Prospect Profile: Yoan Moncada, Red Sox

NAME: Yoan Moncada
AGE: 21
POSITION: 2B/3B
TEAM: Portland Sea Dogs (AA affiliate of Boston Red Sox)
SIGNED: As international Free Agent in 2015

SCOUTING REPORT: A plus arm allows him to play all over the infield and even see some time in centerfield. Glove is average at best, but makes up for it with exceptional range. His speed is his biggest asset, and could steal 50+ bases per year at the major league level. Power continues to develop and should max out above average for MLB second basemen. Can hit for average and power, although the strikeout numbers in 2016 were a little high. Generally regarded as a 5 tool prospect, and a top prospect in the Red Sox system. Overall a 65 prospect on the 20-80 scale.

STATS: Hit a solid .278 with Low-A Greenville with 8 home runs in 81 games. Added a phenomenal 49 steals while only being caught stealing three times. Split 2016 between Salem (High A) and Portland. Combined for .298/15/61 slash through August 31. Has stolen 45 bases. 122 strikeouts against 72 walks between the two levels this year. Has committed 17 errors this year, after 23 last year. OBP ha dipped from .427 in High-A to .388 in AA.

PROJECTION: This guys could very well be the next Cuban star. He has the speed, the power is starting to come around, and he's just explosive offensively. The big questions remain with his glove, as he has yet to put together a solid defensive campaign. The Red Sox are considering having him bypass AAA and bringing him straight up for the stretch run when rosters expand. But with Dustin Pedroia at second base, Moncada would most likely move to third. Will he be able to learn on the job, or will Boston decide to keep him in the minors after all. Down the line, Moncada will be an All-Star infielder who will garner some pretty lucrative paydays. Expect him to average .280, 20-25 HR, 40 SB per season in the Majors.

The Life of Brian: If the Yankees Trade McCann, Where Will He Go?

The non-waiver trade deadline is well past at this point, but that doesn't mean deals are done from being made. Quite the contrary, in fact. The only difference now is that players must go through waivers, meaning a team's plans to trade a player to a certain team could fall apart if that player is claimed off the waiver wire, which they must clear before getting traded at any point after the trade deadline. Especially as the season nears it's end, playoff contenders are looking for any possible addition to boost their postseason chances. This could come in the form of a call-up of a hot prospect or even a late-season trade. One name that has been floating in the warm, late-summer breezes is that of Yankees catcher Brian McCann. It was only a month ago that the Yankees dealt many of their veterans in exchange for big-time prospects. At the time, many speculated whether the likes of McCann would be close behind. It made sense, and it still does. A team looking to bolster their roster for the playoffs would certainly like to add one of the best players at one of the most important positions. In terms of catching hierarchy, if we ranked the top 5 MLB catchers in terms of overall worth (including both offensive and defensive ability), McCann would almost surely be a top 5 MLB catcher, and if not, he is either 6th or 7th at the absolute lowest. Point being, if we take a look at the current teams or teams in contention to be in the playoffs, some of them could certainly use an upgrade at the catcher positions. So, with that being said, let's take a look at the teams in the playoff picture and whether a McCann deal seems likely. Keep in mind, the Yankees have not said they will for sure trade McCann, so none of these trades are a 8/10 or 9/10 possibility they will happen.


NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION LEADERS:

WASHINGTON NATIONALS- Wilson Ramos

For the sake of space in this post, we'll keep this one short. Ramos has finally had the breakout the Nationals have been looking for, slashing .314/20/69 this season. He is also playing very good defensively and, at age 28, finally seems to be the Nats' catcher for the foreseeable future.

CHANCES THE NATIONALS TRADE FOR McCANN: 2/10. Not a likely trade, as the Nats' have a starting catcher in Ramos. Perhaps they could look to upgrade the backup spot from Jose Lobaton but that isn't a role either Ramos or McCann should be filling right now. The only reason this trade may even be considered (and it is still a longshot) is that McCann has played some first base this year, and the Nationals never know when Ryan Zimmerman may fall victim to another injury.

CHICAGO CUBS- Miguel Montero, David Ross, Willson Contreras

Montero has been a large disappointment on both sides of the ball for the Cubs, who have the best record in baseball. A guy who could always be counted on for a .280 average with 15 homers and 70 RBI in Arizona is slashing a dismal .199/5/25 in Chicago. Defensively is just as bad, with a .988 FP and allowing 47 steals in 52 attempts. David Ross has been a serviceable backup, and youngster Willson Contreras has been a breath of fresh air since coming up from the minors, hitting .270 with 9 homers in 58 games. Contreras is sliding into the #1 catchers role with the struggles of Montero, but he isn't quite ready to assume the role of everyday catcher just yet.

CHANCES THE CUBS TRADE FOR McCANN: 4/10. If there was a weakness to the best team in baseball, the catcher position may be it. Although, as previously stated, Contreras has done quite a nice job so far since his call-up. With Ross retiring at the end of the year, if this deal does happen, it doesn't seem like a trade that will happen during the season. Instead, keep an eye out for the possibility of this trade happening in the winter, if McCann hasn't been shipped somewhere else by then.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS- Yasmani Grandal, Carlos Ruiz

Sure Grandal only has a .224 average, but he also has 20 home runs and the Dodgers have been very pleased with the young catcher's performance. Last week's trade that sent A.J. Ellis to the Phillies for Ruiz made waves within the baseball community, because many people did not feel that that shakeup was necessary. Still, Ruiz tends to be a solid performer, when healthy, and will spend time as a backup to Grandal down the stretch.

