Masahiro Tanaka's First Start

Possibly the biggest story of the off season and spring training was Japanese phenom Masahiro Tanaka. After a dominating spring training and a long journey from his home country, Tanaka made his first start for the New York Yankees.

The $155 Million man. 

Tanaka's first start was against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night, and he was welcomed by the first batter he faced, Melky Cabrera, who hit a home run. After that home run he did get Colby Rasmus to gound out and proceeded to strike out Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Tanaka made Bautista and Encarnacion look silly in these two at bats. Encarnacion would later get two hits off of Tanaka, but Bautista would be held hitless.

Although he never reached 100 pitches Tanaka was pulled after 7 innings allowing just 2 earned runs on 6 hits. He faced one of the best lineups in the American League on Friday and he proved to many what he could do. Tanaka did not get rattled after the home run, he kept his composure and proceeded to pitch a great game. His next start will be against another great lineup, the Baltimore Orioles, at Yankee Stadium.

The Toronto Blue Jays

Jose Reyes

The Blue Jays did not add much to their this off season but they still have some very good parts to their team. They have an excellent combination of speed power combination with excellent defense. The Blue Jays will have to compete with the stacked AL East.

Jose Reyes is the spark at the top of the lineup that scores all the runs. The Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion can hit up to 80 home runs combined and score much needed runs. Here is how the lineup in 2014 may look
.

1. S. Jose Reyes      SS 113 OPS+
2. S. Melky Cabrera LF 88 OPS+
3. R. Jose Bautista RF 132 OPS+
4. R. Edwin Encarnacion DH 145 OPS+
5. L. Adam Lind 1B 132 OPS+
6. R. Brett Lawrie 3B 94 OPS+
7. L. Colby Rasmus CF 127 OPS+
8. S. Maicer Iztirus 2B 65 OPS+
9. L. Josh Thole C 38 OPS+

Sike that's the wrong blue jay. 

The Blue Jays made an attempt to upgrade their rotation with the Marlins by acquiring Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle, but Josh Johnson is now with the Padres and Buehrle did not come through well last season. They do have RA Dickey and Brandon Morrow at the top of their rotation, but the rest of the rotation may be up in the air. Here is how I would set up the rotation in 2014.

1. R. Brandon Morrow 73 ERA+
2. R. RA Dickey  97 ERA+
3. L. Mark Buehrle  98 ERA+
4. L. JA Happ  90 ERA+
5. R. Kyle Drabek not enough data

Casey Jannsen is the closer for the Blue Jays, definitely not the best in the league, but he gets the job done. Hard throwers Sergio Santos and Steve Delabar also make their homes in the Blue Jay bullpen. Lefties Brett Cecil and Aaron Loup also get integrated into late innings to make interesting
match ups.

Trades, Free Agent Signings, Non Tneders, and More!

Yesterday was a very busy day in baseball as many players found new homes. Two trades went through yesterday and several players signed with new teams and re-signed with their same teams.

Jim Johnson

The biggest news was the trade between the Athletics and Orioles. Closer Jim Johnson has a 2.70 ERA over the past 3 seasons and has 101 saves over the past 2 seasons. Jemile  Weeks is the younger brother to Ricky Weeks, and has not found much success at the Major League level besides his rookie year. Weeks is set to compete for a spot at second base. These two players were exchanged for one another strait up. Johnson is going to replace closer Grant Balfour, and Johnson is projected to earn $10 Million or more in arbitration. The Orioles are trying to land a starting pitcher and by freeing up salary they may be on the verge of making a splash.

Doug Fister

The other big trade was between the Washington Nationals and the Detroit Tigers. The Nationals acquired starting pitcher Doug Fister who featured a respected 3.30ERA over the past 3 seasons and a 3.67 ERA in 2013. In exchange for Fister the Tigers pitching prospect Robbie Ray, infielder Steve Lomardozzi, and left handed reliever Ian Krol. Fister will be a definite improvement over Dan Haren who signed with the Dodgers as a free agent who featured a 3.97 ERA in the past 3 seasons and a 4.67 ERA in 2013. Fister will join a rotation with Stephan Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman, and a 5th starter.

