Ichiro’s Amazing Catch

Watch What Ichiro Did

We have all seen Ichiro’s defensive abilities but this catch is ridiculous.

Pffffft. Sick!

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya

Top Ten MLB Players

Which Players Make The Top Ten?

Top 10 MLB Players

1. Albert Pujols might be the greatest right-handed hitter of all time, as his .337 career average suggests, and he played multiple positions before settling in at first base, and he is now one of the better defenders in the league (Gold Glove in 2006). He is a great athlete with a near picture perfect swing, who runs the bases well, and is widely considered the best MLB player today.

2. Alex Rodriguez will most likely break Barry Bonds’ career HR record, as he is currently at 583 career long balls and if it weren’t for Pujols, A-Rod would be considered the best hitter in baseball. Rodriguez lost the top spot after his steroid admission, but has been very consistent since his rookie 1996 season, when he was only 20 years old. A three time MVP and 12 time All Star, A-Rod still strikes fear in the opposition at the ripe age of 33.

3. Hanley Ramirez might be the best player in baseball because of the importance of his position and mashing ability. He scored 125 runs in consecutive seasons and amassed 212 hits at the age of 23 in 2007. Now only 26 years old, Ramirez is entering his prime and is only in his second season as the Marlins’ three hitter. He is widely considered to have the potential to become the best hitting shortstop of all time.

4. Joe Mauer is the best hitting catcher of all time, as his career .327 average suggests. He is a three time All Star, a winner of back-to-back Gold Gloves, and he won his first MVP award last season after missing the first month of the year. He will most likely have a better season in 2010, and just signed the fourth richest contract in MLB history. All is well for Joe Mauer.

5. Tim Lincecum has already won back-to-back Cy Young awards and he will only turn 26 years old in June. He is the ace of the Giants staff and has a career ERA of 2.90. He is averaging 226 IP the last two seasons and has averaged 263 Ks in the last two seasons. Tiny Tim is the best pitcher in baseball and his best might be yet to come.

6. Derek Jeter will turn 36 years old this June and is the oldest player on the list, but he still can get it done at a position where youth is typically the answer. Jeter’s resume is nearly impeccable and it goes something like this: Rookie of the Year in 1996, All Star Game and World Series MVP in 2000, 10 time All Star, four Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, and Yankees team captain since 2003. He has finished second in the MVP race, and third twice, and he is still on top of his game with only 253 hits until 3,000.

7. Chase Utley has never won an MVP award but his teammates Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins have, making the Phillies lineup nearly impossible to escape. Utley is the best offensive second basemen since Ryne Sandberg, and has scored over 104 runs in four consecutive seasons, with his career high 131 in 2006. He will likely put together his fifth consecutive All Star appearance this season, and the Phillies hope he wins his second World Series title.

8. Ryan Braun is a total monster at the plate, averaging over 34 HR, 106 RBI, 174 H, and 99 R in his first three seasons. He had a career year last season with 203 hits, 113 runs, 114 RBI, 57 BB, and 20 SB, and it looks like the Hebrew Hammer is starting to figure things out. Ryan Braun is scary good and is the Kevin Durant of MLB, as both players have such great stats at such a young age.

9. Zack Greinke picked up his first career Cy Young award last season and finished with a remarkable 2.16 ERA in the hitter friendly American League. Greinke was responsible for 25% of the Royals victories last season and he was named to his first All Star team in 2010. He is considered one of the best pitchers in baseball and will only be 26 years old this season. Greinke has come a long way from when he left the game less than two years ago due to anxiety.

10. Felix Hernandez will enter his sixth season as a major leaguer and he is only 23 years old. He only has one All Star appearance, which was last year, but he also finished in second place for the Cy Young award last season. He should make more than a few more All Star games and has the potential to start this season’s gala. Hernandez has some of the game’s most electric stuff and much is expected from the M’s 23-year-old ace.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya

What if MLB Realigned the Divisions?

Where Would Your Favorite Team Play?

Ok, here is why the possible divisional realignment in Major League Baseball is a stupid idea: Let’s say you are the CEO of Walgreens and let’s say that a lot of your markets are doing really poorly. Let’s say that it’s because so little money is invested into them that they can’t compete with other Walgreens stores.

Meanwhile other markets, say Boston and New York, are doing amazingly well because a butt load of money is being put into them. But now you’re worried because everyone is complaining that Walgreens lacks a fundamental balance among their own stores and it’s turning people away, especially in the markets that are already suffering. Do you:

• Decide to create a similar budget for all stores so that there is more consistency issues and every stores is allowed an opportunity to thrive
OR

• Decide to move all your stores that are getting killed into the same area so, while they are still underfunded and ultimately a poor reflection of your company, at least they only have to compete against other underfunded stores.
If you chose B you are probably an ideal fit to be commissioner of Major League Baseball, or one of its owners. The proposed idea of realigning the leagues is as stupid an idea as MLB has come up with since they decided to not enact drug testing during the 90’s. And decided not to act on what they saw but that’s a whole other idea.

