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Episode 273
FanGraphs managing editor Dave Cameron analyzes all baseball — and, in particular, the part of baseball concerning who, between Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, is likely to have the better 2013 and beyond. Also: Giancarlo Stanton, how he’s mostly as good as either Harper or Trout. Also-also: how Maicer Izturis is probably a deal and/or steal for Toronto.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @cistulli on Twitter.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.

Audio after the jump. (Approximately 37 min play time.)

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Two Comments on the Venezuelan Winter League
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Venezuelan Winter League
3. Video: Bruce Rondon Attempts a Little Murder

Two Comments on the Venezuelan Winter League
Comment No. 1: Regarding Possible Detroit Closer, Bruce Rondon
There have been indications so far this offseason — including from general manager Dave Dombrowski himself — that Detroit will look to replace the closer role recently vacated by free agent Jose Valverde not only with (a) a pitcher already in the organization, generally speaking, but (b) minor-league right-hander Bruce Rondon, specifically. The 21-year-old Rondon — who pitched at High-, Double-, and Triple-A all this season — sits in the high-90s and has hit 100 mph pretty consistently, according to people who would know such things.

Today marks Rondon’s first appearance on the SCOUT pitching leaderboards for the Venezuelan Winter League (below), where he’s posted an 11:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 8.0 innings of relief for Magallanes.

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Episode 272
RotoGraphs editor Eno Sarris discusses offseason preparedness, generally — and ottoneu’s impending arbitration deadline, specifically.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @cistulli on Twitter.

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Audio after the jump. (Approximately 49 min play time.)

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Table of Contents
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1. An Especial Puerto Rican Box Score
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League League
3. Two-Year-Old Video: Cleveland Prospect Roberto Perez

An Especial Puerto Rican Box Score
The reader, because he’s In the Know, is surely aware that Thursday represented the start of the Puerto Rican League. Of particular note, however, was a game between Gigantes de Carolina and Indios de Mayaguez that featured a number of players who are worth monitoring for various reasons — reasons which are (mostly) articulated below.

First, here’s the relevant box score for Carolina:

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Episode 271
Dayn Perry, contributor to CBS Sports’ Eye on Baseball and author of two books (one of them serviceable), is equal parts homemaker and a homebreaker.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @cistulli on Twitter.

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Audio after the jump. (Approximately 56 min play time.)

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Table of Contents
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1. Three Transactions That Just Happened
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Dominican Winter League
3. Double Video Situation: Domingo Santana Hitting Home Runs

Three Transactions That Just Happened
Here are three transactions that just happened — where, by just, we are understood to mean “last two or three days.”

Arizona Signs Garrett Mock
Right-handed reliever Garrett Mock had some success out of the bullpen with the Nationals in 2008, posting an 89 xFIP- in 91.1 innings 41.0 innings. He’s had no major-league success in the meantime, however. He did post a 68:28 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 61.2 innings between the Triple-A affiliates of Boston and Houston in 2012. Also, he’s been signed by Kevin Towers now, who has a reputation for identifying possible reclamation projects.

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Apropos largely of nothing — except his notable performance, I suppose, in this past Saturday’s Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game — I’ve dedicated considerable attention to Reds (now) outfield prospect Billy Hamilton in these electronic pages over the last 48 hours.

Hamilton, because he has a tool (in this case, speed) considered by many to be generational, has produced excitement among prospect analysts. In some cases, that excitement is analogous with optimism about Hamilton’s future as a major leaguer; in other cases, it’s more of an aesthetic judgment than any sort of projection about Hamilton’s career.

I wanted, briefly, to speak to the first point — and, specifically, to establish some sort of framework (however rough) for what speed is actually worth in terms of runs and wins.

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Three Notable Minor-League Free Agents of Note
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League
3. Unhelpful Video: Marquez Smith Hitting a Home Run in 2010

Three Notable Minor-League Free Agents of Note
On Tuesday, Baseball America released a list of 549 minor-league free agents. Below are three of the players from said list likely to appeal to the reader’s sophisticated tastes. (All ages are from 2012.)

Name: Cedric Hunter, 24, OF
2012 Org: St. Louis
2012 Stats: 412 PA. .268/.355/.375 (.289 BABIP), 92 wRC+ (Triple-A)
Notes: A third-round pick out of a Georgia high school in 2006, Hunter was traded to St. Louis this past April after spending six seasons in the Padres organization. His contact skills are fantastic: he’s posted a 9.0% strikeout rate in over 3,000 career minor-league plate appearances. He he only marginal power, however, which has limited his offensive game. Most reports suggest that, defensively, he can handle center, but isn’t major-league average, probably. He does seem like an interesting option as an inexpensive fourth outfielder.

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Episode 270
Matt Klaassen is a contributor to FanGraphs and a PhD candidate in Philosophy. He’s also the guest on this edition of FanGraphs Audio.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @cistulli on Twitter.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.

Audio after the jump. (Approximately 1 hr 20 min play time.)

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Crowdsourcing Results: Billy Hamilton’s Whole Career
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Venezuelan Winter League
3. Video: Most or All of Alex Torres’s Repertoire

Crowdsourcing Results: Billy Hamilton’s Whole Career
Reds prospect Billy Hamilton has earned considerable attention from prospect analysts for possessing what is likely generational footspeed. At the same time, he’s showed little power and is a defensive uncertainty, having just converted to center field from shortstop.

A curious sort of person might ask, “What will Hamilton’s career look like, ultimately?”

In yesterday’s edition of the Notes, I asked readers to consider that very question, providing a form that would allow them (i.e. those same readers) to project Billy Hamilton’s future career WAR. Below are the results of that effort, as of last night.

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