On Deck Circle

Explaining The Different Sabermetrics

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:36:17 -0400

What Sabermetrics Are: Sabermermetrics are advanced stats that measure players more accurately than standard stats. Per say a hitter in Petco Parck hits a ball to the warning track it would be an out most likely but in most other stadiums that ball would be long gone. Sabermetrics would credit the player a home run.

BABIP: Batting Average Balls In Play. This stat show what percentage of the time a runner gets on base when they hit the ball into play. Let’s be serious if two inches is the difference between getting a hit or being out you can’t control whether you get the hit. It sows how lucky the hitter or pitcher is. This stat is a base for most other Sabermetrics.

FIP: Fielding Independent Pitching. I think FIP is the better version of E.R.A.. It shows what a pitcher’sq true E.R.A. should be using BABIP.

xFIP: Expected Fieliding Independent Pitching. This is the same as FIP except it replaces their home run rate with the league average rate so someone in Petco could be just as good as someone at Coors. I prefer this stat over FIP.

Woba: Weighted On Base Average. This Sabermetric is like OBP but it make walks less valuable than singles and homers more valueable than triples and all of things similar to that.

WAR: Wins Above Replacement. WAR is a ranking stat. It shows how many wins a player earned for his team over a year.

ISO: Isolated Power. This Sabermetric shows how much power a player has. It is SLG-AVG, so if you have a high slugging but low average (Adam Dunn) you would have a lot of isolated power.

Clutch: Clutch shows how clutch a player is. It compares a player to themself in different scenarios. If you are like “they only bat .280 in clutch spots.” What if he only bats .210. He is more clutch than someone who bats .330 in clutch spots but otherwise bats .340.

ASC: Advanced Statistics Combined. The name says it all. It is a ranking stat that is quite accurate. I created this stat myself.

xFIO: Expected Fielding Independent Offense. This stat is similar to xFIP but is for offense instead of pitching. I created this stat with the help of a few other people.

You can find all these stats (except xFIO and ASC) and their league leaders on fangraphs.com

Five Trades Still On The Table

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:02:46 -0400

1. Gerardo Parra (Ari) for Leonys Martins (Tex), Mike Olt, and a PTBNL
This trade would give the Rangers a top defensive outfielder who has some offensive pop in his bat and the move would allow Josh Hamilton to move to center shoring their outfield up and keeping a great defense in the outfield. They would also only part with prospects who would be blocked too. Meanwhile the D-Backs would be getting two top prospects one of who could take left field over after Kubel and the other could do the same who Roberts. They would also not have the problem of too many good outfielders.

2. Matt Garza (ChC) for J.P. Arencibia (Tor), Kyle Drabek, Deck McGuire, and Daniel Norris
This would give the Cubs some coveted pitching prospects that they desperately need along with a young catcher who could make Geovany Soto excellent trade bait. The Jays would get a ace pitcher who is a great pitcher if you follow Sabermetrics and a pitcher who has been able to prove himself in the AL East .The Jays would now be one step closer to competing in the AL East. The Jays would have a 1-2 punch that could compete against their division rivals.

3. John Lannan (Was) for Drake Britton (Bos), Oscar Tejada, and Michael Bowden

John Lannan has started Opening Day for the Nats two out of the last three years. Now he sadly sees himself as trade bait after being forced out of the rotation thanks to offseason moves giving the Nationals Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez..The Nats now need to replenish the farm after trading a good bit of it away acquiring Gonzalez. The Sox would love someone of Lannan’s talent to be their 5th or 4th starter giving someone like Alfredo Aceves the chance to go back to the ‘pen.

4. Gavin Floyd (CWS) For Jacob Turner (DET)

The White Sox have THE worst farm system in baseball according to ESPN. They use a top prospect like Turner. It is unlikely they will be in contention next year so why not trade Floyd? The Tigers need one more starter to have a complete rotation filled with veterans entering their prime who will all be great.

5. Erick Aybar (LAA) for Sean Rodriguez (TB) and Jeff Niemann

The Rays have an extra starter and a terrible shortstop while in L.A. there is a need for a starter and not a need for a shortstop. Aybar is a perennial Gold Glove winner who would fit perfectly with the Rays top defense. His offensive potential was also not being reached with the Angels. The Angels would have a top rotation once they got Niemann and they would have a short term replacement while Jean Segura is waiting to become a MLB starter.

MLB Realignment and what it would look like.

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:40:00 -0400

Everyone knows that MLB has problems with the schedules, division, playoffs; I could go on and on, but I won’t. I have a plan that would fix all MLB has done that is wrong. My plan would hopefully fix all that. Here is my plan:

There will be six new divisions to make traveling easier, and two leagues: East and West. Each league will have three divisions. The East divisions will be North East, (consisting of the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, and Tigers), Mid-East, (Phillies, Reds, Indians, Brewers, and Pirates), and South East (Rays, Marlins, Braves, Orioles, and Nationals). The West divisions will be Mid-West (Cardinals, Royals, Cubs, White Sox, and Twins), South West (Rangers, Astros, Padres, Diamondbacks, and Rockies), and West (Mariners, Athletics, Giants, Angels, and Dodgers). The only major rivalry that will be broken up with my plan will be the Phillies-Mets rivalry, but many new rivalries will be born.

The two division winners with the best records will make the playoffs; the third will not be guaranteed a spot. Instead, the best two remaining teams (one could be the third division winner) will advance to the postseason. This will allow for three teams, each deserving, to make the playoffs. In the current AL East, for instance, the Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees each deserve a playoff berth. Of course, in the current situation, one misses the cut each year. Home-field advantage for the World Series will be decided by the records of teams in the World Series against teams who had winning records. The playoff structure otherwise will be the same as last year.

The regular-season schedule format has been proposed before but mine has a slight variation: eighteen games within the team’s division, six games (a series at home and away) against everyone else in your league, and six games against each team in one division (rotating every year) in the other league. For all the DHs, so they can stay on rosters, there will now be thirty-man rosters and they will expand to 50 starting August 20th. This will allow for teams to get better and have longer looks at prospects. The year will end a week into October and start early-to-mid April. Playoffs will start two days after the regular season ends, and the World Series will end (assuming it goes to game seven) on November 4th.

Other miscellaneous things that will be fixed include a world-wide draft instead of a U.S.A. only draft, a limit of four pitching changes per game, and an extra change for every two innings in extra innings. That will speed the game up. There will be one challenge per game that will allow the manager to have instant replay to check an umpire’s call, but if the manager is wrong he loses a pitching change. There will also be no DH, to please all the baseball purists. You will now be allowed to trade draft picks to make trades more interesting.

Projecting Clayton Kershaw's career.

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:42:00 -0500

2012: 19-4 263K 2.28
2013: 24-4 281K 2.27
2014: 26-3 321K 1.99
2015: 18-7 301K 2.09
2016: 14-3 221K 1.72 INJURY
2017: DOES NOT PLAY SURGERY
2018: 14-4 232K 2.41
2019: 15-9 213K 2.32
2020: 18-2 278K 2.22
2021: 23-7 316K 2.01
2022: 12-11 201K 2.55 BATTLING INJURIES
2023: 18-10 222K 2.78
2024: 14-11 202K 2.99
2025: 12-12 200K 3.21
2026: 14-12 209K 3.08
2027: 10-5 198K 3.41
2028: 11-3 188K 3.32
2029: 12-5 178K 3.67
2030: 17-4 222K 2.98
2031: 9-7 146K 3.71
2032: 11-12 132K 3.91
2033: 10-9 121K 3.99
Total: 368-151 5389K 2.80
Average: 14-5 202K 2.80

That would put Kershaw 5th all time on the win list. In modern day (since 1991) that would give him the best ERA. That would put him 2nd most strikeouts ever too. He would be the only player to get that high in ever stat. He would have the third best win-loss percentage ever.

