Monday, January 28, 2013
Miracle Shakeup
The end of December loomed large and the Michigan Miracles were in a quandary. On the one hand they had a solid core heading into 2013 but drafting last meant it would be uphill sledding all the way. On the other hand a little voice was saying...trade....trade.....trade. It has been the Miracles forte to trade and trade often whether it was the Winter Meetings or at the trade deadline. Could I ignore the voices in my head?? Apparently not. Our solid core contained names like A. Pujols, K. Morales, CJ Wilson. They are now but distant memories. Brought into the fold is a solid MRP Drew Storen and Paul Goldschmidt who have both been quoted as saying that playing for the Champion Michigan Miracles has always been a dream of ours. Their wish has come true. Goldschmidt will man 1B in place of King Albert. The numbers may not equal Alberts but they should be very good and we have the advantage of having Paul not only for 2013 but for 2014/2015 as well should we extend him, which is probable. Storen was an unexpected bonus as it appeared that nobody really wanted him. Welcome home Drew....welcome home. The jersey looks great on you. Along with those additions we now have a top 5 pick in round 1. Pending physicals either Carlos Gonzalez, Buster Posey or Justin Verlander will be given the illustrious Miracle (5) year contract. Yes that is correct, if JV somehow falls to 1.5 I will present him with a 5 year contract. SP's like him don't come around often and it would be fitting to see Verlander back in the Miracle Maize and Blue. Now all we have to do is wait for the actual draft. Word has it that in the Green Room Verlander, Posey and CarGo are all hopeful to be joining the Champion Miracles. Miracle fans are excited by any of the three choices. Beyond the top 5 pick, the Miracles traded away their 2.16 pick and 3.16 pick that ultimately became that pick 1.5. Along the way we added a third round pick, a total of four 4th round picks and an extra 5th rounder as well. Eight picks in the first 80. Miracles management along with the millions and millions of Miracle fans are very excited to see how this team looks after the first five rounds. GM Chris Renner has a knack of finding hidden gems in later rounds so excitement is almost as high now as it was when eMLB Series MVP Chase Headley hoisted that beautiful trophy up above his head last fall. We all still get chills just thinking of that. Now all that's left is the waiting game. Good luck to all this year.
Post Meetings..Pre Draft..Division Updates
After another very active Winter Meetings many teams made big improvements and some teams prepared for the future.
East..
1. Oviedo Knights
2. Toledo Mud Hens
3. Dallas Redbirds
4. Atlantic Surge
Surge picked up another 1st rounder in what will allow him to set himself up very well for 2014. He probably won't contend this year but you never know. I tried to trade Pujols to Dallas stating that you sometimes need to made bold moves. I think they really could have challenged in the East had they pulled the trigger but the price was high I won't lie. Pujols will have a huge year in 2013. Pujols landed in Toledo in what was really my only other option to move him. I wouldn't have moved him had I known that Brent thought he could extend him. Even so it was probably on overpay but it is Pujols. Now the Redbirds and Surge will be playing catch up to the top two teams in the East.
Great Lakes..
1. Gaylord Dingers
2. Mid Michigan Tigers
3. Charlotte Orios
4. Olivet Killer Eagles
Gaylord is currently my #5 ranked team and is very glad to live in the GL Division. The other 5 teams are in my bottom 6. Charlotte is on a roller coaster ride and at the end of the meetings I don't think he is as strong as he was early on. big draft ahead for him. Mid Michigan is......well....Mid Michigan. Very quiet during the meetings having really only picked up Sanchez. The 2012 Runner Up Olivet knew that 2013 would be an uphill climb but made quite a few moves that if they pan out could surprise in the GL's.
West..
1. Flying Squirrels
2. Julian Javelina
3. North Texas
4. Arizona Desert Swarm
Right now this is the best division, although when it is done we know the Texas Division will once again be the class of the league, but I digress....The West has my pre draft #1 team and two other top 8 teams so well done West. Contrary to the other three teams out west the Swarm are loaded with early draft pick and with a solid draft could easily make this a four team race this year. This is going to be a very fun division to watch, especially early on and at the trade deadline.
Texas..
1. Hackensack Bulls
2. South Texas Heat
3. Michigan Miracles
4. San Antonio Fire Ants
We all know that this is every ones favorite division. Come on, admit it, it's ok. It pains me to say it but the defending Champion Miracles will have a hard time cracking the top two in this division this year. Both the Bulls and Heat are in my predraft top 6. Neither made huge moves in the meetings but neither really had to. If Hosmer and the freak rebound the Bulls will be tough. If Tulo becomes Tulo again, watch out for the Heat. Berg really got nothing from him last year and still made the championship playoffs. Kudos to Berg. The one and only compliment he will get from me so I hope he reads this. The Miracles have a shot, but traded away Morales/Pujols/Wilson. In the end that was a lot to lose. But I picked up Goldschmidt and Storen and some extra picks. I have 8 of the top 80 picks so I should be able to reload quickly and my first round pick will become my new 5 year contract no matter who it is. With a good draft the Fire Ants could be the surprise team this year. Adding Braun (probably) will automatically make him better.
Hope you enjoyed the read, lets get started.
East..