This idea of realignment is being pondered at all because the AL East is almost impossible to win if you aren’t the Yankees or the Red Sox. Then numbers in payroll reflect the caste system MLB has created. If we’re being truthful the Red Sox really don’t have the funds to compete with the Yankees either, they just happen to have the games brightest GM. Still, the idea here is that we’ll put stronger teams in the same division and weaker teams in another division. This way the weaker teams will get an opportunity to get into the post season.

So what we have here is an opportunity for the lowly Kansas City Royals or Cincinnati Reds to crack the postseason each year, only to get humiliated in the first round by a far superior Yankees Team. I mean, the Kansas City Royals are already in baseball hell. They don’t have the money to compete with the Yankees or even the White Sox so they are forced to farm a team each year in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle. So then if we realign the division we can put them in a different hell. They may be good enough to make the post season each year(which will be fraudulent in itself because they are only good enough because they play in such a weak division) but never good enough to win the whole thing.

The competitive balance is off in major league baseball and that is no surprise to anyone. What should come as a surprise is that management thinks it has anything to do with division alignment. It’s a money issue plain and simple. The Yankees will spend 201 million in payroll this year. That is better than the Nationals, Pirates, Padres, and Marlins…combined.

But what we need is division realignment right? Not a salary cap?

MLB avoids that idea like deadly virus but it’s missing the boat. Baseball is not king and while there are a million factors as to why Football is king, it shouldn’t be lost on the higher ups in baseball that while there are bad footballs teams, most teams are not far from being good. In baseball, so many are far from being good.

Do you think the Pirates, Nationals, and Royals fans believe for a second they have a team that could win a world series? That could win a division? That could win 8 in a row? I wouldn’t bet on it. It’s a terrible system baseball has created for itself. Teams get lucky from time to time but no one can compete consistently with the big money teams. So don’t try and create an illusion of competitiveness. When there is such a difference is the resources available there are going to be perennial winners and losers.

So instead of realigning divisions that already have great rivalries and traditions in it, how about beginning talks about revenue sharing and possibly making a salary minimum. Realigning divisions doesn’t solve a problem, it ducks the problem and creates more problems. In a weaker division the Kansas City Royals will still suck, they will just happen to look better doing it.

Michael Cahill

Oney Guillen: Say What?!

Oney Guillen Makes His Father Look Like A Genius

Ozzie Guillen may be the manager of the Chicago White Sox, but he’s a father first. On Friday he acted like it.

Guillen’s middle son Oney Guillen resigned from his position with the organization as a video scout on Friday. The resignation came after he was called in to talk about the nature and frequency of his tweets. Oney seemed to know the organization wasn’t happy as he tweeted last week “I love it how people are monitoring my tweets like I’m someone important. Everyone is entitled to there[sic] own opinion.”

According to local news outlets, the always outspoken Ozzie didn’t have a word to say to the media.

Oney’s resignation is coming on the heels of a social media intervening done by the front office in recent weeks. In February, Ozzie opened a Twitter account which seemed to draw a lot of skepticism from the media. Ozzie vowed to only tweet about daily life.

But what really drew attention was the nixing of an Ozzie Guillen website. Ozzie had planned to launch a site that would keep those in his home country of Venezuela more connected to him and the happenings of baseball in the United States. The White Sox front office found fault with that and so the website was permanently placed on the back burner.

While Ozzie was reportedly not pleased with the shutdown of his website plans, it was resignation of Oney that had him keeping quiet Friday afternoon.

It can’t be stressed enough how unfortunately this possible rift between Ozzie and the front office is. With the recent injury to Joe Nathan and the Tiger pitching woes the Sox are in perfect position to win the AL Central. And given the strength of their pitching staff they have the potential to go deep into October.

What the Sox don’t want to see is their outspoken and emotional manager tangling with their outspoken and often abrasive general manager, Kenny Williams. These two already tangled once this offseason over the Guillen’s decision to go with a DH by committee rather than resign Jim Thome.

The situation isn’t cut and dry as Oney certainly must understand that in the age of social media, everyone is watching including employers all over the country. Employers of high profile employees are keeping a particularly close watch and the more you say the more they will have a problem with it.

Still, is tweeting really worth forcing the resignation of the son of your manager and the face of your franchise? The White Sox are one of the more controlling organizations it seems but even they must understand that in the world we live in today there are a million ways to publicly express your thoughts and they can’t censor everything, as much as they might try.

It seems evident that a sit down to smooth things over must happen. Ozzie will always, and should always, be more concerned about his job as a father than his job as manager of the White Sox. Certainly life will go on in the scouting department without Oney, but it is life in the dugout that Williams should be worried about. Here’s hoping the front office isn’t damaging the season a month before it even begins.

Michael Cahill

Bryce Harper’s Weekend Update

Phenom Bryce Harper Continues to Hit The Cover Off The Ball

17 year old phenom Bryce Harper (College of Southern Nevada) is having a helluva first collegiate season, hitting .420 and getting on base 52% of the time while hitting a remarkable .552 in March. He had a big last weekend going 4-8, with four runs and five RBI. He has totaled eight HR, 27 RBI, six SB, and has a very impressive 19K/19BB.

