Mariners trying to make Felix “Mariner For Life”

In the no-duh move of the day, the Mariners are trying to lock up Felix Hernandez to a large contract extension that would keep him a “Mariner for Life” and be their ace for the rest of his career.  Felix Hernandez has pitched for the Mariners since he was 19 in 2005 ad would be only 28 at the end of his current contract.  Hernandez has been involved in many trade rumors over the years but has remained a Mariner.  he is a true ace and irreplaceable tot he Mariners.  His career has already been very impressive and he seems Hall of Fame bound.  If I was Seattle I would give him a 10 year, 250 million dollar contract, he may get less years and less money, but he’s worth it at this point.  Hernandez’s best years are still ahead of him too, and if he hits the market he will be one of the better free agents ever.  The Mariners really need go through with this and lock him up as soon as they can.

Mariners Thoughts

Felix Hernandez: He had a rough first inning at the game today but he got better as the game went on and he looked like the Cy Young winner and should do even better than he did in 2010 if he can have his best control like he did after the first inning
Justin Smoak: He’s needs work but looks good, and his swing and power are very good
Jesus Montero: He is going to be big and good in seattle and he doesn’t just hit for power, he is a good well polished hitter when not hitting monster home runs
Ichiro Suzuki: He still is a very good hitter and the same hitter he’s always been, he will have another good year
The Offense: It can have some good streaks but needs work and the mariners need to get on like they did in tonight’s game vs Detroit, their offense will get better and I like their young hitters like Ackley and the amount of power and some depth that they have
Alex Liddi: The power is unreal too, him and Montero could hit 30 homers if they live up to their potential and playing time
Dustin Ackley: Just a great hitter

Mariners Add Montero, Yankees Add Pineda

The Yankees acquired starter Micheal Pineda and reliever Jose Campos and the Mariners got Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi.  I think Pineda and Montero would’ve been better on the team they were on but will still succeed in their new homes.  Campos is a future flame throwing stud who should be late innings reliever and Noesi may be a good five start or long reliever, I like Campos better.  Montero is the young hitter the M’s needed and for now I think he should catch and then move to DH within the next couple of years.  His offense should be the same, though the impact immediately could knock off a few homers from his totals.  He should mature and get better really quick and should easily be the best hitter in the M’s line-up.  This year, I see his homers being in the 20s and maybe going to about 30 and for them to keep rising from there and get up to 40-ish.  I love Montero and he should have a great career and be a great hitter.  He helps the Mariners a lot.  Pineda should eventually do what he did in the first half all year, maybe as soon as this year but the move to Yankee Stadium could hurt his numbers just a little bit and knock his ERA about .10 points higher than it would’ve been, but he should do well in New York and be a great number two and the best righty in their rotation, this year.  He’s a great starter who will just produce and can get a lot of strikeouts and he could have some dominating starts this year and get used to Yankee Stadium the way CC has.  He will help the Yankees a ton, not and in the future.  Pineda could be one of the best in the AL and just do very, very well in New York in his career and not much should change on his career path, which should lead to many great accomplishments.  EDGE: Yankees, Montero is nothing to frown about though M’s fans

