The Braves and closer Craig Kimbrel have agreed to a four-year extension that includes a team option for 2018 as well, via Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports.
As Ken Rosenthal tweets, the extension buys out all three years of arbitration and one, possibly two (with the 2018 option), year of free agency.
Per ESPN's Jayson Stark, the deal is worth at least $42 million over those four years.
In the past three seasons as the team's closer, Kimbrel has a total of 138 saves with an ERA of 1.48, a WHIP of 0.871 and K/9 rate of 14.9 (341 strikeouts in 206.2 innings).
Without question, Kimbrel is the top fantasy reliever heading into the 2014 season.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Derek Jeter to retire after the 2014 season
One year after we saw the farewell tour for Mariano Rivera, it will be El Capitan's turn in 2014.
Earlier today, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter announced via his Facebook page that the 2014 season will be his final season.
While he's never won a regular-season MVP, Jeter helped lead the Yankees to five World Series titles and will be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.
Breaking the franchise's hit record several seasons ago, Jeter currently ranks 10th on the all-time hits list with 3,316. Assuming Jeter stays healthy, which is no given after playing in only 17 games in 2013 and about to turn 40 in June, he has an excellent chance to move up to sixth all-time in hits.
With 120 hits, he will pass Cap Anson (3,435, 6th), Honus Wagner (3,420, 7th), Carl Yastrzemski (3,419, 8th) and Paul Molitor (3,319, 9th). There is little chance that he gets the 200 hits he needs to pass Tris Speaker (3,515, 5th), but Jeter did get 216 hits just two seasons ago (2012). (He's reached the 200-hit milestone eight times in his career.)
Not only does Jeter rank first among Yankees' players in hits, he ranks first in games (2,602), at-bats (10,614) and stolen bases (348). Jeter ranks third in runs scored (1,876) behind Babe Ruth (1,959) and Lou Gehrig (1,888) and sixth in runs batted in (1,261).
Earlier today, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter announced via his Facebook page that the 2014 season will be his final season.
While he's never won a regular-season MVP, Jeter helped lead the Yankees to five World Series titles and will be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.
Breaking the franchise's hit record several seasons ago, Jeter currently ranks 10th on the all-time hits list with 3,316. Assuming Jeter stays healthy, which is no given after playing in only 17 games in 2013 and about to turn 40 in June, he has an excellent chance to move up to sixth all-time in hits.
With 120 hits, he will pass Cap Anson (3,435, 6th), Honus Wagner (3,420, 7th), Carl Yastrzemski (3,419, 8th) and Paul Molitor (3,319, 9th). There is little chance that he gets the 200 hits he needs to pass Tris Speaker (3,515, 5th), but Jeter did get 216 hits just two seasons ago (2012). (He's reached the 200-hit milestone eight times in his career.)
Not only does Jeter rank first among Yankees' players in hits, he ranks first in games (2,602), at-bats (10,614) and stolen bases (348). Jeter ranks third in runs scored (1,876) behind Babe Ruth (1,959) and Lou Gehrig (1,888) and sixth in runs batted in (1,261).
Phillies sign Burnett to one-year deal, Hamels won't be ready for Opening Day
According to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, the Phillies have agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent starting pitcher A.J. Burnett and that the deal is worth $16 million.
Even though he had a losing record (10-11) last season with the Pirates, Burnett tied a previous career low in ERA (3.30) and struck out 209 batters in 191.0 innings.
Not only did Burnett's K/9 rate of 9.848 set a career best, but he ranked first in the National League in the category. Miami's Jose Fernandez (9.747) and New York's Matt Harvey (9.639) finished second and third, respectively.
In addition, his HR/9 rate of 0.518 was only slightly worse than his career-best rate of 0.517 (2005). The only N.L. pitchers that had a better rate in 2013 were Harvey (0.353), Clayton Kershaw (0.420) and Jhoulys Chacin (0.502).
Burnett will be the team's No. 3 starter behind Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. That said, Hamels (shoulder tendinitis) is currently behind in his throwing program and won't be ready for the start of the season.
Even though he had a losing record (10-11) last season with the Pirates, Burnett tied a previous career low in ERA (3.30) and struck out 209 batters in 191.0 innings.
