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Craig Hansen Goes on a Rant

Posted: Aug 27th 2008 9:32AM by Pat Lackey (author feed)
Filed under: Pirates, NL Central

There are a number of ways to endear yourself to the fans in a new city after you've been traded. The best way to do it is to actually perform well. If you don't perform well, the next best option is probably to go on a profanity-laden rant after you perform poorly.

Last night Craig Hansen, one of the players the Pirates acquired at the trade deadline, came into the game with the Pirates leading the Cubs 8-7, walked three hitters, gave up a hit, and watched all the runs score. When asked about his outing, this is how he responded:

"I couldn't throw a [expletive] strike," he said at his stall, eyes flaring. "When you can't throw a [expletive] strike, you can't get anyone out."

For a former first round draft pick, Hansen's struggled to this early point in his career with a 6.39 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP in 81 appearances with the Pirates and Red Sox through his career. He's got a live arm and great numbers in the minors, but until he learns how to throw strikes in the big leagues (he's walked 51 batters in 81 2/3 innings) he's going to have more frustrating outings like last night's.

Who Won and Lost During Trading Season?

Posted: Jul 31st 2008 9:08PM by Andrew Johnson (author feed)
Filed under: Astros, Angels, Braves, Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, Mariners, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, White Sox, Yankees, MLB Transactions

7 COMMENTS

Take a deep breath, baseball fans. The dust has settled after another trading deadline, and what a deadline it was. Three future Hall of Famers were moved. So was a reigning Cy Young winner and two former All-Stars. And we haven't talked about Rich Harden yet. Undoubtedly, 2008 was the most entertaining trading season in recent memory for baseball fans.

MLB Players on the Move

After years of near-misses, the Red Sox finally send disgruntled slugger Manny Ramirez packing. Ramirez lands with the Dodgers as part of a three-way deal.

Christian Petersen, Getty Images

Former All-Star Jason Bay winds up in Boston as the other major piece of the three-way deal. Pittsburgh receives two prospects apiece from the Dodgers and Red Sox for its part in the trade.

Nick Laham, Getty Images

In the final year of his contract, the Reds send Ken Griffey Jr. to the AL Central-leading White Sox in exchange for two prospects, including sinker-balling pitcher Nick Masset.

David Kohl, AP

In need of a big bat for October, the Angels acquired Mark Teixeira from the Braves in exchange for first baseman Casey Kotchman and a pitching prospect.

Elise Amendola, AP

With fixture Jorge Posada out for the season, the Yankees moved swiftly to get Ivan Rodriguez, sending reliever Kyle Farnsworth to Detroit in return for the Gold Glove catcher.

Gregory Shamus, Getty Images

The Brewers made the first big move of trading season, acquiring reigning AL Cy Young winner CC Sabathia from Cleveland for a package of four prospects, including Matt LaPorta.

Jeff Roberson, AP

The Cubs bolstered an already deep starting rotation by acquiring Rich Harden from the A's. Oakland also sent relief pitcher Chad Gaudin to Chicago and received pitcher Sean Gallagher, outfielder Matt Murton, infielder Eric Patterson and catcher Josh Donaldson in return.

Charles Rex Arbogast, AP

The Phillies got much-needed rotation depth in the form of Joe Blanton from Oakland. The A's received three prospects, including second baseman Adrian Cardenas and pitcher Josh Outman.

Seth Wenig, AP

Florida acquires one of the many left-handed relievers on the market, adding Arthur Rhodes from Seattle for minor league pitcher Gaby Hernandez.

Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

The Yankees also added depth for the stretch run, landing outfielder Xavier Nady and reliever Damaso Marte for a package of four prospects that included right fielder Jose Tabata.

Getty Images (2)

Truth be told, it will take years before we know who helped themselves or hurt themselves at the 2008 trade deadline. That's just the way it is when boom-or-bust prospects are involved. But here's an educated (and roughly ordered) guess anyway at which teams won and which teams lost now that the July 31 deadline has come and gone.

Winners

Angels: With a double-digit lead in the AL West, the Angels didn't need to do anything to get to October. They went out and got slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira anyway, and it's nothing short of a coup. For all the praise heaped upon Mike Scioscia's throwback run-at-all costs strategy, it hasn't done much for Los Angeles in the postseason. The Halos have scored 17 runs in their last eight postseason games dating back to 2005, and they don't have single regular slugging over .500 this year. They needed a bat to go all the way in October, and that's just what they got in Teixeira.

