The Importance of the Houston Astros Loss of Draft Picks

Imagine AJ Hinch having to make this walk...

I want to preface this post by saying, in all honesty, that no matter what the punishment was for the Houston Astros, many, including myself, were just not going to be happy. Anything short of stripping them of the 2017 World Series Championship, which is not realistic or logistically feasible, and parading all the players down the street a la Game of Thrones with Cersei’s walk of shame (Season 5, Episode 10) was simply not going to be good enough. That’s fandom in a nutshell. We’re all fanatical about our team and we are all equally as fanatical when we feel like our team got screwed over and/or cheated. Yankees fans are rightly upset about the whole situation, and the subsequent punishments set down by the league after the fact didn’t help matters much in my opinion.

Admittedly, when the announcement came down, I put out a tweet stating that I felt like the punishment was pretty light. Truth be told, I still kind of do think the punishment was a little on the lighter side, but once I saw a Tweet from my very good friend, and the co-owner and founder of the blog, Bryan Van Dusen, I started looking at things another way. Could the loss of their first and second round draft picks for the 2020 and 2021 MLB First Year Players Draft have much more of an impact on the team than I am giving the league credit for? Maybe.

What about Justin Verlander? The got him after dealing 1st rounder Daz Cameron (and three others). Zack Greinke was acquired using two 1st rounders and a 2nd rounder.

— Undies (@Bryan_TGP) January 13, 2020

Now before we deep dive into this too much I will admit that many of these first round and second round picks that I am about to talk about came early on in the draft and came as a result of the Astros tanking for many, many years. These subsequent draft picks that the Astros are about to lose will likely come towards the later half of both drafts, Houston will lose the 30^th overall pick and the 62^nd overall pick in 2020, but that doesn’t make them any less important.

The Astros current core and roster was built via the draft. Star players like Carlos Correa (1^st overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft), Alex Bregman (2^nd overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft), George Springer (11^th overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft), Kyle Tucker (5^th overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft), and Lance McCullers Jr. (41^st pick overall in 2012) make up just a few pieces of the core that Houston was able to draft, develop, and bring up to the Major Leagues with varying degrees of success. It is also worth mentioning, while not part of the core and not a star player as of the time of this writing, that Blake Taylor will likely win a spot in the Astros bullpen to start the 2020 season. Taylor was drafted in the 2^nd round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates and was acquired by the Astros from the New York Mets, along with Kenedy Corona, for outfielder Jake Marisnick this winter. Taking away even one of these guys probably changes the dynamic of the team but imagine if potentially four of them got taken away. That would just be soul crushing to the team, in my opinion, and that could very well be happening in some capacity to the future of the Houston Astros with these punishments handed down from the league yesterday.

"I take back my congratulations post, because you're just a little cheater!"

My one gripe about the punishment, and my main reason for thinking the punishment was a little light, was that the Astros were not hit whatsoever on the international market. Some of my followers on Twitter quickly rebuffed this, stating that the Astros were not major players on the IFA market, but after researching a little I have to vehemently disagree. It only takes one player signing with the Astros off the IFA market to change the minds of the many, and the simple fact that the Astros plucked All-Star and 2017 MVP* Jose Altuve out of Maracay, Venezuela as a 16-year old in 2007 could potentially change a lot of minds in the market. On top of that, albeit in smaller roles, the additions of Yuli Gurriel (defected from Cuba in 2016), Yordan Alvarez (defected from Cuba in 2016 and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers), Aledmys Diaz (defected from Cuba in 2012 and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014), Jose Urquidy who broke out during the 2019 postseason (signed out of Mazatlan, Mexico), and a pair of IFA-acquired arms in Framber Valdez and Francis Martes that may be vying for the 5^th starter spot in spring training 2020, may also go a long way to putting Houston as a desirable destination for potential future international free agents. How many kids growing up in Venezuela want to be Jose Altuve right now? I bet that number is staggering, so to completely disregard the IFA market in the punishment is completely irresponsible, in my opinion.

Yes, I realize that Gurriel and Alvarez were signed outside of the International market and would not have affected their IFA spending budget, but my overall point was to show that the Astros could, and now are, more attractive than ever on the international market. Oh, and by the way if you want to continue even deeper down this rabbit hole, the Astros traded RHP Josh Fields to the Dodgers for Alvarez. Fields bounced around a few times throughout his MiLB career, but that career started after the Seattle Mariners selected him 20^th overall in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft. Another first round pick that never amounted to anything at the big-league level, but ultimately shaped the way the Houston Astros are currently constructed through the Draft.

"Let's bang one out and get that dub!"

To take this whole thing one step further, you have to mention the fact that the Astros best pitcher right now is the ageless Justin Verlander. Verlander was the 2^nd overall pick of the Detroit Tigers way back in the 2004 MLB Draft, and it took RHP Franklin Perez (Astros #3 prospect at the time who was acquired on the IFA market out of Valencia, Venezuela), OF Daz Cameron (Astros #9 prospect at the time who was drafted in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft), and C Jake Rogers (Astros #11 prospect at the time and former 3^rd round pick from 2016) to acquire him back in 2017. So, in order for the Astros to acquire the pitcher that put them over the top during the 2017 postseason (and a former first round pick) it took them sending three of their top 11 best prospects, one of them being a former first round pick and the other being an IFA signing). You also have to remember that the Astros didn’t pay for the production that they received from Verlander; he was struggling mightily in Detroit before seemingly reinventing himself in Houston. Imagine if he had the same production in Detroit before the trade that he had while with the Astros, it may have taken three or four former first round picks to acquire him.

The Astros were not done there and were seemingly not content with their 2017 World Series Championship*. After the 2017 season the Astros acquired another former first round pick in Gerrit Cole (drafted 28^th overall by the New York Yankees in 2008, and then again first overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011) from the Pittsburgh Pirates. What did it cost Houston to acquire the talented right-hander from Pittsburgh before the 2018 season? Joe Musgrove (first round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011), Michael Feliz (IFA signing out of the Dominican Republic), Colin Moran (first round pick 6^th overall of the Miami Marlins in 2013), and Jason Martin (8^th round pick of the Astros in 2013). To acquire yet another former first round pick, and another piece that the team thought would put them ahead of the pack in the American League, it cost the Astros two more first round picks, an IFA signing, and a “lottery ticket” in Martin.