Not only did Burnett's K/9 rate of 9.848 set a career best, but he ranked first in the National League in the category. Miami's Jose Fernandez (9.747) and New York's Matt Harvey (9.639) finished second and third, respectively.
In addition, his HR/9 rate of 0.518 was only slightly worse than his career-best rate of 0.517 (2005). The only N.L. pitchers that had a better rate in 2013 were Harvey (0.353), Clayton Kershaw (0.420) and Jhoulys Chacin (0.502).
Burnett will be the team's No. 3 starter behind Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. That said, Hamels (shoulder tendinitis) is currently behind in his throwing program and won't be ready for the start of the season.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
NEW: 2014 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Simulator Available
Want to learn Mandarin Chinese? Want to become a better free-throw shooter? Want to learn how to play the guitar?
All seemingly unrelated items, the one thing they share in common is that repeated practice is the means to achieving those goals. Even if practice doesn't make perfect, as the saying goes, there is no denying that practice will make you better.
So, what does this have to do with a (fantasy) baseball blog?
Well, if you want to become better at drafting your fantasy baseball team(s) in 2014, the best way to develop and hone that skill is to practice ... and then practice some more.
While it's a no-brainer to take guys like Mike Trout or Miguel Cabrera at the top of the draft, you will get a better chance of how the draft will play out by completing as many mock drafts as you can. In addition, it makes sense to try out some different strategies to see how that would potentially alter the overall composition of your team.
If you're like me (or most people), you don't have the time to spend hour after hour completing mock drafts.
By using the mock draft simulator on our site (powered by FantasyPros), you can complete a full mock draft in a matter of five minutes. You will draft for your team (you can select league size and draft slot), and the computer will draft for the other slots based on the expert consensus rankings and average draft position.
Starting at some point in February, we will do and post a mock draft per day with analysis. And while that may/should be useful as well, there is nothing like you getting the hands-on practice of doing mocks yourself as opposed to reading about ours.
So, what are you waiting for? Start your fantasy baseball mock drafts now.
* DraftKings: Play Daily Fantasy Sports and get a 100-percent bonus (up to $600) on your initial deposit.
All seemingly unrelated items, the one thing they share in common is that repeated practice is the means to achieving those goals. Even if practice doesn't make perfect, as the saying goes, there is no denying that practice will make you better.
So, what does this have to do with a (fantasy) baseball blog?
Well, if you want to become better at drafting your fantasy baseball team(s) in 2014, the best way to develop and hone that skill is to practice ... and then practice some more.
While it's a no-brainer to take guys like Mike Trout or Miguel Cabrera at the top of the draft, you will get a better chance of how the draft will play out by completing as many mock drafts as you can. In addition, it makes sense to try out some different strategies to see how that would potentially alter the overall composition of your team.
If you're like me (or most people), you don't have the time to spend hour after hour completing mock drafts.
By using the mock draft simulator on our site (powered by FantasyPros), you can complete a full mock draft in a matter of five minutes. You will draft for your team (you can select league size and draft slot), and the computer will draft for the other slots based on the expert consensus rankings and average draft position.
Starting at some point in February, we will do and post a mock draft per day with analysis. And while that may/should be useful as well, there is nothing like you getting the hands-on practice of doing mocks yourself as opposed to reading about ours.
So, what are you waiting for? Start your fantasy baseball mock drafts now.
* DraftKings: Play Daily Fantasy Sports and get a 100-percent bonus (up to $600) on your initial deposit.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers agree to 7-year deal
The Los Angeles Dodgers and their 25-year-old staff ace, Clayton Kershaw, have agreed to a seven-year deal worth $215 million, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles.
Per Shelburne, the deal allows Kershaw, who would have been eligibility for free agency in 2015, to opt out of the deal after the fifth season. Easily becoming the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history, Kershaw's deal beats the extension signed last year by Detroit's Justin Verlander by $35 million.
The winner of two N.L. Cy Young awards in the past three seasons, Kershaw finished second to R.A. Dickey the year he didn't win it.
Not only does Kershaw have a sub-3.00 ERA in each of the past five seasons, he has led the N.L. in ERA for three consecutive years including a career-best 1.83 ERA last season. In addition, he has led the league in WHIP in each of the past three seasons and has 200-plus strikeouts in four consecutive seasons.
