American League Preview: Detroit Tigers

As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 14 teams in the American League are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this eighth installment we will analyze the Detroit Tigers

- Detroit Tigers (2009 W/L: 86-77, 743 RS, 745 RA)

Key Additions: OF Johnny Damon, OF Austin Jackson, RP Jose Valverde, RP Phil Coke, SP Max Scherzer, RP Daniel Schlereth

Key Losses: OF Curtis Granderson, SP Edwin Jackson, 1B Aubrey Huff, 2B Placido Polanco, RP Brandon Lyon, SP Jarrod Washburn, RP Fernando Rodney, SP Nate Robertson

Overview: The Tigers enter the 2010 looking to avenge their collapse at the end of the 2009 season that saw them blow a seven game first place lead with 26 games remaining before ultimately losing a one game playoff to the Minnesota Twins. GM Dave Dombrowski looked to erase the bad memories was a mini-overhaul of the roster. Will that be enough to outlast the Twins and White Sox?

Infield: First baseman Miguel Cabrera anchors the infield offensively and continues to be one of the most feared hitters in baseball. Cabrera faced criticism from fans due to off the field issues during the Tigers’ late September swoon but apparently has got his head on straight and he might just put up a monster season to silence any lingering critics. Rookie Scott Sizemore will replace Placido Polanco at second. Sizemore has been successful in all levels in the minors and the 25 year will finally have a chance to shine in the majors. Shortstop Adam Everett is all glove and a minor league bat. After spending his entire career bouncing around the diamond, Brandon Inge finally has a defensive home at third base, it’s too bad that he rarely ever finds first base offensively. Inge’s saving grace is the fact that he runs into the ball (27 home runs in 2009) on occasion, but aside from that he never gets on base (.314 OBP, and that’s an improvement from 2008) and he strikes out a ton (career high 170 strikeouts last season). Veteran Gerald Laird remains behind the plate but much like Everett provides nearly nothing offensively.

Outfield: The outfield has a nearly entirely new look. Former Yankee prospect, CF Austin Jackson replaces Curtis Granderson. While the Yankees still felt that Jackson was a year away from helping their lineup, the Tigers felt otherwise and are not only prepared to let him have a full-time job but are also expected to bat him leadoff. In leftfield another former Yankee, Johnny Damon, takes over. Damon had an excellent 2009 season, but the move to Comerica Park will likely hurt his numbers and his poor defense will be exposed in the large leftfield in Detroit. The only returning face in the outfield is 36 year old Magglio Ordonez. Ordonez suffered from an extreme power outage in 2009, hitting just nine home runs and driving in 50 runs. His performance offensively will be one of the biggest differences between a competitive season for the Tigers or a lost season for the Tigers.

Designated Hitter: Veteran Carlos Guillen returns after a disappointing 2009 that was marred by injury. If healthy, Guillen will put up decent numbers as well as insurance in the infield should Everett or Inge completely embarrass themselves offensively. Fourth outfielder Ryan Raburn may also some cuts at DH and the Tigers should also make it a goal to get Damon time at DH to rest his legs.

Starting Pitching: Justin Verlander reestablished himself as one of the most dominant pitchers in the game in 2009. Verlander went 19-9 and struck out 269 batters in 240 innings last season. Rick Porcello will look to build upon a solid rookie season that saw him go 14-9 with an ERA of 3.96. From there, the Tigers have question marks. Max Schzerer comes over from the Diamondbacks where he had decent numbers for a 25 year old, going 9-11 with an ERA of 4.12 in the NL West. The old adage goes that you need to add at least half a run to a NL pitcher’s ERA when he comes over to the AL, meaning that Scherzer’s numbers could take an ugly turn this year. One thing that will help Scherzer is his ability to rack up strikeouts, he struck out 174 batters in 170 innings last season. Right hander Jeremy Bonderman should slide back into the fourth spot in the rotation. Bonderman has made just 13 starts over the past two seasons, and in 2007, when he made 28 starts, he wasn’t very good. At the very least, if he can stay healthy, he should eat up innings to help offset the loss of Edwin Jackson. Dontrelle Willis rounds out the rotation. The left handed enigma was absolutely embarrassing last season, making just seven starts and going 1-4 with an ERA over seven. Willis has the pretty superficial numbers this spring (2-0, 3.26 ERA), but a deeper look shows that he’s allowed 30 base runners in just 19.1 IP. It’s safe to say he’s enjoyed some good luck this spring and it won’t be long until he’s exposed again.

