SB Nation - Los Angeles Dodgers

Friday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:03:38 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

It appears Claudio Vargas was never photographed as a Brewer. He'll get another chance to show up in an AP photo in 2010.

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Some things to read while simulating a sunrise.

Claudio Vargas is expected in Milwaukee for his physical late in the day today, so we can expect an official announcement on his contract sometime late this afternoon. Vargas had to return from the Dominican Republic, where he just reported to winter ball a few weeks ago and has yet to allow an earned run in four relief appearances, including two saves. Since he's only logged 6.1 innings of work, he might head back down there after the physical.

Until last season, Vargas had thought of himself as a starter temporarily pitching out of the bullpen, but Adam McCalvy has the story of how a late-season matchup against Albert Pujols changed his mind and caused him to embrace his new role.

Once the Vargas signing is official, the Brewer 40 man roster will be full. Tom H. engaged in a little rosterbation and notes the team is pretty much set going into spring training, barring an injury or trade.

With a tight roster, apparently there's no room for Seth McClung. McClung tweeted that the Brewers sent an email to his agent letting him know they're not interested in pursuing a deal to bring him back as a free agent. He's also looking to sell his house in Florida, if you're in the market.

Meanwhile, Adam McCalvy posted a correction to an earlier report on the incentives in LaTroy Hawkins' contract: they're actually tied to appearances and games finished, not saves. As TheJay noted, the collective bargaining agreement prohibits teams from tying incentives to "skill" stats, but allows them for playing time.

Elsewhere in the bullpen, Chuck Lofgren's hometown paper has a story about his opportunity to pitch for the Brewers this spring. They also have this quote, which might remind you of another former Brewer reliever/pinch hitter:

"I don't prepare for spring training like a hitter would, but I do still get in the cage,'' Lofgren said. "I can still hit. I never really lost it.''

Months into the offseason, the market hasn't heated up quite as much as one might have expected for second basemen. FanGraphs has a look at the guys that still remain on the market, including Felipe Lopez, and the possibility that they'll have to change positions to find work this offseason. I still think Lopez would have turned down arbitration in search of full-time work, but perhaps the Brewers knew something we didn't in terms of the market for his services.

Adam McCalvy also picked up on that note, and his ensuing post on Lopez included this note regarding the Brewer payroll for 2010:

Melvin says he still has some flexibility left over to troll the market in January and February for bargains. If he doesn't find any deals to his liking, Melvin could retain that flexibility into June and July to make a pre-trade deadline deal.

I guess the possibility of another signing shouldn't be ruled out.

Have the Brewers done enough to improve themselves this offseason? Reds Blog handicapped the 2010 NL Central, and said the Brewers "may be slightly better than the Reds, but not much."

John Steinmiller and Caitlin Moyer continue to give us looks into the offseason jobs of the Brewer front office staff: Today they have a look at the work being done by Aleta Mercer, Brewers Senior Director of Entertainment and Broadcasting.

Meanwhile, the Timber Rattlers' front office staff still has some time on their hands, as demonstrated by the five minute battle for superiority between ketchup and mustard in this week's episode of The Offseason.

The Timber Rattlers are also looking for your help to select a shortstop for their 15th anniversary team. Follow this link to read about the candidates, then click over to the front page to vote.

Speaking of voting, we have two of the closest races to date for our BCB All Decade Team. You have until 4 pm today to cast a vote for a backup catcher, where Mike Rivera leads Jason Kendall by 13 votes. You also have until 4 pm tomorrow to cast a vote for our fourth outfielder, where Carlos Lee leads Scott Podsednik by 28 votes, with Jeromy Burnitz lurking over his shoulder.

Around baseball:

Dodgers: Signed infielders Doug Mientkiewicz and Angel Berroa to minor league deals.
Marlins: Signed Ricky Nolasco to a $3.8 million, one year deal, avoiding arbitration.
Mets: Signed Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi to a two year deal worth $3 million.
Padres: Signed outfielder Chris Denorfia to a minor league deal.

Here's another research project for a reader looking for something to do: Max Marchi of The Hardball Times looks at the difference in pitches CC Sabathia threw to three Yankee catchers in 2009, showing he appeared to prefer to throw sinkers to Jose Molina. I'd be curious to see if there are any disparities in pitches thrown to Mike Rivera and Jason Kendall last season.

