7/30/11

NFL Free Agency: Roundtable Part 1

On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 2:44 PM, Scott Rodgers wrote:

As expected, a rush of free agent signings, trades, and roster moves has consumed the NFL. It seems as though you can't so much as sign on to Twitter or your favorite message board without something (usually somethings) happening. The Eagles just got Nnamdi Asomugha out of nowhere, and still, some of the biggest names are still available (Nnamdi Asomugha, Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress, Braylon Edwards) so we have more than enough to kick off our NFL coverage.

Bryan, I know your team has to figure out just what to do with DeSean Jackson. I also know that they have been linked to Plaxico though right now they seem to have fallen behind the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers. Philly also traded your boy, Kevin Kolb, for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second rounder in what, at least for now, looks like a complete steal and then added on Nnamdi Asomugha just now.  Besides your own team's drastic improvements and rumblings what has caught your eye so far?

On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:09 PM, Bryan McWethy wrote:

Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie?  I sure hope your tight ends are phenomenal, or you're not passing on us.  The Kolb trade and consequent Vince Young signing is also absolutely one of the best moves this offseason.  Yeah, yeah, I'm an Eagles fan, but it's tough to deny that acquiring a 2nd round pick and an above-average corner with tools to be a top ten corner in the NFL for an unproven quarterback isn't unbelievable value.  And to sign a quarterback who wins most of his games to play backup is phenomenal.  The Eagles OL is shaky (especially with Winston Justice currently on PUP), and that's the reason Vick succeeded, he could move the pocket and buy our OL time.  Signing Jason Babin was a good move I thought as well, the Eagles' DL coach Jim Washburn (former Titans DL coach) coached up Babin and recruited him to Philly.  They still need a LB but I digress, I'm pleased so far with the offseason, and I'd say the Eagles are the winners right now.

What absolutely blew me away was the money going out to all these players.  Charles Johnson for 6 years, $72 million.  Santonio Holmes for 5 years, $50 million.  Kevin Kolb for 5 years, $63 million. The list goes on and on, and while Holmes' makes sense, player value in free agency is more inflated than ever.  Gotta give credit to De Smith and the NFLPA, because this is exactly what they counted on.  Teams who spent no money in the uncapped season last year like the Panthers and Buccaneers have to make outlandishly overpaid signings in order to hit the minimum.  While the latter years seem like a bit more of a win for the owners, these first few years of the CBA heavily benefit the players. 

Although the Panthers are throwing money around like it's play money, I still like their offseason.  Charles Johnson WAS one of the top defensive ends available, and he got the money he would have gotten elsewhere, plus extra because who wants to stay in Carolina?  Re-signing Thomas Davis and Jon Beason was huge, they're both solid players in their primes, although making Beason the highest paid MLB in football is a bit ridiculous.  I love the trade for Greg Olsen too, only surrendering a 3rd rounder.  When healthy (big if with this group), a skill position corps of DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Jeremy Shockey (yeah he's still there), Greg Olsen, Steve Smith is very solid.  The Panthers definitely need another WR on the outside, but they've got a solid O-Line and almost a complete group of skill players.  Cam Newton should have enough to work with to do decently this year, but he'll still have major growing pains.

And then the other team I'm liking so far is your New England Patriots.  It's funny because not two hours ago, the Patriots were bandied about as having the best offseason and the Super Bowl favorites, and now in one fell swoop the Eagles have taken all the headlines.  The acquisitions of Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth for 3 total late picks of the 12,000,000 the Patriots trade down for every year is a genius move.  I'll let you go into further detail there, but those moves really stand to improve them quite a bit.  I'm a bit concerned about how many players they released, but it's tough to doubt the New England way after all these years.  How do you feel about the Patriots' offseason so far and what other teams do you think did well for themselves?  And in contrast to the Eagles, Panthers, and Patriots, what teams have completely whiffed this offseason?  

