Cleveland Sports Forum

I thought the Cubs were ready to become the Team of the Decade after their Series win. At least they got that one title, which is more than some team I know and love

Yankees have not got much help from Clint Frazier yet, but Sheffield is now their No. 1 prospect:

TRACK RECORD: Growing up in Tennessee, the Sheffield brothers were quite the one-two combination of pitchers. Older brother Jordan went to Vanderbilt before signing with the Dodgers, while Justus signed with the Indians out of high school as a first-round pick. Justus was traded to the Yankees with Clint Frazier in 2016 to help the Indians acquire reliever Andrew Miller. Sheffield quickly made a splash in his new organization. In the playoffs, he pitched the first half of a no-hitter against Binghamton before handing the ball to righthander Taylor Widener for the final four innings. Sheffield missed time in 2017 with an oblique issue and missed one start in 2018 with tightness in his left shoulder. The Yankees moved him to the bullpen in August to prepare him for a bullpen role in New York in September. He struggled to throw strikes in three late-season outings in New York.

SCOUTING REPORT: Sheffield is a starter who attacks hitters like a late-inning reliever. Everything he throws is hard and he shows little finesse. He attacks hitters with an effort-filled delivery. A generation ago, that would likely lead to a move to the bullpen, but today Sheffield will get to prove that his all-out approach can work for five to six innings per start. After much debate, the Yankees sent Sheffield back to Double-A Trenton to begin the season so he could continue to sharpen the command of his mid-90s fastball. He worked to add two-plane break to his mid-80s slider. He was successful at times in this regard, with the pitch showing more depth in particular during his stint in the big leagues. Now, he’ll need to work to repeat the mechanics that allowed him to make this change. His 87-89 mph changeup is too firm for the Yankees’ taste, and they would like to see him figure out a grip that would allow him to get more separation between it and his fastball. The Yankees say that in spurts he showed the ability to dial back his offspeed pitches, but sometimes, especially when he moved to the bullpen, adrenaline took over and he reverted back to throwing everything as hard as possible. They expect to see better results now that his major league debut is behind him.

THE FUTURE: Sheffield will likely return to Triple-A in 2019, but he should make starts big league starts later next season.

Always something interesting in the transactions small print.

Here's a classic baseball name of the 1950s:

St. Louis Cardinals named Stubby Clapp first base coach.

Maybe someone made that one up and put it in a press release.

Baseball’s hot stove will begin to cook this week

By Nick CafardoGLOBE STAFF

NOVEMBER 3, 2018

The GM meetings take place in Carlsbad, Calif., this coming week. Usually they serve as a launching point for activity at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas the second week of December. But the general managers begin their face-to-face preliminaries at these meetings, and also meet with agents in the early stages of the free agent market.

The Nationals already have been aggressive in acquiring reliever Kyle Barraclough from the Marlins and signing free agent reliever Trevor Rosenthal. So that could be a sign that teams are moving more quickly than usual. Players and agents also remember last offseason and how slowly the market moved. Those who signed early seemed to get the better deals.

Here’s a look at what the thinking of each team might be:

AL East

Red Sox — The Red Sox would love to bring their entire team back. They want to re-sign Nathan Eovaldi and Steve Pearce, and then must make a tough decision on Craig Kimbrel. They’ll look for bullpen help if they lose Kimbrel and Joe Kelly. You won’t see too much else unless they deal one of their catchers or if they’re in the market for a second baseman should Dustin Pedroia not make it back.

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Yankees — GM Brian Cashman will try to make his starting rotation great again. Look for the Yankees to consider free agent lefthander Patrick Corbin, Eovaldi, Gio Gonzalez, Dallas Keuchel, and Charlie Morton — while trying to re-sign J.A. Happ. Cashman has said he’ll try to move righthander Sonny Gray to a smaller market.

Rays — The Rays will look for a “bargain” power hitter such as Nelson Cruz, Matt Adams, Adam Jones, or Mike Moustakas.

