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Not That Bad

Monday, November 4th, 2013

Jackalope first baseman Paul Goldschmidt

The DTBL season ended more than a month ago, so now seems like the perfect time to finish part 3 of my 2013 season review.  The first part was a recap of the Kings’ championship season.  Part two covered the other teams who were title contenders through most of the season.  Finally, we have the other six teams who were never really in the race.  This isn’t to say that 2013 was a terrible year for all of them, just that there was a fairly noticeable gap between the top four and these six most of the year.  While a few of these teams were surely disappointed in how their season went, none of them were truly awful.  The Jackalope finished in last place, but their 35.5 points was the second highest total for a last place team in league history.  So, while none of these teams were particularly close to competing for the title this season, it is also fair to say that none of them need major reconstruction to be right in the thick of the race next year.

Of these six squads, the team that is probably most satisfied with their 2013 season is the Cougars.  They finished in fifth place, making this the first time they have finished in the top half of the league since 2004.  A much improved offense complemented an already strong pitching staff.  The main reason for the offensive surge was Chris Davis.  The second round steal led the league in home runs (53) and RBI (138).  He figures to get strong consideration in the upcoming MVP vote.  Madison Bumgarner and Adam Wainwright helped the Cougars finish second in ERA.

Another team that made great strides this year would be the Darkhorses.  As many assumed they would, they managed to bounce back from the 2012 season from hell when everything that could possibly have gone wrong did.  Luck still wasn’t completely on their side as they had to fight through a bunch of key injuries, especially early.  But finishing sixth a year after coming in last is obviously a big step in the right direction.  They more than doubled their ’12 point total as well.  Bryce Harper had a nice rookie year for the Darkhorses, but they expect even bigger things from him next year.  Keeping Hanley Ramirez healthy for an entire season will be key as well.  On the pitching side of things, it is still a bit of a work in progress, but Matt Moore and Mike Minor had solid years.

Following two teams who made big improvements this year was a team that went in the opposite direction.  The Moonshiners finished in fourth place a year ago, but were just a 1.5 points away from winning their first title.  Obviously, they had hoped to compete for the title again this year, but it wasn’t to be.  They finished in a disappointing seventh place.  Other than the surprising A.J. Burnett, all of the Moonshiners pitchers failed to meet expectations.  Well, Jered Weaver was pretty good too, but didn’t put up the kind of numbers they needed from a staff ace.  On offense, the roster actually looks pretty good, but they lacked any one player having an especially huge season.  This is really a hard team to diagnose.  They don’t look like a seventh place team.  But they are lacking that star player to take them to the next level.

The Demigods took a small step backwards this season, dropping one spot to eighth place.  Their weakness is obvious:  pitching.  They finished with just eight pitching points, the lowest total in the league.  This was a surprising result considering their first round pick, Yu Darvish, turned out to be one of the best pitchers in the league.  But the rest of the rotation was a mess and they finished the season without a closer on the roster.  The amazing thing about the Demigods is that they finished in eighth despite having the second most batting points in the league.  They got solid years out of almost all of their offensive players, led by newcomer Carlos Gomez and veterans Evan Longoria and David Ortiz.  If they can just figure out their pitching problems, they are not far from being a contender.

I’m not sure anyone is ever pleased about finishing in ninth place, but the Gators were really a much improved team over their ’12 squad which also finished ninth.  Through the draft and trades, they were able to significantly improve their weak offense and have plenty of good, young talent moving forward.  Second overall draft pick Yoenis Cespedes suffered through a bit of a MLB sophomore slump, but still put up strong fantasy numbers.  But the real steals for the Gators were a pair of shortstops:  Jean Segura (8th round) and Andrelton Simmons (4th round).  Their in-season trade to acquire Starling Marte is looking pretty solid too.  The Gators pitching staff, previously their strength, was a bit of a disappointment though.  Staff ace C.C. Sabathia had one of the worst seasons of his career.  If they can get him to bounce back next year, this will be a very dangerous team.

Finally, we have the Jackalope.  To be blunt, this season was a train wreck for them.  Just two years removed from a league championship and a year after being in the title race until the last day of the season, the Jackalope hit rock bottom this year, finishing dead last.  The offense was atrocious and the pitching staff, the league’s best the previous three years, was largely disappointing as well.  It’s not too hard to figure out why their offense struggled so much.  They were without their two best players for a good portion of the season.  Ryan Braun fought through injuries before finally serving his PED suspension.  And Albert Pujols was simply not himself at any point this season, eventually causing him to miss the last couple months of the year.  The Jackalope finished a distant last place in batting points, despite getting a breakout season from Paul Goldschmidt.  He was pretty much the lone bright spot though.  Just like the Darkhorses a year ago, it is hard to imagine this team staying down at the bottom very long though.  They have way too much talent for that.  Plus, they are going to have the first pick in an absolutely loaded draft next spring….

… Which leads me to my final thought.  All six of these teams are going to be able to add potential superstars with their first round picks next year.  I’m not going to name names, but look no further than the top MLB Rookie of the Year contenders to get an idea of what kind of talent is coming.  If those picks pan out, I won’t be writing about these teams in the “non-contenders” recap next year.

Congrats to the Red Sox on their World Series title.  With that, the off-season is officially upon us.  The 2013 DTBL Awards ballot will be posted in the next couple of days with announcements of the winners coming over the next few weeks.

Posted in Cougars, Darkhorses, Demigods, Gators, Jackalope, Moonshiners | No Comments »

Biogenesis Fallout

Tuesday, August 20th, 2013

Free agent third baseman Alex Rodriguez

It has been about two weeks since all of the Biogenesis related suspensions were handed out by Major League Baseball, so I am very late to the party.  For the most part, I am tired of the story and have nothing particularly insightful to add.  But there are pretty significant baseball implications here, so I feel the need to write a little bit about it.  Fortunately, I will be able to quickly bury this post with a much more interesting article (to me) coming in the next day or two.  In case you didn’t notice, there was a pretty big trade made before the deadline last week.  But first, here are some of my Biogenesis thoughts along with the impact the suspensions will have on the DTBL.

I have to admit that I was very skeptical of the entire Biogenesis story when it was made public earlier this year.  It seemed far too coincidental that many of the players being implicated in the story just happened to be most of the players who had tested positive for PEDs and/or served drug related suspensions last year.  As it turns out, there was a good reason for this.  All of these players were receiving their PEDs from the same source:  Tony Bosch and his Biogenesis clinic.  Many have stated that these suspensions and subsequent admissions of guilt are a black eye on the sport of baseball.  I don’t see it that way.  In fact, I think it is somewhat encouraging that most of the players suspended in the last year and a half had ties to this now defunct clinic.  This is not to say I believe PEDs have been completely eradicated from the league now that Biogenesis is no more.  But I believe these suspensions are a positive step towards cleaning up the game.  Cheaters are getting caught and punished.  That is more than could be said as recently as five years ago.  Also, while there is still plenty of room for improvement in the drug testing and punishment program, MLB is so far ahead of the other three major professional sports leagues in this regard, it isn’t even worth comparing.  That MLB seems to take far more heat than the NFL for having a PED problem is completely ridiculous.

