AL Central Roundup

1) Minnesota Twins

2) Chicago White Sox

3) Detroit Tigers

4) Kansas City

5) Cleveland Indians

American League Preview: Cleveland Indians

As we head towards Spring Training (I mean the regular season), it's time to check out where all 14 teams in the American League are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this tenth installment we will analyze the Cleveland Indians.

- Cleveland Indians (2009 W/L: 65-97, 773 RS, 865 RA)

Key Additions: 1B/DH Russell Branyan, OF Austin Kearns, SP Mitch Talbot, Manager Manny Acta

Key Losses: C Kelly Shoppach, RP Jose Veras, RP Luis Vizcaino

Overview: It’s been an ugly last two seasons for the Tribe. After entering 2008 as World Series sleepers thanks to a pushing the Boston Red Sox to a Game 7 in the 2007 ALCS, the Indians failed to live up to expectations the past two seasons. The result? Former aces C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee and slugger Victor Martinez are long gone. Now the Indians will enter a prolonged rebuilding process and if last season is any indication, it could be an ugly one for new manager Manny Acta.

Infield: The only returning faces from last season will be shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and third baseman Jhonny Peralta. The 24 year old Cabrera is a star in the making; he hit .308/.361/.438 with 42 doubles and 68 RBI. He can also steal the occasion base, swiping 17 bags last season. Peralta is far from the prototypical corner infielder, with below average power and on-base ability. He saw his home runs more than drop in half last season (23 in 2008, 11 in 2009) and his OBP declined for the second straight year to a paltry .316. First base will kept warm by Matt LaPorta until Russell Branyan is ready to return from a bulging disc in his spine. LaPorta showed some power potential last season, hitting seven home runs and driving in 21 runs in just 181 at-bats. Despite hitting 31 home runs in under 500 at-bats in the pitcher friendly confines of Safeco Field last season, Branyan had to settle for a one year deal worth $2 million with the team that drafted him in 1994. Luis Valbuena mans second base; the 24 year old he hit just .250 with a .298 OBP last season. Finally, rookie Lou Marson who was part of the Cliff Lee deal, starts behind the plate.

Outfield: The shining lights for the Indians’ lineup lie in the outfield grass where rightfielder Shin-Soo Choo and centerfielder Grady Sizemore roam. In his first full season, Choo was impressive, hitting .300/.394/.489 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI. Sizemore battled injuries last year and put the worst numbers of his career while playing in just 106 games. When he was on the field, he was clearly limited. If he can stay healthy, expect Sizemore to return to form. Leftfield will be occupied by youngster Michael Brantley. The 22 year old was impressive in a small sample size of 112 at-bats last season.

Designated Hitter: Travis Hafner hasn’t been the same since 2006 when he hit 42 home runs and drove in 117 runs. The man known as “Pronk” has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness over the past two seasons and it’s tough to say that 2010 will be any different.

Starting Pitching: Jake Westbrook returns to the Indians rotation after recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 32 year old last pitched in May of 2008. The fact that Westbrook is the default “ace” of the rotation highlights the woes of pitching staff. Fausto Carmona heads north as the team’s second starter. Carmona looked like an ace in the making in 2007 but has never been the same since. Former Red Sox prospect Justin Masterson draws the next straw. Masterson came over in the Victor Martinez trade and was unimpressive in 11 games with the Tribe. Masterson went just 1-7 with an ERA of 4.55 while walking 35 batters in just 57.1 innings. David Huff falls into the fourth slot in the rotation. Huff went 11-8 in his rookie season with a 5.61 ERA and allowing a horrid 201 batters on base in just 128.1 innings pitched. The fact that he managed an 11-8 record with numbers like that highlights how outdated the idea of judging a pitcher by their win/loss record is. Finally, 26 year old Mitch Talbot rounds out the rotation. Talbot, who was once a highly touted member of the Tampa Bay Ray’s farm system, will look to finally make his name in the majors after injuries slowed his progress.

Relief Pitching: 10 million dollar a year closer Kerry Wood is shockingly injured to start the season and will miss at least the first two months of the season due to right shoulder pain. That leaves 23 year old Chris Perez in the closer’s role in Wood’s absence. Perez throws hard and can strike out batters (38 Ks in 33.1 IP last season), and might just end up becoming the Indians’ closer of the future. Rafael Perez will look to return to form after an awful 2009 season. Righty Joe Smith will help fill out the middle innings.

Projection: The Indians are a complete and utter mess. This is basically year one of the rebuilding process for the Tribe and the first year of rebuilding is always the ugliest.

2010 Cleveland Indians: 60-102, 5^th Place, AL Central

American League Preview: Kansas City Royals

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 ninth installment we will analyze the Kansas City Royals

- Kansas City Royals (2009 W/L: 65-97, 686 RS, 842 RA)

Key Additions: 2B Chris Getz, C Jason Kendell, OF Scott Podsednik, OF Rick Ankiel,

Key Losses: OF Coco Crisp, 3B Mark Teahan, C John Buck

Overview: After slowly building their way back up from a disastrous 56 season in 2005 to 75 wins in 2008, the Royals took a step backwards in 2009. Despite a Cy Young winning performance from Zack Greinke, the Royals still managed to lose 10 more games last season than they did in 2008. The Royals were active this offseason, at least by their standards but don’t expect this to be the year that the Royals finally compete.

Infield: Billy Butler finally emerged as legitimate power threat for the Royals last season. The young first baseman hit .301 with 21 home runs and 93 RBI last season while also getting on-base at a solid rate (.362 OBP). Second base will be occupied by newly acquired Chris Getz. Getz hit .261 with 2 home runs and 31 RBI last season with the White Sox. Yuniesky Betancourt remains at shortstop having replaced the then injured Mike Aviles last season after being acquired from the Mariners. Should Betancourt or Getz falter, Aviles, who is having a strong spring training, may snag a starting a job away from them. Third base at this point, is up in the air. Alex Gordon is not expected to be ready for the season due to a fractured thumb and his expected replacement, Alberto Callaspo pulled a muscle in his right side on March 26 and as of March 30^, has yet to play in a game. Veteran backstop Jason Kendell rounds out the infield. The 35 year old catcher has been in decline offensively since 2006 when he batted .295 with a .367 OBP. Kendell mustered a .246/.331 line last year, but his defense and experience will be a plus for the Royals’s pitching staff.

