Indians Re-Sign Jason Giambi, Acquire Colt Hynes
2013/10/indians-re-sign-jason-giambi-acquire-colt-hynes.htmlHe was a beloved member of the Indians clubhouse however, and provided a number of pinch-hit home runs, including a pair of dramatic walk-off shots. … Hynes, 28, was one of two left-handers to be designated for assignment by the Padres last week in order to create roster space for starters Cory Luebke and Joe Wieland, each of whom was returning from the 60-day disabled list (Tommy Layne was also DFA'ed).
Free Agent Profile: Justin Morneau
2013/11/free-agent-profile-justin-morneau.htmlHis walk rate has also declined; Morneau walked in 11.3 percent of his plate appearances in his peak from 2007-10, but he walked in just 7.9 percent of his trips to the plate in 2013. … Strengths/Pros Morneau hit .259/.323/.411 with 17 homers in 2013.
Free Agent Profile: Jacoby Ellsbury
2013/11/free-agent-profile-jacoby-ellsbury.htmlHe has a high contact rate and a .297 career batting average, and draws enough walks to supplement his hits. … While his power is more of the doubles and triples variety, which is aided by his speed, he did hit 32 home runs in 2011.
2014 Top 50 Free Agents With Predictions
2013/11/2014-top-50-free-agents-with-predictions-1.htmlSantana throws relatively hard, avoids walks, and doesn't turn 31 until December. … Last year 5,239 people entered, with Josh Larabee taking home the batting title with 20 correct picks and a .400 average.
Free Agent Profile: Nelson Cruz
2013/11/free-agent-profile-nelson-cruz.htmlWalks have never been a strong point for Cruz. … Cruz's 27 homers in 2013 are tied with Robinson Cano for second among free agents despite the fact that Cruz totaled just 477 plate appearances this season.
Minor Moves: Cunningham, Burke, Gomez, Neshek
2013/11/minor-moves-gosselin-neshek.htmlHis 5.68 ERA doesn't look very pretty, but Burke whiffed eight hitters per nine innings and averaged 4.3 walks per nine. … The powerful righty swatted 29 home runs for Triple-A Buffalo this season and slashed .249/.332/.521 in 453 plate appearances.
Free Agent Profile: Juan Uribe
2013/11/free-agent-profile-juan-uribe.htmlThis year, Uribe was able to hit for average while also drawing enough walks to create a solid OBP. … He's always had pop, with a career isolated power mark of .167 and eight seasons of double digit home runs.
MLB Owners Approve Replay Funding
2013/11/mlb-prepared-to-expand-instant-replay.htmlBeyond that, if managers walk on the field to protest a call, they will no longer be able to challenge it. … Should a manager exhaust his three challenges, the umpiring crew can still convene to conduct their own review of a questionable home run.
Reds Likely To Move Ryan Hanigan
2013/11/reds-likely-to-move-ryan-hanigan.htmlHanigan has long been known as a patient hitter that is tough to strike out, as evidenced by a career 12 percent walk rate and 10.1 percent strikeout rate. … Hanigan, 33, struggled through the worst season of his career in 2013, batting just .198/.306/.261 and tying a career-low with two home runs.
East Notes: Murphy, Cano, Perez, Rays
2013/11/east-notes-murphy-cano-perez-rays.htmlPossible target Curtis Granderson, however, boasts a solid walk rate. … After numerous conversations with player agents and other teams, Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman headed home from the GM Meetings with a better sense of potential moves, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Minor Moves: Valdez, Diaz, Gonzalez, Souza, McCoy
2013/11/minor-moves-diaz-gonzalez-souza-layne-mccoy.htmlGonzalez is a 23-year-old who just transitioned to the bullpen, where he put up a 2.14 ERA -- driven by a large drop in his career walk rates -- in 46 1/3 innings thrown for the Rockies' Double-A affiliate. … The 24-year-old, who has posted double-digit home runs and steals in each of the last four seasons, does not receive a Spring Training invite in the deal.
Minor Moves: Purcey, Lowe, Moore, Miller, Startup
2013/11/minor-moves-berken-maday-durham-diaz-ibarra-johnson.htmlPurcey made 24 apperances for the Sox's major league club in 2013, posting a 2.13 ERA but walking 6 batters per nine innings. … The 28-year-old posted a .242/.322/.461 slash line with 22 homers in 134 games for the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate last season.
Minor Moves: Laird, Wells, Lerud, Maya, Sappelt
2013/11/minor-moves-dave-sappelt.htmlAt Triple-A last year, he had an interesting .217/.353/.311 line over 219 plate appearances, as he drew nearly as many walks (35) as he had hits (39). … In his only MLB appearance of the 2013 season, Maya retired one batter in the bottom of the tenth before surrendering a…
Breaking Down The Twins’ Ricky Nolasco Signing
2013/12/breaking-down-the-twins-ricky-nolasco-signing.htmlThe important questions for the Twins are why Nolasco's ERA has been consistently higher than his strikeout, walk, and home run rates suggest, and if that will remain the case over most of the next four years. … What did the Twins get for their investment? FanGraphs' standard wins above replacement metric is not a great one to use for Nolasco.
