Friday, May 28, 2010

More Trade Analysis by tk21775

Trade #1

Jacksonville Receives: Chet Myers

Florida Receives: Maicer Reyes

Analysis: Jacksonville Gators and the Florida Tropics engaged in talks to deal 27 year old SP Maicer Reyes and 19 year old SP Chet Myers. Jacksonville looks to get younger with this trade, allowing Myers to start out in Low A while the Tropics get a pitcher in Reyes who will be able to help out in the majors right away. If Myers can reach his projections he’ll end up the better pitcher out of the two but it also looks like it will be at least 3-4 more seasons before he’ll be called up.

Owner drichar138 on the trade: “Sure, we are in rebuilding mode in Jacksonville and this offer from Florida fit our needs. Reyes is 27 and probably wasn't going to make our big league rotation, so we figured it was a low risk gamble to bring in the 19 year old Myers and see if he can develop into a ML pitcher in 3-4 seasons.”

Owner ajwalton was unavailable for comment.

Trade #2

Little Rock Receives: Sal Latham

Syracuse Receives: Sting Powell , Mendy Kojima , Mendy Kojima , and 5 million cash

Chicago Receives: Alfredo Candelaria

Analysis: Little Rock/Syracuse/Chicago makes first 3 team trade of the season. The Swapfire receive 28 year old Sal Latham who will immediately be put in the 2B roster spot with his solid defense and bat, along with great speed. In exchange they send 19 year old LF Sting Powell, 23 year old P Mendy Kojima and 22 year old Alfredo Candelaria to Syracuse. Kojima looks to fill in a long relief role for the Orange with very solid control and splits although durability will limit his innings and Powell will begin in Low A where he looks to be more of a LF than 2B with a below avg. bat. Candelaria didn’t even have time to unpack his bags before he was back on a plane heading for Chicago where the LF looks to finally have found a spot in AA ball with a solid bat. The Black Sox send over 32 year old SP Ezdra Cruz and his 4 yr. $6M contract. Cruz will fill in the #2 SP spot for the Orange and has posted a 4.88 era in 5 games so far. He should be producing better numbers than that as the season goes on although health could play a factor in the 32 year olds career.

Owner mcbain10 on his side of the trade: “I had too many 2B/CF, so it was exchanging him for some minor league talent. I like the young pitcher I got, and I turned Candeleria around for a ML SP, which I needed, so it worked out. Basically traded an excess 2B/CF for a ML SP, a minor league SP, and maybe a useful bench player.”

Owner mamidu on the trade: “I'm happy with the trade. I expect Alfredo Candelaria to be a starter in the next year or so that hits for avg & power. To me, Cruz was expendable with his high salary for the next 4 years, age and I needed a COF in return.”

Trade #3

Florida Receives: J.D. Dixon and Jose Hernandez

Columbus Receives: Bingo Jepsen and Ruben Morales

Analysis: Florida pulls off its 6th and final trade so far this season, this time pairing up with Columbus. The Tropics receive 20 year old SS Jose Hernandez and 23 year old SP J.D. Dixon in exchange for 23 year old Cl Ruben Morales and 24 year old 1B Bingo Jepsen. Jepsen goes straight to the bigs where he’s hitting .341 early in the season with 21 rbis (EDIT: Jepsen gets traded before he plays a game for the Aeros); Morales will begin in AAA where he looks like he’ll be a dominant closer although he’s struggling to begin the season. Hernandez starts the season for the Topics in High A where he looks to be more of a 3B player with an avg. bat while Dixon heads straight for the majors and into the starting pitching rotation where his 6.44 era should settle down as the season progresses.

Owner anml34 on the trade: “Ajwalton drives a hard bargain. We liked Morales as another cornerstone of our bullpen in the coming years with the huge bat that Jepson provides but to give up Dixon made us think more than twice about making this deal."

Trade #4

Richmond Receives: Wandy Park and Alvin Browne

Colorado Springs Receives: Mark Iannetta and Miguel Mesa

Analysis: The Richmond Rebels and the Colorado Springs Sky Sox have agreed to a deal that will send 22 year old SS Miguel Mesa and 22 year old P Mark Iannetta to Colorado and 23 year old RF Wandy Park and 21 year old C Alvin Browne to Richmond. Brown will start out in AAA where he will crush the ball against left-handed pitchers and Park will join him in crushing right handers. Iannetta will also begin his career in AAA where he will develop into a solid #3 pitcher for the Sky Sox and Mesa will look to take over the SS in AAA with a solid bat.

Owner joekendall on the trade: “We really felt the need to improve our pitching for the future. By adding Iannetta, we feel we have added a future guy to our ML rotation. We parted with a couple of good players, but we felt it was a great opportunity to add to the organization.”

