SB Nation - Kyle Blanks

NL West in Review: Right Fielders

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:00:18 -0000

The NL West boasted three very strong offensive right-fielders last season. Justin Upton and Brad Hawpe each made All-Star appearances, while Andre Ethier took home a Silver Slugger. What you might not realize is just how close those three were in offensive production last season.

With the fearsome trio eating up at least 580 PA each in right field, they represented the resounding majority of PA for their teams. Brad Hawpe and the Rockies led the way with a park-adjusted .367 wOBA, followed by J-Up and the Snakes at .366, followed by Ethier and the Dodgers at .365.

Naturally, what separates the three teams in overall value then is defense, which proves to be quite the unequalizer.


Teams	Players	Avg	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA*	WAR
1. Arizona	5	.294	26	96	.359	.498	.366	4.85
2. Los Angeles	6	.266	34	120	.344	.504	.365	2.56
3. San Francisco	5	.262	8	57	.316	.380	.312	1.76
4. Colorado	6	.270	25	98	.370	.486	.367	1.68
5. San Diego	8	.212	21	76	.280	.366	.298	-0.39

Hawpe was so statistically weak defensively that the Giants actually passed the Rockies on the list, while Will Venable and Randy Winn each passed Hawpe for overall value.

To compare the teams visually (note the blue batting bars for Arizona, Colorado and Los Angeles):

For the full player rankings, click here.

For the raw data and calculations, check this Google Docs link. For team capsules, take the jump

Arizona

2009 in Review

I think we can officially say that the Diamondbacks' 51-111 2004 campaign was worth it for Arizona fans. The pitiful finish assured Arizona with the top pick in the 2005 draft. Their choice just finished his second season as the primary starter, appearing in the All-Star game at just 21. Of the three predominant offensive RF in the division last year, he was the only one to avoid being a black hole defensively. Indeed, he was quite an asset with the arm and range he displayed. Alex Romero posted a near league average wOBA as Upton's primary backup, while Gerardo Parra hit .400 in 28 PA as a RFer.

Justin Upton

#10 / Right Field / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Aug 25, 1987

2010 in Preview

Upton's salary was just $412,000 last year, but he also received $1.3million as part of his then-record setting signing bonus. Upton is neither arbitration eligible or a Super Two, so he will make chump change again next season, though his final $2mil installment of his signing bonus will come his way. Obviously, he'll be in right field at Chase Field until finances dictate otherwise.

Colorado

2009 in Review

Despite having the best overall OBP and wOBA in the division, the Rockies fell to fourth in the division due to Brad Hawpe's poor defense. In fact, according to UZR, he cost the Rockies more defensively than any player in the major leagues this season, the second consecutive year he managed that feat (Ryan Braun and Ken Griffey Jr. were worse in 2007). Over the last three years, Hawpe's UZR is 33% worse than any player in MLB. Unbelievably, Carlos Gonzalez actually had a worse UZR/150 in RF than Hawpe, though that's certainly a combination of unfamiliarity and sample size. Hawpe certainly did plenty of damage with the bat overall, earning a spot in the All-Star Game and peaking with a .353 batting average on June 3, the final game before the Rockies reeled off "The Streak."

Brad Hawpe

#11 / Right Field / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-3

Weight: 205

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Jun 22, 1979

2010 in Preview

This has been much discussed here. After making $5.75mil last season, Hawpe is due $7.5mil in 2010 in the last year of the 3-year extension he signed after Rocktober07. With Colorado's very notable outfield depth, Hawpe is most valuable as a trade chip. Dan O'Dowd and Jim Tracy continuously act as if trading Hawpe is the last thing on their minds, which of course means nothing. If Hawpe is moved, Carlos Gonzalez will be in right. However, I'm getting a strong feeling the FO will side with loyalty, holding onto a GenR slugger when a cheaper and talented replacement gets pushed to the bench. Sound familiar?

Los Angeles

2009 in Review

Andre Ethier made a habit of clubbing clutch (5th in MLB in WPA) home runs and getting big hits that helped Los Angeles push forth to a division title. He was rewarded with a Silver Slugger, making Manny Ramirez the only Dodger OF without the honor in 2009. Notice Ethier did not also earn a Gold Glove with Matt Kemp, and that's certainly no mistake. Though Hawpe was the worst NL OF via UZR, Ethier was second.

Andre Ethier

#16 / Right Field / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Apr 10, 1982

2010 in Preview

Ethier will be starter, with his salary due to be decided at an arbitration hearing, unless the team can reach an agreement beforehand. Last season, the Dodgers compromised before the hearing and offered a $3.1mil salary. It will be interesting to see how Ned Colletti plays it with the possibly cash-strapped franchise. The club has Ethier, Kemp, Hong-Chih Kuo, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Russell Martin and George Sherrill all eligible for arbitration this offseason. If they choose not to negotiate a compromise, Colletti could save some money if he wins a sufficient number of arbitration cases. Of course, he could get burned and see a player like Kemp or Ethier be awarded a much higher salary.

San Diego

2009 in Review

Brian Giles was supposed to be a reliable veteran for Bud Black in the lineup. However, Giles hit under the Mendoza line, played poor defense and showed little power in 249 PA before succumbing to a season-ending knee injury. Will Venable played superb defense while showing promise with the bat over nearly the same amount of playing time, while Kyle Blanks (a converted first baseman) posted a .400 wOBA in 83 PA.

Will Venable

#25 / Right Field / San Diego Padres

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Oct 29, 1982

2010 in Preview

Giles was declined arbitration, so he is out of the picture. If the club indeed trades Kevin Kouzmanoff, Chase Headley can move to third, with Venable and Blanks taking the corners. If this doesn't happen, it will be either Venable or Blanks in right. My money is on Venable, who can handle the outfield without a problem defensively. However, Bill James projected Blanks for well over a 100 more PA. Both are under complete team control

San Francisco

2009 in Review

The Giants continue to have sneaky good showing due to defense. Randy Winn's best days offensively are clearly behind him, but he still posted the best UZR in the division, good enough to place him third in the player rankings. I would also like to point out his veterany thriftiness on the bases, successfully stealing in 14 of his 16 attempts.

Randy Winn

#2 / Left Field / San Francisco Giants

Height: 6-2

Weight: 195

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Jun 09, 1974

2010 in Preview

San Francisco declined arbitration on Winn, effectively opening up a free-for-all for AB's in right field. Nate Schierholtz has the strongest claim, as his superior defense and potentially solid bat make him an intriguing option. Bill James optimistically projects a .338 wOBA from him in 2010. Brian Sabean really ought to be looking elsewhere for an upgrade or at least insurance, because that .338 is probably a bit optimistic. John Bowker, Eugenio Velez and Andres Torres are other underwhelming internal options.

Fantasy Baseball: It's Time for You to Love Kyle Blanks

Ian, yo — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:00:34 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

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With all of the recent talk of the San Diego Padres dealing first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, I decided I'd discuss what would happen if Gonzalez actually were dealt. I'll start with a little background.

In 2004 in the 42nd round (1241st overall) the San Diego Padres drafted Kyle Blanks out of Arizona. During his minor league career, Blanks maxed out with 24 home runs in 2007 and hit another 20 home runs in 2008 in AA. In three of Blanks' five minor league seasons, he posted an OPS of over .900 and with his move to the majors in 2009, put up an OPS of .869. In Blanks short minor league career, he's shown a decent ability to get on base with an average of 10.7 BB% At 6'6, 270 lbs, Blanks has the frame to develop into an excellent power hitter and also has the ability to hit near .300 while being a solid middle of the order producer.

