Tag: Bryce Harper

Christmas Comes Early: Red Sox Acquire Chris Sale

Christmas comes early for Red Sox fans as the Old Towne Team acquires the best available pitcher for four prospects.  Never one to shy away from a blockbuster deal, Red Sox baseball cazr Dave Dombrowski has put the Red Sox in prime position to be  baseball’s best for the next several years.

WHAT DOES THE SALE TRADE MEAN TO THE RED SOX?

Chris Sale joins a rotation with Cy Young winners Rick Porcello (2016) and David Price (2012) not to mention 2016 All-Stars Steve Wright and Drew Pomeranz.  Clay Buchholz and Eduardo Rodriguez provide depth and possible trade chips for roster flexibility and future improvements.

If all goes according to plan, the triple-headed monster atop the rotation will account for 50 or so wins and more the 600 mostly-quality innings.  Improving the pitching rotation was not a top priority for the 2017 Red Sox, but Sale is a big-time difference maker.  With a vastly improved rotation combined with a rebuilt bullpen and a dynamic offense, the Red Sox are clearly the team to beat in the American League.

HOW GOOD IS CHRIS SALE?

Sale had yet to win a Cy Young Award, but his resume is quite impressive:

  • Finished in the top six of the AL Cy Young voting each of the past five years with a high of third place in 2014 when he compiled a 2.17 ERA.
  • Had a league-leading 274 strikeouts in 208.2 innings in 2015.
  • In the past five years, just one major league pitcher has a lower ERA than Sale’s 3.04 and more strikeouts than his 1,133.  His name is Clayton Kershaw.
  • Has struck out 27.9% of the batters he’s faced in his major league career, which is best among pitchers with at least 1,000 innings pitched.
  • Has produced more value by Wins Above Replacement than any other players from the 2010 draft class, ahead of Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.  Read that last bullet point again … slowly … Yes, it’s true, Chris Sale has been that productive.
  • Has finished in the top 10 among AL pitchers in WAR four times, strikeouts five times, and ERA five times in just five seasons as a starter. That is a gigantic WOW!  
  • Ranks first among all active AL pitchers in career WHIP (1.01).  Partner in crime and fellow southpaw David Price ranks second (1.14).
  • Is 4-1 with an anemic 1.17 ERA in 10 career games against the Yankees.

Always a good sign when your newly-acquired, yet-to-reach-his-prime, 27-year-old-pitcher has a more accomplished career than his two Cy Young Award winning teammates.

AT WHAT COST DID THE RED SOX ACQUIRE CHRIS SALE?

A pitcheryoanmoncada of Sale’s caliber does not come cheap.  With an aim towards the World Series, the Red Sox paid a steep price to acquire one of the game’s best pitchers.  

The deal would not have happened without 21-year-old Cuban import Yoan Moncada changing his red sox for white.  The No. 1 prospect in Baseball America’s “Midseason Top 100”,  Moncada has compiled a .875 OPS with 94 stolen bases in 187 minor league games.  The switch-hitting, fielding-challenged Moncada was also named Baseball America’s 2016 Minor League Player of the Year.  He’s projected to be the White Sox second baseman of the future.  

Comparisons to Harper, Machado, and Mike Trout are a bit premature as Moncada strikes out at an alarming rate and is suspect defensively, but his raw potential is staggering.  He has big-time speed and major power potential built into a 6’2”, 205-pound frame.  With second base his likely landing place, Moncada reminds many baseball people of Robinson Cano.

The White Sox also receive flamethrowing prospect Michael Kopech, a potential ace with with a checkered past.  One of the game’s top pitching prospects, Kopech’s fastball consistently clocks at 101 mph and has reportedly topped out at 105 mph.  He also throws a plus curveball and is developing a change up.  Missed time due to a PED suspension and broken hand resulting from an altercation with a teammate have slowed his growth and caused reason for concern.  But Kopech has a big-time arm and the White Sox believe he is worth the gamble.

Luis Alexander Basabe, a speedy centerfielder with many tools, and Victor Diaz, a strong-armed reliever with command issues complete the deal.  Both have significant upside, but are several years away from cracking the majors.

Yes, the  bounty was high, but opportunities to acquire the Chris Sales of the world are few and far between.

