The final segment of our review of the Top 40 Prospects from Baseball Prospectus 1999: 8. Jeremy Giambi, LF, Kansas City (BBA: #64, Sickels: #17) What we said last year: "If [Eric] Chavez doesn’t have a smooth transition to the major leagues, Giambi may be the next best bet to win AL Rookie of the…
On Monday, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig suspended Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker until May 1 as punishment for his statements against ethnic minorities, immigrants and homosexuals. Jeff Bower: This is patently absurd. It certainly seems that the repercussions from fans and players are more than adequate punishment for the "crime" and act as an adequate…
Winter ball seasons have come to a close, and there are a number of players in the AL East who have played well enough to improve their chances of tripling their per diem in 2000. It’s possible that the winter-league story with the highest profile is that of Morgan Burkhart. Burkhart is a 28-year-old with…
Part 4 of our ongoing review of the Top 40 Prospects from Baseball Prospectus 1999: 16. Chad Hermansen, OF, Pittsburgh (BBA: #37, Sickels: #46) What we said last year: "A year ago he was one of the top five prospects in the game, and he recovered from a terrible start to hit 28 homers, and…
It’s almost embarrassing, actually, the way Gerry Hunsicker, the general manager of the Houston Astros, has made mincemeat of his competition. This winter, he’s traded two players coming off career years and on the brink of being very expensive for three younger talents with significant upside. The trades cleared payroll space to grant contract extensions…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed OF Orlando Palmeiro to a one-year contract, avoiding arbitration. [1/18] Signed IF Archi Cianfrocco and RHP Brett Hinchliffe to minor-league contracts with spring-training NRIs. [1/19] Signed RHPs Tom Candiotti and Steve Mintz to minor-league contracts with spring-training NRIs. [1/24] Bringing in both Hinchliffe and Candiotti underscores how desperate the Angels’ starting pitching…
Part 3 of our ongoing review of the Top 40 Prospects from Baseball Prospectus 1999: 24. Peter Bergeron, CF, Montreal (BBA: #40, Sickels: #33) What we said last year: "…Bergeron is not the only prospect heisted from the Dodgers, but he may be the best of them…he has a terrific on-base percentage, his range in…
Note: I originally wrote that Kurt Manwaring was still a Rockies property. Thanks to reader Ed Skibbe for pointing out that the team actually bought out his contract, rather than resigning him, so he’s not their problem anymore. -DP Colorado in Transition When Colorado hired Dan O’Dowd as their new general manager, some organizational change…
MORE ROCKER “You hit one home run in the big leagues, it doesn’t make you a home-run hitter. To make one comment like this doesn’t make you a racist.” — John Rocker, Braves pitcher “He has no relationships with the black guys or the Latin guys on the team. He’s lying to try and cover…
On Thursday, baseball’s owners signed a resolution that gave Commissioner Bud Selig significant power to make unilateral decisions to restore competitive balance. While Selig did not immediately go Robin Hood on the likes of George Steinbrenner, this decision has many ramifications for the game, both on and off the field. Joe Sheehan: It’s an ownership…
We’re in a big-offense era, and what position is historically a big offensive position? First base. It wouldn’t be easy to select three American League teams at random and find weak or wide-open situations at the cool corner. But in a random convergence, the AL Central has three such teams all by itself. Most of…
For the first time in a few years, the pack begins to move away from the Atlanta Braves, as the New York Mets make a series of poor decisions. The Philadelphia Phillies, once again, think they’re closer than they actually are, while the Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins take more baby steps toward respectability. Atlanta…
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Signed RHP Matt Mantei to a one-year contract, avoiding arbitration; signed RHP Mike Morgan to a minor-league contract, with a spring-training NRI. [1/14] Is anyone amused that the D’backs seriously underestimated Mantei’s salary expectations, crippling the effort to get him signed to a multi-year deal? Given his spotty health record, this may actually…
Unless you’re the Anaheim Angels–who seem to be taking the term "offseason" literally–the winter has been a busy one for the American League West. New GM Pat Gillick hasn’t been shy about spending the Mariners’ increased budget, the Rangers have revamped their team via a blockbuster trade and free agency and, surprisingly, the Athletics have…
Part two of our ongoing review of our Top 40 Prospects from Baseball Prospectus 1999: 32. Rob Bell, RHP, Cincinnati (BBA: #35, Sickels: HM) What we said last year: "Bell had the best curveball in the Carolina League and led the circuit with 197 K’s last year…between Bell and Scott Williamson, and the addition of…
Superficially, it appears there’s been a lot of fireworks and retooling in the AL East, but what have the teams in the division really accomplished? This is the division that hosts the World Champs, which you would think would be incentive for the others to improve. Yet when you revisit this winter’s activity, you see…