The 2011 All-Division Team, Part 5: AL West

AL West C: Mike Napoli

Part 5 of 6: American League West


These teams have it easy.  Each NL Central winner had to be compared against each of the other five teams' player at that positon.  In the AL West, however, there are only four teams, meaning the odds of winning are increased.  Last season, six Rangers (Micheal Young, Elvis Andrus, Vladimir Guerrero, Josh Hamilton, Neftali Feliz, and Nelson Cruz) all took home awards.  Will the Rangers sweep through the division again?  Time to find out!

C Mike Napoli, TEX (2nd, first with Rangers)
The Angels are probably regretting trading Napoli away within their own division.  Wait a minute...they didn't!  In what has become a footnote now, Napoli was a part of the Vernon Wells trade to Toronto, but the Jays turned around and swung him to Texas for Frank Francisco just a few days later.  Playing for the Texas Rangers and against his former team 18 times a year now, Napoli had one of the best offensive seasons ever for a catcher.  If he had gotten a full season's worth of at-bats, it easily would have rivaled any of Mike Piazza's best campaigns.  Instead, Napoli, playing in just 113 games due to injury, hit 'only' 30 homers and 75 RBIs.  His .320 average and .414 OBP are unheard of for a catcher, and his .631 slugging percentage would have led MLB, however he does not have enough at-bats to qualify.  No wonder the fans chant his name so much in Arlington.
Competition: Jeff Mathis (LAA), Kurt Suzuki (OAK), and Miguel Olivo (SEA).

1B Mark Trumbo, LAA
The big Trumbo came out of nowhere and took on the AL while manning first base in Anaheim, much like teammate Kendrys Morales did two years ago.  The only difference is Morales can and does walk with any regularity whatsoever.  Trumbo and his 25 walks?  Nope.  Luckily, his 29 home runs got the Angels going and kept them in the shadows of contention all season until a late surge fell short.  The fan favorite got AL Rookie of the Year voting and has an impressive power swing, but will need to make adjustments if he was to continue to have success.
Competition: Mitch Moreland (TEX), Justin Smoak (SEA), and Daric Barton (OAK).

AL West 2B: Ian Kinsler
Don't try this at home, kids.

2B Ian Kinsler, TEX
In the healthiest season of his career, Kinsler put together his best season yet.  Returning to 30-30 form that eluded him in an injury-riddled 2010, he walked 27 times more than he ever had in a season.  It's hard for me to quantify how great of an overall player Kinsler really is.  I mean how often do second basemen hit 30 home runs?  Most importantly, though, Kinsler is still one of the longest tenured on these championship contending Rangers teams and is a definite team leader, representing his entire state (the Astros don't count).
Competition: Jemile Weeks (OAK), Howie Kendrick (LAA), and Dustin Ackley (SEA).

3B Adrian Beltre, TEX (2nd, first with Rangers)
As if offense was ever a problem for the Texas Rangers, GM Jon Daniels swept in during the offseason and snatched Beltre, a big surprise to many who thought he'd go to the Angels or back to the Red Sox. The freeswinger landed in Arlington and earned every penny in his first season there, hitting 32 homers and 105 RBIs in about 4/5 of a full season.  Sure the ballpark and lineup protection help, but that shouldn't take away from his .296 batting average.  With an offense this great, you could almost imagine them not needing any pitching.
Competition: Chone Figgins (SEA), Alberto Callaspo (LAA), and Scott Sizemore (OAK).

SS Erick Aybar, LAA
In the past two seasons, the Angels have not been the same team they were for almost all of the 2000s.  During that time the Angels were known for effectively using smallball mechanics and playing the game fundamentally well, as directed by manager Mike Scioscia.  Recently, though, they haven't had the same strong fielding and baserunning skills.  Aybar, though, was a holdout of the issue.  Erick Aybar is fast and agile which allows him to play shortstop well.  I've seen an improvement in his hitting skills for average, and he was 30-for-36 in steal attempts; clearly he's running on the right counts.  Oh, and now he gets to play with Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson.  
Competition: Elvis Andrus (TEX), Cliff Pennington (OAK), and Brendan Ryan (SEA).

AL West LF: Josh Willingham

LF Josh Willingham, OAK
Willingham was GM Billy Beane's biggest move last winter, and he gave the A's pretty much everything they could've asked for.  Although his one season in Oakland proved a 'one-and-out' as Willingham has signed with Twins now, his run production skills were not lost on a team that seems to always be in search of such skills.  His 29 home runs, including 15 at the dreaded O.co Coliseum (their new corporate naming rights deal is a website?  Really?  Who are these guys, the Phoenix Coyotes?), were the only major power source on the team.  In fact, his 15 homers at home were more than any other teammates' total - home or road.  Oh, and Willingham also had 26 RBIs more than anyone else on the team.
Competition: Vernon Wells (LAA), Trayvon Robinson (SEA), and David Murphy (TEX).

