The Time Has Come For Trevor Bauer

The Cleveland Indians rotation has made them one of the most talked about teams in the league, and rightly so. The big one-two-three punch of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and Danny Salazar, all of which are young and have their best days ahead of them, is enough to put almost any team into contention. However, I would like to focus on the guy who has begun to fall through the cracks, Trevor Bauer. At age 25, the former top prospect has slightly disappointed thus far, but I believe he is set up for a breakout season in 2016.Last season was the year people expected a breakout from Bauer, and after it didn't happen and we saw Carrasco and Salazar pitch so well, Bauer has now shifted to the role of the dark horse.  The inconsistencies, the control issues, and sometimes his personality, have really held him back; but this is the year he can overcome all of that. In 2015, Bauer made a career high 30 starts, posting a record of 11-12, and a bad second half resulted in an ERA of 4.55. Bauer had a roller coaster of a season in 2015, that included a demotion to the bullpen in September, but he ended it on a high note going 7 innings of two-hit one run ball in his final start. Here is a brief look at how his inconsistencies haunted him all year long:
April - 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 4 starts
May - 2-2, 3.72, 6 starts
June - 2-3, 6.26, 5 starts
July -2-3, 4.59, 5 starts
August - 2-2, 5.01, 6 starts
September - 1-2, 9.49, 4 starts, 1 bullpen appearance
October - 0-0, 1.29, 1 start
Pre-Allstar - 8-5, 3.76, 17 starts
Post-Allstar - 3-7, 5.73, 13 starts, 1 bullpen appearance
Bauer had this to say about his season as a whole: "I look at it as my first full season in the big leagues, so it was better than the year before. Won a lot of games, that was more than double what I've won in prior years, threw a lot of innings, performed well, I thought so." He then went on to say "Overall when you look at it, and you separate yourself from it for a little while, you could make an argument either way with the statistics, but I chose to look at it as the best year of my career." The separation he was referring to, was the mental break from baseball that Bauer took this offseason. While he still put in eight hours a day of baseball workouts and training, Bauer took a little extra time off this Winter to clear his head, in order to come back more focused and with less pressure in 2016. Bauer projects as the number four starter in a stacked Cleveland rotation, but he may emerge as much more than that in the Summer months ahead. Bauer has an absolutely ridiculous and sick pitch arsenal, and learning to control it consistently will be the biggest key towards the consistency he needs. Bauer ranked 3rd in all of baseball for walks allowed last season, and when you do that you really swing the door for inconsistency wide open. Outside of the walks, Bauer did just fine. Don't believe it? Bauer was 19th in all of baseball for lowest opponent batting average, that's ahead of names like Chris Sale, Garret Richards, Michael Wacha, Cole Hamels, and Felix Hernandez just to name a few. So if Bauer can reduce the walks, he has all the tools to become a top of the rotation starter. I believe that the offseason break, and being the number four starter will take a huge amount of pressure off of his shoulders, and 2016 will finally be the year we will see the beast that is Trevor Bauer.

The Hot-Lanta Corner, Third base in Braves Camp

On a rebuilding baseball team, there is usually no shortage of positional battles when teams report to Spring Training.  The Braves have a few of their own, granted not with the marquee names a fan would want, but it certainly does add a new level of interest to the games.  The most interesting battle on the diamond in Atlanta is at third base, where a three, or even possibly four way battle for the starting job will be taking place.  Here's a look at the four contenders.

Adonis Garcia:

He impressed with his power last year (10HR in 191 ABs), although his defense leaves lots to be desired and he doesn't have much of any speed to speak of.  The Cuban defector (entering his age 31 season) is probably the favorite to win the job, as the lineup desperately needs some sort of power in the middle of the lineup to protect Freddie Freeman, but he will have to show his glove is serviceable enough  to keep pace.

Gordon Beckham:

The Georgia native and former 1st round pick (2008) has experienced more downs than ups in his career, but for his sake, here's to hoping a trip home will prove to bring some life into his bat (he's never hit over .270, and that was his rookie year).  He's an average fielder, so that will help him against the better hitting competitors for the job, but he is also popping up as a possibility for 2nd base as well, so he really will be someone to watch.

Hector Olivera:

As of now, he is slated as the starting LF for the team, although reports have come out of Braves camp that he if they can't confidently put someone else at the hot corner, Olivera could end up back where he started.  He has shown strong glove work but his side arm throwing style (think Ryan Zimmerman) is cause for concern.  He has the strongest offensive potential of any of the other players competing for the spot, but he will have to deliver this year, as disappointing results have already caused management to tug on his leash just a little bit.

Kelly Johnson:

Originally the 2nd baseman for the infamous "Baby Braves" in 2005, Johnson now finds himself locked in a battle for playing time at 3rd.  He has found himself usually put in a platoon role (he only saw 24ABs against lefties last year, vs 158 against righties), and if he were to get playing time, there's no reason to think that would not continue, especially with other platoon-worthy players competing for a spot (Garcia in particular).  He's a solid defender, so that will only help his case for a platoon.

Overall, it seems like we've got a mix of players here, but the underlying theme is common between these four:  They are all over 30, have major holes in their game, and are all trying to find a way to prove they don't just have something left in the tank, that they can provide a presence on a team that desperately needs one.