"Bang, because Yankees fans were making fun of me!"

But the Astros were not done there either. In their never-ending effort to stay on top of the competition in the American League, Jeff Luhnow and company acquired former Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zack Greinke at the trade deadline during the 2019 season. Greinke, a former first round pick (6^th overall) of the Kansas City Royals in 2002, was acquired from Arizona for SP Corbin Martin (2^nd round pick of the Astros in the 2017 MLB Draft), SP J.B. Bukauskas (1^st round pick, 15^th overall, by Houston in 2017), 1B Seth Beer (1^st round pick, 28^th overall, by Houston in 2018), and UTIL Josh Rojas. It is worth mentioning that while the Diamondbacks were willing to eat $24 million of the remaining dollars on Greinke’s contract, Houston is still on the hook for $53 million including his salary for the 2020 season. Did the money factor into the prospects haul for the Diamondbacks? You would have to think so, but even then, it still took two former first round picks, a second-round pick, and another lottery ticket in Rojas.

The Astros are clearly not against trading top prospects and former first and second round picks for that key piece they need at the big league level, which may mean that some of these Top 30 prospects (Fangraphs) may also be in the market for new real estate before July 31, 2020. Here is a look at the Astros Top 30 prospects and a quick look at how they got here.

      1.       Forrest Whitley – 1^st round pick 17^th overall 2016
2.       Jose Urquidy – IFA signing out of Mexico
3.       Abraham Toro – 5^th round pick in 2016
4.       Freudis Nova – IFA signing out of the Dominican Republic
5.       Bryan Abreu – IFA signing out of the Dominican Republic
6.       Cristian Javier – IFA signing out of the Dominican Republic
7.       Brandon Bielak - 11^th round pick in 2017
8.       Korey Lee – 1^st round pick 32^nd overall in 2019
9.       Hunter Brown – 5^th round pick in 2019
10.   Jairo Solis – IFA signing out of Venezuela
11.   Jeremy Pena – 3^rd round pick in 2018
12.   Jose Alberto Rivera – IFA signing out of the Dominican Republic
13.   Enoli Paredes – IFA signing out of the Dominican Republic
14.   Tyler Ivey – 3^rd round pick in 2017
15.   Angel Macuare – IFA signing out of Venezuela
16.   Jordan Brewer – 3^rd round pick in 2019
17.   Colin Barber – 4^th round pick in 2019
18.   Grae Kessinger – 2^nd round pick in 2019
19.   Luis Garcia – IFA signing out of Venezuela
20.   Luis Santana – IFA signing out of the Dominican Republic
21.   Jojanse Torres – IFA signing out of the Dominican Republic
22.   Carlos Sanabria – IFA signing out of Venezuela
23.   Cionel Perez – Defected from Cuba, signed as IFA in 2016
24.   Ronnie Dawson – 2^nd round pick in 2016
25.   Dauri Lorenzo – IFA signing out of the Dominican Republic
26.   Manny Ramirez – IFA signing out of the Dominican Republic
27.   Rogelio Armenteros – Defected from Cuba, signed as IFA in 2014
28.   Nivaldo Rodriguez – IFA signing out of Venezuela
29.   Garrett Stubbs – 8^th round pick in 2015
30.   Chas McCormick – 21^st round pick in 2017

The present makeup and construction of the Astros were largely built through the MLB First Year Players Draft, and it looks like the future of the organization (either through the system or via trade) could be largely made up through the Draft as well.

"Got out just in time, boys!"

So, in closing, are the loss of their first and second round draft picks for the 2020 and 2021 MLB Drafts important? Yes, absolutely. Would it have hurt Houston even more to lose some of their IFA money and spending capabilities? Also, absolutely, but you know what hurts the most? Well, besides when the Astros miss the playoffs entirely in 2020 and have to watch the Yankees finally bring that World Championship trophy home, is that the team had to watch their manager get fired, their GM (and probably the best GM in all of baseball) get fired, AND they had to watch arguably their best pitcher head to arguably their biggest rival via free agency. Unfortunately, though, the Astros WILL keep the compensation pick that they received, 72^nd overall, from the Yankees signing of Cole. How sweet would it have been if they had lost that pick too?  

Now we wait on the punishment for the Boston Red Sox, and more importantly Alex Cora. More to come…

Patrick Corbin Talks Pitching Potentially for the Yankees

The Arizona Diamondbacks are in first place and they are led by an ace starting pitcher and his name is not Zack Greinke, his name is Patrick Corbin. If the name Patrick Corbin rings a bell it is because Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman tried all winter to acquire Corbin along with now current Yankee Brandon Drury from the Diamondbacks in a trade. The Yankees were able to snag Drury away from the desert but Arizona ultimately kept Corbin which has turned out to be a great decision for them thus far, but that has not stopped the Yankees from salivating at the idea of having the young lefty in their starting rotation and it hasn’t stopped the soon-to-be free agent from talking about potentially pitching for the New York Yankees either.

In an interview with the USA Today the Diamondbacks ace was asked about his impending future and he did not have enough positive things to say about potentially pitching here in the Bronx in 2019. Corbin was quoted as saying the following in the interview: 

“It would definitely be great to play there,’’ Corbin says. “I grew up a Yankee fan. My whole family are Yankee fans. My mom, my dad, my grandpa, everybody. Really, every generation of my family has been Yankee fans. Living up in Syracuse, everybody’s a Yankee fan. Not too many Mets fans up there.’’

“I know the Yankees have had some interest in the past, and there were a lot of rumors this winter that got my family excited,’’ Corbin says. “It would have been cool. You just want to go where you’re wanted, and every team will have an opportunity. I would love to be on a contending team for sure, but we’ll see what happens. Right now, I’m just focusing on this season.’’ 

