Down with the Schedule Maker!

Mets vs. Phillies!

Twins vs. White Sox!

Rays vs. Red Sox!

Hows that for excitement? After more than 145 games played, each of these three divisions is as close as can be. Especially the Mets and Phillies, who are currently only separated by .5 game. And given the fact that the Mets and Phillies battled until the final game of the season last year, you would think that the Mets and Phils would be playing each other for at least one series during the final 21 days of the season, right?

Well, you would be wrong. Unlike the Rays and Red Sox who played a series at Fenway last week and are currently playing a series at the Trop, and the White Sox and Twins, who are scheduled to play three games against each other next week, the Mets are Phillies are nowhere to be found on each others schedule.

Seriously MLB, how can this be? I know schedule making is a crap shoot, but the Mets and Phillies were huge rivals last season and were only separated by one game. How could they not have the Mets and Phillies playing a game over the final two weeks of the season. Think about how exciting/torturous that would be for the Phillies fans? Or how about how excited/emotional I would get if my Mets beat the Phillies on the last game of the season to clinch the NL East?
Positive thought...One can dream...can't he?

The Rest of the Way: American League

AL EAST: Rays
Yes, I have officially been on the Rays bandwagon now for the past three months and I am loving every second of it. Even though they have had a tough stretch as of late, look where they are in the standings today? First place. Even without Longoria, Crawford, Percival, and most recently Upton; the Rays have found a way to compete in the loaded AL East. If their pitching holds up down the stretch, the Rays will win their first division crown ever. The Rays are playing the Red Sox for the final time tonight, so lets go Rays!

AL CENTRAL: White Sox
Everything in my mind is telling me that the Twins will pull this off. They have great starting pitching and a surprisingly good offense, but outside of Joe Nathan, their bullpen is pretty terrible. It's not bordering on Mets terrible, but its bad. Not too mention that the White Sox have had more injuries than my fantasy team (which is sliding fast by the way). Some of which include: OF and MVP candidate Carlos Quentin, 1b Paul Konerko (who just returned yesterday), and 3b Joe Crede. The injury to Quentin is especially devastating to the White Sox, but they have still played well because of their rotation and relief pitching. More proof that it is all about the pitching folks.

AL WEST: Angels
I think that the Angels will....oh wait, they already clinched! Are you serious? Every other race in the AL is close except for this! Oh man...Well considering how bad the division is, I'm surprised that they didn't clinch sooner. Could you imagine if Oakland had played this poorly all season? We could have seen the Angels clinch in August. I'm serious.

AL WILD CARD: Red Sox
No question about this one as the Sox are up seven games with only eleven left to play. As much as I would love to see the Sox choke their seven game lead away, I have come to the understanding that these are the Red Sox and not the New York Mets. The Red Sox don't do that kind of stuff anymore.
And in case you were wondering, yes I am a depressed Mets fan this morning. Only Bill Buckner can cheer me up right now.

The Rest of the Way: National League

Last September, there was no doubt in my mind that the Mets would make the playoffs. Obviously, I was very very wrong. I don't think anyone could have seen the Mets blowing a seven game lead with seventeen games left. But that why you play the games. (Note: the Mets collapse still kills me to this day) So without further ado, here's how I think it will go down the rest of the way.

NL EAST: Mets
I really can't explain why I think the Mets will finish ahead of the Phillies because my opinion really defies logic. The Phillies have a much better bullpen, a tremendous offense, and most importantly, two aces (Brett Myers and Cole Hamels). But there is something about the 2008 Mets that gives me confidence. Maybe its Jerry Manuel; maybe its Argenis Reyes, Daniel Murphy, and Nick Evans, or maybe its the fact that we can't really collapse again...right?

NL CENTRAL: Cubs
The Cubs have been the NL's most consistent team throughout the entire season and they don't appear to have a weakness. Great starting pitching, a prolific offense, and a great bullpen have led the Cubs to one of the best seasons in Cubs history. But beware, the Cubs are still the Cubs, and crazy stuff is bound to happen.

NL WEST: Dodgers
While the D-Backs probably scare me more, the Dodgers have played some great baseball in September after struggling most of the way in August. Their success will depend on a few things:
1. Can Manny keep up his torrid streak with the Dodgers?
2. How effective can Brad Penny be out of the bullpen?
3. How effective will Saito be?
4. How will Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley hold up in the playoffs?
And I must say that I am very disappointed by the D-Backs. They had a real shot to win this division, but they have been terrible down the stretch, especially in close games.

NL WILD CARD: Phillies
Here's where it gets dicey. Two weeks ago, I would have said the Brewers in a runaway with the wild card, but I'm not so sure right now. The Brew Crew have lost 11 of their last 14 and fired Manager Ned Yost yesterday. The Brewers are now tied with the Phillies for the Wild Card and only have a 2.5 game lead over the previously streaking Houston Astros. I think the Astros are done, they have played over their heads for the last two months and I don't think they will keep it up during the last two weeks. So that leaves the Brewers and the Phillies. And in the end, I think the Phillies heart will lead them to the wild card. The Phillies are not scared and have come back before, while the Brewers have been marred in another September slump and lack the "killer instinct."

Part II: AL Central Amnesty

Jorge Says No! introduced amnesty earlier and we are happy to present to you our AL Central picks. Which contract would your team want to waive at the end of this season? Lets take a look:

White Sox:
To me, there is only one option for the White Sox. 1B Paul Konerko, 32, has been a huge disappointment this season (.244 average with only 16 HR) and is owed another $24 mil until 2010. Konerko's power has never been an issue, but Konerko only has 33 extra base hits for the entire season. Obviously that is way too low for a middle of the order bat. Furthermore, the Sox have Nick Swisher who could play 1B, which would open up a spot in the OF for either Brain Anderson or Jerry Owens. Get younger White Sox!

Twins:
I have to give the Twins credit. Yes, they do make stupid signings (Livan Hernandez, Mike Lamb, Craig Monroe), but the difference between the Twins and most of the other teams in the MLB is that they actually cut these guys when they don't perform. The Twins don't give out many bad contracts (especially big ones) so I don't think they have any true candidates for amnesty.

Indians:
Even though he has been a quality starter, the Indians would love to rid themselves from the 2 years/$22 mil that is owed to SP Jake Westbrook. Westbrook, 30, has been a mediocre pitcher at best for the Indians even at his prime (4.31 lifetime ERA). Westbrook only appeared in 5 games this season for the Indians before undergoing Tommy John surgery, which could cost him most of the 2009 season. Finally, the Indians only have a $78 million dollar payroll and they cannot afford to have 1/7 of that committed to a mediocre pitcher coming off a major injury.

Royals:
While this one might be controversial, I'm going to go with OF Jose Guillen here. And I'm deciding on Guillen not just because he has underperformed this season and is not worth the $12 per season he is owed, but because he is a head case and a cancer in the clubhouse. Guillen has proven that time and time again. I would hope that with the money saved, GM Dayton Moore would invest the money smarter in either free agents or the draft.

Tigers:
There are so many options here. On the pitching side, we can go with SP Nate Robertson or SP Dontrelle Willis because they have both been massive disappointments. Robertson, who is owed $14 mil over the next two seasons, has been horrible this season with his 6.08 ERA and was actually moved to the bullpen during the season. But at least he's been in the bigs unlike Willis, who has actually spent a majority of the season in the minors. Between injuries and a mysterious lack of control, Willis, 26, has gone from ace to disaster as he has struggled to simply throw strikes. Between the $20 mil the Tigers have invested in him and the prospects they traded to get him, the Tigers have too much invested to give up on Willis right now.

On the hitting side, the Tigers would love to get rid of a declining Gary Sheffield, who at 40 is only hitting .222 with 17 HR. Sheffield is not only taking up a spot that could be better used by Jeff Larish or Matt Joyce, but he has continued to be a head case for the Tigers. The Tigers have another year at $14 mil invested in him, so he is definitely a candidate. You can also make a case that 3B Carlos Guillen could be a good candidate considering the $36 mil owed to him and his frequent injuries, but I still think he can perform well for the Tigers.

