Kuzul

The 2013 MLB draft’s 40 rounds are now all in the books as every organization has been given the opportunity to stock their farm systems for years to come.

The MLB draft is always an intriguing event because of the varied approaches that teams can choose to use.

While some GM’s love to go for the high ceiling of unproven high school prospects, others prefer to choose the more pro-ready college prospects in hopes for a quick return.

Either approach can be successful—provided teams find the right value. Here’s a breakdown of how each team graded out at the conclusion of the draft based on the value of their selections.

2013 MLB Draft Grades

Superlatives

Most Likely to Succeed: Houston Astros

The Houston Astros started things off with a great pick and didn’t stop making solid selections throughout the draft. They had the No. 1 pick for the second year in a row which is a testament to their need for help as soon as possible.

With a draft class full of college talent that has a good chance to contribute sooner rather than later, the Astros did exactly what they needed to in the draft.

First overall selection Mark Appel is a name that won’t soon be forgotten by Astros fans, he could be in the rotation as soon as 2014.

Houston followed up that pick by adding two more mature college pitchers in Andrew Thurman of UC-Irvine and Kent Emmanuel out of North Carolina.

Overall, the Astros didn’t reach for many projects. They took seven college players in their first 10 picks and continued that trend throughout the draft.

They might not wind up with any revelations outside of Appel, but they consistently chose solid players with proven tools.

Best Potential: Pittsburgh Pirates

While the Astros went out and added polish to their farm system, the Pittsburgh Pirates showed that they valued potential over polish.

Despite the difference in philosophy, the Pirates were just as successful at collecting talent. Their first-round pick, Austin Meadows is one of the most promising offensive prospects coming out of high school, and Reese McGuire has the tools to be a successful catcher in the big leagues.

The Pirates weren’t afraid to go for prep prospects early and often. Trae Arbet projects as an exciting prospect at either shortstop or second base, and even their college picks such as LSU’s JaCoby Jones still have a lot of room to grow.

The Pirates already have one of the best farm systems in baseball. Now they have a ton of projects to bring through the ranks.

Best Pitching: St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals already possess one of the deepest farm systems in the league—now they have even more promising pitchers at their disposal.

They kicked their draft off by grabbing polished pitcher Marco Gonzales out of Gonzaga and went the high school route with Rob Kaminsky with their second first-round selection. Both should wind up with successful MLB careers.

The Cardinals didn’t stop there, though. They didn’t stop acquiring good pitching prospects throughout the draft.

They also nabbed a projectable shortstop out of high school in Oscar Mercado.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun has been linked to PED usage—again. And this time, it could do real damage to his legacy. 

The 2011 National League MVP is reportedly being targeted by the MLB for a suspension according to a report and tweet from ESPN’s T.J. Quinn. 

According to the report, the MLB will seek to suspend Braun in connection with the investigation of Coral Gables based company Biogenesis, which has been accused of selling PED’s to over 20 players.

Quinn also reported that the league will possibly seek a 100-game ban for Braun and New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez:

Should Braun be found guilty, irreparable damage would be done to his legacy. 

This isn’t Braun’s first run-in with the league on the issue of PED usage. ESPN reported that Braun was suspended 50 games by the league in 2011 after he tested positive for synthetic testosterone during the 2011 National League playoffs. 

Braun would go on to become the first player to successfully appeal according to USA Today. Braun’s suspension was overturned because proper protocol had been compromised when his urine sample was not immediately sent to the testing lab and was instead kept at one of the testing administrator’s home.

Braun remained adamant about his innocence throughout the process and released a statement explaining the truth was on his side and that he had nothing to hide:

I am very pleased and relieved by today’s decision. It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation. We were able to get through this because I am innocent and the truth is on our side. We provided complete cooperation throughout, despite the highly unusual circumstances.

I have been an open book, willing to share details from every aspect of my life as part of this investigation, because I have nothing to hide. I have passed over 25 drug tests in my career, including at least three in the past year.

Braun even had Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in his corner, taking to Twitter to celebrate the successful appeal. 

Now it appears that Braun will be at the center of controversy again. According to ESPN’s report, the MLB has at least two documents from Biogenesis that have Braun’s name on them—one that has him listed as owing $20,000 to $30,000 while the other has him owing $1,500 to the company that is suspected of selling PEDs to baseball players. 

Tony Bosch, the founder of the now defunct Biogenesis, had originially been uncooperative with the MLB’s investigation, but is now expected to admit that he sold PEDs to Braun and other stars. 

