San Diego Padres Score Major Haul In Trade For Mat Latos

Posted on by Adam Cubbage

“Don’t focus on making money; focus on protecting what you have.” –Paul Tudor Jones

Mat Latos was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. That was the good news for the Reds. 

Now the bad news: Cincy lost this trade in a landslide. 

As reported, Mat Latos, the 24-year old Virginia native who went 9-14 with a 3.47 earned run average in 2011 was traded for Edison Volquez, Yasmani Gandal and Yonder Alonso. For those of you keeping score that is two first-rounders and a 2008 All-Star caliber pitcher going to a team with one of the better pitching minded managers in the league. Checkmate Padres.

Cincinnati got a great young pitcher in Latos. He went 14-10 with a 2.92 ERA in 2010. The talent is there and that has never been the question. It has always been about worth and in this instance the Reds overpaid. 

Edison Volquez and Yonder Alonzo are obviously the key to this trade on the Padres side. Volquez, an All-Star in 2008 with 17 wins and a 3.21, has the ability to be a front of the rotation starter. His problem of course is being healthy, since 2008 he hasn’t been able to put together a full season of health. At 27, he is almost the “throw-in” player for this deal but if he is able to put it together under the tutelage of Bud Black and that coaching staff in San Diego this would be a huge boost to their rotation. 

Alonso and Rizzo (San Diego’s super prospect of the past year) create a problem at first albeit a problem many ball clubs would love to have. Trading Rizzo isn’t an option so Alonso is looking at a move to the outfield. Gandal could potentially close the revolving door the Padres have had at catcher since Benito Santiago if he reaches his full potential. 

While the Reds received an ace, they paid a steep price for this trade. Especially when you look at hanging your organization on one solid (nine win) season on Johnny Cueto and a Jekyll and Hyde Homer Bailey. I give the Padres and “A+” for the haul brought in and a “B-” to the Reds with the possibility of becoming a “D” if Latos regresses and there is no one behind him or they supplement this move with another one shortly after. 

Who is the Better Risk? Yu Darvish vs. Yoennis Cespedes

Posted on by Adam Cubbage

There are two international men of mystery on the free agent market this winter. The market for both has been a relatively quiet one but don’t let that fool you; these two will make an immediate impact with whatever team decides to take a flyer on them and that stove has begun to heat up within the last couple weeks (bidding on Yu Darvish ended today). I won’t begin to speculate which teams will be after them, all i will say is there will be a host of interest as we get into the end of December and into the New year. 

The question I pose is a simple one: Which will be a better investment in the long run. My thought on the matter tends to lean more towards the pitching side because good pitching beats good hitting any day of the week. Period. End of discussion. There is a part of me that feels if Cespedes is placed in the right lineup, with that skill set he can do some serious damage. So lets break it down:

Yu Darvish, Age: 25 Height: 6’5 Weight: 185

What we know: He has, of course, spent his entire career over in Japan and has undoubtedly been the most dominant pitcher in that league. His accomplishments include three strikeout titles, two earned run average (ERA) titles and he is a five-time All-Star of the Japanese League. He’s big, at a sturdy 6’5 and 185 pounds he is no pushover on the mound. He has great command of all of his pitches and his mound presence was proven during the 2009 World Baseball Classic. That was my first glimpse of him on a consistent basis and within a couple games I knew he had the make-up of a front of the rotation guy then at 21. Never mind he has been doing the same things in his teens that he is displaying in his 20’s. his fastball is in the mid-90’s with good movement, and tops out at about 98 miles per hour (MPH). 

What we don’t know: As is the case with most pitchers who come over from Japan we aren’t quite sure if they will be able to adjust to the schedule of the American way of playing. Hideo Nomo, Kenshin Kawakami, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Kei Igawa came over with the same amount of fanfare as Darvish is getting. While the results have been mixed, most would agree the return on the investment hasn’t been what most clubs would have hoped. The exception has been in relief. Japanese pitchers who have been used primarily in relief have shown a greater measure of success. My assumption being it is because they are used to pitching more frequently in the first place. However, with the amount expected to be bid on Darvish’s services, it is very likely he won’t be coming over to do mop up duty or be used as a super set-up man. 

Yoennis Cespedes, Age: 26 Height: 5’10 Weight: 187

What we know: After watching the “Star Wars-like” scouting video I am convinced of two things. He is incredibly strong and he will hit. Pegged by many scouts to be the best player to come out of Cuba in quite some time, he looks every bit as advertised. His youth and enthusiasm make him fun to watch, and he seems to have all five tools necessary to have general managers around the league ready to convince skeptical owners to loosen the purse strings. His hands are quick to the ball inside and with good power the other way it shows he has great plate coverage. He is fast, looking more than capable of stealing between 20-25 bases depending on the team philosophy. In the outfield he was smooth and being a center fielder seemed capable of making the throws from considerable distances.