Outfield: Rick Ankiel will roam centerfield in Kansas City after having spent his entire career in St. Louis. Ankiel had a disappointing 2009 offensively, seeing his numbers drop across the board although his collision with the wall in Philadelphia in may have had something to do with it. He’ll be joined by David DeJesus who hit to the tune of .281/.347/.781 last season. DeJesus is a nice, if unspectacular player at the plate and excellent in the field. Scott Podsednik will man leftfield, where he should regress back to the .250 to .270 hitter he’s been his entire career as opposed to the .304 hitter he was last season (BABIP of .341 last season). The 34 year old can still steal his bases, but his lack of power makes him a poor choice for an everyday corner outfielder.

Designated Hitter: Oft-injured Jose Guillen mercifully enters the final season of his three year, $36 million with the Royals. The controversial Guillen hasn’t caused much of a stir since 2008, but that may only be because he barely got the field in 2009. Guillen played in just 81 games, hitting seven home runs and driving in 40 RBI. If Guillen can manage to stay healthy and out of trouble in 2010, the Royals could have a respectable three and four with Butler and Guillen.

Starting Pitching: You may remember the days of “Jordan and the Jordanaires” and the modern day version of “Lebron and the Lebrons”, well welcome to the encore presentation of “Greinke and the Greinkets”. The AL Cy Young, Zach Greinke went 16-8, throwing 229.1 innings and striking out 242 batters. The other four starters, Brian Bannister, Kyle Davies, Luke Hochevar and Gil Meche combined to go 28-44 with a 5.41 ERA in 549 innings while striking out just 385 batters. It’s tough to expect much better out of that quartet this season although Davis and Bannister have shown flashes.

Relief Pitching: As opposed to their rotation, the Royals’ bullpen is rather solid. All-Star closer Joakim Soria had another excellent season that saw him save 30 games and strike out 69 batters in just 53 innings. Robinson Tejada also was impressive in the strikeout category, registering 87 strikeouts in 73 innings however he often struggles with command (50 walks). Juan Cruz had a disappointing first year with the Royals as he watched his ERA jump by nearly three runs from his 2008 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Cruz may bounce back after readjusting back to the American League. Perennial headache Kyle Farnsworth returns for his second season with the Royals. He should open the season in the bullpen unless Gil Meche is unable to start the season due to stiffness in his right shoulder. In that case, Farnsworth may find himself starting a game or two after being stretched out this spring training.

Projection: The Royals could get back to the 75 win plateau this season but at the end of the day it will be another long season for the KC faithful. For now, all they can look forward to is every fifth day when Greinke throws eight innings of two run baseball, Soria picks up the save and the Royals escape with a 3-2 win.

2010 Kansas City: 72-90, 4^th Place, AL Central

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

30 Team Marathon: Minnesota Twins

As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 30 teams in Major League Baseball are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this sixth installment we will analyze the Minnesota Twins.

-Minnesota Twins (2009 W/L: 87-76, 817 RS, 765 RA)

Key Additions: SS J.J. Hardy, 2B Orlando Hudson, DH Jim Thome
Key Departures: 3B Joe Crede, OF Carlos Gomez, RP Boof Bonser

Overview: The Twins will enter 2010 looking a little different than they did at the end of 2009. For one, they will be playing in a brand new ballpark, Target Field. They also have a new shortstop in J.J. Hardy and a new pair of veterans in Orlando Hudson and Jim Thome. Hardy was an All-Star with the Brewers in 2007 but after a solid 2008, he fell off in 2009 and was demoted to Triple-A in August before being called back up in September. In exchange for Hardy, the Twins sent centerfielder Carlos Gomez to the Brewers. The centerpiece of the Johan Santana trade with the Mets, Gomez never came close to justifying that title, posting a .645 OPS in 963 plate appearances during his time with the Twins. GM Bill Smith likely looked at this as a “buy low” situation with Hardy, however it is important to note that his declining numbers have coincided with a decline in his line-drive rate, a bad omen for any hitter. The ever popular O-Dog had a solid season with the Los Angeles Dodgers but again had to settle for a one year deal this offseason. Meanwhile Thome also finished his 2009 season with Dodgers after coming over in a trade from the White Sox. While he struggled as a pinch hitter, going homerless in 17 at-bats with the Dodgers, Thome had hit 23 homers with the White Sox.

Infield: The infield is anchored offensively and defensively by Morneau and the 2009 AL MVP, catcher Joe Mauer. Despite losing the last two weeks of the season to injury and suffering a prolonged slump due to the injury, Morneau still posted a 30 home run, 100 RBI season. Mauer just continues to get better, and despite missing time early in the season, Mauer hit .364 and hit 28 home runs and drove in 96 runs. The aforementioned Hardy and Hudson take over the middle part of the infield while Brendan Harris, Nick Punto and Mike Tolbert will compete for time at third.

Outfield: As impressive as the infield will be with Morneau, Mauer and Hudson, the Twins’ outfield is nothing to scoff at either. RF Michael Cuddyer bounced back from an injury riddled 2008 to hit 32 homers. CF Denard Span did what Gomez couldn’t do; get on-base, posting an elite .392 OBP in 578 ABs. After scoring 97 runs last season, Span should be a lock to score 100+ runs in front of this impressive Twins’ lineup. Leftfielder Delmon Young rounds out the outfield. Young has tremendous talent, but has yet to fully harness it. He appeared to turn the corner in ‘08, posting career highs across the board, but regressed in 2009, perhaps due to infrequent playing time. Still only 24, and now with a full-time job, this may be the year that Young finally breaks out.

Designated Hitter: The Twins’ main DH will be Jason Kubel, who had a career year last season, hitting 28 home runs, driving in 103 RBI and posting a .907 OPS. Thome will likely also see time at designated hitter, but barring injury, may only see time as a pinch hitter.

Starting Pitching: Righthanders Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn posted solid, if not spectacular numbers in 2009, combining to go 26-20 in 66 starts last season. Kevin Slowey will look to bounce back after suffering a wrist injury that ended his season prematurely in August. Veteran Carl Pavano returns after providing the Twins some veteran (gasp) leadership and stability after coming over from Cleveland in a mid-season trade. The fifth spot will likely go to Brian Duensing who was impressive in his 84 innings with the team last season. Duensing posted a 3.64 ERA while splitting time between the bullpen and the rotation in 2009.

