2016 MLB thread. THE CUBS HAVE BROKEN THE CURSE! Chicago Cubs are your 2016 World Series champions
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by proshares,
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Zimmerman not in the lineup again and going out for an MRI, the NL East injuries just keep piling up
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Zimmerman not in the lineup again and going out for an MRI, the NL East injuries just keep piling up
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Yu with another good/great start. C.J., who?
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Yu with another good/great start. C.J., who?
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cards offense has gone GHOST!!!!!!!!
another walk off loss to the lowly cubs, smh
another walk off loss to the lowly cubs, smh
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cards offense has gone GHOST!!!!!!!!
another walk off loss to the lowly cubs, smh
another walk off loss to the lowly cubs, smh
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I'm enjoying these series' between Baltimore and Toronto.
That's weird...
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I'm enjoying these series' between Baltimore and Toronto.
That's weird...
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Matt Kemp is a terrible base runner. Just awful.
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Matt Kemp is a terrible base runner. Just awful.
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Great at-bat for Kotsay right now.
Edit: All for naught.
Edit: All for naught.
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Great at-bat for Kotsay right now.
Edit: All for naught.
Edit: All for naught.
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1st home loss for the Dodgers. Chip with a homer i missed the game
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1st home loss for the Dodgers. Chip with a homer i missed the game
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Albert Pujols was the worst off-season signing ever. Hes nothing without his syringes
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Albert Pujols was the worst off-season signing ever. Hes nothing without his syringes
Yu Darvish's specialized skill.
Redrafting 'Moneyball'.
Rumors.
Spoiler [+]
There was a moment during Yu Darvish's start against the New York Yankees on Tuesday when Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli dropped into a squat to call a pitch and made an unusual sign -- sort of an upside-down L, aimed in the direction of the right-handed batter.
Ken Singleton, broadcasting the game on YES, noted that he had never seen a sign like this before. This is what a catcher must do when his pitcher has more than three or four or five pitches -- invent signals beyond the standard stuff.
It's one thing to be able to throw a lot of pitches, but it's a different kind of challenge entirely to maintain command of such a wide array. There are only so many bullets for a pitcher between starts, only so many times they can throw a baseball, and this is why a lot of pitchers will streamline their repertoire.
While throwing 35 to 50 pitches in their bullpen session, and while playing catch daily with their catching partner, they'll devote a certain percentage of their throws to fastballs, some to their breaking balls, some to their changeups -- depending on what pitch needs the most work, the most maintenance. Derek Holland is Darvish's catching partner, and he says the right-hander can somehow maintain command of all of his different pitches with minimal practice.
He throws a couple of different fastballs, two different speeds of curveballs (a hard curve and a big looping curveball), a slider, a cutter, a splitter. This means that he's probably throwing one or two of his pitches only four or five times a week and keeping them game-ready.
This is an incredible, difference-making skill, reflecting a gifted feel for how to make a baseball move. Imagine a quarterback who could master an entire offense while practicing particular plays only once or twice a season.
Pedro Martinez had this skill. Orlando Hernandez -- El Duque -- had this skill. Roy Halladay has this.
Yu Darvish has this.
He wowed the sellout crowd, writes Jeff Wilson. Evan Grant picks out some moments from the start.
Darvish gave everybody reason to believe the hype.
From ESPN Stats & Info, how Darvish won:
A) Darvish threw 82 of 119 pitches (68.9 percent) for strikes, well above his 56.8 percent average entering the night.
B) He started 21 of 33 hitters (63.6 percent) with a first-pitch strike. In his first three starts, he threw a first-pitch strike to less than 48 percent of all hitters.
C) Thirteen of the 21 balls in play (61.9 percent) against Darvish were hit on the ground, compared with 42.1 percent in his first three starts. Twenty-two of Darvish's 25 outs were either grounders or strikeouts.
D) Lefties entered Tuesday hitting .313 against Darvish; the six Yankees lefties in the lineup Tuesday were 4-for-21 with eight strikeouts against Darvish.
E) Yankees lefties were 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in at-bats ending with Darvish's curveball.
F) Yankees hitters were 1-for-12 with five strikeouts with men on base.
G) The Yankees chased 25 Darvish pitches out of the strike zone; opponents had chased an average of 12 in Darvish's first three starts.
Darvish is the second starting pitcher in Rangers history with 10 strikeouts and 0 ER against the Yankees. Joe Coleman struck out 11 in nine scoreless innings in 1969.
From Elias: Since divisional play began in 1969, only two other pitchers besides Darvish have hurled at least eight shutout innings with 10 or more strikeouts in their first career start against the Yankees: Baltimore's Bob Milacki on Sept. 28, 1988, and Cleveland's Bartolo Colon on Sept. 21, 1998.
Hiroki Kuroda was good, but the other guy was better.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• The San Francisco Giants were really annoyed that a ball was thrown behind catcher Buster Posey.
• Ryan Zimmerman got unfavorable results in an MRI, writes Adam Kilgore.
• Dylan Bundy was unhittable, again, as Jon Meoli writes. The Orioles prospect is 13 innings into his professional career and still hasn't allowed a hit.
• David Ortiz has been killing the ball, and he wrecked the Minnesota Twins with another opposite-field double and a monster home run. Ortiz has been hammering hits to left field -- far more than last year.
From Justin Havens of ESPN Stats & Info, where Ortiz has been getting his hits:
2012
LF: 13 (46.4 percent)
CF: 7 (23.3 percent)
RF: 8 (26.7 percent)
2011
LF: 49 (30.2 percent)
CF: 49 (30.2 percent)
RF: 64 (39.5 percent)
Josh Beckett practiced some anger management.
• The other day on "Baseball Tonight," I was asked to assign a pie chart of blame for Boston's 4-10 start, and this is how I broke it down:
Boston ownership and president Larry Lucchino: 35 percent. The buck stops there.
Players: 30 percent. They make it happen, either way.
Theo Epstein: 29 percent. He is gone, but the composition of the team is still built on his decisions.
Ben Cherington: 3 percent. He didn't have a lot of payroll flexibility during the winter. The one major move that has really boomeranged on him is the trade for reliever Mark Melancon.
Bobby Valentine: 3 percent. He simply hasn't been around very long.
Here's the thing: If the Red Sox were 10-6, and not 6-10, the Pie Chart of Blame would be the Pie Chart of Credit, and it would break down with the exact same percentages.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies get to add a 26th man today, writes Rob Biertempfel.
2. Freddy Garcia will get another chance in the rotation, writes Marc Carig.
3. Tal Smith has been hired to oversee an independent league team.
4. Ryan Roberts has been benched.
5. Jarrod Parker gets the ball tonight, as John Shea writes.
6. Aubrey Huff is dealing with a personal matter, writes Alex Pavlovic.
7. The San Diego Padres continue to have a spat over an element of their local television situation.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. The New York Mets put Jason Bay and Mike Pelfrey on the disabled list.
2. Michael Pineda is going for a second opinion.
3. Carl Crawford wants a second opinion.
4. Ryan Madson has started his rehab.
5. The Brewers' Chris Narveson is headed for surgery.
6. Ryan Howard will be limited for at least one more week.
7. Justin Smoak's hamstring is hurting.
[h3]Tuesday's games[/h3]
1. David Price was dominant, throwing a shutout, writes Marc Topkin.
From ESPN Stats & Info:
A) Los Angeles Angels hitters were 0-for-13 with two strikes; opponents were 9-for-36 with two strikes against Price in his first three starts.
B) Price started 21 of 32 hitters (65.6 percent) with a first-pitch strike, higher than his 55.1 percent rate in his first three starts.
C) With no lefties in the Angels' lineup, Price relied on his changeup. He threw 29 of them and got a career-high 10 of his outs in at-bats ending with the pitch.
D) Angels hitters were 1-for-15 in at-bats ending with a fastball.
2. Johan Santana was The Man for the Mets, striking out 11. He had the best command in this start that he's shown all season, and it's probably not a coincidence he had six days between outings.
3. The Pirates refused to wilt.
4. From Elias: Chipper Jones hit his fifth career HR on his birthday, tied for the most among active players with Alex Rodriguez and Todd Helton. Other career numbers on Jones' birthday: .429 batting average, 11 RBIs, eight strikeouts. Jones also joins Tony Phillips, Wade Boggs, Joe Morgan (hit two) and Bob Thurman as players who homered on their 40th birthdays. Jim Thome and Darrell Evans hold the MLB record, homering on their 41st birthdays.
[h4]April swoons[/h4]
The longest April losing streaks in MLB history (courtesy of Elias).
[table][tr][th=""]
Year
[/th][th=""]
Team
[/th][th=""]
Games
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
1988
[/td][td]
Orioles
[/td][td]
21
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1997
[/td][td]
Cubs
[/td][td]
14
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1962
[/td][td]
Senators
[/td][td]
13
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
2012
[/td][td]
Royals
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1994
[/td][td]
Athletics
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1981
[/td][td]
Cubs
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][/table]
5. It seems impossible that the Kansas City Royals have been this bad, this early, but here it is: The Royals' losing streak has reached 12, as Bob Dutton writes.
From ESPN Stats & Info: Only six teams have lost as many as 12 straight games in April and none since the 1997 Cubs. They lost their first 14 games of the season en route to a last place finish in the NL Central.
The Royals have been at their worst in big moments, as Ned Yost said.
6. Tommy Hunter and the Baltimore Orioles took down the Toronto Blue Jays.
7. The St. Louis Cardinals were confounded by umpires, as Derrick Goold writes.
8. The Cincinnati Reds exploded in the late innings and had a retaliation moment. This was the real Mat Latos, as Hal McCoy writes.
9. The Cleveland Indians just keep on winning, and Jack Hannahan hoisted them against the Royals.
10. Pitching continues to be a problem for the Twins.
11. Corey Hart powered the Brewers.
12. Tony Campana set the table for the Chicago Cubs, as Toni Ginnetti writes.
13. There was good stuff in the Chicago White Sox loss, writes Daryl Von Schouwen.
14. The Philadelphia Phillies mashed a bunch of home runs.
15. Gio Gonzalez extended his scoreless streak.
16. Henderson Alvarez chipped in a good start, but the Jays still lost.
17. Watched a lot of the Marlins-Mets game, and for the Miami Marlins, Josh Johnson's outing must have been heartening: His velocity was up to 96 mph, and he had his best slider and cutter of the season. It didn't turn out well in the end for the Marlins, as Clark Spencer writes.
18. Bud Norris got knocked around.
19. Josh Collmenter had his best stuff but got ugly results, writes Nick Piecoro.
20. The Rockies' bullpen blew up.
21. Matt Cain had a tough day.
22. Oakland's Tommy Milone had another strong outing.
23. A fill-in really helped the Seattle Mariners.
24. The Los Angeles Dodgers are no longer perfect at home.
25. The Padres were shut down.
26. The Angels are generating home runs, but its their pitchers who are doing this, not the hitters, as Bill Plunkett writes.
By The Numbers, from ESPN Stats & Info:
0: Run support for Johan Santana and Adam Wainwright this season while in the game.
323: Distance of B.J. Upton's home run Tuesday night, the shortest home run of the year that was not inside the park.
[h3]Other stuff[/h3]
• ESPN is positioning itself to take a run at the Yankees' radio rights, reports the New York Post.
Ken Singleton, broadcasting the game on YES, noted that he had never seen a sign like this before. This is what a catcher must do when his pitcher has more than three or four or five pitches -- invent signals beyond the standard stuff.
It's one thing to be able to throw a lot of pitches, but it's a different kind of challenge entirely to maintain command of such a wide array. There are only so many bullets for a pitcher between starts, only so many times they can throw a baseball, and this is why a lot of pitchers will streamline their repertoire.
While throwing 35 to 50 pitches in their bullpen session, and while playing catch daily with their catching partner, they'll devote a certain percentage of their throws to fastballs, some to their breaking balls, some to their changeups -- depending on what pitch needs the most work, the most maintenance. Derek Holland is Darvish's catching partner, and he says the right-hander can somehow maintain command of all of his different pitches with minimal practice.
He throws a couple of different fastballs, two different speeds of curveballs (a hard curve and a big looping curveball), a slider, a cutter, a splitter. This means that he's probably throwing one or two of his pitches only four or five times a week and keeping them game-ready.
This is an incredible, difference-making skill, reflecting a gifted feel for how to make a baseball move. Imagine a quarterback who could master an entire offense while practicing particular plays only once or twice a season.
Pedro Martinez had this skill. Orlando Hernandez -- El Duque -- had this skill. Roy Halladay has this.
Yu Darvish has this.
He wowed the sellout crowd, writes Jeff Wilson. Evan Grant picks out some moments from the start.
Darvish gave everybody reason to believe the hype.
From ESPN Stats & Info, how Darvish won:
A) Darvish threw 82 of 119 pitches (68.9 percent) for strikes, well above his 56.8 percent average entering the night.
B) He started 21 of 33 hitters (63.6 percent) with a first-pitch strike. In his first three starts, he threw a first-pitch strike to less than 48 percent of all hitters.
C) Thirteen of the 21 balls in play (61.9 percent) against Darvish were hit on the ground, compared with 42.1 percent in his first three starts. Twenty-two of Darvish's 25 outs were either grounders or strikeouts.
D) Lefties entered Tuesday hitting .313 against Darvish; the six Yankees lefties in the lineup Tuesday were 4-for-21 with eight strikeouts against Darvish.
E) Yankees lefties were 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in at-bats ending with Darvish's curveball.
F) Yankees hitters were 1-for-12 with five strikeouts with men on base.
G) The Yankees chased 25 Darvish pitches out of the strike zone; opponents had chased an average of 12 in Darvish's first three starts.
Darvish is the second starting pitcher in Rangers history with 10 strikeouts and 0 ER against the Yankees. Joe Coleman struck out 11 in nine scoreless innings in 1969.
From Elias: Since divisional play began in 1969, only two other pitchers besides Darvish have hurled at least eight shutout innings with 10 or more strikeouts in their first career start against the Yankees: Baltimore's Bob Milacki on Sept. 28, 1988, and Cleveland's Bartolo Colon on Sept. 21, 1998.
Hiroki Kuroda was good, but the other guy was better.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• The San Francisco Giants were really annoyed that a ball was thrown behind catcher Buster Posey.
• Ryan Zimmerman got unfavorable results in an MRI, writes Adam Kilgore.
• Dylan Bundy was unhittable, again, as Jon Meoli writes. The Orioles prospect is 13 innings into his professional career and still hasn't allowed a hit.
• David Ortiz has been killing the ball, and he wrecked the Minnesota Twins with another opposite-field double and a monster home run. Ortiz has been hammering hits to left field -- far more than last year.
From Justin Havens of ESPN Stats & Info, where Ortiz has been getting his hits:
2012
LF: 13 (46.4 percent)
CF: 7 (23.3 percent)
RF: 8 (26.7 percent)
2011
LF: 49 (30.2 percent)
CF: 49 (30.2 percent)
RF: 64 (39.5 percent)
Josh Beckett practiced some anger management.
• The other day on "Baseball Tonight," I was asked to assign a pie chart of blame for Boston's 4-10 start, and this is how I broke it down:
Boston ownership and president Larry Lucchino: 35 percent. The buck stops there.
Players: 30 percent. They make it happen, either way.
Theo Epstein: 29 percent. He is gone, but the composition of the team is still built on his decisions.
Ben Cherington: 3 percent. He didn't have a lot of payroll flexibility during the winter. The one major move that has really boomeranged on him is the trade for reliever Mark Melancon.
Bobby Valentine: 3 percent. He simply hasn't been around very long.
Here's the thing: If the Red Sox were 10-6, and not 6-10, the Pie Chart of Blame would be the Pie Chart of Credit, and it would break down with the exact same percentages.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies get to add a 26th man today, writes Rob Biertempfel.
2. Freddy Garcia will get another chance in the rotation, writes Marc Carig.
3. Tal Smith has been hired to oversee an independent league team.
4. Ryan Roberts has been benched.
5. Jarrod Parker gets the ball tonight, as John Shea writes.
6. Aubrey Huff is dealing with a personal matter, writes Alex Pavlovic.
7. The San Diego Padres continue to have a spat over an element of their local television situation.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. The New York Mets put Jason Bay and Mike Pelfrey on the disabled list.
2. Michael Pineda is going for a second opinion.
3. Carl Crawford wants a second opinion.
4. Ryan Madson has started his rehab.
5. The Brewers' Chris Narveson is headed for surgery.
6. Ryan Howard will be limited for at least one more week.
7. Justin Smoak's hamstring is hurting.
[h3]Tuesday's games[/h3]
1. David Price was dominant, throwing a shutout, writes Marc Topkin.
From ESPN Stats & Info:
A) Los Angeles Angels hitters were 0-for-13 with two strikes; opponents were 9-for-36 with two strikes against Price in his first three starts.
B) Price started 21 of 32 hitters (65.6 percent) with a first-pitch strike, higher than his 55.1 percent rate in his first three starts.
C) With no lefties in the Angels' lineup, Price relied on his changeup. He threw 29 of them and got a career-high 10 of his outs in at-bats ending with the pitch.
D) Angels hitters were 1-for-15 in at-bats ending with a fastball.
2. Johan Santana was The Man for the Mets, striking out 11. He had the best command in this start that he's shown all season, and it's probably not a coincidence he had six days between outings.
3. The Pirates refused to wilt.
4. From Elias: Chipper Jones hit his fifth career HR on his birthday, tied for the most among active players with Alex Rodriguez and Todd Helton. Other career numbers on Jones' birthday: .429 batting average, 11 RBIs, eight strikeouts. Jones also joins Tony Phillips, Wade Boggs, Joe Morgan (hit two) and Bob Thurman as players who homered on their 40th birthdays. Jim Thome and Darrell Evans hold the MLB record, homering on their 41st birthdays.
[h4]April swoons[/h4]
The longest April losing streaks in MLB history (courtesy of Elias).
