Author Archive
Justin Upton’s Future Value
With Kevin Towers back at the helm of a Major League franchise, we can be assured of one thing – he’ll create enough trade rumors to keep Tim Dierkes busy for life. If loose lips really did sink ships, Towers could take out an armada in a matter of minutes. Today’s rumor du jour is that the Diamondbacks will be willing to listen to calls for young right fielder Justin Upton. In reality, most every GM is willing to listen to calls for most every player on their roster, so this probably doesn’t mean anything. But, just for fun, let’s figure out what Upton might be worth if Arizona really did put him on the market.
Boras on Manny
Scott Boras – open, honest, and realistic? Not the first three words that would spring to most people’s minds, but his conversation with Bill Shaikin about Manny Ramirez is just that. A few of the quotes about Manny.
Bias or Insight?
You’ve probably heard by now that Dejan Kovacevic, a beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, filed a National League Rookie of the Year ballot that included two players from the Pirates, but did not include Jason Heyward. Kovacevic put both Neil Walker and Jose Tabata ahead of Heyward, but behind the guy who won the award, Buster Posey.
As is usual whenever there’s an odd ballot, it didn’t take long for there to be something of a brouhaha over Kovacevic’s choices. Initially, the question was how someone could leave Heyward off the ballot entirely. Once it was discovered that he left him off in favor of two guys from the team he covers on a daily basis, the presumption switched from idiocy to bias. A Pittsburgh writer votes for two Pittsburgh players? His job obviously cost him his objectivity.
Except, there’s a problem.
Marlins Deal Busted Prospect or a Decent Player?
Over the weekend, the Marlins pulled the plug on the Miguel Cabrera trade, shipping off both Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin in separate deals that brought them some bullpen help. I like several of the arms that they got in return, so it would be unfair to label these moves as dumping busted prospects, but it’s clear that this is not what the Marlins were expecting when they got Detroit’s two top prospects in exchange for Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis three years ago.
JoePawl will have more on Miller and the Marlins haul in a bit. For now, though, let’s talk about Maybin.
Billy Flips The Script
As Matthew pointed out after the A’s acquired David DeJesus from the Royals, Oakland certainly has a player type that they favor at the moment – good defender, some walks, and a dash of gap power. They have kept their costs down by eschewing players who hit home runs and focusing on what they feel are skills that are still undervalued. DeJesus fit perfectly into the mold of previous acquisitions, and when Billy Beane acquired him, we all just nodded our heads and said “yeah, of course.”
Apparently Billy woke up this morning annoyed with his own predictability, because this afternoon, he decided to acquire the antithesis of the rest of his roster, claiming Edwin Encarnacion off waivers from the Blue Jays. Encarnacion is probably the least A’s like player in baseball.
Contract Crowdsourcing Results: Juan Uribe
Juan Uribe, playoff hero*, is not worth much more than Jhonny Peralta, says the crowd. Or, at least, the expectation is that the contracts they sign this winter will be similar, which either bodes well for whoever signs Uribe or quite poorly for the Tigers. On to the results.
Want To Write For FanGraphs?
From time to time, we get asked how one goes about getting a job writing for FanGraphs? Well, here’s your chance – email wanted@fangraphs.com and apply for a position. With FanGraphs, RotoGraphs, and now the new NotGraphs blog, we have a variety of different outlets and are always looking for good people to contribute.
These are paid, part-time positions. If you wish to apply, please make sure you meet the following criteria:
1. You can write in a clear, concise manner.
2. You are familiar with the stats here on the site
3. You have analytical skills and can apply them in your writing.
4. You are available to write on a regular schedule.
In the subject of your application email, put the name of the blog (FanGraphs, RotoGraphs, or NotGraphs) that you feel best suits your skills. In the email itself, please give a brief rundown of why you’d like to write for the site, along with links to samples of work that you feel represents what you bring to the table.
Derek Jeter Won The Gold Glove Because He’s Old
Derek Jeter is not the best defensive shortstop in the American League. That is not really a controversial statement, and you don’t have to be a believer in UZR to agree with the sentiment. So, why does he keep winning the Gold Glove award?