Tag: Alexei Ramirez

      Should White Sox give up farm for Halladay?

      July 20, 2009 /

      Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Tribune writes that the White Sox should be willing to give up a significant amount of talent in order to acquire Blue Jays’ ace Roy Halladay.

      Let’s put on our GM cap and start with shortstop Alexei Ramirez and pitcher John Danks. I know: a steep price. But worth it. Halladay is the overpowering pitcher the Sox haven’t had since Jack McDowell. Last season, he struck out 206 batters and walked 39. So far this year, it’s 106-17.

      He would be a difference-maker for a club like the White Sox, who are within 1 1/2 games of first place in the American League Central. How does a rotation of Halladay, Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras and Gavin Floyd sound? It makes all the heated conversations about a fifth starter seem almost meaningless.

      The White Sox played well enough before the All-Star break to end any discussion about whether they’ll be sellers before the July 31 trade deadline. Now they need to be buyers. It very well could be that they would have to give up a prospect or two in addition to two major-leaguers. Do it.

      Not that I disagree with what Morrissey wrote, but allow me to play devils advocate here.

      Halladay is a free agent after the 2010 season and will mostly likely test the free agent waters searching for his last opportunity to win a championship (assuming of course he doesn’t win one this season or next). That means the White Sox will probably only get him for a year and a half. Is a year and a half of Halladay worth giving up Ramirez, Danks and two decent prospects for X amount of years?

      It might be, but that’s a steep price. Kenny Williams would absolutely have to feel that Halladay makes the Sox legitimate World Series contenders to give up multiple pieces. If he doesn’t fully believe that Halladay gets them to the WS, then Williams needs to continue his rebuilding plan with the core he has.

      MLB

      2009 MLB Preview: #16 Chicago White Sox

      March 23, 2009 /

      Click Here to see Previews of all 30 MLB Teams

      Offseason Movement: GM Kenny Williams made a pair of trades that could help the Sox in the near future. Williams first traded outfielder Nick Swisher to the Yankees for Jeff Marquez and Wilson Betemit, then dealt veteran pitcher Javier Vazquez to Atlanta for catching prospect Tyler Flowers and infielder Brent Lillibridge. Marquez has a chance to earn the fifth spot in the rotation, although a hamstring injury could hold him back. The Sox also added veteran pitcher Bartolo Colon and young Cuban defector Dayan Viciedo.

      Top Prospect: Gordon Beckham, SS
      Beckham helped lead Georgia to a second-place finish at last year’s College World Series, hitting .474 with five dingers and 2 RBI in 14 games. At one point during the college season last year, he was also tied for the Division I lead for home runs with 28. Thus far in spring training, Beckham is 6-for-18 with four doubles and two home runs. The 22-year old prospect probably won’t make the Opening Day roster, but once he learns how to play second after making the switch from shortstop in college, Beckham is going to be playing big league ball.

      Continue reading »

      MLB

      2009 Fantasy Baseball Preview: Shortstops

      March 4, 2009 /

      All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

      Before your 2009 fantasy baseball draft kicks off this year, do yourself a favor and repeat this three or four times to yourself: I will draft a shortstop in the first nine rounds.

      Not unlike third basemen, the shortstop position is weak this season. After Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins come off the board in the first two rounds, you’re left with roughly eight shortstops that will give you adequate to good production this season. We project those eight shortstops to be selected anywhere between the fifth and ninth round in standard mixed leagues, which is why we suggest nabbing one before the conclusion of the ninth.

      The good news is that in a 12-team league, you’ll definitely have the opportunity to land one of the big three (Ramirez, Reyes, Rollins) or scoop up one of the eight adequate-to-good shortstops that we’re referring to. The bad news is that shortstops can start flying off the board quickly and if you’re selecting in a snake draft, you could wind up on the wrong end of the spectrum when the run starts.

      That’s why to be safe, you will draft a shortstop in one of the first nine rounds because you don’t want to be the guy that’s trying to figure out whether or not Edgar Renteria will bounce back now that he’s in the NL again, or having to choose between Orlando Cabrera’s consistent .280 batting average and Khalili Greene’s 25-plus home run potential. (Side note: If you do wind up being that guy come draft day, it might be wise to select two shortstops back to back and hope you catch lightning in a bottle with one of them.)

      Obviously you still want to be smart on draft day; we’re not advising you to take Derek Jeter in the third because you’re spooked about failing to grab a shortstop before the ninth round. But taking one of the top 11 shortstops a round early might not be a bad idea considering what you’ll be left with later on.

