Carlos Lee could soon be a Los Angeles Dodger. According to reports the Astros have agreed to trade Lee they are simply waiting on his stamp of approval on the deal.
Lee has a partial no-trade clause and must accept the trade before he can be dealt.
The Dodgers desperately need the offensive help. They're 15th in the NL in runs scored and have been shutout in 4 of their last 5 games. All-star slugger Matt Kemp has only appeared in two games since May 13th and is still on the DL with hamstring issues.
It seems like a pretty simple decision to me. Lee can move from the 32-45 Astros (who are 10.5 back in the NL Central) to the 43-35 Dodgers (who are 1.0 game back in the NL West).
Unless of course there's something more important than winning ...
UPDATE (3:50 PM): According to ESPN Carlos Lee is likely to veto the deal to the Dodgers.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Aaron Hill Hits for the Cycle ... Again
Less than two weeks after hitting for a cycle Arizona Diamondbacks 2B Aaron Hill has done it again becoming the first player in more than 80 years to hit two cycles in one season.
Hill's first cycle came on June 18 versus the Seattle Mariners. In that game he went 4-4. He accomplished the cycle in this following order: single, triple, double and finally the homer.
Last night versus the Brewers Hill went 4-5 in hitting for the cycle. This time he started with a double, then singled, hit a homer and had the hardest hit remaining, the triple, which he got in the 6th inning. Hill struck out in the 8th to end his evening.
There have been 294 cycles in Major League history and only three times - before Hill accomplished the feat this season - had a player hit for two cycles in a season. John Reilly (1883), Tip O'Neill (1887) and Babe Herman (1931).
Hill is now one cycle shy of being tied for the most career cycles in MLB history.
Hill's first cycle came on June 18 versus the Seattle Mariners. In that game he went 4-4. He accomplished the cycle in this following order: single, triple, double and finally the homer.
Last night versus the Brewers Hill went 4-5 in hitting for the cycle. This time he started with a double, then singled, hit a homer and had the hardest hit remaining, the triple, which he got in the 6th inning. Hill struck out in the 8th to end his evening.
There have been 294 cycles in Major League history and only three times - before Hill accomplished the feat this season - had a player hit for two cycles in a season. John Reilly (1883), Tip O'Neill (1887) and Babe Herman (1931).
Hill is now one cycle shy of being tied for the most career cycles in MLB history.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Franklin Morales Should Remain a Starter
Last week over on Get Real Baseball I chronicled Franklin Morales' rise to the majors and asked the question whether or not the Red Sox should use him as a starter or a reliever.
In his first start, against the Cubs, he posted this line:
5 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 9 K 0 BB 80 pitches, 65 strikes
His second start was versus the Braves:
6 IP 7 H 3 R 2 ER 8 K 1 BB 86 pitches, 62 strikes
Tonight he got the call against the Mariners and faced off against King Felix. His final line:
7 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 7 K 2 BB 109 pitches, 70 strikes
After tonight, even though it has only been three starts, I'm convinced the Red Sox should continue to allow Morales the opportunity to show what he's got as a starter. His providing, arguably, the best performance of any of the Red Sox starters right now. The 5 man rotation currently consists of Lester, Doubront, Dice-K, Aaron Cook and of course Morales. Beckett and Buchholz are both on the 15-day DL.
Again as I mentioned in the previous article Morales is only 26-years old and it appears the Rockies gave up on him too soon and the Red Sox never gave him a chance; until now.
It would be wise if Bobby Valentine and the Red Sox continued to hand him the ball every 5th game.
In his first start, against the Cubs, he posted this line:
5 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 9 K 0 BB 80 pitches, 65 strikes
His second start was versus the Braves:
6 IP 7 H 3 R 2 ER 8 K 1 BB 86 pitches, 62 strikes
Tonight he got the call against the Mariners and faced off against King Felix. His final line:
7 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 7 K 2 BB 109 pitches, 70 strikes
After tonight, even though it has only been three starts, I'm convinced the Red Sox should continue to allow Morales the opportunity to show what he's got as a starter. His providing, arguably, the best performance of any of the Red Sox starters right now. The 5 man rotation currently consists of Lester, Doubront, Dice-K, Aaron Cook and of course Morales. Beckett and Buchholz are both on the 15-day DL.
Again as I mentioned in the previous article Morales is only 26-years old and it appears the Rockies gave up on him too soon and the Red Sox never gave him a chance; until now.
It would be wise if Bobby Valentine and the Red Sox continued to hand him the ball every 5th game.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Jacoby Ellsbury Begins Rehab Assignment
OF Jacoby Ellsbury has joined injured teammate Carl Crawford in the Gulf Coast rookie league in Florida as both prepare to return to the Boston Red Sox lineup.