With the Yankees under the luxury tax threshold in 2018 and all their spending penalties reset beginning in 2019, assuming the team can stay under the cap for the entirety of the 2018 season which seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, New York is set up to make a major splash in next winter’s free agent market, a market that Corbin will be entering after his age-29 season. At the time of this writing Corbin has posted a 4-0 record with an anemic 1.89 ERA, and that is before you mention his MLB leading 46 strikeouts and 0.66 WHIP.

Could Corbin be donning pinstripes next winter? If he has his way it certainly seems so, and it seems like Brian Cashman would like to see that as well, so stay tuned. A lot can happen between then and now, but as we stand here today you can pencil in Corbin as the Yankees left-handed replacement for CC Sabathia after this season.

Ok, Guys. New Plan. Don’t Get Greedy JUST YET! Part 2

Earlier we went over some of the potential trade targets for the New York Yankees at the July 31^st trading deadline when I realized that this post was going to be really, REALLY long. In hopes of avoiding some of those “too long, didn’t read” comments that just make a writer and content creator cringe I decided to split this up into two posts, this one covering the National League teams and potential targets. One post, two posts or ten the plan hasn’t changed. Be complacent for now, get greedy later.

National League:

Atlanta Braves:

The Braves have a young and developing core of positional players that they are unlikely to trade if the team once again finds itself at the bottom of the National League East but one thing the team does have is young pitching. The headliner of this young Braves staff is Julio Teheran, and he could be a target for the Yankees in July if the team needs starting pitching help. Teheran does walk a few more batters than you would like, and he has been prone to the home run more than you may be comfortable with as he would be heading into Yankee Stadium, but the right-hander is just 27-years old and would come equipped with all the talent and all the raw essentials a starting pitcher needs that cannot be taught. It is worth mentioning that Teheran did pitch to a 4.49 ERA in what is considered to be a hitter-friendly park down in Atlanta, and that may scare a few away, but there is still enough to like about Teheran to peak the Yankees interest if he were to become available. Teheran is signed for two more seasons and $19 million total with an option for a third season at $12 million so it would take a ton to acquire him, but he might just be worth the cost for the Yankees.

Brandon McCarthy may be another arm that could be on the move, and would be a more realistic and conceivable acquisition for New York due to the fact that McCarthy is a veteran on a young, rebuilding team. McCarthy will make just $11.5 million in 2018 with the Los Angeles Dodgers being on the hook for $4.5 million of that. McCarthy has pitched in the Bronx before and did well, but that was quite a few years ago now. If McCarthy could fill the role of a CC Sabathia though, an innings eater that can keep his team into games and give them a chance to win, he could be a huge pickup for a team sprinting towards the playoffs down the stretch.

New York Mets:

It is very unlikely that those spiteful executives with the New York Mets would ever help the New York Yankees in any way, they basically said as much and proved that last season with the Jay Bruce debacle, but let’s pretend that the two rival New York executives kiss and make up. Would the Mets have anything the Yankees would find useful? Nope. (Well yes, but two can play the whole spiteful game, now can’t we?) Why? Because the Mets suck! I’d take Dominic Smith or some of that pitching though, just saying.

Miami Marlins:

Do the Miami Marlins have anything left that might strike the Yankees fancy? I mean, maybe. The team still has Starlin Castro, although I find it likely that he and his hefty salary is traded before the start of the season along with Christian Yelich, but if Castro is still a Marlin by July I would have zero issue with a reunion. I would even bet that you might be able to get Mr. December Derek Jeter to pay down some of his salary to facilitate a trade. It is just what Jeter does for his former club, allegedly.

Philadelphia Phillies:

The Phillies are an interesting team because they have been rebuilding for what feels like forever. I truly believe that the team is on the cusp of competing again either this season or next, but with the Washington Nationals presumed stranglehold on the division and the impending free agency of Bryce Harper and others the Phillies may decide that 2019 is the season they “go for it.” If that is their line of thinking, then the Yankees could potentially take a waiver on some of their bullpen arms including a veteran like Luis Garcia. Garcia is 30-years old and on a team friendly contract, but Philadelphia likely doesn’t know if the 2017 version of Garcia (2.65 ERA and 1.22 WHIP) is what the team has to look forward to in 2018 or if the four years prior (ERA around 5.00 with a WHIP pushing 2.00) are more of an indicator of the future. With a strong first half on a team that is struggling the Phillies may roll the dice and trade him in hopes of getting something good before a hypothetical fall off. If Garcia was pitching in July like he had last season with the Phillies that is a roll of the dice I would be willing to take if I were the Yankees, sometimes pitchers just figure it out later on in their careers than others. You never know.

Milwaukee Brewers:

I have given up on the notion that the Milwaukee Brewers will trade Travis Shaw or sign Mike Moustakas to a one-year deal unfortunately, but honestly, he is probably the only piece that the Brew Crew have that could likely interest New York. The Brewers have a ton of outfielders and the team presumably needs to trade at least one or two of them, but the Yankees have an outfield logjam of their own to deal with. If it isn’t Travis Shaw I don’t see the Yankees and Brewers matching up very well in a trade this July.  

Pittsburgh Pirates:

The Pittsburgh Pirates are reloading and re-tooling for the 2018 season the only way that this organization knows how, by rebuilding. Excuse the little tongue-in-cheek moment for me there but I have to admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the Pittsburgh Pirates become relevant again and I absolute hate the fact that the team is likely going to fall back into mediocrity again starting in 2018.  The Pirates loss, well if we are being honest the Pirates fan base’s loss, can very well be the Yankees gain before the July 31^st trading deadline. As of right now, but honestly not for long, Josh Harrison is in a Pittsburgh uniform and he is not happy about it after the trades that sent centerpieces Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen to the Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants respectively. Everything that can be said about Harrison and how he can match up with the Yankees needs either at second base or third base have already been well-documented all over the Yankees blogosphere so I won’t reiterate all that here. He is a fit and it is probably the money that is keeping him from wearing pinstripes and shaving as we speak, but the money won’t be an obstacle in July when almost half his contract has already been paid by Pittsburgh. Harrison hits free agency after the season which could give the Yankees a huge boost for the 2018 season while also giving Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar a year to learn and breathe easy before both take over full-time responsibilities in 2019.