In 2009, Blanks played the first half of his season in AAA Portland where he hit 12 home runs and had over half as many walks as he did strikeouts (38/63.) Later into the season, Blanks was called up by the Padres to play in the outfield. Blanks started 34 games in the outfield (21 in right) where he actually didn't play too poorly. While in San Diego, Blanks hit 10 home runs in 148 ABs and slugged .514. His average of .250 could have been attributed to his lack of experience and moving fairly quickly throughout the system, which may have also had an effect on Blanks' K% (37.2% when his career minor league numbers hovered in the 20's.)

In 2010, if Adrian Gonzalez is still on a San Diego Padre's roster, you can expect to see Blanks getting time in the outfield. If Gonzalez is indeed traded before the open of the 2010 season, Blanks should be playing first base. When I go into my drafts in 2010 and everyone is looking for late-round sleepers, I will be keeping Blanks in my mind as a guy I can target very late that has the upside to put up anywhere from 20-25 home runs with a decent average. If Blanks fails to hit or live up to his ability, have no concerns with dropping him as you'll be getting him late as is. Blanks will probably be drafted near players such as Conor Jackson, J.D. Drew and Kosuke Fukudome and if you are willing to take one of those three, you definitely should be willing to take the risk on Kyle Blanks.

San Diego Padres Predictions from the Bill James Handbook 2010

Dex — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:41:12 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

"I was looking at the Mayan calendar, and 2010 is our year. 2012, not so much." (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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I've got a sneak peak at the new Bill James Handbook 2010 and I want to go through and check out what we can look forward to next season. Bill James has been putting these handbooks together forevs and I always look at them with an eye towards who might do what, but also an eye towards pretending that I have an even better predictive model using the guts of a chicken splayed out over a burning Ouija board.

Let's check it...

	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	RC	RC27	BB	SO	SB	CS	SB%	Avg	OBP	Slg	OPS
Alfonzo,Eliezer	31	64	189	49	10	0	7	19	25	23	4.27	6	48	1	0	1	0.259	0.286	0.423	0.709
Blanco,Henry	38	82	228	51	11	0	6	22	23	23	3.38	20	52	0	0	0	0.224	0.286	0.351	0.637
Blanks,Kyle	23	142	524	145	23	3	25	79	93	89	6.07	66	140	3	2	0.6	0.277	0.362	0.475	0.837
Cabrera,Everth	23	145	545	146	29	11	3	90	44	74	4.68	67	117	37	12	0.76	0.268	0.353	0.378	0.731
Eckstein,David	35	128	444	120	21	1	3	57	35	49	3.91	34	40	4	2	0.67	0.27	0.337	0.342	0.68
Giles,Brian	39	92	292	77	17	1	7	40	36	43	5.18	47	36	2	1	0.67	0.264	0.371	0.401	0.772
Gonzalez,Adrian	28	161	614	171	37	2	35	97	106	117	6.87	87	127	1	0	1	0.279	0.372	0.516	0.888
Gonzalez,Edgar	32	63	112	30	6	0	3	13	13	15	4.7	11	22	1	1	0.5	0.268	0.344	0.402	0.746
Gwynn,Tony	27	88	212	56	8	2	1	29	14	24	3.9	22	32	10	4	0.71	0.264	0.336	0.335	0.671
Headley,Chase	26	149	528	150	36	3	17	72	72	87	5.94	63	129	8	3	0.73	0.284	0.365	0.455	0.819
Hundley,Nick	26	84	264	60	14	1	10	30	38	31	3.93	25	64	3	1	0.75	0.227	0.297	0.402	0.698
Kouzmanoff,Kevin	28	144	512	141	32	2	20	59	84	74	5.17	29	95	1	1	0.5	0.275	0.327	0.463	0.79
Rodriguez,Luis	30	95	244	62	13	1	2	27	20	27	3.84	28	21	1	1	0.5	0.254	0.331	0.34	0.671
Salazar,Oscar	32	88	246	72	16	1	9	31	40	40	5.94	18	33	1	1	0.5	0.293	0.341	0.476	0.817
Venable,Will	27	120	395	99	18	2	13	53	48	50	4.36	34	95	7	2	0.78	0.251	0.313	0.405	0.718

OK. So what does all of this mean? I'll tell you. It means we're effed.

I mean, maybe we aren't effed-effed, but still. Didn't this team feel faster in August and September? Didn't it feel more powerful? Was that just an illusion?

If this is the projection for our hitters, what does our starting lineup looking like at this point?

Is that really it? Doesn't it look weird to look at?

Bright Spots:

Everth Cabrera and Kyle Blanks both are predicted to up their production and both are young dudes. Everth is especially exciting for his speed and Kyle is exciting for the power. It's like Mantle and Maris! Blanks will probably end up protecting Adrian before the year is out, but probably not to start the season.
Adrian Gonzalez, while not predicted to put 40 over the fence next year, is still slated for another 100+ RBI season with close to 100 runs. Also, the doubles total bodes well for producing runs, but not so well for the needy children, dependent on these sadistic charities who will only donate money when Adrian puts a home run charge in the ball.

Mehs:

Kevin Kouzmanoff's numbers look kinda nice and I'm sure he'll total pretty close, but (sorry Kouz fans) I'm also thinking that a lot of the numbers will be put up in garbagy, unclutchy ways.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a catcher?
Something about Tony Gwynn's line looks really depressing.
Brian Giles is still on the team? How is he predicted to have so many ABs? Am I reading this right?

Tomorrow, let's look at pitchers. That should be scary fun.

In the meantime, the handbook is available for preorder. It would be rad of you to purchase the book through us. Maybe let's take some time right now to make really super bold predictions and then rub them in Bill James's face when ours turn out terrific.

NL West Report: Final standings taking shape

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:00:45 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

A charge from the last month from San Diego has put them in prime position to finish surprisingly in fourth place.

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There are two weeks left to play this season. Ironically, we already have a very strong idea how the final standings in the National League West will shake out, at least in terms of order. The space between teams in the division has stretched to the point nearly of no return.

In the last week, the Dodgers and Rockies strengthened their grasp on their respective positions, while San Diego created a little more distance from the fading Diamondbacks.

For a mathematical look, here's a handy standings table. The %+1 column indicates the probability the team will move up one slot in the standings. %-1 indicates the opposite. SAME represents the probability the team will stay in the same spot. For all practical purposes, the Giants cannot win the division, and they are the only team mathematically alive to move two places in the standings (and consequently, the Dodgers as well).

The percentages were calculated by analyzing SportsClubsStats' odds final standings probability distribution, which should be noted exhibits smaller variances than Baseball Prospectus. (For instance, Prospectus gives the Rockies twice the chance to win the division as SCS). However, given the extra detail SCS gives, that' what I used to calculate probabilities.

NL West Standings

	W-L	GB	%+1	%-1	Same
Los Angeles	90-60	-	-	0.8%	98.5%
Colorado	85-65	5	0.8%	1.1%	98.1%
San Francisco	80-69	9.5	1.1%	0%	98.9%
San Diego	68-82	22	0%	9.9%	90.1%
Arizona	65-85	25	9.9%	-	90.1%

(updated 9.20.2009 at 11:13 PM MDT)

No team has odds greater than 10% to move from their current position, and ignoring mathematics, San Diego would appear to have a better chance than even that 90% at retaining their 4th place position. The Padres have not had a losing week in the last month, while Arizona is stumbling through a 5-13 September.