1. Oviedo Knights
2. Toledo Mud Hens
3. Dallas Redbirds
4. Atlantic Surge
Surge picked up another 1st rounder in what will allow him to set himself up very well for 2014. He probably won't contend this year but you never know. I tried to trade Pujols to Dallas stating that you sometimes need to made bold moves. I think they really could have challenged in the East had they pulled the trigger but the price was high I won't lie. Pujols will have a huge year in 2013. Pujols landed in Toledo in what was really my only other option to move him. I wouldn't have moved him had I known that Brent thought he could extend him. Even so it was probably on overpay but it is Pujols. Now the Redbirds and Surge will be playing catch up to the top two teams in the East.
Great Lakes..
1. Gaylord Dingers
2. Mid Michigan Tigers
3. Charlotte Orios
4. Olivet Killer Eagles
Gaylord is currently my #5 ranked team and is very glad to live in the GL Division. The other 5 teams are in my bottom 6. Charlotte is on a roller coaster ride and at the end of the meetings I don't think he is as strong as he was early on. big draft ahead for him. Mid Michigan is......well....Mid Michigan. Very quiet during the meetings having really only picked up Sanchez. The 2012 Runner Up Olivet knew that 2013 would be an uphill climb but made quite a few moves that if they pan out could surprise in the GL's.
West..
1. Flying Squirrels
2. Julian Javelina
3. North Texas
4. Arizona Desert Swarm
Right now this is the best division, although when it is done we know the Texas Division will once again be the class of the league, but I digress....The West has my pre draft #1 team and two other top 8 teams so well done West. Contrary to the other three teams out west the Swarm are loaded with early draft pick and with a solid draft could easily make this a four team race this year. This is going to be a very fun division to watch, especially early on and at the trade deadline.
Texas..
1. Hackensack Bulls
2. South Texas Heat
3. Michigan Miracles
4. San Antonio Fire Ants
We all know that this is every ones favorite division. Come on, admit it, it's ok. It pains me to say it but the defending Champion Miracles will have a hard time cracking the top two in this division this year. Both the Bulls and Heat are in my predraft top 6. Neither made huge moves in the meetings but neither really had to. If Hosmer and the freak rebound the Bulls will be tough. If Tulo becomes Tulo again, watch out for the Heat. Berg really got nothing from him last year and still made the championship playoffs. Kudos to Berg. The one and only compliment he will get from me so I hope he reads this. The Miracles have a shot, but traded away Morales/Pujols/Wilson. In the end that was a lot to lose. But I picked up Goldschmidt and Storen and some extra picks. I have 8 of the top 80 picks so I should be able to reload quickly and my first round pick will become my new 5 year contract no matter who it is. With a good draft the Fire Ants could be the surprise team this year. Adding Braun (probably) will automatically make him better.
Hope you enjoyed the read, lets get started.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Miracle Two Round Mock...
I strongly encourage any serious owner to give this a try as it opened my eyes about when quite a few of these players might be taken. Without a selection in round two I was able to select players that I might look for with the various teams. I played owner for each and every team. Here we go..
Round 1--
1.1 Charlotte--Miguel Cabrera
1.2 San Antonio--Ryan Braun
1.3 Julian--Justin Verlander
1.4 Gaylord--Carlos Gonzalez
1.5 Michigan--Buster Posey
1.6 Arizona--Curtis Granderson
1.7 Mid Michigan--David Wright
1.8 Dallas--Dustin Pedroia
1.9 Toledo--David Price
1.10 Arizona--Billy Butler
1.11 Hackensack--Yoenis Cespedes
1.12 Flying Squirrels--Ben Zobrist
1.13 North Texas--Felix Hernandez
1.14 Atlantic--Aramis Ramirez
1.15 South Texas--Jared Weaver
1.16 Atlantic--Matt Holliday
All of the names have been bandied about in previous weeks. The top three picks seem to be pretty solid since there is really no reason to bluff but anything could happen and usually does. Moving up to #5 for the defending Champs allowed me to take one of the top 5 players who are all 5 year worthy. Except perhaps Verlander. Long contracts don't always work out well for SP's....do they Atlantic? Any of those 5 I would be very happy with although I don't have a 5 year open. Anyone interested in Pujols??? Our newest owners inherits an outstanding team but I suspect he will be an owner that selects who he is familiar with. Just exactly how deep his knowledge runs will be found out very quickly. North Texas, according to me will get the SP he wanted by trading up. At least it seems like that was the reason he traded up. These picks make the most sense to me and I'm hoping that at least half of them are correct....but who know, anyway, it was fun putting it together.
Round 2
2.1 Charlotte--Chris Sale
2.2 Julian--Craig Kimbrel
2.3 San Antonio--Johnny Cueto
2.4 Gaylord--BJ Upton
2.5 Charlotte--Michael Bourn
2.6 Arizona--Shin-Soo Choo
2.7 Mid Michigan--Austin Jackson
2.8 Dallas--Carlos Beltran
2.9 Toledo--Jimmy Rollins
2.10 North Texas--Kris Medlen
2.11 Hackensack--Jose Altuve
2.12 Arizona--James Shields
2.13 Oviedo--Jordan Zimmerman
2.14 Flying Squirrels--Mariano Rivera
2.15 South Texas--Will Middlebrooks
2.16 Olivet--Nick Markakis
First time doing a second round mock...very eye opening. Charlotte must go SP somewhere...unless he only plans of competing in 6 categories this year. Kimbrel goes early 2nd and Mo goes late 2nd. It may be awhile before another closer goes...does anyone really think Rodney/Johnson can duplicate 2012's numbers? Mini OF run early to mid round. Could mix up the order but they all go in this round I have to believe. Toledo takes another "Name" player while the Bulls reach a bit (or a lot) for Jose Altuve. The Mets take Value in Zimmerman much the same way as last year in taking Hamels and Olivet joins the fun in selecting Markakis. We have sliced off the cream and some would say that the draft will now begin with round 3. Good luck everyone.