CHANCES THE DODGERS TRADE FOR McCANN: 3/10. With the Ruiz trade, the Dodgers have sent an apparent message that they are content with the current catching situation. I believe that McCann represents a clear upgrade (even if it means sitting Grandal more down the stretch) and this trade would make sense as far as what McCann could offer the Dodgers. Again, I don't see it happening after the Ruiz trade, but you never can tell what Magic Johnson and co. have up their sleeves.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD TEAMS AND CONTENDERS:

The Cardinals and Giants, the two current Wild Card teams, do not have a need at this position. So that leaves the Marlins, Mets, and Pirates, who are still in contention to climb into the playoffs if the Cards or Giants struggle in the last month. The Marlins have a .300 hitter in J.T. Realmuto, so for the contenders, let's look at the Mets and Pirates.

NEW YORK METS- Travis d'Arnaud

If there was a team that I felt HAD to make this trade, it is the Mets. They have had poor offensive play from d'Arnaud, Rene Rivera, and Kevin Plawecki. Defensively, both Rivera and d'Arnaud are very good (for you Strat-O-Matic baseball fans, I would grade them low 1s or high 2s defensively from a defensive perspective. The Mets have gone from World Series team to 3 games above .500 in the span of 10 months, and they need a shot in the arm. A McCann deal would do just that. Again, the Yankees would most likely look to bolster the bullpen, so if this trade were to happen, expect relievers Addison Reed or Jerry Blevins to be involved.

CHANCES THE METS TRADE FOR McCANN: 6/10. This is a deal that benefits both sides, if it were to happen. The Mets tried to shop d'Arnaud for Lucroy at the deadline, so clearly they would like an upgrade. Again, the Yankees would most likely look to bolster the bullpen, so if this trade were to happen, expect relievers Addison Reed or Jerry Blevins to be involved.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES- Francisco Cervelli

I'm a Yankees fan. Because of that, I spent a few years watching Cervelli play. I really like his style of play, his occasional (VERY occasional) pop, and especially his handling of pitchers. He's one of those tough-nosed grinders that you just love to watch play. Plus he hits barehanded, which adds to that tough-guy image. But let's face it, his numbers are just back-up catcher numbers this year, and his back-up, Chris Stewart, has even worse numbers. The Pirates are on the outside looking in right now by 2 games, and McCann could just be what the team needs to overtake their division rival Cardinals for the second WC spot.

CHANCES THE PIRATES TRADE FOR McCANN:1/10. This is one of those situations where the fit in this trade is more like 8/10 but the likelihood of it happening is just 1/10. The Pirates haven't been discussing McCann with the Yankees and I don't see them taking on McCann's contract, even if the Yankees agree to cover a large portion of it.


AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION LEADERS

TORONTO BLUE JAYS- Russell Martin

Throughout his career, Russell Martin has been a solid performer, so much so that teams know what to expect from him by now, and this year has been no different. Currently sporting a .247 average, 15 homers and 59 RBI, this has been another standard Russell Martin season. Couple that with the .998 fielding percentage behind the dish, Martin, despite being 33 years old, has not slowed down yet.

CHANCES THE BLUE JAYS TRADE FOR McCANN: Zero. Going back to that hypothetical list of top 5 catchers, Martin is definitely in that list or around it as well. The only place where McCann has a clear edge over Martin is in throwing out would-be base stealers. No reason for them to even entertain this trade idea.


CLEVELAND INDIANS- Yan Gomes, Chris Giminez, Roberto Perez

What a mess. Of the three Indians catchers, only Giminez is batting above .200 (.223, to be exact). Gomes has hit a disappointing .165 with 8 home runs, and currently finds himself on the DL. Perez, who is almost the same age as Gomes and has been considered the possible catcher of the future, is even worse, hitting .148 with just 1 home run. Defensively, the trio is actually pretty solid, and all of them throw out base-runners right around the league average of 30%, led by Gomes' 37%.

CHANCES THE INDIANS TRADE FOR McCANN: This may hold more possibilities than you think. The Yanks and Indians have already made one trade this year (Andrew Miller for prospects), and if the Indians are serious about a playoff run, this may be a good move for them. The Yankees need help in the bullpen, and may target Dan Otero and Bryan Shaw, among others if this trade goes down. Or, with the Indians having Miller close now, perhaps the Yankees could pry away Cody Allen. In any case, this is a trade that would benefit both teams. Likelihood of this trade happening: 6/10.


TEXAS RANGERS- Jonathan Lucroy

Another one we'll keep short. The Rangers had a glaring need behind the plate, and addressed it, trading for Brewers' star Lucroy at the deadline.

CHANCES THE RANGERS TRADE FOR McCANN: Zero. Rangers are a very well rounded team right now. Maybe some bullpen help would be useful, but they have no reason to even consider a McCann trade.


AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD TEAMS AND CONTENDERS:

This portion of the standings looks like a pack of kids in a foot race: Everyone is trying to lead, but there's only so much room to make the pass, and everyone just ends up beating and banging off of each other without anyone making much progress. In terms of catching needs, the Royals, Tigers, and Mariners are all on the outside looking in, but they are content with their catching situations and won't pursue McCann. The Red Sox could use McCann, but that deal isn't likely and they will probably finish the season with some sort of rotation between Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon. So we will look at the #2 Wild Card team, the Orioles, as well as the Houston Astros.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Matt Wieters

Offensively, this has definitely been a down year for the Orioles' backstop. Hitting just .238 with 11 home runs, Wieters has been one of the lone struggling players in a stacked O's lineup. Despite those troubles at the plate, Wieters continues to play well behind it, posting a .992 fielding percentage and throwing out 35% of would-be base stealers. Caleb Joseph and Francisco Pena are poor hitters as backups, but they won't be moved before years end.