There doesn't appear to be a whole lot of drama here folks. We are two weeks out, and the final standings are starting to look very clear. In fact, chances are about 86% that the order will come out on October 5 exactly as they do this morning, and more than half of the doubt comes from the inconsequential repositioning of the bottom two teams.

Find out about the NL West after the jump.

NL West Report

San Francisco (80-69, 3rd, L2, 9.0 GB in Div, 4.5 GB in WC)

**Last Week: 3-3.  2-1 vs Rockies. 1-2 @ Dodgers. The Giants were inches from being 1.5 games behind, but their failure to close the Rox series and beat Los Angeles completely nullified those first two games they won against the Rockies. Since August 28, San Francisco is 2-0 in series against Colorado, 1-4 against the rest of the NL.

Pace:  87-75 (No change).

Divisional Change: Lost 2.0 games in NL West (LAD), No change in WC (COL), though making up no ground cost them a 2.1% chance of making the playoffs.

This Week: 3 game road series @ Diamondbacks, 4 game home series vs Cubs. While the Rockies spar with the hot Padres and strong Cards, San Francisco absolutely must make up ground this week with the lighter schedule, or they'll be out of the playoff chase by the next installment of NL West Report.

News:** Obviously, the biggest story was the detention of 19-year-old Angel Villalona in connection with a murder in the Dominican Republic Saturday night. For more information, check out articles at the San Francisco Chronicle or at MLB.com.

Angel Villalona

#31 / First Base / San Francisco Giants

Height: 6-3

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Aug 13, 1990

Villalona could be facing 20 years in prison if convicted, which would obviously kill his career. The first baseman was ranked as the Giants' #3 prospect prior to the season behind Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey. Given that both Bumgarner and Posey have both surfaced in the minor leagues this season, Villalona represented the top prospect left in the minor leagues. He played in last year's Futures Game and was a Baseball America top-50 prospect league-wide. This would be a huge blow to an organization that traded away their #4 and #9 prospect as well as seeing their top arm struggle with injuries and velocity issues. Plus, I hear Buster Posey has just one hit all month.

A quote from the team's official statement:

"The Giants were disappointed to learn that there was an incident in the Dominican Republic last night in which an individual was killed and one of our Minor League prospects, Angel Villalona, may have been involved" - Chris Haft, MLB.com

I'm not sure "disappointed" is quite colorful enough of an adjective. Here is McCovey Chronicles' reaction. Some seem to hope it is reminiscent of Juan Uribe's feud in 2006. Unlikely. Villalona voluntarily turned himself in yesterday.

In other news, Brian Sabean appears to have gotten himself an extension.  According to Andrew Baggarly, finishing strong could seal the deal. Sabean had a poor record, and though he improved this season, trading from Freddy Sanchez and Ryan Garko proved predictably to be underwhelming moves.

Juan Uribe is having a surprising season in San Francisco, and partly for that, he is irrationally loved.

There were some rumblings of the Giants wanting to acquire Prince Fielder. San Francisco refuses to part with their thinning crop of prospects, so the most logical match is Matt Cain. Interesting move there.

After pitching very well recently, both Tim Lincecum and Brad Penny were shelled by Los Angeles over the weekend.

Transactions:   Outrighted RHP Osiris Matos to the minors.

Injuries: Activated LHP Randy Johnson from the 60-day DL. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, the club moved RHP Justin Miller to the 60-day DL.

San Francisco Giants Injuries

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player Injury Type Injury Date

Justin Miller elbow 09/13/2009

Noah Lowry ribs 03/27/2009

Kelvin Pichardo shoulder 06/28/2009

Emmanuel Burriss foot 09/01/2009

Henry Sosa shoulder 08/05/2009

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Justin Miller	elbow	09/13/2009
Noah Lowry	ribs	03/27/2009
Kelvin Pichardo	shoulder	06/28/2009
Emmanuel Burriss	foot	09/01/2009
Henry Sosa	shoulder	08/05/2009

Arizona (65-85, 5th, L3, 25 GB)

Last Week: 3-3. 2-1 @ Padres. 1-2 vs Rockies. The Diamondbacks did what no playoff contender recently could, defeating the Padres in a series. However, their successful week fell apart late, fitting given the two close games turned blowouts from Saturday and Sunday.

Pace: 70-92 (No change from last week)

Divisional Change: Lost 2.0 games on LAD.

This Week: 3 game home series vs Giants, 3 game home series vs Padres. Chase Field will close down for the season before October literally. Sunday's game against the Padres will be the last home game for the Snakes.

News: Arizona could save big money re: Mark Reynolds. It appears the third baseman will fall short of achieving "Super Two" status this year, which would prolong his arbitration eligibility one year, thereby saving the Diamondbacks over $3million. Reynolds has been such a constant force and has already set records (albeit in strikeouts) that it's easy to forget that he hasn't been in the league for very long.

Mark Reynolds

#27 / Third Base / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 220

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Aug 03, 1983

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Mark Reynolds	143	533	91	142	28	1	42	97	73	203	24	9	.266	.358	.559

Conor Jackson's season is over after he ended his comeback bid after three games. Jackson is prepping for 2010, hoping he shows enough promise to be retained by Arizona.

Steve Gilbert answers questions in his latest inbox. First question: What is fate of catcher Montero? As suspected, he is seen as the absolute starter going forward. Also, Gilbert touches on the likelihood of Brandon Webb's $8.5million option being picked up.

Nick Piecoro also touches on this, noting that the D-Backs won't decide on Webb soon. They will have until 5 days after the World Series concludes to decide, and they are hoping the progress he makes (or doesn't make) makes for an easier decision. It is possible they will offer him a one-year deal below the $8.5million option year.

Doug Davis is a very loyal pitcher. With free agency looming, Davis suggests he would be open to re-joining Arizona or Milwaukee.

Transactions: None.

Injuries: Conor Jackson played just three games before he had to shut it down, so he will not return this season. He'll join an instructional league tomorrow to scrape off a glut of rust. In the last 51 weeks, CoJack has less than 100 big league AB's.

Arizona Diamondbacks Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Chris Snyder	lower-back	08/23/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Chad Qualls	knee	08/31/2009
Conor Jackson	pneumonia	05/12/2009
Brandon Webb	shoulder	04/07/2009

Los Angeles (90-60, 1st, W2)

Last Week: 5-1. 3-0 vs Pirates. 2-1 vs Giants. Los Angeles took a series from the Giants for consecutive weekends, helping to spread the distribution in the standings in the top three slots. Los Angeles has just three home games left.

Pace: 97-65. (No change)

Divisional Change: Gained 2 game lead on COL.

This Week: 3 game road series @ Nationals, 3 game road series @ Pirates. Los Angeles has arguably the easiest week on the road there is. They'll face the National League's worst two teams, who have the worst and 5th worst NL home record, respectively.

News: Ken Rosenthal mentioned in this Fox Sports video that the Dodgers' playoff rotation will start with lefties Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw, which should help against lefty-heavy Philadelphia or St. Louis, who has a strangely low OPS vs. LHP this year. The two would then be followed by Hiroki Kuroda and then either Vicente Padilla or Jon Garland.