Also last night the Red Sox signed free agent catcher AJ Pierzynski to a 1 year deal with $8.25 Million guaranteed. Pierzynski played for the Texas Rangers in 2013 posting a .272/.297/.425 slashline with 17 home runs in 134 games. The Red Sox were preparing for the departure of Jarrod Saltalamacchia who  posted a .273/.338/.446 slashline with 14 home runs in 121 games.
It appears the Red Sox have taken a down grade at the catcher's position especially with Pierzynski's age.

Phil Hughes

Phil Hughes has a 4.54 career ERA, but a 95 career ERA+. The reason for having an ERA+ around average with a high ERA is the ballpark factor. Hughes has pitched most of his games in Yankee Stadium, one of the smallest ballparks in the league. Hughes signed a 3 year $24 Million deal with Minnesota Twins. The deal also includes bonuses up to $1 Million a year based on the amount of innings pitched. As Hughes moves to the spacious Target Field his ERA will drop dramatically. If his ERA+ is any indication of the type of pitcher he is, his ERA may drop to around 3.70.

After several successful seasons early in his career Scott Kazmir has fell of quite a bit. Its weird to think Kazmir will only be 30 in January, but he has been around around for 9 seasons. Kazmir hasn't found much success in recent years, but he signed a 2 year $22 Million deal with the Oakland Athletics. This deal is probably the reason why Brett Anderson is now available for trade.

The Blue Jays signed catcher Dioner Navarro to a 2 year $8 Million that will pay $3 Million in the first season and $5 Million in the second season. This move made JP Arencibia become non-tendered and become a free agent. Navarro played 89 games with the Chicago Cubs and posted a 132 OPS+ , very good for a catcher, and he is a defensive upgrade over Arencibia in my opinion.

Joe Nathan

Being announced a little more than an hour ago was the signing of closer Joe Nathan. Nathan signed a 2 year deal with the Detroit Tigers. The salary in the deal hasn't been made official yet, but this is a good deal for the Tigers. With the failures of Jose Valverde and the shakiness of the closer position last season, the Tigers needed a stud for the ninth inning. Nathan posted 2 stellar seasons with the Texas Rangers by collecting 80 saves with a 2.09 ERA.

On smaller notes, the Rays have traded for catcher Ryan Hannigan, the Giants re-signed starter Ryan Vogelsong to a 1 year $5 Million deal, the Mariners signed Willie Bloomquist, and the Rays re-signed  reliever Juan Oviedo.

Several players were non tendered yesterday as it was the non tender deadline. When a player gets non tendered it means that the team will not be tendering a contract to that player, because they believe they will be too expensive through arbitation, so the team allows them to become a free agent. Some of the important players that were non tendered yesterday are J.P. Arencibia, John Axford, Andrew Bailey, Ronald Belisario, Chris Coghlan, Chris Getz,Tommy Hanson, Jeremy Hefner, Daniel Hudson, Jayson Nix, Xavier Paul, Omar Quintanilla  Sandy Rosario, Ryan Webb, Jerome Williams, and Wesley Wright. These players are now allowed to sign with any team that offers them a contract. 

It's Too Cold Here

The Blue Jays and the Brewers both play in cities too cold for an outdoor stadium. The Brewers may be cold in 2013, but the Blue Jays are certainly expected not to be.

By now you heard the colossal off season the Toronto Blue Jays have had. They enhanced their lineup with the additions of Melky Cabrera, Jose Reyes, and Emilio Bonifacio.  The power house of Jose Bautista will be healthy and ready to mash in 2013. Here is their lineup:

1. S. Reyes SS              111 OPS+
2. S. Cabrera LF           158 OPS+
3. R. Bautista RF           137 OPS+
4. R. Encarnacion DH    152 OPS+
5. L. Lind 1B                  96 OPS+
6. R. Lawrie 3B              97 OPS+
7. L. Rasmus CF            85 OPS+
8. R. Arencibia C            89 OPS+
9. S. Bonifacio 2B           77 OPS+

The pitching rotation is what blows away everyone about the Toronto Blue Jays. They traded for Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle for Escobar and Hechavaria  with the Marlins. Also they traded for 2012 Cy Young Award winner RA Dickey. The knuckle baller will most likely pitch opening day.

