MVN: Most Valuable Network

Initial Thoughts of MLB Network

On January 1, Major League Baseball followed in the footsteps of the NFL and NHL by unveiling its own channel -- the MLB Network.

If you don't already know what this exactly is, MLBNetwork.com's about page helps:

MLB Network stands for Major League Baseball Network, which means access to more baseball than America's ever seen! This new 24-hour network delves into the world of baseball, going far beyond the field. Fans can tune in at any time for fresh perspectives, current news, the latest trade rumors, pre and post-game banter, highlights and more.

Again, if you've seen the NFL or NHL networks, just picture those and think baseball. I wasn't sure if I'd receive the channel (I get the NFL network, but not the NHL), so I was surprised to see it coming in through my satellite. Obviously, I checked it out.

I was impressed with my first viewing. The first show I saw was the program's Hot Stove show, featuring Harold Reynolds, Barry Larkin and Al Leiter. It's great to hear baseball talk from someone other than John Kruk, Fernando Vina or any of the other regulars ESPN throws at you. It's also great to not have to wait for Baseball Tonight to start to be able to hear some actual baseball talk.

That being said, however, the ex-players on hand don't really add much to the hot stove talk. I miss hearing the inside talk of ESPN's senior writers. That doesn't take away from MLB Network using Tom Verducci and Jon Heyman, because I wish they'd use more of those two -- or at least more writers. That's my biggest issue with things so far.

I suspect, though, that once kinks are worked out and the season gets underway, the content on the network will continuously flow. And for any baseball junkie, it will be amazing.

My favorite part of the network channels are the countless amounts of old footage they show, which MLB took full advantage of by airing Don Larsen's perfect game. It's amazing to see something like that. It also replayed the entire the 2008 playoffs in HD. These types of airings work for me and I assume other baseball followers.

For more detailed reviews of the channel, Yahoo!'s Big League Stew gathered a few others' notes ... and this Google blog search can give you some extra info.

In all, it's off to a decent start. It was a must move for MLB after the success other leagues have had with it. After a week of viewing, I'm a fan. When Spring Training begins, I'll become hooked. Besides, anything that brings Trenni Kusnierek back into my life has to be good, right?

Fantasy Baseball 2009: Rays Sign OF Pat Burrell

On Monday, the defending American League champion Tampa Bay Rays signed former Philadelphia Phillies OF Pat Burrell to a two-year, $16 million deal.

Burrell should serve as the Rays' primary DH and provide a powerful right-handed bat in the middle of their lineup.  Last year for the Phillies, he had 33 HR and 86 RBI along with a .507 slugging percentage.  2008 was the fourth straight season Burrell had slugging percentage over .500.

Burrell joins a potentially very good Tampa Bay lineup that includes 1B Carlos Pena, LF Carl Crawford, CF B.J. Upton and 2008 AL Rookie of the Year 3B Evan Longoria.  He looks likely to bat fifth in the order, behind Crawford, Upton, Longoria and Pena.  2B Akinori Iwamura is in the mix as well to possibly bat first or second, which would change things slightly above Burrell. But no matter what, Burrell should be in a position to be productive.  Crawford and Upton both had injury problems last season which sapped some of their productivity, but they are just 27 and 24 respectively and should rebound this season.

From a fantasy perspective, Burrell will not help you much in batting average.  He has just a .257 career average and has only topped .260 twice in his career.  He also strikes out a lot, having at least 120 Ks in every season of his major league career, but has also topped 100 walks in each of the past two seasons. 

Where Burrell will help the most is in the power numbers.  He has hit at least 30 HRs in three of the last four seasons, and he hit 29 in the other.  Also, 2008 was the first season since 2004 that Burrell did not drive in at least 95,

Moving away from the hitter-friendly confines of Citizen's Bank Park may bring Burrell's HR numbers down, but that could lead to more doubles.  He also may get off to a slow start, since he will be adjusting to a new league and a new role as a primary DH.  That said, projecting Burrell for 25-30 HRs and 90 or more RBIs seems reasonable.  At still just 32 years old, he could provide a decent value on draft day.  Just make sure you get good batting average from elsewhere on your roster.