What we don’t know: My first question is mental make-up. Will he have what it takes to adjust to life in America? He will no doubt need a club with a good veteran presence and fits more of his culture. While I said I wouldn’t speculate, the Miami Marlins seem to fit both. The most recent example I have is Yunel Escobar. The talented shortstop had an up and down career in Atlanta to start, but because of apparent clashes with the old guard he was shipped to Toronto. Knowing he had the talent to be in Atlanta for a long time hurt many Braves fans, but that is the type of culture clash I speak of when I say there is definite need for an adjustment. 

Verdict: I choose Cespedes over Darvish for one simple reason: Track record. Is an investment of $60 million dollars-plus for a pitcher coming over from Japan worth the risk as say $35-$45 million dollars for an outfielder with pop? That figure for Darvish doesn’t even include the bid for teams to negotiate with him. Bottom line if I am putting a contract like that out on the market I would take the risk of an everyday player over that of a pitcher. Darvish, although very, very, talented, has too great of a price tag for me to be inclined to pick him up. 

Ryan Braun Testing Positive For PEDs A Blow For New Era of MLB

Posted on by Adam Cubbage

Only Ryan Braun saw it coming.

Coming off a season in which he won the National League MVP and led the Milwaukee Brewers to their first division title he was supposed to be one of the faces of baseball’s grand new era. An era where performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) was a thing of the past, and baseball was returning to the way it was when it was all about the athleticism and true five-tool talent. He knew what was coming the day it was announced he was the the MVP of his league.  

And ,sadly, it appears we were wrong about the change. 

No, I will not give Ryan Braun the benefit of the doubt. If I am wrong for that then so be it. My opinion has always been the baseball is America’s past time and that will never change. Neither will my view on those who come close to tainting or distorting it. Frankly, it is the reason a player like Ron Santo, who finally was granted entry into the hall of fame post-humously, got overlooked for so long. Because bigger, stronger, and more juiced up players decided they needed to “keep up with the times.” These types of players are the reason a Dale Murphy will get passed over because in the grand scheme of it his accomplishment pale in comparison to the inflated numbers of the “steroid era.” I’m 27 and yes I do care about the integrity of the game. I am not one to that this is just a “sign of the times” because It isn’t.

Cheating is wrong and whether you get caught or not it has a profound consequence on someone. Be it the Don Mattingly’s of the world who had a stellar career but not quite the ability to stay healthy when not aided by something to recover quicker. Or a career minor leaguer who watched someone who was inferior than he was the year before come to camp with a little something extra. It isn’t a fair game when the rules get altered. Period. In Braun’s case, if these tests prove true it will have a resounding impact on multiple levels. 

First, Milwaukee has him locked in at $20 million dollars plus starting in 2016-2020. What kind of player will he be if the substance he was using had an affect on his body or ability? How does Milwaukee deal with having their face of the franchise being labeled as a cheater? Second, going back to the Brewers organization which deal looks better now that this has come to light? What if they go the route of focusing more resources on Fielder instead of Braun? The entire dynamic shifts when you look at who would come with less baggage and at least we know (to this point) Fielder isn’t mixed up with any of the PEDs implications. Third, we look at the recent MVP standings and see a guy like Matt Kemp. As I’ve stated before on this very blog I believed Kemp should be the rightful owner of the MVP award and if these accusations and tests turn out to be true this will validate my opinion more than Kemp’s numbers.

I don’t do well with the steroid era for multiple reasons, but the primary is the negative press it gives to the game of baseball. Just when things are going well, a new system for testing in place, and a collective bargaining agreement is signed without any of the drama of the other major sports this comes out. 

I will not be giving Ryan Braun any benefit of the doubt. Lets jut hope for his sake he has a credible defense. 

Heisman Win Would Be A Special One For Robert Griffin III, Baylor

Posted on by Adam Cubbage

He understands the importance this win would carry. I’m not talking about the the season-opening triumph against a then-ranked number 14 Texas Christian team coming off a Rose Bowl victory and a number two finish in the Associated Press poll. That win was an opening statement that things for Baylor were changing. That change would be placed in the hands of Robert Griffin III. One of the most exciting and fascinating players in college football. His best attribute is his humility as he guided un-ranked Baylor to the upset with a performance many my age describe as “only seen in a video game.” The line?

