Every Team’s 2017 Regular Season MVP… Because Why Not?

Boston Red Sox: Chris Sale

New York Yankees: Aaron Judge

Baltimore Orioles: Jonathan Schoop

Tampa Bay Rays: Steven Souza Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays: Justin Smoak

Cleveland Indians: Corey Kluber (could have been one of many players though)

Minnesota Twins: Brian Dozier

Detroit Tigers: Michael Fulmer, because Justin Upton was traded

Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer

Chicago White Sox: Jose Abreu

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Mike Trout

Texas Rangers: Elvis Andrus

Houston Astros: Jose Altuve

Seattle Mariners: Nelson Cruz

Oakland Athletics: Khris Davis

New York Mets: Jacob deGrom

Washington Nationals: Anthony Rendon

Atlanta Braves: Freddie Freeman, as a first baseman or a third baseman.

Miami Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton

Philadelphia Phillies: Aaron Nola

Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant

Milwaukee Brewers: Eric Thames because I feel bad giving it to Travis Shaw for half a season

Pittsburgh Pirates: Andrew McCutchen

St. Louis Cardinals: Tommy Pham, potential Rookie of the Year if it weren’t for Cody Bellinger

Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto

Los Angeles Dodgers: Cody Bellinger

San Francisco Giants: Buster Posey

Arizona Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt

San Diego Padres: Brad Hand, because who else would it be?

Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon

Leave your thoughts, gripes and disagreements below in the comments section. This was all for fun though, treat is as such. Thank you in advance!

Brett Gardner, San Francisco Giants & the Trade Rumor That Just Won’t Go Away

So earlier on the blog, if you were paying attention anyway, you saw that the New York Yankees are “tapped out” according to reports and if any deals are to be made for the remainder of this winter that the team would have to clear out some payroll first so sticking with that as a theme here is an idea that involves the Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner and a potential trade partner. The San Francisco Giants seemingly love the Brett Gardner type, speedy outfielder that plays defense and can hit at the top of the order, and they may be the best and most logical fit for a trade if a trade were to go down so who would the Yankees be interested in and could both teams make it happen?

Now while Gardner is not going to be the teams saving grace when it comes to payroll he is owed $12.5 million in 2017, $11.5 million in 2018 and the team has an option on the left fielder worth $12.5 million for the 2019 season with a $2 million buyout option. That’s not nothing so they say, although I hate to use the double negative here on the blog. That’s not much to the Yankees in the grand scheme of things but that also works both ways, it’s presumably not much to the San Francisco Giants either who are in “win now” mode after signing Mark Melancon to a free agent deal.

The Giants everyday left fielder Angel Pagan is officially a free agent causing the team to, as it stands today of course, to go with either Mac Williamson or Jarrett Parker in the spacious left field grass at AT&T Park in San Francisco. If the Giants are truly desperate to win in 2017, and they should be as every year that passes is another year off of Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner’s prime while Johnny Cueto can opt-out of his deal after this season if he so chooses, the team might be willing to part with a few intriguing prospects for Gardner.

I don’t pretend to be all-knowing in terms of anyone else’s farm system but from a quick look at MLB.com’s top Giants prospects list the names Chris Shaw (left-handed power-hitting first baseman) quickly stood out from above the rest. Obviously Christian Arroyo, an infielder and the Giants top prospect, did as well but you are definitely not fetching him for Gardner in my opinion. Not alone anyway.

The deal makes sense for both sides. Gardner’s gap power, speed and defense would fit the Giants roster well while the prospects the Giants would presumably send back would fit in with the Yankees newly found austerity and youth movement. So what are you waiting for? Make the deal already. 

The Giants Offense vs. the Mets Pitching

Hey, the New York Mets offense had to suffer through their career stats against Madison Bumgarner being blasted for all to see on the blog this morning so it’s only fair that Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and company have to go through the same treatment this afternoon with their career stats against Noah Syndergaard also being showcased here for all to see. We’re all about equality here and stuff so here are the San Francisco Giants offensive numbers against tonight’s Mets starter Noah Syndergaard.

                                                                                  

All photos and stats courtesy of ESPN.com. Don’t feel bad guys, I wouldn’t hit well against Syndergaard either if that makes you feel any better about tonight. 

