Bold Predictions
by stl3bagger on Mar 29, 2010 2:36 PM EDT
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With the season just around the corner, I think its time to put your reputation on the line and make some bold predictions for the year. I am going to make 3 cardinal-centric predictions and 3 mlb-centric predictions but do whatever you would like.
1. Ludwick -- 37 homers this year
2. Rasmus -- All-star this year
3. On June 15th, McClellan will be the full-time Cardinals closer.
MLB
1. Pirates will finish in 4th place in the Central, one game above .500. (Zach Duke = Stud)
2. By July 15th, the Mariners will be in last place in the AL West and major sellers at the trade deadline.
3. Rich Harden will be the starting pitcher for the AL all-star team.
Lets see what you got.
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NL Central Prediction:
STL
MIL
CIN
CHC
PIT
HOU
That’s all I got.
Testicle-exploding shit storms, to date: T.E.S.S '08, T.E.S.S '09
Ludwick will indeed hit 37 home runs
The Mariners will finish in first place though. well, not last place anyway. Rich Harden is toast. Colby may make the all-star team, but he has to deal with McCutchen
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 29, 2010 4:42 PM EDT reply actions
Braves will be very good
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 29, 2010 4:43 PM EDT reply actions
I'm coming around to the Braves too
Your fanpost helped. Also it seems like some of the talking heads think they are for real too. They certainly could have an awesome rotation.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
i think they are projected to win the division
but i still have to give the nod to philly. we’ll see if mclouth can hit his way out of minors camp and back to the big club and if glaus can hit anything other than a single (he’s stav in spring thus far). but if those happen and chipper can stay on the field, and heyward is a beast all year, then they could squeak by philly.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
they're screwed if Jurrjens' shoulder or whatever is a big issue
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 29, 2010 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions
yup
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 30, 2010 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
I think he’ll be in the 5 hole for most of the season actually.
- McClouth
- Prado
- Jones
- McCann
- Heyward
- Glaus
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
i think melky is supposed to lead off
if mclouth can’t get it together in minors camp. where does escobar hit?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
McLouth is way better as a lower-down hitter anyway
good gap power, 20+ HRs per year, not a particularly amazing OBP. I think he should probably hit #2 or #5 in that lineup, probably 2.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Mar 31, 2010 7:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Escobar is probably hitting second or 7th.
Although hitting him leadoff wouldn’t be a horrible idea either. I really like Prado in the 2nd spot though, and he’s Bobby Cox’s prototypical 2 hole hitter: Good discipline, gets on base, sees a lot of pitches, etc.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
cards
rasmus all-star (if mccutcheon makes it, it’s because every team must be represented)
garcia wins ROY over heyward, who has a rough second-half
freeze is the starting 3b in game 1 of playoffs; craig is on post-season roster, with stav in another city (ok, not so bold)
MLB
angels and rangers go down to last game of season; angels win the division again, with oakland third and, in it at trade deadline, keeping sheets, whereas cliff lee is traded to nl west, either dodgers, rocks, or d’backs.
twins go to world series, beating both ny and boston.
cards beat the rocks in 7, beat the home-field-advantaged twins in 7, tom lawless throws out the first pitch game 3 (that last part should make it bold enough)
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Bold, my friend, incredibly bold.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
there's bold, and then there's...that.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
That's true.
Not even the most interesting man in the world would be that bold.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
so there's hope
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 29, 2010 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Bold
Joey Votto will have a better season than Albert (by WAR)
A.D.A.M. will strike out >1 batter per inning in >200 IP
Brendan Ryan will be worth <2 WAR for the season
Evan Longoria will win the AL MVP
Brian Matusz will have a better season than Javier Vazquez
Desmond Jennings will get called up post a Crawford trade and will be more valuable than Heyward
i could see all those
but especially the mlb ones, and particularly the last (but i am not much a fan of WAR, in the pujols and ryan scenarios – though i’m sure both sides use it if it benefits them in contract negotiations, gm’s would pretty much laugh at a zobrist for pujols trade, etc., money being equal)
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Here's mine
Cardinals:
- Ludwick puts up a .900+ OPS.
- Pujols and Holliday split the MVP vote among Cardinal voters and neither wins it.
- All 3 Cardinal outfielders make the All-Star team.
- VEB FanPost Prediction: 8/1/2010 — What went wrong with Jamie Garcia?
MLB:
- Seattle runs away with the AL West on the strength of pitching and defense.
- Tommy Hanson finishes third in NL Cy Young behind Lincecum and Halladay.
- Rays deal Carl Crawford to the Mariners at the trading deadline for 3 prospects (Morrow and two others), cementing the best defensive outfield of all time for the last two months of the season (Crawford, Gutierrez, Ichiro). All are 2 win defenders. 6 wins from your outfield. Defensively. Seriously.
- All 4 NL West teams will finish within 6 games of 1st place. 4 out of 5 AL Central teams will finish within 8 games of first place. Sorry Kansas City, tell your front office to get a clue.
- Jason Heyward wins NL ROY while putting up a .400 wOBA.
- Justin Smoak edges out Wade Davis for AL ROY.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Seattle
I agree the defense out in Seattle could be one of the best ever (although the catching group scares me), but I do not see pitching strength. Felix= stud. But after that what do they have? Lee’s injury scares me but if he gets healthy he is probably the best number 2 pitcher in the AL. But they don’t have much after that. Ian Snell number three. I don’t have any faith that he will ever return back to form. Rowland-Smith number 4, not too impressive. And their number 5 spot is still a mess. Plus I don’t know of much starter strength they have in the minors to cover if anyone gets hurt. Aardsma to me is very risky. Just as risky as our own closer. They have no shut-down lefty in the bullpen. And other than Mark Lowe (I like him a lot) rest of their set-up crew is replacement value. I still prefer the Angels pitching staff to the Mariners, especially if Kazmir is healthy (which is a huge IF).
They're going to be the litmus test for
defensively oriented ballclubs. They have a plus defender in every position but LF, and Bradley ain’t that bad either. If they dealt for Crawford and signed him long term and moved Bradley to DH, displacing Griffey, their ballclub literally has +10 or better defenders AT EVERY POSITION except 2B:
1B – Kotchman: 2009 UZR/150 = 11.1
2B – Lopez: 2009 UZR/150 = 1.5
SS – Wilson: 2009 UZR/150 = 20.4
3B – Figgins: 2009 UZR/150 = 18.8
LF – Bradley: Career UZR/150 in OF = 6.1
CF – Gutierrez: 2009 UZR/150 = 26.9
RF – Ichiro: 2009 UZR/150 = 11.3
Carl Crawford: 2009 UZR/150 = 17.5
Assuming they make the deal, we’ll give their combined LF a +10 per 150 games, hat defense will save exactly 100 runs over a league average defense. You don’t think saving 100 runs defensively is going to make their pitchers look a whole lot better than they are? Look at what they did on the back end of their rotation:
- Ian Snell was a pretty effective ground ball pitcher until the last couple of seasons. If he can find that form again, that defense is going to gobble up anything that isn’t a line drive. It should make him look quite a bit better than he is.