March 20 vs. NW Colorado. He hammers a high changeup here; I wish they would throw him more fastballs.

Another double for the kid. Second time I have seen him show bunt this season. WTF? LOL.

He hits everything hard, and goes the other way all the time. More fastballs please.

Remember, TheDugoutDoctors.com is your home for all Bryce Harper everything.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya

MLB Players Most Likely to be Traded

Which Players Are The Most Likely to be Traded?

With Opening Day less than three weeks away, several would-be contenders still have holes to fill in their rosters. Yet, the flurry of minor open-market signings that occur annually just after the opening of Spring Training are over, and only the dregs of the free-agent class remain. For those teams who still want to add a meaningful piece, then, the only avenue may be to pay for that commodity by buying what another team is selling.

Of course, no team needs to make the bold gamble of trading for a big-name player right now. Most high-profile deals will take place at or around the July 31 deadline. Still, there is value and entertainment in musing upon which key Major Leaguers will change teams at some point this season.

Here, then, are nine intriguing players whose teams could send them packing in some sort of deal this season, especially if the respective clubs are poorly positioned to compete in mid-summer.

9. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, San Diego Padres: This is the most obvious choice, so let us dispense with it first. Gonzalez has one year and a club option remaining on his current contract, and would cost the Friars $10.35 million over that span. The consensus is that Gonzalez will not stay in San Diego after 2011, though, and so it falls to new Padres GM Jed Hoyer to get peak value for Gonzalez before it’s too late. Hoyer may not get a better chance to do so, and so when the Red Sox call with a sweetened offer sometime this summer, it would come as no surprise if Hoyer pulled the trigger.

8. Carl Crawford, OF, Tampa Bay Rays: Crawford, the speed demon who swiped six bases in one game last season, is a perfect candidate to be traded. He is in the last year of his current contract, plays on a small-market team and can add elite leadoff production and the league’s best defensive left fielder’s glove to a team that could desperately need it.

7. Lance Berkman, 1B, Houston Astros: The Astros’ problems run far too deep for new manager Brad Mills to fix them, and they will probably flounder toward the bottom half of a weak National League Central this season. Berkman, 34, is in the last year of a six-year contract and will make $14.5 million. His option, a $15-million albatross of a salary for his 35-year-old season in 2011, will not be picked up by anyone. If and when Houston falls from contention, Gm Ed Wade may look to unload Berkman on a contender bent on adding a bat. That is a tall task, because of Berkman’s growing injury history (he may miss Opening Day with a knee injury), his age and his no-trade clause. Assuming Berkman agrees to waive his no-trade provision, however, he could lead a parade of aging stars with bloated contracts who will exit Houston this season.

6. Ted Lilly, SP, Chicago Cubs: Lilly could be another veteran leading an exodus from a big-market NL Central club. Chicago has a lot of money coming off its books after 2010 in the persons of Lilly and first baseman Derrek Lee. Both have no-trade protection, but could choose to waive those rights if the Cubs fall far enough behind St. Louis to consider trading them. Lilly had a tremendous season in 2009, and would fetch a strong return for Cubs GM Jim Hendry if the time to deal him did arrive.

5. Adam Dunn, 1B/OF, Washington Nationals: Dunn had to wait half a decade for baseball to truly embrace the on-base percentage revolution, but now that it has, teams can genuinely understand what the towering slugger and his 224 home runs since 2004 add to a team. In the second and final year of his Washington deal, Dunn will be a very attractive left-handed bat for some team needing punch during the stretch run.

4. Ben Sheets, SP, Oakland Athletics: Sheets is this year’s Matt Holliday, for A’s GM Billy Beane. Although ostensibly gambling on Sheets’ repeated injuries subsiding long enough for him to regain his dominant form, Beane probably signed the right-handed hurler strictly for the purposes of getting great value for him around the trade deadline. If the A’s surprise everyone by battling for supremacy in a suddenly very weak American League West, Beane can hold on to Sheets and ride him into October. If not, however, Sheets could well end up joining any number of teams with playoff potential but shallow rotations.

3. Brandon Inge, 3B, Detroit Tigers: Inge strikes out too much and walks not enough to be an especially valuable offensive player, although he does have six straight double-digit home run seasons and swatted 27 last year. More pertinent is his defensive prowess and versatility. He is a truly exceptional defensive third baseman, and as recently as 2008 he caught 60 games very effectively. He also played 13 games in center field that year, further illustrating his athleticism. Inge’s contract is up after 2010, and Detroit could well find value for Inge on the trade market at the deadline.

2. Mike Lowell, 3B, Boston Red Sox: Lowell is slated to make $12 million in the last year of his current contract, and with both Kevin Youkilis and Adrian Beltre on board, he does not have a job in Boston. The Sox would love to move him, and might even eat some of that salary, but they would need to find a team willing to take him on. The Florida Marlins have a reported interest in re-acquiring him, but finding the right price on both sides of the deal could be tricky.