Relief Pitching: Closer Joe Nathan had another impressive regular season, registering a 2.10 ERA and converting 47 of 52 save opportunities. Unfortunately, his ’09 campaign will be most remembered for his failure against the Yankees in the postseason. Doing his best Trevor Hoffman impersonation, Nathan allowed a game tying, two run home run to Alex Rodriguez in Game 2, a game that the Yankees would eventually win 4-3. However, Nathan remains an elite closer and provides the Twins’ with the late inning stability that so many teams lack. The setup role belongs to 30 year old Matt Guerrier who had a career best 0.969 WHIP last season. Jon Rauch, Jose Mijares and Jesse Crain flesh out the rest of the bullpen, with all three coming off solid 2009 seasons. The Twins should also receive a boost from the returning Pat Neshek, who last pitched in early May of 2008 before heading to the DL and eventually undergoing Tommy John surgery later that year in November. For his career, Neshek has a 2.91 ERA, with 142 strikeouts in 120.2 IP. The Twins will also continue their quest to salvage the career of Francisco Liriano, who after posting solid numbers in his return from Tommy John surgery in 2008, completely fell apart in 2009. Liriano went just 5-13 in 29 games, 24 starts, and posted an abysmal 5.80 ERA.

Projection: The Twins have quietly put together one of the best lineups in baseball. With Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer and Kubel, the Twins potentially have four 30+ home run hitters. Should Young realize his potential and if Hardy bounces back, the Twins’ could truly be scary. As with most teams, the question will be how the pitching staff holds up. The team dealt with injuries in the back end of the rotation last year, leading to the acquisition of Pavano and the thrusting of Duensing into the rotation. You don’t usually see teams be snake bitten by injuries two years in a row, so the Twins should improve on their 87 win season last year. A big question mark also lies in how the team deals with their new home. Granted, opposing teams will also have to deal with the bitter cold of Minnesota early and late in the season, but will grind of playing in potentially 20-30 degree weather for extended periods of time take their toll on the team? If the team adjusts well, the Twins above average pitching and outstanding lineup will stave off Chicago and their weak hitting and excellent pitching.

2010 Minnesota Twins: 93-69, 1st Place, AL Central

AL East Recap

Well, it took nearly three weeks, but the AL East is done. I'm going to have to pick up the pace here if I'm going to get the rest of baseball done before Opening Day!

Here is are the links to previews of each team in the AL East.

Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays

30 Team Marathon: Toronto Blue Jays

As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 30 teams in Major League Baseball are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this fifth installment we will analyze the Toronto Blue Jays.

-Toronto Blue Jays (2009 W/L: 75-86, 798 RS, 771 RA)

Key Additions: SS Alex Gonzalez, C John Buck, SP/RP Brandon Morrow, SP Kyle Drabek

Key Losses: SP Roy Halladay, 2B Marco Scutaro, 1B Kevin Millar, C Rod Barajas

Overview: The 2000s weren’t quite as harsh to the Toronto Blue Jays as they were to the Orioles, they mustered a second place finish in the AL East in 2006 and they managed three 85+ win seasons in the decade. Unfortunately for the Jays, they don’t play baseball in the NL Central or NL West. Jays fans will have to remain patient with this team, because their run of 15 straight seasons should continue for at least the next 3-5 years. Former general manager JP Riccardi’s five year plan never came to fruition and ultimately culminated in his dismissal and the trade of franchise icon Roy Halladay. In return for Halladay, new GM Alex Anthopolous received starting pitcher Kyle Drabek, catcher Travis D'Arnaud and infielder Brett Wallace. Regardless of how they pan out, you’d have to say that Anthopolous’ rebuilding plan is already better than Riccardi’s, whose tenure saw big money contracts being handed to Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay and the now departed Alex Rios and B.J. Ryan.

Infield: The Jays will struggle mightily to score runs this season. Their already weak hitting infield got only weaker with the departure of Barajas, who despite being an overall embarrassing player when forced into an everyday role, was a 15-20 home run guy when ran out there. He’s replaced by Buck who, let’s just say is more known for his defense than offense. Meanwhile the spunky Scutaro and his above average bat at shortstop are replaced by Alex Gonzalez and his below average bat. Lyle Overbay remains at first base, where he remains terribly overpaid (he will make about $8 million this season) for his production. Despite playing at a position where power is the norm, Overbay has slugged over .500 just once in his career and fans shouldn’t expect anything to change this year. The mediocrity train continues at third, where Edwin Encarnacion also provides a below average bat at a prime offensive position. The lone bright spot lies at second base, where Aaron Hill broke out with a 36 homer, 108 RBI season in 2009.

Outfield: The patchwork lineup continues in the outfield where Jose Bautista mans left field. The Jays’ other franchise icon (for more dubious reasons) remains in centerfield to continue his torture of fans and serve as a reminder of the Riccardi era. To say Vernon Wells has been a bitter disappointment since signing a seven-year, $126 million contract in 2007 would be a massive understatement. His every failure at the plate (and there’s a lot of those) is met with a chorus of boos in Toronto and right now it’s hard to project him to turn things around at this point. 22 year old Travis Snider showed some promise in limited time last season and in 2008. While his .241 batting average probably didn’t excite any old time fans, he has shown patience at the plate and impressive power in 314 big league at-bats.

Designated Hitter: The Jays other bright spot last season came in the form of Adam Lind’s bat. Lind broke out at the age of 27, batting .305/.370/.932 with 35 homers and 114 RBI while providing the Jays a solid 3-4 punch to go along with Hill.

Starting Pitching: Welcome to the Jays’ rotation after Halladay, its filled with more question marks than the Riddler’s costume. It’s difficult to project a rotation filled with youngsters and players returning from serious arm surgeries prior to the completion of Spring Training. Right now, the only sure thing is Ricky Romero who went 13-9 with a 4.30 ERA in 29 starts last season. From there, Brandon Morrow will be given an opportunity to compete for a starting job while Dustin McGowan and Shawn Marcum will both make a case for themselves after coming off shoulder surgery and Tommy John surgery respectively. Other youngsters Marc Rzepcynski and Brett Cecil will also complete for a spot in the rotation. How will things shakeout? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Middle Relief: The Jays’ bullpen may be the only somewhat solid area of the team entering the spring. They have a solid group of arms in Jeremy Accardo, Shawn Camp, Scott Downs and closer Jason Fraser. However, their effectiveness likely will take a hit this season with the departure of Halladay’s typical 200+ inning season. The combination of losing an ace and innings eater like Hallday, plus a rotation filled with young arms will result in a massive amount of innings falling on the arms of the bullpen. B.J. Ryan, while no longer on the team, will continue to haunt the team for one more season as the team still owes him $10 million for this season.