To me, one of the most fascinating aspects of the Biogenesis scandal has been the way it has been covered by the media.  Not only the overwhelming number of articles on the topic, but the extent to which specific guilty players have been skewered as cheaters and liars.  They are indeed both of those things, but this isn’t new information.  Almost everyone besides die-hard Brewers fans and Aaron Rodgers knew Ryan Braun was guilty of taking PEDs when he avoided a suspension on a pure technicality following a failed drug test.  The fact that he is now admitting his guilt after accepting a 65 game suspension is not particularly interesting news, in my opinion.  He certainly owes a major apology to the sample handler whose character he attacked, among allegedly much worse things, as the Braun drama continues.  And the Brewers fans who have stuck by Braun throughout his career have every right to be angry.  But other than that, I don’t see Braun as much more of a villain than any of these other suspended players, past or present.  Almost all of these guys attempted to do whatever they could to avoid punishment, just as Braun did.  Heck, somewhat hilariously, Melky Cabrera tried to create an entire web site to prove his innocence.  But he seems to have been forgiven as he is now yesterday’s news.  Braun and Alex Rodriguez just happen to be the biggest names in this story, and are therefore receiving the most attention.

And then there is ARod and his pending 211 game suspension.  I am really curious to see what kind of dirt MLB has on him, because on the face of it, the largest drug related suspension in league history seems a bit harsh for a player who has not tested positive under the current drug testing regime.  I have no opinion on how much of a suspension he deserves without knowing exactly what he did, but again I state that almost all of these players have taken steps to try to duck the long arm of the law.  Just how serious ARod’s offenses were in comparison will be interesting to see.  I would hope the fact that pretty much everybody wants him to just go away, including his own employer, had no bearing on the decision to give him this unprecedented year and a half ban.  Just because everyone hates him isn’t enough of a reason to cast him out to sea.  But the willingness of the rest of these players to accept their punishments leads me to believe that MLB’s evidence is pretty solid.  So the ARod saga continues.

Now for the DTBL impact of Biogenesis.  Despite some huge names going down in this scandal, it doesn’t appear to be particularly likely to swing the DTBL title race in one direction or another.  Almost all of the suspended players happen to be on non-contending teams.  Losing Braun is just another major blow in a nightmare season for the Jackalope.  They will finish this season without the two main faces of their franchise (Braun and Albert Pujols, who was just ruled out for the season due to his foot injury).  The Moonshiners will be without the services of Jhonny Peralta, but they too are in the midst of a disappointing season.  Nelson Cruz will be out of the Gators lineup for 50 games.  The Gators currently sit in last place, but seem to be building a more competitive team for the future.  Losing Cruz won’t really change much.  Ditto for Everth Cabrera and the Demigods.  The one suspended player on a contending team is Jesus Montero of the Naturals.  However, he had been sent to AAA a couple months ago and didn’t figure to play much of a role down the stretch for the Naturals anyway.  Finally, Alex Rodriguez has been a free agent all season after the Kings finally cut him last winter.  Interestingly enough, there is a chance a DTBL team might take a flyer on him before the year is over since he is finally healthy and doesn’t figure to have his appeal ruled upon until very late in the season, if not after it.  Despite receiving the biggest punishment of any Biogenesis player, he may be the only one on a DTBL active roster in September.  Well, maybe Melky Cabrera (Gators) too since he did not receive any additional punishment having served his suspension last year.  Same for Yasmani Grandal (Naturals) , but he’s out for the year with a knee injury anyway.

To close things out, in regards to Biogensis, I am going to steal a line from The Band Perry:  All I want to be is done!

Posted in Demigods, Gators, Jackalope, Naturals | No Comments »

A Terrific Trio of Tigers

Thursday, June 6th, 2013

Kings pitcher Max Scherzer

This season marks the 10th anniversary of Kevin’s Kings most recent DTBL Championship.  They are attempting to cap off the celebration this year by becoming the first franchise to win a fifth league title.  They are the current front-runners, holding a nine point lead over the Mavericks.  The primary reason for their lead is a dominant pitching staff led by three Detroit Tigers teammates:  Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Anibal Sanchez.

It can be a dangerous proposition to put all of your proverbial eggs in a single MLB team’s basket, but that is largely what the Kings are doing.  With three fifths of their rotation consisting of Tigers pitchers, the Kings could have been doomed if this Tigers squad seriously underachieved.  While Detroit is not running away with anything, their hitting and pitching have largely lived up to expectations, rewarding the Kings along the way.  The Verlander, Scherzer and Sanchez trio has been especially dominant.

These three pitchers are having great seasons, with each of them contributing very similar numbers.  All three are on the league leaderboard in strike outs, averaging more than a strike out per inning.  They all have at least six wins with ERAs of 3.70 or better and very solid WHIPs.  Together, they have helped boost the Kings to the top of the league in wins and near the top in the other pitching categories as well.  Each took a different path to get to this point of their career with the Kings, however.

Verlander has been the ace of the Kings staff, and one of the top pitchers in the league, ever since the Kings selected him in the third round of the 2009 draft.  This year, he has been solid, but not spectacular.  In fact, he probably has the worst numbers of this Tigers trio.  Scherzer and Sanchez both have better ERAs and WHIPs and even have more strike outs than Verlander to this point.  But still, Verlander’s 87 strike outs and seven wins are nothing to sneeze at.  He’s the safest bet to keep up the current pace for a full season since he’s done it four straight years.  He has had a minimum of 17 wins and 219 strike outs in every season with the Kings.  He is second, behind Randy Johnson, in franchise history in ERA, WHIP and strike outs.

Scherzer has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season.  He won his eighth game of the year this afternoon, tying him for most in the league.  His impressive 0.89 WHIP is second best, as is his strike out total which reached the 100 mark this afternoon.  He’s been fairly unlucky to have an ERA over 3 (3.24) when looking at the rest of his numbers.  But he’s on pace to set career bests in all four relevant categories.  Scherzer was acquired in a trade with the Jackalope back in 2010.  At the time, he was stuck on the bench for a Jackalope squad that had one of the strongest rotations in league history.  Now he’s playing a leading role for the first place Kings.  He has been a solid strike out contributor for quite some time, but this year is the first time he’s put it all together for a significant stretch.  But his hot streak really started in the second half of last season.  His turnaround from a rough start was a key factor in the Kings near miss of the ’12 championship.