1. Roy Oswalt, SP, Houston Astros: Oswalt is a one-time superstar, but given his persistent problems with back injuries over the past few seasons, he will not fetch Houston the same value as Berkman. Still, if Wade gets a chance and Oswalt waives his no-trade clause, the Astros could look to ship their long-time ace to a contender and begin to rebuild a fairly miserable farm system.

Matt Trueblood

Power Rankings: Pitching Staffs

The Best and Worst of MLB Pitching Staffs

Everyone loves the long ball. But everyone knows the surest way to reach October is on the mound. A good pitching staff is paramount not only in getting to October, but surviving it.

Unfortunately not every team is coming to camp with a solid pitching staff. Some teams are far more hopeless than others though. So let’s see where they rank.

In order to compile such rankings I took a look at ERA, WHIP, BB/K ratio, injuries, experience, league and division they pitch in. And of course a little bit of the eye test.

30. Pittsburgh Pirates-This staff is a disaster. First they have no closer. It’s hard to believe in a pitching staff that has no closer. Their starting staff is a mess with the only notable name being Duke and he hasn’t been anything to brag about in a couple of years. The bullpen’s best era last year belonged to Brendan Donnelly who has been injured and is certainly on the back 9 of his career.

What makes it worse is that Pittsburgh is just the kind of organization who will certainly trade away any bright spot in the staff as soon as they can. So sadly there is no reason for hope.

29. Washington Nationals – I’d like to remind everyone that Strasburg isn’t breaking camp with the Nationals and likely won’t see regular season action until June. Not to mention that it’s hard to be sold on a guy with no track record for success. Does anyone remember the can’t miss prospect named Mark Prior? So that leaves Washington with a terrible starting staff led by an average pitcher in Marquis and a bullpen that is short on arms and a closer who had a 5.80 ERA last season. They had better reconsider breaking with Strasburg as he looks to be the only thing of value on the staff.

28. Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles are in the process of turning over their whole team. Macphail has gone with a youth movement to try and combat their hopelessness in the payroll heavy AL East. Unfortunately with youth brings wild inconsistency. Their ace is a guy who barely registers as a number 2 starter on most staffs in Kevin Millwood. Unfortunately, behind him are 4 guys who could end up being great or likely becoming pretenders. If their starting staff finds a way to keep games close, they won’t be helped by their bullpen. It’s inconsistent at best and if they find a way to get to their closer, who hasn’t proven he can get the job done either, it will be a miracle.

27. Cleveland Indians – Once considered a serious contender for a World Series Title, things have fallen off in Cleveland. Their staff posted a 5.06 ERA last season and this year doesn’t look like it will get any better. Westbrook will be the anchor of an otherwise ugly staff. Huff and Masterson aren’t very good. Carmona looks to have been a one trick pony and their projected staff has 4 arms that posted well over a 4.00 ERA last year. Sure Wood is still a solid closer but blowing 6 saves last year with a 4.25 ERA doesn’t instill the kind of confidence you’d like to see out of your saver.

What hurts is this is the same staff that had Sabathia and Cliff Lee two years ago. It’s too bad baseball couldn’t make it affordable to keep one of those guys. Cleveland feels hopeless right now and that staff offers no reason for optimism. I’m sure the citizens of Cleveland are praying LeBron stays otherwise they will rank as the most depressing sports city.

26. Toronto Blue Jays – Is there anything more depressing than losing one of the best pitchers of a generation? Toronto has to be in the bottom 10 for two really big reasons: their closer and their starting staff. Credit must be given to the bullpen which isn’t bad, but Romero hasn’t proven he can be the ace of a staff. Marcum has had some good moments but isn’t consistent. And the rest of the rotation are guys who were limited in action last year and weren’t that good in what they showed. Then they go out and attempt to solve their problems in the closer role by getting Kevin Gregg. I live in Chicago and I can tell you firsthand that if he your best closer than you have no closer. He often resembles a softball pitcher who doesn’t intimidate anyone. Bad closer + bad staff=26th ranking.

25. Kansas City Royals – Ok, I understand they have Greinke. Name the next guy on that staff that you would want on your team. Soria? Great. Now, remember that we have just completely ignored the other 10 guys on that staff and for good reason. They are all sub-par pitchers. I give credit to Gil Meche, while he hasn’t been worth the contract he got, he hasn’t been a big disappointment either. Still, there is no one else on that staff you’d want to see on your team.
Kansas City rarely makes noise in even the “weak” AL Central, but with this staff they will be viewed as the team you use to gain ground on your division foes.

24. New York Mets – This is the same argument with Kansas City. You’d want their ace on your team and you’d want their closer too, but all the pieces in between are not desirable. The rest of their staff is either coming off a season of injuries, young and very green, or new to the United States. The Mets cannot feel confident about competing in the same division as the Phillies when their only really good piece is Santana. Granted he’s one of the best in the game and always a good bet for the Cy Young, but he can only do it for 200 innings a year. That leaves a lot of work for a terrible staff to handle.