Continue Reading Who Won and Lost During Trading Season?

The Pittsburgh Pirates Might Actually Know What They're Doing

Posted: Jul 31st 2008 8:03PM by Pat Lackey (author feed)
Filed under: Pirates, NL Central

3 COMMENTS

You know Manny Ramirez has gone to Los Angeles. That's the big news. The national news that everyone will be talking about all night and into tomorrow. But the trade was three-team trade, and a pretty layered one at that. Most people's reaction to the Pittsburgh Pirates' trading Jason Bay is going to be, "Well, I guess the Pirates are rebuilding again. Snicker." The question is, is that really what happened?

In return for their best player the Pirates received Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Brandon Moss, and Craig Hansen. LaRoche is one of the Dodgers' best prospects with a great minor league track record and the potential to be an All-Star at second or third base. Morris is coming off of Tommy John surgery, but seems to have bounced back nicely this year and projects as a high end starter for the Pirates in a couple of years. Moss and Hansen are nice players that the Pirates can use to fill holes on the team that they have right now. Not one of these guys was filer or a throw-in. The Pirates got two really good prospects and two useful players in return for Bay.

The problem the Pirates have had is that previous front offices have had no idea how to rebuild. They continually tried to improve the major league team while ignoring the minors, creating a painful void of talent that kept the team perptually stuck in the mud. Today, they hit the jackpot for Bay and combined with a good draft and the trade they made last week, it looks like the Pirates might be headed in the right direction for the first time in years.

Notes From the Clubhouse: The Red Sox Might Be in Some Serious Trouble

Posted: Jun 3rd 2008 2:34AM by Andrew Johnson (author feed)
Filed under: Red Sox, AL East, MLB Injuries

4 COMMENTS

Our MLB editor provides weekly dispatches from major league games in Notes From the Clubhouse.

Bad news for Boston fans Monday night. The Red Sox will place designated hitter David Ortiz on the disabled list after an MRI revealed the slugger had a torn tendon sheath in his extensor carpi ulnaris -- a muscle in the wrist. Ortiz is certain to miss at least a few weeks, though the Boston Herald has reported that he will miss at least a month and could face season-ending surgery.

Manager Terry Francona did not indicate the injury was quite that serious, though he will confer with Ortiz, GM Theo Epstein and the team's medical staff tomorrow in Boston.

Big Papi struggled in April, but he was his usual slugging self in May putting up a line of .318/.409/.617 (AVG/OBP/SLG) over the last month. No team in baseball is prepared to replace that kind of production, but the Red Sox are deeper than any other organization in the game and are prepared to make do while Ortiz gets healthy. Francona said after the game that reserve first baseman Sean Casey would likely see additional time while Ortiz is sidelined, but the most likely lineup Francona will put out there will probably feature Manny Ramirez at DH and Jacoby Ellsbury, Brandon Moss and maybe even Bobby Kielty or Kevin Youkilis splitting time in left field.

When asked about seeing more time as a designated hitter, Ramirez said "I love it. I love to DH," though he then went on to joke that if he played there too much it might hurt his chances at getting the Gold Glove he so covets. "It's nice to give him a blow and still keep his bat in the game," said Francona of playing Ramirez at DH.

If the Red Sox were merely losing Ortiz for a few weeks, there wouldn't be much to worry about, but Big Papi's injury is just at the top of a long list of concerns for the reigning champs.

Boston will miss Ortiz, but they'll do a very good job of filling the void in the short-term

Continue Reading Notes From the Clubhouse: The Red Sox Might Be in Some Serious Trouble

Hasta La Vista, Julian Tavarez

Posted: May 13th 2008 12:35PM by Josh Alper (author feed)
Filed under: Boston, Red Sox, AL East

0 COMMENTS

The Red Sox haven't traded him to Milwaukee for a sausage, not yet anyway, but they've designated reliever Julian Tavarez for assignment. If he's looking for someone to blame for his possible unemployment, he might want to talk to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

It's not related to budget shortfalls in California but to a quote that inspired the guy who looks like he's taken Tavarez's job in the Red Sox bullpen. Craig Hansen was once a highly regarded first-round pick who flamed out in his first tour of duty with the Sox. I'm not sure if he said "I'll be back" when they farmed him out but he did take solace in other words from the Governator.

