Saturday, January 27, 2007

Trade

The Wahoos trade pick #3 (Wahoo 1st), pick #67 (Wahoo 5th), and Chien-Ming Wang to the DiamondVision for pick #4 (DV 1st), Chris Young, and the DV 5th round pick in the 2008 Draft.

Diamonds in the Rough

There are always a few picks in the Draft who make their owners look real smart the next year. Here are the top later round picks from the 2006 NASOMA Draft:

42. Brian McCann, DVs (this was the third round, but not too bad for the 2nd best catcher in the league)
50. Jonathan Papelbon, Fungoes (4th round pick had an incredible year)
64. Robinson Cano, Killer Bees (last pick of the 4th round)
72. Kenny Rogers, Nads (had a great year in Detroit)
77. Freddy Sanchez, Oilers (NL batting champ)
80. Clay Hensley, Buckeyes (went from good reliever to even better starter)
87. Kenji Johjima, Mavs (there were doubters, but this uncarded import produced)
89. Chien-Ming Wang, Wahoos (one of many excellent picks by the Wahoos)
105. Garrett Atkins, Wahoos (after an okay rookie year, had a great sophomore year)
115. Fernando Rodney, Wahoos (the Wahoos did better in the later rounds than they did early on)
127. Gary Matthews, Drillers (career year by a guy who also SHOULD have been a cf-1)
131. Adam LaRoche, Wahoos (they had Lee and traded for Morneau, but still took LaRoche, who made them proud)
147. Willy Aybar, Fungoes (NASOMA playoff hero went in the 10th round)
150. Hanley Ramirez, Rhinos (the Rhinos know how to pick young shortstops, even in the 10th round, like this Rookie of the Year winner)
156. Joe Crede, FFTs (late 10th round pick gets the 1 at third)
176. Jerrod Weaver, Zaps (maybe the best pick of all comes with the last selection of the 11th round)
184. Dave Bush, DVs (last two DV choices were Willingham and Bush - very nice... except neither one made his team. hehehe)
185. Nick Markakis, SSW (it doesn't get much better than this for the 185th pick)
193. Adrian Gonzalez, Nads (13th round pick had a great year AND won a Gold Glove)

Who will it be this year?

Friday, January 26, 2007

Let There Be Cards!

Cards went on sale today. One day I want to go to New York for Opening Day and buy my cards in person. One day.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Figuring Out Strat

I once thought I understood, now I am quite certain I do not. First I was bamboozled how strat could ignore a statistic in a category FOR that statistic. For example, you can check how a player did last year with 2 outs and runners in scoring position. Now, I don't know if that statistic represents something as intangible as "clutch," but S-O-M does, because that is the very situation where the clutch hitting takes affect. But when Albert Pujols hits .435 in those situations in baseball, yet LOSES hits in the clutch on his card, they're obviously looking at something else. But, whatever, you know? As long as they're consistent in their factoring, fine. Still, I will never understand why, when they HAVE the statistical information, they don't use it. And it wasn't just Pujols. The statistic wasn't relevant for any players.

Another issue I thought I understood involves Derrek Lee. Lee was injured much of last year, so he only had 48 at bats vs LHP. In those 48 at bats, he did not hit a single home run. None. Nada. And yet, on his card he has 2 points of HR vs LHP, AND he's N-power with 2 points of BP HR vs LHP. How? I'm not complaining about Lee's card so much as I am just bewildered. I'm sure the answer has something to do with the limited at bats, but if the card is supposed to be a mathematical representation of his 2006 season... well, it isn't.

Trade

The Warpigs trade Matt Murton and pick #61 in the 2007 Draft (Warpig 4th) to the Wahoos for pick #19 (Wahoo 2nd), pick #35 (Wahoo 3rd), and pick #109 (Warpig 7th) in the 2007 Draft.

The Warpigs trade Chad Cordero, pick #44 (Buckeye 3rd), and pick #93 (Warpig 6th) to the Buckeyes for Clay Hensley and a 2008 Taxi spot.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Trade

The Wahoos trade Jason Frasor to the Buckeyes for the 2008 Buckeye 6th round pick.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Trade

The Wahoos trade Scott Podsednik to the FFTs for pick #109 in the 2007 Draft (Warpig 7th).

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Trade

The Bees trade Mike Mussina to the Sidewinders for Mark Prior and the Sidewinder 1st round pick in the 2008 NASOMA Draft.

The FFTs trade Cory Sullivan to the Tweeners for Esteban Loaiza.

The FFTs trade Jason Lane to the Buckeyes for Craig Wilson.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Trade

The FFTs trade Mark Kotsay to the Mavs for pick #109 in the 2007 Draft (Warpig 7th).

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Trade

The Nads trade Mike Matheny to the Warpigs for Scott Eyre.

The Warpigs trade B.J. Upton, pick #29 in the 2007 Draft (Warpig 2nd), a Taxi spot, the Warpig 1st round pick in 2008, and a 2008 Taxi spot to the Rhinos for Billy Wagner.

The Buckeyes trade Jason Michaels to the Tweeners for Jonny Gomes.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Trade

The Zaps trade Jim Thome to the Fungoes for Mike Pelfrey, Luis Gonzalez (AZ), and Neal Cotts.

The Warpigs trade Carlos Guillen and Chris Duffy to the Inmates for Chris Ray and Dan Wheeler.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Latest Tracker Update

Click on this link to get the latest DV Tracker. You may have to refresh your screen on each team to get the updates. Any cuts at this time are preliminary and have been highlighted in yellow at the bottom of the free agent page. Thanks for doing all the work, DVman.

Trade

The Oilers trade Dan Haren and Randy Winn to the Drillers for Gary Matthews, Jose Contreras, Francisco Cordero, and Benji Molina.

The Drillers trade Omar Vizquel to the Warpigs for Rich Harden.

The Warpigs trade Mike MacDougal to the Buckeyes for a 2008 Taxi spot.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

2007 Team by Team Preview - Nads

Nads

Starting Pitching:
Webb, Arroyo, Rogers, Millwood - nice rotation

Bullpen:
Ro.Hernandez, Donnelly, Wise, T.Jones, Dempster - some very handy guys to have in the pen; pitching is definitely a strength for this team

Catcher:
Pierzynski - playable vs rhp; pretty bad vs lhp

Infield:
Ad.Gonzalez (1b-1) - excellent card and balanced
Jacobs (1b-4) - also playable vs rhp; horrible vs lhp
Tracy (1b/3b-4) - pretty good vs rhp; terrible vs lhp
L.Castillo (2b-2) - again... very good vs rhp; pretty bad vs lhp
Glaus (3b-4, ss-5) - finally, a player who is excellent vs lhp (1.048 OPS); unfortunately, he is well below average vs rhp
Eckstein (ss-3) - no power or speed, but balanced with decent OB
Izturis (ss-2, 2b/3b-3) - 192 AB of bad offense
L.Gonzalez- the Colo. guy, not the Ariz. Guy (2b/3b-3, 1b/lf/rf-4) - OB vs lhp: .235; OB vs rhp: 279; luckily he only has 149 at bats

Outfield:
Burrell (lf-4) - best hitter on the team; good on both sides; especially good vs lhp; will lose a lot of hits in the clutch
Crisp (cf-4) - good speed but not a good card
Drew (rf-2) - very good hitter vs rhp; well below average vs lhp

Designated Hitter:
Mi.Sweeney - didn't play in the field last year; only 217 AB; balanced but not great; Burrell or Jacobs might end up here.