23. Houston Astros – No closer. That’s the first big problem. You can’t have a solid pitching staff when you can’t even name your closer. So if we’re working backwards we are left with a bullpen that has a good guy in Lyon and the rest of pen is forgettable. Then the starting staff is Oswalt and Rodriguez and a piecemeal staff. So if I’m an Astros fan I have to hope that after Rodriguez pitches we get lots of rain on road trips and that allows those two to pitch again. Either way you cannot pin your hopes of a successful season to just 2 starters.

22. Florida Marlins – The Marlins always find a way to win but I have a feeling this year they are going to need a bigger bag of tricks. Their rotation isn’t much to talk about. Nolasco had an ERA in the 5’s last season and Sanchez posted good numbers but is an injury worry. The bullpen has a couple of good pieces in Sanches and Pinto, but when they have to go to Tucker and Martinez, they could be in trouble. What really pulls the strength of the staff down is their closer. Registering a 4.06 while blowing 7 saves makes you shaky at best.

21. Minnesota Twins – This staff would’ve been higher had Nathan not gotten injured. But knowing Joe Nathan is probably going to miss the entire season really puts them in an awful situation. Now, the Twins always find a way of getting just enough out of their staff to win the AL Central and it could happen again but if we’re judging them on staff alone, they don’t measure up. They lack a starter who even comes close to resembling an ace. Baker is nice. Pavano is talent overrated. Blackburn is trouble and Liriano will probably never be the sensation he was. Their bullpen was strong for them last year but this year may be stretched too far. If they have to move Rauch to the closer role, it will take it will take its toll on the rest of the pen.

20. Arizona Diamondbacks- Tell me what I’m supposed to like about the Diamondbacks staff this season. Is it Webb coming off a major injury? Is it a bullpen that is unimpressive at best? Is it a closer who has an ERA over 3 and only 24 saves and not any longevity at the position? If you said Dan Haren, I’ll give you that. He’s very good. And if Webb Comes back healthy and dominates you will have a much better staff than expected. But right now that whole staff is pinning their hopes on the arm of a guy who hasn’t pitched in a year.

19. Detroit Tigers – I know Verlander is a stud. And Valverde is a really good closer. Still, that bullpen is an absolute mess. Zumaya seems to have lost whatever mojo he had. No one in their bullpen except for Perry had a sub-4 era last season. Throw in the fact that Bonderman is coming off an injury and we have a very suspect staff that will rely on a potent lineup to give them hope of a division title.

18. Texas Rangers – Texas has a quality bullpen and I believe Nolan Ryan is going to turn their minor league system around from a pitching standpoint. But the most impressive piece of the staff is Rich Harden and he’s a 5 inning pitcher at best and a DL lock at least once a season. Texas will have a staff that is going to struggle, especially in the unfriendly heat of Arlington.

17. Atlanta Braves- This staff is getting a higher ranking than some people might expect. They lost Vazquez, and Hudson is coming off of major surgery. However, the starting staff has some very good pieces. Jurrjens has a 2.57 and 1.21 WHIP last year. Hanson looked like an ace through 21 starts last year. Even their projected fifth starter Kawakami finished with a sub 4 ERA. Their bullpen is a bit messy and it is going to be tough getting to Wagner but he’ll be effective when they do.

And it must be noted that Atlanta has a really good organizational philosophy and that bodes well for anyone they might bring up. There is a lot of reason for optimism if you root for them.

16. The Colorado Rockies- This is a solid staff. Jimenez is a good front man. Francis was injured last year but if he comes back healthy he could be the best 5 starter in baseball. The bullpen took a hit with Buchholz being shut down and Corpas coming off a second half injury. Street, their closer, was great last year posting a 0.91 whip. The rotation will be a strength but the middle relief might cost them another run at the playoffs.

15. Milwaukee Brewers- Why is Milwaukee ahead of Detroit? Simple: A historically great closer coming off a great season. Also a bullpen that is really good. And a starting staff anchored by Wolf and Gallardo who are both very solid guys. What the Brewers lack in a true ace they make up for by having a solid rotation one through five.

14. Chicago Cubs – I want to put them higher because they are the kind of staff that could end up making me look like a fool by the end of the season. However it’s hard to justify it. Zambrano is a stud when he wants to be. I repeat, WHEN he wants to be. Lilly is coming off an injury and their fifth starter could be the previously God awful Carlos Silva. The bullpen is actually pretty solid with Grabow, Guzman, and Marshall leading the way for Marmol who seems to have found his niche as their closer. This is a swing staff. By the end of the season I could’ve justified putting them in the top 10 or the bottom 10. But too much talent to justify putting them any lower than this.