[table][tr][th=""]
Year
[/th][th=""]
Team
[/th][th=""]
Games
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
1988
[/td][td]
Orioles
[/td][td]
21
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1997
[/td][td]
Cubs
[/td][td]
14
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1962
[/td][td]
Senators
[/td][td]
13
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
2012
[/td][td]
Royals
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1994
[/td][td]
Athletics
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1981
[/td][td]
Cubs
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][/table]
5. It seems impossible that the Kansas City Royals have been this bad, this early, but here it is: The Royals' losing streak has reached 12, as Bob Dutton writes.
From ESPN Stats & Info: Only six teams have lost as many as 12 straight games in April and none since the 1997 Cubs. They lost their first 14 games of the season en route to a last place finish in the NL Central.
The Royals have been at their worst in big moments, as Ned Yost said.
6. Tommy Hunter and the Baltimore Orioles took down the Toronto Blue Jays.
7. The St. Louis Cardinals were confounded by umpires, as Derrick Goold writes.
8. The Cincinnati Reds exploded in the late innings and had a retaliation moment. This was the real Mat Latos, as Hal McCoy writes.
9. The Cleveland Indians just keep on winning, and Jack Hannahan hoisted them against the Royals.
10. Pitching continues to be a problem for the Twins.
11. Corey Hart powered the Brewers.
12. Tony Campana set the table for the Chicago Cubs, as Toni Ginnetti writes.
13. There was good stuff in the Chicago White Sox loss, writes Daryl Von Schouwen.
14. The Philadelphia Phillies mashed a bunch of home runs.
15. Gio Gonzalez extended his scoreless streak.
16. Henderson Alvarez chipped in a good start, but the Jays still lost.
17. Watched a lot of the Marlins-Mets game, and for the Miami Marlins, Josh Johnson's outing must have been heartening: His velocity was up to 96 mph, and he had his best slider and cutter of the season. It didn't turn out well in the end for the Marlins, as Clark Spencer writes.
18. Bud Norris got knocked around.
19. Josh Collmenter had his best stuff but got ugly results, writes Nick Piecoro.
20. The Rockies' bullpen blew up.
21. Matt Cain had a tough day.
22. Oakland's Tommy Milone had another strong outing.
23. A fill-in really helped the Seattle Mariners.
24. The Los Angeles Dodgers are no longer perfect at home.
25. The Padres were shut down.
26. The Angels are generating home runs, but its their pitchers who are doing this, not the hitters, as Bill Plunkett writes.
By The Numbers, from ESPN Stats & Info:
0: Run support for Johan Santana and Adam Wainwright this season while in the game.
323: Distance of B.J. Upton's home run Tuesday night, the shortest home run of the year that was not inside the park.
[h3]Other stuff[/h3]
• ESPN is positioning itself to take a run at the Yankees' radio rights, reports the New York Post.
Redrafting 'Moneyball'.
Spoiler [+]
We spend a lot of time looking ahead to the MLB draft on Insider, but other than reacting to it in the immediate aftermath, we very rarely ever look back. So as we get set for the 2012 draft season to really heat up, I decided to go back 10 years and revisit the 2002 draft, aka the "Moneyball" draft, to see how different it would look with the benefit of hindsight.
Other than its ties to "Moneyball," the 2002 draft is probably best remembered for the massive gaffe the Pirates committed with the first pick, choosing (apparently at owner Kevin McClatchy's behest) a safe college arm, Bryan Bullington, over the high-upside high school player atop most draft boards, B.J. Upton. But the big story today is that the best player to come out of that draft wasn't taken until the third round.
This redraft is based on two major criteria: the players' careers to date, and my projections of any value they still have to offer (although the list does include two players whose careers are likely over). I did not account for the player's signability at the time, nor did I consider a team's preference for high school or college players, pitchers versus position players, etc. -- this analysis is based purely on talent.
Please note that we included only players who were drafted in 2002 and subsequently signed with the club that selected them. Players like Jacoby Ellsbury, for example, who were drafted out of high school but decided to attend college, were not considered. (For the record, Ellsbury was taken in the 23rd round by the Tampa Bay Rays and decided to attend Oregon State instead of signing.)
Also of note is that certain teams did not have a first-round pick in 2002 because they lost it by virtue of signing a Type A free agent. The A's, on the other hand, had multiple first-rounders.
For a look at the 2002 first round, click here.
[h3]1. Pittsburgh Pirates[/h3]
Curtis Granderson, OF, Illinois-Chicago
Granderson put up impressive numbers at a tiny, cold-weather school, engendering plenty of skepticism at the time over whether his bat would translate, but I think he also came out a year or two too early to catch the rise of statistical analysis in draft rooms. He's turned into a much better hitter than anyone anticipated, especially after swing changes made with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, and leads all 2002 draftees in FanGraphs' version of wins above replacement (fWAR) and ranks second in Baseball Reference's version (bWAR). (Note: FanGraphs relies more on secondary stats -- such as batting average on balls in play -- for its metric.)
Granderson's actual draft spot: No. 80 (third round)
Pittsburgh's '02 pick: Bryan Bullington, RHP, Ball State
[h3]2. Tampa Bay Rays[/h3]
Brian McCann, C, Duluth (Ga.) HS
McCann is a consistently above-average player who'll occasionally jump up to star-caliber performance but has yet to post a truly down season at the plate since becoming a regular in 2006. He gets on base, hits for power and is capable enough defensively to remain behind the plate for now. The main question on McCann is how much catching remains in his career, with more than 900 games behind the dish already under his belt, but what he's produced to date puts him right behind Granderson on the board.
McCann's actual draft spot: No. 64 (second round)
Tampa Bay's '02 pick: B.J. Upton, SS, Greenbrier Christian Academy (Va.) HS
[h3]3. Cincinnati Reds[/h3]
Cole Hamels, LHP, Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) HS
Hamels isn't the top pitcher per either flavor of WAR -- it's notable, by the way, that the top five pitchers from this draft in WAR are all high school products -- but it's pretty close either way, and I'm very bullish on Hamels' ability to continue to produce at high levels well into his 30s. Hamels likely would have gone higher in the 2002 draft were it not for an arm fracture he suffered earlier in his high school career, an unusual injury that scared several teams off on medical grounds, yet despite that and some trouble staying healthy in the minors, he's been extremely durable since reaching the majors in 2006.
Hamels' actual draft spot: No. 17 (first round)
Cincinnati's '02 pick: Chris Gruler, P, Liberty Union (Calif.) HS
[h3]4. Baltimore Orioles[/h3]
Matt Cain, RHP, Houston HS (Germantown, Tenn.)
Cain, coming off five straight 200-inning seasons, was actually picked in a reasonable spot for a high school pitcher of his ilk: He was projectable, flashing plus velocity and likely to grow into a consistent mid-90s fastball, but with all the risk associated with prep arms at the time.
Cain's actual draft spot: No. 25 (first round)
Baltimore's '02 pick: Adam Loewen, LHP, Fraser Valley Christian HS (Surrey, British Columbia)
[h3]5. Washington Nationals (Expos)[/h3]
Joey Votto, 1B, Richview Collegiate Institute (Toronto)
The main knock on Votto in high school was that he was a catcher who couldn't catch, meaning he had to move to first base -- and I don't think anyone thought his bat was close to this good, especially not in terms of power. He also faced the typical questions about the caliber of competition faced by any cold-weather prep hitter.
Votto's actual draft spot: No. 44 (second round)
Montreal's '02 pick: Clint Everts, P, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
[h3]6. Kansas City Royals[/h3]
Zack Greinke, RHP, Apopka (Fla.) HS
I remember hearing Allard Baird, K.C.'s GM at the time, say that his club wanted a college arm with this pick but felt strongly that Greinke was as advanced and as polished as a college arm despite being a high school player. (I'm hearing, and have seen, similar things from Baltimore's Dylan Bundy.) Greinke fit the college-starter career path early, reaching the majors a bit more than 22 months after signing, but personal problems pushed his timeline to success back a few years. He actually leads this draft class in fWAR, but a consistent habit of allowing more runs than his peripherals would indicate has him third in bWAR.
Greinke's actual draft spot: No. 6 (first round)
Kansas City's '02 pick: Greinke
[h3]7. Milwaukee Brewers[/h3]
Jon Lester, LHP, Bellarmine HS (Tacoma, Wash.)
Lester was a projectable high school lefty who didn't have the knockout breaking ball to make him a first-rounder; he didn't develop the cutter until after signing, and his fastball eventually added about two full grades of velocity. The Red Sox wouldn't take another prep arm in the first three rounds until 2005, when they took Michael Bowden in the sandwich round.
Lester's actual draft spot: No. 57 (second round),
Milwaukee's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5915/prince-fielderPrince Fielder, 1B, Eau Gallie (Fla.) HS
[h3]8. Detroit Tigers[/h3]
Prince Fielder, 1B, Eau Gallie (Fla.) HS
He's produced pretty much as advertised: It's huge raw power with good feel to hit and strong plate discipline but little to no value on defense or on the bases.
Fielder's actual draft spot: No. 7 (first round)
Detroit's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28589/scott-mooreScott Moore, SS, Cypress (Calif.) HS
[h3]9. Colorado Rockies[/h3]
B.J. Upton, SS, Greenbrier Christian Academy (Va.) HS
Upton has never quite fulfilled expectations with his bat outside of short stretches, but he's a plus defender in center who is just entering his age-27 season and could bump his production another level this year, assuming his back cooperates. Of everyone on this list, he has the best chance to end up even higher if we redo this exercise in 2017.
Upton's actual draft spot: No. 2 (first round)
Colorado's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6038/jeff-francisJeff Francis, LHP, University of British Columbia
[h3]10. Texas Rangers[/h3]
Nick Swisher, OF, Ohio State
This was the best pick by far in the vaunted "Moneyball" draft class. Swisher, who posted a .481 OBP over his last two years in college, has been a consistent high-on-base guy for all of his (non-Chicago) major league career. He has moderate power and solid corner-outfield defense, skills that should continue to play for him for several more seasons.
Swisher's actual draft spot: No. 16 (first round)
Texas' '02 pick: Drew Meyer, SS, South Carolina
[h3]11. Miami Marlins[/h3]
Jeremy Guthrie, RHP, Stanford
A rare pitcher to escape the Stanford injury curse -- perhaps because he was 23 years old in his final year, when he averaged just less than eight innings per start for the Cardinal's arm grinders -- Guthrie has been a durable midrotation starter since Baltimore signed him after the 2006 season.
Guthrie's actual draft spot: No. 22 (first round)
Florida's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6199/jeremy-hermidaJeremy Hermida, OF, Wheeler (Ga.) HS
[h3]12. Los Angeles Angels[/h3]
Howie Kendrick, 2B, Saint Johns River State College
Here we have our first double-digit-round selection -- Kendrick hit .360 in his minor league career but was never patient enough to carry that kind of elite average to the majors. Still, he's a career .292 hitter with moderate power at a premium position, which makes him a valuable commodity.
Kendrick's actual draft spot: No. 294 (10th round)
Los Angeles' '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6383/joe-saundersJoe Saunders, P, Virginia Tech
[h3]13. San Diego Padres[/h3]
Russell Martin, C, Chipola (Fla.) JC
Martin was an infielder with the body and arm strength to potentially move behind the plate, becoming one of the more successful such conversions in the past few years and possibly giving him more longevity than most catchers into his early 30s because he didn't wreck his knees catching in high school and junior college. On the flip side, his offensive value is almost entirely due to the fact that he catches, so if he ever has to move from the position, he'll be finished.
Martin's actual draft spot: No. 511 (17th round)
San Diego's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5797/khalil-greeneKhalil Greene, SS, Clemson
[h3]14. Toronto Blue Jays[/h3]
Brandon McCarthy, RHP
Selected one spot ahead of Russ Martin -- the 17th round was quite fertile in 2002, producing four big leaguers in total -- McCarthy battled injuries and went through two organizations before remaking himself in Oakland two years ago as a ground-ball/control guy. He wasn't that heavily scouted in high school and was thought to have a strong commitment to Tennessee, but the White Sox did a great job in signing him.
McCarthy's actual draft spot: No. 510 (17th round)
Toronto's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6101/russ-adamsRuss Adams, SS, North Carolina
[h3]15. New York Mets[/h3]
Denard Span, OF, Catholic HS (Tampa)
Span would have gone ninth but wouldn't sign for what the Rockies were offering, so they cut a deal with Jeff Francis instead, after which Span slid to No. 20 and signed for less than he would have gotten from Colorado. His plate discipline has improved to the point where he's a solid-to-average regular in center who should be able to handle the position for several more years, but he probably won't ever be a star.
Span's actual draft spot: No. 20 (first round)
New York's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5917/scott-kazmirScott Kazmir, LHP, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
[h3]16. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
Josh Johnson, RHP, Jenks HS (Tulsa, Okla.)
Interesting thought experiment: What if this is it for Johnson? Assume he'll never be healthy enough again to be an effective major league pitcher. He's still racked up 18-19 wins above replacement in his career, putting him in the top 15 in both versions of WAR from this draft, with most of that value concentrated in three very good years. Three seasons of serious value doesn't sound like a lot, but it's more than teams get from the typical late first-round pick and far more than the Marlins could have hoped for from the 113th pick.
Johnson's actual draft spot: No. 113 (fourth round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Swisher
*This pick was compensation from the Red Sox for signing Johnny Damon.
[h3]17. Philadelphia Phillies[/h3]
Joe Blanton, RHP, Kentucky
Boring, but durable and modestly productive until 2011. Few teams aim for a league-average starter in the first round, but that's often better than what they get in the end.
Blanton's actual draft spot: No. 24 (first round)
Philadelphia's '02 pick: Hamels
[h3]18. Chicago White Sox[/h3]
Nyjer Morgan, OF, Walla Walla CC
It took Morgan a long time to produce real major league value, but he's made himself into a very good defensive center fielder who can slap the ball enough to avoid being a zero at the plate. He seems like a strong bet to post a few more 2-3 WAR seasons before he eventually has to move out of center.
Morgan's actual draft spot: No. 973 (33rd round)
Chicago's '02 pick: Royce Ring, LHP, San Diego State
[h3]19. Los Angeles Dodgers[/h3]
Joe Saunders, LHP, Virginia Tech
He blew out his shoulder right away, missing the 2003 season, but ended up posting five seasons of capable back-end work, although his results never matched his stuff when his stuff was still good.
Saunders' actual draft spot: No. 12 (first round)
Los Angeles' '02 pick: James Loney, 1B, Elkins HS (Missouri City, Texas)
[h3]20. Minnesota Twins[/h3]
Jeff Francoeur, OF, Parkview (Ga.) HS
The Braves' scouting staff was in love with Francoeur leading up to the draft, and Francoeur going before Atlanta's selection might have led to mass ritual suicide in the team's draft room. He's never been half the player he was reported to be during that insanely fluky rookie year in 2005 but could probably play a long time as a part-time player, serving as a lefty-mashing right fielder who's at least average defensively.
Francoeur's actual draft spot: No. 23 (first round)
Minnesota's '02 pick: Span
[h3]21. Chicago Cubs[/h3]
Scott Kazmir, LHP, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
In this alternate universe, the Mets actually trade Denard Span for Victor Zambrano, not Kazmir. Kazmir was worked hard when younger, had a rough delivery and threw a lot of breaking balls, ending his career before he reached 30. But when he was good, he was electric. Unfortunately for Angels fans, his battery ran out right around the time the club traded for him.
Kazmir's actual draft spot: No. 15 (first round)
Chicago's '02 pick: Bobby Brownlie, RHP, Rutgers
[h3]22. Cleveland Indians[/h3]
Jeff Francis, LHP, University of British Columbia
Francis is probably finished adding value to major league teams, but there's at least a small chance he ekes out a few more seasons above replacement level because he's left-handed, throws a ton of strikes and sort of gets ground balls. You could also catch him with a Kleenex at this point, which isn't a great formula for long-term success.
Francis' actual draft spot: No. 9 (first round)
Cleveland's '02 pick: Guthrie
[h3]23. Atlanta Braves[/h3]
Jonathan Broxton, RHP, Burke County HS (Waynesboro, Ga.)
Good news for the Braves: They end up with a Georgia prep kid anyway in our alternate universe. Broxton was pegged as a future reliever at the time he was drafted and had a pretty good run in the Dodgers' 'pen before all that effort wore him down, costing him most of the 2011 season. I think he could add a few wins above replacement to his total over the next five years if he has the health to do so.
Broxton's actual draft spot: No. 60 (second round)
Atlanta's '02 pick: Francoeur
[h3]24. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
James Loney, 1B, Elkins HS (Missouri City, Texas)
It always felt like Loney never justified the first-round pick, but the sad truth is that he did -- just barely, which is why it feels disappointing. First basemen who don't hit for power aren't generally in high demand, and it's something of a surprise that the Dodgers have stuck with him this long. Perhaps someone will put him back on the mound for a second act, since most teams back in 2002 had him ranked higher as a pitcher.
Loney's actual draft spot: No. 19 (first round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Blanton
*This pick was compensation from the Yankees for signing Jason Giambi.
[h3]25. San Francisco Giants*[/h3]
Khalil Greene, SS, Clemson
I was working for the Blue Jays in 2002, and we would have taken Greene at No. 14 had the Padres not selected him right before us. Greene turned out to be a great defensive shortstop with surprising pop and a terrible propensity to chase the slider away. That is, until he retired before the 2010 season after battling a mental health issue in 2009.
Greene's actual draft spot: No. 13 (first round)
San Francisco's '02 pick: Cain
[h3]26. Oakland Athletics[/h3]
Jason Hammel, RHP, Treasure Valley CC
Hammel didn't really return any value until 2009 but then had two seasons as an above-average starter before returning to Earth last year. I like his chances to remain above replacement level for a few more years but would be surprised if he replicates what he did in those two years in Colorado.
Hammel's actual draft spot: No. 284 (10th round)
Oakland's '02 pick: John McCurdy, SS, Maryland
[h3]27. Arizona Diamondbacks[/h3]
Jesse Crain, RHP, Houston
Crain tore through the minors in two years; in his one full season there, 2003, he punched out 114 and walked 23 in 85 relief innings across three levels, finishing in Triple-A, and has turned in five competent but never spectacular relief seasons since then, with just one down year and one lost to a major shoulder injury. I see no reason he couldn't continue producing at that level for a few more seasons.
