Baseball Cards

After much discussion and debate, Masahiro Tanaka seems to be headed to the American Major Leagues for the 2014 season. Where he will be putting his skills to use, however, is still open for discussion. Just about every team in the league could use the talent that Tanaka possesses, but only a few will be willing to enter the high-stakes bidding that is sure to develop. Any team that wishes to negotiate with Tanaka will have to commit $20 million in a posting fee to Tanaka’s team in Japan, although only the team that ends up signing the star pitcher will actually have to pay the $20 million.

What does Tanaka Bring?

As with any player that makes their way over from Japan, there are plenty of question marks as to how their performance will translate to the American game. With that said, there is no lack of success stories of players to make the transition from NPB to MLB with great results. Some of the most notable examples include Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, and Yu Darvish. On the other side of the coin, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Kei Igawa were both acclaimed starting pitchers who failed to find their footing with the Red Sox and Yankees, respectively.

In the case of Tanaka, most analysts agree that he is on track to be a successful starting pitcher in the major leagues. He has experienced incredible success in Japan, including a 24-0 record last season. Tanaka is just 25 years old, has a powerful fastball, and a 6’2” frame. On paper, he would seem to compare reasonably with Yu Darvish, who has been successful with the Texas Rangers for the past two seasons.

Which Teams are in the Race?

Most teams don’t divulge their free agent interests ahead of time, so there is only speculation as to which teams will be significant players for Tanaka’s services. Six teams that are believed to have strong interest, and the funds to make a deal, are the Rangers, Yankees, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Cubs, and Angels. How much each of those teams is interested, or if there any other other ‘sleeper’ teams waiting in the wings, is yet to be seen. On the surface, the Angels and Rangers seem like long shots simply because of their previous financial commitments. During this off-season, the Rangers have taken on Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo, both with significant contracts. The Angels spent big in the last two off-seasons, with Pujols and Hamilton. While the Mariners just spent a fortune on Robinson Cano, rumor has it that there is more room in the Seattle budget. The Yankees, for their part, can never be counted out of the bidding for any free agent – especially given their lack of depth presently in their starting rotation.

No one can be sure as to what Masahiro Tanaka will bring to MLB when he arrives for the 2014 season. With his impressive resume from his career in Japan, it seems likely that he will have success on American soil as well. If he lives up to the potential that he brings with him, the team that wins this sweepstakes will have gotten a great asset for their pitching staff.

Well – nobody saw that coming. While the Mariners were rumored to be interested in the services of star second baseman Robinson Cano (and why not?), the consensus thinking was that any negotiation with the Mariners was simply an effort to drive up his price with the Yankees. Wrong. Cano received a huge offer from the Mariners, and decided to pack up and head out west. He will team up with Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, and others to try and bring back a contending team to the Pacific Northwest.

What the Mariners Can Expect

In Robinson Cano, the Mariners are getting one of the most accomplished and productive players in all of baseball over the last several years. Cano hits for average, hits for power, plays great defense at second, and more. Of course, at $240 million over 10 years, the Mariners are banking on the fact that Cano will continue to be the productive player that he has been for many years to come. Given the struggle that Seattle has faced in scoring runs over the last few seasons, any offensive addition will be a welcome one for both fans and pitchers in the Emerald City.

Are They Contenders?

One of the major questions in the days after Cano signed with the Mariners was whether or not this move alone is enough to make the Mariners a contending team in a division with the Rangers, A’s, and Angels. The answer, at this point, is probably not. However, the Mariners are likely not finished making moves during this off-season, and their opening day roster could very well look different than it does today. On the pitching side of the game, the Mariners seem to be positioned pretty strongly, with stars Hernandez and Iwakuma backed up by young talent like Taijuan Walker and James Paxton. While the offense remains a concern, young hitters such as Dustin Ackley and Justin Smoak might have an easier time fulfilling potential with an established star like Cano hitting in the middle of the lineup and taking some of the pressure off of their shoulders.

What to Expect from Cano?

The safe bet is to expect Cano to keep on doing what Cano has always done – hit and field. He isn’t a player that will impress you with his all-out hustle and effort – he is more akin to another player that is legendary in Seattle, Ken Griffey Jr. Junior was know for the ease with which he played, and Cano is similar in that way. He is very much a natural on the baseball field, and has a knack for making the game look easier than it is.

It remains to be seen if Robinson Cano is able to take the Mariners to the next level and make them a team that the Rangers and A’s have to worry about in the standings. What is already clear, however, is that fans in Seattle have their first star hitter in many years, and there will be more anticipation for the 2014 Mariners’ season than any in recent memory.

