Browsing: / Home

MLB Trades That Should Happen Now

By Sacha on May 2, 2012 in

San Diego Padres trade C Nick Hundley to Tampa Bay Rays; Tampa Bay Rays trade P Wade Davis to San Diego Padres

This trade is the most sensible trade you will see here. It makes perfect sense for both teams. Ever since the uber-regression of Dionner Navarro, a former all-star, the Rays have had a huge hole at catcher, which Hundley, who would be an improvement over any catcher the Rays have right now, would fill. Additionally, Tampa Bay has an excess of starting pitching which has left Davis, normally a starter, hung out to dry as a long-relief man in the bullpen. The Padres, meanwhile, have three legitimate starting pitchers on their active roster right now (you could stretch it to four if you count Cory Luebke, who has never settled completely in either the starting rotation or the bullpen in his major league career). Davis would be a huge upgrade for that pitching staff. The Padres have also developed one of the game’s best minor league systems, which right now includes prospect Yasmani Grandal, a catcher who is tearing up AAA right now and is only blocked from the major leagues by Hundley. The trades would benefit each player as well. Hundley would get out of San Diego’s home stadium,  Petco Park, whose vast outfield saves pitchers and kills hitters, especially fly-ball hitters like Hundley. He would instead play in hitter friendly Tropicana Field, home of the Rays. The same goes for Wade Davis, though in the other direction. There is no reason for this trade to not happen immediately– it makes sense in every conceivable way.

 

Milwaukee Brewers trade OF Corey Hart to Seattle Mariners; Seattle Mariners trade SS Nick Franklin, P Stephen Pryor, and OF Casper Wells to Milwaukee Brewers

Don’t turn a blind eye– Seattle is coming up strong. They’re developing a farm system that houses loads of starting pitching, which has been the story in Seattle for the past few years. Pitching. But no offense. Well, it’s time for Seattle to make a bold move, namely, acquiring Corey Hart. One of the surprisingly premier power outfield bats in the game, Hart would be the perfect fir for Seattle, the power hitter they’ve been looking for ever since Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. left for greener pastures over a decade ago. But this deal makes sense for Milwaukee, too. Stuck behind Hart on the depth chart in Milwaukee is Norichika Aoki, a Japanese speedster in his first year of stateside ball. With Hart gone, he would finally have an opportunity to truly display the brilliance we’ve seen flashes of in his sparse playing time this season. Then there’s Nick Franklin, the shortstop prospect the Brewers would get in the deal. Ever since the Brewers traded Alcides Escobar a few years ago, there has been a hole at shortstop for the Brewers, filled uninspiringly by Yuniesky Betancourt in 2011, and now Alex Gonzalez. Franklin is a legitimate shortstop prospect, and while he may not be ready just yet, in a year’s time he should be a very solid player on both sides of the ball. Stephen Pryor, a pitching prospect, would give the Brewers much needed help in the bullpen when he is ready to be called up, while Casper Wells would fill the backup corner outfield role voided by Aoki. This deal works on multiple levels for both teams, and while it may seem odd on the surface, it really does make sense.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks trade OF Gerardo Parra to Cleveland Indians; Cleveland Indians trade 2B Cord Phelps, SS Tony Wolters, and P Austin Adams to Philadelphia Phillies

This isn’t a blockbuster deal, but, rather, a small scale deal which would slightly alter each team. The Indians have built a pretty complete squad aside from in left field on defense, and at the leadoff spot on offense. Parra, meanwhile, has emerged as a plus defender in left and a solid leadoff hitter. The only reason this deal makes sense is because of the DBacks’ signing of another left fielder, Jason Kubel, which now leaves Parra as the odd man out in that crowded outfield. In return, Arizona would get a slew of young players from Cleveland to fill some holes in what is becoming a desert powerhouse. Cord Phelps at second is an on-base machine who can become a solid, dependable, long-term second baseman once Aaron Hill departs, whether through free agency or trade. Tony Wolters is a young shortstop, stuck behind both Francisco Lindor and Asdrubal Cabrera in Cleveland, with lots of promise who could, in two or three years, take over at short for Arizona, which is stuck with a vastly overrated Stephen Drew out there. Austin Adams, a young pitcher who has moved quickly through Cleveland’s farm system, could either develop into a stud of a starter to complement Tyler Skaggs, Ian Kennedy, and the rest of the sterling young starting pitching Arizona is developing, or, at the very least, become a reliever for the Arizona bullpen, the one area of the team that could be improved. This is not a big deal by any means, but, hey, it makes sense. (Note: As this is being written, Gerardo Parra is currently starting in center field for Arizona while regular center fielder Chris Young is on the disabled list with an injury, so the proposed deal would not make much sense. Once Young returns, however, Parra will likely return to a backup role, and this section of the article will regain its value.)