Dervish nearing date to throw off mound

Yu Darvish is getting ready to throw off a full mound for the first time since last year, he had been throwing off a half-mound. New Rangers' Pitching Coach Doug Brocail said Darvish looks ready to take the next step. Darvish is on track for a May return.

How Will Juan Uribe Impact the Cleveland Indians?

While the move has not been made official (Due to some Visa issues with Uribe), the Cleveland Indians have agreed to terms on a one year contract with veteran Juan Uribe. While Uribe is not the big impact bat they need, it is still a solid move on Cleveland's part. They signed him to a one year deal, which will allow them to use him as a bridge to 24 year old Giovanny Urshela. Uribe will also slightly deepen the lineup, especially due to the fact he hits from the right side and hits left handed pitching better than most of the Indians lineup. What the Indians see in Uribe is an average in the .240-.270 range, around 15 homeruns, and 20+ doubles. Not only will this boost the offense from the hot corner, as I mentioned before it will deepen the lineup and help other players produce at a slightly higher rate. Urshela could still retake the starting third base job at some point in the season, but Cleveland has its doubts about his offense. In 81 games last season, Urshela played unbelievable defense but hit just .225 with 6 homeruns. While his offensive struggles were partly due to injury problems, Cleveland would still like to give him more time to develop his bat in the Minor Leagues. Uribe is now the third veteran Cleveland has added this Winter (Napoli and Davis are the other two), and while perhaps none of these names jump off the paper, all together they will provide a nice boost.

Toronto Blue Jays 2016 Bullpen

The 2016 Jays bullpen isn't quite as clear cut as the starting rotation, but there aren't too many holes to fill.  It's more of a question of who's your closer?  Does Sanchez start, or setup?  Who gets that final spot?  I like to get these predictions in before they start playing games so I can say I told you so, or have you tell me how incredibly wrong I always seem to be (like when they broke camp with two 20-year-olds last year).  I'm doing the bullpen prediction today because as easy as the rest of the lineup seems to be, they almost traded Michael Saunders for Jay Bruce the other day, so I'm going to take a few days on that to make sure that deal is totally dead.

Your 2016 Blue Jays Bullpen

Closer - Drew Storen
Usually the closer job would go to the incumbent especially if they had done a good job in the past which Roberto Osuna certainly did last year.  Storen has been on the other end of that when he lost his job to Jonathan Papelbon last year even though he was lights out at the time.  Storen is the more experienced closer having saved 95 games in the MLB, but I wouldn't necessarily say he's better.  I don't think you can go wrong with either pitcher, but this decision has more to do with Roberto Osuna's future than anything else.  To be continued....

RH Setup - Roberto Osuna
After making the team out of A Ball last season, 20-year-old Osuna took the league by storm, and very quickly solved the Blue Jays' issues at the back end of their bullpen.  Having him close games was never the original plan however.  The scouts think that Osuna projects well as an impact starter down the road.  Rather than develop him in the minors, the Jays took a gamble on him and Miguel Castro (which didn't work out as well) because of how dominant their stuff was, and made them MLB relievers way before it was at all logical to do so.  Nevertheless, the gamble paid off in spades with Osuna who ended up saving 20 games plus looking sharp in the post season as well.  The issue now is how do you turn him into a starter?  Can't send a proven bullpen arm this good to the minors for 2 years to stretch him out, so you get Drew Storen to be your closer, and you start using Osuna in 2 inning set up stints, or save opportunities.  Osuna has never pitched more than 80 innings in a season at any level.  They need to creatively find a way to use him in the back end of your bullpen but still get him up to at least 110 innings, so in a couple of years you can start using him as a starter.
LH Setup - Brett Cecil
This was your opening day closer last year.  He was trotted out on a cold rainy day with the bases loaded in the 8th, and struggled, and the next day John Gibbons changed closers.  Went to the first of 2 unproven 20-year-olds in that role.  I'm gonna say that I didn't agree with this at the time, and if I had to make that decision 10 times, I think all 10 times I would let Cecil have more than one save opportunity to prove himself, especially considering he was your best reliever for 2 straight years leading up to that.  Castro was no better as a closer, but Osuna swooped in to save the day (and Gibbons job).  Cecil for his part ended up having a career year despite the adversity.  Largely overlooked because of so many other success stories, Cecil scuffled in June, but did not give up an earned run after the All Star break.

LH - Aaron Loup
Loup needs a bounce back year.  He makes the team because he's left handed, and the Jays have no other options.  He also makes the team because between 2012-2014, he was one of their most consistent and reliable options.  He's 28.  He hasn't lost anything, but he did pitch to contact a lot more this past year.  That didn't turn out well as his 4.46 E.R.A. would indicate, which was well over a run higher than his previous career worst.  His control is great.  He doesn't usually walk guys, but he did walk 30 guys in 2014.  He brought that down to 7 which sounds great, but then he was hit around a lot.  Loup can be good again.  He just needs stay away from hitters a bit more.  Should be a bounce back year, but the Jays have no depth from the left side, so his job is safe even if he doesn't bounce back.

