RBI Magazine To Preview All Teams For 2009 Season

Welcome to RBI Magazine’s first annual Season Preview Edition. Over the next two weeks RBI Magazine will focus on previewing each individual team for the upcoming 2009 Season.

The previews will include; Key Additions, Key Subtractions, and in-depth looks at the lineup and pitching rotations.  We will also be including a season outlook along with predictions of what we expect from each organization.

Please feel free to comment and share these fantastic articles written by our finest authors at RBI Magazine. As each preview is posted, a link will be provided below. You will also be able to view each preview from our homepage.

Atlanta Braves Season Preview

Seattle Mariners Season Preview

Oakland A’s Season Preview

2009 Seattle Mariners Preview

Last year’s Mariners were without a doubt, dollar for dollar, the worst team in the Major Leagues. Ex-General Manager Bill Bavasi’s tenure will no doubt be remembered as some of the worst general managing of all time, marked by the terrible contracts handed to Richie Sexson, Jarrod Washburn, and Carlos Silva, the awful trades he made, and just all around failure. Many “experts” expected the Mariners to compete in 2008. Well, that is exactly the opposite of what happened, and basically everyone who hand the slightest hand in putting that team together was ultimately was fired.

The 2009 Mariners Slogan “A New Day, A New Would” could not be more accurate. New General Manager Jack Zduriencik and assistants Tony Blengino and Tom McNamara have taken an entirely different approach to building this roster. They hired baseball stat expert Tom Tango to help with a Sabermetrics department, which was basically enough to show me that these guys might know what they are doing. In an offseason with a pretty bad free agent class, having their hands tied by the upper management with regards to money, and a huge sum of payroll tied up in bad deals by given out by the former regime, the new group did a decent job amassing a solid amount of talent for relatively no cost. Will this team compete? That’s an extreme longshot. Will this year be a great step forward for an organization that took massive steps backwards under the former management? That is all but certain.

Key additions:
Ken Griffey Jr. (DH/OF), Franklin Gutierrez (OF), Endy Chavez (OF), Russell Branyan (1B), Mike Carp (1B), Chris Shelton (1B), Ronny Cedeno (IF), Garrett Olson (SP/RP), Tyler Walker (RP), David Aardsma (RP), and a whole bunch of live bullpen arms via waivers, the Rule 5, and minor transactions.

Key Subtractions:
Raul Ibanez (OF), Jeremy Reed (OF), Willie Bloomquist (UT), Miguel Cairo (UT), J.J. Putz (RP), Sean Green (RP), R.A. Dickey (SP/RP), Jake Woods (RP), Eric O’Flaherty (RP), Jared Wells (RP)

A look at the lineup:
The Mariners’ offseason consisted of quite the purge, and a lot of changes and experimentation will definitely take place in 2009. Additions Franklin Gutierrez, Endy Chavez, and Ken Griffey Jr. will likely see a good amount of playing time, and prospects Wladimir Balentein and Jeff Clement should get a long look to see where they both stand after awful 2008 campaigns. Ichiro and Beltre’s positions are safe, but after that, every position could realistically be up for grabs in 2009, making this season pretty intriguing regardless of the team’s record.

Catcher: While the regular catcher should be Jeff Clement, a terrible contract handed out to Kenji Johjima will probably keep Clement on the bench or in Tacoma more often than not. Johjima had a horrendous 2008 (.227/.277/.332), and should rebound to produce decent numbers from the 2-spot. This is not, however, justification to keep Clement out of the starting spot. Clement struggled in his time in the majors, but with regular playing time in AAA Tacoma he was able to destroy the ball to a tune of .335/.455/.676 with 14 homers in just 173 AB. On a more competitive team, keeping Johjima behind the plate more often might make sense, as he will probably be more consistent and better defensively. But he should have been allowed to do that for another team, instead of blocking Clement. Now aging, with a huge contract, coming off a terrible year, there is almost no chance Johjima can be moved in a trade without serious money or talent going with him.

First Base:
Russell Branyan is penciled in as the starter at this point, but a suitable platoon partner would be nice. If Chris Shelton can show that he can still hit the ball and play decent defense to warrant giving him a 40-man roster spot, he could end up being that partner. The Mariners do have a couple of players on the 40-man that are expendable, and this may become a reality. Branyan is a true power source (12 homers in 132 AB) and should enjoy hitting in the left-hand-favoring Safeco Field. The problem, however, is the complete inability to hit lefthanders (.204/.284/.446. in his career). Shelton fairs decently against lefties for his career (.283/.346/.492) and the two could provide a surprise above average first baseman if used correctly.