Crain's actual draft spot: No. 61 (second round)
Arizona's '02 pick: Sergio Santos, SS, Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, Calif.)
[h3]28. Seattle Mariners[/h3]
Randy Wells, RHP, Southwestern Illinois College
Our first selection with a four-digit pick, Wells was drafted as a catcher and didn't convert full time to pitching until 2004. He turned in two solid seasons in the Cubs' rotation, was awful last year, and hasn't started out 2012 any better, but even if this is it for Wells' career in the majors, he's already in the top 30 for WAR (both versions) for his draft class.
Wells' actual draft spot: No. 1,143 (38th round)
Seattle's '02 pick: John Mayberry Jr., OF, Rockhurst HS (Kansas City) -- did not sign
[h3]29. Houston Astros[/h3]
Dave Bush, RHP, Wake Forest
A catcher turned reliever in college who became a starter in pro ball, Bush throws strikes with an assortment of pitches that have never really missed enough bats, and he hasn't been comfortably above replacement level since 2008. He's still starting in Triple-A, but I wonder if there would be a career extension here if he returned to short relief work.
Bush's actual draft spot: No. 55 (second round)
Houston's '02 pick: Derick Grigsby, Northeast Texas CC
[h3]30. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
Sergio Santos, SS, Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Santos was seen as an overdraft at the time of his selection, and his failure to reach the majors as a position player seems to bear that out. Assuming his current bout of arm trouble isn't serious, however, he has a tremendous future as a reliever and should move a few spots up the WAR rankings (he's currently 51st and 55th in bWAR and fWAR, respectively) over the next several seasons.
Santos' actual draft spot: No. 27 (first round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Ben Fritz, RHP, Fresno State
*This pick was compensation from the Cardinals for signing Jason Isringhausen.
Other than its ties to "Moneyball," the 2002 draft is probably best remembered for the massive gaffe the Pirates committed with the first pick, choosing (apparently at owner Kevin McClatchy's behest) a safe college arm, Bryan Bullington, over the high-upside high school player atop most draft boards, B.J. Upton. But the big story today is that the best player to come out of that draft wasn't taken until the third round.
This redraft is based on two major criteria: the players' careers to date, and my projections of any value they still have to offer (although the list does include two players whose careers are likely over). I did not account for the player's signability at the time, nor did I consider a team's preference for high school or college players, pitchers versus position players, etc. -- this analysis is based purely on talent.
Please note that we included only players who were drafted in 2002 and subsequently signed with the club that selected them. Players like Jacoby Ellsbury, for example, who were drafted out of high school but decided to attend college, were not considered. (For the record, Ellsbury was taken in the 23rd round by the Tampa Bay Rays and decided to attend Oregon State instead of signing.)
Also of note is that certain teams did not have a first-round pick in 2002 because they lost it by virtue of signing a Type A free agent. The A's, on the other hand, had multiple first-rounders.
For a look at the 2002 first round, click here.
[h3]1. Pittsburgh Pirates[/h3]
Curtis Granderson, OF, Illinois-Chicago
Granderson put up impressive numbers at a tiny, cold-weather school, engendering plenty of skepticism at the time over whether his bat would translate, but I think he also came out a year or two too early to catch the rise of statistical analysis in draft rooms. He's turned into a much better hitter than anyone anticipated, especially after swing changes made with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, and leads all 2002 draftees in FanGraphs' version of wins above replacement (fWAR) and ranks second in Baseball Reference's version (bWAR). (Note: FanGraphs relies more on secondary stats -- such as batting average on balls in play -- for its metric.)
Granderson's actual draft spot: No. 80 (third round)
Pittsburgh's '02 pick: Bryan Bullington, RHP, Ball State
[h3]2. Tampa Bay Rays[/h3]
Brian McCann, C, Duluth (Ga.) HS
McCann is a consistently above-average player who'll occasionally jump up to star-caliber performance but has yet to post a truly down season at the plate since becoming a regular in 2006. He gets on base, hits for power and is capable enough defensively to remain behind the plate for now. The main question on McCann is how much catching remains in his career, with more than 900 games behind the dish already under his belt, but what he's produced to date puts him right behind Granderson on the board.
McCann's actual draft spot: No. 64 (second round)
Tampa Bay's '02 pick: B.J. Upton, SS, Greenbrier Christian Academy (Va.) HS
[h3]3. Cincinnati Reds[/h3]
Cole Hamels, LHP, Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) HS
Hamels isn't the top pitcher per either flavor of WAR -- it's notable, by the way, that the top five pitchers from this draft in WAR are all high school products -- but it's pretty close either way, and I'm very bullish on Hamels' ability to continue to produce at high levels well into his 30s. Hamels likely would have gone higher in the 2002 draft were it not for an arm fracture he suffered earlier in his high school career, an unusual injury that scared several teams off on medical grounds, yet despite that and some trouble staying healthy in the minors, he's been extremely durable since reaching the majors in 2006.
Hamels' actual draft spot: No. 17 (first round)
Cincinnati's '02 pick: Chris Gruler, P, Liberty Union (Calif.) HS
[h3]4. Baltimore Orioles[/h3]
Matt Cain, RHP, Houston HS (Germantown, Tenn.)
Cain, coming off five straight 200-inning seasons, was actually picked in a reasonable spot for a high school pitcher of his ilk: He was projectable, flashing plus velocity and likely to grow into a consistent mid-90s fastball, but with all the risk associated with prep arms at the time.
Cain's actual draft spot: No. 25 (first round)
Baltimore's '02 pick: Adam Loewen, LHP, Fraser Valley Christian HS (Surrey, British Columbia)
[h3]5. Washington Nationals (Expos)[/h3]
Joey Votto, 1B, Richview Collegiate Institute (Toronto)
The main knock on Votto in high school was that he was a catcher who couldn't catch, meaning he had to move to first base -- and I don't think anyone thought his bat was close to this good, especially not in terms of power. He also faced the typical questions about the caliber of competition faced by any cold-weather prep hitter.
Votto's actual draft spot: No. 44 (second round)
Montreal's '02 pick: Clint Everts, P, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
[h3]6. Kansas City Royals[/h3]
Zack Greinke, RHP, Apopka (Fla.) HS
I remember hearing Allard Baird, K.C.'s GM at the time, say that his club wanted a college arm with this pick but felt strongly that Greinke was as advanced and as polished as a college arm despite being a high school player. (I'm hearing, and have seen, similar things from Baltimore's Dylan Bundy.) Greinke fit the college-starter career path early, reaching the majors a bit more than 22 months after signing, but personal problems pushed his timeline to success back a few years. He actually leads this draft class in fWAR, but a consistent habit of allowing more runs than his peripherals would indicate has him third in bWAR.
Greinke's actual draft spot: No. 6 (first round)
Kansas City's '02 pick: Greinke
[h3]7. Milwaukee Brewers[/h3]
Jon Lester, LHP, Bellarmine HS (Tacoma, Wash.)
Lester was a projectable high school lefty who didn't have the knockout breaking ball to make him a first-rounder; he didn't develop the cutter until after signing, and his fastball eventually added about two full grades of velocity. The Red Sox wouldn't take another prep arm in the first three rounds until 2005, when they took Michael Bowden in the sandwich round.
Lester's actual draft spot: No. 57 (second round),
Milwaukee's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5915/prince-fielderPrince Fielder, 1B, Eau Gallie (Fla.) HS
[h3]8. Detroit Tigers[/h3]
Prince Fielder, 1B, Eau Gallie (Fla.) HS
He's produced pretty much as advertised: It's huge raw power with good feel to hit and strong plate discipline but little to no value on defense or on the bases.
Fielder's actual draft spot: No. 7 (first round)
Detroit's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28589/scott-mooreScott Moore, SS, Cypress (Calif.) HS
[h3]9. Colorado Rockies[/h3]
B.J. Upton, SS, Greenbrier Christian Academy (Va.) HS
Upton has never quite fulfilled expectations with his bat outside of short stretches, but he's a plus defender in center who is just entering his age-27 season and could bump his production another level this year, assuming his back cooperates. Of everyone on this list, he has the best chance to end up even higher if we redo this exercise in 2017.
Upton's actual draft spot: No. 2 (first round)
Colorado's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6038/jeff-francisJeff Francis, LHP, University of British Columbia
[h3]10. Texas Rangers[/h3]
Nick Swisher, OF, Ohio State
This was the best pick by far in the vaunted "Moneyball" draft class. Swisher, who posted a .481 OBP over his last two years in college, has been a consistent high-on-base guy for all of his (non-Chicago) major league career. He has moderate power and solid corner-outfield defense, skills that should continue to play for him for several more seasons.
Swisher's actual draft spot: No. 16 (first round)
Texas' '02 pick: Drew Meyer, SS, South Carolina
[h3]11. Miami Marlins[/h3]
Jeremy Guthrie, RHP, Stanford
A rare pitcher to escape the Stanford injury curse -- perhaps because he was 23 years old in his final year, when he averaged just less than eight innings per start for the Cardinal's arm grinders -- Guthrie has been a durable midrotation starter since Baltimore signed him after the 2006 season.
Guthrie's actual draft spot: No. 22 (first round)
Florida's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6199/jeremy-hermidaJeremy Hermida, OF, Wheeler (Ga.) HS
[h3]12. Los Angeles Angels[/h3]
Howie Kendrick, 2B, Saint Johns River State College
Here we have our first double-digit-round selection -- Kendrick hit .360 in his minor league career but was never patient enough to carry that kind of elite average to the majors. Still, he's a career .292 hitter with moderate power at a premium position, which makes him a valuable commodity.
Kendrick's actual draft spot: No. 294 (10th round)
Los Angeles' '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6383/joe-saundersJoe Saunders, P, Virginia Tech
[h3]13. San Diego Padres[/h3]
Russell Martin, C, Chipola (Fla.) JC
Martin was an infielder with the body and arm strength to potentially move behind the plate, becoming one of the more successful such conversions in the past few years and possibly giving him more longevity than most catchers into his early 30s because he didn't wreck his knees catching in high school and junior college. On the flip side, his offensive value is almost entirely due to the fact that he catches, so if he ever has to move from the position, he'll be finished.
Martin's actual draft spot: No. 511 (17th round)
San Diego's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5797/khalil-greeneKhalil Greene, SS, Clemson
[h3]14. Toronto Blue Jays[/h3]
Brandon McCarthy, RHP
Selected one spot ahead of Russ Martin -- the 17th round was quite fertile in 2002, producing four big leaguers in total -- McCarthy battled injuries and went through two organizations before remaking himself in Oakland two years ago as a ground-ball/control guy. He wasn't that heavily scouted in high school and was thought to have a strong commitment to Tennessee, but the White Sox did a great job in signing him.
McCarthy's actual draft spot: No. 510 (17th round)
Toronto's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6101/russ-adamsRuss Adams, SS, North Carolina
[h3]15. New York Mets[/h3]
Denard Span, OF, Catholic HS (Tampa)
Span would have gone ninth but wouldn't sign for what the Rockies were offering, so they cut a deal with Jeff Francis instead, after which Span slid to No. 20 and signed for less than he would have gotten from Colorado. His plate discipline has improved to the point where he's a solid-to-average regular in center who should be able to handle the position for several more years, but he probably won't ever be a star.
Span's actual draft spot: No. 20 (first round)
New York's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5917/scott-kazmirScott Kazmir, LHP, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
[h3]16. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
Josh Johnson, RHP, Jenks HS (Tulsa, Okla.)
Interesting thought experiment: What if this is it for Johnson? Assume he'll never be healthy enough again to be an effective major league pitcher. He's still racked up 18-19 wins above replacement in his career, putting him in the top 15 in both versions of WAR from this draft, with most of that value concentrated in three very good years. Three seasons of serious value doesn't sound like a lot, but it's more than teams get from the typical late first-round pick and far more than the Marlins could have hoped for from the 113th pick.
Johnson's actual draft spot: No. 113 (fourth round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Swisher
*This pick was compensation from the Red Sox for signing Johnny Damon.
[h3]17. Philadelphia Phillies[/h3]
Joe Blanton, RHP, Kentucky
Boring, but durable and modestly productive until 2011. Few teams aim for a league-average starter in the first round, but that's often better than what they get in the end.
Blanton's actual draft spot: No. 24 (first round)
Philadelphia's '02 pick: Hamels
[h3]18. Chicago White Sox[/h3]
Nyjer Morgan, OF, Walla Walla CC
It took Morgan a long time to produce real major league value, but he's made himself into a very good defensive center fielder who can slap the ball enough to avoid being a zero at the plate. He seems like a strong bet to post a few more 2-3 WAR seasons before he eventually has to move out of center.
Morgan's actual draft spot: No. 973 (33rd round)
Chicago's '02 pick: Royce Ring, LHP, San Diego State
[h3]19. Los Angeles Dodgers[/h3]
Joe Saunders, LHP, Virginia Tech
He blew out his shoulder right away, missing the 2003 season, but ended up posting five seasons of capable back-end work, although his results never matched his stuff when his stuff was still good.
Saunders' actual draft spot: No. 12 (first round)
Los Angeles' '02 pick: James Loney, 1B, Elkins HS (Missouri City, Texas)
[h3]20. Minnesota Twins[/h3]
Jeff Francoeur, OF, Parkview (Ga.) HS
The Braves' scouting staff was in love with Francoeur leading up to the draft, and Francoeur going before Atlanta's selection might have led to mass ritual suicide in the team's draft room. He's never been half the player he was reported to be during that insanely fluky rookie year in 2005 but could probably play a long time as a part-time player, serving as a lefty-mashing right fielder who's at least average defensively.
Francoeur's actual draft spot: No. 23 (first round)
Minnesota's '02 pick: Span
[h3]21. Chicago Cubs[/h3]
Scott Kazmir, LHP, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
In this alternate universe, the Mets actually trade Denard Span for Victor Zambrano, not Kazmir. Kazmir was worked hard when younger, had a rough delivery and threw a lot of breaking balls, ending his career before he reached 30. But when he was good, he was electric. Unfortunately for Angels fans, his battery ran out right around the time the club traded for him.
Kazmir's actual draft spot: No. 15 (first round)
Chicago's '02 pick: Bobby Brownlie, RHP, Rutgers
[h3]22. Cleveland Indians[/h3]
Jeff Francis, LHP, University of British Columbia
Francis is probably finished adding value to major league teams, but there's at least a small chance he ekes out a few more seasons above replacement level because he's left-handed, throws a ton of strikes and sort of gets ground balls. You could also catch him with a Kleenex at this point, which isn't a great formula for long-term success.
Francis' actual draft spot: No. 9 (first round)
Cleveland's '02 pick: Guthrie
[h3]23. Atlanta Braves[/h3]
Jonathan Broxton, RHP, Burke County HS (Waynesboro, Ga.)
Good news for the Braves: They end up with a Georgia prep kid anyway in our alternate universe. Broxton was pegged as a future reliever at the time he was drafted and had a pretty good run in the Dodgers' 'pen before all that effort wore him down, costing him most of the 2011 season. I think he could add a few wins above replacement to his total over the next five years if he has the health to do so.
Broxton's actual draft spot: No. 60 (second round)
Atlanta's '02 pick: Francoeur
[h3]24. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
James Loney, 1B, Elkins HS (Missouri City, Texas)
It always felt like Loney never justified the first-round pick, but the sad truth is that he did -- just barely, which is why it feels disappointing. First basemen who don't hit for power aren't generally in high demand, and it's something of a surprise that the Dodgers have stuck with him this long. Perhaps someone will put him back on the mound for a second act, since most teams back in 2002 had him ranked higher as a pitcher.
Loney's actual draft spot: No. 19 (first round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Blanton
*This pick was compensation from the Yankees for signing Jason Giambi.
[h3]25. San Francisco Giants*[/h3]
Khalil Greene, SS, Clemson
I was working for the Blue Jays in 2002, and we would have taken Greene at No. 14 had the Padres not selected him right before us. Greene turned out to be a great defensive shortstop with surprising pop and a terrible propensity to chase the slider away. That is, until he retired before the 2010 season after battling a mental health issue in 2009.
Greene's actual draft spot: No. 13 (first round)
San Francisco's '02 pick: Cain
[h3]26. Oakland Athletics[/h3]
Jason Hammel, RHP, Treasure Valley CC
Hammel didn't really return any value until 2009 but then had two seasons as an above-average starter before returning to Earth last year. I like his chances to remain above replacement level for a few more years but would be surprised if he replicates what he did in those two years in Colorado.
Hammel's actual draft spot: No. 284 (10th round)
Oakland's '02 pick: John McCurdy, SS, Maryland
[h3]27. Arizona Diamondbacks[/h3]
Jesse Crain, RHP, Houston
Crain tore through the minors in two years; in his one full season there, 2003, he punched out 114 and walked 23 in 85 relief innings across three levels, finishing in Triple-A, and has turned in five competent but never spectacular relief seasons since then, with just one down year and one lost to a major shoulder injury. I see no reason he couldn't continue producing at that level for a few more seasons.
Crain's actual draft spot: No. 61 (second round)
Arizona's '02 pick: Sergio Santos, SS, Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, Calif.)
[h3]28. Seattle Mariners[/h3]
Randy Wells, RHP, Southwestern Illinois College
Our first selection with a four-digit pick, Wells was drafted as a catcher and didn't convert full time to pitching until 2004. He turned in two solid seasons in the Cubs' rotation, was awful last year, and hasn't started out 2012 any better, but even if this is it for Wells' career in the majors, he's already in the top 30 for WAR (both versions) for his draft class.
Wells' actual draft spot: No. 1,143 (38th round)
Seattle's '02 pick: John Mayberry Jr., OF, Rockhurst HS (Kansas City) -- did not sign
[h3]29. Houston Astros[/h3]
Dave Bush, RHP, Wake Forest
A catcher turned reliever in college who became a starter in pro ball, Bush throws strikes with an assortment of pitches that have never really missed enough bats, and he hasn't been comfortably above replacement level since 2008. He's still starting in Triple-A, but I wonder if there would be a career extension here if he returned to short relief work.