To me, the best choice for amnesty is Nate Robertson. There is no doubt that the Tigers need all the pitching they can get their hands on, but Robertson is definitely not the answer. He has only had one good season and has continually produced an ERA in the high 4s. The Tigers can do better and they would be helping themselves by cutting their ties with Robertson.

Who do you trust? Sox Edition

At points during this season, the Red Sox bullpen has struggled to find its groove, but as the season winds down, they have developed into a solid unit. The Red Sox won the championship in both 2004 and 2007 because of their great bullpens. As fans, you knew that if you saw either Foulke, Okajima, or Papelbon, the game was over. We'll see if the 2008 bullpen can repeat the success of those championship teams because they certainly have the talent to do so.

Papelbon: He's one of the most dominant closers in the game today. Papelbon proved his dominance and ability last year during the playoffs and there is no doubt that he will repeat that in 2008. Oh yeah, Papelbon likes to dance, alot.
TRUSTED

Okajima: For some reason, hitters have not been able to pick up Okajima in the two years he has been in the majors. Armed with a sneaky and deceptive delivery, Okajima has been equally tough on both righties and lefties (2.45 ERA vs. LH, 3.23 ERA vs. RH) which makes him enormously effective in the eighth inning. Okajima had a bad June, but has been fantastic again this season. If the Sox are to go anywhere this season, Okajima will be a big reason why.
TRUSTED

Masterson: This guy could wind up making or breaking the Red Sox season. Who woulda thought that at the beginning of the season? Masterson, who is one of the Sox best pitching prospects, has been tremendous out of the bullpen for the last three months of the season. Masterson has dominated right handed hitters this season with a 1.76 ERA against them, which has made him a primary option in the bullpen. But Sox fans, do you trust Masterson against Vlad Guerrero in a big spot? For now, I say yes.
TRUSTED

Delcarmen: To me, Manny Delcarmen is the right handed version of Hideki Okajima for the Red Sox. Delcarmen can get both righties and lefties out, but is not nearly as consistent or effective as Okajima (3.98 ERA vs. LH, 3.25 ERA vs. RH). Delcarmen throws hard and strikes out lots of hitters so the Sox will need Delcarmen at his best in October.
TRUSTED (for now)

Lopez: Lemme start off with this: I love submarine pitchers. Especially lefties. For some reason, I think think they are used effectively, they are phenomenally useful. But for some reason, I have never really thought much of Lopez. I always saw him as the guy who could never make the clutch pitch or the one who could not get a tough lefty out in a big spot. Granted he has been great this season (lefties hitting only .192 against him), but I'm not sure he can get it done in a big spot. Prove it to me Javier.
NOT TRUSTED (for now)

Timlin: Timlin has been a quality relief pitcher for the Red Sox for what seems like the last decade, but at this point he is clearly past his prime. Timlin has a 5.96 ERA this season and should not be put in during a big spot.
NOT TRUSTED

Aardsma: Here's a guy who throws hard and will strike out lots of guys (a la Delcarmen), but has too high of an ERA to be a major factor in the playoffs (4.70 ERA). Aardsma's main problem has been the walks (32) even though his strikeouts are tremendous. I don't think this guy will help the Sox out much this postseason.
NOT TRUSTED

As of right now, how many teams can say that they have 4 or 5 guys that they can trust out of the pen? Not too many. This bullpen could actually wind up becoming a strength for the Sox this post season and Sox fans should feel great about Papelbon and Okajima. Those two guys can turn a game into a 7 inning game because of their dominance. We'll see how they perform.

Bathroom Reads

-Absolutely fascinating article on Barry Zito. His demise has been somewhat shocking, but this article paints a picture of the 2008 version of Barry Zito. Anyone remember what Zito was like in 2002 and 2003? The laid back, surfer dude who seemed like he didn't have a care in the world. Nowadays, Zito's attitude has changed as his performance has declined.

-Wonderful article about K-Rod's season by Tim Marchman. He outlines why he believes that while K-Rod is having a legendary season, the saves record is a by product of the Angel's small ball mentality and lots of close games. K-Rod has been the beneficiary of lots of chances to close, which is why the saves record is not an accurate judge on Rodriguez's ability or dominance.

-Within this piece, Bill Shakin talks to Alex Rodriguez about the Angels and his apparent love for Arte Moreno. Rodriguez continually praises the Angels and Moreno even going as far as to that "If the Yankee thing would not have worked out, I definitely would have considered the Angels." And this is exactly the type of thing that could frustrate Yankee fans about A-Rod: the Yankees have had an abysmal season (by their standards) and here is A-Rod raining praise on one of the Yankees top rivals.

-And finally, we have another interesting article from the NY SUN, this one about the Yankees GM Brain Cashman. Steven Goldman determines that Cashman acted too slowly in when dealing with both Melky Cabrera and Jorge Posada's injury. While I agree that the Yankees waited too long to remove Melky, I completely disagree with Goldman on Posada. I just don't think that there were any catchers on the market worth trading for besides Pudge. The real problem here is the lack of organizational depth within the Yankees. They struggle to find AAAA players who can fill in for a period of time and produce.

What to do?

Mariners 3B Adrian Beltre must love playing on a last place team. Beltre, who has a torn ligament in his thumb, is contemplating whether to cut his season short and have surgery now or play out the rest of the season. My question to Adrian is this: what's the point of continuing to play this season? Your team has already been eliminated and you could potentially do more damage to the thumb by playing through it. Don't you want to be ready for 2009? That's when the Mariners could actually have a shot to contend and not too mention, you sir are a free agent at the end of 2009. So please Mr. Beltre, you have already hit for a cycle, shut it down.

On the other hand, White Sox 1B Paul Konerko suffered what looked like a horrific knee injury, but turned out to be simply a sprained MCL. Konerko's White Sox are currently in a dog fight for the AL Central crown and have already lost Carlos Quentin and Joe Crede for (presumably) the season. So basically, the White Sox need Konerko back. They need Konerko to be the force in the middle of the order that he has been so far in September (.359 BA with 3 HR). However, are the White Sox a better team with Konerko at 50%? IS it worth it for him to rush back if he is not ready? To me, they need him; maybe not to play everyday, but the White Sox depth has been somewhat depleted by the injuries and whether he is at 80% or 8%, Konerko is still a force at the dish. Get back real soon Paul, please.

9/11

As a native New Yorker and American, today is a very tough day for me as it probably is for most of you. I vividly remember sitting in my seventh grade Spanish class and watching my teacher break down crying when she heard the news. Even though I was young, the images from 9/11 and that day will stay with me forever.

Another lasting image I will have of 9/11 is the Mets first game back at Shea Stadium. For all of those who do not know, the Mets were down 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning when Piazza came to bat against Steve Karsay with one on. Piazza then proceeded to crush a fastball over the left center field fence to give the Mets the lead. Piazza's homer could not have come at a better time. As I watched that ball going over the fence, I immediately started jumping up and down like I had so many times before and for a moment I felt good. How amazing is that? So every year on this day, I thank Mike Piazza for that momentous homer because for the first time in ten days, I felt like me again. Cheering for my Mets. Thanks Mike.
Anyway, I will be taking a step back from the blogoshere today to spend some time thinking about 9/11. I ask all of you, no matter what your faith, race, or creed, to say a prayer for those who are no longer with us, and to say thank you to the brave police, firefighters, and rescue workers. And finally, hug your family and the ones closest to you and thank God for every day we have on earth.

The blog will be back tomorrow.
In the meantime, here's some U2 (circa 2001).


God Bless America.

