SB Nation - Johan Santana

Santana In Venezuela Applesauce - Chapman To Throw, Non-Tender-Palooza and Kendall Tweets

James Kannengieser — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:02:40 -0000

A slow weekend means abbreviated Applesauce.

Meet the Mets

Johan Santana made a trip home to Venezuela to hold his annual Cy Youngazo ("Great Cy Young") event, where he hands out Christmas presents and organizes baseball and soccer tournaments. A nice read on this Monday.

Aroldis Chapman will throw a side session for teams on Tuesday.

Jason Bay's agent says his client has moved on from the Red Sox and at least one team has offered more than four years to the slugging left fielder.

Metsmerized interviews Brian McRae, a good guy whose greatest contribution to the Mets was being traded for surprisingly productive Darryl Hamilton.

Around the NL East

Braves blogs Talking Chop and Capitol Avenue Club provide input on the Kelly Johnson non-tendering.

The Nationals brought back Scott Olsen after non-tendering him.

The Good Phight looks at some low-risk, high-reward free agent targets.

Around MLB

Brew Crew Ball links to some of the funnier Tweets about the Jason Kendall signing.

Garrett Atkins celebrated his 30th birthday on Saturday by being non-tendered. No word if the Rockies will offer him a membership to the Jelly-Of-The-Month Club as a parting gift.

McCovey Chronicles is incredulous about the possibility of the Giants signing Scott Podsednik. The first two paragraphs are gold.

Rule 5 Applesauce - Rangers Sign Harden, Worrying About Pelfrey, Boras Speaks And Twitter Is Still Ridiculous

James Kannengieser — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:45:08 -0000

Former Rule 5 picks include Dan Uggla and our own Johan Santana, so you never know what gems might be found.

Meet the Mets

The Mets pick 7th in today's Rule 5 Draft. Check out Mark's list of potential picks from a few weeks back. MLBTradeRumors also offers up a preview.

Scott Boras says the Mets have the financial resources to sign any player they choose. He's probably right. The organization's real problem is determining which players to sign.

John Harper recently perpetuated the myth that Mike Pelfrey took a major step backwards in 2009, despite evidence that suggests otherwise. Ted Berg and Matt Cerrone weigh in on the topic.

Metstradamus riffs on the debunked Pat Burrell rumor and the possibility of signing Elmer Dessens. This had me laughing:

Funny how neither Dessens, Blanco, Pedro Martinez, Carlos Baerga, Mackey Sasser, nor anybody else with "intangibles" needed to be in the room to mentor Oliver when he signed that $36 million contract. Weird, huh?

Patrick Flood offers up his take on the inevitable Bengie Molina/Mets relationship.

Mets Police comments on the Sports Illustrated All-Decade team, which Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana were named too. MP also implies he would rather have Wally Backman on his team instead of Jeff Kent due to their respective effects on team chemistry. I'll take the probable Hall of Famer.

Around the NL East

Jayson Stark tweets that the Braves are only asking for prospects in return for Derek Lowe.

The Marlins traded Matt Lindstrom to the Astros for two minor leaguers and a PTBNL.

Federal Baseball wraps up the Nationals activity at the winter meetings.

The Good Phight is holding out hope for a Roy Halladay trade. Halladay, Lee and Hamels would be frightening and probably unstoppable.

Around MLB

The Royals offered Jason Kendall a two year contract. Umm, what?

The Mariners signed Corey Patterson to a minor league deal. Walkoff Walk has some advice for M's manager Don Wakamatsu regarding Patterson.

The Astros signed Brandon Lyon for three years, $15 million. Seems a bit excessive.

Mike Cameron's agent says his client has a special place in his heart for Seattle. Too bad the Mariners already have an awesome center fielder.

The Rangers signed Rich Harden and traded Kevin Millwood to the Orioles for Chris Ray. Evan Brunell at The Hardball Times weighs in.

Halladay won't approve in-season trade?

Eli Greenspan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:10:06 -0000

More photos » by Darren Calabrese - AP

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Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay reportedly will exercise his no-trade clause and veto any trade once he reports for Spring Training in February. This is obviously an attempt to speed up a trade, similar to what Johan Santana-Twins situation that sent the Cy Young pitcher to the Mets.

"[But] one thing is certain -- once Roy reports to spring training as a member of the Blue Jays, from that point forward he will not approve or even discuss any potential trade scenario," Berry continued.

The Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers have shown the most interest in Halladay, but other teams are certain to enter the mix. The Angels have the prospects to pull off such a deal, and the Cubs have expressed some interest in the pitcher. The Rangers had interest in him last season, discussing a couple packages around prospect Justin Smoak and pitcher Derek Holland.

Two things could happen from this report.

Teams will wait till the Blue Jays are desperate to make a move, buying low, but still surrendering a top prospect. He only has one year left on his contract and is coming off his fourth straight season with 220 innings or more.

The other is things will stay normal until the Winter Meetings, when one team moves in to pull off a deal, either striking a Winter Meetings deal or soon after.

If the Jays fail to move Halladay, they will hopefully collect two first-round draft picks as compensation.

Don't Give Up On Billingsley Yet

Eric Stephen — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:00:13 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

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Over the last couple of days, Jon Weisman of Dodger Thoughts has dived head first into the shark infested waters otherwise known as discussion of Chad Billingsley. For some reason, Billingsley is a lightning rod among Dodger fans, almost the third rail of team discussion. It seems he is either loved or hated, with little room in between.

We all know Billingsley's 2009 didn't end the way anyone would have wanted it. After an All-Star start to his season, Billingsley went 3-8 with a 5.21 ERA and 4.58 FIP since the middle of June. He ended up not even making a playoff start. The only other Dodger starting pitcher in history to make an All-Star team yet not start in the postseason in the same year was Brad Penny in 2006, who was nursing a back injury that year.

To me, the most important thing to note is that the book on Chad Billingsley is not finished; it is still being written. Considering Billingsley turned 25 in 2009, there are likely many more chapters in that book.

Let me know if this story sounds familiar:

Former club leader in wins struggles in the second half
Struggling pitcher gets left off the playoff roster for his team
In fact, pitcher was sent to the minors during his struggling period

This sounds an awful lot like Chad Billingsley (minus the sent to the minors part), but in fact this was the case of Cliff Lee, with the Indians in 2007. Lee turned 29 that year, four years older than Billingsley is now. Here is a look at the career stats as starters for these two pitchers at the fork in the road point of their careers:

Player	Years	Ages	Starts	IP/GS	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	K/9	K/BB	ERA	ERA+	FIP	WHIP
Cliff Lee	2002-2007	23-28	125	5.89	9.27	1.27	3.11	6.64	2.14	4.63	94	4.63	1.375
Chad Billingsley	2006-2009	21-24	100	5.89	8.20	0.78	4.11	8.17	1.99	3.50	121	3.84	1.368

Billingsley holds up pretty well in this comparison to Lee. Now ask yourself, who is more likely to improve -- a 25-year old or a 29-year old? The Indians didn't give up on Lee, and all he did was win the Cy Young in 2008 and put up a 1.56 postseason ERA in five starts for the Phillies in 2009.

I'm not telling you to put your money down on Billingsley for the 2010 NL Cy Young award, but it wouldn't be out of the question. Billingsley still has time and room to improve, but his established baseline is already pretty good. To think otherwise is foolish.

That said, the Dodgers currently have a need for another starting pitcher, maybe two. Roy Halladay, who might be traded out of Toronto, is the name most sought out by many. Bob Nightengale of USA Today suggested last week that Billingsley, among others, would have to be included in any Dodgers' trade for Halladay. Don't get me wrong, Halladay would be a huge upgrade over Billingsley in 2010, but why should the Dodgers have to give up one of their best players to get Halladay? The Phillies gave up minor leaguers to get Cliff Lee in 2009, and the Mets did the same to get Johan Santana in 2008. If the Dodgers want to acquire Halladay (I don't think they will, due to budget constraints), history suggests they shouldn't have to part with Billingsley at all.

Roy Halladay a Yankee? Make this happen, Brian

Ed Valentine — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:11 -0000

More photos » by Fred Thornhill - AP

Roy Halladay

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Trade prospects, and maybe Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes to Toronto for Roy Halladay? Hang on to the youngsters, like Jesus Montero and Austin Jackson, and watch the Red Sox get the best pitcher available who is not already in a New York Yankee uniform?

That is the question confronting Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman this winter. Here is Jon Heyman of SI.com discussing the possibility.

Here is the most obvious reason the Yankees (or Red Sox) may now finally have a legit shot to trade for arguably baseball's best pitcher: New Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos is making it clear he is genuinely willing to consider a deal with either the Yankees or Red Sox, a sharp contrast to Anthopoulos' predecessor, J.P. Ricciardi, who had GMs convinced he'd never make a Halladay trade with either the Yankees or Red Sox.

