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From the Windup: I'm Thankful For ...

Matt Snyder — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: AL Central, AL East, AL West, NL Central, NL East, NL West, MLB Media Watch

From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.

Just because something is corny, doesn't mean it can't be done. Saying what you are thankful for on Thanksgiving is an American tradition. Sure, it may be a bit played out -- and some would even say lame -- to write a column about things we're thankful for in a given sport. But I'll be damned if I'm gonna spit in the face of all the great Americans before me who began the tradition and kept it alive for all these years. So, let's do it, baseball-style.

I'm Thankful For ...

... Will Carroll and Keith Law. These are the two voters who left Chris Carpenter off their respective Cy Young ballots. I'm thankful for them because they perfectly illustrated how there needs to be a balance between sabermetrics and reality. Look, I love stats, but sometimes less is more. You can throw innings pitched, FIP, ERA+, WAR or anything else you want at me. That's fine. I know what the numbers mean and I understand the concept behind them. I can also tell you real baseball isn't played on the computer. You tell me this: if you were a manager and had one game to win in 2009 to save your job, would you rather have had Carpenter, Dan Haren (on Carroll's ballot) or Javier Vazquez (on Law's) take the ball? Put down the calculator and simply answer that. Anyone would be hard-pressed to convince me Carpenter is not the choice. For the record, my ballot would have read: 1. Carpenter; 2. Tim Lincecum; 3. Adam Wainwright. Carpenter versus Lincecum was nearly neck-and-neck for me, and I'm good with Haren being fourth in line.

... Sammy Sosa's face.

... Baseball Reference. Hey, I told you I like numbers, too. This site can solve any argument concerning historical statistics. It has everything. It's not a new revelation, as it's been loved for years by many, but it never hurts to continually thank the heavens for its existence.

... The fact that I don't have to hear Chip Caray's voice until April.

... Jeremy Affeldt. He was a superb middle reliever/setup man for the Giants in 2009, but that's not why I'm thankful for him. He had a 1.73 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 62 1/3 innings (with zero saves!), but that's not why I'm thankful. I'm thankful because one writer thought he was the 10th most valuable player in the entire National League. That's right, Mr. Affeldt was able to garner his first career MVP vote this year.

... Fantasy baseball. It's not for everyone, but it's a fun hobby for die-hard baseball fans who like to sift through every box score and love stats.

... The Internet, because not only can I get any stat I want at any given time, but because an old newspaper or magazine would have never published fun, non-serious stuff like this, this or this. Also, if it's not your thing, you are free to ignore. It's all free, after all.

... MLB Extra Innings. Seriously, between the Internet and being able to watch up to 15 games a night, the middle of the summer is never, ever boring.

... The fact that every first place vote in the NL MVP went to Albert Pujols. Though, judging from some of the comments, a few Phillies fans are deluded enough to think Ryan Howard deserved it. Guys, go back to the start of 2009 and imagine if the Phillies had duped St. Louis into trading Pujols for Howard straight up. If you seriously think you would have been upset instead of excited about this fictional trade, it may be time to seek counseling.

... Curb Your Enthusiasm. Hey, they said Derek Jeter's name in one episode this season, so I can count it as baseball-related.

... Hot Stove season. Seriously, baseball never stops. In other sports there is a lull where everyone is waiting for free agency to begin, then the draft, then training camp to start (order is different in some sports). In baseball, there are trades immediately after the World Series ends, then free agency, then arbitration, then the Winter Meetings, personnel shifting until the middle of February and then pitchers and catchers report to camp. There isn't one day that goes by in the baseball calendar without anything of interest.

... The resurgence of speed and defense as an emphasis, while home runs remain at a premium. I'll take being well-rounded over one-dimensional any day.

... The fact that we don't always have to be talking about steroids anymore. Oh, wait. Nevermind. Hopefully I'll be able to actually use this submission someday with a straight face.

... Chase Utley. I'm so jealous of Phillies fans for getting to cheer for that guy. Carl Crawford isn't far behind, either.

... How many fans think there is some vast media conspiracy against their favorite teams and/or players. So, basically, the media hates: the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Phillies, the Cubs, all small-market teams, all Midwest teams, all West Coast teams, etc. But the media also loves: the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Phillies, the Cubs, the Cardinals, underdogs and feels sorry for all teams not on the East Coast. Now it all makes sense! It's the highest of high comedy. People, life is too short to go around with such paranoia. Enjoy your team(s) and the game.

... Wrigley Field

... The good guys in the game like Joe Girardi and Matt Kemp. There are loads and loads more, but we hear too much about the bad and not enough about the good.

... Every single waking day I live without hearing or seeing an update on Roger Clemens. Rocket-free is Pleasantville for me.

Finally, I'm thankful for Milton Bradley. Without him, people may be focusing on the shortcomings of the rest of the Cubs. Instead, the other members of my favorite team will get to rest easy this offseason, even though many of them had pretty miserable campaigns in 2009 as well.

And I'll be a helluva lot more thankful once Bradley's finally not on the Cubs anymore. Even if that doesn't happen until 2012. Thank you, Jim Hendry!

From the Windup: I'm Thankful For ... originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Grabow Re-Signs With Cubs

Matt Snyder — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Cubs, NL Central, MLB Transactions

According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs and veteran relief pitcher John Grabow have agreed to a two-year contract. The 31-year-old lefty came over to the Cubs in a midseason trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates -- a team with whom he had previously spent his entire six-season career.

In 75 appearances in 2009, Grabow compiled a 3.36 ERA. He's a valuable commodity in late innings, not only because he's tough on lefties, who hit just .222 against him last season, but because he's nearly equally tough on right-handers -- who hit .238 against him.

Relief pitching was a problem for the Cubs last season, as their bullpen ERA (4.11) ranked 11th in the NL. In turn, keeping Grabow was a priority. Fortunately for the Cubs, the interest was mutual and the signing didn't take much time or effort.

John Grabow Re-Signs With Cubs originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Reds

Pat Lackey — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Reds, NL Central

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The Reds are at a crossroads. They've compiled some nice young talent at the major league level with guys like Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and Johnny Cueto (plus the injured Edinson Volquez) and they have some prospects close to the big leagues in Drew Stubbs and Yonder Alonso, but that might not be enough to get them quite over the top in 2010.

This winter the Reds have to decide what to do with their roster. Should they keep some of their older, more expensive players and gun for what might be a weak division, or should they sell off on the veterans and try to rebuild a core around the younger guys before they leave town?

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Who Might Leave

Kip Wells, RHP

Shopping List

With Bruce, Votto, Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen, the Reds certainly do not need a right fielder, first baseman, second baseman, or third baseman. They're likely going to go with Drew Stubbs in center field this year, but their options in left field right now are probably limited to Jonny Gomes, Wladimir Balentien, Chris Dickerson, Darnell McDonald, and Willy Taveras. Gomes will get some time after playing well last year, and it might be worth their time to give Balentien at-bats, but he's a Wily Mo Pena clone, with a ton of power and not much in the way of anything else.

