I’m not sure what the L stands for, but Josh Hamilton obviously felt LAA was a good fit for him. What I’d like to know is how is California a bankrupt state? The Dodgers and Angels’ salaries combined are equal to the GDP of every country, except China and Switzerland. Mozambique couldn’t afford just Pujols and Hamilton. Forget Greinke, Hanley, Vernon Wells, Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford. Alone, Arte Moreno could sell the Angels and buy Africa. Africa Moreno, that’s what they would call it. Burundi would become Aybarundi, Djibouti would become Dbootyhole and Chad would stay the same name, because that’s a badass name for a country, but Arte would put a country-wide golf course there, because anything named Chad and golf go hand-in-hand. The Angels now have Trout, Aybar, Pujols and Hamilton at the top of their lineup. October 1st called and said Aybar just scored his 197th run. Batting fifth, Kendrys could hit .220 and drive in 100 RBIs. Howie Kendrick… Well, he’ll still disappoint, but this is slightly bizzonkers to have three of the top hitters in baseball all in the same lineup. Trout, Hamilton and Pujols alone hit 103 homers last year. The Astros whole team only hit 146. Specifically about Hamilton, I could throw a lot numbers at you about about how his June through September were well short of his April/May. How his BABIP in April/May buoyed his season average. How not quoting these exact numbers but saying how I could quote them is a lot easier. Honestly, none of these numbers matter. I’d take six months straight of 5 homers/month and a .280 average. I don’t need a .380 average month with 12 homers. The bigger issue for me is you have no idea what you’re going to get from Hamilton year-to-year. One year, he hits 10 homers; one year, he misses 30 games; one year, he misses 55 games. Last year, his K-rate wasn’t good and his homer/fly ball rate was obscene. His swinging strike rate was the worst in the majors. This wasn’t just bad for this year. He had the worst rate since 2002. Mark Reynolds set a strikeout record one year and had a better swinging strike rate. Oh, and he’s 32 years old as of May 21st. He could be in for a huge year, but he’ll probably be drafted before I’m willing to look at him. For 2013, I’ll give him the line of 92/29/109/.277/7. You think adding a top hitter to an already stacked lineup will make it exponentially better, but for fantasy it just spreads out the wealth, as the Angels and Dodgers should do. Anyway, here’s some more offseason moves for 2013 fantasy baseball:
Mike Olt – Before we start giving each other a reach around about the prospects of Olt playing every day, the Rangers and LaRoche rumors are gaining steam. Usually I don’t talk about rumors because I’m not TMZ, but this rumor makes a lot of sense and would send fantasy ripples through the Rangers lineup. Stay tuned. Or not. Your choice!
Ryan Dempster - Signed with the Red Sox. This is such a recent Red Sox-type move. John Lackey takes offense to that comment, and all AL teams take offense to Fenway. Last year, Dempster was the same pitcher for the Cubs as he was for the Rangers. Unless he and Matt Garza visited an old Asian man and made a wish to switch bodies. In Chicago, Dempster was the good kind of lucky to have a 2.25 ERA in 104 IP. In Texas, he was the bad kind of lucky to have a 5.09 ERA in 69 IP. Last year in Great American, his BABIP was .143; in Wrigley it was .240; in Miller Park it was .143. Then in the AL, his BABIP in Arlington was .361; .400 in Anaheim and .500 in Oakland. That’s why he was terrible in Texas last year. His K-rate actually went up in the 2nd half of the year. None of this is meant to say Dempster is going to be terrific in Bahston. He’s just not going to be terrible, either. Hold on, someone’s knocking on my door. ”Hello?” ”Just say Dempster’s an average pitcher with better-than-average Ks and move on!” Oh-kay…. In 2013, I’ll project a line of 13-10/3.90/1.31/188.
Ichiro Suzuki - Signed a deal to stay with the Yankees for $12-13 million. $12 million if he plays for them. $13 million if he cleans the porn out of Hideki’s old locker. Unlike when he was under stadium arrest in Seattle, Ichiro will enjoy hitting at home. Last year, he hit 5 homers after his trade and they were all in The House They Built Across The Street From The House Ruth Built. He also hit .338 in New York. At worst, he’s going to be a great guy to slot into your lineup when he’s home. At best, he might hit 14 homers, .300 and steal 30 bases. I’m thinking Ichiro might be slightly undervalued this year for the first time in his career. For 2013, I’ll give him the line 88/12/62/.289/22.
Jack Hannahan – Signed with the Reds. If only Barbera could’ve been alive to see this. Did you know the key to Hannahan’s swing is he stands perfectly still and just the background changes? This is one of those whatever moves that could come back to haunt fantasy baseballers (<–my mom’s term!). Let’s form a prayer rectangular that Dusty doesn’t give Hannahan too many at-bats at the expense of Frazier.
