SB Nation - Ryan Zimmerman

Jim Riggleman With Ed Randall On "Talking Baseball".

Ed Chigliak — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:56:16 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Washington Nationals' manager Jim Riggleman joined Ed Randall on "Talking Baseball" this afternoon to discuss the state of the Nationals. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Washington Nationals' Manager Jim Riggleman appeared on Ed Randall's "Talking Baseball" this weekend to talk about the Nationals with Mr. Randall and guest host, former New York Yankee and the first DH Ron Blomberg. Mr. Blomberg heaped praise on the Nationals' skipper for the job he's done in his career on the bench, and congratulated Riggleman for earning the full-time job with Washington. Mr. Riggleman replied simply that he was, "Fortunate to have stayed in the game," after his playing days ended and, "...really honored to do it."

Jim Riggleman (on the 2010 Nationals): "We've got nowhere to go but up, we've got our work cut out for us. You know it's a tough division, because the Phillies, their players are pretty much in their prime right now, and they just won the division two years in a row, and the Mets won't be putting the team out there that they did last year, you know, at one time last year I think the Mets had five All-Star players all on the DL at the same time, so the rest of us in the division are going to have to contend with the Mets this year on a more serious basis. It's a lot of work cut out for us, but that's why they call it the big leagues, it's not supposed to be easy..."

• Listen to Ed Randall's Talking Baseball with Jim Riggleman...HERE

• Recap of the interview after the JUMP...

Asked what it was like to wait out the Washington Nationals' search for a full-time GM, Mr. Riggleman describes it as a situation unlike what DC GM Mike Rizzo seemingly went through before he shed the interim tag, telling Mr. Randall that,"...it really was not agonizing," as opposed to the previous year's wait with Seattle before Riggleman lost out on the full-time job to Don Wakamatsu. This time around with Washington, however, Mr. Riggleman says:

Jim Riggleman: "...(we) felt like we did everything we could do, our players responded, we played hard, we were very competitive on a nightly basis when we were out of the playoff hunt early on, we just kept going at it hard, we kept working hard, and I felt like there was nothing else we could do, if it didn't go my way as far as becoming the manager of the ballclub, I would not have had any regrets."

Mr. Riggleman, as Mr. Randall points out, grew up in Maryland, but rather than following the local Orioles, Mr. Riggleman says that, "...you kind of grow up following the team that...whatever paper you read, and we would get the Washington Post, so I was a Senators' fan...," "And loving Frank Howard, right?" Mr. Randall interjected:

Jim Riggleman: "You know people would go to those ball games and just stick around to Frank's last at bat cause the ball club was generally losing, and people would watch Frank gets his last at bat in the eighth inning or whatever and leave."

Mr. Randall began the interview by stating that he believed the Nationals, "...have come a long way...in terms of rebuilding their farm system, and there may in fact be impact players that are going to help them this coming year," and Mr. Randal returns to the state of the Nationals' system later in the interview:

"Ed Randall: When the team came down from Montreal there was effectively no farm system, and now you have guys that not only could come up for you, Jim, in 2010, but make an impact. Everybody of course knows about Strasburg, and I want to ask you about him in a moment separately, but there's another fine pitcher, Drew Storen, who may come, Ian Desmond who was up for you at the end of the year, and frankly, you need this kind of support in order to get out of where the Washington Nationals have been."

Jim Riggleman: "No question. The backbone of the game is scouting and our scouts have done a good job in recent years. They've really put together some talent. I saw one publication ranked us pretty low in terms of overall talent in the minor leagues, but we feel that we're getting real close to the point where, if we need a player, that we're going to be able to go down into our minor league system and bring that player up and play center field, or give us a little bump off the bench if needed, or be that pitcher who solidifies our rotation, whether it's a young guy like Detwiler (Ross), or John Lannan, who's actually become our No. 1 guy right now, those guys are from within the system and it's a product of good scouting."

Asked what the future holds for the Nationals' No. 1 pick, Stephen Strasburg, Riggleman says that newly hired senior adviser to the GM, Davey Johnson told him that, "You might have to send him out to the minor leagues pretty quick, because the more you see him the more you're going to want to keep him," but while Strasburg was the No. 1 prospect in the nation for a reason, according to the DC Skipper:

Jim Riggleman: "...there's a process you go through, the grind of the work you do, the amount of throwing you do, the sidework you do, the preparation, and I think realistically he'll probably get acclimated to professional baseball in the minor leagues, whether that's Double-A or Triple-A, but you know, we all feel like, unless there was something physically that stopped him, we all feel that he'll be with us maybe as early as May, as late as June..."

The current Face of the Franchise™? Mr. Riggleman says that Ryan Zimmerman, and he does call him the Face of the Franchise™, obviously, "...has had some good coaching...":

"Jim Riggleman: "...whether it was his father, or a high school, college coach, combination of all of it, he really knows how to play the game...the physical things he does in the game are All-Star level. He's one of those guys, that you just rarely...off the top of my head, I cannot think of a mistake he made on the field, you know, as far as not taking the extra base or running when he shouldn't run, or going to the wrong base or anything..."

In closing, Mr. Riggleman says that he sees reasons to believe, "We're hoping that a guy like Strasburg and John Lannan, who we already have on the ballclub, are going to solidify that rotation, and guys like Zimmerman and Desmond will be the future of the organization position wise."

Should the Washington Nationals Spend $20 Million This Winter Just Because They Have It?

Dave at Nats News Network — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:52:50 -0000

More photos » by Manuel Balce Ceneta - AP

4 months ago: FILE - In this July 13, 2009 file photo, Washington Nationals vice president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo, left, and president Stan Kasten, speak during a news conference discussing the team's managerial situation in Washington. After 5 1/2 months of doing the work of the Washington Nationals' general manager, Mike Rizzo is getting the title, too, sources in Major League Baseball familiar with the Nationals' plans said Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

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There are plenty in the Natosphere that want Mike Rizzo and the Washington Nationals to make a big splash and sign a bunch of free agents this winter to improve the product on the field.

After two-straight 100-loss seasons, I'm sure Rizzo is tempted to make a run at Matt Holliday, John Lackey, etc. But prudence, rather than exuberance, should rule the day.

If you take a good look at the Nats 2010 lineup, the hitters are credible enough to imitate a wild card caliber team.

But should the brass spend $20 million this winter just because they have it?

