Tagged: kevin kouzmanoff

Fantasy Preview: 3rd Base

This is quite possibly the deepest class when it comes to star production. A-Rod still leads the pack but there are some young franchise players who have the talent to be perrenial All-Stars. There will be plenty of production to go around and waiting to grab a third baseman in later rounds shouldn’t hurt you too badly.

The Elite:

  1. Alex Rodriguez NYY- Rodriguez missed time at the beginning of the year and still had 30 HRs and 100 RBIs. He’s a slugger with a lifetime .390 OBP and can still steal some bases.  
  2. Evan Longoria TB- His first full season in the Bigs led to 33 HRs and 113 RBIs. Longo scored 100 runs and hit 44 doubles, despite lots of strikeouts.
  3. Pablo Sandoval SF- The Kung Fu Panda will again challenge for a batting title. His power will continue to grow and he doesn’t strikeout. Sandoval just needs the guys in front of him to get on-base.

In the running: David Wright NYM, Ryan Zimmerman WAS, Mark Reynolds ARI

Sleepers:

  1. Miguel Tejada BAL- Miggy’s power isn’t what it once was, but he is still gets his extra base hits and comes through in the clutch. Tejada will be batting next to guys like Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Matt Weiters… You get the idea. He will qualify for third base shortly after opening day.
  2. Aramis Ramirez CHC- When A-Ram is healthy, he is a top 5 third baseman. In only 82 games last season, Ramirez drove in 65 and hit 15 HR. His OBP has risen in each of the last three years to a career-high .389 last season.
  3. Kevin Kouzmanoff OAK- Kouzmanoff is not a superstar, but he’s a solid RBI hitter. He was over-shadowed by Adrian Gonzalez in San Diego but now moves on to Oakland. Kouz has had 80 RBIs in each of the last two years and could improve his HR totals now that he’s away from PETCO Park.

Caution:

  1. David Wright NYM- Wright could very easily move back up to “The Elite” category but here’s why I moved him down to the “Caution” level. A move to Citi Field and injuries to the rest of the lineup helped bring his HRs down by 23 and his RBIs down by 52. That’s a lot. As far as I know, the Mets are still going to play half their games in Citi Field and Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are already missing time. 
  2. Adrian Beltre BOS- In 449 at-bast, Beltre failed to reach double-digits in homeruns. His RBIs were down to 44. Will a change of scenery help him rebound or will he continue his decline?
  3. Chipper Jones ATL- Chipper played in his most games since 2003 but failed to reach 20 HRs for the first time in his career (besides 1993 when he played in 8 games). Jones will put up a good AVG and OBP but for the second year in a row he had decreases in runs, hits, doubles, HRs, RBIs, and SLG.

“A+” Move

Today the Oakland A’s officially acquired third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and a minor league prospect in a trade for San Diego outfielders Scott Hairston and Aaron Cunningham. This deal brings clarity to the A’s infield picture and unblocks a log jam in San Diego, making it a great move for both teams.

Kouzmanoff’s defense has gotten better each year and his hitting has been constant during his three years in the Bigs. He would be best suited as a 5 or 6 hitter but the A’s will likely need him to bat cleanup. Speedsters Coco Crisp and Rajai Davis will get on-base ahead of him so he should be able to build on his solid 88 RBIs of 2009. 

The addition of Kouzmanoff pushes Jake Fox to the bench but Fox, a right-handed slugger, will still get plenty of playing time. The A’s will rotate Fox between first base, right field and DH as each of those spots are occupied by left-handed starters. This move should set the infield with Cliff Pennington and Mark Ellis up the middle. Fellow third baseman and longtime Athletic, Eric Chavez, is rehabbing after another surgery and it would be tough for him to play everyday. Just another reason this is a smart move for the A’s.

The trade of Kouzmanoff works out well for the Padres as they can now move Chase Headley back to third base which is his original position. The Friars will hope a reunion with his old position will bring comfort that translates into improved offensive output as well. Headley has performed below expectations the last two years but he is still young and the team has confidence he will be a switch-hitting threat in the near future.

Before the trade, San Diego’s projected lineup had two natural infielders (Chase Headley and Kyle Blanks) playing the outfield corners. Blanks is a large athlete who will eventually take over at first base or be traded. His bat is strong enough to keep him in the lineup and he will remain in right field. Will Venable displayed strong defense and hit 12 home runs in limited playing time which earned him first crack at left field.

This will be Scott Hairston’s second tour with the Padres. He is a strong right-handed outfielder with good pop but his role with the A’s became foggy when the team brought in Coco Crisp and re-signed Jack Cust. Last time around, he enjoyed the best success of his career and will be back to a platoon situation with left fielder Venable and center fielder Tony Gwynn, both of whom are left-handed. Aaron Cunningham is the other outfielder attained by the Padres and he will start the year in AAA but has a good chance to start in the future.

Due to the talent of the players and the situations they are heading to, I see this deal as a perfect win-win for everyone involved.

Hometown USA

First of all, congratulations to new Hall of Famer, Andre Dawson. He was the only player elected into the Hall from this year’s ballot. It wasn’t too much of a shock that Barry Larkin didn’t get in but his career got me thinking. Larkin was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and played his entire career for his hometown Reds. With the expansion teams, drafts, trades, free agency and international baseball, that feat is now a rarity. So I decided to take a quick glance at the Major League rosters to see who has a chance to make an impact for their hometown team during the entire length of their career. Here are the requirements:

  • played for only one team at the major league level
  • that team is located in the same state as their birth
  • player has made an impact already
  • has a chance to be a starter or make an impact down the road

Minnesota Twins: The Twins have the well-known MVP Joe Mauer behind the plate. He is a staple in their lineup who they hope to lockup longterm this winter. Glen Perkins is also from Minnesota. He has started and come out of the pen but struggled last year.

San Diego Padres: Kevin Kouzmanoff is their power hitting third baseman but has been linked to trade rumors for two years now. Will Venable played well in the outfield last year and put up double-digit home run totals.

Florida Marlins: Chris Coghlan is a Florida native and transitioned to left field as a rookie for the Marlins in 2009. He will be a great hitter and run-scorer at the top of the lineup for many years to come. Chris Volstad is a tall, strong pitcher who should again hold down a spot in Florida’s rotation.

Chicago Cubs: Randy Wells was born in Illinois and discussed in the ROY voting this past season. Wells was the most consistent starter for the Cub’s oft-injured rotation.

Houston Astros: Lance Berkman is one of the better switch-hitting power threats of this generation. His contract can be up after the 2010 season and there has been talk of Berkman possibly hanging up the spikes instead of signing elsewhere. Hunter Pence is another Texan in the Astro’s lineup and has been their right fielder for a couple seasons.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: One of the Angel’s young starters is Jered Weaver who was born in California. His brother, Jeff, also pitched in his home state for both the Dodgers and Angels but has had many other stops along the way. Jered Weaver is coming along nicely and has playoff experience.

Atlanta Braves: Brian McCann is the four hitter for the Atlanta Braves. He is possibly the most powerful catcher in the majors and it seems like he will be a mainstay in Atlanta’s lineup for quite a while.  

As you can see, the likelihood of baseball players making it to the majors and sticking with their hometown team is not great. Once in a while, however, we have the special scenario which Barry Larkin found himself in. And along the way he took his Reds to a World Series Championship.