Monday Rockpile: Anarchy In The West

For quite some time now, the N.L. West has had a very odd distinction to it - There is no alpha dog. Actually that's not quite right. The division has seen several alpha dogs, only to watch each one of them disappear almost as quickly as they arrived on the scene. The chart below monitoring the fates of the last ten teams to win 90 or more games in the division illustrates this perfectly. All of these squads (sans the 2010 Padres) went to the postseason, but so far none of them have been able to get back there the following season - And in fact, none of them have been particularly close, all losing a minimum of six more games the following season.

The 2013 Giants will have chance to change this pattern, but history is working against them here, and if Heltonfan's projection system is anywhere close to being right, they will fit right in with the other nine teams on this list.

By itself, this strange disappearing act of seemingly good teams makes the N.L. West interesting, but things only get more bizarre when you look at the cellar. In the next chart, we see the opposite extreme - The last ten teams to win fewer than 70 games in the N.L. West.

With the exception of 2002 Padres and the 2004 Rockies (both of who were no more than three years away from a postseason birth anyway) all of these teams (so far anyway) have improved their win totals by at least nine games the following season. Three of them even the division with 90 more victories.

Perhaps the wildest numbers of all though sit at the bottom of the third columns in these graphs. It's one thing for division winners to fall back and for cellar dwellers to rise up, but if you take the last nine teams to win 90 more games in the N.L. West and compare their follow up seasons with the follow up seasons of the last nine teams in the N.L. West to win fewer than 70 games, you find something truly remarkable. The teams who have failed to win 70 games in a season actually have a slightly higher average win total the following season than the teams who have won 90 more more games the year before.

Yes, change seems to be the only constant in this division - And after 2012, I fully embrace it!!!

Off Topic

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A Look at the Top Names The Astros Could Select
in the Upcoming Rule 5 Draft

The Astros have the first pick in the 2012 Rule 5 draft, a privilege they also had last year when they selected Rhiner Cruz. The Cruz pick was dubious to me and many speculated that the weird pick was caused in part by the big shifts in the front office that were taking place right before the Rule 5 draft. It can be difficult to find information on the players eligible, so I wanted to take a look at some names from this years draft that jumped out to me. On the surface, I think that this year's crop of Rule 5 talent is a bit stronger than last year's, and I think that the Astros should definitely put their pick to use- I think they can find a contributor.

Without further ado, here's a look at some of the best available talent in this years Rule 5 draft.

Jesus Aguilar, 1B, Indians (Age 22)

A 2012 Futures Game selection, Aguilar is a behemoth at 6'3", 257 lbs; however, he's a good athlete for his size and plays a good first base and isn't in danger of becoming a DH-only type player. He has put up consistently solid numbers as a minor leaguer, his batting averages have hung in the .275 range, and last season he showed more patience, posting an 11.2% BB rate, about half of his 22.5% K rate, which is a workable number. He's shown just average power so far, hitting 15 home runs last season, but he hits a lot of outfield fly balls (4.3% over league average last season) and as he matures he projects to have more significant pop. It comes as a surprise that Aguilar was left unprotected, and although he has just 82 AA plate appearances, he strikes me as likely to be selected.

Jeremy Hazelbaker, OF, Red Sox (Age 25)

Hazelbaker has been one of the most popular names popping up in articles about potential rule 5 picks, and while he's far from a perfect prospect, there's enough to like that I can see him sticking with a major league club. Hazelbaker is an older prospect at age 25, but he has plenty of experience at AA and a taste of AAA ball. He has solid tools and can play all over the outfield. His speed, in particular, is an asset- he swiped 34 bags last year- and could give him use as a pinch runner or defensive replacement if his bat doesn't play right away. His contact ability is below average, as he struck out in almost 24% of his plate appearances last season, but he is able to contribute offensively with his above average power (19 home runs in 512 PAs last year) from the left side of the plate. If the Astros spend their pick on Hazelbaker, I think they're getting a guy who could draw some starts in the OF and provide some value on both sides of the ball.