Fantasy Baseball: Evaluating Pitchers

Fantasy baseball newbies often wonder why pitchers are not drafted more highly. In a typical serpentine draft it is not unusual to see the first pitcher taken as deep as the late first or early second round. From there a slow trickle will ensue until all the first and second tier pitchers do not leave the draft board until the early middle rounds. By contrast, there will not be a first tier batter available after the early second round. Why the discrepancy?

The problem with pitchers from a fantasy perspective is that they are more injury-prone than batters and their performance is more unpredictable. Despite the fact that the top pitchers will often finish the season as the highest-scoring components of many fantasy teams, we continue to draft them lower than batters. Apart from their fragility and unpredictability, the biggest reason for this is the ease with which pitchers may be acquired within the course of the season.

Thirty major league teams with five-man starting rotations will use at least 150 starting pitchers throughout the course of a season. Additionally, if each team has one closer and one setup man, that makes for approximately 60 relief pitchers with some fantasy value. There is no other position in the game that has those kind of raw numbers. That means that there will be a lot of pitchers on the free agent waiver wire during the course of a fantasy campaign.

In all fairness, most of the arms available for pickup during the season will have little to no fantasy value. However, amongst all those duds will be a few studs that smart fantasy players can identify and acquire. This article is intended as a primer in how to do so.

Last week I went over the various statistics that we can use to evaluate pitchers. Now let us take that knowledge and apply it in the form of a lesson in what to look for from pitchers who are available on your league's waiver wire.

All of a pitcher's stats have something to say about their respective value, but only a few contain the critical clues within the puzzle. To keep things simple for now, my favorites are WHIP, strikeout rate (K%), strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB) and BABIP. WHIP tells us how good the pitcher is at keeping runners off base. K% tells us how good he is at preventing contact. K/BB is an indicator of the pitcher's relative level of control. BABIP tells us if he has been lucky or unlucky and whether or not he could be due for a correction.

When evaluating a pitcher's WHIP, I am actually more interested in seeing how many walks he has given up. Even the best pitcher is going to give up a hit every now and then, but walks are much more within the control of the guy on the mound. Nothing will send an ERA higher than a pitcher who gives too many free passes -- they will catch up to him sooner or later. If you see an available starting pitcher who has a sub-1.25 WHIP over three or four starts or a reliever with a sub-1.10 WHIP over six to ten appearances, that should be reason enough to flag him as a possible pickup.

Strikeout rate comes next in the process. Even though strikeouts are fascist (thank you Crash Davis) and they make pitchers throw a lot of pitches, batters who strike out have no chance to do anything damaging to a pitcher's numbers. For that reason, a pitcher who can maintain a decent K% has potential fantasy value across the board. A starting pitcher with a K% in the range of 6.0 to 8.0 over three to four starts or a relief pitcher with a K% in the range of 7.0 to 10.0 over at least six to ten appearances is a candidate for acquisition.

Regarding strikeout-to-walk ratio, a high number signifies a pitcher with outstanding control of his arsenal. To get a 2.0 K/BB, a hurler must have at least twice as many strikeouts as walks. That means fewer baserunners and less chances for damage. Any pitcher who can maintain a K/BB over 2.0 across three starts or six appearances has to be considered as an addition to your team.

BABIP is kind of a luck indicator that can tell us whether or not a pitcher's numbers are fraudulent. Since BABIP only measures hits on balls that are actually contacted and do not leave as home runs, it can help us understand if a pitcher is simply suffering from too many bloop hits falling in or if he is enjoying a run of balls headed right at his fielders.

The league average BABIP is usually around .300, so a pitcher with a BABIP that is either much higher or much lower could be due for a correction. A high BABIP means that a lot of hits are falling in and the pitcher's numbers are likely suffering; he could be due for some better outings. A low BABIP means that fewer hits are falling in and the pitcher's numbers could be artificially low.

