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10 Biggest Takeaways from May’s MLB Action

It may be hard to believe, but the second month of the 2015 Major League Baseball season is over already.

A lot happened in May that changed the landscape not only from April but also going forward into June and beyond.

What did this month mean, and what does the rest of the season hold? Let’s review with the 10 biggest takeaways as May flips to June.

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Fantasy Baseball 2015: Week 8’s Buy-Low, Sell-High Trade Advice

What good is a fantasy owner who lacks a sense of timing?

Fantasy baseballjust like the real thingis a game of skill, luck and timing. That last trait in particular comes in handy in regard to getting value in the trading game.

Knowing which player(s) to trade away and which to deal for—and knowing just the right time to do so—can make all the difference.

After all, it doesn’t get much better than making a move to unload a hot flavor-of-the-week type who’s about to cool off in exchange for a slumping stud who’s ready to take off.

Now, speaking of timing, let’s get to some players to sell high and buy low.

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Top 10 Pickups for MLB Week 8

A new week, another batch of waiver-wire additions just the way you like ’em: hot and fresh out of the oven.

Some players mentioned last week—including Brandon Belt, Maikel Franco, James Paxton, Jake McGee, A.J. Ramos, Delino DeShields Jr., Mike Wright and Lance McCullers—are already owned in many leagues, but they remain quality pickups if they’re available.

In the interest of keeping the names new, though, let’s avoid any repeats. Here are the top 10 waiver-wire pickups for Week 8.

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10 Biggest Takeaways from the 1st Quarter of 2015 MLB Action

The 2015 season is already at the quarter mark, and nothing has transpired the way we predicted.

But enough action has taken place that it’s fair to read into some early goings-on and maybe even draw a conclusion or three about the remaining three quarters of the season.

…Like these 10 takeaways from the first portion of the campaign.

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Assembling the Perfect Cubs-Mets Blockbuster Trade Package

Concocting trades is fun, but it isn’t easy, even from the outside looking in. There are any number of challenging factors that need to be weighed—from talent and finances to timing and need—in order to come up with a swap, especially one that actually makes some sense for both sides.

Sometimes, though, two teams seem destined to make a move given all of the above elements being just right. That doesn’t mean it actually will happen, but the basic idea appears to be realistic and reasonable. At least, in theory.

Like the possibility that the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets, a pair of squads finally on the upswing after half a decade in the dumps, could match up for a major maneuver.

“We haven’t made a deal yet, but there’s been matches that made sense, and I’m sure we’ll talk to them in the future,” Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said recently about the potential for a transaction, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. “When you factor in the hitting [the Cubs have] and the pitching [the Mets have], I guess people think it’s unusual [the two teams haven’t consummated a trade].

“But it’ll happen at some point.”

Hey, if one of the GMs is giving the go-ahead, there’s no reason not to put together a little ditty that is—that’s right—realistic, reasonable and beneficial for all parties.

What would be the perfect blockbuster trade between the Cubs and Mets?

Let’s start this endeavor by pointing out each club’s needs. For Chicago, it’s primarily pitching, both in the bullpen and, especially, the rotation after Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Jason Hammel. Beyond that, the Cubs could perhaps use a catcher for the long term after soon-to-be 32-year-old Miguel Montero’s contract is up following the 2017 season (because 2014 first-rounder Kyle Schwarber’s defense likely isn’t enough to stick behind the plate), and possibly an outfielder, considering Dexter Fowler is in his walk year and Chris Coghlan is nobody’s idea of an answer.

New York, on the other hand, has a major need at shortstop, where it’s become clear that Wilmer Flores can’t cut it in that role every day in the majors. It also wouldn’t hurt to have some more infield depth for aging, injury-prone third baseman David Wright and free-agent-to-be Daniel Murphy at second, in case Dilson Herrera needs some adjustment time going forward. Plus, an impact outfield bat would bring a boost, too.

Given that outfield is a target for both sides, let’s leave that out of the mix for fear of complicating matters too much.

But there’s plenty to work with to get the Cubs some arms for a staff that sports a 4.05 club ERA through Monday and a backstop, while also finding infield and offense for the Mets, who rank in the bottom five in team OPS at .663 entering Tuesday.