What to expect from the Red Sox

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:02:40 -0500

How will the Red Sox fare this season after losing some key pieces?

The Sox offense should be fairly consistent even though it’s lost Scutaro and Reddick. Ross should a nice addition and will allow an old fashioned platoon when he faces lefties while Sweeney faces righties. Around the All-Star break, Kalish could take over the right field job. Ellsbury will have a good season but not one as great as the last. I expect 90RBIs, 110Runs, 20HRs, a .300AVG, and 40SBs. I expect Crawford to have a better year than last year. He should have similar stats everywhere except a .40 higher in average and OBP. He could also get thirty more SBs. One can only hope that Youkilis will be healthy enough to play 135 games. Sadly, I think he’ll only play 105 games — not enough time to amount to much. I expect Iglesias to grab the shortstop job . His great glove will make up for his weak bat. I expect him to be at least a contender for a gold glove. At 2nd base, I see more of the best coming from Pedroia. From Gonzalez, I expect regression in his batting average, after having an insane BABIP of .380. He will probably still hit over .300 but only by ten points. He will keep his RBI numbers, thanks to hitting 30+ long bombs. At catcher, I foresee a strong spring training performance by Lavarnway, which will earn him the back-up catcher spot. Meanwhile, I expect Saltalamacchia to have a breakout year in which he establishes himself as one of the game’s premier catchers. He will hit 25HRs and compliment it with a .280 average. Sadly, at the DH, I see major regression from Ortiz. He’ll be lucky to hit .275 and 20HRs.

The Sox’ pitching staff is in bad shape. They have a good top three but a bad four and five. I expect Lester to start opening day and have a Lester-like season of 16W-8L and a 3.10ERA. From Beckett, I expect regression but still a good year (3.80ERA 12Ws). I expect Buchholz to emerge as the Sox’ ace. He will have a year as good as 2010. Maybe 20W-6L, 240Ks, and a 2.50ERA en route to a Cy Young. I expect Bard to fail as a starter, which will put him back in the bullpen around the trading deadline. At that point, the Sox will trade three top prospects for Zack Greinke. He’ll earn a 102 million dollar, six year deal. I expect Padilla to win the 5th rotation spring training battle. He will go on to have a mediocre season. The Sox bullpen should be fairly solid, even without Papelbon. The additions of Bailey and Melancon should make up for Pap leaving.

The Sox will have a great season with a record of 94-68 en route to a play-off berth as a wildcard. They will beat the Yankees in the ALDS but lose to the Tigers in the ALCS.

Five More Big Trades That Would Help All Involved

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:19:01 -0500

1. Zack Greinke (Brewers) for Bryce Brentz, Henry Owens, and Sean Coyle (Red Sox).
This trade would give the Red Sox one of the top pitchers in baseball. Greinke had a league-best 2.60 xFIP. He is by far the most underrated pitcher in baseball. This trade would give the Brewers a helping hand at rebuilding their farm system. The reason they would do this trade is because they will be faltering since they lost Fielder and Braun has his pending suspension.

2. Matt Garza (Cubs) for Kyle Drabek, Anthony Gose, and Deck Mcguire (Blue Jays).
This trade would give the Jays one of the top rotations in baseball. They would have a great top two of Ricky Romero and Garza. The move would put them one step closer to contention.
It would be the first major step in the path of rebuilding. It would give them three players with enormous potential who could help the Cubs down the road.

3. Adam Jones (Orioles) to the Rays for Wade Davis. B.J. Upton (Rays) sent to the Nationals. Destin Hood and Robbie Ray (Nationals) to the Orioles.
This trade would give the Nationals the player they have been trying to get for over a year. He would be their starting center fielder who would make a potent lineup of:

Ian Desmond SS
B.J. Upton CF
Bryce Harper RF
Michael Morse 1B
Ryan Zimmerman 3B
Jayson Werth LF
Danny Espinosa 2B
Wilson Ramos C
P

It would allow the Orioles to start the rebuilding process with two top prospects and get them a starter who could be their ace or number two starter. This trade would let the Rays get that bat they’ve been looking for. Jones could be that middle-to-top of the order bat who can steal a base, be a plus defensively, hit a homer, and hit for average. Upton can only hit a homer and steal a base.

4. Matt Cain (Giants) for Jacob Turner, Daniel Fields, and Drew Smyly (Tigers).
This deal would give the Tigers a front-end rotation starter who would fit in nicely in their #2 spot. Cain could give the Tigers quite a nice rotation. He would be rewarded with a 114 million dollar six year (19 per year) contract. This trade would be a typical move by the Giants because they will often unload a pitcher to acquire someone who could quickly replace him and the replacement would have more potential. The Giants’ high potential replacement would of course be Jacob Turner. Along with Turner, there are two others who should be successful major-leaguers.

5. Alexei Ramirez (White Sox) for Randall Delgado and Zeke Spruill (Braves).
This trade would help the White Sox rebuild and get better pitching. They would get a top prospect in Delgado who could immediately come in and grab the 4th or 5th spot in the rotation. Spruill could come in next year and do the same as Randall. The trade would help the Braves get a quality starting shortstop who would fit into their lineup nicely. The Braves would then have a much better offense.

Eleven Deals That Almost Happened

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:58:00 -0500

2010: Zack Greinke (Royals) to the Nationals for Drew Storen, Danny Espinosa, Derek Noris, and Eury Perez
This trade would have made the Nationals better than they had ever been before, with a real chance for contention in 2012. Who knows what kind of season Greinke would have had in D.C.! Now the Royals would have a true closer in Drew Storen who would end up being their set-up man for Joakim Soria. Espinosa would just add to the unbelievable mass of top prospects/rookies the Royals have. It would also allow Johnny Giavotella to become expendable. Derek Norris could fight with Salvador Perez for the catching job.

Would be winner: Royals

2003: Alex Rodriguez (Rangers) to Red Sox for Manny Ramirez
This trade would have given the Sox one of the games’ premier shortstops. He was coming fresh off an MVP season. This trade would have probably made the Sox give up Garciaparra that off-season in which they might have still traded him to the Cubs (maybe straight up for Aramis Ramirez). Manny would have been an interesting, unorthodox fit with the Rangers. Sadly, in the long run, he would have cost them back-to-back World Series appearances because with him they would not have traded for Josh Hamilton who was a key factor in their success.

Would be winner: Red Sox

2004: Carlos Beltran (Royals) to Red Sox for Kevin Youkilis and Kelly Shoppach
This trade doesn’t really make sense since at the time the Sox already had Johnny Damon in center and Trot Nixon in right, so Beltran might have to move to left. Beltran still would have been a nice addition. The Sox would have been giving to much up for a half year of Beltran. Youkilis would have made the Royals contenders sooner.

Would be winner: Royals

2005: Justin Verlander and Curtis Granderson (Tigers) to the Marlins for Dontrelle Willis
If this trade had gone down, it would have been one of the most lopsided ever. In hindsight, the Marlins would have acquired an MVP ace, and one of the top players in the game for a bust. Here would be their projected lineup (don’t look at the other Marlins’ trade when you read this). That is a World Series team:
Jose Reyes SS

Curtis Granderson CF

Hanley Ramirez 2B

Miguel Cabrera 3B (he would not have moved to first)

Mike Stanton RF

Gaby Sanchez 1B

Logan Morrison LF

John Buck C

P

Justin Verlander

Josh Johnson

Mark Buehrle

Anibal Sanchez

Carlos Zambrano

Would be winner: Marlins

2004: Ryan Howard (Phillies) to Blue Jays for Ted Lilly
This would have been an amazing trade for the Blue Jays. It would have given them the one thing they don’t have right now: a good first baseman. If you look below, you will see their lineup. That lineup would have made a World Series. I can imagine the headline: Marlins vs. Blue Jays. I don’t know who to place my bet on. Well actually, I’d place it on the Blue Jays. The Phillies, meanwhile, would have seen a WS ring go down the toilet. Their whole offense is built around Howard.