CF Josh Hamilton, TEX (2nd)
It wasn't quite MVP quality like 2010 was, but J-Ham's 2011 season was notable again for significant success but also the continued abundance of injury.  This time injury struck almost right away, as Hamilton was injured in Detroit during the second week of the season.  He still batted .298 and slugged .536 with 94 RBIs in only 121 games, but I still get the feeling that Hamilton has not achieved his full potential in any of his four 'full' seasons with the Rangers.  Even so, he hit what should have been one of the biggest homers in World Series history with his extra-inning blast in Game 6 to take the lead.  However, the Rangers - much like Hamilton - came up short again.
Competition: Peter Bourjos (LAA), Franklin Gutierrez (SEA), and Coco Crisp (OAK).

RF Nelson Cruz, TEX (2nd)
Nelly!  Cruz hit 29 homers in about 4/5 of a full season, playing in 124 games (it seems like every Ranger only played 4/5).  More notably, however, was that he collected 14 hits in 17 playoff games.  Eight of those 14 hits were home runs.  The October power came at Reggie Jackson levels this season. In the regular season, Cruz gave the Rangers an alternative, low-key power threat.  He's an undoubtedly freeswinging slugger; Cruz is going to hit the ball hard somewhere.
Competition: Ichiro Suzuki (SEA), Torii Hunter (LAA), and David DeJesus (OAK).

AL West DH: Michael Young
The best player in franchise history,
Michael Young is Mr. Ranger.

DH Michael Young, TEX (2nd)
Finally, a fully healthy Ranger!  If there is anyone on the Rangers invincible to injury, it has to be Young; he has missed significant time in only one year in the last decade.  He also silenced critics who suggested his batting skills were declining in 2010 with another career year, collecting over 200 hits for a .338 batting average.  You also know a guy is clutch and a key run producer when he gets over 100 RBIs with only 11 homers, as did Young in 2011.  And instead of being traded to a mediocre Rockies team, Young got to lead his franchise to another World Series.  Not too bad, I'd say.
Competition: Bobby Abreu (LAA), Casper Wells (SEA), and Hideki Matsui (OAK).

SP C.J. Wilson, TEX
Wilson must be the Angels' revenge for watching Napoli burn them in 2011.  After only his second full season as a starter in the Majors, Wilson jumped ship for the Angels in a mega deal.  Before you jump on the overrated bandwagon like I did at the time of the signing, consider that Wilson had an ERA on the road nearly a run better than at home.  Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is one of the worst ballparks for pitchers to pitch in in the entire league, and the move to Angel Stadium should feel nice and spacious.  Ignoring his awful postseason, Wilson struck out over 200 in over 200 innings and kept his overall hits allowed total low.  I think these factors add up to a good, although not great, first season in Anaheim.  If he can't shake off that postseason in which is WHIP was over 1.7, he's going to have some major problems.
Competition: Jered Weaver (LAA), Felix Hernandez (SEA), and Trevor Cahill (OAK).

CP Brandon League, SEA
This 28-year-old doesn't come off as your typical shutdown closer, but he gave the Mariners some real value out of the bullpen, for whatever it's worth on that team.  League saved 37 of Seattle's 67 wins last season and walked only 10 in over 60 innings pitched.  He struck out a decent amount and kept his WHIP low, putting together a decent season in a place where no one will appreciate it.  But he's definitely the best in the division, especially when you consider that he played a full season (unlike Andrew Bailey), kept his blown saves in the single digits (unlike Jordan Walden), and didn't blow a World Series (sorry, Neftali Feliz).  Nothing personal guys....
Competition: Walden (LAA), Feliz (TEX), and Bailey (OAK).


Why, yes, the Rangers get seven awards this year.  Perhaps more notably, though, was that I was able to find a winner out of those 95-loss Mariners.  Way to go, Brandon League!
    

The 2011 All-Division Team, Part 4: NL Central

NL Central RF: Lance Berkman

Part 4 of 6: National League Central


Before turning to another awesome edition of the All-Division Team, I must make an announcement.  An apology, actually.  In my post comparing Prince Fielder and Yu Darvish, I incorrectly reported that the Blue Jays had won his bidding rights, which I believed to be true at the time of writing.  Although the Jays were the second-closest team to earning the rights, the Rangers actually won them.  I got some faulty information.  Won't happen again.  OK?  OK!

In the creation of the All-Division Team, however, selections are subjective.  Feel free to disagree and argue against any of the winners!

