'08 RAPs: Tampa Bay Rays

After a dismal 66-93 2007 season, you'd usually expect a team to be pessimistic about the next year. This is not the case with the Rays. They have by far the best farm system in the game, and will be looking for contributions from the likes of Evan Longoria, Jeff Niemann, and quite possibly the first man ever taken in a televised MLB Rule 4 draft, David Price. The Rays have also picked up talent via free agency and the trade market this year:

Traded Delmon Young, Brendan Harris, and Jason Pridie to the Twins for Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett: While I still think the Twins won this deal, it will certainly help out the Rays.

Traded Jeff Ridgeway to Atlanta for Willy Aybar.

Signed Cliff Floyd to a one-year deal with an option for 2009.

Signed Troy Percival to a 2-year deal.

Signed pitcher Trever Miller to a one-year contract.

Signed utility man Eric Hinske to a one-year deal.

Quick Rundown:

Cather: Dioner Navarro
1B: Carlos Pena
2B: Akinori Iwamura
SS: Jason Bartlett
3B: Evan Longoria
LF: Carl Crawford
CF: B.J. Upton
RF: Cliff Floyd
DH: Rocco Baldelli

Rotation:

SP1: Scott Kazmir
SP2: Matt Garza
SP3: James Shield
SP4: Andy Sonnanstine/Edwin Jackson
SP5: Jeff Niemann/Jason Hammel/David Price

Stay Tuned: Tomorrow I will be covering the Orioles.


Also, the reason this post may seem unorganized is I was having trouble with some of the tools, such as, centering, bullets, etc.

'08 RAPs: AL East

2007 was the year that the Boston Red Sox put an end to the Yankees' decade of dominance in the AL East. Not only did the Bosox win the division, they virtually dominated it most of the year:

• On May 15th, the second place Yanks were 8 games back.
• On May 20th, the Orioles and Yanks were in a tie for second, ten-and-a-half back of Boston.
• On May 29th, the Yanks were a whopping 14.5 games behind the Sox. Second place Baltimore was 11.5 back as well.
• By June 15th, the Yanks had gotten back into second, only eight games back.
• The Yanks were 9.5 games out, in second, come the All Star Break.
• By the Middle of August, Boston's lead was down to 5 games as the Yanks surged, and were in a battle with Seattle for the wild card.
• On September 19th, the Yanks were within a game and a half following a 4 game winning streak, coupled with a 4 game skid for the Sox. Third place Toronto; however, was still 12.5 back.
• The Sox clinched the division on September 28th, while the Yanks won the wild card.

Here are the final standings for the 2007 AL Eastern Division:

Red Sox: 96-66; 0 GB

Yankees: 94-68; 2 GB

Blue Jays: 83-79; 13GB

Orioles: 69-93; 27 GB

Devil Rays(Rays): 66-96; 30 GB

Stay Tuned: Tommorow will be the Rays' RAP.

'08 RAPs: Final NL East Rundowns and Predictions

After covering the Mets, Phillies, Braves, Nationals, and Marlins this past week, it is finally time to make my final predictions. But first, let's break down the division by pitching and offense. By the way, I'm doing my best to not be biased against the Phillies in this post.

Pitching:
5. Marlins:
With Josh Johnson still injured, Dontrelle Willis now gone, and no real help brought in, the Marlins are in horrible shape. Unless Scott Olsen finally reaches his potential, their rotaiton will be centered around Sergio Mitre and former first round pick, Andrew Miller.
The bullpen is decent, even with the fact that Kevin Gregg is the closer. Then again, Gregg is the highest paid player on the Marlins at a hefty $2 million. I'm personally a big fan of former Mets prospect, Henry Owens, if he can stay healthy. Look for the pen to be about 12th or 13th in the NL.
4. Nationals:
Jim Bowden made tremendous strides with this franchise in the off-season. This rotation could be league average if John Patterson and/or Odalis Perez pitch to close to their full potential. I've liked Tyler Clippard ever since he beat John Maine in the Subway Series last year. He could, in my mind, win 10 games if he wins the fifth starter job in spring this year.
Then there's the Nationals bullpen. The Nationals have two of the best NL relievers in Jon Rauch and Chad Cordero. Behind them they should have a returning Luis Ayala. Also they have above average relievers in Ryan Wagner and Saul Rivera to round out the pen.
3. Phillies:
The Phillies have a somewhat decent rotation. They have Cole Hamels and Brett Myers fronting the rotation, giving them an above average one-two punch. Then they have Takeru Kobayashi...err, I mean Kyle Kendrick (who was 'traded' for Kobayashi), who had a good year last season, but is anything but proven. In the fourth spot, there's 45 year-old Jaime Moyer,who at any time during the season could turn to dust and become part of the Citizen's Bank Park mound. The fifth spot belongs to Adam Eaton who could be the difference maker in whether the Phillies will have a top-ten rotation in the NL.
The pen is the definition of questionable. The only two relievers who could be counted on are Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero (I'm being generous with Romero). With Lidge hurt and Gordon really old, the closer and set-up spot is taking a huge hit. The Phillies would've been better off keeping Myers in the pen and signing Kyle Lohse.
2. Braves:
The Braves have a solid rotation, headed by Tim Hudson and John Smoltz. Glavine will add some depth to this rotation. Remember, Glavine was considered by many to be the best pitcher in the Mets rotation last year. The real thing that could establish this as a great rotation would be the return of Mike Hampton to old form. If Hampton pitches well, the Braves could win the Wild Card.
The Braves pen is, in my mind, not to be counted on. With Mike Gonzalez out, Rafeal Soriano will be the closer. Remember, the Mariners believed that Soriano was bad enough to trade him for Horacio Ramirez, so he could very well be horrible this year. Peter Moylan had a great year last year, but hard-throwers with a funky motion (i.e. Dontrelle Willis) usually get figured out by their division, and thus struggle.
1. Mets:
The Mets rotation is headed by two Cy-Young winners; one is the best pitcher in baseball, and the other is, apparently, in the best shape of his life. Those two are followed up by two of the most promising young pitchers in John Maine and Oliver Perez, who each won 15 games last year. While El Duque can't be counted on in the fifth spot, Mike Pelfrey showed us that he could be pretty good, at the end pf last year.
The Mets pen is all-around solid and well rounded. However, if Duaner Sanchez returns to his 2006 form, the Mets will, without a doubt have the best bullpen in baseball.

Offense:
5. Nationals:

The Nats have a very young team filled with a promising young outfield. However, unless Nick Johnson returns to his Yankee form, the Nats offense will probably be below average.
4. Marlins:
The Marlins offense is weak depth wise. However, with Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla at the top, it was hard to rank them worse than Washington. Plus, I believe Mike Jacobs could be a good hitter, possibly a 30-homer-a-year guy.
3. Mets:
The Mets offense is not as good as most think. Yes they have, in my mind, two of the top five players in baseball (Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran), plus Silver Slugger winner, David Wright; however, with Delgado not the Carlos Delgado of old, there is no real stabilizing force at the bottom of the lineup.
2. Phillies:
The only reason the Phillies are ahead of the Mets is the fact that Pat Burrell is, right now, a better hitter than Carlos Delgado. I would never take Rollins/Howard/Utley over Reyes/Beltran/Wright even though I'd give Utley the edge over Wright.
1. Braves
This is a pick that I can see a lot of people disagreeing with. Even with Andruw Jones gone, the Braves lineup is very strong. Chipper and Teixeira give the Braves the strongest middle of the lineup, outside of Boston and Detroit. Also they're protected by Brian McCann. Jeff Francoer is a future star in my eyes; however, I don't see the same potential in Kelly Johnson or Yunel Escobar. Still, I like the depth in the Braves' lineup the most.

Final Predictions:

Standings:
1. New York Mets (101-61)

2. Philadelphia Phillies (88-74)

3. Atlanta Braves (86-76)

4. Washington Nationals (70-92)

5. Florida Marlins (67-95)

Awards:

Division MVP: Carlos Beltran- Unlike Jimmy Rollins last year, Carlos Beltran will actually deserve to win the NL MVP this year. The more aggressive attitude Beltran has shown, if it transfers to the field, will lead to the best offensive season in Mets history. I was getting sick of Beltran's passive approach at the plate (remember the Wainright thing), I can't wait to see Beltran crushing homers on 3-0 counts.
Runner Up: Duaner Sanchez

Divisional CY-Young: Johan Santana- Who else? I still cannot wait for Santana to come over to the NL and dominate. While I believe that John Maine will also win 20 games, Santana winning 20 games is pretty much a lock.
Runner Up: John Maine

Tomorrow I will start the AL East RAPs.

