Fool Me Once

It appears Ryan Braun will not fool Major League Baseball again. Once before the slugger had been accused of PED usage and he escaped on a technicality and delivered a seemingly honest speech. Braun will be suspended for his involvement in the Biogenesis PED scandal. Major League Baseball provided astonishing amounts of evidence to Braun and his representatives and agreed to not appeal his suspension. The final verdict for the 2011 NL MVP is a 65 game suspension. The Brewers are already in last place and are selling this trade deadline. The loss of Braun will put the final nail in the coffin for the Brewers this season.You can also expect Alex Rodriguez to be face the consequences for his actions with Biogenesis at more severe levels, because of his previous offenses.

With the loss of Braun you can expect Ramirez, Gallardo, and Rodriguez to be traded this deadline. As for Gomez, Segura, and Lucroy; you can possibly see them move as well.

Speaking of trades, the Rangers and Cubs finally finished the Garza trade today after some adversity. Garza will go to the Rangers in exchange for 1B/3B Mike Olt, two minor league pitchers, and two players to be named later. Olt has been glorified for his bat, but hasn't performed at the Major League level. Matt Garza spent some time on the DL  but has a 3.17 ERA over 71 innings pitched in 2013. Garza will join a rotation with ace Yu Darvish and may pitch for the Rangers as soon as tomorrow.

This Will Be My Year

This post will be player predictions for big seasons in 2013. One player per position and the justification.

Starting Pitcher - Shaun Marcum

Marcum's ERA has hovered around 3.60 for the past three seasons. His main problem has been remaining healthy. He signed a contract to pitch for the Mets in 2013 his age 31 season. He doesn't throw hard, but he can locate and make pitches dance. Playing in Citi Field will yield about the same results as Miller Park, but if Marcum can stay healthy it won't matter. I predict he will lower his ERA to 3.23 and pitch close to 200 innings and could be a trade candidate for the Mets.

Relief Pitcher - Steve Cishek

Cishek is going to be 27 for the 2013 season and has already recorded two seasons of a sub 3.00 ERA. He is a sinker baller who doesn't allow many home runs in an already huge park. We saw how well Cishek performed for team USA in the WBC. I think this is the season where Cishek distinguishes himself as an elite closer in the game. He too might be traded by the trade deadline.

Catcher - Jesus Montero

Montero has been working on his defense abilities because a 23 year old should not be the designated hitter. According to many sources his defensive abilities have improved immensely. He was also really bummed out that the Yankees traded him to the Mariners as well, but I would too. Now Montero is in a rejuvenated lineup and he doesn't have to worry about his defense as much. You can expect Montero to be the star he is expected to be.

First Base - Freddie Freeman

Freeman is already pretty good but I think this is the year he becomes even better. He went though a sophomore slump in 2012. He maintained his power numbers he put up in 2011 and his on base percentage was close to identical, but his batting average dropped. This season the Braves added the two Upton brothers and they, along with Jason Heyward will be getting on base. With these guys on base Freeman won't be looking for walks, but swinging away... and getting hits and RBI's.

Second Base - Robinson Cano

Cano has been tearing it up for team Dominican Republic in this years WBC, not to mention he is also in the last year of his contact, and players tend to do best in the final year of their contract... for some reason. I still think Cano hasn't reached his peak and can hit for power, average, play great defense, and drive in runs. I think he reaches career highs in each category. .325 avg, 35 homers, 120  RBI's.

Third Base - Pablo Sandoval

We all saw Sandoval hit in the playoffs last season. This guy is beyond clutch. Just 19 batters out of 956 total batters hit a home run off of Justin Verlander in the 2012 regular season. Sandoval did it two times in the same night and then did it again. Sandoval has had some weight issues, but the Giants are working on that. Worst case scenario is Sandoval moves over to first base and they trade for a third baseman, but thats besides the point. Sandoval, with the 2012 MVP batting either in front of him or behind him, will rake this season. I'm talking .300+ avg, 30+ homers, and 100+ RBI's.

Short Stop - Derek Jeter

Jeter is a team player and he knows when to step up. Last year in the playoffs the guy was playing injured every day, and was still hitting great. He may not be as good defensively  but he will try harder and put the burden on his shoulders to get on base and score runs for a depleted Yankee offense. You can almost write it in permanent ink that Jeter will hit at least .290 and have a .340 on base percentage in 2013.

