The Arizona Lexington Diamondback somethings....
The Team's Good Pick:
Reliever Joba Chamberlain was the team's best draft pick. His talent is unhittable when he wants it to be. Will it be over the entire season? We will find out. The problem there are a lot of question marks concerning Chamberlain's role, future role, and durability over an entire season. IF he becomes a starter, can he throw 220 IP, which would be 21 IP less than CY Young winner CC Sabathia, and still be able to throw 97-100 mph? We simply don't know. Good pick in that you want to own Chamberlain and wait to figure out how he will dominate the most. The bad, giving up SS Jose Reyes, a catalyst to the offense and leader on defense. His replacement is the fading JJ Hardy. Perhaps, David Wright could lead off because Lexington could be this year's version of the SF Giants-- great starting pitching weak hitting!
The Team's Bad Pick:
This team better not get the injury bug that Darwin has this season, Brooklyn and Frostbite had last season, because there is ZERO depth on this roster. The bad pick is clearly Rich Harden. Where I like the gamble, I do not think it warrants a third round pick. Harden has proven two things. First, tremendous talent that can strike whoever he wants out. Second, sadly, is that Harden has proven to be permantly seated on the HARDEN List, with teammate Jeremy Hermida.
Skipping to OVERALL: C-
Before people jump on this evaluation, Ronald traded All-Star STUD SS Jose Reyes. The most important position player is most commonly considered the shortstop. He is a great player at such a young age. He is a switch-hitting leadoff man, with tremendous speed and suprising power, good average, a cannon for an arm, and amazing range. For Joba? He has not reached his talent, and won't for a year or two. Needed to address depth more than getting the league's best set up man down the stretch for the league's best shortstop. Really, Ramon Hernandez and Miguel Montero behind the plate, yikes! The outfield consisting of BJ Upton, Hunter Pence, and Carlos Lee is very talented. Lex might have six to seven right handed batters in a eight man lineup. The only lefty might be light hitting 2B Luis Castillo, yet management will likely opt for youthful Rickie Weeks. Lastly, the rotation, when healthy is likely the best in BARB, but concerns over health should be driving management nuts. Be on the lookout for the injury bug that has hampered the East contenders over the years. Since Lex changed cities in an attempt to get into the stiff East, they might get the East's BUG.
13 comments:
Weak hitting huh...
1. Rickie Weeks
2. J.J. Hardy
3. James Loney
4. Carlos Lee
5. David Wright
6. Hunter Pence
7. B.J. Upton
8. Ramon Hernandez
Um... this is a rough draft of my line-up but how the HECK can this be the giants lol. Plenty of power 1-7, as all will hit and most have hit 20 + hrs, plenty of SB in Weeks, Wright, Pence and Upton... solid averages in Pence, Wright, Lee, Loney and Upton... I think my O is really underestaimated! Weeks is finally healthy and will either the best or 2nd best to Utley in 2B by the seasons end... Ramon Hernandez will play solid again after injuries last season and Hardy in the loaded line-up of the Brewers will reach again 20 HRS and might just top a .300 Avg.
Weeks may have potential but hasn't shown it. Reevaluate Hardy's numbers, they were way down in the second half of last season which warrants his demotion in the lineup this season (source of concern?). Carlos Lee has always been overhyped. Loney is young and has not reached his potential. Although he may be good next year, that's not this year. Pence great ballplayer and will have a good season, if healthy. There are only so many times you can run into a wall or a mound in center. BJ Upton is your second best hitter, and you have him 7th??? Wright is the best and you have him 5. As for catcher Hernandez, let's just say Joe Girardi and Doug Mirabelli must have been unavailable.
