The Angels began making room on the 40-Man roster during the World Series, waiving three players. Each found a different fate and only one remains with the club.
Perennial prospect 3B Luis Jimenez, aka Lucho, was claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers. Known as much for his personality as his AAA glove and AA bat, Jimenez is 25 and with Kaleb Cowart impressing in the Arizona Fall League and a tandem of Gordon Beckham and David Freese heading to arbitration this just wasn't Lucho's organization. He played n 34 games last season getting 110 Plate Appearances and doing very little in them. He was a September call up this season and saw action in 18 games.
Pinch Running outfielder Tony Campana made it through waivers and elected free agency. While he could still sign with the Angels for a Spring Training tryout, this opens up his options to sign with any club. This closes the book on the trade of prospect Zach Borenstein to the Diamondbacks for Campana and relief pitcher Joe Thatcher, also a free agent.
Relief pitcher and Tommy John surgery survivor Ryan Brasier cleared waivers and remains the property of the club.
A controversial moment came out of Game 6, where Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura wore a Dominican Republic flag following the game, leading to some comments from Royals farmhand Zebulon Sneed. Derek has an overview of what happened and his take on the situation.
NotGraphs' time came to an end yesterday with the conclusion of the World Series. Many of the writers had farewell posts, including the ejection of NotGraphs by Joe West. NotGraphs will live on in some form at a new site, Banknotes Industries.
The Brewers paid for a significant contributor in free agency, and that's what they got in Matt Garza's first season.
We're a little less than a full year into Matt Garza's four-year, $50 million contract, and so far the Brewers have to feel like they're getting roughly what they paid for.
For much more from Kyle, check out his new home at BrewersFrostyMug.net.
Coming into the season we knew that Garza projected to be very good when healthy, but his injury history created a strong chance he'd spend some time on the disabled list. He was actually a little better than his career numbers when available (3.64/3.54 ERA/FIP in 2014 as compared to 3.81/3.93 over nine MLB seasons), but missed a full month down the stretch with an oblique strain and was scratched from his final scheduled start with shoulder stiffness.
Garza's calling card over the years has been his slider and that was the case again in 2014, as he threw it better than 20% of the time. FanGraphs actually shows the pitch as being a little less effective than usual this season, valuing it at just .42 runs above average per 100 pitches. The pitch was almost a run per 100 better on average in 2013.
There are still three years and many millions of dollars left on Garza's contract, and it remains to be seen how that investment will work out in the long term. It should probably be a little concerning that Garza's velocity hit a new career low in 2014, with his average fastball sitting around 92.5 mph after clocking in above 93 in each of the previous three seasons.
For now, though, Garza's contributions to this team and his resemblance to The Count are about what we should have expected.
Best game
Garza made 16 quality starts in 2014, but one of them clearly stands out from the others. He was spectacular against the Reds in Cincinnati on July 5, pitching a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and tying a season-high with nine strikeouts in a 1-0 victory. Let's go to the highlights:
Contract status
Garza received $12.5 million in 2014 in the first season of his four-year, $50 million deal, and will receive the same base salary in each of the next three seasons, with $2 million each year deferred beyond the end of the contract.
Additionally, Garza has a 2018 option worth $13 million that will vest if the following three triggers are all met:
Garza makes 110 starts between the 2014-17 seasons.
Garza pitches at least 115 innings in 2017, and
Garza does not finish the 2017 season on the disabled list.
With 27 starts in 2014, Garza is slightly behind pace for the first clause listed above. He'll need to average 27.7 starts over the next three seasons to earn the extra year. Garza also has $500,000 incentives that kick in each time he reaches 30 starts or 190 innings pitched in a season. He fell short of both of those marks in 2014.
Today's lessons include the first offseason moves, more offseason awards, and #9 in the MVBrewers series.
The Brewers have started their offseason moves.
With the World Series over, the Brewers have officially kicked off their offseason planning. They can't begin pursuing free agents until Tuesday, but there are a few things they can do in preparation. The first is to decide the option status of their three players with options. So far, we know two of them: Yovani Gallardo's option was picked up yesterday, and Rickie Weeks' option was declined this morning. Remaining is Aramis Ramirez, who the Brewers have not made an annoucement on yet. They have until Monday to make the decision, so we may not hear about his status until the last minute.
MLB.com's candidates for GIBBY awards have been announced, with a field led by Jonathan Lucroy and Francisco Rodriguez. For more details on the awards and who's nominated, Austin Laymance of MLB.com has a rundown of it.