13. Oakland Athletics- If Ben Sheets turns out to be worth the 10 million Oakland is paying him this season, this could be a top 10 staff. Until then it’ll have to settle for number 13. Sheets will headline a rotation that has some very good talent in Cahill, Braden, and Duchscherer. The bullpen has some really strong performers coming off of strong years. Devine, Ziegler, Breslow and Wuertz all posted sub 4 ERA’s.

And then there is Bailey. I’m not sure where he came from but I would certainly like to know if there is any more like him. What a stud this guy was last year. With a 1.84 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP Bailey is arguably the best young closer in baseball. This staff is good and will certainly be a headache for the rest of the AL this season.

12. San Diego Padres– The Padres rotation is solid from first starter to last starter. Nothing about them will Wow you but it’s reliable. Bell is the Padres lights out closer which adds a lot of strength to an already strong bullpen. He had 42 saves last year and posted a 2.71. They may not score a lot of runs but they won’t give up many either.

11. Cincinnati Reds – It’s really too bad that the rest of the team isn’t great because this staff has the makings to be a force in the NL. Chapman looks like he’s going to be absolutely nasty. He’s going to be rounding out a rotation that features Harang and Cueto. The bullpen features Rhodes and Masset and they have a lock down closer in Cordero. If they ever get their lineup set, they are going to be a lot of trouble in the NL Central for a long time.

10. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- This is still a good staff, but much like the Angels themselves, they may no longer be the class of their division. The rotation is good but with the loss of Lackey the Angels are lacking a little fire power. Mix that with a bullpen that are all coming off average or below average seasons. Fuentes is solid closer but certainly not a top 5 closer by any means. All these things together make for a staff that can win you a division, but it’s no longer a guarantee.

9. Tampa Bay Rays- This is the most unassuming staff in baseball. Most casual fans couldn’t name a pitcher on the staff but this is certainly a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The highest ERA on the entire staff is 4.81(Balfour) and the highest whip is 1.47. Soriano is the Tampa’s lock down closer and would get more attention if he wasn’t in a division with Paplebon and Rivera. The only thing this staff lacks is a legit ace but with pieces like that, it’s not really needed.

8. New York Yankees – I bet a lot of people will disagree with this particular ranking but there are holes with the starting staff. Sabathia is a true ace. Burnett is inconsistent, Pettitte is old, and Vazquez is going to be pitching in a much tougher league, in a much tougher division, with far more pressure.

If the Yankees are serious about moving Chamberlain to the starting rotation then it’s only going to hurt their bullpen which already has some issues with Marte and Mitre. Certainly if their bullpen holds up though they have without question the best closer the game has ever seen coming off one of the best years of his life. 2 blown saves. That’s it. Amazing.

7. St. Louis Cardinals – It’s amazing what a quality pitching coach can do. With Dave Duncan in charge I almost like Lohse on the staff. It certainly makes Duncan’s job easier when you have aces in Wainwright and Carpenter as the 1-2 punch in your rotation. The bullpen was outstanding last year with Reyes, McClellan, Miller, and Hawksworth all with a WHIP under 1.40. And we haven’t even gotten to Franklin who is easily the best closer in the division. This staff is going to win them a ton of games with or without Dave Duncan.

6. Los Angeles Dodgers – Three reasons to like the Dodgers: 1. Kershaw is really good. 2. Sherrill, Troncoso, Belisario, and Kuo all had an ERA under 3. 3. Broxton posted a WHIP of .96. It’s hard to find a weak link in this staff.

5. Chicago White Sox – What a difference an ace makes. Peavy is exactly what the South Siders have been looking for. He’s that dominate starter that every team wants. What makes it all the better is the guys behind him in the rotation are all proven big league pitchers and even their fifth starter, Garcia, when healthy, has been in the top half of the games pitchers.

The bullpen was solid last year with Thornton as their dominate set up man. They bring Putz into the fold this year and he’ll provide insurance for the reliable Bobby Jenks. Few recognize Jenks as a top closer but he’s been delivering consistency year after year. This staff is easily the class of the AL Central.

4. San Francisco Giants – This is the staff with maybe the best upside in baseball. Lincecum is at the top of his game right now and Zito has turned his albatross contract into decent results. Cain and Bumgardner both have great futures in the majors.

The bullpen is stacked at the top with Affedt, Romo, and Medders and they shut it down with Wilson, one of the better closers in the game last season. There isn’t a reason why their pitching staff should hurt them in a single game this season. Of course the staff will have its off days, but it is certainly hard to see how.

3. Seattle Mariners – This staff is unreal. Fernandez, Bedard and Rowland-Smith were all outstanding last year. So the Mariners decide to add Lee just to make the rotation that much more deadly. You put Lowe, League, and White in the bullpen and Aardsma as your closer and you have the nastiest staff in the AL West and arguably the best rotation in baseball. If Seattle can’t win the division with this staff, they need to wonder if they ever can.

2. Philadelphia Phillies – Happ and Hamels are already ace caliber pitchers but they go ahead and add Roy Halladay. This guy may be the best pitcher of his generation and an absolute work horse. And with a one of the best bullpens in baseball it’s hard to figure out how the Phillies won’t win the NL East again. Lidge isn’t someone you can always trust and that will hurt them if his confidence is shaken. But when he’s on his game he’s hard to hit. Still, with the Phillies offense, it should minimize the need for a closer.

