MLB Thread

[Lord O' Bones]

[quote name='Myshkin' post='1757751' date='Apr 16 2009, 18.02']Where are you guys?[/quote]
Do not look under my house.

[Jaime L]

Our long National Nightmare is at last over.

Nats win! Nats win!

[Mack Kilimaro]

[quote name='Jaime L' post='1757795' date='Apr 16 2009, 21.43']Our long National Nightmare is at last over.

Nats win! Nats win![/quote]

Was kind of hoping you guys would purge the 1988 Orioles (0-21) from the record books with the opening ofer. Alas, maybe next year.

[Whiskeyjack]

[quote name='Arakasi' post='1753344' date='Apr 13 2009, 11.00']Curious what you think of the prospects and young guys on the Blue Jays Amryc. I've been doing some reading on their farm system and wanted to know what you thought.[/quote]

Sorry for the delayed response, Arak. Been pretty busy this week.

The Jays have had a pretty bad farm system for a while, but I think its improved a bit over the past few years. The best prospects are, in my opinion, 2 guys who are already regulars in the MLB lineup this season - Travis Snider and Adam Lind. Snider is legit. The kid is going to hit 30+ HR every year. Could definitely reach 40 HR. And the average might start off a bit low, but if he can cut down on the strikeouts and learn to hit LHP, he can get it up to the .280-.290 range in his prime years. He's been one of my favorite prospects for the past two years, and I think he'll be an All-Star caliber player for Toronto.

Lind has a lower ceiling than Snider, and some people may not call him a prospect since he's already 25, but this is only his first full season at the MLB level. And I like him a lot - he was actually my pick for a breakout player this year, and so far he's following through on the high expectations. If neither is traded, he and Snider are going to combine to be an extremely good heart of the order for the Jays for the next 4-5 years.

J.P. Arencibia is another solid prospect, especially if he stays at catcher. Thats the big question with him (and most other catcher prospects). He has okay power and makes good contact, but he doesn't walk a lot, which could be a problem as he moves up.

Justin Jackson is a SS who is awesome defensively, but needs a lot of work as a hitter. He's going to be a MLB player at some point, even if its just as a utility guy. Question is if he can develop as a hitter and become a regular every day player. He's young, so there's a lot of room to grow.

None of the rest of their top position prospects stand out. From what I've read, David Cooper is a low upside, solid offensive 1B/DH who should contribute at some point. Brad Emaus and Kevin Ahrens are 2B and 3B who have potential, but aren't locks to make it.

The best pitching prospects are Brett Cecil and David Purcey. Cecil is a LHP, a converted closer who is still working on developing secondary pitches. I love the K/9 rate, his control has been pretty good, and he's been a groundball pitcher so far in the minors - all promising signs.

Purcey is already up in the rotation. He's about to turn 27, so he's far from being a young prospect, but like Lind, this is his first full season as a MLB player. He's a LHP with tons of movement on his pitches, who will rack up both K's and walks this year. Needs to learn better control if he wants to take the next step.

Those are the top guys I've been following.

[▲Jim▲]

[quote name='Jaime L' post='1757795' date='Apr 16 2009, 18.43']Our long National Nightmare is at last over.

Nats win! Nats win![/quote]
If they keep up this great play, they might finish with around 22-26 wins this season :P

[Caliban]

What about Ricky Romero? It looks like he righted the ship. He was picked between Braun and Tulo and I still remember him in college. It was funny to see him up the other day. Maybe hes finallyh healthy. Hes got goods.

[Myshkin]

[quote name='Jaime L' post='1757771' date='Apr 16 2009, 18.24']That's it?