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter

2012 MLB Predictions: Playoffs and Awards

By Sacha on April 23, 2012 in

American League Postseason Participants:

AL East Winner: New York Yankees

AL Central Winner: Detroit Tigers

AL West Winner: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

AL Wild Card 1 Winner: Tampa Bay Rays

AL Wild Card 2 Winner: Texas Rangers

 

National League Postseason Participants:

NL East Winner: Atlanta Braves

NL Central Winner: Milwaukee Brewers

NL West Winner: Arizona Diamondbacks

NL Wild Card 1 Winner: San Francisco Giants

NL Wild Card 2 Winner: St. Louis Cardinals

 

Wild Card Game:

AL: Tampa Bay Rays defeat Texas Rangers – The Rangers simply don’t have an ace to be able to silence the Rays’ bats in this single game. The Rays, meanwhile, have a potent lineup, more so than last year, at the least, and a plethora of potential aces to start that game. Texas may have the best lineup in the American League, but if one team can beat them in a single game, its the Rays.

NL: St. Louis Cardinals defeat San Francisco Giants – This game should be incredibly closely contested, a true battle of aces. But the Giants are young, with a flawed lineup, and going up against this balanced, experienced, but still youthful St. Louis team, they don’t stand a real chance.

 

Division Series:

ALDS 1: Tampa Bay Rays defeat Detroit Tigers – The Rays have the pitching, but, more importantly, they have the patience at the plate. Justin Verlander may be impossible to defeat, but after that, the Tigers have Max Scherzer, famously known for his lack of consistency, and, quite often, control. The Rays, with a knack for getting on base, should be able to easily take Scherzer. And, when squaring up Doug Fister and Rick Porcello against whatever pitchers the Rays choose to face those guys, the Rays have the advantage.

ALDS 2: New York Yankees defeat Los Angeles Angels – Michael Pineda is the key to this series. Pineda, a right handed power arm, has struggled early in his career against lefties, but the Angels lineup boasts primarily right handed bats. Meanwhile, three of the four starters the Angels will use in this series are right handed, perfect for the Yanks left handed sluggers, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson. This series should be close, but the Yankees will pull it out in the end.

NLDS 1: Atlanta Braves defeat St. Louis Cardinals – Aside from Jaime Garcia, the Cardinals don’t have any solid left handed pitching to get out Atlanta’s young left handed sluggers, Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman. Those two should thrive against the Cardinals two aces, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. Meanwhile. it’s no secret that Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday, and Lance Berkman are getting older and losing a step, so, if Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens are healthy come playoff time, which I think they will be, those three Cardinal sluggers could get overpowered by the two Braves’ fireballers. Atlanta is young, upcoming, and ready to pounce.

NLDS 2: Milwaukee Brewers defeat Arizona Diamondbacks – While the Brewers lost Prince Fielder, they still have a big three of starting pitchers in Zack Greinke, Yovani Gallardo, and Shaun Marcum, and a lineup superior to that of the Diamondbacks. It’s not that the Diamondbacks are bad, because they aren’t, they’re very good; the Brewers are just better.

 

Championship Series:

ALCS: Tampa Bay Rays defeat New York Yankees – The downfall of the Yankees is imminent, and it is beginning right now. We say the Rays sweep the Yankees to take the first 3 games of the regular season, and, that should be a precursor to this playoff series. Can the older Yankees handle the strain of a full season? Can someone emerge as a viable starter behind Kuroda and Sabathia? The Yankees are talented enough, but this is the best the Rays have ever been, and they will, for the 2nd time in five years, go to the World Series.

NLCS: Atlanta Braves defeat Milwaukee Brewers – This is another case of the right handed pitchers of the opponents versus Atlanta’s lefty sluggers, and, as in the NLDS, Freeman and Heyward will be better than Greinke, Gallardo, and Marcum. The Braves’ right handed starters should neutralize the Brewers’ primarily right handed starters, and, like the glory days of the 1990′s, the Braves will be going to the World Series.

 

World Series:

Tampa Bay Rays defeat Atlanta Braves – This time, the Braves’ opponents do have left handed pitching, and very dominant pitching at that. The Rays have an incredibly balanced lineup, able to counteract anything that the Braves throw at them. The Rays are the best, most balanced team in baseball, and they will reign supreme when October comes to a close.

Rays win the World Series

 

AL MVP Voting:

1. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

2. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

3. Robinson Cano, New York Yankees

4. Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

5. Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays

 

AL Cy Young Voting:

1. C.J. Wilson, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2. Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

3. Dan Haren, Los Angeles Angels

4. C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees

5. Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

 

AL Rookie of the Year Voting:

1. Matt Moore, Tampa Bay Rays

2. Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners

3. Dayan Viciedo, Chicago White Sox

4. Brad Peacock, Oakland Athletics

5. Danny Hultzen, Seattle Mariners

 

AL Manager of the Year Voting:

1. John Farrell, Toronto Blue Jays

2. Manny Acta, Cleveland Indians

3. Jim Leyland, Detroit Tigers

4. Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays

5. Ned Yost, Kansas City Royals

 

NL MVP Voting:

1. Hanley Ramirez, Miami Marlins

2. Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

3. Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

4. Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates

5. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers

 

NL Cy Young Voting:

1. Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies

2. Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

3. Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants

4. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

5. Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants

 

NL Rookie of the Year Voting:

1. Joe Wieland, San Diego Padres

2. Tyler Pastornicky, Atlanta Braves

3. Yonder Alonso, San Diego Padres

4. Zack Cozart, Cincinnati Reds

5. Devin Moresaco, Cincinnati Reds

 

NL Manager of the Year Voting:

