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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 »

Second To None

Sunday, June 30th, 2013

Cougars outfielder Chris Davis

This article is brought to you by the number two. For the second straight year, second round draft picks are making a major impact on the balance of power in the league. Two teams, in particular, have struck it rich in the second round. A year ago, the Mavericks pulled off one of the all time heists when they grabbed Mike Trout in the second round, and nearly won the league because of it. Because of the Trout thing, the Cougars second round pick of Gio Gonzalez was overlooked a bit. But all he did was lead the league in wins and finished fourth in the Cy Young voting. This year, the Mavericks and Cougars did it again, drafting MVP and Cy Young candidates in the second round. The Cougars picked outfielder Chris Davis with the 13th pick in the draft and the Mavericks acquired starting pitcher Matt Harvey with the 18th pick.

Everyone thought last year was the breakout year for Chris Davis, when he finally reached his potential as a big time power hitter. But his 2012 wasn’t anything compared to what he is doing this year. He currently leads the league with 30 home runs, an incredible total before the end of June in the post-steroids era. He is six clear of the next highest home run total. His 79 RBI trails only Miguel Cabrera and his .333 batting average ranks fourth. Another incredible season by Cabrera is the only thing keeping Davis from being the clear MVP favorite.

Davis was a highly touted prospect and was a first round draft pick by the Mavericks in 2009. But he was a huge disappointment for them and was cut at the end of his DTBL rookie season. The Choppers took a chance on him in the fourth round the following year, but released him two months into the season. He didn’t make it back onto a DTBL roster until the Naturals signed him as a free agent last season. He proceeded to have a breakout season, hitting 28 home runs for the Naturals, nearly tripling his previous DTBL career total.

There is an obvious similarity between the Gonzalez and Davis selections by the Cougars. Neither were DTBL rookies and their previous teams would probably like a re-do on their decisions not to keep them. In the case of Davis, the Naturals were in a tough spot because of their surplus of quality hitters. Davis was classified as a first baseman last year (and almost certainly will be again next year), but moved to the outfield this year. Usually, such a position switch would increase a player’s value. But the Naturals had another guy making the opposite switch (Allen Craig), so the Davis position move wasn’t a major issue. The Naturals still have a loaded offense though, so the loss of Davis hasn’t been as crippling as you might have otherwise expected.

Matt Harvey has already become a “must watch” pitcher, in just his second season in the big leagues. He has been completely dominant in virtually every start this season. He leads the league in ERA (2.00) and WHIP (0.85) and trails only fellow DTBL rookie Yu Darvish in strike outs (132). If he is able to keep that WHIP number where it is, it would be the third best single season value in league history and the best since 2000. It’s only a weak Mets offense and bullpen that is keeping his win total down at just seven. Just like Trout did a year ago, it is Harvey who is most responsible for the Mavericks being right in the thick of the championship race, currently in second place and just 5 1/2 points out of first.

After several years of mediocre results from their surplus of early draft picks, the Mavericks have really struck gold the last two years. Last year it was Trout and Stephen Strasburg. This year it is Harvey and Manny Machado. While Trout was a bit of a surprise pick last year, one that every other DTBL team regrets allowing to happen, Harvey was very much on the radar for several teams. I know for a fact that Harvey would not have made it out of the second round had the Mavericks passed on him. But he was still the sixth starting pitcher to go, so there are obviously a few teams regretting their decisions again this year.

Davis and Harvey aren’t the only second round picks who are having great years. Carlos Gomez is having a huge year for the Demigods. Jeff Samardzija is pitching very well for the Jackalope, and is helping make up for what is looking like one of the all time first round busts for the Jackalope in Danny Espinosa. Glen Perkins has been one of the best closers in baseball, rewarding the Naturals for their second round pick.

Posted in Cougars, Mavericks | No Comments »

2013 Season Preview: Part II

Monday, April 1st, 2013

Cougars pitcher Gio Gonzalez

Last year concluded with a frantic five team race for the title on the final day of the season.  But just two months prior to that, there were as many as seven teams right in the hunt for the championship.  I’m not saying that will happen again this year, but there is precedent for all of the following teams to be championship contenders, even if they don’t significantly exceed their projections.  These are the teams that are projected to finish seventh up to fifth place.  Actually, the computed standings had two teams tied for sixth place, so I will just review them alphabetically.