Round 1--
1.1 Charlotte--Miguel Cabrera
1.2 San Antonio--Ryan Braun
1.3 Julian--Justin Verlander
1.4 Gaylord--Carlos Gonzalez
1.5 Michigan--Buster Posey
1.6 Arizona--Curtis Granderson
1.7 Mid Michigan--David Wright
1.8 Dallas--Dustin Pedroia
1.9 Toledo--David Price
1.10 Arizona--Billy Butler
1.11 Hackensack--Yoenis Cespedes
1.12 Flying Squirrels--Ben Zobrist
1.13 North Texas--Felix Hernandez
1.14 Atlantic--Aramis Ramirez
1.15 South Texas--Jared Weaver
1.16 Atlantic--Matt Holliday
All of the names have been bandied about in previous weeks. The top three picks seem to be pretty solid since there is really no reason to bluff but anything could happen and usually does. Moving up to #5 for the defending Champs allowed me to take one of the top 5 players who are all 5 year worthy. Except perhaps Verlander. Long contracts don't always work out well for SP's....do they Atlantic? Any of those 5 I would be very happy with although I don't have a 5 year open. Anyone interested in Pujols??? Our newest owners inherits an outstanding team but I suspect he will be an owner that selects who he is familiar with. Just exactly how deep his knowledge runs will be found out very quickly. North Texas, according to me will get the SP he wanted by trading up. At least it seems like that was the reason he traded up. These picks make the most sense to me and I'm hoping that at least half of them are correct....but who know, anyway, it was fun putting it together.
Round 2
2.1 Charlotte--Chris Sale
2.2 Julian--Craig Kimbrel
2.3 San Antonio--Johnny Cueto
2.4 Gaylord--BJ Upton
2.5 Charlotte--Michael Bourn
2.6 Arizona--Shin-Soo Choo
2.7 Mid Michigan--Austin Jackson
2.8 Dallas--Carlos Beltran
2.9 Toledo--Jimmy Rollins
2.10 North Texas--Kris Medlen
2.11 Hackensack--Jose Altuve
2.12 Arizona--James Shields
2.13 Oviedo--Jordan Zimmerman
2.14 Flying Squirrels--Mariano Rivera
2.15 South Texas--Will Middlebrooks
2.16 Olivet--Nick Markakis
First time doing a second round mock...very eye opening. Charlotte must go SP somewhere...unless he only plans of competing in 6 categories this year. Kimbrel goes early 2nd and Mo goes late 2nd. It may be awhile before another closer goes...does anyone really think Rodney/Johnson can duplicate 2012's numbers? Mini OF run early to mid round. Could mix up the order but they all go in this round I have to believe. Toledo takes another "Name" player while the Bulls reach a bit (or a lot) for Jose Altuve. The Mets take Value in Zimmerman much the same way as last year in taking Hamels and Olivet joins the fun in selecting Markakis. We have sliced off the cream and some would say that the draft will now begin with round 3. Good luck everyone.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Miracle Trade
In a somewhat surprising move the Michigan Miracles have traded away both of their first round picks. Moving up in the first round was always in the back of our mind but we were not sure would would be able to secure adequate value in return. The net results of our two primary trades have allowed us to move up 11 spots in round 1 and 6 spots in round three. Our 2.16 pick became pick 5.14. We are very pleased with where we are at this point of the Winter Meetings. Are we finished? Probably not as we have several possible trades still in the works. Time will tell.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Movin' On Up??
One of the young interns we have on board has suggested to us that perhaps it would be in the teams best interest to try and package our two first round picks together and try and move up in the first round. This is not an idea that the majority of the braintrust had considered but we bring on these interns to help us think outside of the box. Could this be a possibility. This is certainly the time of year to consider all options so stay tuned.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Mid Meeting Revieiw
According to many from the Miracle Management Team, the Winter Meetings was going to be a time to have some conversations with various owners and proudly show off our Championship Trophy. Well we did just that but along the way we traded for another pick in the first round along with moving Kendrys Morales East to the Knights while picking up an additional 5th round pick. The Miracles appreciate the effort from Morales during the Championship run but playing his games in the Kingdome along with no longer being OF eligible limited his flexibility. The Miracles don't like to have just one person tied into the UTL position and thats where Morales would have been. Even with the fences being moved in up in Seattle we couldn't be sure of the output we would get. Hence the move. The Miracles now for the first time have two first round picks but do not have a second or third round selection. This will be a new experience for the veteran owner and GM Chris Renner. He was quoted as saying that the Miracles are close to being serious contenders again but could also be close to simply rebuilding during the off season. It remains to be seen which direction the Miracles go and it may be sometime during the season before we actually have an answer to that question.