1. Fredi Gonzalez, Atlanta Braves

2. Mike Matheny, St. Louis Cardinals

3. Kirk Gibson, Arizona Diamondbacks

4. Clint Hurdle, Pittsburgh Pirates

5. Jim Tracy, Colorado Rockies

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter

2012 MLB Predictions: National League West

By Sacha on April 15, 2012 in

Projected Standings

1. Arizona Diamondbacks

2. San Francisco Giants

3. Colorado Rockies

4. Los Angeles Dodgers

5. San Diego Padres

Overview:

The Arizona Diamondbacks are really, really good. They have an overabundance of outfielders, all of whom can hit, especially Justin Upton, who finally had his breakout year last year. They have one of the better catchers in the game behind the plate, with Miguel Montero. In the infield, they don’t have anyone spectacular, but everyone is solid and won’t hurt the team at all. In the bullpen, the David Hernandez-J.J. Putz 8th and 9th inning combo (respectively) is as good as any in baseball. But the true strength for this team is starting pitching. Led by Ian Kennedy, who finally emerged as a bonafide ace last year with a National League leading 21 wins, this rotation is one of, if not the, best and most complete starting rotations in baseball. And with Tyler Skaggs knocking on the door to take a starting rotation spot, this team is locked and loaded for the long haul.

The Giants got much better this offseason. They got Angel Pagan to plug a huge hole at the leadoff spot, and they got Melky Cabrera to provide some pop in the lineup. The offense, which has struggled the past few years, should be pretty good. Along with Pagan and Cabrera, Buster Posey will be back from his horrible injury that he suffered last year, Pablo Sandoval should put up big numbers again, and either Brandon Belt or Aubrey Huff will step in at 1st base and be solid as well. However, they are still a largely incomplete offense. The bullpen does have some questions after Brian Wilson, who is a question in himself, but they should be one of the better relief staffs in baseball. But as usual, the strength of this team is the starting pitching. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner make one of the best big threes in baseball, comparable to Halladay, Lee, and Hamels of the Phillies. This team should do well, but the offense could hold them back.

The Colorado Rockies had one of the smartest offseasons of any team in baseball. They made a number of cheap, low-risk, high-reward moves. Firstly, they got Marco Scutaro, who will be a shortstop playing second base, always helpful, and his veteran presence should help. They got Ramon Hernandez to catch and to mentor young catching prospect Wilin Rosario. They got Michael Cuddyer, who could put up monsterous numbers in hitter-friendly Coors Field. But the really shrewd moves were to improve the starting pitching, acquiring Jeremy Guthrie, Guillermo Moscoso, Tyler Chatwood, and Josh Outman in trades, giving them eight options for five spots, a quality of depth that should vastly improve the glaring weakness of this team from last year. In the bullpen, they have Rafael Betancourt, who had a terrific year last year and should be fine filling the closer role for this team. What will really propel this team, though, is their two stars, Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, two of the most exciting, innately talented young players in all of baseball. If any team could shock the baseball world this year, it’s the Rockies.

Don’t expect the Dodgers to do much of anything this year. Matt Kemp could be the best hitter in baseball, and Clayton Kershaw the best pitcher, but that’s all the Dodgers have going for them. Andre Ethier needs to be more consistent and needs to hit 20+ homers to be a true complement to Kemp. Chad Billingsley needs to pitch better than he did last year, when he posted an ugly 4.21 ERA, in order to be a true number 2 starter. The Dodgers have holes in left field, and at third base, second base, and catcher. Dee Gordon, the young shortstop, needs to emerge into a true leadoff hitter, but I doubt that he will, at least this year. The pitching staff, especially the bullpen, is weak, so don’t expect them to make much noise this year.

Finally, we come to the Padres. They traded Mat Latos to the Reds, in return receiving a plethora of prospects including first baseman Yonder Alonso. Coupled with the prospects from the Adrian Gonzalez trade a few years ago and some solid internal player development, the Padres should be serious contenders in a few years, but not this year. Huston Street headlines a young, mediocre bullpen that has little resemblance of the fierce 2010 bullpen that helped the Padres flirt with a playoff appearance. The starting rotation is young, inexperienced, and, headlined by Edison Volquez, fragile, though with tons of potential. The offense is headlined by Cameron Maybin, and, well, that’s it.

MVP: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

Rookie of the Year: Joe Wieland, San Diego Padres

Manager of the Year: Kirk Gibson, Arizona Diamondbacks

All Star Team:

SP: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

RP: J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks

C: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

1B: James Loney, Los Angeles Dodgers

2B: Marco Scutaro, Colorado Rockies

3B: Ryan Roberts, Arizona Diamondbacks

SS: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies

LF: Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies

CF: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

RF: Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter

2012 MLB Predictions: National League Central

By Sacha on March 18, 2012 in

Projected Standings

1. Milwaukee Brewers

2. St. Louis Cardinals

3. Cincinnati Reds

4. Pittsburgh Pirates

5. Chicago Cubs

6. Houston Astros

Overview:

It’s close, but the Brewers are the best team in this division. The team seemed hopeless after their star, Ryan Braun, was accused of steroid use and was facing a 50 game suspension to start the season. However, after Braun made history by becoming the first player in major league history to successfully appeal a suspension for PEDs, this team was catapulted to the top of the division. Yes, they lost Prince Fielder, and the Brewers will dearly miss their star first baseman, but then they made an incredibly smart signing of third baseman Aramis Ramirez. The lineup around those two is still good, with Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart anchoring the best of the rest. As for the starting pitching, they still have their own big three of  Yovani Gallardo, Zack Greinke, and Shaun Marcum. In the bullpen, they have two of the best in the game in Francisco Rodriguez, the closer-turned-setup man, and John Axford, the lanky closer with the Fu Manchu. A truly complete team, they should be the division champs for the second year in a row.