Charlie’s Thunder Choppers

Category – Projected Rank (2012 Rank)

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

Summary:

The Choppers are another team that could be expected to exceed their pitching projections.  For the second straight year, they might choose to use a sixth starting pitcher in a RP slot (Alexi Ogando).  Ogando isn’t likely to repeat Chris Sale’s ’12 season, but he could give the Choppers a nice win and strike out boost.  But they also have four closers on the roster, so they won’t be punting saves by any means.  Sale is their only elite starting pitcher, but they have a lot of intriguing guys who are capable of racking up strike outs, in particular.  On offense, it appears home runs will be their strength again this year.  Newcomer Anthony Rizzo will attempt to pick up the slack early on while Curtis Granderson is on the shelf.  Jose Bautista needs to stay healthy this year.  B.J. Upton appears to be primed for a huge season, in which case he could give the Choppers a boost in power and speed categories.  It has been a while since the Choppers were a serious title contender, but they will have a chance this year if their starting pitching pans out.

Mike’s Moonshiners

Category – Projected Rank (2012 Rank)

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

Summary:

And here we have our first appearance from one of the “Big 5″ who chased the title on the final day of the season.  This might be the most surprising projection of all.  Let’s not forget that the Moonshiners came within 1 1/2 points of winning the title last year and were the league’s most balanced team.  They were the only team to accumulate over 30 batting and pitching points.  So why the gloomy forecast for this season?  Well, they only had one draft pick in the first three rounds this year, so they didn’t have an opportunity to significantly pad their projections with one or two acquisitions.  But that doesn’t mean this team won’t contend.  The biggest key is for R.A. Dickey to not take an enormous step backwards like he is projected to do.  Dickey, Jered Weaver and Yovani Gallardo lead the rotation that will be a bit thin until Brandon Beachy returns from Tommy John surgery.  The bullpen only has two definite closers, but first round pick Fernando Rodney is good enough to make sure they aren’t buried in saves.  They have solid players across the board on offense, so I just don’t see them finishing in the bottom half of the league in batting points.  Prince Fielder, David Wright and Desmond Jennings are three players who I expect to easily exceed their projected numbers.  I strongly believe the Moonshiners will contend for their first DTBL title again this year.

Kelly’s Cougars

Category – Projected Rank (2012 Rank)

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

Summary:

Now here is a real sleeper candidate.  The Cougars have not finished in the top half of the league since 2004.  But this definitely looks like a team that is capable of making a big leap forward.  The most interesting thing in these projections is the Cougars shift from a speed to a power team.  In light of some spring training injuries, I think fourth in home runs is a little unrealistic, but they certainly do have more power on the roster.  They will need to overcome early injuries to Mark Teixeira and Brett Lawrie though.  Assuming he isn’t out too long, expect a big bounce-back season from Lawrie to help justify his status as the #1 pick in last year’s draft.  The pitching staff is very good.  I don’t think it is possible for Kris Medlen to repeat his performance as a starter last year, but he won’t need to.  Gio Gonzalez, Madison Bumgarner and Adam Wainwright join Medlen as four legitimate aces.  5th place may seem like an awfully optimistic prediction for this team, but I think it is quite possible they will finally make their return to the top half of the standings.

I didn’t get around to doing any previews yesterday, so I’m a day behind schedule.  My new goal is two more teams tomorrow (Tuesday) and then the top two championship contenders (according to the projections) on Wednesday.  I hope you are enjoying the first full day of baseball!