If Jean Segura wants to improve this offseason, he has to start hitting more line drives. Justin Schultz of The First Out at Third analyzes Jean Segura's ground-ball rate and how hitting line drives will help him.
Michael Trzinski of Reviewing the Brew finishes up his series on the top farm teams in Brewers history with the 1987 Stockton Ports.
While no official announcement has been made yet, the speculation on Joe Maddon going to the Cubs has been intense. Scott Lindholm of Beyond the Box Score looks at how a manager can affect a team.
Around Baseball
Odds have been released for the 2015 World Series champions, and the Dodgers & Nationals lead with 15/2 odds. The Brewers are tied for 20th at 40/1 odds, along with the White Sox and Mets. Other NL Central teams: Cardinals at 12/1, Pirates at 20/1, Reds at 33/1, and Cubs at 50/1.
One topic of discussion following Game 7 of the World Series was if Alex Gordon should have tried to score on his ninth-inning hit. Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs breaks down the situation and says that Gordon barely had a chance to score.
Gallardo signed a 5-year, $30.1 million contract with the Brewers in 2010. The deal also contained a $13 million club option for 2015, which will be the highest salary of Gallardo's career. Gallardo first broke in with the Brewers in 2007, and has been a mainstay in their rotation ever since. In 2014, Gallardo posted a 3.51 ERA, along with a career-best 2.53 BB/9 rate. 2014 was the sixth consecutive season in which Gallardo made at least 30 starts. For his career, Gallardo has posted a 3.69 ERA, and has been worth 18.8 Wins Above Replacement, according to Fangraphs.
The Brewers' decision to cut ties with Weeks was widely expected. Even though Weeks posted an .809 OPS in 2014, it was mainly as a platoon partner with Scooter Gennett. Weeks signed a 4-year, $38.5 million contract extension in 2011. The $11.5 million 2015 option vested with at least 600 PA's in 2014, or 1,200 PA's in 2013 and 2014. Weeks plate appearances came up well short, as he has been relegated to a role player for most of the last two seasons.
From 2007-2011, Weeks was one of the top second basemen in all of baseball. During those four years, Weeks posted an .805 OPS and was worth a 15.7 WAR, according to Fangraphs. Weeks will receive a $1 million buyout as he heads to free agency for the first time in his career.
After taking the second base job in 2013, Scooter Gennett continued to solidify his position there with a good 2014 season.
This year, we watched as long-time second baseman Rickie Weeks finished off his career as a Brewer. It was sad for many people as it signaled the end of an era in Brewers history. However, with the end of this era comes the beginning of a new era, as we are starting to see a new group of Brewers prospects reach the majors and impact the team. One of those is Scooter Gennett, a 16th round draft pick from 2009 who has taken the spot as the Brewers second baseman of the future. His appearance at #10 this season is his second straight year at #10 in the poll.
When you look at Scooter Gennett, you don't see much flashy with him. His best feature is his batting line, and he put up a line of .289/.326/.378 in 2014. He also had 9 home runs, 54 RBI, and 6 stolen bases. On defense, he generally doesn't make the big plays, but also doesn't make many mistakes. He had a DRS of -5 in 2014, with 9 errors committed (6 fielding, 3 throwing). The overall numbers have him as an average defense with a 0.6 UZR/150 in his career. None of that is impressive, but it's solid. Average defense and an above average bat is what the Brewers can use from their second baseman.
The biggest complaint about Gennett so far has been his ability to hit left-handed pitching. In his limited career in the majors so far, the numbers agree with that. This season, he hit .103/.125/.128 against left-handed pitchers, though only had 42 plate appearances against them. Ron Roenicke intentionally protected Gennett from facing many left-handed hitters throughout the season. It's a strategy that worked well, but it also forced the Brewers to carry a right-handed second baseman on the bench. If the Brewers want to continue to plan for this strategy, they will have to make an offseason move to support the bench.
Scooter Gennett is still young (he will be 25 next season), so it's possible that he will continue to develop and strengthen his hitting against left-handed pitching and his defense. Even if he doesn't, being the starter against right-handed pitchers in a platoon is still a good role to be in. Being an average defender with an above-average bat is something that is coveted by many teams. Gennett has a very promising future ahead of him, and it will be exciting to watch him develop over the next few years.