There seem to be enough sites discussing it so I'm not going to turn the Mug into a daily receptacle for notes on Hall of Fame voting, but I did find these notes interesting:

Tom H. submitted his ballot yesterday, and had nine players on it. He didn't name them but based on this argument for Bert Blyleven, it's safe to assume he's one of them.
Followers on Twitter convinced Jeff Fletcher of AOL to change his mind and vote yes for Tim Raines.
Rob Neyer reminded us that some Hall of Fame voters still don't get it.

Speaking of Neyer, earlier this week I mentioned his post on the top 100 players of the decade, which included Corey Koskie (among others), but not Prince Fielder. Tangotiger has a look at Koskie's career, and his somewhat surprising route to 22 WAR in slightly more than five full seasons.

If that's not enough stat content for you today, Big League Stew has everything you always wanted to know about WPA.

There may be snow on the field on or near Opening Day, but at least Target Field will have functional bathrooms. Hall of Famer and Twins exec Tony Oliva was recently trapped in a Metrodome bathroom when the handle fell off the door.

I've heard of players doing all kinds of things to break slumps, but Hee Seop Choi might have topped them all by climbing Mount Seorak.

On this day in 1985, the Brewers traded two minor leaguers to the Giants for Rob Deer. Long before Russell Branyan was king of the Three True Outcomes, Deer was a 3TO Pioneer, hitting .229/.329/.450 with 333 walks, 137 home runs and 823 strikeouts in five seasons as a Brewer. Those 137 home runs were the tenth most in baseball during that stretch.

Happy birthday today to 2009 Nashville Sound Patrick Arlis, who turns 29.

Oh, and I'm hoping Garrett Broshuis will eventually share the plans for his Radioactive Cardboard Catcher.

Drink up.

Braves Re-sign Wes Timmons, Add Mitch Jones

cbwilk — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:02:22 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Mitch Jones broke a few bats this year, but he also hit 35 home runs in AAA.

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The Braves have retained another one of their Minor League free agents, bringing third baseman Wes Timmons back into the fold. Timmons has been with the organization since he was drafted in the 12th round in 2002 and this is the second year in a row he has been re-signed after becoming a free agent. He's spent his last four full seasons at AAA for the Braves, collecting a .267 average and .746 OPS in over 1400 AAA plate appearances, good numbers for a utility player who has seen time at every infield position in his career. 2009 was Timmons' best season of his career, as the 30 year old hit .283 for Gwinnett with a .782 OPS, including a .416 OBP, and was named an International League All-Star, as well as being named the league's best defensive third baseman for the third consecutive season. His June was particularly impressive as he managed a .394 average and 1.018 OPS in 71 at bats.

Gondeee reported it last week, way before anyone else, and now it's official, the Braves have also added Minor League free agent outfielder/first baseman Mitch Jones. Jones made his Major League debut with the Dodgers this June, collecting a .308 average and .785 OPS in 15 plate appearances, including going 2 for 5 as a pinch hitter. He had an outstanding year for the Dodgers' AAA Albuquerque affiliate, hitting .297 with a 1.015 OPS, 26 doubles, 35 home runs, and 103 RBI in just 434 plate appearances. It's surprising however that he had never been called up to the Majors since an average AAA season for him works out to about 483 plate appearances, a .270 average, a .905 OPS, 28 doubles, 29 homers, 91 RBI, and 134 strike outs, a very respectable number considering his offensive production.

At worst, Jones will provide a powerful, veteran presence to the middle of Gwinnett's lineup, but it seems likely that he'll be given a shot to earn a spot on Atlanta's team, likely as a right handed hitter with power off the bench who can adequately play first base as well as left and right field. As a 32 year old with very little Major League experience, he may not be the ideal answer to some of Atlanta's offensive woes, but he could very well provide infuse some much needed power to the Braves in 2010.

