MLB 2011!!

[Imran Siddiqui]

In other news, they are starting to hand out awards!!

In no surprise Roy Hallady of the Phillies won the NL Cy Young, unanimously to boot!

In the AL Rookie of the Year, no shock, but Neftali Feliz of the Rangers won.

The NL Rookie of Year was Buster Posey of the Giants, in a bit of a surprise won BIG over Jayson Heyward of the Braves (the surprise is not that Posey won, but that he won so big).

[OzzyKP]

So... Miguel Cabrera was first or second in BA, HR, SLG, OPS, OBP, RBI, and R, and yet Josh Hamilton is the favorite for MVP? Pssh.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The issue becomes what "Most Valuable" means. To many it means leading a successful team to the postseason (or at least close to it), which is why that even though Joey Votto and Albert Pujols were virtually equal, Votto won BIG time as NL MVP. Because the Reds made the postseason and the Cards finished 5 games out.

[OzzyKP]

The trouble with that, with Josh Hamilton's case, is that he was out for September and the team did just fine without him. If he was critical to the team's success and playoff run,then you'd expect some drop off. However I've seen it said that Miggy's RBIs are a quarter of the Tiger's runs this year. A quarter! They'd be screwed without him. So he certainly is more valuable to the team.

And if the stats between two players are fairly tied I can see giving the advantage to the playoff team, but Cabrera seems to be well ahead of Hamilton by the numbers. His stats are even more incredible when you consider the hitter's park Hamilton plays in and the spacious Comerica. With no protection in the line up, Cabrera still crushed it.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The team did just fine without him?! They were 16-14 in their last 30 games! Thankfully they had enough of a cushion that it didn't matter. I'm guessing Hamilton was instrumental in the 21-6 June that propelled them to where they finished.

And RBIs are a massive overrated stat. Basing your argument on that is going to get no where with me, especially since RBIs are basically a factor of how good the people ahead of you are in getting on base it diminishes Cabrera's argument a bit.

And claiming they are not fairly tied is silly. Cabrera's OPS+ was 179 while Hamilton's was.... 175. And that counts for ballparks.

[Imran Siddiqui]

And Hamilton takes it, in convincing fashion:

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/news/story?id=5841798

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's very rare when I back the Yankees on a stance, but here it is:

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5843151

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday that the Yankees have made a "fair and appropriate" contract offer to Derek Jeter and suggested that if the 36-year-old shortstop thinks otherwise, he should shop himself around to find out.

"We understand his contributions to the franchise and our offer has taken them into account," Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com. "We've encouraged him to test the market and see if there's something he would prefer other than this. If he can, fine. That's the way it works."

Cashman was clearly stung by the recent statement of Jeter's agent, Casey Close, who was quoted in Sunday's New York Daily News as saying he was "baffled" by the team's negotiating strategy.

"I was certainly surprised," Cashman said in regards to Close's use of the word baffled. "There's nothing baffling about our position. We have actually gone directly face to face with Casey and Derek and been very honest and direct. They know exactly where we sit."

Cashman would not provide specifics of the team's offer but sources have confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com that it is a three-year contract at $15 million per season. Nor would Cashman discuss the demands being made by Jeter other than to say, "You can write that they have asked for more. More years and more money."

I realize that Jeter has been the face of the franchise and led the team to multiple World Series rings, but at 36 and coming off a horrid season where his stat lines were .270/.340/.370 for an OPS+ of 90 (that's 10% WORSE than the league average), $15mil a year for 3 years is pretty darned good.

[SlowwHand]

Congrats, Josh.

The Yankees are on the verge of implosion. Sure, they can go buy another team, but their current team is old, in general.

[Arrian]

3/$45 is already an overpay. The Yankees apparently thought that they had to make a generous opening bid and, by doing so, would get a nice easy negotiation. Funny how that almost never works. In the end, no team in baseball is going to top the Yankees opening offer.

As for Sloww's wet dreams about Yankees implosions, don't hold you breath there, chief. The Yanks have a decent amount of talent in their farm system (mostly pitchers & catchers) and of course have a ridiculous amount of money. They are currently old at SS, 3B and C. They've told the C (Posada) that he's going to mostly DH and they're gonna roll the dice on Montero (21 yrs old C prospect). It may not work - it's certainly risky - but Montero is but one of three highly-regarded C prospects they have in their system (granted, Sanchez is a loooong way from the majors). SS and 3B are fairly scary, given that Jeter and ARod both had significant down years in 2010. That said, ARod picked it up as the season progressed and I expect his 2011 to be better than 2010. Jeter is the one I'm really unsure about. 2009 was great, but 2008 was average and 2010 was below average - he's a small slip away from replacement level (factoring in D). They can expect similar production from their OF (assuming they don't bring in one of the FAs) and should get an uptick from Tex at 1B - none of those guys are old (Gardner, Granderson, Swisher, Tex). Cano is in his prime (though I doubt he will top 2010). Pitching-wise, it's hard to say until Pettitte decides what he's doing and the Lee thing shakes out.

Their real problem isn't implosion, per se... it's that Boston and Tampa are really good too.

-Arrian

p.s. Hamilton was superior to Cabrera. A CF/corner OF is not the same as a 1B. The offensive bar is higher at 1B. Even with the missed month, Hamilton was the right call. Nice to see Cano do well, though he did better than he should have. Hah to Jeter's GG.

[SlowwHand]

They can hold the course and the Rangers will thump them next year, too. Rangers have the best farm talent in baseball.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The Yankees were 5 games better than the Rangers over the regular season, Slow. Yes, in the crapshoot that is the playoffs the Rangers won, but take away Cliff Lee, and it is almost, without a doubt, reversed.

[SlowwHand]

You're dealing in theory. Lee isn't gone yet. I still don't think he'll leave.

[Arrian]

They can hold the course and the Rangers will thump them next year, too

...

You're dealing in theory

Do you even read what you type?

We're ALL dealing in theory. It's the offseason.

As for the Rangers farm, yes, I'm aware it's very good. And the Rangers should be the favorites in the West in 2011.

The playoffs are a crapshoot between a bunch of 90+ win teams. I wasn't addressing the Yankees chances of winning the WS. I'm thinking about their chances of making the playoffs, being in the AL East. Once in the post-season the game changes. It becomes much more about specific matchups, this or that individual performance, and the vagueries of chance.

-Arrian

[SlowwHand]

I don't understand what's so funny. Imran said "almost certainly", and that's not really an acknowledgement of being a theory.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Reading comprehension. If you took away Cliff Lee from the 2010 team, they'd never get out of round 1.