Once the World Series ends, it seems as if it takes no time at all for the hot stove league to fire back up for the winter. Where will the big free agents land? Will there be any blockbuster trades? These questions are fun for baseball fans to wrestle with all winter long, and the answers slowly trickle in until the rosters are set and the teams head to Spring Training. This year, much of the conversation will focus on two free agent outfielders – Jacoby Ellsbury from the Red Sox and Shin-Soo Choo from the Reds. Both of these players hit at the top of the lineup and offer power, speed, defense, and on-base skills. They are truly two of the best outfielders in the game, and both are available on the open market. But the question remains – which one would you rather see land on your team?

The Case for Ellsbury

Coming off a World Series title which he had a lot to do with, Jacoby Ellsbury is a hot commodity. In the 2013 season, Ellsbury hit an impressive .298 with an OPS of .781. To go along with that, he stole a league-leading 52 bases and played excellent defense in center field for the Red Sox. Back in 2011, Ellsbury posted a season for the ages hitting well over .300 and slugging 32 homeruns. If he ever returns to that form, he will once again be a legitimate MVP candidate.

The downside with Ellsbury is, of course, the injuries. He missed almost all of the 2010 season, and missed half of the 2012 season. Is he injury prone, or just unlucky? That is the question that teams will have to answer when they weigh their offers to the left handed outfielder from Oregon.

The Case for Choo

Shin-Soo Choo might not have the name recognition of Ellsbury, but he is quite a player in his own right. In his only National League season with the Reds, Choo had an OPS of .885 and hit 21 homeruns. He added 20 stolen bases to those numbers, and was one of the toughest outs in the league. Also, he walked an incredible 112 times on the season, a number that wasn’t far behind his strikeout total for the year.

When looking for a drawback to signing Choo to a long term contract, it is probably his struggles against left handed pitching. If you are going to dedicate a large portion of the payroll to one player, you would like for him to be a steady force day in and day out. However, Choo has trouble against left-handed pitchers and won’t be the same force on days that see a lefty starter on the mound.

Who would your winner be?

When the times comes to write the check, whose name would you put on the pay line? Ellsbury seems to have slightly more upside than Choo, but comes with a higher risk of injury. Choo looks to be the steadier bet, but you would have to deal with his struggles against lefties. In the end, both are great players and are sure to benefit whichever teams land their services.

Raul Ibanez has had an impressive major league career, all things considered. While never a star player, Ibanez recently hit his 300th career home run during his third stint with the Seattle Mariners. With that homer, Ibanez becomes just the 137th player in baseball history to reach that total. No matter what the category, adding your name to a baseball list that has less than 150 members is impressive to say the least. When Ibanez retires, whether after this season or next, no one will be calling for him to enter the Hall of Fame – however, it will be able to walk away knowing he got the absolute most possible out of his ability. 

Saving His Best for Last

This 2013 season has been of particular note because of the home runs that he has racked up. Playing in 119 games for the Mariners, Ibanez has hit 29 home runs with a week left to play in the season. No player aged 41 or older (Ibanez is currently 41) has ever hit 30 home runs in a major league season. If he is to reach that mark in one of the last six games, it will be an incredible achievement if only for the names he has passed on the list. The top single-season home run leaders 41 years or older include Ted Williams, Barry Bonds, Dave Winfield, Stan Musial, Carlton Fisk, and more. Raul Ibanez is not a name that fits in with the rest – but there he is none the less.

Due to a consistently low on base percentage and downright terrible defense, the value Ibanez brings to a team has always been limited. He has had his moments in the spotlight, though, most notably in the 2012 playoffs when he came up clutch for the Yankees in several key situations. More than just a home run hitter on the field, Ibanez has long been noted for his leadership, community service, and overall positive influence on the game of baseball.

Despite being a great guy and racking up solid home run totals, no one is going to be clamoring for Raul Ibanez collectibles anytime soon. You could take a key from this list though and build a collection of cards and other items from the later seasons of the stars that have had big home run years late in their careers. Obviously anything Ted Williams is always attractive, but even Carlton Fisk, Stan Musial, and Barry Bonds could all comprise an exciting and valuable collection. Tracking down cards that represent the later years in these players’ careers would provide a fun challenge, but one that is more doable than finding rooking cards or other, more common targets.

A True Role Model

Raul Ibanez has had a unique career that all young players could learn from. He was cast off from team to team early on, and rarely got many at-bats. He continued to work, improved his swing and his fitness, and eventually made a lot of money and achieved great things in the game that he loves. That kind of persistence is what makes up a successful professional athlete, and Raul Ibanez will be able to retire feeling good about himself and his career.