Skip Schumaker - The Dodgers traded for him. Kids, do you see what happens when you spend $500 million on your pitching staff? Now, the Dodgers are trying to move Nick Punto because Schumaker made him expendable. Ain’t that the appendix calling the tonsils black?
Oh mighty Grey, did I make the right move?
I an NL-Only league where we keep a total of 15 (max 10 active, max 7 rookies), did I make the right move, value-wise? We can keep at this price for two years and then extend for n5 where n=years of contract (max 2). So Segura would be 5-5-15-15.
The deal: Headley (13)
for
Adam Eaton (5), Segura (5), Wandy R (5), Jimmy Rollins (20)
Looks okay…. I do like Eaton and Segura, lots of risk involved…
@Grey: My take is that it’s a gamble on both sides. I also like the upside of Eaton and Segura, but if Headley stays with the Pads AND they move the fences in as reported, he could improve on his 31 HR 115 RBI 17 SB .376 OBP year.
Mets moved in their fences for 2012, it didn’t noticeable help anyone…
@Grey:
Hi Hemmo, Bobbo and Grey
I like this trade from both sides..I am in this league with these guys.
Hemmo got a ton of upside he needed and Bobbo ( KHG ) is willing to take the gamble..
If Headley gets traded Bobbo is shafted.. but lets see who owns Headley by the auction..50/50 he is traded in the league before then..
@KHG: They are already in the process of moving the fences in.
Do you think Ichiro will leadoff and play 130+ games and 500 + ABs?
P@Hats for Bats: PS on my softball team i produced 36/7/44/.460/0 with .500 OBP over 100 ABs hitting third mostly. Can you extrapolate that to 550 ABs for my ego?
HA! That’s hilarious… You should be getting five figures (worth of beer)…
I do think he’ll start by leading off… Probably will bounce around the lineup though… Definitely 500 ABs, he always does…
Has Ichiro fallen to the level of SAGNOF
Not quite there…
maybe , with hamilton , they can finish ahead of the A ‘s .
Ha… Dare to dream…
Hamilton is going to make some fantasy baseballer very happy or very angry next year. I am hoping for angry. There probably just isn’t enough upside to his draft position in that lineup given his injury history.
Agreed…
Your opening blurb was awesome. You’re already in midseason form and it’s not even January! December Grey should teach classes on blogging…. I assume October Grey will be the first to sign up
October Grey doesn’t have fresh material to work with…
“The Dodgers and Angels’ salaries combined are equal to the GDP of every country, except China and Switzerland.” Hahaha! Funny. Didn’t realize their salaries exceeded Japan’s $4+ trillion dollar GDP.
The equipment manager’s $36,000 put them over…
@Grey: Yes they spend in salary but do they provide a health care plan or will they have to buy one on their own to adhere to Obamacare guidelines
Ha… Not sure… All good questions!
I agree you are in excellent form!
You reference a childhood in NJ but maybe I haven’t read enough to guess but your love of Mustaches makes me think Jackson twnshp. I am from Neptune and Howell with Rutgers edification.
Anwyway, 10 team keep 10 QS replace wins. I have been offered Greinke and Hammels for Strasburg. It seems like a no brainer but My head is not fully in Baseball mode yet. Or I can wait to your rankings but my friend may yank the offer.
Thanks! Ah… Six Flags, nope… I’m from Linden (exit 136)… I know Neptune well (100A), hope Sandy didn’t you do too much harm… I’d take Greinke and Cole Hamels…
I’m telling you, the weight of all those contracts are gonna wreak havoc on the earth by ripping Southern California into the Pacific. See you down at Arizona Bay (bonus points if you know where that’s from).
Arizona Bay is from a 15,000 BC Meteor… Is that what you meant by from?
@Grey: Nah, that would be way too intellectual for me, here’s the reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_Bay
Bill Hicks was awesome
@Sky: oh and so is Tool for referencing him.
Ah… Don’t know Hicks…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhwLl4lPY54
too soon ?
Never too soon for Spooky Tooth…
The Angels are like a B-2 bomber you don’t hear it or see it but after it’s done you know something big just dropped outa the sky. So now we have the Josh and Albert show. Potentially 5 guys who can put up 30 home runs a piece, when you throw in Trout,Moralees,and Trumbo. Looks like some high scoring games coming down the line when they play the Rangers and Houston. Can you say home run derby.
BTW – I grew up in Bloomfield,NJ. Can’t remember the exit.
Ha… Yup… That’s around exit 148-ish… My mom went two years to Bloomfield College…
I swear my computer nearly spontaneously combusted upon seeing this news…
Wow, what a deal.