'08 RAPs: New York Mets

Following a year that ended in disaster, the Mets have turned the page as a franchise. The acquisition of Johan Santana have made the Mets a super-power for the next five years guaranteed. Despite not having a great off-season quantity wise, and starting off with some sub-par moves, Omar Minaya has had a quality winter that reastablished him as a top-notch GM.

Here are Omar's moves:

• Re-signed second baseman Luis Castillo, catcher Ramon Castro, and Damion Easley.
• Acquired pitcher Brian Stokes from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash.
• Acquired outfielder Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider from the Washington Nationals for outfielder Lastings Milledge.
• Signed pitcher Matt Wise to a one-year contract.
• Acquired outfielder Angel Pagan from the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Ryan Meyers and outfielder Corey Coles.
• Signed outfielder Brady Clark, second baseman Jose Valentin, and pitcher Tony Armas Jr. to minor league contracts.
• Acquired pitcher Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra and signed him to a six-year contract with a vesting option for 2014.
• Signed infielder Olmedo Saenz to a one-year deal.

Team Rundown:

Pitching Staff:
SP1: Johan Santana
SP2: Pedro Martinez
SP3: John Maine
SP4: Oliver Perez
SP5: Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez/Mike Pelfrey
CL: Billy Wagner
SUM: Aaron Heilman/Duaner Sanchez

Field:
C: Brian Schneider/Ramon Castro
1B: Carlos Delgado
2B: Luis Castillo
SS: Jose Reyes
3B: David Wright
LF: Moises Alou/Endy Chavez
CF: Carlos Beltran
RF: Ryan Church/Endy Chavez

Predictions:
Easiest- The Mets will win the division.
Boldest- John Maine and Johan Santana will both win 20 games.
Team MVP- Duaner Sanchez (sub-2.00 ERA)
Best Season- Johan Santana (20-23 wins, sub-2.50 ERA)
Best Hitter- Carlos Beltran (40-50 HRs, 145-160 RBI, NL MVP)
Breakout Player- John Maine (18-21 wins, 2.75-3.25 ERA)

Stay Tuned: Tomorrow will be the final Rundown and Predictions for the 2008 NL Eastern Division!

'08 RAPs: Philadelphia Phillies

After a promising season in Philly, and a trip to the World Series last year, it all came to an end after a blast off the bat of Joe Carter, as the Blue Jays won their second straight World Series.

Here's how the Phils shape up this year:

Staff:
1: Danny Jackson
2: Bobby Munoz
3: Shawn Boskie
4: Curt Schilling
5: Mike Williams
CL: Doug Jones

Field:
C: Darren Daulton
1B: John Kruk
2B: Mickey Morandini
SS: Kevin Stocker
3B: Dave Hollins
OF: Jim Eisenreich
OF: Lenny Dykstra
OF: Milt Thompson

So you can see... What's that? Oh, it's not 1994. Then why are the Phillies' fans bragging about the playoffs? The last playoff game they won was in 1993, and they're bragging in 2008 about something with the playoffs. What kind of freaks are they?

Anyway, here's the real Phillies '08 RAPs:

After getting extremely lucky in 2008, the irrationally arrogant Phillies, and GM Pat Gillick, have been inexcusably irrelevant this off-season.

Here are the moves they made this off-season:

• Acquired pitcher Brad Lidge and infielder Eric Bruntlett from the Houston Astros for pitcher Geoff Geary, outfielder Michael Bourn and third baseman Mike Costanzo.
• Acquired outfielder Chris Snelling from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for cash.
• Signed outfielder Geoff Jenkins to a two-year contract.
• Signed pitcher Chad Durbin to a one-year contract.
• Signed third baseman Pedro Feliz to a two-year contract with a club option for 2010.
• Signed pitcher Kris Benson to a minor league contract.
• Claimed infielder Ray Olmedo and pitcher Shane Youman off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates
  

Here's the outlook:

Pitching Staff:

SP1: Cole Hamels
SP2: Brett Myers
SP3: Kyle Kendrick
SP4: Jaime Moyer
SP5: Adam Eaton
CL: Brad Lidge
SUM: Tom Gordon

Field:

C: Carlos Ruiz
1B: Ryan Howard
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Jimmy Rollins
3B: Pedro Feliz
LF: Pat Burrell
CF: Shane Victorino
RF: Geoff Jenkins/Jason Werth

Predictions:
Easiest- The Phillies will finish in second in the division.
Boldest- Ryan Howard will not hit more than 25 homers.
Team MVP/Best Hitter- Chase Utley (20-25 HRs, 90-110 RBIs)
Best Season- Cole Hamels (14-18 wins, sub-4.00 ERA)
Breakout Player- NONE

Stay Tuned: New York Mets Tomorrow! By the way, the reason I did the Phils before the Mets is because, as far as I'm concerned, if you get swept in the first round of the playoffs and haven't won a playoff game in 15 years, you're not allowed to be called a division champion.

'08 RAPs: Atlanta Braves

It's not the best of times for Braves fans. Not only did they finish in third, making it back-to-back years without a division title, they lost long-time GM John Schuerholz. Shuerholz, along with an expert scouting team that included Royals' GM Dayton Moore, was the main reason for the Braves 15-year dynasty. Schuerholz was replaced by John Wren, a less than average GM.

Here are Wren's moves as GM of the Braves:

• Acquired pitcher Jeff Ridgway from the Tampa Bay Rays for infielders Willy Aybar and Chase Fontaine.
• Acquired outfielder Mark Kotsay from the Oakland Athletics for pitchers Joey Devine and Jamie Richmond and cash.
• Acquired pitcher Will Ohman and infielder Omar Infante from the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Jose Ascanio.
• Signed pitcher Tom Glavine to a one-year contract.
  

Here's the team rundown:

Rotation:

SP1: John Smoltz
SP2: Tim Hudson
SP3: Tom Glavine
SP4: Chuck James (Middle of April)
SP5: Mike Hampton/Jair Jurrjens/Jo-Jo Reyes
CL: Rafeal Soriano
SUM: Peter Moylan

Field:
C: Brian McCann
1B: Mark Teixeira
2B: Kelly Johnson
SS: Yunel Escobar/Omar Infante
3B: Larry "Chipper" Jones
LF: Matt Diaz/Brandon Jones
CF: Mark Kotsay
RF: Jeff Francoer

Predictions:
Easiest- Mike Hampton will not start more than five games.
Boldest- Peter Moylan/Rafeal Soriano will blow more than 25 saves combined this year.
Team MVP- Larry Jones
Best Season- Mark Teixeira (30-35 HRs, +100 RBIs)
Best Pitcher- Tim Hudson (14-18 wins, sub 3.75 ERA)
Breakout Player- Brandon Jones (8-12 HR's, +.300 AVG.)

Stay Tuned: Tomorrow; Philly Steaks

'08 RAPs: Washington Nationals

Thanks in large part to first-year manager, Manny Acta, the Nationals, a team picked to be historically bad by many, were a splendid surprise. General manager, Jim Bowden, has proven to me with his aggressive offseason that he is indeed an above average GM. He, much like Florida GM Larry Beinfest, spent the offseason building for his club's future in their new ballpark, Nationals Park, while bringing in veterans to help out the kids (and a special aid for Elijiah Dukes).

Here's a list of Bowden's impressive offseason:

• Acquired outfielder Lastings Milledge from the New York Mets in exchange for outfielder Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider.
• Acquired outfielder Elijah Dukes from the Tampa Bay Rays for pitcher Glenn Gibson.
• Acquired pitcher Tyler Clippard from the New York Yankees for pitcher Jonathan Albaladejo.
• Signed infielder Aaron Boone to a one-year deal and his older brother, Brett (2B) to a minor league deal.
• Signed catcher Paul LoDuca to a one-year deal.
• Signed outfielders Rob Mackowiak and Willie Harris to one-year contracts.
• Signed catcher Johnny Estrada to a one-year deal.
• Signed pitcher Odalis Perez to a one-year deal.

Rotation:
SP1: Shawn Hill
SP2: John Patterson
SP3: Jason Bergmann
SP4/5: Matt Chico/Odalis Perez/Tyler Clippard/John Lannan
CL: Chad Cordero
SUM: Jon Rauch

Field:
C: Paul LoDuca/Johnny Estrada/Jesus Flores
1B: Nick Johnson/Dmitri Young
2B: Ronnie Belliard
SS: Christian Guzman/Felipe Lopez
3B: Ryan Zimmerman
LF: Wily Mo Pena/Elijiah Dukes/Dmitri Young
CF: Lastings Milledge/Austin Kearns/Elijiah Dukes/Willie Harris
RF: Austin Kearns/Elijiah Dukes/Dmitri Young

Predictions:
Easiest- The Nats will finish in fourth place.
Boldest- Lastings Milledge will hit 20-30 HR's and drive in 75-85 RBIs.
Team MVP- Chad Cordero (25 saves/traded at deadline)
Best Season- Lastings Milledge (20-30HRs, 75-85 RBIs, 25-30 SBs)
Best Pitcher- Shawn Hill (8-10 wins, sub-4 ERA)
Breakout Player- Tyler Clippard (5-7 wins, sub 4.25 ERA)

'08 RAPs: Florida Marlins

After a strong showing in 2006, the Marlins fired manager Joe Girardi and hired Fredi Gonzalez. This move, coupled with injuries to the Marlins top young pitchers, led to a last place, 2007 season in which the Marlins only achievement was knocking off the Mets on the last day of the season. General manager, Larry Beinfest has spent the offseason bringing in veterans to aid in the growth of the young players while also stockpiling young players (mainly from the Cabrera/Willis deal) who will be the faces of the franchise heading into their new stadium.