Josh Fields, RHP, Red Sox (Age 27)

Another member of the Red Sox organization and a former first round selection, it is surprising to me that Fields is yet to reach the major leagues. He has a compact build at 6'0" 185 and throws right handed and definitely profiles as a bullpen arm for the long term. He had a phenomenal season across AA and AAA last season, posting a 2.01 ERA and 12.03 K/9 vs. 2.78 BB/9 in 58.1 IP, resulting in a stellar 2.34 FIP. He has a definite flyball tendency (just a 39.6 GB% last year), but did a good job keeping the ball in the park, so despite his height I don't see that as a major concern. His stuff is very solid and perhaps even late-inning quality, as he sports a fastball that touches 95 MPH, and a curveball that has been described by some as a borderline plus pitch. Fields is a guy who could play a big role in bullpen if he acclimates himself to the majors well, and I think he's a player the Astros should take a long look at.

J.C. Sulbaran, RHP, Royals (Age 23)

Acquired from the Reds in the Jonathan Broxton trade, Sulbaran is not the kind of player that you expect to see in the Rule 5 draft. He got off to a great start in 2012 and was drawing hype as a potential number two or three starter, but command woes that plagued him early in his career returned and his performance fell off the table. That said, Sulbaran still sports the mid-rotation stuff that made him a coveted property at one point, and his K/9 rate in 2012 was an impressive 9.30. The big red flag here is his command, which went from below average to ugly in 2012. His walk rate after the trade was especially awful (over seven!) and he ended up with an overall BB/9 figure of 5.23 for the season. Despite that, the quality of his arsenal, which includes a 93-95 MPH fastball and an above average breaking ball, combined with the fact that he's just a year removed from posting a 3.29 FIP in the Cal League, could make him a guy worth stashing in the bullpen for a year.

Addison Maruszak, IF, Yankees (Age 25)

Maruszak is far from a sexy prospect, but he could provide some much-needed depth in the Astros infield with his diverse skills. A disciplined hitter with some pop, Addison hit .274/.330/.456 and 16 HR in AA while playing shortstop for the Trenton Thunder. His splits offer even more cause for optimism- he started poorly, hitting only .220 through May and April, but exploded in June and July to hit .321 with 10 of 16 homers. He has played all four infield positions in AA, but spent most of his time at shortstop and reports seem to indicate that he can play there at the big league level. To me, Maruszak looks like a Matt Downs type of player who can play a super-utility role and offer modest offensive production.

Jonathan Galvez, 2B, Padres (Age 22)

A surprising omission from the Padres' 40 man roster, Galvez is a younger, toolsier Addison Maruszak. He, like Maruszak, can play all over the infield capably. He's a fairly disciplined hitter who strikes out in less than 20% of his plate appearances and can draw walks at a league average rate. Galvez isn't punchless- he hit 13 home runs in a full Cal league season in 2011 and followed that up with 6 more in 81 games in AA in 2012, and that combined with his good OBP skills (he put up a .366 mark at AA last year) and defensive versatility could make him a valuable player very soon.

Jermaine Mitchell, CF, Athletics (Age 28)

Past his days of prospect status, Jermaine Mitchell's ceiling at this point is likely as a 4th outfielder. But, sometimes all a team is looking for in a rule 5 selection is a player they feel belongs on a major league roster. Mitchell's bread and butter is his speed/patience combination which has been present throughout his minor league career- he posted a 13.8% BB rate over the last two seasons- and he stole 43 bases in that time, though he was caught 25 times. His K rate is manageable at around 20%, and he has posted some impressive batting average numbers in prior campaigns (.332 across AA and AAA in 2011) before a disappointing .254 mark in AAA last year. Despite his issues, it's not hard to see Mitchell being a capable part-time player or injury fill in because of his polish as a hitter and decent speed on the bases.

Ivan De Jesus, 2B, IF, Red Sox (Age 25)

Acquired from the Dodgers midseason, DeJesus's father and namesake had a long and productive major league career. De Jesus, like Jonathan Galvez, plays primarily second base and bats right handed. He offers next to nothing in terms of power and speed, but he has posted some intriguing batting average numbers in the high minors. However, it's easy to question the legitimacy of his averages because of some favorable offensive environments he's played in (namely Albuquerque) and his high ground ball rates, which have consistently been well above average. Like Galvez, his primary strengths are strong infield defense and strong contact ability, and De Jesus can probably carve out some kind of major league role, but, while he offers polish, his tools won't generate much excitement.