Blue Jays — The Jays are building with top prospects Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio, and Bo Bichette, but they’ll look to improve their rotation with one of the better starting pitchers on the market.

Orioles — As of this writing, the Orioles do not have a GM or manager. Interim GM Brian Graham will likely represent the Orioles at the meetings. Believe me, the Orioles won’t be active in free agency or on the trade front for some time — unless they’re trying to unload starters Alex Cobb or Andrew Cashner or any other veteran who wouldn’t be of use to them for a while.

Indians reliever Andrew Miller is now a free agent.
GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES

Indians reliever Andrew Miller is now a free agent.

AL Central

Indians — The Indians will have defections in their bullpen, namely Andrew Miller and Cody Allen, and possibly in their outfield with Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall, who are free agents. Another free agent is third baseman Josh Donaldson. So the Indians have some work to do. Brantley, a really good player, would be a huge loss, but the Indians might devote their resources toward a less-expensive outfielder.

Twins — The Twins desperately need a rebound season with their new manager, Rocco Baldelli, who will likely bring the Rays’ ways of doing things to the Central division. The Twins will be hunting for pitching. Could they be a possible trade partner with the Yankees for Gray?

Tigers — The Tigers remain in their rebuild mode, but two interesting players who could be traded are righthander Michael Fulmer and right fielder Nicholas Castellanos. We’ll see if Al Avila has the appetite to trade one or both. Both would be attractive trade chips. The Tigers could be in the hunt for a shortstop with Jose Iglesias testing the market.

White Sox — Their long rebuild will continue. We’re not expecting much to happen here, though there will be dialogue to deal first baseman Jose Abreu for more prospects.

Royals — The Royals continue their rebuild. They could get feelers for Danny Duffy, who didn’t have a good season. But he’s lefthanded, experienced, and with the dearth of starting pitching, could bring back a good return. Duffy (8-12, 4.88 ERA) is 29 years old and will make about $15.2 million a year for the next three years.

Nelson Cruz is entering free agency, so the Mariners may be looking for offense in the offseason.
MIKE STONE/AP

Nelson Cruz is entering free agency, so the Mariners may be looking for offense in the offseason.

AL West

Astros — Keuchel and Morton are free agents, but they have internal replacements for the back end in Lance McCullers Jr., Colin McHugh, and flame thrower Josh James. Look for the Astros to dip into the catcher market, where they could make the Marlins an offer for J.T. Realmuto or target free agent Wilson Ramos.

Athletics — They made great progress this past season in winning 97 games. Could the A’s actually be a player in trying to reacquire Gray from the Yankees? They lose reliever Jeurys Familia, second baseman Jed Lowrie, and catcher Jonathan Lucroy, among others. Lowrie might be re-signed, but the A’s will likely seek lower-cost replacements and also need a starting pitcher or two.

Mariners — They could be losing Cruz to free agency so they’ll likely need offense. Will they be a player for Bryce Harper or Manny Machado? Robinson Cano may move to first base or even DH. They still need a bat or two. If Dee Gordon stays at second base, they’ll need a center fielder. Could Andrew McCutchen be a fit?

Angels — The Angels will be looking for pitching and they’ll pay the price for it. With Cashman and Angels GM Billy Eppler having a close relationship from their Yankee days together, this could be another landing spot for Gray. But the Angels will be in the hunt for Happ or Corbin, and the bigger names in free agency. They may also consider CC Sabathia. They could also use a fourth outfielder who can play center field.

Rangers — The Rangers hired Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward as manager on Saturday, and now GM Jon Daniels’s attention turns to pursuing pitchers. After dealing with the Cubs for Drew Smyly, who missed all of 2018 with Tommy John surgery, expect them to pursue at least one more starter. Drew Pomeranz or Marco Estrada could make some sense for them on the back end.