I do not believe that any of these statistics should be examined by themselves when you are evaluating talent. Prudent fantasy owners will take into account all available information and make judgments based on it. But all of these unconventional stats examined as a whole should help to tell the story of a pitcher's abilities.

To weave all of this together, let us look at a real example of a fine pickup for many fantasy owners in 2008. Ricky Nolasco went undrafted in virtually every fantasy league last season, but he finished the year with a 15-8 record, a 3.52 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 186 strikeouts in 212 1/3 innings pitched. He started the year roughly, but from May 9 to May 31 Nolasco had five straight starts in which he compiled a 1.23 WHIP, a 7.06 K%, a 2.1 K/BB and a .269 BABIP.

Depending on how much roster space you had available on May 31, picking up Nolasco might have been a good idea on that date. Despite the .269 BABIP serving as a danger sign that maybe he had just been getting lucky (he finished the year with a .273 BABIP), the rest of his numbers screamed that he was a good in-season pickup. In fact, you would have done well to get him in late May, because he went on an absolute tear from June 10 to July 12 in which he went 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA, a 0.81 WHIP and 48 strikeouts in only 50 2/3 innings. By the end of that streak he was probably unavailable in all but the shallowest leagues.

Evaluating pitchers is an inexact science at best. But since half of a fantasy league's points are determined by pitchers, it is absolutely essential that we learn to do so effectively. As with the Nolasco example, sometimes you have to ignore little warning signs and go with the rest of a pitcher's numbers. If you had done so at the beginning of June you would have gotten one of the best pitchers in the National League last season for practically nothing.

MLB Top 10: Best Offseason Acquisitions to Date

It's hard to believe that baseball's offseason is nearly over, but pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just over a month.  A struggling economy and penny-pinching GMs have led to a somewhat slow offseason, but that doesn't mean good deals were made.  With all the publicity the Yankees' spending spree is getting this winter, it's easy to lose track of some of the better deals that flew under the radar.  Here are 10 smart transactions (made at a sensible cost) that you may have forgotten about.

10. Jeremy Affeldt to the Giants -- signed for 2 years, $8 million
The first free agent signing of the offseason wasn't very glamorous, but it's turned out to be one of the better (read: sensible) signings of the offseason.  Affeldt may not light the world on fire, but he's a very solid lefty reliever that will make San Francisco's bullpen better.  Give credit to Brian Sabean for going out and filling his needs early, and getting the guy he wanted for a reasonable price.  There have certainly been worse deals handed out to relievers similar to Affeldt in recent years.

9. Ramon Ramirez to the Red Sox -- traded from Royals for Coco Crisp
Coco Crisp never seemed to be a popular player in Boston, and for good reason -- after coming over from Cleveland, he never really showed the offensive potential he did for the Tribe.  He was largely a disappointment until last season, where he performed well enough to actually gain a bit of trade value.  Theo Epstein was finally able to move the centerfielder early in the offseason, sending him to Kansas City for reliever Ramon Ramirez.  Ramirez will give the Red Sox another solid bullpen arm in 2009, coming off a very effective 2008 for the Royals in which he struck out 70 in 71 innings.  This was a very good trade for the Red Sox, getting rid of a player they didn't seem to want and getting a valuable asset in return.

8. Nick Swisher to the Yankees -- traded from Yankees for Wilson Betemit, Jeff Marquez, and Jhonny Nunez
Before the Yankees spent a fortune in free agency, they actually picked up a nice buy low candidate in Nick Swisher.  Once Billy Beane's crown jewel, Swisher struggled last season after getting traded to Chicago, hitting just .219/.332/.410 for the White Sox.  While the batting average was low -- even by Swisher's standards -- the walk rate was still encouraging.  If Swisher can get a few more balls to fall in for hits, he should be back to hitting in his usual .250-.260 range, especially playing at Yankee Stadium.  All the Yankees had to give up to get him was Betemit and a pair of mid-level pitching prospects -- a far cry from the price Kenny Williams paid for him a year earlier (the lesson here being that you never, ever deal with Billy Beane).