The 2008 Baltimore Orioles: A Successful Last Place Season

Since when does last place equal success? Usually the answer is never because who wants to come in last place...well, no one. But here's the thing about the Orioles, even though they will finish in last for the first time since 1991, there have been many bright spots for the Orioles this season. At the beginning of the season, the Orioles were expected to finish in last place while Orioles fans watched in disgrace as a team full of overpriced veterans, scrubs, and promising youngsters tried to piece the season together. You have to remember that Orioles teams of the past ten seasons have been constant disappointments as Owner Peter Angelos continued to dish out millions of dollars to aging veterans who continually disappointed fans. The franchise seemed lost and to me, 2008 has turned around the Orioles. And here's why:

1. Bedard and Tejada
When new GM Andy McPhail took a look at this struggling franchise last season, he identified these two players as his best assets for a trade. Bedard was considered to be one of the top left handed pitchers in the majors last season and McPhail knew that moving Bedard now could net the Orioles a few promising pieces to help the Orioles in the future. When the Orioles finally moved Bedard to the Seattle Mariners, they received four players back, three of whom have shown great promise.
The Orioles got back OF Adam Jones , RP George Sherrill, and SP Chris Tillman in return for Bedard, who has been injured for half of 2008. Jones, who was the Mariners top prospect, has looked fantastic for the Orioles this season and appears to be their CF of the future. Sherrill was the Orioles lone All Star this season by converting 31 saves before injuring himself in August. His rise has been a major plus for the Orioles, who control Sherrill's right for the next few seasons. Furthermore, Chris Tillman has been fantastic this season for AA Bowie and he looks to have "ace" stuff. Tillman has struck out 154 hitters in 135 innings, which could translate into big things in the majors.
The Tejada trade could also prove to be a boon for the Orioles. Tejada, who was named in the Mitchell Report this offseason, had began to show signs of decline during the 2007 season. But that didn't stop the Astros from trading for Tejada in the hopes that he would recover his 2004 form. However, Tejada has underperformed this season to the tune of a .287 batting average with 13 HR and 63 RBI. Considering how much the Astros gave up for Tejada, this move was not worth it.
The Astros got five players back; P Matt Albers, P Dennis Sarfate, P Troy Patton, 3B Mike Costanzo, and the coup so far, OF Luke Scott. Albers and Patton have dealt with injuries for most of this season while Costanzo has remained in AAA for the season. But Scott and Sarfate have been impact players on the Orioles this season with Sarfate pitching great out of the bullpen (3.38 ERA in 64 IP) and Scott has put up some great numbers in LF (22 HR, 60 RBI). Scott, 30, could be the Orioles LF for the next few seasons or potential trade bait. This trade will be judged in the future primarily on how the pitchers perform-but I say that Orioles have already won this one.

2. 2008 Offseason (Huff, Roberts, Mora, Hernandez)
Perhaps the best part of the Orioles 2008 season is that Mora, Huff, and Roberts have played some great baseball. Just look at these stats:

Roberts: .297 BA, 9 HR, .377 OBP, 37 SB
Huff: .314 BA, 31 HR, 104 RBI, .369 OBP
Mora: .284 BA, 23 HR, 99 RBI, .344 OBP
Hernandez: .261 BA, 15 HR, 64 RBI, .313 OBP

Those are essentially career bests or at least career averages for each of those guys. What a gift for the rebuilding Orioles. Especially when you consider that after the 2007 season, all four of these guys had diminished their value to the point where the Orioles were basically stuck with each of them for this season. While it should be noted that the Cubs made a valiant effort to acquire Roberts before this season, McPhail recognized that Roberts' value was not at its peak and that Roberts had the potential to have a great 2008 season. It is important for us to note that each of these guys will be a free agent at the end of the 2009 season, which leaves the Orioles with two (or three) options:

1. Put them on the auction block and trade them to the highest bidder
2. Let them play out the 2009 season and perhaps try to move them in the middle of the season
3. Re-sign them!

If it was up to me, I would take advantage of the career years that each of these guys has put up and try to move all three. Huff and Mora have been inconsistent as Orioles and are aging while you can make the case that Roberts is one of the best 2nd baseman in the game. Ramon Hernandez's fate with the Orioles might already be sealed depending on the development of C Matt Wieters next spring. The kid is a stud.

McPhail has to recognize that rebuilding is his goal and that there will be no better time to move these guys than right now. The Orioles could actually be competitive again in 2010 or 2011.

Random Thoughts

-Troy Percival, you sir have no business being the Rays closer right now. Your best days are behind you and you are a liability in the back end of the bullpen. Dan Wheeler and Grant Balfour are much better options. I know Percival has a history of success in the playoffs and he means a ton to the team, but if they Rays keep him as closer, he could cost them a few games down the stretch.

-It had to end sometime right? The Jays lost to the White Sox tonight, which ended their 10 game winning streak. Even with their long winning streak, the Jays are still a long ways away from the playoffs, but are actually looking good for 2009. They have gotten large contributions from Joe Inglett, Marco Scutaro, Rod Barajas, Scott Downs, Jesse Carlson, and Jesse Litsch; all of whom should/will be back for the Blue Jays in 2009. I am saying this right now...the Jays are my sleeper pick for 2009. Obviously the Jays need to pick up a bat or two, but they have tons of pitching depth, which could lead them into the playoff hunt.

-Speaking of streaks, how bout dem Astros? They are making me look stuuuupid. And to think, they are winning all of these games without Carlos Lee because of the starting pitching. Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Randy Wolf, and Brain Moehler have stabilized the bullpen while the offense has continued to produce. I still think that they will miss the playoffs and I think they will be awful in 2009 because they have a bunch of aging veterans and an incompetent GM. But we'll see.

-Totally going against the norm here, but Manny Ramirez for MVP? Has any one player had a bigger impact on a team this season. Manny is hitting .396 with 14 HR and 40 RBI with the Dodgers in less than two months. Unbelievable.
-And finally, congratulations to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for clinching a playoff berth already. I mean, wow, the rest of the league is feeling pennant fever, but the Angels have the luxury of sitting this one out. And with all the injuries they have, taking the next three weeks off is not a bad idea. They look dominant on paper and should be the favorites to win it all, but I don't think they will. Just a hunch. I hope that they don't bring back the damn rally monkey. Anyone else hate that thing?

My Struggling Organization: Kansas City Royals

Oh boy, where do I begin here? The Royals haven't been relevant since 1985 and they can't seem to break the awful string of mediocrity. The days of George Brett, Dan Quisenberry, Bret Saberhagen, Frank White, and Willie Wilson are long gone. Over the past two decades, the Royals have failed to produce quality talent and they failed to retain the little talent they had. Too many times the Royals have wasted at bats with guys who have no business being on a major league roster instead of frontin' the dough for some talent. Only in the past two seasons has new GM Dayton Moore finally convinced the Glass family to open their wallets. This really is a shame because the Royals have some of the greatest fans in baseball and quite frankly, they deserve a lot better than what the Royals have given back to them.

Perhaps the biggest problem with the Royals over the past 5-8 seasons is the way they have handled their pitchers. The Royals relied heavily on scrub pitchers (Darrell May, Jimmy Anderson, Dan Reichert, Jose Lima) while rushing up their young starters (Zack Greinke, Jimmy Gobble, JP Howell) before they are ready. So how did this happen? Well after years of refusing to sign any pitchers of note, the Royals would go into spring training with many holes in their starting rotation. The young guys and the scrubs would battle it out for the chance to get beat up with a 5+ ERA for the season. That is certainly not a strategy for winning baseball and set of two corresponding negatives: the Royals lose 100 games/respect around baseball and the development of the young pitchers is set back. To make things simply, this is just horrible baseball decisions by the men in charge.

