The International Signing Day is July 2, which means it's only 2 days away. This is becoming a very important day. Players like Yasiel Puig, Jorge Soler, Yoenis Cespedes, and Yu Darvish have come through this process, and have shown that they can play along the regular major leaguers, perhaps even better. Puig, Cespedes, and Darvish have provided almost immediate boosts to the Dodgers, A's, and Rangers while Soler has a few years to wait. But, should teams continue to look into these International Players? Playing against professionals in other countries, it's hard to judge whether a player is able to play in the major leagues. Scouts are tremendous, and they'll keep getting better, so if they see a prospect who they know can play, why not risk a few million dollars a year to give these guys a shot. With the salary cap at $150 million, a deal like Puig's (6 years, $42 million) would be a good investment, especially if the player can play. And, Puig has shown off his skills, showing that he can be an anchor in any lineup. That makes other teams keep kicking themselves on passing up on Puig. Teams like the Phillies, who's offense has been inconsistent, that were looking at Puig or Cespedes, have missed out. Imagine Puig playing right field, rather than Delmon Young. Yasiel Puig: 22 years old, .436 AVG, 7 HR, 16 RBI, 101 AB Yu Darvish: 25 years old, 7-3, 2.95 ERA, 143 SO, 106 2/3 IP Yoenis Cespedes: 27 years old, .226 AVG, 15 HR, 42 RBI, 265 AB These numbers are impressive, and contracts like Puig's are great investments for teams. So, on July 2, some teams need to just keep doing what they're doing in signing these guys, and other teams need to get on their horse and bid for these guys. The International Signing is very important, and I believe it will help teams turn themselves around with immediate boosts. July 2nd could be an important day for the future of some teams. The International Signing is very important, if you believe you can find diamonds in the rough. Investments can be made, and the International Signing is the place to begin for many teams.
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Yesterday will be a day to remember. Teams scored runs in massive amounts. A pitcher set a 27 year old wins record. Hitting streaks were extended. Win streaks were broken in high scoring fashions. June 28, 2013 will be a day to remember for a long time.
June 28 is wrapped up, as we wait and see what June 29 brings us. We could see three no-hitters pitched, we could see 200 runs scored, or we could see a regular day of baseball. That's the beauty of the game. Have any questions or comments? Or, would you like to hear my opinions daily? Follow me on twitter @CoverTheBases or like me on Facebook under Cover The Bases. The 2013 Trade Deadline looks as busy as ever. Top talent, sleepers, and and many other players will be moved within the course of 24 hours. Who will be the winners in the Trade Deadline? Who's going to lose? Who's getting traded? Who's going to stay? I'm going to break it all down. Winners: Cliff Lee Cliff Lee looks like he's going to be the top hurler, and possibly the top player in this year's market. Although Ruben Amaro Jr. has stated that he's not going to be trading Lee, the Phillies are just not playing good enough baseball to keep him in the fold. If that changes, however, Cliff may still be pitching for a contender. I forgot to mention that he's under contract until 2015, so money is not an issue. Ricky Nolasco Anyone pitching for the Marlins would love to go to a contender. It seems like the Dodgers would like Nolasco, who are still sitting in the basement of the NL West. He could also be moved to San Franciso, or plenty of other teams that need cheap starting pitching. But, he could only be a three month rental, as he's in a contract year. Matt Garza Garza is on a Cubs team who will not be contenders for a while. His contract will be up in 2014, and pitching is always a need, as you can never have too much depth. Garza has only made seven starts this season, due to his lat injury that kept him from pitching for awhile. Losers: Philadelphia Phillies The Phillies have plenty of moveable pieces, while Jonothan Papelbon and Cliff Lee seem to get the most attention. The reason they are losers is because I believe Ruben Amaro will hold true to his word and not trade their big stars, as they continue to lose value in the upcoming years. Trade now Amaro, and you won't be in trouble. Trade later? Amaro may be out of luck. Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates The Royals and Pirates have shown that they will contend all the way down to the wire. Both of them have excellent pitching staffs, but are lacking the offense needed to win in the long run. This Deadline isn't chalk full of bats, as teams like the Royals and Pirates will need to be on their horse looking for the top available. Have any questions or comments? Or, would you like to hear my opinions daily? Follow me on twitter @CoverTheBases or like me on Facebook under Cover The Bases. Have you voted for the All-Star game yet? Do you need some help choosing who should you should vote for? Let me help you. (This "All-Star" team encompases the entire MLB, if you'd like some help for only AL or NL teams, you can tweet me @CoverTheBases, or email us at everything.baseball0@gmail.com) SP: Yu Darvish, Rangers C: Buster Posey, Giants 1B: Chris Davis, Orioles 2B: Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox 3B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers SS: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies OF: Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies OF: Mike Trout, Angels OF: Hunter Pence, Giants DH: Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays The MLB is an interesting league, as in this "lineup", there are a mix of young and old. Posey, Gonzalez, Tulowitzki, Pence, ect. are all very polished hitters, who have had experience in the All-Star game. But, Davis, Darvish, and others all haven't had the same experience in the game. This is who I'd vote for, because they've changed the game, each in their own ways. Again, this is personal preference, it's okay to dissagree. Have any questions or comments? Or, would you like to hear some very strong baseball opinions all the time? Follow us on Twitter @CoverTheBases! Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown last year, and is having another fantastic year, leading the AL in AVG and RBI. He is also second in HR. Can Cabrera repeat as Triple Crown winner? Cabrera looks he's playing better this year! Maybe he could win it. The stats look to be in his favor.
Cabrera is hitting .366 (!), with 17 HR, and 66 RBI. What's truly eye-popping is that his slugging percentage is .659. That is 53 points ahead of his Triple Crown slugging percentage. His OPS is also 106 points higher. Cabrera is going to propel himself to the Triple Crown if he keeps up these numbers. Chris Davis is the only player who stands in Cabrera's way of being the Triple Crown winner. His slugging percentage is .740. That is 81 points higher than Cabrera's. His RBI and AVG probably won't hurt Cabrera is his quest, but he currently has 3 more home runs than Cabrera. Do I believe Cabrera will win another Triple Crown? I think he could, but he probably won't. I believe that there are way too many obstacles in the MLB that can stop Cabrera. First of all, someone else could become the leader in one of the categories, and he doesn't even lead the league in HR. Cabrera could also get into a slump that could hurt his chances. It's also possible that he could get hurt! At this rate, however, I wouldn't be surprised if Cabrera would be able to take the Crown for the second straight year. The Tigers need their slugger to just keep pounding out wins. The Triple Crown would be nice, but first and foremost |