Kyle Kaminska, RHP, Pirates (Age 24)

A lean 6'4", 180 pound righty, Kaminska's ticket to the majors is going to be his excellent command. His stuff is just fringy- his fastball sits about 90 MPH and he pairs it with a decent slider, but he allowed just 1.59 free passes per 9 innings last season across 3 levels including AAA. Unfortunately, he also allowed 98 hits in 81.2 IP and let up about a home run per 9 innings while striking out just 7.27 per 9 innings. He looks like a middle reliever who may be able to get by without real major league stuff because of superb command, but doesn't incite as much excitement as a guy like Fields or Sulbaran do with their strikeout totals.

Others

There are plenty more marginal prospects eligible to be selected in the Rule 5, but these guys were the ones that I saw as having the best chance to contribute to a major league team, whether it be right away as is the case with Fields, or in the longer term as could be the case with Sulbaran. Do you agree that the 2012 crop is superior to 2011's? Who do you think the Astros should take? Did I miss anyone? Let me know in the comments.

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http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2012/11/26/3680328/a-look-at-the-top-names-in-the-ru
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Why the Miami Marlins Cannot Trade Giancarlo
Stanton

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe brought up in a recent article that the Miami Marlins have fielded offers for star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton from other teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees among others. The Marlins, of course, have previously made Stanton essentially untouchable in trade offers this season, but that probably did not deter any team from at least inquiring about one of the best young players in baseball and asking whether he could had for the right price.

It would be a coup for whichever of the 25 teams (I’m exaggerating) that would or have bid for him to actually acquire him. But commissioner Bud Selig is watching the Marlins closely after the salary dump in the Blue Jays deal. While Selig did not step in to change or block that trade, he may not look too fondly upon a deal for the Marlins’ biggest draw. Teams would have to give their very best to the Marlins for baseball’s best young slugger.

Undoubtedly any team that looks to acquire Stanton from the Marlins would have to pay a huge sum, leading to a windfall of players coming back to Miami to replace the best purely homegrown talent the club has had since Josh Beckett. The sort of package the Marlins would expect to get in return would be enormous, and the arduous task of rebuilding the team's farm system would be easily completed in one fell swoop.

The problem and the reason why the Marlins cannot trade Giancarlo Stanton is exactly the above benefit as well; no team could offer the sort of return required to match Stanton's value to the Marlins.

Stanton's Trade Value

The trade value for an asset like Giancarlo Stanton, who is an established superstar with four years of team control remaining, is through the roof. Even if he ends up making an extremely large sum during arbitration, no amount of money will amount to the value the Marlins are getting from him. If he remains a six-win player for the next three seasons (he was a six-win player in 2012 while missing a quarter of the season), he would be worth $131.4 million in free agent market value. However, the Marlins would only pay him at most $38 million, and that is based on an estimate putting him at the highest levels of arbitration earnings.

With those numbers, the Marlins would receive $93 million in surplus value in a trade for Stanton. Such a package would represent an enormous haul for the Miami Marlins. In 2009, a top-10 hitting prospect was valued at $36.5 million in surplus. A top-10 pitching prospect would be worth $15.2 million. In other words, a deal for Stanton involving prospects would likely have to include two top-10 hitting prospects and a top-10 pitching prospect as the centerpiece of the discussion. As an example from the 2012 Baseball America Top 100 prospects list, such a trade might have to start with a group like Mike Trout, Jurickson Profar, and Trevor Bauer, for example. No matter the state of your farm system or roster, a haul like that would be a major boon to an organization, even if it means trading a player like Stanton.

An Impossible Package

But the problem is that there is no team that could offer such a package, because no team has the resources to afford such a trade. Looking at this past preseason's Baseball America list, only three teams (the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, and Baltimore Orioles) had two prospects in the top 15 players listed. No team had three prospects in the top 20 players, though the Seattle Mariners had three within the top 31 players. But no one had the requisite-ranked players to offer in a hypothetical trade with the Marlins that could stand up to the immense surplus value that Giancarlo Stanton could provide the team.

Of course, teams could combine their prospects with current, cost-controlled talent, but this would be counter-intuitive to those clubs looking to contend with the addition of Stanton. Throwing in a promising cost-controlled player like an Austin Jackson or an Ian Desmond would defeat the purpose of acquiring a top-notch player like Stanton to add to your excellent core. Teams may be willing to offer more average, cost-controlled types like Paul Goldschmidt or Kyle Seager, but those are still offers of present wins that would be less beneficial to the acquiring team.