Bush's actual draft spot: No. 55 (second round)
Houston's '02 pick: Derick Grigsby, Northeast Texas CC
[h3]30. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
Sergio Santos, SS, Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Santos was seen as an overdraft at the time of his selection, and his failure to reach the majors as a position player seems to bear that out. Assuming his current bout of arm trouble isn't serious, however, he has a tremendous future as a reliever and should move a few spots up the WAR rankings (he's currently 51st and 55th in bWAR and fWAR, respectively) over the next several seasons.
Santos' actual draft spot: No. 27 (first round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Ben Fritz, RHP, Fresno State
*This pick was compensation from the Cardinals for signing Jason Isringhausen.
Rumors.
Spoiler [+]
http://[h3]Possible roster move with Huff[/h3]
9:57AM ET
[h5]Aubrey Huff | Giants [/h5]
Aubrey Huff was away from the San Francisco Giants for a second straight day Tuesday for what manager Bruce Bochy says is a serious "personal matter."
The timing of Huff's departure led to some wild speculation that he had quit on the team, but Bochy and the front office insist that is far from the case, reports Henry Schulman. Huff is in the midst of a slump that has dropped his average to .182 and he had an embarrassing defensive miscue at second base Saturday against the Mets.
Schulman says one solution is placing Huff on the seven-day personal-leave list, which would allow the Giants to call up a player from the minors.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Francisco Giants, Aubrey Huff
http://[h3]A cozier Petco Park?[/h3]
9:38AM ET
[h5]San Diego Padres [/h5]
The New York Mets decided to bring in the fences at their cavernous home park. The San Diego Padres may look to follow suit.
Padres interim CEO Tom Garfinkel tells Bill Center the club is officially considering moving in the fences at Petco Park before the 2013 season. Garfinkel wants Petco to remain a pitcher's park, but wouldn't mind if the expansive dimensions were a little less extreme.
The Mets brought in the fences at Citi Field this season and already have some tangible results. Last week, Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the Mets' first left-handed hitter to clear the left-field fence in the three-plus seasons at Citi Field. It took 250 games for a New York lefty to clear the fence formerly known as The Great Wall of Flushing.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Diego Padres
http://[h3]Losing patience with Inge[/h3]
9:16AM ET
[h5]Brandon Inge | Tigers [/h5]
Patience in Detroit appears to be wearing thin with Brandon Inge.
The signing of Prince Fielder and the move of Miguel Cabrera to third base over the winter left Inge without a starting job, and he has done little to warrant event a part-time gig. Inge had his first extra-base hit Tuesday night, raising his batting average to .100.
Inge has been a constant target of boos at Comerica Park, and manager Jim Leyland says fans are putting too much of an emphasis on the infielder's impact, reports Tom Gage of the Detroit News.
Terry Foster of the Detroit News wrote last weekend the Inge situation has become "sad and comical," adding it is time for the Tigers to part ways with the veteran infielder. The one issue, of course, is Inge's $6 million salary for this season, making him next to impossible to trade unless the Tigers eat most or not all of the available dollars.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Detroit Tigers, Brandon Inge
http://[h3]Gibson sticking with Roberts[/h3]
9:02AM ET
[h5]Ryan Roberts | Diamondbacks [/h5]
Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson insists Ryan Roberts remains his starting third baseman, but you wouldn't know it from the lineup the last few days.
Journeyman Cody Ransom made his third straight start at third base Tuesday and has made the most of the opportunity, collecting five hits in 11 at-bats (.455) with a homer and three RBI. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports Gibson is merely trying to get the emotional Roberts to relax.
Maybe it worked. Roberts is hitting just .185, but did deliver an RBI double as a pinch-hitter Tuesday night against the Phils.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Arizona Diamondbacks, Ryan Roberts, Cody Ransom
http://[h3]Leadoff woes in KC[/h3]
8:40AM ET
[h5]Kansas City Royals [/h5]
Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost is willing to try anything to snap a losing streak that reached an even dozen with Tuesday's 4-3 setback in Cleveland.
Chris Getz served as the leadoff hitter for the second straight game Tuesday, which snapped a four-game streak of different players in the top spot. Alex Gordon, Yuniesky Betancourt and Jason Bourgeois batted first in the three previous games.
For now, Yost is partial to Getz or Betancourt, reports Bob Dutton. For the record, Royals hitters have a .203 batting acerage, good for 25th in the majors.
Getz hit just .175 in 32 games in the leadoff spot last season, well below his overall BA of .255.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Yuniesky Betancourt, Chris Getz, Kansas City Royals
http://[h3]No room for Wang?[/h3]
8:17AM ET
[h5]Chien-Ming Wang | Nationals [/h5]
The Washington Nationals are currently enjoying a surplus of pitching, and that was before Chien-Ming Wang threw 51 pitches over three innings Monday afternoon in an extended spring training game.
Wang will make his next rehab start Saturday with Class A Potomac. The Nationals want Wang to throw at least 85 pitches before he makes his debut and expect him to make three or four starts. Wang is returning from the hamstring strain suffered in March.
Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post says the Nats could be tempted to take more time with Wang, in part because the Nationals may have trouble slotting him into the rotation.
Fifth starter Ross Detwiler was presumably headed to the bullpen upon Wang's return, but the lefthander has made his case to remain with a dazzling 0.56 ERA in his first three starts.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Washington Nationals, Ross Detwiler, Chien-Ming Wang
http://[h3]Second base trio in St. Louis[/h3]
8:07AM ET
[h5]St. Louis Cardinals [/h5]
The second base situation in St. Louis is a three-horse race after Skip Schumaker became the third different Cardinal to start at the position this season.
Schumaker, who began the season on the disabled list, had five at-bats before he was double-switched from Tuesday's loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Tyler Greene and Daniel Descalso split time at second to open the year, and both are off to slow starts.
Manager Mike Matheny appears content to let the situation play itself out. and give each candidate a chance to develop a hot hand.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Tyler Greene, Daniel Descalso, Skip Schumaker, St. Louis Cardinals
http://[h3]Season-ending surgery for Pelfrey?[/h3]
7:49AM ET
[h5]Mike Pelfrey | Mets [/h5]
Even if Mike Pelfrey has not reached the expectations the Mets had for him when they make him a first-round pick in the 2005 draft, they could always count on his durability. That changed Tuesday when the righthander landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career.
The Mets, for now, says Pelfrey is diagnosed only with right elbow inflammation, but Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com says team officials are aware Pelfrey has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and are bracing to lose him to season-ending surgery.
A Daily News report said there was a "feeling among teammates" that Pelfrey could be headed to Tommy John surgery. Pelfrey, who has averaged close to 200 innings in each of his last four seasons, had a stellar 2.29 ERA in his first three starts.
According to several reports, the Mets are leaning toward promoting Chris Schwinden from Buffalo to take Pelfrey's spot in the rotation, beginning Friday in Colorado.
Pelfrey could be tempted to have surgery sooner rather than later. He is a free agent after next season and needs to get back as soon as possible to restore his market value.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Mike Pelfrey, New York Mets
http://[h3]Zimmerman headed to the DL?[/h3]
7:20AM ET
[h5]Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals [/h5]
Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has not played since Friday due a shoulder injury and will rest a few more days. At this point, a trip to the disabled list appears "possible, if not likely," says Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
The results of an MRI are expected Wednesday.
If Zimmerman lands on the disabled list, manager Davey Johnson said he would use Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy and Steve Lombardozzi to replace Zimmerman at third base. As for possible call-ups, the Nats could chose from Brett Carroll, Jason Michaels and Mark Teahen. Kilgore also mentions Tyler Moore, who has six homers in 17 career games at Triple-A.
The Nats can only cross their fingers that the injury to Zimmerman, who agreed to a lucrative six-year extension earlier this year, is nothing serious. In his seven-plus seasons, Zimmerman already has had lengthy stints on the DL due to an abdominal strain and a labral tear in the left shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Chad Tracy, Mark DeRosa, Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
http://[h3]Jurrjens' future in Atlanta[/h3]
6:51AM ET
[h5]Atlanta Braves [/h5]
Rookie Randall Delgado was holding a spot in the Atlanta Braves' rotation only until Tim Hudson was ready, but those plans have changed following the surprising decision to option Jair Jurrjens to the minors late Monday night.
Jurrjens could not finish the fourth inning in Monday's loss to the Dodgers and has a 9.37 ERA in four starts this season. Braves general manager Frank Wren says there are no injury issues with Jurrjens and the demotion to Triple-A Gwinnett was made to get him back on track pitching-wise.
The Braves are a pitching-rich organization that already has Julio Teheran waiting for a promotion to the big leagues, so it remains to be seen just how long they stick with Jurrjens. Given his struggles and contract situation that calls for another year of arbitration, Jurrjens is a candidate to be non-tendered, says Mike Axisa of mlbtraderumors.com.
David O'Brien of the Atlanta JC reports the Braves will activate Hudson from the disabled list Sunday or Monday, and Delgado is expected to stay in the starting rotation.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Atlanta Braves, Jair Jurrjens, Randall Delgado
http://[h3]Ethier staying in L.A.?[/h3]
6:30AM ET
[h5]Andre Ethier | Dodgers [/h5]
Andre Ethier is off to a fast start this month and it appears GM Ned Colletti would like to keep the outfielder around beyond 2012. Ethier will hit free agency following this season unless he signs an extension.
Ethier, who just turned 30, had three hits Monday and is batting .290/.338/.565 with four home runs on the year as he bats behind Matt Kemp.
Ethier, however, has a tendency to start off hot and fantasy owners, perhaps even the new real life owners in Los Angeles, should beware of that, writes Eric Karabell:
- Jason A. Churchill
[h5]Eric Karabell[/h5]
Beware of Ethier's hot start
9:57AM ET
[h5]Aubrey Huff | Giants [/h5]
Aubrey Huff was away from the San Francisco Giants for a second straight day Tuesday for what manager Bruce Bochy says is a serious "personal matter."
The timing of Huff's departure led to some wild speculation that he had quit on the team, but Bochy and the front office insist that is far from the case, reports Henry Schulman. Huff is in the midst of a slump that has dropped his average to .182 and he had an embarrassing defensive miscue at second base Saturday against the Mets.
Schulman says one solution is placing Huff on the seven-day personal-leave list, which would allow the Giants to call up a player from the minors.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Francisco Giants, Aubrey Huff
http://[h3]A cozier Petco Park?[/h3]
9:38AM ET
[h5]San Diego Padres [/h5]
The New York Mets decided to bring in the fences at their cavernous home park. The San Diego Padres may look to follow suit.
Padres interim CEO Tom Garfinkel tells Bill Center the club is officially considering moving in the fences at Petco Park before the 2013 season. Garfinkel wants Petco to remain a pitcher's park, but wouldn't mind if the expansive dimensions were a little less extreme.
The Mets brought in the fences at Citi Field this season and already have some tangible results. Last week, Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the Mets' first left-handed hitter to clear the left-field fence in the three-plus seasons at Citi Field. It took 250 games for a New York lefty to clear the fence formerly known as The Great Wall of Flushing.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Diego Padres
http://[h3]Losing patience with Inge[/h3]
9:16AM ET
[h5]Brandon Inge | Tigers [/h5]
Patience in Detroit appears to be wearing thin with Brandon Inge.
The signing of Prince Fielder and the move of Miguel Cabrera to third base over the winter left Inge without a starting job, and he has done little to warrant event a part-time gig. Inge had his first extra-base hit Tuesday night, raising his batting average to .100.
Inge has been a constant target of boos at Comerica Park, and manager Jim Leyland says fans are putting too much of an emphasis on the infielder's impact, reports Tom Gage of the Detroit News.
Terry Foster of the Detroit News wrote last weekend the Inge situation has become "sad and comical," adding it is time for the Tigers to part ways with the veteran infielder. The one issue, of course, is Inge's $6 million salary for this season, making him next to impossible to trade unless the Tigers eat most or not all of the available dollars.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Detroit Tigers, Brandon Inge
http://[h3]Gibson sticking with Roberts[/h3]
9:02AM ET
[h5]Ryan Roberts | Diamondbacks [/h5]
Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson insists Ryan Roberts remains his starting third baseman, but you wouldn't know it from the lineup the last few days.
Journeyman Cody Ransom made his third straight start at third base Tuesday and has made the most of the opportunity, collecting five hits in 11 at-bats (.455) with a homer and three RBI. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports Gibson is merely trying to get the emotional Roberts to relax.
Maybe it worked. Roberts is hitting just .185, but did deliver an RBI double as a pinch-hitter Tuesday night against the Phils.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Arizona Diamondbacks, Ryan Roberts, Cody Ransom
http://[h3]Leadoff woes in KC[/h3]
8:40AM ET
[h5]Kansas City Royals [/h5]
Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost is willing to try anything to snap a losing streak that reached an even dozen with Tuesday's 4-3 setback in Cleveland.
Chris Getz served as the leadoff hitter for the second straight game Tuesday, which snapped a four-game streak of different players in the top spot. Alex Gordon, Yuniesky Betancourt and Jason Bourgeois batted first in the three previous games.
For now, Yost is partial to Getz or Betancourt, reports Bob Dutton. For the record, Royals hitters have a .203 batting acerage, good for 25th in the majors.
Getz hit just .175 in 32 games in the leadoff spot last season, well below his overall BA of .255.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Yuniesky Betancourt, Chris Getz, Kansas City Royals
http://[h3]No room for Wang?[/h3]
8:17AM ET
[h5]Chien-Ming Wang | Nationals [/h5]
The Washington Nationals are currently enjoying a surplus of pitching, and that was before Chien-Ming Wang threw 51 pitches over three innings Monday afternoon in an extended spring training game.
Wang will make his next rehab start Saturday with Class A Potomac. The Nationals want Wang to throw at least 85 pitches before he makes his debut and expect him to make three or four starts. Wang is returning from the hamstring strain suffered in March.
Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post says the Nats could be tempted to take more time with Wang, in part because the Nationals may have trouble slotting him into the rotation.
Fifth starter Ross Detwiler was presumably headed to the bullpen upon Wang's return, but the lefthander has made his case to remain with a dazzling 0.56 ERA in his first three starts.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Washington Nationals, Ross Detwiler, Chien-Ming Wang
http://[h3]Second base trio in St. Louis[/h3]
8:07AM ET
[h5]St. Louis Cardinals [/h5]
The second base situation in St. Louis is a three-horse race after Skip Schumaker became the third different Cardinal to start at the position this season.
Schumaker, who began the season on the disabled list, had five at-bats before he was double-switched from Tuesday's loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Tyler Greene and Daniel Descalso split time at second to open the year, and both are off to slow starts.
Manager Mike Matheny appears content to let the situation play itself out. and give each candidate a chance to develop a hot hand.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Tyler Greene, Daniel Descalso, Skip Schumaker, St. Louis Cardinals
http://[h3]Season-ending surgery for Pelfrey?[/h3]
7:49AM ET
[h5]Mike Pelfrey | Mets [/h5]
Even if Mike Pelfrey has not reached the expectations the Mets had for him when they make him a first-round pick in the 2005 draft, they could always count on his durability. That changed Tuesday when the righthander landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career.
The Mets, for now, says Pelfrey is diagnosed only with right elbow inflammation, but Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com says team officials are aware Pelfrey has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and are bracing to lose him to season-ending surgery.
A Daily News report said there was a "feeling among teammates" that Pelfrey could be headed to Tommy John surgery. Pelfrey, who has averaged close to 200 innings in each of his last four seasons, had a stellar 2.29 ERA in his first three starts.
According to several reports, the Mets are leaning toward promoting Chris Schwinden from Buffalo to take Pelfrey's spot in the rotation, beginning Friday in Colorado.
Pelfrey could be tempted to have surgery sooner rather than later. He is a free agent after next season and needs to get back as soon as possible to restore his market value.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Mike Pelfrey, New York Mets
http://[h3]Zimmerman headed to the DL?[/h3]
7:20AM ET
[h5]Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals [/h5]
Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has not played since Friday due a shoulder injury and will rest a few more days. At this point, a trip to the disabled list appears "possible, if not likely," says Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
The results of an MRI are expected Wednesday.
If Zimmerman lands on the disabled list, manager Davey Johnson said he would use Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy and Steve Lombardozzi to replace Zimmerman at third base. As for possible call-ups, the Nats could chose from Brett Carroll, Jason Michaels and Mark Teahen. Kilgore also mentions Tyler Moore, who has six homers in 17 career games at Triple-A.
The Nats can only cross their fingers that the injury to Zimmerman, who agreed to a lucrative six-year extension earlier this year, is nothing serious. In his seven-plus seasons, Zimmerman already has had lengthy stints on the DL due to an abdominal strain and a labral tear in the left shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Chad Tracy, Mark DeRosa, Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
http://[h3]Jurrjens' future in Atlanta[/h3]
6:51AM ET
[h5]Atlanta Braves [/h5]
Rookie Randall Delgado was holding a spot in the Atlanta Braves' rotation only until Tim Hudson was ready, but those plans have changed following the surprising decision to option Jair Jurrjens to the minors late Monday night.
Jurrjens could not finish the fourth inning in Monday's loss to the Dodgers and has a 9.37 ERA in four starts this season. Braves general manager Frank Wren says there are no injury issues with Jurrjens and the demotion to Triple-A Gwinnett was made to get him back on track pitching-wise.
The Braves are a pitching-rich organization that already has Julio Teheran waiting for a promotion to the big leagues, so it remains to be seen just how long they stick with Jurrjens. Given his struggles and contract situation that calls for another year of arbitration, Jurrjens is a candidate to be non-tendered, says Mike Axisa of mlbtraderumors.com.
David O'Brien of the Atlanta JC reports the Braves will activate Hudson from the disabled list Sunday or Monday, and Delgado is expected to stay in the starting rotation.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Atlanta Braves, Jair Jurrjens, Randall Delgado
http://[h3]Ethier staying in L.A.?[/h3]
6:30AM ET
[h5]Andre Ethier | Dodgers [/h5]
Andre Ethier is off to a fast start this month and it appears GM Ned Colletti would like to keep the outfielder around beyond 2012. Ethier will hit free agency following this season unless he signs an extension.
