There are a lot of opinions about the use of performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. The BioGenesis reports have put those opinions back front and center, and if you want sensationalized outrage, you don’t have to look very far to find it. That’s why I’m linking to this piece in the Denver Post by former Rockies outfielder Ryan Spilborghs.
The author apologizes to the tens of this column’s readers for its tardiness. He (i.e. that same author) was on a Chicago-area tarmac.
Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.
1. Top Performances of the Mexican League So Far
2. Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
3. Today’s Complete Schedule
Top Performances of the Mexican League So Far
A Brief Introduction
Featured in this edition of the Notes are the SCOUT leaderboards for the Mexican League. Briefly stated, SCOUT represents an attempt to use our knowledge of certain metrics, and at what sample sizes they become reliable, to measure run production/prevention in instances where small samples are all that’s available. Stated less briefly, is the explanation available here.
Other recent editions: Triple-A / Double-A / High-A / Class A / Low-A.
Although Jeff Samardzija is dealing these days, and was a fifth-round pick who scored a major league deal when he was drafted in 2006, baseball wasn’t easy for in those in-between years. He walked too many batters in the minors, and it only got worse when he hit the bigs. He could have been forgiven for a little despair. But he opted for evolution instead, working on each of his pitches to find the combination that has led him to where he is now: a top-25 pitcher by WAR with a top-10 strikeout rate among qualified pitchers.
| 11:42 |
: It’s Wednesday, so we’re chatting. The trade value series starts next Monday, so if you have questions about the list that isn’t “where does so and so rank”, fire away.
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| 12:00 |
Do you think the Mets will wind up trading Bobby Parnell, and if so, what kind of return will they get? |
| 12:01 |
: My guess is that they won’t, as there are too many other more veterany rent-a-reliever types on the market that won’t command as high of a price.
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| 12:01 |
How far has Matt Kemp fallen on the trade value list? |
| 12:01 |
: He’s maybe the second toughest guy to peg, after his teammate, Yasiel Puig. Kemp, right now, isn’t on the list. That might change by publication, but it might not. It all depends on how worried one is about the shoulder.
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| 12:02 |
thanks for the chat Dave! just want to know what you think about the all-star selections, if you care about them |
The Fringe Five is a weekly exercise (introduced in April) wherein the author utilizes regressed stats, scouting reports, and also his own heart to identify and/or continue monitoring the most compelling fringe prospects in all of baseball.
Central to this exercise, of course, is a definition of the word fringe. The author recognizes that the word has different connotations for different sorts of readers. For the purposes of this column, however — and for reasons discussed more thoroughly in a recent edition of the Five — the author has considered eligible for the Five any prospect who was absent from all of three notable preseason top-100 prospect lists.
This week, the reader will find that three players retain their place among the Five: contact-heavy Phillies prospect Maikel Franco; Atlanta’s reliever-turned-starter, right-hander Cody Martin; and grievously under-represented White Sox infielder Marcus Semien.
Departing from the Five proper — largely because the author is restless and dumb — are well-educated Mets pitching prospect Matthew Bowman and perpetually youthful other Mets prospect Wilmer Flores.
Replacing that pair are recently promoted Washington left-hander Robbie Ray and right-handed Cleveland prospect Danny Salazar, who is very likely to receive a promotion (to the majors) on Thursday.
Now, here are this week’s Fringe Five:
Maikel Franco, 3B, Philadelphia (Profile)
In last week’s edition of the Five, the present author called attention to Franco’s excellent plate-discipline figures (including, at that point, a 1:2 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 52 plate appearances) as an indication that the 20-year-old was adapting quickly to the Double-A Eastern League. “To sustain such a high contact rate (in particular) would be unlikely, though,” the author either expressly stated or at least suggested quite vigorously. Somewhat surprisingly, however, Franco more or less has sustained those same basic rates. Consider: in his 24 plate appearances for Reading since last Tuesday, the third baseman has recorded a 0:1 walk-to-strikeout ratio, while also hitting a home run. His defense-independent numbers at Reading now? These: 76 PA, 5 HR, 1 BB, 3 K.