I'm not sure it's been reported on Talking Chop, because I certainly missed it,because I erroneously had him as part of my Rule 5 preview, but the Braves have released outfielder Brian Barton. Barton was acquired from the Cardinals in exchange for Blaine Boyer and appeared in just one game for Atlanta, spending the remainder of his year with Gwinnett, where he hit .266 with a .744 OPS, 17 doubles, 7 home runs, and 17 stolen bases in 426 plate appearances.

C.B. Wilkins is the author of the baseball novel Four-A. The story follows a relief pitcher over the course of a year as he bounces between AAA and the Majors, attempting to balance his dreams and his reality. It can be purchased here: https://www.createspace.com/3407939

Aaron Harang Dodger Rumor

Phil Gurnee — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:04:41 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

8 months ago: Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aaron Harang, right, is hugged by catcher Ramon Hernandez, left, after Harang pitched a complete game shutout in a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Sunday, April 12, 2009, in Cincinnati. The Reds won 2-0. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

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Normally we would not pay much attention to a rumor like this but given the dearth of Dodger roster interest this winter lets bring this up for discussion. Am I being nitpicky about this? Dylan writes:

Harang, a 31-year-old right-hander, finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2007 and tied for the league lead in wins in 2006 with 16. But Harang has won only six games over the last two seasons, losing a total of 31 games over that span.

Reading this I would think that Harang has won only six games total in 2008 and 2009 instead of the actual total of six wins per season. I just want to make sure everyone at TBLA understands the win total. Not that it matters much because even six wins season is kind of sucky for a guy draining a team with a huge % of the total payroll tied to him but we know that pitching skills are what we focus on, not wins. To a point.

Everyone is making it a given that Sherrill would be part of the package because of his salary. That makes sense to me if the Reds can then move Cordero but otherwise I can't see the Reds spending 16 Million on two pitchers in the bullpen. Cordero is already pulling down 12 Million in 2010 and 2011. Sherrill is expected to earn about 4 Million in arbitration. This does not sound like a match to me unless multiple teams are involved and we see quite a few players being moved around.

This line however is the line that should make us worried:

The Reds are asking for one or two players on the Dodgers' major league roster in return.

The Dodgers would want the Reds to pay for a portion of the $15 million Harang would be guaranteed if he is traded.

This smells very much like a sale, not a trade. Harang has so much salary (12.5 Million in 2010) owed him that we couldn't possibly be adding him without some special shenanigans taking place first. A straight swap of Juan for Aaron would have matched up, the word was that the Dodgers were trying to get a starting pitcher for Juan but the 3rd team backed out, so the Dodgers pulled the trigger on the deal with the White Sox. It is very possible that Harang was that guy.

The Reds will be looking for young cheap players if they are going to eat salary. Harang has skills, with a K Rate above 7.5 four years running. His walk rate hovers consistently between 2.2 and 2.4. His xERA of 4.29 was right in line with actual 4.21. WIth Harang you get what you see. The elite skills of 2006/2007 have slipped but he still has the skills to help a rotation like the Dodgers. All things being equal I'd be happy to see Aaron Harang in the rotation, but the price we'd have to pay to make it happen is where things get shaky.

Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:09:33 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

LaTroy Hawkins and Glenn Robinson faced each other in high school. This is the kind of thing that passes for news in December.

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Some things to read while trying not to dance.

LaTroy Hawkins was in Milwaukee yesterday for his physical, making his deal official (FanShot). As mentioned previously, he's due $3.5 million in 2010 and $4 million in 2011, plus $550k available if he maximizes his incentives. One thing I didn't know until reading it afterwards: Hawkins grew up in Gary, Indiana and played basketball against former Buck Glenn Robinson.

I've mentioned previously that the bullpen situation is starting to fill up, but realized yesterday that I've been leaving Carlos Villanueva out of all of my projections. As Adam McCalvy noted in his story on Hawkins, the bullpen now has Trevor Hoffman, Hawkins, Todd Coffey, Mitch Stetter, Claudio Vargas, Carlos Villanueva and David Riske, and barring a trade or injury, it looks like Chris Smith, Chris Narveson, Chuck Lofgren and Zack Braddock, among others, are on the outside looking in.