Ethier, who just turned 30, had three hits Monday and is batting .290/.338/.565 with four home runs on the year as he bats behind Matt Kemp.
Ethier, however, has a tendency to start off hot and fantasy owners, perhaps even the new real life owners in Los Angeles, should beware of that, writes Eric Karabell:
- Jason A. Churchill
Beware of Ethier's hot start
Yu Darvish's specialized skill.
Redrafting 'Moneyball'.
Rumors.
Spoiler [+]
There was a moment during Yu Darvish's start against the New York Yankees on Tuesday when Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli dropped into a squat to call a pitch and made an unusual sign -- sort of an upside-down L, aimed in the direction of the right-handed batter.
Ken Singleton, broadcasting the game on YES, noted that he had never seen a sign like this before. This is what a catcher must do when his pitcher has more than three or four or five pitches -- invent signals beyond the standard stuff.
It's one thing to be able to throw a lot of pitches, but it's a different kind of challenge entirely to maintain command of such a wide array. There are only so many bullets for a pitcher between starts, only so many times they can throw a baseball, and this is why a lot of pitchers will streamline their repertoire.
While throwing 35 to 50 pitches in their bullpen session, and while playing catch daily with their catching partner, they'll devote a certain percentage of their throws to fastballs, some to their breaking balls, some to their changeups -- depending on what pitch needs the most work, the most maintenance. Derek Holland is Darvish's catching partner, and he says the right-hander can somehow maintain command of all of his different pitches with minimal practice.
He throws a couple of different fastballs, two different speeds of curveballs (a hard curve and a big looping curveball), a slider, a cutter, a splitter. This means that he's probably throwing one or two of his pitches only four or five times a week and keeping them game-ready.
This is an incredible, difference-making skill, reflecting a gifted feel for how to make a baseball move. Imagine a quarterback who could master an entire offense while practicing particular plays only once or twice a season.
Pedro Martinez had this skill. Orlando Hernandez -- El Duque -- had this skill. Roy Halladay has this.
Yu Darvish has this.
He wowed the sellout crowd, writes Jeff Wilson. Evan Grant picks out some moments from the start.
Darvish gave everybody reason to believe the hype.
From ESPN Stats & Info, how Darvish won:
A) Darvish threw 82 of 119 pitches (68.9 percent) for strikes, well above his 56.8 percent average entering the night.
B) He started 21 of 33 hitters (63.6 percent) with a first-pitch strike. In his first three starts, he threw a first-pitch strike to less than 48 percent of all hitters.
C) Thirteen of the 21 balls in play (61.9 percent) against Darvish were hit on the ground, compared with 42.1 percent in his first three starts. Twenty-two of Darvish's 25 outs were either grounders or strikeouts.
D) Lefties entered Tuesday hitting .313 against Darvish; the six Yankees lefties in the lineup Tuesday were 4-for-21 with eight strikeouts against Darvish.
E) Yankees lefties were 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in at-bats ending with Darvish's curveball.
F) Yankees hitters were 1-for-12 with five strikeouts with men on base.
G) The Yankees chased 25 Darvish pitches out of the strike zone; opponents had chased an average of 12 in Darvish's first three starts.
Darvish is the second starting pitcher in Rangers history with 10 strikeouts and 0 ER against the Yankees. Joe Coleman struck out 11 in nine scoreless innings in 1969.
From Elias: Since divisional play began in 1969, only two other pitchers besides Darvish have hurled at least eight shutout innings with 10 or more strikeouts in their first career start against the Yankees: Baltimore's Bob Milacki on Sept. 28, 1988, and Cleveland's Bartolo Colon on Sept. 21, 1998.
Hiroki Kuroda was good, but the other guy was better.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• The San Francisco Giants were really annoyed that a ball was thrown behind catcher Buster Posey.
• Ryan Zimmerman got unfavorable results in an MRI, writes Adam Kilgore.
• Dylan Bundy was unhittable, again, as Jon Meoli writes. The Orioles prospect is 13 innings into his professional career and still hasn't allowed a hit.
• David Ortiz has been killing the ball, and he wrecked the Minnesota Twins with another opposite-field double and a monster home run. Ortiz has been hammering hits to left field -- far more than last year.
From Justin Havens of ESPN Stats & Info, where Ortiz has been getting his hits:
2012
LF: 13 (46.4 percent)
CF: 7 (23.3 percent)
RF: 8 (26.7 percent)
2011
LF: 49 (30.2 percent)
CF: 49 (30.2 percent)
RF: 64 (39.5 percent)
Josh Beckett practiced some anger management.
• The other day on "Baseball Tonight," I was asked to assign a pie chart of blame for Boston's 4-10 start, and this is how I broke it down:
Boston ownership and president Larry Lucchino: 35 percent. The buck stops there.
Players: 30 percent. They make it happen, either way.
Theo Epstein: 29 percent. He is gone, but the composition of the team is still built on his decisions.
Ben Cherington: 3 percent. He didn't have a lot of payroll flexibility during the winter. The one major move that has really boomeranged on him is the trade for reliever Mark Melancon.
Bobby Valentine: 3 percent. He simply hasn't been around very long.
Here's the thing: If the Red Sox were 10-6, and not 6-10, the Pie Chart of Blame would be the Pie Chart of Credit, and it would break down with the exact same percentages.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies get to add a 26th man today, writes Rob Biertempfel.
2. Freddy Garcia will get another chance in the rotation, writes Marc Carig.
3. Tal Smith has been hired to oversee an independent league team.
4. Ryan Roberts has been benched.
5. Jarrod Parker gets the ball tonight, as John Shea writes.
6. Aubrey Huff is dealing with a personal matter, writes Alex Pavlovic.
7. The San Diego Padres continue to have a spat over an element of their local television situation.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. The New York Mets put Jason Bay and Mike Pelfrey on the disabled list.
2. Michael Pineda is going for a second opinion.
3. Carl Crawford wants a second opinion.
4. Ryan Madson has started his rehab.
5. The Brewers' Chris Narveson is headed for surgery.
6. Ryan Howard will be limited for at least one more week.
7. Justin Smoak's hamstring is hurting.
[h3]Tuesday's games[/h3]
1. David Price was dominant, throwing a shutout, writes Marc Topkin.
From ESPN Stats & Info:
A) Los Angeles Angels hitters were 0-for-13 with two strikes; opponents were 9-for-36 with two strikes against Price in his first three starts.
B) Price started 21 of 32 hitters (65.6 percent) with a first-pitch strike, higher than his 55.1 percent rate in his first three starts.
C) With no lefties in the Angels' lineup, Price relied on his changeup. He threw 29 of them and got a career-high 10 of his outs in at-bats ending with the pitch.
D) Angels hitters were 1-for-15 in at-bats ending with a fastball.
2. Johan Santana was The Man for the Mets, striking out 11. He had the best command in this start that he's shown all season, and it's probably not a coincidence he had six days between outings.
3. The Pirates refused to wilt.
4. From Elias: Chipper Jones hit his fifth career HR on his birthday, tied for the most among active players with Alex Rodriguez and Todd Helton. Other career numbers on Jones' birthday: .429 batting average, 11 RBIs, eight strikeouts. Jones also joins Tony Phillips, Wade Boggs, Joe Morgan (hit two) and Bob Thurman as players who homered on their 40th birthdays. Jim Thome and Darrell Evans hold the MLB record, homering on their 41st birthdays.
[h4]April swoons[/h4]
The longest April losing streaks in MLB history (courtesy of Elias).
[table][tr][th=""]
Year
[/th][th=""]
Team
[/th][th=""]
Games
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
1988
[/td][td]
Orioles
[/td][td]
21
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1997
[/td][td]
Cubs
[/td][td]
14
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1962
[/td][td]
Senators
[/td][td]
13
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
2012
[/td][td]
Royals
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1994
[/td][td]
Athletics
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1981
[/td][td]
Cubs
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][/table]
5. It seems impossible that the Kansas City Royals have been this bad, this early, but here it is: The Royals' losing streak has reached 12, as Bob Dutton writes.
From ESPN Stats & Info: Only six teams have lost as many as 12 straight games in April and none since the 1997 Cubs. They lost their first 14 games of the season en route to a last place finish in the NL Central.
The Royals have been at their worst in big moments, as Ned Yost said.
6. Tommy Hunter and the Baltimore Orioles took down the Toronto Blue Jays.
7. The St. Louis Cardinals were confounded by umpires, as Derrick Goold writes.
8. The Cincinnati Reds exploded in the late innings and had a retaliation moment. This was the real Mat Latos, as Hal McCoy writes.
9. The Cleveland Indians just keep on winning, and Jack Hannahan hoisted them against the Royals.
10. Pitching continues to be a problem for the Twins.
11. Corey Hart powered the Brewers.
12. Tony Campana set the table for the Chicago Cubs, as Toni Ginnetti writes.
13. There was good stuff in the Chicago White Sox loss, writes Daryl Von Schouwen.
14. The Philadelphia Phillies mashed a bunch of home runs.
15. Gio Gonzalez extended his scoreless streak.
16. Henderson Alvarez chipped in a good start, but the Jays still lost.
17. Watched a lot of the Marlins-Mets game, and for the Miami Marlins, Josh Johnson's outing must have been heartening: His velocity was up to 96 mph, and he had his best slider and cutter of the season. It didn't turn out well in the end for the Marlins, as Clark Spencer writes.
18. Bud Norris got knocked around.
19. Josh Collmenter had his best stuff but got ugly results, writes Nick Piecoro.
20. The Rockies' bullpen blew up.
21. Matt Cain had a tough day.
22. Oakland's Tommy Milone had another strong outing.
23. A fill-in really helped the Seattle Mariners.
24. The Los Angeles Dodgers are no longer perfect at home.
25. The Padres were shut down.
26. The Angels are generating home runs, but its their pitchers who are doing this, not the hitters, as Bill Plunkett writes.
By The Numbers, from ESPN Stats & Info:
0: Run support for Johan Santana and Adam Wainwright this season while in the game.
323: Distance of B.J. Upton's home run Tuesday night, the shortest home run of the year that was not inside the park.
[h3]Other stuff[/h3]
• ESPN is positioning itself to take a run at the Yankees' radio rights, reports the New York Post.
Ken Singleton, broadcasting the game on YES, noted that he had never seen a sign like this before. This is what a catcher must do when his pitcher has more than three or four or five pitches -- invent signals beyond the standard stuff.
It's one thing to be able to throw a lot of pitches, but it's a different kind of challenge entirely to maintain command of such a wide array. There are only so many bullets for a pitcher between starts, only so many times they can throw a baseball, and this is why a lot of pitchers will streamline their repertoire.
While throwing 35 to 50 pitches in their bullpen session, and while playing catch daily with their catching partner, they'll devote a certain percentage of their throws to fastballs, some to their breaking balls, some to their changeups -- depending on what pitch needs the most work, the most maintenance. Derek Holland is Darvish's catching partner, and he says the right-hander can somehow maintain command of all of his different pitches with minimal practice.
He throws a couple of different fastballs, two different speeds of curveballs (a hard curve and a big looping curveball), a slider, a cutter, a splitter. This means that he's probably throwing one or two of his pitches only four or five times a week and keeping them game-ready.
This is an incredible, difference-making skill, reflecting a gifted feel for how to make a baseball move. Imagine a quarterback who could master an entire offense while practicing particular plays only once or twice a season.
Pedro Martinez had this skill. Orlando Hernandez -- El Duque -- had this skill. Roy Halladay has this.
Yu Darvish has this.
He wowed the sellout crowd, writes Jeff Wilson. Evan Grant picks out some moments from the start.
Darvish gave everybody reason to believe the hype.
From ESPN Stats & Info, how Darvish won:
A) Darvish threw 82 of 119 pitches (68.9 percent) for strikes, well above his 56.8 percent average entering the night.
B) He started 21 of 33 hitters (63.6 percent) with a first-pitch strike. In his first three starts, he threw a first-pitch strike to less than 48 percent of all hitters.
C) Thirteen of the 21 balls in play (61.9 percent) against Darvish were hit on the ground, compared with 42.1 percent in his first three starts. Twenty-two of Darvish's 25 outs were either grounders or strikeouts.
D) Lefties entered Tuesday hitting .313 against Darvish; the six Yankees lefties in the lineup Tuesday were 4-for-21 with eight strikeouts against Darvish.
E) Yankees lefties were 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in at-bats ending with Darvish's curveball.
F) Yankees hitters were 1-for-12 with five strikeouts with men on base.
G) The Yankees chased 25 Darvish pitches out of the strike zone; opponents had chased an average of 12 in Darvish's first three starts.
Darvish is the second starting pitcher in Rangers history with 10 strikeouts and 0 ER against the Yankees. Joe Coleman struck out 11 in nine scoreless innings in 1969.
From Elias: Since divisional play began in 1969, only two other pitchers besides Darvish have hurled at least eight shutout innings with 10 or more strikeouts in their first career start against the Yankees: Baltimore's Bob Milacki on Sept. 28, 1988, and Cleveland's Bartolo Colon on Sept. 21, 1998.
Hiroki Kuroda was good, but the other guy was better.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• The San Francisco Giants were really annoyed that a ball was thrown behind catcher Buster Posey.
• Ryan Zimmerman got unfavorable results in an MRI, writes Adam Kilgore.
• Dylan Bundy was unhittable, again, as Jon Meoli writes. The Orioles prospect is 13 innings into his professional career and still hasn't allowed a hit.
• David Ortiz has been killing the ball, and he wrecked the Minnesota Twins with another opposite-field double and a monster home run. Ortiz has been hammering hits to left field -- far more than last year.
From Justin Havens of ESPN Stats & Info, where Ortiz has been getting his hits:
2012
LF: 13 (46.4 percent)
CF: 7 (23.3 percent)
RF: 8 (26.7 percent)
2011
LF: 49 (30.2 percent)
CF: 49 (30.2 percent)
RF: 64 (39.5 percent)
Josh Beckett practiced some anger management.
• The other day on "Baseball Tonight," I was asked to assign a pie chart of blame for Boston's 4-10 start, and this is how I broke it down:
Boston ownership and president Larry Lucchino: 35 percent. The buck stops there.
Players: 30 percent. They make it happen, either way.
Theo Epstein: 29 percent. He is gone, but the composition of the team is still built on his decisions.
Ben Cherington: 3 percent. He didn't have a lot of payroll flexibility during the winter. The one major move that has really boomeranged on him is the trade for reliever Mark Melancon.
Bobby Valentine: 3 percent. He simply hasn't been around very long.
Here's the thing: If the Red Sox were 10-6, and not 6-10, the Pie Chart of Blame would be the Pie Chart of Credit, and it would break down with the exact same percentages.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies get to add a 26th man today, writes Rob Biertempfel.
2. Freddy Garcia will get another chance in the rotation, writes Marc Carig.
3. Tal Smith has been hired to oversee an independent league team.
4. Ryan Roberts has been benched.
5. Jarrod Parker gets the ball tonight, as John Shea writes.
6. Aubrey Huff is dealing with a personal matter, writes Alex Pavlovic.
7. The San Diego Padres continue to have a spat over an element of their local television situation.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. The New York Mets put Jason Bay and Mike Pelfrey on the disabled list.
2. Michael Pineda is going for a second opinion.
3. Carl Crawford wants a second opinion.
4. Ryan Madson has started his rehab.
5. The Brewers' Chris Narveson is headed for surgery.
6. Ryan Howard will be limited for at least one more week.
7. Justin Smoak's hamstring is hurting.
[h3]Tuesday's games[/h3]
1. David Price was dominant, throwing a shutout, writes Marc Topkin.
From ESPN Stats & Info:
A) Los Angeles Angels hitters were 0-for-13 with two strikes; opponents were 9-for-36 with two strikes against Price in his first three starts.
B) Price started 21 of 32 hitters (65.6 percent) with a first-pitch strike, higher than his 55.1 percent rate in his first three starts.
C) With no lefties in the Angels' lineup, Price relied on his changeup. He threw 29 of them and got a career-high 10 of his outs in at-bats ending with the pitch.
D) Angels hitters were 1-for-15 in at-bats ending with a fastball.
2. Johan Santana was The Man for the Mets, striking out 11. He had the best command in this start that he's shown all season, and it's probably not a coincidence he had six days between outings.
3. The Pirates refused to wilt.
4. From Elias: Chipper Jones hit his fifth career HR on his birthday, tied for the most among active players with Alex Rodriguez and Todd Helton. Other career numbers on Jones' birthday: .429 batting average, 11 RBIs, eight strikeouts. Jones also joins Tony Phillips, Wade Boggs, Joe Morgan (hit two) and Bob Thurman as players who homered on their 40th birthdays. Jim Thome and Darrell Evans hold the MLB record, homering on their 41st birthdays.
[h4]April swoons[/h4]
The longest April losing streaks in MLB history (courtesy of Elias).
[table][tr][th=""]
Year
[/th][th=""]
Team
[/th][th=""]
Games
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
1988
[/td][td]
Orioles
[/td][td]
21
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1997
[/td][td]
Cubs
[/td][td]
14
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1962
[/td][td]
Senators
[/td][td]
13
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
2012
[/td][td]
Royals
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1994
[/td][td]
Athletics
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1981
[/td][td]
Cubs
[/td][td]
12
[/td][/tr][/table]
5. It seems impossible that the Kansas City Royals have been this bad, this early, but here it is: The Royals' losing streak has reached 12, as Bob Dutton writes.
From ESPN Stats & Info: Only six teams have lost as many as 12 straight games in April and none since the 1997 Cubs. They lost their first 14 games of the season en route to a last place finish in the NL Central.
The Royals have been at their worst in big moments, as Ned Yost said.
6. Tommy Hunter and the Baltimore Orioles took down the Toronto Blue Jays.
7. The St. Louis Cardinals were confounded by umpires, as Derrick Goold writes.
8. The Cincinnati Reds exploded in the late innings and had a retaliation moment. This was the real Mat Latos, as Hal McCoy writes.
