Florida Teams Flexible, Ready for Key Personnel Losses

How many Major League rotations would Jeremy Hellickson not be able to crack? Off the top of my head, I'm guessing the all-star teams in Boston and New York, and the rotation that we know he can't crack, Tampa's. Well, Wade Davis better get his act together because Jeremy Hellickson's four-pitch mix is singin' in Triple-A like Lea Michele on the Tonys, "I'm-a comer."

Many have correctly predicted that after Carl Crawford signs his nine figure deal this offseason, with a team that may or may not rhyme with the Phew Gork Bankees, Desmond Jennings will slide into Crawford's outfield slot, and the Rays probably won't miss a beat. Carlos Pena's strange, strange offensive game should be leaving Tampa/St. Pete this coming offseason as well. Most teams in Major League baseball would take a huge hit by letting players as productive as Crawford and Pena go. The Rays have about 17 different ways of filling those gaps, and each seems more athletic and exciting than the next.

Ben Zobrist has been a revelation not just because of his rare power-speed combo, but because he can play all over the field. With the emergence of Sean "the right handed Chase Utley" Rodriguez over the last week and a half, the Rays have two under-30, athletic players with power that can play almost anywhere on the diamond. The Rays now have four above-average middle infielders, Zobrist, Sean-Rod, Brignac and Bartlett, when most other teams don't have two. It seems likely that Zobrist and his height will fill Pena's spot at first, leaving the Rays plenty of options at second, short, right, and DH. Brignac is looking more and more like the future at shortstop, and Rodriguez has shown the ability to play the outfield when called upon. Matt Joyce has a .470 OBP in Durham, Hank Blalock is starting to hit, and John Jaso makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Jason Bartlett, an under-30 shortstop who hit .320 in '09, may be the odd man out.

Did I mention I'm a fan of Sean Rodriguez?

Another team that seems always able to fill in as their players get too expensive is the Florida Marlins. I know what you're thinking. This is some analysis. Do they give the Pulitzer to bloggers? Well, I don't know.

Dan Uggla's final arbitration year in 2011 should command upwards of $13 million. While most teams couldn't afford to cut ties with the only second baseman in MLB history with 30 homers three years in a row, the Marlins will probably deal Uggla, save money, and reload.

Watching Chris Coghlan play the outfield is a little like accompanying Casey McGehee to the all-you-can-eat-ribs special at Golden Corral; it's not pretty. However, the League Of Nations Head-of-Scouting just called me on Gordon Gecko's cell phone to tell me that Coghlan is actually pretty solid at his natural position, 2nd base. Remember Chris Coghlan? He's 24 years old, a .308 career hitter, and a lover of freedom.

Mike Stanton looks like he is going to bare-hand change ups Geena Davis style, and shove it down your f!#king throat, Tom Berenger style. LOOOOOOVE HIMMMM!!!

Gaby Sanchez seems to battle every time I tune in like a right-handed Paul O'Neill or something. If there's one Marlin that's not going to be caught off balance by Johan Santana's increasingly pedestrian fastball/change repertoire, it's Gaby Sanchez. If there's one Marlin that is, it's Cameron Maybin. He's tuuurrrribbuuulllll!!!

Logan Morrison is tearing up Triple-A, and is clearly their three hitter of the future - a good thing because the Fish are very right handed, another reason they'll say goodbye to Mr. Uggla, and possibly Mr. Ross who's set to make about 9 million next year.

After Morrison gets the call, I want to see them put Sanchez in left. He might not make a putout all season.

nudes and goats

Remember how well Jordan Schafer started the season for the Braves? I'll remind you. Schafer homered twice in his first 3 Major League games, and posted a line of .421/.500/.842 through his first 5 games. Schafer must have had whatever Emilio Bonifacio was having because since that point, Schafer has hit .172/.327/.230, and has already struck out 389 times.

Speaking of prospects and great expectations, Cameron Maybin was sent down yesterday. And here I was hoping for a Dustin Pedroia-type May turnaround. Yeah, not so much. Maybin had been swinging and missing 99.7% of the time.

Last year's #1 overall pick, Tim Beckham, is starting to percolate in low-A. Beckham is hitting .350 in his last 10 contests, and has driven in a run in each of his last 9.

Top pitching prospects Madison Bumgarner, Tim Alderson, and Jarrod Parker have all impressed after recent promotions to double-A. Of these three, Bumgarner has the highest ceiling, and might be rushed to the Majors if the Giants find themselves in the mix. 

I like when baseball analysts take credit for things that have already happened. Does anybody remember when Max Scherzer had that debut out of the pen when he struck out something like 8 guys in 4 innings? Buster Olney went on television and said, "This year's Joba Chamberlain is Max Scherzer." 

Or as my wife would say, "Max Schehzeh!" Thanks for the insight, Buster. I can read the box score too. And by the way, Crazy Eyed Scherzer is now winless in his first 13 big league starts.

The Scott Kazmir Trade and its Repercussions Part 4: Kazmiritis

I've decided to skip the White Sox dealing Carlos Lee because the biggest piece coming back from the Brewers was Scott Podsednik, a Major Leaguer, and the Phillies making room for Ryan Howard by dealing Jim Thome and a lot of money for Aaron Rowand, Gio Gonzalez, and Daniel Haigwood because I thought Thome was done at the time of the deal.

That brings us to a trade of an all-world player, an electrifying talent, for less than a bag of shells. I believe this deal hasn't gotten the attention it deserves because the star player didn't stay with his new team for very long, however, this is a doozy, and it must take its rightful place in the pantheon of bad trades.

Eyebrows in the baseball world were collectively raised when the lowly Nationals traded for Alfonso Soriano a year before he was set to make a huge payday. Soriano responded with a 40/40 campaign, in a terrible hitter's park, playing a new position, that would have been even more impressive if he hadn't faded down the stretch. The Tigers were believed to have a case of Kazmiritis when they were unwilling to part with elite prospect Cameron Maybin in a deal for Soriano (even though they would have been able to afford signing him to a long-term deal), so the Texas Rangers decided to pull the trigger on...

Brad Wilkerson, Termel Sledge, and Armando Galarraga.

Whoops. Wilkerson, the crown jewel in the Rangers haul, is now retired. Termel Sledge is Termel Sledge. And Galarraga, who was not all that well thought of, the Rangers would deal before blossoming.