The Rangers have 8 outfielders in major league camp. I did an analysis of all them, gave their chances of making the team at the end of Spring Training, and predicted the outfield roster.
Outfielders:
Engel Beltre
Engel is a very good prospect for the Rangers, but will probably not be big-league ready by the end of Spring Training. Last year, Beltre spent part of the season with High-A Bakersfield and part of the season with Double-A Frisco. With Bakersfield, he tore it up, hitting .331 in 263 at-bats, but then Engel struggled after making the move to Frisco, with only a .254 average in is 181 Double-A at-bats. He has not shown much power throughout his minor league career, with just 6 home runs last year, and 26 homers in his four years in the minor leagues. I don’t think Engel has much of a chance to make the team coming out of Spring Training, as even if he was ready to play in the majors, there is not enough playing time available in the Rangers outfield for the Rangers to have him on the team. They would most likely send him to Round Rock or Frisco so that he could get some playing time.
Percentage of Making the Opening Day Roster: 3.4%
Julio Borbon
Julio comes into Spring Training as the starting center fielder. Even if he does not start the season as a starter, he will be the 4th outfielder. Borbon started last season off terribly, hitting .191 in March and April, mostly hitting from the leadoff spot, but then Julio got moved to the number nine spot and hit much better, as he raised his batting average for the year to .276, with June being his best month, with a .356 average. Despite his speed, Julio stole only 15 bases in 2010. I don’t see any way that Julio does not make the Opening Day roster, barring an injury. He will be on the team.
Percentage: 100%
Endy Chavez
Endy comes into Spring Training with the Rangers as a non-roster invitee on a one-year deal for the second straight season. He did not make the team last spring, and did not play in the majors at all in 2010. In 2009, however, Chavez hit .273 in 161 at-bats for the Mariners before getting injured and ending his season. Endy went 12-for-31 in the minor leagues in 2010. I don’t think that Endy has much of a chance at making the team, as right now, I don’t think that the Rangers plan to carry five outfielders to start off the season, which means that there is no roster spot available for Endy to fill. The first four spots are already taken by Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Julio Borbon, and David Murphy, and then on top of that, Mitch Moreland can also play some outfield. If Endy is on the Rangers’ Opening Day roster, I will be very surprised.
Percentage: 7.6%
Nelson Cruz
There is no way that Nellie will not be the Rangers’ starting right fielder to start off 2011. Last year, he hit .318 with 22 home runs and 78 RBIs in only 399 at-bats. Had he been healthy the whole year and gotten 600 at-bats like most starters do, his numbers would have been roughly 33 HRs and 117 RBIs to go along with his .318 average. Those numbers are MVP-type numbers, and if he can stay healthy this year, I think that he could compete for the American League MVP award. Nellie tore it up during the playoffs, too, hitting .317 with 6 home runs and 11 RBIs in his 60 postseason at-bats. Once again, barring an injury (which would most likely involve a hamstring) Cruz will be the starting right fielder.
Percentage: 100%
Doug Deeds
While Doug has never played in the major leagues before, he has had success throughout his minor league career. In nine seasons in professional baseball, Doug has a .296 batting average, along with 85 home runs and 417 RBIs. Last year, with Triple-A Reno, in the Diamondbacks organization, Deeds hit .302, and totaled 39 doubles, the third most in the Pacific Coast League, behind Dodgers prospects Trent Oeltjen and John Lindsey. Throughout his career, Doug has hit lots of doubles and triples, and not many home runs. He is also a solid fielder, with a .988 fielding percentage over his career. While he does not have much of a chance to make the team out of Spring Training, it would not at all surprise me if he was called up at some point during the season.
Percentage: 4.5%
Craig Gentry
Craig has had short stints in the big leagues in each of the past two seasons. While he hasn’t hit well with the Rangers (.118 in 17 ABs in 2009, and .212 in 33 ABs in 2010), he has still contributed with very good defense and speed. His defense is good enough that in 2009 he was named the Rangers Minor League Defensive Player of the Year. The past two years in the minor leagues, Craig has hit the ball very well. In 2009, he was a Texas League All-Star, and deservedly so, as he hit .303 and ended the season with 49 stolen bases with Double-A Frisco. With Oklahoma City last year, Craig hit .309 before ending his season with a wrist injury, which is still affecting him a little bit now. But, I still think that his chance of making the team is very small, as Craig will not only have to be the fifth best outfielder, he would have to play well enough to create a fifth outfield spot at the major league level, as the Rangers are going into camp planning on having four outfielders on their Opening Day roster.
Percentage: 11.7%
Josh Hamilton
Last year Josh won MVP. There is zero chance that he is not on this team, as long as he does not get injured. Last year, Josh had a .359 batting average (best in baseball), 32 home runs, and 100 RBIs, and he even missed a month. He should be the starting left fielder to start off the 2011 season. Josh is the definition of a five-tool player. He has the speed, he has the power (32 HRs, 100 RBIs), he hits for average (.359 AVG), he is an amazing fielder, and he has a great arm. When healthy, Josh is arguably the best player in all of baseball. This is a no-brainer.
Percentage: 100%
David Murphy
Murphy goes into Spring Training penciled in as the #4 outfielder, but could play his way into the starting left field position, which would make Julio Borbon the #4 outfielder. Either way, Murphy will be on the team, as there is no doubt about that. David had the best year of his career last year, as he hit .291 with 12 home runs and 65 RBIs. He hit especially well when Josh Hamilton was out, hitting .355 in September and October (not including playoffs) while he was replacing Josh. David also had 14 stolen bases last year, which is not a bad number. I don’t see any scenario in which David is not on the Rangers Opening Day roster, and as long as David stays healthy, there is a 100% chance that he will be on the team coming out of Spring Training.