We have had discussions over this past weekend about possibly trading either CJ Wilson, Mat Latos or possibly both. The Miracles have a knack of securing very solid SP during the middle and late portions of previous drafts so moving these players is a strong possibility. With both SP's playing for potential playoff teams their value is high and so is the asking price. Both give solid numbers across the board and would be valuable to the many teams that see themselves as making a run at the 2013 eMLB title. Along that same line of thought the Miracles have been looking as well for a solid OF before the draft...so if anyone has one available we can certainly open discussions there.
Lots of interesting trades have been made so far and I'm sure the various owners are not done yet. Good luck to all and if interested in any of my SP's, send an offer my way. I'm tired of answering the question of "what do you want for them?". The better question is "what are you offering for me to consider trading them?" I would certainly enjoy having my remaining contracted players return but lets see how the remaining Winter Meetings time plays out.
We have had discussions over this past weekend about possibly trading either CJ Wilson, Mat Latos or possibly both. The Miracles have a knack of securing very solid SP during the middle and late portions of previous drafts so moving these players is a strong possibility. With both SP's playing for potential playoff teams their value is high and so is the asking price. Both give solid numbers across the board and would be valuable to the many teams that see themselves as making a run at the 2013 eMLB title. Along that same line of thought the Miracles have been looking as well for a solid OF before the draft...so if anyone has one available we can certainly open discussions there.
Lots of interesting trades have been made so far and I'm sure the various owners are not done yet. Good luck to all and if interested in any of my SP's, send an offer my way. I'm tired of answering the question of "what do you want for them?". The better question is "what are you offering for me to consider trading them?" I would certainly enjoy having my remaining contracted players return but lets see how the remaining Winter Meetings time plays out.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Final Pre Meeting Mock
This mock, with the exception of the top two picks is totally different from my first one....here we go...
Charlotte--Miguel Cabrera...who would have thunk it.
Julian--Ryan Braun...yet another no brainer
San Antonio--Buster Hymen...err Posey. The versatility helps. I think he lands here
Gaylord--Justin Verlander...could be CarGo but the attraction of the best pitcher in MLB is too great.
Atlantic--Carlos Gonzalez...another can he stay healthy candidate drops to 5.
Arizona--Billy Butler...upside may have been reached but its a good upside.
Mid Michigan--David Wright....slide HanRam to SS
Dallas--Curtis Granderson...big power for a team that needs it
North Texas--David Price...great pitcher for a team that needs one or several.
Toledo--Aramis Ramirez...moving to Toledo to watch the grass grow.
Hackensack--Dustin Pedroia...Bulls couldn't have planned it any better.
Flying Squirrels--Jared Weaver...if we had voted in QS this would have been the King.
Charlotte--Felix Hernandez...if it isn't a starter here we are sending out the men in white coats.
South Texas--Will Middlebrooks...misses out on the big two but may be getting the best one.
I've left off my two picks since they don't matter. This looks pretty damn good to me. Let's get this party started.
Charlotte--Miguel Cabrera...who would have thunk it.
Julian--Ryan Braun...yet another no brainer
San Antonio--Buster Hymen...err Posey. The versatility helps. I think he lands here
Gaylord--Justin Verlander...could be CarGo but the attraction of the best pitcher in MLB is too great.
Atlantic--Carlos Gonzalez...another can he stay healthy candidate drops to 5.
Arizona--Billy Butler...upside may have been reached but its a good upside.
Mid Michigan--David Wright....slide HanRam to SS
Dallas--Curtis Granderson...big power for a team that needs it
North Texas--David Price...great pitcher for a team that needs one or several.
Toledo--Aramis Ramirez...moving to Toledo to watch the grass grow.
Hackensack--Dustin Pedroia...Bulls couldn't have planned it any better.
Flying Squirrels--Jared Weaver...if we had voted in QS this would have been the King.
Charlotte--Felix Hernandez...if it isn't a starter here we are sending out the men in white coats.
South Texas--Will Middlebrooks...misses out on the big two but may be getting the best one.
I've left off my two picks since they don't matter. This looks pretty damn good to me. Let's get this party started.
Texas Division Preview
It goes without saying that the Texas Division is and always will be the class of the league. We are the Bentley's and the rest are Yugos....crap, most of you probably don't know what the Yugo was. Simply put, it was substandard, hence the comparison. Just kidding of course but after the 2012 season which saw the eMLB Champion and BOTH Wild Card Teams come out of this division we will have to be knocked off of our pedestal, we won't willingly step off of it. 2013 however, could be a different story. Pre draft I still have the Bulls/Heat/Miracles as top 10 teams and I have the Fire Ants slotted in at 11.....time to take a closer look.
San Antonio--this team is set in two OF spots, 3B with Panda, 2B with Espinosa who I like and semi set with Ruiz at C although he will miss time. Average and unspectacular SP return and a MRP. Lots of work to do here. If he wins the coin flip, Braun is a lock, if he doesn't we'll see. With the luck Sankey had in 2012 I fully expect him to lose the pick. Unless we make the coin flip in Vegas, then he would probably win it. He should be definitely be shopping Alvarez and after last season he should be able to get a good draft pick for him. Big HR/RBI guys are tough to come by these days, especially in trades. Although a serious run to the Championship playoffs in unlikely in 2013, Sankey should be able to set himself up for a 2014 run. Aggressive WW work and some shrewd trades at the deadline and 2014 could look bright.
