MLB '07: The Year in Review Awards

Since today is the final day of 2007, I've decided to mention the goods and bads of the year that was in baseball.

Most Improved Franchise: Chicago Cubs
It's amazing what happens when teams decide to spend money more freely (EX: Mets, Red Sox, and Tigers recently). The Cubs went from the laughing stock of the worst division in the NL, to the Champions of the highly improved, yet still; worst division in the NL. Still, they showed that if you're willing to spend big bucks to bring in guys like Alfonso Soriano and Ted Lilly, you could make a great improvement in a short period of time. Not to mention the contributions made by the Rich Hills and Ryan Theriots of the world.
Runner Up: KC Royals

Least Improved Franchise: Cincinnati Reds
Sure they recently made an "improvement" bringing in Dusty "Throw Prior and Wood Out There 'Til their arms fall off" Baker. And of course they picked up Josh Hamilton in the rule five draft... oh, forgot the traded him for, err.. well nobody of any significance (Edison Volquez [might be okay] and Daniel Herrera). Still, since their collapse late in '06, they have done little to improve. They didn't trade Dunn for anything useful (yet) and Bronson Arroyo has just gotten worse. Reds fans can only hope that Jay Bruce pans out, and soon.
Runners Up: Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates

Best Anti-Umpire Rant: Chipper Jones
He earned a lot of my respect with this one. I was hoping someday, somebody would stand up against the horrible umpires that roam the major league diamonds these days. Not only that, he didn't even apologize afterward. As a Met fan it is hard to say this... but here it goes, Chipper Jones is the most respectable player in the game today.
Runner Up: none

Steroid Face of the Year: Roger Clemens
Who would've though that the year that Bonds finally got indicted that he wouldn't be the biggest story of the year. He officially proved to me that the steroid era wasn't only good for baseball (it saved the game after the strike), it was also bad. Clemens might not be as hated a person as Bonds (except by Mike Piazza) but if this is true, at least Bonds didn't steal any rings with his steroid use.
Runners Up: Bonds, George Mitchell

Team with Brightest '08 and Beyond: KC Royals
Hear me right now: The Royals are a playoff team in '08. Mark my words, they will edge out the Tigers in the Central. They might not look as good on paper as the rest of their division, but they have the best bullpen in that division as well as a pair of future studs in Alex Gordon and Billy Butler. Also, I truly believe that Meche and Greinke will be the best 1,2 punch in that division next year. While it is a stretch, the Royals are, in my eyes the team to beat.
Runners Up: Tampa Bay Rays

New Ultimate Baseball!

As you can see I have a whole new look here at Ultimate Baseball. The reason for this is I received some feedback from people over at MLBTR (STLRedbirds) that the colors were a little vexing. So I made the colors a little more plain. Hope you like it.
Along with the artistic complaints my Joba Chamberlain Perspective gathered some complaints about me letting my bias toward the Yankees show a little too much. Unfortunately you can't see some of those comments because I accidentally deleted them (it seriously was an accident). While I'm a believer of any publicity being good publicity (as you can see by the increased number of people participating in the GM poll on the side) I will try harder in the future to hide my bias towards teams that displease me (maybe not the Phillies so much).

* Just as a heads up, their are only 4 days to vote on the best general manager poll. The winner's post will be put up some time next weekend. *

Prospect Perspective: Joba Chamberlain

A couple of weeks ago I walked into Models and saw something that made me sick to my stomach... A Joba Chamberlain jersey. Here in New York, they are selling the jersey of a player who hasn't proved anything other than the fact that he is afraid of bugs. I mean, they still aren't selling John Maine shirts here. Now, I know I sound a little biased, however, say you're a Yankee fan and you walked into Models and saw a Joe Smith jersey but couldn't find a Robinson Cano jersey. You'd be upset too, wouldn't you? So I've decided to discuss Joba Chamberlain in this addition of "Prospect Perspective."