That’s because, as Hoyer alluded to, each team has strength, talent and depth in the other’s area of need.

The Mets possess more pitchers than they can fit into a rotation, what with ace Matt Harvey, reigning Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom, veterans Bartolo Colon, Jonathon Niese and Dillon Gee and top prospect Noah Syndergaard, as well as youngsters Steven Matz, Rafael Montero and eventually Zack Wheeler once he’s back from Tommy John surgery.

GM Sandy Alderson also has two quality catchers at his disposal in rookie Kevin Plawecki and injury-prone but former top prospect Travis d’Arnaud.

The Cubs, meanwhile, have all kinds of infielders, from shortstop Starlin Castro to elite rookies Kris Bryant at third base and Addison Russell, a natural shortstop playing second base. There’s also Javier Baez and Arismendy Alcantara, both of whom have lost some of their luster due to early struggles in the majors despite being very highly regarded prospects at this time just last year.

Much like the Mets’ pitchers, the Cubs don’t have enough space to easily squeeze in all of those players without making some changes at some point (i.e., Bryant to left field).

There’s supply on one side and demand on the other, which is pretty rare, whether you’re talking economics or baseball.

Since we’re being reasonable and realistic about this theoretical, mutually beneficial blockbuster, it’s fair to say that the Cubs won’t be parting with Bryant or Russell, while the Mets are going to hang on to Harvey and Syndergaard.

On the flip side, Chicago won’t have much interest in the likes of Colon, Niese or Gee, who lack upside and aren’t great values due to their cost, as well as Wheeler or d’Arnaud, who currently are out with injury.

Everything considered, here is a proposal that would have to make both the Cubs and the Mets think hard:

Cubs get: RHP Jacob deGrom, RHP Rafael Montero and C Kevin Plawecki

Mets get: SS Starlin Castro, INF/OF Arismendy Alcantara and 1B Dan Vogelbach

Here’s why it just might make sense…

DeGrom would give Chicago a very strong starter to go with Lester, Arrieta and Hammel. He flew under the radar as a prospect before becoming a revelation and ROY last year, but he’s also about to turn 27 in June and is more of a No. 3 in a rotation long-term than a front-end guy, which is fine for the Cubs.

The Mets would be able to replace deGrom in short order with Matz, who is about to turn 24 and is tearing up Triple-A.

Chicago also lands Montero, who, at only 24 years old, has experience pitching out of the five-man and the bullpen, so he’s another quality arm that would help the Cubs in some capacity. Of course, they would want to make sure his medicals check out, considering he’s been out since late April with shoulder tightness.

And Plawecki would become the Cubs’ catcher of the future, although for now he would fit best back at Triple-A, because the 24-year-old has only 52 games at that level after being forced to Flushing following d’Arnaud’s injury. Besides, even after the reported trade of Welington Castillo to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo SportsChicago is carrying two catchers as is in Montero and David Ross.

New York would be relying more heavily on d’Arnaud, who has had serious trouble staying healthy, but he looks like the more polished all-around backstop.

As for the Mets, they would pick up their sorely needed shortstop in Castro, who isn’t an great player but has been a good one for years and just turned 25 in late March. More than anything else, New York needs a capable, proven player at short, and Castro is that—and he might even have a little upside left if he’s pushed.

This would allow the Cubs to shift Russell back to short, his natural position, and it would eventually open up second base for Baez, who would be a good defender there and would still offer power potential at the plate.

Alcantara brings a ton of defensive versatility and at least some offensive promise in the form of pop and speed from both sides of the plate, all at the age of 23. Having played second and third base as well as center field in the majors, Alcantara could help the Mets cover a lot of ills and/or injuries, and if he improves overall, he could become a starter-caliber player at any of those positions down the line.

Vogelbach is the last piece, and he’s a fun one. The 22-year-old former second-rounder has a bad body and is confined to first base only (if that), but he has a ton of promise as a hitter, what with a .333/.452/.532 line and nearly as many walks as whiffs so far in his first shot at Double-A. Plus, the lefty slugger has no future in Chicago with Anthony Rizzo around.

Aside from purely the players’ talents and skill sets, there are two outside considerations that go into this trade. The first is that Castro is easily the most expensive, although his contract actually is rather team-friendly at $37 million from 2016 through 2019, after which the team has a $16 million option or a $1 million buyout. Even the Mets should be able to afford that.