Percentage: 100%
Predicted Outfield Roster:
Center Field: Julio Borbon
Right Field: Nelson Cruz
Left Field: Josh Hamilton
4th Outfielder: David Murphy
Next in Line:
None
Come back next week for an analysis of the Spring Training pitchers.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Offseason Grades
This week I will give my offseason grades for all 30 major league teams, along with the players that they gained and lost and a little bit of analysis behind the grades. (And yes, I'm intentionally not commenting on the Michael Young situation. I'll comment when and if something happens. I'll just say that I hope they work it out and he stays a Ranger.)
AL East:
Baltimore Orioles
Additions: Mitch Atkins, Mark Reynolds, JJ Hardy, Jeremy Accardo, Kevin Gregg, Derrek Lee, Justin Duchscherer, Ryan Drese, Clay Rapada, Randy Winn, Nick Green, Vladimir Guerrero
Subtractions: David Hernandez, Kam Mickolio, Jim Hoey, Matt Albers, Sean Henn, Corey Patterson, Will Ohman, Frank Mata, Michael Aubrey, Cla Meredith, Scott Moore, Garrett Atkins, Ty Wigginton
Grade: A-, the O’s didn’t lose a whole lot and added a few solid players such as Reynolds, Hardy, Gregg, Duchscherer, and Guerrero.
Boston Red Sox
Additions: Brent Dlugach, Andrew Miller, Taylor Buchholz, Drew Sutton, Brandon Duckworth, Jason Bergmann, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Lenny DiNardo, Randy Williams, Matt Albers, Dan Wheeler, Bobby Jenks, Tony Pena
Subtractions: Dustin Richardson, Eric Patterson, Gustavo Molina, Felipe Lopez, Victor Martinez, Jeff Bailey, Fernando Cabrera, Fabio Castro, Kevin Cash, Adrian Beltre, Bill Hall, Dusty Brown, Mike Lowell
Grade: A-, yes, the Red Sox got Gonzalez and Crawford, but they also lost Martinez and Beltre. I’m not saying that those two sides are equal, but those are still big losses. Also, the team will still be injury-prone, so an A- is as high as I will give them.
New York Yankees
Additions: Buddy Carlisle, Doug Bernier, Mark Prior, Gustavo Molina, Russell Martin, Pedro Feliciano, Brian Schlitter, Rafael Soriano, Justin Maxwell, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon,
Subtractions: Austin Kearns, Royce Ring, Andy Pettite, Javier Vazquez, Chad Gaudin, Kerry Wood, Lance Berkman, Marcus Thames, Dustin Mosely
Grade: D, the Yankees not only lost their #2 starter in Andy Pettite and a solid reliever in Kerry Wood, but only got one good player, which was Rafael Soriano, and that was on a ridiculous contract.
Tampa Bay Rays
Additions: Andrew Leary, RJ Swindle, Joel Peralta, Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, Christopher Archer, Sam Fuld, Kyle Farnsworth, Dirk Hayhurst, Casey Kotchman, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, Rob Delaney, Felipe Lopez, Juan Cruz
Subtractions: Carl Crawford, Dan Wheeler, Rafael Soriano, Jason Bartlett, Matt Garza, Fernando Perez, Joaquin Benoit, Grant Balfour, Jose Ruiz, Randy Choate, Carlos Pena, Shawn Riggins, Dioneer Navarro, Gabe Kapler, Brad Hawpe, Scott Munter, Chad Qualls
Grade: F, just look at the subtractions. It’s horrible.
Toronto Blue Jays
Additions: Rajai Davis, Carlos Villanueva, Brett Lawrie, Ryan Budde, Sean Henn, Corey Patterson, Brian Stokes, Mike Hinckley, Winston Abreu, Octavio Dotel, Chad Cordero, Wil Ledezma, Jon Rauch, Juan Rivera, Frankie Francisco
Subtractions: Jeremy Accardo, Kevin Gregg, Nick Green, Taylor Buchholz, Dirk Hayhurst, Danny Farquhar, Trystan Magnuson, Shaun Marcum, Vernon Wells, Scott Downs, John Buck, Taylor Buchholz, Russ Adams, Raul Chavez, Fred Lewis, Jeremy Reed, Lyle Overbay, Brian Tallet
Grade: B-, the Jays lost a few of their bullpen guys, but got more solid relievers to fill those holes. They also picked up a couple more solid players while getting a steal of a trade with the Angels.
AL Central:
Chicago White Sox
Additions: Adam Dunn, Kyle Cofield, Jesse Crain, Will Ohman, Philip Humber, Dallas McPherson, Lastings Milledge
Subtractions: Randy Williams, Bobby Jenks, Manny Ramirez, Scott Linebrink, Freddy Garcia, Josh Kroeger, Mark Kotsay, JJ Putz
Grade: B, the Sox added Dunn and Crain, but lost Jenks and Putz. Those are really the only players of note here, but I’ll take the add side over the loss side in this comparison.
Cleveland Indians
Additions: Jack Hannahan, Paul Phillips, Adam Everett, Austin Kearns, Travis Buck, Joe Martinez, Doug Mathis
Subtractions: Drew Sutton, RJ Swindle, Winston Abreu, Luis Rodriguez, Chris Gimenez, Andy Marte, Wyatt Toregas
Grade: D, the Indians did absolutely nothing.
Detroit Tigers
Additions: Joaquin Benoit, Victor Martinez, John Bale, Omir Santos, Brad Penny
Subtractions: Johnny Damon, Adam Everett, Armando Galarraga, Zach Miner, Phil Dumatrait, Jay Sborz, Eddie Bonine, Casey Fien, Josh Fields, Gerald Laird
Grade: B+, the Tigers didn’t add a large number of players, but added a good quality of players, while not losing much.