Value: Yes Chamberlain had a great end of the season. He showed that he could be dominate. Which is the sole reason he has the type of value he has today. Maybe he will be a lights out pitcher some day (highly unlikely). However, there is no reason to have him off limits at what I believe to be his peek value. Still, he would be a more valuable trading chip than any other pitcher in baseball. Overall Value: A+

Ability: There are many people who believe Chamberlain is a bonafide ace. Those people belong locked up in an insane asylum. Sure, he dominated in the Majors; but, he dominated people who were burned out and really playing for nothing. I mean, what major contenders were there for the playoffs in the AL: Red Sox (had it wrapped up early), Indians (wrapped up fairly early), Angels (No other good team in their division), Yankees (played for them), Mariners (did anybody really consider them a contender), Tigers (faded rather early). So as you see, he faced people who were either trying to save their energy for the post season, or people who didn't care about the season. We'll see his true ability in April, but until then his ability is nowhere near A caliber. Overall ability: B

Future: Unlike his teammate, Phil Hughes, Joba's future is not too bright. He will not post an ERA under 4 as a starter unless he makes some real improvements. However, I do see him as an above-average reliever. If the Yankees kept him in the pen he could be a Jason Isringhaussen type closer. So, I'll give him two separate future ratings. Starter Future: B-; Reliever Future Rating: A-



Overall Prospect Rating: A- This rating would be a lot lower if it wasn't for his value. Part of being a good prospect is having a high trade value. However, come May, his value probably will take a bit of a plunder, and the Steinbrenners are too obstinate to put him in a package for Santana. If a package of Melky Cabrera, Joba Chamberlain, and a no-name prospect could get a Santana deal done, why not do it?

Prior: Ultimate Bargain

Who would've guessed when Mark Prior first came up that he would be non-tendered. I mean, if people had heard that Gil Meche would get 11 million per in '06 , with Prior reaching free agency in '07, he wouldn't get more than 5 million per. In fact, if you told them what the contracts were nowadays, people would've believed Prior could get 22-28 million per, over seven years. However, overuse by Dusty Baker and years of injury have cost Prior more money than most people can even fathom.
Still, even though he won't return until May, I believe he could still be worth close to 20 million. A change of scenery is clearly all he needs. I could honestly see him winning 8-10 games in the second half of this year. More astonishingly, I believe, barring injury, he is a legit candidate for 20 games and a Cy-Young Award in '09. So, as a word of advice to all GM's out there, don't spend your farm on a Johan Santana or Erik Bedard unless you're ready to contend this year (That means you Cincinnati Reds). Instead, focus on obtaining equal value for less than 5 million dollars. Consider it trading Johan Santana for your own farm system, Mark Prior, and a gargantuan amount of money!

Rumor Mill or Rumor Mull? Royals Trade Buckner for Callaspo

Earlier today, as the Royals sent 24-year-old pitching prospect, Billy Buckner, to Arizona for 24-year-old second baseman Alberto Callaspo. As usual, I will discuss the ups and downs for both teams.

1. Kansas City Royals: Buckner had some chances to show what he had in September. I personally was impressed by the way he pitched in his limited time. Buckner was one of the highest touted prospects in the Royals system last year. However, perhaps more importantly than losing Buckner, this opens up a trade of second baseman Mark Grudzielanek.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks: I don't quite understand this from the D'backs' end. Sure Buckner has potential, but Callaspo will be quite good himself. I could see Callasp as a 20HR .320AVG 80RBI 30SB type player, and potential gold glover. The D'Backs could've acquired more for Callaspo, in my opinion. Tim Dierkes points out Callaspo's arrest in May.

As usual, Dayton Moore gets away the victor here!

Is Lowry the Key?