Owner train on the trade: “Joe had made a few inquires on Iannetta but we didn't seem to match up 1 for 1. We ended up expanding the deal to what you see now. I was reluctant to include Mesa but ultimately that's what got it done.”

Trade #5

New Britain Receives: Tyler Higgins

Los Angeles Receives: Glen Dimaggio

Analysis: New Britain’s back to the trading table, this time sitting with the Los Angeles Tiger Sharks as they make their first trade of the season. The Rock Bats will receive 25 year old Tyler Higgins who starts out in LF for the major league squad, hitting a solid .333 so far this season with 19 rbis. The Tiger Sharks will let 19 year old Glen Dimaggio (no relation to Joe) begin in High A where if he can stay healthy he’ll develop into a nice long relief pitcher that will be excellent against righties when he get the call up.

Owner crb2 on the trade: "We'll miss Higgins, but we got a nice prospect at Starting Pitcher and feel like we can replace his contribution in the lineup with a number of guys. And nobody will miss his personal hygiene habits"

Trade #6

New Britain Receives: Joseph Lee

Atlanta Receives: Willie Hernandez

Analysis: Already at the trading table, New Britain didn’t bother getting up, allowing Atlanta instead to sit down with them and strike a deal. The Rock Cats get 31 year old closer Joseph Lee who’s much better than his 8.44 era in 5 games this season and 3 year $5.6M contract shows. Atlanta sends 20 year old Willie Hernandez to High A ball to develop into a 2B for the future, although he’ll more than likely take over LF. No matter where he plays, his bat will be dangerous to opposing pitchers although his durability will limit the number of at bats he gets.

Owner mr_gone on the trade: “It was hard to let Joseph Lee go. As far as closers go he was as much of a sure thing as my ex. But we could not turn down a shot to bring in a player like Willie Hernandez. He is going to be the cornerstone of our offense for a long time to come.”

Owner mikejuggalo on his two trades: “I needed a top of the order LF and a durable RP for my bullpen. It was worth giving up my last two good prospects in order to get them. I’m in win now mode so they do me no good if they are not major league ready now.”

Trade #7

Richmond Receives: Dwight Westmoreland and 1.5 million

El Paso Receives: Bo Sewell and Jim Dorsey

Analysis: Not wanting to get outdone in the trading by New Britain, the Richmond Rebels ink another deal, this time letting the El Paso Sluggers get their feet wet in trading this season. The Rebels put 28 year old Dwight Westmoreland into their 3B spot for the season hoping he’ll knock the ball out of the park. The Sluggers will send 20 year old Bo Sewell to Double A where he’ll develop into 3B/RF player with a so-so bat and 23 year old Jim Dorsey to AAA where he takes over 2B for them.

Owner jwdavi01 on his trade: “Traded power hitting vet 3B Dwight Westmoreland for Bo Sewell and Jim Dorsey....While Dwight is a great power hitter, we are trying to build a solid base for the future so adding Bo Sewell, a terrific SS prospect who is currently tearing up the AA league, was a great transaction. As an added bonus 2B Jim Dorsey was included and he is currently in AAA and we’re happy with his progress. We wish Dwight all the best but we really needed to free up the payroll.”

Owner train on his move: “I was in desperate need of a 3B and saw Westmoreland on the block. He fit two needs, as I also needed a power bat. So far he's supplied the power, but not much else (other than a ton of errors!).”

Trade #8

Cleveland Receives: Paulie Williams

Louisville Receives: Tomas Ozuna

Analysis: The Cleveland Gunners announced they will receive 31 year old Paulie Williams from the Louisville Steamboats in exchange for 19 year old Tomas Ozuna. Williams will patrol LF for the Gunners this season and that .144 batting avg. should jump up greatly as he goes along. Ozuna will start out in Low A where he looks to be a very nice pitcher who will be called up in the future.

Owner hurricane384 on the trade: "Paulie Williams was blocking some prospects and had to go, while Ozuna gives us a solid prospect who should be a good pitcher down the road."

Owner wvbucki: “Was looking for a quality OF to add some depth at first base as well.”


Trade #9

Columbus Receives: Piper Cambridge

Texas Receives: Bingo Jepsen and Peter Washington

Analysis: The Columbus Aeros send newly acquired Bingo Jepsen and 23 year old P Peter Washington to the Texas Wildcats. In exchange they receive 25 year old SS Piper Cambridge who immediately begins his career in the majors for the Aeros along with a solid bat although he may get moved from SS to 3B at some point. Jepsen will go ahead and take over 1B for the Wildcats while Washington gets sent to Double A ball where he’ll develop into a top closer someday.

Owner anml34 on the trade: "We have had our eye on Cambridge since spring training. We see him with Eddie growing into a nice 1-2 punch at 2B and SS. Adding Washington was tough but necessary with Jepson's health concerns.”