1. Boston Red Sox- You know your pitching staff is top notch when the number 1 problem you have is deciding between Buchholz and Wakefield for your fifth starter. The bullpen didn’t have a weak spot last year and next to Rivera, Papelbon makes a great case as the best closer in the game.

Not to mention that if this team reaches October their rotation will be Lester, Beckett, and Lackey. That is the one staff that no one should want to face.

Michael Cahill

Position Battles: AL Central

There are plenty of position battles in the AL Central

The AL Central will be won by one of three teams.

The White Sox, Tigers, or Royals.

Ha JK, replace KC with the Twins and you get the cream of the AL Central crop. It will be a competitive race all season long and let’s take a look at some of the positions up for grabs within the division.

CWS
The only battle on the White Sox is between veterans Mark Kotsay and Andruw Jones for the starting DH spot. Both players are proven hitters, but both past their primes, and it looks like Ozzie Guillen will use a platoon system, at least for the beginning. Kotsay will start against RHP and Jones vs. LHP, while both may get looks in the OF to spell starters.

DET
According to some, the 2B position is all but locked up by rookie Scott Sizemore, but do not count out Jim Leyland favorite Ramon Santiago. Sizemore is only a rookie, but that scares everyone but Leyland, who loves talent ahead of everything. It looks like the position is Sizemore’s to lose, but if he struggles look for the veteran Santiago to step in immediately.

The more interesting battle is for the fifth spot in the Tigers’ rotation. The competition used to be between three pitchers, but DET recently demoted Armando Galarraga to AAA, and the race is between two veteran left handed pitchers.

Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson we be dueling it out for the remainder of the spring, and most likely into the season, to see who gets the final spot in the rotation. Although management might step in and hand it to Willis, who makes $10 million this season. Ouch.

KC
The Royals will not be good but they do have an interesting battle in the middle infield between shortstops Yuniesky Betancourt and Mike Aviles, and second basemen Alberto Callaspo and Chris Getz.

Aviles hit .325 only two years ago and finished fourth in the AL ROY award, but missed most of last season with Tommy John surgery. He will be battling with Betancourt for the starting gig, who has been a fulltime starting SS since 2006 while playing in Seattle and KC. Aviles will likely fill the role of utility man this season, but he needs to hit more than anything if he wants to play this season.

For some odd reason Alberto Callaspo is listed as the second 2B on the Royals depth chart, behind newly acquired Chris Getz. Callaspo hit a cool .300 last season in 155 games, and the position should be his to lose, but management traded for Chris Getz, who hit a paltry .260 last season. Hopefully the Royals will come to their senses and start Callaspo, but that might be asking a lot from a team that has not won anything since high tops were cool. Wait …

MIN
The Twins will always battle for division supremacy no matter the payroll and it amazes me a lot of teams do not follow their lead.

Typically teams have big time boppers at 3B, but not the cash-strapped Twinkies who go to war with Brendan Harris and Nick Punto. LOL

The funny thing is that neither should be starting for a big league team, but it is a serious competition between Harris and Punto. Harris hit .261 last season, and Punto only .228, and needless to say the Twins are in the market for a 3B.

One of the most important questions all spring for any team will be who will take over as the Twins closer? One of the Twins’ strengths before the injury to Joe Nathan was their bullpen, and if they choose to fix the problem in-house they might not have a huge problem filling the void. It will be up to Matt Guerier, Pat Neshek, John Rauch, and perhaps … wait for it … Francisco Liriano. Fantasy owners and Twins fans hope Liriano stays in the rotation, but he might be the dark horse for the closer job.

CLE
The Indians were one game away from the World Series three years ago, but have since sadly traded Cy Young Award winners Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia. The Indians had the right formula nearly a decade ago, and are trying to follow their blueprint of success once again, but the Indians will not be very good this season.

LF is up for grabs as CLE could go with former first round pick Matt LaPorta or another young prospect, Michael Brantley. Brantley hit .313 in 112 AB last season while LaPorta hit .254 with seven HR in 181 AB. LaPorta is coming off off-season hip surgery, and might be in the mix at 1B and DH, clearing room for Brantley to play LF.

LaPorta is involved in another competition at 1B with veteran Russell Branyan and former “can’t miss prospect” Andy Marte. Branyan had a monster 2009 and was brought in as the starting 1B, but he will get a fight from Mart and LaPorta.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya

Position Battles: AL East

There are plenty of position battles in MLB’s hardest division

We find ourselves in the middle of the spring training schedule, and as usual there are plenty of position battles for each team. The battles have a significant impact on fantasy baseball, and with many drafts coming up in the next few weeks lets take a look at which battles are the most important in the AL East.

AL East

BAL
The Orioles will not win the most expensive division in MLB and they are in the unenviable position of trying to compete in the hardest division while giving their younger players ample playing time.