- Look at Rowland-Smith’s 2009 ERA (3.74) compared to his FIP (4.20). The defense on the field has to have a lot to do with that does it not? He doesn’t throw a lot of ground balls, but if he can keep his HR/FB down this year, that defense will make him look really damn good.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
that's amazing
I think that defense will be shown to be very underrated by this team, fourstick
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 30, 2010 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions
If Lee is healthy
They’re going to be a tough to beat in any series where both he and Felix pitch. If they win every other series and go .500 in all the rest of the series, they’ll end up with about 90-95 wins. That ought to be enough to take the division.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
figgins is actually playing 2b
and lopez at third unless they’ve changed it in the last couple days.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
That might actually make their defense better.
Lopez is probably a +6 of +7 guy at third base, although Figgins is going to have to improve at 2B.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
on the bright side
he probably doesn’t even get to them at second
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
He'll have to grow into it a bit I'm sure
He’s probably never played there before and if he has it hasn’t been for at least 5-7 years or so.
He was a very good player at 1B for them last year when he filled in for Branyan at the end of the year and he has a pretty good arm. It’s his range that killed him at second base, so as he adjusts to the hot corner I would expect his defense to improve. If I’m Seattle, I’m more worried about Figgins being as good at second base as he is at third base — UZR doesn’t spell that out.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
would the mariners really deal the prospects it would take for crawford
considering they probably wouldn’t be able to outbid the yanks to sign him?
the nl west still includes san diego, though i’m pretty certain they are the team not in contention in your scenario.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
I think you're underestimating how much money the Seattle franchise can throw around
They paid $130M to LOSE nearly 100 games a couple of years ago. I don’t see them having any trouble opening up the wallet to pay for Crawford, Lee, and King Felix in the next couple of years. Figgins is signed to a below average contract, Ichiro’s pays for itself because of the Japanese market, Gutierrez is pretty cheap, and they seem to be really committed to going after guys with great defense and Carl Crawford brings a great glove along with an above average bat.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
the yanks can always offer one dollar more, though
and as you said, there’s lee to consider, and he is definitely taking the highest offer. of course they’ve already locked up king felix.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
But if you're Crawford
You have two choices:
- You can stay in Seattle and be THE GUY and make $150M OR
- You can go to NY and be THE SEVENTH GUY and make $151M.
I do think ego plays into some of these negotiations. He’s going to get paid by either team if that deal gets done, the questions is whether he just wants to be another guy on the team or the face of a franchise.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
there's the fact that he's more likely to win championships with the Yankees, however
that plays into it too.
The Rays might be the 3rd or 4th best team in baseball, but they’re always going to be swimming uphill in that division and it’s only going to get worse as the Yankees newer, smarter front office keeps improving their team and the RedSox finally get round to picking up Gonzalez or whoever to play first base. I think 2008 was probably their big chance and it’s hard to see the Rays making the World Series again any time soon.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Mar 31, 2010 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Right
But I’m talking about if he was traded to Seattle, not staying in Tampa. If he’s in Seattle and the M’s can keep Cliff Lee and Crawford, they’d have a shot to win that division every year, and would have a Felix/Lee/WhoGivesAShit rotation in the playoffs. That, coupled with awesome defense and the ability to manufacture runs 1980’s Cardinals style would lead to a chance at pennants in the playoffs.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
ah, sorry, i didn't see that.
I kinda disagree though, because Texas are going to start wiping the floor with that division very soon. The amount of young talent they have is astounding. If their ownership is willing to spend some cash (which they’ve shown they have the ability to do in the past) I really think they could be challenging the Yankees and RedSox for the best team in baseball within 3 years.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Mar 31, 2010 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe on paper they do,
I just keep looking at them and asking a bunch of questions:
- Why did they trade Kevin Millwood if they’re “willing to spend cash”. That division could be had and he’s the best starter they had last year.
- Why didn’t they go harder after John Lackey? They don’t have an ace in a division with 3 pretty good pitching staffs. Rich Harden just seems like a bad deal all around for them because of their lack of depth.
- Why is Neftali Feliz in the fucking bullpen? If he’s not a starter, then he should be the closer. If he is a starter then why isn’t he in the rotation under the “Joba rules”? I just doesn’t make sense to me.
- Are they waiting for Micheal Young’s contract to expire before looking to spend money? I can understand that point of view, but this team is 1 or 2 good pitchers away from being a juggarnaut, and there will be some available in the next couple of seasons.
- If you could acquire Adrian Gonzalez via trade without giving up Justin Smoak, would it make sense to sign Adrian long term and trade Smoak along with another prospect for a true #1 starter? If so, who would they target?
I think they’ve done a great job of stockpiling young talent. I think they’re doing a poor job of having an overall strategy for building their ballclub.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I think it would hilarious
If the Rangers re-acquired Adrian Gonzalez, simply because they had him, and give him up for what turned out to be complete garbage. I think that it will have to include Smoak though, unless Davis has a fantastic first half.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
totally agree on Seattle and Heyward, NL West and AL Central
well, I don’t know if Mariners will be able to “run away with” the AL West, but I think they have a great chance to win it
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 30, 2010 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I think they'll run away with it
I think they are a good bet to be better offensively than people give them credit for, and 3 runs a game may be enough to win on most nights with that defense and top of the rotation.
The Angels have a whole lot of questions and not a lot of answers. They lost one of their better players by WAR and he went to a club in the same division. They lost their de facto ace pitcher (replaced with Piniero) and their #3 hitter (replaced by Hideki Matsui). Hunter is a good bet to decline a bit, as is Morales, and who knows how good Brandon Wood is going to be. They have a lot more questions on their ballclub than the Mariners do, imo.
Same with the Rangers. They need their pitching staff to pitch as good or better than it did last year — and it’s not like they’re the who’s who of the AL Cy Young race either. Hamilton has to stay healthy, Davis has to not strike out 4 times a game, Kinsler and Young need to play up to their potential and Cruz has to repeat last year. Those are all question marks. I think Feliz helps them, but why is he not in the rotation? They have a great bullpen already — that move makes little sense to me.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
well, I am more convinced that they'll win it now
didn’t realize the thin starting pitching of the angels, and the Rangers never seem to do much. actually, the A’s seem kinda similar to the Mariners
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 30, 2010 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions
the angels are considered by some to have the deepest rotation in baseball
they may not have a true ace, but thin they are definitely not. the mariners, on the other hand, are top heavy, and thin. they are looking for another starter. considering piniero is likely number 5 in anaheim, that’s pretty deep with quality.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Really? I think that's making a lot of assumptions
Probably more assumptions than the Mariners have in their rotation:
- Kazmir is the pitcher he was in Tampa 3 years ago, not the pitcher they traded last year. Plus, he’s only thrown 200+ innings once in his career.
- Ervin Santana doesn’t completely suck like he did last year (thrown 200 IP twice, was hurt a lot last year)
- Joe Saunders is more 2008 version than 2009 version. (Never thrown 200 innings, came close in ’09)
- Jered Weaver is a true #1 starter. (200 innings+ only once in his career)
- Joel Piniero can switch leagues and maintain his awesome, career best performance from last year. (Literally, he’s their workhorse — the only guy they can expect to probably make 30+ starts for sure, that’s troubling isn’t it?)