While there may not be much competition for a spot in the bullpen, there will be an interesting race to see who opens the season as the backup catcher. View From Bernie's Chalet handicaps the candidates, and is hoping for George Kottoras to open the season in the majors, with Jonathan Lucroy in AAA and Angel Salome on the trading block. Two quick thoughts on that:

Kottoras is out of options, so unless one of the prospects blows him out of the water this spring, he'll likely make the team.
You can never have too many catchers, so don't be surprised if the Brewers hang onto both Lucroy and Salome and try to work out some kind of rotation in Nashville.

Speaking of competitions involving backup catchers, we need your vote to help select a backup catcher for the BCB All Decade Team. As of this writing, Mike Rivera leads Jason Kendall by 15 votes.

At Mike Cameron's press conference in Boston yesterday, we heard some insight for the first time into Ken Macha's feeling toward the running game last season. 2009 was the first time in Cameron's career he's had single-digit stolen bases, and he said he "ran into a little situation where I had to abide by the rules of the manager, even though I’ve been pretty successful, I mean, 80 percent of the time that I’ve ran." Macha has admitted he'll have to open up the running game a little more this season, but this is the first time I can recall hearing a player talk about restraints last season.

Every now and then the Mug provides me an "Ask and you shall receive" moment. Yesterday I asked about differences in attendance at Miller Park based on the starting pitcher, and Wisconsin Sports Tap did the research, discovering no correlation. Many, if not most, Brewer tickets are probably purchased too far in advance to predict starting pitching assignments, so that's likely what I should have expected.

In the minors: FanGraphs unveiled their Top Ten Brewer Prospects yesterday. Alcides Escobar sits atop the list, as he likely will in just about every set of rankings coming out this winter, but Brett Lawrie climbed in front of Mat Gamel for the #2 spot. We'll be doing our Community Prospect Rankings in January, and I'm curious to see where Lawrie will rank there.

Around baseball:

D-Backs: Signed pitcher Rodrigo Lopez to a minor league deal.
Dodgers: Signed infielder Jamey Carroll to a two year deal worth $3.85 million and signed reliever Luis Ayala to a minor league deal.
Orioles: Signed reliever Mike Gonzalez to a two year deal worth $12 million, and third baseman Garrett Atkins to a one year deal.
Rangers: Signed pitcher Geoff Geary and infielder Ray Olmedo to minor league deals.
Tigers: Re-signed infielder Ramon Santiago to a two year deal.

The Blue Jays, Phillies, Mariners and A's also finalized their four way deal involving Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. It's been a time for change in Toronto over the last few months: Jordan Bastian noted that the Rogers Centre features three-story images of Alex Rios, Scott Rolen, B.J. Ryan and Roy Halladay. All four will now need to be removed.

In the interest of keeping conversation going and providing fresh content on the site each day, I occasionally post things that wouldn't be front page-worthy during the season, but keep things lively in December. Occasionally when I do that, someone stops by the comments to make sure I know I'm wasting their time, or ask why we're voting for bench players on the All Decade Team. Yes, I know those posts aren't hard-hitting news, but they beat spending a day ranking and discussing your favorite Pixar movies, like Keith Law and Rob Neyer did yesterday.

Earlier this week he celebrated a birthday, and today former Brewer Matt Kinney is the subject of Lookout Landing's Faces series.

Happy birthday today to 1986 and 1989 Brewer Bryan Clutterbuck, who turns 50.

Drink up.

Fantasy Baseball: 2009 xFIP Leaders and Some 2010 Sleepers

raygu — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:32:02 -0000

Recently, Fangraphs has teamed up with The Hardball Times to include the THT pitching stat called Expected Fielding Independent Pitching, or xFIP.
xFIP is Expected Fielding Independent Pitching. This is an experimental stat that adjusts and "normalizes" the home run component. Research has shown that home runs allowed are pretty much a function of flyballs allowed and home park, so xFIP is based on the average number of home runs allowed per outfield fly. <strong>Theoretically, this should be a better predicter of a pitcher's future ERA</strong>

With that said, here are the 2009 xFIP leaders:

Name	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	ERA	FIP	xFIP	E-X
Javier Vazquez	9.77	1.81	5.41	0.82	1.03	0.297	76.60%	2.87	2.77	2.82	0.05
Tim Lincecum	10.42	2.72	3.84	0.4	1.05	0.297	75.90%	2.48	2.34	2.87	-0.39
Roy Halladay	7.83	1.32	5.94	0.83	1.13	0.313	79.00%	2.79	3.06	3.05	-0.26
Dan Haren	8.75	1.49	5.87	1.06	1	0.28	77.00%	3.14	3.23	3.08	0.06
Jon Lester	9.96	2.83	3.52	0.89	1.23	0.323	76.90%	3.41	3.15	3.13	0.28
Zack Greinke	9.5	2	4.75	0.43	1.07	0.313	79.30%	2.16	2.33	3.15	-0.99
Justin Verlander	10.09	2.36	4.27	0.75	1.18	0.328	72.70%	3.45	2.8	3.26	0.19
Ricky Nolasco	9.49	2.14	4.43	1.12	1.25	0.336	61.00%	5.06	3.35	3.28	1.78
Josh Beckett	8.43	2.33	3.62	1.06	1.19	0.302	71.60%	3.86	3.63	3.35	0.51
Adam Wainwright	8.19	2.55	3.21	0.66	1.21	0.309	80.40%	2.63	3.11	3.36	-0.73

Here are some sleepers for 2010 based on the difference between their 2009 ERA and xFIP:

Name	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	ERA	FIP	xFIP	E-X
Ricky Nolasco	9.49	2.14	4.43	1.12	1.25	0.336	61.00%	5.06	3.35	3.28	1.78
Carl Pavano	6.64	1.76	3.77	1.17	1.37	0.335	66.10%	5.1	4	3.96	1.14
Livan Hernandez	5	3.28	1.52	0.93	1.56	0.326	67.30%	5.44	4.44	4.78	0.66
Cole Hamels	7.81	2	3.91	1.12	1.29	0.325	72.10%	4.32	3.72	3.69	0.63
Jorge de la Rosa	9.39	4.04	2.33	0.97	1.38	0.316	71.60%	4.38	3.91	3.76	0.62
Jason Hammel	6.78	2.14	3.17	0.87	1.39	0.337	69.50%	4.33	3.71	3.81	0.52
Mike Pelfrey	5.22	3.22	1.62	0.88	1.51	0.321	66.70%	5.03	4.39	4.52	0.51
Josh Beckett	8.43	2.33	3.62	1.06	1.19	0.302	71.60%	3.86	3.63	3.35	0.51
Derek Lowe	5.13	2.91	1.76	0.74	1.52	0.33	68.70%	4.67	4.06	4.19	0.48
Brett Anderson	7.7	2.31	3.33	1.03	1.28	0.317	67.00%	4.06	3.69	3.61	0.45

You can see there is a correlation between high BABIP, low LOB% and the E-X column. The E-X column takes the difference between the putcher's ERA and his xFIP. I have written about previously, how Ricky Nolasco could be a very undervalued pitcher come draft day 2010. I have him in the UBA league at $10, but risk losing him if I don't give him a raise. This table screams to give him a raise, but I am not so sure.

Poll

Should I give Nolasco a $5 raise in 2010?

Dodgers sign Jamey Carroll

Eli Greenspan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:44:21 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney is reporting that the Dodgers and infielder Jamey Carroll have come to terms on a two year deal worth around 4 million dollars. Carroll hit .276 in 93 games for the Indians last season, but was a very effective utility player and will likely assume a similar role in Los Angeles.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Jamey Carroll	93	315	53	87	10	2	2	26	36	63	4	2	.276	.355	.340

I am very surprised to see Carroll make four million dollars on the open market. For a guy who has only reached 350 at-bats once in his career, a two million dollar annual salary seems pretty lucrative.

Dodgers Add Carroll-ing to Holiday Plans

Eric Stephen — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:12:56 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

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The Dodgers have signed utility man Jamey Carroll to a two-year contract, pending a physical, per Buster Olney of ESPN. Carroll, who bats right-handed, will likely be Blake DeWitt's caddy at second base in 2010, in addition to filling in at third base or perhaps the outfield if needed. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the deal is worth $3.85 million over two years, with incentives that could take the deal over $4 million.