RH - Jesse Chavez
More of a long man option here.  Could end up as an emergency starter.  His job is safe because they gave up Liam Hendricks for him.  I don't think Chavez will be as good as Hendricks as a reliever, but he's a better starter.  He may be a human yo-yo with an undefined role this year.  He won't be set up for success, but he's done the back and forth thing before in Oakland, so he should be as comfortable with it as anyone.  I should note that I'm assuming Aaron Sanchez is the 5th starter to open the season.  Chavez will be given a shot in the Spring, but will likely end up in the bullpen

RH - Gavin Floyd
Kind of a surprise that Floyd got a guaranteed deal here.  He used to be a really good starter in Chicago.  After 2 injury plagued seasons, I thought he'd get a minor league deal.  What this means is they will give him a shot at the rotation, but barring injuries, Sanchez will win the 5th job, and Floyd will pitch out of the bullpen.  He did this in a few outings with Cleveland last year, and looked decent.  He'll be a multiple inning guy probably.  Having 2 long men eliminates the need for an 8 man bullpen.  This move meant former Jays 1st round pick Chad Jenkins was designated for assignment.  Sad.  I thought he paid his dues, made the most of opportunities and it was his turn.

RH - Ryan Tepera
This is the one role that is totally up in the air.  My money is on Ryan Tepera.  Not necessarily the most logical choice because he still has options, and it means they'll have to expose Steve Delabar to waivers.  More on that in a minute.  Ryan Tepera had a great rookie season last year.  He kept opponents under .200, and his WHIP was under 1 in 32 games after being called up.  He throws the ball hard, and he's 28, so there's no advantage to sending him down.  If Sanchez stays in the rotation, look for Tepera to surpass Loup, Chavez and Floyd on the depth chart, and work in some later inning situations.

On The Bubble

RH - Steve Delabar
This guy was an all-star a couple of years back.  When he's on, he goes through incredible stretches.  Unfortunately he'll go through a bad stretch that will statistically undo everything he worked so hard for.  The numbers weren't pretty last year, but he was lights out up until July.  He had 3 bad outings, and they sent him down to the minors.  He came up again as a September call up, but pitched so infrequently, and had a couple more bad outings which could have just been rust.  Either way, he finishes the season with a 5.22 E.R.A., but at the end of June it was 1.31, so there was a lot more good than bad.  What's interesting about this is I feel he's not well liked in the organization.  It's just a hunch on my part, but for a veteran pitcher, he seems to have a very short leash.  He was snubbed on Opening Day last year for 2 unproven A-Ball pitchers.  He was snubbed as a September call up in 2014 after he'd struggled a bit during the season.  They just don't seem to like him, and that's why I think Tepera gets the last spot.  When Delabar is on, he's just as good if not better, but I think he will be on the waiver wire at the end of Spring.

LH - Pat Venditte
This is the only other left handed pitcher on the 25 man roster.  Sometimes they like to start the season with an 8 man bullpen, and the temptation is to carry 3 lefties.  In that scenario, he has a shot, and if Loup continues his downward spiral, he might get a look into the season.  He's 30 and finally broke into the bigs in 2015 for a bit while in Oakland.  He held is own.

RH - Aaron Sanchez
Please understand that Sanchez is vital to this bullpen, and is one of the late inning go to guys if he ends up in the bullpen.  He's this far down on the list because I'm 98% positive that he breaks camp as the 5th starter

RH - Bo Schultz
Had a breakout season for us last year after getting called up.  Seemed to wear down a bit at the end, but if he has a huge spring like he did last season, and Tepera and Delabar falter, it wouldn't be that unrealistic to see him break camp with the Jays.  We will probably see him at some point.

RH - David Aardsma
After Schultz, it's going to take injuries and miracles for any of the other arms in camp to make the team, so for my last guy, I'm going to take a non-roster invitee.  Sometimes with veterans who's days have passed, or have been cut short due to injuries, teams will throw some at the wall and see what sticks.  I chose Aardsma because he used to be a lights out closer with Seattle.  That was quite a while ago, and he doesn't appear to be the same guy.  He did get into 33 games for the Braves last year, and it seems as if he could avoid giving up home runs,  he wouldn't be too bad.  Good luck at the Rogers Centre though.

The Cubs Needs to Maintain 4-1 World Series Odds

With what may have been the biggest off season in recent Cubs history, has created a lot of chatter about a World Series victory for the "Lovable Losers" of Chicago. Yes, You read it right. The Cubs have the best odds in Vegas right now according to SuperBook at 4-1. Followed by the Dodgers and Astros at 10-1. Just a few years ago in 2012, The Cubs were a 100+ loss team. They some how transitioned into becoming a NLCS finalist in 2015 and hope to succeed more in the upcoming season. From 2014 to 2016 the Cubs payroll jumped just a little over 100 million dollars. In 2014, their payroll was 59.8 mill & now after this off-season acquiring Jason Heyward, John Lackey, and Ben Zobrist they sit at 164 million. It goes to show that Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer knew when to capitalize at the right time to bring baseball back to life at Wrigley.

