1) Plasma cost a lot more to run 2)Plasma becomes unwatchable if there is a glare in the room 3) I think its better but transporting plasma used to be near impossible since you could never lay it on its back No reason to get 1080P over 720P if they don't even have a 1080P signal And, screen size can vary where a 42" class might actually be 41" across.
Braun has a no trade clause until next off-season when it becomes a limited NTC. Braun has no chance of going to KC unless they reopen his contract and that's not happening.
So in the world where we give Lawrie a huge boost for 2 years he's outperforming Braun? And James' projections for Cain and Gomez aren't close to the same: Gomez .258/.311/.363 Cain .279/.345/.379
In what sense is he outperforming Braun? Braun tore up AA and was in the majors by his second full professional season. Yes Braun was 2 years older but Lawrie isn't close to what Braun was producing.
I'd move Rogers and Jeffress for Greinke in a second. Rogers has control problems and injury issues while Jeffress has to be sterched out again and get his control worked out.
But it does open up a spot for Fielder next year when Ortiz's contract is up. And while I don't think it does much over last year's Beltre its hard to expect Beltre to perform like he did last year going forward..
The article you linked even agrees that they are better than using ERA, kind of hurts your argument here. You don't use just FIP, you use all of the tools available of which ERA is one of the weaker ones. Any pitcher who can keep his BB/9 under 2 is going to have some success. Any pitcher who allows a lot of balls in play is going to see big swings in ERA year to year due to BABIP/LOB% and needs a good defense behind him, it is just the nature of having a lot of guys on base. The fact his K/9 slipped and he is turning 35 realy scares me though. I wouldn't give this kind of guy more than 2 years. Oh, I wouldn't either. I wanted him to a 2 year deal last season but it seemed like he didn't want to go anywhere but Minnesota.
I don't see why everyone is so enthused about having Rogers in Milwaukee in 2011. He isn't ready. Its great that he's back pitching but he kind of stunk last year. A few innings in Milwaukee doesn't overpower the fact that he had serious command issues in the minors.
He had an FIP of 4.00 and an xFIP of 3.96. His ERA was due to a high BABIP and a low strand rate which are purely random. He basically pitched the same in 2009 and 2010, in 2009 his ERA was really unlucky and in 2010 it was somewhat lucky.
You can't look at his career numbers since he wasn't good enough until his break out with the Rays to get a full time position so his entire career in the majors is basically 2007-2010. In 2006 as a 28 year old in the Yankee's AAA he hit .260/.370/.454 hardly someone you'd expect to kill the ball the following year.