Uncarded Guys:
Felix Pie - #1 rated prospect in the Cubs' system.

Draft Status:
Picks first in each round. Has all his own picks plus an extra 8th.

Outlook:
The outlook isn't brilliant. The pitching is good, but there isn't much offense and the defense might even be worse. Luckily for the Nads, they are in an excellent position in the Draft and should be able to get lots of help thru their picks. And really, with that staff, Gonzalez, Castillo, Drew, Burrell, and Pierzynski... it could be worse.

Thanks to everybody who had nice things to say about these previews. They were fun to do. Stay tuned for more strat notes while we wait on the cards.

2007 Team by Team Preview - Tweeners

Logan County Tweeners

Starting Pitching:
Oswalt, Blanton, Harang, Lowry, Sowers - good staff, but any staff with Oswalt on it is good. Loaiza and Tejeda hope to make the team.

Bullpen:
Umm... F.Cabrera? - after the Linebrink trade, he's the only one left; this area is hurting

Catcher:
Barrett - 375 AB; balanced BA and OB; slugs 663 vs lhp
T.Hall - a possible keeper

Infield:
Giambi (1b-5) - lots of walks and homers; much better vs rhp
Roberts (2b-2) - .300 hitter vs rhp; much worse vs lhp
Teahan (3b-3) - 393 AB; above average hitter vs rhp
Cabrera (ss-2) - not bad vs rhp; good speed
Aurilia (1b/3b-3, 2b/ss-4) - great card vs lhp
Inge (3b-2) - nice power and defense; low BA and OB
Lopez (ss-4) - good speed; good OB vs rhp; very bad in clutch; 4 with a high e-rating
Erstad (1b-1) - a nice defensive replacement for Giambi

Outfield:
Soriano (lf-4) - excellent power and speed; high BA and OB vs lhp
Rowand (cf-1) - great defense but not much else
Jenkins (rf-3) - very good OB vs rhp with decent power; can't hit lefties at all
Rivera (of-4) - solid hitter; great vs lhp and very good vs rhp
Gomes (rf-5) - pounds lhp (1.051 OPS)
Nady (1b/rf-3) - also great vs lhp

Designated Hitter:
The Tweeners really got screwed on defense. Giambi is a 5... Soriano is a 4... Lopez got a 4 again... but the real killer was Rivera. He was a 2/3/2 in the outfield last year but is now a 4 in all three spots. That being said, DH could be just about any of these guys. My guess right now would be Rivera vs rhp (w/Jenkins in RF) and Gomes vs lhp (w/Rivera in RF).

Uncarded Guys:
None

Draft Status:
The Tweeners pick 9th. They have all their own picks and no extras.

Outlook:
Giambi, Soriano, Rivera, and some good platoon guys will win some games. Having Oswalt and the other starters also make them dangerous, but the lack of bullpen will hurt. They will match up well with the Bees and Zaps, but will finish well in back of the Sidewinders.

The last team to go is the Nads - they're up next.

2007 Team by Team Preview - Warpigs

Hooterville Warpigs

Starting Pitching:
Lackey, E.Santana, Vazquez, Cliff Lee, Harden (47 IP) - very mediocre

Bullpen:
Liriano, C.Cordero, Duchscherer, MacDougal - Liriano will provide 121 innings of excellent relief; the others are useable

Catcher:
V.Martinez - excellent hitter; pitiful arm

Infield:
Pujols (1b-1) - another great card; balanced; gains about 100 BA points in the clutch; has a 1 on defense
Carroll (2b-2, 3b-3, ss-4) - good OB, especially vs lhp
C.Guillen (ss-3, 1b-3) - nice hitting card; better vs rhp; is a 2, but will have a high e-rating
Atkins (3b-4) - huge bat; poor defense
S.Drew (ss-3) - 209 good at bats; lefty hitter, but had better numbers vs lhp
B.Upton (3b-4) - not much help this year, but still young

Outfield:
M.Ramirez (lf-4) - excellent power and OB; poor defense
Murton (lf-4) - will not get as much playing time with Ramirez on the team, but has a really good card and is only 25.
Granderson (cf-2) - won't help much offensively; low e-rating
Swisher (lf/rf-3) - good OB and power on both sides of the card; will probably be the everyday right fielder
Duffy (cf-1) - his 314 at bats offer no help on offense, but he's a 1 in CF with some speed
Church (lf-2, rf-3, cf-4) - can hit rhp a little, but has limited AB's (196); more likely to be a defensive replacement in LF and a pinch-hitter.
Cruz (of-3) - recently acquired to help out on defense and against lhp

Designated Hitter:
Hafner - solid on both sides of the card; good OB and power; Murton or Ramirez may get a few games at DH to keep Hafner from running out of at bats.

Uncarded Guys:
None. The well is dry.

Draft Status:
Picks 13th; no first; missing a 7th and 8th as well

Outlook:
The team to beat in the BUD, but probably doesn't have the pitching to advance too far. The offense (Pujols, Hafner, Atkins, Ramirez, VMart, Guillen, Swisher) will have to carry the team this year.

And then there were two... the Tweeners are next - then the Nads to close out the previews.

Trade

The Mavs trade Jose Cruz to the Warpigs for pick #109 in the 2007 Draft (Warpig 7th).

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

2007 Team by Team Preview - Drillers

O.U. Drillers

Starting Pitching:
Contreras, Bush, Beckett - good start

Bullpen:
Nathan, M.Gonzalez, R.Soriano, F.Cordero, Benoit - one of the best bullpens in the league; Nathan is unhittable

Catcher:
Posada - excellent vs rhp; no power vs lhp; should have a better arm than Molina
B.Molina - excellent vs lhp; nice platoon partner for Posada

Infield:
Konerko (1b-3) - balanced with power and on base
Garciaparra (1b-3) - he's merely good vs rhp... he's great vs lhp
Weeks (2b-4) - good, balanced OB; not much power vs rhp
Loretta (1b/2b-3) - no power; is average to below average as a hitter
Vizquel (ss-1) - great BA & OB vs lhp; not bad vs rhp; great defense
Rolen (3b-1) - much better vs rhp; will lose some in the clutch
Marte (3b-3) - no help this year, but very young

Outfield:
Ca.Lee (lf-5) - good power and speed; balanced; no defense
Bonds (lf-5) - only 367 AB; BA is down, but nothing else is; even better in the clutch
A.Jones (cf-1) - lots of homers and walks; balanced; great defense
Matthews (cf/rf-2) - career year; extremely balanced with .300+ BA and .370 OB
Guerrero (rf-4) - murders lhp

Designated Hitter:
Lots of candidates - Bonds and Lee are both LF-5's; Garciaparra and Konerko both play only 1b; some combination of these 4 guys is the best bet. They are all excellent hitters, but only three of them can play at one time. Even Guerrero might DH some to get his 4 out of the field.

