Bleacher Report - Articles by Kris Cossins

Could Jose Guillen Be the Biggest Player on the Trading Block?

Kris Cossins — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:36:49 -0400

It's been reported that Jose Guillen wants out of KC, badly. His rift between manager Trey Hillman and KC supporters has come to a climax.

Guillen signed a three-year, $36 million contract prior to the 2008 season. On his ninth team in 11 pro years, Guillen is a career .273 hitter with 180 home runs and 742 RBI.

Guillen got off to a horrific start in 2008, batting just .192 in April, but blamed his bad start on not playing well in cold weather. As far-featched as the excuse sounds, when the weather warmed up, so did Guillen.

Guillen batted .308 in May, and .348 in June. He also drove a in a combined 45 runs in those two months and hit seven homers in June. Guillen's high came in a weekend series in New York, where he hit four bombs and drove in 10 runs.

But it has been downhill since. He is batting .154 in the month of July with six RBI and no home runs. Nagging leg injuries have kept him out of five games in the last month and led to a tongue-lashing that he dished out on the KC fans last Saturday. He went off about how he was hurt and stayed in the game to "help the team" and was upset that the fans booing him for not running out a double-play ball.

This isn't first time Guillen has lashed out at the fans or his team. He called some of his teammates "babies" during a tough 12-game losing streak that included the Jon Lester no-hitter.

So where might Guillen end up if GM Dayton Moore decides to part was with the KC slugger? Well, there are several teams that would make a call about Guillen, but the New York Mets seem to have the most interest in him.

With the Mets reportedly interested in Mariners outfielder Raul Ibanez, it seems an obvious secondary route to explore.

With Guillen being so driven to get out of KC as to even defer part of salary for the next two years, KC might have callers at its door.

Other interested buyers could be the LA Angels, who are struggling to get production out of outfielders Juan Rivera and Gary Mathews Jr.

AL: Deadline Deals - By the Numbers

Kris Cossins — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:56:19 -0400

We are going to take a look at what your contending team needs, by the numbers, coming up to the deadline. We are going to look at the leaders in each division and the wild card team.

Tampa Bay Rays - East

It's no secret know how talented the Rays are this year. The Rays have the number three AL pitching staff on the year and, along with their strong defense, have kept them afloat of the top of the brutal AL East.

Tampa Bay needs a big bat if they hope to stay on top in the East. In the AL they are eleventh in team batting average, twelfth in hits, and eighth in OPS.

The Rays are going to need somebody to solidify the middle of their lineup and hope that Crawford and Hinske can regain their form from the beginning of the year.

Boston Red Sox - Wild Card

With Man-Ram wanting to be traded, the Red Sox have a lot going on into the deadline. Although the likelihood of Manny being moved is very small, the possibilities of seeing a big name deal are interesting.

The Sox didn't miss a beat while Big Papi was sidelined with his wrist injury. Boston is still second in the AL in runs and batting average.

The obvious weakness for the Red Sox is in the bullpen. In the AL, their bullpen is ninth in team ERA, Hits, and batting average allowed.

Chicago White Sox - Central

The White Sox are holding strong at the top of the Central. Chicago holds a slim 1.5 game lead over the Twins.

Chicago's offense and bullpen have been the strength of the White Sox this year. They have hit 14 more home runs than anybody else in the AL and have the number two ERA for relievers.

The White Sox defense has been terrible. They are fourteenth in errors in the AL and might look to add a defensive untility man to come off the bench. Chicago will also look to add an arm to the starting rotation that rank seventh in the AL in ERA.

Los Angeles Angels - West

The Angels are well up in the West and looking to cruise into the playoffs. With no glaring weakness, don't look for any blockbusters out of the Angels.

Los Angeles' key to success is their strong starting pitching that is ranked third in the AL in ERA.

The Angels are ninth in the AL in batting average and runs. The often injured Chone Figgins and Howie Kendrick are going to be keys for the Angels. If Los Angeles doesn't have faith in them staying healthy look for them to snag a quality infielder.

Who's Leaving the KC Royals? Is Zack Greinke on the Block?

Kris Cossins — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:17:15 -0400

With the speculation about who is going where coming up to the trade deadline, let's look to see who might be moved for the KC Royals.

The Royals don't have a lot to offer when it comes to bait for the teams in the middle of race. Generally there isn't going to be much on a team that's 13.5 GB. But there are a couple moves that can be made.

With interest from the Yankees, Brewers (before getting CC), and Cubs (before getting Harden), the most talked about acquisition is Zack Greinke. Greinke had an amazing first half but has struggled his past couple of outings, going 0-3 with a 6.14 ERA in July.

Greinke upside lies in the fact that he could be a quality back of the rotation starter or be moved to the bullpen as a set up man. Greinke spent the first three-fourths of the year last year coming out of the 'pen hitting triple digits at times.

Another pitcher that could be moved is Ron Mahay. With everyone always looking for another lefty in the bullpen, Mahay has been dominating. In July, Mahay has a 0.73 ERA in 10 appearances. Mahay is also not your typical lefty specialist, with him sporting a .228 BAA vs. right on the year. Look for him to be moved before the deadline.

In response to the very good B/R article by Matthew Goodman where he talks about the Yankees getting Bannister for Melky Cabrera, there seems to be a very low likelihood this trade will happen.

Although he would be an upgrade to the already number five starter Ponson, it would not be a big enough upgrade for what the Yankees are looking for. And although that it seems that Bannister deifies "baseball's law average," he still doesn't put up the numbers to make this deal happen.

The only other likely move that would be made is that of 2B Mark Grudzielanek. Grudzielanek is a Gold Glove 2B hitting over .300 on the year. There have been talks about him being moved all year, but no real need for a 2B by of the teams in contention besides the Cubs. Although there hasn't been too much talk, look for him to be moved.