9. The Cleveland Indians just keep on winning, and Jack Hannahan hoisted them against the Royals.
10. Pitching continues to be a problem for the Twins.
11. Corey Hart powered the Brewers.
12. Tony Campana set the table for the Chicago Cubs, as Toni Ginnetti writes.
13. There was good stuff in the Chicago White Sox loss, writes Daryl Von Schouwen.
14. The Philadelphia Phillies mashed a bunch of home runs.
15. Gio Gonzalez extended his scoreless streak.
16. Henderson Alvarez chipped in a good start, but the Jays still lost.
17. Watched a lot of the Marlins-Mets game, and for the Miami Marlins, Josh Johnson's outing must have been heartening: His velocity was up to 96 mph, and he had his best slider and cutter of the season. It didn't turn out well in the end for the Marlins, as Clark Spencer writes.
18. Bud Norris got knocked around.
19. Josh Collmenter had his best stuff but got ugly results, writes Nick Piecoro.
20. The Rockies' bullpen blew up.
21. Matt Cain had a tough day.
22. Oakland's Tommy Milone had another strong outing.
23. A fill-in really helped the Seattle Mariners.
24. The Los Angeles Dodgers are no longer perfect at home.
25. The Padres were shut down.
26. The Angels are generating home runs, but its their pitchers who are doing this, not the hitters, as Bill Plunkett writes.
By The Numbers, from ESPN Stats & Info:
0: Run support for Johan Santana and Adam Wainwright this season while in the game.
323: Distance of B.J. Upton's home run Tuesday night, the shortest home run of the year that was not inside the park.
[h3]Other stuff[/h3]
• ESPN is positioning itself to take a run at the Yankees' radio rights, reports the New York Post.
Redrafting 'Moneyball'.
Spoiler [+]
We spend a lot of time looking ahead to the MLB draft on Insider, but other than reacting to it in the immediate aftermath, we very rarely ever look back. So as we get set for the 2012 draft season to really heat up, I decided to go back 10 years and revisit the 2002 draft, aka the "Moneyball" draft, to see how different it would look with the benefit of hindsight.
Other than its ties to "Moneyball," the 2002 draft is probably best remembered for the massive gaffe the Pirates committed with the first pick, choosing (apparently at owner Kevin McClatchy's behest) a safe college arm, Bryan Bullington, over the high-upside high school player atop most draft boards, B.J. Upton. But the big story today is that the best player to come out of that draft wasn't taken until the third round.
This redraft is based on two major criteria: the players' careers to date, and my projections of any value they still have to offer (although the list does include two players whose careers are likely over). I did not account for the player's signability at the time, nor did I consider a team's preference for high school or college players, pitchers versus position players, etc. -- this analysis is based purely on talent.
Please note that we included only players who were drafted in 2002 and subsequently signed with the club that selected them. Players like Jacoby Ellsbury, for example, who were drafted out of high school but decided to attend college, were not considered. (For the record, Ellsbury was taken in the 23rd round by the Tampa Bay Rays and decided to attend Oregon State instead of signing.)
Also of note is that certain teams did not have a first-round pick in 2002 because they lost it by virtue of signing a Type A free agent. The A's, on the other hand, had multiple first-rounders.
For a look at the 2002 first round, click here.
[h3]1. Pittsburgh Pirates[/h3]
Curtis Granderson, OF, Illinois-Chicago
Granderson put up impressive numbers at a tiny, cold-weather school, engendering plenty of skepticism at the time over whether his bat would translate, but I think he also came out a year or two too early to catch the rise of statistical analysis in draft rooms. He's turned into a much better hitter than anyone anticipated, especially after swing changes made with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, and leads all 2002 draftees in FanGraphs' version of wins above replacement (fWAR) and ranks second in Baseball Reference's version (bWAR). (Note: FanGraphs relies more on secondary stats -- such as batting average on balls in play -- for its metric.)
Granderson's actual draft spot: No. 80 (third round)
Pittsburgh's '02 pick: Bryan Bullington, RHP, Ball State
[h3]2. Tampa Bay Rays[/h3]
Brian McCann, C, Duluth (Ga.) HS
McCann is a consistently above-average player who'll occasionally jump up to star-caliber performance but has yet to post a truly down season at the plate since becoming a regular in 2006. He gets on base, hits for power and is capable enough defensively to remain behind the plate for now. The main question on McCann is how much catching remains in his career, with more than 900 games behind the dish already under his belt, but what he's produced to date puts him right behind Granderson on the board.
McCann's actual draft spot: No. 64 (second round)
Tampa Bay's '02 pick: B.J. Upton, SS, Greenbrier Christian Academy (Va.) HS
[h3]3. Cincinnati Reds[/h3]
Cole Hamels, LHP, Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) HS
Hamels isn't the top pitcher per either flavor of WAR -- it's notable, by the way, that the top five pitchers from this draft in WAR are all high school products -- but it's pretty close either way, and I'm very bullish on Hamels' ability to continue to produce at high levels well into his 30s. Hamels likely would have gone higher in the 2002 draft were it not for an arm fracture he suffered earlier in his high school career, an unusual injury that scared several teams off on medical grounds, yet despite that and some trouble staying healthy in the minors, he's been extremely durable since reaching the majors in 2006.
Hamels' actual draft spot: No. 17 (first round)
Cincinnati's '02 pick: Chris Gruler, P, Liberty Union (Calif.) HS
[h3]4. Baltimore Orioles[/h3]
Matt Cain, RHP, Houston HS (Germantown, Tenn.)
Cain, coming off five straight 200-inning seasons, was actually picked in a reasonable spot for a high school pitcher of his ilk: He was projectable, flashing plus velocity and likely to grow into a consistent mid-90s fastball, but with all the risk associated with prep arms at the time.
Cain's actual draft spot: No. 25 (first round)
Baltimore's '02 pick: Adam Loewen, LHP, Fraser Valley Christian HS (Surrey, British Columbia)
[h3]5. Washington Nationals (Expos)[/h3]
Joey Votto, 1B, Richview Collegiate Institute (Toronto)
The main knock on Votto in high school was that he was a catcher who couldn't catch, meaning he had to move to first base -- and I don't think anyone thought his bat was close to this good, especially not in terms of power. He also faced the typical questions about the caliber of competition faced by any cold-weather prep hitter.
Votto's actual draft spot: No. 44 (second round)
Montreal's '02 pick: Clint Everts, P, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
[h3]6. Kansas City Royals[/h3]
Zack Greinke, RHP, Apopka (Fla.) HS
I remember hearing Allard Baird, K.C.'s GM at the time, say that his club wanted a college arm with this pick but felt strongly that Greinke was as advanced and as polished as a college arm despite being a high school player. (I'm hearing, and have seen, similar things from Baltimore's Dylan Bundy.) Greinke fit the college-starter career path early, reaching the majors a bit more than 22 months after signing, but personal problems pushed his timeline to success back a few years. He actually leads this draft class in fWAR, but a consistent habit of allowing more runs than his peripherals would indicate has him third in bWAR.
Greinke's actual draft spot: No. 6 (first round)
Kansas City's '02 pick: Greinke
[h3]7. Milwaukee Brewers[/h3]
Jon Lester, LHP, Bellarmine HS (Tacoma, Wash.)
Lester was a projectable high school lefty who didn't have the knockout breaking ball to make him a first-rounder; he didn't develop the cutter until after signing, and his fastball eventually added about two full grades of velocity. The Red Sox wouldn't take another prep arm in the first three rounds until 2005, when they took Michael Bowden in the sandwich round.
Lester's actual draft spot: No. 57 (second round),
Milwaukee's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5915/prince-fielderPrince Fielder, 1B, Eau Gallie (Fla.) HS
[h3]8. Detroit Tigers[/h3]
Prince Fielder, 1B, Eau Gallie (Fla.) HS
He's produced pretty much as advertised: It's huge raw power with good feel to hit and strong plate discipline but little to no value on defense or on the bases.
Fielder's actual draft spot: No. 7 (first round)
Detroit's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28589/scott-mooreScott Moore, SS, Cypress (Calif.) HS
[h3]9. Colorado Rockies[/h3]
B.J. Upton, SS, Greenbrier Christian Academy (Va.) HS
Upton has never quite fulfilled expectations with his bat outside of short stretches, but he's a plus defender in center who is just entering his age-27 season and could bump his production another level this year, assuming his back cooperates. Of everyone on this list, he has the best chance to end up even higher if we redo this exercise in 2017.
Upton's actual draft spot: No. 2 (first round)
Colorado's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6038/jeff-francisJeff Francis, LHP, University of British Columbia
[h3]10. Texas Rangers[/h3]
Nick Swisher, OF, Ohio State
This was the best pick by far in the vaunted "Moneyball" draft class. Swisher, who posted a .481 OBP over his last two years in college, has been a consistent high-on-base guy for all of his (non-Chicago) major league career. He has moderate power and solid corner-outfield defense, skills that should continue to play for him for several more seasons.
Swisher's actual draft spot: No. 16 (first round)
Texas' '02 pick: Drew Meyer, SS, South Carolina
[h3]11. Miami Marlins[/h3]
Jeremy Guthrie, RHP, Stanford
A rare pitcher to escape the Stanford injury curse -- perhaps because he was 23 years old in his final year, when he averaged just less than eight innings per start for the Cardinal's arm grinders -- Guthrie has been a durable midrotation starter since Baltimore signed him after the 2006 season.
Guthrie's actual draft spot: No. 22 (first round)
Florida's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6199/jeremy-hermidaJeremy Hermida, OF, Wheeler (Ga.) HS
[h3]12. Los Angeles Angels[/h3]
Howie Kendrick, 2B, Saint Johns River State College
Here we have our first double-digit-round selection -- Kendrick hit .360 in his minor league career but was never patient enough to carry that kind of elite average to the majors. Still, he's a career .292 hitter with moderate power at a premium position, which makes him a valuable commodity.
Kendrick's actual draft spot: No. 294 (10th round)
Los Angeles' '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6383/joe-saundersJoe Saunders, P, Virginia Tech
[h3]13. San Diego Padres[/h3]
Russell Martin, C, Chipola (Fla.) JC
Martin was an infielder with the body and arm strength to potentially move behind the plate, becoming one of the more successful such conversions in the past few years and possibly giving him more longevity than most catchers into his early 30s because he didn't wreck his knees catching in high school and junior college. On the flip side, his offensive value is almost entirely due to the fact that he catches, so if he ever has to move from the position, he'll be finished.
Martin's actual draft spot: No. 511 (17th round)
San Diego's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5797/khalil-greeneKhalil Greene, SS, Clemson
[h3]14. Toronto Blue Jays[/h3]
Brandon McCarthy, RHP
Selected one spot ahead of Russ Martin -- the 17th round was quite fertile in 2002, producing four big leaguers in total -- McCarthy battled injuries and went through two organizations before remaking himself in Oakland two years ago as a ground-ball/control guy. He wasn't that heavily scouted in high school and was thought to have a strong commitment to Tennessee, but the White Sox did a great job in signing him.
McCarthy's actual draft spot: No. 510 (17th round)
Toronto's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6101/russ-adamsRuss Adams, SS, North Carolina
[h3]15. New York Mets[/h3]
Denard Span, OF, Catholic HS (Tampa)
Span would have gone ninth but wouldn't sign for what the Rockies were offering, so they cut a deal with Jeff Francis instead, after which Span slid to No. 20 and signed for less than he would have gotten from Colorado. His plate discipline has improved to the point where he's a solid-to-average regular in center who should be able to handle the position for several more years, but he probably won't ever be a star.
Span's actual draft spot: No. 20 (first round)
New York's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5917/scott-kazmirScott Kazmir, LHP, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
[h3]16. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
Josh Johnson, RHP, Jenks HS (Tulsa, Okla.)
Interesting thought experiment: What if this is it for Johnson? Assume he'll never be healthy enough again to be an effective major league pitcher. He's still racked up 18-19 wins above replacement in his career, putting him in the top 15 in both versions of WAR from this draft, with most of that value concentrated in three very good years. Three seasons of serious value doesn't sound like a lot, but it's more than teams get from the typical late first-round pick and far more than the Marlins could have hoped for from the 113th pick.
Johnson's actual draft spot: No. 113 (fourth round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Swisher
*This pick was compensation from the Red Sox for signing Johnny Damon.
[h3]17. Philadelphia Phillies[/h3]
Joe Blanton, RHP, Kentucky
Boring, but durable and modestly productive until 2011. Few teams aim for a league-average starter in the first round, but that's often better than what they get in the end.
Blanton's actual draft spot: No. 24 (first round)
Philadelphia's '02 pick: Hamels
[h3]18. Chicago White Sox[/h3]
Nyjer Morgan, OF, Walla Walla CC
It took Morgan a long time to produce real major league value, but he's made himself into a very good defensive center fielder who can slap the ball enough to avoid being a zero at the plate. He seems like a strong bet to post a few more 2-3 WAR seasons before he eventually has to move out of center.
Morgan's actual draft spot: No. 973 (33rd round)
Chicago's '02 pick: Royce Ring, LHP, San Diego State
[h3]19. Los Angeles Dodgers[/h3]
Joe Saunders, LHP, Virginia Tech
He blew out his shoulder right away, missing the 2003 season, but ended up posting five seasons of capable back-end work, although his results never matched his stuff when his stuff was still good.
Saunders' actual draft spot: No. 12 (first round)
Los Angeles' '02 pick: James Loney, 1B, Elkins HS (Missouri City, Texas)
[h3]20. Minnesota Twins[/h3]
Jeff Francoeur, OF, Parkview (Ga.) HS
The Braves' scouting staff was in love with Francoeur leading up to the draft, and Francoeur going before Atlanta's selection might have led to mass ritual suicide in the team's draft room. He's never been half the player he was reported to be during that insanely fluky rookie year in 2005 but could probably play a long time as a part-time player, serving as a lefty-mashing right fielder who's at least average defensively.
Francoeur's actual draft spot: No. 23 (first round)
Minnesota's '02 pick: Span
[h3]21. Chicago Cubs[/h3]
Scott Kazmir, LHP, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
In this alternate universe, the Mets actually trade Denard Span for Victor Zambrano, not Kazmir. Kazmir was worked hard when younger, had a rough delivery and threw a lot of breaking balls, ending his career before he reached 30. But when he was good, he was electric. Unfortunately for Angels fans, his battery ran out right around the time the club traded for him.
Kazmir's actual draft spot: No. 15 (first round)
Chicago's '02 pick: Bobby Brownlie, RHP, Rutgers
[h3]22. Cleveland Indians[/h3]
Jeff Francis, LHP, University of British Columbia
Francis is probably finished adding value to major league teams, but there's at least a small chance he ekes out a few more seasons above replacement level because he's left-handed, throws a ton of strikes and sort of gets ground balls. You could also catch him with a Kleenex at this point, which isn't a great formula for long-term success.
Francis' actual draft spot: No. 9 (first round)
Cleveland's '02 pick: Guthrie
[h3]23. Atlanta Braves[/h3]
Jonathan Broxton, RHP, Burke County HS (Waynesboro, Ga.)
Good news for the Braves: They end up with a Georgia prep kid anyway in our alternate universe. Broxton was pegged as a future reliever at the time he was drafted and had a pretty good run in the Dodgers' 'pen before all that effort wore him down, costing him most of the 2011 season. I think he could add a few wins above replacement to his total over the next five years if he has the health to do so.
Broxton's actual draft spot: No. 60 (second round)
Atlanta's '02 pick: Francoeur
[h3]24. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
James Loney, 1B, Elkins HS (Missouri City, Texas)
It always felt like Loney never justified the first-round pick, but the sad truth is that he did -- just barely, which is why it feels disappointing. First basemen who don't hit for power aren't generally in high demand, and it's something of a surprise that the Dodgers have stuck with him this long. Perhaps someone will put him back on the mound for a second act, since most teams back in 2002 had him ranked higher as a pitcher.
Loney's actual draft spot: No. 19 (first round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Blanton
*This pick was compensation from the Yankees for signing Jason Giambi.
[h3]25. San Francisco Giants*[/h3]
Khalil Greene, SS, Clemson
I was working for the Blue Jays in 2002, and we would have taken Greene at No. 14 had the Padres not selected him right before us. Greene turned out to be a great defensive shortstop with surprising pop and a terrible propensity to chase the slider away. That is, until he retired before the 2010 season after battling a mental health issue in 2009.
Greene's actual draft spot: No. 13 (first round)
San Francisco's '02 pick: Cain
[h3]26. Oakland Athletics[/h3]
Jason Hammel, RHP, Treasure Valley CC
Hammel didn't really return any value until 2009 but then had two seasons as an above-average starter before returning to Earth last year. I like his chances to remain above replacement level for a few more years but would be surprised if he replicates what he did in those two years in Colorado.
Hammel's actual draft spot: No. 284 (10th round)
Oakland's '02 pick: John McCurdy, SS, Maryland
[h3]27. Arizona Diamondbacks[/h3]
Jesse Crain, RHP, Houston
Crain tore through the minors in two years; in his one full season there, 2003, he punched out 114 and walked 23 in 85 relief innings across three levels, finishing in Triple-A, and has turned in five competent but never spectacular relief seasons since then, with just one down year and one lost to a major shoulder injury. I see no reason he couldn't continue producing at that level for a few more seasons.
Crain's actual draft spot: No. 61 (second round)
Arizona's '02 pick: Sergio Santos, SS, Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, Calif.)
[h3]28. Seattle Mariners[/h3]
Randy Wells, RHP, Southwestern Illinois College
Our first selection with a four-digit pick, Wells was drafted as a catcher and didn't convert full time to pitching until 2004. He turned in two solid seasons in the Cubs' rotation, was awful last year, and hasn't started out 2012 any better, but even if this is it for Wells' career in the majors, he's already in the top 30 for WAR (both versions) for his draft class.
Wells' actual draft spot: No. 1,143 (38th round)
Seattle's '02 pick: John Mayberry Jr., OF, Rockhurst HS (Kansas City) -- did not sign
[h3]29. Houston Astros[/h3]
Dave Bush, RHP, Wake Forest
A catcher turned reliever in college who became a starter in pro ball, Bush throws strikes with an assortment of pitches that have never really missed enough bats, and he hasn't been comfortably above replacement level since 2008. He's still starting in Triple-A, but I wonder if there would be a career extension here if he returned to short relief work.