Looking on paper, the Cubs are overall set up for success in 2016. But even though the bar is set so high, They have to come out with the same mentality they did last year and that is just play the game of baseball each and every day. Joe Maddon has done a great job of that with being the manager. The skipper knows the expectations are high. "Never permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure" may have been my favorite quote from him last season. Now with the Cubs making their stand in the league, Joe is emphasizing "Embrace the target" this year in Spring Training already. Kris Bryant said earlier this week, "We're to young for that" when asked about letting all this hype get to their heads. With keeping composure, There are a few other things that need to happen for the odds to go right in Chicago's favor:

1. Top Of The Rotation- With Arrieta, Lester, Lackey, and Hammel in the front of the starting rotation it's hard to bet against them. It will be very hard for Arrieta to match his second half stats but he will be ready to go coming off his Cy Young year. I believe he will get the start on opening night vs the Angels. The last time Lester & Lackey were on the same team was in 2013 with the Boston Red Sox where they went on to win the World Series that year. These two guys are here to win and nothing else. They are hungry for a championship. They know what it's like and that is really crucial to have to share with the younger players on this Cubs team. The past two years now, Jason Hammel has had a stellar first half of the season and after the All Star game fell off and struggled. Watch out to see if Hammel can stay steady the whole year. Needless to say these 4 out of 5 pitchers in the rotation are scary and need to show up big time to lead this team to their expectations. The next question is who will be filling up that 5th starting role; Travis Wood, Kyle Hendricks, or even Adam Warren?

2. RISP- Think back to Opening Night baseball vs the Cardinals last year. Chicago fell short 3-0. Worst part of that game was struggling with Runners In Scoring Position, 0-13 the Cubs were! There were plenty of games where the Cubs had opportunities to pull out the victory and "Fly the W Flag" last season but just struggled with RISP. By signing Zobrist and Jason Heyward they hope to help that need. Projections have Rizzo, Bryant, AND Schwarber hitting 30+ home runs this season which will be a mid line up power house. They need to drive in those runners on second and third to win crucial games this upcoming season to push them to a hopeful World Series run.

Jonathan Herrera's helmet rub helmet

3. Enjoy The Ride- There is no doubt that this young team likes to have fun. You can see that from even watching this team on TV. The helmet rub, the magicians, the zoo animals, Starlin Castro's walk up song (Which will be missed), and everything else that was put into last season makes it that more special. They need to be loose and create team chemistry. Most of the team was at Spring Training weeks before the arrival date which is very unheard of. Goes to show how excited each one is to get back at it on the field. There should be no problem with the team having fun when the times right but know when to get serious. It's the old man, David Ross's, last season in the MLB... Nothing better to go out with a bang. Can the Cubs do it?

Frenchy's Back, Baby! Francoeur signs Minors deal with Braves

It's been a tough couple of off seasons for Braves fans.  Having to endure one painful move after another, all in the name of building a better future for the franchise, it has been a difficult exercise in pragmatism.  The fanbase needed a win, a player that could spark some kind of connection with an increasingly hopeful, but still apathetic fan base.  Enter, Jeff "Frenchy" Francoeur.  The one time face of the "Baby Braves" of 2005, one of eleven notable rookies (Who included Brian McCann and Kelly Johnson) inked a minor league deal that will almost certainly include some time in the show, if for nothing else, than to drum up some ticket sales for games that will be tough to endure.  

Entering his age 32 season, he carries a career .261 average, has a gold glove, and has one of the most highly regarded throwing arms in the game.  While he has spent most of his career in right field (which is patrolled by Nick Markakis currently), he would be a capable defender in left, maybe to help spell Hector Olivera as needed.

Can't but help the feeling this is the front office throwing fans a bone.  Something nostalgic for fans tired of the seemingly endless roster shuffling.  If they paid double for him, he'd still be worth every penny.

Angels, Blue Jays and Reds Reportedly Working on Three-Team Trade Involving Jay Bruce

Multiple outlets reporting the Blue Jays are pushing hard on getting Jay Bruce. Jon Heyman of MLB.Com says there's a possibility that it's a three-way deal that would send Bruce to the Blue Jays, Michael Sauders to the Angels and a prospect or two to the Reds.
#AngelsRumors #RedNation 🐒 ⚾

Blue Jays, Reds, Angels working on a 3 team deal

It has been reported by Jon Heyman that these three teams are working on a trade. The details so far on this trade has the Blue Jays acquiring Jay Bruce OF as the center piece of the deal. The Angels would receive Michael Saunders OF. It is still unaware on what the Reds would be receiving,  or if there are more pieces to be moved from all three teams.

Michael Conforto: What To Expect In 2016

Spring Training is just around the corner, and expectations have never been higher for the New York Mets.  After a very successful offseason where the Mets made major upgrades in both the bullpen and infield and were able to miraculously bring back slugger Yoenis Cespedes, the NL East should belong to the Amazins once again.

One player coming off of a very good 2015 is outfielder Michael Conforto.  In 56 games with the Mets, Conforto was impressive at the plate, as he accumulated a .270 average while hitting 9 homeruns and batted in 26 runs. 

When Conforto was first called up to the big leagues, there were many doubters, as he was considered raw on the defensive side of the ball; however, he quickly quieted his critics. During his stint with the Mets, Conforto showed great speed and range in the outfield, while also showing off his cannon of an arm on multiple occasions.

Despite the fact that Cespedes is considered the big bat in the middle of the line-up, Conforto will still play a significant role on both sides of the ball.  The second year man is projected to hit anywhere from the five to seven spot in the line-up.  Regardless of where Conforto is in the batting order, his big bat will be needed if the Mets want to continue their dominating run, dating back to when he was first called up to the Big Leagues. 