You might notice a big name missing from that mix - supposed ace Chad Billingsley, who has had a terrible second half (3-6 with a 5.49 ERA after the All-Star break. Joe Torre says that faulty mechanics are at heart of Billingsley's woes, more specifically that he is rushing his delivery, a flaw that isn't surprising for a young frustrated hurler.

Sample sizes can make general managers look like idiots - or they can make them look like geniuses. The latter has occurred for Ned Colletti after Ronnie Belliard's hot has found even Orlando Hudson resting on the bench more. Belliard wasted no time in sending a gutpunch to San Francisco's playoff hopes Saturday when he clubbed a grand slam off Brad Penny in the first inning, the first of three Los Angeles cashed in on Penny.

Ronnie Belliard

#3 / Second Base / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 5-10

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Apr 07, 1975

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Ronnie Belliard	18	57	6	17	4	0	4	14	3	13	1	0	.298	.333	.579

In limited duty, Belliard has given the Dodgers a very strong 5.7 RAR (runs over replacement), production that by himself completely squashes both Giants' deadline acquisitions combined. Freddy Sanchez (1.8) and Ryan Garko (-4.3) equate to -2.5 RAR. MLB Rumors discusses how this affects Belliard's value going forward.

In spite of Ned Colletti's big free agent acquisitions (Manny Ramirez and Randy Wolf) along with quiet successes like Belliard, some don't believe Colletti should be retained when he becomes a free agent this offseason. There's legitimate claim there. Almost $0.2billion in contracts were given to Jason Schmidt, Juan Pierre, Rafael Furcal and Andruw Jones, and Colletti failed to land a notable starting pitcher at the deadline. The Los Angeles blog Dodgers Rumors ponders: Is The Ned Colletti Era Coming To an End?

Transactions: None.

Injuries: Clayton Kershaw, who separated his right shoulder, will return to the Dodgers Wednesday....to the bullpen.

Los Angeles Dodgers Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Will Ohman	shoulder	05/28/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Xavier Paul	ankle	05/21/2009
Jason Schmidt	shoulder	08/06/2009
Eric Milton	lower-back	06/28/2009

San Diego (68-82, 5th, L2, 22.5 GB)

Last Week: 4-2. 2-1 @ Giants, 2-1 vs Rockies. The Padres haven't had a losing week since August 17-23, four weeks ago. In spite of their success, San Diego was assured of a losing season with their Friday loss at Pittsburgh.

Pace: 73-89 (+1).

Divisonal change: No change.

This Week: Last game of 4 game road series @ Pittsburgh tonight. 3 game road series @ Rockies. 3 game road series @ Diamondbacks. Sunday's game in Arizona represents the Padres final road game.

News: There isn't a whole lot of news going around the Padres' camp, but what there is predictably centers around the team's future.

For those that are still masochistic, check out more and more praise for rookie Everth Cabrera. Despite leaping organizations and making the jump from Single-A, Cabrera has posted a 104 OPS+ and .332 wOBA in MLB's most-pitcher friendly park. Not even Rox Girl could have predicted this.

Everth Cabrera

#1 / Short Stop / San Diego Padres

Height: 5-9

Weight: 170

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Nov 17, 1986

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Everth Cabrera	91	331	54	89	17	7	2	30	42	74	24	6	.269	.354	.381

Corey Brock went mad this week, writing multiple Cabrera stories. Here's one. And here's another .

With Cabrera as a cornerstone of the infieild, the Padres are optimistic about 2009 progress, as well they should be. They have been a legitimately strong club in the past month in spite of playing in a "shoddy division." Oh wait.

Via twitter, we learn that Kyle Blanks is done for the year, giving time to let his injured arch heal. The rookie posted a noteworthy 137 OPS+ in 172 PA's this year.

Transactions: Called up OF Luis Durango and RHP Ernesto Frieri.

Injuries: Activated RHP Mike Adams from the 15-day DL. Kevin Kouzmanoff, who has been out since Sept 8 with a strained calf, may return to action today with San Diego.

San Diego Padres Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Brian Giles	knee	06/19/2009
Kyle Blanks	foot	08/29/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mark Worrell	elbow	03/27/2009
Cha Seung Baek	forearm	03/30/2009
Shawn Hill	elbow	04/26/2009
Chris Young	shoulder	06/15/2009
Cliff Floyd	shoulder	06/18/2009

GM Towers: "We're going to be okay next year."

jbox — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:56:18 -0000

XX Sports Radio: Kevin Towers Interview (MP3) with Darren Smith

Towers on the Padres getting out of last place: "I'd be lying if I didn't say we had our eye on the Diamondbacks." The Padres are trying to feel good about themselves going into the off season.
The Pads have played .500 or better if you take out June and July. Towers personal goal was to win at least 70. It looks like the Pads might win 73. "We want to get back to winning divisions again." The Padres have made a statement within the NL.
The players want to win as many games as they can. "I assure you that clubhouse is about as good a clubhouse that I've been in, in a long time." Different guys are contributing each game. The Padres are finding out they are really liking a lot of their players. The starting pitching is the biggest weakness going forward. "We're going to be okay next year."
Towers thinks he has a grasp on his every day line up. He likes the infield the way it is. Kouz has established himself at third and had his best year from an RBI stand point. Everth Cabrera hasn't missed an inning since he's been off the DL. Eckstein does the little things right. Adrian Gonzalez is having a career year. Nick Hundley is getting better with the bat since the injury. Will Venable has been the big bright spot this season. Kyle Blanks was hitting well before the injury. Tony Gwynn has been nice.
The Pads maybe need one more bat to improve the bench. They are 2 or 3 pieces away to make it real interesting in 2010.
Venable is starting to establish power. He has struggles vs. lefties. He plays good center and right. "The more he plays the better he's going to get." Towers thinks there is untapped potential for Venable. "He might be one of those Steve Finley types."
Kouzmanoff is day to day. He'll be out at least a week. It will give Chase Headley time at third base and Oscar Salazar playing time.
Towers absolutely thinks that if they judge Kevin Kouzmanoff strictly on defense than he deserves the Gold Glove. The problem is that they tie offense to the award too. "He's probably played as good of third base... since Ken Caminiti." He's the best Towers has ever had that can handle the slow roller. Cami didn't have great range.
Towers wouldn't be surprised if the Rockies catch the Dodgers and win the NL West leaving the wild card to L.A.
Towers thinks the playoffs in the NL will consist of the Cardinals, Phillies, Rockies and Dodgers.

NL West Report: D-Backs, Dodgers not done dealing

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:00:19 -0000

More photos » by Gus Ruelas - AP

Jon Garland has already beaten his former team, but it's stil not official who he was traded for.

Browse more photos »

Last Monday, the Diamondbacks traded Jon Garland to Los Angeles for infielder Tony Abreu. Sort of. In a bizarre twist, Arizona is now balking at the deal they originally agreed to, which includes the D-Backs picking up the remainder of Garland's salary this season. But don't worry, it has nothing to do with the fact that Garland promptly beat the Diamondbacks in Dodger duds days after the deal.

The issue is actually with Tony Abreu, who Arizona though would be earning near the league minimum for the next two seasons before having three controlled arbitration eligible seasons. What Arizona didn't realize was that Tony Abreu currently has a grievance filed with the Dodgers stemming from the 2007 season.