Without question, Kershaw will be the slam-dunk top fantasy pitcher when I release my initial 2014 fantasy baseball rankings later this month.
Per Shelburne, the deal allows Kershaw, who would have been eligibility for free agency in 2015, to opt out of the deal after the fifth season. Easily becoming the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history, Kershaw's deal beats the extension signed last year by Detroit's Justin Verlander by $35 million.
The winner of two N.L. Cy Young awards in the past three seasons, Kershaw finished second to R.A. Dickey the year he didn't win it.
Not only does Kershaw have a sub-3.00 ERA in each of the past five seasons, he has led the N.L. in ERA for three consecutive years including a career-best 1.83 ERA last season. In addition, he has led the league in WHIP in each of the past three seasons and has 200-plus strikeouts in four consecutive seasons.
Without question, Kershaw will be the slam-dunk top fantasy pitcher when I release my initial 2014 fantasy baseball rankings later this month.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
2013 World Series Prediction: Boston Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals
In the ultimate slap in the face to Bobby Valentine, the Red Sox are in the World Series, only a year removed winning 69 games. They'll square off against the Cardinals starting this Wednesday, and I don't see how you can bet against them.
Boston has been the most consistent team all year. They hit pretty well at every position, have a good to great top-four starting pitchers, and with Craig Breslow and Koji Uehara, the game might as well be seven innings, as both pitchers have been virtually unhittable.
The Sox made a habit of getting no-hit for about five innings/game against Detroit, but still found a way to win the Series in six games. They got shut down against Max Scherzer twice, but the bullpen gave up a grand slam in each game, and Boston won both games. They also managed only one run against Justin Verlander, who was brilliant in the postseason, and won the game 1-0. I just don't see how you combat that kind of timely hitting and never-say-die momentum that they have been carrying through the playoffs.
The Cardinals have been impressive as well. They have also had some timely hitting, and were able to avoid a collapse after holding a 3-1 lead over the Dodgers, the way they did last year against the Giants. If not for the emergence of Michael Wacha, I would be even more confident in the Red Sox to win it all, but Wacha has been even better than Adam Wainwright in the playoffs, and deservedly won the NLCS MVP.
If Wacha can continue his recent success, then the Cardinals will have a good chance to win the four games they'll need to win with Wainwright and Wacha each likely to start two if the series goes long enough.
I think these teams are similar, with the Cards having a little bit better starting pitching at the top, and the Red Sox having a little more depth to the rotation. In tight games, though, you have to have a good bullpen to either stop the bleeding or to cling to a small lead, and the Red Sox have found a winning combination there.
As a Yankees fan, I will be rooting for the Cardinals to win it all, but I just don't see it happening. I hope I'm wrong, but objectively, I'll give the nod to the Sox to win the series 4-2.
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
Boston has been the most consistent team all year. They hit pretty well at every position, have a good to great top-four starting pitchers, and with Craig Breslow and Koji Uehara, the game might as well be seven innings, as both pitchers have been virtually unhittable.
The Sox made a habit of getting no-hit for about five innings/game against Detroit, but still found a way to win the Series in six games. They got shut down against Max Scherzer twice, but the bullpen gave up a grand slam in each game, and Boston won both games. They also managed only one run against Justin Verlander, who was brilliant in the postseason, and won the game 1-0. I just don't see how you combat that kind of timely hitting and never-say-die momentum that they have been carrying through the playoffs.
The Cardinals have been impressive as well. They have also had some timely hitting, and were able to avoid a collapse after holding a 3-1 lead over the Dodgers, the way they did last year against the Giants. If not for the emergence of Michael Wacha, I would be even more confident in the Red Sox to win it all, but Wacha has been even better than Adam Wainwright in the playoffs, and deservedly won the NLCS MVP.
If Wacha can continue his recent success, then the Cardinals will have a good chance to win the four games they'll need to win with Wainwright and Wacha each likely to start two if the series goes long enough.
I think these teams are similar, with the Cards having a little bit better starting pitching at the top, and the Red Sox having a little more depth to the rotation. In tight games, though, you have to have a good bullpen to either stop the bleeding or to cling to a small lead, and the Red Sox have found a winning combination there.
As a Yankees fan, I will be rooting for the Cardinals to win it all, but I just don't see it happening. I hope I'm wrong, but objectively, I'll give the nod to the Sox to win the series 4-2.
