Prospect Insider - » 2007

Sometimes I have too many good things in my notebook leftover from stories I scribed, some I didn’t and from scripts I wrote for Major League Baseball TV.

This is one of those times.

As I’m covering the San Diego Padres series in Arizona, a key matchup in the National League West where the two teams are separated by one game, I noticed something amazing about Greg Maddux.

He hasn’t walked a batter since July 28th at Houston.

Yeah. July 28th, eight starts ago, Maddux, 41, walked two batters and hasn’t issued a base on balls since. Last night, Maddux extended that streak to 49 1/3 innings, which, of course, sent me scurrying to find out what the record is for such a feat.

KC right-hander Bill Fischer holds the MajorLeague record at 84 1/3 innings, set in 1962. But Fischer lost seven of those 11 starts and did so for a team that finished 72-90, 35 1/2 games out of first place.

Maddux has won seven of his eight starts during the streak, and for a team in first place, in large part due to his pitching over the last six weeks.

Oh, and I had to find out who held the NL record for consecutive innings without walking a batter, and the answer won’t surprise you.

Greg Maddux, 72 1/3 innings, achieved in 2001.

Amazing.

Did you know that Los Angeles Angels’ star reliever Scot Shields has 10.00 ERA since the All-Star break and has been stripped of his setup role?

Ya do now.

Center fielders have so much value in today’s market that the struggling Andruw Jones, he of the .425 slugging percentage and sliding defensive value, is hoping for a contract similar to the one the Chicago Cubs gave Alfonos Soriano last winter.

There has been speculation that Scott Boras would advise Jones to take a one-year deal to re-establish his value, but now Boras is saying he has no doubt Jones will get a contract exceeding the deals given to Soriano and Carlos Lee.

I wouldn’t count on it, Scotty. Have you seen the other free-agent center fielders this year? Ichiro is off the market, of course, but Torii Hunter just turned down an extension offer from the Twins and Aaron Rowand is having a huge season and will draw interest from more teams than will Jones.

Mike Cameron and Corey Patterson can serve as a short-term stop gap for teams unwilling to hand Jones, whose fallen further and further out of shape over the past three seasons, a five or six year deal for upwards of $15 million per.

Yo Andruw, not only are you not the best Jones on your own team, you’re not even the best A. Jones in baseball anymore. Step away from the Taco Bell counter. Eat an apple.

Has anyone noticed how awesome the farm systems of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies are? In case you have been in a coma this year, first off, welcome back, second…

Chris Young, Stephen Drew, Mark Reynolds, Conor Jackson, Justin Upton, Miguel Montero… Six starters for the D-Backs, all under the age of 26, and all came up through the system, except Young who was acquired from the White Sox for Javier Vazquez.

In Colorado, Brad Hawpe, Garret Atkins, Troy Tulowitzki, Jeff Francis, Chris Ianetta, Ian Stewart… Five starters in 2007, and either Atkins or 1B Todd Helton will likely be traded this winter to make room for Stewart at third base, where his lefty bat reminds many of a young Helton.

The Rockies might be the favorites in the NL west next season as they head into Spring Training with a projected rotation of Francis, Jason Hirsh, Aaron Cook, Franklin Morales and Ubaldo Jimenez, the oldest of which is 26 years old.

They have a good mix of lefties and righties in that rotation as well as in the bullpen and the offense is already playoff quality.

How about Atkins to Philadelphia or either L.A. club? Atkins to Minnesota? Don’t count on it… not if the Twins do what they should have done last winter - turn Joe Mauer into a third baseman before he ruins his career by sustaining numerous leg injuries.

I know, catchers aren’t easy to find, and Mauer is a great defender, but his bat might “explode into MVP numbers,” as one scout said, if he’s relieved of the duties at catcher and remains healthy. Go get Jason LaRue or Michael Barrett, or, better yet, the switch-hitting Javier Valentien and platoon him with Mike Redmond, and slide Mauer to third.

