SB Nation - Mike Stanton

Heroes of the Zeros: The Bullpen

Slyde — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:00:28 -0000

As we continue our vote on the Reds All Decade Team, we look today at the bullpen. The Reds bullpen was a strength in the early aughts, but it also had some very lean periods in the middle of the decade before rebounding a bit the last two seasons. Below you will see the 28 relievers who managed to pitch 60 or more games out of the bullpen for the Reds between 2000 and 2009. The survey below will have you choose a closer, 2 right-handed relievers, 2 left-handed relievers, and 2 other relievers of your choice. Please be careful not to choose a pitcher for more than one spot as I will only count a single vote for that player.

One note before you vote, I didn't feel like doing the extra work it would take to separate a pitcher's relief appearances from his starts, so some of the stats below include starts as well as relief appearances. This mainly only affects Danny Graves (30 GS), Chris Reitsma (53 GS), and Matt Belisle (43 GS) with a couple other pitchers having a handful of starts in their numbers. Please try to take that into account when considering a player as best you can. Voting can be done after the jump.

Other ballots: Starting Rotation

Click header to sort table by column
	Years	G	W	L	W-L%	SV	IP	ERA	ERA+	FIP	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	SO/9	BB/9	HR/9
Jeremy Affeldt	2008	74	1	1	.500	0	78.1	3.33	133	3.72	.260	.323	.410	.733	9.19	2.87	1.03
Matt Belisle	2003-2008	132	16	22	.421	1	341.2	5.06	89	4.54	.302	.351	.472	.823	6.06	2.53	1.24
Bill Bray	2006-2008	111	7	6	.538	3	89.0	3.84	118	3.40	.278	.348	.433	.780	9.20	3.84	0.81
Jim Brower	2001-2002	68	9	10	.474	1	168.2	3.95	114	4.49	.250	.328	.406	.734	6.30	3.74	1.01
Jared Burton	2007-2009	154	10	3	.769	0	161.0	3.47	128	3.73	.238	.322	.368	.690	7.77	3.91	0.73
Todd Coffey	2005-2008	213	12	9	.571	9	206.1	4.62	98	4.58	.311	.366	.476	.842	5.98	2.75	1.22
Francisco Cordero	2008-2009	140	7	10	.412	73	137.0	2.76	158	3.42	.238	.329	.327	.656	8.93	4.47	0.53
Jon Coutlangus	2007	64	4	2	.667	0	41.0	4.39	105	4.57	.250	.373	.362	.735	8.34	5.93	0.66
Danny Graves	2000-2005	318	29	35	.453	147	526.0	4.16	105	4.62	.279	.331	.451	.782	4.59	2.58	1.16
Daniel Ray Herrera	2008-2009	77	4	4	.500	0	69.0	3.52	122	4.00	.283	.354	.419	.772	6.78	3.52	0.78
Mike Lincoln	2008-2009	83	3	6	.333	0	93.1	5.40	81	5.66	.269	.357	.465	.822	6.36	4.15	1.64
Gary Majewski	2006-2008	88	2	6	.250	0	78.0	7.38	61	4.73	.388	.429	.562	.992	5.31	2.54	1.15
Nick Masset	2008-2009	84	6	1	.857	0	93.1	2.31	186	3.65	.213	.276	.334	.610	7.81	2.80	0.87
Hector Mercado	2000-2001	68	3	2	.600	0	67.0	4.16	111	4.26	.262	.354	.418	.772	9.67	5.10	1.07
Kent Mercker	2003-2008	179	5	4	.556	5	142.0	3.36	129	4.72	.256	.336	.447	.783	6.91	3.99	1.27
Phil Norton	2003-2004	86	2	5	.286	0	80.1	4.59	92	4.10	.263	.359	.380	.740	6.16	4.93	0.56
Brian Reith	2001-2004	73	4	12	.250	1	127.2	5.92	73	6.16	.292	.381	.542	.923	5.99	5.01	1.83
Chris Reitsma	2001-2003	125	22	32	.407	12	404.1	4.52	97	4.57	.280	.329	.456	.785	5.19	2.52	1.20
Dennys Reyes	2000-2001	97	4	7	.364	0	96.2	4.75	98	4.74	.254	.363	.395	.757	8.19	5.96	0.93
Arthur Rhodes	2009	66	1	1	.500	0	53.1	2.53	169	3.14	.198	.276	.299	.576	8.10	3.38	0.51
John Riedling	2000-2004	200	13	12	.520	3	274.1	4.13	104	4.37	.256	.345	.385	.730	5.97	4.43	0.69
Brian Shackelford	2005-2006	63	2	0	1.000	0	46.0	4.11	107	5.20	.229	.333	.388	.722	6.26	3.72	1.17
Mike Stanton	2007	69	1	3	.250	0	57.2	5.93	78	4.26	.315	.374	.462	.836	6.24	2.81	0.94
Scott Sullivan	2000-2003	279	22	12	.647	4	338.0	4.05	111	4.21	.246	.326	.408	.734	7.96	3.49	1.14
Ryan Wagner	2003-2005	108	8	4	.667	0	119.0	4.69	90	4.38	.274	.354	.410	.764	7.64	4.24	0.98
David Weathers	2005-2009	325	20	23	.465	61	336.1	3.56	126	4.37	.239	.317	.390	.707	6.21	3.67	0.96
Gabe White	2000-2004	137	10	3	.769	1	128.2	4.34	98	4.25	.256	.289	.467	.756	6.92	1.54	1.47
Scott Williamson	2000-2003	155	13	15	.464	35	229.0	3.14	143	3.53	.209	.326	.329	.655	10.73	5.42	0.71