Kansas City Royals
Additions: Joaquin Arias, Vin Mazzaro, Brett Carroll, Steven Shell, Jeff Francoeur, Melky Cabrera, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress, Lorenzo Cain, Zach Miner, Jeff Francis, Pedro Feliz
Subtractions: Jordan Parraz, Brandon Duckworth, Tony Pena, Juan Cruz, Philip Humber, John Bale, David DeJesus, Yuniesky Betancourt, Zack Grienke, Gil Meche, Dusty Hughes, Anthony Lerew, Jai Miller, Roman Colon, Oscar Villarreal
Grade: B, the Royals added some good pieces, and got some solid prospects to brighten their future.
Minnesota Twins
Additions: Dusty Hughes, Eric Hacker, Phil Dumatrait, Jeff Bailey, Jim Hoey, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Rene Rivera, Steve Holm
Subtractions: Rob Delaney, Jon Rauch, Jesse Crain, JJ Hardy, Jose Morales, Brian Fuentes, Nick Punto, Jose Morales, Joe Crede, Matt Guerrier, Orlando Hudson, Ron Mahay
Grade: D+, the Twins got almost nothing this offseason, but still lost solid players in Rauch, Crain, Hardy, Fuentes, Punto, Guerrier, Hudson, and Mahay. They’re lucky they didn’t get an F.
AL West:
Anaheim Angels
Additions: Hisanori Takahashi, Scott Downs, Vernon Wells
Subtractions: Ryan Budde, Brian Stokes, Travis Scott, Mike Napoli, Juan Rivera, Hideki Matsui, Robb Quinlan, Kevin Frandsen, Terry Evans
Grade: D-, the Angels in no way improved themselves this offseason, even though they really needed to.
Oakland Athletics
Additions: Willie Eyre, Travis Blackley, David DeJesus, Edwin Encarnacion, Anthony Lerew, Danny Farquhar, Trystan Magnuson, Hideki Matsui, Brandon McCarthy, Josh Willingham, Jai Miller, Fernando Cabrera, Philip Humber, Rich Harden, Guillermo Moscoso, Grant Balfour, Brian Fuentes, Andy LaRoche, Ethan Hollingsworth
Subtractions: Justin Duchscherer, Lenny DiNardo, Dallas McPherson, Travis Buck, Vin Mazzaro, Rajai Davis, Henry Rodriguez, Corey Brown, Ryan Kelly, Clay Mortenson, Jack Cust, Gabe Gross, Boof Bonser, Scott Hairston, Jeff Larish, Jeremy Hermida, Chad Reineke, Justin James, Clay Mortenson
Grade: B-, the A’s made some good moves to improve their team, but none that really stand out as something that will make a huge difference throughout the season.
Seattle Mariners
Additions: Sean Kazmar, Justin Miller, Luis Rodriguez, Chris Smith, Charlie Haeger, Fabio Castro, Jack Cust, Brendan Ryan, Royce Ring, Chris Gimenez, Denny Bautista, Miguel Olivo, Adam Kennedy, Nate Robertson, Jody Gerut, Chris Ray, Gabe Gross, Manny Delcarmen,
Subtractions: Casey Kotchman, Chad Cordero, Jack Hannahan, Jose Lopez, Rob Johnson, Anthony Varvaro, Ryan Feierabend, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Ian Snell, Brian Sweeney
Grade: C-, the Mariners are just another one of those teams that basically did nothing this offseason.
Texas Rangers
Additions: Kevin Cash, Doug Deeds, Barret Loux, Nick Urbanus, Yorvit Torrealba, Yoshinori Tateyama, Mason Tobin, Yhency Brazoban, Hirotoshi Onaka, Brian Barden, Seth McClung, Arthur Rhodes, Brandon Webb, Adrian Beltre, Ryan Kelly, Mike Napoli, Jose Ruiz, Dave Bush,
Subtractions: Clay Rapada, Mark Prior, Doug Mathis, Jeff Francoeur, Willie Eyre, Brandon McCarthy, Rich Harden, Max Ramirez, Guillermo Moscoso, Frankie Francisco, Cliff Lee, Brandon Boggs, Gregorio Petit, Jorge Cantu, Vladimir Guerrero
Grade: C+, the Rangers made some really good moves this offseason, but the loss of Cliff Lee makes it near impossible to get a good grade.
NL East:
Atlanta Braves
Additions: Scott Linebrink, Joe Mather, Dan Uggla, Jay Sborz, Wilkin Castillo, George Sherrill, Rodrigo Lopez
Subtractions: Derrek Lee, Buddy Carlisle, Kyle Farnsworth, Kyle Cofield, Melky Cabrera, Michael Dunn, Omar Infante, Clint Sammons, Joe Thurston, Juan Perez, Rick Ankiel, Takashi Saito, Matt Diaz, Billy Wagner
Grade: C+, the Braves added Dan Uggla, but really didn’t do anything else to improve their team.
Florida Marlins
Additions: Dustin Richardson, Edward Mujica, Ryan Webb, Michael Dunn, Omar Infante, John Buck, Javier Vazquez, Victor Garate, Josh Kroeger, Frank Mata, Randy Choate, Clint Sammons, Joe Thurston, Greg Dobbs
Subtractions: Brett Carroll, Brian Barden, Seth McClung, Andrew Miller, Cameron Maybin, Dan Uggla, Ronny Paulino, Taylor Tankersley, Dan Meyer, Tim Wood, Jose Veras, Ryan Vogelsong
Grade: C+, the Fins added some good role-players, but also lost some good players, so I think that adds up to a very mediocre offseason.