The fact that Piniero is their 5th starter should tell you something about how the Angels feel about Joel Pineiro repeating last year’s performance, not the depth of their pitching staff.
Truth is, they need a lot of depth because they have a ton of injury prone guys who miss starts all the time. Santana and Kazmir are pretty fragile pitchers at this point and Weaver has had his share of injuries as well. I’ll take the M’s staff and ridiculously awesome defense over the Angels staff and mediocre defense. Offensively, the Angels are probably a little better, but only if Brandon Wood hits and Morales repeats last year. Otherwise it’s probably a push.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
If the Angels are out fo it somehow by the deadline.
I think Weaver gets dealt, simply because he is a Boras client. Maybe they contact the obvious suspects (The Mets, Yanks, Sox) and get a decent deal of prospects, but they probably don’t want to resign him because of Boras. I believe that he is the only Boras client they have left on the roster.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
the angels being out of it by the deadline
now that’s a pretty big if.
if the cards are out of it by the deadline, who do we trade?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Ludwick
Especially if he’s having a good year. Let Craig and Mather fill his time in RF at the end of the season and see if they can play everyday.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
yeah
i was being facetious though…at least i hope there’s no possibility of being out of it by the deadline.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
That's why I included somehow
It’s unlikely, but Weaver will be in high demand if someone wants him.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
I think if there's any chance we can deal Carpenter for anything
we do that, too, although realistically if he’s healthy it’s kinda hard to see us being totally out of it by the deadline (unless, say, Pujols has gone down or something).
I could see Lopez being a good candidate to deal, too, if we’ve got no intention of bringing him back next year, although he’s likely a type B and wouldn’t accept arby so we’d probably have to ask for more in return than we could get.
Probably Schumaker as well, although I think his value is limited and probably greater for us in 2011 than it would be in prospects.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Apr 1, 2010 6:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Who takes Carpenter?
I mean, the only team that desperately needs help at SP is the Mets, and they don’t have anything we want. Maybe the Rangers? I don’t think the Yanks or the Red Sox will get involved. The Twins….maybe, but they don’t make huge blockbuster moves often. The White Sox perhaps, but they don’t seem to want to give up Danks or Beckham (I would die to get Beckham). I guess it’s hard to tell now, but barring injuries, few teams really need SP help that are in contention that make sense to me.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
If Carpenter is healthy
I can see a lot of teams being interested. The one that really jumps out at me is the Dodgers. You put Carp in that rotation and it’s suddenly really good 1-4. The questions are:
- Is the Dodger ownership willing to take on Carp’s contract?
- What the hell do we get in return?
As to #2, I think that the conversation begins and ends with Dee Gordon. He’s the #36 prospect in all of baseball, is a SS and leadoff hitter (which fills 2 major holes in our minor league system), and has the potential to be the next Jose Reyes. Great speed, developing power, needs to improve his defense. Every scout I’ve read that’s seen him raves about his bat and overall speed. If he’s not on the table, then I don’t want anything else that the Dodgers have.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I wonder how interested the Cardinals would be
in dealing with the Dodgers. They are still an NL rival, even in different divisions. Dee Gordon is a good prospect. They have a RHP that isn’t bad in Chris Withrow. He’s extremely athletic, has a fastball in 92-94 range with a plus changeup and curveball. This includes solid mechanics and a live arm for ball movement. He looks good to me, but like you say, I would probably start with Gordon.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
I like Withrow too
but he’s still got some control issues, and if I’m trading a healthy Carp I want more of a can’t miss position player in return.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Morrow was traded to the Blue Jays for Brandon League.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Crap
I couldn’t remember if he was the one who got dealt or not and I didn’t look it up.
Suffice to say, I think they have the prospects to go get Carl Crawford if they truly want him and they have the payroll flexibility to make him their franchise player if they want to. If they’re truly committed to defense, pitching, and small-ball, that’s probably a good idea. I’m just not sure that making Carl Crawford a franchise guy is the right thing to do.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I agree
You can just as easily swap Morrow for Gillies and have a suitable package. The Rays are in a really tough spot right now. Pena and Crawford will both become FA’s at the end of the year. They have an easy replacement for Crawford, but he’s more of a franchise guy, and Pena is really their only big option at 1b. I think they resign Pena, but lose Crawford to the Yanks.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
there's a lot of decent 1Bs around these days, though
an awful lot of potentially good hitters signed for peanuts this year (Glaus, Branyan, LaRoche). I think they’ll be able to replace Pena.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Apr 1, 2010 6:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed, Monk
I don’t see why you’d keep Pena over Crawford. There are always good first base candidates out there — they could have gone out and gotten Adam LaRoche this year for peanuts and he’s a .360 wOBA guy with similar defense to Pena.
Crawford is a much more valuable commodity, which means he also brings back more in trade AND they have a replacement ready for him at AAA. If they’re going to lose Crawford anyway, they should deal him for whatever they can get if they’re out of it at the deadline.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
But what if they aren't out of it?
My point is, if they are in contention past the deadline, and you have both as FA’s, then do you spend the cash to get Crawford? I don’t think you can justify it (I don’t even think they can afford it, even with Burrell’s contract running out) with Desmond Jennings just waiting in the wings. You might as well resign Pena, I mean, he’s still a .380 wOBA guy the past few seasons.
I also think the glut of 1b will hurt Pena’s worth in the long run. I think if he’s really lucky, he might get 10 million a year, but I would expect about 8-9 million a year at most for him.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
If they aren't out of it
You keep them both to the end of the year and then make your decision. It might actually come down to who is Type A and who isn’t. If they’re both Type A, they might let them both walk (this would be even more likely if Matt Joyce has a breakout season), stick Jennings in LF, and either put Zobrist at 1B (Rodriguez at 2B, Brignac at SS) or sign a FA first baseman. They also picked up Matthew Sweeney in the deal with the Angels who is a pretty good bat that needs to move to 1B from 3B. He’ll start in AA this year and if he does well, could get a look in ST next year at age 23.
They also have tons and tons of trade bait. With Zobrist’s flexibility defensively, Brignac (who is an Elvis Andrus level defender with a bat that can play in the big leagues) is a good candidate to trade for a first baseman. I think Sean Rodriguez is their second baseman of the future, and an infield that includes him, Brignac, Zobrist, and Longoria is awfully good without adding another player.
Another thing they could do (that would make a lot of sense) would be to let those two guys walk, then deal Brignac and one of their pitchers in the high minors for Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder and sign them long term. Then sign Adam Dunn to be the DH. They’ve been so good at negotiating arb buyouts with their best prospects that they’ll have the flexibility to make ONE all-in deal on a big name FA.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
That's a good proposal
I’m not sold on Brignac yet though. He’s got the defense, but the bat hasn’t shown up yet. You can say that he hasn’t gotten the chance to prove himself in the big leagues with Bartlett and Zobrist, but I would still wonder if he can hit. His very limited MLB exposure didn’t yield good stats., so take that for what it’s worth.