C Yadier Molina, STL 
'Yadi' has been a key contributor to both World Champion Cardinals teams from the past half-decade.  Since 2006, though, he has also developed into probably the best defensive catcher in the National League.  His knack for throwing to the bases after pitches to keep runners close proves very effective, and the team leader is still only 28.  At the plate Molina displays rare contact skills from a catcher, striking out under 50 times in 475 at-bats.  Batting .305 doesn't hurt either.  Competition: Geovany Soto (CHC), Michael McKenry (PIT), Humberto Quintero (HOU), Jonathan Lucroy (MIL), and Ramon Hernandez (CIN).

1B Prince Fielder, MIL
In his ever-pivotal walk year, the Prince put on a show.  Ever wonder how Ryan Braun really beat Matt Kemp in the MVP race, even though Kemp's stats were better?  Look no further.  Providing Braun with ultimate lineup protection, Fielder walked more than he struck out in 2011 (highly rare for a power hitter) and blasted 38 homers and 120 RBIs while slugging .566.  It's no wonder that a feared power hitter like Braun, who bats directly in front of Fielder, went the whole season being intentionally walked just twice.  If I were a pitcher, I wouldn't want to face the Prince either.  Competition: Albert Pujols (STL), Carlos Pena (CHC), Joey Votto (CIN), Lyle Overbay (PIT), and Brett Wallace (HOU).

2B Brandon Phillips, CIN
Who's the best shortstop in the NL Central?  Why of course, it's Dat Dude BP!  Brandon Phillips, who entertains fans on Twitter with the aforementioned handle, enjoyed one of his best seasons in a year that found him taking home his first Silver Slugger and his third Gold Glove after making his second All-Star appearance in July.  Besides continuing to be a 20-20 threat and a consistently clutch run producer, Phillips batted .300 for the first time in his career.  His positive leadership and attitude and vital traits to the Reds organization at the moment as its future is unclear.  Way to go, Brandon.  Competition: Skip Schumaker (STL), Neil Walker (PIT), Jose Altuve (HOU), Darwin Barney (CHC), and Rickie Weeks (MIL).

3B Aramis Ramirez, CHC
Ramirez had another slow start in the power department for the second year in a row.  This time, however, his swing was looking good and his mechanics were correct, he just wasn't clearing the wall for whatever reason.  The Chicago weather heated up around the same time his bat did, though, and he finished with 26 homers.  A rare breed of the low-strikeout slugger, Ramirez struck out only 69 times.  In his final season with the Cubs he cemented his place as one of the Cubs' great third basemen of all-time.  Competition: Scott Rolen (CIN), David Freese (STL), Casey McGehee (MIL), Pedro Alvarez (PIT), and Chris Johnson (HOU).

NL Central SS: Starlin Castro

SS Starlin Castro, CHC (2nd)
In one of the better breakout performances of 2011, this sophomore was the National League's hit king with 207 knocks.  Developing power began to show its potential as the season went on, and much improved baserunning skills showed the makings of a franchise player.  While defense is still an issue, it was better than it was a year before and strides of improvement can be expected for 2012.  With so much raw talent, there's no telling the ceiling on this guy's future.  If 2011 was just the beginning, it was pretty awesome.  Competition: Clint Barmes (HOU), Ryan Theriot (STL), Yuniesky Betancourt (MIL), Ronny Cedeno (PIT), and Paul Janish (CIN).

LF Ryan Braun, MIL
Steroids, anyone?  Even if Braun took performance-enhancing drugs during the 2011 season, it was exciting to watch while it lasted.  He took the middling Brewers to the NLCS and led the best team in the league for most of the season.  Braun put up above average numbers even for power hitters but perhaps more impressive was the .397 OBP, which meant runners on base for the batters behind him, most notably the Prince.  An outburst of speed at age 27 also had pitchers distracted.  Competition: Alfonso Soriano (CHC), Carlos Lee (HOU), Matt Holliday (STL), Ryan Ludwick (PIT), and Yonder Alonso (CIN).

NL Central CF: Andrew McCutchen

CF Andrew McCutchen, PIT (2nd)
McCutchen put it all together in his second full season.  The Pirates, who surprised the world with their contention into July, relied on McCutchen's 20-20 talent everyday.  His energy invigorated a dead Pittsburgh franchise and the winning ways will be back sometime soon as long as Andrew McCutchen is in center.  He revealed a newfound patience in 2011, a tool that eludes most young power-speed dual threat players.  Competition: Jason Bourgeois (HOU), Marlon Byrd (CHC), Nyjer Morgan (MIL), Drew Stubbs (CIN), and Jon Jay (STL).