The answer, after the jump...

If Nyjer Morgan can replicate his season from last year (minus the season-ending injury) and Cristian Guzman has one .300-hitting season left in him, those are decent enough table setters in front of All-Star 3B Ryan Zimmerman and sluggers Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham.

The six-seven-eight hitters are going to be a combination of Elijah Dukes in right field, Jesus Flores (once healthy) at catcher, and Ian Desmond at shortstop.

Solid at the plate, and somewhat better in the field with Desmond replacing Guzman at short, and the Guz sliding over to second base.

And as long as "Running" Jim Riggleman doesn't call for a suicide squeeze every other game they should score enough runs to field a fairly competitive offense, just like last season.

Combine that with the prospect of having a couple of really decent trade chips at this year's deadline (Dunn, Willingham), and some of the minor league talent starting to show (Espinosa, Norris), the Nats have a reason to feel somewhat optimistic about the future of the lineup.

The problem is pitching, both starting and relieving.

Rizzo went on record last summer stating a preference for finding two starters to take some of the pressure of youngsters John Lannan, Ross Detwiler, Garrett Mock, Collin Balester, J.D. Martin, Craig Stammen at the major league level, while not rushing the more highly regarded prospects still in the minors, such as Stephen Strasburg, Aaron Thompson, Brad Meyers, et al.

And there's even more talent in the lower minors, with '09 draftees Trevor Holder and A.J. Morris just coming into their first full season as professionals.

Should the Nats spend $20 million this off-season, just because they have it?

Already one of the lower payrolls in the big leagues, the Nats see at least that much coming off the books this season, as the contracts of Dmitri Young, Ronnie Belliard, Nick Johnson, and Austin Kearns all either expired, were traded, or bought out.

They could even afford to offer Scott Olsen arbitration, get stuck with a 25-year old lefty recovering from shoulder surgery, and still have monopoly money to throw around.

But again, should they?

There are two "Type A" free agent starters available this season, John Lackey and Randy Wolf. Signing either would require the Nats to surrender their second round draft pick in the 2010 draft.

For a club whose best players are still several years from their prime, this doesn't seem to be prudent to me.

There are a bunch of "Type B" starters available that might be interesting, costing the Nats a little less, a second round pick. But most of these players are either injury cases (Erik Bedard, Justin Duchscherer, Rich Harden, Carl Pavano), old (Randy Johnson, Andy Pettitte), of questionable pedigree (Doug Davis, Braden Looper, Jason Marquis, Joel Piniero), or just bat-guano crazy (Vicente Padilla).

Do the Nats give up a chunk of the future to acquire any of these gentlemen? There's not a name in there that doesn't scare me to one degree or another.

And if the Type B's frighten, you can imagine what the rest of the list looks like. Reclamation projects, one-hit wonders, and former Nats (Odalis Perez or Daniel Cabrera, anyone?).

My advice to Rizzo? If you want to take a chance rolling the dice on Doug Davis, Joel Piniero or Jarrod Washburn, and can do it reasonably, via con dios.

Otherwise, let the stable of young guys that you have fight it out again this season, bolster your bullpen with the rest, wait for Jordan Zimmermann to recover from Tommy John surgery and Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen to arrive next season, THEN supplement with a veteran starter.

Just because you have $20 million to spend, doesn't mean you should.

Poll

Should the Nats spend a lot of money this off-season on players that won't be around when their core of young players are in their prime?

Yes, we still have to watch (and pay for) these games!

69 votes

No, I'm willing to stay the course until the young talent is ready.

62 votes

131 votes | Poll has closed

Fantasy Baseball: BP's Eric Seidman's Top 10 Fantasy Players

raygu — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:00:13 -0000

by Nick Wass - AP

2 months ago: Washington Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman, right, rounds the bases as he is greeted by third base coach Pat Listach (4) after Zimmerman hit a three-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009, in Washington. The Nationals won 5-4. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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In his chat yesterday over at Baseball Prospectus, Eric Seidman was asked the following:

Tex Premium Lager (Jersey): Even More Blatant Fantasy Keeper Question (tm): In no order, who are the 10 most valuable position players for the next few years? Most seem obvious (Pujols, Hanley, Utley, etc.) but I'd like your take on the matter. Maybe someone (you?) can take over Nate Silver's top 50 list, which was one of my favorite articles each year.
Eric Seidman: I'll list the guys that instantly came to mind as that likely says a lot about their attributes: Pujols, Mauer, Hanley, Utley, Tulowitzki, J Upton, Longoria, Zimmerman, Wright, Braun. Those aren't in order and there are definitely others to think about.

So, he answered this question off the top of his head, but he included David Wright in his top 10 fantasy players for "the next few years". Am I the only one who thinks Wright shouldn't be in the top 10? He leaves himself an out with the last sentence in his response, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

What surprised me was including Troy Tulowitzki and Ryan Zimmerman in his top 10. Granted both players are very good all around players-offensively and defensively-but are they top 10? I like Zimmerman alot as well, and could consider him should he duplicate his 2009 season in 2010. As for Tulo, I don't see him going 30-20 again in 2010.

Which player would you take out of his top 10?

Poll

Which player should NOT be in the top 10 fantasy player list for the next few years?

Ryan Zimmerman

33 votes

David Wright

29 votes

Troy Tulowitzki

40 votes

102 votes | Poll has closed

Top 5 Reasons For Washington Nationals' Fans To Be Thankful...

Ed Chigliak — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:07:10 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

One day, crowds like this in Nationals Park will not be made up of the opposing team's fans. One day...soon? Photo: Friday, May 15, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Whenever any fan of the Washington Nationals expresses optimism about the future, it's met with skepticism from the rest of the baseball world, and as a fan of the Montreal Expos, who's followed along for over 30 years with no return on the investment of time and patience, I think it's understandable that others should wonder where any sort of enthusiasm originates...With that in mind, and for all those who casually laugh off any hope of a postseason or Wild Card berth for the nation's capital's favorite baseball team, I present....

The Top 5 Reasons For Washington Nationals' Fans To Be Thankful...

