Saturday, February 23, 2013

Off-season Trade Reviews

Hey all, basebalguru is back with your trade reviews! Here we go:

The New York Tough Guys and the Minnesota Skeeters kicked off season 26 in World Camp with a blockbuster of a deal.  The Tough Guys got all around 3B Butch Reliaford.  He is coming off a stellar season with 43HRs and driving in 120RBIs.  He also hit a career best 312 and had an OPS of 912.  The Tough Guys are hoping he had duplicate those numbers.  The Skeeters got SP Alex Astacio.  Astacio has had some bad luck with wins and losses as hes only 3gms over 500 in his career but hes got about 50more innings pitched in his career then hits allowed and his ERA is at a very respectable 3.36.  The Skeeters also got 3B slick fielding and swift base running Tripp Heiserman.  Heisermans range has diminished as hes getting older but anything he gets to he should make the play with an above average glove for 3B.  The Tough Guys are banking Reliford keeps up what he did last season. I dont think he does.  This deal favors the Skeeters but not by much.

The San Franciso Fish Tacos cut a deal with new ownership, the Houston Dessert Sluggers.  The Fish Tacos needed an upgrade at SS defensively and they got Keith Beliz. His range is off the charts and his glove is a little below par but he can get the job done.  He wont hit much but hes not their to hit, hes their to field.  In Houstons first move of the franchise they got long relief pitcher Allan Wheeler and prospect starting pitcher Tony Lee.  If Tony Lee can help out on the big league squad then Houstons first deal of their franchise is a winner.

Cheyenne Cherokees made a deal with another new franchise in Camp this season with the Arizona wranglers.  The Cherokees got SS John Dong.  Dong is a power hitting SS who should probably play 3B as he is a liability defensively as a SS. He has gold glove potential at 3B but if he is used as a SS expect a lot of errors as hes below par for every defensive rating for a SS.  Arizona got prospect C RJ Paredes.  This boy can hit but he should never see the major leagues as a catcher. hes more suited for the AL as a DH or play 1B where he cant hurt defensively as much as he can hurt a team behind the dish.  Arizona also got future SP Max Flores.  Flores has all the tools to be a number 2 or 3 starter at the ML level.  Hes only 20 and still has a few years to develop properly if allowed to and not rushed to the bigs to quick, like a lot of new owners like to do.  He should have pinpoint accuracy when all said and done and will have  legit ML fastball.  The Wranglers also got closer Tomas Andino.  He probably wont develop much more as hes has been in the minors for 4yrs.  Hes got 1 of the best knuckleballs you will ever see and on top of that he throws it with such velocity it makes hitters off balance.  He also has above average control of it which is the hardest pitch to control.  Alot of people have had some issues with the wiley vet getting over on some of the new blood in the world but honestly, Arizona wins this deal.  Dong is consistant and will hit arond 30hrs and drive in close to 100rbis but his defensive skills for a SS are really bad and he will also strikeout consistantly more then he drives in runs. for a guy to hit close to 30HRs and have a career OPS of just at 800 is not that great to be honest.  If the prospects Arizona got pan out the proper way this was a steal for them.  Paredes is a better all around hitter then Dong. Flores should be a middle of the rotation guy for many years. Andino is a run of the mill relief pitcher, nothing special.  Flores and paredes can be special.

Syracuse Orange iguanas and previously owned Helena which has moved their franchise to the great aloha state, capital Honolulu Fighting Pineapples have made a deal. Syracuse got two prospects from Honolulu in exchange for 3B kaito Zhang.  The Fighting Pineapples stockpiled talent last season.  Zhang is gold glove caliber at 3B.  His glove and arm are above average and his range right where it needs to be. Syracuse recieved SS Bill Weston.  He probably wont play much SS at the big league level as hes projected to beunder par defensively for a SS at all of the key ratings.  Syracuse also got 2B Greg Boehringer.  Boehringer was in a lose lose situation with Honolulu as they have so much talent at 2B with players at the ML level and the minor league levels all made it a logjam at that position for them, it made someone expendable.  Boehringer should project to be a really good all around hitter and is capable of playing 2B at the ML level.  I would say the Fighting Pineapples got the better of this deal as both prospects wont be better then Zhang and honestly weston, I feel is way overated and they didnt have to give up any of their top of the line prospects to recieve Zhang.