At this point the MLB hasn’t doled out any official punishment, but it doesn’t look good for Braun. After openly denying his previous use and garnering support from fans and fellow stars such as Aaron Rodgers, a suspenstion that actually sticks for PEDs would really damage Braun’s image and legacy. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Toronto Blue Jays sparkplug Jose Reyes is headed to the DL. The All-Star shortstop was carted off the diamond after sustaining an apparent ankle injury when he slid into second base against the Kansas City Royals.

UPDATE: Saturday, April 13 at 9:05 a.m. ET by Tim Daniels

It could take some time before the Blue Jays get a better understanding of how long Reyes will be out. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports the first MRI results may not provide the necessary information, which would force the team to wait for news from the second one after the swelling subsides.

—End of update—

UPDATE: Friday, April 12, at 11:40 p.m. ET by Alex Ballentine

The early prognosis isn’t good for Blue Jays fans. According to Dave Skretta of the Associated Press, Reyes will be out for a minimum of four weeks.

—End of Update—

MLB‘s official Twitter page broke the news:

Losing Reyes for any amount of time would be a bitter disappointment to an already dreary beginning of the season for the Blue Jays. Despite a big offseason, the club is just 3-6 in its first nine games.

The team’s struggles can’t be pinned on Reyes, though. He’s hitting .412 with one home run and three RBI, and has also flashed his trademark speed with four stolen bases.

Reyes was brought to Toronto in November 2012 as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and John Buck to Toronto in exchange for prospects. Paired with the acquisition of talents like R.A. Dickey and Melky Cabrera, the Blue Jays have set their sights higher than they have since their World Series days two decades ago.

So far, those expectations haven’t panned out, and losing Reyes will only serve to compound the issues this team faces.

Reyes spent last season with the Miami Marlins, where he played in 160 games and batted .287 with 40 stolen bases.

This won’t be the first time that Reyes has struggled with an injury. Since becoming a full-time player in 2005, he’s failed to appear in more than 133 games on three occasions.

Check back with this page for the latest updates on Reyes’ status.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Longtime New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has announced that he will be riding off into the sunset at the end of the 2013 season. 

The Yankee legend has been an iconic member of the organization since 1995 and will go down in history as one of the greatest Yankees of all-time. The Yankees’ official twitter feed tweeted out his announcement and some quotes from the press conference. 

Rivera’s presence will be missed in the bullpen in future seasons for sure, but for now, the Yankees get one more season with the dominant closer. 

So what can Yankee fans (and fantasy baseball owners) expect for Rivera’s final season? Let’s examine.

Health

According to The Star Ledger, Rivera was prepared to walk away from the game last season, but a torn ACL ended his season prematurely and didn‘t want to end his career on that kind of note:

If the question was would I have played if I finished the season last year, definitely, I would have been done last year. Definitely. But I didn’t want to leave like that. I felt like I wanted to give everything. And I still have something left. This year, I knew what I wanted to do. I don’t want to leave home. I want to stay home. But I know that I have a job to do. I’m here to do the best for my organization, for my teammates, to represent the organization the way I have done for 23 years of my career.

Obviously, an ACL tear is a serious injury and at 43 years old, health has to be a concern for Rivera. That being said, he’s intent on ending his career on a high note and he probably wouldn’t decide to play this season if he didn‘t really believe that he would still be able to perform. 

He’s been durable throughout his career, he should be able to stay healthy this year despite the knee injury last season.

Team Outlook

As a closer, it’s tough for Rivera to put up impressive numbers without a good team around him. Fortunately, that’s never been an issue for him playing for the Yankees. 

New York won 95 games last season and offered closer Rafael Soriano 46 save opportunities. Filling in for the injured Rivera, Soriano responded with 42 saves, a 2.26 ERA and a WHIP of 1.17.

As long as Rivera is back in top shape, the opportunity will be there for him to put up another season with more than 40 saves. 

Stat Projection

Rivera should be locked and loaded by the time the season starts. He’s clearly returning for one more season because he believes he, and the Yankees, have what it takes to put together a serious run at the title. 

There’s no reason to think that the Yankees won’t once again be one of the best teams in baseball, and by extension, Rivera one of baseball’s top closers.

He may see fewer appearances than usual so that he can be preserved for the more important stretches of the season, but overall his numbers should reflect a player that still has what it takes to be dominant.

55 GP, 50 IP, 40 Saves, 2.25 ERA 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Team USA didn’t get off to the best of starts at the World Baseball Classic. In a sizable upset, Mexico won 5-2 to earn their first victory of the tournament after losing their opener to Italy 6-5. 