Here's a list of Beinfest's moves:

• Signed Luis Gonzalez to a one-year deal.
• Signed Mark Hendrickson to a one-year deal.
• Signed Dallas McPherson to a one-year deal.
• Trade pitcher Dontrelle Willis and third baseman Miguel Cabrera to Detroit for outfielder Cameron Maybin, catcher Mike Rabelo and pitchers Andrew Miller, Burke Badenhop, Eulogio De La Cruz and Dallas Trahern.

Here's the roster rundown:

Pitching Staff:
SP1: Sergio Mitre
SP2: Scott Olsen
SP3: Andrew Miller
SP4: Mark Hendrickson
SP5: Ricky Nolasco/Rick Vanden Hurk
CL: Kevin Gregg
SUM: Justin Miller/Henry Owens/Matt Lindstrom

C: Matt Treanor/Mike Rabelo
1B: Mike Jacobs
2B: Dan Uggla
SS: Hanley Ramirez
3B: Dallas McPherson/Jorge Cantu/Jose Castillo/Alfredo Amezaga
LF: Josh Willingham/Luis Gonzalez
CF: Cameron Maybin/Alejandro De Aza/Cody Ross
RF: Jeremy Hermida/Brett Carroll

Predictions:
Easiest- The Marlins will have a worse record than last year.
Boldest- The Marlins will finish at least 30 games back of first.
Team MVP/Best Season- Hanley Ramirez (28-32 HRs, 85-90 RBIs, 20 SBs, 100-115 RS)
Best Pitcher/Breakout Player- Andrew Miller (7-9 Wins, sub-4 ERA)

Stay Tuned: Nationals Rundown and Predictions Tomorrow afternoon!

'08 RAPs: NL East

We all know how the NL East ended in 2007. It was the single most shocking week in baseball history. The Philadelphia Cheese-Steaks proved that the best team doesn't always win. They also proved that luck is a vital aspect of professional sports. Well, anyway, here's the rundown:

On May 1st, the Braves were a half game ahead of the Mets, while the 4th place Steaks were 3 back.
On June 1st, the Mets were in first, 3.5 ahead of Atlanta and 8.5 ahead of Philly.
On July 1st, third place Philly was back in the race, 5 back of the Mets, and one back of second place Atlanta.
At the break, Atlanta was only 2 back, while Philly was still 4.5 back.
About a week later I made a bet of $20 that the Mets would win the division... oops!
On August 1st, the Braves were 3.5 back and the Phils were 4 back.

Here it is: The Month of September
On September 1st, the second place Phils were 3 back; Atlanta, at 6.5 back were pretty much dead.
On the fifth, Philly was 5 back; seemingly, out of the race.
On the 10th Philly was 6 back; still, out of the race.
On the 15th, the Phils were back within 4.5; yet, nobody was worrying.
On the 20th, Philly got back within 1.5 games.
On the 23rd the Phils were back 2.5. Whew... that was close!
On the 26th they were a game back. Good thing there's only 4 games left... Right?
September 27th: OH MY GOD!!! They tied it up! That's not good.
28th: What the Hell!? The Steaks take a one game lead.
29th: Johnny Maine to the rescue. No hitter into the eighth, 14K's. Just for those of you who don't think this kid's an ace, here are his numbers in the two must win games he ever pitched in (2006 NLCS game 6 and the game on the second to last day of the '07 season):
13.1IP 3H 19Ks, NO RUNS!!!

Anyway, the day all you have been waiting for:
September 30th, 2007: Tom Glavine takes the hill in the biggest game of his life. He fires 8 shutout innings, Billy Wagner comes in and strikes out Miguel Cabrera in his last at bat as a Marlin. After the game, the Mets watch as Brett Myers blows a 5 run lead in the ninth to the Nationals. And there you have it, the Mets are the 2007 NL East Champs!!!

What? 7 Run 1st? Impossible... Tom Terrific was on the mound... Seriously??? The Phillies couldn't of won. I just looked it up, they haven't won a playoff game in over a decade! Liars!

Oh, I remember now. Glavine sucks! Well, we're just about out of time.

Anyway, here's the 2007 NL East Standings:

Phillies: 89-73 0GB
Mets: 88-74 1GB
Braves: 84-78 5GB
Nationals: 73-89 16GB
Marlins: 71-91 18GB

'08 RAPs: AL Central Final Rundown and Predictions

The time has come to finally make my predictions for the 2008 AL Central Division. During the past week I've covered the Royals, White Sox, Twins, Tigers, and Indians offseason moves, team outlook, and made my predictions about each. So, before I make my final predictions as to the outcome of the division, I'll first break down the division by offense and pitching.

Pitching:

5. Minnesota Twins:
The loss of Santana clearly hurts. The only thing that can save the Twins is if Liriano returns and dominates. Livan Hernandez, who's got to be like 50, is their #2 starter, after a mediocre year in the NL. I can see his ERA reaching the 7.00 marker with ease.
I do love the Twin's pen though. Neshek and Nathan are two of my favorite relievers in the game. However, Billy Smith cannot possibly hold onto Nathan all year.
4. Cleveland Indians:
I can hear you all laughing at the Indians being ranked fourth, but trust me on this one. If Joe Borowski posts an ERA under 5.00 this season, I'll be shocked. Whoever believes that a team with Joe Borowski as their closer can reach the playoffs in back-to-back years is crazy. Sure, Rafeal Betancourt, who was recently granted an extension, is talented enough to take over the closer's role if need be, but then Cleveland's middle relief would take a horrible blow.
As for the rotation, I'll give you that C.C. Sabathia is a great pitcher. I'll give you that Paul Byrd and Jake Westbrook are more-than-capable veterans. But, I will not give you that Fausto Carmona is anywhere near as good as he performed last season. If he proves me wrong, then he proves me wrong, but every time I think of him I see him blowing games a couple of years ago as the closer for the Tribe. Also, who knows how Paul Byrd will do after the HGH revelations he suffered through, or how Sabathia will do with his mind on his next contract.
3. Chicago White Sox:
They have a great back end of the pen in Jenks and Dotel. However, neither one of those two is a sure thing. While the back end of their rotation is very weak, Buehrle and Vazquez are two of the most reliable and consistent starters in the game. If Contreras returns to his old form, this team could have a solid pitching staff.
2. Detroit Tigers:
The Tigers weak pen is the only thing keeping them out of first in this category. I have serious doubts that Todd Jones holds onto the closer's role for more than a couple of months, if that. And if Fernando Rodney has to close for the Tigers, they're in serious trouble!
That being said, Detroit's rotation isn't dominant by any means. Who knows what they'll get from Willis, Rogers, Robertson, or even Bonderman (Who, I'll admit, I don't believe to be anything more than an overrated 4th starter). The only sure thing is Justin Verlander, who I'll admit I had my doubts about; however, I believe he is the AL's best regular season pitcher.
1. Kansas City Royals:
Now before you start calling me crazy, hear me out. The two teams considered to be the powerhouses of the league (Detroit and Cleveland), have Joe Borowski and Todd Jones as their closers. Whereas, although he's not as proven as Joe Nathan or Bobby Jenks, Joakim Soria is more youthful than Nathan; and, in my opinion, more talented than Jenks. Their acquisition of Yasuhiko Yabuta is perhaps the most underrated move of the entire offseason. Japanese relievers have had tremendous success (Okajima, Otsuka, ect.) in the States recently. Combine that with the fact that Yabuta will not take as much time to adjust as Okajima since Trey Hillman is an accomplished Japanese manager and I'm confident Yabuta will post an ERA well under 2.00 this season. Yabuta as well as recently signed, veteran lefty, Ron Mahay, as well as the other young, talented arms in the KC pen gives KC the best pen.
As for rotation, sure the Royals lack a true "ace" and are filled with unproven talent I believe they have the second deepest rotation from top to bottom. Leo Nunez, considering he is the #5 guy, is better than every fifth starter in that division other than Robertson. Also, I'm one of the few that thought Gil Meche was going to succeed last year (I thought he'd win 14-16 games), so I am optimistic that not only will he repeat, he'll do even better than last season!