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
MLB Midseason Awards: N.L. MVP Award
The NL MVP race does not have all the pizazz of the AL race, which has two guys with 30-plus home runs and the chance for a second triple crown in a row.
My contenders to win it would be Allen Craig, who is hitting .333 with 74 RBIs, Paul Goldschmidt at .313 with 21 home runs and 77 RBIs, and Michael Cuddyer, hitting .330 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs.
I'd also give an honorable mention to Jean Segura, who has cooled off a bit of late, but is still hitting .325 with 121 hits and 27 stolen bases. Segura has been killing it in fantasy, so gotta give him a mention.
Without too much conviction on my pick, I'll take Goldschmidt, who is putting up the best numbers on a team that, at the moment, is leading the division.
For other midseason awards, see below:
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
My contenders to win it would be Allen Craig, who is hitting .333 with 74 RBIs, Paul Goldschmidt at .313 with 21 home runs and 77 RBIs, and Michael Cuddyer, hitting .330 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs.
I'd also give an honorable mention to Jean Segura, who has cooled off a bit of late, but is still hitting .325 with 121 hits and 27 stolen bases. Segura has been killing it in fantasy, so gotta give him a mention.
Without too much conviction on my pick, I'll take Goldschmidt, who is putting up the best numbers on a team that, at the moment, is leading the division.
For other midseason awards, see below:
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
MLB Midseason Awards: N.L. Cy Young Award
The NL Cy Young has a lot of guys in the mix for the award at this juncture, with no one really standing head and shoulders above the rest.
Depending on your personal criteria, you can easily make a case for Adam Wainwright who is 12-5 with a 2.45 ERA, Matt Harvey 7-2 with a 2.35 ERA and a league-leading 147 strikeouts, Jeff Locke who is 8-2 with a 2.15 ERA, Patrick Corbin who is 11-1 with a 2.35 ERA, or Jordan Zimmerman who is 12-4 with a 2.58 ERA.
All are great choices with excellent records and ERAs. Some people will favor strikeouts, others favor wins/losses.
Personally, I'm an ERA guy. You can't control your run support, so I don't feel that wins/losses should be held against you for an individual award. While high strikeout totals do impress, I'm also not going to hold efficiency against a pitcher if he gets ground ball outs and throws fewer pitches than a power pitcher.
All that said, I'll give my midseason award to Clayton Kershaw, who is a mere 8-6 but has a 1.98 ERA.
The Dodgers started the season off poorly, and clearly Kershaw did not get a lot of run support early on. He is the only pitcher in baseball with a sub-2.00 ERA, and he has only eight wins.
If Kershaw can remain under two runs per game, it will put him in the company of guys like Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, and Greg Maddux, and definitely makes him worthy of the midseason Cy Young.
See A.L. choices: Cy Young leader - MVP leader
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
Depending on your personal criteria, you can easily make a case for Adam Wainwright who is 12-5 with a 2.45 ERA, Matt Harvey 7-2 with a 2.35 ERA and a league-leading 147 strikeouts, Jeff Locke who is 8-2 with a 2.15 ERA, Patrick Corbin who is 11-1 with a 2.35 ERA, or Jordan Zimmerman who is 12-4 with a 2.58 ERA.
All are great choices with excellent records and ERAs. Some people will favor strikeouts, others favor wins/losses.
Personally, I'm an ERA guy. You can't control your run support, so I don't feel that wins/losses should be held against you for an individual award. While high strikeout totals do impress, I'm also not going to hold efficiency against a pitcher if he gets ground ball outs and throws fewer pitches than a power pitcher.
All that said, I'll give my midseason award to Clayton Kershaw, who is a mere 8-6 but has a 1.98 ERA.
The Dodgers started the season off poorly, and clearly Kershaw did not get a lot of run support early on. He is the only pitcher in baseball with a sub-2.00 ERA, and he has only eight wins.
If Kershaw can remain under two runs per game, it will put him in the company of guys like Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, and Greg Maddux, and definitely makes him worthy of the midseason Cy Young.
See A.L. choices: Cy Young leader - MVP leader
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
Monday, July 15, 2013
MLB Midseason Awards: A.L. MVP Award
Last year, it was a two-man race between Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout.
