Thursday, March 21, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Aroldis Chapman Needs to Be the Reds Closer
Aroldis Chapman is the most dominating closer in baseball, but entering Spring Training the Cincinnati Reds wanted to try him as a starter. With three weeks left in Spring Training, the Reds have not made a decision, but Aroldis Chapman has. He wants to be the closer.
The left-handed 25-year-old Cuban Missile, has the most electric arm in baseball, with his high strike outs per nine innings ratio and high whiff rates.
Last season was Chapman's first season as the Reds closer, and he was an instant success. He appeared in 68 games and went 5-5 with 38 saves and an ERA of 1.51. His most impressive stat was his 122 strikeouts in 71.2 innings, which translates to an overwhelming 15.32 strikeouts per nine innings.
Putting Chapman as a starter would be a huge mistake because he has been so dominant coming out of the 'pen. The main reason he has been so good is because of his electric fastball, that has been clocked over 100 mph. Besides throwing a fastball, he also throws a slider. Both pitches have extraordinarily high whiff rates of 33% for the fastball and 58% for the slider, but to be a successful starter, you have to be able to throw at least three pitches. The two pitches he throws are great, but not enough for him to be a successful starter.
The Reds should not put Chapman as a starter because it would weaken their entire pitching staff. Aroldis Chapman has been a relief pitcher over his entire three-year career, and has proven to be successful. If it is not broken, do not fix it.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The Vikings Overpaid for Greg Jennings
After trading away Percy Harvin, the Vikings needed a down field threat. The Vikings have found their man, signing veteran wide receiver Greg Jennings.
The Vikings overpaid for Jennings, even though they needed a number one receiver. At 29 years old and his durability in question, Jennings was not worth the contract the Vikings gave him.
He has missed 11 games due to various injuries over the last couple seasons, and in 2012 he was a non-factor for the Packers. Last season Greg Jennings only played in eight games, and caught a career-low 36 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns.
Over Jennings' career, he has proven to be a number one receiver, but that was with Aaron Rodgers passing him the ball, not Christian Ponder. Unless Jennings is able to remain healthy and produce at a high level, the Vikings overpaid for him.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
2013 MLB Predictions: American League East
Every team starts the season tied for first place, and in baseball anything is possible. For the players and fans there are hopes, and even for some, dreams, that their team will be a top their division at the end of the season. With Opening Day less than a month away, here is how I see the American League East shaping out to be:
1st - Toronto Blue Jays:
No other team had as busy of an offseason as the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays went all in this offseason trading away their top five prospects, in two blockbuster deals.
Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes, and Emilio Bonifacio were all acquired from the Marlins, while reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey was obtained from the Mets. Besides making two blockbuster deals, the Blue Jays signed veterans Melky Cabrera and Maicer Izturis.
The Blue Jays have the best pitching rotation in baseball and an offense that will be able to score an enormous amount of runs. The Blue Jays will win the American League East, and they will also win the World Series this season.
2nd - Tampa Bay Rays:
The Rays made a huge trade this offseason, trading away James Shields and Wade Davis to the Royals for a package of prospects centered around Wil Myers. Even though the Rays trade away two of their better pitchers, they still will be a very competitive team.
In addition to acquiring some talented prospects, the Rays traded for Yunel Escobar and signed Kelly Johnson and James Loney via free agency to shore up their lineup. Roberto Hernandez, Juan Oviedo and Jamey Wright were all added to improve the Rays' pitching staff, that is already one of the best in the game.
The Rays will be an improved team from last season, but the Blue Jays will be to much for the Rays to overtake. Expect the Rays to win one of the AL Wild Cards.
3rd - Baltimore Orioles:
The Baltimore Orioles had a very quiet offseason, and their biggest move was resigning Nate McLouth. In free agency the O's brought in Alexi Casilla, Danny Valencia, Conner Jackson and pitcher Joel Piniero. None of these move were very substantial and none of them will make a significant impact for the Orioles. The key to the Orioles success will be their starting rotation. Expect the Orioles to compete for a Wild Card spot, but do not be surprised if they are not playing in October.
4th - Boston Red Sox:
The Red Sox signed many veteran players this offseason to go along with a very talented core group of players. The Red Sox are full of talent this season, but their season will be determined on if they are able to live up to their potential.