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/14/2009.

Baseball America's December Rankings for Marlins Farm

craig — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:47:25 -0000

Baseball America publish their December rankings of the major league farm systems and the Marlins slipped a bit. Here is what they had to say.

Marlins: Still thin on arms, but Florida's bats, led by OF Mike Stanton, still impress.

Last season the Marlins were in a virtual tie for first. Now the farm system has slipped down to number 8. There are a few reasons for this, due to circumstances the Marlins brought up some young pitchers and frankly most had haphazard performances, which is very common for the move to the majors. I wouldn't read much into the drop, but it is true the Fish are a little light on arms in the minors. But given the team's history, that won't last long. Or at least I hope not.

Baseball America's Top 10 Prospect Lists for 2010

raygu — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:00:13 -0000

In addition to the top 20 Prospect lists that SB Nation's John Sickels is writing up over at Minor League Ball, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus are working on their top 10, or 11 in the case of BP, prospect lists for 2010.

Today, I give you the Baseball America top 10 prospect lists for 2010 for the National League East teams:

Marlins

1. Mike Stanton, of

2. Logan Morrison, 1b

3. Chad James, lhp

4. Matt Dominguez, 3b

5. Gaby Sanchez, 1b/3b

6. Ryan Tucker, rhp

7. Kyle Skipworth, c

8. Isaac Galloway, of

9. Scott Cousins, of

10. Jhan Marinez, rhp

More after the jump:

Nationals

1. Stephen Strasburg, rhp

2. Derek Norris, c

3. Drew Storen, rhp

4. Ian Desmond, ss

5. Danny Espinosa, ss

6. Chris Marrero, 1b

7. Jeff Kobernus, 2b

8. Justin Maxwell, of

9. Michael Burgess, of

10. Destin Hood, of

Phillies

1. Domonic Brown, of

2. Kyle Drabek, rhp

3. Michael Taylor, of

4. Travis D'Arnaud, c

5. Trevor May, rhp

6. Anthony Gose, of

7. Sebastian Valle, c

8. Jarred Cosart, rhp

9. Antonio Bastardo, lhp

10. Domingo Santana, of

Mets

1. Jenrry Mejia, rhp

2. Wilmer Flores, ss

3. Fernando Martinez, of

4. Ike Davis, 1b

5. Brad Holt, rhp

6. Jon Niese, lhp

7. Reese Havens, 2b/ss

8. Josh Thole, c

9. Ruben Tejada, 2b/ss

10. Juan Urbina, lhp

Braves

1. Jason Heyward, of

2. Freddie Freeman, 1b

3. Julio Teheran, rhp

4. Mike Minor, lhp

5. Craig Kimbrel, rhp

6. Christian Bethancourt, c

7. Randall Delgado, rhp

8. Zeke Spruill, rhp

9. Cody Johnson, of

10. Adam Milligan, of

Florida Marlins name the Organizational Players of the Year

craig — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:55:30 -0000

At this time of the year the Marlins name the minor league players of the year, and one comes as no surprise.

ORGANIZATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Mike Stanton, OF: Stanton repeats his Marlins Hitter of the Year honors, following up an outstanding 2008 first full season by emerging as the indisputable top prospect in the organization. His pure raw power once again translated into stats as he combined for 28 home runs and 92 RBIs, both tops in the system, between Advanced A Jupiter and Jacksonville. Though his average was just .255 on the season as he took time adjusting to Double-A pitching, the 6-foot-5 Stanton, who just turned 20, has a great future. His makeup and work ethic complement his tools, and his strong arm will play in right field. He left the Arizona Fall League after just a few games with a minor back injury, but is expected to be healthy for Spring Training.

Jose Rosario, RHP: In his first full season after spending '08 in the Gulf Coast League, the 23-year-old made the leap to spend most of his summer at Jupiter where his 3.46 ERA (combined with four early starts at Greensboro) ranked second in the system among full-season pitchers, while his 10-7 record and 105 strikeouts in 130 innings also placed him among the organization leaders. At Jupiter, he limited Florida State League hitters to a .221 average in 109 innings, walking just 25 while striking out 91.