Would be winner: Blue Jays

2002: David Wright (Mets) to the Blue Jays for Jose Cruz, Jr.
While Jose Cruz Jr. was never anything special (just an everyday player like Aaron Hill), he did merit one prospect. The Jays would have gotten a player they never would have imagined. Wright might have pushed Mets’ fans to the brink of insanity. They have waited so long for something actually good to come, but no, they would have traded a star for a utility player. Business like normal.

Would be winner: Blue Jays

2000: Albert Pujols (Cardinals) to Montreal for Britt Reames for Dustin Hermanson and Steve Kline
If this trade had gone down, the Expos might never have left Montreal. Pujols would have offered something special for the Expos, but Pujols would have cost them both Strasburg and Harper since they would not have had the number one overall picks. In the long run, it would have hurt Montreal. The Cardinals would have gotten trash for a star. None of those players has ever amounted to anything.

Note: This trade happened with Fernando Tatis. The Cards were debating who to send.

Would be winner: Expos/Nationals

1995: Mariano Rivera (Yankees) to Tigers for David Wells
This trade at the time would have appeared to be in the Yankees’ favor, but it would not have been. The Tigers would have gotten a future Hall of Famer, and the best closer in the history of baseball. Meanwhile, the Yankees would have gotten a mediocre pitcher. The Yankees might have had 2 more WSs. They also could have had two less. They could have won 2004 if Rivera hadn’t blown those saves. They would have won in 2001 if Rivera hadn’t blown the game 7 save. They also could have lost other vital games. Who knows?*

Would be winner: Tigers

1992: Barry Bonds (Pirates) to Atlanta for Keith Mitchell, Alejandro Peña and a player to be named later
This trade might have made the Braves one of the most storied franchises in baseball. The one problem is: they would have been in a bad situation like the Giants were, once people started criticizing Bonds. They would still have gotten (arguably) the best player ever. Except for steroids. The Pirates, meanwhile, would have gotten nothing in return for their star.

Would be winner: Braves

2007: Miguel Cabrera (Marlins) to the Cardinals for Jaime Garcia, Colby Rasmus
The Cardinals would have gotten one of the best third basemen in the game, a guy who has been an extremely consistent star. Can you imagine a lineup with Pujols and Cabrera? That line-up would be intact for four years. The Marlins would have gotten a quality mid-rotation pitcher in Jaime Garcia. They also would acquire a top-end defensive center-fielder who had/has a boatload of potential.

Would be winner: Close, but Cardinals

2007: Tim Lincecum (Giants) to the Blue Jays for Alex Rios
This trade at the time would have seemed very even. Both players were budding young stars who seemed like they were going to win many awards. Rios, in the meantime, has been a bust while Lincecum has won two Cy Youngs and a World Series ring. The Blue Jays might have won that ring if they had Lincecum. Look down at my list. Lincecum wouldn’t have even been their ace!
Colby Rasmus CF

Yunel Escobar SS

Jose Bautista RF

Ryan Howard DH/1B

David Wright 3B

J.P. Arencibia C

Adam Lind 1B/DH

Kelly Johnson 2B

Anthony Gose LF

Roy Halladay (They wouldn’t have been in rebuilding mode. Drabek and D’arnaud would be Phillies)

Tim Lincecum

Ricky Romero

Shaun Marcum (He never would have been traded for Lawrie because they already have Wright)

Brandon Morrow

Would be winner: Blue Jays

* The Yankees would have still made the playoffs in 2001, if you trust WAR, but they would have had less momentum. In 2004, they would have made the playoffs but as a Wildcard. That would have put them at a disadvantage throughout the post-season. They would no longer have home-field advantage.

A mock draft of the first 50 people taken

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:10:00 -0500

This draft is based off an ESPN standard 4-man league.

Albert Pujols, 1B

Miguel Cabrera, 1B

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B

Matt Kemp, OF

Jose Bautista, 3B/OF

Justin Verlander, SP

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Robinson Cano, 2B

Clayton Kershaw, SP

Justin Upton, OF

Prince Fielder, 1B

Jacoby Ellsbury, OF

Ryan Braun, OF

Roy Halladay, SP

Carlos Gonzalez, OF

Dustin Pedroia, 2B

Joey Votto, 1B

Jered Weaver, SP

Tim Lincecum, SP

Evan Longoria, 3B

Cliff Lee, SP

Josh Hamilton, OF

Hunter Pence, OF

Cole Hamels, SP

Curtis Granderson, OF

Jose Reyes, SS

Josh Johnson, SP

Carl Crawford, OF

Mike Stanton, OF

Ryan Zimmerman, 3B

Stephen Strasburg, SP

Ian Kennedy, SP

Andrew McCutchen, OF

Felix Hernandez, SP

Mark Teixera, 1B

C.C. Sabathia, SP

Michael Bourn, OF

David Wright, 3B

Jon Lester, SP

Josh Beckett, SP

Madison Bumgarner

Victor Martinez, C/DH

Zack Grienke, SP

Hanley Ramirez, SS

Matt Cain, SP

Ian Kinsler, 2B

David Price, SP

Paul Konerko, 1B

John Axford, RP

Craig Kimbrel, RP

A late round steal from every team

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:28:00 -0500

This draft analysis is based off an ESPN 4-man league

Bobby Abreu (Angels) 17-22th BNCH

Josh Reddick (Athletics) Not Drafted

Ian Kinsler (Rangers) 6th 2B

Justin Smoak (Mariners) 14-22th UT/BNCH

Paul Konerko (White Sox) 7th UT/1B

Shin-Soo Choo (Indians) 11th 4out

Aaron Crow (Royals) 18th RP/SP

Danny Valencia (Twins) 19th BNCH/3B

Doug Fister (Tigers) 13th 3or4SP

Clay Buchholz (Red Sox) 13 3or4SP

Nick Swisher (Yankees) 16th Out5/BNCH

Ricky Romero (Blue Jays) 12th 2or3SP

Nick Markakis (Orioles) 13-15th 4out

Jeremy Hellickson (Rays) 10-14th 4SP

Carlos Ruiz (Phillies) 13th C/BNCH

Eric O’ Flaherty (Braves) 8th RP

Jordan Zimmermann (Nationals) 8th 4or5SP

Josh Johnson (Marlins) 5th 1or2SP

David Wright (Mets) 5th 3B

Adam Wainwright (Cardinals) 7or8th 2or3SP

Corey Hart (Brewers) 13th 4out

Starlin Castro (Cubs) 7th SS/2B

Wandy Rodriguez (Astros) 24-25th BNCH

Johnny Cueto (Reds) 16th 4SP

Joel Hanrahan (Pirates) 13th RP

Madison Bumgarner (Giants) 9th 3or4SP

Daniel Hudson (Diamondbacks) 18th 5SP

Todd Helton (Rockies) 18th BNCH

Huston Street (Padres) 18th RP

Kenley Jansen (Dodgers) 18th RP

Honorable Mentions: Jayson Heyward, Shawn Marcum, Anthoney Rizzo, and Alex Avila.

Thought provoking and very well reasoned posts! I'm impressed (though I don't necessarily agree) with your trade suppositions. After unloading Adrian Gonzalez to get him, the Padres aren't going to give up on Anthony Rizzo that fast, and certainly not for such a small return. Same with BJ Upton. The Rays see him as a potential MVP candidate, so it'll take a lot more than Tyler Clippard to pry him away. Finally, Montero is the anchor of the Yankees' future. He's not going anywhere.

