Sports Then and Now

While the 2012 MLB season has come to a close, general managers across baseball are busy planning for next season, and the 2013 class of free agents presents some names of intrigue for sure.

Here are five names that GMs would love to add this off-season.

 1. Josh Hamilton: Texas Rangers

While there is no question that Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton will demand attention this offseason as a free agent, opinions have varied widely as to his value.

A former AL batting champion and MVP Award winner, Hamilton leads the majors as of Aug. 30 with 112 RBI, but after a torrid start to the season has cooled considerably. Injuries are always a concern, and teams may be wary of committing $100 million or more to a player with a sordid past.

 2. Michael Bourn: Atlanta Braves

Center fielder Michael Bourn has been everything the Braves wanted thus far in 2012—a .283 average, nine HR and 55 RBI (both career highs) and an NL-leading 37 stolen bases.

Bourn’s agent is Scott Boras, who almost always encourages his clients to test the free agent waters. The Braves would love to keep Bourn long-term, but the Washington Nationals are known to have a huge interest in his services. It very well could come down to a bidding war.

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Joey Votto earned MVP honors after leading the Reds to the playoffs.

The 2010 Major League Baseball Award season is now history. Here is a rundown of the choices and my input on whether the right players were selected.

Rookie of the Year
National League: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants; American League: Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers

Based on value to teams and performance over the second half of the 2010 season it is very difficult to argue with the two picks for Rookie of the Year.

You kinda had a sense that Buster Posey was going to be an impact player for the San Francisco Giants when he was called up in late May and promptly had six hits in his first two games and posted seven multi-hit games in his first 12 games. He went on to hit .305 and serve as a major catalyst for the late season surge of the World Series Champions.

What is interesting about his selection over Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves is that Heyward got so much publicity early, but by mid-season you almost forgot he was a rookie. Heyward had a great rookie season with a .277 batting average, 18 home runs and 72 RBI. On a team that lost offensive power to injuries on a regular basis, he had a solid rookie season and was definitely a key reason they made the playoffs.

However, at the end of the day the choice of Posey was the right one. It is ironic that neither of the two most celebrated Atlanta Braves rookies of the last two decades, Chipper Jones and Jason Heyward received Rookie of the Year honors. Jones finished second to Hideo Nomo in 1995.

Given the sizzle and star power of the two major candidates in the National League, the American League Rookie of the Year race was basically made up of unknowns. Read the rest of this entry →