Mike Stanton is no surprise. Jose Rosario is a bit of one. If the young Mr. Rosario wants to make it to majors with the Marlins, he needs to put it in high gear. At 23 and still in A-ball, it is not impossible, but he needs to start making a move. Yes, I know that things are bottled necked in Double-A but Rosario needs to advance as quickly as he can. If he can keep up doing what he is doing, he should be able to do that.

Congratulations to the both of them!

MLB Trade Rumors: Jeremy Hermida Traded to the Red Sox

raygu — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:30:24 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

5 months ago: Florida Marlins' Jeremy Hermida watches his sacrifice fly to left field that scored Emilio Bonifacio from third in the fifth inning in a baseball game Tuesday, July 21, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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The Florida Marlins are going through their second year of trading arbitration eligible players this offseason, and they started by shipping outfielder Jeremy Hermida to the Red Sox for two minor league pitchers I have never heard of. I am sure you all know that Hermida was once the top prospect in baseball, but he is one of the many who have never lived up to their potential for various reasons.

This deal benefits owners of Cameron Maybin. Here is what Joe Frisaro from MLB.com had to say after dealing Hermida:

Florida expects to bring back Cody Ross, who also is eligible for arbitration, to play right field. The team's outfield projects to be Chris Coghlan in left field, Cameron Maybin in center and Ross in right. Coghlan, however, may wind up at second base. There is a strong likelihood that Dan Uggla will be traded.

If Coghlan moves back to the infield, the Marlins have several outfield prospects, including Scott Cousins and Mike Stanton.

"If Maybin slides into center field, Cody can play right," Beinfest said. "Stanton and Cousins are on their way. We thought we were dealing from an area of depth. And also, within our payroll, our allocations need to be in the best place to be most competitive. Obviously, [Hermida] is a second-time arbitration player."

Cousins and Stanton both finished the 2009 season in AA Jacksonville. Cousins hit .268 with 12 HRs, 74 RBI and 27 SBs in 130 games. Stanton went 16-53-.231-.311-.455 in 299 ABs for Jacksonville. But don't forget about AA outfielder Bryan Peterson who is currently hitting very well in the Arizona Fall League. Peterson went 7-49-13-.297-.368-.413 in 2009.

But, where does Hermida play in Boston? They have JD Drew in right field and Jacoby Ellsbury in centerfield. Could Hermida be the starting left-fielder in Boston in 2010?

Poll

What are the chances Jeremy Hermida starts in Boston in 2010?

zero

49 votes

0-25%

78 votes

25-50%

45 votes

> 50%

44 votes

216 votes | Poll has closed

Florida Marlins Top 20 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:00:16 -0000

by David Zalubowski - AP

Florida Marlins infielder Chris Coghlan (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

View full size photo »

Florida Marlins Top 20 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

This list was originally published January 9, 2009. This is a review of the PRE-SEASON list for 2009, not a revision of that list. This is a REVIEW of the old list. I'm not doing new grades or lists until I start working on the 2010 book.

1) Cameron Maybin, OF, Grade A-: .319/.399/.463 for Triple-A New Orleans, .202/.280/.310 in 26 games for the Marlins. Just needs more time, only 22 years old, will get another chance next year.

2) Logan Morrison, 1B, Grade A-: .280/.419/.459 with 61 walks in 257 at-bats for Double-A Jacksonville. Power has been disappointing, but huge increase in walk rate is stunning.

3) Matt Dominguez, 3B, Grade B+: .262/.333/.420 for Class A Jupiter, but just .183/.280/.280 after promotion to Jacksonville. Just turned 20. He needs a full year of Double-A next year.

4) Mike Stanton, OF, Grade B+: .294/.390/.578 in 50 games for Jupiter, .234/.310/.453 in 73 games for Jacksonville. Has combined for 26 homers and 55 walks, but 138 strikeouts in 123 games remains very high and worrisome for me.

5) Kyle Skipworth, C, Grade B+: .208/.263/.348 in 70 games for Class A Greensboro. Very disappointing, has had injury problems, too many strikeouts, not enough walks. Too young to give up on but he's really stunk it up.

6) Ryan Tucker, RHP, Grade B: Limited to 16 innings for New Orleans with 14 walks, 8.04 ERA. Knee and back injuries.

7) Sean West, LHP, Grade B: 4.22 ERA with 47/35 K/BB in 81 innings for the Marlins, 84 hits allowed. Components don't support the ERA. Either the ERA will rise next year or the components will improve, but overall he's held his own as a rookie.

8) Jose Ceda, RHP, Grade B: Out all year with a torn labrum.

9) Chris Coghlan, 2B, Grade B-: Hitting .296/.373/.440 for the Marlins. Very successful rookie campaign.

10) John Raynor, OF, Grade B-: Hitting .258/.327/.362 with 18 steals for New Orleans. Contact issues, 114 strikeouts in 423 at-bats. Might still contribute as a reserve outfielder but the grade was too high.

