Here is what this year’s edition of Baseball Prospectus which came out before the season said on some players.
Ian Kennedy (21-4 2.88): “Kennedy’s modus operandi has long been pinpoint control, which is what made his utter lack of it with the Yankees so puzzling. The key part of the Diamondbacks’ return in the deal sending Max Scherzer to the Tigers. Kennedy found his form in the senior circuit and put together a very solid season. Despite just middling stuff, he has always excelled at spotting his pitches just so, and he gets an above-average number of called strikes. Just 26 years old, Kennedy has plenty of room to improve, particularly given that he has the ability to lower his walk rate. Probably ineligible for arbitration until 2012 and under team control until 2015, Kennedy doesn’t possess ace upside like Scherzer’s, but he should be a very cost-effective midrotation starter for years to come.”
Jacoby Ellsbury (.321 32 HR 105 RBI 2011 AL Comeback Player of the Year): “It was a strange year for Ellsbury, as the outfielder and the Red Sox training staff could not agree on when and how he broke his ribs: when Adrian Beltre violently staked a claim on a pop fly or when Ellsbury made an outfield dive six weeks later. While attempting to compensate for the pain of the five broken ribs, Ellsbury added a strained lat to his medical troubles. When he returned from his rehab- not soon enough for either Kevin Youkilis or the media, both of whom suggested Ellsbury was soft- he reinjured the ribs and was shut down for the season. If he is finally equipped with a full rib cage, there is no reason to think that Ellsbury will be anything other than the above-average outfielder whom the Red Sox hoped to see in 2010.”
Don Kelly (.245 7 HR 28 RBI HR in ALCS off Ivan Nova): “Versatility is Kelly’s stock in trade, as the longtime minor leaguer fitted around the field like an overcaffeinated bat, acquitting himself well in center and at all four corners. His own bat, however, continued its career long slumber, allowing younger talents like Boesch and Casper Wlss to tipto past him on the depth chart. If he could play shortstop, Kelly might have found a career s Leyland’s Bloomquistian security blanket; instead he’s probably Toledo bound.”
Lance Berkman (.301 31 HR 94 RBI 2011 and .313 2 HR 11 RBI in postseason NL Comeback Player of the Year): “In two Junes Interleague games against the Yankees, Berkman went a futile 0-for-8. Brian Cashman might have taken this as foreshadowing and saved the team a couple of prospects. Slow to recover from knee surgery, Berkman missed the first two weeks of the season and never did find his stroke. Given his age and general conditioning- the only thing that makes it possible to distinguish Berkman from the Met Life blimp is that only one of them has Snoopy tattooed on the side- he might never find it again. At this late stage of his career, Berkman has become a SHINO (Switch-Hitter In Name Only), needing to be protected from southpaws, and deploying him in the field is to be avoided. He did hit .299/.405/.388 (one home run) in September, and he had something of an excuse for his less-than-limber work in a knee that troubled him all season. The little hot streak, the injury and his impressive history were enough to convince the Cardinals to offer Berkman a one-year contract, but their apparent intent to make him the everyday left fielder is, to put it mildly, optimistic.”
Charlie Morton (10-10 3.83): “With an abominable 1-9 record and a 9.35 ERA through his first 10 starts, Morton was so horrible to begin last season that the Pirates stashed him on the disabled list with the aid of a nebulous claim of shoulder fatigue. The team then had him spend time with a sports psychologist before starting him over at square one in extended spring training. Morton posted a 3.82 ERA at Triple-A, then had a couple of decent starts after being called back up to the major leagues in August. However, his results have never matched up with an arsenal that includes a 94-mph fastball with plenty of life and a plus curveball. The best way to salvage Morton’s career seems to be a permanent sabbatical in the bullpen, but the Pirates hard-headedly refuse to give up on the hope that he can become a top-of-the-rotation starter.
Allen Craig (.305 11 HR 40 RBI .243 4 HR 8 RBI in postseason; leaping catch in World Series game seven on Nelson Cruz): “Craig has nothing more to prove in the minors; he’s 26, and he has a major-league bat and a major-league problem with his glove. He has plummeted down the defensive spectrum from third base, displaying bad hands at first and little range in the outfield, but as his career .321/.380/.548 line in Triple-A shows, all that awkwardness melts away when he’s in the batter’s box. With Lance Berkman slated to see the majority of time in left, Craig may get some at-bats against lefties to help cover for the starter’s platoon issues.”
David Freese (.297 10 HR 55 RBI; .397 5 HR 21 RBI a postseason record; ALCS/World Series MVP): “Freese inherited the third-base job last year but couldn’t run with it, as a series of lower leg injuries culminating in surgery on both ankles kept him from running much of anywhere. He’s back to try again this spring possibly healthy but definitely a year older- not a good thing for a 28-yeat-old prospect. Freese has hit everywhere he’s been and gets on base, though the prodigious power he showed in the minors has so far melted under the bright lights, and injuries have reduced his range to below-average. The best-case scenatio for Freese is that he’ll be an inexpensive complement to the millionaires in the middle of the order, but he’s not destined for their tax bracket.”
Jason Motte (5-2 2.25 ERA 9 saves; 0-1 2.19 5 saves postseason): “Motte bounced back from a subpar 2009 to post impressive numbers last year and stake his claim to the oft-sought but rarely fulfilled “future closer” title. Terrorizing the late innings with his upper 90s fastball and devastating slider. Motte led the club with 18.3 Adjusted Runs Prevented, struck out more than a batter per inning, and back a few chunks out of his walk rate. He has yet to find the magic elixir to cure his problems with lefties, however, as portside hitters have abused him to the tune of .292/.384/.466 during his career. If Motte can clean up that particular mess, he might someday earn closer cash.