On July 18 of that year, Los Angeles optioned Abreu to the minors even though he had suffered an abdominal injury. He was not placed on the disabled list as he believed he should have, robbing him of 47 days of service time in the majors. Remember from Purple Row Academy that a player earns service time while on the disabled list but not if optioned to the minors (obviously).

The significance of that move is that Abreu could be the Diamondbacks' starting second baseman next season. If he were to play the entire season with his current 95 days of service time and that additional 47 days, he would be eligible for "Super Two" status, which certainly changes the economic package Arizona thought they were receiving.

The Diamondbacks believe they had no way of knowing of Abreu's filed grievance; moreover, sources state Arizona believes Los Angeles acted in poor faith by failing to inform them of it. Since the scheme of the trade has changed, Arizona may attempt to get a monetary kickback from the Dodgers to cover the expected difference in salary due to the service time issue. They could also choose a different player from the agreed upon list or ask the Dodgers to amend the list so that they could select a player other than Abreu.

Naturally, Dodger and D-Back fans see the situation a bit differently. Check out True Blue LA's reaction and compare the the reaction at AZ Snakepit. The issue could be resolved this week.

Before we get to the team capsules, I thought I'd mention that Peter Gammons has started to realize the NL West might actually be worth a damn. Of course, now is well past the point of plausible denial.

NL West Report

Arizona (61-77, t-4th, L4, 20 GB)

Last Week: 2-5. 2-2 vs Dodgers. 0-3 vs Rockies. By being swept in Colorado, Arizona fell into a tie with San Diego for last place in the division. It's hard to imagine their week helping the Rockies more.

Pace: 72-90.

Divisional Change: Lost 1.0 games on LAD.

This Week: 3 game home series vs Dodgers, 3 game home series vs Brewers.

News: Nick Piecoro notes Chris Snyder's health is a concern, though not in the way you might think. The Diamondbacks have not been shy about their desire to deal him, but he has yet to prove he is healthy returning from injury. He will need to come back and have a solid September to improve his trade stock.

Piecoro also notes Josh Byrnes' reaction to the Rauch and Garland deals.

If you watched the Rockies game yesterday, you no doubt witnessed Justin Upton being removed in the third inning after failing to run on a deep fly ball that bounced off the warning track, thinking it was a clear home run.

Punk

#10 / Right Field / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Aug 25, 1987

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Justin Upton	115	438	76	136	27	6	23	72	47	113	19	4	.311	.378	.557

Instead, he was stuck at second with a 415-foot single. AJ Hinch wasn't shy about flexing his judicial muscle, which is probably what The Punk needs. He's listed as "probable" for the series opener against the Dodgers, presumably for disciplinary reasons.

Speaking of Hinch, he supposedly takes the spoiler role seriously, choosing to put the best team out every game rather than giving young callups playing time. It didn't help this weekend.

The series at Colorado wasn't special for any Diamondback. Well, actually, it was a pretty special homecoming for Daniel Schlereth, who grew up watching baseball at Coors Field.

What would you do if you were in last place, putting a prized and talented young starter out every fifth day with a history of injury problems? If you said shut him down, consult Hinch's spoiler role philosophy. Instead, the D-backs will keep "close tabs" on Max Scherzer's innings.

Transactions: Called up RHP Bryan Augenstein, Billy Buckner and RHP Daniel Cabrera and acquried RHP Kevin Mulvey from Minnesota to complete the Jon Rauch trade. Traded Jon Garland to Los Angeles.

Injuries: Activated OF Eric Byrnes and RHP Bryan Augenstein from the DL. Placed RHP Chad Qualls on the 60-day DL with a dislocated left kneecap.

Arizona Diamondbacks Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Justin Upton	other-excused	09/07/2009

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Chris Snyder	lower-back	08/23/2009
Scott Schoeneweis	other-excused	08/10/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Chad Qualls	knee	08/31/2009
Conor Jackson	pneumonia	05/12/2009
Brandon Webb	shoulder	04/07/2009

Los Angeles (81-57, 1st, L1)

Last Week: 3-4. 2-2 vs Diamondbacks. 1-2 vs Padres. Losing four home games in a week against the worst teams in the division is just a bad week.

Pace: 95-67.

Divisional Change: Lost 2.5 games on COL.

This Week: 3 game road series @ Diamondbacks, 3 game road series @ Giants. This week is dangerous for Los Angeles' divisional lead. The Rockies should be favored to take their series with Cincinnati and that series at AT&T Park will be difficult to win.

News: Check out some reactions from the Jim Thome trade at MLBTradeRumors.

The Nationals took MAA lefty reliever Victor Garate to complete the Belliard deal. Garate has had a strong season in AA, shutting down lefties and righties and being called a "poor man's Brian Fuentes." If he reaches that, or even if he makes the makes, he'll give the Nationals a fair deal on the trade.

Dan Uggla

#6 / Second Base / Los Angeles Dodgers?

Height: 5-11

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Mar 11, 1980

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Dan Uggla	133	472	68	114	22	1	25	72	81	122	1	1	.242	.357	.451

After Dan Uggla criticized Hanley Ramirez, the LA Times' Bill Shaikin wonders if Los Angeles should pursue him this offseason, noting Frank McCourt won't engage in a bidding war for Orlando Hudson.

Ned Colletti deserves criticism for failing to land Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay, but Peter Gammons notes he is pulling off highway robbery with some of his acquisitions, at least when considering what he's paying them.

Here is Eric Stephen's Week in Review at TrueBlueLA.

Transactions: Called up C AJ Ellis, OF Jason Repko, LHP Scott Elbert and designated OF Jamie Hoffman and RHP Jesus Castillo for assignment. Traded IF Tony Abreu for RHP Jon Garland. Sent LHP Victor Garante to Washington to complete the Ronnie Belliard deal.

Injuries: Activated RHP Hiroki Kuroda and 1B Doug Mientkiewicz from the disabled list. Placed RHP Guillermo Mota on the 15-day DL. Casey Blake is day to day with left hamstring tightness and will be back today or tomorrow. Travis Schlichting is out for the year with back spasms.

Los Angeles Dodgers Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Will Ohman	shoulder	05/28/2009
Hiroki Kuroda	concussion	09/06/2009
Guillermo Mota	other-excused	08/30/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Xavier Paul	ankle	05/21/2009
Jason Schmidt	shoulder	08/06/2009

San Diego (60-78, 5th, L2, 22.5 GB)

Last Week: 5-1. 3-0 vs Nationals, 2-1 @ Dodgers.

Pace: 70-94.

Divisonal change: Gained 1.5 games.

This Week: 3 game road series @ Giants, 3 game home series vs Rockies.

News: Adrian Gonzalez was nominated for Clemente Award.

Long-time majority owner John Moores has said he will limit his role with Padres by stepping away from the day-to-day operations of the club and some of his commitments to Major League Baseball.

Mat Latos has been shut down for the season after reaching 123 IP (he had never thrown more than 56.1 in a season before), but he'll continue to work with pitching coach on mechanical issues with his delivery. The 21-year-old just from Low-A ball to the majors this season in just a couple months.

Mat Latos

#38 / Pitcher / San Diego Padres

Height: 6-6

Weight: 225

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Dec 09, 1987

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Mat Latos	4-5	10	10	0	0	0	0	50.2	43	29	26	7	23	39	4.62	1.30

In case any Rowbots love the Row so much they want a tattoo showing their love, it won't be hard to beat the quality of this Gas Lamp Ball tattoo.

