MLB: Top Fifteen National League Acquisitions In The Hot Stove League
First off, congratulations to the San Francisco Giants on winning their first world championship in San Francisco. Following the World Series, all attention turns to the Hot Stove League.
The off season feeding frenzy is now about half over with spring training just around the corner. Now is a good time to evaluate what has transpired thus far.
Who are the top fifteen National League acquisitions thus far in the Hot Stove League?
For the purposes of this article, I am not including players that have re-signed with their 2010 team, such as Aubrey Huff with the Giants or Jorge De La Rosa with the Rockies. My focus is only on players who are changing uniforms for the 2011 season.
15) JJ Putz: Ariaona Diamondbacks
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The Arizona Diamondbacks had major problems in their bullpen in 2010. In an effort to bolster this area, they completed a two year contract for $10 million with former White Sox reliever JJ Putz.
JJ Putz will be entering his ninth year in the Majors. He has 106 career saves and will be asked to assume the closer role in Arizona this coming season. Putz had a career best 40 saves with Seattle in 2007.
Putz rebounded from an injury plagued year in 2009, to post some respectable stats in 2010. He compiled a 7-5 record, with an ERA of 2.83 and 3 saves in 60 appearances with the White Sox.
Putz gives the Diamondbacks a veteran presence to shore up the back end of the bullpen. Arizona was simply not comfortable giving the closer job to Juan Gutierrez or Sam Demel. The acquisition of JJ Putz gives them a stronger belief that they can hold leads late in the game.
14) Lyle Overbay: Pittsburgh Pirates
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It's nice to see that the Pittsburgh Pirates have been active this off season. For a team that always seems to be unloading players they have acquired Lyle Overbay, Matt Diaz, Kevin Correia and Scott Olsen.
Although none of these moves is considered to be a blockbuster, they have picked up some solid major league talent. Their biggest signing thus far is Lyle Overbay, who will anchor the first base position for the Pirates.
Overbay will be entering his 11th year in the big leagues, having played in Arizona, Milwaukee and for the past five years in Milwaukee. He is a solid big league player and will bring veteran leadership to a very young Pittsburgh team.
In 2010, Overbay hit .243 with 20 HR's and 67 RBI. He is a decent defensive player and enables the Pirates to move Garrett Jones to the outfield on a full time basis, which should help to bolster their offense.
13) Javier Vazquez: Florida Marlins
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The Florida Marlins are counting on Javier Vazquez to solidify their starting rotation. They signed Vazquez to a one year contract for $7 million. Florida is undoubtedly hoping that Vazquez repeats his 2009 season, when he went 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA, with the Braves.
Last year, while with the New York Yankees, Vazquez compiled a 10-10 record and 5.32 ERA in 157 2/3 IP. He started 26 games for the Yankees and appeared in a total of 31 games.
Florida has a top notch star pitcher heading up their rotation in Josh Johnson. Ricky Nolasco is another very solid number two man. The Marlins plan to slot Javier Vazquez into the third spot in the rotation, followed by Anibal Sanchez and Chris Volstad. This group has the potential to be a very good starting staff.
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12) Ryan Theriot: St. Louis Cardinals
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Ryan Theriot is an ideal fit for the St. Louis Cardinals. He will most likely bat leadoff and play shortstop for the Cardinals. St. Louis traded pitcher Blake Hawksworth to the Dodgers to obtain Theriot.
Theriot has good speed and is a good on base guy. Although not a power threat, Theriot is a pesky hitter who can handle the bat and make things happen at the top of the order.
In the 2010 season, Theriot scored 158 runs, batted .270 and had 20 steals. At the top of the powerful St. Louis batting order, Theriot could score many more runs, as he will hit in front of the likes of Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Colby Rasmus and Lance Berkman.
Theriot is a solid glove man and returns to the NL Central where he spent several years with the Cubs. After acquiring Theriot, the Cardinals traded Brendan Ryan, who was their shortstop last year.