11) Eulogio De La Cruz, RHP, Grade B-: 3.03 ERA with 55/40 K/BB in 65 innings for Triple-A Portland in the Padres system. He has good stuff, but command is still a big problem. Grade was too high.

12) Gaby Sanchez, 1B, Grade C+: Hitting .292/.377/.470 for New Orleans. Not quite enough bat to force his way into a first base job this year.

13) Scott Cousins, OF, Grade C+: Hitting .259/.322/.443 with 26 steals in 35 attempts for Jacksonville. Good speed, sparks of power, still kind of interesting but at age 24 he needs to move fast.

14) Bryan Petersen, OF, Grade C+: Hitting .302/.375/.422 for Jacksonville. Has stolen 12 bases but caught 12 times. Decent on-base skills but power questionable.

15) Aaron Thompson, LHP, Grade C+: Traded to Nationals. Combined 3.97 ERA with 99/51 K/BB in 143 innings for Double-A Jacksonville and Double-A Harrisburg. Not great, not terrible, still just 22.

16) Brad Hand, LHP, Grade C+: 4.77 ERA with 119/63 K/BB in 123 innings for Greensboro, 125 hits. Got off to a terrible start but has pitched better in the second half.

17) Isaac Galloway, OF, Grade C: Hitting .265/.293/.380 with 14 steals in 22 attempts for Greensboro. Very toolsy, raw, power undeveloped and plate discipline doubtful. No relation to Lt. Galloway, security redshirt murdered by Captain Tracey on Omega IV.

18) Jake Smolinski, 2B, Grade C: Hitting .285/.380/.449 for Greensboro. Has breakthrough potential for next year.

19) Brett Sinkbeil, RHP, Grade C: 6.35 ERA with 50/42 K/BB in 78 innings for New Orleans, 102 hits allowed. Gets grounders (2.05 GO/AO) but that's the only positive note in his numbers.

20) Chris Leroux, RHP, Grade C: 2.79 ERA with 54/16 K/BB in 58 innings for Jacksonville, 58 hits. Crushed in brief major league action but will get more chances.

Pre-season, the Marlins system looked like it had a big batch of high-ceiling guys at the top, but that it thinned out quickly after the top 10. Injury attrition knocked out two pitchers, and now it looks like some of the B- guys were overrated. Stanton could be a superstar but still has work to do. Maybin just needs to play. Skipworth looks awful right now but is too young to give up on. Coghlan and West have been mainstays this summer. The 2009 draft is youth and projection heavy in the first three rounds, then shifted to a college emphasis.

MLB Trade Rumors: Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell to the Marlins for Prospects?

raygu — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:30:10 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y Huh - AP

Could Maybin be headed to San Diego?

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I was out getting ice cream with my daughter and some neighbors when I got a text from my brother. The text said that during the Marlins-Braves game last night, there was speculation that the Marlins would deal pitching prospect Andrew Miller, AA outfielder Mike Stanton and AAA outfielder Cameron Maybin to the Padres for Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell.

Now, I am not certain if this was just the two announcers going back and forth with what it would take for the Marlins to haul in Gonzalez and Bell, or if there truly was some truth to this rumor. We all know that the Marlins are desperate for a closer, and they are rumored to be talking to the Padres about Bell, so it is quite possible.

I would think if there is some truth to this, that the Padres may want another prospect or two thrown into the deal as both AGonz and Bell are pretty cheap for the next few seasons.

Can the Padres do better elsewhere? Maybe Buchholz and Bowden from the Red Sox for AGonz?

Poll

Would the Padres demand more than just Maybin, Miller and Stanton for Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell?

Absolutely, throw in a couple more pitchers and they make the deal.

129 votes

No, all 3 are major league ready or close to major league ready.

67 votes

196 votes | Poll has closed

SBNation's NL East Midseason Blogger Roundtable - Part 1

WholeCamels — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:38:10 -0000

More photos » by Tom Mihalek - AP

Will the Phillies' All-Star outfield lead them to a second straight National League pennant? (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

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Over the All-Star Break, the NL East bloggers at SBNation held an online roundtable discussion looking back at the first half of the season, and looking forward to the second half. You can see our pre-season roundtable here. Part 2 coming tomorrow...

The Bloggers:

• Moderator - Sky Kalkman - (Beyond the Box score)

Peter Baker (The Good Phight) - SBN Philadelphia Phillies blog

Martin Gandy (Talking Chop) - SBN Atlanta Braves blog

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue) - SBN New York Mets blog

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball) - SBN Washington Nationals blog

Craig Strain (Fish Stripes) - SBN Florida Marlins blog

• Part 1: Trade Deadline -

• Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Which teams, under which circumstances, will be buyers over the next three weeks? How about sellers? If there are any undecideds, what will be the tipping point?