21/27 passing for 359 yards and five touchdowns. zero interceptions 

A beautiful opening act for someone who is basking in the glow of tonight’s impending announcement. The magnitude of it comes close to his November 19th showdown against Oklahoma. That night Oklahoma had all the reason in the world to defeat Baylor. If not for its number five ranking in the polls, then it was the thought of getting back into the national title picture after Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State. Griffin and the bears had other ideas as he and his team held off Oklahoma late to crush the BCS title dreams of a heavily favored Sooners. It just so happened to be the highest ranked team Baylor had defeated since 1985. Perfect timing. His line from that night?

21/34 passing for 479 yards and four touchdowns to go with 72 yards rushing. Zero interceptions.

He has a knack for making things happen. Yes, there were some stumbles along the way losing to Texas A&M, Kansas State and Oklahoma State. But he was fortunate, and knew that his ability put him in a position to accomplish some special things. Not the least of which was following up that Oklahoma upset with a masterful performance against Texas as he threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 32 yards and added two more scores. When that dust settled he had led his team to two things they had never accomplished as a program. Six conference wins and seven wins at home. 

Truly historic.

Tonight Robert Griffin III finds himself in another situation a Baylor Bear has never found himself in. He’ll go against, as he does every week, some of the heaviest hitters in college football. This time will be different. This time he won’t come out of no where. It will almost seem strange as he is expected to outpace the field this time around. You see, Robert Griffin III (or RG3 as he is becoming known) has come too far to let expectation or fear of anything stop him from a masterful performance tonight. So as the envelope is passed and then read he should hear his name called as the 77th winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy. It will be a special one for a special player and another first for his team. His line?

Well hopefully it will start off with thanking a higher power followed closely by his mother. 

The NBA Almost Had Me Back. Then I Remembered Why I Left.

Posted on by Adam Cubbage

I’ll admit I’ve been a borderline NBA fan for the better part of a decade. That time between February and April when the headlines are consumed by basketball is the definition of a black hole for me. Which is why last year was strange. I started enjoying basketball again. Maybe it was the night my buddy and I spent in Chapel Hill and Durham, North Carolina watching Duke and UNC play and then meeting the players. Perhaps it was the fact that LeBron did take his talents to South Beach and I was caught up in the “everyone beat Miami” kick. Basketball, for whatever reason, was exciting to me again. Even I couldn’t ignore the infusion of top-notch young talent that has taken over the association and it was a good thing. 

Then they shot themselves in the foot.

This summers lockout was a messy one. Lots of bickering back and forth and name calling only seen on a playground. They knew they had a job to get done and “fortunately” they did it. Even if it was reluctantly and with the realization that both sides were losing lots and lots of money by the day. David Stern (much more on him soon) re-asserted himself as the worst commissioner in sports with his handling of this summers negotiation. While in the end he tried to save some face i think the general consensus is if he would lend an open ear to both sides maybe, just maybe, players and owners alike will be a little more responsive. 

But, despite all of this summers madness I was still excited to watch basketball. I was even more excited once news broke yesterday of Chris Paul going to Los Angeles. I am not a Lakers fan, but at this point the NBA is all about fun for me. It would have been fun to watch CP3 and Kobe Bryant team up this winter. That would have made for some fun times against teams like the Knicks, Heat, Celtics and Mavericks. Dare I say my anticipation for good basketball was at a 10-year high despite the efforts they made to not play basketball this season.

Alas, they vetoed the trade for Chris Paul. No CP3 in LA.

The NBA has a knack for doing things like this. Giving you something then taking it away. I could never be fully invested in the NBA because a situation where a legitimate trade is proposed to teams, and everyone seems to be getting a fair shake gets overturned because owners don’t think it is “fair.” I guess my confusion comes from asking the logical question “what wasn’t fair about this deal?” 

Houston, who is said to have been working on a deal to get Pau Gasol, would have filled a void left by Yao Ming and doing so with a top-three big man in the league. i would consider that fair. New Orleans was receiving Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin and Luis Scola. Those are three very solid players in return for one. Especially when you consider David West is probably out of New Orleans. So what was the problem? David Stern’s backbone. it only works when he’s dealing with the players and not the owners. 

Rumor has it a few owners were upset by the deal and vetoed the trade. David Stern passed it off as an inability to pass off on the deal due to “basketball reasons.” Someone want to explain how making this trade was bad for “basketball reasons?” I’m not a Lakers fan, or a Hornets fan, or a Rockets fan. But the NBA continues to amaze me at its decision making process. For that reason, not “basketball reasons,” I continue to be on the fence about fully investing in the association. 

kayliiex3:
“It goes to show you that it’s really not that difficult to do this,” Jones said. “If you want to stay somewhere, you must play at a certain level. And you have to be willing to make sacrifices. Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I’m not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices…
Gotta love him!! 