The other factor? Position players inherently hold more value than pitchers simply because they play every game and come with less risk of injury. So if you feel like giving up deGrom is steep, well, don’t forget he already has had Tommy John surgery.

The way this deal breaks down is with deGrom and Castro as the headliners, each of whom has established himself in the majors and proved to various extents he can succeed at an All-Star-caliber level. Montero and Alcantara are both former prospects who have lost a little luster since breaking into the bigs in 2014, but each fills a hole for their new team. And Plawecki and Vogelbach are two pieces that are useful for different reasons, with the former drawing value from his position and the latter from his bat.

Is this the perfect trade? C’mon, there’s no such thing. But is it a deal that covers needs, matches up talent and leaves both sides feeling like they gave up something to get something? That’s a realistic outcome—and maybe even a reasonable one, to boot.

Were this offer actually on the table, would either side go for it? Would both? Or if one were to express apprehension and back away, would it be the Cubs or the Mets?

After all, coming up with trades is one thing. Getting them to come to fruition, well, that’s another thing altogether.

 

Statistics are accurate as of Monday, May 18, and courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter:@JayCat11.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Top 10 Pickups for MLB Week 7

A new week, another batch of waiver-wire additions just the way you like ’em: hot and fresh out of the oven.

Some players mentioned last week—including Noah Syndergaard, Avisail Garcia, Marlon Byrd, Torii Hunter, Jimmy Nelson and Shin-Soo Choo—are already owned in many leagues, but they remain quality pickups if they’re available.

In the interest of keeping the names new, though, let’s avoid any repeats. Here are the top 10 waiver-wire pickups for Week 7.

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Ranking Baseball’s Most Dangerous 2-3-4 Trios in 2015

Conventional wisdom might say that the heart of the order comprises the 3-4-5 spots in a lineup. Pssshhh. Recent statistical evidence has shown that teams are better off batting their best hitter—or at least better, more well-rounded hitters—in the No. 2 spot.

Why? Simple: To maximize the number of plate appearances—both in a game and over the course of a season—that go to the top bats, as well as to better take advantage of the impact hitters immediately following the second spot.

Gone are the days of having contact-making, move-the-runner-over types inhabiting the 2-hole. Instead of Omar Infantes, clubs are using Mike Moustakases. And that’s just one real-life example, courtesy of the Kansas City Royals. Other nontraditional second hitters? Try Joey Votto, Josh Donaldson and even Mike Trout, which explains why their clubs actually rank first, second and third, respectively, in OPS from that lineup position.

Funny, but the numbers so far are bearing this out, as the top three lineup positions in terms of OPS in 2015 just so happen to be the No. 3 (.811), No. 4 (.784) and No. 2 (.755) spots in the one-through-nine.

By comparison, second hitters last year ranked fifth in OPS (.714), behind third (.800), cleanup (.751), fifth (.732) and even leadoff (.715).

Want even more proof? Here are the OPSes at the second spot since 2011: .711, .714, .719, .714 and—get this—.752 this year so far. That’s quite a hike.

That in mind, let’s run down the top five 2-3-4s in baseball, based on a combination of historical track record and 2015 performance so far, with a little extra emphasis on the latter. After all, there’s now a new “heart of the lineup” to consider.

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Adrian Beltre’s Leap into 400 HR Club Caps Legitimate Hall of Fame Resume

By launching the 400th home run of his impressive career Friday, Adrian Beltre furthered, if not solidified, his understated but already strong Hall of Fame credentials.

The Texas Rangers lost 8-3 to the Cleveland Indians, but their third baseman became just the 52nd player ever to reach the 400-home run mark, putting him in some pretty impressive company. Next on the list? Hall of Famer Duke Snider with 407.

Beltre, a 36-year-old veteran of 18 big league seasons, is getting up there in age and has been around a long time, but he often has been overlooked as one of the best players of his generation—and one who has put together a resume worthy of Cooperstown.

For his career, Beltre is a .284/.336/.478 hitter. That might not seem especially Hall-worthy at first glance, but consider that it’s good for an OPS+ of 115, meaning he has been 15 percent better than league average on offense, once adjusted for era and ballparks.