Sanchez is the big surprise of this group.  He’s been a solid, but not spectacular player for several years.  But his inconsistency has led him to be shuffled in and out of the lineup since the Kings signed him as a free agent in 2011.  The potential has always been there though, which is why the Kings have continued to retain his services despite being a part time player for them prior to this season.  He won just seven games for the Kings a year ago, but is already at six this year.  His 2.65 ERA and 1.09 WHIP are way better than his career marks.  And 98 strike outs in 78 innings blows away anything he has done before.  So if there is one candidate most likely to come down to earth, it would be Sanchez.  He’s in a much better situation than in previous years though.  He pitches for a very good offensive squad in a great pitcher’s ballpark.  If he can continue to pitch as he has so far this season, he will be a pretty impressive third option for both the Tigers and Kings.

The Kings will need these three guys to continue to lead their staff because they got some bad news yesterday regarding another member of their rotation.  Jake Peavy has a broken rib and will miss at least 4-6 weeks.  It was Peavy who was expected to be the Kings number three guy behind Verlander and Scherzer.  But Sanchez has grabbed that spot and will try to lessen the blow of the loss of Peavy.

Gators and Naturals Make a Deal

In other (belated) league news, the Naturals and Gators completed this year’s first regular season trade a few weeks ago.  The Naturals dealt outfielder Starling Marte and their 8th round pick in 2014 to the Gators for relief pitcher Greg Holland and a 6th round pick.  The Naturals were in desperate need of a closer following the spring training loss of Jason Motte and a subsequent injury to Chris Perez (who has some interesting legal issues hanging over him now too).  Holland has been perfect for the Naturals so far, earning three saves with a spotless ERA.  Meanwhile, Marte figures to be another important piece in the Gators rebuilding process.  He has hit a rough patch since joining the Gators and is currently in their minors, but this trade was more about the future.  The Gators have a vastly improved offense following a few years of historic ineptitude with the bats.  Eventually, Marte should fit in nicely with the other good, young players the Gators have acquired in the last 12 months.

The big story in baseball this week is ESPN’s report that MLB is seeking to suspend 20+ players, including some of the game’s biggest stars, in the wake of the Biogenesis PED investigation.  However, I don’t think this is worth discussing in any great detail until actual suspensions are handed out.  Call me a skeptic, but unless there is hard evidence beyond Tony Bosch’s personal testimony, I think MLB will have a hard time dolling out lengthy bans.  Bosch is simply not a credible witness.  But we’ll wait and see what other evidence is provided.  Stay tuned.

Posted in Gators, Kings, Naturals | No Comments »

2013 Season Preview: Part I

Saturday, March 30th, 2013

Demigods first baseman Freddie Freeman

Last year, Marc provided some very interesting team previews based on stats from multiple projection systems.  I have decided to do something similar this year, however, due to time constraints, I only used a single set of projections:  ZiPS.  I’m not an expert on these different projection models, so I have no idea if ZiPS was the best choice, but that’s what I went with.  ZiPS does not do saves projections (or if they do, it isn’t available on FanGraphs), so I used Steamer Projections for that category only.  I could write a very lengthy article on why these stat projections aren’t the greatest for predicting fantasy results, so take all of these projections with several grains of salt.  However, I also don’t like to make enemies by publishing my own predictions, so I’ll let the numbers do the talking.

Here is a brief explanation of my methodology.  I used the projections for all 28 players on each team’s roster to compute team totals in all 10 of the categories we use.  However, I didn’t want to leave it at that since there are a bunch of differences in the composition of the extra five players on each roster.  For example, it would figure that teams with a bench full of hitters would outpace teams with mostly extra pitchers in the offensive counting categories (HR, RBI, R, SB).  So what I decided to do was to multiply the team totals in those four categories by the ratio of 14 over the total number of offensive players on the roster.  Theoretically, this would mean I’m only counting full season stats for 14 players, the regular DTBL batting roster size.  I did this rather than simply subtracting players who figure to spend part/most of the season on the bench because I didn’t want to make any personal predictions on roster moves.  The biggest flaw in doing it this way is that every player contributes to the team projections, even if they aren’t expected to see much playing time.  But I think this is better than adding full season projections for every single player.

My methodology was slightly different for pitchers.  Doing it the same way as I did for hitters would have been slightly problematic because it would cause significant differences between teams with extra starting pitchers vs. teams with only extra relievers.  So instead, I calculated what the average number of innings pitched was for each DTBL team in 2012 (1,239) and assumed each team would come close to that number again this year.  So the ratio used to multiply the counting categories (W, SV, K) was 1,239 divided by the team’s projected innings total.  The biggest flaw here is with teams that plan on using an extra starting pitcher in a RP slot.  It is safe to assume those teams will accumulate more innings, but these projections assume the team IP totals are all the same.  So that is another caveat to consider when diagnosing your team’s projections.

Despite the flaws, I do believe these projections can be useful in identifying relative strengths and weaknesses of each team.  Perhaps I will share the full projections when I finish with the team previews.  In these previews, I will provide the team’s projected ranking in each category as well as the overall predicted order of finish.  Then I will give some of my own thoughts about the team, and perhaps explain some instances where I feel the projections are wrong.  I will go in the reverse order of the predicted standings, doing a few teams each day for the next few days.  So, without further ado, here is the team projected to finish in last place…

Greg’s Gators

Category – Projected Rank (2012 Rank)

  • Batting Average – 4th (7th)
  • Home Runs – 10th (10th)
  • Runs Batted In – 10th (10th)
  • Runs Scored – 10th (10th)
  • Stolen Bases – 2nd (10th)
  • Earned Run Average – 10th (4th)
  • WHIP Ratio – 7th (3rd)
  • Wins – 6th (9th)
  • Saves – 1st (2nd-T)
  • Strike Outs – 9th (6th)
  • Total Batting Points – 10th (10th)
  • Total Pitching Points – 8th-T (4th)
  • Total Points – 10th (9th)

Summary:

Obviously, nobody wants to be last in a projection.  However, despite the 10th place prediction, there are encouraging signs for the Gators.  First, they just completed their best draft in many years, acquiring some very good, young talent with players like Yoenis Cespedes, Will Middlebrooks and Andrelton Simmons.  Next, they are projected to finish with 41 points, which would be an improvement over last season.  They have had the worst offense in the league three years running, but there is a decent chance that streak will stop this year.  Almost all of the offensive players they drafted this year will be upgrades over their counterparts from 2012.  The pitching projections are a little surprising because the Gators had a very underrated staff a year ago.  They still have the deepest stable of closers in the league.  Their rotation is a big question mark, but there is potential to meet or exceed last year’s numbers.  I think this will be a much improved Gators squad, even if the place of finish doesn’t necessarily reflect that.

