Offseason Notes for December 9th

by
December 9, 2011


Alex Gonzalez attempts to approximate Yuni Betancourt’s range at shortstop.

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

1. Assorted Headlines
2. FAN Projection Targets: Pujols, Reyes, Wilson
3. Crowdsourcing Broadcasters: Chicago (NL) Television

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

Brewers Sign Shortstop Gonzalez
This may or may not receive a longer write-up in these pages soon, but, as one who lives in Wisconsin, I’m very happy to announce that the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to terms Thursday with shortstop Alex Gonzalez on a one-year contract (MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reporting). The terms of the deal haven’t been released, but, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes, Gonzalez made only $2.5 million last season with Atlanta. The deal reportedly includes a vesting option for 2013. Gonzalez is notable for not being Yuniesky Betancourt.

Yankees to Sign Former Top Prospect Miller
The New York Yankees close to signing former top pitching prospect Adam Miller to minor league deal, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Miller, now 27, appeared on Baseball America’s top-100 prospect list every year from 2005 to ’08. As a 21-year-old at Double-A Akron in 2006, he posted a 24.7% strikeout rate versus only a 6.8% walk rate, but hasn’t pitched full season since then, missing all of 2009 and ’10 with a horrid middle finger problem.

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FAN Projections: Pujols, Reyes, Wilson
We’ve recently begun accepting entries for our 2012 FAN Projections. During the offseason, we’ll feature select players as “targets” for projection.

Today, we look at three recent high-profile free-agent signings: new Angel first baseman Albert Pujols, new Marlin shortstop, and new Angel starter C.J. Wilson.

After hitting only .267/.336/.419 (.259 BABIP) through the first two months of the season, Pujols slashed .318/.383/.613 (.288 BABIP) the rest of the way, ending the year with a 148 wRC+ and 5.1 WAR. With their 10-year, $254 million offer, the Angels are paying Pujols like about a 6.7-win player in 2012. Will he be?

After a pair of disappointing seasons, Reyes once again returned to the level of production he displayed in 2006-08, posting a career-low strikeout rate (7.0%) and career-best BABIP (.353) en route to winning the batting title in the National League. He signed with the Marlins earlier this week for six years and $106 million.

Wilson has 77 starts in the past two years — the only starts he’s made as a major leaguer since 2006, it turns out. After posting a 97 xFIP- and 4.6 WAR in 2010, Wilson improved to reached a new level in 2011, with 84 and 5.9 figures, respectively. He was generally miserable in the playoffs, however. How much ought we to weight that postseason performance?

Click here to cast your 2012 projection ballot for these recent high-profile signings.

Crowdsourcing Broadcasters: Chicago (NL) Television
This offseason, FanGraphs is asking readers to rate the broadcast teams for all 30 major-league clubs. (Click here for more on this project.)

Rate other teams: Arizona / Atlanta / Baltimore / Boston / Chicago (AL).





 

Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

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Bill@TPA
13 years ago

Best broadcasting duo in baseball (unless you want to count Vin Scully as two people, which is entirely fair and reasonable).

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