Second Base:
Jose Lopez has never lived up to the billing he received when signed by Seattle in 2000. Some view this as Lopez being a failed prospect, but honestly that isn’t really true. He’s been an above average second baseman since he got to the Bigs, and while somewhat inconsistent throughout the year, puts up pretty good numbers when it comes down to it (.271/.303/.398 career). Even though advanced defensive metrics rate him as slightly above average, most scouts agree he is much more of a defensive liability than it seems. Rumors swirling this spring include that Lopez has put on some extra pounds in order to hit for more power and some fear this will cause his already slow first step to get even slower. Should Adrian Beltre be moved this season, logic says Lopez slides over to 3B and sticks there. Ronny Cedeno was brought in as a backup, and will most definitely put pressure on both Lopez and shortstop Yunieksy Betancourt.

Third Base:
Perhaps the most underrated, underappreciated player in all of baseball, Adrian Beltre will continue to play hard and play extremely well day in and day out for the Mariners. His contract is pretty much the only good one Bavasi gave in his tenure and Beltre is vastly underpaid by today’s market standards. He easily has one of, if not the best, third base glove in baseball. All of the advanced defensive metrics, as well as, scouting reports back it up. He’s not going to hit 48 homers like he did in 2003, but he’s still incredibly skilled with the bat. Last year’s .266 batting average was definitely a fluke and could have easily been closer to .300 had his below average .279 BABIP not deflated it. Expect another great season out of Beltre, and probably expect him to get shipped off for a nice package of prospects to a team in need at the deadline. Beltre is one Mariner of the Bavasi Era that I will truly miss when he’s gone.

Short Stop:
Yuniesky Betancourt was practically handed the role of Seattle Mariners shortstop when he stepped off the boat from Cuba—and he probably deserved it. He was a below average hitter, but could hack it for the position, and was a superb defender. He was highly regarded as the best defensive player in baseball for a year or so. Then something changed, Yuni got bigger, and perhaps lazier, and became one of the worst defensive players in the league. He won’t hit much, so his value relies on his ability to pick it, and that has all but gone over the last two years. Ronny Cedeno may end up being the Mariners everyday shortstop if this trend continues in 2009. That would result in Betancourt being shipped off to a team who thinks he can still field or just delegated to the bench as a pinch runner.

Left Field:
Probably the most interesting story of the Mariners offseason was: how do we fill the void that Raul Ibanez left? Well the Mariners’ front office showed that they “get it” when they claimed Ibanez wasn’t all that valuable, due to his defensive inadequacies, and were able to get defensive extraordinaire Endy Chavez as a player thrown into the JJ Putz trade. They also appear to have given up on Wladimir Balentein, who showed major holes at the plate all year long in 2008. Endy was penciled in as the starter in left field, but now with the signing of Ken Griffey Jr., things get a little more complicated. Griffey Jr. should be this team’s designated hitter. However, baseball politics, notoriety, and old-school concepts may keep Endy on the bench as a reserve. It’s true, Chavez’s bat is awful, but looking at what he brings defensively, he’s probably going to be a more valuable left fielder than Griffey. Griffey is one of the worst defensive players in baseball over the last few years, and at 39, I doubt coming back to Seattle will rejuvenate him that much. It seems like the plan is to play Griffey out there until they can’t anymore, and then give Chavez the spot. There is still a large contingent of people who don’t understand defensive value and think Griffey should be in the field on a daily basis. These people are wrong.

Center Field:
The biggest name for the Mariners brought through the JJ Putz trade is definitely Franklin Gutierrez. Even though he struggled with the bat in his first full season in the Bigs (.248/.307 /.383), Gutierrez is a defensive wizard with an amazing arm. Gutierrez is only 25 and has a lot of time to improve his bat work, and could end up becoming a plus bat and a real steal for the Mariners in that trade. Zduriencik decided to go with quantity over quality in the Putz trade, probably a smart move for a team that needs a complete overhaul, and he still ended up getting a nice catch in Gutierrez.

Right Field:
Ichiro. Read what you will, believe what you want, all the papers in Seattle seem to think Ichiro is the real reason this team collapsed. From Carlos Silva, to JJ Putz, and even a little poke from Adrian Beltre, Ichiro has been labeled selfish, and not a “team guy”. But, when it comes down to it, he has been one of the top 5 most valuable outfielders in the major leagues since 2005. He may not dive for the ball, steal every time he’s on base, or hit homers, but what he does is help win games, and that’s what he’s being paid to do. I am 100% for Ichiro in whatever he does, and I truly believe, had he done the same exact thing on a winning team, he’d be considered a team leader, unselfish, and a guy who would do anything to win. Superstars get blamed when their team loses, that’s just how it goes, and Ichiro is truly a superstar.

Designated Hitter:
This spot could be up for grabs depending on how the “Griffey in left field” situation shakes itself out. Best case scenario would be that Griffey shares time here with Jeff Clement and Wladimir Balentein, while Clement also catches and Balentein is used as a reserve. If Griffey plays the field, the spot is open to both of the youngsters, and we’ll probably see more of Clement at DH than behind the plate. Any way you look at it, this position has the potential to be a real revolving door situation, and a good chance to showcase the Griffey/Mariners Reunion Tour or get a look at what the two youngsters really bring to the plate.

