Category: MLB (Page 216 of 448)

      Will the Padres trade Adrian Gonzalez?

      June 4, 2009 /

      In a recent video blog for ESPN.com, Buster Olney broached the topic of whether or not the Padres will trade young star Adrian Gonzalez and said that if they do, it’ll be during the winter.

      Olney says that the Padres have already alienated their fans by letting closer Trevor Hoffman leave via free agency and by trying to deal ace Jake Peavy, so they don’t want to disrupt their loyal followers even more by dangling Gonzo on the trade market. Olney also noted that the Red Sox would be interested in Gonzo if he were available now, although he also stated that the Pads would get more in exchange for the slugger if they wanted until the offseason.

      Even the thought of trading away a young bat like Gonzalez would be enough to send most Padre fans to their nearest psych ward. He’s their only slugger in a weak offense and he’s locked up until 2012. Why would San Diego deal a young productive player like Gonzo when they’re trying to rebuild in the midst of an ownership change?

      The answer is that if the Padres were able to unload Peavy and Gonzo, they wouldn’t only save money, but they could also completely retool their farm system. Both players are in their prime, they’ve been incredibly productive so far this season and their trade stock has never been hire. Could you imagine the haul San Diego could bring in if they dealt both of those players? Along with picking No. 3 in this year’s MLB draft, the Pads could build a core in their farm system and compete for years to come, rather than struggle in a weak NL West for the next couple of years with Peavy and Gonzo on the roster.

      It’ll be interesting to see what the Padres do around the trade deadline when contending clubs are desperate. Maybe Onley is right and they won’t make a move until this offseason, but if the right trade comes along in the next couple months, it might be hard for SD to sit on their hands.

      MLB

      White Sox call up top prospect Gordon Beckham

      June 4, 2009 /

      If you don’t hear from any White Sox fans today, it’s because they’re currently worshiping the baseball gods after the Chi-Sox recalled top prospect Gordon Beckham from Triple-A Charlotte and designated Wilson Betemit for assignment (which could be just as big of a move for fans as the call up of Beckham was).

      Beckham was the eighth overall selection of the ’08 MLB Draft and has been on the fast track to the big leagues ever since. He was promoted to Triple A on May 27 and now he’ll make his major league debut tonight in Chicago against the A’s.

      Baseball America has Beckham rated as the 20th best prospect in baseball at age 22. He can play second, third and short, but he’ll see most of his time at third while batting anywhere 7 through 9 in the order. He’s your typical line drive hitter, although he has good power given his size (6’0”, 185 pounds) and has displayed good instincts on the base paths.

      Every time a top prospect gets called up before spending a fair amount of time in the minors, people are always going to question whether or not he got enough seasoning. But Beckham did play collegiality at Georgia and was crushing the ball in Triple A. Baseball is also reverting back into a young player’s game and prospects like Beckham are the future. Here’s hoping he plays well.

      Fantasy Spin: If you’re in a keeper league, Beckham is worth taking a flier on. He’s considered an impact prospect and the Sox didn’t call him up because of an injury – they called him up in hopes that he can produce right away. If you have a spot on your roster, add him.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Braves acquire Nate McLouth from Pirates

      June 4, 2009 /

      In an effort to try and inject life into their stagnant offense, the Braves acquired outfielder Nate McLouth from the Pirates in exchange for prospects Charlie Morton, Jeff Locke and Gorkys Hernandez.

      The Braves acquired a speedy slugger who can bat anywhere in the top half of their order, and who they’ll have under contract for three or four more seasons.

      McLouth joins a Braves outfield that was tied for last in the majors with 10 homers through Tuesday, and finished last with 27 homers in 2008. He almost single-handedly matched the Braves’ outfield total with his career-high 26 homers in 2008, when he hit .276.

      He stole 23 bases in 26 attempts in 2008, and he has not been caught stealing this season.
      The Braves paid a hefty price: Morton was 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA in 10 starts at Gwinnett, and Hernandez, 21, hit .316 with 11 doubles, two triples, 19 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 52 games at Class AA Mississippi.

      Locke, 21, was 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 10 starts for Class A Myrtle Beach.
      It may seem like the Braves gave up a lot in this deal, but Hernandez might be the only real loss seeing as how Locke is struggling and Morton might not have cracked the starting rotation anytime soon.

      McLouth is a solid hitter, can play center, is locked up cheap throughout the next couple of years and seeing as how he’s only owed $2 million this season, the Braves still have room to make another move or two.

      As of now, it would appear that the Braves got the better end of this deal, which is no surprise considering their trade partner was the Pirates.

      MLB

      Will tonight be the night the Big Unit wins No. 300?

      June 3, 2009 /

      Randy Johnson will go for career win No. 300 when the Giants take on the Nationals tonight at 7:05 p.m. ET. Johnson hasn’t won back-to-back starts all season and he’s coming off a win over the Braves on May 27.

      Some believe the Big Unit is a shoe-in to win No. 300 tonight because he’s taking on a Washington team that’s just 14-36 on the year and lost six straight before beating San Fran 10-6 last night. But the Nats have scored the 12th most runs in baseball and are ninth in home runs, which Johnson has served plenty of this season (10 in 10 starts to be exact).

      Johnson’s performance so far this season matches his stats line, which is to say he has been very average. He’s currently 4-4 with a 5.71 ERA and while he’s pitched well his last two outings, he also hasn’t reached the seventh inning in eight of his 10 starts. He simply runs out of gas when the game reaches the fifth and sixth inning, which means the Giants bullpen has often been the deciding factor in whether or not the Big Unit is victorious.

      I don’t want to piss on his parade, but I don’t see Johnson winning tonight. Jordan Zimmerman is throwing for the Nats and the Giants don’t have a good enough offense to jump out to a big lead early and allow the Big Unit to cruise. As much as I would love to watch history tonight, I’ve got a gut feeling Johnson will be stuck at 299 by the end of the night.

      Still, the Giants are always in tight ball games, so it would be cool to see Johnson throw six strong innings and then watch as the bullpen tries to preserve the victory for him. As much as SF closer Brian Wilson gets jacked for games, it would also be sweet to see him have to come in for a save in ninth with Johnson’s No. 300 hanging in the balance.

      MLB

      Hanley Ramirez to play through pain

      June 2, 2009 /

      According to a report by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez is playing hurt right now, but but doesn’t plan on missing any time.

      “I don’t want to sit on the bench,” said Ramirez, who went 3 for 5 and scored his 400th career run. “I want to be out there trying to help my team win. I talked to [manager Fredi Gonzalez] and told him let’s see how it is every day. I want to play and I’ll be out there tomorrow, too.”

      Give Ramirez credit for realizing he’s better at 70 or 80 percent than anyone the Marlins could replace him with at 100 percent. Whether to play hurt is always a tough call for an athlete. Ramirez may not be stealing any bases for a while, but he sees the standings and knows the Marlins can’t afford to drop much further below the .500 mark and stay in the National League East mix.

      This might not be a significant story to some, but don’t forget about a month ago that some within the Marlins organization were upset with Ramirez’s hustle (or lack thereof). Him playing through pain shows his dedication to his team and speaks volumes for his mental toughness.

      Fantasy spin: If Ramirez is playing hurt, it certainly hasn’t showed in his stats line. He went 3 for 5 on Monday, driving in a run and scoring twice. He has now had back-to-back three-hit games and has eight hits in his last three contests.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

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