Trans-STRAT-ctions IX
By Joe Harder - Guest Writer
02/18/2009
Three of the bigger names sign
LHB Bobby Abreu signed a one-year, incentive-laden deal with the Angels. Abreu, thirty-five, joins an Angels roster that includes the following in the DH/OF mix: Vlad Guerrero (DH/RF), Torii Hunter (CF), Chone Figgins (some 3B, some OF, utility), Gary Matthews, Jr. (4th OF?), Reggie Willits (defensive OF?), and Juan Rivera (LF?). The arguments I’m reading seem to be about the need to DH Guerrero to keep him healthy, but also for the defensive decline of the once elite right fielder, and also that the best spot for Abreu is DH. That’s the Angels’ quandary, but it doesn’t have to be yours if you are looking for a DH or are willing to play with bad defense. My lineup in recent years has sometimes included Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, and Frank Thomas or David Ortiz, all of whom better serve as designated hitter than at a field position (then again, it’s not like I won with that lineup). Still, Abreu’s a rf-4(-1)e12 [check] and maybe you can live with that. The player hurt the most here is probably Reggie Willits, who two years ago had a great on base card both ways, but has had few chances to play since. A trade to a team with a need for a starter would make him worth considering, so keep an eye out for that.
LHB Adam Dunn signed a two-year contract with the Nationals. Dunn, twenty-nine, also joins a somewhat crowded situation, but ought to get adequate playing time in left. Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge are penciled into the mix, as are Wily Mo Pena, Austin Kearns, Josh Willingham, and Corey Patterson, who previously signed a minor league deal (see Trans-STRAT-ctions III). Since Dunn can play first as well, throw in the oft-injured Nick Johnson and the suddenly svelte Dmitri Young (who topped 300 pounds last year). Washington’s new ballpark is not as pitcher-friendly as feared when it opened, but the N.L. East now has two death-to-hitters ballparks in New York and Florida, two neutral parks in Washington and Atlanta, and one very hitter friendly park in Philadelphia to replace Dunn’s time in the N.L. central (Houston a clear hitters’ park, most others neutral) and west (L.A., S.D., S.F. all pitchers’ parks, Colorado neutral or slightly hitter-positive, Arizona a hitter’s paradise). But 40 home runs with a low average is what we’ve come to expect from this lefty slugger, and he’s probably good for that. It may be that average isn’t that important to you, either, as Dunn did manage an on base percentage of .386 last year and is at .381 for his career. Odd-man out may be lefty masher Josh Willingham, who may become the wrong side of a platoon, but with the volatile Dukes, erratic Pena, unproven Milledge, disappointing Kearns, D.H.-in-the-N.L. Young, and perennial D.L. resident Johnson, who knows?
LHB Ken Griffey, Jr., 39, signed a one-year contract with the Mariners, becoming the second free agent (following Rafael Furcal’s lead) to spurn the Braves when it seemed like a done deal. Rumor has it that Willie Mays helped Griffey make the decision. Griffey will likely play some LF and DH a fair amount for the Mariners, but don’t expect too much, especially in the Seattle ballpark. With 2008 cards, unless you can draft just his White Sox card, there’s only moderate on base against righties, and a cf/rf-4(0)e8.
A few more off the list - the batters
LHB Brad Wilkerson signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox, who gave him an invitation to Spring Training. Still only thirty-one, he hasn’t had a good season in a few years, but he provides some J.D. Drew/Rocco Baldelli insurance.
RHB Emil Brown, 34, signed a minor league deal with the Padres, who invited him to Spring Training. He had good years in 2005 and 2006, but has fallen off considerably the last two seasons.
RHB Tony Graffanino signed a minor league deal with the Indians, who invited him to Spring Training. The thirty-six year old Graffanino has been a valuable utility player before, in the majors and in Strat, but had a disappointing 2008, going .238/.315/.390 after a .275/.345/.405 campaign in 2007. There are probably better utility players available to you, though he should come cheap.
RHB Miguel Cairo, soon to be thirty-five, signed a minor league deal with the Phillies. A career .266/.315/.357 hitter, Cairo’s value to your team will likely be limited, but it suggests that maybe Utley’s recovery is not going as well as planned (with Cairo in the mix with Pablo Ozuna, Eric Bruntlett, and possibly prospect Jason Donald to replace Utley if he isn’t ready to go).
LHB Ben Broussard, 32, signed a minor league deal with the White Sox, with an invitation to Spring Training. Broussard hit .159 in limited duty last year, and has a career OBP of .324 to go with a decent glove.
RHB Ramon Martinez, 36, re-signed with the Mets, to a minor league deal, with an invitation to Spring Training. These utility guys are sure on the move this off-season, but Martinez is consistent with most others…you don’t want or need him on your team, and his 2008 season was a wash-out.
The pitchers
RHP Braden Looper signed a one-year deal with the Brewers. The thirty-four year old former first round pick went 12-14 last year, with a 1.31 WHIP and 4.16 E.R.A. for the Cardinals, striking out 108 in 199 innings pitched. He joins a Milwaukee staff hurting from the losses of C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets, but with several arms competing for rotation spots. In addition to Looper, Yovani Gallardo (if fully recovered), Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush, and youngster Manny Parra seem best suited for starting, but starter/relievers Seth McClung and newly acquired Chase Wright are also in the mix. Looper, a converted closer, has been a starter for two seasons, accumulating a record of 24-26 with a 4.50 E.R.A. and a 1.32 WHIP. His 2008 card is better against righties, though he’s not stellar either way, but his starred starter status, negative hold, and 12 ground ball A’s might be useful in deeper leagues.