Left Field - Ryan Braun

What can I say, the guy is a beast. There will always be the discussion about whether or not he took performance enhancing drugs or not, but he is still the pride and joy of Milwaukee.  The guy has never hit lower than .285, never hit fewer than 25 home runs and never drove in fewer than 97 RBI's. Oh by the way hes been playing for 6 seasons and he will be 29 this year, the middle of his prime. You can pretty much say he is the best player in baseball and you can pencil him in for another MVP caliber season.

Center Field - Adam Jones

Finally Adam Jones is becomming the player that he was expected to be. He hit .287 and knocked out 32 homers in 2012. He can't improve much on the power, but he can improve on the average and his .334 on base percentage. A major part of Jones' success is Buck Showalter. Jones said he didn't want to sign the extension that he did, if Showalter was not going to be there. Buck encourages him to hustle and play hard. Jones if healthy can hit .295 and blast 30+ homers again.

Right Field - Hunter Pence

We all know Giancarlo Stanton is going to destroy pitching this season, that's why I didn't choose him. I picked Hunter Pence because he loves the team he plays for. He was a major part of the Giants in the playoffs last season. He didn't hit all that well down the stretch but he picked it up in October. Pence's defensive skills aren't top caliber, but he can hold his own in right field. I expect him to hit .280 with a .350 on base percentage and 25 homers in 2013.

Top 10 by Position

I have evaluated all the teams and now I will do my top 10 by position. The name of the player followed by their team. Both offense and defense are considered for the player's rank. I base the rankings on the player's past three seasons to get a large enough sample size, also accounting for age.

Catcher

1. Buster Posey - San Francisco Giants
2. Joe Mauer - Minnesota Twins
3. Yadiar Molina - St. Louis Cardinals
4. Miguel Montero - Arizona Diamond Backs
5. AJ Pierzynski - Texas Rangers
6. Matt Wieters - Baltimore Orioles
7. Carlos Santana - Cleveland Indians
8. JP Arencibia - Toronto Blue Jays
9. Jared Saltalmaccia - Boston Red Sox
10. Jesus Montero - Seattle Mariners

"I'm the hero San Francisco deserves." 

First Base

1. Joey Votto - Cincinnati Reds
2. Albert Pujols - Los Angeles Angels
3. Prince Fielder - Detroit Tigers
4. Adrian Gonzalez - Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Paul Konerko - Chicago White Sox
6. Mark Teixeira - New York Yankees
7. Ryan Howard - Philadelphia Phillies
8. Adam Laroach - Washington Nationals
9. Chris Davis - Baltimore Orioles
10. Justin Morneau - Minnesota Twins

"Hey Brandon, look at what I can do!"

Second Base

1. Robinson Cano - New York Yankees
2. Dustin Pedroia - Boston Red Sox
3. Brandon Phillips - Cincinnati Reds
4. Jason Kipnis - Cleveland Indians
5. Ian Kinsler - Texas Rangers
6. Aaron Hill - Arizona Diamond Backs
7. Jose Altuve - Houston Astros
8. Danny Espinosa - Washington Nationals
9. Marco Scuttaro - San Francisco Giants
10. David Murphy - New York Mets

"#Swag"

Third Base

1. Miguel Cabrera - Detroit Tigers
2. Adrian Beltre - Texas Rangers
3. David Wright - New York Mets
4. Evan Longoria - Tampa Bay Rays
5. Pablo Sandoval - San Francisco Giants
6. Aramis Ramirez - Milwaukee Brewers
7. Chase Headly - San Diego Padres
8. Ryan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals
9. Mike Moustakis - Kansas City Royals
10. Kevin Youkilis - New York Yankees

"You can call me King Cabrera"

Short Stop

1. Troy Tulowitzki - Colorado Rockies
2. Starlin Castro - Chicago Cubs
3. Jose Reyes - Toronto Blue Jays
4. Derek Jeter - New York Yankees
5. Hanley Ramirez - Los Angeles Dodgers
6. Elvis Andrus - Texas Rangers
7. Ian Desmond - Washington Nationals
8. JJ Hardy - Baltimore Orioles
9. Alexi Ramirez - Chicago White Sox
10. Erick Aybar - Los Angeles Angels

"I play for which team?"

