How Brad Ausmus Can Make His Mark as a Skipper

How Brad Ausmus Can Make His Mark as a Skipper

With the 2014 non-waiver wire deadline behind us, it is clear that the Oakland A’s and Detroit Tigers made moves and shaped their rosters due to the competition the other presents. What sets these two teams apart still is something that would help shape Brad Ausmus’ career as a manager and prove he has the stones to do whatever it takes to win.

Regardless of how good and sometimes dominant the Tigers starting staff has been, and that’s before the addition of David Price, the one Achilles heel they’ve had all season is their bullpen. Even with great starters the bullpen will be crucial in October and right now the Tigers do not have the edge against Oakland because of this. They do however have an ace in the hole, pun definitely intended, that would put them over the top and virtually guarantee a World Series title. The question is though; does Ausmus in fact have the stones to make the move?

Justin Verlander in 2014 has not been the Justin Verlander we’ve come to know over the years. There’s no denying this fact and Verlander himself would tell you the same thing. There’s also no question that he has been Detroit’s worst starter this year and with the addition of Price that trend will continue. So how can Ausmus change the shape of the 2014 playoffs? The answer is simple: Justin Verlander: Closer.

The old adage goes, “What have you done for me lately?” well in Verlander’s case the answer has been not much. Yes, in the past he has been one of the most dominant pitchers of the current era, but in 2014 he just has not been as effective as the rest of his rotation mates. So come the postseason, you put Verlander in the bullpen and let him close out games. Bruce Bochy did it with Tim Lincecum and it worked very well, Ausmus needs to do the same.
By executing this move Ausmus doesn’t have to sit through every heart attack inducing Joe Nathan appearance and also he essentially is turning Verlander loose on the opposition. Having him throw a limited number of pitches allows him to fire that 100 mph fastball consistently and blow everyone away. He can be more of a thrower as opposed to a pitcher and for this year I feel that would suit him extremely well.

Next season maybe Verlander comes back and is his dominant self once again. Who knows what will happen because we can’t predict the future, but for 2014 and the upcoming playoffs his best role is as a flame throwing closer. Bochy and the Giants have given Ausmus and Detroit precedent and it’s been made clear Ilitch wants the title now due to his advanced age, so let’s see just how bad they actually want it. What’s the sense of gambling when you can play the sure thing?

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 8

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 8

 

Welcome back to our final Trade Deadline Preview. Today we will be taking a look at the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Atlanta Braves. Both teams look to be well on their way to a playoff spot, but could use some upgrades to the roster to ensure their winning ways continue.

Angels of Anaheim

Positives- They employ the best baseball player in the galaxy, Mike Trout. Garrett Richards has been great and should be an All-Star. Albert Pujols has been healthy.

Negatives- Bullpen. Bullpen. Bullpen.

The Angels are a very dangerous team and could very well find themselves playing deep into October, if they can fix their bullpen. They’ve added Jason Grilli and Joe Thatcher already but could use one more late inning guy. Whether it’s a setup man or a closer the back end of the bullpen needs some tightening up. The team they need to look to is the San Diego Padres who have both a closer and setup man that could and should be traded. Either Joaquin Benoit or Huston Street should be in an Angels uniform by August 1^st. Adding one of those guys to a team with a great lineup and a rotation headed by Weaver, Wilson, and Richards could catapult this team to a World Series contender.

Atlanta Braves

Positives- Impressive play despite a plethora of injuries and bad play from regulars.

Negatives- Dan Uggla. Bench production. Dan Uggla. Injuries. Dan Uggla. Fredi Gonzalez. Dan Uggla.

The Atlanta Braves have had a lot of things go wrong for them this season. Between injuries to starting pitchers, Dan Uggla not being able to reach the Mendoza Line before being benched, and Fredi Gonzalez’s ineptitude as a manager. Despite all of that, there is still enough talent on this team to overcome all that. The Braves could use some bench help and possibly one more starter. That starter wouldn’t be David Price as he would probably command too much and the Braves farm system is not that deep. If I’m the Braves I concentrate on trying to pick up a starter along the lines of an Ian Kennedy or Kevin Correia. Those guys will not command a large haul and can help bolster an already solid rotation. As far as their bench production if they could snag a guy like Logan Forsythe or Eduardo Nunez they would do very well for themselves.

Well that does it for not only Part 8 but our Trade Deadline Series as a whole. We will be back with All-Star Game coverage of festivities and a running diary of both the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game itself.