Dom’s Demigods

Category – Projected Rank (2012 Rank)

  • Batting Average – 3rd (2nd)
  • Home Runs – 9th (5th)
  • Runs Batted In – 8th (4th)
  • Runs Scored – 6th (5th)
  • Stolen Bases – 1st (7th)
  • Earned Run Average – 9th (9th)
  • WHIP Ratio – 8th (9th)
  • Wins – 2nd (8th)
  • Saves – 10th (5th-T)
  • Strike Outs – 10th (9th)
  • Total Batting Points – 4th-T (4th)
  • Total Pitching Points – 10th (9th)
  • Total Points – 9th (7th)

Summary:

Last year, the Demigods championship hopes were sabotaged by a weak pitching staff.  If these projections are to be believed, that could be the case again this year.  However, this is one team where my methodology for computing the pitching stats was harmful because it appears they will use a sixth starting pitcher (Brett Myers), meaning their wins and strike out totals should be higher than projected.  Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish and Johnny Cueto form a pretty solid top three, but the rest of the staff will need to exceed expectations.  They only have one closer, Brandon League, who could lose his job any minute.  So saves appears to be a write off category.  Offensively, the Demigods have a solid squad, but they need to stay a lot healthier than they did last year.  Look for huge seasons out of Matt Kemp, Evan Longoria and Buster Posey.  Freddie Freeman is a major breakout candidate too.  9th place would be a pretty big disappointment considering how much talent is on this roster.

David’s Darkhorses

Category – Projected Rank (2012 Rank)

  • Batting Average – 5th (5th)
  • Home Runs – 7th (8th)
  • Runs Batted In – 9th (7th)
  • Runs Scored – 7th (8th)
  • Stolen Bases – 3rd-T (8th)
  • Earned Run Average – 8th (10th)
  • WHIP Ratio – 9th (10th)
  • Wins – 9th (10th)
  • Saves – 3rd (10th)
  • Strike Outs – 2nd (10th)
  • Total Batting Points – 7th (8th)
  • Total Pitching Points – 7th (10th)
  • Total Points – 8th (10th)

Summary:

It has been two long years since the Darkhorses 4-peat.  Last year in particular, was one long nightmare in which everything that could have possibly gone wrong did.  They nearly set the low water mark for total points and finished dead last in all five pitching categories.  There is no way to go but up from there.  And this team is a safe bet to do just that.  But the injuries are already starting to mount up, starting with the news that Chris Carpenter may never pitch again, which came out not long after our roster cuts were made.  Relief pitchers Ryan Madson and Jonny Venters are also headed to the DL to start the year.  And on offense, Brian McCann and Hanley Ramirez will miss significant time to begin the season.  Their healthy pitchers are mostly high strike out guys who hope to improve their ERA and WHIP numbers.  A strong comeback year for Tim Lincecum would go a long way towards fixing this team.  I’m not sure what to think about the Darkhorses offense, but we saw last year how quickly one young superstar can turn around an entire squad (Mike Trout, Mavericks).  The Darkhorses hope to get a similar boost from Bryce Harper.  He just may be up to the task.  Hopefully, these early injuries won’t bury the Darkhorses before they ever get started, but I think they will certainly improve upon last year’s disaster.

That’s it for tonight.  Tomorrow, I’ll run down at least three more teams and finish things up on Monday and Tuesday.

Enjoy tomorrow night’s MLB opener and have a happy Easter!

Posted in Darkhorses, Demigods, Gators | 3 Comments »

No Clowning Around

Monday, March 11th, 2013

Darkhorses outfielder Bryce Harper

Who should the Darkhorses have picked with the first selection in the 2013 DTBL Draft?  That’s a clown question, bro.  With one of the clearest cut decisions in recent memory, the Darkhorses selected 20 year old outfielder Bryce Harper.  The Nationals young phenom burst onto the scene last summer at the ripe age of 19 and proceeded to win the National League Rookie of the Year award.  He bounced back from a mid-summer slump to tear the league apart on his way to a .270 average with 22 home runs and 18 stolen bases.  The home run total was the second most by a teenager in MLB history.

A year after most of the league made the mistake of allowing Mike Trout to slip to the second round, the Darkhorses ensured that the same wouldn’t happen this time around.  Of course, Harper has much higher expectations heading into this season than Trout did a year ago since he has a roster spot locked up and is even expected to hit third in the lineup for one of the top World Series contenders.  Although both are legitimate five tool players, Harper does have a slightly different skill set than Trout.  Harper is projected to be the bigger power threat while Trout has unmatched speed on the bases and in the outfield.  The sky is the limit for Harper, and his bust potential seems extremely low.

Harper is only the second player to become a first overall selection in both the MLB and DTBL drafts.  Alex Rodriguez is the other, which makes it interesting that Harper is entering the league at the exact same time as ARod’s 16 year career with the Kings is coming to an end.  I’m sure the Darkhorses would be happy to get at least a decade and a half of service out of Harper.  I’m 99% positive that Harper was the youngest player to ever be drafted by a DTBL team in the first round (maybe any round), an honor he held for less than 24 hours (more on that later).  The Darkhorses are looking to bounce back from two straight disappointing, injury-riddled seasons.  Harper has the potential to quickly accelerate the rebuilding process, much like Trout did for the Mavericks a year ago.

Last year, the Gators had the tall order of trying to rebuild without the benefit of a first or second round pick.  This year, they held onto those picks and wisely used them to pick up a few of the best young players in the draft.  With the second overall pick, they selected Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes who made an immediate impact in his first big league season, hitting several prodigious home runs early in the season.  He somewhat quietly proceeded to have an outstanding season that surely would have earned him a Rookie of the Year nod if it weren’t for some guy named Trout.  Cespedes slugged 23 home runs with 82 RBI and 16 steals.  Like Harper, he has big time power potential with the ability to add a bunch of stolen bases too.

If Kris Medlen can come anywhere close to matching his 2012 numbers, the Cougars might suddenly have one of the league’s top pitching staffs.  Medlen, a Tommy John surgery survivor, started last season in the bullpen, but then became nearly unhittable after moving into the rotation.  He won 10 games with a miniscule 1.57 ERA and a sub 1.00 WHIP.  The Cougars selected him with the third pick in the draft.  The Demigods then followed with another starting pitcher, Yu Darvish.  Along with Cespedes, Darvish was the other key foreign import to the big leagues last season.  He displayed overpowering stuff, striking out 221 hitters in just 190 innings.  He should help the Demigods recover from a season that was largely derailed by a shaky pitching staff.  The Choppers took the Cubs young first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, with the fifth pick.  Rizzo had been a highly touted prospect for a number of years, before finally breaking through with a solid season for his third MLB organization.  Rizzo figures to be a centerpiece in the Cubs lineup for some time to come.

For the most part, the top five picks were fairly clear cut.  I know those five players were the top five on my draft board, and I suspect I’m not alone.  But I felt there was a significant drop-off in available talent after those five.  Which was kind of fitting because the next five teams all came within an eyelash of winning the championship last year anyway.