New York Mets
Additions: Michael O’Conner, Boof Bonser, Russ Adams, Ronny Paulino, DJ Carrasco, Chin-lung Hu, Chris Capuano, Taylor Buchholz, Taylor Tankersley, Willie Harris, Chris Young, Scott Hairston, Blaine Boyer, Raul Chavez, Tim Byrdak, Dusty Ryan
Subtractions: Pedro Feliciano, Omir Santos, Joaquin Arias, Rene Rivera, Hisanori Takahashi, Sean Green, Fernando Nieve, Henry Blanco, Wily Mo Pena, John Maine, Fernando Tatis
Grade: C-, the Mets really didn’t do anything to improve or hurt their team.
Philadelphia Phillies
Additions: Erik Kratz, Ryan Feierabend, Dan Meyer, Josh Barfield, Eddie Bonine, Jeff Larish, Pete Orr, Juan Perez, Brandon Moss, Cliff Lee, Brian Bass, Robb Quinlan, Delwyn Young, Matt Anderson, Albert Cartwright
Subtractions: Eric Hacker, Nate Robertson, Greg Dobbs, Sergio Escalona, Jayson Werth, Cody Ransom, Jamie Moyer, Mike Sweeney, Chad Durbin
Grade: B+, the Phillies added Cliff Lee, and that’s why this is a B+, because otherwise, they did nothing.
Washington Nationals
Additions: Tim Wood, Jayson Werth, Matt Stairs, Henry Rodriguez, Corey Brown, Chad Gaudin, Michael Aubrey, Rick Ankiel, Adam LaRoche, Jerry Hairston Jr., Tom Gorzelanny, Todd Coffey, Alex Cora, Cla Meredith, Laynce Nix, Kevin Barker
Subtractions: Jason Bergmann, Justin Maxwell, Joel Peralta, Mike Hinckley, Adam Dunn, Lastings Milledge, Steven Shell, Adam Kennedy, Victor Garate, Willie Harris, Pete Orr, Josh Willingham, Wil Nieves, Scott Olsen, Miguel Batista, Willy Taveras
Grade: C-, the Nats signed Jayson Werth to one of the most ridiculous contracts I’ve ever seen. What were they thinking?
NL Central:
Chicago Cubs
Additions: Carlos Pena, Scott Moore, Kerry Wood, Matt Garza, Max Ramirez, Reed Johnson, Augie Ojeda, Todd Wellemeyer
Subtractions: Mitch Atkins, Brian Schlitter, Doug Deeds, Mason Tobin, Brandon Guyer, Christopher Archer, Robinson Chirinos, Sam Fuld, Tom Gorzelanny, Xavier Nady
Grade: D, the Cubs have added some good major league players, but traded away practically their entire farm system to get Matt Garza.
Cincinnati Reds
Additions: Dontrelle Willis, Jeremy Hermida, Fred Lewis, Edgar Renteria, Chad Reineke
Subtractions: Arthur Rhodes, Wilkin Castillo, Laynce Nix, Kevin Barker, Jim Edmonds, Willie Bloomquist, Micah Owings, Aaron Harang, Mike Lincoln
Grade: D+, the Reds really didn’t hurt or improve their team this offseason, so it’s hard to get a good grade without adding anybody very good.
Houston Astros
Additions: Casey Fien, Clint Barmes, Carlos Corporan, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Bill Hall, Sergio Escalona
Subtractions: Tim Byrdak, Felipe Paulino, Matt Lindstrom, Albert Cartwright, Edwin Maysonet, Geoff Blum, Casey Daigle, Shane Loux
Grade: D, the Astros had a very quiet offseason.
Milwaukee Brewers
Additions: Justin James, Brandon Boggs, Shaun Marcum, Wil Nieves, Yuniesky Betancourt, Zack Grienke, Sean Green, Takashi Saito, Edwin Maysonet, Shawn Riggins, Jeremy Reed, Mark Kotsay
Subtractions: Chris Smith, Jody Gerut, Dave Bush, Chris Capuano, Todd Coffey, Carlos Villanueva, Brett Lawrie, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress, Lorenzo Cain, Claudio Vargas, Gregg Zaun, Doug Davis, Trevor Hoffman
Grade: A, the Brew Crew added two front-of-the-line pitchers to go along with Yovani Gallardo, and didn’t hurt their big league club at all to get it done.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Additions: Andy Marte, Dusty Brown, Fernando Nieve, Scott Olsen, Lyle Overbay, Matt Diaz, Josh Fields, Garrett Atkins, Wyatt Toregas, Jose Veras, Joe Beimel, Kevin Correia
Subtractions: Wil Ledezma, Joe Martinez, Erik Kratz, Brandon Moss, Brian Bass, Delwyn Young, Zach Duke, Chan Ho Park
Grade: C, the Pirates did nothing wrong. They just didn’t do anything right.
St. Louis Cardinals
Additions: Brian Tallet, Ryan Theriot, Lance Berkman, Gerald Laird, Miguel Bautista, Ian Snell, Nick Punto, Jim Edmonds
Subtractions: Randy Winn, Brad Penny, Pedro Feliz, Joe Mather, Blake Hawksworth, Brendan Ryan, Jason LaRue, Aaron Miles, Jeff Suppan
Grade: D, the Cardinals were an aging and struggling team last year, and did nothing to improve themselves.
NL West:
Arizona Diamondbacks
Additions: Brian Sweeney, Geoff Blum, Juan Miranda, Zach Duke, Melvin Mora, David Hernandez, Kam Mickolio, JJ Putz, Henry Blanco, Xavier Nady, Willie Bloomquist, Wily Mo Pena, Cody Ransom, Micah Owings, Armando Galarraga
Subtractions: Travis Blackley, Barret Loux, Brandon Webb, Rodrigo Lopez, DJ Carrasco, Blaine Boyer, Adam LaRoche, Augie Ojeda, Dontrelle Willis, Carlos Corporan, Mark Reynolds
Grade: C-, the Diamondbacks really didn’t do much this offseason.