CHANCES THE ORIOLES TRADE FOR McCANN: 1/10 now, 7/10 later. What's that supposed to mean? That means the Yankees and Orioles won't strike a deal before the year ends. But Wieters will be a free agent this offseason, after accepting the 1-year qualifying offer last offseason. If the Orioles want to move on from the injury-plagued catcher, McCann may be the guy they pull the trigger on. The only downside is McCann is 2 years older than Wieters.

HOUSTON ASTROS- Jason Castro, Evan Gattis

In terms of team need, the Astros, in my book, are the #1 fit for McCann. They haven't gotten much production from catcher Jason Castro (.217, 9 HR) or first baseman Marwin Gonzalez (.253, 11 HR), and Evan Gattis will provide power but not much else. The veteran presence of McCann to this team would provide a boost, not only in the clubhouse, but would also make Castro and Gonzalez expendable in the offseason.

CHANCES THE ASTROS TRADE FOR McCANN: 5/10. Again, we see a team where McCann would be a great fit, but there are a few familiar snags in the way. His age (32) and contract may hinder this deal from coming to fruition. The price would not be cheap though, and if the deal happens, again look for middle relievers to headline the package going back to the Bronx.


Oh, there's one last team we haven't looked at yet. And this one may be the most intriguing of all.

NEW YORK YANKEES- Gary Sanchez, Brian McCann

That's right. How badly do the Yankees need McCann? Well, we have all seen the incredible things Gary Sanchez has done during his short time in the majors. Austin Romine is also a very serviceable reserve, so if McCann were to stay in the Bronx, it seems his days as a catcher are certainly numbered. Mark Teixeira is retiring at the end of the year, and the trade of Beltran, plus the release/retirement/"whatever you want to call it" of A-Rod opened the door for DH at-bats for McCann. But for how long? Next year, Greg Bird will return to first base, Tyler Austin and Mason Williams will be battling for roster spots, Aaron Judge will be in the outfield (along with Ellsbury, Hicks, and Gardner), and Rob Refsnyder will be the super utility man. All of this could potentially spell the end of McCann's time in pinstripes. But he still has some power, and he's a very smart handler of the pitchers.

CHANCES THE YANKEES TRADE McCANN: 5/10 now, ??? Later. I hate to cop out at the end of the blog like this but the bottom line is that nobody knows. McCann could be traded now, he could be dealt in the offseason, he could be traded next season, or he could stay on as the regular DH (and fill in at catcher and first base when needed). Its all a matter of perceived and real value. The Yankees may decide he is worth more in their lineup, or he could be worth more as a trade chip to improve in other areas, specifically the bullpen.

Stat Sheet: Better Latos Than Never

What the addition of another pitcher means for the Nats


After taking some time to weigh their options, the Washington Nationals have decided to add Matt Latos to their 25-man roster. If the Nationals had not done so, Latos could have opted out of his contract. A member of the Washington minor league system since late June, Latos had posted a sparkling 1.93 ERA in six starts. His time with the Chicago White Sox to begin the year, however, is a completely different story. In-depth statistics such as fielding independent pitching (FIP) show that Latos was very lucky to have a 4.62 ERA and it should have been much worse. Latos was clearly over-performing through his first handful of starts when he had a 0.73 ERA, but nobody expected that ERA to balloon to over 7 from that point forward. So simply put, in Latos, the Nationals are getting a guy who can be excellent or horrible. And the tough question becomes "How do they know what to expect?"

First let's start with the good. Latos is a guy who has won 14 games on three separate occasions, most recently in 2013 as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. Another positive is his career 3.57 ERA, which would be welcome on any Big League rotation. Not to mention, he also sports an above-average 1.20 WHIP over his eight big league seasons. But the two biggest positives of all: He's just 28 years old and he will be pitching under the tutelage of one of the games' premier pitching coaches in Mike Maddux. This lends optimism that whatever issues that have plagued him recently can be corrected.

Speaking of those issues, there are plenty of red flags in Latos' performance in recent years. In the 2.5 seasons since his 14-win 2013 campaign, Latos has gone 15-17 with a 4.39 ERA. Still not awful, but a far cry from his previous body of work. The biggest red flag of all came last year during his 6 game stint with the Dodgers where he was saddled with a 6.66 ERA, an atrocious WHIP of over 1.50 and he averaged 11.5 hits allowed per nine innings. A possible explanation for his struggles could be found in his pitch count and innings data. Latos has only gone 5.1 innings per start this year, as compared to the 6 innings he has averaged over his career. He is using more pitches per inning (16.7) this year than his career average (15.8), and it is his worst number since his rookie season. Neither of those statistics display glaring differences, however they are enough out of the norm for Latos to be labeled a potential suspect. Or perhaps, instead of being a cause of his pitching woes, they could just be another number affected by his struggles.

                         (Chicago Tribune)

Data suggests, however that there is more reason to be positive than concerned. He has maintained a low BB/9 rating of around 2 throughout his career, gives up less than 1 home run per nine innings, and his strikeouts have dropped by 3 this year from his career average, which the Nationals hope means he is due for a correction to finish out the year.

