AL West Players To Watch

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Daniel Marino

DeSheilds

Dan Marino continues his trek through each division in the major leagues and giving you one player he thinks is the: Rookie to Watch, Breakthrough Player, The Party’s Over, Non-Roster Invitee Most Likely to Stick, and Just Not Seeing it.

Now, in part five of six, he brings you the American League West:

Part 1: AL East Players to Watch.

Part 2: NL East Players to Watch.

Part 3: AL Central Players to Watch.

Part 4: NL Central Players to Watch.

Houston Astros (more…)

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A’s Trade Former Top Prospects for Jed Lowrie

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Jonathan C. Mitchell

Jed

The Oakland Athletics, in a  move to bolster their major league roster, acquired shortstop Jed Lowrie and right-handed reliever Fernando Rodriguez from the Houston Astros in exchange for catching prospect Max Stassi and former top prospects Chris Carter and Brad Peacock.

The Oakland A’s signed Hiroyuki Nakajima to be their shortstop in 2013 but, before the trade, were slated to give second base duties to Scott Sizemore and third base duties to Josh Donaldson. With none of the three players mentioned above having a proven track record of success in the majors, adding someone like Lowrie, who can play all three positions, was something Billy Beane needed to do for his contending club.
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2013 Oakland Athletics Top 16 Prospects

Posted on December 29, 2012 by mlbdirtstaff

AddisonRussell

The Oakland Athletics were one of the biggest surprises last year as they took the AL West by storm, beating out the loaded Rangers and Angels for the division title. Prior to last season, the A’s shipped off a lot of major league arms and the team relied on a lot of young players. The system lost a lot of notable players who graduated to the majors but it still has a nice mix of pitchers close to the majors as well as raw potential impact players in the lower minors. Below are our top 16 prospects with 2013 opening day age, position, and comments on each player. Below the top 16 is a small list of additional notable names. Enjoy. -Michael Schwartze

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Former Yankees Pitcher Gil Patterson Talks Baseball

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Andrew Martin
Richard Perry/The New York Times

Richard Perry/The New York Times

Because of their traditionally substantial resources, the New York Yankees have had numerous top prospects in their system. While some have gone on to lengthy careers with the Bronx Bombers, many have not been as fortunate. Pitcher Gil Patterson was one among those promising young players. While he only had a cup of coffee in the majors, he was still able to go on to a lengthy career in baseball that continues to this day. (more…)

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Michael Ynoa: High Expectations, 40-Man Rosters, and the Agonizing Burden of Waiting for Greatness

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Andrew Martin

The legend of right-handed pitcher Michael Ynoa began the moment he signed a then-record $4.25 million contract with the Oakland A’s in 2008 as a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic. Because of recurring injuries, he has pitched only a total of 39.2 innings in the five seasons since landing that landmark deal, assuming the identity of a real-life Sidd Finch. Already cursed with having to bear the weight of so many expectations, the load just got even heavier for Ynoa, who despite his rawness was just recently added to the A’s 40-man roster. Earlier this summer I had a rare opportunity to meet this enigmatic player, but left feeling like I had even more questions about the intriguing prospect and what his future ultimately holds. (more…)

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Haren and San Diego are a Perfect Fit

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Jonathan C. Mitchell

After a failed trade that would have sent Dan Haren from the Los Angeles Angels to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Carlos Marmol, Haren’s $15.5M 2013 option was declined by the Angels and he became a free agent.

Haren will be 32 on Opening Day and a pitcher with his track record would be in line for a big payday. Only problem is that Haren hit the disabled list for the first time in his career and saw his velocity sit in the upper-80s, marking the first time his fastball failed to average at least 90 mph. Haren could be a potential bargain and San Diego’s PETCO Park is the perfect fit.

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Baseball Notes From the Past Week: Part 1

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Andrew Martin

The last piece of ticker tape from the San Francisco Giants World Series victory parade had barely fluttered to the ground before the MLB offseason began in earnest. With impending award season, the start of free agency, and general news, it’s been a busy past week for baseball.

***Former major league pitcher Pascual Perez was senselessly murdered in the Dominican Republic during a botched home robbery. The three alleged killers, who have since been apprehended, told police they targeted Perez as part of a plot to steal his $2,400 monthly MLB pension check. (more…)

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Holliday’s Slide Was Far From Bush-League

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Jonathan C. Mitchell

Last night’s NLCS game was full of action including a leadoff homerun, both pitchers hitting doubles, and the slide that no one would shut up about.

In case you missed it or did not hear about it, in the top of the first inning Matt Holliday slid well over the second base bag in an attempt to try and break up a potential double-play. During his slide he took Giants infielder Marco Scutaro out at the knees and then Twitter and Giants fans everywhere blew up. (more…)

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My Rookie of the Year Award Ballot

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Jonathan C. Mitchell

The Rookie of the Year Award, also referred to as the Jackie Robinson Award by the BBWAA and the Willie Mays Award by the BBA, does not have strict voting standards other than the fact that the player must be a rookie. The award, though, has caused many arguments thanks to the way some perceive the standard at which the award should be voted. (more…)

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Picking the 2012 MLB Award Winners

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Andrew Martin

With the focus in baseball being on the fantastic matchups being waged in the playoffs, the intense debate about the end-of-season awards has been tempered for the time being. It’s a temporary lull that will heat up again once the announcement of the award winners near, as many will try to get in their opinions in the form of parting shots, in the attempt to support the various candidates. There have been some truly incredible performances this season, and there are literally no categories without multiple candidates having legitimate chances to have their name drawn from the proverbial envelope. That being said, here are my picks for the 2012 baseball awards. (more…)

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