Overall, a package like the one Stanton would require would be so immense that it renders him essentially untradable. It is not that the Marlins have a valueless asset, but rather that their asset is too valuable. Much like if the Angels were to try and trade Mike Trout, no package could be offered to make a deal seem reasonable for the Marlins. Right now, Stanton has too many years of control left and too much present production for any one ball club to acquire him without giving up half of their team.

Fortunately, that means the Marlins are clearly going to hold onto him in 2013. The problem, as many Marlins fans already fear, is that Stanton may be in the same boat that Miguel Cabrera once sailed. In two years' time, Stanton and the Marlins may find themselves in another difficult trade spot.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.fishstripes.com/2012/11/26/3690822/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-tra
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Longoria agrees to deal adding $100 million
(Yahoo! Sports)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria has agreed to a new contract through 2022 that adds six guaranteed seasons and $100 million.

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Dave Winfield 2007 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classic
Numbered To 575

Dave Winfield 2007 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classic – Numbered To 575 I love me some Dave Winfield card of him wearing his old Padres uniform. I can kind of compare this card to Macaroni and Cheese.  Macaroni is nice … Continue reading →

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Zack Greinke's Strange and Historical Game

For lovers of baseball statistics, Zack Greinke is a gift. Like no other pitcher of his time, he is an endless source of intrigue, anomaly, and fascinating quirks. And just before the 2012 season came to a close this past fall, Zack gave us one more statistical prize when he left the mound in Anaheim on September 26th. With all the drama and commotion of the final week of regular season play, we almost let this rare and beautiful gem zip right passed us unnoticed.

Pitching IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BF Pit Str Ctct StS StL GB FB LD Unk GSc IR IS WPA aLI RE24Zack Greinke, W (15-5) 5 71121313.4224110702521244530600.1591.241.3Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/25/2012.

Greinke struck out 13 Mariners in just 5 innings that day, or 54% of all the batters he faced. This is a remarkable feat on it's own, but it only gets stranger. He additionally allowed just 2 walks and one HR, for a daily FIP of just 1.69. So, according to DIPS, Greinke had himself one hell of a fine performance that evening. Of course it wouldn't be a Greinke Gift, of course, if he didn't also allow 75% of his Balls in Play to sneak in as Hits.

At no other point in the past decade has a starting pitcher gone at least 5 innings with a FIP under 2 given up so many hits per ball in play. This may seem almost typical of Greinke at this point, but, as it turns out, this sort of FIP/BABIP discrepancy was exceptionally rare not just for Greinke, but also for recent baseball history:

Highest BABIP games with FIP below 2.0 since 2002

RkPlayerYearDateIPERSOBBHHRBFBABIPERAFIPE-F1Zack Greinke20129255113271240.7501.81.700.102Stephen Strasburg20125106113350240.7141.50.261.243Kevin Millwood20086265762120280.70612.61.9310.674Curt Schilling200541855102110290.68890.828.185Kirk Saarloos20069195211380270.6673.60.553.056Josh Johnson20109046212380270.66730.582.427Brandon Webb20077155.73101110290.6474.760.244.528Scott Kazmir20076126411290270.64360.575.439Cliff Lee20115067316190310.6433.86-1.124.9810Travis Wood2010914538090230.6435.4-0.125.5211David Price2012613578390250.64312.61.7010.9

*FIP values do not include IBB

Strangely, Stephen Strasburg's outing on the evening of May 10th this same very season is the only sub-2 FIP game to feature a BABIP almost as bad as Greinke's. Strasburg also struck out 53% of the Pittsburgh batters he faced over the course of 6 innings that night, but when the Bucs made contact they reached base over 70% of the time.

When we think of a pitcher being 'on', it typically involves striking out a significant percentage of the batters that come to the plate, while also limiting his walks and homeruns to at least a respectable rate. We assume that weak contact typically follows great stuff, and therefore low Hit rates and BABIP. But every now and then, baseball sneaks in one of these wonderfully strange statistical gems, which we may not appreciate at first glance.