Best Game
Scooter Gennett's best game came on July 13 against the Cardinals, when he went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, and two RBI. However, there's not much to show for highlights from that game, so let's pull out his biggest hit of the season. On June 25, the Brewers were down 1-0 to the Nationals and Stephen Strasburg in the second inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Scooter Gennett came up to the plate, and he hit his first career grand slam. He would go 2-for-5 on the day with 5 RBI, a career high for him. Here is a video of the grand slam (with the call from Bob Uecker):
Contract Status
With only a year and 84 days of service time built up so far, Scooter Gennett will be earning close to the major league minimum for the next two seasons. He will be arbitration eligible for the first time in 2017 and a free agent in 2020.
Catcher Juan Centeno was claimed off waivers by the Brewers today. Known more for his defensive skills than his bat, Centeno has only appeared in a limited role with the Mets at the major league level despite being a member of the team's 40-man roster for some time. Over the last two years, he hit .225/.279/.225 in 43 plate appearances with the Mets. In 202 plate appearances in Las Vegas this year, Centeno hit .291/.343/.335. Perhaps the most notable moment of Centeno's tenure with the Mets was that he became the first catcher to throw out Billy Hamilton.
Centeno was buried on the catcher depth chart. Anthony Recker served as the Mets' backup catcher for the last two years, while the team also brought in Taylor Teagarden for the 2014 season. Furthermore, Kevin Plawecki's ascent through the Mets' minor league system made Centeno more expendable. At the moment, Travis d'Arnaud and Recker figure to be on the Mets' Opening Day roster.
Lind, 31, had his option exercised by the Blue Jays on Saturday before the deal, and will make $7.5 million with Milwaukee next season. He fills a first base position that is currently vacant due to the departures of Mark Reynolds and Lyle Overbay, and makes it very unlikely that the team pursues a free agent like Adam LaRoche at the position.
In 96 games for the Jays last season, Lind hit .321/.381/.479 with six home runs and 40 RBI. He is a lifetime .273/.327/.466 hitter with 146 home runs, and has spent his entire career with Toronto since breaking into the majors in 2006.
Estrada, 31, was 7-6 with a 4.36 ERA in 39 games (18 starts) for Milwaukee last season. He is a fringe-starter who could provide rotation depth next season for Toronto or work as a long man out of the bullpen. Estrada is arbitration-eligible for the third time this winter, meaning that he will become a free agent after the season.
Estrada is a 31 year old, right-handed pitcher. He split time between the rotation and the bullpen last year, for the Brewers, pitching in 39 games, starting 18. He was 7-6 with a 4.36 ERA. In 150.2 innings he allowed 137 hits, 44 walks with 127 strikeouts. The troubling numver was the NL leading 29 home runs. A guy that gives up bunches of homers, moving to the AL East? The was better in 2013, starting 21 games, with a 3.87 ERA, allowing 19 home runs in 128 innings. The low walk rate and pretty high strikeout rate are good signs.
The Jays also announced that they have picked up the options on J.A. Happ ($6.7 million) and Josh Thole ($1.7 million) while declining options on Dustin McGowan, Brandon Morrow, Sergio Santos (Santos would still be under team controll but will be non-tendered) and Justin Smoak. Smoak is still under team control and is arbitration eligible. No real surprises there.
Also the Jays tell us that Melky Cabrera has been given a Qualifying Offer of $15.3 million.
I'm slightly disappointed at the return for Lind, I was hoping for a good second baseman, but Estrada could help out our bullpen, with a career 8.5 strikeouts per 9 and a healthy 10% swing and miss rate.
I asked Noah Jarosh of Brew Crew Ball for a scouting report on our new pitcher, Marco Estrada. Here is what he had to say:
Definitely looking forward to Lind. Brewers first base situation has been a mess, so getting a good bat is phenomenal. As for Estrada:
When the Brewers first acquired Marco Estrada, I was among those who believed the least in him. He was pretty bad in a brief stint with the team in 2010 after being retrieved from the Nationals' dumpster. The next year, he was a little better but still was underwhelming as (mostly) a relief pitcher. He put up good peripherals and all, but just watching him it seemed like he was a pretty average-at-best guy. I thought there were more talented players that would have a better chance at exceeding.
Something happened over the next few years though. It genuinely got to the point where I went from one of Estrada's biggest detractors to one of his biggest fans overnight. Going into 2014, I thought Estrada was a solid sleeper candidate to end up being the Brewers ace, despite guys like Yovani Gallardo, Matt Garza, Kyle Lohse and Wily Peralta all being more expected picks for that role.
That stemmed from the hope that he could continue to build on where he left off in 2012 and 2013. As I said, Estrada puts up great strikeout/walk numbers. Consistently GREAT strikeout/walk numbers. He also doesn't give up a ton of hits, typically. He started 2012 in the bullpen before being thrown into the rotation early in the year as Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum suffered injuries and Randy Wolf suffered a case of being really bad.