A look at the pitching:

The Mariners starters will look very similar to 2008, with the only difference being Brandon Morrow taking Miguel Batista’s spot in the rotation. Should the top three (Hernandez, Bedard, and Morrow) stay healthy and pitch up to their potential; this could be a very dangerous staff. The two incredibly overpaid and incredibly average four and five guys, Jarrod Washburn and Carlos Silva, will actually be a suitable back end of a rotation regardless of how expensive they are. This staff could actually end up being quite the strength for the 2009 Mariners, and with a more defensive minded approach this season, could really be a surprise that allows this M’s team to compete.

Starters:
Felix may have taken a slight step back last year as far as peripherals go. His swinging strike rate went down, as did his ground ball rate, and he walked more batters than ever before. This alarms some, but keep in mind Felix is only going to turn 23 in April. That’s younger than each of the following: Tim Lincecum, Cole Hamels, Chad Billingsly, David Price, Edinson Volquez, Joba Chamberlain, Fransisco Liriano… well you get the idea. He’s already got more innings and more stirkeouts under his belt than all of those names as well. Felix has some of the best stuff on the planet; he can throw the ball in the mid to high 90s with authority, and backs it up with a superb curveball and perhaps an even better changeup. The Mariners preached fastball first to the youngster for the last couple years, and much work has been done at blogs USSMariner.com and LookoutLanding.com to show how this was really dumb. If Felix mixes his pitches, he is truly one of the most talented hurlers on the planet and should be for a long time. Hopefully that long time is spent in Mariners’ blue and teal.

If Eric Bedard stays healthy, he’s probably a top 10 pitcher in the majors… but, that’s a big “if”. Missing a load of starts last season, and recovering from shoulder surgery this offseason, Bedard’s status is a giant question mark. If he can stay healthy through the whole year, he should be one of the more valuable pitchers in baseball, and will probably be traded in a deal much like Rich Harden’s trade from last season.

Brandon Morrow’s development as a starter is one of the most important stories for the 2009 Mariners. He’s already shown that he can be an incredibly effective reliever, but more value would come from him taking his skill set to a starting role. He’s armed with one of the best fastballs in baseball, which tops at 100 and is usually in the 97-99 range. Morrow’s two keys this year will be developing his curve and changeup and keeping the ball in the zone consistently. If he can do that, he could be a very great pitcher for this ballclub.

Silva and Washburn are decent options for the four and five slots, but the problem is that they are being paid as if they are aces. Washburn is a candidate to be moved during the season if he pitches well, and should have been moved last year. There is not a single team that would take on Silva’s full salary, and he will likely (and unfortunately) be a Mariner until the end of his contract. Both should hover around league average or slightly below for the season, and both will be smiling on their way to the bank.

Ryan Rowland-Smith may also get a shot to crack the rotation, and in his brief stint in that role last year, answered the call very well and did exactly what was expected of him. If the team can move Washburn early, Bedard gets hurt, Silva has one too many hamburgers and misses a start due to acid indigestion, Rowland-Smith is the Mariners next and best option. I’m hoping to see as much of RRS in the rotation as possible.

Other options for the rotation include Garrett Olson and Ryan Feierabend. Olson might need a little more time in the minors or the bullpen, and Feierabend may have to get surgery that will put an early end to his 2009 season.

Bullpen:
GM Jack Zduriencik should lecture for the class “How to Build a Cheap Effective Bullpen 101”. By searching the league for guys with great stuff, spotty command, or injury problems with the ability to pass them up and down on the Tacoma Shuttle easily, he has given new Manager Don Wakamatsu a ton of options to use in the later innings. After the Putz deal, there was a lot of talk about the weakness and uncertainty of the bullpen, however, I don’t really believe that will be the case. Former closer Tyler Walker and flamethrower David Aardsma will probably battle Mark Lowe and Miguel Batista for the closer spot. The bullpen is young and can throw hard, but is slightly inconsistent. The Rays showed us that this can work wonders last year, and other teams have done it in the past. He’s also given Wakamatsu a number of talented lefties who all could end up being decent LOOGY’s for this team. That role is probably Cesar Jiminez’s spot to lose, but he will be threatened by Jose Lugo, Jason Vargas, and Justin Thomas. I give kudos to Zduriencik for not wasting any money on his relief corps and instead building a staff with a lot of unrecognizable names that could still manage to be an extremely solid group.

Outlook:
The 2009 Mariners should have one thing in mind: Progression. This organization isn’t going to wake up and be good overnight. By amassing talent for a couple years through trades, free agency, and the draft and spending “smart” money, this team could easily become “Boston of the West Coast”. If the trend and concepts of the current leadership of the team stick, and Presidents Howard Lincoln and Chuck Armstrong stay away from the baseball side of operations, this organization could be built back up to be a winner for a long time.