Posted in Choppers, Cougars, Moonshiners | No 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 »

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 »

Four For Hamilton

Thursday, May 10th, 2012

Cougars outfielder Josh Hamilton

On Tuesday night, Cougars outfielder Josh Hamilton became the 16th player in Major League Baseball history to hit four home runs in a game.  For good measure, he added a double and went 5 for 5 as the Rangers crushed the Orioles 10-3 at Camden Yards in Baltimore.  As much attention as perfect games receive, including Phil Humber’s last month, the four home run game has been a rarer feat.  No player had done it since Carlos Delgado late in the 2003 season.  Hamilton is the fourth DTBL player to do it, joining Delgado (Darkhorses), Shawn Green (Darkhorses, 2002) and Mike Cameron (Kings, 2002).  Hamilton’s 18 total bases set a new American League record and was just one shy of the MLB record (Green).

Hamilton has been on a tear all season.  He hit his league leading 15th home run tonight in his first game since the historic night.  Add the one he hit on Monday night and that is six in the series in Baltimore.  Entering today, he had a comfortable lead in RBIs (36) and batting average (.406) too.  So, approaching the 1/4 mark of the season, he is leading all three of the Triple Crown categories.  Hamilton and defending league MVP Matt Kemp have been the two most dominating offensive player this season by a wide margin.

Josh Hamilton has been carrying a much improved Cougars offense this season.  They lead the DTBL in RBIs and are second in home runs.  Last year, they finished in ninth and eighth in those categories.  Overall, they find themselves in seventh place, but closely bunched with about half the league.

A 2008 second round draft pick by the Cougars, Hamilton has 111 DTBL career home runs with a very impressive .316 average.  Interestingly, he reached a minor DTBL career milestone on Tuesday night, passing the 400 RBI mark.  Even numbered years have been especially impressive for Hamilton.  He hit 32 home runs and drove in 130 in his DTBL rookie campaign of ’08.  Then in 2010, he cruised to the batting title, hitting at a .361 clip.  2012 is looking like another special even numbered year for Hamilton.

I had a blog post all planned out for this week in which I intended to detail the extent in which injuries are decimating the league as a whole, and a couple teams in particular.  But Hamilton’s historic achievement will push that article to a later date.  I have a feeling it will still be relevant in another week or two.

Posted in Cougars | 1 Comment »

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 »

Good, Bad and Ugly

Monday, October 10th, 2011

Moonshiners first baseman Prince Fielder

You’ve heard all about the champion Jackalope.  Now it’s time to take a look back at the 2011 season for the other nine teams.  I’ve grouped them into three categories:  the good, the bad and the ugly.  These groups don’t necessarily relate to the order of finish, but how competitive the teams were compared to expectations.  The three teams I identified as “good” all finished higher in the standings than they did a year ago and should feel like they are headed in the right direction.  “Bad” isn’t really the right word for the second group, because two of the three teams actually finished near the top of the standings.  Disappointing is a better way to describe them.  Finally, the teams that fall into the “ugly” category would probably like to pretend 2011 never happened.

THE GOOD

Mike’s Moonshiners

The quickest team out of the gate, the Moonshiners led the league for a good part of the first quarter of the season.  They stumbled a bit in early summer and never really recovered, finishing in third place.  However, that was up two spots from a year ago and was their best finish since 2008.  The improvement was almost entirely due to the pitching staff, which received a huge boost from the Jackalope trade which brought them ace pitcher and Cy Young candidate Jared Weaver.  While I already mentioned how beneficial that trade was to the Jackalope, the impact was similar for the Moonshiners.  Weaver turned their average pitching staff into one of the league’s best.  He finished in the top five of the league in ERA, WHIP and wins.  Meanwhile, the offense was carried by slugging first baseman Prince Fielder (38 HR, 120 RBI) and 30/30 man Ian Kinsler (32 HR, 30 SB).  Now that the pitching staff has been fixed, the Moonshiners will look to improve their offense going into 2012.  With the Jackalope winning their first title this year, the Moonshiners are now the longest tenured DTBL team without a title.  They figure to have a good chance to change that next year.

Dom’s Demigods

The biggest jump in the standings was made by the Demigods.  After finishing dead last a year ago, they managed to move into the top half of the standings with a fifth place finish in 2011.  This is despite the fact that they got almost nothing out of their first overall pick (Buster Posey);  same with his catching partner Joe Mauer.  The rest of the offense was surprisingly good though, finishing in the top five in every category and leading the league in batting average.  The indisputable MVP of the team was Matt Kemp, who hit .324 with 39 HR, 126 RBI, 115 R, 40 SB.  He led the league in RBIs and was the only player to appear on the league leaderboard in all five categories.  He even flirted with the NL Triple Crown until the final week of the season.  The pitching staff was a bit of a disappointment, but overall, the Demigods appear to be headed in the right direction.

