Squirrels Announce Extensions

In a Press Conference that was as underwhelming as the end of the Squirrels' 2011 season, GM Adam Anson announced the team's two extensions for the 2012 season. Anson is still obviously unhappy about how the season ended, as he walked to the podium, stated flatly, "It's Rollins and Uggla, thanks," and left without fielding any questions.

Rollins (.268, 16HR, 63RBI, 87R and 30SB,) probably should have been contracted last year, but will pair with Uggla (.233, 36HR, 82RBI, 88R,) to form a solid middle of the infield and allow the Squirrels to look for power in the corner infield positions and balance in the OF.

With only Mat Latos and absolute dead weight Nate McLouth on the roster otherwise, the draft should prove to be an exciting one, and with the 6th overall pick, Anson will finally, in his third year as GM, have the opportunity to field a team that is almost all his own.

CC See Ya

In a surprising and likely controversial move, GM Adam Anson and the Springfield Flying Squirrels of Republic dealt their one constant, CC Sabathia, to the Hackensack Bulls for Mat Latos, Joe Mauer, Freddie Freeman, David Freese, Laynce Nix, David Freese and a 2012 extension. Also leaving town with Sabathia was 5yr toolshed Jason Bay and a slew of waiver wire fodder.

On the exterior, this deal looks like a wash at best...a typical quantity for quality deal that Anson got fleeced on. On one hand, we have Sabathia, one of the most consistently strong SPers in all of eMLB. CC leads the AL with 11 wins, has 111K's and an ERA in the mid 3.00's...a true front line starter that has anchored the Squirrels staff all year. At this point in the season, let's face it, if it weren't for the pitching, this team would be dead in the water, and Sabathia has been the constant week after week. However, if you re-read the previous sentence, you will see where Anson's line of thought fell. This team is STARVING for offense and to obtain needs, you must deal from strength.

Enter a slew of young talent that will either take this team to the post-season or be blamed for the loss of the season and the loss of Sabathia. The biggest prize, and question mark, of course, is Joe Mauer. Mauer will immediately fill the utility role for the Squirrels, which has been a source of frustration for the Squirrels all season. When Martin Prado went down to a staph infection in May, the lack of depth in the Squirrels offense became glaringly obvious. Fill ins such as JD Drew, Jason Bay, Ben Revere, Justin Smoak etc., have simply not been able to cut it, and the team's offensive numbers have fallen off the board. Mauer has been injured himself for most of the season, and if he does not return to his old form, this deal will be a huge bust.

In Freddie Freeman, the Squirrels upgrade their first basemen significantly over Justin Smoak. Smoak has delivered some power while filling in for the injured Justin Morneau, but is also swinging a paltry .245, and is either all or nothing. Freeman comes to the Squirrels with a .272 average and almost identical power numbers as Smoak. The Squirrels also acquired Laynce Nix and David Freese. Nix has 12HR, and instantly falls into 3rd on the team in HR, while Freese gives the team another option for power and high average. These offensive additions have greatly extended the overall depth of the Squirrels' bench and leave the team some options if another injury occurs or, if the pitching falls off, give the Squirrels' some trade bait down the line.

The Squirrels looked to replace Sabathia as best they could from Hackensack's roster with Mat Latos. Latos has had an up and down season in 2011, but all his peripheral stats are all still there. He has had high K numbers, a decent WHIP and an average ERA. The problem for Latos has been consistency and run support from a poor Padre offense. Latos is definitely a downgrade from Sabathia in all departments, but he has the potential to equal Sabathia in all departments except wins, and with Chacin, Liriano, and Hellickson, the Squirrels' pitching staff remains a strong suit. The addition of rising young ace Mike Leake, who is 5-2 with a 2.89ERA in his last eight appearances, was a bonus who, if he continues his rise, makes the Squirrels' pitching some of the best in the league.

This team was assembled to win now, and with only Latos, Hellickson and (this reporter literally is about to throw up in his mouth a little...) Nate McLouth (spew) on the roster for next year, the move to ensure a playoff run makes sense. Next year is a big rebuild year for the Squirrels and it is likely that if the Squirrels found themselves in sell mode next year, Sabathia would have been traded anyway...all the better to trade him now and make a run for the title.