Cheyenne cut a deal with the Fish Tacos of San fran.  Cheyenne got speedy CF Red Hill.  Hill can play multiple positions but is mainly a CF.  He might be the fastest player in the world.  rumor has it that he can shut off a light switch and be out of the room before the light goes out, thats how fast this guy is. If the Cherokees unleash his  speed, hes capable of swiping 90+ and possibly hit the 100 mark. He needs to get on base more as hes a career 275hitter but his OBP is a little low as its a career 321.  The Fish Tacos got the future ace in Bob Kaufman.  The sky is the limit for this kid.  The only flaw, and this is nitpicking at the very least, he wont give you many CGs as his stamina will get you 6-7 great innings day in and day out.  Hes not built to finish games.  Kaufman has alot of developing still as hes only 19 but his fastball and  velocity are off the charts.  He has a great changeup and curveball as a second and third option if the 95+ fastball isnt working that day.  The Fish Tacos front office must think their a bunch of theives as they stole kaufman right under the Cherokees noses.  Cheyenne must have been desperate to get a leadoff CF. The only way this deal  can be justified for the cherokees is if Hill gets his OBP up to around 335 and he gets nothing short of 80SBs.  pitching is a premium and the Fish Tacos clearly win this deal by a landslide.



Persistance pays off.  After a lot of controversy, the Arizona Wranglers finally found a new home for Bruce Dunwoody, with the Cleveland Criminals.  This one was a blockbuster folks, they also sent relief pitcher Ismael Ethier with Dunwoody to Cleveland.  Dunwoody is an absolute hitting beast.  He might be the best power hitter in the world. His tape measure shots are measured by NASA.  He should easily contend for MVP year in and year out.  Ethier is no slouch by any means.  He recorded 147innings pitched last season as a relief pitcher.  Hes one of the few relief pitchers who can take the ball and pitch in 90 to 100 games.  Guys like him just dont come around that much.  Obviously Cleveland had to give up something to acquire guys like Dunwoody and Ethier.  The Wranglers got middle infielder Tris Grudzielanek, hes an all around slick fielder and an all around complete package hitter.  He can hit lefties and righties equally well.  He has an eye that can rank him in the top 10 in walks consistantly every yr.  He should be in the league leaders in OBP when hes fully developed.  He doesnt have elite speed but hes got enough speed and base running prowess to swipe 20-25SBs if allowed.  Very smart baserunner.  Cleveland also sent LF Jack Uribe to Arizona.  Uribe might be better off as a 1B or DH as the guy just is a complete liability on defense. He wouldnt know what a glove was if u slapped him in the face with one, but lets face it, hes not there to play defense.  The bat is all around ready right now to play in the bigs. He should get a little more time to develop his craft of hitting as i wouldnt rush him anywhere.  He can hit righties and lefties equally well.  He can easily swipe 50+ bases in his sleep  and hes capable of possibly driving in over 100RBIs a year and hit 30+ HRs a year.  This guy can contribute in a lineup like very few can with his versatility of power, contact, and speed.  he can bat leadoff or he can bat cleanup.  If ya got a lineup with a lot of depth in it, he can help it out by batting in the lower part of the lineup.  The Wranglers also got 2B Bill Ott.  With an OBP of a whopping 350 career, this guy is the prototypical leadoff guy.  He has a little pop in his bat, he can hit ya around 15 dingers a year. He also can get 20 to 25 stolen bases a year.  He has great range in the field but hes below average glove and arm for any infielder, and outfielder for that matter. I think Cleveland wins this deal convincingly.  Arizona should have found away to acquire some sort of pitching of any sort as pitching is the premium in any world and to  deal MVP caliber player like dunwoody, you got to find away to get a young ml pitcher ready now or get a top pitching prospect.  I think the Wranglers got the best deal they possibly could have got considering they are a new and up and coming franchise, they decided to make a deal with a veteran front office and the Criminals front office  took advantage of that by not dealing any pitching what so ever in this deal.  Chalk this one up as a learning experience for the Arizona front office.  The Criminals lived up to their namestake on this deal.