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): Unless the Nationals' "Acting" GM was trying to force potential buyers' hands last week when he said there would be no fire sale in Washington, a lot of the potential deals that have been discussed involving players on the DC roster might fail to materialize. Mr. Rizzo said unequivocally that Adam Dunn would not be traded and wondered aloud why anyone would want to trade Josh Willingham, and with no real major league ready first base prospect in the system, I'm really hoping they don't trade Nick Johnson, because even a half season with Adam Dunn at first gives me nightmares, and right now it's Dunn, Josh Willingham or they call up Brad Eldred from Triple A Syracuse...

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): Unless there is reasonable hope that a few of their injured stars will return soon, the Mets should be sellers at this season's trade deadline. That may be a tough thing to admit for a team with the highest payroll in the National League, but it's worth seeing what guys like Gary Sheffield, Pedro Feliciano and Francisco Rodriguez might bring back. I suppose if the Mets come back from the All-Star break and go on a nice winning streak that the priorities could change, but regardless of their proximity to first place I am never an proponent of trading a boatload of promising youngsters for a middling veteran who will add little real on-field value over the final two months of the season (see: DeRosa, Mark).

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): The Phillies are definitely buyers and have been linked with virtually every major trade target out there, which is a weird feeling for someone who has been a Phillies fan as long as I have. As I write this, Pedro Martinez is allegedly on his way to Philadelphia for a physical; while that's not "the answer" I think it's a creative solution for the back end of the rotation. I'd love to see them push big for Roy Halladay but fear how badly they'd have to gut the farm system in order to get him.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): Waiting and watching. The Marlins are four games out of first with a four game set against the Phillies immediately after the break. If when the smoke clears from that series and the Marlins are tied for first, they may be a buyer. However, if the Marlins are eight games out resulting from it, they will probably stand pat. If it turns out to be something in between, the Fish would be cautious but shopping.

More after the jump...

• Sky Kalkman (Moderator): What holes will teams be looking to fill? What are the biggest holes they *SHOULD* be looking to fill but don't seem to be concerned about? Which holes from the first half can be plugged internally, perhaps by improvement the same player?

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): If the Mets wind up buying at the deadline, their needs will be dictated by the names on their disabled list. If Carlos Delgado is no closer to returning, then a potent bat at first base should be at the top of their wish list. Alex Cora's weaknesses (his hitting and fielding, e.g.) have been exposed by regular playing time, and the Mets could use someone a little better in the event that Jose Reyes isn't ready to return. Same story with Carlos Beltran. Jeremy Reed and Angel Pagan likely aren't going to be comforting answers to the question, "How do you replace the best all-around centerfielder in baseball?" The truth is they could use a guy like Ryan Church, who is better suited to a corner spot but won't embarrass himself defensively in center (and his bat plays better there anyway). Do you think the Braves would consider dealing him for someone like Jeff Francoeur? Nah, they're not stupid.

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): If the Nationals are going to insist on keeping Austin Kearns on the roster, it would be nice if he stepped up as one of the players who could provide help from within the organization...that's looking less and less likely though as he's been reduced to a late-inning defensive replacement...an expensive one...the biggest change of all could come from within if they simply cut down on the errors. 82 first-half errors? And it's obscene how many of those errors directly led to losses. The Nationals have plenty of young starters in the system, but they're lacking in legitimate outfielders and major-league-ready bullpen arms. Any moves this season will be bringing back young relief pitching I'd suspect, and Mr. Rizzo likes sinker-ballers...

Martin Gandy (Talking Chop): The Braves are going to be buyers if they do anything, but they may stand pat. They don't have a lot left in the minors that they want to trade, and there doesn't seem to be anything on the market that really fits their needs -- a big middle of the order bat who is affordable. I can see the team getting another arm for the bullpen, as they have been overused quite a bit and could benefit from a fresh arm.

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): The Phillies need another starting pitcher, and ideally a right-handed bench bat. Every late game, high-leverage Eric Bruntlett at-bat gives me a sad.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): The Marlins front office is looking for a closer and/or some more bullpen help. What they should be doing is demoting Bonifacio and fixing the hole that he creates, both in the field and at the plate. Third base can be fixed internally by calling up Gaby Sanchez to replace Bonifacio.

• Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Who are the most popular trade targets for those holes? Any targets flying under the radar? Any targets your team is especially intrigued in? Any popular names they're backing away from? Any rumors you'd like to start?

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): I was already laying the groundwork for a Nick Johnson to San Francisco for Jonathan Sanchez rumor since Sanchez was struggling all season and a Johnson deal seems regrettably inevitable, then Sanchez had to go and ruin it with his no-hitter this week. I can't think of an instance of a pitcher with a no-hitter being traded in the same year he threw a no-no...unless you count DC starter (currently Triple A Syracuse starter) Shairon Martis, who threw a rule-shortened no-no in the '06 WBC and was traded to Washington that summer...

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): The above-named Roy Halladay, and I'd like to see them inquire with the Reds about Aaron Harang, too.