Eric, there is no perfect baseball player. You critize every player you come across. You must look at the many postitives because all players have negatives. Lets go around the bag. First the OF..., Carlos Lee is one of the very few OF who is not only durable, but has been a consistant run-producer hitting .300 AVG, 30 HR, 100 RBI hitter for the last few years. He is a top 10 OF and is as as solid as you get. Pence should be as exciting to watch as SS Jose Reyes. He should be a .300 hitter with 20-30 HR potential with great defense. He isn't injury prone at all... yea bad luck running into a glass door in the off-season and hurting his wrist while diving, but oh well. Bad luck happens to everyone but is a top-notch OF. B.J. Upton... well we all know about him. A great bat with .300 avg and 30 HR power with steals. And guess what, defense wise, it looks like he found his home. the Infield: 1B Loney is perhaps the only 24 year old (or 23 cant remember off the top of my head) in the majors at 1B who has the chance to be a very rare find- a .300 + Avg, 20-30 HR run-producer with gold-glove potential. This year a 20 + HR season should be about right as 30 + should be coming soon. 2B Rickie Weeks has 20+ HR power... no doubt but yea bad luck has hit him... literally. Comeon, you can't write off this potential Jose-Reyes type of player just because a pitcher can't hit the catcher (got hurt by a wild pitch). We all know what wrist injuries can do (D. Lee). Now healhty, we should see the real Weeks (.280 AVG, 20 + HRs, and lots of SB). He will challenge Utley for the best 2B by seasons end.... (read below for the rest)
SS J.J. Hardy... you act like I haven't researched him. I know about his second-half fallout in power, but AVG increased and something tells me (and he admitted) he got TOO pull happy. His mechanics were off... now this year, in a loaded line-up, he will produce just fine and his glove is as fine as his bat (i know he is hitting 7th, but that will change soon). Wright... best 3B in baseball next to AROD so yea... and Catcher Ramon Hernandez... had one bad year and now everyone writes him off. GOD FORBID Santana has an off year... I guess people will cry retirement after that lol. He is a solid catcher with fine D skills. I'm hoping for a .280 AVG and 10+ HR season. That would suit me and is cheaper and younger than IROD who was taken from me in the draft. The real Treasure is in Wieters who should be in the majors by year end and could be the next coming of Joe Mauer with perhaps more power potential. Yea I admit my IF depth is short, but is Yuma's too... at least I have 1 SS and 1 2B to cover my starters. I look to the FA signings to add more depth (duh)....
rotation wise, I'm very happy with it. Yea injuries have to concern any GM when talking rotation. There is no rotation that is injury-free (good ones that is). There are only a handful of Starters (aces that is) that you can rely on being healthy for a season. I have two in Webb and Santata. Now Beckett... wow blisters is the reason for calling someone injury prone LOL LOL LOL. The last time he had one was two years ago. Everyone gets them... heres a true storey: when Beckett played for the marlins, the staff didn't know how to rid him of them (good treatment that is). They actually asked other medical staffs from other MLB teams to try to find an effective treatment... guess who had the best and most effective one (ARIZONA). NOW, he left, plays for Boston, and is injury free. They know how to treat something that simple... and a sore back right now. No worries. Who doesn't get them. So enough about the past. He's a ace in the hole and should again challenge for the CY award (oh, ALCS Most VP... or Mr. October is his name!!!). Hamels... well let me tell you something: there is no LHP in baseball better than him (not named santata) and considering his CY-type of season in a hitters ballpark... WOW. Speaks alot about him. Injury history... he will get stronger (phsically like this season) and will work up his endurance and will be fine (like peavy last year)... and Harden. Hasn't pitched since early last season... is FULLY healthy now, changed his mech. a bit and is looking great. One of the best starters in baseball when healthy and look at him right now: 2 starts: 11 innings, 17 K's, 0.82 ERA. I have 4 SP that will challenge for the CY award in their repsected divisions and one BIG golden-sleeper in Harden!
wow. there is only one team in the majors than can solve a blister problem. god forbid my any of my pitchers get blisters, or im screwed. ron must be mad caused he seemed really defensive lol. his line-up has potential, but guys like weeks, pence, and upton need help with there discipline. sure they hit well in reality, but plate discipline is important in BARB and it will reflect in there average. loney is no where near a clean up hitter. weeks hasn't proved much yet, hardy and hernandez are decent hitters but arent durable players. this line-up doesnt scare me. other than wright and lee, they need mutiple players to step up and have big years. this team will score runs, but there are better line-ups in barb
There is a lot of speak about potential here. You are right, there are many positives, or at least potential for positives. From my perspective, your brother's lineup, Vegas', Worcestors', Darwins', Brooklyns', Frostbites', Purves', and maybe even Casselton's fear me more than your roster! That's my point. Lots of potential but there are many better lineups. Lee, Weeks, Hardy, and Hernandez hurt you defensively as well. Do not even argue with Weeks or Hardy, they are sorely overrated defensively. Weeks takes the Sheffield approach to defense, that is he makes spectacular plays but struggles with the routine. But yes, you have a great starting rotation and dynamite back end bullpen. The rest, is ehh...
About defense, I know Weeks is rough but because he is still young and athletic, I think he will become a good, not gret, but good D player; Hardy, his defense is good too with good range and what not. There isn't a problem there that I can see. He is no Jose Reyes, but he will do just fine. Hernandez... he is a good reciever and has a good arm so I don't know how he hurts my D. Scouts state the same thing when he is healthy and he is so yea...???