Beltre also has 2,641 base hits, putting him just 359 shy of 3,000, a number he should reach before the end of the 2017 season, provided he remains healthy and active. With five more, he will tie Jimmie Foxx for 75th in history.

Of those knocks, 535 have been doubles, putting him one ahead of none other than Lou Gehrig for 37th-most all-time.

As for RBI? Beltre has 1,397 of those to date, tying him with Miguel Cabrera for 76th overall.

So just in terms of certain aspects of offense, Beltre occupies the same space as Snider, Foxx, Gehrig and Cabrera—three inner-circle Hall of Famers and one who will be five years after retirement. With a little more context, it’s clear Beltre has indeed put himself among some impressive company with his bat.

Just for fun, here’s another Hall of Fame name-dropping tidbit from Cody Stavenhagen of MLB.com:

Beltre … is also one of the greatest power-hitting third basemen in the history of baseball. Beltre is now one of only four players to spend at least 75 percent of his career at the hot corner and hit 400 homers.

The others?

Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt (548), Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews (512) and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Chipper Jones (468).

All of the above is remarkable, and yet none of it factors in arguably Beltre’s forte—his defense at the hot corner.

A superb glove man known for his athleticism, range, quick actions and elite arm, Beltre ranks 22nd in history in defensive wins above replacement (WAR), according to Baseball-Reference.com.

The same site puts Beltre at 78.6 career WAR, an all-encompassing metric that measures every aspect of baseball from offense to defense to baserunning. Beltre’s total ranks No. 40 among position players—ever.

FanGraphs has Beltre worth 71.0 career WAR, which puts him 47th all-time for position players.

On top of all that, Beltre has played in four All-Star Games, won as many Gold Gloves and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting—you guessed it—four times.

That said, Beltre did endure his share of struggles, many of which oddly came in the middle of his career.

Following his monstrous walk year in 2004—he established career highs with a .334 average, 48 homers and 121 RBI—with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the organization that signed him as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic, Beltre landed a five-year, $64 million deal with the Seattle Mariners.

From there, what should have been his prime was swallowed by Safeco Field for five years. While he wasn’t at all bad with the Mariners, his career totals would be that much better right now if not for spending a handful of seasons in that pitcher’s paradise.

That was part of why Beltre, heading into his age-31 campaign in 2010 had to settle for a pillow contract with the Boston Red Sox for $10 million over just one season. A big bounce-back season put him back on the market a year later, which is how he signed his six-year, $96 million pact with the Rangers.

Speaking of the Rangers, manager Jeff Banister had this to say of Beltre, per Stavenhagen, after No. 400 was in the books Friday: “I believe he’s a Hall of Famer, no matter what the argument is on the other side.”

If you’re one of those on the other side who still has some doubts over Beltre’s Cooperstown credentials, know that the Rangers already picked up his club option for 2016 during spring training this past February. That gives him a season and three-quarters—at least—to rack up some more statistics.

And bolster his case for the Hall of Fame even further.

 

Statistics are accurate as of Friday, May 15, and courtesy of MLB.com,Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter:@JayCat11.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Fantasy Baseball 2015: Week 6’s Buy-Low, Sell-High Trade Advice

What good is a fantasy owner who lacks a sense of timing?

Fantasy baseballjust like the real thingis a game of skill, luck and timing. That last trait in particular comes in handy in regard to getting value in the trading game.

Knowing which player(s) to trade away and which to deal for—and knowing just the right time to do so—can make all the difference.

After all, it doesn’t get much better than making a move to unload a hot flavor-of-the-week type who’s about to cool off in exchange for a slumping stud who’s ready to take off.

Now, speaking of timing, let’s get to some players to sell high and buy low.

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Troy Tulowitzki Trade Must Be Reached Before Situation Deteriorates

Things are coming to a head for the Colorado Rockies and not just because they play a mile high. Troy Tulowitzki, the longtime face of the franchise, could be on the verge of making a push to get himself removed from what has become a losing and toxic situation.

The Rockies open a four-game set against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Thursday, at which point Tulowitzki will meet with his agent, Paul Cohen, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

On the agenda? The possibility—or, more accurately, the likelihood—that the star shortstop and his representative could broach the idea of requesting a trade out of Colorado.