RF Lance Berkman, STL
Say what?  I was thinking the Cardinals' signing of Berkman - to start in right field, no less - would be something along the lines of disastrous.  Apparently Berkman still has game though, and he proved it with an incredible .412 OBP and 31 homers, batting .301 overall.  His defense was okay in right field, but his offensive production far outweighed any criticism there.  Playing 145 games, he also walked 92 times, among the leaders in the NL.  This was simply one of the best offensive seasons in baseball, not just of right fielders or comeback veterans.

SP Matt Garza, CHC
The NL Central was a surprisingly weak division for starting pitchers.  Garza, though, was huge for his team.  In a Cubs rotation that essentially imploded with the loss of the #4 and #5 starters in the first week of the regular season, Garza provided stability and consistent outings all season long.  In return, he earned some of the worst run support in the NL.  Being a leader and ultimate team player, however, was not lost on this writer.  Competition: Yovani Gallardo (MIL), Chris Carpenter (STL), Kevin Correia (PIT), Bronson Arroyo (CIN), and Wandy Rodriguez (HOU).

CP John Axford, MIL
Any Cubs fan who watched the Cubs fail in Milwaukee last season got to see a load of this guy, but not for very long because the Cubs were little resistance to Axford's dominant ways.  He finished the season 46-for-48 in saves with a 1.95 ERA, striking out almost four for each batter he walked.  The Brewers can't ask for much more out of this 6-5 beast who seemingly came out of nowhere to become the shutdown closer on the NL's most complete team.  What a stud.  Competition: Carlos Marmol (CHC), Mark Melancon (HOU), Francisco Cordero (CIN), Jason Motte (STL), and Joel Hanrahan (PIT).


That does it for another installment of the MLB All-Division Team!  Next up is the AL West, followed by the NL West and finally a summary of the whole thing.  

The 2011 All-Division Team, Part 3: AL Central

AL Central SS: Asdrubal Cabrera, one of baseball's
best surprises on the surprising Cleveland Indians

This six-part series resumes with the AL Central.

C Carlos Santana, CLE
I can now say with surprising certainty that Santana is the best catcher in the American League.  Here in his first full season at age 25, Santana dazzled with the bat and should have been an All-Star.  His .239 average is nothing special, but 27 home runs, 97 RBIs and walks (good for a .351 OBP, fantastic for a catcher and highest on his impatient team) confirm his star status.  The Indians remain a team with little power on the roster but Santana by himself can produce runs with the best of catchers.  Competition: A.J. Pierzynski (CWS), Alex Avila (DET), Matt Treanor (KC), and Drew Butera (MIN).

1B Miguel Cabrera, DET (2nd)
It was an oddly quiet season again for Cabrera, who won the AL batting title at .344 and the AL OBP title at .448.  But Cabrera easily could have been the MVP of the league if this wasn't the hardest year to win the AL MVP in who knows how long.  Cabrera finished fifth in the voting.  He 'only' hit 30 homers and 105 RBIs, which might explain the lack of MVP love.  But he did set a career high in walks for the second straight year, finishing second in the AL with 108 and only 89 strikeouts.  Of the 24 players who hit 30 homers in 2011, only Jose Bautista, Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, Ian Kinsler, and Cabrera walked more than they struck out.  Talk about elite company.  Competition: Paul Konerko (CWS), Justin Morneau (MIN), Matt LaPorta (CLE), and Eric Hosmer (KC).

2B Alexi Casilla, MIN
In an awful, awful AL Central class of second basemen, Casilla is the best, but that doesn't say much.  This race was more about who hurt their team less than helped their team more.  Failed prospect Gordon Beckham and ever-impatient Orlando Cabrera actually hurt their teams with terrible seasons.  Ramon Santiago is a no-offense utility man and Chris Getz needs to use all the muscle he has when he wants to hit it far; for him, that's in shallow center.  Casilla was second the Twins with 15 steals had a good contact rate.  For lack of a better option, I'll take it.  Competition: Beckham (CWS), Cabrera (CLE), Santiago (DET), and Getz (KC).

3B Danny Valencia, MIN
Third base is another weak spot in the division.  Valencia takes the title with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs.  Despite a bad walk rate, Valencia managed a mediocre season in probably the worst hitters' park in the Majors now in Target Field.  He even hit nine of his home runs there, a rare accomplishment so far in the ballpark's two-year history.  No third baseman in the division even managed to hit above .270.  Competition: Brandon Inge (DET), Brent Morel (CWS), Jack Hannahan (CLE), and Mike Moustakas (KC).