I'm well aware that there are more "feared" line-ups out there, of which are more established like Las Vegas... but by season end, mine could be the MOST feared because of the unique combo of youth, athleticism, power, average, and speed. Also, the most economical in BARB, considering everyone's youth (minus Hernandez and Lee of course). Weeks, Hardy, Loney, Lee, Wright, Pence and Upton all will hit 20 + HR's, and perhaps much more, especially from Wright, Lee, Pence and Upton. They will (not Lee or Hernandez) steal at least 15 SB's each, some more than others... point being its a unqiue line-up that should only get better and is already quite dyamic.
On pitching, thanks for the comment on my rotation and pen. I decided this year that my plan was going to focus on SP and Pen and I did just that. This is why I think I will make the playoffs, cause only I and my bro have rotations that can and will carry a team to the playoffs even with little O (but my team will score and what not) and in a short series, only we can match eachother in SP. And with my pen, I shouldn't blow very many leads. Pitching wins championships and dominates over even the best line-ups, so with Webb, Santana, Beckett, Hamels, and Harden, I'm sure they can tame the big boys (Yuma, Frostbite, Darwin and who ever else!).
OK, this is the third time I've typed this out (stupid Internet connection)
By the end of the season, your lineup will not be feared much more than now. For one, Weeks will improve at the same rate JJ Hardy degresses. Loney will improve at the same rate El Caballo degresses. So By the end of the season, your lineup will not be Barb's most feared. Its not in the cards. For example, since I know my team better than I know others, Ichiro, Utley, Cabrera, Howard, Bay, McCann, Tulowitzki, and Granderson is the leagues' most feared. Or at least should be. I can still bases, or hit the ball in the gaps, or hit it over the fence, or play small ball and move runners along. Without a DH for half of this season, I bet that I score more runs than you with a DH. My entire lineup has been in the all-star game. ONly Tulowitzki hasn't, but will end this season. Bay is probably my weakest link and he stole 21 bases in 2005. In his worst offensive season, he hit 21 jacks and drove in 84 in 135 games a season ago. He was widely considered the face of the Bucs, but now after one season they are talking trade. If he get traded anywhere, it is likely that he has a greater impact because PNC is not a righty's ballpark. I scored the most runs last season and the year before, and I promise you Brooklyn will be in the Top 3 in runs this season without a DH. My rotation is much improved and my bullpen is deeper than ever with Zumaya and Gonzalez likely back around June-July. Cabrera is weak defensively but Howard is really underrated because he has tremendous presence. Tulo is the games best defensive shortstop. Granderson and Ichiro will cover a ton of ground. There is NO way your lineup with Weeks, Hardy and Hernandez will ever reach my lineup by season's end.
ronald, stop trying to sell us how great your team is gonna be. ive heard that the last four years, "i have a plan" (sounds like john kerry), "this is year is different"...and every year you tell me your team is better than mine and every year you have been in my rear view mirror. ronald, how many playoff appearance have you made? maybe you should stick to my approach: let your team do the talking.
I disagree that Arizona's hitting is weak, but I do agree with other aspects of Eric's analysis.
I warned the Lexington GM at the time of the trade that there was no player available in the draft worth giving up SS Jose Reyes for, for pretty much the same reason. Hardy is a good player and will probably hit .270 with 15-20 HR and play good defense, but Reyes is spectacular.
I also thought that either Brandon Phillips or Carlos Pena should've been drafted ahead of Chamberlain, with the former being the best overall talent available in my estimation. 30-HR middle infielders don't grow on trees, and 46 HR for a guy still in his prime and making close to the league minimum is a bargain. Regular players are more likely to have long careers than hurlers, all things being equal.
Anyway, one assumes that Lexington will use the draft to beef up their roster but none of that matters if they have a wave of injuries as Eric said, or if the largely-unproven young players (Weeks, Loney, Pence, Upton) suffer major growing pains.
Oh, and I predict Ramon Hernandez will miss significant parts of 2008 with injury. Plan accordingly.
I do not understand SH's analysis of my analysis. How can you not consider Ron's team light hitting when half or more of his regulars are questions. Comparatively in BARB, there are probably 6 or so lineups which you konw what you are getting and its more than what I predict taht Ron's team, at the very most, will produce. Hope that makes sense.
This review is too focused... what about my other picks. The good should also include C Matt Wieters and RHP Nick Blackburn... wow, and Oakley land gets a C+... I hope this is strictly draft grades, not a team overall grade lol.
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