5. Ryan Zimmerman Is Locked Up Long Term...

After much deliberation and several attempts at negotiations, the Washington Nationals and their first 1st Round pick, third baseman and Face of the Franchise™, Ryan Zimmerman, agreed on a contract extension last April that will keep the 25-year-old Virginia Beach, Virginia native in a Curly-W through 2013. The 5-year/$45 million dollar deal was agreed up in early April, and the initial response, as recorded in MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Nats, Zimmerman agree to extension", when Zimmerman was told of the deal that had been worked out between his agent Brodie Van Wagenen and DC team President Stan Kasten, tells you all you need to know about the man who mans the hot corner in DC...

"'Talk to Stan and Brodie -- maybe they are doing something, but I'm playing baseball.' Zimmerman said. 'I haven't heard anything.'"

Zimmerman, after agreeing to stay with Washington, went on to complete a 30-game hit streak, earn his first All-Star appearance and win his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger while posting the highest HR total (33), AVG. (.292), OBP. (.364), SLG. (525), and by extension, OPS. (.888), best UZR/150 rating (20.1) and best WAR mark (7.1); with his second-highest RBI total and second-most doubles of his 5-year MLB career...Asked by an ESPN announcer after receiving the Gold Glove why he decided to stay in DC, the FoF™ responded:

"Ryan Zimmerman: Uh, I like it there. I think, uh, you know, obviously things aren't going like we want it to go now, I think, but part of the cool thing I think, is that you know, I'm gonna be there when times are bad, and, you know, in a couple years I'm going to be there when times are good, so I kinda see everything full circle, and can be a part of everything, you know, the good, the bad, and kind of grow up there and it's uh, it's a good fit for me?"

4. The Nationals Came Through For The DC Faithful And Inked Stephen Strasburg.

He wanted $60 million dollars. His agent Scott "Maximum" Boras was determined to destroy the slotting system. There was no way a pitcher as good as Stephen Strasburg would agree on a deal with the Nationals. Heck, even Aaron Crow had decided to take his chances, taking a year off competitive baseball to avoid becoming a National, and he was no Strasburg...and yet, on deadline day to sign draft picks, with just minutes left, then-Interim GM Mike Rizzo and the Nationals got Strasburg to sign, inking a record-breaking 4-year/$15.1 million dollar deal that included a $7.5 million dollar signing bonus. The #1 prospect, the best pitcher to come through the draft in recent memory, the flame-throwing 100mph+ fastballer, the kid with a change so good he couldn't use it in college, saw something he liked, (even it was an opportunity to play out his first contract as quickly as possible) and decided to don the Curly-W...The Washington Nationals said they would take the best available player, they did and then the team went out and got the deal done. This is new, and this is something to be thankful for...

3. Mike Rizzo As DC GM.

It took former DC GM Jim Bowden's decision to (using a tired phrase) fall on his own sword and resign following several scandals, and it took a too-long interim period before it was made official, but the Washington Nationals made the right move, and after a few weeks of baseless rumors and false reports, named Mike Rizzo their full-time GM. Before becoming the permanent GM, Rizzo had managed to reshape the Nationals' bullpen, replace the team's skipper (ed. note - "Not my favorite move."), pull off a trade (Morgan/Burnett for Milledge/Hanrahan) that was the envy of GM's everywhere, sign Stephen Strasburg and oversee the entire '09 draft; which also brought 1st Round pick Drew Storen into the fold (amongst others), and instill a sense of stability and purpose that had been sorely lacking under the previous regime. Rizzo's reward was the full-time gig, a chance to pick his own Front Office and field manager, and the respect of the DC Faithful, who are waiting to see what he can pull off this winter...

2. The Adam Dunn Example.

Why would any free agent agree to come to a team that's suffered back-to-back 100-loss seasons? That's what I asked DC Skipper Jim Riggleman when given the opportunity to speak to him a few weeks back, and his answer caught me off guard, not just because he gave a good answer to an off-the-cuff and admittedly confrontational question, but because I actually sort-of-agreed with his answer:

"For some guys it’s where they're going to fit on the ball club? How bad you need that position that they play or pitch. If they are a closer, if they can come in and be the closer, instead of being a set-up guy. There are different reasons for guys to go places. They may want to be the closer, like I said...they may want to know they are coming in as the regular shortstop...or you're offering them the chance to be our catcher rather than go somewhere else and not be the regular guy, they can come here and be the regular catcher..."

The reason this inspired me, and the reason it is something for fans to be thankful for? Because it shows that the Nationals know the score...they know that the struggles the team has suffered through don't place them too high on most player's lists of potential destinations, and they recognize that they are going to have to try another approach to appeal to free agents looking for a new home...What the Nationals need to do now, in my not-so-humble opinion, is go out and find a player who expected more out of free agency, a pitcher, perhaps who thought this was his year to cash in...a shortstop who believes he's undervalued in the current market, someone who will take the best offer out there and commit themselves to being a part of the emergence of the DC franchise...in short, the next Adam Dunn.

1. We Aren't New York Mets' Fans!!!!!.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Alright, the real No. 1 reason was going to be that no team in DC baseball history had suffered back-to-back-to-back 100-loss campaigns, but I had only looked at the Expos' past of the current franchise and the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins' franchise history in DC, forgetting for a moment while I put together this list, about the Second-Senators, (who replaced the Sens/Twins and then left to become the Texas Rangers) who lost over 100 games in their first four seasons of existence (1961-1964) after they replaced the original Senators...

Happy Thanksgiving...

Vote Ryan Zimmerman For TYIB's Defensive Player Of The Year!

Ed Chigliak — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:34:26 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

What's Balester Doing Down There? VOTE ZIM!!! (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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You have until December 11, 2009 to vote for Washington Nationals' third baseman/Face of the Franchise™, who's up for This Year In Baseball's Defensive Player of the Year after an '09 season that's seen Ryan Zimmerman win the ESPN Web Gem title; take home Bill James' Fielding Bible Award; make his first All-Star appearance; earn his first Gold Glove; and his first Silver Slugger, while hitting 9 more HR's than he'd hit before, (33), collecting more RBI's than he's had since Soriano was around, (106), with more more walks (72) and the best OBP (.364) he's posted in any full season, the best SLG, (.525) and the best OPS, (.888), that the 25-year-old right-handed hitting and throwing Virginia Beach, Virginia native and UV almunus has so far put together...uh... Zimmerman also...had an NL leading 20.1 UZR/150...and 7.1 WAR...which was 4th best in the National league, placing Zimmerman behind only Hanley Ramirez (7.3), Chase Utley (7.6) and Ryan Howard (8.4)...a .963 FP%, 325 assists, 28 double plays...