Uncarded Guys:
Justin Upton - didn't do very well last year, but is still a prospect to be reckoned with. B.J.'s little brother, but don't hold that against him.

Draft Status:
The Drillers pick 8th; their 10th round pick is gone, but everything else is there; no extras

Outlook:
In the uber-scary NERDD, this is the team to beat. The starters need some depth, but the bullpen is outstanding. The defense is weird: 1's at ss/3b/cf, but 3's, 4's, and even 5's everywhere else. Lots of big hitters everywhere except 2b. As the roster stands right now, there will always be 2 big hitters left out of the lineup - it's that deep. Expect a trade or two before Draft day, and that will only make them better. This team has been together awhile and has gotten old. The window of opportunity for this group is closing, but this year's team could put an exclamation mark on the Bonds Era.

Last three teams to go: Warpigs, Tweeners, and Nads

2007 Team by Team Preview - Mavs

Dallas Mavericks

Starting Pitching:
Carpenter, Cain, Garcia, Pettitte, Garland, Suppan - Carpenter and Cain are two of the best in the league; Garcia and Pettitte are very pitchable; Garland and Suppan not so much

Bullpen:
Street, Valverde, Fuentes - the two right-handers are much better vs rh batters; fuentes is probably the best of the three

Catcher:
Johjima - .298 BA vs rhp; all 18 of his homers came vs rhp; will have a better arm than Lo Duca
Lo Duca - great average and OB, but not much power; a little better vs lhp

Infield:
N.Johnson (1b-3) - excellent card; OB is over .420 on both sides; SLG is over .500 both sides; will lose a little in the clutch
Vidro (2b-3, 1b-4) - excellent vs lhp, although very little power or speed
Hall (2b/ss/3b-3, cf-4) - great power; OPS is 1.072 vs lhp; BA and OB much lower vs rhp; will lose some hits in the clutch
Jeter (ss-1) - outstanding all-around card; better vs lhp, but pretty dang good vs rhp; Is this consistency? In 7 of the last 8 years, he has made either 13, 14, or 15 errors.
Blalock (3b-3) - horrible vs lhp; useable but not great vs rhp; will gain in the clutch
Helms (1b-3, lf/3b-4) - only 240 AB, but very good ones; balanced
Kendrick (1b/3b-5, 2b-4) - not a lot of help, but hit .295 vs rhp
Ma.Sweeney (1b/lf-4) - probably not a keeper
Hardy (ss-3) - still a good prospect; can hit lefties
McPherson (1b/3b-4) - has been traded back and forth, so somebody must like him as a prospect, but offers little help right now.

Outfield:
Alou (lf/rf-4) - pounds lhp
DeJesus (lf-2, cf-3) - a lefty who hits lefties better; decent vs rhp
Dye (rf-4) - also pounds lhp but also very good on the right side; tremendous power; in 2000 Dye went from an of-4 to a Gold Glove - now he's back to being a 4
Cruz (of-3) - only 223 at bats, but great vs lhp (mental note to self: no lhp vs mavs); won't have many hits vs rhp, but there will be some walks; didn't make an error
W.Pena (of-4) - 276 AB; good hitting card on the right side
Floyd (lf-4) - probable cut

Designated Hitter:
Alou, Pena, and Dye are all 4's, so they may get some time at DH; if Dye plays rf full time, an Alou/Pena DH platoon is a possibility; Helms may get some time here, too

Uncarded Guys:
none

Draft Status:
Picks 11th; has all his own picks

Outlook:
The Mavs will be very tough. Garcia and Pettitte must keep this from becoming "Carpenter and Cain and two days of rain." The offense is deep and talented, and will especially damage any lefties brave enough to take the mound against them. The Mavs and Inmates will vie for the MFD, and the Mavs vs Johan Santana games will be fun to watch. I know I said in an earlier post that the Inmates were the favorite, but on further review... the Mavs are the best team in this division... well, until the Buckeyes pull that rabbit out of his pinetar-stained cap.

Four teams to go: Drillers, Warpigs, Tweeners, and Nads

Trade

The Sidewinders trade Geoff Jenkins to the Tweeners for Scott Linebrink.

The Sidewinders trade Kevin Youkilis to the Wahoos for Edgar Renteria and pick #51 in the Draft (Wahoo 4th).

Monday, January 08, 2007

Trade

The Warpigs trade Alex Gordon, Brandon Wood, and Rocco Baldelli to the Zaps for Manny Ramirez and Curtis Granderson.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

2007 Team by Team Preview - Zaps

VivaZaPastas

Starting Pitching:
Jer.Weaver, Snell, Bedard, Lowe - Weaver will be great, but only has 123 innings.

Bullpen:
McCarthy - I'm guessing the Zaps will be drafting some relievers.

Catcher:
Snyder - good card vs rhp, but only 184 AB; good arm
Schneider - probably a cut; too bad, because the Snyder/Schneider catching combo was kinda fun to say

Infield:
Thome (1b-4) - scary good vs rhp; can hold his own (so to speak) vs lhp
Fielder (1b-4) - good future, but not a great card right now; will struggle to get at bats on this team
D.Johnson (1b-4) - lots of walks, but probably a cut
Jo.Lopez (2b-3) - really good vs lhp
Cantu (2b-4) - won't have a playable card
E.Encarnacion (1b/3b-4) - higher BA vs rhp, otherwise balanced and very good
Reyes (ss-2) - tons of speed; excellent vs lhp; not bad vs rhp

Outfield:
Crawford (lf-1, cf-2) - balanced and speedy; note: vs rhp he hit 14 doubles, 13 triples, and 14 homers
Ramirez (lf-4) - pounds everyone; best hitter on the team
Granderson (cf-2) - nice hitter vs rhp; ugly left side; made only 1 error
Blake (rf-3, 1b-4) - good hitter; balanced OB; lots of power vs lhp
Hermida (cf/rf-4) - good young prospect, but not much help this year

Designated Hitter:
Probably Manny, but I guess Fielder might get a shot here if Ramirez ever takes the field.

Uncarded Guys:
Eric Gagne, if the Zaps want to wait him out another year.
Ian Stewart - 3b; ranked #3 prospect in the Rockies organization
Joel Guzman - infielder with Tampa Bay has slipped to #10 on their prospect list
Jarrod Saltalamacchia - catcher ranked as the #3 prospect in the Atlanta organization

Draft Status:
The Zaps draft 6th. They have all their own picks plus an extra 1st and extra 10th.

