Brooklyn has completed a pair of deals with the hopes of improving the outfield. Jason Bay had an injury plagued season a year ago and now Curtis Granderson, acquired on Draft Day for top pick Yunel Escobar and change, will begin the season on the DL and could miss up to a month with a broken hand. GM Eric Caskey viewed the question marks as potential obstacles to winning the East.
On Draft Day, Brooklyn selected at least five starting pitchers to improve the team's depth. It made Jeremy Bonderman, a Moab since day one, expendable. Brooklyn dealt Bonderman and Kendry Morales to Casselton in exchange for OF Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury will be the team's fourth outfielder as he adds speed and contact at the bottom of the lineup. Cox believes that there is power in his future as well, "Clearly Ells has a wonderful stroke. He has a good body to help his slight uppercut produce 10 to 15 homers annually." The Moabs also took Jarrod Washburn to clear Bonderman's salary. Washburn returned to the Moabs for only five minutes.
In the second deal, the Moabs swapped Jarrod Washburn and Joel Guzman to Black Mesa for outfielder Austin Kearns. While Granderson is on the DL, then Kearns and Ellsbury will platoon in right field. Kearns will also see some at-bats against lefthanders with DH. Since Brooklyn will not be using a DH at home, the New Yorker's front office wanted a strong bench. With Molina or McCann, Aki Iwamura, Jhonny Peralta, Jacoby Ellsbury or Austin Kearns, and Travis Buck, there is tremendous depth as well as lefties and righties. This bench paired with a dynamite lineup featuring all-stars at every position could have Brooklyn having the last laugh this season!
Crash Jackson
The Aftermath
Showing posts with label Casselton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Casselton. Show all posts
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Casseroles
The Team's Good Picks:
Brandon Phillips was the best pick in the draft. He is a clear upgrade to every secondbasemen other than Chase Utley. He has tremendous range and great hands, could have played shortstop too. Phenomenal pick especially with Orlando Hudson playing behind him. It's nice have a switch hitting defensive wizard off the bench. Geovanny Soto is another terrific pick as he could start right away. He has great power from the catcher position. Sergio Romo is another sleeper player who can really hurl. The reliever provides depth to a pitching staff that was horrible a season ago.
The Team's Bad Picks:
Ken Griffey Jr and Kelvim Escobar are really risky picks. I feel that Escobar had the kind of year that everyone thought he should have every year. He has tremendous feel for pitching. He will likely miss the entire season this year and that does not bode well for the future. He is a legitimate ace though if healthy and this team could make a run at the postseason. Griffey is the same way. Clearly management addressed the lack of lefthanded power with Griffey, but its a big 'if' if he plays 140 games. An outfield consisting of Hunter, Dye and Griffey is experienced and has some good bats.
Overall: A-
Very very good first draft for Landon. In fact there are many owners that could look at what he did. He drafted the best player for the weakest position. In that I mean that 2B is a weak fantasy position, and he took the second best player (best available). That was smart. He then selected the next Miguel Cabrera in Angel Villalona. On teams that are contending, which Casselton is a year away, selecting a keeper player like Villalona is a bad idea. On a rebuilding team, it is crucial to build around. Romo and Faustino De Los Santos are great picks. Santos has a cannon and could be a building block for the young Athletics team. Soto was another great pick. I like LaPorta but I wonder how LaPorta will fit into the Brewers' long term plans now that they have moved Braun to left. Lastly, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to draft players that can help now, in the near future, and a few years down the line. Very good draft that more teams need to look at.
Brandon Phillips was the best pick in the draft. He is a clear upgrade to every secondbasemen other than Chase Utley. He has tremendous range and great hands, could have played shortstop too. Phenomenal pick especially with Orlando Hudson playing behind him. It's nice have a switch hitting defensive wizard off the bench. Geovanny Soto is another terrific pick as he could start right away. He has great power from the catcher position. Sergio Romo is another sleeper player who can really hurl. The reliever provides depth to a pitching staff that was horrible a season ago.
The Team's Bad Picks:
Ken Griffey Jr and Kelvim Escobar are really risky picks. I feel that Escobar had the kind of year that everyone thought he should have every year. He has tremendous feel for pitching. He will likely miss the entire season this year and that does not bode well for the future. He is a legitimate ace though if healthy and this team could make a run at the postseason. Griffey is the same way. Clearly management addressed the lack of lefthanded power with Griffey, but its a big 'if' if he plays 140 games. An outfield consisting of Hunter, Dye and Griffey is experienced and has some good bats.
Overall: A-
Very very good first draft for Landon. In fact there are many owners that could look at what he did. He drafted the best player for the weakest position. In that I mean that 2B is a weak fantasy position, and he took the second best player (best available). That was smart. He then selected the next Miguel Cabrera in Angel Villalona. On teams that are contending, which Casselton is a year away, selecting a keeper player like Villalona is a bad idea. On a rebuilding team, it is crucial to build around. Romo and Faustino De Los Santos are great picks. Santos has a cannon and could be a building block for the young Athletics team. Soto was another great pick. I like LaPorta but I wonder how LaPorta will fit into the Brewers' long term plans now that they have moved Braun to left. Lastly, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to draft players that can help now, in the near future, and a few years down the line. Very good draft that more teams need to look at.
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