Prediction:
As for 2009, I can’t see the Mariners winning more than 80 games (77-85), but this year is just part of the picture for this organization. Here’s to a successful 2009, and here’s to “A New Day, A New Way” in Seattle.

Phillies Release Adam Eaton

The World Champion Phillies have reportedly released starting pitcher Adam Eaton, who is in the final year of a three-year, $24.5 million contract.

After being sent to the Minors last year, Eaton was called back up to a Phillies roster spot in early September, but made no appearances during their playoff run.

Eaton made his debut for the Phillies on April 5, 2007 against the Atlanta Braves, pitching 4⅔ innings,  giving up 7 earned runs, and taking his first loss. He continued the season and was 10–10 with an earned run average of 6.29, one of the worst in the league.

Despite being released, Eaton told reporters that he will still wear his championship ring, but seems saddened he was not invited to celebrate the teams victory by participating in the Phillies parade.

Eaton was not considered a candidate to fill the Phillies fifth starter position.

Manny Rejects Dodgers Fourth Offer

Third time and no charm, and now the fourth time has just brought on more disappointment. According ESPN’s Jayson Stark and a few other baseball news sources, Manny Ramirez has rejected yet another offer from the Dodgers.

The latest offer made on Wednesday was said to be a two-year, $45 million contract, with a salary of $25 million during the first year and  $20 million during the second. The second year even included a player option in 2010. Good enough? Apparently not!

At 8:30 p.m. pacific time Thursday evening, the Los Angeles Dodgers released a statement that confirmed Manny Ramirez and agent Scott Boras rejected the fourth and most recent offer made by the club. Dodgers Owner Frank McCourt has expressed serious frustration with the pair, but still feels like a deal will be reached.

Boras and Manny Ramirez have been persistent with their interest in negotiating a long-term deal. I think the key phrase here is “long-term”.

Even though the last offer made by the Dodgers was appealing, the time frame of only two years might just be the “kick in the bucket”.

If the Dodgers offer Manny a deal for 3 years and possibly a dollar figure of something close to $60MM, you might see the slugger back in Dodger blue accepting a fifth offer. However, if the Dodgers can not add an extension to Manny’s contract length, a deal may never happen.

Whatever the case, we do know that the Dodgers need Manny and Manny needs the Dodgers. I see a deal very soon, however, this time the length will be 3 years snagging Manny back to LA.

Dodgers Make New Offer To Manny Ramirez

Finally a Manny Ramirez deal may be closer than ever. According to multiple reports last evening and this morning, the Los Angeles Dodgers have made a new offer to Manny Ramirez.

The offer is believed to be a two-year, $45 million contract, with a salary of $25 million during the first year and  $20 million during the second. The second year is supposedly a player option so Manny could leave for another team if he desires.

The Dodgers have now made a total of 3 offers to the slugger this offseason. The last offer was a similar dollar amount, but the current offer is now structured to Manny’s favor including the player option.

Miguel Salcido reported earlier this week that Adding Manny also makes Pierre somewhat expendable. That and a logjam at certain positions internally put the Dodgers in a great spot to trade for some pitching as the season unfolds if necessary. I feel that the Dodgers are prepared to run their kids out there this year and see what they can do. And of course there are a slew of veterans trying to resurrect their careers as well. People like Vargas, Schmidt, Estes, Weaver, and Milton are all seasoned vets that could turn things around.

“Third times the charm?” I guess we’ll see!

Breaking: Manny Signing With The Dodgers This Week!

A report today from 570 AM in Los Angeles says that an agreement has been reached between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Manny Ramirez camp. The flagship AM radio station for Fox Radio is saying that it is a two year contract with an option for a third year. The official announcement is supposed to come later this week.

The third year option is said to be heavily laden with incentives. This is exactly what people expected, and third or fourth year with massive incentives. Of course I would also expect a J.D. Drewesque out clause negotiated in there by Scott Boras, Manny’s agent. It appears that the Dodgers strategy this off season has really paid off big time! Getting Manny on two years with a third year option is a great deal for them. Of course the numbers have not yet been announced; let’s just hope that they are near or below the earlier offer of two years at $45 million.

This is great news for Dodgers fans as it automatically catapults the team into the top echelon of the National League. Their only perceived weakness so far seems to be pitching because of the lack of experience on the staff. But the team is laden with young talented arms that are both ready for this season and many that are still marinating in the minors. I expect the Dodgers to have some exceptional homegrown pitching talent come of age this year and the coming years as well.

Adding Manny also makes Pierre somewhat expendable. That and a logjam at certain positions internally put the Dodgers in a great spot to trade for some pitching as the season unfolds if necessary. I feel that the Dodgers are prepared to run their kids out there this year and see what they can do. And of course there are a slew of veterans trying to resurrect their carrers as well. People like Vargas, Schmidt, Estes, Weaver, and Milton are all seasoned vets that could turn things around.