11) Jason Bartlett: San Diego Padres
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The San Diego Padres have already lost four starting players from their 2009 roster. Gone are superstar 1B Adrian Gonzalez, SS Miguel Tejada, C Yorvit Torrealba and SP Jon Garland. Their only significant pickup prior to the trade for Jason Bartlett was pitcher Aaron Harang, who has not pitched well in the past few seasons.
Jason Bartlett gives the Padres a quality shortstop, who was an All Star in 2009. His production in 2010 was a disappointment, however. One has to wonder if Bartlett can bounce back, as he moves to a notorious pitchers park in San Diego.
In 2010, Bartlet batted .254 with 4 HR's and 47 RBI. With the depleted Padre lineup and playing in the cavernous stadium in San Diego, do not expect too much of a jump in Bartlett's power numbers. It would be fair to expect Bartlett to hit significantly better than .254, however.
The Padres are not a power team and will need to find ways to generate scoring. Bartlett could also be asked to try and create more runs with his speed, so he could easily surpass his 2010 total of 11 stolen bases.
10) Carlos Pena: Chicago Cubs
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Carlos Pena signed with the Chicago Cubs and brings his big bat to the windy city, from Tampa Bay. After Derrek Lee was traded to the Braves in the 2009 season, the Cubs had a hole at first base. Carlos Pena fills that hole and the Cubs are hoping that his bat also does not have a hole in it.
Pena was an All Star in 2009, as he hit 39 HR's and had 100 RBI. He tailed off in 2010, but still had respectable power numbers with 28 HR's and 84 RBI. The biggest knock on Pena is his low batting average, as he hit .229 in 2009 and only .196 last year.
Playing in Wrigley Filed, Pena could approach his 2009 numbers, which would be a huge benefit for the Cubs. The long suffering Cub fans certainly hope so.
Carlos Pena is also a good defensive player at the first base position. His glove work should help lower the number of errors in the infield, for the Cubs.
9) John Buck: Florida Marlins
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The Florida Marlins have been one of the most active clubs in this years' version of the Hot Stove League. John Buck has signed a three year, $18 million dollar deal with the Marlins and will be their starting catcher. The Marlins were hurting at this position in 2009 when Ronny Paulino was suspended for banned drug use and John Baker was injured.
Buck will likely share time with John Baker, but probably get the majority of the starts. He gives the Marlins a good bat and solid backstop at the catcher position. Buck caught 112 games for the Blue Jays in 2010 and also played a few games as a DH.
John Buck was one of the top offensive catchers in baseball in 2010, as he hit .281 with 20 HR's and 66 RBI. If he can match those numbers in 2011, the Marlins will have made a very good investment.
8) Juan Uribe: Los Angeles Dodgers
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Los Angeles Dodger GM Ned Colletti is trying to improve his team, while also weakening their arch rival and world champion San Francisco Giants. Juan Uribe signed a three year $21 million deal with the Dodgers.
Many believe the Dodgers overpaid for Uribe who will be 32 years old at the beginning of the 2011 season. It is the third year that concerns most observers, for a guy who is starting to get up there in years and is a bit overweight. However, the Dodgers felt that this was necessary to pry him away from the Giants, where he played for the past two years.
Juan Uribe played 2B, SS and 3B with the Giants last year. He was extremely valuable and productive in this utility role, although utility is somewhat inaccurate, as he played in 148 games with the Giants in 2010.
Uribe will be the full time second baseman in LA and brings very good power to LA. In 2010, he hit 24 HR's and 85 RBI, which is outstanding for a middle infielder. Although he often frustrated people with his swing for the fences approach and lack of plate discipline, Uribe also had several clutch hits for the Giants. He was a vital cog in the Giants' 2010 World Series title.
Juan Uribe hit only .248 for the Giants last year, but his power numbers offset the low average. He also is a very good clubhouse presence and an upbeat guy, which is another thing the Dodgers sorely need. The Dodgers are counting on Uribe to duplicate the years he had in San Francisco.