On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:40 PM, Scott Rodgers wrote:

When it comes to the Pats, none of their subtractions are that major except Ty Warren. Just a week or two ago he was saying to all of the Patriots reporters how healthy he was and how he was in the fantastic shape and blah blah blah. All of a sudden it came out that he actually failed his physical and it wasn't related to the surgery he had this past year. I don't really know what's going on there. Maybe some of these guys will return for smaller cap hits but I'm going ahead in thinking if they were cut it was for a very good reason.

Ochocinco is a fantastic upgrade. I know a lot of Pats fans want Randy Moss but it's not going to happen (as much as I wish it could). Deion Branch is a great #2 and Brady loves him, plus having Welker back in the slot makes a lot of difference. This will mean that Brandon Tate is fourth on the depth chart and may very well end up being the best downfield threat on the team. I'm excited about Chad and love the guy, even if I know that Revis completely dominates him. When it comes to Haynesworth I'm unsure what to feel. I am not a big believer in this team chemistry stuff but I just have to wonder what he has left in the tank. Maybe he'll have a big year, maybe he'll just show up against the Redskins, maybe he'll show up too fat to wash himself unless he uses soap on a stick. It's a gamble and he may very well be the best pass rusher the Patriots could get.

When I emailed you this morning no one knew Nnamdi would end up an Eagle. The ten-fifteen minute window where he went from Jet to Cowboy to Eagle was one of the greatest things I have ever seen on Twitter. I got wrapped up in it but it's always exciting when the biggest free agent is involved. Thankfully my team has not one, but two great tight ends that can hold their own. Kudos to you, though.

As far as my biggest losers, I would have to say that there are a few that stick out. The Bengals trade away Chad but also lost Jonathan Joseph. Tack on the fact that Mike Brown is stubborn and refuses to trade a valuable asset in Carson Palmer (well, valuable as in a second or third rounder) and it looks ugly in Cincy (don't forget that Terrell Owens also tore his ACL). The Chicago Bears also look to be losers so far. They were rumored to be trading Olin Kreutz to the 49ers and if there is one thing you know about the Bears, it's that they totally have offensive line depth to spare. I just saw an Adam Schefter tweet that said they have signed Vernon Gholston and Roy Williams and that has to be literally the most depressing pair of signings I can think of. Tack on the loss of Danieal Manning and it looks as though the Bears won't be making the NFC Championship Game again this year.

Out of everyone, though, my biggest loser is the Cleveland Browns. Eric Wright took less money to go to the freakin' Detroit Lions. Eric Weddle left them standing at the altar. Charles Johnson took video game money to go to Carolina. There were rumors that Ray Edwards was on their radar and also took less money to go to Atlanta (let me say that the Browns have said they were never in, but who knows at this point). Their biggest targets this offseason look to be Terrell Owens (who, as I said, is coming off of a torn ACL) and using a supplemental pick on Terrelle Pryor. Between the Bengals and the Browns it's no wonder that the Ravens and Steelers walk into the playoffs. Hell, they could probably load their entire rosters on a segway and still come in first and second in that division.

That's enough from me, though. If there is anything I missed on those teams feel free to add on to the terrible three. What teams other teams do you think should have hoped for the lockout to continue?

 On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 11:03 AM, Bryan McWethy wrote:

You pretty much nailed it on the head, the team I would add to the losers thus far is the Detroit Lions.  With all this hype as an up-and-comer and hopeful playoff contender, they've been absolutely silent in free agency.  I don't care how good the D-Line of Kyle Vanden Bosch, Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Cliff Avril is, that's not going to stop teams from passing on your god awful linebacker and secondary units.  They haven't even re-signed mediocre #2 CB Chris Houston, so I'm not liking what I see there.  They're talking with recently released LB Nick Barnett (formerly of the Packers), and that would be a great signing if he stays healthy. 

I think Denver really squandered an opportunity too by not being more active.  DeAngelo Williams was there for the taking, and coach John Fox couldn't convince Denver to jump on the opportunity.  Knowshon Moreno looked like a stud coming out of college, but he simply hasn't lived up to the hype.  Additionally, they waited too long to trade Kyle Orton, so Miami went and signed Matt Moore instead as a free agent to compete with Chad Henne.  Now, Tebow isn't getting snaps with the first team, and his development is further stunted.  This is either damning to Tebow as a sign that John Elway doesn't buy into him as the franchise quarterback, or complete mismanagement by the Broncos.  They have little else to flaunt this offseason, as I can't think of any free agent signings they've made besides Willis McGahee (which is a decent one, but he's not a starter).   