      After Ramirez, Reyes and Rollins come off the board, here are the eight shortstops we’d suggest taking before the ninth round ends:

      Stephen DrewStephen Drew, Arizona Diamondbacks
      In his third season with the D-Backs last year, Drew was only the third shortstop in major league history to finish with 40 doubles, 20 home runs and 10 triples in 2008. At 26 years old, his ceiling is sky high right now as he enters the prime of his career and there is no doubt that he’s one of the bright young stars in baseball. If he builds off the success he had last year, Drew could easily hit 25 home runs, knock in 75 RBI, score 100 runs and chip in five stolen bases. He probably won’t sniff the .300-mark in terms of batting average, but he should be right around .290.

      Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
      Tulowitzki exploded onto the scene in 2007, helping the Rockies make a World Series appearance and setting a record for most home runs (20) in a season by an NL rookie shortstop. But injuries destroyed what was supposed to be a promising second season in 2008 and he obviously fell short of expectations. Still, he hit .300 over the second half of the season last year and he should once again build on his promising young career. He has the potential to hit 20-plus home runs, knock in 80 RBI, score 90 runs and add 10 stolen bases along with his .290 average. Tulowitzki is a star in the making and definitely one of the better young shortstops in the game.

      Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox
      Potential could be the one word to describe the Sox’s young shortstop. Ramirez has 20-home run and 20-stolen base potential and he could easily average .290 and score 100 runs. The one thing to keep in mind about him, however, is that last year was his breakout campaign and he could regress in ’09. Still, with Orlando Cabrera moving on in free agency, Ramirez will get every opportunity to build on his rookie performance and should have plenty of fantasy potential hitting in front of Carlos Quentin in the two-hole.

      Jhonny Peralta, Cleveland Indians
      With most of the Tribe hitters taking a step back in ’08, Peralta came through with a fine season. If Travis Hafner is healthy again this year, Peralta will move back to the third or fifth spot in the order (he was hitting cleanup in Hafner’s absence last season) and should hit 25-plus home runs. He does strike out a lot and his average will probably teeter around .275, but he’ll also give you 80-plus RBI and score 100-plus runs. There’s talk of him moving to third base this year so keep an eye on that, but he’ll still qualify as a shortstop in all leagues.

      Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
      Tried and true – Jeter is more than capable of giving you quality production day in and day out. At 35 years old, his numbers are definitely on the decline but that doesn’t mean the veteran will crash and burn in 2009. He might not hit 20 home runs or steal 20 bases this year, but you can probably bank on 15 dingers and 15 swiped bags. Just don’t overvalue him, because there’s no doubt someone will based on name recognition alone.

      Rafael FurcalRafael Furcal, Los Angeles Dodgers
      Obviously he’s a major injury risk, but if he’s healthy there’s no reason to believe Furcal can’t pick up where he left off in April of last year when he hit .367. He also returns to familiar stomping grounds after re-signing with the Dodgers, and he should have every opportunity to top 15 home runs and swipe 35-plus bases. Some owners will look at his name and take a pass given his age and injury concerns, but Furcal could be worth the risk come draft day, especially depending on how far he falls.

      J.J. Hardy, Milwaukee Brewers
      If you can put up with Hardy’s streaky production, he’s liable to blast 25 home runs, drive in 75 RBI and bat around .280. Depending on how your first five or six rounds turn out, the addition of Hardy could give you a boost in the power department without killing your team’s overall batting average. Not a lot of owners will jump at the opportunity to select him, but Hardy is an underrated player and after hitting 20-plus home runs the last two seasons, he looks like a reliable option.

      Michael Young, Texas Rangers
      Some owners might choose to go with a young sleeper like KC’s Mike Aviles over an aging vet like Young, but keep in mind how good the Rangers’ offense was last year. Young has the potential to hit .300 with12 dingers, knocking in 82 RBI and scoring 102 runs at the top of Texas’s lineup. Aviles might hit .300 again with 10-plus home runs, but it’s doubtful he brings what Young does to the table in terms of RBI and run production.

      Here is our official ranking of shortstops. Remember that all of these players qualify for your middle infield position, so don’t fall asleep and miss out on taking a potential sleeper or consistent veteran shortstop in later rounds.