Trade #10

Texas Receives: Ethan Rocker

Louisville Receives: Arthur Boyd

Analysis: Texas wasn’t finished yet as they send 32 year old Arthur Boyd to Louisville where he will take over LF for the Steamboats and give them a home-run threat when he’s at the plate. In exchange the Wildcats receive 22 year old Ethan Rocker, a nice set-up pitcher who will begin his career in Double-A. The Wildcats will definitely be a tough team to compete against in the future as they have pulled off many deals for some very nice young prospects.

Owner hurrican384 on the trade: "Rocker is going to be a good pitcher, but we felt we needed another bat to compete this season and Boyd fit the bill.”

Trade #11

Colorado Springs Receives: Charlie Duffy and Mario Harper

Philadelphia Receives: Shou Zhang

Analysis: The Colorado Spring Sky Sox struck again, this time making a deal with the Philadelphia Freedom. The Sky Sox receive 29 year old Charlie Duffy who will take over SS where’s he batting a great .372 for the year (.477 for the Sox) and 20 year old C Mario Harper, who begins his career in Double-A and finds himself on the 60-day DL already. The Freedom bring over 20 year old Shou Zhang, a Vietnamese pitcher who will develop in High A before eventually being called up where he’ll be solid against both types of hitters.

Owner joekendall on the trade: “Our starting SS at the time just wasn't getting it done. He was hitting under the Mendoza line. We picked up a guy who can help us now at SS, and we were able to get a C who will be a cornerstone for the team if he can stay healthy. We hated to lose Zhang, but we feel this trade will help the team now and in the future.”

Owner TheJester74 on the trade: “I wanted to let this team on a hot streak know that the GM has their back so I traded away our starting SS for prospects and they responded by getting crushed by the competition since then. I still got their back, but more around season 3.”

Trade #12

Colorado Springs Receives: Eric Castillo and 2.75 million

Charleston Receives: Ricardo Aguilera

Analysis:
In the last trade to get approved so far in Season 1 of Billy Beane, the Charleston River Dogs welcome 23 year old Ricardo Aguilera, a AAA 3B who will be a force against left-handed pitchers. The Colorado Springs Sky Sox introduced 29 year old Eric Castillo to the majors where he’ll take over 3B for them, hitting a solid .355 since being traded.

Owner hopkinsheel on the trade: "This was a cost saving move for seasons 2 and 3 as management decided the 5.8 million per season could be better allocated elsewhere. Aguilera will hopefully be a decent utility player off the bench.”

Owner joekendall on the trade: “We felt like we were weak at 3B and could use a better hitter with a little more pop. We had to give up a decent prospect in return, but it was well worth it.”

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Getting to know tk21775?

Who is tk21775? 28 yr. old insurance agent, father of 4 kids

How did you get into HBD? Started playing HD and then found HBD

Interest and hobbies? Watching sports, playing with my kids, reading

Favorite team? Michigan Wolverines

5 people for roundtable discussion? Michael Jordan, Julius Ceasar, Warren Buffet, Bo Schembechler, and Jesus

Question/Tip that has something to do with HBD (How to you allocate your budget, draft, etc.) I like to pencil in my rosters for the next 3 seasons. This way I have an idea of who I have coming up to fill holes for my ML roster, who I could let go in free-agency, and where I have multiple players at one position to try and trade. Looking towards the future always helps in budget during the current season as well.

Important individual ratings for performance? Control for pitchers

Best move you think you've ever made in HBD? Joining NCAA world, I was in public worlds to begin and this was the one world where I saw how much fun HBD could be with no drama and immaturity; set the standards for what worlds I look to play in now.

Worst move you think you've ever made in HBD? Probably any of the first trades I made in my first season

Favorite HBD player?
In Billy Beane: Wendell Matusz hits a 2 run walk off home run in the first game of Las Vegas Bookies history in the bottom of the 9th to record 1st win for the franchise.

In rest of HBD: Ching-Lung Komatsu

Top prospect that you're excited to call up in Billy Beane? - Alan Sherman - if this kid can reach his projections then he'll be a dominate #1 SP for the Bookies for many seasons to come.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Other Rankings by hurricane384

Most Talented
1. Florida & New Britain 98 pts
3. Seattle 51 pts
4. Rochester 49 pts
5. Philadelphia 46 pts

Most Players Ranked #1
New Britain with 3
Most top-3 players
Florida with 5

Most top-10 players
New Britain with 9

Multiple top-10 players at one position
Florida had the top 2 relievers
Rochester had the 7th and 8th best shortstops
Cincinnati had the 9th and 10th best left fielders
New Britain had the best and 10th best third basemen.