For the second straight year, the Jackalope were the first team to select a non-DTBL rookie.  With the sixth pick, they took second baseman Danny Espinosa, who spent the last two seasons with the Kings.  Espinosa spent almost the entire ’12 season on the Kings bench, but only because he was at a log jammed position.  He actually had a very solid year and provides significant power and speed for a middle infielder.  He seems to be getting better each year too.  Next, the Moonshiners selected closer Fernando Rodney, the obvious #1 relief pitcher on the board.  Rodney re-emerged as an elite closer for the Rays, saving 48 games with a ridiculous 0.60 ERA.  Seventh is the earliest a relief pitcher has been selected since 2010.  But the Moonshiners were in desperate need of a second closer and only had two picks in the first rounds with which to acquire one.

For the fourth straight years, the Mavericks had multiple first round picks.  This time, they didn’t acquire the second one until just before they were on the clock with the eighth pick.  They dealt one member of their stable of first basemen, Ike Davis, to the Kings for the ninth overall pick.  So with two consecutive picks, the Mavericks did what has become their trademark:  they selected two young prospects, second baseman Jurickson Profar and third baseman Manny Machado.  Both have big upside, but Machado figures to make a more immediate impact since Profar is temporarily without a position in Texas, behind Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler.  Of course, this is a similar situation that Mike Trout was in a year ago.  Profar just turned 20 a few weeks ago, which is notable for a couple reasons.  First, I believe it makes him the youngest player in DTBL history (he’s a few months younger than Harper).  Next, he is the first DTBL player to have been born after the inaugural DTBL Draft in January of 1993.  So he’s actually younger than this league!  (Damn, we’re getting old)

For the second straight year, the Kings used the first round to try to fill their gaping hole at first base.  But this time, they did so by trading their pick for Ike Davis.  Davis got off to a horrific start in 2012, due in part to his slow recovery from valley fever, which he contracted during spring training.  But he rebounded in the second half of the season and turned into one of the leading home run hitters after the break.  He finished the season with 32 bombs.  Finally, the Naturals used the last pick of the first round to re-acquire catcher Victor Martinez.  Martinez missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL suffered over the previous winter.  The Naturals were clearly reluctant to let him go after holding him on the roster for the entire season.  However, when the opportunity came to pick him up again, they jumped all over it.  Although his catching days may be over, he will likely produce stellar numbers at a position that is extremely difficult to fill.

For the most part, there were few surprises in the first round.  And I honestly can’t criticize any of the picks.  The top five teams went with the best players available, while the second half of the round featured last year’s contenders fill holes and/or proceed with their successful draft strategies.

The pace of the draft has been great so far too.  We’re already into the fifth round at the four day mark, so I’d say we are well ahead of schedule.  Keep up the good work!

Posted in Choppers, Cougars, Darkhorses, Demigods, Draft, Gators, Jackalope, Kings, Mavericks, Moonshiners, Naturals | No Comments »

Moonshiners Make a Splash

Sunday, August 19th, 2012

Moonshiners catcher Miguel Montero

During the 2011 regular season, there was not a single trade completed in the DTBL.  This year, things were back to normal with a handful of deals going down.  This was not a surprising development since, unlike last year, more than half of the teams were still in title contention by the time the trade deadline arrived earlier this week.  In total, five trades were completed.  Three of them involved the Moonshiners, who are trying to make this the second consecutive season with a first time DTBL champion.  Since I have not written about any of the these trades, I will recap them all right now, even the ones that were completed quite a while ago.

Mavericks/Darkhorses (June 6)

Mavericks get:  RP Matt Capps, P Matt Harrison

Darkhorses get:  P Ricky Romero, RP Daniel Bard

I don’t think it is too early to say this trade his been quite a disaster on both sides.  The Mavericks made this deal to try to get themselves another closer, but Matt Capps got hurt very soon after this trade and is yet to record a save for his new team.  Meanwhile, the key piece going the opposite direction, Ricky Romero, has continued his dreadful season.  The Darkhorses other acquisition, Daniel Bard, is buried in the minors where he can’t throw strikes.  It is unclear if he will ever be a viable MLB pitcher again.  As it turns out, the only player in this trade who has had any sort of value is Matt Harrison.  But he was only included because the Darkhorses needed to clear out a roster spot.  The Mavericks immediately released him.  The Moonshiners swooped in and signed him later and he has had a very productive season for them.

Mavericks/Gators (July 11)

Mavericks get:  2B Dan Uggla

Gators get:  C Salvador Perez

As Greg can confirm, I was not happy when I saw the details of this trade.  I thought it was a steal for the Mavericks, primarily because they were able to fill a glaring hole (Dee Gordon had just gone on the DL, leaving them short a middle infielder) without giving up a player that had much value to them.  But with hindsight being 20/20, this was actually a pretty solid move for the Gators.  Uggla is a batting average killer and isn’t even putting up particularly impressive power numbers anymore.  In fact, since this trade was made, Perez has one more home run than Uggla.  Perez is obviously a lot younger too, making him a better fit for the Gators future plans.  That’s not to say this has become a bad trade for the Mavericks though.  They had little use for Perez with Wieters and Santana anchoring their catching staff.  Perhaps Uggla will go on one of his patented hot streaks before this season ends.

Moonshiners/Demigods (July 26)

Moonshiners get:  RP Joe Nathan, 12th Round Pick

Demigods get:  2nd Round Pick

There was a lot of activity around the trade deadline involving closers, but this was the only deal that actually got done (not counting the Capps trade in June).  Out of contention for this season, the Demigods had little use for a 37 year old closer.  So they were able to get a second round pick for him.  If you are wondering what type of player this could turn out to be for the Demigods, here are two names of players picked in this year’s second round:  Mike Trout and Gio Gonzalez.  Maybe they won’t get that lucky, but there is too much opportunity there for them to have passed on a deal like this.  Meanwhile, this was the first sign that the Moonshiners are truly “all in” for 2012.  They are up to 5th in saves with a great opportunity to pick up another point before the year is over.

Moonshiners/Kings (August 15)

Moonshiners get:  C Miguel Montero, P Edwin Jackson

Kings get:  P Dan Haren, 3B David Freese

This was probably the biggest trade made this season, in part because it was the only one involving two teams in the championship chase.  In fact, to see two teams so close to each other in the standings make a trade this big this late in the season is quite rare.  The Moonshiners needed to find a catcher after losing both of their regulars (J.P. Arencibia and Mike Napoli) to injuries.  Not only were they able to find one, but they got an upper echelon receiver in Montero.  The Kings could afford to deal  him because they had two other good, young catchers on their roster (Jonathan LuCroy and Wilin Rosario).  On the flip side, the Kings have been struggling to find effective starting pitching all season.  In many ways, Haren fits right in with the rest of the underachieving staff.  However, he probably has more upside than anyone in their rotation not named Verlander.  Although this was an attempt to get better now, the bigger upside for the Kings may be in the future.  Freese returns to his original DTBL team to fill a need at 3B, which has been a black hole since ARod got hurt.  Jackson could wind up being a huge pickup for the Moonshiners too, even though he was probably considered the least valuable player in the deal.