Moves: Garcia, Sizemore, Jaso

• Freddy Garcia re-signed with the Yankees for one year, the perfect amount of time for him because that’s likely going to be his last pretty good season.  We could see some regression this year but this is still a decent fit and a good signing and he will be a good fourth or more likely fifth starter.  He’s a veteran who could do decent and should do okay within the division, though he may struggle from time to time. Garcia has always been a decent starter and I think he will have a good 2012 season, I like this signing for both sides
• The Indians signed Grady Sizemore and Cleveland is Sizemore’s best fit and his power is reaching a big break through.  If he stays healthy watch out for his power, speed and defense.  Eveything is still there for him aand I think he could have a big year and become the comeback player of the year for the AL.  If he does do good the Indians need to lock him up for another year because he’s valuable for them and Sizemore could be one of the Indians top hitters in 2012.  Great signing for bith sides
• The Rays traded John Jaso to the Mariners for Josh Lueke and a PTBNL.  I like Lueke as a power reliever and think he could put up some big numbers in the late innings and maybe even get a shot to close with his heat he will be amazing if he can keep control.  John Jaso is a decent catcher and could start or platoon and he has great instincs and can hit and is a pretty good ballplayer but Miguel Olivo is probably a bit better and I’d go woth him most of the time but Jaso should improve on his 2011 when he does start and do a good job all-around.  The Rays have catching options and I think Jose Molina would be good for them for 2012 and maybe 2013.  I like Jose Lobatan and Robinsin Chirnos both, and Chirnos better, he could be a decent starter so both teams win and both guys should have some success in their no homes.  EDGE: Rays

MLB Offseason Line-Ups

CUBS WITH PRINCE FIELDER

1. SS Starlin Castro
2. LF Alfonso Soriano
3. 1B Prince Fielder
4. RF Marlon Byrd
5. C Geovany Soto
6. 2B Darwin Barney
7. CF Brett Jackson
8. 3B Jeff Baker

MARINERS WITH PRINCE

1. RF Ichiro Suzuki
2. 2B Dustin Ackley
3. 1B Justin Smoak
4. DH Prince Fielder
5. C Miguel Olivo
6. 3B Alex Liddi
7. LF Trayvon Robinson
8. CF Casper Wells
9. SS Brandan Ryan

MARLINS WITH REYES

1. SS Jose Reyes
2. 2B Omar Infante
3. CF Hanley Ramirez
4. RF Mike Stanton
5. LF Logan Morrison
6. 1B Gaby Sanchez
7. 3B Emilio Bonifacio
8. C John Buck

Blue Jays With Ortiz

1. SS Yunel Escobar
2. CF Colby Rasmus
3. RF Jose Bautista
4. DH David Ortiz
5. 3B Brett Lawrie
6. 1B Adam Lind
7. C JP Arenciba
8. LF Eric Thames
9. 2B Mark Teahen

TIGERS WITH ARAMIS RAMIREZ

1. CF Austin Jackson
2. RF Brennan Boesch
3. 1B Miguel Cabrera
4. 3B Aramis Ramirez
5. DH Victor Martinez
6. SS Jhonny Peralta
7. C Alex Avila
8. LF Delmon Young
9. 2B Ryan Raburn