                             (Washington Post)

Now, as for the Nationals, this move is made more out of necessity at the moment than anything else. Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 3.59) and Joe Ross (7-4, 3.49) are both on the DL (although Strasburg has begun to throw again, giving the Nats hope he will be ready sooner rather than later). Reynaldo Lopez (5.33 ERA) and top pitching prospect Lucas Giolito (5.63) have been very spotty in limited starts this year. That leaves Max Scherzer (14-7, 2.92), Tanner Roark (13-7, 2.99) and Gio Gonzalez (9-9, 4.25) as the only proven pitchers in the rotation. Until Strasburg and Ross come back, the Nats have no other choice but to pitch Latos. When the other two return, the Nationals will have a decision to make. Will someone be bumped out of the rotation? Will they go to the bullpen or back to AAA?Roark has had plenty of experience as a reliever but it would make no sense at all to take him out of the rotation with all the success he has had. Will the Nats just go with a 6-man rotation? They could do that to take some strain off their front-line starters, especially with an 8 game lead in the division. For Dusty Baker, this seems like a good problem to have. That is, if everything plays out according to plan. But as the calendar flips to the final month of the regular season, we are reminded that September baseball, just like Matt Latos, has one thing that is certain. That one thing is the fact that nothing is certain.

Card Connections: The T-206 Series

When I decided to take on this blog, going through my baseball card collection was immediately jumping out as being one of my favorite posts on my weekly schedule. Any baseball fan gets a rush from baseball cards, and if they don't, they ain't a real fan! There's just something about ripping open a new pack or flipping through a binder that brings us back to the "Good Ol' Days". I still remember perfectly who was in my first pack of baseball cards. It was a Topps Series 1 pack that I opened on Easter morning in 2003. Cliff Lee rookie card, Jorge Posada, Vinny Castilla, Chipper Jones, Ruddy Lugo rookie card, Michael Young, Denny Hocking, Dave Roberts, Gary Matthews Jr., and Cole Hamels draft pick. Ahh, to this day, Topps 2003 is my favorite year to collect. And, since that was my first year as a baseball fan, I refuse to go the easy route and buy the complete set in one box, like I do with current sets. Nope, I will finish that set the hard way, card by card until I complete it.

Anyways, I digress. For my first Card Connections post, I thought about those 2003 cards, but I will save them for next week. This week, I decided to take a look at the two oldest cards in my collection, from the hallowed T-206 series.

First, A brief history of the T-206s. This particular label refers to cards produced between 1909 and 1911. As was the case with most cards of the day, these cards were distributed inside cigarette boxes and the backs of these cards, instead of having a bio and stats of the player, featured the name of a cigarette company (such as Piedmont, Old Mill or Sweet Corporal). There are 524 cards in the set in terms of images on the front. But, for every Ed Cicotte card, there may be many different backsides to the card, which results in somewhere over 6,000 possible cards in the set. 

Any history of the T-206 set is incomplete without mentioning the so-called "Big Four". These four cards are some of the rarest cards in existence, due to them being pulled for some reason or another. The Card of Sherry Magee, who was not a standout player by any means, is one of these rare cards due to the misspelling of his name (cards say "Magie", instead of Magee). Another is Joe Doyle. Many of Doyle's cards have the caption "Doyle, N.Y." on the front, but only a few have the full caption "Doyle, N.Y. Nat'l". Yet a third card, Hall of Fame pitcher Eddie Plank is an extreme rarity because only a few of them were ever printed. Rumors say that during production, a printing plate broke, causing companies to stop producing his card, but this has never been proven.

And of course, the crown jewel and deepest secret of the T-206 series is the Honus Wagner card. Not much is known about why there are fewer than 60 Honus Wagner cards in existence. Whether it is because he was averse to children using tobacco products and refused to market to them (as the legend goes) or if there was a financial dispute in regards to the use of his likeness on the card, the reason may never be known. But what we do know is the last Wagner card that was sold in 2013  went for a cool $2.1 million. Safe to say, that is one crown jewel that most of the card collecting world will be resigned to admire from a distance.

With that being said, I always grew up hoping to get my hands on just one T-206 card. To many collectors, owning even one card in the set gives you credibility in the collector universe. I always felt like owning my very own T-206 would make my collection go from "this kid has an awful lot of baseball cards, thats impressive" to "Ok, this is a serious collector". And so, in the fall of 2013, just weeks into my sophomore year at Appalachian State (Go 'Neers, as an old co-worker of mine used to say), I walked into an antique store one rainy Saturday. Now, I had been to this store before, and I knew you could occasionally find cards from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s and I'm always on the lookout for some lower-end cards from those eras to add to my collection. I certainly wasn't expecting to turn the corner and come face-to-face with a real, honest to goodness T-206 baseball card in a glass display case. I started ripping bills out of my wallet as I headed to the register. "Who is that player on the card?" my parents asked. "I don't know, but it's a T-206!" I responded. I don't think they quite grasped the seriousness of this purchase for me at the time. So who was the player on my newest and oldest baseball card?

Ed Konetchy, a 15-year big league veteran who played first base for multiple teams, that's who. He hit .248 in his first full season in 1908, but in his second full year, he hit .286 and drove in 80 runs. Twice he led the majors in games played, led the league in doubles once, and 4 times hit over .300 (not to mention his final season where he hit .299 in 127 games at age 35). He also had 10+ triples 10 times, and also reached 10+ steals in 12 of his 15 seasons (achieving a career-high 27 steals on 3 separate occasions). The more research I did on him, the more I realized, I actually had gotten the card of a pretty darn good player. This wasn't a lesser player that I got at a reasonable price (reasonable for a card that old anyways...I wouldn't call anything that's price was almost the same number as it's age "cheap"), this was a real solid, everyday player who probably would have made a few All-Star games if they had existed back then.