In a tournament that doesn’t afford much room for error and slip-ups, this was a huge blow for Team USA. Considered one of the favorites for the tournament, they’ll certainly need to improve their performance going forward if they want to advance to the second round. 

It wasn’t all bad, though. Both teams received commendable efforts from individual players that can be built upon as both Mexico and Team USA try to navigate their way through Pool D. Here were the players who shined in this opening round tilt. 

USA

David Wright, 3B

Team USA only generated two runs, so there weren’t very many productive bats in the lineup, but Wright had a pretty good day at the plate overall. 

The third baseman went 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in one of the team’s two runs with a two-out single that brought Jimmy Rollins in and moved Ryan Braun to third base. It wasn’t a highlight home run, but he got the job done with two outs and you can’t ask for much more. 

He left two runners on base, but just about everyone in the U.S. lineup left runners on base in this one. Missed opportunities defined this one for Team USA and that made Wright’s RBI stand out.

Mexico

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B

Gonzalez was a one-man wrecking crew for Mexico. 

He bashed a two-run dinger off of R.A. Dickey in the third inning with two outs that turned out to be the runs that would put Mexico up for good. In addition to that, he drew three walks and drove in another run. 

That kind of patience at the plate makes Gonzalez one of the most dangerous bats in this entire tournament and a huge advantage for Mexico going forward. If it weren’t for his big day this one might have been a bit closer. He was the determining factor. 

Sergio Romo, CP

Perhaps the biggest takeaway for Mexico was that Sergio Romo was able to bounce back to earn the save in this game. 

In Mexico’s opening game against Italy, Romo was called upon in the ninth inning to slam the door on the Italians and secure the win with a one-run lead. Instead, he earned a blown save by giving up two runs on three hits.

Romo had a bit easier task this time around, inheriting a three-run lead in the ninth inning that he was able to keep by retiring the USA side in order. There wasn’t much pressure involved but the fact that he could go three-up and three-down to close out the game was a good sign that Mexico can depend on him to put his early blown save behind him. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Los Angeles Angels front office has made a big mistake in their handling of young phenom Mike Trout already. 

The club renewed the dynamic outfielder’s contract for a mere $510,000 (h/t Yahoo! Sports). That’s just $20,000 over the league’s minimum salary. 

At this point, the Angels front office must be patting themselves on the back. Trout was last season’s breakout star. He took home Rookie of the Year honors while competing for the MVP award with his 30 home runs, 49 stolen bases and .326 batting average. 

By wrapping up Trout at the incredibly discounted rate, they’re saving a boatload of money that would be owed to him if they were to pay him anywhere near what he’s worth. In the short term, it’s a great deal for the club. 

However, it doesn’t come without consequences. 

Trout’s agent, Craig Landis, has already expressed his disappointment in the deal (h/t Associated Press):

During the process, on behalf of Mike, I asked only that the Angels compensate Mike fairly for his historic 2012 season, given his service time… In my opinion, this contract falls well short of a ‘fair’ contract and I have voiced this to the Angels throughout the process. Nonetheless, the renewal of Mike’s contract will put an end (to) this discussion.

Unfortunately, Trout’s agent is exactly right. The Angels needed to reward him based upon his performance last season while taking into account his relatively short body of work.

Considering that it was just his rookie season, a little bit of trepidation to shell out a huge deal for the outfielder would be understandable, but a $510,000 deal is simply egregious. 

As Landis went on to say, this isn’t the first decision that the organization has made lately that Trout didn’t agree with. Their decision to move Trout from center field was not taken well. 

Mike, himself, does not wish to comment on this matter… As when he learned he would not be the team’s primary center fielder for the upcoming season, Mike will put the disappointment behind him and focus on helping the Angels reach their goal of winning the 2013 World Series.

The fact that Trout is willing to put this issue behind him and focus on producing on the field speaks to his character. When he hits free agency in 2017, his handling of this situation will only drive his value up. 

Considering the Angels’ handling of his situation, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be all ears when other clubs come calling. 

The Angels struck gold with Trout last season. It’s not often that a 21-year-old comes on the scene and immediately becomes one of the best offensive players in the game. 

Keeping Trout happy in the long term should have been priority No. 1. However, the Angels have sent a clear message that they will do whatever is best for them without regard to Trout by re-upping his deal so close to the league minimum. 

That’s a move that could guarantee Trout will be spending much of his prime elsewhere as soon as he’s allowed to bolt in free agency. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Chicago Cubs will be receiving a serious face lift to their current classic digs. According to a report from the Associated Press, major renovations are being planned for the 99-year-old Wrigley Field.

