… Now that we’ve established that this system is foolproof, let’s take a look at the 2011 HR/FB leaderboard, where we’ll undoubtedly find our 2012 breakout star:
1. Mike Napoli 2. Prince Fielder 3. Logan Morrison 4. Mark Reynolds 5. Pablo Sandoval 6. Adrian Beltre 7. Brent Morel 8. Michael Morse 9. Ian Kinsler 10. Ryan Braun Where do we start? Napoli, Fielder, Reynolds, and Braun have already established themselves as among the best power hitters in the game. Kinsler, Sandoval, Beltre, and now Morse have all shown good-to-great pop in the past too. Morrison doesn’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers, but he’s a 24-year-old with a history of slugging in the minor leagues and a solid track record in the majors so far.
That leaves only one option: Brent Morel. He’s not a perfect fit with Zobrist, Bautista and Morse—this will be his age-25 season so a significant improvement wouldn’t be seen as coming out of nowhere, and having appeared on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list he’s of a higher pedigree than his breakout predecessors. …
February 23, 2012
Predicting the next next Jose Bautista
July 29, 2010
White Sox scout at the Baltimore-Toronto game yesterday
White Sox (Bryan Little) and Mets (Bob Melvin) also watching Jays Wed nite
UPDATE: MLBTR:
Trade bait on the field for Toronto: Jose Bautista, Lyle Overbay, John Buck, Edwin Encarnacion, Jason Frasor, and Kevin Gregg.
July 21, 2010
White Sox interested in Toronto’s 3B/OF Jose Bautista
Major league HR leader Jose Bautista drawing serious trade interest. Teams that have inquired include Giants, Tigers, White Sox, Braves.
Stats: B-R
Bautista is under club control for the current and for the next season and then hits free-agency. He’s on a 1-year, $2.4 million contract.
UPDATE: Buster Olney via MLBTR:
Some teams feel that the Blue Jays are bluffing by asking for elite young players for MLB home run leader Jose Bautista. Rival executives feel that Bautista’s salary will jump to eight figures in his final arbitration year, and the Jays would be reluctant to pay.
