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In/Out/In-Between of the WBC as of 9:34 PM on December 7, 2012

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To better show the changes to the list, I’ll list the ins/outs and in-between that are new and then, below the jump, there is a list of all of the players who are in or out (or somewhere in between).

Today’s notes:

Angel Pagan will play in the WBC, according to Henry Schulman. As he has not officially been said by the WBC to be in it, I’ve placed him in the possibly/likely.

Brandon Phillips has been asked and is considering it. I’ve placed him in the possibly/likely side.

Johnny Cueto has said he “probably” will pitch for the DR. I’m putting him in possibly/likely.

Marco Scutaro, probably won’t take part, as the 37-year old wants to “save his bullets“.

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Random videos of the undetermined amount of time: Big long things for me to watch later

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Sometimes, you just don’t have time to watch some of the most interesting/weird/random videos about baseball on the internet. So, if you have some time, feel free to watch these videos that I’m saving for a really slow day.

The first is some college student’s presentation on the sabermetrics of baseball… Mario Superstar Baseball for the Nintendo Gamecube, to be exact:

Secondly, a abridged version of The Emerald Diamond, a documentary on baseball in Ireland, has been uploaded on Youtube. Given my love of International baseball, this is right up my alley and will probably watch it soon.

Finally, there’s a documentary on Japanese High School baseball over at Hulu that I’ll probably watch one of these days.

In/Out/In-Between of the WBC as of 8:39 PM on December 6, 2012

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Who’s playing in the WBC? Who’s dropped out? Who is still being considered or might be taking part? Well, go below the jump for it:

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2013 World Baseball Classic Provisional Roster Analysis: Korea

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While the western WBC teams have yet to release provisional rosters publicly, the

Thanks to @MyKBO for making this and sharing it with everybody on Twitter, as well as making the statistics available.

Go after the jump for analysis.

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Winter Meetings Actions and Reactions: Part 5 (Ben Revere-is-traded edition)

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Action:

Reaction: The Twins had two good center-fielders. Now they have none. However, they also had very little pitching. For the two CFs they have traded, they have acquired three pitchers: Vance Worley, Alex Meyer and Trevor May. Worley, who did admittedly miss the end of last season with some injury problems, instantly becomes the top starter for the Twins. He’s gone 18-13 with a 3.50 ERA during parts of three MLB seasons, has good upside and won’t be hitting free agency until after the 2017 season.

Meyer (who they got for Span) and May are more of gambles- every pitching prospect is, to the extent that somebody once said that “there is no such thing as a pitching prospect”. However, May is by all accounts a good power-pitching guy who can strike people out and could become a front-line starter if he gets his mechanics under control, and Meyer also is a well-regarded prospect.

While it is likely sad for Twins fans to see Revere go, it probably won’t hurt the team in the long-term. Aaron Hicks, one of the top prospects for the Twins, hit .286 for AA New Britain last season and is a CF. He probably will be up with Minnesota by the end of the 2013 season, and could be the CF for years to come. And although Revere was great fun to watch in the field and on the basepaths, he was more of a slap-hitter at the plate and his arm was… lacking.

So while it is probably sad for Twins fans to see him go, the return in this case- as well as the Twins’ minor league depth in the outfield- make this trade look like a winner for Minnesota, and a good step on the path back to competing in the AL Central.

Still, one last time:

Winter Meetings Actions and Reactions: Part 4

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Action:

Reaction: It is true. The Yankees apparently were in on Jeff Keppinger and Eric Chavez, looking to get them to fill the black hole that has now emerged at 3B now that Alex Rodriguez is hurt. Neither of them signed: Keppinger went to the White Sox, and Chavez went to the Diamondbacks. And, let’s face it, even if you are a true seamhead, you may have trouble remembered who Jeff Keppinger even is.

So, the third choice (assuming that they even went after Keppinger and Chavez, as some say they never even made an offer to them) is… Kevin Youkilis.

How the mighty have fallen. How the mighty have fallen.

Action:

Reaction: Jason Bay isn’t what he used to be back during his days as the Pirates’ designated All-Star, having been worn down by age and injury, but really, the Mariners need all the help they can get and it’s just a one-year deal. Maybe if he shows flashes of his old self the Mariners will be able to flip him at the deadline for some prospects.

Action:

 

Reaction: In other words, if you are breathing and can throw a baseball with anything resembling Major League ability, the Twins might offer you a contract. And can you blame them? The Twins had a 4.77 ERA last season, only two starters had winning records, and that was in a cavernous pitcher’s park. They need one or two starters to eat innings, protect the young arms, and possibly act as trade-bait if the Twins are out of it mid-year.

 

As of 10:03 PM of December 4, 2012, here’s who is IN and OUT of the 2013 WBC

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Here’s an update of yesterday’s post. To save space, go after the jump to see the list.

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Winter Meetings Action and Reactions: Part 3

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Action:

Reaction: Dan Haren could very well end up being the fifth starter for Washington. Fifth. This is a three-time All-Star who until recently didn’t have many injury concerns and who doesn’t walk many people. A nice deal for both parties, barring an injury.

Action:

Reaction: I think Yankees Pacific Rim scout “David P.” sums it up nicely-

Action:

Reaction: The Angels’ road to getting Greinke may be easier since the Nationals have now gotten a pitcher, but the fact is is that for the most part the entire pitching market seems to be in a stand-still as everyone waits for Greinke to sign. A similar thing is happening, to a lesser degree, with Hamilton and the hitters. Action:

 

Reaction: Called it.

2013 WBC Provisional Roster Analysis: Japan

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While most of the western WBC teams aren’t going to reveal their full rosters until January, Japan has already come up with a provisional roster of 34 players. Eventually, they will cut it down to 28 players, but for now, here’s an analysis of their provisional roster. As expected, they have no MLB players, due to the fact they all bailed out. Ichiro, for example, may be with a new team and apparently said after the ’09 Classic that he was unlikely to play in it again because he wants to have gone out on top. Yu Darvish is worried about how his body will be after throwing so much last season. Hiroki Kuroda is old.

So, instead, Japan will be sending an NPB all-star team. Many of these guys could play in MLB if they wanted to and some of them still may. One of them- Kazuo Matsui– was once an MLB player. And, of course, they will have been preparing for a month or more for the tournament, as opposed to the week or so that most of the western teams will.

Don’t underestimate them. Instead, go after the jump for my analysis.

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At 8 PM of December 3rd, 2012, here’s who is IN the WBC and who is OUT of the WBC

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Surprisingly, the provisional rosters for the WBC will be released in January this time around, at least for Team USA. I saw some rumors about this earlier, and it mainly has to do with the fact that the teams that had to go through qualifiers and some logistics dealing with the Asian bracket are what delayed it.

Expect the beginnings of more projections in the next few days, but here’s a list of players we KNOW have committed to the World Baseball Classic, as well as who we KNOW to be out. Go after the jump for it.

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