Atlanta is the only team without a top 10 player. But they have 5 players in the top 20 of their positional group.


Top Ten Hitters

1. William Randall
2. Manny Raben
3. Harry Darwin
4. Andres Tabaka
5. Louis Byrne
6. Scott Maurer
7. Bret Maas
8. Bud Sobolewski
9. Ryan Laxton
10. Matty Bailey

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Top Players - RP - by hurricane384

*STA less than 60

1.
Alfredo Miranda
Florida
Tropics
Age: 29B/T: R/R
Born: Boca Chica, DO
Position(s): P (P)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Alfredo Miranda is 29-years old. Great control, great velocity, two "out" pitches, including a cut fastball that destroys righties. The drawback here is a starter's durability combined with a long reliever stamina. Should see between 60-70 innings if managed properly.

2.
Abdul Helton
Florida
Tropics
Age: 30B/T: R/R
Born: Jacksonville, TX
Position(s): P (ClA)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Abdul Helton is 30-years old. Another Florida pitcher with a less than desirable durability/stamina combo. Should again see between 60-70 innings. Great control, great velocity will lead to a lot of strikeouts when combined with a great 4-seam fastball and average slider and circle change. Should induce a lot of ground balls as well.

3.
Spud Clarke
Louisville
Steamboats
Age: 31B/T: R/R
Born: Weleetka, OK
Position(s): P (ClA)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Spud Clarke is 31-years old. Another pitcher lacking the stamina/durability combination to be really special. Clarke should strike out plenty with his blazing 4-seamer, backed up by 3 average to above average pitches. Will induce a lot of groundballs. Should make lefties and righties fear him while at bat.

4. P.J. Swann
5. Caleb Duran
6. Robb Stahoviak
7. Omar Calvo
8. Steve Gonzales
9. Michael Fischer
10. Randy Murray

Top Player's - SP - by hurricane384

1.
Kenshin Ogawa
Philadelphia
Freedom
Age: 30B/T: S/R
Born: Kobe, JP
Position(s): P (SP1)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Kenshin Ogawa is 30-years old. Great stamina and durability means he'll contribute 35 starts and 210+ innings per season. Below average velocity means a lack of strikeouts. 2 "out" pitches and 2 above average pitches may offset the lack of velocity. Will induce a good amount of groundballs. Will make righties cry.


2.
Pep Huang
Rochester
Redbirds
Age: 30B/T: S/R
Born: Kobe, JP
Position(s): P (SP1)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Pep Huang is 30-years old. Average stamina and great control could lead to about 190 innings and 35 starts. Great velocity along with 1 "out" pitch and 3 above average pitches should lead to a lot of strikeouts. Dangerous against lefties and righties.

3.
Willie Oliva
New Britain
Rock Cats
Age: 25B/T: L/L
Born: Victoria De Las Tunas, CU
Position(s): P (SP1)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Willie Oliva is 25-years old. Above average stamina with great stamina should lead to 35 starts and 200+ innings each season. No real out pitch to go along with excellent velocity, but 4 above average pitches should see a good number of strikeouts. A flyball pitcher shouldn't see any adverse ballpark effects in New Britain. Has the potential to dominate against righties and lefties.

4.
Norberto Dotel

5. Alex Vizcaino

6. Danys Miranda

7. Hiram Sanders

8. Dan Pritchett

9. Valerio Nunez

10. Geraldo Morales

**Quick note: top 5 were separated by 2.1 points.**

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Top Player's - RF - by hurricane384

1.
Javier Lucano
Anaheim
Knights
Age: 28B/T: R/R
Born: Banes, CU
Position(s): RF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Javier Lucano is 28 years old. Will hit for a high average with some power. Will dominate right-handed pitching. Great eye will lead to a lot of walks. Good speed will lead to some steals. Strong arm with average accuracy.

2.
Hal Thompson
Seattle
Pilots
Age: 23B/T: S/L
Born: Galax, VA
Position(s): RF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Hal Thompson is 23 years old. Great power and will hit for a high average. Won’t get taken advantage of against any pitchers. Average eye will not lead to a real high OBP. Some speed. Below average glove.

3.
Matty Bailey
Little Rock
Swampfire
Age: 25B/T: R/R
Born: Lombard, IL
Position(s): RF/OF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Matty Bailey is 25 years old. Will hit for a high average with solid power. Has a great eye which will lead to a lot of walks. Won’t get taken advantage of by any pitchers. Great speed will lead to a lot of steals. Will be a truly great player.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Top Players - CF - by hurricane384

1.
Jaime Pierre
Rochester
Redbirds
Age: 25B/T: L/L
Born: Douglas, WY
Position(s): CF/1B/2B/OF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Jaime Pierre is 25 years old. Will hit for good average and great power. Has potential to dominate lefties and put up solid numbers against righties. Will walk a bunch. Has the speed to beat out infield hits and make pitchers regret walking him as well. Below average range will keep him out of the running for a gold glove. Great glove though. Will only get better.