Half the Pirates 40-man roster is compiled up of former Yankees anyway, what’s a few more. By half I mean Francisco Cervelli, Ivan Nova, Nik Turley, and George Kontos. If I had written this a little earlier we could have added Johnny Barbato to that list as well, plus countless in their minor league system that are not on their 40-man roster.

St. Louis Cardinals:

The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to compete in 2018 so why are they on the list? Because when you’re a small market team you have to trade from your strengths to fill in the gaps with your weaknesses since you are not afforded the same luxuries as other GREEDY teams I know and love. The Cardinals have a strong farm system that is loaded down with starting pitchers which means that the likes of Michael Wacha could be moved at the deadline for a bat. Wacha comes with two seasons of team control, his final two seasons of arbitration, and could be an impact arm for any team down the stretch if traded. Is it unlikely that the Cardinals move Wacha? Yeah, probably, but it isn’t completely out of the realm of possibilities either in my opinion. The team actively tried to move Lance Lynn last trade deadline for the same reasons, although I will admit that Lynn was one-year away from free agency where Wacha is two which is a huge difference in the thought process, and I wouldn’t put it past them to have to try it again here in 2018 if they are close enough to competing.

Cincinnati Reds:

Rebuild time in Cincinnati! What does a team trade when they rebuild, you ask? Veterans. What veterans do the Reds have that could interest the Yankees you ask? Joey Votto is about the only one left. I guess if the Yankees needed another option at first base in the wake of a Greg Bird injury they could be interested in Votto, and don’t get me wrong I would love to have that monster, yet patient, bat in the Yankees lineup, but I doubt that the Reds first baseman would want to waive his no-trade clause to come to the Bronx. Maybe he is a ring chaser, I don’t know for sure, but I just don’t get that vibe from him whatsoever. Votto has six-years left on his deal though at $25 million a season plus a $20 million team option in 2024 making any deal with the Yankees, at least this season, unlikely.

San Diego Padres:

The Padres have a pair of former Yankees on their team that could be moved at the July 31^st trade deadline, reunion time? I can’t see Chase Headley staying on the Padres roster all season long due to his contract and could be moved in July along with ultra-versatile Jose Pirela. Pirela is more likely to stay than Headley because of his age and contract but I have seen GM AJ Preller do some weird things in recent seasons out in San Diego, so you never know.

Clayton Richard does not have impressive stats for what San Diego considers to be their ace, but he has been durable and effective at times nonetheless. With two years remaining on his deal worth just $3 million annually the left-hander may just pique the interest of the Yankees if they are looking for a solid 4^th or 5^th starter, nothing more. For that price the Yankees could easily put him in their bullpen at some point down the stretch as well and get true value out of him, assuming San Diego makes him available.

San Diego also has Carter Capps and his weird, and borderline illegal, pitching motion but the right-hander underwent thoracic outlet surgery in October and has yet to live up to the hype that followed him in 2016 with the Miami Marlins. He would be an interesting one to keep an eye on though if New York were to need a bullpen arm down the stretch this season.

San Francisco Giants:

The San Francisco Giants don’t want, nor do they need, Jacoby Ellsbury but does the team have anything that the Yankees need? I mentioned earlier this offseason trying to pry Joe Panik away from San Francisco, but that was with a shiny new toy like Clint Frazier dangled in their face. Now that the Giants don’t need an outfielder after acquiring Andrew McCutchen from the Pittsburgh Pirates and after signing Austin Jackson to a free-agent contract that possibility may have passed. New York could dangle someone like Jordan Montgomery in their face, assuming that one of Justus Sheffield or Chance Adams are ready by July, but I find it unlikely now that the Giants will move Panik in any move here in 2018.

Mark Melancon reunion? Maybe. Melancon does come with a hefty price tag of $15 million in 2018 and $19 million in each of the 2019 and 2020 seasons but the interesting aspect of his contract is the opt-out clause written into it that the right-hander can exercise after the 2018 season. Do the Yankees roll the dice if Melancon were to say that he intends to opt-out after the season publicly? Maybe, because an arm like Melancon’s for a prorated $15 million would be an awesome, yet very greedy, addition to a team marching towards the postseason.

Colorado Rockies:

The Rockies, under no circumstances, are trading Nolan Arenado this season. Next season, before he hits free agency in 2020, is a possibility but right now it just isn’t. Get that thought out of your head. What could happen though is that the Rockies could start moving some of their “super bullpen” the organization has amassed this offseason if the team begins the season struggling out of the gate. Wade Davis, Mike Dunn, Bryan Shaw, Adam Ottavino, and Jake McGee look great on paper, but it will, and always has, come down to the starters in Colorado. If the starters struggle, the team struggles. Period. If the team struggles expect to see a move or two made to bring in some youth.

Also, I saw the idea of the Yankees acquiring Ian Desmond floated around earlier this offseason as a third base option. I, personally, am not a fan of this deal but the Yankees may be. Who knows? Stay tuned for that one.

Arizona Diamondbacks:

Just say no to Zack Grienke. Paul Goldschmidt would be nice, but this isn’t MLB The Show. Brandon Drury and Patrick Corbin were linked to the Yankees earlier this offseason in a potential trade and could be again in July if second base and starting pitching were still needs for New York, although Corbin would be a true rental as he prepares for free agency in 2019.

All of these players could be available depending on whether their teams are deemed contenders or sellers at the July 31^st trade deadline. It is entirely possible that some of these teams will be in contention and trying to add pieces with the addition of the second Wild Card spot in each league. This is all based on how these teams project to be and stack up on paper. The game isn’t played on paper and you can’t predict baseball, no one knows that more than me, so keep that in mind before filling my inbox and Twitter with hate mail. I know my “trade proposal sucks” so I intentionally left my trade proposals out of this, but you would have to think one of Justus Sheffield, Chance Adams and Albert Abreu would be available in July as all three names have at least been discussed or asked for this winter as well as Clint Frazier, Mr. Red Thunder.