               (Small Traditions)

My second, and most recent T-206 addition came this past May. I was in yet another antique store, this time in Winston-Salem, when I came across not one card in a glass case, but SIX of them. I immediately recognized two players, but not knowing the other four, I went to my trusty source for baseball stats (baseball-reference) with the intention of getting the card of the best player. Turns out, the best player was the first one i recognized. Bill Dineen was wrapping up his 12 year career in 1909, at the time this card was being made. He compiled a 170-177 career record, but ended with a 3.01 ERA and was a 20-game winner four times. He pitched for the Boston Pilgrims in the very first World Series in 1903, and won a career high 23 games the following year.

(Small Traditions)

T-206 cards have become somewhat of a mini-obsession of mine. Not as much as the 2003 Topps set, which has much more sentimental value. But these cardboard pieces of history are so appealing and the history behind the greatest card set of all time is more than enough to catch the attention of baseball historians and card hunters like myself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to ebay to look for another T-206!

What's your oldest baseball card? Be sure to comment below!

The Curious Case of Rich Hill

Who were the most sought-after pitchers in free agency this past offseason?

Johnny Cueto for sure. Jordan Zimmerman, definitely. Zack Greinke, no doubt about it. But what if I told you Rich Hill wasn't too far behind? It sounds silly, right? And in a way (at least, until you see all the details), it is. Sure, nobody came into the 2016 season saying "Rich Hill is going to win 20 games", but somehow, some way, he was an important piece of the pitching market over the winter. But how did he get to be that way?

Drafted 3 times, Hill finished school at the University of Michigan before beginning his career in the Cubs' organization. A 6'5", 205-pound lefty, Hill began his first foray into pro ball at the age of 22 for the Cubs' Low-A affiliate in Boise. Over the next few seasons, he slowly and methodically progressed through the Cubs' system. By 2005, he was widely regarded as having one of the best curveballs in all of minor league baseball. Devastating breaking-ball in hand, Hill recorded quite the impressive stat line that year: 11-4, 3.31 ERA, 194 strikeouts in just 130 innings. Not to mention, he went all the way from the Cubs' A level all the way to AAA Iowa, where he went 6-1. It seemed as if Hill was on his way to becoming the next big thing. Chicago was just 2 years removed from the dramatic and disappointing 2003 NLCS loss, and if Mark Prior and Kerry Wood could stay healthy, along with young star Carlos Zambrano and veteran Greg Maddux, it seemed the Cubs certainly had plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

As a minor leaguer, Hill's fastball sat in the 88-92 range, with a dominant 12-6 curve and he also had a "show-me" change-up. But his issue was control. Aside from his dominant 2005 campaign, he averaged almost 5 walks per game throughout his time on the farm and despite the dominance of his curveball, he had a tendency to hang it and would pay dearly, to the tune of 1.4 home runs allowed per game in '05.

Finally, at the very end of 2005, Hill got his first call to the bigs, and was unremarkable. He posted an 0-2 record, 9.13 ERA, and almost had as many walks (17) as innings pitched (23). Ticketed for AAA Iowa to begin 2006, Hill made sure the Cubs couldn't keep him there, going 7-1 with a glistening 1.80 ERA. The Cubs had no choice, bringing him back to Chicago, where he showed his improvement, posting a 6-7 mark and a 4.17 ERA. He had earned a spot in the rotation. And so, at age 27, the 2007 season was to be his first full season in the bigs. All he did was go 11-8, 3.92 ERA and 183 whiffs in 195 innings. The future looked bright, and it seemed the Cubs had found a new star.

         

(milb.com)

But back issues limited Hill to just 5 big league starts in '08. When he did pitch, the control issues creeped up again, as he walked almost one batter per inning. And so, with the Cubs coming off a division crown and looking to get even better, Hill was dealt to the Orioles for the 2009 season. Again, high walk numbers and injuries ruined another season. Hill's ERA was approaching 8 before he was finally shut down with a torn labrum. He signed a free agent deal with the Cardinals the following spring, before getting picked up by the Boston Red Sox, where he made his only big league appearances that year. But things went from bad to worse, and the next bump in the road for this once-bright star came in the form of Tommy John surgery. Two dismal 2011 appearances with the Red Sox were followed by a sparkling (if somewhat abbreviated) 2012 year where he posted a 1.83 ERA out of the 'pen. A miserable 2013 with the Cleveland Indians, and another injury-shortened 2014 found Hill out of a job that winter.

A 6.83 ERA with the Indians seemed just another stop on a long road of struggles (Chicago Tribune)

In 2015, Hill began the season in the 'pen for Washington's AAA affiliate, but despite good numbers, was released midseason. Hill resorted to the Independent leagues, where he began working as a starter again. After making just two starts (in which he fanned 21 hitters in 11 innings), he was picked up once again by Boston. He went 2-1 at the end of last season with a 1.55 ERA and that finally brings us to the 2015-16 offseason.