Colorado Rockies
Additions: Felipe Paulino, Jose Lopez, Ty Wigginton, Jose Morales, Matt Lindstrom, Joe Crede, Willy Taveras, Clay Mortenson, Alfredo Amezaga, Claudio Vargas
Subtractions: Doug Bernier, Octavio Dotel, Paul Phillips, Jeff Francis, Miguel Olivo, Manny Delcarmen, Yorvit Torrealba, Joe Beimel, Melvin Mora, Clint Barmes, Chaz Roe, Brad Eldred
Grade: C-, the Rockies’ best addition is Ty Wigginton, and while I don’t have anything against him and think that he’s a solid player, he should not be your best addition.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Additions: Juan Uribe, Blake Hawksworth, Tony Gwynn, Eugenio Velez, Dioneer Navarro, Matt Guerrier, Marcus Thames, Roman Colon, Gabe Kapler, Oscar Villarreal, Jon Garland, Ron Mahay
Subtractions: Russell Martin, Justin Miller, Charlie Haeger, Yhency Brazoban, George Sherrill, Chin-lung Hu, Reed Johnson, Alfredo Amezaga, Ryan Theriot, Scott Podsednik, Brad Ausmus, Jeff Weaver
Grade: A-, the Dodgers really didn’t lose anybody good, and even with their ownership situation, still managed to gain some good players to help their team.
San Diego Padres
Additions: Cameron Maybin, Gregorio Petit, Aaron Harang, Dustin Mosely, Eric Patterson, Jason Bartlett, Rob Johnson, Orlando Hudson, Brad Hawpe, Scott Munter, Kevin Frandsen, Jesus Guzman, Gregg Zaun, Chad Qualls, Jorge Cantu
Subtractions: Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, Sean Kazmar, Michael O’Conner, Chris Young, Dusty Ryan, Josh Barfield, Matt Stairs, Jerry Hairston Jr., Tony Gwynn, Ryan Webb, Edward Mujica, Adrian Gonzalez, Adam Russell, Brandon Gomes, Cesar Ramos, Cole Figueroa, Miguel Tejada, Chris Stewart, Jon Garland, David Eckstein, Scott Hairston
Grade: F, the Padres added two solid players, while losing 7 solid players and 1 superstar. Terrible offseason.
San Francisco Giants
Additions: Miguel Tejada, Casey Daigle, Chris Stewart, Ryan Vogelsong, Terry Evans, Shane Loux, Brad Eldred, Jeff Suppan, Elmer Dessens
Subtractions: Steve Holm, Denny Bautista, Chris Ray, Todd Wellemeyer, Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe, Eugenio Velez, Jesus Guzman, Jose Guillen
Grade: F, the Giants did absolutely nothing to improve themselves, while losing some solid contributors on their World Series run last year.
Come back next week for the start of my Spring Training Position Analysis.
AL East:
Baltimore Orioles
Additions: Mitch Atkins, Mark Reynolds, JJ Hardy, Jeremy Accardo, Kevin Gregg, Derrek Lee, Justin Duchscherer, Ryan Drese, Clay Rapada, Randy Winn, Nick Green, Vladimir Guerrero
Subtractions: David Hernandez, Kam Mickolio, Jim Hoey, Matt Albers, Sean Henn, Corey Patterson, Will Ohman, Frank Mata, Michael Aubrey, Cla Meredith, Scott Moore, Garrett Atkins, Ty Wigginton
Grade: A-, the O’s didn’t lose a whole lot and added a few solid players such as Reynolds, Hardy, Gregg, Duchscherer, and Guerrero.
Boston Red Sox
Additions: Brent Dlugach, Andrew Miller, Taylor Buchholz, Drew Sutton, Brandon Duckworth, Jason Bergmann, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Lenny DiNardo, Randy Williams, Matt Albers, Dan Wheeler, Bobby Jenks, Tony Pena
Subtractions: Dustin Richardson, Eric Patterson, Gustavo Molina, Felipe Lopez, Victor Martinez, Jeff Bailey, Fernando Cabrera, Fabio Castro, Kevin Cash, Adrian Beltre, Bill Hall, Dusty Brown, Mike Lowell
Grade: A-, yes, the Red Sox got Gonzalez and Crawford, but they also lost Martinez and Beltre. I’m not saying that those two sides are equal, but those are still big losses. Also, the team will still be injury-prone, so an A- is as high as I will give them.
New York Yankees
Additions: Buddy Carlisle, Doug Bernier, Mark Prior, Gustavo Molina, Russell Martin, Pedro Feliciano, Brian Schlitter, Rafael Soriano, Justin Maxwell, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon,
Subtractions: Austin Kearns, Royce Ring, Andy Pettite, Javier Vazquez, Chad Gaudin, Kerry Wood, Lance Berkman, Marcus Thames, Dustin Mosely
Grade: D, the Yankees not only lost their #2 starter in Andy Pettite and a solid reliever in Kerry Wood, but only got one good player, which was Rafael Soriano, and that was on a ridiculous contract.