Ryan Dempster, Joel Hanrahan and Koji Uehara were all brought into bolster their pitching staff, that struggled all last season. Veterans Johnny Gomes, Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli were signed this offseason to help add some new life and energy into their lineup.
The Red Sox roster is full of talent, but they have to live up to their potential. If their core group of players are able to remain healthy the entire season, the Red Sox could surprise some people.
5th - New York Yankees:
This offseason the Yankees did not do anything to improve their team. The Yankees signed aging veteran players Ichiro Suzuki, Kevin Youkilis, Travis Hafner, and Juan Rivera to improve their lineup. Andy Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda were resigned on one-year deals to boast their strong starting rotation, and Mariano Rivera will be back at closer after being injured for most of last season.
There are many questions surrounding the Yankees including their health, who will be their Opening Day catcher, and if these veteran players will be able to produce at a high enough level for them to be competitive. The Yankees will not be able to remain healthy over a 162 games season, and because of that they will finish in the basement of the AL East.
1st - Toronto Blue Jays:
No other team had as busy of an offseason as the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays went all in this offseason trading away their top five prospects, in two blockbuster deals.
Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes, and Emilio Bonifacio were all acquired from the Marlins, while reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey was obtained from the Mets. Besides making two blockbuster deals, the Blue Jays signed veterans Melky Cabrera and Maicer Izturis.
The Blue Jays have the best pitching rotation in baseball and an offense that will be able to score an enormous amount of runs. The Blue Jays will win the American League East, and they will also win the World Series this season.
2nd - Tampa Bay Rays:
The Rays made a huge trade this offseason, trading away James Shields and Wade Davis to the Royals for a package of prospects centered around Wil Myers. Even though the Rays trade away two of their better pitchers, they still will be a very competitive team.
In addition to acquiring some talented prospects, the Rays traded for Yunel Escobar and signed Kelly Johnson and James Loney via free agency to shore up their lineup. Roberto Hernandez, Juan Oviedo and Jamey Wright were all added to improve the Rays' pitching staff, that is already one of the best in the game.
The Rays will be an improved team from last season, but the Blue Jays will be to much for the Rays to overtake. Expect the Rays to win one of the AL Wild Cards.
3rd - Baltimore Orioles:
The Baltimore Orioles had a very quiet offseason, and their biggest move was resigning Nate McLouth. In free agency the O's brought in Alexi Casilla, Danny Valencia, Conner Jackson and pitcher Joel Piniero. None of these move were very substantial and none of them will make a significant impact for the Orioles. The key to the Orioles success will be their starting rotation. Expect the Orioles to compete for a Wild Card spot, but do not be surprised if they are not playing in October.
4th - Boston Red Sox:
The Red Sox signed many veteran players this offseason to go along with a very talented core group of players. The Red Sox are full of talent this season, but their season will be determined on if they are able to live up to their potential.
Ryan Dempster, Joel Hanrahan and Koji Uehara were all brought into bolster their pitching staff, that struggled all last season. Veterans Johnny Gomes, Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli were signed this offseason to help add some new life and energy into their lineup.
The Red Sox roster is full of talent, but they have to live up to their potential. If their core group of players are able to remain healthy the entire season, the Red Sox could surprise some people.
5th - New York Yankees:
This offseason the Yankees did not do anything to improve their team. The Yankees signed aging veteran players Ichiro Suzuki, Kevin Youkilis, Travis Hafner, and Juan Rivera to improve their lineup. Andy Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda were resigned on one-year deals to boast their strong starting rotation, and Mariano Rivera will be back at closer after being injured for most of last season.
There are many questions surrounding the Yankees including their health, who will be their Opening Day catcher, and if these veteran players will be able to produce at a high enough level for them to be competitive. The Yankees will not be able to remain healthy over a 162 games season, and because of that they will finish in the basement of the AL East.
Monday, March 11, 2013
2013 NFL Draft: Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers dominate the air each and every season, but year-after-year quarterback Aaron Rodgers and gang are lacking a ground attack. This team needs to draft a game changer with the 26th overall pick in the draft, a guy like Montee Ball. Drafting Montee Ball would not just take the Packers offense to the next level this season, but he would give the Packers an explosive, dominating offense for the years to come.