Not trading for Gerrit Cole and putting all their prospect eggs in one basket may have been the best thing the Yankees could have done this offseason. Sure, the Astros look better with Cole and look like a strong foe this season, but the games aren’t won and lost in December and January. They aren’t won and lost in July either but what happens in July usually has a big bearing on what happens in October. It isn’t always the best team that wins the World Series, sometimes it is the deepest and the hottest. With my plan the Yankees can be all three, and that is when you truly GET GREEDY.

Leave comments below in the comments section and @GreedyStripes on Twitter with your thoughts. Thank you in advance.

Daniel Burch

Owner of the Complacent Pinstripes

NL Wild Card Game Thread: Colorado Rockies @ Arizona Diamondbacks

And just like that ladies and gentleman it is game time once again as the National League takes center stage tonight with the NL Wild Card Game. In tonight’s matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies there will be no secrets, no new strategies or tricks and there will be no element of surprise. These two teams have faced off 19 times this season including ten times coming inside Chase Field where the game is about to kick off. This game will be closely played between these two teams and one mistake could be the difference between going on to face off with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and going home for the winter. The Diamondbacks will send Zack Greinke to the mound looking to punch Arizona’s ticket to the NLDS while Jon Gray will head to the mound for Colorado with similar plans for him and his Rockies teammates. The game will be played at 8:08 pm ET inside Chase Field and can be seen on TBS. Enjoy the game!

Prediction: Diamondbacks win 3-1

Diamondbacks:

RF David Peralta (.293, 14, 57)

SS Ketel Marte (.260, 5, 18)

1B Paul Goldschmidt (.297, 36, 120, 94 BBs, .966 OPS)

LF J.D. Martinez (.303, 45, 104, 1.066 OPS)

3B Jake Lamb (.248, 30, 105)

CF A.J. Pollock (.266, 14, 49)

2B Daniel Descalso (.233, 10, 51)

C Jeff Mathis (.215, 2, 11)

Chris Iannetta (.254, 17, 43, .354 OBP)

Zack Greinke (17-7, 3.20, 215 Ks in 202 1/3 IP)

RH Fernando Rodney (5-4, 4.23, 39/45 saves)

RH Archie Bradley (3-3, 1.73, 79 Ks)

LH Andrew Chafin (1-0, 3.51)

LH Robbie Ray (15-5, 2.89, 218 Ks)

LH Patrick Corbin (14-13, 4.03)

RH Zack Godley (8-9, 3.37)

RH David Hernandez (2-1, 4.82)

RH Jimmie Sherfy (2-0, 0.00)

Rockies:

CF Charlie Blackmon (.331, 37 HRs, 104 RBIs, 14 triples, 14 SBs)

2B DJ LeMahieu (.310, 8, 64)

3B Nolan Arenado (.309, 37, 130)

RF Carlos Gonzalez (.262, 14, 57, 34 doubles)

SS Trevor Story (.239, 24, 82)

1B Mark Reynolds (.267, 30, 97)

LF Ian Desmond (.274, 7, 40)

C Jonathan Lucroy (.265, 6, 40)

Jon Gray (10-6, 3.67 ERA in 20 starts, 110 1/3 IP)

RH Greg Holland (3-6, 3.61 ERA, 41/45 saves)

LH Mike Dunn (5-1, 4.47)

LH Jake McGee (0-2, 3.61, 3 saves)

RH Scott Oberg (0-1, 4.94)

RH Pat Neshek (5-3, 1.59)

LH Chris Rusin (5-1, 2.65)

The Diamondbacks beat the Rockies 11 out of 19 times these two teams faced one another in 2017. These two teams split the ten games at Chase Field with five wins each though.

Colorado swept Arizona in the 2007 NLCS, the only other time these two teams have met in the postseason.

The Rockies offense has a collective .260 batting average with 15 home runs and 42 RBI career against Zack Greinke.

The Diamondbacks offense has a collective .295 batting average with two home runs and 11 RBI against Jon Gray.

Zack Greinke is 13-1 with a 2.87 ERA at home this season. Greinke is also 2-1 with a 3.41 ERA in five starts against the Rockies this season.

Gray has allowed three or fewer runs in 13 consecutive starts this season.

Fernando Rodney had six blown saves in 2017, two of them came against the Colorado Rockies. 

What Has the Rockies Offense Done Against Zack Greinke?

It wouldn’t be fair to just look at what the Diamondbacks offense has done against the Rockies starter Jon Gray and not also look at what the Colorado Rockies offense has done against Zack Greinke throughout their careers. Spoiler alert, at the end of this post I should post the “So you’re saying there’s a chance” meme because the often-dominant Greinke has been anything but dominant against the Rockies. Good, sure, but not so dominant. I’m shocked, how about you?

Thanks again to ESPN for the above stat line and stat sheet. 

What Has the Diamondbacks Offense Done Against Jon Gray?

The title says it all, what has the Arizona Diamondbacks done against the Colorado Rockies starter Jon Gray throughout their respective careers? Thanks to sites like ESPN and Baseball Reference that information is readily available, even if it means nothing in the grand scheme of things. The postseason is a second season but let’s take a look at the history between the Diamondbacks offense and Gray anyway, you know… for funsies. 

Thanks to ESPN for the above stat sheet. 

NL Wild Card Game Preview: Colorado Rockies @ Arizona Diamondbacks

Last night we watched as the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees fought it out in a one-game, do-or-die playoff game in the American League Wild Card Game and tonight it’s the National League’s turn to take center stage as the Arizona Diamondbacks play host to the Colorado Rockies. The winner travels to square off with the Los Angeles Dodgers while the loser goes home for a winter full of golf, working out and wondering what could have gone differently. In the start tonight the Diamondbacks will send Zack Greinke to the mound to face off with Jon Gray for the Rockies. These two teams have seen each other a bunch this season as both are members of the NL West Division so this one should be a highly contested matchup. I look forward to it.

Greinke was brought in as a free agent to start games like this for the Diamondbacks, especially after the Cy Young type season the right-hander had in 2017. Greinke heads into the start tonight with a career 3-3 record in the postseason along with a 3.55 ERA in nine postseason starts. Youth and aggression in Gray or experience in Greinke, who wins out tonight in the desert?