You’re going to be reading a lot about Matt Garza, if you haven’t already. This being July, it’s officially trading season, and Garza is probably the best starting pitcher on the market. So, rumors. Let me try to distill what I’ve seen: there’s talk the Cubs might reverse course and sign Garza to a long-term extension, but that probably won’t happen, and Garza will probably be dealt, probably soon. The free-agent-to-be has been scouted by just about everyone with an interest in pitching, because scouting is cheap. Garza’s going to be in demand, and he’s allowed five runs over his last five starts.
Among his opponents over that five-start stretch: the Astros, the Mets, and the White Sox. The Cubs would like to pitch Garza as a top-of-the-rotation ace, but that’s not the right label. By ERA-, he’s been as good as Mat Latos, but by FIP- he matches Scott Feldman, and by xFIP- he matches Yovani Gallardo. Over the rest of the season, ZiPS projects Garza to pitch similarly to Ricky Nolasco and Edwin Jackson. This has all been Matt Garza in a nutshell: he’s a good pitcher and an available pitcher, but he’s a three-month pitcher who isn’t worth torching the farm. He’s unlikely to be a guy who saves a season.
Bob Tewksbury had a lot of success in 1992. Pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals, the right-hander went 16-5 with a 2.16 ERA. A control artist, he walked 20 batters in 233 innings.
He had less success against the Chicago Cubs. In five starts, he allowed 18 runs — 14 of them earned — in 34 innings. Andre Dawson, Mark Grace and Ryne Sandberg went a combined 26 for 65, with 10 extra-base hits, against him.
Tewksbury knows why he struggled against the Cubs, and why he had success against the rest of the National League. The internet age was still a few years away, but notebooks weren’t. Tewksbury logged scouting and statistical information after every game he pitched.
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the best name for a future baseball player, no-trade clauses, RBI and wins, and a starter with Mariano Rivera’s cutter. Cameo by a raccoon.
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| 6:03 |
: Hi everybody!
9 pm ET. Chris and I for sure, hopefully Jeff too. We’ll talk baseball, we’ll talk how awesome I thought “Man Of Steel” was, and we’ll talk about other stuff too. Get your questions and comments in now! (polls at bottom of transcript) |
| 9:02 |
: What’s going on, Voltron?
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| 9:02 |
: Speaking of Voltron…
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| 9:03 |
: Hi
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| 9:03 |
did they have to take braun off the DL right before he’s suspended? ow, right in the stashing options! |
| 9:04 |
: He’ll appeal, and this thing will be dragged out for soooo long.
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The Toronto Blue Jays must decide within the next few weeks whether to make a final push for a playoff spot or focus on the future. While they are still reportedly evaluating potential additions for a second half run, the organization spent a large part of their minor league capital over the off-season, and will have to decide how much more they want to dip into that pool to make a run at a wild card spot.
The Jays began the 2012 season with one of the strongest minor league systems in Major League Baseball. After the trade deadline deals and winter flurries, though, the system fell to the middle of the pack. The depth helped to ensure there are still interesting players in the system but the majority of intriguing prospects are high-risk, high-reward guys that are in A-ball or Rookie ball. The big league club has already suffered from a lack of depth at the upper levels of the system by relying on players such Munenori Kawasaki (a solid backup but a stretch as a starting shortstop), Andy LaRoche, Chien-Ming Wang, Ramon Ortiz, Thad Weber, Mickey Storey, Justin Germano, Edgar Gonzalez, and the list goes on and on.
The Jays system has been depleted somewhat, but it isn’t barren. For interest’s sake, let’s look at some players still in the system that could be part of the team’s future, or could be used to make a short-term upgrade in pursuit of a 2013 playoff push.