“To say that [asking for a trade] is not a possibility would be silly,” says Cohen, who is set to meet with his client to get a read on how things have gone at the outset of 2015.

The short answer? Uh, not good.

After a semi-surprising start that saw them get to 7-2 right out of the gate and 11-8 as recently as April 27, the Rockies predictably have fallen apart, losing nine straight since to drop to 11-17 as of Tuesday and fall into last place in the NL West.

As Sherman writes:

Tulowitzki was described as frustrated with four straight losing seasons and wants out, according to two people who know him well. Cohen would not describe Tulowitzki’s mindset, but it was clear in a 15-minute conversation Cohen clearly sees the value of his client moving to a better place for his mind and body (not playing in high altitude any longer).

Folks, this situation could get ugly—and quickly.

The season is barely six weeks old, and already Colorado, which has endured four straight losing years, appears to be in the middle of yet another sub-.500 campaign.

This time, though, it’s more than that. It’s time for the Rockies to move on from the current crop of talent centered around Tulowitzki and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez—who entered Tuesday hitting .196, by the way—and undertake a rebuild.

The fans in Denver are once again getting fed up. There’s talk once again about boycotting Coors Field to make a point to an ownership that has not only remained steadfastly (and irrationally) against trading its two big-name stars, but also has opened itself up to criticism by calling out the fanbase itself.

“It could get to the point for [owner] Dick Monfort and [general manager] Jeff [Bridich] that the storyline every day with the team is when is Tulowitzki being traded,” Cohen said, per Sherman. “That is negative for the franchise as the idea of trading the face of the franchise. They are smart enough to recognize they don’t want that going forward.”

In short, the Rockies’ awful—and already lost—season is reaggravating an already tense situation between the ownership and tired-of-losing fanbase, with new GM Bridich caught in the middle as the one person who could lose all kinds of leverage as soon as news breaks that Tulowitzki has asked for (or demanded) a trade.

In fact, Tulowitzki made noise last July when he opened up about the idea of getting out of Colorado so that he could “be somewhere where there’s a chance to be in the playoffs every single year,” as he told Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post.

Thing is, Tulowitzki is not an especially sought-after commodity at the moment. Sure, he’s one of the five or 10 best players in baseball when he’s healthy and playing well, especially considering he handles a premium up-the-middle position too.

But this also is a 30-year-old who, due to a lengthy injury history, has played more than 130 games just three times in eight would-be full seasons (and parts of 10 total seasons). Over the past three years from 2012-14, although Tulowitzki posted an average triple-slash line of .316/.399/.551, he also participated in only 264 out of a possible 486 contests—or just over 50 percent.

Oh, and he’s coming off major hip surgery that ended his 2014 in mid-July.

There’s also the ever-increasing probability that Tulowitzki will need to move off shortstop in the near future to a less demanding position like third base, which only drops his value further. And a trade would mean leaving behind the hitter haven that is Coors Field, which could negatively impact his elite offensive production.

On top of all that, Tulowitzki is owed $118 million through 2020 and has a clause in his contract that guarantees him an extra $2 million as well as full no-trade rights going forward if he’s swapped.

As is, it’s likely we have seen the best of Tulowitzki. A four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glover who has received MVP votes in six seasons, he is hitting a very respectable .307 this year but managed only two home runs so far while striking out 23 times against only two walks in his first 28 games.

As for possible destinations, there are a handful of teams that have both an opening or need at shortstop (or third base) as well as the financial wherewithal to take on most, if not all, of Tulowitzki‘s contract.

Among them? The underachieving Seattle Mariners, the wheeling-and-dealing San Diego Padres and the win-now Los Angeles Angels (perhaps at third base), as well as both New York teams, with the Mets more desperate for a shortstop solution than the Yankees.

Much like the unrest among Rockies fans, the possibility of a Tulowitzki trade has been simmering below the surface for some time now. But there’s only so long a situation can bubble before it eventually spills over.

The Rockies and their franchise face have just about reached that boiling point.

 

Statistics are accurate as of Tuesday, May 12, and courtesy of MLB.comBaseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter:@JayCat11.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


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