SS Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE
Cabrera's role in MLB seemed to be defined heading into 2011; he was an average hitting shortstop with little power and a bit of speed.  That was until he redefined his entire career in his age 25 season of 2011, hitting 25 home runs after never hitting more than six in a season and making his first All-Star team, winning his first Silver Slugger, and even gaining MVP votes.  Cabrera was the biggest individual reason in how the Indians, a projected cellar dweller, rose to first place with an incredible 20-6 start to the season.  His outburst kept Cleveland in contention for the summer until his former teammate Jhonny Peralta and Tigers surpassed them late.  Competition: Peralta (DET), Alexei Ramirez (CWS), Tsuyoshi Nishioka (MIN), and Alcides Escobar (KC).

AL Central LF: Alex Gordon

LF Alex Gordon, KC
It was hard not to feel bad for the highly-touted Gordon, who was supposed to be the next big thing in Kansas City.  In the mid-2000s scouts deemed Gordon would be the best thing to happen to the Royals since George Brett.  Unfortunately Gordon was a bust his first few seasons, but he put it all together in 2011 with a .303 average, .376 OBP, 23 home runs, 87 RBIs, and 17 steals.  His .502 slugging percentage led the team and his swing is one of the nicest to see.  I see now why scouts liked him so much.  Although he is already 27, better late than never.  The Royals are going to be a great team very soon and this is the guy to build around.  Competition: Juan Pierre (CWS), Brennan Boesch (DET), Michael Brantley (CLE), and Delmon Young (MIN).

CF Melky Cabrera, KC
Actually a year younger than his next-door teammate Gordon, Cabrera surprised everyone with an elite season in center.  It seemed his career was on a downtrend after already being shipped out of two franchises upon arrival in KC, but he had by far the best season of his career.  The most interesting part of it, however, is how he did it.  Cabrera has always been a good contact hitter although not necessarily a patient one.  In 2011, though, his walk rate dropped lower than usual and his strikeout output was over 40% of his normal total, and yet he batted .305 with 18 homers, 87 RBIs and 20 steals.  A repeat performance is unlikely, but if there were one, I'd be a fan.  Competition: Alex Rios (CWS), Austin Jackson (DET), Grady Sizemore (CLE), and Ben Revere (MIN).

RF Michael Cuddyer, MIN
I have him listed here as a right fielder, but every day Cuddyer seems to be playing somewhere different. In the last two seasons, he has played at first base, second base, third base, center field, right field, and he even pitched once.  Injuries were the bread and butter of the problems facing the 2011 Twins, but Cuddyer was one of the few that avoided the plague.  He was pressed into duty all over the diamond but still produced offensively at a high level and now has landed himself a real nice contract with the Colorado Rockies.  The 32-year-old also expanded his market in 2011, reaching double digits in steals for the first time and getting his first trip to the All-Star Game.  Even though Jeff Francoeur of the Royals actually had a better individual season, Cuddyer was the only thing that kept the inept Twins from insanity.  Competition: Francoeur (KC), Shin-Soo Choo (CLE), Magglio Ordonez (DET), and Carlos Quentin (CWS).

AL Central DH: Victor Martinez

DH Victor Martinez, DET
To see how much of Martinez's role in his first year with Detroit played, reread Miguel Cabrera's summary above.  Even though Martinez didn't flash power he normally does, he still batted .330 and was clutch for sure, driving in over 100 runs for the fourth time in his career.  Cabrera's intentional walk total dropped 10 from 2010 to 2011, a seemingly small but notable difference.  Martinez was able to drive in all the runs Cabrera couldn't and this made the Tigers offense a triumphant unit all season long.  It's hard to get numbers that certify the value of his lineup protection, especially because a lot of that effect is mental for a pitcher.  But he's there alright, and making a difference.  Competition: Jim Thome (MIN), Travis Hafner (CLE), Adam Dunn (CWS), and Billy Butler (KC).

SP Justin Verlander, DET (2nd)
Best in the division and best in the league according to the baseball writers, who handed Verlander the Cy Young and MVP trophies in a season for the ages for this tall 28-year-old.  He had the best pitching season of anyone since Randy Johnson was doin' his thing in the desert, I think.  The wins continued to pile up in the 24-5 season with 250 strikeouts in 251 innings pitched; Pedro Martinez-type numbers.  There's not much else to be said.  Competition: Mark Buehrle (CWS), Luke Hochevar (KC), Carl Pavano (MIN), and Justin Masterson (CLE).

CP Jose Valverde, DET
'El Papa Grande' entered a realm of his own this season.  The 33-year-old Papa, playing with his third team in five years and going slightly under-the-radar entering this season despite domination to show for his entire career, saved 49 games for Detroit and blew none, earning his second straight All-Star selection.  His antics put a smile on even the toughest of his teammates' gamefaces while infuriating opponents.  A truly dominating closer like Valverde gets into the hitter's mind with the game on the line in the tightest of situations.  He wasn't perfect, but he was as close to it as a closer gets.  Competition: Sergio Santos (CWS), Chris Perez (CLE), Matt Capps (MIN), and Joakim Soria (KC).