They could also use an upgrade over Paul Janish at shortstop. Janish has a very good glove, but his bat is atrocious. He's only 27, though, so there's probably some room for improvement over his (gulp) .601 OPS, which would make him at least as good an option as the Adam Everetts of the world if he keeps up his good glovework. Their pitching staff is also quite thin with Edinson Volquez out for 2010 with Tommy John surgery, though that situation is complicated (as we'll discuss below).

Money Matters

This is where the Reds run into trouble. In 2010, they owe Francisco Cordero $12 million, Aaron Harang $12.5 million, Scott Rolen $11 million, Bronson Arroyo $11 million, and Brandon Phillips $6.75 million. That's a lot of cash for a small-market club, and in the cases of Harang and Arroyo, it's a lot of cash for not a lot of production. The Reds would obviously love to dump either one of their two salary burdens for some relief, but because there probably won't be many takers our own Ed Price recently reported that they may be forced to trade someone productive like Brandon Phillips or first-time arbitration-eligible Joey Votto.

For his part, GM Walt Jocketty is denying that and practically taunting his critics with a $3 million extension for Ramon Hernandez, who only played in half of the Reds games with a .699 OPS last year. If Jocketty does have to sell off one of his productive players, he'll only have himself to blame after trading for Scott Rolen's $11 million deal even though Rolen is injury prone and far from the last piece of the puzzle for the Reds. Why make that trade if it necessitates one that hurts the club's already slim 2010 chances?

The other potential problem those contracts create is that the Reds' payroll for 2010 is already around $62 million after the Hernandez signing, just about $9 million smaller than their Opening Day payroll last year. That doesn't include contracts for Gomes or effective relievers Jared Burton and Nick Masset, who are all arbitration eligible this winter. Having to non-tender Laynce Nix (which they'll almost certainly do) is one thing, but being forced to drop any of those other three would be detrimental to the club.

What seems more than likely to happen this winter is the Reds selling low on Harang or Arroyo, essentially paying a team to take one of their two high-salaried veterans off of their roster. That might give them some payroll flexibility, but it'll be a huge dent in a Volquez-less rotation.

Offseason Goals

I think the Reds' biggest goal this offseason is to simultaneously dump one of their two overpaid starters without weakening the rotation. If money is a problem for them, they at least have a chance to fill their holes in the outfield and shortstop internally, but beyond Cueto and Bailey, there's not much their system has to offer in terms of pitching. The problem for them is that it won't be easy to find someone willing to take Arroyo or Harang without the Reds paying a lot of their salary, and so the amount of money freed up by a trade would probably be minimal.

Footprints in the Snow: Reds originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Pirates

Pat Lackey — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Pirates, NL Central

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The Pittburgh Pirates wrapped up their record 17th consecutive losing season last month by avoiding 100 losses with a rain delay. During the season, they traded away four Opening Day starters, plus two starting pitchers and two of their better relievers. It might be easy to say that the Pirates have their work cut out for them this offseason if they want to avoid losing season No. 18.

It's not quite that straightforward, though. The team does have a pretty solid core of youngsters, so anything they do this winter has to be accomplished without blocking players like Lastings Milledge and Andy LaRoche from getting at-bats so that the team can accurately assess just what they have in those players.

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Who Might Leave

No free-agents or obvious non-tender candidates. The Pirates could be active in the trade market, though.

Shopping List

On the one hand, the Pirates need almost everything except a center fielder, which is where Andrew McCutchen resides. On the other hand, the aforementioned LaRoche and Milledge played well enough to earn longer looks due to their minor-league pedigrees, so they'll man third base and left field when the season starts. Throw in Garrett Jones, who mashed at first base and right field in a half-season last year, corner infield super-prospect Pedro Alvarez, who will likely be in Pittsburgh by June or July, and the recently acquired Akinori Iwamura, and the Pirates most pressing need is at shortstop, where Ronny Cedeno currently resides.

They could certainly use more help in the bullpen, especially from the left side. They recently traded their only lefty reliever John Grabow, then followed that up by dealing Jesse Chavez, a righty with reverse splits, to Tampa for Iwamura. Depending on what happens with Duke and Maholm, they could also use more depth in the starting rotation, though their top pitching prospect Brad Lincoln will likely make his debut in Pittsburgh early in the season if he doesn't break camp with the team.

With the Pirates' rebuilding process still far from complete, to some extent their shopping list is more of a puzzle that will be constantly evolving through the next year or so. If they can use a player like, say, Zach Duke to pick up a shortstop, then they might do well to make that trade, even though it opens up another need.

Money Matters

The four arbitration-eligible players for the Pirates this year are Zach Duke, Ronny Cedeno, Matt Capps, and Jeff Karstens. With the payroll currently very low after last season's trades, there's no question they can afford all of these guys. They might be a little slow to pay Matt Capps $4 million, though, after his disastrous 2009. It's possible they'll look to trade him to get more value for the money.

They've mostly shed all of their contracts, bad or otherwise, right now, so there's not much to talk about there either. They do owe Ryan Doumit about $8 million over the next two seasons, and with his extensive injury history they may look to trade him rather than paying that, but even after adding Iwamura, their projected 2010 Opening Day payroll is still about $15 million lower than it was this year.

That low payroll could put the Pirates in an interesting position this winter. While teams like the Rays and Brewers are trading potentially useful players like J.J. Hardy and Iwamura and the Reds are indicating that they might need to trade someone like Brandon Phillips, the Pirates have taken on Iwamura's salary and made an offer for Hardy. They clearly can add payroll this winter, and that might put them in position to swoop in another trade or on a free agent left out in the cold if the market is as slow as it's expected to be.

Offseason Goals

The Pirates have two goals this offseason. The first is to continue building toward having a competitve club in 2011 and beyond. With McCutchen, Jones, Alvarez and other prospects acquired via trades and two solid drafts under Huntington that is increasingly a possibility. The second is to try and add some payroll to improve the immediate future of the team in 2010. The first goal is the most important and nothing that's done for the second goal should come at the expense of the first. That's a dangerous balancing act for a front office, though, and it's where previous Pirate front offices have been tripped up.

Footprints in the Snow: Pirates originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Cubs

Matt Snyder — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cubs, NL Central

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

Considering the Cubs were probably the most disappointing team in baseball in 2009, they definitely have their work cut out for them this offseason in order to return to being a legitimate contender. I guess Cubs fans should take solace in the fact that a winning season was considered a colossal failure -- after all, they have had a winning record in three consecutive seasons for the first time since the Nixon administration now. It's simply a sign that the bar has been raised in Wrigleyville. No longer content to play "lovable losers," Lou Piniella's Cubs are determined to win it all. New owner and lifelong Cubs fan Tom Ricketts has guaranteed the Cubs will win a World Series under his watch.

After altering the best Cubs team since 1945, general manager Jim Hendry has to find a way to get some of that magic back in 2010. He'll have to start by unloading one of the biggest mistakes of his career.