Projection: The Yankees and Sox are a mix of veterans in or just leaving their prime with some young players ready to contribute, the Rays are a mix of young players entering their prime along with some veterans who can still contribute and the Orioles are a mix of young players a year or two away from their prime with veterans who can still contribute. Meanwhile, the Jays are a team filled with unproven young players, a rotation filled with question marks and the few veterans they do have are terribly overpaid and are crippling the team’s finances. We all know how this story will end.

2010 Toronto Blue Jays: 60-102, 5th Place AL East.

30 Team Marathon: Baltimore Orioles

As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 30 teams in Major League Baseball are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this fourth installment we will analyze the Baltimore Orioles.

(Little different format, trying to get less wordy, keyword "trying")

-Baltimore Orioles (2009 W/L: 63-98, 741 RS, 876 RA)

Key Additions: CP Mike Gonzalez, SP Kevin Millwood, 3B Miguel Tejada, 3B Garrett Atkins
Key Departures: RP Chris Ray, RP Danys Baez, 3B Melvin Mora

Overview: What a rotten decade for the Birds. The franchise highpoint was an early run in 2005 that saw them sitting a half game in first place in the AL East on June 23rd, 2005 with a record of 42-30. From that point until the end of the 2009 season, the O’s would go just 303-434. Fortunately for the Orioles, their 10 year run of futility may soon be over. When you look at the Orioles of 2010, you’ll see flashes of the Rays of 2007. A young and exciting outfield, a blossoming young pitching staff and some veterans that will help guide the youngsters to the right path. Much like the Rays of ’07, , they won’t make the playoffs or be even be close to legitimate contender, but there’ll be many games where fans of the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays will shake their head in frustration at the sight of their team being shut down and ran over by this Orioles team.

Infield: Third baseman Melvin Mora was allowed to walk away after a rocky season where he battled ineffectiveness, injuries and his manage Dave Trembley. Despite posting career lows in nearly every category, Mora still made noise about his (lack of) playing time. With Mora gone, the returning Miguel Tejada will make the transition to third base for the first time in his career. Tejada is no spring chicken, but he proved his bat is still potent after posting his best offensive season since 2006 in 2009. As usual, second base will be manned by Brian Roberts, who continued to provide stability in the lineup and leadership to the team last season. Soft hitting and slick fielding shortstop Caesar Izturis returns for his second season in Baltimore. At first base, the duo of Ty Wigginton and 27 year old rookie Michael Aubrey will battle for playing time. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on catcher Matt Wieters as he enters year two of his career. Wieters lived up to the hype through 354 major league at-bats, batting at a .288/.340/.753 clip.

Outfield: Centerfielder Adam Jones is the centerpiece of the Orioles outfield, the 24 year old took huge strides last season and is on the verge of stardom after an All-Star game selection and Gold Glove in 2009. He’s joined by 26 year old right fielder Nick Markakis who has been a household name in the AL East since his breakout 2007 season. In left, fellow 26 year old, left fielder Nolan Reimold will prepare for his first full season in the majors. After being called up in May of last season, Reimold was impressive, batting .279/.365/.831 with 15 homers and 47 RBI. With Reimold now a mainstay in the outfield, Luke Scott has become a full-time designated hitter. The 31 year old has developed a cult following in Baltimore (listen for the LUUUKKKEE cheers from the crowd when he steps up to bat), mainly due to his power numbers and his percent for registering big hits against the hated Yankees.

Starting Pitching: Realizing that it would be unfair to place too much pressure on his young pitching staff, GM Andy MacPhail acquired Kevin Millwood over the winter from Texas to bring a solid veteran arm to the rotation and a mentor to his young pitchers. Millwood had a bounce back 2009 after posting back to back seasons of 5+ ERAs in Texas but it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to AL East offenses. Jeremy Guthrie struggled after an impressive 2008 but a return to form could give the Orioles a solid 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation. The real story here however, is the trio of Brad Bergesen, Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman. Bergesen is the oldest of the three at the ripe old age of 24, with Matusz only 23 and Tillman only 22. Bergesen enjoyed the most success last season, but both Matusz and Tillman showed flashes of what they could do (see Matusz's 7 inning, 4 hit, 1 run game versus the Yankees on Sept 12). The future of the Orioles hinge on the arms of these three young hurlers and watching their development will give Oriole fans something to watch throughout the season.

Relief Pitching: The only two constants you can see at this point in the Orioles’ pen will be setup man Jim Johnson and closer Mike Gonzalez. Johnson served as the team’s closer for a good portion of 09, but is better suited for the setup role in which he is more familiar. Gonzalez comes over from Atlanta off an impressive 2009 season. Two years removed from Tommy John surgery and seemingly fully healthy, Gonzalez split time closing for the Braves with Rafael Soriano and posted a .242 ERA, allowing 56 hits and striking out 90 batters in just 74.1 innings. It’s hard to expect him to post those types of numbers in the American League East, but he will at the very least provide the Orioles with a veteran in the back end of their bullpen. Swingman Mark Hendrickson returns to provide the Orioles with an emergency spot starter and a solid middle relief arm for the fifth and sixth innings of games.

Projection: 2010 will go down as one of the most important seasons in history of the franchise. The team won’t compete with the big boys, but the development of the young bats and arms during the course of the season will dictate how this decade works out for the Orioles. With Wieters, Jones, Markakis and their trio of young pitchers, the Orioles have a solid young core to work with. Earlier I said that the 2010 Orioles are reminiscent of the 2007 Rays, well in 2011, the Orioles could very well be reminiscent 2008 Rays.