Outlook:
Loads of speed in Crawford and Reyes; loads of offense in Thome and Ramirez; but the lack of pitching will hurt. It will be interesting to see whether the Zaps draft pitchers or kids. They can't match the Snakes in the AWD, but are on a par with the Bees and Tweeners.

The remaining teams will be presented in this order: Mavs, Drillers, Warpigs, Tweeners, Nads

2007 Team by Team Preview - Wahoos

Wahoos

Starting Pitching:
Wang, F.Hernandez, L.Hernandez, Buehrle - some talent here, but mostly hittable cards for this year; Batista, Baker, and D.Cabrera are all on the team, but doubtful to survive the cut (although Cabrera might be kept on the taxi)

Bullpen:
Rodney, Rauch, Speier, Wuertz - Rodney is the best of the group; the others are a bit lopsided, but can be effective.

Catcher:
R.Hernandez - excellent vs lhp; playable on the right side; good arm

Infield:
Morneau (1b-3) - AL MVP is outstanding and balanced; the best hitter on this team
LaRoche (1b-3) - great OB and SLG vs rhp; doesn't hit lefties; e-rating will be similar to Morneau, so he will probably be the DH
D.Lee (1b-2) - Lee has been the nucleus of this team for a few years but now finds himself as its third best firstbaseman; only 175 AB, but still a very decent card
Kennedy (2b-2) - 291/351 BA and OB vs rhp; can't hit lefties
Kinsler (2b-3) - better BA and OB vs rhp, but OPS is balanced
Belliard (2b-3, 3b-4) - another 2b candidate who can't hit lefties; might be a cut
Betemit (3b-3, 2b/ss-4) - following a trend here, he can hit rhp a little bit but not lefties at all
Mueller (3b-2) - only 100 AB; walks some but probably a cut
Renteria (ss-3) - excellent vs lhp; not terrible vs rhp; will have a decent e-rating this year
Betancourt (ss-2) - hit over .300 vs rhp but doesn't walk; no help vs lhp
Peralta (ss-4) - might be kept on the taxi

Outfield:
Dellucci (lf/rf-4) - nice platoon guy (.904 OPS vs rhp); went 1-for-29 in the clutch
Damon (cf-2) - will have a good card; better vs lhp again this year; throws better than Juan Pierre, Mike Piazza, Victor Martinez, and Rex Grossman... but nobody else
Bradley (rf-2) - not much power or speed, but a nice balanced card
Quentin (lf/rf-3) - top prospect; had a hot July after his call-up, but faded after that; will gain in the clutch so he should be a good pinch-hitter vs rhp
Podsednik (lf-4) - wow, a 4? Remember when he was good? Nah, me neither - a likely cut.

Designated Hitter:
Probably LaRoche most of the time.

Uncarded Guys:
Pavano might be kept, but he's the only one.

Draft Status:
Picks 3rd. Has all of his own early picks plus extras in the 1st, 2nd, and 5th.

Outlook:
Morneau will have to carry the offense, although there are some useable parts around him. The starting pitching is fair at best, but the bullpen isn't bad. The best asset for the Wahoos will be the 8 picks they own in the first 67 selections of the Draft. The selections made with those picks will make or break the Wahoos for 2007. The team has some good to great young talent (King Felix, Morneau, Kinsler, Betemit, Quentin, Betancourt, LaRoche, Wang... so this team will continue to get better.

Up next, the Zaps. The Mavs are on deck with the Drillers to follow.

Saturday, January 06, 2007

2007 Team by Team Preview - Fungoes

The Defending Champion Fungoes

Starting Pitching:
Halladay, Penny, Washburn, Wakefield - Halladay is great; the others are not bad

Bullpen:
Papelbon, Jenks, Crain, Sanchez - Papelbon will just be silly; the others are good, but Papelbon is on a different level of good

Catcher:
J.Molina - great arm; no offensive skills
Redmond - outstanding vs lhp; doesn't hit rhp
Miller - good vs lhp

Infield:
Berkman (1b-2, lf/rf-3) - murders rhp (1.142 OPS) and will even gain in the clutch; vs lhp he will still have good onbase numbers but not as much power; not sure if he'll be at 1b or in the outfield, but wherever it is, he'll be a big part of this team's offense
Counsel (2b-2, ss/3b-3) - good utility guy; not enough offense to be the starter at 2b, but there are no other options at the moment
Aybar (2b/3b-4) - seems to single in two runs every fucking time he comes up... but i digress; he'll have a good hitting card again this year, especially vs lhp; damn shame he got a 4; no, really, i'm being sincere
Zimotherfuckerman (3b-1) - I have to learn to let things go.
Ensberg (3b-3) - low BA, but tons of walks; good power as well
Greene (ss-2) - pretty good vs lhp; not so much vs rhp

Outfield:
Ibanez (lf-4) - excellent vs rhp, but probably a platoon guy; also will excel in the clutch
Sizemore (cf-1) - becoming one of the elite cf'ers, but will be extremely unbalanced; he will pound rhp but has an onbase average of .290 vs lhp
Francoeur (rf-2, cf-3) - can do some damage vs lhp; not so good vs rhp (.278 onbase)
L.Gonzalez (lf-4) - showing his age, but still not bad vs rhp
Figgins (lf/cf-3, 2b/3b/ss/rf-4) - great speed but had an off year offensively and defensively

Designated Hitter:
Ensberg, Ibanez, Aybar, and Gonzalez are all candidates. Ensberg is blocked from getting any time at 3b, and will have a good enough card to be in the lineup

Uncarded Guys:
Cameron Maybin is the #1 rated prospect in the Detroit Tigers' system. A talented outfielder whose only fault appears to be a tendency to strike out too much.
Mike Pelfrey threw 21 innings for the Mets last year and is considered their #2 rated prospect.

Draft Status:
The Fungoes pick last in each round. Of the 5 teams at the bottom of the draft, he is the only one who still owns all of his own picks.

Outlook:
The Fungoes may never come down from the high of winning the 2006 Higdon, and he'll be tough again in '07. The Fungi will have one of the top starting pitchers and THE best reliever. His offense will revolve around Berkman, and where he plays him (1b/lf/rf) will probably be determined by what he is able to draft. The Fungoes have a lot of players with unbalanced cards, so depth will be important, but there are a couple of holes to fill too (2b & wherever Berkman is not playing). Still... anybody with Papelbon at the end of the game will be a factor. The other issue is playing in the NERDD. Four of the top 8 teams in NASOMA play in the NERDD, and they can't all go to the playoffs... but three of them might.

Next teams up: Wahoos, Zaps, Mavs

Draft Pick Update

While looking at the results of last year's Draft, I noticed some trades that were made and recorded during last year's draft, two of which included picks in 2007 changing hands. Here are those two deals from last March:

The FFTs trade Victor Santos to the Rhinos for a 2007 9th round pick.

