As Ken Burns’ Tenth Inning documentary so subtly points out, if we weren’t so inclined to call the last two decades of baseball history “The Steroid Era,” they would most certainly be defined by the influx of immigrant ballplayers – from Europe, from Asia, and especially from Latin America.  If you demarcate the Steroid Era from the introduction of the “Bash Brothers” (1987) to the retirement of Roger Clemens and …

For the first time since 1997, Baltimore baseball fans have something to get excited about.  Yes, 2010 was their 13th consecutive losing season, but they capped it off by going 34-23 (.596) under midseason managerial hire, Buck Showalter.  The excitement surrounding Buck’s Baby Birds prompted Eric Karabell to predict that every team in the AL East had a legitimate shot at a .500 record in 2011.  And he’s not wrong.
What …

The first round of fantasy mags has hit the stands and mainstream sources like ESPN, CBS, etc. have started publishing their preseason rankings.  Obviously, much will change between now and Opening Day, but I’d like to highlight some relative injustices I’m seeing in my early perusal of these resources.  You can also check out my preseason rankings.
Brett Gardner, LF (Yankees) v. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF (Red Sox)
After posting a WAR of …

When the week began, the only question remaining for the Hot Stove season was how to sort out the plethora of defensively-challenged veterans still looking for work.  You could’ve had your pick of players with Hall of Fame (or, at least, borderline Hall of Fame) credentials, including Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez, and Johnny Damon.  As the week comes to a close, it looks like they’ve all been signed …

Since the mid-nineties, few save diehards like myself, have felt it necessary to follow that friendly fourth-place team from north of the border, the Toronto Blue Jays.  Canadian baseball fans have dwindled, robbed of one franchise and forced to watch another languish in baseball’s toughest division.  You probably don’t realize that over the last six seasons the Jays are actually twenty games over .500, having never won fewer than 75 …

This found its way into by inbox yesterday:
“Last year Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt helped to carry teams into the postseason after being traded at midseason.  Which potential aces could be on the market at this year’s deadline?” – Jerry
Thanks, Jerry.  It’s an interesting question.
Yes, last year Roy Oswalt was traded from Houston to Philadelphia and his dominance during a stretch of a dozen starts (7-1, 1.74 ERA, 0.90 …

The following list anticipates actual production of rookies in standard 5X5 fantasy formats.  This is not a “top prospects” list, which is why you won’t see Bryce Harper or Mike Trout anywhere one it.  Under consideration is not only talent, but also age, opportunity, franchise, ballpark, and positional eligibility.
1.  Domonic Brown – RF – Philadelphia Phillies
Brown managed an OPS above 920 and a batting average above .300 at each …

Rafael Soriano disappointed his fantasy owners yesterday when he signed the largest set-up man contract in the history of the game.  If you owned Soriano last year, you probably got him for a song and he proceeded to be the most productive closer in the game.  In many keeper leagues it would be possible to redouble that value in 2011…if Soriano had signed on to be somebody’s closer.  Soriano chose …

It’s almost upon us.  The first round of fantasy baseball magazines will start hitting the shelves next week.  In anticipation, I want to analyze some fantasy-relevant players who have changed franchises this offseason.  There are still a few outstanding free agents.  Rafael Soriano and Billy Wagner (assuming he returns) are likely worth owning, assuming they land closing jobs.  Carl Pavano has been a solid contributer in recent seasons.  Veteran power-hitters …

Almost exactly a year ago I posted my concerns about the increasing irrelevance of the Hall of Fame.  I didn’t expect there would be much to add this time around.  As predicted, Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven did gain entry on the 2011 ballot, and no accused, confessed, or even merely suspected steroids users got even as high as 50% (with 75% needed for admission).  Several players who I, personally, …

The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that the Cubs are close to acquiring Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays.  Jordan Campbell of Cubbies Crib thinks this is a move that makes the Cubs serious contenders again in the NL Central.  I caution all Cubs fans against such enthusiasm.
Here’s the good news.  Garza is a pitcher in his prime.  He’ll be 27-year-old for the duration of the 2011 season …

ESPN, among others, is reporting that the Rangers are close to signing a $90 Million deal with third baseman, Adrian Beltre.  On one level, this makes plenty of sense.  Beltre was an MVP candidate for the Red Sox last season.  He is a substantial defensive upgrade over Michael Young and an offensive upgrade over Vladimir Guerrero, and he’s younger than either of them.  Nevertheless, I can’t help feeling like we’ve …

A couples weeks back, Brewers GM, Doug Melvin, stunned the mainstream sportswriting world by landing the top pitcher in this year’s trade market, Zack Greinke (I can’t help but point out that I predicted this move a month ago, because it just made so much sense).  The Greinke acquisition, combined with an underrated trade for Shaun Marcum from the Blue Jays, represents what Melvin hopes will be among the crowning moves …

It’s been a busy month, but during a pre-holiday lull I wanted to offer a couple of opinions about the flurry of deals from the concluding week of 2010.  First up, the top two free agent hitters from this year’s class, Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth, both signed seven-year, nine-figure deals earlier in December.  These were the two largest contracts handed to outfielders since Alfonso Soriano signed his $136 Million …

Clearly, Colletti’s job is safe, so long as McCourt Divorcegate continues, which will likely be deep into the 2011 season, if not beyond.  But, at some point down the line, either Frank, Jamie, or a new owner is going to be looking to put this extremely unfortunate chapter in the Dodgers history in the rearview mirror and, at that point, everybody in the current administration will be put under the …

I was doing a little Black Friday browsing, looking at various summation in the wake of the 2010 fantasy baseball season and I was surprised to see several early rankings for 2011 that had unfamiliar names at the top.
Tristan Cockcroft at ESPN started his Top 50 with Hanley Ramirez.   The guys at Bleacher GM were split between Miguel Cabrera and Joey Votto.  I even saw a few cautious arguments …

My man-crush on Russell Martin is no secret.  Honestly, what’s not to like?  Martin plays the game with a tenacity unrivaled by his contemporaries.  His father is a busking saxophonist (thus, the middle-name Coltrane).  His mother is a French-Canadian lounge singer.  Drafted as an infielder in the 17th round (2002), Martin converted to catcher in 2003 and raced through the Dodgers minor-league system.  A flurry of fortuitous injuries helped him …

I’ve run hot and cold on the tenure of Dave Dombrowski.  I believe that the contract he gave Miguel Cabrera (8 yrs./$152 Mil.) may turn out to be one of the best and most value-driven nine-figure contracts in the game’s history.  But that value has been more than offset by excessive contracts handed to Carlos Guillen, Nate Robertson, and Dontrelle Willis, among others.
I railed against the trading of Curtis …

As promised, a peak at the most mouthwatering Hot Stove trade targets…
1. Justin Upton – OF – Arizona D-Backs
Potential Suitors: Everybody & Nobody
Perhaps the greatest indication yet of Upton’s superlative talent is the extent to which all other Hot Stove storylines – Cliff Lee’s free agency, Derek Jeter’s squabble with the Yankees, the Dan Uggla trade, etc. – have been put on the backburner since Kevin Towers announced his willingness …

The trading season got kick-started this week when the Florida Marlins, baseball’s current leader in unabashed greed, sent Dan Uggla to their NL East rival, the Atlanta Braves, for Omar Infante and Mike Dunn.  Uggla’s name has been circling the rumor mill for well over a year, so nobody should’ve been surprised that the Marlins eventually pulled the trigger.  Bu, many were critical of what they got in return: a …