On this date two years ago, the Dodgers signed Ronald Belisario as a minor league free agent after he had spent the previous eight years in the Marlins' and Pirates' systems. Belisario made the team's Opening Day roster in 2009 and has pitched to a 3.36 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and a 58.5% ground ball rate in 126 innings since.
Here are Sunday's links…
- Paul Hagen of The Philadelphia Daily News has the breakdown of the incentives included in Ben Francisco's contract with the Phillies. The outfielder can earn another $100K in bonuses tied to plate appearances, plus more for various awards.
- Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News sees just one reason why the Rangers should consider signing Manny Ramirez. Texas is one of five teams that have recently expressed interest in Manny.
- Some estimates say the Rays should budget upwards of $15MM for the 2011 draft because of all the extra picks they have, according to Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times. Once the Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, and Chad Qualls signings become official, Tampa will own a dozen of the first 90 or so picks.
- The Athletics are optimistic about their offseason moves says Joe Stiglich of The Oakland Tribune, and rightfully so.
Of course the Rangers are the defending AL champs with the reigning AL MVP in addition to the signing of one of the sexiest names on the market to go alongwith the fanbase that they have there. How sexy. Congrats Texas, but the A’s are going to win the division.
Didn’t you say that last year? And swear up and down that they would be led by “Opening Day starters” Chris Carter and Michael Taylor?
I’m a diehard A’s fan and I’m very optimistic, but come on. You’re suggesting they’re a shoe-in?
Actually, think about the progrression of their young starters in additon to
a revamped offense to go along with a fantastic defense (especially up the
middle) and not forgetting about their trustworthy bullpen. Last year when I
said that (which let me just say I’m not sure why or how you remember that)
I was a little too optomistic. Now, I’m not too optomistic at all.
I think any time you say a team is going to win their division in January a case can be made that you are overly optimistic. Lots can happen in terms of injuries or regression or what have you. That, as they say, is why they play the games.
Same for the Rangers right
Well, of course. Or any team in any division. Or any sport.
Edit: Except maybe the Phillies…
Same for the Rangers right
I think any time you say a team is going to win their division in January a case can be made that you are overly optimistic. Lots can happen in terms of injuries or regression or what have you. That, as they say, is why they play the games.
The reason I remember your name so well is because I grew up with a guy named Travis Span, and we always called him Spandemonium.
The reason I remembered what you said so well is because I only went into maybe three or four comment boards last offseason, and remembered you being in one and being very adamant about Carter and Taylor being OD starters. I was trying to tell everybody that there is no way Carter or Taylor would arrive before late-May, and that Barton deserved one last chance anyway, and you weren’t having any of it.
The reason I remember your name so well is because I grew up with a guy named Travis Span, and we always called him Spandemonium.
The reason I remembered what you said so well is because I only went into maybe three or four comment boards last offseason, and remembered you being in one and being very adamant about Carter and Taylor being OD starters. I was trying to tell everybody that there is no way Carter or Taylor would arrive before late-May, and that Barton deserved one last chance anyway, and you weren’t having any of it.
I like the A’s pitching, but they have to get out of Oakland, there attendance is terrible! Where’s Charlie Finley when you need him.
Yeah because the addition of Belre by the Rangers, and the return of Kendry Morales for the Angels are going to cause both teams to regress. And signing Hideki Matsui is like Albert Pujols arriving in Oaktown, while Brian Fuentes is finally going to reveal the Mariano Rivera in him that he hid oh so well from the baseball world for years.
The A’s have a really average offensive team, and a good pitching staff. But the Rangers have an OUTSTANDING offense, and the Angels are only a year removed from leading the league in runs scored. Oh, and they have a pitching rotation as good if not better than the A’s
The Rangers added Beltre, but does that make up for the loss of Cliff Lee? If it’s supposed to, then I’d love to know why Beltre was their second choice this winter.
The return of Kendry Morales will certainly help the Angels. But saying that their rotation is “as good if not better than the A’s”, as if it’s an out-and-out fact??? Riiight. If the Angels are so “set” then why were they sweating Crawford and Beltre so badly? It seems like they never would have been willing to spend tens of millions for one (or both) of those guys if they didn’t necessarily need any help. But maybe that’s just me.
No reasonable person expects DeJesus, Willingham and Matsui to set the world on fire, but they’re still fairly big upgrades to a team that won 81 games in spite of a near-record setting use of the DL. And their defense is still really good, their rotation can only get better, and they easily have the strongest bullpen of these three teams.
The A’s will be in the hunt. Make no mistake.
Yes, because Cliff Lee was only with the Rangers half of the season – and while he contributed, he really wasn’t that spectacular for them (3.98 ERA, 109 ERA+).