Hackensack--2012 looked really bright and the Bulls actually made it to the big dance but it wasn't to be. Impressive considering how little he got from some big horses like Lincecum/Hosmer/Wilson just to name three. 2013 looks good as well but he needs some bounce backs. 1B/UTL is locked down with Hosmer/Howard but if Hosmer starts out slow he could find himself on the bench. Castro is solid at SS. Youk is a big ????? What does he have left? Motte is a solid closer and potentially 4 number 1 starters in his lineup. OF needs to be looked at early and often with only Stanton returning. Great start with him though. Time will tell how many people he actually has to knock in down in South Beach this season. I could see Stanton hitting 45 HR and having under 100 ribeyes. That would suck. 2B will also need to be targeted early on.
South Texas--what team has the most wins in eMLB history? what team has never been in the lottery? what team has the second most number of playoff appearances? the answer to all of them is the South Texas Heat. Our beloved Commissioner. The only problem with this picture is he has NEVER won it all. As always he looks to chance that this season. The biggest key for the Heat this season is can he get a full season out of Tulo? If yes, this could be Bergs year. Getting a full year out of Tulo happens about as often as the Heat wins the championship. In the last 5 years Tulo has averaged 113 games played and 422 at bats. Only once in that time has he topped 150 games played. That is just not enough productions out of your 5 year. On the plus side every other year seems to be good for Tulo and this is one of those years. the only spot of true concern for the Heat is 3B and the pitching staff. Everything else is pretty well set. Will this be his year? For his sake I hope so because I will constantly remind him that I am the defending champion.
Michigan--as seems to happen every year in this league the champion comes from a team that not a lot was expected. The obvious ones fall short. Who knows why. I do know this. A solid core returns to Michigan for another run. But the odds are a repeat is unlikely based on my draft position. It will not however be for lack of effort. The core of Pujols/Desmond/Headley/Dickey/Wilson/Latos and Papelbon gets us off on the right track. OF is a major concern for us as we only have Francour coming back. Although he is slated to start in KC I really don't want to depend on him. 2B will also have to be looked at early but probably not in round 1.
While I don't expect three teams from the Texas division to again make the playoffs I will of course take a closer look after the draft. One more mock draft coming tomorrow.
San Antonio--this team is set in two OF spots, 3B with Panda, 2B with Espinosa who I like and semi set with Ruiz at C although he will miss time. Average and unspectacular SP return and a MRP. Lots of work to do here. If he wins the coin flip, Braun is a lock, if he doesn't we'll see. With the luck Sankey had in 2012 I fully expect him to lose the pick. Unless we make the coin flip in Vegas, then he would probably win it. He should be definitely be shopping Alvarez and after last season he should be able to get a good draft pick for him. Big HR/RBI guys are tough to come by these days, especially in trades. Although a serious run to the Championship playoffs in unlikely in 2013, Sankey should be able to set himself up for a 2014 run. Aggressive WW work and some shrewd trades at the deadline and 2014 could look bright.
Hackensack--2012 looked really bright and the Bulls actually made it to the big dance but it wasn't to be. Impressive considering how little he got from some big horses like Lincecum/Hosmer/Wilson just to name three. 2013 looks good as well but he needs some bounce backs. 1B/UTL is locked down with Hosmer/Howard but if Hosmer starts out slow he could find himself on the bench. Castro is solid at SS. Youk is a big ????? What does he have left? Motte is a solid closer and potentially 4 number 1 starters in his lineup. OF needs to be looked at early and often with only Stanton returning. Great start with him though. Time will tell how many people he actually has to knock in down in South Beach this season. I could see Stanton hitting 45 HR and having under 100 ribeyes. That would suck. 2B will also need to be targeted early on.
South Texas--what team has the most wins in eMLB history? what team has never been in the lottery? what team has the second most number of playoff appearances? the answer to all of them is the South Texas Heat. Our beloved Commissioner. The only problem with this picture is he has NEVER won it all. As always he looks to chance that this season. The biggest key for the Heat this season is can he get a full season out of Tulo? If yes, this could be Bergs year. Getting a full year out of Tulo happens about as often as the Heat wins the championship. In the last 5 years Tulo has averaged 113 games played and 422 at bats. Only once in that time has he topped 150 games played. That is just not enough productions out of your 5 year. On the plus side every other year seems to be good for Tulo and this is one of those years. the only spot of true concern for the Heat is 3B and the pitching staff. Everything else is pretty well set. Will this be his year? For his sake I hope so because I will constantly remind him that I am the defending champion.
Michigan--as seems to happen every year in this league the champion comes from a team that not a lot was expected. The obvious ones fall short. Who knows why. I do know this. A solid core returns to Michigan for another run. But the odds are a repeat is unlikely based on my draft position. It will not however be for lack of effort. The core of Pujols/Desmond/Headley/Dickey/Wilson/Latos and Papelbon gets us off on the right track. OF is a major concern for us as we only have Francour coming back. Although he is slated to start in KC I really don't want to depend on him. 2B will also have to be looked at early but probably not in round 1.