Offense:

5. Twins:
I feel very sorry for Mauer and Morneau. The only way the Twins can come close to having an average offense is if Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young have monster seasons. I can see Gomez stealing a bunch of bases, but not much more this season. I don't trust Delmon Young as a person. He's no longer the center of attention like in Tampa. I can see him imploding because of the fact that Morneau and Mauer are going to steal his thunder. Of course he can combat that by having a monstrous year.
4. Royals:
Question marks and potential. That's the theme of the Royals offense. The question marks include Jose Guillen who Dayton Moore over-spent on. If Guillen can have a good year, the Royals' offense won't be terrible.
There is a ton of potential in the likes of Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, Mark Teahen, John Buck, Joey Gathright, and Alberto Callaspo. All of those players are capable of having an All-Star type year this year. Also, all of them are extremely capable of hitting under .250 and striking out 200 times, you never know.
3. Indians:
The only real stars in this squad are Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, and Victor Martinez. Behind that, their probably won't be much production. Casey Blake and Jhonny Peralta will probably have average to slightly above average seasons. Other than that, there's pretty much nothing.
2. White Sox:
The additions of Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera make this a highly formidable lineup. They still have their potent old bats in Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, and Jermaine Dye, and now they have youth in the likes of Danny Richar, Josh Fields, Carlos Quentin, Alexei Ramirez, and Jerry Owens. Sox fans should be proud of Ken Williams for creating this potentially dominating mix.
1. Tigers:

What can I say? Just look at this for a second:

1. Curtis Granderson

2. Placido Polanco

3. Miguel Cabrera

4. Magglio Ordonez

5. Edgar Renteria

6. Carlos Guillen

7. Gary Sheffield

8. Pudge Rodriguez

9. Jaque Jones

That is better than some of the past few All-Star lineups. It's just indescribable, unstoppable, unfair, and unmatched. Imagine, Miguel Cabrera, out of Dolphin Stadium, now in Detroit, with Magglio Ordonez hitting behind him instead of Mike Jacobs. Is 73 HRs out of the question? I mean, he'll get at least 50 easily. This could be the greatest lineup of all time!

Final Predictions:

Now for the final prediction. Let me guess, you're expecting Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Minnesota, KC. If that's what you're expecting don't bother sitting down (although you're probably already sitting down since you're at a computer) cause you'll just stand up when you see this. Just know; honestly, this is NOT a joke.

Final Standings:

1. Kansas City Royals; 89-73

2. Detroit Tigers; 89-73

3. White Sox; 84-78

4. Indians; 75-87

5. Twins; 67-95

That's right! Remember that you heard it here, at C-Goud's Ultimate Baseball, first! The KC Royals will win the AL Central in 2008. Notice the fact that Detroit and KC have the same record. I believe that the Tigers are strong enough to over-power the league... except for the Royals. Trey Hillman is a smart guy who wants to win. He'll use his strong bullpen to beat Tigers no matter how many arms he has to use. I can see the Royals beating Detroi 15 times this year!
Honestly, before the Cabrera/Willis deal I was much more confident about this than I am now. The Royals are a weak team offensively and filled with question marks elsewhere. However, I will not back down from this prediction, even if the Royals lose their first ten games this year! I just have a feeling that the KC Kiddies will use their youthfulness to shock the world! (Or it could just be a manner of my Greek pride getting the best of me.)

Awards Prediction:

Division MVP: Yasuhiko Yabuta - Since I picked the Royals to win the division, I had to pick a Royal as the league MVP. Also, I do believe Yabuta will have the greatest effect on the outcome of the division. I can see him coming in and disposing of Cabrera, Maggs, and Renteria 1,2,3 several times in key games this year. Runner Up: Miguel Cabrera
Divisional CY-Young: Justin Verlander - With the offensive production he is going to get this year, he could lead the league in wins. Do I hear 23 wins anybody? Runner Up: Mark Buehrle (if Sabathia is traded)

Stay Tuned: Tommorow I will start the NL East RAPs!

'08 RAPs: Cleveland Indians

Last year the Indians won the tough AL Central Division and knocked off the Yankees in the ALDS. That has seemingly given them a sense of security going into 2008 that has kept them from being overly active this offseason.

Here are the Indians' offseason moves:

Signed pitcher Masahide Kobayashi to a two-year contract with a club option for 2010. Acquired infielder Jamey Carroll from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named.
Signed pitchers Brendan Donnelly, Jorge Julio, and Scott Elarton to minor league contracts.
Exercised the 2008 contract options on pitchers Joe Borowski, Paul Byrd and Aaron Fultz.

Here's the team outlook:

Pitching Staff:
SP1: C.C. Sabathia
SP2: Fausto Carmona
SP3: Paul Byrd
SP4: Jake Westbrook
SP5: Aaron Laffey
CL: Joe Borowski
SUM: Rafeal Betancourt

Field:
DH: Travis Hafner
C: Victor Martinez
1B: Ryan Garko
2B: Asdrubal Cabrera/ Jamey Carroll
SS: Jhonny Peralta
3B: Casey Blake
LF: Davi Dellucci/Jason Micheals/Franklin Gutierrez
CF: Grady Sizemore
RF: Franklin Gutierrez/Jason Micheals

Predictions:
Easiest- The Indians will not win the division again.
Boldest- Fausto Carmona will post an ERA above 4.50, possibly above 5.50.
Team MVP/Best Hitter- Grady Sizemore
Best Season- C.C. Sabathia (8-11 wins, sub 3.25 ERA; traded around the deadline)
Breakout Player- Adam Miller (5-6 wins, sub 2.50 ERA in August and September)

'08 RAPs: Detroit Tigers

The reigning AL Champion, Tigers failed to make the playoffs in 2007, falling short of the Wild Card. However, GM Dave Dombrowski was busy this offseason. Many believe that he put together the greatest team in baseball with the acquisitions of players such as Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria.

Here are the Tigers' offseason moves:

• Acquired SS Edgar Renteria from the Atlanta Braves for pitcher Jair Jurrjens and OF Gorkys Hernandez.
• Acquired pitcher Denny Bautista from the Colorado Rockies for pitcher Jose Capellan.
• Acquired pitcher Dontrelle Willis and 3B Miguel Cabrera from the Florida Marlins for OFCameron Maybin, C Mike Rabelo, and pitchers Andrew Miller, Burke Badenhop, Eulogio De La Cruz and Dallas Trahern.
• Resigned pitchers Kenny Rogers and Todd Jones.

So, here's the team outlook:

Pitching Staff:
SP1: Justin Verlander
SP2: Kenny Rogers
SP3: Dontrelle Willis
SP4: Jeremy Bonderman
SP5: Nate Robertson
CL: Todd Jones
SUM: Fernando Rodney

Field:
DH: Gary Shefield
C: Ivan Rodriguez
1B: Carlos Guillen
2B: Placido Polanco
SS: Edgar Renteria
3B: Miguel Cabrera
LF: Jaque Jones/Marcue Thames/Brandon Inge
CF: Curtis Granderson
RF: Magglio Ordonez

Predictions:
Easiest- The Tigers will make the playoffs.
Boldest- The Royals will win the season series against Detroit.
Team MVP/Best Season- Miguel Cabrera (50 HR, 130 RBI)
Best Pitcher- Justin Verlander (17-20 wins, sub 3.50 ERA)
Breakout Player- Dontrelle Willis (12-15 wins, sub 4.25 ERA)

Stay Tuned: Indians Tommorow; Final AL Central Predictions Saturday!

'08 RAPs: Minnesota Twins

The Twins weren't able to pull off one of their typical come-from-behind runs in 2007. This led to the subtraction of Luis Castillo, Tori Hunter, Matt Garza and of course, Johan Santana from their team. Not only did the Twins lose this solid group of players, they also lost a great general manager in Terry Ryan. Ryan was replaced by Billy Smith, who isn't exactly a fan favorite after the Johan debacle.

Here are Smith's offseason moves:

• Traded pitcher, Johan Santana to the New York Mets for OF Carlos Gomez, and pitchers Kevin Mulvey, Deolis Guerra, and Phil Humber.
• Acquired outfielder Craig Monroe from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named.
• Acquired OFs Delmon Young and Jason Pridie and IF Brendan Harris from the Tampa Bay Rays for SS Jason Bartlett and pitchers Matt Garza and Eduardo Morlan.
• Agreed to terms with first baseman Justin Morneau on a six-year contract and outfielder Michael Cuddyer on a three-year contract.
• Signed pitcher Livan Hernandez to a one-year contract.