If that isn't enough, on Monday Ryan Zimmerman was named to the, "Dream Team For Public Service" by All Stars Helping Kids, a foundation, the press release reads, "...created by Pro Football Hall of Famer, #42, Ronnie Lott...which recognize(s) the top athletes who have given back to their community." (ed. note - "Here's the link to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez's article on the Dream Team for Public Service entitled, "An MLB Dream Team for Public Service"...)

• The Kids Call Him Zim!!! Go Vote For Him...

(ed. note - "Seriously, the competition? Jacoby Ellsbury? Who? Michael Bourn? From the movies? Torii Hunter? (He's pretty good...)...Kaz Matsui? (Wasn't good enough for the Mets?)...Yadier Molina (Pretty Good Too...uh)...Melvin Mora? (Next?)...uh...Jimmy Rollins...and Troy Tulowitzi...well Zimmerman takes a back seat to no one here...Vote ZIM!")

Washington Nationals Complete Field Staff with the Hiring of MacLaren, Lett, Radison

Dave at Nats News Network — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:13:23 -0000

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman, with third base coach Pat Listach in the background, before the Nationals' game against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, July 16, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

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The Washington Nationals announced today the hiring of Jim Riggleman's 2010 field staff. Some of the names we knew. Others? Not so much. But the new names certainly aren't new to the skipper, each having extensive experience working alongside Riggleman at various points in their careers.

Returning are Rick Eckstein (hitting coach), Steve McCatty (pitching coach) and Pat Listach (infield/third base coach).

The new hires are John McLaren (bench coach), Dan Radison (first base coach) and Jim Lett (bullpen coach).

What's apparent (and important) is that the organization allowed Riggleman the opportunity to bring in folks he was familiar and comfortable with. Radison worked with Riggleman in Chicago and San Diego, and Eckstein in St. Louis, while Lett was with the Dodgers when Riggleman was Jim Tracy's bench coach there.

And of course, Riggleman was MacLaren's bench coach in Seattle, and took over for him when he was dismissed in mid-season of 2008.

Press Release after the jump.

Eckstein returns for a second season in Washington, as his offense showed significant gains in 2009 in runs per game (+0.40 per game), home runs (+39), batting average (+.007), on-base percentage (+.014), slugging percentage (+.033) and OPS (+.047) compared to the previous season.

McCatty was named Nationals pitching coach on June 2. The Nationals’ Triple-A pitching coach for four seasons before being summoned to Washington, McCatty employed numerous pre-existing relationships with Nationals pitchers to help his staff post an ERA exactly one run better than that recorded in the season’s first two months (5.69 ERA from Opening Day-May 31, 4.69 ERA from June 2 through season’s end).

Listach will return for a second season as Nationals third base coach. Last season, Listach’s judgment saw only 11 Nationals thrown out at home plate on non force-outs, a figure bettered by only the Cardinals (eight) in MLB. With added responsibilities as the Nationals infield instructor, Listach had a hand in Ryan Zimmerman earning his first career Rawlings Gold Glove.

McLaren, 58, will draw on 22 seasons of big league coaching experience, including a stint as Mariners manager for portions of the 2007 and 2008 seasons. He replaced Mike Hargrove as Seattle’s manager on July 2, 2007. While skippering the Mariners, McLaren hired Riggleman as his bench coach in 2008.

McLaren has worked on Lou Piniella’s staff for 15 seasons, and also enjoyed stewardships under Mike Hargrove, Cito Gaston, Jimy Williams and Joe Morgan. He has experienced five post-seasons, including four division titles (Toronto in 1989, Seattle ‘95, ‘97, 2001). McLaren spent the 2009 campaign as a Rays special assignment scout. He also served as Team USA bench coach during the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.

Selected by Houston in the 1970 Draft, McLaren caught for seven professional seasons before beginning his coaching career in Toronto’s system in 1977. After serving the Blue Jays for nine seasons as a minor-league coach, manager and scout, McLaren joined Toronto’s big league staff as third base coach in 1986.

Lett, 58, will draw on 15 seasons of Major League coaching experience, 11 spent as a bench coach with the Reds, Blue Jays, Dodgers and Pirates. He served as Dodgers bullpen coach from 2001-04, where he worked alongside Riggleman, who was Jim Tracy’s bench coach at the time.

Lett joins the Nationals after spending the previous two years coaching in Milwaukee’s minor-league system. Lett has worked in professional baseball for each of the last 35 seasons as a player, coach, manager or front-office executive. Lett is also a highly respected catching instructor.

The 59 year-old Radison begins his third tour with Riggleman, as the two worked together during Riggleman’s managerial stays in San Diego and Chicago (NL). Outside of his stints with the Cubs and Padres, Radison has managed, coached or scouted for the Yankees, Cardinals and Mets organizations from 1984-2006.

He spent the previous three seasons as the Cardinals Minor League Hitting Instructor. While there, Radison worked closely with Eckstein, and helped Rick Ankiel (as a hitter), Skip Schumaker and Colby Rasmus graduate to St. Louis.

Radison was drafted by the Cardinals in 1972 and played professionally for three seasons. He commenced his career in coaching at the college level, serving as an associate or assistant coach at Broward (FL) Community College, the University of Georgia and Old Dominion (VA) University.

Free Agent Profile: Miguel Tejada

davoag — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:13 -0000

by Alex Brandon - AP

The market for Tejada will be tough to ascertain.

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Lots to talk about since the last time we looked at the free agency market. In this profile of what kind of deal Miguel Tejada may get, I thought it prudent to look at two important facts. First, how much will the Astros have available to spend?

If, as Wade said, the Astros will reduce payroll in 2010, that means their number will be lower than the 102 million they spent on Opening Day 2009. How much less is up for debate. After arbitration raises to Hunter Pence, Wandy Rodriguez and others, the Astros will have about 80 million committed already in 2010. Assuming the Astros lop 12 million off last year's number, that leaves them with 10 million to spend. Seems about right, doesn't it?

It's still what we've been projecting as their available room since the offseason began, before Wade confirmed it was the case. We'll get to my theory on how much Tejada will cost, but that's not a lot of money to spend to fill a couple of glaring holes.