MLB Predictions

American League East:
1. Boston Red Sox
2. NY Yankees
3. Tampa Rays
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Toronto Blue Jays

American League Central:
1. Minnesota Twins
2. Chicago White Sox
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Kansas City Royals
5. Cleveland Indians

American League West:
1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Texas Rangers
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Seattle Mariners

National League East:
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Florida Marlins
4. Washington Nationals
5. New York Mets

National League Central:
1. St Louis Cardinals
2. Cincinnatti Reds
3.Milwaukee Brewers
4. Chicago Cubs
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Houston Astros

National League West:
1. San Francisco Giants
2. Colorado Rockies
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. San Diego Padres
5. Arizona Diamondbacks

Playoffs:

AL:
Minnesota over New York
Boston over Los Angeles

Minnesota over Boston

NL:
Atlanta over St. Louis
San Francisco over Philadelphia

Atlanta over San Francisco

World Series:
Minnesota over Atlanta

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera (.334 41HR 129RBI) **misses triple crown by less than 5 HR
NL MVP: Albert Pujols (.319 40HR 124RBI)

AL CY: CC Sabathia (22-6 2.87ERA 221K)
NL CY: Tim Lincecum (18-8 2.08ERA 234K)

AL ROY: Jeremy Hellickson (14-6 3.98ERA 178K)
NL ROY: Freddie Freeman (.279 21HR 74RBI)

AL Comeback: Justin Morneau (.298 29HR 113RBI)
NL Comeback: Chipper Jones (.289 18HR 91RBI)

AL Manager: Ron Gardenhire
NL Manager: Fredi Gonzalez

Squirrels Draft Recap thru Rd 15

1.7- CC Sabathia: The talent was too much to ignore and the Squirrels locked up a top SPer. Look for 17W/3.00ishERA/195K/1.25WHIP

1.12- Jimmy Rollins: Rollins still has all the tools to be an elite fantasy player, the question will be health. IF healthy, .270/15HR/75RBI/25SB/90R isn't out of the question.

4.10- Jeremy Hellickson: Many felt this was too high. I think Hellickson is ready now, and I think he will post solid to good numbers. As my 4th or 5th starter, Hellboy will work just fine.

5.12- Jhoulys Chacin: Potential ace in the making. I feel at this point Chacin's upside, much like Hellickson, warrants the pick. Look for Chacin to build on a nice 2010 season.

7.12- Jonny Venters: Fell to a trend unfortunately at this spot. Closers are gone at this point, leaving the MR and guys who might sneak into the closers role. If Kimbrel struggles, Venters is the guy. If Kimbrel is solid, Venters is the prime setup man.

8.9- Evan Meek: See Jonny Venters. As the closers are gone, it's load up on MR with major hold potential and an outside shot at closing. Meek is a stud and the way the draft went, I feel he was a steal here.

8.12- Desmond Jennings: A high risk/high upside pick. Playing time is a question, but this is the reason TB let Crawford leave without batting an eye. If Bill James is even close, Jennings will be one of the major steals of this draft.

9.12- JD Drew: You can't have too many OFers. .260/20HR/70RBI is a safe bet if he's healthy and I'll take that from my 5th or 6th OFer.

10.1- Travis Wood: Young SPer in a crowded rotation. If he builds on his 2010 then he will get his. I look for Wood to be the Reds 4th starter. 12W/sub4.00ERA/140K is a real possibility.

10.12- Justin Smoak: Simply put, this is a flyer. The once "can't miss prospect" is a laughing stock in eMLB, but in real life the Mariners are going to give him every opportunity to shed the bust label. He might hit 20HR and I don't plan to play him...flyer.

12.12- Brian Fuentes: Again, a prime guy for holds that could end up closing if Bailey falters or goes down to injury. Once he got healthy last year he was pretty solid.

14.12- Jesus Montero: Another flyer. If he makes the team out of spring training he should be a steal...that's a big if with Posada and Martin in camp...DH?

15.12- Grant Balfour: With Balfour and Fuentes, the A's setup man should be a Squirrel and if Bailey falters or falls to injury, the A's closer is a Squirrel. Beside all that, Balfour is a solid RPer with a good ERA and solid K/9.

Squirrels get there man...and then some.

We'd all been led to believe Adam Anson and the Flying Squirrels were set to take Jimmy Rollins at pick 1.7 in the eMLB draft. Fans were abuzz about the prospect of solidifying, arguably, the best infield in the eMLB, and all signs pointed to this being the case. The moment came and with no hesitation, Anson pulled the trigger...acquiring CC Sabathia. Many mock drafts around the league revealed other owners intent, and Anson felt the opportunity to get Sabathia and Rollins was there. "We looked over all the mock drafts out there, gathered as much information as we could and took a calculated risk." The risk paid off and Rollins was there for the Squirrels at pick 1.12. When asked what would have been done had Rollins come off the board, Anson stated flatly, "We had several options. All the moves we made in the Winter Meetings gave us great flexibility in the draft. Had Rollins gone to another team, we would have added another top flight SPer in all likelihood."