NL East

Bryce Harper is a high-profile free agent this offseason who will command a lucrative contract.
DUSTIN BRADFORD/GETTY IMAGES

Bryce Harper is a high-profile free agent this offseason who will command a lucrative contract.

Braves — They seemed too young to go far in the playoffs in 2018, but 2019 could be different. The Braves might be in position financially to go after a notable pitcher (Happ, Eovaldi, Corbin) to augment a young staff. They’ll also seek to enhance their bullpen. Take your pick from Craig Kimbrel, Kelvin Herrera, and Zach Britton, among others. They could also go big with Harper and/or Machado.

Phillies — Are the Phillies ready to spend some serious money? It would appear so. Harper, Machado, or both are definitely in play. The Phillies have serious TV money to spend and they have a chance to take the next step in their comeback. Watch for the beginnings of trade or free agent talks on starter and bullpen enhancements. They are certainly one of the teams who could afford the rest of Zack Greinke’s $104.5 million contract over the next three years if the Diamondbacks want to deal him.

Nationals — Don’t count the Nationals out on Harper because they have the money to re-sign him and agent Scott Boras has an excellent relationship with the Lerner family, which owns the team. President of baseball operations Mike Rizzo already has acquired Barraclough and signed Rosenthal, who missed this past season following Tommy John surgery. Rizzo is sick of this team not playing to its potential. He also may upgrade the infield with DJLeMahieu or a facsimile.

Mets — The Mets have a new leader in former agent Brodie Van Wagenen — we’ll see what he has planned. The Mets have a solid core of starters but need offensive help and bullpen reinforcements. It’s all about how much the Wilpons are willing to spend.

Marlins — The Marlins will continue to shed rather than add. They’ll give young players a chance to develop with no option but to exercise patience. They’ll have to decide whether Realmuto is a player they want to build around or trade for more down-the-road pieces. Dan Straily could be a trade chip as a back-end starter.

NL Central

Brewers — What a nice 2018 season. It ended with a Game 7 loss to the Dodgers in the NLCS, but the Brewers aren’t going away. They have virtually all of their team back. A couple of defections in the coaching staff (pitching coach Derek Johnson and hitting coach Darnell Coles) will result in some change. The Brewers must decide whether they want to go with the “opener” concept. Wade Miley and Joakim Soria are two free agents the Brewers must replace or re-sign.

Cubs — The Cubs need an offensive boost, but who they are and where they play are the issues. The Cubs may also have a luxury-tax concern, which could prevent them from a big splash. Minus that issue, you could see them having interest in Machado with Addison Russell suspended to start the season. The Cubs traded Smyly to the Rangers and picked up their $20 million option on Cole Hamels.

Cardinals — They need to do something at third base. They have long coveted Donaldson, so that’s a possibility, but Moustakas might suit them better since they need balance with a lefthanded bat. Harper and Machado also have been linked to the Cardinals, but they generally don’t overpay anyone. They could also dabble in the starting rotation market. A guy like Corbin would interest them.

Pirates — The Pirates made a gutsy move not picking up Josh Harrison’s option, as he was a fixture at second base for a long time. The Pirates are in and out of rebuilding and going for it, so it’s hard to gauge what they’ll do this offseason. They may get a veteran shortstop or re-sign Jordy Mercer.

Reds — They are slowly rebuilding their organization, naming David Bell manager. With Johnson leaving the Brewers to become the Reds’ pitching coach, one wonders whether Miley could be in their plans to rebuild the rotation. Look for them to also be in on Keuchel, Gonzalez, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Lance Lynn, among others.

NL West

It’s unknown if the Dodgers will try to re-sign Manny Machado.
EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES

It’s unknown if the Dodgers will try to re-sign Manny Machado.