The second thing to look at is the current market for third baseman. It may not be a foregone conclusion that Tejada will have to switch positions, his bat seems to fit more in line with the corner of the infield market. Of that list, Tejada is probably not going to get the richest deal and possibly not the third-richest deal. I still think he commands a good chunk of change, though. The question is, does it make more sense for the Astros to spend on Tejada or a guy like Pedro Feliz? Just some things to think about when looking at last winter...

The Shortstops

Rafael Furcal, Los Angeles Dodgers

Contract Details: 3 years, 30 million (09-6.5m, 10-8.5m, 11-12m, 12-12m option)

Notes: Furcal entered last year's market after totaling just 164 plate appearances. Still, the then-31-year old posted a wOBA of .440 and a UZR/150 of -15.2. The Dodgers still rewarded Furcal with the richest contract any shortstop earned last winter. Furcal's defense has been all over the boards the past couple of years, but I think it's safe to say conventional wisdom shows he's was better defensively heading into last offseason than Tejada is now. Consider this contract the upper boundary of what Tejada can expect.

Nick Punto, Minnesota Twins

Contract Details: 2 years, 8.5 million (09-4.25m, 10-4.25m, 11-5m option)

Notes: The 30-year old got this contract coming off a season where he played 99 games. Punto hit pretty decently when he did play, posting a wOBA of .324 and had a UZR/150 of 17.9. Punto is a much better fielder than Tejada, but can't hit nearly as well. He's also younger, but couldn't get more than a two-year deal in last year's market.

Orlando Cabrera, Oakland A's

Contract Details: 1 year, 4 million

Notes: Cabrera couldn't have illustrated the plight of Type A free agents any better. With no team willing to give up draft picks for a 34-year old shortstop coming off a season where he posted a wOBA of .316 with excellent defense (by all accounts). Obviously, Cabrera falls into the same situation as Punto. Both players were good defense, bad bat types, which makes them the exact opposite of Tejada. Still, it may be hard for Tejada to get more than a one-year deal this winter.

Cesar Izturis, Baltimore Orioles

Contract Details: 2 years, 5 million (09-2.4m, 10-2.6m)

Notes: Another good defensive shortstop that posted a sub-par wOBA heading into his free agency period. Izturis got a multi-year deal and performed admirably for Baltimore. His contract is lower than the deals that Punto and Cabrera ended up with, but not for a lack of offense. In fact, the only difference tangibly between these three players is that the other two had a better defensive reputation and Izturis had a down year offensively with the Cardinals in 2008. Of course, I say 'reputation' about defense since there is not much difference in the three's defensive stats.

Edgar Renteria, San Francisco Giants

Contract Details: 2 years, 18.5 million (09-7m, 10-9.5m, 11-10.5m option)

Notes: While Renteria's defense wasn't as bad as Tejada's, at least by UZR, Renteria also didn't post as good a wOBA as Tejada's. It fits that Renteria would be the best shortstop comparable for Tejada, though by all accounts, his defense is good enough to stay at short for a little while longer. This deal, though, feels like something Tejada could end up with this winter.

The Third Basemen

Casey Blake, Los Angeles Dodgers

Contract Details: 3 years, 17.5 million (09-5m, 10-6m, 11-5.25m, 12-6m option)

Notes: Now we move into the third basemen that hit the market last winter. Blake had a great run with the Dodgers after being traded to Los Angeles and was locked up to a reasonable deal. Blake more than outperformed his contract in 2009, but his deal was the richest given to a potential third base free agent last winter. If Tejada moves to the hot corner, look for his deal to be in this range.

Ty Wigginton, Baltimore Orioles

Contract Details: 2 years, 6 million (09-2.5m, 10-3.5m)

Notes: Ahh, the dearly departed Astro, Wigginton signed with Baltimore for two years at a very reasonable 6 million. Wigginton probably was over-extended as a third baseman and only played 39 games there in 2009. Wigginton was close to as valuable offensively as Tejada but wasn't good defensively at third. Tejada's advantage over this deal is that he's moving from a premium defensive position to third, instead of moving off third like Wigginton.

The Utility Players

Ramon Vasquez, Pittsburgh Pirates

Contract Details: 2 years, 4 million (09-1.75m, 10-2m)

Notes: There is a lot of Wigginton here too, as Vasquez wasn't as good offensively as Tejada nor was he as good defensively (comparatively, that is). Still, Vasquez landed a role with the Pirates and a reasonable contract. This reminds me too much of a Geoff Blum signing instead of what Tejada will fetch.

Mark Loretta, Los Angeles Dodgers

Contract Details: 1 year, 1.25 million

Notes: At this point in his career, Loretta was going to be nothing more than a valuable addition off the bench. His contract reflects this and though he could still play third base in a pinch (Loretta played 23 games in 2009), but this is more like the contract Tejada may get in two years.

The Outlier

Willie Bloomquist, Kansas City Royals

Contract Details: 2 years, 3.1 million (09-1.4m, 10-1.7m)

Notes: Remember when we were talking about Jose Valverde? And we saw all the crazy stuff that Dayton Moore has done? Fit the Bloomquist signing into that vein. The utility player with the Mariners was given a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract and played mostly in the outfield for the Royals. This was just a weird signing all around.

Non-Free Agents of Note

Edwin Encarnacion, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays

Contract Details: 2 years, 7.6 million (09-2m, 10-4.7m)

Notes: This starts a couple of third basemen who recently signed contracts, before they get to free agency. With Encarnacion, the Reds were simply buying out a couple of arbitration years, but the numbers fit into the overall picture of what Tejada could command. Interestingly enough, the Reds traded Encarnacion to the Blue Jays mid-season for Scott Rolen.

Chipper Jones, 3B, Atlanta Braves

Contract Details: 3 years, 42 million (10-13m, 11-13m, 12-13m, 13-7m option)

Notes: Jones is the outlier of all outliers, since he's a franchise icon in Atlanta and could end up in the Hall of Fame some day. The Braves couldn't have let Chipper walk out the door, but after flirting with .400, his leverage was very high to get a huge deal done. Thus, this three-year deal, averaging 13 million per. Was an aging player worth this? I'm not sure, but it's definitely going to be the contract Tejada's agent bases his sales pitches around.

Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals

Contract Details: 5 years, 45 million (09-3.325m, 10-6.25m, 11-8.925m, 12-12m, 13-14m)

Notes: Another deal which bought out part of Zimmerman's arbitration years. This also goes for Troy Tulowitski and Ryan Braun's new deals. Zimmerman got a nice bump and quite the salary security for the next five years.