7. Scott Olsen and Josh Willingham to the Nationals -- traded from Marlins for Emilio Bonifacio and 2 low-level prospects
With another batch of players reaching their arbitration years, the Marlins found themselves conducting a bit of a mini-firesale.  The Nationals reaped the benefits, bringing in a talented pair of players for a very cheap price.  Bonifacio was the main player heading back to Florida, and nothing about him screams "impact player" -- if he's lucky, he'll be a Juan Pierre type.  He'll steal a bunch of bases, but won't get on base consistently enough to be all that valuable.  Olsen and Willingham make the Nationals a better club in 2009, giving them a solid left-handed pitcher and another solid outfield bat with an above-average OBP.  That's not to say that either player comes without baggage -- Olsen displayed a bit of an atittude problem with Florida, and Willingham has been bit by the injury bug recently.  If they can get solid contributions from both players, however, this will go down as an excellent deal for the Nats.

6. Francisco Rodriguez to the Mets -- 3 years, $37 million
I'm generally against giving big money to closers, and like I said a few days ago, Rodriguez likely isn't worth the money he's going to be making.  However, this signing lands on this list for a couple reasons.  For one, the Mets absolutely needed to do something, and signing Rodriguez was absolutely a no-brain decision.  Secondly, Rodriguez came a lot cheaper than everyone originally thought he would.  Heading into the offseason, K-Rod was demanding at least 5 years and $75 million, which was a ridiculous demand even before the economy tanked.  The Mets were able to lock him down for three years and just over $10 million a year -- a very reasonable deal.  

5. Brad Penny to the Red Sox -- 1 year, $5 million (plus incentives)
It's not official just quite yet, but even Penny is confirming that he's reached a deal with Boston.  All reports seem to indicated that Penny's deal with be worth roughly $5 million and will include a variety of incentives that could bump the salary up to $8 million.  Simply put, I love this deal.  When Penny is on, he pitches like an ace, giving this deal enormous "low risk, high reward" potential.  The fact that he would likely slide into the back of Boston's rotation is scary, considering teams like Milwaukee likely would have loved to have him as one of their top two pitchers.

4. Kerry Wood to the Indians -- 2 years, $20.5 million
It's going to be weird seeing Wood in anything but Cubby pinstripes, but the impending sale of the Cubs may have tied Jim Hendry's hands in dealing with Wood.  Cleveland capitalized, jumping in early on the bidding and ultimately locking him up while other teams were dealing with Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes.  Wood is definitely an injury risk, but he was healthy for most of 2008, only being slowed down by a blister problem mid-year.  Working exclusively out of the bullpen, Wood was able to go all out, and struck out 84 batters in 66 innings as a result.  It looks like Cleveland finally has a dependable closer, and they're not tying themselves down with a long-term contract in the process.  Even better?  They don't have to forfeit any of their draft picks for Wood, since the Cubs declined arbitration to the Type A free agent, fearing he might end up taking it.

3. Mark DeRosa to the Indians -- traded from Cubs for 3 minor league pitchers
It definitely looks like the Indians are the major beneficiary of the Cubs' sudden money problems, first getting Kerry Wood without coughing up draft picks, and then trading for DeRosa in a straight salary dump last week.  Cleveland gave up pitchers Jeff Stevens, Chris Archer, and John Gaub in the deal, which definitely seems to be a disappointing haul from the Cubs' perspective (none of the three are considered one of Cleveland's top prospects, although it seems like Stevens could be a relief option for the Cubs in '09).  The 33-year old DeRosa is likely coming off a career year in which he hit .285/.376/.481 along with 21 HR and 87 RBI for the Cubs, but even if he regresses he should be a solid offensive presence for the Tribe.  It seems odd that the Cubs would accept such an underwhelming package for one of their best all-around players (especially when you consider his defensive versatility), but it seems as though this move was made to clear room for a future Milton Bradley signing.  I get the feeling the Indians aren't about to complain.