Recent rumors have suggested that the Mets offered Lastings Milledge to the Giants for Noah Lowry. If the Mets were able to obtain Lowry, they'd have three goo arms about to enter their baseball primes (28-32), in Maine, Perez, and Lowry. Rick Peterson was the pitching coach for the dominating trio of Zito, Hudson, and Mulder. Could he get Maine, Perez, and Lowry to excel to that level. I believe so. Here are my predictions, barring injury, for that trio if Omar were to acquire Lowry:

1. John Maine: 19-7, 3.30 ERA, 200K's, 200IP. After having an above average season last year, even though he was hurt all year and it was his first full year, one can only imagine how he could do in a full, injury-free season this year.
2. Oliver Perez: 17-10, 3.45 ERA, 225 K's, 190IP. It seems Perez may finally have found adequate consistency. If he can keep that up for close to 200 innings, he could strike out nearly 250 this year. However, he does have some bad outings, so don't count on that.
3. Noah Lowry: 16-3, 3.75 ERA, 125K's, 170 IP. This kid has potential! While those numbers aren't dominating, they're still pretty good. This year would be more a year for him to improve on his K: BB rate, than anything else. In a few years though, he could win 20 games.

If I'm Omar, I'm trading a package of F-Mart and Humber/Mulvey for this kid. While it is highly unlikely, this tandem could have three 20 game winners in 2011 with Peterson's tutelage.

Rule V Draft: Mets Gain Two Pitchers With Upside

The Rule 5 draft was held earlier today and Omar Minaya was able to pluck two potentially important relievers:

1. First there's 24-year-old righty, Steve Register. Register was the 13th overall pick. He led the Double-A Texas league in saves with 37 for Tulsa.
2. Then they took 24-year-old righty, Gary Bakker. He had an ERA of 3.67 (despite a 2-7 record) for Class A Winston-Salem of the Carolina League last season.

In order to hold onto Register, the Mets have to keep him on their 25 man roster all year. So, basically, register is going to have to try to pitch his way off of the defending National League Champion, Rockies in Spring Training. This idea would be absurd if the Champs were any other team than the Rox, Nats, Bucks, or Giants. Then again, I guess it's better to play for a Major League team than an affiliate of a champion Major League team.

Winter Meetings: Breaking Down the Cabrera/Willis Trade

As most of you know already, last night the Tigers acquired Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Robello, and three decent minor league pitching prospects. This is the biggest trade in a long time, and could become the biggest trade since The Babe if all the players pan out.

Cameron Maybin could be the best hitter in baseball in 6 or 7 years. I believe he will be the next 40-40 guy in about ten years. He is the definition of a five tool player.

Andrew Miller was going to be the number one overall pick in the 2006 draft out of UNC, until he priced himself out of the Royals range. He fell to number six, where the Tigers gave him a nice signing bonus. He might end up better than Willis this year if Willis doesn't get his act together.

Mike Robelo is another great pickup. The Marlins got the young catcher they were looking for!

This could be the Marlins lineup in a few years:
1. Hanley Ramirez, SS
2. Jeremy Hermida, RF
3. Cameron Maybin, CF
4. Dan Uggla, 2B
5. Mike Jacobs, 1B
6. Mike Robelo, C
7. Josh Willingham, LF
8. Alfredo Amezaga, 3B (they'll improve here I believe)
That could be an unbeatable lineup. If the Marlins would move out of that place now and make enough money to resign all of these players, they could establish a dynasty!

The only bad thing about this trade for baseball fans is that Dontrelle will no longer get to hit in the American League.

Heyman Agrees on Nady; I Add Twist

As I reported yesterday, Xavier Nady is available. Though, apparently, he will not be non-tendered. However, si.com's Jon Heyman agrees the Mets could pursue Nady for right field. As far as I could tell, I was the first to suggest this idea. So, three cheers for me! So, I'll have some fun and add a twist to my own proposal.
Maybe the Mets can put together a strong package and also look to acquire Pittsburgh ace, Ian Snell. Snell is my favorite pitcher in baseball, outside of New York. I believe a deal of Gomez, Mulvey, Muniz, and maybe even another, lower level, guy could do it. What do you think? Leave your own thoughts in the comments!