Cheyennes front office sure stays busy.  this is their 3rd deal of the offseason and found the Charlotte Tobacco Growers as a dance partner.  They got back of the rotation starting pitcher Lance miller.  Miller is coming off elbow surgery and only started 8games last season.  He is somewhat of an overachiever but Cheyenne is hoping he can return back to his normal form.  Hes got a career ERA of 3.51 and a career OBP of 301.  those are phenominal numbers.  He is due over 10mil over the next 2years, which  after coming off surgery thats a risk.  This must have just been a cash dump for Charlotte as they just wanted to get rid of the damaged goods.  They got prospect relief  pitcher Don Suzuki.  Suzuki has one of if not the best slider in the game.  One problem is he cant really control it that well.  Charlotte probably wasnt looking for much inreturn to get rid of millers contract.  Suzuki might not ever see the big leagues.  This deal is a high risk, high reward for Cheyenne and if Miller can return to form, they hit a homerun with this deal.  They clearly win this one. 

Written By: basebalguru
   

Free Agency Recap- Season 26

Now that the free agency is over, we bring you who we thought were the biggest winners and losers coming out of free agency! After it was all over and the door was shut on open negotiations, there were no teams that failed to pick up some key pieces. Some teams could have used some players, but may instead be looking into their farm system or in the draft for the piece they need. The one team, however, that spent a lot of money and did not get much value were the Arizona Wranglers. In the offseason they traded away some of the biggest pieces of their team and failed to replace them in the free agency. They did sign Orval Cedeno for 8 million and Rico Lugo for 9 million. That is 17 million combined and that will be stuck with them for the next 4 seasons. Both players are aging and neither are great hitters, ok in the field but again, not great. Don't see the reason behind these signings but we don't know everything, so there may be something else behind it.

Another team with question marks around their signings is the San Juan Senadores. They did sign Eduardo Diaz and Alcides DeSoto to contracts that I believe are bargain for the two of them. However,  I'm scratching my head on the signings of Koji Ishida and Bunny Young. Koji's contract would be ok, but he does not deserve the $10 million bonus he will be receiving. He is also an average second setup guy at best in my eyes. On the other hand, Bunny is one hell of a hitter, but $19 million this season? He definitely does not deserve that. He will help the team, but they are wasting money in my opinion. He too does not deserve the $10 million bonus he is getting. Regardless, the Senadores do look very solid going into the season and maybe the overpaid players will help them bring home a championship.

A lot of teams were active in free agency, but the winner is the Suan Juan Senadores despite their bad contracts. Since they can afford it, it will really help their team this year; however, I believe it will come back to bite them in the ass in a few seasons. The losers were Wranglers, they traded their stars, and signed older, worse players in response. It make absolutely no sense to me, but we will see how it all works out. Stay tuned Camp fans, the season will begin soon!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Interview with blues_bros

As you all know, the following season after the World Series, we here at the Camp Post get the opportunity to sit down 1-on-1 with reigning World Series Champions' owner. Here is how it went:

Q: What do you think propelled your team to their first championship in franchise history?

A: Pitching. As you mentioned in the blog post, I've been to the post season ten times, but most of my previous teams were built around offensive production (on multiple occasions I had the best offensive team in terms of runs scored going into the playoffs) and I lost to teams with superior pitching. My team last year was built on pitching and it paid dividends in the playoffs. The secondary factor is a combination of the fact that my team got "hot" after the all-star break and I had more overall team speed to help manufacture runs in close games. All that said, my team could still hit... The Cubs led the NL in battering average last year, but it was not the determining factor that finally got my team over the hump... my starting pitching was the difference.