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Who Might Leave

Milton Bradley, OF; Reed Johnson, OF; Aaron Miles, 2B; Rich Harden, SP; Kevin Gregg, RP

Shopping List

First and foremost, the Cubs are going to have to do everything they can to rid themselves of Bradley. It will be a difficult job, especially if they try to get out of some of his salary, but there are reportedly some smaller-market teams who believe Bradley could thrive with them (the Rays and Rangers, to name two). Moving Bradley would free up right field for Kosuke Fukudome, where he's most comfortable. Obviously, this leaves a hole in center field. The Cubs would want someone who could fill that hole admirably from a defensive standpoint and likely be a table-setter for the lineup. Marlon Byrd (free agent) and Curtis Granderson (trade) have been connected to the Cubs thus far as possible candidates to fill that void.

The other spot in the positional lineup where there's a seemingly obvious hole is second base. The Cubs could elect to use Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker in a platoon here, but neither is the long-term solution as the everyday second baseman. The Cubs could possibly look at moving Ryan Theriot to second and promoting star shortstop prospect Starlin Castro at some point. Some scouts think the 19-year-old could be ready during the 2010 season, but it would be a stretch to count on him being ready to contribute to a contender just yet. The Cubs have also been connected to Luis Castillo in trade rumors. He would work out well as a short-term fill-in at second and could conceivably hit atop the order. Perhaps the best option, should it be possible, would be the Cubs bringing in free agent Chone Figgins to play second and bat leadoff.

The Cubs also need to shore up the bullpen in front of closer Carlos Marmol and setup men Angel Guzman and John Grabow (who is reportedly a sure thing to re-sign in Chicago). Former first-round pick Andrew Cashner could figure prominently here, but Jeff Samardzija will not. He's strictly going to be a starter and will likely compete with Tom Gorzelanny for the fifth spot in the rotation now that Harden has departed.

Money Matters

With new ownership in town, the Cubs can reportedly add some payroll -- not much, but it's a better situation than most other teams who need to shed dollars. Because of this, the Cubs are in the position of being able to sign someone even if they can't trade Bradley or have to pay most of his salary in a deal. There is talk that the Cubs would be competing with the Yankees and Angels for Granderson, should the Tigers decide they have to shed his contract. More realistic in center, though, would be a lower-dollar free agent like Byrd.

As for the rest of the team, there likely won't be any huge monetary shifts. Yes, the team can take on additional salary, but many of the players they signed in the past three seasons have escalating contracts and none of them are going anywhere. Moving Bradley and Aaron Miles would greatly increase Hendry's flexibility in improving the team.

Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly are both entering the final year of their contracts, but there hasn't been much discussion of an extension for either just yet. A lot of those talks will probably hinge on 2010. If the team appears close to a championship, they might re-up. If they fall apart and appear in need of a rebuild, they'd likely let both walk and start a youth movement.

Offseason Goals

Really, a lot of the Cubs' issues in 2009 -- other than Bradley and the inability to fill the void left at second base by Mark DeRosa -- were internal. Ryan Dempster struggled through the first half of the season with his infant daughter fighting a rare disease. Once she was finally able to come home, he rebounded -- going 5-2 with a 2.27 ERA in his last nine starts. Geovany Soto struggled through an abysmal season. Whether it was due to the World Baseball Classic, being distracted after testing positive for marijuana or just an off year, he failed to even come close to expectations. Alfonso Soriano was plagued by injuries and had the worst offensive season of his career. Aramis Ramirez missed six weeks with a separated shoulder. One-time closer Kevin Gregg blew several games. Marmol was awful in the setup role before excelling at closer. There were many more failures, too.

Still, through all that, the Cubs won 83 games. Thus, the most important offseason goal other than ridding themselves of Bradley is to find a way to get everyone already on the roster to play up to expectations. Fill out the bullpen and find answers at second base and center field, and the Cubs will be in good shape in the NL Central.

Footprints in the Snow: Cubs originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Cardinals

Pat Lackey — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, NL Central

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The Cardinals increased their win total from 86 to 91 in 2009, and in so doing they won the National League Central going away. They had both the presumptive NL MVP (Albert Pujols) and two of the top candidates for the NL Cy Young (Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter) on their club.

Despite that very good season, there were promptly dumped out of the playoffs in three games by the Dodgers, and they suddenly find themselves facing an uncertain offseason with key free agents and the contract of a certain once-in-a-generation first baseman looming over everything. To say this offseason is important for the Cardinals would be an understatement.

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Who Might Leave

Matt Holliday, LF; Joel Piniero, SP; Rick Ankiel, OF; Khalil Greene, SS; Mark DeRosa, IF; Troy Glaus, 3B; Jason LaRue, C; John Smoltz, Aging Legend; Todd Wellemeyer, SP

Shopping List

With nine free agents, the Cardinals have a few weaknesses that are going to need addressed before Opening Day 2010. The first and most pressing need is to find a bash brother for Pujols, whether that comes by re-signing Matt Holliday or by pulling in another free agent. The market for that kind of thing is pretty limited after Holliday and Jason Bay, so if the Cardinals fail to bring Holliday back into the fold they may have to try and reload via another trade.

Beyond that, they'll probably need a third baseman now that Brett Wallace is in the A's system (DeRosa and Chone Figgins are their best options, but they'll both be heavily pursued) and at least some rotation help for Wainwright and Carpenter with Piniero on the free-agent market. They can try to bring him back, but there will likely be some outside interest in him as well.

Money Matters

The Cardinals only have two arbitration-eligible players this offseason -- Ryan Ludwick and Skip Schumaker. Ludwick will probably be due a raise on his $3.7 million 2009 salary, while Schumaker is in his first year of arbitration and likely won't be too pricey. Ludwick is too important a part of their offense with Ankiel departing and Holliday likely to go, so they'll tender him a contract, too.

The most important contract matter for St. Louis this winter is actually one that won't be officially up until after the 2011 season. That's Albert Pujols, who's signed with a team option through that year. The Cardinals of course want to work out an extension with him, but he's made it pretty clear in the past that he wants a commitment to winning from them and with Tony La Russa's future after 2010 up in the air, John Mozeliak's front office needs to have a good winter to assuage their star.

That's not to say that Pujols wants to leave or is planning his escape route from St. Louis. It's just that the specter of his free agency is looming over everything that the team does, even when its two years down the road.

Offseason Goals

The nine free agents are a double-edged sword for the Cardinals. On one hand, losing those nine to free agency creates a lot of holes on the roster. On the other hand, the high number of free agents with a low number of arbitration cases means that they should have plenty of financial flexibility to take care of their needs and stay at the top of the division. Even if they go into the season without crossing off all the goals on their shopping list, La Russa has done a good job recently of finding unexpected offense from players like Ludwick or shuffling Schumaker around the diamond (he was actually pretty good at second base once he adjusted to the position) to fill needs and Dave Duncan is a magician with the pitching staff, turning around guys like Piniero and resurrecting John Smoltz after an ugly stint in Boston.

Footprints in the Snow: Cardinals originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Brewers

Pat Lackey — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

If I wanted, I could copy and paste the main points of the Brewers "Footprints in the Snow" from last year and they'd still be valid. After losing CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, the Brewers failed to address their pitching woes and dropped from 90 wins and the wild card to 80 wins and a long winter.