Tampa Bay Rays
Additions: Andrew Leary, RJ Swindle, Joel Peralta, Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, Christopher Archer, Sam Fuld, Kyle Farnsworth, Dirk Hayhurst, Casey Kotchman, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, Rob Delaney, Felipe Lopez, Juan Cruz
Subtractions: Carl Crawford, Dan Wheeler, Rafael Soriano, Jason Bartlett, Matt Garza, Fernando Perez, Joaquin Benoit, Grant Balfour, Jose Ruiz, Randy Choate, Carlos Pena, Shawn Riggins, Dioneer Navarro, Gabe Kapler, Brad Hawpe, Scott Munter, Chad Qualls
Grade: F, just look at the subtractions. It’s horrible.
Toronto Blue Jays
Additions: Rajai Davis, Carlos Villanueva, Brett Lawrie, Ryan Budde, Sean Henn, Corey Patterson, Brian Stokes, Mike Hinckley, Winston Abreu, Octavio Dotel, Chad Cordero, Wil Ledezma, Jon Rauch, Juan Rivera, Frankie Francisco
Subtractions: Jeremy Accardo, Kevin Gregg, Nick Green, Taylor Buchholz, Dirk Hayhurst, Danny Farquhar, Trystan Magnuson, Shaun Marcum, Vernon Wells, Scott Downs, John Buck, Taylor Buchholz, Russ Adams, Raul Chavez, Fred Lewis, Jeremy Reed, Lyle Overbay, Brian Tallet
Grade: B-, the Jays lost a few of their bullpen guys, but got more solid relievers to fill those holes. They also picked up a couple more solid players while getting a steal of a trade with the Angels.
AL Central:
Chicago White Sox
Additions: Adam Dunn, Kyle Cofield, Jesse Crain, Will Ohman, Philip Humber, Dallas McPherson, Lastings Milledge
Subtractions: Randy Williams, Bobby Jenks, Manny Ramirez, Scott Linebrink, Freddy Garcia, Josh Kroeger, Mark Kotsay, JJ Putz
Grade: B, the Sox added Dunn and Crain, but lost Jenks and Putz. Those are really the only players of note here, but I’ll take the add side over the loss side in this comparison.
Cleveland Indians
Additions: Jack Hannahan, Paul Phillips, Adam Everett, Austin Kearns, Travis Buck, Joe Martinez, Doug Mathis
Subtractions: Drew Sutton, RJ Swindle, Winston Abreu, Luis Rodriguez, Chris Gimenez, Andy Marte, Wyatt Toregas
Grade: D, the Indians did absolutely nothing.
Detroit Tigers
Additions: Joaquin Benoit, Victor Martinez, John Bale, Omir Santos, Brad Penny
Subtractions: Johnny Damon, Adam Everett, Armando Galarraga, Zach Miner, Phil Dumatrait, Jay Sborz, Eddie Bonine, Casey Fien, Josh Fields, Gerald Laird
Grade: B+, the Tigers didn’t add a large number of players, but added a good quality of players, while not losing much.
Kansas City Royals
Additions: Joaquin Arias, Vin Mazzaro, Brett Carroll, Steven Shell, Jeff Francoeur, Melky Cabrera, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress, Lorenzo Cain, Zach Miner, Jeff Francis, Pedro Feliz
Subtractions: Jordan Parraz, Brandon Duckworth, Tony Pena, Juan Cruz, Philip Humber, John Bale, David DeJesus, Yuniesky Betancourt, Zack Grienke, Gil Meche, Dusty Hughes, Anthony Lerew, Jai Miller, Roman Colon, Oscar Villarreal
Grade: B, the Royals added some good pieces, and got some solid prospects to brighten their future.
Minnesota Twins
Additions: Dusty Hughes, Eric Hacker, Phil Dumatrait, Jeff Bailey, Jim Hoey, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Rene Rivera, Steve Holm
Subtractions: Rob Delaney, Jon Rauch, Jesse Crain, JJ Hardy, Jose Morales, Brian Fuentes, Nick Punto, Jose Morales, Joe Crede, Matt Guerrier, Orlando Hudson, Ron Mahay
Grade: D+, the Twins got almost nothing this offseason, but still lost solid players in Rauch, Crain, Hardy, Fuentes, Punto, Guerrier, Hudson, and Mahay. They’re lucky they didn’t get an F.
AL West:
Anaheim Angels
Additions: Hisanori Takahashi, Scott Downs, Vernon Wells
Subtractions: Ryan Budde, Brian Stokes, Travis Scott, Mike Napoli, Juan Rivera, Hideki Matsui, Robb Quinlan, Kevin Frandsen, Terry Evans
Grade: D-, the Angels in no way improved themselves this offseason, even though they really needed to.
Oakland Athletics
Additions: Willie Eyre, Travis Blackley, David DeJesus, Edwin Encarnacion, Anthony Lerew, Danny Farquhar, Trystan Magnuson, Hideki Matsui, Brandon McCarthy, Josh Willingham, Jai Miller, Fernando Cabrera, Philip Humber, Rich Harden, Guillermo Moscoso, Grant Balfour, Brian Fuentes, Andy LaRoche, Ethan Hollingsworth
Subtractions: Justin Duchscherer, Lenny DiNardo, Dallas McPherson, Travis Buck, Vin Mazzaro, Rajai Davis, Henry Rodriguez, Corey Brown, Ryan Kelly, Clay Mortenson, Jack Cust, Gabe Gross, Boof Bonser, Scott Hairston, Jeff Larish, Jeremy Hermida, Chad Reineke, Justin James, Clay Mortenson
Grade: B-, the A’s made some good moves to improve their team, but none that really stand out as something that will make a huge difference throughout the season.