Relief Pitching: Closer Jose Valverde is an improvement over the departed Fernando Rodney but the loss of Brandon Lyon leaves the Tigers without a proven setup man. If he can improve upon his 2009 performance, Ryan Perry should find himself in that role. Lefty Phil Coke’s propensity to give up long fly balls will not hurt him as much in the pitcher friend Comerica Park, but Tiger fans will still likely be holding their breath any time he is placed in a high leverage situation. Will this be the year that Joel Zumaya stays healthy?

Projection: The Twins have an excellent lineup and a decent pitching staff and the White Sox have an excellent pitching staff and a decent lineup. The Tigers? They have a ton of questions in both. The only certainties for the Tigers heading into this season are Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and likely Johnny Damon. Outside of that there are a significant amount of rookies and second and third year players being relied upon to perform at a high level in order for the team to compete. Could everything fall into place for the Tigers? Could Verlander/Porcello/Scherzer become one of the most feared trios in baseball? Could Austin Jackson make everyone forget about Curtis Granderson? Maybe, but more than likely, this will be a competitive but ultimately mediocre team.

2010 Detroit Tigers: 82-80, 3^rd Place, AL Central.

San Francisco Giants

2009 W/L-88-74 RS- 657 RA- 611

Key Additions- Aubrey Huff, Mark DeRosa

Key Losses- Randy Johnson, Randy Winn

Overview-

The 2010 will settle the debate whether or not a dominating rotation with medicore lineup can lead a team to the playoffs or not. Lets face it, the Giants have a dominating rotation no question. The top three starters rival any three in baseball. The question for 2010 won't be how many runs will the Giants give up, it is how many runs can this lineup score. If they can match or better their run total from last year look for this team to contend for the division crown. That's a big IF. Their lineup is not very good and as much as Giants fans try to convince you otherwise, tell them their number three hitter is Aaron Rowand and that should quiet them immediatley. Then when they tell you Aubrey Huff is going to have a career year, ask them who Aubrey Huff is. With that being said, Giants fans can brag about a certain individual that actually can smash....Pablo Sandoval. Dude can play and as long as he's healthy and in their lineup everyday, with their pitching staff , this team will make some noise in the National League.

Infield-

The infield is anchored by its catcher Benji Molina, who is known primarily for his defense and leadership ability, however Molina did belt 20 home runs and smacked in 80 runs last season. The Giants will need that kind of production from its veteran backstop again this year. Asbeforementioned Aubrey Huff will look to prove his offseason signing worth at first base this season, while Freddy Sanchez will play second base and most likely bat leadoff for the Giants. Savvy veteran Edgar Renteraria will lock down the shortstop position as he has done for so many years, but a drop in average from .332 to .270 to .250 the past few seasons has to be of concern for the team. Lastly, Kung Fu Panda aka Pablo Sandoval will assume the role at third base. He will try to quiet his critics as a defensive liability and continue to drive opposing pitchers crazy with his approach at the plate. The truth is in his first full season he hit .330 drove in 90 runs and hit 25 home runs. The infield as a whole have a nice mix of vets and youngsters, but all have to put up career years to carry the lineup.

Outfield-

The Giants outfield may be the worst offensively in the division. Although I respect the way Aaron Rowand plays the game, he is not the hitter he used to be. In fact, after hitting .265 last season with 64 RBI's, he's not even a guy opposing pitchers think twice about. Mark DeRosa, the big offseason acquisition, is a serviceable major leaguer. He did hit a career high 23 home runs last season, but the 35 year old is hardly the left fielder the Giants were so used to having in the middle of their lineup for so many years. The outfield is rounded out with Nick Shierholtz in right field. The lefty showed gimpses in 2009, but I really don't see him as anything more than a number 7 hitter in the majors. So, you can see why Giants fans should be worried about their outfield come 2010. The group does play hard and above average defense, but those are hardly qualities that will take a team to the next level.