That year, Estrada ended up making the third-most starts on the team with a 3.64 ERA, a 3.35 FIP, a 9.3 K/9 and a 1.9 BB/9. Just looking at those numbers you might think they would belong to a more acclaimed pitcher. In 2013, as a full-time member of the starting staff, he had a 3.87 ERA, an 8.3 K/9 and a 2.0 BB/9. Thus, my prediction that he was a sleeper to become an ace.
Unfortunately, 2014 proved fairly disastrous for Estrada in the rotation. He's always had trouble with giving up extra-base hits, but it had always been tolerable. His penchant for fly balls hurts him, and that led to him allowing the most home runs in the league despite being pulled from the rotation after 18 starts. It's hard to say what led to him giving up so many more home runs -- his HR/FB percentage rose only 1% from 2013 to 2014. In fact, his 13.1% FB/HR ratio would have made him 5th among qualified pitchers in the MLB, right around the same as guys like Hisashi Iwakuma, Stephen Strasburg, and Wily Peralta. Most of the guys who most often saw fly balls become home runs were primarily ground ball pitchers, though. Estrada is decidedly not that.
Still, after a move to the bullpen in mid-July, Estrada looked great again. Pitching mostly in long relief, he tossed 43.2 relief innings with a 2.89 ERA and a .611 opponents OPS. He had a 35:9 K:BB ratio in that time and, most importantly, allowed just two home runs. It didn't seem like hitters were getting to Estrada more for homers the second or third time through the order, so I don't think that's why the move to the bullpen was effective. But it is possible that helped him.
Estrada does rely a bit on deception as a pitcher. He doesn't throw hard, topping out in the low-90s and relying on a (usually) excellent change-up as his primary second-offering. When he moved to the bullpen, he used that change-up slightly more and a curveball slightly less than he did as a starter.
From the Brewers end, this trade ends up being pretty great as Estrada was a potential non-tender candidate. It seems that Mike Fiers and Jimmy Nelson are the new 5/6 starters in whichever order, and someone like Taylor Jungmann can be the seventh guy. An arbitration raise from Estrada's $3.33 million salary in 2014 and the need for help elsewhere meant the Brewers might not want to pay to keep him around without knowing what they were going to get.
All in all, Estrada is a bit of a lottery ticket. If he has his home run issues under control, he could be a great return for the Blue Jays. Putting up something close to his 2012-13 seasons should make Toronto fans pretty happy, I would think, though the AL East is a bit tougher. He never lost his control and ability to strike batters out -- he just all of a sudden seemed to give up a couple of home runs every outing. He's still a guy I could see becoming a low-end ace for a year or two. Or, he could flame out entirely. In the end, I think he'll be a good, solid pitcher who can be frustrating at times but in the long run will be an effective pitcher in whichever role Toronto places him.
The veteran will meet with his agent and make a decision on Sunday night.
Brewers' third baseman Aramis Ramirez will decide if he will exercise his end of a $14 million mutual option and return to the Brewers during a meeting with his agent, Paul Kinzer, in the Dominican Republic on Sunday night, according to a major-league source. Ramirez must inform the team of his decision by Monday, and will be paid a $4 million option if he becomes a free agent.
The Brewers announced on Friday that they had picked up their end of the option, but Ramirez must exercise his part in order to return to Milwaukee. As Kinzer told Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com earlier today, it is "possible" that Ramirez exercises his part of the option to return to Milwaukee, and that his client could pursue a one- or two-year deal on the free agent market if he declines.
Ramirez, 36, hit .285/.330/.427 with fifteen home runs and 66 RBI in 133 games this season. He is expected to draw interest from multiple teams if he becomes a free agent, and has already been linked to the Red Sox in preliminary rumors. Teams looking for third base help could look at younger options like Chase Headley and Pablo Sandoval, so Ramirez's best option may be to accept his option in return to Milwaukee.
Plus: White Sox showed interest in Adam Lind and the Twins are close to a new manager
With free agency approaching, Major League Baseball teams can exclusively negotiate with their own free agents -- including qualifying offers -- through Monday. As soon as the clock strikes Tuesday, the market opens its doors.
The White Sox don't really have a need for the courtesy period. They declined Felipe Paulino's option, and they're probably saying goodbye to Matt Lindstrom, so Rick Hahn and the front office only has to keep track of what other teams are doing with their candidates.