7) Miguel Tejada: San Francisco Giants
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Juan Uribe was a key player for the Giants' World Series championship season. He started the season filling in for Freddy Sanchez at second, played a lot of shortstop with Edgar Renteria's never ending string of injuries and also filled in at third base as Pablo Sandoval struggled at the plate and in the field. Then, the LA Dodgers signed Uribe, leaving a huge hole at shortstop for the Giants.
Giants GM Brian Sabean acted quickly and replaced Uribe with Miguel Tejada, signing Tejada to a one year deal worth $6.5 million. Tejada will assume the regular shortstop duties for the Giants and, like Uribe, is a great clubhouse presence.
The Giants did not want to sign Uribe to a three year deal, which I believe was a wise decision, so the deal with Tejada is good news for Giants fans. In recent years, Tejada has played both shortstop and third base, as he has lost a some range. However, Tejada is comparable to Uribe and Renteria defensively & he has a good bat.
Tejada, who will turn 37 in May, has proven to be an extremely durable player. He has averaged 157 games over the last three seasons. Tejada hit .270 with 15 HR's and 71 RBI in 2010. Although he does not have the power numbers of Uribe, he does hit for a higher average. The Giants have made an excellent move in picking up Miguel Tejada, who will be entering his fifteenth major league season in 2011.
6) Omar Infante: Florida Marlins
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Omar Infante is an outstanding line drive hitter who should fit in quite well with the Florida Marlins. The Marlins traded Dan Uggla to the Atlanta Braves for Infante and relief pitcher Mike Dunn. Although many Marlin fans were up in arms, they should be very pleased with Omar Infante.
Infante is a defensive upgrade over Uggla and is a very good hitter. Although he does not come close to the power numbers of Uggla, he is an excellent contact hitter who hits for a high average. Infante was also an All Star in 2010.
By trading Uggla, the Marlins lose his production of roughly 30 HR's and 90-100 RBI. By contrast, Infante hit only 8 HR's and had 47 RBI for the Braves. Infante did, however, hit for a .321 batting average, with an OBP of .359, so he will give Hanley Ramirez, Gaby Sanchez and Michael Stanton plenty of chances to drive him in.
The Florida Marlin ownership did not want to spend big bucks on Dan Uggla, (roughly $11 million in 2011). By acquiring Omar Infante, they have a very solid major league ball player.
5) Jon Garland: Los Angeles Dodgers
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I must give LA Dodger GM Ned Colletti credit, as he tries to do his job amid the financial issues surrounding the messy divorce of the McCourt's, who own the Dodgers. By signing starting pitcher Jon Garland to a one year, $5 million contract, Colletti has added quality depth to his starting rotation.
The question remains, however, did Colletti waste this money, because LA now has six starting pitchers. I do expect Garland to make the rotation, however, as a number four or five starter.
The other starters in the mix are Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla. It's quite possible that the Dodgers will look to trade one of these six starters for a top quality outfielder or some bullpen help.
Jon Garland had an excellent year for the Padres in 2010, as he made 33 starts and threw 200 innings. Garland finished the year with a 14-12 record and an ERA of 3.47. Both San Diego and LA are pitchers parks, so one could expect Garland to repeat these numbers in 2011.
4) Lance Berkman: St. Louis Cardinals
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Will the St. Louis Cardinals receive the 2010 version of Lance Berkman or will they get the Berkman of the prior decade? The Cardinals are hoping that the return to the NL Central will revive Berkman's career and if that happens, the one year, $8 million contract they gave him will be well worth it.
Prior to 2010, Lance Berkman had been the best player for the Houston Astros for the past decade. He started slowly with Houston in 2010, then was dealt to the Yankees, where he never really seemed comfortable. Berkman ended the 2010 season with a career low .248 batting average. His power numbers were also way down, as he had only 14 HR's and 58 RBI.
In the previous ten seasons as a full time starter in Houston however, Berkman averaged 31 HR's, 103 RBI and had a .300 batting average. If he can come close to those numbers again, Berkman will be a tremendous addition to the Cardinal lineup.