Kevin Towers expects the Padres to be "pretty good" next year.

Transactions: Recalled RHP Adam Russell, LHP Wade LeBlanc, and OF Drew Macias. Optioned RHP Cesar Carillo to AAA Portland.

Injuries: Activated 2B Edgar Gonzalez and C Eliezer Alfonzo from the 15-day DL. OF Kyle Blanks will be evaluated this week but is expected to be out for the season. RHP Mike Adams played catch over the weekend in an effort to return this month.

San Diego Padres Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Brian Giles	knee	06/19/2009
Edgar Gonzalez	concussion	07/19/2009
Kyle Blanks	foot	08/29/2009
Mike Adams	shoulder	08/22/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mark Worrell	elbow	03/27/2009
Cha Seung Baek	forearm	03/30/2009
Shawn Hill	elbow	04/26/2009
Chris Young	shoulder	06/15/2009
Cliff Floyd	shoulder	06/18/2009

San Francisco (75-62, 2nd, L1, 6.5 GB in Div, 2 GB in WC)

Last Week: 3-3. 1-2 @ Phillies. 2-1 @ Brewers. The Giants did what they were supposed to do, treading water on a tough road trip. They remain legitimately in playoff contention despite the two game deficit given the remaining schedule.

Pace: 89-73.

Divisional Change: Gained 0.5 game in NL West (LAD), lost 2 games in WC (COL).

This Week: 3 game home series vs Padres, 3 game home series vs Dodgers.

News: Keith Law speaks to Brad Penny's impressive debut in his latest ESPN Insider Blog.

Penny will face the Dodgers this week, a team he doesn't have a soft spot for anymore, to say the least. He had several suitors including the Marlins, his original team, but he was not interested in returning to Miami because he "wanted to play in front of some fans, to be honest."

Brad Penny

#31 / Pitcher / San Francisco Giants

Height: 6-4

Weight: 230

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: May 24, 1978

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Brad Penny	1-0	1	1	0	0	0	0	8.0	5	0	0	0	1	2	0.00	.75

Penny had a great debut for the Giants after shutting down the Phillies on the road. Now Penny is out to prove that last start was no fluke. He gets a much easier foe this time, facing the Padres on regular rest.

Despite cliaming him on waivers, the Giants were never interested in actually acquiring Trevor Hoffman.

Transactions: Called up IF Jesus Guzman, OF John Bowker, C Buster Posey, Daniel Runzler and RHP Waldis Joaquin. Acquired Joel Collins from PIT and assigned him to Augusta. SIgned RHP Brad Penny. DFA'd RHP Ryan Sadowski and LHP Jesse English.

Injuries: Freddy Sanchez hopes to finally return today from a strained left shoulder. Emmanuel Burriss was transferred to the 60-day DL with a broken foot. Activated IF Rich Aurilia and OF Andres Torres from the DL.

San Francisco Giants Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Freddy Sanchez	shoulder	08/18/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Randy Johnson	trapezius	07/06/2009
Noah Lowry	ribs	03/27/2009
Kelvin Pichardo	shoulder	06/28/2009
Henry Sosa	shoulder	08/05/2009

Poll

Did the Dodgers intentionally act in poor faith in the Jon Garland deal, as sources suggest Arizona believes?

Absolutely. The service time issue with Abreu is not a standard issue and directly lowers the value of the asset the sent Arizona.

63 votes

Definitely not. It is the Diamondbacks' responsibility to know the history of players they acquire in a trade.

20 votes

They knew about the Abreu issue, but that doesn't mean the deal was done in "poor faith." It's a GM's version of gamesmanship.

33 votes

I'm not sure.

18 votes

134 votes | Poll has closed

GM Towers: "I think he'd [Kyle Blanks] be pretty good behind the plate too."

jbox — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:31:18 -0000

XX Sports Radio: Kevin Towers interview (MP3) with Darren Smith

Kevin Towers is a huge University of Oregon fan. He couldn't go to the game because he was in a meeting with Moorad and Garfinkel.
Towers thinks that you can add 3/4's of a run onto a pitcher's ERA when they go from the NL to the AL.
Towers would like for the AL to do away with the Designated Hitter.
He would rather put money into pitching than to sink it into a DH.
Towers likes the Padres game time changes. He needs to find another pitcher with a split finger like to Sterling Hitchcock to pitch in the shadows.
Edward Mujica, Josh Banks or Cesar Ramos will take Mat Latos' spot in the rotation. They'll use September to look at pitchers.
We will see Sean Gallagher in the bullpen before the end of the season. He could be a back end starter in 2010.
The Padres are going to be cautious over the next 4 weeks with Kyle Blanks foot injury. He'll be in the middle of the line up next year. He'll be out of the cast in the next 10 days. He doesn't think it's serious enough to be a career ending injury.
Towers thinks Blanks would make a good catcher. He'd be a nice big target to throw to and no runners would take him out like they did Wiki Gonzalez.

NL West parks: Advantage offense

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:09:48 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

If you thought AT&T Park was a pitcher's park, you would be wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong. Yer wrong!

Browse more photos »

The NL West has gotten a reputation for utilizing the most pitcher-friendly parks in the league. That reputation might not be so well-deserved. Here's a look at Baseball-Reference's park factors for the NL West stadia. Bold indicates the high mark of the data set, and italics indicate the low mark. Also, instead of showing the batting/pitcher park factor splits, I averaged the two for simplicity of presentation.

West	2009	Multi-year
AT&T Park	103.5	102
Chase Field	108	107
Coors Field	105.5	107
Dodger Stadium	94.5	99.5
PetCo Park	88.5	89
Average	100.0	100.9

Given that 100 is deemed neutral, it is interesting to note that the division's parks are playing at exactly neutral this season in spite of the blatantly manipulative ways of PetCo. Looking at multi-year factors, three parks are strongly on the offensive side (including the two most offensive in the league), while Dodger Stadium has historically been pretty neutral, though it has been acting particularly squirrely this season. How about we compare to the other NL divisions:

Central	2009	Multi-year
Busch Stadium	98	99
Great American Ballpark	104.5	104.5
Miller Park	97.5	100
Minute Maid Park	103	98.5
PNC Park	94.5	95.5
Wrigley Field	103	105
Average	100.1	100.42

East	2009	Multi-year
Citi Field	99.5	99.5
Citizens Bank Park	101.5	102.5
Land Shark Stadium	97	99
Nationals Park	101.5	101.5
Turner Field	101	99
Average	100.1	100.30

Check out the multi-year average among all divisions. The NL West favors offense more than the other two divisions. Granted, Coors Field and Chase Field are the top two offensive parks, which skews the numbers a bit, but PetCo does so in the other direction nearly by itself. The NL West may have a greater range of ballparks than the other divisions by double, but overall it favors pitching no more than the other division.

Naturally, regarding the Rockies only, the picture changes slightly. Eliminating Coors Field from the equation, the Rockies maintain the most pitching-friendly road schedule other than the Diamondbacks.

NL West Report

Arizona (59-72, 4th, W4, 19 GB)

Last Week: 4-2. 1-2 @ Giants. 3-0 vs Astros. After winning just one of eight, the Diamondbacks have won four straight, their best streak since taking five straight at the Mets and Pirates in early August.