Here's a list of notable, non-obivous moves that affected the free-agency pool over the last couple days:
Red Sox: Re-signed Koji Uehara to a two-year deal.
The rumors of the Blue Jays wanting to move Adam Lind were well-founded. Toronto dealt him to Milwaukee for homer-prone righty starter Marco Estrada. That seems like a good deal for the Brewers on paper -- even though Lind is probably best as a DH, he can play first base, and the Brewers desperately needed somebody there.
Since the Sox need lefty bats, they seemed to be a possible landing spot for Lind. Sure enough:
Sources: #WhiteSox were other team on Lind, but weren’t willing to give up much. #BlueJays’ best offer was from #Brewers.
Which is interesting, because Estrada -- a 30-year-old coming off a bad season and entering his last arbitration year -- doesn't seem like all that much himself.
The Minnesota Twins' search to replace Ron Gardenhire is nearing an end, and in the most Minnesota Twins way possible. Not just because they're hiring an internal candidate, but also because of this quote (h/t @mighty_flynn on Twitter):
"He’s very aware of who he is and what he represents," the person said. "He’s not going to do anything that’s not proper and right and just. There’s a dignity about him."
Buster Olney lays out the Rays' case to pursue tampering charges against the Cubs in their hiring of Joe Maddon. It's a strange case, since Maddon said he wouldn't have opted out had the Rays not informed him of his right to do so after former Tampa Bay GM Andrew Friedman left for Los Angeles. But that would mean Maddon's agent is bad at his job, and they're still doing great together. Also, Theo Epstein went out of his way to set up an alibi in his statement about the process.
The Diamondbacks' front office shakeup continued Friday with the departure of well-regarded scouting director Ray Montgomery, who left the organization to accept a high-ranking position with the Milwaukee Brewers, according to multiple baseball sources.
Right-hander Daniel Hudson and left-hander Matt Reynolds, pitchers who spent most of this year working their way back from Tommy John surgery, will be back with the Diamondbacks next season.
Let the signings begin. By Tuesday, the major league free-agent pool will be finalized, with teams having had to make their final decisions on player options by Monday night.
The Chicago Cubs, while feeling some remorse, perhaps even guilt, announced Friday that they have fired manager Rick Renteria after just one season, clearing the way for the hiring of Joe Maddon.
We knew Adam Lind was going to be traded, though, I'll admit I hoped we'd be getting more in return, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. I guess it is too late to ask Elton John to re-record Candle in the Wind, with references to Lind?
Lind was one of the few guys left that has been in the system since I first started on the site. He was on our prospect list back when I first joined BBB. I remember the argument about whether he'd turn out to be a '40 home run' guy or not. It turned out not, but then not many players do.
Lind came up as a September call up in 2006 and was great. That didn't earn him a job coming out of spring in 2007, but he was called up in the middle of April to take over left field when Reed Johnson was hurt. When Reed returned, Lind went back to the minors (he didn't exactly make a case for staying, he was hitting .230/.274/383). Again, he was a September call up.
In 2008, again he started the season in the minors, but when the team suddenly parted ways with Frank Thomas, Lind got the call up. A 1 for 19 start and an impatient John Gibbons (fairness to Gibby, he knew if the team didn't win, he was going to be fired) got Adam sent to the minors again and the Jays inflicted the two headed Mencherson monster on us in his place.
When Gibbons was fired, and Cito hired, Cito's first and best move was to insist that Lind be brought back up and Cito seemed to make Adam his pet project, putting him in left and leaving him there. You would often see Adam sitting next to the manager on the bench.
With Cito's help,Lind had his best season (so far) in 2009, playing 151 games, hitting .305/.370/.562 with 35 home runs and 114 RBI. The season set Lind up for some unrealistic expectations and he would spend the next few years showing us how unrealistic those expectations were. He wasn't going to be the perennial All-Star we were wanting.
Then 2010 came and he wasn't the star he was the year before. For a few seasons he was looking like a lost cause.
Then in 2013, Gibby came back and we, finally, had a manager that understood what most of us here figured out years ago, that Lind had to be platooned. Doing that made Lind a valuable member of the team, once again.
I've always liked Lind. He's the guy you could expect to actually speak his mind in an interview. He didn't just give would the pat answers that we've grown to expect from baseball players. I loved that he said this:
Lind: "My mom wanted me to get an MRI, which I hadn't had yet because it wasn't getting any better." #BlueJays#MLB
While I can understand the team not wanting their players saying that's that make their training staff look stupid, I like guys that don't worry about the politics of what they say.
