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[Shoju]

Oi. My Fantasy Playoffs got interesting. Two Week format.

Week 1? We tied. 100-100.
Week 2? The injuries. Oh how they hurt.

[Teranoid]

I won by 60 points this week.. holy shit what a blowout.

Thank you based Seattle defense and Brady looking like he was playing a Pop Warner defense.

[Koatanga]

How many points was the Seattle D worth?

[Teranoid]

39 in my ESPN league

[Shoju]

yeah, 39 in mine as well.

[Klaudandus]

Wow... what an ass
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr- ... ncaaf.html

[Shoju]

I've been relatively silent about the Indians and their moves this week on here. So I figure I will give some perspective.

Signing Mark Reynolds, Trading Shin Soo Choo, Lars Anderson, Jason Donald, Tony Sipp, and Rafael Perez - Receiving Drew Stubbs, Trvor Bauer, Matt Albers, Bryan Shaw


The Indians are trying to spin it that they don't care about the K's, because a few years back they were third in the league in Strikeouts, and 5th in Runs Scored. Well, that's good, because they just picked up last years Strikeout kings in BOTH LEAGUES. It just got breezy in Cleveland.

Mark Reynolds
I don't understand the appeal. Maybe Flex can help me. He's a Baltimore Fan. Is there something else to Reynolds that his .235 ba / .332 OBP / .475 Slug career numbers? I mean, sure. He's hit a decent amount of HR's, Averaging just over 30 a year. That alone will give him the lead on an anemic offensive team, as will his 95 average RBI. But.... .235 carrer Batting Average? Coming off three seasons where he hit .198 / .221 / .221? What the hell? He AVERAGES over his entire career 200+ K's a year. I just don't see why he is a good pickup, to use as a starter.

Drew Stubbs
First. He's a CF. I'm pretty sure that Brantley is at least as good defensively, and has better Offensive numbers. I understand that this trade was made to get DiDi, so we could send him to Arizona, but why Stubbs? His Batting Average has declined by double Digits EVERY YEAR. (I know, his first "Season" was only 42 games) 12 point declines each of his first three seasons, and then a 30 point decline last season. His OBP held within 10 points each of the first three seasons, but then regressed terribly last year. In his 3 full seasons in the big leagues, he's struck out a colossal 539 times. His Slugging Numbers (LOL. SLUGGING! .386 career) have dipped each year since his first full year. He strikesout 3 times as often as he walks, and 1 out of every 3.04 PA (that's about 1 a game). Ok, so he can steal some bases, which is good, because he doesn't hit doubles, or triples, or hr's often. So is he the new Leadoff guy? With those numbers?

Trevor Bauer
A lot of people REALLY like this kid. Maybe he will be good? Everyone keeps saying that he has potential, and the Indians say that they scouted him in HS, and at UCLA, and that they think he's something special. Ok. I'm willing to see what's up.

Matt Albers
Hmm. Right Handed Relief Pitcher. OK. His numbers aren't amazing, and he is a definitive downgrade over both relievers that we traded away. As in 1 full run ERA career downgrade over either.

Bryan Shaw
Young kid, younger than either of our relievers, and shows promise. Could be an upgrade.

All in all, I just don't see the value of the trade or the signing. The trade hinges completely on Trevor Bauer amounting to something as a pitching prospect, since we downgraded from the fielding, and downgraded / sidegraded our relief pitching. Mark Reynolds feels like a Casey Kotchman (our previous 1b) who can hit homeruns, but is just as middling to underperforming at the plate.

Part of me is looking at the retooling, and having the fans reaction from Major League. "Who are these F*N guys?"

[Jabari]

As an AZ fan, I can help with two of them.

Reynolds: He's awful - he hits some HRs, but that's pretty much it. He Ks like 500 times a year (give or take), and his glove is no good either.

Bauer: Kid with an absolute ton of potential. He blew away the PCL which is completely a hitter's league. Not many innings in the majors yet.

If you didn't read Grantland's article by Jonah Keri about that trade yesterday, you should.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/44999/the-chaotic-logic-of-the-hot-stove-sends-a-premier-prospect-out-of-arizona

Look up his pre-game throwing routine - it's like nothing you've ever seen before...

[halabar]

So, the Angels sign Hamilton... wow. Certainly some risk, but if he can get a fresh start... I'd rather take the risk with Hamilton vs the average performance of Grienke.

[Teranoid]

The hysterical part is that supposedly he didn't even give the Rangers a chance to match that deal. Talk about a giant fuck you.

Battle of the L.A. billionaire owners. Two will enter, both will miss the playoffs.


Edit: Oh jesus if this is true this is terrible. Jon Daniels supposedly got word of Hamilton signing in the middle of their holiday party. Cold blooded.

[Shoju]

One day, A Cleveland Team will make an attempt to sign a real star Free Agent. Doubtful I'll live to see it, but one day, someone will have some balls.

[Teranoid]

If they leave Ohio maybe.

[Klaudandus]

They would not be the Cleveland Indians, that automatically increase their chances at the playoffs

Maybe they should do the same with the Pirates. =P

[Teranoid]

At least Pittsburgh has won major sports championships in the past 50 years

[Flex]

Mark Reynolds at first base with the call up of Manny Machado secured Baltimore's infield defense. Reynold's had a .995 fielding percentage and only committed only 5 errors in 108 games at first base. If, big if, he can keep up with the power numbers and stay the course at first it should be a solid signing for Cleveland. Unfortunately Baltimore passing him up, in a period where they should be pushing to be a solid divisional power, should be a sign that last year was a fluke. Ultimately I'm sensing this is a signing for his performance against the Yankees last year.