Tagged: KEITH LAW

Link, not Zelda.

  • Bobby Abreu was found near the bottom of baseball’s bargain bin.  And the Angels received someone who can actually take a few pitches.  Keith Law explains it well, if you wish to review what he wrote.  The thing about Abreu is that he doesn’t fit in with the Angels philosophy, really at all, other than hitting for average.  Abreu is patient, something the Angels sorely lack.  Abreu is a poor defender, something the Angels shy away from.  If he DH’s, as Fangraphs has pointed out, then the team will be better off.  But Law also makes another great point, about how if he does spell Vlad in right, how Vlad may swing the bat better with a little less time in the field, and a little more time slotted int he DH spot.  But the Angels took a step in the right direction.  They don’t have to have nine guys who can see close to 4 pitches per AB, but having a few of those guys is a good thing.  Abreu may not fit in well, but he makes the team better.
  • I don’t mean to link to Keith “The KLAW” Law all the time, but he is my “go to” analyst.  My Lebron James in these situations.  And I like to link to whomever’s articles I have read beforehand, giving them credit in case anything has built a home in my subconscious.  Anyway, Law’s take.  But how do I feel?  Similar to he does.  Adam Dunn makes the Nationals better, maybe puts a few fans in the seats who want to see a few 480-foot home runs.  It isn’t a bad signing.  Dunn is a pretty good player.  But the team still isn’t even close to competing for a playoff spot.  And it is highly unlikely that Dunn will be there when they are competitive, unless they re-sign him when his contract is up. 
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Keith Law’s Top 100 Prospects.

     If you believe in the numbers, and enjoy having a little scouting mixed in, then Keith Law is a great read.  As he does annually now, Law just released his Top 100 prospects in baseball.  Now, only the first 25 are at the best price, which is free.  But if you are an Insider then you can read them all.  Each of the 100 players has a paragraph or two describing their positive attributes and Law doesn’t avoid mentioning the negative as well.  The top two prospects are Matt Wieters, who may have more pressure than the average prospect, and that is an understatement.  And the blazing lefty, David Price comes in second.  When Price came in and struck out Drew with the bases loaded in game seven last season, his stuff showed itself, its “electricity.” 

     As for the Red Sox, they have five players in the top 100:  Lars Anderson, Michael Bowden, Nick Hagadone, Junichi Tazawa, and Daniel Bard.  Law ranks the Top 10 from each organization, too.  And if one were to want to check out the overall rankings at each position, then simply click Here, and pay money if you don’t have the subscription.  No, I am not an ESPN advertiser, but this is a very thorough, in depth list of the best players in the lower levels, and a few that are basically up for good now (unless they seriously falter at the Big-League level).