All Smiles For Now

Though pitchers and catchers reported yesterday for the Mariners, their first official workout was today. As usual, everyone was all smiles. Just look at Mike Hargrove, who didn’t have many opportunities to turn his frown upside down last year.

So Mike, what do you think of some of the young pitchers, like Marcos Carvajal and Emiliano Fruto?

“Carvajal was impressive, so was Fruto and I like the way Meche and Pineiro threw. But the young guys caught my eye.”

If you’re asking who the $%!@ is Marcos Carvajal and/or Emiliano Fruto, don’t worry. Neither is likely to see much time in the majors this year because they aren’t ready, though Carvajal is a very good-looking prospect.

Hey Mike, what do you think about Seattle’s newest Japanese sensation, catcher Kenji Johjima?

“I liked the way he received the ball and I liked his energy level. I was curious to see how he swung the bat, and he swung it well. Everything I saw from Johjima was good. It was a good first day for him.”

Anything else Mike? I mean, Kenji is getting quite a bit of media attention!

“He is a very engaging guy and [dealing with so much attention] takes a lot of patience.”

Hold on, I’ve got to pinch myself. You mean to tell me there are a couple great-looking young pitchers AND a great-looking catcher in camp, even though there’s only been one day’s worth of workouts? No way! Hold on…I was wrong. Mike, what was that you just said about catcher Jeff Clement, Seattle’s first round draft pick (third overall) just last year?

“Give me an easy chair and a glass of tea and I can watch him swing the bat all day long.”

There’s TWO great catchers in camp! This is too good to believe. It’s almost like Mike Hargrove is pitching a product on an infomercial!

Like I said, everyone was all smiles because that’s just the nature of spring training. It’s great to hear and read about a bunch of great-looking players, put it’s got to be taken with a grain of salt. I have to admit, I want to hear that Marcos Carvajal looks good and that Jeff Clement has a ridiculous stroke. I want to believe that Kenji is the next Ichiro and that a couple veteran enigmas like Meche and Pineiro are on track for huge seasons. Frankly, I’d be deeply concerned if Hargrove wasn’t optimistic right now. However, it was the first day of workouts. We’re still a month and a half away from a pitch mattering (a couple weeks away if you count the World Baseball Classic) so all this great news has to be taken with a grain of salt. But then again, Mike could’ve just said he liked Clement, not that he wanted a lawn chair and a glass of tea…

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Baseball Is Back

Alas, pitchers and catchers have reported! Well, at least for eight teams, including my favorite team the Mariners, and all they’ve really done is show up on a field somewhere and let the coaches know they’re alive. I know Seattle won’t even start official drills until Thursday, so nothing much really happens today.

However, pitchers and catchers reporting symbolize something so much bigger. For baseball-crazed fans like me, the winter is long, harsh, and cold, even with football and basketball. I have been longing for baseball and it has finally returned with pitchers and catchers reporting!

Spring may not start until March 20 according to the calendar, but if you ask me, it started today. The sun was shining (though it was awfully cold), and I could just imagine Jamie Moyer, Eddie Guardado, and many others driving up to the ballpark with duffle bags in hand and baseball on their minds. Soon drills will start, then spring training games, then several rounds of cuts, then a few exhibition games, and finally the actual season opener! Baseball has returned!

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That Cereal Better Be Delicious and Filling

In case you missed it in all the hype surrounding Coco Crisp going to Boston, Coco Crisp was actually traded to Boston on Friday. In the deal, Cleveland traded away MLB's best cereal along with backup catcher Josh Bard and reliever David Riske for third baseman Andy Marte, catcher Kelly Shoppach, reliever Guillermo Mota, a player to be named later, and cash. In a related move, the Indians also dealt Arthur Rhodes to the Phillies for outfielder Jason Michaels.

With all the hype surrounding the deal, I was leaning towards not posting anything about it. However, Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro finally came out and spoke publicly about the deal, and was extremely defensive because most Indian fans are livid over it. I agree, the deal is lop-sided - but in the Indians favor. Let's break down the deal from Cleveland's perspective into each of the major pieces:

Kelly Shoppach replaces Josh Bard: Josh Bard was a solid reserve catcher, but Shoppach is one of the better catching prospects in the game. Kelly is ready for the major leagues and was impressive in AAA last year, where he hit for power and average and also threw out a higher percentage of runners than anyone else in the International League. Kelly Shoppach will compete with Einar Diaz for backup catching duties, but Shoppach is clearly the better of the two and should allow Victor Martinez to play some first base or DH much more often than last year.

Guillermo Mota replaces Arthur Rhodes: Mota's stock has fallen after a sub-par 2005, but he was one of the game's better relievers 2002-2004 with a career year in 2003. Furthermore, the drop is most likely due to arm troubles that have had an off-season to heal. Still, the Indians almost nixed the deal because of his health concerns, forcing Boston to add the "player to be named later" and more cash. At 32, it is unreasonable to expect Mota to revert back to his 2003 form, but the odds are he will bounce back and be a quality setup man. Considering Rhodes is in the twilight of his career, Mota should be just as good, if not better.

Jason Michaels replaces Coco Crisp: Easily the most controversial part of the deal, Michaels is much better than many give him credit for. Over the last two years, Jason Michaels has hit 14 home runs, driven in 71, and accumulated a .289 batting average in 588 at-bats. Not spectacular number, but solid. However, he is being asked to replace Coco Crisp, not Babe Ruth and last year Crisp batted .300 with 16 home runs and 69 RBIs in 594 at-bats. Based on these numbers, Michaels should fill in nicely for Coco Crisp. However, digging a little further into the numbers, Michaels has a significantly higher on-base percentage and a better strikeout-to-walk ratio. So, it is very reasonable to assume that Jason Michaels can replace Coco Crisp, or even be a slight improvement.

The leftover parts - David Riske for Andy Marte, a player to be named later, and cash: The Indians did not get a replacement for Riske in the deal, but he was essentially a middle reliever last year and should not be too difficult to replace. On the other hand, Andy Marte is one of the finest prospects in baseball and maybe the best third base prospect in the game today. Based on his minor league career, Marte looks like a perennial threat to bat .300 with 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, and gold glove defense once he fully develops. Even better, Marte will be ready for the big leagues very soon, probably before 2006 is over. Who would not part with David Riske for a prospect like that? Then, on top of that, the Indians will likely get another prospect as the player to be named later, and they even got some cash.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Indians got the best of the Coco Crisp swap. In the short term, the Indians should break even at the very least, but even by next year they will be the clear winners. Don't worry Indians fans; the franchise is in very good hands with Mark Shapiro. He is one of the best general managers in baseball and he proved it once again with this excellent move.

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