Starting Pitching-

Tim Lincecum may be the best pitcher in baseball. Appearantly marijuana isn't as bad for you as many may think. He is a two time Cy Young award winner and continues to improve. Look for him to at least contend for the award again this year. Matt Cain is good, real good. If the hard throwing righty can stay healthy put his name in the mix for the Cy Young award this year as well. His potential is through the roof, but it has been for three years now. The Giants need him to maximize that and if he does, look out. Barry Zito is not the man he once was, everyone knows it, including him. However he is a savvy lefty who wants the ball, will eat up innings and occasionaly throw a three hit shutout type performance. That is far more than most teams number three pitcher can offer. Johnathan Sanchez is looking to build off a strong spring and look to lower his ERA this season as he has the past two. The only thing that will stop this group from being the best in the division is health.

Relief Pitching-

With starting pitching like this team has even a mediocre bullpen would probably make any manager happy. Luckily this team has a pretty good bullpen. Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo make up a good lefty righty combo late in games. Brian Wilson is an All Star closer. I expect him to have around 40 saves again this season.

Projection-

Look for the Giants pitching to carry them again this season. As I stated before, if their lineup can perform above expectations this team has a shot at the division crown. Unfortunately I just don't think they are capable, but a wild card spot is certainly achievable.. Bruce Bochy, the veteran skipper, may need that wildcard spot to maintain his position with the club. So look for the team to rally around their leader and get to the postseason.

Projected record: 87-73 2nd place NL West.

Los Angeles Dodgers

2009 W/L- 95-67 RS- 780 RA- 611

Key Additions- Brad Ausmus, Garrett Anderson

Key Losses- Orlando Hudson, Randy Wolf

Overview-

Amidst the owners divorce stories, no key offseason additions, the age of Manny Ramirez, and the lack of pitching and depth, Dodger fan may be a little worried that their chokehold on the division the last couple of years may be slipping. However there are several reasons why that wont happen this year, but one reason stands out more than any.....Joe Torre. This is a manager that has not finished worse than 2nd place in his respective division since 1995. He has not missed the playoffs since that same year. He is a winner, his teams are always winners and as long as he is at the healm, the Dodgers will remain favorites in the division. Now, it does seem the organization is trying to make it more and more difficult for Mr. Torre this year with them letting their all star second baseman and their second best starter walk without any significant offseason acquisition. With that being said, this is a team that won 95 games last season, the most in the National League and are still the most talented in the division. Look for more of the same in 2010.

Infield-

Russell Martin when healthy is the best catcher in the divsion, period. The operative word being healthy. Although it has been reported he is going to be ready opening day after recovering from a groin injury all offseason, their backup is Brad Ausmus. Yes the same Brad Ausmus that played for the Padres in the early 90's. Needless to say Martins health is a big key for the Dodgers success this season. The rest of the infield is made up of James Loney, who is an all star in waiting, Ronnie Belliard, Rafael Furcal, who also when healthy is the best at his position in the division and Casey Blake at the hot corner. This is a good infield, but the lack of depth may raise some red flags.

Outfield-

Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp and Andre Etheir make up the best outfield in the West and maybe in the National League. With a 2009 combined average close to .300, 76 home runs and 270 RBI's the Dodgers will live and die by this trio. Manny Ramirez is a first ballot Hall of Famer, and although he did struggle late last season and has made it clear this is the last season as a Dodger, he is still the one guy in their lineup opposing pitchers fear most. Andre Eitheir quietly put together a remarkable season last year topping 30 home runs and 100 RBI's and looks primed to put together similar numbers this year. That leaves Matt Kemp, who in my opinion is the best outfielder in the league. Not only does he play spectacular defense, he hits home runs, drives in men in scoring position and is also a thief on the base paths. Look for him to have an MVP type season in 2010.