Quick thought, but is Bartlett a FA at the end of the season? If he keeps hitting, he’s a very good piece to trade.
On the other hand, it doesn’t make sense for the Rays to sign a guy like Fielder or Adrian long term. This may be a good team, but they still only had a 63m payroll in 2009. Adding a 20 million dollar contract to that really hamstrings what the team can do. They don’t seem the type that would want to splash in that big of a way. I wonder if they might want to deal with Texas for one of Smoak or Davis. Perhaps something around Jeff Niemann if that’s enough? Maybe Davis, but I don’t think they want to trade him just yet.
Adam Dunn himself makes a whole bunch of sense to me. He’s not that expensive in prospects, as the Nats will most likely be out of it by the deadline, and will want to shed as much salary as possible. It’s a much more low key acquisition that the Rays would be interested in.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
I hate doing these
but what the hell.
The Phillies and Rockies will be battling for the wild card in the four-game series in late September.
Either Carpenter or Wainwright make the All Star Game, but not both.
The Cubs and Brewers fanbases will ignite an even more contentious rivalry than Cardinals-Astros. I predict farm animals.
Brendan Ryan will lose out on the Gold Glove to a shortstop in an under .550 team.
Zack Greinke will finally pitch to Albert Pujols. There will be a strike-out swinging, and a bobbled ball in the outfield.
One of the returning Cardinals from last year will make a scene with the media. La Russa will actually hit someone with a fungo bat.
Neither Lugo nor Lopez will be dealt by the trade deadline.
Chris Carpenter getting very angry will finally, finally be aired live due to an ESPN snafu. It will be awesome.
A pitcher with family overseas will have to leave a key series due to a personal emergency.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
^ under .500
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
by Yadi2Second on Mar 30, 2010 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
i really really hope tony goes to the fungo
will it be a media member he kneecaps?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
"Strauss, stand right here..."
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
yeah, I suck
that’s why I hate doing these
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
yadi2
this pitcher going overseas, is that a cardinal or MLB prediction? do the cards even have a pitcher that’s ever been overseas, unless penny maybe visited amsterdam? garcia and reyes are mexican, and hawk is canuck, but those don’t qualify as “overseas”, right?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
cardinals
and what are you talking about? Yadi lives in Puerto Rico. Albert still has relatives in the Dominican, and goes back there regularly for relief missions. Mexico and Canada are still not part of the U.S.
granted, I come from a family that uses ‘overseas’ and ‘abroad’ interchangeably.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
ah, ok
to me overseas and abroad require one to cross an ocean. i’ve been around the world, and don’t consider canada or mexico other than another state, or puerto rico, dominican, virgin islands, jamaica, etc.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
it's the whole island thing
overseas = abroad in my childhood head
and no, I am not disclosing which island.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
although, what is the proper synonym for 'abroad'?
abroad is only usually applied to ‘separated by an ocean’. hence ‘study abroad’
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
do we even have any pitchers with family on an island nation?
i’m drawing a blank.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
unless carp is from atlantis.
i think waino is from an island, but that’s off the coast of georgia.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
i didn't think of waino
in any case i am not typing clearly anymore, so you can draw your own venn diagram
prophecies are not supposed to be clear, i am told
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
ok
i’m going to take this prophecy as being some japanese or australian or, stretching it, south american (including curacao, home of jurrgens) pitcher, and never think about it again – i’ll chalk it up to mlb, and be flabbergasted to later discover lohse has family on easter island.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
The Cubs will not win the World Series.
There, I said it.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Also, Dave Concepcion.
my wags
Cardspecific
- Lohse starts 30 games, repeats 2008 3 WAR season
- Colby starts 145 games
- Salas called up in late july to solidify bullpen, ends up closing key games in Sept
MLBspecific
- O’s break .500 behind youngsters
- Twins involved in third consecutive one game playoff
- Mets surprise Phillies and win the NL East
Good call on the Orioles
I think a lot depends on how their young pitchers round out, but I could definitely see them being better than most expect. They will score some runs, pretty sure of that.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I do wonder about Brian Roberts.
That offense more or less seems to revolve around him. If he can’t play at his usual level, that team will take a devastating hit, and this is assuming all their guys play to their potential.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Agreed
Even without Roberts though, you have to think that they’re going to be better than last year. Tejada isn’t great, but he’s better than Melvin Mora was last year. Wieters is bound to start raking at some point and Markakis had kind of a down year last year and should be due to bounce back.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Indeed
But some reports I have been reading say that Roberts looks great, and the back doesn’t even bother him, so I guess my fears are irrelevant. Markakis I think will be a 20Hr 100RBI kind of guy for his career. Solid, but not special. Last year he didn’t hit his potential, but he had quite a few bad slumps last year. If he figures it out completely, he could be much better.
Tejada is an upgrade, but which Tejada will you get? The one that went 4-4 yesterday? Or the one that’s been awful all of ST?
Wieters is really anyone’s guess. He’s going to break out, and be fantastic, but I wonder if he can stay at catcher most of his career. Perhaps they put him at 1st or 3rd?
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
I think Wieters will rake, beginning next year.
Markakis, however, I’m a bit more skeptical about. This is probably slightly biased, as I had him as one of my priority guys to get for my fantasy team last year, as I’ve been convinced a breakout is coming. He hit great for about 2 months, then sucked most of the rest of the year. We’ve been waiting for the big breakout for about 3 or 4 years now. He might be a slightly late developer, but by this stage I’m beginning to think he is what he is – probably a 3-win guy, but not a star.
FWIW, I’m not especially high on the O’s, and I think they’ll struggle to break .500 in that league. They’re a lot better this year, and they have a ton of talent in the OF, but it looks like every team in that league with the exception of Toronto has improved this year, and I just think it’s a such a tough division that they’ll get beat on by the big boys as usual. They’d probably be longshots in the playoff hunt if they played in the NL or ALC, though.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Apr 1, 2010 6:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Toronto will lose 105+ games
playing in that division this year. I think Baltimore has a fighting chance of winning 80 some games if their young pitching shows up. Millwood and Guthrie are a pretty good 1-2 and they have some good offensive players. It’s all going to depend on their young pitchers doing well.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I think his destination will be 1B at some point
Although I said the same thing about Piazza and he was a catcher for his whole career.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
- Mets surprise Phillies and win the NL East
snowy day in hell, I imagine…
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Mar 31, 2010 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Cardinals prediction as a whole
I know a lot of people don’t trust or believe in the influence of a batting coach, and I usually don’t either, but..
Under the tutelage of Mark McGwire, either several players have oddly great seasons at the plate, or he makes a significant impact. Take him for what you will, but he knows how to swing a bat, and there’s a reason people seek him out to work with in the offseason.
Well, here goes.
Cardinals:
Lugo, being redundant, gets dealt at the deadline for a mildly interesting starter or reliever, or a failed prospect like Jeremy Hermida (Just an example of a failed prospect, not someone we would acquire)
Carpenter and Wainwright do not get injured this year, but Penny experiences some health problems while pitching well when healthy.
Someone gets in a confrontation with Carp, TLR tries to downplay it. Strauss displays it as the true chemistry of the Cardinals and says TLR should be let go.