Then there’s the Cardinals. After their miracle run to win the World Series last year, this is a dramatically different team. That’s because Albert Pujols is gone. Pujols, who was for a number of years the best player in baseball, left the Cardinals as a free agent. King Albert is now in Los Angeles. However, the Cardinals do have a smart free agent signing of their own, in Carlos Beltran. The veteran had a bounce-back year in 2011, and while the Cardinals shouldn’t expect him to replicate Pujols’ production, he’ll be a solid middle of the lineup bat. Plus, the starting pitching should be improved because of the return of Adam Wainwright, the Cardinals ace who missed all of last year after Tommy John surgery. If he can return to form, he and Chris Carpenter will anchor a scary starting rotation. The bullpen has some questions, without a superstar, but they should be just fine, and St. Louis should be able to at the very least contend for a wild card spot in the National League.

The Reds made the biggest move in the National League this offseason, giving up a plethora of prospects to the Padres in exchange for ace starter Mat Latos, really a smart move for both teams. However, aside from Latos and Johnny Cueto, the starting rotation is really weak. In order to counteract the loss of Francisco Cordero in the bullpen, the Reds made a great signing of closer Ryan Madson, and also traded for lefty Sean Marshall. Offensively, this team is completely devoid of mediocrity. There are stars, in Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, and Brandon Phillips, and then there are the others, including a rookie shortstop in Zack Cozart. The Reds got better this year, but they’re still not good enough to compete in a much improved NL Central.

The Pirates come next, and, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but they’re actually getting better. Led by centerfielder Andrew McCutchen, who should bounce back for last year’s disappointing .259 batting average, this is an offense with some pop. Neil Walker, heading into his 3rd season now, has all the makings of an above average 2nd baseman. Garrett Jones has hit over 15 home runs for the past seasons, and he is a pretty good middle of the lineup presence. Jose Tabata and Pedro Alvarez have loads of potential, but both had bad seasons last year, Tabata finishing with a .266 batting average and Alvarex finishing with a dreadful .191 average. If those guys can realize their potential, this becomes one of the better lineups in the NL. However, the pitching staff will just kill this team. Charlie Morton and Jeff Karstens were decent last year, and the injury prone Erik Bedard is good when healthy, but this team does not have the pitching to contend, and will likely finish with more loses than wins for the 20th consecutive season.

The Cubs had a big offseason in their own right, but not in the way you may think. Their transactions came in the front office, when they hired two of the savviest general managers in the game, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, away from their former teams, the Red Sox and Padres, respectively, to man the front office and bring a title back to Wrigley. However, this team can’t compete. Starlin Castro is a star in the making at shortstop, Matt Garza is a pretty good starter and Ryan Dempster will have a bounce back year, but that’s about it. The Cubbies will have to suffer through another season without winning the World Series.

Finally, we come to the worst team in baseball: the Houston Astros. They have some prospects, but basically none of them are major league ready. Carlos Lee, the only bonafide good hitter on this team, is going to suffer a severe decline this year, and the only solid starting pitcher on this team is Wandy Rodriguez. Expect this to be another dreadful year for the Astros.

The top three teams in this division will be in tough competition with each other to win this division until the very end of the season.

MVP: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

Cy Young: Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers

Rookie of the Year: Zack Cozart, Cincinnati Reds

Manager of the Year: Mike Matheny, St. Louis Cardinals

All Star Team:

SP: Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers

RP: Ryan Madson, Cincinnati Reds

C: Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals

1B: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

2B: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds

3B: Aramis Ramirez, Milwaukee Brewers

SS: Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs

LF: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers

CF: Andrew McCutchen

RF: Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds

 

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter

2012 MLB Predictions: National League East

By Sacha on February 23, 2012 in

Projected Standings

1. Atlanta Braves

2. Philadelphia Phillies

3. Washington Nationals

4. Miami Marlins

5. New York Mets

 

Overview: The Braves are finally the frontrunners in this division. They have the deep starting pitching, headlined by Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens. They have the relief pitching, headlined by Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters. They have the batting, headlined by Freddy Freeman and Brian McCann. They have a combination of age, such as Chipper Jones and Tim Hudson, and youth, such as Brandon Beachy and Jason Heyward. This is probably the most complete team in the National League, and they should run away with the division. The only questions for this team involve their starting pitching: if Jurrjens and Hanson can’t stay healthy, the Braves will have a long road ahead of them.

