2013 MLB Thread

[NYWarrior]

The effect of protection is often overstated in baseball. Stats show that there is a negligible difference.

No doubt about it, and let's face it - Prince didn't provide what folks presume he did in that regard. There were 36 players in MLB who had a higher OPS than Fielder last season.

[tower912]

It'll be very interesting to see what happens to Cabrera's numbers without Prince batting behind him.  He may not feast so much with Victor Martinez on deck.

An argument could be made that Leyland should have had Cabrera batting behind Prince, because Miggy is going to hit .320 with 30+ dingers with nobody behind him.   See 2009.   Cabrera's presence means Prince sees more fastballs.  VMart is going to hit .300, with HR's in the teens and RBI's around 100.   The more interesting question from a Tiger perspective is who plays left and who bats 5th.   I think Prince goes to Texas and explodes in that ballpark.   

[brandx]

An argument could be made that Leyland should have had Cabrera batting behind Prince, because Miggy is going to hit .320 with 30+ dingers with nobody behind him.   See 2009.   Cabrera's presence means Prince sees more fastballs.  VMart is going to hit .300, with HR's in the teens and RBI's around 100.   The more interesting question from a Tiger perspective is who plays left and who bats 5th.   I think Prince goes to Texas and explodes in that ballpark.   

It ain't Colorado - but it's not too far off.

[Lennys Tap]

 I think Prince goes to Texas and explodes in that ballpark.   

Prince looks like he might explode at any moment.

[CTWarrior]

Their three best hitters are all 1B/DHs at this point, so if you are going to trade somebody, it should be one of those three guys.  Fielder is untradeable unless they eat a big chunk of that contract...

I guess I was wrong about them being able to trade Fielder.  I think this is a great move for the Tigers.  Gets Cabrera to 1B/DH along with Martinez, so he won't be forced to play a position he can't really handle plus he can rest some at DH if he's banged up.  I don't love Kinsler, but he's better than Infante and now you don't have to trade Scherzer and still can afford another bat to play 3B (maybe Peralta)?

[shiloh26]

An argument could be made that Leyland should have had Cabrera batting behind Prince, because Miggy is going to hit .320 with 30+ dingers with nobody behind him.   See 2009.   Cabrera's presence means Prince sees more fastballs.  VMart is going to hit .300, with HR's in the teens and RBI's around 100.   The more interesting question from a Tiger perspective is who plays left and who bats 5th.   I think Prince goes to Texas and explodes in that ballpark.   

Depends on whether you think Prince had one bad year or if he's declining early, which lots of people suspected he might do because of his... unique body type.  I certainly see what Texas is trying to do, and I think it makes sense for them, especially since they can just stick Prince at DH (which Detroit could not really do with VMart there).  But man, it feels like a coup for Dombrowski to unload that contract after what could very easily prove to be the best 2 years of that contract.

[4everwarriors]

Read somewhere that the cat is a vegetarian. Guaranteed he's eatin' grains and too many carbs in general. No wonder he's got F*ckin's physique.

[🏀]

I guess I was wrong about them being able to trade Fielder.  I think this is a great move for the Tigers.  Gets Cabrera to 1B/DH along with Martinez, so he won't be forced to play a position he can't really handle plus he can rest some at DH if he's banged up.  I don't love Kinsler, but he's better than Infante and now you don't have to trade Scherzer and still can afford another bat to play 3B (maybe Peralta)?

Castellanos is going to be up for 3B, no?

[NYWarrior]

Castellanos is going to be up for 3B, no?

it's gotta be Castellanos ... Peralta to the Yankees, imho

[brandx]

Depends on whether you think Prince had one bad year or if he's declining early, which lots of people suspected he might do because of his... unique body type.  I certainly see what Texas is trying to do, and I think it makes sense for them, especially since they can just stick Prince at DH (which Detroit could not really do with VMart there).  But man, it feels like a coup for Dombrowski to unload that contract after what could very easily prove to be the best 2 years of that contract.

That's it. Seems basically like the choice was either Fielder or Scherzer, Kinsler, & Castellanos. Pretty easy to pull the trigger on that one.

[tower912]

I did not think there would be a market for Fielder.   Dombrowski continues to amaze.    I still think one of the starting pitchers gets traded, probably for a left-handed hitting corner outfielder and a reliever.   Trade Porcello, use the money saved by the two trades to re-up Scherzer.     Castellanos probably gets third.  Perhaps another free agent in left.  MClouth?    Detroit has a number of corner outfielders in their system who are 2-3 years away.   Need bullpen help. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Miggy to DH?

Time for Trout to open up the trophy case for MVP awards....