With the addition of Sabathia, the Squirrels now have a solid 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation in Sabathia and Liriano. Look for the Squirrels to continue to add pitching in the draft as the offense is all but set at this point.

Rollins finalizes a potent Squirrels offense. The projected opening day lineup looks like this:
C- Montero, 1B- Morneau, 2B- Uggla, SS- Rollins, 3B- Beltre, OF- Bruce, OF- BJ Upton, OF- Abreu, OF- Bay, Util- Prado

Mock Draft 1-18-11

Round One

1.1- South Texas Heat: Prince Fielder
--This pick has been pretty obvious for a long time now. Berg puts the 5yr on the big man.

1.2- Mid-Michigan Tigers: Chase Utley
--Everyone else has a SPer going here, but Utley is the only superstar at 2B in this draft that has one thing going for it...SPing.

1.3- Charlotte Orios: Tim Lincecum
--Broskey pairs up Lincecum with Verlander and forms one of the most dominant 1-2's in the league.

1.4- San Antonio FireAnts: Roy Halladay
--With Utley off the board, Sankey snags the best pitcher in the game.

1.5- Olivet Killer Eagles: Matt Kemp
--Easy pick for Larry here. The best OFer available comes off the board.

1.6- Arizona Desert Swarm: Adam Dunn
--In a draft short on big power, Abramson nets the only 1B with guaranteed 40+ HR power.

1.7- Springfield Flying Squirrels of Republic: Jimmy Rollins
--Rollins solidifies a strong Squirrels infield.

1.8- Hackensack Bulls: C.C. Sabathia
--Femmel stays true to his game plan and adds Sabathia to Lester/Wainwright to form a devastating top three.

1.9- Olivet Killer Eagles: Kendry Morales
--With Dunn off the board, Larry takes the lone remaining star 1B.

1.10- Rochester Red Sox: Jayson Werth
--A talent falls and Rich snatches him up and adds him to CarGo and Braun to form a SOLID outfield.

1.11- Rochester Red Sox: Clay Buchholz
--Call it homerism if you want to, but this is where Buchholz should go and Rich is glad to add him.

1.12- Springfield Flying Squirrels of Republic: Mat Latos
--It's Latos or Kershaw here...today it's Latos.

1.13- Olivet Killer Eagles: Clayton Kershaw
--Larry grabs his top of the rotation SPer here in what will be one of the steals of the draft.

1.14- South Texas Heat: Kelly Johnson
--Berg grabs the underrated Johnson to go with Fielder as he builds his infield.

1.15- Dallas Redbirds: Shane Victorino
--Another talent falls and Doyel is the beneficiary.

1.16- Hackensack Bulls: Heath Bell
--Femmel takes the top RPer in the draft with the final pick of round one.

Looking to the Draft

What an offseason it was for the Squirrels. Dealing like a man possessed, GM Adam Anson has put the 2011 edition of the Squirrels in position to compete for the eMLB title. Big bats were added in Jay Bruce, Justin Morneau and Bobby Abreu. A true top of the rotation ace was brought in in Francisco Liriano, and in the late hours last night, Anson added the 1.7 pick of the upcoming draft. The Squirrels, unfortunately, had to take on one albatross of a contract in Nate McLouth, but the addition of 1.7 looks to make the move worthwhile. "In a draft with very few superstars available, we felt it was more important to lock up two of the top twelve players than it would be to give contracts to more questionable picks made in the 4th and 5th rounds," said Anson.

The move to acquire pick 1.7 almost certainly assures the team of taking a SS in the first round. Speculation is that the move to attain 1.7 was ownership's best effort to ensure that they land Jimmy Rollins. SS is obviously the glaring need for the 2011 squad, but Anson has made it clear that they would not overpay for a SS simply to fill the position, "A first round selection has got to be first round talent, and someone we can lock up. Derek Jeter is a star, but at this point in his career, we could not see giving him a contract."

Assuming Rollins is available in the 1.7 spot, the question now becomes, who will the Squirrels target with the 1.12 pick? Experts expect the team to address the thin SPing at that spot, but if a major talent falls, it wouldn't be unreasonable for the Squirrels to draft the best available talent. It's been an exciting winter in Republic...one that looks to get more exciting as we approach the 2011 eMLB draft.

Teixeira out...Morneau in...