Ryan Ludwick returns to 2008 form to form the best 3-4-5 punch in MLB/
MLB:
The Cubs keep Hendry the entire year, will start selling off vets like Lee and Lilly. Hendry will get fired at the end of the year.
Wade Davis will win the ROY in the AL over. Heyward in the NL but followed closely by Alcides Escobar.
The Diamondbacks will win the NL West and make it to the NLCS.
Gonzalez will go to the Mariners and they will make the playoffs.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
I cruised through some Rockies sites
as they are the opening day series and that fanbase is in a fever. They’re talking being one of the best teams and for a prolonged period. Media is right with them. I think the DBacks have a lot of nice young talent some of which has sputtered, but I think that is a bold prediction.
I know ST means absolute crap
But everyone in that offense is clicking in ST. They have a lot of firepower, and if their potential hits, which I think it will, they will be carried by Webb and Haren into the postseason.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Cards:
Ludwick is below average all year and is a part-timer with Mather after the ASB.
Penny pitches 185 innings at a 4.03 FIP, yielding an anomalous 3.42 ERA.
Jaime pitches over 160 innings effectively, and the Cards run away with the division.
Divisional:
Carlos Zambrano goes down before the ASB and requires TJ replacement and Labrum surgery.
The Reds fail to break out.
The Astros finish in last place and Wandy Rodriguez will be just above average. Lance Berkman will be awesome and will be traded for prospects to Detroit.
League:
Phils win the east. Halladay wins the Cy.
Dodgers win the west thanks to a bounceback from Billingsley. Vincente Padilla gets cut before the ASB and the Dodgers sign Jarrod Washburn.
Bud Selig eats the wild-card winning team alive a sacrifice to his dark lord Stephanie Meyer.
AL:
Jon Lester wins the Cy, stop drop and roll. Peter Gammons admits to sleeping with dozens of interns during his time at ESPN and Deadspin reports that his nickname was something horrifically inappropriate. Hank Steinbrenner holds a press conference to say that he has no particularly strong feelings regarding any of the personalities or possible events in the upcoming season. New York City is blown up by the aliens from Independence Day, but Derek Jeter and Amaury Marti unite their powers to defeat the alien menace.
Galaxy:
The earth continues to reside in a distant region of one of the far-off spiral arms of the milky way.
"What's your favorite Chuck Palahniuk book?"
"I like the one about the alienated character who finds the socially unacceptable way of coping with modernity."
Aramis Ramirez blows his shoulder out too
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 31, 2010 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Cards:
1) Jaime Garcia polls in the top 3 for NL ROY
2) Boog is below average for the season (<2 WAR)
3) Allen Craig and Lance Lynn are traded for a closer (Heath Bell?) sometime in June/July after the Cardinals have one of the 3 worst bullpens in baseball leading up to that point.
Rest of baseball:
1) Twins and Rockies make the World Series in what is the lowest-rated WS in recent memory.
2) John Smoltz returns to pitch for the pennant-chasing Dodgers in the middle of the season.
3) Yankees trade for Carl Crawford near the deadline and send Jesus Montero to the Rays in what is widely considered a huge coup for Tampa Bay. Boston trade for Prince Fielder at the deadline and use him as a DH for the rest of the year after David Ortiz is injured and largely ineffective for the first 4 months.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
I just cannot believe in the Rockies
They just seem overrated to me. I think they over performed last year and will not meet expectations, especially when they are in a pretty tough division.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
yeah
I’m not sold on the Rox either
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 31, 2010 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not especially high on them either, tbh
mostly making wild-ass guesses. I think the Dodgers remain solid favourites in the West.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Apr 1, 2010 6:14 AM EDT up reply actions
Nobody so far, including myself, predicts a trade destination for Adrian Gonzalez
Interesting…..
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I kinda assumed it's a foregone conclusion he ends up in Boston, no?
I only said they’d trade for Fielder as a wild card that probably won’t happen – I don’t really see that as a very likely scenario (in fact, if Fielder were to be moved, it’d have made more sense for the Brewers to do it last year and install Gamel at 1B, but obviously they’re still in win-now mode).
Also, right above, taskmaster predicted Gonzalez to Boston. Seems to make a lot of sense for all parties. I’d assume Buccholz might be going in the opposite direction.
I think the Padres could really make out big on heath Bell too, if he has another strong year. I’m guessing he’s the #1 bullpen arm on the market around the trade deadline, and I don’t think he’ll end up in New York or Boston.
Which other big name players do you see getting moved this year? Berkman? Fielder? Miggy? Any of the Cubs? Crawford?
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Mar 31, 2010 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I think he said Gonzalez to the Mariners, actually
and it didn’t dawn on me that he was talking about Adrian, lol.
The Pads should make out on Heath Bell. They have ready-made replacements for him in their bullpen and there’s currently two contenders already looking for bullpen help of some kind — the Twins and the Cardinals. You could probably add the Mariners to that list and maybe even the Rockies, depending on how serious Street’s injury is.
As for the rest:
- Berkman: I just don’t see the Astros moving him. He’s going to retire an Astro just like Biggio and Bagwell. Their ownership just doesn’t trade superstars or rebuild, EVER.
- Fielder: That’s all going to depend on whether the Brewers think they’re in it at the deadline. I don’t think they will be because I don’t have any faith in their pitching staff. If they aren’t I could definitely see him going to the Giants with either Sanchez or Posey headlining the prospect return, or moving to an American League team like Boston or maybe even the Rays if they have a shot at the wild card or the division. Think of that Rays lineup with Fielder as the DH. Pretty spectacular — I just don’t know who the Brewers get in return for him. I think there’s just as likely a chance he stays the whole year and they take the draft picks when he leaves. Probably a 50/50 scenario if they are out of it at the end of July
- Miggy — I see no way he gets moved unless the Tigers take 75 cents on the dollar in return. His off field shenanigans made him a lot less marketable.
- Crawford — I think the Mariners are going to be interested in him, the question is whether they could sign him long term. The Yankees will be sniffing around as well, as could a team like the White Sox if Quentin isn’t able to play LF due to injury issues. Kenny Williams always pulls off some crazy deal at the deadline so I wouldn’t count him out.
- Cubs — I don’t see how they can move anyone but maybe Lee in a salary dump type deal or Ramirez. Soriano and Fukudome are unmovable contracts, and Zambrano’s deal isn’t real favorable either. They don’t really have anyone else that other people want, and I’m still trying to figure out why people think they’re going to contend. Their pitching staff is a mess, they keep getting older, and the league seems to have figured Soriano out. Their best offseason acquisition was MARLON BYRD. Who are we kidding? Both the Brewers and Cardinals are better on paper, and I made a solid argument for the Reds being better in another thread.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Ahhh
2 people misread my post. Not very good at this writing thing :)
As you point out, the Astros have been against rebuilding for a while now. Extending Ed Wade really isn’t a good sign of that happening. I think a team like Boston really has to blow them away to make them do anything. One they do that, then I see someone like Oswalt getting dealt to the Mets (Or someone who really needs pitching, but they need it in a BAD way).
