Twins Blog-Making a run at Cliff Lee?

In the past few weeks most baseball insiders have been speculating as to where Seattle LHP Cliff Lee will end up prior to the July 31st trade deadline. With Seattle's nose dive in recent weeks, it has become no surprise that they will shop around the former Cy Young award winner. Those same insiders believe the Minnesota Twins are the most likely team to land Lee. Given the depth of the Twins farm system matching up with some of Seattle's immediate needs, a deal could easily be made. A likely package to offer Seattle would consist of C Wilson Ramos, either SP Scott Baker or SP Kevin Slowey, and another mid level pitching prospect. The Twins have great depth in their farm system, but do they use some of that depth to acquire a pitcher that would just be a "rental" player? Lee is a free agent this winter and would be recieving offers from the Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox upon hitting the market, so any team that trades for him would only have him for the remainder of 2010, thus the "rental" tag. The most pressing issue for the Twins right now is the lack of an ace pitcher. Their starters, minus Liriano, have lacked serious consistency. They have a couple stellar outings followed by a couple of awful outings. And the inconsistency has shown when they have played playoff caliber teams (Yankees, Red Sox, Braves). And more than likely the Twins would run into the Yankees in October again should they get that far, and last I checked, the Twins can't solve the Yankees. And if you need reminding, look at the 2009 World Series and you will see Cliff Lee as the winning pitcher in Philadelphia's only two wins in that series. So Lee fills the "We can't run with the Yankees" void. Bringing Lee to Minnesota has alot of upside. He would make the Twins not just Central contenders but World Series contenders. But when push comes to shove, no, I can't see GM Bill Smith pulling the trigger on a deal like this. You can put your money on the Twins making a deal for a relief pitcher more than making a deal for Lee. And with free agency looming this winter for Lee, it makes it all the more easy to just say no. Even if they got Lee, the Twins would have a one in five chance of keeping him here past 2010. He would demand a contract around 15-20 million dollars per year. No one would be so sure Smith makes a trade period. Last year it took the Twins All Stars to convince him that they needed to trade for SS Orlando Cabrera. So one has to wonder what it would take to convince him they need Cliff Lee. Smith just doesn't give in to the big deals. But he has to see what we all see and that is a rotation without a leader and consistency. And teams that have rotations like that take a quick exit from postseason baseball. So, it's all on Smith now. Does he get Lee and push the Twins towards the top or does he settle for mediocrity pitching and take another ALDS sweep? The time is ticking. And he has 6 weeks and counting to decide.

MLB Power Rankings-6/14

Its been a few weeks but i'm back with some power rankings. This past week saw baseball's best prospect, Stephen Straasburg, make his debut and interleague play resumed. I have a new number one atop the rankings this week. Those Yankees have been playing consistently and with Tampa Bay's struggles they had to be bumped down. I also have some teams making some big jumps in a couple of weeks. Here's the rankings:

Rank. (Previous Week) Team Record: Comment

1. (2) Yankees 40-23: Now firing on all cylinders.
2. (1) Rays 40-23: Pitching has been beaten lately.
3. (7) Braves 37-27: Has Troy Glaus gotten a second wind?
4. (10) Red Sox 37-28: Offense has come to life.
5. (9) Padres 37-26: Still holding their ground.
6. (3) Twins 36-27: Injuries have taken their toll.
7. (11) Dodgers 36-27: Swept by Angels. Not a good sign.
8. (5) Reds 36-28: Joey Votto is vastly overlooked.
9. (13) Giants 35-27: Matt Cain has been lights out.
10. (6) Cardinals 34-29: Matt Holliday needs to wake up.
11. (16) Mets 35-28: Suddenly into second place.
12. (17) Rangers 35-28: Pounded Milwaukee pitching.
13. (4) Phillies 32-29: Can they buy some runs?
14. (18) Angels 36-30: Where did they come from?
15. (8) Blue Jays 34-30: Another June flame out on the way.
16. (14) Rockies 33-30: Someone solved Jimenez...finally.
17. (12) Tigers 33-29: Miguel Cabrera is still rolling.
18. (15) A's 32-33: A very streaky team.
19. (19) Marlins 31-32: Josh Johnson is a big force.
20. (20) Nationals 31-33: Strasburg finally made it!
21. (22) White Sox 28-34: Ozzie's final days?
22. (22) Cubs 28-35: This team cannot find their bats.
23. (24) Royals 27-37: Zach Greinke got win #...2?
24. (23) Brewers 26-37: Randy Wolf has been awful.
25. (27) Mariners 24-39: Cliff Lee's final days there?
26. (26) Diamondbacks 26-38: Juston Upton is on fire.
27. (28) Indians 25-37: Carlos Santana looks good.
28. (29) Astros 25-39: Can Oswalt be traded already?
29. (25) Pirates 23-40: Nose dive!!!
30. (30) Orioles 17-46: Still down here!