Consider that there has only been one sub-2.0 FIP performance since 1950 where a pitcher has allowed a higher BABIP than Greinke's 9-25-2012. And to find it, you'll need to rewind the clock all the way back to 1966 when Sam McDowell took the mound against The Detroit Tigers.

Highest BABIP games with FIP below 2.0 since 1950

RkNameYearDateIPERKBBHHRPABABIPERAFIPE-F1Sam McDowell19669186114270250.7781.5-1.112.612Zack Greinke20129255113271240.751.81.70.103Chris Bosio199341866122100290.71490.498.514Stephen Strasburg20125106113350240.7141.50.261.245Kevin Millwood20086265762120280.70612.61.9310.676Curt Schilling200541855102110290.68890.828.187Darren Dreifort19988115581110260.68890.548.468Kirk Saarloos20069195211380270.6673.60.553.059Josh Johnson20109046212380270.66730.582.4210David Cone19906046.35123110320.6477.110.446.67

*FIP values do not include IBB

McDowell's excellent fielding-independent skills were enough to combat the poor BABIP he endured during that outing (whether it was the result of poor defense or just dumb luck). The same can be said for Strasburg and Greinke's performances in 2012, as all three pitchers managed to exit the game with just 1 earned run charged to their name. But the baseball gods were not nearly as kind to Chris Bosio on April 18th, 1993. Bosio similarly struck out an exemplary 12 opposing batters over the course of 6 innings, but surrendered 6 runs on 10 hits in that time as well. That adds up, of course, to a 9.00 ERA in 6 innings, while boasting a remarkable FIP of just 0.49. Of this group, only Kevin Millwood's game from June of 2008 was more of a disaster.

Millwood just barely sneaks under the arbitrary 2.00 FIP cut-off at 1.93, but that doesn't mean his performance that night was pedestrian. Well, at least not from a DIPS standpoint, that is. Millwood struck out more than a batter an inning, allowed no home runs, and walked a reasonable amount of the batters he faced (7%)-- all evidence that Millwood was on his game that evening. But he was hit hard for 7 runs on 12 hits all amounting to a miserable 12.60 ERA and an astonishing 10.7 disparity between his ERA and FIP that game. Amazingly, Millwood's gargantuan 10.7 "E-F" that game at the hands of that wickedly evil .706 BABIP ranks just 64th in E-F games from 1950-2011.

Of course the in-game sample of just 5 or 6 innings can never presume to tell us much about a pitcher's performance, so keep in mind these strange statistical events aren't worth much more than entertainment for those of us who are (for whatever nerdy reason) entertained by such things. But having said that, does it surprise you at all to learn that Zack Greinke, of all pitchers, ranks at the top of a list measuring a FIP and BABIP disparity? A clear and confident "No" is the only possible answer to that question.

God bless you, Zack, you continue to fascinate me.

Thanks to Retrosheet and Baseball-Reference for the data.

Follow @JDGentile on Twitter.

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The Winter of Dayton Moore

The majority opinion around here was, shall we say, less than pleased about the acquisition of Ervin Santana. Losing minor league reliever Brandon Sisk was not the issue, it was the $12 million due Santana in 2013 that caused the uproar. After all, Ervin was - by some statistical measures - the worst starting pitcher in the majors last year.

Let's just say that Dayton Moore's first step in his off-season quest to bolster the Royals' starting rotation was met with a bit of skepticism.

Moore followed up the Santana trade with the signing of Jeremy Guthrie. There were a lot of people who were for trying to keep Guthrie in Kansas City. He had a marvelous two months for the team after coming over from Colorado and, prior to that, a string of inning-eating competence that would certainly be useful. However, three years? For a thirty-four year old pitcher who has and never will be confused as a top of the rotation guy?

Now, we may well find out that the market this off-season really did dictate that 3/$25 was actually a good deal. As pointed out in one of the nearly 2,000 comments on this site with regard to Santana/Guthrie, we don't really know what the discussions between agents and teams have been. Maybe three years was the going rate, but right now there is a logical argument that this was just another case of Dayton Moore jumping the off-season gun and throwing in an extra year where it may not have been necessary.

No matter what you think of the Santana and Guthrie deals, it is hard to deny that they, along with whatever else Moore does this off-season will likely define him as a baseball general manager.