Q: What are your thoughts on this upcoming season?

A: I think I will have a very competitive team once again in terms of making the playoffs. My entire starting pitching staff is returning. That said, the NL looks to be very competitive b/c there are probably 10 teams that have the talent to make the playoffs, but only 6 spots. 

Q: Do you feel you need to strengthen your team in any areas?

A: Yes, I need some bullpen help and maybe a bat or two.

Q: Are you going to look in the free agency or through trades or both to make additions to your team?

A: I'll try to utilize both avenues, but I think I'll primarily focus on trading. The FA market is pretty bad this year and there are multiple teams that have a lot of money to spend, so I can see the few top tier FA signing big contracts. One of my major areas of focus is not to overspend on FAs... so I may be limited to trades.

Q: Do you feel your team can continue this success for many seasons to come?

A: Yes, I think my team will be a playoff caliber team for the coming years. Once again, I have good starting pitching and that is, in my opinion, a key factor in this game.

Q: Do you have any advice for the new owners out there?

A: My main advice would be focus on building a good pitching staff. Chicks dig the long ball, but a team build on big bats alone doesn't usually do well in the playoffs. Secondary advice is don't overspend on FA, particularly if your team is "one" player away from seriously contending. One bad contract can really set a franchise back. 


We would like to thank blues_bros on allowing us to interview him. But pay close attention to what he is stressing in order to win: pitching, pitching, and more pitching! This may be the new path for teams in the league as they try to do the very same thing the Cubs did this past season, win the World Series. We wish the best of luck to them moving forward and next time you here from us it will be on the free agency! See you soon!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A Look Back

Hey all you crazy Camp fans! Welcome to Season 26 of America's favorite pastime. Over the off-season many coaching changes went about, as usual. This season will show you fans how your new management will fair out here in Camp. Among the management changes are cincyred111 taking over the Richmond Cavaliers for livemike, kmcgregor replacing wolves16 for the Los Angeles Diamond Dominators franchise, ramonesfan taking over the Houston Desert Sluggers for kona2008, and finally gbuck41 replacing tessy0035 in the Arizona Wranglers franchise. We here at the Camp Post want to wish the best of luck to these coaches this season and hopefully many more to come! Now that's enough for this season, let's take a look back on last season.

In a season filled by disappearing owners, the new ones that came in did an outstanding job. The owners that were forced into a difficult situation mid-season were mrx39, basebalguru, and csudack. I personally want to give a big shout out to these owners for turning those teams around into fighters and staying with them this season. I wish them the best of luck in the future.

Now the biggest news of last season was the Chicago Cubs on winning their first World Series as a franchise. Owner blues-bros has been there for 26 seasons now and must be ecstatic on the long-awaited World Series title. Over his time as owner, he has had 10 playoff appearances and had never made it past the NLCS until this past season! It was a fantastic run by the Cubs and they deserved the title considering overcoming being the underdogs according to us here at the Camp Post. My guess is that they used that as motivation to propel themselves to their first World Series title. Again, a big congratulations to blues_bros on sticking with it despite a lot of losing seasons for the organization early on, but in the end it all worked out.

Well, that's all we got for you now, stay tuned as we will be updating you fans on all your favorite team trades and free-agent signings and more!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Congratulations!

We here at the Camp Post would like to congratulate the Chicago Cubs on their World Series victory despite being an underdog all throughout the regular season and playoffs! A team that defied all odds throughout the course of the season and came out to be victorious! They used the Camp Post predictions as motivation to propel them to the World Series Title! Owner blues_bros has done a fantastic job with his squad which now sits on top of the baseball world. Hope you all enjoyed this past season and look even more forward to Season 26 of Camp!