Starting Pitching-

Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw make a nice one two punch and Hiroki Kuroda is a formidable number three, but the rotation stops there. This has to be a concern for the Dodgers entering this season. With Vincente Padilla as their number four, and no fifth starter named yet, this is the Dodgers biggest weakness. They will have to get some unexpected productivity from some unknowns to maintain that amazing 611 total runs scored against last season. I feel the loss of Randy Wolf, although not a blockbuster name, will hurt this team worse than expected. The good news for Dodger fan is with Billingsley, a 2009 all star and Kershaw at the top, they give this team a chance to win every time the are on the mound.

Relief Pitching-

Jonathan Broxton is an absolute beast. The guy is built more like an offensive lineman than a closer and he rounds out a pretty solid relief core for this team. Geroge Sherrill, Ramon Troncoso, and Ronald Belisario are a nice compliment to Broxton and should be very difficult to score runs against. There were talks of health concerns with Belesario entering this season, but it looks as though he will be healthy and ready for opening day. Great news for the Dodgers because this guy is big and nasty and will be a closer before his career is over.

Projection-

As I said before this is the Dodgers division to lose. Although the other four teams are gaining significant ground, this team has too many weapons and too savvy of a manger to let it slip in 2010. Look for Matt Kemp to put up an MVP type season and the Dodgers to come away with the division crown once again.

Projected record: 89-73 1st place NL West

American League Preview: Chicago White Sox

As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 14 teams in the American League are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this seventh installment we will analyze the Chicago White Sox.

- Chicago White Sox (2009 W/L: 79-83, 724 RS, 732 RA)

Key Additions: OF Andruw Jones, OF Juan Pierre, 3B Mark Teahen, SS Omar Vizquel

Key Losses: OF Jermaine Dye, OF Scott Podsednik, RP Octavio Dotel, SP Bartolo Colon

Overview: The White Sox will enter the 2010 season with a great deal of confidence after the Twins lost their All-Star closer, Joe Nathan. The White Sox have a great deal of talent in their rotation but their season will hinge on the performance of their lineup, which is made up of youngsters, disappointments and past their prime veterans. Their bullpen is also far from a sure thing, with closer Bobby Jenks coming off a disappointing 2009 as well as dealing with some injuries this spring, and their new setup man, J.J. Putz who made just 29 ineffective appearances last season with the New York Mets.

Infield: The bright spot in the White Sox lineup lies in the form of second baseman Gordon Beckham. The 23 year old played third last season, but will take over at second due to the acquisition of Mark Teahen. The eighth pick in the 2008 draft made his debut in June and quickly made an impact, hitting .270 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI in just 378 at bats. Paul Konerko remains at first, the 34 year old had solid 2009, but is on the decline. Alexei Ramirez provides respectable offense out of the shortstop position, but also a below average glove. Expect newly acquired Omar Vizquel to be inserted as a defensive replacement on many nights. Mark Teahan mans third base. Teahan, 28, has never built on the promise he displayed in 2006 with the Royals, but perhaps some time in a better lineup will help him out. Behind the plate, the volatile A.J. Pierzynski will provide average offense and a free pass to second base for anyone on first.

Outfield: The White Sox lineup will be incredibly hit or miss this year. In left, Juan Pierre takes over for the departed Podsednik. Pierre is still quick, but I’ve never loved him offensively. The numbers always look nice, but I think the Dodgers used him best, in a part time role or as a fill in for an injured (or suspended) player. His defense is suspect and his arm is nonexistent and offensively, he’ll need to adjust to a new league this year. In centerfield, perennial disappointment Alex Rios returns for his first full season in Chicago. The idea that a new environment would rejuvenate the one promising outfielder didn’t pan out last year (he posted a comedic .530 OPS in 41 games with the White Sox) so MAYBE a full season with his new team will help him out. Unfortunately for him, he can no longer boost his statistics by playing the Yankees nearly 20 times a year. Finally in right, Carlos Quentin will look return to his 2008 form. Quentin was limited to just 99 games in 2009, but still managed to his 23 home runs. His batting average dropped dramatically but his isolated patience remained consistent with his MVP caliber 2008 season. As long as he’s healthy, there’s no reason not to expect elite production from him.