Moonshiners/Darkhorses (August 15)

Moonshiners get:  OF Alex Rios, 11th Round Pick

Darkhorses get:  C Mike Napoli, 4th Round Pick

The last trade, completed within the last couple hours before the deadline, was what the Moonshiners hope to be the final piece of their puzzle.  They acquired the red-hot Rios for an injured catcher and a draft pick swap.  Earlier this year, nobody would have guessed that a Napoli/Rios swap would lead to the team acquiring Napoli also receiving the advantage in a draft pick exchange.  But it has been a disappointing, and now injury hampered season for Napoli.  He could be a key addition for the Darkhorses though as he is capable of supplying big time power from a very weak position.  But for this season, Rios is obviously the player with more value.  He is having a very productive season, following a truly dreadful 2011.  The recent trend points to good seasons in even numbered years and poor seasons in odd years.  So we’ll have to see what he provides the Moonshiners next year.  But in the mean time, he could be a huge addition for the final month and a half of 2012.

Finally, I want to end with a follow up to my previous blog post, which focused on the Stephen Strasburg situation.  I knew this was going to be a big story, but didn’t expect major features coming out from every corner of the sports world the last few weeks.  It has been discussed on nearly every sports program and web site.  What I find fascinating is that the people who seem to have the most to lose (short term) from a Strasburg shutdown (the Nationals, their fans, and the DC sports media) seem to be the only ones who actually support the shutdown.  Meanwhile, the so-called experts outside of DC seem to be unanimously opposed to the shutdown.  This is almost exactly the opposite of what I expected.  Hearing Rob Dibble and Tim McCarver give dimwitted declarations of opposition to the shutdown actually has me reconsidering my position.  Do I really want to be on their side of this argument?

Posted in Darkhorses, Demigods, Gators, Kings, Mavericks, Moonshiners | No Comments »

American Dominance

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

All-Star Game MVP Carlos Ruiz

Just like the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, there was little drama in the DTBL All-Star Game on Thursday evening.  In the 19th annual mid-summer game, the American Division cruised to a 12-1 victory over their National Division counterparts.  The game even started eerily similar to the MLB game with Justin Verlander getting torched in the top of the first.  The National All-Stars didn’t record their first hit until the fifth inning.  Gators catcher Carlos Ruiz was named the MVP, going 3 for 3 with a home run and four runs knocked in.  The game was played at the Demidome, home of Dom’s Demigods.

The game got off to an ominous start for the National Division with Verlander hitting Andrew McCutchen with the first pitch of the game.  McCutchen came around to score on a base hit by Jose Bautista.  David Wright followed with another RBI single.  Later in the inning, Ruiz got his big night started with a two run single to give the American team a quick 4-0 lead in the first.

The American starting pitcher, Matt Cain, was far more effective.  He pitched two scoreless, hitless innings and was followed by David Price who pitched two innings without giving up a hit either.  Stephen Strasburg was the second pitcher into the game for the National squad, but he was only slightly more effective than Verlander.  He gave up a two run home run to Miguel Cabrera in the top of the second, which increased the American lead to six.  They were on cruise control from there, but were definitely not done scoring.

In the top of the fifth, Cole Hamels came in to pitch for the National Division and promptly gave up extra base hits to the first three hitters he faced.  Doubles by Mark Trumbo and Ian Kinsler proceeded a two run home run by Ruiz.  Half way through the game, it was 9-0 American with the National All-Stars still looking for their first hit.  That hit finally came in the bottom of the fifth when Buster Posey hit a solo home run to end the no-hitter and shutout.

The American Division still had more runs in them.  They scored three more in the top of the seventh to push the score to 12-1.  The big hit of the inning was a bases clearing three run double by Ryan Braun.  Neither team scored the rest of the way.  Craig Kimbrel finished things off in the ninth with a pair of strike outs, including one of A.J. Pierzynski to end mercifully end the game.

There were plenty of offensive stars for the American Division, but Ruiz was the obvious choice for MVP.  Ruiz and Braun both had three hits and at least three RBIs (four for Ruiz).  Cabrera, Bautista and Kinsler each had multiple hits as well.  All told, the American All-Stars recorded 12 runs on 16 hits.  Meanwhile, the National team only recorded four hits, with Posey’s home run being the only hit by a National starter.  Jason Kipnis had a pair of hits off the bench.

Cain and Price were the pitching stars of the game.  Although the OOTP box score credits Price with the win, that distinction actually belongs to Cain since we don’t have a minimum inning requirement for earning a victory in an All-Star Game.  Verlander took the loss.  The defensive star of the game was probably McCutchen.  He had six putouts in six innings in center field.  Interestingly, he made catches to end five of the six innings he played.

As usual, the game was played using the Out of the Park Baseball simulation game.  For the second straight year, there was a live webcast of the game on LiveStream.  Check out the link below if you would like to watch the archived video.  Congrats to Jay for managing his team to an easy win and thanks for taking the time to take part in the game.  Here’s to an exciting second half!

Box Score

LiveStream Channel (with archived video)

Posted in All-Star Game, Choppers, Cougars, Demigods, Gators, Jackalope, Kings, Mavericks, Moonshiners, Naturals | No Comments »

Around the League

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

Moonshiners savior R.A. Dickey

We’re only in the last week of June, but I’m ready to declare that we have quite a pennant race brewing.  At no point has any team in the league asserted its dominance, thus leaving us with a situation where seven out of the ten teams are in a very good position to win the championship.  Those seven teams are all within 10 points of first place, with the top five separated by just four points.  Somehow, the Mavericks have managed to hold the top spot most of the year, but it has been by the thinnest of margins at most times, including today when they are just 1/2 point clear of the Jackalope.

As we near the half way point of the season, I’m going to take a quick look at each of the ten teams, highlighting some of the key stories for each team.  I will start with the three teams who are not currently in the thick of the race and then work my way up to the top of the standings.

Darkhorses

Only a year and a half removed from four consecutive championships, it would be fair to say things have gone downhill since then.  While last year was a shocking disappointment for the Darkhorses, this season has been an absolute nightmare.  Injuries have been the story of the league this season, but no team has had their season completely ruined by injuries like the Darkhorses.  They sit in last place with just 18.5 points, so they are in serious jeopardy of breaking the league’s all time low water mark of 20 points since the league expanded to 10 teams in 1998.  If you look at their roster, there is no way they should be this bad.  Besides the injuries, incredibly disappointing seasons from Adrian Gonzalez and Tim Lincecum haven’t helped either.  If those guys can turn it around and Chris Carpenter, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner return soon, maybe they can gain a little momentum and avoid a historically bad season.