By most accounts (i.e. rumors), the Royals are pushing hard to acquire another starting pitcher. There is a fairly steady undercurrent of speculation that they may do so via a 'big trade' for an established front line starter. Be it via the big splash or by a lesser deal (there is another thread of speculation that Moore is seeking a younger starter in exchange for prospects not named Myer), it seems inevitable that the Royals will add a third new starter to the stable sooner rather than later.

Having already committed $37 million of David Glass' money to four years worth of two starting pitchers who come with a lot of question marks, I think it is safe to say that Dayton Moore is putting most of his chips on the table. He is gambling that Santana and his declining velocity will return to the form he displayed in four of the past six years. Moore is also spinning the wheel in hopes that Guthrie will be, at minimum, a 200 inning grinder for the next three years (or at least the next two). Whether you like either deal or not, you cannot deny that there is considerable risk associated with both.

I have no doubt that even if Santana is awful and Guthrie not good, that Dayton Moore will survive the 2013 season as GM of the Royals. Should that occur and this yet to be known third starting pitcher not be one of the top ten or twelve starters in the league, however, it might well have Moore on the road to finding a new job. We are embarking on year seven of The Process and even David Glass has surely looked up from his morning paper and mumbled something like 'seems to be taking a long time'.

Now, it's possible that Santana could rebound and Guthrie could be the same guy that pitched in Royal blue last year and vault the Royals, if not into contention, into a win total that has an eight in front instead of a seven or, gulp, six. Depending on Moore's next move, they could lay the foundation for a what Moore has always wanted: a platform of consistent post-season contention for years on end. It's possible...

This off-season, like or not, and even as incomplete as it currently is, will almost certainly become the point in history where Dayton Moore started his ascent to elite status or begin his true descent into become the Director of Scouting for some other team in 2015.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.royalsreview.com/2012/11/26/3692316/the-winter-of-dayton-moore

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Fish Bites: Miami Marlins Need To Make Decision
On Stanton, And Quickly

As Miami's blockbuster deal with the Toronto Blue Jays became official, two Marlins outfielders exchanged roles. Giancarlo Stanton, usually the one to remain humble and quiet, was quick to express his opinion, while Logan Morrison, who in previous years was reprimanded by the front office for his use of social media, didn't share his view.

Stanton immediately tweeted that he was "pissed off" while when asked what his opinion of the trade was, Morrison simply said that "it isn't something that I had control of so I'm not going to comment or give my opinion."

It is no secret that after one night, Miami's payroll dropped from a franchise-high $100 million dollars to a Florida Marlins-like $30 million. Stanton isn't happy, however because he is under team control, there is not much he can do. But he won't be under team control forever. And that's why the Marlins need to make a quick decision.

After dealing shortstop/third baseman Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers in July, the Marlins decided that they would be building their team around Stanton, a solid right fielder that plays average to above average defense and at his prime can be good for 35-40 home runs a year. However, after the 12 player trade, Miami might consider dealing him.

From a fan perspective, if the Marlins traded Stanton, they would lose the remaining fans that they have after sending half of their team to Toronto last week. Ticket sales would decrease rapidly, and the smallest stadium, capacity wise, in baseball would still be at the very least half empty.

From a baseball perspective, though, it would be hard to blame Miami if they wanted to deal the young slugger. Stanton, though plagued by minor injuries at different times, has shown that he can be consistent and produce against quality big league pitching (his first major league hit did come off of Roy Halladay, after all).

In the eyes of the organization, there is no reason to keep an unhappy player. And after the deal with the Blue Jays, Stanton is far from happy. If the Marlins wanted to trade Stanton, now would be the best time to do it. They would get more prospects in return, and in a couple of years, could see Stanton-like numbers from one or several of them.

Ultimately, it's the organization's decision. But if the thought of trading Stanton ever crossed their mind, they should do it now, while they can get maximum value in return.

-Commissioner Bud Selig is watching the Marlins closely after their trade with Toronto that he approved last week, however several teams would give their very best to acquire Giancarlo Stanton. The Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, and Cubs are among the teams that have called the Marlins about Stanton.

-Marlins owner Jeffery Loria has continued to stay quiet since the salary dump trade with the Blue Jays last week. Loria's baseball people, such as President David Samson and President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest have publicly spoken about the trade, though Loria has remained quiet. The most Loria said was "We finished in last place, you figure it out," at the owners meetings in Chicago.