Gray has not allowed more than three runs in a start in any of his last 13 starts and brings that streak with him into Chase Field tonight in the postseason. During that span Gray has surrendered just 16 walks to his 80 strikeouts and will look to do more of the same tonight against a tough offense, but an offense that struggled a bit down the stretch. Most notably NL MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt.

The game will be played at 8:08 pm ET inside Chase Field home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and can be seen on TBS. Follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes to interact with us during the game and to stay up to date with us and the blog all throughout the 2017 MLB playoffs. Enjoy the game!

So it Seems It Always Comes Down to This...

So it seems the older I get, the more experience and the more my eyes are opened each and every day that it always comes down to the devil you know vs. the devil that you don't know. In life and in Major League Baseball, and we will look at the latter throughout the day here on the blog as this is quickly becoming the theme of the day, it almost always comes down to the old saying. Basically what it means is you have the thing, the person or whatever the subject is that you know in one hand and you have the person, thing or subject that you don't know in the other hand. Decisions, decisions. Do you stick it out with your old car that you know is reliable but will need a new this or a new that in the pretty near future, do you buy a used car that you have no idea about despite a Carfax or do you really go out on a limb and make a major purchase of a new car?

It's the same thing and basic premise in MLB. Do you stick with the guy you have, do you trade for another piece or do you go all in on the free agent market? Ask the Arizona Diamondbacks how they feel about this devil you know thing and ask them how they feel about the Zack Greinke signing to date. For that amount of money they could have signed three solid starting pitchers or kept this guy or that guy and got the same amount of production or more. You just never know but in order to succeed and get what you want out of this game, and out of this life, you have to take risks.

The normal routine doesn't always have to be normal and the new normal doesn't always have to be normal either. It's time to take risks, even if the risks aren't really risks at all, and go with the devil you don't know. You know why? Because the devil I know is a true bitch and the devil I don't is not. I hate to oversimplify such a rash and huge decision but the world is sometimes that simple if you let it be. So take a chance, go for the unknown and live a little. You just may be making the best decision you ever made in your 31-years on this Earth.

Enjoy the day everyone and Happy Friday. Also, don't forget to visit the pizza pleasure room and tell them Dan sent you.

I See That New York Post Guy is Reading My Blog Again

A certain somebody at the New York Post may have me blocked on Twitter after I asked to be credited with breaking a news story that I rightfully broke but that doesn’t mean he removed my blog from his bookmark list. Remember back earlier in the winter when I asked the Yankees to shake up the offseason and shock the world by acquiring Zack Greinke from the Arizona Diamondbacks? Well here we stand a few weeks later and that certain somebody had the same idea. Go figure.

In the article, which can be found with a simple Google search I’m sure as I will not be crediting him with anything unfortunately, the proposed trade proposal for Greinke includes Arizona also throwing in Brandon Drury while the Yankees send Jacoby Ellsbury, Chase Headley, Domingo Acevedo, Albert Abreu, Ian Clarkin and Bryan Mitchell to the Diamondbacks. Boy, oh boy. Where do I begin?

Jacoby Ellsbury. No trade clause, not really a moveable contract even if he didn’t have one and his production is severely lacking. Arizona wants salary relief to come from trading Greinke, not another deal that will weigh down the franchise.

Chase Headley. Maybe you haven’t heard of the guy in Arizona currently manning third base, Jake Lamb? Again, a hefty contract (although not completely unreasonable for two seasons) and it doesn’t really fill a need for Arizona in my opinion.

Before I continue let me point out that I am well aware that after the Headley contract expire the Diamondbacks would begin saving money in the latter years of the contract but the fact remains that the only reason they want to trade him is to save money NOW, not later. Carrying on.

That’s an awful lot in terms of prospects when you’re taking on over $100 million in salary and an AAV of $34 million. No, no and no. It’s a salary dump for a player coming off a down year, treat it as such. 

Shock the World & Make THIS Trade

Hello again Yankees family. This morning we are coming to you live from the land of the crazies again as I bring you another trade that the Yankees could and possibly SHOULD make this offseason. Now remember when reading this that I was also “crazy” when I discussed the possibility of the Yankees making a huge splash this winter acquiring Mike Trout, well until Sweeny Murti “had the idea” and it was all of a sudden a great idea, and I’m back at it again with another off-the-wall trade proposal that would not only shock Major League Baseball and turn the game upside down but it also might just work for the New York Yankees.  

Brian Cashman, pick up the phone and ask the Arizona Diamondbacks what they want for Zack Greinke. The Arizona Diamondbacks almost need to trade Greinke this offseason in order to push the franchise forward and do really anything this winter. His contract is an organization buckling type deal for a team like the Diamondbacks and the team in the desert is already talking about trading him. Who could blame them, Zack Greinke is in no way, shape or form a $34 million pitcher in my opinion, especially through the 2021 season, but because of that not many teams besides the Yankees can and will take on a contract of that magnitude. For that reason the Yankees have their bargaining chip.

The Yankees have a ton of money coming off the books this season and next and while this could also hamper the Yankees for quite some time, especially if Masahiro Tanaka does not opt-out after this season, with the influx of youth the team could remain competitive while still getting under the luxury tax threshold. Remember, the team only has to get under the cap for one reason to reset all penalties which is something that can easily be done with the Gary Sanchez’s, Aaron Judge’s and Tyler Austin’s of the world on the roster. The Yankees have over $50 million coming off the books this season alone so $34 million for Greinke plus $16 million for Aroldis Chapman, for example, and the team adds minimal salary through arbitration while being better than their 2016 version tenfold. 

If the Yankees take on the entire contract the prospect demand would be minimal, extremely minimal. Greinke had a down season in 2016, and truth be told most free agents do after signing contracts like he did before last season, and should bounce back in 2017. He didn’t lose velocity on his fastball and he was relatively healthy last season, he just didn’t have the defense, the run support or whatever else he was missing from the Dodgers on the Diamondbacks last season. Simple as that, it happens. If the Yankees can get Arizona to pay down some of that deal and send a pitcher like Brady Lail, who was not protected from the Rule 5 Draft, Chad Green or Luis Cessa and a smaller prospect package I think the deal could ultimately get done. Quite easily actually. -

Oh and before anyone brings up his anxiety and inability to pitch in the big markets like New York let’s remember how long ago Greinke actually fought anxiety and depression and let’s remember how he has pitched on the biggest of stages, i.e. the playoffs, the All-Star Game etc. He’ll do fine. Trust me. Famous last words I know but do it anyway, Greinke will be fine in New York or wherever he goes. Let’s just hope Brian Cashman has the balls to make sure where he goes in 2017 is New York. 