Gators

Still a work in progress, and not really a threat this year, but things are looking up for the Gators.  Their ridiculously bad offense from ’11 has improved a bit and their pitching staff is respectable.  But there is still a lot of work to do.  Their huge pre-draft trade with the Mavericks hasn’t really worked out.  Nelson Cruz has been so-so and Mark Reynolds has provided virtually nothing.  They could have used those picks to improve in other areas, but what’s done is done.  The first draft pick they did make, Melky Cabrera in round three, has been a huge surprise, currently third in the league with a .355 average.  The Gators appear to be headed for another high draft slot next season.  With some exciting young players coming into the league again next year, maybe they will have an opportunity to grab one of them.

Demigods

The third team not currently in the title race is the Demigods.  At the beginning of the year, they looked like a team ready to make a run at the championship.  But like the Darkhorses, the Demigods have been sabotaged by injuries.  One in particular:  Matt Kemp.  In April, Kemp appeared to be a shoe-in for his second straight DTBL MVP award and a possible Triple Crown.  But since then, he has missed the better part of the last two months.  Who knows what he will provide when he returns?  But a healthy Kemp and Evan Longoria could get the Demigods back into contention.

Cougars

Although they are only in seventh place, this is the best Cougars team in a long time.  They are just 9.5 points behind the Mavericks and could get even closer if a couple of their pitchers turn things around.  Josh Hamilton has carried the offense, despite slowing down a bit of late.  Jason Kipnis has been one of the biggest steals of the draft, providing big time power and speed at a weak second base position.  Many were surprised when the Cougars passed on Stephen Strasburg with the first pick of the draft.  That may not have been a wise decision, but the Cougars made up for it by grabbing his Nationals teammate Gio Gonzalez in the second round.  Gonzalez’s numbers are pretty similar to Strasburg’s and you have to figure the Cougars would not have taken Gonzalez if they had gone with Strasburg in round one.

Choppers

The transformation of the Choppers has been quite remarkable.  Last year they were all offense with a questionable pitching staff.  This year, it is just the opposite.  They are second in the league with 40 pitching points, but only have 20 batting points.  One player is mostly responsible for the pitching turnaround:  Chris Sale.  Over the years, many teams have benefited from an extra starting pitcher in a relief pitching slot.  But normally, that pitcher doesn’t put up All-Star caliber stats like Sale is doing this year.  He’s keeping together a staff whose starting rotation is bandaged up with a bunch of free agent signings to fill in for other injured starters.  The injuries to the Choppers rotation could be a huge problem in the upcoming weeks/months.  But there is certainly reason to believe the offense will pick it up.  Jose Bautista is heating up, now in a tie for the league lead in home runs.  He could help the Choppers pick up some offensive points to move even closer to first place.

Kings

It is hard to say that a team four points out of first has been a huge disappointment, but to some degree, I think that can be said about the Kings.  The pitching staff has been atrocious as a whole.  They are ninth in the league in ERA and near the bottom in WHIP and wins too.  Justin Verlander needs some help.  Recently, the Kings have done a poor job of rotating their extra starting pitchers into the lineup.  In the last eight days, they missed out on a one hit shutout by Ervin Santana and seven great innings from Edwin Jackson last night.  If they could ever start picking the right five starting pitchers for a given week, they could be on to something.  For the most part, the offense has been great, leading the league in batting points.  But the lack of production from two Nationals, Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse, has been troubling.  The Kings are still in pretty good shape despite being in fifth place though.

Naturals

Much of what I wrote about the Choppers also applies to the Naturals.  They have transformed from an offensive juggernaut with a mediocre pitching staff to a team with a disappointing offense and the best pitching staff in the league.  Matt Cain, Zack Greinke and David Price have been outstanding for the Naturals rotation.  Jordan Zimmermann would be right there too if he would ever get run support and win some games.  The Naturals have to be considered one of the most dangerous teams heading into the second half because you  have to figure their offense will improve.  Having said that, the recent injury to Troy Tulowitzki could be extremely costly.  He’s expected to miss the next 6-8 weeks and they don’t have an obvious candidate to pick up the slack.

Moonshiners

The Moonshiners are perhaps the league’s most intriguing team right now.  They have suffered some very costly injuries to their pitching staff, with the most devastating one coming this past week when Brandon Beachy was lost for the season with a torn UCL.  Beachy was leading the league in ERA and had a sub 1.00 WHIP.  But one free agent signing may have saved their season.  Since joining the Moonshiners a month ago, R.A. Dickey has not allowed an earned run.  Read that again.  Dickey has a 0.00 ERA, 0.495 WHIP, four wins and 42 strike outs in just 34.1 innings with the Moonshiners.  The 37 year old knuckleballer has been the league’s best story this year and may have a huge say in determining if the Moonshiners can win their first DTBL championship.

Jackalope

It really can’t get any tighter at the top of the standings.  As of today, the defending champions sit one half point behind the Mavericks.  Batting points:  35.5 for the Mavericks, 35.0 for the Jackalope.  Pitching points:  both have 33.  So both teams are holding their own in batting and pitching.  The Jackalope got off to a bit of a slow start, but ever since their two biggest stars, Albert Pujols and Ryan Braun, have started to heat up, so has this team.  I think they have to be considered the favorites at this point, especially if they are able to get anything out of Ryan Howard in the second half.  Their dominating rotation from last year hasn’t been quite the same this season.  But Felix Hernandez has been better of late, Cliff Lee will eventually win a game and Roy Halladay should provide he boost when he gets healthy.  As long as they keep it close, I like their chances down the stretch.

Mavericks

This has been a pretty remarkable season for the Mavericks, following two consecutive eighth place finishes.  Despite the incredible tightness of the race, they have managed to hold onto first place most of the year.  Their strategy of stockpiling draft picks is paying off.  Their pre-draft trade with the Gators may alter the course of this league for years to come.  The two players they acquired with the draft picks they received in that trade:  Stephen Strasburg and Mike Trout.  Strasburg leads the league in strike outs and is not far behind in ERA, WHIP and wins too.  What the Nationals decide to do with him when he reaches that magical 160 IP mark could have a dramatic impact on this league.  I’ll probably write about this more when that date gets closer because I have a strong opinion on the matter.  Meanwhile, I’ll be honest, I thought Trout was a bit of a gamble in the early second round because I wasn’t so sure the Angels would be able to make room for him this season.  Boy was I wrong.  He is hitting .351 and will probably be leading the league in stolen bases before June is over.  If Adam Dunn, Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Jones keep hitting home runs at their current rates, the Mavericks are going to be tough to catch, despite all the teams nipping on their heels.