Free Agents
Let's start this off on a semi-positive note: the Royals are actually spending money. In each of the past two offseasons, the Royals have made one big free agent signing by paying way over market value for mid level free agents. While Gil Meche has been good, he is not a $55 million dollar pitcher. He simply isn't that good. But I understand his signing because he gives the Royals consistency at the top and he'll eat 200 innings every season. For the Royals, that is valuable.
And Jose Guillen? Seriously Dayton, your gonna give $36 million dollars to a clubhouse cancer who is 32 years old? Sure he had a good 2007 campaign (41 HR), but the Royals are no where close to competing for anything right now. Spending that much on Guillen right now was absolutely foolish. And Jose has done nothing but support my claims this season (.254 BA, .290 OBP with 18 HR).

And as we look into the Royals past, boy is it ugly. Their biggest free agent signings prior to 2007 were Mark Grudzielanek, Joe Randa, Paul Byrd, and the aging Juan Gonzalez in 2004. Not exactly the greatest list of free agent signings. Anyone notice a trend with these signings? All of them are aging veterans who were past their prime (or approaching it) by the time the Royals picked them up. Furthermore, all of these guys were signed to cheap contracts for a year or two, which is just further proof of the Royals failure to spend on free agents. There are quality free agents out there, but going after aging veterans, who are well past their prime is not going to speed up the rebuilding process.

Trades
This is the section that really kills me. Ladies and gentlemen, the Royals have done a terrible job by trading away the few talented players they have and not getting any value for them in return. The Royals have traded away the following players in their players in their primes: Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye, and Carlos Beltran. Their rationale for trading them away was that they simply could not afford them. Fair enough, but at least get some return on these guys! Take a look at what the Royals have gotten back from 3 all stars in their prime.

Dye: Neifi Perez
Carlos Beltran: Mark Teahen, Mike Wood, John Buck
Johnny Damon: Angel Berroa, AJ Hinch, Roberto Hernandez

So basically, the Royals traded away the 3 best players they have had in a long time for some spare parts and lots of junk. Perez and Hernandez are retreads while Teahen, Berroa, and Buck have had very very mild success in the bigs. Hinch and Wood never did anything in the bigs. Simply put, that is a terrible job by Royals management to butcher all three trades so badly. These three deals set the Royals back years because the level of talent in their organization went down so greatly after making these deals.

I hope the Royals have learned from these three deals by signing their young players to extensions while they are still cheap and affordable so that they don't have to trade them off. I already see that this is exactly what they have done with David Dejesus (5 years/$13.8 mil) and Joakim Soria (3 years/$8.75 mil) and hopefully Zack Greinke is not too far behind.

Draft
The Royals have actually drafted many of quality young players over the years: Alex Gordon, David Dejesus, Zack Greinke, JP Howell, Billy Butler, Jeremy Affeldt, Mike Sweeney, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, and Luke Hochevar. This is exactly the way the Royals need to be building their team because it is the only way the Royals are able to bring in quality young talent and affordable prices. However, it should be noted that the reason why most of these guys have been available to the Royals in the draft is because the Royals have consistently picked in the top 10 or even the top 5 in almost every amateur draft of the past 10 seasons. Even the Royals are bound to hit on a few when your picking high all the time.
the one problem that I see here is that the Royals need to start drafting some pitchers. Sure they drafted Hochevar in 2006, but he has not been good so far and Howell and Affeldt are currently with new teams. You would figure that with all these high draft picks the Royals would take some quality young arms because the Royals have never really recovered from trading away David Cone and Bret Saberhagen. But maybe former 1st rounders Mike Stodolka and Colt Griffin (2000 and 2001 respectively) have scared the Royals away from drafting any more pitchers in the early rounds. Still, pitching is the key to winning in the majors and the Royals must make it an organizational priority to draft and develop more quality young arms.

Prediction
*The Royals have shown some definite signs of pulling themselves out of the cellar. However, I think the Royals will continue to struggle until they are able to develop some quality young pitching to go along with the young hitting they have. The Royals need to remain active in the free agent market, but they need to target guys in their prime, not aging veterans.*
-No playoffs until at least 2011, probably later than that-

The Royals need to look at how the Rays were able to pull themselves out of the cellar and into the pennant race. Here's the formula: draft quality young players (and sign them), don't afraid to be bold, and sign guys for modest prices who will serve a role or purpose to the younger players (Cliff Floyd, Troy Percival). The Rays have had a fantastic season and have shown the baseball world that a worst to first turnaround is possible. There is the hope Mr. Moore. Now please, draft some PITCHERS and do not sign anymore aging outfielders with your newfound surplus of money.

Random Thoughts

Just a few things that I have been thinking about over the past few days. Feel free to comment.

-If I am the Tampa Rays this morning, I am very concerned about my division lead right now. The Rays have looked tentative and scared while the Sox have looked poised and confident, like defending champions should look. The Sox have gained 5 games in the past 8 days as the Rays continue to lose close games.

-The Rays have succeed this season because of their pitching, but they will need to get more out of their offense in order to bust out of this funk and finally allow the team to relax. Unfortunately, the Rays are still missing Crawford and Longoria and it looks like BJ Upton will miss a few games. Yikes.

-One good thing for the Rays: they have Scott Kazmir on the hill tomorrow night. Kazmir has dominated the Sox in his career (3.02 ERA vs. Boston) and the Rays will need a clutch outing from Kazmir tomorrow if they are to retain their lead.

-I know they have fallen on tough times right now, but I still don't want to see the Diamondbacks in the playoffs. They are front loaded on starting pitching, which always bodes well for the playoffs. Between Dan Haren, Brandon Webb, and the exciting Max Scherzer; the Diamondbacks are still scary even though they are struggling. Don't sleep on them yet.

-Speaking of Scherzer, if the Diamondbacks make the playoffs, I think he will make a big impact either in the rotation or in the bullpen. In a perfect world, I would put Scherzer in the bullpen for the playoffs simply because he has lights out stuff. He reminds of the 2002 version of Francisco Rodriguez.

-The Brewers might have Sheets and Sabathia, but they are not going to go anywhere without an effective Solomon Torres because that bullpen is dreadful. Shouse and Torres are the only guys with an ERA under 4.

-With that said, the Mets are going to need a superhuman performance out of Luis Ayala down the stretch if the Mets are to make any noise in September and in the playoffs. The rest of the bullpen has the potential to be OK if Ayala proves to be a worthy closer simply because the Mets pen is filled with quality specialists. I still think that Pedro would be a good option if/when Ayala struggles. With that said, Get well soon Billy.

-My CY YOUNG awards right now go to Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum for a simple reason: both guys are the best pitchers in their respective leagues even though they play on horrible teams. For some reason, dominance becomes even more evident when your surrounded by crud, and both of these guys have been fantastic. Could you imagine if these guys played on contenders? The media would talk about them non stop.

-And finally, Albert Pujols will join Billy Wagner under the knife as they both will undergo Tommy John Surgery. In Pujols's case, he will have it done at the end of the season. The greatness of Pujols is evident when you think about this: Pujols hit .360 this season with 32 HR with a busted elbow. How amazing is that? Doctors always claim that pitchers return from Tommy John throwing better than they did before the surgery, so it should be fun to see how Pujols reacts to Tommy John at the dish. Hmmm...how about .380 with 50 HR....keep dreaming Cardinal fans.

Part I: AL East Amnesty

Jorge Says No! introduced amnesty earlier today and we are happy to present to you our AL East picks. Which contract would your team want to waive at the end of this season? Lets take a look:

Yankees: Even though the Yankees have a $200 million dollar payroll, they actually do not have many candidates for amnesty. The huge contracts of Abreu, Giambi, Mussina, Pavano, Pudge and Pettitte come off the books after this season, which greatly diminishes our options for amnesty. Furthermore, both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui come off the books next year, which diminishes our options even further. To me, the only guy who the Yankees could consider for amnesty is Jorge Posada. Not only is Posada, 37, coming off major shoulder surgery, but he is still owed $39 million dollars over the next 3 years. I know Posada is a Yankee great and that catcher is probably the most difficult position to fill, but it is tough to justify paying an old catcher $13 million dollars after a major shoulder surgery.