And here's yet another potential reason the Yankees (or Red Sox) might have an edge this time around: While Halladay's latest desires are not yet known (and agent Greg Landry did not return calls), with a year to go before free agency a player in Halladay's position can leverage his no-trade clause to engineer a trade to a team amenable to an extension. The Yankees have not heard that this will be the case. But if that happens here, the field could be limited to the teams who can pay a franchise pitcher. This is often the case when talking about big stars, and it was two years ago when Johan Santana was being shopped by the Twins -- the field was quickly winnowed to the two New York teams plus Boston, the three teams that could most easily work Santana into their budgets.

I have only one thing to say about this. MAKE THIS HAPPEN, CASH! If there is a realistic possibility you can put Halladay in pinstripes YOU HAVE TO DO THIS!!

If it costs you Montero, so be it. The Yankees are flush with catching prospects, and Montero might end up being just a DH, anyway.

If it costs you A-Jax, so be it. He might be a good big-league player some day. He might also be Ricky Ledee or Ruben Rivera. You don't pass on Roy Halladay to keep a guy who MIGHT become a good big-league outfielder.

If it costs you Joba Chamberlain, so be it. We still don't know what Joba is, but I think we know he is unlikely to become a Halladay-caliber starter. Besides, you would still have Phil Hughes, and I will bet you a buck (yeah, I'm a big gambler) that Hughes ends up having a better -- and longer -- career than Chamberlain.

If it costs you Hughes instead of Chamberlain, well, you still have Joba. And Ian Kennedy. And Dellin Betances. And you can always throw gazillions of dollars at Aroldis Chapman.

Want a list of reasons that are probably better, and most definitely funnier, than anything I can offer why the Yankees should do this? Diehard Yankee fan Jane Heller offers such a list over at Confessions of a She Fan. I'm not exactly jumping for joy like Jane at the thought of Halladay in pinstripes, but I do love the idea.

Starting Pitchers: Damaged Goods Available

Jesse — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:33:46 -0000

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The Twins now have approximately $62 million committed to eight players who are under contract for 2010, and with J.J. Hardy's estimated arbitration salary likely somewhere around $6 million Minnesota will have approximately $17 million to shell out to their arb-eligible players. Even with a payroll which would open the year at over $80 million for the first time in frachise history the organization is still in a position to add some payroll. How much? Probably not too much. But with third base, second base and two rotation spots up for grabs there's no doubt the front office will continue on their quest to improve the team.

Minnesota has picked up a bit of a stigma as an organization that likes to rely on bargain-bin veterans to flesh out their roster, and there hasn't been a shortage of that philosophy applied to the starting rotation over the last few years. Do your ears still flush red when you think of Ramon Ortiz and Sidney Ponson? Or maybe Livan Hernandez still has you a bit baffled? Those moves, at the time, were railroaded for the quality of the player rather than the organization's decision to bring in veteran help, although there was also a strong belief that a rotation centered around Johan Santana, Francisco Liriano and Scott Baker would be just fine.

The front office agreed with us last winter, and they stayed fully in-house when constructing their rotation.

Things can change a lot in the span of a year. An area of strength going coming out of 2008 is a bit of a weakness, or at the very least not nearly as deep as we thought it would be, coming out of 2009. For a team that will always look to get the most value for their dollar, if they do choose to supplement the rotation in the free agent market, their highest reward scenarios might center around these guys. Read all about them after the break.

Rich Harden

#40 / Pitcher / Chicago Cubs

Height: 6-1

Weight: 195

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Nov 30, 1981

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Rich Harden	9-9	27	26	0	0	0	0	141.0	122	74	64	23	67	171	4.09	1.34

26 starts in 2009 and 25 starts in 2008--not bad. Then there were the 13 starts in '06 and '07 combined, with 19 starts made in '05. In fact, in Harden's six-plus star-crossed seasons in the majors he has had exactly one full season: 2004.

A couple of back injuries, a strained left oblique and a rap sheet full of right-arm issues, Harden's inability to keep himself on the mound isn't exactly a secret. Which is why he's even on this list. Anyone who can strike out more than a man per inning while allowing less than a hit per inning, with that kind of fastball and that kind of stuff, is a guy who's makeup has "Ace" dripping out of every pore.