Adam seemed like a guy that was happy to be in Toronto and he seemed happy to be a ballplayer. Good teammate, good community member.
It's always kind of sad saying goodbye to players that have been around the team for a long time, and this is the first of several this off-season. We might be cheer for laundry but sometimes we grow to like the people inside the laundry.
I hope things go well for Adam, he's always going to be a favorite of mine. If I was the Brewers I'd have concerns about him playing first base all the time. I think he would be better off if he could rest his back at DH some of the time.
Adam Lind is a guy who you will never know what you’re going to get year in and year out, until you’ve already got it… But I like him.
So I was writing this, and then Lind got traded, I now feel like I'm cool because the Brew Crew and I are thinking along the same lines. So lets look at the first obvious thing that just changed for Lind, where he plays.
Courtesy of ESPN's home run tracker
Would you look at that, Miller Park looks smaller than the Rogers Center right where you'd want it to be for a lefty power hitter: smaller power alleys, basically the same to center, and slightly deeper right down the line to left and right. According to Fangraphs, Miller Park was the 5th best park to hit homers for lefties, the Rogers Center was 11th. Then I found something very interesting that I didn't know about Lind. He can hit a ball out everywhere.
Courtesy of Fangraphs
Those are Lind's home runs over the past two seasons. Since he's only played 239 games, it's only 29 dots. But since Adam Lind is not only a home run hitter, I won't dwell on his lack of total power, and show that he's just been a good hitter for a while now. Hitters who hit home runs to all fields are harder to pitch to because they have strength against pitches in all locations. Lind having this in his arsenal, only helps his value, and shows he's a talented hitter, just as these numbers say:
Year
Tm
G
PA
AB
R
H
HR
RBI
BA
OBP
SLG
OPS
OPS+
2013-2014
TOR
239
839
755
105
227
29
107
0.301
0.366
0.490
0.856
135
A .301/.366/.490 slash line is going to play at all times, regardless of position, and that is where my love for Lind was born. He has hit so much for me in the past two years, it makes me forget about the seasons where he hit 230 and 250 for me... So why has he been so inconsistent? First of all, Lind has played through pain, he never played over 151 games, and the last few seasons games played have looked like this:
2011-125
2012- 93
2013- 143
2014-96
This has been a killer to his value on draft day in years past, but have no fear, good reasons to draft him are here. Lind has become a better hitter than he was in years past. From 2010 to 2012 Lind posted BABIPs, line drive %'s, fly ball %'s, and batting averages of:
.277, 18.7%, 40.4%, .237
.265, 21.8%, 38.3%, .251
.282, 17.1%, 34.6%, .255
As far as I can tell, Lind's old problems at the plate had to do with not hitting the balls hard enough. Over the past 2 years Lind has upped his line drives to around 21%, and lowered his fly balls to 32%. He's been squaring up more balls, this likely has to do with a change in approach. Lind now swings less than he used too, but a big chunk of that lowered swing percentage comes from him hacking at 37.1% of all balls thrown outside of the strike zone in 2011, to being around 30% over the past two years. He actually still makes the same amount of contact, but obviously his contact has improved because it's easier to hit strikes than balls.
So when Lind became more selective he went from being a good strike hitter.
courtesy of Brooksbaseball.net
To an absolute strike killer.
So now you may be asking yourself, "Jack, but if he know hits the cover of the ball, why isn't he wanted, or even ranked by some sites? ESPN doesn't even have him as a top 250 player next year."
The elephant in the room are Lind's splits. Adam Lind is the most splittinest split hitter in the fantasy world. There is literally no point in having Lind face lefties. Last year Lind struck out in 29.7% of his ABs verse lefties, and popped up 28.6%. So over 50% of his ABs were completely wasted. Not surprisingly he had a .061 avg versus lefties.
With the issues Lind has had, and the Brewers having a mashing Catcher who could use a few days over at 1B for rest, and a constantly ailing Braun who could use a few days at 1B to rest as well, it doesn't make sense for Lind to see more than maybe 30 ABs when a lefty reliever comes in to get him out. But lefties make up such a small chunk of ABs in a season, what Lind does against righties is obviously worthy of being noted.
Against righties, Lind only strikes out at a 13.2% clip, that's what Pablo Sandoval does over the whole season, that's good, and would have him in the top 30% of hitters in the MLB if he always hit like that. With so many more balls in play his slash rate versus righties was .354/.409/.533 (.942 OPS). Lind hit righties like Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Trout hit everyone.