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 7

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 7

 

 

 

We’re back once again with our next to last Trade Deadline preview. Today we will be looking at two teams who are still currently in the race, but could very easily fall out of it in the second half if they don’t do enough to improve. Those two teams are the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants. Both the Tigers and the Dodgers are hitting a groove and playing far better than they did at the beginning of the season. If that continues, these teams will be left behind looking towards next year.

Kansas City Royals

Positives- Pitching. Ability to hit for average. Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon being perennial Gold Glovers.

Negatives- Ability to hit for power.

The Kansas City Royals are going through a complete power outage this season. They cannot get the ball to leave the yard on a consistent basis. If you need singles and doubles then this is a great offense for you, but if you need a power swing that can put multiple runs on the board with one swing, look elsewhere because they won’t be able to help you. The Royals need to add a bat that can generate consistent power and also hope that guys like Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler wake up from these giant slumps and start hitting some more home runs. There isn’t much big time power out there and available to Kansas City but there are some guys that can certainly help and do a better job than what their lineup has done thus far. I would look to Marlon Byrd first and foremost because he’s much more adept defensively as well as being a good bat. When a guy needs a spell or if they were inclined to bench Aoki for his lack of production, Byrd can slide right in.

Other options to consider: Adam Dunn (CWS), Chris Carter (HOU).

San Francisco Giants

Positives- Jumping out to such a big lead early on that they can still consider themselves in the race. Tim Hudson rebounding from his terrible ankle injury to come back and be as good as ever. Madison Bumgarner providing the staff a true ace.

Negatives- The offense has died quicker than a goldfish won at a carnival. 2nd base production. Bench depth.

San Francisco is very lucky they jumped out to the huge lead that they did. After 60 games they had the best record in baseball and looked to be well on their way to the postseason. Then the hitting started to fade, Angel Pagan got hurt, and Sergio Romo had to be removed from the close role because of ineffectiveness. Thanks to that hot start however, they can still be considered a contender and a threat for a playoff spot. Without some upgrades and the offense coming back to form that will change very quickly. San Francisco needs to look for help at 2nd base and needs to bolster their bench so that a guy like Joquain Arias can stop getting playing time. They need to look at Ben Zobrist if Tampa Bay is willing to part with him. He can play second and is also versatile enough to play elsewhere to spell guys on certain days. Bench production has been a problem for San Fran over the last two years and they need to look at upgrades in both the infield and outfield in order to improve this issue. There is only one game separating them from Los Angeles but if they don’t get their act together soon it will be much more than that.

Other options to consider: Aaron Hill (ARZ), Martin Prado (ARZ), Eric Young Jr. (NYM), Eduardo Nunez (MIN), Justin Ruggiano (CHC), Nate Schierholtz (CHC).

That will do it for Part 7 of our Trade Deadline series. Join us tomorrow as we wrap the series up with a look at the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Until then, enjoy the games.

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 6

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 6

 

 

We’re back once again with Part 6 of our Trade Deadline Preview for 2014. Today we will be taking a look at the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both teams have played well in the first half and will not need to make major improvements but the rosters could use some slight tweaking to give them that extra push towards the postseason. 

Baltimore Orioles

Positives- Nelson Cruz. Being in first place despite horrible first halves from Manny Machado, J.J. Hardy and Chris “Crush” Davis. Emergence of Zach Britton in the closer role. Bullpen.

Negatives- Starting pitching. Matt Wieters season ending injury. 2nd base production.

The Baltimore Orioles signed Nelson Cruz to a 1 year $8 million deal, and all he’s done is lead the American League in HRs and RBIs. Cruz is on the short list of guys likely to finish 2nd behind Mike Trout in the MVP vote and the Orioles have already gotten enough of a return on their investment and then some. Thanks to Cruz’s monster first half the Orioles have been able to overcome the poor starts, injuries, and suspensions of Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy, and Manny Machado. If two of those guys can rebound in the second half, even with a Cruz slide which could be likely, the Orioles will find themselves in the playoff hunt until the very end. A division win would not be out of the question. As of right now without even making a move they would have to be considered the favorite in the East.

The Orioles need to focus on starting pitching. They have Kevin Gausman who has been shuffled back and forth between Triple-A and the Majors so often it’s not even funny. He hasn’t done poor enough to warrant it though which is the most confusing part. Sure he’s not an ace or pitching like one but he’s no worse than what they already have. Plus, Dylan Bundy could be ready for the Majors sometime in August so he could provide a boost. They shouldn’t be looking at a guy like David Price, they don’t need him. I would look at a guy like A.J. Burnett if I was the Orioles. He’s a veteran on a team friendly deal who has plenty of experience in the AL East. That would be the name that would make the most sense for the team.