If Conforto can stay healthy there is no reason why he can’t continue his success that he has had playing in the MLB.  Terry Collins was pleased with the progress he saw from Conforto last season, and will give him every opportunity to succeed in 2016.  Expectations are high, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Conforto hit over 25 home runs with a .280 plus average.  He has thrived offensively at every level of baseball, and he will continue to do so in the MLB. 

With Opening Day a little over a month away, only time will tell how good Conforto will be in 2016.  The Mets are one of the favourites in the National League, and will be for years to come.  We got a small glimpse of what Michael Conforto can do, and he will look to continue his success this upcoming season.

Tanner Scheppers to have surgery on left knee, out until after the All-Star break

Tanner Scheppers will return to Texas to have surgery on his left knee. He has been diagnosed with torn cartilage. The timetable for his return is not until after the All-Star break. He can't recall how he tore his cartilage, and the team believes it's not related to the knee injuries he had last season. This is a big blow to Scheppers as he was set to compete for a bullpen spot, but now he will have to wait yet again. Scheppers hasn't pitched in a full season since 2013.

Rockies Notes: Nelson, LeMaiheu, Wolters

CHRIS NELSON
FEBRUARY 15: Rockies sign infielder Chris Nelson to a minor-league deal, writes Baseball America's Matt Eddy. As MLBTR notes, Nelson spent 10 seasons with Colorado after being selected 9th overall in the 2004 draft.

Nelson, 30, batted .279/.322/.416 in 212 games with the Rockies from 2010-13. Chris has also spent time with the Padres, Angels, and Yankees.

DJ LeMAIHEU
FEBRUARY 17: Colorado extends 2B DJ LeMaiheu, agreeing to a two-year, $7.8MM deal, reports Jon Heyman. As MLBTR notes, the All-Star and Gold Glove winner will earn $3MM in 2016 and $4.8MM in 2017. LeMaiheu's case was the lone arbitration case left in baseball. The deal buys out two of his three remaining arbitration years, so he'll be arb-eligible after 2017.

DJ, 27, is coming off the best offensive season of his career in which he hit .301/.358/.388 with 6 HR and 61 RBI. He also stole 23 bags and was one of the best defensive 2B in baseball for the second consecutive year.

TONY WOLTERS
FEBRUARY 18: Rockies claim C/INF Tony Wolters off waivers from Cleveland, reports Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. As MLBTR notes, closer Adam Ottavino, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, was moved to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster.

Wolters, 23, was a third-round pick by the Tribe in 2010 and made it to AA in 2015 but struggled. Tony hit .209/.290/.280 in 271 plate appearances. He does bring a rare skill set to the table, shifting from shortstop to catcher but can still play the middle infield. He owns a career .258/.335/.349 slash line and was consistently rated among the Indians' Top 30 prospects.

Royals Add Mike Minor

Royals sign starting pitcher Mike Minor to a 2-year contract with a mutual option for 2018. He pitched for the Atlanta Braves the last 5 seasons. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Toronto Blue Jays 2016 Projected Starting Rotation

Spring Training is so close you can almost taste it.  Unless you're there, you can't watch a lot of the games, and you really need to rely on the expert analysis of the people that are there to see it unfold.  Unfortunately this isn't that.  This is just the opinion of a die hard Jay fan turned blogger freezing his buns off in Toronto, who fancies himself as pretty knowledgeable in these areas.  The best part of Spring Training for those that can't go, is predicting who the club will bring north for the start of the season.  I will start with your 2016 starting rotation.  I almost always get this wrong, but this year the rotation is easy to predict.  Obviously the following assumes there are no injuries before opening day.

Your Starting Five

1.  Marcus Stroman

The rotation seems a bit sketchy when your projected ace has only made 24 career starts.  That said, he's a career 15-6, and got some post season experience last year, so if you're going to tie your franchise to a relatively untested arm, this would be the one.  If the Stro show goes anything like it should, it will be fun to watch.  Another freak injury to this kid, and the ripple effect will be felt throughout the entire pitching staff.  No pressure.

2.  Marco Estrada

Coming off a career year, where he started as that guy with an undefined role in the 'pen, and that 'we traded Adam Lind for him?' stigma, and finished the year displaying the stones of a cold blooded gangster in post season (while looking remarkably like a young Andy Garcia), he got a 2 year deal, and there's no reason not to slot him into the 2 slot.  I feel as comfortable with him as I would with any pitcher who had never thrown 200 innings at 32.  Not his fault.  A lot of time spent in bullpens.  He was always good, but now he's GRRRRRRRRREAT.

3.  R.A. Dickey

I was going to say R.A. was old, until I looked it up and found out he was born the same year as me.  Now I'll just say he's a great age (for a knuckleballer).  If he's proven one thing as a Blue Jay, it's that he can get you 210 plus innings, and hover around the .500 mark.  With this offence behind him, there's no reason he couldn't win 17 games, but the bats seem to go quiet when he's pitching.  Maybe this year will be different.