Since I haven't been in the training room with Lind, I can't tell you for sure how healthy he is now, or how he'll feel on opening day 2015. But considering he performed well in September/October, I think he's feeling ok, and a healthy offseason will only help put his back and foot injuries further behind him.
As far as next year, I don't think I'm going out on much of a limb, but I think he should definitely be drafted in all leagues 10 teams of deeper. He can make a very nice cheap corner infielder or utility player. Also if you end up drafting a 1B/OF player, Lind's splits can be easily exploited during the 4 out of 5 days he plays. Now the days of Lind hitting 35 home runs are likely gone. But considering his 7.6% HR/FB ratio can be attributed to injuries, and it was his lowest ever by a wide margin, I think the power will come back assuming he doesn't reinjure himself. Next season if Lind hits below 280 and has less than 20HR I will be surprised. So as stated earlier, I love when Adam Lind acts like Adam Lind, and that won't be changing in 2015.
Freese came with the usual past performance glory that Moreno-Carpin Inc. loves: he was a World Series MVP with a reputation for being clutch. By midseason it was pretty apparent that his defense was barely league average and Mike Scioscia got in the habit of subbing-in John McDonald at the hot corner late in the season. An early exit in ALDS game one bit Scioscia when a tie-breaking moment that would have been perfect - if only in literature - for Freese's October Clutch skills (illusions) did not arise because the 3B had already been subbed out in a conservative managerial stab at defense.
In 2014 Freese batted .260, has a .704 OPS and was no great shakes with the glove. If his 103 OPS+ was not mediocre enough for you, the fact that he got paid $5 Million for being a smidge better than AAA option Luis Jimenez should complete the indictment here. Jimenez batted .286 with some inflated power numbers in the thin air of Salt Lake and probably had a sloppier glove than Freese. However, if you saw Grichuk put on a show in the NLDS with the Cards and imagine what else Bourjos could have brought in a trade and note Moreno-Carpino Inc.'s obsession with staying under the salary cap, Jimenez was, in hindsight, the answer to the 2014 3B situation.
The Angels just waived Jimenez off the 40-Man roster and he was claimed by the Milwaukee Brewers.
In August, the Angels acquired infielder Gordon Beckham. Primarily a 2B he had come up with the White Sox as a 3B, starting 102 games there in his rookie 2009 campaign. He played thirteen games there with the Halos, starting there seven times - his first games at the position since 2009. His glove played mediocre - within shouting distance of Freese and a blip better than Jimenez.
David Freese will be a free agent after the coming 2015 season. So will Gordon Beckham, who earned a million dollars less than Freese in '14 and we can assume each will receive a raise of one to one and a half million dollars for 2015 in their final arbitration battle.
If the battle for 3B is between Beckham and Freese, the Angels might be wise to consider trading or even releasing Freese in favor of El Gordo. Beckham is hardly worse, is three and a half years younger (Freese turns 32 in April, Beckham just turned 28 in September) and is at least a million dollars cheaper.
MINOR LEAGUES: There are no minor league alternatives on the horizon. No Halo Farmhand cracked a .300 bating average or had any power stats nor speed stats nor on-base stats to crack an open-minded Top 20 organization prospects list.
FREE AGENTS: Chase Headley - Sure, just break the back - 4 years $50 Million.. think that is going to happen in Anaheim? Nope.
Pablo Sandoval - Be afraid of an aging player. Be terrified of an aging fat player. Be mortified of one with a qualifying offer that would cost the signing team a first-round pick.
Hanley Ramirez - An injury magnet might be available for less than you'd expect if stupidity is not ruling the major league roost, and a qualifying offer will really lower that price, but would it be worth it if I remind you he is also a malcontent?
MY PRESCRIPTION:
Trade Freese, push Beckham in his contract year to show up with the glove but sign a McDonald-D type for later innings and invite a few outliers to spring training in the hopes of catching lighting in a bottle.
WORSE CASE SCENARIO: Would a multi-year Freese extension suck worse than a gargantuan contract to Panda?
BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Beckham delivers something more than a 110 OPS+ and is steadied by a late-inning D-Glove replacement
3B is a high-demand position and the Angels could get a nice piece or two for the farm system for the underperforming Freese.
Happ's recently exercised option is the only remaining club option in his contract, meaning he will hit the free agent market following the 2015 season. Happ was penciled in to be Toronto's fifth starter in 2015, but the team has the depth to consider other options. One of those options is Marco Estrada, who was recently acquired from Milwaukee in a trade for Adam Lind. In 2014, Estrada posted a 4.36 ERA in 39 games for the Brewers, including 18 starts.