The Zaps trade Dave Bush to the Drillers for a 2007 10th round pick.

I have made the changes to the draft grid for the 2007 draft. Anytime you want a copy of the draft grid, email me and let me know. I have been updating it each time a trade affects it.

Complete Trade Update

Here is a composite of all trades made from the time the 2006 rosters were set thru now (1/6/07). Contact me at warpigsbaseball@yahoo.com for updates, mistakes, or omissions.

NASOMA Trades

(All trades listed were made after official rosters for 2006 were set)

May 2006

  • The FFTs trade Greg Maddux to the Buckeyes for Randy Johnson.

June 2006

  • The Zaps trade Aaron Hill to the DVs for Dallas McPherson.

July 2006

  • The Warpigs send Wilson Betemit to the Wahoos as the player to be named later to complete a previous trade.
  • The Zaps trade Jose Vidro and Dallas McPherson to the Mavs for Aubrey Huff and Ryan Madson.
  • The Warpigs trade Jason Michaels to the FFTs for Rocco Baldelli.
  • The Warpigs trade the Wahoo’s 8th round pick to the Oilers for Chris Duffy.
  • The Warpigs trade Mark Buehrle, Justin Speier, and Mike Cameron to the Wahoos for Wilson Betemit, Matt Murton, and Brandon Wood.
  • The Zaps trade Mark Kotsay and Javier Vazquez to the FFTs for Willy Taveras and Derek Lowe.
  • The Zaps trade Aubrey Huff and Willy Taveras to the Inmates for Edwin Encarnacion.
  • The Buckeyes trade Tony Graffanino to the FFTs for Dioner Navarro.
Auguest 2006
  • The Buckeyes trade Milton Bradley to the Wahoos for Mike Cameron.

September 2006

  • The FFTs trade Ryan Church to the Warpigs for Gary Sheffield.

November 2006

  • The Oilers trade their 8th round pick in the 2007 Draft to the Nads for Ben Broussard.
  • The Tweeners trade Corey Koskie to the Buckeyes for a 2007 Taxi spot.
  • The FFTs trade Jason Michaels to the Buckeyes for Javy Lopez.
  • The Buckeyes trade Brady Clark to the FFTs for Tony Graffanino.

December 2006

  • The DVs trade Alex Gordon, Nick Swisher, B.J. Upton, Cliff Lee, and Mike Wuertz to the Warpigs for Roger Clemens, Scot Shields, Ken Griffey, and Kiko Calero.
  • The FFTs trade Brady Clark to the Oilers for Shawn Green.

January 2007

  • The Warpigs trade Felix Hernandez, Wilson Betemit, Adam Kennedy, and Mike Wuertz to the Wahoos for Garrett Atkins and pick #44 in the 2007 Draft (Buckeye 3rd).
  • The FFTs trade Javier Vazquez to the Warpigs for Ryan Freel, Cory Sullivan, and pick #45 in the 2007 Draft (Warpig 3rd).
  • The Oilers trade Mike MacDougal to the Warpigs for pick #125 in the 2007 Draft (Warpig 8th).
  • The FFTs trade Rich Aurilia to the Tweeners for Hideki Matsui.
  • The FFTs trade Torii Hunter and pick #15 in the 2007 Draft (FFT 1st) to the Oilers for Tadahito Iguchi.
  • The FFTs trade pick #95 in the 2007 Draft (FFT 6th) to the Oilers for Brady Clark and pick #115 (Wahoo 8th).
  • The Buckeyes trade Tom Glavine and pick #76 (Buckeye 5th) to the FFTs for Randy Johnson and pick #127 (FFT 8th).

2007 Team by Team Preview - Inmates

Inmates

Starting Pitching:
J.Santana, Smoltz, Bonderman, Zito - One of the top rotations in the league.

Bullpen:
Otsuka, Wheeler, Howry, Ray, B.Thompson, Guardado, Burgos - Deep, useful pen; Otsuka is the best of the group; Guardado and Burgos are both very unbalanced (in fact, the only thing worse that Guardado's right side will be Burgos' left side), but might be worth keeping.

Catcher:
Kendall - no power, but high average and great on base; his arm will not hurt the team this year
Doumit/Buck - if a backup catcher is kept, Doumit is a better option than Buck; Doumit has a 406 onbase vs lhp

Infield:
Howard (1b-4) - scary good, especially on the right side (1.164 OPS); might lose a bit in the clutch, but his hits will mostly be homers and doubles anyway
Huff (1b/3b/rf-4) - very playable vs rhp
C.Jackson (1b-5) - not sure how he earned the 5, but will be balanced and has a high onbase
O.Hudson (2b-1) - 398 onbase vs lhp; won't hurt the team vs rhp
Durham (2b-3) - great vs lhp; okay vs rhp;
Beltre (3b-1) - solid vs lhp, fair vs rhp; loses big in the clutch
Everett (ss-1) - not a good hitter

Outfield:
Bay (lf-3) - solid power and onbase on both sides
Pierre (cf-2) - balanced; great speed; no power; no arm
Taveras (cf-2) - good speed, but not much else
B.Giles (rf-3) - great onbase vs rhp; didn't fare well vs lhp
Mench (lf/rf-4) - can hit lefties a bit

Designated Hitter:
Probably a combination of Conor Jackson and Ray Durham

Uncarded Guys:
None

Draft Status:
Picks 10th (everyone say it together: "the shittiest pick to have"). Has no extra picks.

Outlook:
They're not the slow-pitch softball team of old, but the Inmates' pitching, infield defense, and an offense revolving around Bay and Howard will get them to the post-season. They will battle the Mavs (and undoubtedly the Buckeyes) for the MFD title, but should be the favorite to win it. But then, we've heard that before.

I've reached the halfway point of this team preview, and my break from school is almost over. I'll try to get the next 8 in as quickly as I did the first 8, but I can't make any promises. Next up: Fungoes, Wahoos, and Zaps.

2007 Team by Team Preview - Killer Bees

Killer Bees

Starting Pitching:
Mussina, Verlander, Francis, Hudson, Morris, Padilla, Duke - lots of big inning starters; the first three will be very good; the other 4 might factor into trade talks as most of the teams in NASOMA need to add to their rotation

Bullpen:
Wickman, L.Vizcaino, Tomko, Geary, Mota, Billingsley - not as good as the starters; Billingsley is a great prospect and is really a starter, but he will have relief on his card - very handy since he only has 90 innings and this team is loaded with starters.