The Cardinals will feature an outstanding offensive lineup that will include Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Colby Rasmus, David Freese, Yadier Molina and Ryan Theriot to go along with Berkman. Hitting in the middle of this order, I believe Berkman will have a bounce back year in 2011.
3) Dan Uggla: Atlanta Braves
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The Atlanta Braves were looking to upgrade their power in the coming season. The trade for second baseman Dan Uggla does just that. Uggla will likely earn about $11 million this year, his final year of arbitration eligibility. The Braves are trying to sign him to a long term deal and lock him in for the next three to five years.
Dan Uggla brings a consistent power threat to the Atlanta offense. He is one of the most prolific power hitters in baseball and the fact that he plays second base, a position not known for power hitters is an added advantage.
In 2010, Uggla slugged 33 HR's and collected 105 RBI. He also had a career high batting average of .287. Last season was not an aberation for Uggla, as he has been a consistent performer over his five year major league career. Uggla has averaged 31 HR's and 93 RBI over that five year span.
Defensively, Dan Uggla has had some issues in the past. However, after watching the beleaguered Brooks Conrad try to play second base in the 2010 playoffs against the Giants, nothing could be worse.
2) Jayson Werth: Washington Nationals
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The Washington Nationals had just lost Adam Dunn to the Chicago White Sox, so they were looking to make some kind of splash in the free agent market. By signing Jayson Werth to a seven year $126 million deal, they not only created a splash, but a tidal wave.
I was quite surprised to see Werth go from a pennant contending Phillies team to one of the weakest teams in baseball, the Washington Nationals. I figured he would end up with one of the big money teams like the Yankees, Red Sox or Angels.
The Nationals are hoping that Jayson Werth, along with Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond and Roger Bernadina will form a solid nucleus from which to build a contending team. In 2010, Werth hit for a .296 batting average, with 27 HR's and 85 RBI.
Pitching remains a major problem for Washington, however, so I do not expect them to approach the .500 mark this coming season.
1) Cliff Lee: Philadelphia Phillies
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How does a pitcher go 12-9 in 2010 and 14-13 in 2009 and receive a five year $120 million contract?
Such is the exorbitant trend of professional baseball contracts these days. In fact, Lee actually took a lower offer from the Phillies, as the NY Yankees offered him $150 million. I guess $30 million doesn't matter much when you're already getting $ 120 million.
The answer to the question above is that you pitch well in the playoffs. Prior to the 2010 World Series against the Giants, Cliff Lee had started eight post season games and won seven of them, with one no decision. In those eight games, Lee threw 60.1 innings, gave up only 40 hits and 9 runs. The only aberration was the 2010 World Series against the Giants, who beat Lee twice.
In the 2010 season, Cliff Lee began the year in Seattle and was traded to Texas. He finished the year with a combined 12-9 record, as mentioned earlier, and was instrumental in helping the Rangers reach their first ever World Series. Lee threw 212.1 innings, struck out 185 batters and had a very good ERA at 3.18.
The Philadelphia Phillies, trying to take a page out of the Giants' book, now have arguably the best starting pitching staff in baseball. Cliff Lee joins Cy Young Award Winner Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton to form an outstanding rotation. Although the Giants are the reigning champions, the Phillies hope that Cliff Lee will help bring them back to the World Series in 2011.
The Giants Are The World Champions Until They Are Knocked Off The Pedestal
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It's always fun to see all the wheeling and dealing of the Hot Stove League. Heading into 2011, all teams are now looking up at the San Francisco Giants, who caught magic late in the 2010 season to reach the playoffs and then win the world championship.
The Giants will remain largely intact heading into 2011, with the only significant departure being Juan Uribe, who will be adequately replaced by Miguel Tejada. The other 29 teams will be trying to strengthen their teams to make a run for the title in the coming season. This is what makes the Hot Stove so fun, as we near the time when pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Writers Note: Orlando Hudson would also make this list, but he has not passed his physical yet, so his deal with San Diego has yet to be finalized.
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