Fantasy Baseball: So You Need a Catcher?

If you have played Fantasy Baseball one time or 100 times you know one thing for sure, there are certain positions you have to get a little bit early or you won’t get them at all. One position that immediately comes to mind is the closer position as there is basically a finite amount of them (unlike an outfield that has three per team and a total of 90 outfielders not counting bench pieces) and another one of them is the catcher position. There just aren’t that many run producing offensive catchers that you can snag for fantasy purposes so you may want to grab them early if you want a good one. Everyone knows the Buster Posey’s of the world as he sits atop the position but what about below him? That’s where I come in, hopefully.

Buster Posey is the best catcher in real life and in fantasy but if I were to fill out a Top 5 list behind him I would have Salvador Perez, Yadier Molina, Kyle Schwarber and Jonathan Lucroy in some order behind him. Brian McCann comes to mind as well only because he possesses 20-25 home run power and plays inside Yankee Stadium where the runs and RBI opportunities are as plentiful as the beer and the suits in the stands. If McCann is 6^th on my list then in some order behind him Matt Wieters, who should be better in his second year removed from Tommy John surgery, Travis d’Arnaud, Russell Martin, for his power only, and Yan Gomes probably fill out my Top 10.

I know many will call me crazy but if I had to stretch the list to a #11 I may go with Francisco Cervelli of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yes I know I am ignoring the likes of Yasmani Grandal, Devin Mesoraco (little protection behind him and no reason to pitch to him), Derek Norris (Petco Park), and Stephen Vogt (see Derek Norris) to name a few but they all have legitimate reasons to worry about their offensive production. Plus I like Cervelli and the player he has become since leaving New York and heading to Pittsburgh, I admit though that I may be higher on him than most. I think I’m also pretty high on Yadier Molina as well and that’s okay.

If you don’t grab one of these catchers you are taking a true risk in your league. You may get something out of J.T. Realmuto in Miami, especially with the fences drawn in a bit, or John Ryan Murphy in Minnesota over the course of a season but if you have to rely on a Wilson Ramos of Washington, Miguel Montero of Chicago, Nick Hundley of Colorado or Blake Swihart of Boston to name a few you may be in trouble just a tad. My strategy over the years, for better or worse, was to grab a catcher early so I knew that I had one. That’s the best advice I can give you, reach for Posey and settle for a guy in the Top 5. If you miss then you’re in trouble. Don’t miss. 

USA Today: The Best Team Realistic Money Can Buy

I love reading the USA Today, they always have great content put up on their site that you don't see at every other site. For instance the crew over there put together the bets team they felt that they could with a realistic payroll. One member of the New York Yankees made the cut. CLICK HERE for the entire post with the write ups and such and see below as I sample the team as an excerpt here on the blog.

C- Buster Posey
1B - Paul Goldschmidt
2B - Logan Forsythe
SS- Brandon Crawford
3B - Josh Donaldson
LF- Starlin Marte
CF- Mike Trout
RF- Bryce Harper
DH - Kendrys Morales

BN - AJ Ellis (catcher)
BN - Brock Holt (utility infielder)
BN - Brandon Guyer (utility outfielder)
BN - Ben Zobrist (absolutely freaking everywhere)
BN - Brett Wallace (first base and third base as well as pinch hitter for power)

SP - Dallas Keuchel
SP - Zack Greinke
SP - Carlos Martinez
SP - Marco Estrada
SP - Hector Santiago (no Luis Severino?)

SP - Jeurys Familia
SU - Dellin Betances
RHP - Darren O'Day
LHP - Tony Watson
LOOGY - Tommy Layne
LRP - Chris Young

My 2015 All Star Game Ballot

Yesterday afternoon we informed everyone that may not have known that All Star Game voting had begun for the 2015 Mid-Summer Classic set to take place in Cincinnati. Well this morning I took my own advice and voted for my favorite players and New York Yankees to head to the game this summer and I once again reiterate that you should do the same. Head over to Yankees.com to vote as the paper ballots are now a thing of the past, and honestly they probably should be anyway by now. In case you were wondering, and I know that you were, this is my ballot for the 2015 All Star Game that I have submitted my maximum of 15 times. What’s yours? Leave it in the comments section.

