Future Impact

This is another example of a MLB trade and how it can alter the future of a PTFBL team. The MLB Tampa Bay Rays dealt starting pitcher Matt Garza to the Chicago Cubs as part of an 8 player trade. Along with Garza the Rays shipped one-time prospect Fernando Perez OF and minor league pitcher Zach Rosscup to Chicago. In return the Rays received outfielder Sam Fuld and four minor leaguer prospects: Chris Archer SP, Hak-Ju Lee SS, Robinson Chirinos C andBrandon Guyer OF. A look at the players coming Tampa Bay's way:

Chris Archer is 22 years old and progressed from (A) to (AA) finishing the year with a 15-3 record and an ERA of 2.34. He was the Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year and according to Baeball America he had the best slider in the organization along with a plus fastball and was rated as the Cubs #1 prospect.

Hak-Ju Lee is 20 years old and in Class (A) ball in 2010 he hit .282 with 32 stolen bases. Scouts rate him as a plus-plus runner and project him as a leadoff hitter. He is considered an above average Shortstop defensively. Baseball America had listed him as the Cubs #4 prospect and also had projected him as their future Shortstop, moving Starlin Castro to Second Base.

Brandon Guyer turns 25 years old this month. He was named Cubs Minor League Player of the Year. Playing in (AA) in 2010, Guyer hit .344 with 13 Homers and 30 Steals in 33 attempts. Guyer has plus speed, right-handed power and the skill to play all three defensive outfield positions. Baseball America rated Brandon as the Cubs best defensive outfielder and their 10 overall best prospect.

Robinson Chirinos split 2010 between (AA) & (AAA) and he hit .326 with 18 homers and a combined OB+Slg% of .999. Robinson is a former infielder who converted to Catcher and was named the Best Defensive Catcher in the Cubs organization. He threw out 30% of attempted stolen bases and is considered major league ready behind the plate. Chirinos is a good contact hitter, with a good eye and gap power.

Sam Fuld is 29 and has played parts of three years in the majors with the Cubs. He is considered a utility outfielder with above average defensive skills in Centerfield.

What does this all mean to the PTFBL Rays? Let's break it down starting with Chris Archer and keep in mind this is leaning towards the best case scenario unfolding. Remember Jeremy Hellickson? With the trade of Garza, Hellickson just got a huge boost in value for the 2010 season. If we project a bit farther down the road the Rays rotation could shape up like this:

#1 David Price

#2 Jeremy Hellickson

#3 Matt Moore

#4 Wade Davis

#5 Chris Archer

This gives Tampa Bay two more potential trade chips in James Shields and Jeff Niemann.

Hak-Ju Lee is interesting. He could become the future at Shortstop as Reid Brignac has been a liability versus LH pitching. Or, Lee could become the Second Baseman as Sean Rodgriguez has struggled against RH pitching. Another possibility is that Rodriguez and Brignac become a platoon at 2b.

Brandon Chirinos probably makes the most immediate impact. Although John Jaso provided a nice year in 2010 he only hit 5 home runs and the Rays considered his defense as improving but still sub standard. If things work out well Chirinos and Jaso could platoon behind the plate in 2011 and one of them could establish himself as the future for the position.

Brandon Guyer could be given a legitimate shot to win the Right Field job in 2011. He will need to show well in Spring Training but the opening is there. With his athleticism, speed and defense he is precisely the type of player that the Rays organization likes. The Rays outfield will be an open competition in 2011. Although Upton has manned CF for the past 4 years, his production is going down while his whiffs are going up and his job is not totally secure. In RF you have Zobrist but he will also play some 2b & 1b and is coming off a down year with the bat. Also in the mix is Matt Joyce if he can remain healthy. In LF Carl Crawford's absence opens another opportunity. Desmond Jennings will get a big chance to step in but if he struggles the job could then go to Guyer or Joyce. If Upton doesn't turn it around he could be moved as he approaches Free Agency and Sam Fuld could be a stop gap in CF or Jennings could slide over to that spot.

To recap, by losing Garza (who I didn't own) the PTFBL Rays gained 4 future pieces who might possibly slot into prominent positions for the future. Nice work for not having to do anything.

Rays Off-Season Moves - part 2

The Rays continued to mold the team for the 2010 PTFBL season by completing two trades. The Rays acquired slugging outfielder Nelson Cruz but he didn't come without a cost. The price for Cruz was Gold Glove Center fielder Franklin Gutierrez, young pitching prospect Daniel Schlereth plus a first and third round draft pick. Nelson Cruz has appeared in 1 All-Star game but staying healthy for a full season is his biggest challenge. To date the 128 games Cruz appeared in for the 2009 season is his career high. He's productive when healthy and he enjoyed his first post season last year for the Texas Rangers. Cruz helped lead Texas past the Rays and Yankees but the San Francisco pitching staff finally found a way to slow him down in the World Series. Cruz possesses some great tools: powerful bat, speed, good glove and a strong arm in the outfield. A bit of a late bloomer, the PTFBL Rays are betting (or at least hoping) that Nelson has a great season ahead.

Tampa Bay added another outfielder to the roster with the addition of veteran J.D. Drew. Since he left Florida State in 1998 J.D. has had a solid career although maybe not the spectacular one that had been predicted for him. Drew still remains productive as he enters the elder stages of his baseball life. J.D. should still be counted on to produce 20 homers, show a good eye at the plate and continue to provide a good OB%. In the field Drew is sure handed with an accurate throwing arm and is still a very serviceable outfielder. The acquisition of Drew makes sense for a Rays team that continues to pursue their first pennant.

The Rays made one final move before the draft and it was a big one. In a large three team trade involving Adam Dunn, Desmond Jennings and Joel Pineiro the Rays brought young outfielder Colby Rasmus to Tampa Bay. Rasmus has totaled 39 home runs in his first two years in the majors. While that number is an average season for Dunn, Colby brings additional things to the table. Yes he's similar to Adam Dunn in reaching triple digits in strikeouts but there is no denying that Rasmus is a young and talented outfielder with the potential for big things. Coming off a 2010 campaign that saw him smack 23 home runs and steal 12 bases, Colby looks to continue building on an already strong foundation. Rasmus is solid defensively and he will be tested in 2011 having to patrol between Matt Holiday and Lance Berkman in the St. Louis Cardinals outfield. Colby is not an elite player at this point in his young career but with continued improvement an All-Star birth could await him in his future.