With those moves, here's the team outlook:

Pitching Staff:
SP1: Francisco Liriano
SP2: Livan Hernandez
SP3: Boof Bonser
SP4: Scott Baker
SP5: Kevin Slowey
CL: Joe Nathan
SUM: Pat Neshek/ Juan Rincon

Position Players:
DH: Jason Kubel/Craig Monroe
C: Joe Mauer
1B: Justin Morneau
2B: Alexi Castilla/Nick Punto/Brendon Harris
SS: Nick Punto/Adam Everett
3B: Mike Lamb
LF: Delmon Young
CF: Carlos Gomez
RF: Micheal Cuddyer

Predictions:
Easiest: Liriano will return at top form.
Boldest: Delmon Young will be a problem and get traded at the deadline.
Team MVP/Best Season: Justin Morneau (30-40 HR, 100-115 RBI)
Best Pitcher: Joe Nathan (15 saves, sub 3 ERA; Traded mid-season)
Breakout Player: Carlos Gomez (10-15 HR, +100 RS, 25-35 SB, .285-.295 AVG.)

Stay Tuned: Tommorow I'll be covering the Detroit Tigers

'08 RAPs: Chicago White Sox

The Sox had a very difficult 2007 season. I, myself, picked them to win the Central last year, only to see them finish only three games ahead of the last place Royals. However, Kenny Williams has tries, somewhat, to better his team for 2008.

Here's a list of some of his offseason moves:

• Acquired SS Orlando Cabrera for pitcher Jon Garland.
• Acquired OF Carlos Quentin for 1B Chris Carter.
• Signed pither Octavio Dotel to a 2-year deal.
• Signed Cuban OF Alexei Ramirez to a 4-year deal.

Here's the team outlook for '08 so far:

Rotation and Pen:

SP1: Mark Buehrle

SP2: Javier Vazquez

SP3: Jose Contreras

SP4: Johnny Danks

SP5: Gavin Floyd

CL: Bobby Jenks

SUM: Octavio Dotel

Here's the position breakdown:

DH: Jim Thome

C: AJ Pierzynski

1B: Paul Konerko

2B: Juan Uribe/Danny Richar

SS: Orlando Cabrera

3B: Joe Crede/Josh Fields

LF: Carlos Quentin/Alexei Ramirez/Jerry Owens

CF: Nick Swisher

RF: Jermaine Dye

Predictions:

Easiest: The Sox will be worse than last year

Boldest: The Sox will finish dead last and Ozzie Guillen will be fired

Team MVP: Nick Swisher

Best Season: Nick Swisher (+30 HR, 90-110 RBI)

Best Pitcher: Mark Buehrle (12-14 wins, sub-4 ERA)

Breakout Player: Alexei Ramirez (75 games, 10-12 HR, 40-50 RBI, .280 AVG)

'08 RAPs: Kansas City Royals

Over the last year-and-a-half, the Kansas City Royals, led by Super-GM Dayton Moore, have made tremendous strides. Despite finishing last in the AL Central last season, the Royals have tons to look foward to this year. Most importantly is their importing of manager Trey Hillman fron Japan.

However, here are some other moves they've made this offseason:

• Signed pitcher, Yasuhiko Yabuta to a two-year contract.
• Signed right-fielder, Jose Guillen to a three-year contract.
• Acquired infielder Alberto Callaspo from the Arizona Diamondbacks for pitcher Billy Buckner.
• Signed reliever, Ron Mahay to a two-year contract.
• Signed catcher Miguel Olivo to a one-year contract.
• Signed pitchers Hideo Nomo and Chin-Hui Tsao to minor league contracts.
• Signed pitcher Brett Tomko to a one-year contract.

With those moves, here's how the team outline looks for 2008:

Rotation: SP1: Gil Meche; SP2: Brian Bannister; SP3: Zack Grienke; SP4/5: Leo Nunez/Brett Tomko/Kyle Davies Bullpen: Closer: Joakim Soria; Set-Up: Yasuhiko Yabuta Field: DH: Jose Guillen/Billy Butler/Ryan Shealy; C: John Buck; 1B: Billy Butler/Ross Gload; 2B: Mark Grudzielanek/Callaspo; SS: Tony Pena Jr.; 3B: Alex Gordon; LF: Jose Guillen/Joey Gathright; CF: David DeJesus; RF: Mark Teahen

Predictions: Easiest: The Royals bullpen will be the best in the Central. Boldest: The Royals will win the division. Team MVP: Yasuhiko Yabuta Best Season: Zack Grienke (12-16 wins) Best Offensive Season: Mark Teahen (20-30 HRs; 85-95 RBIs) Breakout Player: Alex Gordon (15-25 HRs; .300 AVG.; 20-30 SBs)

Stay Tuned: Tommorow I will be covering the White Sox

'08 RAPs: AL Central

The general consensus is that this was the best division in baseball in 2007. Throughout 2007, the Tigers and Indians battled it out for the division, as well as the Wild Card. While they were at the top of the pack the whole year, the White Sox and Twins significantly underachieved. The Royals were the same as they've been for a long time; out of the race completely. Here's a rundown based on certain checkpoints throughout the season:

On May first, the Indians were in first place 1.5 games ahead of Detroit and Minnesota, who were tied for second. The White Sox were 3.5 back, and the Royals were already 9 games out.
By June first, the Indians had secured themselves some breathing room. They had a 4.5 game lead over second place Detroit. The Twins were 6 back and the Sox were 7.5 back. The Royals were out of the race, 15 behind Cleveland.
On July first, Detroit had moved back within 1.5 games of the Tribe. Chicago joined the Royals in the "out of the race" group. Minnesota was still hanging in there, 6.5 out.
At the All-Star break, Detroit had moved into first place, a game ahead of the Indians. The Twins were pretty much dead at 8 games back, but refused to start selling because of their tendency to go on a strong second half run.
Come August first, the Tigers were still 1 game up on second place Cleveland.
However, August was a rough month for the Detroit Tigers. They lost 6.5 games in the standings, and were 5,5 back on September first.
The Indians clinched the division on September 23, as the Tigers went on to lose the Wild Card to the New York Yankees.

Stay tuned: Tomorrow I will be covering the 2008 Kansas City Royals.

Here are the final Standings for the 2007 AL Central Division:

1. Indians: 96-66, 0 GB

2. Tigers: 88-74, 8 GB

3. Twins: 79-83, 17 GB

4. Chi-Sox: 72-90, 24 GB

5. Royals: 69-93, 27 GB

08 RAPs: Coming Sunday!

With the hot stove season down to just Kyle Lohse and Joe Blanton, it is just about time to unveil the first annual edition of C-Gouds' RAPs. So, Sunday morning I'll be posting the review of last year's AL Central, seeing as that division seems rapped up for the year.

Poll Post: Did the Mets Need Santana?

The Mets just landed the greatest pitcher in baseball at the mere cost of 4 above average prospects and well over 100 million dollars. However, although I'm excited that they pretty much have the NL Championship locked up, was it 100% necessary?

Without Johan the Rotation would've been as follows:
1. Pedro Martinez
2. John Maine
3. Oliver Perez
4. Orlando Hernandez
5. Mike Pelfrey/Jorge Sosa/Kevin Mulvey/Phil Humber

To me that looks like a formiddable rotaion. Here's how I believe that would've worked out over the course of the season:
1. Pedro: 14-7 172 IP 3.75 ERA
2. Maine: 20-9 211 IP 2.99 ERA (Cy Young Award)
3. Perez: 17-11 195 IP 3.50 ERA
4. El Duque: 11-5 130 IP 3.25 ERA
5. Fifth Spot: 8-12 165 IP 5.25 ERA
While Maine might be somewhat of a stretch, I truly believe he'll win 20 games and top 200 innings this season. If all goes as stated above, the only weak points would be finding some one to replace El Duque half way through the year and the fith spot. Both holes could have been filled by signing a Kyle Lohse or Livan Hernandezto bolster the rotation.

So, while the Mets now have one of the top three rotations in baseball, one has to wonder, did we need such a dramatic upgrade?

P.S. Poll is on the sidebar

SANTANA TO METS!!!

LINK HERE!
Pending a physical and contract extension, Johan Santana, the greatest pitcher in baseball, is about to join the New York Metropolitans. The deal, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, is for Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Phil Humber, and Kevin Mulvey.

Here's a look at the Mets '08 rotation:
1. Johan Santana
2. John Maine
3. Pedro Martinez
4. Oliver Perez
5. Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez

That is by far the best NL rotation right now (and possibly the best in the Majors).
This just in as well, the Mets are the 2008 NL Eastern Division Champions!

Great deal Omar! You've earned all our respect again. Now get a deal done for 6 years 140MM with a 20MM mutual option for a seventh year.