Yeah, pretty insane…
Speaking of Josh Hamilton….I am in a 16-team H2H 6×6 keeper league with OBPS and QS…I need to keep 5 of the following…
Miguel Cabrera
Prince Fielder
Josh Hamilton
Ian Kinsler
Justin Upton
Stephen Strasburg
Gio Gonzalez
R.A. Dickey
Adam Wainwright
P.S. I traded away virtually every worthwhile draft pick (rounds 1-10) to go championship or bust last year. So if that makes any difference as far as who to keep?
Miggy, Prince, Josh, Upton, Strasburg… Nice keepers…
Can’t wait to see the Anibal forecast
He’s nothing terrific on the Tigers…
Grey – what about last year?
44. Ichiro Suzuki – I was telling people to avoid Ichiro for years and it seems like the public perception of him has finally caught up to my reality. To incorrectly quote Drake’s lyrics, “Ichiro has faded way too long, he’s floatin’ in and out of public consciousness.” Crazy for me to say, but I think Ichiro is slightly undervalued now. Is he that different than Brett Gardner? Yeah, maybe a tad. Fielders sic Ichiro’s choppers and his gams aren’t what they were, but he doesn’t look done done, just maybe medium done. 2012 Projections: 80/6/40/.310/30
Look at you reminding December Grey of February Grey… There ya go… He’s gonna be undervalued for another year…
This is similar to what I asked you the other night, but I hope you don’t mind if I ask again (in a different format). I can keep 2 of:
1) Lawrie
2) RZimm
3) Jennings
4) JZimm
5) Minor + Anibal
Rest of the team is:
C Posey
1B Gonzalez
2B Cano
3B
SS Tulo
MI Desmond
CI Frazier
OF Stanton
OF Rasmus
OF
OF
DH Hosmer
SP Bumgarner
SP Medlen
SP Anderson
I plan on carrying 10 SP in this league (H2H) so I’ll focus on that in the draft and filling any other holes. My basic thinking is that I’d prefer to keep high-end talent and draft for quantity, which makes me lean towards Jordan over Minor + Anibal. I’d also prefer that if Lawrie breaks out big time this year, it happens for me and not someone else, so there’s that. You pretty much told me to go with Ryan + Minor + Anibal before, but I wanted to see if that’s still your opinion looking at it this way. I’m leaning Lawrie + Jordan unless you talk me out of it!
You don’t need Lawrie to break out with that team… If Zimmerman repeats last year, you’re good… You want high end talent, then I’d go with the two Zimmerman’s and forget upside… You have Frazier, Medlen and Hosmer for that anyway…
The Angels/Dodgers are jealous of the national debt of the USA so they are doing their best to catch up in baseball terms…
They bought all of those players on a home equity loan!
Always a great read….Desmond Jennings this year, what are your expectations…i hope he finally breaks out
Thanks! I think he can break out, for sure… He’s got a world of potential, could be a 15/40 guy…
APparently Dickey to TOR is dead. https://twitter.com/jakelarsen/status/280089677367746563
If this is true, thank the lord! Dickey is most likely going to be a keeper in 2013 and having him head to TOR would have killed his value.
Yeah, I hear ya… If I owned Dickey, I’d want him Metco…
@Grey:
Bleh. Now it’s still looking like it may happen. I’m just waiting for something to go down to get your take on it.
have to believe that anibal in detroit is a better fantasy play than anibal in wrigley .
oops . almost forgot .
1. yes , i’ll still respect you in the morning
2. the check is in the mail .
3. i don’t chase wins .
4. This food is delicious, mother-in-law.
5. Yes. It IS easier pitching to Billy Butler or any DH than some loser starting pitcher in the NL. Of course, for that reason, my ERA will obviously go down. Or something.
Hey, all things being equal… my ERA would be the same pitching games in Petco with a great defense as it is in Yankee $tadium with clowns like Thome in CF, Jeter at SS, Soriano at 2B, some crippled guy in a wheelchair at 2B, etc… Nevermind the division/money thing.
@Bob: I like Yankee $tadium. Ha…
The Blue Jays will have a Dickey and a Johnson on the same team.
Snigger.
Hehe… Is the deal official already?
@Grey: Rosenthal says they’ve agreed in principle, but it’s contingent on Dickey getting getting an (ahem) extension.
I’m killing myself here.
Ha… Sounds like he might’ve relied too much on his knuckleball…
@Grey: I suppose Wang signing with the Blue Jays is too much to hope for.
And changing their name to the Double Entrenjays… Probably too much to ask…
@Grey: I think AA may have gone too far this time , I don’t like this trade
I agree with you… I think this is a misstep by the Jays…
Who ya’ got in the finale tonight?
Lisa!