MLB Blog-Ken Griffey Jr. Retires

Today George Kenneth Griffey Jr. officially closed the book on his storied 22 year Major League Career. And one can't help but think of that sweet swing that sent baseballs farther than horizon lines. Griffey was a rare breed. A 5 tool player that made the absolute most out of his talents. He finished his career hitting .284 with 630 home runs (5th all time) and 1836 runs batted in. But what Griffey should be most remembered for was saving the Seattle Mariner franchise. For most Seattle fans 1995 would be the year the Mariners were saved, as the M's made a improbable run to the ALCS thanks to a Edgar Martinez double, scoring the speedy Griffey. But, had Griffey not blossomed into that feared hitter, he never brings the respectability back to Seattle, and Seattle probably would of up and moved to a new city (The M's were pushing for a new stadium at the time). Griffey needed Seattle and Seattle needed Griffey. And when Griffey was traded to Cincinnati in 2000, it just seemed like the wrong fit for both sides. In Griffey's first 11 seasons with Seattle he was averaging 36 HR and 104 RBI per season, but after his trade to Cincinnati he just averaged 25 HR and 67 RBI in 8 and a half seasons there. And in four of his first seven seasons in Cincinatti Griffey missed at least 50 games due to injury. It was just never right watching Griffey play for someone not named Seattle. But he made one last right in his career by playing his final year and a quarter with Seattle. But as we saw Griffey was so worn by age that the Seattle magic he once had there was gone. And he chose to ride off into the sunset on his terms. Ken Griffey was this writer's baseball icon growing up. And you couldn't of picked a better one to have during the steroid era, when all the games greats had fallen out of respectability, with the exception of Junior himself. Our final shot of Junior will be in 2016 as he recieves his plaque in Cooperstown with that infamous ear to ear grin on his face(No doubt he will have Seattle on his cap). And he will go down as one of the best centerfielders in baseball history, rivaling Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Ty Cobb for that honor.

MLB Power Rankings-5/30

Hello all. No big changes in the top ten this week. Tampa had a bad week, but I still think they are the best in the league. My team of the week, the Twins, lost 2 of 3 to the Yankees but swept the Rangers to finish off their homestand and got a boost to number three this week. A team fast moving upward is the Braves, as in three weeks they have gone from 25 to 11 to 7. My team to watch out for this week is again the Reds. They begin the week at St. Louis and play the gritty Nationals. They can solidify their status in the National League with a solid week.

Rank (Last Week) Team Record: Comment

1. (1) Rays 34-17: Bad week, but still the best.
2. (2) Yankees 30-20: Joba was exposed this week.
3. (5) Twins 30-20: Still can't top NY, but swept Texas.
4. (3) Phillies 28-21: 5 of last 8 have been shutout losses.
5. (7) Reds 30-21: Mike Leake is fitting in quite well.
6. (4) Cardinals 29-22: Pujols coming out of his "slump"?
7. (11) Braves 28-22: Jason Heyward is on a roll.
8. (9) Blue Jays 30-22: Home Runs are flying aplenty.
9. (10) Padres 30-20: Padres looking to upgrade their team?
10. (13) Red Sox 29-23: Big Papi has awakened from a 2 year nap
11. (8) Dodgers 28-22: What happened to Manny?
12. (6) Tigers 26-23: Quietly falling behind in Central.
13. (17) Giants 27-22: Is Buster Posey up to stay?
14. (15) Rockies 26-24: Two words-Ubaldo Jimenez.
15. (20) A's 27-24: Great pitching this past week.
16. (18) Mets 26-25: Jose Reyes is livening up.
17. (12) Rangers 27-25: Awful, awful road trip.
18. (22) Angels 25-27: Walk offs will never be the same again.
19. (14) Marlins 25-26: Cameron Maybin needs fielding practice.
20. (16) Nationals 25-26: Loss of "Pudge" is hurting them.
21. (19) Cubs 24-27: Do Cubs pitchers like serving BP balls?
22. (23) White Sox 22-28: Joe West really dislikes this team.
23. (26) Brewers 21-29: Corey Hart had an amazing week.
24. (25) Royals 21-30: Better win pct under Ned Yost
25. (21) Pirates 20-31: Crash and burn time?
26. (24) Diamondbacks 20-31: Justin Upton's numbers are rising.
27. (28) Mariners 19-30: This is a big week for M's.
28. (27) Indians 18-30: Kerry Wood is back...for a week!
29. (29) Astros 17-33: Pitching is just abysmal.
30. (30) Orioles 15-36: There's always 2014 for the O's