2. Brian Fuentes to the Angels -- 2 years, $17.5 million
I wrote about this signing a few days ago.  Getting Fuentes for this price is a steal when you look at his numbers and realize just how similar he's been to Francisco Rodriguez recently.  On paper, it seems like the Angels' bullpen won't skip a beat, and LA(A) absolutely made the right decision by not overpaying for saves.  Fuentes should enjoy the transition from hitter-friendly Coors Field to hitter-neutral Angels Stadium, and the Angels should enjoy more 1-2-3 9th innings.  It's a good move for all involved.

1. Matt Holliday to A's -- traded from Rockies for Carlos Gonzalez, Greg Smith, and Huston Street
The Fuentes signing is probably the best free agent acquisition so far, but Oakland trading for Matt Holliday is the best move anyone has made this offseason.  Holliday instantly gives the A's a middle-of-the-order presence that they lacked in 2008, and Billy Beane barely had to give up anything to get him.  For all the talk about what the Rockies were demanding in return, the end result was somewhat disappointing -- Street suddenly lost much of his effectiveness in 2008, Smith had a knack for giving up home runs and walks (despite playing in a spacious stadium like the Coliseum), and Gonzalez struggled offensively in his first pro season.  If Street can bounce back (in Coors, not likely) and Gonzalez can live up to his old super-prospect billing (without taking a walk, not likely), this may end up being a solid deal for both sides.  But as it stands now, Billy Beane got one hell of a steal without giving up much of anything.  Sure, Holliday is likely bolting from Oakland after 2009, but he'll leave as a Type A free agent, the A's will offer him arbitration, and collect the two draft picks for him next winter.  Again, the lesson here?  Never, ever, deal with Billy Beane.

Fantasy Baseball 2009: Trade Rumor-Orioles' 2B Brian Roberts

In what has become a regular occurrence, Baltimore Orioles' 2B Brian Roberts is on the trading block once again.

Rumors have suggested that both Chicago teams are in the mix, but a report suggested that the White Sox and Orioles are discussing a trade.  White Sox P Gavin Floyd would go east to Baltimore in the deal.

Roberts has been a consistent performer over the past few years, In 2008, he hit .295 with 9 HR, 57 RBI and 40 SB.  He also had 51 doubles last season, which was good for second in the American League in that category.  Since 2005, he has hit at least .286, had at least a .410 slugging percentage and stolen at least 27 bases every season.  Roberts has also been durable, playing in 159, 143, 138, 156 and 155 games since 2004.  However, the White Sox lineup does face some uncertainty with the exits of OF/1B Nick Swisher, 3B Joe Crede, IF Juan Uribe and OF Ken Griffey, Jr.  1B/DH Paul Konerko also struggled in first half of 2008, and his age could be showing.  But no matter where he plays in 2009, the 31-year old Roberts is a top-five fantasy option at 2B on draft day.

On the other side, Gavin Floyd had a breakthrough 2008 season, going 17-8 with a 3.84 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 206 innings pitched.  All the above numbers were career highs for the young pitcher, who will turn 26 in late January.  A potential move to Baltimore looks like a lateral move in terms of how hitter/pitcher friendly the stadium is, but his win total would likely come down some pitching for the Orioles.  Floyd could be good for double digit wins no matter where he pitches, with an ERA around 4.00.  To expect anything better would be expecting too much, though youth (and thus potential upside) is on Floyd's side. 

Reports have also suggested that the Orioles want another player along with Floyd in exchange for Roberts.  The White Sox have also already traded SP Javier Vazquez this offseason, so they may not be willing to trade another starting pitcher.  But they do have a void at 2B, and GM Ken Williams may be willing to part with another pitcher to add a veteran to a lineup that looks to be very young for the coming season.

Top Fits for Andruw Jones

With word that the Los Angeles Dodgers have restructured outfielder Andruw Jones' contract to an affordable $5 million deal (with the rest of the $15 million deferred over the next six years without interest) and a pledge by the Dodgers to release or trade Jones so he can land with a new team, which teams seem like fits for Jones?