Arencibia Will Be Traded Or Non-Tendered
2013/12/arencibia-will-be-traded-or-non-tendered.htmlArencibia's unsightly strikeout rates and walk totals are nothing new, but the former first-round pick sunk to new lows in both areas last season. … The resulting .194/.227/.365 batting line made Arencibia one of baseball's least-productive hitters in 2013, but MLBTR's Matt Swartz projects that his home run totals would net Arencibia $2.8MM via arbitration in 2014.
Rays Acquire Ryan Hanigan, Heath Bell In Three-Team Deal
2013/12/rays-to-acquire-ryan-hanigan.htmlHanigan has long been known as a patient hitter that is tough to strike out, as evidenced by a career 12 percent walk rate and 10.1 percent strikeout rate. … The 33-year-old had the worst season of his career in 2013, batting just .198/.306/.261 and tying a career-low with two…
Astros Acquire Dexter Fowler
2013/12/astros-acquire-dexter-fowler.htmlFowler has a strong walk rate and rarely strikes out, but he's not without his warts. … The switch-hitter batted .263/.369/.407 with 12 homers and 19 stolen bases as Colorado's primary center fielder.
12 Teams In On Jason Hammel
2013/12/12-teams-in-on-jason-hammel.htmlOverall, he pitched to a 4.97 ERA in 139 1/3 frames, seeing his strikeout and groundball rates dip while his walk and home run rates spiked. … 12 teams are currently in on free agent righty Jason Hammel, MLBTR has learned.
D-Backs Acquire Trumbo In Three-Team Deal With Angels, White Sox
2013/12/d-backs-to-acquire-trumbo-in-three-team-trade-with-angels-white-sox.htmlWhile his walk rate climbed to a career-best eight percent in 2013, that's still below the league average, and it came along with a career-worst 27.1 percent strikeout rate. … Arizona will be looking for Trumbo's power to outweigh his shaky defense; he's belted 66 home runs over the past two seasons, posting a .250/.305/.471 batting line.
Twins Sign Jason Kubel
2013/12/twins-to-sign-jason-kubel.htmlThe Indians picked him up via trade, but Kubel collected just three hits in 18 at-bats for Cleveland (he did walk five times as well). … The lefty swinger had a big first year moving from the spacious Target Field in Minneapolis to Phoenix's Chase Field, slashing .253/.327/.506 with a career-high 30 home runs.
Free Agent Faceoff: Nelson Cruz vs. Kendrys Morales
2014/01/free-agent-faceoff-nelson-cruz-vs-kendrys-morales.htmlThe 30-year-old switch-hitter fractured his leg in 2010 while celebrating a walk-off grand slam and missed the better part of two seasons recovering from that freak accident. … He batted .266/.327/.506 with 27 homers in 2013 in just 109 games (446 plate appearances).
Angels To Sign Brennan Boesch, Carlos Pena
2014/01/angels-to-sign-brennan-boesch-carlos-pena.htmlAs that line would indicate, Pena has hung his hat on his ability to get on base via the walk, which he has done at about twice the league-average rate throughout his career. … Over that stretch, Boesch posted a .259/.315/.414 triple-slash with 42 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 1,487 plate appearances.
Minor Moves: Robinson, Knapp, Egan, Morillo, Garrison, Wrigley, Geer, Johnson
2014/02/minor-moves-knapp-egan-morillo-garrison-wrigley-geer-johnson.htmlThe 30-year-old fireballer struggled in four MLB cups of coffee, and washed out of American professional baseball after 2012 as his walk totals reached unsustainable levels. … The 29-year-old, who was a 3rd round pick of the Tigers back in 2005, had a chance to see his first MLB action (and hit his first home run) last year with the Padres.
Red Sox Notes: Ortiz, Drew, Cordero
2014/02/red-sox-notes-ortiz-drew-cordero.htmlWhen I slow down, then I’ll retire." Ortiz told WEEI.com's Alex Speier (Twitter link) that if no deal is done prior to his next venture into free agency following this season: "...then we'll be talking about a real contract." Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe outlines many of the reasons that make it logical for the Red Sox to be interested in re-signing Stephen Drew, and then explains why, in spite of those reasons, they should let him walk. … Francisco Cordero had interest from both the Orioles and Marlins, but he chose the Red Sox after admiring their 2013 World Series run while watching at home in the Dominican Republic, Speier writes.
Offseason In Review: San Francisco Giants
2014/03/offseason-in-review-san-francisco-giants.htmlVogelsong's strikeout and groundball rates declined, while his walk and home run-per-flyball rates increased, in 102 2/3 innings last year as against his two prior seasons. … The question remains, then, whether that group will play more like the one that took home 94 wins and a…