4.  J.A. Happ

It only took 2 months as a Pirate for Happ to find treasure.  We had this guy before at a fraction of the price.  He really pitched well in Pittsburgh's pennant race last year, and was rewarded with a 3 year $36 million dollar contract.  The Toronto media doesn't tell you that in the first half of last season, he was awful in Seattle as a fly ball pitcher in a spacious ball park.  Now he'll be a fly ball pitcher in a homer dome.  Do the math.  He is great for stretches, but at 33 it concerns me that he's never won more than 12 games in a season.  That's a million bucks per win this year for his career high.  That said, if he stays healthy I think he'll win at least 13, but when they try to re-sign Bautista and Encarnacion, they're gonna wish they had some of that J.A. Happ money to spend.  This was to make us forget about David Price LOL.

5.  Aaron Sanchez

The 5th spot is the only one that's actually up for grabs.  There is NO WAY that Sanchez doesn't get this coming out of  Spring Training.  The trouble is he's a better relief pitcher at the moment, and the Jays almost always find themselves needing him in that role.  This year will probably be no different, but with Storen joining us, and Sanchez telling the media that he prefers to start, it's a slam dunk that he will.  He's easily the most talented of the contenders.  They see him as a starter long term, but his career high in innings is 133 in 2014.  He needs to get that up to 160 or so, but they might not want him to do 200.  He'll start the season in the rotation.  By August if he's still healthy and they're in a pennant race, and there's another starter waiting in the wings, they'll probably switch him back to the bullpen one last time before they make him a full season starter in 2017,

On The Bubble

6.  Jesse Chavez

In the off season the Jays were facing a lot of uncertainty surrounding their rotation.  Mark Beurhle is a free agent and will likely retire.  Marco Estrada was a free agent.  David Price was a free agent that was going to cost more than the Blue Jays were ever going to spend.  So they flipped Liam Hendricks who came off a great season as one of the most reliable options in the Jays bullpen for former Jay farm-hand Jesse Chavez who after being a career minor leaguer has carved out a nice little career for himself as a 5th starter or long man in the pen.  He was 7-15 last year in Oakland, but to look at his numbers, you would think a bit of run support could have fixed that.  Chavez got squeezed out when the Jays signed Happ, and even more so when Sanchez announced a preference for starting.  We will likely see Chavez in the rotation at some point, either for an injury or when John Gibbons decides to put Sanchez in the bullpen again.  I like Chavez, but it says here that we will regret dealing Hendricks.

7.  Gavin Floyd

Here's an ex-factor if there is one.  The recent addition of Floyd who as a starter averaged about 12 wins a season (Happ's career high) from 2008-2012.  Had some injuries, but put up solid numbers in small doses in the MLB the last 2 years.  Worked out of the BP last year for the first time and looked good.  The Jays signed him to a major league contract, so he will work out of the pen if not the rotation.  The Gavin Floyd of old easily slides into the #4 slot, and maybe higher.  Does he still have it?  We'll see.

8.  Drew Hutchison

Opening day starter a year ago.  13-5 last year, but had the most ridiculous run support ever.  Close to 8 runs a game.  He was awful a lot of the time, but whenever he made it through 5 innings he seemed to get the win.  If Dickey had that kind of support, he could have won 20.  Hutch still has options, so will likely start in AAA.  Injuries, an incredible spring, and a Sanchez change of heart are his only hope right now.

9.  Roberto Hernandez

Minor League deal, so probably just a depth guy if he clears waivers after the spring.

10.  Scott Copeland

He has no real shot, but I wanted to do 10 because it's a round number.  Had a great year in Buffalo last year.  Looked good in at least 1 of his 5 outings with the Jays.  Not gonna happen.

Royals extend Ned Yost, Dayton Moore

Royals extend the contracts of manager Ned Yost and GM Dayton Moore. Ned Yost gets a 2-year extension through 2018. The length of Dayton Moore's contract was not disclosed. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Three Biggest Rangers Questions Ahead of Spring Training

Photography Credit: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

It’s that time of year again. Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona today. Ahead of the beginning of Spring Training I thought I’d preview the biggest concerns that the Rangers will have attempting to defend their 2015 AL West championship this season.

1. Injuries

Like seemingly every season, injuries are going to be a major area of concern for the Rangers. Yu Darvish will be coming off the DL in late May or Early June, but don’t expect him to be the Ace that we’ve come to know and love right off the bat. Yu seems to think he is getting close to full strength at this time, but that’s pretty typical rhetoric from a professional athlete. The Ranger’s coaching staff isn’t going to rush things with Yu. Hopefully, he can be a solid #2 behind Cole Hamels while inching toward full strength.

Josh Hamilton is a constant injury concern. At this point, I think the Rangers will be happy if they can have him playing half of the games this season. Look for a possible platoon situation with right-handers Justin Ruggiano and Ryan Rua and uncertainty at the left field position once again. The Rangers haven’t given any indication that Joey Gallo will be experimenting in left field again, but you never know. Nomar Mazara is always a name to look out for, but the team may not want to rush him like they did Joey Gallo last season.

2. An Aging Middle of the Line-up

Another big area of concern is going to be another year old duo of Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre. Adrian is turning 37 in April and Prince will be 32 in May. Last year, Prince seemed to be aging very gracefully. He replaced his power bat for a higher batting average and led the team in runs handedly over the season. However, Prince himself admitted that he slowed down late into late season and into the playoffs. Part of this has to be due to his size, but getting into shape for Spring Training and beyond gets tougher the older you get. I expect Prince to have a similar season as last year, hitting for average rather than power once again.