After the Braves, however, there’s a huge drop-off in talent. The Nationals had a huge offseason, acquiring Gio Gonzalez from the A’s and signing free agent Edwin Jackson. The bullpen is solid, headlined by Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard. The lineup is among the most powerful in baseball, with Jayson Werth, Michael Morse, Ryan Zimmerman, and Danny Espinosa all 20+ home run threats. And then, there’s Bryce Harper, the top prospect who should make his major league debut this season. The key for this team, though, is Stephen Strasburg. He missed all of last year with Tommy John surgery, but this year, he should be back and just as menacing as he was in 2010. However, this team doesn’t have the talent, especially the pitching, to overtake the Braves.

The Phillies still have elite starting pitching, headlined by Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels, but they’re pretty thin everywhere else. Ryan Howard is going to miss a significant chunk of the season with an injury, and Chase Utley has been battling injuries the past two years. This is the year, in my opinion, that Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino begin to decline. That means there is really one all-star caliber bat in this line-up: Hunter Pence. The bullpen is also extremely thin. They lost Ryan Madson and lost Brad Lidge, and then wasted $50 million on Jonathan Paplebon. This team is going to regress very quickly this year and will be ravaged by injuries to Utley and Howard, but their starting pitching will carry them to a winning record.

Don’t be fooled by the Marlins busy off-season. Jose Reyes is great, but has battled injuries as of late, especially last year. Heath Bell, the free agent closer, is terrific, but is really the only great pitcher in the bullpen. Mark Buehrle, the free agent starter who the Marlins signed, is a workhorse, but not an ace. The key for this team is Josh Johnson, a starting pitcher who is one of the best in the game when healthy, but is rarely healthy for a full season. If Johnson can stay healthy, the Marlins will finish with a winning record. If not, the Marlins will struggle to finish with a .500 winning percentage.

Finally, we come to the Mets. Oh, the Mets. They are certainly not amazin’ right now. David Wright is still one of the best third basemen in the game, but that’s about it. This is probably the worst pitching staff in the National League. The offense is bottom-5 in the National League, at best. This team has one hope to finish even remotely close to a winning record: Johan Santana. One of the best pitchers in baseball, Santana did not pitch at all in 2011 due to injury, and likely won’t return until mid-season this year. The Mets need him to be healthy soon to begin to restore some excitement in Queens.

This is a division marred by injuries, and the health of certain key players will determine the final results.

MVP: Hanley Ramirez, Miami Marlins

Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

Rookie of the Year: Tyler Pastornicky, Atlanta Braves

Manager of the Year: Fredi Gonzalez, Atlanta Braves

All Star Team:

SP: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

RP: Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves

C: Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves

1B: Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves

2B: Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves

3B: Hanley Ramirez, Miami Marlins

SS: Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins

LF: Michael Morse, Washington Nationals

CF: Michael Bourn, Atlanta Braves

RF: Hunter Pence, Philadelphia Phillies

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter

2012 MLB Predictions: American League West

By Sacha on February 18, 2012 in

Projected Standings

1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2. Texas Rangers

3. Oakland Athletics

4. Seattle Mariners

Overview: What an offseason the Angels had. They signed the best free agent batter, first baseman Albert Pujols, and the best free agent pitcher C.J. Wilson, who used to pitch for, who else, the division rival Texas Rangers. They might have the best starting pitching in baseball, headlined by Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, C.J. Wilson, and Ervin Santana. However, they’re not that strong elsewhere. Albert Pujols is a big bat in the middle of the line up, but the guys ahead of him, like Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick, just don’t get on base a lot. Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter in the outfield are old, far past their prime and, while they can hit for power, aren’t good hitters anymore. The bullpen is also pretty weak. The key player for the Angels this year is Kendrys Morales. He’s had serious health complications lately, having not played since May of 2010, but when healthy, he’s a beast. His 2009 stats, for your pleasure: .306 AVG, 34 HR, 108 RBI. If Morales can come back healthy and hitting, the Angels should be the runaway winners in this division. If not, the Rangers will keep it close. The Rangers had a big free agent signing of their own this winter. After losing C.J. Wilson via free agency to the Angels, they won the bidding for Japanese superstar pitcher Yu Darvish, and then signed him. However, this pitching staff has a lot of question marks. How will Darvish transition from Japanese to American baseball? Can Colby Lewis emerge into an ace to replace C.J. Wilson? Can Nefali Feliz, a shutdown closer for the past two seasons, transition smoothly to the starting rotation? The starting rotation is the only reason I have them in second in this division. If they get an ace starter, they become the favorites in this division. That’s because of their hitting. This team can hit and hit and hit. Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli, Nelson Cruz, and Michael Young are all perennial all-stars. Mitch Moreland isn’t far behind. However, especially now, pitching wins ball games, so until the Rangers get a bonafide ace starter (or either Neftali Feliz or Yu Darvish develops into one, which I think is unlikely), the Rangers are in second place. After these two teams, there’s a huge drop-off in skill. The A’s are in third, which isn’t too shabby for a team that just traded away its closer and two of its top starting pitchers for prospects this offseason. But they have some nice young talent. Jemile Weeks at second base, Brandon Allen at first base, and Chris Carter at DH are all young hitters with tons of upside and potential. They have Seth Smith in left field, Coco Crisp in center field, Josh Reddick in right, and Kurt Suzuki at catcher, all proven veterans. Then, theres Yoenis Cespedes, the Cuban outfielder who the A’s signed this offseason. So there’s some decent offense on this squad. On the pitching mound, I love Brandon McCarthy. He gets ground balls and doesn’t give up many runs. If Dallas Braden and Brett Anderson can stay healthy this season (that’s a big if), the A’s won’t be completely talent starved this offseason. The bullpen may look weak on paper, but so has every other bullpen that general manager Billy Beane has put together in his career. However, they’re still a long ways away from winning, with tons of young talent in the minors, but give them three or four years, and they’ll be favorites in the division. Finally in last place, we find the Seattle Mariners. And what can we say about the M’s? Felix Hernandez is still one of the best starting pitchers in the game, but he’s just about their only good starter. In the bullpen, it’s Brandon League, and the rest is average. On offense, this team will likely finish last in the American League in runs scored. Justin Smoak, Dustin Ackley, and Jesus Montero are young bats with all the potential in the world, but that’s about it. Ichiro is in the final stretch of his amazing career, and this team will sputter to the finish line. This is a division full of question marks, without one complete team, but in the end, great pitching beats great hitting.