This year?
It's more of the same, but with one other player in the mix.
Mike Trout is not going to be mentioned in most people's midseason MVPs, but I just can't leave him out. After hitting just .261 for the month of April, Trout is up to hitting .322 with 119 hits, 15 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases.
We are slightly more than halfway through the season, but Trout is on pace to hit .322 with over 200 hits, close to 30 home runs, over 100 runs batted in, and 40 stolen bases. His season may be overshadowed by the top two contenders, but I feel Trout is worth mentioning, as a hot second half could easily put him in the discussion.
Chris Davis is leading the league in home runs with 37, and is hitting a solid .315 at the plate. He's got an OPS of 1.109, and is a huge reason why the Orioles are having the kind of success they are having. In a tough AL East, the O's are 10 games over .500, and are right in the mix, both in the division, and for a wild card spot.
Davis has been exciting to watch, and some early mutterings of 62 home runs has begun. Davis is my number two for midseason AL MVP.
Top honors has to go to Miguel Cabrera. No player in the history of baseball has ever had 30 home runs and 90 RBIs at the All Star break, until this year. Cabrera is hitting an incredible .365 with 30 home runs, 95 RBIs, and a 1.132 OPS. He is putting up video game numbers so far in the first half of the season, and has actually elevated himself after an MVP and triple-crown winning season.
If Davis cools off a bit, Cabrera may actually win back-to-back triple crowns. Color me impressed.
Also, check out: AL Midseason Cy Young Winner (Leader)
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
This year?
It's more of the same, but with one other player in the mix.
Mike Trout is not going to be mentioned in most people's midseason MVPs, but I just can't leave him out. After hitting just .261 for the month of April, Trout is up to hitting .322 with 119 hits, 15 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases.
We are slightly more than halfway through the season, but Trout is on pace to hit .322 with over 200 hits, close to 30 home runs, over 100 runs batted in, and 40 stolen bases. His season may be overshadowed by the top two contenders, but I feel Trout is worth mentioning, as a hot second half could easily put him in the discussion.
Chris Davis is leading the league in home runs with 37, and is hitting a solid .315 at the plate. He's got an OPS of 1.109, and is a huge reason why the Orioles are having the kind of success they are having. In a tough AL East, the O's are 10 games over .500, and are right in the mix, both in the division, and for a wild card spot.
Davis has been exciting to watch, and some early mutterings of 62 home runs has begun. Davis is my number two for midseason AL MVP.
Top honors has to go to Miguel Cabrera. No player in the history of baseball has ever had 30 home runs and 90 RBIs at the All Star break, until this year. Cabrera is hitting an incredible .365 with 30 home runs, 95 RBIs, and a 1.132 OPS. He is putting up video game numbers so far in the first half of the season, and has actually elevated himself after an MVP and triple-crown winning season.
If Davis cools off a bit, Cabrera may actually win back-to-back triple crowns. Color me impressed.
Also, check out: AL Midseason Cy Young Winner (Leader)
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
Sunday, July 14, 2013
MLB Midseason Awards: A.L. Cy Young Award
Now that we are at the midway point (or a little past it), I will post my choices as midseason leader for Cy Young and MVP in both leagues at the All-Star Break.
The perennial choices for AL Cy Young are either Justin Verlander or Felix Hernandez, who have consistently been two of the game's top pitchers over the last several years.
A couple of other guys like David Price (last year's winner) or Jered Weaver are usually in the discussion as well, along with a surprise or two that pop up every year. Last year, Chris Sale was the guy who emerged, and was the favorite to win the award heading into the second half of last season.
This year, Bartolo Colon makes a strong case at 12-3 with an ERA of 2.70, currently third in the AL. Colon's connection with PEDs, however, may be what largely accounts for his return to the dominance of his prime at the age of 40. Nonetheless, he has not yet been suspended, and has a legitimate claim to the midseason AL Cy Young award.
I'm going to go another way, though. Max Scherzer, who is not even the best pitcher on his own team, is leading the pack at the midway point. With an ERA just a shade over three (3.19 at the moment), Scherzer is an incredible 13-1 in 19 starts. He is averaging more than a strikeout per inning (10.55 K/9), and has a WHIP under one (0.98).
I'll take Scherzer for my midseason AL Cy Young award winner/leader.