I think two teams quietly doing a solid job are the Jaguars and Rams.  The Rams got Quentin Mikell pretty cheap compared to other safeties this year, and he's graded out as the best safety in the NFL by Pro Football Focus in 2008 and 2010, that's going to help them a lot.  Adding Harvey Dahl at guard is a great addition, and Mike Sims-Walker is an overlooked WR who will emerge as the #1 of the group, and they only had to give him one year.  I don't think they're done, but I'm impressed so far.  The Jaguars are really addressing their run defense, signing S Dawan Landry and LB Paul Posluszny right out of the gates to big deals.  Neither will lead a defense, but both are solid players in the bigger picture.  They also picked up speedy LB Clint Session from the Colts, a good signing that not many will notice.  They've done a good job, but they still need offensive weapons.  Mike Thomas is a good receiver, but not a #1, he's probably better in the slot due to his diminutive size. 

There's still plenty of time left, but the offseason picture is beginning to clear up.  In the next post, we'll look at risks, under-the-radar signings, and camp holdouts this offseason that look to have a major effect.
 

7/29/11

Call to the Bullpen: For Whom the Bell Tolls

Call to the Bullpen is a regular feature that goes through every bullpen in baseball, and tells you, the fantasy players, which relievers are worth speculative or immediate adds to your team.  Saves are invaluable in fantasy baseball, and this column will be on top of every closer situation.

AL East:
Yankees: Mariano Rivera. Next.

Red Sox: Jonathan Papelbon.  Again, nothing to see here.

Rays: Currently, Kyle Farnsworth is the closer and has been dominant with a 2.16 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 41.2 innings.  His control problems have disappeared, and he's turned to a cut fastball more (as a lot of closers are now).  If Farnsworth is traded, Joel Peralta is the likely heir to the throne at closer.  He's posted a 3.83 ERA this year, good but not great, and that'll be enough as the alternative, Jake McGee, is a bit young.  While Joe Maddon did insert his rookie David Price into the closer spot on their World Series run, McGee at closer won't help them win the division because they're too far out.  Peralta's revived his career over the past couple years, and if he inherits the closing job, should do a decent job for you too.

Blue Jays: Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco continue to share the closer role, and it's tough to read which has the lead.  Their peripherals are about even, but Rauch's ERA is a run lower, and he got the call on July 27th, the most recent save opportunity for the Jays, so I'd say he's the best bet here.  Jason Frasor is gone so he won't inherit the role any time soon, and I doubt new reliever Trever Miller gets in on the closer by committee they have going in Toronto.  These are closers you really don't WANT to own because they're so bad, but those in need of saves, keep a close eye on the team, and hope one of the two takes a lead.

Orioles: Kevin Gregg is the closer, Koji Uehara is the setup man, and both could be gone within the next two days.  Gregg's 3.76 ERA is tolerable at the closer spot for a bad team, and he could do decent set-up work elsewhere for a contender.  Uehara has had a phenomenal year with a 1.76 ERA and 60 Ks in only 45+ innings.  He's been the main piece on the block for the Orioles, and has a $4 million option for 2012, so contenders are interested.  The likely scenario is that Gregg stays and Uehara goes, in which case, stick with the goggled closer.  If Gregg is traded and Uehara isn't, Koji's your man.  If BOTH are traded, Jim Johnson will likely inherit the closer role by default, as his 2.55 ERA is second best in the Orioles' pen behind Uehara.  Be wary though, he's blown 4 of his 5 save opportunities so far this year, and isn't a strikeout pitcher (about 6 K/9).

AL Central
White Sox: Sergio Santos has this locked down pretty well.  Jason Frasor may become next in line if Santos blows up suddenly after the White Sox recently acquired him.