Most Popular Article of the Week: Yankees Potential Trade Partners: Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks are one of those teams that I’m not entirely sure even they know what direction the team is going. The team gets younger and starts to build a core before they trade Dansby Swanson, first overall pick Dansby Swanson, for Shelby Miller and before handing Zack Greinke huge money on the free agent market. To be completely honest I don’t know if the Diamondbacks will be coming or going here in 2017 but if they are looking to move a few pieces as they progress either way I think the Yankees have to at least be listening.


Unfortunately the bigger named pieces like Shelby Miller, Zack Greinke, AJ Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt are likely off the table but what about their third baseman Jake Lamb? If the Yankees move Chase Headley, and they could seeing as he does not have a no-trade clause written into his contract, the team could fill the gap with 26-year old Lamb. Lamb is a left-handed hitter who somehow found a way to hit 29 home runs and drive in 91 RBI without anyone on the East Coast taking notice. Lamb comes with his issues of course, his .249 batting average and 154 strikeouts lead that list of concerns, but in the era of sabermetrics you take that for driving in runs and hitting it over the fence any day.


The Yankees would lose a step or defensively in the hypothetical Lamb for Headley swap but Lamb is still at least two years from entering his prime while Headley is at least three years from his which could make up the difference in the long term. Lamb is not arbitration eligible for two more years which means he is going to cost a ton. How much is a ton? Well suddenly the once shortstop heavy Diamondbacks need middle infielders and it has been speculated already that the team would move Jorge Mateo in a deal this winter. I don’t want to give up on or give away Mateo but for a 26-year old power hitting lefty like Lamb you always make the deal, especially for a player who has never seen Double-A.


Arizona also needs a catcher and the Yankees have three on their 40 man roster with Kyle Higashioka soon to be added per the team. Why not include Austin Romine in the deal and bring back a prospect or two in the deal while Brian Cashman is at it? This is one of those “too good to be true” sounding deals for New York but you never know until you ask so Cashman, ask.

The Irresponsible Offseason Journalism Has Begun

The offseason is almost here for all 30 MLB teams which is bittersweet in a way. I love the offseason because of the trade rumors, the possibilities for your favorite team the next season and all the movement from the players and coaches. I enjoy it. What I don’t enjoy are those long days where absolutely nothing is going on to report on or speculate about which leads some irresponsible journalists, my opinion, to produce articles in order to click bait a reader. For example, and I won’t link to it but a simple Google search should get you to the article if you really want to read it, the article that stated the Yankees are going to make a run at Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt this offseason.

Let’s get one thing straight, Paul Goldschmidt is the best first baseman in the National League and maybe in all of Major League Baseball and not enough people know about him for whatever reason. For that reason alone it’s unlikely for the Arizona Diamondbacks to trade Goldschmidt to anyone and if they did it would take a king’s ransom. Add on top of that the amount of money and prospect cost the team has already spent to acquire Shelby Miller, Zack Grienke and others and I simply cannot see them trading away their franchise player after just one unsuccessful season. It’s simply not going to happen.

Sure if you put something along the lines of “Yankees interested in Paul Goldschmidt?” as your headline it is going to generate some interest and views, I get that. I also get that you are a paid employee and it’s your job to get those views in order to provide for your family, I get that too. It doesn’t mean I have to like it just because I understand it. The beautiful thing about the shop we have set up here is I’m not getting paid, nobody is, and I can say anything and everything I want to say. And I generally do. This kind of journalism is simply irresponsible to me.

Also, I have to add, remember Greg Bird? Remember? 

Yankees Potential Trade Partners: Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks are one of those teams that I’m not entirely sure even they know what direction the team is going. The team gets younger and starts to build a core before they trade Dansby Swanson, first overall pick Dansby Swanson, for Shelby Miller and before handing Zack Greinke huge money on the free agent market. To be completely honest I don’t know if the Diamondbacks will be coming or going here in 2017 but if they are looking to move a few pieces as they progress either way I think the Yankees have to at least be listening.

Unfortunately the bigger named pieces like Shelby Miller, Zack Greinke, AJ Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt are likely off the table but what about their third baseman Jake Lamb? If the Yankees move Chase Headley, and they could seeing as he does not have a no-trade clause written into his contract, the team could fill the gap with 26-year old Lamb. Lamb is a left-handed hitter who somehow found a way to hit 29 home runs and drive in 91 RBI without anyone on the East Coast taking notice. Lamb comes with his issues of course, his .249 batting average and 154 strikeouts lead that list of concerns, but in the era of sabermetrics you take that for driving in runs and hitting it over the fence any day.

The Yankees would lose a step or defensively in the hypothetical Lamb for Headley swap  but Lamb is still at least two years from entering his prime while Headley is at least three years from his which could make up the difference in the long term. Lamb is not arbitration eligible for two more years which means he is going to cost a ton. How much is a ton? Well suddenly the once shortstop heavy Diamondbacks need middle infielders and it has been speculated already that the team would move Jorge Mateo in a deal this winter. I don’t want to give up on or give away Mateo but for a 26-year old power hitting lefty like Lamb you always make the deal, especially for a player who has never seen Double-A.

Arizona also needs a catcher and the Yankees have three on their 40 man roster with Kyle Higashioka soon to be added per the team. Why not include Austin Romine in the deal and bring back a prospect or two in the deal while Brian Cashman is at it? This is one of those “too good to be true” sounding deals for New York but you never know until you ask so Cashman, ask. 