Charlie’s Thunder Choppers

Although they only wound up finishing one spot higher than a year ago (6th, up from 7th), this was a much better year for the Choppers.  They were a title contender in the second half of the season for the first time in five years.  They wound up finishing 16 1/2 points out of first, cutting almost half the deficit from a year ago (32 points).  As I documented in an article a couple months ago, it was some recent first round draft picks that helped pump some more juice into the Choppers offense.  Jose Bautista and Curtis Granderson finished first and second in the league in home runs (43 and 41 respectively).  Both are strong MVP candidates, while Bautista is even eligible for the DTBL Rookie of the Year award.  Granderson led the league with 136 runs scored, the highest total since 2007.  The Choppers boast another strong ROY candidate in closer Craig Kimbrel who saved 46 games in his first full MLB season.  If the Choppers can add one or two more elite starting pitchers, they are another team to watch in 2012.

THE BAD

Nick’s Naturals

Okay, I admit it isn’t really fair to put the Naturals in a category labeled as “bad”, because they were definitely not that.  But a defending champion almost always has its sights set on repeating, and the Naturals weren’t quite able to do that this year, finishing a distant second.  In some ways, this Naturals team was every bit as good as the one that tied for title last year, but the Jackalope were just a little better.  The Naturals were unable to repeat their amazing feat of 50 batting points from a year ago, but still led the league with 45.  They figured they would need to get more out of their pitching staff though.  Unfortunately for them, that didn’t really happen.  Newly acquired Zack Greinke was solid, but he, along with the rest of the staff, didn’t have a truly spectacular season.  Still, the Naturals shouldn’t regret their Greinke/Howard trade, because the pitching would have been worse without Greinke.  Miguel Cabrera and Joey Votto led the league’s best offense.  Cabrera won the batting title with a .344 average.  Overall, there is nothing for the Naturals to be ashamed of this year.  They were as close as one half point behind the Jackalope in late August.  They figure to be right back in the title hunt again next year.

Kevin’s Kings

Again, this wasn’t a “bad” season for the Kings.  They finished exactly where they did a year ago, in fourth place.  However, this time fourth place meant 15 points back and not really a serious contender down the stretch.  Last year, they were in the hunt right until the end and finished just five points behind the co-champions.  Other than place of finish, there was virtually nothing in common between the 2010 and 2011 Kings.  This year’s squad had a below average offense and one of the league’s best pitching staffs.  It was just the opposite in ’10.  The main reason for the pitching upswing was one man:  Justin Verlander.  Verlander tied a DTBL single season record with 24 wins.  He also led the league in WHIP (0.920) and strike outs (250).  Really, he’s the only Kings pitcher who sticks out as having an impressive year, yet they managed to garner 40 pitching points.  On offense, it was an underwhelming and injury plagued season for almost all of the Kings stars.  Jose Reyes bounced back to being one of the league’s elite players, but he too couldn’t stay healthy.  It is hard to say where this franchise is headed.  Without Verlander’s monster year, they could have finished near the bottom of the standings this year.  On the other hand, had a few key guys stayed healthy, they may have been in the hunt until the end.

Marc’s Mavericks

Now this is the one team in this group where the “bad” label probably applies.  For the second straight year, the Mavericks finished in eighth place.  But this isn’t a franchise that typically goes through long rebuilding processes.  Last year, they were completely wrecked by injuries and essentially gave up with a couple months to play.  This year, they had some injuries, but that wasn’t the biggest problem.  Disappointing seasons from almost all of their young players gave them little hope of competing.  They have had five first round picks the past two years, and I would call several of them major disappointments at this point.  Carlos Santana and Matt Wieters had decent seasons at a weak offensive position, but the jury is still out on them.  Gordon Beckham and Jayson Heward have been huge busts so far.  The only Maverick who really stood out as having a tremendous 2011 season was Clayton Kershaw.  Kerhsaw led the league in ERA (2.28) and was just behind Verlander in WHIP (0.977), wins (21) and strike outs (248).  It should definitely come down to those two for the Cy Young award.  The Mavericks really need to hit some home runs with their early picks in next year’s draft because the last two years have been rather forgettable.