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): Adam Dunn's name is always out there; that he has the flexibility to play both first base and left field -- albeit poorly in both cases -- makes him attractive in Delgado's absence. Victor Martinez would be a nice get, as he could help them at first for the remainder of this season and at catcher beyond 2009.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): The most mentioned on the reliever front has been Matt Capps, but Pittsburgh doesn't want what the Marlins are offering and Capps wants to stay with the Pirates.

• Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Which prospects and young major leaguers are most likely to change hands? Any that teams have deemed off-limits?

Martin Gandy (Talking Chop): The Braves have traded away an entire starting lineup of prospects over the past two years, and the result is most of their prospects are lower in the minors and probably not useful as trade chips. The two top guys, Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, are so far off-limits it's not funny.

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): The Nationals already moved a 24-year-old outfielder, Lastings Milledge, who has now quickly fallen out of favor with two organizations...I don't think the Nationals will be moving prospects, the system is just approaching being rebuilt. I'd expect if the Mets try to go for Nick Johnson they'll have to part with some of their young pitchers...Omar Minaya already traded for him once?

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): J.A. Happ has been mentioned in about half of the Roy Halladay trade scenarios, with Kyle Drabek the centerpiece in the other half. One of more of solid Triple-A prospects Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, and Jason Donald are likely to go in any trade. I can't really imagine any of the regulars being traded but for a major multi-team blockbuster of some kind.

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): Fernando Martinez's name always comes up, but if the Mets didn't part with him for Johan Santana I can't see them doing so for anyone else. LHP Jon Niese is pitching really well in Triple-A and should really be with the Mets right now, but Mets management is inept so I can't say I'd be surprised to see him dealt for some well-traveled spare part.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): Logan Morrison and Mike Stanton are untouchable.

• Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Why he heck would the Braves be looking to trade Javier Vazquez? Sure, they need offense, but without him, they don't have a shot at the playoffs, do they?

Martin Gandy (Talking Chop): Should I take this one? I'll take this one... The Braves need a big bat, on the order of Teixeira or close. The Braves also have Tim Hudson coming back from injury, and that leaves them with a potential for 6 starters for next season (Vazquez, Hudson, Jurrjens, Lowe, Kawakami, and Hanson). The consensus is that Vazquez has done nothing but increase his trade value quite a bit since coming over for essentially one top-prospect (Tyler Flowers). There are so many teams that need a top starter that the Braves may have the opportunity to get better than excellent return for Vazquez, and with Hudson returning not lose that much in the rotation. This gets even more interesting if the other top two starters with the potential to get traded, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, are taken off the market. GM Frank Wren just might get an offer he can't refuse. My thought would be a top prospect, a major league bat, and another solid prospect.

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): I wish the Expos/Nationals had never traded Vazquez, though I wouldn't have been able to watch Nick Johnson these last years...

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): I don't know why the Braves would trade Vazquez. You win games by preventing runs and/or scoring them. Vazquez has been terrific so far, he's obviously found some kind of comfortable niche, and I think it'd be dumb to disrupt that. It's easier to find good hitters than good pitchers.

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): I'm with Martin here. Vazquez's value is very high right now and the if the Braves don't think they'll compete down the stretch this year it behooves them to test the market because they do expect to have Tim Hudson back next year. I can't see Frank Wren moving someone as productive as Vazquez unless he's blown away, however, so smart money is probably on him staying put.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): TBS doesn't show the Braves games anymore, so how the heck should I know.

•Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Without any trade-deadline moves, what has to happen for your team to win the division? How much more likely is your team to make the playoffs by plugging its holes or adding an impact player?

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): I'll be brief and get out of the way so the teams with actual playoff prospects can discuss this...There's no way DC wins the division or makes the playoffs. The Nationals may, however provide someone with the impact player they're looking for...

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): At this point, stay the course and hope they don't get injured, while simultaneously hoping that none of the Mets, Braves, or Marlins get hot. Any one of them could, but it's really the Phillies' race to lose at this point.

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): All of their injured players need to come back and perform. It's as simple as that. I think 2009 is a lost cause for the Mets and they should probably start selling off whatever parts have value.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): If the Marlins stand pat, and fix a couple of problems internally, that is about as good of a chance as they have to make the playoffs. And oh, figure out how to beat the Braves.

SB Nation's Mid-Season NL EAST Roundtable...Washington Nationals Edition - Part 1.

Ed Chigliak — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:30:13 -0000

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Note: Over the last week or so, the SB Nation's NL East bloggers have been participating in a roundtable discussion about what we've all season in the first-half of the '09 campaign. The proceedings were moderated by Sky Kalkman of the SB Nation's Saber-Slanted Baseball Community Beyond the Box Score...(Thanks, Sky.)

The cast of characters:

• Moderator - Sky Kalkman - (Beyond the Box score)

Peter Baker (The Good Phight) - SBN Philadelphia Phillies blog

Martin Gandy (Talking Chop) - SBN Atlanta Braves blog

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue) - SBN New York Mets blog

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball) - SBN Washington Nationals blog

Craig Strain (Fish Stripes) - SBN Florida Marlins blog

• Part 1: Trade Deadline - (After The JUMP)...