All these line-ups look great, especially the Tigers and Marlins

Trade Deadline Winners and Loseres So Far

A look at who won and lost so far and if things can change

WINNER
TIGERS- Disregard Fister’s two middle starts for the Tigers and he’s been really good.  He will show up even more and be a reliable number three on the Tigers staff.  Pauley looks good and should do around as well as he did with the M’s and be one of the top relievers in the division.  Betemit fits right in with he team and will continue too, awesome at the bottom of the line-up, more average and RBIs with some homers sprinkled in.  Delmon Young was a waiver trade that should do some good too.
MARINERS- Casper Wells could very well reach 20-20 if he gets full playing time and is a good option to hit second in that line-up too and him and Carp might cool off a bit there but there both really good and Wells might even be a smidge better.  Carp wasn’t acquired at the deadline but him and Casper have both been awesome for the M’s.  Furbush could be a good option at the end of the rotation or a really good long reliever or middle reliever and should keep it up.  Ruffin and Martinez will show their talents soon, Ruffin sooner and could he could be a setup man real quick.  Robinson is the best player they got and Chiang shows up under any circumstance and could be very good for them soon too.
PHILLIES- Hunter Pence will do even better and thrive in Philly.  He and Victorino are young and explosive and think in 2012 with Brown being added.  He may have made the Phillies pull away from the pack and will continue to do great things and play great defense and great all-around and he could heat up even more
RANGERS- They got Mike Adams, who has had a few struggles since joining the AL but he will give up a few more runs out of San Diego and even with his struggles he’s still a top setup man and pair him with Uehara, who could do even better with his new and team and you have a team that I can’t see NOT making the ALCS at least along with their whole other team.
BRAVES- Bourn is a true leadoff man and that will help them a ton.  He will propel them a ton and this team was already good almost all-around too.  The best part is they didn’t give up anybody who will be more valuable, pretty much ever!  Bourn’s running game will add to the offense too and those stolen bases were needed.  This makes the Braves maybe the most well-rounded team in the MLB.  Aces- Jurrjens, Hudson, Hanson.  Speed: Heyward, Bourn  Defense: Heyward, Bourn, Gonzalez  Relievers: Kimbrel, Venters, O’Flaherty  Power: McCann, Uggla, Freeman  Hitting: Jones, McCann, Bourn.  Bourn adds a ton
INDIANS: The Fukudome deal was dumb because he won;t do anything for them and will stay around the Mendoza Line.  If Jimenez turns out it was worth it.  He can get beat up from time to time but now he’s in a better park and if he gets his delivery fixed up a bit they have a guy who will keep them going and they might not fall out
BLUE JAYS: Rasmus for what they got was a steal and they got some supporting cast members.  Now that the Jays have a five tool, middle of the order center fielder they might be able to sneak in the AL East race real soon.  Rasmus should do even better and continue to develop in Toronto and reach his prime real soon
METS: Beltran wasn’t coming back, so they got a future ace which is good for them because the only current members of the rotation (Or DL) I can see in a Mets uniform in a couple of years is Niese and Santana, so Wheeler could be the co-ace if he reaches his potential.
ATHLETICS: Ziegler may be good but Allen should be a starter who does well and Norberto could do almost as well as Ziegler down the road, possibly.
LOSERS
DODGERS: They gave up a good and explosive center fielder that could be a big player starting next year for two future relievers, one of which seems to be a hit or miss (Rodriguez and a platoon catcher.  The deal was dumb for the Dodgers and it could hurt them a little more than they think.  The Furcal deal was good for them though.
RED SOX: Aviles si a good utility man for them who can fill in for an injured guy and do well and could get even better with the Sox in Fenway but Bedard probably won’t do much and the rotation of their’s might get beat up in the playoffs.  Beckett and Lester are the only guys who could really do well and Bedard could do something but coming off an injury he may not do much.  In the future he could return to doing well, so maybe they can re-sign him.
CARDINALS: The bullpen hasn’t gotten much better because Dotel is nearing the end of his career and behind him their bullpen just isn’t strong enough.  Salas and Rzepcynski are good but now I think they are out of it and they gave up Rasmus and got back a bad return and though Jay won’t be bad he won’t be able to replace him.  Furcal is only a small upgrade over Schumaker/Theroit too.  Castellanos has potential too.
YANKEES: No moves, still problems.  Not enough pitching for them could mean a playoff exit before the ALCS.  The Rangers and Red Sox are better and the Tigers have a better ace at this point and Scherzer and Fister are starting to show up.  No deal could be a huge loss and even Wandy Rodriguez looks good for them now.
WHITE SOX: They got one good future arm who won;t be an ace but good and a veteran reliever and that’s not enough for them to compete I think.
ASTROS: The really didn’t get back a lot of really good prospects but they aren’t complete losers, they just could have gotten more.  Singleton and Zied look good along with Santana and Cossart.  Oberholtzer also a good pickup.
IN BETWEEN
ANGELS: They didn’t need to really make a move but they could have.  They probably won’t the division and some oft he other hitters will heat up down the strecth anyway, so they are fine.  Their biggest problem is figuring out how to get rid of Wells so next year Trout and play with Hunter and Bourjos in the outfield and Abreu will DH.  Something going to have to happen.
GIANTS: Beltran is hurt but he could give them major production is September and even more in the playoffs and Keppinger is a number two guy they needed but not sure why they got Orlando Cabrera, at this point Tejada is better.  So they are winners if Beltran shows up, which is more likely and losers if he doesn’t 
DIAMNDBACKS: Ziegler is another good arm who will have success ad Marquis was good but they may still have enough to beat the Giants anyway and the Goldschmit call-up, could be, well, gold.