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:54:00 -0500

I see your points, but that article’s trades aren’t supposed to be that realistic. In the Lincecum/Hamilton trade, the Rangers would have a large advantage because Lincecum is under contract til 2013 to Hamilton’s 2012. Also Rizzo may be traded because of the Mat Latos trade (they acquired top prospect Yonder Alonso who is a first baseman). It shows the Padres have more faith in Alonso than Rizzo. That makes Rizzo excellent trade bait. Upton is not realistically an MVP candidate. The Rays are once again needing a brand new bullpen, and Clippard is one of the game’s best set-up men. I think that trade makes sense. Upton is a free agent after next year and Clippard isn’t a free agent until 2016. Finally, Montero is perfect trade bait for someone like Matt Cain or Matt Garza. I see Manny Banuelos as the Yanks’ future. Montero is a defensive liability at catcher and is blocked at first base by Teixeira, and the DH spot needs to be open for the aging veterans (Jeter, Rodriguez, Swisher and maybe Granderson). The reason he is blocked at catcher is because the Yankees have two top catching prospects (Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez) who are great defensively other than Montero.

Thanks for reading!

Power Ranking Different Aspects of Pitching Rotations

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:42:31 -0500

Power Ranking The Best Rotations

Phillies

Giants

Angels

Rays

Tigers

Braves

Brewers

Red Sox

Mariners

Diamondbacks

Nationals

Dodgers

Yankees

Cardinals

Rangers

Blue Jays

Marlins

Reds

Athletics

Indians

Royals

Mets

Padres

Cubs

Pirates

White Sox

Rockies

Twins

Astros

Orioles

Power Ranking Every Teams’ Ace (all teams get one ace except the Phillies)
Justin Verlander (Tigers)

Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers)

Tim Lincecum (Giants)

Jered Weaver (Angels)

Roy Halladay (Phillies)

Cliff Lee (Phillies)

Ian Kennedy (Diamondbacks)

Felix Hernandez (Mariners)

Jon Lester (Red Sox)

C.C. Sabathia (Yankees)

Yu Darvish (Rangers)

Adam Wainwright (Cardinals)

Josh Johnson (Marlins)

Stephen Strasburg (Nationals)

David Price (Rays)

Mat Latos (Reds)

Ricky Romero (Blue Jays)

Yovani Gallardo (Brewers)

Tommy Hanson (Braves)

Matt Garza (Cubs)

Ubaldo Jimenez (Indians)

John Danks (White Sox)

Johnathan Sanchez (Royals)

Wandy Rodriguez (Astros)

Brett Anderson (Athletics) (Gonzalez got traded to the Nationals)

Johan Santana (Mets)

Charlie Morton

Jorge de la Rosa

Jake Arrieta

Tim Stauffer

Carl Pavano

Power Ranking The Best 1-2 Punches

Phillies (Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee)

Cardinals (Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter)

Rays (David Price and James Shields)

Giants (Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain)

Red Sox (Jon Lester and Josh Beckett)

Braves (Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens)

Indians (Ubaldo Jimenez and Justin Masterson)

Angels (Jered Weaver and Dan Haren)

Brewers (Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke)

Tigers (Justin Verlander and Doug Fister)

Nationals (Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez)

Reds (Mat Latos and Johnny Cueto)

Diamondbacks (Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson)

Marlins (Josh Johnson and Mark Buerhle)

Mariners (Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda)

Yankees (C.C. Sabathia and Ivan Nova)

Astros (Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers)

Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsly)

Blue Jays (Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow)

Rangers (Yu Darvish and Derek Holland)

White Sox (John Danks and Gavin Floyd)

Athletics (Brett Anderson and Brandon McCarthy )

Cubs (Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster)

Royals (Johnathan Sanchez and Bruce Chen)

Pirates (Charlie Morton and Kevin Correia)

Rockies (Jorge de la Rosa and Jhoulys Chacin)

Mets (Johan Santana and Jon Niese)

Twins (Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano)

Padres (Tim Stauffer and Dustin Moseley)

Orioles (Jake Arrieta and Zach Britton)

Power Ranking The Best 1-2-3 Punches

Phillies (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels)

Giants (Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner)

Rays (David Price, James Shields, and Jeremy Hellickson)

Angels (Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, and C.J. Wilson)

Red Sox (Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, and Clay Buchholz)

Tigers (Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, and Max Scherzer)

Brewers (Yovani Gallardo, Zack Greinke, and Shaun Marcum)

Braves (Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, and Tim Hudson)

Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsly, and Ted Lily)

Diamondbacks (Ian Kennedy, Daniel Hudson, Trevor Cahill)

Rangers (Yu Darvish, Derek Holland, and Colby Lewis)

Nationals (Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, and Jordan Zimmerman)

Cardinals (Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, and Jaime Garcia)

Marlins (Josh Johnson, Mark Buerhle, and Ricky Nolasco)

Mariners (Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda, and Jason Vargas)

Yankees (C.C. Sabathia, Ivan Nova, and Phil Hughes)

Indians (Ubaldo Jimenez, Justin Masterson, and Josh Tomlin)

Astros (Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers, and Bud Norris)

Reds (Mat Latos, Johnny Cueto, and Bronson Arroyo)

White Sox (John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and Phil Humber)

Athletics (Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy, and Dallas Braden)

Cubs (Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, and Randy Wells)

Blue Jays (Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, and Kyle Drabek)

Royals (Johnathan Sanchez, Bruce Chen, and Luke Hochevar)

Mets (Johan Santana, Jon Niese, and R.A. Dickey)

Rockies (Jorge de la Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, and Jason Hammel)

Pirates (Charlie Morton, Kevin Correia, and James McDonald)

Twins (Francisco Liriano, Carl Pavano, and Scott Baker)

Padres (Tim Stauffer, Edison Volquez, and Dustin Moseley)

Orioles (Jake Arrieta, Zach Britton, and Jeremy Guthrie)

15 Straight-Up Deals Least Dramatic To Most

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 07:31:00 -0500

1. Anthony Rizzo (SD) for Geovany Soto (ChC)
This trade would be a major first piece in the Cubs’ quest for rebuilding. Coincidentally, the Cubs’ GM and President were on separate teams last year (Jed Hoyer was on the Padres and Theo Epstein was on the Red Sox), and they made a blockbuster trade involving Anthony Rizzo. Geovany Soto could allow extra time for Yasmani Grandal to make it to the majors and be a successful starter. Soto will be an effective starter while Grandal is coming up through the minors.

2. B.J. Upton (TB) for Tyler Clippard (Was)
This trade would help the Rays get a long term premium set-up man who could be a potential closer for the Rays. Upton would allow the Nats to shift Jayson Werth to (probably) left field and have Bryce Harper play right field. Upton is also a solid offensive and defensive player who can annually be a 20/20 (20 home runs and 20 stolen bases) guy.

3. James Shields (TB) for Hanley Ramirez (Mia)
This would give the Rays one of the best shortstops in the game who is able to be an MVP contender every year. He would fill up their hole at shortstop. There is a high risk, though, that Ramirez will be a failure. 2011 showed us that. Shields had a career year with eleven complete games. He, Josh Johnson, and Mark Buehrle could be one of the best 1-2-3 punches in the game.

4. Stephan Strasburg (Was) for Gerit Cole (Pit)
It’s the 2009 number one draft pick for the 2011 number one draft pick, and they are both pitchers.

5. Mike Trout (LAA) for Bryce Harper (Was)
It’s a trade for the number one prospect (Harper) for the number two prospect (Trout). The only reason Harper doesn’t have an edge, is that Trout is more major-league ready.

6. Josh Reddick (Bos) for Andrew Bailey (Oak)
This trade gives Boston one of the best closers in baseball - who won the 2009 ROY. Bailey can be a phenomenal closer. Reddick has minimal major-league experience (which is what the A’s are looking for), and in his time with the Sox he batted over .380 for his first month. He would also take the right field spot in the outfield after the A’s lost all their starting outfielders to free agency.

7. Jurickson Profar (Tex) for Jair Jurrjens (Atl)
This trade would give the Braves one of the game’s top prospects who is the top shortstop prospect. He, in a few years, could be the Braves’ starting shortstop. Jurrjens can be an ace- like pitcher, but he is quite injury prone.

