Trans-STRAT-ctions XI
By Joe Harder - Guest Writer
03/05/2009
Manny being a Dodger
RHB Manny Ramirez, turning 37 in May, signed a 2-year $45 million contract with the Dodgers, after reports that the team had pulled the offer. A great card from 2008 (especially his Dodgers’ card), and his home is clearly a ballpark that he enjoys hitting in. Still, a fade is likely at some point, and his defense is always an issue. But, if you’ve never seen his catch and high five of a fan before throwing the ball back in to double Aubrey Huff off first, it’s worth trying to track it down. Due to copyright issues with MLB, though, it’s currently not available online via any sites that come up in a search, and frustratingly apparently not on MLB’s own site.
This is what Moneyball is all about…Value Over Replacement Player at a reasonable price
RHB Orlando Cabrera, 34, signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Athletics. Cabrera becomes the everyday shortstop, with Bobby Crosby now officially the failed prospect. Interesting note, however, is that Crosby worked out for a month with Mark McGwire in the off season and is off to a blistering start in Spring Training, and could slide into a super-utility role. Manager Bob Geren was quoted after Cabrera’s signing as saying Crosby would play, so while occasionally spelling Cabrera, Mark Ellis and Eric Chavez, he could eat into the playing time of Jack Hannahan and Chad Pennington (who has a nice pinch hitting card vs. rhp this year). More recently, news has appeared that the A’s have put Crosby on the block.
RHB Nomar Garciaparra, 36, is rumored to be close to a deal with the Athletics, and is said to be juxtaposing that against retirement. Nomar, who should really only play first base anymore, will probably also get action at third and short if he ends up signing. He hit lefties well last year, but so did incumbent 1b and reversed lefty Daric Barton, who showed promise that he was finding his way the last month of the season in an otherwise lost year. Barton went 33 for his last 111, with four home runs and an OBP of over .400, and as a Barton owner, I hope the A’s give him the bulk of the at bats both ways at first base this year. With Giambi as the everyday DH vs. righties, Nomar could at least be a solid DH platoon partner, and if he comes cheap he could be useful to the A’s…or to your Strat team if you need a limited lefty masher who can play first or third, or short in an extreme case.
LHP Dennys Reyes, 31, is rumored to be close to a deal with the Athletics. 46 LOOGY innings for Minnesota last year, not very good against righties, plus nine hold, but twelve ground ball A’s. Again, for the A’s, and you, it’s how cheaply he comes vs. other alternatives (like the ancient Arthur Rhodes, who is a free agent in my league).
Let’s look at the A’s - Kurt Suzuki, Daric Barton, Jason Giambi, Mark Ellis, Orlando Cabrera, Eric Chavez, Matt Holliday, Ryan Sweeney, Jack Cust, and Travis Buck are in the everyday mix, with both Giambi and Cust playing too much in the field. Crosby, Garciaparra, Hannahan, Pennington, Chris Denorfia (nice 2008 card), and even Rajai Davis can all contribute from the bench, depending on who makes the team.
Relief pitching is solid, with last year’s closer Brad Ziegler, future closer Joey Devine (who has a more balanced card for 2008), righties Russ Springer, Santiago Casilla, and Michael Wurtz, and lefty Reyes if indeed he signs.
Ace Justin Duchscherer has a great card for 2008, but don’t expect him to ever achieve starred starter status. Behind him, youngsters Dana Eveland (lh), Sean Gallagher (rh), Gio Gonzalez (lh), and Dallas Braden (lh) fill out the rotation. That’s putting a lot of faith in youth, when only Eveland’s 2008 card is really playable. Despite the spacious home park, Gonzalez had serious dinger problems against righties, while fellow lefty Braden experienced his homer issues against lefties. After moving over from the Cubs, Gallagher had tremendous walk issues against lefties that he’ll have to get ironed out. With the Angels in the division, it will be tough for Oakland to win outright, and with the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Twins, Indians, and White Sox in the other divisions, even a wildcard spot might be a reach, but I think they’ll have a winning season with the pieces they’ve put together, and with a little more starting pitching, this would be a decent Strat team so is worth a quick study for all of us.
Moneyball Lite?
RHP Juan Cruz, 30, signed with the Royals. For 2008 cards, he doesn’t give up many hits, and as a reversed righty, all he gives up are walks against lefties (albeit 27 of them), but his six diamonds and four plus straight home runs against righties are problematic in many parks. In a related transaction, RHB Esteban German, an on base monster two years ago, was designated for assignment.
Unlike their only other significant move this off-season, in which the Royals brought in Mike Jacobs to complicate a crowded situation at first base/DH with arguably better options available in Billy Butler, Ryan Shealy, and even prospect Kila Ka’aihue, Cruz might be a significant contributor to a better K.C. team in 2009.
LHB Doug Mientkiewicz , 35, signed with the Dodgers. Very nice left-handed on base card and good 1b defense, his ability to play 3b (not particularly well) is a plus in the 2008 card set. With James Loney at first, Mientkiewicz likely will see limited playing time there, but may play some third against righties if lefty Blake DeWitt continues to hit lefties better than righties (and management notices).
RHP Adam Eaton, 31, released by Phillies, signed by the Orioles, who invited him to Spring Training. Eaton’s WHIP last year was 1.64, to go with the 1.63 in 2007 and the 1.57 in 2006. At least batters only slugged .467 against him last year, an improvement over 2007’s .520.
LHP Ron Villone, 39, signed a minor league deal with the Mets, who invited him to Spring Training. Struck out fifty in fifty innings last year, but also walked thirty-seven. You probably have better options, as do the Mets.
LHB Corey Koskie, 35, signed a minor league deal with the Cubs, who invited him to Spring Training. A concussion shelved this lefty third baseman during the 2006 season, and then post-concussion syndrome kept him out in 2007 - 2008, and it remains unclear if he will make it back. At his best, he was typically a 3b-2 with decent on base both ways (career .367 OBP), adequate power against righties if not both ways, and occasionally even a starred stealer. Worth keeping an eye on if he makes the team, though Aramis Ramirez holds down the post for the big club. For what it’s worth, his 2001 card is still active in our league with the World Series to be played in July.
Fantasy is as fantasy does
In my eleven team league I recently traded Scott Rolen and Tim Hudson for Elijah Dukes, Howie Kendrick, and a third round draft choice. Rolen has a good card, as one of only two 3b-1’s in the set, and Hudson has a nice limited starting card, especially against righties, but I saw this as a chance to get younger while filling current needs, and getting a choice draft pick in the process. Dukes, a reversed righty, has very nice on base and a modicum of pop against righties, and will start in right field for me (rf-2(-3)e13), bouncing Jermaine Dye off the 25-man squad, with Jayson Werth manning left, and Carlos Beltran center. While Dustin Pedroia will start at second, his negative clutch will mean that I will have to pinch hit for him at times and Kendrick’s positive eight clutch rating and 2b-3e8 makes for a nice option off the bench. And if you do a Google search for Howie Kendrick and “future batting,” [champ] 211 results come up. This may be a far cry from the 3,000 plus for “hard luck” plus “Matt Cain,” but it’s still a fair number of mentions, so I’m hoping for some serious upside potential as well from both Kendrick and Dukes.