I was expecting a sonnet written in rhyming couplets about the heroics of young Kershaw. He's, what, 21? And when a lot of guys would be wearing down, he still struck out the side in the 7th with that killer curve.[/quote]
Twas a windy eve at the ravine
All the boys were there to be seen
They stood proud, pristine, without flaw
And foremost amongst them was Kershaw

So long had the faithful awaited
With fingers crossed and breath baited
And now the pavilions they did pack
For the Boys of Summer were back

And as Kershaw walked to the mound
The roar of the crowd shook the ground
And as Kershaw took up the ball
He heard the voice of Immortality call

With his mighty left arm all aglow
Kershaw knew just what to throw
And as his first foe he did greet
Clayton Kershaw brought the heat

And the world sat stunned and in awe
Of the beautiful masterpiece that they saw
For twas a windy eve at the ravine
And young Kershaw struck out thirteen

[quote name='Lord O' Bones' post='1757783' date='Apr 16 2009, 18.32']Do not look under my house.[/quote]
What did you do to Childe Roland and Young Wolf?

[grozeng]

[quote name='Weekapaug' post='1757495' date='Apr 16 2009, 16.17']Don't even mention the Sox start, Lowrie, Ortiz, or Matsuzaka. Let me enjoy my schadenfreude goddammit![/quote]

After the last start by Dice-K I was going to mention something, but then I looked at the boxscore and noticed there wasn't actually anything unusual about the start so I held my tongue :)

[Caliban]

[quote name='Triskele' post='1757885' date='Apr 17 2009, 00.13']Whiskeyjack (or anyone else) - Can you tell me what you know about Rasmus? I've heard for a couple years about how he was St. Louis' top prospect. He's up now and off to an OK start but it's not evident to me why he's such a big prospect. Is he supposed to be a great fielder with potential to be a great hits-for-average guy? He sure doesn't look like a power guy.[/quote]

He was really good in AA not so great in AAA. If Ryan Ludwick is the base model STL prospect Rasmus should be a hall of famer. Hes definately a potential power bat and one of the 10 best prospects in baseball.

[Dio]

[quote name='Triskele' post='1757900' date='Apr 16 2009, 21.39']Kirkjian tonight was saying that the Yankees new stadium has some incredible innovations like touch-screen computers in the locker room that give workout schedules and whatnot.[/quote]
For 1.5 billion, they better have cloning technology so they don't have to worry about annoying injuries all those lesser teams have to deal with.

[Myshkin]

Dodgers win!!! Dodgers win!!! OMG the Dodgers win!!1! O glorious day the Dodgers win!!1!!one!!1! The Dodgers sweep the Giants!!! Can you believe it?!1! What a day!111!!!1

There, now nobody can say I wasn't enthusiastic enough this time.

[Lord O' Bones]

[quote name='Myshkin' post='1757916' date='Apr 16 2009, 22.24']Dodgers win!!! Dodgers win!!! OMG the Dodgers win!!1! O glorious day the Dodgers win!!1!!one!!1! The Dodgers sweep the Giants!!! Can you believe it?!1! What a day!111!!!1

There, now nobody can say I wasn't enthusiastic enough this time.[/quote]
:lol:

Damn it.

[naz]

I want to hear what you guys think of the possibility of the Mets trading for Peavy sometime this summer, esp. considering Pelfrey's recent pseudo-injury and the Mets' overall lack of a good #2 starter - the only thing, imo, stopping them from being serious contenders to win the division.

Do you think the Padres would rather have a good young bat in the form of Daniel Murphy or a lefty pitcher like Oliver Perez or Pedro Feliciano, seeing as they have exactly zero lefties (how is that even possible, btw?).

And given that a lefty pitcher might be more important for them (and the Mets themselves don't have that many to give up), does that make it more likely that SD would be talking to someone like Philly, who has lefty arms to spare?

[Jaime L]

[quote name='Jimmm' post='1757832' date='Apr 16 2009, 22.40']If they keep up this great play, they might finish with around 22-26 wins this season :P[/quote]

I don't want jinx anything, but I think we got a pretty good chance at reaching that.

But let's wait 'til they get to 20 wins before we really discuss this in earnest.