2.
Dummy Merrick
Florida
Tropics
Age: 29B/T: L/L
Born: Utica, MI
Position(s): CF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Dummy Merrick is 29 years old. Will hit for great power while playing games with right-handed pitchers’ sanity. Will walk a lot. Has the potential to be a 50/50 guy. Will struggle making contact and against lefties. Covers a lot of ground and will compete for a gold glove despite a below average glove.

3.
Clarence Canseco
Colorado Springs
Sky Sox
Age: 25B/T: S/R
Born: Westville, NJ
Position(s): CF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Clarence Canseco is 25 years old. Will make contact more often than not. Will hit for high average. Will hit for power against lefties and hit righties really well. Above average eye. Good speed will lead to some stolen bases. Adequate range with a great glove. Can only get better.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Top Player's - LF - by hurricane384

1.
Bud Sobolewski
Florida
Tropics
Age: 32B/T: L/L
Born: Noble, IL
Position(s): LF/1B
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Bud Sobolewski is 32 years old. Will hit for good power while maintaining a good average. Will not be exploited against any pitcher. Has a great eye that will lead to a ton of walks. No speed of which to speak. Health is a concern.


2.
Arthur Boyd
Texas
Wildcats
Age: 32B/T: R/R
Born: Mount Vernon, SD
Position(s): LF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Arthur Boyd is 32 years old. Plus contact will lead to good average. Exceptional power. Exceptional eye will lead to lots of walks. Has the speed to stretch singles to doubles, steal some bases. Potential 30/30 talent. Will struggle against good pitchers.

3.
Jerry Fischer
Pittsburgh
Crawfords
Age: 29B/T: L/L
Born: Costa Mesa, CA
Position(s): LF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Jerry Fischer is 29 years old. Good contact hitter who will hit with a lot of power. Will not struggle against any pitcher. Good eye will lead to some walks. Good speed will lead to some stolen bases.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Top Players - SS - by hurricane384

1.
Philip Chase
Pittsburgh
Crawfords
Age: 29B/T: S/R
Born: Satsuma, FL
Position(s): SS
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Philip Chase is 29 years old. Below average range and average glove, arm strength and accuracy. Great hitter will hit for average and power. Will hit well against both lefties and righties. Has the speed to steal a few bases and beat out the occasional infield hit. Will not walk as much as desired.

2.
Charlie James
Syracuse
Orange
Age: 29B/T: R/R
Born: Glencoe, ON
Position(s): SS/IF/OF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Charlie James is 29 years old. Above average range, glove, and arm accuracy should offset a weaker than desired arm strength. Will hit for average and power. Will struggle against righties and hold his own against lefties. Will walk enough to make use of great speed. Could steal 100 bases and collect 50+ infield hits.

3.
Victor Santiago
Los Angeles
Tiger Sharks
Age: 33B/T: R/R
Born: Hato Mayor, DO
Position(s): SS
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Victor Santiago is 33 years old. Exceptional defender. No weakness defensively. Should be a perennial gold glove favorite. Great power to go with the potential for good average. Can be exploited by good pitchers. Good eye. Average speed.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Top Players - 3B - by hurricane384

1.
Dave Salmon
New Britain
Rock Cats
Age: 33B/T: R/R
Born: Beebe, AR
Position(s): 3B
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Dave Salmon is 33 years old. An average contact hitter, he has great power. Won’t be exploited by any pitchers. Will walk an average number of times during the season. A blatantly average fielder who won’t cost you any games, but won’t win any with the glove either. Not a good runner.

2.
Tommy Wuertz
Columbus
Aeros
Age: 29B/T: R/R
Born: Ashland, MA
Position(s): 3B/RF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Tommy Wuertz is 29 years old. Average contact hitter with exceptional power. When he makes contact, the outfielders can just wave goodbye. Average against both lefties and righties and an average eye. Slightly below average defender.

3.
Reid Brooks
Seattle
Pilots
Age: 28B/T: R/R
Born: Ludlow, MA
Position(s): 3B/SS
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Reid Brooks is 28 years old. Below average contact with slightly above average power. Will hit well against lefties and righties. Above average eye. Average speed. One of the top fielding 3B in the world.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Top Players - 2B - by hurricane384

1.
Glen Monroe
New Britain
Rock Cats
Age: 26B/T: R/R
Born: Nemo, TX
Position(s): 2B/CIF/OF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Glen Monroe is 26 years old. Will make lefties wish they’d taken a vacation day. Will hit for good average with some pop. Righties won’t exploit him. Great eye. Adequate defensive player with slightly above average range and glove. Will not need many days off. Will steal a few bases now and again.

