There was a time, not so long ago, when shortstop was a glamour position in the majors, but its not quite in that spot right now.
Phil Jackson Knicks Jersey . Even the best options comes with some question marks. The Dodgers Hanley Ramirez may be the best option, though hes played fewer than 100 games twice in the past three seasons. Even with durability questions, and the likelihood that he wont match last years .345 batting average, Ramirez offers five-category potential if hes healthy. In the same vein, Colorados Troy Tulowitzki has led all shortstops in home runs (122), RBI (401) and batting average (.304) over the past five seasons, but he comes with injury concerns, having missed 210 games in the past four seasons. A healthy Tulowitzki might be just as dangerous as Ramirez, offering more power but less speed; its just a matter of whether he will play more than 140 games -- something hes done twice in the past six seasons. Injuries have also plagued Torontos Jose Reyes but, when healthy, his average and stolen base numbers are impressive. Trouble for Reyes is that, over the past five years, hes missed 262 games, so it requires a leap of faith to make him your starting shortstop, knowing that hes had such trouble staying healthy. If the top guys are injury risks, they still offer a track record that isnt present with some of the younger options at shortstop. Washingtons Ian Desmond, Milwaukees Jean Segura, Texas Elvis Andrus and Oaklands Jed Lowrie may be the best of that group. Desmond is coming off back-to-back 20-20 (HR-SB) seasons, while hitting .286 and, given his relative health, he might be more appealing than some of the more experienced shortstops. Segura had a terrific season as a first-time starter and, at 24, ought to be on his career ascent, but temper some of the enthusiasm from last year when he hit .325 with an .849 OPS before the All-Star break and .241 with a .583 OPS after the break. He also had 44 steals, and that speed shouldnt go away, but beware the bat (at least a little). Andrus offers no power, but hitting at the top of the Rangers order has helped him scored 432 runs and steal 165 bases, both totals leading shortstops over the past five seasons. Lowrie, who turns 30 in April, was a full-time starter for the first time last season and he had a productive year (15 HR, 75 RBI, .290 AVG, 80 R), but thats a 30-year-old with a limited track record as an everyday player, so he might slide somewhat on draft day. If you want to play for potential, Red Sox rookie Xander Bogaerts would be the most interesting name. He was fine in 50 plate appearances late last season, but hes a premium prospect who had an .862 OPS in four minor-league seasons. Seattles Brad Miller played half of last season in the bigs, showing some power and speed and, after a .925 OPS in three minor-league seasons, Miller comes with expectations that he will provide offence. If youre late to the shortstop game, Asdrubal Cabrera, J.J. Hardy, and Alexei Ramirez arent glamourous options, but they are adequate and the Cubs Starlin Castro could be a value play coming off a terrible season. Castro has led the league in at-bats for three years running, so he can be a major difference-maker, provided he hits better than last years .245 mark. Among other young shortstops to consider, Atlantas Andrelton Simmons showed some pop last year, with 17 homers. San Diegos Everth Cabrera and Houstons Jonathan Villar are both outstanding stolen base threats, though Cabrera is coming off a PED suspension and Villar still has to show that he can hit enough to contribute more than just 40-plus steals. Finally, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is playing in his final season and, as terrific as Jeter has been throughout his career, hes no better than a middle-infield option in most leagues at this point. If he turns back the clock, like he did in 2012 when he hit .316 and scored 99 runs, then Jeter could be more valuable, but its not the most likely outcome for a 40-year-old who missed nearly all of last season due to injury. Scott Cullen can be reached at
Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook.
Arron Afflalo Knicks Jersey . That further limits the options of Australia coach Ewen McKenzie, who on Monday suspended six players who were involved in a night out in Dublin ahead of the Saturdays 32-15 win over the Irish. The Wallabies play Scotland on Saturday before facing Wales on Nov.