RHP Eric Gagne, 33, re-signed with the Brewers, to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Other than thirty-three good innings with Texas in 2007, Gagne (meaning “win” in French) hasn’t really been effective since 2005.
RHP Livan Hernandez, 34, signed a minor league deal with the Mets. Except in very deep leagues you don’t want Livan, especially if he doesn’t make the major league squad out of spring training.
LHP Brian Shouse, 40, signed a one-year deal with the Rays. Shouse held lefties to a .180/.196/.290 line last year, going 5-1, with 2 saves, a 2.81 E.R.A., and an overall 1.17 WHIP in 69 games. This card is one you can use to get out the lefties for whom your opponent will not pinch hit, as he had a 0.69 WHIP that way, but that’s about it, as his WHIP against righties is 1.79, with Shouse surrendering an on base percentage against of .377 and a slugging percentage against of .452. It’s interesting that his use by the Brewers mirrored that, as he pitched only 51-1/3 innings in those 69 games.
RHP Brett Tomko, 36, signed a minor league contract with the Yankees, who invited him to Spring Training. Didn’t get it done with the Royals last year in sixty innings, though managed nine effective innings for the Padres. Not likely to be a great contributor to the Yankees rotation in 2009.
RHP Edgar G. Gonzalez, 26, signed a minor league deal with the A’s, with an invitation to Spring Training. Gonzalez has been undistinguished in his major league career with the Diamondbacks, as either a starter or reliever, but the right hander is still young. Not to be confused with Edgar V. Gonzalez, 30, a utility infielder who had his first taste of the majors with the Padres last year.
Arbitration glance
RHP Ervin Santana signed a four-year contract with the Angels, avoiding arbitration. This is another positive negotiated outcome for both parties, contract-wise, rather than experiencing the sometimes contentious hearing (see Trans-STRAT-ctions VIII). Santana burst on the scene in 2006, when I drafted him in our league for the useable card and his youth. In 2007, however, he took a big step backward, and his road woes were well-chronicled. I held on to him in hopes that he would re-find his magic, and in 2008 he did. Now if only the same will happen with Fausto Carmona…
Rumors
Manny Ramirez still tending toward the Dodgers (there is an empty locker in their new spring training home waiting for him), though I still hope the Giants figure out a way to keep that from happening.
Tom Glavine to Atlanta. Probably not a whole lot left in the tank, but if he turns out to pitch regularly and is reversed he could be useful to you in some parks. Now if he ends up going somewhere else, the Braves may want to look into charm school. Thank goodness for Derek Lowe, Kenshin Kawakami, Javier Vazquez and even David Ross, or the offseason would be a total loss.
Ray Durham, having received no offers, is said to be mulling retirement.
Errata and updates
Previously, I mislabeled Jamey Carroll as being over 40 on base both ways. That is an error, though as a reversed righty he is over forty against righties (and still plays a 2b-2).
In an article titled “N.L. Rotations: The good, bad, and surprising” by Ryan Fagan on Yahoo! Sports, Sean Marshall, rather than Aaron Heilman, is listed as the fifth starter for the Cubs, named the 2nd best rotation in the Senior Circuit. Karl and other Heilman owners take note. The best rotation? Why, the S.F. Giants with Cy Lincecum, The Giant Unit, Hard-Luck Cain*, Jon-and-off-again Sanchez, and Barely Zito, who had a solid September, at least…now if only they can discover some power in the lineup that goes beyond Bengie Molina’s team-leading sixteen bombs in 2008.
* a Google search for “hard luck” + cain returned 19,900 results.
In minor news
Minor League C Ryan Jorgensen announced his retirement from the Reds. He ends his major league baseball career with 10 games, 20 at bats, 3 hits (2 of them home runs), three runs scored, six driven in, and eight strikeouts to go with no walks. Arguably the 3rd best Jorgensen of the five to play in the big leagues, behind three-separate-times-a-Met Mike, who hit 95 home runs with a career line of .243/.347/.373 over a seventeen-year span, but ahead of Terry, with one career home run in 233 career at bats for a .240/.292/.292 career line (despite hitting nine doubles along with his homer, not enough extra bases to matter in his rounded slugging percentage), and Pinky, who was four for fourteen (all singles) in his cup of coffee in 1937, also for the Reds.
The best Jorgensen, though, may have been Spider, who in his six year career with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants attained a career line of .266/.354/.384 and was on pennant-winning teams in 1947 and 1949 with Brooklyn and 1951 with the Giants. Third baseman Spider climbed to his career high as a twenty-seven year old rookie in 1947, the only year in which he had more than 150 at bats, with a .274/.356/.410 line in four hundred plus AB’s (compared to first baseman Jackie Robinson’s .297/.368/.427 that year). In part time action the next year, he actually improved his numbers with a .300/.407/.444 mark in ninety at bats, but then regressed to .269/.369/.343 as a part-timer in his 2nd pennant year, 1949 (though regular 3B Billy Cox was arguably worse offensively at .233/.286/.351 in roughly three times as many at bats).
Sold after only two at bats for Brooklyn in 1950 to the cross-town rival Giants, he flailed his way to a .135/.238/.135 performance in forty-two plate appearances and ended his career with only a .235/.286/.353 line in half a season for the pennant-winning Giants in 1951 (his last game was June 30th, as he was traded July 1st with Red Hardy to Oakland of the Pacific Coast League for Earl Rapp…no telling whether he and Hardy received a playoff share). Still, he was a part of three pennant winners in five years, was a teammate of both Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays, and he, along with all the other Jorgensen’s, reminds us how tough it is to hit a spherical object hurled with bad intention at high speed with a tapered cylinder swung in our own hands. And Spider in particular reminds us that sometimes a player’s best year is his first, especially if he’s a late-to-arrive rookie.