Pace: 73-88.

Divisional Change: No change.

This Week: 4 game road series @ Dodgers, 3 game home road series @ Rockies. If Colorado still wants the division title, Arizona could help out a lot by extending their win streak to eight before losing three in a row.

News: Luis Gonzalez has officially retired, and now will have a role as the D-backs' new special advisor. His retirement conference was Saturday.

AZ Snakepit includes a video interview in a game thread this weekend.

Conor Jackson's future with Arizona is in doubt. Jackson went from the Diamondbacks' primary cleanup hitter last season to missing nearly the entire season with Valley Fever. Now, he might be non-tendered at the end of the season, forcing his comeback to come with another team via free agency.

Conor Jackson

#34 / Left Field / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: May 07, 1982

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Conor Jackson	30	99	8	18	4	0	1	14	11	16	5	0	.182	.264	.253

Script is flipped for D-backs catchers. Miguel Montero has made the most of Chris Snyder's injuries as the new starting catcher for Arizona, which is making Snyder expendable. Look for the Diamondbacks to look for a trade opportunity with Snyder, who received a three-year deal in the offseason.

Chris Snyder's injury forced the club to call up catcher-of-the-future John Hester, who responded by homering in first Major League at-bat.

Transactions: Optioned LHP Daniel Schlereth and OF Trent Oeltjen to AAA Reno. Traded RHP Jon Rauch to Minnesota for a PTBNL. Called up C John Hester and OF Chris Young.

Injuries: Activated OF Justin Upton and placed C Chris Snyder (back inflammation) on 15-day DL. RHP Chad Qualls is day-to-day but might miss the rest of the season with a dislocated knee. He will have an MRI in coming days.

Arizona Diamondbacks Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Eric Byrnes	hand	06/26/2009
Chris Snyder	lower-back	08/23/2009
Scott Schoeneweis	other-excused	08/10/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Conor Jackson	pneumonia	05/12/2009
Brandon Webb	shoulder	04/07/2009

News on the other three divisional teams after the jump.

Los Angeles (78-53, 1st, W2)

Last Week: 4-2. 2-1 @ Rockies. 2-1 @ Reds. Los Angeles overcame an opening game loss to both series but overcame it both time to win both difficult road series as the Rockies dropped 5 of 6, thereby giving the Dodgersa comfortable cushion in the NL West.

Pace: 96-66.

Divisional Change: Gained three games on COL.

This Week: 4 game home series vs Diamondbacks, 3 game home series vs Padres. LA has an opportunity to add to their lead by beating up on the two divisional teams that have been looking to future season for months.

News: Dodgers Regain Control Of NL West. If you're a masochist, check how TrueBlueLA responded to arguably the biggest storyline in the division.

The Nationals traded former Rockie Ronnie Belliard to the Dodgers

Ronnie Belliard

#10 / Second Base / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 5-10

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Apr 07, 1975

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Ronnie Belliard	86	187	26	46	7	1	5	22	14	40	2	0	.246	.296	.374

True Blue LA reacts to the trade.

Belliard is not enough though. LA wants to improve their bench with a power threat, preferably from the left side. Kudos to Dan O'Dowd for scooping up Jason Giambi already, who is 7-for-16 wwith 5 BBs and 2 HRs in 5 games with Colorado Springs.

Peter Gammons doesn't like the Dodgers, citing their third starter and a trade deadline reliever as reasons for being a playoff team:

"If it weren’t for Wolf and the trade for George Sherrill, they would not make the playoffs."

Transactions: Optioned IF Tony Abreu to AAA Albuquerque and called up RHP Vicente Padilla. Acquired IF Ronnie Belliard from Washington for minor league pitcher Luis Garcia and a PTBNL.

Injuries: Transferred Jason Schmidt (shoulder) from the 15-day to 60-day DL. LHP Ohman threw an inning in AAA Aug 26 and could return in mid-September. Hiroki Kuroda threw a successful simulated game Saturday and should return within a couple weeks.

Los Angeles Dodgers Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Will Ohman	shoulder	05/28/2009
Hiroki Kuroda	concussion	08/16/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Doug Mientkiewicz	shoulder	04/17/2009
Xavier Paul	ankle	05/21/2009
Jason Schmidt	shoulder	08/06/2009
Eric Milton	lower-back	06/28/2009

San Diego (56-76, 5th, L2, 22.5 GB)

Last Week: 4-2. 2-1 @ Braves, 2-1 @ Marlins. The Padres at least did their part in helping Colorado by winning both series against a couple Wild Card hopefuls.

Pace: 69-93.

Divisonal change: None.

This Week: 3 game home series vs. Nationals, 3 game road series @ Dodgers.

News: Jake Peavy is having injury problems for the White Sox in AAA. He took a line drive off his elbow August 24. He then pitched Saturday and left after just 68 pitches with elbow soreness.

In related news, MLB.com's Adam Roseberg writes that the Friars reap Rich-ard rewards of trade. Naturally, Richard went and got lit up for six runs in 2.1 IP against Atlanta after Rosenberg's column. That's the nature of the Padre rotation this year.

Clayton Richard

#41 / Pitcher / San Diego Padres

Height: 6-5

Weight: 240

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Sep 12, 1983

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Clayton Richard	3-1	6	6	0	0	0	0	29.1	33	17	17	3	20	22	5.22	1.81

A member of GasLampBall, aptly named plunkeveryone, wrote a fanpost noting that Kevin Kouzmanoff tied franchise record Wednesday. He is now the Padres' all-time leader in HBP with just 35.

Here's a Q&A with outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr, who is the only player in MLB with his unique situation.

Transactions: Recalled RHP Adam Russell, LHP Wade LeBlanc, and OF Drew Macias. Optioned RHP Cesar Carillo to AAA Portland.

Injuries: Placed RHP Mike Adams on the 15-day DL (shoulder) retroactive to Aug 22. Adrian Gonzalez is day-to-day with a sore biceps in his throwing arm but singled in a pinch hit AB last night. Kyle Blanks was set on the 15-day DL Saturday with a strained arch in his right foot. He is in a walking boot and is eligible to return Sept 13. I know how that injury feels. It's bizarre and annoying.

San Diego Padres Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Brian Giles	knee	06/19/2009
Edgar Gonzalez	concussion	07/19/2009
Kyle Blanks	foot	08/29/2009
Mike Adams	shoulder	08/22/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mark Worrell	elbow	03/27/2009
Cha Seung Baek	forearm	03/30/2009
Shawn Hill	elbow	04/26/2009
Chris Young	shoulder	06/15/2009
Cliff Floyd	shoulder	06/18/2009

San Francisco (72-59, t-2nd, W3, 6 GB in Div, t-1st in WC)

Last Week: 5-2. 0-1 vs Rockies. 2-1 vs Diamondbacks. 3-0 vs Rockies. San Francisco took advantage of the first series of the season that Lincecum, Zito and Cain all pitched in to sweep Colorado and pull even for the wild card lead, a very commendable achievement after the gutpunch they received Monday night.

Pace: 88-74.

Divisional Change: Gained 0.5 in NL West (LAD), gained 3 games in WC (COL).

This Week: 3 game road series @ Phillies, 3 game road series @ Brewers. The Giants earned their way to top of Wild Card Mountain, and they'll have to continue to earn staying there. The Rockies get to face two NL creampuffs at home while SF hits the road to face the World Champs and fading but strong Brewers.