"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardship and decide not to surrender, that is strength."

Hansen was last seen posting a 6.63 ERA with the Sox in 2006 and spent all of last season in AAA. He credits his work with a pitching coach that lives inside the stomach of another pitching coach for turning his career around. While he's chuffed about his return to the big leagues, it did cause him to break a promise he made to Tavarez.

"Remember, Julian, when I promised to kill your career last?"

"That's right, Hansen, you did!"

"I lied."

No More Snoring for Craig Hansen

Posted: Feb 12th 2008 5:32PM by Matt Watson (author feed)
Filed under: Boston, Red Sox, MLB Injuries

2 COMMENTS

Hearing that someone has a snoring problem is inherently funny; actually hearing someone with a snoring problem while you're trying to sleep is not. But fortunately for any teammates who have to share a room with Craig Hansen on the road, snoring will no longer be a problem this year following offseason surgery to correct his severe sleep apnea. In fact, Hansen's snoring had been keeping him up, as well, to the point that he was caught dozing off during team meetings last spring. From MLB.com:

"They brought me into the office and they were like, 'We see you dosing off in the meetings.' I was like, 'I went to a sleep center and they said I have severe sleep apnea. They said I have 56 currencies in an hour.' That's 56 minutes where I'm not sleeping comfortably," said Hansen.

Hansen estimates that on nights he thought he was sleeping for eight hours, he was really only getting about two actual hours of sleep.

He said he now feels completely refreshed in the morning, which may translate to more success on the field. He spent all of last year in the minors but hopes to crack the bullpen this year. As a former college closer, he was thought to be polished and close to being ready for the big leagues when he was drafted in the first round in 2005. So far he's been a disaster in the majors and mediocre in the minors, but that might change now that he's getting more than two hours of sleep a night.

Peter Gammons: Scott Boras Has 'Ruined' Several Top Prospects

Posted: Jul 21st 2007 6:00AM by Matt Watson (author feed)
Filed under: Boston, Red Sox, Royals, AL East, AL Central, MLB Gossip, Kansas City

4 COMMENTS

A lot of people have said that Scott Boras is ruining baseball, but usually when they say it they mean it in the economic, "big market vs. small market" kind of way. But Peter Gammons, perhaps the most respected baseball writer in the game, thinks Boras' impact has been far more tangible, that he's literally making players worse.

Here's a transcription of a recent radio interview (mp3) Gammons did on Wednesday. After starting the discussion with talk about Boras' request for Daisuke Matsuzaka's pitch count to be lowered, Gammons alluded to how the coaches at Boras' private sporting institute are responsible for the struggles of Barry Zito and Mark Teixeira this year, and how the instruction of those coaches have "ruined" several former top prospects, including Red Sox prospect Craig Hansen, who's currently sporting a 5.50 ERA in Triple-A. When asked to explain, this was his response:

Craig Hansen, I saw him on the Cape [ed. -- the Cape Cod League] and the only better pitcher I've ever seen was Billy Wagner, and he's going to the Hall of Fame. Hansen was a short-armed out of his delivery guy with a great sinker, slider. And now it's all cross-seamers thrown up high in the zone and extend your arm, you know? And he throws it 98 mph and they hit it out at 198 mph. ...

He needs to be coached by people here and not by the people in California at the Scott Boras clinics. It's the same thing with [Luke] Hochevar last year when Kansas City gave him all that money, they gave him $4 million as a four-seam, curveball guy and they changed him into a two-seamer, slider guy this winter. He's got a 5.80 ERA at Double A which for $4 million doesn't hack it. With these agents there's too much tinkering. Agents don't know more about baseball than the people that coach it.

It's one thing to be called out by some unknown blogger, but it's another thing when a Hall of Fame talent like Gammons starts piling on -- and needless to say, he didn't mince words. There's no doubt that Boras can command top dollar at the bargaining table, but I have to wonder if the advice his private coaches offer his clients will eventually fall on deaf ears.

Update: Thanks to Hacks with Haggs for pointing me to the 890 AM ESPN interview.