Dodgers — They may need to replace Ryu in the rotation if he defects. The big story will be whether they’ll try to re-sign Machado, who didn’t endear himself to a lot of Dodgers players and officials with his no-hustle stance. Anyway, shortstop Corey Seager is scheduled to return after missing 2018 with elbow and hip surgery. The Dodgers have strong catching in their system so they may not want to bring back free agent Yasmani Grandal, who is a defensive liability.

Rockies — With LeMahieu and Carlos Gonzalez hitting free agency, they will be in the market for a proven bat, in the outfield or at second base. There’s also speculation — though I can’t see this — they could deal third baseman Nolan Arenado, who is heading into his last controllable season.

Diamondbacks — Look for some Greinke trade talk this offseason. A big-market team with money such as the Yankees or Phillies could have some interest in picking up the remaining three years of his contract. He does have a no-trade clause to 15 teams. The D-Backs will likely lose A.J. Pollock to free agency so they’ll need to acquire an outfielder. There’s also been talk of a Paul Goldschmidt deal as he enters the final season of his contract. Arizona could be in transition to a rebuilding mode.

Giants — A new GM is about to dictate what direction they go in, but whether it’s more analytics-based or not, offense will be the accent during this offseason. The Giants need some pop (Steve Pearce?) in their lineup. They also need youth.

Padres — Given that their 5.09 rotation ERA was the worst in the NL, starting pitching will be the priority. The Padres spent big on first baseman Eric Hosmer last offseason, so they probably have one big purchase available on the pitching front. Those on the younger side, such as Eovaldi and Corbin, could be on their radar.

Apropos of nothing
J.D. Martinez, right, will work with Rafael Devers in the offseason on Devers’s hitting approach.
BARRY CHIN/GLOBE STAFF

J.D. Martinez, right, will work with Rafael Devers in the offseason on Devers’s hitting approach.

1. Alex Cora said that Rafael Devers will spend the majority of the winter working with J.D.Martinez in Miami. This is a pretty good idea as Martinez can get the 22-year-old Devers in a solid mindset at the plate. This is an even better idea than Devers going off to play winter ball.

2. Roger Clemens and Tom Seaver both loved Bill Fischer, their longtime Red Sox pitching coach (Fischer also coached Seaver with the Reds) who died this past week at age 88. Fischer worked in baseball up until this past season with the Royals, for whom he acted as a pitching adviser. “It’s with great sadness and a heavy heart that I say goodbye to one of my first professional coaches, Bill Fischer,” Clemens wrote in a text. “Fish helped so many of us young pitchers while we were chasing our dreams to be great at the major league level. We visited last Monday about my record-setting 20-strikeout game and how he loved that I struck out 20, but even more that I didn’t walk a batter. For those who don’t know, Fish still holds the MLB record for most consecutive innings without allowing a walk! I will miss this man. He knew that my nickname was Rocket, but he always called me ‘Smoky’ after Smoky Joe Wood. Fish, thanks for being the best at what you did.”

3. Like Eddie Mathews walked behind Hank Aaron, Billy Williams behind Ernie Banks, and Roger Maris behind Mickey Mantle, Willie McCovey walked behind Willie Mays. McCovey died this past week at age 80. He was one of the most feared lefthanded hitters of his era. Some of the most touching comments came from Barry Bonds, who referred to McCovey as his uncle. “Mac, I am crying over losing you even when you told me not to,” Bonds wrote. “I remember asking you what I would do without all of you around. You told me when that day comes — and it will one day — to keep the tradition of Giants baseball living forever. You told me to help the next generation of ballplayers get better. You told me to be thankful that we had so much time to spend together and talk about the love we have for the game, San Francisco, the Giants, and for each other.”

4. Red Sox special assistant Dick Berardino and wife Kathy celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary on the day the Red Sox won the World Series.

5. Now that Cora has had so much success with the Red Sox, will brother Joey Cora, a coach with the Pirates, get a legitimate look for a manager’s job? Joey was once a very hot managerial candidate, but he fizzled out.