Winter Meetings Report: 1st Half of Day One

Seeing as I wasn't home all morning, I haven't been able to stay up to the minute with the meetings. So here are some of the highlights so far:

• The Diamondbacks send Carlos Quentin to the White Sox for Chris Carter.
• Erik Bedard doesn't want an extension, and is being shopped, with the Mets, Red Sox, Dodger, Mariners, and possibly the Yanks in the mix.
• Elijiah Dukes is possibly on the move to Washington.
• Andy Pettitte returns.
• As usually, Billy Beane's asking prices are insane.

I'm not as efficient at keeping up to the minute as most sites, so feel free to leave any rumors of note in the comments. I will only be covering major trades and Met/Yankee stuff during the meetings.

Winter Meetings Report: Predictions

With the Winter Meetings kicking off tomorrow, from Nashville, I've decided to cover the top 3 stories with my predictions as to what will happen:

1. Johan Santana: In an earlier post, I discussed the Angels, Yankees, and Red Sox as the main suitors for Johan. Over the last few days, the Yanks and Sox have been exchanging the lead in the Santana derby. However, the Yanks have seemingly made their best offer, and will look elsewhere if it is not good enough. Prediction: Santana to Boston
2. Miguel Cabrera: The Angels and Giants have been frustrated with the Marlins tactics in putting together a Cabrera deal. Even the Angels have more to offer, the Giants have a greater need with Bond's not coming back. In the end, I don't think the Marlins will be able to pull the trigger. Prediction: Cabrera stays in Florida
3. Andruw Jones: In my opinion, the best player to reach free agency this year (including pitchers), remains unsigned. With Scott Boras as his agent, asking only for a long term, high expense deal. The one GM I believe is smart enough to go after Andruw at this price, is Dayton Moore. He is very familiar with Jones from his days in the Atlanta scouting office. Prediction: Jones signs with Royals for six years 102 million with incentives up to 110 million.

X- MAN 2: X-Man Returns?

According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette the Pirates will look to get rid of Xavier Nady, either by trading him, or non-tendering him. Apparently, the Pirates are unwilling to exceed the all important (sarcasm) 3 million dollar mark for Nady. On the open market Nady could net 4 years and 8-10 million. However, Scott Boras is his agent; therefore, he could net a five, or even six year deal (I believe) at about 12 million a year. So, the best bet to obtain Nady would be in a trade.
So I plead, Omar, part with a Phil Humber or a Kevin Mulvey, whatever it takes. Get Nady back. He and Church would platoon well in right. This would also make it easier to trade Gomez for a pitcher, seeing as you wouldn't need to keep a sixth outfielder (along with Alou, Nady, Church, Beltran, and Chavez). Church could spell Alou every once in a while and Nady could spell Delgado at first. It is the definition of a perfect fit!
Remember, giving up a pitching prospect for Nady is really like giving up a pitching prospect for Oliver Perez and Roberto Hernandez. You'll get the better end of the deal!

Melky Gone = Bernie Back?

I was just reading over at Mlbtraderumors.com that Joe Pawlikowski says Andruw Jones would be a better replacement than Aaron Rowand if Melky is traded(DUH!). However, I got to thinking about other scenarios. I came to a conclusion that should make all Yankee fans happy.

If Melky is traded, I believe that the Yankees should go after Bernie Williams as a part time outfielder. Then, they can sign Cuban-defector, Alexia Ramirez(apparently 26-years-of-age) to play with Bernie. Bernie could mentor Ramirez as he adjusts to the MLB. It's a perfect match, right? What do you think?

Winter Meetings Report: What's Missing?

It's that time of year again! The time where all the general managers in baseball gather to talk trades and pick up unwanted players in the Rule V draft. Although these are similar festivities every year (a lot of talk, some action{meetings at bottom part of page on link}), these meetings tend to feel a little different. For example, last year the big trade names in the pitching market were Brad Penny and Rich Harden. This year big names like Santana and Haren are ready to go! This year instead of the Mets losing a somewhat high upside pitcher for a young power arm, they lose an extremely high upside outfielder for... well, nothing much. However there are a few major aspects of the meetings we are missing as of now:

1. Manny Not Being Manny? Over the past years, it seems every year, Manny Ramirez asks for a trade. However, this year (so far) we've heard nothing of Manny. Has his second ring finally made him happy in Boston, or is even Manny tired of Manny being Manny?
   
