Season Log: Iowa City Country

ZeroGibson13 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 07, 2013 11:16 am

I think it's 0 years that means he will ve a free agent this year, and 1 is next year.

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Thu Mar 07, 2013 11:40 am

Gentlemen, please look at your worksheets. It lists our players by category, gives their abilities, and then lists (1) the number of years before they are free agents and (2) the number of years left on their current contract. I know we left out salaries, which is pretty important - I fired that intern, but I don't want to wait for the additional data.

I broke up the lists by categories. "Untouchables," which is really a misnomer because there are no untouchables, "Wanna keep," "Make me an offer," and "Shop 'em".

Now...since we expect to be in the playoffs for the next few years, we need to expect to continue picking near last in the draft, which means no young position players the next few years. The plan is to take the players on the "Shop 'em" list and offer them to teams who made high draft picks that we deem "worthy." For the most part, players on this list are those we don't see as making a significant contribution to the major league ever.

I encourage your comments about players who should be moved onto or off of the "Shop 'em" list, but there are 4 solid players on whom I'd really like your opinion.

Dan Johnson (1B - BBDDDB: 2/2) & Brendan Harris (BBECCE – 3B, SS, 2B, 1B): 2/1 . I love these guys - Dan is solid at the plate and in the field; Harris is less so, but he plays multiple spots, is younger, and has more fielding range and a better arm. Both are under contract for 2 years, making them more attractive to trade this year than next, and both deserve to be starting players. Another part of the equation: how much drop off would there be with Merrill (DCEDEE – 1B, 3B - 5/1) or Schrager (DCEDEC – 3B, 2B, 1B - 4/1) manning 1st? I think I should shop these guys and whoever gets me better players in return goes. All things being equal, I think we part ways with Johnson.

Matt Kemp (CCBDFG - 3/3) & Josh Hamilton (DBEDDF - 2/2). Matt is a pretty dynamic player. Let's start Josh in center - maybe platoon Josh and Matt since Josh tends to have trouble with lefties - and see how he does. All things being equal, we may shop Hamilton since Matt has done well here and is under a longer contract. I know Josh has noticeably more power (152, as compared to Kemps 139), but his contact (eight, as compared to Kemps 10) drops to E against lefties, although it improves with runners in scoring position, and even with a D contact level, he probably won't be more than a consistent doubles hitter. Even if he hits more doubles than Matt, Matt's speed means he'll probably wind up on second more often than Hamilton.

Untouchable - these are players I view as "career Country players"

Wanna keep

Make me an offer

Shop 'em

It is only the end of April and we have time, but I'd like your opinion on Kemp & Hamilton; Johnson & Harris; and I want general comments on changes to how I categorized players.

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Thu Mar 07, 2013 11:43 am

ZeroGibson13 wrote:

I think it's 0 years that means he will ve a free agent this year, and 1 is next year.

I really don't think so. I don't ever remember one of my players having 0 years, and every year I have contract negotiations. I was hoping you'd say it is 0 when, for some reason, the player will hit the FA market without a pre negotiation opportunity.

AgentP · **Posted:** Thu Mar 07, 2013 12:43 pm

I wouldn't be so eager to trade Johnson or Brown...

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Thu Mar 07, 2013 1:00 pm

Did you mean to say Johnson or Brendan? Andrew Brown is pretty safe unless someone makes me an offer

AgentP · **Posted:** Thu Mar 07, 2013 10:00 pm

No I meant Brown, didn't realize what that meant.

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Sat Mar 09, 2013 6:22 pm

April, 2010 in review

OVERVIEW:

Player of the month of April:

PITCHING:

OFFENSE:

MISCELLANY:

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Mon Mar 11, 2013 11:31 pm

Trade complaints

I know we talk over and over about how the trades in this game seldom makes sense, but check this out:

The Texas Rangers offered Franklyn German (96 DE SL – two, SP – one, one year remaining on a contract paying $1.236 million) in exchange for minor-league 2b Borland (CEEECD, five years remaining on a contract paying $410,000).

Needless to say, I declined the trade and then looked to see if Texas had anyone I would trade Borland four. When I couldn't find anyone I put up Borland for German just to see how it was ranked – the computer gave it only 2 stars!

Why would the computer suggest a 2 star deal? And why would that trade be 2 stars for them?

Maybe this isn't the best example because they are both scrub players, but their pitcher is earning more and is a free agent after the season while mine is under contract for a solid five years. Only two stars? Crazy! If the roles were reversed, I would dump German in order to receive Borland easily.

So I guess I have 2 complaints: that the computer wastes my time with stupid offers like these, and that it suggests trades that even the computer would not accept.

scott0530 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 7:06 pm

Yeah, that just happened to me the oter night. I offered the Twins a pitcher with 4 breaking balls, C stamina, 88MPH fastball for Chris Gomez, who really onl has B speed and nothing else, and they gave me a one star rating. If you ask me, Minny was making out in the deal and I still got a big N-O.

