Hot Stove News....AFL Statistics

by Niteowl049

Baseball Notebook and Etcetera

Hot Stove League Roundup Arizona Fall League Statistics

Hitting

There are eight players tied for the lead in home runs in the Arizona Fall League with four each. Some of the better known names in the list are Evan Longoria, Matt LaPorta and John Mayberrry.

LaPorta leads in runs batted in with 16 with Jeff Baisley and Juan Miranda next with 15 each and they both are also tied in walks with 14 each. Negative for LaPorta is that he also leads in strikeouts with 24 in 77 at bats and Longoria is fourth with 21 strikeouts in 65 at bats.

Delwyn Young is leading in slugging percentage with a .810 mark far ahead of Steve Pearce at .654....Young also leads in batting average with a .524 average.

Pitching

Matt Harrison leads in wins with a 4-0 record....Jake Arrieta leads in ERA with a 0.00 ERA in 12 innings....Bob McCrory of the Orioles organization leads in saves with 4....Mitch Boggs of the Cardinals organization is leading pitchers with at least ten innings pitched in fewest hits allowed with five hits in 13 innings and is holding batters to a .122 average.

Nick Pereira (Giants) leads in strikeouts with 17 but also leads in walks with 11....Craig Molldrem of the Marlins leads in home runs allowed with 5. In the 2007 minor league season Molldrem allowed 7 home runs in 70 innings so he has taken a step backward in his AFL performance. He has pitched 8 innings...allowed 13 hits...14 runs...walked 6...struck out 9 and batters are hitting .342 against him.

Hot Stove News

Steve Trachsel was given a $100,000 buyout as the Chicago Cubs released Trachsel who had a 1-3 record with a 8.31 ERA. Last winter he was one of the last free agents signed if I remember correctly and this winter if he doesn't retire he may be one of the last signed again. Cubs would have had to pay him $4.75 million in 2008 if they had picked up his option but they made out like bandits saving $4.65 million by releasing him. His only claim to fame last season was that he led all major league pitchers with throws to first base with 182.

Cubs saved another $5 million by releasing Cliff Floyd. So that gives them $9.65 million they can use to sign A-Rod to a Cubs contract if they can get the other $20-25 million A-Rod would demand. Last time the Cubs signed a high profile shortstop they failed miserably when they signed Nomar Garciaparra who had 13 home runs and 50 RBI's while playing only in only 105 games in his two seasons with Cubs but A-Rod is a more durable player having over 500 at bats in all of his full major league seasons. One thing's for sure: he won't do any worse than Jeff Blauser, who after a 70 RBI season with the Atlanta Braves in 1997 was signed to a $8 million contract for four years. Blauser hit .219 and .240 and could only manage 34 extra base hits total in two seasons with the Cubs. After they enjoyed all they could stand of Blauser's hitting they cut their losses and released him after only two years of his four year contract.

Jason Schmidt has been reactivated by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Schmidt could have made a major difference if he had been healthy all season but only pitched in 6 games and gave up 32 hits and 14 walks in 25 innings while striking out 22.

Balco Bonds is at it again saying he is being singled out when it comes to players being mentioned that may have taken steroids or in his case almost certainly have taken steroids. He says he has never brought baggage to a team. What about the bag with the steroids that Greg Anderson gave him? Bonds seems intent on being in the news this offseason as maybe he thinks this will get him a better contract but teams are not impressed by his verbosity and are more likely to sign him if he would just shut up. He can talk all he wants but he may be talking himself out of a major league contract since teams want unity in clubhouse not the disunity Bonds brings wherever he goes since he is not a team player.

John Russell was named as the new Pittsburgh Pirates manager last night. Russell had played for Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and the Texas Rangers. This is not a great situation to start a managerial career since the Pirates have not had a winning record since 1992. The Pirates have not even won more than 75 games since 1999. The law of averages is with the Pirates though...no team can play this lousy for so many years without accidentally going over .500 and maybe Russell will be the one that can lead them to a winning season. They have some young pitchers that may be ready to break out the way Tom Gorzelanny did last season. I want to wish Russell the best and hope he can turn around the team and give the fans of Pittsburgh something they haven't had in 15 seasons...a winning team.