There are a couple criteria that need to be met to fit for Jones. One is that Jones is primarily a centerfielder, although we won't let that play too much into our fits -- outfielders, centerfielders most notably, tend to move around the outfield corners more often than infielders do.

Secondly, Jones has expressed a desire to start and will control his fate if he is released. Only through the trade market would a team be able to secure him as a fourth outfielder if they promised to give him ample playing time.

What teams could we see Jones land on in 2009?

Let's run through the options.

New York Yankees

The Yankees have a glut of corner outfielders and unprovens in center field. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Yankees brought in Jones to compete with Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner for the centerfield job. If he gets it and produces, the Yankees have a find on their hands. If he falls flat on his face... well, they have options.

WHY THEY WOULDN'T DO IT:  They're already looking to move an outfielder, not add another one. Or could there be a fit in the trade route with Jones and a prospect heading to New York for one of their corner outfielders?

Boston Red Sox
 
A three-part series ran at Fire Brand of the American League this past week that discussed three options for a fourth outfielder. In Boston, a fourth outfielder is more like 3.5 -- Coco Crisp got over 400 at-bats last year serving as the fourth outfielder. The Sox are very liberal about sitting J.D. Drew at any hint of injury to keep him healthy (which has mostly worked) and has the DH position as a backup as well. Jones could see 300-400 at-bats in this role.

WHY THEY WOULDN'T DO IT:  Jones wants to start and the Sox would much rather get someone less risky to log that many at-bats. There's too much risk here to chance Jones being unhappy in his role.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels have the salary and the need to hope they can catch lightning in a bottle with Jones.  They could guarantee Jones a full-time starting slot at DH assuming he produces. The Angels have turned their attention to shoring up their pitching, hoping that that will hide their offensive deficiencies, but their offense is far too concerning to not address in some form.

WHY THEY WOULDN'T DO IT:  It would put Gary Matthews Jr. into a full-fledged bench role, which they don't seem willing to do. The power upgrade would have to come elsewhere, and to justify the benching of Matthews, a more consistent performer like Jason Giambi or Bobby Abreu.

Atlanta Braves

A homecoming could be in order as the Braves are seeking a bat in both left and centerfield. Bringing Jones in would fill one of these holes cheaply. An outfield of Brandon Jones, Gregor Blanco and Jeff Francouer is not playoff caliber. Not saying that Jones is any better, but remember, this guy was one of the premier home run hitters in his prime and he's not exactly on the cusp of 40. Any team picking him up is going to do so on a flier to see if he can get back to what he was.

WHY THEY WOULDN'T DO IT:  They let Jones walk for a reason.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are reportedly on the verge of signing Milton Bradley to be the right-handed power hitter they so desperately need. But what if Bradley slips through their grasp?  What then? Alfonso Soriano is entrenched at left; Derrek Lee is at first so Adam Dunn doesn't make sense. Pat Burrell doesn't make sense. Without Bradley, their options become slim, especially since Mark DeRosa has been traded to the Cleveland Indians.

WHY THEY WOULDN'T DO IT: They want to win the World Series and can't afford a question mark in the outfield. They'd rather get Bobby Abreu should Bradley not sign.

New York Mets

They need a left-fielder, don't they? Fernando Tatis, Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans could end up as fine players, but does a team with a division title in their sights really want to be going into 2009 with a mix-and-match situation in left? If they want a mix-and-match situation going, what better than to throw Jones into the mix?

WHY THEY WOULDN'T DO IT:  All indications are they are extremely comfortable with the Tatis/Murphy/Evans mix and do not want to address the position.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates are one of very few teams that would be willing to hand Jones a starting job right out of spring training. Why? Well, they don't exactly have any studs working the corners. I'm a fan of Brandon Moss (Think he can be a .280 average, 20 home run type player) but in left you have the likes of Steve Pearce and Nyjer Morgan. Put Jones in there. If he pans out, you trade him for a nice return at the deadline. If not... it's not like you lost anything.

WHY THEY WOULDN'T DO IT:  The youth movement.