MLB Power Rankings 8/19/11

1. Phillies- The best, no question
2. Red Sox- Really Good, easily better than the Yankees
3. Braves- I can’t find many negatives
4. Yankees- Starters and Injuries a concern but a good team
5. Brewers- Hottest in baseball and Weeks isn’t even back yet
6. Rangers- Ready for another deep postseason run
7. Diamondbacks- Look better than the Giants but not very established yet
8. Giants- Lincecum has been a n ace as has Cain and Vogelsong and Sanchez have been a great supporting cast.  No offense though
9. Tigers- If the starters can come around they are a pretty deep team
10. Rays- The wrong division, one of the most talented teams in the MLB, bright future
11. Cardinals- Berkman, Holliday and Pujols won’t make it easy on Brewers but Garcia struggles are big trouble
12. Indians- Ubaldo will help but just aren’t THAT good
13. Angels- Wells is killing them but Santana is hot and Trumbo is a very talented player
14. White Sox- If Dunn comes around, watch out, Humber being out hurts though
15. Blue Jays- Above average but this isn’t their year to shine
16. Pirates- A .500 team, finally.  If Alvarez comes around and they stay healthy could be much, much more
17. Reds- Could climb up the list and come back very strong
18. Rockies- Another team that had just one bad year and Tulo could light up September
19. Marlins- Should being doing a lot better but dumb moves like demoting Morrison hurt
20. Mets- Not a bad team but not a contender, yet
21. Nationals- Could be next year’s surprise team with Strasburg back, both Zimmerman(n)s and a good year from Werth, don’t forget Harper, at the end of the year, either
22. Twins- Need to come out the gate better but Nishioka is a bust and an easy out, the double play combo needs work
23. Athletics- They look very good and I can’t see them not improving a lot next season
24. Padres- Have some young and promising players but still a few years away
25. Dodgers- Kemp is an MVP candidate and Ethier should come back strong starting this year
26. Mariners- The starters look good and Wells and Carp look like future players but after that it’s hazy
27. Orioles- Not a really good team and still years away from contending
28. Cubs- With Hendry gone it could get better from here
29. Royals- Their outfielders all look good and prospects are bright a better record is ahead
30. Astros- Not much other than Altuve

Trade Analysis: Bedard to Red Sox, M’s Get Two Top Prospects

RED SOX: They get two months of Bedard.  He won’t be lights out but or be an ace but he can be very good after he fully recovers from his injury.  He won’t be like that every start but he’s much better than Andrew Miller and if he stays healthy I think he’d make a good end of the rotation starter next year, even in Boston.  Overall he doesn’t look like he could do really bad even if he is off and the Red Sox need for him and they will get something out of him.  He was a good pickup and should be a valuable asset who only gives up a couple runs and hits and barely walks anybody.  They also got Josh Fields, who was a top pick and a flamethrower, who looks like a future seventh inning guy, who will do good.
MARINERS: They got Trayvon Robinson who looks like he will be a good, solid, everyday MLB talent who puts together a very good career.  He can play good defense anywhere and has some speed and some above average tools and enough power to own Safeco at times.  He looks like he will be starting everyday for them by next year and doing a great job then too.  The M’s also got Chih-Hsien Chiang, who has enoum=rmas talent and will also be a starter, he looks like a future corner outfielder who is above average and looks like an RBI machine who will just flat-out hit.  His power could be huge too.  I like Chieng almost as much as Robinson but I can’t rank him above Robinson yet though because Robinson has too many tools.
DODGERS The Dodgers get Stephen Fife, who has had success in the minors and could very well be a good starter in the MLB, not a knockout starter but a really good starter.  They also got Tim Federowicz, a backup or maybe platoon catcher who will hit .265-ish in the MLB and get some hits but won’t be awesome and will suffer through slumps and the Dodgers got Juan Rodriguez who will either hit off or just stink, like he is right now.  With his electric arm though all he need sis some control, which is a big thing for him to get, to do a really good job.
FALLOUT: WINNER: Mariners, they have a good outfield present and future  MIDDLE: Red Sox, got a starter who will do good and a future reliever  LOSER: Dodgers, hit or miss prospects acquired and all will be role players or everyday decent players, which is good but not worth Robinson