All said, the Dodgers lineup is looking mighty scary at this point and I am sure that Dodgers fans around the world are looking forward to the coming season!

5 Best Prospects From The NL East

As Spring Training kicks into high gear, there will be unfamiliar names wearing numbers like 64 and 87.  Those are the minor leaguers.

A few of these guys will make an instant impact on their team at the highest level and for others that dream is still a few years away.  Whatever each individual case may be there is a lot of talent in the National League East below the major league level.

According to Scouts Inc., the NL East boasts eight players within the top 50 prospects in baseball.  Here are the top minor leaguers from each team in the Eastern Division.

Atlanta Braves
Jason Heyward – RF:  Heyward is ranked in the Top 5 in several different publications, and by all accounts the guy is headed for stardom.  In fairness, the kid has a long way to go, as he is only19 years old.  Currently with the Braves in Spring Training, Heyward is proving to be an imposing young man, blessed with a 6-foot-4 inch frame.  Braves GM Frank Wren says Heyward “stands out in almost any room.”

Last season in the Class-A Carolina League, Heyward sparkled with the Rome Braves, hitting for average, showing some power and discipline at the plate.  He hit .323 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI’s in his first real taste of pro baseball. In 2007, Heyward played in just 12 games overall after getting a late start. Not bad for a kid that doesn’t turn 20 until August.

Heyward is being compared to Dave Parker, a big-time masher that spent 19 seasons in the majors.  The young outfielder is one of several Atlanta Braves farmhands that are showing great promise in the minors.  Others include Tommy Hanson, a right-hander who is scheduled to hit Atlanta sometime in ’09. He is ranked 24th on the MLB.com Top 50 prospects of 2009.  Also keep an eye on outfielder’s Freddie Freeman and Jordan Schafer.

Florida Marlins
Logan Morrison – 1B : We could put Cameron Maybin here, the stud centerfielder that had a cup of coffee in the majors at the end of 2008.  Maybin is certainly turning heads after his performance in limited action, when he played in eight games and hit a lofty .500 with a staggering OPS of 1.105.  But we know about Maybin already, as his name has been around for years.

Logan Morrison is a bit of an unknown, but that should soon be changing.  Morrison is a first baseman who finished up at Jupiter in the High-A Florida State League in 2008, winning the FSL’s MVP.  The 21-year old is a run producing machine, knocking in 178 runs through his first 307 minor league games at four different levels.  His offense is clearly on track, but his position is another matter.

Gaby Sanchez, the Florida Marlins rookie first baseman, is blocking Morrison’s path to the big leagues at this moment.  Sanchez seems to have the inside track on the starting gig and if his career plays out like most believe it should, Morrison may have to settle for the outfield.  According to the South Florida Sun, Morrison has already been preparing for left field, though Marlins Manager Fredi Gonzalez says they will keep him at first this spring.  Baseball America has Morrison the third ranked Marlins prospect behind Maybin and outfielder Mike Stanton, but Keith Law of ESPN has him ranked ahead of both on his Top 100 list.

New York Mets
Fernando Martinez – OF: The Mets top prospect is 20-years old and has twice been a Futures Game selection.  Martinez is a lefty at the plate and while he has struggled against southpaws (just a .217 average last year in 106 AB’s last year), he is showing signs of promise.

In 86 games at Double-A Binghamton in ’08, Martinez hit .287 and knocked in 43 runs, but scouts believe the power will come with time.  In fairness, injuries plagued Martinez last season, hindering what could have been a breakout season.  Scouts enjoy his quick bat from the left side and his defense was above-average playing centerfield last year.

His ETA for the majors according to MLB.com is 2010, and it looks like the Mets may need an infusion of young talent as their outfield is certainly aging.  Their three projected starters this year are all over 30.  However, before Martinez hits the big time, he needs to hit the lefties, or the transition may be excruciating.

Philadelphia Phillies
Carlos Carrasco – RHP: The Phillies finally have a few talented minor leaguers they can be proud of.  A few are creeping close to the big squad as Lou Marson projects to be the catcher of the near future and Jason Donald has a real shot as a backup infielder this year.  But Carlos Carrasco gets the nod over these guys because pitching is key.

Carrasco is in camp with the Phillies this spring and is involved in the race for the fifth starter on the big league club.  While the odds are against him, he is getting a look.  Carrasco struggled a bit at Double-A Reading last season, posting just a 7-7 record with an ERA in the four’s.  He moved to Triple-A for six starts last season, and flourished at the higher level, going 2-2 with an ERA south of two. He also had 46 strikeouts through those final six games, and registered them in just 36 innings.