Ellsbury has been out since virtually the beginning of the season (April 14th to be exact). Ellsbury injured his shoulder on a collision at 2nd base.
Ellsbury was one of the Red Sox best players last season hitting a team high 32 home-runs while posting a .928 OPS.
No time table has been set for Ellsbury's return to the Majors.
The sooner the Red Sox get both players back the better.
Ellsbury has been out since virtually the beginning of the season (April 14th to be exact). Ellsbury injured his shoulder on a collision at 2nd base.
Ellsbury was one of the Red Sox best players last season hitting a team high 32 home-runs while posting a .928 OPS.
No time table has been set for Ellsbury's return to the Majors.
The sooner the Red Sox get both players back the better.
MLB Don't Look Now But ...
... The New York Yankees are sitting pretty with the best record in baseball at 46-28.
For those of us that dislike (to put it nicely) the Yankees season started out pretty promising. Off-season acquisition SP Michael Pineda went down with a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder. Out for the season. Then on May 3rd the swan song season for uber-closer Mariano Rivera came to a sudden halt. Rivera tore his ACL shagging fly balls in batting practice. Many expected the 42-year old Rivera to retire at the end of the season even though he himself had been mum on his future. Most now seem to think he'll return for another season.
Things couldn't have been worse for the Yankees. They were mired in 4th place in the AL East 4.5 games back of division leader Tampa Bay.
But since that time the Yanks have regrouped and have gone a Major League best 33-16 averaging 4.7 runs scored per game. During that span the Yankees are holding opponents to 3.6 runs per game.
Setup man turned closer Rafael Soriano has come in to replace Mariano Rivera and has put up a sub 2.00 ERA. He had 88 career saves prior to signing with the Yankees to be their setup man before the 2011 so it wasn't as though he was without experience. As the Yankees closer this season he's putting up Riveraesque numbers converting 17 of 18 saves with a 1.88 ERA.
They've also received great pitching from the un-retired Andy Pettitte. Pettitte missed the entire 2011 season after retiring but decided he wanted to come back to the Yankees. They gave him another shot and since rejoining the team on May 13th the 40-year old Pettitte has a 3.22 ERA with 59 Ks compared to 15 BB in 58.2 IP. The Yankees will be without Pettitte for at least 6-8 weeks though as he did fracture his ankle recently and has gone on the 60-day DL.
Helping out on the offensive side of the ball Yankee Captain Derek Jeter has seen his power swing return this season. He has 7 HR in 316 AB after hitting only 6 all of last season (546 AB).
It doesn't seem to matter what troubles the New York Yankees face each season they find a way to overcome them ... much to the dismay of the rest of baseball
Note: The Yankees lost 4-3 to the Chicago White Sox tonight thus giving them a 46-29 record on the season and dropping them a 0.5 game behind the Texas Rangers for the best record in baseball.
For those of us that dislike (to put it nicely) the Yankees season started out pretty promising. Off-season acquisition SP Michael Pineda went down with a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder. Out for the season. Then on May 3rd the swan song season for uber-closer Mariano Rivera came to a sudden halt. Rivera tore his ACL shagging fly balls in batting practice. Many expected the 42-year old Rivera to retire at the end of the season even though he himself had been mum on his future. Most now seem to think he'll return for another season.
Things couldn't have been worse for the Yankees. They were mired in 4th place in the AL East 4.5 games back of division leader Tampa Bay.
But since that time the Yanks have regrouped and have gone a Major League best 33-16 averaging 4.7 runs scored per game. During that span the Yankees are holding opponents to 3.6 runs per game.
Setup man turned closer Rafael Soriano has come in to replace Mariano Rivera and has put up a sub 2.00 ERA. He had 88 career saves prior to signing with the Yankees to be their setup man before the 2011 so it wasn't as though he was without experience. As the Yankees closer this season he's putting up Riveraesque numbers converting 17 of 18 saves with a 1.88 ERA.
They've also received great pitching from the un-retired Andy Pettitte. Pettitte missed the entire 2011 season after retiring but decided he wanted to come back to the Yankees. They gave him another shot and since rejoining the team on May 13th the 40-year old Pettitte has a 3.22 ERA with 59 Ks compared to 15 BB in 58.2 IP. The Yankees will be without Pettitte for at least 6-8 weeks though as he did fracture his ankle recently and has gone on the 60-day DL.
Helping out on the offensive side of the ball Yankee Captain Derek Jeter has seen his power swing return this season. He has 7 HR in 316 AB after hitting only 6 all of last season (546 AB).
It doesn't seem to matter what troubles the New York Yankees face each season they find a way to overcome them ... much to the dismay of the rest of baseball
Note: The Yankees lost 4-3 to the Chicago White Sox tonight thus giving them a 46-29 record on the season and dropping them a 0.5 game behind the Texas Rangers for the best record in baseball.
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