Other options to consider: Bartolo Colon (NYM), Ian Kennedy (SD), Kevin Correia (MIN).

 

Los Angeles Dodgers

Positives- Dee Gordon at 2nd base. Clayton Kershaw proving he’s not in fact human. Yasiel Puig proving he is not a one year wonder.

Negatives- Hanley Ramirez defense at short. 3rd base production. Depth of starting pitching.

I don’t see the Dodgers going after David Price or possibly Jon Lester, even though they do have the pieces to acquire such talent. If they pick up an arm at the deadline I could see it being a lefty out of the pen. Someone like a Tony Sipp of Houston or Brian Duensing of Minnesota would be perfect. The more pressing move the Dodgers would need to make is acquiring a shortstop so they can move Hanley Ramirez back to third where he is better suited to play at this point. Someone like Stephen Drew in Boston would be a good fit for this team. If they can get a better defensive shortstop and move Hanley to third the lineup will be set. They have a good starting five but would be in trouble if one of those guys got hurt. Possibly adding a marginal pitcher for depth would be a move I could see them making. Someone in the mold of a Brandon McCarthy who just recently was shipped to the Yankees is the type of pitcher they should be looking for. No need to give up prized prospects for a big name.

Other names to consider: Marwin  Gonzalez/Jonathan Villar (HOU), Cesar Ramos (SD), Josh Edgin (NYM), Eduardo Nunez (MIN).

That will do it for Part 6, join us tomorrow as we take a look at the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. Only two more days left of our trade preview, which will take us into the last weekend of the season before the Mid-Summer Classic. Enjoy the games folks.

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 5

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 5

  

 

 

We’re back with the second half of our trade preview taking a look at two more contenders and the moves they should be looking to make. Today we take a look at two teams on opposite sides of the spectrum recently in the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. Pittsburgh has been one of the hottest teams in baseball climbing back into contention for a wild card spot and their second straight playoff appearance. Toronto on the other hand came out of the gate firing, jumping out ahead of the pack thanks in large part to Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, and Mark Buehrle. Lately however, they have cooled down considerably and have allowed even last place Tampa and Boston to be within 8.5 and 9 games respectively. Buehrle has come back down to Earth hard over his last 8 or so starts and with the injury over the weekend to Edwin Encarnacion, the hole they are digging themselves in is getting deeper. Let’s dive in and take a look at their needs.

Toronto Blue Jays

Positives- Power. Jose Reyes has remained healthy since coming off the DL. 

Negatives- Depth. 2nd base production. 

The Blue Jays can thank their hot start for keeping them in the race right now and ahead of the pack but they are in desperate need of a move or they will soon be looking up at multiple teams. They have been linked lately to Chase Headley of the Padres and he is the exact type of guy they need to bring in. Putting him at third base will allow Brett Lawrie to stay at second as opposed to shifting back and forth based on matchups, but the caveat is that Lawrie has to stay healthy which has become a problem for him. They could also look to a guy like Aaron Hill and bring him back to Toronto to play second, allowing Lawrie to stay at third. The Jays could also look to add a starter into the rotation. They wouldn’t necessarily need an ace like David Price but if they could pick up an A.J. Burnett or Ian Kennedy type pitcher it would help them tremendously. Dickey is too inconsistent, Morrow is always hurt, Buehrle will give you the innings and consistent starts but his numbers have dipped. The Jays will be leaning on Marcus Stroman and Drew Hutchinson to guide them in the second half but as their innings load increases there’s no telling how their performance will respond. Toronto is the team in most desperate need of a move and better hope they make the right one or else the playoffs will be beyond the horizon and out of sight once again.

Other options to consider: Bartolo Colon (NYM), Martin Prado (ARZ).

 

Pittsburgh Pirates

Positives-  Andrew McCutchen performing as well as he did during his MVP season last year. Emergence of Gregory Polanco in the outfield and at the plate.

Negatives- Pitching (Both starters and bullpen).