Bush's actual draft spot: No. 55 (second round)
Houston's '02 pick: Derick Grigsby, Northeast Texas CC
[h3]30. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
Sergio Santos, SS, Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Santos was seen as an overdraft at the time of his selection, and his failure to reach the majors as a position player seems to bear that out. Assuming his current bout of arm trouble isn't serious, however, he has a tremendous future as a reliever and should move a few spots up the WAR rankings (he's currently 51st and 55th in bWAR and fWAR, respectively) over the next several seasons.
Santos' actual draft spot: No. 27 (first round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Ben Fritz, RHP, Fresno State
*This pick was compensation from the Cardinals for signing Jason Isringhausen.
Other than its ties to "Moneyball," the 2002 draft is probably best remembered for the massive gaffe the Pirates committed with the first pick, choosing (apparently at owner Kevin McClatchy's behest) a safe college arm, Bryan Bullington, over the high-upside high school player atop most draft boards, B.J. Upton. But the big story today is that the best player to come out of that draft wasn't taken until the third round.
This redraft is based on two major criteria: the players' careers to date, and my projections of any value they still have to offer (although the list does include two players whose careers are likely over). I did not account for the player's signability at the time, nor did I consider a team's preference for high school or college players, pitchers versus position players, etc. -- this analysis is based purely on talent.
Please note that we included only players who were drafted in 2002 and subsequently signed with the club that selected them. Players like Jacoby Ellsbury, for example, who were drafted out of high school but decided to attend college, were not considered. (For the record, Ellsbury was taken in the 23rd round by the Tampa Bay Rays and decided to attend Oregon State instead of signing.)
Also of note is that certain teams did not have a first-round pick in 2002 because they lost it by virtue of signing a Type A free agent. The A's, on the other hand, had multiple first-rounders.
For a look at the 2002 first round, click here.
[h3]1. Pittsburgh Pirates[/h3]
Curtis Granderson, OF, Illinois-Chicago
Granderson put up impressive numbers at a tiny, cold-weather school, engendering plenty of skepticism at the time over whether his bat would translate, but I think he also came out a year or two too early to catch the rise of statistical analysis in draft rooms. He's turned into a much better hitter than anyone anticipated, especially after swing changes made with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, and leads all 2002 draftees in FanGraphs' version of wins above replacement (fWAR) and ranks second in Baseball Reference's version (bWAR). (Note: FanGraphs relies more on secondary stats -- such as batting average on balls in play -- for its metric.)
Granderson's actual draft spot: No. 80 (third round)
Pittsburgh's '02 pick: Bryan Bullington, RHP, Ball State
[h3]2. Tampa Bay Rays[/h3]
Brian McCann, C, Duluth (Ga.) HS
McCann is a consistently above-average player who'll occasionally jump up to star-caliber performance but has yet to post a truly down season at the plate since becoming a regular in 2006. He gets on base, hits for power and is capable enough defensively to remain behind the plate for now. The main question on McCann is how much catching remains in his career, with more than 900 games behind the dish already under his belt, but what he's produced to date puts him right behind Granderson on the board.
McCann's actual draft spot: No. 64 (second round)
Tampa Bay's '02 pick: B.J. Upton, SS, Greenbrier Christian Academy (Va.) HS
[h3]3. Cincinnati Reds[/h3]
Cole Hamels, LHP, Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) HS
Hamels isn't the top pitcher per either flavor of WAR -- it's notable, by the way, that the top five pitchers from this draft in WAR are all high school products -- but it's pretty close either way, and I'm very bullish on Hamels' ability to continue to produce at high levels well into his 30s. Hamels likely would have gone higher in the 2002 draft were it not for an arm fracture he suffered earlier in his high school career, an unusual injury that scared several teams off on medical grounds, yet despite that and some trouble staying healthy in the minors, he's been extremely durable since reaching the majors in 2006.
Hamels' actual draft spot: No. 17 (first round)
Cincinnati's '02 pick: Chris Gruler, P, Liberty Union (Calif.) HS
[h3]4. Baltimore Orioles[/h3]
Matt Cain, RHP, Houston HS (Germantown, Tenn.)
Cain, coming off five straight 200-inning seasons, was actually picked in a reasonable spot for a high school pitcher of his ilk: He was projectable, flashing plus velocity and likely to grow into a consistent mid-90s fastball, but with all the risk associated with prep arms at the time.
Cain's actual draft spot: No. 25 (first round)
Baltimore's '02 pick: Adam Loewen, LHP, Fraser Valley Christian HS (Surrey, British Columbia)
[h3]5. Washington Nationals (Expos)[/h3]
Joey Votto, 1B, Richview Collegiate Institute (Toronto)
The main knock on Votto in high school was that he was a catcher who couldn't catch, meaning he had to move to first base -- and I don't think anyone thought his bat was close to this good, especially not in terms of power. He also faced the typical questions about the caliber of competition faced by any cold-weather prep hitter.
Votto's actual draft spot: No. 44 (second round)
Montreal's '02 pick: Clint Everts, P, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
[h3]6. Kansas City Royals[/h3]
Zack Greinke, RHP, Apopka (Fla.) HS
I remember hearing Allard Baird, K.C.'s GM at the time, say that his club wanted a college arm with this pick but felt strongly that Greinke was as advanced and as polished as a college arm despite being a high school player. (I'm hearing, and have seen, similar things from Baltimore's Dylan Bundy.) Greinke fit the college-starter career path early, reaching the majors a bit more than 22 months after signing, but personal problems pushed his timeline to success back a few years. He actually leads this draft class in fWAR, but a consistent habit of allowing more runs than his peripherals would indicate has him third in bWAR.
Greinke's actual draft spot: No. 6 (first round)
Kansas City's '02 pick: Greinke
[h3]7. Milwaukee Brewers[/h3]
Jon Lester, LHP, Bellarmine HS (Tacoma, Wash.)
Lester was a projectable high school lefty who didn't have the knockout breaking ball to make him a first-rounder; he didn't develop the cutter until after signing, and his fastball eventually added about two full grades of velocity. The Red Sox wouldn't take another prep arm in the first three rounds until 2005, when they took Michael Bowden in the sandwich round.
Lester's actual draft spot: No. 57 (second round),
Milwaukee's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5915/prince-fielderPrince Fielder, 1B, Eau Gallie (Fla.) HS
[h3]8. Detroit Tigers[/h3]
Prince Fielder, 1B, Eau Gallie (Fla.) HS
He's produced pretty much as advertised: It's huge raw power with good feel to hit and strong plate discipline but little to no value on defense or on the bases.
Fielder's actual draft spot: No. 7 (first round)
Detroit's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28589/scott-mooreScott Moore, SS, Cypress (Calif.) HS
[h3]9. Colorado Rockies[/h3]
B.J. Upton, SS, Greenbrier Christian Academy (Va.) HS
Upton has never quite fulfilled expectations with his bat outside of short stretches, but he's a plus defender in center who is just entering his age-27 season and could bump his production another level this year, assuming his back cooperates. Of everyone on this list, he has the best chance to end up even higher if we redo this exercise in 2017.
Upton's actual draft spot: No. 2 (first round)
Colorado's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6038/jeff-francisJeff Francis, LHP, University of British Columbia
[h3]10. Texas Rangers[/h3]
Nick Swisher, OF, Ohio State
This was the best pick by far in the vaunted "Moneyball" draft class. Swisher, who posted a .481 OBP over his last two years in college, has been a consistent high-on-base guy for all of his (non-Chicago) major league career. He has moderate power and solid corner-outfield defense, skills that should continue to play for him for several more seasons.
Swisher's actual draft spot: No. 16 (first round)
Texas' '02 pick: Drew Meyer, SS, South Carolina
[h3]11. Miami Marlins[/h3]
Jeremy Guthrie, RHP, Stanford
A rare pitcher to escape the Stanford injury curse -- perhaps because he was 23 years old in his final year, when he averaged just less than eight innings per start for the Cardinal's arm grinders -- Guthrie has been a durable midrotation starter since Baltimore signed him after the 2006 season.
Guthrie's actual draft spot: No. 22 (first round)
Florida's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6199/jeremy-hermidaJeremy Hermida, OF, Wheeler (Ga.) HS
[h3]12. Los Angeles Angels[/h3]
Howie Kendrick, 2B, Saint Johns River State College
Here we have our first double-digit-round selection -- Kendrick hit .360 in his minor league career but was never patient enough to carry that kind of elite average to the majors. Still, he's a career .292 hitter with moderate power at a premium position, which makes him a valuable commodity.
Kendrick's actual draft spot: No. 294 (10th round)
Los Angeles' '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6383/joe-saundersJoe Saunders, P, Virginia Tech
[h3]13. San Diego Padres[/h3]
Russell Martin, C, Chipola (Fla.) JC
Martin was an infielder with the body and arm strength to potentially move behind the plate, becoming one of the more successful such conversions in the past few years and possibly giving him more longevity than most catchers into his early 30s because he didn't wreck his knees catching in high school and junior college. On the flip side, his offensive value is almost entirely due to the fact that he catches, so if he ever has to move from the position, he'll be finished.
Martin's actual draft spot: No. 511 (17th round)
San Diego's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5797/khalil-greeneKhalil Greene, SS, Clemson
[h3]14. Toronto Blue Jays[/h3]
Brandon McCarthy, RHP
Selected one spot ahead of Russ Martin -- the 17th round was quite fertile in 2002, producing four big leaguers in total -- McCarthy battled injuries and went through two organizations before remaking himself in Oakland two years ago as a ground-ball/control guy. He wasn't that heavily scouted in high school and was thought to have a strong commitment to Tennessee, but the White Sox did a great job in signing him.
McCarthy's actual draft spot: No. 510 (17th round)
Toronto's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6101/russ-adamsRuss Adams, SS, North Carolina
[h3]15. New York Mets[/h3]
Denard Span, OF, Catholic HS (Tampa)
Span would have gone ninth but wouldn't sign for what the Rockies were offering, so they cut a deal with Jeff Francis instead, after which Span slid to No. 20 and signed for less than he would have gotten from Colorado. His plate discipline has improved to the point where he's a solid-to-average regular in center who should be able to handle the position for several more years, but he probably won't ever be a star.
Span's actual draft spot: No. 20 (first round)
New York's '02 pick: http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5917/scott-kazmirScott Kazmir, LHP, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
[h3]16. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
Josh Johnson, RHP, Jenks HS (Tulsa, Okla.)
Interesting thought experiment: What if this is it for Johnson? Assume he'll never be healthy enough again to be an effective major league pitcher. He's still racked up 18-19 wins above replacement in his career, putting him in the top 15 in both versions of WAR from this draft, with most of that value concentrated in three very good years. Three seasons of serious value doesn't sound like a lot, but it's more than teams get from the typical late first-round pick and far more than the Marlins could have hoped for from the 113th pick.
Johnson's actual draft spot: No. 113 (fourth round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Swisher
*This pick was compensation from the Red Sox for signing Johnny Damon.
[h3]17. Philadelphia Phillies[/h3]
Joe Blanton, RHP, Kentucky
Boring, but durable and modestly productive until 2011. Few teams aim for a league-average starter in the first round, but that's often better than what they get in the end.
Blanton's actual draft spot: No. 24 (first round)
Philadelphia's '02 pick: Hamels
[h3]18. Chicago White Sox[/h3]
Nyjer Morgan, OF, Walla Walla CC
It took Morgan a long time to produce real major league value, but he's made himself into a very good defensive center fielder who can slap the ball enough to avoid being a zero at the plate. He seems like a strong bet to post a few more 2-3 WAR seasons before he eventually has to move out of center.
Morgan's actual draft spot: No. 973 (33rd round)
Chicago's '02 pick: Royce Ring, LHP, San Diego State
[h3]19. Los Angeles Dodgers[/h3]
Joe Saunders, LHP, Virginia Tech
He blew out his shoulder right away, missing the 2003 season, but ended up posting five seasons of capable back-end work, although his results never matched his stuff when his stuff was still good.
Saunders' actual draft spot: No. 12 (first round)
Los Angeles' '02 pick: James Loney, 1B, Elkins HS (Missouri City, Texas)
[h3]20. Minnesota Twins[/h3]
Jeff Francoeur, OF, Parkview (Ga.) HS
The Braves' scouting staff was in love with Francoeur leading up to the draft, and Francoeur going before Atlanta's selection might have led to mass ritual suicide in the team's draft room. He's never been half the player he was reported to be during that insanely fluky rookie year in 2005 but could probably play a long time as a part-time player, serving as a lefty-mashing right fielder who's at least average defensively.
Francoeur's actual draft spot: No. 23 (first round)
Minnesota's '02 pick: Span
[h3]21. Chicago Cubs[/h3]
Scott Kazmir, LHP, Cypress Falls (Texas) HS
In this alternate universe, the Mets actually trade Denard Span for Victor Zambrano, not Kazmir. Kazmir was worked hard when younger, had a rough delivery and threw a lot of breaking balls, ending his career before he reached 30. But when he was good, he was electric. Unfortunately for Angels fans, his battery ran out right around the time the club traded for him.
Kazmir's actual draft spot: No. 15 (first round)
Chicago's '02 pick: Bobby Brownlie, RHP, Rutgers
[h3]22. Cleveland Indians[/h3]
Jeff Francis, LHP, University of British Columbia
Francis is probably finished adding value to major league teams, but there's at least a small chance he ekes out a few more seasons above replacement level because he's left-handed, throws a ton of strikes and sort of gets ground balls. You could also catch him with a Kleenex at this point, which isn't a great formula for long-term success.
Francis' actual draft spot: No. 9 (first round)
Cleveland's '02 pick: Guthrie
[h3]23. Atlanta Braves[/h3]
Jonathan Broxton, RHP, Burke County HS (Waynesboro, Ga.)
Good news for the Braves: They end up with a Georgia prep kid anyway in our alternate universe. Broxton was pegged as a future reliever at the time he was drafted and had a pretty good run in the Dodgers' 'pen before all that effort wore him down, costing him most of the 2011 season. I think he could add a few wins above replacement to his total over the next five years if he has the health to do so.
Broxton's actual draft spot: No. 60 (second round)
Atlanta's '02 pick: Francoeur
[h3]24. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
James Loney, 1B, Elkins HS (Missouri City, Texas)
It always felt like Loney never justified the first-round pick, but the sad truth is that he did -- just barely, which is why it feels disappointing. First basemen who don't hit for power aren't generally in high demand, and it's something of a surprise that the Dodgers have stuck with him this long. Perhaps someone will put him back on the mound for a second act, since most teams back in 2002 had him ranked higher as a pitcher.
Loney's actual draft spot: No. 19 (first round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Blanton
*This pick was compensation from the Yankees for signing Jason Giambi.
[h3]25. San Francisco Giants*[/h3]
Khalil Greene, SS, Clemson
I was working for the Blue Jays in 2002, and we would have taken Greene at No. 14 had the Padres not selected him right before us. Greene turned out to be a great defensive shortstop with surprising pop and a terrible propensity to chase the slider away. That is, until he retired before the 2010 season after battling a mental health issue in 2009.
Greene's actual draft spot: No. 13 (first round)
San Francisco's '02 pick: Cain
[h3]26. Oakland Athletics[/h3]
Jason Hammel, RHP, Treasure Valley CC
Hammel didn't really return any value until 2009 but then had two seasons as an above-average starter before returning to Earth last year. I like his chances to remain above replacement level for a few more years but would be surprised if he replicates what he did in those two years in Colorado.
Hammel's actual draft spot: No. 284 (10th round)
Oakland's '02 pick: John McCurdy, SS, Maryland
[h3]27. Arizona Diamondbacks[/h3]
Jesse Crain, RHP, Houston
Crain tore through the minors in two years; in his one full season there, 2003, he punched out 114 and walked 23 in 85 relief innings across three levels, finishing in Triple-A, and has turned in five competent but never spectacular relief seasons since then, with just one down year and one lost to a major shoulder injury. I see no reason he couldn't continue producing at that level for a few more seasons.
Crain's actual draft spot: No. 61 (second round)
Arizona's '02 pick: Sergio Santos, SS, Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, Calif.)
[h3]28. Seattle Mariners[/h3]
Randy Wells, RHP, Southwestern Illinois College
Our first selection with a four-digit pick, Wells was drafted as a catcher and didn't convert full time to pitching until 2004. He turned in two solid seasons in the Cubs' rotation, was awful last year, and hasn't started out 2012 any better, but even if this is it for Wells' career in the majors, he's already in the top 30 for WAR (both versions) for his draft class.
Wells' actual draft spot: No. 1,143 (38th round)
Seattle's '02 pick: John Mayberry Jr., OF, Rockhurst HS (Kansas City) -- did not sign
[h3]29. Houston Astros[/h3]
Dave Bush, RHP, Wake Forest
A catcher turned reliever in college who became a starter in pro ball, Bush throws strikes with an assortment of pitches that have never really missed enough bats, and he hasn't been comfortably above replacement level since 2008. He's still starting in Triple-A, but I wonder if there would be a career extension here if he returned to short relief work.
Bush's actual draft spot: No. 55 (second round)
Houston's '02 pick: Derick Grigsby, Northeast Texas CC
[h3]30. Oakland Athletics*[/h3]
Sergio Santos, SS, Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Santos was seen as an overdraft at the time of his selection, and his failure to reach the majors as a position player seems to bear that out. Assuming his current bout of arm trouble isn't serious, however, he has a tremendous future as a reliever and should move a few spots up the WAR rankings (he's currently 51st and 55th in bWAR and fWAR, respectively) over the next several seasons.
Santos' actual draft spot: No. 27 (first round)
Oakland's '02 pick: Ben Fritz, RHP, Fresno State
*This pick was compensation from the Cardinals for signing Jason Isringhausen.
Rumors.
Spoiler [+]
http://[h3]Possible roster move with Huff[/h3]
9:57AM ET
[h5]Aubrey Huff | Giants [/h5]
Aubrey Huff was away from the San Francisco Giants for a second straight day Tuesday for what manager Bruce Bochy says is a serious "personal matter."