6. Texas and/or Baltimore should consider Red Sox bench coach Ron Roenicke for their managerial opening. The constant message Cora gave about Roenicke, “He’s a great teacher.” That’s so important, since as Cora accurately points out, players don’t spend that much time in the minor leagues anymore and the learning continues in the majors.

Extra innings
From the Bill Chuck files — “On May 11, 2011, the Nationals beat the Braves, 7-3, in 11 innings. Washington had tied the game with two runs in top of the ninth on a pinch-hit, two-run single. The pitcher with the blown save was Craig Kimbrel. The pinch hitter was Alex Cora.” . . . Also, “In 2014, relievers made 14,461 appearances. In 2016, relievers made 15,306 appearances. In 2018, relievers made 16,339 appearances.” . . .

Baseball writers finally figured out that pitcher's Wins and Losses are a product of the entire team, not just the pitcher, by voting the NL CY Young winner Jacob deGrom with a record of 10-9. Number of Innings Pitched, 180, didn't seem to be a factor in selecting AL CY Young winner Blake Snell.

I think the revolution began when Felix Hernandez won in 2010 with a 13-12 record but the highest WAR and lowest ERA.
CC was 21-7 that season.

Here's a site with all the contrasting opinions posted at the time:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/blog ... /9159.html

Yankees land James Paxton in trade, send top prospect to Mariners
6:42 PM ET
ESPN

The Mariners and Yankees completed a trade Monday that sends ace left-hander James Paxton to New York for three prospects, including top-rated lefty Justus Sheffield.

The other two prospects going to Seattle are outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams and right-handed pitcher Erik Swanson.

Paxton, who turned 30 this month, has spent his entire career with Seattle. He went 11-6 in 28 starts last season with a 3.76 ERA. His 208 strikeouts ranked ninth in the American League.

The move bolsters the Yankees' thin starting rotation, which contributed to New York's loss in the AL Division Series to the eventual World Series champion Red Sox. He joins a rotation projected to include right-handers Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka and left-hander CC Sabathia.

Paxton made $4.9 million last season and is eligible for salary arbitration. He can become a free agent after the 2020 season.

Sheffield, a first-round pick of the Indians in 2014, is the Yankees' No. 1 prospect and made his major league debut in September with three relief appearances.

The 22-year-old was No. 12 on Keith Law's 2018 midseason rankings of all prospects in baseball. He went 7-6 with a 2.48 ERA in 25 games (20 starts) with Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.

Swanson, the Yankees' No. 22 prospect according to MLB.com, was promoted to Triple-A last season, where he went 3-2 with a 3.98 ERA in 13 starts with 78 strikeouts and 14 walks.

The Yankees picked Thompson-Williams in the fifth round in 2016. The 23-year-old hit .299 with 22 home runs and 20 stolen bases in A-ball with Tampa and Charleston this year.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

FROM JANUARY:

One of the few remaining Orioles left playing winter ball could be setting himself up with a real springboard into a pivotal spring training.

Outfielder Anthony Santander, who didn't make a mark last season as he finished up his Rule 5 draft requirements and wasn't called back up when rosters expanded in September, is currently in the playoffs with Tigres de Aragua after a strong end to the regular season salvaged his time in his native Venezuela this winter.

Santander hit .355 in his last 10 games while ending the winter on a nine-game hitting streak, bringing his average from .227 to .255. He had a two-hit game to open the playoffs and had another two-hit performance, including his first home run of the postseason, to help stave off elimination Tuesday.

And the longer he keeps playing, the more valuable this experience will be for a player who might have to play his way onto the roster, even under a new Orioles regime.

A Rule 5 pick in 2017 who didn't debut that year until August because of elbow and shoulder injuries, Santander played sparingly down the stretch that season and had a seven-week stint as the Orioles' primary right fielder in 2018 after Colby Rasmus lasted a week before going down with a hip injury.