Twins: Joe Nathan has saves in his last five appearances, so he's the guy here.  Matt Capps is the set-up man and would take over closing again should Nathan re-injure himself or falter.

Indians: Chris Perez has 22 saves and 2 blown saves, no signs of him falling apart, he's still the closer.

Tigers: Jose Valverde is the unquestioned closer.

Royals: Joakim Soria is the unquestioned closer after a rough patch early in the year, but is also whispered about in trade rumors again, an annual occurrence.  The Royals' pen has actually been pretty solid this year, in large part thanks to rookie Aaron Crow, who'll likely be in the rotation next year.  Crow has a 1.8 ERA and nearly 9 K/9, so he's got the stuff closers are made of.  Should Soria be traded, look to Crow to take over.

AL West
Rangers: This situation's dicy now, as Neftali Feliz is being questioned if he's giving his all by Rangers management.  The Rangers are heavily in on Heath Bell, and if they got him, Bell may just take over the closing spot from Feliz.  It'd be tough to say, as Neftali Feliz was their closer on their World Series run, but Bell is definitely the more savvy veteran.  I think Feliz should stick at closer personally, but we'll see what happens.  If Bell doesn't go to Arlington, and Feliz is removed from the closer role, look for Darren Oliver to take over by default.  The 40-year-old veteran is remarkably consistent and has actually improved on his past two seasons by posting a 2.23 ERA this year.  It's unlikely that Ron Washington turns to Oliver to close over Feliz, as Feliz seems to have ironed things out with the skipper, but stranger things have happened, keep an eye on this situation. 

Mariners: Brandon League isn't going anywhere according to Jack Zduriencik, so no changes pending here.

Athletics: It's Andrew Bailey's spot to lose, and he's not going to.  Move along.

Angels: Jordan Walden has blown seven saves, but curiously is still the closer.  His 2.91 ERA is probably saving him here, and the fact that he barely ever gives up runs unless he's blowing a save (meaning most of his runs allowed are in only 7 games).  Scott Downs would probably be the guy to watch as the closer should Walden be removed, but Fernando Rodney is back now as well.  I don't think Scioscia wants to try the Fernando Rodney experiment again at closer, so expect Downs to be the set-up man and next-in-line at closer the rest of the year.

NL East
Mets: Jason Isringhausen has 4 saves in 5 appearances since the trade of K-Rod to the Brewers.  It's pretty clear he's the closer unless he gets dealt (the rumored team is his former long-time home as closer, the St. Louis Cardinals).  Isringhausen's been oddly solid, so he seems like a safe bet.  There's a small chance he's available in a decent amount of leagues still, so go grab him if you can.  If he's dealt, Bobby Parnell will likely take over as he's got the best stuff of anyone in the bullpen. 

Braves: It's Craig Kimbrel, unquestioned, even though Jonny Venters has been quite possibly the best reliever in baseball this year. 

Nationals: Drew Storen has lived up to the hype and has done a phenomenal job in his first year as closer.  There were rumors that the Nationals wanted to trade him for CF Denard Span of the Twins, but those were pretty silly rumors, as Span isn't worth trading a young stud like Storen for.  Unless the Nationals make an awful move, nothing to see here.  If Storen IS traded, I would expect Tyler Clippard to take over as closer, given his 1.7 ERA, and Sean Burnett's struggles to keep his ERA below 5.

Marlins: Leo Nunez is a hot name on the trade market, and the Phillies are supposedly very interested.  Nunez has been a solid closer this year with 29 saves and a 3.4 ERA.  If he's traded though, he should divebomb, as he's a wholly different pitcher on the road vs. at home (Career: 3.66 Home ERA, 4.96 Road ERA; 2011 Home ERA: 2.63, 2011 Away ERA: 4.18).  If you own him and he goes to Philly, it could be a dicey situation.  Should he leave, Edward Mujica is the next-in-line, who they acquired from the Padres last year in a deal for Cameron Maybin (Side note: It's absolutely amazing how the Padres keep churning out bullpen arms, trade them away, and don't miss a beat in their bullpen, ever.)  Ken Rosenthal seems to think it's unlikely Nunez is dealt, but I still think Mujica is a strong speculative add, on the chance Nunez does get dealt.  Once Mujica's the closer you won't be able to get him, so press the add button now.

