Shelby Miller,
Cardinals: They say the jump to Double-A is the toughest one to make, but
Miller didn't have any trouble with that leap in 2011. With the gloves off,
Miller dominated in the Texas League and went to his second Futures Game. Still
armed with a plus fastball, he's learned to be a more complete pitcher,
improving his breaking ball, his changeup and his knowledge of how to use all
of his weapons. He's also proven to be more durable and able to pitch
efficiently deep into games, even while missing plenty of bats. He'll have to
continue to do that as he moves up and prepares for what could be his Major
League debut in 2012 http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120112&content_id=26330142&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26330142
The Yankees agree to terms with Hiroki Kuroda With
a profile that includes strikeout ability, solid control, above-average
groundball rates and relative durability, Kuroda has been a salt-of-the-earth
commodity in the fake game in his four Major League seasons, all of which were
spent with the Dodgers. You probably wouldn't have won many leagues with the
Japanese right-hander as your No. 1 starter, but he's been an ideal No. 3 or 4.
Now, things are about to get tougher for Kuroda. He's leaving pitcher-friendly
Dodger Stadium for a home ballpark in the Bronx that favors hitters. He's also
staring at his age-37 season and is leaving behind the navigable NL West for
baseball's toughest division. Factor in that his draft-day price -- current ADP
of 170, per Mock Draft Central -- will likely be inflated in the coming weeks
by his new pinstriped uniform, and we seemingly have a formula for a guy who is
a good pitcher but could land on our overpriced list. http://www.rotoauthority.com/
Texas is best known for producing great beef and the
best football in the world, but they have another commodity that they export
with similar regularity; pitchers. Highlighted by the likes of Nolan Ryan,
Roger Clemens, and Greg Maddux, the Longhorn State has had 431 pitchers appear
in a major league game. One of the best left-handers in that group was Greg Swindell, who enjoyed a 17 year big league career
and is still closely connected to his home state. Swindell followed up a
stellar high school career by attending the University of Texas, for all intent
and purposes replacing Roger Clemens, who left for the pro ranks after the 1983
season. The three seasons (1984-1986) that Swindell played at UT rank amongst
the most dominant of all time in college baseball. He posted a sparkling 43-8
record in 77 games, with a 1.92 ERA and 501 strikeouts. He was the National
Player of the Year as a sophomore in 1985, and still holds many Texas and NCAA
records. http://seamheads.com/2012/01/16/greg-swindell-representing-the-best-of-texas/
The Phillies and LHP Cole
Hamels avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $15 million
contract. A massive (but well-deserved) payout for the arbitration-eligible
left-hander. Hamels, 28, registered a 2.79 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 31 starts last
season, striking out 194 batters in 216 innings for the NL East champion
Phillies. He'd be the ace on most major league staffs and should remain a
valuable fantasy option for many years to come. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/347935/baseball-headlines?r=1
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