This past season Harden missed 19 games in May and June due to issues with his back, before coming back and eventually being shut down at the end of September because of his pitching arm. Again.

Obviously he's a risk, but that's why I wanted to talk about these guys. The oblique strains don't bother me--it's the problems (plural) that Harden has had with his rotator cuff and his UCL. His mechanics aren't exactly smooth and without constant training to strengthen and stabalize his cuff I'm worried he could have to resort to Tommy John surgery at any time. But I'm not a doctor.

Harden is likely to garner a lot of guarded interest this off-season, and in spite of his injuries and high pitch count innings could still receive multi-year offers that would be worth double-digit millions easy. Naturally I'm not opposed to the Twins chasing him and signing him to a deal as long as it's done right. While the Twins may not be able to guarantee more money than most of the other clubs out there, offering him a low base with a number of achieveable incentives for games started and innings pitched could make a deal at least tempting.

My offer: Two years with team option for year a third. 2010: $4 million base ($500K for 12, 17, 22, 27 and 32 starts; $500 K for 100, 125, 150, 175, 200 innings pitched; $9 million possible; $1 million buyout option if less than 100 innings pitched). 2011: $6 million base, same incentives. 2012: $10 million base, same incentives, $1 million buyout.

Ben Sheets

#15 / Pitcher / Milwaukee Brewers

Height: 6-1

Weight: 225

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jul 18, 1978

Sheets didn't pitch at all in 2009, and at two years older than Harden would be 32 in 2010. His rap sheet of injuries is even more varied than the Cubs ace, with long stretches of time missed for back injuries, finger injuries and, of course, right arm injuries. This last time around he's had flexor tendon surgery and, if you listen to his agent, would be ready for spring training.

He doesn't strike out quite as many guys as Harden but he still allows less than a hit per inning, has better control and is far more efficient with his pitches. Prior to this last surgery anyway. Like Harden his fastball is mid to upper-90's, and his breaking balls can break your knees. Prior to this last surgery anyway.

Sheets made 31 starts and pitched 198 innings in 2008 before missing all of '09, but from '05 to '07 he wasn't pitching full years either. From the ages of 23 to 25 though, which may be where some of these problems began for a guy who was at the time a younger pitcher, Sheets made 102 starts and threw more than 670 innings. You could argue he was over-worked, although by the time a guy hits his mid-20's he should be able to handle a full load. I tend to lean away from the over-worked arguement.

Where I see Harden landing with a more high-profile team who is willing to take a chance on him and spend a little more ching, Sheets is the option who already looks like he'll appeal to everybody. Second-tier teams (like the Twins) who still have a little wiggle room might run straight for the former Brewer to avoid getting drawn into a process with Harden.

My offer: One year with a team option for a second. 2010: $3 million base ($500 K for 11, 22 and 33 starts; $500 K for 100, 125, 150, 175 and 200 innings; $7 million possible). 2011: $5 million base, same incentives, $500K buyout.

Erik Bedard

#45 / Pitcher / Seattle Mariners

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Mar 06, 1979

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Erik Bedard	5-3	15	15	0	0	0	0	83.0	65	29	26	8	34	90	2.82	1.19

Bedard had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder back in August, repairing what had been a spot of general disrepair. A torn labrum was the main issue, but the area apparently needed a good clearing. Apparently he'll be ready for the beginning of the season, but it's the second time in as many years where he made just 15 starts.

His stuff, just like the stuff of Harden and Sheets, qualifies him as an ace. He can be a dominant strikeout pitcher at times, although a little streaky even when healthy and not as efficient with his pitches as Sheets. What had been very low fly-ball numbers increased slightly in Seattle, but his plus fastball and plus breaking ball continued to be his best pitches and were seemingly unaffected.

The biggest issues with the former Mariner and Oriole enigma are his consistency and, just like the other two guys on this list, his inability to stay healthy for a whole season. His control tends to stray at times as well.

My offer: Identical to Sheets' offer.

Conclusions

Clearly there are more guys on the market than these three who could qualify as damaged goods. Mark Prior is attempting a comeback, Bartolo Colon is still floating (or sinking) around out there somewhere and even a guy like Noah Lowry has some appeal. But these three guys are the creme of the crop, because they all have the ability to be that elusive Ace pitcher.

Is there a safer option between the three? Which guy would you prefer, if any?

Poll

Which of these three pitchers do you prefer?