Catcher:
Ausmus - great arm; can't hit
Piazza - great hitter; can't throw - Piazza is especially good vs lhp

Infield:
Sexson (1b-3) - really good power; better hitter vs rhp; lots of strikeouts
Millar (1b-4) - lots of walks; great vs rhp; didn't play any games in the outfield last year
Shelton (1b-4) - 806 OPS on both sides; hit 10 of his 16 homers in April
Cano (2b-3) - excellent vs rhp; playable vs lhp
A.Ramirez (3b-3) - good balance; excellent power; loses about 50 BA points in the clutch
A.Boone (3b-3) - might not make the team; playable vs lhp so he might
Tejada (ss-2) - easily the best hitter on the team; balanced

Outfield:
Patterson (cf-2) - good vs rhp; excellent speed
J.Jones (rf-3) - also good vs rhp
Hawpe (rf-4) - like Patterson and Jones, he can hit rhp; like Patterson and Jones, he can't hit lefties
Kearns (rf-2, cf-4) - crushes lhp
Delmon Young (rf-2, cf-4) - an outstanding prospect as a power hitter, a strong-armed outfielder, and a bat-tosser. Young faced a 3-ball count only 8 times in 127 plate appearances in the majors last year. In those 8 times, he went 4/7 with a walk. Yes, he walked ONCE in 127 trips to the plate. He did hit .379 vs lhp (with a .379 onbase).

Designated Hitter:
Millar might be the best one here - maybe Hawpe some too.

Uncarded Guys:
None now, but Billingsley, Verlander, and Young were all uncarded last year and all came thru.

Draft Status:
The Bees pick 2nd and have an extra 1st rounder.

Outlook:
The Bees have a lot of starting pitching, but no one on the team plays left field. Sounds like a good situation if they're interested in making a trade, but this team also is in a good place in the draft to fill a couple of holes. Really good infield and some nice platoon hitters in right field. Also an old, but interesting combination at catcher. The Bees won't be able to compete with the powerhouse Snakes in the AWD, but will give the Tweeners and Zaps hell.

Up next: Inmates, Fungoes, and Wahoos

Trade

The FFTs trade pick #95 (FFT 6th) to the Oilers for Brady Clark and pick #115 (Wahoo 8th).

The Buckeyes trade Tom Glavine and pick #76 (Buckeye 5th) to the FFTs for Randy Johnson and pick #127 (FFT 8th).

Friday, January 05, 2007

2007 Team by Team Preview - Oilers

The Oilers

Starting Pitching:
Haren, Myers, Capuano, Ohka - Haren is the best of this group, but all of them are good; Ohka only has 97 innings

Relief Pitching:
Hoffman, Carrasco, Downs, Qualls, and Capellan - Hoffman will have an excellent closer card.

Catcher:
Estrada - doesn't walk much but has a good batting average and is balanced
Varitek - had an off year but still makes the team

Infield:
Broussard (1b-4) - very good vs rhp; will probably need a platoon partner
Hillenbrand (1b/3b-4) - good vs lhp; might be Broussard's buddy; plays for himself
Sanchez (2b/3b-2, ss-3) - batting champ; he hit .442 vs lhp; will probably play 2b most of the time
J.Castillo (2b-3) - might make the team and get some playing time at 2b if Sanchez plays some 3b vs lhp
Rollins (ss-2) - if the Oilers get some offense going, he could get 750 at bats; good power and speed; perfectly balanced card; will lose about 100 point off his average in the clutch
Chavez (3b-1) - great defense; okay vs rhp

Outfield:
Re.Johnson (lf/rf-2, cf-3) - very good on both sides of the card; not much power; made only 1 error
Edmonds (cf-2, 1b-4) - typical Edmonds vs rhp; can't hit lefties
Hunter (cf-1) - excellent vs lhp; has Edmonds ever had a defensive replacement?
Winn (lf/rf-2, cf-3) - just average vs rhp; didn't hit lefties
J.Encarnacion (lf/cf-3, rf-2) - good vs lhp; will gain points in the clutch
B.Clark (lf/rf-3, cf-4) - no power or speed, but balanced
E.Brown (lf-4, rf-5) - very good hitter vs rhp

Designated Hitter:
Probably Emil Brown vs rhp; not sure vs lhp

Uncarded Guys:
Kendry Morales isn't uncarded, but qualifies as a possible prospect.

Draft Status:
Picks 5th - owns an extra 1st round pick.

Outlook:
Lots of platoon situations might cause some problems. Sanchez, Johnson, Rollins, and Estrada are the only ones who excel on both sides of the card. Starting pitching is good, and Hoffman will save some games. Getting that extra 1st round pick helps, because a stellar draft is a must for this team to advance to the post season.

Next in line: Killer Bees, Inmates, Fungoes

For Beeboy, Chief, Driller Dude, Zapper and anyone else with young sons...

...get outside with them right now and play some catch.

Chris Reitsma, who allowed 7 homers in his robust 28 innings of work last year, had a sparkling 8.68 ERA and a batting average against of .362, won a total of 1 game, AND followed that up with surgery on his throwing arm... signed a contract today for $2 million.

2007 Team by Team Preview - FFTs

FFTs

Starting Pitching:
P.Martinez, R.Johnson, Jennings, Westbrook, Helling - the Unit will have a good card - shuts down lefties; Pedro gives up the longball and only has 132 innings, but low BA against and low whip; Helling teams with Pedro to make one full starter; Jennings is balanced and good - although he walks too many lefties; Westbrook has a lot of innings, but his BA against is 290 on one side and 300 on the other.

Bullpen:
M.Rivera and Fr.Rodriguez - the only question is 'Which one is better?'

Catcher:
I.Rodriguez - only regular catcher last season to have more caught stealings than steals - should be a -4 or -5; he also had a good season with the bat, especially vs lhp
J.Lopez - 36 years old - can't catch - can't throw - can't hit... probably a cut

Infield:
Teixeira (1b-1) - good power and on base on both sides, but better vs lhp
Kent (1b-3, 2b-4) - 400 at bats; okay vs rhp but crushes lefties; his average climbs 90 points in the clutch
Iguchi (2b-2) - might have to give way to Freel or Kent vs lhp, but very good on the right side; should be a 2e10 or 2e12
Furcal (ss-2) - good onbase - good speed; a little better vs lhp; lots of errors
Crede (3b-1) - good power and defense... gains in the clutch... but fairly average everywhere else; walked only 11 times in 361 atbats vs lhp.
C.Jones (3b-4) - Chipper pounds rhp; okay vs lhp; not quite a full season of at bats (411)

Outfield:
Freel (rf-2, lf/cf-3, 2b-3, 3b-4) - plays 5 positions, good speed, walks a lot; especially good vs lhp
Ichiro (cf/rf-1) - an amazing fielder; could be the first 1(-5) in cf since Cesar Geronimo - and deservedly so; probably a rf/cf- 1e3(-5); oh, and he can hit and run a bit, too; he's a little better vs lhp, but both sides will be good
Matsui (lf-4) - new addition; was injured most of last year (172 AB), but his OPS vs rhp is over 1000; pity about the defense
Green (rf-4) - balanced, although slightly below average
Payton (of-2) - not great, but not bad and very balanced; is a 2 in all three spots
Sheffield (rf-4) - like Matsui, spent most of 2006 injured (150 AB); only had 32 AB's vs lhp, but had excellent numbers; right side isn't all that good; how is he not a 5 in rf?
Sullivan (cf-2) - not very useable, but lots of upside
Kotsay/Lane/Conine - This team is deep. I will list the odds of these three making the roster the way the NFL lists their injuries every week:
Kotsay: questionable
Lane: doubtful
Conine: out

Designated Hitter:
Some combination of Chipper and Kent, I would guess - with a sprinkling of Matsui and Sheffield.