Santander hit .198 with a .547 OPS before the team was able to send him down, and had 17 extra-base hits while batting .258 with a .695 OPS at Double-A Bowie before he went on the disabled list with an infection in his knee. His season never got back on track once he returned, even though he ended the year at Triple-A Norfolk. But by the time rosters expanded, the Orioles left him in the minors.

With Cedric Mullins taking over in center field, Adam Jones still in the picture, and John Andreoli and Joey Rickard still in the mix at the end of 2018, plus DJ Stewart making his debut a week after rosters expanded, Santander was deemed surplus.

Last year was always meant to be a season for him to re-establish himself at a minor league level appropriate for his age after the Orioles took him from High-A to the majors as a Rule 5 pick. That didn't necessarily happen, but Santander did improve defensively at the team's request.

However, his slimmed physique came at the detriment of his power, which was his calling card when the club selected him. If he's getting his swing back with the regular playing time on a Venezuelan Winter League team that also features slugger Jesus Aguilar and infielder Franklin Barreto, he could be an interesting option for manager Brandon Hyde in a crowded Orioles outfield that will also feature Trey Mancini and possibly Austin Hays.

But with all that depth in place, Santander could just as easily find himself on the outside looking in again if he can't show he’s worthy of a roster spot. A clean slate with Hyde and company will help, but so too will the confidence he might carry to Sarasota, Fla., next month.

Pirates plan to use Chisenhall as a "super utility man" citing his experience at 3B, 1B and all the outfield positions.
Meanwhile Erik Gonzalez is hitting nearly nothing but may win their SS job as his competition isn't doing much more and fields less well.

Brantley is hitting just fine for the Astros.

Clint Frazier spring stats are lousy but at least he's back on the field and will be ready to open the season back in AAA

nothing special on Yan Gomes stat line but we know he's a good catcher; he and Kurt Suzuki give the Nationals two receivers far better than we have

Yandy Diaz is only hitting 217 for Tampa but he's actually hit a homer and with a batch of walks his OPS is OK at 725. He was getting lots of time at 1st base but apparently he's back at 3rd now after a competitor was injured

Andrew Miller has only faced 16 hitters; no reason to wear him out; I guess he's healthy enough.
Cody Allen has worked a bit more, facing 22 hitters, one homer allowed in 5 innings: that's the stat to watch with him
[to note by comparison Brad Hand has faced 14, fanning half of them]

Edward Encarnacion on Seattle is actually getting more work at 1b than DH.
Yonder Alonso someone wound up with the White Sox; has hit 3 home runs
Brandon Guyer turns up 0n Chicago too; not playing much or hitting much

Rajai Davis with the Mets has the best OPS of any ex-Indian at 975
Melky Cabrera also with the Pirates is playing a lot, not hitting much

Here's a surprising stat: in 11 spring time innings with the Brewers Josh tomlin has been touched for 3 home runs
and Zach McAllister is with the Rangers and has good enough line that he should make their bullpen 8K 0 walks in 8 1/3

Not surprising:

Francisco Mejia, C, Padres. Mejia had two hits against the Angels, driving in one run and scoring once as well. He is now hitting .414/.452/.862 this spring.

Never a question about Mejia's bat. Always a question about where he plays in the field.

Here's the guy who will probably beat out Gonzalez for the Pirates SS job

Kevin Newman, SS, Pirates. Newman doubled and hit a home run against the Phillies, driving in three runs on the day. He is now hitting .269/.286/.462.

[Gonzalez is hitting about 125]

Ever since I read that Chisenhall would be used as a super utility guy, I've only see him play in RF. Maybe the Pirates were just kidding.

Pirates informed Erik Gonzalez today that he's going to be their starting SS.

Good for him. I think he will do pretty well.

I like him. I think he should do well. He didn't hit a lot in the spring, and they have some younger guys in the minors, so his tenure may be brief.
I think they win the Luplow deal.
Oh but we got Max Moroff
But they also got a well rated kid pitcher.