While I don't expect three teams from the Texas division to again make the playoffs I will of course take a closer look after the draft. One more mock draft coming tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Western Division Preview
This division, pre meetings, is the most interesting of the four, IMO. It contains the strongest pre draft team and the one with perhaps the most interesting option available. I'll begin with the latter...
Julian--He has two stud OF's already with perhaps Braun joining the mix if he wins the toss and CarGo/Posey if he loses it. AGon in the fold and a stud 3B in Zimmerman. Hill is solid and apparently VMart has been moved. Here is the question. If he wins the toss and takes Braun, someone explain to me why he wouldn't try and move Zimmerman in order to sign Braun to a 5 year. To me this is a no brainer...so if I'm sitting out there now without a 5 year contract I'd be ringing up the Javelinas and putting a package together. Pick up a couple of other high picks for Zimmerman and perhaps draft/sign someone like Middlebrooks to a three year. Of course this isn't my team but that looks like something a savvy owner like Hoyle has already considered. Time will tell.
Flying Squirrels--hands down the strongest team heading into the meetings. Of course this doesn't always translate to success....last year as I recall the Red Sox were the odds on favorites to win it all and that whole ordeal turned into a train wreck. BTW...who won it all last year?? Rumored additions and returning players make this team look really good on paper. As always there are questions all over. Will Halladay come back? Can Willingham duplicate his huge year? Does Trout=sophomore slump? What will Haren do in Washington? What will Moustakas do?? Although it is a solid group this club may have more questions that it would really like to have. Glaring holes to me are at SS and the entire pitching staff. He mentions trading up but if he can't get into the top 4 I question why?
Arizona--this team in the past has been close but seems to not be able to make the trade to get over the top. Is this owner becoming Doyle 2.0?? This year this team is pretty thin. Four returning contracts only. The good news is three of them are studs. That is just way too many players needed to make a sincere run at anything. I would consider putting Kemp on the block, take the best offer, which will be substantial, and start rebuilding. Any stud pitcher would look good here or any other quality position player for that matter.
North Texas--rumors have NT trying to trade down or out of the first round. I'm surprised Napoli hasn't been offered around yet or maybe he has. No need for him really, he isn't a Ranger anymore. Berkman, AJ, and Profar will probably end up in NT sometime during this draft although the Miracles are strongly considering taking Profar at the end of round one tossing a 3 year on him and waiting him out. If he keeps his pick they could go a number of ways but with strong needs in the pitching department he could go that way or even select the best OF to drop to him.
By far this is the most interesting division right now for me. I see lots happening in the next week or so. I'll be shocked if not much happens. Last up will be the Texas Division where I'm afraid the defending champs will have a tough time. But I was predicted third best in the division by many last year and looked what happened.
Julian--He has two stud OF's already with perhaps Braun joining the mix if he wins the toss and CarGo/Posey if he loses it. AGon in the fold and a stud 3B in Zimmerman. Hill is solid and apparently VMart has been moved. Here is the question. If he wins the toss and takes Braun, someone explain to me why he wouldn't try and move Zimmerman in order to sign Braun to a 5 year. To me this is a no brainer...so if I'm sitting out there now without a 5 year contract I'd be ringing up the Javelinas and putting a package together. Pick up a couple of other high picks for Zimmerman and perhaps draft/sign someone like Middlebrooks to a three year. Of course this isn't my team but that looks like something a savvy owner like Hoyle has already considered. Time will tell.
Flying Squirrels--hands down the strongest team heading into the meetings. Of course this doesn't always translate to success....last year as I recall the Red Sox were the odds on favorites to win it all and that whole ordeal turned into a train wreck. BTW...who won it all last year?? Rumored additions and returning players make this team look really good on paper. As always there are questions all over. Will Halladay come back? Can Willingham duplicate his huge year? Does Trout=sophomore slump? What will Haren do in Washington? What will Moustakas do?? Although it is a solid group this club may have more questions that it would really like to have. Glaring holes to me are at SS and the entire pitching staff. He mentions trading up but if he can't get into the top 4 I question why?
Arizona--this team in the past has been close but seems to not be able to make the trade to get over the top. Is this owner becoming Doyle 2.0?? This year this team is pretty thin. Four returning contracts only. The good news is three of them are studs. That is just way too many players needed to make a sincere run at anything. I would consider putting Kemp on the block, take the best offer, which will be substantial, and start rebuilding. Any stud pitcher would look good here or any other quality position player for that matter.
North Texas--rumors have NT trying to trade down or out of the first round. I'm surprised Napoli hasn't been offered around yet or maybe he has. No need for him really, he isn't a Ranger anymore. Berkman, AJ, and Profar will probably end up in NT sometime during this draft although the Miracles are strongly considering taking Profar at the end of round one tossing a 3 year on him and waiting him out. If he keeps his pick they could go a number of ways but with strong needs in the pitching department he could go that way or even select the best OF to drop to him.