Beltre, on the other hand, seems to be a freak of nature. He just appears to be one of the players like Dirk and Tim Duncan who, while slowing down with age, can still be a star play on their respective teams into their late 30’s. I anticipate another productive season out of Beltre and perhaps one more after that. A contract extension certainly wouldn’t be a foolish move on the Ranger’s part as you await Joey Gallo’s development.

3. New Coaching Staff

This is possibly the biggest question heading into the season. Turning over both your hitting and pitching coach is a big step for any team. Honestly, I’m not as concerned about the hitting coach change. Anthony Iapoce appears to be the real deal and many of us were ready to be done with Dave Magadan at the beginning of last season. Magadan did seem to help improve certain Rangers hitters over the course of the season, but it will be intriguing to see where a new hitting philosophy leads the team.

Maddux, of course, is a big loss. He was a fan favorite with his calming demeanor and patented one handed shoulder rub. To be honest, I don’t know much about new pitching coach Doug Brocail. From what I’ve heard, he’s more of a motivational guy than the calming presence you got from Maddux. It will be interesting to see how the pitching staff responds to him. The Rangers also promoted from within with new bullpen coach Brad Holman. Jon Daniels has built excellent coaching depth down through the minors and Holman was no exception as pitching coach at AAA Round Rock. I’m expecting the bullpen to take another step forward this season.

Let me know what you think! 

This article was originally posted on BallParkWay: http://ballparkway.com/articles/three-biggest-rangers-questions-ahead-of-spring-training

Schwarber Breaks A Windshield Already

Even though the Cubs pitchers and catchers don't report to Mesa, Arizona until Friday (Feb. 19th) & position players on Feb. 23rd, You can see most of the team there by now. Bryant, Rizzo, Russell, Schwarber, Heyward, Hammel, Grim, Baez, and many more are there already ready to go and live up to the hype.

Despite being swept by the Mets in the NLCS last season, Schwarber left 2015 with a bang. By breaking the Cubs post season home run record by hitting 5 homers last October, He is picking up where he left off.

This afternoon while taking batting practice, John Arguello (@CubsDen) tweeted "Sounds like Schwarber just nailed a car." Well he was right. Kyle Schwarber not only nailed a car, he shattered their windshield. Just shortly after, the owner of the car posted a picture of the car via Instagram.

At this rate, I would think twice before driving on Sheffield Ave. during game days. "Be Alert For Foul Balls"? Nope. Be alert for your cars, Cubs fans. This team will be scary good going into April.

Houston Astros' 2016 Rotation

By: Jordan Smith

The Houston Astros' 2016 Pitching situation is one that all teams should be jealous of. Why exactly do you think I am saying this? This is because the Houston Astros by far have the best Starting Rotation and Bullpen in all of Major League Baseball.

The Astros' Starting Rotation consists of 8 pitchers who all should and deserve a spot in the rotation. The only problem is that there are 5 spots in the Rotation. So, who gets those 5 spots you ask? Here's what the Rotation looks like right now.

Starting Rotation:

1. Dallas Keuchel

2. Collin McHugh

3. Doug Fister

4. Lance McCullers

5. Mike Fiers, Brad Peacock, Wandy Rodriguez, Scott Feldman

That number 5 spot has four pitchers fighting for the last spot in the rotation. That is a pretty healthy competition right there if you ask me. In my opinion, Mike Fiers will most likely win the last spot in the Starting 5 to make it the most prolific starting rotation in all of Baseball. Wandy and Scott will most likely be sent to the bullpen where they will be long relievers and Brad Peacock will most likely be sent to Triple A after Spring Training.

What do yall think the Starting Rotation for the Houston Astros is going to look like? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Also, be sure to check out my website and Sports Blog by clicking the links below. Thanks for Reading.

Houston Sports Beat

My Website (Click my name at the top of the post)

Under the Surface... Three Names you should Know at Braves Spring Training (You May Not have Heard About)

As the days before baseball dwindle down, front offices are shifting their focus from what they want to what they have.  Depth charts start to become a little more clear, rotations start to gel into place, and the ink begins to dry on recently signed free agent contracts.

That doesn't make things any easier though, especially in Atlanta.

If you thought that Dansby Swanson, Ozzie Albies, or Sean Newcomb aren't getting enough press coverage, then I would invite you to check that your internet connection didn't stop working around New Years.  It has become apparent to those who follow the team that these are the cornerstones (among others) of a franchise that is shifting gears towards a new phase of the grand rebuilding, and will be for some time in the future.  There are many names, however, that are not getting the attention that might be warranted, and it would only be fair to point them out...

Jholys Chacin: 
If I told you that we had a pitcher that was at one point the ace of the Colorado Rockies, had a decent strikeout rate, and a career ERA under 4, despite pitching his entire career in Coors Field, that might actually be impressive.  Except it's Jholys Chacin, and for some reason, THAT is why he's been completely overlooked as a pitcher primed for a comeback.  There is a history of injuries, no doubt about it, and his ERA and FIP don't exactly flatter each other (3.76/4.01), one has to take in to account that the level of competition this guy has faced in the past, was far elevated over what he could see in the NL East.  The sinkerball pitcher will likely start the year in AAA, but received an invite to play with the big boys this spring, I would look for him to make a serious run at joining the rotation if not right away, then early on if Williams Perez or Bud Norris struggle.