Custom Knicks Jersey . Remember the Titans (2000)Sure this plot has been done to death.TORONTO -- It didnt take long for the first shoe to drop in the wake of Kevin Paynes dismissal from the Toronto FC front office. On Monday, just days after Payne was fired as the MLS teams president and general manager, his prize acquisition was shipped to the Portland Timbers In trading away 22-year-old Argentine forward Maximiliano Urruti and an international roster spot, Toronto received 26-year-old forward Bright Dike (pronounced Bright DEE-kay), a first-round draft choice in 2015 and allocation money, which the club can use to stretch its salary cap. The international roster slot in the deal expires on Dec. 31. Toronto also gets to hold 20 per cent of Urrutis rights, so it will profit if he is sold. And Toronto now has three first-rounders in the 2015 draft. In the wake of his dismissal Thursday, Paynes reserved parking sign was gone Monday as the 4-13-10 team returned to training following a 4-0 weekend defeat in Portland. Paynes loss was the gain of one of the two reporters who showed up for practice at the teams north Toronto training centre and unexpectedly found a primo parking place. The Urruti trade has to be seen in the context of other planned Toronto moves. Some could happen this week if the club can pull the trigger before MLS rosters are frozen Friday at 5 p.m. ET. But it still came as a shock. After all, Payne pursued Urruti like Captain Ahab in search of Moby Dick. "We are thrilled to finally get this deal concluded for Maximiliano Urruti," Payne said when the signing was finally announced Aug. 15. "He is a player that we have been aware of for nearly two years and we have scouted him extensively in person." All told, Urruti saw just 37 minutes of action with Toronto in two substitute appearances. The Argentine arrived in off-season shape so fans did not see him at his best. "For what were bringing in and what we got for Portland, it was just a deal we couldnt turn down," manager Ryan Nelsen said Monday of the trade. "And it works for us in a very big way." Change is in the offing at Toronto FC with Nelsen looking to fill a shopping list of needs. Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, told season ticket-holders Sunday at the teams annual barbecue that Toronto is after two designated player strikers. He added that the money is not a problem, given that the board had authorized $26 million for two such deals over the August transfer window. That cash was never spent, but Nelsen and Leiweke have specific marquee targets for the January window. Two star strikers would leave little room for Urruti. During the lengthy pursuit of Urruti, Toronto FC talked of the league coming up with a new category to enable marquee talent without labelling them designated players. And on Monday in an interview, Nelsen referred to Urruti as being a "league DP" with the league having signed the player and holding 80 per cent of the player. But in a hastily called conference call Monday night, a league official said there was no DP tag attached to Urruti and denied that the Argentine was anything but a normal international signing. "The terms of the Urruti acquisition or signing are confidential but he is not a designated player," Lino DiCuollo, the MLS vice-president of competition and player relations who signed the player, said in a subsequent interviiew.
Langston Galloway Knicks Jersey. DiCuollo said there is no such thing as a league designated player. He also said the league was not involved in the Urruti trade. He did call the Urruti signing with MLS "definitely one of the most complicated transactions to work on" because of the many parties involved. Teams are allowed a maximum of three designated players (Toronto currently has two in midfielder Matias Laba and striker Danny Koevermans). Nelsen see Dike as a valuable piece of what will be a new Toronto puzzle. His career line with the Timbers reads like this: 23 games, nine starts and six goals over three injury-disrupted seasons (in 2011 he ruptured his Achilles tendon in pre-season). Dike blew out his knee in the pre-season but was on the Timbers bench for their 4-0 win over Toronto on Saturday and has played 80 minutes in a reserve game. He scored five goals in 12 games for Portland last season. At six foot one and 210 pounds, Dike is a physical presence. He has "power and pace," according to Nelsen. "And hes got lots of it," he added. And with a contract of US$60,6876.50, he will not break the bank. "Hes a completely different dimension to what were going to get and what we have," said Nelsen. "We dont have anything like him. Hes at a good age and hes hungry." Originally drafted 12th overall by the Columbus Crew in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, the Oklahoma-born Dike has one cap for the Nigerian national team. He is eligible to play for the African country through his parents, who are both natives of Nigeria. Dike was of one four players to be announced as the Timbers first MLS signings on Oct. 19, 2010. He played collegiately 86 games at Notre Dame, leading the team and the Big East Conference in scoring as a junior and a senior. Much of this season has been spent by Toronto trying to free itself of the shackles of large, unwieldy contracts. Designated player Torsten Frings retired, as did veteran defender Danny Califf. Captain and defender Darren ODea was encouraged to move on, while midfielder Terry Dunfield was one of many players to be released. Backup goalie Stefan Frei (whose salary is $200,000) and fullback Richard Eckersley ($310,000) are both big-ticket items in a $2.95-million salary cap world although, Freis contract expires at the end of the season. The future of Welsh forward Robert Earnshaw may also be in question, given the arrival of Dike and promise of star strikers to come. At $155,500 and with a proven scoring touch, Earnshaw may be easy to move, with the possibility of a trade to fill in other holes in the lineup. Portland sees Urruti as a young talent who gives Argentine playmaker Diego Valeri another weapon. Urruti made 56 appearances and scored 12 goals for Argentine club Newells Old Boys from 2010 to 2013. "Maximiliano is a player we know well, one we feel will be a great fit in our system and scouted extensively prior to him signing with Toronto," Timbers coach Caleb Porter said in a statement. "He is a quality young player who has cut his teeth with one of the top clubs in the Argentine first division. "Urruti will complement the depth we have in the striker position, and once he is acclimated and match-fit, will bring a dimension to the No. 9 role that weve been looking for." Toronto hosts the Chicago Fire (10-11-5) on Wednesday.
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