Seattle Mariners
Additions: Sean Kazmar, Justin Miller, Luis Rodriguez, Chris Smith, Charlie Haeger, Fabio Castro, Jack Cust, Brendan Ryan, Royce Ring, Chris Gimenez, Denny Bautista, Miguel Olivo, Adam Kennedy, Nate Robertson, Jody Gerut, Chris Ray, Gabe Gross, Manny Delcarmen,
Subtractions: Casey Kotchman, Chad Cordero, Jack Hannahan, Jose Lopez, Rob Johnson, Anthony Varvaro, Ryan Feierabend, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Ian Snell, Brian Sweeney
Grade: C-, the Mariners are just another one of those teams that basically did nothing this offseason.
Texas Rangers
Additions: Kevin Cash, Doug Deeds, Barret Loux, Nick Urbanus, Yorvit Torrealba, Yoshinori Tateyama, Mason Tobin, Yhency Brazoban, Hirotoshi Onaka, Brian Barden, Seth McClung, Arthur Rhodes, Brandon Webb, Adrian Beltre, Ryan Kelly, Mike Napoli, Jose Ruiz, Dave Bush,
Subtractions: Clay Rapada, Mark Prior, Doug Mathis, Jeff Francoeur, Willie Eyre, Brandon McCarthy, Rich Harden, Max Ramirez, Guillermo Moscoso, Frankie Francisco, Cliff Lee, Brandon Boggs, Gregorio Petit, Jorge Cantu, Vladimir Guerrero
Grade: C+, the Rangers made some really good moves this offseason, but the loss of Cliff Lee makes it near impossible to get a good grade.
NL East:
Atlanta Braves
Additions: Scott Linebrink, Joe Mather, Dan Uggla, Jay Sborz, Wilkin Castillo, George Sherrill, Rodrigo Lopez
Subtractions: Derrek Lee, Buddy Carlisle, Kyle Farnsworth, Kyle Cofield, Melky Cabrera, Michael Dunn, Omar Infante, Clint Sammons, Joe Thurston, Juan Perez, Rick Ankiel, Takashi Saito, Matt Diaz, Billy Wagner
Grade: C+, the Braves added Dan Uggla, but really didn’t do anything else to improve their team.
Florida Marlins
Additions: Dustin Richardson, Edward Mujica, Ryan Webb, Michael Dunn, Omar Infante, John Buck, Javier Vazquez, Victor Garate, Josh Kroeger, Frank Mata, Randy Choate, Clint Sammons, Joe Thurston, Greg Dobbs
Subtractions: Brett Carroll, Brian Barden, Seth McClung, Andrew Miller, Cameron Maybin, Dan Uggla, Ronny Paulino, Taylor Tankersley, Dan Meyer, Tim Wood, Jose Veras, Ryan Vogelsong
Grade: C+, the Fins added some good role-players, but also lost some good players, so I think that adds up to a very mediocre offseason.
New York Mets
Additions: Michael O’Conner, Boof Bonser, Russ Adams, Ronny Paulino, DJ Carrasco, Chin-lung Hu, Chris Capuano, Taylor Buchholz, Taylor Tankersley, Willie Harris, Chris Young, Scott Hairston, Blaine Boyer, Raul Chavez, Tim Byrdak, Dusty Ryan
Subtractions: Pedro Feliciano, Omir Santos, Joaquin Arias, Rene Rivera, Hisanori Takahashi, Sean Green, Fernando Nieve, Henry Blanco, Wily Mo Pena, John Maine, Fernando Tatis
Grade: C-, the Mets really didn’t do anything to improve or hurt their team.
Philadelphia Phillies
Additions: Erik Kratz, Ryan Feierabend, Dan Meyer, Josh Barfield, Eddie Bonine, Jeff Larish, Pete Orr, Juan Perez, Brandon Moss, Cliff Lee, Brian Bass, Robb Quinlan, Delwyn Young, Matt Anderson, Albert Cartwright
Subtractions: Eric Hacker, Nate Robertson, Greg Dobbs, Sergio Escalona, Jayson Werth, Cody Ransom, Jamie Moyer, Mike Sweeney, Chad Durbin
Grade: B+, the Phillies added Cliff Lee, and that’s why this is a B+, because otherwise, they did nothing.
Washington Nationals
Additions: Tim Wood, Jayson Werth, Matt Stairs, Henry Rodriguez, Corey Brown, Chad Gaudin, Michael Aubrey, Rick Ankiel, Adam LaRoche, Jerry Hairston Jr., Tom Gorzelanny, Todd Coffey, Alex Cora, Cla Meredith, Laynce Nix, Kevin Barker
Subtractions: Jason Bergmann, Justin Maxwell, Joel Peralta, Mike Hinckley, Adam Dunn, Lastings Milledge, Steven Shell, Adam Kennedy, Victor Garate, Willie Harris, Pete Orr, Josh Willingham, Wil Nieves, Scott Olsen, Miguel Batista, Willy Taveras
Grade: C-, the Nats signed Jayson Werth to one of the most ridiculous contracts I’ve ever seen. What were they thinking?
NL Central:
Chicago Cubs
Additions: Carlos Pena, Scott Moore, Kerry Wood, Matt Garza, Max Ramirez, Reed Johnson, Augie Ojeda, Todd Wellemeyer
Subtractions: Mitch Atkins, Brian Schlitter, Doug Deeds, Mason Tobin, Brandon Guyer, Christopher Archer, Robinson Chirinos, Sam Fuld, Tom Gorzelanny, Xavier Nady
Grade: D, the Cubs have added some good major league players, but traded away practically their entire farm system to get Matt Garza.
Cincinnati Reds
Additions: Dontrelle Willis, Jeremy Hermida, Fred Lewis, Edgar Renteria, Chad Reineke
Subtractions: Arthur Rhodes, Wilkin Castillo, Laynce Nix, Kevin Barker, Jim Edmonds, Willie Bloomquist, Micah Owings, Aaron Harang, Mike Lincoln
Grade: D+, the Reds really didn’t hurt or improve their team this offseason, so it’s hard to get a good grade without adding anybody very good.