Their offseason this year should follow a similar track, only now with the added pressure of Prince Fielder's ticking free agency clock. The Brewers are experiencing the worst feeling a small-market club can; that of the window closing. What can (or will) GM Doug Melvin do to avoid squandering his team's chances?

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Who Might Leave

Felipe Lopez, 2B; Craig Counsell, IF; Mike Lamb, IF; Jason Kendall, C; Mike Cameron, CF; Braden Looper, SP

Shopping List

The Brewers have already gotten a start on their shopping list by sending J.J. Hardy to Minnesota for Carlos Gomez, who should fill in for Mike Cameron nicely in center field. The problem is that Hardy was their best trade chip, which means that while they did fulfill a need by trading him, they failed to address their biggest need.

That, of course, is pitching. I think that secretly Doug Melvin dreams every night of getting to call a press conference to announce John Lackey's signing, but I'm just not sure how realistic that dream is. There is a decent amount of secondary talent on the market for them, as I discussed when they announced they wouldn't pick up Looper's option last week. If Lackey's not an option, Jarrod Washburn and Joel Piniero make good fall back plans, though the Brewers really could use both of them and those two guys will be the second option of every team that comes up short in the Lackey sweepstakes.

From there it's a pretty big dropoff. Carl Pavano is still a big question mark, Doug Davis isn't quite what they need, and there are lots of question marks out there, from injuries (Justin Duchsherer) to ineffectiveness (Jason Marquis, Brad Penny, Vincente Padilla).

Money Matters

The Brewers also have quite a few arbitration-eligible players, which could hamper their pitching spending spree. Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart, the newly acquired Gomez, Todd Coffey, Carlos Villaneuva, Seth McClung, Jody Gerut, and Dave Bush are all up for arbitration this winter. Gerut seems like a non-tender candidate (due for a raise on his $1.775 million) and they may not offer contracts to all three of their relievers. Bush is now in his third year of arbitration and will probably be expensive, though it's hard to believe they'd cut ties with him and leave only Yovani Gallardo, Manny Parra, and Jeff Suppan in the rotation without knowing how free agency will pan out.

The big, overarching question of the offseason, though, is what to do with Prince Fielder. He's theirs through the 2010 season, but he and agent Scott Boras have made it clear that he'll be dipping his toes in the free-agent market after that. He could be a huge trade chip at this year's deadline or even this winter. Dealing him, though, would throw an immediate white flag up on the present, and with Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo, Alcides Escobar, Mat Gamel, Weeks, and Hart, it's understandable why Melvin wants to first focus on winning now and worry about Fielder later.

Offseason Goals

I feel like a broken record, but the goal here is pitching, pitching, pitching. If Melvin can acquire two mid-rotation starters, they can probably slide Jeff Suppan into the bullpen and rely much less on Bush and Parra at the top of the rotation. If he can't, the 2010 season will probably be a rehash of 2009, and that could end with Prince Fielder in a different uniform.

Footprints in the Snow: Brewers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Astros

Pat Lackey — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, NL Central

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

After hanging in contention until early August, the Astros bottomed out with a 23-36 finish in the season's final two months. That culminated in Cecil Cooper's firing and Brad Mills' hiring. The squad Mills inherits is full of both veteran players and holes that will make it hard for him to returnthe team to where owner Drayton McLane thinks it belongs -- the top of the NL Central.

That's because the Astros are currently caught in Ed Wade Purgatory. He can do just enough to keep his veteran squad in pseudo-contention, but probably not quite enough to get them into a real playoff race. That won't stop him from trying, though.

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Who Might Leave

Miguel Tejada, SS; Darin Erstad, OF; Jose Valverde, CL; LaTroy Hawkins, RHP; Jason Michaels, OF; Doug Brocail, RHP; Mike Hampton, SP; Aaron Boone, INF

Shopping List

Looking at the free agents above and considering their roster, the Astros could currently use help at shortstop, third base (where Geoff Blum plays), second base (Kaz Matsui is coming off of an awful season), their starting rotation (there's not much there behind Wandy Rodriguez and Roy Oswalt except the young and unproven Bud Norris), in the bullpen, and maybe center field (depending on what you think of Michael Bourn) and catcher.

That's probably being a bit harsh, so if we consider Matusui will probably bounce back a little bit this year, that Bourn's minor-league record indicates that he can probably keep an OBP of around .350, and that Norris was impressive in his major league debut last year and showed flashes of getting his control problems in line, that means the Astros should probably focus on shortstop, third base, and the bullpen.

Money Matters

Tim Byrdak, Wandy Rodriguez, Jeff Keppinger, Humberto Quintero, Michael Bourn, Hunter Pence, and Chris Sampson are all arbitration eligible. Rodriguez, Bourn, Pence, and Quintero are all starters and so they'll be tendered contracts and neither Byrdak nor Sampson should be terribly expensive. With their current payroll at about $54 million (via Cot's MLB Contracts), the Astros shouldn't have problem tendering contracts to all of the arbitration eligibles, should they want to go that route.

The bigger looming question is that of Lance Berkman's free agency. His contract is up after this season, which means that the Astros need to decide whether to re-sign their soon-to-be 34-year-old star first baseman, or auction him off during the season to try and restock the farm system. The second approach seems pretty unlikely since Berkman is the face of the franchise, even if he had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2009 (though in one of his worst seasons, he still had a .907 OPS and 25 home runs)

Offseason Goals

The Astros only scored 643 runs last season so if they're going to forgo a rebuild for an improbable run at the NL Central next year, that's what they need to work on. Last year they had three regulars with OPS+ below 80 -- Ivan Rodriguez, Matsui, and Blum. Rodriguez is gone, but Quintero and J.R. Towles probably won't provide a huge offensive boost. Blum is what he is and Matsui is aging and not very durable (his 132 games played last year was a career high). Throw in the hole created by Tejada's free agency, and the Astros are going to have to open up the checkbooks for some offense if they're going to make 2010 any different than 2009. They might have the room on the payroll, but those are a lot of holes to fill through free agency in one winter.

Footprints in the Snow: Astros originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brewers Decline Option on Looper

Pat Lackey — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central, MLB Transactions

The Brewers will not pick up Braden Looper's $6.5 million option for next year, Tom Haudricort of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is reporting. They'll have to buy his deal out for $1 million, and it's all being done in the name of financial flexibility for the team to pursue more pitching on this winter's free agent market, according to GM Doug Melvin.

That's an understandable stance since Looper wasn't great in Milwaukee in 2009 (he won 14 games, but had a 5.22 ERA and poor peripherals) but it really leaves the Brewers with Yovani Gallardo, Manny Parra, Jeff Suppan, and probably Dave Bush (he's seen by some as a non-tender candidate now that he's entering his last year of arbitration and will likely be due a raise on his $4 million 2009 salary, but that seems unlikely with Looper's salary off the books) as starting pitchers right now. Melvin better have some plan in mind or things are only going to get worse for the Brewers' pitching staff.