What made Hill so attractive this past offseason? The guy has a long history of injuries, and a list of control issues just as long. According to the Oakland A's it was just a matter of risk vs. reward. A's Assistant GM Dave Feinstein said the A's were looking for a bargain and after Hill "put together four really good starts for the Red Sox, we looked at potential free agents and we saw him as a low-risk option with plenty of upside."  Indeed, a guy with an injury history can come cheap, so the A's offered Hill a $6 million deal. Hill had offers elsewhere but what ultimately swayed him towards the A's was their offer of a spot in the rotation. Hill went 9-3 for the A's this year, cutting down on walks while continuing to strike out hitters at a high rate. Finally, it seems as if things are going right for Hill. A deadline deal with the Dodgers was followed by yet another stint on the DL, this time for blisters on his pitching hand.

Last night, Rich Hill made his Dodgers debut in Chavez Ravine against Johnny Cueto and the Giants. Hill became the 30th Dodger pitcher this year (one shy of the franchise record set last year). As I watched Hill and Cueto duel last night, I couldn't tell which one was the 1-year, $6 million pitcher, and which one was the 6-year, $130 million pitcher. A Justin Turner home run in the 4th inning was the first Dodger hit of the night, and it was all the support Hill would need.

Cueto- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (L, 14-4)
Hill- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER. 0 BB, 3 K (W, 1-0 with Dodgers, 10-3 overall)

For the second time in his career, Hill has reached double figures in the win column. But more importantly to him, the Dodgers are 3 games up on the Giants in the quest for the division title. With Kershaw due back from the disabled list soon, the Dodgers rolling, and the Giants reeling, it looks as if we will be seeing the lights of Dodger stadium deep into October again. And for Rich Hill, nothing would be sweeter than finally getting to the postseason, an accomplishment that has eluded him thus far. yes, for the first time in a long time, for this Dodgers lefty, it feels good to be King of the Hill.

Hill tossed 6 shutout innings in his Dodgers Debut last night (Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports)

Prospect Profile: Tyler O'Neill, Mariners

                                                                       

          

NAME: Tyler O'Neill

AGE: 21

POSITION: OF/DH

TEAM: Jackson Generals (AA affiliate of Seattle Mariners)

DRAFTED; 3rd Round of 2013 June Amateur draft by Seattle Mariners from Garibaldi SS (Brit. Columbia)

SCOUTING REPORT: The name of O'Neill's game is power. This kid can absolutely bust 'em with the best of them. He projects to be a corner outfielder or DH in the long run. Average defender with a plus arm. Average to above average speed (probably a 50 on the 20-80 scale). The concerns for O'Neill center around his ability (or lack thereof) to make consistent contact. Strikeout percentage in 2014 was 32.2%, and just a .247 average. Slight improvement in 2015, K% around 24% (which is a little more reasonable for a slugger) and again right around 25% this year. Still, it will be important to watch how quickly (and if, at all) his plate discipline and pitch selection improves. Call-up to AAA could be coming when MLB rosters expand next month. Major League Debut expected in 2017.

STATS: Currently the #2 prospect in the Seattle system, behind OF Kyle Lewis. Played rookie ball in 2013, hitting .310/1/15. Spent the majority of his abbreviated 2014 campaign with Class-A Clinton, where he hit .247 with 13 home runs. Had a breakout of sorts in 2015 with Class-A+ Bakersfield, hitting .260 with 32 home runs and 87 RBI, while cutting his K percentage down by 7%. Also stole 16 bases. 2016 has been his best overall year to date. Slashed .302/23/96 so far for Jackson (Mariners' AA affiliate) with 10 stolen bases. Has made a career high 4 errors this season, but also has a career high 9 assists.

PROJECTION: O'Neill's bat will get him into the Seattle lineup (especially if they do not keep Nelson Cruz past his current contract). he will most likely turn into a serviceable player who may sneak into an All-Star game or two. I would compare him to Josh Willingham or Jack Cust (at his peak 25-30 HR, 160-190 Ks) but with a little more speed.

Tebow Time? Ranking Players Who Played in the NFL and MLB

FUN FACT: Before we get into today's topic, here's something interesting. On this date in 1936, a young rookie for the Cleveland Indians named Bob Feller made his first big league start. As a sign of the great things to come, he struck out 15.


Now, for today's feature presentation.

Alright, everyone mark your calendars for next Tuesday. That's when Tim Tebow will be working out for MLB teams in Los Angeles. He's been working out for quite some time, and has gotten some pretty nice endorsements from guys like Gary Sheffield.

I know what you're thinking: "Here we go again, another Tim Tebow story." That's actually the last thing I wanted to do. So, with Tebow's workout officially scheduled, It made me wonder: Who are the best players to play both MLB and NFL? Yeah we all know Bo Jackson (although he's not #1 on my list, I'll explain that later) and Deion Sanders and legend Jim Thorpe, but who else has made the jump, successful or otherwise? Over 70 men have been known to play at the highest level in both sports. Some with more distinction in one than another, and some with little to no distinction in either. But let's take a look at who I think the top 5 overall cross-sport athletes are.

NOTE: Russell Wilson is NOT included because he has not made it to the Majors yet. Who knows, maybe he never will. But I'd say, at least so far that the NFL thing is working out for him.


5. Ernie Nevers (MLB 1926-1928, NFL 1926-1931). Nevers is one of those guys who was WAY better in one sport than another, but hey, he still made it to the top level in both. As a NFL superstar, Nevers is still the only player in NFL history to score 40 points in a single game. He spent his first 2 NFL seasons with the now-defunct Duluth Eskimos, before playing his final 3 years with the Chicago Cardinals, where he scored 12 touchdowns in his first year in the Windy City. Nevers was named 1st Team All-Pro in all 5 of his NFL seasons and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame (he was a star at Stanford). His baseball career was much less storied. Nevers pitched parts of 3 seasons for the St. Louis Browns, compiling a 6-12 record and a 4.64 ERA. In 1927, he went 3-8 with a 4.94 ERA in 94 innings, and gave up 2 of Babe Ruth's then-record 60 home runs.