DH: Andrew Jones joins the Sox as a DH, but it’s tough to expect anything better than the 2009 numbers he put up with the Rangers. Jones can still provide some pop, but any regular action quickly exposes him. If Jones falters early on, expect a healthy dose of Mark Kotsay.

Starting Pitching: It’s rare that you can look at a starting rotation and think that getting at least 1,000 innings from your five starters is a legitimate possibility, but health willing, the White Sox very well could get that this year. Mark Buehrle remains the team ace, on paper at least, or until Jake Peavy can prove that he can handle the American League on a regular basis. John Danks and Gavin Floyd both continued their excellent pitching and should pick up a few more wins if their offense gets their act straight. Veteran Freddy Garcia rounds out the rotation. Garcia appeared to be washed up after being cut by the Mets after two poor AAA starts, but appeared to have something left after joining the White Sox, going 3-4 with a 4.34 ERA in nine starts with the team.

Relief Pitching: The White Sox will hope for a bounce back year from closer Bobby Jenks, who allowed a career high nine home runs in just 53.1 IP last season while tying a career high in blown saves with six. Jenks has been dealing with a calf injury this spring, another hurdle he will need to overcome heading into the season. Setup man J.J. Putz will also look to put a 2009 behind him that saw him pitch ineffectively before eventually needing season ending surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow. If Putz returns to form and Jenks continues to struggle, Putz could easily slide back into a closer role. They’ll be joined by lefty Matt Thornton and veteran Scott Linebrink.

Projection: The White Sox have already received a gift with Nathan being lost for the season, but even without Nathan the Twins still have more than enough talent to win the AL Central. The starting pitching is there for the White Sox, but with so many questions surrounding the lineup and the backend of their bullpen, it’s tough to predict a White Sox divisional win.

2010 Chicago White Sox: 88-74, 2nd Place, AL Central

Looking at the Joe Nathan Situation

Who would have thought that Joe Mauer reaching an agreement for a contract extension would play second fiddle to another headline in the world of Minnesota sports?

Unfortunately for Minnesotans (but fortunately for the rest of America), that headline does not involve Brett Favre. Instead, the big story is that the Twins' All-Star closer, Joe Nathan, will miss the entirety of the 2010 season and undergo Tommy John surgery.

Will losing Nathan for the season kill the Twins' season? No (yes, I did overreact in a previous post). Why is that? Because in reality the idea of having a lockdown closer during the regular season is slightly overblown. Is it nice to hand the ball off to a Nathan, or a Papelbon or a Rivera in the ninth inning 65+ times a year? Absolutely. But do you need one of those players to enjoy success in the regular season? Absolutely not.

Look at the Phillies last season, they managed to win the NL East and make it to the World Series despite their closer Brad Lidge having those recurring nightmares of a certain Albert Pujols' home run haunting him for an entire season again. Despite Lidge blowing 11 saves, the Phillies won 93 games.

The fact of the matter is, as long as you throw a capable reliever into a closer role, he will succeed more often than not.

The Twins' certain have a group of "capable" relievers in Jon Rauch, Jesse Crain, Jose Mijares and Matt Guerrier and there have already been reports saying that the Twins are scouting San Diego Padres closer, Heath Bell.

Regardless, even without Nathan, the Twins still have the most talented overall roster in the AL Central. Their lineup easily trumps the White Sox, unless you think this is really the year that Alex Rios puts it all together (joke). The White Sox just don't have the type off lineup that will scare opposing teams (but I'll save that analysis for later).

So have heart Twins' fans, Joe Mauer just resigned and the team's 2010 outlook is still bright and just remember one thing, at least you aren't Pirates fans.