Of course, the offseason is young and so its a bit early to judge, but so far the Brewers have already used their best trade chip (J.J. Hardy) in a move that didn't obtain any pitching, so free agency seems to be their best route to remedying the problem that kept them out of the NL Central race in 2009.

The question now is whether or not that plan will yield more fruit than it did last winter. The Brewers tried hard to keep CC Sabathia in Milwaukee, but couldn't match the Yankees' enormous offer and instead they ended up with Looper. It seems like a long-shot for them to keep up with the bidding for John Lackey, so they'll probably shoot for picking up two guys in hopes to build a deeper rotation behind Yovani Gallardo.

So which two guys on this list would help the Brewers out? Jarrod Washburn and Joel Piniero? Maybe take a flier Carl Pavano hoping that health and the National League perk his numbers up? Or is it too late already for the Brewers?

Brewers Decline Option on Looper originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ross Ohlendorf Has an Internship With US Department of Agriculture

Pat Lackey — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:52:00 EST

Filed under: Pirates, NL Central

Once the baseball season ends, most players (or at least the ones that don't play winter ball) do everything they can to enjoy the few months of downtime they get with their family and friends before the rigors of spring training and regular travel begin again in February. Pirates' pitcher Ross Ohlendorf is a little different. After his breakout year with the Pirates in 2009, he's spending the early part of his winter break on an internship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And he's writing a blog about it.

Ohlendorf is already well-known to some baseball fans because of his college career. He went to Princeton, where he wrote his senior thesis on sabermetrically evaluating major league teams' first-round draft picks over a set period of time. So he's obviously a smart guy, and he's never been afraid to admit it. In fact, he sounds pretty excited about this internship. Click after the jump to read part of his first (and so far, only) post.

In addition to learning about USDA, I have been afforded some great opportunities through my internship. This week I went to a Tribal Leaders Reception for the National Congress of American Indians. I met several interesting people, both tribal leaders and people who work in other departments of the government. The reception was held in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. It was my first time visiting the museum and reminded me of all the great museums and government buildings in Washington, DC. I have been to a few of them now, with my favorite two being the Library of Congress and the National Archives. I'm looking forward to more great experiences in the weeks to come.

Ohlendorf scored the internship after meeting Pittsburgh native and current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack after Vilsack threw out the first pitch of a Pirate game earlier this year.

It really does seem like Ohlendorf is enjoying himself, which is probably a good thing after the season the Pirates had. Ohlendorf was excellent in the second half , rediscovering his fastball late in the summer and increasing his strikeout rate, finally flashing the potential that made him one of the key players in both the trade that sent Randy Johnson from the Yankees back to the Diamondbacks and the trade that sent Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady to the Yankees from the Pirates. Still, a good season doesn't wash out the 99 losses the Pirates suffered as a team. Ohlendorf apparently just has a different method of clearing his mind than most of his teammates.

Ross Ohlendorf Has an Internship With US Department of Agriculture originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.J. Hardy Traded for Carlos Gomez

Matt Snyder — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, Twins, AL Central, NL Central, MLB Transactions

It was no secret J.J. Hardy was likely going to be traded this offseason, but most believed the Brewers would use him to acquire some desperately needed starting pitching help. Instead, they have opted to move him to Minnesota for a young center fielder -- Carlos Gomez.

Hardy, 27, fell out of favor with the Brewers this past season as he failed to meet his previously set offensive standards. He ended the season with an abysmal .659 OPS and the Brewers have uber-prospect Alcides Escobar waiting in the wings (he hit .304 in 38 big-league games last season). Thus, it made sense to move Hardy, who did hit 50 home runs in his previous two campaigns, for help elsewhere.

Hardy will slide into the starting shortstop role for the Twins, who are now almost certain to allow Orlando Cabrera to walk as a free agent.

With the emergence of Denard Span in center for Minnesota, Gomez -- who came over as part of the Johan Santana trade -- became expendable for the Twins. The 23-year-old speedster hit just .248 with a .293 on-base percentage in his two years for the Twins. He flashed some promise at times, racking up impressive stolen base totals and several triples, but he largely disappointed at the plate.

Still, he's only going to be 24 on Opening Day, 2010, and the Brewers can plug him into center field in place of most-likely-departing Mike Cameron. Gomez makes much more sense for the Brewers than Cameron anyway, considering his age and the fact that the Brewers already have enough power. They need table-setters. If Gomez can find a way to work his OBP up to the .350 (or more) range, he'll be a very valuable cog in the Milwaukee lineup.

Both teams have a bit more work to do, but the World Series just ended Wednesday. For now, this is a good, mutually-beneficial trade to kick off Hot Stove season for each.

J.J. Hardy Traded for Carlos Gomez originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rays Trade Akinori Iwamura to Pittsburgh for Reliever Jesse Chavez

Pat Lackey — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:56:00 EST

Filed under: Pirates, Rays, AL East, NL Central

In a surprising piece of mid-World Series news, the Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a trade this afternoon. Tampa will send second baseman Akinori Iwamura to the Pirates in return for relief pitcher Jesse Chavez. According to the same report by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (who broke news of the Pirates' involvement in the trade after the St. Petersburg Times first reported an Iwamura trade this afternoon), no cash or other players are involved.

Iwamura, 30, is due $4.25 million in 2010 and the emergence of Ben Zobrist makes that a price the Rays clearly weren't eager to pay for a player who'd likely be a utility man for them in '10. The Pirates, however, are looking to add payroll after cleaning house last year and have a gaping hole at second base, so Iwamura is a logical addition for them.

Chavez was one of the Pirates' most reliable relievers last year. That may sound like damning with faint praise, but he improved his control (he only walked 2.9 batters per nine innings, down from his 3.3 BB/9 average in the minors and his 5.4 BB/9 rate with the Pirates in 2008) and was very good early in the year before hitting a rough patch in July and August.

Tampa, though, can use relievers and Chavez is only 26 and under team control for five more seasons, so he's a solid option for them. So the Pirates get a second baseman that they need, the Rays clear out some payroll and get an extra arm. It seems like the trade works for both sides, except that it weakens an already bad bullpen in Pittsburgh. Given their 99 losses in 2009, though, the Pirates probably have other needs to address before worrying about the bullpen

Rays Trade Akinori Iwamura to Pittsburgh for Reliever Jesse Chavez originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: The Cubs Get Ricketts

B. Thompson Stroud — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: Cubs, NL Central, The Dugout

The Chicago Cubs have finally won. They've got a new owner who isn't afraid to go straight to the local media and announce that the Cubs are going to the World Series. Boastful words, considering that the Cubs haven't even made it to the playoffs since Abraham Lincoln was in office. But it's just this sort of powerful, positive thinking that can do wonders for a ballclub, and as far as baby steps go, this is a pretty freaking big baby.

The transcript of Tom Ricketts being prideful before another season full of "every Cubs season" is after the jump.