The Giants are a good place for Fielder to land. Though, I think the package will be much larger than people think. It will probably have to include Sanchez and Bumgarner (Assuming he has figured out his whole arm debacle). I don’t think the Rays will do that, I think they go a bit lower key if at they go for anyone at all. Perhaps Adam Dunn?
Yeah, Miggy is untouchable to them. Even if they are rebuilding, he’s not leaving.
As for Crawford, it’s really perplexing as to where he will be. My gut tells me that they won’t deal him at the deadline, and they will attempt to resign him in the offseason. That’s my sense. After that, the Yanks are the clear favorite.
Yeah, the Cubs are an abomination of a team. They need to absolutely blow everything up, including Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly, who could probably be dealt in a package deal to the Mets for a decent load of prospects. Ramirez has a NTC, so he isn’t going anywhere unless he wants to. Plus, I don’t think any team will give him 14.6 million next year besides the Cubs. But yeah, Hendry is royally screwed and it would take a miracle to keep his job.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
RE: Fielder
I think Posey is the guy they’d target along with Sanchez and that’s also why I think the Giants make a great partner for a trade. Milwaukee doesn’t have any good catching prospects in the pipeline and haven’t had a decent backstop since Dave Nilsson a decade ago.
Posey would supplant them for the next 6 years at that position and his upgrade at C with Gamels’ downgrade (which won’t be as much as people think) at 1B would offset the loss of Fielder somewhat. Not sure they’d be interested in Bumgarner if they went after Sanchez, and I don’t think the Giants would deal them both in the same deal either.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Catchers → Jon Lucroy, Angel Salome and George Kottaras is doing well also and has years of control.
None of those guys is Buster Posey
They might be everyday catchers, but I don’t see any of them having both the offensive and defensive upside that Posey has.
If you’re Milwaukee and you’re offered Posey, Sanchez, and 2 other B level guys for Fielder you’d be stupid not to make that trade.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Milwaukee actually has a very good system of catchers
Salome should be able to start everyday next year. He just needs to work on the glove.
But I can see your view. I think the Brewers would ask for Sanchez and Bumgarner in the first exchange of offers. The Giants would offer Posey. I think you are right though. There are many power bats out there, including Gonzalez, Lee, perhaps Pena, Berkman, etc. The Giants could just go to another team with their players, so they have some of the control.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Salome really lost a lot of his lustre last year
he had a pretty rough time in AAA; I don’t think he’s anywhere near MLB ready yet, so it’s a good job they picked up Zaun (who I really rate; kinda wished we’d made a play for him now Pags is looking like getting some playing time). However, both Salome and Lucroy (who has more ceiling but is slightly further back on the development curve) look like they could be average MLB catchers, so I kinda agree that trading for a guy who looks like he’ll be somewhat above average in the position makes no sense at all.
I’m guessing Milwaukee probably want pitching, though I still think it’s possible they’d look at Posey if Salome has another rough year.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Apr 1, 2010 6:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed on Salome
And I don’t think either of the other two guys have near the upside the Posey has. I also don’t think Posey is a league average-ish catcher by profile. I see him as a solid defensive catcher with great on-base ability and doubles power that could mature into 15-20 HR power a few years down the road. That would be good enough to be among the top 5 catchers in baseball. None of those other guys has that type of upside.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I understand that
but I don’t think it makes sense, when you at least have average replacements at catcher, to deal for Posey when you have the chance to grab to elite SP prospects. Tbh, I think it will end being Posey and Sanchez if a deal does occur, since Bumgarner has had some doubters recently, and his velocity has dropped.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Salome's defense is supposed to have improved to good
and his bad year of hitting is still pretty good. His “roughness” is staying on the field. I think he had back problems. It wouldn’t surprise me if he performed offensively near ‘08 if he stays healthy. Writing that makes him sound like the Rickie Weeks of catchers. Lucroy is neck and neck with him as far as development. I think he’s probably ready to go, but it would be too scary to have a rookie starting with a young backup, at least for Melvin. He loves stashing players too.
Kottaras is also hitting well and his defense is better than they expected.
what's the scuttlebutt
on the hart/nats/dye/edmonds saga?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Edmonds gets at bats against righties regardless
There must be something to the chatter because Melvin said he wouldn’t comment. He’s pretty dependable at saying there is nothing to a rumor when that’s true. I’d guess they wanted Dye at bargain basement and he said no and touched base with whoever has expressed interest in Hart in the meantime.
Decent player, Adam Stern, was told something along the lines of he was next guy up which I thought was interesting.
Adam Dunn to the Rays is a really good call
makes a ton of sense for them, and he could potentially be what they hoped Pat Burrell was going to be last year.
I don’t see Fielder going to the Rays at all – if they had the cash to consider making a play for him once he’s a FA, they’d probably just spend it on Pena and have a little left over, and it’s hard to see them wanting to move the sort of prospects that Fielder would cost for a short-term gain when their team still has a winnable window for the next 2 years when they’ll need all their young up-and-coming talent. SF makes a lot more sense (Posey is a very good call, actually, although I think it’s unlikely they’d want to deal him or Bumgarner – with Fielder being expensive and nearing FA I actually think they could get him for a lesser package; shame they wasted Tim Alderson last year because I could see something with him and maybe Sanchez getting it done), NYM could be players if they’re contending (which I don’t think they will be), and I wouldn’t count out Boston. Ultimately, I think he probably stays in Milwaukee and they actually make a solid play to retain him – he’s being paid big in arby, so they might not even actually have to extend payroll much to keep him. It’ll really suck for their front office if they lose one of their two franchise players because they gave Jeff Suppan and Randy Wolf $80m.
I think it’s possible Miggy could get dealt because the Tigers might be more willing to eat some of the cash, after his exploits last year, but realistically it’s hard to see who might want him. I guess all the possible Fielder destinations would be in play, but Boston is about the only one I could see finding the cash, and Detroit probably still need to eat a few million and take very little in prospect return, so I’m guessing Dombrowski wouldn’t do it.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Apr 1, 2010 6:28 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, the Tigers won't trade him now,
especially when his value isn’t at its peak. After this year, when he hits like a monster again, he will be at his peak, with his alcohol problems behind him (I don’t think he drinks anymore, but take it with a grain of salt I guess). Boston, as blasphemous as it sounds, can’t afford Miggy. I think they are on near the brink of the luxury tax, and will pay even more than his contract pays, which is pretty damn much.
If the GM loses Fielder, which I think they will somehow, that guy will get canned. The combination of losing Fielder, singing albatross contracts to crappy pitchers, and getting an average speedy outfielder for JJ Hardy will probably seal the guy’s fate.
But yeah, I like Adam Dunn to the Rays. He absolutely belongs in the DH role (as his crappy defense has shown). It shouldn’t be that expensive in prospects as well. Unfortunately, the Nationals seem to be in love with the guy, and want to extend him (3/40 was the most recent offer). Once they are out of it, they will come to their senses and deal him.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Fielder has another year of arb after this season. Ramirez has a fat player option which I can’t see him turning down.
Sure he does, but that's my point.