MVP: Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Cy Young: C.J. Wilson, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Rookie of the Year: Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners

Manager of the Year: Bob Melvin, Oakland Athletics

All Star Team:

SP: C.J. Wilson, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

RP: Brandon League, Seattle Mariners

C: Mike Napoli, Texas Rangers

1B: Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2B: Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers

3B: Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers

SS: Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers

LF: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers

CF: Coco Crisp, Oakland Athletics

RF: Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers

DH: Michael Young, Texas Rangers

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter

2012 MLB Predictions: American League Central

By Sacha on February 17, 2012 in

Projected Standings

1. Detroit Tigers

2. Cleveland Indians

3. Kansas City Royals

4. Chicago White Sox

5. Minnesota Twins

Overview: The Tigers are the favorites in this division, in what may be the most wide open division race in the majors. Just when Victor Martinez’s injury seemed so crippling and devastating, they swooped in with $214 million and came away as surprise winners in the sweepstakes for prized free agent Prince Fielder. Led by reigning AL MVP Justin Verlander, last year’s batting champion Miguel Cabrera, and Prince Fielder himself, the Tigers should win the division. If there are any questions, they are about the pitching staff (aside from Justin Verlander, of course), especially Doug Fister, who needs to replicate last year’s success after being traded to Detroit, Max Scherzer, who was wildly inconsistent last year, and Rick Porcello, a once prized prospect who has not lived up to his potential in the bigs.  The Indians have a complete line up, especially as Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, and Carlos Santana develop further. Shin-Soo Choo, who battled injuries in a down year last season, and Grady Sizemore, who was once the best centerfielder in the game before injuries plagued his career, need to have healthy seasons if the Indians even want a chance in this division. But they won’t win the division, because they just don’t have the pitching. Ubaldo Jimenez, their top starter, is vastly overrated, as he had just one good half season, the first half of 2010. Since then, he has not been great, certainly not good enough to be worth what the Indians traded away last year to acquire him. The Royals have loads of young talent, but they’re not ready to win just yet. Mike Montgomery and John Lamb, their two top pitching prospects, are still in the minor leagues. They have talent in the major leagues, such as Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, but even that talent is raw. The Royals are getting better, for sure, but they won’t be serious contenders for about a year or two. The White Sox are in an awful position right now. They’ve lost Juan Pierre and they’ve lost Mark Buehrle, both through free agency. Gordon Beckham has not lived up to potential in his career. John Danks and Gavin Floyd, Chicago’s top two starting pitchers, are both wildly inconsistent and maybe #2 starters at best. Alejandro De Aza and Dayan Viciedo, the left and right fielders, respectively, are young and unproven. Alex Rios is in the twilight of his career but his still making tons of money, vastly overpaid. Adam Dunn, a star free agent signing from a year ago, had probably the worst season of his career last season, and still has three years left on his contract. The only quality player on this roster is Paul Konerko, and the rest is just question marks. Finally, there’s the Twins, a franchise that has fallen into turmoil the last few years. After committing a total of  $264 and 14 seasons to Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, Mauer and Morneau have fallen prone to the injury bug. Last season, the two players played a total of 151 games. For comparison, a full MLB season lasts 162 games. The rest of the roster has suffered as a result of all the money committed to these two oft-injured superstars. The pitching staff has suffered in particular. Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano anchor the pitching staff. That is not the makings of a winning team. This is a runaway division, with the Tigers winning all the way.