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
The perennial choices for AL Cy Young are either Justin Verlander or Felix Hernandez, who have consistently been two of the game's top pitchers over the last several years.
A couple of other guys like David Price (last year's winner) or Jered Weaver are usually in the discussion as well, along with a surprise or two that pop up every year. Last year, Chris Sale was the guy who emerged, and was the favorite to win the award heading into the second half of last season.
This year, Bartolo Colon makes a strong case at 12-3 with an ERA of 2.70, currently third in the AL. Colon's connection with PEDs, however, may be what largely accounts for his return to the dominance of his prime at the age of 40. Nonetheless, he has not yet been suspended, and has a legitimate claim to the midseason AL Cy Young award.
I'm going to go another way, though. Max Scherzer, who is not even the best pitcher on his own team, is leading the pack at the midway point. With an ERA just a shade over three (3.19 at the moment), Scherzer is an incredible 13-1 in 19 starts. He is averaging more than a strikeout per inning (10.55 K/9), and has a WHIP under one (0.98).
I'll take Scherzer for my midseason AL Cy Young award winner/leader.
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Jose Altuve, Astros agree to 4-year extension
Per Brian McTaggert of the MLB.com, the Houston Astros and second baseman Jose Altuve have agreed to an extension.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, it is a four-year deal that runs from 2014 through 2017 worth $12.5 million. In addition, the club has options for 2018 ($6 million) and 2019 ($6.5 million).
Eligible for arbitration next year, Altuve would have been eligible for free agency after the 2016 season.
Going into the season, the Astros had a payroll of approximately $22 million with starting pitcher Bud Norris its highest-paid player with a salary of $3 million.
Altuve leads the team in batting average (.280) and stolen bases (21) with 36 runs scored, three home runs and 28 runs batted in.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, it is a four-year deal that runs from 2014 through 2017 worth $12.5 million. In addition, the club has options for 2018 ($6 million) and 2019 ($6.5 million).
Eligible for arbitration next year, Altuve would have been eligible for free agency after the 2016 season.
Going into the season, the Astros had a payroll of approximately $22 million with starting pitcher Bud Norris its highest-paid player with a salary of $3 million.
Altuve leads the team in batting average (.280) and stolen bases (21) with 36 runs scored, three home runs and 28 runs batted in.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
MLB Announces N.L. All-Stars
Major League Baseball has just announced the starters, pitchers and
reserves for both leagues for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game, which will be
played on Tuesday, July 16th.
Here are the National League starters:
Here are the NL pitchers:
[Here are the A.L. All-Stars.]
Here are the National League starters:
- C: Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
- 1B: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
- 2B: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds
- SS: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
- 3B: David Wright, New York Mets
- OF: Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals
- OF: Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies
- OF: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
Here are the NL pitchers:
- LHP: Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
- LHP: Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds
- LHP: Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks
- RHP: Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins
- RHP: Jason Grilli, Pittsburgh Pirates
- RHP: Matt Harvey, New York Mets
- LHP: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angleles Dodgers
- RHP: Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves
- LHP: Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies
- LHP: Jeff Locke, Pittsburgh Pirates
- RHP: Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals
- LHP: Travis Wood, Chicago Cubs
- RHP: Jordan Zimmermann, Washington Nationals
- C: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
- 1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
- 1B: Allen Craig, St. Louis Cardinals
- 2B: Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals
- 2B: Marco Scutaro, San Francisco Giants
- SS: Everth Cabrera, San Diego Padres
- SS: Jean Segura, Milwaukee Brewers
- 3B: Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates
- OF: Domonic Brown, Philadelphia Phillies
- OF: Michael Cuddyer, Colorado Rockies
- OF: Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers
- OF: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals
- Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
- Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Hunter Pence, San Francisco Giants
- Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers
[Here are the A.L. All-Stars.]
MLB announces A.L. All-Stars
Major League Baseball has just announced the starters, pitchers and reserves for both leagues for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game, which will be played on Tuesday, July 16th.
Here are the American League starters:
Here are the AL pitchers:
** Denotes injury replacement.
[Here are the N.L. All-Stars.]