THE UGLY

David’s Darkhorses

The Darkhorses set a standard of excellence in winning four consecutive DTBL championships from 2006-2010.  This year, not only did they fail to meet that standard, but they wound up with the worst finish in league history for a defending champion, finishing a distant seventh.  They won those four titles by having the most balanced team in the league, usually finishing first or second in both batting and pitching.  This year, they somehow managed to fall to the middle of the pack in both areas.  Injuries were a factor, but not to the extent you would expect for a team that fell apart like this.  Below average seasons for most of the roster is the main explanation.  I suppose it was bound to happen eventually.  On the bright side, Jacoby Ellsbury turned himself into one of the best fantasy players with a 32 HR, 39 SB season while hitting .321.  His Red Sox teammate Adrian Gonzalez had another solid year for the Darkhorses, but dropped off a bit in the second half.  One major problem with the pitching staff was the criminally bad run support Tim Lincecum received.  He only won 13 games despite putting up his usual dominating numbers in the other categories.  James Shields and Chris Carpenter also won fewer games than you would expect from their other numbers.  I’ll chalk this up as a worst-case scenario season for the Darkhorses.  Surely, things will go better next year.

Greg’s Gators

I should point out that until the final day of the season, it appeared the Gators, and possibly the Cougars as well, were going to break the DTBL record for fewest total points in the 10 team era.  Fortunately for them, both teams picked up a point or two in the final day and avoided this place in history.  They wound up tied for ninth place with a putrid 21 total points, one clear of the record low mark of 20 by Tim’s Titans in 1999.

While the Gators did avoid that distinction, they managed to set a different low water mark.  Their six batting points are the fewest ever in the 10 team era (since ’98, batting or pitching).  Only a couple stolen bases prevented them from finishing dead last in all five offensive categories.  Sadly, they were in last by a fairly wide margin in most categories.  They are going to have a tough time finding enough players worthy of keeping.  About the only offensive player who put up keeper-worthy numbers was Dan Uggla, and even he only hit .233.  The pitching staff was a little better, mostly thanks to C.C. Sabathia.  Injuries to Jair Jurrjens and Josh Johnson prevented them from having a pretty respectable staff.  Overall, there is a lot of work to do for this squad.  I think 2011 was clearly the worst season in franchise history.

Kelly’s Cougars

I think Kelly clearly had more important things on her mind this year, which caused her to not put a lot of time and effort into her team.  I’m not sure it would have mattered though.  Much as was the case with the White Sox, Adam Dunn almost single-handedly ruined the Cougars season.  Nobody had a particularly good season either though.  Josh Hamilton fought through injuries, and other key players were simply inconsistent.  The pitching staff was especially poor, though that can be partly blamed on the loss of staff ace Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery before the season even started.  This will be chalked up as a forgettable year for the Cougars.  Perhaps with some bounce back years from their key players, 2012 should be better.

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

Trade Deadline Recap

Sunday, July 31st, 2011

Demigods outfielder Carlos Beltran

Here is my review of the trades involving one or more DTBL players which were made in the weeks/days leading up to today’s MLB trade deadline.  Since I’m not too knowledgeable about prospects, my take will focus mostly on the DTBL players and the impact these guys will have on their new teams as well as the DTBL implications.

July 12 – Brewers/Mets

  • Brewers get:  RP Francisco Rodriguez (Moonshiners)
  • Mets get:  2 PTBNL
  • MLB impact:  The Brewers made a significant improvement to their bullpen without giving up any players of note.  When this deal was initially completed, it wasn’t clear what this would mean to their closer situation.  However, John Axford has continued to save games for the Brewers, so Rodriguez appears to have been acquired strictly for set-up duties.  Meanwhile, the Mets were able to unload a potentially enormous payroll drag had K-Rod finished enough games to kick in his guaranteed player option for 2012.  This appears to have been a win-win deal for everyone but Rodriguez.
  • DTBL impact:  This was a costly trade for the Moonshiners, leaving them with just two closers.  Fortunately, another rumored trade of Drew Storen to the Twins never happened, or they could have been left with a single closer.  They still rank third in saves, but that position could be in jeopardy.

