orioles?
I once saw Michael Jordan miss two shots in row badly. Doesn’t mean he was a bad shooter in the end, though.
8.7 K/BB ratio says he’s pretty good.
He is good. Is he 4 years and $50 million good? No, and I have a hard time believing that any relief pitcher is that good.
Amaro’s logic scares me as a Phillies fan. Time and time again, the evidence has shown that when you throw big money at a “closer”, you end up with nothing but pain. Amaro praising Papelbon’s durability inevitably means that he will face a litany of injuries over the next four years as he moves through his 30’s.
Papelbon has finished 334 games. I think looking at 3 to justify your opinion that he isn’t one of the best closers in the game is the new definition of “small sample size.” How many closers are better than him? I challenge anyone to name 5.
I challenge anyone to name 5 closer that are getting paid more than he does….
… because he’s the second best closer in the game and is paid like it. (I guess a case could be made for Kimbrel but I value a track record over anything else, which I define as three years).
heath bell, mariano rivera, jose valverde, craig kimbrel, carlos marmol, jordan walden, chris perez
arguably: axford, putz, storen, soria
that was easy
Hilarious.
speaks volumes about you. try formulating an argument.
Seriously, look at ANY stat. Papelbon blows some of them out of the water and is AT LEAST as good as the others.
Papelbon beat all of them but Kimbrel in K/9, beat everyone but Mo in BB/9, his HR/9 was better than most, he was .01 away from the best FIP in baseball (behind Kimbrel), beat all of them but Kimbrel in xFIP, second only to Kimbrel in WAR. What stats are you possibly looking at to be nuts enough to think Papelbon is worse than all of those guys?
It’s like me saying Pujols is a mid-tier 1B and being upset when people laugh at me without explaining the painfully obvious. That’s why it’s hilarious.
No no its not name closers, its name BETTER closers.
You sited 2 unproven rookies, and 3 others with a significantly higher ERA.
Against a closer who is the youngest pitcher to ever hit 200 saves and the only pitcher to record 30 or more saves in his first 6 seasons.
did you just use era and saves to justify how good a pitcher is?
The funniest thing is that you shoulda mentioned Madson as he has better numbers then most you named.
agreed. i think madson is better than papelbon.
marmol is god awful. theres better closers other than axford just in the NL Central….ie: Joel Hanrahan
hanrahan is probably better than papelbon too. and k-rod, while we’re at it. papelbon is very overrated. i felt sorry for sox fans for having him as their closer.
baaaaahahahahahahaha
nah. Mariano Rivera yes, other’s nope or too soon.
I think that the guy’s point is that you don’t pay a closer $50 million to blow the most crucial games of the season. Anyone can pad their stats in May, but it is how you perform in September and October that gets you paid. While there is a history of success for Pap, the most recent evidence is not inspiring. Full disclosure: I am a Nats fan and I am eagerly hoping that he is a huge bust in the NL east.
Ryan Madson will have a better year. Write it down.
Depends on how you define “better.” If it’s save percentage there’s almost no history other than last year that shows Madson will be better than Papelbon. Papelbon will probably put up better strikeout numbers. (Not saying Madson is going to be bad… I love Ryan Madson as a pitcher always have… just saying there’s no statistical evidence that should give you that idea).
Besides Papelbon is going to lose a lot of save opportunities to Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Cliff Lee which could either save or hurt his percentages… I think they’ll be about even.
if papelbon is 1 of the best closers in the game right now then how come in his final 3 save opportunities last year he blew 2 saves against the lowely orioles?
davey johnson has a good eye for baseball talent. he felt that gooden and strawberry were ready for the bigs at an early age, and they quickly excelled at an all star level for years. however, we all know how their careers ended up. harper and strasburg seem like the newest version of these players, and it would not surprise me one bit if history repeated itself.
Chipper’s always been one of the good players in baseball who quietly performs well. It’s been mentioned he’s probably 3 seasons away from 3000 hits. A more realistic goal would seem to be 500 home runs. He’s two solid season away from that goal.
While I have always liked the guy, I just don’t see him lasting even 2 more seasons. I just dont think his body can take it
I’m looking forward to seeing Harper in the Majors and what he can do. He should be fun to watch regardless
Chipper is the heart, soul and face of the Braves organization. If he wants to come back he should. I think it would be good PR to offer him a 10 year deal at 2-3 mil a year to be a pressence in the locker room, play some 3rd once a week or so, pinch hit, be a supporting coach. That would be great!