'08 RAPs (Rundowns and Predictions): Preview

I've been working on my '08 Rundowns and predictions all week. I can't finish until the hot stove season ends. So don't expect to see them until after Kyle Lohse and Corey Patterson are signed and the Santana thing is over. However, here's a preview for the Tampa Bay Rays:

After a dismal 66-93 2007 season, you'd usually expect a team to be pessimistic about the next year. This is not the case with the Rays. They have by far the best farm system in the game, and will be looking for contributions from the likes of Evan Longoria, Jeff Niemann, and quite possibly the first man ever taken in a televised MLB Rule 4 draft, David Price.

The Rays have also picked up talent via free agency and the trade market this year:

Traded Delmon Young, Brendan Harris, and Jason Pridie to the Twins for Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett: While I still think the Twins won this deal, it will certainly help out the Rays. Garza gives them a very formidable rotation for the first time in club history.
Traded Jeff Ridgeway to Atlanta for Willy Aybar.
Signed Cliff Floyd to a one year deal with an option for 2009.
Signed Troy Percival to a 2 year deal.

Clearly the Rays will be a much better team in '08. In fact, they will, quite possibly... brace yourselves... be over .500 this year. Does that mean a 3rd place finish?

Quick Rundown: Catcher: Dioner Navarro; 1B: Carlos Pena; 2B: Akinori Iwamura; SS: Jason Bartlett; 3B: Evan Longoria; LF: Carl Crawford; CF: B.J. Upton; RF: Cliff Floyd; DH: Rocco Baldelli (for about 2 games)
Rotation: SP1: Scott Kazmir; SP2: Matt Garza, SP3: James Shield; SP4: Andy Sonnanstine/Edwin Jackson; SP5: Jeff Niemann/Jason Hammel/David Price

Weekly 2008 Run-Downs and Predictions: COMING SOON!!!

Just as a heads up, starting next month, I will be posting my predictions for the upcoming season. Here's how this will go:

1. Monday: I will post about what happened last year in the division that I will be covering during the week.
2. Tuesday: I will discuss the moves made by the last place team (and the 5th place team in the NL Central) and whether the team(s) will improve in the upcoming year or not.
3. Wednesday: I will discuss the fourth place teams offseason moves (Not in the AL West; that will be covered on Tuesday) and whether they'll improve or not.
4. Thursday: I will discuss the 3rd place teams offseason and whether or not they'll improve.
5. Friday: I will discuss the runner-up in the division's hot stove season and whether or not they will have a better year.
6. Saturday: Finally, I'll discuss the winner of the division's offseason and whether they will get worse or not.
7. Sunday: I'll have my final prediction for the division, including win/loss records and Division MVP!

So keep your eyes peeled. These posts should be out around mid February!

Prospect Perspective: Fernando Martinez

Well, since there has been a lot of talk recently about Fernando Martinez being sent to Minnesota in a deal for Johan Santana, I've decided to add him to my list of "Prospect Perspective" posts.

Value: Fernando's value may have taken a bit of a hit following his .265 Average between A and AA ball. However, it's very hard to say that an average season could hinder the value of a 19-year-old outfielder who has the tools to someday become a great outfielder. Any player being discussed as the centerpiece in a trade for the greatest pitcher in baseball, before their twentieth birthday, has to have tremendous value. Overall Value: A

Ability: Fernando may only be 19, but he has the pitch recognition and strike zone awareness of a ten year veteran. His major flaw; however, is his tendency to press whenever he goes into a slump; but, this is common among young players and should not take anything away from the way he is perceived as a stud prospect. He hits well to all fields, which some scouts projections say, will lead to him having home run power to all fields once his body fills out. Also Martinez struggles up against strong left-handed pitching. Unlike Carlos Gomez, the man F-mart is so wrongly compared to, Fernando isn't all that great defensively. He'll get bad reads on balls periodically, causing him to take peculiar routes after making questionable first steps. Scouts also believe he'll possibly lose some of his above-average speed as he continues to grow. These flaws in his defense lead most to believe he'll end up as an average corner outfielder defensively. Overall Ability: B+

Future: There's hardly any doubt that Martinez has a future in the majors. The real question is what kind of major league career will he have. It is very hard to determine the future of a 19-year-old who hasn't seen the Majors. But, I'll try to anyway. I see F-Mart as an above-average, everyday player. He'll mostly have years of 20-25 HR's, 80-90 RBI's, 280-310 AVG., 350-380 OBP. That's a pretty solid line, though not as dominate as some ignorant Met fans perceive. Bottom line, he isn't the centerpiece the Twins are looking for; but, is he close enough? Overall Future: A

Overall Prospect Rating: A, F-Mart is a true "prospect." He'll either pan out or he won't. While he is still young, that doesn't guarantee he'll improve a lot. However, I have little doubt he'll be a major presence on a big league club someday; whether that's for the Mets, Twins, or someone else, that is yet to be determined.

For "Prospect Perspective" posts on Phil Hughes, Lastings Milledge, and Joba Chamberlain, scroll down the page!

Poll: NL East's Best Pen

As you might notice I have put up a second poll on the sidebar. This was inspired by a somewhat heated conversation over at Mlbtraderumors.com. Here are some statements that were made:

1. Me: "Mets bullpen VS Braves pen: Wagner >>> Soriano; Sanchez > Gonzalaz; Heilman >> Moylan; Joe Smith > Manny Acosta; My five year old neighbor > Joey Devine How can you possibly say the braves have a better pen. That's like saying Glavine is a better number three starter than Oliver Perez..."
2. Andy Braves Fan: "...Braves have 2 proven closers with Soriano and Mike Gonzalez (should be back in June). Joey Devine has been a top closing prospect, Manny Acosta, etc. Please, know what you are talking about before you rant. The Braves bullpen was so strong that they traded 1/4 of it for other needs."
3. Dee Edge: "...[The Braves] still need bullpen help the only have one soold guy in tha pen soriano and he faded last yr too." (Translation: Soriano is the only solid pitcher in the Braves pen and even he faded at the end of the year)

So I'll let you decide! Make sure to vote soon! This poll expires on the 27th.

Poll Post: Theo Epstein

Well as you can see, Theo Epstein managed to edge out Dayton Moore in the best GM poll. Obviously, this was due to not only his great list of transactions, but his two rings as well.

Who was the best general manager from 2006 to present?
BOS: Theo Epstein: 23 votes (46%)
KC: Dayton Moore: 22 votes (44%)
NYM: Omar Minaya: 4 votes (8%)

So without a further ado, here are the three best moves that Epstein has made in his tenure as General Manager of the Boston Red Sox:

1. Traded Jorge De La Rosa, Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, Jorge De la Rosa and outfielder Michael Goss to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Curt Schilling: This will perhaps go down as the most famous trade in Boston Red Sox history. Schill of course delivered one of the greatest performances in sports history in the 2004 League Championship Series. The D-Backs did get some decent players but the Red Sox got the best of this deal by far.
2. Red Sox hire Terry Francona as manager: Four out of the first twelve Boston managers managed to capture a world series title. This was then followed by 86 years of no managers capturing a world series title for Boston. However Epstein found the man Red Sox Nation had been searching for for dozens of years in December of 2003. The next year, Boston would break 'the curse' thanks in large part to a manager who didn't back down no matter how bleak things looked in that League Championship Series.
3. Red Sox Acquire Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, and Guillermo Mota from the Florida Marlins: Sure they had to give up Hanley Ramirez (one of the top five shortstops in baseball right now) and Anibal Sanchez (Who, shortly after, threw a no hitter) as well as Jesus Delgado and Harvey Garcia, but it was worth it. Beckett allowed them to capture a second ring as well as a division title. Also, Beckett's presence allows them to hold onto Clay Bucholtz and not spend him on an overpriced pitcher. Lowell also help establish the Red Sox current formidable lineup, which led also to the second Series victory and division title.

So that concludes the first poll post. The next poll should be up shortly.

MLB '07: The Year in Review Awards

Since today is the final day of 2007, I've decided to mention the goods and bads of the year that was in baseball.

