I figured you might be tired of seeing my ugly mug each day in the Around the Horn videos so I'm going old school today and writing out my crazy baseball thoughts.


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MONEY IS KING

Contracts suck. Teams can't keep players they want to on occasion cause they can't afford the player. Has nothing to do with performance in many an instance. Seems like the Washington Nationals might be in such a pickle with two starting arms as both Doug Fister and Jordan Zimmermann could be had according to reports. Neither pitcher will be given up for cheap, but that fact that both are on the block is an indictment of the system, is it not? Apparently the Nats don't feel good about their odds of signing either player to a long-term deal when they become free agents after the 2015 season. 

Fister is 30 years old and last season he had a 2.41 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. He's now worked 4-straight season of at least 160 innings with double digit wins and an ERA under 3.70 each season. He's also posted a WHIP under 1.20 in three of four years. 

Zimmermann is 28, and coming off his best season. He was tremendous last season: 14 wins, 2.66 ERA, 1.07 WHIP with K/9 an a 6.28 K/BB ratio. He's been nails for his entire career with a 3.24 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 145 starts.

Meanwhile the Marlins are paying Giancarlo Stanton $325 million for 12 years (if he stays with the club and doesn't exercise his out clause after six years). By the by, the Marlins contract with Stanton is for more money than they have paid their entire Opening Day roster for the last five seasons... combined. 

IS HE WORTH IT?

Pablo Sandoval has the Giants and Red Sox in hot pursuit while a couple of other clubs circling like Great White Sharks waiting for an attacked prey to die. Reports seem to suggest that not only does Pablo want six years but that he's likely to get it. As the best third baseman on the market, the 28 year old Sandoval would have no issue getting that money being that he's a career .294 hitter who excels in the postseason while playing strong defense, if not for two facts. (1) He eats everything. Not casting aspersions, just being honest. His weight is constantly fluctuating and history hasn't been too kind to players with his body type (think Mo Vaughan). Big guys tend to wear out quickly. (2) Sandoval has been hurt an awful lot. In two of the past four seasons he's failed to appear in 120 games, and over the last four years his average effort is 131 games played, or an entire missed month each season.

The Giants desperately need him - from a PR standpoint to what he brings to the club on the field - but are likely to be smart and not overpay for a fella with so many questions. 

If you're old like me you remember the Atari 2600 video game console. You'll still enjoy this if you're a gamer.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Jon Lester was coming off back-to-back seasons in 2012 and 2013 with ERAs of 4.82 and 3.75. The Red Sox offered him a deal in the 4-year, $70 million range prior to the start of the 2014 campaign thinking that his days of being an elite arm were likely past. Whoops. Lester was a beast last season having the best effort of his career. As a 30 year old, split between Boston and Oakland, Lester went 16-11 with a 2.46 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 220 Ks in 219.2 innings. Twelve months after that 4/$70 offer reports suggest that the Sox recently offered Lester a 6-year deal worth at least $110 million. Sounds like the Red Sox are about as good with their timing as I am with asking a lady for her phone number (actually, I'm better at asking for the number).

Lester will strong consider the offer but there are plenty of teams - like the Braves, Cubs and Cardinals - that are interested and might top what the Sox have put out there.

HUNTER A HOT ITEM?

Sounds like 39 year old outfielder Torii Hunter will be able to secure a multi year deal this offseason. He can still hit - last year his fantasy line was .286-17-83-71 - in what is yet another solid season. Since 2006 Hunter has hit at least 16 homers with 78 RBIs and 71 runs scored every season. He's also hit less than .280 just one time in that stretch. It's been five seasons without double-digit thefts, and he's failed to walk 30 times in either of the last two seasons, but he can still be a strong league specific outfield option. 

Speaking of Hunter... who doesn't love Hunter Pence?

A FORGOTTE MAN

Who am I? 

I hit .302 last year. You know who didn't hit. 302 last year?

Yasiel Puig, Freddie Freeman, Giancarlo Stanton, Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Matt Kemp, Anthony Rizzo, Carlos Gomez, Hanley Ramirez, Adam Jones etc.

I am... Delmon Young.

Now there are about 19 things more important than batting average when breaking down a player, but the fact is that 29 year old Delmon Young hit .302 last year in 242 well placed at-bats for the Orioles. Young actually hit .302 against right handed pitching and just .281 against lefties which is odd given that he's a career .302 batter versus lefties (.276 against righties). He doesn't have a lot of power, but he hit 18 homers in 2012 and then 18 over 576 at-bats the last two years. He's also a career .283 batter. His real issue is that he's walked, literally, 50 times the last three seasons and 175 times for his career - in over 1,060 games. The result is a poor .317 OBP and many at-bats that are simply given away. Still, as a league only option in the outfield, he's not that bad a fantasy play. He's looking for work as a free agent.