July 26 – Nationals/Reds

  • Nationals get:  OF Johnny Gomes (Cougars)
  • Reds get:  LHP Chris Manno, OF Bill Rhinehart
  • MLB impact:  Not much point in discussing this one too much.  This was simply a dump trade by the Reds to make room for a rookie.  I don’t really know why the Nats were interested in Gomes though, as they clearly aren’t going anywhere this season.
  • DTBL impact:  Gomes has been on the Cougars bench since May.  Since he figures to remain a platoon player in DC, it is unlikely he’ll give the Cougars much of a boost from here on out.

July 27 – Cardinals/Blue Jays/White Sox

  • Cardinals get:  SP Edwin Jackson (free agent), RP Octavio Dotel (free agent), RP Marc Rzepczynski, OF Corey Patterson, 3 PTBNL
  • Blue Jays get:  OF Colby Rasmus (Naturals), 3B Mark Teahen, RP Brian Tallet, RP Trevor Miller, RHP P.J. Walters
  • White Sox get:  RP Jason Frasor, RHP Zach Stewart
  • MLB impact:  This was one of the strangest trades of the week in that it featured two teams in tight division races selling off pieces while a non-contender acquired the biggest impact player.  Rasmus had lost favor in St. Louis and had been relegated to the bench.  So the Cardinals getting rid of him wasn’t terribly surprising, but they certainly sold low on a talented player.  They did acquire some much needed help for their rotation with Jackson though.  The 27 year old Jackson has already been traded 7 times in his career!  He’s a free agent after this season too, so it is likely he’ll be in yet another uniform next year.  The White Sox got a nice reliever in Frasor, but this trade was mostly done to shed some payroll.  Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are probably the big winners in this trade, getting Rasmus for hardly anything.
  • DTBL impact:  Jackson and Dotel are free agents.  The Kings dumped Jackson about a month ago.  It is possible some other team will give him a shot now that he is pitching for a NL team that can score some runs.  This was a great trade for the Naturals since Rasmus will return to being an everyday player.  Also, he could see a big spike in his numbers playing in a good hitters park and as part of a strong lineup.

July 28 – Giants/Mets

  • Giants get:  OF Carlos Beltran (Demigods)
  • Mets get:  RHP Zach Wheeler
  • MLB impact:  Beltran was considered the premier offensive player on the market, and the Giants definitely needed some offensive help.  Beltran should give the Giants a significant boost as they attempt to defend their World Series title.  He will be a free agent following this season, so it made sense for the Mets to trade him.  Apparently, Wheeler is a very highly regarded pitching prospect, so this should be a good trade for both teams.
  • DTBL impact:  Even though this was one of the biggest trades of the week, it will probably have a minimal effect on the Demigods.  Beltran is moving from one pitchers park to another and probably a weaker supporting cast.  Beltran is also not the fantasy player he used to be since his power numbers are down and he doesn’t steal a lot of bases any more.

July 29 – Phillies/Astros

  • Phillies get:  OF Hunter Pence (Jackalope)
  • Astros get:  RHP Jarred Cosart, 1B/OF Jonathan Singleton, RHP Josh Zeid, PTBNL
  • MLB impact:  This is a huge trade for the Phillies who have had a bit of a black hole in right field this season.  It makes their already impressive lineup just a bit stronger, further strengthening their resume as the best team in the National League.  The Giants are still a threat due to their pitching, but the Phillies are the team to beat in October.  Meanwhile, this was phase one in the Astros fire sale.  They acquired some very good prospects, but the near term future is not bright.
  • DTBL impact:  I would call this deal a big win for the Jackalope, who have had almost nothing but positive developments all season.  Pence figures to get a lot more RBI opportunities in Philly and is going to a great hitters park.  The Jacaklope lead has shrunk a bit in recent days, but this trade should give their offense a boost.