2. No More Barry Lamar Bonds: One of the most hilarious parts of the meetings last year was when Barry Bonds, the self-centered, arrogant, soon to be home run king, showed up and begged Giants GM Brian Sabean for his job.(At least that's how I saw it). Sabean, not being the brightest man in the world, allowed Bonds to sign for one year 16 million. This year, Bonds will be spending the meetings fighting perjury charges. Who knows, he may still show up and beg for a job. Now that, that would be the most hilarious thing to ever happen in Major League Baseball history.


3. Has Boras Lost Control: Over the last several years, Agent Scott Boras has had a vice-grip on all of baseball. But it seems that since he was defeated in the Dice-K adventure last year, he's lost his touch (Other than the Zito steal). Then, this year, he was fired by Kenny Rodgers, who just signed with the Tigers, and was forgotten in the A-Rod mess. So, is Boras washed up or did he have a bad year. With free agents like Andruw Jones under his control this year, it will be interesting to see.

So when the meetings start next week, don't be shocked if you feel there's something missing. Just sit back, relax, and look out for the wonderful rumors as they unfold.

Prospect Perspective: Phil Hughes

It was decided last night that the Yankees are willing to include Phil Hughes in a package for Johan Santana. The package seems set at Hughes, Melky Cabrera, and another pitching prospect (Alan Horne?). So I'll be decided to discuss Hughes this morning.

Value: There's obviously no doubt that Hughes has tremendous value. If he didn't, the Yankees wouldn't be able to come close to pulling a deal off with just Cabrera and another pitcher alongside Hughes. You can't get much more valuable than a 21-year-old who has potential to be an all time great. Overall Value: A+

Ability: Hughes was gifted with tremendous ability as well. He has a fastball that sits in the mid 90's, with good movement; and, he can place it well too. He also can place his two-seamer well with good speed (low 90's). His best pitch is an amazing curve. He trows it in the mid to low 80's with excellent movement.
Hughes also possesses great presence and poise on the mound, and is extremely hard to rattle.
Overall ability: A+

Future: It's clear as day that Hughes will be a bonafide Ace in the next few years. Personally, I see him winning 250-300 games, whether for the Yanks or Twins. He will probably win at least one Cy-young. His average season should be about 16-5 3.25 ERA and 200 K's. It's extremely possible he'll be better than Santana in a few years. Overall Future: A+

Overall Prospect Rating: A+
Clearly, Hughes is the definition of a blue-chip prospect. However, if I were the Yankees I would refuse to trade him. Even with Santana, they might not be able to beat the Red Sox this year.

Commenting Problems?

A lot of people have been confused about commenting here at Ultimate Baseball. If you read the heading under the orange bar at the top of this page, it clearly says their is no need to register. This, in fact is the main reason I started this site, because I was tired of having to register to comment on just about every baseball site. To comment, just comment as anonymous." So, I'm hoping there will be no more confusion.

Poll Posts

Some of my viewers have noticed the poll on the sidebar of this blog. I just wanted to let you all know, each poll will be followed by a post. For example, in 35 days, when that poll expires, I will have a post explaining the moves made by the winning GM over the past few years. So please, vote for the best GM of the last few years!