1. R. RA Dickey 2.73 ERA
2. R. Josh Johnson 3.81 ERA
3. L. Mark Buehrle  3.74 ERA
4. R. Brandon Morrow 2.96 ERA
5. L. Rickey Romero  5.77 ERA

The bullpen is led by closer Casey Janssen who pitched to a 2.54 ERA and recorded 22 saves. Darren Oliver, Sergio Santos, Brad Lincoln, and JA Happ are also notable names in the bullpen. All pitched well in 2012 except Santos who was injured, but had had a very successful 2011.

I project 93 wins for the Blue Jays in 2013

The Brewers will have to craw through 2013

The Brewers don't seem bright in 2013. The one bright spot on their team was their lineup. Although it is without Prince Fielder, it still produced in 2012 and everyone expects it to do the same in 2013. Here is how it may look in 2013:

1. L. Aoki CF       110 OPS+
2. R. Weeks 2B    94 OPS+
3. R. Braun LF      158 OPS+
4. R. Ramirez 3B   137 OPS+
5. R. Lucroy C      133 OPS+
6. R. Gonzalez SS 107 OPS+
7. L. Gamel 1B      Not enough games
8. R. Gomez RF    102 OPS+

The pitching rotation for the Brewers used to be their greatest strength, now it is one of their greatest weaknesses. They lost Greinke and Marcum in 2012. The only two pitchers worth noting are Yovani Gallardo (3.66 ERA) and  Tom Gorzelanny (2.88 ERA). The other spots are up for grabs and Gallardo may be traded before the end of 2013.

Francisco Rodriguez holds the record for the most saves in a single season and was a bright spot in the bullpen for the Brewers in 2012, but he still has not signed with any team and it doesn't look like he'll return to Milwaukee. John Axford was great in 2011, but he took a step back in 2012. It doesn't look bright for the Brew Crew in 2013.

I project 72 wins for the Brewers in 2013.  




 

The Birds and the Fish?

The huge trade between the Blue Jays and the Marlins is complete. The Blue Jays will get Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Emilio Bonifacio, and John Buck. The Marlins will get Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez, Jeff Mathis, Anthony DeSclafani, Justin Nicolino, and Jake Marisnick. 4 Million Dollars will go to the Blue Jays.

This trade is obviously in favor of the Blue Jays. They get two speed demons, one who is a great hitter, one great pitcher and one good pitcher, and a decent catcher.  The Marlins are dropping their payroll and reconstructing their team.

The way I would construct the lineup for the Blue Jays in the following:

Jose Reyes, Emilio Bonifacio, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Colby Rasmus, Brett Larwrie, Adam Lind, John Buck, Rajai Davis.  

But the Pitching Rotation is even better. Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Brandon Morrow, Ricky Romero are a sold four starters although Romero was just terrible this past season.

In other news, Today the Tigers signed right fielder Torii Hunter. He signed a 2 year $26 Mill contract with the Tigers. He will be playing with some of the best and probably play right field and bat 5th or 6th. The projected lineup is the following:

Edwin Jackson, Victor Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Torii Hunter, Jhonny Peralta, Alex Avila, Andy Dirks, Omar Infante.

Not to shabby for these two American League Teams.  

Trading Places

Some trades took place today, no really big names were involved, but still exciting. One trade involved the Rockies and Royals. The two teams swap Jeremy Guthrie and Jonathan Sanchez. Perhaps a change of scenery will do well for these two struggling pitchers.

Guthrie traded for the second time this season

The Blue Jays and Astros conducted a 10 player deal that didn't involve any really big names as well. The Blue Jays will receive a trio of pitchers J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon, and David Carpenter. The Astros will receive  Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, and minor league players Joe Musgrove, Asher Wojciechowski, David Rollins and Carlos Perez, and a player to be named later. 


The Orioles acquire Omar Quintanilla from the Mets for later considerations. This was to clear space for the return of Jason Bay. 


We expect a trades of Ryan Dempster and possibly Cole Hamels and Zach Greinke. The latter two are less likely because the Phillies offered Hamels 130 million over 6 years and the Brewers offered Greinke 100+ million over 5 years. 

Injuries Galore !