Fit For a Prince, Or Was Yu da Man?

Prince Fielder would a better player to
build around than Yu Darvish.

Cubs pursuing first baseman Prince Fielder and pursued starter Yu Darvish; which move would have made more sense?


Two of the top free agents remaining in the winter free agent pool were being actively pursued by the Cubs, at least until one of them fell off the board officially earlier today.  Darvish, 25, is a right-handed starter who was the ace of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan since 2007 (his first full season), going 93-38 over seven total seasons.  Fielder, 27, is the big man from Milwaukee already known for his 230 career homers and supposed weight of 275 pounds (does anyone believe that?).  The Cubs have, through outside reports or press releases, made aggressive strides towards acquiring both.  It appeared before and still does now that getting both was not within the real of possibility for Theo & Co, which leaves the main question; which one actually helps the Cubs more in the short-term and long-term?

Although a great pitcher, no one knows how
well Yu Darvish will adjust to MLB hitters.

If you think the answer is Darvish, unfortunately we'll never find out how accurate that estimation is.  The Texas Rangers (UPDATED) won the exclusive bidding rights for Darvish and now will be the only team with a chance to sign him.  This doesn't mean he is now a Ranger, but it does mean that if Darvish is playing in MLB next season, it can now only be with Texas.  If the Rangers don't work out a deal with him, which is highly unlikely, I think he returns to Japan.  Now it's up to Rangers GM Jon Daniels and the rest of the Texas staff to work out a contract with him.  The Cubs, Yankees, and Blue Jays also placed bids for negotiating rights, but the Rangers appear to be the highest bider.

The negotiating rights process Darvish is going through is very similar to that of Daisuke Matsuzaka when the Red Sox won the negotiating rights for him in the 2006/07 offseason.  Matsuzaka, who was also pursued by the Yankees, signed with the Red Sox after they won negotiating rights, the two deals (negotiating rights and contract) coming at a combined price tag of over $100 million.  Dice-K has been a major disappointment for Boston and has caused plenty of second-guessing in the Darvish sweepstakes.

Matsuzaka was 26 when he signed, and he was hailed as the future ace of the Red Sox, an international star who would only dominate even more with the move to the United States.  How could American hitters possibly solve a pitcher with eight different pitches, analysts pondered.  Apparently they have, and five years into his Red Sox career he has given them just 49 wins on a stunningly mediocre 4.25 ERA.  He has missed significant time to injury each of the last three seasons.

Although Darvish's mechanics and pure 'stuff' would suggest otherwise, he could perform similarly.  At the time of his signing, Darvish was coming off five straight seasons with an ERA under 2.00 in Japan.  At the time of his, Matsuzaka was coming off four straight seasons with an ERA under 3.00.  One would hope Darvish will have more success, and his blistering fastball, drop-dead 12-6 curveball and physics-defying slider would suggest so.  But the possibility lingers that Darvish, like Matsuzaka, will struggle to adapt to American hitters who are more patient and skilled than ones he has faced before, especially in the power department.

Fielder brings a very different type of energy to the team.  Fielder is a known commodity in MLB and especially to Cubs fans who have been watching him grow over the past half-decade.  Since a breakout 50-homer season in 2007, he has been all over the league launching bombs with great regularity and positive swagger.  During the Winter Meetings a friend of his leaked that Fielder is most interested in playing for the Cubs than any of the other suitors, which include the Mariners, Nationals, and possibly Texas.  Then why, you ask, is a deal takin' so dang long?!  First of all, he's a Scott Boras client.  Boras has no problem running out the clock on teams to earn his clients each and every penny that they're "due".  Secondly, the Cubs have been non-committal about Fielder to the media so their interest level throughout the process has probably varied.  The Cubs are now in the mix, but a deal with Boras isn't going to be struck overnight.  We certainly won't see anything like the Albert Pujols-to-Anaheim deal, which saw the Angels make initial contact with Pujols just 36 hours before signing one of the most pivotal contracts in baseball history.

If trying to browse through media to gauge the Cubs' level of interest on Fielder, you're probably getting a lot of crossing signals.  Yes, it's very confusing at this point.  Many things I've heard say the Cubs are involved and in pursuit with intent to sign, while others, like manager Dale Sveum, have come out and said the Cubs are not involved at all.  In my opinion, Sveum is either surprisingly unaware of what his front office is up to or trying to do a cover-up job, and a bad one at that.  He said the Cubs organization has had no contact at all with Fielder, which is definitely untrue.