Phillies: As I spoke about with the Marlins, Nunez may in fact come to Philly in a trade.  Should he come to Philly, I think he's in for a rude awakening as I alluded to in the above section, but he may not even take over as closer.  Antonio Bastardo has been phenomenal, Ryan Madson has been great, and Brad Lidge is back, although I don't see him playing into the closing situation much if at all.  I'd expect Bastardo and Madson to continue handling save opportunities and Nunez to fortify the Phillies pen. 

NL Central
Cubs: Carlos Marmol per usual has been a wild pitcher and has lost the faith of manager Mike Quade, who seems to favor lefty Sean Marshall.  Marshall got the ball in the 9th the last two save opportunities for the Cubs, so he's either in a committee with Marmol, or he's the full-out closer.  Either way, he should be owned in almost all formats.  Many teams have inquired about Marshall's availability in a trade, but the Cubs have balked at such a notion, since Marshall is under contract to them in 2012 as well.

Cardinals: This situation could get interesting.  Fernando Salas is the current closer and seems to have finally gotten his act together as closer, with his ERA down to 2.57, but the Cardinals just acquired three more relievers, and could go in on the Heath Bell sweepstakes.  Additionally, Kyle McClellan, who closed a bit last year, was moved back to the bullpen from the rotation, and could also see saves.  McClellan will likely become the next-in-line however, as the set-up man, and Salas should keep the closing job.

Astros: Mark Melancon has been solid of late, and has a firm grasp on the closer role.  Wilton Lopez is there waiting to close out games if Melancon implodes at some point.

Pirates: Joel Hanrahan is phenomenal, no chance he loses his spot.

Reds: Cordero hit a rough spot leading up to the All-Star Break, but has converted his last few chances since, so he'll be closer through this year more than likely.  I don't see Chapman getting the closer role, but he's probably next up after Cordero.

Brewers: John Axford continues to get the ball in the ninth over K-Rod and it'll stay that way.  Axford has saves in his last 7 appearances, as the Brewers are on a hot streak, and he won't lose his job this year more than likely. K-Rod is a good source of Ks, but unlikely to get to close unless Axford is injured.

NL West
Dodgers: Javy Guerra is unchallenged for the closer role and has yet to blow a save.  No danger here.

Giants: It's Brian Wilson, and will be for the rest of the year.

Diamondbacks: J.J. Putz returned and got the ball in the ninth at the first save opportunity, so he's obviously been vaulted back to closer.  David Hernandez did a solid job but Kirk Gibson seems to be unappreciative.  David Hernandez remains the back-up option to Putz, who just isn't what he was in Seattle a few years back.

Rockies: Huston Street is the unquestioned closer when healthy, Matt Lindstrom is the set-up man and backup option for when Street goes down to an injury inevitably.  Lindstrom's blown 3 saves this year though, so he's an iffy backup option.  Not worth holding, as he won't get enough leftover saves from Street to justify it.

Padres: Saved the best for last, as the Heath Bell and Mike Adams trade talks are probably the most prevalent, now that Beltran is a Giant.  Bell came out and said he'd sign an extension to stay in San Diego at a discount, so the Padres probably didn't expect that.  Mike Adams is their preferred option, but every team in baseball prefers him as well.  Either way, it's very possible that both end up as closers by Sunday night.  If Bell leaves, Adams is definitely the closer, and may still be available in your leagues, so add him now as a speculative move.  At worst, he provides great ERA help every week and 5-6 Ks (I start him on my team as a RP myself, and have for months). 

The Heath Bell sweepstakes is down to the Rangers and Cardinals, but given how much relief help the Cardinals have gotten (3 relievers through Toronto, and a 4th by moving Kyle McClellan back to the bullpen), I don't see him going anywhere but the Rangers.  If he does go to the Rangers, it's tough to say if he'd close or not as I spoke to in the Rangers section.  I'd venture a guess that he gets the closer role because he's the veteran and most managers lean that way, but Feliz was the closer for the World Series run last year, so either is possible.  Either way, expect Heath Bell to be traded by Sunday night.