8. Gaby Sanchez (Mia) for Ian Kinlser (Tex)
This trade would give the Rangers an all-star first baseman who is gold-glove caliber defensively. The trade would allow Mitch Moreland to be traded (maybe for Wade Davis), and allow Michael Young to have field time at second base. It would give the Marlins one of the best second basemen in the game, who can periodically get 30/30 years, but he can’t hit for a high average even when playing in the Rangers’ Ballpark in Arlington (the most lopsided hitters’ stadium).

9. Trevor Bauer (Ari) for Matt Cain (SF)
This would give the Diamondbacks one of the best pitchers in the game. He would fit nicely behind Ian Kennedy. He would be able to rack up many wins along with Kennedy. They surprisingly had the same ERA (2.88) so they are actually quite equal. Bauer would give the Giants another potential ace who has a very similar wind up to Tim Lincecum. Bauer has already made it to Double A. Imagine a rotation with two Tim Lincecums.

10. Andrew McCutchen (Pit) for Starlin Castro (ChC)
Andrew McCutchen would offer the Cubs one of the best center fielders in baseball. McCutchen is only 25 and is under contract til 2015. Castro is only 21 years old and has already led the National League in hits. He will probably be the best shortstop in baseball at some point in his career.

11. Gio Gonzalez (Oak) for Manny Banuelos (NYY)
Banuelos would be a great player who people have been comparing to Ricky Romero. He could easily be better than Gonzalez. Gonzalez has already proven himself in the big leagues. He could be a steal if Banuelos is a bust.

12. Dustin Pedroia (Bos) for Robinson Cano (NYY)
This is a trade of the two best second basemen in the game. They are both gold glove contenders every year, and they both hit for high average. They are very different players, though. Cano is more of a power hitter who can hit thirty plus homers a year and will consistently drive in a hundred runs. Cano also steals approximately ten bases a year. Pedroia is more of an all-around player. He won’t have great power or speed numbers, but he can get twenty of each. He can drive in ninety runs and score 110.

13. Clayton Kershaw (LAD) for Joey Votto (Cin)
Kershaw would give the Reds one of the best rotations and 1-2 punches in baseball, now that they have Latos. Kershaw would be the best pitcher by a mile in his division and the Reds would become a much better team since they have lots of offense without Votto. Votto would be the protection that Matt Kemp really needs. Imagine a team that has two rightful MVPs (I’m just giving Kemp the MVP since Braun used steroids) in the last two years.

14. Felix Hernandez (Sea) for Jacoby Ellsbury (Bos)
This trade will probably never happen because King Felix has a no-trade clause in which he specifically said he doesn’t want to go the the Red Sox. Hernandez, last year, was the top pitcher in his league. This year, Ellsbury was the best hitter in his league (highest on the MVP ballot for hitters). They are both under contract til 2014, and they are each what the other team needs. Seattle needs offense and Boston needs pitching. Works perfectly.

15. Tim Lincecum (SF) for Josh Hamilton (Tex)
The Rangers would instantaneously have one of the best rotations in baseball. They would have Darvish and Lincecum in their rotation. They would also have Lincecum under contract til 2013. The Giants would immediately make their offense one of the best in baseball (see article below for lineup with Hamilton in it). Hamilton is also a former MVP and number one overall draft pick.

Five Trades That Will Make Every Team's Fan Base Ecstatic (but sometimes in anger)

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:06:00 -0500

1. Mark Trumbo for Francisco Rodriguez
You’re probably thinking right now: “this really favors the Brewers.” Well, it does. But the Angels have too many first basemen already - without Trumbo - so the Angels are looking to trade him. This would help the Brewers obtain a cheap first baseman for the long haul. He and Aramis Ramirez could partially make up for losing Prince Fielder. Thinking ahead, Mark Trumbo could, with a little work, be better than Fielder in a few years. This trade would help the Angels get a reasonable closer, making the back-end of the Angels’ bullpen “one to reckon with.”

2. Wade Davis for Mitch Moreland
This trade would get the Rays a stellar future first baseman who can bat a high average and hit twenty plus home runs per season. It would also free up space in the rotation for Matt Moore, baseball’s top pitching prospect. Davis would take the Rangers’ fourth spot in the rotation (assuming they trade for Matt Garza). It would also allow them to give field time to Michael Young, meaning the DH spot would be available for someone like Mike Napoli. If Napoli became the Rangers’ DH, he would allow Yorvit Torrealba to become the starting catcher.

3. Andrew Bailey and Brett Anderson for Josh Reddick, Felix Doubrant, Oscar Tejeda, and Michael Bowden
This would be the big move for Ben Cherington to start off his career as the GM for the Red Sox. It would help fans forget about losing Papelbon. Anyways, in my opinion, Andrew Bailey is the better closer. This trade would give the Sox one of the best bullpens - one that would closely resemble the Braves’ bullpen. The Sox would only need to get five innings out of the starter before Alfredo Aceves could take over in the sixth. Then Mark Melancon takes the mound in the seventh. Daniel Bard in the eighth (yes, he moves back to the bullpen after failing as a starter). Then, of course, Andrew Bailey in the ninth. This tandem would rival the Braves’ O’venbrel as Boston’s Melabarley. Creative, I know. Alfredo Aceves could easily pitch five or six innings if need be. Brett Anderson, a possible ace when he’s healthy, would be a good fourth or fifth rotation starter on the Sox. Just look at his E.R.A from 2010 - a tiny 2.80. The Sox would really prosper from this deal. The A’s would just receive many top prospects, with only Josh Reddick having serious major-league experience. Bowden could be their future closer, and Felix Doubrant could too. Or Doubrant could be a starter. Tejada would end up just being a utility player, due to Jemile Weeks starting at second base.

4. Matt Cain for Jesus Montero, Dellin Betances, and Adam Warren
Matt Cain would compliment C.C. nicely in the number two spot in their rotation. It would also allow Ivan Nova to move to the third spot in the rotation, putting less pressure on him. That would be similar to what the Red Sox did to Clay Buchholz. Imagine if Matt Cain were starting Game 5 of the ALDS. He probably could have beaten Doug Fister. In 2010, Matt Cain gave up one run during the whole postseason, and it was an unearned run. The Giants would immediately replenish their farm system. Jesus Montero could learn first base and could have time at catcher when Posey is taking a day off or is taking a day at first base. That would mean Brandon Belt and Aubrey Huff (but he’s traded in my next trade) would have to play the outfield though. Dellin Betances has a high enough ceiling that he could easily be better than Matt Cain in the future. Dellin could slot in at the number five spot in the Giants’ rotation. Adam Warren could possibly (with a bit of luck) be in the Giants’ rotation later on, but he would probably be trade bait somewhere else - thanks to the Giants’ stellar rotation. And that brings me to my next trade.

5. Adam Warren, Hector Sanchez, and three million in cash to the Rangers; Matt Garza, Alfonso Soriano, and seven million in cash to the Rangers; Josh Hamilton to the Giants; David Perez to the Cubs; and, finally, Aubrey Huff and Francisco Peguero to the Cubs. The Giants would benefit from this deal because they get the 2010 A.L. MVP in Josh Hamilton. He could make their middle of the line up one of the best in the game. Imagine this is their lineup (this lineup only works if trade four happens). Note: Melky Cabrera is benched.
Angel Pagan CF

Freddy Sanchez 2B

Josh Hamilton LF

Buster Posey C

Pablo Sandoval 3B

Jesus Montero 1B

Brandon Belt RF

Brandon Crawford SS

P

This trade helps the Rangers get maximum value for one year of Josh Hamilton. Hamilton probably wouldn’t have signed an extension this off season with the Rangers, since he wants an extension that pays a very large sum that the Rangers aren’t willing to pay (though the Giants may). It would give the Rangers Matt Garza who could be the ace on their team pretty easily and could be a number two starter behind Yu Darvish (yes, the Rangers won the bid last night to negotiate with him). Alfonso Soriano could become their everyday left fielder, and since the Rangers are only paying nine million (he’s actually being paid nineteen million but that’s where the ten million in cash comes into play) for Soriano, he could be worth it. This trade helps the Cubs get a jump start on their rebuilding process. They will get two top prospects, a PTBNL (some of them have been good like David Ortiz), and Aubrey Huff. David Perez has a very high ceiling - he could be an effective number two or three starter. Aubrey Huff will just be a one year place holder while they find a better first baseman. Plus the Cubs get rid of Alfonso Soriano. Francisco Peguero is probably going to be the aspect that Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer would be most excited about. Peguero is a very toolsy player who is a seventy-five (on the twenty-to-eighty scouting scale) right fielder. He also covers the plate extremely well. This resulted in a 324. batting average.