1B: Jose Abreu CHW – Paul Goldschmidt ARI

2B: Jose Altuve HOU – Howie Kendrick LAD

SS: Marcus Semien OAK – Adeiny Hechavarria MIA

3B: Josh Donaldson TOR – Matt Carpenter STL

C: Stephen Vogt OAK – Buster Posey SFG

OF: Hanley Ramirez BOS – Giancarlo Stanton MIA

OF: Mike Trout LAA – Justin Upton SD

OF: Adam Jones BAL – Bryce Harper WAS

DH: Nelson Cruz – Mark Trumbo ARI

Write in: Alex Rodriguez. Yes, I went there.

There are more than a few players that I could have voted for and wanted to vote for, especially in the outfield, that I just could not justify including Kansas City’s Lorenzo Cain and my homer pick for Jacoby Ellsbury of the Yankees. 

Utility Players Valuable in Fantasy Baseball

Major League Baseball is constantly changing and constantly evolving for better or worse and the utility player is becoming more and more important these days. We’re all Yankees fans here and we can see how this team is constructed and how Joe Girardi likes to carry his roster. The team loves players that can play multiple positions, see Jose Pirela and Martin Prado before he was traded, and you should love these same players if you’re serious about winning your league this season in Fantasy Baseball.

Utility players or players that qualify for multiple positions are especially important when factoring in days off, injuries etc. I don’t know about you but I hate it when I have one player at third base and he is off during the day game after a night game and I have to take a zero in points for that game. With that in mind I looked at and ranked the best players eligible at multiple positions for you before your fantasy draft. If I missed one, overvalued or undervalued one please leave me a comment in the comments section because I am far from a fantasy guru and always appreciate the feedback.

Whenever I see Ben Zobrist available in the later rounds I always try and grab him because he is eligible to play so many different positions including shortstop, second base and the outfield. Another player that reminds me of Zobrist is Josh Harrison of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Harrison broke in as a bench player in 2014 and ended up playing the outfield, second base and shortstop for Pittsburgh and hit too much to be taken out of the lineup. While I don’t expect another All Star game appearance nor do I expect a .315 average with 13 home runs I expect solid production at least for a shortstop or second baseman in fantasy.

Ryan Zimmerman is another player that can play multiple positions but comes attached to a ton of injury question marks. The Washington Nationals had to move Zimmerman from third base after his shoulder surgery in 2014 and has him learn the outfield. With Zimmerman now learning first base in 2015 he may be eligible to play all over the diamond for your team this season. If he’s healthy he’s an awfully good player that can provide a lot of power and a ton of RBI in that lineup in Washington. Alexi Amarista is eligible at four different positions this year although he would likely be available after any draft is over and may be a name to keep in the back of your mind if your team gets ravaged by injuries this season. He won’t provide substantial value but he’s better than taking zero points for a few days while you wait on a waiver wire deal to go through.

Other names to keep in mind are Anthony Rendon, Buster Posey, Todd Frazier, Carlos Santana, Evan Gattis, Mark Trumbo, Chris Davis, Brett Lawrie, Xander Bogaerts, Martin Prado and Danny Santana as all are eligible for at least two positions in 2015. These players, outside of Posey and maybe a couple others, won’t necessarily win your league for you but they may save your team in the long run when it comes to injuries…. You’re welcome. 

Verlander and Posey Sign Extensions

Justin Verlander has agreed to a 5 year $140 million extension (which is added onto the 2 years and $40 million he had remaining on his former contract) with the Tigers, that will make him the highest paid pitcher in baseball. Buster Posey also agreed to an extension with the Giants, which will pay him $169 million over the next 9 years.

This is a clear sign of two things...

1. Free Agency is going to get worse and worse, as teams lock up elite players before they even have a chance to be snatched up by another team.

2. The Yankees should throw their old "we don't negotiate extensions" policy completely out the window. Not only have they already broken that policy in the past, but allowing somebody like Robinson Cano or Phil Hughes to reach free agency could make their price go through the roof. If they are two of the best on the market at their respective positions, then there will be plenty of teams with enough money to drive their price way up (*cough*Dodgers*cough*).