The Springfield Flying Squirrels of Republic announced moments ago that slugger and 2010 team MVP Mark Teixeira has been traded to the North Texas Rangers. After much speculation and rumor, GM Adam Anson has confirmed the report. "Mark is an outstanding player. He's without a doubt irreplaceable, but when you have the opportunity to add significant depth to your ballclub the way we were able to today, you have to seize that opportunity." The Squirrels received an extensive package from the Rangers including Jason Bay, Jay Bruce and North Texas' 2nd and 3rd round picks (2.8, 3.8) in the upcoming draft. Going back to North Texas along with Teixeira were the Squirrels' 2nd round pick and 6th round pick (2.12, 6.12).

In an unexpected second move, Anson turned the 2.8 pick around to the Hackensack Bulls in return for Justin Morneau and the Bulls' 8th rd selection (8.9). Morneau has been a consistent source of power and average and should fill the gap left by Teixeira admirably. "In Morneau, we get an extendable player, whereas Tex was an expiring 5yr player. It's pretty much as simple as that. We're ecstatic to bring Justin in."

The Squirrels have dramatically changed their roster overnight...the only spot left on offense is a SS. Here is a preview of the 2011 Springfield Flying Squirrels of Republic.

C-Miguel Montero, 1B-Justin Morneau, 2B-Dan Uggla, SS-Open, 3B-Adrian Beltre,
OF-BJ Upton, OF-Bobby Abreu, OF-Jay Bruce, OF-Jason Bay

SP-Francisco Liriano, SP-Josh Beckett, SP-Wade Davis, SP-Open, SP-Open
RP- Carlos Marmol, RP-Open, RP-Open, RP-Open, RP-Open

Winter Meetings Start off with a BANG!

Flying Squirrels owner and GM Adam Anson had pledged this would be a busy offseason, and on the first morning of the winter meetings, that pledge came to fruition. The roster of the Springfield Flying Squirrels of Republic will look dramatically different headed into the draft than it did prior to the meetings. Three deals were announced this morning, with Anson quoted as saying "Two more deals are imminent...big ones."

The three deals announced were as follows:

In the first small move, the Squirrels have agreed to send SPer Scott Kazmir to the Michigan Miracles. This move was primarily to rid the team of a contract they never wanted to take on in the first place. "Kaz was taken on in a trade that netted us several key contributors last year. This move will allow us to be more flexible and gets Kaz in a better situation and on a team that made it clear they wanted him," stated Anson. The Squirrels netted the Miracles final draft pick in the swap (22.6).

Next, the Squirrels will be sending their fourth round draft pick (pick 4.12) to the Atlantic Surge for OFer Bobby Abreu. Abreu brings a good stick with moderate power and speed to the table. With a weak OF class in the upcoming draft, Anson felt this was a deal he couldn't pass up. "Bobby brings a veteran presence to our clubhouse and will be a solid contributor to the team in the upcoming season. Our front office felt that in the 4th round, we wouldn't be able to obtain a player with Bobby's all around game, so this was a move we had to make."

The final of the first three trades sees promising young OFer Drew Stubbs headed to the Olivet Killer Eagles along with the Squirrels third round pick (3.12) in exchange for SPer Francisco Liriano and the Eagles' fourth round pick (4.10). "We can't say enough about what Drew Stubbs meant to this team," said Anson, "but when you have the opportunity to add an ace like Liriano, you have to be willing to make some concessions. We're all in hopes that this will take some pressure off of Becks to be that No. 1 and let him focus on being the dominant pitcher he can be." If Beckett can return to form, the move would give the Squirrels a solid 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation.

The other two deals should be announced later in the meetings, possibly as early as this afternoon, but speculation and heavy rumor have Mark Teixeira headed out of Republic and Justin Mourneau coming in...stay tuned.

Pre Winter Meetings

It appears the Flying Squirrels are going to be significant players at the upcoming eMLB Winter Meetings. While unconfirmed, rumors out of Republic are flying that young OFer Drew Stubbs has been handshaken away for a potential top of the rotation pitcher. Other rumors are swirling involving players all across the roster including Mark Teixeira, Dan Uggla, BJ Upton and Scott Kazmir. When asked about potentially moving such important pieces of last year's third place squad, Adam Anson stated flatly, "No one is untouchable. Obviously we have to feel good about the deal to move our high end players, but honestly, we feel that way about all of our guys." Anson also said the team has mild interest in moving up in the first round of the upcoming eMLB draft. "If the opportunity was presented in a way that didn't destroy our entire draft strategy, then we would certainly look into it. I would like to state however, that we are not, are not, looking to trade out of the first round. We have some pressing needs and those needs do not look to be addressable via trade."

With the acquisition of a top flight SPer, the obvious pressing needs for the Squirrels look like OF and SS. Anson has stated already that the team plans to address SS in the draft, so it looks like the aquisition of an OFer is going to be the team's top priority in the meetings.

More to come...