Uncarded Guys:
None

Draft Status:
Picks 15th. No first, but an extra 3rd.

Outlook:


(Translation: This team made the World Series last year and should be back for more post-season action in 2007. Their defense (1's at the corners, 2's up the middle, the best catcher arm, and the best defensive outfielder in the game) is superb. Their bullpen is only 2 deep pre-draft, but has two incredible right handers. Their offense has speed (Ichiro, Furcal, Freel) and power (Tex, Kent, Chipper, Crede). If the rotation can keep from letting them down, this is a 95 to 100 win team (that is, until his next trade - hehehe). The NERDD is going to be fun to watch. Glad I'm not in it.)

The Oilers are next. Killer Bees on deck. Inmates in the hole (so to speak).

Ballpark Mistakes

There are a couple of interesting threads on the StratForum about ballpark data for the new set of cards. Apparently SOM's source for ballpark information made some mistakes. Those numbers affect the cards: If the ballpark numbers are wrong, the cards will be wrong. Strat says they have it corrected and new ballpark data will be provided soon. The error, however, will apparently either delay the delivery date of the cards or leave the cards not completely accurate. A delay will mean they went to the time and trouble (and expense!) of making the cards correct with regards to each player's home ballpark. Inaccurate cards will result from fixing the ballpark numbers but not the individual cards.

I don't know which parks were affected. It may have been all of them. The ones mentioned have been Texas, Detroit, and San Diego.

Here are the original (flawed) ballpark numbers that were provided:

2006 Season - National and American League - Ball Park Effect
NL Teams SI (L-R ) HR (L-R ) AL Teams SI (L-R ) HR (L-R)
Arizona 10-13 14-14 Baltimore 9-6 8-12
Atlanta 11-11 6-9 Boston 13-13 5-5
Chicago 9-6 13-13 Chicago 4-7 19-19
Cincinnati 6-6 13-13 Cleveland 6-6 5-5
Colorado 19-19 12-12 Detroit 10-10 5-5
Florida 10-1 4-7 Kansas City 14-11 4-4
Houston 11-5 14-11 Los Angeles 6-9 7-7
Los Angeles 6-6 9-12 Minnesota 10-7 7-7
Milwaukee 3-3 10-10 New York 7-7 13-10
New York 8-8 2-5 Oakland 14-5 10-7
Philadelphia 11-8 18-12 Seattle 2-2 7-7
Pittsburgh 9-15 4-4 Tampa Bay 4-4 9-9
St. Louis 1-7 7-4 Texas 11-11 12-12
San Diego 1-1 14-5 Toronto 7-10 15-15
San Francisco 10-13 4-4
Washington 1-1 2-5

2007 Team by Team Preview - Buckeyes

Grand Prairie Buckeyes

Starting Pitching:
Schilling, Hensley, Glavine, Maddux

Bullpen:
Gordon, Medders, Riske

Catcher:
Navarro, Valentin

Infield:
Overbay (1b-2) very good vs rhp
Grudzielanek (2b-2)
J.Wilson (ss-2)
Mora (3b-3)
D.Bell (3b-2)
Koskie (3b-2)
Graffanino (1b/2b-3; 3b/ss-4)

Outfield:
Michaels (lf-2, rf-3)
Roberts (lf-2, cf-2)
Cameron (cf-1)
Nixon (rf-3)
C.Wilson (rf-3)

Designated Hitter:
F.Thomas - lots of homers and walks; good card on both sides

Uncarded Guys:
None

Draft Status:
Picks 12th. Doesn't own a pick in the first 3 rounds; first pick is #60. Owns no extra picks. Doesn't have any taxi spots.

Outlook:
The positives: Frank Thomas will have a good card. Overbay is very good vs rhp. The defense is solid, especially up the middle (although J.Wilson and Gruz didn't get the 1's they could have gotten). The first 3 starters are decent if not great. And seriously... that's it. No offense. No bullpen. And no early picks in the draft. But the funny thing is, in the hands of any other owner, this is a 100 loss team; maybe 120 losses... but this is not any other owner. It's the Buckeyes. Pencil them in for the post-season.

Next up is the FFTs followed by the Oilers.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

2007 Team by Team Preview - Sidewinders

The Stanley Sidewinders

Starting Pitching:
Zambrano, Peavy, and Willis. That's a good start, but Prior's off year means they need a 4th.

Bullpen:
B.Ryan, J.Rincon, Helling, Betancourt, Farnsworth, and Baez (maybe). Good balance; Ryan is a killer closer.

Catcher:
Mauer - the best in the game right now; good arm; great bat; batting average over 330 and on base over 400 on both sides of the card; even better in the clutch
Zaun - crushes lhp; perfect back-up for mauer, who doesn't really need one

Infield:
Delgado (1b-4) - down vs lhp a bit, but pounds rhp
Ortiz (1b-5) - crushes everyone; one of the best hitters in the game
M.Giles (2b-2) - dropped off a lot; virtually unuseable vs lhp
Crosby (ss-2) - continues to fight injuries every year; his card this year will be bad - very bad
Wright (3b-3) - balanced with good power and onbase; even stole 20 bases; avg is almost 50 points higher in the clutch.
Cabrera (3b-4) - will have a monster card on both sides; he also gains in the clutch
Youkilis (1b-2, 3b-4, lf-4) - very nice card on both sides; batting average goes up 100 pts in the clutch.
Cirillo - plays all the infield spots and murders lhp. unfortunately (for the snakes) he is a 2b-4 and a ss-5; I don't know how he gets any at bats at 1b, 3b, or dh.

Outfield:
Dunn (lf-4, 1b-4) - pales next to the other studs on this team, but will have lots of walks and homers.
Wells (cf-1) - better vs lhp, but a very good card; the team's only 1 on defense
Markakis (rf-2, lf-4) - much better vs rhp
Jenkins (rf-3) - can't hit lefties at all; good vs rhp
Lofton (cf-4) - can only hit rhp; absolutely no help on defense
C.Young (cf-2) - good prospect who will probably make the team, but won't see any action.

Designated Hitter:
Probably Ortiz most of the time, but it's hard to imagine Wright or Cabrera sitting on the bench every game. Nice problem to have.

Uncarded Guys:
None, as far as I can tell.

Draft Status:
Picks 14th, but doesn't own his 1st round pick.

Outlook:
The Sidewinders had the #1 seed last year and coughed it up. He may very well have it again this year. His offense is so strong that a player who would be MVP on most of our teams will spend a good amount of time sitting on his bench. There is no way to get Delgado, Ortiz, Wright, and Cabrera in the lineup at the same time. And poor Youkilis has a great card and plays the same positions as those four! If the Snakes make a deal or two - finally dealing Delgado or one of the third baseman for a ss or starting pitcher - he will win it all. If he holds onto them all, he'll still win his division and get a 1st round bye... but will come up short again of claiming the Higdon.

Next up: The Grand Prairie Buckeyes; the FFTs are on deck.

2007 Team by Team Preview - Rhinos

The Rhinos

Starting Pitching:
Schmidt, Escobar, Sabathia, Burnett, Sheets - all solid, above-average starters. As deep a rotation as any team in the league.

Bullpen:
Billy Wagner - although Wags is outstanding, he's pretty much the only one worthy of mention.

Catcher:
Y.Molina and Olivo - both are good throwing catchers with virtually no offense.

Infield:
Shealy (1b-3) - not bad vs rhp - but not that good either; terrible vs lhp; only 200 AB
Casey (1b-3) - lacks power and onbase; under 400 AB
Ellis (2b-2, 1b-4) - he can hit lefties a little; but that's about it
Polanco (2b-2) - his OPS is around 700 on both sides - not good; and he only plays 2b this year.
M.Young (ss-3) - although he dropped off in batting average, homers, and walks... he's still pretty good; still a 3, but his errors were down; he had dh'd the last couple of years for the Rhinos so ARod could play short, but he should be the guy out there this year.
H.Ramirez (ss-3) - the newest addition to the Rhinos, the guy can hit and run; he'll be a major part of this lineup - but probably at dh as he had a ton of errors at ss (his only position)
A.Rod (3b-3) - not only did ARod stop making guest appearances at ss, but he also apparently stopped caring about third base; he can still hit, though; he is the best Rhino hitter

Outfield:
Monroe (lf-3) - good power, but very low onbase - especially vs rhp
Rios (lf-2, cf-3) - nice balance; apparently will have to play center - depending on what the Rhinos add in the draft.
Abreu (rf-3) - the "Little Donkey Man" stopped taking the steroids, I guess; but his onbase is excellent and he's balanced.
Langerhans is a nice utility outfielder with a decent bat
B.Johnson isn't as good a fielder as Langerhans but can hit lefties
Wilkerson might still make the team, but he had a really bad year

Designated Hitter:
It almost has to be Hanley Ramirez, who will have a significantly higher e-rating than Young.

Uncarded Guys:
Travis Bowyer - still considered the Marlins' closer of the future, but had shoulder surgery and will not contribute in 2007.
Kerry Wood - I'm not positive he is uncarded, but he threw only 19 innings last year

Draft Status:
The Rhinos pick 7th and have all of their own picks with no extras. One of the few teams that won't have to mess around with drafting starting pitching, but he needs a bullpen and has some holes in his lineup.

Outlook:
The Rhinos have a few quality pieces (the rotation, Wags, the top of the order: Ramirez, Rios, Abreu, ARod, Young) but not much else. Unless they have a great draft, they'll finish 4th in the BUD this year and out of the playoffs. The good news for the Rhino faithful, the holes that need filling - 1b, lf (or cf with Rios moved over), and bullpen - are in abundance in the draft.

Next up: the Stanley Sidewinders

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

2007 Team by Team Preview - DiamondVision

As a public service, Pigman Publishing will attempt to preview the 16 NASOMA teams over the next few weeks. We start with the DiamondVision.

Starting Pitching:
C.Young, Clemens, and Kazmir are excellent, but a little short on innings. As far as 1-3 starters, the DVs are in the top half of the teams in the league. Options for a 4th or 5th starter are Benson and DDavis, but will probably come from a trade or the draft.

Bullpen:
Heilman, Weathers, Shields, Isringhausen, Calero, and Ohman. A great pre-draft group. Although normally a set-up man, Shields makes a nice stopper.

Catcher:
McCann - one of the best out there; especially good vs rhp. His arm won't hurt the team.
Lieberthal - could make the team, but could be easily drafted back in the 10th round.

Infield:
Helton(1b-2) - his power has dropped off and he has lost his 1, but he is balanced and has great on base
Utley(2b-3) - other than being a 3, Utley is excellent
Lugo(ss-3) - sucks vs lhp. mediocre vs rhp.
Lowell(3b-1) - also bad vs lhp, but okay vs rhp; one of two 1's on the team
A.Hill and Scutaro - If Hill wasn't a 4 at ss, he'd be the starter there. Good onbase. Scutaro is a good utility guy, but not much of an offensive threat.

Outfield:
Holliday(lf-4) - great breakout year, but didn't get the 3 he probably deserved. balanced with power and onbase; the best DV hitter.
Beltran(cf-1) - got the 1; struggled vs lhp a bit, but OPS over 1000 vs rhp
Ordonez (rf-3) - good, balanced hitter; not as good as Holliday, but he's a better fielder.

Designated Hitter:
Griffey? Not a real strong hitter. G.Anderson? Surely not. A.Hill? Maybe.

Uncarded guys:
Adam Miller - #1 prospect in the Indian organization.

Draft status:
The DVs pick 4th and have all of their own picks, but no extras. That first pick will bring either another starter or that missing DH (or better yet, a leftfielder with Holliday moving to DH).

Outlook:
The DVs are in the toughest division. Last year's World Series' champ and runner-up were both from the NERDD, and they'll both be good again this year; but the Drillers will be the team to beat in this division. Still, the DVS have the pitching to contend for the division. The bulk of the lineup (Helton, Utley, Beltran, Holliday, McCann, Ordonez) will produce a lot of runs. This is not a speed team, but not really a homer team either - but just a good, balanced team. The pitching and hitting will make up for the questionable defense at 2b/ss, and the DVs will make it to the post-season as a wild card.

Next up: The Rhinos

Trade

The hot stove continues to burn. The FFTs trade Torii Hunter and the 15th pick in the 2007 NASOMA Draft (FFT 1st rounder) to the Oilers for Tadahito Iguchi.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Trade

The FFTs trade Rich Aurilia to the Tweeners for Hideki Matsui.

Trade

The Oilers send Mike MacDougal to the Warpigs for the 125th pick in the 2007 NASOMA Draft (Warpig 8th rounder).

Monday, January 01, 2007

Trade

The FFTs get Ryan Freel, Cory Sullivan, and the 45th pick in the 2007 Draft (the Warpig 3rd). The Warpigs get Javier Vazquez.

Trade

The Wahoos and Warpigs conduct the first trade of the new year. The Wahoos get Felix Hernandez, Wilson Betemit, Adam Kennedy, and Mike Wuertz. The Warpigs get Garrett Atkins and the 44th pick in the 2007 Draft (the Buckeye 3rd rounder).