• Part 1: Trade Deadline -

• Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Which teams, under which circumstances, will be buyers over the next three weeks? How about sellers? If there are any undecideds, what will be the tipping point?

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): Unless the Nationals' "Acting" GM was trying to force potential buyers' hands last week when he said there would be no fire sale in Washington, a lot of the potential deals that have been discussed involving players on the DC roster might fail to materialize. Mr. Rizzo said unequivocally that Adam Dunn would not be traded and wondered aloud why anyone would want to trade Josh Willingham, and with no real major league ready first base prospect in the system, I'm really hoping they don't trade Nick Johnson, because even a half season with Adam Dunn at first gives me nightmares, and right now it's Dunn, Josh Willingham or they call up Brad Eldred from Triple A Syracuse...

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): Unless there is reasonable hope that a few of their injured stars will return soon, the Mets should be sellers at this season's trade deadline. That may be a tough thing to admit for a team with the highest payroll in the National League, but it's worth seeing what guys like Gary Sheffield, Pedro Feliciano and Francisco Rodriguez might bring back. I suppose if the Mets come back from the All-Star break and go on a nice winning streak that the priorities could change, but regardless of their proximity to first place I am never an proponent of trading a boatload of promising youngsters for a middling veteran who will add little real on-field value over the final two months of the season (see: DeRosa, Mark).

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): The Phillies are definitely buyers and have been linked with virtually every major trade target out there, which is a weird feeling for someone who has been a Phillies fan as long as I have. As I write this, Pedro Martinez is allegedly on his way to Philadelphia for a physical; while that's not "the answer" I think it's a creative solution for the back end of the rotation. I'd love to see them push big for Roy Halladay but fear how badly they'd have to gut the farm system in order to get him.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): Waiting and watching. The Marlins are four games out of first with a four game set against the Phillies immediately after the break. If when the smoke clears from that series and the Marlins are tied for first, they may be a buyer. However, if the Marlins are eight games out resulting from it, they will probably stand pat. If it turns out to be something in between, the Fish would be cautious but shopping.

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): If the Mets wind up buying at the deadline, their needs will be dictated by the names on their disabled list. If Carlos Delgado is no closer to returning, then a potent bat at first base should be at the top of their wish list. Alex Cora's weaknesses (his hitting and fielding, e.g.) have been exposed by regular playing time, and the Mets could use someone a little better in the event that Jose Reyes isn't ready to return. Same story with Carlos Beltran. Jeremy Reed and Angel Pagan likely aren't going to be comforting answers to the question, "How do you replace the best all-around centerfielder in baseball?" The truth is they could use a guy like Ryan Church, who is better suited to a corner spot but won't embarrass himself defensively in center (and his bat plays better there anyway). Do you think the Braves would consider dealing him for someone like Jeff Francoeur? Nah, they're not stupid.

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): If the Nationals are going to insist on keeping Austin Kearns on the roster, it would be nice if he stepped up as one of the players who could provide help from within the organization...that's looking less and less likely though as he's been reduced to a late-inning defensive replacement...an expensive one...the biggest change of all could come from within if they simply cut down on the errors. 82 first-half errors? And it's obscene how many of those errors directly led to losses. The Nationals have plenty of young starters in the system, but they're lacking in legitimate outfielders and major-league-ready bullpen arms. Any moves this season will be bringing back young relief pitching I'd suspect, and Mr. Rizzo likes sinker-ballers...

Martin Gandy (Talking Chop): The Braves are going to be buyers if they do anything, but they may stand pat. They don't have a lot left in the minors that they want to trade, and there doesn't seem to be anything on the market that really fits their needs -- a big middle of the order bat who is affordable. I can see the team getting another arm for the bullpen, as they have been overused quite a bit and could benefit from a fresh arm.

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): The Phillies need another starting pitcher, and ideally a right-handed bench bat. Every late game, high-leverage Eric Bruntlett at-bat gives me a sad.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): The Marlins front office is looking for a closer and/or some more bullpen help. What they should be doing is demoting Bonifacio and fixing the hole that he creates, both in the field and at the plate. Third base can be fixed internally by calling up Gaby Sanchez to replace Bonifacio.

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): I was already laying the groundwork for a Nick Johnson to San Francisco for Jonathan Sanchez rumor since Sanchez was struggling all season and a Johnson deal seems regrettably inevitable, then Sanchez had to go and ruin it with his no-hitter this week. I can't think of an instance of a pitcher with a no-hitter being traded in the same year he threw a no-no...unless you count DC starter (currently Triple A Syracuse starter) Shairon Martis, who threw a rule-shortened no-no in the '06 WBC and was traded to Washington that summer...

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): The above-named Roy Halladay, and I'd like to see them inquire with the Reds about Aaron Harang, too.