Whichever way you put it though, the Cubs have had serious interest in both.  In my opinion, the Cubs would be better off with Fielder instead of Darvish.  The fair criticism of Darvish in comparison to Matsuzaka and other recent Japanese pitchers who have fizzled is evidence enough that although he looks impressive now, the transition to MLB hitters is very tough.  This means dishing out big bucks to Darvish is a very volatile move, and if he can't get it together, the Cubs are stuck with another big contract that they don't want.

Even though Fielder also presents the obvious risk of an big contract and is no man invincible to natural decline with age, the level of risk is significantly lower.  If the Cubs had won Darvish, his new team would be thousands of miles away and his new competition would be far better.  If Fielder could track down one of those long-distance suburban taxi companies between Chicago and Milwaukee, he could probably take a cab from Miller Park to his new home at Wrigley.  He would be in the same division and same league, so for him the focus would basically be to continue what he has already been doing his whole career.

Also, what statement does the signing make?  If the Cubs were actually in full rebuilding mode, they would not even be considering these two top free agents.  Because the Cubs are the Cubs, however, and wreak the benefits of being a large-market team and are really the most famous franchise in the National League, they can afford to sign a superstar to build around, which can either accelerate the rebuilding process or send it backwards a few steps.  I think Fielder would be a great character to build around and bring stability to a position that demands it especially after the loss of Aramis Ramirez to those Brewers.

Darvish would have far too many immediate obstacles to become a team leader to build around.  The language barrier is a major obstacle, and a bust deal would reverse the depth issue because the Cubs would have to pay double-digit millions per year for a bad starter eating a rotation spot, similar to Matsuzaka's recent role with the Red Sox.  Although rotation depth is a major problem for the Cubs right now, this was not the right opportunity to fix it.  Thankfully the Cubs have taken a good step in finding rotation depth as they are now talking to Paul Maholm about a contract.  Other targets I would explore are Edwin Jackson, Javier Vazquez, Jon Garland, and Roy Oswalt.

So finally, Prince Fielder is the guy to build around if there is one between these two.  The Rangers winning Darvish rights may not be a bad thing; it prevents possibility of the Cubs making a deal far too volatile for their current losing situation.          

Cubs Trade Tyler Colvin to Rockies; Acquire Ian Stewart

New Cubs third baseman Ian Stewart

The Cubs are shuffling the outfield deck for the second time in a week.  On Thursday afternoon, just as the world was in the midst of Albert Pujols shock, the Cubs and Rox closed the Winter Meetings with a deal that sends Colvin and infielder D.J. LeMahieu to Colorado for Stewart and right-handed reliever Casey Weathers.  The deal comes approximately a week after the Cubs made their first major move of the offseason in signing David DeJesus who is now undoubtedly going to be the everyday right fielder.

At first I was very skeptical of this trade, and I sure didn't expect Colvin to be traded out of our surplus of outfielders.  Before this trade, there were four outfielders that demanded regular playing time: Colvin, Tony Campana, Marlon Byrd, and Alfonso Soriano.  That also doesn't include infrequent visits from Blake DeWitt and prospects soon to arrive like Brett Jackson, who will demand playing time upon arrival.  However, it was Colvin who was dumped.

Ian Stewart has been the Rockies third baseman for about four years, but injuries derailed his 2011 season. At his best in 2009 and 2010, Stewart hit 25 and 18 home runs, respectively, but for a very low average.  He does strikeout plenty but also walks a decent amount, raising his OBP around 80 points higher than his batting average.  He hit only .156 in his 122 at-bats last season without a home run, very similar to Colvin's demise.

Which player will recover more effectively?  I couldn't answer this question, and neither could my quick research, so I turned to the media of all places for some reaction.  MLB Network's Clubhouse Confidential show, which examines the offseason and players via sabermetrics, declared Stewart the better player and more likely to rebound because of his better career walk rate in the minors (.373 career minors OBP compared to Colvin's .315).

The Cubs' top draft pick in 2006, Tyler Colvin's Cubs
career is finished after just 221 games.

Now that we've got that figured out, let's get to the bottom of the minor pieces.  LeMahieu, still only 23, took only two years from being drafted in 2009 to reach the Majors in 2011.  He didn't show much in his brief trial, but his minor league records are more notable.  A .317 career hitter in the minors, his 11% strikeout rate opened plenty of eyes.  Even though he has been a great contact hitter in the minors, that often changes quickly in the Majors against power pitchers never faced before.  LeMahieu was projected to get some playing time at third or around the infield in 2012, but overall, not a big loss.