      1. Hanley Ramirez, FLA
      2. Jose Reyes, NYM
      3. Jimmy Rollins, PHI
      4. Stephen Drew, ARI
      5. Troy Tulowitzki, COL
      6. Alexei Ramirez, CHW
      7. Jhonny Peralta, CLE
      8. Derek Jeter, NYY
      9. Rafael Furcal, LAD
      10. J.J. Hardy, MIL
      11. Michael Young, TEX
      12. Mike Aviles, KC
      13. Miguel Tejada, HOU
      14. Yunel Escobar, ATL
      15. Orlando Cabrera, OAK
      16. Elvis Andrus, TEX
      17. Edgar Renteria, SF
      18. Jason Bartlett, TB
      19. Ryan Theriot, CHC
      20. Khalil Greene, STL
      21. Jed Lowrie, BOS

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      2009 Fantasy Baseball Preview: Second Basemen

      March 4, 2009 /

      Dustin Pedroia

      All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

      Second base is home to one of the biggest draft-day dilemmas: What to do with Chase Utley? I covered Utley’s situation in more detail here, but as you’ll see in the rankings below, I’m not concerned enough about his recovery from hip surgery to drop him from the top slot at second base. Reports out of spring training have all been positive and Utley maintains that he’ll be ready for Opening Day. As long as he doesn’t suffer a setback between now and my draft, that’s good enough for me.

      Of course, my refusal to drop Utley’s ranking has as much to do with his talent as it does the general lack of depth at second base. Sure, there is some talent at the top of the list but once you get eight or 10 deep, things start looking rather bleak. Fortunately, there is a fair amount of upside to be harvested here, with several 28-and-under guys who could outperform expectations this season. You’ll have to pay a premium for some (like the reigning AL MVP) while others can be snagged in the mid- to late-rounds (like Arizona’s new potential leadoff man), but they all have the kind of upside that I look for on draft day. And while upside alone won’t win you a fantasy title, it’s a convenient tiebreaker that makes a guy like Brandon Phillips a little more attractive than the steadier but older Brian Roberts.

      With that in mind, here is some of the young talent you’ll want to consider this season, and see below for my top-25 second basemen.

      Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
      It’s only fitting to start this list with Pedroia after the 25-year-old sparkplug came out of nowhere to snag the MVP award with a .326-17-83-118-20 campaign. Of course, now everyone wants to know if he can do it again. Color me skeptical. Pedroia shouldn’t have a problem matching his average and runs total as Boston’s #2 hitter, but he never flashed the kind of home run power in the minors that he showed last season, and he stole a total of 11 bases in his four minor-league stops. Some will argue that Pedroia’s impressive 54 doubles not only indicate that the power surge was legit, but that more homers are on the way. That may turn out to be true, but I’ve seen Pedroia going ahead of Utley in many mock drafts, sometimes even late in the first round. That’s a price I simply am not willing to pay. Was 2008 the ceiling for Boston’s young second baseman? We’ll find out this season, but I’m content letting another owner pay the premium.

      Ian KinslerIan Kinsler, Texas Rangers
      After adding nearly 60 points to his batting average, Kinsler is another second baseman who will have to prove that last season was no fluke. A sports hernia ended the 26 year old’s season in August but not before he established himself as a legitimate 25-25 threat atop the Rangers lineup. Unlike Pedroia, Kinsler showed plenty of pop in the minors but, also unlike Pedroia, Kinsler hasn’t exactly proven to be a durable player in his short career, which is the lone reason I have him behind his Boston counterpart in my rankings. As far as pure ability goes, I’d rather have Kinsler. The average may have been a bit flukey but, if he can stay healthy, this may be the only second baseman who can rival Utley’s all-round production.

      Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds
      Maybe I spoke too soon. Kinsler certainly has the potential to match Utley’s power/speed combo, but the 27-year-old Phillips did just that two years ago, going .288-30-94-107-32. Actually, to be more precise, Utley has never stolen more than 16 bases in one season, whereas Phillips has averaged nearly 27 steals over the last three years. His numbers dropped last season, in part because of a finger injury, and some wonder how much he’ll rebound in 2009 now that Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. are no longer in town. Call me a sucker for upside, but I’ll gladly roll the dice on Phillips in the fourth or fifth round, and while I like the speed and consistency Brian Roberts offers, I’d rather have the medium-risk/high-reward Phillips.

      Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox
      Be careful here. Ramirez is all the rage after putting together a .290-21-77-65-13 season that would have been good for Rookie of the Year honors if not for Evan Longoria. The counting numbers look great but don’t overlook the ugly 61-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio. At just 27, Ramirez has plenty of room for growth, and I love the fact that he’ll qualify at 2B, SS and OF in many leagues. But with that kind of plate discipline, don’t be surprised if the Cuban defector falls short of expectations in his second season.

      Dustin Pedroia

      Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
      We’ve seen what Cano is capable of after he hit .342 with 15 homers in 2006 and .306-19-97-93 in 2007. Unfortunately for the 26-year-old Cano, his propensity for ice cold starts depresses his final numbers each year, an early season trend that bottomed out when he hit .151 last April. His pedestrian overall stats (.271-14-72-70-2) will keep his draft stock down this season, which means it’s the perfect time to buy low. If you’re looking for a rebound candidate at second base, Cano is your guy.

      Jose Lopez, Seattle Mariners
      Lopez delivered improvement across the board last year, going .297-17-89-80-6 in his third full season with the Mariners. At 25, Lopez may very well still be on the upswing, and his career minor league numbers seem to back that up. He doesn’t draw many walks and he hits in a meager lineup, but if you haven’t found your starting second baseman by the middle rounds, Lopez would be a nice fit.

      Mike Aviles, Kansas City Royals
      As a 27-year-old rookie, Aviles put together a tidy .325-10-51-68-8 line in 102 games. The hype surrounding KC’s likely #2 hitter is surprisingly high right now so there’s a chance he’ll be overvalued on draft day, but Aviles was a very good hitter in the minors who totaled 27 homers in his last two years at AAA. Don’t go crazy for him, but don’t sleep on Aviles either. Bonus: he’ll qualify at 2B and SS.

      Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels
      Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers
      Kendrick and Weeks ooze upside. The problem is, they can’t stay healthy. The glass-half-full side of me says they each set a career high for games played last year; the glass-half-empty side says, “Yeah, but that was 92 games for Kendrick and 129 for Weeks!” Good point. Still, Kendrick (25) is talented enough to win multiple batting titles even if the power hasn’t yet developed, while Weeks (26) has flashed some serious power/speed ability, averaging 15 homers and 22 steals in limited action the last two years. It would be foolish to count on either guy as your starting second baseman, but if you want to roll the dice on a high-upside middle infielder, you could do a lot worse.

      Felipe LopezFelipe Lopez, Arizona Diamondbacks
      Lopez once hit 23 homers and stole 44 bases. He didn’t do those in the same year, of course, and since posting those numbers, the 28 year old has been a fairly mediocre fantasy player, but that just means he’ll come cheaply on draft day. The Diamondbacks are talking about having Lopez lead off in 2009, which may be the kind of opportunity the toolsy middle infielder needs to revive his career. As a bonus, he’ll qualify at 2B, 3B, SS and OF in many leagues, which makes him even more appealing as a late-round flier.

      Skip Schumaker, St. Louis Cardinals
      I’m cheating a little bit with this one in a couple of ways: Schumaker is 29 and he will not qualify at second base during your draft. The upside here is probably minimal but if Schumaker can win the second base job this spring (so far, so good on that front), he’ll likely have a regular gig in the leadoff spot for the Cardinals. That won’t translate to a whole lot of power and speed, but Schumaker should hit .300 and score 100 runs, numbers that look a whole lot like Placido Polanco’s. Considering owners tend to look at Polanco around the 10th round while Schumaker more often than not goes undrafted, that sounds like a pretty good value to me.

      TOP 25 SECOND BASEMEN

      1. Chase Utley, PHI
      2. Dustin Pedroia, BOS
      3. Ian Kinsler, TEX
      4. Brandon Phillips, CIN
      5. Brian Roberts, BAL
      6. Alexei Ramirez, CHW
      7. Robinson Cano, NYY
      8. Dan Uggla, FLA
      9. Mark DeRosa, CLE
      10. Jose Lopez, SEA
      11. Mike Aviles, KC
      12. Kelly Johnson, ATL
      13. Placido Polanco, DET
      14. Howie Kendrick, LAA
      15. Rickie Weeks, MIL
      16. Aaron Hill, TOR
      17. Orlando Hudson, LAD
      18. Felipe Lopez, ARI
      19. Skip Schumaker, STL
      20. Mark Ellis, OAK
      21. Freddy Sanchez, PIT
      22. Kaz Matsui, HOU
      23. Ronnie Belliard, WAS
      24. Alexi Casilla, MIN
      25. Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE

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