Whether or not Carrasco makes the big squad to begin the year, it’s likely Phillies fans will see him at some point in 2009.  Other prospects making waves for the Phillies are outfielders Michael Taylor and Dominic Brown.  John Manuel of Baseball America ranks Brown as the #1 prospect in the Phils organization, while Taylor is #6 on that list.

Washington Nationals
Jordan Zimmerman – RHP: The Nationals do not have a strong farm system this season, ranking 29 out of 30 teams according to Law.  The only real prospect they have right now is right handed pitcher Jordan Zimmerman.  The draft has not been very kind to the Nats/Expos organization over the past decade, as many of their top prospects (Brandon Phillips, Tony Armas, Bill Bray) have moved on.

Zimmerman has the tools to be the #1 starter for Washington in a few years, but projects as more of a #3 starter in actuality.  The 6-foot-2, 200 pound righty spent most of last year in Double-A and did very well.  He put together a 7-2 record with an ERA of 3.21. Zimmerman boasts a four-seam fastball in the low-to-mid 90’s and has a decent slider, curveball, and changeup.

Ranked 43rd on Law’s Top 100 list, Zimmerman right now is the only hope coming out of a weak crop in the minors for the Nats. Also on the radar is Ross Detwiler, the Nats first round pick in 2007, and first baseman Chris Marrero.  Marrero suffered a major setback last year after breaking his leg and tearing ligaments in his ankle sliding into home plate.  The 20-year old is in Spring Training with the Nats, working out at first base after failed attempts at third base and outfield.

Patrick Gallen is the Philadelphia Phillies Examiner for examiner.com.  He also hosts his own internet radio show, “Basketball Roundup” on the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. The show airs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am-12pm est.

No Griffey, No Problem

After falling short in their attempts to sign, well, everyone, the rumors are beginning to swirl that the Atlanta Braves are now going after 36-year old Garret Anderson. This should be to no ones surprise as he is likely the best left-handed hitting outfielder still available on the free agent wire.

Braves Nation was subjected to quite a roller coaster ride over the last few weeks as the team tried to bring Ken Griffey Jr. to town. Although it appeared (and was reported) that Griffey had decided to sign with the Braves, in the end, he actually chose Seattle and the Braves were, again, the odd team out. Many fans are upset and disappointed with the outcome, but should they be?

I certainly was not.

Griffey is one of the best players in major league history and certainly would’ve put a few more fans in the seats, but he is not the player he used to be and there were, and still are, better options available.

Enter Garret Anderson.

The Braves appear to be looking for a one year holdover in left field and, at the age of 36, Anderson can be that player. He has been on the decline over the last couple of years, but the left-handed hitting Anderson is solid at the plate against righthanded pitchers, which is ideal since the team will be asking him to platoon with lefty-killer Matt Diaz.

Last season, Anderson hit just 15 homers (20 below his career high back in 2000), but 15 of them came against righties. His OPS and slugging percentage were 70 and 79 points higher, respectively, when the hill was not occupied by a southpaw.

It should be pretty clear that Anderson would likely be no better than average at the plate for Atlanta. He has been a plus hitter only once in the last four years and isn’t getting any younger. Where he made up for that last season, however, was in the field, where he put up a 9.3 UZR. On the surface, that seems all good and well, but his UZR was negative the previous four seasons, which could be a concern.

In comparison, Griffey Jr. has been absolutely atrocious in the field for years. In Seattle, he will be able to DH instead of costing his team runs in the outfield. That would not have been the case if he signed with Atlanta. Although you’d give him a slight edge offensively over Anderson, the Braves need someone who can both field and hit. Anderson, assuming he gives the Braves at least average production at the plate and fields as well as he did last season, would be the better fit for Atlanta.

Update: According to David O’Brien over at AJC, the Braves have, in fact, signed Anderson. The deal is reportedly 1 year for $2.5 million.

2009 AL East Preview

The American League East landscape changed dramatically last season as the Tampa Bay Rays finally wrestled the AL East Crown out of the hands of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. To add insult to pinstriped misery, the Rays arrived as a legitimate World Series contender and pushed the Yankees out of post season play for the first time since 1994.

The Rays went on to defeat the defending World Series Champion Red Sox in a seven game ALCS battle before their magic carpet ride of a season ended in a World Series defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Rays, with a year of post season experience under their belts, on paper, seemed to have improved themselves. The Yankees have reloaded in a way that must have made Old Man Steinbrenner proud. The Red Sox added depth to what was already among the best pitching staffs in Major League Baseball.

The stage is set for a three way, Steel Cage Death Match, to decide the 2009 AL East Champion.

Any discussion of an AL East race must begin with the Yankees as their off season moves made it very clear they intend to be the team to beat. They beefed up both their already potent offense and, what was a thin starting pitching staff, as well.

It’s almost seems unfair to plunk Mark Teixeira in the middle of a lineup that already features Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. Teixeira is an OBP machine who, like most of the Yankee batters, battles on each and every at bat. Opposition pitch counts are going to pile up quickly this season.