July 30 – Red Sox/Royals

  • Red Sox get:  2B Mike Aviles (free agent)
  • Royals get:  INF Yamaico Navarro, RHP Kendal Volz
  • MLB impact:  Not much to this deal.  Aviles was simply a utility player in Kansas City and that will continue to be the case in Boston.
  • DTBL impact:  It is unlikely the DTBL free agent Aviles will attract much attention following this deal.  His playing time will be severely limited.

July 30 – Rangers/Orioles

  • Rangers get:  RP Koji Uehera (Gators)
  • Orioles get:  P Tommy Hunter, 1B/3B Chris Davis
  • MLB impact:  The Rangers picked up a setup man who has some of the best numbers in the league this season.  Uehera has incredible 64/8 strike out/walk numbers in 48 IP.  They gave up a pair of players who they didn’t have much use for either, so this has to be viewed as a good deal for them.  On the Orioles side, not receiving any legitimate prospects was surprising, but they did get two MLB ready players.  They didn’t appear to have anywhere to put Davis when the trade was made, but the Lee trade a few hours later opened up 1B for him.
  • DTBL impact:  Minimal.  The Gators have used Uehera almost all year, but unless he’s going to start getting save opportunities (very unlikely), this trade doesn’t change his value at all.

July 30 – Indians/Rockies

  • Indians get:  SP Ubaldo Jimenez (Gators)
  • Rockies get:  RHP Alex White, RHP Joseph Gardner, IF/OF Matt McBride, LHP Drew Pomeranz
  • MLB impact:  I don’t like to criticize teams for trying to go for it all when the opportunity presents itself, but I think this may be a bit of a short-sighted trade by the Indians.  Yes, they are only a couple games out of first right now, but I believe they have overachieved to this point and are unlikely to win the division even with Jimenez.  Meanwhile, they traded away two of their best pitching prospects.  Jimenez should benefit by no longer pitching in Coors Field.  Also, the NL to AL switch is less significant in this case since he is going to pitch in a very mediocre AL Central.  He is not a free agent to-be, so this trade could be an important building block for the Indians, but call me skeptical.  Great deal for the Rockies, IMO.
  • DTBL impact:  It will be very interesting to see how Jimenez pitches in Cleveland.  He hasn’t been a truly elite pitcher in well over a year now.  The Gators need him to return to his early 2010 form in order to help revive their middle-of-the-road pitching staff.  It’s all about how well he pitches.  This trade probably won’t affect his numbers that much one way or the other.

July 30 – Giants/Indians

  • Giants get:  SS Orlando Cabrera (Moonshiners)
  • Indians get:  OF Thomas Neal
  • MLB impact:  I was a little surprised by this trade on the Indians side.  On the heals of their Jimenez deal, they sold off a valuable veteran in Cabrera.  Apparently, they are very comfortable with Jason Kipnis as their everyday 2B, even though he just made his MLB debut earlier this week.  I think it came down to Cabrera requesting to go somewhere he was wanted.  The Giants are a perfect fit.  He has a wealth of playoff experience and can help fill a number of roles for the Giants.
  • DTBL impact:  The Moonshiners have been shuffling Cabrera in and out of their lineup.  That doesn’t figure to change much, but this is still a good trade for them because Cabrera was seeing his role diminish in Cleveland.  He could still provide some value for the Moonshiners before this season ends.

July 30 – Pirates/Orioles

  • Pirates get:  1B Derrek Lee (Choppers)
  • Orioles get:  1B Aaron Baker
  • MLB impact:  The Lyle Overbay era as the Pirates starting 1B is mercifully over.  The Pirates got so little production from that position, it is a miracle they are still in contention.  Lee provides a significant upgrade at that position.  I doubt it will be enough for them to hang with the Cardinals and Brewers, but it was the right move to make.  Obviously, getting rid of the veteran Lee made sense for the Orioles who are going nowhere fast.
  • DTBL impact:  The Choppers haven’t used Lee since May.  I don’t see this trade changing his role too much since he is probably in a worse hitting situation in Pittsburgh.  He is a capable replacement though, should they need to call on him.