Red Sox: Before this season, every Red Sox fan would have been chomping at the bit to get rid of the $70 million owed to JD Drew. But after the horrid season of Julio Lugo, there is no question who the Sox would want to waive. For some reason, the Sox gave Lugo a 4 year/ $36 million dollar contract after the 2006 season and Lugo has been both terrible and injured. Lugo is even more expendable because of the emergence of Jed Lowrie as the Sox short stop of the future.

Blue Jays: While it would be tempting to drop Scott Rolen and the $17 million they owe him over the next two seasons, I think the Jays would probably benefit most by getting rid of Vernon Wells. Sure Wells had a good season, but he is owed $108 million dollars over the next 6 seasons. Wells, 30, has been a good player over the course of his career, but is he worth paying $18 million dollars a season for? I don't think so. Toronto can spend that money in a better way, which is why I'm going to stick to my controversial pick: Vernon Wells.

Orioles: The Orioles have given out tons of bad contracts throughout the course of their history, but they surprisingly don't have many candidates for amnesty. The contracts of Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora, Brian Roberts, Ramon Hernandez, and Danys Baez all come off the books after next season so they do not have any long term financial commitments. I would have to go with Danys Baez as my amnesty choice simply because he is coming off major arm surgery and because he is not a quality relief pitcher anymore. The Orioles would save $5.5 million dollars.

Rays: None. Seriously, the Rays do not have any bad contracts for us to throw away and they only have a $43 million dollar payroll. Kudos to you, Andrew Friedman.

Amnesty!

I'm not sure how many of you are up on your basketball, but back in 2005, the NBA allowed teams to waive one guy from their roster in order to shave money from the team's luxury tax. Players who were signed to absurd contracts were the likely casualties of the amnsety clause, while teams were able to saves millions of dollars in future payments. Obviously when we relate this to baseball, we have to take in a few factors. First of all, the MLB has no salary cap. Teams can spend as much or as little as they choose too on players, which is an obvious difference from the NBA. Also, there is no luxury tax in the MLB. The luxury tax is the a certain amount that teams have to pay for spending too much money on players. The economics of the NBA are completely different than the economics of the MLB, but that doesn't stop us from examining a hypothetical amnesty provision.

What if your favorite MLB team could waive one player at the end of this season, who would it be? Every team has made a stupid or foolish signing over the past few seasons that have set the franchise back in some way. Could you imagine if that horrible contract was taken off your team's payroll? How great would that be.

We thought this would be a fun concept to look at because there are so many absurd contracts in major league baseball today. With that said, there is absolutely no way the MLB Players Association would ever agree to an amnesty clause.

Jorge Says No! will evaluate hypothetical amnesty casualties by division beginning with the AL East.

My Plea to you Mr. Minaya

In case you all haven't heard, Mets closer Billy Wagner was shut down after a simulated game today and could be lost for the entire season. There is no denying it; if the Mets lose Wagner for the rest of this season it will be very difficult to remain in first place. And even if they do, a long playoff run is almost unfathomable. The Mets bullpen has been up and down all season and who knows how they will react during the playoffs. Do you trust Heilman in a big spot? How about Feliciano? Or Luis Ayala? Oh yeah, Jorge Says No! went over the Mets bullpen already.

To me, the only way for the Mets to contend for a championship this season without Wagner is to put Pedro Martinez in the bullpen for the rest of the season. The move would obviously be a risk considering that Martinez has never consistently worked out of the bullpen before and his performance this season has been shaky at best. Not to mention that hitters are hitting .353 in the first inning against Pedro, which obviously does not enhance my argument.

But here's the thing, what other option do the Mets have? As of right now they have a bunch of guys in the back end of the bullpen that no one has the slightest idea if they can get the job done. Maybe the Mets can get some lightning in a bottle with Pedro and actually have someone who the team believes can shut the door in a big spot. We all know that Pedro is well past his prime, but he's worth the risk in the bullpen. Pedro's dominated in big spots before and no one else in the Mets pen can say that. That fact alone seals the deal for me.

Go Blue Jays!

If your a Met fan like me, than you will know where I'm coming from with this post. For everyone else out there, this is how a bitter and beat down Met fan acts in regards to a certain team from the Bronx...

Ladies and Gentlemen, the 26 time World Series Champions and greatest sports franchise ever, the New York Yankees, could be in fourth place by the end of today. A Yankee loss coupled with a Blue Jays win would award the Yankees sole possession of fourth place in the AL East for at least one day. The surprising amount of pleasure I get from this stems from the Yankees 12 straight trips to the playoffs and is cemented by that awful, brutal, despicable disaster that was the 2000 World Series. I still have nightmares about it.

In my entire baseball watching career, I have never seen the Yankees in the fourth place this late into the season. That territory is usually reserved for the Orioles or Devil Rays, but maybe not this year. Could the $200 million dollar team finish in fourth? Well, I hope so. So go get 'em Joe Inglett, Marco Scutaro, and Scott Downs...and lets see the Yankees in fourth for once in my (and plenty of others) lifetime.

Jorge Toca All-Stars...Featuring Val Pascucci

When the Mets were struggling during the middle of this season with injuries and overall suckiness, nothing frustrated me more than the Mets refusing to give Pascucci,29, a shot to play. Pascucci put up great numbers throughout AAA, and was exactly what the Mets lacked: a corner OF who can hit for power from the right side. It comes down to this: who would you rather have up at plate- Marlon Anderson? Endy Chavez? Nick Evans? or Pascucci? I mean, look at these numbers: .290 batting average with 27 HR and 80 RBI. Not to mention that Val hit .362 against lefties for the season. It's obvious the Mets had no faith in Pascucci, but their reason why is more suspect.

Since his arrival in AAA in 2003, Pascucci has proven to be a consistent source of power and OBP. He has not hit less than 23 HR while maintaining an OBP between .370 and .420. Even with all that power, Pascucci does not strike out much and maintains a high number of walks. There is no logical reason why a guy with those numbers cannot get a look in the bigs. Pascucci can even play both 1B and OF, which makes him an ideal bench player/platoon guy. And here's another thing, Pascucci has been passed through the Expos, Marlins, and Phillies before arriving with the Mets this season. So obviously the Mets opinion of Pascucci is no different than what other teams think of Val.

So what will it take for Pascucci to get into the bigs? I'm not really sure at this point. I think he needs to leave the Mets organization and find a weaker team with less holes where he will get an opportunity to get a job out of spring training. Unfortunately for me, Pascucci has virtually no shot at getting the call from the Mets because they are in the middle of a pennant race and they have shown no confidence so far that Pascucci can get the job done. So why start now?

Good luck Mr. Pascucci...Jorge Says No! will be pulling for you. I hope to see you with the Mets next season, but if not, I totally understand. And by the way, you have an absolutely awesome name. Valentino Pascucci...how great is that?

Bathroom Reads

Well, if all of you out there in blogsville are anything like me, than you'll devour any sort of baseball reading that is fascinating and maybe a bit different. Now, I refuse to post tons of links like Buster Olney, but I will gladly post some columns that I feel I worth it to you, the readers. There is no better way for me to start off my Sunday than to scan the net for the best articles (even some oldies) and I hope you all will enjoy these.

-The NY Daily News discusses the impact of power agent Scott Boras, even after the A-Rod contract debacle last season. A must read for all the Boras haters and for those who despise the economics of baseball.

-And just in case you haven't heard, former AL MVP candidate broke his wrist because of frustration. And he explains himself to USA Today, which makes this piece a must read. Seriously Carlos? Couldn't you kick a water cooler or something? Quentin's injury officially puts a damper of the Sox playoff hopes and absolutely kills my fantasy team.