Teixeira may have as big an impact defensively as he will at the plate. He is an exceptional fielder and will have a positive effect on a Yankee infield that has been erratic defensively.

The Yankees’ lack of post season success over the past few years was due, in part, to the lack of a true Ace at the top of the rotation. Chien-Ming Wang has been a very good regular season starter but his post season struggles have been a source of disappointment for Yankee management and fans.

That all changed with the signing of C.C. Sabathia. The big, lefthander is a horse. Manager Joe Girardi enters this season, unlike last year, confident that his ace matches up very well against the other #1 starters in MLB.

The Yankees also added AJ Burnett but, while he has great stuff, Burnett has demonstrated an inability to stay healthy on a consistent basis. One thing the Yankees do not need is Carl Pavano, the Sequel. That said, there is no doubt that the pitching staff taking the mound in the Bronx in 2009 is far superior to the 2008 edition. And let us not forget, they have Joba Chamberlain and the great Mariano Rivera in the bullpen.

The biggest question surrounding the Yankees this season is the progressively more volatile situation surrounding the admitted (well sort of) steroid use of Alex Rodriguez. Following a press conference in Tampa during the first week of Spring Training, it seemed that the controversy might be somewhat diffused. Subsequently, each day seemed to bring to light information that rendered Arod’s public apology more than a bit hollow.

New York teams, especially the Yankees, are used to being in the glare of the media spotlight. Should ARod’s explanation continue to unravel, the negative fallout would be tremendous, even by New York standards.

In a much more serene setting to the South, the nucleus of young talent that propelled Tampa Bay to its improbable march to an AL Championship, is returning in 2009. This year, the Rays are a year wiser and brimming with the confidence gained by hanging on to defeat the Red Sox in the ALCS.

What should put fear in AL East rivals is the knowledge that the Rays should have an improved batting lineup this season. Carl Crawford, once the team’s best player, was hampered last season by hamstring problems and had a sub par offensive season as a result. He is expected back at full strength.

Rookie of the Year 3B Evan Longoria who began last season in the minors will have a full season to improve on his impressive rookie numbers. Often times, during a young player’s second season, MLB pitchers will find and begin to exploit holes in their swing. While that is always a possibility, I don’t think rival managers are holding their collective breath in anticipation of Longoria suffering from the Sophomore Jinx.

The Rays also added another big stick to their lineup when they signed free agent Pat Burrell. The ex-Phillies’ slugger is slated to DH and will provide needed power to the Tampa offense.

Rookie pitcher, David Price, who rocketed through the Tampa Bay minor league system before a September call up to the majors, will likely be slotted at the end of the starting rotation. It won’t be long, based on his post season performance, before he takes his place at the top of the Rays’ rotation. In the meantime, James Shields, Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza will man the top of Tampa’s staff.

Rays’ Manager Joe Maddon masterfully guided his young charges last season as his unusually laid back approach served to keep his team relaxed and seemingly unfazed by the pressure of playing in big games; most for the first time in their careers.

This season, Maddon’s biggest challenge will be to keep the team from reading, and believing, its press clippings. It is not unusual for a young team to suffer a drop in performance following the first taste of success. Maddon will need to ensure the team doesn’t experience an early season hangover from Banquet Circuit following last season’s Cinderella ride.

The Boston Red Sox, with the notable exception of their pursuit of Teixeira, took a decidedly relaxed approach to this off season. The investment they have made in rebuilding their minor league system has been bearing fruit over the past couple of years which allowed the Sox to be discriminating in the pursuit of high priced free agents.

Farm system products Dustin Pedroia (reigning AL MVP), Kevin Youkilis (runner up to Pedroia in MVP voting), Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Jacoby Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie all played pivotal roles in last year’s team and they are the core of the franchise moving forward. The good news for Red Sox fans is that youngsters such as pitcher Michael Bowden and 1B Lars Anderson are no more than a season away from challenging for a spot on the Major League roster.

While Boston did not make a big ticket free agent purchase, they did sign veteran starting pitchers John Smoltz, and Brad Penny as well as ex-Dodger closer Takashi Saito. All three experienced injury plagued 2008 seasons but are expected to contribute for Boston this season.

Smoltz, in particular, could be a valuable addition once he completes his rehab and joins the team, reportedly in May. Should Smoltz regain some semblance of his past form, he would slide comfortably into the “big game,” pitcher role occupied by Curt Schilling since 2004.

Saito and Penny are also slated to become important components of a very deep pitching staff. Saito could help offload some of the innings absorbed by Jonathan Papelbon, who admitted he was breaking down due to overuse at the end of last season.

While the Red Sox have a very productive lineup, it remains to be seen just how badly they will miss Manny Ramirez. The enigmatic left fielder’s production will not be matched by his replacement, Jason Bay, who, despite being a solid major league power hitter, will not rival the numbers put up by Ramirez during his time in Boston.