The Breaking News

Jack Wilson, SS, Seattle Mariners

Contract Details: 2 years 10 million (10-5 million, 11-5 million)

Notes: Wilson avoided free agency by agreeing to a deal with the Mariners last Friday. Wilson is nowhere near the hitter Tejada is, posting a wOBA of .286, but is much better with the glove. The Mariners acquired Wilson midway through last season to replace the departed Yuniesky Betancourt. Wilson had an 8.4 million dollar option, which the Mariners didn't have to exercise by coming to terms with him on this deal. If a more one-dimensional player like Wilson can get an average of 5 million per year, it doesn't bode well for Tejada, who may be moved to a less premium defensive position.

Forecast for Tejada

Taking into account Buster Olney's latest comments from above and the market from last season, it's safe to assume Tejada will sign for somewhere around 7 million per year for two years. Some team may be willing to up that number to around 9 or 10 million, but only over one season. I could see the White Sox possibly making a move here, but I don't see Tejada getting more than a two year deal from anyone. Not at his age nor when he'd have to most likely move positions. It's also highly unlikely any team would commit serious money to him as a shortstop, but don't rule out the Royals.

This Week (and a bit) in Diamondbacks Baseball: Silver Sluggers, relevance and we back Buckner

Jim McLennan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:23:04 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

With Jedi mind-tricks like levitation in his locker, Billy Buckner will be a force to be reckoned with in 2010.

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Been a somewhat mad few days - the deadline for our Fear FIlm Festival has meant we've spent most of last week watching indie horror flicks, from the excellent to the...not-so excellent. Fortunately, not a lot happening on the Diamondbacks' front - I should mention that TWIDB entries will appear only on an "as needed" basis throughout the winter. The GM winter meetings proved largely bereft of significant actual Diamondbacks news - and I'd simply have ended up repeating Nick Piecoro's entirely acceptable coverage of the event. Which is what I'm about to do anyway. We're still kicking the tires on Livan Hernandez, but might also be looking at Randy Wolf; the team is interested in bringing back Augie Ojeda; it's not going to be easy to trade Chris Snyder.

Yeah, like I said: not much there worth starting the presses for, never mind stopping them. Still, after the jump, I'll unleash our crack research team, and see if there's anything we might have missed about the Diamondbacks of late.

The Silver Slugger went to Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals, which probably counts as a mild traveshamockery. You're expecting some passionate plea in support of Mark Reynolds' candidacy for the award, no doubt - and he did have more home-runs. But despite the name, the award is not just about power, but all offensive numbers, an on that basis, should have gone to Pablo Sandoval. His OPS was more than fifty points higher than Zimmerman's, with a higher BA, OBP and SLG. Zimmerman (and, indeed, Reynolds) did have more RBI than Sandoval, but that's mostly due to the San Francisco offense, a.k.a. Pablo and the Seven Dwarfs. Here's the stats for the top five third-basemen in the NL, as measured by OPS+. See if you can work out how Zimmerman was superior.

Rk	Player	OPS+	Age	Tm	PA	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Pablo Sandoval	144	22	SFG	633	79	189	25	90	52	83	5	5	.330	.387	.556	.943
2	Ryan Zimmerman	131	24	WSN	693	110	178	33	106	72	119	2	0	.292	.364	.525	.888
3	Aramis Ramirez	131	31	CHC	342	46	97	15	65	28	43	2	1	.317	.389	.516	.905
4	Mark Reynolds	125	25	ARI	662	98	150	44	102	76	223	24	9	.260	.349	.543	.892
5	Casey McGehee	124	26	MIL	394	58	107	16	66	34	67	0	2	.301	.360	.499	.859

As noted in a fanpost, Dan Bickley has returned to flogging the Diamondbacks in his latest column, in part because of the idiotic comments apparently made by Colin Cowherd suggesting the D-backs be contracted [no doubt partly out of spite due to the situation with frequent show guest, Eric Byrnes]. "D-Backs in battle to stay relevant," says Bickley. Well, duh. Hello? It's the off-season? How "relevant" are the Cardinals in April? While there are some good points - an improvement over the usual Bickley nonsense - it still contains nonsense like, "Can we get Orlando Hudson back?" and "Ticket buyers have become scarce. With the Cardinals soaring and the Suns surging, this team better find some competitive traction soon."

Cardinals soaring? The team that requires an endless series of ticket-selling extensions to avoid TV blackouts? Suns surging? Hang on, not even two weeks previously, someone was writing in the Republic, "The way basketball was in Phoenix for the past four years [it] might never be again. With a new season barely under way, the Suns have embraced reality... They already have conceded that their impressive sellout streak will end Sunday.. More than 2,000 seats remain for the second home game of a new season... They likely will return to the playoffs. But will they ever recapture the magic? It will take many more victories...to challenge the football team, the one that painted the town from orange to red." Who was that writer, questioning the Suns' relevance? Ah, yes: Dan Bickley.

"Many more victories"? Try nine. For here we are, the 9-2 Suns are Bickley's darlings, and had a massive lead in the azcentral.com poll to determine the town's favorite team. Well, there's a shocker. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: sports fans in this state are about as loyal as a Van Buren hooker. There are so many front-runners, they could re-enact the Boston Marathon, and possess the sporting memories (plus, too often, the sporting knowledge) of a goldfish. The solution to the Diamondbacks' alleged lack of "relevance" is simple. Win more games. That's all it takes in Phoenix, and the fans will come flocking back, especially after the Suns and Cardinals are both one and done in the post-season. Now, how does the team win more games? Good question...

Andrew Kneeland takes a look at three signings the D-backs need to make to improve in 2010: Russell Branyan at 1B, leftie Jarrod Washburn for the rotation and Mike Gonzalez for the bullpen. Hmmm. Not so sure. Branyan is another left-handed 1B, and we already have that side of things adequately covered, in Brandon Allen and Josh Whitesell. Washburn's 3.78 AL ERA looks very nice, but was based on a .257 BABIP [his career average is .280], so he'll likely be over-valued this winter. He's also an extreme fly-ball pitcher, and we know how that plays at Chase. And a three year, $15m contract for a middle-reliever? Not my idea of where we should be spending the money. The last sentence of the piece, "He is an intern at the Green Valley News," explains a lot. Thanks for playing, Andrew.