The Dugout

	Online Host Welcome to the Wrigley Field Chatroom!
	LuckyRickett: GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE MY NAME IS TOM RICKETTS AND MY FAMILY HAS JUST PURCHASED THE EFF STAR STAR STARRING CHICAGO CUBS
	LuckyRickett: OUR ONE YEAR GOAL: 1. ??? 2. WIN THE WORLD SERIES
	LuckyRickett: I WILL NOW FIELD QUESTIONS
	Reporter: Yes, hi, my first question: why are you yelling at us
	LuckyRickett: I'M NOT YELLING, THIS IS HOW WE TYPE LETTERS AT INCAPITAL LLC.
	LuckyRickett: WE DO SERIOUS, HIGH-LEVEL INVESTMENT BANKING FOR TOP SHELF CLIENTS, ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES WE WILL TAKE A LOWER CASE
	Reporter: Okay. My second question is-
	LuckyRickett: IS YOUR SECOND QUESTION ABOUT THE GOAT, BECAUSE I BET IT'S ABOUT THE GOAT
	Reporter: Yeah! There's this goat, and because of this goat, we can't win the World Series! What are you going to do about this goat!
	LuckyRickett: I UNDERSTAND THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF THE CUBS FAN. MY FAMILY, WE'RE ALL CUBS FANS. I MET MY WIFE IN THE WRIGLEY FIELD BLEACHERS.
	LuckyRickett: SHE KEPT YELLING "WOO" AT ME, AND WE'VE BEEN PITCHING IT EVER SINCE
	Reporter: but this goat
	LuckyRickett: I THINK THE GOAT WOULD BE LESS OF A PROBLEM IF ANYONE HERE THOUGHT POSITIVELY FOR MORE THAN TWO MONTHS AT A TIME
	Reporter: Hi, I've got a question. Are you aware that your last name is homonymous with a malnutrition bone disease?
	LuckyRickett: I AM AWARE OF THAT, YES
	Reporter: and are you aware that from 1994 to 2006, our President and CEO had the word "fail" in his last name?
	LuckyRickett: YES
	Reporter: and that the guy working the interim after him had "dunno" in his last name
	LuckyRickett: WHAT IS YOUR POINT
	Reporter: I was wondering if at any point in my lifetime the Cubs weren't going to be run by a guy who didn't immediately remind me of failure, confusion, or imminent death
	LuckyRickett: AS I'VE SAID, THE CUBS WILL BE RUN BY COMMITTEE, INCLUDING PETE, TOM, LAURA, AND TODD RICKETTS, SO EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, YOU'RE GETTING RICKETTS
	LuckyRickett: AND IT'S NOT JUST THE FAMILY, I WILL BE HANGING ON THE EVERY WORD OF MY SPECIAL ASSISTANTS, SUCH AS ED LYNCH
	LuckyRickett: HE WILL BE JOINED BY SENIOR ADVISOR JOE FLOUNDER, BASEBALL INFORMANT EDUARDO LOS ONEHUNDREDGAMES, AND COOKIE! THE CLOWN WHO NEVER GOT TO LEAD THE GRAND MARCH ON THE BOZO SHOW
	Reporter: and you're SURE you're going to win the World Series this year
	LuckyRickett: YES, IT IS A 100% STATISTICAL CERTAINTY, UNLESS THE YANKEES OR THE PHILLIES OR SOMEONE ELSE WINS IT FIRST
	Reporter: I've got a question - earlier you mentioned positivity... how can we be positive after 101 years of disappointment?
	LuckyRickett: BY FOLLOWING MY THREE STEP PLAN FOR INSTANT POSITIVITY
	LuckyRickett: STEP ONE - KEEP OUR PARK NAMED "WRIGLEY FIELD." WE AREN'T CORPORATE SELL OUTS LIKE SOME TEAMS BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, WHO WANTS TO PLAY IN HUBBA BUBBA STADIUM OR THE GUSHERS DOME
	LuckyRickett: STEP TWO - KILL MILTON BRADLEY WITH A BATTLE AX AND BURN HIS REMAINS
	LuckyRickett: STEP THREE - I AM GOING TO STARE AT THIS GOAT UNTIL IT DIES
	LuckyRickett: OH AND STEP FOUR, WIN THE WORLD SERIES. IT IS A FOUR STEP PLAN
	Reporter: How do you expect to get these ideas across to your team?
	LuckyRickett: BY SURROUNDING MYSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE
	PiniellaOnTheDonkey: GOD DAMMIT TOMMY I BEEN CUSSING THIS GOAT OUT FOR 45 MINUTES AND HE WON'T DIE
	LuckyRickett: NO YOU'RE JUST SUPPOSED TO STARE AT IT
	PiniellaOnTheDonkey: THANK CHRIST "STARE" AND "SCREAM" AT THE ONLY TWO SPEEDS I GO
	Online Host SteakGrowsOnDmitri has entered the chatroom.
	SteakGrowsOnDmitri: uhhh scu me
	LuckyRickett: YES, CAN I HELP YOU
	SteakGrowsOnDmitri: i google "gusher" an "dome" an it brung me to this chat room
	SteakGrowsOnDmitri: ay anybody gon eat this goat

Photos link to player info. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) WordUpThome.com

The Dugout: The Cubs Get Ricketts originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: Return Of the Mac

B. Thompson Stroud — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, NL Central, The Dugout

Whoever was just hired as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, raise your hand. All right, you in the suit. Tell us how you got the job. What? You don't want to talk about it? Hey that seems pretty weird!

Yes, 2010 will see the return of shadowy figure Mark McGwire to Major League Baseball. He should use his influence to get the Cards to sign Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds to coaching deals as well, and everyone in St. Louis can root for a ball club instructed by the Monstars.

Today's Dugout is after the jump.