July 31 – Cardinals/Dodgers

  • Cardinals get:  SS Rafael Furcal (Moonshiners)
  • Dodgers get:  OF Alex Castellanos
  • MLB impact:  Furcal is clearly a big upgrade over Ryan Theriot at shortstop for the Cardinals.  This all comes down to him staying healthy.  If he is able to stick in the lineup, he will be a nice addition to the highest scoring team in the NL.  This is pretty much just a dump for the Dodgers.
  • DTBL impact:  Pretty much the same as the impact for the Cardinals.  If Furcal can actually stay healthy, he will be a valuable contributor for the Moonshiners.  This trade doesn’t change his value too much, though he will probably have a chance to score more runs with the likes of Pujols, Holliday and Berkman hitting behind him.

July 31 – Braves/Astros

  • Braves get:  OF Michael Bourn (Jackalope)
  • Astros get:  OF Jordan Schafer, RHP Juan Abreu, RHP Paul Clemens, LHP Brett Oberholtzer
  • MLB impact:  Big addition for the Braves.  They are trying to piece things together with all their recent injuries.  Two obvious needs were center field and leadoff hitter.  Bourn fills both holes.  I think the Braves could have used another power hitter too, but Bourn will certainly improve the offense.  This was part two of the Astros fire sale.  Of course it makes sense for them to get as many decent prospects as they can, but boy are they going to struggle to win games the rest of this year and probably next season too.
  • DTBL impact:  Once again, the Jackalope benefit from the Astros upheaval.  Bourn was putting up great numbers for a pathetic team.  I doubt he will be able to improve upon his current stats too much, but getting out of Houston is definitely a net positive for him and the Jackalope.

July 31 – Rangers/Padres

  • Rangers get:  Mike Adams (Cougars)
  • Padres get:  LHP Robbie Erlin, RHP Joe Wieland
  • MLB impact:  You can pretty much read everything I wrote about the Uehera trade and repeat it here.  In fact, Adams’ stats are almost identical to Uehera’s too.  They have been two of the best setup men in baseball this year.  So Adams is a very nice addition to the Rangers bullpen.  Unlike the Uehera deal though, the Rangers actually gave up prospects to get Adams.  Therefore, I would say this is a good trade for the Padres too.  The Rangers are going to have an awfully strong bullpen.
  • DTBL impact:  Again, a non-closing reliever changing teams doesn’t really change his value much.  Neftali Feliz has struggled at times this season, so Adams could be next in line to get saves if that continues.  But for now, Adams fantasy value is unchanged by this deal.  Perhaps a slight downgrade based on going from a great pitchers park to a hitters paradise.  The Cougars will no doubt continue to use him though.

July 31 – Pirates/Padres

  • Pirates get:  OF Ryan Ludwick (Moonshiners)
  • Padres get:  PTBNL
  • MLB impact:  The Pirates need all the help they can get to improve their offense.  Although I doubt he will make a major splash, Ludwick should help.  Remember, he is only a couple years removed from being a big time power hitter for the Cardinals.  Getting out of PETCO could be just what the doctor ordered.  On the flip side, the dreadful Padres offense will only get worse without Ludwick.  Hard to judge this trade for the Padres though since all they got was a player to be named later.
  • DTBL impact:  This wasn’t one of the big deadline trades, but it has the potential to be one of the biggest in terms of fantasy implications.  The Moonshiners haven’t gotten much out of Ludwick since signing him in early June, but he could be a major contributor the rest of the way.  This deal is a big win for them.

Just a reminder that the DTBL trade deadline is still a couple weeks away.  Trades must be completed by August 15.  We haven’t had a trade since the draft, but this could certainly change in the upcoming weeks.  I think the reason for the lack of trades is two-fold:  a lot of teams have had their hands tied due to a rash of injuries, leaving few healthy bodies to deal.  Also, it seems a lot of teams have needs at the same positions (3B and OF in particular).  But now that the race is starting to heat up, perhaps some teams will get creative to make a deal.

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

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