Weathers, on the other hand, could be a decent pickup for the Cubs.  The 27-year-old Weathers, who has never played under the big league lights before, had major control issues in 2011 at AA Tulsa for the first time in his professional career, walking the same amount he struck out.  He has terrific strikeout stuff, but continued control problems will not make him an asset at all.  The Cubs will just have to hope it was a fluke.  In my initial reaction to the trade, I figured Weathers would stay in AA and AAA for most of the season.  Apparently he's being invited to big league camp in Arizona and will compete for a bullpen spot on the Major League team.  We'll see what happens.

Overall, this is a good trade.  Theo & Co. like guys with a high OBP, and they got another one here.  Stewart plays a decent defensive third base (better than Aramis Ramirez), and his home run balls will reach Sheffield on multiple occasions.  When he really squares up an inside fastball and gulfs a home run, his swing looks pretty awesome.  The loss of LeMahieu isn't anything to stress about, and Weathers has lots of upside.  So we've got that goin' for us, which is nice.

Cubs Sign David DeJesus

Note #1: Like Chicago Cubs Insider on Facebook!  I really haven't done anything with the page until now, but I plan to post it frequently.

Note #2: Through a special baseball seminar I'm taking, a fellow group of students and I got to Skype with Tampa Bay Rays President Matthew Silverman and Director of Baseball Operations Erik Neander.  They talked about how they've achieved such great success in the scouting and development fields (pun intended) and how they've done all of it with the limitations of a small market, including a questionable fan base.  About a possible move, they agreed the Rays "aren't going anywhere" for now and they will have to make the best of their situation.  I asked them a question; after seeing Jeremy Hellickson and Desmond Jennings have great success as rookies in 2011, is there any rookie in particular you are excited to see make an impact on the 2012 Rays?  They said Matt Moore should be a great pitcher especially after the clutch performance he put on late in the season and in the first game in the playoffs.  Interestingly enough, Silverman and Neander said that Moore was more prepared for the big leagues than David Price was when they brought him up for the stretch run in 2008.

And now onto the major Cubs news of the week, the signing of outfielder David DeJesus.  Don't know much about this 5'11", 190 lb. 31-year-old?  I can't blame you.  DeJesus was a mainstay in the Kansas City outfield from 2005 to 2009 before injury and a disappointing season in Oakland in 2011.  Although he has played 1,007 games in his career, none have been against the Cubs.  In fact, the Cubs are the only team he has never played against.  However, he has 40 career RBI against the White Sox (the fourth-most of any opponent) and a .336 career batting average against the Cardinals.  If we have nothing else to go off, there's a good start.

But I won't leave you hanging there.  I've done my homework on this dude.  DeJesus is not a power hitter or necessarily speedy, yet he remains a quality outfielder worthy of a starting job, a rare breed in today's flashy generation of outfielders.  DeJesus' career highs in homers and steals are 13 and 11, respectively, totals that will not open any eyes (not positively, at least).  But he does possess a career .284 batting average and .356 OBP.  In my eyes, he has a nice swing and is a great contact hitter.  He doesn't strike out much (13% of plate appearances), but he walks a decent amount (8%).

DeJesus is not going to fill up a highlight reel; he's rather a solid baseball player who stays relatively healthy and provides a moderate mix of the five main tools at a relatively low cost.  In this way I think he's a very Theo-like player (see: J.D. Drew, Jed Lowrie, etc.).  And on the 2012 Cubs, he projects to have a big role.  The official Cubs depth chart reads him as the starting right fielder, ahead of Tyler Colvin and Tony Campana.  But the real question is, is it a smart move?

In short, it was a necessary move but not necessarily a smart one.  Theo & Co. were right to add another outfielder; I'm not sure DeJesus was the right guy.  He's an odd fit in this outfield and his role is unclear, especially with Colvin still being viewed as the eventual starter if he can get back on track from an awful season.  DeJesus is a solid baseball player but does not shine anywhere.  I think the Cubs would have been better served to get a specific tool-threat, like the speed and defense of Coco Crisp.

Another thing to explore is whether or not DeJesus will replace a current outfielder.  I've said before that I don't see Marlon Byrd returning in 2012 even though he is under contract; I'm officially broadening the statement to either Byrd or Alfonso Soriano will not return.  I didn't think it was possible to unload Soriano before, but I have a very hard time seeing the new hotshot brain trust (Theo and Jed Hoyer) putting up with his lackadaisical defense and the like.  They could find a way to make it happen.  If one of the two were goners, DeJesus would probably move there, opening right field for Colvin and Campana.  Still, however, Crisp would have been the better move on a team desperate for speed like his.

DeJesus' wife is fired up about the whole Cubs thing.  Not only did they buy a house in Wheaton recently, she grew up a Cubs fan.  According to her Twitter, as a young girl she would tell everyone that someday she would marry Ryne Sandberg.  And 20 years later, here she is married to a Cub.  Let's just hope David brings the same enthusiasm along to the Windy City.