Time will tell whether the upgrade Bay brings in terms of defense and emotional stability can offset the shortfall in offensive statistics.

The Toronto Blue Jays had been the dark horse pick to challenge the dominance enjoyed by the Red Sox and Yankees over the past couple of years but were never quite able to crash the post season party.

While the Jays do have some talented players such as ace starting pitcher Roy Halladay, OFs Alex Rios, Vernon Wells and hot prospect Travis Snider, they have not improved significantly from 2008. Losing Burnett to the Yankees created a hole in the starting rotation and it’s unclear who is going to fill it.

The Orioles have been in a decade long rebuilding process and the once proud franchise has become one of MLB’s more inept organizations. Orioles fans have grown increasingly frustrated as highly touted prospects reach the major leagues only to be dealt in order to avoid having to sign them to long term contracts.

This past off season, the Orioles stepped up to sign young star OF Nick Markakis to a six year contract, perhaps signaling a willingness to pay the price required to keep young talent on which to build the foundation for a successful franchise.

The Markakis signing combined with the expected arrival of top MLB prospect, catcher Matt Wieters to the major league club could serve to give long suffering Orioles’fans some hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The AL East race could very well remain unresolved until the final weeks of the season as the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays slug it out until the final bell. The prediction here is that the Red Sox hang on to repeat as Divisional Champs while the Yankees return to the post season as the Wildcard team.

Photos From Keith Alison- Flickr.

Clay’s Choice: Jorge Campillo

For the next few weeks, I’m going to try and bang out as many articles like this as I can. Basically, I’m just going to pick out a player (usually a pitcher) that I like and talk about their potential contributions to the 2009 season. As an avid fantasy baseball manager, most of these guys were players I developed a man crush on last year and are players I’m likely to target in drafts this season. That does not necessarily mean that all of my analysis will have to do with fantasy baseball, but it is certain to be at least part of the discussion.

Let me start by saying that I did not have Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Jorge Campillo on my list of names for this series. However, since Tom Glavine officially signed on to take over the Braves’ fifth rotation spot, I added Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Jorge Campillo to my list.

My reasoning here is that the Braves should’ve saved the potential $4.5 million they are going to give to Glavine and instead let Campillo bring up the tail end of the rotation. Although Glavine is a legend in Atlanta and likely to put more fans in the seats than Campillo, he is not what he used to be. The team was likely better standing pat (which would’ve meant not removing a player from the 25 man roster in favor of Glavine) or spending that money elsewhere—maybe on left-handed reliever Will Ohman or a corner outfielder, for example.

Meanwhile, the team has several other potential starting pitchers, including, of course, Campillo. Although he will be 30 years old on opening day, Campillo has pitched only one full season in the major leagues. That season was, in fact, the 2008 campaign in which he came out of nowhere to go 8-7 with a 3.91 ERA and 1.24 WHIP for the injury-plagued Braves rotation.

His career numbers do not seem to indicate that he is top of the rotation material like the role he was forced into a season ago, but he has proved during his time in the Mexican Pacific League, the Seattle Mariners organization, and now with Atlanta, that he can win ball games when called upon. His minor league numbers aren’t going to blow your socks off (13-9, 3.10 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 180 Ks, 264 IP), but so far, they have stayed consistent at the major league level.

Looking a little closer at his successful 2008 season, his 4.00 FIP and 4.15 tRA show that his 3.91 ERA was no fluke. The .291 BABIP and 71.6 LOB% show a hint of luck, but even if you adjust for that, you’re still talking about solid numbers. In terms of value, Campillo was worth $10.2 million and 2.3 wins last year. Comparatively, Glavine has not earned his contract since he was with the Mets in 2005 and was actually worth -0.4 wins and -$1.7 million in just over 63 innings last season.

Each of the popular projection systems seem to like Campillo more than Glavine in 2009 and, although those systems may be skewed by having just one full season of data on Campillo, it’s hard to make a case that he won’t outperform Glavine.

In terms of fantasy baseball, Campillo is pretty useless at this point in time. If he gets back his spot in the rotation, he will be just an average fantasy contributor, but one that will be reliable and consistent from game to game. He would help slightly in ERA and WHIP, but isn’t much help in the strikeout department. The Braves should be average (if not better) in 2009, so a record around the .500 mark would be likely.

In conclusion, don’t get me wrong here. I love Tom Glavine and all that he has done for the organization. However, over the last few years, this team has been struggling to win, while maintaining a strict budget. Spending $4.5 million on a 42 year old pitcher who is unlikely to outperform a cheaper, in-house option is not smart, especially when the name at the top of that in-house list is Jorge Campillo.

Sources: www.wikipedia.org, www.baseball-reference.com, www.fangraphs.com

Complete list of reports:
2/15/09: Kevin Slowey
2/17/09: Scott Lewis
2/20/09: Paul Maholm

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