Mets Trade Milledge to Nats for Church, Schneider

Earlier this week I discussed Lastings Milledge in my first post ever. Now, Milledge has been sent packing. According to Ken Rosenthal, the Mets sent Milledge to the Nats for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church. If this is true, as most rumors that Rosenthal reports are, Omar Minaya should be fired in the next hour or two.
First off, the Mets don't need Schneider. I'm fine with Estrada, who will hit 300 this year for whatever team he plays for, catching. Sure, Schneider, is a great defensive catcher and calls a great game; but, he couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag. I mean, it's not like Castro and Estrada are horrible catchers.
Then, there's Ryan Church. His name is ironic in the sense that Omar better pray he performs adequately in right field (If he's Omar's plan for right) . Otherwise, Omar is done!
If there is one bright spot for the Mets, it's that Omar didn't acquire any Latin players. If he traded Milledge for say, Jesus Flores and Wily Mo Pena, then the tabloids would be all over him as usual.

As for the Nats, they finally got something out of general manager, Jim Bowden. He now has two outfielders with tremendous upside in Pena and Milledge.

Final Note: The Mets did want to throw in Estrada, but Bowden declined.

Rumor Mill or Rumor Mull: Santana for Reyes

The second installment of Rumor Mill or Rumor Mull! Today I'll discuss the ups and downs of a Santana for Reyes swap:

1. New York Mets' perspective: This is a horrible idea for the Metropolitans. First off, this would break the hearts of the Mets younger fans. Then, they'll go into '09, in a new ball bark, with the face of the franchise being a thirty-year-old, who pitches every fifth day. I guess there is one positive result here for the Mets. They will, at least somewhat, erase the memory of '07.
2. Minnesota Twins' Perspective: For the most part this is a great deal for the Twins. They'll be adding a charismatic, popular face to their franchise, right before they move to their new stadium. Could you imagine a line-up of Reyes, Mauer, Young, Morneau in 4 years? Wow! However, the negative aspect of this for the Twins is that they don't add any pitching to replace Santana or Garza.

For the above reasons, I seriously doubt this trade will ever happen. As a Mets fan myself I view any mention of this scenario as ludicrous. Needless to say, if this happens, Omar will be my least favorite person in the world!

Class of 2008: Failing to Flourishing

Earlier this week, Tom Verducci of Sportsillustrated.com had an article about lasts years losers, who could turn their fortunes around. So, I've decided to list the top teams in each league with the ability to flourish in '08 after failing in '07.

American League: Kansas City Royals: Personally, I believe that the Royals will win the AL Central in '08. Now, before you start thinking I'm crazy, here are my reasons.

• Alex Gordon and Billy Butler: I believe Gordon will be the star of that division in two years (exceeding Sizemore, Hafner, Mauer, Liriano, Morneau, etc.). This year I honestly see him hitting 25-30HRs, driving in 100, and batting .330. Butler will also emerge as an offensive star, blasting 20-30HRs and winning a batting title.
• Trey Hillman and Yasuhiko Yabuta: Japanese relievers have shown dominance after coming to the U.S. (Okajima, Otsuka, etc.). Combine that with a manager who worked in Japan for several years and you get the best set-up man in the majors. KC had the best pen in that division last year already, imagine if they sign a Dotel or Riske, along with Yabuta. Now that's formidable!

National League: Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers just outright collapsed last year. I've never seen a collapse that bad in ... oops um, never mind (Let's Go Mets!). Anyways, here are the reasons the LA Dodgers of LA will bounce back.

• San Diego Silence: The Padres I thought would decimate that division last year; however, even after falling short (Matt Holliday STILL hasn't touched home plate), they've made no significant strides to improve their team. Meanwhile the Dodgers are at least looking at Santana and Bedard.
• Joe Torre: Aside from the fact Joe will use Johnathan Broxton and Scott Procter over and over until their arms need to be sewn to their shoulder, Joe brings a winning attitude to a laid-back franchise. His leadership and want to win will be enough to get the Dodgers a wild card birth (but not much else).