This would allow Michael Cuddyer to remain in the outfield where he belongs.

Speaking of the Twins and potential starting rotations, take a look at this one: Johan Santana, Matt Garza, Francisco Liriano, Boof Bonser and Scott Baker.

Pretty good, eh?

Speaking of Johan Santana, get this one.

The Cleveland Indians beat Santana yesterday for the fifth time - THIS SEASON! Yeah, that’s right, Cleveland is 5-0 against the game’s best pitcher in 2007, with four of those wins coming since July 28. But don’t blame Santana. He’s allowed four runs in three of those five starts and two in each of the other two. Cleveland isn’t exactly knocking the left-hander all over the ballpark.

Don’t expect the following players to remain with their current clubs after this season:

RHP Joe Blanton, OF Manny Ramirez, C Jorge Posada, SS Juan Uribe, OF Ken Griffey, Jr., RHP Eric Gagne, OF Geoff Jenkins, SS Miguel Tejada, RHP Jon Garland and 1B Richie Sexson.

Rumor: If the Tigers decline their $13 million option on soon-to-be 36-year-old catcher Ivan Rodriguez, look for Pudge to get serious interest from both New York clubs. The Yankees may or may not want to re-up with Jorge Posada, instead opting for the better defender in Rodriguez.

The Mets’ Paul LoDuca just isn’t very good and if the Mets are able to trade Lastings Milledge for one more starting pitcher, they’ll have the resources for Pudge.

The market for starting pitching sucks. Every year. Not because there aren’t any worthy arms, but because there aren’t any worthy arms that don’t cost the first born of every fan in the city.

Take a chance on:

Right-handers Freddy Garcia, Jason Jennings on incentive-laden deals… RHP Kyle Lohse could be next year’s Gil Meche… Rodrigo Lopez is the perfect No. 5 on a good team. He won’t cost much and can eat innings, usually without experiencing Horacio Ramirez disease… Carlos Silva is a valuable arm with severe ground ball abilities. If the Yankees were smart, he’d be the first to sign.

Stay away from:

Brett Tomko, Steve Trachsel, anybody with the last name Wright or Ortiz, Josh Fogg, Livan Hernandez.

For those Mariners fans that don’t like the idea of the club extending the contract of Jose Guillen for three years, take the following as fact, and refer to the list that follows.

It’ll take three years to keep Guillen, nothing less. If you find someone better that’s a legit option for Seattle, it’d be news to me.

Added Sept 5 - 2007: What some aren’t aware of is that Guillen’s option can be picked up, only to see the outfielder void said option, surrendering the buyout and becoming a free agent anyways. So the only way the Mariners keep Guillen is to give him the money he believes he can get elsewhere. Better to do that now, than wait and see what the market tells the M’s to give him.

Free Agent Outfielders:

Barry Bonds, Jose Cruz, Luis Gonzalez, Shannon Stewart, Brad Wilkerson, Milton Bradley, Reggie Sanders, Sammy Sosa, Trot Nixon, [Mike Cameron, Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter, Aaron Rowand], Kenny Lofton, Corey Patterson.

And those are the best of the bunch. Keep Guillen, he’s 31, not 35, and the market is ridiculous.

Felix Hernandez was 12 days old when Roger Clemens fanned 20 Mariners to set the big-league record in April, 1986. Clemens won his first game two years before Felix was born, and a year before teammate Joba Chamberlain was born.

Clemens posted a 2.48 ERA the year Chamberlain turned a year old, and a 2.30 ERA the year Chamberlain was drafted. Geez.

Did you know that Emiliano Fruto is a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks? He was dealt in the three-way deal that sent Wily Mo Pena to Washington. Arizona traded Chris Carter to Boston. Good get for the Sox. Carter, who hit .324 with 60 extra-base hits in Triple-A, is just 24 and bats lefty.

Would Mariners fans hate it if Alan Trammell was hired to replace John McLaren in 2008?

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