Left Field

1. Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers
2. Josh Hamilton - Los Angeles Angels
3. Carlos Gonzalez - Colorado Rockies
4. Matt Holliday - St. Louis Cardinals
5. Michael Morse - Seattle Mariners
6. Justin Upton - Atlanta Braves
7. Alex Gordon - Kansas City Royals
8. Josh Willingham - Minnesota Twins
9. Jason Kubel - Arizona Diamond Backs
10. Bryce Harper - Washington Nationals

"Spittin seeds like I'm hittin homers."

Center Field

1. Matt Kemp - Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh Pirates
3. Mike Trout - Los Angeles Angels
4. Adam Jones - Baltimore Orioles
5. Curtis Granderson - New York Yankees
6. BJ Upton - Atlanta Braves
7. Shin-Soo Choo - Cincinnati Reds
8. Jacoby Ellsbury - Boston Red Sox
9. Angel Pagan - San Francisco Giants
10. Austin Jackson - Detroit Tigers

"What did Cano say?"

Right Field

1. Giancarlo Stanton - Miami Marlins
2. Jason Heyward - Atlanta Braves
3. Jay Bruce - Cincinnati Reds
4. Nick Swisher - Cleveland Indians
5. Andre Ethier - Los Angeles Dodgers
6. Jose Baustista - Toronto Blue Jays
7. Carlos Beltran - St. Lewis Cardinals
8. Hunter Pence - San Francisco Giants
9. Nick Markakis - Baltimore Orioles
10. Ichiro Suzuki - New York Yankees

"Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one on the field."

Designated Hitters - Top 5

1. David Ortiz - Boston Red Sox
2. Edwin Encarnacion - Toronto Blue Jays
3. Billy Butler - Kansas City Royals
4. Victor Martinez - Detroit Tigers
5. Kendrys Morales - Seattle Mariners

"Hitting singles is too mainstream" 

Starting Pitcher

1. Clayton Kershaw - Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Justin Verlander - Detroit Tigers
3. Felix Hernandez - Seattle Mariners
4. Jered Weaver - Los Angeles Angels
5. David Price - Tampa Bay Rays
6. RA Dickey - Toronto Blue Jays
7. Matt Cain - San Francisco Giants
8. Stephan Strasburg - Washington Nationals
9. CC Sabathia - New York Yankees
10. Cole Hamels - Philadelphia Phillies

"Koufax said he liked my stuff!"

Closers

1. Craig Kimbrel - Atlanta Braves
2. Aroldis Chapman - Cincinnati Reds
3. Mariano Rivera - New York Yankees
4. Fernando Rodney - Tampa Bay Rays
5. Johnathon Papelbon - Philadelphia Phillies
6. Sergio Romo - San Francisco Giants
7.  Kenley Jansen - Los Angeles Dodgers
8.  Rafael Soriano - Washington Nationals
9. Steve Cishek - Maimi Marlins
10. Jim Johnson - Baltimore Orioles

"Right handed Billy Wagner? How about non left handed Craig Kimbrel?"

Remember it isn't just the players that make a team good. It is how they play together and they players around them.

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.  




 

Performance enhancing drugs

If you haven't already heard the 2011 national league MVP Ryan Braun tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Ryan Braun claims he has never taken any performance enhancers, but the tests say he has. Not a lot of specifics have been released about the controversy yet, but i assume they will soon.

I was extremely disappointed to hear about this, because athletes who take performance enhancing drugs don't deserve the money, fame, or opportunities that they have abused. There are 25 athletes in Triple A that would love to have that position that you are taking away with your fake artificially produced talent.

Ryan Braun will have to serve a 50 game suspension, just like Manny Ramirez. I am a huge fan of the New York Yankees and I was astonished by the season Alex Rodriguez was having in 2007. When I found out he had taken steroids i was devastated. This is very similar to what Ryan Braun did to all those kids who look up to him in Milwaukee.

To discuss strategy now, the Brewers are pretty much screwed. If they don't sign Prince Fielder, which seems very unlikely, they will have lost their number three and four guys for 50 games. the N.L. central will be deprived of action without Fielder, Braun, and Pujols assuming Fielder signs with a team not in the central. I guess what the fans in the central have to look forward to is Joey Votto.