The Packers will not spend a huge amount of money on a running back during the offseason, and even if the Packers do add a cheap, veteran running back, they should still make this pick. Montee Ball is a workhorse who is able to run well between the tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield.
Throughout his four-year career at Wisconsin he produced at the highest level, averaging 231 carriers for 1,285 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns per season. Not only did he rush all over defenses, he proved that he could catch the ball. He averaged almost 15 catches per season for 150 yards.
Over Montee Ball's remarkable career he won numerous awards including the Doak Walker Award in 2012 (given to the top running back in college football), the Archie Griffin Award in 2011 (given to college football's MVP for the entire season), and he was a consensus All-American in 2011 and 2012. Besides winning many awards, Montee Ball set the Division 1 FBS All-time touchdowns record (83) and rushing touchdowns record (77).
Montee Ball has proven that he is the best running back in this years draft class, and he would give the Packers the threat of running the ball on any given down. Montee Ball is a game changer and explosive player, who the Packers need to take with the 26th overall pick in the NFL draft.
The Packers will not spend a huge amount of money on a running back during the offseason, and even if the Packers do add a cheap, veteran running back, they should still make this pick. Montee Ball is a workhorse who is able to run well between the tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield.
Throughout his four-year career at Wisconsin he produced at the highest level, averaging 231 carriers for 1,285 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns per season. Not only did he rush all over defenses, he proved that he could catch the ball. He averaged almost 15 catches per season for 150 yards.
Over Montee Ball's remarkable career he won numerous awards including the Doak Walker Award in 2012 (given to the top running back in college football), the Archie Griffin Award in 2011 (given to college football's MVP for the entire season), and he was a consensus All-American in 2011 and 2012. Besides winning many awards, Montee Ball set the Division 1 FBS All-time touchdowns record (83) and rushing touchdowns record (77).
Montee Ball has proven that he is the best running back in this years draft class, and he would give the Packers the threat of running the ball on any given down. Montee Ball is a game changer and explosive player, who the Packers need to take with the 26th overall pick in the NFL draft.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Green Bay Packers Need to Sign Steven Jackson
Since 2008 the Packers have had one of the best passing attacks in all of football, but they have lacked a consistent running game. Steven Jackson would be a great solution for the Packers because he would be affordable, reliable, and improve the Packers offense.
Steven Jackson is one of the better running backs in the NFL today, but he is getting older and steadily declining. Although he will be turning 30 by the start of the regular season, he did have a solid season last year. He rushed for 1,042 yards with four touchdowns in 16 games. Steven Jackson still has gas left in the tank, and he could be a solid option for the Packers at an affordable price.
He would also be a reliable veteran running back for the Packers. Even though he is getting older, he has been able to remain healthy and consistent over his career. Over his nine year career he has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of those seasons besides his rookie year, and most importantly he has shown solid ball security, averaged only two rushing fumbles per season.
Steven Jackson will be affordable and reliable for any team, but most importantly he would be an excellent fit for the Green and Gold. With the Packers being a pass first team, he would not need to be relied upon as much, as he has been with the Rams over his career. He would also be a great addition to the Packers' passing attack. Over his career he has proven, that he can catch the ball out of the backfield, and in 2012 he caught 38 passes for 324 yards. The Packers offense would become more explosive with the threat of running the ball on any given down, and Steven Jackson is a perfect solution for the Packers.
Steven Jackson is a veteran running back who would be reliable and improve the Packers running game at an affordable price.
Monday, March 4, 2013
2013 MLB Predictions: National League West
Every team starts the season tied for first place, and in baseball anything is possible. For the players and fans there are hopes, and even for some, dreams, that their team will be a top their division at the end of the season. With Opening Day less than a month away, here is how I see the National League West shaping out to be:
1st - San Francisco Giants:
The Giants have been the best team in the MLB over the last three seasons, but this season will be their toughest, with the improvement of both the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. This offseason the Giants made key moves by resigning players from last seasons World Series team.
Marco Scutaro, Angel Pagan and Jeremy Affeldt were all brought back on multi-year deals, and the Giants also added free agent outfielder, Andres Torres, to platoon in left field with Gregor Blanco. With these key transactions, along with their stellar pitching rotation, the Giants will win a competitive NL West.