Rumor Mill: Garza for Young

Update: It seems most people believe the Twins won this one
Update, 6:07 AM: It's official
Wed 11/28 3:43PM: The Minnasota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays are close to a franchise changing deal. The Twins are reportedly ready to send young stud, Matt Garza along with Jason Bartlett and Juan Rincon to the Rays for former #1 pick, Delmon Young plus Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie. First off, I believe that the Rays lost this deal by a lot. Delmon Young is way more valuable than Matt Garza! Although it was about time the Rays dumped one of their young outfielders.
The Rays will head into '08 with a starting three of Kazmir, Shields, and Garza (assuming the Mets don't get Kazmir... Hey I can dream, can't I?). They may actually win 80 games with that young core and Rincon setting up. Bartlett will provide some competition for youngster, Reid Brignac.
Now, the most crucial part of this trade... Johan Santana? Last year Santana expressed his displeasure with the way Twins management seemingly gave up on the season when they traded Luis Castillo to New York. Now that they have given up one of the crucial members of the rotation, I believe Santana just stuck his foot out the door.

HELP WANTED: Post ideas

Well, it's been about 24 hours that I've been running this blog now and I feel I need more ideas for keeping my readers entertained. So, if you have any ideas about what I should post about, leave a comment and I'll try to oblige.

Rumor Mill or Rumor Mull? Mets and A's

There has been a lot of recent speculation about the Mets and A's hooking up in a deal for either Dan Haren or Joe Blanton. So I decided to step in and voice my opinion on this matter. I'll talk about the ups and downs for both teams.

1. Blanton: This would be a horrible acquisition for the Mets if they have to give up anything more than a Mike Devaney or Phil Humber and a Carlos Muniz type. Blanton will become the fourth or fifth best pitcher on the Mets behind John Maine, Oliver Perez, Pedro Martinez, and possibly El Duque. On the other hand, if the A's can acquire Fernando Martinez, Aaron Heilman, Carlos Gomez, Lastings Milledge, as Newsday suggests, the A's should do it in a heartbeat. I mean, they are nowhere near contending next year with the Angels as the powerhouse of that division.


2. Haren: This is a deal that could benefit both teams. The A's could obtain their future in the likes of Milledge, Gomez, Martinez, Kevin Mulvey, Mike Pelfrey, and Deolis Guerra. The Mets can receive a second ace to lead that rotation with John Maine. In Shea and Citi Field Haren could win 18 games and post a sub 3 ERA with some ease.

The way I see it, the best trade could be Haren for Gomez, Mulvey, Muniz, and Humber. However, Omar Minaya and Billy Beane have a tendency to discuss trades without anything getting done (Zito 2 years ago(good thing that never happen!), Haren and Blanton last year, etc.)

Fanatic Fun Awards

Tonight I've decided to have a little fun and give out awards to the various fan bases of certain teams. I will call these awards "The Fanatic Fun Awards." So, without a further ado, your 2007 Fanatic Fun Awards:

• Smartest Fan base: St. Louis Cardinals. I have to admit, as a met fan, this is hard to admit after the way they beat us in '06. However, most Cardinal fans I've read the comments of have been realistic, modest, and displayed a high intellect. Believe it or not, the runner up goes to the Boston Red Sox. It seems that when they're not discussing New York or Boston, their baseball IQ skyrockets. However, their inability to hide their hate for New Yorkers costs them this award.
• Least Intelligent Fan base: San Fransisco Giants. No other fan base can support a guy who ruined the great industry that is major league baseball (Barry Lamar Bonds). I've read comments by Giant fans who want five all-star prospects for Matt Cain (the most over-rated ace in baseball). The clincher for this award was a comment made by a guy named "zito4cyyoung" in the comment forums of Mlbtraderumors who said the least he'd take for Cain was David Wright and another prospect.
• Most Annoying Fans: Philladelphia Phillies. This is not only because of the unpleasant time I had when I went to a Met-Phillies game in Philly (the fans actually enjoyed being called "cheese-steaks"), but what kinds of fans celebrate and embrace losing 10,000 games. This one goes to the Phillies in a run away!
• Best All-Around Fan base: Chicago Cubs. You have to give credit to a fan base who sticks by their team no matter how mediocre they are. Or no matter how many heart breaks they suffer through. It was just great that the Cubs were finally a money spending team last off-season. Maybe they can maintain their success for years to come.
• Worst All-Around Fan base: Florida Marlins. This fan base is a disgrace. No offence to those who actually go to the games. What kind of fan lets their team financially rot just because they're afraid of the rain. How many rain-outs have there actually been over the last few years? Come on people, this is one of the, if not the most successful franchises of the last decade.