Here are the American League starters:
- C: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
- 1B: Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles
- 2B: Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
- SS: J.J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles
- 3B: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
- OF: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
- OF: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
- OF: Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
- DH: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox
Here are the AL pitchers:
- * RHP: Clay Buchholz, Boston Red Sox
- LHP: Brett Cecil, Toronto Blue Jays
- ** RHP: Bartolo Colon, Oakland A's
- * RHP: Jesse Crain, Chicago White Sox
- RHP: Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers
- RHP: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
- RHP: Hisashi Iwakuma, Seattle Mariners
- RHP: Justin Masterson, Cleveland Indians
- RHP: Joe Nathan, Texas Rangers
- ** LHP: Glen Perkins, Minnesota Twins
- RHP: Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
- LHP: Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox
- RHP: Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers
- RHP: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
** Denotes injury replacement.
- C: Jason Castro, Houston Astros
- C: Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
- 1B: Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers
- 2B: Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians
- 2B: Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
- 2B: Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays
- SS: Jhonny Peralta: Detroit Tigers
- 3B: Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
- OF: Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers
- OF: Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals
- OF: Torii Hunter, Detroit Tigers
- DH: Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays
- Joaquin Benoit, Detroit Tigers
- Steve Delabar, Toronto Blue Jays
- David Robertson, New York Yankees
- Tanner Scheppers, Texas Rangers
- Koji Uehara, Boston Red Sox
[Here are the N.L. All-Stars.]
Phillies place Ryan Howard on 15-day DL
Earlier today, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was a late scratch from tonight's lineup due to soreness in his left knee.
Now the Phillies have placed Howard on the 15-day disabled list, the team announced via Twitter.
With Howard out of the lineup, Laynce Nix will play first base and hit seventh against the Braves tonight.
To take Howard's roster spot, the Phillies have called up Darren Ruf, who is expected to join the club at some point during tonight's game.
On the season, Howard is hitting .266 with 11 home runs and 43 runs batted in. Howard is tied for second on the team in homers with Chase Utley and is second in RBI, trailing Domonic Brown in both categories.
Now the Phillies have placed Howard on the 15-day disabled list, the team announced via Twitter.
With Howard out of the lineup, Laynce Nix will play first base and hit seventh against the Braves tonight.
To take Howard's roster spot, the Phillies have called up Darren Ruf, who is expected to join the club at some point during tonight's game.
On the season, Howard is hitting .266 with 11 home runs and 43 runs batted in. Howard is tied for second on the team in homers with Chase Utley and is second in RBI, trailing Domonic Brown in both categories.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Ryan Braun (thumb) leaves today's game early
Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun left today's game against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning due to right thumb soreness, the team tweeted.
For Braun, it's not a new injury as he sat out Wednesday's game due to thumb soreness as well.
“We’ve got to figure out what to do there,” Roenicke said (before today's game), per beat writer Adam McCalvey. “We’ve got to start going in the right direction with him, and sometimes it’s not. … I’m hoping we don’t have to [place him on the disabled list], but we start making gains and he says, ‘Yeah, I feel really good today,’ and then all of a sudden it’s a bad day and a setback.
“We keep going this back and forth. He’s out there playing, hitting third for us, and I expect the Braun that I’ve seen for the last two years, and he’s not the same. He’s still getting hits, he’s still helping us win games, but he’s not that guy that can carry a team like I know he can.”
Before leaving the game, Braun was 0-for-1 with a strike out.
Through 57 games, Braun is hitting . with nine home runs, 36 runs batted in, 30 runs scored and four stolen bases.
For Braun, it's not a new injury as he sat out Wednesday's game due to thumb soreness as well.
“We’ve got to figure out what to do there,” Roenicke said (before today's game), per beat writer Adam McCalvey. “We’ve got to start going in the right direction with him, and sometimes it’s not. … I’m hoping we don’t have to [place him on the disabled list], but we start making gains and he says, ‘Yeah, I feel really good today,’ and then all of a sudden it’s a bad day and a setback.
“We keep going this back and forth. He’s out there playing, hitting third for us, and I expect the Braun that I’ve seen for the last two years, and he’s not the same. He’s still getting hits, he’s still helping us win games, but he’s not that guy that can carry a team like I know he can.”
Before leaving the game, Braun was 0-for-1 with a strike out.
Through 57 games, Braun is hitting . with nine home runs, 36 runs batted in, 30 runs scored and four stolen bases.
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