Rich Harden

364 votes

Ben Sheets

218 votes

Erik Bedard

161 votes

None of the above

89 votes

832 votes | Poll has closed

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:33:43 -0000

by Ed Andrieski - AP

Everyone's talking about John Lackey today. Should they be?

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Some things to read while launching a third party.

Thanks to Mark for filling in yesterday while I laid on the couch and drifted in and out of consciousness. My apologies for the late Mug today - I had hoped to be off my pain meds by now, but no such luck, so I'm having a hard time writing coherently. Also, as I was gathering news this morning, a delivery truck showed up with a whole room full of furniture from IKEA.

Before we go any further, you may want to just give up and find a new team or a new sport. Dave Begel of OnMilwaukee.com wants to make sure you know the Brewers are never going to compete (h/t BBTF). So abandon all hope, ye who remain here.

Meanwhile, for those of us who haven't jumped off a bridge, it's the time of year where we spend lots of time discussing players who may or may not even consider becoming a Brewer. Take John Lackey, for example.

Jorge Says No! wonders if the Brewers should be interested in signing him.
In-Between Hops has a visual representation of reasons they shouldn't.
When Buster Olney said the Brewers may have interest in Lackey, he also mentioned the Mariners as a candidate, prompting Lookout Landing to rip apart the logic involved in that statement.
Ken Rosenthal says the Angels are still interested in Lackey, too.
If/When Doug Melvin gets outbid for Lackey, Fire Doug Melvin has a statement for him to read. Melvin is already using similar language to complain about the draft.

There's also a flurry of discussion on catchers:

Just a few days after this vomit-inducer on Jason Kendall's likely return, new reports would suggest Kendall's return may not be so likely after all, and Jonathan Lucroy may be the leading candidate to take Kendall's place next season.
View From Bernie's Chalet is in favor of that move.
Project Prospect gave Lucroy a pretty nice review from the Arizona Fall League.
Big League Stew wonders why no one is searching for Jason Kendall's real age.

I'm planning on writing something more in-depth on Lucroy once my brain gets a little less fuzzy. In the meantime, here's a bunch of notes on Mike Cameron, too:

Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if Cameron might be the second-best position player on the free agent market this offseason.
Evan Brunell of The Hardball Times thinks he'll end up with the Yankees.
Hot Foot hopes he doesn't end up back with the Mets.

A fair number of people are treating it as a foregone conclusion that Craig Counsell will either return to the Brewers next season or retire, but that may not be the case. Adam McCalvy thinks Counsell's surprising 2009 season should net him several offers, and may drive up the price for Whitefish Boy.

MLB Daily Dish has predictions for free agents #11-20 in their rankings, and thinks Rich Harden (ranked #12) may end up with the Brewers. They also have Felipe Lopez (ranked #14) signing with the Cubs.

Speaking of oft-injured pitchers who could get a phone call from Doug Melvin, FanHuddle thinks the Brewers could sign Brad Penny.

And, of course, as the Brewers look to spend their free agent dollars this offseason, one massive mistake overshadows all other deals: Jorge Says No! has a look at the logic and failure of the Jeff Suppan deal.

Finally, there's some continued reaction to the J.J. Hardy-Carlos Gomez deal:

Aaron Gleeman has a scouting report on Gomez from his former manager, Ron Gardenhire.
Real GM Baseball gave the Twins an A- for the deal, and the Brewers a C+.

On Monday, I mentioned having written a scouting report on Hardy for Nick Nelson of Nick's Twins Blog. In return, I asked for his scouting report on Gomez. Here it is:

"When it became clear that the Twins were working to move Johan Santana during the 2007-08 offseason, fans geared up for a marquis package in return. After all, Santana was arguably the best starting pitcher in baseball; a two-time Cy Young Award winner with devastating stuff and command from the left side who still hadn't yet turned 29. What the Twins got was a package from the Mets that included three promising pitchers but was headlined by Carlos Gomez, a raw 22-year-old center fielder who general manager Bill Smith envisioned as a future anchor in the lineup.

Because of the circumstances surrounding his acquisition, Gomez became saddled with massive expectations amongst the Minnesota fan base. This might have been his undoing. By the time the Twins sent him to the Brewers for J.J. Hardy last week, a sizable portion of local fans was more than ready to see Gomez go. His lack of progress at the plate and his repeated mental lapses on the field -- one of which was on display during the ALDS when he cost the Twins a crucial run by overrunning second base in New York -- became too much for a lot of folks to tolerate.