IS THERE ANY RISK INVOLVED FOR THE RED SOX?

There is always some risk involved with blockbuster deals.  Sale’s low-slot, high-elbow pitching motion accounts for deceptive movement to his pitches, but also puts him at risk for declining velocity or potential injury.  Some scouts believe Sale’s pitching motion will cause acce2015-topps-chris-sale-213x300lerated wear and tear to his elbow.  The Red Sox are  using the past to project the future.  In his five year career, Sale has never made fewer than 26 starts and has qualified for an ERA title every year.  With the Red Sox pitching depth, an occasional skipped start to rest the arm should not be an issue.

The Red Sox are taking minimal risk financially as they control Sale for three years for $38 million — an absolute steal for an ace in today’s pitching market.  He will count just $6 million against the luxury tax next season.  The likely shedding of  Buchholz’s $13.5 million contract before the start of the season will keep the  Red Sox under the $195 million luxury tax threshold.

DID THE RED SOX MAKE A WISE DECISION IN TRADING FOR SALE?

Absolutely, positively yes.  Red Sox ownership brought Dombrowski to Boston to win a World Series, not to have the most players in Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list.  Sale in the starting rotation brings the Red Sox closer to the ultimate goal than Moncada, Kopech, et al developing in the minors.  The future is now.

Merry Christmas, Red Sox fans!

All-Star Shortstop Xander Bogaerts Heats Hobby

Xander Bogaerts entered the 2016 season as an emerging star. Three months into the season, he’s become baseball’s finest shortstop, arguably the game’s top hitter, and a viable American League MVP candidate. Being compared to big-time stars such as Mike Trout, Manny Machado, and Bryce Harper, Bogaerts has become a top star in the collectibles world as well.

The diversity of Bogaerts’ skills have been on full display since the start of the season. Spraying the ball to all fields, while also finding the gaps, Bogaerts has exploited defensive shifts by hitting to the open areas. The result has been a higher batting average and increased production — more hits with runners on base while anchoring a potent Red Sox offense from the third spot in the lineup. Wade Boggs’ Red Sox single-season hit record (240) is well within his sights.

Taking baseball and the hobby by surprise, Bogaerts game-used memorabilia and certified autographed cards are few and far between for the time being. His limited 2015 Topps Gypsy Queen Red Framed Jersey card is a hot item selling for $12, while his popular 2015 Topps Career Highlights Game Used Jersey card sells for as much as $10. A 26-game hitting streak earlier in the season put Bogaerts in the national spotlight, increasing the the interest and value of his memorabilia cards.

Bogaerts has led the league in hits and batting for most of the season, while also placing among the league best in runs, RBI, doubles, and OPS. Most defensive metrics rank him among baseball’s best fielding shortstops. He also excels on the basepaths, stealing bases at opportune times while taking extra bases with regularity.

With an All-Star appearance in the offing, Bogaerts will be a focal point of many mid- and late-season baseball card releases. Expect to see a wide assortment of new Bogaerts game used and autographed cards in the coming months. For now, his 2012 Rize Prodigy Gold Autographed insert limited to a pr
oduction run of 100 is selling for $40

Just 23 years old, Bogaerts has become the best all-around shortstop to wear a Red Sox uniform since Nomar Garciaparra’s prime years of 1998-2000. Like Garciaparra rookie cards in the late ‘90s, Bogaerts’ earliest cards have become “must haves” for Red Sox collectors. His 2012 Bowman Chrome Rookie — a mere common card less than a year ago — is selling for $5. Limited autographed Bowman Chrome rookies are selling for $124, with “Blue Refractor” autographed versions limited to a production run of 50 approaching $1,000.

Impressed by his athletic ability and live bat, the Red Sox signed Bogaerts at the age of 17 out of his native Aruba for $410,000. As a teenager, Bogaerts represented the Netherlands in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, opening eyes with his play on the field and his maturity off the field. Bumped to third base to accommodate slick-fielding fellow countryman Andrelton Simmons, Bogaerts looked like a seasoned veteran, hitting .263 with a .364 on base percentage.

Off the field he impressed with advanced people skills and speaking fluently to reporters in four different languages (English, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamento). One of his rarest baseball cards is the 2013 Topps Tribute World Baseball Classic Game Worn Jersey, which is limited to a production run of 67 and is becoming increasingly popular, selling for $80. The Bogaerts base card from the WBC set can be had for $3.