Texas Rangers

Well, they need someone to replace Milton Bradley at DH, don't they? Jones would join a competing team in Texas and with the heat down there would find the Ballpark at Arlington (can't remember their new corporate name for the park off the top of my head) more conducive to hitting home runs than Chavez Ravine, for sure.

WHY THEY WOULDN'T DO IT: Bringing in Jones would likely mean that Nelson Cruz would not get his long-awaited longterm shot in right field, and the Rangers seem intent on giving Cruz that chance.

Chicago White Sox

Their upcoming centerfielders for the season are Jerry Owens and Brian Anderson. "Who?" you ask. Exactly. With the lauching pad at The Cell, this could be another opportunity similar to Texas for Jones to revive his career.

WHY THEY WOULDN'T DO IT:  Kenny Williams wants to get younger and faster. They've spoken about trading Jermaine Dye and Owens/Anderson has been on his radar for a while to get a job.

Most Likely Destination

This is by no means a prediction, but when you try to marry the amount of at-bats Jones would get (his preference) with a need in the outfield, I'm seeing the Los Angeles Angels as Jones' new home.

Fantasy Baseball 2009: Indians acquire Mark DeRosa

The Cleveland Indians acquired former Chicago Cubs' IF/OF Mark DeRosa in exchange for three minor leaguers earlier this week.

DeRosa is coming off a career year in 2008, as he hit 21 HR with 87 RBI along with 103 runs scored and a .481 slugging percentage; which are all career highs.  He is expected to play 3B for the Indians, but has spent time at 2B, OF and SS during his major league career.  Cleveland may put that versatility to use if the situation dictates.

The main negative with DeRosa is his age, as he'll turn 34 in February.  That makes a repeat of last season's numbers very unlikely.  It also makes a decline, particularly in power numbers, a virtual certainty.

If C Victor Martinez and DH Travis Hafner can rebound from injury plagued seasons in 2008, the Indians' offense could be very productive.  CF Grady Sizemore is coming off a 30 HR-30 SB season, and should continue to provide the team with a formidable leadoff man.  SS Jhonny Peralta also had a nice 2008 season, hitting 23 HR with 89 RBI.    DeRosa would seem likely to step into the No. 2 spot in the batting order, which could provide the opportunity to score plenty of runs if nothing else.

DeRosa' multi-position eligibility increases his fantasy value on draft day, but don't go crazy trying to get him based on his 2008 production.  He is unlikely to top 20 HRs again, which would likely drop his RBI production as well.  90+ runs scored is not out of the question, as long as the lineup around him stays healthy.  A solid batting average in the .280 range is also a good possibility for DeRosa in 2009. 

 

Breaking: Giants offer Manny four-year deal?

According to Dennis O'Donnell of CBS5 in San Francisco, the San Francisco Giants have offered free agent Manny Ramirez a four-year deal.  The third year of the offer is reportedly incentive-based, and the fourth is a club option. 

This follows a report from earlier in the day from Troy Renck of the Denver Post, which suggested that the Giants were quietly mounting an aggressive campaign for the 36 year-old, who excelled for the Dodgers after a midseason trade out of Boston in 2008. 

O'Donnell cites a well-connected source as having confirmed the offer -- the financial terms of which were not disclosed -- but also notes that a team official remained highly skeptical of the Giants' chances of landing Ramirez, flatly saying "it's not happening." 

The Dodgers are the only other team known to be in active pursuit of Ramirez, so it's entirely possible that the recent rumors of the Giants' involvement are merely a ploy by agent Scott Boras to milk more money out of owner Frank McCourt.  However, it's also unknown whether the Dodgers have an offer currently on the table for Manny, after yanking a two-year, $45 million proposal because of Ramirez's reluctance to either accept or counter it earlier this offseason. 

Regardless, the Hot Stove action appears to have shifted in Manny Ramirez's direction less than a month after the enigmatic slugger threatened to retire due to a lack of interest in his services.  We should hear much more on this in the coming days.