2010 Baltimore Orioles: 72-90, 4th place, AL East

30 Team Marathon: Tampa Bay Rays

As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 30 teams in Major League Baseball are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this third installment we will analyze the Tampa Bay Rays.
-Tampa Bay Rays (2009 W/L: 84-78, 803 RS, 754 RA)
Key Additions: RP Rafael Soriano, C Kelly Shoppach
Key Departures: 2B Akinori Iwamura

Starting Pitching: Meet the 2010 Rays’ starting rotation, same as the 2009 Rays’ rotation. The difference? Everyone is a year older, and while that is something that makes fans of most teams shudder, the Rays’ young pitchers can afford another year of wisdom and development. James Shields, Matt Garza and Jeff Niemann (all 28 years old or younger), combined to make 95 starts and throw over 600 innings in 2009 and a repeat performance by those three alone would make the Rays a force to deal with in the AL East. But the Rays also could see huge production from lefty David Price and righthander Wade Davis. Price, a hero out of the bullpen for the Rays during their 2008 run towards the World Series, re-debuted in mid-May as a full-time Major League starter. Price, much like Joba Chamberlain, showed brilliance on the mound at times while also mixing in bouts of wildness and ineffectiveness. With nearly a full season of pitching at the major league level under his belt, Price easily could win 15 plus games this season and dominate opposing batters with his electric slider. Davis was a September call-up and instantly impressed. In his debut against the Detroit Tigers, he tossed seven innings of one run ball, striking out nine and walking just one batter. His follow-up performance against the Red Sox wasn’t quite as pretty (8IP, 8ER, 4BB), but Davis had a strong showing the rest of the way. Davis could end up starting the season in Triple A, much like Price did last season. Starting the season there would allow him to get regular work (fifth starters not needed in April for the most part) and serve as a confidence booster as he gets ready for the grind of a 20+ starts in the majors. Davis has been projected to have number one or two type stuff with his power fastball complimented by a 11-5 curve and hard, tight slider. The Rays’ starters could give nightmares to lineups throughout baseball.

Bullpen: After experimenting with veterans Jason Isringhausen and Troy Percivel over the course of the past two seasons, the Rays will hope that Rafael Soriano can provide some stability to the back of their bullpen. Soriano saved 27 games for the Braves last season with a 2.97 ERA while striking 102 batters in just 75.2 innings. Expect his numbers to suffer as he makes the adjustment to the AL East. He will still be a welcome sight to a team that had saves recorded by nine different pitchers last season, not a good recipe for any team hoping to compete. Soriano’s arrival will allow J.P. Howell to slide into the setup role, giving the Rays a formidable duo in the eighth and ninth innings.

Infield: The Rays’ infield will basically be the same as it was on the final day of the 2009 season save for the trade of Akinori Iwamura who was involved in the Rafael Soriano trade. Taking his place will be Ben Zobrist who performed exceptionally in the lineup when Iwamura went down with an injury last season. Zobrist had a breakout season, batting at a .297/.405/.948 clip with 27 home runs and 91 RBI, making Iwamura expendable. His double play partner Jason Bartlett also had a career season, hitting 14 homers and knocking in 66 RBI. Should the veteran Bartlett falter, 23 year old Reid Brignac will be given the chance to take the job. The anchors of the infield however, lie as one would expect, at the corners. Third baseman Evan Longoria proved that his stellar debut in 2008 was no fluke and barring any injuries, a 40 homer/130 RBI season is not out of the question this year. Meanwhile, first baseman Carlos Pena continued to haunt the Yankees and Red Sox, both of whom had Pena within their system in 2006. Pena has hit 116 home runs since joining the Rays at the start of 2007, including 39 last season despite an injury that kept him out of the last three weeks of the season. However, Pena’s low average and high strikeout rate keep him out of the top tier of first basemen in the game.

Outfield: The Rays’ outfield took a hit in 2009 as centerfielder B.J. Upton continued to regress from his breakout 2007 season. Upton hit just .241 and his OBP was a paltry .313 in 09 and his winter was topped off losing his arbitration case to the Rays. It will be interesting to see how the talented 25 year old bounces back. Meanwhile franchise icon, leftfielder Carl Crawford, may be entering his final season with the team as enters the last season of his contract. The lefty was dynamic as ever last season, swiping 60 bases and posting a career high OBP of .364. Should the Rays falter before July 31st, expect to hear Crawford and the words “Red Sox” or “Yankees” connected so often that you will want to go deaf. The team will enter camp with an open competition in rightfield, with veteran Gabe Kapler looking to fend over 25 year old Matt Joyce and 26 year old Fernando Perez. Joyce was expected to be the full-time rightfielder last season, but an injury forced him out of all but 11 games last season.

Catcher: Youngster Dioner Navarro took a dramatic step backwards in 2009, as he watched his .OPS fall from a respectable .757 in 2008 to an embarrassing .583 last season. Still his isolated power and discipline numbers remained similar, which should give the Rays hope that last year was an outlier, a “career worst” season. This is further illustrated in his .313 BAbip (batting average on balls in play) in 2008 and .231 BAbip in 2009, so you can expect his numbers to balance out to somewhere in between this season. Navarro will compete with veteran Kelly Shoppach, who also struggled last season with the Cleveland Indians, hitting a career low .214. However, Shoppach’s power potential could give him the edge once camp breaks.

Designated Hitter: The Rays built their team through drafts and trades, working around their small payroll to construct a team that can compete with the triple digit payrolls of the Yankees and Red Sox. However, even small market teams make a few moves in free agency and last season that move was DH Pat Burrell. Burrell was infamous for making Philly fans suffer through his inconsistencies, and his reputation continued in Tampa Bay last season after signing a two year deal for $16 million. Burrell hit just 14 homers and drove in 64 runs to go along with a .221 average and .315 OBP. All career lows. The Rays were hopeful that they could dump his contract on someone else this offseason, but that never came to fruition. Perhaps after a year of adjusting to American League pitching, Burrell can bounce back, but I’d doubt there are any Rays fans holding their breath.

Players to Watch: As mentioned earlier, Wade Davis could go from fifth starter to staff ace by the end of the season. If BJ Upton struggles or if Crawford is traded, might we also see an appearance from outfield prospect Desmond Jennings? Jennings excelled after earning a promotion to AAA last season and is very close to the majors. The question will be when the Rays want to his major league service time clock to begin to tick.