(Bleacher Report)

4. Brian Jordan- (MLB 1992-2006, NFL 1989-1991). Jordan was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and the St. Louis Cardinals out of the University of Richmond. While he spent time in the Cardinals' farm system, he played in 4 games as a rookie for the Falcons, recovering two fumbles. In 1990, he recorded 3 interceptions and added 2 more the following year while starting 30 of a possible 32 games. He also recorded two safeties in 1991. In the 1991 playoffs, Jordan recorded his lone postseason interception. His big league baseball career began in 1992 and he played parts of the next 3 seasons. His first full season, 1995 served as his breakout campaign, as he hit .296 with 22 homers and 24 stolen bases. The following year, Jordan was 8th in MVP voting thanks to his .310/17/104 line, as well as 22 steals. He made his only All-Star appearance in 1999 as a member of the Atlanta Braves and also saw his only World Series action that year as the Braves were swept by the Yankees. Overall, Jordan slashed .282/184/821 in his 15 year career with 119 steals to go with it.

(likesuccess.com)

2. Jim Thorpe (MLB 1913-1919, NFL 1920-1928). Widely considered one of the greatest and most hallowed athletes of all time, Jim Thorpe could do it all. Playing competitive sports well into his 40s, his accomplishments and achievements have stood the test of time to the point where he is still revered to this day. Thorpe's football career actually began in 1915 as a member of the Canton Bulldogs, but in 1920, the Bulldogs were granted entry into the NFL Thorpe bounced around the league, playing for 6 teams in 8 years. In those very early days of football, statistics were few and far between, and when they were kept, they were not very thorough, so little is actually known about Thorpe's NFL career. We do know he was voted All-Pro in 1923 and was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963, joining Ernie Nevers and 15 others as the very first class inducted. As a baseball player, Thorpe was never more than a part-time player, but managed to hit .327 in his final season, the only time he eclipsed the .300 mark. He was hitless in his lone postseason at-bat, coming as a member of the New York Giants in 1917. Oh, did we mention he was a basketball player as well, and also won multiple Olympic gold medals and held his share of Olympic records?

(wikipedia.com)

3. Bo Jackson (MLB 1986-1991, 1993-1994, NFL 1987-1990). Two things kept Bo from being number 1 on this list. One of those things was out of his control, Yes, we all know about the gruesome hip injury that ended his NFL career and interrupted his baseball one. But, the positive side of that story is his triumphant return to baseball afterwards (29 of his 141 home runs came post-surgery). Many who saw him play say Bo was, without question, the greatest athlete of all time and could have been a Hall of Famer in both sports. Whoa, now, don't get TOO carried away. I do agree, that had he been able to stay healthy, Bo would have been in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He never started more than 9 games in a season due to injuries, but somehow still retired with a career mark of 5.4 yards per carry. He scored 16 TDs in four years, and lead the league 3 times in longest rush of the year, with runs of 91, 92, and 88 yards. In his lone playoff game in 1990, he carried 6 times for 77 yards. On the baseball field, Bo was a fantastic defender and a great power hitter, amassing 20+ home runs four times as a member of the Royals. But here is why he was no HOFer: Only once did he drive in 100 runs (105 in 1989), he never hit above .280, and struck out more times than games played every year. So while he had the talent to be a star in both sports, and I think was a Hall of Famer in football for sure (again, if he had been healthy), I think his baseball career, had it been a full one, would be remembered more like Dave Kingman or Adam Dunn. Which is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

(topdrawersoccer.com)

1. Deion Sanders (MLB 1989-2001, NFL 1989-2000, 2004-2005). "Prime Time" certainly showed up when it mattered. Sanders lived for the big stage, thrived in the big moment, excelled when every eye was on him. There are two big reasons why Sanders is my #1 on this list. The first reason, is not only did he play both sports incredibly well, but he also played both sports at a high level for such an extended period of time. Secondly, at the time of this blog posting, he is the only man to have played in a Super Bowl AND a World Series. Stats and achievements are great but at the end of the day, its about championships and even though Deion didn't win the World Series, he more than gave the Braves a chance to win it. A career .263 hitter, Sanders' best season came as a member of the Braves in 1992, where he hit .304, 8 homers, 28 RBI, and stole 26 bases. Two years later, while splitting time between the Braves and Cincinnati Reds, he stole a career high 38 bags. In his only World Series in 1992, he batted .533 and stole 5 bases in 4 games, but the Braves ultimately lost to the Blue Jays. In the NFL, Sanders compiled a Hall of Fame career, won two Super Bowls, and was named to eight Pro Bowls. He intercepted 53 passes in his career and is ranked 4th all-time in career pick-sixes. His speed also made him an explosive weapon returning kicks and punts, as he added another nine touchdowns on returns and three additional scores running out of the backfield. Regardless of where he played, regardless of what sport or how big the stage, the setting was never to big for Prime Time, the number one MLB-NFL athlete of all time.