As a person who greatly values defense and appreciates players who display enthusiasm and emotion on the field, I was always a big fan of Gomez and I'm sorry to see him go. There's no doubt that he was failing to make meaningful strides on the cognitive end, but his physical tools are undeniable and he was at least making slight adjustments at the plate this past season, with a decreased strikeout rate and increased walk rate. Granted, he was still poor in both those areas and his overall hitting numbers dropped regardless, but it's something to keep in mind, especially considering that he's still only 24 years old.

As far as defense goes, get ready for a treat. I know Mike Cameron did some nice things for the Brewers, but Gomez is better. I watched the great Torii Hunter in center field regularly for about a decade, and can confidently say that Gomez gets to balls that Hunter in his prime never would have dreamed of reaching. Even though he occasionally makes bad reads, Gomez can very quickly make up for a missed first step and has closing speed on line drives and fly balls like I've never seen before. He's an exquisite defensive center fielder and will make any fly ball heavy pitchers on the Brewers staff very happy.

That tremendous defensive proficiency means that Gomez doesn't have to progress all that much offensively in order to transform into a highly valuable player. While he has failed to post even a .300 OBP during his three major-league seasons thus far, Gomez posted a .339 OBP in the minors despite being young for every level and he may benefit from a return to the National League. His dreadful lack of discipline at the plate may prevent him from ever taking the next step and becoming an adequate offensive contributor, but I could certainly see him turning a corner and becoming a Franklin Gutierrez type player. Even if he doesn't, his defense makes him a worthwhile starter in center field and at worst he'll settle in as a quality fourth outfielder and pinch-running option.

For all the negatives that have surrounded Gomez's tenure in Minnesota, my lasting memory of him will not be the baserunning muff against the Yankees or one of the hundreds of outside breaking balls whiffed on for strike three. It will be the 12th inning of this season's Game 163 against the Tigers, when Alexi Casilla sneaked a grounder between second and first to drive in Gomez with the winning run. Gomez came sprinting home, arms outstretched like the wings of an airplane, and dove across home plate despite the fact that the play was nowhere near close. After recording the game-winning, playoff-clinching run, Gomez lept into the air with the excitement of a kid in little league. He may not be the brightest guy in the world, but Gomez plays the game with a lot of heart and he absolutely has his strengths.

Appreciate Gomez for what he is, and you'll love having him on your team. Just try to be patient with the mental mistakes and often clueless offensive approach."

Meanwhile, NL Gold Glove winners are expected to be announced today, and Stan Musial's Stance is projecting J.J. Hardy as the winner at shortstop. It seems unlikely, but I suppose it's possible.

Over 1000 innings and nearly 1000 appearances into his career, we're still trying to figure out how exactly Trevor Hoffman has managed to be so successful. Dave Allen of FanGraphs has a look at one of Hoffman's strengths: pinpoint control that allows him to keep the ball out of power zones to left-handed hitters.

Hitting during day games at Miller Park might get a little easier next season: The team has removed the ivy in the center field batters' eye and replaced it with glare-reducing black paint. They're also adding some black mesh around the scoreboard.

In the minors:

Jonathan Lucroy, Zach Braddock and (to a lesser extent) Lorenzo Cain are having pretty nice seasons in the AFL, and the Peoria Javelinas are 16-8, the best record in the AFL. They lead their division by five games with eight to play. For more on their recent performances, check out today's Fall/Winter League Update.
FanGraphs has the Brewers' minor league season in review, with notes on one Brewer minor league graduate and four more prospects.
Project Prospect ranked Caleb Gindl as the 12th best corner outfield prospect in all of baseball.
Plunk Everyone noted that Adam Heether and Brendan Katin are still among the Venezuelan Winter League leaders in HBP. Heether hasn't appeared in a game since November 1, and I'm still not sure why.

Around baseball:

Blue Jays: Claimed utilityman Mike McCoy off waivers from the Rockies.
Orioles: Claimed pitcher Armando Gabino off waivers from the Twins.
Rays: Exercised Carl Crawford's option for 2010, declined options on catcher Gregg Zaun and Brian Shouse, and claimed pitcher Ramon Ramirez off waivers from the Reds.
Red Sox:Shortstop Nick Green and outfielder Joey Gathright both rejected outright assignments and will become free agents.
Reds: Outfielder Darnell McDonald rejected an outright assignment to the minors and will become a free agent.