2.
Heath Harris
Jackson
Mallards
Age: 28B/T: L/R
Born: Loveland, OH
Position(s): 2B/CIF/OF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Heath Harris is 28 years old. Ideal leadoff hitter. Good eye, great contact, good power. Will hit righties much better than lefties. No slouch against lefties though. Has the potential to steal 100+ bases if allowed to run at will. Slightly below average defensively, but not so bad as to be a huge liability.

3.
Glen Theriot
Louisville
Steamboats
Age: 28B/T: R/R
Born: Huntington, MA
Position(s): 2B
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Glen Theriot is 28 years old. Will for plus average with some pop. No real weakness against lefties or righties. Decent eye will get on base. Will steal a few bases. Below average range, but above average glove to go along with a strong and accurate arm will help turn two quite often.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Top Players - 1B - by hurricane384

Top 1B’s

1.
William Randall
Philadelphia
Freedom
Age: 25B/T: R/R
Born: Spearfish, SD
Position(s): 1B/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


25 years old. This guy is a beast. Will hit lefties and righties very well. Will hit for average and lots of power. Good eye will lead to him being on base a lot. Average defense. Won’t be hurt by the ballpark. Should be a perennial MVP and Triple Crown candidate. Will even steal some bases.

2.
Harry Darwin
El Paso
Sluggers
Age: 26B/T: L/L
Born: Mott, ND
Position(s): 1B
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


26 years old. Another great offensive force at 1B. Will hit for above average power and a great average. Should destroy lefties and still hit righties with no problem. Great eye should lead to plenty of walks. Has gold glove potential at 1B.

3.
Scott Maurer
Los Angeles
Tiger Sharks
Age: 33B/T: R/R
Born: Westbrook, MN
Position(s): 1B
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


33 years old. A bit of a health risk. Solid across the board and exceptional against righties. Will hit for good average and good power. Will get on base via the walk very well. Not a defensive liability. May struggle to reach his full offensive output potential in Dodger Stadium.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Top Player's - C and DH by hurricane384

Hurricane384 will be doing scouting reports on the top 3 players per position. This is based on a numerical formula that assigns weights to each rating and then I will review each player and give a scouting report.

Catcher

1. Rafael Guerrero (New Orleans) - 29 years old. Will hit for a decent average with good power. Will destroy LH pitching. No need to platoon as he will more than hold his own against RH. Will see his share of walks. Great arm strength, great accuracy and a real solid knowledge of the position. Durability is a concern.

2. Ryan Laxton (New York) - 28 years old. Exceptional power and will absolutely dominate LH pitching. Should post decent average. Will struggle against RH pitching. Good eye should see plenty of walks. Average defensive player. Some concern about durability.

3. Lon Houston (Cincinnati) - 33 years old. Will hit for good average and great power. Hits RH pitching well and does not struggle against LH. Slightly above average eye should see a league average amount of walks. Would be more valuable if not for the durability factor. Average defender.

Designated Hitter

1. Manny Raben (New Britain) - 24 years old. Will hit for a good average with exceptional power. LH pitching had better watch out, while he’s no slouch against RH pitching. Exceptional eye will lead to a lot of walks.

2. Hunter Sizemore (Florida) - 31 years old. Will destroy LH pitching and struggle at times against RH. Will hit for good average with great power. A solid eye will lead to a good number of walks.

3. Javier Castillo (Richmond) - 31 years old. Will hit for average and power and fare equally well against righties and lefties. Should see a good number of walks with his great eye.

4. Keith Sparks (Seattle) - 30 years old. Solid across the board. No real weaknesses. Should hit for some average and some power. Exceptional eye will lead to a multitude of walks. Not the power one looks for in a DH.

5. Einar Lopez (Cheyenne) - 25 years old. Will destroy RH pitching without struggling against LH. Will hit for a great average with above average power. Average eye will lead to a fair share of walks.

Huge Trade Analysis Update by tk21775

Trade One

Rochester Receives: Trace Sanford

Texas Receives: Fausto James

No stranger to trade negotiations this season, Rochester once again pulled off a deal to send 22 year old CF Fausto James to the Texas Wildcats in exchange for 29 year old SP Trace Sanford. Sanford will jump right in to the #2 role for the Redbirds, giving them a solid 1-2 rotation with Pep Huang and Sanford. The Wildcats, having announced they were looking towards the future this season, will start James down in High A ball where he’ll look to tear up the base path and develop a very nice bat.
Manager bonk36 released a statement on the trade: “Fausto James was our top prospect in our system but at a position where our best player currently resides. We feel he will be an all star for his new team. However we were able to bring in an outstanding starter who will end up being our #2 starter in Trace Sanford who we feel will team to give us one of the strongest 1-2 combinations in all of Billy Beane.”

Analysis: Rochester has been very active in the trade department this off season and grabbed one of the nice pitchers on the market, strengthening their pitching rotation and once again looking to put together a team to make a run this season. Texas has advertised they are looking to move ML talent for prospects for the future of the Wildcats and James looks to be a solid CF when he’s ready to be called up.

Trade Two

Texas Receives: Edge Parker

Pittsburgh Receives: Louie Guiel

Texas, while quiet the first few days, didn’t stay that way for long. Having picked up their CF for the future and grabbing a young SS in another trade, they look to have found their third baseman of the future with 21 year old Edge Parker. Parker will start his career with James in High A ball, where he looks to grow into a nice ML player. In exchange, Texas sent 28 year old Louie Guiel to Pittsburgh where he takes over the 1B position for the Crawfords. Guiel will look to provide some offense in Pittsburgh at the big league level with a solid all around bat.

Owner bigred19 on his trade: “The Craw's were looking for a big bat to fill a need at 1B for a power hitter. We feel we got that in Guiel, and only gave up a prospect in return. One that is a strength in the minors.”

Trade Three

Charleston Receives: Ron Stocker

Columbus Receives: Stan Moran and Willie Dunston

Charleston River Dogs struck a deal with the Columbus Aeros, sending over 22 year old SS Stan Moran and 25 year old closer Willie Dunston in exchange for 22 year old 2B Ron Stocker. Moran will find himself in AAA as he develops his defensive and what will be a nice bat for the SS position while Dunston will take over the closing position in the majors with his accurate control and 2 superb pitches he’ll look to be dominate against righties. Stocker looks to play AAA this season for the River Dogs and he’ll provide some power into their lineup.

Owner anml34 announced at the Aeros press conference: "Giving up Stocker was tough. We thought very highly of him and he was about to get the call to play 2nd base in Columbus. That said, we knew we needed help in the bullpen and couldn't pass up a chance to bring in a quality set up man in Dunston and a solid prospect in Moran."

Hopkinsheel provided us with his insight into the trade: “Anml34 was an extremely tough bargainer and I hated having to give up Dunston on top of Morgan to acquire Stocker, but he said it would be a deal breaker and I finally caved. I think this is an example of a "Fair trade" that made each of us nervous as to what we were giving up, but just as excited as to what we were getting back.”

Trade Four

New Britain Receives: Dave Salmon

New York Receives: Ken Dixon

New Britain strikes their first deal of the young offseason, agreeing to send 21 year old CF prospect Ken Dixon to the New York Highlanders in exchange for 33 year old 3B Dave Salmon and $2.5M in cash. The Highlanders will put Dixon in AAA ball to start out where he’ll develop on his defense and solid split bat. Salmon will take over the 3B position at the big league level for the Rock Cats, providing them a defensive player on the corner who will also be able to knock a few pitches out of the park for them this season.

Owner mikejuggalo explained the deal from his side: “I really felt like we needed a powerful 3bman to anchor the middle of my order. He has an adequate glove and an excellent bat, plus he's signed for 2 seasons and that's probably about as long as my team’s window will be open. It was worth giving up the CF prospect.”

Trade Five

New York Receives: Javier Romano and Quinton Daniels

Toronto Receives: Sherman Feldman and Luis Alvarez

Toronto Beavers owner mtorabdaddy worked out a deal with the New York Highlanders and owner abesmem that brought 21 year old SP prospect Sherman Feldman and 25 year old C Luis Alvarez to Toronto and 20 year old SP Quinton Daniels and 20 year old prospect Javier Romano to New York. Romano will start his career in AAA for the Highlanders where he looks like he’ll turn into a solid 3B for them. Daniels will also start out in AAA and while his stamina and control are excellent, his splits look like he’ll finish out his career in AAA. Feldman will begin his development in High A and could become a very solid ML SP some day with accurate control and nice splits along with solid pitches.

Mtorabdaddy told reporters: “Sherman Feldman is one of those arms. Equipped with the potential for + control and 3 Major League pitches, he should be a fixture in the Beaver rotation for years to come.”

Abesmem took a minute with reports to discuss his strategy in the two trades: “OK, well the team that was created for me was exactly wrong for the stadium we play in. Looked like a bunch of big, slow guys, that couldn't stretch a single into a double, ever. The organizational pitching was real poor. So I did want to change the organizational make up without killing what pitching I had. I had several offers for Feldman, but pulled the trigger on this deal due to the fact that I was getting Daniels back. I really like Daniels due to his endurance and control. He is a few points lower than Feldman in overall rating, but I like him better. I need guys who will give me good innings to keep the bullpen intact. In Romano I get a real good 2B (I'll move him from SS) with some speed and defense. Both hitters I got back give me real good batting eye ratings, which I like, and get me younger with better speed and defense. I had to give up a real good 3B, but I think I'm better of in the long run. The fact that both deals became available at the same time, made the overall change to the organization worth it, in my eyes.”

Trade Six

Jackson Receives: Hank Perry

Columbus Receives: Eddie Black

Columbus wasn’t finished trading after they got done with Charleston, this time working out a deal with the Jackson Mallards. The Aeros picked up 24 year old Eddie Black who will take over 2B at the big league level this season and be intimidating against C’s with his speed. The Mallards will receive 24 year old SP Hank Perry as compensation for Black, who will start out in AAA. He’s got nice splits and 3 great pitches to offset lower control and will be interesting to see what type of numbers he will produce for the Mallards.

Columbus owner anml34 was quoted saying: "After moving Stocker in a previous deal it was a must that we find a quality 2nd baseman. We think we found that in Black. With Alex Estalella in the system we felt comfortable that we had enough depth moving Perry."

Owner quackup on why he made the deal: “I noticed I was dead last in the Franchise Rankings for AL pitching. I'm hoping Hank Perry can make a difference...”

Trade Seven

Richmond Receives: Ray Sisk and 5 million

Little Rock Receives: Mat Nelson

Another active team in trading this offseason, the Richmond Rebels agreed to a deal with the Little Rock Swampfire. Richmond will receive 30 year old SP Ray Sisk who will move into the #1 spot for the Rebels this season in the majors. Sisk has outstanding control, 2 exceptional pitches and will be feared amongst right handed hitters. 19 year old Mat Nelson will begin his career with the Swampfire in AA ball, developing his arm in a major league weapon. If he hits his projections he will be a very nice pitcher for Little Rock in the long relief role.

Owner train gave his thoughts on making the deal: “The deal with LR was to fill a gaping hole in my rotation. Even after that deal, and a subsequent deal with Colorado Springs for a starter, I'm still one short. Gave up a prospect with a power arm in the deal, but my need was too great to pass up the opportunity.”

Lefty32: “The Sisk trade was basically experience for youth”

Trade Eight

Richmond Receives: Victor Corpas

Atlanta Receives: Ernie Spencer , Brant High , and Arnold Saunders

The other big trade involving Richmond involved the Atlanta Fightin’ Peach Pits. Richmond receives 25 year old Victor Corpas who will start out in the big leagues where he’s expected to hit lead-off and tear up the base paths. Atlanta will receive 23 year old RF Ernie Spencer, 20 year old SP Brant High, and 23 year old RF Arnold Saunders. E. Spencer will jump right into the pros, bringing along a solid bat and the durability to play nearly all the time; Saunders will begin in AA where he looks more suited to play LF with a nice bat; and High will start out in Low A where he’ll look to develop into a #5 starter or long relief pitcher for the future.

Richmond manager train spoke on the negotiations: “The ATL deal was to acquire a contact/speed guy who will hopefully reach base enough to sit at the top of my lineup. Corpas will replace Spencer, who was part of the deal, as one of my starting COF. mr_gone did a solid negotiating job and I ended up paying a bit more than I had wanted, but I'm still pleased with the outcome.”

Atlanta’s manager was unavailable for comment at the time of press.

Trade Nine

Cheyenne Receives: Donatello Burkett

Florida Receives: Bud Sobolewski and 3 million

The Cheyenne Gunslingers worked out a deal with the Florida Tropics that sends 32 year old LF Bud Sobolewski and $3M cash over for 20 year old RF Donatello Burkett. Sobolewski will be penciled in as the Tropics opening day LF and provides them with a strong batter both in power and contact. Bud does come with a $5.8M 3 year contract for his services which looks like Cheyenne was trying to get out of. Burkett will be sent to High A ball this season as he develops, looking to be a speedy RF who will be inserted into the lineups with a lefty on the mound.

Cheyenne owner byers61 was quoted on the trade: “I was looking to trade Bud Sobolewski to a team that can compete right now, as he is age 32 and will be over the hill by the time I can make a playoff run. Trading him turned out to a little tougher than planned, as he kept pulling out his no trade clause. I was finally able to work a fair deal with the Tropics, where I picked up a promising prospect in RF Donatello Burkett . My advance scout projects him to 78 with some power and 100 speed.”

Florida manager ajwalton gave his thoughts on what the trade did for them: “The Tropics were looking to add a big lefty bat in the middle of the lineup and are extremely happy to have landed Sobolewski. We liked Burkett's combination of power and speed for the future, but felt that Sobolewski can provide us with the production we're looking for today.”