Predictions for every team's record next year and the postseason

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:58:00 -0500

Regular Season

The Detroit Tigers 102-60 1st in AL Central
The Philadelphia Phillies 98-64 1st in NL East
The New York Yankees 97-65 1st in AL East
The Boston Red Sox 96-66 2nd in AL E Wildcard
The San Francisco Giants 94-68 1st in NL West
The Los Angeles Angels 94-68 1st in AL West
The Arizona Diamondbacks 92-70 2nd in NL W Wildcard
The Texas Rangers 90-72 2nd in AL W
The Cincinnati Reds 89-73 1st in NL Central
The Atlanta Braves 87-75 2nd in NL E
The Tampa Bay Rays 85-77 3rd in AL E
The Toronto Blue Jays 84-78 4th in AL E
The Washington Nationals 84-78 3rd in NL E
The Los Angeles Dodgers 82-80 3rd in NL W
The Miami Marlins 81-81 4th in NL E
The St. Louis Cardinals 81-81 NL C
The Kansas Royals 80-82 2nd in AL C
The Minnesota Twins 78-84 3rd in AL C
The Chicago White Sox 78-84 4th in AL C
The Milwaukee Brewers 77-85 3rd in NL C
The Chicago Cubs 75-87 4th in NL C
The Oakland Athletics 73-89 3rd in AL W
The Colorado Rockies 72-90 4th in NL W
The Cleveland Indians 70-92 5th in AL C
The Pittsburgh Pirates 68-94 5th in NL C
The San Diago Padres 68-94 5th in NL W
The Seattle Mariners 66-96 5th in AL W
The New York Mets 65-97 5th in NL E
The Baltimore Orioles 64-98 5th in AL E
The Houston Astros 60-102 6th in NL C

Postseason

NLDS The Arizona Diamondbacks beat The Philadelphia Phillies 3-1
NLDS The San Francisco Giants beat The Cincinnati Reds 3-0
ALDS The Boston Red Sox beat The Detroit Tigers 3-2
ALDS The New York Yankees beat The Los Angeles Angels 3-2
NLCS The San Francisco Giants beat The Arizona Diamond Back 4-2
ALCS The Boston Red Sox beat The New York Yankees 4-3
WS The Boston Red Sox beat The San Francisco Giants 4-2

These are five trades that would benefit every team involved and some of them would be blockbuster trades.

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:46:00 -0500

1. Mark Trumbo for Fransisco Rodriguez
You’re probably thinking right now “this really favors the Brewers” well it does but, the Angels have too many first baseman already without Trumbo. So the Angels are looking to trade him. This would help the Brewers get a first baseman who is signed cheap and long term. He, with Aramis Ramirez, could make up partially for losing Prince Fielder. Mark Trumbo could easily be better than fielder in a few years. It would help the Angels get a reasonable closer who would make their back-end of the bullpen one to reckon with.

2. Wade Davis for Mitch Moreland
This would help the Rays get a good first baseman for the future who can hit for good average and can hit twenty plus home runs. It would also free up space in the rotation for Matt Moore, It would help the Rangers get a quality starter who is an innings eater. It would also allow them to give field time to Michael Young meaning the DH spot would be open for someone like Mike Napoli to use. If Mike Napoli became their DH he would allow someone like Yorvit Torrealba to be a starting catcher.

3. Andrew Bailey and Brett Anderson for Josh Reddick, Felix Doubrant, Oscar Tejeda, and Michael Bowden
This would be the big move for Ben Cherington to start off his career as the Red Sox GM. It would make all fans forget about losing Papelbon. Anyways in my opinion Andrew Bailey is better. It would give the Sox one of the best bullpens that would closely resemble the Braves’ bullpen. They would only need to get five innings out of the starter for first Alfredo Aceves to over in the sixth. Then Mark Melacon to be the Seventh. Daniel Bard in the eigth (and yes he moves back to the bullpen after failing as a starter). Then of course Andrew Bailey in the ninth. No one would want to face a tandem like that. Alfredo Aceves could pitch five or six innings if need be. Brett Anderson would give the Sox a good fourth or fifth rotation starter who can be an ace when he’s healthy, just look at his E.R.A of 2010 a tiny 2.80. The Sox would really prosper from this deal. The A’s would just get many top prospect with only Josh Reddick having serious major-league experience. Bowden could be their closer of the future and Felix Doubrant could too, or he could be a starter. Tejada would end up just being a utility player thanks to Jemile Weeks.

4. Matt Cain for Jesus Montero, Dellin Betances, and Adam Warren
This would give the Yankees a front end starter who would compliment C.C. nicely in the number two spot in their rotation. It would also allow Ivan Nova to move to the third spot in the rotation putting less pressure on him. That would be similar in what the Red Sox did to Clay Buchholz. Imagine if Matt Cain was starting Game 5 of the ALDS. He probably could of beaten Doug Fister. In 2010 Matt Cain gave up one run the whole postseason and it was an unearned run. The Giants would immediately replenish their farm system. Jesus Montero could learn first base and could have time at catcher when Posey is taking a day off or is taking a day at first base. That would mean Brandon Belt and Aubrey Huff (but he’s traded in my next trade) would have to play the outfield though. Dellin Betances has a high enough of a ceiling he could easily be better than Matt Cain in the future. Dellin could slot in at the number five spot in the Giants’ rotation. Adam Warren could possibly with a bit of luck be in the Giants rotation later on but he would probably be trade bait somewhere else thanks to the Giants’ stellar rotation. And that brings me to my next trade.

5. Adam Warren, Hector Sanchez, and three million in cash to the Rangers, Matt Garza, Alfonso Soriano, and seven million in cash to the Rangers, and Josh Hamilton to the Giants, and David Perez to the Cubs, Aubrey Huff and Francisco Peguero to the Cubs.
The Giants would benefit from this deal because they get the 2010 A.L. MVP in Josh Hamilton. He could make their middle of the line up one of the best in the game. Imagine this is their lineup (this lineup only works if trade four happens). Note: Melky Cabrera is benched.

Angel Pagan CF

Freddy Sanchez 2B

Josh Hamilton LF

Buster Posey C

Pablo Sandoval 3B

Jesus Montero 1B

Brandon Belt RF

Brandon Crawford SS

P

This trade helps the Rangers get maximum value for one year of Josh Hamilton. Hamilton probably wouldn’t of signed an extension this off season with the Rangers since he wants a extension that pays a very large sum that the Rangers aren’t willing to pay (though the Giants may). It would give the Rangers Matt Garza who could be the ace on their team pretty easily and could be a number two starter behind Yu Darvish (yes the Rangers won the bid last night to negotiate with him). Alfonso Soriano could become their everyday left fielder, and since the Rangers are only paying nine million (he’s actually being paid nineteen million but that’s where the ten million in cash comes into play) for Soriano, he could be worth it. This trade helps the Cubs get a jump start on their rebuilding process. They will get two top prospects, a PTBNL (some of them have been good like David Ortiz), and Aubrey Huff. David Perez has a very high ceiling, he could be a effective number two or three starter. Aubert Huff will just be a one year place holder while they find a better first baseman. Plus the Cubs get rid of Alfonso Soriano. Francisco Peguero is probably going to be the thing Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer would be most excited about. Peguero is a very toolsy player who is a very good defensive right fielder. He also cover the plate extremely well. This resulted in a .324 batting average.