-Apparently Ivan Rodriguez is money hungry. At least this is what columnist Michael Rosenberg believes and what probably alot of fans do too. But seriously folks, who among us can say that he isn't after the almighty dollar? Probably no one. This is America where capitalism is key and if Pudge thinks he can position himself for a better deal next season by orchestrating a trade, then I say go for it.

-Ever watch an outfielder look completely foolish watching a line drive sail right over his head? Yup, I have too. While this is plenty frustrating, fans have to understand the difficulty that comes with catching a line drive hit right at an outfielder. Which is exactly why the New York Times decided to examine the scientific reason why outfielders struggle so much to catch line drives hit right at them.

-And finally, the immortal Richard Justice examines why the Astros signing their 2008 draft picks is a good move. I know this link is old, but here's why this is important. The Astros have notoriously remained fickle when it comes to signing their top draft picks, which is why they currently have the worst farm system in baseball. Most other franchises would acknowledge the importance of draft picks to the organization (trade bait, cheap players, young talent), but apparently the Astros are the last franchise to catch on. Way to go 'Stros!

-Random Video of the Week: This has nothing to do with baseball, but needs to be viewed by everyone. Dikembe Mutombo, you sir are hilarious.

Great Seasons No One is Noticing (Hitters)

All the baseball people seem so enamored with Dustin Pedroia, Josh Hamilton, Ryan Ludwick, Nate McClouth, and Carlos Quentin that they are actually missing some remarkable seasons some guys are having. It's easy to see why these guys have been overlooked; they simply do not have a great story (Hamilton and drugs) or something completely unique (Pedroia's height). But nevertheless, there guys are having fantastic years and need to be recognized for it.

Mark DeRosa, 2b/3b/OF, Cubs
It was only a year ago when the Cubs signed DeRosa to a 3 year/$13 million dollar deal and I scoffed at it. I thought that there was no way this guy would ever produce the kind of numbers he did in Texas, which would then make this contract very foolish. But DeRosa has been superb for the Cubs. DeRosa is currently hitting .289 with 19 HR and 80 RBI for the first place Cubbies while playing 3 positions this season. And to top it all off, DeRosa has scored 90 runs this season and has a phenomenal .381 OBP, which is outstanding for a 2nd baseman.
He played OF when Soriano got hurt and has played a great second base when everyone has been healthy. DeRosa's ability to play everywhere is a huge plus to the Cubs because they know he can get the job done defensively and that his bat has made him a real force in the lineup; he's no longer a utility guy anymore.

Aubrey Huff, DH/1b/3b, Orioles
The 2008 season has put Aubrey Huff back on the map. Back in 2004, Huff was thought to have been a rising star in baseball with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Unfortunately for Huff, inconsistency has plagued him over the past 3 seasons (with the Devil Rays, Astros, and Orioles) and many baseball people wondered if would ever find his 2003-2004 form again. Well folks, he has bounced back in a big way. Huff is currently hitting .313 with 30 HR and 98 RBI for the last place Orioles. Huff is currently leading the AL in both extra base hits (76) and total bases (302). Because of Huff, the Orioles have put together one of the most feared lineups in the AL and they are tons of fun to watch. If the Orioles could ever get some pitching, watch out.

Fred Lewis, OF, Giants
Entering the season, no Giant had a bigger hole to fill than Lewis did. Fred Lewis had the task of replacing Barry Bonds this season in left field and you know what, he has played some great baseball along the way. Lewis is hitting .279 with 9 HR and 11 triples to go along with his .350 OBP and 80 runs scored. Lewis has hit leadoff for the Giants for most of the season and even though the Giants have a pathetic offense, Lewis has clearly been a bright spot. Barry's replacement will never hit 20 +HR, but having 30+ doubles, 10+ triples, 10+ HR, 30+ steals, and a .290 batting average is not out of the question in the future and would make Giants fans happy for many years.

Skip Schumaker, OF, Cardinals
Skip who? Where did this guy come from? Wherever it was, can you please send one of him to Flushing. This guy has been unreal. He currently sports a .305 batting average with 8 homers and 79 runs scored. Scumaker has been the Cardinals primary leadoff hitter and has excelled in setting the table for Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick (as shown by his .365 OBP). If Schumaker continues to get on base at that clip, he will score alot more runs with Phat Albert hitting behind him. Also, Schumaker is probably one of the hardest hitters to strike out (only 53 this season) and as he progresses, it will be interesting to note whether that number stays as low as it is right now.

The Yankees (Part II): Fixin Time

For all of those people who love the demise of the Yankees as much as I do, I have some bad news for you: this won't last long. Because the Yankees still have tons of talent and tons of money to throw around, which means their futility shouldn't last that long. Granted, there are so many different ways for the Yankees to screw this up. My thinking is that they won't. And here's what they should do.

1. Do not resign Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, or Pudge Rodriguez
Not bringing Pudge back is the only obvious move of this group, but it is clear to me that the Yankees need to free themselves from Pettitte and Abreu and use the savings elsewhere. Pettitte used to be "ole reliable" for the championship Yankees, but has been mediocre this season. Pettitte is sporting a 4.49 ERA this season, which is obviously not worth $16 mil or anything close to it. The Yankees would be better off letting Hughes and Kennedy fight for the sport and using the money elsewhere.
Abreu on the other hand, has very good numbers this season. Abreu has a $16 million dollar option for next year and based on the statistics, he deserves upper level money. Abreu is hitting .301 with 15 HR and 84 RBI while hitting over .300 with runners in scoring position. So why do I think the Yankees should not pick up his option and let him go? Because simply, Abreu is not a winning player. After Abreu left Philadelphia, the Phillies thrived and I think the Yankees can do the same. Abreu often appears to be lacking passion and intensity for the game and strangely refuses to run anywhere close to a wall when playing right field. Abreu's OBP has been on the decline from previous seasons and he is no longer a stolen base threat. The Yankees will regret signing him for 2009 and beyond.
And Pudge has been terrible for the Yankees during his two months and is clearly washed up. Moving on.

2. Decline the option on Jason Giambi, make a run at Teixeira.
Giambi has been able to put up some good numbers this season, but there is no way the Yankees should pick up his $22 million dollar option. Giambi is a liability in the field, cannot run the bases, and is a horrible hitter with runners in scoring position. Giambi is another guy whose OBP is on the decline from previous seasons and the Yankees cannot afford to watch him slide at his high salary.
With that said, the Yankees should make the most of their savings and go after Teixeira because he is everything the Yankees need. He is young, plays great defense, hits for tons of power, and switch hits. And with the Yankees payroll, they should have no problem making a strong offer to Teixeira. However, if he turns them down, look for the Yankees to make a strong run at bringing back Jason Giambi at a reduced rate.

3. Do not trade Hughes or Kennedy (or Cano)
The Yankees had their shot to move either one of these guys last offseason for Johan Santana, but the Yankees refused to move them. They look pretty foolish now. Hughes and Kennedy have been awful and injured this season, but I think right now is not the time to move either one. Both players have severely hurt their value this season and trading them now could be highway robbery for another team.
And please Yankees, lets not move Cano just yet. Sure he had a poor 2008 campaign, but young 2nd basemen with Cano's potential are impossible to find. Cano still has the potential to hit 25+ HR to go along with a .330 batting average. The Yankees just need to find a way to light a fire under his butt to get him to play some defense. Larry Bowa was the perfect flame in 2007; we'll see who the Yankees can bring in to work with Cano.

4. Make a hard push for Sabathia or Sheets
There is no denying the fact that the Yankees have been missing a true shut down ace for the past few seasons and adding either one of these guys should make any Yankee fan giddy. Especially Sabathia. He's a stud and doesn't get hurt as much.

5. Get Younger
Simply put, the Yankees are really old. If they can trade one of their older players (Matsui, Damon) for some payroll relief or a mid level prospect, I would do it. Youth is the new trend in baseball and the Yankees are still severely behind the eight ball.