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): Adam Dunn's name is always out there; that he has the flexibility to play both first base and left field -- albeit poorly in both cases -- makes him attractive in Delgado's absence. Victor Martinez would be a nice get, as he could help them at first for the remainder of this season and at catcher beyond 2009.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): The most mentioned on the reliever front has been Matt Capps, but Pittsburgh doesn't want what the Marlins are offering and Capps wants to stay with the Pirates.

• Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Which prospects and young major leaguers are most likely to change hands? Any that teams have deemed off-limits?

Martin Gandy (Talking Chop): The Braves have traded away an entire starting lineup of prospects over the past two years, and the result is most of their prospects are lower in the minors and probably not useful as trade chips. The two top guys, Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, are so far off-limits it's not funny.

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): The Nationals already moved a 24-year-old outfielder, Lastings Milledge, who has now quickly fallen out of favor with two organizations...I don't think the Nationals will be moving prospects, the system is just approaching being rebuilt. I'd expect if the Mets try to go for Nick Johnson they'll have to part with some of their young pitchers...Omar Minaya already traded for him once?

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): J.A. Happ has been mentioned in about half of the Roy Halladay trade scenarios, with Kyle Drabek the centerpiece in the other half. One of more of solid Triple-A prospects Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, and Jason Donald are likely to go in any trade. I can't really imagine any of the regulars being traded but for a major multi-team blockbuster of some kind.

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): Fernando Martinez's name always comes up, but if the Mets didn't part with him for Johan Santana I can't see them doing so for anyone else. LHP Jon Niese is pitching really well in Triple-A and should really be with the Mets right now, but Mets management is inept so I can't say I'd be surprised to see him dealt for some well-traveled spare part.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): Logan Morrison and Mike Stanton are untouchable.

• Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Why he heck would the Braves be looking to trade Javier Vazquez? Sure, they need offense, but without him, they don't have a shot at the playoffs, do they?

Martin Gandy (Talking Chop): Should I take this one? I'll take this one... The Braves need a big bat, on the order of Teixeira or close. The Braves also have Tim Hudson coming back from injury, and that leaves them with a potential for 6 starters for next season (Vazquez, Hudson, Jurrjens, Lowe, Kawakami, and Hanson). The consensus is that Vazquez has done nothing but increase his trade value quite a bit since coming over for essentially one top-prospect (Tyler Flowers). There are so many teams that need a top starter that the Braves may have the opportunity to get better than excellent return for Vazquez, and with Hudson returning not lose that much in the rotation. This gets even more interesting if the other top two starters with the potential to get traded, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, are taken off the market. GM Frank Wren just might get an offer he can't refuse. My thought would be a top prospect, a major league bat, and another solid prospect.

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): I wish the Expos/Nationals had never traded Vazquez, though I wouldn't have been able to watch Nick Johnson these last years...

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): I don't know why the Braves would trade Vazquez. You win games by preventing runs and/or scoring them. Vazquez has been terrific so far, he's obviously found some kind of comfortable niche, and I think it'd be dumb to disrupt that. It's easier to find good hitters than good pitchers.

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): I'm with Martin here. Vazquez's value is very high right now and the if the Braves don't think they'll compete down the stretch this year it behooves them to test the market because they do expect to have Tim Hudson back next year. I can't see Frank Wren moving someone as productive as Vazquez unless he's blown away, however, so smart money is probably on him staying put.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): TBS doesn't show the Braves games anymore, so how the heck should I know.

Ed Chigliak (Federal Baseball): I'll be brief and get out of the way so the teams with actual playoff prospects can discuss this...There's no way DC wins the division or makes the playoffs. The Nationals may, however provide someone with the impact player they're looking for...

Peter Baker (The Good Phight): At this point, stay the course and hope they don't get injured, while simultaneously hoping that none of the Mets, Braves, or Marlins get hot. Any one of them could, but it's really the Phillies' race to lose at this point.

Eric Simon (Amazin' Avenue): All of their injured players need to come back and perform. It's as simple as that. I think 2009 is a lost cause for the Mets and they should probably start selling off whatever parts have value.

Craig Strain (FishStripes): If the Marlins stand pat, and fix a couple of problems internally, that is about as good of a chance as they have to make the playoffs. And oh, figure out how to beat the Braves.

End Part 1...Part 2 Release Pending...

MLB All-Star Futures Game

craig — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:15:12 -0000

The All-Star Futures Game is today and the Marlins are being represented in the contest by Mike Stanton.

The game starts at 2:00 p.m. and will be shown on ESPN2.

Since the Marlins game with Arizona doesn't start until 4:10 p.m. you have a good chance of seeing the young Mr. Stanton in action.

If you are thinking: Well, okay, I know about Mike Stanton but I won't know anyone else in the game. Never fear, we have you covered, John Sickles at Minor League Ball will be live blogging the game and he knows everyone.

So if you have time checkout the game and checkout the live blogging action. As they say, you won't know the players without a program.