Is Milwaukee going to re-sign him though? If they aren’t, why not deal him for some guys who could fill a lot of holes right away and pencil Gamels in as your starter at 1B? If they don’t move him at this year’s deadline they’ll get a lot less for him if they trade him next year, and at that point they might as well just keep him. I can’t see them re-signing him because they overpaid for mediocre starting pitchers and now have “too many” for their rotation, yet Suppan is off the books next year and if they could add Sanchez, Posey/Bumgarner, and another prospect, that would put them in better shape to contend in the future than they are in right now, imo.
FWIW, I’m not sure it even makes sense for Milwaukee to re-sign him if they can get that type of haul for him on the market. They’d be able to buy out Gallardo’s arb years while having a lot left over to improve other areas of their ballclub with just what they would pay Fielder per season. Also, it’s not a good bet that he’s going to age gracefully either, and Milwaukee really can’t afford an albatross contract for him at age 33 if he’s in his decline phase. I think trading him if they’re out of it at the deadline this year is the smart play if they can get the type of return I’m talking about.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I don't think they will, I agree with you.
I believe that Fielder’s agent is Boras, so they aren’t getting any sort of discount or anything of that nature. If they want him, they will have to pay. I think that at this point, if their pitching still sucks, they have to deal him, or they won’t get anything out of him, like you say.
Then again, the deal makes so much sense for the Giants that I am sure Sabean will avoid it somehow.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Wolf and Gallardo
are the only two signed for next year. Narvy will probably be in the rotation too but he’s cheap. Same with Parra. I don’t think the pitching situation has anything to do with resigning Fielder.
Sanchez is another Parra. I’m not sure what another team is going to offer for Fielder at any time because he’s not cheap. To get a haul there has to be a team on the threshold of being a competitor to win the series – at least that’s my opinion. I don’t think the Giants pony up their prize catching prospect and isn’t Bumgarner projected to be a bottom of the rotation guy? They don’t really need those.
Fielder’s also not that old and very athletic. He played 162 last year and had no physical problems. I’d guess they’d put a weight clause into a big contract. I guess there is also the question of whether he wants the big 8 year contract. I think he’d be smart to go for a 3 or 4 year deal, but his agent is Boras so that might make it unlikely.
FWIW
I definitely agree on the Cubs. I think they still could contend because the division’s pretty weak and they weren’t miles away last year with a ton of injuries, but they basically need to be as lucky as they were in 2008, health and career-year wise, and that doesn’t happen very often. I think Lilly could get moved at the deadline if they’re out of it. I also think this is the year that Jim Hendry gets canned.
I think you’re under-rating the Brewers pitching. They’re not much worse in the field this year (Gomez for Cameron was a bad hit, but they’ve got Weeks back, which should soften the blow), and I think their pitching will be so much better. Gallardo should probably be a bit better, Wolf is at least average, Davis is probably still a 1-win guy, minimum, and Bush and Parra can’t be as bad as they were last year, both have above-average ceilings, and so if even just one of them pitches close to that ceiling, they’re looking at an average rotation, which is so much better than they had last year. Their bullpen is questionable, but it’s probably better than ours. I think the Brewers are our #1 rival this year, although your points about the Reds are well taken (I just think that Volquez injury will really hurt them – I have limited confidence in their pitching as they really need 2 or 3 guys to step it up a LOT from 2009).
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Apr 1, 2010 6:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Is Parra for sure in the rotation?
If so, what do they do with Suppan? Pay him $12M to be their long man out of the bullpen?
Wolf’s gone two years without really being hurt, I think that probably ends this year. There’s a reason other teams were only giving him one year contracts. Davis is a pretty good pitcher and was probably their best off-season acquisition for the price. Bush CAN be as bad as he’s been the last couple of years, and who knows about Parra or Suppan. Who would you rather have Lohse/Garcia, Bush/Parra, or Bailey/Chapman? I’d take the last one over any of them, but I’m still takeing Lohse and Garcia over Bush and Parra and not just because I’m a Cardinals fan.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I don't think it's for sure.
The 5th spot is open to Suppan, Parra, and some other guy. But hey, that’s an expensive as hell long-man.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
They're going with the top 4 two times through the rotation
and then it sounds like Suppan. Parra and Narveson are stashed in the bullpen.
You think Wolf is going to be hurt?
Is Carp a better bet? Personally I’m not a huge Davis fan and I think Bush just isn’t that good. Supposedly his injury caused his bad second half, but I agree with you. Parra hasn’t been all that bad and he has better stuff than Gallardo.
If any of them suck or are injured, it’ll be Parra and Narveson taking over, not Mike Burns or Seth McClung.
didn't they cut burns?
or was he just optioned to AAA?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Wolf vs. Carp
The difference is that when Chris Carpenter is healthy, he’s a Cy Young candidate. Can you say that about Randy Wolf?
If I’m gambling on a pitcher with health issues, I’m gambling for high upside. Doesn’t make sense to have a banged up pitcher who’s ceiling is a #2 starter as my #2 starter.
I don’t think the Parra has better stuff than Gallardo. I’ve seen them both in person and Gallardo is just nasty, and he’s consistently nasty from start to start.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I don't think Wolf is a big injury risk
Absolutely Gallardo is more consistent. Inconsistency is Parra’s problem.
Neither does your front office apparently
Pretty much every other front office that was looking for pitching this offseason disagrees with you though. Not that they’re right, just saying that there isn’t a lot of faith in him staying healthy around the league.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Offering one year deals says volumes.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
as well as not offering any deal when you need starters
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
I'm sure a bunch of teams wanted him for 1 year
Only 1 wanted him for multiple years, and that’s what he wanted. That’s the only reason he had 1 suitor.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Randy Wolf has pitched more than 150 innings only twice since 2003
if he isn’t an injury risk, Carpenter isn’t either
Lighten up, Francis - Sergeant Hulka
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
Exactly.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
What else would that say to you?
I really don’t understand your line of questioning here.
Rich Harden wanted a multi-year deal. Nobody was willing to give him one because of health issues. Same with Brad Penny. Same with Ben Sheets. All those guys are the same age or younger than Randy Wolf — the difference being is the Wolf has had two productive seasons in a row without having a significant injury. The others have not. The only reason Randy Wolf is a Milwaukee Brewer is that they were the only team willing to guarantee him three years.
If you honestly believe he’s going to lead the league in games started again this year I have no problem with that. I just think you’re really optimistic about a guy who has a significant track record of arm problems. I would say the odds of Wolf making greater than 75 starts during that three year contract are about 100 to 1.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Look....
I’d much rather have Brad Penny, Rich Harden, or Ben Sheets on one year deals than I would Randy Wolf for three years, because it’s likely that i’m going to be paying him to rehabilitate an injury in at least 1 of those three years and I don’t have a lot of money to throw around with the Brewers.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
My predictions FWIW (not much)
Brad Penny would be crappy… except in SL. I think the fit with Duncan could be great. Harden is going to be near worthless. Sheets will be a steal. I guess I’d also add that they’ve done some pretty sophisticated evaluations of all the pitcher’s mechanics.