Former Diamondback Orlando Hudson = not happy. In particular, not happy about Joe Torre, and the way their relationship imploded as the season went on, with Hudson seeing less and less playing-time. Said O-Dawg, "My teammates talked to me about it more than Joe did, but I never had any answers because (Torre) and I never talked. There was no conversation... I guess he felt I wasn't the man for the job if he wasn't putting me in there." Doesn't seem likely, based on this, that Hudson will be back in Chavez Ravine next season. I'm sure Bickley will be pleased by that.

Brandon Webb was seen at the PIR over the weekend, at the NASCAR races - not too much of a shock, where else would a good ol' Kentucky boy who loves hunting be? Even though the Diamondbacks do have a NASCAR connection - the Hall of Fame racing team is owned by former Arizona shareholders Jeff Moorad + Tom Garfinkel, and Panda Express CEO Tom Davin - we won't be seeing Webb on the track any time soon. He said "It's a little too dangerous for me out there. I'll stick to the mound."

Here's a name from past: Wally Backman. His tenure as Diamondbacks manager was among the shortest in major-league history, after unsavory incidents from his past came to light, and he was fired four days and zero games after being hired - possibly the low point of the nightmare which was 2004. Five and a half years later, he has finally made it back to a major-league organization. He did have a couple of spells in indie ball, but has now been hired as manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets Single-A affiliate. I can't think of a more perfect organization for Backman.

I've been playing about with the enhanced Play Index feature over at Baseball-Reference.com, which now allows you to search in a variety of new ways. For instance, I found out that twice last season, the Diamondbacks used ten players in a game who were aged 25 or younger, on June 26 and July 4. [This week's trivia - how many of those young gentlement can you name? Between the two contests, there were a dozen in total] That's a number unmatched by any team in the majors - only the Padres and Braves managed more than eight - and is more evidence for the ongoing youth movement of the roster.

Speaking of B-R.com, in the past, we have sponsored various Diamondbacks there. These have included such illustrious names as Chris Snyder, Miguel Montero and Chad Tracy, as well as the not-quite-so illustrious ones of Dustin Nippert and Jailen Peguero. The departure of Yusmeiro Petit for pastures Pacific Northwestern means we had to look at putting our name on another page, and keeping ourselves in the ranks of supporters of this splendid reference site, alongside a couple of other posters here. But who should we pick? The ones available were somewhat limited, especially among the position players - we could get John Hester for $15, and that was about it.

Fortunately, things were a little more open on the pitching side. Though all the big names were locked up, we could still get Kevin Mulvey ($10), Bryan Augenstein ($5), Leo Rosales ($5), Blaine Boyer ($10) or Esmerling Vasquez ($5). However, in the end, we went for Billy Buckner at $10. He has a good chance to be in the rotation next year, and is also cheap. We like cheap. Something temporary has been/will be stuck up on the page as a placeholder, but I am entirely open to suggestions as to the text to go on the page. 255-character limit, so get your thinking caps on, folks. Mind you, this has likely condemned Buckner to injury, trade or abduction by aliens between now and Opening Day. Sorry, Billy.

[Answer to the trivia question: On June 26th, the ten players used by the Diamondbacks who were aged 25 or younger were: Montero, Upton, Reynolds, Parra, Young, Romero, Buckner, Zavada, Vasquez, Gutierrez. On July 4th, Petit and Scherzer (as a PH!) replaced Buckner and Vasquez.]

2009 SBN Baseball Awards - NL MVP.

Ed Chigliak — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:41:35 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Can St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman Albert Pujols take home his second-straight SBN NL MVP Award? Seriously? Are you actually wondering? Just click through to find out... (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Lance Berkman wasn't the only player not named Albert Pujols who received a 1st place vote in the SB Nation's NL MVP voting last year (2008)...Philadelphia Phillies' 1st baseman Ryan Howard struggled throughout the year only to lift Philly into the postseason with a late-season surge which saw the then-28-year-old slugger hit .352 in September with 7 doubles, 11 HR's and 32 RBI's in the last 24 games and 88 at bats to earn the distinction of being the league's most valuable player in the eyes of at least 3 of the SB Nation's writers. Berkman, who received one first place vote, had hit .312 on the year with a .420 OBP, .567 SLG and a .986 OPS in 159 games and 554 at bats over which the 32-year-old Astros' first baseman hit 46 doubles and 29 HR's while knocking in 106. Albert Pujols? Pujols was given 13 first-place votes by the 16 SB Nation's baseball writers who participated in the voting, handing the hulking 28-year-old St. Louis Cardinal his second MVP award a week before the Baseball Writers Association of America bestowed the same honor upon the then-8th-year pro for the second time in his career...

Will Albert Pujols take home his second-straight SBN NL MVP Award? (ed. note - "There might be more, I've only voted in two...") Is there any doubt? It's gotta be Pujols...After he hit for a .327 AVG with a .443 OBP, .658 SLG and 1.101 OPS in 160 games played in which the 29-year-old first baseman hit 45 doubles and 47 HR's while driving in 135? The only question is whether or not it will be unanimous...The 2009 SBN NL MVP is just a click away...Place your own NL MVP vote before checking the results...