Posted on by Adam Cubbage

Batting Cleanup: And then there are guys like Chipper

I Know How It Feels When A Legend Leaves: A Letter To St. Louis

Posted on by Adam Cubbage

I don’t think that I want to meet any of the icons. I don’t think that anybody can quite live up to your expectations. -Jane Horrocks

My first brush with watching a player I enjoyed leave my favorite team was 1997. David Justice was my favorite player in a Braves uniform and I remember the day he was traded, after a 1996 season that saw him sidelined with a shoulder injury, but I didn’t really understand it. This of course was after Dale Murphy was allowed to leave in 1992 to free agency to the rival Phillies. Both of those didn’t have as great an impact on me because while they were great players for the Braves, one was slightly before my time and the other didn’t stay long enough to really feel like he was going to play in a Braves uniform forever. 

Then came the offseason of 2002.Tom Glavine’s exodus.

When Tom Glavine, two-time Cy Young award winner and World Series MVP, left for the New York Mets I was crushed. I was upset. I wanted to see him get beat every time the Braves (or anyone else for that matter) played against him. Yet part of me didn’t really feel that way. I was still appreciative of the eight innings of one-run ball he pitched on October 28, 1995 to give the Braves their first World Series title in Atlanta. I never forgot those moments and I think, as a fan, sometimes that is the hardest part. You never want those moments to go away. Especially not due to the business side of the game. 

I’ve got a theory about iconic sports figures in a city. Today, such a thing is so rare that it could be placed in the realm of historic feats in sports. It used to be commonplace to stay where you were raised. You built a bond with teammates, fans and community. You were as synonymous with the city as any of its historical landmarks and that meant something to a player. Try imagining George Brett, Cal Ripken Jr., or Tony Gwynn in another uniform without immediately thinking afterwards “but he IS that franchise, that city.” It was a sense of pride to stay someplace your whole career. It Meant they gave their all to a fan base that gave them everything. 

Albert Pujols was that everything to the modern day St. Louis Cardinals fan. From the time he broke onto the scene, to the accolades, to the two World Series championships he guided the franchise to in his tenure there he meant a lot to this franchise. There was always conversations and debate of how far he could have climbed in the Cardinals hierarchy of legends. Could he have conceivably passed Stan “The Man” Musial? Could Bob Gibson become an afterthought? Now that he is gone, those won’t even be questions. He’ll continue building his legacy in Orange County for another city and fan base. 

In St. Louis the question will inevitably be “what’s next?” You won’t care that the Cardinals picked up anyone else as long as Albert Pujols is putting up numbers in a box score. Trust me, you will always check their box score to see how he did on a given night. You won’t mean to do it. Sometimes you won’t even know you’re doing it. You just will. Mostly because you remember all the times he used to do the same thing right there in your town. You will curse him out loud for sure, but deep down you won’t mean it. You wouldn’t have two World Series titles and three pennants without him so how could you turn your back on the guy?

Don’t try to find someone else to blame. Trust me it doesn’t work. John Schuerholz was meat in my mind for two years after Glavine left for the Mets. it wasn’t his fault. Then I turned my fan anger towards Glavine and that didn’t work either. Even if the amount of money he left for was “just eight million dollars and one year” it is STILL eight million dollars. Gun to our heads we wouldn’t have left that on the table either. Plain and simple. So don’t blame the Cardinals front office because $220 million dollars is a lot of money. Unfortunately $260 million dollars is more. While it is fun to let the good times continue to roll in St. Louis, $40 million dollars and that Southern California weather will buy you a lot more good times. This isn’t to be insensitive but, again, I ask would you leave that money on the table? Especially knowing you were getting everything you wanted and playing for another class organization? just a thought. 

St. Louis you will be fine. Ten years from now you will do what should be done. You will bring Albert back and place his number where it rightfully belongs. Next to other Cardinals greats who made a meaningful contribution to your organization. Atlanta did it, Green Bay will do it with Favre, Seattle will do it with Griffey and as mad or hurt as you might be so will St. Louis. 15 years from now when Pujols is giving his induction speech at Cooperstown he will brandish all the praise in the world on you for being “the best fans in baseball.” You will be there too. Remembering a 21-year old kid who broke onto the scene with 37 home runs in his first year, and then went on to hit many, many, many more after that. You will remember those times and so will he. In the end it will all work.

For now, though, I don’t scoff at your bitterness. I don’t mock you for looking at him like a traitor.I know how you feel and I won’t blame you for it. Just get used to uttering these two words until all is forgiven:

Go Rangers.