By far this is the most interesting division right now for me. I see lots happening in the next week or so. I'll be shocked if not much happens. Last up will be the Texas Division where I'm afraid the defending champs will have a tough time. But I was predicted third best in the division by many last year and looked what happened.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Great Lakes Division Preview
In the second of four installments I take a look at the Great Lakes Division. This will be a very interesting battle this season with an awful lot of offense residing here, at least before the draft. The upcoming draft will determine a great deal in this division this year. We will see how the pitching shakes out after the draft. First up...
Olivet--There are very few players returning to Olivet for 2013. Larry went all out in 2012 to win the title and came up just a bit short. 2013 promises to be almost a complete rebuild. He has already traded out of the first round to acquire more picks which will equate to more bodies to fill out his contracts and his lineup. That was probably his best option and I will be anxious to see how his draft comes together.
Mid-Michigan--It appears that the top 6 picks in the draft are pretty well set. Mid Michigan has pick #7. I'm sure Keith would like to see Verlander drop to him but I don't think that will happen....if he wants him he will have to trade up, and I don't see that happening given the amount of activity that surrounds him each year. Some solid pieces return along with some not so solid pieces. McCann, Bruce and Scherzer are dependable but the others are unreliable or just not that good. What does he do with pick #7? I have to lean OF here but one of the top SP is not out of the question. In the end I think in a league built around offense will determine his pick.
Gaylord--I think Mike would really like to draft CarGo with the number 4 pick and who can blame him. The consensus seems to be David Wright but I think it may go down to what picks 2/3 do. the offense contains some solid pieces along with some he would prefer not have under contract. But what can you do?? I think he really needs to go offense here but it is entirely possible that we see JV taken here. Would not surprise me at all.
Charlotte--May be the most anticlimactic #1 pick in eMLB history. Choosing Cabrera will round out a very solid offense for 2013. He could use upgrades in certain areas of course, like in the OF, but the key will be what he does with the second pick that he has in round 1. He could certainly go OF with his second pick but with no pitchers on the roster at all it would be a long time to wait to start filling that out.
In the end I think this will be another up and down year for the Great Lakes Division. I don't think there will be a front runner there like last year where it was really decided very early on how that was going to pan out. It will be the draft and who really works it during the year that decides this division. But isn't that always the case. Can't wait to preview this division after the draft.
Next up...the Western Division.
Olivet--There are very few players returning to Olivet for 2013. Larry went all out in 2012 to win the title and came up just a bit short. 2013 promises to be almost a complete rebuild. He has already traded out of the first round to acquire more picks which will equate to more bodies to fill out his contracts and his lineup. That was probably his best option and I will be anxious to see how his draft comes together.
Mid-Michigan--It appears that the top 6 picks in the draft are pretty well set. Mid Michigan has pick #7. I'm sure Keith would like to see Verlander drop to him but I don't think that will happen....if he wants him he will have to trade up, and I don't see that happening given the amount of activity that surrounds him each year. Some solid pieces return along with some not so solid pieces. McCann, Bruce and Scherzer are dependable but the others are unreliable or just not that good. What does he do with pick #7? I have to lean OF here but one of the top SP is not out of the question. In the end I think in a league built around offense will determine his pick.
Gaylord--I think Mike would really like to draft CarGo with the number 4 pick and who can blame him. The consensus seems to be David Wright but I think it may go down to what picks 2/3 do. the offense contains some solid pieces along with some he would prefer not have under contract. But what can you do?? I think he really needs to go offense here but it is entirely possible that we see JV taken here. Would not surprise me at all.
Charlotte--May be the most anticlimactic #1 pick in eMLB history. Choosing Cabrera will round out a very solid offense for 2013. He could use upgrades in certain areas of course, like in the OF, but the key will be what he does with the second pick that he has in round 1. He could certainly go OF with his second pick but with no pitchers on the roster at all it would be a long time to wait to start filling that out.
In the end I think this will be another up and down year for the Great Lakes Division. I don't think there will be a front runner there like last year where it was really decided very early on how that was going to pan out. It will be the draft and who really works it during the year that decides this division. But isn't that always the case. Can't wait to preview this division after the draft.
Next up...the Western Division.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Atlantic Division Preview
This will be the first of four previews of the eMLB teams prior to the Winter Meetings. This helps to refresh my memory of what each team has and gives me a better idea of what each team might or might not do during the meetings. More for me but it may make for some interesting reading while you are sitting on the can taking a Berg. First up...
Atlantic--he should have guys named Hawkeye and Trapper on his team since it is more of a MASH unit than a baseball team. What should he do? As much as possible. What will he do? Probably not much considering his only valuable trade chip can't be traded. Grienke has a NT attached to him. None of his injured players will make valuable contributions this year so really this is a major rebuild. Keep the #5 pick if you think there is a 5 yr worthy player there or trade that #5 pick and try to acquire extra picks. You need quality players. Other than Grienke your best player is named Rizzo. That's a HUGE drop in talent. I will project this as a lottery team for 2014.
Oviedo--this manager has a knack of putting together teams that few think are that good and turning them into, by the end of the year, quality playoff teams. It would appear that he has traded out of the first round. With that being said he has probably acquired extra picks, as is his forte. He is set at 1B, UTL, 1 OF slot, C, 1 SP, although it was reported today that Hamels has a sore shoulder, and 1 closer. The extra picks will come in handy in restocking the cupboards. Nothing is for sure as to who he might select but OF and SP will have to be looked at closely early in the draft but if one of the top 5 pitchers doesn't drop for him look for Oviedo to put off SP and work on offense early.