Bautista after injuring his wrist

In multiple games that took place yesterday big stars sustained potential injuries. One of the really big ones is a potential injured achilles to the Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz. After Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford returned from injuries and a loss of David Ortiz would be a devastating blow.

Another potential big loss is to the already banged up Blue Jays. In last night's game Jose Bautista hurt his wrist and had to be taken out of the game. The Blue Jays are in last place in the American League East and without the league leader in home runs, their chances of making the playoffs are done.

Perhaps the biggest blow of the day was Joey Votto's knee injury. Votto will undergo arthroscopic surgery and be out for 3-4 weeks. The Reds are in a very tight race with the Cardinals and Pirates. Without the Reds' top slugger these 3-4 weeks could be a drag.

Why Does Everything Happen On Friday?

The first thing to write about is Justin Verlander's dance with a no hitter. The Tigers supplied Verlander with a 6 run lead entering the top of the ninth. Verlander had just over 100 pitches and 12 strikeouts with 1 out into the 9th. Then a fate that happened to so many pitchers before a seeing eye single up the middle. Verlander finished the game with a complete game shutout 1 hit and 2 walks. It would have been his 3rd no hitter.

The second thing that happened on Friday was just dandy. Dandy Andy, Andy Pettitte looked like he was still in the early 2000s with his stellar performance on Friday. Pettitte pitched 8 shutout innings against the Cincinnati Reds. He struck out 9 and allowed only 4 hits and 1 walk. Pettitte's fastball was around 87-89 MPH, but it was his curveball and his cutter that looked just masterful. The Reds' hitters just couldn't hit it. The Yankees won 4-0

The Blue Jays beat up on the Mets on Friday night in a 14-5 victory in Toronto. JP Arencibia went 3-5 with 2 home runs, 6 RBI's and 3 runs scored. The Jays had their way with the Mets not only on offense but on pitching.  Ricky Romero pitched 6 innings allowing only 3 hits and 4 walks. He struck out 6.

Kerry Wood was a phenom in the late 90s and early 2000s, but in 2012 he retires from baseball. In his final game with the Cubs Kerry Wood did what he did best, struck out his batter. A 3 pitch strikeout to ride off into the sunset with must be nice. You have to wonder what would the Cubs be like if Mark Prior and Kerry Wood would have stayed healthy, but anyway Wood takes his 4 200+ strikeout seasons home.

Another thing that has been occurring in the past few weeks was a heat up from Albert Pujols. Pujols has a few home runs now, but still isn't his MVP self. He is scoring runs and collecting RBI's and the Angels are winning ballgames. It looks like Pujols may be arriving soon.

The Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays finished with a record of 81-81 in 2011. This off season they have been adding relief pitchers, when they should be adding offense.

The Blue Jays traded for Sergio Santos, Signed Francisco Cordero, and Darren Oliver.  The Blue Jays continue to steadily build their bullpen. Their bullpen is currently a conglomeration of old and young players. It is a definite strength to The Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays also have one of the most dangerous sluggers who had risen out of no where. Bautista hit 54 home runs in 2010 with an on base percentage of .378. In 2011 Bautisita hit 43 home runs with an on base percentage of .447. He is a definite force to be reckoned with. JP Arencibia is the 26 year old catcher who emerged by hitting 23 home runs for The Blue Jays in 2011. Brett Lawrie is the 22 year old Canadian born third baseman who burst on the scene in 2011. In 43 games Lawrie hit 9 home runs, 4 triples, and 8 doubles. He earned 25 RBI's and a .373 on base percentage.

The pitching rotation is anchored by Ricky Romero. In 2011 he pitched 225 innings with a 2.92 ERA. If Brandon Morrow were to work on his command and control he can be an all star pitcher. His ERA is consistently over 4. I think Morrow can do much better than he is showing. Will The Blue Jays give Kyle Drabek another chance to make the rotation? He is considered a top prospect as he was part of the Roy Halladay trade. Drabek had an ERA above 6 in 78 innings pitched in 2011.

Th Blue Jays have no chance of making the playoffs. Playing in a division with The Yankees, The Red Sox and The Rays; The Blue Jays just cant compete. The Blue Jays should continue to grow their own talent and maybe in the future another Joe Carter in the future.