The Dugout

	Online Host Welcome to the St. Louis Cardinals Batting Practice Chatroom!
	SonOfJorEl: so what do I do if I'm up against a fastball pitcher?
	TheGwire: What do you mean? Isn't he going to intentionally walk you? Just don't swing the bat. Then they let you walk to first.
	SonOfJorEl: I... I don't think so? I mean why would he-
	TheGwire: Okay, uh, if you don't want to do that, why don't you just try swinging as hard as you can at everything?
	SonOfJorEl: I'm sorry, Mr. McGwire, I'm trying to learn, honest I am, but not all of us are buit like a Tackleberry from Police Academy action figure
	SonOfJorEl: Do you have any actual advice about hitting?
	TheGwire: Here, turn around. I'm going to stick this in your butt.
	SonOfJorEl: ... ?
	TheGwire: /makes "turn around" gesture with syringe'd hand
	SonOfJorEl: I dunno Mr. McGwire, I don't think I should be -
	TheGwire: Oh stop whining, this is legal.
	SonOfJorEl: well all right /turns around
	TheGwire: and by "legal" I mean "legal right now," because Major League Baseball doesn't know about it. Say ahh! /jabs needle into butt
	SonOfJorEl: wait what were you saying about the AUGHHH
	Online Host SonOfJorEl has been injected with a substance, but you don't have any proof that he has been so unless your judge jury executionar why don't you just shut up
	TheGwire: There, that should do the trick.
	SonOfJorEl: What exactly did you stick me with, anyway?
	TheGwire: it's a product of my own design, we call it "Niceanhappodrine"
	SonOfJorEl: Oh, that sounds pleasant! /sniffs and it smells like Mistletoe Yankee Candle!
	TheGwire: Balsam and Cedar, actually. Yeah, me and Canseco discovered this during a deep sea fishing trip back in '87, we've been using it ever since.
	SonOfJorEl: you and who now
	TheGwire: Jose bet me that he could dive into the briney deep and crush a living fish to death with his spinal erectors
	TheGwire: I said that was total horsesh** so of course Jose gnashes a bowie knife between his teeth and dives into the sea in his boxer briefs to prove me wrong
	SonOfJorEl: why was he in his underwear
	TheGwire: bout fourteen minutes later Jose surfaces wearing the skin of a manatee and brandishing this gigantic f***ed up snapping turtle
	TheGwire: long story short, we siphoned the contents of that beast's lower abdomen into mason jars
	TheGwire: man, the eighties were a fun and exciting time
	SonOfJorEl: I was eight years old, please just tell me how to hit a baseball
	TheGwire: Oh, sorry. With this gunk in your bloodstream you should be able to bunt into the upper deck
	SonOfJorEl: why do you call it "niceanhappodrine"
	TheGwire: because if we called it "erodes your frenulum and turns you into the Cloverfield monster" nobody would let us stick them with it
	Online Host LaRussasOnFire has entered the chatroom.
	LaRussasOnFire: Hey Khalil, how's batting practice going?
	SonOfJorEl: /projectile vomits
	LaRussasOnFire: That's about what I expected. Mark! How's your first day on the job going so far?
	TheGwire: I'm not here to talk about the past.
	LaRussasOnFire: oh, sorry. How is your SECOND day on the job GOING to go?
	TheGwire: Great! I'm going to teach Albert Pujols about the benefits of taking off for 80 to 90 games per season
	LaRussasOnFire: Excellent. Hey, when you're doing with Khalil, would you mind helping out Nick Stavinoha? He's really awful.
	TheGwire: do you want me to inject him with something?
	LaRussasOnFire: No, not necessarily.
	TheGwire: do you want me to hug him after I hit a home run?
	LaRussasOnFire: No.
	TheGwire: do you want me to not talk about him?
	LaRussasOnFire: no
	TheGwire: sorry skip, those are the only things I know how to do. /shrugs shoulders, tears entire back in half

Photos link to player info. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) WordUpThome.com

The Dugout: Return Of the Mac originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark McGwire Cards' New Hitting Coach

Pat Lackey — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:18:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, NL Central

Mark McGwire will end his baseball exile and accept a position with the St. Louis Cardinals as their hitting coach, a Cardinals source confirmed to FanHouse's Ed Price Sunday afternoon. He'll replace Hal McRae, who's held the position for five years. The story initially appeared on Brian McRae's Twitter account, though it's since been deleted.

McGwire played 4 1/2 seasons with St. Louis, in which he hit 220 home runs and briefly set the single-season MLB record with his 70 homers in 1998. Of course, since then he's been surrounded by steroid rumors and has more or less dropped entirely off of the baseball radar after his Congressional testimony in 2005.

This news seems to make it pretty clear that Tony La Russa, who's been close with McGwire after managing him both in Oakland and St. Louis, should be back in 2010 as the Cardinals manager. There was initially some question about that, but a report by Joe Strauss Sunday morning pointed pretty strongly towards La Russa's return. It's hard to imagine any way McGwire accepts this job without La Russa in St. Louis.

What will be interesting is how the private McGwire handles his return to the baseball spotlight. He must know that by accepting this position, he's going to have to do some talking about the past, so to speak. Though, by announcing the hiring early, the Cardinals are probably hoping most of that dies down by the time the team is ready for spring training next February.

Mark McGwire Cards' New Hitting Coach originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indians Hire Manny Acta as Manager

Pat Lackey — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:56:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, Indians, AL Central, NL Central

The Cleveland Indians announced Sunday afternoon that they've hired Manny Acta as their manager. They also interviewed Bobby Valentine, Torey Lovullo, and Ron Roenicke, while Acta also interviewed for and reportedly rejected the Houston Astros managerial position.

Acta was fired by the Washington Nationals just before this year's All-Star Game after a 26-61 start and a 158-252 record over 2 1/2 seasons in D.C. The interest shown by both the Astros and Indians seems to indicate pretty clearly that teams aren't holding his ugly record over that span against him, though, and he's quickly going to have a chance to rehabilitate his reputation now that he's got another job.

Acta has long been a favorite of the sabermetric crowd (dig out your copy of Baseball Prospectus 2008 or see here for a brief explanation of how his use of defensive shifts and matchups helped cover for his terrible pitching staff in his first season in Washington), and so it makes sense that he'd be a favorite of Mark Shapiro, who certainly has a reputation as a statistically-oriented GM.

It's hard to believe the choice will be popular in Cleveland, though, given Acta's recent history in Washington. Shapiro's public approval is pretty low after the Indians' failure to follow up on their ALCS appearance in 2007 and if Acta can't turn the ship around quickly, this hiring is probably going to be viewed in a negative light.

No pressure, Manny Acta. Just turn a 97-loss team into a contender or face the wrath of Cleveland.

Indians Hire Manny Acta as Manager originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brewers Hot in Pursuit of Rick Peterson

Matt Snyder — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central, MLB Rumors

Only the Washington Nationals had a worse team ERA than the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL this past season. Brewers' starters were the worst in the entire major leagues, sporting a pathetic 5.37 ERA. Obviously, something needs to be done for a team with such a high-powered offense, in order to remain competitive.

Thus, the Brewers are reportedly making a strong push for respected pitching coach Rick Peterson. Peterson has worked with former A's and current Brewers manager Ken Macha in the past, as he was in Oakland from 1998-2003, where he oversaw the development of All-Stars Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder. He then took a job with the Mets -- which didn't turn out near as well and concluded during the 2008 season.

The Brewers lost former pitching coach Mike Maddux to the Rangers prior to 2009, and the results for both the Rangers' and Brewers' respective pitching staffs was evident. Thus, the Brewers are reportedly strongly zeroing in on bringing in Peterson to help shore up the staff -- namely the starting rotation. They appear confident the signing will take place very soon.

Despite the tumultuous ending in New York, Peterson is still known to be a solid developer of mechanics in young hurlers, so his hiring would be a good one for Milwaukee. Yovani Gallardo, the 23-year-old ace of the Brewers, has the stuff to be an elite pitcher. Manny Parra, 26, endured an awful 2009 after a promising 2008. He's far too young and has far too much talent to not benefit from the presence of a pitching coach like Peterson. Even the veterans could use a hand, as Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush and Braden Looper (after leaving St. Louis and the tutelage of Dave Duncan) were all drastically worse in 2009 than they were in 2008.