MLB Power Rankings-5/24

This past week we saw every team in MLB play two two game series followed by the first crack at interleague play. The teams at the top of the rankings did not have the best weeks so there was hardly any movement in the top 10. The Cardinals however did make a jump in the rankings as their offense finally came to life and got them back in first place. My team to watch out for this week is none other than my Minnesota Twins. They have three game sets against New York and Texas at home, where they have played outstanding baseball. The Twins hopefully have caught the Yankees at the right time as they have lost 5 of their last 7 games. Here's the rankings.

Rank. (Last Week) Team Record: Comment

1. (1) Rays 32-12: Destroyed the Bronx Bombers in two game set.
2. (2) Yankees 26-18: Can't be a good sign losing 2 of 3 to the Mets.
3. (3) Phillies 26-17: Jimmy Rollins can't have another DL trip.
4. (8) Cardinals 26-19: Retook first after offense came to life.
5. (4) Twins 26-18: Twins pitchers were quite giving this past week.
6. (5) Tigers 25-19: Can't keep going if Austin Jackson goes on DL.
7. (6) Reds 25-19: Reds came back down to earth this week.
8. (10) Dodgers 25-19: Still clicking despite Ethier's absence.
9. (9) Blue Jays 26-20: This team just hits the tar out of the ball.
10. (11) Padres 26-18: Wade LeBlanc and Mat Latos?
11. (17) Braves 23-21: Someone told Atlanta these games count.
12. (13) Rangers 25-20: Lost 2 of 3 to the Cubs. Not a good sign.
13. (15) Red Sox 24-21: Did Daisuke come to life?
14. (14) Marlins 23-22: Can Hanley Ramirez's be trusted?
15. (12) Rockies 22-22: Ubaldo Jimenez is the NL's best pitcher.
16. (16) Nationals 23-22: Where's Strasburg?
17. (7) Giants 22-21: Managed to score just one run all weekend.
18. (19) Mets 22-23: Jason Bay needs to step it up.
19. (25) Cubs 21-24: Carlos Silva is 6-0. How is that possible?
20. (22) A's 23-22: Much needed sweep over Giants.
21. (20) Pirates 19-25: Andrew McCutcheon has great potential.
22. (21) Angels 21-25: Pitching took a beating in St. Louis series.
23. (18) White Sox 18-25: Paul Konerko's monster start is gone.
24. (27) Diamondbacks 20-25: Pitching is achillies heel.
25. (28) Royals 18-27: Still playing musical chairs in the bullpen.
26. (23) Brewers 17-27: Who is John Axford?
27. (24) Indians 16-26: Rember when Travis Hafner was good?
28. (26) Mariners 16-28: Felix Hernandez has been awful so far.
29. (29) Astros 15-29: Roy Oswalt wants out. Who can blame him?
30. (30) Orioles 14-31: Dave Trembley has just days left

MLB Power Rankings-5/16

Cincinnati played grade A baseball and ended up in first place as I said they could last week. Tampa Bay still sits atop the charts, but the Yankees are a much closer second after handling Minnesota well in the Bronx. My team to watch out for this week is the Toronto Blue Jays. I have them at nine but with games against Minny, Seattle, and Arizona this week they could move up the charts. But they have to still prove themselves inside their division which could wear them down by July. We saw MLB's first managerial switch this week as Kansas City axed Trey Hillman in favor of Ned Yost. I dont think any manager can save the Royals this year or next so this was a puzzling move. Enough talk. Heres the Rankings:

Rank. (Last Week) Team-Record: Comment

1. (1) Rays 26-11: Starting Staff is lights out
2. (2) Yankees 24-13: Javier Vasquez is teams weakness
3. (3) Phillies 22-13: Cole Hamels is at his best
4. (5) Twins 23-14: Still good despite Bronx woes
5. (12) Tigers 22-16: Handled Boston quite well
6. (13) Reds 21-16: Played great baseball vs Cardinals
7. (7) Giants 21-15: Eventually lack of offense will catch up
8. (4) Cardinals 21-17: Reds showed offense lacks pop after Pujols
9. (9) Blue Jays 23-16: Sweeping Texas was good for confidence
10. (20) Dodgers 20-17: Pitching has come to life this week
11. (6) Padres 22-15: No offense came to play vs Dodgers
12. (14) Rockies 19-18: Jeff Francis' return boosts team
13. (8) Rangers 20-18: Pitching staff has big issues
14. (19) Marlins 20-18: Marlins have played great within division
15. (15) Red Sox 19-19: They just don't have that winning vibe
16. (16) Nationals 20-18: They just grind out wins
17. (25) Braves 18-19: This team should take off now
18. (18) White Sox 15-22: Still waiting for Sox to get going
19. (9) Mets 18-20: Awful losing streak puts Mets in the cellar
20. (23) Pirates 16-21: Young nucleus playing above average
21. (21) Angels 18-21: Eventually Halos should pull together
22. (10) A's 18-20: A 1-5 week not needed following perfect game
23. (17) Brewers 15-22: Starting 5 could use a retooling
24. (27) Indians 15-20: Bob Feller could still be the staff ace
25. (26) Cubs 16-22: Carlos Zambrano still can't pitch
26. (24) Mariners 14-23: Get this team a power bat soon!
27. (22) Diamondbacks 15-23: Took a good beating from Atlanta
28. (28) Royals 14-24; Trey Hillman was holding KC back?
29. (30) Astros 13-24: Roy Oswalt wants out. I'd want out too.
30. (29) Orioles 12-26: Dave Trembley's job is on the line

MLB Power Rankings-5/9

I'm gonna try and do this every sunday evening as I sit down and watch Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. Its when I usually reflect on the past week in the game and give my rankings on MLB's 30 teams. This past week, baseball lost some legendary figures. Former Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell lost his battle with cancer and Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts passed away at the age of 83. Despite not having a single man reach base today my inaugural rankings have the Tampa Bay Rays at #1. They are baseball's best road team winning 13 out of 16 away from Tropicana Field. A team that has potential to rise from this week to the next is the Cincinnati Reds. They play all their games within the division and currently are in second in the NL Central and just 3.5 behind the Cardinals. Here are the rankings:

1. Rays (22-9)-Can't be touched...on the road.
   
2. Yankees (21-9)-Blasted their way through Boston
   
3. Phillies (19-12)-Phills finally picked it up this past week
   
4. Cardinals (20-12)-Red Birds are quietly becoming the best team in the NL
   
5. Twins (21-11)-Twins managed to salvage a split with...Baltimore?
   
6. Padres (19-12)-Something is just clicking with this team.
   
7. Giants (18-12)-Giants finally look like the team they should be
   
8. Rangers (18-14)-They went 5-2 this past week to give them the West lead
   
9. Mets (17-14)-Starting to come back down to earth after impressive stretch
   
10. A's (17-15)-Dallas Braden might of put himself on the map this past week
    
11. Blue Jays (19-14)-Jays always start good, but it catches up with them
    
12. Tigers (17-14)-Is it just me or is Max Scherzer off to a horrid start?
    
13. Reds (16-15)-Cincy has played some great ball this past week.
    
14. Rockies (15-16)-I feel this team will turn the corner quite soon
    
15. Red Sox (16-16)-Sox have beaten Yankees and Rays just twice
    
16. Nationals (17-14)-Get Strasburg up soon while you are still in it!
    
17. Brewers (15-16)-Doug Davis is vastly overrated
    
18. White Sox (13-19)-Sooner or later, pitching staff will come around
    
19. Marlins (14-17)-Jeffery Loria says they stink...what did you expect?
    
20. Dodgers (14-17)-I feel the McCourt divorce is affecting the whole team
    
21. Angels (14-19)-Mike Scioscia could use a minor miracle right now
    
22. Diamondbacks (14-18)-Pitching staff throws too many beach balls.
    
23. Pirates (14-17)-Pittsburgh is getting alot out of so little right now
    
24. Mariners (12-19)-Cliff Lee's return has sent them backwards
    
25. Braves (13-18)-How did this team get so low?
    
26. Cubs (14-18)-Most horrendus pitching staff in MLB so far
    
27. Indians (11-18)-Shin-Soo Choo is the only good thing in Cleveland
    
28. Royals (11-21)-Trey Hillman needs some relief...as in rolaids
    
29. Orioles (9-23)-O's somehow split 4 with the Twins in Minny
    
30. Astros (10-21)-How did they get this bad?