Adding Crede would be another shrewd move for the Giants

Among the few rumors making the rounds on New Year's Day was a bit from Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman suggesting that the San Francisco Giants are taking "a close look" at free agent third-baseman Joe Crede, one of the few Scott Boras clients who doesn't figure to land a mega-deal this offseason. 

The 30 year-old Crede appeared in 97 games for the Chicago White Sox last season, batting .248/.314/.460 with 17 homers and a 30/45 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 335 at-bats.  Though he has dealt with chronic back ailments for the last two years, the Giants' interest in Crede reportedly has not been significantly tempered by his medicals, and he's likely to settle for only a one-year hitch this winter in hopes of rebuilding his value. 

Adding Crede would be the latest in a string of surprisingly shrewd moves by oft-criticized GM Brian Sabean, following the signings of lefty reliever Jeremy Affeldt, shortstop Edgar Renteria, righty reliever Bob Howry, and lefty starter Randy Johnson.  All of those four inked low-risk, short-term contracts that neither block any of the Giants' top prospects, nor handicap them financially for the long-term.  They follow perfectly the team's self-stated goal of staying respectable this year -- and perhaps finishing atop what seems to be a mediocre NL West division -- without jeopardizing the future.  A Crede signing would offer the Giants significant upside, while still allowing them to follow that plan.

But Crede would not only fit the Giants' mission, he would also address some of the most glaring weaknesses in their current roster.  The Giants lack a significant power threat at either of their corner-infield positions; a healthy Crede would figure to provide them with 25 dingers, even factoring in the shift from the hitter's haven that is US Cellular Field to the pitcher-friendly confines of AT&T Park.  San Francisco's infield defense took a hit when they decided to supplant Omar Vizquel with Edgar Renteria; Crede, when healthy, is one of the top hot corner fielders in baseball, addressing Renteria's main defensive weakness (plays to his backhand side), and allowing Pablo Sandoval to remain at first-base.  And Crede's penchant for coming through in the clutch could do wonders for a team that hit just .260/.338/.370 with runners in scoring position last season. 

Clearly, much of Crede's value hinges on his ability to stay off the disabled list and on the field.  But signing him to a cheap one-year deal with incentives -- and perhaps an option for 2010 -- makes sense both for a team seeking short-term solutions, and a player hoping to rebuild his value before it's too late. 

With the Rockies and Diamondbacks struggling financially, the Padres entering a lengthy rebuilding process, and the Dodgers still unsure if they'll keep Manny in La-La Land, the window is open for the Giants to win the NL West for the first time since 2003. 

Joe Crede would be a smart addition, bringing them one step closer to contention, and taking nothing away from their bright future. 

Fantasy Baseball 2009-Impact of Angels signing Brian Fuentes

Earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed former Colorado Rockies' closer Brian Fuentes to a two-year, $17.5 million dollar contract with a club option for a third year.  The Angels now have their replacement for Francisco Rodriguez, who signed with the New York Mets earlier this offseason.  The Rockies simply didn't have room in what is looking to be a crowded back end of their bullpen to retain Fuentes.

Fuentes had 30 saves in 34 chances in 2008 after regaining the closer's role in Colorado, which he had lost in 2007.  He is a three-time All-Star (2005-2007), and has 115 career saves. 

Fuentes finished 2008 strong, going 16-for-16 in save opportunities and a 1.75 ERA after the All-Star break.  Also, he had a 1.84 ERA on the road in 2008, so a move out of Colorado should be a move that will benefit him.  He is also originally from Merced, California so he may have wanted to play closer to home as well.

Fuentes becomes part of a strong Angels' bullpen, with setup men Scot Shields, Jose Arrendondo and others.  That means he should get plenty of save chances as long as the Angel offense doesn't suffer a too much of a drop-off without 1B Mark Teixeira.

Fuentes could be a nice potentially low cost-high upside fantasy closer in 2009, now that he's pitching for a better team and will probably see more save opportunities then he has in the past.  He's got a chance to top 40 saves, and probably won't cost you as much on draft day as the other closers that may put up similar numbers.