The Dodgers signed left handed starter Scott Kazmir to a three year $48 million contract to fill the void left in the starting rotation when Zack Greinke signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. This will be Kazmir's first season in the National League as he has spent his entire 11 year career in the American League. He has compiled a 98-90 record in 272 games, 271 starts, and he has a career ERA of 3.96. He split last season between the Oakland A's and the Houston Astros where he had a combined record of 7-11 with a 3.10 ERA.
This is not a bad signing by the Dodgers and based on the free agent market this off season, could be considered a steal. The Dodgers could possibly field a rotation of five left handed starters. I do not know if that has ever been done before in major league baseball history but it could be interesting with today's platoon happy lineups. It could neutralize a lot of left handed power hitters.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Let's make A Deal
The San Francisco Giants won the baseball off season's version of Let's Make A Deal when they signed Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija for a tidy $220 million. When looking at the pitcher's closer, did the Giants get the trip to the World Series behind Door #1 or the pair of rag armed mules behind Door #2?
Johnny Cueto at least has a winning record in the majors. He won 19 games in 2012, when he also led the National League in strikeouts, and 20 in 2014 with the Cincinnati Reds. He was acquired as the missing piece of the pitching puzzle for the Kansas City Royals down the stretch last season but he only went 4-7 with a 4.76 ERA after he joined Kansas City's rotation. Cueto did pitch a complete game two-hitter over the New York Mets in the World Series and he did get a World Series ring out of his short stint in Kansas City but he has battled arm problems before and has a little bit of a bad attitude so the Giants do not know which version are the Giants going to get. It cost them $130 million over six seasons to find out with an opt out after 2018.
Jeff Samardzija has the distinction of losing 13 games a season for four seasons in a row and only has one winning season in the majors when he went 8-4 as a reliever in 2011 for the Chicago Cubs. He was turned into a full time starter after that season and he only went 11-13 with a 4.96 ERA with the Chicago White Sox last season. Samardzija was able to parlay that into a five year, $90 million with the Giants. Samardzija is probably just as well known for being a Wide Receiver on Notre Dame's football team but he definitely picked the more lucrative career.
Johnny Cueto at least has a winning record in the majors. He won 19 games in 2012, when he also led the National League in strikeouts, and 20 in 2014 with the Cincinnati Reds. He was acquired as the missing piece of the pitching puzzle for the Kansas City Royals down the stretch last season but he only went 4-7 with a 4.76 ERA after he joined Kansas City's rotation. Cueto did pitch a complete game two-hitter over the New York Mets in the World Series and he did get a World Series ring out of his short stint in Kansas City but he has battled arm problems before and has a little bit of a bad attitude so the Giants do not know which version are the Giants going to get. It cost them $130 million over six seasons to find out with an opt out after 2018.
Jeff Samardzija has the distinction of losing 13 games a season for four seasons in a row and only has one winning season in the majors when he went 8-4 as a reliever in 2011 for the Chicago Cubs. He was turned into a full time starter after that season and he only went 11-13 with a 4.96 ERA with the Chicago White Sox last season. Samardzija was able to parlay that into a five year, $90 million with the Giants. Samardzija is probably just as well known for being a Wide Receiver on Notre Dame's football team but he definitely picked the more lucrative career.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
The Winter Meetings
At last year's Winter Meetings, the Dodgers were movers and shakers. They signed who they thought they needed to sign, they made bold trades, and they completely reshaped their roster. The Dodgers brass did what they felt they had to do and it helped to bring the Dodgers their third straight National League West title.
At this year's winter meetings, they signed a rag armed Japanese pitcher, Hisashi Iwakuma, who only made 20 starts last season due to injury and he may or may not replace any number of rag armed Dodgers pitchers already on the roster, and they re-signed a 36 year old second baseman, Chase Utley, that batted a robust .202 in 34 games after acquiring him from the Phillies late in the season. For $7 million, they might be able to coax Mario Mendoza out of retirement.
The biggest trade they made but didn't make involves what might be the hardest thrower in the history of major league baseball, Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds, but he is being investigated by the secret police of major league baseball for possibly abusing his girlfriend. I can't really understand major league baseball halting the trade unless making him stay with the Cincinnati Reds is going to be part of his punishment.
Taking a look at the Dodgers depth chart on their website, dodgers.com, it looks like a MASH unit already and the spring training is still two months away. They need to unload some outfielders but nobody wants them with the exception of maybe Joc Pederson. They should have unloaded Yasiel Puig last season when he may have still had some trade value but they may have to settle for trading him back to Cuba for a box of cigars, maybe two if they play hardball.
At this year's winter meetings, they signed a rag armed Japanese pitcher, Hisashi Iwakuma, who only made 20 starts last season due to injury and he may or may not replace any number of rag armed Dodgers pitchers already on the roster, and they re-signed a 36 year old second baseman, Chase Utley, that batted a robust .202 in 34 games after acquiring him from the Phillies late in the season. For $7 million, they might be able to coax Mario Mendoza out of retirement.
The biggest trade they made but didn't make involves what might be the hardest thrower in the history of major league baseball, Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds, but he is being investigated by the secret police of major league baseball for possibly abusing his girlfriend. I can't really understand major league baseball halting the trade unless making him stay with the Cincinnati Reds is going to be part of his punishment.
Taking a look at the Dodgers depth chart on their website, dodgers.com, it looks like a MASH unit already and the spring training is still two months away. They need to unload some outfielders but nobody wants them with the exception of maybe Joc Pederson. They should have unloaded Yasiel Puig last season when he may have still had some trade value but they may have to settle for trading him back to Cuba for a box of cigars, maybe two if they play hardball.
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