The Pirates started out slow but since May are tied with Oakland for the best record in baseball. With arguably the best outfield in baseball, Pittsburgh has enough offense to stay in the race and push forward. Pitching wise they need some improvement. Jeff Locke and Vance Worley have pitched well since coming up from the minors and they should be getting Francisco Liriano back soon. Add in the fact that Gerrit Cole should hopefully have a better second half than he did first half and they don’t need to make a huge improvement to the staff. They’ve already made an embattled closer trade with the Angels shipping Jason Grilli to Anaheim for Ernesto Frieri but they could definitely use one more right handed reliever. I don’t see them going after one of the bigger names as far as starters go so I would rule out David Price or Jon Lester coming to the Steel City.

Other options to consider: A.J. Burnett (PHI) coming back again, Ian Kennedy (SD), Chad Qualls (HOU).

 That will do it for Part 5, join us tomorrow as we discuss the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Until then, enjoy the games folks.

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 4

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 4

 

Welcome back once again to the MLB trade deadline preview here at Changing Speeds. We’ve already taken a look at some of the teams in both the AL and NL and where they need to be looking in order to improve their chances come the postseason. Today we reach the halfway point as we look at two surprising teams, one being a good surprise, the other not so much. Those two teams are the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals. When the season began no one was expecting Seattle to have the 2^nd best run differential up to this point, nor were they expecting St. Louis to be 5 games back of 1^st place in the Central with only a .5 game lead from 3^rd place.  Let’s jump right into the preview.

 Seattle Mariners

Positives- The addition of Robinson Cano as a middle of the order, run producing threat. Pitching (both starting and relief), the best defense in baseball.

Negatives-  Lack of a right handed bat in the middle of the order to balance out the lineup.

Seattle made a big splash when it signed Robinson Cano to a 10 year deal worth almost a quarter of a billion dollars. They were banking on him to be the steady, consistent middle of the order power bat and run producer. Safeco Field may have zapped some of his power up to this point but he is driving in runs and getting on base and is an underrated candidate for MVP. Seattle was already heavily tilted to the left side before signing Cano, so they brought in Corey Hart to be the righty that balanced the lineup. Unfortunately for Seattle, Hart got hurt and is only just coming back to the lineup, but he is looking to be a shell of his former self. Seattle finds itself right smack in the middle of a pennant race thanks to their pitching and defense, but they absolutely need to make a move to fix their only glaring weakness. Matt Kemp would most likely be the team’s dream acquisition but I don’t think they have enough to be able to make that move so they are going to have to go after a right hander who is the next tier down from Kemp. My personal choice for them would be Texas Ranger Alex Rios. He is a fantastic hitter, he has a swing that fits well with Safeco, and he is a better defender than the other choices available to Seattle. If they were to pick up Rios they could then platoon Logan Morrison and Corey Hart at first base, helping to take one more lefty out of the lineup when facing a left handed pitcher. Texas may not be willing to part with Rios but if I’m Seattle that is my number one target and would exhaust all options in order to acquire him.

Other options to consider: Josh Willingham (MIN), Marlon Byrd (PHI), and Michael Cuddyer (COL).

St. Louis Cardinals

Positives- Considering where analysts and pundits saw this team at the beginning of the season, there really isn’t much besides Adam Wainwright. Also, still being in the Wild Card and Division hunt despite the disappointing first half.

Negatives- Severe lack of power. Pitching injuries. No production whatsoever from 2^nd base.

Coming into this season the Cardinals were basically a shoo-in to run through the National League and find themselves back in the World Series. They had quality and depth on the pitching side and had a lineup that could stand toe to toe with any in baseball. Once the year started though, all that began to change. They have had to deal with injuries to the staff, a power shortage comparable to the East Coast blackout of 2003, and dead bodies patrolling second base for the first half of the season. The number one priority for St. Louis is the acquisition of either a second baseman or a third baseman, moving Matt Carpenter back to second, where he had a fantastic season last year. In order to make this happen, the Arizona Diamondbacks would be the first team I reach out to if I’m the Cards. Aaron Hill could definitely be traded for and Martin Prado is also in the desert and could be a nice addition. Once that is taken care of I move on to a starter. The pieces are there in St. Louis for them to make a major move and go after David Price if they so choose. May seem like a very drastic move but the title window is closing for a lot of veterans and this type of all-in move is what can propel them back to the Fall Classic.

Other options to consider: Jon Lester (BOS), Ben Zobrist (TB).

Part 4 is in the books. Join us tomorrow as we take a look at the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. Until then, enjoy the games.