Predicting the Top Seven Teams Next Year in the A.L.

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:13:03 -0500

7. Blue Jays 84-75
For the next few years, the Jays are in good shape. If the Jays sign Prince Fielder, they will jump up on my list, but they haven’t done so, as of this writing. They have a great farm system and a super-star in Jose Bautista, who will have reasonable protection in Brett Lawrie and J.P. Arencibia. The Jays also have a stellar GM in Alex Anthopoulos.

6. Rays 87-73

The Rays have the best GM: Andrew Friedman. Somehow, he manages to put together a team every year - even after he loses top free agents. The Rays can beat teams who have three times their salary, and they still have a great farm system.

5. Rangers 90-71

The Rangers are the two-time defending A.L. champs and have one of the better farm systems. Eventually, they will miss the play-offs courtesy of the Angels, Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson. The Rangers still will have a phenomenal year, though. If there is a second wild card, they probably will get it.

4. Yankees 93-69

The Yanks have one of the top three offenses (along with with the Red Sox and Rangers). The Yankees have one problem, though: they don’t have a good pitching staff. If they can get someone like Yu Darvish or Gio Gonzalez, they will be set for the future.

3. Red Sox 95-67

The Sox are in a similar situation - like the Yanks. They need pitching, but there’s one difference: the Sox have three ace-type pitchers - to the Yanks’ one (Ivan Nova doesn’t qualify). The Sox have Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett, and Jon Lester. They should be slightly better than the Yankees’ equivalents. All they need now is a forty-save closer.

2. Angels 97-65

This is probably what you are thinking right now about the new “Evil Empire”(sorry, Yankees, but you lost that title): the Angels should be ranked number one… they have Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson now. The Angels are going to have two problems next year: one is that Pujols and Wilson will have down years while they are settling in to Anaheim; the other is that they don’t have a very good closer in Jordan Walden. The Angels could try to trade Kendry Morales, and/or Mark Trumbo, for a suitable closer. They could also trade Bobby Abreu. I propose a straight-up trade with the Brewers: Francisco Rodriguez for Mark Trumbo. Then the Angels would be all set for the World Series in 2013.

1. Tigers 100-62

The Tigers have the best pitcher (Justin Verlander - an MVP), Hitter for average (Miguel Cabrera ), DH (Victor Martinez), and closer (Jose Valverde). What more do you need? The Tigers also have a gold-glove calibre center-fielder who’s also a solid lead-off hitter: Austin Jackson. The Tigers should win the World Series next year.

My Awards For The 2011 Season

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:13:00 -0500

MLB Player: Matt Kemp
Runner Up: Jacoby Ellsbury
MiLB Player: Mike Trout
Runner Up: Jose Altuve

MLB Pitcher: Justin Verlander
Runner Up: Clayton Kershaw
MiLB Pitcher: Matt Moore
Runner Up: Julio Teheran

Closer: Jose Valverde
Runner Up: John Axford
Relief Pitcher: Eric O’Flaherty
Runner Up: Jonny Venters

Defensive Player: Jacoby Ellsbury
Runner Up: Jeff Francouer

Organization: Detroit Tigers
Runner Up: Texas Rangers
MLB Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Runner Up: Texas Rangers
MiLB Team: Mobile Bay Bears
Runner Up: Columbus Clippers
Farm System: Kansas City Royals
Runner Up: Washington Nationals

Disappointment: Carl Crawford
Runner Up: Adam Dunn
Honorable Mentions: Hanley Ramirez and Jayson Werth.

MLB Player To Watch Next Year: Troy Tulowitzki
Runner Up: Evan Longoria
MiLB Player To Watch Next Year: Bryce Harper
Runner Up: Manny Machado
MLB Pitcher To Watch Next Year: Tim Lincecum
Runner Up: Josh Johnson
MiLB Pitcher To Watch Next Year: Shelby Miller
Runner Up: Brad Peacock
Rookie to Watch Next Year: Matt Moore
Runner Up: Mike Trout

Moment: Derek Jeter’s 3000th Hit
Runner Up: Mariano Rivera Breaks All-Time Save Record

Play: Jeff Francouer Goes Over The Wall To Rob Dustin Ackley http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_09_09_kcamlb_seamlb_1&mode=recap_away&c_id=kc
Runner Up: Jeff Francouer Robs Michael Taylor of His 2nd Career Hit http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110907&content_id=24362598&vkey=news_kc&c_id=kc

Performance: Corey Hart’s 3-for-4 Night with 3HRs, 7RBIs, a Walk, and a Stolen Base
Runner Up: Ervin Santana’s No-Hitter with One Walk.

Postseason Player: David Freese
Runner Up: Nelson Cruz
Postseason Moment: David Freese’s Walk-Off Homer To Make Game 7
Runner Up: David Freese’s Triple To Keep The Cardinals’ Hopes Alive
Honorable Mention: Nelson Cruz’s Walk-Off Grand Slam
Postseason Performance: Albert Pujols 5-for-6 Night with 3HRs, 6RBIs, and 14TBs
Runner Up: Chris Carpenter’s Game 5 Shutout

Most Shocking Moment: Ryan Braun’s Positive Steroid Test
Runner Up: Both MVP Awards

GM: Andrew Friedman
Runner Up: Kevin Towers
Manager: Joe Maddon
Runner Up: Kirk Gibson