Besides those two, basically every other Padres reliever is available, because they can't go wrong when they call up relievers, they all develop into studs.  Luke Gregerson and Chad Qualls highlight that group, but I don't see either of them getting moved.  Gregerson would take over the role as closer should Adams and Bell both get traded. 

7/26/11

Debris Caution: Brickyard 400

Debris Caution is a regular feature that puts you in the driver's seat for upcoming NASCAR events. It previews upcoming races and looks in depth at everything from point battles to the offseason.

The Brickyard 400 has been one of the biggest races on the NASCAR schedule since its inception in 1994. It has the second highest purse of any race (behind only the Daytona 500) and always pairs up on the weekend with Indianapolis Motor Speedway's more famous cousin, the appropriately named Indianapolis 500. There are two important factors for Indy, the first is momentum (really, this could be said for any track) and the second is past success. While someone like Jamie McMurray winning last year came as a bit of a surprise, when you dove deeper into the stats it made a lot of sense. McMurray had three top-10 finishes in seven races at IMS.

This year, McMurray hasn't had as much success. He only has two top-10 finishes this year, zero top-5s, and has failed to finish three times. It has been a lost season for J-Mac but he is still quite capable of finishing in the top-10 at Indy given his past success, just don't look for him in Victory Lane come Sunday. His teammate at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, Juan Pablo Montoya, is a trendy pick to win and is probably the safer bet of of the EGR stable. Montoya actually won the pole last year and in 2009 he led 116 of 160 and probably would have won if not for a speeding penalty late in the race. I am actually picking Montoya to finally break through and win this week, which would do wonders for his chances of making The Chase.

Another guy I have high hopes for this week would be Tony Stewart. It's kind of shocking that he hasn't won a race this year but he has two top-5s and seven top-10s. He looked to be the biggest threat to Kurt Busch at Infineon but Brian Vickers decided to plow right through him. Last week Smoke was the runner up to Ryan Newman and Indy has been very kind to him. Stewart holds the highest average finish of all drivers in the past ten years at 7.8 (Jeff Gordon is second with 8.3 but that only counts one of his four wins). With five top-5s in nine attempts and two wins (in 05 and 07) look for Tony to be near the front all day.

Speaking of him, Jeff Gordon is another driver who is quite capable of winning. He has won twice this year (more than his past three seasons combined) and no one knows their way around the track better than him. He won the inaugural Brickyard in '94 and went on to win in '98, '01, and '04. In seventeen races he has an average finish of 9.5 and an eye-popping 13 top-10s and nine top-5s (Stewart is ahead of him with an average finish of 8.2 but that is in only 12 starts). Gordon is also the only driver to win the pole more than once (he has three). Look for the #24 to pace the field once again this weekend.

While Gordon has four wins, the only guy with three wins at Indy is his teammate, Jimmie Johnson. Five-Time won the Brickyard in '06, '08, and '09 and seems like as good of a choice as any to take the checkered flag this weekend. Strangely enough, though, he also has 3 DNFs and an average finish of 18.3 in nine starts. While JJ has been the model of consistency during his five year reign, at the Brickyard he is the ultimate risk/reward choice. Hendrick Motorsports as a whole will run well at the Brickyard (Mark Martin has ten top-10s in 17 starts and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is racing for his Chase for the Sprint Cup life right now).

Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch have the most wins this season at three a piece. Harvick has been fantastic at IMS, with seven top-10s, four top-5s, and a win in 10 starts. He also finished second last year thanks to some strong closing. Rowdy Busch has only six starts at Indy and four top-10s, including an eighth place finish last year. Kyle is a threat no matter where the Sprint Cup goes but expect only a solid performance. His brother, Kurt Busch, has actually struggled at Indy. He had a dominant stretch of three straight poles before winning at Infineon (his first win at a road course) and has been solid since, with finishes of 14th, 9th, and 10th. At Indy expect a finish a little above his average (18.1), just not his second top-5.

