As noted by David Appelman yesterday, we’ve begun accepting entries for our 2012 FAN Projections. During the offseason, we’ll feature select players as “targets” for projection.

Today, we look at 2011’s main award winners: NL MVP Ryan Braun, NL CY Young Clayton Kershaw, and AL Cy Young/MVP combo package Justin Verlander.

For the fourth consecutive season, Braun improved both his strikeout and walk rates, en route to a 7.8 WAR.

The left-handed Kershaw cut his walk rate by almost 40% and, at 23, became the youngest Cy Young winner since Dwight Gooden in 1985.

Verlander won the AL Cy Young award unanimously, taking all 28 first-place votes, and — whether because of his excellent performance in the advanced metrics, or merely his 24 wins — took the league’s MVP award, as well.

Click here to cast your 2012 projection ballot for 2011’s award winners.

Episode 107
No team has seen more activity of late than the Houston Astros. Zachary Levine has covered the team’s busy offseason for the Houston Chronicle — and is one of the sorts of beat reporters who utilizes things like “reason” and “evidence.” In this episode, Levine discusses the team’s GM search, miserable near-future, and slightly less miserable future-future.

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

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Audio after the jump. (Approximately 23 min. play time.)

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As site founder and iron-fisted ruler David Appelman noted this morning, the beginning of December heralds the arrival of FAN Projection ballots to the site.

It also heralds the arrival of posts like this one, in which we, the authors of FanGraphs, attempt to coerce you, the readership, into casting votes for two or three select players.

Today, we look at three catchers whose fates are linked: Ramon Hernandez, Chris Iannetta, and Devin Mesoraco.

The 35-year-old Hernandez signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract with the Rockies on Wednesday after three years with the Cincinnati Reds.

Hernandez’ arrival in Denver was made possible by the departure of Iannetta, whom the Rockies sent to the Angels — also on Wednesday — in exchange for right-hander Tyler Chatwood.

Hernandez was made redundant in Cincinnati by the development of the 23-year-old catching prospect Mesoraco. Mesoraco made only 53 plate appearances with the major-league club in 2011, but is more than likely to assume starting duties in 2012.

Click here to enter projections for the catching triumvirate.

How switch-pitcher Pat Venditte, eligible for December’s Rule 5 draft, appears to opposing batters.

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

1. Assorted Headlines
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Venezuelan Winter League
3. Prospecting: John Sickels’ Top-20 List for Toronto

Assorted Headlines
All the nerd that’s fit to print.

Some Rule 5 Eligible Players
Baseball America’s John Manuel has provided analysis of the most eligible of the Rule 5-eligible players. The piece is subscriber-only, but includes two names that ought to be familiar to FanGraphs readers: outfielder Andrew Lambo (acquired by Pittsburgh in the Octavio Dotel trade) and switch-pitcher Pat Venditte (who has produced exclusively excellent numbers in the minors). Also available in the draft, which occurs December 8th, is outfielder Jiwan James, whom BA actually just named the ninth-overall prospect in the Philadelphia organization.

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Episode 106
After a pair of weighty episodes, FanGraphs Audio makes an about face and embraces the entirely vapid and superficial. Who better to help in that endeavor than Dayn Perry?! Matters discussed: David DeJesus signing with the Cubs; Bobby Valentine, with the Red Sox; and little else of substance.

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 25 min. play time.)

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Pittsburgh’s Starling Marte: kinda, sorta baseball’s top prospect.

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

1. Projecting: Some Notable OLIVER Projections
2. Projecting: ZiPS for Seattle
3. Crowdsourcing Broadcasters: Baltimore Television

Projecting: Some Notable OLIVER Projections
Brian Cartwright’s OLIVER projections are now available at The Hardball Times. Some minor technical issues might remain with the functionality, although I personally have had no problems.

As I did last year, I’ve assembled below what can most accurately be described as a “Kinda, Sorta” Prospect List — in that it’s simply a list of the top-10 rookie-eligible batters sorted purely by OLIVER’s projected 2012 WAR. (Projections assume a full MLB season.)

Note that Jesus Montero, Mike Moustakas, Jason Kipnis, Todd Frazier, and Ryan Lavarnway — i.e. all players who both (a) made their major-league debuts in 2011 and (b) played decently while doing so — were all on this same list last season.

A Kinda, Sorta Prospect List

1. Starling Marte, OF, PIT
2. Jedd Gyorko, 3B, SDN
3. Derek Norris, C, WAS
4. Andrelton Simmons, SS, ATL
5. Adam Eaton, OF, ARI
6. Anthony Rendon, 3B, WAS
7. Matt Carpenter, 3B, STL
8. Jaff Decker, LF, SDN
9. Brian Dozier, SS, MIN
10. Joe Panik, SS, SFN

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Episode 105
David Laurila, curator of the FanGraphs Q&A series, had the opportunity to speak with the late Greg Halman this summer at Fenway Park. While the audio wasn’t originally intended for public release, it serves as touching portrait of a talented young athlete — and ambassador for Dutch baseball — whose life ended tragically.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes.

Audio after the jump. (Approximately 16 min. play time.)

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The Baltimore Orioles wanna Schoop.

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

1. Assorted Headlines
2. Prospecting: John Sickels’ Top-20 List for Baltimore
3. Crowdsourcing Broadcasters: Atlanta Television

Assorted Headlines
Twins Signs Seven
Matt Eddy’s most recent Minor League Transaction report for Baseball America reveals that Minnesota has been quite active of late in signing minor leaguers. Almost all the signings have purpose and upside: outfielder Wilkin Ramirez has had contact issues but has both power and speed, is only 26, and can likely play an average center field; former Cincinnati prospect, right-hander Daryl Thompson, is also just 26 and has a history of success; former Rocky Sam Deduno has had problems with control, but has also posted ground-ball rates in the high-50s throughout his minor-league career.

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Episode 104
Managing Editor Dave Cameron discusses not only the trade of John Jaso to the Mariners from the Rays in exchange for reliever Josh Lueke, and also the firing of Ed Wade, but also takes an analytical — and yet still decidedly personal — look at his illness and subsequent treatment.

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 30 min. play time.)

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Committed baseball fans spend upwards of three or four hours per day during the season watching (or listening to) their favorite team play — and watching, via Extra Innings or MLB.TV, a number of other games outside their respective television markets. Given the interest in the sport, it’s not surprising to find entire websites (like the present one, for instance) dedicated to analyzing the performances of players, front offices, etc.

As most fans will agree, however, it’s frequently difficult to separate the experience of watching this or that team from the broadcasters whose job it is to narrate and comment upon the action. Residents of Wisconsin would be hard-pressed to imagine Brewer baseball without Bob Uecker’s constant celebration of beer and cured meat; Dodger fans have a similar affection for the aged and ageless Vin Scully; Cubs broadcaster Len Kasper is one of a growing number of announcers who’ve embraced sabermetrics; and White Sox TV play-by-play man Hawk Harrelson is… another person employed in this capacity.

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