Predictions for top fantasy players next year at every position

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:12:00 -0500

First Basemen

Miguel Cabrera .329 38HR 116RBI

Adrian Gonzalez .312 31HR 132RBI

Albert Pujols .317 34HR 104RBI

Prince Fielder .298 41HR 119RBI

Joey Votto .319 31HR 108RBI

Paul Konerko .289 29HR 102RBI

Eric Hosmer .301 30HR 87RBI

Mark Trumbo .291 26HR 93RBI

Freddie Freeman .307 21HR 96RBI

Mark Teixeira .270 35HR 101RBI

Second Basemen

Dustin Pedroia .324 20HR 103RBI 117R 32SB

Robinson Cano .314 31HR 119RBI 103R 7SB

Ian Kinlser .269 29HR 100RBI 125R 27SB

Brandon Philleps .292 22HR 95RBI 98R 17SB

Dustin Ackley .301 17HR 86RBI 99R 28SB

Rickie Weeks .286 27HR 92RBI 92R 9SB

Jemile Weeks .301 11HR 72RBI 97R 32SB

Dan Uggla .280 34HR 94RBI 73R 4SB

Aaron Hill .273 19HR 84RBI 85R 7SB

Danny Espinosa .283 18HR 76RBI 99R 27SB

Shortstops

Troy Tulowitzki .333 37HR 123RBI 99R 13SB MVP

Asdrubal Cabrera .307 26HR 98RBI 103R 17SB

Jose Reyes .317 13HR 89RBI 119R 43SB 143B

Yunel Escobar .298 16HR 83RBI 111R 23SB

Rafael Furcal .284 21HR 84RBI 96R 28SB

Emilio Bonifacio .301 13HR 78RBI 86R 38SB

Hanley Ramirez .282 18HR 87RBI 100R 23SB

Starlin Castro .302 11HR 64RBI 114R 32SB

Ian Desmond .297 13HR 87RBI 82R 26SB

Clint Barmes .282 13HR 67RBI 89R 14SB

Third Basemen

Evan Longoria .326 34HR 112RBI

David Freese .317 24HR 110RBI

Ryan Zimmerman .312 35HR 102RBI

Adrian Beltre .301 32HR 105RBI

David Wright .297 28HR 97RBI

Ryan Roberts .294 23HR 94RBI

Kevin Youkilis .284 25HR 94RBI

Brett Lawrie .289 19HR 98RBI

Aramis Ramirez .301 20HR 84RBI

Alex Rodriguez .287 17HR 92RBI

Outfielders

Jacoby Ellsbury .342 34HR 109RBI 121R 46SB MVP

Ryan Braun .332 33HR 105RBI 98R 34SB

Matt Kemp .321 36HR 123RBI 88R 33SB

Justin Upton .319 33HR 117RBI 106R 24SB

Mike Stanton .317 47HR 111RBI 94R 4SB

Carlos Gonzalez .324 29HR 105RBI 113R 27SB

Hunter Pence .294 30HR 117RBI 82R 13SB

Michael Morse .312 32HR 109RBI 86R 4SB

Nick Markakis .307 28HR 98RBI 83R 16SB

Carl Crawford .299 21HR 102RBI 111R 48SB

Andew McCutchen .297 26HR 89RBI 101R 26SB

Jose Bautista .293 34HR 104RBI 87R 8SB

Chris Young .289 28HR 97RBI 91R 31SB

Corey Hart .287 25HR 94RBI 93R 29SB

Alex Gordon .302 23HR 89RBI 101R 22SB

Josh Hamilton .297 28HR 102RBI 83R 9SB

Curtis Granderson .267 31HR 93RBI 121R 24SB

Matt Holliday .291 27HR 98RBI 98R 3SB

Lance Berkman .289 24HR 87RBI 77R 1SB

Michael Bourn .301 9HR 72RBI 98R 67SB

Dexter Fowler .293 13HR 71RBI 95R 27SB 173B

Nelson Cruz .283 27HR 101RBI 73R 8SB

Jay Bruce .290 31HR 89RBI 67R 7SB

Allen Craig .307 11HR 78RBI 85R 5SB

Jayson Werth .289 21HR 87RBI 78R 20SB

Brett Gardener .282 11HR 69RBI 103R 42SB

Shane Victorino .301 17HR 78RBI 78R 21SB

Michael Cuddyer .298 21HR 81RBI 86R 10SB

B.J. Upton .289 21HR 78RBI 88R 20SB

Andre Ethier .279 24HR 82RBI 67R 4SB

Catchers

Buster Posey .307 32HR 109RBI

Yadier Molina .309 22HR 98RBI

Brian McCann .299 24HR 97RBI

Joe Mauer .304 21HR 95RBI

Alex Avila .295 23HR 93RBI

Jarrod Saltalamacchia .294 21HR 84RBI

Carlos Ruiz .287 19HR 87RBI

J.P. Arencebia .278 23HR 76RBI

Russel Martin .284 21HR 74RBI

Matt Weiters .287 19HR 72RBI

Designated Hitters

Victor Martinez .318 17HR 109RBI

Billy Butler .309 24HR 96RBI

David Ortiz .302 31HR 83RBI

Jesus Montero .299 22HR 85RBI

Michael Young .289 13HR 83RBI

Starting Pitchers

Tim Lincecum 2.22 0.94 245K 18-4 CY

Josh Johnson 2.24 1.02 232K 16-5

Jered Weaver 2.32 0.97 217K 19-3 CY

Clayton Kershaw 2.34 1.00 234K 17-5

Adam Wainwright 2.34 0.99 222K 16-4

Stephen Strasburg 2.40 1.02 259K 16-5

Justin Verlander 2.48 0.97 254K 20-7

Zack Greinke 2.45 1.03 231K 16-5

Cole Hamels 2.51 0.99 212K 15-4

Ian Kennedy 2.54 1.04 209K 17-8

Jon Lester 2.59 1.07 212K 16-6

Madison Bumgarner 2.67 1.14 199K 14-7

Ricky Romero 2.73 1.10 203K 14-6

Jeremy Hellickson 2.75 1.08 181K 14-9

Roy Halladay 2.80 1.09 225K 17-10

Matt Cain 2.78 1.11 211K 16-8

C.C. Sabathia 2.99 1.15 221K 18-13

Justin Masterson 2.81 1.81 194K 17-8

Matt Latos 2.82 1.17 200K 14-9

Cliff Lee 2.91 1.05 218K 14-8

Felix Hernandez 2.95 1.18 241K 12-4

Ubaldo Jimenez 2.97 1.20 199K 15-6

Matt Moore 2.99 1.17 183K 14-5 ROY

Julio Teheran 2.99 1.18 189K 15-6 ROY

Yu Darvish 3.00 1.19 209K 17-8

Daniel Hudson 3.05 1.13 194K 16-8

James Shields 3.08 1.09 207K 13-10 8CG

Mark Buehrle 3.09 1.20 148K 14-9

Chris Carpenter 3.11 1.11 201K 13-8

Yovani Gallardo 3.12 1.21 211K 15-11

Doug Fister 3.11 1.07 180K 13-7

Michael Pineda 3.14 1.11 191K 12-9

Edwin Jackson 3.17 1.21 178K 14-8

Gio Gonzalez 3.20 1.24 211K 15-10

Clay Buchholz 3.23 1.27 188K 18-12

Dan Haren 3.26 1.23 208K 14-8

David Price 3.36 1.18 211K 16-9

Yu Darvish 3.53 1.21 207K 15-9

Tommy Hanson 3.41 1.24 181K 13-8

Matt Garza 3.45 1.25 199K 14-9

Jair Jurrgens 3.51 1.27 146K 13-6

C.J. Wilson 3.62 1.36 197K 14-8

Max Scherzer 3.63 1.31 157K 13-5

Ivan Nova 3.69 1.26 141K 12-1

Josh Beckett 3.71 1.11 189K 11-10

Vance Worley 3.74 1.28 142K 14-7

Derek Holland 3.80 1.17 173K 15-12

Trevor Cahill 3.82 1.17 154K 13-13

Ervin Santana 3.91 1.24 176K 13-9

Roy Oswalt 3.95 1.26 167K 12-11

Relief Pitchers

John Axford 50/50SV 1.29ERA

Craig Kimbrel 47/49SV 1.45ERA

Jose Valverde 46/50SV 1.67ERA

Jonathan Papelbon 44/48SV 2.01ERA

Brian Wilson 43/46SV 1.95ERA

Eric O’ flahery 61H 1.09ERA

Mariano Rivera 41/43SV 2.09ERA

J.J. Putz 39/40SV 2.15ERA

Heath Bell 37/40SV 2.31ERA

David Robertson 52H 1.48ERA

Joel Hanrahan 37/39SV 2.16ERA

Ryan Madson 35/40SV 2.30SV

Jonny Venters 58H 1.89ERA

Jason Motte 34/37SV 2.60ERA

Andrew Bailey 33/35SV 2.78ERA

this is westby will u post predictions for the al east

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:10:34 -0500

Sure Westby,

I’ll do it tomorrow as soon as I get the chance. What’s your e-mail?

Ultimate Fantasy Team Next Year

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:06:32 -0500

1B: Miguel Cabrera
2B: Dustin Pedroia
3B: Evan Longoria
SS: Troy Tulowitzki
OF: Jacoby Ellsbury
OF: Matt Kemp
OF: Ryan Braun
OF: Justin Upton
OF: Adrian Gonzalez
C: Buster Posey
1B/3B: Adrian Gonzalez
2B/SS: Robinson Cano
UT: Carlos Gonzalez
BNCH: Yadier Molina
BNCH: Hunter Pence
BNCH: Prince Fielder

SP: Tim Lincecum
SP: Jered Weaver
SP: Clayton Kershaw
SP:Stephen Strasburg
SP:Josh Johnson
P:Adam Wainwright
RP: John Axford
RP: Craig Kimbrel
RP: Brian Wilson