Offbase editors Derwood Morris and MTD haven't had much luck previewing things lately-MTD incorrectly predicted Gary Discarcina would come out of retirement to help the Angels win the 2009 World Series and Derwood thought Teen Wolf 3 would be the 2010 summer blockbuster. But here are division previews anyway.
Today I preview the AL Central because my boy Mike at The Golden Sombrero doesn't respond to text messages anymore. Jerk.
Chicago (2010: 88-74)
The White Sox picked up Adam Dunn's Three True Outcomes to DH for a pretty good lineup provided Paul Konerko, Alex Rios and Carlos Quentin don't completely collapse on themselves. Somebody better knock on wood. The good news is Gordan Beckham can't possibly be as bad as he was in 2010. Unless he's been studying the Brandon Wood handbook to future unemployment. Remember when Jake Peavy was a great pitcher? No, seriously, I really want to know. Somebody look that up for me.
Minnesota (94-68)
I'm fascinated by the Twins. Justin Morneau won an MVP that he didn't deserve in 2006 but was well on his way to an MVP season last year before a concussion derailed his second half. I blame that on pee-wee hockey and Canada. Joe Nathan missed the entire season and Joe Mauer went back to not hitting for power. And then Carl Pavano pitched like he belonged in Major League Baseball and they won 94 games. My Off Base prediction for the Twins is that Tsuyoshi Nishioka will hit .387 in 2011 and then .116 in 2012 but they'll still make the playoffs thanks to Gardy's willingness to sac bunt in the first inning.
Detroit (81-81)
Miguel Cabrera had another offseason bout with alcohol and is projected to have another 35+ home run season. There's something to be said about consistency. Austin Jackson's BABIP and OBP should regress in a big way leaving Cabrera and Victor Martinez as the only Major League bats in the lineup.
Cleveland (69-93)
Quick, name a starter other than Fausto Carmona. Shin-Soo Choo is pretty much the bright spot for the Indians until Carlos Santana is fully healthy from his season ending injury in his rookie year. Grady Sizemore is still trying to get his once-bright career back on track after being derailed by injuries. Here's to hoping Grady can play at a high level again and keeps his clothes on.
Kansas City (67-95)
The Royals farm system is loaded. 2011 begins their journey toward World Series Championship contention...in 2015.
Showing posts with label division previews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label division previews. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Off Base NL Central Preview
Offbase editors Derwood Morris and MTD haven't had much luck previewing things lately-MTD incorrectly predicted Gary Discarcina would come out of retirement to help the Angels win the 2009 World Series and Derwood thought Teen Wolf 3 would be the 2010 summer blockbuster. But here are division previews anyway.
Today we take a crack at the NL Central, home of the Pirates, and five other teams.
Cincinnati (2010: 91-71)
The Red Stockings won the division last season and then pulled a 1998/1999 Texas Rangers against the Phillies in the division series. Joey Votto had a monster 2010 and won the NL MVP, but really the guy's been fantastic since he broke in during the 2007 season (162-game average: .314/.401/.557, 151 OPS+). The Reds led the NL in runs scored a year ago and have some of the best young pitching in the big leagues, namely Travis Wood, Johnny Cueto and Aroldis Chapman. Things on the roster that aren't young: Edgar Renteria, Miguel Cairo, Scott Rolen.
Chicago (75-87)
The Cubs parted ways with Carlos Silva and the other man living underneath Carlos Silva's shirt when both were released a few days ago. Once Ted Lilly was traded to Los Angeles on the trade deadline last July, Silva became the Cubs' best starter, but now a number of people will be trying to grab that title.
1. Carlos Zambrano. The rooster in Carlos Zambrano's ear reported Carlos Zambrano is 4% less crazy, but there's a 100% chance that percentage goes down a few minutes after Chicago's season begins.
2. Ryan Dempster. Had a monster 2008 season and got paid for it (3-year, $38 million contract through '11), but fell off a bit in '09 and '10. He'll get the opening day start for the Cubbies, and if you believe morons, that means certain HOF entry for the right-hander if he keeps getting those types of assignments.
3. Matt Garza. Was traded from Tampa Bay after consecutive 200-inning seasons for the Rays. Going from the AL East to a division with the Pirates and Astros has to make a starting pitcher happy.
Chicago should have a good bullpen with erratic/electric Carlos Marmol (52 BB, 138 K in 77 2/3 IP) closing, Sean Marshall coming off an excellent season and Kerry Wood back in the red, white and blue for the first time since 2008.
St. Louis (86-76)
Albert Pujols' contract status was a major topic of discussion this past off-season, but what about Nick Punto's contract status?!
Milwaukee (77-85)
The Brewers were picked by many to challenge and perhaps win the Central when they traded for right-hander Zach Greinke from KC in December. Greinke was expected to join Yovani Gallardo as an excellent 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation, but that will have to wait. During spring camp, Greinke suffered a cracked rib playing basketball and will start the season on the disabled list.
Brewers person: "Hey Zack, we're just thrilled to have you in Milwaukee. By the way, there's plenty of BRATWURST available in this city. I don't know if you were aware that Milwaukee has BRATWURST. Anyway, we think adding you to our rotation gives us a great chance to win. Oh, you'll be making $13.5 million this year. Not all at once! (laughs to himself). Now, if you wouldn't mind playing some basketball, injuring yourself and missing the start of the season, we'd really appreciate it."
Milwaukee has a number of other players on the disabled list to open 2011, including terrible pitchers Manny Parra (strained back) and Latroy Hawkins (right shoulder), right fielder Corey Hart (strained oblique) and young catcher Jonathan Lucroy (broken finger). No truth to the rumors that the four were injured during a spirited game of capture the flag.
Houston (76-86)
Seems like a long time ago when Houston was playing in its first World Series, but it was only 2005. Since then, the Astros have been close to a .500 team (391-418) and haven't finished higher than third in the Central. This is the fifth year of Carlos Lee's six-year, $100 million contract and so far he's unofficially earned $63,491 of it.
Pittsburgh (57-105)
Maybe the franchise should change its name back to the Alleghenys, or bring back Bobby Bonilla to coach first base. Put a Pirates hat on a chimpanzee and have it play third. Try something, because whatever they've been doing in Pittsburgh hasn't been working. The Bucs haven't had a winning season since 1992 (18 consecutive under .500), and there's nothing to suggest that streak won't be extended to 19. The Pirates have some good, young talent in Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker, but if Kevin Correia, he of the -1.8 WAR for San Diego a year ago, is your opening day starter, then I'm afraid you're in for a Season of Alvaro.
OFFBASE GLOSSARY
Season of Alvaro - Comes from the Latin phrase "Alvaro Espinoza" meaning terrible results expected from April-to-September.
Today we take a crack at the NL Central, home of the Pirates, and five other teams.
Cincinnati (2010: 91-71)
The Red Stockings won the division last season and then pulled a 1998/1999 Texas Rangers against the Phillies in the division series. Joey Votto had a monster 2010 and won the NL MVP, but really the guy's been fantastic since he broke in during the 2007 season (162-game average: .314/.401/.557, 151 OPS+). The Reds led the NL in runs scored a year ago and have some of the best young pitching in the big leagues, namely Travis Wood, Johnny Cueto and Aroldis Chapman. Things on the roster that aren't young: Edgar Renteria, Miguel Cairo, Scott Rolen.
Chicago (75-87)
The Cubs parted ways with Carlos Silva and the other man living underneath Carlos Silva's shirt when both were released a few days ago. Once Ted Lilly was traded to Los Angeles on the trade deadline last July, Silva became the Cubs' best starter, but now a number of people will be trying to grab that title.
1. Carlos Zambrano. The rooster in Carlos Zambrano's ear reported Carlos Zambrano is 4% less crazy, but there's a 100% chance that percentage goes down a few minutes after Chicago's season begins.
2. Ryan Dempster. Had a monster 2008 season and got paid for it (3-year, $38 million contract through '11), but fell off a bit in '09 and '10. He'll get the opening day start for the Cubbies, and if you believe morons, that means certain HOF entry for the right-hander if he keeps getting those types of assignments.
3. Matt Garza. Was traded from Tampa Bay after consecutive 200-inning seasons for the Rays. Going from the AL East to a division with the Pirates and Astros has to make a starting pitcher happy.
Chicago should have a good bullpen with erratic/electric Carlos Marmol (52 BB, 138 K in 77 2/3 IP) closing, Sean Marshall coming off an excellent season and Kerry Wood back in the red, white and blue for the first time since 2008.
St. Louis (86-76)
Albert Pujols' contract status was a major topic of discussion this past off-season, but what about Nick Punto's contract status?!
Milwaukee (77-85)
The Brewers were picked by many to challenge and perhaps win the Central when they traded for right-hander Zach Greinke from KC in December. Greinke was expected to join Yovani Gallardo as an excellent 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation, but that will have to wait. During spring camp, Greinke suffered a cracked rib playing basketball and will start the season on the disabled list.