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:04 pm

Hmm...why did you make that offer? Why did you want Gomez?

scott0530 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:06 pm

I have absolutly no outfield speed. Anything to the gaps, even if the ball doesn't get to the wall, is an automatic double. I have plenty of pitching prospects so I figured I try and trade one of them.

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:15 pm

Thank you, Coaches, for getting here on such short notice. I've just been on the phone with the Padres and there's a potential deal, but I want your opinion before I formally make an offer. The Padres are willing to move their prize right fielder, Hunter Pence ( CB (171) DCBC). He has two more years after this season before he hits free agency, but he'll be a restricted free agent after this year.

The Padres will consider a straight swap for any of our following players: Matt Kemp, who recently increased his power level to level B, Brendan Harris, outfielder Erdos, or shortstop/catcher Huisman.

They will also consider a trade for spot starter Bourgeois, backup outfielder Thurston and minor league second baseman Borland.

If we bring on Pence, he automatically becomes our most powerful outfielder and our best defensive outfielder, and I think it means that during next season, we could wind up with another player with A power.

I really do not want to trade Kemp or Erdos, and we are already juggling four starting caliber outfielders – Erdos, Spilborghs, Kemp, and Hamilton - it might not be a good idea to add a fifth starting caliber OF. Hamilton has been playing very well – he's got his average over 300 and hit three home runs this week. Kemp and Spilborghs don't have the power that Pence brings, but their speed is a great added dimension, and I believe Spilborghs' average is up to almost 400. Erdos is probably the weakest link, but he seems to be the least prone to high's and low's at the plate, is the best starting defensive outfielder we have, and even though he didn't come up through our system, we did bring him on in his first year in the bigs so I kind of feel attached to him. Frankly, if the Padres would take Hamilton and one other player, I would do that in a heartbeat but it doesn't seem that they will.

I am willing to trade Harris – even with BB power, he just doesn't get it done at the plate - but his ability to play all infield positions except catcher is really nice. I could be persuaded to trade our starting shortstop, Huisman, but I like the guy – he was on our initial team and with his CD contact and power, C speed, arm strength and defense, he's been very solid since we moved him to or starting shortstop.

So that brings us down to the three nonstarters – Bourgeois, Thurston, and Borland. Perhaps this is a no-brainer move and I should make a trade for those three and either sit Hamilton or try to trade him later. Bourgeois will be missed – he's pitched solid innings for us, and Thurston is a nice defensive back up – currently our best defensive outfielder, but with Timpner, Sweeney, and a few others, he won't really be missed.

Next time I speak with the Padres, maybe I'll see about packaging a couple of backup players with Hamilton in order to keep Bourgeois?

Bottom-line, I think we need to make an offer, and I'm willing to trade the 3 backups or Harris if we can't package Hamilton up for them.

Please give me your comments and let me know what potential deal you like and what you would stay away from.

philliesfan134 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:25 pm

Trading away Harris seems like a good idea to me, provided there's a replacement for him at his position. Seeing as you've done a solid job of having players practice enough that they become utility men, there's probably somebody who could replace his versatility at some point, even if it takes some time.

Then again, the second one seems easier to me, but it still leaves you with 5 OF (and in a tough spot at that). Bourgeois, Borland, and Thurston, while they all help out in some form, aren't in the 25-man roster plans right now it seems, so if you would send off anyone I guess it would be them.

I'm wondering, if this goes through, what will happen to the starting five outfielders. Somebody has to be the man out there and even if you have to give up a guy like Erdos, it might be worth it to get a talent like Pence. Now Hamilton for Pence (if they have similar stats like you've said), I don't know. If you really wanted to keep Spilborghs/Erdos/Kemp in there, I suppose you could do that, but having Pence + Hamilton both in the outfield would be the best imo. But that'd probably be a little overpowered, who knows.

What I want to know is how the Padres persuaded the Astros to give him up in-game, heh. Hope this helped.

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:02 pm

Now that you mention it - it might be the Astros and not the Padres - good catch!

I appreciate your thoughts. If I had all 5 OF, Pence would start in right, Spillborghs in Center, and Kemp in Left. Erdos would be my 4th man because he has decent defense in all 3 OF spots and also has pinch runner value. Hamilton would probably go to the minors.

Harris makes sense. I've got 2 players that can play every spot except 1st - Shawn Riggins and JR Towles, and I've got 2 graybars that play 1st and 3rd in the minors.

Hamilton's stats don't match up to Pence so that won't cut it - at least not straight up.

PS - these trade options are all mid level 3-star trades, so no guarantees.

AgentP · **Posted:** Wed Mar 13, 2013 7:39 am

I would say Hamilton and 1 backup (Thurston probably since you have OF and 2B depth) for Pence.

Power Pros Forum

Season Log: Iowa City Country

Who is online