Rio Ruiz:
This could be an interesting fork in the road for Rio, once a high ranking prospect in a barren farm system, he now is struggling to find his footing, and at possibly the worst time.  With the fresh injection of highly talented, "destined for the show" prospects flooding the Braves farm system, Rio's lack of offense and sub par defense over the past year (plus) have been accentuated, and he will have to prove that he can hit for an average higher than .233 against big league arms, and make himself a viable option for the big league club.  A strong spring could eventually mean a bench or corner utility spot for him.  Anything less, could stamp him for a career in the minors.

Aaron Blair:
Blair has gotten some press that the previous two haven't, but with good reason.  As part of the infamous Shelby Miller deal, Blair brings MLB ready talent to the team.  There is still a good chance that he starts the year in AAA Gwinnett, but of anyone on the invitees list (even the big names), he has the greatest probability of cracking the big league roster.   He doesn't wow with Newcomb like velocity or Toussaint break on his curve, but he is a solid pitcher with plus control and has little else to prove in the Minor Leagues anymore.

There are many names to watch this year, and for years to come in the Braves system, both on the mound and at the plate, so we continue to watch the maturation of what Keith Law of ESPN ranked as the best farm system in MLB, so as time goes on, we will keep our eyes towards the future, and with a system as deep as this, it's not just the names that make the papers that will one day make a difference in Cobb County.

Brantley's Injury Could Have A Very Serious Impact on the Cleveland Indians

The 2016 Cleveland Indians are very optimistic about the upcoming season, but they do have some serious cause for concern. The AL Central is now one of the toughest divisions in baseball, and the toughest in the AL, and every last game will count towards a playoff push. Cleveland's cause for concern certainly won't come from the pitching, because they have one of the best and youngest rotations in baseball that will only continue to improve with more MLB time. The big concern is one that has plagued them since the days they were great, and it comes from the offense. In 2015, Cleveland was 18th in runs scored (669), 22nd in homeruns (141), and 21st in batting average with runners in scoring position. The Indians main problem in 2015 was not just simply the offense (Because they were superb in some categories including being 2nd in doubles (303), 11th in average (.256), and 7th in on base percentage at .325), but it was their clutch hitting and lack of power. The worst part about all of it is, they will be without their best power and clutch hitter for the first month and a half. Michael Brantley, who is now recovering from November shoulder surgery, hit .310 with 15 HR, 84 RBI, and an MLB best 45 doubles in 2015. While he is pushing to be back, and already is doing a lot of his regular Spring work, he is not expected to be back till mid May to early June. This creates a gaping hole in a lineup that is already desperate for offense in any way they can find it. Cleveland has high hopes for newcomer Mike Napoli, bouncebacks from Yan Gomes and Carlos Santana, and a continued high rate of production from Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor, but the ugly hole could cost Cleveland a lot of games. If you can't score runs you can't win ballgames, as evidenced by Corey Kluber's 9-16 record in 2015. Kluber had a very good year that has been highly penalized by his bad run support, for example he was 4-10 with an ERA of 3.38 at the All-Star break. Overall, Kluber was 76th in run support, and it cost him a lot of games. Without Brantley, it is very likely that Cleveland's offense will give very minimal run support, and when you stretch that over a month and a half it gets very serious. By the time Brantley comes back, the lack of offense could have already put Cleveland in a huge hole that will be difficult, if not impossible to climb out of. We may very well see Cleveland miss the postseason, all because of the fact they will be without Brantley for so many games.

Wrigley Field Preparing For ASG

Ball hawks, get ready. There maybe some deep fly balls being hit on Waveland and Sheffield Ave. On Saturday February 13th, MLB Commissioner, Robert Manfred, talked about the North Side of Chicago to host an All Star Game on a radio talk show called "Inside The Clubhouse". With the upcoming years and cities reserved for the ASG up to 2018, The Cubs will have time to finish the renovations.

"It makes sense the Cubs get an opportunity ahead after the new renovations are complete. This will provide the Cubs and Ricketts family a chance to showcase the unbelievable renovations they are in the midst of doing for Wrigley Field.", said Manfred.

The last time the Cubs hosted an All Star Game was back in 1990. Kris Bryant wasn't even born yet at that time and Chicago's All Star 1st baseman, Anthony Rizzo, was only one years old. So in another words it's been awhile for the North Side. The renovations included expansion to the bleachers, 2 digital scoreboards, a hotel across the street, a new clubhouse, new bathrooms, etc. With all these renovations being finished up, There should be no problem for the Cubs to be granted a hosting of the All Star Game in the upcoming years, 2019 or 2020

.

Texas Rangers To Sign Former Met Ike Davis To Minor League Deal

The Texas Rangers have signed former New York Met Ike Davis to a minor league contract, with an invite to Spring Training.  Davis spent last season with the Oakland Athletics, where he appeared in just 74 games due to injury. 

Davis will look to revive his MLB career, as he has really struggled since hitting 32 homeruns during the 2012 season.  Last season, Davis hit just .229 with three HRs and 20 RBIs.  If he can avoid injury, he will look to make a positive impact on a Rangers team in need of some power.