I don't think that's true in all honesty
He was taken off the market almost immediately. There is really no information about him being offered one year deals by anyone last year. I think the idea that he’s a near lock to be injured is wishful thinking. I think many people would argue that Carpenter was highly probable to have a significant injury this year. I don’t. I also don’t expect him to be as awesome as he was last year.
how is the thought of him being injured wishful thinking?
nobody said they wish he gets injured.
fwiw, i saw a comment of yours at bleed cubbie blue, and would like to say that ankiel did not get playing time only because colby was hurt – it was sort of the other way around from the get-go. the cards are a much-improved team this year – in the lineup, on the field, and on the bench. bullpen remains the same.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
If it's wishful thinking
(which it’s not, because I don’t wish injury on anyone) then why do most of the projection systems peg him at fewer innings than he’s pitched in both of the last two years?
Brad Penny and Rich Harden were also taken off the market almost immediately. I don’t see how that helps your point. If anything, it helps my point. His agent may have said:
“Look, Randy, this is the only team I’m getting a multi-year deal from. I know you like it in Southern California, but if you want to be set for your financial future, Milwaukee is the only team that is offering that. "
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
As for Bell
I think that him and George Sherill are very comparable as to what each costs. The Orioles got a future 3b and other guys for him. Bell, arguable a better reliever, should deliver a bit more.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Yeah
Bell’s a lot better than Sherrill, FWIW, and I’m guessing other GMs should realise that. Sherrill’s been really lucky the last couple of years.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Apr 1, 2010 6:33 AM EDT up reply actions
crystal ball gazing
- Prince Fielder gets injured for a good part of the season (been thinking this for a month or more for some reason)
- Garcia is the real deal, wins ROY
- Pujols flirts with .500 wOBA
- Ludwick goes back to the All Star Game
- Colby and Freese have a battle to see who hits more dingers, Colby wins
- Boog becomes a bit of a baseball celebrity, as baseball becomes a bit more popular and people start paying attention to the characters around the leagues
- Milton Bradley is more like ’08 self than ’09 self
- Franklin loses closer role, to one of Boggs, Motte, or more likely a trade
- Penny and Lohse duke it out for mediocrity, but put up nice innings totals
- Carp or Waino win the Cy Young, but not both of them, as one of the two has an off-year
- the Diamondbacks win the west, since Upton and Reynolds are raking, and Haren and Webb are kicking ass, Edwin Jackson also does well
- the Mariners win the AL west, because they just play smart baseball and have an amazing defense. the Rangers continue to be the Rangers, Pineiro is more Pinata than Mathewson, Angels end up not having much offense. Sheets gets hurt again.
- Yanks, BoSox, and Rays tie for first
- ChiSox barely barely barely win the Central
- Chris Perez gets it together, becomes a decent closer
- Mather gets traded away for closer, ends up being kick ass and we all cry… until we make the postseason and forget about it
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 31, 2010 11:31 PM EDT reply actions
Uhhh
“Carp or Waino win the Cy Young, but not both of them”
I’m confused? There’s only 1 Cy Young right? :D
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
you could tie?
like when keith hernandez was co-mvp?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
it's possible
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Apr 1, 2010 2:45 AM EDT up reply actions
he's saying Carpenter doesn't get traded to the RedSox for Buccholz, Bard and Pedroia
and then go on to win the AL CY.
Pretty bold prediction, if you ask me.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Apr 1, 2010 6:35 AM EDT up reply actions
I call foul on forgetting Joey Bombs.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
We can make them bold, or we can make them not so bold.
Carp, Waino, Loshe, Penny, and Garciastart all but 8 games. Those 8 will be split between Hawksworth and P.J. Walters.
Skip has a terrible first half, bad enough that Tony deems the “Experiment” a failure. Then Lopez goes to the DL, and Skip breaks out by batting .425 in August and is the “second half gold glover” at 2B
Yadi steals 19 bases.
Lopez, Colby, and Boog combine to steal 18 bases.
Halladay becomes a non-factor to playoff races in July due to a toe injury.
Ankiel hits .290 with 29 HR and 89 RBIs while batting 4th most of the year.
Chris Duncan plays 23 MLB games for someone this year.
Yankees don’t make the playoffs.
Smoltz is token-signed by the Braves and retires.
Cubs finish 4th
Pirates make a surprise move that takes on a large contract (Soriano maybe)
Albert gets mad at Strauss and refuses to give the P-D any time, but starts giving the G-D exclusive interviews.
Big Mac is on the 40 man in September. Homer in one and only AB.
Lou Pinella returns to form and gets ejected from 13 games this year. At least one explosion will feature him chasing Carlos Silva with a bat.
Julio Lugo gets traded to the Orioles for a ptbnl or a bag of cash
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Apr 1, 2010 12:23 PM EDT reply actions
Damn, you are good.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Yankees repeat as champs (ok, not bold enough) by beating the Phillies in a seven-game rematch
Cleveland Indians have the worst record in baseball losing 103 games
Tampa Bay upsets the Red Sox and take the AL Wild Card
Texas Rangers win the AL West (the hyped-up Mariners finish 3rd behind LAA)
Milton Bradley calls Ichiro a racist and finishes the season with less HR than Carlos Zambrano
Homer Bailey wins 15 games and the Reds finish within 8 games of the division winning Cardinals
Albert wins the batting title (.344) edging out…(wait for it)…Chris Coghlan of the Marlins (.339)
Rajai Davis leads MLB in stolen bases with 72 for the season
Evan Longoria wins the AL MVP
Jayson Werth (and not Ryan Howard) leads the Phillies in Home Runs with 46
Prince Fielder reveals that he was just joking around about that whole “I’m a Vegetarian” bit
Jim Edmonds plays the entire season for Milwaukee and hits 18 HR allowing him to reach the 400 career HR plateau. He retires officially at season’s end.
Hee-Seop Choi returns to the Major Leagues and signs with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he’ll get to play against his old friend numerous times throughout the season.
Tommy Hanson wins the NL Cy Young
Jon Lester wins the AL Cy Young
choi won't happen
he’s being dealt with (harshly) on korean soil – we’re taking the fight to him before he can bring it back to us. this would already be a done deal if not for a birth interfering with plans.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Hmm...
Felipe Lopez becomes the starting 3B at some point.
Garcia will be considered the 3rd or 4th starter, results-wise, by the end of the year.
We will consider Albert worth of the MVP but somebody else will win it.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
totally could see all of those happening
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Apr 1, 2010 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions
now if he'd said utley would win mvp
that’d be really bold.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Yeah, I wasn't aiming particularly high in the boldness category
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Pujols hits .370+, leads the league in rbi, and misses the triple crown by less than 5 HR
Lighten up, Francis - Sergeant Hulka
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
Pujols wins the triple crown
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Apr 2, 2010 3:06 AM EDT reply actions
Braves win the NL East
They look really good, and there’s also the hubris problem with so many people automatically picking the Phillies. So, why not.
Another totally bold prediction: The NL Central is once again the worst overall division in the league.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I think for the Braves it'll depend on how well Glaus hits, and if Chipper has anything left
if those to do what they are capable of, they are probably going to win it, or at least give the Phils a lot of trouble
Allen Craig > Nick Stavinoha
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Apr 3, 2010 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions
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