Outlook for 2010: The Rays are still a young team and young teams are always going to be very inconsistent. Their closer is coming over from the National League and might find himself shell shocked by the end of April by AL offenses. Carl Crawford may become distracted by constant trade rumors should the Rays stumble out of the gate. Can Upton rebound after a disappointing 2009? Was Zobrist’s 2009 season a fluke? The answers to those questions will be interesting to watch for. It is also important to note that the only way that the Rays will likely be active at the trade deadline is if they are out of contention as teams make calls for Crawford. Unlike the Yankees and Red Sox, there’s little to no chance that they will be able to add significant players through a trade due to their payroll constrictions.

Prediction: 89-73, Third Place, AL East

30 Team Marathon: Boston Red Sox

As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 30 teams in Major League Baseball are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this second installment we will analyze the Boston Red Sox.

- Boston Red Sox: (2009 W/L: 95-67, 872 Runs Scored, 736 Runs Allowed)

Key Additions: SS Marco Scutaro, SP John Lackey, OF Mike Cameron, 3B Adrian Beltre
Key Departures: 1B Casey Kotchman

Starting Pitching: The Red Sox enter 2010 much like they did in 2009, with depth in their rotation. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Bucholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield are the returning faces while free agent signee John Lackey has also joined the fray. It looks incredibly solid on paper, but like the Sox discovered in 2009, that means nothing. The big issues for the Sox will be whether Beckett puts up a contract year type season, or if he continues to be the typically inconsistent regular season starter that he usually is. Lester has emerged as a legitimate superstar pitcher and would be the on paper ace on nearly any team in baseball. The Red Sox biggest acquisition, Lackey, is a proven commodity and his workhorse mentality will be welcomed in Fenway. Bucholz suffered the typical ups and downs of any young starting pitcher. The biggest question for the Sox, and perhaps the difference between competing for the AL East crown versus another wild card berth, is Dice-K. After winning 18 games and posting a sub 3.00 ERA in 2008, Dice-K dealt with ineffectiveness and injury in 2009, winning just four games with a 5.76 ERA. A return to form for Dice-K would give the Red Sox the pitching they need to compete with the Yankees. An injury or hiccup in camp from Bucholz, or Dice-K would likely result in Wakefield stepping into the rotation.

Bullpen: The usual suspects are back for another campaign in Boston. Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima and Ramon Ramirez will all be there for middle relief duty once again. Daniel Bard emerged as an effective setup man in 2009, posting a terrific 11.5 SO/9. Bard may just be the closer of the future as the relationship between the Sox and closer Jonathan Papelbon continues to appear to be strained. Papelbon claims to be content with the lack of commitment from the front office while cashing in on large one year deals while avoiding arbitration. Still, after the way Papelbon flamed out in 2009 and the fact that he continues to cause issues for the team with his comments to the media, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Sox begin to shop Papelbon during the course of the season. For as long as he remains in Boston however, Papelbon is one of the top closers in the game and for now, is the least of the Red Sox issues.

Infield: If you notice the “Key Departures” section, there really weren’t any significant departures for the Red Sox this offseason…much to the chagrin of GM Theo Epstein. Epstein was determined to trade 3B Mike Lowell, his degenerative hip and declining range during the winter but ultimately an injured thumb prevented any deal from going through. It appeared at one point that Lowell was headed to Texas, but after the Rangers discovered a 95-percent tear in his radial collateral ligament in his right thumb, the deal died. So for now, Lowell is a $12 million backup to newly acquired Adrian Beltre. Beltre’s numbers at the plate will always be disappointing for a player with his amount of talent, but defense at third is spectacular and he will no doubt save a bunch of runs for Sox pitchers over the course of the season. Another new face is SS Marco Scutaro. Scutaro played the past two seasons in Toronto and his solid bat and glove will provide stability in a position that has been nothing but a headache since Epstein decided to let Orlando Cabrera walk away. Finally, the two rocks in the Red Sox lineup, second baseman Dustin Pedroia and first baseman Kevin Youkilis round out the infield and should continue to produce at elite levels.

Outfield: The Sox worked to negotiate a return for LF Jason Bay but ultimately deemed his price too high. They instead chose to shore up their outfield defense by signing Mike Cameron. Despite his age, 37, Cameron remains one of the top defensive centerfielders in baseball and also will provide some pop at the bottom of the order, albeit at the cost of about 150 strikeouts. His arrival means that the defensively challenged Jacoby Ellsbury can slide over to left field. While Ellsbury’s defense was sometimes disappointing, he continued to produce at the plate and on the base paths, batting .301 to go along with 70 SBs. Over in right, J.D. Drew continued to produce when he was healthy. Expect the same story for Drew in 2010.

Catcher: The Red Sox brought in Victor Martinez to spark a sagging offense at the trade deadline in 2009 and he didn’t disappoint, hitting at a .336/.405/.912 clip during 56 games with Boston. Martinez will split time at catcher, DH and first base, but is officially listed as catcher despite his defensive struggles. Sox icon and team captain Jason Varitek will make $3 million this season to back-up Martinez, making him the highest paid backup catcher in baseball. Varitek finally completely fell off the ledge offensively and defensively in 2009, posting a pathetic .702 OPS while regularly looking lost behind the plate. However, his value lies in his leadership, illustrated by the big C on his uniform.

Designated Hitter: It will be interesting to see how the Sox handle David Ortiz’s at-bats this season should he get off to another sluggish start. While his awful start in 09 (he didn’t hit a homer until May 20th) was masked by Jason Bay’s hot start, Bay isn’t around to provide the lineup any insurance this time around.

Players to Watch: Despite a disappointing 09 minor league campaign, 1B Lars Anderson remains atop the Red Sox prospects list. However, with a logjam in the DH/1B department in the majors, it may be tough for Anderson to make an impact unless injury strikes the big club.

Outlook for 2010: Despite an aging lineup, you can never count the Red Sox out. They may not have the talent to outpace the Yankees or maybe even the Rays this season in the AL East, but another Wild Card berth is hardly out of the question. Don’t be surprised if the Red Sox attention is directed more towards the Rays this year than the Yankees.

Prediction: 91-71, Second Place, AL East

30 Team Marathon: New York Yankees

As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 30 teams in Major League Baseball are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this first installment, we'll start from the top and analyze the 2009 World Series Champions, New York Yankees.