Most Improved Franchise: Chicago Cubs
It's amazing what happens when teams decide to spend money more freely (EX: Mets, Red Sox, and Tigers recently). The Cubs went from the laughing stock of the worst division in the NL, to the Champions of the highly improved, yet still; worst division in the NL. Still, they showed that if you're willing to spend big bucks to bring in guys like Alfonso Soriano and Ted Lilly, you could make a great improvement in a short period of time. Not to mention the contributions made by the Rich Hills and Ryan Theriots of the world.
Runner Up: KC Royals

Least Improved Franchise: Cincinnati Reds
Sure they recently made an "improvement" bringing in Dusty "Throw Prior and Wood Out There 'Til their arms fall off" Baker. And of course they picked up Josh Hamilton in the rule five draft... oh, forgot the traded him for, err.. well nobody of any significance (Edison Volquez [might be okay] and Daniel Herrera). Still, since their collapse late in '06, they have done little to improve. They didn't trade Dunn for anything useful (yet) and Bronson Arroyo has just gotten worse. Reds fans can only hope that Jay Bruce pans out, and soon.
Runners Up: Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates

Best Anti-Umpire Rant: Chipper Jones
He earned a lot of my respect with this one. I was hoping someday, somebody would stand up against the horrible umpires that roam the major league diamonds these days. Not only that, he didn't even apologize afterward. As a Met fan it is hard to say this... but here it goes, Chipper Jones is the most respectable player in the game today.
Runner Up: none

Steroid Face of the Year: Roger Clemens
Who would've though that the year that Bonds finally got indicted that he wouldn't be the biggest story of the year. He officially proved to me that the steroid era wasn't only good for baseball (it saved the game after the strike), it was also bad. Clemens might not be as hated a person as Bonds (except by Mike Piazza) but if this is true, at least Bonds didn't steal any rings with his steroid use.
Runners Up: Bonds, George Mitchell

Team with Brightest '08 and Beyond: KC Royals
Hear me right now: The Royals are a playoff team in '08. Mark my words, they will edge out the Tigers in the Central. They might not look as good on paper as the rest of their division, but they have the best bullpen in that division as well as a pair of future studs in Alex Gordon and Billy Butler. Also, I truly believe that Meche and Greinke will be the best 1,2 punch in that division next year. While it is a stretch, the Royals are, in my eyes the team to beat.
Runners Up: Tampa Bay Rays

New Ultimate Baseball!

As you can see I have a whole new look here at Ultimate Baseball. The reason for this is I received some feedback from people over at MLBTR (STLRedbirds) that the colors were a little vexing. So I made the colors a little more plain. Hope you like it.
Along with the artistic complaints my Joba Chamberlain Perspective gathered some complaints about me letting my bias toward the Yankees show a little too much. Unfortunately you can't see some of those comments because I accidentally deleted them (it seriously was an accident). While I'm a believer of any publicity being good publicity (as you can see by the increased number of people participating in the GM poll on the side) I will try harder in the future to hide my bias towards teams that displease me (maybe not the Phillies so much).

* Just as a heads up, their are only 4 days to vote on the best general manager poll. The winner's post will be put up some time next weekend. *

Prospect Perspective: Joba Chamberlain

A couple of weeks ago I walked into Models and saw something that made me sick to my stomach... A Joba Chamberlain jersey. Here in New York, they are selling the jersey of a player who hasn't proved anything other than the fact that he is afraid of bugs. I mean, they still aren't selling John Maine shirts here. Now, I know I sound a little biased, however, say you're a Yankee fan and you walked into Models and saw a Joe Smith jersey but couldn't find a Robinson Cano jersey. You'd be upset too, wouldn't you? So I've decided to discuss Joba Chamberlain in this addition of "Prospect Perspective."



Value: Yes Chamberlain had a great end of the season. He showed that he could be dominate. Which is the sole reason he has the type of value he has today. Maybe he will be a lights out pitcher some day (highly unlikely). However, there is no reason to have him off limits at what I believe to be his peek value. Still, he would be a more valuable trading chip than any other pitcher in baseball. Overall Value: A+

Ability: There are many people who believe Chamberlain is a bonafide ace. Those people belong locked up in an insane asylum. Sure, he dominated in the Majors; but, he dominated people who were burned out and really playing for nothing. I mean, what major contenders were there for the playoffs in the AL: Red Sox (had it wrapped up early), Indians (wrapped up fairly early), Angels (No other good team in their division), Yankees (played for them), Mariners (did anybody really consider them a contender), Tigers (faded rather early). So as you see, he faced people who were either trying to save their energy for the post season, or people who didn't care about the season. We'll see his true ability in April, but until then his ability is nowhere near A caliber. Overall ability: B

Future: Unlike his teammate, Phil Hughes, Joba's future is not too bright. He will not post an ERA under 4 as a starter unless he makes some real improvements. However, I do see him as an above-average reliever. If the Yankees kept him in the pen he could be a Jason Isringhaussen type closer. So, I'll give him two separate future ratings. Starter Future: B-; Reliever Future Rating: A-



Overall Prospect Rating: A- This rating would be a lot lower if it wasn't for his value. Part of being a good prospect is having a high trade value. However, come May, his value probably will take a bit of a plunder, and the Steinbrenners are too obstinate to put him in a package for Santana. If a package of Melky Cabrera, Joba Chamberlain, and a no-name prospect could get a Santana deal done, why not do it?

Prior: Ultimate Bargain

Who would've guessed when Mark Prior first came up that he would be non-tendered. I mean, if people had heard that Gil Meche would get 11 million per in '06 , with Prior reaching free agency in '07, he wouldn't get more than 5 million per. In fact, if you told them what the contracts were nowadays, people would've believed Prior could get 22-28 million per, over seven years. However, overuse by Dusty Baker and years of injury have cost Prior more money than most people can even fathom.
Still, even though he won't return until May, I believe he could still be worth close to 20 million. A change of scenery is clearly all he needs. I could honestly see him winning 8-10 games in the second half of this year. More astonishingly, I believe, barring injury, he is a legit candidate for 20 games and a Cy-Young Award in '09. So, as a word of advice to all GM's out there, don't spend your farm on a Johan Santana or Erik Bedard unless you're ready to contend this year (That means you Cincinnati Reds). Instead, focus on obtaining equal value for less than 5 million dollars. Consider it trading Johan Santana for your own farm system, Mark Prior, and a gargantuan amount of money!

Rumor Mill or Rumor Mull? Royals Trade Buckner for Callaspo

Earlier today, as the Royals sent 24-year-old pitching prospect, Billy Buckner, to Arizona for 24-year-old second baseman Alberto Callaspo. As usual, I will discuss the ups and downs for both teams.

1. Kansas City Royals: Buckner had some chances to show what he had in September. I personally was impressed by the way he pitched in his limited time. Buckner was one of the highest touted prospects in the Royals system last year. However, perhaps more importantly than losing Buckner, this opens up a trade of second baseman Mark Grudzielanek.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks: I don't quite understand this from the D'backs' end. Sure Buckner has potential, but Callaspo will be quite good himself. I could see Callasp as a 20HR .320AVG 80RBI 30SB type player, and potential gold glover. The D'Backs could've acquired more for Callaspo, in my opinion. Tim Dierkes points out Callaspo's arrest in May.

As usual, Dayton Moore gets away the victor here!

Is Lowry the Key?

Recent rumors have suggested that the Mets offered Lastings Milledge to the Giants for Noah Lowry. If the Mets were able to obtain Lowry, they'd have three goo arms about to enter their baseball primes (28-32), in Maine, Perez, and Lowry. Rick Peterson was the pitching coach for the dominating trio of Zito, Hudson, and Mulder. Could he get Maine, Perez, and Lowry to excel to that level. I believe so. Here are my predictions, barring injury, for that trio if Omar were to acquire Lowry:

1. John Maine: 19-7, 3.30 ERA, 200K's, 200IP. After having an above average season last year, even though he was hurt all year and it was his first full year, one can only imagine how he could do in a full, injury-free season this year.
2. Oliver Perez: 17-10, 3.45 ERA, 225 K's, 190IP. It seems Perez may finally have found adequate consistency. If he can keep that up for close to 200 innings, he could strike out nearly 250 this year. However, he does have some bad outings, so don't count on that.
3. Noah Lowry: 16-3, 3.75 ERA, 125K's, 170 IP. This kid has potential! While those numbers aren't dominating, they're still pretty good. This year would be more a year for him to improve on his K: BB rate, than anything else. In a few years though, he could win 20 games.

If I'm Omar, I'm trading a package of F-Mart and Humber/Mulvey for this kid. While it is highly unlikely, this tandem could have three 20 game winners in 2011 with Peterson's tutelage.

Rule V Draft: Mets Gain Two Pitchers With Upside

The Rule 5 draft was held earlier today and Omar Minaya was able to pluck two potentially important relievers:

1. First there's 24-year-old righty, Steve Register. Register was the 13th overall pick. He led the Double-A Texas league in saves with 37 for Tulsa.
2. Then they took 24-year-old righty, Gary Bakker. He had an ERA of 3.67 (despite a 2-7 record) for Class A Winston-Salem of the Carolina League last season.

In order to hold onto Register, the Mets have to keep him on their 25 man roster all year. So, basically, register is going to have to try to pitch his way off of the defending National League Champion, Rockies in Spring Training. This idea would be absurd if the Champs were any other team than the Rox, Nats, Bucks, or Giants. Then again, I guess it's better to play for a Major League team than an affiliate of a champion Major League team.