-Owner Jeffery Loria is now known for telling several lies. In the eyes of many, Loria has replaced former Dolphins coach Nick Saban as South Florida's most public liar. Loria's most recent lie was telling the public last year that "five years from now, nobody will be against building this stadium."

-For the first time since the trade became official, pitcher Mark Buehrle shared his opinion with the media, saying that he was lied and that the Marlins had assured him that he wouldn't be traded. "I'm upset with how things turned out in Miami," Buehrle said. "Just like the fans in South Florida, I was lied to on multiple occasions. But I'm putting it behind me and looking forward to moving on with my career."

-Days after trading several key parts of the 2012 squad to Toronto, the Marlins signed outfielder Juan Pierre to a one-year, $1.6 million deal. In 130 games with the Phillies last season, Pierre hit .307 and stole 37 bases.

-After reading an article in which Giancarlo Stanton was quoted saying that he doesn't understand the "winning way" of the Miami organization, President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest couldn't assure fans that Stanton won't be the next to go. "I know this is an emotional time," Beinfest said. "I know he had relationships with these guys. I don't know that I have an appreciation for it. These guys live together, dress together, play together under the spotlight every night and they build a different kind of bond. I'm sure it's been tough for him. Our feeling was to maybe let the dust settle a little bit, maybe let some of the emotion go away and we can get to Giancarlo and talk about getting to spring training with some of his new teammates. I hear it. I hear the frustration. It's not unexpected."

-Miami recently added outfielder Marcell Ozuna, catcher Kyle Skipworth, and outfielder Kyle Jensen to the 40-man roster. The Marlins now have 37 players on their 40-man roster.

-In a popularity poll, Fidel Castro was voted the most unpopular person in the eyes of South Floridians. However, owner Jeffery Loria was a close second. Only six percent of the respondents had a favorable opinion of Loria.

-According to several sources, Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes weren't the only Marlins to be told that they wouldn't be traded and then subsequently were. Carlos Delgado was also assured that he wouldn't be traded, but eventually he was. "I understand there may be some disdain in the market place," Beinfest said. "We don't know until we get into those negotiations with free agents or until we show over a sustained period of time that we operate in a certain manner. It's definitely not great for the club and we're going to have to deal with it."

Around The League

-Ichiro Suzuki's agent has said that Suzuki, a free agent, would like to stay with the Yankees. "They are going after pitching first which is what the Yankees normally do," Attanasio, Suzuki's agent, said. "There has been a lot of interest [from teams], but he enjoyed playing for the Yankees so much it's hard for him to say no to the Yankees. His preference is to stay there instead of going someplace else, but we will wait and see."

-Free agent catcher Mike Napoli is speaking with the Texas Rangers, though he is also weighing other options.

-DeMarlo Hale, formerly with the Baltimore Orioles, is leaving Baltimore to become Toronto's bench coach. Hale is a well-respected baseball man, and has been considered for managerial vacancies in the past.

At Fish Stripes

-It has been reported that the Miami Marlins are shopping Yunel Escobar. But why?

-Here is everything you need to know about prospect Anthony Desclafani.

-Mark Buehrle is now angry at the Miami Marlins after being lied to.

-What's left of the Miami Marlins' rotation? Find out here.

-The Marlins' actions with free agents leave the players feeling betrayed. How will the Marlins lure free agents to Miami in the future?

-Josh Johnson will go down as one of the best pitchers in Miami history. How will he be remembered?

Read The Full Article:
http://www.fishstripes.com/2012/11/26/3688548/fish-bites-miami-marlins-giancarlo-
stanton-decision

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The Binghamton Mets on the Move

It seems that AA Binghamton will relocate to Ottawa in 2014.  The Class AA affiliate of the New[...]

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http://blog.lovemyteam.com/2012/11/26/the-binghamton-mets-on-the-move/

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Alan Trammell 1988 Donruss Diamond Kings

Alan Trammell 1988 Donruss Diamond Kings While  I absolutely respect the place that the Donruss Diamond Kings set has in the hobby, I just don’t care for these cards. Some can be nice, but in my opinion, there are far … Continue reading →

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http://bapple2286.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/alan-trammell-1988-donruss-diamond-kin
gs/

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