- New York Yankees: (2009 W/L: 103-59, 915 Runs Scored, 753 Runs Allowed)

Key Additions: OF Curtis Granderson, DH/1B Nick Johnson, SP Javier Vasquez, OF Randy Winn
Key Departures: LF Johnny Damon, DH Hideki Matsui, SP Chien Ming Wang, OF Melky Cabrera, SP Ian Kennedy, RP Phil Coke, OF Austin Jackson

Starting Pitching: After dramatically altering their rotation last season with the acquisitions of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, the Yankees were much quieter this offseason in the starting pitching front. They once again resigned Andy Pettitte to a one year deal and added a veteran arm in Javier Vasquez. Vasquez, still best remembered in New York for the infamous grand slam he served up to Johnny Damon in game 7 of the 2004 ALCS, claims to be wiser this time around. However, unlike 2004 when he was asked to be an ace/#2 type starter, in 2010 he’ll simply be looked upon to provide 200 innings of solid pitching which is something he’s done in nine of his 12 major league seasons. The drama in spring training will surround the fifth spot in the rotation where Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and the likes of Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre will compete to round things out. Chamberlain should be considered the early favorite now that he is all but free of the shackles of the “Joba Rules” after tossing 157.1 innings as a starter last season. Hughes finds himself in the same position as Chamberlain did last season, under an innings limit and with many in the media calling for him to remain in the bullpen. Regardless of who eventually wins out in camp, expect both of these pitchers to see significant time starting as injuries always occur in the rotation (who really thinks Burnett is staying healthy for a third straight year?).

Bullpen: It’s difficult to predict the production you’ll get from a major league reliever these days and as an example, look no further than the Yankees opening day 2009 bullpen compared to the bullpen during the postseason. Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez were long gone and forgotten by the time the All-Star break rolled around and Damaso Marte, who was persona non grata entering the season, had emerged as a bullpen weapon along with Phil Hughes. At least on opening day, expect to see the likes of Alfredo Aceves, Marte, David Robertson and Gaudin in the bullpen. However, by mid-July, you know the only name still guaranteed to be looming in the Yankees’ pen is Mariano Rivera. Rivera, after another virtuoso October performance in which he gave up just one run in 16 innings, needs no words written about him. Many will question if this is the year he finally runs out of gas, but haven’t we heard that asked every season since 2004?

Infield: The Yankees’ infield remains intact from 2009 with Mark Teixeira manning first base, Robinson Cano at second, Derek Jeter at shortstop and Alex Rodriguez at third. Teixeria’s arrival last season improved the infield defense all around, with his range allowing him to nab the ground balls and line drives that would have blown by Jason Giambi in the past, and his glove allowing him to scoop the errant throws from A-Rod, Jeter and Cano that might’ve normally gone down as errors with Giambi. Production wise, Cano and Tex are the only two in their prime, with Jeter on the cusp of 36 and A-Rod approaching 35. The question will be how much longer Jeter can continue to produce at an elite level and if A-Rod’s health will become a factor once again during the season.

Outfield: The area where the Yankees underwent the most renovating this season lies in the outfield. Granderson takes over for Melky Cabrera in centerfield, while Brett Gardner replaces Johnny Damon in left. Granderson’s defense has become a question mark in the eyes of scouts but his bat is elite at his production, at least when facing righties. Gardner and Randy Winn will handle left field in a platoon spot but are unlikely to even approach Damon’s production. The one constant is Nick Swisher in right, who’s hot and cold streaks made some fans’ heads explode month by month. However, his gregarious personality, OBP and ability to work counts have made him a popular Yankee.

Catcher: Jorge Posada once again will make his home behind the plate after another often times tumultuous season where he butted heads with his starting pitchers. Burnett and Chamberlain were typically seen arguing with Posada over the way he calls games and as a result, manager Joe Girardi paired them up with Jose Molina. With Molina gone, it will be more important than ever for all sides to work better with Posada. Francisco Cervelli’s emergence allowed Molina to become expendable, the rookie backstop’s fiery demeanor and excellent defense helped him to become a fan favorite. However, while his game is similar to Molina’s he lacks the experience and it will be interesting to see if he can build upon the moderate success he had in 2009.

Designated Hitter: Reacquired Nick Johnson will be prominently featured at DH, expect him to see at least 400 to 450 at-bats as the Yankees will also utilize the DH spot to rest their aging veterans. Johnson’s production is unlikely to match Hideki Matsui’s, but much like Swisher, Johnson is an expert at working the pitcher and driving up pitch counts.

Players to Watch: The Yankees managed to wheel and deal without trading their biggest chip in the minors, catcher Jesus Montero. Montero’s bat is project to be Manny Ramirez-esque, although it is unlikely that he will have a position in the majors due to his inadequacies behind the plate. However, a long term injury to Posada could result in Montero’s Bronx debut. Also, don’t forget about pitcher Mark Melancon. Melancon had a spotty debut in 13 appearances for the Yankees last season but his minor league numbers (8.7 SO/9) indicate that given the opportunity, he could be an above average reliever at the Major League level.

Outlook for 2010: The Yankees will enter the 2010 season as favorites to win it all in October again but as the past decade made clear, nothing can guarantee October success on a regular basis in today’s MLB.

Prediction: 97-65, First Place AL East

MLB All Decade Team 2000-2009

For the past decade, we have seen some of the greatest players in the history of baseball.  Inflated numbers or not, baseball has been fun to watch.  Many of these players will still be in discussion for the next list ten years from today.

C  Joe Mauer
I realize he's only been in the league 6 seasons, and fans may want to see Ivan Rodriguez or Jorge Posada here, but you just can't argue with what he's done in a bit more than half of the decade.  He batted over .325 this decade, including three batting titles.  Mauer was the first AL catcher to win the batting title, and he did it three times.  That's more than every catcher in baseball history combined.  Gold Glove in 2008 and 2009.  AL MVP in 2009.  The next ten years are going to include a lot of comparisons to Mike Piazza.


1B  Albert Pujols
There was absolutely no effort made in coming to this decision.  This decade, Pujols has three MVP awards to his name.  During his worst season, he batted .314 with 34 home runs.  Despite the MLB Draft meaning virtually nothing in this sport, this guy was a 13th rounder.  Meanwhile, Pujols is on pace to become the best first baseman of all time, let alone this decade.