If you're looking to sign Yorvit Torrealba to a deal this offseason (perhaps as a replacement for Jason Kendall), the baseline has been set: After the Rockies declined his $4 million option for next season, they reportedly offered him $4.5 million for two seasons, and he turned it down. I think the Brewers could easily beat that, and might welcome a 2 year$6-7 million deal for him. Brian McTaggart has a look at other available catchers.

Meanwhile, the Reds are reportedly looking to cut payroll into the $65-70 million range, which could be a challenge considering they owe $66 million to ten players for 2010. So, if you have a Red you're looking to acquire, you should get on the phone.

Looking for another buy-low pitching candidate? The Royals are reportedly monitoring the rehab of Runelvys Hernandez, who has pitched just four major league games since 2006.

We use WAR a lot to discuss the value of players, but are there cases where we're misusing it? Jeremy Greenhouse of The Hardball Times looks at misuses of the stat. We've definitely been guilty of some in the comments here.

I shuddered while reading this note: Garrett Broshuis, a teammate of Giants prospect and accused murderer Angel Villalona, has a look at the circumstances surrounding Villalona's release from prison, which included a roughly $50,000 payment to the victim's family and their decision to ask for charges to be dropped.

On a happier note, Brewerfan.net has an interview with former Brewer Junior Spivey, who remains a Brewer fan long after moving on from the organization.

A couple of cool notes from the SBN Network:

SB Nation celebrated its sixth birthday this week.
Sky Kalkman, formerly of Beyond the Box Score, represented SBN well by winning Dugout Central's prediction contest.

I don't have any Brewer related birthdays today, so we'll have to settle for wishing a happy birthday to UW-Stevens Point alum Scott May, who appeared in five major league games and turns 48 today.

Oh, and I have a new career goal: Leveraging BCB's Twitter (@BrewCrewBall) to get a CBS TV deal.

Drink up.

Cashman clear on Joba, Phil

Ed Valentine — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:16:08 -0000

We have all winter to debate whether Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes should be in the starting rotation or the bullpen for the New York Yankees next season. But, let's come at the debate I am sure we will have for the next several months knowing exactly where General Manager Brian Cashman stands.

"I look at them as starters that can relieve," he said. "But I look at them as starters."

The Yankees will likely have lots of options for the back of the rotation, and no one knows for sure how it will play out. But, we know the organization seems steadfast in its belief that both guys are long-term rotation corner stones.

Let's look at some other stories making the rounds of the Inter-Google today that affect our World Champion Bronx Bombers.

More reasons to hate Scott Boras

Boras, we know, is the egotistical super-agent. Unfortunately for us, he represents Johnny Damon. Despite Damon' oft-stated desire to stay with the Yankees, Boras is not going to make that easy.

The Yankees were hoping all the joy associated with being a champion Yankee would motivate Johnny Damon to accept a one- or, at the most, two-year deal to return. However, his representative, Scott Boras, flushed the notion of a hometown bargain. Instead, he compared his client to Derek Jeter and sounded as if he wants a three- or four-year deal for Damon.

Oh, and if you want to replace Damon with free-agent Matt Holliday Boras represents him, too. And he wants Mark Teixeira money for Holliday.

WFAN's Sweeny Murti praises Brian Cashman

We have heard a lot of praise for Cashman recently, and will likely continue to hear it throughout the off-season. Here is WFAN's Sweeny Murti weighing in.

Did any of us really see this coming two years ago? Remember when Hank Steinbrenner was running amok, Joe Girardi was replacing Joe Torre, A-Rod was opting out and back in, and Johan Santana was on his way to Flushing instead of the Bronx?

Brian Cashman sat in front of the media last October and had what I called his "You can't handle the truth" moment, telling us all that he was going to re-write the story. None of us knew that he would be proven right only a year later.

Who's in Center Field? Gardbrera, and the Yanks are in good hands

The outstanding River Avenue Blues is looking at what went right for the Yankees in 2009. Here is their take on center field.

Across the board, the performance in centerfield improved in 2009. The Gardbrera duo (plus a two game cameo from Jerry Hairston Jr.) hit .273-.338-.400, as Melky once again carried most of the load. Not only was the offensive upgrade welcome, but the defense also improved immensely thanks to Gardner. The team’s UZR/150 in center jumped to +7.5, third best in the AL. The league average offense and well-above average defense gave the Yankees the most production out of the centerfield position since Bernie Williams was in his heyday.