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Arizona Diamondbacks 5/17

The New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks are finally set to kick off the second game of their three-game interleague series this week down in Arizona’s Chase Field. The Diamondbacks went into the deep end of the free agent pool this offseason bringing in tonight’s starter Zack Greinke while the usually generous Yankees did not sign a single free agent this winter instead relying on their young arms and farm system led by their starter tonight Michael Pineda. A tale of two teams going in completely opposite directions collide tonight inside Chase Field at 8:40 pm ET. Who wins? You’ll have to watch to find out that’s half of what is great about baseball.

The Yankees have one more game in the Arizona desert before traveling to Oakland Coliseum to face off with the Oakland Athletics. This gives you five more days to grab a pair of Yankees tickets off the blog before the team returns home to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium. All you have to do is click the Yankees tickets link at the top of the blog and pick your seats without having to pay an arm, a leg, any sort of fees or shipping costs through our partnership with Ticket Monster. Until then you can follow along on twitter by giving @GreedyStripes a follow while we navigate and live tweet each and every game every single season.

Jacoby and the Yankees are ready to wreak havoc and they have their hands full with a great pitcher in Zack Greinke. Let’s see how it turns out. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Arizona Diamondbacks 5/17

The New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks will battle it out once again tonight in the desert as these two teams face off head-to-head in the second of their three game set. In the first game last night we watched as Chad Green made his MLB debut against this team and tonight we get to see someone a little more experienced in Michael Pineda. Opposing Little Mike tonight, because let’s face it he’s been far from Big Mike this season, will be the Diamondbacks shiny new (expensive) toy in Zack Greinke inside Chase Field.

Pineda will look to get out of the first inning tonight without a huge deficit like they have in many of Pineda’s starts this season. After the second inning Pineda is holding opposing batters to just a .202 average while the other team is hitting a whopping .437 in the first two innings of the contest.

Greinke has surprisingly not been the pitcher the Diamondbacks gave the biggest contract ever to but he has been coming around a bit as of late. In his last start Greinke allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings pitched against the San Francisco Giants. Along the way Greinke struck out four and walked three for Arizona.

The game will be played at 8:40 PM ET inside of Chase Field and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. These starts actually work pretty well for me since I don’t get to watch the first inning or so of the game anyway. I won’t nearly see the end of it unfortunately but it allows me to get all my adulting done before chilling with you guys on Twitter. Hopefully I have good things to say when Pineda regains his “Big Mike” form tonight in the desert and keeps the Yankees rolling with a victory. 

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Arizona Diamondbacks 5/16

The New York Yankees have traveled out west and for the first time this season the team will play in an Interleague game inside of a National League park. This time around the Yankees will travel to the desert to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks inside of Chase Field. In the first interleague matchup of the year and in a rematch of the 2001 World Series the New York Yankees will send Chad Green to the mound to face off against the Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray.

Green will be making his MLB debut tonight in Arizona as the Yankees shake up their rotation a bit. This spot was normally that of Michael Pineda but since Luis Severino went down with an injury Green will take his spot and his turn tonight instead of Wednesday. Green has pitched well in 2016 posting a 1.22 ERA in seven Triple-A starts this season. 

Ray is coming into this start against the red-hot Yankees offense fresh off a not-so-great start last time out against the Colorado Rockies. In that start Ray had allowed five runs, three of them earned, on nine hits in 4.2 innings. In the no-decision Ray struck out nine and allowed three walks for the Diamondbacks. 

The game will be played at 8:40 pm ET inside of Chase Field and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. The three pitchers the Yankees will send to the mound, and to the plate, this week are Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and Chad Green while the Diamondbacks will send Robbie Ray, Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller. Of course they would send three of their best pitchers to the mound. Of course they would. Oh well, New York has done well against top competition here lately so maybe that's just what they need for another series win.

Go Yankees!

Key Dates for the 2016 MLB Regular Season

On Sunday, April 3 the 2016 MLB regular season kicks off with a rematch of the 2015 World Series between the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals. Most everyone else is in action on April 4 as the 2016 season kicks off and here are a few more key dates for you for this upcoming season. Keep this bookmarked in case you need it.

April 18^th, a Monday in case you were wondering, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs renew their rivalry for the new season with former Cardinals Jason Heyward and John Lackey making their debuts against their former team.

The first Yankees vs. Red Sox game is on Friday, April 29 in Fenway Park while the first game inside Yankee Stadium comes on Friday, May 6^th.

On Friday, July 15 Zack Greinke and the Arizona Diamondbacks face off with his former team the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time after leaving this winter in free agency. The Dodgers are many people’s pick to win the division but the Diamondbacks are not going to go down without a fight.

Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza take their place amongst the greatest in MLB history when the 2016 Hall of Fame induction ceremony goes down on July 24, 2016. That’s a Sunday by the way.

August 1^st, not July 31^st, is the trade deadline this season. Why? Because July 31^st is on a Sunday. #LOGIC

Tuesday, September 27^th will mark the final time David Ortiz steps into Yankee Stadium during the regular season. How will he be honored and will he get his standing ovation? Stay tuned. 

USA Today’s First Set of MLB Power Rankings for 2016!!

Hallelujah! It’s baseball season again and the USA Today has released their first set of power rankings for the season. As you know last season we brought you the weekly power rankings every Tuesday morning and today we bring you the first set of the year. Obviously these mean little besides who the publication thinks won the offseason and did the most to improve their teams but it is still fun to look at. It means baseball is on the horizon, baseball that actually counts too, and things are about to get interesting again for the New York Yankees.

The Top 10 in order consist of the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals. It’s interesting to me to see these teams and not some of the heavier spenders this winter, the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks for example, while a team like Los Angeles that lost Zack Greinke is still ranked so highly.

The next 10 spots in the rankings belong to the #11 Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins and the #20 ranked Cleveland Indians. I can’t say I’m shocked to see the Yankees right at the middle of the pack, that’s where everyone has the team and that is close to where it finished last season. I have absolutely no issues being the underdog though, none.

The final ten spots begin with the #21 ranked Baltimore Orioles and continue with the Miami Marlins, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves and bringing up the rear is the Philadelphia Phillies. This crop of 10 intrigues me the most possibly with teams that are considered to be “going for it” like Seattle ranked just above teams that are rebuilding like San Diego.

That’s it, the very first set of power rankings for the 2016 MLB regular season. Who’s excited?