[ChicosBailBonds]

Miggy wants to leave Tigers to play with Pujols

http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/is_miguel_cabrera_looking_to_leave_tigers_and_play_with_albert_pujols/15112115

[jmayer1]

Miggy to DH?

Time for Trout to open up the trophy case for MVP awards....

He should have won the last 2.

[ChicosBailBonds]

He should have won the last 2.

He should not have won it last year.  He is not the best overall player, he sucks as a third baseman, can't do anything on the base paths....he's a terrific hitter.  That's only part of the game.  Baseball America named him player of the year again, two straight years...they value the complete package.

It is what it is.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mike-trout-robbed-second-mvp-award-miguel-cabrera-155400421--mlb.html

[MerrittsMustache]

He should not have won it last year.  He is not the best overall player, he sucks as a third baseman, can't do anything on the base paths....he's a terrific hitter.  That's only part of the game.  Baseball America named him player of the year again, two straight years...they value the complete package.

It is what it is.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mike-trout-robbed-second-mvp-award-miguel-cabrera-155400421--mlb.html

The award is not "best overall player." The award is Most Valuable Player.

[g0lden3agle]

What would Miggy's WAR have looked like if he was playing 1B these last two years as opposed to 3B?  Any way to take that into consideration?

[brandx]

The award is not "best overall player." The award is Most Valuable Player.

Yeah but the Angels might have finished 4th instead of 3rd without Trout 

[Lennys Tap]

Yeah but the Angels might have finished 4th instead of 3rd without Trout 

Exactly. Trout's WAR is higher, but so what? It would actually be better for the Angels to win 68 without Trout and get a higher draft pick. Without Miggy, the Tigers don't make the playoffs, let alone win the AL Central. Advantage Cabrera.

[tower912]

Detroit was a .500 team after Miggy got hurt.   The Angels weren't a .500 team with Trout.  Miggy was clearly more valuable player to his team.   Is Dawson the last MVP from a sub .500 team?

[CTWarrior]

Detroit was a .500 team after Miggy got hurt.   The Angels weren't a .500 team with Trout.  Miggy was clearly more valuable player to his team.   Is Dawson the last MVP from a sub .500 team?

Your argument is basically that Miguel Cabrera is more valuable than Mike Trout because he has better teammates!  That makes no sense.  I'm sure the Angels would have been a lot better if they got to play in the AL Central and had Verlander, Scherzer and Sanchez pitching regularly. 

I would have voted for Cabrera last year because Trout didn't do much for the Angels in April while he was in AAA and I would have voted for Trout this year because the injured Cabrera wasn't so great at the end.  I don't know which one is truly the more valuable player, and I don't think anyone else does, either.

This is a great argument because you'll never convince the other side, and they are both truly great players.  I will say this, players who do one thing spectacularly well are ususlly overrated, and players with a wide breadth of skills are usually underrated.

[tower912]

My argument is that with an injured Cabrera, Detroit was a .500 team over the last 6 weeks.   With a healthy Trout, the Angels were a .500 team all year.    With a healthy Cabrera, Detroit was in the running for best record in the league.   

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://www.gammonsdaily.com/peter-gammons-mike-trout-was-deserving-of-mvp-award/

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/09/mike-trout-wont-win-the-mvp-but-hes-baseballs-most-valuable-player/


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mike-trout--baseball-s-best-player--deserved-mvp-once-again-over-miguel-cabrera-053640882.html

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/ana/los-angeles-angels-outfielder-mike-trout-is-mlbs-best-and-deserves-al-mvp-award?ymd=20131113&content_id=63867172&vkey=news_ana

[ChicosBailBonds]

My argument is that with an injured Cabrera, Detroit was a .500 team over the last 6 weeks.   With a healthy Trout, the Angels were a .500 team all year.    With a healthy Cabrera, Detroit was in the running for best record in the league.   

Baseball is made up of 25 guys, not one.  When you have one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball, there isn't much one guy can do to overcome that.

Last year, Trout's team did better than Miggys despite playing in a better division (thus losing out to the playoffs by one game....if if if Trout's team played in last year's AL Central, they would have cruised to the playoffs).

Just the way it goes.  If Miggy is a DH moving forward, that ends the MVP stuff.  He's a phenomenal hitter.

[NYWarrior]

My argument is that with an injured Cabrera, Detroit was a .500 team over the last 6 weeks.   With a healthy Trout, the Angels were a .500 team all year.    With a healthy Cabrera, Detroit was in the running for best record in the league.   

But wait ... if he was injured and struggling -- that's all the more reason for him /not/ to get the award (players gotta play, right?)

In the end the writers doled out another 'best hitter on a playoff team' award.   Of course there is a helluva lot more to being an everyday player than putting the bat on the ball.

Trout!