[quote name='Myshkin' post='1757847' date='Apr 16 2009, 22.56']Twas a windy eve at the ravine
All the boys were there to be seen
They stood proud, pristine, without flaw
And foremost amongst them was Kershaw

So long had the faithful awaited
With fingers crossed and breath baited
And now the pavilions they did pack
For the Boys of Summer were back

And as Kershaw walked to the mound
The roar of the crowd shook the ground
And as Kershaw took up the ball
He heard the voice of Immortality call

With his mighty left arm all aglow
Kershaw knew just what to throw
And as his first foe he did greet
Clayton Kershaw brought the heat

And the world sat stunned and in awe
Of the beautiful masterpiece that they saw
For twas a windy eve at the ravine
And young Kershaw struck out thirteen[/quote]

*sniffle* Got something in my eye. Have to excuse myself from...this..thread...

[Week]

I'm not sure that the Mets have the pieces to get get Peavy. It would take something like Murphy and Niese or Fernando Martinez and a B pitcher (pretty much all the Mets have). The Mets system looks pretty barren (which was what made it remarkable that they got Santana)...I think their only prayer is to have nobody to bid against and a very desperate Padres front office.

I don't think the Padres would be that focused on getting a lefty, frankly they need to look for hitters that are going to be able to hack it in their stadium. Any pitcher they throw in at Petco will be able to be league average at least because it is so big. Kevin Towers (Padres GM) doesn't believe in "LOOGYs" (left handed one out guys), so he's sought out relievers that can get out lefties effectively.

[Caliban]

PEAVY will get dealt this season. SDP already said they cant afford him. Once they start tio tank they will deal him. I dont think the New York Baseball Mets have a chance. If they did it would be Daniel Murphy plus the top 4 pitching prospects in the system, and one major-league-ready starter. I still think the cubs have the inside track on this one. I dont think the Mets have that much left in the system, and I dont know if Peavy would approve the trade.

Peavy has been pretty vocal about being a cub and he has a full NTC.

[Bronn Stone]

Barring a miracle season, the Padres will deal Peavy. But Oliver Perez won't be part of the deal. They gave up on him long ago when they traded him away. They'd want a better (and younger in terms of years of service) pitching prospect than him in return. Peavy's preferences are the Cubs or Dodgers and he very much wishes to stay in the NL. The Dodgers do have the pieces to make the deal happen if they decide they need and want him.

Though the Padres have said they have financial issues, they are also on record as saying that if they are in it they CAN pay him this season and could even expand the payroll to get some help.

[naz]

All good points. And it's clear the Cubs have the best shot at this point. It's just that there are reports that Wagner may be back earlier than expected, effectively giving the Mets three closers around the trade deadline. You don't think they can put together a package with Murphy, Wagner/Putz, Neise, and/or a prospect or two (Fernando Martinez being the most likely)?

The Mets giving away two of the best potential young hitters (Murphy, Martinez) definitely screams of desperation, but after the last two meltdowns, I can see them being that desperate.

I guess it's too early to say, but I just wish the Mets had done more to fill in the holes in their rotation in the offseason. That's really the only thing standing in their way to a pennant this year. Well, that and some well-timed injuries in the Phillies' rotation. :)

[Bronn Stone]

Towers believes in cobbling together a bullpen. It seems unlikely to me that he'd accept Putz or Wagner unless he was pretty certain he could move them along to a new home.

[Dinsdale!]

The Met's farm system is not as barren as it used to be. In addition to their two guys who always show up on top-100 prospect lists, Wilmer Flores and Fernando Martinez, they've got a number of well-regarded pieces as A ball. Basically, their Dominican Apparatus did well for them, and they're draft picks did well at Rookie Ball. So they've got enough pieces to get a trade done. I don't think Peavy will play in NY though, so it's kind of moot.

Anybody think the Astros will trade Oswalt? And does anybody know what the rest of his contract looks like?