2B  Chase Utley
We can't forget that Jeff Kent began the decade by winning the NL MVP.  Regardless, after seven seasons, Chase Utley is the best 2nd baseman in the game.  Funnily enough, while in the minors, he was moved to 3rd because of his poor defensive play.  He's now considered one of the best defensive second basemen in all of baseball.  On top of that, he averaged .300 and 30 home runs, and we can't forget that he's been a force in the post-season.


3B  Alex Rodriguez
It can be argued that Chipper Jones should take this spot, as Alex Rodriguez didn't become a 3rd baseman until 2004.  It's a valid arguement too.  Their numbers are very similar.  The big difference is that A-Rod took home two MVP trophies at 3rd this decade.  Despite missing games early in 2009, he still managed to go 30-100, making him the only player to do so every season this decade.  Also despite having the label of not hitting in the clutch, he certainly did so in the 2009 playoffs, and has the hardware to prove it.


SS  Derek Jeter
Jeter averaged over .315 this decade.  In four of those years he finished in the top 5 in hitting.  Jeter has the second most hits this decade behind Ichiro.  Despite unfairly being criticized as the worst defensive shortstop in the game, he won four Gold Gloves.  The captain of the New York Yankees led his team to four World Series this decade, bringing home two rings.

LF  Barry Bonds
No one wants to recognize the decade's biggest anti-hero, and might even suggest Manny Ramirez deserves this spot as he actually played during the entire decade.  Bonds won four MVPs this decade and that's more than any other player in the MLB...ever.   His average was .320+ throughout the decade, and obviously had the 73 homerun season in 2001.  This is considered tainted, but as I previously have mentioned, there will not be an asterisk next to it, and it's surely a record that's not going to fall any time soon, if ever.  Bonds hit .370 in 2002 and you can't really blame PEDs for that.


CF  Carlos Beltran
Beltran was arguably the best defensive center fielder this decade with three gold gloves.  The quintessential "5 Tool" player, he does it all.  Beltran stole over 90% of the bases he attempted to steal.  He hit 41 home runs in 2006, becoming only the second switch hitter to hit 35 home runs and steal 35 bases.  He is perhaps the most underrated player, let alone outfielder, of the decade, despite is ridiculous playoff performance with Houston in 2004.  Beltran is always consistent, and when healthy, a player to fear both on offense and defense.

RF  Ichiro Suzuki
I had considered Vladimir Guerrero for this spot, and his numbers were phenomenal this decade.  Just not good enough.  Ichiro had the most hits of the decade, and remarkably that number is almost 100 more than the person who hit the second most (See SS above), and it was done in one less year.  Ichiro has had 200 hits in every season he's played in the majors, the only player to ever do so.  His average for the decade is one point below the player with the highest average this decade, who happens to be sitting in the 1B spot.  Two batting titles.  Gold Glove every year in the majors.  He won Rookie of the Year and AL MVP in 2001.  The guy is just unreal.


DH  David Ortiz
People question why the Twins ever let him go.  I don't.  His numbers were inflated by the juice, and he didn't seem to be on it while in Minnesota.  This decade, he's hit almost 100 more homeruns than the only other DH that had even crossed my mind in Frank Thomas.  He also led Major League designated hitters in most statistical categories.  Considered a great story of the decade, steroid accusations have certainly slowed that down but you can't argue how valuable he's been to the Boston Red Sox.


SP 1  Randy Johnson
Despite being mostly overlooked since being the co-MVP of the 2001 World Series and gathering a measly three Cy Young Awards, Johnson racked up a 143-78 record, with a sub 3.5 ERA and over 2,000 strikeouts this decade.  He's been in the league over 20 seasons and still throws over 90mph.  Just when you think it's time to call it quits, he comes back for more.


SP 2  Pedro Martinez
Combine a Cy Young award in 2000, a 112-50 record, a slightly over 3.00 ERA, and three all-star appearances, and you have one of the most feared pitchers to ever play the game, let alone this decade.  He had a few injury plagued seasons with the New York Mets, but still managed to have good overall numbers in 10 years.  The "Who's Your Daddy?" mantra that surfaced in 2004 was only furthered with the New York Yankees' victory in the 2009 World Series against Pedro's Phillies, but that doesn't stop him from being number two in this decade's rotation.


SP 3  Roger Clemens
Clemens was on three World Series teams this decade, winning one of them in 2000 with the New York Yankees.  He won two Cy Young Awards, one with both the Yankees and Houston Astros.  Playing during only eight of the ten years of the decade, Clemens was an All-Star in half of those years.  The PED scandal may tarnish his legitimacy, but he should still end up in the Hall of Fame.


SP 4 Curt Schilling
Schilling will best be remembered for a bloody sock.  With a ruptured tendon in his right ankle, he put in a heartful performance in the 2004 World Series while with the Boston Red Sox.  He also won again with the Red Sox and 2007 as well as the 2001 World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks where he was named co-MVP.  He was a three time All-Star this decade.


SP 5 Johan Santana
Considering Santana came into the league as a reliever in 2000, and wasn't a full-time starter until 2004, his numbers are astounding.  Playing for the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets, Santana has racked up a 122-60 record with two Cy Young Awards.  Santana is considered by many to be the best pitcher in the game today, and at the very least the best south paw.  If the New York Mets manage to turn their 2009 flop of a season around, you can be guaranteed that Santana played a vital role in doing so.


Closer 1  Mariano Rivera
Nothing puts fear into the hearts of opposing batters more than when "Enter Sandman" blasts from the Yankee Stadium speakers.  In this decade, Rivera had a 2.08 ERA with 397 saves.  His dominating cutter makes him arguably the best closer to ever play the game.  He will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.


Closer 2  Trevor Hoffman
The all-time saves leader (591) racked up 363 this decade.  He has had at least 30 saves every season except one, while battling injuries.  Another Hall of Famer.


Manager  Joe Torre
Managing both the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers this decade, Torre managed to bring his teams to the playoffs every year this decade.  He had one World Series victory in 2000 with the Yankees.


GM  Theo Epstein
Epstein brought the Boston Red Sox out of their over 80 year World Series drought in 2004, and brought the "Curse of the Babe" to an end.  Oh, and then decided to do it again in 2007.  He has built up a great young team that should see success throughout the next decade.