Brewers Hot in Pursuit of Rick Peterson originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huston Street and Ryan Howard Illustrate The Closer Fallacy

Pat Lackey — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:41:00 EST

Filed under: Phillies, Rockies, NL Central, NL West, National League Division Series

Let's start by looking at two stat lines. Some of you have probably already guessed where I'm going with this, but bear with me.

Player A: .319/.395/.691, 1 HR/11.56 plate appearances
Player B: .207/.298/.356, 1 HR/37 plate appearances

If you haven't already figured it out, both of those players are Ryan Howard. "Player A" is Howard against righties in 2009 and "Player B" is Howard against lefties in 2009. To simplify, Ryan Howard is Albert Pujols against righties and David Eckstein against lefties. So why does no one question Jim Tracy's decision to leave right-hander Huston Street in the game to face Howard with the Rockies' season on the line?

The answer, of course, is that Street is Colorado's "closer." The Rockies were winning 4-2, so Street had to be on the mound. It was Tracy that made the decision to not bring Joe Beimel (the only remaining lefty in the Rockies' bullpen) in to face Howard, but I'm willing to bet you could count on one hand (or maybe even no hands), the managers in baseball that would've made that move.

Watching the post-game coverage tonight, not one on-air analyst or reporter is questioning Tracy's decision to stick with Street. He probably won't take much heat for the move in the Denver papers tomorrow. That's all because sticking with your "closer" is what's done in baseball.

Now flip the situation around; imagine that Tracy had brought Beimel in to face Howard. Beimel's a decent but not great reliever with a slight platoon split. If he had given up the hit to Howard, everyone would be frothing at the mouth over Tracy's decision without even mentioning Howard's platoon split. In fact, people would probably be questioning the move even if Beimel had gotten Howard out, because that's how out of place the move would've seemed.

Maybe using Beimel against Howard isn't a slam dunk move given the history between the two (Howard is 3-for-10 with a double, a triple, and a homer), but Howard's platoon split is still about as big as it gets and if it's not an easy decision, it's one at least worth thinking about. It's telling that no one has even mentioned the thought of pulling Street for a lefty against Howard. It's not even part of the discussion.

Closers are an ingrained part of baseball, but the Rockies and Red Sox were eliminated by blown saves and the Twins and Cardinals both had their chances to win crippled by them. Why is it so crazy to rethink this model a little bit?

Huston Street and Ryan Howard Illustrate The Closer Fallacy originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Smoltz Wants to Remain a Cardinal, Should He Decide to Play in 2010

Matt Snyder — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:05:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, NL Central, MLB Rumors

John Smoltz completed his 21st major league season Saturday night when the Cardinals were swept out of the NLDS by the Los Angeles Dodgers. As of now, the 42-year-old hurler does not plan on it being his last.

Smoltz told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he'll need some more time to fully evaluate whether or not he'll come back to pitch in 2010, but his initial thought is that he will.

"As of right now," he said. "I plan to."

He's holding off on making the final decision because he doesn't want to become one of "those guys" -- the ones who waffle back and forth on a retirement decision. Thus, Smoltz expects to sign late in the free-agency period, should be decide to pitch again in 2010. He'll turn 43 during the season.

He did express his desire to remain with the Cardinals, as long as the deal would be "mutually agreeable."

Smoltz has compiled a resume that will likely land him in Cooperstown five years after he decides to hang up the cleats for good. He's the only player in major league history to save more than 150 games and also collect more than 200 career wins. He's also surpassed the vaunted 3,000-strikeout barrier. He's been to the All-Star game eight times and won a Cy Young. Most of all, though, Smoltz has cemented his legacy as an all-timer in the playoffs. His career postseason record is 15-4 with a 2.67 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.

Smoltz struggled with Boston in 2009, but seemed to feel back at home in the National League when he was acquired by the Cardinals, piecing together a few solid outings. There is a little something left in the tank, but not a ton. If he does come, it's pretty likely it would be for one last hurrah.

John Smoltz Wants to Remain a Cardinal, Should He Decide to Play in 2010 originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 MLB Postseason Schedule

Pat Lackey — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Cardinals, Dodgers, Phillies, Red Sox, Rockies, Twins, Yankees, AL Central, AL East, AL West, NL Central, NL East, NL West, MLB Playoffs, American League Division Series, National League Division Series

With two series over, Major League Baseball has updated the schedule for the rest of the Division Series.

The Rockies and Phillies will play their Game 4 at 4 PM ET if the Yankees-Twins series is still going on. Should the Yankees finish off a sweep Sunday night, the NL Game would move to 6 PM ET.

Series-by-series times are after the jump (all times Eastern).

Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees:

Game 1- Twins at Yankees, 10/7, 6:07 PM, TBS
Game 2- Twins at Yankees, 10/9, 6:07 PM, TBS
Game 3- Yankees at Twins, 10/11, 7:07 PM, TBS
Game 4- Yankees at Twins, 10/12, 7:37 PM, if necessary, TBS
Game 5- Twins at Yankees, 10/14, 8:07 PM, if necessary, TBS

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Game 1- Red Sox at Angels, 10/8, 9:37 PM, TBS
Game 2- Red Sox at Angels, 10/9, 9:37 PM, TBS
Game 3- Angels at Red Sox, 10/11, 12:07 PM, TBS

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Game 1- Cardinals at Dodgers, 10/7, 9:37 PM, TBS
Game 2- Cardinals at Dodgers, 10/8, 6:07 PM, TBS
Game 3- Dodgers at Cardinals, 10/10, 6:07 PM,TBS

Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Game 1- Rockies at Phillies, 10/7, 2:37 PM, TBS
Game 2- Rockies at Phillies, 10/8, 2:37 PM, TBS
Game 3- Phillies at Rockies, 10/11, 10:07 PM,TBS
Game 4- Phillies at Rockies, 10/12, 6:07 PM (7:37 PM if AL still going), TBS
Game 5- Rockies at Phillies, 10/13, 8:07 PM, if necessary TBS

AL Championship Series

Game 1-Angels at Yankees or Twins at Angels, 10/16, Fox
Game 2-Angels at Yankees or Twins at Angels, 10/17, Fox
Game 3-Yankees at Angels or Angels at Twins, 10/19, Fox
Game 4-Yankees at Angels or Angels at Twins, 10/20, Fox
Game 5-Yankees at Angels or Angels at Twins, 10/22, if necessary, Fox
Game 6-Angels at Yankees or Twins at Angels, 10/24, if necessary, Fox
Game 7-Angels at Yankees or Twins at Angels, 10/25, if necessary, Fox

NL Championship Series

Game 1-Rockies or Phillies at Dodgers, 10/15, TBS
Game 2-Rockies or Phillies at Dodgers, 10/16, TBS
Game 3-Dodgers at Rockies or Philliies, 10/18, TBS
Game 4-Dodgers at Rockies or Philliies, 10/19, TBS
Game 5-Dodgers at Rockies or Philliies, 10/21, if necessary, TBS
Game 6-Rockies or Phillies at Dodgers, 10/23, if necessary, TBS
Game 7-Rockies or Phillies at Dodgers, 10/24, if necessary, TBS

2009 MLB Postseason Schedule originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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