Baseball GMs pass on expanding instant replay - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

Not a Yankee story, but I had to mention it.

Upon further review … baseball general managers like instant replay the way it is. GMs failed to take a vote Tuesday on expanding instant replay following a postseason filled with blown calls by umpires. "I know there are some who have talked off line about the expansion of instant replay," said Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner’s office. "Right now, the commissioner doesn’t see any reason to consider it."

My take: i think it's stupid that baseball, with the technology already in place to improve the game, refuses to use it. Especially after the poor post-season umpiring we just witnessed.

Other Notes

Braves 2009 Season in Review: Kenshin Kawakami

gondeee — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:39:40 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

Atlanta Braves' starter Kenshin Kawakami.

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Atlanta Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami took one month of the regular season to adjust to American baseball. His April starts produced a 7.06 ERA. While it was only four starts, including one really bad start, Kawakami made the adjustments and compiled ERAs of 3.03 and 3.33 the next two months, but because he still wasn't going deep in those games, he only won 3 of 10 starts in May and June. For the year he had the lowest quality start percentage of any of the Braves regular starters, as only half of his starts were considered quality starts.

The real theme of Kawakami's season was that his good games were really good, and his bad games were really bad. In his 12 losses he compiled a 6.24 ERA, giving up 74 hits in 57.2 innings; but in his 7 wins he had a 2.00 ERA and held opponents to a .196 batting average. He became known as the "dragon slayer" for his ability to pitch his best when his opposite on the mound was one of the top pitchers in baseball.

This "dragon slaying" started in Toronto when KK tossed 8 innings of 3-hit ball to best Roy Halladay. He out dueled fellow countryman Daisuke Matsuzaka a month later with 6 strong innings. He matched Clayton Kershaw pitch for pitch with 7 scoreless innings as the Braves bullpen picked up the win. Then he took down Johan Santana and the Mets by tossing 7 innings of 1-run ball. And in his last start he knocked of the Marlins ace Josh Johnson.

In his final month as a starter (August), Kawakami pitched his best; compiling a 2.87 ERA and 5 of his 6 starts were quality starts. The Braves then made him a reliever for the rest of the year to allow Tim Hudson to join the starting rotation. Kawakami made a good adjustment to the pen. While he added two losses to his record, he did compile a 2.63 ERA as a reliever.

Overall KK finished with a respectable 3.86 ERA, but had a 4.21 FIP, so he may not have pitched as well as his ERA shows, or his bad games and his bad first month could have distorted the FIP number. He had the highest walk percentage and extra-base hit percentage of any of the Braves starters, but he received the lowest run support, so that 6-and-12 record looks bad, but it probably should have been a little better.

It's doubtful that the Braves choose to trade Kawakami this off-season, as they currently have 6 starters and one will likely have to go. He showed last year that he can be effective as a major league starter, and he showed that he can adjust to the challenges of the big league game. He knows now what it will take for him to pitch every five days (in Japan he pitched every 6 days), and what it will take to approach 200 innings as a starter. We saw that he was a tireless worker who takes pride in his craft, and he should arrive next spring ready to re-assume his role in the starting rotation and improve upon his positive games of 2009. Perhaps it would help if the Braves put him in the position in the rotation to face the other team's number-1 starter every time out.

Twins acquire J.J. Hardy

Eli Greenspan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:55:52 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

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The Twins have acquired shortstop J.J. Hardy from the Brewers in exchange for outfielder Carlos Gomez, according to ESPN.com. The Brewers battled internally about moving the popular shortstop, but his disappointing 2009 season, along with the emergence of prospect Alcides Escobar, signaled that it was time to make a move.

"J.J. has been a steady performer for the Brewers," Melvin said in a statement. "His professionalism and popularity with our fans and his teammates made this difficult, but he has been given the opportunity to go to a great organization to play and perform at the high level he is capable of playing."

Gomez, who came over in the Johan Santana trade before the 2007 season, is in his third year with the Twins. While he is only a .246 hitter with a disappointing .292 on-base percentage, he has incredible speed who stole a career high 33 bases in 2008. The soon-to-be 24-year old outfielder will likely take over in center field.

Hardy's 2007-2008 numbers were strong, meaning a change of scenery might be all the 27-year old outfielder needs. He's a career .262 hitter with a .323 on-base percentage.

This trade likely all but signals the end of Mike Cameron in Milwaukee and Orlando Cabrera in Minnesota.