As far as dark horses go, I would say to keep your eye on Greg Biffle. Out of the Roush-Fenway cars he is only second behind Carl Edwards in average finish (11.6 to 13.9) but has finished in the top-10 four times in eight starts. Last year he was actually near the front and more consistent than the two drivers that finished ahead of him. Look for the American Red Cross Ford to surprise some people this weekend and jump back into the thick of The Chase.

Two Tool Prospect: Trade Deadline Edition

Two Tool Prospect is a regular feature that takes a trip around the farms of MLB teams, scouring the minors for the minor leaguers soon to make an impact on your MLB team and your fantasy team.  To get an edge in your fantasy league, you've got to know when the top prospects will be hitting the bigtime, and at least once a week during the season, Two Tool Prospect will take a look at those players.  This week, a special trade deadline edition.

With the trade deadline a week away, teams are really examining the value of going out and acquiring a player against the value one of their prospects could provide if called up to the MLB team.  For example, the Braves in 2007 decided that acquiring Mark Teixiera was worth surrendering most of their farm, because they thought they could make a run, and could re-sign him.  That return package for Texas included the likes of:
  • Neftali Feliz: 2010 AL Rookie of the Year, current Rangers closer
  • Elvis Andrus: 2010 All-Star, current Rangers shortstop
  • Matt Harrison: Arguably the Rangers' 2nd best starting pitcher behind C.J. Wilson, Harrison is currently posting a 3.04 ERA in 2011.
  • Jarrod Saltalamacchia: Currently hitting for a .780 OPS as the Red Sox starting catcher.
What did the Braves get from that?  One year of Mark Teixeira.  They traded him at the 2008 deadline for Casey Kotchman after realizing they wouldn't be able to afford his hefty pricetag.

This is every team's worst fear that makes a big trade deadline move.  Many of the contenders have an in-house option they could consider in their minor leagues, in the form of a prized prospect.  Today I'll specifically focus on prospects that could have major impacts down the stretch with their teams, and what we should realistically expect from a production standpoint.  I'll also talk about a couple top prospects, who while not with contending organizations, should make their mark on MLB before 2011's end.

7/25/11

MLB Trade Deadline - Hitters

Scott has already spoken to the availability of franchise cornerstones like Derek Lowe and Jeremy Guthrie in the last post, so I won't delve further into discussing pitchers. Instead, I'll focus on the hitting that's available, and the top hitters seem to be more readily available than top pitching like Ubaldo Jimenez and James Shields. As always, quite a bit of outfield help is available, and the top outfielders available are definitely top-flight options that most teams would like to add.

Ranging from household names like Carlos Beltran and BJ Upton to mediocre but consistent players like Ryan Ludwick and Chris Iannetta, every team has something to like in the buyers market that is the 2011 trade deadline.

After the jump, I'll go into detail about the pros and cons of each available player.

MLB Trade Deadline - Pitchers

We know you're all excited about the Mark Ellis and Jeff Keppinger trades. Granted, those blockbusters shook the very foundation of the MLB power structure, but we thought you may be wondering where some other players are headed. I'll be here to guide you through the pitching market while Bryan is handling the hitters. While some of the guys listed won't be moved and plenty of players not listed will, we're only handling those drawing the most attention.

Welcome to Closer By Committee!

Hi.

Welcome to our little corner of the Internet. We're Closer By Committee, a pair of sports fans who have big opinions on, well, everything. We know there are oodles of places on the web for you to get your sports news and information and would appreciate your support in our foray into the blogosphere.

In the coming days Bryan and I will kick off our coverage, starting with some pieces on the upcoming baseball trading deadline. We have big ideas for regular features that will include the MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, NASCAR, and collegiate athletics (well, the main ones at least, neither of us can tell you much about lacrosse or equestrian). We'll also talk some fantasy sports here and there.

We're still working out the kinks but we'll be going full speed in the coming days. We won't promise to rock your world, but we will at least be entertaining enough to give you something to read at work.
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