Winter Meetings: Breaking Down the Cabrera/Willis Trade

As most of you know already, last night the Tigers acquired Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Robello, and three decent minor league pitching prospects. This is the biggest trade in a long time, and could become the biggest trade since The Babe if all the players pan out.

Cameron Maybin could be the best hitter in baseball in 6 or 7 years. I believe he will be the next 40-40 guy in about ten years. He is the definition of a five tool player.

Andrew Miller was going to be the number one overall pick in the 2006 draft out of UNC, until he priced himself out of the Royals range. He fell to number six, where the Tigers gave him a nice signing bonus. He might end up better than Willis this year if Willis doesn't get his act together.

Mike Robelo is another great pickup. The Marlins got the young catcher they were looking for!

This could be the Marlins lineup in a few years:
1. Hanley Ramirez, SS
2. Jeremy Hermida, RF
3. Cameron Maybin, CF
4. Dan Uggla, 2B
5. Mike Jacobs, 1B
6. Mike Robelo, C
7. Josh Willingham, LF
8. Alfredo Amezaga, 3B (they'll improve here I believe)
That could be an unbeatable lineup. If the Marlins would move out of that place now and make enough money to resign all of these players, they could establish a dynasty!

The only bad thing about this trade for baseball fans is that Dontrelle will no longer get to hit in the American League.

Heyman Agrees on Nady; I Add Twist

As I reported yesterday, Xavier Nady is available. Though, apparently, he will not be non-tendered. However, si.com's Jon Heyman agrees the Mets could pursue Nady for right field. As far as I could tell, I was the first to suggest this idea. So, three cheers for me! So, I'll have some fun and add a twist to my own proposal.
Maybe the Mets can put together a strong package and also look to acquire Pittsburgh ace, Ian Snell. Snell is my favorite pitcher in baseball, outside of New York. I believe a deal of Gomez, Mulvey, Muniz, and maybe even another, lower level, guy could do it. What do you think? Leave your own thoughts in the comments!

Winter Meetings Report: 1st Half of Day One

Seeing as I wasn't home all morning, I haven't been able to stay up to the minute with the meetings. So here are some of the highlights so far:

• The Diamondbacks send Carlos Quentin to the White Sox for Chris Carter.
• Erik Bedard doesn't want an extension, and is being shopped, with the Mets, Red Sox, Dodger, Mariners, and possibly the Yanks in the mix.
• Elijiah Dukes is possibly on the move to Washington.
• Andy Pettitte returns.
• As usually, Billy Beane's asking prices are insane.

I'm not as efficient at keeping up to the minute as most sites, so feel free to leave any rumors of note in the comments. I will only be covering major trades and Met/Yankee stuff during the meetings.

Winter Meetings Report: Predictions

With the Winter Meetings kicking off tomorrow, from Nashville, I've decided to cover the top 3 stories with my predictions as to what will happen:

1. Johan Santana: In an earlier post, I discussed the Angels, Yankees, and Red Sox as the main suitors for Johan. Over the last few days, the Yanks and Sox have been exchanging the lead in the Santana derby. However, the Yanks have seemingly made their best offer, and will look elsewhere if it is not good enough. Prediction: Santana to Boston
2. Miguel Cabrera: The Angels and Giants have been frustrated with the Marlins tactics in putting together a Cabrera deal. Even the Angels have more to offer, the Giants have a greater need with Bond's not coming back. In the end, I don't think the Marlins will be able to pull the trigger. Prediction: Cabrera stays in Florida
3. Andruw Jones: In my opinion, the best player to reach free agency this year (including pitchers), remains unsigned. With Scott Boras as his agent, asking only for a long term, high expense deal. The one GM I believe is smart enough to go after Andruw at this price, is Dayton Moore. He is very familiar with Jones from his days in the Atlanta scouting office. Prediction: Jones signs with Royals for six years 102 million with incentives up to 110 million.

X- MAN 2: X-Man Returns?

According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette the Pirates will look to get rid of Xavier Nady, either by trading him, or non-tendering him. Apparently, the Pirates are unwilling to exceed the all important (sarcasm) 3 million dollar mark for Nady. On the open market Nady could net 4 years and 8-10 million. However, Scott Boras is his agent; therefore, he could net a five, or even six year deal (I believe) at about 12 million a year. So, the best bet to obtain Nady would be in a trade.
So I plead, Omar, part with a Phil Humber or a Kevin Mulvey, whatever it takes. Get Nady back. He and Church would platoon well in right. This would also make it easier to trade Gomez for a pitcher, seeing as you wouldn't need to keep a sixth outfielder (along with Alou, Nady, Church, Beltran, and Chavez). Church could spell Alou every once in a while and Nady could spell Delgado at first. It is the definition of a perfect fit!
Remember, giving up a pitching prospect for Nady is really like giving up a pitching prospect for Oliver Perez and Roberto Hernandez. You'll get the better end of the deal!

Melky Gone = Bernie Back?

I was just reading over at Mlbtraderumors.com that Joe Pawlikowski says Andruw Jones would be a better replacement than Aaron Rowand if Melky is traded(DUH!). However, I got to thinking about other scenarios. I came to a conclusion that should make all Yankee fans happy.

If Melky is traded, I believe that the Yankees should go after Bernie Williams as a part time outfielder. Then, they can sign Cuban-defector, Alexia Ramirez(apparently 26-years-of-age) to play with Bernie. Bernie could mentor Ramirez as he adjusts to the MLB. It's a perfect match, right? What do you think?

Winter Meetings Report: What's Missing?

It's that time of year again! The time where all the general managers in baseball gather to talk trades and pick up unwanted players in the Rule V draft. Although these are similar festivities every year (a lot of talk, some action{meetings at bottom part of page on link}), these meetings tend to feel a little different. For example, last year the big trade names in the pitching market were Brad Penny and Rich Harden. This year big names like Santana and Haren are ready to go! This year instead of the Mets losing a somewhat high upside pitcher for a young power arm, they lose an extremely high upside outfielder for... well, nothing much. However there are a few major aspects of the meetings we are missing as of now:

1. Manny Not Being Manny? Over the past years, it seems every year, Manny Ramirez asks for a trade. However, this year (so far) we've heard nothing of Manny. Has his second ring finally made him happy in Boston, or is even Manny tired of Manny being Manny?
   
2. No More Barry Lamar Bonds: One of the most hilarious parts of the meetings last year was when Barry Bonds, the self-centered, arrogant, soon to be home run king, showed up and begged Giants GM Brian Sabean for his job.(At least that's how I saw it). Sabean, not being the brightest man in the world, allowed Bonds to sign for one year 16 million. This year, Bonds will be spending the meetings fighting perjury charges. Who knows, he may still show up and beg for a job. Now that, that would be the most hilarious thing to ever happen in Major League Baseball history.


3. Has Boras Lost Control: Over the last several years, Agent Scott Boras has had a vice-grip on all of baseball. But it seems that since he was defeated in the Dice-K adventure last year, he's lost his touch (Other than the Zito steal). Then, this year, he was fired by Kenny Rodgers, who just signed with the Tigers, and was forgotten in the A-Rod mess. So, is Boras washed up or did he have a bad year. With free agents like Andruw Jones under his control this year, it will be interesting to see.

So when the meetings start next week, don't be shocked if you feel there's something missing. Just sit back, relax, and look out for the wonderful rumors as they unfold.

Prospect Perspective: Phil Hughes

It was decided last night that the Yankees are willing to include Phil Hughes in a package for Johan Santana. The package seems set at Hughes, Melky Cabrera, and another pitching prospect (Alan Horne?). So I'll be decided to discuss Hughes this morning.

Value: There's obviously no doubt that Hughes has tremendous value. If he didn't, the Yankees wouldn't be able to come close to pulling a deal off with just Cabrera and another pitcher alongside Hughes. You can't get much more valuable than a 21-year-old who has potential to be an all time great. Overall Value: A+

Ability: Hughes was gifted with tremendous ability as well. He has a fastball that sits in the mid 90's, with good movement; and, he can place it well too. He also can place his two-seamer well with good speed (low 90's). His best pitch is an amazing curve. He trows it in the mid to low 80's with excellent movement.
Hughes also possesses great presence and poise on the mound, and is extremely hard to rattle.
Overall ability: A+

Future: It's clear as day that Hughes will be a bonafide Ace in the next few years. Personally, I see him winning 250-300 games, whether for the Yanks or Twins. He will probably win at least one Cy-young. His average season should be about 16-5 3.25 ERA and 200 K's. It's extremely possible he'll be better than Santana in a few years. Overall Future: A+

Overall Prospect Rating: A+
Clearly, Hughes is the definition of a blue-chip prospect. However, if I were the Yankees I would refuse to trade him. Even with Santana, they might not be able to beat the Red Sox this year.