The timing of Huff's departure led to some wild speculation that he had quit on the team, but Bochy and the front office insist that is far from the case, reports Henry Schulman. Huff is in the midst of a slump that has dropped his average to .182 and he had an embarrassing defensive miscue at second base Saturday against the Mets.
Schulman says one solution is placing Huff on the seven-day personal-leave list, which would allow the Giants to call up a player from the minors.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Francisco Giants, Aubrey Huff
http://[h3]A cozier Petco Park?[/h3]
9:38AM ET
[h5]San Diego Padres [/h5]
The New York Mets decided to bring in the fences at their cavernous home park. The San Diego Padres may look to follow suit.
Padres interim CEO Tom Garfinkel tells Bill Center the club is officially considering moving in the fences at Petco Park before the 2013 season. Garfinkel wants Petco to remain a pitcher's park, but wouldn't mind if the expansive dimensions were a little less extreme.
The Mets brought in the fences at Citi Field this season and already have some tangible results. Last week, Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the Mets' first left-handed hitter to clear the left-field fence in the three-plus seasons at Citi Field. It took 250 games for a New York lefty to clear the fence formerly known as The Great Wall of Flushing.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Diego Padres
http://[h3]Losing patience with Inge[/h3]
9:16AM ET
[h5]Brandon Inge | Tigers [/h5]
Patience in Detroit appears to be wearing thin with Brandon Inge.
The signing of Prince Fielder and the move of Miguel Cabrera to third base over the winter left Inge without a starting job, and he has done little to warrant event a part-time gig. Inge had his first extra-base hit Tuesday night, raising his batting average to .100.
Inge has been a constant target of boos at Comerica Park, and manager Jim Leyland says fans are putting too much of an emphasis on the infielder's impact, reports Tom Gage of the Detroit News.
Terry Foster of the Detroit News wrote last weekend the Inge situation has become "sad and comical," adding it is time for the Tigers to part ways with the veteran infielder. The one issue, of course, is Inge's $6 million salary for this season, making him next to impossible to trade unless the Tigers eat most or not all of the available dollars.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Detroit Tigers, Brandon Inge
http://[h3]Gibson sticking with Roberts[/h3]
9:02AM ET
[h5]Ryan Roberts | Diamondbacks [/h5]
Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson insists Ryan Roberts remains his starting third baseman, but you wouldn't know it from the lineup the last few days.
Journeyman Cody Ransom made his third straight start at third base Tuesday and has made the most of the opportunity, collecting five hits in 11 at-bats (.455) with a homer and three RBI. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports Gibson is merely trying to get the emotional Roberts to relax.
Maybe it worked. Roberts is hitting just .185, but did deliver an RBI double as a pinch-hitter Tuesday night against the Phils.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Arizona Diamondbacks, Ryan Roberts, Cody Ransom
http://[h3]Leadoff woes in KC[/h3]
8:40AM ET
[h5]Kansas City Royals [/h5]
Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost is willing to try anything to snap a losing streak that reached an even dozen with Tuesday's 4-3 setback in Cleveland.
Chris Getz served as the leadoff hitter for the second straight game Tuesday, which snapped a four-game streak of different players in the top spot. Alex Gordon, Yuniesky Betancourt and Jason Bourgeois batted first in the three previous games.
For now, Yost is partial to Getz or Betancourt, reports Bob Dutton. For the record, Royals hitters have a .203 batting acerage, good for 25th in the majors.
Getz hit just .175 in 32 games in the leadoff spot last season, well below his overall BA of .255.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Yuniesky Betancourt, Chris Getz, Kansas City Royals
http://[h3]No room for Wang?[/h3]
8:17AM ET
[h5]Chien-Ming Wang | Nationals [/h5]
The Washington Nationals are currently enjoying a surplus of pitching, and that was before Chien-Ming Wang threw 51 pitches over three innings Monday afternoon in an extended spring training game.
Wang will make his next rehab start Saturday with Class A Potomac. The Nationals want Wang to throw at least 85 pitches before he makes his debut and expect him to make three or four starts. Wang is returning from the hamstring strain suffered in March.
Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post says the Nats could be tempted to take more time with Wang, in part because the Nationals may have trouble slotting him into the rotation.
Fifth starter Ross Detwiler was presumably headed to the bullpen upon Wang's return, but the lefthander has made his case to remain with a dazzling 0.56 ERA in his first three starts.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Washington Nationals, Ross Detwiler, Chien-Ming Wang
http://[h3]Second base trio in St. Louis[/h3]
8:07AM ET
[h5]St. Louis Cardinals [/h5]
The second base situation in St. Louis is a three-horse race after Skip Schumaker became the third different Cardinal to start at the position this season.
Schumaker, who began the season on the disabled list, had five at-bats before he was double-switched from Tuesday's loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Tyler Greene and Daniel Descalso split time at second to open the year, and both are off to slow starts.
Manager Mike Matheny appears content to let the situation play itself out. and give each candidate a chance to develop a hot hand.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Tyler Greene, Daniel Descalso, Skip Schumaker, St. Louis Cardinals
http://[h3]Season-ending surgery for Pelfrey?[/h3]
7:49AM ET
[h5]Mike Pelfrey | Mets [/h5]
Even if Mike Pelfrey has not reached the expectations the Mets had for him when they make him a first-round pick in the 2005 draft, they could always count on his durability. That changed Tuesday when the righthander landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career.
The Mets, for now, says Pelfrey is diagnosed only with right elbow inflammation, but Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com says team officials are aware Pelfrey has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and are bracing to lose him to season-ending surgery.
A Daily News report said there was a "feeling among teammates" that Pelfrey could be headed to Tommy John surgery. Pelfrey, who has averaged close to 200 innings in each of his last four seasons, had a stellar 2.29 ERA in his first three starts.
According to several reports, the Mets are leaning toward promoting Chris Schwinden from Buffalo to take Pelfrey's spot in the rotation, beginning Friday in Colorado.
Pelfrey could be tempted to have surgery sooner rather than later. He is a free agent after next season and needs to get back as soon as possible to restore his market value.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Mike Pelfrey, New York Mets
http://[h3]Zimmerman headed to the DL?[/h3]
7:20AM ET
[h5]Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals [/h5]
Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has not played since Friday due a shoulder injury and will rest a few more days. At this point, a trip to the disabled list appears "possible, if not likely," says Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
The results of an MRI are expected Wednesday.
If Zimmerman lands on the disabled list, manager Davey Johnson said he would use Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy and Steve Lombardozzi to replace Zimmerman at third base. As for possible call-ups, the Nats could chose from Brett Carroll, Jason Michaels and Mark Teahen. Kilgore also mentions Tyler Moore, who has six homers in 17 career games at Triple-A.
The Nats can only cross their fingers that the injury to Zimmerman, who agreed to a lucrative six-year extension earlier this year, is nothing serious. In his seven-plus seasons, Zimmerman already has had lengthy stints on the DL due to an abdominal strain and a labral tear in the left shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Chad Tracy, Mark DeRosa, Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
http://[h3]Jurrjens' future in Atlanta[/h3]
6:51AM ET
[h5]Atlanta Braves [/h5]
Rookie Randall Delgado was holding a spot in the Atlanta Braves' rotation only until Tim Hudson was ready, but those plans have changed following the surprising decision to option Jair Jurrjens to the minors late Monday night.
Jurrjens could not finish the fourth inning in Monday's loss to the Dodgers and has a 9.37 ERA in four starts this season. Braves general manager Frank Wren says there are no injury issues with Jurrjens and the demotion to Triple-A Gwinnett was made to get him back on track pitching-wise.
The Braves are a pitching-rich organization that already has Julio Teheran waiting for a promotion to the big leagues, so it remains to be seen just how long they stick with Jurrjens. Given his struggles and contract situation that calls for another year of arbitration, Jurrjens is a candidate to be non-tendered, says Mike Axisa of mlbtraderumors.com.
David O'Brien of the Atlanta JC reports the Braves will activate Hudson from the disabled list Sunday or Monday, and Delgado is expected to stay in the starting rotation.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Atlanta Braves, Jair Jurrjens, Randall Delgado
http://[h3]Ethier staying in L.A.?[/h3]
6:30AM ET
[h5]Andre Ethier | Dodgers [/h5]
Andre Ethier is off to a fast start this month and it appears GM Ned Colletti would like to keep the outfielder around beyond 2012. Ethier will hit free agency following this season unless he signs an extension.
Ethier, who just turned 30, had three hits Monday and is batting .290/.338/.565 with four home runs on the year as he bats behind Matt Kemp.
Ethier, however, has a tendency to start off hot and fantasy owners, perhaps even the new real life owners in Los Angeles, should beware of that, writes Eric Karabell:
- Jason A. Churchill
[h5]Eric Karabell[/h5]
Beware of Ethier's hot start
9:57AM ET
[h5]Aubrey Huff | Giants [/h5]
Aubrey Huff was away from the San Francisco Giants for a second straight day Tuesday for what manager Bruce Bochy says is a serious "personal matter."
The timing of Huff's departure led to some wild speculation that he had quit on the team, but Bochy and the front office insist that is far from the case, reports Henry Schulman. Huff is in the midst of a slump that has dropped his average to .182 and he had an embarrassing defensive miscue at second base Saturday against the Mets.
Schulman says one solution is placing Huff on the seven-day personal-leave list, which would allow the Giants to call up a player from the minors.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Francisco Giants, Aubrey Huff
http://[h3]A cozier Petco Park?[/h3]
9:38AM ET
[h5]San Diego Padres [/h5]
The New York Mets decided to bring in the fences at their cavernous home park. The San Diego Padres may look to follow suit.
Padres interim CEO Tom Garfinkel tells Bill Center the club is officially considering moving in the fences at Petco Park before the 2013 season. Garfinkel wants Petco to remain a pitcher's park, but wouldn't mind if the expansive dimensions were a little less extreme.
The Mets brought in the fences at Citi Field this season and already have some tangible results. Last week, Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the Mets' first left-handed hitter to clear the left-field fence in the three-plus seasons at Citi Field. It took 250 games for a New York lefty to clear the fence formerly known as The Great Wall of Flushing.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Diego Padres
http://[h3]Losing patience with Inge[/h3]
9:16AM ET
[h5]Brandon Inge | Tigers [/h5]
Patience in Detroit appears to be wearing thin with Brandon Inge.
The signing of Prince Fielder and the move of Miguel Cabrera to third base over the winter left Inge without a starting job, and he has done little to warrant event a part-time gig. Inge had his first extra-base hit Tuesday night, raising his batting average to .100.
Inge has been a constant target of boos at Comerica Park, and manager Jim Leyland says fans are putting too much of an emphasis on the infielder's impact, reports Tom Gage of the Detroit News.
Terry Foster of the Detroit News wrote last weekend the Inge situation has become "sad and comical," adding it is time for the Tigers to part ways with the veteran infielder. The one issue, of course, is Inge's $6 million salary for this season, making him next to impossible to trade unless the Tigers eat most or not all of the available dollars.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Detroit Tigers, Brandon Inge
http://[h3]Gibson sticking with Roberts[/h3]
9:02AM ET
[h5]Ryan Roberts | Diamondbacks [/h5]
Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson insists Ryan Roberts remains his starting third baseman, but you wouldn't know it from the lineup the last few days.
Journeyman Cody Ransom made his third straight start at third base Tuesday and has made the most of the opportunity, collecting five hits in 11 at-bats (.455) with a homer and three RBI. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports Gibson is merely trying to get the emotional Roberts to relax.
Maybe it worked. Roberts is hitting just .185, but did deliver an RBI double as a pinch-hitter Tuesday night against the Phils.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Arizona Diamondbacks, Ryan Roberts, Cody Ransom
http://[h3]Leadoff woes in KC[/h3]
8:40AM ET
[h5]Kansas City Royals [/h5]
Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost is willing to try anything to snap a losing streak that reached an even dozen with Tuesday's 4-3 setback in Cleveland.
Chris Getz served as the leadoff hitter for the second straight game Tuesday, which snapped a four-game streak of different players in the top spot. Alex Gordon, Yuniesky Betancourt and Jason Bourgeois batted first in the three previous games.
For now, Yost is partial to Getz or Betancourt, reports Bob Dutton. For the record, Royals hitters have a .203 batting acerage, good for 25th in the majors.
Getz hit just .175 in 32 games in the leadoff spot last season, well below his overall BA of .255.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Yuniesky Betancourt, Chris Getz, Kansas City Royals
http://[h3]No room for Wang?[/h3]
8:17AM ET
[h5]Chien-Ming Wang | Nationals [/h5]
The Washington Nationals are currently enjoying a surplus of pitching, and that was before Chien-Ming Wang threw 51 pitches over three innings Monday afternoon in an extended spring training game.
Wang will make his next rehab start Saturday with Class A Potomac. The Nationals want Wang to throw at least 85 pitches before he makes his debut and expect him to make three or four starts. Wang is returning from the hamstring strain suffered in March.
Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post says the Nats could be tempted to take more time with Wang, in part because the Nationals may have trouble slotting him into the rotation.
Fifth starter Ross Detwiler was presumably headed to the bullpen upon Wang's return, but the lefthander has made his case to remain with a dazzling 0.56 ERA in his first three starts.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Washington Nationals, Ross Detwiler, Chien-Ming Wang
http://[h3]Second base trio in St. Louis[/h3]
8:07AM ET
[h5]St. Louis Cardinals [/h5]
The second base situation in St. Louis is a three-horse race after Skip Schumaker became the third different Cardinal to start at the position this season.
Schumaker, who began the season on the disabled list, had five at-bats before he was double-switched from Tuesday's loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Tyler Greene and Daniel Descalso split time at second to open the year, and both are off to slow starts.
Manager Mike Matheny appears content to let the situation play itself out. and give each candidate a chance to develop a hot hand.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Tyler Greene, Daniel Descalso, Skip Schumaker, St. Louis Cardinals
http://[h3]Season-ending surgery for Pelfrey?[/h3]
7:49AM ET
[h5]Mike Pelfrey | Mets [/h5]
Even if Mike Pelfrey has not reached the expectations the Mets had for him when they make him a first-round pick in the 2005 draft, they could always count on his durability. That changed Tuesday when the righthander landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career.
The Mets, for now, says Pelfrey is diagnosed only with right elbow inflammation, but Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com says team officials are aware Pelfrey has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and are bracing to lose him to season-ending surgery.
A Daily News report said there was a "feeling among teammates" that Pelfrey could be headed to Tommy John surgery. Pelfrey, who has averaged close to 200 innings in each of his last four seasons, had a stellar 2.29 ERA in his first three starts.
According to several reports, the Mets are leaning toward promoting Chris Schwinden from Buffalo to take Pelfrey's spot in the rotation, beginning Friday in Colorado.
Pelfrey could be tempted to have surgery sooner rather than later. He is a free agent after next season and needs to get back as soon as possible to restore his market value.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Mike Pelfrey, New York Mets
http://[h3]Zimmerman headed to the DL?[/h3]
7:20AM ET
[h5]Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals [/h5]
Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has not played since Friday due a shoulder injury and will rest a few more days. At this point, a trip to the disabled list appears "possible, if not likely," says Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
The results of an MRI are expected Wednesday.
If Zimmerman lands on the disabled list, manager Davey Johnson said he would use Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy and Steve Lombardozzi to replace Zimmerman at third base. As for possible call-ups, the Nats could chose from Brett Carroll, Jason Michaels and Mark Teahen. Kilgore also mentions Tyler Moore, who has six homers in 17 career games at Triple-A.
The Nats can only cross their fingers that the injury to Zimmerman, who agreed to a lucrative six-year extension earlier this year, is nothing serious. In his seven-plus seasons, Zimmerman already has had lengthy stints on the DL due to an abdominal strain and a labral tear in the left shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Chad Tracy, Mark DeRosa, Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
http://[h3]Jurrjens' future in Atlanta[/h3]
6:51AM ET
[h5]Atlanta Braves [/h5]
Rookie Randall Delgado was holding a spot in the Atlanta Braves' rotation only until Tim Hudson was ready, but those plans have changed following the surprising decision to option Jair Jurrjens to the minors late Monday night.
Jurrjens could not finish the fourth inning in Monday's loss to the Dodgers and has a 9.37 ERA in four starts this season. Braves general manager Frank Wren says there are no injury issues with Jurrjens and the demotion to Triple-A Gwinnett was made to get him back on track pitching-wise.
The Braves are a pitching-rich organization that already has Julio Teheran waiting for a promotion to the big leagues, so it remains to be seen just how long they stick with Jurrjens. Given his struggles and contract situation that calls for another year of arbitration, Jurrjens is a candidate to be non-tendered, says Mike Axisa of mlbtraderumors.com.
David O'Brien of the Atlanta JC reports the Braves will activate Hudson from the disabled list Sunday or Monday, and Delgado is expected to stay in the starting rotation.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Atlanta Braves, Jair Jurrjens, Randall Delgado
http://[h3]Ethier staying in L.A.?[/h3]
6:30AM ET
[h5]Andre Ethier | Dodgers [/h5]
Andre Ethier is off to a fast start this month and it appears GM Ned Colletti would like to keep the outfielder around beyond 2012. Ethier will hit free agency following this season unless he signs an extension.
Ethier, who just turned 30, had three hits Monday and is batting .290/.338/.565 with four home runs on the year as he bats behind Matt Kemp.
Ethier, however, has a tendency to start off hot and fantasy owners, perhaps even the new real life owners in Los Angeles, should beware of that, writes Eric Karabell:
- Jason A. Churchill
Beware of Ethier's hot start
- 31,852
- 26,144
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2006
At this point there no baseball player I have ever hated more on my favorite team than Eric Thames, meanwhile Travis Snider is still destroying AAA while playing plus defense.
Alex Anthopolos is trying my patience.
- 31,852
- 26,144
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2006
At this point there no baseball player I have ever hated more on my favorite team than Eric Thames, meanwhile Travis Snider is still destroying AAA while playing plus defense.
Alex Anthopolos is trying my patience.
- Status