(totalprosports.com)

STAT SHEET- O's Chasing Home Run Record

     The Baltimore Orioles find themselves in contention of the AL East crown as the 2016 season nears it's final month of play. At 67-56, that's good for 3rd place in the division, 2 games behind the Red Sox and 2.5 behind the first place Blue Jays. How have the O's been able to stay in the division hunt? Well, it's not the pitching. Just look at the ERA and WHIP numbers for Orioles starters who have made at least 10 starts in 2016:

Chris Tillman:      26 Starts, 3.76 ERA, 1.27 WHIP
Kevin Gausman:  22 Starts, 4.11 ERA, 1.32 WHIP
Ubaldo Jiminez:   18 Starts, 6.94 ERA, 1.92 WHIP
Tyler Wilson:       13 Starts, 5.38 ERA, 1.40 WHIP
Yovani Gallardo: 17 Starts, 5.08 ERA, 1.59 WHIP
Mike Wright:       12 Starts, 5.97 ERA, 1.47 WHIP


That looks almost as bad (or worse) as those early-to-mid 2000s O's rotations that featured Rodrigo Lopez, Daniel Cabrera, Sidney Ponson, Erik Bedard, and so on. So if it's not the pitching that's keeping Baltimore in the hunt, it must be the offense.

Ok, let's face it. When we say "offense" for the Orioles, we really just mean home runs. The Orioles rank dead last in the AL with 14 steals this year, and their leading base-stealer (Joey Rickard) has 4. To put the team's 14 thefts into perspective, there are 11 PLAYERS in the American League with more steals than the Orioles.

But, instead of bashing on this team's weaknesses, I want to focus on one of their strengths: bashing baseballs into the depths of outer space. Home runs, dingers, bombs, missiles, whatever you want to call them. Go to an Orioles game and you're almost guaranteed to see one. Why? Well through 123 games, they have 192 homers, or 1.56 homers per game. Just take a look at the usual lineup

Matt Wieters- 10 HR
Chris Davis- 29 HR
Jonathan Schoop- 19 HR
J.J. Hardy- 7 HR
Manny Machado- 28 HR
Hyun Soo Kim/Nolan Reimold (platoon)- 9 HR combined
Adam Jones- 24 HR
Mark Trumbo- 37 HR
Pedro Alvarez- 19 HR

With the exception of Hardy and whoever is in left field, every spot in this lineup is in double digits, including MLB's home run leader Trumbo. The Orioles' 192 homers lead all of baseball, with the next closest team (Toronto) coming in at 179. But there's something a little historic about this stat.

With 39 games remaining on the schedule, the Birds are on pace for 253 homers. The big league record was set in 1997 by the Seattle Mariners with 264. Moments ago we saw the O's usual lineup. Take a look at this one:

Dan Wilson- 15 HR
Paul Sorrento- 31 HR
Joey Cora- 11 HR
Alex Rodriguez- 23 HR
Russ Davis- 20 HR
Jose Cruz/Rob Ducey/Roberto Kelly- 24 HR combined
Ken Griffey Jr.- 56 HR
Jay Buhner- 40 HR
Edgar Martinez- 28 HR

Wow. Just wow. Although it seems unlikely that Trumbo will match The Kid's 56 bombs from '97, up and down the lineup, the O's are on pace to come awfully close to the big league record. If they hold at their 1.56 home runs-per-game pace, Baltimore will fall 11 short. In order to tie the Mariners' record, Baltimore will need to average 1.85 round-trippers per game, which comes out to 72 homers in 39 games. Difficult, but with this group of power hitters, it is definitely doable.

Oriole Park has the third highest home run rate in the majors at 2.81 per game. The O's have 19 home games remaining. The remaining games will be played at Nationals Park (2.20 HR/G, 20th in MLB), Tropicana Field (2.54 HR/G, 12th), Comerica Park (2.59 HR/G, T-9th), Fenway Park (2.38 HR/G, 17th), Rogers Centre (2.55 HR/G, 10th), and Yankee Stadium (2.77 HR/G, 4th).

As the Orioles march towards the Seattle Mariners' historic home run total continues, the Baltimore faithful see another connection that ultimately would mean more to them. The O's are on pace to win 89 games. The '97 Mariners won 90 and went to the playoffs. And, in one last interesting connection, the Mariners lost in the first round of the playoffs to...


...the Orioles.

                                         Orioles' Mark Trumbo watches one of his league-leading 37 homers
                                         (Getty Images)


Thanks to MLB.com, Baseball-Reference, and ESPN for stat help.

Starting Lineup

Welcome to RBI, or Random Baseball Insights. On this blog, I will be exploring anything and everything baseball! Here is the lineup of posts through the end of the regular season (I will shake things up a little through the postseason and offseason, most likely).

MONDAY- "Stat Sheet"- On Monday I will take a look at an interesting stat (current or historical)

TUESDAY- Featured Story- Tuesday stories are simply any story I think is relevant to the current MLB landscape. Could be a player profile, team update, playoff scenarios, trades, etc.

WEDNESDAY- Wednesdays will be dedicated to taking a look at big league prospects in the minors, focusing on guys who could make an impact sooner rather than later.

THURSDAY- Same as Tuesday, except on Thursday!

FRIDAY- "Card Connections" Fridays will see me dig into my baseball card collection and explore some of the players and card sets included.

SATURDAY- Mailbag/Free Day- On Saturday, I will answer any questions anyone may have, and may just fill some space with any musings I may have.

SUNDAY- Out in Left Field- Another free day post...beware, I may be posting heavily on Strat-O-Matic on these days!



I hope everyone enjoys this blog. I know I'll have fun with it. Stay tuned for the very first "Stat Sheet" post!