News: Jon Heyman tweets the Giants are interested in Brad Penny, along with the Marlins and Yankees.

John Perotto notes that the Giants are one of two favorites to land favorites to land Penny.

Fans cheer as Kent gets Giant honor, being enshrined in the Giant's Wall of Fame. Said Kent:

"The only place I ever cared about and gave my heart to was San Francisco." - Jeff Kent

The Big Unit is willing to return as reliever. After being on the 60-day DL for since July with a trapezius injury, Randy Johnson would be unable to contribute as a starter unless he had a long rehab assignment. The Unit coming out of the pen is a wild card if ever there was one.

Randy Johnson

#51 / Pitcher / San Francisco Giants

Height: 6-10

Weight: 225

Bats: R

Throws: L

Born: Sep 10, 1963

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Randy Johnson	8-6	17	17	0	0	0	0	91.2	90	51	49	18	31	80	4.81	1.32

The Giants claimed Trevor Hoffman on waivers, though some have specualted it was more to prevent a team like the Rockies from claiming him. Regardless, Hoffman appears to be staying with the Brewers.

Transactions: Optioned Joe Martinez to AAA Fresno. Recalled LHP Alex Hinshaw and IF Ryan Rohlinger.

Injuries: Randy Johnson will throw from 90-100 feet Tuesday or Wednesday - the Big Unit hopes to return this season as a reliever. Rich Aurilia is set to come off the 15-day DL but indications are he won't join the big league club when he does. Bengie Molina has been available to pinch hit and will likely return to the lineup at some point in Philadelphia from his torn right quad. Freddy Sanchez will make a couple rehab starts and then return Sept 2.

San Francisco Giants Injuries

15-Day

Player Injury Type Injury Date

Freddy Sanchez shoulder 08/18/2009

Rich Aurilia ankle 08/12/2009

Andres Torres hamstring 07/31/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player Injury Type Injury Date

Randy Johnson trapezius 07/06/2009

Noah Lowry ribs 03/27/2009

Kelvin Pichardo shoulder 06/28/2009

Henry Sosa shoulder 08/05/2009

Padres lose to Cardinals 5-2, Albert Pujols gets super mad

Dex — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:16:13 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

Albert Pujols picks a fight with Will Venable, knowing that there is a really big Mexican dude with a goatee lurking in the shadows, got his back case things go wrong. Sissy. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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I think someone forgot to tell the Padres hitters that John Smoltz is real old. Taking nothing away from the guy, but he's old. Then again, it's the Padres and they're young and prone to being super impressed by old people.

I'm going to guess that if we had Kyle Blanks aka 8-Train out there today, we would've won the game, but that might be a bad guess.

There was a bit of a kerfuffle today where Albert Pujols, apparently mad that he hadn't physically assaulted any of our players lately, decided to try to fight Will Venable. Bud Black responded by breaking Kyle Blanks' foot. That's a humorous reference to when Bud Black took Milton Bradley out when Bradley got all fired up that one time. Chortle.

Did anything else happen? Probably not.

[UPDATE] Here's the video of Pujols getting all mad at Will Venable for having the audacity to kinda slide his shoulder to the side while running.

Fantasy Baseball: NL OPS Leaders Since the All-Star Break

raygu — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:04:29 -0000

More photos » by Luis Alvarez - AP

3 months ago: Colorado Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez hits an RBI double against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009, in Washington. The Rockies won 4-1. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

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As I said on Friday, I like to take a look at the leaders in different categories since the All Star Break. Today, we bring you the NL OPS leaders since the All Star Break:

Player	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	KO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	K/BB	OPS
Holliday, Matt LF STL	141	32	57	9	37	14	20	5	0.404	0.451	0.731	1.429	1.181
Gonzalez, Carlos OF COL	84	21	31	7	14	8	17	3	0.369	0.427	0.738	2.125	1.165
Reynolds, Mark 3B ARI	131	26	43	14	22	17	50	6	0.328	0.413	0.710	2.941	1.123
Dunn, Adam LF WAS	115	23	38	9	26	26	39	0	0.330	0.466	0.652	1.5	1.118
Tulowitzki, Troy SS COL	125	28	41	8	31	19	28	4	0.328	0.415	0.664	1.474	1.079
Ethier, Andre RF LA	141	26	50	7	27	17	21	1	0.355	0.438	0.631	1.235	1.070
Gonzalez, Adrian 1B SD	126	22	40	9	21	26	20	0	0.318	0.429	0.619	0.769	1.048
LaRoche, Adam 1B ATL	107	18	36	8	20	14	26	0	0.336	0.410	0.626	1.857	1.036
Zimmerman, Ryan 3B WAS	129	30	41	11	30	16	21	1	0.318	0.391	0.643	1.313	1.034
Lee, Derrek 1B CHC	132	23	43	7	27	22	31	0	0.326	0.419	0.614	1.409	1.033
Ramirez, Hanley SS FLA	140	28	54	5	25	11	31	11	0.386	0.442	0.579	2.818	1.020
Fowler, Dexter CF COL	94	21	31	1	12	20	30	6	0.330	0.447	0.553	1.5	1.001
Blanks, Kyle 1B SD	105	20	30	9	17	15	39	1	0.286	0.395	0.600	2.6	0.995
Fukudome, Kosuke RF CHC	111	19	35	4	18	23	24	0	0.315	0.433	0.550	1.043	0.982
Lee, Carlos N. LF HOU	136	20	45	8	30	12	10	1	0.331	0.386	0.596	0.833	0.981
Braun, Ryan J. LF MIL	146	27	45	10	31	10	16	4	0.308	0.361	0.616	1.6	0.977
Jones, Garrett 1B PIT	135	20	41	10	22	13	32	4	0.304	0.365	0.607	2.462	0.972
Howard, Ryan 1B PHI	132	26	39	10	33	17	46	1	0.296	0.373	0.591	2.706	0.963
Montero, Miguel C ARI	117	17	38	7	24	3	21	0	0.325	0.342	0.607	7	0.949
Ramirez, Aramis 3B CHC	101	17	30	6	21	12	19	0	0.297	0.383	0.555	1.583	0.937

I have included a column for K/BB ratio to see if these OPS leaders can sustain their performance till the end of the year. The K/BB ratio is a good indicator of how successful a hitter can be over the course of a season. A K/BB ratio over 1 indicates that the hitter strikes out more than once for every walk he take. Mark Reynolds, for example, strikes out almost 3 times for every walk he takes.

Another hitter who is surprising on this list is the Rockies OFer Carlos Gonzalez. In fact, CarGo was involved in the trade that sent the OPS leader, Matt Holliday, from the Rockies to the A's in the offseason. Gonzalez is starting to show signs of the potential the Rockies saw in him when they traded for him. Can he keep it up?

A couple other guys that stand out are Miguel Montero, Garrett Jones, and Kyle Blanks. These are hitters that were not drafted in many drafts this year, but who have performed well at the plate, but who have a high K/BB ratio. We'll take another look at the OPS leaders at the end of the season.

Poll

Will Carlos Gonzalez finally reach the potential many saw in him in the minors, or is this just a hot streak?

Yes, this is the CarGo many have been waiting for. It will stick.

24 votes

No, this is a fluke hot streak. He strikes out too much to keep this up.

19 votes

43 votes | Poll has closed