The project is still in the early stages and has plenty of specifics that still need to be nailed down, but the current plan would take five years and cost $300 million.

According to the report, Cubs owner Tom Ricketts hopes to start the renovations as early as October, beginning with the clubhouse.

Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney said that the Ricketts family would like more freedom with the renovations in return for paying the entirety of the bill. According to the AP report, the renovations will largely take place in the offseason, so that the stadium can be used during the season without the team needing a temporary home.

The Ricketts purchased the Cubs from the Chicago Tribune group in 2009 for $845 million, according to Bloomberg.

Photos of the proposed renovations can be found at cosbysweaters.com.

According to a blog post on ESPNChicago.com, the renovations could provide the Chicago area with 2,100 jobs and $1.2 billion of new revenue for the city and the Cubs.  

The renovation will focus on new batting cages and clubhouse, expanded concourses in lower and upper bowls, telecommunications and restoration of the exterior of the building.  

Wrigley Field remains one of baseball’s most historic ballparks. The stadium was erected in 1914 and has served as the team’s home for nearly 100 years. Only Boston‘s Fenway Park is older. Fenway underwent a renovation in 2011 (h/t MLB.com).

Wrigley Field currently seats 41,160 and hasn’t been renovated since 1988 (h/t MLB.com) when lights were added. With a massive overhaul in the works, the classic stadium appears set for a much-needed, upgraded look. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly agreed to a two-year deal deal with outfielder Melky Cabrera in a move that is sure to shift the power structure of the American League East for the 2013 season.

Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes broke the news first. The deal is still pending league approval and Cabrera must pass a physical, but there’s no doubt that this deal will have a major influence on the division.

After the Blue Jays’ mammoth deal with the Miami Marlins that gave them Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and John Buck, Toronto looked like it could compete for the division title. With the signing of Cabrera, the Blue Jays’ front office has sent the message that it’s committed to win now.

For years, the division has been dominated by the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Without a salary cap, Boston and New York have consistently stayed ahead of Toronto and Baltimore because they simply spent more money.

As Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times points out, the Blue Jays showed that they are willing to go out and spend whatever is necessary to become a legitimate contender.

So much for those 1-year, $5 million predictions. Melky Cabrera gets 2 years, $16 million from those cash-rich Blue Jays, per ESPN.

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) November 16, 2012

Considering the massive amount of money the Jays took on in the Marlins deal and the amount they were willing to pay Cabrera, Toronto has to be mentioned with the top spenders in the division.

Toronto’s push to become a legitimate contender couldn’t have come at a better time in the division.

The Yankees, despite a playoff appearance last season, are looking to restructure their roster after failing to earn a championship.

The Orioles are coming off a playoff berth that showed teams other than Boston and New York can make the playoffs. The Rays are coming off of a 90-win season but haven’t done anything of note to show they are willing to be a contender.

Boston is coming off one of its worst seasons in recent memory and were on the selling end of a massive salary dump trade of its own.

If the AL East has ever been up for grabs, it’s now.

With the Blue Jays making the first two big moves of the offseason to become the favorites, it will be interesting to see how the Yankees and other teams respond.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The San Francisco Giants are extremely close to getting the brooms out, they took a commanding 3-0 lead over the Detroit Tigers by winning Game 3, 2-0.

The Giants were once against paced by some great pitching on the mound as Ryan Vogelsong, Tim Lincecum and Sergio Romo combined to shutout the struggling Tigers lineup.

The Tigers got a quality outing from starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez who gave up the two runs but also went seven innings strong and fanned eight batters. In total, the Tigers left five runners stranded as the Tigers opportunities were few and far between to drive in runs.

The Giants go for the sweep Sunday night with Matt Cain on the mound in Game 4 as the Tigers will start Max Scherzer to stave off elimination.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Detroit Tigers successfully set the tone for the rest of the series by claiming a 1-0 lead in the American League Divisional Series. Behind a strong performance from starting pitcher Justin Verlander, the Tigers beat the Atheltics 3-1.

Verlander was his usual dominant self, going seven innings strong with 11 strikeouts and holding the Athletics lineup to one run.

In the early going it looked as though this would be a high scoring affair as both teams got on the board in the first inning. However, both pitchers settled in as the game wore on as the game came down to a run given up on a Jarrod Parker error and a home run by Alex Avila in the bottom of the fifth.

Game 2 takes place Sunday at noon.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com