So there's my take on the fan bases of major league baseball. Feel free to leave your take in the comments.

Santana Suitors: Yankees, Sox, and Angels

I guess it is my duty as an official blog author to discuss the circus around Johan Santana. So I will present my analysis of what each of the top three suitors has to offer, and what they'd be willing to offer:

1. New York Yankees: Not only has it already been confirmed that the Yankees have had discussions with the Twins about Johan, but it seems that most people believe that they will land the best pitcher in baseball. The twins would want One of the Yankees' "Big Three" and Melky Cabrera. While I don't see anything special about Melky; there are some people around here who think he is a future stud. The Yankees have shown an unwillingness to trade any of the three in the past; however, Cashman, Hank, and Hal seem very open to trading Hughes or Kennedy if it nets them a big fish. I find their reluctance to trade Joba ludicrous seeing as he is at the peak of his value. I mean, the way he pitched in his time in the majors, Chamberlain and Tabata alone could be enough to obtain Santana.
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: The Angels have an amazing farm system. Tim Dierkes over at mlbtraderumors.com had a nice suggestion earlier this morning. The Angels have Brandon Wood, Howie Kendrick, and a plethera of outfield prospects that the Twins could use. However, the main key to this trade could be the Angels reluctance to trade Nick Adenhart. I believe this guy could exceed Johan in ability in three or four years. In the end, I don't think that the Angels will aquire a seventh starter for their rotation in Santana.
3. Boston Red Sox: Okay, I almost didn't even mention the Sox because it would be unfair to have a rotation of Santana, Beckett, Schill, Dice-K, and Wakefield. However, Theo Epstein is the smartest man in baseball and he knows Schill and Wake have to eventually break down. So here we go! The Sox have two A caliber pitching prospects in Buckholtz and Lester. They also have a blue chipper in Jacoby Ellsbury. However, they'd much rather include Coco Crisp than Ellsbury (DUH!). Other names they'd include could be Jed Lowrie, Brandon Moss, and Kevin Youkilis.

In the end I truly believe the Yanks will take Santana. I mean, it could be worse; the Mets could offer Jose Reyes.

Prospect Perspective: Lastings Milledge

Welcome to C-Gouds' Ultimate Baseball Blog. As this is my first post, feel free to provide some constructive criticism for me in the comments section. I feel obligated to cover my favorite team, The New York Mets in my first post. "Prospect Perspective" is the name I will use for the posts where I discuss the value, ability and future of certain prospects. Today I will discuss the controversial, Lastings Milledge.
Value: I remember the day where the Mets let Milledge's upside keep them from acquiring Manny Ramirez. Now sometimes it feels as though Omar and the media are trying to run him out of town. It's amazing how quickly embracing your home fans and rapping can send one's reputation in a downward spiral. Most GM's in baseball see no value in Lastings anymore. However, Athletics GM Billy Beane seems awfully fond of him. He alone, may be able to land a #3 Starter. Overall Value: B
Ability: There's no doubt Lastings has tremendous ability. His major flaws are baserunning, off-speed stuff, and getting good jumps on fly balls. He however, is extremely athletic and charismatic. He has the speed to make up for his bad reads on fly balls and just has to learn the zone to become a star. Overall Ability: A
Future: It's pretty hard to tell what Lastings future holds. I, for one, believe he can become a 40HR 100RBI .260AVG. 25SB player. I see him as a future Mike Cameron type fielder. However, if he isn't given the chance to flourish, I could see him as a 18HR 60RBI .260AVG. 10SB type player. Since it is so hard to determine I''ll place him in the middle. Future: B+

Overall Prospect Level: B+