Another option could be topprospect Daniel Norris, who made his MLB debut in 2014. Norris began the season with A+ Dunedin, before rising through the system all the way to a brief, five-game stint with the Jays. For his 2014 season, Norris posted a 2.53 ERA over 26 games at three different minor league levels.
The trade market for Happ could involve many teams. Although he has never been a dominating starter, he is a classic innings-eater at the back end of a rotation. For the 2014 season, Happ posted a 4.22 ERA over 26 starts. Happ has played in eight big league seasons, pitching for three different teams: Philadelphia (2007-2010), Houston (2010-2012), and Toronto (2012-2014).
The third baseman returns to Milwaukee after considering his options.
Brewers' third baseman Aramis Ramirez has exercised his end of a $14 million mutual option and will return to Milwaukee for next season, according to a team announcement. The Brewers picked up their end at the end of last week, so Ramirez's approval means that he will not hit the free agent market.
Ramirez's decision comes a day after he met with his agent, Paul Kinzer, to discuss his options during a meeting in the Dominican Republic. Though he always seemed likely to return to Milwaukee, potential interest from contenders like the Yankees and Red Sox made some believe that he could turn down the option and test the open market.
Ramirez, 36, will return for his fourth season in Milwaukee after hitting .285/.330/.427 with fifteen home runs and 66 RBI and making the NL All-Star team for the third time in 2014. His return to the Brewers weakens the market for free agent third baseman, leaving teams like the Giants, Marlins, Yankees and Red Sox to focus on options like Pablo Sandoval and Chase Headley with Hanley Ramirez lingering as another potential fit.
The Brewers lineup appears fully set after a trade for Adam Lind and the return of Ramirez to the hot corner.
Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez has decided to exercise his part of a mutual option for 2015, meaning he will return to the team for at least one more season.
Third baseman Aramis Ramirez has accepted his half of the 2015 mutual option. The #Brewers exercised the option last Friday.
After the Brewers' decided to exercise their half of the option, Ramirez had until Monday to either choose to remain with Milwaukee for one more year or try his luck in free agency. He met with his agent last night to discuss the two options, but decided on the safe choice of a guaranteed one-year contract.
Ramirez will earn $14 million for the 2015 season. Even had he rejected the option, the Brewers had guaranteed they would not have to pay a $4 million buyout by exercising their half.
It had been well-rumored that Ramirez, 36, had wanted to stay with the Brewers regardless of his decision on the option. His decision apparently hinged more on whether he would rather seek a multi-year deal. He hit .285/.330/.427 with 15 home runs in 133 games for the Brewers in 2014 and has been with the team since signing a three-year deal prior to 2012.
Though Ramirez's .757 OPS last season was his second-worst since 2003, that kind of production is still likely enough to see him place in the top-10 third basemen in MLB. He had the ninth-best OPS at the position in 2014 as third base has become a tough spot to find great hitters.
With Ramirez back in the fold, it appears most of the Brewers' heavy-lifting this offseason is already done. They look set to roll with an opening day lineup of
and with Yovani Gallardo's option also picked up, the starting rotation is at least six-deep already. Unless the Brewers make a big trade or two, the only places they can improve appear to be the bench and bullpen. They may also seek new platoon options for Lind and Gennett as well.
Today's lessons include the Adam Lind trade, the beginning of free agency, and much more from the Halloween weekend.
The Brewers acquired Adam Lind, trading away Marco Estrada.
The offseason has barely started in full, and the Brewers have made one of the first big moves of it (if not the first one). On Saturday, reports came out that the Brewers had acquired Adam Lind from the Toronto Blue Jays, sending Marco Estrada in the trade. By acquiring Adam Lind, the Brewers have filled first base for next season, though he will probably need a platoon mate to cover the games against left-handed pitchers. The move should bring stability to first base, a position that has seen constant change since Prince Fielder's departure after the 2011 season.
The Brewers promotional schedule will be released this week. Cait Covers the Bases has details on where they will announce the promotions, a total of 20 for the 2015 season.
It didn't take long for accusations of tampering to come out about Joe Maddon. The Rays are expected to file a grievance against the Cubs for tampering, but Joe Maddon's agent says that everything was done properly.
Around Baseball
MLB Trade Rumors has its list of the top 50 free agents, along with predictions on where they will go. The Brewers are predicted to get one of these "free agents".
Game 7 of the World Series saved what could have been one of the most boring World Series in history. Dave Cameron on FanGraphs used leverage index to rank this World Series among the others in history.