6. Make up your mind on Joba
If the Yankees want him in the bullpen, put him there for the entire season. If the Yankees want him to start, put him there for the entire season. I think they are doing more harm that good by switching him in the middle of the season and this guy is too good to be jerked around.

7. Depth is Key!
If the Yankees are going to go into the 2009 season with another old roster filled with some young starters then I plead to you Mr. Cashman, have 2-3 starters in the minors who can do better than Darrell Rasner or Sidney Ponson. Cashman needs to have the ability to pluck a pitcher from AAA for 10 starts to stabilize the staff and actually give the Yanks a chance to win. And Mr. Cashman, you cannot expect your 30+ outfielders to stay healthy for the entire season, so again, depth is key.

8. Resign Mussina (only on YOUR terms)
Mike Mussina has been brilliant this season and is one of the main reasons why the Yankees still have a pulse. But we need to remember that it was only one year ago that this guy was relegated to the bullpen because he was pitching so bad. So Mr. Cashman, do not go overboard by offering Moose 2-3 years at $10-$14 million per season. He is not that good and he will be 40! If he accepts your terms (whatever they may be), then by all means take him back, but don't let Moose's great season skew the negotiations too much.

Free Agent at the End of the Season: Pat Burrell

Pat Burrell has developed into a constant power threat in the middle of the Phillies lineup over the past eight seasons. Burrell's tenure in Philadelphia has been unique because Burrell has maintained a tremendous level of consistency even after he bombed out in 2003. Phillies fans have clamored for Burrell's exit for the past few seasons, but they currently have no one else to replace him in the lineup. Burrell has developed into an acquired taste for the Phillies, but we shall see if they decide to re-sign "Pat the Bat".

The Case for Burrell
-He's consistent.
Burrell has hit at least 20 HR in every season he has played and since 2003, he has at least a .256 batting average. Also, Burrell hits both right-handed and left-handed pitching, which is a great because he's not a liability against anyone. If you sign Burrell, you know what your going to get.

-He gets on base a lot.
Since 2004, Burrell's OBP has varied from .375-.400, which is a very good clip for a power hitter. You can count on Burrell to work alot of deep counts and take a good amount of walks in the middle of the order.

-Burrell is clutch.
I cannot tell you how many times "Pat the Bat" has killed the Mets. Burrell has made late game heroics against the Mets his norm and has single-handedly caused Met fans more anguish than any other player I can remember (maybe Chipper Jones?). This guy killed us. I hate to see Burrell at the plate in a big spot.

-The Ballpark!
There is no doubt that the Phillies play in one of the easiest ballparks to hit homers in, but you wouldn't know it by looking at Burrell's stats. Burrell has actually hit 20 HR on the road and only 10 at home. To me, this is a great stat. Even though Burrell should have more than 10 at home, his high total on the road shows me that his numbers aren't inflated.

The Case Against Burrell
-He probably plays the worst left field I have ever seen.
Burrell jaggedly lumbers after balls and makes every ball hit to him an adventure. If you are going to have Burrell in left, make sure you have a center fielder than can cover lots of ground. He's brutal.

-His age.
Burrell is turning 32 at the end of this season, which should make GMs hesitant to give him tons of years. Even though Burrell's stats have not declined, I'm not sure how much trust I could put into a guy who is 32 years old and already moves like a 40 year old guy.

-After Contract Syndrome.
After receiving a huge extension from the Phillies in 2003, Burrell came out and laid an egg during the 2003 season. Any team who goes after Burrell has to be aware of that to ensure that Burrell does not just take a year off after taking the money.

Competition
This is where Burrell will have no problem garnering interest. Besides an aging Manny Ramirez, there are no other power hitting right handed bats in the free agent market with Burrell's pedigree and expereince.

Prediction
(3 years/$42 mil)
Any team who gives Burrell more than 3 years is being foolish. But with that said, the market dictates that Burrell deserves this kind of money. However, it would not surprise me if he gets significantly more than this.

Carlos Lee: $16 mil/year
JD Drew: $14 mil/year
Aaron Rowand: $12 mil/year

To me, Burrell is just as good offensively as any of those guys. So I see no reason why he shouldn't be paid like the stud offensive player he is. But if he gets 5 or 6 years, whoever signs Burrell to that contract will regret it.
I expect the Phillies to do everything they can to re-sign Burrell, but don't be surprised if the losers of the Manny sweepstakes make a big push for Pat the Bat.

We will continue to look at the free agent class of 2009 with Oliver Perez.

How bout 'dem Astros?

The Astros are lost. Even for a team that has won 8 games in a row, the Astros are completely lost. A total lost cause. I know that right now isn't the optimal time to say this, but winning these meaningless games in September in actually hurting the Astros. You see, the main problem with the Astros is that they have no quality minor league talent to think of. Astros management has either refused to sign top draft picks or traded away top prospects, which has left the Astros in dire need of some youth. So even when the Astros win, they lose. They went from a .500 team to 8 games over .500, but they still remain 11 games out of the division and 6.5 behind the wild card lead.

So please Astros, future success is only a bunch of losses away. I know advocating for losses is looked down upon is the sports world, but c'mon, this is common sense. Whats good for the organization is to go on a different kind of streak: a losing streak.

Who do you trust? Rays Edition

Without a doubt, the Tampa Rays have been the biggest surprise in all of baseball. Despite having a only a minuscule $43 million dollar payroll, the Rays have remained in first place since the beginning of May even with the Red Sox and Yankees in their division. To put this simply, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez make more than the entire Rays team combined while Julio Lugo, JD Drew, and David Ortiz combine to equal the entire salary of the Rays. So how have the Rays done it? Through the bullpen. True the starters have been great, but the Rays real strength lies in the amount of quality arms they can choose at the end of the game. With a young team, it is so important to have a good bullpen that doesn't blow late leads to ensure the positive moral of the team. Give Rays management all the credit: they have made some masterful decisions that have given Rays fans (however many exist) a great regular season. But will they hold up down the stretch and into the playoffs? We shall see.

Troy Percival: Percival has not been bad this season, but they problem has been that he cannot stay healthy. He can be pretty darn good at the back end of the pen, but he's been on the DL three times already. Furthermore, Percival proved in 2002 that he can pitch well when it matters most when he was a stalwart at the back end of the Angels bullpen
TRUSTED (but I don't trust his health)

Dan Wheeler: Wheeler is already a Jorge Says No! favorite. He has been amazing this season as both a set up man and closer for Troy Percival. Perhaps the only concerning stat is that Wheeler's ERA has been on the rise since June and the Rays will need him to reverse that trend if they are to hold on to the division lead.
TRUSTED

JP Howell: Where did this guy come from? He was flat out awful for the last 3 years as a starter, but the Rays moved him to the pen this season and he has been fantastic. Howell is a rare power lefty out of the pen (79 K in 76 innings) who gets out both lefties and righties (2.03 against lefties, 2.90 against righties). This guy could be absolutely lethal in the playoffs.
TRUSTED

Grant Balfour: Where did this guy come from (part 2)? Think about this, any team could have had Balfour this season for 50 grand when Balfour was designated for assignment this spring. Every team in baseball wishes they could have gotten their hands on Balfour now. What a season he has had. This guy throws 95 mph and has a 1.38 ERA this season. Balfour has struck out 67 hitters in only 45 innings. How dominant is that? Well see if he can keep it up this season, but there have been no signs of Balfour slowing down.
TRUSTED

Chad Bradford: Probably my favorite relief pitcher of all time. During the 2006 NLCS, there was no one else that I wanted on the mound against a righty than Bradford. Bradford was phenomenal. He is the ideal situational righty for the Rays. He will shut down Guerrero, Hunter, Quentin, and Bay in the late innings. But please Mr. Maddon, don't use him against a tough lefty.
TRUSTED (against righties)

Trevor Miller: Miller is dominant against lefties, but a liability against righties. If used correctly (ONLY LEFTIES) then he will perform well.
TRUSTED (against lefties)

When it comes to the late innings, no team has a better bullpen than the Rays do. I see no possible way that the Rays falter down the stretch and I am excited to see how they perform in the playoffs.
And by the way, does anyone have better glasses in baseball than Joe Maddon? I love his specs.