Houston Astros
Additions: Casey Fien, Clint Barmes, Carlos Corporan, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Bill Hall, Sergio Escalona
Subtractions: Tim Byrdak, Felipe Paulino, Matt Lindstrom, Albert Cartwright, Edwin Maysonet, Geoff Blum, Casey Daigle, Shane Loux
Grade: D, the Astros had a very quiet offseason.
Milwaukee Brewers
Additions: Justin James, Brandon Boggs, Shaun Marcum, Wil Nieves, Yuniesky Betancourt, Zack Grienke, Sean Green, Takashi Saito, Edwin Maysonet, Shawn Riggins, Jeremy Reed, Mark Kotsay
Subtractions: Chris Smith, Jody Gerut, Dave Bush, Chris Capuano, Todd Coffey, Carlos Villanueva, Brett Lawrie, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress, Lorenzo Cain, Claudio Vargas, Gregg Zaun, Doug Davis, Trevor Hoffman
Grade: A, the Brew Crew added two front-of-the-line pitchers to go along with Yovani Gallardo, and didn’t hurt their big league club at all to get it done.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Additions: Andy Marte, Dusty Brown, Fernando Nieve, Scott Olsen, Lyle Overbay, Matt Diaz, Josh Fields, Garrett Atkins, Wyatt Toregas, Jose Veras, Joe Beimel, Kevin Correia
Subtractions: Wil Ledezma, Joe Martinez, Erik Kratz, Brandon Moss, Brian Bass, Delwyn Young, Zach Duke, Chan Ho Park
Grade: C, the Pirates did nothing wrong. They just didn’t do anything right.
St. Louis Cardinals
Additions: Brian Tallet, Ryan Theriot, Lance Berkman, Gerald Laird, Miguel Bautista, Ian Snell, Nick Punto, Jim Edmonds
Subtractions: Randy Winn, Brad Penny, Pedro Feliz, Joe Mather, Blake Hawksworth, Brendan Ryan, Jason LaRue, Aaron Miles, Jeff Suppan
Grade: D, the Cardinals were an aging and struggling team last year, and did nothing to improve themselves.
NL West:
Arizona Diamondbacks
Additions: Brian Sweeney, Geoff Blum, Juan Miranda, Zach Duke, Melvin Mora, David Hernandez, Kam Mickolio, JJ Putz, Henry Blanco, Xavier Nady, Willie Bloomquist, Wily Mo Pena, Cody Ransom, Micah Owings, Armando Galarraga
Subtractions: Travis Blackley, Barret Loux, Brandon Webb, Rodrigo Lopez, DJ Carrasco, Blaine Boyer, Adam LaRoche, Augie Ojeda, Dontrelle Willis, Carlos Corporan, Mark Reynolds
Grade: C-, the Diamondbacks really didn’t do much this offseason.
Colorado Rockies
Additions: Felipe Paulino, Jose Lopez, Ty Wigginton, Jose Morales, Matt Lindstrom, Joe Crede, Willy Taveras, Clay Mortenson, Alfredo Amezaga, Claudio Vargas
Subtractions: Doug Bernier, Octavio Dotel, Paul Phillips, Jeff Francis, Miguel Olivo, Manny Delcarmen, Yorvit Torrealba, Joe Beimel, Melvin Mora, Clint Barmes, Chaz Roe, Brad Eldred
Grade: C-, the Rockies’ best addition is Ty Wigginton, and while I don’t have anything against him and think that he’s a solid player, he should not be your best addition.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Additions: Juan Uribe, Blake Hawksworth, Tony Gwynn, Eugenio Velez, Dioneer Navarro, Matt Guerrier, Marcus Thames, Roman Colon, Gabe Kapler, Oscar Villarreal, Jon Garland, Ron Mahay
Subtractions: Russell Martin, Justin Miller, Charlie Haeger, Yhency Brazoban, George Sherrill, Chin-lung Hu, Reed Johnson, Alfredo Amezaga, Ryan Theriot, Scott Podsednik, Brad Ausmus, Jeff Weaver
Grade: A-, the Dodgers really didn’t lose anybody good, and even with their ownership situation, still managed to gain some good players to help their team.
San Diego Padres
Additions: Cameron Maybin, Gregorio Petit, Aaron Harang, Dustin Mosely, Eric Patterson, Jason Bartlett, Rob Johnson, Orlando Hudson, Brad Hawpe, Scott Munter, Kevin Frandsen, Jesus Guzman, Gregg Zaun, Chad Qualls, Jorge Cantu
Subtractions: Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, Sean Kazmar, Michael O’Conner, Chris Young, Dusty Ryan, Josh Barfield, Matt Stairs, Jerry Hairston Jr., Tony Gwynn, Ryan Webb, Edward Mujica, Adrian Gonzalez, Adam Russell, Brandon Gomes, Cesar Ramos, Cole Figueroa, Miguel Tejada, Chris Stewart, Jon Garland, David Eckstein, Scott Hairston
Grade: F, the Padres added two solid players, while losing 7 solid players and 1 superstar. Terrible offseason.
San Francisco Giants
Additions: Miguel Tejada, Casey Daigle, Chris Stewart, Ryan Vogelsong, Terry Evans, Shane Loux, Brad Eldred, Jeff Suppan, Elmer Dessens
Subtractions: Steve Holm, Denny Bautista, Chris Ray, Todd Wellemeyer, Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe, Eugenio Velez, Jesus Guzman, Jose Guillen
Grade: F, the Giants did absolutely nothing to improve themselves, while losing some solid contributors on their World Series run last year.
Come back next week for the start of my Spring Training Position Analysis.
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