With his baseball IQ on par with his on-the-field proficiency, Bogaerts looks to be a pillar in the Red Sox lineup for many years to come. An increasing international following will heighten the demand and value of his cards, so buy early and often. With David Ortiz in the twilight of his career, Bogaerts is quickly becoming the face of the Red Sox.

Jackie Bradley Jr. Bursts Onto The Scene

There’s a reason why the Red Sox — fresh off their third World Series Championship in 10 years — allowed Jacoby Ellsbury to flee to New York following the the 2013 season with little resistance.

The reason was Jackie Bradley Jr. The same reason why Cuban import Rusney Castillo, who signed a $72.5 million contract in 2014, is trying to find his groove with the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox.

There is a reason why former Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington and newly appointed baseball chief Dave Dombrowski rebuked the many trade offers for the multi-talented Bradley over the past three years despite Bradley’s anemic .198 batting average and .531 OPS in his 2014 major league debut season. That reason is coming to fruition on a nightly basis.

The previously all-field, no-hit center fielder has become one of baseball’s most dangerous offensive threats. Bradley is working on a 15-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors this season. During that time, he is hitting a robust .382 with four doubles, three triples, four homers and 17 RBI with a sizzling 1.215 OPS. Bradley’s .903 OPS for the season is 13th in the AL, just behind proven offensive forces Mike Trout (.964) and Josh Donaldson (.931).

Although the sample size is small, Bradley has been one of baseball’s toughest outs this season. Facing defenses stacked to the right side, Bradley has found the gaps with a powerful opposite-field swing. He has also been able to pull the ball with authority when facing pitches on the inner half of the plate.

With just parts of three major league seasons under his belt, Bradley already has a wide-array of baseball cards ranging no-glitz minor league cards to chrome and high-premium rookies. His earliest cards date back to his college days.

As the driving force behind the University of South Carolina’s first national championship in 2010, Bradley established himself as a highly-skilled offensive and defensive player worthy of first-round consideration in the MLB amateur draft. Bradley hit .368, with a mind-blowing 1.060 OPS, 60 RBI, 56 runs, 13 homers and seven steals in 67 games during the regular season. Ten hits during the World Series earned the Richmond, VA native the College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award. Bradley’s 2010 Topps “Collegiate Team” Triple Jersey is a great buy for $5.

Later tJBJRChat summer, Bradley threw out the first pitch at a Kansas City Royals game as Major League Baseball honored the South Carolina Gamecocks championship team. The recognition continued as Bradley was named to the Team USA Collegiate National Team.

The 2010 Bowman Platinum Rookie, Bradley’s first baseball card of note, captures the five-tool outfielder in his left-handed stance against a silhouetted baseball field background. This card is a great buy for $3 with the “Gold” parallel version selling for $8. High-gloss Bowman Platinum rookie cards gain significant value as rising stars develop. Trout, Bryce Harper, Mike Stanton, Buster Posey and Jason Heyward Platinum rookies are some of the hobby’s most sought-after cards.

Bradley’s first memorabilia card can also be found in the Platinum Series. His USA Autograph/Jersey card with a production run of 740 sell for $45 and are on the rise. The more scarce version, limited to a production run of 50, is approaching $100 in value. Be sure to keep the Platinum cards in protective shields, as fingerprints will appear on the silver or gold foil and edges chip with the slightest contact.

A subpar junior season, which ended with a wrist injury, turned into good fortune for the Red Sox. Watching a player with off-the-chart tools and advanced skills slip through the first round, the Red Sox pounced on Bradley with the 40th overall pick. He was actually their fourth pick of the day, behind highly-touted pitcher Matt Barnes, catcher Blake Swihart and pitcher Henry Owens. Bradley quickly proved his worth by reaching AA-ball in his first full season and finishing second in the system in batting average and first in on-base percentage.

Bradley’s 2012 Bowman Rookie — his first card in a Red Sox uniform — is a great buy for $1, while the chrome version is selling for $2.00. Still reasonably priced, now is the time to buy these cards. Chrome Refractor Autograph versions are selling for as much as $90.