MVP: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

Rookie of the Year: Dayan Viciedo, Chicago White Sox

Manager of the Year: Manny Acta, Cleveland Indians

All Star Team:

SP: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

RP: Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers

C: Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians

1B: Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers

2B: Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians

3B: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

SS: Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians

LF: Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals

CF: Denard Span, Minnesota Twins

RF: Shin-Soo Choo, Cleveland Indians

DH: Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter

2012 MLB Predictions: American League East

By Sacha on February 12, 2012 in

Projected Standings

1. New York Yankees

2. Tampa Bay Rays

3. Boston Red Sox

4. Toronto Blue Jays

5. Baltimore Orioles

Overview: This is still the best division in baseball. The Yankees, who acquired pitchers Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda in the offseason, are still the favorites. The offense is getting older, for sure, but Robinson Cano is becoming one of the best hitters in the American League, and Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira are still threats to hit 30 home runs this season. The Yankees proved that they can win even when Alex Rodriguez is injured, but his health could be a determining factor in who comes out on top in this division. The Yankees are stacked on offense, defense, and in their pitching staff, and it’ll be a huge surprise to everyone if the Yankees don’t win the division. But the Rays and Red Sox aren’t far behind. The Rays can obviously pitch. They boast arguably the best starting pitching in baseball, with David Price, James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson, and the top pitching prospect in baseball, Matt Moore. Their bullpen isn’t sexy by any means, but GM Andrew Friedman has proved time and time again to be the best bullpen constructor in baseball, taking guys who are undervalued by the rest of the league and watching them dominate, and this season should be no different. They also upgraded on offense, signing Carlos Pena after his one year stint with the Cubs, and trading for Luke Scott. Two things will be key for the Rays this season. One is Desmond Jennings, their young left fielder who will be entering his second season in the majors. After a semi-successful rookie year, the Rays need Jennings to evolve into the high-octane leadoff hitter that they sorely lack. The other key is James Shields. After a breakout season that saw Shields make the all-star team and finish with career highs in WHIP, wins, strikeouts, and ERA, Shields needs to maintain this pace, and not regress back to the inconsistent pitcher we’d seen in years prior. The Red Sox have a lot to prove after their September fallout and the scandals that followed. Carl Crawford meeds to bounce back after his dreadful 2011 if the Red Sox want to overtake the Rays. If they want to make a push for first place, the pitching needs to be great. Jon Lester’s excellence is a given, but Josh Beckett needs to pitch like he did last year, and Clay Buchholz needs to pitch like he did in 2010. The Sox have obvious, glaring weaknesses at catcher and shortstop, but the rest of their high powered offense should be able to pick up the slack. The Toronto Blue Jays are a strange team for me, and a team I’ve been critical of for a while. For the past few years, they’ve been caught in baseball limbo, not good enough to compete with the Red Sox and Yankees, but not bad enough to get high draft picks and stockpile young prospects. Jose Bautista, the league’s best home run hitter, is great, and I really believe that Ricky Romero will progress into a superstar pitcher this year, but after that, they’re mediocre. They could probably contend in the AL Central, but in this heavyweight division, Toronto is completely overmatched. Then, finally, comes the Baltimore Orioles. They’re not winning, and they know it. They traded their best starting pitcher, the mediocre Jeremy Guthrie, to the Rockies. That leaves an already abysmal pitching staff even worse. The offense isn’t great, either. Mark Reynolds is a prolific home run hitter, Nick Markakis has tremendous gap power, Adam Jones is electric, and Brian Roberts is dependable when healthy, but as of now, they are perennial bottom dwellers in the East. This is the best division in the American League, if not all of baseball, and it’ll be a battle of heavyweights all the way to the end.

MVP: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

CY Young: C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees

Rookie of the Year: Matt Moore Tampa Bay Rays

Manager of the Year: John Farrell, Toronto Blue Jays

All Star Team:

SP: Ricky Romero, Toronto Blue Jays

RP: Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees

C: Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles

1B: Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox

2B: Robinson Cano, New York Yankees

3B: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

SS: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees

LF: Desmond Jennings, Tampa Bay Rays

CF: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox

RF: Jose Bautista. Toronto Blue Jays

DH: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter

What’s gonna work?

By Sacha on January 31, 2012 in

Big threes and power duos have been the trend for years in the NBA. We’ve seen Bird, Mchale, and Parish, we’ve seen Wilt, West, and Elgin, and we’ve seen Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili. We’ve seen Jordan and Pippen, we’ve seen Stockton and Malone, and we’ve seen Oscar and Kareem. For so long, this is has been the way that dominant teams have dominated.

But lately, there’s been a shift in team building. We saw the first glimpses of it in the 2003-’04 season. That was the year the Detroit Pistons won the NBA championship. Those Pistons had four players average double figures in points, plus a 12 rebound-a-game monster in Ben Wallace. But that was a defensive team. They allowed the second least points per game, but scored just the 24th most. That Pistons team won because of their D.

Now, the revolution is really growing. What’s the revolution, you ask? Depth. Tons and tons of depth. I don’t mean decent players at each position. I don’t mean good bench players. I mean tons and tons of starters. Tons of ball-sharing. Tons of teamwork.

Let’s start with the Indiana Pacers. Seven players (Granger, Hibbert, West, Collison, George, Hill, Hansbrough) are averaging at least 9 points per game. George Hill, the Pacers backup point guard, was, when he was still a Spur, hailed as the future replacement for Tony Parker, no small achievement. Tyler Hansbrough was supposed to be the Pacers’s starting power forward coming into this season. But when David West was signed, this starting caliber big man moved to the bench. These main seven guys, along with Dahntay Jones and Jeff Foster, who most teams would love to have as feature guys off the bench but for the Pacers average only 16 and 14 minutes a game, respectively, give the Pacers a formidable formula that has boosted them to 5th place in the East with a .684 winning percentage.