The Winds of Change are Starting to Blow Part 3

The Winds of Change are Starting to Blow Part 3

 

Welcome back everyone to part 3 of our trade deadline preview. Today we will be taking a look at two teams on different sides of the spectrum as far as the playoffs are concerned. Those two teams are the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals. Washington is trending upward while the Yankees are trending downward, but not all hope is lost in the Bronx. Washington is sitting 1.5 games back of the suddenly hot again Atlanta Braves, but because of the Braves streakiness they should like their current chances at a division title. Let’s take a look at what these teams will need to do.

New York Yankees

Positives- Brett Gardner. Mark Teixeira. Future Closer Dellin Betances. New found ace Masahiro Tanaka.

Negatives- Injuries. Terrible infield. No Depth. Kelly Johnson’s defense.

The New York Yankees are perhaps the biggest enigma of the 2014 baseball season. They sit one game over .500 at 43-42 and three games back of division leading Toronto, but truthfully, they have no business being in this race. The way they’ve played, including having a -33 run differential, they should be making offseason golfing plans. This isn’t an injury plagued team overachieving, this is a bad team that is lucky everyone else in the division is just as bad.

The Yankees definitely need starting pitching but their main targets came off the board last night as the Oakland A’s pushed all in and acquired Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija from the Cubs. David Price is still potentially available but even if Tampa chooses to deal him I don’t see a situation where they would be willing to help the Yankees and end up having to face Price. There is also the issue of facial hair. Yes, it sounds crazy but Price had gone on record as saying he would never want to play for the Yankees because of their facial hair policy and his unwillingness to shave. Lately however, Price, like everyone else who will not stand by original statements, has flip flopped on the issue and said if he did wind up on the Yankees he would shave and abide by team rules.

There is one team out there with the pieces to fit both of the Yankees needs, and if I’m the Yankees and Brian Cashman I’m calling this team nonstop and doing whatever I have to do in order to get a deal done. That team is the San Diego Padres. Ian Kennedy and Chase Headley should be Yankees come August 1^st. Kennedy of course would be on his second stint in the Bronx after his first didn’t go well at all but he is a different pitcher now than he was then. He can eat up innings and be an anchor in the rotation for the second half to go along with Masahiro Tanaka. As far as Headley is concerned, there have been rumblings about him and the Bronx for a while. The time though is now to pull the trigger. Despite the pinched nerve Headley is dealing with causing pain in his leg he is still a massive upgrade over the entire current infield with the exception of Teixeira. Also, being a switch hitter, that short porch in right will do wonders for his power numbers. I’m not even going to list other options to consider here because this is the deal the team needs to get done.

Washington Nationals

Positives- Pitching. Anthony Rendon emerging as a future star. Production and veteran leadership of Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche. Tanner Roark solidifying his spot in an already excellent rotation.

Negatives- Health. Bench production. Having to find playing time for all the talent.

The biggest issue that faced the Washington Nationals this season was health. Too many key players missed chunks of time not allowing them to field their complete team until just recently. The problem with that is the double edged sword nature of the issue. The team’s glad to have everyone back and playing but is forced to do a lot of shifting and have to sit a good player. Anthony Rendon who is naturally a third baseman was playing extremely well at the hot corner while Ryan Zimmerman was doing a good job in left field as he feels he is no longer able to play an effective third base due to his shoulder problem. Now with franchise cornerstone Bryce Harper healthy, he slides back into left field and shifts Zimmerman to third and Rendon to second. With this lineup, Danny Espinosa, who is a far superior defender than Rendon is forced to sit on the bench. Keeping everyone at their positions they were playing and shifting Harper to center forces Denard Span to the bench, and with the season he is having this year, the Nationals cannot afford to do that. Having too much talent is a luxury usually and that is how Matt Williams is playing off in the media but I do not envy the decisions he has to make on an everyday basis.

Due to their excellent pitching and great starting talent there isn’t much that the Nats have to do besides stay healthy. They could certainly look for a utility bench player to help bolster their bench production as Nate McLouth, Kevin Frandsen, and Scott Hairston haven’t been able to do a good enough job. Some guys that the Nats can look to acquire would be Marc Krauss of Houston, Emilio Bonifacio of Chicago, or Alexi Amarista of San Diego. Any one of those guys would help add to their depth and help Matt Williams throw a versatile player in the lineup on days where multiple guys need days off.

That’s it for part 3 of our series, we will be back tomorrow with part 4 as we continue to analyze the needs of contenders as the season goes on. Tomorrow we will take a look at the St. Louis Cardinals and the Seattle Mariners and who they should be looking at to cement their playoff chances.