Rk	Player	Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	Pts
1	Albert Pujols	St. Louis Cardinals	31	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	434
2	Hanley Ramirez	Florida Marlins	-	6	8	11	2	1	2	-	-	-	220
3	Chase Utley	Philadelphia Phillies	-	7	11	2	3	1	-	1	-	1	192
4	Prince Fielder	Milwaukee Brewers	-	5	4	4	7	7	1	-	-	-	186
5	Troy Tulowitzki	Colorado Rockies	-	4	1	5	2	3	3	4	1	2	134
6	Tim Lincecum	San Francisco Giants	-	4	1	-	1	2	2	3	1	-	79
7	Ryan Howard	Philadelphia Phillies	-	4	-	1	4	1	-	-	3	1	79
8	Ryan Zimmerman	Washington Nationals	-	-	1	3	3	3	3	1	-	2	79
9	Adrian Gonzalez	San Diego Padres	-	-	1	-	3	3	2	4	3	4	71
10	Pablo Sandoval	San Francisco Giants	-	-	-	1	2	2	2	3	4	3	57
11	Matt Kemp	Los Angeles Dodgers	-	-	1	1	1	1	5	3	-	1	56
12	Ryan Braun	Milwaukee Brewers	-	-	2	-	-	2	2	1	1	-	39
13	Chris Carpenter	St. Louis Cardinals	-	-	-	-	2	1	1	-	1	2	25
14	Derrek Lee	Chicago Cubs	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	1	3	2	25
15	Andre Ethier	Los Angeles Dodgers	-	-	-	-	1	2	2	-	-	-	24
16	Adam Wainwright	St. Louis Cardinals	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	1	4	1	23
17	Javier Vazquez	Atlanta Braves	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	2	1	16
18	Matt Holliday	St. Louis Cardinals	-	-	1	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	12
19	Joey Votto	Cincinnati Reds	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	11
20	Mark Reynolds	Arizona Diamondbacks	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	2	10
21	Todd Helton	Colorado Rockies	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	7
22	Jayson Werth	Philadelphia Phillies	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	1	6
23	Adam Dunn	Washington Nationals	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	3	5
24	Juan Pierre	Los Angeles Dodgers	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	4
25	Justin Upton	Arizona Diamondbacks	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	4
26	Raul Ibanez	Philadelphia Phillies	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	4
27	Ubaldo Jimenez	Colorado Rockies	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	4
28	Brian McCann	Atlanta Braves	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	4
29	Dan Haren	Arizona Diamondbacks	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	4
30	Michael Bourn	Houston Astros	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	3
31	Yadier Molina	St. Louis Cardinals	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	3
32	Nyjer Morgan	Washington Nationals	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
33	Yunel Escobar	Atlanta Braves	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1

• Ryan Zimmerman's just getting all kinds of love...the Gold Glove, The Silver Slugger, and now a third-place finish in the SB Nation's 2009 NL MVP voting...Adam Dunn shows up on some ballots too...and even Nyjer Morgan down there on the bottom...Were those sarcastic votes, or did they take the Award at face value as in the most valuable player to a particular team...? Either way, the recognition shouldn't go unnoticed...

• Albert Pujols gets 31 1st place votes. Who can argue with that? No one in the SB Nation apparently...

• Hanley Ramirez as the runner-up? The soon-to-be 26-year-old Marlins' SS knocked in 106 with 197 hits (42 doubles, 24 HR's) in 576 AB's, for a league-leading .342 AVG, a .410 OBP, .543 SLG, a .954 OPS, (148 OPS+), and 27 stolen bases?

• Only one pitcher in the top 12? Is that just because they have their own award? Do you think Tim Lincecum was clearly the most valuable pitcher?

• Who is your Most Valuable National? Dunn? Zimmerman? Lannan? Morgan?

Poll

Who is the 2009 NL MVP?

Albert Pujols (STL)

118 votes

Chase Utley (PHI)

10 votes

Tim Lincecum (SFG)

3 votes

Hanley Ramirez (FLA)

4 votes

Ryan Howard (PHI)

4 votes

Prince Fielder (MIL)

1 votes

Troy Tulowitzki (COL)

5 votes

145 votes | Poll has closed

SBN Awards: NL MVP (hint, it starts with a P)

DyingQuail — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:47 -0000

by Matt Rourke - AP

Is this Pujols? No. Is it an incredible dick-ish picture of Jayson Werth that I've been waiting ages to have a legitimate use for? Yes.

View full size photo »

Unanimity for presidents has been reserved solely for Washington. For Albert Pujols in 2009, all the denizens of SBN nation who cast a ballot lauded him with the honor being the unanimous NL MVP. Can anyone even make an argument against this?

For myself, I literally just voted by WAR, but I did slip Michael Bourn in at 8th because, I could and I thought he deserved it. I obviously wasn't the only one pulling some homerism, so I'm not too concerned.

Rk	Player	Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	Pts
1	Albert Pujols	St. Louis Cardinals	31	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	434
2	Hanley Ramirez	Florida Marlins	-	6	8	11	2	1	2	-	-	-	220
3	Chase Utley	Philadelphia Phillies	-	7	11	2	3	1	-	1	-	1	192
4	Prince Fielder	Milwaukee Brewers	-	5	4	4	7	7	1	-	-	-	186
5	Troy Tulowitzki	Colorado Rockies	-	4	1	5	2	3	3	4	1	2	134
6	Tim Lincecum	San Francisco Giants	-	4	1	-	1	2	2	3	1	-	79
7	Ryan Howard	Philadelphia Phillies	-	4	-	1	4	1	-	-	3	1	79
8	Ryan Zimmerman	Washington Nationals	-	-	1	3	3	3	3	1	-	2	79
9	Adrian Gonzalez	San Diego Padres	-	-	1	-	3	3	2	4	3	4	71
10	Pablo Sandoval	San Francisco Giants	-	-	-	1	2	2	2	3	4	3	57
11	Matt Kemp	Los Angeles Dodgers	-	-	1	1	1	1	5	3	-	1	56
12	Ryan Braun	Milwaukee Brewers	-	-	2	-	-	2	2	1	1	-	39
13	Chris Carpenter	St. Louis Cardinals	-	-	-	-	2	1	1	-	1	2	25
14	Derrek Lee	Chicago Cubs	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	1	3	2	25
15	Andre Ethier	Los Angeles Dodgers	-	-	-	-	1	2	2	-	-	-	24
16	Adam Wainwright	St. Louis Cardinals	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	1	4	1	23
17	Javier Vazquez	Atlanta Braves	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	2	1	16
18	Matt Holliday	St. Louis Cardinals	-	-	1	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	12
19	Joey Votto	Cincinnati Reds	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	11
20	Mark Reynolds	Arizona Diamondbacks	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	2	10
21	Todd Helton	Colorado Rockies	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	7
22	Jayson Werth	Philadelphia Phillies	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	1	6
23	Adam Dunn	Washington Nationals	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	3	5
24	Juan Pierre	Los Angeles Dodgers	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	4
25	Justin Upton	Arizona Diamondbacks	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	4
26	Raul Ibanez	Philadelphia Phillies	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	4
27	Ubaldo Jimenez	Colorado Rockies	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	4
28	Brian McCann	Atlanta Braves	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	4
29	Dan Haren	Arizona Diamondbacks	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	4
30	Michael Bourn	Houston Astros	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	3
31	Yadier Molina	St. Louis Cardinals	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	3
32	Nyjer Morgan	Washington Nationals	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
33	Yunel Escobar	Atlanta Braves	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1

My question is: Juan Pierre, really?