The Sixers have had a similar winning combination. They have eight players (Williams, Holiday, Iguodala, Young, Brand, Hawes, Turner, Meeks) averaging at least 9 points per game. They are incredibly deep at PG, SG, and SF, where they have backups who could be starters on many other teams. Their worst wingman is Andres Nocioni, who from the ’05-’06 season to the ’08-’09 season averaged 12 points and 5 rebounds per game. No, they are not as deep in the frontcourt, but their backcourt has propelled the Sixers to 3rd place in the conference, just 2 games behind Chicago and 1 behind Miami. They rank 7th in the NBA in points scored per game despite their best scorer averaging just 15.3 points per game. They too have proven that you don’t need elite scorers in this league, just a lot of decent ones.

Finally, we come to Denver. The Nuggets had been a team carried by Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson (later replaced by Chauncey Billups) for the recent past. That tandem had made it to the playoffs every season from ’03-’04 through ’10-’11. But in those playoffs, they had made it past the first round just once, and had never made it to the NBA finals. So now, they’re trying something different. They’re going with the depth approach. The teamwork approach. Yes, seven players (Gallinari, Lawson, Harrington, Nene, Afflalo, Miller, Fernandez) are averaging 9 points per game, but that only tells part of the story. Because this team also features Corey Brewer, who scored 13 PPG in his one season that he was a started (2009-’10); Timofey Mozgov, a 7″1 defensive beast whose stats (5.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.1 BPG in just 18.1 MPG) only tell part of the story; and Chris Andersen, labeled the Birdman for both his looks (a blonde mohawk and tattoo-covered biceps) and his high flying blocks. Plus, there’s Kenneth Faried and Jordan Hamilton, both rookies who were 1st round picks in the most recent NBA draft, learning the ropes on the Nugget bench, preparing to contribute to an already scary rotation in a few years. And don’t forget Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith, two solid wingmen who are contractually obligated teams in China but aim to return later this season. The Nuggets have truly epitomized depth and ball sharing, and that launched them to a mile-high 2nd in the tremendously deep Western Conference.

So, you thought superstars were the only way to win in this league? You thought you needed a Lebron or a Kobe to be successful? Think again, because these three teams are redefining what it takes to be a winner in the NBA.

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter

NBA Trade Possibilites

By Sacha on January 28, 2012 in

Chris Kaman

Best fits: Atlanta, Miami, Portland, Houston, Golden State, Milwaukee.

The scoop: We know Chris Kaman is going to be traded, and all of these teams make perfect sense. Atlanta and Milwaukee, after losing Al Horford and Andrew Bogut, respectively, are looking for big men to clog the middle and help them keep pace in the East. If Miami gets Chris Kaman, they become the best team in the East, filling their biggest hole. Portland catapults into the top tier of teams in the West if they get an elite center like Kaman. Houston is on the fringe of making the playoffs in the West, and getting Kaman makes them a perennial playoff team. Finally, Golden State may not make the playoffs this year, but they have loads and loads of talent, except for at center, where Chris Kaman would play. All six of these teams need big men, and Kaman fills that void.

Steve Nash

Best fits: Dallas, New York, Oklahoma City.

The scoop: There haven’t been many rumors swirling around Steve Nash, but the Suns are deteriorating right now. Steve Nash isn’t getting any younger. The Suns are getting worse and might as well launch a full rebuilding campaign. Unfortunately for the Suns, there aren’t many contending teams in need of point guards. Dallas, though, would love to upgrade over Jason Kidd, and get an all-star passer to make Dirk Nowitzki even better. The Knicks also need a point guard, but it’ll be nearly impossible for the Knicks to afford Steve Nash, though the thought of Amar’e and Nash reunited is exciting. And finally, there’s Oklahoma City. Yes, the Thunder do have Russell Westbrook at point guard, and they are in first place in the West right now, but Westbrook and Durant have had chemistry issues, and they both play the same way. Nash is the perfect complement to any star player. This is definitely a stretch, but don’t be shocked. Still, Dallas makes the most sense.

Paul Pierce 

Best fits: Houston, Utah, Portland, Los Angeles (Clippers).

The scoop: Houston and Utah are both weak at small forward, both have a plethora of talent to trade, and Paul Pierce fills that and provides immediate veteran leadership in the locker room. Portland isn’t by any means weak at small forward, but could upgrade over Wesley Matthews, who the Celtics would love to get, with a draft pick, in return for Pierce. The Clippers probably don’t have the resources to do this deal after the Chris Paul trade, but are also weak at the wings, and if there were a way to get Pierce, the Clippers would do it. Utah, with its over-abundance of big men, would be the perfect fit for Pierce.

Dwight Howard

Best fits: Denver, Los Angeles (Lakers), Los Angeles (Clippers), Philadelphia.

I honestly think that the Nuggets are the best fit for Howard. They have tons and tons of guards (even more when Wilson Chandler comes back) but are relatively thin in the frontcourt. Dwight Howard on the Nuggets creates a vacuum that frees the rest of the Nuggets up. The Sixers are in a similar situation, especially with Evan Turner getting little playing time and Spencer Hawes starting to cool down. The Clippers or the Lakers are two places where Dwight will likely end up, but neither team desperately needs him, as they both have great big men, and neither team is in a position to give up tons of players, which will be needed for Dwight Howard.

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter