Archive for Teams

After having typically appeared in the hallowed pages of Baseball Think Factory, Dan Szymborski’s ZiPS projections have now been released at FanGraphs for half a decade. The exercise continues this offseason. Below are the projections for the Chicago Cubs. Szymborski can be found at ESPN and on Twitter at @DSzymborski.

Batters
Dan Szymborski’s computer projects only three Cubs — Kris Bryant (670 PA, 5.8 zWAR), Anthony Rizzo (658, 4.9), and Addison Russell (508, 3.0) — to produce three wins or more in 2018, yet all eight of the positions on the depth-chart image below are forecast to reach that mark (within a rounding error, at least).

The cause of that discrepancy is as obvious as the deep, unabating terror in every mortal heart: the Cubs use platoons often and to good effect. Ben Zobrist (478, 1.9), for example, lacks a set role but is likely to complement Javier Baez (507, 1.7) and Jason Heyward (538, 2.3) at second base and right field, respectively. Ian Happ (545, 2.2), meanwhile, will probably share center and left fields with Albert Almora (437, 1.2) and Kyle Schwarber (511, 1.2).

As for weaknesses, no obvious one exists in the starting lineup as it’s presently constructed. That said, neither Almora nor Schwarber seem to be great candidates for a full-time role on a championship club — or, not according to ZiPS, at least. Were Happ to suffer an injury or fail to compensate for his strikeout rates with sufficient power on contact, then the team might be compelled to look for help elsewhere.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mike Shawaryn hadn’t put much thought into it. Finger pressure is instrumental in his success, both as a pitcher and as a musician, but how the two intertwine isn’t a subject he’d addressed. Not until I broached the subject this winter.

A 22-year-old right-hander out of the University of Maryland, Shawaryn is one of the top prospects in the Red Sox system (Baseball America has him No. 8; Eric Longenagen expects to rank him similarly when he puts together his forthcoming Red Sox list). Displaying a power arsenal, he fanned 169 batters in 134-and-two-thirds innings last year between low-A Greenville and high-A Salem.

When he’s not blowing away hitters, Shawaryn is playing the piano and the saxophone — and he’s a neophyte with neither. Boston’s pick in the fifth round of the 2016 draft has been tickling the ivories and blowing on a sax ever since his elementary school days in South Jersey.

Both instruments require dexterous fingers. Ditto pitching, where you’re gripping and releasing an object whose movement is influenced by the placement of digits on seams. Is there a direct correlation?

“I’ve never really thought about it like that, but the feel of the ball in your hand is obviously important,” Shawaryn said after first contemplating the idea. “Now, kind of connecting the dots, I’d say it’s the piano more so than the saxophone. The pressure you put on the keys determines the sound of it, the shape of the music. That’s probably helped me develop a type of feel in my fingers for the seams on the ball — what fingers I need to put pressure on to influence the shape of a pitch.”

And then there are rhythm and tempo. Pitchers change speeds within an at bat, and musicians change speeds within a song. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday, I wrote a post about how the opportunity should be there for some low-spending team to buy a prospect. There are high-spending teams looking to shed expensive commitments, and there are lower-payroll teams who ought to have some nearer-term financial flexibility. The example I leaned on most heavily was the Dodgers and Matt Kemp, since the Dodgers would like to move Kemp if they are to re-sign Yu Darvish and still avoid exceeding the competitive-balance-tax threshold. There’s nothing controversial in here. If anything, it’s all terribly obvious. Of course the Dodgers would like to dump Kemp’s salary, and of course some other teams would be interested in assuming some dead money if it came along with younger value.

The Dodgers have plenty of younger value. Plenty of options, for designing a reasonable Kemp package. This would be precisely the hold-up; other teams want more than the Dodgers have so far been willing to give. Where I ran into some resistance was when I talked specifically about Wilmer Font. That is, Wilmer Font, as a would-be Matt Kemp offset. Font is a 27-year-old righty with seven innings of major-league experience. In those seven innings, he’s allowed nine runs. He’s nowhere high on any prospect list. Even more, I’m given to understand he’s out of options!

Let me quickly try to explain myself. I know that Font seemed like a weird guy to bring up. And I have no idea how many teams might actually be interested in him. But I know for a fact the answer’s not zero. Font has been on few radars, but he’s coming off a truly incredible season.

Read the rest of this entry »

After having typically appeared in the hallowed pages of Baseball Think Factory, Dan Szymborski’s ZiPS projections have now been released at FanGraphs for half a decade. The exercise continues this offseason. Below are the projections for the San Diego Padres. Szymborski can be found at ESPN and on Twitter at @DSzymborski.

Batters
San Diego hitters recorded the lowest collective WAR figure in the majors last year, compiling just seven wins as a group, or about 26 fewer than the Houston Astros’ cohort. This offseason, meanwhile, has seen the departure of Yangervis Solarte — who, for whatever his shortcomings, has nevertheless been the club’s most productive position player over the last three years. This would appear to spell trouble for erstwhile managing editor Dave Cameron and his new colleagues.

And yet, not that. A brief examination of the depth-chart image below reveals a Starting Eight that projects as profoundly average. And while that might not be regarded as welcome news for some clubs, it represents a promising development for the young Padres. There isn’t anything in the way of star-level power here — Manuel Margot (585 PA, 3.2 zWAR) and Wil Myers (648, 3.2) both profile more as above-average regulars than clear All-Stars — but there is also little in the way of glaring weakness.

Of some interest is how the team handles second base. Cory Spangenberg (527, 1.3) earns the top forecast of the players likely to receive time there, but Carlos Asuaje (609, 1.2) started about half the club’s games at second last season. Prospect Luis Urias (558, 1.8), meanwhile, has a better WAR forecast than either of them.

Read the rest of this entry »

You might remember Rob Mains from the work he contributed to this site’s Community blog. More recently, he’s been doing great things over at Baseball Prospectus. Just this past month, he was nominated for a SABR award.

Mains wrote a piece over at BP in the middle of January that I found to be of interest. It came shortly after the Pirates shedded Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen, with Pirates owner Bob Nutting claiming he couldn’t afford to keep star players around at market rates.

Mains’ piece is, in part, a meditation on what we ought to expect of a pro sports team’s ownership — and, in particular, if there should be a moral obligation, or civic responsibility, inherent to holding such an asset.

Read the rest of this entry »

We all love Christian Yelich the baseball player. Or, at least, we all should love Christian Yelich the ballplayer. He’s coming off back-to-back 4.5-win seasons and is just entering his age-26 campaign. ZiPS calls for him to produce just slightly more than 20 wins in the next five seasons. He is, in short, one of the game’s great young stars.

The Brewers certainly made their love for Yelich evident recently, shipping off a rich prospect package to Miami in order to acquire him. No doubt part of their interest in him is due to the fact that he’s also signed to one of the most club-friendly deals in the sport. If he produces wins at the sort of rate that ZiPS suggests, the Brewers will be quite happy no matter what becomes of Lewis Brinson and company.

Read the rest of this entry »

Position: Baseball Operations Intern

Location: Seattle

Description:
The Seattle Mariners are working to build a winning team with exceptionally talented people. If you are passionate about baseball and eager to make an impact using your skills, learn more about this exciting opportunity to join our Baseball Operations team. This individual will provide support to our scouting operations while working closely with various members of our Baseball Operations team.

Primary Objective:
Support the baseball operations department in day-to-day scouting operation tasks, administration, and research.

Essential Functions:

• Assist Pro Scouting Department in a variety of areas: research projects, prospect lists, and in-office administrative duties while providing support to field staff
• Provide support in all areas of advance scouting, including, preparation of the advance scouting report, game day duties, and preparation for pre-series meetings
• Support the Amateur Scouting Department leading up to and during the Amateur Draft
• Provide additional statistical analysis, economic and financial research as assigned or as time permits

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred. Equivalent, relevant work may be considered in lieu of formal education if approved by management.
• Spanish speaking skills is a plus
• Previous evaluation or playing experience a plus, but not required

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA’s):

• Working knowledge of statistical baseball data and its application as it pertains to scouting information
• Working knowledge of baseball strategy and current in-game management trends
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel & PowerPoint
• Excellent interpersonal skills with proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Self-motivated with a high degree of integrity; takes personal responsibility for getting things done in a way that positively and professionally represents the organization
• Demonstrated initiative; thinks creatively and takes actions that create a positive outcome for the team

Dates:
Start date is flexible. End date is end of the 2018 season. Preference will be given to candidates who can start by March 1, 2018.

To Apply:
Interested and qualified applicants may apply by February 7, 2018 through the following link: Baseball Operations Intern

Health issues have thrown Patrick Murphy a curve. Toronto’s pick in the third round of the 2013 draft has had Tommy John surgery, thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and a nerve moved in his elbow. As a result, he went into last season having amassed just 94.2 professional innings.

He more than doubled that total in 2017. Four years into what had been a frustrating career, the 22-year-old right-hander was finally able to cast aside his injury demons and demonstrate an ability to flummox opposing batters. Featuring a hook-heavy three-pitch mix, Murphy fashioned a 2.94 ERA with the Low-A Lansing Lugnuts, then finished up the year by making two starts for high-A Dunedin.

Late in the season, I asked the 6-foot-4 curveball specialist about the arduous path he’s taken to what now qualifies as promising prospect status.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been waiting for the Diamondbacks to sign Alex Avila for months. It’s not like it’s been some obsession, and it’s not something I’ve thought about every single day, but the fit just always seemed more or less perfect. Avila is younger than the departed Chris Iannetta, and, unlike Iannetta, he swings from the left side, which makes him a better partner for Jeff Mathis. Importantly, Avila had a highly promising 2017; importantly, he was never going to cost a fortune, and the Diamondbacks are dealing with limited financial flexibility. It’s a move that I thought was inevitable. Oftentimes, those inevitable moves fail to come to fruition, but at least this one is finally crossing the finish line. Avila is joining the Diamondbacks, on a two-year contract.

He’s going to get paid $8.25 million, and there are additionally some modest incentives. Avila’s likely to be something of a semi-regular, and last year’s 112 games played was his highest total since 2014. When a team uses Avila, he should be platooned, because southpaws just give him awful fits. There are so many reasons to just see this news and move right on by it, like seeing that David Hernandez signed with the Reds. But in case you don’t play much with Statcast tools, Avila’s 2017 was outstanding. He resembled, by one measure, a frightening threat.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Phillies are currently hiring Video Coaching Representatives and TrackMan Operators across multiple affiliate locations.

Position: Video Coaching Representative

Position Overview
Oversee the daily Video Coaching operations at assigned minor league affiliate. Duties will include, but not be limited to, filming and logging home and road games and assisting in daily instructional film sessions with coaches, players, and staff. Representative will also be asked to take part in daily IT assistance within the Video Coaching department and may have the opportunity to contribute in other operational areas including sports science, advance scouting, and analytics as needed.

Essential Duties

• Open and oversee operations of Video Coaching room on a daily basis
• Be able to operate, troubleshoot, and support IP cameras, computer networks, and hard drives Film and accurately log all home and road games using BATS video system
• Upload all logged games to the Phillies Video FTP server in Philadelphia
• Assist with daily video viewing sessions between Phillies coaching staff and players
• Film bullpens, batting practices, and workouts based on requests by Phillies coaches and staff Provide regular status reports to Video Coaching staff in Philadelphia and Clearwater
• Assist with sports science, advance scouting, and analytics initiatives as needed

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or currently enrolled college student
• Must be technology savvy and possess strong knowledge of computers, computer networking, and storage
• Previous experience working with BATS video system is preferred
• Previous experience working in a baseball clubhouse is preferred
• Must possess strong knowledge of the game of baseball
• Must be detail-oriented and well-organized
• Must be able to interact professionally with players, coaches, front office personnel and medical/training staff
• Must be able to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends and holidays
• Must possess strong work ethic
• Must be a team player with strong oral and written communication skills
• Must be active, quick-thinking, and a good technology troubleshooter

Physical Demands and Working Conditions
Must be able to stand and walk in hot conditions for long periods of time.

Position: TrackMan Operator

Position Overview
Log all home games at assigned minor league affiliate using the TrackMan Baseball Analysis software. Operator may have the opportunity to contribute in other operational areas as needed, including sports science equipment maintenance and management.

Essential Duties

• Accurately log all home games of assigned affiliate using TrackMan Baseball Analysis software
• Operate and troubleshoot computer networks
• Upload all logged games to the Phillies TrackMan server in Philadelphia
• Assist with daily analysis between Phillies coaching staff and players
• Assist with special requests from Phillies Minor League Video Coordinator/Phillies Baseball Operations Offices
• Provide regular status reports to Minor League Video Coordinator in Clearwater

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or currently enrolled college student
• Must be technology savvy and possess strong knowledge of computers, computer networking, and storage
• Previous experience working with TrackMan software is preferred
• Previous experience working in a baseball clubhouse is preferred
• Must possess strong knowledge of the game of baseball
• Must be detail-oriented and well-organized
• Must be able to interact professionally with players, coaches, front office personnel, and medical/training staff
• Must be able to work flexible hours including nights, weekends and holidays
• Must possess strong work ethic
• Must be a team player with strong oral and written communication skills

Location Information
The Phillies intend to hire one Video Coaching Representative and one TrackMan Operator for each of the following locations, with the exception of the GCL teams in Clearwater, where they will hire two Video Coaching Representatives (one for each GCL team):

• Allentown, PA (AAA)
• Reading, PA (AA)
• Clearwater, FL (Class A Advanced)
• Lakewood, NJ (Class A)
• Williamsport, PA (Short Season)
• Clearwater, FL (Rookie)

All positions run from mid-March through the end of their respective minor league season, with the exception of Williamsport, which will begin in mid-June, and the Clearwater TrackMan position, which begins in late February.

To Apply
To apply, candidates should send their resume and cover letter to JLipman@Phillies.com with either “Video Coaching Representative” or “TrackMan Operator” in the subject line, along with their affiliate preference if they have one. The team will begin reviewing applications immediately.

The Phillies is an Equal Opportunity Employer.