Category Archives: hanley ramirez

Sweetbob’s Fantasy Baseball F/M/K – May 27th

We are now eight weeks into the 2018 baseball season.

Catcher was already very thin and we lost Welington Castillo to an 80-game PED suspension this week. Which catcher should you target? Is streaming catchers a better option?

There are a few teams that could look to change closers soon. The Phillies, Rays and Blue Jays all have questions at that position.

We look at some players who started out hot, some who are struggling and maybe a couple young guys who should be targeted in your free agent pool on May 27th, 2018.

I’ll be posting a weekly fantasy baseball F/M/K every Sunday this baseball season…so keep coming back!

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Boston Red Sox

The AL East is always a marathon. A team will need to stay healthy and be consistent over the course of the entire season. Also, the division winner will need to be willing to give up prospects at the trade deadline to acquire talent.

The Boston Red Sox definitely ‘went for it’ by giving up a lot of prospects for starter Chris Sale and it paid off last year. He picked up the slack when other former elite starters Rick Porcello and David Price were replacement-level starters for the Red Sox. Can he strikeout 300+ batters again this season?

Boston is once again in an arms race with the New York Yankees. The Sox had to make a big splash and signed slugger J.D. Martinez after the Yankees added Giancarlo Stanton. The AL East looks to be a two-team race again after the Orioles and Blue Jays took a step back last season.

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Boston Red Sox.

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2017 MLB Season Preview: Boston Red Sox

The AL East is always a cut-throat division. Teams tend to make really bold moves just to show their fanbase they are trying to compete. The Red Sox have made some bad moves in the past when trying to keep up with the Yankees (Carl Crawford, Dice K), but they usually know when to go for it.

The Red Sox definitely ‘went for it’ by giving up a lot of prospects for starter Chris Sale. They have him under contract for three more years, so it’s not like they gave up a ton for just a rental player.

Pablo Sandoval arrived at Spring Training in great shape. Can he maintain this weight or will it be an issue again by the All Star break?

Here is the 2017 MLB season preview for the Boston Red Sox.

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2016 MLB Season Preview: Boston Red Sox

The AL East can be a cut-throat division. The Yankees and Red Sox battled back and forth the last decade. The Orioles, Rays and Blue Jays have had competitive seasons during that span too, but Boston and New York always seem to bounce back quick if they have a bad season.

Boston has been known to make bold moves. The boldest move this offseason was when they made a Godfather offer to David Price. The rumor is their offer was much, much bigger than any other offer. I guess the Red Sox didn’t want to lose out on Price to the Yankees or another American League contender.

Will Boston trade for another starting pitcher before the trade deadline?

Here is the 2016 MLB season preview for the Boston Red Sox.

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2015 MLB Team Preview: Boston Red Sox

Boston went from worst to first to win the World Series…and then went back to worst last season. They dumped Jon Lester and John Lackey at the trade deadline and then added Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval this offseason.

Boston knows the key to competing year after year in the AL East is to adapt and change what is not working. They realized last year was a wash, so they dumped contracts in hopes of landing some pieces they could flip in return. They turned Yoenis Cespedes (who they got back in the Lester trade) into Rick Porcello.

Will Boston instantly regret giving Pablo Sandoval a huge contract?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Boston Red Sox.

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The Red Sox Will Regret Overspending for Pablo Sandoval

The Boston Red Sox opened their checkbook and signed shortstop Hanley Ramirez (who they will turn into a left fielder) and World Series MVP third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Ramirez received a four-year deal worth $88 million and Sandoval is walking away with a five-year deal worth $95 million (with a sixth-year team option for $17 million).

Sandoval’s post-season success is the reason teams were hoping to land ‘Kung Fu Panda’. He’s a career .343 in the post-season with a .400+ batting average in the World Series…the best in baseball history with at least 150 postseason at-bats.

Sandoval is a nice asset to have in the playoffs, but is he worth $95 million on team who drastically needs pitching?

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Clayton Kershaw Pitches First Career No-Hitter

Clayton Kershaw, who signed a $215 million contract this offseason, was worth every penny against Colorado. He earned his first career no-hitter and was only a throwing error away from a perfect game. I’m sure Hanley Ramirez would like to have that throw back.

This is the Dodgers second no-hitter this season. Josh Beckett unexpectedly earned one less than a month ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kershaw, or another member of their rotation, would notch another one this season.

The Dodgers are currently four games back in the NL West behind the San Francisco Giants.

Kershaw’s next start will be in Kansas City to face the AL Central-leading Royals.

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2014 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 40 Shortstops

It was once hard to find power at the shortstop position, but now there are a dozen options who could hit 20+ homers this season. You have all the usual suspects (Hanley Ramirez & Troy Tulowitzki) and a few emerging stars (Andrelton Simmons & Jean Segura).

This will be Derek Jeter’s farewell season. Does he go out with a relevant fantasy season?

My shortstop fantasy baseball rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

1. Hanley Ramirez – Los Angeles Dodgers – Before the injury bug hit Ramirez, he was once the #1 overall fantasy player. He has missed an average of 50 games each of the last three seasons. He only appeared in 86 games, but he hit .345 and smacked 20 homers. If he can stay healthy, I expect some big numbers from Ramirez.

2. Troy Tulowitzki – Colorado Rockies – Tulo had a few injuries that kept him from playing, but they were random injuries. His injuries weren’t any associated with someone breaking down. He came back from core muscle surgery last season and put up decent numbers in only 446 at-bats. If he gets near 550 at-bats, he should have another 30/100/.305 season. That is worth #1 or #2 on this list.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t look like a very good team early in the season. Manager Don Mattingly actually looked like he was about to be canned. They called up Yasiel Puig and suddenly became the best team in baseball.

The Dodgers have deep pockets and have been throwing money at players since they signed their lucrative TV deal. They signed Clayton Kershaw to a long-term deal and have a half dozen players making more than $15 million this season.

Can Yasiel Puig repeat last season’s breakout season? Will Matt Kemp be moved before the end of the season?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Los Angels Dodgers.

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2013 MLB Team Preview: Miami Marlins

After running Joe Girardi out of town and trading five of his best players last season, team owner Jeffrey Loria is one of the most hated men in Miami.

The Marlins spent big money last season to open its new state-of-the-art stadium. The entire NL East got better and the Marlins didn’t produce. He decided to blow up the team and trade Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, and others in another salary dump by the Marlins.

Will Miami fail to reach one million in attendance this season?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the Miami Marlins. Continue reading →

2013 MLB Team Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are officially all-in on competing for a World Series win in 2013. The Magic Johnson-led ownership group are working on finalizing a TV deal that’s upwards of $7 billion dollars over the course of the deal. They have the money to sign every major free agent and they started with signing pitcher Zack Greinke.

Will the ex-Boston group of Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett bounce back from an ugly 2012 season?

Is Don Mattingly a lame duck manager or will the Dodgers sign him to a new deal soon?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Continue reading →

2013 World Baseball Classic: Notable Players

The World Baseball Classic has been lost in the shuffle with the beginning of Spring Training, but it kicks off this weekend on March 2nd.

It’s an event that’s supposed to showcase the world’s best…but at the same time, aggravate the pants off every Major League team’s front office. They must hate seeing their pitchers waste their arms in an International tournament.

Asian countries have had the most success in this format, but the Latin American countries always bring the most individual talent. The rosters have been finalized and we list the notable players who will play in this year’s World Baseball Classic. Continue reading →