Beltre over a full season in 2011 will probably be more valuable than Lee’s contribution in 2010.
Oh the A’s are definitely in the hunt ( I’m not even being sarcastic here), just like every team in the AL West not located in Seattle is. I’m not even going to try to predict a winner, even though I’m an Angels fan, because it’s so close between the 3 teams. And hey, maybe the A’s do win it, it’s not unimaginable, I’m just saying its too early to tell.
As for the Rangers, I know Beltre isn’t Cliff Lee, but for the Rangers last year, Cliff Lee wasn”t Cliff Lee ( 3.98 ERA). But Beltre is really going to boost an offense that is already scary, I don’t think any team would want to get in a shootout with the Rangers at Arlington.
And my Halos are going to do fine. Sure maybe this is just optimism, but can you expect a whole team to underperform again? I’m not trying to declare the Angels rotation is outright better, but don’t tell me a rotation of Haren, Weaver (who is the MOST underrated pitcher right now, Whehad a high 2.00/ low 3.00 era throughout the year, and I think he led the league in K, or is at least close),Pinero, and Santana. Scary.
And I’m pretty sure it was the fact that the Angels were NOT “sweating Crawford and Beltre so badly” that reallg got Angel fans upset. Sure Crawford is a perfect fit, but not as needed because the Angels didn’t even try to outbid the Red Sox once they heard the price was getting out of hand. As for Beltre, one could argue that the Halos had ” we don’t really need you, you need us attitude.” The did pull their offer after all.
Woah, I did not expect to write this much LOL
Oh the A’s are definitely in the hunt ( I’m not even being sarcastic here), just like every team in the AL West not located in Seattle is. I’m not even going to try to predict a winner, even though I’m an Angels fan, because it’s so close between the 3 teams. And hey, maybe the A’s do win it, it’s not unimaginable, I’m just saying its too early to tell.
As for the Rangers, I know Beltre isn’t Cliff Lee, but for the Rangers last year, Cliff Lee wasn”t Cliff Lee ( 3.98 ERA). But Beltre is really going to boost an offense that is already scary, I don’t think any team would want to get in a shootout with the Rangers at Arlington.
And my Halos are going to do fine. Sure maybe this is just optimism, but can you expect a whole team to underperform again? I’m not trying to declare the Angels rotation is outright better, but don’t tell me a rotation of Haren, Weaver (who is the MOST underrated pitcher right now, Whehad a high 2.00/ low 3.00 era throughout the year, and I think he led the league in K, or is at least close),Pinero, and Santana. Scary.
And I’m pretty sure it was the fact that the Angels were NOT “sweating Crawford and Beltre so badly” that reallg got Angel fans upset. Sure Crawford is a perfect fit, but not as needed because the Angels didn’t even try to outbid the Red Sox once they heard the price was getting out of hand. As for Beltre, one could argue that the Halos had ” we don’t really need you, you need us attitude.” The did pull their offer after all.
Woah, I did not expect to write this much LOL
AL West will definetly not be a blow-out..but I have great confidence that A’s will win it if they can do something about all the injuries that they had last year. I reallly think despite their crappy offense, if they had all their key players, they would’ve had better than exactly .500 last year. They fired the trainer for them last year..let’s hope the next one is a lot better (not hope..but better be).
I’m still puzzled as to how/why the injury situation was so bad in 2010. Some of their injuries (Duchscherer, Chavez, Sheets) weren’t really unexpected, and some things were just a fluke (like when Juan Uribe tagged Crisp and broke his finger in the second-to-last spring training game). But I was still very surprised that it had gotten so out of hand again.
It was really bad in 2007 and 2008, too. And then they brought back Bob Alejo to be strength and conditioning coach, and they stayed a lot healthier in 2009. Then it got bad again last year.
I’m starting to think the curse of Ken Macha might actually be real.
AL West will definetly not be a blow-out..but I have great confidence that A’s will win it if they can do something about all the injuries that they had last year. I reallly think despite their crappy offense, if they had all their key players, they would’ve had better than exactly .500 last year. They fired the trainer for them last year..let’s hope the next one is a lot better (not hope..but better be).
Some say: Exect a bad year for the Rays. You have been warned again.
Rays are looking towards last place in the East but 12 of the first 90 picks in the draft should help them on there way back.
Some say: Exect a bad year for the Rays. You have been warned again.
In the best interest for the Rangers,They should stay away from Manny.He is a clubhouse Cancer. The Rangers are a well developed young team with a huge farm system of new gus working out an getting ready to come up such as Perez.Stay away from this guy