Carroll, who turns 36 in February, has posted a .355 on-base percentage in each of the last two seasons with the Indians, but has little power. Carroll is one of two active major leaguers with a career OBP of .350 or higher and a slugging percentage lower than his OBP (minimum 1,000 PA):

OBP Greater Than SLG
Player	PA	OBP	SLG
Jamey Carroll	2515	.351	.350
Luis Castillo	7172	.369	.354

Carroll has been rated from slightly below average to slightly above average fielder at both second and third base in each of the last three seasons by both UZR (per Fangraphs) and Plus/Minus:

Jamey Carroll 2B Defense
Year	Innings	UZR	+/-
2007	431.1	+1.9	-1
2008	580.1	+0.1	-4
2009	467.0	+2.7	+6

Jamey Carroll 3B Defense
Year	Innings	UZR	+/-
2007	64.2	+0.4	0
2008	199.2	+1.8	+5
2009	156.0	+0.8	+3

In other words, Carroll won't kill you in the field. He played ten games in the corner outfield spots for Cleveland last season as well. Also, per Bill James Online, his defensive strengths at second seem to lie in his ability to field ground balls, a stark contrast to noted flyball hawk Orlando Hudson. Maybe Andre Ethier won't be so tentative now coming in on short flies to right field.

Carroll hails from Evansville, Indiana, as does Dodger hitting coach Don Mattingly, a hero of Carroll's youth. Both Carroll and Mattingly have teamed up with the Boys & Girls Club of Evansville to refurbish local baseball fields through the years. Here's an interview with Carroll from the 2008 Evansville event (the reporter sounds a little like Will Ferrell's impression of Harry Caray):

I can't say I'm a fan of giving Carroll a two-year deal, but at least he does provide some skills and versatility. Still, I can't shake the feeling that if you squint hard enough, Carroll looks an awful lot like Mark Loretta, signed by the Dodgers last season:

Player	Years	Ages	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS+
Jamey Carroll	2008-09	34-35	.276/.355/.343	89
Mark Loretta	2007-08	.35-36	.284/.352/.376	91

I eagerly look forward to Carroll's game-winning hit in Game 2 of the 2010 NLDS (much like his game-winning sacrifice fly off Trevor Hoffman in the 2007 Wild Card playoff game for the Rockies against the Padres).

There are now 35 players on the Dodgers' 40-man roster.

Fantasy Baseball: Raygu's MDC Mock Draft Results

raygu — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:00:28 -0000

by Mark J. Terrill - AP

25 days ago: FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2009, file photo, St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols hits a single during the sixth inning of Game 2 of the National League division baseball series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, in Los Angeles. Pujols was unanimously voted National League MVP on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, becoming the baseball first player to repeat since Barry Bonds won four in a row from 2001-04. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

View full size photo »

I participated, I use that term loosely, in a 12 Team Mixed League mock draft over at Mock Draft Central on Monday night. I missed alot of my picks because I was busy following the Roy Halladay trade rumors. But I made sure I made my fist three picks, as I was picking from the first position.

Here is how the first two rounds went:

R1 P1 Albert Pujols

R1 P2 Hanley Ramirez

R1 P3 Chase Utley

R1 P4 Alex Rodriguez

R1 P5 Ryan Braun

R1 P6 Mark Teixeira

R1 P7 Tim Lincecum

R1 P8 Matt Kemp

R1 P9 Prince Fielder

R1 P10 Miguel Cabrera

R1 P11 Evan Longoria

R1 P12 David Wright

The second round is after the jump:

R2 P1 Ian Kinsler

R2 P2 Justin Morneau

R2 P3 Ryan Howard

R2 P4 Joe Mauer

R2 P5 Carl Crawford

R2 P6 Grady Sizemore

R2 P7 Jacoby Ellsbury

R2 P8 Mark Reynolds

R2 P9 Jason Bay

R2 P10 Troy Tulowitzki

R2 P11 Zack Greinke

R2 P12 Justin Upton

With the first pick in round 3 I selected Matt Holliday.

I was surprised Upton and Holliday were still available that late in round 2.

Poll

What is more shcoking about Raygu's mock draft?

How do you improve this game of MLB Baseball?

Phil Gurnee — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:22:53 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

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Bud Selig gets a lot of flak for un-improving the game of major league baseball during his reign as growth and revenue have always been the only thing he cares about. This makes sense given he's basically the MLB CEO and his job is to grow profits.