Dallas--he has a habit of not being able to pull the trigger on trades when doing so could very well help his team. I have seen a slow shift in this philosophy recently but he still believes too much in the players on his team and consequently overvalues them. This year some solid pieces return. Major areas of concern early should be OF and SP/RP. I know he really likes his pitching but Garza and Lynn, at least to me, are far from sure things. With the 8th pick in the first round, which he will probably keep, I could see a top OF being taken. In his mock he has Butler there. I don't see it happening. Too many other needs and knowing him he may select one of the five top SP available this year.
Toledo--welcome to the newest member of eMLB. He inherits a quality club. Very lucky considering what some of us took over when we came into the league. Big needs on the left side of the infield along with OF and RP. Starters are very solid and could be used as trade pieces but he may sit back and see how the meetings play out in his first season. He has been very quiet up to this point in the winter. Lee or Kershaw could bring nice returns if put on the trading block. I could see a 3B being drafted here or a solid OF. All the SS available are pretty good but not worthy of a top 10 pick. You never know. New owners have a way of surprising.
After the draft of course I will preview each team and give out my rankings. Next up...Great Lakes.
Atlantic--he should have guys named Hawkeye and Trapper on his team since it is more of a MASH unit than a baseball team. What should he do? As much as possible. What will he do? Probably not much considering his only valuable trade chip can't be traded. Grienke has a NT attached to him. None of his injured players will make valuable contributions this year so really this is a major rebuild. Keep the #5 pick if you think there is a 5 yr worthy player there or trade that #5 pick and try to acquire extra picks. You need quality players. Other than Grienke your best player is named Rizzo. That's a HUGE drop in talent. I will project this as a lottery team for 2014.
Oviedo--this manager has a knack of putting together teams that few think are that good and turning them into, by the end of the year, quality playoff teams. It would appear that he has traded out of the first round. With that being said he has probably acquired extra picks, as is his forte. He is set at 1B, UTL, 1 OF slot, C, 1 SP, although it was reported today that Hamels has a sore shoulder, and 1 closer. The extra picks will come in handy in restocking the cupboards. Nothing is for sure as to who he might select but OF and SP will have to be looked at closely early in the draft but if one of the top 5 pitchers doesn't drop for him look for Oviedo to put off SP and work on offense early.
Dallas--he has a habit of not being able to pull the trigger on trades when doing so could very well help his team. I have seen a slow shift in this philosophy recently but he still believes too much in the players on his team and consequently overvalues them. This year some solid pieces return. Major areas of concern early should be OF and SP/RP. I know he really likes his pitching but Garza and Lynn, at least to me, are far from sure things. With the 8th pick in the first round, which he will probably keep, I could see a top OF being taken. In his mock he has Butler there. I don't see it happening. Too many other needs and knowing him he may select one of the five top SP available this year.
Toledo--welcome to the newest member of eMLB. He inherits a quality club. Very lucky considering what some of us took over when we came into the league. Big needs on the left side of the infield along with OF and RP. Starters are very solid and could be used as trade pieces but he may sit back and see how the meetings play out in his first season. He has been very quiet up to this point in the winter. Lee or Kershaw could bring nice returns if put on the trading block. I could see a 3B being drafted here or a solid OF. All the SS available are pretty good but not worthy of a top 10 pick. You never know. New owners have a way of surprising.
After the draft of course I will preview each team and give out my rankings. Next up...Great Lakes.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Rumors Abound
With the Winter Meetings still more than two weeks away rumors are swirling as to a number of players changing uniforms and draft picks flying all over the place. Once the first domino falls you either have to join in or take the chance that the moves you hoped to make can still be made once the meeting begin. It seems as though about half the league is joining in and the others??? Not expecting to make many moves during the meeting our beloved Michigan Miracles have a handshake agreement to acquire an extra first round pick and have also shipped a starter off to another team for an additional pick. Renner was quoted as saying that the only other move involving a player would be if we could trade CJ Wilson and acquire an OF bat. There has been some interest in Wilson but at press time it is just that, interest, no names have been swapped. Stay tuned...
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Winter Meetings Pending...
Just when you think you are out you get pulled back in....in a surprise move the Michigan Miracles have a tentative agreement to acquire a second pick in the first round in the upcoming eMLB Draft. Obviously we thought we were pretty well set heading into the meetings but you need to listen when opportunities come up, stated Chris Renner of the Champion Michigan Miracles. This team has the ingredients to do deep in this years playoffs and the second first round pick will allow us to build the strongest team not only for this year but for the next couple of years as well.
There have been some rumblings as to whether Kendrys Morales would be made available. Renner has stated the same line many times....everyone is always available, it all depends on the offer and our needs. Read into that what you want but for what it's worth it appears the Miracles may not be as quiet as first thought. Time will tell.
There have been some rumblings as to whether Kendrys Morales would be made available. Renner has stated the same line many times....everyone is always available, it all depends on the offer and our needs. Read into that what you want but for what it's worth it appears the Miracles may not be as quiet as first thought. Time will tell.
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