Brewers person: "Hey Zack, we're just thrilled to have you in Milwaukee. By the way, there's plenty of BRATWURST available in this city. I don't know if you were aware that Milwaukee has BRATWURST. Anyway, we think adding you to our rotation gives us a great chance to win. Oh, you'll be making $13.5 million this year. Not all at once! (laughs to himself). Now, if you wouldn't mind playing some basketball, injuring yourself and missing the start of the season, we'd really appreciate it."
Milwaukee has a number of other players on the disabled list to open 2011, including terrible pitchers Manny Parra (strained back) and Latroy Hawkins (right shoulder), right fielder Corey Hart (strained oblique) and young catcher Jonathan Lucroy (broken finger). No truth to the rumors that the four were injured during a spirited game of capture the flag.
Houston (76-86)
Seems like a long time ago when Houston was playing in its first World Series, but it was only 2005. Since then, the Astros have been close to a .500 team (391-418) and haven't finished higher than third in the Central. This is the fifth year of Carlos Lee's six-year, $100 million contract and so far he's unofficially earned $63,491 of it.
Pittsburgh (57-105)
Maybe the franchise should change its name back to the Alleghenys, or bring back Bobby Bonilla to coach first base. Put a Pirates hat on a chimpanzee and have it play third. Try something, because whatever they've been doing in Pittsburgh hasn't been working. The Bucs haven't had a winning season since 1992 (18 consecutive under .500), and there's nothing to suggest that streak won't be extended to 19. The Pirates have some good, young talent in Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker, but if Kevin Correia, he of the -1.8 WAR for San Diego a year ago, is your opening day starter, then I'm afraid you're in for a Season of Alvaro.
OFFBASE GLOSSARY
Season of Alvaro - Comes from the Latin phrase "Alvaro Espinoza" meaning terrible results expected from April-to-September.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Off Base NL West Preview
Offbase editors Derwood Morris and MTD haven't had much luck previewing things lately-MTD incorrectly predicted Gary Discarcina would come out of retirement to help the Angels win the 2009 World Series and Derwood thought Teen Wolf 3 would be the 2010 summer blockbuster. But here are division previews anyway.
In this post, I look at the NL West. The West is of course home to the defending strikeout kings of baseball, the Arizona Diamondbacks. And some team that won some series.
San Fransisco (2010: 92-70)
The Giants just barely got past the Padres to make the playoffs. Once they got into the postseason, Cody Ross homered them to the World Series Championship. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Brian Wilson also contributed. The Giants return just about everybody except they swapped out a couple of old short stops. They'll get a full season from blog favorite and 2010 NL ROY Buster Posey. Perhaps the Giants learned their lesson by almost missing the playoffs and won't mess around this season with top prospect Brandon Belt's service time. Pablo Sandoval reportedly lost 300 pounds after cutting entire deep fried pigs out of his diet and looks to rebound from a poor 2010 season. And hopefully, we'll get more of this...
Obviously, I mean Brian Wilson and not George Lopez who I'm trying to get deported for crimes against comedy.
Colorado (83-79)
The Rox rewarded their young stars by locking up Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez to monster contracts. CarGo displayed some uncanny home/road splits in 2010 to the tune of .380/.425/.737 and .289/.322/.453 but those home stats still count. Tulo is a fantastic player by all accounts but hasn't displayed a knack for staying healthy. But I'm not on the hook for any of that cash so the next few years look like pretty good deals. PECOTA thinks Ubaldo Jiminez comes back down to his 2009 stats but a tad worse and I'm inclined to believe that based on my scientific whimsy.
Los Angeles (80-82)
I think the Dodgers have a better rotation than the Rockies but they did let Russell Martin walk just when it looked like he was poised to give Jeff Mathis some competition for most incompetent LA catcher at the plate. So Mathis can go ahead and get that 2011 acceptance speech ready. Matt Kemp should have a better season unless having dated Rihanna turns out to be some kind of career killer. Which is why I have rejected her many advances. You know, for the sake of the blog.
San Diego (90-72)
I hear the weather is nice. And a zoo, right? So, that's cool.
Arizona (65-97)
The Diamondbacks struck out an impressive 1,529 times last year. The Marlins were the next closest with 1,375. The D-Backs shipped off Mark Reynolds who struck out over 200 times for the past three season in an effort to make me stop watching them altogether. Good job, Arizona. You just became less interesting.
In this post, I look at the NL West. The West is of course home to the defending strikeout kings of baseball, the Arizona Diamondbacks. And some team that won some series.
San Fransisco (2010: 92-70)
The Giants just barely got past the Padres to make the playoffs. Once they got into the postseason, Cody Ross homered them to the World Series Championship. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Brian Wilson also contributed. The Giants return just about everybody except they swapped out a couple of old short stops. They'll get a full season from blog favorite and 2010 NL ROY Buster Posey. Perhaps the Giants learned their lesson by almost missing the playoffs and won't mess around this season with top prospect Brandon Belt's service time. Pablo Sandoval reportedly lost 300 pounds after cutting entire deep fried pigs out of his diet and looks to rebound from a poor 2010 season. And hopefully, we'll get more of this...
Obviously, I mean Brian Wilson and not George Lopez who I'm trying to get deported for crimes against comedy.
Colorado (83-79)
The Rox rewarded their young stars by locking up Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez to monster contracts. CarGo displayed some uncanny home/road splits in 2010 to the tune of .380/.425/.737 and .289/.322/.453 but those home stats still count. Tulo is a fantastic player by all accounts but hasn't displayed a knack for staying healthy. But I'm not on the hook for any of that cash so the next few years look like pretty good deals. PECOTA thinks Ubaldo Jiminez comes back down to his 2009 stats but a tad worse and I'm inclined to believe that based on my scientific whimsy.
Los Angeles (80-82)
I think the Dodgers have a better rotation than the Rockies but they did let Russell Martin walk just when it looked like he was poised to give Jeff Mathis some competition for most incompetent LA catcher at the plate. So Mathis can go ahead and get that 2011 acceptance speech ready. Matt Kemp should have a better season unless having dated Rihanna turns out to be some kind of career killer. Which is why I have rejected her many advances. You know, for the sake of the blog.
San Diego (90-72)
I hear the weather is nice. And a zoo, right? So, that's cool.
Arizona (65-97)
The Diamondbacks struck out an impressive 1,529 times last year. The Marlins were the next closest with 1,375. The D-Backs shipped off Mark Reynolds who struck out over 200 times for the past three season in an effort to make me stop watching them altogether. Good job, Arizona. You just became less interesting.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Off Base AL East Preview
Offbase editors Derwood Morris and MTD haven't had much luck previewing things lately-MTD incorrectly predicted Gary Discarcina would come out of retirement to help the Angels win the 2009 World Series and Derwood thought Teen Wolf 3 would be the 2010 summer blockbuster. But here are division previews anyway.
Today we take a look at the AL East, a long-ignored division. It's about time these guys got some attention.
Yankees (2010: 95-67)
The wild card winners from a year ago didn't land free agent pitcher Cliff Lee and Andy Pettitte retired, forcing Anthony from Poughkeepsie to nearly overdose on linguine with clam sauce and the Yanks to move Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett up in the rotation and audition less-desirable options for the Nos. 4 and 5 starters during spring training. The trio of Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia have been battling through camp for those two spots and it looks like all three will make the opening day roster. It's not clear which two will grab rotation spots, but the Yankees did sign Kevin Millwood to a minor league contract.
Sidney Ponson was unavailable for comment.
Here's something I can guarantee: if Colon makes more than 10 appearances, I'll eat one of my socks. But forget about what's going on at 4 and 5; the Yankees will go as far as ace C.C. Sabathia, Burnett and Hughes will take them. Offensively, New York brings back virtually the same lineup (Jorge Posada to DH, Russell Martin behind the plate) that led the majors in runs scored in 2010 and several players, including Mark Teixiera and Alex Rodriguez, are looking for bounce-back years (they did combine for 63 HR in '10). The emergence of Robinson Cano as the best second baseman in baseball (sorry, Aaron Hill) has added to an already-potent middle of the order, though Joe Girardi refuses to bat Cano third where he belongs. The bullpen is improved as Rafael Soriano was added to set up for King Mariano. Elsewhere in the pen, Joba Chamberlain has some new tattoos. One more thing to talk about:
1. Derek Jeter had a tough 2010 season and is approaching 3,000 hits. I'm not sure if you were aware of those two news items.
Boston (89-73)
The Nation of Redsox (Est. January, 2005) had an exciting off-season as the team added Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, which goes against Boston's recent history of employing the ugliest people in baseball (see: John Lackey, Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Clay Buchholz). Crawford and Gonzalez will only add to an offense that scored the second-most runs in baseball, though the starting pitching after perennial Cy Young candidate John Lester is suspect. Plenty of questions in that rotation:
1. Will Josh Beckett add another extension cord to his neck in time for neck extension cord season?
2. Did Clay Buchholz pass 10th grade chemistry or what?!
3. Can Tim Wakefield become the first 83-year old in baseball history to allow 10 or more stolen bases in a single game?
4. Is that Oil Can Boyd at Radio Shack?
Tampa Bay (96-66)
Last year's division winners lost a ton of talent in Crawford, Jason Bartlett (traded to San Diego), Carlos Pena and Matt Garza (both signed with the Cubs) and Rafael Soriano (signed with the Yankees), but there's some good stuff left for no one to see at Tropicana Field. David Price and Evan Longoria are two of the finest young players in the game and Ben Zobrist (.295/.405/.543 in 2009, .238/.346/.353 in 2010) should be able to bounce back. Tampa also reunited Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, though league rules don't allow a team to DH two players at once, so one of the two will have to play left field some days.
After Price, the pitching is thin as When's The Last Time I Pitched Big In A Big Game James Shields got lit up a year ago and Jeff Niemann will need to improve on his decent 2010 numbers. The bullpen was one of the best in the game in 2010, but is now missing Soriano. Lefty Randy Choate, now with the Marlins, appeared in 85 games last season and amazingly, Joe Torre was not his manager. Either way, Choate is in Florida, so those 85 games will have to go to someone else. For all three Rays fans' sake, hopefully not to Kyle Farnsworth.
Toronto (85-77)
Hey, it's the Bluejays!!
Baltimore (66-96)
So, Bucky Boy goes 34-23 down the stretch with the Orioles in 2010-the best 57-game mark for the franchise since the 1930s-and a few months later decides to take shots at Derek Jeter, one of the classiest guys in baseball and a future HOFer, and a two-time World Champion general manager, Theo Epstein. But hang on a minute, guys, just hang on. I don't remember saying that. I mean, I probably did say it, but hey, I'm 55-years old, so I might not remember saying it! Hey Buck:
1. If you're going to start babbling nonsense, start a baseball blog, like we did. That way you won't have to backtrack and look like an idiot.
2. Climb above fifth place and then maybe you can take unnecessary shots at the faces of the top two franchises in the division. So, in other words, we'll talk in 2018.
Today we take a look at the AL East, a long-ignored division. It's about time these guys got some attention.
Yankees (2010: 95-67)
The wild card winners from a year ago didn't land free agent pitcher Cliff Lee and Andy Pettitte retired, forcing Anthony from Poughkeepsie to nearly overdose on linguine with clam sauce and the Yanks to move Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett up in the rotation and audition less-desirable options for the Nos. 4 and 5 starters during spring training. The trio of Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia have been battling through camp for those two spots and it looks like all three will make the opening day roster. It's not clear which two will grab rotation spots, but the Yankees did sign Kevin Millwood to a minor league contract.
Sidney Ponson was unavailable for comment.
Here's something I can guarantee: if Colon makes more than 10 appearances, I'll eat one of my socks. But forget about what's going on at 4 and 5; the Yankees will go as far as ace C.C. Sabathia, Burnett and Hughes will take them. Offensively, New York brings back virtually the same lineup (Jorge Posada to DH, Russell Martin behind the plate) that led the majors in runs scored in 2010 and several players, including Mark Teixiera and Alex Rodriguez, are looking for bounce-back years (they did combine for 63 HR in '10). The emergence of Robinson Cano as the best second baseman in baseball (sorry, Aaron Hill) has added to an already-potent middle of the order, though Joe Girardi refuses to bat Cano third where he belongs. The bullpen is improved as Rafael Soriano was added to set up for King Mariano. Elsewhere in the pen, Joba Chamberlain has some new tattoos. One more thing to talk about:
1. Derek Jeter had a tough 2010 season and is approaching 3,000 hits. I'm not sure if you were aware of those two news items.
Boston (89-73)
The Nation of Redsox (Est. January, 2005) had an exciting off-season as the team added Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, which goes against Boston's recent history of employing the ugliest people in baseball (see: John Lackey, Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Clay Buchholz). Crawford and Gonzalez will only add to an offense that scored the second-most runs in baseball, though the starting pitching after perennial Cy Young candidate John Lester is suspect. Plenty of questions in that rotation:
1. Will Josh Beckett add another extension cord to his neck in time for neck extension cord season?
2. Did Clay Buchholz pass 10th grade chemistry or what?!
3. Can Tim Wakefield become the first 83-year old in baseball history to allow 10 or more stolen bases in a single game?
4. Is that Oil Can Boyd at Radio Shack?
Tampa Bay (96-66)
Last year's division winners lost a ton of talent in Crawford, Jason Bartlett (traded to San Diego), Carlos Pena and Matt Garza (both signed with the Cubs) and Rafael Soriano (signed with the Yankees), but there's some good stuff left for no one to see at Tropicana Field. David Price and Evan Longoria are two of the finest young players in the game and Ben Zobrist (.295/.405/.543 in 2009, .238/.346/.353 in 2010) should be able to bounce back. Tampa also reunited Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, though league rules don't allow a team to DH two players at once, so one of the two will have to play left field some days.
After Price, the pitching is thin as When's The Last Time I Pitched Big In A Big Game James Shields got lit up a year ago and Jeff Niemann will need to improve on his decent 2010 numbers. The bullpen was one of the best in the game in 2010, but is now missing Soriano. Lefty Randy Choate, now with the Marlins, appeared in 85 games last season and amazingly, Joe Torre was not his manager. Either way, Choate is in Florida, so those 85 games will have to go to someone else. For all three Rays fans' sake, hopefully not to Kyle Farnsworth.
Toronto (85-77)
Hey, it's the Bluejays!!
Baltimore (66-96)
So, Bucky Boy goes 34-23 down the stretch with the Orioles in 2010-the best 57-game mark for the franchise since the 1930s-and a few months later decides to take shots at Derek Jeter, one of the classiest guys in baseball and a future HOFer, and a two-time World Champion general manager, Theo Epstein. But hang on a minute, guys, just hang on. I don't remember saying that. I mean, I probably did say it, but hey, I'm 55-years old, so I might not remember saying it! Hey Buck:
1. If you're going to start babbling nonsense, start a baseball blog, like we did. That way you won't have to backtrack and look like an idiot.
2. Climb above fifth place and then maybe you can take unnecessary shots at the faces of the top two franchises in the division. So, in other words, we'll talk in 2018.
Off Base AL West Preview
Offbase editors Derwood Morris and MTD haven't had much luck previewing things lately-MTD incorrectly predicted Gary Discarcina would come out of retirement to help the Angels win the 2009 World Series and Derwood thought Teen Wolf 3 would be the 2010 summer blockbuster. But here are division previews anyway.
In this episode, I tackle the AL West because I own a J.T. Snow California Angels jersey.
Texas (2010: 90-72)
The Rangers rode Cliff Lee and C.J. Wilson to the World Series only to fall to blog favorite Buster Posey, Brian Wilson's beard and the rest of the Giants. But I hear they did receive some pretty sweet little plastic runner-up trophies. Josh Hamilton rightfully won his first MVP despite missing the last month of the regular season. Hamilton should be healthy for some of 2011 along with Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz. They let Vlad Guerrero walk after a resurgent 2010 season but added Adrian Beltre at third base and will slide Michael Young to DH. The loss of Cliff Lee is an obvious blow to the rotation and the "moving Neftali Feliz to starter" experiment ended last week. I still expect the Rangers to repeat atop the West unless injuries wipe out too many wins.
Oakland (81-81)
Oakland relied on their pitching staff for their 2010 "success" and will do so again this year if they hope to top or match a .500 record. PECOTA projects 23-year-old starters Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill to be sub 4.00 ERA guys and they might be a tick better. I'm less enthusiastic about Gio Gonzalez and Dallas Braden but what do I know. The A's offense is led by... Jose Canseco wants to play baseball again, right? I'm not kidding, I don't know who the A's best hitter is. Is Daric Barton a thing?
Angels (80-82)
Ah, my beloved Halos. You can read my 2011 Angels preview over at Diamond Hoggers but here's a summary...
1. Starting Rotation = Good
2. Outfield Defense = Good
3. Everything Else = Yikes
But I am sponsoring Brandon Wood's Baseball Reference page, so there's that.
I wouldn't be surprised if they can outhit the A's for second place in the division but I think a return to the playoffs is a year away.
Mariners (61-101)
Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young. And I'm spent. Dustin Ackley will spend some time in AAA to start 2011 but shouldn't be there too long. And Michael Pineda looks like a future ace so there is help on the way for the M's. My boy Chone Figgins can't possibly have a worse year than last season unless it turns out that he's actually terrible at baseball. Same thing goes for Justin Smoak. Aside from King Felix, the best thing about the Mariners last season was watching Franklin Gutierrez play center field.
In this episode, I tackle the AL West because I own a J.T. Snow California Angels jersey.
Texas (2010: 90-72)
The Rangers rode Cliff Lee and C.J. Wilson to the World Series only to fall to blog favorite Buster Posey, Brian Wilson's beard and the rest of the Giants. But I hear they did receive some pretty sweet little plastic runner-up trophies. Josh Hamilton rightfully won his first MVP despite missing the last month of the regular season. Hamilton should be healthy for some of 2011 along with Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz. They let Vlad Guerrero walk after a resurgent 2010 season but added Adrian Beltre at third base and will slide Michael Young to DH. The loss of Cliff Lee is an obvious blow to the rotation and the "moving Neftali Feliz to starter" experiment ended last week. I still expect the Rangers to repeat atop the West unless injuries wipe out too many wins.
Oakland (81-81)
Oakland relied on their pitching staff for their 2010 "success" and will do so again this year if they hope to top or match a .500 record. PECOTA projects 23-year-old starters Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill to be sub 4.00 ERA guys and they might be a tick better. I'm less enthusiastic about Gio Gonzalez and Dallas Braden but what do I know. The A's offense is led by... Jose Canseco wants to play baseball again, right? I'm not kidding, I don't know who the A's best hitter is. Is Daric Barton a thing?
Angels (80-82)
Ah, my beloved Halos. You can read my 2011 Angels preview over at Diamond Hoggers but here's a summary...
1. Starting Rotation = Good
2. Outfield Defense = Good
3. Everything Else = Yikes
But I am sponsoring Brandon Wood's Baseball Reference page, so there's that.
I wouldn't be surprised if they can outhit the A's for second place in the division but I think a return to the playoffs is a year away.
Mariners (61-101)
Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young. And I'm spent. Dustin Ackley will spend some time in AAA to start 2011 but shouldn't be there too long. And Michael Pineda looks like a future ace so there is help on the way for the M's. My boy Chone Figgins can't possibly have a worse year than last season unless it turns out that he's actually terrible at baseball. Same thing goes for Justin Smoak. Aside from King Felix, the best thing about the Mariners last season was watching Franklin Gutierrez play center field.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Off Base NL East Preview
Offbase editors Derwood Morris and MTD haven't had much luck previewing things lately-MTD incorrectly predicted Gary Discarcina would come out of retirement to help the Angels win the 2009 World Series and Derwood thought Teen Wolf 3 would be the 2010 summer blockbuster. But here are division previews anyway.
We start with the NL East, home of the reigning champion Phillies, wild card Braves, and the other three teams.
Philadelphia (2010: 97-65)
The Phils, who lost in the NLCS to the eventual champion Giants, already had Roy Halliday, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, but they added some bum named Cliff Lee and now everyone from Jim down the street to that other guy are predicting Philly to go 161-1 (September loss to the Astros in a classic trap game). Oh, and they also have Joe Blanton in the rotation. You know the old saying: if Joe Blanton is your No. 5 starter, you'd better have four good pitchers in front of him. The Phillies do. And despite the knee problems for MTD's boyfriend Chase Utley, they should have enough offense with Ryan Howard, whose averaged 46 HR the past five seasons despite a down 2010 season, and....ummm, Raul Ibanez? OK, so maybe they won't have enough offense, but with that pitching it may not matter.
Atlanta (91-71)
There's a new era in Atlanta. No, the Hawks didn't go through with John Koncak Bobblehead Night after all. The Braves are going into a season with someone other than Bobby Cox as manager for the first time since 1989. The Wobbly One retired after taking Atlanta to the playoffs 15 times in 20 seasons. Big adult diapers to fill for Fredi Gonzalez, who used to be a Braves coach and recently was fired as Marlins manager by shortstop Hanley Ramirez. If it wasn't for the Phils rotation, we'd be talking about Atlanta's being the best in the East with Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens and Derek Lowe forming a solid quartet. Atlanta has always moved top-Minor League talent to the majors whenever it is ready and 2010 NL ROY runner-up Jason Heyward will be joined this season by top prospect Freddie Freeman, a 2007 second-round draft pick who will play first base. The Braves also added second baseman Dan Uggla (hit at least 31 HR in four straight seasons) from the Marlins in a November trade, and the latest out of spring camp reported Chipper Jones will be brought to home plate in 2011 by-wheelbarrow.
Florida (80-82)
The Marlins unofficially played in front of a total of 440 fans last season, but this isn't about making fun of Marlins' crowds. We'll save that for our daily coverage during the season. This is about a blog writer admittedly knowing very little about a baseball team and trying to fake it in a season preview. Here goes:
* Hanley!
* Josh Johnson!
* Wes Helms!
* Will Javy Vazquez, formerly a terrible pitcher (again) with the Yankees, return to his I Only Pitch Well In The NL form? Does anyone even care?
New York (79-83)
Everyone likes to pick on the Mets because they aren't the Yankees and because they're terrible every year, but have they really been that bad? 2009 was a disaster (70-92), but last season they only finished four games under .500 and they had a winning record in every season from 2005-2008. So what are the reasons for all the pointing and laughing? Oh, wait, I know the reasons:
1. Up until Monday they still employed Oliver Perez and gave him $24 million the last two seasons while he was arguably the worst pitcher in baseball. They'll give him $12 million this season to work at the Chevron down the street from my apartment (speculation).
2. They gave Luis Castillo (career OPS+ of 92) nearly $19 million from '08-'10 and will give him $6 million this season to play for the Phillies.
3. Francisco Rodriguez
4. Omar Minaya
5. Wally Backman
6. They let Jeff Francoeur and his .293 on-base percentage come to the plate 447 times last season.
7. Lenny Dykstra
Washington (69-93)
No Stephen Strasburg. No Bryce Harper. But wait just a minute: the Nats signed Oliver Perez to a minor league contract! While Strasburg recovers from Tommy John and Harper bides his time in the minors (Offbase predicts a September call up), the Nats will hope their offense, led by Ryan Zimmerman (5.2 and 5.3 WAR the last two seasons) and new signee Jason Werth (7 years, $122 million!) can score enough runs to stay out of the cellar. Washington will also have to replace Adam Dunn, who hit 76 home runs and walked 193 times in two seasons in the nation's capital. And don't forget Roger Bernadina. He's on the roster too.
We start with the NL East, home of the reigning champion Phillies, wild card Braves, and the other three teams.
Philadelphia (2010: 97-65)
The Phils, who lost in the NLCS to the eventual champion Giants, already had Roy Halliday, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, but they added some bum named Cliff Lee and now everyone from Jim down the street to that other guy are predicting Philly to go 161-1 (September loss to the Astros in a classic trap game). Oh, and they also have Joe Blanton in the rotation. You know the old saying: if Joe Blanton is your No. 5 starter, you'd better have four good pitchers in front of him. The Phillies do. And despite the knee problems for MTD's boyfriend Chase Utley, they should have enough offense with Ryan Howard, whose averaged 46 HR the past five seasons despite a down 2010 season, and....ummm, Raul Ibanez? OK, so maybe they won't have enough offense, but with that pitching it may not matter.
Atlanta (91-71)
There's a new era in Atlanta. No, the Hawks didn't go through with John Koncak Bobblehead Night after all. The Braves are going into a season with someone other than Bobby Cox as manager for the first time since 1989. The Wobbly One retired after taking Atlanta to the playoffs 15 times in 20 seasons. Big adult diapers to fill for Fredi Gonzalez, who used to be a Braves coach and recently was fired as Marlins manager by shortstop Hanley Ramirez. If it wasn't for the Phils rotation, we'd be talking about Atlanta's being the best in the East with Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens and Derek Lowe forming a solid quartet. Atlanta has always moved top-Minor League talent to the majors whenever it is ready and 2010 NL ROY runner-up Jason Heyward will be joined this season by top prospect Freddie Freeman, a 2007 second-round draft pick who will play first base. The Braves also added second baseman Dan Uggla (hit at least 31 HR in four straight seasons) from the Marlins in a November trade, and the latest out of spring camp reported Chipper Jones will be brought to home plate in 2011 by-wheelbarrow.
Florida (80-82)
The Marlins unofficially played in front of a total of 440 fans last season, but this isn't about making fun of Marlins' crowds. We'll save that for our daily coverage during the season. This is about a blog writer admittedly knowing very little about a baseball team and trying to fake it in a season preview. Here goes:
* Hanley!
* Josh Johnson!
* Wes Helms!
* Will Javy Vazquez, formerly a terrible pitcher (again) with the Yankees, return to his I Only Pitch Well In The NL form? Does anyone even care?
New York (79-83)
Everyone likes to pick on the Mets because they aren't the Yankees and because they're terrible every year, but have they really been that bad? 2009 was a disaster (70-92), but last season they only finished four games under .500 and they had a winning record in every season from 2005-2008. So what are the reasons for all the pointing and laughing? Oh, wait, I know the reasons:
1. Up until Monday they still employed Oliver Perez and gave him $24 million the last two seasons while he was arguably the worst pitcher in baseball. They'll give him $12 million this season to work at the Chevron down the street from my apartment (speculation).
2. They gave Luis Castillo (career OPS+ of 92) nearly $19 million from '08-'10 and will give him $6 million this season to play for the Phillies.
3. Francisco Rodriguez
4. Omar Minaya
5. Wally Backman
6. They let Jeff Francoeur and his .293 on-base percentage come to the plate 447 times last season.
7. Lenny Dykstra
Washington (69-93)
No Stephen Strasburg. No Bryce Harper. But wait just a minute: the Nats signed Oliver Perez to a minor league contract! While Strasburg recovers from Tommy John and Harper bides his time in the minors (Offbase predicts a September call up), the Nats will hope their offense, led by Ryan Zimmerman (5.2 and 5.3 WAR the last two seasons) and new signee Jason Werth (7 years, $122 million!) can score enough runs to stay out of the cellar. Washington will also have to replace Adam Dunn, who hit 76 home runs and walked 193 times in two seasons in the nation's capital. And don't forget Roger Bernadina. He's on the roster too.
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