Top Five Fantasy Pitching Staffs in Aug. '08

Kris Cossins — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:17:58 -0400

If you are in one of the many daily or weekly fantasy games that hold pitching as the No. 1 importance, here is a Top Five for you.

1. Milwaukee Brewers

With the addition of CC Sabathia, this one-horse team became a two-horse powerhouse. With Sabathia going 4-0 in his first four starts, along with his 31 SO in 33 IP, the whole staff turned over a new leaf and started believing in themselves.

Since CC's move, Dave Bush has pitched 16 IP only giving up one run while striking out 20. While the bullpen isn't something to rave about, they are holding it down until they find a permanent closer.

Look for the Brewers to stay hot in Aug. as they push for a playoff spot.

2. New York Yankees

Mike Mussina is looking like the "Moose" of old these days. With a 1.04 ERA in July, Moose is 3-0 working 26 IP with 23 SO. Mussina is leading a staff that has underachieved this year but seems to be coming together.

Pettitte has fallen back to his old self after getting past the steroids controversy. Doing all of this without C. Wang and learning on-the-go Chamberlain they are pulling it together.

And with Rivera holding up the end with a 1.29 ERA, look for the Yankees' pitching staff to be putting up big numbers as they run down Boston and Tampa Bay.

3. Boston Red Sox

As we enter the dog days of summer, the big names and big teams show why they are regulars in the playoffs.

The clutch seem to thrive in these games, and there is nobody more clutch than Josh Beckett. With Matsuzaka by his side, and Lester becoming a star himself, the Red Sox seem primed to ride their pitching into the playoffs.

The best five-man staff in baseball can pull you big numbers on any given night. With the recall of Clay Buchholz from what seems like a successful Triple A stint, the Red Sox feature a strong starting rotation with a top five closer.

The rumors of picking up a set-up man like Gagne last year, the Sox are going to be dominant heading into Aug.

4. Los Angeles Angels

Isn't it about this time every year that the Angels seem to walk away with the West? So why should it be any different this year?

With the emergence of little known All-Star Joe Saunders and yearly Cy Young nominee John Lackey, the Angels are positioned to do it again.

Sometimes inconsistent up-and-comers Ervin Santana and Jered Weaver round out there starting rotation, and the staff is solid from top to bottom. With F. Rodriguez going for the single season saves record and Shields, Oliver, and Arredondo setting him up, the Angels look to have the best bullpen in baseball.

Always take a look at them whenever they are home with one of the best home ERA in baseball.

5. Chicago Cubs

To round out my Top Five pitching staffs in Aug., I'm going to take a wild card. Even though they have spent the year on top of the Central, the entire staff is injured. With what looks to be another DL stint for Kerry Wood, the staff is held down by other injury-prone stars Rich Harden and Carlos Zambrano.

If they can get and stay healthy, the two big stars and dominate home starter Ryan Dempster could put up some good numbers. With Marmol leaving the ball for Wood in the ninth, there are going to be some big SO numbers in low scoring affairs.

Although I'm wary about the brittle boys, they are worth a flyer here and there.

Kansas City Royals' Midseason Review

Kris Cossins — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:07:23 -0400

We're just past the halfway point of this season, and I thought I would write a little something on my views of how the Royals have done so far.

ESPN gave the Royals a D, but I’m grading the Royals on a curve and giving them a C+. Here’s why:

Starting Pitching

Their strength from the start of the season has been their starting pitching. There have been some tough spots in there, but overall the staff has pitched above average.

ZG has been dominant when he wants to pitch and not throw through a brick wall.

Banny has had some ups and downs, but overall has been above what his stuff shows.

Gil has been kind of a disappointment for me this year. His stuff is good and he has his moments, but he gives up too many homers and big innings.

Of course Tomko was a disaster, and Bale needs to learn how to punch.

LH has been alright, but he seems to be consistently giving up four to six runs over six to seven innings. Obviously that’s not good enough for a No. 1 overall pick. But it does look like there’s hope, even though, looking back on that draft, there were significantly better arms and bats there.

Bullpen

The Royals' bullpen has been like a Halloween costume party: scary and disfigured, pretty in pink, and terminator. Soria needs no grade, because his work speaks for itself.

Ron M has been very solid so far, but don’t get used to it because he’ll be gone by the trade deadline. Besides that, it has looked pretty bad.

Gobble makes some left-handers look foolish, but right-handers look like Man Ram. Who else is in the 'pen? That’s right: nobody worth talking about.

Offense

The offense is less than impressive. Jose G has been a monster this year, even with his horrific start. How is the No. 3 RBI guy in the AL not in the All-Star Game?

He has been a beast in the middle, and besides DeJesus, the only one to count on. Speaking of DeJesus, what more can you say about a guy who is constantly benched by the fans for a more exciting Joey G, whom I think a toddler could out-hit.

Gordon is progressing slowly, and even though I think he’ll end up being something special, don’t expect that breakout streak, but rather more of a building to a .285/30/100 season.

TP couldn’t hit high school pitching, and Mike A couldn’t field at shortstop on a high school team. If only you could put the two together.

Teahen has been disappointing and not the “Real Deal” that was expected. He’s going to be a solid player, but nothing special, so get used to that.

Coaching

Trey has impressed me, because I think the Royals are a little ahead of where they should be. Still, they are not as far as they could be. I think he needs to be a little tougher with guys and not leave guys in as long to figure things out.

But overall I’m satisfied. He’s done well mixing it up and trying things so I'm glad about that.

With a little less than half a season left, I think that less than .500 would be a disappointment. Take out that 12-game losing streak and they're there.

So, Royals, keep it up. You're heading in the right direction, just keep it going that way.