Ut Oh....

Chicago Cubs SP Carlos Zambrano will have his arm examined on Wednesday after experiencing the dreaded "discomfort" after his start in Houston today. Can't the Cubs ever get a break? they finally have an amazing team that oozes talent, but now as we come down the home stretch, the Cubs horse is coming up lame. What gives? Nineteen-Oh-Eight....

But in all seriousness, I think that the Cubs will be okay for now, even without Big Z. The Cubs are far enough ahead of the pack, which means that they can afford to rest Zambrano for a few weeks as long as his injury is not that serious. They also have some quality arms that can take the ball in Big Z's absence, namely Sean Marshall. The Cubs have a great bullpen, a fantastic offense, and quality starters (Lilly, Marquis, Dempster, Harden) to carry the burden if Zambrano cannot perform. The pressure will especially be on Harden to be the ace of the staff, a role that he has taken too so far during his time in a Cub uni.

But if Zambrano is out for the rest of the season, expect fans in Milwaukee, St. Louis, New York, Philadelphia, and Arizona to breathe a sigh of relief. Because even though Big Z's stats are not great (3.58 ERA), he is still a great pitcher and a guy that makes me nervous when I see his name listed as the next days starting pitcher.

Commentatize me Cap'n!

To all those out there in the blog world, I am new to this blog experience and I want to know what you think of Jorge Says No! and the posts!

Please comment! I don't care if its positive or negative just please lemme know what you think. As you can see, I am eager to see how my audience likes/dislikes Jorge Says No!
Or email me; I will get back to you in a timely manner.

I cannot wait to start some interesting baseball debate and hope you all enjoy the site. Thanks again for reading.

-Josh

The Yankees (Part I): What went wrong...

The Yankees are done. There you go, I said it. You might remember a few posts back when I refused to say that the Yankees were done, I had seen them come back too many times before. But have no fear fellow Mets/Red Sox/baseball fans, the Yankee run is finally over...and here's why.

1. RISP
Without a doubt, the Yankees glaring weakness this season has been getting the clutch hit. The Yanks have had no problem getting on base this season (.344 team OBP), but when Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi hit .255 and .214 respectively with runners in scoring position, you can understand why the Yankees are only 7th in the AL in runs. The Yankees needed more production from their 4 and 5 hitters this season, but they failed to produce.

2. Starting Pitching
When you have to depend on Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson for quality starts down the stretch, it tells you two things. Firstly, the Yankees need to upgrade their pitching depth up and down their organization. It is simply unacceptable that a team with a $200 million dollar payroll has to depend on these guys for important starts. With all of the pitching injuries these days, it is very important to have quality 6 and 7 starters to fill the void when they are needed.
Secondly, this tells us that the Yankees have had a ton of starters go down. Between Philip Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, and Chien Ming Wang going down, it is hard to blame the Yankees for not having success this season. However, I think that the Yankees should have had a better backup plan in case either of these guys failed to perform or got hurt. Unfortunately for the Yankees, they never developed a solid contingency plan, and thus were stuck in $200 million dollar mediocrity.

3. Matsui, A-Rod, Posada
How many teams can still make the playoffs without their left fielder for 3 months, their catcher for 4 months, and the 2007 MVP for a month? Probably none. And even though Posada played parts of this season, he was never truly "right" and was more of a hindrance than a help.

4. Cano and Melky
Both of these guys were viewed as rising stars by Yankee brass before the season and were viewed as the "young energy" that this aging Yankee team needed. However, both have been massive failures this season. After hitting .306 last season and .342 in 2006, Cano has bottomed out this season to the tune of a .268 batting average and has looked indifferent to playing defense. Oh yeah, and the Yankees gave him a $30 mil extension during the offseason. Yikes.
Cabrera began this season with a great April, but has not looked the same since at the plate and now currently resides in AAA. He will be nothing more than a fourth outfielder and another victim of the NY media hype.

5. Old Guys
Simply put, this team is very old and it is no surprise that they have sustained injuries and major drop offs in production. The Yankees play a very slow brand of baseball and lack the passion or speed of the Angels, Red Sox, and Rays. I'm not saying that they don't want to win, but any baseball fan can see the youth on those teams play a faster up tempo game that has eluded the Yankees all season. Youth is the new trend in the MLB and the Yankees need to forget the longball and stars and put new resources into developing young talent to match the best teams in the AL.

Just Another Reason Why I Love Billy Beane

To me, the best GM in baseball is hands down Billy Beane of the Oakland A's. No GM does more with less than Beane. If you haven't heard by now, Beane stresses a "moneyball" approach to baseball his staff uses statistical analysis to evaluate players. Because of Beane, statistics like on base percentage and slugging percentage have become more valuable than batting average and stolen bases. Despite the fact that Beane is only given $50-$70 million dollar payroll each season, he consistently has in team in the playoff chase and continually finds ways to bring in top talent. Beane had the A's in the playoffs from 2000-2003 and again in 2006. Beane's detractors will say point out how Beane's Athletics have never made it to the World Series, which is true. But how many GM's have had this much success with such a minuscule payroll? Certainly not Dave Littlefield, Jim Bowden, Chuck Lamar.

But despite his success, Beane's most controversial move has come this season when he traded away SP Joe Blanton and SP Rich Harden even though the Athletics were only a few games out of playoff contention. There aren't too many GM's who would trade away two of his best starters when the playoffs are not out of reach. But Beane did it. He is smart enough to recognize that his team was not likely to sustain the same level of success that they had achieved during the first half of the season. So instead of standing pat and hoping that his collection of young players and retreads could actually pull this off, Beane traded his most valuable assets when their value was high for young studs (Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman, Eric Patterson, Matt Murton, Sean Gallagher) who could help the Athletics for the next 5-10 years at very low costs. Beane exploited a trade market that had very few quality arms and was able to move two of his best for great talent.

While I can understand why A's fans would be upset by these moves, to me, this is just another of Billy Beane's cutting edge genius. Beane was able to recognize when the value of his players had reached his peak and he was not afraid to move them for the right price.

Jorge Toca All Stars...Featuring Mike Hessman

Mike Hessman is a true minor league lifer. Hessman, 30, has played in the minors since 1996 and in AAA since 2002 with the Braves and now the Tigers. Hessman plays 3B and hits for tons of power, so you'd figure that he would get a shot to prove his worth in the bigs right? Wrong. Hessman only has 141 major league at bats under his belt despite his impressive 288 career minor league home runs. Hessman's power is stunning. He has never hit less than 16 HR in any of his 12 minor league seasons and is currently having the best year of his career by hitting .270 with 34 HR and 72 RBI. So why can't Hessman get his shot?

The answer is actually quite simple: Hessman cannot hit for average and strikes out way too much. Hessman's career batting average is a horrific .230 and Hessman perennially strikes out 135+ times a season. Hessman bottomed out in 2006 when he hit .165 for the season, which is probably one of the worst minor league seasons in history. Perhaps the one thing that Hessman has going for him is that even at 30, he is showing signs of improvement. Hessman will never be a major league regular, but I do believe that he can contribute some power off the bench as long as he keeps his Ks down. Another plus for Hessman is that the Tigers are terrible this season and should give him a look this season (even with Jeff Larish up).

So good luck to you Mr. Hessman, you deserve a shot to prove your worth and hopefully the Tigers will give you that shot. Maybe you'll have some Jeff Bailey luck and finally get your opportunity to shine. Just remember to make contact and limit those strikeouts.
(Photo: Getty Images)