This time he's taking a different tack, yesterday Commissioner Bud Selig announced on Tuesday that he will chair a new 14-man special committee to analyze ways of improving Major League Baseball on the field.

Most of all enjoy this game we follow so closely but we might have some pet peeves.

You might be surprised about what bugs me the most. It is not the DH though I despise it. It is not the pitchers who take forever to throw a pitch though I despise them. It is not the the crazy schedule that has teams playing in Detroit in April. It is not the crazy playoff schedule that has teams playing almost into November.

It is the roster expansion in September. For 132 games out of a 162 game season everyone plays by the same rules. 25 man roster, then all of sudden on Sept 1st all hell breaks loose and the rosters are expanded. Games are decided in Sept that will define the playoff landscape and teams who couldn't use a pinch runner on Aug 31st are all sudden allowed to use three in a game because the rosters have been expanded. Broken bullpens are fixed with the infusion of new arms. Tired catchers can get swapped out more easily because you can always bet that at least one catcher was included in the expansion. From the time I first started following this game I've never understood how you can have one set of rules for 132 games of the season and a whole other set for the rest of the season during the most important time of the season.

I get we want to see the prospects. Sept is usually my favorite part of the year as I finally get to see the kids I've been tracking since they became part of the organization. I get that, I just don't get the fact the roster is allowed to expand to greater then 25 man.

I'd like MLB to stay consistent. Play the game with an active 25 man roster. If you want to bring up 10 guys on Sept 1st, fine but you only get to have 25 active for any game. This still gives teams the advantage in the pitching dept as they swap out the pitchers used the game before but at least the manager can only use the 25 men he deemed active for that game.

Okay, that is my pet peeve and the one rule I'd like to see modified. What is yours?

Down on the Farm: More Snippets from Baseball America's Top 10 Lists

raygu — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:00:24 -0000

Baseball America recently completed their Top 10 prospects lists for all National League teams, so to complete the Snippets series, here are some from the NL West lists.

Brandon Allen, 1B, ARI

Strengths: A star linebacker in high school, Allen has huge raw power. For a big guy, he has some snap in his bat and doesn't have a long swing. He toned down his swing and hit more balls to the opposite field in 2009, allowing him to hit a career-high .298 in the minors. He does a good job of punishing mistakes. He has worked hard to improve his defense.

More after the jump:

Ryan Wheeler, 1B, ARI

Strengths: Potentially the best offensive player in the system, Wheeler has a rhythmic, balanced swing. He has a feel for recognizing pitches and controls the strike zone well. He drives the ball from gap to gap and earns high marks for his plate coverage, particularly in his ability to drive the ball the other way. His offensive package reminds scouts of Joey Votto. An average defender at first base, Wheeler has solid hands and arm strength for the position.

Chris Withrow, SP, LAD

The Future: Withrow fared well in his late-season promotion to Double-A and will begin 2010 there. Despite his lack of experience, he's on track to reach the major leagues by the second half of 2011 and looks like a potential top-of-the-rotation starter.

Donovan Tate, OF, SD

The Future: The Padres envision Tate developing into a power/speed center fielder who combines the best attributes of Mike Cameron and Andruw Jones. A solid showing in spring training should earn him an assignment to low Class A Fort Wayne, and from there the speed at which his bat develops will dictate his pace.

Tyler Matzek, SP, COL

Strengths: Scouts thought he was the best high school lefthander to come out of Southern California since Cole Hamels in 2002, and Matzek has better stuff. He has a legitimate four-pitch arsenal, starting with a fastball that sat at 90-94 mph for most of the spring before jumping to the upper 90s right before the draft. His curveball and slider are two distinct breaking pitches and both have the potential to become plus offerings. He also shows feel for a changeup, though he didn't need the pitch very often as an amateur.

Thomas Neal, OF, SFG

Strengths: Neal became a more complete hitter in 2009. He seldom strays from his plan at the plate and takes aggressive swings on mistakes. He has the bat speed to turn on quality fastballs and shows extra-base power from pole to pole. His arm strength has returned and he racked up 15 assists from left field last season.