Posted in Choppers, Cougars, Darkhorses, Demigods, Gators, Jackalope, Kings, Mavericks, Moonshiners, Naturals | No Comments »

Mavs, Cougars and Gators projected to finish in DTBL cellar

Saturday, April 21st, 2012

The projections systems have the bottom of the DTBL standings in 2012 looking pretty much the same as in 2011. The Mavericks, Cougars and Gators are projected to place eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively

Cougars   – Projected Finish: Ninth                           2011 Finish: Tied-Ninth

AVG: D

HR: D

R: F

RBI: F

SB: F

W: A

ERA: C

WHIP: C

K: A

SV: F

Marc’s favorite draft pick: Brett Lawrie, Round 1 – the top player on my draft board

Kelly’s favorite draft pick: Brett Lawrie, Round 1 – expected to go 20/20 already this season

Overview: After tying for last place in 2011 and collecting just 12 batting points, the Cougars started 2012 by drafting a player in Lawrie who could help in all five offensive categories. The 2011 Cougars’ offense took quite a hit from the disappointing season by Adam Dunn, for whom the Cougars gave up a first-round pick to acquire, and Grady Sizemore finally wore out his welcome six seasons after being the no. 1 overall pick

However, pitching was an even bigger problem area last year, so the Cougars took two SPs and an RP in the next three rounds to go with their core of Madison Bumgarner and Daniel Hudson. The selection of Gio Gonzalez came a round after I expected the Cougars to add a pitcher from D.C. Perhaps the move to the NL and yet another change of scenery will help Gio lower his walk rate. If not, maybe White Sox GM Kenny Williams can trade for him just to trade him away for the third time.

Gators   – Projected Finish: Tenth                             2011 Finish: Tied-Ninth

AVG: F

HR: D

R: F

RBI: F

SB: F

W: F

ERA: B

WHIP: A

K: F

SV: F

Marc’s favorite draft pick: Derek Holland, Round 9 – free fell in the draft. Talented lefty in good position to pile up wins

Greg’s favorite draft pick: N/A

Overview: A year after posting the lowest batting point total in the history of the DTBL as a 10-team league, the Gators spent their first six draft picks attempting to bolster their hitting. The Gators traded the no. 2 and no. 12 picks in the draft to the Mavericks for power hitting Nelson Cruz and Mark Reynolds. Hitting was such a priority for the Gators coming into this season that they added just two pitchers – Greg Holland and Derek Holland – in the entire draft.

The Gators could benefit greatly if Kendrys Morales returns to being the hitter he was three seasons ago when he hit 11 home runs in 193 at-bats for the Gators before beginning a run of injuries upon reaching home plate in that 193rd at bat.

Mavericks   – Projected Finish: Eighth                     2011 Finish: Eighth

AVG: C

HR: F

R: B

RBI: D

SB: A

W: C

ERA: F

WHIP: D

K: B

SV: F

Marc’s favorite draft pick: Adam Dunn, Round 6 – I keep telling myself that 2011 had to be a fluke

Overview: Back-to-back eighth-place finishes prompted the Mavericks to accept a full rebuilding plan that involved trading two of their oldest players in Nelson Cruz and Mark Reynolds for draft picks that became highly touted SP Stephen Strasburg and OF Mike Trout. Drafting Trout 12th overall when it already was pretty much a sure thing he was starting the season in the minors was a clear sign that the Mavs were all in on going young.

The Mavs have six players on their roster who were taken in the first round over the past three drafts. If players such as Matt Wieters (10 Dft #1) and Jayson Heyward (11 Dft #1) can become the players they looked to be heading into their DTBL rookie seasons, the stale Mavs offense of 2011 could see solid improvement.

Posted in Cougars, Draft, Gators, Mavericks, Uncategorized | No Comments »

If At First You Don’t Succeed…

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

Gators outfielder Nelson Cruz

For the third consecutive year, the Mavericks will have multiple first round picks in the DTBL Draft.  And for the second year in a row, they possess two of the first three picks.  The Mavericks made a pair of trades this week, continuing their youth movement.  In the first, they actually traded away a pick, sending their third round selection to the Naturals in exchange for second baseman Rickie Weeks.  They followed that up by acquiring the second and twelfth overall picks in the upcoming draft from the Gators for outfielder Nelson Cruz and third baseman Mark Reynolds.

Assuming they stand pat, when the first round finishes next week, the Mavericks will have made seven first round selections in the three most recent drafts.  The first two years have seen mixed results from this strategy, but it is way too early to write it off as a failure.  With an opportunity to pick two of the top three players available this year, one would think they have a great opportunity to find a superstar in the making this time around.  But of course, there is also an inherent risk in betting on young players.

When I first saw the details of the Mavericks/Gators trade, I thought it was a steal for the Mavericks.  Acquiring two of the first twelve picks in a draft is a pretty solid return, and giving up early picks can be a dangerous strategy for a rebuilding team.  However, I have come around on this after taking a closer look.  A very solid argument could be made that Nelson Cruz is a better player than anyone available in this year’s draft.  In fact, most fantasy player rankings I have seen have Cruz listed ahead of everyone who will be in the draft pool.  He instantly becomes the Gators best offensive player, and along with Reynolds, should immediately improve what was possibly the worst offensive team in league history last season.  The ’11 Gators didn’t have a single player drive in over 85 runs and only Dan Uggla hit more than 25 home runs.  Cruz and Reynolds surpassed those numbers in both categories.  The Gators couldn’t afford to miss on improving their offense and these two players are much safer bets than anyone they could have drafted.  Plus, the Gators have had a string of first round picks that haven’t exactly panned out, so maybe it is just as well not to have to worry about a continuation of that trend this year.

It wouldn’t make much sense for me to predict who the Mavericks will take with all of their early picks, but I think it is safe to assume they will go with more youngsters.  I also feel confident in predicting they will not select a catcher with a top three pick for the third consecutive season.  The re-acquisition of Weeks was an interesting move as well.  When healthy, he is one of the most productive middle infielders, which was a major area of weakness for the Mavericks last  year.  Weeks was a first round pick by the Mavericks back in 2006 and spent three years with the club before he was released in ’08.  His best season came with the Naturals in 2010 when he hit 29 home runs and drove in 83, obliterating his previous career highs.  Last season was cut short due to an injury, but he still hit 19 home runs.  The Mavericks will probably be the hardest team to predict for the upcoming season.  They have the potential to be the league’s most improved team.  They have an interesting situation with two relief pitchers already on the roster who are expected to be starters (Neftali Feliz and Daniel Bard), so they could potentially go with a seven man rotation.  However, if that doesn’t pan out and the early draft picks don’t work out either, it could be another long year.  I don’t think any other team has a wider gap between their potential ceiling and floor.

As for the Naturals, Weeks was expendable because they have two other quality middle infielders in Troy Tulowitzki and Asdrubal Cabrera.  They will have plenty of opportunities to address second base in the draft.  Generally speaking, they don’t have too many holes to fill, so the extra draft pick can be used to build depth at pretty much any position they would like.  The Naturals should be a title contender for the fourth straight year.

My goal is to have the draft pool posted in the next couple days.  I’m looking at one week from tonight, Thursday March 8, as the potential start date of the 2012 DTBL Draft.  It’s hard to believe we have reached another milestone.  This will be the 20th DTBL Draft.

Posted in Gators, Mavericks, Naturals | No Comments »

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