We'll return to our regularly scheduled programming...

Next week. Catching up on some things as well as a little game called Final Fantasy XIII has led to a nearly month long drought for me, but the (now) 14 team, American League marathon will continue next week.

The New York Mess

I just recently commented on an Atlanta Braves blog regarding the NL East and figured it would start a good discussion.  The blogger believed the the NL East standings would read:

Philadelphia
Atlanta
Florida
New York
Washington

I'll begin by openly admitting that I'm a New York Mets fan.  I believe I'm the only writer on FUNK who is so this should cause a nice debate.  Anyway, it's hard to even argue that this may very well be the standings come season's end. Both the Braves and the Marlins are much better than I think a lot of people realize and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see them compete for the wild card or even division throughout the year. The confusion I have with everyones dislike for the Mets chances is that if you really look into it, where is it coming from? Even after the two collapse seasons of '07 and '08, the Mets were predicted to win the division in '09. The team in '09 (I believe at least) was better on paper than both the '07 and '08 teams. This year's Mets team has added Jason Bay. Now, aside from injuries which obviously killed the Mets in 2009, why can't this team be any good? They haven't had a great rotation since I can even remember. Why is this 2010 rotation suddenly the worst rotation baseball fans have ever seen? If Beltran can return in May at 100% and Reyes doesn't miss more than 2 weeks, then how is a team with Reyes, Wright, Beltran and Bay not competing?  Francisco Rodriguez did not go from a premier closer to nothing over the course of one season.  Sure there are plenty of question marks, but aside from the Yankees and Phillies, those are everywhere.  Before Beltran's backwards K in the 2006 playoffs against the Cardinals, the Mets were considered by some to be World Series favorites.  That continued for the next two seasons.  The team had one year riddled by injury and suddenly they're one of the worst franchises in Major League Baseball.  It may very well be wishful thinking, but the Mets could surprise us all.

THE NL WEST

Since 2003 every team in the NL West has won the division title except for one, and that one team has been to a Division and World Series two of the last three years by way of the Wildcard. So my odds for predicting in March how the division will look in October/November are about as good as Manny Ramirez legitimately passing a drug test, but I will make an attempt nonetheless.
The 2009-2010 season was extremely competitive at the top with the Dodgers, Rockies and Giants. The Padres made a stong push at the tail end of the season and the Diamondbacks when healthy, may boast the best pitching staff in the division. However I think this season may be more of the same leaving the 2011-2012 season for the young Pads and oft injured Dbacks to put themselves in serious contention. This lets the Dodgers, Giants and Rockies battle for the division crown. With that being said, no team this offseason has done anything to clearly seperate themselves from the pack. Which is why I believe this division is as up for grabs as any in baseball. I mean this is a division where the big free agent pickups were Edwin Jackson, Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora, Jon Garland, and Garrett Anderson. Yes you read that right....hardly household names to say the least. The average baseball fan may not even know these players exist, but with the likes of Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp, Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki, Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell, Brandon Webb and Dan Haren the division does maintain some star power. So as it stands today, I have no choice but to unveil my projection of the how the division will play out:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2. San Francisco Giants

3. Colorado Rockies

4. San Diego Padres

5. Arizona Diamondbacks

All five in depth team previews to follow.......

On The Twins..

At first glace, I was going to agree.  Having said that, Rauch is a solid replacement.  I'm not sure if Nathan costs them 10-15 games, but it's obviously a possibility.  As was said, the Twins do always find a way win, the same way Cleveland seems to always find a way to lose.  This should definitely be an interesting year for the Twins in a highly competitive division.

Update to Twins' Prediction

Well with the news that Joe Nathan might he heading towards Tommy John surgery, I'd have to say its time to shave about 10-15 wins off my predicted Twins' record. Then again, they always do find a way...

FUNK Fantasy Baseball Has Arrived!

As fantasy baseball is as big as ever, FUNK Sports has added fantasy baseball into its family.  The link will be up on the right.  In the meantime, go here:  FUNK Fantasy Baseball