Analysis: Tigers Get Fister & Pauley for Furbush & Wells

THE TIGERS SIDE: The Tigers needed one more starter and reliever to succeed and they got it right here.  Fister is so underrated and is a big breakout waiting to happen in Detroit and he will quickly improve his winning percentage in Detroit.  He will put up good stats and his mechanics and everything are great and he looks like he will be an above average fourth starter for a long time.  Fister won’t be overpowering but a nice pitcher that mows guys down almost like Mark Buehrle and in Detroit a lot is possible for this guy.  Pauley has all he needs to succeed it’s just that he figured it out this year and he will be a great middle reliever for years to come, just like Fister will in the rotation.  Pauley will get hitters out in many ways and get the job done and in Detroit, he too will do a lot better, expect tons of 1-2-3 innings and holds as he does his job and does it great.  These two are under team control longer too and have nowhere to go but up and if they don’t get a ton better they will still do how good they are now.  They will be big down the stretch, really big.
SEATTLE: First, they got Charlie Furbush who could be a decent long man or a good lefty five man in the rotation.  He’s always looked good but don’t expect knockout type of numbers from him now that he’s in Seattle.  He will do a good, above average jo though and I have always liked him.  Casper Wells has a little bit of everything and he will show it this year for the Mariners.  He will be a number two type hitter who plays hard, is good on defense and is just plain exciting.  He will do good, even in Safeco.  Francisco Martinez is a good third baseman who will be above average but probably not quite an all-star is a really good hitter all around who will develop some nice pop to go along with Halman and Peguero.  He may need to move positions but that will always be a weakness.  The M’s also get a player to be named, likely Chance Ruffin, but it could also be Nick Castellanos or Drew Smyly.  Castellanos is a the third basemen of the future though and Smyly looks like a really special starter who could be in Detroit soon.  Ruffin is good and will have a great career out of the bullpen that will start really soon but the Tigers have future closers in Schlereth, Perry and Albuquerque.  Valverde could also stay longer because he’s an all-star year in and year out and almost irreplaceable at this point.  Ruffin is replaceable and fits best with Seattle.  It was a good haul for the Mariners though and they got lots of future talent and will soon show up.
EDGE: Tigers, both sides win here though.  The Tigers look best after the trade

Tigers Notes: Purcey DFA’d, Ruffin PTBNL, Dirks Here to Stay

• The Tigers will replace Purcey with David Pauley, who is so much better.  Purcey is just a bust who was riding a streak of success in Oakland.  He won’t ever do good with the Tigers and is a bust as a top prospect too so he probably won’t do well anyone else.  Purcey could do better than he is now but he will still face the same problems and just doesn’t have the right form to succeed.  GOOD MOVE
• Chance Ruffin is the other player being sent to the Mariners.  Ruffin is a future closer and will do well in Seattle and succeed and I’m happy he’s there player leaving, Smyly is going to have a great career and looks very special and Castellanos is finally getting it and will be an occansional all-star third baseman who fields, hits and has power, Ruffin is the worst player in that group.  Ruffin will have good numbers for the M’s and is major league ready and will show it.
• Andy Dirks will stay with Detroit and he should.  He looks like a solid platoon player.  He can hit leadoff for Jackson and do very good and get RBIs and has power.  He can pinch hit and play defense and he’s just a good lefty hitter.  Expect some contributions and a good season and he should do well beyond that too.  He’s a major leaguer.