Tagged: ryan church

It’s Time To Fire Dayton Moore!/A New Home For Jeff Francoeur

Sorry for the late post, I typed it all this morning but the server lost it.
  • What Was Omar Minaya Thinking!
Mets trade OF Ryan Church to the Braves for OF Jeff Francoeur
Standard Analysis: Jeff Francoeur is a swing-at-everything, horrible hitter.  He is also a defensive black hole.  THE END.
Statistical Analysis: Since his superb rookie season that got him on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Jeff Francoeur has gone downhill, mightily.  Normalizing his stats to allow for the 2009 season, since that rookie year, Francoeur has hit:
.262/.305/.409, 18 HR, 32 2B, 3 3B, 78 R, 91 RBI, 34 BB, 121 SO  Ouch.
Church is a interesting player, lightyears better than Francoeur.  Batting line:
.277/.349/.453, 16 HR, 36 2B, 2 3B, 68 R, 75 RBI, 51 BB, 122 SO
Church somehow manages to strikeout more than Francoeur, but makes up for it with walks, something Francoeur does not do.
Defensively, Church is at the uppermost reach of above-average, and Frenchy is slightly below-average.
Church is superior offensively, defensively, and the better baserunner.  The only problem with this acquisition for Atlanta is that trading a righty hitter for a lefty hitter creates a situation where they would have 6 lefty hitters facing a LHP.  Why anyone would want Jeff Francoeur is a mystery, and why the would give up church for him is a bigger one.
  • Mariners trade SS Yuniesky Betancourt to the Royals for RHP Danny Cortes, and LHP Derrick Saito
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik showed his trade savvy, and Royals GM Dayton Moore showed his utter lack of baseball knowledge by agreeing to this trade.
Yuniesky Betancourt is a poor offensive player who doesn’t get on base, a atrocious defensive player who sports a -18 UZR at SS, a poor baserunner, and a player who doesn’t listen to his coaches, and who doesn’t have any sort of work ethic whatsoever.  That the M’s got anything for him is shocking.  That they came away with a pair of top prospects is beyond words.
Danny Cortes is a top-tier starting prospect at Double-A with a strong fastball, he relies on the strikeout. He has some control-related issues to work out, but still projects as a number 3 starter.
Derrick Saito is a cannon armed relief pitcher who is dominating A ball.  He strikeout many, walks few, and is not prone to the longball.  He isn’t closer material, but he should develop into a effective lefty middle reliever/setup man.
Betancourt will be no help at all to the Royals, he has a expensive contract, and will have no place in KC once Mike Aviles returns before the 2010 season.  The Royals are out of the playoff chase, and would have had no problem with keeping all-glove no-hit Tony Peña in the lineup as they finish out another losing season.  This was a pointless acquisition.
Dayton Moore has a history of bad moves with the Royals, this ridiculous trade is the final straw.  Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and congratulations to Jonathan Sanchez on his no-hitter!
Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!

And one last thing…
FIRE DAYTON MOORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Early AL Cy Young Candidates

Today, I am going to examine the three leading candidates for the AL Cy Young Award, but first…

  • Another Day, Another Mets Injury

This was the Mets’ lineup last night, Angel Pagan CF, Luis Castillo 2B, David Wright 3B, Gary Sheffield LF, Fernando Tatis 1B, , Fernando Martinez RF, Omir Santos C, Ramon Martinez SS, Livan Hernandez P.  Besides Daniel Murphy getting the night off, starters Brian Schneider (C), Carlos Delgado (1B), Jose Reyes (SS), Ryan Church (RF), and the newest starter to go down, Carlos Beltran, (CF).



  • Early American League Cy Young Candidates
  1. RHP Roy Halladay, Blue Jays

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Halladay matches up almost completely with another Cy Young candidate, the Royals’ Zack Greinke.  Halladay is tied with Greinke in Wins (8), Winning Percentage (.889), and Innings Pitched (75.0).  However, Halladay is second in ERA, WHIP, Complete Games, and Shutouts, in all of which he is second to Greinke.  Halladay has Cy Young caliber numbers, and if Greinke fell over the edge of the Earth, Halladay would win easily.

2. RHP Justin Verlander, Tigers

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Just one year after leading the league in losses, Verlander has seemingly rediscovered his strikeout power that enabled him to be the 2006 AL Rookie Of The Year, and one of the top 5 pitchers in the AL in 2007.  Verlander even has a flukily high BABIP (batting average on balls in play) working against him, and has surely contributed to his 3.55 ERA.  Verlander’s strikeout numbers will appeal to the average awards voter, but right now, this race is between Halladay, and Greinke.

3. RHP Zack Greinke, Royals

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What is there to say about Greinke?  Through 10 starts he has an ERA under 1, he leads the majors in every major statistical category; if voting was today, he’d win the Cy Young easily, and maybe the MVP award as well.