2nd - Arizona Diamondbacks:
This offseason the Diamondbacks finally pulled the trigger on trading Justin Upton to the Braves for a solid package of players, led by Martin Prado. They also traded away highly touted pitching prospect Trevor Bauer in a three team deal, that landed them shortstop prospect Didi Gregorius.
Even though both of these moves improved their team, the biggest addition was signing pitcher Brandon McCarthy to a two year, $15.5 million deal. When healthy, McCarthy has ace potential, and he will improve the D-backs pitching staff. The Diamondbacks will surprise many people, and expect them to be competing for a NL Wild Card the entire season.
3rd - Los Angeles Dodgers:
The Los Angeles Dodgers spent a huge amount of money this offseason, and they will find out that money does not buy everything. They signed pitcher, Zack Greinke to a mega deal worth $147 million over six years, and left handed Korean pitcher, Ryu Hyun-jin to a six year, $36 million deal. This will improve the Dodgers rotation, but it will not guarantee success.
Even though the Dodgers have added many quality players since last seasons' trade deadline, injuries and the lack of team chemistry will hurt their chances at winning the pennant.
4th - San Diego Padres:
The Padres had a very quiet offseason, besides signing pitchers Freddy Garcia and Tyson Ross, and they will be relying on their deep farm system to improve their big league club. The Padres are in rebuilding mode, and they will not be competing for a playoff spot within the next few seasons.
5th - Colorado Rockies:
The Colorado Rockies had the worst pitching rotation last season, and they did very little to improve it this winter. They brought in some veteran pitchers, including Chris Volstad, Jeff Francis, and Miguel Batista, but they will not help a young, inexperienced pitching staff. The one positive move the Rockies made was, trading for relief pitcher Wilton Lopez to improve their bullpen.
Troy Tulowitzki is returning from injury and the Rockies pitching staff has another year of experience, but it will not be enough to keep them out of the cellar in the NL West.
1st - San Francisco Giants:
The Giants have been the best team in the MLB over the last three seasons, but this season will be their toughest, with the improvement of both the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. This offseason the Giants made key moves by resigning players from last seasons World Series team.
Marco Scutaro, Angel Pagan and Jeremy Affeldt were all brought back on multi-year deals, and the Giants also added free agent outfielder, Andres Torres, to platoon in left field with Gregor Blanco. With these key transactions, along with their stellar pitching rotation, the Giants will win a competitive NL West.
2nd - Arizona Diamondbacks:
This offseason the Diamondbacks finally pulled the trigger on trading Justin Upton to the Braves for a solid package of players, led by Martin Prado. They also traded away highly touted pitching prospect Trevor Bauer in a three team deal, that landed them shortstop prospect Didi Gregorius.
Even though both of these moves improved their team, the biggest addition was signing pitcher Brandon McCarthy to a two year, $15.5 million deal. When healthy, McCarthy has ace potential, and he will improve the D-backs pitching staff. The Diamondbacks will surprise many people, and expect them to be competing for a NL Wild Card the entire season.
3rd - Los Angeles Dodgers:
The Los Angeles Dodgers spent a huge amount of money this offseason, and they will find out that money does not buy everything. They signed pitcher, Zack Greinke to a mega deal worth $147 million over six years, and left handed Korean pitcher, Ryu Hyun-jin to a six year, $36 million deal. This will improve the Dodgers rotation, but it will not guarantee success.
Even though the Dodgers have added many quality players since last seasons' trade deadline, injuries and the lack of team chemistry will hurt their chances at winning the pennant.
4th - San Diego Padres:
The Padres had a very quiet offseason, besides signing pitchers Freddy Garcia and Tyson Ross, and they will be relying on their deep farm system to improve their big league club. The Padres are in rebuilding mode, and they will not be competing for a playoff spot within the next few seasons.
5th - Colorado Rockies:
The Colorado Rockies had the worst pitching rotation last season, and they did very little to improve it this winter. They brought in some veteran pitchers, including Chris Volstad, Jeff Francis, and Miguel Batista, but they will not help a young, inexperienced pitching staff. The one positive move the Rockies made was, trading for relief pitcher Wilton Lopez to improve their bullpen.
Troy Tulowitzki is returning from injury and the Rockies pitching staff has another year of experience, but it will not be enough to keep them out of the cellar in the NL West.
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