The O’s picked up Miguel Tejada in the off-season who will battle for playing time at 3B with Ty Wiggington. There is also a battle at the bat rack for the DH spot, as Luke Scott will get the most AB, with Wiggington and starting LF Nolan Reimold also battling.

Wiggington will be playing all over the place this season, as Tejada will start at third, and Luke Scott will get the majority of AB as the DH.

NYY
The only position battles in Yankee land are in LF and for the fifth starter.

Brett Gardner will likely win the LF job over Randy Winn and Marcus Thames due to his speed, defense, and bunting ability.

The Yankees fifth starter has become an issue this season because of the Bo-Sox’s nasty starting rotation and because everyone loves the battle between Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes.

Either Joba or Hughes will likely take over as closer when Mariano retires, and the team will likely start preparing for that this season. Thus far, it looks like Hughes has the upper hand for the fifth starter.

BOS
The Red Sox signed Adrian Beltre to a lucrative contract this season, which all but guarantees his spot in the starting lineup over former starter Mike Lowell. Bill Hall also joins the IF mix while the back end of the rotation is the main story.

The fourth and fifth starting rotation spots are wide open between the $100 million man Daisuke Matsuzaka, and fan favorites Clay Buchholz and Tim Wakefield. There is no doubt management will step in and give Dice-K every opportunity to start this season but the real story is what role will Wakefield have?

Clay Buchholz is the favorite to land the fifth spot and will Wakefield be cut or do the Red Sox want a knuckleballer in the bullpen?

TOR
The Blue Jays, like the Orioles, will not win the AL East this season and are still a few years from being legitimate contenders, but that does not mean there aren’t a few position battles.

For some odd reason the Jays gave Kevin Gregg a contract and he is currently listed as the TOR closer. Ask even the drunkest Cubs fan and they will tell you that is a bad decision. It is only a matter of time before Jason Frasor gets some looks at the end of games.

There are about 12 starting pitchers battling for spots on the Blue Jays roster, but you can never have enough pitchers. The only pitchers that are guaranteed spots in the rotation are Ricky Romero, Mark Rzepczynski, and Shaun Marcum who is coming back from Tommy John surgery. That leaves Brandon Morrow, Brian Tallet, and Brett Cecil all battling for two spots.

TB
The Rays will be battling with the Yankees and Red Sox all season long and will rely on the same things that got them to the World Series only two seasons ago. They can pitch, play defense, and run the bases, and the Rays do not have many position battles, which is a good thing, as consistent lineups are the key to a strong season.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya

Ron Washington, WTF?!

Ron Washington Did What?!

Ron Washington’s job appears safe today, despite a Sports Illustrated story published yesterday on SI.com reporting what Washington, the Texas Rangers and Major League Baseball had known for nearly nine months: Washington tested positive for cocaine during July 2009.

Washington insists that the incident was isolated, that it has not happened since, and that he is not a cocaine addict. The Rangers and MLB, citing the candor and honesty with which Washington handled the situation, decided not to take action against him.

“He came forward and offered to resign,” said team president Nolan Ryan. “He understood the consequences and we had a lot of discussions and soul-searching, and we felt that we would treat him just as we would other employees through our Human Resources Department.”

Washington found out he would be tested in advance, and reported to the commissioner’s office that he would likely fail. After he did, all parties decided against disciplinary action, believing Washington to be truthful in his statement that the cocaine use was a one-time mistake.

“I fully understand I disappointed a lot of people,” said Washington at a press conference Wednesday. “I am truly sorry for my careless, dangerous and frankly, stupid, behavior last year. I made a huge mistake, and it almost caused me to lose everything I have worked for all my life.”

What should be more of a disappointment to baseball fans than Washington’s transgression, however, is the appalling tolerance of it demonstrated by everyone involved. After a half-decade of witch-hunting for players who may or may not have used steroids before they were even made illegal under the rules of the game, the degree of forgiveness so quickly bestowed upon Washington for admitted use of an illegal substance while the careers of his players and the hopes of his team’s fans rode on his decisions is unconscionable.

Washington will return for his fourth season as Rangers manager in 2010, and is generally beloved by his players, including and especially outfielder Josh Hamilton. Hamilton, whose career was nearly lost to heavy use of cocaine, alcohol and other drugs, supported Washington completely.

“Everybody makes mistakes,” Hamilton said. “I respect him as a man, as a coach and as a man of high integrity. When he was speaking to us in here, you could tell he was broken and really felt remorse about it.”

Still, Hamilton admitted to having had a relapse in his battle against addiction just one year ago, and to have a known user of cocaine as his boss is as unseemly as it is potentially dangerous. Washington deserves the axe, but don’t expect it come down. Washington will be back in Texas, and with the team on the cusp of Division title contention, the lights shining on Arlington will be brighter than ever before in Rangers history. Hopefully, the situation will not distract Washington’s talented team from their ultimate goal: making the playoffs for the first time since 1999.??

Matt Trueblood

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